In a Twitter post sighted by GhanaWeb, the Ghana Police Service wrote: “The suspects who are being held for various offences attacked some of the funs with toy guns, cutlasses, knives, scissors and other offensive weapons at different locations towards the end of the concert.”
In a separate tweet, they added: “The Police arrested 42 suspects during the Ashiaman to the World concert held on 3rd August, 2022 at the Saka Saka park in Ashiaman in the Greater Accra Region.”
Meanwhile, veteran broadcaster, Kwasi Kyei Darkwah, popularly known as KKD, has disclosed that police personnel narrated how robbers outnumber them despite efforts to prevent casualties this year.
“The police told me that this wasn’t the first time robberies had taken place at the concert. It happens yearly when armed robbers intentionally storm the place. An official told me that his regional command deployed more police personnel, but the armed robbers outnumbered them. They were more than the police. I will plead with the organizers to maybe change the venue because that same Ashiaman route was where I was robbed. They took away all my phones and dollars,” KKD disclosed in an interview on Onua Maakye on Monday, September 5.
He added that a woman who was rushed to the Tema General Hospital sustained knife injuries.
“Police personnel were deployed to the concert however the thieves outnumbered them. I witnessed a fair lady whose thigh had been slashed with a knife. She was rushed to Tema General Hospital. Also, a young man was cut with a sharp object, his shirt had been cut open with scissors.”
Check out the tweets below:
The suspects who are being held form various offences attacked some of the funs with toy guns, cutlasses, knives, scissors and other offensive weapons at different locations towards the end of the concert.
The suspects who are being held form various offences attacked some of the funs with toy guns, cutlasses, knives, scissors and other offensive weapons at different locations towards the end of the concert.
Kojo Ansah, the Eastern Regional Correspondent for the EIB Network, received recognition as a top journalist at the Eastern Region Media Excellence Award ceremony on September 1, 2022.
In order to recognize trailblazers and brave journalism, Dano Milk Ghana, the main sponsor of the awards, established and sponsored the first-ever “INNER STRENGTH” award category, which Kojo Ansah won.
The Marketing Manager of Arla Foods Producers of Dano Milk, Wilson Agbeko remarked during the presentation of the award that the nominees for the “Dano Milk INNER STRENGTH†category were not subjected to a popular vote by the public but were rather scrutinized by the board on the account of their reportage and stories that require inner strength and boldness without fear or favour and has the tendency to effect a positive change on the society.
“Our brand itself is inner strength. Last year we instituted the inner strength awards that comes with some cash award with the plaque, we believe that for any journalist to be exceptional or to break news or to touch on topics that everyone is careful to touch then it takes a lot of confidence or inner strength for the person to do that so we are instituting this to reward Mr. Kojo Ansah as the first ever winner of the Dano Milk Inner Strength awards,†he said.
He explained further that the board which instituted the category considered exceptionality on investigative articles and articles which impact development in society.
Kojo Ansah is known for critical, development and investigative journalism. His recent investigation on sex trafficking of Nigerian minors in Koforidua has attracted national and international attention of stakeholders.
Some of the victims have been rescued and repatriated to Nigeria whilst the security are working round the clock to clamp down on the cartel.
Other winners in the various categories of Dano Milk Eastern Region Media Excellence Awards (ERMEA) 2022 by popular votes were :
News Caster of the year- Yaa Agyiewa (Life Fm)
Political program of the year-Mpu ne Mpu (Afram Fm)
Radio/Tv station of the year-Radio 1,
Sports program of the year -(Afeema Fm)
Male presenter of the year- Nana Kwabena Addo,
Female presenter of the year Yaa Agyiewa
Reporter of the year Millicent Korantemaa
News program of the year Akuafo Mmre (Susubiribi Fm)
DJ of the year DJ Thony,
ERMEA pride personality- Kwame Dadzie (Citi Fm)
Sports presenter of the year David Akwasi Asihene (Asuogyaman Fm),
Religious program of the year- Nsem So(Passion tv)
Radio/TV manager of the year Samuel A. Asiedu (Nkunim Fm)
Program producer of the year-General Manucho (Sunrise Fm)
Entertainment show host of the year DJ Flow (Email Fm)
ERMEA media personality Tina Baby (Rite Fm),
Mid morning show host Freeboy (Nkunim Fm)
Promoter of the year Bright Antwi,
Blogger of the year -Micheal Agyapong Agyapa ( Dailynewsghana.com). etc
The Humanitarian of the Year honor at the 2022 Headies Awards was given to Afrobeats megastar and multi-award winning superstar Davido.
 DavidoAKA 001, who just took home the Humanitarian Award at the 15th Headies Awards held in Atlanta, USA, has been named as the winner by the Headies Academy.
Afrobeats legend and philanthropist 2Baba, big music executive Don Jazzy, and veteran rapper and activist Rugged Man were all nominated alongside Davido.
We Rise by Lifting Others: Davido has a charity organization which is called “We Rise By Lifting Othersâ€Â which was also the theme of his 2022 World Tour.
Davido has displayed a constant desire to help those around him as well as strangers from all works of life. During his birthday in December 2021, Davido donated 250 million naira which was part of the money he was gifted to orphanages around the country.
Aisha Huang, a galamsey moguland Chinese national, avoided immigration officials and returned to Ghana to carry on illicit activities despite being controversially deported in 2018.
According to reports by Citi News in Accra, Huang returned to Ghana via Togo, the eastern land border, despite having last left by air.
It turned out that she also used a different identity on her return, even though the record is quiet on when she initially reentered and how frequently she has entered and exited the jurisdiction.
This was proven through documentation showing that Huang applied for and received the Ghana Card in February 2022 under the name “Huang En” after returning.
The Citi News report added that she always sneaked out of Ghana when she got intelligence about the possibility of an arrest.
Despite coming in through Aflao, Aisha made the Ashanti Regional capital of Kumasi her base from where she engaged in the business of selling mining materials. She was arrested with other accomplices at Ahodwo in Kumasi.
On Monday, September 5, 2022, the Accra Circuit Court 9 presided by Samuel Bright Acquah, remanded Aisha Huang, into custody.
This was after Miss Huang, together with three other Chinese nationals, were brought before the court on charges including engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals without a license and mining without a license.
The court could not take into record the pleas of the four suspects because there was no interpreter to help translate proceedings for the Chinese nationals.
The accused persons were not represented by a lawyer. The court adjourned sitting on the case to Wednesday, September 14, 2022.
How she re-entered the country without detection till her recent arrest has been the major question on the minds of many Ghanaians.
Aisha Huang arrested in deported from Ghana in 2018
Ms. Huang,who was described as “untouchable” on some media platforms, was in 2017 charged with undertaking small-scale mining operations contrary to Section 99 (1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).
She was also charged with providing mine support services without valid registration with the Minerals Commission, contrary to Section 59 and 99 (2) of the Minerals and Mining Act; and also charged with illegal employment of foreign nationals (in breach of section 24 of the Immigration Act and regulation 18 of the Immigration Regulations).
Her deportation meant the state discontinued the trial against her.
A breakdown of the total infractions showed that the revenue the country lost from tax irregularities was a little over GH¢ 989 million; cash irregularities, almost GH¢ 46 million; debts loans and advances irregularities, GH¢ almost GH¢ 31 million; payroll irregularities, over GH¢5.6 million; stores/procurement irregularities, over GH¢ 500 thousand; rent irregularities, more than GH¢7.7 million; and contract irregularities; over GH¢1.5million
Even though it seems unconscionable, the over GH¢1 billion lost due to infractions shows a 47 percent reduction from the more than GH¢2 billion revenue loss to infractions in 2020 at the various MDAs.
In all, it committed over nearly GH¢1 billion infractions representing over 88 percent of the total infractions.
2. Ministry of Works and Housing
Francis Asenso-Boakye came second on the infraction league table. It committed infractions worth over GH¢66 million.
However, the number of infractions they committed is not up to even 1 percent of the total infractions committed.
The ministries of sports, Justice, food and agriculture were the other ministries that committed significant infractions.
View the table for the position of the various ministries and the various infraction they committed.
It is also worth knowing that ten of the 30 central government ministries did not commit any infraction, according to the Auditor General. These ministries are the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Communication and Digitalization, Ministry of Defends and the Ministry of Public Enterprises.
Attorney Akoto Ampaw has criticized Auditor General Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu for not bringing criminal charges against those who his office determined violated the laws at the various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
According to the attorney, Akuamoah Asiedu’s reluctance to bring charges against such individuals constitutes a breach of his duty and a violation of the Ghanaian Constitution of 1992, according to assaseradio.com.
He continued by saying that if the Auditor General is unable to perform his duties, he should step down and be replaced by someone who is willing to hold dishonest authorities accountable.
“But for now, he has to be made to do his job and it is important that we do not allow him to pass the buck to other institutions. He has a clear constitutional mandate to disallow and surcharge.
“And all we are saying is that he should carry out his constitutional mandate,†Ampaw said. “If he thinks he cannot do it, he should just humbly resign, so that the people of Ghana through the President will appoint someone who is ready and able,†he is quoted to have told Asaase radio on the sidelines of a protest by the Coalition for Democratic Accountability and Inclusive Governance.
The coalition organised the protest to register their displeasure with the Auditor General’s refusal to disallow and surcharge for the various financial irregularities uncovered in its reports since 2019.
Other prominent members of the Coalition who joined Monday’s protest include lawyer Samson Ayenini, lawyer Martin Kpebu, Kofi Asare of Africa Education Watch, Nana Ama Agyemang Asante, Edem Senanu and Akwasi Pumpuni and Kofi Bentil.
According to the BBC, the supreme court ruled that William Ruto, 55, who received 50.5% of the vote against rival Raila Odinga’s 48.8%, was duly elected.
“No credible evidence that the electronic voting transmission system had been tampered with by “a middle man” was presented,” she said.
She also added that William Ruto met the constitutional threshold of garnering 50%+1 of votes cast.
William Ruto will be the country’s fifth president when sworn in next week. Following the ruling, Mr Ruto’s home area of the Rift Valley and parts of the Central region has seen massive celebrations by his supporters.
Meanwhile, the BBC reports that Kisumu, which is Mr Odinga’s stronghold, seems quiet, with streets deserted and some businesses closed for the day.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, who was supporting Mr Odinga, is expected to address the country in the coming hours.
The Bantama legislator and a group of friends are funding the 100-seat community library, which will include reading rooms, an ICT hall, two restrooms, and a librarian’s office, among other amenities.
In the neighborhood, this will be the first of its sort.
Mr. Asenso-Boakye said during the ceremony prior to the sod-cutting that the facility will serve as a vital hub for knowledge acquisition, particularly ICT education for local schoolchildren.
He encouraged the children to make the most of the facility once it is finished, noting that as an indigenous person who was born and nurtured in the village, the lack of a well-functioning library affected his education as a youngster.
“As Member of Parliament, I will continue to offer my modest contribution towards the development of the constituency by providing tailor made solutions that will meet the peculiar needs of the constituents. It is my expectation that the residents of this community, especially the young folks will take advantage of this facility when it is fully completedâ€, Mr. Asenso-Boakye asserted.
The Metro Director of Education, Mr. David Oppong emphasized that reading is the bedrock of development, and thanked the Member of Parliament for his commitment to the educational wellbeing of his constituents.
The Board Chairperson of Ghana Library Authority, Dr. Helena Asamoah-Hassan pledged the support of the Authority to making the project successful.
According to Mr. Asenso-Boakye, “the project when completed will provide students with secured and conducive learning environment and give access to relevant information and encourage the learning of ICT.â€
The Ghana international is desperate for more regular playing time ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Mohammed Kudus wanted to force a move to join English side Everton on transfer deadline day in search of regular playing time.
The Premier League club officially made a 15 million euros offer to Everton to sign the attacker-cum midfielder to booster their squad.
Mohammed Kudus boycotting training in order to force the move but the bid was rejected by Ajax.
However, Kudus is still with the Eredivisie giants and was handed game time against Cambuur over the weekend.
The 22-year-old scored his first goal of the season in Ajax’s 4-0 win against Cambuur.
Ajax coach Alfred Schreuder has urged the Ghana midfielder to accept his role at the club and admits he deserves regular playing time.
“It is difficult for some players that they play less,” continued Schreuder.
‘But everyone has to accept their role, because we all do it together. The prizes will only be distributed at the end of the ride. Is it soft that I let Mo play now? Well, he really deserves to play. And I always try to be clear and fair.’
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has received praise from Most Reverend Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana, for his vision to erect a cathedral for the country.
“Because he (the president) came up with the vision of a place where Christians come together to thank the Lord together with the nation for the many blessings. And he entrusted it to us, and that is why we’re trustees. 13 of us were called to duty, and we have had a lot of time thinking about what the National Cathedral should mean physically, biblically, spiritually, even financially and economically.
“What attracted me (to the Cathedral project) I will say, I was called to duty. As a Catholic Archbishop, I believe that it is long overdue for Christians in this country to have a national monument that we are united in the Lord Jesus Christ,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the project, Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah, on Tuesday, August 30, confirmed that the National Cathedral Project had been suspended due to a lack of funds.
The National Cathedral project has been riddled with controversies, including financing.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who has tagged the project as his personal pledge to God and his government, has been accused of channelling state funds into the project despite indicating that the private sector will fund the project.
The attorney further explained that the most important benefit of plea bargaining is that people can seek justice for themselves or their relatives regardless of the amount of time that has passed—restorative justice—in an interview with JoyNews that GhanaWeb watched.
“Plea bargain is to achieve three things; it is to avoid protracted trials delay in trials – and thereby ease off the congestion that we have in the court. One of the main goals of plea bargaining, as well, is to decongest the prison. Because if persons can plea negotiate and arrange whereby they are given a lesser punishment then it will reduce the prison sentencing that we have.
“But more importantly the main aim of a plea bargain to ensure restorative justice. Plea bargaining ensures that a very critical stakeholder of the justice delivery system which is the victim or complainant will also get justice. And for me, that is the key issue. So, it is a reformative step within the criminal-justice delivery system where victims are included in the whole process of the system,†she said.
She added that “we know that in Ghana when you are cited for an offense it is seen as one committed against the state. In the past, the interest of the victim was disregarded. But now, with the plea bargain, the victim, complainant or their representative can make an input into the agreement negotiated between the prosecutor and the defendant.â€
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Friday, July 22, 2022 assented to the Criminal and other Offences (Procedure) (Amendment) Act, 2022 (Act 1079) to provide for plea bargaining in the administration of criminal justice.
After the passage of the bill, some stakeholders berated the government saying that it will encourage crime, particularly by government officials.
Under the law all offenders except those who commit some offences exempted by the bill are eligible to plea bargain can reach an agreement with the government for a reduced sentence.
The crimes that are exempted from plea negotiations include offences in the nature of high treason, high crime, rape, defilement, genocide, robbery, kidnapping, murder, attempted murder, abduction, piracy, hijacking and an offence related to public elections.
He stated that Ghana will prove itself as a powerhouse in African football by attempting to win the World Cup once again in Qatar.
Speaking at a press briefing after the arrival of the World Cup trophy in Accra last Saturday, the sports minister noted with optimism that the plan will work out for the Black Stars to shine at the tournament.
“As a football powerhouse of Africa, Ghana is hopeful and believing that Insha Allah, come to November-December, we will be bringing the trophy back here to Ghana as the champions of the football family,” he said.
“We are very hopeful and we have a plan with the key stakeholders of the sports industry to put our plans together, so we have the belief that Insha Alla in December, the Stars will shine in Qatar”.
The Black Stars will play at their 4th World Cup in history Qatar after missing the 2018 edition in Russia
Ghana has been pitted in Group H at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and would face Portugal on November 24, South Korea (November 28) and Uruguay (December 2) when the tournament commences.
Lawyer Akoto Ampaw, the lead attorney representing President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the petition for the 2020 presidential election, participated in a public demonstration against the Office of the Auditor General on Monday.
“The protest relates to a subject of extremely important national significance. According to the constitution, the Auditor General is required to prohibit any such expenditure and surcharge the individuals in control of such unlawful expenditures in order to ensure that those who misuse public funds are held accountable.
“So in this era, where we have a crisis of revenue, people who misuse public funds ought to be dealt with without any hesitation, and we are here to make sure that the Auditor General complies with his constitutional obligation and to ensure that public funds are safe.
“This would be part of the message to all public officials who have control of public funds that if they misuse public funds, they will be made to account for it,” he told GhanaWeb’s George Ayisi during the protest.
Prior to 2017, OccupyGhana, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) led a public crusade on issues of corruption and governance which saw the group holding various protests in the country.
OccupyGhana in 2017 secured a Supreme Court ruling which charged the Auditor General to issue surcharges and disallowance for the various infractions on the government’s accounts.
However, since the inception of the current administration, OccupyGhana has been accused of taking a backseat in putting pressure on the government and state institutions. The group has been accused of being in bed with the current government.
But according to lawyer Ampaw, the Citizens Coalition, by its structure, is insulated from political associations. He, however, underscored that Occupy Ghana continues to play a significant role in the advocacy terrain, including pushing for the Auditor General to exercise his powers.
“You know that for us, Citizens Coalition, one of our important membership conditions is that you will not be a member or an active participant in any party-political organisation. So that helps to insulate us from the kind of problems that may have occurred in the past.
“But it isn’t really true that OccupyGhana is not doing anything. OccupyGhana has been pushing this matter with the Auditor General. So it may not be on the streets, but it is still defending rights and ensuring that so-called duty bearers comply with their obligations to the public,” he said.
Other prominent members of the Coalition who joined Monday’s protest include lawyer Samson Ayenini, lawyer Martin Kpebu, Kofi Asare of Africa Education Watch, Nana Ama Agyemang Asante, Edem Senanu and Akwasi Pumpuni and Kofi Bentil.
According to the 2021 Auditor-Report General’s of the Ghana Maritime Authority’s audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020, the GMA’s operations for the year under review ended with a surplus of GH88,943,474, up from GH70,539,716 recorded in 2019, representing an increase of 26.1%.
In contrast to the GH164,129,088 earned in 2019, the total income for the year was GH217,441,329
The maritime safety charges increased by 34.5% from GH 99,793,853 in 2019 to GH 134,237,748 in 2020, which accounts for the majority of the improvement, or 32.5 percent.
Additionally, overall spending rose by 37.3% from GH93,589,372 in 2019 to GH128,497,855 in 2020.
Current assets also increased “significantly†by 26.0% from GH¢111,936,137 in 2019 to GH¢141,075,444 in 2020, the report said.
The variation, the report pointed out, was mainly due to an increase of GH¢19,891,109 or 38.7% in trade and other receivables which rose from GH¢51,375,052 in 2019 to GH¢71,266,161 in 2020.
Current liabilities also saw an increase of 148.6% from GH¢12,045,049 in 2019 to GH¢29,944,336 in 2020.
The increase was due to a provision of GH¢14,919,947 made for end-of-service benefits in 2020.
Non-current liabilities increased to GH¢11,309,453.
This represents a long-term loan procured from Ecobank to finance the construction of office buildings in Accra, Tema, and Takoradi.
The liquidity position of the Authority was 4.7:1 in 2020 as compared with 9.3:1 in 2019.
“This is an indication that the Authority is still in a position to discharge its short-term financial obligations as and when they fall due,†the report noted.
The Auditor General, however, asked management to monitor the feasibility studies which are yet to take place as well as determine the recoverability of the amount.
According to the Adaklu MP, the management and board of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund and the board were reckless in making payments before even feasibility studies were conducted and thus must be made to answer questions.
“It appears to me that the board and management of Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund have become very reckless in the decision they make in utilizing meagre resources that we put into that Fund. Especially, at a time when we are finding it difficult to feed our children at school and recruit the right frontline health care workers to be at our health facilities. Amidst the general excruciating hardship in the country they have the ability to throw away in my view 2 million dollars,†the lawmaker reiterated.
The Vice President stated that the largest lesson from the pandemic should be the implementation of technology for the benefit of all people seeking justice, citing Ghana’s experience with Covid-19.
On Monday, September 5, 2022, he was giving a speech in Accra at the start of the 19th triennial session of the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association.
“The advancement in technology means that we do not have to be physically present to perform a task anywhere. We can reduce the man-hours required to perform any task. The Justice system in the commonwealth and around must fully embrace the power of digital tools in order to boost access to justice.â€
“It will be criminally negligent to ignore the latent hour we have and allow the situation to fester where our court is clogged and justice out of the reach of many.â€
He said government is fully committed to ensuring that justice is available to all through the effective use of digital tools.
“Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, the digitization of our courts was underway. We now have virtual courts for our citizens and justice for all system that remains heavily on technology.â€
Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, the commissioner-general of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), has recommended African customs and tax authorities to develop their capacities and expertise as they get ready to execute the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCTA).
During the 7th African Tax Research Network (ATRN) Congress opening ceremony, he was speaking at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra.
Some of the undertakings he explained would require that the members look at their capacities and skills as revenue authorities.
In his welcome address, he opined that the implementation of the AFCTA will play a critical role in how “we operate and tax authorities and customs authoritiesâ€.
He encouraged participants to participate in the debate to influence policy and the way we collect our revenue.
He stated that AFCTA implementation will necessitate technical skills, advanced processes, and the use of technology in collaboration with competent authorities such as the Ministries of Finance and Trade.
The demonstrators have picketed at the Auditor General’s department to make their demands known.
Wielding placards with inscriptions such as “Hold public officials accountable”, “We are bleeding”, “Protect Wona Money” among others, the demonstrators are calling on the AG to act fast.
The lead members of the group, Dr. Kojo Asante of the Centre for Democratic Development and Edem Senanu, who is Chairman of advocates for Christ Ghana told journalists that if the AG is able to able to recover the monies lost as reported in his report from 2019, 2020 and 2021, Ghana will have no need to go to the IMF for a financial bailout.
In a tweet sighted by GhanaWeb on Monday, September 5, 2022, Alan Kyerematen said, “I was pleased to join @NAkufoAddo to commission RIKPAT Company Limited, a solely Ghanaian-owned auto-lubricant manufacturing company which produces various lines of automotive products.”
“#1D1F is working to transform the Ghanaian economy into an industrialized one. More to come,†his tweet added.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo earlier this year announced that 106 out of 278 factories under his government’s 1D1F initiative were operational.
He added that 148 factories were under construction while 24 were at the mobilization stage.
He made this known during the 2022 State of the Nations Address in parliament.
It has emerged that Aisha Huang, a Chinese National who gained popularity following her involvement in illegal mining activities, known in the local parlance as galamsey, is back in town and currently in police grips.
According to reports Aisha has been re-arrested, together with three others Jong Li Huang, Huang Jei and Huiad Hua are facing trial over their alleged involvement in illegal small-scale mining activities. This is her second arrest in connection with the offence.
It will be recalled that Aisha, in 2017, was arrested, arraigned and charged with undertaking small-scale mining operations contrary to Section 99 (1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), among other charges, and subsequently deported in 2018.
In a latest development, Aisha is facing trial again over charges of engaging in sale and purchases of minerals without license, as well as mining without license.
According to reports, Aisha “sneaked†into the country having changed the details on her Chinese passport.
It said Aisha resumed small-scale mining activities without a licence and further engaged in the purchase and sale of minerals in Accra without valid authority as granted by the Minerals and Mining Act.
The prosecution said she engaged in the sale and purchase of minerals with the three accused persons, and that intelligence led to their arrest.
Aisha is said to have made her first appearance in court (after her re-arrest) on Friday, September 2, 2022 but could not have her plea heard due to unavailability of a Chinese interpreter and hence remains in police custody.
She, thus, made her second appearance today, September 5, 2022.
Hearing the case today, the three suspects pleaded not guilty in court to a charge of engaging in sales and purchases of minerals without license.
Aisha was however absent when the case was called.
Presiding judge, Samuel Bright Acquah remanded the suspects into custody to reappear before the court on September 14, 2022.
In 2018, the then Senior Minister, Nana Yaw Osafo Maafo, justified the decision to discontinue her trial.
Justifying why the state had to deport the Chinese national, the Senior Minister, addressing some concerns of Ghanaians in the diaspora at a town hall meeting on April 18, 2019, revealed that, “Putting [Aisha Huang] in jail in Ghana is not going to solve your money problem. It is not going to make you happy or me happy.”
“We have a very good relationship with China. The main company that is helping develop the infrastructure system in Ghana is Sinohydro; it is a Chinese Company. It is the one that is going to help process our bauxite and provide about $2 billion to us. So when there are these kinds of arrangements, there are other things behind the scenes. There are many other things beyond what we see in these matters, and everybody is wide awake. The most important thing is that we established regulations and we are protecting our environment. That is far more important than one Chinese woman who has been deported back to her country,” he explained further.
Fast forward to September 20, 2019, President Nana Akufo-Addo described the deportation of Miss Huang as a mistake.
“I think the decision to deport Aisha Huang in hindsight was a mistake, and that is why that process and procedure is being stopped,” he said at a forum at Princeton University during his visit to the United States of America.
Ghanaian midfielder Michael Baidoo scored a brace as Elfsborg stunned Malmo to return to winning ways in the Swedish Allsvenskan.
The former Ghana U20 star opened the scoring from the spot in the 11th minute before Malmo levelled three minutes to half time through Isaac Thelin Kiese.
Kiese put the Swedish giants in front in the 65th minute but Michael Baidoo responded with a brilliant strike.
Andre Romer netted the winner ten minutes from time as Elfsborg secured all three points in front of their fans.
Michael Baidoo, who joined Elfsborg this year, has been influential for the club, scoring four goals in 13 games for the Swedish topflight side.
“It’s always good to get the three points after working hard within the week,” he said after the game.
“Playing against Malmo at home, we had to give it all to get the three points and I am happy we won the game,” he added.
Michael Baidoo lasted the entire duration of the game alongside compatriot Emmanuel Boateng.
Cape Coast, the Central Regional capital, went agog last Saturday with the return of the age-long Fetu Afahye, which was climaxed with a colourful durbar.
Thousands of visitors had trooped to the ancient city to join the indigenes for the festival, whose celebration had to be suspended for a period of two years following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that slowed down social and commercial activities around the world.
The return of the festival was, therefore, welcomed with much ecstasy and patrons were served with loads of culture, fun and excitement.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who graced the occasion, was accompanied to the durbar grounds by the ministers of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen; Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah; Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Hawa Koomson, and the Central Region, Justina Marigold Assan.
The President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahohuo Yaw Gyebi II, and the President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs, Odeefuo Amoakwa Buadu VIII, were also present.
The theme for the celebration was: “Making Cape Coast great again through tourism, education and development.”
Procession
About midday last Saturday, a procession of chiefs, dressed in colourful paraphernalia and carried in palanquins, went through the principals streets of Cape Coast.
It was preceeded by the seven Asafo companies (traditional militia), who engaged in breath-taking performances.
The chiefs, who danced gracefully in their palanquins, received homage and cheers from their subjects and patrons, including local and foreign tourists who had lined up the streets.
Other highlights of the festival were the famous Orange Friday carnival, Bakatue, a health walk and the Oman purification rites.
Commendation
President Akufo-Addo commended the chiefs and the people of the area for sustaining the festival and making Cape Coast a centre of attraction in the country.
He also commended the traditional council and planners of the festival for the choice of theme: “Making Cape Coast great again through education, tourism and development”, saying it would help turn the fortunes of the city around.
“It is very much in accordance with my vision and we will work to support the chiefs and the people of Oguaa in this endeavour,†he added.
Creation of opportunities
The Central Regional Minister, Justina Marigold Assan, said the festival served as a platform to create opportunities for the socio-economic growth of the metropolis.
She said the youth, particularly, should use the festival as a basis to rethink and reassess themselves on how they could improve their capacity, including re-igniting the spirit of communalism and volunteerism to support the accelerated development of the area.
The Omanhene of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, urged the people to come together for the betterment of the city.
He said the traditional area was prepared to support efforts by both private and public institutions to increase the visibility of Cape Coast.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MAMDEV Ghana Limited, a headline sponsor of the festival, Kojo Mamphey, said: “If we want to make Cape Coast great again, then it is up to all of us to work together to accomplish this and not just leave it to one entity.”
A team to organize a high-level Diaspora Business Conference has been established by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), the Ghana Exports Promotion Authority (GEPA), and the Ghana Nigeria Business Council (GNBC).
The conference will focus on six main industries: oil and gas, manufacturing, financial services (ICT and Fintech), green economy, agriculture, and healthcare, according to Nadia Takyiwaa-Mensah, executive secretary of GNBC.
She was thrilled that two African nations were collaborating to promote African enterprises and entice possible American investors to Africa.
The event will particularly target Fortune 1000 firms, Black Wall Streets, Ghanaians and Nigerians living abroad, as well as high net worth individuals, according to Ms. Nadia Takyiwaa.
She said it is expected that participants will see a turnaround in the investment environment in both countries.
She emphasised that the conference is expected to gain results, within the next 18-24 Months.
The Director of the Investor Services Division at Ghana Investment Promotion (GIPC), Edward Ashong Lartey reiterated that organising the conference has become necessary because of the interest gathered at the last roadshow organised in April.
Mr. Ashong Lartey recounted the relationship that exists between Ghana and Nigeria since 2014 and urged Ghanaian and Nigerian businesses to seize the opportunity and participate in the conference.
“ECG for instance needs so much money. If you’re there you will know . . . it is high time we make Ghanaians understand that there is too many subsidy on the tariffs we are paying . . . we are not paying realistic tariffs . . . if we are always crying to the government about reduction then we can never eat our cake and have it,” he opined.
One thousand, five hundred smallholder female farmers across the country will soon receive free fertilisers to boost their farm yields.
This is made possible by HJA Africa, a manufacturer of organic fertilizers, which will provide fertilizers worth 50,000 as part of its Corporate Social Responsibilities.
Chief Executive of HJA Africa, Henry Abraham, said the goal is to help millions of smallholder farmers find sustainable business models that will enable them to run their farms profitably.
“The best way to help the millions of smallholder farmers who struggle with low yields leading to low profits, is to offer sustainable business models that enable them to run their farm profitability, without having to find large sums upfront to invest in inputs, which will often be out of reach. Our partners will be working with us to give free Organic Farming Aid (OFA) fertilizers from our CSR Programme to selected women smallholder farmers, so these farmers can experience the huge benefits of OFA for themselves,†he told the media.
He added that the joint goal is to offer these farmers both immediate assistance and a path to considerably longer-term farming that will be significantly more profitable.
“It is a great honor to be able to share such encouraging news with all Ghanaian farmers today, especially during these trying timesâ€, he remarked.
The HJA Africa CSR Programme will provide free OFA to selected women smallholder farmers through a number of delivery partners including the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG); the African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) and Mabel Akoto Kwudzo, CEO of Okata Farms and runner up of thee National Best Farmer Award in 2017 and presently working in the Oti Region.
The Programme is based on the huge value for money that OFA offers farmers.
Recent research by the CSIR Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) showed that a typical smallholder farmer growing 21â„2 acres of maize could invest just 55 cedis in OFA at planting, and increase their net profits at harvest by 2,000 cedis.
Agric expert, Edward Kareweh, lauded the initiative and urged other companies to take a cue by developing home-grown solutions to address challenges.
“These are people that have been working in the local environment and they are really in appreciation of the challenges that farmers face and have worked with farmers to develop a solution to address their challenges. These are enduring solutions. It is critical that we develop home-grown solutions which target our specific challenges, rather than always relying on foreign solutions that are generic and sometimes not very helpful when we apply them here,†he emphasized.
Mabel Akoto Kwudzo, one of the farmers who use OFA fertilizer, testified that she increased to 4.5 tonnes per hectare, from three tonnes of hectare, after using the organic fertilizer.
“I am an organic farmer. Before I was introduced to OFA fertilizer, we were not using anything to boost yield. We used to have pests and fungus attacking our farms, but when we were introduced to OFA and we started applying it, we increased yields.â€
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has raised concerns over a number of infractions detected in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The Council in a statement said it has received intelligence that some school authorities are collecting monies from candidates and organizing syndicate cheating in their schools.
WAEC also mentioned that it had “observed that impersonation cases, which hitherto were not being recorded in school examinations, are on the increase.â€
Consequently, “some impersonators have been arrested in the ongoing examination and are in the grips of the law,†the council said.
It, thus, has issued a stern warning to students engaging in such acts and invigilators/teachers supervising the aforementioned practices to refrain from them.
The exam is written by candidates in Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia and Ghana.
Although Ghanaian candidates began the exam in August, candidates in the other West African countries started in May, in line with the pre-COVID academic calendar.
The 2022 WASSCE is being administered to 422,883 candidates from 977 schools in Ghana. There are 673 public schools, an increase from 651 in 2021, and 304 private schools.
Students are expected to write exams on four core subjects, in addition to 56 (respective) elective subjects.
Students who pass the exam receive a certificate confirming their graduation from secondary education.
Preparations for WASSCE and the aftermath
Although the Council spearheading the exam (i.e WAEC) instituted various measures to check examination malpractices prior to the conduct of the exam, it has been reported that there have been various breaches so far.
“The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (Ghana only version) enters its fifth week with the conduct of two core papers, Social Studies and English Language to be administered on 5th and 8th September, 2022
respectively. The Council wishes to bring to the attention of stakeholders and members of the public a number of issues which are emerging from the conduct of the examination.
“Reports reaching the Council indicate that some school authorities have adopted the practice of locking their school gates during the examination period with the aim of preventing WAEC Inspectors and Monitors from gaining access into their school compounds to monitor the examination,†it said.
School authorities, especially those engaged in this act, are thus directed to desist from the practice as such activities amount to acts of examination irregularities.
The council also mentioned that some schools are flouting the ban on the use of mobile phones in the examination hall. While calling on school authorities to keep this under check, WAEC also cautioned students to desist from the act since their results can be cancelled when they are caught.
“A number of candidates have been caught with mobile phones in examination halls. Candidates are reminded that their entire results will be cancelled when they are caught with mobile phones in the examination halls. The Council wishes to call upon school authorities, supervisors, invigilators, parents, and guardians to ensure that candidates abide by this rule.â€
“Supervisors and invigilators are also being reminded of the ban on their use of mobile phones at examination centres,†it said.
It also stated that it had received reports of syndicated cheating in schools.
“Perpetrators of these acts are being cautioned to desist from them. The Council has the mandate to de-recognise schools caught engaging in this malpractice. Candidates identified as having colluded would have their results canceled,†it said.
Nonetheless, the Council said it is working closely with the Ghana Education Service, the National Intelligence Bureau and other security operatives to check infringements of the rules and regulations governing the ongoing examination.
“Some hot spots have been identified and monitoring of these centers has been intensified,†it stressed.
“The Council urges all stakeholders to collaborate with it to safeguard the integrity of the examination,†it added.
The winner of the 2022/23 betPawa Ghana Premier League will receive a GH₵ 300,000 cash prize.
This was announced by Mr. Kurt Okraku, President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), who also revealed that the first and second-runners-up for the season would receive GH₵200,000 and GH₵80,000 respectively.
Speaking at the launch of the betPawa Ghana Premier League in Accra, Kurt Okraku was grateful to betPawa for coming on board to support the league after years without a title sponsor.
“We are super excited because betPawa has joined our football ecosystem and has made a good investment that is going to ensure that our premier brand sees the light of day.
“We are thankful to betPawa for their trust in the GFA leadership and also supporting the league as part of their responsibility to give back to society,” he said.
Mr. Okraku congratulated reigning champions Asante Kotoko and urged others to put up their best as they fight for the coveted league title.
He further stated that the GFA awards would be brought back at the end of the season as players and officials who excelled would be honoured.
A new mascot, “)K)dee Pawa” and a new betPawa Premier League logo was also unveiled during the launch of the season, as well as a new official song for the league.
The 2022/23 betPawa Ghana Premier League would commence on Friday, September 9, 2022.
Actor and filmmaker, Richard Kweku Asante, popularly known as Kalybos, has revealed who he thinks is the best actor in Ghana.
According to the comic actor, Alex Adu, also known as Agya Koo, is the best actor in Ghana and he has been dying to star in a movie with the legendary actor.
In an exclusive interview with vlogger, Poleeno, Kalybos revealed that Agya Koo has been his idol in the movie industry since he was a child and that he would give anything to watch a movie by him or play a role with him.
“I love Agya Koo. He is one idol I have been dying to act with. If producers are listeners, I am willing to give anything for that. I have been watching Agya Koo since I was a child. He is really the best, I must say,†Kalybos explained.
The comic actor also revealed that he would, in the coming days, release a new movie series.
He said, “Fans should watch out for me in the coming days. I will be releasing something spectacular in the coming days. Ahuofe Patricia and I worked on that. You people would love it.â€
Kalybos was recently in the news for making known his intention to marry songstress Gyakie if given the chance.
According to him, there are about sixteen female Ghanaian celebrities he would like to choose a wife from but among them, the songbird stands out.
“I like 16 celebrities… But if I could marry Gyakie, I would,†he made this known in a one-on-one interview with Angel FM.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has introduced a calculator-like device to assist customers in keeping track of the precise number of utility units they have purchased and used.
This is to help promote trust and confidence in the industry. It is to assist consumers have “control of how much water and electricity they consume†so they can make informed protestation during any eventuality.â€
The PURC launched the device at a consumer service clinic in Kumasi.
The consumer service clinic programme was on the theme: “Protecting the interests of consumer and utility service providers.â€
According to the PURC Executive Secretary, Dr. Ismael Ackah, the move was made in order to allow consumers the chance to express their grievances to the PURC, with the expectation that their problems will be remedied.
This is part of the mandate of the PURC to receive, investigate, and settle complaints relating to utility services.
The consumer service clinic was instituted to provide a platform for consumers to air their grievances.
“The overall strategy of the commission is to improve transparency of its processes. and improve information access. And it is our desire to work with all stakeholders to make PURC a centre for regulatory excellence that protects the interests of both the consumer and the utility,†Dr Ackah said.
Beyond that, Dr Ackah said the device will create a solid relationship between consumers and service providers and prevent doubts.
The device has an inbuilt facility that allows consumers to make their complaints directly, and a possible solution can be found by identifying the districts and business centres where the transaction took place.
The Ashanti Regional Head of PURC, Francis Baidoo, said the clinic would form the basis for regular engagements with consumers to help address future challenges.
He said the engagement with consumers will help deliver bills at the right time to ensure smooth payment without consumers complaining of overrunning metres.
Ahead of the 95th Academy Awards, scheduled to take place in March 2023, the Ghana Oscar Academy is calling for entries for the International Feature Film Category.
The International Feature Film Category is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
It is given to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States with a predominantly non-English dialogue track.
In a press statement calling for the invitations, the Ghana Oscar Academy stressed that entries to be submitted for this award must meet all the requirements for the 95th Academy Awards.
It further warns that entries that do not meet the requirements will not be considered.
Eligibility
Among other things, the country-selected film must be first publicly exhibited for at least seven consecutive days in a commercial motion picture theatre for the profit of the producer and exhibitor.
Also, submissions must be in 35mm or 70mm film, or in a 24- or 48-frame progressive scan Digital Cinema format with a minimum projector resolution of 2048 by 1080 pixels, source image format conforming to ST 428-1:2006 D Cinema Distribution Master Image Characteristics; image compression (if used) conforming to ISO/IEC 15444-1 (JPEG 2000); and image and sound files packaged as Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs) in the “SMPTE DCP†format.
SMPTE DCP refers to SMPTE ST 429-2 and related specifications. (Blu-ray format does not meet Digital Cinema requirements.)
Additionally, the film must be advertised and exploited during its qualifying theatrical release in a manner considered normal and customary to theatrical feature distribution practises. The film need not have been released in the United States.
Films that, in any version, receive a non-theatrical public exhibition or distribution before their first qualifying theatrical release will not be eligible for Academy Awards consideration.
Other qualifications and rules regarding the award can be found at https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/94aa_international_feature.pdf.
All submissions must be made before September 20, 2022, via FilmFreeway cost-saving, paperless submission to film festivals around the world.
Alternatively, applicants can visit https://filmfreeway.com Foreign LanguageSubmissionGhana.
For further inquiries, applicants can reach out to the committee via email:oscarcommittegh@gmail.com, or call 0241346165/0546263771
Ghanaian football star Asamoah Gyan was surrounded by football fans in Eswatini after playing a ceremonial match on Saturday, September 3, 2022.
Fans who came to watch the match took turns taking pictures with the Ghanaian football star.
Asamoah Gyan played on the side of African Legends as they lost 4-2 to Eswatini legends.
The Black Stars captain came on as a substitute in the match and was able to make a difference despite playing a few minutes in the match. Asamoah Gyan scored a penalty in the match for the African legends to get their second consolation.
Former Eswatini player Siza Dlamini scored a hat-trick, with Sibusiso ‘Spoko’ Dlamini also adding his name to the scoring sheet.
The ex-Sunderland player who has been working on getting in shape after declaring his desire to play for the Black Stars at the World Cup appeared to have shredded some weight.
Watch video below
It’s nice to see African football âš½ï¸ legends being celebrated in Africa for the joy they gave.
Eswatini couldn’t get enough of Legend Asamoah Gyan this is good when we dance at home before we dance abroad pic.twitter.com/WSNcLFIHDv
Ghanaian rapper, M.anifest, has posited that lyrical beef in the industry is the easiest way musicians who indulge in it get attention. This, he added, has witnessed the high rise of battles among musicians.
According to the celebrated musician who was caught up in a beef with Sarkodie back in 2016, the phenomenon, which has its own positive benefits, has witnessed a number of acts jump on beefs to promote their works or brands.
“We’ve just inherited the world…people really recognize the financial benefit of attention. Attention is the new currency, it is a new drive that everybody feeds on and beef is the easiest way to get attention,” M.anifest disclosed.
Speaking on BBC World News, M.anifest noted that he is usually caught up in beefs with institutions rather than his colleagues, adding that it doesn’t only occur in the music industry.
“I have beefs with the institutions (laughs)…that is life. It is a lot about different philosophical points of view, always going at each other whether it’s in literature, politics, religion etc,” he noted.
The show was massively attended by music lovers from across the continent.
Three years down the lane, Shattahas expressed his worry over the decision by organizers to tag Stonebwoyas a “very special guest” in his own motherland in the 2022 edition of the festival, while the big spot as a headliner has been handed over to ‘foreigners’, Davido and P-Square from Nigeria.
Following the announcement of the Afro Nation’s phase one artiste list, the outspoken dancehall musician, Shatta, who has for years been fighting for the promotion of Ghanaian music and its artiste took to his officail Snapchat account to vent his frustrations.
“How can you be a special guest in your own country and they are happy about it,” read the post, which was in connection to the music festival.
According to him, it was funny for organizers to overlook Stonebwoy, one of Ghana’s biggest musicians, and wondered why the artiste gave consent to the line up.
Government has engaged MAWUMS, a construction firm, to work on the culvert on the Wapuli Yendi road in the Northern Regionwhich collapsed several days ago.
The contractor was on site on Saturday and worked to get the road fixed after the bridge caved in cutting the area off from the rest of the country.
Currently, the area is open to traffic after a large portion of the work was done.
Earlier in the week, Myjoyonline.com reported about the collapse of the culvert which made it difficult for travellers to ply that stretch.
A resident, Jacob Nakoja, who spoke to JoyNews said the residents had resorted to using a footpath that posed a danger to the people because it was a lonely bushy path.
He had also expressed worry about how examination papers for the ongoing West Africa Senior High School Certificate were been transported.
But speaking to JoyNews, Jacob Nakoja said it was a relief that government had come to their aid.
He said travellers are currently moving freely from one end to the other.
“There is work ongoing on the Chereponi-Wapuli-Yendi Road. The road is now motorable and open to users. We are told government engaged MAWUMS construction firm and it is done,†he said.
The resident also thanked the media for highlighting their plight.
“We thank God and the media for giving us a voice,†Mr Nakoja added.
Mobile network subscribers in Ghana who haven’t yet re-registered their SIM cardsor have only done stage one will start facing punitive consequences, such as having all of their outbound calls and data services blocked for 48 hours (2 days) per week, starting on Monday, September 5, 2022,
As a second punitive action, this will be done weekly in a consecutive batch of numbers.
The first punitive action entails re-routing all outgoing calls so that a message is played each day before any calls are connected.
This is part of punitive actions the National Communications Authority (NCA) has communicated to all Mobile Network Operators (MNO) for them to institute against users who have still not re-registered their SIM Cards beginning Monday, September 5, 2022.
In a letter dated September 2, 2022, signed by the Director-General, the NCA reminded the MNOs of the registration exercise which is ending on September 30, 2022.
“Please be informed that the punitive measures which were discussed at the meeting at the NCA on 3rd August, 2022, were compiled and reviewed following your submission. After a comprehensive review and with the approval of the Honourable Minister for Communications, Please find below the punitive measures,” the letter stated.
The punitive actions starting this week affect only AirtelTigo, Glo, MTN and Vodafone.
“MNOs [Mobile Network Operators] shall divide the unregistered SIMs into five batches for the purpose of implementing this punitive measure.
“These measures shall exclude blocking of SMS to give defaulting subscribers the opportunity to initiate registration if they so wish. Subscribers who fully register their SIM Cards within the period they have been blocked will only be unblocked by the MNOs after the 48 hours to avoid the MNOs tampering with their systems intermittently,†parts of the letter read.
Vodafone for instance has already sent out messages to customers informing them about the plan to bar unregistered SIM cards from some services beginning September 5.
After September 2022
The letter added that after September 30, 2022, all unregistered SIM cards will be blocked and this is where it will affect all BWAs including Telesol, Surfline and Busy.
“MNOs shall put disconnected SIM Cards in a holding category and current subscribers of these SIM Cards shall be given six (6) months to register their SIM cards, failing which these numbers will be churned by the MNOs,†it added.
The NCA further asked MNOs to liaise with the Electricity Company of Ghana, Ghana Water and other service providers to ensure that their data-only SIMs are registered duly.
The Director-General also directed the MNOs to configure their systems to facilitate the use of passports for non-resident Ghanaians until December 31, 2022.
The guarantee comes in the wake of the 2021 Auditor-publication, General’s Report’s which revealed that more than 600 programs offered by the two top institutions lacked accreditation.
Only 61 of the 360 programs provided by the KNUST were accredited, the report claims, while 374 UG programs were not accredited.
This has triggered concerns about the validity of the certificates issued by the two universities to those who participate in such programmes.
“We are fully aware that the students are the likely innocent and unfortunate victims and so the board will make sure that their interests are protected.†– GTEC
Assurance
However, the Director-General of the GTEC, Professor Mohammed Salifu, has allayed such fears, saying: “We want to reassure the students that their interests will be at the centre of the resolution of the problem and shall be protected.â€
“We are fully aware that the students are the likely innocent and unfortunate victims and so the commission will make sure that their interests are protected,â€Â Prof Salifu told Graphic Online’s Severious Kale-Dery.
Legacy issues
Prof. Salifu said the issues were “legacy issues†that predated the establishment of GTEC, and added that the commission had been working with the universities for a speedy resolution, even before the release of the Auditor-General’s Report.
“As a result, many of the programmes flagged as being without active accreditation in the report have either now been fully reaccredited or are at advanced stages of consideration by GTEC.â€
“Indeed, some are due to be approved by the next board meeting on September 15, 2022,†he added.
Accreditation regime
Prof. Salifu explained that every programme offered by a university at first accreditation was for a period of three years and subsequently for a five-year duration for re-accreditation.
Therefore, all programmes had to go through reaccreditation every five years, he pointed out.
He explained that the rationale for re-accreditation was to ensure that the programmes remained fit for purpose and were being delivered to the required standards and quality.
He added that every accreditation approval letter explicitly stated that the “institution must start the process for re-accreditation one year before the expiry of the current accreditationâ€.
“So the onus is on the university to trigger the process by completing the appropriate self-assessment questionnaire freely available on the GTEC website,†he added.
The director-general expressed regret that in spite of the above provisions, many of the programmes referred to by the Auditor-General’s Report had their accreditation by the erstwhile National Accreditation Board lapsing as far back as 2013, without any action being taken by the universities in accordance with the conditions of accreditation and the law.
Accusation untenable
Prof. Salifu said claims that the problem was due to the slow nature of the assessment process or bureaucracy at GTEC were a misleading distraction intended to shift blame.
In his view, “if both universities had simply followed the rules and the law, the problem we are addressing today would not have arisenâ€.
“The GTEC takes responsibility for its processes and strives to improve upon them all the times, even though one or two isolated glitches may occur occasionally, as it is with every human institution.
“But, certainly, running a programme without accreditation, whether expired or never acquired, since 2013 cannot reasonably be blamed on bureaucracy or inaction by an institution that is barely two years old,†he said.
Sanctions
He reminded managers of all universities about the severe sanctions regime prescribed under the new Education Regulatory Bodies Act 2020 (Act 1023), which included steep fines or imprisonment or both for “advertising; causing to be advertised and/or running an institution or programme without a valid accreditationâ€.
“For now, our priority is working proactively with the universities to rectify the current situation, but the universities need to be on notice, as they were informed during engagements with GTEC, long before the release of the Auditor-General’s report, that some sanctions would have to follow after the resolution.
“It is important that measures taken as part of the process for resolving this situation are deterrent enough to avoid any future recurrence,†he said.
He hinted that at a meeting held last Friday, at the instance of the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, between council chairpersons and vice-chancellors of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), KNUST and UG, on the one hand, and the GTEC, on the other, both parties resolved to expedite action on the prior agreed plan for a speedy resolution.
Prof. Salifu advised potential students and parents to always visit the GTEC website to check on the accreditation status of all programmes before enrolling onto them.
They should also form the habit of looking out for the list of GTEC accredited institutions published in the media from time to time to guide their choices, he added.
Diana Asonaba Dapaah, the deputy minister of justice, has emphasized the significance of the recently passed plea agreement law to the general public.
She claims that the bill aims to bring back restorative justice, where plaintiffs and victims will have a say in how the criminal justice system is carried out.
“Plea bargain assures that the victim or complainant, who is a highly important stakeholder in the justice delivery system, will also receive justice.
Therefore, the inclusion of victims in the system’s entire process is a reformative step in the delivery of criminal justice.
“We know that in Ghana when you are cited for an offense it is seen as one committed against the state. In the past, the interest of the victim was disregarded. But now, with the plea bargain, the victim, complainant or their representative can make an input into the agreement negotiated between the prosecutor and the defendant,†she explained on JoyNews The Law.
President Akufo-Addo on Friday, July 22, assented to the Criminal and other Offences (Procedure) (Amendment) Act, 2022 (Act 1079) to provide for plea bargaining in the administration of criminal justice.
The law, among other things, ensures the speedy trial of cases and help decongest prisons.
Under this new law, the state will be able to save resources by reducing protracted trials. Accused persons can enjoy benefits such as a reduction of the offence charged to a lesser one or the withdrawal of some of the charges against them.
In a statement issued by the Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, on July 26, 2022 said Act 1079 creates exemptions to plea negotiations for offences in the nature of high treason, high crime, rape, defilement, genocide, robbery, kidnapping, murder, attempted murder, abduction, piracy, abduction, hijacking and election-related offences.
“I respectfully inform the general public that in order to ensure a sound and efficient application of the law, a series of training programmes will be organised for judges, prosecutors in the Office of Attorney General, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Prisons Service and other stakeholders in the legal profession before the law is fully implemented,†the AG said.
Looking to win their opening six games of a top-flight campaign for the first time since 1947-48, Arsenal spent long periods on top at Old Trafford but ultimately fell to a 3-1 reverse courtesy of Rashford’s double and a debut goal from Antony.
Rashfordhas been involved in more Premier League goals against Arsenal than any other club (four goals, four assists) after being teed up by Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen to round off two devastating breaks.
Speaking to Sky Sports after United clinched a huge win over the early league leaders, Rashford praised the Red Devils for biding their time to hurt a technically gifted Gunners side.
“It’s a massive game anyway against Arsenal, and they’ve had such a good start to the season, so it was a big test for us today and we showed up and stood up to the challenge. We can all be proud of ourselves today,” he said.
“It was tough;Â they’re a good team. We know their principles of play and they’re very good at it, they’re a good possession-based team. It was a difficult game and it was what we expected, so we had to be up for the challenge.
“I thought it was an even game. There were big spaces in the first half and we didn’t manage to exploit them. In the second half we managed to exploit the spaces and that’s what made the difference.
“We’ve got some great passers of the ball and as long as we make four or five runs, we’re going to get the ball. We might not get it the first couple of times, but we have to keep going for 90 minutes and it’s tough.
“We had to try to give them possession in spaces where they couldn’t hurt us. They’re a dangerous team. But as you can see today there was a couple of times where they got through the press and they are electric when they get going.
“You only win these types of games when you’re a team. I think we’ve shown in the last few games, being 1-0 up, that we can see a game out, but we had to be more ruthless and get more goals.”
Rashford has looked a player reborn since Erik ten Hag took charge of United, scoring three goals in six league appearances this season after hitting the net just four times in 25 outings last term.
Having also teed up Antony for his first-half opener, Rashford has scored and assisted in a Premier League match for the first time since October 2020 (against Newcastle United), while he also found the net against Arsenal for the first time since his February 2016 debut, when he also recorded a brace.
4 – @ManUtd have won their last four Premier League matches, after having lost their first two this season. They are only the third side in PL history to win four in a row after losing their opening two in a season, after Tottenham in 2011-12 and Arsenal in 2018-19. Turnaround. pic.twitter.com/oG07RlA1by
The 24-year-old acknowledged he had endured a frustrating time as he looked to maintain his improved form, adding: “It’s a great feeling  you do miss it as a player.
“I’m just hoping I can stay fit, stay healthy and keep putting performances on like that. It’s been a long time that I’ve not scored against Arsenal  I didn’t realise it had been that long until before the game.
“It was something I was looking to do this year and I’m happy that I managed to get the goals.”
United are just three points behind Arsenal in the Premier League after winning four consecutive games their best run since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer led them to five successive victories in March and April 2021.
The 2021 Auditor, General’s -report in which some judges were mentioned for purchasing vehicles auctioned to them at low prices, drew a response from James Klutse Avedzi, NDC MP Ketu North and Chairman, Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, PAC.
“It depends on how the car is used; before you purchase the vehicle, the State Transport Company will inspect it.
The vehicle will be valued by State Transport, who will then provide a base price below which the car should not be sold.
Therefore, if the State Transport Company sets a low base price, the officer who made the purchase cannot be held responsible for it as that is the price set by the State Transport Company “James Klutse Avedzi clarified in an interview with Joy News.
When prompted that the Auditor-General in the 2021 audit report stated that there was no approval from the Ministry of Finance for the vehicles to be bought, the NDC MP said:
“That is where we have an issue. Officers who use salon cars, going on retirement are offered a vehicle, the price of which they are offered is determined by the State Transport Company, if these procedures were not followed then we have an issue with what happened with the Judiciary and that is why the Auditor-General reported on it.”
Avedzi in the interview disagreed with claims that the judges are unfairly being criticized by the general public.
He is of the view that, the vehicle in question “is being offered to you as an individual, it is your duty to ensure that the officer acting on your behalf follows the procedure because it is coming to you as a personal property; you are buying it.
“The Judicial Service is not buying the vehicle for them and dashing it to them, it is you; you are being offered so, you have to ensure that the State Transport Company do the valuation then you pay the money; the money will be paid to the Judicial Service, then the Judicial Service then pay the money to the government coffers.”
The regulation provides that the Principal Spending Officer of a covered entity shall obtain the prior written approval of the Minister for the transfer, exchange, sale, donation, contribution-in-kind, trust and any other disposal of any vehicles of the covered entity.
Regulation 158 also states that any such disposal, lease and other action referred to in Sub-regulation 1 that is made without the written approval of the Minister, is void.
However, the Auditor-General’s report stated that some judges, including recently retired Supreme Court judges, Yaw Appau and Julius Ansah have acquired state-owned vehicles contrary to the provisions of this law.
The Auditor-General, therefore, wants the vehicles recovered.
He emphasised that many outstanding ideas and projects have been undermined because of politics and that politicising matters does not help the economy.
He alluded to an incident where his fellow Member of Parliament on the Minority side joined his colleagues to kick against President Nana Addo’s request for MMDCEs to be appointed via elections, and explained his reason being that they support the policy will help the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to be retained in power.
“As a country, we have to be real to ourselves. If you want your environment to develop, stop this [faddy] partisan politics when it comes to critical matters,” Dr. Okoe-Boye said on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” programme.
He advised the MPs and government officials as well as all politicians to let national interest override their political allegiances.
DCOP Alexander Kwami Amenyo, the commander of the Central Regional Police, has pleaded with the authorities to urgently dispatch more police officers and service drivers to the Central Region to increase security.
He cited logistics, divisional Commander official cars, and patrol vehicles for highway operations as the Central Regional Police Command’s three main issues.
The Central Regional Co-coordinating Council(CRCC) led by Regional Minister, Justina Marigold Assan also had the opportunity to meet with the Heads of Department and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives(MMDCEs) to discuss the way forward within the region.
A mandatory meeting where management of the CRCC takes stock of their activities and gives progress reports from MMDAs, heads of departments and agencies in the period under review.
DCOP Kwami Amenyo disclosed that remedial measures have been put in place to ensure safety and security within the region hence day and night patrol duties at targeted†DCOP Kwami Amenyo lamented.
According to Regional Police Commander, the collaborative effort with other sister security agencies has seen a drastic reduction in the incidence of crime in the area.
“The entire citizenry is therefore assured of a safe secure environment in the region and are encouraged to go about their day-to-day business activities†DCOP Amenyo assured.
DCOP Amenyo disclosed that Day and night patrol teams are deployed in the residential areas to prevent burglary and break-ins when workers are left for work.
“So far, there is no record of jihadists or terrorist attack or planned insurgency in the Central Region and for that matter within the Cape Coast Metropolis. However, what is mostly required now is the awareness creation about the menace of the issue of terrorism in the societies†he stated.
In view of this, the Regional Commander, therefore, encouraged the public to be observant and report suspicious characters in their various areas to the police for necessary interventions and redress.
On her part, the Central Regional Minister Justina Marigold Assan extended her sincere appreciation to MMDAs, Regional House of Chiefs, heads of departments and agencies, non-state actors and all stakeholders who have made and continue to make significant contributions to the progress of the region.
Starting on Monday, September 5, 2022, the National Communications Authority (NCA) will implement penal measures against people who have not registered their SIM cards.
The NCA stated in a news statement that all unregistered SIM cards will be prohibited from using specific services, such as data and all outgoing voice calls.
After September, the numbers of those who still haven’t registered their SIMs will be blocked.
The SIM card registration deadline was moved to September 30 after many Ghanaians failed to meet the initial deadline.
Following an extensive meeting with telcos, the NCA has outlined some punitive measures against individuals who fail to register their SIMs.
Dr. Bawumia disclosed that the NPP government had put in place a number of clever policies that had greatly reduced gender imbalance in Ghanaian society.
Dr Mahamadu Bawumia pointed to several government policies which have contributed towards creating more gender parity in Ghana.
The Vice President cited the use of medical drones to deliver medical supplies all over the country as a policy that has contributed to reducing gender disparity.
“The medical drone delivery system, one of the finest in the world, has six centres undertaking 100 flights per day, supplying blood products and medical suppliers to rural areas and helping to save expectant mothers and ultimately reducing the maternal mortality rate in Ghana.”
Mr. Larry Yaw, a driver disclosed that they had been stranded for three days because their vehicle got stuck on the road around a community.
“We have been for three days now since our vehicle loaded with pure water from Nkwanta heading to Kpandai got stacked here and as you can see no vehicle is able to move which is affecting as negatively because it is supposed to take us a day to sell this water,” he said.
However, Mr. Joshua Makubu, Oti Regional Minster pledged to bring contractors on the road to put a temporary measure in place for drivers to ply the route easily.
If I wear a diamond necklace when my main supporters are suffering in the slums, I’ll feel like a failed artist or star.
Before I can put myself first, I must be perceived to be doing something for them, he said.
Ghana’s Black Galaxies booked their place in next year’s CHAN tournament despite losing to Nigeria on Saturday at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
The Black Galaxies succumbed to a 2-0 defeat to the Super Eagles in the second leg of the final qualifying round.
Annor Walker’s side sailed through on after winning on post-match penalty shootouts after 2-2 aggregate scoreline having beaten Nigeria 2-0 in the first leg a week ago in Cape Coast.
Since he had experienced hardship as a boy, Rawlings was well aware of the suffering of the poor and always willing to lend a hand in whatever small way he could.
In Kojo Yankah’s book, “The Trial of JJ Rawlings,” this trait of Jerry John Rawlings—which prompted him to create laws aimed at bettering the lives of the poor—was further highlighted.
In the book, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings gave instances where even before he assumed the role of head of state and subsequently president, Jerry John Rawlings used to assist the needy in his society.
According to her, Rawlings was determined to help the poor to the extent that it sometimes came at the cost of his family.
He cited one instance when Rawlings instructed that a mentally challenged man who used to live in front of their residence be fed constantly.
Nana Konadu said JJ Rawlings admired the man as he ensured that the place he found as an abode was always clean.
“Do you know the mentally handicapped man who is always parading on the street across here?â€, Nana Konadu quizzed Kojo Yankah.
After Kojo Yankah responded in the affirmative, Nana Konadu Rawlings said “Jerry insists that we should feed him every day. He always talks of the way he appreciates the positive and beautiful way in which man cleaned the environment by picking all the bits and pieces of paper rubbish. So we had to find food for him anytimeâ€
All you need to know about Rawlings
Jerry John Rawlings (22 June 1947 12 November 2020) was a Ghanaian military officer and politician who led the country from 1981 to 2001 and also for a brief period in 1979.
He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the democratically elected President of Ghana.
Jerry John Rawlings was born in Accra on 22nd June, 1947, to a Ghanaian mother from Dzelukope, near Keta, in the Volta Region, and a Scottish father.
He was educated at Achimota School where he obtained his General Certificate of Education ‘O’ Level in 1966. He enlisted as a Flight Cadet in the Ghana Air Force in August, 1967, and was subsequently selected for officer cadet training at the Ghana Military Academy and Training School, Teshie, in Accra.
In March 1968, he was posted to Takoradi in the Western Region to continue his course. He passed out in January 1969, as a commissioned Pilot Officer. He won the coveted “Speed Bird Trophy” as the best cadet in flying and airmanship. He earned the rank of Flight-Lieutenant in April 1978. He was an efficient officer with a close rapport with his men.
During his service with the Ghana Air Force, he witnessed the deterioration of discipline and morale, reflecting the corruption of the regime of the Supreme Military Council (SMC) at that time. As promotion brought him into contact with the privileged classes and their social values, his awareness of the injustices in society was sharpened. He was thus regarded with some unease by the SMC.
He read widely and discussed social and political ideas with a growing circle of like-minded friends and colleagues.
On May 28, 1979, Flt.-Lt. Rawlings, together with six others, appeared before a General Court Martial in Accra, charged with leading a mutiny of junior officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces on 15th May 1979.
There was a strong public reaction, especially after his statement had been read in court, explaining the social injustices that had prompted him to act. The ranks of the Armed Forces, in particular, expressed deep sympathy with his stated aims.
When he was scheduled for another court appearance on 4th June 1979, Flt.-Lt. Rawlings was sprung from custody. With the support of both military and civilians, he led a revolt, which decisively ousted the Supreme Military Council from office and brought the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) into being.
The AFRC, under the chairmanship of Flt.Lt. Rawlings carried out a “house-cleaning exercise” aimed at purging the Armed Forces and society at large of corruption and graft as well as restoring a sense of moral responsibility and the principles of accountability and probity in public life.
Meanwhile, following the programme already set in motion before the 4th June Uprising for civilian administration, general elections were held. On 24th September 1979, the AFRC handed over to the civilian Government of the People’s National Party (PNP) under President Hilla Limann.
On 31st December, 1981, Flt. Lt. Rawlings led a section of the Armed Forces to overthrow the PNP administration. A Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), composed of both civilian and military members, was established, with Flt-Lt. J.J. Rawlings as the Chairman.
His interests include reading, building model aircraft, horse-riding and swimming. He is married to Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings with whom he has four children – three girls and a boy.
Flt-Lt. Rawlings ceased to be a member of the Ghana Armed Forces with effect from September 14, 1992. He formed the National Democratic Congress, which contested and won the 1992 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. He and the party again won the 1996 elections. His term of office ends in the year 2000.
He is the joint recipient of the 1993 World Hunger Prize. He holds an Honorary Doctor of Law Degree from Medgar Evers College, City University of New York, and Lincoln University Doctorate Degree for Diplomacy and Development.
He passed away at age 73 on November 12, 2020 at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital two months after that of his mother, Victoria Agbotui, on 24 September 2020.
Rawlings was married to Nana Konadu Agyeman, who he met while at Achimota College. They had three daughters: Zanetor Rawlings, Yaa Asantewaa Rawlings, Amina Rawlings; and one son, Kimathi Rawlings.
The Auditor-General says 27 Ministries Department and Agencies (MDA) and 218 Metropolitan Municipal District Assemblies (MMDA) have exceeded their approved budget by GHS10.5 billion for the year 2021.
The overrun expenses of the 245 public entities were made on goods and services, other expenditure, compensation of employees, capital expenditures, social benefits and subsidy.
This, according to the Auditor General, contravenes the Appropriation Act, 2021 (Act 1069) which sets budget limits within which MDAs and MMDAs are required to keep their expenditure to prevent overrun of their appropriation and the revised budget, if any.
In its annual audit report on the Public Accounts of Ghana for the year ended December 31, 2021, the Auditor General indicated that MDAs exceeded their budget by GHS10.32 billion while MMDA exceeded by GHS191.8 million.
It has therefore advised the Controller and Accountant General (CAG) to regularly monitor the actual expenditure of covered entities against their approved budget to check potential overruns.
“The recurring budget overruns do not ensure effective and efficient budgetary control,†the report highlighted.
According to the report, the management of CAG in its response stated that the failure of all covered entities to be fully integrated and deploy the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) meant that the Department of CAG collates and validates financial data processed outside the GIFMIS.
It further noted that it does not strictly enforce ex-anti budgetary control for direct formalisation of all expenditures processed outside the GIFMIS due to ensuring all actual expenditure reported by the individual covered entities are fully accounted for in the national account.
As such, expenditure processed outside the GIFMIS are directly journalised on the GIFMIS system for inclusion in the accounts, management explained.
“To the extent that, these expenditures did not have the original budget on the GIFMIS, the effect could be the overrun being reported by audit, where actual expenditure is captured on the GIFMIS ex-post via journal without the corresponding budget.
“Also, this could be attributed to actual expenditure incurred by the covered entity from cash balances brought forward from previous period in respect of the funds i.e., IGF, Donor Funds and Statutory Funds without their original budget.†the report read.
