TIG Post

Author: Chris Kodo

  • Ketu North NPP targets 30,000 votes in upcoming December elections

    The Ketu North Municipal branch of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is targeting 30,000 votes in the December 7, 2020 general elections which is just three months away.

    This has been revealed by the Party’s Secretary in the constituency, Ohene Francis.

    According to Mr Francis, the party is working hard to wrestle the parliamentary seat from the incumbent, Dr. James Klutse Avedzi for the NPP parliamentary candidate and Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Kofi Dzamesi.

    “Of course we are targeting over 30,000 votes in this year 2020 elections so we need the people,” Francis was quoted as saying.

    According to the constituency secretary, the party garnered around 16,000 votes in the 2016 general elections.

    However, this means that the party executives need to work towards getting 14,000 new persons to add to the 16,000 persons who voted for the party in 2016 to vote for the party in the 2020 elections so they can arrive at the 30,000 votes the party yearns for.

    When asked how the party intends to get the constituents to vote for the NPP so they can arrive at the number, Mr. Ohene said; they have a strategy that is already employed to get constituents to vote for the NPP.

    “We have our strategy. We have our strategy on the table. Of course, we know the number of votes realized in the 2016 elections. Of course, we are seeing lots of changes as people are joining the party in their numbers so we are hopeful that we will get the 30,000,” he said.

    Source: Ahianyo Peter Atsu, Contributor

  • Food prices to remain low esoko

    Commodity prices will continue to fall this month, agricultural research firm, esoko has projected.

    According to esoko, “this is because it is still the harvest season for most of the commodities grown down south of the country. This is going to increase the volumes that are supplied to the market causing prices to fall.”

    Esoko reported that at the end of trading in the month of August, there was a general drop in commodity prices.

    Tomato prices plunged by 41.69 percent to close at GH¢330.50 per crate. Pona followed with a drop of 9.07 percent to close at GH¢815.50 per 100 tubers.

    The price of gari reduced by 6.02 percent to close the month at GH¢223.14 per bag with fresh cassava also losing 4.12 percent to close at GH¢139.50 per bag. A bag of maize lost 1.13 percent to close at GH¢162.43.

    Some commodities however made gains. Cowpea (beans) gained 5.83 percent to close at GH¢469.57 with local rice also making a gain of 4.99 to close at GH¢363.57. Soya gained 3.36 percent to close at GH¢286.00 per bag with millet gaining 2.63 percent to close at GH¢256.00 per bag.

    Maize

    The average price for a bag of maize lost 1.13 percent to close the month at GH¢162.43. The highest price of GH¢200.00 was recorded at Dambai. The lowest price of GH¢110.00 was recorded at Bawku. It is expected that the price of the commodity will continue to fall further as more is supplied to the market.

    Local Rice

    The average price for a bag of local rice gained 4.99 percent to close the month at GH¢363.57. The highest price GH¢460.00 was recorded at Dambai with the lowest price of GH¢300 recorded at Takoradi. Prices will begin to fall when major producing areas harvest and supply the market.

    Source: thefinderonline.com

  • SEC restores licenses of Monarch Capital, Legacy Capital and Integrity Fund Management

    The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) says, 3 of the 53 companies whose licenses were revoked have been restored.

    SEC on November 8, 2019, revoked the licences of 53 Fund Management Companies for several infractions as well as being insolvent.

    The revocations were done pursuant to Section 122 (2) (b) of the Securities Industry Act, 2019 (Act 929) which authorizes SEC to revoke the licence of a market operator under certain circumstances.

    The licenses of these institutions had to be revoked because they were insolvent even after they were given a reasonable period of time to recapitalize.

    According to the Director-General of the Security and Exchange Commission, Reverend Daniel Ogbarmey Tetteh, 3 of the 8 financial institutions who sought redress through the administrative hearing committee of SEC were successful.

    “There is a provision in our Securities Industry ACT 929, 2016 which allows market operators to file appeals through the administrative hearing committee. 8 of the companies whose licenses were revoked applied and in pursuant of natural justice had to be given a hearing. 5 of the companies were not successful, 3 were, so we now have 50 companies.”

    He added that customers of the three companies are now excluded from the bailout package and can access their funds directly from the various institutions.

    “Clients of the 5 who were unsuccessful will still have to go through the bailout packages. Clients of the three that were successful however are out of the bailout structure.”

    Source: citinewsroom

  • We have every reason to give you 4 more years to do more for us – Tatale Paramount Chief

    The Paramount Chief of Tatale Traditional Area Oubore Gariba Yankosor, has commended President Akufo-Addo for the life-changing policies his government has introduced since assuming office.

    Addressing a durbar in honour of Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia at Tatale on Friday, September 4, 2020, the Paramount Chief said Tatale and its environs have received their fair share of the President’s nationwide impactful interventions, and that they have good reasons to back the President’s bid for another term.

    “On behalf of the chiefs and people of the Tatale-Sanguli District, I express our appreciation to His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his vice, Alhaji Mahamadu Bawumia for the numerous life-changing policies they have initiated and implemented since the NPP government assumed power that has gone a long way to improve the lives of the people in the District, and the country at large,” said Oubore Gariba Yankosore.

    The Paramount Chief listed specific interventions by President Akufo-Addo, which he said are being felt by the district and beyond.

    “I wish to thank you for the laudable flagship policies and programmes your government has initiated since assuming power for which the district has received its fair share.”

    “Some of which include the Free Senior High School policy, which has relieved parents of the burden of school fees; the Planting for Food and Jobs, One Village One Dam, etc.”

    The Paramount Chief reserved special praise for the government’s Planting for Food and Jobs, which he said has been beneficial to farmers in his community, as well as the One Constituency One Ambulance initiative.

    “Furthermore, under the Planting for (Export and Rural Development), most of our farmers have benefitted from the supply of free cashew seedlings annually for the past three years from the District Assembly.

    “Your Excellency, Tatale also received its ambulance under the policy of One Constituency One Ambulance. The ambulance since its arrival has continued to provide the necessary emergency medical services to the people of Tatale-Sanguli District.”

    The Paramount Chief noted that despite the massive projects provided by the Akufo-Addo government, the Tatale-Sanguli district is behind in infrastructure development.

    He, therefore, appealed to the government for more development for the district, adding that he believes the government is capable of delivering more development in the area that is why the community wants to give the President 4 more years.

    “We know your government can do that is why we want to give Nana Akufo-Addo four more to do more,” the Paramount Chief stressed.

    In his address, Vice President Bawumia said in just three and a half years, the government of President Akuffo-Addo has brought more development in the Tatale Sanguli District than the NDC did in eight years.

    He assured the Paramount Chief and the people of Tatale that President Akufo-Addo is committed to providing more development in the area and the northern part of the country in general.

    The Vice President announced that the government has secured funding from the World Bank for the rehabilitation of the Yendi-Tatale road, which links Ghana and Togo.

    He added that processes are underway and a contractor will be on-site to start work by the end of the year.

    Dr Bawumia further indicated that the road is of utmost priority to the government of President Akuffo-Addo because it will bring many benefits, including improving international trade.

    Dr Bawumia also announced that as part of government’s vision to explore other minerals apart from gold, the Akufo-Addo government has decided to focus on exploring iron ore and bauxite, hence the government’s decision to create authorities and corporations for their management and exploitation.

    The Vice President added that the Tatale area, which has a rich iron ore reserve in Sheni, will become one of the centres of government’s iron ore exploration vision.

    He announced that government has already established the Iron and Steel Development Corporation, with former Northern Regional Minister Prince Imoro Andani as its maiden Chief Executive Officer.

    The Vice President introduced the NPP parliamentary candidate for Tatale Constituency Patrick Mbomba and urged the constituents to continue to support the government by voting for President Akufo-Addo and the NPP Parliamentary candidate in December.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Police arrest 93 suspected criminals in dawn swoop, slabs of wee seized

    The Greater Accra Regional Police Command in a dawn swoop on Friday arrested 93 suspected criminals from separate operations within Tesano, Jamestown and Odorkor Divisions.

    According to the Police, the suspects who are between 18-60 years were arrested at notorious drug peddling joints and areas noted for criminal activities in the capital, including Tesano, Jamestown and Odorkor Divisions.

    The Police during raid picked up quantities of wrapped dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.

    The Police have screened to ascertain whether they are involved in any criminal case the Police is investigating to enable them assist with investigations.

    The Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Afful Boakye Yiadom, said the operation forms part of Police outlined strategies to frustrate and weed out criminal elements within the metropolis and create the enabling environment for the upcoming general elections and the exercise would be sustained throughout the period.

    Source: My News GH

  • Ghana will be the eventual loser in Agyapa Royalties deal – Okudzeto Ablakwa

    Member of Parliament for North Tongu constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has disclosed that the country is likely to be the biggest loser in the highly controversial Agyapa Royalties deal.

    To him, the deal is a high-risk venture likely to plunge the country’s economy into a complete mess.

    Describing the deal as ‘messy and opaque’, Okudzeto Ablakwa pointed out that listing on the London Stock Exchange does not guarantee the deal’s success.

    “Listing your business on the stock market does not make it a guaranteed investment. The Stock market can fluctuate anytime, so those saying listing it on the London Stock Exchange guarantees some kind of security or we will have more value for the packaged gold deal under this messy and opaque deal are absolutely wrong,” he strongly held.

    Explaining further in an interview on Okay FM’s ‘Ade Akye Abia’, he recounted how people lost their whole investments somewhere in 2007 during the global financial crisis.

    “This makes this deal very risky,” he added.

    Whiles bemoaning the fact that chiefs and custodians of lands where these natural resources can be mostly found were not consulted prior to the deal, the NDC MP also held that if one wants to assess the corporate good governance of a government, there are certain countries that cannot be cited as examples because of their negative global connotations.

    “In the world over, countries are moving away from or have stopped doing business in tax haven and jurisdictions that look shady and do not represent any transparency.

    “Ghana right now has been downgraded in terms of money laundering by the European Union because of some these shady, and dubious dealings going on in the country….

    “These natural resources belongs to all us, therefore one needs to consult with the chiefs and people in whose lands these natural resources can be found…..but unfortunately, this has not been done,” the MP stated.

    Agyapa Deal Controversies

    Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament and opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) have described the deal as lacking transparency and clothed with corruption.

    They have thus threatened to petition the London Stock Exchange.

    “We will today [Tuesday] put the London Stock Exchange and the Financial Conduct Authority on notice that this agreement does not meet the minimum requirement of diligence and transparency and minimum requirements of our constitution.

    “The Minority wishes to state emphatically that the SPV and its accompanying agreements as structured by the current Government is not just opaque but inimical to the interest of the Republic of Ghana. We, therefore, wish to completely disassociate ourselves with the proposed relationship agreement and subsequent flotation of shares on the London Stock Exchange,” the Minority stated.

    The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu briefing the press about the deal further stated that “the Minister of Finance in presenting this deal is in breach and a clear violation of the law and is required to have reported this deal with full disclosure in his 2020 Supplementary budget to Parliament. Our position is that no future NDC government will honor the terms of this Agyapa Royalties Transaction”.

    In a related development, former President and NDC flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, has vowed not to “respect the deal” should he be voted back to power.

    Source: Peace FM

  • Agyapa Royalties deal not suspended – Government

    The Government of Ghana has denied suspending the Agyapa Royalties transaction. 

    The Ministry of Finance which issued the denial in a statement, said a publication claiming the suspension of the transaction after a meeting with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) is untrue.

    While acknowledging meeting with CSOs on September 2, 2020, as part of efforts to broaden consultations and ensure the buy-in of all Ghanaians for the deal, the Ministry said no such decision was arrived at to suspend it.

    “The Ministry wishes to state that, the Agyapa Royalties transaction has not been suspended as is being reported on the Ghanaweb portal. We wish to also state that Mr. Mark Agyemang, Technical Manager of the Public Interest and Accountability Committee, who is purported to have said this in an interview with Starr FM, was not in this meeting.

    “The main outcome of the meeting as acknowledged by both sides was that, the government had fulfilled the requirements of the law. There was however, the need for broader consultations to ensure the buy-in of all Ghanaians.

    “The meeting with the CSOs was one such consultation and the Ministry agreed with them to further broaden the consultations and to solicit further input from them and other Ghanaian constituencies going forward.

    “A number of concerns raised by the CSOs included registration of the entity in a tax haven, transparency, how the values were arrived and what the country stood to benefit from the Agyapa Royalty Transaction. After their concerns were aptly addressed by the Hon. Minister for Finance and his Deputy, they called on government to engage other institutions and stakeholders. At no point was there any suggestion that the transaction is being halted as being reported.”

    The statement urged the media, being major stakeholders, “to seek clarity, especially on such emotive issues before publishing.”

    Source: Graphic.com.gh

  • What’s wrong if you have money to buy shares? – Ofori-Atta as he debunks suspension of Agyapa deal

    Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has debunked claims that listing Agyapa Royalties limited on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) has been suspended.

    “There’s no going back . . . gold has been mined in this country for several years; the trading of gold is over 500 times more and that is where the money is so we are not changing our mind. At this point in time in the history of the world’s highest gold price; we have to take advantage of that and it is for our good,” he told Kwami Sefa Kayi in a phone interview Friday morning.

    According to him, “the only thing is to explain more to Ghanaians and clear away any form of mischief”.

    Speaking in an interview on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, Ken Ofori-Atta reiterated that Agyapa Royalties Limited will trade up to 49% of its shares on Ghana Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange.

    CSOs tussle

    The meeting was to assure them that there’s no mischief, Finance Minister said.

    “The London stock exchange is one of the most transparent; at any point in time, every stockholder is listed. There’s nothing untoward. This is purely Ghana owned.”

    “What I got from them is that we should explain it more to people…” he indicated.

    Advantageous to only govt officials

    The Finance Minister has also responded to claims that government officials will be the only ones benefiting from the shares.

    According to him, the shares will be opened to everyone and if someone has money to buy it, “why not; what’s wrong with that?”

    “If you have your money it is up to you to determine what you use the money for; the pricing will be an international price of value so if you have your money why should I be worried what you use your money for?”

    “It’s well thought out,” he added.

    Source: Peace FM

  • Police arrest 3 suspects over street robberies

    The Ashanti Regional Police Command has busted three persons suspected to be involved in street robberies in the Kumasi Metropolis.

    Three suspects according to police were arrested on suspicion of several counts of robbery and possession of stolen items.

    Addressing the Media in a press conference on Thursday, September 3, 2020, the Asante Regional Police Commander COP Kwasi Mensah Duku said the three male suspects, Akwasi John, Josuah Afriyie both 18 years and Joseph Adongo, 25 years were arrested after a series of five robberies at Dichemso Plaza, Moshie Zongo, Krofrom and its surrounding areas.

    Narrating the story COP Kwasi Mensah Duku said Akwasi John and Joshua Afriyie were arrested on August 31, 2020, after attacking a National Security Operative with machete and Scissors at Dichemso Plaza.

    Joseph Adongo who was operating around Moshie Zongo was also arrested at Moshie Zongo Zongo Methodist church after attacking some residents with a foreign pistol.

    He added that although the suspects have admitted the offence, they will soon arraign them before court for prosecution.

    Source: otecfmghana.com

  • One dead as firefighters battle blaze aboard oil tanker off Sri Lanka

    Firefighting crews from Sri Lanka and India are working to put out a large blaze aboard an oil tanker that has been burning since Thursday, off the coast of the south Asian island nation.

    One Filipino crew member died after a boiler in the main engine room exploded, causing the fire, the Sri Lankan Navy said.

    All other persons on board, 22 in all, were rescued from the ship, which is carrying 270,000 metric tons of crude oil.

    Photos and video showed thick black smoke pouring from one end of the Panamanian-flagged tanker, MT New Diamond, 38 nautical miles (70 kilometers) off Sangamankanda Point in southern Sri Lanka.

    The 20-year-old vessel had been bound from Ahmadi in Kuwait to the Indian port of Paradip, according to Marine Traffic, which monitors global shipping.

    Speaking to CNN, Sri Lankan Navy Captain Indika Desilva said that as of Friday morning local time, the fire was “still on.”

    “Efforts are on to prevent the fire from spreading to the cargo oil. No information has been received of an oil spill yet. Firefighting continues,” he said.

    The Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard are all working to put out the fire.

    According to a statement from the Sri Lankan Navy, currently the fire has had “no effect” on the oil stored on board, and “necessary steps are being taken to prevent the fire from spreading to those crude oil storage facilities.”

    “There is still no risk of the ship leaking oil into the ocean,” the statement said.

    Source: CNN

  • NIA mop-up exercise on course despite few breaches of Covid-19 safety protocols Ken Attafuah

    Chief Executive Officer of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Prof Ken Agyeman Attafuah says they are on course to ensure that legitimate Ghanaians are issued a national identity card by the end of the ongoing mop-up exercise.

    “As of now, we still have some days left to conduct the exercise. We are to end on September 11, so I am confident that by the time we end the exercise, people in Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, and Greater Accra where the mop-up exercise is currently ongoing will get their card.

    “Getting this Ghana card will see to it that we are able to ensure social, economic and political inclusion in this country,” he said.

    The mop-up exercise, which began in August is targeting persons aged 15 years and above who were unable to participate in the mass Ghana Card registration which was commenced by the NIA in 2019.

    As of January 2020, the Authority had registered only 7.2 million people out of the total 16.7 million it had targeted.

    The current mop-up exercise follows similar ones conducted in the Ashanti, Volta, and the Oti Regions from August 2 to August 16, 2020.

    The Authority also  revised the dates for the Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo regions and announced the new August 27, 2020, to September 11, 2020 deadline.

    Speaking to JoyNews during a monitoring tour of the exercise in the Bono Region, the NIA boss said, unlike the previous exercise which was hampered by some technical and logistic issues, the current mop-up exercise has been free of such hurdles.

    He, however, expressed worry over the attitude of some Ghanaians with regards to the various Covid-19 safety protocols put in place.

    “From my tour, I have seen that the registration centres are being highly patronized. I have also noticed that people are observing the Covid-19 protocols with the exception of one place I went to around Kintampo where nine people did not have on face masks.

    “But they understood and left the place immediately we spoke to them.

    “But what got me worried was a centre I went to on my way from Bono to Bono East Region.

    “When we got there the place was crowded but after we spoke to them for some 15minutes and explained the deadlines to them, most of them left.

    “So now they are to report according to the time given to them.”

    Source: myjoyonline

  • Police retrieves 9 stolen vehicles from unsuspected buyers

    The Ashanti Regional Police Command has retrieved about nine vehicles from some unsuspecting buyers at various locations that were sold to them by a notorious member of car syndicate Alex Owusu.

    This was disclosed at a press conference held on Thursday, 3 September 2020 in Kumasi to give updates on crime situations in the region.

    The 37-year old suspect was arrested by the Suntreso District Police Command on Tuesday, 11 August 2020.

    Regional Police Commander COP Akwasi Duku noted that: “The modus operandi of the suspect is that he hires the services of taxi drivers from neighbouring towns such as Obuasi, Bekwai, Nkawkaw etc. to Kumasi under the pretense of coming to buy excavator parts at Suame magazine or visit his sick mother. The suspect on arrival in Kumasi will convince the taxi driver to have the cab washed at the washing bay and then persuade them to leave the car with the bay attendant. He then asks the driver to accompany him to Suame magazine to buy the supposed excavator parts.

    “The suspect later takes leave of the victim with the excuse that he is going to withdraw money from the bank, only for him to return to the washing bay and take the ignition key from the attendants and drive the car away.”

    The Regional Command revealed that with the assistance of the Kasoa District Police Command, it has “been able to apprehend him and through investigations, he has led Police to retrieve nine (9) of such vehicles. The cars have since been retrieved from its unsuspecting buyers at Nsawam, Adeiso and Kade in the Eastern Region and Kasoa and Akoti in the Central Region of Ghana.”

    The retrieved car include: “Two Toyota Corolla LE Taxi cab, Two Hyundai Atos Prime Taxi cab, Two Daewoo Matiz Super Taxi cab, Two Toyota Vitz Taxi cab, Two Chevrolet Matiz Taxi cab, a Hyundai Getz Taxi cab and a Toyota Vitz Taxi cab.”

    Also, the suspect was arraigned on 17 August 2020, before a Magistrate Court at Twedea and was remanded in lawful custody to assist with the investigation.

    “All the retrieved taxi cabs have been identified by the rightful owners who presented documents to prove ownership.”

    The Police added that it has “sought the assistance of DVLA to authenticate the genuineness of the documents presented before the vehicle would be released to the rightful owners” and the “suspect would be arraigned before Circuit court in Kumasi for proper trial when investigations were completed.”

    Source: Class FM

  • REPO trading goes online from October 1 – Bank of Ghana

    The Bank of Ghana has announced that the trading of Repos in Ghana will go online from October 1, 2020, allowing trades to be executed in real time, using a framework provided by the Global Master Re-purchase Agreement (GMRA) a globally recognized legal document.

    This follows the launch of the Guidelines for Re-purchase Agreements in Ghana, which is in line with Section 134 (5) of the Bank and Specialised Deposit Taking Institutions Act (Act 930).

    According to a statement issued by the BoG, all participating banks have been directed to execute a GMRA with each other by September 15, 2020. This will take place prior to the October 1,2020, scheduled commencement of live trading scheduled.

    “Repo counterparties may use the appropriate systems to facilitate their conduct of GMRA based Repos. The buyer of a Repo Security shall mark-to-market using Bloomberg as a pricing source. Where Bloomberg does not price a Repo Security, the buyer and seller shall agree a price for this purpose,” the Bank said.

    Real time trading in repos between banks will significantly improve the capacity of a bank facing short term liquidity challenges to ride through them without any inconveniences for its customers, as such a bank would simply issue repos for cash to other banks over a short, agreed tenor.

    In the anticipation of the loss of value of the collateral security that may be experienced if it is liquidated following an event of default by a counterparty, the buyer shall apply an extra margin at the initiation of the Repo transaction which would serve as compensation.

    In July, 2020, the central bank also announced that GMRA-based repos qualify as eligible financial contracts to which netting arrangements as stated under Section 134 of the Bank and Specialised Deposit Taking Institutions Act (Act 930) can be applied.

    According to section 134 (4), “net termination value” means the net amount obtained after setting off the mutual obligations between the parties to an eligible financial contract in accordance with the provisions of that contract.

    GMRA-based guidelines contain a key feature which allows the transfer of title of collateral securities from the seller to the buyer. The title transfer under GMRA reduces credit and liquidity risk, as it allows the buyer to make use of the collateral during the tenor of the transaction, but return the same or equivalent securities to the seller at maturity.

    Some market analysts have indicated that ultimately, these dealings should boost secondary market trading and price discovery of bonds and offer a cheaper source of short-term funding at increased volumes. Repo transactions between banks fit in well with their agreed strategy of supporting each other with liquidity whenever the need arises so as to prevent the need for the BoG to intervene with regulatory actions that sometimes affect the entire industry in a systemic manner. Such transactions thus serve as a fixed tenor alternative to interbank lending which is usually done on the basis of call which means placements by a bank can be called in any time the lending bank wishes, the timing of which may be inconvenient for the bank receiving the placement and thus is more convenient for the borrowing bank than interbank lending on call.

    Background

    Repos are effective tools for effective monetary policy transmission and serve as a channel through which the central bank can act more swiftly as a lender of last resort during periods of market stress.

    Currently, repos and reverse repos in the domestic financial markets are already serving as effective instruments for the conduct of monetary policy through open market operations by the central bank and as sources of short-term liquidity for market participants.

    According to the Central Securities Depository (CSD), as at end May 2020, a total of GHc 51.63 billion in repo transactions had been settled. Transactions between commercial banks amounted to GHc 56.550 billion, whereas the transactions between BoG as well as SNNIT with commercial banks amounted to GH 725 million and GHc 11.349 billion.

    Source: goldstreetbusiness.com

  • My unfair disqualification by NPP made me go independent – Damtse

    A disgruntled member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Joseph Kofi Damtse who was disqualified in the parliamentary primaries says his decision to contest the Assin South Constituency seat as an independent candidate was based on how unfair he was treated.

    According to him, he was unfairly disqualified even after spending on GHc52,000 on filing fee and development fee during the primaries.

    He alleged that some persons at the constituency level have hijacked the party and doing things anyhow.

    He told Kwabena Agyapong on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm that the principles and ideologies of the party have been ignored by the constituency executives.

    ”I was approved, paid my filing fee and was later disqualified without any reason. My money was also not refunded. The disqualification was unfair and unreasonable,” he added.

    The candidate is hopeful he will win the polls massively because he is the obvious choice the constituents want.

    He said the constituency needs leadership and strong governance to help the area develop.

    He wants to work with traditional leaders, assembly members and all other opinion leaders to help the constituency transform.

    He also wants to prioritise education, lobby to have more school infrastructure in the constituency, trained teachers and other facilities to help raise great leaders for the constituency.

    Source: rainbownradioonline.com

  • Government working on law to forbid people from lynching ‘witches’ – Gender Minister

    The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Cynthia Mamle Morrison, has revealed that government is working to enact a law that will forbid people from lynching alleged witches.

    According to her, the law is the only way that will help keep alleged witches safe from being attacked and beaten to death as being witnessed in some parts of the country.

    The Minister was speaking at the Meet the Press Series of the Information Ministry held in Accra to update Ghanaians on the progress made by her ministry.

    Madam Morrison noted that the fight against the lynching of alleged witches and stigma attached to it makes it very difficult to get over it thus the need for the law to help protect the victims as well.

    She added that parliament sent a team to some communities in the Northern part of the country to make an assessment on the way forward, she added that they are yet to present their report.

    Madam Morrison stressed that the witch camps have now become safe heavens for the victims and therefore, the ministry intends to renovate those camps to make it a better place for them to find comfort.

    Source: kingdomfmonline.com

  • Pong Tamale Veterinary College to be upgraded into University Of Agriculture Bawumia hints

    Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has dropped a hint that the current government intends to upgrade the Animal Health And Production College at Pong Tamale in the Savelugu District of the Northern Region into a University of Agriculture.

    According to him, this would ensure that the study of agriculture, which is the mainstay of residents of the area, is given a boost as this will build the capacity of persons interested in the field of study; who will in turn impart the knowledge directly onto farmers.

    Speaking to Yoo Naa Yakubu Abdulai Andani at his Palace in Savelugu, the Vice President underscored the significance of agriculture in the country noting that the upgrading of the institution, which is one of the oldest in the region, would make a significant impact in the lives of many.

    “The Akufo-Addo government intends to upgrade the Pong Tamale Agric College into a university to help promote the studies of Agriculture at an advanced level which will directly impact positively on food production among others,” he disclosed.

    When this is done, it brings to two the number of public universities in the Northern Region after the University for Development Studies (UDS) which is the premier university of the north.

    Background

    The college was established in 1922 at Tamale, Northern Ghana, by the British colonial administration to increase the health of livestock in what was then the Gold Coast.

    Unfortunately, in 1925, the school was closed due to funding shortfalls. In 1960, the college was rebuilt in Pong-Tamale and reopened and named Animal Health and Production College College.

    Source: presidency.gov.gh

  • Wa East Assembly promises support for Unit Committee Members

    Mr Moses Jotie, the Wa East District Chief Executive (DCE) has promised the Assembly will support its Unit Committee members to function and facilitate the development of the District.

    The DCE promised this based on the observation that the lowest tier of the decentralization system, the Unit Committee, had not received the needed attention from stakeholders.

    Mr Jotie who was speaking during the inauguration of the Unit Committees within the Bulenga Area Council in the District, blamed the lack of attention and support on the inactiveness of the Unit Committee members themselves and their weak collaboration with the Area Councils.

    “This narrative, I believe is about to change and must change as my office as well as our Presiding Member will work closely to ensure that our Unit Committees become not just functional but effective”, he said.

    “We are positive that we stand to benefit as a people if we support our Unit Committees to succeed as they formed an integral part of the Assembly system”, the DCE added.

    On the functions of Unit Committees, Mr Jotie noted that they provided a focal point for the discussion of local problems and made recommendations to the Assembly through the relevant Area Council; and also organised communal and voluntary work especially with sanitation.

    They equally mobilized members of the Unit for the implementation of self-help development projects; acted under the guidance of the registrar of Births and Deaths for the registration of births and deaths in the Unit.

    Furthermore, they educate the people on their rights, privileges, obligations and responsibilities in consultation with the district office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE); assist persons assigned by the Area Council to enumerate and keep records of all ratable persons and property; and perform other functions that may be delegated by the Area Council or the District Assembly.

    Mr Jotie noted therefore that the Unit Committees were the eyes and ears of the Local Government System and were committed to making the people see them as the first point of call with issues that required the attention of the Assembly.

    “This will ensure that we get feedback on our developmental projects and programmes on continues basis as well as enable the Assembly pick up early warning signs to prevent conflicts”, he said.

    The DCE said the Assembly relied on data for planning and decision making purposes and charged the Unit Committee members to work with the District Planning and Coordinating Unit (DPCU)to undertake the performance review of the District Medium Term Development Plan for 2018-2021 and also prepare the Community Action Plans for the next planning cycle.

    Mr Jotie also urged them to work with their respective Assembly members and Traditional Rulers to attract the needed development to the area.

    Source: GNA

  • Ghanaian Times: Keta Water project must not stall

    Water is life and plays a significant role in human life.  It quenches thirst, flushes out waste from the body, regulates body temperature and helps the body to function properly.

    Apart from other uses of water by humans, including food preparation, bathing, and construction works, plants and animals cannot survive without water.

    Due to the significance of the role water plays, especially with regard to the human body, it is important that water which is consumed is potable.

    Indeed, the Sustainable Development Goal 6 targets access to water and sanitation for all by 2030 and it is incumbent on every government to implement projects in the water and sanitation area.

    It is for this reason that The Ghanaian Times finds it satisfying that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has cut the sod for work on the Keta Water Supply Rehabilitation and Expansion Project in the Volta Region to begin.

    The €85-million project in the South Tongu District, scheduled to be completed within two years, would involve the rehabilitation of the existing Keta Water Treatment Plant to restore it to its installed capacity of 7,200m3/day and the construction of a new water treatment facility, with a capacity of 35,000m3/day.

    When completed, the project would supply potable water to over 422,160 people in communities including Kpodze, Kpotame, Vume, Tefle, Sokpoe, Dabala Junction, Tregui, Badadzi, Havedzi, Adzato, Suipe, Adutor, Horvi-Amedzi, Devegodo, Horvi-Kokoroko, Salo, Galo, Agortoe, Kpenu, Lolito, Floto, Lotame, and New Town.

    At the sod cutting ceremony, President Akufo-Addo noted that the existing water supply system in the area was unable to meet the increasing demand for water due to rapid population growth.

    Additionally, he said, it was difficult to use groundwater as an alternative source of potable water because the groundwater in those parts of the region was mostly saline.

    Although the project is long overdue, it is commendable that it has started to finally bring relief to the thousands of residents in the area who have, for many years, suffered to get access to potable water.

    We, however, hope the Lesico Company Limited, the infrastructure firm executing the project, would complete it as scheduled while the government would provide the needed support to achieve its aim of giving the people potable water, which is a factor in ensuring good health.

    Our hope for the timely execution of the water project is on the basis that there are a number of projects which have been heralded by funfair but have stalled for several reasons and we wish this does not happen to the Keta project.

    The completion of the project would not only bring relief to the residents of the afore-mentioned areas but also help the country draw closer to achieving the SDG on water and sanitation.

    It would also help safeguard the health of the people as diseases associated with contaminated water would reduce.

    Source: Ghanaian Times

  • AITI-KACE/GIFEC launch Youth Virtual Labs project

    The Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (AITI-KACE) in collaboration with the Ghana Investment Fund For Electronic Communications (GIFEC), has launched the maiden educational Youth Virtual Labs project.

    The objective of the project is to design, develop and launch a virtual training platform to build the economic resilience and capacity of youth in digital skills to survive current and future economic turbulence.

    It seeks to expose young Ghanaians to opportunities in ICT and develop skills that enable them to compete globally and also contribute to national development.

    The pilot virtual laboratory project would be implemented in three Senior High Schools (SHSs), one technical university, two colleges of education, and two Community Information Centres (CIC).

    The beneficiary institutions include Sunyani Technical University, Bechem St Joseph’s College of Education, Bimbilla College of Education, Jema SHS, Asankragwa SHS and Danquah Memorial CIC.

    The memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the Youth Virtual Labs Project, was signed in Accra, between Mr Kwasi Adu Gyan, the Director-General, AITI-KACE and Alhaji Yahaya Zakaria Osman, the Director of Operations, GIFEC.

    While Dr Ibrahim James Gurindow, the Principal of the Bimbilla College of Education, initialled for the beneficiary institutions.

    Mr Adu Gyan said by the signing of the MoU, AITI-KACE and GIFEC in partnership with the beneficiary institutions had agreed to use ICT as a tool to bridge the gap that had widen in educational institutions and had the potential to leave some students behind.

    He said the COVID-19 pandemic had highlighted the increasingly widening gap between the haves and have-nots in both the educational and economic sectors of the country.

    He said despite the disruptions the pandemic comes with, technology came in handy to curb the situation through the use of innovation to accomplish essential activities such as remote teaching and learning.

    He noted that however, not all students had been in the position or had the opportunity to benefit from technology and its advantages during the period of uncertainty.

    “Many young people from less privileged backgrounds have been hindered from meaningfully pursuing an education in which the constitution has given them the right to,” he said.

    “This is due to some underlining conditions such as inadequate school or community infrastructure, lack of computer equipment and resources, and internet affordability.”

    Mr Adu Gyan said AITI-KACE recently rolled out over 500 online and facilitator-led virtual courses covering several disciplines for students and workers since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “It is our fervent hope that beneficiaries of the Virtual Labs initiative can also take advantage of this learning opportunity free of charge,” he stated.

    Mr Abraham Kofi Asante, the Administrator, GIFEC, in a speech read on his behalf said the new partnership would equip the less privileged schools in Ghana’s breadbasket areas with digital skills to acquire knowledge, build resilience and effectively participate in today’s digital age.

    He said the intervention was in line with the United Nation’s global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Ghana’s digital transformation agenda and the Ghana Beyond Aid programme.

    “It is equally in tandem with various policies including the Ghana ICT for Accelerated Development (ICT4AD) and the National Policy for Science, Technology and Innovation,” he said.

    Mr Asante said GIFEC would be responsible for the provision of internet service and project devices, including computers, printers, scanners, and internet modems.

    AITI-KACE would provide digital television, develop the virtual learning platform, provide content, training and technical support, whilst partner institutions would prepare and provide a furnished room suitable for the purpose.

    Dr Gurindow on behalf of the beneficiary institutions said they would do their best to ensure the successful implantation of the project.

    Source: GNA

  • Coronavirus: How students who have completed WASSCE will return home

    The Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) have jointly issued a guideline for the exit of students who have just completed the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and are returning home Friday, September 4, 2020 after a successful examination.

    Under the guidelines, any school where no positive case of COVID-19 has been recorded, the students can vacate and go home.

    Additionally, any school that recorded a positive case but has not reported any new positive case within the last two weeks, the students can vacate and go home, reports Graphic Online’s Severious Kale Dery on the Education Desk.

    This is contained in a statement jointly signed by the Director-General of the GES, Prof Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa and the Director-General of the GES Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye and issued in Accra Thursday, September 3, 2020.

    After months of uncertainty and apprehension arising out of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Senior high schools (SHSs) reopened to final-year students on June 22 for them to undergo six weeks of academic work up to July 31, 2020.

    That enabled them to prepare to write their final examination between August 3 and September 4, this year.

    The 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) finally kicked off for Ghanaian candidates in July.

    In all, 375,737 candidates from 976 schools took part in the examination at 796 centres throughout the country.

    Out of the figure, about 188,163 were females, while the remaining 187,573 were males.

    more to follow…

    Source: Graphic.com.gh

  • ‘Eradicate yourselves from slavery mentality’ – Mireku Duker jabs Minority on their petition to LSE

    Member of Parliament (MP) for Tarkwa Nsuaem constituency, George Mireku Duker has lambasted the Minority in Parliament over their decision to petition the London Stock Exchange over the controversial Agyapa Royalties deal.

    The Minority in Parliament has threatened to take the fight against the Agyapa Royalties deal to the London Stock Exchange because to them, the deal is tainted with corruption.

    “We will today [Tuesday] put the London Stock Exchange and the Financial Conduct Authority on notice that this agreement does not meet the minimum requirement of diligence and transparency and minimum requirements of our constitution.

    “The Minority wish to state emphatically that the SPV and its accompanying agreements as structured by the current Government is not just opaque but inimical to the interest of the Republic of Ghana. We therefore wish to completely disassociate ourselves with the proposed relationship agreement and subsequent flotation of shares on the London Stock Exchange,” the Minority stated.

    But George Mireku Duker has questioned the Minority’s logic to petition the London Stock Exchange.

    Speaking on ‘Kokrokoo’ on Peace FM, Hon. Mireku Duker posited that the Minorty’s action to petition the London Stock Exchange is because they have a slavery mentality.

    According to him, if it’s not that the Minority feel they are slaves to the western world, they wouldn’t take something that concerns Ghana to London asking ”what do you want them to do for you?”.

    “If they’re really concerned about Ghana and there is an issue, do you have to write a petition letter to London? What do you want them to do for you? Is it London that’s going to speak for you or are the people of London wiser than us? This slavery mentality hasn’t been eradicated yet; it’s just sad and we’re unnecessarily exposing ourselves to the outside world! So, what’s the purpose of the petition to London?” he further questioned.

    Source: Peace FM

  • Dagbon is heavily indebted to Akufo-Addo Bawumia

    Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has stated that the north especially Dagbon is heavily indebted to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for bringing about lasting peace.

    He noted that before the coming into office of the current administration, there was recurring chieftaincy violence due to the irreconcilable differences between the Abudu and Andani royal families; but Nana Addo stood his grounds and worked towards resolving the long-standing feud.

    Speaking at the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi during a courtesy call on Ya-Na Abukari Mahama II, the Vice President said” the biggest problem in Ghana prior to the assumption of office of the Akufo-Addo administration was the recurring violence in Dagbon and the need for peace. Akufo-Addo promised to bring finality to the raging Dagbon crises if made president”.

    According to him, skeptics doubted him but he lived to his promise and ensured that the funerals of the two chiefs were performed and a new Ya-Na enskinned.

    For this reason, he observed that the people of the area are forever indebted to the President for bringing about peace which is a major pre-requisite for development.

    “Akufo-Addo promised to bring finality to the raging Dagbon crises and never slept over it when he was made President in January 2017. He ensured that there has been peace and you are the Ya-Na today. No money can pay for the peace so Akufo-Addo has left us with a huge debt”, he stressed.

    Source: My News GH

  • Lactating mother jailed six months for harming step daughter

    A 21-year-old lactating mother and a seamstress apprentice who harmed her stepdaughter at Nyankoman in the Aowin Municipality has been sentenced to six months imprisonment by the Enchi District Magistrate court.

    The court, also, ordered Mary Ackaah, alias Assor to pay a fine of GH¢1,200 or in default serve six months in prison.

    She was convicted on her own plea of guilty.

    Detective Inspector Joseph Kwadwo Agyare, prosecuting the case told the court presided over by Mr Eric Baah Boateng, that Hannah Mensah, the complainant resides at Yiwabra, while Kwame Agyemang, a witness is one of the parents of the victim (name withheld) who is eight years old and a primary two pupil.

    He said the victim lived in the same room with her father, siblings and the convict at Nyankoman.

    The prosecution said at about 1000 hours on 26th day of May 2020, Mary invited the victim to run some errands for her, while playing with her friends in the neighbourhood, but the victim did not respond to the call.

    He said later in the day, the victim went home to have her supper and Mary upon seeing her got upset and decided to lash her with a cane, but in the process, the cane hit the victim’s left eye which became reddish and swollen.

    Inspector Agyare said, Mary kept what happened to herself and even warned the victim not to tell the father or else she would subject her to severe beatings.

    He said when the victim was questioned by the father about her injury, she lied that it was his younger brother who hit her left eye with a stick, while they were playing and so the father sent her to the Episcopal health centre at Nyankoman for treatment.

    The prosecution said on May 27, the complainant paid an unannounced visit to the victim, but seeing her condition, she rushed her to the Presbyterian health centre in Enchi, where a referral note was issued to her to send the victim to the Agogo hospital in the Ashanti Region to seek further medical attention.

    He said the complainant thereafter made a report at the Enchi Police station, where a medical report form was issued to her on behalf of the victim for a medical examination, later Mary was apprehended.
    Inspector Agyare said a medical report from the hospital indicated that the victim was blind on the left eye.

    He said the convict confessed to the act in her caution statement and after investigations, she was charged with the offence.

    Source: GNA

  • Residents cut off after bridge collapses at Akyem Saaman

    Residents of Akyem Osino and Akyem Saaman in the Fanteakwa South District of the Eastern Region have been cut off following the collapse of a bridge over River Akusu.

    The collapsed bridge was connecting three farming Communities -Akyem Osino, Saaman and Juaso communities.

    Vehicles and pedestrians are no longer able to commute on the road due to the collapsed bridge.

    An improvised road is, however, being created by the residents through the bush.

    Fear of the residents who are predominantly peasant farmers is that their farm produce may rot if the bridge is not urgently constructed.

    Meanwhile, residents are blaming heavy-duty vehicles of mining companies operating in the area for the collapse of the bridge.

    Source: Kasapa FM

  • Agyapa Royalties deal isn’t family, friends’ affair – MIIF chairman

    Chairman of Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), George Mireku Duker has rubbished the notion by Minority and opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the selection of Senior Minister’s son, Kofi Osafo-Maafo and President Nana Akufo-Addo’s cousin, Gabby Otchere-Darko as part of Agyapa Royalties gold firm is a conflict of interest or otherwise a family and friends’ affair.

    The Minority in Parliament staged a walkout while the Agyapa Royalties deal was raised in the Legislative House.

    Their reason is that the deal reeks of corruption and further opposed the terms of the deal.

    The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu speaking to the press regarding the deal emphasized that no government will accept the terms of the deal.

    “The Minister of Finance in presenting this deal is in breach and a clear violation of the law and is required to have reported this deal with full disclosure in his 2020 Supplementary budget to Parliament. Our position is that no future NDC government will honor the terms of this Agyapa Royalties Transaction,” he said.

    They also cast suspicions over the Kofi Osafo-Maafo and Gabby Otchere-Darko’s roles in the deal.

    Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Spokesperson on Finance speaking on Joy News file programme, questioned the selection process asking “was there a system in place that this government advertised for any Ghanaian to be able to have that opportunity; what type of recruitment process was done..?”

    But Mr. Mireku Duker has refuted the family and friends’ claims serving as albatross to the Agyapa Royalties deal.

    According to him, he wouldn’t make the mark as MIIF Chairman if the President was interested in dishing out deals to his family and friends.

    Speaking on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo”, Mr. Mireku Duker noted that the fact that he is appointed to head the MIIF defies the Minority’s ideology of conflict of interest either.

    “Mireku Duker, I don’t hail from the Eastern Region. I come from the Western Region and a mining community which is Tarkwa Nsuaem,” he stressed.

    The Minerals Income Investment Fund is in charge of establishing Agyapa Royalties Limited and other Special Purpose Vehicles to raise funds to boost the minerals sector of the economy.

    Source: Peace FM

  • Citizen sues EC over failure to provide audited accounts of NPP, NDC

    A Ghanaian citizen has filed a suit at an Accra High Court against the Chair of the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) for failure to furnish her with audited accounts of the two major political parties in Ghana.

    Dorcas Aboraa Sika Marfo had written to the Commission on Tuesday, March 10, 2020, requesting copies of the returns and audited accounts of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) from 2012 till date.

    She also, in the letter, requested to know the fees payable before her request is granted.

    But, according to a writ sighted by 3news.com, the EC has “failed, refused and neglected to acknowledge receipt of the letter or accede to the request made”.

    According to her, the Commission is enjoined by the Political Parties Act, 2000 (Act 547) to respond and provide the information she is requesting.

    After barely five months, Ms Abora through her legal representatives has taken the matter to court.

    She is praying the court to exercise its discretion to order the Commission “to discharge its statutory obligations by furnishing the applicant with copies of the returns and accounts filed by the NPP and the NDC political parties from 2012 till date”.

    Source: 3 News

  • Former Guinean musician plans to run for president

    Elie Kamano, a former Guinean reggae musician, has expressed his interest to run for the presidency.

    He plans to challenge President Alpha Condé who is seeking a controversial third term in October.

    The musician has called on his supporters to help him raise the required fee set for registration of candidates by the electoral commission.

    Mr Kamano told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme that Guinea was a rich country but its progress had been undermined by corruption.

    “If I become the president I can do something for my people …The people have realised that time has come for us to change things in the country,” he said.

    Source: bbc.com

  • US sanctions Gambia’s ICC prosecutor Bensouda

    The US has imposed sanctions on senior officials in the International Criminal Court (ICC), including chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.

    Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused the court of “illegitimate attempts to subject Americans to its jurisdiction”.

    The Hague-based ICC is currently investigating whether US forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan.

    The US has criticised the court since its foundation and is one of a dozen states which have not signed up.

    President Donald Trump issued an executive order in June allowing the US to block the assets of ICC employees. He has repeatedly attacked the body and questioned its independence.

    Source: bbc.com

  • More elephants found dead in Zimbabwe

    The Zimbabwean wildlife authorities have found more carcasses of elephants, bringing the total number to 22.

    The elephants died of a suspected bacteria infection according to the authorities.

    Most of the dead elephants were young with the oldest aged 18 years.

    The authorities suspect that the young elephants may have eaten poisonous vegetation.

    They said there had been scarcity of food and the young elephants were unable to reach higher tree branches.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Autopsy ordered for former Nigeria goalkeeper John Felagha

    An autopsy has been ordered following the death of former Nigeria goalkeeper John Felagha in Senegal at the age of 26.

    Felagha, a goalkeeper-coach at the Doha-owned football academy, died on 31 August. But there is currently no explanation for his sudden death.

    Aspire Academy have now told BBC Sport Africa that he was found on the floor of his room. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts administered on him failed and he was pronounced dead on the spot.

    “His teammates found him on the floor of his room,” said Sam Ahmedu, director of the academy in Nigeria.

    “He collapsed and so it could be related to heart issues. But we are waiting for the autopsy result,”

    Felagha was a member of the Nigerian Golden Eaglets team that reached the final of the Fifa U-17 World Cup in 2009.

    The Bayelsa-born shot stopper was also a part of the Nigerian team to the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup in 2013.

    He joined Belgian side KAC Eupen in 2013. After a long-term injury, he joined Aspire Football Dreams as a goalkeeper-coach, same academy where he was first discovered in 2008.

    “For a young boy to pass at 26, is very sad,” Ahmedu added.

    “The academy is deeply saddened by this loss. We will continue to remember him”.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Nigeria’s Buhari denies aide contracted virus

    Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s office has dismissed a media report that indicated one of his aides had tested positive for Covid-19.

    The presidency said all aides are routinely tested for coronavirus and the named staff member had always returned a negative test.

    “The general public is hereby advised to ignore such stories that are intended to mislead the people an create unnecessary anxiety about the safety of the president,” a statement by the president’s spokesperson said.

    President Buhari’s former chief of staff Abba Kyari died of Covid-19 in April.

    Source: bbc.com

  • WASSCE: Schools that didn’t experience any coronavirus spikes can go on recess – GHS

    The Ghana Health Service has said Senior High Schools (SHS) that did not experience any COVID-19 related cases can go on recess.

    This comes after the government granted permission to allow for final year SHS students to undertake their West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE) examinations.

    According to the Director-General of the GHS, Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye, any school that has not reported a positive case of COVID-19 in the last two weeks prior to their initial vacation date can also go on recess.

    Addressing journalists at a press briefing in Accra on September 3, the Director-General said, “However if there are any schools that have recorded any positive cases of COVID-19, they will be made to undergo some assessment of contacts with them having their exit from school a bit delayed.”

    Dr. Kuma Aboagye expressed delight over the low spike in cases of COVID-19 in most senior high schools amid the resumption for examination.

    He also urged all students to adhere to the safety protocols as they return back home.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Coronavirus: No positive cases recorded following airport reopening – GHS

    The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has said no positive cases of COVID-19 have been recorded among passengers arriving through Ghana’s main airport, Kotota International Airport (KIA).

    According to the Director-General of the GHS, Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye, 217 passengers were tested on the first day of the reopening of the airport to international AIR traffic while 30 passengers were tested on the second day.

    Speaking at a press briefing on September 3, 2020, Dr. Kuma-Aboayge said this was a result of the accuracy of the antigen tests which are being conducted on passengers entering the country.

    “So far no positive cases of COVID-19 have been recorded following the reopening of the airport. We had three separate flights on the first day and all passengers aboard that flight have tested negative”

    Meanwhile, passengers entering Ghana will be required to pay an amount of US$150 for COVID-19 tests to be conducted.

    Passengers will then proceed to the sampling cubicle for their samples to be taken before descending to the main arrival hall.

    The Deputy Health Minister, Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye at a press briefing on Monday, August 31 justified the cost of the testing as a ‘good bargain’.

    He added that arriving passengers who test negative will proceed to the immigration area and onto baggage claim for their luggage and then exit the terminal while persons who test positive will receive further clinical assessment and treatment.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • ‘Shun those who promote ethnocentrism’ – Akufo-Addo advices Ghanaians

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has asked Ghanaians to shun persons who promote ethnocentrism and divisions.

    “No one who is committed to the Ghana Project, as I am, can have an ethnic agenda. Rather, we should shun all those who would promote ethnic sentiments and divisions amongst us for selfish, partisan, political ends,” he said.

    The President said this when he commissioned the Five Piped Water Supply System at Amedzofe in the Ho West District for 69,000 residents of three districts in the Volta Region on Tuesday.

    He told the gathering that if there was one person who recognised and appreciated the indivisibility of Ghana, it was him, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

    “There are people from this region, some of whom are well known to you here in Amedzofe, who serve in sensitive parts of my government and influence decisions on a daily basis. I may have my own failings like we all do, but being a tribalist is not one of them.

    “In my time as President, development has been distributed equitably to all parts of the country, and the impact of our policies has been felt by all. So, I want to assure all of you that neither the NPP nor I have any plan whatsoever to bring division to any part of the country.

    “We do not have an ethnic agenda against any group or grouping in the country, and, certainly, we have no ethnic agenda against residents of the Volta Region.”

    On the deployment of soldiers along the country’s borders, which his opponents had sought to made political gains, the President stressed again that “the Volta Region was not and has not been singled out for any special military operation.”

    “The deployment of the military personnel along our borders is an ongoing nationwide exercise, and has been done across all our borders, and not in the Volta Region alone. One thousand soldiers are the subject of this deployment, of which 163 are based along the borders of Volta.

    “Their presence is to guard against potential terrorist attacks on our shores and to prevent the importation of the virus into our country. They have not been stationed at our borders to execute any political or ethnic agenda,” he noted.

    He told residents of the region that he would “keep knocking on the door until the door is opened to me until the Volta Region and the NPP are married. I know that this constituency, Ho West, will one day revert to being a stronghold for the NPP as it once was for the United Party.”

    Source: GNA

  • 2021 AFCON qualifiers: Ghana’s opponents Sudan line-up Tunisia friendly on Oct 9

    Ghana’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying Group opponents Sudan will play Tunisia in a friendly before their double-header in November.

    The warm-up game against will be played on October 9 at the Hamadi Agrebi Olympic Stadium in Rades.

    Head coach Hubert Velud has called up 29 home-based players, dominated by stars playing for Al Hilal Omdurman and El Merreikh SC, for camping.

    The qualifiers of AfCON 2021 that was postponed to 2022 were suspended last March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    The Nile Crocodiles will face the Black Stars in match day three and four of the qualifications in Cape Coast and in Khartoum in November.

    The two fixtures were initially scheduled to take place in March but for the coronavirus outbreak, CAF has rescheduled for November.

    The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations finals will take place in January 2022 following a CAF decision on 30 June 2020 follow an Executive Committee meeting.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Asante Kotoko wants to collapse King Faisal – Alhaji Grusah

    Alhaji Karim Grusah has disclosed that city rivals Kumasi Asante Kotoko is planning to destroy his club, King Faisal Babies and branded the Porcupine Warriors as “greedy”.

    The well-known figure in Ghana football indicated that Asante Kotoko always makes sure to collapse other clubs in the region who also compete in the Ghana Premier League.

    Speaking to local radio station Sika FM the King Faisal bankroller revealed that they used the same tactics to destroy Kumapim Stars and Corner Stones.

    “Asante Kotoko SC are greedy and hypocrite they want to collapse King Faisal like they did to Corners Stones and Kumapim Stars,” he said.

    Source: footballghana.com

  • Teenage twins Enock and Ebenezer Agyei sign three-year contracts with Anderlecht

    Ghanaian twins Enock and Ebenezer Agyei have both signed three-year contracts with Belgian giants Anderlecht.

    The talented duo penned the new deal with the White and Purples after five years at the club.

    Enock, 15, a winger-cum-playmaker, is already in the U21 team led by Craig Bellamy.

    On Monday, 31 August 2020, he featured for the U21 side in their 4-0 win over AS Eupen in the Reserves League.

    Defender Ebenezer Agyei continues to progress with the U16s.

    “In order to pay a nice tribute to their mother, who died at the beginning of the year, they decided to display her name (“ Boateng En ”and“ Boateng Eb ”) on their jerseys if they succeed in joining our first team,” a club statement read.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Diawusie Agyemang scores as Dynamo Dresden wallop HB Køge in friendly

    Ghanaian forward Diawusie Agyemang scored one of the goals when SG Dynamo Dresden thrashed HB Køge in a pre-season friendly.

    The German third-tier side beat the Danish second division outfit 5-1 at the AOK PLUS Walter Fritzsch Academy.

    Agyemang opened the scoring of the fixture in the 26th minute with a brilliant finish.

    Christoph Daferner, Marco Hartmann and Simon Gollnack got the other goals for the hosts on Wednesday.

    It is the fifth straight victory for Dynamo Dresden in the pre-season.

    Agyemang joined them this summer after leaving FC Ingolstadt.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Ghana midfielder Joseph Attamah joins Kayserispor

    Ghana defender Joseph Attamah has joined Turkish side Kayserispor on a season long loan from Basaksehir, GHANAsoccernet.com can confirm.

    The 26-year old passed a successful medical on Wednesday and is set to train with the team today.

    Attamah was impressive with Faith Karagumruk in the just-ended campaign, helping the side to secure promotion to the Turkish Super League.

    Attamah is still contracted to his parent club Basaksehir till June 2023.

    He replaces fellow countryman Bernard Mensah who has left the club to join Besiktas on a season-long loan.

    Ghanaian football player will wear the number 3 jersey in Kayserispor.

    Attamah made 17 appearances for Faith Karagumruk in the 2019/20 season.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • GRIDCo explains intermittent outages

    The main operator of the electricity grid, Ghana Grid Company, has attributed recent intermittent power outages to challenges with some of its key transmission lines in the Western and Eastern parts of the country.

    Brief outages have hit certain parts of the country in recent days; particularly last week and on Tuesday September 1, 2020. The outages were brief and lasted not more than three hours in parts of Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern and the Northern regions.

    According to the company, activities of galamsey operators and a charcoal loaded truck, snapped its Tafo to Akwatia transmission line. Additionally, the 330kV Aboadze substation reported some flashovers owing to the wet weather conditions; which eventually led to outages in some parts of the country.

    Chief Executive of GRIDCo, Jonathan Amoako-Baah said:

    “We have been working assiduously to resolve issues with our transmission lines across parts of the country. The recent outages have been carefully contained due to great effort from our Engineers, Operation & Maintenance staff and the Systems Control Centre. Our resolve is to ensure that challenges are resolved aggressively in line with our commitment to ensure uninterrupted supply of power to our key stakeholders. We are also taking measures to fix some of the challenges relating to infrastructure and installations to ensure an efficient grid that is resilient and sustainable for the country and the sub-region.”

    Source: GridCo

  • Energy Commission to prosecute importers and shipping lines of substandard refrigerators

    The Energy Commission will take legal action against any shipping line that accepts inefficient refrigerators and electrical appliances from next year.

    This is when the revised law on the importation of refrigerators and electrical appliances gets parliamentary approval.

    The move by the Commission is to ensure that the quest to eliminate such products that have higher consumption volumes are achieved.

    In a meeting with some shipping lines and importers of such products, Director of Energy Efficiency and Climate change at the Energy Commission, Kofi Adjarko told Joy Business that the revised act is placing a responsibility on shipping lines and owners to reject sub Standard electric appliances.

    Director of Energy Efficiency and Climate change
    at the Energy Commission, Kofi Adjarko

    The Energy Commission is seeking to review the law prohibiting the importation of second hand and substandard electrical equipment especially refrigerators into the country.

    The new law is aimed at making the country move from the current five-star being the most efficient standard to seven stars.

    At a stakeholders engagement with some traders as well as ports and shipping line owners, Head of Energy Efficiency and Climate Change at the Energy Commission, Kofi Adjarko said shipping lines are part of the process to ensure that such products do not enter the country.

    “It behoves on every stakeholder at the port that none of these substandard equipment enters the country, the reason why we go round to seize them as part of the enforcement but I must assure you that we shall be taking it a step further.

    “The revised law will now give us the power to take legal action against any trader or importer that brings in the materials but especially the carrier of these items which is the shipping lines,” he said.

    Executive Secretary of the Ghana Ship Owners and Agents Association, Perpetual Osei Bunso on her part asked for more engagements on the law to ensure smooth enforcement.

    “We are always ready to welcome any new law that will ensure that our businesses are not threatened but we demand more stakeholder engagements so that everyone will understand the purpose and move along,” she said.

    Sub standard washing machines

    Ghana could be making another huge savings in power when the law takes effect.

    According to the Commission, the country could be moving towards the production of these products if the necessary support is given to the private sector.

    The law, which was passed by parliament, Act 1932 some ten years ago prohibits the importation of certain electrical appliances into Ghana, one of the measures by government to curb the influx of inefficient refrigerators and lightning systems in the country.

    Source: Joy Business

  • India bans over 100 apps linked to China

    A further 118 Chinese mobile apps have been banned by the Indian government, as tensions between the two countries continue to rise.

    Those on the list include several of Tencent’s products including the hit video game PUBG Mobile and WeChat Work.

    Previously the government had banned 59 of the most popular apps including TikTok over national security concerns.

    India’s IT Ministry said it had “credible information” the latest batch were acting against India’s interests.

    Other apps affected include:

    two of search giant Baidu’s apps

    CamCard’s business card scanner

    Alibaba’s Alipay payment app and its Taobao e-commerce platform

    Netease games including Marvel Super War

    Sina News

    The ministry said it had received many complaints from “various sources” including several reports about “misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorised manner to servers which have locations outside India”.

    “The compilation of this data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures.”

    The ban comes against the backdrop of tensions along a disputed Himalayan border.

    Both India and China deployed more troops to the Ladakh region in June and clashes have left at least 20 Indian troops dead.

    Satellite images appear to show that China has built new structures overlooking the Himalayan border region.

    The US has also recently taken action against Chinese apps, threatening to ban TikTok and ordering US firms to stop doing business with Tencent’s WeChat platform. White House trade advisor Peter Navarro has said that the administration also has other Chinese apps within its sights.

    Source: bbc.com

  • US will not take part in global vaccine search

    The Trump administration has indicated that it will not participate in international coalition efforts to find and distribute a vaccine for COVID-19 because the World Health Organization (WHO) is involved.

    The Washington Post newspaper reported that the White House would not join 172 other countries participating in a WHO-led initiative to “ensure equitable access to safe and effective vaccines, once they are licensed and approved”.

    White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement that the US would “continue to engage our international partners to ensure we defeat the virus, but we will not be constrained by multilateral organisations influenced by the corrupt World Health Organization and China”.

    US President Donald Trump has attacked the WHO over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak, accusing it of being biased towards China in how it issued its guidance.

    Source: bbc.com

  • US Open 2020: Serena Williams beats Kristie Ahn in straight sets

    Serena Williams began her pursuit of a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title with a dominant 7-5 6-3 win over fellow American Kristie Ahn.

    The 38-year-old went a break down in both sets but recovered to win in an hour and a half as she chases Margaret Court’s Grand Slam tally.

    Williams gathered momentum late on, winning four straight games against the world number 96 in the second set.

    “I was really happy with how I fought for every point,” she said.

    “No matter how I was playing, I just had to get my Serena focus back so that was what I was working on today.”

    But she will not be joined in the next round by her sister Venus Williams, who lost 6-3 7-5 to Czech 20th seed Karolina Muchova.

    An error-strewn performance meant that two-time champion Venus, 40, made her first ever opening-round exit at her home Grand Slam.

    Meanwhile, men’s second seed Dominic Thiem advanced, having been leading 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 when Spanish opponent Jaume Munar retired from the match.

    Thiem, 26, will face Indian world number 124 Sumit Nagal in the second round as he looks to capitalise on the absence of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to win a maiden Grand Slam title.

    Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev is also through to the second round, comfortably beating Argentine Federico Delbonis 6-1 6-2 6-4. He will play Australia’s Chris O’Connell next.

    Women’s 10th seed Garbine Muguruza sealed her place in the second round with a 6-4 6-4 win against Japan’s Nao Hibino.

    Seventh seed Madison Keys is through after beating Hungary’s Timea Babos 6-1 6-1, while American second seed Sofia Kenin claimed a 6-2 6-2 victory against Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer.

    But former world number one Kim Clijsters’ return to Grand Slam tennis ended in defeat as Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia prevailed 3-6 7-5 6-1.

    Belgium’s Clijsters – a three-time US Open champion – was given a wildcard for the tournament after coming out of retirement earlier this year.

    ‘I love my job’ – Williams:

    With six of the world’s top 10 absent from the women’s draw because of the coronavirus pandemic, Serena Williams has a prime opportunity to claim the 24th title she has been chasing since her last win at the 2017 Australian Open.

    The third seed will face world number 117 Margarita Gasparyan of Russia in the second round, with the trickier challenge of compatriot Sloane Stephens possibly awaiting her after that.

    Williams had to overcome some inconsistencies, gifting Ahn two breaks of serve, but brushed aside the suggestion that the lack of fans on Arthur Ashe Stadium had affected her level of play.

    “It’s quiet,” she said. “It’s such a good stadium. It’s a Grand Slam and I think I’m still as passionate and intense out there.

    “I love my job. I love what I do. You can’t do it forever even though I’ve kind of been doing it just over forever. One of these days it’s going to end and I love being out here.”

    Source: BBC

  • Millions of pupils return after historic shutdown

    Millions of pupils in England are returning to school today after almost six months away.

    Schools are expected to look different, with one-way systems, screens keeping pupils apart and staggered start times.

    Many pupils will be given inductions so they understand the new rules, such as staying in their “bubble” groups and where to use social distancing. Teachers will be assessing what and how much their pupils need to catch up.

    Ministers are urging parents to send their children back but it’s unclear how many will do so, although attendance is compulsory in England.

    Some recent polls suggest families are keen to see children back in class but others have not been so positive.

    In Scotland, where pupils returned several weeks ago, official statistics show one in 10 pupils is absent. Pupils in Northern Ireland have already returned, and those in Wales are returning later this week.

    Source: BBC

  • SA COVID-19 funds audit ‘frightening’

    A scathing report into the use of South Africa’s Covid-19 relief fund has revealed overpricing and potential fraud, the auditor general says.

    Kimi Makwetu says the audit uncovered “frightening findings”.

    In some cases personal protective equipment (PPE) was bought for five times more than the price the national treasury had advised.

    The report also has flagged up 30,000 relief grants which “require further investigation”.

    Mr Makwetu has been tracking the spending of 500 billion rand ($26bn; £19bn) which is equivalent to 10% of the country’s gross domestic product.

    “A lot of the effort that we put into this on the detection side of things has revealed a number of frightening findings that require to be followed up very quickly so that there is no significant passage of time before the required actions are implemented,” he said at a press conference on Wednesday.

    The allocated funds were meant to assist vulnerable households with food parcels, unemployment grants, support small business, farmers and to also procure personal protective equipment.

    Source: bbc.com

  • About 80,000 persons in Greater Accra Region classified as poor, vulnerable

    About 80,000 persons within the Greater Accra Region have been classified as poor and vulnerable.

    This was announced by the Ghana National Household Registry of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection after engaging in a rapid data collection exercise.

    The data was compiled during the lockdown imposed by the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, earlier in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

    The register of the poor and vulnerable in society is expected to aid in better targeting of beneficiaries who deserve social protection.

    At a press conference organized in Accra, the National Coordinator of the Ghana National Household Registry, Dr. Prosper Laari, gave a breakdown of the total number of people sampled.

    “At the end of the exercise, we have collected data on approximately 80,000 poor and vulnerable persons in the Greater Accra Region. Out of this figure, 62% of the vulnerable individuals are females with about 50% aged 18-39; about 20% aged 40-59, and 10% aged 60 plus, and the remaining under 18 years.”

    “Over 60% of vulnerable individuals sleep in kiosks, containers, markets, uncompleted structures, on the streets, bus or lorry stations, chop bars or drinking spots, at the beaches, exposed to different forms of hazards. Only very few people sleep in compound houses, mostly in overcrowded rooms. 3% of the individuals live with a disability,” he stated.

    Dr. Laari further touched on how the data will improve the success of social protection programmes in the future.

    “The data is as good as its usage and so this is what we have profiled. We know that the World Food Program (WFP) is planning to target about 50,000 individuals, and they are going to use this data. As a ministry, there are several programs we have targeted toward the vulnerable and so you will want scientific data to be able to properly get to people that need those support,” he revealed.

    The exercise was funded by the World Bank and Department for International Development (DFID) and covered bases like the levels of education, source of livelihood, disabilities and basic access of these vulnerable persons.

    The exercise is currently being replicated in the North East, Savannah and Northern regions and is expected to be carried out in the Central and Volta regions by the end of the year

    Source: citinewsroom

  • Okyenhene not involved in Dome Faase land dispute Spokesperson

    Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin has denied claims of his involvement in the land boundary dispute at Dome Faase in the Obom Domeabra constituency.

    The Secretary of the Akyem Abuakwa State, Daniel Ofori Atta clarified this on behalf of the Okyenhene in a Citi News interview.

    He noted that, one of the key figures in the dispute, Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma said to be the Mponuahene of Akyem Apedwa has not been commissioned by Okyenhene to draw a boundary between the Akyem Abuakwa and the Ga States.

    Daniel Ofori Atta thus called for the immediate arrest and investigation of Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma .

    “The man who is said to have hired those hoodlums to cause mayhem was not sent to Dome Faase by the Okyenhene. We do not recognise him as chief within the Akyem Abuakwa traditional establishment. He has no authority to invade the township of Dome Faase.”

    “We are denying completely the assertion that Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma was dispatched to Dome Faase to draw a boundary between Akyem Abuakwa and the Ga State. We do not want any incident where the relationship between the Ga state and Akyem Abuakwa will be marred by this single incident,” he said.

    The coalition of Ga communities had alleged that the Mponuahene of Akyem Apadwa and the Akyem Traditional Council in the Eastern Region were taking their farmlands from them hence the resistance that led to chaos on August 25, 2020.

    Hundreds of fear-stricken residents subsequently fled after claiming they were being harassed by military officers.

    Over one hundred residents who were arrested by the military over the dispute were later released after a request by the elders of the community.

    Below is full statement from the office of Okyenhene

    THIS IS WITH AUGUST ORDER OF THE OKYENHENE REGARDING THE INVASION OF DOME FAASE IN THE OBOM-DOMEABRA CONSTITUENCY

    It has become necessary and of immediate concern to react to news reports that a certain Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma purporting to be Mponuahene of Akyem Apedwa has attributed his unlawful conduct with regards to the invasion of Dome Faase to the Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin.

    The news as reported by several media outlets represents a grave assault on the dignity of the Ofori Panin Stool.

    On Tuesday 25th August, 2020, Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma with the assistance of thugs and hoodlums provoked an unneeded social conflict by unlawfully invading the village of Dome Faase in the Obom- Domeabra Constituency.

    The Dome Faase incident has not the knowledge and or acceptance of His Majesty Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin.

    We wish to state unequivocally, that Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma is not the Mponuahene of Akyem Abuakwa.  He is not recognized and accepted as a Chief or a holder of any traditional authority in Akyem Abuakwa.

    He acted as land guard in furtherance of his illicit and criminal profession related to unlawful sand winning, unauthorised sale of lands and violation of the order and enforcement of the public policy which has been his hall mark.  He has time without number disrespected summons to appear before the Kyebi Executive Council to answer queries regarding his nefarious activities.

    This point is to the effect that the Osagyefuo dissociates himself from the criminal incident at Dome Faase.  Further to this, it must be made clear that there is no authorized associative responsibility to the person of the Okyenhene.

    What is of immediate concern to the Ofori Panin Fie, is the resultant effect to disturb the immemorial unity and historic solidarity of Akyem Abuakwa and the Ga State.  The Okyenhene wishes to assure the people of Dome Faase and the Ga State of his commitment to peaceful co-existence and harmony which has characterized the relationship between Okyeman and the Ga State.

    Further to this point, I am directed to call on the Inspector General of the Ghana Police Service to order for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.

    Signed

    M. OFORI ATTA

    STATE SECRETARY

    CC:         THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE

    HEADQUARTERS ACCRA

    THE GA TRADITIONAL COUNCIL

    Source: citinewsroom

  • Russian opposition politician Navalny was poisoned with Novichok – Germany

    Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was poisoned with Novichok nerve agent, the German government has said.

    Toxicology tests had shown “unequivocal proof” of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group, it said.

    Mr Navalny was airlifted to Berlin for treatment after falling ill during a flight in Russia’s Siberia region last month. He has been in a coma since.

    His team say he was poisoned on the orders of President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin has dismissed the allegation.

    The German government said it condemned the attack in the strongest terms and called for Russia to urgently provide an explanation.

    “It is a disturbing development that Alexei Navalny was the victim of a chemical nerve agent in Russia,” it said.

    Chancellor Angela Merkel has met senior ministers to discuss the next steps, the statement said.

    The Kremlin said it had not received any information from Germany that Mr Navalny had been poisoned using a Novichok nerve agent, Russia’s Tass news agency reported.

    The German government said it would inform the EU and Nato military alliance of its findings.

    “[The federal government] will discuss an appropriate joint response with the partners in the light of the Russian response,” it said.

    Mr Navalny’s wife Yulia Navalnaya and Russia’s ambassador to Germany would also be informed of the findings, the statement said.

    What happened to Navalny?

    Mr Navalny fell ill on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow. His supporters suspect poison was placed in a cup of tea at Tomsk airport.

    The flight of the prominent Putin critic was diverted to Omsk, where doctors treated him for three days before he was transferred to the Charité hospital in Berlin.

    The Kremlin says Russian doctors administered atropine – which can be used to treat the effects of nerve agents – but found no evidence of poisoning.

    Mrs Navalnaya said she feared Russian doctors had delayed his transfer as authorities were trying to wait for evidence of any chemical substance to disappear.

    Doctors at Charité hospital have said his condition is serious but not life-threatening.

    What is Novichok?

    The name Novichok means “newcomer” in Russian, and applies to a group of advanced nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s.

    Novichok agents have similar effects to other nerve agents – they act by blocking messages from the nerves to the muscles, causing a collapse of many bodily functions.

    While some Novichok agents are liquids, others are thought to exist in solid form. This means they can be dispersed as an ultra-fine powder.

    Novichoks were designed to be more toxic than other chemical weapons, so some versions begin to take effect rapidly – in the order of 30 seconds to two minutes.

    In 2018 an ex-Russian spy, his daughter and a couple were poisoned with a Novichok agent in the British city of Salisbury. Russian suspects identified in the case are alleged to have smeared the nerve agent on the door handle of Sergei Skripal’s home.

    What is the Salisbury poisoning’s legacy?

    The attack left Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia critically ill. Dawn Sturgess, 44, was later exposed to the same nerve agent and died in hospital.

    Who is Navalny?

    Mr Navalny is an anti-corruption campaigner who has led nationwide protests against the Russian authorities. He has called Mr Putin’s party a place of “crooks and thieves” that is “sucking the blood out of Russia”.

    However, he has been banned from standing against Mr Putin in elections because of a conviction for embezzlement. He denies the crime, saying his legal troubles are Kremlin reprisals for his fierce criticism.

    There have been a number of previous attacks on high-profile critics or opponents of President Putin, including politicians, intelligence officers and journalists. The Kremlin has always denied involvement.

    credit: BBC

  • I stayed in Bayern because of Hansi Flick – Jerome Boateng

    Bayern Munich defender, Jerome Boateng, has revealed that he was able to stay at the club beyond January due to the presence of current coach Hansi Flick.

    Jerome, who is the Junior brother of Black Stars forward Kevin-Prince Boateng struggled for game time at the beginning of the 2019/2020 season and was ready to exit the club until the managerial change in mid-season made him rescind on his decision.

    In an interview with Bild, Boateng spoke on his admiration for his coach Hansi Flick.

    “It was for him that I stayed in January. Flick showed me his confidence, I never wanted anything else. I’m happy to be able to give it back. Flick is a clear person, he doesn’t cheat on you.”

    “But in return, he asks for a lot. He doesn’t mince words and tells you what you need to work on. He changed this team.”

    Boateng is currently injured and is working on his recovery.

    Source: footballghana.com