TIG Post

Author: Chris Kodo

  • Link between raw materials and industrial pursuit must be established – NDPC

    The National Development Planning Commission’s (NDPC) Director General, Kodjo Esseim Mensah-Abrampa, has emphasized the necessity of increasing the country’s raw material supply to meet its processing and industrial needs.

    The nation’s raw minerals, he claimed, were connected by a protracted chain of activities that had not been exploited for processing, industrial growth, and exports.

    While speaking on the topic of “Promoting Local Economic Development for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)” at the Eastern, Volta, and Oti branch of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) 2022 Regional Annual General Meeting in Worawora, Dr. Mensah-Abrampa made the call.

    The Director General said the high quantum of exports leads to inability of industrial activities to expand and create

    “Investors must be able to identify the raw materials and invest along the chain, assuring them of ready market internally and externally,” Dr Mensah-Abrampa said.

    Dr Mensah-Abrampa said chains of primary products including tourism, agriculture and lumbering could only become economically viable when they were developed and the full chain including processing and improving upon them were also stretched.

    That, he said, would require a horde of collectors who gather products from small and medium entrepreneurs for processing instead of them to be looking for a market to sell their products outside the country.

    Dr Mensah-Abrampa identified the Oti Region as having a lot of natural resources and stressed the need for the development of the ownership chain where the local people owned their potential and then called in for outside investors.

    Madam Patience Ableze Acorlor, Director, Tema Export Processing Zone (TEPZ) Admin. Office, Ghana Free Zones Authority, said they had heard of the opportunities in the Oti Region and would strategise and market the potentials properly to attract investors.

    She said they could get investors to invest in the region if the investors could be assured of the supply of raw materials.

    Mr Dela Gadzanku, Regional Chairman, Eastern, Volta and Oti, said the AfCFTA was a powerful instrument at our disposal that offered the greatest opportunities for collaborative partnership between public and private actors to unleash the highest dividends for both players.

    He said a major strategy was to dissolve potential barriers that hindered the effective public-private partnership and fast-track processes that improved performance in both sub-sectors.

  • BoG committed to financial inclusion agenda – First Deputy Governor

    The Bank of Ghana has engaged players in the financial space to address possible threats to the sector in order to achieve a sound and safe financial system.

    To this end, the Central Bank, says it is committed in ensuring that its financial inclusion agenda is achieved in no time.

    Speaking at the maiden edition of the Regulatory Sandbox Engagement Forum held in Accra on Wednesday, on behalf of the first Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Maxwell Opoku Afari, Head of FinTech and Innovation Office, Kwame Oppong, underscored the importance of such engagements with financial sector players.

    He said digital financial services was promoting financial inclusion and bring the unserved and underserved segment of the society in the financial system.

    “Ghana’s recent remarkable performance in financial inclusion from 58 per cent in 2017 to 68 per cent in 2021 as reported in the 2021 Global Findex has been largely facilitated by digital financial service,” he said.

    The forum, sought to elicit the views of the players in the aforementioned sector in the implementation of the BoG Regulatory Sandbox.

    BoG recently introduced the Regulatory Sandbox to create an enabling environment for innovators to test innovative financial products, services and business models in a controlled but live environment under the supervision of the Bank.

    Dr Afari said the emergence of new technology had fuelled the digitalisation drive in the Ghanaian financial services industry with tremendous impact on efficiency and convenience.

    He said to meet the changing needs of customers as well as address the challenges of the industry called for pragmatic and innovative solutions that confront the status quo.

    “I must state that innovation and retooling of regulatory framework are not new to the Bank of Ghana. In fact, the bank has been at the forefront of innovation in the financial service industry for decades,” the First Deputy Governor, stated.

    Dr Afari said the passage of the Payment Systems Act 2003(Act 662) in 2003, which had culminated in the establishment of the Ghana Inter-bank Payment and Settlement System infrastructure and the promotion of electronic payments laid a strong foundation for digital financial service in Ghana.

    “Since then, many more innovations and corresponding enabling regulatory regime have been provided, of which Act 987 is the most recent. Clearly, these and many commitments, including the regulatory sandbox are evidence of the Bank’s response to the prevailing industry dynamics and encourage stakeholders to take advantage of the opportunities Bank of Ghana has presented to inject some dynamism into their offerings through innovation,” he said.

    He said the adoption of responsible innovation presented Fintechs opportunity to attract investments to expand and finance their business operations.

    The First Deputy Governor stressed that the stakeholders’ engagement forum presented an opportunity to have an ongoing collaboration with industry to explore different perspectives and to work towards a common goal.

    Dr Afari pledged that as a regulator of financial service, BoG maintained the highest level of confidentiality and secrecy, and would not expose the ideas of the Fintechs participating in the bank’s Regulatory Sandbox, to third parties.

    The representatives of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, Technology Chamber, Ghana Microfinance Institutions Network, Ghana Association of Savings and Loans Companies, in their remarks commended BoG for the implementation of the Regulatory Sandbox to nurture new ideas.

    They also lauded the BoG for the forum to engage the players in the banking, fiancé and Fintech sectors to discuss ideas on how to move the sector forward.

    Source:ghanaiantimes.com

  • Bawumia has been a disaster as head of economic management team – Felix Kwakye Ofosu

    A former Deputy Information Minister in the Mahama era says the Vice President has been a “disaster” as the head of the economic management team.

    Felix Kwakye Ofosu said Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s role in leading the economic management team has been a ‘”waste of time”.

    The aspiring MP’s comment is in reaction to a recent downgrade by credit rating agency, Moody’s, to junk status.

    “Moody’s downgrades Ghana again. This time to Caa2.

    “Bawumia has been an unmitigated disaster and a complete waste of time as head of the Economic Management Team”, he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

    Earlier this week, rating agency, Moody’s, downgraded Ghana’s long-term issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings to CAA2 from CAA1 and placed the ratings on review for downgrade.

    The rating downgrade to CAA2, it said, reflects the recent macroeconomic deterioration, further heightening the government’s liquidity and debt sustainability difficulties and increasing the risk of default.

    This came after a recent downgrade of Ghana’s credit rating to ‘CC’ from ‘CCC’ by Fitch.

    Despite Ghana’s tightening of monetary policy in response to the global price shock, it said inflation continues to rise from high levels and the currency has been under very significant pressure.

    He added,  “combined, a sharp rise in interest rates, high inflation and a rapidly weakening currency exacerbate the government’s debt challenges”.

    Moody’s also pointed out that, “Without external support, the government’s policy levers to arrest a worsening macroeconomic backdrop and heavier debt burden are extremely limited; the government’s small revenue base, largely and increasingly absorbed by interest payments, further intensifies the policy dilemma between competing objectives, including servicing debt while meeting essential social needs. As a result, the risk of an eventual default has increased”.

    Meanwhile, government has reiterated its commitment to dealing with the current economic challenges, to place the economy back on a sound footing.

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • SSNIT has over 1.7 million active membership – Director General

    Over 1.7 million people are active members of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), with a very tiny fraction coming from the unorganized sector.

    The Trust paid a total of GH 281.07 million to 230,831 pensioners in September 2022, with the richest pensioner receiving GH 142, 564.97 per month and the lowest receiving GH 300.00.

    This was disclosed by Dr. John Ofori-Tenkorang, Director-General of SSNIT, on Tuesday when he introduced SSNIT Mobile Service Week in Ho.

    This annual event provides the opportunity to pitch camp at various locations at various branches across the country to bring the services of the Trust to the doorsteps of members and clients.

    A total of 69 vantage locations across the 16 regions had been selected to provide services to clients.

    Services offered include issuance of statements of accounts, registration of employers and workers, and benefits processing initiation among others.

    The event is under the theme “You deserve a pension, Join SSNIT today”, and would end on Friday, October 7, 2022.

    Dr. Ofori- Tenkorang explained that he was committed to continuously investing in new ideas with transparency that would be at the cutting edge of the Trust.

    He indicated that self-employed workers in the country constituted the largest working population. Still, most of these workers had no social security coverage as it was in their interest to register for the scheme and enjoy the benefits.

    According to him, “the Trust recognises that the self-employed and workers in the informal sector form the majority of the 10 million in Ghana and their colleagues in the formal sector, they also deserve a pension”.

    The D-G noted that the SSNIT Scheme was one of the surest ways to reduce and prevent poverty among the aged.

    He advised that instead of re-echoing the misconceptions of low pensions which tended to discourage most self-employed, saying “let’s share with them the value SSNIT provides and inform them that if their contributions or premiums were high, then their pensions would also be high.”

    He further said that to enhance their service delivery, the Trust would soon introduce an enhanced and interactive self-service portal allowing members and clients to perform a number of activities on the SSNIT website.

    These activities would enable employers to request, view and download clearance certificates, request for negotiation for outstanding debts, and others.

    The Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa, in his remarks commended SSNIT for leveraging technology to make their services more accessible to clients.

    According to him, technology had allowed for the reduction of administrative costs associated with printing SSNIT cards and reduced the time pensioners had to wait to collect their first pension, as they could now get their pensions in a short time.

    Togbe Kotoku XI, the Paramount Chief of Kpenoe Traditional Area, who chaired the function in his welcome address called on those working in the informal sector to make conscious efforts to go and register with SSNIT so that they could enjoy the scheme during their old age.

  • 8 coldstores abscond from GRA’s grip

    After learning that the Ghana Revenue Authority’s VAT invigilation group was visiting the region to see if their companies are tax compliant, about eight cold stores in the Tema cold store enclave at a location known as Takyi Yard in Community 1 had vanished.

    Some customers who were present during the visit confirmed that the eight had not placed any signs identifying their businesses and had not received VAT receipts.

    According to Joseph Annan, the Area Enforcement Manager of GRA in charge of Accra Central, who oversaw the team during the operations, the shops will remain closed till the proper thing was done.

    “We will come back again to effect arrest since they have all run away,” Mr Annan said.

    He said it was important for these cold stores to register and honour their tax obligations to government, a phenomenon that would enable them to be regarded as legal and responsible businesses.

    Meanwhile, the Underbridge Event Centre at East Legon, have also been closed by the GRA for non-registration for VAT.

    Others, including, Perez Frozen Foods, Isaac Glavi Trading Enterprise, Wanmafe Company Ltd, Josh Nartey Enterprise were also closed down and arrested for various infractions including non-registration, non-issuance among others.

    The various infractions contravene the VAT Act 2013, Act 870.

  • SAD: Ghana goalkeeper Danlad Ibrahim loses father

    Ghana international, Danlad Ibrahim is mourning after learning of the demise of his father.

    Confirmed information gathered has indicated that the father of the highly-rated shot-stopper passed earlier today, Friday, October 7, 2022.

    After hearing of the news, the goalkeeper has reportedly travelled to Sunyani where his father is said to have died.

    As required by the custom and tradition of Islam, arrangements are already underway for the father of Danlad Ibrahim to be buried.

    In an official club statement from Asante Kotoko, the club has extended its condolences to the player and his family.

    “Asante Kotoko is saddened by the passing of Ibrahim Danlad’s father which occurred on Friday morning.

    “Our condolences to the entire family,” a club statement posted on Twitter said.

    Asante Kotoko is saddened by the passing of Ibrahim Danlad’s father which occurred on Friday morning.

    Our condolences to the entire family. @danlad_ibrahim pic.twitter.com/IoILdfQLXe

    — Asante Kotoko SC – 21/22 GPL ChampionsđŸ„‡ (@AsanteKotoko_SC) October 7, 2022

  • Let’s wage relentless fight against breast cancer disease – NTC Managing Director

    The Managing Director of the New Times Corporation (NTC), Mr. Martin Adu-Owusu has advised the public to be tenacious and relentless in the fight against breast cancer disease.

    “It is our collective and decisive resolve to fight breast cancer in all its tendencies that would have positive impact on both present and future generation,” he said.

    Mr Martin Adu-Owusu (middle) speaking at the programme. With him are Ms Dakoa Newman (left) and other dignitaries Photo Victor A. Buxton

    He said this when The Spectator, The corporation’s weekly newspaper, organised the maiden Breast Cancer Campaign at the Kaneshie Market Complexyesterday in Accra, to create awareness and also screen market women for  the disease.

    The two-day Campaign is on the theme “Life before and after Breast Cancer: A future of Positivity and Hope” and it is the NTC’s contribution to raise awareness of the disease.

    Mr Adu-Owusu made reference to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 2020 report which said, there were 2.3 million women diagnosed with breast cancer and 685,000 deaths globally, “At the end of 2020, there were 7.8 million women who were diagnosed with breast cancer in the past 5 years making it the world’s most prevalent cancer.”

    Mr Martin Adu-Owusu (middle),MD,NTC with Ms Dakoa Newman (fourth from right) and other stakeholders after the launch Photo Geoffrey Buta

    He described the situation as worrying, adding that NTC’s campaign was one of the strategies to help reduce the incidence of breast cancer in the country.

    He, therefore,called on individuals, and organisations to be ambassadors of breast cancer to fight the menace.

    “Breast cancer is preventable and curable when we do regular self-examination and screening. This is not a difficult task and we can save many lives and bring solace, hope and prosperity to many families if we continue with our aggressive campaign on regular self-examination and breast screening,” he said.

    The Editor of The Spectator, Mr Emmanuel Amponsah said the campaign would educate the public on early symptoms and signs of Breast Cancer; preventive measures, diagnostic and treatment centres, the measures put in place for early detection and to assist in the management of patients of Breast Cancer, among others.

    He referred to the Globocan statistics carried by the Global Cancer Observatory website in March 2021, which said 4,482 women in Ghana were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, “In the same year, it said 2,055 deaths were recorded. In fact, it is estimated that 4,650 women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually in Ghana while more than 2,000 women die of the disease yearly.”

    Mr Amponsah said the campaign would be taken to the door-steps of the Labone Senior High School to educate the students on Breast Cancer in order to prepare them in the fight against the diseases.

    The Member of Parliament for Okaikoi South, Ms Dakoa Newman, urged the market women to desist from storing their mobile phones and other items in their brassieres, adding that this act could expose the breast to radiations emitting from the mobile device

    She encouraged women to seek early health check-ups and avoid self-treatment at homes, especially using unprescribed medicines

    In a speech read on behalf WHO Representative Dr Francis Kasolo said  2.3 million women in 2020,  were diagnosed with breast cancer and 685,000 deaths globally.

    “As of the end of 2020, there were 7.8 million women alive who were diagnosed with breast cancer in the past five years, making it the world’s most prevalent cancer,” he said.

    According to him, there were more lost disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) by women to breast cancer globally than any other type of cancer.

    Dr Kasolo said approximately  half of breast cancer  develop in women who have no identifiable  breast cancer risk factors  other than gender and age over 40 years

    He said certain factors that increase risk of breast cancer are obesity, harmful use of alcohol, family history of breast cancer, History of radiation exposure, reproductive history (such as age that menstrual periods began and age at first pregnancy),  tobacco use and postmenopausal hormone therapy.

    Dr Kasolo said strategies for improving breast cancer outcomes depended on fundamental health system strengthening to deliver the treatments that are already known to work.

    He expressed the hope that every woman in Ghana diagnosed with breast cancer would have access to specialised care without causing financial catastrophe in line with Universal Health Coverage.

    Source:ghanaiantimes

  • FDA issues alert over cough syrups linked to deaths in Gambia

    The Food and Drugs Authority has said the Indian-produced cough syrups linked to over 60 deaths in The Gambia are not on the Ghanaian market.

    The authority, however, said Ghanaians should report to it if the medication is sighted in Ghana.

    The products are Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup manufactured by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited (Haryana, India).

    The World Health Organization linked this medication to the deaths of 66 children in The Gambia and said it found “unacceptable” levels of toxins in the syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals.

    The WHO said the children had died of kidney injuries.

    The Indian government has since ordered an investigation into four cough syrups.

    Though the Indian government has said it only exported these cough syrups to The Gambia so far, the WHO also warned that unwholesome medication may have been distributed to other countries through informal markets.

    The FDA assured that “it has strengthened its market surveillance activities at the borders and across the country to identify and withdraw any of these products should they enter the Ghanaian market.”

    “The FDA wishes to advice the general public to report all suspected falsified medicinal products to the FDA through the following contacts.”

    Source: Citinews

     

  • Hamburg legend extols new Ghana forward Ransford-Yeboah

    Hamburg legend Thomas von Heesen has eulogized new Black Stars forward Ransford-Yeboah Konigsdorffer after his exploits last weekend against Hannover 96.

    The Ghana international climbed off the bench to score an incredible solo, bursting with pace from the middle of the pitch before taking on two defenders to slot home.

    Reacting to the Ghanaian youngster strike on the back of his great strike for Hamburg against Bayern Munich back in 1982 said, “My goal back then was quite good, but Konigsdorffer’s solo was definitely a class better,”

     

     

    “The goal was rounded off by the timing and importance, according to von Heesen: “If you deserve to win in the very last second with such a wonderful goal, that’s the best thing of all.”

    Ransford-Yeboah, who made his debut for Ghana against Nicaragua has scored five goals in seven matches this season.

  • Paying compensation to all customers: We can’t pay! – ECG to PURC

    The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) says it cannot undertake a wholesale compensation payment to all customers of the company as directed by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) for the recent power crisis.

    Rather, the company noted, it was prepared to abide by the laid down procedure to pay compensation to affected customers on case by case basis.

    Managing Director of ECG, Samuel Dubik Mahama, said, his outfit was preparing to engage the PURC on the need to alter the directive to make case by case the basis of payment of compensation.

    He was speaking at a press conference in Accra yesterday to update the public on measures instituted by the company to address the current power crisis.

    “We cannot make a block compensation payment to all of our customers. We prefer a case by case form of compensation payment so that people prove the damages suffered before compensation is determined,” he stated.

    According to Mr Mahama, a wholesale form of compensation to all customers would mean that those who did not suffer any form of damage would be paid as well.

    Per the company’s checks, he said, some of the customers were engaged in panic buys, although their meter was functioning properly, resulting in long queues and pressure on the vending system.

    He noted that, although the ECG was not engaged by the PURC before the directive was issued, it was looking forward to a fair hearing and a process guided by the rules governing the resolution of grievances.

    Investigations into the causes of the power crisis, he stated, was currently ongoing saying that the ECG would duly update the public on the findings when it was completed.

    Mr Mahama said, presently all the meter systems were up and running, except some areas in the Ashanti Region, as well as the Power App to enable customers purchase power.

    He urged customers to avoid panic buys that result in long queues at the various vending points adding that “we must all be patient to be served and avoid panic buys.”

    The ECG, he noted, had put in place robust measures to forestall such occurrences in the future explaining that the system’s robustness would enable it handle the expected traffic.

    He denied rift between the management and staff of the company saying that ECG had the requisite human resource to deal with such challenges and work together even in the face of disagreement.

    Citing the ECG Power App as an example, Mr Mahama noted that, the management and staff were working together to address gaps and constraints that stifle its operation.

    He cautioned against politicisation of the challenge confronting the company and unwarranted attacks on management, mostly due to unfounded allegations.

    Source:ghanaiantimes

     

  • New Juaben North flooding: Assembly urges calm over call for relief items

    The New Juaben North Municipal Assembly is appealing to flood victims in the municipality to exercise restraints and remain calm as the assembly intensifies moves to come to their aid with relief items.

    Even though the assembly made a passionate appeal to the international community and the public to assist them in cash or in kind to help bring relief to the over 2,000 affected persons during a press conference on Tuesday, Citi News understands that the affected persons are not happy with the slow pace after the unfortunate disaster.

    The Municipal Chief Executive for New Juaben North Comfort Asante, who disclosed in an interview with Citi News that a formal complaint has been made to the regional minister to speed up the distribution of relief items to the affected persons, called on them to remain calm.

    “We have written formally to the regional minister informing him of what has happened, and I have gotten wind that he is also getting ready to support us in whatever form of food items that we may be able to get for our people.”

    Madam Asante who further reiterated calls for support from all and sundry also noted that she is hopeful academic activities will resume in Akwadum by next week Monday if rains are not recorded in the municipality this weekend.

    Source: Citinews

  • Standard Chartered engages new priority banking clients

    New customers who have joined the exclusive Priority Banking Segment were given a warm welcome at a ceremony held by Standard Chartered Bank Ghana PLC.
    Customers of Priority Banking can buy and sell government-issued Treasury bills and bonds online via the SC Mobile App, as well as get access to a personal relationship manager.

    Reputable businesswomen and men who use the bank were present at the networking and engagement event held at the opulent Labadi Beach Hotel.
    The head of Affluent & Wealth Management, Dr. Setor Quashigah, welcomed the clients to the priority section and reemphasized the advantages of being a member of the Standard Chartered family.

    Standard Chartered offers an array of tailor-made products and services curated to suit the wealth-creation ambitions of our clients. The clients were taken through highlights of the bank’s unique Priority Banking proposition as well as discussions on growing, protecting their wealth, and taking good investment decisions.

    Additionally, the bank’s wealth advisory team delved into topics ranging from local and international bonds, and foreign exchange to insurance. They also explained the DigiAdvisory service which connects clients to relationship managers and insurance specialists from the comfort of their homes.

    The Bank used the opportunity to launch a deposit campaign – Unlimited Rewards, where a client and their partner will be rewarded with an exclusive tour of selected European cities. Clients will be required to make local currency deposits into their accounts and pay for transactions with their Standard Chartered Debit and/or Credit Cards.

    The client with the highest average rate of growth will emerge the winner at the end of the three-month campaign. New to Bank clients are also invited to open accounts and join the campaign.

  • REPORTS: Black Stars players to bag $15k as winning bonus at group stage of 2022 FIFA WC

    Reports indicate that an amount of $15,000 has been agreed upon as the winning bonus for the Black Stars at the group stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

    According to information gathered from Silva FM, the amount will be the same bonus to be pocketed by the technical team members.

    Meanwhile, there has also reportedly been an agreement to pay $75,000 as appearance fees to players and coaches of the Ghana national team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

    The bonuses and appearance fees have been agreed upon after consultations and meetings between the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture.

    Below is the arrangement as reported by Silva FM:

     

    1.Otto Addo per month $25,000

    2.Chris Houghton $20,000 per month

    3 George Boateng  $10,000 per month

    4.Didi Dramani $10,000 per month

    Appearance fee: $75,000 each including the players.

    Winning bonus:$15,000.

    At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Ghana has been pitted in Group H and will face Portugal, Uruguay, and South Korea.

    Source: Footballghana

  • Man who has never been on a date tries to find love with billboard ad

    A 23-year-old English man who has never been on a date in his life is trying to find a girlfriend by advertising himself on a large highway-side billboard near his home city.

    Ed Chapman claims to have spent his teenage years and his early 20s trying to find a girlfriend using more conventional means, like socializing and using dating apps, but with no success. So the 23-year-old man from Leeds, in the UK, decided that it was time for desperate measures. He put up some serious money to rent a large advertising banner next to the M621 motorway that goes into Leeds and crossed his fingers. He has already had more success with it than he did in his entire life, as he claims to have been overwhelmed by the number of messages from potential girlfriends.

    “I reached an age where I thought I at least should have been on one date before. But I’ve been single for all of my 23 years and I’m ready to find someone to hopefully be in a relationship with,” Champman said.

    “I had tried some dating apps, but it didn’t go well for me at all, so I decided I needed to try something different and thought having my own billboard would be a good way of meeting people,” the 23-year-old added.

    Putting up a large banner with your face on it and the simple message “Date Me!” takes some courage, especially from someone who’s never been on a date before, but in Ed’s case, the risk seems to be paying off. Apparently, he received his first message from a woman interested in dating him on the first day that the billboard went up.

    “I received my first message on the same day the billboard went live and since then, I’ve had a few messages from women between the ages of 18 to 48,” Ed told Caters News. “It’s quite a mix. It’s really exciting and a sign there’s something positive to come.”

    Billboards have been used by others to find love. A fellow Englishman struggling with dating apps did it last year, a mysterious Mormon millionaire made headlines with the same tactic in 2019, and a single entrepreneur advertised himself in the same way back in 2013.

    Source: Oddity Central

  • VRA records GHÂą112.76 million profit in 2021

    The Board Chairman of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Mr. Kofi Tutu Agyare, revealed that the agency made a net profit of GH112.76 million last year.

    He stated at the VRA Stakeholder interface in Accra on Thursday that the COVID-19 pandemic’s troubles as well as other issues in the energy industry did not prevent the company from generating a profit for the second year in a row.

    VRA can communicate its operational performance and commercial activities from the previous year with stakeholders at the annual event and solicit their input.

    It was attended by representatives from stakeholder institutions, including the Ministries of Energy and Finance, the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA), the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), the Electricity Company of Ghana, the Select Committee on Mines and Energy of Parliament.

    Mr Agyare attributed the achievement to the VRA’s Financial Recovery Programme (FRP) and a Sustainability Plan instituted to significantly reduce the cost of operations, improve revenues and ensure reliable and efficient generation.

    He noted that the effective leadership of the Board and the Management team coupled with the commitment of the staff significantly ensured the strong position VRA found itself in irrespective of COVID-19 and energy sector challenges.

    Aside from the profit, Mr. Agyare said, the Authority this year increased its generation footprints with the coming on stream of the 13MWp Kaleo Solar PV Power Plant in the Upper West Region.

    By 2025, he said, VRA planned to increase its renewable footprint to 200 MegaWatts (MW) with renewable projects soon to be rolled out including a 60MW Bongo Solar Power project in the Upper West Region and a 75MW Wind Power Project at Anloga in the Volta Region.

    He said the Authority was also working with the Ministry of Energy to relocate the 250MW Ameri Plant from the VRA Aboadze Power Station to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region and rehabilitate and operationalise its 132MW T3 Power Plant in Aboadze within the 2023 to 2024 time frame.

    According to Mr. Agyare, two of VRA’s Simple Cycle Power Plants in Tema and Kpone in Accra would also be converted into Combined Cycle Plants for generation efficiency.

    The Stakeholders lauded the company’s impressive operational performance for the past five years, which has resulted in a significant turnaround in its fortunes.

    They recognised the efforts of the Board, the Chief Executive, the Management, and the Staff for managing a public sector organisation to rise from heavy losses in 2015 and 2016 to posting profits in 2020 and 2021.

    “A state institution moving from a negative to positive deserves a standing ovation. VRA you have done very well! You deserve applause,” said Samuel Atta Akyea, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Mines and Energy.

  • YouTuber becomes world’s blackest man with the blackest commercially-available paint

    Hajime, Japan’s most popular YouTuber, recently surprised his millions of subscribers by covering his body with the world’s blackest commercially-available paint.

    Musou Black, a special type of paint developed and sold by Koyo Orient Japan, isn’t the world’s blackest paint. That title belongs to Vantablack, an incredibly black coating capable of absorbing up to 99.965% of visible light. It makes everything look like a black hole, but it is obscenely expensive and currently unavailable on the open market. Musou Black, on the other hand, absorbs a respectable 99.4% of visible light, making it the world’s second blackest paint, and it is available on Amazon for $17 per 100ml. So it was the ideal choice for someone wanting to become a walking shadow, or the blackest man on Earth.

    Hajime, a Japanese vlogger famous for his original and often crazy ideas, recently put Black Musou paint to the test by using it to create the world’s blackest room. A video on his YouTube channel shows Hajime painting the walls black and then using the extremely black paint to make himself black to see if others can see him in the dark.

    The YouTube video got a decent number of views, but it was a series of photos that Hajime posted on his Twitter account that got the most attention online. In them, the Japanese YouTuber shows up with Musou Black spray-painted all over his body at a beach, at what looks like noon. Only you can’t really tell it’s him, because he looks like a shadow.

    Musou Black has been in the news before, with it being used to paint all sorts of objects, from cars to fruit, but Hajime may just be the first person to use it on their body. Which, according to the Koyo Orient website, isn’t advised, since the company recommends avoiding skin contact as much as possible. But at least he got some more exposure out of it.

    Source: Oddity Central

  • Walking robot dogs is apparently becoming a trend in China

    Photos and videos of people walking futuristic robot dogs instead of actual canines have been going viral in China lately, signaling a trend among the younger generations.

    Robotic dogs inspired by the impressive creations of Boston Dynamics have been available on Chinese shopping platforms for a while now, but they’ve only recently started actually becoming popular. Although they are sometimes being described as soulless machines that can never compare to real dogs who love their owners unconditionally, there is no denying the advantages of robot pets, and judging by the increasing number of people spotted walking their robot dogs in China lately, they may one day rival the animals they emulate.

    ‘Why would anyone get a robot dog as a pet?’ you may ask yourself. Well, they don’t require any food, you don’t have to clean up after them, and you don’t have to spend time with them if you don’t have to. As a happy dog owner myself, I understand that that is all part of the pet-owning experience, but there are people who just want a hassle-free companion, and even though robot pooches aren’t perfect, they are easier maintenance.

    According to several Chinese news outlets, the vast majority of robot dogs spotted in the streets of Chinese cities like Shanghai and Beijing are domestically produced and have a number of built-in features like “following”, rolling, sitting, running, and carrying weights of up to 5 kilograms. A camera in the dog’s head allows it to identify and bypass obstacles and even recognize its owner.

    Prices for Chinese robot dogs reportedly vary between 15,000 ($2,100) and 100,000 yuan ($14,000) depending on build quality, built-in features, and battery life. The latter is a major deal-breaker for a lot of people, as the average battery life for this type of product is about 45 minutes.

    Robot dogs are just starting to see real adoption among Chinese consumers, but manufacturers are confident that in the near future the market for their products will be worth billions of dollars.

    Source: Oddity Central

  • Air travel to recover fully in 2024 – Transport Minister

    By 2024, the Kotoka International Airport’s passenger volume should have fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects.

    Ghana’s transport minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, said in his speech at the 41st ICAO triennial meeting in Canada that “passenger traffic is picking up after the disastrous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation industry.”

    Ghana is now functioning at about 70% of its capacity, and its transport minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, stated that the country hopes to attain full capacity by 2024.

    The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced passenger data for August 2022 showing continued momentum in the air travel recovery.

    Total traffic in August 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was up 67.7% compared to August 2021. Globally, traffic is now at 73.7% of pre-crisis levels.

    Domestic traffic for August 2022 was up 26.5% compared to the year-ago period. Total August 2022 domestic traffic was at 85.4% of the August 2019 level.

    International traffic rose 115.6% versus August 2021 with airlines in Asia delivering the strongest year-over-year growth rates. August 2022 international RPKs reached 67.4% of August 2019 levels.

    “The Northern Hemisphere peak summer travel season finished on a high note. Considering the prevailing economic uncertainties, travel demand is progressing well. And the removal or easing of travel restrictions at some key Asian destinations, including Japan, will certainly accelerate the recovery in Asia. The mainland of China is the last major market retaining severe COVID-19 entry restrictions,” Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General said.

    African airlines experienced a 69.5% rise in August RPKs versus a year ago.

    August 2022 capacity was up 45.3% and load factor climbed 10.8 percentage points to 75.9%, the lowest among regions.

    International traffic between Africa and neighbouring regions is close to pre-pandemic levels.

  • Ukrainian artists create the most amazing glass spiders

    Glass Symphony, a Ukrainian family-owned company specializing in hand-made glass sculptures, has become famous for its anatomically-correct arachnids.

    Using a centuries-old technique known as lampworking, the artisans at Glass Symphony, use glass rods, extreme heat and fine wrist movements to manipulate colored glass into intricate miniatures. A gas burner is used to heat the glass to a temperature of 1800 degrees, after which trained artisans shape the glass into various animal-inspired shapes, from different species of spiders and locusts to snails and octopuses.

    Despite their small size, every sculpture respects the anatomical features of the animal that inspired it. Each figurine is made by hand and therefore unique.

    The creations of Glass Symphony – especially the spiders – regularly go viral on social media platforms like Reddit and Facebook. The company sells its hand-made products via its own website and its Etsy shop.

    Source: Oddity Central

     

  • Policy rate increment to cripple startup businesses – Economist

    Dr. Daniel Amarteye Anim, a development economist, lamented the Bank of Ghana’s increase in the policy rate and warned that it could kill off new firms across the nation.

    The Central Bank decided to raise the Monetary Policy Rate by 250 basis points to 24.5%, the highest level since 2017.

    The country’s soaring inflation, which is currently 33.9%, is to blame for the increase, according to the Bank of Ghana.

    Dr. Daniel Amarteye Anim, who is also the executive director of the Policy Initiative for Economic Development, said in an interview with Starr News that new enterprises won’t be given money to increase their output.

    “Certainly, what it means is that the cost of borrowing, the cost of capital will increase, and as capital increases, startups or young businesses will not be in a better position. Because it will not make economic sense for you to go and borrow at a very high rate when money that comes to the business will not be able to pay for that particular facility. So, a lot of people will be denied capital and as they are denied, they will not be in a better position to expand production.”

    He added: “As production declines, jobs will not be created, it will even affect revenue and the government will not get its share of revenue in terms of taxation. So, these are the implications of this particular policy in terms of consistently increasing policy rate and its implication on businesses. I believe that it is not the way to go and that we should find a better approach to ensuring that we minimize the cost of living in the country in terms of increases in the price of goods and services.”

  • Euro 2024 qualifying draw to take place on Sunday

    European countries will learn their fate in Sunday’s Euro 2024 qualifying draw at 11:00 BST in Frankfurt.

    Of Uefa’s 55 countries, 53 will be drawn – with hosts Germany qualifying automatically and Russia excluded because of the invasion of Ukraine.

    Twelve teams, including Scotland, are already guaranteed at least a play-off place through the Nations League.

    The recent Nations League also decided the seeds for the Euros qualifiers, with England not in the top pot.

    England, Wales and Scotland are all in the second group of seeds, with Northern Ireland in pot five of six.

    You will be able to hear from Gareth Southgate, Steve Clarke, Rob Page and Ian Baraclough, the managers of the four home nations, on BBC Radio 5 Live afterwards.

    How does it work?

    There will be seven groups with five countries – and three groups with six teams in them. The four Nations League finalists – Croatia, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain – will go into the smaller groups.

    The top two teams in each of the 10 groups qualify directly for Euro 2024.

    Germany automatically qualify as hosts, while the remaining three teams will come via the Nations League play-offs.

    The groups start on 23 March and end on 21 November 2023.

    Who are in what pot?

    Nations League pot (top seeds that have to go in smaller groups): Netherlands, Croatia, Spain, Italy.

    Pot 1 (the other top seeds): Denmark, Portugal, Belgium, Hungary, Switzerland, Poland.

    Pot 2: France, Austria, Czech Republic, England, Wales, Israel, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Scotland, Finland.

    Pot 3: Ukraine, Iceland, Norway, Slovenia, Republic of Ireland, Albania, Montenegro, Romania, Sweden, Armenia.

    Pot 4: Georgia, Greece, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Faroe Islands, North Macedonia.

    Pot 5: Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Belarus, Lithuania, Gibraltar, Estonia, Latvia, Moldova, Malta.

    Pot 6: Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein.

    There are several restrictions that prevent some countries from being paired together.

    For political reasons, Armenia and Azerbaijan will be kept apart, as will Belarus and Ukraine and Gibraltar and Spain. Kosovo cannot be in a group with Bosnia-Herzegovina or Serbia.

    Only two Nordic or Baltic countries can be drawn together because of severe winter conditions.

    Because of the locations of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Iceland on the far edges of Europe – they can only be drawn with one team from the opposite side of the continent.

    Who are in the play-offs?

    The 12 teams who won their group in Leagues A, B and C in the Nations League are guaranteed at least a Euro 2024 play-off place.

    They will play for three places at the Euros – with semi-finals on 21 March and the finals on 26 March.

    In the almost-certain event that some of the teams finish in the top two in their Euro 2024 qualifying group, their play-off place will go to the next best team in their Nations League group (although Estonia from League D will be given a place if most League A teams qualify for the Euros).

    These are the teams guaranteed a play-off place…

    League A: Croatia, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands

    League B: Scotland, Israel, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia

    League C: Turkey, Greece, Kazakhstan, Georgia

    Source: bbc.com

  • Deadline for licensing of Cyber Security professionals, service providers won’t change – Authority

    The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) says the January 1, 2023 deadline for the licensing of Cyber Security professionals, service providers, and establishments holds.

    The Authority has consequently developed a draft framework to guide the implementation of the licensing regime.

    The CSA, as part of the preparations, organised a public consultation meeting on the Framework in Accra on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, to solicit inputs from industry players.

    Dr Albert Antwi-Boasiako, Acting Director General, of CSA, said the licensing and accreditation Framework would ensure that cyber security professionals, establishments, and service providers attained a higher level of professional standards in accordance with the Cyber Security Act, 2020 (Act 1038).

    He said technical qualifications alone were not enough to measure professionalism, adding that the licensing regime would help to “improve the image” of the profession and protect the country’s digital ecosystem.

    “There’s a direction from the Board that effective 1st January 2023, to do cyber security service in the country, you have to be licensed and the mechanisms will be outlined by the end of the year.” Dr Antwi-Boasiako said.

    He added, “There are both administrative and criminal sanctions in the Cyber Security Act for those who perform cyber security services without legal authorisation and that will be applied.”

    Section 49 of the Cyber Security Act, 2020 states: “A person shall not provide a cyber security service unless that person obtains a license issued by the Authority in accordance with Act 1038.”

    Section 57 of Act 1038 also mandates the CSA to establish a mechanism to accredit Cyber Security professionals and practitioners.

    Madam Jennifer Mensah, Functional Lead, Legal and Compliance, CSA, said given the sensitive nature of the domain of cyber security, the Framework would ensure that cyber security professionals and practitioners were fit and proper persons to render such services.

    She said the GSA was considering having a tier system of categorisation of licenses and appealed to stakeholders to make input on the kind of parameters and requirements to be used.

    Madam Mensah said under the Act, a person providing cyber security services without a license could face a penalty equivalent to the cost of damage caused and the value of financial gain made.

    She said a licensed service provider using a license for a purpose other than the purpose for which it was granted could be fined 50,000 penalty units, equivalent to GHS 600,000.

    Cyber security threats have been an issue of concern following a surge in reported cases of online fraud, ransomware attacks and other cybercrimes.

    Last year, cyber fraud topped cybercrime cases recorded by the Cybercrime Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service – accounting for 45 per cent of all cybercrime cases.

    The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), at the launch of its 2022 Cyber Security Awareness month last week, disclosed that it recorded 28 cases of cyber fraud within the last three months.

    The cases, the GAF said, were connected to recruitment and enlistment drives on fake social media platforms and Mobile Money accounts.

    Source: GNA 

  • Private Universities to pursue Presidential Charter

    Chairman, Council for Independent Universities, Professor Nicholas N.N Nsowah-Nuamah, has encouraged private universities to work hard to meet the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission’s (GTEC) criteria for a Presidential Charter.

    That, he said, would enable the private universities to award their own degrees and diplomas after being mentored by a public university.

    The Government merged the National Council for Tertiary Education and the National Accreditation Board under the new Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023) to form the GTEC in August 2020.

    Following the creation of the GTEC, under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), it is no longer mandatory for new tertiary education institutions to go into affiliation arrangements with existing chartered institutions to be accredited.

    As part of the new transitional arrangements for the granting of a Charter, all existing University Colleges have been given up until the end of 2024 to demonstrate their capability and readiness for a Charter, by meeting the prescribed conditions.

    The Act states that, if an affiliated institution is unable to meet the requirements for a Charter within the specified four-year period, but demonstrates sufficient cause for preparing for a Charter, an additional two years may be given by GTEC to the institution to enable that institution to meet the requirements for Charter.

    President Akufo-Addo on Tuesday, August 30, 2022, awarded Presidential Charters to Methodist University College, Presbyterian University College, and Catholic University College. This means they have transitioned into autonomous Universities, with the capacity, now, to award their own degrees and diplomas.

    Prof Nsowah-Nuamah, in an interview on the sidelines of a workshop on quality assurance for private Universities, urged founders and management of private Universities to make funds available to meet the charter requirements.

    He said GTEC organised a workshop in Koforidua for private universities to take them through the charter system, adding that “today’s meeting was to assess members’ preparedness in meeting the criteria for a Charter.”

    “We have asked members to prepare the self-assessment document indicating their strengths and weaknesses and find ways to address the gaps,” he said.

    The Professor said the participants were taken through topics like conceptualizing quality and quality assurance in tertiary education, charter policy dimension and regulatory framework, among others.

    Prof Albert Addo-Quaye, President of Kings University College, said over the years, admission into private universities had reduced which had affected their revenue strength, making it difficult to pay for the institutional affiliation fees.

    The workshop, Prof Addo-Quaye stressed, was timely and would enable participants to know how to prepare for the Presidential Charter.

    Mr Anthony Kwame Archiabah, Computer Engineer, said he had manufactured a software application dubbed “Performance Machine” to provide security in education, transport, cyber and other sectors.

    Source: GNA

  • Portugal’s Neto ruled out of 2022 World Cup

    Neto has made nine appearances for Wolves this season

    Wolves say Portugal forward Pedro Neto will miss the 2022 World Cup as he requires an ankle operation.

    The 22-year-old suffered the injury in their 2-0 defeat by West Ham last Saturday, 1 October, when he was substituted after 24 minutes.

    The Premier League club said that Neto strained his lateral ligaments.

    “Following further evaluation and a specialist opinion this week, it is planned for him to undergo surgery,” a club statement added.

    “This means that, unfortunately, he will not be fit for the upcoming World Cup.”

    Neto has made three appearances for Portugal and, while he was in their squad for recent Nations League games against the Czech Republic and Spain, he did not play in either.

    The World Cup will take place from 20 November to 18 December in Qatar.

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    Source: bbc.com

  • Ghana’s Second Lady to attend WHO meeting on energy

    The Second Lady, Mrs. Samira Bawumia, is scheduled to participate in the second meeting of the High-level Coalition on Health and Energy under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO).

    The programme would take place on Friday, October 7, in Geneva to offer a platform for Coalition members to devise ways of accelerating clean cooking and electrification of healthcare facilities in different countries.

    The Second Lady replicated her impactful leadership under her Empowerment and Humanitarian Projects (SEHP) with significant contributions towards the adoption of the Strategic Roadmap at the Coalition’s first meeting, earning her plaudits from the Director-General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

    In 2019, Hajia Samira was acknowledged as the first of seven individuals honoured by the Sustainable Energy for All in conjunction with Ashden.

    It highlighted her efforts toward the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 7) to ensure access to modern, reliable, renewable and affordable energy for all by 2030.

    Again, Mrs. Bawumia was made an Ambassador for the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves and joined other imminent leaders such as the late former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to work with the Alliance and its partners to raise awareness of household air pollution and encourage broader adoption of clean cooking solutions in developing countries in a bid to create cleaner environments and eradicate deaths caused by pollution from the burning of solid fuels for cooking.

    The WHO estimates that over 2.4 billion people worldwide, about a third of the global population, cook using open fires or inefficient stoves fueled by kerosene, biomass (wood, animal dung and crop waste) and coal, which generates harmful household air pollution.

    Household air pollution was responsible for an estimated 3.2 million deaths per year in 2020, including over 237, 000 deaths of children under the age of five.

    To put it into perspective, household air pollution resulting from the inefficient use of clean fuels and technologies claims lives more than the total number of deaths from HIV/AIDs, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.

    Most of these people are poor and live in low- and middle-income countries with highly skewed access to cleaner cooking alternatives.

    It is in this vain that Second Lady, Hajia Samira has stepped up efforts with her not-for-profit organisation, SEHP, to address the situation.

    The WHO Director-General convened the High-Level Coalition on Health and Energy in 2019 to strengthen the cooperation between health and energy sectors, increase political momentum, spur investments, mobilise public support and drive practical solutions.

    Presently, the Coalition includes 12 Ministers of Health and Energy, 14 heads of international organisations (including UNICEF, GAVI, UNHCR and UNDP), and two Health and Energy Champions.

    The Coalition hopes to expand its membership to execute its mandate for maximum global impact.

    Source: GNA

  • Black Meteors coach Ibrahim Tanko reveals positives from Dreams FC friendly

    Black Meteors coach Ibrahim Tanko says his side will hugely benefit from their friendly game against Ghana Premier League side Dreams FC on Wednesday.

    Ghana U-23 side beat Dreams 2-1 at the Accra Stadium. Goals from Hagan Frimpong and Ishmael Dede handed coach Tanko’s side the victory as Ali Huzaif pulled one back for the Premier League outfit.

    The game forms part of the Black Meteors preparation for the 2023 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualifiers against Mozambique.

    ‘The game against Dreams is our first competitive match since camping for about two weeks,” coach Tanko told ghanafa.org.

    “We won 2-1 but definitely there is more room for improvement. We will improve on this performance as we prepare to play against Accra Lions as part of straightening our team for the task ahead.”

    Black Meteors will play another Premier League side Accra Lions in a friendly match on Saturday, October 9, 2022.

    Ghana will face Mozambique in a double header later this month with the winner moving on to play the winner of the tie between Algeria and DR Congo.

  • TEWU holds breast cancer awareness workshop for members

    Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Ghana has sensitised its members on breast cancer.

    The day’s workshop, held in Tamale on Thursday, emphasised the need for breast screening among women for early detection and management to enhance productivity.

    It also formed part of TEWU’s contribution to the globally celebrated “breast cancer awareness month”, marked every October, to reduce the impact that breast cancer had on women’s potentials.

    Participants, who were drawn from the five regions in the north, were educated on how to prevent, and detect breast cancer and had their breasts screened as well.

    Madam Mainatu Goodman, Nurse in-charge of the Onchology Unit of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, who spoke during the event, urged women to self-examine their breasts every month, a week after menstruation, to ensure there were no abnormalities.

    She said bloody discharges from the nipple and change in skin colour of the breasts were signs of breast cancer, which should be reported for treatment.

    She encouraged women to seek medical attention early when they felt lumps in their breasts, adding that treatment became relatively difficult when the lumps grew bigger.

    Mr Ambrose Yao Kwadzodza, National Chairman of TEWU, said breast cancer awareness was a vital topic, which needed attention throughout the year, and not only in October.

    He advised men to get involved in activities of breast cancer education, saying, “Educating men on breast cancer screening will inform them to encourage women to embrace early detection.”

    Madam Salamatu Braimah Mahama, National Vice Chairperson of TEWU, admonished participants to attach importance to breast cancer lessons and avail themselves for screening.

    She said “There is no need to be afraid to undergo breast screening. The screening is not meant to breed fear but to help detect cancer early for treatment.”

    Source: GNA

  • WHO’s substandard medicines not registered in Ghana – FDA

    The  World Health Organization’s four identified substandard medicinal products in The  Gambia are not registered In Ghana, says the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).

    The medicines are  Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup.

    The FDA in a statement issued in Accra on Thursday following the WHO’s alert, said the products according to Who, were substandard because laboratory analysis of samples of each of the four products confirmed that they contained unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants.

    It said the manufacturer of the products, Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited (Haryana, India), had also not provided guarantees to WHO on the safety and quality of the products as of 5th October 2022.

    The statement said Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol were toxic to humans when consumed and could prove fatal.

    Toxic effects of the identified substance include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state, and acute kidney injury, which may lead to death.

    “These products have not been registered by the FDA and are not expected on the Ghanaian market, however, they may have been distributed illegally,” the FDA said.

    The FDA advised all healthcare professionals to report suspected falsified medicinal products by completing the Adverse React Form online using the link http://adr.fdaghana.gov.gh or call Mobile no: 024431 0297 or send an email to drug.safetv@fdaghana.gov.gh.

    The statement said the FDA had strengthened its post market surveillance activities at the borders and across the country with the view to identify and withdraw any unregistered product on the Ghanaian Market.

    Source: GNA 

  • 2022 World Cup: Black Stars need Jordan, Kyereh and Kudus to be at their best to succeed – Prince Tagoe

    Former Ghana striker, Prince Tagoe expects three players to lead the Black Stars’ charge at the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

    The Black Stars have come under pressure after the friendly games against Brazil and Nicaragua.

    Ghana suffered a 3-0 defeat to the five-time world champions before recording a 1-0 win over the Central American side.

    However, the former Hearts of Oak striker believes with Mohammed Kudus, Jordan Ayew, and Daniel-Kofi Kyereh at their best will help the Stars excel.

    “Black Stars can only make a positive impact at the World Cup if Kudus Mohammed, Jordan Ayew, and Daniel Kofi-Kyereh can give Ghana 80% of their performance at club level,” he said on Angel TV.

    Ghana hopes to advance from Group H, which includes Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay.

    Ghana will open their tournament campaign against Portugal on November 24, followed by South Korea four days later, and Uruguay on December 2.

  • Oncology Dept of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital partners Meena Breast Cancer Awareness Project

    The Oncology Department of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) is partnering with the Meena Breast Cancer Awareness Project to propose a new approach to breast cancer advocacy in the country.

    The new approach is tailored to the younger population, which is concentrated in the various High Schools and Universities and targeting this niche group holds many advantages with a relatively younger population affected by breast cancer.

    Ms Abigail Olympio, a Resident Oncology Nurse at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, made this known during the launch of the Meena Breast Cancer Awareness Project in Accra.

    The project was launched in honour of the late Mrs Amina Oppong-Kwarteng, the wife of Mr Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, the Executive Director of Crime Check Foundation.

    The awareness campaign is in fulfilling the vision of his wife to reach out to many women in the remotest parts of the country, cities, and prisons to offer them screening opportunities and to support them financially to go through painful treatment procedures.

    Ms Olympio said, “Our aim is to intervene early in life to reduce the incidence of late presentation.”

    She said it was aimed at building a lifelong culture of breast self-examination and general self-care in the younger populace.

    “While breast self-examination may not hold an immediate benefit in this age group, a lifelong habit of attentiveness to the breast will in the future prove worthy of this investment,” she said.

    Ms Olympio said young people when stimulated could themselves be advocates in their homes and communities and would help demystify the myths and misconceptions that surround breast cancer and its management.

    She urged stakeholders to take advantage of the strong, proactive, dynamic, and energetic young adults to champion awareness creation.

    In the year 2020, about 4000 new cases were diagnosed in Ghana and about 70 per cent of this number reported rather late and in an advanced stage.

    She said Breast Cancer awareness interventions were found to increase the uptake of breast self-examination behaviour and increase participation in screening activities.

    She said it also created awareness of the risk factors for the condition.

    Mr Kwarteng said the announcement of his wife’s death was something he had not gotten over and before her demise, she wanted to champion awareness of Breast Cancer.

    “She fought the disease, unfortunately, she is not here with us but her dream to create awareness is still alive, hence the birth of Project,” he added.

    He said just us women were encouraged to use hygienic sanity products every month, Breast Cancer awareness should be an everyday thing.

    “Constant self-examination and periodic hospital visitation must be a part of our daily lives,” he added.

    He said the yearly advocacy on the disease seems not to yield the needed result as many women become aware of themselves only during the breast cancer awareness month of October.

    “The disease breaks families apart. The cost of treatment involved is huge and the chance of survival of a patient is narrow, so we want to fight breast cancer every day and not only in October. The yearly advocacy is not sustainable,” he said.

    Mr Kwarteng said apart from the advocacy, breast cancer patients would also be supported financially to undergo treatment under the project.

    The Executive Director said the project would be run alongside the Foundation’s Health Check Series to support patients undergoing treatment.

    “We cannot win this war alone, so we will need the support of the public to be able to carry out the campaign effectively,” he said.

    Dr Florence Dedey, Head of Breast Cancer at KBTH, said the Project was a much-needed initiative considering the state of breast cancer in Ghana as of now.

    She said with an estimated 4000 people affected by the disease mostly women, unfortunately, the country loses about 2000 people each year to the disease.

    “The statistics show us that more people in our part of the world succumb to the disease as compared to others elsewhere,” she said.

    Dr Dedey said it was a well-established fact that the early detection of breast cancer and effective treatment resulted in good outcomes and saved lives but unfortunately, ‘we lose many of our women to the disease because the diagnosis is either made too late or treatment is started late or at times not completed due to several reasons.’

    Source: GNA

  • Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp lauds Thomas Partey ahead of Arsenal clash

    Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has showed praises on Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey ahead of their Premier League match week nine encounter at the Emirates stadium on Sunday.

    The Ghanaian midfielder scored his first goal of the season for Arsenal in their 3-1 win over Tottenham in north London derby at home last Saturday.

    Partey, who has missed four games due to injury this season, including his side’s only defeat of the campaign so far at Old Trafford against Manchester United has made five appearances and scored one goal for Arsenal across all competitions this season.

    “He’s brought Xhaka back on track, everyone knew how Thomas Partey was when he was at Atletico, and now they’ve found a way how they want to defend,” Klopp said as quoted by SkySports.

    “They played a different line-up on Thursday but still with lots of quality; it’s a young team, a very exciting team and doing very well, which is well-deserved.”

  • Man, 24, remanded for alleged murder of 70-year-old farmer

    The Agona Swedru Magistrate Court has remanded a 24-year-old driver for allegedly killing Opanyin Kweku Oppong Abdulai, a 70-year-old cocoa farmer at Agona Abodom in the Central Region.

    The plea of the accused, Samuel Appiah, was not taken and would reappear in court on October 17.

    Prosecuting Sergeant Emmanuel Akunor told the court presided over Mr Isaac Apeatu that the accused resides at Ofankor, a suburb of Kasoa in the Central region.

    He said the complainant in the case was Madam Halifatu Abdulai, a daughter of the deceased based at Agona Abodom in the Agona West.

    The prosecution said the deceased owned a cocoa farm at Dapong, a village near Upper Bobikuma, and shared boundary with the accused father’s cocoa farm, of which the accused is the caretaker.

    He said about three weeks ago, the accused visited the village and a misunderstanding ensued between him and the deceased over missing cocoa beans that belonged to the deceased, which the accused was suspected of stealing.

    The prosecution said according to the complainant, she received a call on September 21, from her late father to come to him because he was afraid the accused might harm him due to the accused’s demeanour.

    The complainant later received another call from a nearby village that the deceased had gone missing, and that a search team highly suspected the accused arrested and handed him over to the Upper Bobikuma Police for investigation.

    The prosecution said while the search team continued with the search on September 22, the body of the late Opanyin Abdulai was found lying under a mango tree covered with timber slaps and was taken to the Swedru Government Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

    The prosecution said after intensive interrogations, the accused confessed killing the 70-year-old cocoa farmer for accusing him of stealing the cocoa beans.

    Source:ghaniantimes.com

  • American tourist demands to see Pope, destroys two ancient Vatican busts

    An American tourist has been arrested after he broke two ancient sculptures at the Vatican when he was told he couldn’t see Pope Francis.

    Per CNN via Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, the unnamed 50-something demanded to see Pope Francis when he visited the Museo Chiaramonti Vatican museum on Wednesday. When he was informed he couldn’t see the Pope, he flew into a fight of rage and broke one of the ancient Roman busts on display. During his attempt to escape the scene and the museum’s security, he knocked over a second sculpture. The two artworks, which are approximately 2,000 years old, have since been taken to an in-house workshop at the museum to assess the damage.

    “The busts were affixed to shelves with a nail but if you pull them down with force they will come off,” said the director of the press office for Vatican Museums. “He pulled down one and then the other and the guards came immediately and stopped him and consigned him to the Vatican police who brought him in for questioning. Around 5:30 p.m. he was handed over to the Italian authorities.”

    While the two busts have been damaged, the director added that they didn’t suffer too much damage. “One lost part of a nose and an ear, the head of the other came off the pedestal,” he said, noting that restoration work has begun and “they will soon be restored and back at the museum.”

    Rome and the Vatican have long had to deal with disruptive tourists, and almost every year a story comes out about ancient artworks or structures suffering damage at the heads of travelers. Earlier this year, per The New York Post, a pair of American tourists were fined after they threw an electric scooter down Rome’s Spanish steps, causing over $26,000 in damages. Back in 2020, an Austrian tourist issued an apology after they broke off a few toes from an early 19th century statue he posed with in a photo.

    Source: Complex.com

  • Government consciously shielding main culprit in Bulgarian Embassy demolition – Ablakwa

    The North Tongu MP says government is deliberately not implementing the recommendation of the Sole Inquirer’s Report on the demolishing of the Bulgarian Embassy.

    According to Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, government is shielding the main culprit in the matter, as established in the report.

    He believes government must as a matter of urgency get the “chief perpetrator” arrested and made to pay for the cost, so the relationship between the two countries is not jeopardised.

    In a social media post on Thursday, he insisted that the accused is one Jojo Hagan.

    The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee thus cautioned the government not to use state funds to settle the debt caused.

    “Government has consciously refused to inform the Ghanaian public that the chief perpetrator of the illegal demolition as identified by the Sole Inquirer; one Albert Jojo Hagan has been on the run and could not be located by the Sole Inquirer.”

    Government consciously shielding main culprit in Bulgarian Embassy demolition - Ablakwa
    Demolished Bulgarian Embassy

    “So far, due to government’s seeming complicity in the mysterious Jojo Hagan disappearance narrative and their lack of interest in finding him, government has failed in keeping its pledge to the Bulgarians to secure compensation for the illegal demolition of their embassy, and their patience appears to be running out.”

    The Bulgarian Embassy, located at Kakramadu Road, Plot No. 10, East Cantonments in Accra, was partly demolished by a private developer in 2017.

    Government consciously shielding main culprit in Bulgarian Embassy demolition - Ablakwa
    Demolished Bulgarian Embassy

    The Bulgarian Ambassador to Ghana and Nigeria, Yanko Yordanov, then accused the Ghanaian government of breaching the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and warned of far-reaching implications on diplomatic relationships with Ghana.

    Government consciously shielding main culprit in Bulgarian Embassy demolition - Ablakwa
    Demolished Bulgarian Embassy

    The government commissioned an inquiry into the matter, which recommended sanctions against the supposed private developer who caused the destruction of the Embassy’s building.

    The developer has also been directed to pay compensation to affected persons.

    The private developer, Jojo Hagan, is said to have taken over as the Executor of the Will of one Mr. Leighton and vested the property in the named beneficiaries of the Will while pursuing the cases in court.

    He also obtained judgment for the eviction of the occupants whom he described as trespassers, and an order to demolish the property which he described as unfit for human habitation, at the Circuit Court, Accra.

    The inquiry found that the eviction and demolition did not follow due process.

    Source: Myjoyonline

     

  • Don’t accept interference – Ex-GFA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi tells Black Stars coach Otto Addo

    Former Ghana Football Association [GFA] president, Kwesi Nyantakyi has urged Otto Addo to resign if his job as the Black Stars coach is interfered with.

    Addo has signed a one-year deal having masterminded Ghana’s qualification to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

    The Borussia Dortmund assistant coach is expected to lead the team to the Mundial later in November.

    However, Mr. Nyantakyi who led the country to three consecutive Fifa World Cups has urged Addo to be firm.

    According to him, the former Ghana international should leave his role if his job is being interfered with.

    “He should work as a professional and shouldn’t allow anyone to tell him what to do,” he told King TV.

    “If he can’t do that, then it’s better he resigns from the task ahead,” he added.

    Meanwhile, at the World Cup in Qatar, Ghana who have been housed in Group H will open their campaign against Portugal on November 24 at Stadium 974 in Doha.

    Four days later, the Black Stars return to action with a clash with South Korea at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan.

    Ghana will wrap up their group stage adventure with their much-anticipated encounter with Uruguay at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah.

    Addo took over the Black Stars job after Milovan Rajevac was shown the exit after Ghana’s poor performance at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] in Cameroon.

    Source: Footballghana

  • Foreigner who attempted bribing police after wrongful U-turn fined

    A Ukrainian national who attempted to bribe a police officer has been convicted and fined a sum of GHÂą2400.

    The Ukrainian, Serhri Kovtun, made an illegal U-turn on the Accra Tema motorway on October 5, 2022, at the Community 18 junction when he was intercepted by Citi TV’s War Against Indiscipline campaign team.

    Upon his arrest, he offered GHÂą400 to the police, which was used as evidence against him in court.

    The La Motor court after assessing the video evidence presented by prosecutors found the accused person guilty.

    He was slapped with five counts of offences which included attempted bribery of a police officer, obstructing traffic, and wrongful U-turn amongst others.

    His vehicle was also impounded at the Airport police station.

    Source:citinewsroom.com

  • Lab professionals unhappy with decision to place them under public private partnership

    The Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ Union (MELPWU) of Ghana has called on the government to suspend a decision to place the services of the medical laboratory profession under public-private-partnership (PPP).

    The Union says it is the known that government has begun processes to place the services of Medical laboratory professionals under public-private partnership.

    According to the union, the arrangement which is new has no service provider within the health sector currently under it.

    Speaking at the annual general meeting of the union in the Ashanti Region, the General Secretary of the Medical Laboratory Scientists, Cephas Kofi Akortor, called on the government and the Ministry of Health to “put the decision on hold.”

    The group wants government to “engage in a broader stakeholder consultation in order to ensure it is in the interest of the public.”

    Source:citinewsroom.com

     

  • Pierre Poilievre’s YouTube channel hid misogynistic tags in videos

    Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre’s official YouTube channel hid misogynistic tags in its videos dating back to 2018, according to an investigation by Global News.

    Global News found that Poilievre’s channel had used it in 50 of its most recent videos. The tag in question, #mgtow, is an acronym for “Men Going Their Own Way,” an anti-feminist, misogynistic community that mainly exists online and is often used by the involuntary celibate or “incel” community.

    The tag wasn’t visible to the videos’ viewers but was to the videos’ publisher. Global News verified the use of the tag using publicly-available software and by checking the video’s source code.

    Poilievre’s team claimed they were unaware of the tag.

    “The embedded tags were immediately removed once his office became aware of them. Obviously, Mr. Poilievre condemns misogyny and all forms of online hate,” explained spokesperson Sam Lilly in a statement to Global News.

    They have since erased the tag from all of Poilievre’s videos.

    In question period, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on Poilievre to take responsibility and apologize.

    “The Conservative leader has been purposefully using his videos to appeal to far-right, misogynistic online groups. These are anti-women movements and they have had devastating real-life consequences,” Trudeau said.

    Source: Complex.com

  • NDC has no moral right to criticize our galamsey fight – NPP

    The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has taken a swipe at the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) after the latter described its effort in fighting illegal mining in the country as a scam.

    The NPP Deputy Director of Communications, Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah in a statement said the NDC’s conduct is “like the pot calling the kettle black because their track record in the galamsey menace is horrible.”

    Mr. Owusu Bempah accused the NDC of enabling and festering galamsey when they had the opportunity to pull the plug.

    “We are talking about a party that shamelessly launched the Youth in Small Scale Mining programme in the Eastern Region, which apparently opened the floodgate for galamsey.”

    “Of course, the galamsey situation got so bad under Mahama in 2015, such that he had to hang his shame on the people of Kyebi, tagging the place as the headquarters of Galamsay in the country.”

    He further accused the NDC of enabling galamsey kingpin, Aisha Huang to thrive in Ghana.

    “For those that may have missed this; the erstwhile Mahama government issued an infinite resident permit to Aisha Huang.”

    “Precisely on 28th March 2015, Aisha Huang was given an indefinite resident permit to live here in perpetuity and to engage in her illegal activities. This happened under the Mahama administration. Meanwhile, she was unsuccessful in getting the permit during the President Kufour era.”

    “So you see, any dastardly attempt by the NDC to rationalize the political economy of galamsay must be roundedly condemned. It is beyond dispute that under John Mahama-led government, the national record of the deleterious impact of galamsay left a lot to be desired. It was simply unprecedented.”

    He explained that all the Akufo-Addo administration has been doing is simply managing a very bad situation as well as it can by the deft and relatively constructive application of the statutory laws of the land.

    The National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi while addressing a press conference in Accra on Thursday, October 6, 2022, said the President is not backing his efforts with action.

    He described the measures and strategies put in place by government to win the war against the illegality as a clear deception, alleging that some members of the NPP and government are behind galamsey in the country.

    Source:citinewsroom.com

  • Kanye fires back at Tremaine Emory: ‘This is the worst mistake of your life’

    Kanye West is reloading on Tremaine Emory.

    The polarizing creative took the shot via Instagram on Thursday, just days after Emory slammed Kanye over his behavior following the YZY Season 9 runway show in Paris. Kanye shared a box logo-inspired image that read “Tremendez,” declaring it as Emory’s new name.

    “Tremaine’s new name as the BLM officer at Supreme is Tremendez,” Kanye wrote in the caption. “
 You only got the job since you were Black and you used to work for me and you knew Virgil [Abloh].”

    Kanye went on to accuse Tremaine of having his girlfriend record him without his knowledge so he could then use the footage to threaten him “on behalf of your Virgil-killing bosses.”

    “You don’t have the money to make it out of this one alive,” Ye continued. “This is the worst mistake of your life. You broke my heart, Tremendez. I took you off the streets, Tremendez, only cause you was the struggle version of Virgil. You threatened me, Tremendez. I aaaaaam youuuuur conscious, Tremendez.”

    Kanye then called on “real skaters” and “real creatives” to use the “Tremendez” graphic on bootleg tees, and “sell it as a protest to talentless NPC scumbags who get jobs over you because corporations want to control the oppressed Black vote with struggle Virgils.”

    Source: Complex.com

  • Nana Ampadu’s music transcended Ghana’s borders – Nana Addo eulogises

    The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has paid a glowing tribute to the late legendary highlife musician, Nana Kwame Ampadu.

    Speaking at the funeral ceremony of Nana Ampadu held this morning at the forecourt of the State House in Accra, he highlighted the musician’s contribution to the music industry and how he impacted his [Akufo-Addo’s] political life.

    “Talk of the commencement and growth of highlife music, and one of the people whose names will be on [the lips of] most Ghanaians is Nana Kwame Ampadu. The outpouring of grief by many Ghanaians following the news of his death is in appreciation of the impact his music had on successive generations of Ghana”.

    “He was one of Ghana’s musical icons and undoubtedly a legendary highlife artiste whose music transcended our national borders.”

    The President spoke of how supportive the late Nana Ampadu was of his vision “for the transformation of Ghana.”

    “He assisted me tremendously on the campaign trail in the run-up to the victory of my party, the NPP, and the elections of 2016, for which we remain eternally grateful.”

    The President consoled the family and said the late highlife artiste will be “sorely missed by all who had the opportunity of knowing and meeting him.”

    The final part of the funeral rites will be held tomorrow at Obo Kwahu in the Eastern Region, where his remains will be taken for interment.

    Nana Kwame Ampadu passed on at the age of 76 on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, after he was admitted at the Intensive Care Unit of the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) in Accra.

    He is known for songs like Ebe Te Yie, Agatha, Obra, Oman Bo Adwo, among others.

    Source:citinewsroom.com

  • Trae Young on negative stigma around small guards: ‘Goofies only think that way’

    Four years into his career, Trae Young has already established himself as one of the most electrifying players in all of basketball. Already a two-time All-Star with an All-NBA selection under his belt, that statement isn’t hyperbolic… his game backs it up.

    With an unprecedented level of scoring and playmaking at the point guard position, Young has quickly climbed the ranks of the NBA’s best players and has resurrected the Atlanta Hawks from lottery team to two consecutive postseason appearances, including an Eastern Conference Finals run in 2021.

    Now, the next step for Young and the Hawks is potentially hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy to help cement his meteoric rise in the NBA. As his fifth season approaches, Young is unveiling his Trae Young 2 sneaker with Adidas.

    “My childhood dream was to have my own signature basketball shoe and it’s surreal to be announcing my second sneaker with Adidas,” Young said in a press release. “Through our partnership we aim to inspire future hoopers to dream big and to stay true to themselves. I hope that others can relate to my journey as an example of what is possible through the game.”

    With so much more in store for him on the horizon, he sat down with Complex to discuss having a sneaker under the same umbrella as superstars such as James Harden, Damian Lillard and Derrick Rose, chasing the greatest players to ever play, and his championship aspirations.

    Source: Complex.com

  • Biden to issue pardon for all Federal offenses of simple Marijuana possession

    President Biden announced pardons for thousands of people convicted of simple marijuana possession under federal law, the New York Times reports.

    Biden’s administration confirmed that approximately 6,500 people convicted of simple possession of marijuana from 1992 to 2021 would be pardoned. Thousands of others who received the same conviction in the District of Columbia will also receive pardons, with officials adding that Biden will encourage governors across the country to allow pardons for those convicted on state charges. In addition, his administration plans to review whether marijuana should still be considered a Class 1 drug, similar to harder substances like LSD and heroin.

    “As I’ve said before, no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana. Today, I’m taking steps to end our failed approach,” Biden’s official Twitter account wrote. “We classify marijuana at the same level as heroin—and more serious than fentanyl. It makes no sense.”

    Concluding the POTUS Twitter thread, Biden added, “Sending people to jail for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives – for conduct that is legal in many states. That’s before you address the clear racial disparities around prosecution and conviction. Today, we begin to right these wrongs.”

    Despite legalization in various states, either medically or re-creationally, marijuana is still illegal under federal law. Biden stressed that “important limitations on trafficking, marketing, and under-age sales should stay in place.” His announcements stopped short of decriminalization, something he said his administration would pursue in February 2021.

    Source: Complex.com

  • Ice Spice addresses Drake unfollowing her on Instagram

    Ice Spice says she has no hard feelings toward Drake.

    Earlier this year, Drizzy co-signed the up-and-coming NYC rapper and praised her breakout track “Munch (Feelin’ U).” Shortly after, Drake invited Ice Spice to OVO Fest 2022, where they were spotted hanging out together. Though it seemed like they were developing a solid friendship, fans immediately noticed Drake had abruptly unfollowed the 22-year-old on Instagram, leading some to believe there was some kind of beef.

    During an appearance on BET’s Rap City 22, Ice Spice spoke about meeting Drake and her experience in The 6ix.

    “So, when he first hit me up, I had just landed in LAX for my Munch Open Mic, right?” she told host DJ Blue Diamond (2:28). “And, he was like, ‘Yo, ‘Munch’ is hard. You’re On the Radar freestyle was hard.’ And, I was like, ‘Damn, like, can I post this with the release date? And, he was like, ‘Yeah, yeah.  Thanks for asking. Matter of fact, you should come to OVO Fest.’”

    Ice Spice said she flew out to Toronto the following day and joined Drake for the music event. She recalled the high energy within the stadium, and watching both Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne perform. She said the experience was “lit” and “like a movie,” suggesting she left the city on good terms with Drake.

    Blue Diamond then pressed Ice Spice about the unfollow and asked if she could spill the tea.

    “He did [unfollow],” she admitted. “I don’t know why though.”

    “Shame on you, Drake. Shame on you,” the host responded. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

    “It’s OK,” Ice Spice said. “It’s all love.”

    Source: Complex.com

  • Gary Nimako named NPP’s Director of Legal Affairs

    The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has appointed Gary Nimako, a lawyer, as its first Director of Legal Affairs.

    This is the first time the party is creating a Legal Directorate since its formation.

    The Directorate will be responsible for advising the General Secretary of the party in the performance of his functions on legal matters affecting the party, including members of the party and ancillary matters of legal nature in the day-to-day administration of the party.

    He is also expected to coordinate all legal cases for and against the party and defend the party in court.

    Mr. Nimako will work closely with the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee of the party.

    Prior to his appointment, Gary Nimako was a long-standing Member of the NPP Legal Team, and has been instrumental in the conduct of the party’s cases in court, including the various parliamentary election petitions.

    He has also served as a Member of the Constitutional and Legal Committee of the Party’s National Council.

    Source:citinews.com

  • One dead in Tetegu floods

    A 55-year-old man has died in the Tetegu floods. His body was retrieved from the receded flood waters on Thursday.

    Addi Kwashie who was a truck pusher was found in his room trapped between his bed and sofa.

    According to the Daily Graphic, the man had not been spotted since the flooding.

    Residents reported to the Police who help in retrieving the body, which has now been deposited at the morgue.

    Meanwhile, the residents who were displaced as a result of the flood have begun returning home.

    The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has assured them that it is safe for them to go back.

    However, it has cautioned that there could be further flooding if appropriate measures are not put in place since the water company is still having to spill water.

    The residents have had to deal with days of flooding with schools, hospitals and other public service institutions down while several persons have been displaced.

    Currently, they counting their losses due to the extent of devastation caused by the unfortunate incident.

    The recession of the flood waters could be attributed to the opening of the Weija estuary and the reduction in the volume of water from the Eastern Region into the Weija Dam.

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • Mase brings up Diddy’s mom in response to $3 million debt claim

    Following Diddy’s claims that Mase owes him $3 million, the latter has shared a scathing response in which he mentioned the Bad Boy founder’s mom.

    In a post shared on Instagram, Mase denied Diddy’s request for “receipts” on Wednesday and suggested that all his business dealings were put under Puff’s mother’s name, Janice Combs.

    “How dare this n***a talking about he want receipts?” Mase said in the clip. “Let’s start with your mother, n***a. Your mother got the receipts, n***a. Everything is in your mother’s name. That’s the one who’s got the receipts, n***a.”

    After mentioning Janice, Mase went on to reference former Bad Boy signees the Notorious B.I.G., Craig Mack, and Black Rob. He suggested Diddy also exploited those artists, all of whom have since passed away.

    “You need more proof, n***a? Big ain’t here so Big can’t give you no receipts, he dead. Craig Mack can’t give you receipts, he dead,” he said. “What are you talking about? Who else? Black Rob can’t give you receipts, he dead. And everybody else you made sign paperwork so they can’t talk about what I’m talking about. I’m the only one with guts! I’m not signing, n***a, ’cause I don’t need the money.”

    On Thursday, Mase shared another video addressing the situation.

    “Today, I wanted to talk to you,” he said in the clip below. “Yesterday you probably felt a certain way about the way I communicated, but I’m very unapologetic about the way I communicated ’cause I know what I said was right. Maybe you didn’t like the way I said it, but I know what I said was right. And I’m gonna tell you why. If the devil can use him aggressively, then I want you to know God could use me aggressively.”

    Mase asserted that Diddy and his crew have made an effort to “defame” him throughout the years. “He said something, and I refuted it,” he continued. “I dealt with him as aggressively as he has chosen to deal with me. 
 I went through every step on how to deal with him, I dealt with him biblically
 I went to him as a brother when things were not right.”

    He added that he’s ready for “all the smoke” Diddy has for him, and that “Puff can’t beat me at anything.”

    In his recent interview on the Breakfast Club, Diddy denied that he stole from Mase and suggested that the rapper owed him $3 million for an album he failed to deliver. “[It] has really tried to stain my legacy,” Diddy said. “I don’t like to get in just talking people’s business and things like that
 [but] I can’t have y’all following me, because I am here to be a leader and to give some direction, if you think that I’m a scumbag that will ever steal anything—My name is Diddy, Sean Combs, I never took nothing from nobody a day in my life. All I’ve ever given is opportunity and more money than a person was making.”

    He went on to say that he only did one album with Mase, which led him to question how much money he could actually owe him. “He became a fake pastor and went and conned people,” said Diddy. “And y’all gon’ let him throw dirt on the god’s name. Anybody can come and step up. Bring your receipts.”

    Source: Complex.com

  • Black Sherif reveals meaning behind maiden album name

    Arguably the man of the moment, Ghanaian musician Mohammed Ismail Sherif, also known as Black Sherif, has revealed why his debut album is named ‘The Villain I Never Was’.

    To Apple Music 1 radio station’s Dadaboy Ehiz and via FaceTime, he explained the title of the album captures the constant battle with the world and people around him, the battle within himself and the perception he and others hold of him as a result.

    “We as individuals are all connected in some way, and some way somehow we are all fighting different battles – internal, external – and with me, everything I’ve learned or say are more like experiences, things I’ve seen or things I’ve seen people go through,” he said.

    “With my life, I feel like [a mess], bro,” he revealed.

    “I feel like I’m fighting myself, and I’m a human, I need to feel like that sometimes. It shouldn’t always be up up,” Sherif explained further.

    “All of the times I’m the villain – in my story, in people’s story – everywhere I’m the villain, but when I sit and think about it I know “Nah bro, I don’t just wake up to be a villain,” he reasoned.

    “I’m fighting for my life, I’m trying to make sense, I’m trying to be a better person so I really wasn’t the villain that people paint me to be or that myself is telling me. I’m not the villain,” the ‘Kwaku the Traveller’ hitmaker argued.

    The RBA and EMPIRE artiste also spoke on why he avoided collaborations on the album.

    On the 14-track album released yesterday, Thursday, 6 October, 2022, the only collaboration is the 11-month-old ‘Second Sermon’ featuring Nigeria’s Burna Boy.

    “I really needed to know myself and explore everything in me before I can start sharing out for people to help me tell my story,” the rapper said.

    “Music for me has always been very personal, like a safe haven for me to talk my insecurities, things I can’t say outside, so to get someone on a record with me, I just feel like they can’t help me tell my story” he clarified.

    “That’s why I went real solo on the album – you know the ‘Second Sermon (Remix)’ with Burna was the only feature on this album. I want people to know my perspectives on life, to actually brief them on what I know, what I’ve seen, what I believe in and how I’m doing,” the artiste nicknamed Blacko added and made a promise: “But soon, collaborations are gonna come, trust me.”

    Initially advertised as an extended play (EP), the rapper said this of the surprise long play (LP):

    “First thing I’ll say, [the energy] is 100 [per cent] but I was more introspective on this album. I went deeper, I talked about my perspectives on love and things, my experiences. I talked about my external battles, my internal ones, how I cope and how I’m doing.”

    Source:ghanaweb.com

  • Toronto rapper Tobi releases single “Flowers” from forthcoming album

    Toronto rapper Tobi is getting ready to follow up his 2021 Juno Award-winning Elements, Vol. 1. First there was “Before We Panic,” and now there’s “Flowers,” the first single from his upcoming album.

    Singing over a soulful instrumental and calming vocal sample, Tobi raps about his time in therapy, helping his friends through tough times, and, of course, giving people their flowers before it’s too late.

    “20 minutes left with this therapist / Telling her the truth and I’m just hoping that she hearing it / I changed the game cuz this game here not all fair / Brought my dogs out from the rain cause ain’t no one care,” Tobi raps.

    “This is one of my favorite songs I’ve done. The definition of unapologetic soul music,” said Tobi in a statement. “I wanted to tell a story of what it meant to be a man, growing and learning and dealing with my vices. Protecting my peace, while navigating the challenges of life. This song is a turning point in my mental journey. Addressing fears, seeking therapy, paying homage to those who are living
 it’s a lot to unpack in the verses, but at the end of the day it feels so good to be alive and creating and I’m grateful for every moment.”

    Since Tobi took home the Juno Award in 2021, he’s since appeared on COLORS where he initially performed “Flowers.” His song “Move” was also featured in the Netflix movie Do Revenge.

    No word yet on the next album’s name or release date, only that it’s “coming soon.”

    Source: Complex.com

  • Right Said Fred call BeyoncĂ© ‘such an arrogant person’ for interpolating “I’m too sexy” without approaching them

    Right Said Fred aren’t completely happy with how Beyoncé went about interpolating their 1991 hit song “I’m Too Sexy” on her Renaissance standout track “Alien Superstar.”

    The Sun caught up with members Fred and Richard Fairbrass at the 2022 Broadcast Music Inc. Awards in London, where they discussed Bey tapping into their work without touching base about it beforehand.

    “Normally the artist approaches us but Beyoncé didn’t because she is such an arrogant person,” Right Said Fred told the UK tabloi. “She just had probably thought ‘come and get me,’ so we heard about it after the fact, when you did.”

    The two added, “Everyone else, Drake and Taylor Swift, they came to us.” Drizzy took the hook on “I’m Too Sexy” for last year’s “Way 2 Sexy,” while Taylor interpolated the same track on “Look What You Made Me Do.”

    Right Said Fred dismissed any notion that this situation could eventually turn into a legal matter. “We’re delighted BeyoncĂ© is using our melody, a simple ‘please’ or ‘may I’ would have been nice,” the Fairbrass brothers wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.

    We’re delighted BeyoncĂ© is using our melody, a simple ‘please’ or ‘may I’ would have been nice.

    — Right Said Fred (@TheFreds) October 5, 2022

    Right Said Fred didn’t bring up this issue months ago, when they seemed proud to share the news that they scored a writing credit on Renaissance.

    Writing credits with Taylor Swift, Drake and now BeyoncĂ©, not bad for 2 blokes that haven’t been play-listed in the UK for over 25 years 😂 Beyonce has surprise collaboration with Right Said Fred on new album, Renaissance – Mirror Online https://t.co/Ax1jGxrf5i

    — Right Said Fred (@TheFreds) July 28, 2022

    Shortly after that, they testily clarified, “99.9% of journalists know f**k all about music and the most basic terminology. Irrespective of what has been written. The song usage with Taylor Swift, Drake and BeyoncĂ© does not involve samples of our songs. The usage is all related to publishing, ie: the songwriting.”

    An interpolation of “Milkshake” by Kelis was removed from album cut “Energy” in August after she accused Beyoncé of theft on Instagram. In response to a comment suggesting Bey’s song is “a collab the world really needs,” Kelis fired back, “It’s not a collab it’s theft.”

    Source: Complex.com