TIG Post

Author: Chris Kodo

  • Black Sherif unveils cover art for his debut album

    High-flying Ghanaian artiste, Black Sherif has unveiled the cover art for his much-anticipated debut album, titled, ‘ The Villain I Never Was’, slated for Thursday, October 6, 2022.

    This comes off after an impressive global charting year with singles like Second Sermon Remix, Kwaku The Traveller, and recently, Soja.

    The 20-year-old rapper is poised for action as his sound has been co-signed by several industry greats such as Timberland, DJ Khaled, Busta Rhymes, and Popcaan among others.

    Black Sherif in a tweet opined, ”It took me everything to give life to this body. The one thing in my life that I gave everything up for. There is life in this body, I hope it treats you well and speaks to you as I want it to.

    My debut album, “The Villain I Never Was”, is available in all stores on October 7, 2022.”

    Born and raised in Konongo, a small city in the Ashanti region of Ghana, his cult following is now spreading across the globe as the local and national scenes in his hometown make headlines around the world.

    Source:ghanaweb.com

  • Ghana has always been innovative and exciting when it comes to music – Rocky Dawuni

    Reggae musician, Rocky Dawuni has expressed his fondness for Ghana’s innovation and creative process when it comes to music.

    In an interview with Doreen Avio on Daybreak Hitz, he said when it comes to music, Africans, especially Ghanaians, have brought big sounds that are being used globally and in different genres.

    “Ghana has always been innovative and exciting when it comes to music, I mean our creative level has always been through the roof.

    “Not to say other parts of Africa don’t have creative going, but a lot of times, even big cultural innovation or sounds are usually introduced here.”

    The ‘Woara’ hitmaker also spoke about how the Afrobeats sound originates from Ghana, through the highlife sound which is now being played globally.

    “When you think highlife music and its impact on people like Fela Kuti, his afrobeat foundation is highlife, jazz and funk and that is what afrobeats is.”

    Afro Roots artists also added that hip-life has made an impact in African music and is being used in hip-hop sounds.

    He also added that Azonto started the afrobeats movements.

    “Then we also had azonto here which started the entire afrobeat movements.”

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • ‘Truth be one, always talk am as it is’ – Eno Barony

    Ghanaian female rapper, Eno Barony, has continued sharing life nuggets with her fans.

    Using her social media handles, she has in the last few days tweeted about suicide and about truth.

    In the September 29 post on truth, she tweeted: “Truth be One. Always talk am as it is. You try polish am small, It go turn lie.”

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by RAP GODDESS✨ (@eno_barony)

    She had in an earlier post advised netizens to take it easy with life when experiencing hardships.

    According to a tweet posted concurrently on Instagram, she noted that death would come for everyone so, people shouldn’t rush to end their lives.

    “Life is too short to commit suicide. BE PATIENT YOU WILL DIE #Okay,” she shared on September 29, 2022.

    Social media users have since engaged severally with her posts.

    One user said, “The strongest soldiers fight the hardest fights” while another said, “Be strong dear, no matter what is going through, everything is going to be fine one day.”

    Source:ghanaweb.com

  • GPHA’S Takoradi hospital health management system goes paperless

    The Takoradi hospital run by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority has eliminated paper use after a year of testing the Health Management System (HMS).

    The Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis has designated the GPHA hospital as the ideal healthcare center for specific healthcare requirements.

    The GPHA management’s strategy plan included the Health Management System (HMS) to further position the healthcare institution as a top-tier provider of healthcare services.

    The Human Resource Manager at the Port of Takoradi, Peter Amoo-Bediako at a ceremony said the GPHA hospital boasts of qualified health personnel in addition to the hospital being equipped with specialized medical equipment to provide quality healthcare services.

    The Head of Health Services, Dr. George Tawiah Tidakbi said the introduction of the HMS paperless system will help reduce material cost and improve turn-around-time for clientele.

    The Hospital Administrator, Dr. Ellen Naa Tettey said the HMS paperless system will help the hospital perform efficiently.

    According to Dr. Tettey this fact is attested to by clients who have praised how streamlined the hospital’s services have become.

    Selected personnel in the various sections of the hospital who were taken through skill training to be abreast with the HMS paperless system were awarded for their outstanding performance throughout the training period.

  • David Atanga sent off in KV Oostende’s defeat to Genk

    Ghana’s David Atanga was sent off for violent conduct in KV Oostende’s 2-1 defeat to Genk in the Belgium top flight on Saturday.

    The former Holstein Kiel came on in the 78th minute and returned to the dressing room in the final minutes of the game.

    Oostende’s Ambrose assisted Hornby to make it 1-0. Just before the half-hour, the inevitable Onuachu tapped a Preciado cross past goalkeeper Hubert to make it 1-1.

    The second half was mainly characterized by a fierce battle in midfield, with the search for opportunities. McGeehan had to leave the field after injury and was replaced by Rocha.

    In the 88th minute, Genk took the lead when Munoz assisted Hubert to make it 2-1. After a turbulent final phase and after the intervention of the VAR, the substitute David Atanga was sent off.

    Atanga joined KV Oostende in August 2021 on a three year deal.

    Source: Footballghana

  • How Akufo-Addo forced peers to watch Jay-Z, Beyonce perform at Global Citizen concert in 2018

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2018 caused his colleagues to sit through a Global Citizen Festival held in South Africa.

    The circumstances under which this happened was narrated by deputy Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts minister, Mark Okraku Mantey who was speaking on Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana programe.

    The 2018 concert took place at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, and was part of the Global Citizen group’s annual concert held in New York Central Park and concurrently in another major African city.

    The particular edition was also connected to the Mandela 100 celebration, so it had a number of African leaders in attendance.

    “At the time, most of the presidents were tired and so they wanted to find a way asking them to leave, but the host who is the South African president couldn’t leave until they get the other people to accept that they also wanted to leave.

    “So, they were unlucky that they spoke to President Akufo-Addo first and in the diplomatic way that is how they operate. ‘O Mr. President, would you want to leave?’

    “He says no, ‘I am waiting for Jay-Z and Beyonce.’ They were the headliners. So, the rest of the presidents have to wait, they couldn’t leave, that is the history to president Akufo-Addo’s visit to that event.

    “After the event, he showed interest, that he wouldn’t mind seeing this in Ghana,” this was how the organizers slated it for Ghana this year.

    The September 24, 2022 concert has, however, become the center of controversy after it emerged that the president was booed by a section of the crowd. It has led to political ‘football’ with the governing and opposition parties in the middle of the fight.

    The edition Akufo-Addo attended was held on Dec. 2, 2018, with performances from the likes of Beyoncé, JAY-Z, Sho Madjozi, Cassper Nyovest, Ed Sheeran, and many other incredible acts.

    Source:ghanaweb.com

  • The Royal Senchi Hotel relaunches recreational facilities

    The Royal Senchi Hotel has reopened its leisure facilities after many weeks of routine maintenance and specific fittings to increase its utility.

    This was disclosed by the hotel’s executive director at a ceremony held there to honor Ghanaian boxer Professor Azumah Nelson for his sporting achievements on behalf of his nation.

    The public can use the facilities, which include a cutting-edge multipurpose lawn tennis court and a driving range for golf practice.

    The retired boxer while at the hotel used the opportunity to tour the facilities and demonstrated his versatility at other sports.

    The Champ engaged his manager Yaw Sakyi Afari, as well as Akwamuhene, in a friendly symbolic play-off to mark the reopening.

    The sports amenities are complemented by the Dua Sports Bar with the three top terraces exclusively situated within the vicinity to serve guests’ refreshment needs.

    In-house guests have free access to the facilities whereas walk-in guests will need to pay to use them.

    The list of activities for recreation at the 4-star hotel also include river sports, cycling and many more to be added soon.

  • Customers can now buy prepaid credit from vending points – ECG

    The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has served notice to customers on its prepaid metering system that the issue with the 3rd party vending points has been resolved.

    The power distributor in a statement said, “customers can now purchase electricity credits from their nearest vending points, and all ECG District offices, including tomorrow Sunday, 2nd October 2022 from 9.00 am – 4.00 pm.”

    It further assured customers that it is “working assiduously to restore the Power App for an improved and seamless service provision.”

    Many ECG customers had for some days struggled to purchase credit on their prepaid meters, either by using the ECG App or from vending outlets.

    The situation left some affected customers stranded, while some businesses have also taken a hit.

    Following complaints from customers, ECG extended working hours at all district offices.

    Source: Citinews

     

  • ‘A day I will never forget’ – Daniel-Kofi Kyereh delighted to score first Bundesliga goal of the season

    Ghana forward Daniel-Kofi Kyereh is elated to bag his first goal of the season for Freiburg in their 2-1 win over Mainz 05 in the German Bundesliga on Saturday.

    The 26-year-old put up an impressive performance as he helped his side continue their winning streak after the international break.

    Only the worse goal difference prevented Freiburg from regaining the lead in the table that they had already held after the fifth matchday. Mainz, on the other hand, remained without a win for the third time in a row.

    https://www.facebook.com/100063831262323/posts/pfbid02FxoknJRJaXwKQnidi86VBo2S3WXZvpAeBsPBNJUGixUdSPsiHvrDrrbvwfHzznqbl/

    Freiburg took an early lead through Michael Gregoritsch in the 3rd minute of the game before Kofi Kyereh doubled their lead in the 37th minute to secure the three points for the Europa League participants.

    Aarón’s goal in the 52nd minute was not enough for Mainz to stage a late comeback.

    Kofi Kyereh, who featured for Ghana during the September friendlies has made 10 appearances for Freiburg across all competitions this season, scored one and provided one assist in the process.

    Source: footballghana

  • Black Panther’s Danai Gurira, Robin Roberts tour Accra on Good Morning America segment

    They were in Ghana for the historic 10th annual Global Citizen Festival on Saturday, September 14, but Black Panther actress Danai Gurira and TV show host Robin Roberts explored the country and its culture.

    The duo appeared on Good Morning American, which Ms Roberts co-anchor’s since 2005, to talk about their experiences in Ghana.

    Robin Roberts and Danai Gurira were seen in a tour bus exploring Ghana’s capital city.

    They later met the wife of the Vice President, Samira Bawumia at the Black Star Square.

    The GMA host also did a segment on Ghanaian fashion which especially delved deeper into the Kente cloth, its history and its impact.

    In another segment, Danai Gurira also talked about her experience in Ghana and how the Black Panther film has shaped the views and ideas people have had about Africa as a whole.

    Source:myjoyonline.com

  • GEPA targets US$2.8 billion annually from coconut exports

    As there is a rising global market for fruit, the Ghana Sale Promotion Authority (GEPA) has stated that it is targeting an annual revenue of US$2.8 billion from the export of semi-processed and processed coconut.

    At the second International Coconut Festival in Accra, Deputy CEO of GEPA Samuel Dentu said the Authority has given the coconut business priority over the past five years while speaking to dignitaries on behalf of GEPA CEO Dr. Afua Asabea Asare.

    “In 2017, GEPA started the coconut revitalization intervention with the obvious goal of reviving the at-the-time-ailing coconut business to increase the value chain’s supply capacity.
    Since then, the crop’s potential for profit has increased,” he stated.

    According to GEPA’s 2021 non-traditional export statistics, coconut raked in US$11.44million while coconut oil earned Ghana some US$6.99million. These figures represent an increase of 132 percent and 33 percent respectively over the 2020 figures.

    “With these potentials, our goal is to work toward achieving an annual revenue of US$2.8billion in the very near future,” Mr. Dentu indicated.

    Indeed, Indonesia and other countries in South-East Asia make revenues of more than US$3billion in coconut export yearly. Indonesia alone has almost 17 varieties of coconut for export.

    “This tells us that with more strategic aggression in promoting more derivatives of coconut, we can gain a lot more ground”, he said, adding, “GEPA’s collaborative effort with the African Coconut Group, the Trade Ministry, MoFA, Ghana EXIM Bank and the Tree Crops Development Authority has contributed to the growing gains of the sector.”

    The Minister of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, said coconut is one of the tree crops that the ministry is promoting under its Food and Agriculture Development Policy.

    He said the sector had been identified by government as a major driver of the economy into the next decades based on the economic potential of the crop – including food security, environmental protection and poverty alleviation.

    He indicated that growing interest in the health benefits of coconut and its value-added products has resulted in a growing demand for its consumption, alongside its various industrial uses.

    “Global emerging trends in the coconut industry point toward value addition, and taking advantage of this countries such as Indonesia, Philippines, India and others have either transformed or are transforming their economies through value addition to coconut,” he added.

    The Chairman of African Coconut Group, Davies Narh Korboe, expressed the Group’s continuous collaboration to stimulate trade and investment in the agri-food sector of Ghana in order to improve productivity and value as well as job creation.

    It is estimated that about 500,000 people are currently employed in the coconut value chain across the country.

    About the International Coconut Festival

    Organised by Africa Coconut Group in collaboration with GEPA, the event’s second edition was on the theme ‘Repositioning Ghana’s Coconut Sector for Accelerated Industrialisation’, and called on industry players to help promote and develop the coconut industry while making it a significant and reliable revenue source.

    With its maiden event in 2019, the festival’s objective is to bring investors from across the world to export coconut from Ghana.

    The event was characterised by exhibitions of high and low-level technologies in the coconut industry, business seminars, financial support platforms, networking, talks and field visits.

  • One-quarter of the elderly in Ghana are multidimensionally poor – GSS

    The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has revealed that the elderly population has increased almost 10 times in the past six decades from a little over 200,000 (213,477) in 1960 to almost 2 million (1,991,736) in 2021.

    GSS, in a statement to mark the International Day of Older Persons, shared its findings which reveal that the elderly population (60 years and above) comprises 861,830 (43.3%) males and 1,129,906 (56.7%) females.

    The report further indicates that 341,960 elderly persons are living alone, with 62,480 out of that number being 80 years and older.

    The findings also indicated that one out of every four (25.7%) elderly persons is multi-dimensionally poor, slightly lower than what prevails in the total population (29.9%).

    “The incidence of multidimensional poverty among the elderly ranges from 8.8% in the Greater Accra Region to 53.0% in the Savannah Region. A little over a third (37.5%) of the elderly population is employed – five in every 10 (50.0%) for the age group 60 to 69 years, about three in every 10 (28.6%) for the age group 70 to 79 years, and one in every 10 (10.7%) for the age group 80 years and older.”

    “Nine out of every 10 (90.1%) employed elderly persons are working in the private informal sector with eight out of every ten (80.0%) being self-employed without employees. Nationally, 395,693 older persons representing over half (53.2%) of the employed elderly population are in vulnerable employment.”

    GSS called for an assessment of Ghana’s preparedness to safeguard the well-being of the growing numbers of older persons in the country.

    Source: Citinews

  • Kuneli releases new single ‘Make I Know’

    From Ghana, sensational-talented singer-songwriter Kuneli is back with another signature blend of styles on her intense new single “Make I Know” after her recent single “Understand.

    She continues to emphatically braid the world of new aged Highlife, Afropop and Afrobeat and this is visible in her deliveries and presentations.

    Reminiscing from past love experiences and lessons learnt from them by the artist, her friends and surrounding.

    Kuneli shares, “We often stick through bad relationships, jobs, and so many other things well past their use-by dates just because at one point they made sense. We flood ourselves with the best memories and give nostalgia the upper hand. “Make I Know” is about having that dash of clarity. It’s about mustering up the courage to move on.”

    Kuneli acknowledges that letting go of the past can be challenging and that events that people found difficult can have a significant influence on their daily life, from their beliefs to the decisions they make.

    However she urges her devoted fans and new listeners to muster the courage of moving on and enjoying life in the moment.

    “Make I Know” was produced by SimpsOnDaBeat.

    Source:myjoyonline.com

  • This is not the time to withdraw E-Levy – Economist to government

    Dr. Joshua Bampo, a tax expert, has urged the government against reviewing the 1.5% levy on all electronic payments over GHC 100 each day.

    He believed that given the ongoing economic crisis and rising debt levels, it was not the appropriate moment for the government to change its taxation policies.

    His remark followed the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-press Atta’s conference declaration in Accra that the E-Levy program will be reviewed.

    The tax expert explained that the implementation of the E-Levy was done in order to increase revenue for the government and pay for the majority of the expenses included in the 2022 budget on TV3’s Ghana Tonight program.

    He pointed out that, “This will not be the right time for us to make a case for a withdrawal of the E-Levy. We all know where we are as a nation in terms of economic challenges we are facing, the E-Levy was part of our revenue budget in order to use to meet our budgeted expenses.”

    “If you look at our current budget, just financing of it is in debt and payment of public salaries, it takes a big chunk of that projected revenue…You are then left with almost little for capital projects that are needed to stimulate the economy and create job opportunities. So taking away or withdrawing E-Levy I don’t think it is something that should be considered at this point,” he added.

    It would be recalled that the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, hinted that government will soon review the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy).

    The proceeds from the E-Levy, he said, were woefully below projected numbers with only about 10% of the projected GH¢600 million monthly being realized.

    Speaking at a briefing in Accra on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, Ken Ofori-Atta said that the review of the E-Levy forms part of measures to help improve the government’s domestic revenue mobilisation.

    He added that the review will also rope in many Ghanaians in this tax policy.

  • North London is red – Thomas Partey declares

    Thomas Partey after helping Arsenal beat bitter rivals Spurs in the North London Derby on Saturday afternoon has declared that North London is red.

    Fans of both clubs consider the other to be their main rivals, and the derby is considered by many to be one of the most famous and fiercest derbies in the world.

    The midfielder for the Black Stars scored from outside the box with a stunning strike into the top right corner.

     

    This was his first league goal for Arsenal FC in the 2022–23 English Premier League season.

    After the game the 29-year-old took to Facebook to post pictures from the game with the caption: “North London is red”

    The 29-year-old has played five games in the league this season.

  • Ghana has always been innovative and exciting when it comes to music – Rocky Dawuni

    Reggae musician, Rocky Dawuni has expressed his fondness for Ghana’s innovation and creative process when it comes to music.

    In an interview with Doreen Avio on Daybreak Hitz, he said when it comes to music, Africans, especially Ghanaians, have brought big sounds that are being used globally and in different genres.

    “Ghana has always been innovative and exciting when it comes to music, I mean our creative level has always been through the roof.

    “Not to say other parts of Africa don’t have creative going, but a lot of times, even big cultural innovation or sounds are usually introduced here.”

    The ‘Woara’ hitmaker also spoke about how the Afrobeats sound originates from Ghana, through the highlife sound which is now being played globally.

    “When you think highlife music and its impact on people like Fela Kuti, his afrobeat foundation is highlife, jazz and funk and that is what afrobeats is.”

    Afro Roots artists also added that hip-life has made an impact in African music and is being used in hip-hop sounds.

    He also added that Azonto started the afrobeats movements.

    “Then we also had azonto here which started the entire afrobeat movements.”

    Source:myjoyonline.com

  • IMF deal: It’s impossible for government to meet December deadline – Economist

    Dr. Theo Acheampong, an economist, has predicted that the administration will not be able to reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) before the year is up.

    He blamed the impossibility of the December deadline to the nation’s mounting debt in the face of its economic difficulties.

    The economist asserted during an appearance on Citi TV’s Big Issues program, which GhanaWeb was watching, that the government must first restructure its debt before concluding the agreement with the Bretton Woods institution.

    Dr. Theo Acheampong argued that the time frame for this exercise was too short and that Ghana may realistically finalize its agreement with the IMF by the first quarter of 2023.

    “The most important thing is how to bring your creditors together to restructure the debt. That is what could potentially actually extend the duration of the engagement exercise and that then means that the December timelines that we were looking at to conclude the IMF deal may actually slip a little bit,” he said,

    “From where I sit, we only have barely three months to conclude all of this. [debt sustainability analysis] and given past experience, I struggle to see how we will conclude the debt sustainability analysis and then sit down with the creditors and agree on some sort of debt restructuring package and eventually goes to the IMF board for approval and the programme itself signed off. I think we are looking probably in about 6 months time period which may go into first quarter of next year,” the economist added.

    On September 5, 2022, the Managing Director of IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, stated that a deal between Ghana and the IMF should be reached and finalized before the end of the year.

    In a closed-door meeting with the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, IMF boss said, “we understand the urgency, and we will move as quickly as possible.”

    She reiterated the determination of the Fund to work with the Government of Ghana and ensure that there is an agreement before the end of the year.

    The IMF programme, government said, is aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability and safeguarding debt sustainability among many others.

    Meanwhile, Ghana is targeting an amount of $3 billion over three years from the IMF once an agreement on a programme is reached.

    The new amount requested as a loan is double the government’s initial target of $1.5 billion.

  • Green Ghana Project: Police probes tree seedlings found on a refuse dump site

    The Asante Mampong Divisional Police Command is investigating a case in which about 8,011 tree seedlings of various species were found dumped at a refuse site at Bosofuor, near Asante-Mampong.

    The seedlings were discovered on July 28, this year, by guards of the Asante-Mampong Forest district, during their routine checks to inspect trees planted at the Offin Headwaters Forest Reserve in the area.

    A total of 5,891 of the seedlings which were found to be in good condition after sorting, have since been planted by the forestry officials.

    Mr John Allotey, Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission told journalists during an inspection of the site where the incident occurred, that aside the police investigations, the Commission was also conducting its own investigations to know where the seedlings came from.

    Narrating the story, the District Forest Manager told the media that on the 28th of July this year, whilst some forest guards were on their routine checks to inspect trees that have been planted, they heard the sound of a truck that was moving close to the Offin Headwaters Forest Reserve.

    He said the guards decided to move towards the direction since they suspected illegal loggers in the forest reserve.

    Mr Allotey said while approaching the place, the truck moved away and when officers finally got to the site, they saw that some tree seedlings had been left at the refuse dump.

    Mr Allotey said the guards reported the matter to the district forest manager who then instructed the sorting of the seedlings since the guards had reported that some of them had gone bad.

    He said after the sorting, about 5,891 seedlings were found to be alive and the rest were casualties.

    He said the District Forest Manager lodged a complaint to the Ghana Police Service at Mampong.

    Mr Allotey explained that the seedlings could come from two sources.

    He said they could be seedlings which forms part of the Green Ghana planting project or seedlings which were part of private nurseries that have raised them hoping to sell to the Forestry Commission for the Green Ghana activities.

    He said the Commission had sent information to citizens in the area who might have seen the truck move away from the refuse dump to assist in the investigations.

    Mr Allotey said the Commission was also following up to check what had been planted by groups who secured bulk quantities of seedlings from the district to plant during the 2022 Green Ghana Day Programme.

    He said it was to ensure that the seedlings were planted and if there were shortfalls, the district would be able to confirm whether it might have come from the Green Ghana Project.

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • Black Sherif unveils cover art for his debut album

    High-flying Ghanaian artiste, Black Sherif has unveiled the cover art for his much-anticipated debut album, titled, ‘ The Villain I Never Was’, slated for Thursday, October 6, 2022.

    This comes off after an impressive global charting year with singles like Second Sermon Remix, Kwaku The Traveller, and recently, Soja.

    The 20-year-old rapper is poised for action as his sound has been co-signed by several industry greats such as Timberland, DJ Khaled, Busta Rhymes, and Popcaan among others.

    Black Sherif in a tweet opined, ”It took me everything to give life to this body. The one thing in my life that I gave everything up for. There is life in this body, I hope it treats you well and speaks to you as I want it to.

    My debut album, “The Villain I Never Was”, is available in all stores on October 7, 2022.”

    Born and raised in Konongo, a small city in the Ashanti region of Ghana, his cult following is now spreading across the globe as the local and national scenes in his hometown make headlines around the world.

  • External factors stripped off gains Nana Addo gov’t made in first 3yrs – Ahiagbah

    The Director of Communications of the New Patriotic Party, Richard Ahiagbah, has bemoaned how external factors like the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war have impeded the current administration’s development agenda.

    He thinks it will be unfair to assess government’s performance without taking these factors into consideration.

    “If we are having a conversation between 2017 and 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, no one would have predicted that we will someday find ourselves in this economy, considering the growth trajectory we were on.”

    “In the three years of our first four-year term, we were growing. And then in the fourth year, something happened. Our situation can be likened to a student, who had impressive grades in the first three years, and then fell sick in the final year, which affected his punctuality, and ultimately his academic performance in the final year. Would we say he was a bad student?”

    “This is the exact situation we, the NPP, find ourselves in. People are prejudiced in having this conversation. We need to compare our records with that of the NDC, and make a fair judgement.”

    He further accused some policy analysts of not being completely transparent to Ghanaians, but “picking and choosing the numbers or the parochial interests.”

    This, he believes, accounts for the negative perception most Ghanaians have of the government.

    “When the economy was picked up in 2016, they knew where the numbers were, but they are silent on it. Even now, we have posted first and second-quarter growth, but nobody is willing to talk about it, all they do is political advocacy and go around saying everything is bad. That is problematic, that, unfortunately, is what we have to contend with.”

    The NPP Director of Communications is however hopeful that government will revive the economy despite all the challenges.

    Source: Citinews

  • ‘Support MoFA towards robust food system’

    Stakeholders in the agriculture sector and beyond, have been urged to support the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), to sustain its efforts in building a robust food system for the country.

    According to the Deputy Director of the Ministry in charge of Finance and Administration, and Coordinator of the World Food Day (WFD) event, Gilbert Ampeh, food and good nutrition should be available to all.

    He made the call in Accra yesterday when the Amen Amen Institute, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), presented cash of GH¢10, 000 to the Ministry to support the celebration of the 43rd annual WFD.

    The WFD is celebrated annually on October 16 to promote global awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger and to highlight the need to ensure healthy diets for all.

    Designated by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO) in 1979, this year’s edition which falls on a Sunday would be celebrated on Friday, October 14 in Ghana.

    The Day would be marked with a flag-raising ceremony at Sogakope in the South Tongu district of the Volta Region, on the theme: “Leaving no one behind: Better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life.”

    MrAmpeh said over the years, tenet of the celebration had been poverty eradication  and that it was imperative for all and sundry to help ensure that everybody has a nutritious three-square meal.

    Having nutritional meals, he said, would help prevent ailment.

    Outlining activities scheduled for the celebration, MrAmpeh said, there would be radio discussions, radio drama, and a float to sensitise the public on good nutrition as well as a donation to the less privileged.

    In collaboration with the NGO, the WFP, and other partners, he said, would visit investment centres in the catchment areas which are into agriculture.

    Mr Ampeh commended the NGO, which is the UN’s partner in the celebration of the Day, for always supporting the event with a cash donation and food crops for distribution.

    The cash was presented by Nii Abbey Mensah, a committee representative of the Institute, and another staff, Daniel Reynolds; on behalf of the Institute’s Founding President, Amen Amenreynolds Amen.

    Mr Mensah said the donation was a show of the institute’s commitment towards  ensuring food security for the country and urged other stakeholders to support the Ministry.

    Aside from the donation of food crops for distribution, he said, it would also organise a float on October 8 in Accra from James Town Lighthouse Street to the Ministry.

    Source: GhanaianTimes

  • You can now purchase power from vendors near you – ECG tells customers

    According to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), clients can now purchase electricity from the closest vending machines.

    It stated that all difficulties with the third-party vending points have been overcome, allowing all parties, including residential users on its prepayment metering system, to make purchases from vendors.

    According to a press statement obtained by GhanaWeb, customers can now buy electricity credits at their local ECG district offices and vending machines, starting on October 2, 2022, from 9 am to 4 pm.

    The announcement follows a period of time during which some ECG customers were unable to purchase power credit for their prepaid meters.

    The technical challenge affected customers in 10 operational regional areas of the ECG in Volta, Kumasi, Accra, Takoradi, Tema, Cape Coast, Kasoa, Winneba, Swedru, Koforidua, Nkawkaw, and Tafo.

    Meanwhile, the ECG has assured customers of working assiduously to improve its service, as well as, restore the power App for smooth service provision.

  • $75 million petroleum revenue goes into Agenda 111 project – PIAC

    The Agenda 111 health project has received $75 million in government funding since 2021, according to the Public Interest Accountability Committee (PIAC).

    The Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) allocated US$49.4 million in 2021 and $25.6 million in the first half of 2022 for the payout.

    The Committee stated in its semi-annual report for the first half of 2022 on the management and usage of petroleum revenue that “PIAC is yet to obtain specific data of all disbursements.”

    PIAC observed that the project was decided during the first half of 2022 when there was no expenditure under the health component of the Physical Infrastructure and Service Delivery in Education and Health Priority Area during the period.

    “GIIF has indicated that it has been engaged by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to help ensure administrative and project management efficiencies as well as payment integrity throughout the process, especially for the 101 standard 60/100-bed district hospitals, ” the report noted.

    It was also highlighted that the GIIF had established a new ring-fenced subsidiary vehicle known as H-GIIF to execute the transaction and all payments to the contractors.

    PIAC has, therefore, recommended that government directed subsequent disbursements to GIIF intended for Agenda 111 to the Ministry of Health to support the Agenda 111 Project as an expenditure under Priority Areas.

    “This will enable GIIF focus on its core mandate of investing funds, including its Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) disbursements, in commercial infrastructural projects that would yield returns,” the report said.

    It has also advised the GIIF to focus the utilisation of its share of ABFA on viable investments in accordance with the GIIF Act, 2014 (Act 877) and policy guidelines of the Fund.

    The Agenda 111 project involves deliverables such as the designing, procuring, constructing, equipping and commissioning of 101 District Hospitals and six Regional Hospitals in the newly created regions.

    It also includes the establishment of one Regional Hospital in the Western Region, two Psychiatric Hospitals in Kumasi and Tamale and redevelopment of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital as well as rehabilitation of the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital.

    All the hospitals are expected to have staff accommodation for doctors, nurses and other health workers.

  • NDC’s contribution to Ghana’s development unmatched – Aseidu Nketiah

    The National Democratic Congress (NDC) contends that the party’s contribution to the development and stability of the country is unmatched.

    The party arguably is the longest-serving government in the history of Ghana, and its leadership says the history of the country cannot be well captured without the mention of it.

    These were said at the launch of the Administrative history book of the NDC in Tamale in the Northern Region.

    The General Secretary of the party, Mr. Johnson Aseidu Nketiah, speaking at the launch outlined why it is important for the party to document its own history.

    “The purpose of writing history is to gather our current knowledge and transfer it to the future generations and to make sure where we made mistakes they will do better and write it successfully so that society can progress. We think that the history of Ghana will not be complete if we do not consciously write about the National Democratic Congress.”

    ”The contribution of the NDC towards the sociopolitical and economic development of this country can never be wished away. Indeed, it is so enormous that Ghana’s history would not be complete without adding what the NDC has done”.

    Touching on the content of the book, the General Secretary said it is the NDC that brought the threshold on the political and economic stability in the country.

    “The NDC moved the economy into positive growth and since then the GDP growth of the country has never gone back into negative growth again, we established that threshold of Economic and political stability of the country”.

    On her part, the former running mate of the NDC, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang said that just as the issue of the founder of the country has been manipulated, it is important for the party to document its own history to avoid any misrepresentation.

    “You tell your story so that nobody uses an apostrophe to change the hard-won reputation of others so that the founder which is singular does not become founders’ plural”.

    The National Chairman of the party Mr. Samuel Ampofo underscored the party’s contribution to the development of the country.

    He said the contribution of the party to the history of Ghana is unmatched.

    “Launching the book that talks about the Administrative history of the NDC have come at a very tightening opportunity, especially at the time that the party is celebrating its 30th milestone and this is the icing on the coke for the celebration of 30 years of progressive contribution of our party towards the socio-economic development of our country. It is, therefore, necessary for us to know where we have come from, where we are today and where we are going in future.”

    ”If we are to compare the performance of the NDC and the NPP for the past 30 years since we ushered into Democratic dispensation, the NDC has done far more than any other political parties in the history of this country. The performance of NDC is unmatched, if the history of Ghana is to be written”.

    Alhaji Hudu Yahaya intimated that it is the NDC that brought development to the northern sector and that if history is not told, some people will one-day claim credit for things that they have not done.

    “A lot has been achieved for the country by the NDC and if it is not recorded, it would be lost. When you tell a lot of the youth in Tamale that in secondary schools, law and order broke down in Tamale that we used to have blackouts, and examination results became very poor because there was no power. It was the PNDC that brought Akosombo to the Northern sector in Tamale in 1991. It is NDC that brought development to the North”.

    One of the authors of the book, Albert Tanbot the General secretary of the party’s school Alumni Association, said it is their contribution towards ensuring the victory of the party in the next election.

    “The current situation we have found ourselves in, we have taken it upon ourselves to use the academic arm to support the party to achieve its aim of winning 2024 elections.”

    ”The coming election is an election of all hands on desk. We are leaving no stone unturned to make sure come 2024, the NDC comes back to power and by getting that opportunity we need to use it to empower our base”.

  • OccupyGhana pens letter to Lands Minister: Enforce the law against Akonta Mining Ltd.

    OccupyGhana, a pressure organization, has expressed surprise at the Lands and Natural Resources Minister‘s order to the Forestry Commission to stop Akonta Mining Limited’s operations for allegedly mining without a lease.

    In a letter to the Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, OccupyGhana claims that his direction is insufficient because the mining laws are clear about the consequences for violating companies and their officials.

    The group wants the Minister to refer the facts and evidence available to him that show that Akonta Mining is operating in breach of the law, and which formed the basis for the directive, to the police and the Attorney-General for further investigation and prosecution of the company and its directors and officers.

    Below is the letter by OccupyGhana.

    30 September 2022

    The Minister
    Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources
    Accra

    Attention: Samuel Abu Jinapor, MP

    Re: Minister Directs Forestry Commission to Halt Akonta Mining Limited’s Operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve

    Just two days ago, on 28 September 2022, we wrote an open letter to the President to ‘ensure that the law, namely the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended, is enforced without fear and favour and irrespective of whose ox is gored.’ Today, we have seen a Press Release from your Ministry, stating that you have directed the Forestry Commission to halt the mining operations of a company called Akonta Mining Limited in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve. You state that the basis for this directive is that the said company is undertaking the mining operations without a mining lease (we have attached a copy of your Press Release to this letter, for ease of reference.)

    While congratulating you on this step, we would be taken aback if that was all you did. If the company is engaged in the activities that you have alleged, then it is committing an offence that is punishable by fines and prison terms between 15 and 25 years. Specifically, section 99(2)(a) of Act 703 provides that:

    ‘A person who, without a licence granted by the Minister, undertakes a mining operation contrary to a provision of this Act, … commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than ten thousand penalty units and not more than fifteen thousand penalty units and to a term of imprisonment of not less than fifteen years and not more than twenty-five years.’

    The company’s directors and officers would also be culpable because under section 107(1)(a) of Act 703,

    ‘Where an offence is committed under this Act or under Regulations made under this Act by a body of persons, in the case of a body corporate …, each director or an officer of the body shall also be considered to have committed the offence.’

    We therefore demand that you forthwith refer the facts and evidence in your possession that show that the said mining company is undertaking mining operations in breach of the Act, to the police and the Attorney-General for further investigations and prosecution of the company and its directors and officers.

    We are copying the Attorney-General, Inspector-General of Police, Minerals Commission, and Forestry Commission on this letter and demanding that they take immediate steps to enforce the law.

    Yours in the service of God and Country

    OccupyGhana

    Attorney-General & Minister of Justice
    Office of the Attorney-General & Ministry of Justice
    Accra

    The Inspector-General of Police
    Police Headquarters
    Accra

    The Chief Executive
    Minerals Commission
    Accra

    The Chief Executive
    Forestry Commission
    Accra

    All Media Houses

  • Let’s do more to empower women – UNDP

    Dr. Angela Lusigi, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Ghana, has called for the socio-economic empowerment of women to become self-reliant.

    She said if women become economically independent, it would position the country to push economic growth and facilitate accelerated national development.
    “Women are bread-winners of the home, and it is prudent to empower them through the use of modern technologies to enable them to build on what they do”,
    Dr. Lusigi stated, when she addressed a durbar of women farmers and processors at Ayorya in the Kintampo South District of the Bono East Region.

     

    The women are mostly engaged in local food processing, including groundnut oil and groundnut paste Dr. Lusigi indicated “women are developers, and we need to link them to modern
    technologies to enable them to improve on their productivity in business”, saying, “trends are changing around the globe, and we must put women on the modern scale of production”.

    After inspecting a groundnuts oil and paste processing factory constructed by the UNDP for the women at Ayorya, Dr. Lusigi said she was optimistic that the beneficiaries would work hard to improve productivity and enhance their socio-economic lives.

    The facility, inaugurated in June this year, has a total production capacity of 200 metric tons of groundnut paste and oil on a monthly basis.
    According to Dr. Lusigi, the facility would benefit more than 300 women in the local communities and urged the farmers to produce more to feed the factory.
    Madam Hannah Chiama, the President for the Ayorya Women Association, expressed gratitude to the UNDP for economically empowering the women in the area, saying the association had initiated a Village Savings and Loans programme to support themselves.

    Source: GNA

  • Customers can purchase power from vending points, company still working to restore app – ECG

    The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) says it has resolved challenges encountered by third-party vending points.

    The company is therefore urging customers facing challenges related to the pre-payment metering system to utilise the third-party vendors to purchase electricity credits.

    The ECG in a statement on Saturday, October 1, 2022, said its District offices will remain open on Sunday, October 2, 2022, from 9.00am – 4.00pm. to attend to customers.

    The statement said ECG was also working assiduously to restore the Power App for an improved and seamless service provision.

    Read the entire statement below;

  • There is evidence to show some NPP top officials are into illegal mining – John Jinapor

    The Deputy Ranking Member on the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, John Jinapor, has called on the government to show commitment to the fight against illegal mining by prosecuting bigwigs involved in the activities.

    According to him, there is evidence to prove that some people in the governing NPP are involved in galamsey which is degrading lands and water bodies in the country.

    Speaking on Newsfile, John Jinapor said that “if they go arresting the small fishes while their men are blatantly disregarding the law and moving into forest reserves and degrading the forest, they’re sending the wrong signal.“

    “The only way to deal with it is for the President to show leadership, by going after his people. There is ample evidence to suggest and to confirm that some top hierarchy within the NPP are engaged in this illegal activity,” he added.

    Using Akonta Mining Limited as an example, the ranking member questioned how the company owned by NPP’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, Wontumi obtained a prospecting license that expires in 2035.

    “The law says that you can’t renew a license beyond three years and when you do, it says that the land size ought to be reduced going forward. So, how come Wontumi is able to acquire a prospecting license that expires in 2035? There are a lot of them out there,” Mr Jinapor said.

    In the Akonta Mining Limited case, he stated that the mining firm breached the laws when it moved its activities into the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Amenfi West Municipality in the Western Region.

    “So clearly there is some blatant disregard for the law by some people who feel untouchable,” he added.

    Mr Jinapor charged the government to demonstrate their commitment to dealing with the menace of illegal mining.

    “The President himself said he is putting his job on the line, nobody compelled him, the result so far has been very appalling for me, the President  hasn’t achieved anything significant.”

    Meanwhile, the Lands Ministry has directed Akonta Mining Limited to stop operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest.

    In a statement issued on September 30, the Ministry said even though Akonta Mining Limited has a mining lease to undertake mining operations in some parts of Samreboi, outside the Forest Reserve, “the company has no mineral right to undertake any mining operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve”.

    The statement said the sector minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has therefore directed the Forestry Ministry to, “forthwith, ensure that the company does not carry out any operation in the Forest and to take the necessary action against any person found culpable in this matter”.

    The directive came after two persons sustained gunshot wounds at the Akonta Mining firm in Samreboi in the Western Region.

    This happened after a section of the youth reportedly prevented personnel of Akonta Mining Limited from sending more mining equipment into the Tano Nimri Forest reserve on Thursday.

    The company is said to have been mining in the reserve despite a declaration by the government that it has not granted any entry permit into the forest reserve.

    But, OccupyGhana is asking the Lands Ministry to go a step beyond merely directing Akonta Mining Limited to halt operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest in the Western Region.

    According to the pressure group, the ministry must invite the security agencies and the Attorney General into the fray by furnishing them with the information needed to ensure that perpetrators are punished.

    “We therefore demand that you forthwith refer the facts and evidence in your possession that show that the said mining company is undertaking mining operations in breach of the Act, to the police and the Attorney-General for further investigations and prosecution of the company and its directors and officers.”

    Source: Myjoyonline

     

  • Accra Climate Finance Facility launched

    The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and C40, a global network of mayors dedicated to tackling climate change, on Tuesday launched the Accra Climate Finance Facility (CFF) project dubbed “Solid Waste Source Separation and Community Compost Mission” to combat climate change in Accra.

    Funded by the C40’s CFF and instigated by the five-year Accra Climate Action Plan (CAP 2020-2025) the project would be piloted in three low-income communities in the metropolis by implementing the waste management model to manage solid and liquid waste related activities in the selected communities.

    In the process, data would be collected on the piloting, waste management approaches, policies and assembly bye-laws for the scaling up of the project to other municipal assemblies.

    As part of the project a mechanical biological treatment facility would also be constructed.

    Speaking at the event, the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah, noted that climate change was leaving a devastating effect all over the world, calling it “a serious matter that needed all the efforts and funding that could be secured.

    ”

    He said the project would embark on support for landfills as well as recycling, composting and waste reuse describing the measure as an intensified effort against climate change which was required in the nation’s rapidly growing capital.

    He highlighted programmes such as the Local Climate Adaptive Living Project (LoCAL), Green Enterprise and Employment Opportunities in Ghana (Green) and the Gulf of guinea social cohesion project as some of the projects the ministry was undertaking to militate against the threat of climate change.

    Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of Accra, Elizabeth Sackey said the project was a means to build a sustainable circular waste management approach to address waste issues in Accra.

    “When I assumed office last year, I was overwhelmed by the level of filth that had engulfed the city of Accra and the efforts being made by stakeholders to rid the city of such waste. Several efforts have been made but still more is desired,” she intimated.

    She named the approach as one that would be people-centred and an inclusive clean energy transition that left no one behind.  She added that the programme would be extended to neighbouring assemblies as well as meeting the demands of the feed-stock and compost plant.

    African Regional Director for C40 cities, Hastings Chikoko underscoring the importance of the project, alluded that 44 per cent of Accra’s emissions were generated by the waste sector.

    He added that the project would reduce open burning and waste dumping which he termed as big challenges to combating climate change while improving coverage of waste collection systems consequently upgrading hygienic conditions in low income communities.

    Source: GhanaianTimes

  • High Court hears criminal case against Yaw Adu Gyamfi October 12

    The Chief Executive Officer of Danadams Pharmaceuticals Industry (Ghana) Ltd, Dr. Yaw Adu-Gyamfi, is accused of issuing fake documents, defrauding by false pretenses, and money laundering. The case will be heard by the High Court’s Criminal Division on October 12, 2022.

    The accusations stem from a credit facility Dr. Adu-Gyamfi and his business received from the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) in 2013.

    Dr. Adu-Gyamfi has acknowledged that he broke the loan’s terms, but he has denied the criminal charges against him and said that they are a premeditated effort to harm his name.

    The bank in a related civil case, appear set to execute a Fi Fa order granted it by the High Court, Commercial Division against Danadams and its CEO, which action may see the former President of the Association of Ghana Industries lose properties including the Danpong Medical Centre and Head Office of Danpong Health Group located at the Spintex Road and at Baatsona near Tema, which were allegedly used as mortgages to partly secure the said loan.

    Court documents on the matter indicate that EBID approved a loan facility of US$9,417,600.00, to Danadams in May 2013, to enable the company produce anti-retrovirus drugs for HIV/AIDS patients in the ECOWAS region.

    Under the terms of the facility, Danadams was required to open an escrow account with a reputable bank in Ghana to be funded with an agreed amount as a condition precedent for EBID’s disbursement of the facility.

    Dr. Adu Gyamfi allegedly subsequently submitted a letter purported to have been issued by the Royal Bank of Ghana, advising EBID of the opening of the escrow account and the funding of same with an amount of US$340,000.00.

    EBID, based on the claims and other alleged representations by Danadams and its CEO, consequently disbursed part of the loan facility to Danadams amounting to the sum of $6,020,840.00.

    However, a further probe by EBID of the letter allegedly submitted by Dr. Adu Gyamfi found it was forged, as The Royal Bank only acknowledged opening the escrow account upon Dr. Adu-Gyamfi’s request, but denied any knowledge of the account being funded or the letter allegedly making that claim.

    EBID also claims that its further probe showed that the disbursed loan was misapplied, allegedly, contrary to the terms of the facility.

    Meanwhile, EBID said its persistent calls on Dr. Adu-Gyamfi and Danadams to repay the loan fell on deaf ears, leading later to a total judgment debt of US$8,546,692.00. in 2020, and the subsequent Fi Fa order.

  • Chiefs, DCEs, others to be blamed for worsening galamsey in Ghana – Lands Minister

    The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor is blaming Chiefs, District Security Councils, Mineral Commission officials, and regional authorities for the worsening state of illegal mining in the country.

    According to him, irrespective of enforcement efforts by the government, the galamsey situation will not improve if people in mining communities do not help authorities in addressing the menace.

    Government appears to be struggling to address the issue of illegal mining in Ghana, as many people continue to get involved in it. Vast lands have been destroyed, and water bodies have not been spared.

    The activities of these illegal miners are very visible in various mining communities, as the level of devastation speaks volumes.

    In an area such as Manso Datano in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti region, hectares of land have been destroyed. This is common in many mining communities in the Ashanti Region and other mining areas.

    Citing the Manso Datano case as an example, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor said it is curiously obvious that various stakeholders such as chiefs, and district and regional authorities among others have been aiding the activities.

    “I come from a palace and I can say without a shred of equivocation that in most cases, no one, and I repeat, no one can bring a chain saw to harvest in the forest or an excavator to mine in the bush or chanfang to work on a river body in a community without the knowledge, acquiescence or passive approval somehow of the Chief, Elders, the assemblymen, opinion leaders and or local authorities in the community. We have to begin to be blunt about this situation on our hands. It is the honest truth and, sadly for me, I am having to say it and do so publicly. Ladies and gentlemen, you may have heard that on Thursday 29th September 2022 on behalf of the president of the republic, I paid a working visit to our men and women in uniform–the operation halt two team in Manso Datano in the Amansie South District.”

    ”I was shocked by what I saw. Almost a whole community has been created in the heart of the forest with poultry and goat rearing, beds, a kitchen, and bathrooms among others. The devastation must have been occasioned by years, if not decades of destruction. The question I ask is, how could this have happened on the blind side of the Chief, elders, assemblymen, unit committee members, district police commander, district chief executive, district officers of the minerals commission, forestry commission, environmental protection agency and the members of the community? I do not seem to tarnish the reputation of any person or institution, but I dare say that even regional authorities may not be able to escape from this particular situation and feign ignorance of it”.

    The minister is thus calling for all to be involved in addressing the matter, devoid of partisanship.

    The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources made these statements at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) at its faculty of renewable natural resources 40th Anniversary celebration.

    The Asantehene’s representative at the event, Asakyirihene, Nana Mensah Bonsu used the occasion to urge students and faculty members at the faculty of renewable natural resources to research into finding the best ways of addressing the illegal mining issue.

    Source: Citinews

  • NPP bids farewell to Harona Esseku

    A delegation of government officials, regional, constituency and national officers of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), and hundreds of party sympathizers led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo thronged Senya-Bereku on Saturday, October 1, 2022, for the funeral of the late Harona Esseku, former National Chairman of the party.

    In a glowing yet emotional tribute, the party described the late Esseku as, “a pre-eminent leader and a man of unquestionable integrity whose selflessness and commitment to the founding principles of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo Tradition cemented his name in the annals of the party.”

    The party also described Mr. Esseku as a consummate statesman, recounting the several instances when he served his country in various capacities.

    Among the dignitaries at the funeral apart from President Akufo-Addo were: Mr. Stephen Ayensu Ntim, National Chairman of the Party; Lawyer Justin Kodua Frimpong, General Secretary; Akosua Frema Opare, Chief of Staff; Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Deputy Majority Leader of Parliament; Alan Kyeremateng, Minister for Trade and Industry; Dominic Nitiwul, Minister for Defence; Ambrose Dery, Minister for the Interior; and Yaw Osafo Marfo, Senior Advisor to the President.

    Other national executives in attendance included: Rita Asobayire, Second National Vice Chairperson of the NPP; Alhaji Masawudu Osman, Third National Vice Chairman; Dr. Charles Dwamena, National Treasurer; Lawyer Henry Nana Boakye, National Organiser; Alhaji Abdul Aziz Haruna Futa, Nasara Coordinator; and Mr. William Yamoah, Director for Finance and Administration of the Party.

    Mr. John Boadu, the erstwhile General Secretary of the Party, also paid his last respect to the fallen hero.

    Mr. Esseku, who died on August 3, 2022, at age 88, was a founding member of the Progress Party in 1969 and served as Minister for Transport and Communications in the government of Prime Minister Kofi Abrefa Busia.

    He was also a member of the Second Republican Parliament as representative for the Awutu-Effutu-Senya Constituency. Mr Esseku was again, a founding member of the New Patriotic Party following Ghana’s return to democratic rule in 1992. He later served as National Chairman of the Party from 2001 to 2005.

    Mr. Esseku’s long years of distinguished service to his country, earned him the Order of the Star of Ghana in 2007, the highest national award conferred by the Government of Ghana in acknowledgement of the unsurpassed contributions of an individual to the country.

    Source:kasapafmonline

  • Having sex for long can kill you, it should be 7 minutes – Gynaecologist

    Medical practitioner at the Ga East Hospital, Dr. Benedict Afari, has warned men who have sex beyond 7 minutes to desist from it.

    According to the gynaecologist, people who engage in sex for 30 minutes to an hour do not benefit from it and instead endanger their lives.

    In an interview with Nyankonton Mu NsemonTainbow Radio 87.5Fm, he stated that it would be prudent to engage in more foreplay rather than having sex for more than seven minutes.

    “There is no benefit to engaging in sex for long periods of time. According to studies, sex is best enjoyed between five and seven minutes. The piercing aspect of sex should last 7 minutes. However, the foreplay can last. Such acts would have serious consequences for those who have the sex,” he emphasised.

    He stated that there are several benefits derived from sex, including enhancing the bond between partners and promoting the psychological and physical well-being of those who engage in it.

    He said it is also a form of exercise that could help people burn calories.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Our water is safe for drinking – GWCL assures consumers

    Ghanaians can consume the water given by the corporation, according to Stanley Martey, director of communication for the Ghana Water Company.

    He asserts that water treated by the Ghana Water Company is safe to drink despite problems with galamsey destroying water bodies.

    “I want to reassure the general people that the water that comes out of the faucet is of the highest quality, and they can drink straight from the faucet instead of relying on bottled or sachet water,” she said.

    He continued “Galamsey is affecting our water bodies and affecting Ghana Water Company Limited in terms of cost of production but when we are able to treat the water and we pump it into the system, the water that comes out from the treatment plant meets the best standard”.

    Mr Martey made this known whiles speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission(PURC) consumer service clinic-2022.

    He said a conscious effort is put into the work the Ghana Water company does to ensure that water produced meets International standards.

  • ECG glitch: Ghana risks shut down in case of ransomware attack – Bright Simons warns

    Bright Simons, vice president of IMANI Africa, has issued a warning to Ghanaian politicians, saying, “The software glitches at ECG are a reminder to Ghanaian leaders to think critically as they continue to push this erroneous idea of centralizing all civic services in one Ghana Card database.”

    In response to a ransomware or zero-day exploit, he tweeted that the nation would shut down.

    His statement follows the technical issue that is preventing smooth service delivery to prepaid consumers in several operational areas of the nation.

    For the past few days, some ECG customers have been unable to add more electric power credit to their prepaid meters.

    The problem which started on Monday is yet to be fixed.

    The technical challenge has affected customers in 10 operational regional areas of the ECG in Volta, Kumasi, Accra, Takoradi, Tema, Cape Coast, Kasoa, Winneba, Swedru, Koforidua, Nkawkaw, and Tafo.

    Meanwhile, the state-power distributor has announced the extension of working hours at all district offices across the country this weekend.

  • GRA sanctions three Auto Mechanic shops at Adenta and Madina

    For failing to issue Value Added Tax, or VAT, bills, the Ghana Revenue Authority, or GRA, has seized documents and equipment from alleged tax defaulters.

    A surprise visit by GRA officials to three auto repair shops in the Adenta and Madina enclave revealed that although the businesses had registered with the Authority, they were failing to issue VAT bills.

    Therefore, the GRA authorities obtained several documents and system units from the three shops in order to conduct a thorough investigation into their business practices.

    Speaking with the GNA, Chief Revenue Officer of the Debt Management Compliance and Enforcement Unit, of the GRA, Nathaniel Tetteh, said the documents collected would be assessed to know the services they rendered and the amount they are to pay back to State.

    He said all businesses are supposed to register with the Authority to charge VAT on the services they render to their customers and equally give same to the Authority.

    He said the Electronic-VAT (e-VAT), which takes effect today, will help the GRA to regulate and check businesses across the country.

  • King Charles will not attend climate summit on Truss advice

    King Charles will not attend the climate change conference COP27, which is due to be held in Egypt next month, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.

    It was responding to a story in the Sunday Times which claimed Prime Minister Liz Truss had “ordered” the King not to attend.

    The Palace said advice had been sought by the King and given by Ms Truss.

    “With mutual friendship and respect there was agreement that the King would not attend,” the Palace stated.

    Before his ascension to the throne last month, the King – then the Prince of Wales – had indicated he would attend the annual conference.

    Royal correspondent Jonny Dymond said the BBC had put it to the Palace the King must be personally disappointed given his long decades of passionate environmental campaigning.

    But the Palace responded that the idea the King was uncomfortable was not the case, and he was ever mindful of the sovereign’s role to act on the government’s advice.

    Last November – as Prince Charles – the King travelled to Egypt with the then-government’s blessing to urge the Egyptian administration on its efforts, meeting President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi during a planned visit.

    In the past, the King has demonstrated his deep commitment to environmental issues and, as Prince of Wales, had a long history of campaigning to reduce the effects of climate change.

    Only last year he made a speech at the COP26 opening ceremony in Glasgow, when the summit was hosted by the UK. The late Queen also gave a speech at the event, via video link.

    Senior Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood said he hoped “common sense would prevail” and the King would be allowed to go Egypt.

    He said in a tweet that King Charles was a “globally-respected voice” on the environment whose attendance would add “serious authority” to the British delegation.

    At last year’s COP26 conference, King Charles – or Prince Charles as he was then – was one of the star turns, delivering a passionate call for world leaders to adopt a “war-like footing” over climate change.

    This year he’ll have to keep his powder dry, after what’s presented, on the surface at least, as a dispute-free agreement that he shouldn’t go.

    Although it’s worth noting this is about not attending “in person”, which might leave the door ajar for other virtual contributions.

    There will inevitably be speculation that, below all the constitutional smoothing, this will have really disappointed the King. He has campaigned devotedly for decades, heart on sleeve, on such environmental issues.

    And it could also raise the prospect of early tensions between a new King and a new PM.

    But it’s a case of different role, different rules, and the King has always known that as sovereign he would have to act within a different set of politically-neutral constraints.

    The Egyptian authorities say they hope to use their presidency of COP27 to urge the international community to act on pledges of support for developing countries to cope with the devastating impacts of climate change.

    However, there has been criticism ahead of the summit. Human Rights Watch has said Egypt has severely curtailed the work of environmental groups. Officials in Cairo said the report was “misleading”.

    COP27, a United Nations event, is being held in the coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh from 8 to16 November.

    Next week, King Charles will attend his first public engagements since the royal period of mourning came to an end, including a reception in Edinburgh for South Asian communities from across the UK and a visit to Dunfermline Abbey in Fife.

    The Queen Consort, the King, the Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales
    A new picture of the King with the Queen Consort, Prince and Princess of Wales was released on Saturday

  • Did ECG’s prepaid central database suffer an external attack?

    Officials from the national security and national cybersecurity departments have been requested to assist the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in resolving a technical issue that prevents users from purchasing prepaid credits.

    ECG has repeatedly told customers over the past several days that it is working to resolve the technical issue it had with prepaid customers on the E-cash and PNS metering systems.
    On Tuesday, September 27, 2022, the problem arose.

    There is enough electricity to be sold, but the specific meters couldn’t be filled up, according to sources. As a result, customers flocked to the majority of ECG offices to express their anger.

    A Graphic Online report said it had gathered from “sources within ECG that the systems have been compromised by external sources who are currently controlling the source codes and have refused to release them to the ECG.”

    Aside from the immediate goal of working to restore the system, the report noted that, “ECG is currently undertaking a comprehensive audit of its system to establish what caused the technical failure that has affected service to many of its prepaid customers around the country.”

    The specific role of the two security outfits was to help get to the bottom of what happened to the system with the view to avert future recurrence.

    “There is a high suspicion of the system having been hacked, hence the support from the Cyber Security Authority,” the Graphic Online report added.

    IMANI Africa’s Bright Simons hints of possible cyber attack

    In a September 30, 2022 tweet, Bright Simons of IMANI Africa observed the impact of the ECG challenges: “Queues are building up across Accra as electricity consumers try to load up prepaid credits at the few vendors that appear unaffected by software glitches. Prepaid was brought in to prevent commercial losses due to customer arrears but no safeguards were put in for downtime.

    “By the way, the software glitches at ECG is a reminder to Ghanaian leaders to THINK CRITICALLY as they continue to push this flawed idea of centralising all civic services in one Ghana Card database. Should a zero-day or ransomware exploit to occur, the country will shut down!” he stated.

    ECG on the same day, released a statement that said working hours was to be extended to make up for the huge backlog that had been created by the incident.

    PURC engaging ECG to fix anomalies – GNA report

    The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has assured customers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) of its commitment to ensuring that the Company resolves technical anomalies regarding the purchase of electricity.

    The Commission, in a statement, said it was closely monitoring the situation and was in full discussions with the service provider to address the issue.

    The ECG on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, informed its customers on the Ecash and PNS metering systems that due to a technical challenge, purchase of electricity credit had been interrupted, affecting customers in Volta, Takoradi, Tema, Cape Coast, Kasoa, Winneba, Swedru, Koforidua, Nkawkaw, and Tafo.

    The Company on Thursday, September 29, 2022, said that it was working to rectify the technical anomaly, which had affected the purchase of electricity.

    It, therefore, urged customers in the Greater Accra, Central, Eastern, Western and Volta regions to visit the Company’s district offices to purchase electricity.

    Meanwhile, some customers have described the incident as unfortunate and asked the PURC to direct ECG to compensate those affected.

  • Stakeholders call for investment in beauty industry

    Beauty industry stakeholders have advised Ghanaians to take advantage of the sector’s expansion and invest in order to generate jobs and boost economic growth.

    The African beauty market is estimated to be worth US$10 billion, with South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon, Rwanda, and Ethiopia leading the way, according to Rebecca Donkor, Chief Executive Officer of Makeup Ghana. This clearly shows that the continent is important to both the consumption and production of goods in the global beauty industry.

    She continued, “The sub-Saharan African beauty market continues to grow dramatically, and it can currently boast around 821 million people who are eager to acquire a wide range of cosmetics and beauty goods, making the space promising and necessitating deliberate investment.”

    Ms. Donkor, who noted this in an interview with the B&FT, added that sector players must also be intentional about boosting growth in the space.

    For his part, CEO of Premium Africa Holdings, Farouk Khailann, said the public and private sectors must join forces to harness the gains of the beauty industry as it has great potential that needs attention.

    “It is one of the fastest growing industries; it has created several jobs for a lot of young individuals. It shows potential and it is about time stakeholders – those interested in the country’s economic growth – leveraged it. There is room for scaling up and for export. We can contribute to product formation.

    “Those managing the policy formation must keep a close front with industry players – private and public – to build a collective front,” he told the B&FT at the Beauty and Entrepreneurship Summit in Accra.

    To further put the industry on a higher pedestal, he said players must intentionally market the sector and the country at large while taking advantage of the digital space.

    CEO of First Choice Hair and Beauty, Faustina Adofo-Adjagar, also holds that the industry is experiencing speedy growth, hence, businesses in the space must pay attention to customer relations and satisfaction to increase gains.

    “We did not expect occurrences such as this summit ten years ago, where we get a lot of people to come and teach us about how to improve our businesses, how to communicate and leverage new media or even get lessons on financial management and getting the right things done legally. The beauty industry is doing well and getting better, and the narratives are changing. We have to work on customer service as it is key when it comes to the beauty industry. Let us work on ourselves and get the necessary investments and training to better understand products,” she said.

    The summit, she said, is a step in the right direction toward perfecting activities in the space.

  • Bruce Willis denies selling rights to his face

    Bruce Willis’s agent has denied reports that the film star has sold the rights to his face.

    Last week, it was widely reported that Willis, in the first deal of its kind, had sold his face to a deepfake company called Deepcake.

    However, a spokesperson for the actor told the BBC that he had “no partnership or agreement” with the company.

    And a representative of Deepcake said only Willis had the rights to his face.

    Willis announced his retirement from acting in March after being diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that affects speech.

    Deepfakes use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology to create realistic videos – often of celebrities or politicians. For actors that can no longer act, the technology has the potential to be game-changing.

    On 27 September, the Daily Mail reported that a deal had been struck between Willis and Deepcake.

    “Two-time Emmy winner Bruce Willis can still appear in movies after selling his image rights to Deepcake,” the story reads.

    The story was picked up by the Telegraph and a series of other media outlets.

    “Bruce Willis has become the first Hollywood star to sell his rights to allow a ‘digital twin’ of himself to be created for use on screen.” said the Telegraph.

    But that doesn’t appear to be the case.

    What is true is that a deepfake of Bruce Willis was used to create an advert for Megafon, a Russian telecoms company, last year.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter

    The tech used in the advert was created by Deepcake, which describes itself as an AI company specializing in deepfakes.

    Deepcake told the BBC it had worked closely with Willis’ team on the advert.

    “What he definitely did is that he gave us his consent (and a lot of materials) to make his Digital Twin,” they said.

    The company says it has a unique library of high-resolution celebrities, influencers and historical figures.

    On its website, Deepcake promotes its work with an apparent quote from Mr Willis: “I liked the precision of my character. It’s a great opportunity for me to go back in time.

    “The neural network was trained on content of Die Hard and Fifth Element, so my character is similar to the images of that time.”

    However, Willis’s agent told the BBC, “Please know that Bruce has no partnership or agreement with this Deepcake company.”

    The BBC asked Willis’s agent whether he had ever worked with Deepcake, or whether the quote used by the company was accurate.

    The BBC has not yet received a response.

    In a statement from Deepcake, the company said reports that it had bought the rights to Bruce Willis’s face were inaccurate.

    “The wording about rights is wrong… Bruce couldn’t sell anyone any rights, they are his by default,” a representative for the company said.

    The confusion highlights just how new this technology is – and the lack of clear rules around it.

    AI replacement appears to be a growing trend. Darth Vader actor James Earl Jones has recently retired from playing the famous character, but his voice has carried on. Respeecher, another AI firm, has reportedly used archival materials and a proprietary algorithm to replicate the Vader vocals.

    This summer, Disney released its latest Star Wars spinoff, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The show used Respeecher’s technology to reproduce Vader’s speech and even make him sound younger.

    AI replacement, however, is controversial.

    In April, Equity, the UK’s performing arts workers union, launched the campaign, Stop AI Stealing The Show. Some are concerned AI deep fakes could take work away from actors.

    There are also concerns that actors could lose control of their faces and voices.

    Source: BBCnews

  • France clashes with new Burkina Faso junta over whereabout of ousted leader

    The French government has rejected allegations by the new military junta in Burkina Faso to the effect that they are supporting ousted leader Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba.

    The allegation was leveled by the Captain Ibrahim Traore-led junta that took power on September 30, 2022, with a promise to restore security across the West African nation.

    According to an October 1, 2022 statement read on national TV, RTB, a member of the new junta, Sous-Lieutenant Jean-Baptiste Kabre, said the former leader of the MPSR – name of the junta, had refused to leave power quietly.

    Kabre alleged that Sandaogo Damiba was planning a “counter-offensive” and claimed further that he’s doing this from a French base.

    In an October 1, 2022 statement from the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, France denied the allegation and said it was not hosting Damiba in any of its facilities.

    “France formally denies any involvement in the events underway since yesterday in Burkina Faso.

    “The camp where the French forces are located has never hosted Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, nor has our embassy,” the statement read.

    Read the complete statement below:

    STATEMENT BY THE SPOKESPERSON OF THE MINISTRY FOR EUROPE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS

    Burkina Faso
    October 1, 2022

     

    France formally denies any involvement in the events underway since yesterday in Burkina Faso.

    The camp where the French forces are located has never hosted Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, nor has our embassy.

    PRESS SERVICE
    Spokesperson Sub-Directorate

    New junta leader Captain Traore’s announced the takeover of executive power and deposition of Damiba, barely 10 months after the later seized power from democratically elected Christian Roch Marc Kabore.

    The junta dissolved the government and the transitional national assembly as well as imposed a curfew and closed all the country’s borders.

    The overthrow was premised on continued deterioration of the insecurity situation even as terrorists continue to launch deadly raids on security forces and the local population.

    ECOWAS and AU sound condemnation

    The West African regional bloc, Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has condemned the September 30, 2022 coup that took place in Burkina Faso, where a new military junta overthrew another.

    What started out as an exchange of heavy gunfire on Friday morning was confirmed late in the evening with a broadcast on National TV announcing the takeover.

    In a statement issued from the ECOWAS Commission hours after the announcement, the bloc said it firmly condemned the incident at a time the Sandaogo Damiba-led junta was making progress on an orderly return to constitutional order by July 1, 2024.

    The junta said a new leader – civilian or military will be be announced in due course, but before that some measures put in place include dissolution of the government, the Transitional Legislative Assembly (ALT), and the Transition Charter as well as the closure of borders.

    The AU statement signed by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission was titled: ‘The Chairperson of the African Union Commission unequivocally condemns the second takeover of power by force in Burkina Faso,’ and it read:

    “In strong support of ECOWAS, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, and in conformity with the Lomé Declaration of Year 2000, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance and the Accra Declaration on Unconstitutional Changes of Government, expresses his deep concern about the resurgence of unconstitutional changes of Government in Burkina Faso and elsewhere on the African Continent.

    “The Chairperson calls upon the military to immediately and totally refrain from any acts of violence or threats to the civilian population, civil liberties, human rights, and ensure strict compliance with electoral deadlines for the restoration of Constitutional order by 1 July 2024, at the latest.

    “The Chairperson reaffirms the continued support of the African Union to the people of Burkina Faso to ensure peace, stability and development of the country.”

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Our water is safe for drinking – GWCL assures consumers

    Director of Communication for the Ghana Water Company Stanley Martey has assured Ghanaians that they can drink water provided by the company.

    According to him, although they have challenges with galamsey destroying water bodies, water treated by the Ghana Water Company is safe for drinking.

    “I want to assure the general public that water that flows from the tap meets the best of standard and they can consume directly from the tap without relying on bottled or sachet water.”

    He continued “Galamsey is affecting our water bodies and affecting Ghana Water Company Limited in terms of cost of production but when we are able to treat the water and we pump it into the system, the water that comes out from the treatment plant meets the best standard”.

    Mr Martey made this known whiles speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission(PURC) consumer service clinic-2022.

    He said a conscious effort is put into the work the Ghana Water company does to ensure that water produced meets International standards.

    Source: mynewsgh,com

  • Ukraine war: Russian troops forced out of eastern town Lyman

    Russia has withdrawn its troops from the strategic Ukrainian town of Lyman, in a move seen as a significant setback for its campaign in the east.

    The retreat came amid fears thousands of soldiers would be encircled in the town, Russia’s defence ministry said.

    Recapturing Lyman is of strategic significance for Ukraine.

    The town had been used as a logistics hub by Russia, and could give Ukrainian troops access to more territory in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

    Video footage shared online showed Ukrainian soldiers waving their national flag on the outskirts of the town.

    Although the blue and yellow colours were flying in Lyman again, fighting was “still going on” there, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening video address.

    However, he gave no further details.

    The battlefield setback prompted the Chechen leader and hardline Moscow ally, Ramzan Kadyrov, to comment that Russia should consider using low-yield nuclear weapons in the face of such defeats.

    Lyman is in Donetsk – one of four partially-occupied Ukrainian regions which Russia declared it was annexing on Friday. Ukraine and its Western allies have dismissed the move as an illegal land-grab.

    An adviser to Ukraine’s defence minister earlier told the BBC that recent gains around Lyman – following days of intense fighting – represented a “considerable success”.

    Russian fighters had been given the chance to surrender, Yurik Sak said, and would face better treatment as prisoners of war than from the Russian military leadership.

    Shortly afterwards, the Kremlin said it was withdrawing its forces from the town, using its Soviet-era name of Krasnyi (Red) Lyman, acknowledging that the Ukrainians had “significant superiority in forces” in the area.

    Military analysts say that Kyiv currently has momentum in the war, and it has vowed to forge ahead with a counter-offensive to reclaim all territory under occupation.

    In a speech on Friday, Mr Zelensky said efforts to “liberate our entire land” would act as proof that international law could not be violated.

    Source ; BBCnews

  • Inaki Williams is like Asamoah Gyan – Yaw Preko

    Inaki Williams, a striker with La Liga side Bilbao, has been compared to former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan by Accra Great Olympics coach Yaw Preko.

    “We should make good use of Williams and benefit more from him, he’s like Asamoah Gyan,”  Yaw Preko told Angel TV.

    Williams came on after halftime in Ghana’s 3-0 defeat to Brazil on Friday at the Stade Oceane in Le Havre, France.

    He made his first start for Ghana on Tuesday night in Lorca, Spain against Nicaragua, which Ghana defeated 1-0.

    Inaki Williams scored and assisted in Bilbao’s thrashing of Almeria on Friday evening. His brother Nico Williams also scored and grabbed an assist in the encounter.

  • GRA sanctions three Auto Mechanic shops at Adenta and Madina

    The Ghana Revenue Authority, GRA has seized documents and equipment from alleged tax defaulters for failing to issue Value Added Tax, VAT, invoices.

    GRA officials during an unannounced visit to three Auto mechanic shops, at Adenta and Madina enclave, detected that the shops had registered with the Authority but were not issuing the VAT invoices.

    The GRA officials, therefore, collected some documents and system units from the three shops, for a thorough search on their operations.

    Speaking with the GNA, Chief Revenue Officer of the Debt Management Compliance and Enforcement Unit, of the GRA, Nathaniel Tetteh, said the documents collected would be assessed to know the services they rendered and the amount they are to pay back to State.

    He said all businesses are supposed to register with the Authority to charge VAT on the services they render to their customers and equally give same to the Authority.

    He said the Electronic-VAT (e-VAT), which takes effect today, will help the GRA to regulate and check businesses across the country.

    Source: GNA

  • I bought an iPhone at Circle but went home to find a Nokia – Comedian Jacinta

    Comedian Jacinta has revealed that she was once a victim of phone theft at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.

    Speaking in an interview on Angel FM, Jacinta explained that she wanted to get an iPhone for herself and was advised by a friend to purchase her new phone at Circle.

    She told the host, Quophi Okyeame that “the beautiful thing is that they would check that everything is working. The phone is working, everything is working until you get home. When I pulled out my iPhone, the two hands with Nokia came out…so I was like wow.”

    Jacinta said that to her, Circle is one of the most dangerous places to be in Accra.

    “You need to be fortified, full of the Holy Spirit, anointed to go there,” she said.

    The comedian added that Nigeria has been seen as the place where people commit most crimes, however, Ghana is the same.

    “When I came to Ghana, I realized that we do [commit crimes] just that we are coded. We do everything Nigeria does just that we are good at maintaining our calm,” she stated.

    Source:myjoyonline

  • I haven’t paid dues for 10 years – Betty-Mould slams ‘partisan’ Bar Association

    A former Attorney General, Betty Mould-Iddrisu, has disclosed that she hasn’t been honouring her financial obligation to the Ghana Bar Association, GBA, of which she is still a member.

    Her refusal so to do, she explained was premised on the partisan nature of the umbrella body for all lawyers in the country.

    In an interview with Accra-based TV XYZ earlier this week, she addressed issues around Ghana’s justice delivery system – tasking the bench to accept criticism and the GBA to get its acts together.

    “I have never had much faith in the Ghana Bar Association because its lost its capacity to withstand external influences. We saw them at critical times during the previous regime because it is obvious they are favouring one political party or the other.

    “I will pay my dues when I feel the GBA will be fair, a true arbiter of the interest of all lawyers in Ghana,” she emphasized.

    With respect to the Judiciary, she tasked them to take a recent critique by former president John Dramani Mahama in good faith and to work towards cleaning up their image and better serving the people of Ghana.

    “Article 125 of the Constitution says quite clearly that the administration of Justice is vested in the people of the Republic of Ghana and it is the judiciary who is to administer that.

    “If you don’t listen to the people, how on earth can you administer justice for us? They need to listen to us. This should be a wakeup call,” she stressed.

     

     

    She also scolded current Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame for using the recent Bar Conference in Ho to attack Mahama for his views on the Judiciary and the need for reforms.

    “Very unfortunate for a young Attorney General, Godfred Dame to come out with such statements about our former President. He was disrespectful and very upsetting to me, having held that position before.

    “I forgive him because I am a Christian and its an act of charity…” Betty Mould told IDEAS Exchange show host Eric Ahianyo on Thursday, September 29.

    “I chaired that conference of NDC lawyers John Mahama addressed. And all of us enthusiastically support his remarks about the perception of Ghanaians waning confidence in the judiciary.”

    She cautioned Dame further that being Attorney General and by extension leader of the Bar does not give anyone the right to use a Ghana Bar Association meeting to create such chaos.

    In his address at the recently held Bar Conference in Ho, Dame stressed that it was worrying that National Democratic Congress, NDC, lawyers had failed to call Mahama to order despite having made the comments at a party event.

    “Non-lawyer Mahama made the comments at meeting of the legal committee of his party, none of the lawyers raised a finger to contest the wrong and dangerous propaganda by the former president. By their silence, they became abettors of the propagation of hate against the judiciary,” Dame submitted.

    He reiterated the fact that lawyers needed to be the loudest and strongest defenders of an independent judiciary and by extension defenders of the most crucial arm of government.

    “I find it worrying because lawyers ought to be the loudest and strongest defenders of the independence, integrity and importance of the judiciary rather than serving as tools for its destruction,” he added.

    Mahama told a gathering of NDC lawyers at a conference in Ada that a judiciary needed to be trusted by the public at all times because such trust had wide-ranging implications on the security of the state.

    He took aim at the current Chief Justice stating that it would take a new CJ to carry out needed reforms in the judiciary because of growing lack of trust in their work.

    The NDC has strongly stood by his views whiles the NPP have slammed it as unwarranted and needless.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Mankessim murder: Awakrom chief calls for arrest of ‘missing’ fetish priest, Ebusuapanyin

    Nana Akwa III, the Chief of Akwakrom in Mankessim in the Central Region has called on the Ghana Police Service to do all it takes to arrest two personalities in connection with the now famous Mankessim ritual murder saga.

    The two personalities he wants to be arrested are the fetish priest of the community who was close to one of the main suspects, Christopher Ekow Quansah (Nana Clarke,) the Tufuhen, who is currently in custody.

    The other is one Mr. Kwesi Gyan, the Abiradze Ebusuapayin, also a relation of Nana Clarke.

    The duo have disappeared since the issue of the murder of one Georgina Asor Botchwey, blew the lid on the alleged criminal activities of Nana Clarke and an accomplice Pastor Michael Darko Amponsah (Sofo Kofi).

    The chief explained at a September 29 press conference why he wanted the “who could not be tracked since the news broke out,” to be arrested.

    “We are appealing to the police to interrogate his fetish priest in the community who the Tufohen liked so much and took cover prior to his arrest,” Nana Akwa pleaded.

    Nana Akwa, during the press conference wondered how the Tufohen dug the craters containing numerous bottles and dead materials without the knowledge of the Ebusuapanyin.

    “Since the arrest of the Tufohen, all attempts to reach his Ebusuapanyin, who was always in the community, has not been successful. There is no way anyone can dig out two pits in two separate rooms in a family house without the knowledge of the Ebusuapanyin. This is incomprehensible.

    “More so, prior to the arrest of the Tufohen, his Ebusuapanyin was billed to meet the Chief and elders on some teething community issues, but he cannot be found. And why is he not answering our calls,” the Chief revealed.

    The Tufuhen and Sofo Kofi are facing charges of conspiracy to commit crime to wit murder and murder, contrary to Section 46 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1980, Act 29.

    A Cape Coast District court presided over Her Lordship Bernice Mensima Ackon remanded them on their last appearance on September 2.

    The court agreed to the request of prosecution – led by DSP Daniel Gadzo – for more time to conclude investigations. The case was adjourned to October 4, 2022.

    A third person, one Aggrey, said to have dug the pit in which Georgina was buried has also been arretsed.

    GNA report on police arrests and latest discoveries

    Hundreds of people on Thursday gathered in front of the house of Christopher Ekow Quansah, the Tufuhen of Mankessim, to catch a glimpse of him and self-styled pastor Michael Darko, who allegedly murdered one Ms. Georgina Asor Botchwey.

    A police team had led the two accused persons, who allegedly confessed to the killing of three more people, to the house of the Tufohen, located just after the Pacific Fuel Station, near the Mankessim Lorry Station for further investigations.

    The crowd hooted at them amid name calling and casting of aspersions as drivers in traffic temporarily stopped over to watch the two, who have notoriously become famous.

    A source told the GNA that the two accused persons had confessed to killing three other people, a male and two females and led the police team on Thursday afternoon, to the various locations.

    The witness said the accused persons first took the team to the house of the Tufohen at Mankessim and Akwakrom near Mankessim, where they carried out their criminal activities.

    The police thoroughly searched the rooms and took vital document and information for further investigation.

    Again, in Mankessim, the two took the police team to a location where a male teacher was allegedly invited by them and was shot and killed instantly and his toes cut.

    The police were also taken to a location in the Ekumfi District where they allegedly shot and killed a female trader and buried her under a bridge in the Ekumfi District.

    The team also visited a location at Batanya in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamakese District, where they allegedly killed a young lady from Kumasi.

    Apparently, the two pretended to be travel agents and prepared a traveling document for her to travel to Holland.

    The two allegedly told the police that they met the lady at Batanyaa on the Cape Coast-Assin Fosu Highway and killed her.

     

  • Heavy rain disrupts final funeral rites of late actor Waakye

    The final funeral rites for the late actor, Prince Yawson, who is affectionately called Waakye was expected to take place on October 1, 2022.

    However, it appears the rains affected the funeral.

    For some reason, the usual climatic pattern of Ghana in the last few years and this year, 2022, seems to be no different.

    Ordinarily, it should not be raining in Ghana in October, but, it is raining almost every day of the week. This appears to be affecting the final funeral of Waakye as many loved ones could not come out to bid him a final farewell.

    A video shared online by some of the crew members of Kofi TV captured how it rained cats and dogs.

  • Big names effortlessly grace Rhythms on Da Runway launch

    Notable fashion show, Rhythms on the Runway 2022, has been launched in Accra.

    The event was graced by popular celebrities from all around Ghana and internationally.

    Spearheaded by media expert and fashion designer, Kofi Okyere Darko, popularly known as KOD, the launch which came off on September 30, saw a smooth sailing even when the rains threatened to end it.

    With the crème de la crème in fashion coming through, KKD, in an interview, disclosed that the show will be better than the previous years.

    According to him, the ten years of the fashion show have seen massive change, and while many people are looking to see what this year will bring, there is a surprise catch.

    The launch had many interesting performances from some artistes including Edem, who delivered a beautiful live band performance to some of his hit tracks that got the guests shaking and wiggling their bodies to the tune.

    Taking a stroll around the grounds, one could spot the likes of Rocky Dawuni, Freedom Jacob Caeser, popularly known as Cheddar, Juliet Ibrahim, fashion designer, Kwaku Brommon, and Dionne Slash Garvin among many notable faces.

    MC Kabutey at doing what he does best at show launch

    Source: Ghanaweb