Midfielder Bernard Mensah delivered a statement on the Galatasaray match that Kayserispor will host on Saturday, October 15th.
The Super League‘s 10th week will see Galatasaray visit Yukatel Kayserispor, who have begun their match preparations with training.
Football players trained in the club facilities, sharpening their strength and passing skills.
Speaking before the training session, Kayserispor football player Bernard Mensah said
“Our fans need to come to the match and support us. This match is very important. If we win the Galatasaray match, we will be at the top of the points ranking,” he said.
“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 is currently 8th on the Turkish Super League table with 13 points after nine games. Galatasaray is 6th with 17 points after eight games.
Ghana international, Kamal Sowah was in action for Club Brugge on Wednesday evening when the team held Atletico Madrid to a goalless draw in the Uefa Champions League.
On the matchday, Ghanaian youngster Kamal Sowah started for the team from Belgium as the side picked a vital point to deny the Spanish La Liga giants a much-needed win.
In the final minutes of the first half, the youngster received a yellow card for a foul and had to play with caution in the second half.
Unfortunately in the 82nd minute, the hardworking attacker received another yellow card which attracted a red card.
Courtesy of the red card, Kamal Sowah will now miss the next Club Brugge match in the Uefa Champions League against FC Porto.
That game is scheduled to be played on October 26, 2022.
In the first leg of the tie last month, Kamal Sowah was on the score sheet and helped his team to beat the Portuguese opponent 4-0.
He is expected to be missed in the attack of his team during the return fixture.
Scores of people were stranded for hours at the Kobedi stretch of the Sunyani-Techiman highway on Wednesday after heavy rains cut off the road.
Several vehicles, including heavy-duty trucks, were stuck in traffic due to the deplorable condition of the road during a visit by the Ghana News Agency (GNA).
Some teachers and other public sector workers, including nurses who plied the highway from Sunyani to Chiraa for work, were stranded as well.
Speaking in an interview with the GNA, Charles Ollu, one of the teachers said the deplorable condition of the road was contributing to lateness and absenteeism among non-resident teachers at Chiraa.
“Some of us have to walk about 20 minutes through the bush to the other end of the road before we could go to school. The situation now is very appalling and discouraging,” he said and appealed to the government to reconstruct the road as a matter of urgency.
Another teacher, Evans Ameyaw noted accidents were prone at that particular stretch of the road due to its deplorable nature, and appealed to the Sunyani Municipal Assembly to re-gravel it and urged commercial drivers too to reduce speeding.
On Thursday, Anderlecht will play West Ham in the Conference League in London. Unfortunately for the Mauves, there is one member who is missing from the group, making it incomplete.
West Ham beat Anderlecht 1-0 at home on 6th October 2022. Italian attacker Gianluca Scamacca coming on as a substitute scored for the Hammers in the 79th minute.
Majeed Ashimeru played in the encounter and was substituted in the 65th minute. Winger Francis Amuzu also started and was substituted in the 46th minute.
Ashimeru has played three games in the Uefa Europa Conference League this season. He has also made six appearances in the Belgian League, scored two goals and assisted one.
The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority’s Director General, Michael Luguje, has reaffirmed the Authority’s support for the government’s plan to stop any income leakage at the country’s ports.
He disclosed that any worries over the under-declaration of bulk cargo amounts received at the port will be eliminated by the cutting-edge conveyor system that is being constructed at the Dry Bulk Terminal.
“This is because the contemporary Takoradi conveyor system automatically determines the volumes it is transporting as it loads.
The weighbridge project will benefit Tema with regard to all of our incoming and outgoing dry bulk shipments.
Mr. Luguje said, “We are prepared to assist you in this direction.
The GPHA Boss also said his outfit will provide the government with its detailed input for the operationalization of the “no duty, no exit” policy initiative, intended to block revenue leakages.
“We have in our own discussions acknowledged that the ports are already, no duty no exit enclaves but maybe the methodology is what is now going to be new. Otherwise, that has been the practice in Ghana’s ports. Having participated in the committee that drafted the implementation modalities, we are assessing them and in the course of next week, we will be presenting some information to you to help in the way forward.”
These assurances were made when the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta led a delegation to visit the Port Authority to strengthen collaboration towards finding lasting solutions to challenges associated with revenue collection at the ports.
Present at the meeting was the Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, and Acting Commissioner of Customs, Seidu Iddrissu Iddisah.
The Finance Minister called for tightened collaborations between the Port Authority and Revenue Authority towards measures that will seal all forms of revenue leakages that could emanate from the port area.
Ms Eugenia Afflu, a form two student of the E.P.C Mawuko Girls in Ho, has appealed to the government and other relevant authorities across the globe to develop measures that would ensure maximum protection and safety of girls.
She said efforts must be enhanced to build a strong society, where girls were free from discrimination, gender and sexual-based violence, harassment, teenage pregnancy and any other forms of abuse that retarded their holistic development.
Ms Afflu made the appeal when she acted like Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister as part of activities marking this year’s International Day of the Girl Child.
It was under a ‘Take Over Event’ on the theme: “Our Time is Now: Our Rights, Our Future,” and included Inter-Generational Dialogue on challenges confronting girls and how to curtail the problems to grant the opportunities needed for girls to stay safe.
The programme was organised by the Department of Gender in partnership with the Department of Children, Ghana Education Service, Ghana Health Serviceand the Volta Regional Coordinating Council with sponsorship from Plan International Ghana.
Ms Afflu said girls had a lot to offer in the developmental agenda of the country when given the needed support and the enabling environment to explore their potential to the fullest.
She commended Plan International Ghana for its continuous efforts over the years in advancing mechanisms that promoted the safety and well-being of children, especially girls and ensuring that their rights were safeguarded.
Ms Juliet Ahortor, another student from the school, who acted like Dr Senanu Kwesi Djokoto, Acting Volta Regional Director of Health, demonstrated how effective collaboration between management and staff of institutions could result in higher productivity.
Mrs Thywill Eyra Kpe Volta, Regional Director of the Department of Gender said it was important to pave the way for girls to overcome challenges and chart a positive path for the future.
She said The Girls Take-Over Campaign and Inter-Generational Dialogue on Challenges confronting girls provided a unique opportunity for girls to take over key spaces and serve as a mentorship space for their development.
The Director said the International Day of the Girl Child was recognised globally to encourage, empower and amplify commitments in girls to achieving greater heights in society and the need for society to protect them against abuses.
The Day, she said, was designated to eliminate gender-based challenges that girls faced around the globe, including child marriage, adolescent pregnancy, low career progression, discrimination and poor learning outcomes.
Mrs Kpe said it was imperative to build the confidence of girls and support them to take up leadership roles, urging boys to support the girls in their various roles, especially in the household chores to enable them to grow and develop together as partners in development.
Mr Israel Akrobortu, Volta Regional Director of the Department of Children emphasised the need for a concerted effort to address challenges facing children.
He said issues of children must be a priority of the municipal and district assemblies and urged them to allocate funds towards the celebration of the Day in subsequent years for them to showcase their talents.
Mr Akrobortu said the abuse of girls in recent times was worrisome and that it was time to talk drastic measures to deal with the issues to promote the well-being of children and safeguard their children and that of the country.
He commended Plan International Ghana for complementing efforts by the government through its activities to deal with the situation.
He also announced the commitment of the Muslim community in Ghana to national development through proper births and deaths registration.
The Chief Imam was welcoming a delegation from the Births and Deaths Registry to his residence in Fadama, Accra.
The delegation which was lead by Mrs Henrietta Lamptey, Registrar, visited the eminent cleric as part of efforts to rally support among key persons and stakeholders for its universal registration of births and deaths across the country.
Mrs Lamptey acknowledged the massive contribution of the Muslim community to the nation building and called for collaboration for accurate and timely collection of data for national development.
The Chief Imam later prayed for the Registrar and members of the delegation.
As part of reforms under the leadership of Mrs Lamptey, the Births and Deaths Registry has automated its operations and launched the universal births and deaths registration across Ghana to aid the accurate and timely collection of data for national development.
Members of the Ashanti Business Community have pleaded with the government to implement more environmentally friendly and business-friendly tax laws in order to maximize tax income.
They said that this would increase the revenue base for the nation and aid in setting market prices for products and services.
They also encouraged the government to collect all of its taxes at the point of entry for items that are at domestic manufacturers and ports.
Speaking at a press conference, Executive Secretary of Ashanti Business Community, Charles Kusi said, “The FMCG is one of the largest markets with the longest supply chain in Ghana. It has a high revenue turnover and as such assumed to be very profitable market. The industry is one of the biggest employing market in the SME space and holds about 80 percent share of all the markets in Ghana.”
“This perception has created a certain impression to governments as the first to go for revenue mobilization. Unfortunately, the reality is that the FMCG Market has one of the lowest gross margins across all other markets in Ghana and even beyond,” he added.
Mr Kusi further disclosed that the market gross hovers around GH¢5 to GH¢10 and it has one of the shortest survival rates in Ghana.
He explained that the phenomenon was so because of myriad of challenges the market had been bedeviled with.
“The most devastating challenges are high and unrealistic tax system, high cost of borrowing rate, low gross margin, high inflation rates and forex hikes,” he said.
This follows the closure of their shops at the Kumasi Central Business area over what businessmen describe as killer hikes in inflation and taxes, coupled with the cedi depreciation.
The closure which started on Monday at Adum has also been extended to some other business areas such as Bantama and Asafo.
According to them, the sad development introduced a compounded problem for their players and the fundamental truth is that businesses are unable to charge neither 6% nor 4% VAT on goods sold.
“We have told government you are being short chain in the market because of the high non VAT compliance and non alignment of your VAT system with our market dynamics. We can all attest to the fact that government revenue has fallen below expectations this year. When government is unable to actualise its revenue targets from FMCG Market, they assume businesses are either evading taxes or are under declaring their sales invoices,” he averred.
Mr. Kusi continued that government’s attempt to salvage the situation unfortunately vents its frustrations on some few identifiable businesses to make up to its revenue fall.
He said the act is depleting their working capitals, indicating that government VAT policy is collapsing their businesses.
“We are scared because day in day out, we see our businesses fallen apart. For how long should we sit unconcern do see what we have laborer for all these years go down because of government vat policy? Most scariest thing is whilst our businesses are going down, our economy is also going down faster than we can comprehend.”
Ms Ajoa Yeboah-Afari, a seasoned journalist and published creative writer, has launched her fifth book, with a call on Ghanaians to uphold family values.
The Book, “New Currency”- a historical novella, which celebrates Akan social norms and values, particularly, the “wonderful feeling of togetherness” and communal living, uniquely associated with the extended family system, invites the reader to be culturally sensitive and to worry about the Ghanaian culture degradation.
Apart from capturing the chilling, historical realities of the 1979 demonetisation, it successfully regains and celebrates the otherwise fading, but precious extended family values.
In the book, the seasoned Author chronicles some aspects of the harrowing military rule of 1979, and narrates the ordeal of a woman about to lose an entire lifetime savings.
Specifically, it recounts the widespread commotion and hardships associated with the introduction of a new monetary currency in Ghana from March 13 – 26, 1979.
The historical novella, set in Sunyani, the Brong-Ahafo regional capital in the same year, captures the widespread public despondency and turbulence associated with the exercise.
The book, thus, provides some insight into the period of the country’s history for adults who lived through the turbulence of 1979 as a necessary reminder; and to the present-day youth some awareness of the happenings then.
The thrilling lime green-looking book with yellow and white title inscription on the cover, and thinly opaque adinkra symbols – Mpatapo (knot of reconciliation) and Sesa wo suban (change or transform your life), reflects the theme of the book published by Smartline Publishers.
The 63-page and 12-chapter book, with a reading time of approximately one hour, is the fifth of the award-winning journalist.
Dr Anthony K. Bonnah Koomson, a former Editor of the Catholic Standard, in a review, said the conversational style used writing the book projected the character of the Akan Language and also highlighted the country’s decaying extended family system and dying Ghanaian traditional value of communal living.
The historical novella, he said, awakened a sense of history and cultural renaissance.
He added that, “in the hands of the younger generation, the country’s cultural heritage is guaranteed some renaissance and individual awakening.”
Dr Koomson, also a lecturer at the School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, described Ms Yeboah-Afari as a writer and journalist of high esteem who was “passionate as a writer, and inquisitive as a journalist.”
Dr Koomson, whose review was read on his behalf by Mr Emmanuel Dogbevi, Managing Editor, Ghana Business News said, the book was worth commending for celebrating Akan social norms and values, particularly, the “wonderful feeling of togetherness” and communal living, uniquely associated with the extended family system.
Ms Yaboah-Afari described the novella as almost a miracle because it was nearly stillborn and that it was a story she wrote some four decades ago, in March, 1979 soon after the then Government’s shock decision to introduce new currency denominations.
Mr Cameron Duodu, journalist, novelist and editorialist, questioned where the many enthralling literary books from eons were and that he had no doubt that educationists whose policy decision led to the eradication of such fascinating books from the curriculum had very good reasons to do so.
“Good writers are not taught – they absorb good writing unconsciously, and – sub consciously. Then, they disgorge it all, again, unconsciously and sub-consciously,” he said in a review read on his behalf by Mr Albert Kofi Owusu, General Manager, Ghana News Agency, who officially launched the book.
He added that, like the Cedi demonetisation, which had put a lot of the populace in difficulties, Governments should learn from books like the “New Currency” whenever they contemplated taking actions that affected a lot of people.
The first copy of the book was bought by Naa Professor Edmund Nminyem Delle Chiir Vlll, Paramount Chief of Nandom in the Upper West Region, at GHS10,000.00.
Present at the launch was Dr Kwadwo Afari Djan, the longest serving Chairman of Ghana’s Electoral Commission.
Some seasoned journalists, editors, and publishers also graced the occasion.
The review, she said, was necessary for the development and implementation of a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights that would reduce the facilitation of illicit financial flows and tax evasion through unfair practices.
Delivering the keynote address at the opening of a two-day African Business and Human Rights Forum, Ms 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.
As part of a research tour, 15 students from the ZambianDefence Services Command and Staff College traveled to the Port of Tema to become acquainted with the military, economic, and social institutions in Ghana.
These comprised pupils from Tanzania, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Rwanda, Namibia, Botswana, and Sri Lanka.
They were welcomed and given an overview of the investments undertaken to strengthen the security of the port and its surroundings at the GPHA’s Security Department.
The group received a briefing on the activities taking place inside the Port’s security system, particularly the cutting-edge 24/7 surveillance systems installed within the port area.
Deputy Security Manager at Port of Tema, Samuel Adjetey indicated that initiatives embarked on by GPHA have yielded many results.
He said the Authority, in collaboration with its partners, has taken several initiatives to forestall the incidence of stowaways, terrorism, and pilfering, among other crimes and misdemeanors within the port area.
Team Lead, Col. Nelson Mwamba revealed that one particular interest of his outfit was to establish the synergy that exists between national security and the port’s security.
She said the Authority’s efforts in security give an assuring indication to stakeholders within the African Continent that “rigorous measures have been in place to curb stowaway, smuggling and piracy.”
An Accra Circuit Court has remanded 30 persons into police custody for allegedly attacking the Neoplan Police Station.
The accused persons have been charged for conspiring to cause unlawful damage and stealing of two AK47 Riffles.
Their pleas were not taken and ordered by the Court presided over by Mrs Afia Owusua Appiah to make their next appearance on October 26, 2022.
Police Chief Inspector Samuel Ahiabor told the Court that the accused persons were drivers, drivers’ mates, commercial motorbike riders, traders and others, adding that they worked at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.
He said on October 9, 2022, at about 1930 hours, one Isobah allegedly stole a cellular phone belonging to a young man.
The prosecution said when Isobah was being chased he jumped into the Odaw River to escape and was followed by his victim to retrieve the phone.
The prosecution said a struggle ensued between Isobah and the victim, which led to both drowning in the River.
It said Isobah’s friend also got drowned when he jumped into the River to help his friend.
The Court heard that the accused persons without any provocation then marched to the Police Station and vandalised the charge office and the Station Officer’s office.
In the process, they caused damage to four television sets, three computers, sets of furniture, ceiling fans, doors, windows and other items belonging to the Neoplan Police Station of the Ghana Police Service.
Afterwards, the prosecution said they stole two AK 47 Riffles kept at the charge office and the next day, through intelligence, they were arrested and the Riffles retrieved.
The prosecution said the crime was still under investigations.
The contractor working on the 23-kilometre Dome-Kitase road project has given the assurance to complete the project within 14 months to facilitate human and vehicular movement.
Mr Eric Seddy Kutortse, Chairman, Messr First Sky Construction Limited, the construction firm undertaking the project, who gave the assurance said it was working day and night, to ensure that the ambitious 14-month stipulation was achieved.
Construction work on the $35 million project commenced in August this year and is expected to be completed within 24 months.
However, briefing the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwasi Amoako-Attahduring an inspection tour to the site, the contractor said all efforts were underway to ensure that the project was delivered within 14 months.
He said: “This project has 24 months duration, we are one and half months into the 24 months. Our assurance is that with the pace at which we are going, we are sure that we will deliver this project within 14 months, within 14 months we will have it done.”
Giving details on the progress of work, Mr Kutortse said, so far, it had completed 97 per cent of all land clearing, while filling to formation was 15 per cent complete, adding that excavation and cut to formation was also 16 per cent complete.
He added that scarification and formation was 16 per cent complete, three per cent of 600*600mm U-drains had been constructed with 41 per cent of pipe culvert also constructed.
“What we are doing currently is that, we are improving the vertical alignment of the road by cutting to formation and we have almost 250,000 cutting to be done and if that is completed the project will be almost 30 per cent and per our programme by the end of this month we will cut the entire road to formation,” he said.
He added that: “Currently, we have also started the construction of U-drain, we’ve started also the culvert, we have only about eight culvert, we have constructed two already.”
Mr Kutortse appealed for settlement of compensation to affected persons to ensure timely completion of the project.
The Minister was accompanied by Mr Stephen Jalulah, Deputy Minister of Roads; Dr Abass Awolu, Chief Director of the Ministry; Mr Christian Nti, Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Highways Authority (GHA); Mr Roosevelt Otu, Director, Department of Feeder Roads and other directors of the GHA and officials of the Urban Roads.
Also present were Mr Clement Wilkinson, Municipal Chief Executive of Ga West, Mr Seth Kwame Acheampong, Eastern Regional Minister and Madam Josephine Awuku Nkum, District Chief Executive for Ayensuanu in the Eastern Region.
The 23km Dome-Kitase road project, starts from the Dome Roundabout in the Greater Accra Region and ends at Kitase, near Peduase in the Eastern Region.
It comprises the construction of a 16.3km two-lane single carriageway with asphaltic concrete surfacing, the provision of 2.8km asphaltic concrete surfacing dual carriageway arterial with auxiliary lanes on both sides for drop off/pick up and the provision of a one-km two-lane single carriageway for Ashesi University, also with asphaltic concrete surfacing.
Funded by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) and the government, the project, when completed would provide an alternative route to road users between Accra and Aburi.
Mr Amoako-Attah, the Minister of Roads and Highways commended the contractor for the work done in such a short period of time.
“I like what I have seen and from the quiet briefings that I have had with my engineers from my Ministry up to the level of the Chief Director, they have the technical eye and they tell me that the construction is according to specifications and so, I am happy, ”he said.
The Minister also inspected ongoing works on the Ofankor-Nsawam road.
Joe Jackson, a financial analyst with Dalex Finance, has endorsed remarks made by Pierre Laporte, the country director for the World Bank, who stated that the people and the country’s leadership are responsible for finding answers to Ghana’s economic crisis.
He made the categorical claim that Mr. Laporte had accurately described how Ghana could achieve economic freedom.
“The World Bank Director has spoken the basic truth,” wrote Joe Jackson in a tweet.
Ghanaians and our leadership are responsible for finding a solution to the country’s economic dilemma. Take tough decisions to fix Ghana, which is broken.
The World Bank Country Director at the relaunch of the World Bank, IMF parliamentary network programme said inasmuch as the Bretton Woods institution was poised to financially support Ghana, the way forward to having a thriving economy was based on government and Ghanaians as a whole.
“Today, we bring approximately $500 million annually in support of various sectors including roads, energy, water, health, education and skills, governance, name it….to assist to improve the business environment. But in the end we are only part of the solution, Mr. Laporte said.
“The solution really lies with Ghana, Ghana, and its people. We will be there with whatever we can do to support the new thinking to contribute to the development and to provide financing”, he added.
According to reports, the self-acclaimed woman of God is set to reappear before the court on Monday, 17th October.
This was after she pleaded not guilty to charges of Chalatanic advertisement and six counts of defrauding by false pretences.
The Police arrested Patricia Asiedu alias Nana Agradaa following allegations of a money-doubling scam levelled against her by some members of the public.
This comes on the back of a viral video on social media of victims recounting their losses.
Prophet Nicholas Osei aka Prophet Kumchacha has bragged about the successes he has chalked so far after spending more than 3 decades in the gospel ministry.
According to Kumchacha, contrary to the perception that he’s broke and depends on social media clout for survival he’s very rich behind the scenes.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Zionfelix, Kumchacha bragged that he has over 5000 cattles, an empty 12 bedroom mansion plus other houses he doesn’t want to disclose.
For cars, the controversial man of God boasted that he has more than enough cars and some are even parked inside his empty houses which he has forgotten about.
Kumchacha who is known to comment on trending issues boldly affirmed that he’s very financially stable and doesn’t need anyone’s help for survival.
He also rubbished the popular rumour that he depends on offerings from his Church members to cater for his family.
This is the first time Kumchacha has opened up about his properties – He hardly talks about his personal life although he’s very chatty.
He’s still keen on his presidential ambition and hopes to win the 2024 presidential elections.
The timeliness of the government’s decision to undertake a debt restructuring scheme has been questioned by Cassiel Ato Forson, a ranking member of the Parliament’s finance committee.
Is Ghana’s upcoming debt restructure too little, too late, in his opinion?
Ato Forson highlighted that Ghana’s current debt predicament is a result of careless borrowing and poor fiscal policies while he and other government representatives are now in the United States for a meeting with the International Monetary Fund.
In a Twitter post on August 13, 2022, he wrote: “The Black Star of Africa is facing unpalatable policy choices as a result of irresponsible fiscal policies & reckless borrowing since 2018!”
Ato Forson had earlier stated that a decision to ensure Ghana’s debt sustainability should be taken as soon as possible, before discussions with the IMF advance.
According to him, the government needs to adopt some level of proactivity in choosing what forms of debt restructuring regimes it would have to adopt.
“Ghana, as we speak, is going through sovereign insolvency stress, we’re simply insolvent. So, what we need to do is to take a decision to restructure. But the question is what kind of restructuring?
“That is the kind of conversation I believe we have to go in. We have to consider the kind of restructuring that we’ll do that will safeguard the economy and preserve us going forward. I believe that is where we’ve gotten to at this stage,” he is quoted by myjoyonline.com on October 5, 2022.
The Board Chairman of Hearts of Oak, Togbe Afede XIV has held talks with Annor Walker over the vacant coaching job at the club.
Hearts of Oak have been without a substantive coach following the dismissal of Samuel Boadu last month together with his backroom staff.
David Ocloo has been named as the new assistant for the side as they seek to appoint a new trainer.
However, several coaches have been linked to the club in the past weeks.
Togbe Afede, who is the majority shareholder of the club on Wednesday held talks with the former Great Olympics coach in Accra.
According to reports, Hearts of Oak are ready to buy Annor Walker who is under contract at FC Samartex 1996. Walker signed a two-year deal with the new debutant before the start of the new football season
The reports add that the playing body have however expressed interest in working with the former Berekum Chelsea and Nania FC boss.
The meeting is expected to continue today with the hierarchy of the club bent on hiring the services of the veteran gaffer who led the Black Galaxies to secure qualification to the 2023 CHAN tournament.
Meanwhile, Serbian trainer, Slavko Matic has been linked to the club as well but Annor Walker stands tall to be named the new trainer for Hearts of Oak.
Hearts of Oak have started the 2022/23 Ghana football season on a poor note and sit 13th with just two points after three games played.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Premier League side will hope to overturn their results against ASR Bamako this weekend at the Accra Sports Stadium in the return leg of the CAF Confederations Cup second round of the preliminary games having suffered a 3-0 defeat in the first leg in Mali.
Charles Kusi Appiah-Kubi, the executive secretary of the Ashanti Business Community, claimed that the industry was prepared to pay Pay As You Earn and corporate income tax.
However, businesses are no longer able to give the government Value Added Tax (VAT).
For the benefit of the nation, Mr. Appiah-Kubi noted, the government needs to discover more creative ways to collect taxes.
Speaking at a press conference in Kumasi on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, he said, “Government should take all its revenue from the points of entry. Take all the charges you want to charge at the point of entry or at the manufacturing and leave us alone.”
“We are ready to pay our corporate income tax and our Pay As You Earn (PAYE), but we can’t pay the VAT again,” the Executive Secretary of Ashanti Business Community stressed.
On Monday, October 10, 2022, some traders in Kumasi locked up their shops in protest of the frequent depreciation of the cedi.
They also cited the high cost of doing business and the collection of exorbitant taxes by the government as some reasons for the protest against the government.
According to the traders within the central business district, the demonstration will last for three days.
They explained that the protest also aims to kick against the decision by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to station their officers at each shop to record Value Added Tax (VAT) on products they sell.
Mr. Okraku masterminded Ghana’s qualification to the upcoming World Cup in Qatar later this year having missed out in the last edition hosted in Russia.
Under the auspices of Mr. Okraku, the FA have launched several programs to aid the growth of football in the country.
Harry Zakour, who led Hearts of Oak to win the 2000 CAF Champions League title believes Mr. Okraku has done well so far.
He also implored the entire football fraternity to support Mr. Okraku’s administration to help in the development of the game.
“Things will be okay we shouldn’t worry, we should only work hard,” he said as reported by Citi Sports.
“I don’t think the GFA is doing bad but we should all help to build Ghana football,” he added.
The Ghana Football Association [GFA] will go to the polls next year.
Hearts of Oak had a brilliant run of trophy wins under Harry Zakour winning multiple Ghana Premier League titles as well.
A national policy to provide a coordinated approach among institutions and stakeholders in the control of aflatoxin in food and feed has been launched in Accra.
The National Policy for Aflatoxin Control in Food and Feed seeks to reduce foodborne diseases, increase the income of farmers and actors in the agriculture value chain, and promote food security in keeping with Goal 2 of the Sustainable Development Goals – “Achieve zero hunger by 2030.
Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, launched the Policy at a ceremony in Accra on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.
Aflatoxin is a class of toxic compounds produced by certain moulds found in food and could cause liver damage and cancer when consumed by humans or animals.
Factors such as high temperature, high humidity and bad hygienic practices often predispose food products to mould infection and subsequent aflatoxin production.
According to researchers, the toxin was discovered in Ghana in 1964 and was found in groundnuts. It is estimated that the country loses about 18 per cent of its maize annually to aflatoxin contamination.
Dr Afriyie lauded the development of the Policy, saying aflatoxin contamination in food had serious implications on food safety and security, health, trade and livelihoods.
He said although there was no data linking aflatoxin to liver cancer in Ghana, the cases had been increasing, with 3,453 people suffering from liver cancer in 2020, representing 21 per cent of all cancers.
He said aflatoxins also posed a barrier to trade and market development due to the rejection of contaminated products by buyers, including the food industry and importing countries.
“In the early 2000s European Union (EU) was the main destination for Ghana’s groundnuts and maize products but currently, the quantities have declined such that in 2019 for example, only 10 per cent of the exported peanut butter went to the EU markets.” Dr Afriyie said.
He appealed called for more studies among scientists and clinicians to generate reliable data on the impact of aflatoxins on health to guide studies and public education.
Dr Afriyie said public awareness was key to the effective implementation of the Policy and assured that the Ministry would lead the way to educate the general public on aflatoxins.
In a speech read on his behalf, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Minister of Food and Agriculture, said the country lost billions of dollars as a result of the rejection of grains due to aflatoxin contamination, describing the situation as worrying.
“It is my expectation that the Policy will lead to a considerable reduction of the high levels of aflatoxins contamination in maize, groundnut and others, thereby improving the health of the Ghanaian and also boosting domestic and international trade,” he said.
Professor Charles Tortoe, Director of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Food Research Institute, said the Institute would continue to lead research in the agriculture sector to guarantee food safety and security.
He urged all stakeholders to integrate the Policy in their work plans to ensure a successful implementation.
The General Jurisdiction High Court (12) in Accra has ordered Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, to pay GH500,000 in damages to Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister of Energy.
This follows the court’s decision in favor of the minister in a defamation case he brought in 2019 against Sammy Gyamfi, which was heard by Justice Charles Gyamfi Danquah.
When he was the minister of education, Dr. Opoku Prempah filed a lawsuit against the NDC communicator for claiming that Seidu Mba, one of the suspects detained in connection with the kidnapping of two Canadian girls in Kumasi, was his (Dr. Prempah’s) errand boy.
“A declaration that the words complained of and published by the defendant and contained in paragraph 14 herein are defamatory of the Plaintiff’s character.
“An order of the honourable court directed at the defendant to publish an unqualified retraction and an apology with the same prominence of the defamatory words received within seven days after the judgment.
“An order of the honourable court for a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, his agents, assigns, servants and any person claiming authority from the defendant from further making/or publishing any defamatory words against the Plaintiff.
“The sum of One million Ghana Cedis (GHS1,000,000) in damages for the defamation,” a declaration statement by the energy minister read.
During the hearing on Thursday (October 13, 2022), Justice Charles Gyamfi Danquah ruled that Sammy Gyamfi, by his comments, defamed Dr. Opoku Prempeh, asaaseradio.com reports.
In addition to the GH¢500,000, the judge ordered Sammy Gyamfi to apologise and retract the defamatory statement he made with the same prominence the defamatory words received within seven days after the judgment.
He also ordered the NDC National Communicator not to make or publish defamatory words against the energy minister.
Former Management Committee member of the Black Stars, Wilfred Osei Kweku Palmer has cautioned Black Stars coach Otto Addo to invite players for the upcoming World Cup only on merit.
Addo is expected to name his squad for the tournament in Qatar later this year after the friendly game against Switzerland.
The Tema Youth owner and bankroller speaking in an interview cautioned that the technical team must be allowed to invite players who only deserve to play for the Black Stars.
According to him, with good player call-ups, the country will be able to play in the semifinals of the Mundial.
“Nobody should try and influence the technical team led by [Otto Addo] to take decisions that will be challenged later,” he told Asempa FM.
“The coach will have to come and rationalize why I chose this player and not that player.
“We should be able to make it to the semifinals, that is if we do the right thing and this is selection on merit.
“It is very important for the team if we want the Black Stars to perform,” he added.
Ghana, who have been housed in Group H will open their campaign against Portugal on November 24 at Stadium 974 in Doha.
Four days later, the Black Stars return to action with a clash with South Korea at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan.
Ghana will wrap up their group stage adventure with their much-anticipated encounter with Uruguay at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah.
The Black Stars having missed out in the last edition hosted in Russia in 2018 will be hoping to improve their performance in Qatar after exiting at the group phase during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Evangelist Patricia Oduro Koranteng, the founder of Heavenway Champion International Ministries, has once more been denied bail by an Accra Circuit Court.
Reynold Twumasi’s request for bail was rejected by the court on Thursday, October 13, 2022, which was presided over by Bright Acquah.
This came after her original request for bail was denied on October 10 during her first court appearance.
State Prosecutor, represented by DSP Sylvester Asare during today’s hearing, had prayed the court for a 2-week extension of remand for the accused on the basis that, investigations were still ongoing and needed to be concluded.
This was countered by counsel for the accused who argued that there are no ongoing investigations as prosecution seeks to establish and that nothing substantial had so far been found on his client. He added that his client will be able to meet all bail conditions.
The prosecution however noted that some 30 new witnesses had emerged who had to be investigated and results concluded.
Presiding Judge, Bright Acquah subsequently granted the plea for extended remand, but however indicated that prosecution has 4 days instead of an additional week to conclude investigations for trial to proceed.
The case has since been adjourned till Monday, October 17, 2022.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service have arrested repented fetish priestess, Nana Agradaa, now known as Evangelist Mama Pat.
This was announced in a statement by the Service shared via its social media handles on Sunday, October 9, 2022.
“The Police have arrested Patricia Asiedua alias Nana Agradaa following allegations of money doubling scam levelled against her by some members of the public. The suspect is currently assisting police investigation,” the statement said.
Nana Agradaa’s arrest comes on the back of allegations made by scores of her church members, who claimed that she had scammed them after an all-night service.
Things however did not go as planned for many of the people who attended the service as many of them cried foul that they had given out monies to her but she failed to keep to her side of the agreement.
She eventually is reported to have sent the people away from the church, prompting the alarms they raised online.
The police have since called on all persons who were affected by the supposed scam to report to the Accra Regional Police Command to help with the investigations.
“Anyone who is a victim of the alleged money doubling scam should report to the Accra Regional Police Command for further action to assist the investigation,” it added.
According to Freddie Blay, a former national chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party, the only time he will withdraw from representing the four accomplices on trial alongside the embattled galamsey “kingpin,” Aisha Huang, is if President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo requests it.
He said it will be a difficult decision to make, but that it is the only one that will compel him to redesign his legal firm’s representation of the conspirators.
In previous interviews, the former deputy speaker of parliament has firmly maintained that the prosecution of the four (three Chinese and a Vietnamese person) is an error and that they are innocent.
In his view, his “clients are good people and are not involved in illegal mining.”
Freddie Blay insisted that, as a lawyer, he has every right to defend persons who have been accused falsely, arguing that he has done no wrong in mounting a defense for his clients because he has sworn an oath to defend them.
“I will not be happy if he (the President) asks me to do so but I will painfully ask my law firm to abandon its defense for them. But I am sure if I give him the facts as it pertains, he will not ask of me to do so. But if he insists, out of respect and out of reverence for him, I will consider that seriously,” he said.
Freddie Blay’s response was to a question the host of Kumasi-based Oyerepa TV’s morning show, Kwesi Parker-Wilson, monitored by GhanaWeb, asked him in relation to the case of his clients.
The former Member of Parliament for the Elembelle constituency further said that the Attorney General, Godfred Dame, hasn’t been allowed to listen to his clients yet, which is unfortunate.
“The AG is not seized with the full facts and he may have been misled, so until the trial begins, we will know whether my clients are involved in galamsey,” he added.
He also cautioned against the indiscriminate arrest of Chinese foreign nationals all in the name of galamsey.
He also disclosed that there have been some members of his party, the NPP, who have cautioned him against proceeding with the case, but he has refused to, arguing that he is only doing his job as a lawyer.
“A couple of my party members are not happy with me and they have called me and have asked me to stay away from the case but as a lawyer, I have sworn an oath to defend accused persons so I must hold on to it,” he explained.
John Dramani Mahama, a former president of Ghana, has not made up his mind regarding whether or not he will run for the National Democratic Congress’s flagbearer position and ultimately guide the party into the 2024 elections.
However, he claims that a choice will be made on the matter early in the next year, in time for the NDC to choose a flagbearer.
Mahama stated in an interview with VOA’s Straight Talk Africa that he has not made up his mind to run for flagbearer, but added that it is “good to keep your opponents guessing” as to who will be put up.
“I haven’t,” Mahama responded amid laughter when asked if he has plans to run again in the 2024 elections.
“It’s good to keep your opponents guessing so even if I’m not running, I’m not going to say I’m not running. So a decision will be taken early next year in the first quarter. That’s when we hold our party’s primaries for the presidential candidacy and then we will see,” he added in the interview which aired on Wednesday, October 12.
Mahama’s name has come up as a strong contender in the NDC flagbearership race besides former Finance Minister Dr. Kwabena Duffuor who is also reportedly readying himself to mount a challenge for the slot.
Many keen watchers of the political space believe Mahama will ease past Duffuor if it ends up as a two-horse race.
It will be recalled that the former president in May this year expressed his interest in leading the NDC into the 2024 elections if the party will allow him.
Speaking in an interview with Ugandan-based NBS television, the 2020 flagbearer of the NDC mentioned that he is unperturbed if the party picks a different aspirant since the main priority is to win the 2024 polls.
“My country has given me so much, educated me, and made me who I am. So if the party lets me stand, I will,” NBS TV quoted John Mahama as saying.
“The main priority is winning the election come 2024, and if the party decides that I or someone else should stand, it’s all fine with me,” he added.
While the governing New Patriotic Party plans to extend its tenure in office beyond 8 years in what it has christened as ‘Break the 8’, the NDC is also lacing up its boot to wrestle power from the incumbent party.
Nkrabeah Effah Dartey, a prominent member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has denied claims that his defense of Aisha Huang was a part of a larger scheme by the government and his party to have the alleged “galamsey” kingpin exonerated.
He claims that Aisha Huang was brought to him by a former employee of the Ghana Immigration Service in 2017 to take the place of her prior attorney, who was departing the country.
He continued by saying that he is defending Aisha because the supposed “galamsey” kingpin is paying for his services and because he took an oath when he became a lawyer promising to defend anyone who seeks his assistance.
“Aisha Huang is a Chinese woman whom I first got in touch with in the year 2017. My friend, who used to be an immigration officer by the name Moses, called me one afternoon to meet him at Kempinski Hotel for some discussions.
“So, I went to Kempinski, and when I got there, Moses was sitting with a Chinese woman. He then told me that the woman he was sitting with (Aisha Huang) was a Chinese woman who had a case in court and needed representation.
“I accepted to represent the woman and charged her. After she had paid me, I became her lawyer,” he said in Twi in an interview on Kofi TV, which GhanaWeb monitored.
Effah Dartey, who is a two-time Member of Parliament for Berekum, also maintained that his client was innocent and that the state was just harassing her for a crime she never committed.
He added that the eight witness statements the Attorney General, Godfred Dame, has indicated he will be presenting will amount to nothing.
The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Bosiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, owns the mining company Akonta Mining, and the government has ordered that buildings and equipment belonging to that company be burned.
According to a report by Accra-based Joy News, their sources have confirmed that the properties were destroyed on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.
The report also stated that the company’s heavy equipment had been evacuated before to the fire.
Pictures shared by myjoyonline.com showed several structures made of wood and roofing sheets burning along with some amount of machinery believed to be used in the firm’s operations.
Akonta Mining, which Wontumi insists was into regular mining and not illegal small-scale mining, that is galamsey, was operating from the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve until recently when the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources ordered a halt to their operations.
The operation was thus undertaken almost 24-hours after deputy Lands Minister, Benito Owusu-Bio had toured the affected forest reserve.
In a statement issued by the Ministry after his trip, the minister said he could not tell whether Akonta Mining were operating a galamsey site from the place.
The statement read in part: Addressing the issue of this new group of illegal miners found mining on the river he said “these are not small scale miners, these are obviously people who are just bent on destroying our forests, waterbodies and the entire environment but I cannot tell whether that is Akonta or any other company because this is not organised so I can say it’s purely illegal mining that is going on there!”
In a statement issued on September 30 and signed by minister Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Ministry said the firm did not have license to operate from “the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Amenfi West Municipality in the Western Region”.
Akonta Mining it noted had mining lease to undertake operations in some parts of Samreboi, outside the Forest Reserve, but that “the company has no mineral right to undertake any mining operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve”.
Relevant authorities were tasked therefore to: “ensure that the company does not carry out any operation in the Forest and to take the necessary action against any person found culpable in this matter.
“Our records show that Akonta Mining Ltd, on August 25, 2022, applied for a Mining Lease to undertake mining operations in the said Forest Reserve. By a Ministerial Directive, all reconnaissance, prospecting and/or exploratory activities in Forest Reserves in the country are suspended, except in exceptional circumstances.
“Although this directive does not affect mining in Forest Reserves, Akonta Mining Limited’s application has not been determined. Accordingly, any alleged activity being undertaken by the company in the Forest Reserve is illegal”, the statement further disclosed.
The Authority has closed several significant shopping centers, including the Palace and China mall branches.
This comes after the GRA started an effort to make sure that 50 carefully chosen tax-paying businesses were in compliance before they were allowed to join the Certified Invoicing System.
The move, according to the GRA, is necessary to help improve Ghana’s domestic tax mobilization efforts.
According to the Deputy Commissioner, Operations-DTRD, Kwesi Eghan, the China and Palace malls are part of the 50 selected tax-paying companies which have failed to comply with the GRA’s requirements.
Mr. Eghan further went on to caution other companies who he noted have also duly been informed about the system and the need to enroll, to do so before the law catches up with them.
“For the 50 people we are talking about, if you have not yet enrolled, we plead with you to do so before the enforcement officers get to your businesses otherwise we will close your shops until you follow due process, he said while speaking in an interview with the UTV.
Mr. Eghan indicated despite these companies having been informed about the deadline for enrolment on the system – October 12, 2022, only 25 out of the 50 entities have so far complied.
“We want to improve compliance. We are more interested in collaboration than chasing businesses to pay their taxes. But we have no option at this moment than to move swiftly to ensure the right thing is done,” he said in an interview with the media.
Meanwhile, Kwesi Eghan has noted that the GRA hopes to enrol 600 large taxpayers into the system in its first implementation phase, which is expected to end in December 2023.
He added that by 2024, all taxpayers would have been fully integrated into the platform.
TT Caternor, a member of the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC’s) communication team, has recommended the government to step up its efforts to combat illegal mining by implementing technical advancements to keep an eye on mining equipment and concessions.
He is recommending the employment of trackers to keep an eye on the operation of excavators, which he called essential industrial equipment.
Speaking with Kwaku Owusu Adjei on Adwenekasa on Accra-based Original FM 91.9, he said, “Just put a tracking device on the excavator, and so when it is registered, you will track it. Any time it is moving, you will be told where they are. Immediately you see that a lot of them are converging around Dunkwa, for instance, it should trigger something, like a probe, as to what those excavators are doing in Dunkwa.”
Excavators are one of the main pieces of equipment used by illegal miners in their operation, which leaves devastating effects on Ghana’s land and water resources.
In the first place, this isn’t quite gold that is extracted from ore that is located many kilometers below the surface of the earth, but the output is just as prized.
This commodity, which goes by the names Agatawoe in Ewe, Ayilo for the Gami, shirew for the Akans, and kaolin in English, is also known as food that is primarily favored by pregnant women.
It is thought that the reason pregnant women are so drawn to it is because of its distinctive smell.
Formed from a type of clay, ayilo is used for many other things including it being a reliable material for electro-porcelain fabrication, as well as a major material used for making wall and floor tiles.
In Ghana, Anfoega is one of the locations where this product is mostly produced from, through a process of moulding the freshly mined clay soil into lumps, oven-baked and distributed to markets.
The industry in Anfoega in the Volta Region, for instance, is such a big one, almost everyone in the town has benefited from the economic gains that come with it.
According to a Facebook post shared by Kofi Semamu Atsu Adzei, he said that this ‘white gold’ has created many rich people and prominent business people from the community.
“This is white Gold, yes you heard me right. This can be found in Anfoega and it’s called Agatawoe, the Gamɛi call it ayilo, it is shirew by the Akans and kaolin in English.
“Almost everyone in Anfoega has benefited from the economic gains of this white gold. Anyone into the white gold business is a rich person. Ask anyone from the holy village of Anfoega about it and you will marvel,” he wrote.
Uses of Ayilo:
Apart from the already stated uses of kaolin, the product is also used by many to manage nausea, while others claim it helps in the prevention of things like diarrhoea, discomfort and other pregnancy-related conditions, a report by graphic.com.gh said.
Further details online show that some experts explain that kaolin has absorbent qualities that make it a good addition to helping with diarrhoea.
Also, the use of kaolin is said to help improve conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and leaky gut.
Ayilo is also used for as a beauty enhancement and is said to be used for many traditional and medicinal purposes.
“It is also a key ingredient in some cleansers, shampoos, toothpastes and beauty products, as it is claimed to gently cleanse and pull impurities from the pores
without causing redness,” a report stated.
Effects of Ayilo:
But there have also been reported after effects of using this product, some of which researchers say is that when pregnant women, for instance, consume too much of it without taking more nutritious foods, it can expose them to anemia.
Besides, because of its source and composition, it is believed that ayilo could carry some amounts of worm eggs, and as such, should it be consumed, the eggs could hatch in the body, leading to the worms feeding on the red blood cells and posing great health risks to an individual.
With chemical elements such as Aluminium, Arsenic, Boron and Nickel, the product poses even more harmful threats to anyone who consumes it.
Medical expert Ben Dinnery has explained placenta healing which has been adopted by Thomas Partey.
The Ghana midfielder has battled with injuries this season and was recently sent home from Ghana’s national team camp in the friendlies against Brazil and Nicaragua.
The 29-year-old was billed to start in Ghana’s game against Brazil but was left out of the squad due to a precaution.
The former Atletico Madrid midfielder is currently to be relying on placenta treatment to tackle his recurring injuries situations.
Ben Dinnery in an interview with Football Insider has explained the pros and cons of the left-field treatment method.
“This involves electrical impulse therapy and the massaging of placenta fluid into the joint.
“What we know about the placenta is that is high in amino acids, vitamins, and nutrients. It can help with pain reduction and tissue generation, and it has anti-inflammatory properties.
“The theory behind why you would use this treatment is there. What isn’t plain for all to see, however, is the research to back up the effectiveness of this treatment.
“That is down to several reasons. You have to consider how the treatment is administered, different regimes, and different treatment plans. There is just a lack of consistency to categorically conclude the effectiveness of this treatment.
“However, it’s a safe procedure. There are no red flags in terms of this treatment plan. There are signs that it can help orthopedic injuries, so the joint in the knee.
“So, for a relatively low downside, there is a potential for there to be some kind of benefits. It is safe and when all other avenues have been exhausted and you want to give it a go, why not.“
Ghana is set to hire placenta healer Mariana Kovacevic to help Thomas Partey ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Arsenal star is one of the key players for the Black Stars going into the competition.
The group claims that parents are concerned about the ongoing food deficit in SHSs.
The group stated that “at times, the type of food supplied to these youngsters is a serious source of concern during times of food shortages.”
The association said it has written to the Education Minister for a meeting to deliberate on reviewing some aspects of the government’s flagship programme, Free Senior High School (Free SHS).
The association said the purpose of the said meeting with the minister was to help address some of the thorny issues regarding the quality of food served to the students in school.
The association said the meeting has not been able to come off because the minister was always busy.
The National Administrator of the Association, Mr Charles Adjetey Sowah, expressed these worries in an interview on Accra100.5FM’s morning show Ghana Yensom on Wednesday, 12 October 2022 while discussing the alleged shortage of food in some schools in the Volta region, which the Ghana Education Service has debunked.
He said: “In life, we progress and we do not retrogress, so, if there is a problem with the implementation of the policy it must be reviewed going forward.”
“We want the programme reviewed to see where parents can help to make the programme successful,” he told host Emmanuel Quartshie (Hitman).
The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will be historic for the African continent as all five representatives for the quadrennial extravaganza will be handled by local coaches.
Although it is a source of pride, it is also the first time that all African teams have called on local tacticians to lead their respective campaigns, with coaches Otto Addo, Aliou Cisse, Rigobert Song, Walid Regragui and Jalel Kadri having a fine opportunity to make a stronger case for homegrown solutions.
Walid Regragui, Morocco
Morocco will be led by Walid Regragui who joins a stellar cast of other African coaches to lead their countries. This is a massive step for the growth of African coaches, who have now gathered the courage to take over at the highest level.
The 47-year-old trainer, a former Morocco international who amassed 45 caps for the national team, took over from Vahid Halilhodžić who had helped the team to secure qualification for Qatar. He took over the Atlas Lions after a successful season in the Moroccan top flight where he led Wydad Athletic Club (WAC) to the CAF Champions League title and the local championship. He however faces a bigger challenge in Qatar as the Moroccans have been pooled in Group F with Croatia, Belgium and Canada.
Born in Corbeil-Essonne in the Southern suburbs of France, Morocco coach Regragui started his career playing for several French clubs, including Toulouse, Ajaccio, Dijon and Grenoble. He earned his caps for the Moroccan national team as well.
After retiring from football, 46-year-old Regragui began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Moroccan national team in 2012-2013 under Rachid Taoussi. He went on to become the head coach of FUS Rabat until 2020 when he moved to Qatar to coach top tier side Al Duhail.
Aliou Cissé, Senegal
African champions, Senegal, have been led by a local coach since 2015 when Aliou Cissé was handed the mantle. The decision paid off eight years later when the former national team captain led the Teranga Lions to their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title and was also named the African Coach of the Year at the CAF Awards in July this year.
Now, the veteran coach leads the Teranga Lions to the World Cup for the second straight time, having led the team to qualify for the 2018 showpiece in Russia. Senegal earned qualification after turning round a first leg loss to Egypt’s Pharaohs, winning 3-1 on post-match penalties following a 1-1 aggregate draw.
Rigobert Song, Cameroun
Rigobert Song is not new to the FIFA World Cup. He played for Cameroun in the 1994 tournament in USA and at the next two tournaments in 1998 and 2002 and returned in 2010 as the most experienced player in the tournament and made just 27 minutes appearance against the Netherlands after which he called time on his international career.
For many years as the mainstay of the Indomitable Lions as the captain, 46-year-old Song returns to football’s biggest stage in a leadership position but from the touchline, a position he had held since his appointment on February 28, 2022. Song goes down in history as the second Camerounian coach (after the late Léonard Nseke who took the team to USA ’94) to have helped the Indomitable Lions qualify for the global showpiece.
Song’s team qualified for Qatar after overturning a 1-0 first leg defeat at the hands of Algeria to win 2-1 in the corresponding fixture in Algiers and qualified on the away goals rule. The valuable World Cup ticket proved to be the result the veteran needed to silence the doubters who had already queried the decision to hire him as national coach.
Jalel Kadri, Tunisia
Local boy Jalel Kadri helped Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles to the FIFA World Cup for the sixth time in their history. Appointed national team coach following their elimination from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroun, Kadri embarked on a quick rebuilding mission and helped his country rise from that disappointment to qualify for the World Cup. The Tunisians waded off the young side of Mali to qualify with a slim 1-0 aggregate score.
The 50-year-old coach becomes the third local tactician after Abdelmajid Chetali (1978) and Nabil Maâloul (1998) to help Tunisia qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
Otto Addo, Ghana
Ghana’s Otto Addo displayed a brave coaching mettle to aid the Black Stars to the FIFA World Cup after victory over the highly fancied Nigeria in March, this year.
The former national star, who played for Ghana at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, was named head coach of the Black Stars shortly after their elimination from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, taking over from Serbian Milovan Rajevac, whom he previously served as assistant coach.
A 1-1 draw in Abuja following a 0-0 stalemate in Kumasi earned Ghana a ticket to the World Cup against all odds, with Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, appealing to the country’s FA to retain Addo to lead Ghana’s World Cup campaign.
Otto Addo guided Ghana to qualify for the World Cup against all odds after edging out Nigeria on the away goal’s rule after a 1-1 aggregate score.
The 46-year-old tactician, who is also an assistant coach at German Bundesliga side, Borussia Dortmund, managed to put up a perfect tactical plan to outshine a hugely talented Nigerian squad and now has everything to prove when he leads the Ghanaian side in Qatar.
The presence of the five African coaches at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar represents a giant step towards the development of African football.
This is enough proof that local expertise can also work well when and if given a chance. This will be an opportunity for the whole world to discover the ability of African tacticians and also a nod of approval to the training programme for African coaches at the Pro Licence of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The programme, launched for the first time in 2018, aims to obtain the highest certification of the CAF coach education system, the qualification of top level coaches in the world. –cafonline.com
Ernest Kwaku Kobeah, a prospective presidential contender for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has said that Weija Dam should serve as the headquarters of Ghana Water Company in order to facilitate the delivery of water to every home in the nation.
He claimed that because galamsey affects water security, Weija will serve as the center for water distribution so that every home, regardless of geography, will have access to water.
Due to the galamsey threat, which has captured the attention of the nation, Ghana Water Company has indicated that water importation may be necessary.
But in a social media post on his wall, Mr Kobeah, who is also a businessman in the United Kingdom and the CEO of City Expert Group, construction firm in the UK, noted that water must be considered a basic need that must be secured for every citizen.
He disclosed that his vision is to ensure that water is supplied to every community and home in Ghana.
“I am of the view that Ghana leaders have failed the country because water should not be a challenge for this country where there has been rainfall most often,” he on Facebook.
He said since Ghana has Akosombo dam as its main source of Electricity, Weija Dam can be converted to become the center of Ghana Water Company.
Mr Kwaku Kobeah, an Expert in sewage system also added that Ghana can create a sewage system whereby all the rain water could pass through one tunnel that will be refined for domestic purpose and this he said will even reduce the rate of flood in the country
According to him Ghana is blessed to have a natural rainy season every quarter or yearly but all the rain water go to waste and in dry season, it becomes another challenge to find water.
He said Ghana’s leaders has failed to think ahead of critical issues and that has plunged the country into avoidable challenges.
People must understand the distinction between mining contamination and water pollution, according to Dr. Edward Wiafe.
The environmentalist who is also a lecturer at the University of Environment and Sustainable Development in the Eastern Region said these on the Ghana Yensom morning show on Accra 100.5 FM on Tuesday, October 11, 2022.
He noted that not all mining activities pollute the environment. He said mining is not wrong but the way people mine is the challenge in the country.
It’s been days since Stonebwoy released his sing along anthem ‘GIDIGBA’ which is a great song by all standards.
Just a few days after the release, a rendition popped up online by one @ aligta.app who went in hard on our political leaders (both the ruling and opposition class).
The lyrics of this rendition is nothing but real facts. But one funny thing about this song is the chorus or hook.
This guy used a very hilarious and very catchy ‘GA’ word ‘GBEMIWAA’ and this is what seems to be making people love the rendition even more.
It was trending on Twitter just a day ago. A fan shared it as a reply to a post BBC made about the Ghanaian president with regards to the use of Ghanaian artiste AYAT’s music video by the Ghana Tourism Authority. Ironically, this fan-reply led to a whole lot of tweeps commenting and retweeting the snippet of the visualiser all over Twitter.
Just today, controversial HIP-LIFE musician and political activist A-PLUS also shared a short snippet of Aligata’s Gidigba refix visualiser on his official verified Facebook account and the fans are going crazy in the comment session amidst numerous re-shares.
Apparently, it’s going crazy on Tik Tok and Instagram too.
I won’t talk much. Follow this link and go check it out yourself https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMFJMLcHt/
John Dramani Mahama, a former president of Ghana, has urged for the creation of a Marshall Plan for Africa as it attempts to develop economically and trade after being enslaved for a long time.
In an interview with Hayde Adams for VOA’s Straight Talk Africa program, Mahama noted that slavery had a negative effect on the continent, necessitating the creation of a Marshall plan in order to move forward.
With a strategy in place and the appropriate leadership, he claimed, Africa could provide its people with a respectable standard of living.
Mahama expressed confidence that, given the appropriate circumstances, Africa will emerge as the newest international financial and commercial center.
“After slavery, I think there should be a Marshall plan. I mean slavery affected the continent very adversely and I do believe that if a Marshall plan was put up and we got the right leadership on the continent and we do the kinds of things we are doing; trading, building the infrastructure on the continent, we can create a decent existence for our people. I have confidence that Africa is the next emerging continent and it is going to be the next frontier for investment and business,” he said.
An elated Mahama said the 11% intra-trade boost between African countries was ‘ridiculous’ stressing that the AfCFTA could serve as a catalyst in achieving 50% intra-Africa trade in the near future. This he says will enable the African continent to fully benefit from trade.
“Happily, we have passed the Africa Continental Free Trade Area and as I speak the first commodities are beginning to be exchanged. A shipment of tiles from Ghana I read this morning is going to Rwanda and a shipment of tea is coming from Kenya to Ghana… I mean that’s good news.
“We have been advocates of this for so long. We are happy it’s happening now. 11% percent trade amongst ourselves, it’s ridiculous . We are hoping that this can push trade between ourselves even to 50% so that we are able to multiple the benefits within the continent but also get benefits from outside,” Mahama said.
It was intended to aid European countries that had been destroyed as a result of the war, and it was laid out by U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall during an address at Harvard University in 1947. The plan was authorized by Congress as the European Recovery Program (ERP).
Lil Baby’s feature rate has apparently surged over the past two years.
Back in 2020, the Quality Control rapper confirmed he was seeking $100,000 for a guest verse—an undeniable steal considering he had assisted hits like Future and Drake’s “Life Is Good” remix, DJ Khaled’s “You Stay,” Yo Gotti’s “Put a Date on It,” and Travis Scott’s “Highest in the Room” remix.
Vince Staples confirmed Lil Baby’s feature price during a May interview with Big Boy that year, saying the Harder Than Ever MC had waived the $100,000 fee for his “East Point Prayer” verse.
At this point it’s safe to say I want 100k for a feature 😬
Well, it seems Lil Baby took the advice and significantly upped his rate. He addressed the increase during an appearance on Big Loon’s The Experience podcast.
“I don’t even be doing features no more,” he said when asked what he charges for a verse. “Like, $300,000, $350,000. But I ain’t been doing features lately.”
Lil Baby explained he paused his guest appearances because he was busy working on his new project, but is willing to hop on a track when he’s got the time.
Elsewhere in the interview, Lil Baby addresses his time behind bars, balancing his career with family life, and finally finding happiness.
“There was a long time I wasn’t happy, though. … But now I’m finally in like a happy stage. I wake up, I’ll be happy now,” he revealed at the 34:28 mark, before Loon asked him what caused him to be unhappy.
“I don’t know. A lot of shit I be going through, getting adjusted to this, changing, having to stop being around people I’m used to being around. … It was just like adapting to my new environment—me in a little dark spot for a minute, man.”
You can check out the full interview above. Lil Baby is set to drop his third studio album It’s Only Me this Friday, Oct. 14.
As part of his official business tour to the Upper West Region, the Vice President paid a courtesy call on the family and was conferred the title.
Dr. Bawumia has shown characteristics similar to their late father, according to Chief of Duori Naa Dombo III, who gave the justification for the enskinment.
He charged the Vice President to continue blazing the trail of the late co-founder of the Northern People’s Party.
“We acknowledge your intervention in re-establishing the link between the Dombos and the Bawumias. I am by this tasking you to pursue the vision of your father Dombo from where he left off. You have henceforth been tasked with the responsibility as a true son to achieve this dream that was birthed decades ago,” 3news.com quoted the Chief of Douri as saying.
Additionally, Dr. Bawumia was made co-chairman of the SD Dombo Foundation. An elated Bawumia laid a wreath at the grave of the NPP founding member and prayed for his peaceful rest as a fitting tribute to him.
Taking to his Facebook page, Bawumia expressed his profound gratitude to the family of S.D Dombo adding that it was nostalgic to have returned to the home of the NPP stalwart.
“At Douri, it was nostalgic as I visited the home and family of our father, the selfless S. D. Dombo.
“The Chief of Duori (Son of Chief S. D. Dombo), on behalf of the Dombo family, enskinned me a Naa Lewa (Meaning the chief has come back). I thank the Dombo family and the Chief of Douri for the honour done me, and also urging me to continue to be guided by the remarkable traits of our father and other stalwarts of our great party,” he wrote.
Along with Mumuni Bawumia (the vice president’s father), S.D Dombo helped form the Northern People’s Party and served as its first chairman while Dr. Bawumia’s father was vice. Later on, the Northern People’s Party merged to become the United Party.
Following his election in the 1969 Ghanaian general elections, Dombo served as a representative for the ruling Progress Party in the first Parliament during the Second Republic.
During the Busia administration, he served as Minister of Health and later Minister of the Interior.
Singer, songwriter and multi-award-winning gospel minister, Diana Antwi Hamilton, was interviewed on BBC World Service, which aired today. In her debut interview with BBC, Diana Hamilton talks about her music ministry, foundation, and yearly events, “The Experience with DH”.
The gospel songstress talked about her artistry in songwriting, where she is famously known for seamlessly intermixing the local dialect with the English language to create a message of hope in her songs for people from all walks of life, also for listeners to have an idea of the message.
In her response to how her newly launched event, AkwantuPa Experience with Diana Hamilton, came about, she said, “over the years, we’ve gotten the numbers, and we’ve had the corporate world being interested in what we do”.
orium, they are specifically there to lift songs of praise and worship to God. She continued to say that it is also crucial to create AkwantuPa awareness to help Ghanaians living in the diaspora. She pointed out that “when we take care of their spiritual needs, it is also important we take care of their physical needs.”
The 2021 VGMA artiste of the year hinted at a song she will be releasing on Friday 14th October, 2022 and also spoke briefly about her foundation, which focuses on health and education.
Diana Hamilton recently sold-out the Dominion Center for her AkwantuPa Experience with DH in London.
Dr. Opuni has been instructed to rest his eye to facilitate adequate recovery after undergoing four different procedures on his left eye in September.
Dr. Stephen Opuni, the former COCOBOD Chief Executive, businessman Seidu Agongo, and Agricult Ghana Limited are all accused of violating the Public Procurement Act and defrauding by false pretenses in connection with the purchase of Lithovit liquid fertilizer between 2014 and 2016. These charges also include willful financial loss to the government and corruption by public officials.
They have pleaded not guilty to the charges and are on a GH¢300,000.00 self-recognisance bail each.
When the High Court reconvened on October 11, counsel for Dr. Opuni, Mr. Samuel Codjoe, informed the court that his client was unable to make it to court because he had been excused for six weeks due to ill health and had been advised not to get involved in any activity.
Counsel showed the court medical records as well as the excuse notice to that effect and prayed for adjournment, stressing that his client was not waiving his right under Article 19 (3).
But the Chief State Attorney was averse to the adjournment and therefore contested it.
Evelyn Keelson, who has been at the forefront of the prosecution’s case, having signed the charge sheet which formed the basis for the trial in 2018, suggested means the court can circumvent Article 19 (3) cleanly.
“My lord, in the alternative, this court can sit virtually to accommodate the first accused…It is, therefore, our submission that this court, in the exercise of its discretion, can proceed with the case without infringing on Article 19(3) since the doctor’s opinion for the accused to stay for six weeks is not binding on this court,” Evelyn Keelson told the court presided over by Justice Clemence Honyenuga who recently retired from the Supreme Court.
She had earlier conceded: “My lord, I have seen a medical report indicating that the first accused has had surgery on his left eye, and in that report, the medical director has indicated that he needs six weeks to rest the eye for proper healing.”
Evelyn Keelson, nonetheless, told Justice Honyenuga, “respectful my lord, this statement by the medical director is not binding on this honourable court. My lord, the medical director did not indicate the basis for the six weeks he has indicated in the report.”
Lawyer Samuel Codjoe however, told Evelyn Keelson that her submissions were “not only factually inaccurate but seek to infringe on the right of the first accused.”
He pointed out paragraph 10 of the medical report to the. Chief State Attorney to counter her claim that the doctor didn’t give reasons for the excuse duty.
“My lord, the chief state attorney has not gotten any medical knowledge to speak the way she is doing.
“My lord, we don’t have any problem with inviting the medical doctor because no one has a monopoly over good health.
“My lord, what is unfortunate is that the prosecution is saying the first accused, who is sick and is not supposed to engage in any activity, should sit in a virtual trial. So he should lie down or what? My lord, this is unacceptable even in military regimes,” he asserted.
Lawyer Codjoe further remarked, “My lord, the prosecution is saying that despite the fact that the first accused is ill, the first accused should be put on trial. This will take us back to the dark days when we did not have a constitution.”
Meanwhile, retired Justice Clemence Jackson Honyenuga, who is sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court judge, ordered the medical director to appear before him on the next adjourned date “in order to clear any doubts about the medical report before this court”.
The retired judge has therefore directed the Registrar of the Court to ensure that the doctor is served with the order for him to tell the court about the medical records of Dr. Opuni.
The sitting was adjourned to Monday, October 17 2022.
He says Ghana cannot be compared to other nations where governments have enough time to implement their plans and guarantee smooth development.
“There is very little you can do in terms of infrastructure; we will try our best. We have a four-year term like they have in America and not like they have in other nations where there are five terms.
We will Invest in the health sector, invest in Education, invest in the economic infrastructure, but all these must be geared towards creating opportunities, especially for young people to be able to realize their full potential and be able to find jobs in the economy. I think that’s what we will be looking at,” he said in an interview on Voice of America.
The leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2020 election said another focus of a new NDC government would be strengthening public institutions in the country and intensifying the fight against corruption.
He reiterated his calls for the review of the 1992 constitution. He believes that after 26 years of using the constitution, it will be right that some tweaking is done to help build the country.
The Chinese national who was detained in August 2022 has since been charged with a crime and is now being tried in court.
She and three other Chinese nationals were charged on September 2 before an Accra Circuit Court.
After Aisha Huang was detained again, the Attorney General, Godfred Dame, revisited the state’s 2018 decision to close her case.
As a result, Aisha Huang is currently standing trial in two different courts; the fresh case against her at Circuit Court 9 since her rearrest in August and her old case from 2018 which was discontinued after the state filed a nolle prosequi is being heard at the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court.
After years of anticipation, DC’s Black Adam is imminent.
The Jaume Collet-Serra-directed film had its world premiere Wednesday night, and critics were quick to share their first thoughts. Starring Dwayne Johnson as the titular antihero, Black Adam tells the origin story of Teth-Adam—an ancient Egyptian slave who is bestowed with the powers of gods. The character initially uses his super strength to fight injustice, and the death of his family leads him down a road of vengeance. The Justice Society of America, a team of superheroes, set out on a mission to stop Black Adam’s rampage and bring him into the fold.
The film co-stars Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate, Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, and Aldis Hodge as Hawkman.
Johnson was reportedly in talks to star in Black Adam since 2007, but experienced multiple setbacks and delays. According to Screen Rant, the success of 2013’s Man of Steel is what revived the talks with the Rock, with the initial plan of him appearing in Shazam! It wasn’t until 2017 that the studio confirmed it was working on a standalone flick.
Black Adam has become one of the DCEU’s most-anticipated projects, with expectations set high. On Wednesday night, Twitter was flooded with mixed reactions describing the final product as everything from “epic” and “adrenaline fueled” to “messy” and just flat-out “bad.”
You can read some of the early reactions below. Black Adam will hit U.S. theaters on Oct. 21.
Dr. Toni Aubynn, a former CEO of the Minerals Commission, has urged the government to give an explanation for the drones it bought to combat unlawful mining.
Dr. Aubynn claimed that even though the weaponry “was not useful” at the time, the government has a duty to explain to Ghanaians how it assisted the “galamsey” in fighting.
He said that the substantial impact the purchase of the drones produced could not be explained by simply sharing photographs taken with the drones.
“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?” he 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.”
In 2017, then Lands Minister John Peter Amewu received public backlash over government’s decision to buy drones worth $3 million.
But the former head of the Minerals Commission, who claims he was opposed to the purchase, says there should be accountability.
“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 an interview on Upfront on JoyNews.
Dr Aubynn also says the only reason the likes of Akonta Mining Company can enter forests to mine is that their owners have significant positions in government.
He added that such people still enter the forests even after a cabinet ban in 2017.
“In 2017 when we were doing the ‘stop galamsey’, one of the things we said – and I think it came from cabinet – was that nobody should be given anything, not even recognizance licence in the forest.
“For me, it was completely closed. Look at those who are mining in the forests; if you did the study, you find out that most of them are in significant positions in government,” he alleged on Wednesday, October 12.
Massive reactions as a former Big BrotherNaija housemate Beauty Etsanyi Tukura shares a lovely picture of herself on instagram.
Beauty Etsanyi Tukura, who is popularly known as Beauty is a reality star and an entrepreneur. Beauty is popularly recognized by her fans and followers after she became a member of the Big Brother Naija reality show.
Acccording to a post that she shared on her verified instagram handle, Beauty Etsanyi Tukura revealed that she is a person who will receive absolutely every single thing that she desires in this beautiful world.
Beauty captioned her post that, “Everything I desire, I will receive”.
The very minute that her instagram handle received her picture, her fans and followers quickly took to the comment section and expressed their views.
Officialdoyin wrote that, Beauty Etsanyi Tukura is looking absolutely stunning.
Official_mercyeke also added that, Beauty Etsanyi Tukura is indeed a sweet girl.
Without much i do, kindly scroll down to see the picture and the comment of the people below;
A flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called for the scrapping of the four-year ex-gratia payments.
Mr Kwabena Agyei Agyepong said the country did not have the needed resources to honour that arrangement.
The former General Secretary of the NPP said there should be arrangements where Members of Parliament for instance could be offered “something little” at the end of their term in office instead of giving them lump sums every four years under the current system.
“Ex-gratia should be like a parachute payment. When you have served your country like a Member of Parliament…it’s a difficult assignment. I would say it is like marriage. When you elevate a lady to a certain level as a wife and you want to leave, that’s why they let you pay alimony,” he said in an interview in Accra.
“It cannot be right on any moral standing. We should stop it immediately. We don’t have the money as a country,” Mr Agyepong added.
Ex-gratia payments are regarded as part of the end-of-service benefits for a certain class of public servants — and it is paid every four years.
The category of workers who benefit from ex-gratia payment is Article 71 office holders made up of the President, the Vice President, the Speaker of Parliament, the Chief Justice and other Justices of the Supreme Court of the country.
The rest are Parliamentarians, Ministers of State, political appointees and public servants with salaries charged to the Consolidated Fund, but enjoying special Constitutional privileges.
There have been conflicting arguments about the essence of the payment of ex-gratiato Article 71 Office holders, with some commentators and Governance experts describing the practice as an “unfair arrangement.”
The debate resurrected when it emerged that Togbe Afede, the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, returned an amount of GHS350,000 paid to him as ex-gratia for serving as a Member of the Council of State.
Togbe Afede described the amount as “outrageous” saying it was “inappropriate for a short, effectively part-time work.”
Nana Adjei Ampofo, a former member of the Council of State also called for a review of the payment of ex-gratia to members of the Council to meet the economic realities of the day.
Former President John Dramani Mahama recently pledged to implement the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Committee as well as review ex-gratia payments in the next NDC administration.
Two construction workers working on the redevelopment of the Koforidua Jackson Park project are receiving treatment at the Koforidua Government Hospital after a section of the building collapsed on them.
The entire roofing of the stand came down during a short rainfall, which was accompanied by a wind.
The project which was supposed to be completed in 12 months is yet to be completed a year after it was awarded.
Some residents who witnessed the incident blamed the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly for supervising a substandard work.
“It is unfortunate that, government invested money into this new project, and it has just collapsed. I doubt the competence of the contractor. I am shocked and blame the Assembly.”
“The Assembly must take lessons from this incident and ensure that something similar does not happen in future”, another resident said.
