The (CAS) has given all players implicated in the highly publicized match-fixing case involving Ashgold and Inter Allies a stay of execution.
Reports indicate that the grant by CAS comes as a result of the Professional Football Association of Ghana(PFAG)’s appeal through the International Federation of Professional Footballers(FIFPro).
At the moment with the exception of Asante Kotoko’s Richmond Lamptey all the players can be involved in action for their clubs until the final judgement is passed by CAS.
Lamptey was found guilty in the scandal during his days at Inter Allies. Asante Kotoko in a statement released on Friday, July 29, 2022, announced that the club have begun processes to appeal his banned at CAS.
As a result, the PFAG exempted Lamptey’s name from their appeal list.
Background
The Disciplinary Committee of the GFA on Monday, May 16, 2022, announced that AshantiGold and now Division One side Inter Allies have been found guilty of match-fixing in 2021.
Both teams have been demoted to the country’s third-tier league. The DC also sanctioned administrators, coaches, and some players of both teams.
The GFA stated that the sanctions will take effect from the 2022/2023 season.
Popular Kumawood actor Nana Yeboah, known in real life as Felix Nana Yeboah, has vowed never to enter the National Cathedral being constructed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in fulfilment of a promise made to God.
Akufo-Addo after being sworn into office as President of the Republic of Ghana stated that he made a covenant with God to build him a cathedral during his campaign.
The president also revealed that the project was not going to be financed with public funds but the contrary appears to have happened following revelations made by some leading members of the opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC).
Speaking on Ghanaman TV on the “Show Kanawu†monitored by MyNewsGH.com, comedian Nana Yeboah said the money being used to build the cathedral must be channelled into different projects like the construction of roads, vowing that he will never step his foot there upon completion.
“Even if you build that chapel, I, Yeboah Asiamah will not enter. It is wrong for you to say you are building a cathedral. Totally wrong! How is it possible for somebody from afar to travel all the way to Accra before he can access the temple and worship?†Nana Yeboah asked.
“Use the money to construct roads instead so that people can attest to the fact that you are indeed developing the country. How can you take such an amount to build a church? I will never enter it,” he added.
The fixtures were supposed to be released earlier, but the GFA said they had to wait because of the promotional play-off, which Tamale City won to replace the demoted AshantiGold.
Champions Asante Kotoko, Accra Hearts of Oak, Great Olympics, Dreams FC, Legon Cities, Accra Lions, Berekum Chelsea, Bechem United, Karela United, King Faisal, Real Tamale United, Aduana FC, Bibiani Gold Stars, Medeama SC and Tamale City will all find out their competition path on Thursday.
With the GFA securing a new headline sponsor for the league, the upcoming season promises to be exciting.
betPawa has decided to invest $6 million over three years, providing a significant boost to the league, which had been without a major financial sponsor since 2018.
The singer who recorded massive numbers with his 2021 single stated that he knew from the onset that his track was going to touch the hearts of his fans, the reason he encouraged his team to release the song right after its production.
He explained that once people love a song, it automatically becomes a hit.
“When I made ‘Sugarcane’ I told my team that we should put it out there ASAP…it wasn’t even about the hits. To be honest, when I make songs, I am not all about the hits.
“I am not chasing hits, when I make a song, it is just how sweet the song is because I feel like the public will love it and that may lead it to be a hit. I am not doing a song to be a hit, I do it to feed people. There are some fans who continuously play a song and just wish the world could appreciate it…the purpose of music is to feed the soul,” Camidoh stated in an interview on Emelia Brobbey’s Okukuseku The Talk Show.
Also commenting on the success of ‘Sugarcane’, he noted that a lot of hard work went into marketing and promoting the song which is now a favourite of his fans.
Camidoh disclosed that rapper Tulenkey reached out to him to put in maximum effort in promoting ‘Sugarcane’ after falling in love with it.
“When we released ‘Surgane’ the fans accepted it but we had to do some work though. You can have a good product but once you fail to market it, people will not chance on it,” he added.
According to the MTTD, between January and July 2022, the Ghana police service record about 886 road carnages with 9,218 people surviving with several degree of injures.
Speaking to Citi News after the launch of the GPRTU App, Director of Operations for MTTD, Supt. Dr. Samuel Sasu Mensah said, despite the alarming figures, the country has recorded a marginal decrease in both fatalities and injuries.
He is optimistic that the number of road crashes can be brought to it barest minimum if motorists drive cautiously.
“From January to July 2022, we had 886 cases being reported to the police and out of this, those who were killed were 1,443 and those who got injured were 9,218. However, we have a marginal decrease in both fatalities and injuries. So as we progress in the year, we hope that, through good practices by the drivers, road crashes being recorded in the country will be reduced.â€
Cornwall also expects bills to increase much more sharply in January, with the average household paying £355 a month, instead of the current £164 a month.
Mr Lewis said according to forecasts, the price cap – the maximum amount suppliers can charge customers in England, Scotland and Wales for each unit of energy – would effectively double between May of this year and October.
The latest price cap is due to be announced at the end of this month by the energy regulator Ofgem.
In May the government announced a package of support, including a £400 discount on energy bills for all UK households and an additional £650 for more than eight million low-income households.
But Mr Lewis told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “If [the chancellor] is going to be consistent, he will need to double every number in that package.”
Ministers are set to hold talks with energy giants on Thursday to discuss measures to ease the cost of living.
However, Mr Lewis said ultimately it was “government alone” which could help by putting “more money into people’s pockets”.
The boss of Octopus Energy also said he thought the government needed to improve its offer of £400 for households to help with rising energy bills.
Greg Jackson told the BBC that while the initial package of support may have been “right” at the time, “clearly it’s not sufficient now and we need to look at a similarly significant assistance from the government for this winter”.
Derek Lickorish, chairman of energy supplier Utilita, called for a social tariff, which offers discounted rates for lower income households, to be introduced.
He also said the government needed to “dramatically” increase support by £800 – £1,000 per household.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke said the government was “working up a package of cost of living support that the next prime minister can consider when they take office”.
However, Treasury officials have stressed that any decisions on major fiscal issues will be decided after the new PM takes office.
‘Loans are the only way we survive’
Image source, James Gilmour
Image caption, James has had to take out a loan to cover his family’s energy bill
James Gilmour, who lives with his partner and three children in Essex, has taken out a £5,000 loan to help cover his energy bills when they go up in October.
His gas and electricity bill has already doubled from £145 per month to £320 a month and from October he said he will be paying more than £600 per month, according to the latest forecasts.
“As a family of five we simply cannot afford to pay this monthly as we are already getting half way into the month with no money left for food and essentials,” he told the BBC.
James, who works in the automotive industry, said the loan was “the only way to survive through this crisis”.
There are two main reasons households end up in debt to their supplier: the first reason, their direct debit payments may be set too low to cover the amount of energy being used.
Anyone who finds themselves in that position should contact their supplier as quickly as possible to avoid a sudden bill shock, and give it their correct meter readings.
The second reason is because people are just not keeping up with their payments.
The Uswitch survey revealed that in addition to the group in debt, eight million households have no credit balances, meaning they have no cushion against the bill rises this winter.
“This is an alarming situation, as summer is traditionally a time when households are using less power for heating, which helps bill payers to build up energy credit ahead of the winter,” said Justina Miltienyte, head of policy at Uswitch.com.
An Ofgem spokesperson said its “priority” is to “protect consumers” and make sure suppliers treat their customers in a “fair and reasonable manner”.
A spokesperson from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: “We know the pressures people are facing with rising costs, which is why we have continually taken action to help households by phasing in £37bn worth of support throughout the year.”
Separately on Wednesday, E.On reported first-half profits of just under €4.1bn (£3.5bn), which was about €700m below the previous year.
The company, which is one of the UK’s biggest energy suppliers, described the energy crisis as “extraordinary”, and said it highlighted the need for Europe “to transform its energy system. To be independent of Russian gas. To ensure supply security”.
It is worth saying again that the old advice to shop around to find a better energy deal just does not apply anymore. The default price cap, although super high, is the best rate available at the moment, so don’t be pushed into signing up for a new fixed deal unless you want to, as you may end up paying more in the long-run.
If you are falling behind on your energy payments, or are unable to keep-up with the increases in direct debits being suggested by your supplier, then the first thing to do is let them know you’re struggling.
Making that call might be tough, as it’s never easy to admit you’re finding things difficult, however it’s likely to be the best protection for your household this winter.
Taking action is important because there is an extra layer of legal help available for people who are unable to pay, which forces suppliers to work through lots of different options with their customers. That includes agreeing a payment plan, giving temporary credit for prepayment customers, and arranging for payment directly through benefits.
Crucially, making that call to explain that you’re struggling means they can’t just cut you off.
That was one of the chants disgruntled apartment buyers in China used at a protest in June. But their ire over unfinished homes didn’t stop at signs and chants.
Hundreds of them stopped paying their mortgages – a radical step for China, where dissent is not tolerated.
A young couple who moved to Zhengzhou in central China told the BBC that after receiving the down payment last year, the developer withdrew from the project and construction stalled.
“I have imagined countless times the joy of living in a new home, but now it all feels ridiculous,” the woman, who did not wish to be named, said.
A woman in her late 20s who also bought a home in Zhengzhou told the BBC that she too is ready to stop paying her mortgage: “After the project is fully resumed, I’ll continue paying.”
Many of them can pay but are choosing not to, unlike the US subprime mortgage crisis in 2007 when money was lent to high-risk borrowers who then defaulted.
They have purchased homes in roughly 320 projects around the country, according to a crowd-sourced estimate on Github where homeowners have been posting about their decision. But it’s unclear how many actually stopped paying.
The boycotted loans could total $145bn (£120bn), S&P Global ratings estimates. Other analysts say it could be even higher.
The revolt has rattled authorities, focusing attention on a market already under pressure from a slowing economy and a serious cash crunch.
More alarmingly, it has signalled a lack of confidence in one of the main pillars of the world’s second largest economy.
“Mortgage boycotts, driven by deteriorating sentiment toward property, are… a very serious threat to the financial position of the sector,” think tank Oxford Economics said in a recent note.
Why does China’s property crisis matter?
China’s property sector makes up a third of its economic output. That includes houses, rental and brokering services; industries producing white goods that go into apartments; and construction materials.
But China’s economy has been slowing – in the last quarter it grew by just 0.4% compared to the previous year. Some economists don’t expect any growth this year.
That’s largely because of Beijing’s zero-Covid strategy – repeated lockdowns and continued restrictions have affected incomes and, in turn, savings and investments.
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption, Unfinished buildings like these are a common sight in China now
The size of China’s economy means that disruption in a crucial market – like property – can affect the global financial system.
Experts believe contagion is the concern now – banks won’t lend if they believe the sector is tanking.
“It will all depend on policy,” says Ding Shuang, head of Greater China economic research at Standard Chartered. “Unlike in other parts of the world where property bubbles break because of the markets, this is government-inflicted.”
Thirty real estate companies have already missed foreign debt payments. Evergrande, which defaulted last year on its $300bn debt, is the most high-profile casualty. S&P has warned that if sales do not pick up, more companies could follow suit.
Demand for homes is also not rising as China undergoes a demographic change with urbanisation and population growth slowing.
“The fundamental issue is that we have reached a turning point in the housing market in China,” says Julian Evans-Pritchard, a senior China economist at Capital Economics.
How did we get here?
Real estate accounts for about 70% of personal wealth in China – and home buyers often pay upfront for unfinished projects.
These “pre-sales” make up 70%-80% of new home sales in China, Mr Evans-Pritchard said, adding that developers need that money because they use it to fund several projects at once.
But many young and middle class Chinese are no longer investing in property, likely because of a weak economy, job losses and pay cuts – and now the fear that developers might not complete projects.
“That’s part of the problem – developers were counting on new money coming in, and those new sales are not happening anymore,” Mr Evans-Pritchard said.
More than $220bn worth of loans could be tied to unfinished projects, according to banking group ANZ. And credit – a major source of cash in the boom years – has also dried up.
In 2020, China’s government introduced the “three red lines” – accounting measures to limit how much developers could borrow. That cut off funding, and the subsequent lack of confidence in the market has also affected banks’ willingness to lend to property companies.
What is the government doing?
For one, Beijing is putting the onus on local governments – they’re offering reduced deposits, tax rebates and cash subsidies to home buyers, and relief funds to developers. But this comes at a cost because local coffers will take a hit as property developers buy less land.
“I think this is the moment for the central government and regulators to step in,” Mr Ding said. “At some point it will step in to ring-fence the problem of some companies. The sector is too important for the economy.”
Image source, Getty Images
The Financial Times recently reported that China issued $148bn in loans to help property developers, and Bloomberg reported that mortgage holders may be given a payment holiday without it affecting their credit score.
But in a recent note, Oxford Economics said any government intervention in real estate and infrastructure may provide a short-term boost but that “it is not ideal for China’s longer-term growth as the government and the financial sector are being forced to help sustain an unproductive (and failing) real estate industry”.
This is also not just a financial crisis. The boycott of mortgages risks becoming a serious social issue, Mr Ding said.
And that could become a problem for President Xi Jinping ahead of a crucial party congress later this year where he is expected to seek a historic third term.
What happens next?
Analysts say the reported bailout – $148bn – may not be enough. Capital Economics estimates companies need $444bn just to complete halted projects.
It’s also not clear whether banks – especially smaller rural ones – can absorb the cost of the mortgage strike.
Even if construction restarts, many developers may not survive because house sales are unlikely to shore up sentiment. Sales in China’s 100 top developers dropped by 39.7% in July compared to the same period last year, according to China Real Estate Information Corp (CRIC).
This crisis is the clearest indication yet that China’s economy is at a crossroads.
“The government is trying its best to find new sources of growth but that’s going to be challenging because the economy has been very reliant on property, infrastructure investment and exports over the last three decades,” Mr Evans-Pritchard said.
“The era of very rapid growth in China is probably now over… and that’s most obvious in the property sector at the moment.”
The report covers the period from April to June 2022.
Twitter has doubled-down on its position on the amount of spam and fake accounts on the platform – the reason Elon Musk had given for terminating the deal.
“We have performed an internal review of a sample of accounts and estimate that the average of false or spam accounts during the second quarter of 2022 represented fewer than 5% of our [monthly active users] during the quarter,” it said – although it added that the figure was an estimate.
In 2021, Twitter’s revenue was $5bn (£4.2bn), but in the last 12 months its share price has fallen by 45%.
Image source, Getty Images
Analyst Mike Proulx from the firm Forrester said Twitter was in “purgatory”.
“Twitter now has an acquirer who no longer wants it, a CEO and board who wants to get rid of it, and an employee base which is caught in the middle of it all,” he said.
“The real victim from all this drama is Twitter itself.”
On Thursday Snap, which owns Snapchat, reported revenue of $1.11bn for the three months to the end of June, which missed Wall Street expectations.
Its shares slumped by more than 25% after the news.
It said some of its advertisers had cut their spending, faced with rising costs.
It also said it had been affected by a change made by Apple last year, which meant iPhone and iPad users could opt out of being tracked by apps.
This has affected the personalisation of ads – a very valuable service to tech firms – because they can no longer see their users’ other online activities and tailor advertising accordingly.
Twitter said its ad revenue had increased by just 2%, to $1.08bn.
Meta and Alphabet, the parent company of Google, are both due to report their earnings next week.
Kadiogo won the title on the final matchday of the season following their victory over RC Bobo Dioulasso to go one point above second place, Majestic.
The Champions triumph came after a late controversial match-winner inside 90 minutes.
Goalkeeper, Babayoure A Sawadogo gave Kaidiogo the lead in the second half from a direct freekick but the away side pulled parity through Isse Blak Ouattara’s wonderful strike.
With 15 seconds to full time and a draw handing Majestic the League title, RC Bobo goalkeeper, Moustapha Diarra gifted Kadiogo the match-winner from a failed freekick inside his area.
Many alleged that Diarra’s failed kick that found Souwene Sanoude, who was just in front of the box was deliberate.
In the Champions League, Kotoko will visit Kadiogo for the first leg on September 09/11 before hosting the West African side in Kumasi on September 16/18 2022.
The technological arms race between the United States and China has cut across everything from smartphones and cellular equipment to social media and artificial intelligence. But a new battleground is emerging that goes a layer deeper: to the components that power our smartphones, computers, automobiles and home appliances.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed new legislation aimed at boosting the US semiconductor industry, in an attempt to address a long-running computer chip shortage and reduce reliance on other countries, such as China, for manufacturing. Dubbed the CHIPS and Science Act, it provides incentives for domestic semiconductor manufacturing as well as research and development, including more than $50 billion in funding and additional investment in the National Science Foundation, the Department of Commerce and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
China has long been a dominant force in tech manufacturing, with companies such as Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG) and Microsoft (MSFT) relying significantly on the country to make their devices and the parts that comprise them. China has also rapidly gained ground in the semiconductor market, ranking first globally in assembly, packaging and testing and fourth — ahead of the United States — in wafer fabrication, according to a recent analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
China’s increased focus on its domestic manufacturing is likely a function of US restrictions on some of its biggest semiconductor companies. China’s semiconductor sales grew more than 30% in 2020 to reach nearly $40 billion, according to figures from the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), a trade group whose members include IBM (IBM), Intel (INTC), AMD (AMD), Qualcomm (QCOM) and Nvidia (NVDA).
But the Covid-19 pandemic caused a global shortfall in chip supply, with matters made worse this year by China’s stringent lockdowns, which stalled factories and hurt supply chains. Multiple regions are now rethinking their approach to the industry in order to become more self-sufficient and reduce exposure to Chinese manufacturing.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has repeatedly touted the importance of “friend-shoring,” or moving supply chains through US allies such as South Korea and Japan to further insulate the tech industry from China. European legislators, meanwhile, have proposed investments worth tens of billions of dollars over the coming years to boost the continent’s semiconductor industry.
China, for its part, continues to try to grow its semiconductor industry as part of a five-year plan announced last year.
“There’s growing global recognition that these are the technologies that will determine who ‘wins’ in the future global economy,” Kenton Thibaut, Resident China Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab in Washington DC, told CNN Business. However, she added, being completely self sufficient in chipmaking is easier said than done because of the layers of technology and specialized expertise involved. “It’s not really possible to gain a top spot in the semiconductor supply chain as a whole.”
Complicating matters further is Taiwan, the self-governed island off China’s coast that has become a diplomatic and military flashpoint between Washington and Beijing. Tensions around Taiwan, which China’s Communist Party views as its own territory despite never having controlled the island, have escalated rapidly after US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s visit there last week.
Taiwan is critical to the global semiconductor industry, with several of the world’s top manufacturers headquartered there, including Apple suppliers Foxconn and Pegatron. The biggest of those chipmakers, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company or TSMC, accounts for an estimated 90% of the world’s super-advanced computer chips.
“Nobody can control TSMC by force,” the company’s chairman, Mark Liu, said in a recent interview with CNN. “If you take a military force or invasion, you will render TSMC factory non-operable, because this is such a sophisticated manufacturing facility [that] it depends on the real-time connection with the outside world — with Europe, with Japan, with the US.”
A push to bolster US production
TSMC has already committed at least $12 billion to building a semiconductor fabrication plant in Arizona, with production expected to begin in 2024. Another Taiwanese manufacturer, GlobalWafers, recently pledged $5 billion towards building a silicon wafer plant in Texas, and South Korean conglomerates Samsung and SK Group earlier this year put forth plans to spend tens of billions of dollars to grow their US tech manufacturing presence.
TSMC’s investment predates the CHIPS and Science Act, but the legislation is likely to spur more companies to bring factories to the United States, according to Zachary Collier, an assistant professor of management at Virginia’s Radford University who specializes in risk analysis.
“It’s a very capital-intensive process to build a big manufacturing facility like this and anything that offsets some of those costs very much incentivizes the companies to bring those things onshore,” he said. The legislation earmarks nearly $53 billion over the next five years to expand US semiconductor manufacturing, including $1.5 billion for telecommunications companies that compete with Chinese firms such as Huawei. Companies that invest in semiconductor manufacturing will also get a 25% tax credit.
Even beyond the short-term incentives, companies may be keen to establish a US manufacturing presence because of the country’s relative stability, security, highly educated working class and, perhaps most importantly, sheer demand. Collier estimates that the United States accounts for a quarter of global semiconductor demand but only 12% of manufacturing. And TSMC says North America, broadly, accounts for 65% of its revenue, with China and Japan accounting for 10% and 5%, respectively.
Companies “would try to rush in and satisfy that demand,” Collier said. But replacing China overnight — or perhaps at all — will not be easy.
“Right now China has an advantage in that it has a concerted strategy around pitching its technologies and supplying critical infrastructure to countries that need them,” said Thibaut. “The US and other democracies need to also develop a strategy around tech that does not just focus on competing with China, but is also proactive in providing real solutions to real needs.”
No matter how much countries try to shore up their local manufacturing bases, it will likely be virtually impossible to decouple from the global supply chain, particularly for products as integral and intricate as semiconductors. The design, fabrication, manufacturing and even raw materials for chips are distributed across several different countries and regions.
“It’s really a huge web,” said Collier, adding that no matter how much countries try to localize production, a degree of interdependence is inevitable. “It’s global, one way or the other.”
Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has shared concerns with the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) about fears over the imminent collapse of local businesses due to the cedi depreciation and other related market forces.
GUTA has threatened to embark on a demonstration against the government over the free fall of the local currency against foreign currencies, chiefly the US Dollar.
The President of GUTA, Dr. Joseph Obeng, in an interview published by the Insight newspaper, stated. “the exacerbating tension that is coming from the trading Committee is huge . . . They believe that if nothing is done about their businesses, their businesses are going to collapse in perpetuity so they are calling for a serious demonstration”.
He feared local businesses will crash to the ground should the cedi keep depreciating.
In June 2022, the inflation rate had not crossed the 30% mark, with the GSS reporting 29.8%.
For the month-on-month, the inflation rate between June 2022 and July 2022 was 3.1%.
According to the GSS, transportation (44.6%) was again a major cause for the increase in inflation.
The other factors contributing to the increased inflation are; Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels (43.0%); Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance (42.0%); Recreation, Sport and Culture (33.8%); Personal Care, Social Protection and Miscellaneous Goods and Services (33.7%) and Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages (32.3%).
Six divisions recorded inflation rates higher than the national average.
Divisions
Y-o-Y
M-o-M
Transport
44.6
4.9
Housing, Water Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels
43.0
3.8
Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance
42.0
2.9
Recreation, Sport and Culture
33.8
3.1
Personal Care, Social Protection and Miscellaneous Goods and Services
33.7
2.8
Food an Non-Alcoholic Beverages
32.3
3.3
Clothing and Footwear
24.7
1.9
Alcoholic Beverages, Tobacco and Narcotics
21.2
1.4
Restaurants and Accommodation Services
20.9
1.5
Informationand Communication
14.3
1.2
Health
14.1
1.6
Insurance and Financial services
5.3
0.2
Education Services
5.1
1.6
Food inflation went up to 32.3% in July 2022, from 30.7% in June 2022.
Also, non-food inflation shot up to 31.3% in July 2022, from 29.1% the previous month.
Inflation for imported items is higher (33.9%) than inflation for locally produced items (30.9%).
For the food group, Oils and Fats (67%); Fish and Other Seafood (42.9%); Water (42.4%); Cereal Products (40.0%); Milk, Dairy Products and Eggs (39.7%); Fruit and Vegetable Juices (37.7%); Live Animals and Meat (34.5%) and Sugar and Desserts (32.7%) recorded inflation rates higher the food inflation rate of 32.3%.
Regional statistics
Eastern region recorded the highest inflation rate of 38.1%. The Western and Greater Accra Regions followed with inflation rates of 37.6% and 35.5% respectively.
The Upper East region recorded the lowest inflation rate of 19.8% whilst Upper West recorded the least inflation rate of 21.2% for the non-food group.
On a quarterly basis, the average rate of inflation has increased by 10.7 percentage points. In the second quarter of 2022, it stood at 27.0% relative to the first quarter of 16.3%.
A total number of 326,032 people representing 39% of the population in the Bono East Region have been fully vaccinated, whiles 433,781 people representing 51% have received the first COVID-19 jab.
The Bono East Regional Director of Health Service, Dr Fred Adomako-Boateng, who made this known, said the region had experienced a cumulative figure of 3,158 COVID-19 cases and total deaths of 76 since the outbreak.
He stated that the crude case fatality rate (CFR) of 2.4 per cent was, however, way above the national figure of 0.9 per cent.
That, according to Dr Adomako-Boateng, was also about seven times the figures of some populous but well-endowed regions.
He spoke to journalists after the mid-year performance review meeting of the Bono East Regional Health Directorate at Kintampo last Friday.
The mid-year performance review meeting was aimed at reflecting on the achievements of the directorate, deliberating and sharing ideas on how to address the gaps hampering quality health delivery in the region.
Dr Adomako-Boateng said Bono East was among the leading regions in the country to have vaccinated people, explaining that the directorate was not going to rest on its oars until it had achieved its ultimate aim of vaccinating all eligible persons.
He said the region had an improvement in skilled delivery from 65.8 per cent in 2020 to 66.8 per cent, adding that the doctor-to-population ratio had worsened from 1:18,287 in 2020 to 1:20,397 in 2021.
That, he explained, was against a target of 1:7,500 with a worsening geographical equity index from 0.20 in 2020 to 0.1 in 2021.
Dr Adomako-Boateng said that the institutional malaria under five case fatality rate increased from 0.20 in 2020 to 0.24 in 2021 and the malaria mortality rate worsened from 0.01 to 0.03.
Maternal mortality
He stated that the directorate was battling a high prevalence of maternal mortality, neonatal death and stillbirth in the region.
According to him, non-communicable diseases, hypertension and diabetes were also high in the region, threatening the lives of residents.
“Across the region, we have challenges in maternal and neonatal mortality and stillbirth and these are at the centre of the quality of service delivery,†he stated.
Dr Adomako-Boateng said the directorate had planned to move away from quantities and coverages to pay particular attention to the quality of service delivery to the public.
He said the directorate had the challenge of picking non-communicable diseases, hypertension and diabetes at the health facilities because people hesitated to come for screening, while they were not showing signs and symptoms.
However, he said the directorate was finding innovative ways of getting people to screen for the diseases, at their workplaces, market centres, churches and schools to help capture people with the diseases for treatment.
Mahama, who has in the recent past, proffered economic advice to the government, called for a national dialogue to help rescue the economy.
He expressed concerns about the current state of the economy amid the downgrade and took a swipe at the government for having no credible plan to reverse the downturn.
“Unfortunately, no credible remedial plans have been put forward by the government to salvage the economy,” Mahama’s post read after enumerating some challenges the economy faced; principal among them, depreciating currency and low investor confidence.
“A national dialogue on the economy, bringing some of our best brains together, will serve us well, even as we prepare for debt restructuring and negotiation of an IMF programme,” the post concluded.
Mahama’s Finance Minister, Seth Terkper, is on record to have proposed that government undertakes a gathering like the Senchi Summit, which Mahama called in 2015 at the height of an economic crisis occasioned by the power crisis
There appears to be no end to the problems with the Ghanaian economy, with the recent downgrade to CCC+/C Junk status.
The steep depreciation of the Ghana Cedi in recent days, clearly shows that the mid-year review of the 2022 budget failed to win back the confidence of the investor community and the Ghanaian public.
Unfortunately, no credible remedial plans have been put forward by the government to salvage the economy.
A national dialogue on the economy, bringing some of our best brains together will serve us well, even as we prepare for debt restructuring and negotiation of an IMF programme.
Actress Akuapem Polooon August 9, renounced Christianity by converting to Islam, a transition that was carried by Muslim clergies including the Deputy Imam of ASWAJ Ga West and Cheif Imam on Nsakina Quran Reciter.
Although the news was greeted with mixed reactions from her fans, the actress, in a follow-up post just a day after her religion switch indicated that she doesn’t owe the world an explanation but only seeks to please her maker, Allah.
The post sighted by GhanaWeb on August 10 read: “Sometimes you just have to overlook some things and focus on your life yeah let them think what they want you just do what you want just make sure what you do pleases ALLAH.”
The 31-year-old mother of one has been welcomed with open arms by the Muslim community, including some of her colleagues in the movie industry.
Actress Kalsoume Sinare congratulating Poloo wrote: “Alhamdulillah,” translated in English as “praise be to God”.
Also, rapper, Eno Barony and a host of Akuapem Poloo’s Instagram followers shared in her joy with well wishes and praise to Allah.
“Alhamdulillah full Muslim now. Thanks to the Deputy Imam of ASWAJ Ga West and Cheif Imam on Nsakina Quran Reciter and his board for assisting in this,” the popular actress and video vixen announced on Tuesday.
Actress Akuapem Poloo on August 9, renounced Christianity by converting to Islam, a transition that was carried by Muslim clergies including the Deputy Imam of ASWAJ Ga West and Cheif Imam on Nsakina Quran Reciter.
Although the news was greeted with mixed reactions from her fans, the actress, in a follow-up post just a day after her religion switch indicated that she doesn’t owe the world an explanation but only seeks to please her maker, Allah.
The post sighted by GhanaWeb on August 10 read: “Sometimes you just have to overlook some things and focus on your life yeah let them think what they want you just do what you want just make sure what you do pleases ALLAH.”
The 31-year-old mother of one has been welcomed with open arms by the Muslim community, including some of her colleagues in the movie industry.
Actress Kalsoume Sinare congratulating Poloo wrote: “Alhamdulillah,” translated in English as “praise be to God”.
Also, rapper, Eno Barony and a host of Akuapem Poloo’s Instagram followers shared in her joy with well wishes and praise to Allah.
“Alhamdulillah full Muslim now. Thanks to the Deputy Imam of ASWAJ Ga West and Cheif Imam on Nsakina Quran Reciter and his board for assisting in this,” the popular actress and video vixen announced on Tuesday.
The President of GUTA, Dr. Joseph Obeng, in an interview published by the Insight newspaper, stated. “the exacerbating tension that is coming from the trading Committee is huge . . . They believe that if nothing is done about their businesses, their businesses are going to collapse in perpetuity so they are calling for a serious demonstration”.
He feared local businesses will crash to the ground should the cedi keep depreciating.
“Businesses have reached a situation where their survival is seriously threatened”, so they are “calling on the government, as a matter of urgency, to reconvene the Foreign Exchange Committee Barbara Oteng-Gyasi inaugurates Local Content Committee of the National Film Authoritythat was set up a few years ago by the Finance Ministry which involved all relevant stakeholders, to help find an immediate solution”, he further said in a press release.
Reacting to the GUTA grievances, Mr. Pratt also asked what the government is doing to salvage the local businesses and to whip up interest in local products.
He wondered why Ghana still imports commodities that can be manufactured in the nation by local producers and manufacturers.
“What technology do we use to manufacture handkerchief that Ghana has to import handkerchief? When you take chewing stick and take day nursery kids to pick up a kitchen knife and carve out toothpicks, can’t they do it? But we also import toothpick,” he exclaimed.
Adding that Ghana also imports “guinea fowls from Denmark”, he asked “how will your currency be stable?”
Mr. Pratt called for strict measures to improve the local market and discourage imports.
Former president John Dramani Mahama has advised Akufo-Addo to hold a national dialogue and bring together, some of the country’s best brains, to solve the current economic crisis.
According to him, this will prepare the country ahead of debt restructuring and negotiation of the IMF programme.
In a Facebook post, Mahama said, “ a national dialogue on the economy, bringing some of our best brains together will serve us well, even as we prepare for debt restructuring and negotiation of an IMF programme.â€
He added that, the recent depreciation of the Ghana cedis is indicative of government’s failure to win back the confidence of the citizenry and foreign investors.
“The steep depreciation of the Ghana Cedi in recent days, clearly shows that the mid-year review of the 2022 budget failed to win back the confidence of the investor community and the Ghanaian public.â€
Former President, John Dramani Mahama, has stated that Ghana’s economic challenges do not have an end in sight after the recent downgrade by rating agency S&P.
According to him, the free fall of the cedi is more depictive of the inability of the mid-year budget review to achieve its intended purpose.
This, he said, has not restored investor confidence in the economy, leading to the economy’s downgrade to CCC.
“There appears to be no end to the problems with the Ghanaian economy, with the recent downgrade to CCC+/C Junk status,” John Dramani Mahama wrote in a Facebook post sighted by GhanaWeb on August 9, 2022.
He added that “the steep depreciation of the Ghana cedi in recent days clearly shows that the mid-year review of the 2022 budget failed to win back the confidence of the investor community and the Ghanaian public.”
According to S&P, the downgrade is due to intensifying financing and external pressures on the economy.
The Finance Ministry, in response, stated that “the Government is disappointed by S&P’s decision to downgrade Ghana despite the bold policies implemented in 2022 to address macro-fiscal challenges and debt sustainability, which have been significantly exacerbated by the impact of these global external shocks on the economy.”
But the former president stated that the government is clueless on how to derive solutions to put an end to the country’s challenges; therefore, some of the best brains in the country should be consulted to deliberate on possible solutions.
“Unfortunately, no credible remedial plans have been put forward by the government to salvage the economy,” he said.
“A national dialogue on the economy, bringing some of our best brains together will serve us well, even as we prepare for debt restructuring and negotiation of an IMF programme,” the former president added.
TikTok star ErkuaOfficialbelieves that her colleagues work hard in making videos that catch the attention of their followers and also inform their decision to purchase or use the products they market but to date, several brands still don’t see their worth.
She has been faced with several brands questioning why her charges are high.
With over 3.2 million followers on TikTok, Erkua, famed for her comic skits and funny facial expressions believes that she is worth the amount she charges just like the “big Ghanaian celebrities” who are paid well to market products.
“Some brands and some people don’t really see our worth. They think they can just come and tell us how much to charge. When we quote our prices for adverts, they question why we charge that amount because they don’t see our worth.
“They tell us that we are not big celebrities to be charging that amount. They don’t see us as celebrities, they see us as just influencers. That is one of the challenges. They believe that celebrities are the ones who deserve the big cheques and not TikTokers but like I always say, I am worth more than that,” ErkuaOfficialdisclosed in an interview on Emelia Brobbey’s Okukuseku The Talk Show.
According to the 22-year-old student at the University of Ghana, she has made a fortune from the video hosting service to afford her the life she is currently living.
Through her viral videos that have mind-blowing views, artistes and brands reach out to her to promote songs, events or products on her social media platforms.
The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday, 9th August 2022, visited Global Almas Processing Ltd, a yam and cassava processing factory located in Bimbilla, in the Northern Region.
Taking the President on a tour of the factory, the Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry and Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, Michael Okyere Baafi, indicated to the President that the company has taken advantage of the available local raw materials in the Nanumba and surrounding areas to process yam and cassava flour for both domestic and foreign markets.
According to the Deputy Minister, Global Almas has a land bank of more than 2,000 acres at Bimbilla, and additional land would be acquired as the operations expand with anticipated increase in demand of products.
He noted also that the factory produces 1,000 cartons of Yam Fufu Flour per day, under the brand name Almas Yam Fufu Flour, requiring the purchasing of 10,000 yam per day.
With respect to the cassava processing line, some 200 bags cassava flour is produced per day, with the company engaging some 20 farming groups, who have committed themselves to producing for the factory.
Hon. Baafi indicated to the President that the total cost of the factory is pagged at GH¢9.2 million, with 60% equity contribution from the Promoter translating to about GH¢5.2 million. The Ghana Exim Bank has also provided a credit facility amounting to GH¢1 million (10.8% of the total project cost) which was disbursed in February 2021.
Global Almas has, thus far, created more than 74 direct jobs including Management, Supervisors, Food Scientist, Laboratory Technician and Maintenance Technicians as well as women who are involved in the peeling, cleaning, bagging, stitching machine attendants and sorting of the yam/cassava.
In addition, over 400 additional Indirect jobs have been created for out-growers, transporters, harvesting team, packaging & handling, sales outlets, etc.
Already, the company has signed an agreement with Sinostone Ethanol Manufacturing Company located in Juapong to supply 1,000 tons of cassava chips every month. Another agreement has been concluded with Bofas Company Limited located in Wa for the supply of 40-foot container of yam fufu flour every month for export to the US market.
The gifted youngster, who recently relocated to Austria to join the Bundesliga team, scored his first goal in the interclub competition in Europe.
In the game against Gzira, Israel international forward Tai Baribo scored in the 12th minute to shoot Wolfsberger into the lead.
Subsequently, Dominik Baumgartner equalised to double the lead for the visitors before a strike from Thorsten Rocher made it 3-0 for the team in the 59th minute.
Late in the game, young Ghanaian midfielder Augustine Boakye displayed his quality when he capitalised on a good chance in the 84th minute.
His effort ended up in the back of the Gzira net as Wolfsberger cruised to a deserved 4-0 win at the end of the 90 minutes.
Although Augustine Boakye is not a starter on the team, the former WAFA SC man is regarded highly and should play regularly for the team throughout the 2022/23 football season.
Derrick Sarfo Kantanka, popularly known as Amerado, has thrown shots at fellow rapper Lyrical Joe as the pair go head to head in a lyrical war.
The exciting duo have thrown social media into a frenzy after they dropped songs aimed at each other. Lyrical Joe, some hours ago, dropped a song titled ‘Baboon’ in which he insulted Amerado.
Amerado, did not waste time as he dropped a reply of his own a few hours after Lyrical Joe’s song. The ‘diss’ titled ‘Ponky Joe’ has been trending number one on Twitter just some minutes after it dropped.
Amerado’s reply has stirred a huge debate amongst fans on who is winning the beef. Fans from both camps have stood strongly behind their favourites. See Video Here
Amerado Vs Lyrical Joe Stirs Debate
Donsarkcess felt Lyrical Joe had the better song:
I just wasted 3mins of my life listening to Amerado #PonkyJoe. Nothing exciting in there. Lyrical Joe is clear
nmuntaka also gave his opinion:
seriously the #Ponkyjoe track bi wack. Amerado was below the bars. he needs to do the track again. lyrical joe still leading. #vawulence
profkwaah felt Amerado was in a comfortable lead:
From a close source Lyrical Joe has stream #Ponkyjoe 100 times and crying uncontrollably
mufasakinetic represented team Amerado:
Amerado say he go diss lyrical Joe every 5 august unless he change ein birthday to different date chale Amerado won this period
Cooper, who has Ghanaian parents and was born in Bergamo, Italy, is qualified to play for both Italy and Ghana.
For years, Cooper has been hoping to break into any of the Italian Youth teams but to no avail.
Despite not being known by many in the football world, Cooper played for a number of clubs in Italy, Portugal, Albania and Switzerland.
After years of waiting on the Italian national team, the 24-year-old forward has decided to turn his focus to the Black Stars.
The striker who recently joined Romanian club AFC Chindia Targoviste disclosed that his only dream, for now, is to play for Ghana at the 2022 World Cup.
“I made this choice also and above all to have the right visibility and the possibility of being part of the Ghanaian national team because I want to honour my country of origin.
“And who knows, maybe the call for the World Cup will come and we will meet again in Qatar,†the player said.
The Black Stars will be making their fourth appearance at the FIFA World Cup.
Ghana will face Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
President Akufo-Addo has relieved Justin Frimpong Koduaof his role as the Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA).
This is to pave way for the lawyer to focus on his new role as the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
A Deputy Director of Communications at the Jubilee House, Kofi Baah Agyepong, has been appointed in his stead.
In a statement dated August 9, 2022, the President indicated that Mr Agyepong’s tenure takes effect from Wednesday, August 10.
The President stressed that “the appointment is in accordance with Section 12(1) of the Youth Employment Agency Act, 2015 (Act 887), pending receipt of the constitutionally required advice of the governing board of the Agency, given in consultation with the Public Services Commission.”
He, thus, congratulated Mr Agyepong on his new role.
John Frimpong Kodua is the new General-Secretary of the NPP.
“I take this opportunity to congratulate you formally on your appointment,†the letter written by Nana Asante Bediatuo, the Secretary to the President, said.
“Kindly indicate your acceptance or otherwise of this appointment within 14 days of receipt of this letter,†it added.
About the YEA
Mr Kodua was appointed CEO of the YEA in 2017 to man the affairs of the agency. He is, however, unable to continue to be at the helm of affairs at the agency due to his new role as the General- Secretary of the NPP.
The Youth Employment Agency is the body mandated to empower young people to contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic and sustainable development of the nation. It was was established under the Youth Employment Act 2015 (Act 887).
Until his appointment by the government in February 2017 to head the YEA, Mr Kodua practised his law profession with Adomako Kwakye Law Consult where he teamed up with the Senior Partner to handle numerous cases from corporate litigation, arbitration to land matters. Mr. Kodua Frimpong is married and he is fan of soccer and board games.
He, however, emerged winner of the General Secretary position of the NPP after the party held its National Delegates Conference from Friday, July 15 to Sunday July 17, 2022.
JFK beat his contenders including the incumbent John Boadu in the keenly contested election held at the Accra Sports Stadium. He polled 2,857 votes to beat John Boadu who obtained 2,524 votes out of the total 5,556 votes cast.
Other achievements of JFK in the NPP
Mr Kodua served as the NPP Deputy Regional Youth Organiser in 2010, and a member of the Ashanti Regional campaign team of the party in 2008, and was a member of the National Youth Wing of the party he chaired the Legal Committee.
He stressed that access to financial services is a critical driver of economic and social development and that WhatsApp banking will play a significant role in spurring commerce and helping African entrepreneurs grow both on the continent and beyond.
According to him, WhatsApp banking will enable businesses and individuals to interact with their banks and manage their finances without going through the usual stresses.
He added that, it will benefit both consumers and businesses as it allows for crucial financial services to be incorporated into a well-known service that people use on a regular basis.
“WhatsApp banking represents a great opportunity for traditional financial institutions to improve financial inclusion and serve the underbanked. WhatsApp banking has the potential to help entrepreneurs in several ways. It makes simple enquiries and transactions easy, but can also be used to manage complex transactions like Forex trading and swift transfers meeting the varied requirements of entrepreneurs.
Partnerships with technology businesses help these institutions improve their understanding of modern business methods, enabling them to offer innovative new products tailored to local markets such as Ghana,†he said in an interview with the B&FT.
Mr. Addo-Quaye added that in terms of cross-border transactions and payments, WhatsApp banking can be integrated into all forms of payments and channels including cards, wallets, mobile money and bank transfers, saying banks can leverage existing APIs and technology to help roll out these services across borders to suit the needs of their customers.
“Network International is committed to helping businesses and economies prosper by simplifying payments and commerce. Financial markets are recovering across Africa, thanks in part to an accelerated transition towards digital payments during the pandemic, and this presents a brilliant opportunity for us to improve financial inclusion for a diverse range of markets and people,†he said
Poloo who has been known to be a Christian since she came into the limelight a few years ago announced her conversion on Tuesday, August 9, 2022.
In a post on her Instagram page, the mother of one shared some photos from what looks like a ceremony to confirm her conversion.
The photos, as sighted by YEN.com.gh, shows Poloo dressed in a full gown with headgear like a Muslim lady. She stoop in the midst of some elderly Muslim women who were all dressed in long gowns with hijabs covering their heads.
Full of smiles, Poloo held the Islamic water carrier which is popularly known in the local parlance as ‘buta’ in her right hand. Facing the women were some who were speaking to them.
Sharing the photos, Poloo indicated that she has become a full Muslim now while expressing gratitude to some leaders
“Alhamdulillah full Muslim now thanks to the Deputy Imam of ASWAJ Ga West and Cheif Imam on Nsakina Quran Reciter and his board for assisting in this .”
Akuapem Poloo gets support from Muslims
After announcing her new faith, Akuapem Poloo has gained a lot of support from her online followers. Many of the people who happen to be Muslims have given her a warm welcome.
The appointment by the president follows the resignation of Justin Frimpong Kodua who has been elected as General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party.
A letter dated August 9 and signed by Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante said the appointment takes effect from Wednesday, August 10.
“Further to the resignation of Justin Kodua Frimpong as the Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency and in accordance with Section 12(1) of the Youth Employment Agency Act, 2015 (Act 887), the President has appointed you to act as Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, pending receipt of the constitutionally required advice of the Governing Board of the Agency, given in consultation with the Public Services Commission,†the letter read.
Meanwhile, Kofi Baah Agyepong has been handed 14 days to either accept or reject the appointment.
The Yilo Krobo MunicipalAssembly says it might not be able to meet its internal revenue target for the year due to the ongoing power crisis in the Krobo enclave.
Residents ofYilo and Manya Krobomunicipalities in the Eastern Region have been without power for almost 2 weeks due to security concerns raised by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
According to the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the area, Eric Tetteh, businesses are currently on their knees due to the non-availability of power.
He told Citi News, that the assembly is still working with relevant stakeholders to ensure power is restored to forestall any more challenges.
“It is quite unfortunate that the people will have to go through this. There is a radio station here that says it spends about GH¢800 daily on fuel to run its generator. Another hospital says it spends about GH¢1700 daily. How is this sustainable, especially for individuals who run their own businesses? How much profits or revenue will be generated if they spend this much on fuel daily?â€
“Looking at what they are going through, what I am seeing is we may not be able to drag them around for taxes. If they fail to pay the monies they are supposed to pay to us, it will be difficult for us to take action against them because genuinely they are suffering losses.â€
Meanwhile, the Divisional Chief of the Okper Yilo Krobo, Nene Anyeenorgu Teye has condemned the activities of “persons who cut down high tension poles belonging to the ECG at Adelakope on the Tema-Akosombo highway in the region.â€
 GT Bank Ghana has rectified an earlier report suggesting that it will no longer accept ’50 and 20 paper notes’ for banking transactions effective August 31. The bank in an email to its customers clarified that the currency denomination it meant to refer to was the UK pounds sterling which will be discontinued by the Bank of England effective September 30.
There is chatter on social media at the moment following a bulk text message sent to GT Bank customers which suggest the bank will soon reject ’20 and 50 paper notes’.
Guaranty Trust Bank (Limited) Ghana on Tuesday, August 9, 2022 issued a bulk SMS message informing customers of its decision to no longer accept ’20 and 50 paper notes’.
The message which was widely received by the banks’ customers said the move will take effect from August 31, 2022.
“Dear Customer, Effective August 31, 2022, the Bank will no longer accept the 20 and 50 paper notes,” the SMS read.
It further called on customers to use a toll-free number for further enquires.
A lot of Ghanaians, including actress, Lydia Forson and many others who seem baffled by the message have been tagging both GT Bank and the Bank of Ghana to offer clarity to the message.
Meanwhile, GhanaWeb Business at the time of filing this report contacted GT Bank Ghana for further clarity but received no response.
The Bank of Ghana when reached for clarity on the matter also refused to comment.
The two young millionaires looked dapper in their expensive outfits. Cheddar was dressed like an Arabian Prince, with a turban wrapped around his head. He wore a black shirt, jeans, and long boots.
Nana Akomea pleaded on behalf of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) following their complaints and fears that local businesses may soon collapse.
GUTA has threatened to demonstrate against the government stating the cedi depreciation is having a negative toll on trade in Ghana.
“Businesses have reached a situation where their survival is seriously threatened . . . we are calling on the government, as a matter of urgency, to reconvene the Foreign Exchange Committee that was set up a few years ago by the Finance Ministry which involved all relevant stakeholders, to help find an immediate solution,” President of GUTA, Dr. Joseph Obeng stated in a release.
“The exacerbation tension that is coming from the trading Committee is huge . . .they believe that if nothing is done about their businesses, their businesses are going to collapse in perpetuity so they are calling for a serious demonstration,” he added.
Reacting to the GUTA concerns, Nana Akomea advised the government to develop a national policy that supports local businesses and discourages importation which is crippling the local market.
Citing how Korea has curtailed imports into their country and promoted their local businesses, with particular mention of their rice producers, Nana Akomea wondered why Ghana cannot block the influx of imports into the country.
Saying “the dollar has become a store of value in our economy. When the dollar increases, it results in high prices in our country. Unfortunately, we depend on the dollar”, he recommended the government must place an outright ban on imports or “tell WTO (World Trade Organization) that we won’t accept this or you will impose duty on it in such a way that it will be irrelevant to import them”.
He, however, stressed that this vision of making local businesses “number 1” over foreign businesses or local products have a premium over foreign ones will become possible only when local businesses provide quality goods and services.
He charged the government to enter into contract with the local businesses insisting that, “the thing you will also produce will be of a certain quality and of certain price over a certain period. But if you are not able to do it, because we have given you subsidized electricity, subsidized water and tax rebate, we should be able to punish you”.
The regular-time score of 1-1 was followed by a penalty shootout at Valley Stadium which Charlton won thanks to the heroics of the Ghana international.
The Addicks converted their first penalty before Wollacott came up big to save Johansen’s effort.
Charlton went on to win the tie and advance to the next round by scoring their next four penalties.
It’s been a good week for the Black Stars number, who was also impressive in Charlton’s win over Derby County over the weekend.
Wollacott joined Charlton this summer and has proven that the English third-tier club made the right decision in signing him from Swindon Town.
Anti-corruption campaigner, Vitus Azeem, has asked President Akufo-Addo to relieve the Council of State member of her position.
His comment comes on the heels after an amount of GH¢1.074 million was retrieved by the Office of the Special Prosecutor from the Labianca Company Limited, a frozen foods company, belonging to the member of the Council of State.
According to the investigative report, Madam Asomah-Hinnehused her position as a member of the Council of State and a member of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to influence a favourable decision from the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), leading to a reduction in the tax liabilities of Labianca Limited.
This, according to the report, reduced the benchmark values of the goods imported by Labianca Limited, translating to reduced tax obligations of the company to the state.
Following the reports of corruption-related offences involving her and her company, Mr Azeemstated that if the President is really committed to the anti-corruption fight, steps should be taken to ensure that madam Asomah-Hinneh leaves her position.
“This Council of State member should have resigned by now. If the leadership, the President and his executive are determined to fight corruption, that should be the case,†Azeem told Accra-based Citi News.
He holds further that the President must conduct further investigations into the corruption report issued by the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
Titled: “Report of Investigation into Alleged Commission of Corruption and Corruption-Related Offences involving Labianca Group of Companies and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority,†it implicated the Council of State member as using her position to get favourable tax exemption decisions.
“The Special Prosecutor, like the former one, is probably struggling to do his best, but I am not sure if he will be given the necessary cooperation and the necessary support [he will succeed],†Azeem added.
The Managing Director of Electricity Company Ghana, Samuel Mahama has shot down calls to restore power supply in the Yilo and Manya Krobo municipality.
According to him, having access to electricity is not a right but a privilege.
Justifying the disconnection of power supply to the Yilo and Manya Krobo municipalities, Mr. Mahama stated that the action by the ECG was in place.
“The funny thing is we walk around thinking that it is our right to electricity; it is not a right , it is a privilege. If I can chase people in Fadama to pay their bill by giving them prepaid, I should be able to do the same thing in Manya Krobo. If I can ask the people in Dansoman to pay bills through prepaid I should be able to do that in Yilo Krobo.â€
Communities in the Yilo Krobo and Manya Krobo municipalities from Somanya to Kpong, have been cut off from the national grid.
The areas have been plunged into darkness since Wednesday, July 27, because Electricity Company Ghana (ECG) switched off feeders supplying power to communities in the two municipalities over illegal connections.
According to ECG, some recalcitrant residents have tampered with their transformers and reconnected power to their homes after they were disconnected for refusal to accept prepaid meters.
Meanwhile, families in the Yilo and Manya Krobo municipalitiessay operators of mortuaries are asking them to come for the remains of their loved ones as a result of the power outage.
The concern is that the bodies are decomposing in the wake of the community-wide power cut.
In an interview with JoyNews on Monday, one of the youth activists in the area, Edmund Aboagye said about five families have received incessant calls from mortuary attendants to retrieve their bodies because they are rotting at the facility.
According to him, the mortuary attendants say they cannot afford to fuel the generators that keep the facility running.
“I have had about four or five persons who have their family relations of dead bodies at the mortuary call to inform me that the hospitals have called them to come and pick their dead bodies because they have started going bad at the mortuary,†he said.
Commenting on the development, the Yilo Krobo Municipal Health Director, Irina Offei, stated that she cannot confirm that families have been asked to come for their corpses yet. She added however that she is certain “if the power is not restored by Wednesday, probably, they will be asking families to do that.â€
Madam Offei explained that the hospitals are now compelled to ration power because it is costing them more to keep the generators on.
Ghanaian female musician Esi Bentil has disclosed that she once contemplated suicide.
Appearing on the mid-morning show on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, the musician said she went through several struggles in 2019, and the only option that came to mind was to commit suicide.
Esi Bentilwas, however, reluctant to mention the specific issue that got her to consider suicide as an option.
But she later revealed it was about a relationship, and a heartbreak coupled with other issues.
She further disclosed that it took a message from a friend of hers who rescinded a decision to commit suicide after listening to one of her (Esi Bentil) songs.
“It took a message from a friend who was also contemplating suicide, but she told me a song I had released which she listened to made her change her mind. At this point, I asked why I should consider suicide when someone had listened to a song I composed to overcome suicide,†she added.
Esi Bentilnoted that she had considered drinking poison, but after reading the message, she stopped adding that it was something or a situation she could not disclose or share with anyone because of the fear that her situation would be used against her.
Meanwhile, she has admonished Ghanaians to share their problems with others so it could help them overcome any challenges they are going through. But it should be professionals and trusted associates.
She told host Sokoohemaa Kukua that she went in for counselling, which also helped her.
The Black Princesses are expected to showcase a variety of fascinating abilities as they prepare to compete in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica for the sixth time in a row.
The Princesses have never advanced past the group stage in their previous five appearances, hence they will rely on some top talents to break the jinx this time.
Ghana is in Group D with defending champions Japan, the United States, and the Netherlands. The tournament is slated to commence on Wednesday, August 10, 2022.
Here are five players to watch in the Black Princesses squad
Evelyn Badu, a continental star and the captain of the side, will lead the team as they attempt to make history at the World Cup.
Following her outstanding performance in the inaugural edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League(WCL) in 2021, Badu won the CAF Women’s Young Player award at the 2022 CAF awards.
The Avaldsnes IL midfielder would want to lead by example and impress as she did for her former side, Hasaacas in the WCL.
He said assemblies must engage all segments of population regardless of their geographical locations within the district in the planning and preparation of their budgets.
He said it was time the Assemblies found cost-effective strategies to mobilise and engage citizens living in rural communities, hard-to-reach communities, people living with disabilities, women groups, and the youth in budgeting processes.
This is in line with the demands of section 40 and 42 of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936).
“All citizens regardless of their location within the district, pay every item on the list for Internally Generated Fund (IGF), but not many citizens are consulted in the fixing of these rates and fees to be paid,” he said.
“Some MMDAs usually gather a few vocal citizens and business groups residing in the District and Municipal capitals to inform them about proposed new rates and fees to be paid in subsequent budgeting period,” he added.
The Assemblies, as expected by the Act, could partner with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Faith-based Organisations to mobilise community members for such consultations, he said.
Speaking about citizens budgets, he said they were less technically written summary of public budgets stating expected revenues and sources as well as proposed allocations of these revenues which is expenditure.
That, he suggested the salient points could be written in local languages backed with figures and pictures that the lay man can appreciate and interrogate.
The GT Bank Ghana has rectified an earlier report suggesting that it will no longer accept ’50 and 20 paper notes’ for banking transactions effective August 31. The bank in an email to its customers clarified that the currency denomination it meant to refer to was the UK pounds sterling which will be discontinued by the Bank of England effective September 30.
There is chatter on social media at the moment following a bulk text message sent to GT Bank customers which suggest the bank will soon reject ’20 and 50 paper notes’.
Guaranty Trust Bank (Limited) Ghana on Tuesday, August 9, 2022 issued a bulk SMS message informing customers of its decision to no longer accept ’20 and 50 paper notes’.
The message which was widely received by the banks’ customers said the move will take effect from August 31, 2022.
“Dear Customer, Effective August 31, 2022, the Bank will no longer accept the 20 and 50 paper notes,” the SMS read.
It further called on customers to use a toll-free number for further enquires.
A lot of Ghanaians, including actress, Lydia Forson and many others who seem baffled by the message have been tagging both GT Bank and the Bank of Ghana to offer clarity to the message.
Meanwhile, GhanaWeb Business at the time of filing this report contacted GT Bank Ghana for further clarity but received no response.
The Bank of Ghana when reached for clarity on the matter also refused to comment.
Three persons arrested in connection with the alleged murder of a final year student of the Tweneboah Kodua Senior High School have been remanded into prison custody by the Jacobu District Court in the Ashanti Region.
The deceased, 16-year-old Daniel Osei Mensah was allegedly stabbed by his attackers at Manso Odaho and his body was found in a nearby bush in the area.
The accused persons have been charged with robbery and murder.
The prosecution prayed the court to remand the accused persons to give the police ample time to investigate the matter.
The court presided over by His Worship Joseph Akuoko granted the request by the prosecution and adjourned the sitting to August 23, 2022.
The Akim Tafo Magistrate Court has sentenced the nine accused persons standing trial for attacking a teacher of the Anyinasin Methodist School to pay a fine of between GH¢1,800 (150 penalty units) and GH¢2,400 (200 penalty units) each or in default serve three months imprisonment with hard labour.
The third and seventh accused persons who were charged with 3 counts for conspiracy to commit crime to wit threat of harm, being on the premises for unlawful purposes were sentenced to pay a fine of 150 penalty units each on 1st and 2nd counts and fined 200 penalty units on count 3 or in default serve 3 months imprisonment which will run concurrently.
The court presided over by Her Worship Josephine Akyaa Dwamena took into consideration the youthful age of the accused persons, the fact that the accused persons were all first-time offenders and wants it to serve as a deterrent for other members of the community before passing her judgement.
The drug seller who was charged for possession of restricted drug without lawful authority, 45-year-old Kwasi Gyentu Darkwah, was sentenced to pay a fine of 250 penalty units [GH¢3,000] or in default 3 months imprisonment with hard labour.
The court, which referred accused persons 8 and 9, 17-year-old Annor Benjamin and 17-year-old Tiboah Addo Samuel to the juvenile hearing, asked the social welfare department to provide a report on both accused persons for sentencing on 23rd August 2022.
Speaking to Citi News, the Abuakwa North Municipal Chief Executive, Alhaji Umar Bondinga who welcomed the ruling by the court while indicating that the culprits will now become ambassadors of good deeds said this will deter other members of the community from embarking on such unlawful acts.
The Abuakwa North Education Directorate believes the teachers will now be able to carry out their mandate in peace.
Maxwell Owusu, speaking for the education directorate in the Abuakwa North Municipality, said processes have begun for the affected teacher to be transferred to a school in the municipal capital.
Mawuyrami Ocloo is Ghana’s first trained Music Therapist. She was raised in South Africa, Ghana, and Nigeria. She started playing music at the age of 8.
She argued that higher education is expensive and sought the assistance of the late Professor Joseph Hanson Kwabena Nketia, who led her to GETFUND and helped her receive a scholarship at Maryville University in St. Louis, Missouri, where she will study music therapy.
We are Americans in the United States.
He also opted to pursue music as a mere performance and attend the events because he wanted to know and feel it.
When asked whether music therapy was necessary, he responded, “It depends on the person and his strengths and weaknesses.
For instance, if you have a premature infant, music therapy will be necessary to assist him relax, increase his oxygen saturation, and improve his motor developing abilities.
Even the elderly can benefit from music therapy if a youngster has a verbal impediment, a physical challenge, or an emotional challenge.
He added that a music therapist must be versatile in various instruments and convey his competence.
He concluded by saying that music therapy has helped parents see that children with special needs have potential and help curb the stigma of people with disabilities. He also urges the public to get in touch and gain some knowledge in music therapy or learn how to become a trained music therapist.
Mawuyrami is a pioneer in music therapy in Ghana (the first officially trained music therapist in Ghana). She established the Music Therapy Association of Ghana (MTAG), which promotes the Music Therapy course in Ghana, West Africa.
Mawuyrami Ocloo provides us with information about the value of music therapy in an interview with Citi Breakfast.
Interviewer:How are you able to sing so beautifully?
Mawuyirami : Just by God’s Grace and constant practices
Interviewer: How has it been doing this kind of Music?
Mawuyirami : It’s a blessing. It’s very different but exciting, playing different kinds of music and meeting different kinds of people. It’s great doing this kind of music.
Interviewer: Tell us about you being a Music Therapist
Mawuyirami :Music therapy is basically the use of music to help meet different goals, like psychological goals, emotional goals and physical goals. They organise music therapy programme where they have a good rapport with the clients
Interviewer:What feedback do you get when you do music therapy for people?
Mawuyirami : The kind of feedback I get from the clients themselves is that they have improved from what they were going through. For instance if a parent brings a child suffering from Autism, cerebral palsy, or dementia or whatever the case the person has, I get a lot of feedback that the music is helping and calming them down, it makes them feel more comfortable and even builds their self-esteem.
Interviewer:Do you diagnose them of their situation or they come already diagnosed and prescribe a particular song for them?
Mawuyirami : Well most of them come diagnosed by the Medical Doctors and based on that I do my own assessment to meet certain goals based on the strengths and weaknesses of my clients.
Interviewer: In our part of the world we believe Medicine is the best therapy for all as most doctors prescribe to people. How important is alternative treatment helping solve some of these problems
Mawuyirami : It is very important. There was a study done where a group of doctors were divided into two sections. One section had Music therapy and the other group did not have that. When the result came out they were similar. So in this part of our world music therapy needs to come out more so that the medical and music therapy can work together.
Interviewer: You would have to tell us more about it because for some of us we just listen to music for fun. When should one go for a music therapy as we see music as normal?
Mawuyirami : So what happens is that if you want music you can come to the Music Association of Ghana, we do an assessment for you and if we realize anything, we assist you with music to help curb whatever challenge you are going through being it stress. We even have sessions for premature babies. So it depends where you are coming from and what the need is.
Interviewer: What situation will require me to go for Musical Therapy?
Mawuyirami : It could be any diagnosis, premature birth or even when you are pregnant. So it depends on your needs, strengths and weaknesses that will help us do an assessment for us to help you. For instance if a lady has a premature baby the need will be to build great and strong bonding between the mother and the baby and help relax the baby.
Even in the Niquid unit for instance, there is lots of noise and beeping sounds of the medical machine. The need for musical therapy will be to calm the obnoxious medical sound and help calm the baby which will help create bond between mother and child.
I had the privilege of working at the UGMC and I witnessed lots of fathers swaying their children with lots of songs to help create a bond between them.
Interviewer: Music Therapy sounds like a need for only “Special Class people or the needyâ€
Mawuyirami : Music is for everyone, so those who are deaf and dump and blind all come for the therapy
Interviewer: How does the Deaf listen or benefit from the music therapy:what are they listening to?
Mawuyirami: We use sensory stimulation, vibration of instruments, drumming etc.Even if a child comes to us with a mathematical challenge we use music to teach him Mathematics. With that, we start from a basic level and build it. We have helped people who have come without knowing how to do addition or subtraction and multiplication. By God’s Grace using music, we can do BODMAS and other basic things.
Interviewer: Is music therapy expensive?
Mawuyirami : Not really expensive.
Interviewer: How many sessions will i have if i’m stressed and how much will i pay for that?
Mawuyirami : A session is from 45-mins to an hour and it’s a one on one activity with the therapist. There are goals and objectives we are looking out for during the therapy. So it can even take up to 4-5 weeks. We also take data of your progress to see if there is improvement or not. Once we see you getting better according to our data we can make you go home and continue with home self therapy.
Interviewer: I feel it will be fun and good since you are healing with the music entertaining yourself and relaxing. You are such an amazing human being
Mawuyirami : I want to add that I’m bringing over 100-200 people from the school of the deaf from Akropong-mampong and I’m raising money to bus them to the venue. So if you are out there and you want to support me kindly support me through 0504322445. They are over 600 so whatever the fund can raise we will transport them. You are most welcomed to support me.
Music therapy fosters stimulation, relaxation, memory facilitation, development of auditory skills, enhancement of positive mood, and reduction of anxiety.
The Independent Ghana is dedicated to investigating all facets of the creative industry and their holistic contributions to societal development. Investing in some form of creative endeavour is never a bad idea. Stay connected with us for more.
One of the most well-known football nicknames in Ghana is “Baby Jet,” and whenever it is used, it is in reference to Asamoah Gyan, a former Black Stars captain, and Ghana’s all-time leading scorer.
Asamoah Gyan explained in a previous interview that he got the nickname because of his fast pace and baby face when he was younger.
Unlike Gyan, Alice Annum, the first Ghanaian sports personality to bear the nickname, earned it as a result of his lightning speed on the tartan tracks.
Annum is a retired Ghanaian athlete who competed for Ghana on the international stage from the 1960s to the 1970s.
The three-time All-African Games gold medallist began as a long jumper but went on to become one of Ghana’s greatest sprinters of all time.
The legendary sprinter, born in Accra on October 20, 1948, will turn 74 in just over two months.
Her talent was discovered during the now-defunct annual National Sports Festivals. She was awarded a Ghanaian athletes’ scholarship to study and compete at the University of Tennessee.
Annum competed for Ghana in four different events: the 100m, 200m, 4x100m, and long jump. After becoming the first Ghanaian female to compete in the Olympics in 1964, she set the standard for many Ghanaian women to follow.
Annum failed to qualify in the Women’s long jump with a leap of 545cm in her first Olympic Games appearance in Tokyo.
She later represented Ghana in Mexico in 1968 and Munich in 1972. In the 1968 Olympics, Annum competed in the 200m and Long Jump. She did not advance from round one of the 200m, finishing seventh in her heat.
She did, however, make it to the final in the Long Jump with a leap of 5.61m but failed to make the podium.
Four years later in Munich, Alice Annum focused on the 100m and 200m and made significant progress in both events.
Annum made history by becoming the first female Ghanaian sprinter to compete in both the Women’s 100m and 200m finals.
She finished sixth in the 100m with a time of 11.41 seconds and seventh in the 200m with a personal best of 22.89s.
How did the Baby jet come about?
Annum got the nickname Baby Jet after chalking enormous success at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1970.
She won two silver medals, one in the 100m and the other in the 200m event, which set the tone for her stunning performance at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.
She finished her career with a total of six medals, three gold (all won at the All-African Games), two silver, and one bronze (1974 Commonwealth Games).
The Action Progressive Institute in Ghana honoured Alice Annum in 2010 for her athletic achievements.
Alice Annum currently resides in Maryland, USA.
Watch how Alice Annum finished second in the 100m final in the 1970 Commonwealth games in the video below:Â
The 48-year-old trainer was named as the head coach of Ghana in January 2020.
After Black Stars’ abysmal performance at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] in Egypt, Akonnor replaced Kwesi Appiah on a two-year deal.
However, after Ghana lost 1-0 to South Africa during the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Akonnor was sacked by the Ghana Football Association [GFA] on September 2021.
During his days with the Black Stars, it was alleged that Akonnor’s job was interfered with by some highly ranked personalities at the Ghana Football Association [GFA].
However, the former Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak head coach speaking in an interview reiterated that he will one day share his story as the head coach of the Black Stars.
“Black Stars at my time were struggling, the whole team was not stable, and sometimes when making call up you don’t even know how many players to call,” he told Kumasi-based Akoma FM.
“At Black Stars, it was a different story and one day I will tell it,” he added.
Some Ghanaian fishermen belonging to a group calling itself the National Inland Canoe Fishermen Council in the Pru East District, have petitioned the Minister of Fisheries over the irregular supply and distribution of premix fuel and the undue process of establishing landing beaches in that part of the country.
The fishermen said since 2017, the supply of premix fuel has been a very big challenge to the fishing communities within and along the environs of Volta Lake in the District.
They said there has always been a shortage of premix fuel to fishermen and boat owners, which has, in turn, led to the collapse of businesses of the fisher folk.
Currently, they said the situation has worsened, as the four-tankers-per-week supply has reduced to two in three months.
According to them, the distribution of premix fuel has always been on a survival-of-the-fittest basis, which, they noted, was “a clear violation of the intent of the government to supply subsidised premix directly to the fishers without any intermediary or middleman on the side of the government or the fishers.â€
The petitioners said today, that premix fuel is sold to middlemen, who, in turn, sell at exorbitant prices to the fishers.
For instance, they said a yellow gallon of premix fuel at the pump is sold at a subsidised price of GHS52 but through the middlemen, it is being sold at GHS270.
Another major concern they raised was the manner in which the landing beaches in the district have been, in their view, poorly constituted without due process.
The petition said: “The formation of the land beaches is backed by a Legislative Instrument and passed by the parliament of the Republic of Ghana (L.I. 2233) of 2016. Section 22 (1) sub-regulation (b) iv, is clear on the representative of the members that constitute the Landing Beach Committeeâ€.
The petition said: “Moreover, the L.I.223 Section 22 regulation 1. States: the Committee shall, in consultation with a District Assembly (emphasis), establish a Landing Beach Committee,†but as a matter of fact, it is rather the District Assembly who claimed to have constituted the landing beaches without the knowledge of the Inland canoe and Fisherman Councilâ€.
“The concern here is that the composition of these landing beaches is purely based on the individual interest of the leadership of the Assembly other than the larger interest of the fisher folksâ€, the group said.
The petitioners are suggesting that to help solve the perennial problem of fuel shortage and its ripple effects on the value chain, there be a regular weekly supply of the premix fuel instead of monthly.
They also appealed to the ministry to help take out the middlemen from the distribution and sale of premix fuel in the district.
In another suggestion, they called on the ministry to, as a matter of urgency, halt the establishment of the current Landing Beaches Committee and use due process to reconstitute them, which, in their view, can effectively manage the issues of premix in line with the core objectives of the L.I. 2233 of 2016.
An amount of GH¢1.074 million has been retrieved by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) from a company belonging to a member of the Council of State.
The amount from Labianca Company Limited, a frozen foods company owned by Eunice Jacqueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh, represents a deficit in import duties paid to the state.
This was revealed by an investigative report from the Office of the Special Prosecutor dated August 3, 2022, and titled: “Report of Investigation into Alleged Commission of Corruption and Corruption Related Offences involving Labianca Group of Companies and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authorityâ€.
According to the investigative report, Ms. Asomah-Hinneh used her position as a member of the Council of State and a member of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to influence a favourable decision from the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), leading to a reduction in the tax liabilities of Labianca Limited.
Some cocoa road contractors in Ghana have given the government and COCOBOD 14 working days ultimatum to settle all outstanding Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs).
The contractors threatened that the failure of the government to meet the deadline will attract their wrath.
According to the aggrieved cocoa road contractors, projects that were awarded in 2015/2016 under the COCOBOD CEO Dr. Stephen Opuni totalling a little above 4.7 billion Ghana Cedis are yet to be settled.
These contracts, the statement indicated, were being executed by various contractors nationwide and payments were being made steadily by Cocobod according to their payment regime.
Two years later, contractors were asked to go back to the site which resulted in a huge financial burden. COCOBOD however put a fiat on payment of interest on delayed payment.
Below is the statement:
COCOA ROAD CONTRACTORS GIVE GOVERNMENT 14 DAYS ULTIMATUM OR FACE THEIR WRATH
BACKGROUND
Some cocoa road contractors in Ghana have given the government and Cocobod 14 working days ultimatum to settle all the outstanding Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs) and failure to do so will attract their wrath.
According to the aggrieved cocoa road contractors in a statement released on August 8th, 2022, they made reference to cocoa road projects awarded in 2015/2016 under the CEO Dr. Stephen Opuni totaling a little above 4.7 billion Ghana Cedis.
These contracts were being executed by various contractors nationwide and payment were being made steadily by Cocobod according to their payment regime.
These projects however, were stalled in 2017, when the new government under His Excellency Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo took over.
Two years later, contractors were asked to go back to site which resulted in a huge financial burden of contractors mobilizing back to site. Unfortunately, Cocobod has put a fiat on payment of interest on delayed payment.
The recent projects awarded by the current management of Cocobod, headed by Hon. Joseph Boahen Aidoo amounts to a little over 14 billion Ghana Cedis. In spite of payment challenges, contractors were on site working to ensure completion of these projects.
It will interest you to note that for more than two years, Cocobod has ceased making prompt payment to contractors which has created a huge financial vacuum on the projects.
This information is important to the general public, the Ministry of Roads and Highways and the Presidency because these contracts were signed in good faith and contractors were expectant of prompt payment but recent developments in the payment schedule of Cocobod leaves much to be desired.
Payment of IPCs raised are expected to be paid within 90 days but here we are, some IPCs have been in the system for over two years.
This situation has forced over 95% of Cocoa Road contractors out of site in recent time with no hope of returning to continue or complete these projects.
It is worth mentioning that, considering the rise in inflation and materials, it is extremely difficult for contractors to manage the huge financial burden. Based on these frustrations and hardships, we wish to petition the Chief Executive Officer of Cocobod to effect payment of outstanding IPCs within 14 working days from today. If this ultimatum elapses without any concrete evidence of payment, Cocobod will face the wrath of cocoa road contractors.
Signed by
Emmanuel Cherry
CEO Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry
According to him, his government has put in pragmatic measures that will help the economy bounce back to normal for Ghanaians to heave a sigh of relief in these challenging times.
In an interview on North Star Radio Monday, August 8, 2022, President Akufo-Addo said, “Just as we were able to go through this COVID-situation, I am confident (that we will go through these current difficulties). Let me repeat it, that this government, based on the policies that we have implemented, will find a way to bring our economy back to a better place.â€
Unfortunate news has hit Ghana’s showbiz fraternity as it has been confirmed that popular gospel singer, Reverend Prince Nyarko who composed the famous song ‘Hena Ne W’adamfo Pa’ is dead.
A relative confirmed the devastating news to GhanaWeb in an interview, Tuesday, without further details.
The cause of his demise is unknown.
Rev. Prince Nyarko was a graduate of Maximillian International University and had three albums to his credit. He was a married man with two children. Aside from music, he was a missionary, a revivalist and a psalmist.
His last post on Facebook was on August 6, 2022, when he announced he was going to go live in 3 hours for a ministration.
