TIG Post

Author: Chris Kodo

  • Richard Ofori optimistic of chances at Maritzburg United

    Ghana goalkeeper, Richard Ofori says he is stunned with the performance of Maritzburg United but believes his side have a good chance to finish in the top three of the South African Premier League.

    Maritzburg nearly suffered relegation last season but got a lifeline to remain in the topflight through playoffs but they have come good this campaign and are currently fifth on the league log with 39 points from 24 games.

    According to the former Wa All Stars goalkeeper, they all came into this campaign with good mentality after struggling last year and it had worked well for them.

    “This season has been amazing. Coming from playoffs last season we all came with a positive mentality to win and do our best for the team and the city,” Ofori told kickoff.

    “We are doing our job with full commitment and thanks to the fans that give us the best atmosphere to play in.”

    Ofori is also the only shot-stopper who has been nominated for the Kickoff ABSA Premier League Player of the Year award and he is pleased with it as his stock continues to rise.

    “As a keeper, I feel happy, honoured and excited to be nominated as one of the footballers of the year,” he added.

    “I would like to thank God for the blessings. It’s not often to see a keeper nominated in these awards so the mere fact that I am part of it this year means my efforts and hard work are noticed there.”

    “But all is made possible through God and most importantly my entire team as a whole who gave me the best and most comfortable environment to work in.”

    Ofori has kept 10 clean sheets and conceded just fifteen goals in the 23 league games he has been in post this season for the team of choice.

    Despite extending his contract with Maritzburg United by one more year, he still remains a summer transfer target of Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates as well as Belgian side Gent.

    Source: footballghana.com

  • Atletico Madrid ready to sell Thomas Partey

    Ateltico Madrid are open to selling Ghana midfielder, Thomas Partey this summer.

    The 26 year old has been linked to Arsenal this summer with the camp of the player saying he is interested in the move.

    Mikel Arteta is understood to be desperate on bolstering his central-midfield options this summer, especially in a defensive sense, and it is apparent that the Ghana international is right at the very top of his wish list.

    Partey has a release clause worth £43million and the Gunners are hopeful that they can convince Atletico to part with the midfielder for less.

    Partey is a key figure in Atletico boss Diego Simeone’s team, meaning the Argentine will not be keen on the idea of parting with the tough-tackling midfield star this summer.

    But according to Sky Sports pundit Gianluca Di Marzio, Atletico would be open to the idea of selling Partey this summer if the price was right, meaning they may not be so stubborn if Arsenal were to continue to knock on the door to try and get a deal done to take the midfielder to the Emirates Stadium.

    Di Marzio told Sky Sports: “Arsenal want him a lot. Every Atletico Madrid player is in the market.

    “So, it depends a lot on the offer. Atletico are open to selling every player if the offer is good.

    “It also depends on budget – how much Arsenal can afford? And how much Atletico want?

    “Atletico will want money, so it is difficult to see them doing a deal involving other players as part of it.”

    However, Di Marzio has warned that he would not be surprised if the Spanish giants were to retain the Ghana international beyond the next transfer window.

    “They are very smart when it comes to doing deals and it will not be a surprise if Thomas Partey was to stay,” he added.

    “He is young, he is not like Diego Costa, and they can sell him next year if they want or even in two years time.

    “So they are in control.”

    Only last week, Partey’s father revealed that his son was locked in talks with Arsenal about a move to the Premier League, only for that claim to be quickly quashed by the player’s representatives.

    Source: footballghana.com

  • I’m emotional, so what? Fools – Funny Face shreds critics

    The ongoing tension between comic actor Funny Face against Lilwin, Kalybos, Bismark The Joke, and Sandra Ababio is getting heated and nastier.

    Funny Face, who reignited the beef with several videos on his social media pages, dared Kalybos, Bismark The Joke, Lilwin to utter a word and he will reveal all their secrets.

    After the publications, some social media users took to their timelines and also under the comedian’s post to troll him; describing him as an emotional person.

    Responding to the trolls this morning in a video, an angry and visibly sad Funny Face cursed critics who he says, because they have access to data just spew rubbish on the internet.

    With a hoarse and faint voice, Funny Face, who seemed not to understand his critics questioned them on why they (critics) will jump on social media to troll people when they obviously don’t know the trauma the person is dealing with.

    “Let me tell you something, you don’t know the prayers someone said before God gifted him with twins. You don’t know what someone went through, keep quiet when someone is going through a situation. Fools…he is too emotional. Animals,” he said.

    Speaking in the Twi dialect, monitored by GhanaWeb, the Kasoa Vandamme as he’s fondly called cursed all trolls who went after him yesterday, adding that they will suffer and experience same pain he (Funny) is experiencing.

    “You are on social media spewing rubbish, will that help you? Animals, I have cursed all of you. You will suffer, your beginning and the end, you will suffer. Animals! I am given you 7 years, from today to the next 7 years. You will lose every heart desire of yours. You will suffer, you will cry and with pains, you will say ‘ajeeii’ You will feel the pain I’m going through. Are you fools? Somebody is going through emotional trauma, fighting for his life so that he stays to take care of his children. Are you fools? Are you fools? Animals!” he is seen ranting in the video.

    A shirtless Funny Face as seen in the video reiterated that it is his emotional characteristic that has shaped his brand and also giving him the opportunity to do big things for the poor, needy, and orphaned children in the society.

    “It is my emotionality that distinguished my personality…Why Why, you keep saying emotional, emotional. Animals. It is my emotionality that helped me to host a 46,000 show, organize an orphan concert…”

    Meanwhile, Lilwin, Kalybos, Bismark The Joke and Sandra Ababio are yet to respond to his accusations, though the 7-hour ultimatum given them has elapsed.

    Watch the video below:

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Today in Sports History: Hearts of Oak win Ghana Premier League title

    On this day 29 April 2007 (Exactly 13 years ago today) Hearts of Oak were confirmed Ghana league champions after beating Berekum Arsenal 1-0 in their last league match of the 2006/2007 season.

    The Accra side finished top with 58 points, four more than second-placed AshantiGold.

    Hearts sealed their 18th league title only after the Ghana Football Association resolved a catalogue of disciplinary decisions and results of matches by AshantiGold.

    Asante Kotoko defeated Accra Great Olympics 5-3 at the Nkawkaw Park to finish third with 51 points.

    All the three goals of Olympics were scored by inside left Emmanuel Clottey to record a hat-trick to propel him to win the Goal King race.

    Feyenoord, Tano Bofoakwa and Power FC were relegated to the first division.

    Source: happyghana.com

  • 3 armed robbers jailed for robbing, butchering returnee

    The Ofaakor Circuit court presided over by Ebenezer Osei Darko has sentenced three armed robbers to 75 years for robbing a Ghanaian who came into the country from Italy last year.

    The first and second accused Samuel Kweku Nhyira Amoankwando and Kofi Boateng Amoako were charged with conspiracy to rob and robbery, respectively while the third accused, Reuben Sam was charged with conspiracy to commit crime.

    Suspects Nhyira Amoakwandor and Kofi Boateng who pleaded not guilty are to serve 30 years concurrently for each of the counts they were convicted on while Reuben Sam is to serve 15 years.

    Stating the case in court, the prosecutor Ernest Agbo said in November last year, the complainant was robbed and butchered at Gomoa Buduburam.

    This was after his girlfriend, one Naomi Manso allegedly arranged with her local boyfriend who resides at Fetteh Kakraba to rob the businessman after picking him up from the Kotoka International Airport.

     

    Source: myjoyonline 

  • Ghana FA must extend financial support to the various bodies – Kojo Yankah

    Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Council member, Kojo Yankah, has urged the FA to extend support to the various stakeholders from the stimulus package to come from FIFA.

    The GFA is set to receive $500,000 from the world governing body as a stimulus package due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    Some clubs have called on the FA to extend some support to them when the FIFA money arrives.

    According to the former Western Regional Football Association chairman, the Ghana FA should extend support to the referees, match commissioners and clubs when they receive the money from FIFA.

    “The clubs must be given some of the money. They should also pay referees and match commissioners who are owed”, he told Happy FM.

    “The Covid-19 has affected everybody and this is money from FIFA. If everybody will get a penny they will appreciate it”, he added.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • GRA assures importers of restoration of GCNet system at ports

    The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) says it is consulting with the management of GCNet for the restoration of the GCNet GCMS services while the challenges with UNIPASS are fixed.

    In a statement on Tuesday, the Ag. Commissioner-General of the GRA, Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, said “It has come to the notice of the Management of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) that Customs House Agents/declarants are facing some challenges processing their Customs documents on the Integrated Customs Management Systems (ICUMS).

    “Management of GRA as part of efforts to resolve these challenges is having consultations with the management of GCNet for the restoration of the GCNet GCMS services.”

    The statement added, “The discussions are almost concluded and Management is hopeful that the GCNet GCMS will be operational by Wednesday, 29 April 2020.”

    There was frustration among industry players Tuesday as the ICUMS was unable to function as expected when freight forwarders turned up at the port to undertake documentation on import procedures.

    Many of them claimed they were unable to process vessel manifests needed to activate import declarations as the new ICUMS system had no platform that allowed agents and importers to upload their documents for processing, the Daily Graphic reported.

    The Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) also known as Uni-Pass, which is being implemented by the government in partnership with Ghana Link and Customs Uni-Pass International Agency (CUPIA) of Korea, was expected to go into full implementation Tuesday.

    The new electronic clearance platform will have processing and handling of all import and export documentations centralised under a common platform known as single window.

     

    Source: myjoyonline 

  • Passengers decry Ho to Adaklu transport fare hike

    Passengers who shuttle between Ho and Adaklu Have in the Volta Region are appealing to stakeholders to address the one Ghana cedis increment in the transportation fare.

    Commercial drivers, over the weekend were said to have unilaterally increased the lorry fare from three Ghana cedis to four Ghana cedis, representing a hike of 33 per cent.

    Passengers who spoke to the Ghana News Agency appealed to the District Chief Executive and Assemblymen for Adaklu to quickly resolve the issue before it degenerated into chaos.

    The situation was already causing growing resentment between passengers and drivers.

    One driver who identified himself only as Emmanuel said they had been directed by a member of the security agencies to carry three passengers in line with social distancing regulations, and also increase the fare to make up for the loss.

    He said passengers would either have to pay the new fare or the vehicles would revert to carrying four passengers.

    Mr. Sampson Worlanyo Gakpo, Assemblymen for the area, when contacted said he was working to get the issue resolved, and appealed for calm.

    Source: GNA

  • Coronavirus: Uganda bans lorry drivers from sleeping at hotels

    All lorry drivers crossing over the border into Uganda will not be allowed to carry passengers in their vehicles or to sleep in hotels or other people’s homes as part of new measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

    Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni made announcement after more than 20 of drivers entering the country from Kenya tested positive for Covid-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus.

    Mandatory testing for Covid-19 for lorry drivers began earlier this week has been causing huge traffic jams on the border between Kenya and Uganda.

    The route from the Kenyan port city of Mombasa is vital for transporting food, medicine and other essential goods to Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    President Museveni said stopping cargo traffic altogether would be suicidal.

    He also spoke out against growing hostility towards truck drivers by some Ugandans who worry they could be transmitting the disease.

    But he acknowledged that the group posed a real threat and compared the situation to the Aids scourge of the 1980s and 1990s when lorry drivers in the region transmitted HIV in towns and cities they travelled through.

    Source: bbc.com

  • FIFA proposes up to five substitutions per match on a temporary basis

    FIFA has proposed that teams should be allowed to make up to five substitutions per match, instead of the usual three, as a temporary measure to help cope with potential fixture congestion in the aftermath of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

    Football has been at a standstill since mid-March but many leagues and federations are still hoping to complete the season but to do so they would have to cram fixtures into a shorter period than usual once play re-starts.

    The proposal for more substitutes would have to be approved by soccer’s rule-making organisation IFAB and the final decision would rest with competition organisers, the sport’s global governing body said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

    ”One concern in this regard is that the higher-than-normal frequency of matches may increase the risk of potential injuries due to a resulting player overload,” FIFA added.

    ”Each team would now be given the possibility to use up to five substitutions during the match, with the possibility of an additional substitution remaining during extra time, where relevant,” it explained.

    FIFA added that the substitutions would have to be made in a maximum of three slots plus the halftime interval.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Dont blame WAFA for lack of football devt in Volta region WASU boss

    President of WAFA Supporters Union (WASU), Mr. Yohanes Hadzor Nugbe has debunked claims that WAFA management is not giving opportunities to players from Volta Region as well as not helping to develop sports in the Region.

    The WASU president in an interview with Dailymailgh.com advised the people of Volta Region to stop the blame game and find amicable resolutions to the challenges hindering sports development in the region.

    “I think we should all come together to find out how best we can develop football in the region rather than making unfortunate and false claims so we can all help raise the standard of football development in our various communities in the region”, he said.

    Mr. Nugbe continued by taking the chance to educate the people of Volta on football matters outlining the various challenges hindering the development of sports in the region as well as providing some possible interventions that WAFA is ever ready to implement if only authorities of football in the region and fans are ready to understand and work with the right system and structures toward sports development.

    “There are so many challenges in Volta region concerning sports and WAFA is always ready to open its gates to help develop the game but certain procedures must be considered and followed to ensure that football in Volta rise to the next level”, he noted.

    The WASU president went ahead to reveal the real challenges faced by football administrators in the region.

    The challenges faced by football people in the region according to the WASU are as follows:

    1. Lack of grassroots sports development.

    2. Lack of Professional sports institutions to help develop administrators.

    3. Lack of Professional administrators and most importantly coaches.

    4. Lack of qualified scouts to identify raw talents in the region.

    5. Lack of proper player career vision project and player welfare managing system.

    6. Unqualified Age factors (Limit)

    7. Lack of good relationships with other clubs (WAFA)

    8. Too much of one man affairs and Lack of sponsorship/support and investment into sports development

    9. Lack of Professional branding and marketing of the players and too much of rigidity of operation (one way of doing things), and also too much of personal insecurity.

    10. Too much of enmity posture against WAFA and other clubs and too much of blame games and unnecessary criticism rather than finding solutions to the various challenges facing the Region.

    The President of the only Premier League outfit in the region also had a word of advice for football people in the region.

    “We must all come together under one umbrella if we want the game to develop in our part of the country and also organizing workshops for the administrators across the region on either quarterly or six months basis would help raise the stakes of football in the region and all must support WAFA in other to keep raising the banner of the ragion high “, he stated

    Source: dailymailgh.com

  • Bayern Munich want Thomas Partey as long term replacement for Javi Martinez

    German giants Bayern Munich are set to make a move for in-demand Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey as a long term replacement for Javi Martinez.

    Partey, who is also a target of Premier League side Arsenal, popped up on the radar of the Bavarians as an ideal option for the club’s veteran Spanish midfielder Martinez.

    The 31-year old Martinez is believed to have reached a point where he might not be able to play with the same energy he used to and it is time to bring in a long term replacement.

    The German champions have identified Thomas Partey as one of the few players with the quality to replace Javi Martinez.

    Bayern are believed to be preparing a bid for Partey in the summer transfer window, despite huge interest from clubs in England and France.

    Partey is under contract until 2023 and his release clause is €50 million, but Atletico would like him to sign an extension that would double it.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Coronavirus: John Paintsil urges Ghanaians to stay home

    Former Black Stars defender John Paintsil who represented Ghana at the FIFA World Cup with a good display has added his voice on GTV Sports Plus on the fight against the coronavirus.

    According to the ex-player, the disease is real and has killed many people.

    He urged Ghanaians, especially people who live in the local communities not to have hard ears, but do as ordered by the President of the nation, Nana Akuffo Addo and stay at home.

    Paintsil featured for Berekum Arsenal, Liberty Professionals, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Tel Aviv, West Ham United, Fulham, Leicester City, Santos, Maritzburg United during his illustrious career.

    Paintsil was a member of Ghana Under 21 team who were runner-up in the FIFA World Youth Championship in Argentina in 2001 and played for the senior team in the African Cup of Nations in Mali in 2002 and Egypt in 2006.

    He was also a member of the Ghana 2004 Olympics football team who exited in the first round in Greece, having finished in third place in Group B. Paintsil played in all the matches of Ghana’s national team in the 2006 World Cup finals, where Ghana were beaten by Brazil in the second round.

    He was a member of the Ghanaian 2010 World Cup team that reached the quarter-finals in South Africa before losing to Uruguay. He played in all five games.

    Other ex-football stars who are in the campaign are Laryea Kingson and goalkeeper Sammy Adjei who spoke in Ga language to get down to the people.

    Sammy Adjei said the fact that one has not seen the virus does not make him or her not to believe as the Covid-19 is real and has killed many people all over the world.

    He urged Ghanaians to stay at home in order not to attract the coronavirus.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Prince Tagoe eyes final lap with Hearts of Oak before retiring

    Veteran Ghanaian forward, Prince Tagoe has disclosed plans to play a season with Accra Hearts of Oak before he goes into retirement.

    Tagoe played for the Phobians in the past and managed to set himself apart from strikers at that time.

    His lethal nature in front of goal saw him earning the nickname the Prince of Goals before he moved to Saudi Arabia and the UAE to play for Al- Ittihad and Al Shabab respectively.

    Prince Tagoe recently returned to Ghana and was training before the 2019/2020 Ghanaian football season was suspended. Speaking on Angel TV on Tuesday, the striker noted that he will want to have one last dance with Hearts of Oak before he call it quits.

    “Am planning to play one season for hearts of oak. I cannot say when but it is going to be soo. Definitely I have to. That is what I have told myself”, the 33-year-old said.

    Prince Tagoe previously played for clubs such as 1899 Hoffenheim, Bursaspor, Club Africain, Kelantan FA, and a few others.

    Source: footballghana.com

  • Coronavirus: Armah Buah sets up Food Bank for Ellembelle

    The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle Constituency of the Western Region, Mr. Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah has supported over 1,000 needy people with some assorted food items in the wake of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic.

    Some of the items included; bags of rice, frytol oil, tin tomatoes, canned fish, soft drinks, provisions among others.

    The MP made the donation to the needy elderly and children at Ampain on Friday, April 24, 2020, where he honoured his 2016 campaign pledge by establishing an ‘Ellembelle Food Bank’.

    The donation of the assorted food items to be used to start the programme cost the MP GHC50,000.

    The much-talked-about Ellembelle Food Bank which has been finally established and was launched on Friday is to provide food on daily basis to the low-income families, senior citizens, sick people, and sometimes victims of disaster or pandemics.

    The generous MP also donated a mobile van that will be used to distribute to the food items to the aforementioned people in their Communities.

    The Food Bank facility will be managed by an eleven-member Committee, an independent body made up of clergymen, traditional rulers, Ellembelle District Assembly and the Muslim Community.

    The Committee is being chaired by Nana Nyameke Fofole II, Chief of Ampain, the other members are; Pastor Eric Foli, Rev. Father Castro Adiaba, Rev. Ernest Owusu Tawiah, Mrs. Faustina Mensah, Chief Imam of Kangbumli, Mustapha Buah, Mr. Lord Cudjoe, Mr. Lord Ackah, Obahemaa Sarah, Queen Mother of A.B Bokazo, Rev. Alex Donkor and a representative of Ellembelle District Health Directorate.

    Explaining the Food Bank to GhanaWeb’s Western Regional Correspondent, Mr. Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah said he had the vision when he was a student in United States of America adding that when he promised to establish similar in Ellembelle District during the 2016 campaign many people thought food was not like bank people keeps their money there.

    “…I was explaining the Food Bank to somebody yesterday and I said do you know how banks came about, banks are just opened places, the only reason why they are very important places is that I drop my money there, you drop your money there so that who wants money can now go there and take some of our money when they say banks have collapsed, do you know why because that money is finished and I said the Food Bank is that everybody in Ellembelle believes so much that if he drops something there, today that something is good for him, tomorrow when he needs, he can go there and pick something”, he stated.

    He said the establishment of the Food Bank was to energise the community and receive donations to support the less privileged.

    “…The goal here is to basically energise the community and create the community spirit of giving. What we have done today is to create an avenue for people who can give on daily basis to drop food, this is more of a dropping point.

    He bemoaned how more than 1.5 million people in Ghana according to Ghana Statistical Service report in 2016 go to bed with empty stomach every day without food.

    Adding that the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic has worsened the situation but expressed his optimism that with the coming into being of the Food Bank, his Constituents would have some food to eat to survive in these hard times.

    “We know that already the numbers are that we have more than 1.5 million people that go to bed without food every day and the situation has even been made worse by the pandemic (Coronavirus) and the difficulties we face and I think this is the time we as people and the community we show love by sharing, I think the indication clearly is that on the daily basis one-third of the food that we have go waste, how do we ensure that we share it and I think that the Food Bank will do exactly that”.

    He emphasized that the Food Bank is not for him alone but for the good people of Ellembelle and outside Ellembelle District.

    He added that the distribution of the food items would not be done on race, age, gender, religion, colour, status and political affiliation.

    “This Food Bank is not for Hon. Armah Kofi-Buah. Somebody asked me, Hon. so when we come to the Food Bank will there be food and I said as far as we all put food there, we will all use it to support ourselves especially the needy. This Food Bank you see here, this is going to be a non-partisan, a non-profit, a place where we all agreed is for everybody irrespective of age, creed, colour, religion and status”.

    The NDC Lawmaker charged the eleven-member committee to work hard to sustain the programme to avoid any embarrassment.

    He said he had been encouraged by the faith-based Organizations, the Muslim Community and the Chiefs for embracing the project.

    He disclosed that “The good news is that the main targets are the elderly and the children especially and we know a lot of people may not able to come specifically to the Food Bank, that us why we have a Food Mobile Van that will basically visit the people in the Communities and basically drop food. I believe as we go forward the management will put structures in place so that the programme will be sustained”.

    He, therefore, seized the opportunity to appeal to other companies and benevolent organizations to donate food items to support the gesture and he was optimistic that one day other Districts in Ghana would emulate it.

    On his part, the Axim Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Philip Osei Korsah who summarized his remarks from the book of Genesis 45: 4-9, thanked the Ellembelle MP, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah for the establishment of the Food Bank which was going to help the less privileged in the wake of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic.

    He said the deadly Coronavirus pandemic does not know NPP members and NDC members, adding that the virus could infect anybody at all.

    Apostle Osei Korsah called on the good people of the area to accept, embrace and support the initiative and pray always for it to be sustained.

    The District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area who is also the 2020 Parliamentary Candidate for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Kwasi Bonzoh hailed the MP for the initiative and described MP’s idea as a very brilliant one.

    He, therefore, took the opportunity to donate GHC1,000 as his personal contribution to sustain the programme.

    Mr. Kwasi Bonzoh promised to add 9 more to it when voted into power as the Member of Parliament for the area and appealed to other donors to donate generously to the newly established Ellembelle Food Bank to last longer.

    Moreover, to sustain the facility, some individuals and companies who graced the occasion donated physical cash, cheques and food items to the management.

     

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Are you a surgeon? – Asiedu Nketia asks Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah

    Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has questioned the locus of Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, who is urging the public not to discredit the work of medical experts leading the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

    The NDC accused the government of massaging figures of the number of people infected with COVID-19.

    Asiedu Nketia is convinced the figures being put out by the Ghana Health Service are not the true reflection on the ground.

    But Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah has quashed media reports that the government is massaging figures of the number of people infected with COVID-19.

    He said these experts, including professors; virologists, epidemiologists, laboratory technicians, clinicians, among others, deserve encouragement and support instead of condemnation.

    However, Asiedu Nketia said the Ghana Health Service and Information Minister are “hiding” the truth from Ghanaians due to the government’s “poor” measures to fight the spread of the virus adding that Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah leading the communication of a specialised medical team is problematic.

    “Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah telling us not to discredit medical experts; Are you [Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah] a surgeon?” he asked.

     

    Source: pulse.com.gh

  • Jihadists killed in major Mozambique crackdown

    Mozambique’s security forces have killed nearly 130 Islamist militants in the past three weeks, the government says.

    Interior Minister Amad Miquidade said the gas-rich northern province of Cabo Delgado was now under government control.

    He said the military would carry out further operations to make sure all jihadist bases were destroyed.

    The Islamist fighters, known locally as al-Shabab, have been beheading people and burning villages in northern Mozambique for the past three years.

    At least 900 people have been killed and there has been an upsurge in attacks recently.

    Source: bbc.com

  • UNIPASS brouhaha: GRA consults GCNET to resume operations

    The Ghana Revenue Authority has asked GCNET to resume operations at the Tema port today, Wednesday, April 29, 2020, in order to restore the disrupted Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS).

    In a letter sighted by Starrfm.com.gh, GRA stated that discussions with GCNET have been occasioned by the challenges being faced by agents processing their custom documents on the new Integrated Customs Management System by UNIPASS.

    Earlier last week renowned policy Think Tank IMANI Ghana petitioned President Akufo-Addo to do the following:

    1) Temporarily suspend operations of UNI-PASS and allow GCNET and West Blue to operate for the remainder of the year in order to assure the nation of revenues, most likely GHS10bn given depressed trade activity due to COVID-19.

    2) Conduct an independent review of the UNI-PASS system.

    3)The Ministry of Trade and Finance should share revenue projections from implementing UNI-PASS with Ghanaians.

    Attached is a copy of the letter by GRA:

    Source: starr FM

  • Actress Zynnell Zuh causes stir on social media with no makeup photo- SEE

    Ghanaian actress, Zynnell Zuh, has proven that she is one of the most beautiful actresses in the country currently.

    She has released a photo of herself flaunting her natural beauty on social media.

    The actress, who is noted for her fashion sense, has always been complimenting her beauty with makeup.

    For once, she has decided to show her real face and pure skin to the world.

    Her caption of the photo read, “Good morning… live it, love it. The day is yours.”

    See Photo below;

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    Goodmorning… live it,love it . The day is yours 😀 @zyellegant

    A post shared by Zynnell Zuh ✨💫 (@zynnellzuh) on

    Source: adomonline.com

  • Iran tells US not to ‘plot’ against it amid Gulf tensions

    Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday told the United States it “should not plot against the Iranian nation every day”, amid fresh tensions between the arch foes in the Gulf.

    Tehran and Washington have traded barbs over a spate of incidents in the past year involving their forces in the sensitive waters of the Gulf.

    Their latest high-seas confrontation came on April 15, when the United States said 11 Iranian boats harassed its navy ships in what it described as the international waters of the “Arabian Gulf”.

    President Donald Trump then tweeted that he had ordered the US Navy to “shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea”.

    Iran’s president on Wednesday replied that “the Americans should know that this gulf is called the Persian Gulf, not the New York Gulf or the Washington Gulf”.

    “They must understand the situation by that name and by the coastal nation that has protected this waterway for thousands of years,” Rouhani said in a televised address during a cabinet meeting.

    “The soldiers of our armed forces in the guardians of the Revolution, the army, Basij (paramilitary organisation) and the police have always been and will be the guardians of the Persian Gulf.”

    Iran and the United States have been at loggerheads for decades.

    Tensions between them have escalated since 2018 when Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from a multinational accord that froze Iran’s nuclear programme and reimposed crippling sanctions on its economy.

    The arch enemies have appeared to come close to a direct military confrontation twice since June last year, when Iran shot down a US drone in the Gulf.

    On that occasion, Trump cancelled retaliatory air strikes at the last minute.

    Trump also opted not to take any military action in January after Iran fired a barrage of missiles at US troops stationed in Iraq.

    Iran launched the missiles after a US drone strike near Baghdad airport killed Qasem Soleimani, the general who headed the Revolutionary Guards’ foreign operations arm, the Quds Force.

    Source: france24.com

  • COVID-19: Ghana has 6th highest cases in Africa but fewer deaths

    Cases of Coronavirus in Africa have surged past 34,000 with Ghana having the sixth-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 (Coronavirus) infections.

    According to the World Health Organization (WHO) data, Ghana’s 1,671 cases announced yesterday places the country behind Egypt (5,042), South Africa (4,996), Morocco (4,246), Algeria (3,649) and Cameroon (1,705).

     

    Deaths

    Of the countries that have recorded more than 1,500 confirmed cases, the WHO data shows that Ghana has recorded the lowest number of fatalities with 16 while Algeria has the most fatalities with 437.

    South Africa has recorded 93 deaths, Egypt has 359 deaths, Cameroon has 58 deaths and Morocco has 163 fatalities.

    African recoveries

    Out of a total of 34,928 confirmed cases recorded in Africa, the continent has 22,068 active cases and 11,336 recoveries.

    Global picture

    Globally, more than 215,000 people have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, while some three million infections have been confirmed in at least 185 countries and territories. More than 920,000 people have recovered to date.

     

    Source: Graphic.com.gh 

  • Weeks after virus scare, British PM becomes father again

    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday became a father again when his partner Carrie Symonds gave birth to a healthy baby boy, just weeks after he himself was hospitalised with coronavirus.

    The news came as a surprise, as Symonds, 32, was not thought to be due for several weeks, but both she and the baby were said to be doing “very well”.

    Messages of congratulations poured in from across the political spectrum for the couple, who have in recent weeks been confronted with the realities of the global coronavirus outbreak up close.

    Johnson, 55, only returned to work on Monday after being hospitalised with COVID-19, including three nights in intensive care during which he later said “things could have gone either way”.

    Symonds, a former head of communications for the Conservative party, also reported having symptoms of the virus, although she recovered at home.

    “The prime minister and Ms Symonds are thrilled to announce the birth of a healthy baby boy at a London hospital earlier this morning,” a spokesman for the couple said.

    “Both mother and baby are doing very well.”

    Johnson is reported to have attended the birth at an unnamed state-run National Health Service (NHS) hospital in London.

    The prime minister has at least five other children, including four with his second wife, Marina Wheeler, from whom he split in 2018.

    He also had a daughter as a result of an extra-marital affair while he was mayor of London, according to a 2013 court case.

    Johnson and Symonds, who announced in February that they were engaged, last year became the first unmarried couple to live in Downing Street.

    However, the new baby will not be the first – former prime ministers Tony Blair and David Cameron both became fathers while in office.

    ‘Some good news’

    Johnson is the most high-profile world leader to contract COVID-19, and Britain is among the worst hit countries in the global pandemic, with more than 21,000 deaths so far.

    But that figure was expected to rise further, as the government begins reporting both deaths in hospital and the wider community, particularly care homes.

    The prime minister, who is under pressure to ease lockdown restrictions, spent two weeks recovering from coronavirus at his countryside retreat of Chequers, before returning to work on Monday.

    There had been some speculation about his health after aides refused to say if he would attend the weekly prime minister’s questions in parliament on Wednesday.

    Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who deputised for Johnson during his illness, is now expected to step in.

    The speaker of the lower House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, was among the first to congratulate the new parents.

    “Such happy news amid so much uncertainty; 2020 is certainly a year they will never forget,” he said.

    Finance minister Rishi Sunak, who has an office next door to Johnson, said it was “great to hear Downing Street is getting a new resident”.

    Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon sent her congratulations and good wishes to the couple and “the wee one”, tweeting: “Some good news.”

    Environmental campaigner

    Symonds worked on Johnson’s re-election campaign when he was mayor of London, and later rose to become communications chief at the Conservatives.

    She left to work for an ocean conservation charity, and uses her Twitter account to speak out against animal cruelty and plastic pollution.

    Since the couple began publicly dating in early 2019, she has kept a low profile.

    There was a brief controversy when, during Johnson’s campaign for the Conservative leadership last year, police were called to the couple’s south London home after alleged reports of a loud argument.

    She moved into Downing Street when he took office in July, but kept out of the campaign for the December general election, in which Johnson secured the Conservatives’ best result since the 1980s.

    In February the couple announced they were engaged and were expecting a baby “in the early summer”.

    Source: france24.com

  • Untold suffering awaits Sudan unless it receives help – Michelle Bachelet

    The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday expressed serious concerns about the crisis facing Sudan’s transition in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. She said that untold suffering awaits Sudan unless donors act fast.

    The promise of economic and social development, democracy, justice and peace is being threatened by acute resource constraints on the transitional government of Sudan, Bachelet said.

    These resource constraints are exacerbated by a combination of the practical effects of ongoing unilateral sanctions, the failure of international institutions to provide debt-relief, and a deficit of international support, she added.

    “The tipping point,” the UN Human Rights Chief and former Chilean president said, “could be Covid-19.”

    Medical sources have warned there is a serious shortage of equipment and protective gear. As of 27 April, 275 people had been tested positive with COVID-19, 22 of whom have died, and 21 recovered.

    “The health system is simply not equipped to handle an outbreak on the scale we have seen elsewhere in the world. There is only one way to prevent a humanitarian disaster, and that is for the donors to step up and extend a helping hand to Sudan,” said Bachelet.

    “We must act swiftly and generously to provide financial support. Otherwise, we run the risk of a country which held such promise relapsing back into political instability and potential conflict. The only way Sudan will ever be able to break out of this cycle of poverty and desperation is to be freed from the impediments of sanctions imposed at the time of the previous government. This would enable Sudan to attract investment for its much-needed economic reforms, and to fully access funds of the international financial institutions,” Bachelet said.

    Source: allafrica.com

  • Ankaase hospital staff threaten to suspend services

    The medical staff of Ankaase Methodist Hospital in the Afigya Kwabre South District in the Ashanti Region have threatened to suspend their services after an armed robbery attack claimed the life of a 35-year-old biomedical scientist who was returning home from work.

    Stephen Kwabena Nyamekye, the biomedical scientist, was attacked on the deplorable Ankaase-Ntonso road and sustained body and head injuries.

    He died at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) where he was referred to for medical care.

    He is survived by a pregnant wife and two children.

    The General Manager of the hospital, Mr Joseph Atta Amankwah, said one other medical doctor at the hospital, Dr Dase Dani, escaped death narrowly when robbers attacked him last month on the same road while on his way to work.

    He said early in January this year, a rotational nurse was also attacked on the same road after close of work and attributed the spate of robbery attacks on their staff to the deplorable road which he said had created a haven for robbers to lay ambush and attack them at vantage points at dawn and dusk.

    No more risk

    At a media briefing, Mr Amankwah said if nothing was done to improve the quality of the five-kilometre road that links Ankaase to the main Mampong highway, they would be forced to suspend their services.

    “We wish to categorically state that we shall no longer risk our lives in the name of saving lives in the midst of this pandemic. If in the foreseeable future we do not see evidence of work on our road with improved security, we will be forced to suspend services so as to protect ourselves from needless injuries and premature deaths,” Mr Amankwah said.

    Our territory

    “Armed robbers have taken over our territory with impunity. Staff who for some reasons are called to attend to emergencies always bid their loved ones goodbye before heading to the hospital because they are not sure if they would return whole to see their loved ones again.

    “There is not a single month that we do not witness or hear of armed robbery attacks on our roads, with some of the hospital staff as victims,” he bemoaned.

    “The road is so bad that ambulances sometimes get stuck when transporting patients.

    “There has been several instances where pregnant women have delivered on the road and also had life-threatening abortions and pre-term labour. The road is so dark in the night that armed robbers find it easy to operate at night and dawn in the area,” he added.

    Catchment population

    Mr Amankwah said in spite of the numerous challenges confronting them, they served a catchment population of about 200,000, including patients from Yeji, Kintampo, Attebubu, the Kumasi metropolis and Mampong.

    “This hospital is by no means a small health facility. It has been contributing its quota to the development of the nation because in 2019 alone, we attended to 90,000 out-patients, managed over 8,000 in-patients, operated on 1,950 patients and delivered 1,920 babies,” he noted.

     

    Source: Graphic.com.gh 

  • Covid-19 has not affected me Sonnie Badu

    Award-winning gospel singer, Sonnie Badu says the Covid-19 pandemic has not affected him at all.

    According to him, because he is not travelling like he used to prior to the outbreak, he has more time to spend with his family.

    “It is very important that with everything that happens, you look for the positives and not the negative because, the negatives will quickly destroy you,” he said.

    Sonnie Badu on May 1, 2020 will hold a virtual concert in collaboration with the Embassy of Ghana in the USA, to entertain Ghanaians during this coronavirus pandemic.

    Source: MyJoyOnline.com

  • Coronavirus lockdown: Zimbabwean govt stops home evictions over unpaid rent

    Cabinet has resolved to stop any pending evictions on tenants in both residential and commercial lodgings over unpaid rentals during the month-long Covid-19 induced lockdown period.

    Speaking at a post-cabinet media briefing Tuesday, Information Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa said there was need for parties to understand the dire situation brought by the world pandemic.

    Tenants who are currently struggling to pay will however have to meet their rentals arrears in installments post COVID-19 lockdown.

    “In view of the foregoing, cabinet resolved that His Excellency, the President will consider the promulgation of presidential regulations to give relief to both tenants and landlords during the lockdown period. The cabinet resolved that the residential and commercial properties be accorded a moratorium on evictions in respect of applicable lease obligations due for the period from April to the end of the lockdown including payment of rentals due for those months,” Mutsvangwa said.

    She also said: “Any unpaid rentals due for the period from April up to the end of the lockdown be paid in equal installments after the declaration of the end of the lockdown period together with the rentals due to those months”.

    Speaking at the same briefing, Industry and Commerce minister, Sekai Nzenza said parties should find each other.

    She acknowledged this could create chaos and result in piling of court cases, hence the need for dialogue between landlords and tenants.

    “We are living in very unusual situations. People are not able to pay rent. So, to address the problems, we can’t say we have the answer right there, but I would say we should come to a table and have a dialogue that is done in good faith,” she said.

    However, Mutsvangwa said those who defy the directive could find themselves in trouble with the law.

    “… If somebody doesn’t follow on what the government is doing in trying to help in terms of bringing in a moratorium on both tenants and landlords… the courts will certainly deal with them,” said Mutsvangwa.

    The move by government comes at a time most Zimbabweans are struggling to put food on the table due to the prolonged job stay-away.

    Payment of rentals has been a nightmare for many who survive on informal deals and have not generated a single penny since the introduction of the lockdown.

    Source: allafrica.com

  • COVID-19: TUC, Employers Association call for stimulus support for big businesses

    The Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Ghana Employers Association have called on government to extend its stimulus support to cover big businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Currently, the government has plans to put in place a GHS600 million soft loan scheme with a two-year repayment plan for micro, small and medium scale businesses.

    But speaking at COVID-19 communiqué signing ceremony by the National Tripartite Committee, the General Secretary of TUC, Dr. Yaw Baah said bigger businesses were also deserving of support from the state given their tax contributions over the years.

    “We want to associate ourselves with the Ghana Employers Association to recommend that we still need stimulus packages for big businesses. These businesses have been paying taxes for all these years.”

    “Today they are in trouble and we expect the government to come in strongly and support them,” Dr. Baah said, adding that the soft loan scheme will not be “enough to actually bring the economy back to where we were when this COVID-19 started.”

    He also noted that this support should be based on importance to the value chain.

    Dr. Baah said the government “should identify and select a number of local enterprises to be supporting so that those disruptions can be minimised.”

    The government has indicated that the cumulative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic will cost Ghana GHS9.505 billion.

    There was a three-week partial lockdown of Accra, Kasoa, Kumasi and Tema leading to a severe economic downturn as has been seen globally.

    To address some of the expected challenges, the government announced a GHS1 billion Coronavirus Alleviation Programme that will be funded from the Ghana Stabilisation Fund.

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also approved the disbursement of US$1 billion interest-free loan to Ghana to be drawn under the Rapid Credit Facility (RCF).

    The money is to help Ghana address the “fiscal and balance of payments needs” and also help the country to improve confidence in its economy especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • Hundreds of Moroccan inmates test positive for virus

    Some 313 coronavirus cases have been reported in Moroccan jails following mass testing for Covid-19.

    The authorities say Ouarzazate prison in central Morocco recorded 303 cases, while 10 other cases were in Oudaya prison in Marrakesh and Ksar Kebir prison in the north-west.

    Most of the cases involved prisoners, but a small number of prison warders were also diagnosed.

    The mass testing started after one person in Ouarzazate prison tested positive last week.

    The authorities say they have isolated all positive cases and all warders have been issued with protective gear.

    There are nearly 80,000 inmates in Moroccan prisons. In early April, more than 5,654 inmates were pardoned by the king to reduce the risk of spreading the virus in notoriously overcrowded prisons.

    Morocco has 4,252 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including 165 deaths.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Kenya airport cleaners ‘fired’ and left stranded

    A video of Kenyan airport cleaners who were allegedly fired on Tuesday night has caused anger online.

    The workers said they had reported for their night shift at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in the capital, Nairobi, but after about four hours were asked to surrender their security passes before being kicked out of the building.

    They said no explanation was given for their dismissal and were just told to return home.

    But as it was past curfew, which has been imposed as part of coronavirus restrictions, they had to spend the night out in the cold.

    The cleaners, who said they are employed by the Colnet cleaning company, have asked the government to intervene.

    The BBC has asked Colnet for comment and the firm said it would reply later in the day.

    In a video shared on Twitter one of the cleaners explained how she would be unable to fend for her children:


    At the moment only cargo flights are permitted to land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, a major transport hub in the region, because of restrictions imposed to stop the spread of coronavirus.

    Source: bbc.com

  • GRA assures importers of GCNet system restoration today

    The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is assuring importers of the restoration of the GCNet system today, Wednesday, 29 April 2020.

    This follows complaints made by agents, among others, about the challenges they are facing in processing their customs documents at the Integrated Customs Management Systems (ICUMs).

    The GRA, in a statement, said the “management of GRA, as part of efforts to resolve these challenges is having consultations with management of GCNet for the restoration of the GCNet GCMS services.”

    It added that the discussions are almost concluded and management is hopeful that the GCNet GCMS system will be operational by today 29 April 2020.

    Continuing, it said, “management regrets any inconvenience that the disruptions have caused all its cherished stakeholders.”

    The GRA on Tuesday, 28 April 2020 said beginning 1 June 2020, all import and export transactions will be processed only through the new ICUMS.

    Accordingly, all existing transactions that began processing prior to 31 May 2020 that have not been completed in the Ghana Customs Management System (GCMS) shall, however, be reprocessed through the new Integrated ICUMS.

    The GRA noted that the decision affects transactions that have been paid before or after duty.

    Source: Class FM

  • Case challenging Amidus eligibility as Special Prosecutor adjourned to May 13

    The decision of the Supreme Court on the eligibility and the capacity of Martin Amidu to occupy the position of Special Prosecutor has been adjourned.

    The decision, which was expected to be delivered today, Wednesday, April 29, 2020, was moved to the 13th of May by the judges without reasons.

    The suit was filed by a former Deputy Attorney General, Dr. Dominic Ayine who contends that Mr. Amidu, being 66 years [at the time the suit was filed in 2018], was too old to hold public office, and as such could not be the Special Prosecutor.

    In his writ, Dr. Ayine sought a declaration that per the interpretation of Articles 190(1)(d), 199(1), 199(4), and 295 of the 1992 Constitution, the retirement age of all holders of public offices created pursuant to Article(1)(d), is 60 years, thus Mr. Amidu is not qualified or eligible to be nominated as the Special Prosecutor.

    Dr. Dominic Ayine filed the case in February 2018.

    In the course of the suit, the Supreme Court struck out Martin Amidu, as a defendant in the case.

    According to the court, Mr Amidu was not a proper party to the case as the position in question was one which falls under Article 88 of the Constitution.

    The Supreme Court said, per the constitution, the Attorney General is required to represent public officials sued as a result of their office.

    Mr. Amidu expressed his displeasure with this course of events saying he would have done a better job in defending himself in the case than the Attorney General or any other lawyer.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • Man Utd may be pushed into Pogba decision by coronavirus crisis

    Ed Woodward’s admission that it would not be “business as usual” for Manchester United during the next transfer window should come as little or no surprise to anyone.

    The club will find itself in a better position than most when the market reopens but the impact of Covid-19 on the global economy is undoubtedly going to have an effect on football’s finances.

    Indeed, right now, it represents a trip into the unknown.

    Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said earlier in the month that he hopes to “exploit” the transfer market to strengthen his squad and financial experts are of the opinion that United will be one of the few clubs in a position to spend.

    However, certain deals are already being ruled out due to the biggest financial crisis the game has ever faced.

    Tottenham striker Harry Kane was under consideration but senior figures at United had already abandoned the idea of signing the England captain before Woodward addressed the fans’ forum on Friday.

    “Nobody should be under any illusions about the scale of the challenge facing everyone in football and it may not be ‘business as usual’ for any clubs, including ourselves, in the transfer market this summer,” the executive vice-chairman said.

    “As ever, our priority is the success of the team, but we need visibility of the impact across the whole industry, including timings of the transfer window, and the wider financial picture, before we can talk about a return to normality.

    “On this basis, I cannot help feeling that speculation around transfers of individual players for hundreds of millions of pounds this summer seems to ignore the realities that face the sport.”

    Those realities are unavoidable, even at United. It’s now possible that the club will entertain ideas that would previously have been dismissed out of hand.

    Last summer, United valued Paul Pogba at £180 million ($224m). However, with so much uncertainty now surrounding the market due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the World Cup winner would now be lucky to fetch even half of that figure.

    Paul Pogba Man Utd PS

    Pogba’s present contract expires in 2021 but United have the option to extend it for a further year. They have yet to do so, though, and the Covid-19 crisis leaves them with a trickier decision to make this summer than they were expecting.

    Cash in now before Pogba’s value falls even further? Or trigger the extension and hope that prices return to something resembling their previous levels next year?

    Pogba has already made it clear he wants a challenge away from United and his agent Mino Raiola has been doing his best to try and engineer a move for the 27-year-old France international.

    So, does Solskjaer even want to retain a player that isn’t committed to his rebuilding project? If not, then selling the France international this summer, even at a knockdown price, would make sense, as it would still generate a considerable amount of money for new signings.

    England winger Jadon Sancho remains a priority, given his youth and pace, but striking a deal with Borussia Dortmund won’t be easy.

    “There is no new situation. Currently no club will risk anything in making a big-money move – not even in England,” BVB chief Michael Zorc said on Monday. “We have a long-term contract with Jadon Sancho and that is why we are totally relaxed.”

    The former Manchester City star would likely cost around £100m ($124m) a sum that Woodward has conceded is no longer a legitimate price to pay so it’s easy to understand why Zorc and the Dortmund hierarchy feel relaxed over a potential transfer.

    However, United are still going to be one of a handful of clubs who will be able to spend, while some of their cash-strapped rivals may be forced to accept cut-price deals for their stars.

    So, if United offload players they deem surplus to requirements, such as Pogba, it may be possible to land a top target after all.

    Source: goal.com

  • Carjackers on the loose, be cautious – Police to public

    The Accra Regional Police Command has issued a public alert, especially to taxicab drivers, about the activities of carjackers in the metropolis.

    The police said although the mode of operations may vary, a common trend is that one or two members of the syndicate hire the services of a taxicab to a particular destination.

    Mid-way through the journey, other accomplices board the vehicle and then conspire to snatch the vehicle at gunpoint.

    The alert follows the arrest of some five suspected carjackers in Accra.

    “Appropriate steps have been taken to prosecute the suspects, however, the Command cautions the general public to be informed of such criminal activities in order to prevent possible theft of their vehicles.

    “Beware if juicy offers, especially at night; reject services to outlandish areas, seek police assistance at snap checkpoints on the least suspicion. If possible, use automobile tracking devices,” the alert signed by ASP Efia Tenge, the PRO of the Accra Regional Police Command said.

     

    Source: Class FM

  • Buhari imposes 8pm to 6am curfew nationwide beginning may 4th

    As part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria, President Buhari this evening, imposed an 8pm to 6am nationwide curfew. The curfew is to begin on Monday, May 4th.

    The President announced this during his nationwide broadcast on April 27.

    He said:

    In line with the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on COVID nineteen, the various Federal Government committees that have reviewed socio-economic matters and the Nigeria Governors Forum, I have approved a phased gradual easing of lockdown measures in FCT, Lagos and Ogun States effective from Monday, 4th May, 2020.

    However, this will be followed strictly with aggressive reinforcement of testing and contact tracing measures while allowing the restoration of some economic and business activities in certain sectors.

    Furthermore, new nationwide measures are to be introduced as

    follows,

    a. There will be an overnight curfew from 8pm to 6am. This means all movements will be prohibited during this period except for

    b. There will be a ban on non-essential inter-state passenger travel

    c. Partial and controlled interstate movement of goods and services essential services; until further notice will be allowed for the movement of goods and services from producers to consumers, and

    d. We will strictly ensure the mandatory use of face masks or coverings in public in addition to maintaining physical distancing.

    Furthermore, we also discussed how to safely transport food items from rural production areas to industrial processing zones and ultimately, to the key consumption centers. earlier, these steps were necessary and personal hygiene. Furthermore, the restrictions on social and religious gatherings shall remain in place. State Governments, corporate organisations and philanthropists are encouraged to support the production of cloth masks for citizens.

    For the avoidance of doubt, the lockdown in the FCT, Lagos and Ogun States shall remain in place until these new ones come into effect on Monday, 4th May 2020.

    The Presidential Task Force shall provide sector specific details to allow for preparations by Governments, businesses and institutions.

    In respect to the above are guidelines, State Governors may choose to adapt and expand based on their unique circumstances provided they maintain alignment with the guidelines issued above”

    Source: aljazeera.com

  • Former Ivory Coast rebel leader Guillaume Soro fined $7m in absentia

    A presidential candidate in Ivory Coast’s election has been convicted in absentia of embezzlement and money laundering.

    Guillaume Soro, who has been a rebel leader and prime minister, was accused of buying a house with public money.

    Soro denied the allegations and his lawyers boycotted the trial, denouncing it as a way to exclude him from October’s election, reports Reuters.

    Soro was sentenced to 20 years in jail and fined $7.6m (£6.1m).

    His property in the commercial capital, Abidjan, was confiscated and he was also barred from civic duties for five years.

    The verdict was announced after a trial that lasted only a few hours, adds Reuters. Soro was not present as he lives in exile in France.

    The former rebel leader has also been accused of plotting a coup against President Alassane Ouattara, who is due to leave office later this year.

    Soro was once an ally of Mr Ouattara’s. He commanded a rebel force which backed the current president in his fight against President Laurent Gbagbo, who refused to accept he had lost the 2010 elections.

    Soro still retains the loyalty of former rebel commanders who now hold senior positions within the military, reports BBC Africa editor Mary Harper.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Hunger ‘could double’ in East Africa because of virus

    The United Nations food agency has warned that the number of people who risk going hungry in East Africa could double in the next three months as a result of coronavirus.

    The World Food Programme said 43 million people risk lacking access to food in nine countries. They are Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Somalia and South Sudan and Uganda.

    It said that, although the number of confirmed cases was relatively low compared with elsewhere in the world, the economic effect of the virus is already being felt.

    There have been more than 33,000 confirmed cases on the continent, and nearly 1,500 confirmed deaths.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Nigeria records 64 new cases of coronavirus, total now 1337

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Monday confirmed 64 new cases of COVID-19 outbreak in the country, bringing the total number of infections in Nigeria to 1337.

    The centre said no deaths were recorded in Nigeria in the last 24 hours and no new state has reported a case.

    “On the 27th of April 2020, 64 new confirmed cases and no deaths were recorded in Nigeria.”

    No new state has reported a case in the last 24 hours.

    “Till date, 1337 cases have been confirmed, 255 cases have been discharged and 40 deaths have been recorded in 32 states and the Federal Capital Territory.”

    “The 64 new cases are reported from five states- Lagos (34), FCT (15), Borno (11), Taraba (2), Gombe (2).”

    “A multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at Level 3, continues to coordinate the national response activities.”

    Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday approved a phased and gradual easing of the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

    The President announced this during his third nationwide broadcast on COVID-19.

    He said; “Based on the above and in line with the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, the various Federal Government committees that have reviewed socio-economic matters and the Nigeria Governors Forum, I have approved a phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in FCT, Lagos and Ogun States effective from Monday, 4th May 2020.”

    “However, this will be followed strictly with aggressive reinforcement of testing and contact tracing measures while allowing the restoration of some economic and business activities in certain sectors.”

    The president also declared a nationwide curfew, effective from Monday, 4th May 2020.

    Source: vanguardngr.com

  • Nigeria risks production shutdown, fiscal crisis – Experts

    Except extreme measures are taken by the Federal Government in the light of the dwindling crude oil prices and the looming global economic downturn, the Nigerian economy would be faced with disastrous fiscal consequences, while oil producers might be forced to suspend production activities.

    These were the views of experts in the petroleum industry who spoke on the issue in Abuja.

    In separate interviews, the experts were unanimous in their views that the impact of the dwindling crude oil prices on the Nigerian economy would be far-reaching and in worst-case-scenarios, could lead to shutting down of oil wells in Nigeria.

    In his own submission, Engr. Chinedu Onyeizu, an oil industry expert and former senatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, disclosed that the future looks terribly bleak for Nigeria.

    He said, “When I say the impact could be devastating, I am thinking about the worst-case scenario exchange rates will go south because the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will not have funds to support devaluation; oil wells will start shutting down because of lack of storage capacity, and oil-related jobs will start going higher unemployment rates in every related sector: banks, oil service companies, among others.”

    “However, if we assume COVID lockdown in many countries is relaxed and the factories start consuming petroleum by-products again, the good side of the news is that we can turn the economy around for exponent growth with this golden opportunity.”

    “If you recall, about three years ago, I had made a strategic recommendation to the federal government to immediately unbundle the NNPC and give the private sector an operating stake. In my recommendations, the government should focus on its oversight function.

    If we did that, we would have privately managed functioning modular refineries all over Niger Delta. We would have had petrochemical companies, plastic and fertilizer companies churning out plastic products and fertilizers from by-products of our crude oil.

    “The business sense was transforming us to a multi-product economy from the abundant mono-product; crude oil. At negative or low crude oil price, your feedstock is almost free but you will be adding value to crude by enabling production of by-products in the country. Employment opportunities will be created, more foreign exchange earnings for the country, Nigeria will start exporting petroleum by-products in large quantities and the economy will even rebound stronger.”

    “The country needs to gather his best brains and forget tribal sentiments at this period in time. From my intervention, you can imagine where we would have been if I was invited to discuss details of my three- node model that was developed in Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).”

    Also speaking, Joe Nwakwue, Chairman, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), said: “It is really terrible but this day was foretold. Oil prices have had a cyclical trend over the past 100 years, so no surprises. It was however compounded by the COVID-19 epidemic.”

    “The impact is fiscally disastrous for our country. I am not sure we will be able to meet our obligations if this trend is sustained for months. The earlier we rein in the virus and restore global oil demand, the better for Nigeria.”

    “Measures can be categorised into short term, near term and long term. Short term is to try to rein in government spend, especially recurrent expenditure and seek opportunities to renegotiate or secure debt service reliefs.”

    “Medium and long term measures should focus on moving away from crude oil export to midstream processing and value addition, using the oil-industrial complex to pre-industrialize Nigeria.”

    Source: vanguardngr.com

  • UN warns against ‘excessive force’ in covid-19 response

    The United Nations Human Rights Office has warned countries against using excessive force during the Covid-19 pandemic.

    The agency urged governments to “recognize that the threat is a virus, not people”.

    South Africa, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda are among countries where security forces have used repressive measures to enforce restrictions to movement.

    The UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet said countries should not use emergency powers as a weapon to quash dissent and control the population.

    She said shooting, detaining or abusing people for breaking curfew because they are desperately searching for food is unacceptable and unlawful.

    The UN body she heads said more than 17,000 South Africans have been arrested as a result of Covid-19 restrictions.

    In Kenya, 27 human rights organisations have written an open letter to the government demanding that it stops punishing curfew offenders by forcefully sending them into quarantine centres.

    About 32,100 coronavirus cases have been reported in 52 African countries, with 1,428 deaths and 9,741 recoveries.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Huge rallies spark fear of virus spike in Burundi

    Images of thousands of people mingling at political rallies in Burundi on Monday have sparked concerns that coronavirus infections could soar.

    Olivier Manzi, a specialist in infectious diseases, says large gatherings of this nature risk accelerating the spread of the virus.

    Official World Health Organization advice during the pandemic is for people to observe social distancing to prevent the virus from spreading.

    Another is to regularly wash your hands.

    Burundi’s electoral commission did provide buckets and soap at the ruling party rally in Gitega and the main opposition’s event in Ngozi province.

    But “the numbers of people are too big to get enough water to wash or sanitise every hand,” one participant in told the BBC on Tuesday during the second day of campaigns in Kirundo province.

    Burundi’s government has closed its borders to try and stop the spread of the virus, only letting in cargo lorries.

    Within the country, people have been advised to wash their hands regularly and avoiding shaking hands when greeting someone. Apart from this, the rest of life goes on as normal.

    The country has recorded 14 cases of Covid-19, one of whom died.

    Burundi’s government has insisted elections should go ahead on May 20 regardless of the pandemic.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Uganda denies sending back coronavirus positive truck drivers

    Uganda’s health minister has denied that the country repatriated 14 truck drivers who tested positive for coronavirus.

    The minister, Jane Aceng, said only one driver was repatriated and that 13 others left on their own.

    On Monday, director general of health services, Dr Henry Mwebesa announced that 14 drivers returned to their countries.

    The announcement triggered reactions from Kenyans and Tanzanians online prompting the minister to clarify that 13 of the drivers left Uganda of their own accord:

    Source: bbc.com

     

  • I think God has given us the second chance to brand Azonto well and push it to the world Gasmilla

    Musician Gasmilla has been speaking a lot ever since rapper, Sarkodie initiated the idea to Bring Back Azonto.

    According to Gasmilla, Azonto has never been dead. Speaking in an interview with Andy Dosty on Hitz FM, Gasmilla said,

    “Azonto has never been dead. For the last five years, I have been traveling the world with the Azonto dance torch. The mainstream media and industry has titled their attention to other genres. The Azonto genre has been pushed silently to the world.”

    Gasmilla continued,

    “The Azonto dance has evolved. The sound too has evolved. I think God has given us the second chance to brand Azonto well and push it to the world.”

    Source: ghgossip.com

  • Cameroonian bishop denies finding cure for virus

    The Archbishop of Cameroon’s commercial capital, Douala, has denied reports that he has found a cure for Covid-19 but said he has been “studying plants for a long time”.

    Local media reported last week that Samuel Kleda had been offering a free treatment “based on plants he says he knows”.

    Archbishop Kleda told Cameroon’s Equinox TV that “taking into account the symptoms of people who are presented as infected with coronavirus, I apply recipes made from plants. I apply this treatment to them. They respond positively, that is, they feel better”.

    He however warned that he did not say he “found a cure for coronavirus. That I did not say”.

    The World Health Organization says it does not recommend “self-medication with any medicines… as a prevention or cure for Covid-19” and there is no proof that these can work.

    International trials are under way to find an effective treatment, it adds.

    After South Africa, Cameroon has the highest number of coronavirus cases in sub-Saharan Africa. Some 1,705 people have tested positive, 58 of whom have died.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Regional breakdown of Ghana’s 1,671 coronavirus cases

    The confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Ghana has increased to 1,671.

    The increase means that 121 new cases have been confirmed since last Sunday when the country had 1,550 confirmed cases of Coronavirus.

    1,461 of the infected persons are said to be doing well and responding to treatment while six of them are “moderately to critically ill”.

    The number of recoveries from the illness has also risen to 188.

    The Ghana Health Service announced the new figures on Tuesday, April 28, 2020, at a press briefing in Accra.

    The Greater Accra Region has the highest number of cases in the country with 1,433 positive tests followed by the Ashanti Region which has 84 cases and the Eastern Region which has 57 cases.

    The Upper East Region has 18 cases, the Oti Region and Central Region has 17 cases respectively, the Northern Region has 13 cases, Volta Region has 11 cases, Western Region has nine cases, the Upper West Region has eight cases, the North East Region has two cases and the Western North Region has one case.

    The Savannah, Bono, Ahafo, and Bono East Regions have not recorded any cases.

    Source: pulse.com.gh

  • Algeria extends lockdown measures until May 14

    Algeria on Monday extended until 14 May the containment measures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, after authorising the reopening of some businesses during the Ramadan period.

    Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad has “renewed for an additional period of 15 days, namely from 30 April to 14 May, the current containment measures as well as all preventive measures,” his outfit said in a statement.

    Mr. Djerad called on his compatriots to “continue to observe conscientiously and rigorously, the measures of hygiene, social distancing and protection,” according to the statement.

    On Saturday, the prime minister had ordered the reopening of several businesses, including hairdressing salons, bakeries and clothing and shoe shops, in order to “reduce the economic and social impact of the health crisis”.

    In addition, since the beginning on Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan, the authorities have relaxed the curfew decreed in several regions of the country because of the epidemic.

    In the wilaya (prefecture) of Blida, near Algiers, where the first cases of new coronavirus were recorded, the total confinement has been lifted, giving way to a curfew from 14H00 to 07H00 local (13H00 to 06H00 GMT).

    And in the nine wilayas most affected by the pandemic, including Algiers, curfews have been reduced by two hours.

    According to official figures, 432 deaths have been recorded so far in Algeria. A total of 3,517 cases have been officially reported.

    Algeria with a population of 44 million is the African country with the highest number of Covid-19 deaths.

    Source: africanews.com

  • Uganda moves to curb virus spread by truck drivers

    Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has announced new measures to control the spread of the coronavirus by lorry drivers after more than 20 entering the country from Kenya tested positive.

    The drivers won’t be allowed to carry passengers or to sleep in hotels or other people’s homes.

    Mandatory testing for Covid-19 has already caused huge traffic jams on the border between Kenya and Uganda.

    The route from the Kenyan port city of Mombasa is vital for transporting food, medicine and other essential goods to Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    President Museveni said stopping cargo traffic altogether would be suicidal.

    He also spoke out against growing hostility towards truck drivers by some Ugandans who worry they could be transmitting the disease in the country.

    But he acknowledged that the group posed a real threat and compared the situation to the Aids scourge of the 1980s and 90s when lorry drivers in the region transmitted HIV in towns and cities they travelled through.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Nigerian woman put up for sale in Lebanon rescued

    A Nigerian woman put up for sale on Facebook in Lebanon has been rescued – days after a man suspected of involvement in the advert was arrested.

    The advert caused an outcry in Nigeria.

    Chairperson of the Commission for Nigerians in the Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa told the BBC that the 30-year-old woman is now safe at the Nigerian embassy in Beirut after she was rescued by the Lebanese authorities.

    Mrs Dabiri-Erewa did not give details of how the woman was rescued but said the lockdown imposed by the Lebanese authorities to fight the coronavirus pandemic helped in tracing her.

    The man was arrested last week for allegedly putting the Nigerian domestic worker for sale for $1,000 on Facebook.

    A passport photo of the woman was included in the advert which caused widespread social media condemnation.

    The UN says thousands of women and girls from Nigeria and other African countries are being trafficked every year – often lured with false job promises in Europe and Asia – but usually end up being exploited as domestic maids or forced into prostitution.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Wizkid spreads love to displaced familes due to coronavirus

    Wizkid has sent out a message of hope to strengthen the heart of the people of the world who have been displaced due to the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus around the world.

    Many are those who have lost their families to the deadly virus whilst others have lost connection and cannot get into contact with infected families due to it severity and mode of contraction from an infected person.

    Family relations and bonds have been successfuly destroyed by the virus, forcing people stay away from each other to prevent possible spread of the virus from one person to another.Wizkid, who is rumored to be with his family in the UK took to twitter to share love to displaced families in these perilous times.

    Check tweet below;

    Source:Ghgossip.com

  • Malawi gives cash to virus-hit households

    Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika has announced an emergency cash transfer for the people worst affected by COVID-19.

    Eligible households will receive a monthly payment of 35,000 Malawian Kwacha ($47; £38) starting in May.

    The announcement came after the High Court in Malawi extended an order preventing the government from implementing a three-week total lockdown.

    Human rights groups had complained there was no safety net for the poorest people whose livelihoods would be affected.

    Malawi has recorded 36 cases of coronavirus, including three deaths.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Ugandan MPs give themselves $2.6m ‘awareness budget’

    Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has blasted members of parliament for allocating themselves a total of 10bn Ugandan shillings ($2.6m; £2m) to raise awareness on coronavirus.

    The president said it was “morally reprehensible” for the MPs to allocate themselves the money, instead of funding district committees created for that purpose.

    President Museveni said he would write to the Auditor General to investigate MPs who had already spent the money to buy relief items for their constituents.

    Uganda has so far confirmed 79 cases of coronavirus. The country is on a lockdown that ends on 5 May.

    Source: bbc.com