Ghanaian midfielder Kwame Bonsu a Ghanaian midfielder, is on the verge of joining Egyptian team Tala’ea El Gaish SC.
After leaving Ceramica Cleopatra in September, Bonsu joins the Cairo club on a free transfer.
Amr El-Sisi of Tala’ea El Geish SC is departing for Zamalek, and the club has opted to substitute him with Bonsu.
Bonsu is set to travel to Cairo this week in order to finalize the deal before the Egyptian transfer window shuts.
In 2019, Kwame Bonsu joined Tunisian club Esperance from Asante Kotoko. He played in 15 matches out of 26 matches of which he started 14 matches as Espérance ST won the 2019/20 Tunisian Ligue
He formerly played for Rosengrd, Mjällby AIF, and Gefle in Sweden.
He made his debut for the Ghana national football team on 26 March 2019 in a friendly against Mauritania.
But 17 days before the interview, the Tema Police CID had been given a letter. It was from the Energy Commission. It said the commission “has decided to withdraw the case.”
The letter was signed by the same Kofi Agyarko. The case was officially dead.
Why charcoal is big business
The global market for charcoal was worth US$6.86bn in 2018. Homes in the US and Europe are turning to barbecued foods, basically, food grilled or prepared with charcoal. Mining industries also use it for gold recovery. And for many in the industry, charcoal is also a cheaper agent for purifying water and air. Charcoal, when burnt in the absence of oxygen, produces activated carbon that can be used for various industrial purification processes. During wastewater treatment, activated charcoal is highly utilised for filtration purposes.
These high demands and the economic returns are part of the reasons Ghana is Africa’s fifth largest exporter of charcoal. According to worldtopexports.com, in 2021, Ghana exported $1million worth of charcoal to destinations such as China, Turkey, Germany, and Lebanon.
Ghana is, however, paying a heavy price for being the world’s ninth-largest producer of charcoal.
A list of the world’s top charcoal producing countries
Concerns about environmental degradation are getting drowned out by the piercingly noisy sound of chainsaw operators in Ghana’s forests.
This is why, in May 2021, the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs banned commercial charcoal burning activities in the region.
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is also considering a charcoal export ban if the charcoal production, trade and export space is not sanitised quickly. The minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, complained in November 2021: “There is an upsurge in the export of charcoal out of our country, and that is a driver of forest degradation.”
Tackling this problem on the ground falls on the Energy Commission. The law says the Commission should “regulate and manage the development and utilisation of energy resources in Ghana.”
Seizure of illegal charcoal containers
In April 2022, there was a tip-off at the Tema port when 40-footer containers–about 21 of them–made their way into the GPHA and Overseas terminals.
Facing the beckoning sea, the containers were to be loaded onto a ship named, GABRIAL A WAS12N 22, according to the information provided by the shipping company, Arkars Shipping Line, based in Turkey. The goods were bound for the United Arab Emirates.
Information gathered by The Fourth Estate during a police inspection was that the ship was to arrive in Ghana on April 14, 2022, and depart in the early morning of April 15, 2022.
But 24 hours before the ship’s arrival, there was suspicion that all the 21 containers were full of charcoal, a fuel resource that could not be exported without a licence. According to the Renewable Energy Act, 2011 (Act 832), “a person shall not engage in a commercial activity in the renewable energy industry without a licence granted under this Act.”
The Fourth Estate reporter contacted the Tema Police CID over the detention of the charcoal containers. The exporter had indicated that he was exporting some foods. The police therefore needed confirmation that, indeed, the containers carried food, not charcoal.
The police had already detained a suspect and on June 14, 2022, the police revealed to The Fourth Estate that they were scheduled to inspect the containers.
A Custom Officer and Energy Commission official stand before an open container at the GPHA terminal
The Fourth Estate reporter obtained permission from the Tema police CID to join in the physical inspection of the containers.
The inspection team opened 15 containers at the GPHA Terminal. It was supervised by Inspector Felicia Boatemaa of the Tema Police CID. It was carried out in the presence of customs officials, the GHPA export terminal officials, an official of the shipping line, Arkas and this reporter.
However, the exporter of the containers was missing in action.
When giant scissors clasped open the locks of all 15 containers at the GHPA terminal. Every single one of them was fully stashed with charcoal. The six others at Overseas terminal were not inspected that day. But they were also later confirmed to be charcoal.
Containers at GPHA Terminal
ARKU8533331
ARKU8338150
ARKU8378256
ARKU8484725
TCLU5865643
ARKU8380567
ARKU8507142
ARKU8517639
ARKU8395865
ARKU8341302
TGHU6417534
TCNU8122398
ARKU8543561
ARKU8502686
TCNU6171496
Table 1 showing the 15 container numbers obtained by The Fourth Estate during the inspection.
The average export price for a ton of charcoal is $463 according to the Global Charcoal Market Report 2022. The Energy Commission has confirmed the 21 containers contained 400 tonnes of charcoal. This puts the value of the export at about $185,200. Using an exchange rate of GH¢10 to a dollar, the entire value of the attempted shipment is GH¢1.85million.
According to the Energy Commission, the 21 containers are the biggest consignment of illegal charcoal it has ever seized.
Who is the exporter?
One Friday in June 2022, a man showed up at the Police CID at Tema port. He gave his name as Dela Gershon Zuttah, the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) constituency chairman for Afadzato South constituency in the Volta Region. He is popularly called ‘Chairman Dela’. When he claimed ownership of the containers, he was quickly detained to assist in criminal investigations.
Chairman Zuttah is an NPP politician. Photo Credit: Facebook
Before goods are shipped out of the country, every exporter electronically fills what is known as an Export Declaration Form with the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority. This document states the goods to be shipped, and the details of the exporter.
The Fourth Estate has obtained a copy of the document covering some of the containers of charcoal. The exporter is Jallins Global Business Ltd. It does not have a licence to export charcoal.
Photo: An extract from the Customs Declaration Form reveals the exporter of the goods
Our findings from sources at Arkas Ghana Limited, the shipping company that was going to transport the charcoal, also confirm that Jallins Global Business Ltd is the forwarding agent of the 21 containers.
The company’s representative for the 21 containers is also named in the export document. He is Collins Antwi.
The Energy Commission orders police to stop investigations
It was while the police were making headway in its investigations that the Energy Commission suddenly told the police it was disinterested in continuing with the case.
The commission’s Director of Renewable Energy, Kofi Agyarko, claimed that the commission had already “investigated the matter and has decided to withdraw the case.” The letter claimed the Energy Commission would be “applying different sanctions against the exporter.”
As it stands, the shipping line says Jallins Global represented by Collins Antwi is the forwarding agent. Customs says Jallins is the exporter. The Energy Commission has stopped the police from making a conclusion and denied political interference. But the Commission claims it is Azzam Brothers Ltd.
The Commission has not been able to produce any evidence to back this claim except a claim that Azzam Brothers Ltd came forward to take ownership of the charcoal.
The Fourth Estate has given a copy of the export documentation to the Energy Commission, showing that the exporter is Jallins Global Ltd.
However, the Commission maintains the owner is Azzam Brothers Ltd. The Commission further claims that the NPP Constituency chairman, “Chairman Dela”, detained briefly by the police is a representative of Azzam Brothers. It said he produced a charcoal production licence to “substantiate their claim of ownership.”
When The Fourth Estate reporter contacted Dela, pleaded and admitted ownership but claimed he was misled by the agent, Collins Antwi.
Is there a cover-up at the Energy Commission?
The offence that was being investigated by the police was not about the ownership of the charcoal. It was the export.
Azzam Brothers is a licensed charcoal producer, and by claiming ownership of the charcoal alone, it has not committed any crime. The only offence it has committed, according to the Energy Commission, is producing more charcoal (400 tonnes) than the limit of its licence (240tonnes). It breaches the conditions of Azzam Brothers Production Licence under Section 16(1) of the Renewable Energy Act.
The Commission by law may only suspend or cancel the licence. This is a far lesser offence compared to the attempt by Jallins Global Business to export without a licence which is a criminal offence that carries “a fine not exceeding two thousand penalty units or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding five years or to both.”
The appears the Energy Commission is more interested in going after a lesser offender while leaving the much greater suspected criminal off the hook.
The Fourth Estate has checked with previous prosecutions on illegal charcoal exports. It found that the Energy Commission has a history of causing the prosecution of persons involved in illegal charcoal export.
The Commission, during a press briefing in the presence of the deputy minister for Lands and Natural Resources revealed the history of prosecutions since 2017.
“The Commission, a couple of years ago, prosecuted some three individuals for attempting to export some seven containers of charcoal illegally. The same individuals were also prosecuted for a successful export of some four containers of charcoal. They were also made to bring the charcoal back to Ghana, and all the eleven containers of charcoal were auctioned by the Commission to the public through a court order,” an official of the Commission, Prosper Ahmed Amunquandoh said.
Energy Commission inspector in charge of renewables, Prosper Amunquandoh, addressed the press in June 2021, cataloguing the Commission’s history of prosecutions
The same individuals were also prosecuted for exporting four containers of charcoal. They were also made to bring the charcoal back to Ghana, and all eleven containers of charcoal were auctioned by the Commission to the public through a court order.
The case before the Energy Commission is 21 containers of charcoal meant for export without a licence.
It is the case of the largest seizure of illegal charcoal, but the Energy Commission is not interested in the prosecution of the exporter. The main suspect is the exporter, Jallins Global Business Ltd, represented by Collins Antwi. He also represented himself as the forwarding agent when he dealt with the shipping line. But Dela now confirms he was working with Collins Antwi to export the illegal goods. Despite mounting evidence suggesting collusion, the Energy Commission has stopped police investigations.
From the happenings so far, the Energy Commission does not appear interested in going after them.
Photo: Collins Antwi is a director and shareholder of Jallins Global Business Ltd. Credit: Facebook
As the Greater Accra Regional branch of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) joins their counterparts in Kumasi to close down their businesses, retail trade in the nation may come to a grinding halt by the end of business on Wednesday.
This is in protest of what they claim to be the Ghana Revenue Authority’s unfair application of tax policies (GRA).
The traders in Kumasi have pledged to continue the shop closures until the GRA removes the employees stationed at stores, eateries, and other establishments to record sales of goods for tax purposes. The shop closures have already lasted three days.
The National President of GUTA, Dr. Joseph Obeng, in this regard urged its members nationwide to close their shops, accusing the GRA of unfairness and high handedness in the implementation of the policy.
“You have a system that does not ensure fairness, you have a system that does not ensure equity, you have a system that runs trade concurrently in the same market that we have the standard rate that one pays 90.25 percent and then we have VAT rate of four percent and then we have those who do not pay the VAT at all and they are all legitimate. What system is this?” he questioned GRA.
According to him, “what GRA has done to the VAT system makes compliance very difficult.”
This, he claims, is due to the current economic downturn, which makes it difficult for businesses to thrive with exchange rates collapsing their capitals.
But the Ghana Revenue Authority says it won’t tolerate excuses from companies who refuse to register on its new electronic platform.
The officials of the GRA are on the move again saying there are more companies that will suffer closure if they ignore the caution.
Mr. Phillip Acquah, the Assistant Commissioner, VAT Administration, at the GRA urged businesses to cooperate with the Authority to ensure that their systems are onboard the platform.
Meanwhile, an executive member of the Adum Traders Association in Ghana, Charles Appiah Kubi said that until the challenges are resolved, they will remain closed indefinitely.
According to him, as businesses, they are not against the payment of taxes, however the structure of the VAT system is hindering the payment.
“We have not said that we don’t want to pay taxes … our market is so unique that you do not impose taxes that do not sit with the dynamics within the market ..so when you introduce VAT into our system, you have few businesses that have registered for VAT if they have to add the six percent levy on it, their prices go so high that customers do not to buy from them and rather buy from those not registered for VAT with cheaper prices,” he said.
A stunt fan of legendary songstress Mzbel has called on the artist to release the full track of her newly recorded song dubbed ‘Asibolanga’.
Recall that a few days ago, an except of Mzbel’s new track titled “Asibolanga” got the attention on social media after the video was shared on social media.
The song titled “Asibolanga” comes from some of the funny names controversial socialite Nana Tornado gave to Afia Schwar during their past and recent fight. Some of the names which have dominated are Asibolanga, Fufu Funu, Yaa Baayaa and the new one introduced by Nana Tornado is Sarafina.
In the midst of anticipation, a staunch fan of Mzbel has called unto the songstress to drop the full track of the new song “Asibolanga”. According to the fan, he intentionally visited the pub of Mzbel just to listen to the song but has still not gotten the opportunity to listen to the full track because it’s yet to be released.
The fan also stated that the new song of Mzbel, Asibolanga will be the only song Ghanaians will be dancing to coming Christmas. He gave Mzbel an ultimatum to release the full track.
In order to demand the settlement of salary arrears and better working conditions, employees of the Metro Mass Transit Limited in Kumasi have joined their counterparts in Accra for a sit-down strike.
On Wednesday, passengers were stuck at the MMT depot in Abrepo due to the strike.
Tier two and three pension deductions are not being paid, and there are welfare inconsistencies, which are the main causes of the strike.
The union for employees claims that management is insensitive to their needs.
“For the past five years, no Metro Mass transit limited worker has received a full salary,” said Francis Ayim Gyampo, Senior Staff Union chairman. “Up till now some of us have not received our salaries. The end of October makes it three months in total that we have not received salaries. Although they have paid some, most of us have not received our salaries”.
The workers are demanding that some Management members leave post for their inability to tackle workers’ affairs.
“The things important to us are the statutory deduction: Tier one, two, and three should be paid. We need more parts for the damaged buses parked at the station that could have been repaired with as low as 500, 600, and 700 Cedis. We know Management cannot work for us. They should pack their bags and baggage and leave the work for us,” said Francis Ayim Gyampo.
He accused Management of interdicting staff who raised concerns as their plight worsened.
They insist the strike will persist until the decision is rescinded.
Black Sherif has taken over Audiomack’s top 5 most streamed new songs with his ‘Villain I Never Was’ album.
Konongo Zongo, The Homeless Song, Oil in my Head, Oh Paradise and 45 rounded up the top 5 and probably made him the first artist from Ghana to do so.
Black Sherif recently dropped his much anticipated maiden album to the delight of his fans.
Announcing the album to his teeming fans on Twitter, Sherif wrote, “It took me everything to give life to this body. The one thing in my life that I gave everything up for.
There is life in this body, I hope it treats you good and speaks to you like I want it to. My debut album is “The Villain I Never Was”. Available on all stores on 06-10-2022.”
‘The Villian I Never Was’ is a 14-track album that has only one feature; Burna Boy.
The album has tracks including, ‘The Homeless Song’, ‘Oil In My Head’, ’45’, ‘Prey Da Youngsta’, ‘Sad Boys Don’t Fold’, ‘Konongo Zongo’, ‘Waste Man’, ‘We Up’, ‘Toxic Love City’, ‘Don’t Forget Me’, and ‘Oh Paradise
Audiomack is a youth-driven, artist-first music streaming platform that allows creators to share unlimited music and podcast content for free.
A big truck carrying supplies from Burkina Faso to Kumasi collided with high-tension electric lines at Oforikrom, leaving the neighborhood without power.
On Wednesday at around 2:20 pm, the accident happened.
Eyewitnesses said that the driver lost control of his steering but was still able to maintain control of the wheels, saving lives.
“The vehicle was headed toward Kejetia when it experienced a problem and began to reverse.
Since there were roughly 8 additional automobiles on that side of the road, the driver realized that traveling that route to Tech Junction would be extremely dangerous.
“He therefore decided to take the Anloga route which had no cars packed. The driver did a good job. He saved a lot of lives. No one died. He only destroyed a motorcycle, electric poles and a shoe vendor’s goods.”
He says some communities would experience power shutdown for some days.
“The accident has caused a lot of damage to our systems,” said Mr. Ankrah. “A lot of communities have been affected. Customers around Oforikrom, Ayigya, and Kentinkrono are down and they may have to endure power shut for a couple of days”.
The Government has invested about US$ 740 million in the provision of water systems in various towns and communities across the country, under its “Water for all Policy,” Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia announced in Tuna on Tuesday.
He said for the past five years, there had been a remarkable increase in access to safe and clean water in the country.
Dr Bawumiasaid this during the commissioning of the Numa Purified Water System in Tuna in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region under the enhancing Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) programme.
He said the most recent Population and Housing Census of 2021, recorded that overall, Ghana’s access to potable water and easy access to water was 87 per cent.
“In the urban communities we have 96 per cent access and in the rural communities 74 per cent access to water. So, we made some progress nevertheless there is more to be done, we have not gotten to 100 per cent yet”, he said.
He contended that there had been improvement in the water and sanitation sector nationwide and that it had contributed drastically to the reduction of cholera for the past five years in the country.
“If we continue in this direction, it tells us that the investment in Water and sanitation have been significant and had been worth it.
“We have not focused on urban water systems alone, but we have also focused on rural water systems with the provision of boreholes in the communities,” the Vice President pointed out.
The Vice President agreed that the government alone was not the only player in the team when it came to the provision of water and said the private sector had an important role to play in that regard
He commended the 4Ward Development West Africa for delivering the project for the Tuna community and appealed to other benevolent organisations to partner the government in the provision of water and sanitation facilities for the people.
The Vice President, reacting to the Tunawura’s appeals and concerns raised at the ceremony, assured the people that the government would do everything possible to address some of the requests.
The Tunawura, (King of Tuna) Daniel Safo Mahama Amantana appealed to the government to upgrade the Tuna Power Station to double face and improve the road network within Tuna and surrounding communities, as well as the rehabilitation of the Sawla-Wa portion of the trunk road and the Tuna Market, which was in a deplorable state.
The Tunawura urged the government to provide residential accommodation for teachers and provide a fence wall for the Tuna Senior High School while efforts made towards the upgrading of the Tuna Clinic into a polyclinic to deliver quality healthcare services to the people.
On security, the Tunawura called for the upgrading of the Police Post at Tuna and to provide more police personnel to the community to help check crime wave and ensure law and order in the area.
Ghanaian midfielder Lawrence Agyekum is elated to see himself in the first team jersey at all Red Bull Arena in the Austria top flight.
Agyekum joined Red Bull Salzburg last year and was in their junior side, Lefering and was promoted to the senior team over the weekend.
He climbed off the bench to replace Sekou Koita of Mali in the 60 minute to make his debut for the first-team against Altach.
“I am very excited to make my first team appearance, It was a great joy seeing myself in the first team jersey and making my debut,” Agyekum told Kickoffghana.com
“Putting up a good performance and helping my team win was a stepping stone to great achievements ahead. Indeed DREAMS COME TRUE and I’m grateful to God,” he added.
Agyekum is expected to keep training with the first team squad this season in the Austria Bundesliga.
Salzburg defeated Altach 3-2 at the Cashpoint Arena in front of 4,689 spectators last Saturday.
A Georgia inmate is accused of stealing millions from a billionaire movie mogul by pretending to be him while behind bars.
Arthur Lee Cofield Jr., 31, allegedly ran an elaborate operation inside the Georgia Department of Corrections’ Special Management Unit in which he tricked customer service representatives at Charles Schwab into believing he was Sidney Kimmel, the 94-year-old chairman and CEO of the production company Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Through the use of contraband cell phones, Cofield is said to have successfully managed to get $11 million wired to a company in Idaho for the purpose of buying 6,106 American Eagle one-ounce gold coins. He then chartered a private plane to bring the gold coins to Atlanta, and spent $4.4 million on a 1.4-acre mansion in Buckhead.
“As soon as Schwab was aware of suspected fraudulent activity, we launched an investigation, initiated measures to protect the client’s account and notified the authorities,” Charles Schwab said in a statement obtained by AJC.
Authorities suspect Kimmel wasn’t the only one who fell victim to Cofield’s scheme. Federal prosecutor Scott McAfee mentioned at his bond hearing two years ago that there was evidence suggesting he conducted an almost identical when stealing $2.25 million from Nicole Wertheim, wife of Florida billionaire Herbert Wertheim.
Arthur Lee Cofield Jr. was already serving a 14-year sentence for armed robbery. He was transferred to the Special Management Unit last year after an arrest warrant on an attempted murder charge was issued for his alleged involvement in ordering gang members to shoot someone who was paralyzed.
Cofield has been charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and money laundering. Eldridge Bennett, 65, and his 27-year-old daughter Eliayah have also pleaded not guilty for cooperating in the scheme.
The family of Simon Diedong Dombo, one of the founding fathers of the New Patriotic Party, has enskinned Vice President Dr. MahamuduBawumia and given him the chieftaincy title Naa Lewa (meaning the chief has come back).
The Vice Presidentwas given the title when he paid a courtesy call on the family as part of his official working visit to the Upper West Region.
Explaining the reason for the enskinment, Chief of Duori Naa Dombo III indicated that Dr. Bawumia has exhibited the traits of their late father.
He charged the Vice President to continue blazing the trail of the late co-founder of the Northern People’s Party.
Naa Dombo further commended Dr. Bawumiafor reestablishing ties between the Dombos and Bawumias.
“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 memberand 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.
A Long Island area boutique owner has been charged with trademark counterfeiting in connection with millions of dollars of fakes.
31-year-old Lindsay Castelli was charged following an 18-month investigation involving multiple agencies, CBS New York reported this week. Castelli, according to a press release from the Nassau County Police Department, was the “sole owner” of Linny’s Boutique in Plainview.
Castelli was arrested last week and is being charged with second-degree trademark counterfeiting, police said. She’s next set to appear in court on Nov. 2. Meanwhile, social media pages for the shop, which is now closed, appear to have been removed.
Inside the shop, it’s alleged by law enforcement that “thousands” of heat-sealed fake labels were discovered. During the execution of a subsequent search warrant, investigators say they found and seized a total of 22 printing press machines, as well as numerous counterfeit pieces posing as items from familiar high-dollar names including Gucci, Prada, Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and more.
“The combined value of the items was over $40,000,000,” a local police rep said in a press release issued on Tuesday, adding that additional investigation resulted in the realization that the fake items were also allegedly being shipped to locations around the country.
“This was a sophisticated operation,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said of the case, the multi-agency response behind which was known as “Operation Rainfall.” The initial investigation into the alleged counterfeit operation, police said this week, took place in April of last year.
Veteran gospel musician Nicholas Omane Acheampong has predicted his death and the age at which he will reconcile with his Maker.
The Ghanaian artist whose distinctive hairstyle and intriguing song titles have made him a household name in the music industry for decades said he will die on a Wednesday afternoon after attaining the age of 92 years.
He revealed this while ministering to congregants at an unknown church. Nicholas further said before he will pass on, he will sing and glorify the name of God.
He then gave a testimony of how God used him to change the fortunes of his family.
The UN General Assembly (UNGA) overwhelmingly approved a resolution on Wednesday telling Russia its annexation of four Ukrainian zones is illegal and not valid.
Ghana was among the 143 countries that voted in favour of the resolution, 15 abstained from the exercise and 5 rejected the resolution including Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskycalled the resolution “historic” in a tweet and thanked the states that voted in favor.
Grateful to 143 states that supported historic #UNGA resolution “Territorial integrity of Ukraine: defending the principles of the UN Charter”. The world had its say – RF’s attempt at annexation is worthless & will never be recognized by free nations. 🇺🇦 will return all its lands pic.twitter.com/FupYPfZz8M
During the assembly’s emergency special session on Ukraine, US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the vote “is important not just to the future of Ukraine and the future of Europe, but to the very foundations of this institution.”
“After all, the UN was built on an idea: that never again would one country be allowed to take another’s territory by force,” Thomas-Greenfield added.
The US diplomat said the resolution calls for peace and de-escalation, and “makes clear that we reject Russia’s attempted annexations. That we reject this affront to territorial integrity, to national sovereignty, to peace and security.”
She noted that “today it is Russia invading Ukraine. But tomorrow it could be another nation whose territory is violated. You could be next. What would you expect from this chamber?”
“So let us send a clear message today: these United Nations will not tolerate attempts at illegal annexation. We will never recognize it. These United Nations will not tolerate seizing a neighbor’s land by force. We will stand up to it. These United Nations will not tolerate the destruction of the UN Charter. We will defend it,” she told the assembly.
“Our message Today is loud and clear: It does not matter if you, as a nation, are big or small, rich or poor, old or new. If you are a UN Member State, your borders are your own and are protected by international law. They cannot be redrawn by anyone else by force.” Thomas-Greenfield added.
According to a recent World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report, “Renewable energy sources and energy efficiency play a vital role in providing energy services in a sustainable way and, in particular, in reducing and adapting to climate change.”
Energy is the main issue of discussion and debate in the 2022 WMO State of Climate Services report since it has an impact on every single community, industry, sector, and economy worldwide.
The report examines how countries can achieve net zero emissions electricity production and increased energy efficiency by 2050, with a switch to lower emissions electricity production and increased energy efficiency at the heart of the global response.
This clean energy transition necessitates investment in improved weather, water, and climate services, which can be used to ensure energy infrastructure is resilient to climate-related shocks and inform measures to increase energy efficiency across multiple sectors.
Using data, analysis, and a series of case studies, the report illustrates and explains how countries ranging from Italy to Tajikistan can improve their energy infrastructure, resilience, and security by investing in better climate services.
“In the midst of the race to net zero emissions (NZE), the impact of global temperature increase continues to raise concerns about energy security.
“Changes in climate pose significant risks to the energy sector, directly affecting fuel supply, energy production, physical resilience of current and future energy infrastructure, and energy demand,” part of the report stated.
The report captured figures that show that, in 2020, for example, water availability was directly responsible for 87% of global electricity generated by thermal, nuclear, and hydroelectric systems.
Meanwhile, 33% of thermal power plants that rely on freshwater availability for cooling are already located in areas with high water stress.
It said that nuclear power plants account for 15% of existing capacity, with that figure expected to rise to 25% in the next 20 years. In addition, 11% of hydroelectric capacity is located in water-stressed areas.
Furthermore, approximately 26% of existing hydropower dams and 23% of planned dams are located in river basins with a medium to very high risk of water scarcity.
Because most countries are likely to experience more frequent or intense extreme weather, water, and climate events, which will have an impact on nuclear power plants, rely on water for cooling but are also frequently located in low-lying coastal areas, making them vulnerable to sea-level rise and weather-related flooding.
“For example, the Turkey Point nuclear plant in Florida (United States of America), which
sits right at sea level, will be threatened in the coming decades. In January 2022, massive power outages caused by a historic heatwave in Buenos Aires, Argentina affected around 700 000 people.
“In November 2020, freezing rain coated power lines in the Far East of the Russian Federation, leaving hundreds of thousands of homes without electricity for several days. Despite these risks, energy security is a low priority for adaptation.”
According to the report, only 40% of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) submitted by Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) prioritize adaptation in the energy sector, and this lack of recognition has resulted in a lack of demand and finance. Climate adaptation investments in the energy sector remain extremely low, totalling just over $300 million per year in 2019-2020.
Contribution of renewable energy to a sustainable future
“All countries should be making a concerted effort to transition to low-carbon energy. The energy sector is the largest source of GHG emissions, accounting for almost three-quarters of global emissions. In 2020, CO2 concentrations reached 149% of pre-industrial levels. Supply from low-emissions sources needs to double by 2030 if the world is to reach net zero by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA),” it said.
According to the new report, the total energy supply will fall by between 7% and 50% (up to 65%). According to the IEA, low-emission energy sources will account for 16 per cent of the total energy supply by 2030, representing a significant increase from the current level of around 25%.
“A transition to renewable energy, therefore, constitutes an essential contribution to alleviating growing global water stresses.”
According to the report, current pledges made by countries fall far short of what is required to meet the Paris Agreement’s objectives of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, leaving a 70% gap in the amount of emissions reductions required by 2030.
It also stated that the 3.7 TW from renewables pledged in the 56% of NDCs with quantified renewable power targets in 2030, if implemented, would be less than half of what is required to keep the 2 °C goal alive. To meet the Paris Agreement’s long-term global temperature goal, 7.1 TW of clean energy capacity must be installed by 2030.
According to the World Bank, the necessary policies and regulations to enable decarbonisation in the energy sector remain particularly weak in Africa, South America, and Asia. And there is particularly low recognition of the need for services to support renewable energy – only 6% of NDCs mention climate services for energy mitigation.
Weather, water and climate services are crucial for energy security to achieve net zero
“Climate services are needed to ensure the resilience of energy systems to climate-related shocks and to inform measures to increase energy efficiency. Risk assessments addressing planning and early warning of adverse events affecting energy supply and demand can help populations to anticipate, absorb, accommodate and recover from adverse impacts.
For example, early weather warnings can safeguard energy supply in Beijing (China), climate stress tests can ensure effective electricity distribution in the Dolomites region of Italy, and severe weather warnings can protect offshore wind power production in China.
“Climate services are also essential for renewable energy, including for site selection, resource assessment and financing; operations, maintenance and management of energy systems; electricity integration into the grid; and impact assessment of energy systems.”
The 2008 Beijing Olympics provided iconic moments in abundance. From Usain Bolt’s dominant showing in track and field to Michael Phelps swimming into the history books to the Redeem Team re-establishing the United States as the premier country in men’s basketball. In the midst of all of that, Spain’s Pau Gasol was helping lead the Spanish national team to the gold medal final, where it ultimately fell short to the United States but he cherishes the history that was made between two teams playing in one of the great international basketball games of all-time.
“You feel like it was special,” said Gasol. “Put everything aside, you’re playing in the Olympics, you’re playing in the final for the gold medal, and you know you’re facing a great team. A team that was there on a mission.”
Gasol was one of several interviewees on the new documentary The Redeem Team, speaking from the perspective of an opponent and close friend of the late great Kobe Bryant. One of the most compelling scenes of the doc included an anecdote detailing Kobe’s intensity on the court.
Gasol and Kobe’s relationship went far beyond basketball but when on the court as opponents, that all went out the window. Gasol sat down with Complex to detail the 2008 gold medal final against the Redeem Team, his relationship with Kobe Bryant and what it will mean to have his jersey retired by the Los Angeles Lakers this coming season.
Matches of Kassena Nankana FC in Zone 1A of the Access Bank Division One League have been rescheduled by the Ghana Football Association (GFA).This is as a result of an unfortunate armed robbery attack suffered by the club last weekend on their way to WA.
Below is a statement from the GFA:
“The Ghana Football Association has rescheduled matches of Kassena Nankana FC in Zone 1A of the Access Bank Division One League.”
“The matches include their Matchday Two fixture against Wa Suntaa FC and this weekend’s Matchday three tie against Kumbungu Binbiem FC that was originally scheduled for Saturday, October 15, 2022.
“This follows an unfortunate armed robbery attack suffered by the club over the weekend on their way to WA for a League match and its traumatic effect on the players and staff of the club.”As a result, their Matchday 2 fixture against Wa Suntaa FC has been rescheduled for Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at the Malik Jabir Park while the Match Day three fixture remained postponed.”
The Clean Cooking Forum 2022 was held in Accra, Ghana, from October 11–13. It was organized by the Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) and the Ghanaian government.
The Forum is the largest gathering of investors, CEOs, government representatives, researchers, and campaigners aiming to increase access to clean cooking in the world, drawing more than 600 participants from more than 50 nations.
“The Clean Cooking Forum is a chance to highlight Ghana’s leadership on the subject of renewable cooking and urge stakeholders around the world to take more action toward a just and inclusive clean energy transition,” said the organizer of the event.
Rebecca Akufo-Addo, First Lady of The Republic of Ghana said “it will be impossible to meet global climate goals, achieve a just clean energy transition, protect our environment, achieve gender equality and provide a future for the next generation, without changing the way people cook.
Around three out of four Ghanaians depend on polluting fuels such as charcoal, wood, and kerosene to cook their meals. Cooking this way leads to thousands of premature deaths in Ghana each year, while also polluting the air and causing widespread forest degradation.
“We must think of clean cooking as an issue that cuts across many other socio-economic concerns, and therefore requires the attention of many different ministries, as well as investors and development partners, if we are to reach universal access,” said the Second Lady of Ghana and CCA Champion, Hajia Samira Bawumia.
“This Forum is an important sign of how Ghana is prioritizing clean cooking efforts even more in the years ahead – not just at home, but across West Africa and at a global level”, she explained.
Traditionally a biennial event, the 2022 Forum was delayed by one year due to risks of COVID-19.
Taking place less than a month before COP27 in Egypt, and with the 2030 target date of the Sustainable Development Goals quickly approaching, the Forum is poised to be a crucial catalyst for progress toward global energy, health, gender, and climate goals.
Across high-level plenaries and more than 20 curated breakout sessions, attendees engaged on topics such as financing and investment, technology and business innovation, climate funding and results-based financing, national policymaking that supports market growth, youth and women’s empowerment, and much more.
The Forum also featured a musical performance from two-time Grammy nominated artist Rocky Dawuni, a native of Ghana and a longtime Champion of the Clean Cooking Alliance. In addition, the Forum’s convening power will facilitate a wide selection of side events hosted by CCA and partners, as well as a “Ghana Day” focusing on the state of the country’s clean cooking sector.
CCA commended the African Development Bank, Global Affairs Canada, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, the United Nations Capital Development Fund, World Bank ESMAP, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Endev, the European Commission, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sustainable Energy for All, Modern Energy Cooking Services, UK AID, BIX Capital, the African Guarantee Fund, and the Africa-Europe Foundation.
Eric André has filed a lawsuit against Clayton County over police’s “program of racial profiling and coercive stops” at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
As previously reported, André went public last year with what he described as a racial profiling incident at the Georgia airport, ultimately hitting Jimmy Kimmel Live to detail the harassment. Per André, a statement from Clayton County police about the incident was “full of misinformation,” including their assertion that the incident amounted to a “consensual encounter.”
At one point during the resulting interrogation, André said, police asked him if he was “transporting crystal meth to Los Angeles.”
In a press release issued on Tuesday, the Policing Project at NYU School of Law announced that André and fellow comedian Clayton English, who is said to have been targeted in a similar manner while traveling to Los Angeles in 2020, have filed a lawsuit in which it’s argued that these police tactics are not constitutional.
In the filing, dated Oct. 11, the legal team behind the suit (including pro bono counsel from Jones Day and Lawrence & Bundy) notes that the program being utilized by the Clayton County Police Department and investigators from the Clayton County District Attorney’s Office doesn’t hold up to scrutiny of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment variety.
More specifically, the suit states, police records show that officers have been choosing their targets in the airport stop program “based on race.” Defendants in the suit include Clayton County, CCPD chief Kevin Roberts, CCDAO investigator Michael Hooks, and multiple CCPD officers. The officers named in the filing include Aimee Branham, Tony Griffin, Kevin Campbell, and C. Smith.
“I was blocked in a jet bridge by two police officers who interrogated me about drugs,” André said Tuesday. “I didn’t see any other Black people boarding at the time. It’s hard to believe I was selected at ‘random’ for questioning. It was a humiliating and degrading experience.”
In May, André and Adult Swim announced the impending arrival of the sixth season (a.k.a. Season 666) of The Eric Andre Show. Confirmed guests for the 2023-premiering new season include Lil Yachty, Jon Hamm, Rico Nasty, Raven-Symoné, and more.
Metro Mass Transit Limited has described as unfair calls for its Managing Director to be removed because of unpaid salaries.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, George Asante, the company’s Head of Communications, urged striking workers to consider the company’s struggles.
Mr. Asante noted that fuel price increases have affected the revenue generation of the company, as an example.
The company is unable to increase fares to keep up with fares.
Metro Mass Transit has 187 buses, expected to generate enough revenue for 2,000 workers nationwide.
“The Managing Directors are not necessarily the problem. The Problem is about the challenges that the company is facing, and the challenge we are facing is the inadequacy of the buses,” Mr. Asante said.
He lamented further that the company also cannot mobilise enough for statutory payments.
“We have a gross salary wage bill of GH¢3.9 million. With the 187 buses we are running, we are not able to mobilise enough to pay these things and other overhead costs.”
Mr. Asante expressed hope that salary arrears would be settled by Friday.
Workers of Metro Mass Transit Limitedare embarking on a sit down in protest of what they call five years of incompetent administration by the management of the company.
Aside from the salary arrears, the striking workers said they had other grievances with the way the company was being run.
Award-winning rapper Kofi Kinaata has disclosed that he is using his music career to build a legacy.
Speaking in an interview with Daily Graphic, Kofi Kinaata spoke about his recent award at the EMY Awards Africa held at the Grand Arena of the Accra International conference center.
Kofi Kinaata was adjudged ‘Man of the Year Music’ which means a lot o him and he describes his win as a big deal.
“Winning Man of the Year Music at the EMY Africa Awards is a big deal considering the fact that the scheme is not a music award. It honors great achievers and to be part of these huge personalities is such a big deal for me. It honors great achievers and to be part of these huge personalities is such a big deal for me. It means I am doing something good”, the rapper said.
Kofi Kinaata further added that the award he received has challenged him to work harder and not be complacent with his work.
Sharing his initial dream as a young man growing up, Kofi Kinaata disclosed that he wanted to be a footballer but he is currently content that he is doing music instead and doing everything to produce good music.
“I just don’t release songs because I want to but because I want my works to make that impact and I am glad I have been able to do so till now. I am very grateful that both the young and the old enjoy my songs.
“When coming out with a song, I always want to touch on a topic. For instance with Confession, I was only trying to raise awareness of the consequences of drunk driving but it turned out to be one of the biggest songs in Ghana and beyond.
“I don’t release songs with the expectation that they will be a hit but they all turn out to be successful. When you check the kind of songs I do, they shouldn’t even be hit songs because they are not danceable ones but to my surprise, they always top the charts” he added.
“I don’t believe in creating controversial stuff to hype a song even though I am not against it, I prefer to rather do a quality song and let it do the talking for me.
Contrary to the building regulations, many Ghanaian contractors seldom ever submit their construction materials for testing by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA).
Testing of building and road construction materials is required by the building code.
Local contractors do not voluntarily do this, according to Genevieve Baah Mante, head of the GSA’s Material Science Department, who revealed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tema.
Contrarily, she added, “international businesses frequently come to the GSA for evaluating the specifications of their building materials, such as water, concrete mixtures, sand, and iron rods, aggregate for road construction, and thermoplastic marking paint, among others.
Madam Mante explained that “the GSA has developed a building code that gives specifications for different products for the construction of buildings, and roads, but we have observed that mostly it is the foreign companies that bring their products there for checking.”
She stated for example that foreign contractors of a lot of the buildings at the airport area, and the motorway interchange construction tested the materials and even the water used for the projects.
She said more awareness must be created among the local contractors while urging the district assemblies to make it a requirement for the issuance of building permits.
Giving the benefit of testing building materials, she indicated that the land that the building would be put on must be tested because if it contained a lot of organic matter the buildings would have problems.
“The water that you use to mix the concrete if it contains a lot of salt and other materials, it will not help you to get the kind of binding property of the concrete that you need to have for a consistent product,” she said.
Madam Mante observed that roads and buildings that could not last for their expected life span could be attributed to the lack of testing of the materials.
She explained that the GSA is legally mandated to undertake national standards development and dissemination, testing services, inspection activities, product certification scheme, calibration, verification, and inspection of weights, measures, and weighing and measuring instruments.
The Authority also undertakes pattern approval of new weighing and measuring instruments, destination inspection of imported high-risk goods, and promoting quality management systems in the industry.
She emphasized that the services rendered by GSA were essential for economic growth, stressing that, “this is because standards bring technological, economic and societal benefits.
“It helps to harmonize technical specifications of products and services making the industry more efficient and breaking down barriers to international trade as conformity to standards helps reassure consumers that products are safe, efficient and good for the environment”.
For business organizations, Madam Mante said standards are strategic tools and guidelines to help companies tackle some of the most demanding challenges of modern business.
“Standards ensure that business operations are as efficient as possible, increase productivity and help companies and institutions to access new markets,” she said.
Netflix’s biographical serial killer drama Dahmer: Monster – The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is now the streamer’s second most-watched series ever, Deadline reports
The Ryan Murphy-produced show pulled in another huge week in terms of hours watched, putting it just behind the fourth season of Stranger Things on Netflix’s all-time list. In its third week of availability, Dahmer brought in 205.33 million hours viewed, bringing its total to 701.37 million hours viewed. Stranger Things 4, meanwhile, brought in a total of 1.35 billion hours viewed in its first month on Netflix.
Starring Evan Peters as the infamous Wisconsin serial killer, who was convicted in 1992 of 15 of the 16 murders he committed in his home state, the show has proved massively popular but also controversial. The mother of Tony Hughes, one of Dahmer’s victims, recently criticized the show for its exploitative approach to Dahmer’s murders.
“I don’t see how they can do that,” Shirley Hughes told The Guardian. “I don’t see how they can use our names and put stuff out like that out there.” She also noted that her son’s murder at the hands of Dahmer in 1991 “didn’t happen” the same way it was depicted in the show.
Nationally Determined Contribution, is a climate action plan to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts.
According to the latest World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report, a lack of recognition has resulted in a lack of demand and finance.
Climate adaptation investments in the energy sector continue to be extremely low, totaling slightly more than $300 million per year in 2019-2020.
The current pledges made by countries, according to the report, fall far short of what is required to meet the Paris Agreement’s objectives of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, leaving a 70% gap in the amount of emissions reductions required by 2030.
It also stated that the 3.7 TW pledged from renewables in the 56% of NDCs with quantified renewable power targets in 2030, if implemented, would be less than half of what is needed to keep the 2 °C goal alive. To meet the long-term global temperature goal set by the Paris Agreement, 7.1 TW of clean energy capacity must be installed by 2030.
According to the World Bank, the necessary policies and regulations to enable energy decarbonisation to remain particularly weak in Africa, South America, and Asia. Only 6% of NDCs mention climate services for energy mitigation.
The energy sector is the largest source of GHG emissions, accounting for nearly three quarters of global emissions, as countries have been urged to make a concerted effort to transition to low-carbon energy.
CO2 concentrations reached 149% of pre-industrial levels in 2020, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), and supply from low-emissions sources must double by 2030 if the world is to reach net zero by 2050. Total energy supply is expected to decline by 7% to 50% (up to 65%).
It also stated that the 3.7 TW pledged from renewables in the 56% of NDCs with quantified renewable power targets in 2030, if implemented, would be less than half of what is needed to keep the 2 °C goal alive. To meet the long-term global temperature goal set by the Paris Agreement, 7.1 TW of clean energy capacity must be installed by 2030.
According to the World Bank, the necessary policies and regulations to enable energy decarbonisation to remain particularly weak in Africa, South America, and Asia. Only 6% of NDCs mention climate services for energy mitigation.
The energy sector is the largest source of GHG emissions, accounting for nearly three quarters of global emissions, as countries have been urged to make a concerted effort to transition to low-carbon energy.
CO2 concentrations reached 149% of pre-industrial levels in 2020, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), and supply from low-emissions sources must double by 2030 if the world is to reach net zero by 2050. Total energy supply is expected to decline by 7% to 50% (up to 65%).
According to the IEA, low-emission energy sources will account for 16% of total energy supply by 2030, a significant increase from the current level of around 25%.
“A transition to renewable energy, therefore, constitutes an essential contribution to alleviating growing global water stresses.”
Because renewable energy systems are weather and climate dependent, the report calls for improved climate information and energy sector services.
“Climate services are needed to ensure the resilience of energy systems to climate-related shocks and to inform measures to increase energy efficiency. Risk assessments addressing planning and early warning of adverse events affecting energy supply and demand can help populations to anticipate, absorb, accommodate and recover from adverse impacts.
For example, early weather warnings can safeguard energy supply in Beijing (China), climate stress tests can ensure effective electricity distribution in the Dolomites region of Italy, and severe weather warnings can protect offshore wind power production in China.
Climate services are also essential for renewable energy, including for site selection, resource assessment and financing; operations, maintenance and management of energy systems; electricity integration into the grid; and impact assessment of energy systems.”
According to the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), a significant increase in annual energy investment from just over US$ 2 trillion globally to nearly US$ 5 trillion by 2030 is required for a radical transformation of the global energy system. Current levels of investment in renewable energy must also at least triple in order for the world to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
The majority of renewable energy investments in 2019-2020 were made in East Asia and the Pacific region (primarily in China and Japan), followed by Western Europe and North America (primarily in the United States and Canada).
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the CPI, developing and emerging economies continue to be underrepresented in terms of access to clean energy finance.
“Further, only two percent of such investment in the last two decades was made in Africa. International public financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy decreased in 2019 for the second year in a row, falling to US$ 10.9 billion. This level of support was 23% lower than the US$ 14.2 billion provided in 2018, 25% lower than the 2010–2019 average, and less than half of the peak of US$ 24.7 billion in 2017,” the report captured.
Africa currently accounts for less than three percent of global energy-related CO2 emissions and has the lowest emissions per capita of any region.
With increasing flows of climate finance, global ambitions for reducing emissions with declining clean technology costs hold new promise for Africa’s future. Achieving Africa’s energy and climate goals will require more than doubling energy investment this decade, as well as a significant increase in adaptation.
According to the World Meteorological Organization’s most recent report, African countries have the lowest percentage of modern renewable systems, accounting for only 7.6% of total energy consumption, and Africa has received only 2% of global investments in renewable energy over the last two decades. Nonetheless, the continent has enormous resource potential, especially for solar energy systems, but also for wind and hydropower.
The region also has enormous potential for solar energy system deployment: Africa has 60% of the world’s best solar resources but only 1% of installed photovoltaic (PV) capacity.
According to the IEA, providing access to modern energy for all Africans requires an annual investment of US$ 25 billion, or about 1% of global energy investment today.
According to the IEA’s Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE), by 2050, renewable energy will meet the majority of global electricity needs, with solar being the single largest source of supply in terms of installed capacity. African countries have the potential to be major market players.
Since 2019, WMO has published annual reports on the state of climate services in order to provide scientifically based information to aid in climate adaptation and mitigation.
This year’s WMO State of Climate Services report focuses on energy, a topic that continues to dominate discussion and debate because it affects every single community, business, sector, and economic sector around the world.
The report calls for more effective climate services to help create appealing market conditions, expand renewable energy infrastructure, and promote clean energy system efficiency and climate resilience.
The Women SME Innovation Programme – Digitalize for Jobs (D4J) will help about 400 women-led Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) fully utilize the potential of digitalization and better organize their business data.
Additionally, the program will provide the women with effective record-keeping and financial management techniques to ease their access to credit, increase their clientele and revenue, and create new goods and services.
At the program’s introduction, Mrs. Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), stated that SMEs are now essential to the growth, employment, and eradication of poverty in the nation.
The programme is supported by the special initiative on training and job creation, which operates under the brand ‘Invest for Jobs,’ an initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Implemented by GEA and supported by “Invest in Jobs”, the project sought to provide capacity-building to women-owned/led SMEs on different aspects of digitalization and how their companies can grow from its use and increase their process efficiency and competitiveness by providing access to knowledge, and digital tools.
The SMEs will also be trained to build their online visibility via company-owned websites and social media to reach more clients.
The CEO said the SMEs account for over 50 per cent of private output, nearly 70 per cent of employment, and 90 per cent of businesses in Ghana.
“Consequently, the importance of the SME sector and the role it plays in national development and economic transformation cannot be underestimated,” she added.
She said the Programme was a scale-up measure of the COVID-19 SME Innovation and Digitalisation Support Scheme, which helped 500 SMEs to ensure business continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby sustaining 6,750 jobs.
Mrs Yankey-Aryeh said SMEs, with a focus on those that were women-owned/led, were faced with challenges that compromised their ability to function effectively and to contribute to the economy.
He said over the years, GEA had encouraged SMEs, especially women-owned to adopt digital methods to augment business growth and competitiveness.
“So far more than 11 million dollars have been utilized to train or support over 10,000 Women Entrepreneurs,” she said.
Mr John Duti, Team Leader of Invest for Jobs at GIZ Ghana, said if SMEs were to remain competitive in the global world, they have no choice but to digitalise.
He said focusing on women-owned and led enterprises represented an opportunity to reduce the digital gender gap, which brings social and economic benefits for the whole country given the significant role of women and their enterprises in Ghana’s socio-economic development.
“Female empowerment is a powerful tool to make everybody’s life richer and successful,” Mr Duti said.
He commended the entire GEA team which ensured the excellent delivery of the first phase and subsequently played a major role in securing the scale-up of our partnership.
He said digitalisation involved a lot of investments in modern software and hardware, as well as capacities in its applications and these costs involved indeed, could not be borne by most of the SMEs.
He expressed optimism that the programme would provide the tools and skills to benefit from digitalisation and harness SMEs’ potential for sustainable growth and job creation in the digital area.
Black Stars winger Abdul Fatawu Issahaku made his first-ever appearance in the UEFA Champions League for Sporting CP against Olympique Marseille on Wednesday evening.
The 18-year-old climbed off the bench in the 22nd minute to replace Japanese international Hidemasa Morita at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.
Marseille secured a 2-0 victory to boost their chances of qualification over nine-man Sporting CP after Ricardo Esgaio and Pedro Goncalves were handed red-card on 19th and 60th minute of the game.
Goals from Matteo Guendouzi and Alexis Sanchez ensured Marseille picked up the maximum points.
Issahaku has been struggling for regular playing time at Sporting CP since joining them from Ghanaian lower-tier side Steadfast FC in a transfer fee around the region of €1.20 million.
He has made only three league appearances, 22 minutes for Sporting CP this season so far.
Issahaku has been described by British news outlet, The Guardian as arguably the greatest African prospect of his generation and was named in the outlet’s “Next Generation 2021.
According to sources, a group of armed men went on rampage; destroying properties and attacking individuals.
This follows a statement from the Dompim-Pepesa Divisional Council that Nathaniel Dekyi, who is holding himself out as Nana Nyowah Panyin IV of Dompim Pepesa, is not a chief.
Mr. Nathaniel Dekyi, in an interview granted to Joy FM on Monday October 10, had alleged that the MP for Tarkwa-Nsuaem, the MCE for the same area, and the Western Regional Minister were hindering his efforts as the ‘Chief’ to end ‘galamsey’ in the area.
He claimed that these individuals were also engaging in illegal mining in the area.
However, the Dompim Pepesa Divisional Council in a statement on Monday, October 10 said the “Council wants to state unequivocally that Nathaniel Dekyi is not the Chief of Dompim Pepesa.”
“We entreat the media and the general public to disregard any interview by him as he is not and has never been the Chief of Dompim Pepesa,” Nana Nyarkefole III, Secretary to the Council stated.
Contrary to the allegations that the MP for the area and others were involved in ‘galamsey’ in the community, the Council said Nathaniel Dekyi is rather the individual involved in illegal mining as he has sold cocoa farms to illegal miners.
“The Council wishes to state on record that the said Nathaniel Dekyi is the Chief architect of illegal mining in Dompim Pepesa.
“Nathaniel Dekyi with his accomplices on video were caught discussing strategies as to how these illegal miners should operate in Dompim Pepesa. It is also part of his strategy to demoralize and thwart the effort of Hon. Mireku Duker, who has dedicated all his time and energy to fight the galamsey menace,” the Council noted in a statement.
Following the revelation by the Council, some youth in the community are alleged to have attacked the claimant, resulting in the injury of his bodyguard.
Again, two of his men were attacked at the local hospital. While one managed to escape, the other was left in critical condition.
Meanwhile, the Police have arrested three suspects in connection with the disturbances.
The suspects, Ibrahim Issah, Atanga Peter and Asonba Emmanuel are alleged to be among the group of people who went on rampage and inflicted machete wounds on the victim who is currently on admission receiving medical attention.
Odelia Ntiamoah, the chief executive of the SnB Group, has urged companies to establish a comprehensive strategy in order to enhance client experiences.
She claims that when the customer experience is prioritized across the board, income will be generated even in challenging economic conditions.
Speaking at the 2022 CPX Ghana Conference, she said that while most businesses consider money when delivering positive customer experiences, planning is perhaps the most crucial action to take.
She said “There are so many institutions that we have engaged in recent times then again coming back to the research and what we have seen is that they are not engaging their customers, it’s not money now it’s about strategy.
“So, for example, if these companies are sitting on digital platforms how are they engaging their customers within that space. Most of the time we have left that sort of engagement sitting with the CopiComs department. If the customer experience and the customer engagement are not left in one department but it becomes a holistic responsibility of the whole brand it will surprise you that our behaviours and how we decide to treat customers will bring us even the revenues in difficult times,” she noted.
Customer experience must be a wholistic responsibility of brands – Odelia Ntiamoah
Solomon Owusu, a member of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) media team, has lamented the high taxes, which he claims are progressively killing Ghanaian enterprises.
He claims that business owners are having trouble sleeping because their companies are fighting to survive and that too much taxation and the rising exchange rate are to blame.
His remark follows the closure of shops by merchants in the Kumasi Central Business District in protest of what they claim are onerous tax regulations that damage their companies.
The traders have vowed not to rescind their decision until the Government intervenes to address their concerns.
The traders have also been concerned with the strength of the cedi. The Ghana cedi has depreciated by 37.5% to the US dollar as of the end of September 2022 according to the Bank of Ghana.
Commenting on the development on Ghana Kasa show on Kasapa 102.5FM/Agoo TV Wednesday, Solomon Owusu who himself is a businessman urged the governent to step up its efforts at stabilizing the Cedis while reviewing aspects of the tax policy to address concerns of business persons.
“Taxes paid in this country are too much, and the exchange rate keeps increasing by the day and people are losing their capital. Businessmen and women are in great difficulty, where we find ourselves is very scary. No businessman is able to have a good sleep and because the policy rate increases, the loan repayment rate also increases. Business people are dying slowly, it is not funny, it’s very serious.”
“The country will see the effect of the action of the traders between December to February 2023. It takes some time before vessels arrive with imported items, so if we don’t encourage traders to import early, but import later, it will take about a month or two before the items will arrive in Ghana. So between that period when the items will arrive in Ghana, how are people going to survive,” he asked.
Nana Asiamah Hanson popular as Bulldog has sent out pieces of advice to his former artiste Charles Nii Armah Mensah aka Shatta Wale via a Facebook post.
Bulldog who referenced his advice to Shatta Wale in a video of Burna Boy and DJ Khalid having a ‘Chillaxing’ moment shared, advised the Dancehall king to have honour.
He again intimated that Shatta Wale will definitely reach the greatest mile in his career but it can be achieved only if he learns to honour those who honour him.
Bullgod further gave counsel that the ‘On God’ hitmaker must stop being bitter and thus start to be happy for everyone and also be content with all he has.
A Texas cop who was previously reported to have been fired after shooting a teen in a McDonald’s parking lot has now been charged.
Per a report from the Associated Press, 25-year-old James Brennand was still in custody as of Wednesday morning after turning himself in the prior evening. Brennand, who was fired last week, has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault by public servant.
Erik Contu, 17, was eating inside his car when Brennand (as seen in subsequently shared body cam video) approached and told him to exit. At the time, Brennand claimed, he believed the vehicle was the same one that had “evaded him” the night before. As the car is seen being driven away, the officer fires into the vehicle, hitting Cantu.
When reached for comment by Complex on Wednesday, an attorney for Contu’s family confirmed that the teen remained on life support.
“We have no comment to the former officer’s arrest at this time,” the family said. Our main priority is Erik’s recovery. Erik is still on life support and is non-responsive but his oxygen levels are showing an improvement. We are being patient and optimistic that better health is coming. Please continue to keep Erik in your thoughts and prayers.”
The San Antonio Police Department confirmed Brennand’s arrest when reached for comment. A rep also confirmed that detectives with SAPD’s homicide unit had filed the two aforementioned aggravated assault charges following a criminal investigation.
In a previously released statement following the announcement that Brennand’s employment had been terminated, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the officer’s actions “were not in accordance” with the expectations of the department.
“Swift action was taken by the chief to terminate the officer and I am relieved that this decision is final,” Nirenberg said at the time.
One of the workers’ leaders, Mohammed Abubakar, said that some of the workers had intended to revolt against the leadership for delaying the strike action and that they had no choice but to strike during Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm.
He claimed that the workers are dissatisfied with their pay, working conditions, and economic situation.
“People are angry and hungry,” he said.
Mr Abubakar stated that, despite the fact that it is October, majority of employees have not been paid for the month of August.
He revealed that for the “six years, salaries have not increased for Metro Mass workers. The cost of living is on the rise. The cost of goods and services are on strike, but we have not received any salary increase in six years.”
He said, “our vehicles are working, we are generating revenue, and yet, they have refused to pay us our salaries”.
According to reports, a debt restructuring scheme could potentially effect GH3.7 billion of the GH3.9 billion in Tier 2 pension contributions, or 94% of the total amount invested in government assets.
In an effort to make sure that its debt is manageable, Ghana has started having discussions about a potential debt restructuring scheme.
However, a debt restructuring will affect the returns on investments when the yield-to-maturity period is extended or a ‘haircut’ policy is implemented.
Debt restructuring simply means when a country or company reviews the terms and conditions of the payment of loans in order payment easier or more flexible.
A ‘haircut’ policy in debt restructuring, on the other hand, refers to when interest rates on outstanding debts are reduced.
From this narrative, in the case of Ghana, when debt restructuring happens, returns on Tier 2 pension contributions will reduce thereby affecting the maturities of the securities.
The Tier 2 contributions have been largely invested in government bonds due to their low-risk factor.
Meanwhile, a five-member committee has been constituted by the government to lead discussions with financial sector players on Ghana’s debt management.
The Finance Ministry noted that: “The Committee will be consultative and will among other things lead discussions with the financial services industry and other stakeholders to provide industry-wide inputs and transmit industry concerns on debt management strategy to the MoF and BoG.”
“The stability of the domestic financial ecosystem is critical to a successful IMF-supported economic programme. The Government will take all necessary steps to protect the sector as we have done in the past,” the statement said on October 11, 2022.
Consumers have been alerted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about two tainted sausage brands that are currently available.
The AIA Wudy and Pavo brands of sausages sold under the Agricola Tre Vali brand were recalled by Italian officials for allegedly having listeria bacteria, the authority claimed in a statement.
The FDA has also been monitoring the market, and Pavo Frankfurt sausages with November 2022 expiration dates have been discovered in Ho in the Volta Region.
People in possession of any of the brands are now required by the FDA to surrender them to any FDA office.
“The attention of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has been drawn to the recall of Agricola Tre Vali sausage products, namely, AIA Wudy and Pavo brands, by the Italian authorities due to the presence of Listeria bacteria in these sausages made from poultry meat.”
“So far, no AIA Wudy sausages have been found on our market. The FDA directs that anyone in possession of the above-mentioned products should immediately take them to either our Head Office or Regional Offices across the country.”
“The FDA wishes to assure the public that its surveillance teams continue to monitor the markets for any of the above-mentioned products”, excerpts of the statement further added.
The preliminary stage of the 2022/23 MTN FA Cup competition will kick start from Tuesday, November 1- 10, 2022 across the country.
After the opening stage of the knockout competition, the Round of 64 will be played from December 20-29, 2022 before the Round of 32 which has also been scheduled for January 20-23, 2023.
The competition is set to run through in February, April and May, 2023.
The grand finale of this season’s FA Cup competition will be staged on June 17, 2023 at a venue to be decided by the Ghana Football Association.
Below is the calendar for the 2022/23 MTN FA Cup match days:
Meanwhile, the 2022/23 Ghana Premier League has decided to put the betPawa Premier League on hold by the Football Association.
This follows a Motion on Notice for Injunction filed on Wednesday at the Human Rights High Court by AshantiGold SC and served on the GFA’s lawyers.
The Premier League was scheduled to enter match week four.
Indian health officials have ordered a maker of cough syrups to halt production after they were linked to the deaths of children in The Gambia.
Maiden Pharmaceuticals broke rules “across its manufacturing and testing activities,” Indian regulators found.
The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a global alert over four of Maiden’s cough syrups linked to the deaths of almost 70 children.
Investigations are currently under way in India and The Gambia.
Regulators said that they had suspended all manufacturing activities at the New Delhi-based firm after finding it had broken a number of safety rules.
This was “in view of the seriousness of the contraventions observed during the investigation and its potential risk to the quality, safety and efficacy of the drug being produced,” they added.
Maiden did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the BBC.
Last week, the company said it was “shocked to hear media reports regarding the deaths and deeply saddened by this incident”.
This came after the WHO issued a global alert over four of Maiden’s cough syrups, warning that they could be linked to acute kidney injuries and the children’s deaths in July, August and September.
The global health organisation also warned the products “may have been distributed, through informal markets, to other countries and regions” besides The Gambia.
The medicines were identified as Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup.
Police in The Gambia are investigating the deaths of the children, as Gambians demand justice.
In a preliminary report released on Tuesday, police in The Gambia said the cough syrups were imported to the West African country by a US-based company.
The report also said that the majority of the 50,000 bottles of the contaminated syrups that were imported into the country had now been seized.
The 2022 IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings are being attended by Ghana’s Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, who is also advancing talks with the IMF on a program to solve Ghana’s structural and macroeconomic problems.
The Finance Minister attended the 108th Meeting of Ministers and Governors of the Group of 24 on October 11, 2022, with the subject “Securing a Sustained Post-Pandemic Recovery” as part of the Annual Meetings Program.
The meeting provided a platform to discuss critical areas where the international community and international financial institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank Group could scale up their support for emerging economies.
This forum comes against the backdrop of a confluence of external shocks – in particular, the covid pandemic, the continuing consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war and deepening concern about the imminent impact of climate change.
“There is the need to put a spotlight on the economic consequences of climate change, particularly as it relates to developing countries who are the least contributors to climate change,” Mr Ofori-Atta told the G-24 Ministers and Governors meeting.
Climate change has wiped out a fifth of the wealth of climate-vulnerable countries over the last two decades alone, meaning that vulnerable countries have lost approximately US$525 billion because of global warming induced by human – or anthropogenic – activity, as opposed to the natural climate cycle.
“This has horrific effects on lives and livelihoods. The time to act is now.” Mr Ofori-Atta said.
Formal negotiations will continue after the Annual Meetings, between the Government of Ghana team, led by Mr Ofori-Atta; and the IMF team, led by the IMF Mission Chief, Stéphane Roudet.
The negotiations will prioritize the implementation of policies that create the conditions for a stable macroeconomic environment, sustainable growth and debt sustainability.
Mr Ofori-Atta told the G-24 to champion the rollout of more debt for climate swaps in order to address the dual crisis of climate change and rising debt in order to build economic resilience amongst climate-vulnerable countries.”
Debt for Climate (DFC) swaps enable countries to make external debt payments in local currency instead of a foreign one, to finance climate projects domestically on agreed terms. DFC swaps can reduce the level of indebtedness as well as free up fiscal resources to be spent on green investments.
UPDATED 10/12/22, 4:38 p.m. ET: Brandy has provided fans with an update on her condition by sharing a post to her Instagram Stories.
“To my beloved fam, friends, and starz thank you for sending me love and light my way,” Brandy wrote in the message. “I am following doctors’ orders and getting the rest I need due to dehydration and low amounts of nutrition. Thank you for your prayers and support. Grateful for you all, see you soon.”
See original story below.
Brandy has reportedly been hospitalized following a possible seizure.
According to TMZ, which cited law enforcement sources in its report on Wednesday, Brandy is currently recovering in a hospital after experiencing what’s believed to have been a seizure. At the time of the incident, which is said to have occurred around noon on Tuesday, Brandy was at home in the Los Angeles area.
As of Wednesday morning, Brandy’s parents were said to also still be at the hospital. Additional information wasn’t immediately made public.
Brandy, whose “Baby Mama” and “Borderline”-featuring B7 album arrived back in 2020, recently made headlines in connection with her brother Ray J’s Verzuz appearance. In an IG comment on a post from Ray J about his performance during the Omarion vs. Mario showdown, Brandy playfully suggested that her brother had ignored her advice.
The live draw for the preliminary round of the MTN FA Cup Competition has been scheduled for Tuesday, Qualified teams from the various regions and the Division One League Clubs will be zoned in groups for the live draw which will be held at the Conference room of the GFA Secretariat in Accra.Winners from the preliminary stage will advance to the Round of 64 which will see the topflight sides joining the competition.
The live draw will commence at 11am.
The preliminary stage of the 2022/23 MTN FA Cup competition will kick start from Tuesday, November 1- 10, 2022 across the country.After the opening stage of the knockout competition, the Round of 64 will be played from December 20-29, 2022 before the Round of 32 which has also been scheduled for January 20-23, 2023.
The competition is set to run through in February, April and May, 2023.
The grand finale of this season’s FA Cup competition will be staged on June 17, 2023 at a venue to be decided by the Ghana Football Association.
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has closed a few retail stores recently, including the Palace Mall and the China Mall.
Ghanaians have divided on this practice.
People impacted, including those who work at and patronize these malls, think the shutdown is needless.
However, other Ghanaians contend that if these organizations have indeed been dodging taxes and depriving the nation of much-needed funds for development, then the closure is long overdue.
Why the GRA closed these businesses is as follows:
What many Ghanaians do not know is that the closure of branches of Palace Mall and China Mall was because they failed to enrol on a Certified Invoicing System for the administration of Value Added Tax (VAT) in Ghana following the amendment of the VAT Act 870.
According to the Deputy Commissioner, Operations-DTRD, Kwesi Eghan, the Palace Mall and China Mall are part of 50 selected tax-paying companies that are supposed to be enrolled on the Certified Invoicing System.
He indicated that the deadline for enrolment on the system was October 12, 2022, and that only 25 out of the 50 entities have complied.
Kwesi Eghan also said 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.
“We want to improve compliance. We are more interested in collaboration than chaining 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.
Steve Hanke, a professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University, believes that Ghana’s economic issues won’t be resolved by a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement.
The economist mentioned Ghana’s national bond in a tweet on October 12 and noted that it has lost 50% of its value this year.
“While talk of a debt default swirls in Ghana, its sovereign bonds tank. They have depreciated over 50% this year. Now, Pres. Akufo-Addo passes the begging bowl to the IMF. SPOILER ALERT: like Ghana’s past 16 IMF programs, a new one will fail to fix Ghana’s problems,” Professor Hanke tweeted.
Ghana has since July this year been engaging IMF hoping to secure a US$3 billion deal which will be spread across a three-year duration.
Ahead of that, there are moves by the government to restructure debts of investors after the completion of a Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) by IMF.
A debt restructuring will result in a longer yield-to-maturity for government bonds and bills, or the implementation of the “haircut” strategy. Some investors’ returns on investments may be impacted by this.
Meanwhile, former President John Dramani Mahama in an interview on VOA’s Straight Talk Africa has called for an end to the country’s continuous resort to the International Monetary Fund whenever it is confronted with economic headwinds.
He said the “going and coming” to the IMF depleted people’s faith in the country’s democracy and it also created instability.
He mentioned that the current return to the IMF to achieve debt sustainability and policy credibility should mark the start of governments prudently running the economy.
“The economy is situated in an environment. It does not exist in isolation and so there are somethings that need to be done to create an environment for the economy to thrive. Some of them are governance issues, strengthening state-owned institutions, the fight against corruption and so many other things that create the environment for the economy to thrive.
“I think that when we go into this programme and we bring debts back to sustainable levels and we are able to get the bridging facility in other to achieve policy credibility so that investors again feel confident that they can bring back their money into Ghana, then we must start from there and maintain that prudence.
“This should be the last time we go to the IMF because going and coming, it creates a certain instability in the whole system and it also reduces the faith that people have in our democracy,” Mahama said.
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), wants authorities to end what it terms needless intimidation meted out to school heads who speak on challenges confronting their institutions.
GNAT says the intimidation is affecting teaching and learning in many Senior High Schools (SHS) across the country.
Speaking at the 60th Anniversary celebration of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Second Cycle Schools in Koforidua, the President of GNAT, Reverend Isaac Owusu said such practices must cease.
“When heads who are managers of the secondary schools want to speak on challenges, we see those in authorities attacking and intimidating them. The Minister is saying that, we should produce assertive students but the agony is we can not have tamed headteachers producing assertive students. We believe that, the era of intimidation is over.”
Recently, issues of food shortage, inadequate supply of teaching and learning materials and other challenges have hit second-cycle schools.
However, there have been concerns that school heads are being intimidated in order not to make public the operational difficulties facing the schools.
Some frustrated school heads who could not bear with the challenges and made comments in the media space were dealt with to prevent their colleagues from doing same.
80% of Canadian remote workers would prefer to look for a new job rather than be forced to return to their offices full time, according to a survey conducted by financial website HardBacon.
The survey asked Canadians who work from home or remotely how often they do so and how they would react if their employers forced them to return to the office for the entire work week.
One of the main reasons why most Canadians wouldn’t consider a full return to in-person workspaces is due to financial constraints. The estimated cost for an employee returning to the office full time equates to nearly $6800 in travel expenses including gas and public transportation.
The survey notes inflation as another reason why Canadians prefer to stay home. Gas prices rose from $1.41/L to $1.75/L between April 2021 and April 2022. The cost of food in that same time period rose 9.7%. With the cost of living getting more expensive and salaries stagnating, workers are becoming more concerned about their financial situations.
The survey adds that both men and women want a significant pay increase if that means they must return to the office more full time. Men wanted an approximately 29% increase while women asked for 25% more.
Since the beginning of 2021, 32% of Canadian employees ages 15 to 69 worked the majority of their weeks from home. Comparatively, this number was only at 4% in 2016.
He said that Akufo-Addo had given the economy to Databank, a private finance company co-founded by the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, during a panel debate on TV3 last week.
He named four people associated with the group in his explanation of the overall impact Databank officials had on the economy, saying how their deliberate placement in various economic sectors showed a “capture” of the industry.
He cited Ofori Atta himself as Finance Minister, his Databank co-founder Keli Gadzekpo, a one-time board chairman of the Bank of Ghana now board chair of the Electricity Company of Ghana; Rev. Daniel Obgarmey Tetteh, the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC and Yoofi Grant of the Ghana Investment Promotions Center, GIPC – all of whom are linked to Databank.
“They are meddling with the finances of this country… so if you take this sector and just give it out to Databank, President, something is wrong. If no one is telling you, you should know, you should see it.
“If these men pushed us into a ditch, they are incapable of pulling us out because their legs are wobbly,” he stressed.
In his view, the fact that the economy has been suffering distress and for the President to keep the Finance Minister who plunged the country into that mess, shows that he is insensitive to the plight of the citizenry.
With respect to the economic downturn, he submitted: “The major problem we have in this country is President Akufo-Addo, who thinks that the mindset that took us into this problem is capable of lifting us out of the problem.”
Analysts and politicians alike have been calling for government to take pragmatic steps to deal with the current economic downturn.
Rising cost of living, galloping inflation and a rapidly depreciating Ghana Cedi are some of the main pointers to the economic crisis that Ghanaians are putting up with.
The government is in talks with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, for a reported US$3 billion rescue facility to help stabilize the economy and reset it on the path of growth.
Government has partly blamed the Russia-Ukraine war and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic for the headwinds, insisting that all was being done to stem the tide.
Shatta Movement boss, singer and record producer Shatta Wale has finally revealed why he was absent from the 2022 Party in the Park held in the United Kingdom.
According to the singer and record producer, he had a misunderstanding with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the event organiser, Akwaaba Group, Dennis Tawiah.
Shatta Wale had expressed desire to be the sole performer for the event to highlight his Gift of God (GoG) album.
Mr Tawiah had not granted the request.
“I was in America, and I called Dennis and told him that they’ve done Party in the Park for the past years, but they haven’t done any special edition. So I’m about to launch my Gift of God (GOG) album, and I want you guys to make a special edition for me,” the SM boss said.
“This year’s Party in the Park should be Shatta Wale alone. Yes, me alone as the only musician,” Shatta Wale proposed.
In his interview with Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana, he also disclosed he had also mentioned to Akwaaba Group CEO that his performance was going to be free of charge.
“I told him that this show that we are about to organise, I want him to take all the proceeds. I don’t need money. But just organise this thing for me so well so I can come with my team and perform,” the ‘On God’ hitmaker said.
Shatta Wale was later disappointed to see the official flyer for the event advertising other artistes to perform with him.
Since that went contrary to his proposed plan, he says he decided to charge a performance fee of GBP 100,000.
“The day I was supposed to fly, I told him, Dennis, if you want me to come, then you have to give me £100,000,” he explained.
The country should no longer continually turn to the International Monetary Fund whenever it experiences economic difficulties, according to former president John Dramani Mahama.
He claimed that the country’s citizens no longer had confidence in its democracy and that instability was a result of the “going and coming” to the IMF.
In an interview with VOA’s Straight Talk Africa program, Mahama said that the current return to the IMF has been prompted by two problems, namely excessive borrowing and revenue outpacing expenditure.
He opined that the onus now lies on the country to particularly bring debt to sustainable levels and also achieve fiscal consolidation.
“This government has twin problems. One is macroeconomic instability because expenditures far exceed revenues. Revenues are not performing properly. The second thing is also that they went on a borrowing spree and they have pushed our debts to levels that are unsustainable.
“Just recently the World Bank came and said we had almost 104 of debt to GDP and so we have twin problems. One to achieve fiscal consolidation and two, to bring debts back to sustainable levels. So that is what they are faced with,” he submitted.
Mahama intimated that issues such as the fight against corruption and strengthening of state-owned institution ought to be addressed in order for the economy to thrive.
“The economy is situated in an environment. It does not exist in isolation and so there are somethings that need to be done to create an environment for the economy to thrive. Some of them are governance issues, strengthening state-owned institutions, the fight against corruption and so many other things that create the environment for the economy to thrive.
“I think that when we go into this programme and we bring debts back to sustainable levels and we are able to get the bridging facility in other to achieve policy credibility so that investors again feel confident that they can bring back their money into Ghana, then we must start from there and maintain that prudence. This should be the last time we go to the IMF because going and coming, it creates a certain instability in the whole system and it also reduces the faith that people have in our democracy,” Mahama said.
Ghana initiated contacts with the IMF in July after the economy experienced a downturn. The move was occasioned by downgrades of the economy by rating agencies such as Fitch, Standard and Poor and Moody’s which prevented the country from accessing the international capital market.
Ghana with its move is looking for a US$3 billion programme over a 3-year period. The government has expressed confidence that the programme will help return the country onto a path of progress.
Frank James, the suspected NYC subway shooter, was revealed on Wednesday to have refused to appear before a federal court.
According to reports from WABC-TV and Courthouse News, New York judge William Kuntz responded to this refusal to appear by ordering the intervention of U.S. Marshals agents.
“Upon the defendant’s refusal to appear before the court when requested in connection with the above-captioned case, it is hereby ordered that the United States Marshals Service, their agents, and/or designees, use all necessary force to produce the above-named defendant … before this court,” Kuntz said in an order signed on Wednesday.
Accused Brooklyn subway shooter Frank James is refusing to come to court for a hearing this afternoon. Judge Kuntz just ordered U.S. Marshals to “use all necessary force” to get him there @CourthouseNewspic.twitter.com/51Bfwzeph5
In April, James was hit with charges including conducting a violent attack on a mass transit vehicle. 29 passengers were injured during the attack, 10 of which were wounded by gunfire. Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said at the time that James had “committed a heinous and premeditated attack on ordinary New Yorkers during their morning subway commute.”
As previously reported, James—who’s facing the potential of being sentenced to life in prison if convicted as charged—pleaded not guilty the following month.
When addressing the shooting during a speech one day after the attack, President Joe Biden expressed gratitude for those who were quick to help out others at the scene.
“We’re grateful for all the first responders who jumped into action, including civilians who didn’t hesitate to help their fellow passengers,” Biden said at the time.
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) is spearheading efforts to put a legal ceiling on the amount of national debt that the Ghanaian Treasury can acquire and is enlisting the help of key stakeholders to see it through.
The public policy think-tank is looking for a tool that will impose and firmly enforce a ceiling of 5% of GDP on the fiscal deficit as well as a 5% cap on the prior year’s revenue of the Bank of Ghana’s fiscal support to government, contending that both parts have substantial debt consequences.
“The IEA is spearheading the passage of legislation to cap government’s borrowing. That is the only way to avoid reckless borrowing and uncontrollable indebtedness.
“The Institute calls on key stakeholders – including Parliament, Bank of Ghana, TUC and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) – to support the process,” stated its Director of Research, Dr. John Kwakye.
The Institute also disclosed in a communique on the matter that it has, as part of the CSO Economic Governance Platform – to which it belongs, made this suggestion to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) team to consider as part of negotiations with economic managers of the country in regard to a possible programme.
The moves come after successive recommendations by the IEA on the subject as concerns over national public debt began to mount, especially in the last 18 months.
In the commentary of its expectations ahead of the 2022 Budget presentation, the Institute called for the imposition of a cap that could be incorporated into the Parliamentary Appropriations Act – which approves government’s annual total spending; or have it introduced as a rule in the Fiscal Responsibility Act in addition to the existing deficit rule, over concerns that the borrowing mandated to fund budget deficits seems to be invariably breached with impunity.
According to the IEA: “It is necessary to tie the hands of the finance minister and insist that any additional borrowing by him, beyond the budget estimates or the new ceiling, should be subject to approval from parliament, just as pertains in the United States.
This is the only way to rein in our debt and keep it at a sustainable level on a durable basis so as to avoid debt service – which currently absorbs over 40 percent of tax revenue – from overwhelming the budget”.
Apprehension over the public debt stock – which stood at GH¢402.4billion at the end of July this year – appears to be reaching a crescendo, as the World Bank is projecting the country to end the year with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 104.6 percent; 1.5x the prudential 70 percent threshold for a lower-middle-income country, as energy and financial sector debts have come into play.
This has heightened investor unease as threats of significant debt restructuring continue to loom, with the BoG Governor Dr. Ernest Addison recently offering tacit support for conversation around the debt-cap.
Despite welcoming the conversation, Dean of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) Business School, Professor John Gatsi, said the failure of fiscal authorities to adhere to generally agreed-upon limits gives cause for worry.
“It is a welcome idea, and we can have conversations about what format will best apply to us considering our circumstances as we attempt to ensure that we are fiscally disciplined.
“But we already have a form of debt-ceiling in place, and that is what is guided by the debt sustainability ratio of 70 percent of GDP for a country such as ours; and that in itself is a ceiling that should guide the country in its borrowing,” he said.
The economist expressed reservations over parliament’s willingness to ensure enforcement even if the law is expedited.
“The effectiveness will depend on parliament – because there have been times when parliament, having the powers as an oversight body, could have dealt with those responsible for fiscal management of the country; but we have not seen any action from parliament,” he added, citing the Legislature’s failure to act after the fiscal responsibility threshold was breached one year after it received legal backing.
American rap star and entrepreneur Meek Mill has had a dream come true as he has been announced a headliner for this year’s Afro Nation event in Accra, Ghana.
The 2022 Afro Nation is happening on 29 and 30 December 2022, at the Marine Drive, Black Star Square, Accra.
In May 2020, Meek Mill tweeted he wanted to go to Ghana but only after some unspecified things had been resolved.
Christmas Day in 2020, when speculations were rife that Meek was coming to Ghana, he cleared the air on Twitter by saying: “[I] didn’t say that yet. Lol.”
In a 2021 tweet, the rapper contemplated: “Like Ghana or London?”
In January 2022, he again tweeted that: “I need to go to Dubai and Africa.”
Today, October 12, 2022, Afro Nation announced Robert Rihmeek Williams, alias Meek Mill, will be headlining the music festival alongside Davido and P-Square. Another addition to the bill is new Afrobeats sensation Asake.
Rapper Mill is, at the time of this publication, trending on Twitter following the Afro Nation announcement.
In the past, he has revealed intentions to acquire real estate in Ghana.
On December 26, 2020, Meek Mill declared on Twitter he wants “to buy a property in Ghana.” He stated also that he wants “a nice house,” and “I need to feel that experience with my family as another option in life! I don’t wanna dedicate my whole life to the American lifestyle I’ve been living. The odds are too stacked against us it feels like!”
“In Africa, I don’t wanna get in politics. I wanna do a few shows and not conflict it’s enough money for everyone. I need to get to Africa!” the ‘Litty’ hitmaker announced on Monday, October 3, 2022.
The victims, who were trafficked from the Ada East District to Ekye-Amanfrom in the Afram Plains, Akosombo, Akate, and Kpetoi (lsland) for exploitation on the Volta Lake, have now been reunited with their families.
The rescue operations were carried out by Engage Now Africa (EMS), a non-governmental organization in collaboration with the Ada East District Ghana Police Service, the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
Mr. Afasi Komla, Director of End Modern Slavery (EMS) disclosed to the media after the rescuing and reintegration ceremony that they acted very fast in rescuing the victims upon a tip-off they received last three weeks.
According to information received from the good Samaritan, out of the 25 children from the communities that were engaged in child labor, five of them were involved in other activities.
Mr. Afasi, defines Child Labour as work that is mentally, physically, socially, or morally dangerous and harmful to children; and that interfere with their schooling by depriving them of school, either by obliging them to leave school prematurely or by requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with an excessive load of heavy work.
He said his outfit has provided the 25 victims with their educational needs, health needs and also given their parents sustainable livelihood support so that they can be able to take good care of their wards.
He advised the general public to understand that children are meant to learn and not to earn.
According to her, government can not do everything, hence the need for parents to protect themselves and their children.
She said planning on the number of children one should give birth to is the surest way to prevent human trafficking issues.
She indicated that government is also part of childbearing which is why they build schools, hospitals, etc to ensure that everyone can get access to his/her basic needs.
Mrs. Hammond-Agyeman advised the victim’s parents not to misuse the monies given to them but rather they should take good care of it and use it for the intended purpose.
Representative of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) urged the victim’s parents not to let their children do tedious works because such requests from them are against the law.
Additional, 29 victims have been identified and work is ongoing to rescue them.
