This follows media publication suggesting that the CEO of the defunct Menzgold holds a Service passport.
The Ministry described the publication as “blatantly false.â€
According to the Ministry, NAM1 holds an ordinary passport and not a Service Passport.
In a Facebook post on Monday, 29 August 2022, the Ministry stated categorically that, “the Passport Office has not issued any Service Passport to the person [NAM1] in question.â€
It stressed that: “Checks from our system indicate that NAM 1 only holds an ordinary passport, which was issued in Accra, by the Passport Office.
“The general public must, therefore, disregard the said publication, as it is blatantly false.â€
The Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) Trainees Association of Ghana, has said the timeline given government to address its concern has expired.
The trainees have, therefore, announced they will picket again on Friday, September 6, 2022, at the Jubilee House until the government pays the 10-month allowance due them.
A statement issued on Monday, 29 August 2022, signed by the National President, Dennis Opoku Asiedu (Katakyie,) said: “The expiration of the ultimatum has been exceeded by three days today, 29 August 2022.â€
It stressed that the trainees are two days away from their exit date of Thursday, September 1, 2022, as announced by the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta in the mid-year budget review but their allowances have not been paid.
It indicated that phase II of the picketing will, therefore, come off on 6th September at the “precinct of the Jubilee House.â€
It added: “We shall be hanging in at the said premise until our unpaid stipends for 10 months are paid.â€
The most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever sold at auction was a pristine Mickey Mantle baseball cardthat went for $12.6 million on Sunday.
A record of $9.3 million was reached in May for the shirt Diego Maradona wore when he scored the controversial “Hand of God” goal at the 1986 World Cup.
The rare Mantle card sold by Heritage Auctions broke that mark.
A decade ago, an eight-figure auction result in the sports market was unheard of, according to Chris Ivy, director of sports auctions at Heritage.
“We were aware that this card would defy all odds and records.
But even so, it still provides a thrill.”
The previous record for a sports card was $7.25 million, set this month by a century-old ‘T206’ Honus Wagner card in a private sale facilitated by collectibles marketplace Goldin.
Mantle, one of the best switch-hitters in baseball history, played his entire Major League Baseball career with the New York Yankees from 1951-68 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.
The record-breaking card, which has become the first sports item auctioned for eight figures, is from his rookie season and was issued by the collectible company Topps in 1952.
The card was brought to Heritage by Anthony Giordano, a waste management entrepreneur from New Jersey, who bought it for $50,000 in 1991.
Heritage said the card was graded a “Mint+ 9.5” out of 10 by Sportscard Guaranty Corporation, which authenticates and grades trading cards.
“It bears the finest qualities any 1952 Topps can possess: perfect centering, registration and four sharp corners,” Ivy said.
“That this Mantle rookie card remained in this condition for 70 years is a true miracle.”
Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Clarence Fernandez
Despite concerns about rising costs of living, heatwaves, and wildfires, the summer of 2022 appears to have been excellent for the French tourism business as domestic and international tourists flocked to the nation after the COVID-19 epidemic shook the industry for two years.
Preliminary data revealed that the summer of 2022 had been “extraordinary,” with 35 million French citizens traveling, or seven out of ten as opposed to six the previous year, according to Tourism Minister Olivia Gregoire.
She also noted that summer credit card usage in French hotels and eateries increased 10% from 2019.
France depends heavily on tourism, which generates 8 percent of national gross domestic product and provides two million jobs.
Data for July and the first half of August showed revenue per available room (RevPAR), a key gauge of performance for the hotel industry, was up 22.2% when compared to the Summer 2019.
RevPAR in the Paris region and the Riviera were up sharply, driven by a return of wealthy foreign tourists, notably from the United States due to a strong dollar, and from Gulf countries.
In 2019 France was the most-visited country in the world, attracting nearly 90 million foreign tourists.
“We want to remain the number one destination in the world,” Gregoire said.
When asked if France still targeted 100 million foreign tourists, Gregoire said:”It may not be impossible to reach that number, this is a target we can have,”
Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Angus MacSwan
The Cassona Global Imaging Limited, Ghana, a company that specialises in the supply of medical imaging equipment, has announced a scholarship package worth $10,000 for two needy Ghanaian medical students.
The initiative forms part of efforts to contribute to human resource development in the health sector.
Under the scheme, each beneficiary would be awarded scholarship worth $5,000, and the beneficiary must be enrolled in a medical school in Ghana.
Speaking to journalists in Accra, Mr John Chigbu, Chief Executive Officer, Cassona Ghana, said the company intended to be part of the community by ensuring that it contributed to the betterment of society.
To sustain the initiative and increase the beneficiaries, he said his outfit had decided to dedicate three per cent of its annual net income to sponsor needy medical students in the country. “We are here to be part of the community. To be part of the community, we have to invest and there is no better way than to give scholarships to medical students,†he said.
Mr Chigbu said company had established permanent presence in Ghana to help address challenges medical facilities faced in their quest to procure, maintain, and operate medical imaging equipment.
He observed that health facilities in developing countries particularly in Sub-Sahara Africa found it difficult to procure new medical imaging equipment from manufacturers because they were expensive.
To bridge the gap, he said the company would supply refurbished medical imaging equipment to health facilities at affordable rates and provide maintenance services to boost quality healthcare delivery.
Refurbished medical imaging equipment is the “restoring of used medical imaging equipment to a condition of safety and performance comparable to that of new medical imaging equipment.â€
“Acquiring new equipment especially for sub-Sahara African countries, generally costs more than if the same equipment is acquired by a health facility in the US or Europe.
“Several factors are responsible, including access to capital for acquisition, high cost of maintenance, and lack of trained personnel to operate the equipment,†Mr Chigbu said.
He urged governments in the region to review their policy of using only new equipment at their public hospitals and consider refurbished medical equipment (especially imaging equipment) to ensure adequate access to necessary healthcare services.
Responding to concerns that refurbished medical equipment were substandard, Mr Chigbu said the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) had put strict measures in place to ensure that refurbished medical equipment were safe and effective.
“With the enactment of IEC PAS 63077 ED: 2019, a standard that can universally be applied and trusted is now in place. It provides guidance on the refurbishment of medical imaging equipment so the products are reintroduced into the market and can function in a manner identical to their original performance,†he said.
International rating firm Fitch predicted that Ghana‘s real GDP growth would slow to 4% in 2022 as a result of the country’s rising inflation rate and the Central Bank’s ensuing increase in the country’s monetary policy rate.
In a publication on August 22, 2022, the rating body said: Inflation increased sharply to 31.7% in July as a result of higher commodity prices that have been exacerbated by exchange-rate pressures, with the Ghanaian cedi depreciating 35% against the US dollar to date.
“This has prompted the Bank of Ghana to increase the policy rate by 750bp so far this year, including a 300bp hike on 17 August following an emergency meeting of the monetary policy committee. Fitch expects real GDP growth to slow to 4% in 2022 and 5.3% in 2023,†it added.
Delivering the 2022 mid-year budget review in parliament on July 25, Ken Ofori-Atta explained, “In the light of significate changes in the global environment and our own unique challenges, we have revised our economic growth estimate for 2022 to 3.7 percent, down from 5.8 percent as stated in the 2022 budget.”
The finance minister added that apart from the revised overall GDP growth rate, almost all other macroeconomic variables have been revised downward.
“… non-oil GDP growth of 4.3 percent down from 4.9 percent; end-period inflation of 28.5 percent, up from 8 percent. The overall deficit of 6.6 percent of GDP, down from 7.4 percent; primary surplus of 0.4 percent of GDP, up from a surplus of 0.1 percent and a Gross International Reserve of not less than 3-months import cover,” he said when he addressed parliament.
The report claims that the irregularities “represent either losses incurred by the State through impropriety or lack of probity in the actions and decisions of public officers or, on the other hand, the savings that could have been made, if public officials and Institutions had duly observed the public financial management framework put in place to guide their conduct and also safeguard national assets and resources.”
Findings of the report
The report revealed that, of the GH¢1,080,913,824 lost it irregularities in 2021, GHC 989,026,225 which translates to some 91.5% of the total losses was attributed to tax irregularities, an increase from the GH¢694,386,436 recorded for tax irregularities in 2020.
This figure is mainly attributed to some GH¢402,804572 due from 28 Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) who defaulted in paying to GRA their rescheduled debt
between January 2021 to December 2021 and a further GH¢249,800,802.00 in Outstanding duties and taxes on Oil lifted that 17 OMCs between January 2021 and December 2021, did not pay on 29,995,530 litres of oil they lifted to the Ghana Revenue Authority, Customs Division.
Additionally, total contract irregularities of GH¢1,559,424 was reported with GH¢1,188,816.00 of the figure being interest paid on delayed payments for contract certificates raised. This figure would be the a rather significant drop in the GH¢171,364,190 worth of contract irregularities uncovered in 2020.
Also, a total amount of GH¢45,763,607 which represented 4.23 percent of the total irregularities was lost to cash irregularities.
These cash irregularities range from infractions such as unapproved disbursements, unpresented payment vouchers, unaccounted revenue, unsupported payment vouchers, funds to bank not credited, non-lodgement of public funds, misapplication of funds and unretired imprest.
The remaining irregularities are; Payroll irregularities amounting to GH¢5,583,498.00 which included some unearned salaries totalling GH¢1,501,740.00 paid to 146 officers of 47 Institutions under Ministry of Health, rent irregularity of GH¢7,710,925.00 which included GH¢600,013.00 due from government workers from 13 Health Institutions who defaulted in the payment of rent and US$993,600.00 due government from 48 occupants of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) flats, Total Indebtedness/Loans/Advances due the state amounting to GH¢30,758,576 represented 2.8 per cent of the total irregularities and Stores and procurement irregularities noted during the period amounting to GH¢511,569.00.
Speaking in a yet-to-air episode of E Vibes, the group recalled a prophecy by a man of God called Pastor Osei.
They told the host Becky that “Pastor Osei told us that from now to the next 10 years we will be reigning and we will never go down. He told us we will go through hell but eventually break through it and will become one of the strongest groups Ghana will ever have.â€
Keche revealed that everything the man of God said about their career ten years back has manifested in their lives.
The duo rose to fame with their debut album Pressure in 2008. They have multiple nominations to their credit and their song Sokode topped several music charts across the African continent.
They are also known for the songs Aluguntugui, Diabetes, Pressure, among others. In 2011, the group was recognized as Global Ambassadors for Peace by the then Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Following that, the group also performed at the UN Peace concert in Monrovia, Liberia in 2014, which gave the group recognition across Africa.
Keche tells their story on JoyNews at 8:30 am on September 3, and Sunday at 10:30 on September 4. It will also be aired on Saturday at 4:30 pm on Joy Prime.
The E Vibes show strives to evoke memories through the setting of the interview and their rise, the memories they made on their way to the top with the hope that their unique stories will help shape the younger generation.
E Vibes is different from your regular day-to-day interviews. This show is carefully designed to provide some quality time with selected personalities.
Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio, has stated that lions kept at the Achimota Zoo are well catered for.
The minister’s statement is on the back of the reported invasion of the section housing a male and a female lion and their two cubs at the Accra Zoo.
According to a police statement on August 28, 2022, the intruder was found dead in the enclosure of the wild animals.
Speaking to Okay FM, the Deputy Minister noted that the animals were only defending their territory and two young cubs when they attacked the yet-to-be-identified deceased victim.
“When you look at it, you would realise they (lions) were protecting their territory because these are two lions with two cubs. So for someone who is not an attendant to go in there, they will perceive a threat and naturally defend themselves. That is what happened; they struggled with him, and unfortunately, he died. They did not feed on him; they even left him as soon as the attendants left him.
“You know how cats behave when they catch a mouse; they hold on to their throat until they remain calm. It was the same thing they did to him. They did not even tear away any flesh. That goes to show that the animals are not looking for humans to devour; secondly, it shows that the animals are well cared for. They are not left hungry. For that, I will applaud the Zoo officials,” the Deputy Minister said.
According to a statement by the Forest Commission, the intruder jumped the security fence of the Zoo and entered the inner fencing of the lions’ enclosure.
It was at this point that one of the lions attacked and killed him.
Although the Forestry Commission says it is yet to determine the motive of the man in the incident that occurred on the afternoon of August 28, social media is awash with allegations that the now deceased man was attempting to steal a cub.
The statement detailed that the man’s body has since been conveyed to the morgue while the lions have been secured within their enclosure.
“Around 12:00 hours today August 28 2022, officials of the Accra Zoo on a routine patrol, noticed a middle-aged man (an intruder) had jumped the security fences and entered the lions enclosure of the Zoo. The motive of the intruder is yet to be determined.
“The intruder was attacked and injured by one of the lions, within the inner fencing of the enclosure. The intruder has been confirmed dead from injuries sustained and the body has been conveyed to the morgue,” part of the statement read.
“Accra Zoo authorities successfully coaxed the lions into a secure hold and invited the Achimota Police to convey the body and commence investigations.
“We wish to confirm that the lion, the lioness and the two (2) cubs remain secured in their enclosure at the Accra Zoo. Forestry Commission wishes to assure the general public that no lion has escaped from the Accra Zoo. The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources and the Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission Hon Benito Owusu Bio and John Allotey respectively, have visited the Zoo this afternoon to ensure all facilities remain secure,” it added.
Nicki Minaj was the recipient of this year’s video vanguard award, which recognises artists who have consistently produced creative and influential music videos.
The US rapper performed a medley of her songs as she made her entrance at the ceremony – including Monster, Super Bass and her current number one hit Super Freaky Girl, which samples the original Rick James classic.
Minaj said she had “never ever written a speech in her life”, but went offstage to retrieve her phone to read her notes as she accepted the award from members of her fan club, known as the Barbz.
She thanked key people who inspired “me and my flow” and those who gave her opportunities, naming artists such as Kanye West, Beyonce, Madonna, Britney Spears and Rihanna.
The last remaining member of an uncontacted indigenous group in Brazil has died, officials say.
The man, whose name was not known, had lived in total isolation for the past 26 years.
He was known as “Man of the Hole” because he dug deep holes, some of which he used to trap animals while others appear to be hiding spaces.
His body was found on 23 August in a hammock outside his straw hut. There were no signs of violence.
The man was the last of an indigenous group whose other remaining six members were killed in 1995. The group lived in the Tanaru indigenous area in the state of Rondônia, which borders Bolivia.
The majority of his tribe were thought to have been killed as early as the 1970s by ranchers wanting to expand their land.
The “Man of the Hole” is thought to have been about 60 years old and to have died of natural causes.
There were no signs of any incursions in his territory and nothing in his hut had been disturbed, officials said, but police will still carry out a post-mortem investigation.
Under Brazil’s constitution, indigenous people have a right to their traditional land, so those wanting to seize it have been known to kill them.
The “Man of the Hole” had been monitored for his own safety by agents from Brazil’s Indigenous Affairs Agency (Funai) since 1996.
In 2018, members of Funai managed to film the man during a chance encounter in the jungle. In the footage, he can be seen hacking at a tree with something resembling an axe.
There had been no sighting of him since but Funai agents did come across his huts, which were built from straw, and the deep holes he dug.
Some of them had sharpened spikes at the bottom and are thought to be traps for hunting animals, while others are believed to be hiding spaces he used when outsiders approached.
Evidence found at his huts and campsites suggests he planted maize and manioc and fruits such as papaya and bananas.
There are about 240 indigenous tribes in Brazil, with many under threat as illegal miners, loggers and farmers encroach onto their territory, warns Survival International, a pressure group fighting for the rights of indigenous people.
A Dutch commando has died of his injuries after being shot outside an Indianapolis hotel while off-duty.
He was one of three Dutch soldiers, all in the US for training exercises, who were wounded in the shooting in the early hours of Saturday.
According to the Dutch Defence Ministry the two other victims are conscious and remain in hospital in stable condition.
Police believe the shooting followed an earlier disturbance in downtown Indianapolis, but gave few details.
The city’s law enforcement agencies are still investigating the shooting and have so far not reported any arrests. An earlier police statement said detectives did not believe it was a “random act”.
According to local media, the incident took place around 03:30 (07:30 GMT) on Saturday outside the Hampton Inn Hotel in the city’s entertainment district, where the three soldiers had been staying.
Officials believe the shooting followed a previous altercation including one or multiple other people at another location in the city.
Dutch defence officials confirmed the soldiers had been off-duty at the time of the attack and that their families had been notified.
All three of the soldiers were members of the Commando Corps, one of the special operations units in the Netherlands armed forces.
According to AP news agency, the Indiana National Guard said the soldiers had been training at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center before visiting Indiana’s state capital at the end of their duty day.
As well as being used by the US Department of Defense, the Indiana military centre is used by the armed forces of the US’s international allies for training purposes as well.
The pilot and co-pilot exchanged blows as they flew an Airbus A320 from Geneva to Paris in June, Swiss news outlet La Tribune said.
Members of the cabin crew intervened after hearing the noise. One crew member stayed in the cockpit until the flight landed safely.
The incident did not affect the flight, the airline told La Tribune.
The incident comes after a report published by France’s air investigation body on Tuesday said that the airline had a culture which lacked rigour when it came to safety procedures.
Central Regional Fire Service Commander, John Amarlai Amartey, has expressed concern about the widespread use of substandard gas cylinders in Ghana.
According to him, due to difficulties associated with using a faulty cylinder, some individuals end up using stones to adjust leaking gas cylinders instead of changing the seals and regulators.
John Amarlai Amartey noted that such actions easily lead to fire outbreaks.
“You go to some homes where faulty cylinders are not worked on, people use stones to put on their cylinders in their bid to avoid leakages. These are the things that are causing many domestic fires,†he said this on his working visit to the Effutu Municipal Assembly in the Central Region.
He revealed that the region has recorded an increase in fire outbreaks, from 502 cases in 2021 to 608 cases in 2022.
The Fire Officer, therefore, entreated Ghanaians to contribute their quota to minimise the rising numbers of fire outbreaks resulting from faulty cylinders, by
using good and functioning ones.
Recently, the Ghana National Fire Service has revealed that 20 fire outbreaks were recorded on a daily basis during the first half of the year.
In total, 3,678 fire outbreaks have been recorded, representing a 21.38% increase from 3030 fire cases recorded during the same period in 2021.
Thirty-five lives have been lost so far this year to fire outbreaks.
According to the Service, the harmattan weather experienced from January to March played a role in the number of fire cases recorded as well as the non-adherence to fire safety precautions.
Causes of the fire outbreaks included “electrical faults which stem from circuit overload; arcing: short circuits; inferior cables; compromised or poorly done electrical installations; over-aged wires and earthing problems: Gas leakages; unattended cooking: unattended lit candles; mosquito coils: matches and poorly done hot works from welding and deliberate acts.â€
Although the Ghana National Fire Service has assured its commitment to protecting the lives of citizens, it has entreated the public to remain cautious when dealing with inflammable objects.
“The Service notwithstanding this increase in the number of fire and related incidents in the first half year of 2022 is poised with the support of the public to assiduously work to reduce the rate of fires through its continuous and intensified public fire safety education,†the Service said.
Harry Styles appeared in a video message, thanking his fans for voting for him to win album of the year British nominees largely lost out to US counterparts at this year’s awards, with only Harry Styles taking home a major prize with album of the year.
The 28-year-old apologised to fans for his absence at the show despite being “just down the road” performing at Madison Square Garden in New York.
“Thank you so so much for this award,” he said in a video message. “I know this is a fan-voted award, I’d like to say thank you to all of my fans who voted, thank you so so much, I obviously wouldn’t be holding this if it wasn’t for you.
“I’m sorry I can’t be on stage with you tonight, I’m about to go on stage just down the road, but I hope you’re having a wonderful evening.”
Taylor Swiftannounced a new album as she scooped the top prize at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) on Sunday.
The singer won several prizes at the event including the coveted best video, for All Too Well (10-Minute Version).
Swift said she was “so honoured” to win the prize, and took the opportunity to tell fans her next album Midnights would be released on 21 October.
Other winners included Billie Eilish and Harry Styles, while Johnny Depp made a pre-recorded appearance.
Here are some of the highlights from Sunday’s ceremony.
Swift success
Image source, EPAImage caption, Swift said she was “so honoured to be recognised” at the ceremony
Swift made her announcement in the final moments of the show, which was hosted by Nicki Minaj, Jack Harlow and LL Cool J.
Accepting the night’s top prize, the singer said: “I’m so honoured to have been recognised alongside such amazing artists and directors.
“I’m just so proud of what we made and with every second of this moment and we wouldn’t have been able to make this short film if it wasn’t for the fans.”
She added: “I wouldn’t be able to re-record my albums if it wasn’t for you… you emboldened me to do that.”
Swift is currently re-recording her first five albums in an effort to regain control of her music, following a dispute with music mogul Scooter Braun.
A newly-extended version of All Too Well, the video for which won three VMAs in total, was taken from the re-recorded version of her 2012 album Red.
The video for All Too Well, which stars Stranger Things actress Sadie Sink and Teen Wolf’s Dylan O’Brien, also won best direction and best longform video.
Swift told the audience: “Because you’ve been so generous, I thought it might be a fun moment to tell you that my brand new album comes out on October 21.”
She later released further details of the album on her Twitter account. Swift described the new album as a “collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams”.
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) has revealed that a lot has been achieved in relation to the rescue and prosecution of offenders of human-trafficking and irregular migration.
Similarly, the total number of prosecutions increased from 13 to 22, with the total number of victims increasing from 587 to 831.
The Minister-designate of MoGCSP, Lariba Zuweira Abudu, announced this during the opening of a three-day capacity building programme for law enforcement agencies on counter-trafficking and irregular migration held in Kumasi last Wednesday.
Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring, trading or receipt of persons within and across national borders by the use of threats, force or other forms of coercion, abduction and fraud among others.
Capacity building
The three-day workshop was held in collaboration with Expertise France, with financial support from the European Union (EU) on the theme: “Combating human trafficking and irregular migration in Ghanaâ€, and aimed at equipping officers to effectively implement the Human Traffic Act 2005 (Act 694).
The beneficiaries, drawn from across the country, were trained in human rights issues, victim identification, rescue operation, victim protection, investigation, building dockets, among others, to bring them to speed on modern ways in handling human-trafficking issues.
They were selected from the Ghana Revenue Authority-Customs Division, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Immigration Service and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
Madam Abudu said the feats were made possible through regular education, law enforcement and awareness creation.
Monitoring
For his part, the Project Manager, Expertise France, Serge Akpalou, said throughout the year, monitoring visits were conducted across the country and its borders to understand the state of affairs on the menace and to effectively tackle the issue at hand.
He said so far, over 375 officers had been trained and 80 other officers had also benefited from an advanced level training programme.
Mr Dos Santos, a veteran of the independence war, was a dominant figure in Angolan political history having ruled the country for 38 years.
However, his legacy has been soiled by allegations of high levels of corruption and human rights violations while he was in power.
Aside from the political class and foreign leaders, Angolan citizens outside the funeral have been paying tribute to Mr Dos Santos, with some wearing t-shirts with his face on them.
“He was a great example for the people who did a lot for us,” Adilson Quaresma told the BBC.
Image caption, Mourners gathered outside the funeral in Luanda. Image source, AFP
His funeral comes just days after national elections, with the governing party, the MPLA, expected to return to power. However, the opposition, Unita, has rejected the preliminary results from the National Electoral Commission.
Due to the presence of foreign leaders at the funeral, on what would have been Mr Dos Santos’ 80th birthday, authorities have asked local people not to protest amid tensions over the expected election result.
“The national police appeals to all citizens, civil society and organised groups that intend to organise activities on Saturday and Sunday, to contain themselves out of respect for the former head of state,” local media quoted Angolan police as saying.
Image source, AFP Image caption, Several foreign leaders were pictured at the funeral including President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa
Mr Dos Santos wanted to be buried in Spain his family says. It is also thought he was afraid his death would be politicised because his children would not be able to travel to Angola for his funeral or to visit his grave.
A Spanish court eventually ruled that he should be repatriated to his widow in Angola.
Isabel dos Santos has been charged with mismanagement and embezzling public funds when she headed the state oil firm, Sonangol. She has denied the charges and says she is the victim of a political witch-hunt.
Meanwhile Zenu dos Santos, a son of the former president who attended the funeral to the surprise of many, has been jailed for five years for fraud.
Following Roger Bolton’s announcement that he will no longer be hosting Feedback on Radio 4, listeners have expressed their outrage and dismay.
For more than 20 years, Bolton has been the Friday afternoon show’s host.
In his farewell show, Bolton informed listeners that “the BBC felt it was time for me to stand down,” adding, “Obviously, I’d have wanted to have remained.”
Every week, a half-hour program called Feedback airs listener complaints, compliments, and other comments regarding BBC radio programs.
It is Points of View on radio, which airs on BBC One.
BBC News understands that a new production company has been chosen to make Feedback following a tendering process, and a new presenter will be announced soon.
‘Mad decision’
Known for his affable and gentle presenting style but also for being unafraid to firmly hold senior BBC figures to account, 76-year-old Bolton has been a firm favourite with the Radio 4 audience for decades.
Listeners reacted with anger to the news of his departure on social media – including high-profile figures from both sides of the political divide.
Former Labour MP Teresa Pearce described it as a “mad decision”, while Conservative commentator Tim Montgomerie simply asked: “Why? WHY? Wwwwhhhhyyyyy?”
Radio Times journalist Simon O’Hagan said Bolton’s last programme was a “really classy sign-off” and described him as “an outstanding presenter of the programme for 23 years and a true critical friend of the BBC”.
Writer and producer Laura Marie Brown said it was “such a shame to lose him”, and listener Jane Creasy said it was a “shameful decision to get rid of him”.
Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine added it was “sad [the episode] was Roger Bolton’s last”. BBC News could not find any tweets supportive of the decision to remove Bolton.
‘An immense privilege’
Asked why Bolton would not be continuing, a Radio 4 spokesperson said: “We want to thank Roger for being a brilliant presenter of Feedback for 23 years.
“He’s been a champion of our listeners, asked incisive questions of programme makers and helped the audience understand more about BBC radio. We know Feedback listeners have been grateful for all he’s done to reflect their views as are we at Radio 4.”
Responding on air on Friday, Bolton said: “That’s a typical BBC statement, it doesn’t answer the question.
“But I can’t complain, I’ve done 23 years on Feedback, I’ve enjoyed it, it’s been an immense privilege,” he continued.
“The BBC have decided someone else needs to take it over. I don’t know who that person is, but obviously I hope that they will continue to represent you [the listeners] properly. So maybe it’s time that I should go, but I’d have liked a little longer.”
Image caption, Steve Wright said earlier this year BBC Radio 2 management was removing him from weekday afternoons
Bolton is the latest in a long line of hugely popular presenters to depart the BBC’s radio airwaves, either by force or by choice.
Steve Wright announced earlier this year that Radio 2 chief Helen Thomas had decided to remove him from his weekday afternoon show, to be replaced by Radio 1’s Scott Mills.
Paul O’Grady also exited the station after he was forced him to share his slot with the comedian Rob Beckett.
Following the departures, The Telegraph’s Jan Etherington said Radio 2 had a “death wish”, asking: “Why won’t the station celebrate and embrace its talented and experienced older presenters?”
Vanessa Feltz also recently left BBC Radio London and BBC Radio 2 for a new job at Talk TV, while Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode took their film show from BBC Radio 5 Live to Sony.
Peter Crouch, Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel have also taken their popular podcast formats to the private sector in the last year.
In their statement about Bolton, Radio 4 added: “Feedback has an impressive track record of holding BBC management, programme makers and presenters to account and the BBC endeavours to provide the programme with interviewees where possible.
“Most recently these include Alison Hindell, Commissioning Editor for Drama on Radio 4, James Cook, BBC Scotland Editor, and Emma Rippon, Senior News Editor of Radio Current Affairs.”
Ugandan musicians are up in arms over their share of benefits from the Caller Ring Back Tone (CRBT) scheme.
Purchasable ringtones, usually snatches of popular songs, generate a lot of money – up to $20m (£17m) in Uganda in 2019 – according to the Ugandan National Cultural Forum.
That money gets shared among the telecom companies, the government and the artists who create the music.
But the musicians feel cheated, saying their proportion of the profits is too small and the Ugandan Musicians Association has petitioned the government asking for a larger share.
“When it comes to tax collection, the taxman takes 50% of earnings,” Phina Mugerwa, musician and secretary of the association, told BBC Focus on Africa radio.
“Telco companies take 35%. The artist, the owner of the work, gets 1.8%,” she explained.
“We are appealing to the justice ministry that at least we should get 60%.
“You see musicians [have] big names but they don’t have money.”
The Minister of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has refuted accusations that he meddled in the transfer of one Adubufour, a Customs officer stationed at the Tema Harbour.
Mr Adubufour is said to have been scheduled for a transfer after a recommendation made by a disciplinary committee.
But a media practitioner, Captain Smart claimed that Mr Asenso-Boakye interred in the transfer in relation to a matter concerning a Ghanaian firm, Labianca Company Limited and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
Reacting to the accusation, Mr Asenso-Boakye in a statement explained that in 2018, when he was a Deputy Chief of Staff at the Office of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, he received a phone call from some elders of his local community, Bantama in Kumasi.
He explained that the elders informed him of a proposed transfer of Mr. Adubufour, who felt that he was unfairly targeted for the dutiful performance of his functions as a Customs officer.
Mr Asenso-Boakyesaid he called the then Customs Boss to ascertain the veracity of the claim who denied that any such transfer was being considered.
“I conveyed this feedback to the elders and took no further interest in the matter. At no time in the course of my conversation with the Customs Boss or Captain Smart was I made aware of any disciplinary committee recommendation to transfer Mr. Adubofuor as was stated on by Captain Smart on his TV programme†he added.
He insisted that neither did he exert any undue influence on the Customs Boss to maintain Mr. Adubofour, “an authority I simply did not have, even if indeed, he was to be transferredâ€.
Lawyers
Mr Asenso-Boakye said in light of the above, he had instructed his lawyers to write to Captain Smartdemanding retraction and apology and expressed the hope that would be done with dispatch and given equal prominence as with the false assertion made on his showâ€.
“At all times in the discharge of my duties to our beloved country, I have operated with the highest standards of ethics and integrity and in full compliance with the law,†Mr Asenso-Boakye added.
“The claims made by Captain Smart are false and without merit, and as a journalist, I was expecting him to conduct his work with the highest standard of integrity and truthfulness, much as is expected of all public servants and anyone seeking to promote good governance in the national interest,†he asserted.
Imagine a smartphone made by an African for Africans. That’s what Alain Capo-Chichi has accomplished in Ivory Coast with Open G — the first locally made android phone in the West African country.
Business Insider Africa gathered that the smartphones are configured to understand 16 out of the 60 local languages spoken in the country. People can use the phone by simply speaking into it.
The move is a strategic one, targeting uneducated Ivorians who may typically struggle with using regular smartphones.
He told Reuters that he was inspired to build the phone so that illiterates, like his parents, could effectively use smartphones.
“In Africa, the problem we have… is that reading and writing are not accessible to everyone. People can use their smartphones much more easily by simply speaking to them,” he said.
In the meantime, the smartphones are available for purchase in Ivory Coast. It joins a list of other smartphones made by Africans, which are competing against foreign brands for market share.
Who is Meet Alain Capo-Chichi?
He is an Ivorian entrepreneur, Founder and President of Groupe CERCO. According to information available on his LinkedIn page, he founded the company in 1998. At the time, he was just 20 years old.
Over the past 24 years, Groupe CERCO has grown and expanded its services across the continent, now available in Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Mali, France and China.
He is also the President of the International Network of Private Higher Education Institutions in the CAMES area (RIDEPES-CAMES).
Asides from entrepreneurship, Alain Capo-Chichi is also an academic. In 2012, he graduated with a PhD in Information and Communication Sciences from University of Paris 8 in France.
He is also an Assistant Professor in Computer Engineering at University of Paris 8 and an Associate Member of the UNESCO Chair in ICTs at University of Bordeaux.
Norway and Rwanda would be on the honor roll if nations were graded on their commitment to reducing plastic waste.
A “high-ambition” coalition of 20 nations was established this week by the two to seek to eradicate plastic pollution by the year 2040.
The organization intends to advocate for reducing plastic manufacturing, enhancing recycling, and creating mechanisms to keep nations responsible for their commitments.
The effort follows a major agreement earlier this year among more than 150 nations at the UN Environmental Assembly. Countries aim to hash out a treaty by 2024 to reduce plastic waste, which is piling up in landfills and waterways, harming marine life, and contributing to the climate crisis.
“This is an unacceptable burden to place on future generations,” Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, Rwanda’s minister of environment, said in a statement. The largest source of that burden the US hasn’t yet signed on to the coalition, though that could change.
The US produces more than twice as much plastic waste as China, according to a report by the National Academies of Sciences. Plastic production has exploded since the 1970s and boosted the bottom lines of oil and petrochemical companies. The industry is investing in new plastic plants around the world to offset dropping demand for fossil fuels as countries try to combat the climate crisis.
Without radical action to curb demand, global plastic waste could triple in the coming decades, with less than one-fifth of it getting recycled. A State Department spokesperson said there is no one-size-fits-all solution to combating plastic pollution. The spokesperson also said a treaty should be flexible so individual countries can decide the best strategies to keep plastic out of the environment.
They added that US officials played an active role at the UN Environment Assembly and will also participate in the first meeting on a global treaty in Uruguay in November. Erica Nuez who worked on international marine litter and microplastics issues at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration before joining
The Ocean Foundation told Insider that the US absence from the “high-ambition” coalition doesn’t mean much right now, because the government often takes a while to finalize its positions.Either way, Nuez was glad to see the coalition explicitly state a goal to “restrain” plastic production and eliminate “problematic” plastics, because recycling alone won’t solve the waste problem.
The coalition won’t push for limits on plastic production. Instead, the focus will be on reducing demand for new material through policies like banning plastics that are most likely to be littered or contain harmful chemicals. Creating markets for recycled plastic is also a priority, said Martin Lerberg Fossum, a spokesman for the coalition.
Researchers have identified some 10,000 chemicals associated with plastic manufacturing, with more than 2,400 of potential concern to human health and the environment.
“We don’t know how much plastic is being produced, where it’s going, what additives or fillers are used or their toxicity,” Neil Tangri, the science and policy director at the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, said. “We need harmonized standards and data to track and verify progress.”
The event forms part of a week-long activities set aside to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the celebrated statesman, a cultural icon and astute politician, whose struggles and sacrifices led to the entrenchment of multi-party democracy in Ghana.
The book, titled “BAFFOUR OSEI AKOTO: A ROYAL PATRIOT AND THE MAKING OF GHANA” is a collection of speeches and articles made by famous speakers about the exploits of the late traditional icon, with particular reference to the Annual Re: Akoto & 7 others lectures organised by the Ghana Law School.
It is co-edited by a former Speaker of Parliament of Ghana and renowned lawyer, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye.
Other activities include a public lecture at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), official launch of the Baffour Akoto Foundation and performance of a drama depicting his life at the Centre for National Culture, graveside commemoration and family gathering, as well as a memorial high mass at the St. Peter’s Basilica Cathedral in Kumasi.
Dignitaries expected to grace the occasions include the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharabutu, former and current Ministers of State, members of the clergy and people from all walks of life.
The Late Baffour Osei Akoto is seen as one of the crusaders of Ghana’s multi-party democracy, having suffered six years in political prison under the Preventive Detention Act 1958.
His famous case; Re: Akoto & 7 others, is a landmark case which is observed every year by the Ghana Law School.
He was the founder of the National Liberation Movement (NLM), which together with other opposition parties metamorphosed into the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the party currently ruling the country.
According to laboratory findings, a woman in the city of Beni passed away as a result of the virus, the National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) reported today.
A statement by the INRB, seen by Reuters, disclosed that the new Ebola case is genetically linked to the 2018-2020 outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri provinces. That outbreak had killed more than 2000 people. Last year, an Ebola outbreak killed seven people.
The latest confirmed case came days after a woman admitted to a hospital in the city of Beni died. The city of Beni is said to be geographically different from the known epicentres of the virus. So, authorities are trying to establish a correlation.
“Our initial findings indicate that this case likely represents a new flare-up of the 2018-2020 Nord Kivu/Ituri outbreak, initiated by transmission of Ebola virus from a persistently infected survivor or a survivor who experienced a relapse,” the statement by the INRB explained.
As epidemiologists work to establish the connection, all 131 persons who were in contact with the latest Ebola victim have all been identified. Among them are 60 front-line healthcare workers, 59 of whom are vaccinated against the deadly virus.
The DRC has been dealing with intermittent Ebola outbreaks over the years. Specifically, a total of 14 outbreaks have been recorded between 1976 and date. The country’s tropical rain forests are said the be the major source of the virus.
Also, Ebola survivors can remain vectors for a while as the virus can linger in survivors’ bodily fluids central nervous systems and even in the eyes.
More information on how Mark Zuckerbergand his wife, Priscilla Chan, manage an organization has been provided by Mark Zuckerberg.
The CEO of Meta recently had a three-hour conversation about the metaverse, content management, and other topics on the “Joe Rogan Experience.”
Rogan and Zuckerberg were discussing the executive’s passion projects and how he plans to spend his time in the present and the future.
He spoke on several things, including his work in charities with Chan, his 2012 bride and college love.
“It’s been really cool getting the chance to work with my wife Priscilla on this, it’s opened up a whole new side of our relationship, where it’s like we were partners and now we also get to work together,” Zuckerberg told Rogan. “She’s brilliant, she’s a doctor and understands so many more things about biological science than I do and I can bring this whole engineering perspective, and we learn so much from doing that together.”
Chan graduated from Harvard in 2007 and earned a medical degree from the University of California San Francisco.
In 2015, the couple founded the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a philanthropic organization focused on a range of causes, including developing cures to eradicate diseases and improving education. The group says it has awarded almost $3 billion in grants since then.
And in 2017, Zuckerberg said he planned to sell 35 to 75 million shares over the following year and a half to fund the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, totaling between $6 billion to $12 billion.
Zuckerberg and Chan share two children, Maxima and August, together. He opened up about his life as a parent in March when he told podcaster Lex Fridman about his evening ritual with his two daughters, a routine he dubbed the “goodnight things.”
“I basically go through with Max and Augie, what are the things that are most important in life?” he said.
In spite of the ongoing global economic crisis, the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumiahas stated that the NPP government has chalked many remarkable successes.
Acknowledging the current economic difficulties, Dr Bawumiapointed out that the NPP government has overcome several obstacles impeding the progress of the country and made outstanding progress.
“In spite of the economic challenges, which is as a result of factors including covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war, many people turn to forget the many good things our government has done, which are making a significant impact,” Dr Bawumia said.
“We have achieved many significant things, which are firsts in the history of our country,” he added.
Dr Bawumia made these assertions at the Centennary Anniversary launch of Accra Senior High School.
Social Interventions
Dr Bawumia in his speech disclosed that the Akufo-Addo government as part of efforts to cushion the already burdened citizens implemented a number of policies and interventions.
They included: the government’s free water and electricity to Ghanaians during the peak of the covid-19 pandemic, the establishment of over 100 factories under 1D1F, and the delivery of essential medical supplies to remote areas through drones.
Others were NHIS covering the cost of children with cancer, investment and focus on digitization, which has ensured the issuance of the Ghana card to over 16 million Ghanaians, Mobile money interoperability, e-pharmacy, expansion of Ghanaians with tax identification numbers from 4% to over 80%, as well as digitization of government services such as the DVLA, passports, paperless system at the ports, among many others.
Education
Dr Bawumiafurther noted that the current government has made remarkable strides in the education sector by implementing the government’s flagship program- Free Senior High School.
He said the government recognises the significance of an educated population, hence will continue to invest and sustain the Free SHS policy.
Dr Bawumia stated that the Free SHS, despite challenges, is making a significant impact in many homes.
“So far so good, the Free SHS and the Free TVET are benefitting tens and thousands of many Ghanaian young children and alleviating the burdens of families,” Dr Bawumia said.
“As a result of Free SHS, more girls have enrolled and there is now significant gender parity in the enrollment of Free SHS.”
Dr Bawumia urged citizens to rally behind the government, as it delivers on its core mandate of preparing our future leaders better for a prosperous Ghana.
The Notting Hill Carnival is back with a huge celebration of Caribbean culture which has returned to the streets of London after the past two years’ events were held online because of Covid restrictions.
The two-day festival features 5 aspects: masquerade, steel pan bands, sound systems, soca, and calypso. Today, the expected turnout at the Notting Hill Carnival is 50,000 performers in the parade alone and at least 30 sound systems.
Millions of people are expected to attend the two-day festival, which kicked off its celebrations, on Sunday, with a run to pay respect to the 72 victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster.
A South African man has been trending on social media following what has been described as a tremendous effort to prove his love for his woman.
The 57-year-old man, identified as Joseph Kagiso Ndlovu, who literally went the extra mile to prove his love for his woman, ran a 90km (56 miles) marathon to propose to a woman named Prudence.
He was pictured holding a banner asking the woman to marry him, as he approached the finish line of the the Comrades Marathon on Sunday.
“Prudence will you marry me? Run 90k for you,” read the banner.
Local media and online users have been having a field day talking about the lengths to which the man had to go to woo his lover.
She accesorised her look with golden jewellery. The head piece she wore around her head had various Adinkra symbols to create a lovely masterpiece.
Captioning the photo, she highlighted the theme of the photoshoot which meant that she was a royal from where she came from, which translates into “Kuro bi so dehyeÉ›”. “Asante AgudeÉ›” meant that she was rocking accessories from the Ashanti Region.
Acknowledging the team that spec up her looks up she tagged their official Instagram handles in the caption. Her makeup and hairstyling were flawlessly done by @leensbeauty_touch.
Traditional stylist, @bb_dazzle_me, came through with styling her kente which was provided by @kentepafie.gh, as well as styling the other accessories. Decor was exquisitely done by @backdrops_by_licia.
@_visionphotography captured the ever-gorgeous Felicia Osei as she rocked her traditional look with grace.
An inside source at the company disclosed this to GBC News in Kumasi.
A joint team from the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) and the Police also seized 500 bags of fertilizer intended for the development of cocoa, according to the source.
The suspected smuggled goods had been transported from Goaso in the Ahafo region and kept in some stores at Achiase in the Kwabre East Municipality ahead of distribution to the intended destinations as Achiase only served as a transit point.
According to the source, the joint Police-NIB team swooped in on the goods around 10 a.m. on Friday, August 26, 2022, during which the suspect was arrested and first sent and held at the Kenyase District Police overnight before transferred to the Regional Headquarters for further investigations.
Correspondent Nicholas Osei-Wusu reports that when he followed up on the lead to the Kenyase District Police Headquarters Saturday morning, August 27, 2022, a substantial number of bagged goods believed to be the suspected impounded fertilizer were seen packed in a room within an uncompleted building at the frontage of the District Police Station.
However, Police officers at post at the time of the visit were tight-lipped.
Also, the Kenyase District Police Commander was said to have traveled for a meeting.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer at the Regional Police Headquarters said he was yet to receive a briefing on the matter.
More than 500 bags of fertiliser intended for farmers of cocoa were seized by police in the Ashanti Region.
According to reports, the fertiliserswere allegedly transported from Goaso in the Ahafo Region to the Ashanti Region.
But upon receiving a tip, the officers from the Kwabre East Municipality of the Ashanti Region’s Kenyan District Police Command on Friday, August 26, 2022, went to the sight and confiscated the items.
A 42-year-old man named Shaibu Amadu who was present at the scene was arrested by the police to help with their inquiries.
However, according to sources, the suspect was subsequently given a police inquiry bail and instructed to appear before officers so they can ask him or her additional questions and get more information.
Meanwhile, the Kenyan District Police Command is currently in charge of the fertiliserswhile the investigation is ongoing.
When Watt was the target of a cut-block by Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson in the second quarter, it appeared that he had injured his knee.
He played through the immediate aftermath until being removed from the game shortly after.
After catching a 38-yard pass from Mitch Trubisky, Johnson landed awkwardly on his left shoulder. He was checked out in the medical tent and did not return to the game.
Despite neither player returning to the field, head coach Mike Tomlin said there is “no long-term concern at the moment” on the broadcast, and “if this is a regular-season game, we may see them back in this game”.
Watt is in the first season of his four-year, $112million contract extension, while Johnson signed a two-year extension earlier this month worth up to $39.5m.
Both of the Steelers’ contenders for the starting quarterback role performed well in the win, as Trubisky completed 15-of-19 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown, while first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett went 10-for-14 for 90 yards. Neither quarterback committed a turnover.
She added that she was particularly happy that the Labianca Frozen Food Company Ltd case was being investigated by Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng and that it was an example of what institutions ought to be doing.
According to her, the government must act to solve the perception’s underlying causes, just as it must act to address the nation’s declining rankings on the World Press Freedom Index.
She added that she was particularly happy that the Labianca Frozen Food Company Ltd case was being investigated by Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng and that it was an example of what institutions ought to be doing.
The retreat was designed to help the party’s patrons, members, disciplinary committee, council of elders, and constituency executives and coordinators build their relationships with one another and the party as a whole moving ahead.
The Suhum congressman spoke to the members and praised the advancements his group has made since he was elected.
The Regional Secretary of NPP, Mr. Kofi Osei-Adjei who chaired the retreat educated the party members on the need to hold themselves in togetherness to win 2024.
He spoke on how the government was poised and committed to fulfilling its promises to promote development.
Mr Osei Adjei added that the regional party was ready to give adequate support and resources to each constituency to prepare the party ahead.
In his part, Constituency chairman, Frederick Ofosu said the retreat was very necessary and came at the time when the party had restructured its base from polling stations to the regional level. He said it will help the new executives to abreast themselves with the party’s constitution.
“As a political party we have gone through various elections from polling stations, electoral area, constituency, and all appointments have been done. Now we have new executives and even the old executives need to sharpen their tools as we approach the 2024 elections,” he said.
“When we continues this way, we will break the eight, this is one of the warm-ups and refreshing courses as well as strategies we are adopting. We are working towards breaking the eight so that the NDC party will realize that indeed we put in more effort to break the eight not just by words,” he added.
John Jinapor, a former deputy minister for power, energy, and petroleum and current member of parliament for Yapei-Kwasagu, has urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo not to place blame for his mistakes on others.
“The least President Akuffo-Addo can do is recognize the accomplishments of his predecessor, who failed to provide portable drinking water for his own people while serving as a minister and a member of parliament before President Mahama did so for the residents of Kyebi.
I implore President Akuffo-Addo to check his facts before making falsified, unsupported, and fabricated claims in the future in an attempt to mislead the populace “.
In a post on Facebook Mr Jinapor said: “Ghanaians are indeed suffering under the abysmal performance of the Nana/Bawumia government and the least they can expect from this non-performing government is to be truthful and honest with the facts”.
Read the full post below:
EXPOSING THE FABRICATIONS OF A NON-PERFORMING GOVERNMENT
During the recent visit of President Akuffo-Addo to the Savannah Region, the chiefs of the Yapei-Kusawgu Constituency sought to enquire from the President when he will fulfill his campaign promises of creating a new district out of the Central Gonja District and the establishment of a new Senior High school in the Kusawgu area.
In response, President Akuffo-Addo rather chose to throw wild and flippant allegations against me, Hon John Jinapor, for what he described as my inability to connect some 17 communities to the national electricity grid. As if that was not enough, he proceeded to accuse me of not helping to establish the Senior High school that he, President Akuffo-Addo promised.
For the record, when I was appointed the Deputy Minister of Energy and Petroleum, the Yapei-Kusawgu Constituency had only 4 towns connected to the national grid (i.e. Buipe, Yapei, Sankpala and Kusawgu).
By dint of hardwork, the constituency currently has about 100 communities connected to the national grid as part of an aggressive national electrification programme under the NDC Government.
So Mr. President, if we have only 17 towns yet to be connected to the national grid, the critical question you should answer is what have you done so far to complement what you inherited? You cannot be sleeping on the job and blame others for your own failures.
More importantly, at the national level, the NDC Government expanded access to electricity from 50% to 83.24%. This can be confirmed in Paragraph 463 of the 2017 budget as presented by Mr. Ken Ofori-Attah, the Finance Minister: “ *Under rural electrification, 1,212 communities were connected to the national grid increasing the national electricity access rate from 80.5 percent to 83.24 percentâ€.
President Akuffo-Addo since assuming office and despite receiving over 20 billion Cedis in ESLA Revenues, has only increased the access rate by a paltry 3%—thus from 83.24% to 86.63% as captured under Paragraph 810 of the 2022 budget: “ *In pursuit of H.E. The President’s aspiration to achieve universal coverage of electricity by 2024, a total of 162 communities were connected to the national grid thereby increasing the national electricity access rate from 85.17 percent in 2020 to 86.63 percent in 2021.
On the education front, President Mahama can be credited for 3 senior high schools ( Buipe Senior High, Buipe Technical and Mpaha Senior High) in the Yapei-Kusawgu Constituency.
It is an undeniable fact that the NDC government under the leadership of President Mahama, the Yapei-Kusawgu witnessed the commencement and commissioning of the Buipe Cement Factory and the Sheanut Processing factory not to mention the ultramodern Buipe District Hospital. Unfortunately, under President Akuffo-Addo, the Sheanut factory has been grossly mismanaged and run-down for some time now. No wonder he conveniently refused to visit Buipe, the district capital of the Central Gonja District.
For someone who failed to provide portable drinking water for his own people as Minister and MP, untill President Mahama provided portable water for the people of Kyebi, the least President Akuffo-Addo can do is to acknowledge the good works of his predecessor.
I wish to entreat President Akuffo-Addo to crosscheck his facts in the future before seeking to deceive the citizenry with concocted, unsubstantiated and fabricated allegations.
Ghanaians are indeed suffering under the abysmal performance of the Nana/Bawumia government and the least they can expect from this non-performing government is to be truthful and honest with the facts.
John Abdulai Jinapor
Former Deputy Minister of Energy and Petroleum
26th August 2022
Ntim Twumasi Kwaku, a prominent New Patriotic Party (NPP) member in the Ejisu in the Ashanti Region, has criticized the development of interchanges in the Kumasi city.
According to him, funds allocated for the projects should be used to dualize important roads leading to the capital in order to reduce traffic congestion for both vehicles and people as well as to prevent accidents.
The NPP financier is advising regional opinion leaders to choose something important over interchanges on Garden City radio in Kumasi.
‘Fight for community and feeder roads, not interchanges. Why fight for interchanges when your community and feeder roads are in a deplorable state? Ask for a tarred road to all our farming communities so that food and other supplies will be readily available in our markets.
‘Consumable foods are perishing on farms due to bad and deplorable access roads. Farmers are impoverished cos 70% of their farm products perished on the farms. The amount spent on a single 3 or 4-tier interchange can complete almost all the roads in Manso, kwabre, Ejisu, Bosomtwe, Effiduase, Kumawu, Juaben etc.’ he stated.
Mr. Ntim Kwaku Twumasi therefore highlighted the need for the NPP government to develop rural areas in the country instead of dwelling much on the cities.
‘With good roads, these small communities will open up for development, factories and other small businesses. It will help minimize rural-urban migration. Teachers, nurses/midwives, will not object when posted to these areas,’ he pointed out
Adding: ‘Kumasi does not need more than 1 or 2 interchanges for now. Let’s focus our energies on our community and feeder roads to attract investors to our towns and villages. Don’t even ask for asphalt, let’s go for the good old 2 or 3 layer gravelling(sapetee), the asphalt overlay can be done later when the roads begin to incur heavy traffic.’
An inquiry by the police into the circumstances surrounding the death of a man who was allegedly mauled by a lion at the zoo has begun.
The unidentified person was discovered dead in the zoo’s lion enclosure.
“After the necessary forensic examination of the scene, the body has been removed and deposited at the Police Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsyâ€.
The statement said the Police are working with management of the Zoo and the forestry commission on the investigation.
The forestry commission earlier announced the death of the man at the zoo after he reportedly scaled the fence and entered the lions den.
Famous journalist Blessed Godsbrain Smart, often known as Captain Smart, has advised Menzgold Ghana Limited clients who lost money after the company was shut down to give up on seeking restitution or justice.
He claimed that because Nana Appiah Mensah, a.k.a. NAM1, who is currently facing charges for operating unlawfully, is being shielded by powerful individuals, the clients would not receive their money back.
He added that he is, therefore, not surprised that the Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, is alleged to have said that there is not enough evidence to find NAM1 guilty of any crime.
“EOCO said there is no evidence to take NAM1 to court for the court to prosecute and sentence him. What have I been telling you? I have told you guys that the Menzgold customers are not going to get their money back.
“NAM1 will never be jailed. He is not going to be imprisoned for even three days. NAM1 is enjoying whatever he is enjoying. NAM1 is protected. EOCO is saying there are not enough laws in Ghana to take NAM1 to court. So, how did the Bank of Ghana close down MenzGold,†he said in Twi in an Onua TV interview monitored by GhanaWeb.
He added that “NAM1 has indefinite vice to the UK and the US and also has easy access to Singapore. So, anything in his case becomes difficult, he travels out of the country. Who gave such a criminal a service passport? Service passports are given to government officials and anyone working for the government. Who gave NAM1 a service passport? He is protected.”
Captain Smart further stated that even if the Office of the Special Prosecutor investigates NAM1, nothing can be done to him.
The Bishop, who became well-known in Ghana between 2012 and 2014 for the types of miracles he worked, has finally opened out about how his former Darkuman church was forcibly removed from its grounds.
Bishop Bonegas claimed that former Accra Mayor Alfred Oko Vanderpuije was the driving force behind his removal in a GhanaWeb-reported conversation with presenter Captain Smart. Bishop Bonegas claimed that Vanderpuije only carried out the order after receiving it from “powerful people up there.”
Despite his several meetings with the former Mayor of Accra, the Bishop said, he was told it was an “order from above,” hence nothing could be done about the situation.
“I was pressured to move my church from Darkuman, very serious pressure. At the time, Oko Vanderpuije was the major of Accra during the NDC era. I went to him several times to intervene for me, but he told me it was an order from above.
“The order was for me to move from the land. The land was given to me by the chiefs because my church had a membership of about 10,000. We were having the service under canopies in the park…I went to the Mayor’s house near the Bank of Ghana to discuss the eviction issue with him, but he didn’t listen to me.
“He said it was an order from above, and that there were even reports my church building was weak, so I should do a restructuring. He gave us an engineer to assist with the restructuring but changed his mind at the final stage when I had spent huge sums of money to purchase the building materials. He told me I could now use the park, but after a few years, the same order from above evicted me,” he told the host.
The prophet added that when he finally pulled resources to purchase the 50 acres of land around Kasoa Broadcasting, for $1 million, he was constantly harassed by some officials from the BNI, National Security, EPA, Roads and High Way Ministry, Ga South, and others.
These officials, who normally came to his church premises in 15 Land Cruisers, contended that there was another order from above for the Bishop to relocate.
“When I eventually moved to Broadcasting on the Kasoa road, I also faced lots of intimidation from the Roads and High Way Ministry, EPA, BNI, National Security, and others who surrounded my church with about 15 Landcruisers. They mostly did this while service was in session. Their mission was that I should move from the land, which I bought for $1million. They frustrated me a lot,” he reiterated.
The man of God told the host that he believes all the challenges he went through were orchestrated by some of his colleague pastors, who felt threatened by his success.
The Accra Zoo administrators allegedly managed to lure the lions into their enclosure so that the police could transport the intruder’s body, according to the Forestry Commission.
The lions remain secure in their enclosure, the statement said.
“We wish to confirm that the lion, the lioness, and the two (2) cubs remain secured in their enclosure at the Accra Zoo. Forestry Commission wishes to assure the general public that no lion has escaped from the Accra Zoo,†part of the statement read.
There were reports particularly on social media that a lion has escaped the Accra Zoo. Some social media users who shared the news warned people to be cautious while using areas around GIMPA.
Stephen Forson, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) recently appointed National Deputy Director of Information Technology, IT, has denied accusations that he rigged the 2015 University of Ghana Students Representative Council, SRC, elections.
He asserts that the accusations are untrue rumors spread by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), which is scared of him joining the NPP IT team given its reputation for strength.
In a statement copied to GhanaWeb, the NPP deputy IT director said that the NDC compelled him to rig the SRC election, which he refused to do. As a result, the NDC ordered the Bureau of National Investigations to look into the incident (BNI).
“NDC in power then had tried to coerce me to manipulate a software I developed in favour of their sponsored candidate to win the SRC elections. For the purposes of Accountability and Transparency, I refused the offer and submitted to the school a software that ensured a free and fair elections, despite the threat on my life and that of my family.
“The NDC became apprehensive after failing to win that election for their sponsored candidate and immediately begun a political witch-hunt against myself, my crew, and my family. They caused the BNI to pick me up from my house for having developed a software that didn’t favour a government in power,†parts of the statement read.
He further stated that the BNI, after a series of interrogations and investigations, could not charge him with any crime because he was innocent.
“The University of Ghana, based on the unbridled allegations of the NDC apparatchiks, conducted its own full-fledged IT investigation into the matter and still found no wrongdoing on my part. In fact, the University ascertaining the credibility of my system allowed me to work with the Students Union for several years. I have since worked with almost all tertiary institutions across the country. I have built extremely complex systems for corporate institutions both in the private and public sectors,†he added
Stephen Forson made these remarks after a systems analyst programmer, Yayra Koku, who was hired to look into the 2015 UG election fraud, said that his investigation of the incident pointed to the fact that the now NPP deputy director of IT manipulated the system in favour of one of the contestants.
In a post shared on Facebook on August 27, 2022, Yayra Koku also alleged that the person the election was rigged for is an NPP member who now works at the National Lotteries Authority (NLA).
“I was hired as a systems analyst and a cybersecurity consultant to help investigate an alleged rigging of Legon SRC elections using an electronic voting system developed by Stephen Forson.
“After 2hrs of interrogations and accessing the system, it was detected that a line of code was put in the system to benefit one guy called Fobi, a member of the NPP and now working at Sammy Awukus’s office. Though Stephen Forson denied ever putting that code there, it was obvious the last update on the file had his laptop credentials.
“I remember asking him to “uncomment†a line in his code and vote for the other contestant. To our surprise, after voting, Fobi rather got the vote,†parts of the post read.
He added that the 2015 election fraud has not been resolved to date.
Middlesbrough will look to build on their first win of the Championship season when they travel to fellow promotion hopefuls Watford on Tuesday night.
Boro were tipped as contenders to go up this season but they have endured a slow start to their league campaign, while they were also dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Barnsley earlier this month.
Chris Wilder’s side will hope their hard-fought win over Swansea City on Saturday will prove the catalyst for them to climb the table, although things will not be easy when they take on one of the title favourites, Watford.
The Hornets went unbeaten in their first five games, winning two, but go into this clash on the back of successive defeats, both at home, having lost 2-0 to MK Dons in the Carabao Cup before suffering a 3-2 loss to QPR at the weekend.
Team news
Watford duo Ismaila Sarr and Joao Pedro were doubts for Saturday’s clash with QPR with hamstring and calf issues respectively, but were named in the starting XI by manager Rob Edwards.
Craig Cathcart, Yaser Asprilla and Vakoun Bayo were dropped to the bench against the R’s, but that trio will be pushing for recalls due to the quick turnaround while Kortney Hause will be hoping for his first start after his loan move from Aston Villa.
Tom Cleverley, Jeremy Ngakia, Imran Louza, Samuel Kalu, Rey Manaj and Tom Dele-Bashiru are all injured while Keinan Davis is a doubt through illness.
Boro goalkeeper Zack Steffen missed the win over Swansea City and may not recover in time, while Matt Clarke will hope to keep his spot in defence after making his debut against the Swans.
Chuba Akpom has not played since suffering a knee injury in the 2-2 draw with Sheffield United and may not return before the international break.
The stats
The Hornets are unbeaten in nine league meetings against Middlesbrough since a 2-1 away defeat in October 2012.
Boro have found life difficult of late at Vicarage Road, having failed to score in any of their last four away league visits.
Wilder’s troops have also struggled on the road, winning only two of their last 14 trips away from the Riverside Stadium, while they won only six away games all last season.
Prediction
Rob Edwards’ Watford go into the Boro clash on the back of successive defeats
The roles could be reversing between the two sides, with Watford’s strong start to the season now a thing of the past after successive defeats.
Edwards’ side started the season in fine style, enjoying a five-match unbeaten run in the Championship, but back-to-back defeats have highlighted their defensive frailties.
On the other hand, Middlesbrough will be looking to start an unbeaten streak of their own after they got off the mark against Swansea following a tough run of matches.
The fixture list was not the kindest to Boro, pitting them against the likes of West Brom, Sheffield United, Stoke City and Reading in the first month of the season.
The Boro squad looks to have the potential to push on, but it is hard to back them with much conviction at this stage of the campaign.
Rather than focusing on the match-winner market with neither side having perhaps settled into their rhythm, delving into the goals markets could be the way to go.
Watford have scored in all but one of their Championship games so far, while the same can be said of Boro, with only Reading denying them in front of goal.
Both teams to score is worthy of consideration with Watford having home advantage while Boro have still scored nine goals, despite winning only one game.
Four of Boro’s games so far have seen at least three goals which offers some temptation for over 2.5 goals on Tuesday, particularly with Watford on the wrong end of a five-goal scoreline last time out.
Alfred Schreuder says there has been no change of stance at Ajax over Antony’s future, with the Manchester United target again left out of their squad.
Antony missed last week’s win over Sparta Rotterdam and on Sunday was absent once more as Ajax faced Utrecht.
The Brazil forward is a target for United, who have reportedly had several bids turned down for the 22-year-old, with speculation on Friday claiming a £76million (€89.4m) offer was rejected.
In an interview with journalist Fabrizio Romano, Antony pleaded with Ajax to sell him for “the highest bid ever for a player in the Eredivisie”, as he explained he had made his desire to leave clear to the club earlier in 2022.
Antony’s public request has not seemingly had the desired impact just yet, with the Eredivisie champions said to be holding out for a fee of £85m (€100m).
Speaking to reporters prior to the Utrecht match, Ajax head coach Schreuder said: “The situation is the same. We discuss this internally, also with the player.
“The situation has not changed. He [is] at the club, we talked about it.”
Schreuder did, however, suggest Ajax are readying themselves for life without Antony, by adding: “I want to focus on the guys who will be there.”
Australia were too good for Zimbabwe in the first of their three-match ODI series on Sunday, riding some dominant bowling from Cameron Green in a five-wicket victory.
Winning the toss and opting to bowl first, the Australians clearly felt their bowling attack could restrict Zimbabwe to a manageable total, but the tourists started well in Townsville.
Australian quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood would have felt they were unlucky to not take any wickets in their opening spell, but despite some loose shots and near-catches, Zimbabwe built a healthy platform of 87-1.
Marumani ended up playing all around a straight one from Adam Zampa to be dismissed on 45 from 61 deliveries, and once he was gone, Madhevere starting losing running-mates quickly.
Six of the last seven batsmen to come to the middle were dismissed for no more than seven runs, with Regis Chakabva’s 31 from 33 deliveries the last piece of resistance before Madhevere was caught and bowled by Zampa on 72 from 91.
A late onslaught from the Aussie attack turned 185-4 into 200 all out, as Cameron Green rattled off five quick wickets to clean up the tail, finishing with figures of 5-33 from nine overs. Zampa was Australia’s only other multiple wicket-taker, collecting 3-57.
With such a low target required, the Australians knew they could take their time, as evidenced by their top three batsmen all going at a pace slower than a run-per-ball.
David Warner controlled proceedings early, surviving a close third-umpire referral when the Zimbabwe wicket keeper was convinced he heard a feathery touch, going on to score 57 from 66 deliveries before being bowled.
Steve Smith came in at three and was far from in a hurry, methodically playing his way to 48 from 80 deliveries, before Glenn Maxwell came in at seven to race towards the finish.
Maxwell only saw nine deliveries, but he sent three to the rope along the ground, and three for six on his way to a rapid unbeaten 32 finishing the game with a big six in the 34th over.
Ryan Burl was expensive for Zimbabwe with the ball, giving up 60 runs in seven overs, but took three wickets, claiming the scalps of Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey and Marsh.
Touching tributes were paid to Andrew Symonds in Townsville during Australia’s ODI with Zimbabwe on Sunday.
Former Australia all-rounder Symonds died in a car accident in May at the age of 46.
The outfield at Riverway Stadium was emblazoned with ‘Roy 388′ a reference to Symonds’ nickname and his Australia Test cap number.
Symonds’ children, Billy and Chloe, stood alongside ODI captain Aaron Finch and Steve Smith during the national anthems, when a minute’s silence was held in his honour.
They later served as enthusiastic drinks carriers for Australia’s players in the field.
Symonds’ wife Laura Vidmar, sister Louise, mother Barbara, his children and close friend Jimmy Maher took to the middle during the interval to place his baggy green, his bat, his Akubra hat, a fishing rod and a crab pot at the stumps. His much-loved dogs Buzz and Woody also joined the family for the emotional tribute.
A win for Roy â¤ï¸
Our men’s team (featuring assistants Chloe & Will) have defeated Zimbabwe by five wickets in the first Dettol ODI in Townsville! #AUSvZIMpic.twitter.com/fzhAvJsnXk
“What he did as a player was remarkable,” Finch said prior to the match, which Australia won by five wickets.
“He was someone who put bums on seats, he was box office with bat and in the field. [It’s been] a really sad time obviously for Australian cricket over the last little while. It’ll be nice to have some tributes and his family here.
“For someone who was so laid-back, his depth of knowledge of cricket and players was second to none. I think the larrikin tag was there, but the deep knowledge of the game was outstanding as well.”
Symonds made 26 Test appearances for Australia, scoring two centuries, his first coming in the Boxing Day Test in 2006-07 Ashes series. He recorded 10 half-centuries and had an average of 40.61 and took 24 Test wickets.
In ODI cricket, he played a key role in Australia’s 2003 Cricket World Cup triumph, scoring 326 runs in five innings at an average of 163. He also featured in their 2007 success.
He scored 5,088 ODI runs, 16th in the all-time list for Australia, producing six centuries and 30 half-centuries. Symonds took 133 wickets in the 50-over format.
Adrian Mannarino won the second ATP Tour title of his career when he defeated Laslo Djere 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 in the final of the Winston-Salem Open on Saturday.
Mannarino, 34, entered the match with a 1-9 record from his 10 career final appearances, but capped off his incredible week with his fifth consecutive straight-sets win.
On his way to the decider, Mannarino eliminated ninth seed Emil Ruusuvuori, eighth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas, fourth seed Maxime Cressy and second seed Botic van de Zandschulp.
Against Djere, Mannarino stuck to what he had done all week, which was limiting his own errors and taking advantage of his opponent’s mistakes.
The Frenchman committed 12 less unforced errors (29-to-17), while also controlling the game with his serve, winning 78 per cent (49-of-63) of his service points compared to 63 per cent (45-of-71) for Djere.
It was actually the Serbian who secured the first break of the match, but it would also be his last break of the match as Mannarino tightened the screws, not allowing a single break point opportunity in the second set.
With the win, and the 250 ranking points, Mannarino will rise 20 places up to 45th in the world.
Mercedes driver George Russellbelieves Max Verstappen will win Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix despite starting 15th on the grid, and doubts his own chances of a podium finish.
Defending Formula One drivers’Â champion Verstappen put in the fastest lap in qualifying on Saturday, but the Red Bull ace is among those who have been pushed to the back of the grid after being issued with penalties.
Verstappen, courtesy of his qualifying efforts, starts at the front of the queue of those handed engine penalties. Charles Leclerc, Esteban Ocon, Lando Norris and Zhou Guanyu line up behind him, with Mick Schumacher at the back after a gearbox penalty.
That gives Verstappen plenty to do if he is to extend his lead at the top of the championship in the first race after the mid-season break, but Russell is still expecting him to finish top of the pile.
“I think Max will probably still win the race. I don’t know where he is going to be starting, but with the pace he has got he will probably still win the race,” Russell said.
“And Charles [Leclerc] as well, he will probably still come through. So, I think it is unlikely that we will be on the podium tomorrow in all honesty, because we’ve still got Carlos [Sainz] and Checo [Perez] there and Max is going to slice through the field pretty quickly.
“We will need to look overnight, try and understand it. Qualifying is out of the way, which has been our weak point, and we’ll try and be faster tomorrow.”
While Verstappen is hopeful of a podium finish, his priority is to survive what is set to be a thrilling first lap at Spa with plenty of cars out of position, before eyeing a finish further up the field.
“I think with the pace we have in the car, I want to move forward, and I want to be at least on the podium,” Verstappen said.
“I mean survive, of course, lap one that’s the most important. Then after that I need to pass a few cars before of course you get into a competitive position.”
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz starts the race on pole ahead of Sergio Perez, with Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton on the second row while Russell and Alex Albon complete the top six.
The move, confirmed by the teams on Thursday, gives the Lakers an experienced ballhandler and defensive pest as they try to bounce back from a dire 33-49 season.
Beverley played a key role last season with the emerging Minnesota Timberwolves, averaging 9.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists as the franchise made just its second postseason appearance since 2004.
Beverley, 34, is on the move for the second time this offseason after being part of the blockbuster trade that sent Rudy Gobert from Utah to Minnesota in July.
The rebuilding Jazz, on the other hand, acquire a promising young guard in Horton-Tucker, who better fits their timeline.
A second-round pick in 2019, the 21-year-old has seen a steadily increasing dose of minutes over his three NBA seasons, averaging 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
With Utah trading away another veteran player, the organisation’s sights seem decidedly set on the future.
Trade speculation is likely to continue to swirl around three-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, as well as other experienced players like Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic.
In a game and a league where the quarterback position has an outsized impact, there is no denying there are players whose importance overwhelmingly dwarfs that of their team-mates.
And, for all the work NFL teams do to put together 90-man rosters and then get them down to 53, so many critical games are decided by a handful of key plays by one player.
As the NFL approaches the 2022 regular season, there are a collection of players, not all of whom are quarterbacks, who look almost certain to have a defining influence on the campaign.
Here, with the help of its advanced data, Stats Perform ranks the most important players of the 2022 NFL season.
10. Robert Hainsey – Center, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers’ hopes of reclaiming the Lombardi Trophy following Tom Brady’s decision to end his 40-day retirement were dealt a massive blow last month when center Ryan Jensen suffered a serious knee injury.
Jensen has been one of the most underrated and pivotal factors behind Brady’s success in his two seasons in Tampa. The quarterback’s relationship with his center is critical to any offense and Brady has enjoyed an outstanding rapport with Jensen.
Now Jensen’s replacement Hainsey must quickly establish a similar connection with Brady if Tampa Bay’s offense is to perform at its peak in 2022.
Additionally, Hainsey – a third-round pick in the 2021 draft who played only 29 snaps as a rookie – must attempt to replicate Jensen’s performance of last season.
Jensen was 11th among all centers with a stunt-adjusted pass block win rate of 80.66 per cent, while his double team-adjusted run block win rate of 87.92 per cent was the best for his position and second among all offensive linemen.
It is a tall order for Hainsey to reach that level in his first season as a starter. However, it is crucial he ensures the drop-off from Hainsey is not too steep so Brady can keep an offense that was the third-most efficient in the NFL, according to Stats Perform’s Efficiency Versus Expected (EVE)Â metric, performing at a championship-calibre standard.
9. Nick Chubb – Running Back, Cleveland Browns
The furore around the Deshaun Watson saga is rightfully unlikely to die down any time soon despite the NFL closing the book in the context of league discipline.
With Watson set to be suspended for the first 11 games, the Browns will be walking a tightrope as they bid to stay in contention with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback in their starter’s absence.
Brissett has a 14-23 record as a starter and last season his well-thrown percentage of 75.8 across his five starts for the Miami Dolphins was the eighth-worst among quarterbacks with at least 200 pass attempts.
Cleveland may, therefore, need to take the emphasis off Brissett, and the best way for them to do that is by leaning on arguably the premier running back in the NFL.
The Browns led the NFL with 5.09 yards per carry last season, their success built around Chubb’s complete skill set.
Chubb was third among running backs with a minimum of 100 carries with an average of 3.44 yards before contact per rush. He was tied 10th in yards after contact per carry (2.17) and led the NFL in yards per carry on plays where there was a run disruption by a defender, his average of 4.51 illustrating his ability to create yardage for himself even when the defense broke into the backfield.
His performances helped the Browns finish second in yards over expected on running plays and, though an undoubtedly talented defense will do its share of the heavy lifting, Chubb must ensure the devastating efficiency Cleveland displayed on the ground last year is maintained for the offense to perform at a high enough level to keep a team harbouring Super Bowl aspirations in the mix until Watson returns.
8. A.J. Brown – Wide Receiver, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia’s blockbuster draft-day trade for Brown was the clearest signal yet of the Eagles’ intention to do everything they can to make Jalen Hurts succeed as their franchise quarterback.
Brown arrived in Philadelphia after racking up 1,000-yard seasons in two of his three campaigns with the Tennessee Titans. He would have had a third had Brown not been forced to miss four games through injury last season, and Brown projects as the ideal receiver to help take Hurts to the next level.
The former Ole Miss star thrived in a Titans offense based heavily around play-action passing concepts.
Meshing with Hurts, who ranked sixth in well-thrown rate (80.4 per cent)Â on play-action among quarterbacks with at least 50 such throws and averaged a league-leading 16.78 air yards per attempt on those passes, should not be a problem for Brown, who figures to make life significantly easier for his quarterback.
Indeed, Brown gives Hurts a physical wideout who can make tough contested catches over the middle of the field and has the route-running talent to consistently separate from defenders to make big plays. Brown produced a burn, which is when a receiver wins his matchup with a defender on a play where he is targeted, on 64 per cent of targets (including the playoffs) and was tied for the NFL lead (min. 100 targets) in burn yards per route last season with an average of 4.0.
Everything is seemingly set up for a blissful marriage between quarterback and number one wide receiver. There is a lot of pressure on Hurts to succeed with a loaded offense but, similarly, Brown will be under intense scrutiny as he will be tasked with continuing his outstanding Titans displays and, critically, avoiding any injury problems that could limit the ceiling of a team many anticipate becoming contenders after a flurry of offseason activity.
7. Davante Adams – Wide Receiver, Las Vegas Raiders
Adams made a decision that changed the landscape of both the NFC and AFC when he eschewed the chance to stay with the Packers to sign a five-year, $141.25million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders following a trade that allowed him to reunite with college quarterback Derek Carr.
While Aaron Rodgers must adapt and excel without his long-time favourite target in Green Bay, Adams starts his new era in Las Vegas under tremendous pressure to live up to his megadeal.
The numbers from his time in Green Bay suggest he should have no problem doing so.
Adams is second in receiving yards (3,924) and touchdowns (34) over the past three seasons. With an above-league average burn rate of 65.6 per cent last season, Adams was fifth in burn yards per route (3.5) among receivers with a minimum of 100 targets (including the playoffs). He was second (3.4) and first (3.9) in the same metric in 2019 and 2020.
His consistency in creating significant separation from defenders must continue in his new home for the Raiders’ big swing to pay dividends in an AFC West division now widely regarded as the best in the league following a series of high-profile moves by all its inhabitants.
Moreover, Adams must re-establish the rapport he had in college with Carr, who had a well-thrown rate of 81.6 per cent that was third among quarterbacks with at least 200 pass attempts in 2021.
Carr has the accuracy to reap the benefits of playing with Adams as Rodgers did. As long as the change of scenery does not provoke a surprising Adams downturn, the Raiders will have the arsenal to match the fireworks their division rivals can produce.
6. Aaron Donald – Defensive Tackle, Los Angeles Rams
To label Donald as an important player is arguably the most obvious statement that can be made about the NFL.
But, with significant doubt hanging over the fitness of the Los Angeles Rams’ star quarterback Matthew Stafford, there may be an onus on Donald to carry the burden of helping them repeat as Super Bowl champions.
While Stafford is still expected to play in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, he has spent the offseason dealing with an elbow issue head coach Sean McVay conceded is “abnormal” for a quarterback.
That at least creates the possibility of Stafford enduring injury-related poor performances or even missing time if it is eventually determined he requires surgery.
Playing in an NFC West division that houses a fellow NFC heavyweight in the San Francisco 49ers, the Rams can ill-afford to have any such scenario result in prolonged struggles.
Thankfully for the Rams, Donald is as impactful as Stafford when it comes to deciding games, as he did in Super Bowl LVI with his key fourth-down pressure of Joe Burrow.
Donald comfortably led all defensive tackles in both pressure rate (28.1 per cent) and run disruption rate (37.2) last season. No other defensive tackle with a pressure rate of 20 per cent or better had a run disruption rate of 30 per cent or higher.
With the spectre of possible quarterback injury issues hanging over the Rams, it is imperative Donald continues to produce his frequently game-winning destruction for Los Angeles to mitigate the influence of any such problems.
5. Von Miller – Edge Rusher, Buffalo Bills
The Bills famously failed to finish off the Kansas City Chiefs in last season’s epic Divisional Round playoff clash as inexplicably soft defensive play-calling allowed Kansas City to move into range for a game-tying field goal in the final 13 seconds of regulation.
Yet one of the reasons it got to that point was the Bills’ failure to convert their pressures of Patrick Mahomes into damaging sacks.
Buffalo registered 23 pressures of Mahomes, the most by any defensive team in the Divisional Round, but managed to get him on the ground just twice.
That performance will surely have had some influence on the decision to sign Miller to a lucrative six-year contract following his Super Bowl-winning sojourn with the Rams.
Miller’s 115.5 sacks since entering the league in 2011 are the most in the NFL, and he proved he is still one of the best pressure generators in the NFL in 2021. His stunt-adjusted pass rush win rate of 43.4 per cent was the fifth-highest among edge rushers with at least 100 one on one matchups.
The Bills can be confident Josh Allen and the offense will put them in a position to contend, but it is Miller’s addition to a defense with few holes that may be the move to get them over the top.
Buffalo made a big bet on Miller maintaining his outstanding 2021 form. It is imperative that gamble pays off and, if some of his wisdom from years at the top rubs off on young edge rushers Gregory Rousseau and Carlos Basham, the Bills will be extremely satisfied with their decision to put faith in the former Denver Bronco.
4. Patrick Mahomes – Quarterback, Kansas City Chiefs
While the likes of the Raiders and the Bills are plotting to do what the Cincinnati Bengals did in last season’s AFC Championship Game and topple the Chiefs, Mahomes and Co. are set to face internal challenges in their bid to remain atop the AFC West.
The primary challenge for the Chiefs will be to replace the impact of Tyreek Hill, the three-time first-team All-Pro speedster sent to the Miami Dolphins in a blockbuster trade.
Hill’s threat as a downfield receiver tormented opposing defenses during his time in Kansas City, and he was second among receivers with at least 100 targets with a burn rate of 70.8 per cent (including the playoffs) in 2021.
Though the Chiefs did sign a replacement burner in the form of Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the absence of Hill’s game-breaking speed will likely force Mahomes to target underneath areas more frequently.
Mahomes was already forced to adapt in such a fashion last season to combat the two-high safety defenses thrown at the Chiefs by teams looking to nullify Kansas City’s big-play threat.
Kansas City’s struggles against such defenses served as one of the defining narratives of last season. It was a narrative, however, that was somewhat exaggerated and the Chiefs had clearly hit their stride by the end of the year.
Across the final five weeks of the season, the Chiefs averaged 283.6 net passing yards per game, the fourth-most in the NFL. They hit a significant speed bump in the second half of the conference title game, but Mahomes has had plenty of time to brush off that disappointment and needs to rediscover his best without one of his key support acts for the Chiefs to be the class of a stacked conference in 2022.
3. Lamar Jackson – Quarterback, Baltimore Ravens
Amid a flurry of big-money deals for quarterbacks and receivers alike, one high-profile contract saga has remained unsettled.
There has been no sign of an imminent agreement between the Ravens and Jackson, who will be an unrestricted free agent in 2023 unless they can come to terms on an extension.
To say Jackson is important to the Ravens is to put it extremely mildly. He finished in the top five in Efficiency Versus Expected among quarterbacks in expected passing situations in 2019 and 2020 before an injury derailed 2021 campaign and, since taking over as the Ravens’ starter in 2019, has averaged more yards per carry (6.36) than any other player in the NFL.
With 103 of his 468 rush attempts going for 10 yards or more, Jackson’s explosive run rate of 22 per cent also stands as the best in the NFL over that same period.
Jackson’s success in harnessing the dual-threat upside, as he did in spectacular fashion three years ago, will decide if the Ravens return to prominence in the AFC after the frustration of 2021.
Beyond that, however, the extent to which he nears his 2019 zenith could have a huge bearing on his negotiations with the Ravens next offseason should the impasse continue.
If Jackson performs at a level close to his MVP season, the Ravens will be facing the prospect of making him the highest-paid player in the NFL by a potentially massive margin in 2023. An unconvincing and unsuccessful season for Jackson may see him lose a lot of leverage.
2. Aaron Rodgers – Quarterback, Green Bay Packers
It was an offseason of contrasting emotions for the back-to-back MVP, who looks in line to finish his career in Green Bay after signing a three-year, $150.8m deal that made him the highest-paid player in US sports on an annual basis but must renew his quest for a second Super Bowl title without Adams.
The prospect of trying to climb the mountain sans Adams looks a daunting one considering their remarkable rapport and the fact Rodgers couldn’t hit anyone but him during the Packers’ Divisional Round loss to the 49ers last season.
Rodgers has to establish a connection with two young rookie receivers in Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, the latter of whom has enjoyed a sparkling preseason.
Green Bay still made moves to make Rodgers’ life easier, though that impact may be less tangible than the one he and Adams produced consistently.
The Packers built up an increasingly talented defense in the draft, adding to their options on that side of the ball and improving the odds of Rodgers coming on to the field with favourable field position.
His receiving options may have changed dramatically, but Rodgers has no room to offer excuses given the apparent strength of the defense.
The 38-year-old’s ridiculous consistency is fuelling thoughts of him going deep into his 40s, a la Brady; however, Rodgers’ time to win a second ring is running out. After enjoying dominant season after dominant season with Adams as his top receiver, the challenge for the four-time MVP now is to elevate a young and unproven supporting cast as he seeks to right previous playoff wrongs.
1. Trey Lance – Quarterback, San Francisco 49ers
A team that was minutes away from a second Super Bowl appearance in three years handing the keys to the offense over to a quarterback with just two starts to his name? It sounds risky, and there is an inherent danger in San Francisco moving into the Trey Lance era.
But this is why the Niners traded three first-round picks to the Dolphins to move up to the third pick in the 2021 draft to select Lance. There is risk, yet it is unquestionably worth the potential reward.
Lance will be taking over an offense that finished the 2021 season first in Efficiency Versus Expected, a testament to the plethora of talent on that unit, Jimmy Garoppolo’s comfort in the offense and the play-calling of Kyle Shanahan.
The task for Lance is to weaponise the deep passing game of one of the most consistent and dangerous attacks in the NFL. While San Francisco might have to sacrifice some efficiency for him to succeed, the numbers indicate he is up to the job.
Garoppolo had eight pass plays of 40 yards or more across 15 games in 2021. Lance produced three in his two starts in relief of his injured predecessor.
On top of that, Lance averaged 10.10 air yards per attempt the second most in the NFL among quarterbacks with at least 50 passes and no player to average at least 9.0 air yards had a better well-thrown percentage than Lance’s 77.1.
The prospect of Lance reproducing that blend of aggressiveness and accuracy over a longer sample size while adding another dimension to a running game that racked up the eighth-most explosive rushes of at least 10 yards in 2021 should terrify opponents.
San Francisco’s roster is filled with Pro Bowlers on offense and the Niners have further stacked a defense that forced the most negative plays (122) in the NFL last season with reinforcements up front and in the secondary.
The 49ers have a Super Bowl-ready roster but, for all his success, Garoppolo has been unable to get them over the hump to a long-awaited sixth title.
Lance has the upside to end that wait and the Niners may well become Super Bowl favourites if he is as advertised. Should he flounder, a prospective challenger could be removed from the NFC playoff picture. Simply put, there is no player more important to the hopes of a legitimate contender in the NFL.
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