Modern Floors Ghana, which specialises in vinyl (PVC) tiles (LVT), artificial carpet grass (Astroturf) and adhesives, has trained artisans with skills in vinyl (PVC) tiling to equip them for the job market.
The training was part of the company’s efforts to give back to the society, an exercise popularly known as corporate social responsibility.
Trainees, both males and females, were drawn largely from the Greater Accra Regionto participate in the skill acquisition.
In a statement, the company said the three-day intensive training covered modern floors technology.
According to the company, majority of participants have since used their newly acquired abilities to start their own businesses.
Social commitment
The company also averred that more artisans would be trained as part of its increased social commitment to the nation.
“We’ll provide them the chance to have their works recognised abroad. This is due to Modern Floors’ authorised UK trademark and its recent approval by Amazon to sell its brand in seven European nations,” the statement said.
Modern Floors Ghana, mainly located in Spintex Road, East Legon, Weija, and Tema, offers a wide range of advantages, including improved anti-skid qualities, durability, water resistant, fire resistant, anti-bacterial capabilities, and much more.
“As a result, it is utilised in medical facilities, educational institutions, homes, and commercial buildings. As a result, we have been able to combine our manufacturing methods with client needs to work as a team to produce resilient flooring that is in demand and right on trend,” the statement added.
When Nicki Minaj heard her hit single “Super Freaky Girl” will reportedly not be considered for hip-hop categories at the Grammys and compete for Best Pop Solo Performance instead, she brought Latto into it—and a long back-and-forth got deeply personal.
“Now, let’s say that ‘Super Freaky Girl’ is a pop song. Let’s just say that. What is [Latto’s] ‘Big Energy’? … If you move ‘Super Freaky Girl’ out of rap and put it in pop, do the same thing for ‘Big Energy,’” the 10-time nominee said in a series of Instagram Live remarks on the confusing potential move by the Recording Academy.
“Same producers on both songs, by the way,” she added. “So let’s keep shit fair.” Controversial superproducer Dr. Luke and Vaughn Oliver are credited on each single.
When a fan tweeted at Nicki to point out Latto “herself has even called it pop,” 39-year-old Minaj wrote, “Yikes.”
At this point Latto, 23, took to her account to wonder why she was brought into the conversation. “Damn I can’t win for losing…all these awards/noms I can’t even celebrate,” tweeted the recent winner of the BET Hip Hop Award for Song of the Year, a victory Kodak Black lashed out at her for.
A couple hours later Minaj decided to reveal a text from Latto where the latter agreed but “because of where we left off ion think u need to bring my name/song up.” Here Nicki started calling her “Scratch Off” and a “Karen,” writing alongside a screenshot of the text, “This Karen has probably mentioned my name in over 100 interviews. Says she waited in line for Pink Friday w|her Barbie chain on, bangs, pink hair…but today, scratch off decides to be silent; rather than speak up for the black woman she called her biggest inspiration.”
Latto clapped back by saying she texted because she “didn’t wanna do the internet [shit]” with someone the rising star “looked up to.”
“Just like the 1st time I DMed u asking about ur ongoing subtweets. I wanted to speak up cuz like I said I do agree but the way u going about it seems malicious,” she added. “I’ve ignored countless subtweets since March and instead addressed u in the dm. … Ur literally older than my mom tryna be a bully @NICKIMINAJ.”
The Atlanta MC shared one of the Nicki posts she considered a subtweet and promised more to come, starting “from the beginning.”
Nicki told Latto she was imagining things, asserting, “It goes to show she made up these ‘subtweets’ in her head simply b/c she sent me 2 songs I declined to do features on. They all do this.”
She also responded to the “older than my mom” jab. “Age shaming when you look like YOU the one pushing 40. … Oh so you in your 20’s. Oh ok then. At least it match your album sales. You sold 20K right?” Minaj prodded. She continued to get more personal, saying she’d expose Latto’s ghostwriters and calling her Blackness into question. “She used me & the Barbz in every interview until that album sold double wood. now she wiping that spray tan off & being a Karen. They black when it’s beneficial chi.”
The two proceeded to outline their sides of the story, with a slew of screenshots and shade. In Nicki’s “story in 5 parts,” she continued calling Latto a Karen “who blames others for her album flopping,” saying “every dm from scratch off is about a feature” and that the 777 artist “feels she has pull behind the scenes w|a few diff white men (won’t name right now).”
“U only get called old when you pass on their features 😩 i ain’t never diss my idols for not giving me a feature,” the Queen spitter wound up tweeting. “I bowed to lauryn hill feet when I met her. Feature or no feature. Should I call her old now? She a grandmother & still out rapping you.”
Latto said Nicki has been “literally fishing for a reason to backup being a bully” and is “so meticulous w her shade so she can twist it later and act like it wasn’t about you.”
“I literally named u as my dream collab multiple times in multiple interviews…like I told u otp I looked up to u…u still never answered my question about where the random shade started coming from,” she wrote. “With all this being said this wasn’t JUST about a Grammy category. U being funny bringing me up to defend ur case knowing our last convo didn’t end on good terms. U literally told me I’m not ‘flourishing’ and no one cares about my ‘little song.’”
Sharing yet another example of what she ID’d as a sub, Latto went for the jugular, calling Nicki Minaj a grandmother and bringing up her husband Kenneth Petty and brother Jelani Maraj’s checkered pasts, including convictions and/or allegations of sex crimes.
“Super freaky grandma is married AND related to fucking rapists,” the rapper tweeted. “You ain’t gone bully me BITCH! My idol turned rival now u hating!”
Nicki wasted no time shooting back, saying Latto “didn’t care about rape when she was begging for features,” and also “didn’t care” about allegations against Kodak Black or Dr. Luke.
“News Flash scratch off. I’ve never raped anyone. I’ve inspired millions. You’re one of them BOZO,” Minaj said.
She continued, “Y’all keep letting these bozos weaponize the WORD rape when they’re being dragged & not holding them accountable for not actually CARING about rape VICTIMS in REAL LIFE. They have the same 2 drags about me & one of them ain’t eem bout me. That’s how you know when you dat btch.”
There are many worries due to the fact that the government debt sustainability analysis is still unknown, especially from individuals and institutions who have a large exposure to government debt.
Doris Ahiati, the chief executive officer of Crescendo Consult Ltd., believes that an open dialogue between the two sides is essential for minimizing harm.
Ghana’s public debt is expected to reach 104.6 percent of GDP by the end of the year, placing the economy in the debt-distressed category and further making the debt situation unsustainable. This means the country will no longer be able to fulfill its debt obligations, even domestically, according to the World Bank’s Africa’s Pulse report (October 2022, Volume 26).
Currently, the country’s local and foreign currency ratings have been downgraded from B-/B to CCC+/C with negative outlook from S&P rating agency and ‘CCC’ to ‘CC’ by Fitch, and the country is now seeking a US$1.5billion assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to shore-up public finances and regain access to credit markets.
These occurrences have affected the confidence of businesses and the financial sector, and raised concerns of persons and institutions with high exposure to government debt.
In an interview with the B&FT, Ms. Ahiati said a transparent stakeholder conversation can lessen the impact.
“There is a need for stakeholder engagements with people that are likely to be impacted because government owes them. A conversation that explains the situation and makes room for the person who has loaned money to government to propose what they can accommodate. Maybe it could be extending the repayment period or renegotiating the interest rate.
“So, I think the stage should be granted to the people who are investing in government bonds. If they are likely to be impacted, we should not sit on one side and just decide something and hit the market with it.
“It should be through a negotiation whereby they hear each side of the story and reach an agreement or a compromise that is fair for both parties,” she said.
She is also of the view that as government take pragmatic measures to lessen the impact of economic challenges experienced widely, it should be mindful of any action which undermines the financial sector’s confidence.
“I think you are indirectly referencing the rumors about possible a haircut. Personally, my concern is that we do not do anything to undermine the confidence of people in the financial system. That is where we derive our credit ratings and provide for businesses to grow.
“There is already evidence of lower confidence in the sector; people are keeping monies in their homes, people have bought dollars that they are keeping in their homes and these are not in the banking systems. And in the same way, people begin to look at options that will help them avoid being in the main financial system,” she noted.
Already, the central bank’s latest business confidence survey in August 2022 – which gauges the level of optimism among business managers – has revealed a slump in business confidence by a greater extent of 15.8 points from 98.4 points recorded in the previous survey of August 2021.
Mrs. Doris Ahiati is however hopeful that the IMF programme will help salvage the current situation and bring about some levelling.
“I believe that whatever programme the IMF comes with will be mindful not to hurt investor confidence so badly. But we are at a point where we cannot rule out that there will be painful actions which might be taken in order to address the situation – a quite challenging one. So either way, I think people are not going to have it easy.
“We do not know precisely what the government proposals under IMF will be and/or what the IMF will endorse. It might hurt a little bit in the short-term, but eventually it will contribute to our recovery,” she said.
The Electoral Commission of Ghana has listed 17 political parties whose registration it intends to revoke for failure to establish national and regional offices in the country.
The EC in a statement said these parties have not met the requirements of the Political Parties Act 2000.
It therefore gave them up to Thursday, October 20, 2022 to show proof why their registrations should not be cancelled.
“The Commission intends to invoke Section 15 (3) (c) of the Political Parties Act of 2000, Act 574, which mandates it to cancel the registration of Political Parties which do not have offices at the National and Regional levels.”
”In this vein, the following Political Parties are by this notice requested to show cause in writing to the Electoral Commission why their registration should not be cancelled,” it added in the notice published on Thursday, October 13, 2022.
The Electoral Commission explained that it undertook a nationwide exercise to inspect the offices of all registered political parties from May 16, 2022 to June 9, 2022.
Following the nationwide inspection, it came to light that the 17 under-listed Political Parties have no offices at the national and regional levels.
The parties include; the United Progressive Party (UPP) led by Akwasi Addae, popularly known as Odike.
Another one on the list is the United Front Party (UFP), which is being led currently by Nana Agyenim Boateng popularly known as ‘Gyataba’ following disagreements with Odike.
The Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), formed by Dr Obed Yao Asamoah, the National Reform Party (NRP) led by Goosie Tanoh, the Reform Patriotic Democrats and a host of others are all on the list.
The rest are; Democratic People’s Party (DPP), United Development System Party (UDSP), Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere (EGLE), Yes People’s Party (YPP), United Ghana Movement (UGM), New Vision Party (NVP), Ghana Democratic Republican Party (GDRP) and the Ghana National Party (GNP).
The others include; the Power Unity Party (PUP), People’s Action Party (PAP), United Renaissance Party (URP) and the United Love Party (ULP).
“We hustled to build this thing. Some guy did some documentary and said, ‘Nigerians.’ They didn’t.”
His comment comes after a major debate on social media between Ghanaians and Nigerians about which country originated Afrobeats—the blend of West African and Black American music that has inspired throngs of contemporary acts worldwide with its unique rhythms and melodies.
But speaking in an interview on GTV’s Breakfast Show, the Azonto Fiesta producer maintained that Ghana originated Afrobeats.
“Afrobeats was solely created from Ghana. Myself, Hammer, Jay Q, and Zapp Mallet were killing it. We formed the sound that they chanced on and used,” Appietus said on Wednesday, October 12.
The popular music producer also shared his breakthrough story, recounted how he had to contend with his mother, who always asked him to look for a proper job instead of being a sound engineer, and advised sound engineers in the craft to keep learning.
“My mum never took me seriously for years. I became big and received awards, but she never cared. She was saying ‘find a job’. I took my studio to my father’s house. Then one day, Daddy Lumba entered my studio and they were arguing, ‘it’s him, it’s not him’. They asked him, “Are you Daddy Lumba?’ and he said, ‘yes’. ‘What are you doing here?’ and he said, ‘I’m here to work with Appiah’. That day my mum did Omelette and the things my mum did, I was surprised.”
“In my field, you need to keep learning. That’s what I realised, and that’s how I started. I have learned and I even know what’s about to happen, how they are going to change the whole mechanism, machinery, software, and everything because it’s something that they keep doing.”
He added that the current artistes are going to reap the full benefit of music.
“I am very happy that music is getting this big and I know that the new generation is going to enjoy it very much. They will drive new cars and make a lot of money because of the way music is now structured; anyone can click on your music and you will make money.”
The son of NPP’s former chairman Freddie Blay tied the knot with the niece of former Education Minister Betty Mould-Iddrisu.
Kwaw Blay and Jasmine Kappia got married in a private ceremony over the weekend.
According to reports, the bride is a niece of Alhaji Idrissu Mahama, founding member of the NDC and his wife Betty Mould-Iddrisu.
The couple reportedly cared for Jasmine Kappia during her high school days and with her father based in USA, Mrs Mould-Iddrisu and her husband hosted the ceremony in place of her parents.
The white-themed event saw close friends and family of Kwaw Blay and Jasmine Kappia in attendance.
The mother of the groom and Ghana’s Ambassador to Germany, Gina Blay, took to Twitter to share photos from the event.
Seasoned rapper, Obrafour, on Thursday, published an 18-year-old photo of his music duo, 4×4, made up of Captain Planet and Coded.
The throwback image with so many memories behind it was taken in 2004 during the Execution Dairy tour.
Fans of Obrafourwho reacted to the post congratulated the Ghanaian artistes for holding them down back in the day with their timeless tunes
In the Thursday’s post, Obrafourcalled on the public to “respect pacesetters” in the music industry.
“#tbt with Captain Planet 4×4 and Coded4x4 during the ‘Execution Dairy’ promotional tour back in 2004. #kasahari #thisishiplife #ghanamusictotheworld #respectthepacesetters,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Captain Planet and Coded of 4X4 fame have gone their separate ways after working together for years.
The two have released solo projects like ‘Abodie’ and ‘Dada Damoase’.
The Old People’s Association of Ghana (OPA-GH) has appealed for a geriatric infrastructure in Ghana.
A geriatric infrastructure is a health facility for older patients, including specialised geriatric nurses.
They also called for the passage of the aged bill into law by parliament which would provide rehabilitation, health care, support and social protection for older persons.
According to the association, it would set the right policy environment for a complete approach towards older persons’ care in the country, and healthier older persons population.
The association’s request was highlighted over the weekend during the celebration of the 77th anniversary of the United Nation and the 32nd International Day of Older Persons (UNIDOP) in Accra, on the theme; “Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World”.
Highlighting some challenges faced by older persons, the Director of OPA-GH, Mr Nathaniel Botchway, mentioned the lack of geriatric infrastructures in the country, less older people with pension plansand financial burdens.
“We are appealing to government to construct some health facilities for the aged because the queues and frustrations we experienced in hospitals compounded to more related health issues,” he said.
Mr Botchway also stated that there was less financial support and programme packages towards improving the health of older persons in the country, of which when resolved could yield many health and socio-economic benefits to them.
“Even in government agenda, the plans and care for older people are excluded, this increases our struggles in taking care of ourselves and for that reason, we are calling for more financial support and programmes for the aged because we believe we can impact the youth and society with our rich experiences,” he said.
He, however, advised the general public, especially the youth, to have pension plans for themselves to help sustain their future and their term of old age.
“We noticed that a lot of aged persons do not have any pension plan and that was making their lives difficult, even though the association financially assists such persons or open small shops in front of their houses, it is still not enough,” he stated.
October 1 is set aside by the UN to highlight the resilience of older persons in the face of environmental, social, economic and lifelong inequalities as well as raise the awareness of the importance of improved world-wide data collection disaggregated by age and gender.
Also, the day serves as a wakeup call on member states, UN entities and civil society to include older persons in all policies, ensuring gender equality as described in the UN Secretary-General’s report.
Discussants at a roundtable on sexual harassment at the workplace have advocated the need for corporate organisations to institute and enforce workplace policies on the menace to promote a safe work environment.
They held that not only will sexual harassment policies in workplaces protect the rights of workers and sustain business growth, but serve as a deterrent to possible offenders.
Lawyer and Convenor of the Affirmative Action Bill Coalition, Mrs Sheila Minka-Premo, General Manager, Human Resource and Administration for Media General, MrsAma Lawson and the Head of Gender Department of the Trades Union Congress, Mrs Alberta LaryeaGyan, were contributing to the topic which formed part of series of public dialogues initiated by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE).
The dialogues which touch on pertinent issues are expected to engender national conversations around the subject, possibly addressing prevailing gaps and help spur national development.
In her submission, Mrs Minka-Premo noted that while men and women were prone to sexual harassment, women were most vulnerable with all two types of harassment; “quid pro-quo” and “hostile work environment”, which was prevalent in the country.
She said, Ghana’s labour laws were rather skewed towards “quid pro-quo, which means- this for that; where sexual favours are offered in exchange for benefits like gaining employment, promotion and salary increase or to avoid demotion, rather than the other where victims suffer intimidating or demeaning environment.”
The gender activist noted that while there was a need to review the law it was important that clear-cut sexual harassment policies which are binding on employees are enacted at all workplaces to protect human rights and promote a safe working environment.
She further called for the re-socialisation of the future generation to value and respect human relations to promote a healthier work environment in the nearest future.
Mrs Lawson, citing a 2017 BBC survey report on workplace sexual harassment said at least 30 percent (3 in 10) of all women globally suffered the threat with 63 percent failing to file a complaint.
According to the survey, three in four sexual harassment claims at the workplace went unreported while 55 percent of victims who spoke up on their ordeal experienced retaliation from perpetrators.
“In 2018, at least 72 percent of victims were sexually harassed by senior managers or colleagues and did not report and 31 percent felt anxious or depressed so, this is not just a workplace event, it borders on victims health, livelihoods, their dependents and can be costly to the company so it is not a matter to be trivalised.”
Mrs Lawson stressed the need for a policy on sexual harassment at the workplace to be accessible to all with clearly defined provisions which among others points out medium of reporting an act, confidentiality, anonymity and protection of victims and sanctions.
The Chairperson of the NCCE, Ms Kathleen Addy, said the Commission would consider teaming up with organisations like the Trades Union Congress to ensure the ratification of the International Labour Organisations (ILO) recommendations on sexual harassment and advocate for implementation at workplaces.
“The idea is to increase awareness on the menace to empower workers to speak up and exhibit full commitment to promoting gender equality at the workplace,” she said.
The Media Coalition Against Galamsey (MCAG) wants an immediate ban on all forms of small-scale and surface mining in the country as part of efforts to curb mining activities destroying the environment.
The directive among six others will “allow our water bodies and forests to begin to be restored and strategize a way to bring sanity to all surface mining activities in Ghana”, the Coalition said in a statement.
The group believes that urgent and radical measures need to be adopted by the Government that will result in a positive change in the state of our water bodies and the preservation of our environment.
1. Order all small-scale and surface mining activities to stop IMMEDIATELY to allow our water bodies and forests to begin to be restored, and strategize a way to bring sanity to all surface mining activities in Ghana.
2. Ensure that the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended, is enforced without fear or favour. ‘Powerful’ people involved in Galamsey activities in the country should be exposed and sanctioned to serve as a deterrent.
3. Arrest, investigate and prosecute everyone involved in the illegality including the Akonta Mining Ltd and its Directors, Bernard Bosiako and Kwame Antwi, for illegally mining in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve as well as breaching (Section 99(6) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended by mining very close along the banks of Tano River.
4. Sack any MCE/DCE in whose areas of jurisdiction illegal mining has taken place and still continues based on evidence on the ground.
5. Ministers and their deputies, whose responsibility it is to regulate the mining sector, have failed Ghana. They must also be sacked for disappointing present and unborn generations.
6. Explore the provision of gainful, alternative employment to persons engaged in Galamsey.
7. Ensure that the above punitive measures are implemented before Farmer’s Day this year as these activities directly impact adversely the efforts of our gallant farmers.
The Coalition maintains there is and can be no conceivable justification for illegal mining to continue in Ghana.
“The Media Coalition Against Galamsey is therefore calling on well-meaning Ghanaians, Civil Society Organizations to join hands with the media to help mount continued pressure on our Leaders, both Political and Traditional, to help save Ghana’s water bodies and preserve our environment for future generations.”
“Losing this war is not an option. Irresponsible and unsustainable mining is an existential threat and should not be countenanced”.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted a tough 2023 as it cut growth predictions and forecast economic contraction in a third of the world.
“The worst is yet to come,” the global financial institution’s World Economic Outlook report said.
“For many people 2023 will feel like a recession,” it added.
A downward revision of the global growth rate for 2023, from the amount the IMF said it expected in July, has been made in the report.
Now, 2.7% growth is expected next year. It’s down from the 6% growth experienced last year and the 3.2% growth forecast for this year.
This is the “weakest growth profile” since 2001, excluding the acute phase of COVID-19 pandemic and the global financial crisis, the IMF said.
It reflects “significant slowdowns” for the largest economies as America’s gross domestic product (GDP) contracted in the first half of 2022, followed by the Euro area’s contraction in the second half of 2022, and prolonged COVID-19 outbreaks and lockdowns in China with a growing property sector crisis.
“The world is in a volatile period: economic, geopolitical, and ecological changes all impact the global outlook,” the report says.
While the IMF issued a warning to the UK, following the mini-budget market turmoil, this World Economic Outlook report was completed prior to the chancellor’s mini-budget announcement, so does not reflect the ensuing market activity.
Nevertheless, IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas told reporters that the government should ensure its tax and spending plans are in line with the Bank of England’s inflation-fighting remit.
“Fiscal policy should be aligned with monetary policy,” he said when asked about Britain’s economic situation and the turmoil in its government bond market.
“Central banks are trying to tighten monetary policy, and if you have at the same time fiscal authorities that try to stimulate aggregate demand, it’s like having a car with two people in the front… each trying to steer the car in a different direction. That’s not going to work very well.”
The future health of the global economy relies on the “successful calibration” of monetary policy, the course of the war in Ukraine, and the possibility of further pandemic-related supply-side disruptions, for example, in China.
Inflation could also continue to worsen as more energy and food price shocks cause it to persist for longer.
About a third of the world economy faces two consecutive quarters of negative growth, the IMF also forecast.
The Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has renewed the longstanding relations between the Dombo family in Duori in the Jirapa Municipality of the Upper West Region, and the Bawumia family in WaleWale in the North East Region.
As part of the move, Naa Tikan Dombo III, the Chief of Duori, conferred a chieftaincy title, “Naa Liewae”, meaning “the Chief has come back” on the Vice President.
Shortly after the confirmation of the chieftaincy title, the Vice President was led to the ancestral shrine of the late Simon Diedong Dombo, where he paid homage to the late chief, a founding member of the Danquah-Dombo-Bussia tradition, now the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The Vice president received the Chieftaincy title when he called on the chief and people of Duori as part of his visit to the Upper West Region to interact with the people, cut sod for new projects and inspect ongoing ones.
The Vice President also visited the Sissala East Municipality, where he interacted with the chiefs and elders as well as cut sod for the construction of an ultra-modern Astroturf in Tumu and visited the Sissala West District to interact with the chiefs and elders and inspected the Agenda 111 projects at Gwollu.
Naa Dombo said the chieftaincy title conferred on the Vice President was a symbol of welcoming him into the Dombo family.
The Chief used the opportunity to appeal to the Vice President to take the necessary steps to ensure the Duori community and by extension, the Jirapa Municipality received its fair share of the national development.
He cited the bad nature of the roads and the high youth unemployment in the area as some of the challenges affecting them and called for the government’s intervention in that regard.
On his part, Vice President Bawumia said the chieftaincy title conferred on him was, among other things, a symbol of the closeness between the Dombo and the Bawumia families.
“It also tells me that it is not a personal title it is a lot of responsibility that has been placed in my hands by this because SD Dombo didn’t live for himself, he lived for a whole generation of people.
“I hope that I can do likewise and carry the torch that he was carrying throughout his political career and be selfless, and transparent and serve my people with integrity,” he said.
Vice President Bawumia observed that the government was committed to improving the livelihoods of the people through the implementation of various projects across the country.
Dr Bawumia, who also called on the chiefs and elders of the Lawra Traditional Area, assured them that government would work hard to complete all the projects it had started in the municipality “so that we can deliver a real legacy for the President for 2024.”
Naa Puowelle Karbo III, the Paramount Chief of the Lawra Traditional Area, eulogised the Vice President for his competency, effectiveness, hard work, and dedication to the duties and responsibilities of his office, which he said was widely acclaimed locally and internationally.
“Since assuming this high office of Vice President you have brought dignity, respect and prestige to that office,” he observed.
The revered chief appealed to the government to ensure the timely completion of projects it started in the Lawra Municipality, which included: the Dikpe bridge, the ultra-modern technical institute at Tolibri, the Lawra Senior High School Assembly Hall complex, and the Kambaa irrigation project, among others.
Naa Karbo said the timely completion of those projects would help improve the livelihoods of the people in the area as well as leave a legacy of President Akufo-Addo-led government in Lawra as the government that brought more projects to the area.
The chief, who is also the Vice president of the Upper West Regional and National Houses of Chiefs, acknowledged the President’s resolve to fight illegal mining in the country in a bit to help protect the environment and the natural resources, pledging his support in the fight.
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has urged all taxpayers to hook on to the electronic invoicing system for Value Added Tax (E-VAT) to allow monitoring.
The Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority on October 1, 2022, began its certified electronic invoicing system to ensure all invoices that are issued by taxpayers are witnessed by the Commissioner’s system.
The electronic invoicing system will be authenticated with an app and deployment of compliance officers to ensure its enforcement.
There are 50 taxpayers selected across and enrolled on the system. The selected 50 reflect all types of taxpayers registered with the Authority of which some are complying, and others are not.
The Authority will ensure no operations of customers until they hook on to the system.
In a brief meeting with the media on Tuesday, at the Head Office of the Ghana Revenue Authority Accra, Mr Kwesi Eghan, Deputy Commissioner for Operations at the GRA, said the exercise would continue until each taxpayer was fully compliant, 600 additional taxpayers will be enrolled by the end of the first quarter of 2023.
The whole exercise will see its conclusion by 2024 when all taxpayers will be using the Commissioner-General’s invoicing system.
“This closing down of shops is not the path the Authority is forging willingly; it is a last resort action. We will advise that you comply before we start this whole exercise,” he said.
He urged taxpayers to effectively roll out the Commissioner-General’s system to help curb the illegal issuance of own invoices to help generate revenue for the government.
He said the exercise was targeted at the initial selected 50 taxpayers, who are supposed to hook on to the system.
“It is not as if all other taxpayers are not compliant, quite a number are hooked on the system voluntarily as mandated by the Authority,” he added.
He said non-compliant taxpayers would be prevented from operating until hooked on to the system, “if you have six branches and one is closed, you will be prevented from operating from any branch across the country till all six shops are hooked on the system,” he said.
The Authority is embarking on several exercises, including invigilation by officers, electronic invoicing exercises, test-purchase exercises, and enforcement of taxpayers to register with the Authority.
JY Appiah reacting to the upcoming court battle between Ghana Football Association and Ashantigold has urged football authorities to use the laws fairly to prevent court cases.
Ashantigold who was demoted into the second division months ago placed an injunction on the league last month.
The league is under temporal suspension now until the final ruling is passed by the Human Rights High Court.
Three rounds of matches have already been played in the 2022/23 Ghana Premier League.
“It is all about speaking the truth, we don’t like speaking the truth. We don’t use our laws too we create laws and disregard them. If it is Kofi the way we interpret it is different, if it is Kwaku the way we interpret it is different,” he said on Peace FM as monitored by footballghana.com
“If we want to stop going to court we have to be fair and tell the truth and use the laws. If you speak the truth nobody wants to be cheated. Because we disregard the law that is why people are going to court. Nobody will go to court if they have been treated fairly. The Sports Ministers should tell them to be truthful and also use the law properly,”
From a possible 15 points, the team has managed to bag as many as 13 points.
Asked about what is helping Sturm Graz perform so well, Ghanaian defender Gregory Wüthrich says credit should be given to his teammates for building a very good team spirit.
“We’re just in a good flow at the moment. We are currently conceding few goals, have a very close team spirit, and get on really well on the pitch. That’s why things are going really well for us at the moment,” the defender shared.
Gregory Wüthrich, 27, is hoping that his team will continue fighting very hard to maintain the current form.
The Media Coalition Against Galamsey has called on the Government to order small scale and surface mining activities to stop immediately to allow water bodies and forests to begin to restore.
The government is also encouraged to bring sanity to all surface mining activities in the country.
The Coalition in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, also admonished government to ensure that the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended, was enforced without fear or favour.
“Powerful people involved in Galamsey activities in the country should be exposed and sanctioned to serve as a deterrent.
“Arrest, investigate and prosecute everyone involved in the illegality, including the Akonta Mining Ltd and its Directors, Bernard Boasiako and Kwame Antwi, for illegally mining in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve as well as breaching (Section 99(6) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended by mining very close along the banks of Tano River,” it said.
The Coalition also encouraged the government to sack any Municipal Chief Executive or District Chief Executive in whose areas of jurisdiction illegal mining had taken place and was still ongoing.
The government was also entreated to sack ministers and their deputies who had a responsibility to regulate the mining sector but had failed and explore the provision of gainful, alternative employment to persons engaged in ‘galamsey’.
The Coalition also urged the government to ensure that the above punitive measures were implemented before Farmers’ Day this year as such activities directly impacted adversely the efforts of farmers.
The Coalition according to the statement had studied the ‘galamsey’ phenomenon from all possible viewpoints and had concluded that there was and could be no conceivable justification for illegal mining to continue in the country.
It observed that the government and other relevant stakeholders had not demonstrated enough commitment and leadership towards the fight against illegal mining activities.
“We are currently in a worse situation than when we started. For example, the annual average turbidity levels at the Daboase headworks on the Pra river has worsened from 1,180 in 2020, 2,588 in 2021 and 2634 in 2022.
“In view of this, the Media Coalition Against Galamsey believes that urgent and radical measures need to be adopted by government that will result in positive change of the state of our water bodies and preservation of our environment for our survival and that of the future generation,” the statement said.
The Coalition also called on well-meaning Ghanaians and Civil Society Organisations to join hands with the media to help mount continued pressure on the nation’s leaders, both political and traditional to help save Ghana’s water bodies and preserve her environment for future generations.
“Losing this war is not an option. Irresponsible and unsustainable mining is an existential threat and should not be countenanced,” it added.
The Media Coalition Against Galamsey is made up of all media organisations in Ghana – public and private electronic and print media.
Viola Davis, whose critically acclaimed film The Woman King is now in theaters, is the latest star to join host Sean Evans on Hot Ones.
First up, Davis was asked to summarize her relationship with spicy food, prompting a South Carolina shoutout.
“You know, I grew up around spicy food,” the Oscar, Emmy, and Tony award-winner said. “South Carolina, you know, you can’t get out enough. But as I’ve aged, some things are going on in my digestive system. But I’m hopeful.”
From there, Davis was asked about the experience of staging genuinely epic-sized battle sequences for the aforementioned The Woman King. While the sheer magnitude of such scenes created an environment of “total fear,” Davis explained, the extensive training behind it all would likely prove useful as she made her way through the Hot Ones lineup.
“The environment is just complete and total fear. … It’s fear, because you have to toss two-hundred-and-something pound men over your shoulder, there are swords, you’re trying not to get hurt,” Davis said, while mentioning she trained 5 hours a day for the movie.
“The fact that I’m sitting here right now eating hot wings and I’m still alive is a testament to the training for this movie,” Davis told Evans.
Toward the end of the showdown centered on the reliably revelatory pairing of hot questions and even hotter wings, the conversation took an inspiringly introspective turn. After Evans mentioned a certain Joseph Campbell quote of which Davis is known to be fond, she elaborated on the larger idea of life’s true purpose.
“Now we’re about to get deep, while I’m choking to death. … I just feel like our whole journey in our life is becoming our ideal selves,” Davis said around 22 minutes into the new episode. “We get stripped away as we go along the journey.”
This process, Davis noted, begins as soon as we enter this world.
“At the end of the day, you come into this world, you are absolutely who you are,” she said. “Then your parents come along and they try to imprint themselves on you. Your friends, society. You know, ‘This is the school you have to go to, this is how pretty you have to look, this is what you have to wear.’ And I think somewhere along the line is a voice deep within you that tells you exactly who you are. You just have to have the courage to do that.”
A key moment on everyone’s individual journey, per Davis, is to “answer the call to adventure.”
See the full Viola Davis-featuring episode of Hot Ones via the video up top. For other recent episodes, hit this link.
Over 70 per cent of breast cancer cases diagnosed are in advanced stages, resulting in limited treatment success and high death rates, Dr Winfred Ofosu, Eastern Regional Director, Ghana Health Service, has said.
Dr Ofosu said it was disheartening that many women lost their lives through breast cancer, though they could be saved when detected early.
The Eastern Regional Director of Health Services was speaking at a ceremony to commission a mammogram machine at the Volta River Authority (VRA) Hospital at Akosombo in the Easter region.
It was on the theme: “Early detection of breast cancer saves lives-get screened with a mammogram.”
The commissioning is part of efforts to increase breast cancer awareness as Ghana joins the world this month to create awareness of breast cancer for early detection and treatment.
The mammogram machine will serve the staff of the Authority and all women within the catchment area.
Dr Ofosu said Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, hypertension and diabetes were now pervasive and a hidden epidemic killing women one at a time, adding that the VRA’s decision to support a mammogram machine was in the right direction.
According to the 2020 Globocan report of the World Health Organisation (WHO), breast cancer is the commonest cancer among all sexes and obviously the commonest among female cancers in Ghana. And every year, over 4,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed, out of which almost half die from the disease.
Dr Kwabena Omari Yeboah, Medical Director, VRA Health Service Limited, said statistics indicated that six people died every day in Ghana from breast cancer.
He, therefore, called for the need for self-breast examination and medical screening regularly.
Dr Joyce Aryee, VRA Board Member, described breast cancer as debilitating, hence the acquisition of the mammogram machine to save lives and called on women above the age of 40 to patronise the services.
Dr Joyce Aryee, VRA Board Member
Mr Emmanuel Antwi-Darkwa, Chief Executive, VRA, said the Authority’s decision to acquire the equipment was an affirmation of the resolve to prioritise the health of women and bring the needed changes to communities.
He said: “It is unfortunate that some people are so heavily driven by superstition that they attribute medical conditions like breast cancer to spiritual attacks without seeking medical attention.
“We need all hands on deck to educate our daughters, wives, mothers, sisters and friends to take advantage of the facility to know their status.”
Nana Boafo Ansah Prem IV, Chief of Akosombo, encouraged the locals to make good use of the facility and charged religious bodies to educate their followers on breast cancer.
The footage was filmed in the dressing room at Hampden Park as the Republic celebrated qualifying for the World Cup
UEFA has opened an investigation into “potential inappropriate behaviour” by Republic of Ireland women’s players after a video of them singing a pro-IRA chant emerged following their World Cup play-off win over Scotland.
European football‘s governing body confirmed an ethics and disciplinary inspector will oversee the case, with information on the matter to be made available “in due course”.
On Wednesday, Republic manager Vera Pauw said the team apologised “from the bottom of our hearts” for the video.
It emerged on social media after their 1-0 win at Hampden Park which saw them reach the World Cup for the first time.
The footage showed team members chanting the pro-IRA slogan in the stadium’s dressing room after Amber Barrett’s goal had earned the side a place at next year’s finals in Australia and New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland women: Manager Vera Pauw ‘deeply sorry’ for offensive chants
Pauw insisted that the release of the footage on social media by one of the squad was not the core issue, adding the player “was devastated and crying in her room”.
“I don’t want to hide behind that because it she hadn’t put it on social media and I had been notified about it and the significance, then I would have addressed it immediately.
“I’ve also told her that putting it on social media is not the biggest thing.
“The biggest thing is that it has happened. It doesn’t matter if you are in private room or a dressing room or if you are outside.”
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The ladies wing of Future Global Resource (FGR) Bogoso Prestea Limited has launched an awareness campaign to fight Breast Cancer in their immediate working environment.
Dubbed ‘RISE’, the campaign is aimed at educating both men and women on breast cancer as October is globally named ‘Pink Month’ to sensitise the world on the breast cancer menace.
The theme for this year’s campaign RISE, means ‘Rally in Supporting Everyone’, ‘Rally in Screening Everyone’, and ‘Rally in Serving Everyone.’
President of the Ladies Club of FGR, Madam Primilla Osei, explained that the ladies had also joined the rest of the world to fight breast cancer through some activities to create awareness.
She said a Breast Cancer Awareness Education, screening and Empowerment week would be observed in the second week of October and a prostate cancer health screening for the men will be organised in the third week of October.
“As we seek for healthy breasts we should also look out for our men, thus we will have a prostate check for them too. This is to ensure we all live healthy and happily,” she said.
Madam Osei said there would be a fundraising activity to support the campaign and called on all well-meaning people within Bogoso and Prestea to donate to the campaign.
She said they would end the month with some physical activities like aerobics to promote exercising and good living among the staff and community.
The health screening would be done in partnership with Premier Specialist Hospital.
Lucy Letby, a nurse with a “malevolent presence” accused of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill ten others, reportedly left a post-it note that read “I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them,” a court has heard.
Letby is alleged to have gone on a year-long killing spree between 2015 and 2016 while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital. On Thursday morning (Oct. 13), on the fourth day of her trial, the court heard the passages written found during a search of Letby’s home, which included phrases such as “what allegations have been made and by who? Do they have written evidence to support their comments?” There was no reaction from the 32-year-old while her alleged confession was read out to the court.
Earlier, the court was told that Letby took images of two of three triplets lying dead together in a cot after reportedly murdering them and telling a doctor that one of them was “not leaving here alive”. The nurse also spent time comforting their heartbroken parents after she put excess air into the bodies of the siblings, known as Baby O and Baby P, to compromise their breathing. Parents of some of the babies appeared in court to hear the prosecution’s closing speech.
Following the events of June 2015 to June 2016, Nick Johnson KC told Manchester Crown Court that the consultants suspected the deaths and life-threatening collapses of the 17 children were “not medically explicable and caused by the the actions of Lucy Letby,” adding: “They did not, at the time, have the benefit of the evidence that you are going to hear and the decision was made by the hospital to remove Lucy Letby from a hands-on role. She was moved to clerical duties where she would not come into contact with children.”
Police were contacted and a “very lengthy and complex” investigation followed, the court was told, involving instructing independent paediatricians and other specialists who reviewed the various cases that passed through the medical unit. Johnson then explained that following the review, the decision was made to detain Lucy Letby on July 3 2018.
The trial, scheduled to last six months, continues.
“I’m a star?” entertainer Doechii asks, her voice cracking in a high-pitched swirl of confusion. She’s sitting across from me at a conference table in Complex’s Times Square office, discussing her career and relationship to fame. “I think I’m talented,” she continues. “But I’m not a celebrity. When I walk outside and I can’t go nowhere by myself, then I’m a celebrity.”
Sure, Doechii might not have paparazzi stalking her from the bushes or swarms of fans chasing her down the street, but in just a short period of time, she’s displayed the potential for all that and more.
Doechii—born Jaylah Hickmon in Tampa, Florida—began her career in 2015 by uploading original music to SoundCloud. She began to gain notoriety in 2018 with her single “Girls.” Two years later, she came back with her debut EP, Oh the Places You’ll Go, further showcasing her skills as a wordsmith and demonstrating her versatility with dance-pop and hip-hop tracks like “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake.”
It was Doechii’s creative artistry and confident raps that nabbed the attention of Top Dawg Entertainment (the independent label that has honed the talents of stars like Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, and SZA), and Capitol Records (the record label that houses Sam Smith, Kay Flock, and more).
In March 2022, the two labels partnered to represent her. Doechii officially signed with them, making her TDE’s first lady of rap.
The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) and FIFA will form a joint task force in a bid to improve crowd control and safety measures after a deadly football stampede earlier this month, officials said on Thursday.
Indonesian authorities are under pressure to take swift steps to overhaul football safety standards after more than 130 people died during a crowd crush at a match at the Kanjuruhan stadium in East Java on Oct. 1 in one of the worst stadium disasters in history.
Security experts have said the firing of tear gas by police inside the stadium, a measure prohibited by FIFA, triggered the fatal stampede.
“We agreed to form a task force, or soccer transformation task force, consisting of the government, FIFA, and experts in soccer, security, and stadiums,” PSSI head Mochamad Iriawan told reporters after a meeting with FIFA officials.
Under the plans, Indonesian police would ensure their standard operating procedures were synchronised with FIFA regulations, he said.
The joint task force will also include members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) as well as the police and the ministries of sport, home affairs, health and public works.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, has said FIFA did not plan to sanction his country over the incident, but the rare intervention by the sport’s governing body comes as Indonesia is due to host the FIFA under-20 World Cup next year.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is expected to visit Jakarta on Tuesday to meet with Jokowi, after which a joint commitment is due to be announced.
Infantino will also make a statement during a summit of leaders of the Group of 20 major economies in Bali in November about Indonesia’s readiness to host an international event, said Iriawan.
Six people including police and match organisers are facing criminal charges after the stampede, with the government highlighting lax safety measures, such as locked exit doors and an overcapacity stadium, as contributing factors.
Separately, the Indonesian minister of public works said that the Kanjuruhan stadium would be completely renovated after an audit of the site.
A new report appears to shed some light on what caused the death of 60-year-old Yu-Gi-Oh! creator Kazuki Takahashi.
Stars & Stripes published a story on Tuesday about U.S. Army Maj. Robert Bourgeau, who was nominated by his command last month for the Soldier’s Medal, which is given to someone who displays an act of heroism outside of combat. Bourgeau was at Mermaid’s Grotto in Onno on July 4 when he saw a woman calling for help because her 11-year-old daughter and a U.S. soldier were caught in a riptide about 100 yards from shore.
Bourgeau, a scuba diving instructor, leapt into the water and attempted to save the girl. While working to bring her back to the shallows, he encountered her mother and rescued her as well. As Bourgeau was struggling to save these two women, he was completely unaware that Takahashi also jumped in and tried to help, according to several sworn witness statements provided by the Army.
Bourgeau tried to go back in to rescue the soldier, who was stuck in a whirlpool, after returning the women to safety, but was exhausted. He was forced to use his remaining energy to save himself. “That was one the hardest things I have ever had to do, I let [the man] go so I could save myself,” he wrote in his witness statement.
Bourgeau was able to guide the soldier out of the whirlpool and return to the shore. Kazuki Takahashi’s body was recovered two days later floating off the coast of Nago. “He’s a hero,” Bourgeau said of Takahashi. “He died trying to save someone else.”
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes has encouraged fans to make more noise at games while she watches from home following surgery
Chelsea boss Emma Hayes will take time away from the club as she recovers from an emergency hysterectomy.
Hayes, 45, revealed she had surgery last week as part of her ongoing battle with endometriosis.
In a statement, five-time WSL winner Hayes told fans she would “need time and patience to return to full health”.
“I know you’ll respect that my health comes first and at this time I’ve got to prioritise what I need to do for me,” Hayes said.
Assistant manager Denise Reddy will take charge of the reigning Women’s Super League champions in Hayes’ absence, with general manager Paul Green carrying out media duties.
A club statement said: “Everybody at Chelsea would like to wish Emma a speedy recovery and we will continue to support her during this time.”
The Executive Director of the Service Excellence Foundation is unhappy with the current state of the National Theatre and has asked the government to step up in its operation.
Caleb Kofie told host George Quaye on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z, that the edifice is in a distasteful state, and does not live up to its name.
His comments come on the back of discussions about the state of customer service in Ghana.
Mr Kofie believes the conditions of some tourist centres in Ghana leave much to be desired.
He described a national theatre as an “emblem and prestige” of a country and thus should be of a high standard.
“If I were government, I would close the [National] Theatre down,” he stated.
According to the tourism advocate, government should consider refurbishing the theatre to create quality customer service and tourist experience which will go a long way to boost the economy.
Mr Kofie further suggested that in efforts to prioritise customer service in the arts sector, the government can consider handing over some of its edifices for private management.
He holds the view that “if government thinks that it will not be able to manage some of the state infrastructure, especially theatres, it should give it to the private sector”.
He added that state-of-the-art infrastructure has the key to complimenting well-structured events and programs that take place at the various venues.
Van Lathan Jr. says he wasn’t surprised by Kanye’s antisemitic comments.
The media personality addressed the topic during the latest episode of the Ringer podcast Higher Learning, saying he heard West make similar remarks during his infamous TMZ appearance back in 2018, where the artist shared his opinion that slavery was a “choice.” Lathan, who was working for the outlet at the time, recalled to co-host Rachel Lindsay that Kanye professed his “love” for Adolf Hitler and the Nazis; however, those statements were edited out of the final video.
“I already heard him say that stuff before at TMZ,” Van said about West’s recent comments about Jewish people at the 20-minute mark below. “I mean, I was taken aback because that type of antisemitic talk is disgusting. It’s like, I’m taken aback any time anyone does that, right? But as far as [West], I knew that that was in him because when he came to TMZ, he said that stuff and they took it out of the interview.”
Lathan continued, “If you look at what I said at TMZ, it goes from me saying like, ‘Hey Kanye, there’s real-life, real-world implication to everything that you just said there.’ What I say after that—if I can remember, it’s been a long time—was, actually, ‘12 million people actually died because of Nazism and Hitler and all of that stuff,’ and then I move on to talk about what he said about slavery.”
Lathan pointed out that the “12 million people” part was taken out of the final cut.
“The reason they took it out is because it wouldn’t have made sense unless they kept in Kanye saying he loved Hitler and the Nazis, which he said when he was at TMZ. He said something like, ‘I love Hitler, I love Nazis.’ Something to that effect when he was there. And they took it out of the interview for whatever reason. It wasn’t my decision.”
The Higher Learning episode comes days after Instagram and Twitter restricted West’s accounts over posts that were widely considered antisemitic. Last week the multi-hyphenate shared a text exchange in which he suggested Diddy was being controlled by Jewish people. Kanye post stemmed from Diddy’s criticism of the “White Lives Matter” shirt that West debuted during Paris Fashion Week earlier this month.
Shortly after Kanye posted the text messages, Instagram confirmed it had restricted his verified account, prompting the Donda artist to take to Twitter. Shortly after returning to the social media platform, West tweeted he would go “death con [sic] 3 on Jewish people” in response to the backlash. Twitter locked his account soon after.
Kanye faced more controversy following his interview on Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight, where he propagated anti-Jewish conspiracy theories and antisemitic tropes about greed and money. Many suspect he made similar comments during his recent appearance on The Shop. The series’ co-host Maverick Carter confirmed the episode would not air due to Kanye’s hate speech.
“The Shop embraces thoughtful discourse and differing opinions, we have zero tolerance for hate speech of any kind and will never allow our channels to be used to promote hate,” Carter said in a statement. “I take full responsibility for believing Kanye wanted a different conversation and apologize to our guests and crew. Hate speech should never have an audience.”
We’re at a time of the season when we’ve got to stay sharp as Fantasy Football managers, keeping up to date with all the injury news and making sure we don’t miss the gameweek deadlines.
For gameweek 11 that’s at 18:30 BST on Friday this week before Brentford against Brighton and there’s a round of midweek fixtures next week with the gameweek 12 deadline at 18:00 on Tuesday.
No excuses – you have been warned!
Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold was taken off at half-time against Arsenal last weekend, having suffered an ankle issue
In terms of the injury news, we know that Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Diaz are definitely going to miss the next couple of gameweeks and there’s a chance that could be the same for Reece James.
Sometimes I would advocate holding on to a premium asset even if you know they’re going to be unavailable for a short spell because you don’t want to waste transfers and money taking them out and bringing them back in again, but the fact that Arsenal and Manchester City don’t have a fixture in gameweek 12 makes this slightly different in James’ case for me.
I’m already keeping Joao Cancelo, Gabriel Martinelli and Erling Haaland in my squad so that they’re ready to go again after their blank week but I really need the rest of my outfield players to be likely to start in gameweek 12. That’s not necessarily the case with Nottingham Forest’s Neco Williams and West Ham’s Emerson on my bench so I’m not sure I can really afford to try and ride the James injury out as well.
The problem is that if you already own Cancelo and Kieran Trippier then none of the replacements are anywhere as near as appetising as James.
You could go for one of his team-mates in Marc Cucurella, Ben Chilwell or Cesar Azpilicueta but you run the risk of rotation, as Graham Potter has already shown us with his team selections, and the same could be said for the Tottenham wing-backs in Ivan Perisic, Ryan Sessegnon and Matt Doherty, even with Emerson Royal still suspended for the next two games.
If you’re looking for guaranteed starters then Statman Dave suggested Eric Dier as a possibility in this week’s Fantasy 606 podcast. He has less potential of attacking returns as a centre-back but has already scored two goals this season and does strike the occasional free-kick for Tottenham. Dave also mentioned Fabian Schar as an option in the Newcastle defence and Everton’s Conor Coady with recent clean sheets against Liverpool and West Ham and a goal in the 2-1 win at Southampton.
I also think a Brighton defender might be worth a look as their next two games are at Brentford and then at home to Nottingham Forest.
Of course, if you’ve still got your wildcard left then you can avoid this whole issue by simply selling your Arsenal and Manchester City players over the next two gameweeks and then just bringing them straight back in on the wildcard in gameweek 13. I wouldn’t play the free hit in gameweek 12 though to try and get around the problem because I think it will be more valuable to you later in the season.
Aleksandar Mitrovic owners could well face the same dilemma – you’ll want to hold him for Fulham games against Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Leeds but will his recent injury affect his chances of playing in three games in quick succession? If you’re looking for replacements in a similar price bracket then I would point you towards West Ham’s Gianluca Scamacca and Newcastle’s Callum Wilson who we mentioned last week.
And we’ve not even touched on the Mohamed Salah conundrum yet. Peripheral in the 3-2 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday, electric at Ibrox on Wednesday – if you’ve got him then you definitely keep him, if you haven’t then I still wouldn’t move heaven and earth to sign him, particularly if you’re not planning on captaining him any time soon. I would, however, get a Liverpool forward in from gameweek 13 onwards, be that Darwin Nunez, Roberto Firmino or Diogo Jota.
Liverpool fans won’t like it but I’m going to advise giving the captain’s armband to Erling Haaland at Anfield on Sunday, although there are other candidates in gameweek 11 if you want to back against him. Son Heung-min and Harry Kane have a home game against Everton and any one of Arsenal’s attacking trio – Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus – would be a good bet away to Leeds.
The captaincy question in gameweek 12 is far more interesting with Haaland sitting that one out – Tottenham’s deadly duo are away to Manchester United, Liverpool’s attackers face the West Ham defence at Anfield but it’s definitely a week when you could take a punt on a differential to try and climb the rankings – maybe Brighton’s Leandro Trossard at home to Nottingham Forest, Leicester’s James Maddison against Leeds or Newcastle’s Wilson versus Everton.
Alistair Bruce-Ball presents the Fantasy 606 podcast alongside former Premier League winner Chris Sutton and Statman Dave.
The latest episode previewing gameweeks 11 and 12 will be available via the BBC Sounds app.
Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before – follow your team and sign up for notifications in the BBC Sport app to make sure you never miss a moment
She made the declaration when she pleaded with the media to use the correct terminology when covering events related to the cleaning up of the financial sector and the economy.
“It is important that the media leads the public discourse in a dispassionate and expert manner…We have heard too often, headlines such as ‘Bank of Ghana has collapsed companies’. Bank of Ghana never collapses anything. No. We license, we supervise, and then when an institution has failed, we take it out of the system in a manner that does not affect the system,” she said.
SSD/FNOQ
edia to use the right terminologies in their reports on the sector to send the right messages to the public.
Speaking at a media sensitization workshop organised by the BoG and associations representing Specialised Deposit-taking Institutions (SDIs), the 2nd Deputy BoG Governor said some headlines distort the salient point in an event within the sector.
“It is important that the media leads the public discourse in a dispassionate and expert manner…We have heard too often, headlines such as ‘Bank of Ghana has collapsed companies’. Bank of Ghana never collapses anything. No. We licence, we supervise and then when an institution has failed, we take it out of the system in a manner that does not affect the system.
“So do not say ‘Bank of Ghana has collapsed anything’. Bank of Ghana does not collapse anything. These institutions are run and governed by their shareholders, who put their Board of Directors and a team of management. So, they collapsed the companies. We don’t collapse the companies. It is important for the media to understand that,” she stressed.
The media sensitisation event brought together key players in the sector and presented a rare opportunity for the SDI associations to better explain their operations to the media.
It also enabled the media to ask appropriate questions of the key players in the sector and provide feedback to SDIs as to what the public thinks of their service.
Elsie Addo Awadzi said it is important that the media grows to become a key partner that understands the financial sector and the regulatory framework within which the financial sector operates.
“[The financial sector] is very different from other types of businesses and it is important that the media, when they engage in discussions related to the financial sector, they do so with an understanding of regulatory environment as well as the policy environment within which the financial sector operates,” she admonished.
Akon is an R&B legend, if we’ve ever seen one. But his latest admission might have just made him that little bit more iconic.
Appearing on The Morning Hustle radio show last week, the Locked Uphitmaker was told that T-Pain previously alleged that Akon’s brother was used as a body double when he was overbooked on shows.
The 49-year-old record producer has said that Akon had so many shows offers coming in during the peak of his career as a performer that he “could not leave all this money on the table.”
Akon revealed that his brother was used as a body double when he was overbooked on shows. Credit: Sipa US/Alamy Stock Photo
So, the entrepreneur did what any person with a look-a-like sibling would do, and asked his brother, Abou Thiam, to step in for him.
When asked if those rumours were true, Akon, born Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam, admitted to doing so on some occasions.
“Let me clear some things up so we all know. ‘Bu was my double. He was, yes. This was before the internet,” he reassured listeners, who surely would have been able to tell in today’s social media-centric climate whether the Akon they were watching was the real thing. “If you saw ‘Bu in one place and you saw me, you couldn’t tell the difference.”
Akon admitted that Abou Thiam would often wear a hat when he posed as him. Credit: The Photo Access/Alamy Stock Photo
Akon went on to explain “Bu started off as my hype man when we were on the road. We were booked so [much], and I was like, ‘man, all this money I’m leaving on the table. We cannot leave all this money on the table’.”
Rap Fact: Akon admits to using his brothers as body doubles when he was overbooked on shows 🤯‼️ pic.twitter.com/N38FhWIOfh
While his brother has since gone on to become the Executive Vice President of Columbia Records – who manages the likes of Harry Styles, Lil Nas X and Beyoncé, as well as launching his own label BUVISION – Akon admitted that “Bu can’t sing himself”.
“He can’t do none of that,” Akon joked of his sibling, also revealing that there was one other subtle way fans could have told the difference between the two.
“Back then nobody knew that’s how you could tell the difference, ‘Bu wears hats, I don’t.” When Bu [would] wear the hat, you can’t tell!”
Meanwhile, his other brother, Omar, also wanted in on the action – and actually took it upon himself to imitate Akon without his permission.
“Omar, he would do it without getting permission from me or Bu. Omar would be in another country, another city getting money, and I’d be like, ‘what? They booked me already!’”
According to the International Monetary Fund‘s most recent Fiscal Outlook Report, Ghana is expected to complete the year with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 90.7%.
The analysis predicts that Ghana’s debt-to-GDP would likewise reach 87.8 percent in 2023 and that GDP revenue as a percentage will reach 14.1 percent by the end of 2022.
In addition to the figures, the IMF classified Ghana as a Low-Income Developing Country.
This comes after the World Bank recently classified the nation as a High Risk of Debt Distress in its Debt Sustainability Analysis.
Also, the World Bank, in its October 2022 Africa Pulse Report, projected that Ghana’s debt-to-GDP ratio will reach 104 percent by the end 2022, which is more than the projection made by the IMF.
Ghana is now seeking an economic support programme from the IMF to restore macroeconomic stability among others. The country is targeting an amount of $3 billion once an agreement can be reached.
Officials from Ghana and the IMF Mission team are holding the second round of negotiations which will focus on debt sustainability analysis which is a key requisite process for an economic support programme.
Meanwhile, recent data from the Bank of Ghana showed that the country’s public debt hit GH¢402 billion as of July 2022, representing 68 percent of GDP.
Dutch giants, Ajax are on the brink of elimination from this season’s Uefa Champions League following three successive defeats in Group A.
The club on Wednesday evening locked horns with SSC Napoli in the fourth group game of the campaign.
On the matchday, Ghana star Mohammed Kudus was in action for the team as the Dutch side chased victory against the Italian Serie A team.
Unfortunately, the defending Eredivisie side was no match for the opponent.
A strong display from SSC Napoli saw the team cruise past Ajax with a deserved 4-2 victory to go top of the Group A standings of this season’s Uefa Champions League.
The defeat meant that Ajax are now on just three points from the first four matches in the group.
The team won the first game against Rangers but has since gone to sleep and lost once to Liverpool and twice to Napoli.
If Mohammed Kudus and his Ajax teammates want to stay in the European inter-club competition, the side must win the remaining two matches in the group and hope results from other grounds go in their favour.
Government employees who are not registered with the National Identification Authority were given notice that their salaries will no longer be paid by the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (NIA).
Before December 1, 2021, the Department ordered all government employees to register and obtain their Ghana cards.
It further stated that all government employees without Ghana cards would not be paid beginning on December 1, 2021.
The Controller and Accountant General’s Department has served notice it would stop paying government workers who are not registered with the National Identification Authority (NIA).
The Department has therefore directed government workers to register and get their Ghana cards before December 1, 2021.
The minister said in a speech to the Minerals Incomes and Investment Funds (MIIF) Board that the government had noted the objections to the Agyapa agreement and will bring them up in parliament for discussion.
“You must continue with the work that has been done following the theme of the budget ‘Continuity, Consolidation and Completion’ and address and overcome all the concerns against the Agyapa transaction, so we can go to the market and create the first mineral royalty company in Ghana and in Africa because it is good for Ghana,” he said.
SSD/FNOQ
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has once again defended the controversial mineral royalties deal, Agyapa, saying it is in the best interest of Ghana.
Addressing the Board of the Minerals Incomes and Investment Funds (MIIF), Mr Ofori-Atta said the government has taken note of concerns raised against the bill and the Attorney General will address them before taking it back to Parliament.
“You must continue with the work that has been done following the theme of the budget ‘Continuity, Consolidation and Completion’ and address and overcome all the concerns against the Agyapa transaction, so we can go to the market and create the first mineral royalty company in Ghana and in Africa because it is good for Ghana,” he said.
About the Agyapa deal
Parliament on August 14th approved the controversial Agyapa Mineral Royalty Limited agreement with the government of Ghana despite a walkout by the Minority.
Two years ago, the House passed the Minerals Income Investment Fund Act 2018 which establishes the Fund to manage the equity interests of Ghana in mining companies, and receive royalties on behalf of government.
The fund is supposed to manage and invest these royalties and revenue from equities for higher returns for the benefit of the country.
The law allows the fund to establish Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to use for the appropriate investments. Last month, government introduced an amendment to the act to ensure that the SPVs have unfettered independence.
The approval will enable the country to use a special purpose vehicle, Agyapa Royalties Limited to secure about $1 billion to finance large infrastructural projects.
In line with that, Agyapa, which will operate as an independent private sector entity, will be able to raise funds from the capital market, both locally and internationally, as an alternative to the conventional debt capital market transactions.
The funds, which are expected to be raised from the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE), will be a long-term capital, without a corresponding increase in Ghana’s total debt stock and hence without a public debt repayment obligation.
Former Special Prosecutor on Agyapa
Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has called on the Finance Ministry to hold on with its scheduled initial Public Offer (IPO) on the Agyapa royalties deal until he is done with his corruption risk assessment on the transaction.
“This Office would have wished to complete its corruption risk assessment on the Agyapa Royalties Transaction soonest but for the non-submission of the information and documents pending to be submitted by your Ministry. The information and documents you supplied concerned mainly the processes for and the appointment of the Transaction Advisors which goes to the root of any corruption risk assessment,” Mr Amidu said in a letter to the Finance Ministry.
The letter added: “Information and documents relating to the identification and recommendation by the transaction advisors to your Ministry for appointment a list of other services providers and or underwriters that may be required to complete the transaction as provided in clause 2.2.1 of the mandate agreement amongst others, that are critical to any through corruption risk assessment are also outstanding. The legal opinions, particularly of the principal legal advisor to the government under the Constitution, are relevant to ensure compliance with her recommendations as part of any corruption risk assessment.”
“In the circumstances, this Office wishes to urge you to abide by the results of the corruption risk assessment it is undertaking on the transaction before moving to the launching of the IPO transaction. This Office makes this suggestion on the grounds of prudence on your part and to also not give the impression that the mandate of this Office on prevention of corruption is of no consequence to the transaction,” it noted.
Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI), has directed the Nuclear Regulatory Authority’s (NRA) new board to step up efforts to incorporate nuclear power into the nation’s energy mix.
He claimed that in order to get the Authority ready to properly carry out its mandate in the country’s nuclear power program, the committee was required to start pragmatist policies and actions.
Inaugurating the board in Accra, he also tasked the board to ensure that nuclear devices for medical and agriculture purposes that would come into the country were well regulated.
The seven-member board which is the third for the NRA is chaired by Professor Aba A. BentilAndam, a fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences with members including Professor Isabella A. Quakyi also from the Academy.
Others are Colonel Tim Ba-Taa-Banah, National Security Ministry; Daniel Adumuah, Adentan Municipal Chief Executive; Ebenezer Appah-Sampong, Environmental Protection Agency; Dr Nii K. Allotey, NRA and Prof. Edward Akaho, Former Director-General of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission.
After many years of preparations, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, last month, approved the inclusion of nuclear power into the country’s power generation mix, indicating readiness to go nuclear.
The announcement of the government’s approval, called the National Position, is one of the key 19 infrastructure issues under phase one of the programme, a guideline set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“The board is a requirement in international circles because if it does not exist we would not have the IAEA permission to proceed and that would be against international law, so this board is very important,” said Dr Afriyie.
He said the country, having completed the first phase, had initiated the second phase with a call for expression of interest from vendors and identification of sites for the project.
“Your inputs should ensure the proper management of the resources of the Authority, and also ensure that the Authority is abreast with all emerging new technologies.
“I urge you to be passionate about this duty, bring your years of experience, expertise and excellence which all of you are noted for, to bear on the task ahead. Above all, take your mandate as a “sacred calling” for which posterity would applaud your memory,” he said.
Prof. Andam thanked and assured the president that the board would be committed to the task ahead, initiate policies and see their quick implementation, and ensure good governance in the NRA.
“I can attest to the fact that members of this board are known for their lives of service and commitment to the nation. This gives me the confidence that history will show that in our day we met the demands which our time requires of us,” she said.
To ensure conformity with commercial and human rights norms, Diana Asonaba Dapaah, Deputy Attorney-General and Deputy Minister for Justice, has asked for a review of present trade and investment promotion agreements.
She claimed that in order to design and carry out a national action plan on business and human rights that would lessen the facilitation of illegal financial flows and tax evasion through unethical acts, it was important to conduct the evaluation.
Delivering the keynote address at the opening of a two-day African Business and Human Rights Forum, Asonaba Dapaah also suggested the development of a universally applicable human rights policy for all State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) to ensure compliance with human rights standards.
“It is proposed that private entities that receive financial support demonstrate a commitment to Business Human Rights (BHR) principles, including, by providing access to remedy for human rights violations by requiring a commitment to BHR principles as a basis for receiving continued funding,” she said.
The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council in 2011 adopted the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, (UNGPs) which are set of guidelines for States and companies to prevent and address human rights abuses committed in business operations.
It includes operational provisions that recommend concrete actions for States to meet their duty to protect human rights in the context of business operations.
The provisions consist of enacting and enforcing laws that require businesses to respect human rights; creating a regulatory environment that facilitates business respect for human rights; and providing guidance to companies on their responsibilities.
So far, there are only two countries on the continent that have developed National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights to streamline existing rules, regulations, and policies for the oversight of businesses and investments in accordance with the guiding principles.
Kenya became the first country in Africa to develop a National Action Plan on business and human rights (NAP) in 2019, followed by Uganda in 2021.
Ghana started the process with a National Baseline Assessment on business and human rights, which was validated at a stakeholder workshop in Accra in December 2021 and later launched in July 2022.
A National Steering Committee has since been inaugurated to develop a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.
The Committee has a membership of representative from the relevant Ministries, Department and Agencies, Trade Unions, Civil society Organisations and the academia.
Ms Simone Perta Giger, Ambassador of Switzerland to Ghana, called on businesses to regard human rights issues as moral imperatives as well as a legal obligation in their “enlightened self-interest.”
“It is arguably good business to ensure that human rights are respected and protected,” she added
Mr. Issaka Garba Abdou, Acting Head, Governance and Human Rights Division of Africa Union Commission (AUC), representing Mr Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, said the forum, “would contribute to the effort of the AU to popularise and build support for the AU Draft Policy on Business and Human Rights”.
“You may recall that currently, there is no one comprehensive policy instrument on Business and Human Rights in Africa.
“There is no continental Platform for experience sharing and technical assistance and support programmes on Business and human rights across Africa while the continent still continues to experience human, and peoples’ rights violations related to business operations,” he noted.
Ghana international, Bernard Mensah is upbeat ahead of his team’s clash against Galatasaray in the coming weekend.
Ahead of the game, the player has called on fans of Kayserispor to troop to the stadium in their numbers to support the team.
“Our fans should come to the match and support us. This match is very important,” Bernard Mensah shared.
The highly-rated Ghana midfielder added, “If we win the Galatasaray match, we will be at the top of the points ranking. It will be an important match against Galatasaray on Saturday. We continue our work with the support of our teacher. I think we will play a good game and get good results.”
Kayserispor will host Galatasaray this coming weekend in a game that will serve as a matchday 10 clash of the 2022/23 Turkish Super League campaign.
Bernard Mensah on the matchday will be a key player for his team.
Some fans got a sneak peek of what to expect as far as visuals of Black Sherif’s new album is concerned.
The breakout star on October 6, released ‘The Villain I Never Was’, his debut album since hitting the limelight.
The 20-year-old has been lauded for the 14-track project which had no features except for his already released Second Sermon Remix which had mentor and collaborator, Burna Boy on it.
On Wednesday evening, the Road Boys Association (RBA) convened a section of fans and music enthusiasts at East Legon in Accra for an exclusive screening of the first video off the newly released project.
‘45’, the third song on the Konongo-born star’s album was is the first song [aside from Second Sermon Remix] to have a video ready.
The event was preceded by Blacko providing insight into the rationale behind some of the songs on the project coupled with answers to questions from the audience.
After this, the video was premiered to the elation of viewers.
The blockbuster video saw a sinister Blacko from a rehab centre, leading a bank heist where his gang held hostages with firearms in hand.
He is accosted in the end by the police, a subsequent explosion of his vehicle and but surprisingly re-emerges from the blazing vehicle.
In regards to our minerals and natural resources, he claimed that since 1992, succeeding governments had engaged in what he called lose-win talks with our foreign partners.
He claimed that during negotiations, we give up 90% to foreigners, take loans, and use the remaining 10% to pay off our debts.
This he said has affected the benefits that the country needs to derive from our mineral resources.
To resolve this challenge, Odike who wants to be elected as president in 2024 said he would change the narrative and ensure that Ghana gets between 30-40 per cent on any deal with our partners.
He promised to add value to our natural resources so Ghanaians would benefit from them.
He added that the economy is also not in the best shape and that alone is also affecting businesses, depriving people of their jobs.
He further promised to introduce a system where business owners would get soft international loans, create a conducive atmosphere, build more factories, mechanised agriculture, and export more.
“I will support Ghanaians to take commanding heights of the economy by ensuring that they are the majority owners of businesses in the country.”
Seth Twum Akwaboah, CEO of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), has characterized the business climate in the nation for this year as difficult.
According to him, very high levels of inflation, including the unprecedented depreciation of the cedi, have forced many businesses to find ways to survive, while a few have had to reduce production. He cites increases in utility tariffs, fuel price increases, policy rate at 24.5 percent – leading to high interest rates, and very high levels of inflation.
“So, the business environment has been challenging in an unprecedented situation yet we are still in business; this shows the resilience of Ghanaian business-persons. I am here to encourage you that despite the challenges we should still continue to work hard. The Russia-Ukraine war has escalated the situation,” he said.
Mr. Twum Akwaboah was speaking at the 23rd Regional Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Ashanti, Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional branch of AGI. The meeting was held on the theme ‘Leveraging Public Private Collaboration to Accelerate Sustainable Industrial Development’.
The Regional President for AGI, Kwasi Nyamekye, appealed for government to, as a matter of urgency, lessen the plight of manufactures regarding rising interest rates and the cost of power.
He further tried to rally for support from government, financial institutions and other organisations to make resources available to help strengthen the work of their members and make them competitive.
“Ghanaian businesses require long-term funding, tax incentives; farmers need some mechanisation to produce enough raw materials to feed the factories. The AGI will continue to advocate for support from government and organisations to strengthen its members and Ghanaian industries.
“Let us also support the Association to be resilient in its advocacy by participating fully in the programmes organised as we seek stronger collaboration to power the private sector. We would like to appeal to government that they do something about the interest rate, the energy bills, among others.
“Extensive engagement of the private sector is key to the identification of suitable policies to make the sector strong and competitive. Policies to transform Ghana into an export-oriented country must be deliberate, especially now, to take advantage of the AfCFTA,” he added.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, giving a keynote address at the AGM expressed government’s commitment to making the country an industrial hub and exporter of processed goods through its flagship programme One District-One Factory (1D1F).
“We are determined to change the Ghanaian economy’s nature from one that depends on imports and export of raw materials to one focused on manufacturing, value addition and export of processed goods.
“Government has invested in developing and promoting the manufacturing and service delivery sector through several policy initiatives such as 1D1F, through which a total of 125 factories have been supported with funds and are in operation at the moment,” he noted.
Mr Wellington, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives candidate for Eti-Osa Federal Constituency, joined the party in April.
Eti-Osa is a constituency in Lagos State, South-west Nigeria.
Before winning the PDP ticket in May, he had contested for the position in 2019 under the default Modern Democratic Party platform, but lost in the general elections.
The musician, who spoke when he appeared as a guest on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Wednesday, explained that the decision to join politics was driven by his desire for good governance in the country.
“As long as I have been relevant in the art world, music, film and as a small entrepreneur, I have always been very vocal about the need for good governance and the need for young people to participate in politics,” he said.
Mr Wellington said that in his quest for good governance, he has participated in several peaceful protests and activism for change.
He said he realised in 2018 that the system would not change if he failed to join politics and cooperate with like-minded people to make the system in the country work.
“For me, the message started to change from raising awareness via activism and advocacy to saying that we have to start moving from protests to power. We have to start taking this energy and channelling it towards getting like-minds into government and using that consensus of like-minds to get a change,” Mr Wellington said.
He added that “we need to start focusing on the National Assembly, the Senate and House of Representatives, and the States House of Assembly.”
He said the Nigerian problem comes from “top-down” and that the solution can only come “from the bottom-top,” stressing that the country can only be changed for good with the involvement of young people in governance.
The 41-year-old musician said he joined politics despite a warning from his wife who held the view that politics is “dirty and dangerous.”
“The truth of the matter is that politics will always be dirty and dangerous until good people start to be intentional about putting the like-minds in the system,” he said.
Why PDP?
He said his choice of PDP was informed by the fact that the party’s ideology on democracy aligns with what he stands for.
Mr Wellington said he was not coming to defend “everything bad” that the PDP-led governments may have done in the past but “I am here to reform it. I am here to build the bridge into mainstream politics, starting from Lagos and Eti-Osa.”
Wrestling power from APC
Eti-Osa, like other constituencies in Lagos State, is a stronghold of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mr Wellington expressed confidence that he would displace the APC in the constituency in 2023.
He said the APC had been winning elections in the constituency because of political apathy on the part of many voters, saying the recent interest of Nigerians in the forthcoming elections will reverse the trend.
He lauded the enactment of the 2022 Electoral Act, which he said legalised the use of technology and ushered electronic voting in the country.
He said the law would frustrate possible attempts to rig the 2023 poll.
“The fact that the Electoral Act was passed has done amazing things for our democracy because now this election will be won or lost at each individual polling unit. No one can go into a room somewhere in a collation centre and thumbprint hundreds of ballots for their candidates. Now, you actually have to win the votes.
“By the law, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System has to accredit that you are who you are and that this (PVC) card belongs to you. And that you are legally allowed to vote at this polling unit. Also, the result from that polling unit cannot be different from what the system accredited. Because no more manual accreditation and the results are transmitted electronically to INEC server,” the PDP candidate said.
The jury of the Ghana DJ Awards has voted to disqualify DJ Thinking from the 2022 edition of the show.
The DJ was nominated in the Discovery of the Year and Scratch DJ of the Year categories.
After the announcement of nominees on October 10, the jury launched an investigation into allegations that had been levied against the nominee.
It had been alleged that DJ Thinking has used the work of DJ Sonatty in a performance which earned him the nominations.
The board determined that DJ Thinking’s actions were inconsistent with the Ghana DJ Awards promotional regulations.
The regulations state that “it is the scheme’s goal to ensure that the Awards competition is conducted in a fair and ethical manner. If any campaign activity is determined by the Jury to work in opposition to that goal, whether or not anticipated by these regulations, the Board may take any corrective actions or assess any penalties that in its discretion it deems necessary to protect the reputation and integrity of the awards process.”
The revoked nomination in the Scratch DJ of the year category has been given to DJ Snacky. The Nomination in the Discovery of the Year category will be replaced by DJ Juvenile.
Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the energy minister, has revealed that the ministry is creating a National Clean Cooking Strategy and Investment Prospectus to advance the sector.
The World Bank-backed initiative is anticipated to be finished and deployed by the end of this year.
According to the World Bank, the lack of access to clean cooking is one of the reasons why “16,000 people die prematurely from air pollution every year” in Ghana.
Furthermore, according to Sustainable Energy for All, it might take the nation 50 years to completely switch from using wood and charcoal to clean fuels.
Speaking at the opening plenary of the 2022 Global Clean Cooking Forum held in Accra, the minister said his outfit is also partnering with other leading stakeholders to expand the clean cooking market in the country and scale-up access.
He added that such pragmatic interventions will keep the clean cooking industry on track for investment, scaling and commercialising.
“It is my earnest hope that these documents will be completed and launched by the end of the year. The Ministry of Energy is central to the development of a vibrant and sustainable clean cooking sector in Ghana,” he said.
The Global Clean Cooking Forum allows for deliberation on key political and technological counter-measures to curb the environmental and socio-economic threats of over reliance and uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources, especially woody biomass, for cooking while increasing access in line with national, regional, and global commitments.
“We need effective coordination and transparent accounting systems that are internationally acceptable to unlock the enormous investment and financing opportunities available for the clean cooking sector,” the minister told the global participants.
He also reiterated government’s commitment to distribute 3 million improved cookstoves by 2030 under the Carbon-for-Stove project, the largest clean cooking intervention in the ECOWAS region.
For her part, the Second Lady, Samira Bawumia, who doubles as a Global Ambassador for the Clean Cooking Alliance, noted that clean cooking is an essential part of achieving the world’s challenge to move to net zero by 2050.
“Emission reductions have to go hand-in-hand with efforts to ensure clean energy access for all by 2030. It will take sound public policies, a holistic approach, and long-term commitment from all development actors.
Reducing cooking emissions is critical to reducing forest degradation, improving health, empowering women and children, protecting the environment, and helping achieve numerous other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” she added.
She said it is also important to integrate and involve women in the design and production of locally appropriate clean cooking technologies.
CEO of Clean Cooking Alliance, Dymphna van der Lans, also called for collective efforts to change the narratives through integrating and scaling up access globally.
She emphasised that providing clean energy to households is critical to achieving global climate and sustainable development goals.
The Ghanaian music industry is sprouting into dominance with the upswing of new talents garnering the numbers and leading the conversations.
Among the ranks of new artistes currently trailblazing the country’s music turf is Soww Farr.
Born Dennis Kwesi Agbenyezi, the sensational singer is a quiet character who has plotted a lane distinct from his compatriots
In 2019, he dropped his official solo project dubbed Womba, since then he has moved on to drop successive singles.
Meanwhile, his quest to score greater and enviable heights in music was marred by his work as an account supervisor; which was very demanding, and time consuming.
Soww Farr returns with a new banger titled “Kponywie.”
With production credit given to Laykaybeatz and Slimdrumz, the song features award-winning sensational music and “Wrowroho” hitmaker, Agbeshie.
The Afropop singer reveals that his main goal is to preach to the world and touch souls with wise words.
He believes that flawlessness and high-performance standards must be pursued, accompanied by overly critical self-evaluations and concerns.
Soww Faar’s new EP, “Love, Stories & Lies,” is set to be released later this year.
Tulenkey, AraTheJay, Kay Dizzle, and Slvmlife will appear on the 6-song afrobeats-inspired EP, which was produced by Console ChroNikz.
The Electronic Transfer Levy (E-levy) inflows and the percentage spent on infrastructural development so far must be made public, according to the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry (GhCCI), who is demanding this information from the Ministry of Finance.
The government zealously promoted the use of the e-levy proceeds to fund infrastructural development in the country when urging Ghanaians to adopt the tax regime.
Speaking to the media after its annual general meeting, executive member of GhCCI Surveyor Osei Asante claims that the Chamber afterwards accepted the e-levy on the basis of this claim and is now requesting that the government make these disclosures right away.
“The Chamber gave its tacit support to the E-levy when we met the President,” surveyor Asante reiterated.
He continued: “Apart from the hue and cry about it, we realized that gradually people are paying, we realized that inflows are coming. So we want them to do an assessment of it and as they promised us that most of it would be for the construction industry, how much has so far been allocated to it.”
At the World Cup in Qatar, supporters of the Black Stars who consume alcohol outside of permitted locations run the risk of receiving hefty fines.
On November 20, the competition begins, with Ghana placed in the same group as South Korea, Uruguay, and Portugal.
While supporters will be free to drink up to 17 hours a day at a ‘desert festival’ throughout the tournament, they have been advised not to bring alcohol from their own nation.
The ‘desert festival’, which will be known as ‘Arcadia Spectacular’, will be staged just outside of Qatar’s capital city of Doha and will be able to accommodate 15,000 fans each day.
Alcohol will also be available at matches but only before and after the game, and once fans have passed through stadium security.
Fans should avoid purchasing duty free products en route to avoid confiscation upon arrival into Qatar.
The Black Stars of Ghana will start their World Cup campaign against Portugal on 24th November.
Dr. Toni Aubynn, a former CEO of the Minerals Commission, has urged the government to give an account of drone equipment it has bought to support the nationwide fight against unlawful mining.
Former Lands Minister John Peter Amewu said in 2017 that the government had spent $3 million on drones to monitor galamsey activities and eventually exterminate them.
Toni Aubynn, however, contends that even though the acquisition of the drones “was not effective” at the time, it is now the duty of the government to explain to the populace how the tools helped in the relevant conflict.
“We should account for it; the drone has done ABCD, definitely it would be flown and it will take some pictures, there’s no doubt about that but what has it done in terms of stopping illegal mining?” Dr. Aubynn quizzed.
“If I were the one to measure it [whether the drones caused a financial loss to the state], I would say that it was not useful equipment,” he made this known in an interview with Accra-based JoyNews.
“We should actually look at why we are buying certain equipment; it shouldn’t just be buying it to show we’ve bought drones to fly all over the place. How much does it add to stopping the illegal mining?” he asked.
In recent weeks, government has been under intense pressure to clamp down on the galamsey menace which is rapidly destroying water bodies across the country and the environment.
It is almost clear that the Bank of Ghana‘s decision to increase its Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) by an additional 250 basis points (bps) will cause domestic growth performance to decline after the second half of the year.
According to Courage Boti, an economist and research lead at GCB Capital Limited, the Bank’s strict adherence to price stability, which has seen it raise the benchmark rate by a total of 1,100 basis points in 10 months, along with a concoction of other factors, are likely to restrain economic activity in the medium term.
Despite the better-than-expected real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 4.8 percent recorded in the second quarter of the year, the analyst expects discretionary spending to be muted, given the state’s constrained fiscal position.
“The latest round of confidence surveys shows a continuous softening of consumer and business confidence, owing to the heightened inflation and cedi depreciation pressures. With the extremely hawkish monetary policy stance, the domestic cost of credit is elevated, which may undermine new investments and potentially sustain the slowing growth momentum. Additionally, we envisage strict austerity measures under a possible IMF program, which could
depress economic activity in the medium term,” he said in a commentary following the central bank’s latest decision.
“The withdrawal of fiscal and monetary support shows signs of a weakening growth pulse in 2H22 despite the surprise 4.8 percent growth in real GDP in Q2 2022. We note that the real
growth in the Composite Index of Economic Activity (CIEA) has been depressed, returning a real growth rate of 0.5 percent in July 2022, sustaining the declining trend since peaking at 39.4 percent in April 2022,” he added.
Given the emerging risks to near-term growth, with the leading indicators of economic activity showing signs of distress in the second half of the year, the economist reiterated the wider expectation of analysts that BoG would have maintained the rate at 22 percent in an attempt to balance the risks to growth, considering the sharp rise in the cost of commercial credit.
“Given the renewed risks to inflation from continuous cedi depreciation and the utility tariff hike that took effect from September 2022, as well as the simmering imported inflationary pressures, the decision is not entirely surprising, even though we believe the MPC is overly aggressive,” Mr. Boti argued.
He, however, expressed belief that the action was taken, in part, to moderate the inflationary impact of the bank’s financing of the Treasury’s deficit.
“The underwhelming revenue performance, thus far, in 2022 has complicated fiscal policy implementation, with the elevated budget rigidities leaving no room for maneuver… The fiscal limitations, the heightened depreciation pressures and the resultant spate of credit risk downgrades underpinned the persistent uncovered auctions and portfolio reversals.
This limited the government’s financing options and resulted in a significant central bank deficit financing through the first nine months of 2022. While necessary to sustain government operations, the sizeable monetisation of the deficit breaches the regulatory threshold (5 percent of revenue in the preceding year) and partly underscores the relentless inflation run,” he explained.
The National House of Chiefs has described as false some media publications attributed to the President of the House, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, during an engagement of the House with the President Nana Akufo-Addo.
The false publications, which are being circulated on social and traditional media according to the House, quote Ogyeahoho Gyebi to have purportedly said that “anyone who claims to have evidence of galamsey operations being carried out by Mr Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), the Ashanti regional chairman of the NPP, should provide evidence”.
A statement signed by Mr Stephen Owusu, Public Relations Officer, and issued in Kumasi, said the publications were mischievous and calculated attempts by some faceless people to twist what the President of the House said during the engagement with Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
It said during the meeting, which was held at the conference room of the House at Manhyia in Kumasi, Ogyeahoho stated the negative effects of illegal mining on the environment, especially on water bodies, farmlands and cocoa production in the country.
The statement said Ogyeahoho called on the government to apply the appropriate sanctions against any persons, who were found to engage in illegal mining irrespective of their status in society.
“It is therefore preposterous for the media to have twisted their publication with the House’s engagement with the President of the Republic”, it stated.
The statement called on anyone who has concrete proof of information being attributed to Ogyeahoho Gyebi to hand it over to the registrar of the House or make it public.
It called on whoever is circulating that false information to stop and apologize to the President of the House.
