If you think that being a Nigerian, an African or black makes you immune to the now spreading and dreaded coronavirus, then you may just have been lying to yourself.
A young Nigerian lady, Ayishat Akanbi, has confirmed the death of her cousin, who is a medical doctor.
Ayishat said her cousin died in London after suffering from the effect of the virus that has affected over 120,000 and caused thousands of deaths across the world.
Ayishat Akanbi says she lost her cousin to coronavirus in London Credit: Great British Speakers Source: UGC
“My cousin who is a doctor and in her early 30s died of coronavirus this morning for anyone irresponsible enough to think black people are immune,”she said with many of her followers asking her to remain strong and praying for the dead.
Baba NostraAdeptus, one of those who consoled Ayishat, said he had been screaming since the day it was claimed that it was only the elderly and those with other ailments that could have a fatal effect of the disease.
YEN had quoted a report by the Guardian as indicating that a 64-year-old Nigerian, Okunuga Olumide Saraju, was found dead in his home in Modena, Italy, where he lived alone.
According to the report, Okunuga, a native of Ikenne in Ogun state and president of Egbe Omo Yoruba in Emilia Romagna region, was found dead at about 11 am on Tuesday, March 10, at his home.
The report said there were suspicions that he may have died of coronavirus infection, a disease that has ravaged Italy in the past few weeks.
Meanwhile, an 86-year-old man and his 82-year-old wife have died after living together for 60 years. Their love remained strong even at the point of their demise.
The duo died after battling with coronavirus, the pandemic that is spreading across the world and that has affected over 120,000 people.
One of them died at 9.15 am on Tuesday, March 10, while the other followed at 11am, just one hour, 45 minutes apart.
Chiefs and other traditional leaders have been urged to show keen interest and take active part in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) educational campaigns to help prevent the spread of the disease in their communities.
Togbe Afede XIV, President of the National House of Chiefs (NHC), who made the call said chiefs should strive to keep themselves abreast with the prevention messages being issued by the government and health experts to educate their subjects to stem the spread of the disease in their areas.
Addressing the first meeting of the House for this year in Kumasi on Friday, he said the outbreak of the disease in the country should be a concern of all.
Togbe Afede commended government for measures taken so far, to respond to the outbreak of the disease in the country and said the release of an amount of $ 100 million by government to fight the disease was laudable.
He appealed to those who would be put in-charge to make judicious use of the funds to ensure that Ghanaians had adequate information on the disease and take necessary steps to protect themselves.
The chiefs as part of efforts to demonstrate their commitment to adhere to preventive measures, which had been introduced by the government as part of the educational campaigns, did not shake hands with each other during the meeting.
Source: GNA
Samuel Aboagye, the KNUST student who went viral over his emotional reaction following a breakup with his girlfriend, Nana Ama has spoken for the first time since their issue became public.
In a video interview sighted by YEN.com.gh, Sammy explained the circumstances of his situation and how his video came up online.
Sammy who believes the viral video was recorded by one of his friends said he could not think straight when the incident and thus did not know how the video came out.
Following the video, numerous reports had suggested that Nana Ama had dumped Sammy because he had had an affair with another lady.
But in his interview, Sammy indicated that nothing of that sort happened and that everybody who knows him will attest to the fact that he would never do that.
Sammy further disclosed that even though he still had some feeling for Nana Ama, he is now wary after recovering.
According to him though he and Nana Ama are no more lovers, they are still friends adding that she even called him to calm him down when the video went viral.
Sammy also denied the numerous photos on social media purported to those of her ex-girlfriend saying none of them was his Nana Ama.
Going forward, Sammy stated that he would use his newfound fame to get opportunities in showbiz as she could sing and act too.
The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) Foundation has supported Peki Senior High School in the South Dayi District of the Volta Region with 240 mono desks.
The Foundation also presented six maker boards, and six teacher writing tables and chairs, aimed at providing conducive environment to enhance teaching and learning in the School.
Dr Dominic Eduah, Executive Director of GNPC Foundation, said the Foundation was providing the support because it recognised education as one of the tools that could be used in individual and societal development.
He said the support was also to complement efforts by the government in ensuring quality education in the country as government alone could not shoulder all the challenges bedevilling the educational sector.
Dr. Eduah said the Foundation operated on a three pillar- education and training, environment and social amenities and economic empowerment, and had so far provided about 13,000 mono-desks to schools across the country, adding that similar support would be extended to other schools.
Mr Ernest Kodzo Mallet, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for South Dayi in the Volta Region said infrastructure and furniture deficit in schools in the District were challenges the Government and Ghana Education Service (GES) were working towards addressing.
He said the Government and Ministry of Education were determining to ensure that free senior high school was in a conducive environment to make learning effective and advised the students to take good care of the furniture.
Mr Jonathan Delase Agbley, Headmaster of Peki Senior High School, commended GNPC Foundation for the gesture and called on stakeholders and non-governmental organisations to come on board to support Peki Senior High School with other amenities.
BasicNeeds-Ghana, a Non-governmental Organisation based in Tamale has supported 150 persons stabilized from mental illness or epilepsy in the Savelugu Municipality to venture into vegetable production as part of its vegetable gardening project.
This is to enable the beneficiaries become productive in their community and society as well as enhance their well-being.
The beneficiaries were drawn from six communities including; Zaazi, Bihinaayili, Nyoglo, Dinga, Sug-Tampia and Libga.
They cultivate vegetables including; okro, kenaf, ‘alefu’ and ‘Ayoyo’.
Mr Stanislaus Azuure Sandow, the Project Officer at BasicNeeds-Ghana gave the details in an interview with journalists during a field trip to one of the project sites in Zaazi, a community in the Savelugu Municipality.
The project, funded by the UNDP Adaptation Fund, is dubbed “BasicNeeds-Ghana Promoting Gardening for Improved Mental Health Outcomes and Productivity in Northern Ghana projectâ€.
The project, seeks to provide good gardening practices to mental health service users to help increase their nutrition and income earning capacities through dry season gardening.
The beneficiaries were resourced with vegetable seeds, water pumping machines, garden tools and equipment to enable them become productive in society.
Mr Sandow said the One-year community based alternative likelihood project, which would end in May this year, had resourced a total of 150 primary beneficiaries made up of women, men, and youth with mental illness or epilepsy and their care givers.
He said the beneficiaries were supervised by the organization’s Volunteer Gardeners on daily basis, who equipped them on the required vegetable gardening knowledge, skills and competencies to enhance productivity and good yield.
He said the intervention was to create public awareness that people with mental illness could be productive to society.
Later in an interview with some of the beneficiaries, Madam Hannah Abdulai, a 25 year old woman with epilepsy, said the intervention from BasicNeeds-Ghana and its funding partners had empowered and given her hope to support her family.
“At first, I was finding it difficult to support my husband, like giving my child money to go to school, but with the support from BasicNeeds-Ghana, I get about GHC 50 every two weeks from selling my vegetables from the garden to support my child to go to school ” she said.
Mr Adam Abdullai, a caregiver to his 10 year old son who is epileptic, said before the project, they had challenges with getting the vegetable seedlings, difficulty in drawing water for irrigation as well as preventing animals from grazing on their vegetables, but through the project they curbed these challenges.
He lauded the project, saying it had helped to improve on his family’s living conditions including; feeding and buying medicines to cater for his child’s welfare, and urged BasicNeeds-Ghana to do more to help others in similar conditions.
New improved vegetable varieties have been introduced to smallholder farmer groups in the Upper East Region to help address challenges associated with vegetable production and raise output.
It includes; 14 tomato and 11 pepper varieties, which are being introduced to the farmers in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality, while additional nine onion varieties were introduced in the Bawku Municipality.
Their introduction is part of the Ghana Agricultural Technology Evaluation (GATE) project being implemented by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF)in partnership with the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana.
The first phase of the project, which started in 2019 and is expected to end in 2021, is jointly funded by AATF and the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV).
Announcement of the varieties was made at a demonstration farm in Koronia in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality to introduce the new improved varieties to the commercial and smallholder farmers.
Dr Leander Melomey, the Project Officer, GATE project, said at the event the motive was to provide opportunities for farmers to increase yields while maintaining high quality.
Dr Melomey, who is also a Research Fellow at WACCI, indicated that the varieties were introduced in collaboration with some selected seed companies, which he named as; Syngenta, RMG, Dizengoff, Agriseed, East-West and Rijk Zwaan.
She described them as early maturing and of good quality, high yield, resistant to diseases and tolerant of harsh weather condition.
The demonstration farm was to engage and introduce farmers to the various new improved varieties to enable them make choices that would help the GATE project and the seed companies make available those varieties to them.
She explained that the old varieties of tomatoes were planted on the demonstration farm last year, but they all died off, however, the improved varieties survived and begun to mature.
She said the improved seeds and the right application of the agronomic practices would result in increase in vegetable production that would ensure nutritional security and improve income of smallholder farmers.
Mr Gideon Owirwdu, the Kassena-Nankana Municipal Director of the Department of Agriculture, said production of vegetables especially tomatoes had fallen due to low demand.
He said the major buyers of tomatoes in the area complained of poor quality and short shelf life and preferred to buy from Burkina Faso.
He said the vegetables, which were transplanted in November, 2019, were almost matured, certifying that the varieties were of good quality.
He encouraged the farmers to adopt the new varieties and adhere strictly to agronomic practices to increase yields and meet market demand.
The farmers expressed gratitude to the project implementers for affording them the opportunity to have high yielding varieties that would help produce quality vegetables for consumers.
Apart from the new varieties, the farmers also learnt new innovations which were essential in increasing other agriculture production sectors and would replicate the knowledge acquired to other farmers to ensure wider coverage.
Mr Elliot Edem Agbenorwu, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ketu South has described demands for his removal from office by a group known as “Nana 4 2020 Youth Club” based in the Municipality as “mischievous” and uncalled for.
He said members of the group calling for his head were on a mission to discredit his person and the gains made by the Ketu South Municipal Assembly to deliver development projects for residents just as was going on across the country and warned their action could arm the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) against the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
This was in reaction to a News briefing the group organised on Thursday at Agbozume in the Municipality calling on President Akufo-Addo to sack Mr Agbenorwu over his “misconducts and attitudes.â€
The group, made up of old and current polling station executives, electoral area coordinators and constituency executives of the NPP with an objective to increase the electoral fortunes of the Party from 7,000 in 2016 to at least 15,000 in the 2020 general election, said they never benefitted in any way since the MCE assumed office in 2017.
The group among others alleged the MCE and Mr Samuel Doe Haligah, the Constituency Chairman shared opportunities from government among their friends and families.
Mr Agbenorwu however said the allegations were untrue and that he had meetings with members of the Party and explained things to them.
On denial of opportunities, the MCE said he had calls to hand over premix fuel dumps to Party members, which he explained was impossible as there were rules regulating the administration and distribution of the fuel and that chief fishermen at the various landing beaches were to chair the premix fuel committees.
He said his doors were always opened to the grassroots for dialogue to resolve issues, and on how best to work to increase votes for the Party in the Constituency and mentioned that he was already working closely with Mr David Tiahno Quarshie, the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for the area, for victory in the 2020 general elections.
Kumawood actress Kyeiwaa, known in private life as Rose Mensah aka Akua Ataa, has held a bridal shower ahead of her white wedding.
Kyeiwaa and her husband, Micheal Kissi Asare, are set to hold a white wedding on March 21, 2020, in Worcester, Massachusetts, two months after their marriage.
As earlier reported by YEN.com.gh, Kyeiwaa and Kissi Asare got married in a simple ceremony in January 2020.
After the ceremony, the couple has decided to have a church wedding a later date.
It is prior to this church wedding that Kyeiwaa held a bridal shower with her closest friends.
In the photos sighted by YEN.com.gh, Kyeiwaa could be seen beautifully dressed in an orange-coloured outfit.
Below are some of the photos from Kyeiwaa’s bridal shower.
Kyeiwaa’s marriage to Kissi Asare came off just a little over two months after YEN.com.gh reported that the actress had fallen in love once again four years after her abortive wedding to Daniel Osei.
As carried in the report, Kyeiwaa made the revelation during an interview with Kwaku Manu on his Aggressive Interview and indicated that she was going to get married soon.
Deputy National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Perpetual Lomokie Akwada has said Ghanaians will survive the novel Coronavirus (COVID 19) because they were able to survive 8 years of governance under the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Her comment, which has been condemned follows comment by opposition NDC deputy General Secretary Peter Boamah Otokunor that President Akufo-Addo knew about the COVID 19 case before his address to the nation.
All these come after news that two males who entered Ghana through the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) have been confirmed to have coronavirus.
The two started showing symptoms on Thursday and they reported to a health facility where it was later confirmed. One of the Coronavirus cases confirmed is said to be a Ghanaian while the other is a Norwegian.
Reacting to this on her facebook page, the Deputy to Henry Nana Boakye Nana B, Perpetual Lomokie Akwada wrote: “We survived 8 years of the NDC, what is corona virus?â€, she asked.
She however urged her followers to “stay safe thoughâ€.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah says the government will make an announcement on travel restrictions on countries with confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in no time.
He said the government will state its position on the matter at 12 pm after a meeting by the inter-ministerial committee on the COVID Response Thursday.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah in a radio interview on Accra-based Peace FM further disclosed that the meeting of the committee was chaired by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He said the Committee was concluding some matters before coming out with a position, adding that consular services have already been suspended in a lot of the countries which have recorded confirmed cases of the Coronavirus.
Samuel Aboagye, the KNUST student who went viral over his emotional reaction following a breakup with his girlfriend, Nana Ama has spoken for the first time since their issue became public.
In a video interview sighted by YEN.com.gh, Sammy explained the circumstances of his situation and how his video came up online.
Sammy who believes the viral video was recorded by one of his friends said he could not think straight when the incident and thus did not know how the video came out.
Following the video, numerous reports had suggested that Nana Ama had dumped Sammy because he had had an affair with another lady.
But in his interview, Sammy indicated that nothing of that sort happened and that everybody who knows him will attest to the fact that he would never do that.
Sammy further disclosed that even though he still had some feeling for Nana Ama, he is now wary after recovering.
According to him though he and Nana Ama are no more lovers, they are still friends adding that she even called him to calm him down when the video went viral.
Sammy also denied the numerous photos on social media purported to those of her ex-girlfriend saying none of them was his Nana Ama.
Going forward, Sammy stated that he would use his newfound fame to get opportunities in showbiz as she could sing and act too.
Authorities at the Association International School (AIS), are suspecting some officials in the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia led government of being behind the construction of the controversial 22-storey building adjacent premises at the Airport Residential area.
In a strong-worded statement issued and signed by Mrs Audrey Doryumu [Headmistress of Association International School], stated that the ongoing construction by KASS Plus Company Limited has negatively affected the school.
She said the construction activities have negatively and heavily impacted the health, services and operations of our school owing to reasons including poor engineering practices.
“We have good reason to believe that these new developments are not merely coincidental. We further reasonably believe that the manner the officials have conducted themselves raises genuine suspicion of harassment of me and my staff and indeed the entire Association International School family due to our avowed goal to seek justice in ensuring that our concerns are addressed and for stoppage of the ongoing damage we are suffering due to the ongoing construction works. Our resolve for all risks posed to us to be addressed cannot be broken…,” she added.
“Should my suspicion be confirmed, this will amount to the unfair use of state and other governmental authorities by connected persons, which is an abuse and the use of state authority against a private citizen who is simply trying to protect her business and ensure that the right thing is being done,” Mrs Doryumu noted.
Background
The Turkish contractor made the headlines when the Roads Minister stormed the site where the 22-storey structure was being put up, close to the Association International School in the Airport Residential Area, and ordered the arrest of the CEO of the construction company, a certain Abdulkadir Yadigar, who, according to the minister, had put up a barricade on the road which created a traffic logjam.
Meanwhile, the Association International School filed an interim injunction against the Turkish contractor at the centre of the controversial 22-storey building at the Airport Residential area but was dismissed by an Accra High Court presided over by Justice Afua Novisi Aryene.
The court after hearing lawyers of the Association International School, the applicant, and the Kess Plus Construction Limited, respondent, ruled that the applicant has not been able to substantiate its claims of nuisance and other health concerns to warrant the grant of the injunction.
It was the ruling of the court that, the respondent stands to suffer irreparable damages should the application be granted.
The court subsequently dismissed the application.
PRESS RELEASE
1. Association International School has been in existence for decades, since 1963.
2. The school provides very important academic and social amenities for our country Ghana.
3. As an educational institution, the school does not and will not produce anything that impacts the environment negatively as it needs a sound environment in order to create a conducive atmosphere for teaching and learning.
4. We are legitimate holders of the title of the property where we are located and we continue to uphold the law and provide child development services to children of this land.
The ongoing construction since June 2019, against which we have registered our concerns, is near the school and it is being carried out by the entity known as KASS Plus Company Limited, who is working for a client known as KASS Development Limited. The construction activities have negatively and heavily impacted the health, services and operations of our school owing to reasons including poor engineering practices. There was deep excavation of the site, which led to lateral movements of soil such that the road in front of the school got damaged and developed open cracks Adjoining walls of neighbouring properties have also collapsed and cracks have appeared in the foundation and main buildings of some neighbouring properties all because safety was compromised.
Health & Safety Concerns:
1. The constant noise and vibrations from the construction site are traumatizing to our little ones aged 2-6 years old.
2. The vibrations, often very noisy disturb the peace of our school, impacting ongoing classes and students and we are now experiencing frequent and sometimes daily power outages. Our phone lines have been destroyed and we have had no service for a long time. This we reasonably believe was due to the destruction of the underground Vodafone cables, which were destroyed by the ongoing construction.
3. Chemicals being used on the site produce noxious fumes, and we have had instances where some of the kids and some persons at the school have developed health problems, which have been respiratory in nature.
4. As a result of the destruction and blockage of our surrounding gutters, the gutters have been clogged and the stagnant waters are producing a foul smell, posing further health risk and producing an onslaught of mosquitoes in the classrooms, to the detriment of the health of the children.
5. The constant blocking of the road impacts all stakeholders because of the heavy equipment on the roads. Traffic is horrendous, making an already stressful situation even worse.
Recent Developments
Consequently, as a result of the ongoing problems, which are now a nuisance to the school, we as the school, together with the support of some residents whose properties have been destroyed and compromised, took the matter to court. On Friday the 28th of February 2020, some Immigration Officers together with some security operatives, who claimed to be doing their work, stormed our school supposedly to search for documentation of our expatriate teachers and staff who hail from the African Continent.
On Monday March 2nd 2020, some men, who we suspect to be acting as land guards, accompanied by some officials from the Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly also stormed the school in the same fashion as the first incident demanding documentation on our ongoing 2-storey Sports Arena & Multipurpose building.
We have good reason to believe that these new developments are not merely coincidental. We further reasonably believe that the manner the officials have conducted themselves, raises genuine suspicion of harassment of me and my staff and indeed the entire Association International School family due to our avowed goal to seek justice in ensuring that our concerns are addressed and for stoppage of the ongoing damage we are suffering due to the ongoing construction works. Our resolve for all risks posed to us to be addressed cannot be broken.
We believe that there is nothing hidden that will not be uncovered. We also believe that what to others may amount to mere suspicion, will be conformed for all to see. If the confirmation occurs for the Public to see, relevant persons will have to answer for the manner they themselves or have allowed connected persons to embark on a crusade for the unfair use of state powers against an innocent citizen who has contributed towards the man-power development of Ghanaians and foreigners who have passed and are passing through this noble school.
Should my suspicion be confirmed, this will amount to the unfair use of state and other governmental authorities by connected persons, which is an abuse and the use of state authority against a private citizen who is simply trying to protect her business and ensure that the right thing is being done.
We will continue to fight against the construction because it is a human rights issue and individuals vested with state power, who deem their interests to be more superior to that of the ordinary citizen, are trampling upon the rights of the children, faculty and staff of Association International School.
Following the outbreak of coronavirus in the country, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has announced the cancellation of its annual Open Day event in Accra.
A press release signed by the Director for Public Relations, Colonel E. Aggrey-Quashie stressed that it was prudent to call off the event “due to current operational exigencies”.
On Thursday, March 12, 2020, Ghana confirmed two cases of COVID-19, the first to be reported in the country.
The two cases were confirmed at the same time from the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu noted.
The Ministry, however, stated that both patients are currently under isolation and are stable.
The health minister also called on Ghanaians to be on the lookout and make use of the precautionary measures to stay safe.
Bureau of Public Safety says the information released by the government about the two coronavirus cases that have been confirmed is insufficient. Executive Director of the Bureau, Nana Yaw Akwada said the government needs to provide the information to help educate people.
He also commends the swift announcement of the confirmed cases by the government.
” The speed with which they broke the news is commendable, but the level of information that they released alongside breaking the news is what we find problematic because there are more questions that we think that it will be ideal and critical for the two Ministries to have spoken to which they did not, and we think the absence of this information may affect the confidence in the established system, so we are urging the state without delay to make that information available.”
Nana Yaw Akwada explained that the inability of the government to provide answers to the questions will allow people to go with fabricated stories which will cause chaos in the country.
Ghanaians in state of ‘panic’ as first two cases of coronavirus is confirmed
The Ministry of Health has announced that two cases of coronavirus infection (COVID-19) have been confirmed in Ghana.
The cases, according to the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, were confirmed on Thursday, March 12, 2020.
Mr Agyeman-Manu explained that laboratory results from the two cases were received at the same time from the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR).
Both individuals involved in the case returned to Ghana, one from Norway and the other from Turkey signifying that they were imported cases of COVID-19 into Ghana.
The Minister said both patients are being kept in isolation and processes have been initiated for contact tracing.
Ghanaians on social media have expressed fear, some have chastised the government for not doing much to prevent the virus from entering Ghana.’
The government of Ghana will by the close of today, March 13 issue travel advice to Ghanaians after two cases of coronavirus have been confirmed. According to the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the travel advice will be for both Ghanaians and persons already with visas and permit to come into the country from the epic centers of the virus.
“Before mid-day today after this morning’s meetings some travel advice will be issued in connection with travel by even Ghanaians and persons with already visa and permit into the jurisdiction from the epic centers,” he said in an interview with Citi FM.
He also disclosed that the two persons who tested positive for coronavirus in Ghana have been in the country for about a week.
“One is a Ghanaian and the other is a foreigner. The Ghanaian is based abroad and came to visit. The foreigner has the permit to reside in the jurisdiction. We are informed that they have been in town for about a week.â€
Ghanaians in state of ‘panic’ as the first two cases of coronavirus is confirmed
The Ministry of Health has announced that two cases of coronavirus infection (COVID-19) have been confirmed in Ghana.
The cases, according to the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, were confirmed on Thursday, March 12, 2020.
Mr Agyeman-Manu explained that laboratory results from the two cases were received at the same time from the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR).
Both individuals involved in the case returned to Ghana, one from Norway and the other from Turkey signifying that they were imported cases of COVID-19 into Ghana.
The Minister said both patients are being kept in isolation and processes have been initiated for contact tracing.
Ghanaians on social media have expressed fear, some have chastised the government for not doing much to prevent the virus from entering Ghana
In Canada, all federal parties have agreed to adjourn parliament amid the coronavirus pandemic.
MPs passed the suspension motion on Friday morning.
Parliament had a scheduled break next week but will now only return on 20 April.
The House of Commons can still be recalled if needed to handle any emergency coronavirus measures, said Liberal House leader Pablo Rodriguez.
“The priority for the government is the health and the safety of all Canadians,” Mr Rodriguez said.
The government still has the means “to spend money in terms of emergencies”, he said.
Opposition parties said they would continue to ensure the minority Liberal government is working to handle the virus outbreak.
The federal budget, which was scheduled to be tabled on 30 March, is postponed.
Legislators also unanimously approved the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, the trilateral free trade agreement, which is expected to be voted on in the Senate later on Friday.
As of Friday morning, there are 138 cases of the virus in Canada. One death has been linked to the disease.
This news comes after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday.
She said she is “experiencing uncomfortable symptoms of the virus” but will be back on her feet soon.
Mr Trudeau has been in self-isolation since Thursday and is currently working from home.
Deputy National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Perpetual Lomokie Akwada has said Ghanaians will survive the novel Coronavirus (COVID 19) because they were able to survive 8 years of governance under the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Her comment, which has been condemned follows comment by opposition NDC deputy General Secretary Peter Boamah Otokunor that President Akufo-Addo knew about the COVID 19 case before his address to the nation.
All these come after news that two males who entered Ghana through the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) have been confirmed to have coronavirus.
The two started showing symptoms on Thursday and they reported to a health facility where it was later confirmed. Â One of the Coronavirus cases confirmed is said to be a Ghanaian while the other is a Norwegian.
Reacting to this on her facebook page, the Deputy to Henry Nana Boakye Nana B, Perpetual Lomokie Akwada wrote: “We survived 8 years of the NDC, what is corona virus?â€, she asked.
She however urged her followers to “stay safe thoughâ€.
Her comment attracted criticism from some people who believe she is being partisan about the coronavirus crisis.
“Then after this your useless post some people will come and say no one should do politics with the issue…its not funny mpoâ€
“Must we drag politics into this as well? hmm!â€
“What the hell!? Like seriouslyâ€
Meanwhile, the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah says the government will make an announcement on travel restrictions on countries with confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) today.
He said the government will state its position on the matter at 12 pm after a meeting by the inter-ministerial committee on the COVID Response Thursday.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah in a radio interview on Accra-based Peace FM further disclosed that the meeting of the committee was chaired by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He said the Committee was concluding some matters before coming out with a position, adding that consular services have already been suspended in a lot of the countries which have recorded confirmed cases of the Coronavirus.
While government has been tight-lipped about the identities of the two diplomats who imported Coronavirus to Ghana, a trusted source has disclosed to MyNewsGh.com details about one of the diplomats.
Governments all over the world have made public the names, identities, work place and status of all confirmed cases in their countries. Ghana, however, has not made the information public officially.
It was earlier reported yesterday that the two people who contracted the coronavrius Covid-19 pandemic are one senior official of the Norwegian Embassy in Ghana and a Ghanaian working in Turkey who returned into the country.
It is now emerging that Gunnar Andreas Holm, the Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana is the person who has been confirmed.
The Norwegian Ambassador allegedly arrived in Ghana last week before reporting ill. He was in Norway to help in the planning of the visit of President Akufo-Addo to Norway about 15 days ago.
His other Ghanaian counterpart who is also infected reportedly reached Ghana on 29th February.
The Health Minister at an emergency press conference on Thursday night did not disclose the identities of the two patients but stated emphatically that the cases were imported into the country.
Kwaku Agyemang-Manu did not give much details as to how and when the two foreign nationals entered the country and whether or not they went through the necessary checks and screening.
He, however, said, “the two patients are stable and have been kept in isolation.â€
The Minister revealed that the Ministry of Health and other relevant state agencies have begun tracing individuals the two patients have gotten in contact with.
The two persons who returned to Ghana from Norway and Turkey tested positive to coronavirus after laboratory results from the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.
Actress and former Kwese TV presenter Efia Odo has shared new photos after undergoing a procedure to enhance her backside.
Efia Odo caused a stir on social media on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, when she shared a video of herself getting a backside massage.
In the video, Efia Odo lay in bed without clothes while the lady doing the massage lifted her backside with an object looking like an artificial hand.
It later turned out that the massage was a non-surgical procedure of getting one’s backside to be lifted and enhanced in size.
Hours after the video, Efia has taken to Instagram to show off her supposedly improved backside.
In the photos sighted by YEN.com.gh, Efia Odo could be seen wearing a skimpy white t-shirt over a blue pair of jeans.
With her back to the camera, the photo showed a seeming improvement in the size of Efia Odo’s backside.
Captioning the photo, Efia Odo wrote: “Hit it from the back You know I like it like that .”
The photos got a lot of reactions from Efia Odo’s followers. While many of them hailed her looks, others criticised her show off.
Meanwhile, the photos and video of Efia Odo’s backside procedure have come just a few weeks after she shared a seven-year-old throwback of herself looking bigger than she is today.
As reported by YEN.com.gh, the throwback photo of which had her in a bikini showed Efia Odo had a Moesha Boduong-like backside back then.
It looks like Efia Odo is on a mission to recover that look.
South Africans living in the northern province of Limpopo have been left outraged by an announcement that citizens being repatriated from China’s Wuan city – the epicentre of coronavirus outbreak – will be quarantined in a resort there from Friday.
The authorities have explained that all 122 people have been tested and do not have the virus.
They also said that the resort was selected due to its proximity to the airport.
But Limpopo residents insist the government is exposing them to the virus, and say their region’s health system cannot handle a potential outbreak.
Using the hashtag #LimpopoIsNotADumpingSite residents are suggesting a military base should have been used as a quarantine facility instead.
“Why Limpopo?Take everyone to their respective provinces,” Musa Kgasi tweeted
.”Our clinics run out of flu medication every month. They run out of testing kits. They run out of all types of Pills. [Six] villages share one clinic. 10 villages share [one] hospitals. Stop trying to be a hero. Whatever they paid you, is not worth our lives,”
Its been drilled into you a zillion times: There are scientifically proven benefits of exercising regularly. Among other things, it can help reduce anxiety and boost your mood things we all could really use during the age of the novel coronavirus .
We know about the mental and physical benefits of exercise for the brain, and that it aids with sleep, says Jordan Metzl, MD, a sports medicine physician at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. When people are ruminating about something, exercise helps.
That said, health experts keep talking about the importance of social distancing right now to help lower the odds that you’ll contract the novel coronavirus, a.k.a. COVID-19Â . That raises a huge question: Is it safe to go to the gym right now?
If you belong to a gym, you’ve probably gotten an email from someone there about the special precautions they’re taking to keep you and other members safe. The YMCA of Greater New York, for example, released a statement to WomensHealthMag.com noting they’ve “significantly increased” how often they clean high-traffic and high-touch items like door knobs, exercise equipment, locker rooms, phones, banisters, tabletops, and handrails. They’re also making sure that disinfectant wipes are available for all YMCA equipment.
Look: This is a really weird time and were in uncharted territory here. But experts stress that, while tempting, holing up in your home and staying there isn’t the way to handle this. And, if you want to go to the gym, you should just use caution.
I think going to the gym is okay, says Rajeev Fernando, MD, an infectious disease expert in Southampton, New York. You have to live your life. Suzanne Willard, PhD, associate dean of Global Health at the Rutgers University School of Nursing, agrees. As long as its clean and you take certain precautions, you should be fine, she says.
Of course, there’s a little more to it than that, and experts say you’ll probably want to alter your standard gym routine a little. (For starters, obviously do not hit the gym if you feel sick!) Keep these things in mind before you head to your next workout.
You’re probably okay if you use the weight room.
Yes, people are constantly touching weights and other objects there and you are, too. But there are a few ways to make this situation pretty safe for you:
Wash your hands well with soap and water before and after you work out. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that means lathering up for at least 20 seconds , i.e. the amount of time it takes to hum the Happy Birthday song twice.
Wipe down equipment before and after you use it. Gyms usually have disinfectant wipes located throughout the space and if not, you can always bring your own. Use them, Dr. Willard says.
Keep your distance from people. Social distancing is important for preventing the spread of COVID-19, Dr. Fernando points out. So, if you don’t need to be on top of the person next to you while you’re pumping iron, don’t.
Stay away from anyone who appears to be sick. Same deal as above. Coronavirus is transmitted through respiratory droplets that you can then breathe in or get in your nose, mouth, or eyes. Those droplets are thought to be able to travel up to six feet, the CDC says. So, ideally, you want to keep at least that much distance between you and someone who is coughing and/or sneezing.
Maybe rethink group fitness classes for now.
Its a good idea to avoid group classes at the gym, Dr. Fernando says. Why? People are usually in close proximity during group classes (generally less than six feet apart) and that makes it really easy for COVID-19 to spread if the person on the indoor bike next to you happens to be infected and is coughing or sneezing.
There’s no evidence right now that the novel coronavirus can be transmitted through sweat but, again, if you’re packed into a class with plenty of other people, there’s the whole coughing/sneezing thing to consider.
Instead, consider sweating outside now that the weather is getting better, try one of Women’s Health’s many indoor workouts you can do at home, or stream a workout from our All Out Studio app .
Swimming is probably okay.
But again, it depends on a few factors, including how crowded your local pool is. Some places have people share lanes and, if you’re regularly coming face to face with a fellow lane swimmer during laps, it could present a less-than-ideal situation.
Also, plenty of pool water gets into other peoples noses and mouths during swimming and comes back out into the water you’re swimming in, where it can also travel into your nose and mouth. That’s worth considering.
There’s been some debate online about whether chlorine kills coronavirus, but its unclear at this point. We don’t have that information yet, but there is a lot of chlorine in those pools, Willard says.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently posted on their website that chlorine can be useful to disinfect surfaces but it needs to be used under appropriate recommendations. However, they stopped short of saying that chlorine can actually kill COVID-19.
If you’re thinking of hopping into your community pool, Dr. Willard recommends paying attention to local health alerts. If I know in my community that there are several cases of novel coronavirus, I’m not going to the gym or pool, she says. You’ve got to be smart about it.
Again, its understandable that you might be freaked out about the novel coronavirus these days, but experts stress that you don’t need to avoid the gym entirely. Just pay attention to local health alerts and do your best to follow good prevention steps. And wash your hands please.
The announcement of Kenya’s first confirmed case of Covid-19 caused by coronavirus has caused anxiety in the country.
The authorities said the patient – a Kenyan citizen who arrived in the country on 5 March from the US – was receiving treatment and that those she had been in contact with have been traced.
Despite also reassuring the public that measures to deal with an outbreak had been put in place, some people have chosen to stock up on supplies.
A tweeter has shared this video of a packed supermarket in the capital Nairobi.
Few days ago, AMG Signee Medikal and Ghanaian actress cum entrepreneur Fella Makafui tied the knot in a private traditional ceremony in Accra.
Despite the controversy that surrounded the ceremony, it came to successful end.
While it is unclear if the couple are going to have a white wedding, Medikal was spotted in town without his wedding ring.
Now, what we know is that, most artist going to perform at live shows often go without their wedding rings to prevent it from getting missing and also for security reasons.
This is because, these artists are easily mobbed by fans so there is a lot of touching and handshakes thereby making it easy for them to lose their rings.
That being said, Medikal has no upcoming shows, at least not yet, so why would he all of a sudden stop wearing his ring?
Well, as our cherished readers, share your thoughts with us.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) have met Friday, following the reported cases of the novel coronavirus in the country.
The aim of the joint meeting was to deliberate on and decide measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus in schools
Some issues discussed in the joint meeting were the finalisation of the content on education material, sensitisation of students and staff and familiarisation of staff with emergency numbers to report suspected cases among students.
The Director Generals of both the GHS and GES, Program Officer of WASH, GES, Heads of Public Relations of both bodies and other executives were present at the event.
Both Director Generals have agreed to issues a joint statement soon.
However, Â a more detailed plan of action is yet to be rolled out.
Former AIDS Ambassador and HIV patient, Joyce Dzidzor Mensah has surfaced again on the internet months of been in hibernation and this time she came out with a piece of good news.
The controversial media personality this time posted a video of herself heavily pregnant, dancing and flaunting her baby bump.
From her antics in the video one could tell that Joyce Dzidzor is yet to recover fully from her mental illness.
Residents of Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region have expressed concerns about how our borders are manned following an announcement by the Health Minister, Kweku Agyeman Manu Thursday.
The ministry, in a statement, confirmed two cases of the fast-spreading Coronavirus; one from a Norwegian and another from a Ghanaian visiting from Turkey.
Interacting with Ghanaweb’s Upper East correspondent, Castro Senyalah, some unhappy residents who were disturbed about the situation joined in calls for the closure of the country’s borders to avoid further exacerbation of the situation.
“The disease is deadly and can kill, Ghana has to protect its own by safeguarding its borders and stopping any entries to avoid more damage than there already is,” a seamstress, Joyce said.
Another resident, Emmanuel was emphatic in his calls for the closure of the borders and the equipping of health facilities to properly manage the outbreak in the region.
“Now that it is in Ghana, we are praying it doesn’t get us. The problem is with Ghana’s borders, they always allow people to enter and pay money without ID cards. We’ll have to blame them.”
The government of Ghana Thursday confirmed two cases of the deadly Coronavirus the viral disease that is gradually spreading across the globe.
COVID -19 first broke out in Wuhan-China and has since spread to other parts of the world especially Europe, killing thousands of people globally.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared the rapidly spreading outbreak a pandemic, acknowledging that the virus will likely spread to all countries on the globe.
Africa, in the beginning, did not record any case of the viral disease. However, in the recent weeks, West African countries such as Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast have reported cases indicating the entry of the disease into the West African Sub-region.
Ghana Thursday, March 12, 2020, became the latest in the list of African countries who have recorded cases of the COVID-19.
The cases, according to the Minister in charge of Health Services, Kweku Agyeman-Manu, who spoke at a press briefing said the cases were confirmed by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.
According to the minister, both individuals returned to Ghana one from Norway and the other from Turkey; a Ghanaian.
He gave assurances that the government and health partners will work tirelessly to ensure the situation is contained.
Government has also announced the allocation of $ 100 million to fight the virus.
A virologist, Prof William Ampofo says reports that suggests, that African blood genetics resists coronavirus can’t be scientifically proven.
There is a certain conspiracy that black people are less susceptible to the coronavirus
Ever since the coronavirus started spreading, Africa has not recorded a higher number of cases as compared to countries in Europe and Asia.
Prof Addo advised people to do away with this information and observe all precautionary measures to ensure they do not contract the virus.
Ghana yesterday confirmed its first two cases of the coronavirus, one a Ghanaian citizen who works in Turkey and returned to Ghana, and the other is a Norwegian citizen.
“Populations can be susceptible to different diseases, but currently there is no scientific proof that black blood genetics resist the virus. Let’s not jump to that conclusion or else people’s attitude may change and they will not observe all the measures”, he told Joy FM.
After Ghana confirmed its first two cases, the Minister for Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu says the government will work assiduously to contain the coronavirus in Ghana.
The novel coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan, China last December and has spread to at least 114 countries.
The global death toll is now over 4,600, with more than 124,500 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which has declared the outbreak a pandemic.
Here are the confirmed cases in Africa as of Wednesday
The fast-spreading disease appears to have struck fear and panic into people, with many countries recording hundreds of cases.
To this end, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the coronavirus a global health emergency and a pandemic.
On Thursday, the Ghana government officially confirmed that the country has recorded its first two cases of the coronavirus.
The victims have been identified as a Norwegian and a Ghanaian citizen who is based in Turkey and works there.
This has led to different reactions from Ghanaians. And, aided by the spread of fake news, many citizens are currently in panic mode.
However, it should not be so. A victim of the coronavirus has given an honest explanation on why nobody should be panicking even for those who have tested positive.
A vaccine for the coronavirus may currently not be available, but the disease is not as deadly as many have been made to think.
And yes, people who tested positive are recovering quite well. In fact, many have already recovered.
“[Having the virus] isn’t anything to worry about for me personally,†Andrew O’Dwyer, who was infected with the new coronavirus following a skiing trip to Italy, said.
Speaking to the BBC, he said the fever he experienced is “no different to normal flu-type symptoms,†adding that “I’ve not been concerned.â€
Despite the swathes of misinformation spreading around, the fact is that only those who are older and have pre-existing medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease) are more likely to become severely ill.
The symptoms are also not as serious as you might be thinking, says Andrew.
“I got tested before I was feeling ill because other people had tested positive. I found out three days later I was positive. But it was over a week before I showed symptoms,” he disclosed.
Andrew has since self-isolated at home and is currently working from home. So, there are enough reasons for us not to panic.
Ghpage.com has chanced on one chilling video that is already making waves on Twitter that captures a wife mercilessly beating up her husband to stupor after she saw him with a side-chick at the restaurant having a good time.
The agenda to root out side-chicks by married women still stands.
The wife went mad on her husband who she tracked to a restaurant with his side chick. In anger, the woman confronted and beat her husband up mercilessly to a point where his shirt became wet with his own blood.
It took the timely intervention of patrons and bystanders of the restaurant at the time to save the situation from getting worse.
Watch the video here:
Your wife is a complete package, why should he cheat? see body o! The wife too should have exercise patience smh. Share your thoughts in the comments session.
ClassFMonline.com can confirm that one of the two cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Ghana on Thursday, 12 March 2020 by the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research (NMIMR) is of a male staff with the UNDP office in Ghana.
The UN Information Officer in Ghana, Cynthia Prah, confirmed the information to ClassFMonline.com and said the UNDP would soon issue a statement on the matter.
Meanwhile, the UN has asked all its Ghana staff to work from home.
In an internal memo to its staff, the UNDP said: “This is to let you know that we were informed last night that one of our UNDP colleagues tested positive for COVID-19.
“We want to first let you know that our colleague is in good hands, has followed the necessary protocols, and is now under medical observation and receiving excellent care at an assigned government hospital.
“We, hence, want to assure you that there is no need for concern within our team …â€, portions of the memo read.
The UNDP staff is a foreign national speculated to be a Norwegian.
The other case is of a Ghanaian who came into town from Turkey.
Health Minister Dr Kweku Agyemang-Manu, who broke the news at an emergency press conference Thursday night, said the two patients have been quarantined and are stable.
Nigerian afropop and songwriter, Yemi Eberechi Alade, simply known in showbiz as Yemi Alade, has stunned the world with cute photos as she marks her 31st birthday.
The “Johnny†hitmaker took to social media by first sharing a photo of her in a masai dress and later shared a picture of herself in a more simple jeans and lose top which is very unusual of her.
A prominent Chinese official claims the United States military could have brought the novel coronavirus to China — and it did not originate in the city of Wuhan, as thought.
Posting to his more than 300,000 followers on Twitter, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian republished a video of Robert Redfield, the director for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, addressing a US Congressional committee on March 11.
In the clip, Redfield said some influenza deaths in the US were later identified as cases of Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Redfield didn’t say when those people had died or over what time period, but Zhao pointed to his remarks as proof of a growing conspiracy theory that the coronavirus did not originate in Hubei province in central China.
“CDC was caught on the spot. When did patient zero begin in US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation!” the Foreign Ministry official said.
The video of Redfield was also published to Twitter by other state media outlets, including national broadcaster CCTV and the popular Global Times tabloid.
On Friday, Zhao’s fellow Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said there were “varied opinions” on the origin of the virus in the international community.
“China always considers this a scientific question, which should be addressed in a scientific and professional manner,” he said, avoiding questions on whether Zhao’s tweet represented the Chinese government’s official position.
Origin theories
Parts of Chinese social media, and even the country’s government, appear to have launched a concerted campaign to question the origin of the novel coronavirus, which has infected more than 125,000 people globally.
The first reported cases of the virus were in Wuhan, and since then the city has had more infections and deaths than anywhere in the world.
Speaking in his official capacity at a press conference in Beijing on March 4, Zhao told reporters that “no conclusion has been reached yet on the origin of the virus” — and Chinese scientists were still tracing where it came from.
On February 27, renowned Chinese infectious disease expert Zhong Nanshan also questioned where the coronavirus had come from.
“The infection was first spotted in China but the virus may not have originated in China,” Zhong said at a press conference.
On Thursday, Hua Chunying, Zhao’s boss who heads the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Department of Information, tweeted a link to Redfield’s testimony, saying it was “absolutely wrong and inappropriate to call this the Chinese coronavirus.”
China’s ambassador to South Africa, Lin Songtian, took to Twitter on March 8 to say that although the first epidemic was recorded in China, it didn’t mean the virus “originated from China.”
However, Zhao’s colleague Geng cautioned Thursday that the origin of the virus could only be determined “by science.”
“We don’t hope to see anyone making an issue out of this to stigmatize other countries,” he said. “With COVID-19 developing into a pandemic, the world should come together to fight it instead of leveling accusations and attacks against each other, which is not constructive at all.”
Twitter diplomacy
Zhao’s comments are another example of Chinese government figures using Twitter to defend China against criticism — despite the platform being banned in the country, along with Facebook, Instagram and a number of other prominent Western social media sites.
Prior to 2019, few Chinese officials had verified Twitter accounts. But since then, ambassadors, mission heads and Chinese foreign ministry spokespeople across the world have joined Twitter.
In January, Chinese ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming weighed in on the UK’s decision on whether or not to ban telecommunications giant Huawei from its 5G networks on Twitter.
Cui Tiankai, the Chinese ambassador to the US, took to Twitter in December to deny accusations of human rights abuses against Muslim-majority Uyghurs in Xinjiang. “Ultimately, facts will always prevail over lies,” he tweeted.
Zhao was promoted in mid 2019 after building a reputation for himself on Twitter as a fierce advocate for Chinese interests — arguing with western politicians and blocking Beijing’s critics — during his time as a senior diplomat at the Chinese embassy in Pakistan.
Twitter and Facebook say they’ve suspended a small network of accounts linked to Russia, but based in Ghana and Nigeria, for attempting to sow discord.
The social media firms said the profiles targeted American users by talking about social issues such as race and civil rights.
Pages have also been removed from Instagram, which is owned by Facebook.
The company said more than 260,000 people followed one or more of the Instagram accounts.
Facebook said the profiles didn’t appear to focus on elections.
A South African king, a nephew of the late Nelson Mandela, has been arrested after allegedly going on the rampage with an axe in the palace.
Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, freed from jail on parole in December, broke into the Thembu royal palace in the early hours.
Witnesses said he was searching for his son, the regent, who was appointed the acting monarch while he was in prison.
The regent escaped through a window, but his wife has been injured and taken to hospital, a royal spokesman said.
King Dalindyebo was sentenced to 12 years in jail for kidnapping, assault and arson, but only served four years after the president granted some prisoners early parole last year.
He was the first monarch to be convicted of a crime in South Africa since white-minority rule ended in 1994.
The 56-year-old comes from the Thembu clan, to which Mr Mandela, South Africa’s first black president, belonged.
South Africa has seven officially recognised monarchs representing different ethnic groups and clans.
People were running for their lives’
Since King Dalindyebo’s release from jail, there have been tensions in the Thembu royal family and he has refused to see his son, acting King Azenathi Zanelizwe Dalindyebo.
Last month, the royal household decided that Azenathi should continue on as regent for at least another year, South Africa’s City Press paper reported.
Royal spokesman Prince Siganyeko Dalindyebo said the king had broken into the palace – Bumbane Great Place, just outside the town of Mthatha in Eastern Cape Province – at around 03:00 local time (01:00 GMT) on Friday morning.
“He was carrying weapons such as [an] axe, a machete and also a crowbar. He managed to break a window from the sitting room of the main house,” he told public broadcaster SABC.
“As he was moving up the stairs looking for the acting king, some people managed to distract him and then the acting king managed to jump out of a window, running for safety.”
Other people were also running for their lives, the prince said.
“He has wreaked havoc in the palace… he started ransacking the king’s room, all confidential documents – he threw them around.”
Video footage shows the troubled monarch later standing outside his palace, calmly smoking a cigarette, and daring the police to arrest him, which they eventually did.
The king was jailed in 2015 after being convicted of assaulting his subjects during a “reign of terror” in the 1990s.
He had kidnapped a woman and her six children, set their home on fire and beaten up four youths, one of whom died, because one of their relatives had failed to present himself before the king’s traditional court.
Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo is, to put it mildly, a maverick royal.
If his behaviour has often proved extreme, it nonetheless poses some fundamental questions about the role of traditional leaders in modern, post-apartheid South Africa: their entitlements, public funding, the feudal nature of their control and, above all in this case, the extent to which their royal titles grant them impunity.
As well as the formally recognised monarchs, South Africa has thousands of other traditional leaders – headmen and chiefs – who continue to enjoy widespread respect, particularly in rural areas, and who are often called to mediate in civil disputes within their clans.
During the decades of racial apartheid, the white-minority government sought to strengthen the role of royal families, seeking to play them off against the broader and much more threatening liberation movement led by the African National Congress (ANC).
But in recent years – and after multiple royal scandals – some South Africans have begun to question the sustainability of the traditional system, not least when it comes to issues like the semi-feudal control that Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini still enjoys over vast areas of land that he rents out to his subjects.
King Zwelithini – whose outspoken views on immigrants and sex education along with his lavish lifestyle have often been criticised – has, like King Dalindyebo, repeatedly challenged the authority of South Africa’s democratic government.
The country’s royal families face no immediate challenge to their authority, and many South Africans may shrug off King Dalindyebo as an embarrassing outlier.
But after this latest incident, plenty of people will be watching closely to see how fairly, or leniently, he will be treated by prosecutors.
India has recorded its first death linked to the coronavirus, officials have confirmed.
The 76-year-old man, from the southern state of Karnataka, returned from Saudi Arabia on 29 February after a month-long visit.
People who came in contact with the man, who died on Tuesday, are being traced and quarantined, the state’s health minister said.
India has 81 confirmed cases of the virus, the health ministry says.
The dead man’s test results were only made public on Thursday.
Officials say he was screened at the airport when he arrived from Saudi Arabia but showed no symptoms at the time.
After he developed difficulties last week, he was taken to hospital.
ndia’s Supreme Court has said it will only hear urgent cases from Monday, and has restricted the number of people who can enter a courtroom.
The southern state of Karnataka has banned all gatherings including weddings, sports events and conferences for a week as the country attempts to slow the spread of the virus.
Malls, movie theatres, pubs and night clubs have also been shut.
“The government will decide on further action after a week following a review,” the state’s chief minister BS Yediyurappa announced on Friday.
But he said that government offices would continue to function as normal.
India has taken a number of steps to halt the spread of Covid-19:
All visas, barring a select few categories, have been suspended for a month
Visa-free travel afforded to overseas citizens of the country has been suspended until 15 April and even those allowed in could be subject to 14 days of quarantine
Schools, colleges and movie theatres in the capital, Delhi, have been shut until 31 March
The Indian Premier League (IPL), featuring nearly 60 foreign players and scheduled to begin on 29 March, has been postponed to 15 April
Two one-day cricket matches between India and South Africa will be played behind closed doors
India’s health ministry says it was among the first countries in the world to prepare for an outbreak of the respiratory illness, and denied allegations that it was slow in testing suspected cases.
“Our surveillance system is strong and we are able to quickly identify any symptomatic patients,” RR Gangakhedkar from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) told reporters on Thursday.
Is India prepared for an outbreak?
However, there are concerns about whether the country will be fully equipped to prevent and treat an outbreak.
It would be near impossible for India to force its citizens into mass quarantine and hospitalise people in numbers like China, says the BBC’s Soutik Biswas.
Our correspondent says there are also concerns about the country’s scanty healthcare data. India has a shoddy record in even recording deaths and disease – only 77% of deaths are registered, and doctors are more likely to get the cause of death wrong than right, according to a study the Toronto-based Centre for Global Research. There is patchy data for flu-related deaths.
Rumours, myths and misconceptions spread through social media could also hamper an effective response to the infection.
Fast-rising Ghanaian male vocalist Mr. Bankz, Born Henry Ellorm Andrews has released his highly anticipated single titled Sika featuring rapper Obibini and the multi-talented Nafa City.
The former member of the musical group “Banka 2 Banka†now turned IT Manager Tells a story about how people suffer to make ends meet and when their breakthrough comes, they enjoy life to the fullest.
The song comes with an official music video was directed by Filmgod.
The “Sika†music video shows the struggle men in Africa go through before earning some income from their sweat and when the money comes, men believe that there is also the need to spend.
The song begins with a sensational chorus by Mr. Bankz and Nafa City where the “Ogbeni†hitmaker Obibini comes in with a dope rap verse.
The “Sika†song is a great masterpiece worth listening with a classy video worth watching.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it is shutting down its office in Ghana to test its capacity to manage the Coronavius pandemic.
The IMF has asked its staff in the country not to report to work on Friday and carry out all their work online or virtual platforms.
According to a source close to the IMF, this is part of several simulations in understanding the situation should any of its staff be “infectedâ€.
JoyBusiness understands that as of now all activities are being than online or virtual platforms.
The source adds that this is to ensure that their operations in the country do not grind to a halt should the Coronavirus get out of hand in the country.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.
Globally, there have been 134,511 cases recorded and at least 4,970 deaths.
Two cases confirmed in Ghana
The Ministry of Health has announced that two cases of coronavirus infection (COVID-19) have been confirmed in Ghana.
The cases, according to the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, were confirmed on Thursday, March 12, 2020.
At an impromptu press briefing, the Health Minister announced that these were the first two cases confirmed in Ghana.
The confirmation makes Ghana the latest African country to record the disease that has hit at least nine sub-Saharan African countries.
Controversial Ghanaian actress Efia Odo has decided to share newly acquired “booty†to her followers.
Few days ago, Efia Odo posted a video herself getting her butt done by increasing the size. She explained that she was too lazy to go to the gym for exercise hence she had to resort to clinical ways to increase the size of her butts.
While some of her fans applauded her for augmenting her butt, others thought she went too far and should have maintained her natural body.
Meanwhile Efia Odo is currently working on her new bikini line.
The health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have confirmed that a second person has tested positive for the new coronavirus and is being treated in hospital:
Mrs Mercy Sackey, the mother-in-law of the world Renowned Evangelist, Dr Lawrence Tetteh is dead
The sad passing of Mrs Mercy Sackey (Nee Quarcoopome), fondly called Auntie Mercy occurred on Wednesday 11th March 2020 at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital , Accra at the age of 75.
Auntie Mercy was also a class Leader of the Kaneshie Thomas Clegg Methodist church, Ghana.She was very instrumental in the Rev Dr Lawrence Tetteh historic Wesleyan Revival Crusade with Most Rev Samuel Asante Antwi and the Methodist,Ghana at the Independence Square.
She left behind three daughters Mrs. Barbara Tetteh, Ms. Rosemary Adubea Sackey and Mrs. Gifty Sackey Mbura, all resident in the United Kingdom.
A lot of us are busy analysing how Corona virus is deadly and all that, not knowing there is another common creation of God in some of our homes that are more dangerous to our existence.
I implore you to take a little time out and read this,it may be useful to you,I mean you reading this right now.,
The slippery House Lizard known as Wall Gecko also called â€Efie Wura†in Akan fell into a pot of soup prepared by a housewife in Nigeria unknowingly and it killed the woman and her 5 children after eating.
Another woman who prepared Tea in a kettle which the gecko fell into, all the family that drank the tea died.
Please ensure your food, cooked or raw is tightly closed as this animal is highly poisonous.
Therefore do everything possible to get rid of this dangerous animal from your home.
God bless you as you spread this message across to your family and friends.
Agubee or Tsaka or Wall Gecko, is causing too much deaths at various homes these days, let it not bring death messengers to ur home.
To eradicate it totally in your home, just MIX SALT and GARLIC and put it in different corners of your room. You will never see them again.
The James Town police have apprehended one Abubakar AbdulGaniu for allegedly stabbing his friend to death.
The suspect allegedly stabbed 34-year-old Kwasi Kloutse in the chest after a misunderstanding had ensured between them.
According to witnesses, the suspect after stabbing Kloutse attempted to escape but some angry traders grabbed him and handed him over to the James Town police.
It is, however, unclear the circumstance that led to the deadly incident but witnesses claimed they suspected it bordered on a business-related issue.
The Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Effia Tenge, confirmed the incident and said it occurred on Monday at about 5:30pm at a spot near old Fadama.
She said when the police arrived at the crime scene, Kloutse, dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt over a pair of black jeans trousers with a backpack, was lying in a supine position, but was dead.
She said the victim had a deep wound in the middle of the chest with blood still oozing and it appeared he had been stabbed.
She said there were also two fresh minor cuts on the left side of the chest of the victim.
The identity of one of the two patients who have tested positive for the deadly coronavirus (Covid-19) in Ghana has been revealed.
The man whose identity has been not revealed by Ghanaian officials for concrete reasons has been identified to be a Norwegian diplomat.
According to sources, the man identified as Gunnar Andras Holm is a senior official of the Norwegian Embassy in Ghana.
The Norwegian Ambassador allegedly arrived in Ghana last week before reporting ill. He was in Norway to help in the planning of the visit of President Akufo-Addo to Norway about 15 days ago.
His other Ghanaian counterpart who is also infected reportedly reached Ghana on 29th February.
Kenya has confirmed that a woman has tested positive for Covid-19.
Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe said she had arrived from the US on 5 March and tested positive for the virus on Thursday.
She had travelled from the US, transiting in London without leaving the airport.
The minister said the patient was now stable and eating, adding that her fever had gone down.
She would be kept in isolation until she tested negative, he said.
Kenya’s Citizen TV tweeted a video of the minister’s statement:
BREAKING: Mutahi Kagwe: Ministry of health has confirmed the first coronavirus case in Kenya. The Kenyan citizen returning from the US to Nairobi via London on 5th March. She was confirmed positive by the national influenza lab. However, the patient is stable pic.twitter.com/zvcIqywu4U
The Berekum District Police Commander, ASP Andrews Kofi Okonenge has bemoaned the recent killings in the area.
The commander addressing the media at a press conference said since he took over some two months ago, the command has recorded the murder of two persons, one unemployed and a farmer.
He revealed the first case involved one Edward Kwame, 22, whose body was discovered in a decomposing state.
He added that there were marks on the body indicating he was murdered.
The police is still investigating the matter, ASP Andrews Kofi Okonenge said.
The second case he noted was discovered on Thursday, but it was later revealed the body had been killed on March 10, 2020.
The body he said was identified as Nicholas Yeboah, 25.
An investigation is still underway so I do not want to speak much about it, he declared.
Meanwhile, he has cautioned the residents to desist from mob justice since it deprives people of fair justice.
He was of the view that, when people take the law into their own hands and attack suspected criminals and kill them, and later it turns out they were innocent of the crime, it would have been too late.
He admonished residents to always hand over suspected criminals to the police for the law to deal with them.
He also asked them to be security conscious and avoid walking late in the late to avoid any form of attack.
Ghana Lucifer has introduced a new dimension into the arena of comedy. In this comic video, Ghana Lucifer reveals how humans make decisions based on the soft voices (angelic and demonic) they hear.
Whether you are religious (Christian or Muslim) or not, this video is a must watched one because of its education to humans in general.
In the video, a Pastor is caught in between two powerful voices, on the basis of which he would make his decision. The decision, which could be positive or negative.
This video educates humans as to how to make the right choice from the voices (angelic and demonic) that we often hear mentally in order that we make the positive decision that would affect our lives and that of others positively.
In this video, the pastor made the wrong choice by listening to the positive voice and that led him to make the negative decision.
This tells us that, irrespective of your position, status or background, if you don’t make the correct choice from the two voices (good and bad voices), it will lead to your downfall and subject you to public ignominy.
Moral lesson from the video is that, mostly the voice that tells you to do something which is evil is the demonic voice and obviously the voice that tells you not to engage in something sinful is the angelic voice.
The James Town police have apprehended one Abubakar AbdulGaniu for allegedly stabbing his friend to death.
The suspect allegedly stabbed 34-year-old Kwasi Kloutse in the chest after a misunderstanding had ensured between them.
According to witnesses, the suspect after stabbing Kloutse attempted to escape but some angry traders grabbed him and handed him over to the James Town police.
It is, however, unclear the circumstance that led to the deadly incident but witnesses claimed they suspected it bordered on a business-related issue.
The Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Effia Tenge, confirmed the incident and said it occurred on Monday at about 5:30pm at a spot near old Fadama.
She said when the police arrived at the crime scene, Kloutse, dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt over a pair of black jeans trousers with a backpack, was lying in a supine position, but was dead.
She said the victim had a deep wound in the middle of the chest with blood still oozing and it appeared he had been stabbed.
She said there were also two fresh minor cuts on the left side of the chest of the victim.
Several Ghanaians who live within the jurisdiction of several high-tension poles mounted behind Fiesta Royal Hotel in Accra have witnessed a demolition of the structures they call home.
The affected persons noted that the exercise started within the wee hours of today.
Briefing the news team on what transpired, they averred that the area was evaded by security personnel and some other persons they believe were land guards without their notice around 3am Friday.
Those affected by the exercise include petty traders, mainly pure water sellers, tailors, bar operators, security personnel, among others.
The squatters further told the news team that some who were unable to secure their belongings had them destroyed by the excavators and security personnel who were at the site.
School children who were with their parents upon the arrival of the news team said they had no choice but to stay home to help pack what their families secured.
Some who called on government to come to their aid, requested for a temporal structure from the Akufo-Addo-led government to lay their heads at night whilst they look for permanent places to rent.
Others, however, threatened not to exercise their franchise in the upcoming general elections adding that they will not hesitate to vote out the Akufo-Addo government for not being there for Ghanaians as promised.
Explaining why they had taken such as a decision in an election year, most averred that the president and his appointees after being voted into power, render them homeless while they use taxpayer’s money to sponsor their lavish lifestyle.
