Author: Persis

  • Three arrested persons confess to stealing from GRA Academy

    Three persons arrested by the Kpetoe District Police for stealing from the Ghana Revenue Academy, GRA premises in Kpetoe have confessed to the crime. The three individuals confessed to the crime at the Kpetoe District Court on the 8th of January 2020.

    The three, Badawusu Kwadzo James aged 18, Bedu Godsway aged 21 and Agbowali John aged 21, pleaded guilty to the offence of stealing and were convicted on their own plea for a sentence to be delivered today 10th January 2020.

    Ghana Revenue Authority seizes products in Kumasi

    The convicts stole four Polytanks with a 10,000-litre capacity each, 24 pieces of ceiling fans and a set of water closet all valued at Gh?23,500.00; from a construction site of the Ghana Revenue Academy at Kpetoe.

    Some residents of Kpetoe are said to be jubilating over their arrest and cites the convicts as perpetrators of several reported incidents of stealing.

    Read the statement from the police below :

    Source: primenewsghana.com

     

  • Inflation for December 2019 falls to 7.9%

    Continuous reduction of food prices in the last quarter of 2019 has influenced a marginal drop in inflation for December 2019, the Ghana Statistical Service has said.

    The national year-on-year inflation rate recorded for the month is a reduction of 0.3 percentage points from the rate recorded in November of the same year.

    According to the Government Statistician, Professor Samuel Kobina Annim, apart from food inflation dominating the rate, housing and transportation also recorded a marginal change during the period.

    Introduction of higher denominations suggests inflation Ricketts-Hagan

    “The national year-on-year in?ation rate was 7.9% in December 2019, .3 percentage points lower than the 8.2% recorded in November 2019. Month-on-month in?ation between November 2019 and December 2019 was.3%.

    Alcoholic Beverages, Tobacco & Narcotics (13.5%), Transport (11.0%), and Housing (10.5%) were the Divisions with the highest rates of in?ation. Due to its relative importance in consumption, Food is the main driver of in?ation in Ghana, but less than last month” he notes.

    The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures changes in the prices of a ?xed basket of goods and services that households in Ghana consume. This index is then referenced to thepricelevelin2018, the base year which has an index of 100. Relative changes in this index can be expressed as in?ation.

    Food and Non-food

    The Food and Non-alcoholic beverages Division recorded a year-on-year in?ation rate of 7.2%. This is 1.2 percentage points lower than what was recorded in November 2019(8.4%).

    Mining records 34.4% inflation in October

    The national non-food year-on-year in?ation for December 2019 was 8.5%, up from 8.0% recorded in November 2019. Between November 2019 and December 2019 the price level of Food and Non-alcoholic beverages went down slightly (-.6%).

    This fall is predominantly driven by a decrease in price levels of Vegetables and Fish.

    This stands, in contrast, the increase in Food in?ation between October 2019 and November 2019(+1.1%).

    Non-food subclasses with the highest year-on-year in?ation include Other transport services (34.5%), Postal and courier services (31.5%), Narcotics (28.1%), and Garden products (24.7%).

    Maintenance and repair of personal transport equipment (-10.6%), Education

    (not de?ned by level) (-8.1%),Cars (-2.3%), Sound equipment(-2.3%), and Electric appliances for personal care(-2.2%)had negative year-on-year in?ation rates.

    At the regional level, the year-on-year inflation ranged from 5.0% in the Ashanti Region to 12.0% in the Greater Accra Region.

    Source: Myjoyonline.com

  • KMA to demolish Central Market January ending

    The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has concluded negotiations with traders for them to move into the new Kejetia Market to pave the way for the construction of the second phase of the Kejetia/Central Market Redevelopment Project.

    The KMA set the end of November last year as the deadline for the evacuation of all traders from the central market, but had to extend the deadline in order for traders not to miss business during the Christmas season.

    The traders, ahead of the November deadline, pleaded with the KMA to allow them to sell during the Christmas before being moved to the new Kejetia Market.

    40% Kumasi residents have no toilets KMA

    The KMA has, thus, given traders up to the end of January this year for their evacuation and the demolition of the central market to pave the way for the construction of the new market to start.

    Sensitisation

    A team of officials from the KMA, together with the media in Kumasi, last Monday visited the central market to give the over 6,000 traders an ultimatum for them to evacuate to the new market.

    The team was led by the consultant for Contracta, the construction firm executing the project, Mr Emmanuel Danso, and included the Administrative Manager of the Kumasi Central Market, Mrs Deborah Okrah.

    With the aid of megaphones, the team amicably interacted with the traders and asked them to cooperate with the authorities during the evacuation period.

    “So far, 98 per cent of processes leading to the movement of traders to the market have been completed,” Mr Danso told the traders, and urged all those with concerns to go to the administrative office today for them to be addressed.

    KMA assures traders over Kejetia Market

    “All keys to the new shops are ready,” he added, and said many of the traders refused to go for their keys, as advised, perhaps because they were busily trading during the festive season.

    Preparedness

    According to Mr Danso, materials for the project had all arrived in the country and being kept at the Kumasi Cultural Centre, waiting for the KMA to relocate traders for work to commence.

    He assured the traders that unlike the first phase of the project which was delayed because of litigation with some private landowners, there would be no hindrance to the early completion of the second phase.

    The redevelopment of the Kumasi Central Market is a €248-million project being financed by the Deutsche Bank of Germany, with export credit guarantee from the United Kingdom Export Finance (UKEF).

    The project is being undertaken by Messrs Contracta Construction Ltd, a UK-based company, and is expected to be completed within 48 months.

    Source: Graphic.com.gh

  • EC replies opposition political parties

    The Electoral Commission has once again denied the allegation that it intends to rig this year’s election in favour of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

    “We have no intention of rigging the election; we make sure we involve all the political parties in everything we do; there is transparency in our processes”, Communications Officer of the Commission, Sylvia Annor said.

    Electoral Commission passes major test

    This reaction follows a decision by some opposition political parties to embark on a series of demonstrations against the EC’s decision to compile a new voters register.

    This group named: interparty resistance against new voters register is made up of the largest opposition party; NDC, PNC, APC and others.

    Sylvia Annor who was speaking in an interview with Nana Yaw Kesse on Peace FM morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, continued to justify reasons for a new voters’ register.

    Listen to the full interview below

  • Scores of violent MenzGold customers arrested at NAM1’s residence

    About 100 aggrieved customers of the defunct gold-dealership firm MenzGold have been arrested by the police in Accra.

    Police say the demonstrating customers who forced their way into the plush Trassaco Estate Wednesday to demand their locked-up investments from owner of the firm, Nana Appiah Mensah, were acting violently.

    About 200 Menzgold customers have received locked up cash Management

    They were said to have assaulted the private security personnel who were manning the main gate to the estate to gain entry to disturb public peace.

    A gunshot was reportedly fired from within the residence of Nana Appiah Mensah popularly known as NAM1, when the aggrieved customers attempted to break the gate to his house, a situation that created confusion within the area.

    Gun-wielding police personnel arrived at the scene moments later and began chasing the customers some of who were arrested and drove away in police pick-up vehicles to the Police headquarters.

    Source: 3news.com

  • NDC Parliamentary candidate reportedly found dead in his room

    The National Democratic Congress(NDC) Parliamentary Candidate for Subin in the Ashanti Region, Linford Owuo, popularly known as Cedi has been found dead in his bedroom at Asafo in Kumasi Wednesday(today) morning, Kasapafmonline.com can report.

    It is unclear what caused his death.

    The family has officially reported the matter to the police for investigations.

    The lifeless body of the NDC fanatic has been conveyed to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for autopsy and preservation.

    Linford Owuo is reportedly known for engaging in several questionable activities for the NDC in Ashanti region for many years.

    In 2009, he was arrested and stood trial at a Kumasi Circuit Court for robbing Appiah Stadium who was at that time an NPP serial caller.

    According to the facts of the case, Cedi, on Wednesday March 4 purportedly took the laws into his hands and led an unprovoked attack on Appiah Stadium and burnt his Daewoo lenox salon car in the process valued at GH¢7,100 into ashes whilst robbing him of an amount of GH¢2,750.

    Appiah Stadium, the facts stipulated was driving the said car along the Asafo roundabout around 11; 30 am on that day when Cedi, in the company of four-armed persons, allegedly stopped him and demanded his car keys.

    Appiah Stadium who did not sense danger was said to have obliged and was subsequently forced into his car and was driven to Fante-New-Town, near O.A Transport Services area where he was later bungled into a waiting taxi cab.

    His seized car and the taxi cab were afterwards driven to the Asem School Park where the suspect and his accomplices stole an amount of GH¢2,750 from the car and later set it ablaze burning it beyond recognition.

    After the condemnable act, Appiah Stadium was driven in the same taxi cab from the Asem School Park through Amakom, heading to an unknown destination when he was fortunately rescued by some passers-by who heard him scream for help from the taxi.

    Cedi who operates a gymnasium was arrested in his Fante-New-Town residence on Thursday March 5, a day after he had allegedly visited mayhem on Appiah Stadium.

    He was purported to have publicly disclosed that he was operating on the orders of Mr. Daniel Ohene Agyekum, an allegation which the Ashanti regional chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has vehemently denied.

    Cedi is alleged to have categorically declared that in as much as he continued to live, he would make sure that life became unbearable for activists of NPP in Kumasi, especially serial callers who call to defend the party and also criticize the ruling government.

  • Fire ravages 17 stores in Ashanti Region, only a Bible survived

    A devastating fire outbreak at Asokwa Tunsuom in the Ashanti Region has led to the destruction of 17 stores.

    The sad incident is said to have happened on January 6, with properties worth thousands of cedis also getting destroyed.

    Classfmonline reports that, while the stores were completely burnt, a Bible was the only thing to escape unscathed.

    This came as a huge shock to persons who were at the scene after the Bible was retrieved from the debris.

    243 fires recorded in less than two weeks Fire Service

    Among the stores destroyed were provision shops, a book shop, a pharmacy and others made of freight containers.

    Meanwhile, a swift response from fire fighters in Bekwai and Fomena helped to put out the fire before it could cause further damage.

    The Bekwai Municipal Fire Commander, DO2 Amos Abban, said no lives were lost, adding that investigations are ongoing to ascertain the cause of the fire.

    Source: pulse.com.gh

  • Iran attack: Oil prices rise after Iraq missile attacks

    Oil prices have risen after two bases hosting US troops in Iraq were hit by ballistic missiles.

    Brent crude was up by 1.4% at $69.21 per barrel in the middle of the Asian trade, easing back from earlier gains.

    So-called safe haven assets, like gold and the Japanese yen, also rose on the news.

    At the same time, global stock prices were sent lower on concerns over the growing conflict in the Middle East.

    Oil price surges above $70 a barrel

    Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index fell by 1.3%, and Hang Seng in Hong Kong was down 0.8%.

    Iranian state television said the attack was a retaliation for the killing of the country’s top commander Qasem Soleimani.

    The attack happened just hours after the funeral service for Soleimani, who was killed by a US drone strike on Friday.

    His death had raised concerns that the conflict between the US and Iran could escalate further.

    That could disrupt shipping in the world’s busiest sea route for oil, the Strait of Hormuz. Around a fifth of global oil supply passes through the strait which connects the Gulf with the Arabian Sea.

    The Strait of Hormuz is vital for the main oil exporters in the Gulf region – Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE, and Kuwait – whose economies are built around oil and gas production. Iran also relies heavily on this route for its oil exports.

    Qatar, the world’s biggest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), exports nearly all its gas through the strait.

    After the latest attacks, the US aviation regulator banned American airlines from flying over Iraq, Iran and neighbouring countries. The ban includes the Gulf of Oman and the waters between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

    From selling of shirts, watches to owning Oil & Gas Company, the story of Ethel Laurel Akafful

    The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the decision was in response to heightened military activity and increased political tension in the region.

    Before the latest guidance, the FAA had already prohibited US airlines from flying below 26,000 feet (7,925 metres) over Iraq and from flying over an area of Iranian airspace above the Gulf of Oman since Iran shot down an American drone in June 2019.

    At the same time, Singapore Airlines has said that all of its flights would now be diverted from Iranian airspace.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Several passengers injured in near-fatal crash at Nsawam

    About twenty-three (23) persons are seriously injured in multiple accidents on the Nsawam stretch of the Accra to Kumasi Highways.

    The near-fatal multiple vehicle collision involved three Vehicles a Sprinter Bus, Hyundai10 and a Toyota Corolla occurred Tuesday, January 7, 2020.

    All the injured victims including drivers of the vehicles were rushed to Nsawam Government Hospital but those in critical conditions were expected to be referred to the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra for advanced treatment.

    One dead, several injured in a fatal accident at Nkawkaw

    The multiple-vehicle crash occurred when the speeding Sprinter Bus fully loaded with passengers hit the back of the Hyundai10 which had slowed down on a speed ramp on the Adoagyiri bypass adjacent the new mortuary causing the Sprinter Bus to somersault.

    The Toyota saloon Car which was following the Sprinter Bus also rammed into it.

    A Deputy Director of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) in Nsawam, Appiah Peter, explained to Starr News that, the “three Cars all heading towards Accra were involved in the accident.

    Seven killed in Konogo-Kumasi Highway accident

    “The Sprinter Bus fully loaded with passengers hit the back of the H10 then the Toyota Saloon also crashed into the Sprinter. All the Passengers seriously injured have been sent to Nsawam Government Hospital but some will be referred to Koforidua and Korle Bu Teaching Hospitals”

    The Nsawam Police has commenced investigations into the accident.

    Source: starrfm.com.gh

  • Ghana needs a cleanup of security services ahead of 2020 elections – Kofi Abotsi

    Former Dean of Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and secretary to the Emile Short Commission, Kofi Abotsi is calling for a cleanup of the security services ahead of this year’s general elections.

    According to him, the cleanup exercise will avert challenges witnessed during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-elections.

    The government’s white paper on the Emile Short Commission’s work rejected at some of the findings and recommendations of the commission.

    The commission was tasked to investigate the circumstances that led to the violence witnessed during the by-election.

    Security analyst lauds recent reshuffle in police service

    In an interview with Joy FM, Kofi Abotsi said it is very important for government to clean up the security services especially in an election year.

    This according to him will help the many contradictions and difficulties witnessed as far as security coordination and dynamics is concerned.

    “Given the importance of the security sector particularly in an electoral season it is important we streamlined the security sector and that I used the word advisedly that we clean up the structure of our security system to ensure the avoidance of the kind of contradictions and difficulties that we saw far as the coordination of the security apparatus and security dynamics of the security was concern..”

    Massive deployment of security personnel ahead of Samanpiid festival in Bawku

     Ayawaso White Paper

    Government after the Emile Short Commission’s work-issued a White Paper.

    Government in its response said the report failed to address the first and most critical of the terms of reference of the Commission which was “to make a full, faithful and impartial inquiry into the circumstances of, and establish the facts leading to, the events and associated violence that occurred during the Ayawaso West Wuogon bye-election on the 31st day of January 2019”.

    The government said since the Commission failed to do this, it is unable to accept, wholly, the findings of the Commission.

    While some of the findings were accepted, others were rejected.

    Source: primenewsghana.com

  • Four NIA officials arrested over malpractices in Ashanti Region

    Four officials of the National Identification Authority (NIA) and another person have been arrested by the Ghana Police Service for engaging in a number of malpractices in the mass registration exercise in the Ashanti Region.

    A statement issued by the NIA said the arrests, which occurred between 3rd and 6th January 2020, were the result of a collaboration between the NIA and some aggrieved citizens in the Ashanti Region who provided to NIA relevant incriminating evidence on the conduct of the suspects and also identified them to the Police.

    The four officials include a certain Kenneth Sarfo Boateng Commissioner for Oaths (CFO), Church of Christ Registration Centre, Nyinampong, Asante-Mampong; Ransford Omane Osei Mobile Registration Workstation Operator (MRWO), Ampaabame Registration Centre near Ejisu; and De-graft Osei Mensah Supervising Registration Officer (SRO), Kentinkrono M/A Primary School Registration Centre at KNUST.

    NIA refutes allegation of negligence over death of 7 Ghana card registration officials

    The fourth NIA official was Emmanuel Edusei Poku a District Registration Supervisor (DRS) Kentinkrono M/A Primary School Registration Centre at KNUST while the fifth person who is a non-NIA official was identified as Kwabena Dan a resident of Nyinampong.

    The statement further revealed that the suspects have been granted Police enquiry bail and will be assisting the Police in investigations.

    Accordingly, the Executive Secretary of the NIA, Prof. Ken Attafuah has directed the immediate dismissal of the said officials.

    Meanwhile, the Management of NIA said it is satisfied, following administrative procedures, that the conduct of its aforesaid registration officials is in breach of the relevant provisions of the Public Service Code of Conduct.

    “Management has further determined the said conduct also constitutes an egregious violation of applicable internal rules and regulations governing the conduct of NIA registration officials.

    The success of the mass registration exercise will ultimately depend on the level of vigilance and co-operation NIA enjoys from the general public, especially in managing queues, reporting acts of criminality and irresponsibility, and providing evidence that will trigger an effective investigation and/or support effective prosecution,” the statement signed by Assistant Commissioner of Immigration Francis Palmdeti, Head, Corporate Affairs at the NIA said.

    BNI, National security personnel to arrest corrupt NIA officials in Ashanti region

    Registration update

    The National Identification Authority (NIA) has so far registered 5.9 million (5,907,536) people as at the end of 2019 in the ongoing nationwide mass registration exercise.

    Of this number, the authority has printed 5.1 million (5,167,994) cards.

    Data from the NIA reveals that 3.3 million (3,323,839) of the printed cards have been issued to registrants while persons who did not receive their cards can pick them up at designated places.

    The exercise currently ongoing in the Ashanti Region has so far registered one million (1,015,259) people in the region at the end of 2019.

    In the Ashanti Region, 761,263 cards have been printed while 552,796 cards have been issued to registrants.

    Meanwhile, the NIA has extended the mass registration exercise throughout the Ashanti Region from January 10 to 16.

    The extension is intended to restore the two registration days lost in December last year (27 and 28) due to the Christmas holidays.

    Source: citinewsroom.com

  • Over 40 kiosks, cars burnt to ashes at Achimota

    Over 40 kiosks, some cars and a bar have been burnt to ashes at a slum under the Achimota overhead bridge.

    Residents at the slum located between Eden Securities and Makey Pub woke up to the Tuesday morning and are counting their losses.

    Eyewitnesses say the fire started from one of the kiosks belonging to the son of the landlord who sold the land to Makey Pub.

    Troops deployed across fire-hit Australia after horror weekend

    They suspect the fire was deliberate because the new landowner has paid the tenants to move away from his property.

    According to them, it is to send a message that they have overstayed their deadline but this has been denied by the landowner.

    However, the fire affected more people than those who have been asked to move.

    Source: Myjoyonline.com

  • Dr Frank Adjei honoured for jobs creation

    Dr Frank Adjei has been honoured for his outstanding contribution to the socio-economic development of Ghana through the creation.

    Dr Adjei is the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Rema-Jason Company Limited, Lovers Band, Rema-Jason Ventures, Lotto and Lotteries Company Limited and received the honour for creating over 100, 000 jobs for Ghanaians thereby assisting the government to reduce the rate of unemployment in the Country.

    Dr Frank Adjei received the award at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra on December 29, 2019, during the Presidential Globe African Heroes Honours Awards organised by the Pan African Heroes Foundation in collaboration with the Rectitude International Mission and Bureau of Research on Governance, Commerce and Administration.

    Dr Frank Adjei was honoured alongside Dr Osei Kwame Despite, Dr Ernest Ofori, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto(Minister of Agriculture), Mr Simon Osei Mensah( Ashanti Regional Minister), Dr Kwame Kyei(Chairman and CEO of Unity Group of Companies), Mr Daniel Domelevo (Auditor-General), Nana Ato Dadzie (Former Chief of Staff in the Rawlings Administration), Mr Razak Kojo Opoku (Founder and President of Concerned Voters Movement, CVM), Mr Stephen Appiah (Former Captain of the National Team, Black Stars), Mr Fadda Dickson (Managing Director of Despite Media Group), Mr Kwame Sefa Kayi (a seasonal Broadcast Journalist at Despite Media Group), Nana Kwadwo Gyasi (CEO of Nana Kwadwo Gyasi Company Limited), Dr Alfred Korlie Matey (CEO of Freddie’s Corner) and a host of other reputable companies and individual Businessmen.

    Dr Frank Adjei is also a philanthropic and he has touched many lives positively.

    He provides scholarships to the needy but brilliant students, supports churches, universities, orphanages and deprived communities in Ghana.

    Source: Myjoyonline.com

  • Menzgold customers begin fresh push to retrieve locked up cash

    Mr Fred Forson, spokesperson of the Coalition of Aggrieved Menzgold Customers, said they were ready to go all lengths to get their investments back from the gold dealership firm.

    He said customers across the country would converge in Accra next week and march to wherever they would find the Menzgold Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nana Appiah Mensah (NAM1) to retrieve their locked up investments.

    Menzgold to pay customers beginning today

    He said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the entrance of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters in Accra, where aggrieved customers had gathered to show solidarity to one of their members Nana Kissi, who had been invited by the CID for questioning following an interview he granted on a radio station.

    He pleaded with the Ghana Police Service to understand their plight as they had lost their investments and were going through much suffering.

    About 200 Menzgold customers have received locked up cash Management

    He said the payment plan presented by the CEO was discriminatory and had many inaccuracies, adding that their concerns to NAM1 had been ignored.

    “We will all match to wherever we can find him; just as the star led the three wisemen, we shall also be led to find him and take our monies,” he said.

    Source: ghananewsagency.org

  • Axim Area Church of Pentecost prays for peaceful elections

    The Axim Area branch of the Church of Pentecost in the Western Region has offered intercessory prayers to God in the quest for a free, fair and transparent election in the upcoming December 07, 2020 polls.

    The move follows the fear and panic which usually characterise elections in Ghana especially with prophecies from some men of God that there will be violence.

    Already, both the NDC and NPP seem to be at loggerheads with each other over the voters’ register as one political party defends the E.C to compile a new voters’ register, the other party is opposing it.

    It is against this backdrop that the leadership of The Church of Pentecost decided to pray for peaceful elections during a-three-day fasting and praying session dubbed “Power to begin 2020” to usher in its members into God’s protection.

    This year’s session which was held at the Esiama Secondary Technical School (ESTS) was under the theme “I am with you and will watch over you”.

    The event brought together, over 7,000 believers from across the 23 Districts within the Area.

    The District Pastor of Eikwe, Ps. Richard Osei Mensah said though some people have described Ghana as a peaceful country, yet the country still needed prayers to consolidate the peace.

    He charged the believers to pray and commit Ghana into the hands of God.

    He asked the congregation to pray to God to direct them to choose committed leaders to manage the affairs of the nation.

    “We must pray and commit Ghana into God’s hands, Ghana is where we sit, eat and drink. Some people are saying Ghana is peaceful, yes it is true, but we have to pray for it. We pray that God should put his hands on Ghana, God should protect this country”, they prayed.

    “We pray and commit this year’s general election into his care, we also pray that God should not give us any bad leaders but we need a person who is committed, who has knowledge”.

    The church also offered prayers for singles, widows and widowers, students and the youth, parents children and married people for directions and guidelines.

    In another development, the Area Head of the church, Apostle Philip Osei Korsah dedicated the Amokwaw Assembly in honour of the Presiding elder, Francis Koame Benson, former Presiding Elder, Samuel Asare, Deacon Daniel Aidoo, Deaconess Haggar Sam and Mr. Kwaku Sam, Estate Committee Chairman.

    Apostle Osei Korsah charged the leadership of the Assembly to maintain the building to serve its intended purposes.

    He pledged the Area’s commitment to support other Assemblies to develop into this current status of Amokwaw Assembly of The Church of Pentecost.

    The Apostle ended his speech with the book of Ephesians 2:19-22 which reads;

    “Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

    And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone];

    In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord:

    “In whom ye also are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit”.

    Source: Daniel Kaku

  • Merkel, Macron, Johnson urge Iran not to flout nuclear deal

    The leaders of Germany, France and Britain on Sunday urged Iran to drop measures that go against the 2015 nuclear deal, after Tehran announced it would no longer abide by a limit on enrichment.

    “We call on Iran to withdraw all measures that are not in line with the nuclear agreement,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and British PM Boris Johnson said in a joint statement.

    Angela Merkel, defense minister to fly to US on two planes

    The 2015 agreement negotiated between Iran and the UN Security Council permanent members — Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States — plus Germany offered Tehran relief from stinging sanctions in return for curbs to prevent it acquiring nuclear weapons.

    But US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the deal last year had largely left it in tatters, with Iran in turn progressively dropping key commitments in the accord.

    With tensions rising following the US drone strike at Baghdad airport that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and top Iraqi military figure Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the European leaders also urged Iran to refrain from taking “further violent actions or support for them.”

    “It is crucial now to de-escalate. We call on all the players involved to show utmost restraint and responsibility.”

    The European leaders also pleaded with the parties to not jeopardise a battle against IS jihadists, after the Iraqi parliament passed a resolution demanding that thousands of US troops be ousted.

    Merkel heir apparent joins cabinet in risky bid for power

    “Preserving the (anti-IS) coalition is of great importance in this context. We call on the Iraqi authorities to continue to provide the coalition with the necessary support,” they said.

    The US soldiers stationed across Iraqi bases are deployed as part of the broader international coalition, invited by the Iraqi government in 2014 to help fight IS.

    The joint statement issued by the three leaders came hours after they spoke on the phone.

    Earlier Sunday, a German government spokesman said the three leaders agreed to cooperate towards reducing tensions in the region.

    Source: France24

  • Troops deployed across fire-hit Australia after horror weekend

    Reserve troops were deployed to fire-ravaged regions across three Australian states on Monday after a torrid weekend that turned swathes of land into smouldering, blackened hellscapes.

    The bushfires have now destroyed an area the size of Ireland, according to official figures, and authorities warned the months-long crisis is not over as another heatwave looms.

    Firefighters joined by fresh teams from the US and Canada were taking advantage of rainy and cooler conditions to tackle out-of-control blazes ahead of soaring temperatures forecast later this week.

    Australia declares state of emergency for New South Wales amid bushfires and record temps

    Military teams, in the biggest-ever call up of reserves, fanned out across eastern Australia to help emergency services assess the damage, restore power and deliver supplies of food, water and fuel to cut-off communities.

    For the first time in Australian history the government also deployed its medical assistance team — normally sent to other nations to lend support in the aftermath of their disasters — to help evacuees.

    “There is no room for complacency, especially as we have over 130 fires burning across (New South Wales) state still,” New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said early Monday.

    Almost five million hectares (50,000 square kilometres) have been razed across the state since late September, New South Wales Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons added.

    Australia endures hottest day on record

    That took the total amount of land burnt close to eight million hectares — the size of the island of Ireland or South Carolina.

    Twenty-four people have lost their lives so far, with over 1,500 homes damaged.

    Two people are missing in New South Wales, the vast nation’s most populous state.

    ‘Creeping disaster’

    The chair of the newly established Victoria state’s bushfire appeal fund, Pat McNamara, said this year’s summer bushfire season was a “creeping disaster”.

    “We’re still not even into what we would regard as the peak of the fire season,” McNamara told national broadcaster ABC.

    “So we’ve probably got at least another four to five weeks of this sort of weather and we’ve got to deal with it.”

    In the usually picturesque southeastern town of Eden, Holly Spence said she spent more than 12 hours defending her family’s farm on Saturday, less than a week after saving it on New Year’s Eve.

    “If we weren’t here the spot fires would have taken all our sheds and the house and everything,” the 28-year-old told AFP.

    “We don’t want to go through this for a third time.”

    Fiona Kennelly, 50, who evacuated with 24 members of her extended family to a motel outside Eden, said she was relieved the easing conditions allowed them to get some respite from the crisis.

    “It’s good to see daylight at the right time again,” she told AFP, adding that the skies had been turning pitch-black in the afternoons.

    Authorities were also grappling with the health impacts of heavy smoke engulfing cities and towns in or near fire-hit regions, including the country’s second-largest city Melbourne and the national capital Canberra.

    In Canberra, some government departments were shut as the city’s air quality was once-again ranked the poorest in the world, according to independent online air-quality index monitor Air Visual.

    Source: France24

  • Eight lions killed in North West ‘poisoning’

    Eight lions at a North West bush lodge have been killed during an alleged poisoning, police have confirmed.

    The carcasses were found on Friday morning at the Predators Rock Bush Lodge, near Rustenburg.

    Their paws and snouts were cut and removed, said police spokesperson Sabata Mokgwabone.

    Tuna sells for $1.8 million in first Tokyo auction of 2020, second highest ever

    “A case of illegal hunting has been opened … at Koster Police Station after eight lions were killed at one of the lodges in the vicinity of Swartruggens. It is alleged that the lions were found dead in the morning,” said Mokgwabone.

    Gert Blom, owner of Predators Rock Bush Lodge, said it appeared the poison was hidden in chicken carcasses.

    He added that each lion had been named and that they were “quite tame”.

    Two male lions and six females, three of which were pregnant, were poisoned.

    One of the lionesses had three newborn cubs, two of which also died.

    The property is registered as a zoo and, working closely with nature conservation organisations, works to educate the public on wildlife, Blom explained.

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    Following a poisoning attempt on two white male lions last year, the zoo closed to the public for the safety of the animals, he said.

    Predators Rock is also a CITES breeding facility, that aims to improve the numbers of endangered animals and often provides animals to other zoos, Blom added.

    Mokgwabone said: “No one has been arrested and investigation into the matter continues.”

  • Burna Boy, Rema, melt Obama’s heart

    Former president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, recently took to his Twitter page to share his list of favourite songs in 2019. Interestingly, Obama’s list included 35 songs and two of them were from Nigeria. The 44th president of the United States of America named Nigeria’s Burna Boy’s Anybody and Rema’s Iron Man as two of his favourite songs from 2019.

    Sharing the list, Obama accompanied it with a caption that reads: “From hip-hop to country to The Boss, here are my songs of the year. If you’re looking for something to keep you company on a long drive or help you turn up a workout, I hope there’s a track or two in here that does the trick.” Obama also recommended the songs on the list for those in need of some musical jams.

    Women are indisputably better than men Barack Obama

    Among the songs featured on the list is ‘Mood 4 Eva’ by Beyonce, ‘The Fact of Love’ by Joe Henry, ‘Not’ by Big Thief and ‘Go DJ’ by Kaytranada. ‘Middle Child’ by J. Cole also made the cut alongside ‘Redesigning Women,’ a song by the Highwomen.

    Although “Dumebi” and “Corny” are the more popular singles by the newcomer, with “Dumebi” being one of the year’s biggest afropop tracks — it is Rema’s debut single that captured the hearts of The Obama’s, who included “Iron Man” in their summer rotation.

    Recall in August 2019, the former President shared his summer playlist and fast rising Nigerian Afropop singer, Divine Ikubor aka Rema was sitting at number 42 with Iron Man.

    According to Obama, it was a sampling of “what Michelle and I have been listening to — some new, some old, some fast, some slow. Hope you enjoy.

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    We hope to record more wins as such in the coming year.”

    Rema has made a monumental imprint on Nigerian music this year, and as our artistes continue to gain traction overseas, it is no surprise that the wunderkind has caught the attention of many foreign consumers of afropop, including Obama.

    For the self-acclaimed African giant – Damini Ogulu, aka Burna Boy – making Obama’s list, it is no surprising following his roaring success in the year past having being nominated for the world Grammys Best World Music Album category.

  • Turkey deploys troops to Libya

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said troops have begun moving into Libya to ensure stability for the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.

    The military deployment was approved last week by the Turkish parliament to deter the Libyan rebel forces, led by General Khalifa Haftar, who have been trying to capture the capital.

    Turkey-Syria offensive: Russia vows to prevent clashes with Assad forces

    Gen Haftar is backed by Egypt and the UAE, while the UN-backed government is supported by Turkey and its ally Qatar.

    The Turkish move was criticised by the United States, Egypt and several other countries.

    “Our soldiers’ duty there is co-ordination. They will develop the operation centre there. Our soldiers are gradually going right now,” President Erdogan told the CNN Turk TV channel.

    The Turkish government has given no details about the scale of the military deployment.

    Ghana to get $1bn FDI from Turkey

    Libya has been torn by violence since long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi was deposed and killed in 2011 by Nato-backed forces.

  • More than a dozen killed in Burkina Faso bus attack

    At least 14 people, including seven children, have been killed when a bus carrying students ran over an improvised explosive device in northern Burkina Faso, according to the government.

    It was not immediately clear who was responsible for Saturday’s blast, which hit one bus in a convoy of three that was carrying 160 passengers in all, the government said in a statement on Sunday.

    Ghana-Burkina Faso railway progresses steadily- Deputy Minister

    “The provisional toll is 14 dead,” the statement said, adding that 19 more people were hurt, three of them seriously.

    Seven children and four women were among the dead, the statement said.

    The incident occurred in Sourou province, near the border with Mali, where armed groups with links to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) have increased attacks over the past two years despite international efforts to stamp them out.

    The violence, which has ignited ethnic and religious tensions, has killed hundreds of people since the start of 2015 when insecurity began to spread across the Sahel region.

    Last month, attackers killed 35 mostly female civilians after raiding a military outpost in Soum Province, also in Burkina Faso’s north. About 87 attackers and local security forces were killed in the clash, authorities said.

    Burkina Faso mosque attack kills 15 worshippers

    In a televised address on Tuesday, President Roch Marc Christian Kabore insisted that “victory” against “terrorism” was assured.

    Five Sahel states – Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad – have joined forces to combat the violence in the fragile region that lies between the Sahara and the Atlantic.

    Source: www.aljazeera.com

  • Fans jealous after Ludacris becomes Gabonese

    Fans of the US rapper Ludacris have reacted with awe and envy after he announced that he has been granted Gabonese citizenship.

    One fan admired the rapper for his timing – as following the death of Iran’s top military commander, there’s a lot of speculation on Twitter about what might happen next.

    Another fan was inspired to follow his example, And then there is the fan who is just taking it all in.

    Fast and Furious star Ludacris in Ghana

    Ludacris has shared his excitement on Instagram after being granted citizenship in his wife’s native country Gabon.

    He said on Instagram: “Starting My New Year off with Dual Citizenship! AFRICA IM OFFICIAL!! Momma & Kids Too. The Best Gift of the Decade”:

    Ludacris shared a video of himself with a government official shortly after being given his passport.

    The rapper’s wife, Eudoxie, is Gabonese. Their daughter and two other children from the rapper’s previous relationships were also granted citizenship.

    Ludacris brings Georgia woman to tears in powerful random act of kindness

    Ludacris was in Gabon after attending the Year of Return events in Ghana. The president of Ghana had declared 2019 The Year of Return, for events marking 400 years since the first enslaved Africans arrived in America. It was aimed at encouraging people of African descent to visit and even settle in Ghana.

    Ludacris’ dual citizenship comes just weeks after British film star Idris Elba was granted Sierra Leone citizenship on his first ever visit to the country.

    Elba was born in London to a father who grew up in Sierra Leone and a Ghanaian mother.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Know all the Ghanaian holidays in 2020

    The Ministry of Interior has published a list of all Ghanaian holidays for the year 2020.

    The list comprises 13 statutory public holidays and two commemorative days.

    See the entire list below;

    STATUTORY PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

    New Year’s Day – 1 January Wednesday

    Constitution Day – 7th January – Tuesday

    Independence Day – 6 March – Friday

    Good Friday – 10 April – Friday

    Easter Monday – 13 April – Monday

    May Day (Workers’ Day) – 1st May – Friday

    Eid-Ul-Fitr*

    Eid-Ul-Adha*

    Founders’ Day – 4 August – Tuesday

    Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day – 21 September- Monday

    Farmer’s Day – 4 December – Friday

    Christmas Day – 25 December – Friday

    Boxing Day – 26 December – Saturday

    NB: * There are no fixed dates for the Eid-Ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul-Adha because they are movable feasts. The dates for their observation are provided by the Office of the Chief Imam in the course of the year.

    Commemorative Days

    25 May – Monday – African Union Day

    Republic Day – 1 July – Wednesday

  • The Hearts of Oak job is not beyond me- Interim coach Edward Odoom

    Interim coach of Hearts of Oak Edward Nii Odoom insists he is capable of turning the tides at the club despite their poor start to the campaign.

    The Phobians suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat at Medeama on match day two of the Ghana Premier League to make it their worst start since the 2009/20 season.

    ”I have coached in Ghana for 30 years. I have handled different teams like Real Sportive and many others,” he said after the game.

    Four Hearts of Oak players to mark GPL debut against Berekum Chelsea

    “This Hearts of Oak job is not beyond me at all. I am capable of doing the work well.”

    Prince Opoku Agyeman scored a brace with Nana Kofi Babil netting the other to ensure the two times FA Cup winners extended their good record against the Accra giants.

    The Rainbow club lost their opening game to Berekum Chelsea in Accra, a result that led to the sacking of coach Kim Grant.

    They will next host Ebusua Dwarfs at home on match day 3.

    Source: GHANAsoccernet.com

  • Ahmed Toure confirms he is making a return to the Ghana Premier League

    The year of return as declared by the government of Ghana last year seems to be hitting all fronts. We have seen the coming back of some Ghanaian players who left the Ghana Premier League for greener pastures abroad.

    Notable amongst them are Victorian Adebayor(Inter Allies), Kwasi Donsu(Medeam), Eric kwakwa(Medeama) but it’s the possible return of the Burkinabe Amed Toure that is causing a stir in the football atmosphere.

    Yacouba is yet to reach my level Ahmed Toure

    Speaking in an interview on the Kumasi based OTEC FM in 2020, Toure confirmed that his return to Ghana Premier League is imminent.

    “It is true that some Ghanaian clubs have approached me but I leave it to my agents. If the window shuts on Monday 13th January 2020, I will start training with that club but remember as a free agent I can sign a contract at any time” Toure told Kumasi based OTEC Fm.

    Toure’s contract with A.S vita of Congo runs out in a fortnight time, so he was asked when should he be expected in Ghana.

    “My return could be midnight today, tomorrow, next week or next round of the league and it could be Kumasi or Accra based club. I know my return to Ghana Premier league Will drag more supporters to the stadium” He added

    Yacouba finally arrives in Kumasi; set to sign new contract with Kotoko

    “I speak with Yacouba frequently, he is a younger brother and also plays for our national team and I wish him the injury-free season” He concluded

    Ahmed Toure won the best player of the Ghana premier league in the 2010/11 season and with Kumasi Asante Kotoko. His coming back will be his fifth time having already played for Kotoko and Bechem united.

    Source: Ghanaguardian.com

  • Soleimani funeral under way in Iran

    Funeral processions to honour Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran’s elite Quds Force who was killed in a US air strike in Baghdad, began in the Iranian city of Ahvaz early on Sunday, hours after his remains arrived from Iraq.

    Soleimani was killed along with Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi), an Iran-backed umbrella organisation comprising several militias. Several other people were also killed in Friday’s attack.

    The move by the US has drawn worldwide condemnation from leaders and officials who fear that tensions in the region could escalate drastically. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that “a harsh retaliation is waiting”.

    Key Iran General Soleimani killed by US in Iraq

    On Saturday, US President Donald Trump threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites “very hard” if Iran attacked US citizens or assets.

    Trump warns harsher response if Tehran retaliates

    President Donald Trump warned that the US would hit Iran harder than ever before if Tehran retaliates to the assassination of Soleimani.

    Trump wrote on Twitter: “If they attack again, which I would strongly advise them not to do, we will hit them harder than they have ever been hit before!”

    He followed up with another tweet, saying the US would use its “brand new beautiful” military equipment “without hesitation” if the Iranians retaliate.

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    Ceremonies to honour Soleimani begin in Ahvaz

    Thousands of mourners gathered in Iran’s southwestern city of Ahvaz, where funeral processions to honour Soleimani began on Sunday morning.

    Footage on state television showed people dressed in black in Mollavi Square, holding flags in green, white and red – depicting the blood of “martyrs”, while others held portraits of the slain general.

    Soleimani’s body arrives in Iran

    Soleimani’s remains were returned to Iran on Sunday and flown to the city of Ahvaz in the country’s southwest, the official IRIB news agency reported.

    Source: aljazeera.com

  • We make 6 cedis after games – Alhaji Grusah calls for support ahead of King Faisal-AshantiGold clash

    Alhaji Grusah has made a passionate appeal to supporters of King Faisal to fill the Bara Yara Stadium as the club plays its first home at of the 2019/20 Ghana Premier League season.

    The Ghana Premier League returnees will be seeking to record their first win of the season as they host AsantiGold at the Bara Yara Sports Stadium with the clash scheduled to start at 3:00 pm

    They got whipped by Dreams FC 4-1 last week 1 while the Miners thumped Great Olympics 3-0 and are in high hopes to make it 2 out of 2 wins in today’s clash.

    Ahead of the showdown, bankroller of the club, Alhaji Grusah says the fans should play their part in the development of the club by thronging to the Stadium in their numbers this season.

    English will be translated to Arabic for me as GFA President Alhaji Grusah

    “We are appealing to them to come and we are appealing to the Asanteman to come and watch King Faisal, not Kotoko alone.

    Because we played a match here and after the deductions were made we got 6 cedis and we don’t expect that to happen again.

    But I am telling the supporters if you are a supporter and donating anything to King Faisal, you should pay the gate proceeds to come to the stadium and it will go a long way to help King Faisal to develop.”

    Source: Primenewsghana.com

  • Blood-red skies loom over southeast Australia after deadly bushfires bring ‘one of worst days ever’

    Skies turned blood red above parts of southeast Australia on Sunday as residents sought refuge from deadly bushfires, and a senior firefighter described the previous 24 hours as “one of our worst days ever.”

    Photographs of Pambula, in the state of New South Wales, showed an eerie, smoke-filled landscape, with deserted streets illuminated by an otherworldly, blazing red sky.
    About 30 kilometers (19 miles) south, blood-red skies loomed over the town of Eden. There, hundreds of residents were seeking shelter on the beach on police advice, one Eden resident told CNN. Many houses have been destroyed in the area, and officials said they feared there would be fatalities.
    A total of 146 fires are burning across the state, with 65 uncontained, according to the NSW Rural Fire Service (NSWRFS). About 2,700 firefighters were tackling the blazes on Sunday.
    “Conditions have eased today and firefighters have gained the upper hand on several dangerous fires. There are no total fire bans in place for Monday,” the NSWRFS posted on Twitter.

    A blood-red sky looms over Eden, New South Wales, on January 5, 2020.

    A blood-red sky looms over Eden, New South Wales, on January 5, 2020.
    Earlier, NSWRFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told a news conference that Saturday was “one of our worst days ever on record.”
    A “considerable number” of properties were lost across NSW on Saturday, Fitzsimmons said, adding that a 47-year-old man had died from cardiac arrest while fighting a fire threatening his friend’s home in Batlow. The man is the 24th person to die nationwide this fire season.
    Separately, four firefighters in NSW were hospitalized due to smoke inhalation, heat exhaustion and hand burns. They have since been released.
    Fitzsimmons said that conditions could worsen again in the coming days. “Today will be a relief — psychological relief but not what we need,” he said.

    Fire-induced thunderstorms over New South Wales, seen from a flight on January 5, 2020.

    Fire-induced thunderstorms over New South Wales, seen from a flight on January 5, 2020.
    Australia’s flag carrier Qantas canceled all flights to and from the country’s capital, Canberra, on Sunday due to smoke and hazardous weather conditions.
    An airline passenger spotted huge clouds caused by the fires over NSW during a flight from Sydney to Melbourne on Sunday. They are pyrocumulonimbus clouds — fire-induced thunderstorms — which form when hot air rises from a ground based fire, according to CNN meteorologists. The air cools and condenses as it ascends, causing a cloud to form.
    “This process is similar to the development of a thunderstorm,” said CNN Weather’s Derek Van Dam. “As such, a downdraft forms within the base of the pyrocumulonimbus cloud, allowing for embers to be picked up and carried to form new fires.”
    In the neighboring state of Victoria, three fires have combined to form a single blaze bigger than the New York borough of Manhattan. The fires joined overnight Friday in the Omeo region, creating a 6,000-hectare (23 square mile) blaze, according to Gippsland’s Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
    The country’s capital, Canberra, smashed its heat record of 80 years, reaching 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday afternoon, according to the country’s Bureau of Meteorology. In the western Sydney suburb of Penrith, the mercury climbed to 48.9 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit) — setting a new record for the whole Sydney basin.
    Victoria has declared a state of disaster, and NSW has declared a state of emergency — both granting extraordinary powers and additional government resources to battle the fires.
    It marked the first time Victoria has activated these powers since the 2009 Black Saturday fires, the deadliest bushfire disaster on record in Australia with 173 people killed and 500 injured.
    Speaking at a news conference Sunday, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it was another difficult night across the country — in particular in NSW, Victoria and South Australia.
    Morrison — who in December faced criticism for taking a vacation to Hawaii during the fires — said the government’s response was the most significant and comprehensive ever to a natural disaster.

    An eerie, smoke-filled landscape in Pambula, New South Wales, on January 5, 2020.

    An eerie, smoke-filled landscape in Pambula, New South Wales, on January 5, 2020.
    “I believe that’s where we need to focus our attention, and we are seeking to communicate that directly to Australians to ensure they have comfort that the response is matching the need,” he said.
    “Sure there’s been a lot of commentary, there’s been plenty of criticism. I’ve had the benefit of a lot of analysis on a lot of issues. But I can’t be distracted by that, and the public, I know, are not distracted by that.
    “What they need us to focus on, all of us actually, all of us focusing on the needs there and getting the support where it needs to go. That’s very much where my focus is, and that’s where it will continue to be.”
    In a news release on Sunday, the Australia Defence Force (ADF) said it was significantly increasing its support in fighting the massive fires and had called up 3,000 army reserve forces and others with specialist capabilities.

    An Australian army soldier helps people evacuate onto a Black Hawk helicopter in Omeo, Victoria on January 5, 2020.

    An Australian army soldier helps people evacuate onto a Black Hawk helicopter in Omeo, Victoria on January 5, 2020.
    They will also provide aircraft, ships and its largest vessel, HMAS Adelaide, with helicopter landing capabilities.
    One priority for the ADF will be to assist in evacuations of people in isolated communities. HMAS Adelaide, the Australian Navy’s largest ship, arrived off the coast of Eden on Sunday as evacuations took place there.
    Some ADF bases will be opened to house those displaced by the fires. Troops will also help move material and supplies, support recovery centers, and aid in fire trail clearance.
    New Zealand and Singapore have also offered military support, and the ADF is assessing where they can help, the news release said.
    Members of the UK royal family sent their “thoughts and prayers” to Australians affected by the massive bushfires through social media accounts on Saturday. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip issued a message of condolence expressing thanks to emergency services. “I have been deeply saddened to hear of the continued bushfires and their devastating impact across many parts of Australia,” the Queen wrote in a statement published on Twitter.
    On their Instagram account, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said they were “shocked and deeply saddened” by “the fires that are destroying homes, livelihoods and wildlife across much of Australia,” posting a photo of a kangaroo with a burning building in the background.

    Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex urged support for those affected by the environmental crisis in an Instagram post linking to a number of Australian fundraisers, such as the Australian Red Cross, the Country Fire Authority and the New South Wales Rural Fire Service.
    Source: edition.cnn.com
  • Kenyan side Sofapaka sign Jedinak Nana Ameyaw and George Owusu

    Kenyan Premier League side Sofapaka have signed two Ghanaian players Jedinak Nana Ameyaw and George Owusu, GHANASoccernet.com can report.

    The duo- both strikers- were transferred from Channis Soccer Academy in Ghana.

    Sofapaka did not disclose the terms and duration of their contracts.

    The 2009 Kenyan Premier League champions unveiled 11 new players on Friday, 3 January, 2020.

    Sofapaka, now christened ”Batoto Ba Mungu” are facing some financial challenges.

    Source: GHANAsoccernet.com

  • Delay distribution of ambulances Health Minister begs Akufo-Addo

    The National Ambulance Service and the Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu have urged the President, Nana Akufo-Addo to delay the intended distribution of some 275 ambulances to each of the constituencies in Ghana.

    The President had indicated in a press encounter in 2019 that the ambulances would be distributed on January 6, 2020, after the total number that has been procured arrived in the country.

    But in a letter to the President, the Health Minister supported the request by the National Ambulance Service for the process to be delayed further due to some stated reasons.

    Asesewa residents await govt ambulance as hospital commissions emergency ward

    According to the National Ambulance Service dated 31 December 2019, some technical issues must be completed to ensure efficient operation of the ambulances have not been completed, hence the request to suspend the proposed distribution date.

    The Ambulance Service also added that training of people who will operate the ambulance are yet to be done hence the need to hold on with the distribution.

    Source: starrfm.com.gh

  • COPEC demands immediate government intervention in stabilizing fuel prices

    The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers Ghana (COPEC) wants the government to apply the price stabilization levy to cushion consumers from a likely increase in the cost of fuel.

    Already, industry players have predicted a hike in fuel prices at the pumps by about two percent this month.

    This prediction is premised on among other things, volatilities in crude oil prices on the world market.

    But in a statement signed by the Executive Secretary of COPEC, Duncan Amoah, the Chamber called on government through the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to save Ghanaians further from hardships in the new year.

    COPEC threatens court action over fuel hike

    “The issue of high incidents of taxes on the fuel price build up once again comes to the fore, the continuous charging of some outdated taxes such as the price stabilization and recovery levy ( PSRL ) and the special petroleum tax ( SPT ) clearly need to be looked at once again following from the instability in Gulf and the likely effects it will have on global petroleum prices this first quarter of 2020.”

    COPEC further argued that the impending increases of almost 30 pesewas per liter if left unattended to will simply bring further hardships and increases in the cost of living across the country, hence the intervention.

    “An immediate intervention by the National Petroleum Authority by way of review in the price stabilization and recovery levy will most likely forestall this very harsh increases that Ghanaians are likely to be greeted within this new year.”

    “We implore the government to be up and doing whiles calling on the various Oil Marketing Companies to hasten slowly with these increases as we dialogue to see if there will be some relief from the Central Government between now and early next week”, the statement concluded.

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    IES predicts two percent fuel price increase in New Year pricing window
    Two days into 2020, the Institute of Energy Security (IES), predicted an increase in fuel prices at the pumps when oil marketing companies review their prices in the first pricing window in January.

    The energy policy Think Tank explained that the drivers of the potential increase include a four percent increment in prices of crude oil as well 4.59% and 5.05% increment in the prices of gas oil and gasoline on the international market respectively.

    On the basis of the price movement, the Institute said it foresees prices of fuel on the local market potentially increasing marginally despite the cedi recording some marginal gains against the dollar within the period.

    “However, the increases could be averted or its impacts minimized if the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) applies the Price Stabilization and Recovery Levy (PSRL),” the IES advised.

    Fuel prices within the second Pricing-window of December 2019 saw the majority of the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) maintaining the prices of Gasoline and Gasoil unchanged.

    Source: citinewsroom.com

  • IES urges new TOR boss to put interest of Ghanaians first

    The newly appointed Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Ing. Herbert Ato Morrison, has been advised to uphold the interest of Ghanaians as he begins his tenure as head of the refinery.

    Commenting on the state of the refinery going forward, the Executive Director of the Institute for Energy Security (IES), Paa Kwesi Anamua Sakyi said the new Acting MD must ensure that TOR only enters into arrangements that will yield the most benefits for Ghanaians.

    “We all understand that Mr. Osei was forced to walk out. So we only pray and hope that he [Ato Morrison] is not elected to come and ensure that the refinery takes far below the tolling fee that has been put in the past to rip off the country. We wish him well, a very good engineer but in terms of management we are yet to see what he brings onboard and how forward-looking it is going to be for the refinery.”

    The appointment of Mr. Ato Morrison follows the resignation of Isaac Osei, who served as the MD of the company for nearly three years.

  • Meet the first Ghanaian preacher who read the bible from a mystical stone

    Kwame Sampson Oppong, also known as Sèbètutu; meaning (Destroyer of native charms or Personal deities) was born in Brong-Ahafo, (now in Ghana) in a slave family originating in Gurunsi (now in Burkina Faso). He was a Goldcoast Prophet/Preacher.

    Kwame Sampson Oppong started his life as a labourer before becoming a Traditional Priest as he got a ‘Spiritual call’. His business activities and divine call as a traditional priest and a healer took him to Ivory Coast.

    He continued his labourer job in Ivory Coast until he became a foreman. In 1913, he was unfortunately jailed in Ivory Coast for embezzlement.

    Even Apostle Paul in the Bible listened to secular music Rev. Dr Abbeam

    Whiles in jail, he had an encounter with God through a dream instructing him to burn his fetishes. He resisted this and other admonitory experiences over several years before eventually accepting the call.

    He later returned to the Gold Coast precisely Bompata in the Ashanti territory in 1917, where he began preaching and calling for the destruction of fetishes and abandonment of magic and witchcraft.

    He later moved to Brong-Ahafo where he got a large following including chiefs and other traditional leaders.

    Kwame Oppong had a unique way of preaching, he often held a large bamboo cross in one hand and carried a flat oval stone in the other which he linked to the Biblical verse, Revelation 2:17 NIV.

    “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.”

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    Oppong wanted to work with the Basel missionaries but was rejected by the Basel missionaries (Presbyterian Church) several times because of his style of reading from a mystical stone suspecting his conversion until 1920 when he met a Wesleyan Methodist missionary, W. G. Waterworth, and traveled with him, and from then on Oppong worked with the Methodist church.

    He brought a great impact to the Methodist church and baptized over 10,000 people and converted over 20,000 souls.

    Oppong retired later and lived at his native village where he carried out his evangelistic outreaches in neighbouring villages. He later died in 1965.

    Bibliography:
    1. “Sampson Opon”. dacb.org. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
    2. “Sampson Opon”. dacb.org. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
    3. Haliburton, Gordon MacKay (1965). The calling of a prophet: Sampson Oppong. OCLC 606176724.

    Source: www.ghanaianmuseum.com

  • Five cold stores at Asafo market closed down over illegal electricity connection

    Officials from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the Ashanti Region have locked up five cold stores at the Asafo Market in Kumasi for engaging in illegal electricity connection.

    The operation which lasted from Friday night to Saturday dawn revealed that owners of the cold stores had tampered with their electricity meters.

    The team which comprised the police and officials of the Revenue Protection Unit of the ECG locked up the facilities and served notices to the owners to report for further investigations into the matter.

    2020: Free electricity for every Ghanaian Akua Donkor promises

    The operation also led to the discovery of two hotel facilities and three entertainment centres in Kumasi which were also engaged in a similar act.

    Officials say they have begun investigations into the matter as some owners have started reporting to the ECG offices.

  • Sea Lions Ladies FC mourn death of 20-year-old midfielder Berekisu Tejani

    National Women’s League side Sea Lions Ladies FC have announced the death of midfielder Berekisu Tejani aged 20.

    The Elmina-based side says her death occurred on Friday, 3rd January, 2020.

    Berekisu was a level 100 student at the University of Cape Coast.

    A club statement read: ”With a heavy heart, we announce the passing of our former midfield maestro and a level 100 student of UCC, Berekisu Tejani.

    ”She was part of the team that qualified us to the National Women’s league in 2016.

    ”She passed away this afternoon age 20. May her soul rest in peace!.”

    Source: GHANAsoccernet.com

  • Dont keep hearing-impaired children at home – Parents advised

    The Headmaster of the Research Utilisation School For the Deaf (RUSFORD) in Obuasi, Mr Agyemang Prempeh, has appealed to parents with hearing-impaired children not to delay in sending them to school.

    He said the delay in sending those children to school affected their ability to learn and also delayed their progress in life.

    Aside from that, he said the school found it difficult to control the grown-up children and believed that had an effect on their education.

    Challenges

    In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Prempeh said the use of sign language to teach had a serious effect on the ability of the students to acquire more fluency in the English Language as not all the words could be intepreted through sign language.

    He believed that if the children were brought to school early and introduced to the sign language and taught how to read, they would be in a position to deepen their understanding of the English Language and also improve their vocabulary.

    Another challenge facing the school, he said, was the lack of sign language teachers.

    That, he said, had compelled the school to merge some of the classes to enable one teacher to take care of more than one class.

    According to him, when that happened, “attention is more devoted to one class than the other and this does not help the other class”.

    Appeal

    Currently, Mr Prempeh said, the school had only seven teachers taking care of all pupils from Primary One to the JHS level and, therefore, appealed to the government for assistance to recruit more teachers to help provide basic education to the children.

    He said all the teachers at the school were not on salary and shared the meals prepared by the school with the students.

    According to him, the fees the school charged the pupils were not enough to pay teachers but just to feed the pupils and pay for utilities.

    That was because, Mr Prempeh said, if the school was to charge commercial rates, most of the pupils would not be able to attend as their parents were poor and that would deny them of their right to education.

    Rusford

    The Research Utilisation School For the Deaf is one of the few schools in the country devoted to providing education to the speech and hearing-impaired people in society. It is located at Ahasonyewodea in the Obuasi Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

    It currently hosts 40 pupils and offers them basic education up to the JHS level, after which they are transferred to either the School of Deaf at Jamasi in the Ashanti Region or the Akropong School of the Deaf in the Eastern Region.

    The Proprietor of the school, Ms Genevieve Basigha, who is deaf and dumb, started the school in 2008 together with her late husband to provide education for the deaf and dumb within the area.

    Her school got nominated for the 2017 edition of the Season Three episode of the Heroes of Change and she eventually emerged the overall winner.

    Through the prize, she moved from the wooden structure to a more permanent facility befitting the status of a school and to also provide a conducive environment for teaching and learning.

    That notwithstanding, the school still needs assistance with teachers to produce holistic education to the children.

    Currently, the school has only seven teachers who are all volunteers and not on any salary. They share the same meals provided by the school for the pupils. Some of the classrooms have to be combined to enable the teachers to attend to all the pupils.

    Source: Graphic.com.gh

  • Fulani herdsmen to support police in combating crime

    Nomadic herdsmen in the Bono East have pledged their support to assist the police in combating crime in the area.

    This follows incessant robbery and kidnapping cases in the area attributed to Fulani herdsmen in the area.

    Spokesman for the Fulanis, Musa Ali made the pledge at a stakeholder meeting with the chiefs and people of Kintampo.

    He said they will expose the criminal elements who have infiltrated their camp.

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    The Fulani herdsman maintained that these miscreants who ply their trade on the Kintampo-Bamboi-Buipe have courted bad press for them over the years.

    Musa Ali said their only occupation is livestock, therefore, they can’t be blamed for the surge in armed robbery or kidnapping cases in the area.

    For his part, the Divisional Police Commander, ACP Antwi Gyau was happy about the support from the Fulani community.

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    He said the stakeholder’s consultation has helped bring lasting peace among people of Kintampo and the Fulani herdsmen.

    ACP Gyau is optimistic the meeting will help reduce crime in the Municipality.

    Source: adomonline.com

  • UGs Kweku Agyepong wins World Universities Debate Championship

    University of Ghana’s (UG)Kweku Apreku Agyepong has emerged as the winner in the Public Speaking Category of the 2020 World Universities Debate Championship in Thailand.

    Agyepong, a level 300 students Bachelor of Laws Degree student of UG, successfully defended the category at the tournament after Jeremiah Sekyi ( from UG) won it in 2019.

    The event which was held at the Assumption University of Thailand, Bangkok saw over 400 teams from 250 universities and tertiary institutions represented.

    The World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC) is the world’s largest debating tournament, and one of the largest annual international student events in the world.

    The annual world championships use a format modeled on British Parliamentary debate. Teams are given a topic and 15 minutes to prepare; competitors then argue both sides of the topic, pro, and con.

    Points earned during preliminaries are totaled to determine the field for elimination rounds.

    Abu Mubarik/Pulse Gh/UOG
    #publicspeaking

  • Portrait of Queen and three heirs marks the start of a new decade

    A portrait of the Queen with the next three heirs to the throne has been released to mark the start of the new decade.

    It shows the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince George standing with the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

    The new photograph was taken in the week before Christmas, but has not been published until now.

    It is the second official portrait of the four generations of royals together.

    The Queen with the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince George in 2016

    A portrait of the four royals was previously released in 2016 to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday

    The Queen, 93, standing at the front of her family, wears a white dress with a blue brooch and clutches a handbag.

    Her son, Prince Charles, who is dressed in a pinstripe suit, stands on the first step behind her.

    His arm rests on the shoulder of his six-year-old grandson, who is wearing a pair of green and navy tartan trousers.

    Prince William, wearing a dark suit and navy tie, stands with his hands together to the right of his grandmother.

    The photograph was taken by Ranald Mackechnie, who was also responsible for the only other portrait of the four royals together.

    Queen Elizabeth II, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince George preparing special Christmas puddings in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace, London, as part of the launch of the Royal British Legion's Together at Christmas initiative

    The Queen, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George made Christmas puddings last month

    It was released in 2016 to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday and was printed on commemorative stamps.

    The latest portrait was taken on December 18 – the same day the four royals were photographed making a Christmas pudding together at the palace.

    The moment, captured in front of a Christmas tree decorated with miniature corgis and crowns, featured in the Queen’s Christmas Day message.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Jomoro Rural Bank exceeds BoG’s minimum capital requirement

    The Jomoro Rural Bank has exceeded the GHc1,000,000.00 minimum capital requirement as the stated capital of the Bank stood at GHc1,038,268.00 as at the end of December 2018.

    The Bank was able to reach the threshold since the Board members made it compulsory for all Directors, Management and Staff to purchase some fixed amount of shares every month.

    As part of the strategy, the Bank has also proposed that the minimum number of shares for aspiring Directors be pegged at GHc10, 000 with those of their nominators and seconders being GHc4, 000.

    Chairman of the Board of Directors, Professor Cosmos Cobbold announced this when he delivering an annual report and financial statements of the year ended 31st December 2018 during the 22nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of shareholders of the Bank at Tikobo No.1 in the Western Region.

    He said profit before tax reduced by 42.87% from GHc 601,006.00 in 2017 to GHc343, 323.00 in 2018 largely on account of an increase in requirement provisions from GHc120, 000.00 in 2017 to GHc490, 557.00 in 2018 which marked the end of the legacy bad debt provisions that have been staggered over the years.

    Jomoro Rural Bank exceeds BoG minimum capital requirement

    Prof. Cobbold said the Bank recorded moderate growth in its key performance indicators with the exception of profit before and after-tax.

    Total loans disbursed to small and medium scale enterprises, farmers and salaried workers amounted to GHc10, 703,169.00 as compared to GHc9, 044,714.00 in 2017.with 10.92% increase in total income from GHc4, 627.965.00 in 2017 to GHc5, 133,598.42 in 2018.

    Total expenditure also increased from GHc4, 026,959.00 in 2017 to GHc4, 710,275.13 in 2018 showing an increase of 14.5% which resulted in profit before tax decreasing by 42.87% from GHc601, 006.00 in 2017 to GHc343, 323.00 in 2018.

    The Board recommended that dividends be converted to bonus shares for members and urged shareholders to take keen interests in their investments by going to any of their branches to update their records and take statements.

    Prof. Cobbold encouraged existing and potential customers to continue to do business with the Bank and dispel the rumours that Bank of Ghana was going to close down rural Banks adding that the Bank of Ghana and ARB Apex Bank are poised to reposition the rural and community banking sector to enable them better support rural economic development.

    He was highly elated to announce that the Jomoro Rural Bank Ltd. was among the Banks that were given a clean bill of health to sign on to the Ghana Deposit Protection Scheme to protect depositor’s interest in the event of Bank failure.

    On corporate social responsibility, the Bank afforded students from various tertiary institutions in the country, the opportunity to undertake their internship and spent a total amount of GHc6, 197.00 in the areas of education, health, sports and culture.

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    Prof.Cobbold said the Board of Directors remained resolute in its commitment to staff development adding that a number of staff members were given the opportunity to pursue approved programmes in various tertiary institutions in the country and also participated fully in internal training programmes as well as training programmes organized by the Association of Rural Banks, the ARB Apex Banka and the Bank of Ghana during the year under review.

    He observed that the year 2019 witnessed an unprecedented revocation of the licences of 347 microfinance companies in the country of which 155 had already ceased operations, 39 micro credit companies/money lenders of which 10 had already ceased operations, 15 savings and loans companies, 8 finance houses and 2 non-bank financial institutions that had already ceased operations with various reasons adduced by the financial regulator.

    Prof.Cobbold said the developments in the micro-finance and savings and loans sub-sector impacted the operations of RCBs in 2019 and has brought to the fore, the need for prudent management of risk and liquidity.

    He said the Board and management of the Jomoro Rural Bank will work collaboratively with the Bank of Ghana, the ARB Apex Bank and auditors of the Bank to ensure that the Bank remains robust and resilient at all times.

    The General Manager of the Bank, Mr.Adormah Mawunyo said the Bank said the Bank was poised to make more profit in the ensuing years to be counted as one of the best financial institutions in the country.

    Source: www.ghananewsagency.org

  • MTN realises R14 billion in asset sales in 2019

    MTN announced its Asset Realisation Programme (“ARP”) in March 2019 which aims to simplify its portfolio, reduce debt and risk, improve returns and realize proceeds of at least R15 billion over three years.

    Following on the proceeds raised from the disposals of its stakes in Amadeus, Travelstart and the ATC loan of R2,1 billion earlier in the year MTN has now concluded two further transactions bringing the total proceeds from its ARP to R14 billion thus far.

    Firstly, MTN has concluded an agreement to dispose of its 49% equity holdings in the Ghana and Uganda Tower Company investments to a subsidiary of American Tower Company for $523 million, approximately R7.3 billion. This transaction is expected to close in Q1 2020.

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    Secondly, MTN confirms that MTN Nigeria has completed the redemption of its preference shares with MTN Group receiving, in December 2019, an amount of US$315 million (cR4,4 billion).

    Group President and CEO Rob Shuter commented “Following the completion of these transactions, MTN will have realised proceeds of approximately R14 billion within the first 12 months of this program.

    Realising proceeds from simplifying the group remains a major strategic objective and we expect further progress in this program in 2020.”

    Source: MTN Ghana

  • New JHS uniforms not compulsory GES

    The Ghana Education Service (GES) has dismissed reports that it has contracted a foreign firm to design the new school uniforms to be used in junior high schools from the 2019/2020 academic year.

    It said, “it has not imported, neither, has it contracted any individual, locally or internationally to bring in a new uniform for the Junior high schools”.

    Earlier this year, the Service announced that new uniforms will be donned by pupils, scrapping the existing one which has been in place for more than three decades.

    A statement signed by the Head of Public Relations at GES, Cassandra Twum Ampofo, said the Director-General in April, while introducing the new uniforms, made it clear that parents are to access them from the open market.

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    It also stressed that the uniforms will not be compulsory as there is a plan to phase them out over a period.

    “No student will be prevented from attending school when the 2019/2020 academic year begins in September.”

    The uniforms were introduced as part of reforms of the education sector.

    GES Director-General Professor Kwasi Opoku Amankwa had insisted that the move was to make the pupils “to start seeing themselves as secondary school students; they are in lower secondary”.

    Source: 3news.com

  • MTTD accrues GH¢869,152.00 through fines

    The Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service in 2019 accrued a total of GH¢869,152.00 through court fines in the Accra Metropolis.

    The amount was court fines imposed on traffic offenders.

    Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Anderson Fosu-Ackaah, the Accra MTTD Regional Commander told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Accra on Friday.

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    He said in all, 1,215 cases were reported in the year under review, but 1,212 were sent to court, whereas 1,101 were convicted.

    DCOP Fosu-Ackaah said the three outstanding cases were still under investigations.

    The Regional MTTD Commander told GNA that a bench warrant was issued for the arrest of three drivers involved in those cases.

    An additional 16 cases were still before the Court, the MTTD Commander stated.
    He said the Court discharged thirty-four (34) of those processed and put before it.

    Source: ghananewsagency.org

  • Queen Nanny, the Ashanti woman from Ghana who ended up as a hero in Jamaica

    Queen Nanny lived during the late 17th centuries, she was born into the Ashanti people in the present-day Ghana and escaped from slavery after being transported.

    She and her relatives were sold as slaves and got transported to Jamaica and ended up being the Maroon leader in the early 18th centuries.

    The Maroons are descendants of West Africans. They were known as Coromantie or Koromantee, and were considered ferocious fighters. A minority of slaves originated from other regions of Africa, including the Congo and Madagascar.

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    After being brought to Jamaica in the course of the Transatlantic slave trade, many slaves revolted against their oppressors and formed their own communities in the hilly interior of Jamaica.

    During a period of 30 years, she contributed towards the escape of more than 1,000 slaves and helped them resettle in the Maroon community called Nanny Town.

    Nanny Town, placed as it was in the mountains away from European settlements and difficult to assault.

    Nanny limited her attacks on plantations and European settlements and preferred instead to farm and trade peacefully with her neighbors.

    She did however make numerous successful raids to free slaves held on plantations and it has been widely accepted that her efforts contributed to the escape of almost 1,000 slaves over her lifetime.

    She was feared and revered as a guerilla warrior who could use powers that ascended into the realm of the supernatural to confuse the enemies of the Maroons. She was said to be an Obeah woman as well.

    Captain William Cuffee, known as Captain Sambo, is credited as having killed Nanny in 1733 during one of the many and bloody engagements of Thjppe war.

    During one of the bloody battles, Nanny was killed. The war still went on until Cudjoe, a maroon leader and brother of Nanny, signed a peace treaty with the British.

    She was declared a national heroine in 1975 by the Jamaican government and awarded the title of “Right Excellent” due to her enormous accomplishments.

    Her portrait is on the 500 Jamaican dollar bill. She is also on the logo for the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition.

    Currently, there are only seven such national heroes and Queen Nanny of the Maroons is conspicuous as the only woman

    Source: www.ghanaianmuseum.com

  • 2020 promises to be a good one – Akufo-Addo

    President Akufo-Addo says 2020 is another important ‘democratic journey’ in Ghana since the country will head to the polls in December to elect leaders.

    According to him, 2020 promises to be a good one because there is a growing sense of confidence that with hard work and determination, Ghana will make it.

    He however noted that “this year is another important year in our democratic journey…We will hold, in December, the eighth (8th) general election in the history of the 4th Republic. We all have a duty to conduct ourselves in such a manner that we have a free, fair and transparent election that will enable the Ghanaian people choose, in peace and serenity, the person and persons who will manage their affairs on their behalf. I am confident that, yet again, Ghanaians will rise to the occasion, and reinforce the status of Ghana as a beacon of democracy on the continent”.

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    Read the entire statement below.

    On behalf of the Government, the First Lady, my wife Rebecca, my daughters, grandchildren and my family, I wish all Ghanaians a happy, prosperous New Year.

    2020 promises to be a good one, because there is a growing sense of confidence that, with hard work and determination, Ghana will make it, and, collectively, we will secure our futures.

    This year is another important year in our democratic journey. We will hold, in December, the eighth (8th) general election in the history of the 4th Republic. We all have a duty to conduct ourselves in such a manner that we have a free, fair and transparent election that will enable the Ghanaian people choose, in peace and serenity, the person and persons who will manage their affairs on their behalf. I am confident that, yet again, Ghanaians will rise to the occasion, and reinforce the status of Ghana as a beacon of democracy on the continent.

    May the New Year usher in a new era of blessing and growth for you and everyone dear to you.

    May God bless us all, and our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong.

    Source: peacefmonline.com