The highly-rated defender joins the Phobians on a three-year deal before transfer deadline day from West Africa Football Club (WAFA).
Subsequently, there were talks that the deal was not completed, leading to a controversy that almost left fans doubting whether the deal was wrapped up or not.
An Accra High Court has sentenced a Liberian national to ten years imprisonment for attempting to smuggle cocaine a narcotic drug through the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to Bangkok, Thailand.
The court presided over by her Ladyship Justice Mary Ekua Yanzuh on August 31, 2022, after the conviction of Ms. Wolo Maikplay Margaret, also fined her ten thousand penalty units.
In default, Ms Maikplay would serve three years additional term.
The accused pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted exportation and possession of a narcotic drug without a Minister of Health license, which violates sections 36 and 37 of the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019), respectively.
The presiding judge found her guilty on her own plea on each count to run concurrently.
Ms. Wolo Maikplay Margaret was apprehended by Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) officers on the 14th of May, 2022, while transiting throughKotoka International Airport (KIA) from Monrovia to Bangkok-Thailand onboard Qatar Airways.
A total of thirty (30) pellets containing cocaine weighing 277.2101grams were retrieved from beneath her breast and vagina when commission officials conducted a physical search on her.
Francis Opoku Amoah, Acting Director of Public Affairs and International Relations Department of the Narcotics Control Commission, in a statement, said officials of the Commission received a tip-off from a sister security agency at Kotoka International Airport (KIA), which led to the retrieval of the pellets of cocaine.
The Commission emphasised that “the possession and attempted transportation of narcotic drugs is still illegal and punishable under domestic law.â€
It also assured the public of its continuous commitment to reducing to the barest minimum, the influx and smuggling of all types of narcotic drugs through collaboration with the relevant stakeholders.
Ghana forward Inaki Williams has disclosed that taking care of his body and diet has helped him maintain the feat of playing in every La Liga game since April 20, 2016.
The 28-year-old shook off injury concerns to make it 237 consecutive appearances for Athletic Bilbao in their 1-0 loss to Espanyol on Sunday.
Williams was handed his maiden Ghana call-up by coach Otto Addo on Tuesday for the upcoming international friendly matches against Brazil and Nicaragua.
“I take care of myself, eat well, rest and good genetics,†he said when quizzed about the secret to his record.
“There is a lot of talk about this record. I have not been very aware of what I have been achieving.
“It is a cluster of things that everything indicates that it is very difficult for it to be repeated.
“I am happy, I also freak out with these numbers.”
Williams completed a nationality switch to play for Ghana, having played for Spain at Under-21 level and also made one appearance for the senior team in a friendly against Bosnia in 2016.
He joined the likes of Tariq Lamptey, Mohammed Salisu, Stephen Ambrosius, Ransford-Yeboah Koningsdorffer, and Patric Pfeiffer to switch nationality and play for the West African country.
The “Dune” actor posted a video Monday on his verified Instagram account in which he is shown getting his long head of hair shaved.
“Aww man, I’ve never even felt the wind right there,” he says, while touching the side of his head.
Momoa also shows off his cut braids and explains that he cut his hair to bring awareness to single-use plastics.
“I’m tired of using plastic bottles, we gotta stop,” he says in the video. “Plastic forks, all that s**t goes into our land, goes into our ocean. I’m here in Hawaii right now, and just seeing things in our ocean, it’s just so sad.”
He also implored his followers to help him eliminate single-use plastics, saying “plastic bottles are ridiculous.”
“Heres to new beginnings let’s spread the aloha,” the caption on his video reads. “Be better at protecting our land and oceans. we need to cut single use plastics out of our lives and out of our seas. plastic bottles, plastic bags, packaging, utensils all of it.”
The Academy Award winner is featured in Vogue’s October issue and tells the magazine about her new world since welcoming her baby boy, Cy, in February. The interview marks the first time Lawrence publicly shared the gender or name of her child with husband Cooke Maroney.
“It’s so scary to talk about motherhood,” Lawrence said. “Only because it’s so different for everybody. If I say, ‘It was amazing from the start,’ some people will think, ‘It wasn’t amazing for me at first,’ and feel bad.”
She said that before giving birth she had a few friends tell her that she might experience some negative feelings and not immediately feel a connection with her son.
“Fortunately I have so many girlfriends who were honest. Who were like, ‘It’s scary. You might not connect right away. You might not fall in love right away. So I felt so prepared to be forgiving … I remember walking with one of my best friends at, like, nine months, and being like, ‘Everyone keep saying that I will love my baby more than my cat. But that’s not true. Maybe I’ll love him as much as my cat?’” she said.
But for Lawrence that was not the case.
“My heart has stretched to a capacity that I didn’t know about. I include my husband in that … The morning after I gave birth, I felt like my whole life had started over. Like, now is day one of my life. I just stared. I was just so in love. I also fell in love with all babies everywhere. Newborns are just so amazing. They’re these pink, swollen, fragile little survivors. Now I love all babies. Now I hear a baby crying in a restaurant and I’m like, ‘Awwww, preciousssss.’”
“Reducing taxes is something you can do to lower the cost of materials.
Any tax component that is a proportion of the product and the product is not in the country and is being imported and the cost has increased means the government is inevitably profiting from rising taxes since it is a percentage of importation cost and importation has increased, he added.
This is after the Chamber of Cement Manufacturers Ghana had indicated the price of a bag of cement is likely to hit 60 Ghana Cedis by the end of the year due to taxes and levies that affect production cost. Over the past seven months, the retail price has shot up three times hitting 27 percent increment.
A bag of Cement now sells at GH¢50.00.
Samuel Amegayibor says prices of all building materials have increased and that will be passed on to Ghanaians.
“What you can do to bring down the cost of materials is to reduce taxes. Because it is a percentage of importation cost and the importation has gone up, any tax component that is a percentage of the product and the product is not in the country and is being imported and the cost has gone up it means the government is automatically benefiting from increasing taxes,†he stressed.
Mr. Amegayibor made these comments on the Sunrise morning show on 3FM on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, The Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Cement Manufacturers Ghana, Rev. Dr. Dawson Ahmaoh said the price hikes could be attributed to internal factors including the unavailability of the raw materials for cement manufacturing and the lack of vessels to transport the materials.
Also, clinker, which constitutes 80 percent of the cement component, is said to be in short supply because many outlets outside the country have shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Currently, the manufacturers pay about $1M or $500,000 as penalty anytime the vessel delays at the port.
At the last count cement manufacturing firms in Ghana was seven in all, including the latest entry, Dangote. GHACEM which used to be the sole producer and distributor of the strategic asset was believed to be a major contributor to the price hikes in the past but according to GREDA, the situation has rather worsened despite the entry of more manufacturers.
Justin Bieber announced on Tuesday that he needs to take another break from his tour, following a health crisis he suffered earlier this year.
The singer, who took suspended his tour in June after being diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, made the announcement on the stories portion of his verified Instagram account.
Bieber, who had resumed his Justice World Tour in July, said in his note that after sharing that he had the syndrome, which left his face partially paralyzed, he was able to complete the North American portion of his concert tour.
“After resting and consulting with my doctors, family and team, I went to Europe in an effort to continue the tour,” the statement reads. “I performed six live shows, but it really took a real toll on me.”
“Due to the fact that corruption still permeates every aspect of life, doing business is expensive.
Because of the high interest rates, getting financial assistance from the bank is impossible “said Franklin Cudjoe.
Speaking on the Challenges With the Ease of Doing Business to the African Journalists For Economic Opportunity Training (AJEOT-2020), he outlined some of the challenges in doing business in Ghana.
Mr. Franklin Cudjoe said there is an exponential cost in doing business, and as such, there is the need to create a favorable atmosphere for economic prosperity.
“You can play your role as journalists by asking tough and intelligent questions for the government to immediately address what it describes as the numerous economic challenges affecting businesses in the country,” he stressed.
According to him, the current environment within which businesses operate is harsh and unprofitable.
“Many employers complain that although the government has undertaken some reforms to boost economic growth, the challenges they face persist,” he stated
He mentioned that the payment of taxes has improved because the processes one goes through is a bit streamlined.
“The cost of doing business is high due to the fact that corruption is still seen in every nook and cranny of society. There are high-interest rates making it impossible to secure financial support from the bank”, he added.
He also indicated the depreciation of the cedi against the dollar affects employers especially those who import raw materials for their products.
“I know people who in the process of shipping cars go through hell as a result of useless immigrants” he said.
He added that Property Tax registration is a big problem in the country. and as such, almost 100 percent of lands in the capital are hugely taxed.
Mr. Cudjoe is, therefore, asking the government to ensure that banks reduce their rates.
He is also asking business starters to check and study the inflation rates even before acquiring a loan to start or do their businesses.
Renowned Ghanaian businessman, Stephen Yawson is set to launch a record label in Takoradi.
The label which is called Papson Entertainment is a dream he has nurtured for a very long time and finally, it is about to become a reality.
Stephen Yawson has over the years had the firm believe in talents and as such, he has heavily invested in them via many mediums.
He has partnered with the award-winning promoter, Sadick Assah popularly called Sleeky who is the CEO of Sleeky Promotions to do a lot of projects and support a lot of talents in the Western Region and many other areas.
The work they have both done is set to be extended to many other people who are blessed with talent regard to music.
Stephen has firmly indicated that he will use his record label, Papson Entertainment to heavily support and invest in creative people who have been struggling to get the needed attention over the years despite all the efforts they have been putting in.
Aside from the grand launch of the label in the coming days, it is reported that the first signee on Papson Entertainment who is popular.
Members of the USWNT sign a new CBA with U.S. Soccer after a friendly against Nigeria
Representatives of the United States women‘s and men’s national team — flanked by a few members of Congress — formally signed their new collective bargaining agreements with the U.S. Soccer Federation after the USWNT’s 2-1 win over Nigeria at Audi Field.
With bipartisan handshaking, impassioned speeches, ceremonial signatures, Tuesday brought everything one would expect from a big night in Washington, D.C. — just a couple miles away from the United States capitol — and was the culmination of a long and sometimes contentious process.
The USWNT agreed to terms in May with U.S. Soccer in collaboration with the United States men’s national team, which had also been operating under an expired CBA. The two, separate deals for the U.S. men and women champion equal pay through identical economic terms, including commercial revenue sharing and equal World Cup prize money.
USWNT players first filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in March 2016, claiming unequal pay and treatment. A federal lawsuit followed three years later, ahead of the team’s 2019 World Cup triumph, and the relationship between players and federation got worse from there before it got better.
The low point came in March 2020, when players warmed up for a match with their shirts inside-out to hide the U.S. Soccer logo in solidarity, following the public release of sexist legal arguments from the federation, which suggested that women’s players were inferior to men.
Then U.S. Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro apologized before resigning within the week. Former USWNT player Cindy Parlow Cone stepped in as U.S. Soccer president, and in February 2022 the parties settled a class action lawsuit for $24 million.
An agreement to new CBAs for the men and women, which each run through 2028, followed in May.
“There were so many ups and downs,” Parlow Cone told ESPN at halftime of Tuesday’s game. “It was like a rollercoaster ride. I [would] think we were getting close to a deal, and then it feels like it’s falling apart, then we’re getting closer to a deal and it’s falling apart.”
play2:23USWNT loses its shutout streak in win over Nigeria
Megan Rapinoe comes in and provides a spark after Nigeria’s equalizer, helping the US get the 2-1 win over Nigeria.
Tuesday was a celebration. U.S. players cheered for each speech while wrapped in “Equal Pay” scarves licensed by their players association — rather than the federation — in another example of how the team has proved its commercial value amid its growing profile.
U.S. secretary of labor Marty Walsh, on hand to represent President Joe Biden, took the microphone to praise the American women while noting that the achievement was “a message to the rest of the country that it’s important we respect our workers, we respect our workers’ rights, and everyone should be paid equally for doing the same job as a man.”
Senator Maria Cantwell followed with a speech about using “the power of this moment” to get national legislation passed for equal pay in sports.
Parlow Cone, who played for the USWNT and won a World Cup and two Olympic gold medals, was part of the players’ journey in previous decades before joining the federation in a leadership role (first as vice president). Upon taking over as president, she immediately said she wished to have a more collaborative approach with players to find a solution to their lawsuit.
“For this day to finally be here,” Parlow Cone said, “I literally can’t put it into words how important this is to me personally, but more important, what it’s going to mean to the rest of the world — not just here in the U.S., not just in sports, but to the rest of the world.”
USWNT Players Association president Becky Sauerbrunn, in her second stint as team captain at 37 years old, was one of the players at the forefront of the battle. She was one of five who filed that initial complaint with the EEOC over six years ago. On Tuesday, she took the microphone on behalf of the players.
“I want to thank the players past and present for our persistence and basically never shying away from asking the question, ‘Why not?’” Sauerbrunn said to the remaining crowd before thanking them for their support through the years. “I think us players really knew we were on the right track when we started attracting some of the most brilliant minds in their fields to our cause.
According to Christian Keller the club sees Kingsley Schindler as a right back and he will play in that position till the injured Benno Schmitz returns.
In the second half of the game against VfB Stuttgart, Benno Schmitz was aggressively tackled from the sidelines by Atakan Karazor. The Swabian defender received a yellow card for the incident and even abused Schmitz, who was on the ground, accusing him of acting.
However, the FC defender sustained an ankle injury during this action, putting him out for many weeks.
“In our eyes, Kingsley Schindler is a right-back, even if Steffen often used him up front,” said Keller after the sale of Kingsley Ehizibue despite Schmitz’s injury.
“The squad planning included three right-backs in Schindler, Ehizibue and Schmitz. That’s why we agreed to Ehizibue’s move,”
Turkish club Hatayaspor have completed the signing of Ghana winger Christian Atsu on a one-year deal.
The 30-year-old has completed a sensational move back to Europe after leaving Saudi Arabia outfit Al-Raed at the end of the season.
The Ghana international is returning to mainstream Europe for the first time in a year since leaving Newcastle United.
Atsu struggled at in the gulf and has decided to move back to Europe.
Hatayaspor have the option to renew the deal for an additional year.
“We signed a 1+1 year contract with experienced right and left winger Christian Atsu, who previously played for clubs such as Everton, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Porto and Malaga.
“The signing ceremony was attended by our Honorary President, Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Assoc. Dr Lütfü SavaÅŸ.â€
“We welcome Christian Atsu and wish him endless success with our burgundy and white jersey,†the club announced.
Atsu has 254 club appearances under his belt and has 30 assists to go along with 23 goals.
The winger has won 64 caps for Ghana, with nine assists and 10 goals.
Abdul Samed joined the French Ligue 1 side from Clermont this summer and has quickly established himself at the club.
He has played 450 minutes of football this season in various position for Lens.
Samed who has quickly adjusted to the team has been commended by his teammate in an interview, “He is quickly integrated. We like to laugh together, to joke around.
“On the field, we get along very well. He is a player who knows football well and that is a plus for us. We like to dance, we are always happy together! When we are a little less well in our head, if Salis is there, we know that he will bring good humor! He brings this good mood to the group. We are always laughing”
Salis, 22, has scored one goal in six appearances for Lens in the ongoing campaign.
Salis Abdul Samed may not have been RC Lens’ flashiest signing this summer, but he is performing just as well as the rest.
Ghana star Andre Ayew scored his 20th goal for Qatari champions Al Sadd on Tuesday in their league defeat against Al-Shamal.
The 32-year-old attacking midfielder reached 20 goals when he scored the opening goal in Al Sadd’s 2-1 home defeat to Al-Shamal.
Ayew was in the right place at the right time and just slotted the ball home for the opener, but Al Sadd looked vulnerable at the back and the away team took advantage, scoring two goals to secure three points.
Ayew’s goal was his second in successive games this season, following a spectacular finish last week.
Since arriving to Qatar just over a year ago, Ayew has scored 20 goals in 33 appearances, demonstrating his skill as a goal scorer despite not being a striker.
Ayew has been excellent, scoring 18 goals in his debut season as Al Sadd won Qatar Stars League and Emir Cup.
He has already got two already this season and is expected to score more.
Ayew is currently just two goals shy from reaching the personal milestone of 150 club career goals.
The Croatian champions have a woeful record in this competition – winning just five of 43 games before this meeting – but they stubbornly held on after taking a first-half lead.
The dangerous Mislav Orsic netted the 13th-minute winner, running through from the halfway line and beautifully dinking a finish past the advancing Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Dinamo came agonisingly close to a second but Stefan Ristovski’s thunderous, long-range effort was superbly tipped onto the bar by Arrizabalaga.
Deadline-day signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was handed his Chelsea debut and, although the ex-Arsenal skipper had a goal ruled out for offside, he largely looked off the pace.
Armando Broja replaced Aubameyang just before the hour mark, but the Albanian had little impact in an overall disjointed performance from Thomas Tuchel’s men.
Chelsea launched a late onslaught on Dinamo’s goal and the hosts were relieved to see Reece James’ low shot rattle the foot of the post with five minutes remaining.
Serie A champions AC Milan travel to RB Salzburg (kick-off 20:00 BST) in Group E’s other game.
Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst hinted he will stick with goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin against Ajax despite criticism in the wake of Saturday’s bruising Old Firm defeat.
McLaughlin conceded four at Celtic Park, including from a poor pass out from the back for Celtic’s final goal.
But on the eve of his side’s Champions League opener in Amsterdam, the Ibrox boss says trusting his players is key.
“Many things went wrong,” said Van Bronckhorst.
“So I could change everything from Saturday and play with a different team tomorrow, different tactics. But I think you have to keep hold of your way of playing.
“You keep trusting your players and give them confidence because in the past we have bounced back from heavy defeats and that’s what we have to do tomorrow as well.”
He added: “I’ve spoken with Jon and I’ve spoken with the team about how we played, the way we conceded goals and how we need to improve, what went wrong.
“It’s a normal process. You cannot change every time you have a defeat. You cannot change everything because you have to stick to your beliefs and your way of playing.
“The execution we had on Saturday was below par – far below par. That’s what I want to see different tomorrow.”
While Saturday’s 4-0 reverse was far from ideal preparation for the club’s first game in the Champions League for 12 years, Van Bronckhorst has encouraged his players to “feel the emotions” of the defeat to drive them on in his homeland.
They face an Ajax team currently on five wins from five in the Eredivisie, and the Dutchman said: “If you have a heavy defeat like we did on Saturday it must feel really bad. You have to feel the emotions of a defeat to bounce back even harder.
“On Sunday, we had our first meeting after Celtic but also looking forward to Ajax. You have to keep going. As a player I played for some big teams in Europe, but also suffered some really big defeats.
“If you want to reach a higher level, if you want to keep developing you have to learn from your mistakes and your defeats.”
He takes over at a critical time for the UK economy, with millions looking to him for help with soaring winter energy bills.
The decisions he makes in the coming days and weeks will have a huge impact on the country’s future prospects, as well as on the Conservative Party’s prospects of retaining power.
He will not be short of support from his new Downing Street neighbour. One friend told the Times Mr Kwarteng and Ms Truss were a bit like “Batman and Robin”, adding: “They are both slight social misfits, amiable geeks, and have strong views which are in tune with each other.”
Nor is he likely to be accused of lacking intellectual firepower or self-confidence. An Old Etonian, who became the first black Conservative cabinet minister in 2021, he has a double first from Cambridge University and a PhD in economic history. He is also a past winner of notoriously tough BBC quiz show University Challenge.
of new prime minister Liz Truss, has been named as the UK’s next chancellor.
He takes over at a critical time for the UK economy, with millions looking to him for help with soaring winter energy bills.
The decisions he makes in the coming days and weeks will have a huge impact on the country’s future prospects, as well as on the Conservative Party’s prospects of retaining power.
He will not be short of support from his new Downing Street neighbour. One friend told the Times Mr Kwarteng and Ms Truss were a bit like “Batman and Robin”, adding: “They are both slight social misfits, amiable geeks, and have strong views which are in tune with each other.”
Nor is he likely to be accused of lacking intellectual firepower or self-confidence. An Old Etonian, who became the first black Conservative cabinet minister in 2021, he has a double first from Cambridge University and a PhD in economic history. He is also a past winner of notoriously tough BBC quiz show University Challenge.
The 30-year-old has completed a sensational move back to Europe after leaving Saudi Arabia outfit Al-Raed at the end of the season.
The Ghana international is returning to mainstream Europe for the first time in a year since leaving Newcastle United.
Atsu struggled at in the gulf and has decided to move back to Europe.
Hatayaspor have the option to renew the deal for an additional year.
“We signed a 1+1 year contract with experienced right and left winger Christian Atsu, who previously played for clubs such as Everton, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Porto and Malaga.
“The signing ceremony was attended by our Honorary President, Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Assoc. Dr Lütfü SavaÅŸ.â€
“We welcome Christian Atsu and wish him endless success with our burgundy and white jersey,†the club announced.
Atsu has 254 club appearances under his belt and has 30 assists to go along with 23 goals.
The winger has won 64 caps for Ghana, with nine assists and 10 goals.
Mike Curtler, formerly of Deutsche Bank, was among 38 former traders and brokers prosecuted after the US Department of Justice declared their conduct illegal 10 years ago.
But earlier this year a US appeal court decided no rules had been broken.
Mr Curtler’s lawyer said they were “extremely pleased” with the decision.
In the past eight years, 38 former brokers and traders have been prosecuted over emails and messages asking colleagues to tweak their estimates of the cost of borrowing cash to suit their bank’s commercial interests – a practice which the US Department of Justice declared to be illegal interest rate “rigging” in 2012, when it fined Barclays Bank for it.
Just as the FTSE tracks the prices of shares, Libor tracks the interest rates banks are paying to borrow cash on the wholesale money markets.
For the past 35 years, it has been used to set interest rates on millions of residential and commercial loans around the world.
To work out Libor each day, 16 banks answer a question – at what interest rate could they borrow money? They submit their answers and an average is taken.
The evidence against Mike Curtler and other traders consisted of messages and emails asking for those interest rates to be submitted “high” or “low”.
Mike Curtler admitted he had acted on the emailed requests and, faced with the risk of up to 15 years in a US jail if he went to trial, pleaded guilty.
But in January this year a US appeal court ruled that the requests were not illegal after all, acquitting former Deutsche Bank traders Gavin Black from Middlesex and Matt Connolly from New Jersey.
Now US courts are acquitting even those who pleaded guilty, such as Mike Curtler, saying they must be viewed as innocent.
“I’m very glad the US courts have decided that what we did was not criminal. The past decade has been horrible but hopefully we can now start to rebuild,” Mr Curtler told the BBC.
Mr Curtler’s lawyer, David Krakoff, said: “We are extremely pleased that Mike Curtler has been cleared and that the courts have decided that there was no wrongdoing whatsoever.”
A month ago New York court threw out the conviction of former trader Tim Parietti, 56, who had also pleaded guilty, ordering the government to repay a £1m fine.
It leaves the UK as the only country in the world where convictions for “rigging” interest rates have, so far, been sustained.
Nine have been convicted in the UK, including Tom Hayes, Peter Johnson, Jonathan Mathew, Alex Pabon, Jay Merchant, Christian Bittar, Philippe Moryoussef, Carlo Palombo and Colin Bermingham.
A Human Rights lawyer, Anthony Akoto Ampaw, says political finance regulation has failed in Ghana and the Electoral Management Body(EMB) must be blamed for the persistence of this problem.
Speaking on transparency and accountability in governance on GTV, Akoto Ampaw said the manner in which the parties are financed and funded is worrisome, adding that it is part of a political elite consensus.
“…I do not see in the immediate or near future internal reforms in political parties who have become self-aggrandizement†Lawyer Akoto Ampaw said.
Constitution of Ghana, Article 55 (14)
i. Political parties shall be required by law (a) to declare to the public their revenues and assets and the sources of those revenues and assets; and
(b) to publish to the public annually their audited accounts.Â
Aside from political parties routinely failing to comply with the provisions of the law, the authorities with the statutory mandate to check and punish violations of the law, namely the Electoral Commission and the Attorney General, have consistently shown no interest or inclination to enforce compliance with the law.
Akoto Ampaw thus urged Ghanaians to demand better governance.
The Women’s Super League season is once again upon us and with more eyes than ever before set to be tuning into the new campaign, a run-down of where to find all the England players who made themselves household names over the Euros seemed like a logical approach for interested fans
You can expect to see Manchester City mentioned multiple times — the third-place finishers in 2021-22 had 10 representatives in the England squad at the Euros — although at the time of writing, two players have left for Europe and two have retired. The bulk of the home-based England squad comes from the top four teams (by last season’s standings) in WSL, with just two (Hannah Hampton and Rachel Daly) coming from Aston Villa.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)
The two oldest members of the Euros winning squad, Jill Scott (35) and Ellen White (33) are the two former Citizens who’ve hung their boots up over the summer in what has been a window of considerable upheaval for City, but that’s a discussion for another day. So, where can you find the individual European champions this season as they ramp up preparations for the 2023 Women’s World Cup?
After the Lionesses won the Euro 2022 trophy this summer, they return to their clubs where a new fight for spots on England’s World Cup team next year starts. Lynne Cameron – The FA/The FA via Getty ImagesMary Earps | Manchester United
Age: 29
Position: Goalkeeper
Euros minutes: 600
A regular starter for each of the WSL teams she’s played for over the years, Mary Earps has been candid in admitting that she thought she’d missed the boat for staking a claim on the no.1 role for England. Yet with many placing Manchester City’s Ellie Roebuck ahead of her in the pecking order, it was Earps who caught the eye of her national team manager and was entrusted to the role of England’s starting shot-stopper.
A near-perfect summer had kept Earps’ wearing the #1 shirt for her country and providing she can stay fit over the course of the season with Manchester United, the 29-year-old seems undroppable.
This is where I blow your mind by telling you that Leah Williamson, centre-back and England captain, was ever-present for Sarina Wiegman at the Euros and that she is one of the least likely to be dropped by her coach. In fact, Williamson was the only outfielder to play every second of the Euros for England, which of course, included two doses of extra-time in the knockouts.
An assured and comfortable defender who spreads confidence with her calm demeanour at the back, there were plenty of rumblings around Wiegman’s decision to move her to centre-back from the double pivot midfield role she’d been occupying with Keira Walsh. Yet it was the Arsenal woman herself who admitted that the heart of the defence was a more comfortable role for her, despite having represented her country from midfield.
Moving forward, it’s unlikely that her club coach, Jonas Eidevall, will push her into what is already a congested Arsenal midfield, instead opting to keep her at the back for the Gunners, which firms up the notion that Williamson is a defender for England. With Arsenal playing in Europe again this season, as well as battling for the WSL crown and both domestic cups, Williamson will be another player who will have to be mindful of any cumulative fatigue going into a World Cup at which she’s expected to feature heavily.
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In the English talent pool, there is a back-up for every starter in the women’s national team who can do a comparable job should the first choice be unavailable. This is true of every first-choice player — with the exception of Keira Walsh.
It’s true that one could push Williamson into the defensive midfield role and she would do a fair job, but the defender has admitted she is less comfortable in midfield. There are other defenders you could advance to act as a shield for the backline, but none have the vision and natural range of passing as Walsh, with the midfielder’s line-breaking passes a key component in the England side.
So, it’s safe to say, Walsh will never be drifting far from the starting XI while she’s healthy enough to start. Heavily linked with a move to Barcelona that didn’t materialise over the summer, another season in Manchester allows the 25-year-old to continue on as she has been, untroubled by a new league/surroundings. Her continuity a benefit for Wiegman heading into a World Cup.
Lucy Bronze | FC Barcelona
Age: 30
Position: Right-back
Euros minutes: 584
Lucy Bronze was rumoured to be headed for the NWSL stateside in the offseason, but instead she left Manchester City from Barcelona. Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
At 30 years old, there’s a suggestion that Bronze has lost a touch of her pace when getting up and down the right flank for club and country, yet having secured a summer move to Champions League runners-up, Barcelona, it’s clear the defender still has plenty in her locker.
A mainstay of the England team who has already cut her teeth outside of the WSL having spent two seasons with French juggernauts, Olympique Lyonnais. The biggest challenge for Bronze will once again be about making sure she stays sharp in defence playing for a team that’s used to dominating and dictating games.
Millie Bright | Chelsea
Age: 29
Position: Centre-back
Euros minutes: 556
A lynchpin for Emma Hayes at Chelsea since her move to the Blues in 2015, Bright is expected to keep her staring spot for both club and country over the coming season, despite the league champions adding Kadeisha Buchanan, the accomplished Canadian international, this summer.
Though she has endured dips of form in her career, the consistent reliable performances from Bright over the past year, make her one of the most likely Lionesses to make the cut for Sarina Wiegman’s World Cup squad.
Lauren Hemp | Manchester City
Age: 22
Position: Left-wing
Euros minutes: 547
Predicted to be the breakout player of the tournament, Lauren Hemp, arguably disappointed over the Euros — though the bar was set perilously high for the speedy winger — Hemp is poised to have another strong season as one of the shining stars of the Man City team.
Having had to deal with multiple defenders tying her up at the tournament this summer, the upcoming campaign will give Hemp a chance to work on wriggling free of the defenders who try to limit her, with WSL teams likely to try and employ the same tactics as the opposition England faced over July. Regardless, Hemp is clearly rated highly by Wiegman who prizes her speed in transition highly and the 22-year-old, certainly doesn’t look like slowing down any time soon.
Georgia Stanway, front, left Manchester City in the offseason and she has joined Bayern Munich for the 2022-23 season. Lynne Cameron/Getty Images
It’s still a rarity in women’s football to hear of a transfer and say, “Well that just makes sense, doesn’t it?” as was the case when Georgia Stanway’s move to Bayern Munich was announced earlier in the summer. Having only played in Bayern’s preseason friendlies so far, the Barrow-in-Furness native looks set to hit the ground running with the former Frauen-Bundesliga champions, seamlessly slotting into their midfield.
The only possible worry for Stanway is just how fresh she looked on her Bayern debut, as the England player with only a finite amount of time between the end of the Euros and start of life in Southern Germany. Just like her England teammates who featured heavily over the Euros and are regular starters for their country, there is a wider concern about excessive work-load and minute management as the German season is as physically demanding as the WSL.
Another of the handful of Lionesses to have moved clubs this summer, no one has moved as far as Rachel Daly with the Yorkshire native upping sticks after 10 years stateside. Drafted by the Houston Dash after completing her degree at John’s Hopkins, Daly is returning to the English league a different player, having departed when she was still playing a left-back.
Although familiar to England fans as a defender, it’s further up the pitch where Daly has made a name for herself in the NWSL and is also where she is expected to line-up for Aston Villa over the course of the season. The tireless 30-year-old at her best when she can run at defences rather than make a home for herself in one. Yet with high competition in the wider attacking areas for England, it’s unlikely her exploits over the coming season will shift her from the role of defender in Wiegman’s eyes.
There will always be a footnote in Beth Mead’s England career that mentions she was left out of Hege Riise’s first squad. The Norwegian coach was brought in to bridge the gap between Phil Neville’s exit and Wiegman’s start, that included managing Team GB through the delayed 2020 Olympics. Riise simply explained that the report on Mead hadn’t been the best. How much this initial exclusion impacted the attacker’s game is something only she knows, but there is no question: her form did improve and improve — and it improved some more.
A starter for Jonas Eidevall’s physically dominant Arsenal side, Mead looks as at home at Borehamwood, where Arsenal play their home games, as she does in an England shirt and doesn’t look likely to relinquish her place for either club or country any time soon.
Fran Kirby, center, has played for Chelsea since 2015, and that’s where she will play this season. Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
An inspirational midfielder whose senior career has been blighted by injury and illness, Fran Kirby was somewhat of a surprise addition in the squad of 23 for the Euros, the Chelsea star having once more been side-lined at the end of last season. Yet with careful minute-managing in the build up to the tournament, the Reading native saw plenty of the pitch over the summer.
Heading into a new season with Chelsea, another in which the Blues will be fighting for four different pieces of silverware, it’s the minute-managing from both Emma Hayes and Sarina Wiegman that will be vital to keep Kirby, not just playing but healthy enough for her day-to-day life.
Alessia Russo | Manchester United
Age: 23
Position: Striker
Euros minutes: 262
With Sarina Wiegman known for liking a set starting XI, Alessia Russo was one of the players who started the Euros on the bench much to the clamour of fans and journalists alike who were desperate to see her get the nod to start.
A player who always managed to add something when she was introduced off of the bench over the summer, Russo could not have done more over the tournament to justify a start. Now, with Wiegman’s hand forced following the retirement of Ellen White, all Russo has to do is remain healthy and keep putting in the eye-catching performances for the Red Devils as they try to push for Champions League football.
A fan-favourite at Manchester United, it’s easy to see why, when Ella Toone is on the pitch, the attack-minded midfielder is the one who likes to hound and harass the opposition.
Reduced to impactful cameo appearances at the Euros, Toone is likely to spend the next season trying to justify a starting spot in Wiegman’s team although from league performances, it’s clear she is very much in the conversation.
Having torn her ACL right at the end of a blistering 2020-21 season, Chloe Kelly spent the majority of last season battling to regain fitness to claim a spot in the group of 23 for the Euros. Prior to her injury, Kelly had balanced the three-ponged City attack, counter-balancing Hemp on the left and after such a memorable Euros, the 24-year-old looks set to fall back into step for the new season.
A predicted starter before her ACL tear, Kelly will have to produce something special throughout the coming season to have any chance of displacing Beth Mead on the right side of England’s attack.
Coming into the Euros off of a strong season with Manchester City, the defender having regained some of her better form when pushed back to a centre-back position she had not occupied for some years, Alex Greenwood was arguably the biggest casualty to Williamson being pushed into the back line.
Comfortable at centre-back, Greenwood found herself struggling to get minutes at full-back with Rachel Daly preferred ahead of her. Despite this, Greenwood remains a strong option at both left-back and centre-back, and is adept at switching between the two no matter where City boss, Gareth Taylor opts to play her. And following such a strong season last term, its unlikely the defender will ever be far from Taylor’s starting XI.
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A promising young defender at Birmingham City, Jess Carter struggled to make her mark with Chelsea when she first moved down to London in 2018. Dealing with injuries and a loaded squad the versatile defender didn’t tap back into her better form until several weeks into the 2021-22 season but once she found her rhythm, she was immovable from the Blues’ backline. Yet despite the rich vein of form she worked herself into, the Warwick native struggled for minutes during the Euros and will need to put in some meaningful performances for England when she gets the chance over the next year, even with her club form speaking for itself.
Nikita Parris is another of the small number of Lionesses who moved clubs this summer, after a season of failing to make an impact at Arsenal with question of right club/wrong time asked, the former Evertonian has headed back north, this time to join up with Manchester City.
On paper, the move makes sense for Parris and there is a hope that she will be able to regain some of her better form — like the type fans will remember from her time with United’s cross-town rivals, City. Having already amassed more minutes for England in one post-Euros match vs. Austria than at the entire Euros combined, the speedy attacker looks set to grab the new season with both hands.
Bethany England | Chelsea
Age: 28
Position: Striker
Euros minutes: 0
Bethany England remains one of England’s biggest “right player, wrong time” players. Whenever the striker is in form, she usually finds herself pushed to the back of the queue, vying for minutes off of the bench, yet when given a start, she has often found it hard to stake a firm case — a phenomena she suffers for both club and country. A player who has had to battle for her starts amongst long stretches of bench-warming, there is a strong argument that England needs to move to a club that can afford her regular starts, not least if she is to be a reliable option for England.
Hannah Hampton | Aston Villa
Age: 21
Position: Goalkeeper
Euros minutes: 0
As a third-choice goalkeeper, there is little Hannah Hampton can do beyond putting in the hard yards over the course of the season but at an Aston Villa team that has finished 10th and ninth over the first two seasons in the WSL, the young goalkeeper is likely to remain an understudy to an understudy.
Ellie Roebuck | Manchester City
Age: 22
Position: Goalkeeper
Euros minutes: 0
Manchester City’s number one since 2018, Ellie Roebuck somewhat fell off of the pace thanks to an injury that kept her out of the squad at the start of last season, yet City’s uptick in form when she returned was palpable. The starting goalkeeper for Team GB at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the 22-year-old can already boast a wealth of experience for club and country, yet for the time being, is very much the second choice behind Mary Earps.
Demi Stokes | Manchester City
Age: 30
Position: Left-back
Euros minutes: 0
A reliable left-back when fit, Demi Stokes is entering her eighth season with Manchester City and is likely to see out another solid season at the CFA, yet Stokes has found herself somewhat out of favour with Wiegman. Despite playing for England seven times in the build-up to the Euros, the defender failed to get onto the pitch this summer with both Daly and Greenwood preferred ahead of her and faces the simple problem of having fallen down one too many rungs in the pecking order.
Likely to continue to feature for England over the course of the next year, Stokes’ involvement at the next World Cup seems far more balanced on the fitness of those ahead of her rather than the strength of her 2022-23 season.
Lotte Wubben-Moy | Arsenal
Age: 23
Position: Centre-back
Euros minutes: 0
The final Lioness on this list also happens to be the last of the five who didn’t manage to get onto the pitch for England this summer, raising the question of what can Lotte Wubben-Moy do to change that. But, indeed like an Ellie Roebuck or Demi Stokes, Wubben-Moy finds herself down the pecking order not necessarily because of her own ability but of the fierce competition she faces ahead of her. Worse still for the defender, she finds herself at an Arsenal team who have added depth in her favoured position at the back, leaving her as an option off of the bench for Jonas Eidevall, more than as a starter which could see her far further down the ranks for England.
According to Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, Commissioner-General of GRA, Revenue authorities will need to engage with Ministries of Finance to make up for the revenue losses anticipated as a result of the reduction in import taxes during the implementation of the AfCFTA.
The AfCFTA parties will be required to lower tariffs on “90% of items that are traded inside the continent,” which may cause a short-term loss in tariff revenue to the majority of African member countries whose trade levies still serve as an important source of income.
Dr. Owusu Amoah spoke on the subject of “Tax and Revenue Implication of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement” at the beginning of the three-day African Tax Administration Forum and African Tax Research Network 7th Annual Congress.
He said as African Countries began trading under AfCFTA, they must recognize the critical role of tax and customs authorities and enhance their capacity and skills to operationalize the tariff concessions, administer the rules of origin and ensure that non-AfCFTA originating goods exploit the preferential treatment vis-à -vis the overlapping rules of the regional economic communities.
Mr Owusu Amoah called for stronger regional cooperation between tax authorities now more than ever.
“Tax and customs authorities play a key role in the collection of information including beneficial ownership information and financial information, as well as the use of tax identifiers that link individuals to the companies in which they are shareholders.
“As border control, customs authorities are key in detecting and preventing smuggling, counterfeit goods, and overall illicit trade, but in a future single market, one national authority cannot effectively execute this duty on its own.â€
He said cooperation between tax authorities, in particular, would be extremely important in preventing tax evasion and avoidance schemes.
He said ATAF, the AfCFTA Secretariat, and the AU must establish deeper engagement to protect the future revenues of our anticipated union.
He highlighted information sharing and the use of technology, emphasizing the reshaping of the legal frameworks to enable the sharing of tax information between competent authorities.
This could have multiple advantages including, preventing the duplication of efforts, detection of fraud, tax evasion, or avoidance schemes that make use of multiple jurisdictions, and identifying and tracking the movement of goods.
“Today is an opportunity to begin this engagement between key authorities to map the road towards an operational customs union,†he said.
In a speech read on his behalf, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister, said regarding the tax and revenue implications of the AfCFTA, it was likely that customs revenue would not see an upward movement in the short-term.
However, this impact would be marginal compared to the share of intra-African exports as a percentage of total African exports, which is estimated at around 21 percent in 2021.
“In the medium term, AfCFTA is expected to improve trade, and therefore, would impact positively on GDP,†he said.
According to the World Bank, real income gains from the full implementation of the agreement would increase by 7 percent or nearly US$450 billion.
This would increase the domestic income levels of individuals and corporate entities and consequently increase both direct and indirect domestic taxes.
He said to boost customs revenue mobilization in the short-term, African countries could resort to other revenue-enhancing measures that target domestic taxes.
Mr Logan Wort, Executive Secretary ATAF, said the benefits of AfCFTA were expected to boost industrialization, and economic diversification and ensure sustainable, employment-generating growth for the whole of Africa.
However, this may result in short-term tariff revenue loss to most African member countries where trade taxes remain a key source of revenue.
“Therefore, since tariff revenues are currently a vital revenue source for many African countries, we must critically strategize on innovative ways to bridge these revenue gaps,†he added.
That of the 182-bill traded at 30.22 per cent, compared with 29.94 per cent the previous week. The one-year bill however sold for 30.01 per cent, as against 29.5 per cent the previous week.
As usual, the 91-day T-bill was the most purchased, as investors bought a total of ¢1.448 billion. This was followed by the 182-day (¢218.66 million) and the 364-day bill (¢109.41 million).
Also, all the bids tendered were accepted.
Data bank Research had reported that investor interest in Treasury bills continue to soar, as they take advantage of rising interest rates in the Treasury market.
This has been triggered by rising interest rates on the yield curve as investors focused on the short-term securities in the primary market for re-pricing benefits.
Defending champion Billy Horschel and former world number one Jon Rahm have criticised LIV golfers taking part in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Seventeen players who have competed on the Saudi Arabian-funded breakaway tour are included in the field for the DP World Tour event which starts on the West Course this Thursday.
Horschel branded several LIV players “hypocrites” and said the group which includes European Ryder Cup heroes Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia should not be part of the event.
The American echoed Rahm’s views attacking other LIV players who he suggested were being opportunistic in turning up and denying spots to more deserving European-based golfers.
“Even though Westwood and Poulter have been stalwarts for the European Tour, I don’t think those guys really should be here,” Horschel said.
But the defending champion reserved his strongest vitriol for players such as Mexico’s Abraham Ancer and Talor Gooch. “You’ve never played this tournament, you’ve never supported the DP World Tour,” Horschel said.
“Why are you here? You are here for one reason only and that’s to try to get world ranking points because you don’t have it.” LIV Golf have applied for world ranking status but their events do not yet earn points.
“It’s hypocritical because some of these guys said they wanted to play less golf,” Horschel added.
“It’s pretty hypocritical to come over here and play outside LIV when your big thing was to spend more time with family and want to play less golf.”
Rahm is bemused that some LIV players have been allowed to play at Wentworth this week.
“What I don’t understand is some players that have never shown any interest in the European Tour, that have never shown any interest in playing this event, are being given an opportunity, just because they can get world ranking points, and hopefully make majors next year,” said the Spaniard.
Rahm cited the plight of close friend and Spanish pro Alfredo Garcia-Heredia missing out on the Wentworth tournament because LIV players who are not DP World Tour members used their top-60 status in the global rankings to enter the tournament.
“It doesn’t hurt me but it does bug me that somebody who has played over – I looked it up – 20 DP World events this year, cannot be given the opportunity to play a flagship event,” Rahm said.
“Because some people that earned it, to an extent, are being given an opportunity when they couldn’t care any less about the event.
“They don’t know. They don’t care. They don’t know the history of this event.
“They are only here because they are trying to get world ranking points and trying to finish in the top 50, and that’s clear as day.”
But Rahm is not shutting the Ryder Cup door on LIV players, some of whom are involved in legal action trying to prevent them from being suspended from the European-based DP World Tour.
“There’s only one problem in life that doesn’t have a solution, and that’s death. Everything else has a solution,” said the 27-year-old who has played the past two Ryder Cups.
“If the European Tour really want them to play and as a team we want them to play, I think a solution can be reached.”
Garcia, Europe’s leading points scorer in the Ryder Cup, reiterated his desire to remain part of the continent’s set up for next year’s biennial match against the United States.
He also responded to comments from team-mate Rory McIlroy who recently said he finds it hard to stomach competing with LIV players at Wentworth this week.
“Everybody can have their opinions, as long as they don’t make it personal, I think it’s fine,” Garcia said.
“You have to be respectful and I’ve been a member of the European Tour for more years than he has so I think that also has to be respected.
“In the past I played European Tour and PGA Tour and it was fine. So now I don’t play the PGA Tour, I’m not a member there. I’m a member of a different tour so I don’t know why it’s so different.
“But I’m trying to support the European Tour and keep my membership and hopefully have my chances to make the Ryder Cup team and we’ll see how that pans out as we go along.”
European captain Luke Donald refused to be drawn on whether he would like to pick Garcia for next year’s match in Rome.
“It’s hard for me to comment on that because I don’t know if he will be eligible or not but obviously Sergio’s record speaks for itself,” the skipper told BBC Sport.
Brandon Thomas-Asante came on in the 70th minute against Burnley – and netted in the 98th
West Bromwich Albion new boy Brandon Thomas-Asante made a dream debut when he came off the bench to equalise for the Baggies at The Hawthorns in the 98th minute on Friday.
Just 48 hours after signing from Salford City, he scrambled the ball in to deny Vincent Kompany’s Burnley all three points and send Twitter mad.
And Albion boss Steve Bruce promises that he is not the only hidden gem.
“He’s a shining example to lower league players,” Bruce told BBC Radio WM.
“It’s a great success story, isn’t it? It was so refreshing to see him on the day he signed to see someone looking that enthusiastic, with a big smile on his face.
“His mum and dad were as proud as punch that he’d got his opportunity. It was a bit of a throwback, to see someone who feels like he’s just won the lottery. And, when he scored that goal, I’m sure he thought he really had.
“Sometimes all you need is a break and I’d seen enough of him to earn that break.”
The powerful 5ft 11ins (180cm) striker was actually recommended to Bruce by one of Thomas-Asante’s team-mates at League Two side Salford, Bruce’s son-in law, the former Oldham Athletic, Leeds United, Fulham, QPR and Millwall striker Matt Smith.
But before Thomas-Asante had even kicked a ball for Albion, the Smethwick End were singing his name.
And the 23-year-old simply put that warm welcome down to the power of social media.
On the day he signed, Thomas-Asante displayed on Instagram a picture taken some years ago of himself with an Albion legend, the late Cyrille Regis.
“It meant a lot to meet Cyrille at the start of my career,” said Thomas-Asante. “He was really encouraging and liked how I played.
“He’s not just a West Bromwich Albion legend but also for football at large. And it rings in my mind now I’m here that I have the chance to repay that faith he showed in me.
“On social media they’ve really taken me in over the last few days. And I was just glad that I could reward the fans. If only I can now create half as many memories as he did.”
Brandon Thomas-Asante scored 30 times in his three seasons at Salford
Just like Regis himself, who started in non-league football with Hayes, and Bruce, who began in the old third division at Gillingham, Thomas-Asante has spent his time in the lower leagues.
After coming through at home-town club Milton Keynes Dons, he made his MK debut under Karl Robinson in August 2016.
But Robinson then left two months later and, under a quick succession of Dons managers, he spent two spells out on loan in non-league, first at Sutton United, then a level down with Oxford City, only to be unloaded by then MK boss Paul Tisdale at the end of the 2018-19 season.
He initially joined Ebbsfleet that summer, but had made just three substitute appearances before being snapped up on deadline day by Salford, then newly promoted to League Two.
And the past three seasons have been productive – 97 starts, 30 goals and then finally that big chance to join Albion.
He arrived to join a club playing good football under Bruce this season but still under a bit of a cloud after another injury to last season’s big money January signing Daryl Dike – and then Albion’s frustrating deadline day when two more deals for Fulham midfielder Josh Onomah and Brighton’s Steven Alzate both failed to get over the line.
But Thomas-Asante has so far proved a little ray of sunshine.
And, roared on by the Baggies faithful, who kept on believing, having already looked a real handful when he came on, he came up with the goods.
All it did was earn Albion a sixth draw in eight league games. But, said Bruce, “more importantly, it feels like a win”.
‘I showed I can be trusted’
“The gaffer said to go on and get him a goal,” said Thomas-Asante. “He said it optimistically. I don’t know if he really expected it to happen, but it allowed me to show I can be trusted.
“There are a lot of good players in League Two waiting for their opportunity – and not just in League Two, in all the lower leagues.
“There have always been people in the changing room who have had bigger careers than me, but I have always set myself high goals.
“I could feel the added quality. You have to be that bit sharper on the ball. There is a disparity but it’s doable. And now I just have to keep on learning.
“I played in the National League too and I didn’t score a goal there – and now I have in the Championship.”
Steve Bruce and Brandon Thomas-Asante were talking to BBC Radio WM’s Rob Gurney.
In the petition by the Ghana Environmental Advocacy Group and A Rocha Ghana, concern was expressed over reports by The Fourth Estate that only two out of hundreds of Chinese nationals arrested for engaging in illegal mining from 2012 to date remain in Ghanaian jails.
“To read that those arrested end up quietly deported to their home countries with their loot without any further consequences while the state and local communities are left to reel under the weight of the environmental degradation they leave behind is both unconscionable and irresponsible,†the petition stated.
These concerns come after the re-arrest of Aisha Huang despite her deportation in 2019 for engaging in legal mining in Ghana.
Reports indicate that Aisha came to Ghana from a neighbouring country through a land border.
Upon her arrival, she also acquired a Ghana card in February 2022 with a new name, Huang En.
Find below the full demands in the petition:
a. Share with Ghanaians the number of foreign nationals arrested for engaging in
illegal mining in Ghana and their nationalities.
b. Number of those arrested that are currently in jail
c. Number of those who have been released and for what reason (s)
d. Number of those deported and under what conditions
e. Number of such deportees who have returned and
f. Measures that have been put in place to ensure that new people coming do not
engage in illegal mining in Ghana.
A total of GH283,778,072 22 worth of contract irregularities have been found by the Auditor General.
The Auditor-Department General’s stated in its report from 2021 that “they primarily pertain to the payment for construction projects not performed” at various public boards, corporations, and other statutory organizations.
According to the report, “an amount of US$36,890,553.79 (GH221,568,355) paid by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to a contractor in excess of work accomplished on a project is included in the irregularities total of GH283,778,072″.
He also said managements of government institutions must “ensure that funds are available in order to engender the speedy completion of earmarked projects and ensure that payments are made for work doneâ€.
The Chief (Mantse) of Nungua has asked the owners of the houses in Trassaco Valley Estatesto formally contract with the Nungua Stool secretariat in order to formalize the ownership of the lands on which their homes are located.
To prevent losing their properties, according to Oboade Notse King Prof. Odaifio Welentsi III, this must be done.
The request is made in a letter addressed to landowners and residents dated September 1, 2022, which was jointly signed by the Gborbu Wulomo and Wor Lumor Konor Numo Borketey Laweh Tsuru.
“The Nungua Stool hereby informs all residents/homeowners of Trassaco Valley Estates comprising thereof Phase I, Phase II and Phase III located and situate at Adjiriganor Motorway Extension, East Legon — Accra that the Supreme Court i.e. the apex court of the land per its judgment dated 16 December 2020 in the case involving inter-alia Empire Builders, Emesto Taricone, Topkings Enterprise Limited and the Nungua Stool in the suit titled: CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/10/2019… conclusively adjudged that, Empire Builders, the developers of the estate aforementioned, at all material times acquired no form of interest in any land from the Nungua Stool and that includes the land on which the aforementioned estates is situated,†the notice said.
The notice further stated that “In view of the above, the residents/ homeowners are hereby requested forthwith to formally engage the Nungua Stool secretariat to atone tenancy or risk losing their respective properties to the Stool.â€
“Please, take further notice that there shall be no other form of notice howsoever described to you concerning the atonement of tenancy; rather, steps shall be initiated to recover the land should you fail to proceed as requested,†the Nungua Mantse stressed.
A Liberian national has been given a ten (10) year prison sentence by the Accra High Court for attempting to transport cocaine through the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to Bangkok, Thailand.
Following Ms. Wolo Maikplay Margaret’s conviction, the court presided over by Her Ladyship Justice Mary Ekua Yanzuh further penalized her 10,000 penalty units in default and ordered her to serve an extra three years in prison on Wednesday, August 31, 2022.
In accordance with sections 36 and 37 of the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019), the accused admitted guilt to two charges of attempted exporting and possession of a controlled substance without a Minister of Health license.
The presiding judge found her guilty on her own plea on each count to run concurrently.
Ms. Wolo Maikplay Margaret was apprehended by Narcotics Control Commission(NACOC) officers on the 14th of May, 2022, while transiting through Kotoka International Airport(KIA) from Monrovia to Bangkok-Thailand onboard Qatar Airways.
A total of thirty (30) pellets containing cocaine weighing 277.2101grams were retrieved from beneath her breast and Vagina when commission officials conducted a physical search on her after receiving a tip off from a sister security agency at Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
A statement issued by the Narcotic Control Commission on Tuesday, “emphasised that the possession and attempted transportation of narcotic drugs is still illegal and punishable under domestic law.â€
It also assured citizens of “its ongoing commitment to keeping the influx and smuggling of all types of narcotic drugs to a bare minimum through collaboration with the relevant stakeholders.â€
The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame has assured the general public that the Chinese National, Aisha Huang will face full prosecution for her new and past offenses before her deportation from Ghana in 2018.
The Attorney General taking to his Twitter handle stated that he has called for the docket on Aisha Huang, from the Police.
“There shall be a full prosecution for her alleged new and past offences†Godfred Yeboah Dame said.
The Chinese woman is standing trial for engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals without a license.
Her return has sparked outrage following her deportation to China in 2018 over similar charges.
Aisha Huang was said to have returned to her country and changed her identity only to come back to Ghana and commit the same crime.
She is said to have applied for a Togo Visa and went through the borders into Ghana and back to the galamsey business in a town in the Ashanti Region.
The Ghana international striker holds the record for the most games played in the Spanish top flight in a row.
When Williams suffered an injury last week, many expected him to extend the record, but he surprised everyone by playing in Athletic Bilabo’s defeat to Espanyol over the weekend.
By featuring in the 1-0 loss, the 28-year-old extended the record to 237 games, an incredible feat, and he has revealed his secret to staying fit and not missing a game in six years.
“Take care of myself, eat well, rest and good genetics,” said Williams.
“There is a lot of talk about this record. I have not been very aware of what I have been achieving. It is a cluster of things that everything indicates that it is very difficult for it to be repeated. I am happy, I also freak out with these numbers,†he added.
Williams who has scored one goal this season has been handed a debut Ghana call-up for the friendly matches against Brazil and Nicaragua later this month.
The government declared that it is the owner of the land on which the estates are located and that any inhabitants who want to stay there must deal with them or risk losing their possessions.
Twenty-two-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal was upset in the fourth round of the US Open on Monday by American Frances Tiafoe at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York.
In a match that lasted more than 3 hours and 30 minutes, the Maryland native defeated Nadal 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Tiafoe, 24, is the youngest American man to get this far in the US Open since a then-24-year-old Andy Roddick was a finalist in 2006.
“It was definitely one hell of a performance,” he said following the match. “I played really well today. Yeah, I guess, I mean, I just came out there and I just believed I could do it. It helps I played him a couple times.”
Earlier in the tournament, Tiafoe said he was happy to be going mostly unnoticed.
After his win Monday, he expressed joy for what his victory against Nadal meant to his parents, who immigrated to the United States from Sierra Leone.
“I just had a big passion for the game. Not even mainly for me, but to do it for them. To see them experience me beat Rafa Nadal, they’ve seen me have big wins, but to beat those Mount Rushmore guys, for them, I can’t imagine what was going through their heads.
“Yeah, I mean, they’re going to remember today for the rest of their lives.”
Nadal, 36, recorded his first loss in a grand slam event this year and is now 22-1 this season. The Spaniard won the Australian Open and French Open before withdrawing from Wimbledon in July before his scheduled semifinal showdown with Australian Nick Kyrgios.
“The difference is easy,” Nadal said afterward. “I played a bad match and he played a good match. At the end that’s it, no?”
Nadal said Tiafoe played more solidly than in previous matches between the two, served well, had good backhands and was quick.
“But I don’t think I pushed him enough to create him the doubts that I need to create,” he said. “Of course, he did the things well. If not, he will not win, without a doubt. Congrats to him.”
Nadal said he needs to “fix things” and when he feels mentally ready to compete again, he will, but he is unsure about the timetable.
Top seed Daniil Medvedev beaten by Nick Kyrgios at US Open
Tiafoe will face Andrey Rublev of Russia in a quarterfinal on Wednesday.
The US Open men’s singles final is scheduled for Sunday.
Tiafoe’s parents met in the United States, where they would have twins, Franklin and Frances.
Their father signed on as a day laborer at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in 1999 in College Park.
While working around the clock, his father was forced to move into a vacant storage room at the tennis center, where his two boys would stay with him, sleeping there, while their mother worked night shifts as a nurse. Tiafoe picked up the sport, getting to play at the center for free, and fell in love with the sport.
Tiafoe previously said that while his family didn’t grow up wealthy, he wouldn’t change anything.
On Monday he told reporters: “Us being around tennis was kind of gets us getting out of our neighborhood. My dad kind of being able to watch us. It wasn’t anything supposed to be like this. Once we got in the game of tennis, it was like my dad was like, It would be awesome if you guys can use this as a full scholarship to school. I mean, we couldn’t afford a university.”
Samuel Awugah speaking on the Ghana Yensom morning show hosted by Mr. Emmanuel Quarshie on Accra 100.5 FM on Monday, September 5, 2022, said the factory has been rusting away since it was test-run and shut down for maintenance some seven years ago.
He claimed that it was when the president decided to visit the factory that the management of the factory moved to buy some Akpeteshie sugarcanes to utilise the factory to create the impression the factory was being run.
“Even in the wake of this, the factory only produced some 29 bags of sugar and shut down,†he alleged and questioned that if the management of the factory claims that the factory will be operational by December what raw materials are they going to use?
Also, he noted that the B41 type of sugarcane takes about six months to grow.
“The latest news about production at the factory was a matter of window dressing to impress the president,” he stressed.
He said the over 200 out-growers of the factory are idling about at home because the factory was not working.
He stressed that “as we speak the factory has been shut down.”
The 41-year-old is the new commissioner of a tournament which will have six franchise teams and get under way on 23 January next year.
The new sides have all been bought owners of clubs in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is the world’s dominant domestic T20 league.
“I think It’s very difficult to knock the IPL off their perch, but our goal is to be right behind them,” Smith told the BBC World Service’s Stumped podcast.
“The IPL has extracted serious value and done wonders for Indian cricket.
“South African cricket really needed to build a product that it owned and could develop itself. We’ve seen all the other nations do that successfully.
“I think we finally got the model right. This opportunity here is to really lift and elevate the standard of the game.”
England internationals Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone have already been signed for the SA20, along with West Indians Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers and Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan.
A player auction to finalise the squads will be held on 19 September.
Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch has been charged by the Football Association for “improper language and/or behaviour” during his side’s defeat by Brentford on Saturday.
The American was infuriated after Leeds were denied a penalty.
He was sent off after urging referee Robert Jones to use the monitor to review a challenge by Aaron Hickey on Leeds winger Crysencio Summerville.
Marsch has until Friday to provide a response to the FA’s charge.
Marsch, who replaced Marcelo Bielsa as Leeds boss in February, was booked during the Whites’ defeat by Brighton the previous week after angrily slamming the ball down – a yellow card he later said he “deserved”.
The 5-2 win lifted Brentford to seventh in the table, while Leeds slipped to ninth after their second successive Premier League defeat.
The Elland Road club are still seeking their first victory on the road this season.
Costa is travelling to Wolves’ Compton training base as the Premier League club wait for news of their appeal.
The former Chelsea striker has been on trial with Wolves this week as the club look for cover following injuries to Sasa Kalajdzic and Raul Jimenez.
Costa, 33, is a free agent having been without a club since leaving Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro in January.
He has not played a professional game since 12 December and his lack of action in recent months meant he did not automatically qualify for a work permit.
According to William Owurakoo Aidoo, deputy energy minister, the government is making arduous efforts to guarantee that by the year 2030, at least 50% of Ghanaians will have access to ecologically friendly, clean, and safe LPG.
Speaking during the National LPG Promotion Program’s launch in Obuasi, the minister said that the government has implemented programs, events, and initiatives over the previous years to promote liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as a domestic cooking fuel that is safer, cleaner, and healthier.
“Our goal is more ambitious.
According to the National LPG Promotion Policy, the government’s goal is for at least 50% of Ghanaians to have access to LPG for household, commercial, and industrial use by 2030.
He continued “Government recognizes that the initial investment required to switch to the use of LPG remains a barrier. Ordinarily, the initial investment cost for a domestic user may include purchasing an LPG cylinder, cookstove, regulator, rubber hose and clippersâ€
Mr Owurakoo further encouraged beneficiaries of the government intervention to sustain the use of LPG and not revert to firewood and charcoal.
“LPG is the safest, cleanest and healthiest form of cooking fuel available today and we urge all Ghanaians to switch to LPG now.”
Meanwhile, government envisages that the rollout of the National LPG Promotion Programme using the Cylinder Recirculation Module as a vehicle for distribution will help Ghana achieve its goal in the use of LPG as a clean, safe and healthy cooking fuel.
The move is also to satisfy Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7; which is affordable and clean energy and SDG 13; which is climate action.
German-born duo Stephan Ambrosious and Ransford Yeboah Konigsdorffer have received their first invite to the Black Stars ahead of the September friendlies against Brazil and Nicaragua.
The two players were among the five players named by the Ghana FA to have switched nationality and ready to play for the Black Stars in July.
Coach Otto Addo has named Ambrosious and Konigsdorffer in his 29-man squad and they will be available to make their Ghana debut against Brazil and Nicaragua if selected.
Stephan Ambrosius is currently on loan to Karlsruher SC from Hamburg and has made three appearances in the Bundesliga II.
Ransford Konigsdorffer has two goals in five appearances for Hamburg this season.
Ghana will play Brazil on Friday, September 23, at Stade Oceane in Le Harve- France before taking on Nicaragua at Estadio Francisco Artes Carrasco in Lorca, Spain on Tuesday, September 27, 2022.
Ghanaian Companies selected after calls for projects are DD Vision Trade, a registered Financial Broker; Deltee Limited Company, a company specialised in fisheries and aquaculture and Ecofashion Ghana, an eco-friendly company that is creating a circular economy for plastic waste.
The rest are Kuueza, a B2B Ecommerce marketplace, mobile and web Technology and NshoNam, a technology-enabled marketing solution for fresh seafood designed in partnership with the artisanal fishing communities of West Africa.
They will be accompanied by the Fisheries Commission, an implementing agency of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD).
Companies are expected to present their innovative projects in the major sub-sectors of the blue economy, namely sustainable tourism, blue energy, robotic sciences, and engineering in the service of marine resources, sustainable aquaculture, plastic waste recycling and the fight against marine pollution to investors from Africa and Europe.
They will also be offered unique opportunity to network with financial institutions, including international ones such as the European Investment Bank and the World Bank as well as private investors.
Mr Irchad Razaaly, EU Ambassador to Ghana, noted that the first edition of BlueInvest Africa took place when the African Union-European Union Summit was taking place to promote public-private partnership as an essential driver of economic development.
“In line with this goal, the EU is now prioritising the creation of a business climate that benefits small and medium-sized enterprises across the African continent,†he said.
BlueInvest Africa is being organised by the European Union in collaboration with the Republic of Seychelles under the high patronage of the President of the Republic of Seychelles, Mr. W. Ramkalawan.
It will bring together investors from Africa and Europe and African start-ups to generate business opportunities and promote the blue economy sector in Africa.
Seychelles is recognised around the world for its commitment to the development of a sustainable, low carbon and high value-added blue economy that respects marine resources.
Seychelles is a role model and a source of inspiration for public policies that are more firmly committed to the blue economy sector and promote innovative business opportunities within an African BlueInvest community.
Sista Afia, a young female artist from Ghana, revealed that before moving to Ghana to pursue a career in music, she was a registered nurse abroad.
The singer claimed that prejudice she encountered while working at a hospital caused her distress. She, however, left everything behind when she realized how much she loved music and traveled to Ghana, her native country.
Sista Afia hinted that the original goal was to come and perform music for pleasure, but that it has since grown into a significant source of income for her during an interview with GhanaWeb’s Paula Amma Broni on Talkertainment.
Over the course of her career, which has lasted about 7 years, she has produced numerous hit songs, including “Jeje,” “Weather,” “Asouden,” and her most recent single, “Makwe.”
“A few female artiste have been able to pass through these years. I have been in this game for almost seven years and I have been able to showcase what I can do and I am really happy.
“I just did it. I just came to Ghana to have fun with music and now it is a business. No doubt that Ghanaians have been very supportive. I can’t deny that. I was a registered nurse in a hospital not for a whole term because I did like few months and then I came. I had so much racism at my workplace, I mean, I was not really excited to work so when I finally made it through my former boss, Aaron in London, he loved my talent and said I needed to record a song. I recorded ‘Krokro No’ and he said I should come to Ghana to shoot the video. When I came and shot the video, the song was actually popping already,” she disclosed on GhanaWeb TV.
Rating her performance in the industry so far, Sista Afia noted that there is more to do, adding that her upcoming project will highlight a different vibe from her.
“I felt like I was doing something with my music career…I am not fulfilled yet, I think there is more to me that I can deliver. My next EP will tell you what I mean by now because I feel like the type of songs I wanted to do before, this is the era for it,” she added.
The Hull City striker picked up a hamstring injury when the Tigers lost 2-0 at home to Sheffield United on Saturday at the MKM Stadium.
Tetteh was replaced with Ryan Longman in the 14th minute after he was stretched off the field after failing to continue the match.
The 25-year-old will be missing Ghana’s upcoming international friendly matches later this month after doctors confirmed on Tuesday he will be out of action for four to six weeks.
“Yes, it’s his hamstring,” Hull boss Arveladze said after the game.
“I’ve been through this for the last nine weeks and that’s the way it goes now. We have to try to fix everything and think about the next game. I cannot change much, I cannot change much, or the (fixture) calendar.
“The medical staff are doing their best.”
Tetteh has been named in Ghana’s 29-squad list for the upcoming international friendlies against Brazil and Nicaragua but won’t be available for the two games due to his injury.
Black Stars will play Brazil on Friday, September 23, at Stade Oceane in Le Harve- France before tackling Nicaragua at Estadio Francisco Artes Carrasco in Lorca, Spain four days later.
The former Ghana U20 striker signed for the Tigers this summer from Turkish Superlig club Yeni Malatyaspor.
The 25-year-old played 8 matches in all competitions and has provided three assists as he yet to score his first goal since joining.
Through diplomatic processes, United Nigeria AirlinesLimited has been authorized to begin operating flights into Ghana.
United Nigeria Airlines Limited, with a base at Enugu International Airport and an office in Abuja, is anticipated to finish the necessary procedures and start conducting commercial flights into Ghana.
“… United Nigeria Airline Company Limited from Nigeria has been designated through the diplomatic channels to commence commercial flight operations into Ghana,†Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Ing. Charles Kraikue, confirmed to AviationGhana.
AviationGhana sources say the Nigerian carrier, which operates a fleet of four Embraer ERJ-145LR and presently operates domestic flights to Lagos, Abuja, Enugu Owerri, Port Harcourt, Yenagoa, Anambra, Asaba, and Osubi,is also carefully planning its schedule and will announce it in the months ahead.
United Nigeria Airlines joins the list of Nigerian carriers designated through official channels to operate flights between Ghana and Nigeria such as Air Peace, Arik, Dana Air, and MedView.
Africa World Airlines (AWA) remains the only Ghanaian registered carrier designated to operate commercial flights into Nigeria.
AWA currently operates scheduled flights from its base in Accra to Kumasi, Takoradi, and Tamale. For regional flights, it services the Accra-Lagos-Accra and Accra-Abuja-Accra routes.
“Prominent among such entities was an amorphous organisation operating a microfinance institution under the guise of gold trading and illegally using the name of a bank calling itself Menzbank.
“Against caution from the Central Bank, tens of thousands of individuals got hooked on the scheme devised by the company. Following the close down by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the customers could not retrieve their funds.
The company relied on the greed and ignorance of thousands of otherwise hardworking Ghanaians who were prepared to pay their life savings to the suspects in the case, resulting in losses worth millions of dollars†Godfred Dame explained.
The Attorney General said the saga has over the years culminated in a social crisis which resulted in protests and some level of unrest in the financial section.
“The situation caused misery and distress to many homes and unleashed a social crisis as riots and demonstrations broke out on the streets of Accra and other parts of the country,†he stated
“In real terms, people lost their homes, and some marriages have even broken up as a result of the Menzgold saga. Indeed, one lawyer suggested that the story of Menzgold could cause a civil war in Ghana in a manner akin to the civil war in Albania in 1997 caused by aggrieved customers of a Ponzi scheme,†the A-G noted.
He continued, “By the Grace of God, Ghana was saved from such a situation as a result of the prompt action taken by authorities at the helm of the financial system. I am happy to state that after painstaking investigations, dockets on that financial crime are almost ready for prosecution to commence in earnest.”
He added that apart from the Menzgold saga, the Office of the Attorney-General is prosecuting other high-profile cases involving the offences of willfully causing financial loss to the State such as stealing, corruption, fraud, procurement breaches and money laundering.
These cases, according to Godfred Dame, form parts of efforts to hold public officers and entities accountable.
He revealed that these crimes however amount to a sum of over $850 million.
He claims that as the regulator for the banking industry is not an institution that conducts investigations or brings cases against wrongdoers, it cannot be held accountable for the delay in prosecutions.
“Sometime back, Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison, urged the judiciary to allocate special courts to specifically handle cases related to the recent banking crisis. The Governor has also acknowledged the crucial role of the judiciary in efficiently adjudicating financial sector cases.”
Mr. Dawson made these comments following a statement made by the former General Secretary of the NPP, Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong indicating that the central bank had failed in its role in prosecuting persons involved in the banking sector crisis.
The financial analyst however added that “Some of the banks had also breached several banking regulations leaving the financial system at the time, on the brink of a total collapse.â€
Meanwhile, at a recent event held in Accra, the central bank contributed funds to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), to help investigate cases related to the financial sector clean-up exercise.
Yes, children, Kelly Clarkson competed on a reality competition series before your mom was watching her on daytime TV and “The Voice.”
Clarkson, reflecting on her journey from Texas waitress to one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, wrote on her Instagram that she felt ” grateful” for all the things — and especially the people — that entered her life because her big win.
“20 years ago today I won ‘American Idol’ and it forever changed the course of my life,” she wrote, marking the occasion on Sunday. “That moment was the door that opened up so much access and opportunity, and created partnerships that I will be grateful for all of my days. The family and friendships I have created one these 20 years in music and TV are priceless to me.”
Clarkson beat out runner-up Justin Guarini in the first season of the singing competition show, with millions of people voting for her to win a recording contract.
“We only get so many trips around the sun and while I am proud and feel abundantly blessed of the successes and failures that I have learned from, I am most proud and grateful for those friends that have become family, and for their arms that have held me when I needed It and their hearts that listened to me when I felt lost,” Clarkson wrote, without mentioning anyone in particular by name. “Without them I would not be where I am. I would probably not be here at all.”
She added: “Thank you so much to every single person that voted 20 years ago! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
Clarkson has won three Grammy Awardsover the course of her music career. And thanks to her role as host of “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” her syndicated daily talk show, she’s also won five Daytime Emmy Awards.
“I hope all of you have people in your lives that fill you with laughter, and hope, and happiness, and if you don’t feel like you have that, then keep searching because I promise you they’re looking for you too,” Clarkson said.
Inaki Williams has received his first Ghana call-up as coach Otto-Addo named his squad for the friendlies against Brazil and Nicaragua.
The Ghana Football Association, GFA, released the list early Tuesday, September 6, 2022, via its social media handles.
Ghana will play Brazil on Friday, September 23, before engaging Nicaragua on Tuesday, September 27, 2022.
The called-up players include:
Goalkeepers:
Richard Ofori, Abdul Manaf Nurudeen, Joseph Wollacott.
Defenders: Denis Odoi, Tariq Lamptey, Alidu Seidu, Abdul-Rahaman Baba, Gideon Mensah, Alexander Djiku, Mohammed Salisu, Daniel Amartey, Joseph Aidoo, Stephan Ambrosius.
Midfielders:Thomas Partey, Iddrisu Baba, Elisha Owusu, Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, Mohammed Kudus, Andre Ayew.
Wingers: Kamaldeen Sulemana, Daniel Afriyie Barnieh, Issahaku Abdul Fatawu, Osman Bukari, Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer, Jordan Ayew, Antoine Semenyo
He continued by saying that the government must meet them halfway by raising the cost of a bag of cocoa to GHC 1,000 in order to save their position.
“We can only appeal so we are appealing to the government to increase the price to GHC1,000 so that we can cater for our families because we have dependents and times are really hard for usâ€.
Buttressing the point for the increment, the Chief Farmer for the Berekum Municipality, Nana Kwasi Diawuo, stressed that the current trend has the potential of discouraging young people from engaging in farming and wants the government to make farming lucrative to attract more people.
“The way things are, nobody will join farming especially the youth so I am urging the government to make farming lucrativeâ€.
On September 6, 2021, Dr. Clement Apaak, a member of parliament for Builsa South, urged the government to deal with those who were unlawfully harvesting rosewood in the nation.
He claimed that punishing these offenders will serve as a warning to others.
Dr. Clement Apaak, a member of parliament for Builsa South, has noted that the public needs to see rosewood dealers punished in order to serve as a deterrent to others who are illegally exporting rosewood. This is where he sees a problem with the sanctions regime for outlawing the cutting of rosewood in the nation.
He claimed that despite media reports of rosewoods being seized in Nigeria and elsewhere, neither sanctions nor inquiries into the incident’s perpetrators have been made.
Dr. Apaak drew attention to the fact that, prior to Samuel Jinapor, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, announcing the impoundment of rosewood coming from Nigeria, there had been a seizure of approximately five containers of rosewood from within; however, the minister neglected to mention that he had turned over that case to the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) for an investigation into the matter.
He said this raises the question as to why the five containers of rosewood from within have not received the same level of attention in terms of the minister instructing for an investigation to ascertain the culprits behind it as compared to the directive to investigate the ones emanating from Nigeria.
Dr Apaak charged that the government must crack the whip harder on those dealing in rosewood from within the country rather than dealing with them with soft gloves when everyone knows the effects of their illegal activities.
He said when the government deals with the illegal dealing of rosewood in such an arbitrary manner, it gives room for speculation and all manner of conjecture about the government’s willingness to stop the illegal cutting of rosewood in the country.
Dr Apaak said this in an interview with Johnnie Hughes on the New Day show on TV3, Monday, September 6.
He was commenting on the back of the illegal cutting of rosewood in the country and its impoundment by the security agencies and the lack of prosecution of persons involved in the trade despite rosewood trading being illegal on the international market.
“The issue of illegal harvesting of rosewood, I have been at it for quite a while, and I am very dogged at this advocacy for good reasons. But you have asked a very profound question whether I have seen any improvement; I wish I could say yes, but in all honesty, if I were to say yes, I would be doing myself a great disservice, and I would be disingenuous. It is true that governments over the years have indicated, at least publicly, the intent to enforce the ban that they have introduced”, he pointed out.
“My problem with the sanctions regime remains the fact that we are not seeing people being penalized for engaging in that act. You remember that before this recent impoundment of some 13 containers said to have emanated from Nigeria, there was an impoundment of 5 from within, and we have not heard any sanctions, we have not heard the minister indicate any investigations, we have not heard him say, as in the case of the 13 impounded from Nigeria that he has handed over the case to the NIB for an investigation”, Dr Apaak charged on the New Day.
He further pointed out that he has received some messages from the dealers of rosewood threatening him to back off and that he is destroying their businesses, and some even calling him a hypocrite. But the Builsa South lawmaker said he is consoled by the fact that he has taken on a worthy advocacy in the interest of the country.
This comes after the opposition New Patriotic Party was accused by the opposition National Democratic Congress of failing to run the $36 million plant that was left to them.
Prince Boakye Boateng, the Trade Ministry’s public relations officer, responded to the allegations in an appearance on Top FM by stating that the Komenda Sugar Factory had not yet become operational under the previous administration.
He also gave some information regarding the president’s recent visit to the factory, which was intended to let him know how the work was going.
He continued, “That was the extent to which the work on the factory had reached, but it was not operational. But now, by the grace of God, the parts that were yet to be installed have been installed.â€
The PRO for the ministry stressed that it would be an act of peddling falsehood should anyone claim that the factory was completed for operationalization by the erstwhile NDC.
“Anyone that claims Komenda Sugar Factory was completed by the NDC is peddling falsehood,†he stressed.
Meanwhile, during a recent working visit to the factory, President Akufo-Addo expressed hope that the Komenda Sugar Factory, barring any unforeseen circumstances, will be commissioned for operation by end of this year.
The factory is said to have undergone two successful test runs ahead of its inauguration later in the year.
Officials at the factory said 12.5 metric tonnes of unrefined brown sugar have been produced from the two successful test runs.
Background
Though the erstwhile John Mahama administration recommissioned the factory on May 30, 2016, in a bid to get it functioning once again and offer employment for the youth, the move hit a snag as the Akufo-Addo-led government took office shortly in 2017.
The Komenda Sugar Factory was expected to create some 7,300 direct and indirect jobs at full operational capacity. The factory is said to be able to crush 1,250 tonnes of sugar cane daily.
The sugar-producing factory was first established in 1964 by Dr Kwame Nkrumah but became defunct over the years due to technical difficulties and setbacks.
The birth of the factory was based on the premise of producing sugar locally to reduce importation and for commercial purposes.
