The Northern Regional Police Command has appealed to the public, especially residents of Tamale, not to attack Police officers or Police property when misconduct occurs in the course of duty.
     Commissioner of Police (COP) Mr Timothy Yoosa Bonga, Northern Regional Police Commander, who made the plea, said, “The Police property you attack and destroy is your own property. We do not even have enough. So, do not attack us and destroy your own property.â€
     COP Mr Bonga said the Police Administration had channels to discipline its officers and urged members of the public to report any misconduct on the parts of Police officers so that the officers involved would be appropriately sanctioned.
     He was speaking at a forum organised in Tamale on Wednesday by the Northern Regional Security Council for various stakeholders to engage with the security agencies in the region to reach a common ground to foster collaboration towards enhanced security and peace in the region, especially Tamale.
     Participants included the Paramount Chiefs of Nanton, Tamale, and Sagnarigu, the Chiefs of Lamashegu, and Banvim, religious leaders, representatives of the Regional Peace Council, Political Parties, Dagbon Forum and some teacher unions and members of the Regional Security Council.
      The recent shooting incident at Lamashegu, a suburb of Tamale, that involved some Police officers and some members of the public necessitated the meeting.
     COP Bonga cited several incidences of Police misconduct in Tamale and instances where the Police also came under unprovoked attacks from some residents of Tamale, saying this was not healthy for effective policing.
     He touched on the Lamashegu shooting incident, which occurred on February 13, and said it left one person dead, and eight others injured, adding six of the injured had been treated and discharged while two remained on admission.
     He reiterated that the Police Administration did not condone misconduct and would not shield any officers, who misconducted themselves and indicated that all Police officers alleged to have misconducted themselves in the region were facing disciplinary proceedings while others were also being prosecuted.
     Nanton-Naa Bawa, the Paramount Chief of Nanton Traditional Area, who represented Ya-Na Abukari (II), Overlord of Dagbon, expressed hope that the engagement would lead to lasting peace between the security agencies and the people in Tamale for enhanced collaboration to fight crime.
     He advised the Police to always liaise with the chiefs whenever suspects resisted arrest.
     Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister, expressed the need for members of the public to work together with the security agencies to ensure peace and security in the region.
Five slots are up for grabs in terms of countries to represent Africa at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and Ghana and Nigeria will battle for one of the five slots in what is expected to be a grueling West African battle.Â
There is plenty to be played other than just qualifying for the World Cup as the two have a long-standing rivalry.Â
Ghana missed the last edition in Russia and would want to make their return in Qatar. However, Nigeria are aiming at a fourth consecutive appearance, and achieving the feat at the expense of their rival will be everything they would have wished for.Â
Both teams head into the clash with an interim technical team.Â
The Black Stars will be led by a four-member technical team, Otto Addo as the head coach, Ghanaian-born former Dutch international, George Boateng, former Asante Kotoko coach, Mas-Ud Didi Dramini as the assistant coaches, and former Brighton and Hove Albion manager, Chris Hughton as technical director.Â
For Nigeria, Austin Eguavoen, former international and a part of the famed golden generation is backed by another player of the clan, Emmanuel Amuneke.
Ghana will host the opening phase of the tie, before visiting Nigeria few days later for the return encounter.
Venue
Ghana will host the first leg. The Ghana Football Association settle on the Cape Coast Stadium to host the first leg after the Baba Yara Stadium was rejected by FIFA.Â
With the second leg coming up in Nigeria, the Nigeria Football Federation chose the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.Â
Live telecast
Ghana’s leading broadcaster GTV or GTVSport+ are expected to telecast the match.
Also, SuperSport is to air the event as well as the official site of FIFA.Â
Date and time for the match
The first phase of the tie is scheduled for Friday, March 25, at 19:30 GMT in Ghana but at 19:30 GMT in Nigeria. Â
The second leg will come off on Tuesday, 29 March 2019 at 18:00 GMT in Nigeria but at 17:00 GMT in Ghana.
According to him, it will be more useful to publish the report of the Health and Safety Committee of Inquiry, which has a broader mandate and whose recommendations are geared towards the reformation of the mining sector.
The government, he said, has nothing to hide and indicated the two earlier reports will be of no use to the public because they are technical reports generally covering the mining sector in the country.
Mr. Jinapor gave the assurance in response to an urgent question in Parliament on what the findings and recommendations of the Appiatse disaster reports are and whether the reports can be made public.
He indicated that following the disaster of 20th January 2022 when the truck transporting explosive materials exploded at Appiatse, the Minerals Commission as the regulator conducted its investigations in accordance with the Minerals and Mining (Explosives) Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2177), and submitted its report to the Ministry.
“Given the complexity of the matter, I constituted a three-member Committee, chaired by a highly respected former Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Mr. Benjamin Aryee, to carry out independent investigations to corroborate, or otherwise, the findings of the Minerals Commission. On Tuesday, February 1, 2022, I received the Report of the three-member committee. Mr. Speaker, the two reports established certain regulatory breaches, on the part of Maxam in the manufacture, storage, and/or transportation of explosives,†he said.
According to Mr. Jinapor, key among the breaches unearthed by the investigations include failure to ensure the transportation of explosives was managed by a certified explosives manager, contrary to regulation 6(2)(a) of Minerals and Mining (Explosives) Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2177).
Maxam, he said, also failed to ensure that activities that involve explosives are carried out only by competent and certified persons, contrary to regulation 6(2)(b) of L.I. 2177; and also failed to ensure that the code of safe working practice developed for the transportation of explosives is followed, contrary to regulation 11(1) of the L.I. 2177 among others.
The Committee, he said, recommended among others that Maxam be sanctioned and also recommended the transportation of explosives be made safer by the installation of fire suppression systems in explosive vehicles, the use of two escort vehicles, one in front and one behind, the use of two police officers, one-armed and other unarmed, the use of sirens to alert road users, and a review of the entire health and safety regime of the mining industry.
A Health and Safety Committee of Inquiry, he said, has been established to review the entire health and safety regime of the mining industry, and make recommendations to Government, for legislative, policy, and other reforms.
The Committee, he said, will be submitting its report to the Ministry soon and the necessary recommendations will be implemented to make the industry safer and better.
Henceforth, transport fares will be adjusted automatically anytime fuel prices go up more than 10 per cent cumulatively, the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has said.
The Union said the recent 15 per cent increment in transport fares, which took effect on February 26, 2022, was based on previous increment in fuel prices and that it would review transport fares upwards by 10 per cent if the gradual increments in fuel prices crossed 10 per cent.
Mr Richard Yaw Amankwah, Deputy General Secretary in Charge of Operations, GPRTU, told the Ghana News Agency that the Union was worried about the rising cost of fuel at the pumps, hence it’s decision to benchmark transport fares against fuel prices to sustain the transport business.
“We have indicated that whenever fuel prices go up above 10 per cent as of the time, we were increasing transport fares (February 26), we will adjust the fares upwards.
“So, we are still monitoring the prices. Even today it has gone up, so we are just marking time. When it is up to the 10 per cent increase, the same margin would be added to the transport fares,†he said.
Private commercial transport operators had initially proposed a 30 per cent increment in transport fares ahead of its negotiations with the Government last month.
The transport operators, after three successive meetings with the Government, agreed to reduce the rate to 15 per cent. The new rate took effect on Saturday, February 26, 2022.
Mr Amankwah said the implementation of the new rate had been smooth across the country despite initial agitation by some operators about the rate.
“It was in Ashaiman that we had some problem on the day it started but we quickly intervened. Apart from Ashaiman, we have not heard any problem all over the country,†he said.
Ex-pump prices for petrol and diesel went up by some 30 pesewas per litre on March 1, 2022, trading at an average GHC 8.20.
Some market analysts have projected that prices at the pumps could shoot up to GHC9.0 per litre if nothing was done to check the rate at which the cedi is depreciating against the US Dollar.
The continuous rise in the price of Brent Crude on the international market has also been blamed for the instability in prices of petroleum products locally.
The Institute for Energy Security (IES) had projected that the prices of petrol and diesel would go up by at least 4 per cent this week, citing the performance of the cedi against the Dollar as a major catalyst.
In its review of the February 2022 Second Pricing Window, the IES found that the cedi depreciated by 4.11 per cent to close at GHC6.85 to the Dollar in the last pricing window.
The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) had also projected that ex-pump prices of petrol, diesel and LPG would increase by about 4.6 per cent, 3.4 per cent, and 2.5 per cent respectively from March 1, 2022.
It projected that both petrol and diesel would trade at an average GHC8.190 per litre whereas LPG would sell around GHC9.163 per kilogram in the First Pricing Window of March 2022.
President Akufo-Addo has admonished Ghanaians to consider the enormity of the task ahead and measure their expectations of government accordingly.
According to him, the country has made a lot of positive strides which must be taken into account as well.
“We must have the pride to acknowledge that we have made positive strides. We must also have the humility to appreciate that we still have some way to go,†he said on Thursday.
The President said Ghanaians must also “have the patience to accept that just as our fight for freedom and independence was not achieved in a day, so too, national prosperity will not come overnight.â€
Addressing the gathering, the President further explained that he is spearheading a strong base from which to catapult the country into better fortunes.
While enumerating his commitment to ensuring development, he insisted that his administration is poised to work hard to “build a new Ghanaian civilization that will attract the admiration of Africa and the world.â€
“We are establishing a solid foundation for the economic take-off of our country. In peace and in unity, I am certain that we will,†he added.
Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has revealed that the embattled Member of Parliament for the Dome Kwabenya Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Ms. Sarah Adwoa Safo, has written to Speaker Alban Bagbin seeking permission to absent herself for an additional four weeks.
According to Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, he has received a letter dated 28 February 2022 from the MP, who is also the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, seeking permission from the Speaker to absent herself from Parliament for four more weeks.
The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs was quick to add that the letter was not addressed to him but to the Speaker.
“I was only copied in the letterâ€, he explained.
The Suame MP added that the reason Adwoa Safo was assigned to her request is that her daughter is not well and going through physiotherapy after recuperating from an ailment.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the Speaker has not discussed the content of the said permission request with him.
The Majority Leader also took the opportunity to correct a statement attributed to First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and MP for the Bekwai Constituency, Mr Joe Osei-Owusu to that effect that he (Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu) had indicated to him (Joe Osei-Owusu) in a conversation that Adwoa Safo had instructed that she should not be called but only sent text messages.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said there had never been any such instruction from the Dome Kwabenya MP.
“I think it was a wrong impression the First Deputy Speaker got in my interaction with him over Adwoa Safo’s absence from Parliamentâ€, he stressed in an interview with Accra-based Neat FM today, Thursday, 3 March 2022.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban S.K. Bagbin is expected to leave the country on March 4 to Dubai for another medical review Daily Guide Online reports.
Alban Bagbin is expected to return to the shores of Ghana on Tuesday, March 29, 2022.
Alban Sumana Bagbin only returned from the medical review on February 23 after he left the country for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on January 29, 2020.
The Speaker is reportedly travelling with a team including his wife, Alice Adjua Yornas, Dr Prince Pambo, the head medical team in Parliament, Habib Adam and Antoinette Wedjong Adda among others.
This trip will be the sixth since August last year.
“Unconfirmed report suggests that the Speaker may pocket daily allowance of $1000 while his entourage including his wife may receive $800 daily,†DailyGuide indicated.
While away, the two deputies are expected to preside on his behalf.
Governance institutions in developing countries must prioritise the preservation of institutional experiences and memories, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbinhas advocated.
This, he said, was necessary for continuity while ensuring that people have access to accurate historical facts and data.
The Speaker made this remark during a courtesy call on him by a delegation from the Sierra Leonean Parliamentary Service Commission led by Mr Hassan Abdul Sesay, opposition whip for the Sierra Leonean parliament.
The delegation is in Ghana, among other things, to interact with their counterparts, learn best practices and exchange ideas.
The team is hoping to use this visit to create a platform for networking between the parliaments of both countries.
Mr Bagbin, in welcoming the delegation, called for the promotion of similar exchange visits among parliamentary commissions and services across the continent.
He said there is the need for the major stakeholders of the legislature in Ghana to commence discussions around establishing a Council modelled around the Council of State to advise and guide the Speaker and members of parliament to effectively discharge their duties.
The leader of the Sierra Leonean delegation, Hassan Abdul Sesay, commended Mr Bagbin for his leadership.
He said Ghana has a lot of democratic credentials to share, particularly in building strong and independent institutions.
Cardinal among the reasons for their visit, he said, was to learn the various schemes and legislations put in place to determine the conditions of service of members retiring from parliament.
She made this known when she was answering questions on expansion of the scheme to cover non-beneficiary public basic schools across the country.
According to Madam Cecilia Dapaah, the expansion would be resumed when arrears owed the Ghana National School Feeding Caterers Association are cleared and a system is put in place to monitor payments.
Currently, however, arrears for the 2021 academic year have been paid to the caterers except third term, according to the Public Relations Officer of the Association, Caroline Aboagye.
“98% of caterers who had approval from the GSFP have received their money. The two per cent who have not received their monies have mismatched names and mixed E-Zwich numbers.
“Those are the only few who have not received their monies for the second term of the 2021 academic year.Â
We still plead with the government and the secretariat to speed up things for us to receive the third term payments to enable us to work diligently,†she said in an interview with Citi newsroom.
Meanwhile, expansion of the programme, as announced during the presentation of the 2022 budget in Parliament by the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, is expected to be increased to benefit 4 million pupils across the country.
Currently, the number of pupils signed onto the programme stands at 3.4 million from over 10,832 public basic schools, having increased from 1.7 million in 2016/2017.
George Akuffo Dampare, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, has cautioned his men to recommit to the value of service to the populace.
Dampare who is continuing with his national tour with some high-ranking officers stressed on his stop in the Oti region that the job of the police was to serve “and not to lord over and scare the people.â€
He further underlined the importance of commitment and respect for human rights in whatever tasks police officers are undertaking whenever and wherever they find themselves.
Dampare interacted with a range of officers and community players during his three-day official tour of the Oti region.
The tour, like previous regional engagements, was for him to experience the general security situation in the region and also encourage the personnel to be dedicated to the service and the country in the maintenance of law and order, a Daily Graphic report noted.
The Police chief and his entourage were welcomed by the Oti Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Charles Dormamban.
Aside from meetings with traditional leaders, he also visited some schools and offices of sister security agencies in the region, at every stop buttressing the resolve of Police to maintain peace and calling for increased cooperation.
He reiterated a recent promise to grow the Service into a world-class institution that will better serve the security and overall social development needs of the country.
The Police have in recent times come under attack by a section of Civil Society, accusing them of using archaic laws of ‘spreading false news’ to arrest, detain and charge journalists and activists who are critical of the government.
The National Co-ordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), Dr. Gertrude Quashigah, has denied claims that the programme has been put on hold.
The Caretaker of the Gender, Children and Social Protection Ministry, Cecilia Dapaah, is reported to have told Parliament Wednesday that, the programme was halted until outstanding moneys owed caterers were paid.
However, in an interview with Angelonline.com.gh, the GSFP Coordinator said the programme will continue running in the over 10,000 public basic schools in the country, providing pupils with a hot meal on each school going day.
“Our enrollment of 3,448,065 still holds across the country,†said Dr. Quashigah, adding, “It’s the expansion which is on hold…not the entire programme.â€
It would be recalled that the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, had announced during the presentation of the 2022 budget in Parliament that enrolment onto the scheme would be increased to benefit four million pupils across the country.
Currently, however, the number of pupils signed onto the programme stands at 3,448,065 from over 10,832 public basic schools, having appreciated from 1.7 million in 2016/2017.
Meanwhile, the refrain from extending the programme to the non-beneficiary public schools means that those schools would continue experience high levels of truancy and increasing drop outs.
This is so because, according to information gathered following implementation of the programme in various beneficiary schools, attendance to classes and enrolments have steadily improved.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament, is currently in Bucharest, Romania to visit Ghanaian students who escaped from the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
According to him, the visit will allow him to closely assess the conditions of the students and understand better their unique perspective of how Ghana can be more helpful to them.
Sharing pictures with the students on his Facebook timeline on Wednesday evening, Ablakwa wrote:
“This morning I arrived in Bucharest, Romania which shares a southern border with Ukraine to visit our Ghanaian students who escaped from the conflict in Ukraine.
“The visit affords me the opportunity to closely assess their conditions and to better understand from their unique perspective how our nation can be more helpful to them as I engage them directly.”
The North Tongu MP explained further, “I do this not merely because it is a constitutional imperative of oversight imposed on parliamentarians; there is a higher obligation of our common humanity and nationhood.
“Romania now hosts the largest number of Ghanaian students — an estimated 200, expected to be evacuated to Ghana,” he said. “I have been greatly inspired by the amazing stories of survival and resilience as narrated by our heroic compatriots.”
He lauded Ahmed Tijani Abubakr of Ghana’s diplomatic mission in Prague “for his impressive consular services which have been praised by the students.”
The NDC MP continued: “the Romanians have been awesome with their exceptional kindness. Our nation owes them a debt of gratitude.
“It gave me great pleasure to host our courageous compatriots to lunch, convey messages of hope for a brighter future, and to make a modest donation into the NUGS-Ukraine welfare account.
“I assured our much-cherished compatriots that the entire nation led by the government is with them in prayers and solidarity. Evacuations shall continue and we would also never forget their colleagues who remain trapped in Ukraine, particularly those in the city of Sumy.
“Together, as one nation with a common humanity, we shall ensure the complete protection and rehabilitation of our beloved citizens,” Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa’s post concluded.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said his government intends to deepen the education of the population so as to attain the industrialisation objective.
President Akufo-Addo was speaking at the independence day awards ceremony ahead of the 65th Independence Day celebration, in Accra on Wednesday, March 2.
“Investments in education are a key priority for my government. The government intends to deepen the education of our population so as to attain our industrialisation objective.
“This means there will be increasing emphasis in our education system on science and technology education and technical and vocational training.
“In addition to the ongoing construction of the Accra STEM Academy, the government has commenced the construction of 20 science, technology, engineering and mathematics centres across the country with all twenty-eight at various stages of completion.
“The completion of nine model senior high schools across the country is imminent. This year the government will expand the free senior high school programme to cover all first-year students in public TVET institutions.â€
“Government believes that knowledge and talent are not for the rich and privileged alone and that free education widens the gates of opportunities to every child, especially those whose talents are arrested because of poverty.
“At this point in our history, we are determined, in spite of the difficulties, to complete the transformation of the country into a modern, 21st century nation that remains distinctly and uniquely Ghanaian. It is for this reason that investments in our educational system are a key priority for my government,†he stressed.
Board Chairman of the National Theatre, Nana Fredua Agyeman Ofori-Atta, has slammed the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for hopping to the Commonwealth Nations to investigate Ghana under suspicions of human rights abuses.
The NDC has petitioned the Commonwealth Nations to monitor the human rights situation in Ghana as well as what they say is criminal persecution of its members.
According to the party’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, who announced the petition to the press on Monday, February 28, it was necessary to send the petition to the international entity because of the “harassment, criminal persecution and human rights violations” against some NDC leading members including their National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo.
“There are some practices that are not in accordance with good governance and the principles of the Commonwealth so we have petitioned them to take the appropriate action,” he added.
But Nana Fredua, sharing dissenting views on the petition, ridiculed the NDC for going to the Commonwealth Nations.
He wondered how the NDC would have the audacity to petition an international body to report human rights violations when they have a track record of abusing the people’s rights and criminally pursuing innocent Ghanaians.
Although this, he said, is not to justify human rights encroachment by any government including the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), he finds it ridiculous that the NDC are crying about rights infringement which, to him, is not even the reality in Ghana under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“They think everyone in Ghana is a kid. They think the wise people in Ghana are not many . . . I feel they have disgraced themselves and the entire nation,” he said while making submissions on Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo”.
Executive Director of Media Foundation for West Africa, Sulemana Braimah, says Ghana’s economy has collapsed, and the collapse is not because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to him, the economy has collapsed because of the menace of corruption and the government’s misappropriation of the country’s resources.
“… the economy is collapsed. Don’t blame COVID. COVID did not happen only in Ghana. All countries, including our neighbours, were affected by COVID. It’s all because of corruption, mismanagement and PR (public relations) governance,” a tweet of Mr. Braimah read.
Sulemana Braimah also has stated categorically that the government will be going for an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout whether the government implements the E-Levy or not.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo recently stated that Ghana’s economy was one of the fastest-growing economies in the World before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
“It is encouraging for my government and party, the New Patriotic Party, to recall that the rate of growth of the economy, 5.6%, against the background of the exceptionally difficult circumstances of the COVID-era, is still considerably better than the 3.4% we inherited (in 2016) in calmer times from our predecessor administration.
“… prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, we witnessed average annual GDP growth rates of seven per cent (7%) in 2017, 2018, 2019 and part of 2020, when our economy was then, generally, acknowledged as one of the fastest-growing in the world,” 3news.com quoted the president.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has also indicated Ghanaians have two choices, either to accept the E-Levy or the government goes for an IMF bailout,
He added that going for an IMF loan would be disastrous for the country.
“When we were in the IMF programme, we couldn’t pay for nurses and teachers; we couldn’t hire anymore because there were restrictions on that.
“So, we can deal with them for them to give us advice, but we need not ever get into an IMF programme [again]. If we don’t do this E-levy, we’re just pushing ourselves in a way that would potentially end up in such a disaster,” he said.
Read tweet of Sulemana Braimah below:
With or without E-Levy, Ghana will be going to IMF. The The Economy is collapsed. Don’t blame COVID. COVID did not happen only in Ghana. All countries, including our neighbours were affected by COVID. It’s all because of corruption, mismanagement and PR governance.
The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), has indicated that, a rural market project at Otu-Kwadjo in the Nsawam Adoagyiri Constituency in the Eastern Region, which was funded and executed with petroleum revenue, does not exist at the specified community.
According to the independent statutory body mandated to promote transparency and accountability in the management of petroleum revenues in Ghana, the ‘false’ information was made available by the Ministry of Finance (MoF), stressing, the project has been fully completed at Otu-Kwadjo.
Breaking down the cost of the project in a Daily Graphic reportage, PIAC stated that the cost of the project, which includes a storage facility and mechanised boreholes, is GH¢920,354; out of which GH¢190,707 was sourced from the annual budget funding amount (ABFA).
PIAC was able to come out with such a report when the committee members visited Otu-Kwadjo on Friday, February 11, to inspect the said project MoF has made available to them but realised that a project of such nature did not exist in the community – the market, storage and boreholes were not found.
The only borehole project found in that community, Otu-Kwadjo residents said, was built through their efforts several years ago before the MSDI contract was awarded.
Officials of the Nsawam Adoagyiri Municipal Assembly, who joined the inspection team, suggested that perhaps it was not Otu-Kwadjo rather another community called Kojo Electoral Area in the same municipality.
PIAC inspection team then visited the said Kojo Electoral Area where a market project with a similar description was found, yet without boreholes, toilet facilities or electricity.
The project, which has been reported to be fully completed and handed over, had an empty water tank mounted, the sheds were not occupied, yet those allocated were redeveloping them to suit their needs.
Alhaji Suleman Anderson, a member of PIAC told the state-owned newspaper that he is surprised there was no involvement of communities and beneficiary institutions in the project selection and/or implementation, making tracking and demand for accountability difficult.
“We took pains to go to Otu-Kwadjo. When we went there, we could not trace any project of such nature, we could not find the market or boreholes.
“What we have found with regards to the market project at Otu-Kwadjo or Kojo Electoral Area is disappointing and we think that going forward the government in siting project anywhere must liaise with the municipality or the district assembly to properly assess their needs and also make them part of the process when awarding the contract so that they can be part of the supervision.
“The situation where the project is ongoing and the supervisor sits in the city, has no idea of what is happening on the ground and yet sits in his office and certified that the project has been done and handed over must stop,†Alhaji Suleman Anderson stated.
He noted that it was not appropriate for proper development and value for money on projects funded by the government.
“And so, we think the government must revisit the processes of awarding contracts and change it for the better. We do not think this type of contract should be awarded from Accra, where people in the localities or the beneficiaries have no idea,†he said.
Alhaji Anderson further stated that PIAC would send a special report to the Presidency and Parliament to inform them officially on the discrepancies in the market project at Otu-Kwadjo and Kojo Electoral Area.
Security Analyst Adib Saani has questioned the demeanour of the government any time public figures say Ghana’s current economic condition can serve as grounds for a coup.Â
He said in a statement sighted by GhanaWeb that rather than arresting people anytime they use the word coup in the media, the government should reflect on its actions and find ways to improve the livelihood of Ghanaians.
He indicated that people saying current challenges are grounds for military overtakes don’t mean they are calling for one.
“Why is this government so jittery when coup is mentioned? What do they have to hide? If you are doing the right thing, why shiver? Since when did coup become a taboo word?
“… human insecurities, seeming war on press freedom, the inconsistent application of the law, which by the way violates Article 23 of the constitution, and the wanton arrest and targeting of critics create the necessary conditions for a coup to occur. It’s incontrovertible,” Adib said.
“This is not a call to coup, but a stark reminder of the disturbing recent realities we have had to contend with as a people,” he added.
Adib Saani’s statement comes after some people made calls for the arrest of the Dean of the University of Ghana Law School, Prof. Raymond Atuguba, for coup comments he made.
Retired Military Officer, Captain Nkrabea Effah Dartey, urged the country’s National Security apparatus to arrest Prof Atuguba for saying, ‘Ghana may be ripe for a coup’ due to the current challenges it is facing.
According to Capt. Effah Dartey, Prof Atuguba must be arrested for inciting the public against the government, mynewsgh.com reported.
“The Professor lacks an intellectual basis for making that statement. He is throwing dust into the eyes of Ghanaians. National Security should investigate him. He should not be allowed to make statements like these… He should be arrested for [the] crime of inciting soldiers and creating insecurity,” he was quoted.
He makes one point abundantly clear before he speaks about his innovation.
He is not professionally trained to build bikes as he has done but being a professional cyclist, and having the need to move from one place to another really quick, it was just right to custom-build something for himself.Â
That is the story of Lawrence Adjei, a 26-year-old who has found an innovative way of turning dead laptop batteries into electric bikes.Â
“I do custom-build electric bikes from scratch. I am not a welder but I just do everything myself from scratch; you can see the machines here,†he said, pointing to one of the machines in the little garage that helps him get his innovations completed.Â
Sharing his story with Nana Tea Was Here Some on YouTube, he explained that he just found a great way of recycling dead laptop batteries, transforming them into powered bikes.
“With the batteries, I use dead laptop batteries. I crack them open and then I test them with a machine,†he explained.
With a custom-built external battery that helps to charge the bike, he said at full charge the machine can go as for as a 120km range.Â
“This battery here is 77volt battery with 37 amps an hour, which is around 2.7, 2.8 watts and a full charge will take around 3 hours and that can take you to up 120 km range.Â
“I have a custom-built charger that you plug into the mains to charge the bike,†he said.Â
Another unique feature of his bike is that it has ports to allow for mobile phones to be charged.Â
While he is yet to fully get his bikes on the road, as well as get them commercialized, Lawrence Adjei said that the bikes can still be used.Â
First-year students of the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) at Tarkwa have expressed their joy for attending their first lecture after six weeks of staying on campus.
The fresh students, who reported in January 2022 were welcomed with the UTAG strike which began on the 10th of January.
The students were hoping that lecturers were going to return to the classroom after a few weeks of industrial action but that lasted for six weeks.
The National Executive Council last week decided to suspend the strike temporarily for fourteen days in order to begin negotiations with the government.
But the strike could resurface on March 4, 2022, should government fail to yield to the demands of the University teachers.
To this end, UMaT began academic activities on Monday, February 28 where most lectures were held virtually via Zoom.
Speaking to GhanaWeb in an interview, most of the first-year students were not conversant with the virtual learning but are hopeful to get used to it.
“It was not easy for us on the zoom, because some of us have not used it before,” one fresher said.
That notwithstanding, the “freshers” were happy that academic work has begun for them after staying in their hostel for a long time waiting for the strike to be called off.
While commending UTAG for the suspension of the strike, the SRC president of UMaT, John Baguri is of the hope that, within the fourteen days, both UTAG and government will settle the impasse amicably so that the strike doesn’t resurface.
Speaking to GhanaWeb, Baguri noted that, “those of us who have our lecturers back to the lecture halls is the uncomfortable side of the story, to the effect that we know the entire strike action is not over yet, because UTAG has given the strongest indication that by 4th March, if they don’t see appreciable efforts from government, they will reengineer their action. So it could be that we may be going for lectures only this week and after that, another strike, if both parties do not meet themselves halfway.
“That is why we are appealing to both parties to negotiate well so that academic work can continue,” he added.
A nine-year-old Ghanaian child cancer survivor, Brenna Fosua Addai, has appealed to the international organisations and donors, to go to the aid of cancer children in Ukraine.
According to her, because of the war in Ukraine there could be shortage of cancer drugs in the country.
This is because there had been cancellation of international flights to the country and medical supplies could not made to the country.
Reports from international media indicates that, children suffering from cancer have had their treatments interrupted after Russia invaded Ukraine.
The report states that, doctors fear a lack of treatment would mean the children would get sicker or even die if they were not evacuated.
In a solidarity message to the two countries and world leaders, she called for cease fire and negotiation to end the conflict in Ukraine and bring peace in the region.
“They’re vulnerable and this is not the fault of theirs. I plead with world leaders to have mercy on them so that they could have their treatment to save their lives,” she stated.
Little Breana who has been advocating for childhood cancers and hoped to become an ambassador for children with cancer also called on the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to intervene by using his international reputation to influence Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
“I know the president is a listening father and will hear our cry, I plead with him and his wife to intervene to ensure these kids survive,†she added.
Five Sudanese footballers died on Sunday when their boat sank in the Nile, north of the capital Khartoum, official news agency, Sudanese News Agency reported.
It said the players, members of the third division team Navigation, were on their way to play a match when their boat sank.
The agency did not state how the vessel sank but said the entire team was on board.
The players were travelling from the city of Shendi in the River Nile state in northern Sudan to the city of Al Matama to play against El-Jiref, in the third division league
Boat accidents are not new on the Nile. Passenger ferries are often old and not safe.
Incidents are particularly frequent when the river tends to flood in the summer when water levels rise.
We’ve news of more action being taken by Apple. The tech giant has paused sales of its products in Russia, the company has announced.
The company has also limited its payments system, Apple Pay, and other services including live-traffic tracking, according to the Reuters news agency.
The BBC’s Ukrainian service reports that consumers in Russia attempting to buy an iPhone, watch or MacBook on the company’s website are greeted with a message saying that delivery of the goods is impossible.
The move by Apple comes after Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov disclosed earlier this week that he had sent a letter to the company’s chairman Tim Cook asking that Apple be blocked from Russia.
I’ve contacted @tim_cook, Apple's CEO, to block the Apple Store for citizens of the Russian Federation, and to support the package of US government sanctions! If you agree to have the president-killer, then you will have to be satisfied with the only available site Russia 24. pic.twitter.com/b5dm78g2vS
If you woke up this morning, looked at the news, and felt increasingly worried about the war in Ukraine, you are not alone. After a two-year pandemic, it’s a lot to absorb, and experts agree that feeling overwhelmed is normal.
While it’s right to think first and foremost about the impact on those caught up in the conflict, it’s also completely normal to feel upset from afar by what we’re seeing in Ukraine, says Alex Bushill, from the mental health charity Mind.
“It’s very natural to be distressed by what we’re seeing, you wouldn’t be human if you didn’t,” he says.
This doesn’t always lead to anxiety, but the NHS and Anxiety UK agree on some key ways to avoid it: eat well, get outside, put your phone down, connect with people, rest.
These are all pretty basic pieces of advice, but when you’re stressed, they can be difficult to do consistently.
The World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund are preparing financing support for Ukraine.
In a joint statement, leaders of the two agencies said they were worried by the potential spillover effects of the Russian invasion.
They cited rising commodity prices, disruptions in financial markets and the risk of further fuelling global inflation.
The World Bank said it would pledge $3bn (£2.3bn) in the coming months, including at least $350m in the next week.
The IMF meanwhile said it will swiftly consider Ukraine’s request for emergency financing. It also hopes to make $2.2bn in funding available up to June.
Moscow has seen “no desire on the part of Ukraine” to reach a legitimate and balanced solution to the problems between the two countries, says a Russian diplomat.
Gennady Gatilov, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, made these comments in an interview with a Lebanese TV station that aired on Tuesday.
Russia “supports diplomacy based on respect for the positions of all countries and equality, but for now we don’t see that”, he said, according to Russian news agency RIA.
Russia and Ukraine held peace talks on Monday, but no agreements were reached other than a commitment to meet again at an unspecified date.
Ghanaians economist and founder of All People’s Congress (APC), Dr. Hassan Ayariga, is troubled over the continuous increment of fuel prices in the country.
Dr. Ayariga who could not fathom why Ghana continuous to rely on foreign nations for fuel at high prices believes something could be done to avert the situation.
Taking to his Facebook page, he indicated crude oil can be locally processed at a competitive price and sold to Ghanaians.
To him, this will be beneficial to Ghanaian society and ease the pressure on the consumers rather than importing the final processed oil from foreign countries.
“Can the Ghanaian cope with the high prices of fuel increments in Ghana in recent times? We cannot rely on foreign nations for our fuel when we are a fuel producing country.
“I believe we can decide to take crude oil as our returns from the Oil exploration and process it at a competitive price and sell it to Ghanaians than importing the final processed oil from abroad every time,” he wrote in his post.
Dr. Ayariga went ahead to slam the leadership of the country for being “unpatriotic” and only believing in what he described as “short term results”.
“The Ghanaian leaders only believe in short term results rather than the long term. We are not patriotic in this country at all,” he fired.
He said the well-meaning should go to the discussion table for “non-partisan consensus” on how to make life comfortable for the locals.
“We need all well-meaning Ghanaians to build non-partisan consensus to navigate alternative ways of making life more comfortable for our people,” he indicated.
He continued, “In accounting, we learnt “make or buy options of scarce resources allocation between two competing objects” and its socio-economic benefits. Why are we pretending we don’t know how to make life better for Ghanaians?”
He added, “May the Good lord grant all of us wisdom. If you refuse to cook for your family, then you will always buy expensive food from outside for them. Exactly what is happening to us as Ghanaians. Because we have refused to put up an oil refinery to refine our crude oil.”
The chief of Menekpo, under Manya Krobo traditional area in Krobo Odumase, has debunked rumours about Krobo being the hotspot for HIV/AIDS in the Eastern region and Ghana at large.
According to Nene Teye Adjiso III, people across the region visit health facilities within the Krobo district to test their status of the viral infection.
As a result, the facilities in the enclave record a lot of visitors creating the impression that Krobos are the lead carriers of the virus which is incorrect.
The falsehood in the minds of the people according to him began to be rumoured in the area and that came to the attention of his friend who visited the area to check the veracity of the news being disseminated.
“So for him, he was looking round to see how Krobos have grown lean, and to his surprise, everybody was looking fine. But this was the sector that the tests were taken and it has gone a long way to reduce, if not to eradicate, the canker,†the chief said.
He made the remarks on behalf of Nene Sackitey II, Konor of Manya Krobo Traditional Area and the President of Eastern regional House of chiefs at the 75th anniversary lectures of St Martins De Porres at Agormanya on the theme 75 years of Holistic Quality health care delivered in Krobo land.
Nene Teye Adjiso III applauded the tremendous efforts being made by the managements and staff of the Hospital in the reduction of the deadly viral and quality health care provided for the past 75 years.
Nene concluded by appealing to the Catholic church to provide more health infrastructures at the hospital “as they say Oliver twist ask for more†to continue serving the people of Krobo land.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Kwaku Ampratwum–Sarpong, has revealed that Ghana is first African country to evacuate its citizens from Ukraine following the conflict with Russia.
This makes the government of President Akufo-Addo the first among all African governments in the effort to rescue their nationals, he stressed.
Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong said this when he welcomed the first batch of Ghanaian nationals who arrived from Ukraine at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on Tuesday, March 1.
He said “The Government is determined to continue to make sure that your colleagues who are still in transit to be evacuated will eventually be evacuated. There is one important thing that we need to know, information coming in indicates that Ghana is the first African country to have been able to evacuate some of their compatriots and some of their students from Ukraine. So at least, if not for anything at all, the government of Nana Akufo-Addo has scored first,†he said
He added “My fellow compatriots, on behalf of the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Government and People of Ghana, I heartily welcome you all back home. We thank the Almighty God for keeping you safe and for granting you traveling mercies.
“My dear students, we are proud of you for the bravery and perseverance you exhibited in the face of the dire situation you found yourselves in. You have had to halt your studies and other activities in order to escape the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Some of your colleagues are yet to be evacuated from Ukraine. Let me assure you that the Government of Ghana will continue to work to ensure their safety and return to Ghana. Government will also continue to work with its International Partners to ensure that and urge for dialogue between Russia and Ukraine for a peaceful and quick resolution of this conflict.
“I would like to commend your various Student leaders for cooperating with Government to ensure a smooth and successful evacuation exercise thus far.
“You are the first batch of Ghanaians to have arrived from Ukraine. As at 28th February 2022, 527 Ghanaians had crossed the Ukrainian border into neighbouring countries of Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Moldova, Hungary and Slovakia. In the coming days, we are expecting more of your colleagues to be evacuated from these countries. We are working with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Organization and we are confident that this will enhance the success of the evacuation exercise.
“The Hon. Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional integration is scheduled to meet parents and guardians of affected students later this morning to discuss issues concerning the evacuation and return of their loved ones.
“I wish to reiterate that Government has put in place the necessary package to facilitate the transportation, accommodation, feeding, medical support, etc to ease any burden on our compatriots who are still waiting to be evacuated and we urge all of them to take advantage of this exercise to come home. On this note, I will like to welcome you once again. Enjoy your time with your families.â€
Government has procured one hundred (100) intercity buses at the cost of 17.5 million United States Dollars for the Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL) since 2017.
According to the sector minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah “a total of 100 new intercity buses have so far been supplied to the MMTL at a total cost of US$17.5million. This was financed by the Governmentâ€.
He again revealed that the government has also signed a contract with VDL Bus Roeselare for the supply of 100 intercity buses, spare parts, and training services.
Under the same contract, a total of 50 broken down VDL buses at MMTL would be repaired to augment the fleet.
He said “this Project is also being financed with a €25.49 million mixed credit facility from the Government of Belgium and Belfius Bank SA/NV.
He made this known on the floor of Parliament on 1st March, 2022 when answering a Parliamentary question post by MP Adaklu, Kwame Governs Agbodza as to how many buses have been procured for the MMTL since 2017 and how much the buses cost and how it was funded.
The Minister again noted that, “as I speak, the first batch of 45 buses are in production and expected to be delivered by the second quarter of this year.
We are also pursuing other avenues to bring in more buses to revamp the operations of the MMTL.Â
Currently, Value for Money Assessment is being undertaken for the supply of 300 Hyundai Buses from Korea and additional 200 buses from Chinaâ€.
“We expect to add a total of 600 new buses within the short-medium term periodâ€, he added.
The Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL) as we all know, was established with an objective to provide intra-city, inter-urban and rural-urban bus services in the country.
The policy framework for the financing and operations of the MMTL was that the Government will provide support for the acquisition of buses to enable MMTL to provide relatively cheaper and affordable mass transportation services to the public as a necessary social service.
US President Joe Biden has told Congress that Vladimir Putin badly misjudged how the West would hit back once he invaded Ukraine.
In a primetime speech, Mr Biden vowed “an unwavering resolve that freedom will always triumph over tyranny”.
Democrats and Republicans reacted to Mr Biden’s appeal to show support for Ukraine by rising in unison to applaud.
His State of the Union address came as pandemic-weary Americans grapple with galloping inflation.
In an hour-long address to lawmakers on Tuesday night, the Democratic president said: “Putin’s war was premeditated and unprovoked. He rejected repeated efforts at diplomacy.
“He thought the West and Nato wouldn’t respond. And he thought he could divide us here at home.”
Mr Biden – whose chaotic withdrawal last year from Afghanistan damaged his popularity among Americans – added: “Putin was wrong. We were ready.”
He announced that the US would ban Russian aircraft from American airspace, following similar bans by Canadian and European authorities.
The US and it allies have launched a barrage of sanctions against Russia’s economy and financial system and Mr Putin himself. In his speech Mr Biden deviated from his prepared remarks by vowing further economic retaliation, warning Mr Putin: “He has no idea what’s coming.”
The US president also welcomed Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova, who received a standing ovation as she sat in US First Lady Jill Biden’s VIP box.
More coverage of Ukraine crisis
Hours before his address, Mr Biden spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss what help the US could give his country after six days of the Russian assault.
“Let each of us… stand and send an unmistakable signal to Ukraine and to the world,” Mr Biden told his audience in the chamber of the House of Representatives.
It was one of the few moments in the speech where members of both deeply polarised parties rose together to clap and cheer for Ukraine, many of them waving Ukrainian flags that had been passed out before the president arrived.
Mr Biden’s first formal State of the Union speech, an annual event pushing a president’s agenda, came as his approval rating languishes.
Just 40.6% of Americans are happy with his job performance, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average.
After addressing his biggest foreign policy crisis, the invasion of Ukraine, Mr Biden confronted a host of domestic troubles dogging his presidency, from the enduring pandemic, to soaring consumer prices, to a wave of violent crime.
Ukraine flags and badges were in evidence
Although the US jobless rate has sunk to 4%, inflation has hit a 40-year high.
The president sought on Tuesday night to empathise with hard-pressed working families, saying: “I get it.”
He promised a plan for “building a better America”.
Mr Biden argued the best way to counter rocketing consumer prices was to boost domestic production of cars and semiconductors and rebuild the nation’s roads and bridges.
Opinion polls show Americans are also unhappy with Mr Biden’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
But on Tuesday, members of Congress who attended the speech were not required to wear masks for the first time in months.
Mr Biden said: “Last year Covid-19 kept us apart. This year we are finally together again.”Â
More than 2,000 Americans are still dying daily of Covid, according to the latest figures, the highest official tally of any country in the world.
With the nation’s homicide rate having hit a 25-year high, Mr Biden rejected calls to defund the police that were taken up by a wide spectrum of his fellow Democrats.
“The answer is not to defund the police,” said the president. “The answer is to fund them.”
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds delivered the Republican response to Mr Biden’s speech.
She sought to portray a presidency that had sent America back to the late ’70s “when runaway inflation was hammering families, a violent crime wave was crashing on our cities, and the Soviet army was trying to redraw the world map”.
Russia has been expanding its influence in Africa in recent years and after the invasion of Ukraine, it will be expecting its new-found allies to provide support, or at least remain neutral, in international bodies such as the UN.
From Libya to Mali, Sudan, the Central African Republic (CAR), Mozambique and elsewhere, Russia has been getting more involved – often militarily with help fighting rebels or jihadist militants.
At the UN Security Council, Kenya, currently a non-permanent member, made its opposition to Russian action in Ukraine very clear.
But there has not yet been a loud chorus from other countries backing Kenya’s position. The continental body, the African Union, expressed “extreme concern” about what was going on, but was muted in its criticism of Russia.
South Africa, which is a partner of Russia in the Brics group, has called on the country to withdraw its forces from Ukraine but said it still held out hope for a negotiated solution.
And on Wednesday the deputy leader of the Sudanese junta, Mohamed Hamdan “Hemeti” Dagolo, led a delegation to Moscow in a sign of closer ties between the two countries.
A monument to the Russian military has been put up in the capital of the Central African Republic
One of the clearest examples of how alliances have been shifting in Africa came just a week before Russia’s attack on Ukraine with the ending of French involvement in fighting jihadists in Mali.
Mali’s Prime Minister Choguel Maiga confirmed, in an interview with France24, that his country has signed military co-operation agreements with Russia. But he denied that the controversial Russian private military company, the Wagner Group, was involved.
This Russian help in Mali, along with a reported offer to the military government in Burkina Faso, fits a pattern over the past five years where Russia has intensified steps to increase its influence in Africa, both official and informal.
As the renewed Russia-Africa engagement gained momentum, a 2019 summit in the southern Russian city of Sochi was attended by delegates from more than 50 African countries, including 43 heads of state.
President Vladimir Putin addressed the leaders, appealing to a history of backing liberation movements and pledging to boost trade and investment.
The 2019 Sochi summit drew almost all of Africa’s heads of state
But there has also been another kind of presence: the opaque provision of security to governments in a number of African countries, in the form of training, intelligence and equipment, as well as involvement of Russian mercenaries in local conflicts.
As Mr Putin indicated, there are historic ties stretching back to the days of the USSR, Russia’s predecessor, when Africa was one of several spheres of competition between it and the US.
But from the collapse of the USSR in 1991 to the early part of the last decade, as Russia went through a period of transition, relations with Africa were not top of the agenda.
Then, regaining superpower status became a foreign policy priority for the Russian president.
New export markets
In 2014, following Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and the international sanctions which followed, there came a sharp deterioration in relations with the US and the European Union.
Faced with the threat of international isolation, Moscow started the search for new allies.
“As a result of sanctions, Russia needed to look for new markets for its exports,” said Irina Abramova, director of the Africa Institute at the Russian National Academy of Sciences.
But it was more than markets that Russia was after – it also wanted increased global influence.
In 2014 it got involved in Syria’s civil war, backing President Bashar al-Assad in part to highlight the mess the West was making and show how Russia could fix it.
From Syria it later moved on to the African continent.
Irina Filatova, an honorary professor of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, says Russia’s key task in Africa was to discredit Western influence, in much the same way as in Syria.
It wanted to show that the Europeans, for example, had failed to contain the jihadist threat in the Sahel.
It did this through a dual policy in Africa, combining official military instructors working in some countries, and informal agencies, such as the Wagner Group, fighting in a number of others.
Mercenaries
The CAR was the first African country where Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group appeared in 2017.Â
Allegations of atrocities carried out by the mercenaries have become common, but Russia has consistently denied that any of its citizens were involved in war crimes or violence against civilians.
Russian mercenaries have also been active in Libya, Sudan, Mozambique and Mali, with varied levels of success.
In another sign of the growing significance of the continent, Africa has become a key market for Russia’s arms industry. Almost half of all the arms coming into Africa come from Russia, according to the country’s state arms export agency.
The main importers are Algeria and Egypt, but there have been new markets in Nigeria, Tanzania and Cameroon.
UN votes
But there is also a prize for closer ties on the diplomatic front.
Africa, in total, has more than a quarter of the votes at the UN General Assembly, and can be a powerful collective voice in other international bodies.
A 2021 report on perspectives of Africa-Russia co-operation, published by Moscow’s Higher School of Economics, pointed out that African countries have tended to be neutral when it comes to Russia’s actions in the past.
“None of the African countries introduced any sanctions against Russia [after 2014]. In the voting in the UN on Ukraine-related issues, most countries of the continent express a neutral position,” the report said.
With the invasion of Ukraine, if that neutral stance continues, or if it is translated into more vocal support, then Russia’s efforts over the past few years could be seen to have paid off.
Black Stars coach, Otto Addo is expected to announce Ghana’s squad to face Nigeria in the FIFA World Cup play-off. Â
Addo is said to be preparing to present his list to the Black Stars management committee on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Â
The committee as part of their meeting on the aforementioned date will review the list. Â
The squad could see some faces as Ghana look to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar to make up for a poor performance at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON). Â
Here are five new faces to expect in the squadÂ
Salis Abdul SamedÂ
The Clearmont foot’s defensive midfielder earned his debut call up to the Black Stars for the 2021 AFCON. However, due to an injury, he sustained after the call-up, he failed to join the team for the tournament in Cameroon. Â
The 21-year-old has already made his injury return and has started in 7 of Clearmont Foot’s 8 Ligue 1 games, playing 90 minutes in 5 of those. Â
His regular game time could see him earn a second call up and hopefully honour it this time.Â
Salisu MohammedÂ
Mohammed Salisu is rated among the best center backs in the English Premier League currently. Â
He has an incredible number to match his performances for the Saints. He could be a key figure in Ghana’s quest to qualify for the World Cup.Â
The defensive stalwart is yet to appear for the Black Stars, having rejected two call-ups to focus on club football.Â
However, his uncle Yakubu Ahmed confirmed in an interview with Sikka FM that the 22-year-old has finally agreed to play for the Black Stars.Â
“He will be playing for Ghana soon. He has assured us that he will play in the World Cup qualifiers. He cleared the air about his absence in the AFCON but assured of availability for the World Cup qualifiers,†he told Kumasi-based Sikka FM.
Antoine Semenyo
Antoine Serlom Semenyo is a Ghanaian striker who plays for Bristol City in the English Football League Championship.
The young striker has been in fine form this season for Bristol City. He has 14 goals involvement for the second-tier side in 22 matches(6 goals 8 assists).
The British-born Ghanaian won the player of the month February in 2022.
He could be one of the new faces to pop up in Otto Addo‘s list to face Nigeria.
Seidu Alidu
Alidu Seidu plays for Clearmont Foot in the French Ligue 1. After spending most of the first round on the bench, Seidu earned a regular place in the starting eleven during the second round of the league. He has started 6 out of 7 games since January.
The center back has kept two clean sheets in the process. Following his good run and regular playing time, Siedu could be called up to the National Team for the first time ever.
Hudson-Odoi
The Chelsea winger is still undecided regarding his international career. He has played for the English national team on three occasions but is still available to switch nationality to play for Ghana.
The father and agent of the British-born Ghanaian, Bismark Odoi has met with Blak Stars technical advisor, Chris Hughton.
Odoi could be a surprise name in Otto Addo‘s squad after the meeting held between Hughton and Bismark turn to be a success.
The Ghana Football Association and Nigerian Football Federation(NFF) are making moves to lure Genk defender Mujaid Aliu Sadick to play for their respective country.Â
Mujaid was born to a Nigerian father and a Ghanaian mother and therefore is eligible to play for both countries.Â
The 21-year-old was born in Spain and thus could nationalize for the European country as well.Â
The NFF is said to have begun talks with the Belgium-based center-back, a report by sportsworldghana.com claims.Â
Nigeria are said to be working on getting Mujaid Aliu to pledge allegiance alongside a host of other Nigerians born abroad before their World up playoff clash against Ghana in March.Â
Mijaid has represented Spain at youth level, Under 17 and Under 18. He joined Genk last summer from Deportivo La Coruna and has played 17 Jupiler League games scoring twice.
Sacut Amenga-Etegu, a freelance journalist who was arrested for allegedly recording proceedings in court has been discharged.
This was after he was arraigned before the criminal division 5 of the Accra High Court.
The National Security Minister denied earlier reports the journalist was picked up and detained by its officials.
He was detained following the court order on Thursday February 24,2022.
Background:
The Court presided over by Her Ladyship, Lydia Osei Marfo, before detaining him said that the freelancer “could be a security threat to the Court [Criminal Court 5] and the Court Complex at large, if not the whole country.â€
Per the Court records, Justice Marfo said she heard noise outside her courtroom as she was calling a case for trial.
According to Her Ladyship, what she heard “on the corridors of this Court were not ordinary noise†prompting her to cause her Court Warrant Officer (CWO) to investigate.
Detective Inspector Dometi Wisdom, from the National Security, upon being summoned by the Court, narrated to the Court how Sacut was spotted attempting to take a video of the National Security operatives and the accused persons while they were leaving the Courtroom.
Freelance journalist, Sacut Amenga-Etegu, who was discharged by the Criminal Court Division 5 in Accra on Tuesday has been rearrested again by the Police.
The reasons for his arrest by the Police are not immediately known.
Mr. Amenga-Etegu who was arrested for allegedly recording proceedings in court without authorization was arraigned and subsequently discharged.
However, reports indicate that the Journalist has been rearrested shortly after meeting his friends and family members at the court premises.
Background:
The Court presided over by Her Ladyship, Lydia Osei Marfo, before detaining him said that the freelancer “could be a security threat to the Court [Criminal Court 5] and the Court Complex at large, if not the whole country.â€
Per the Court records, Justice Marfo said she heard noise outside her courtroom as she was calling a case for trial.
According to Her Ladyship, what she heard “on the corridors of this Court were not ordinary noise†prompting her to cause her Court Warrant Officer (CWO) to investigate.
Detective Inspector Dometi Wisdom, from the National Security, upon being summoned by the Court, narrated to the Court how Sacut was spotted attempting to take a video of the National Security operatives and the accused persons while they were leaving the Courtroom.
Russian football clubs and national teams have been suspended from all competitions by FIFA and UEFA after the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
The world and European football governing bodies said they would be banned “until further notice”.
It means the Russian men’s team will not play their World Cup play-off matches next month and the women’s team have been banned from this summer’s Euro 2022 competition.
Spartak Moscow have also been kicked out of the Europa League and their last-16 opponents RB Leipzig will advance to the quarter-finals.
“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine,” Fifa and Uefa said in a joint statement.
“Both presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people.”
Fifa and Uefa intervened after Russia, supported by Belarus, launched a military invasion of neighbouring Ukraine last Thursday.
The Russian men’s team had been scheduled to face Poland in a World Cup play-off semi-final on 24 March.
Russian football’s governing body, the RFU, said it “categorically disagreed” with the decision and would challenge it “in accordance with international sports law”. Spartak Moscow called the decision “upsetting”, tweeting: “We believe that sport, even in the most difficult times, should aim to build bridges, and not burn them.”
Fifa had previously ruled that Russia must complete their upcoming games in neutral territory, under the title Football Union of Russia, and without their flag and anthem.
However, that announcement had drawn criticism – and Scotland and the Republic of Ireland joined several other nations, including England, Northern Ireland and Wales, as well as Poland, the Czech Republic and Sweden, in refusing to play against Russia.
On Monday, Scottish FA president Rod Petrie wrote to his Ukrainian counterpart “to send a message of support, friendship and unity”, with those two nations due to meet in their World Cup play-off semi-final on 24 March.
The 2022 Champions League final, originally due to be played in St Petersburg on 28 May, has been moved to Paris while numerous clubs have taken their own steps to disassociate themselves from Russia.
Manchester United has terminated its sponsorship deal with Russia’s national airline Aeroflot while Bundesliga club Schalke has cancelled its partnership with main sponsor Gazprom, having last week removed the Russian energy company’s logo from its shirts.
Russia are in Northern Ireland’s European Under-21 Championship qualifying group and their meeting in March will be cancelled.
Speaking on Monday, Tottenham manager Antonio Conte said: “The whole world has to be compact and show [it is] solid against the stupidity of the people.”
He added: “I think it’s right to express our disappointment about the stupidity about some decisions. Football and Uefa has to be compact and to show to be strong.”
‘Other sports will follow football’s lead’ – analysis
Dan Roan, BBC Sport editor
This is the strongest move yet taken by the international football community.
Russia is rapidly being reduced to the status of international sporting pariah. Of course this comes after Fifa was accused of not going far enough on Sunday instead allowing Russia to continue playing as ‘RFU’ with a ban on its flag and anthem.
The IOC heaped pressure on football by recommending that all sports enforce a total ban on Russia and Belarus.
This will undeniably prompt other sports to follow football’s lead.
There will also be those who say that the IOC could have gone further and say that ‘this is a decision, we are commanding all sports to ban Russian athletes’.
Whether they thought they had grounds to do so, legally, is another matter.
Some will also point to the Sochi 2014 Games and World Cup 2018 that Putin’s Russia was able to host and ask if this is all too late.
Bans needed to protect integrity of global sport – IOC
The IOC says it is urging sport governing bodies to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes “in order to protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants”, adding that “the current war in Ukraine puts the Olympic Movement in a dilemma”.
It said there had been a “breach of the Olympic Truce” by those countries’ governments.
“While athletes from Russia and Belarus would be able to continue to participate in sports events, many athletes from Ukraine are prevented from doing so because of the attack on their country,” an IOC statement read.
The International Paralympic Committee is to meet on Wednesday to discuss Russia, with the Winter Paralympics set to start two days later, running from 4-13 March.
The British Paralympic committee has called on Russians and Belarussians to be kicked out of the Games.
The British Olympic Association, along with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Germany, has demanded the immediate exclusion of Russia and Belarus from international sport.
The IOC said in their recommendations that wherever it was not possible to ban them from competing for organisational or legal reasons, such athletes should not compete under the name Russia or Belarus and should be classed as neutrals.
The Russian Olympic Committee has disagreed with the IOC, saying the decision “contradicts both the regulatory documents of the IOC and the [Olympic] Charter”.
What else is happening in sport?
The Russian Grand Prix is closely associated with President Vladimir Putin
The Russian Formula 1 Grand Prix, due to take place on 25 September in Sochi, was cancelled last week.
The sport’s governing body, the FIA, will meet on Tuesday to “discuss matters relating to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine”.
World Rugby has suspended Russia and Belarus from international and cross-border competition “until further notice”.
“We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine,” said chairman Bill Beaumont.
On Friday, it was announced by Rugby Europe that all fixtures on Russian soil would be suspended, a move endorsed by the world governing body.
However the Russian women’s team played away in Spain on Saturday in the Rugby Europe Championship (REC), without their flag or national anthem
Russia men’s home fixture with the Netherlands next month in the REC had already been postponed and they were also due to play away fixture in Portugal on 19 March.
Badminton’s world governing body (BWF) responded to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by announcing the cancellation of all tournaments in Russia and Belarus in addition to banning the national flags and anthems of the two nations.
“BWF will continue to monitor the situation closely and will proactively consult our international sport movement partners to discuss other options to potentially strengthen measures against the governments of Russia and Belarus,” it said.
The Ukrainian Tennis Federation has called on the sport’s governing body, the International Tennis Federation (ITF), to expel Russia and Belarus from the organisation and ban Russia from individual and team tournaments.
Ukrainian Elina Svitolina has said she will refuse to play Russian or Belarusian players until they are classed as ‘neutral athletes’.
The world number 15 is due to play Anastasia Potopova of Russia at this week’s Monterrey Open but has threatened to withdraw unless the Women’s Tennis Association takes action.
Russian Daniil Medvedev, who became the ATP’s world number one on Monday, said he wanted to promote “peace all over the world” in a news conference on Friday during the Mexican Open.
The ITF said: “This is a fast-evolving situation; we are in active discussion with the ITF tennis family and the ITF board to decide and align around our next course of action.”
The International Equestrian Federation has announced it will remove international events from Russia and Belarus and stop athletes and officials from both countries from participating in all competitions.
Ice hockey‘s governing body, the IIHF, has suspended all Russian and Belarusian national teams and clubs from all of its competitions and events.
It has also taken the 2023 World Junior Championship away from Russia.
At the Fencing World Cup in Cairo on Sunday, Ukraine’s men’s foil team refused to fence against Russia.
Ukraine’s Klod Younes told BBC Radio 5 Live that he and his team-mates now intend to return home and defend their country.
“I knew before the competition [that I would not fence against them]. I told my team-mates and they supported me and said they would do the same,” Younes said.
On whether he and his team-mates will fight if necessary, he added: “Of course. This is our country. This is my country. I have to fight for it. I am defending my territory.”
On Monday, the UK government’s Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries and Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston met with several British sport governing bodies – including the Premier League, Football Association, UK Sport and British Olympic Association – to discuss the Ukraine situation.
The government has urged sports to continue with “visible signs of solidarity” with Ukraine and says it plans to talk with international counterparts later this week to mobilise further support to ostracise Russia from international sport.
The Ghana Immigration Service has announced that from today (Tuesday, March 1, 2022), Ghanaian holders of the Ghana Card can travel on it into Ghana from all parts of the world.
A press statement by the Ghana Immigration Service on Monday explained that dual citizen Ghanaians, who hitherto required visas to return to Ghana on their foreign passports, will also now be able to travel back to Ghana on their Ghana Card, without requiring entry visas.
The affirmative statement by the Ghana Immigration Service follows a similar one by the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) last month, which asked all airlines in the world through the International Air Transport Association (IATA), that the Ghana Card, would from March 1, 2022, be recognised as an electronic international travelling identity document for all holders of the Ghana Card.
The GACL’s announcement to the airlines, followed a Key Ceremony at the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada, to officially recognise the Ghana Card as a Machine Readable Travel Document (MRTD).
As the Ghana Card e-passport takes effect, the Ghana Immigration Authority’s press statement has thrown more light on the Ghana Card as an e-passport and its limitations.Â
For now, as was announced by the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, holders of the Ghana Card can now use it to travel back to Ghana from any part of the world, as well as use it for travels within the ECOWAS region, which does not require entry visas.
The second phase of the Ghana Card e-passport will be when Ghana reaches bilateral agreements with countries, which will make it possible for Ghanaian holders of the Ghana Card to use it to travel to other countries with electronic visas issued on the card.
The Ghana Immigration Service has also announced measures it has put in place at the airport to process Ghanaians returning home on their Ghana Card.
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia first announced the government had nearly completed the process to turn the Ghana Card into an electronic travelling document for Ghanaians (e-passport) by the end of the first quarter of the year.
The e-passport idea received a major boost when the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recognised the Ghana card as a Machine Readable Travel Document (MRTD) that can be read and verified by the ICAO Public Key Directory (PKD) at most airports globally.
The Standing Committee of the Council of State has engaged with the leadership of the majority caucus in Parliament to discuss ways the two sides can work together to prevent scuffles that have characterized the House during recent deliberations.
The meeting with the Majority caucus on February 28 was to pave the way for the members to share from their viewpoint the challenges militating against smooth deliberations in Parliament, Graphic.com reports.
The council led by Chairman of the Council State, Nana Otuo Siriboe II, had earlier met with the Minority Caucus to discuss the same issues.
Addressing the press ahead of the closed-door meeting, Nana Otuo Siriboe II lamented over the fisticuffs in the House since the inauguration of the Eighth Parliament.
“These do not reflect well on the nature of Ghana’s Parliament. This is the Eighth Parliament since the Fourth Republic, and all the seven Parliaments have performed with a lot of credit, and it is not proper that we should see this enviable record which we have had go down the drain,” he said.
Describing Parliament as an awesome institution, he said recent developments in the House were, unfortunately, making Parliament become “awful”.
“And we have to arrest that situation, and to be able to do that, we must be able to interact with you, the actors,” Graphic.com quoted.
This engagement is one of the meetings scheduled to be hosted by the council to encourage good governance and foster peace among the country’s political leadership.
The council intends to have separate meetings with the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, and his two deputy speakers today, March 1, 2022.
First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu, has refuted suggestions that there is confusion between Speaker Alban Bagbin and himself.
According to him, even though it is not proper for misunderstandings between them to play out in public, there is no personal feud between them.
“I don’t see it as tension, but it is probably something unusual that we should be discussing our differences before the media; because we have other avenues for discussing even when we disagree … Unfortunately, we have had to do it before the media.
“I think between us, we understand these things are not personal. I would rather say our differences are playing out in the public gallery rather than at a forum we probably ought to, but I don’t see tension,” Osei-Owusu said in an interview on JoyNews’ PM Express monitored by GhanaWeb.
The first deputy speaker also refuted claims that he overturned a motion admitted by the speaker.
“The power to admit a motion or not is administrative, and Mr Speaker does not share that power with anybody. So, the decision to admit or not admit a motion, the application is sent to Mr Speaker, and then he would decide whether to admit it, direct amendment of some portion for him to admit or reject it,” he said.
He added that on the floor of the parliament, on the other hand, it is the house that takes decisions on any matter, and the person presiding has to make a ruling on issues raised.
According to him, he only made a ruling on the objection raised against the motion the speaker had admitted.
“It was argued on both sides, and the person presiding had no choice than to make a ruling,”
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has stated the decision by the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu (Joewise), to overturn his ruling on a motion he admitted was offensive and unconstitutional.Â
The speaker said this after Joewise, on February 22, 2022, dismissed a motion by the minority to probe government expenditure on COVID-19.
“The penchant of the First Deputy Speaker overruling my decisions is unconstitutional, illegal and offensive,” Alban Bagbin said.
The African Union has condemned disturbing reports of ill-treatment of African citizens in Ukraine trying to flee the country but are being refused the right to cross borders safely.Â
Thousands of Africans and other foreign nationals, particularly students, have been scrambling to leave Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.
But as hundreds of thousands throng to Ukraine’s various land borders, overwhelming authorities in neighbouring countries, reports have emerged that Africans are being treated differently and sometimes prevented from leaving.
Several people have shared videos and testimonies on social media, denouncing discrimination at train stations and border posts.
“Reports that Africans are singled out for unacceptable dissimilar treatment would be shockingly racist and in breach international law,” AU Chair, Senegal’s President Macky Sall, and Moussa Faki Mahamat, head of AU Commission said in a joint statement.
The statement added that all people have the right to cross international borders during conflict, and should enjoy the same rights to cross to safety from the conflict in Ukraine, notwithstanding their nationality or racial identity.
“The Chairpersons commend the efforts by African Union Member State countries and their embassies in neighbouring countries to receive and orientate African citizens and their families trying to cross the border from Ukraine to safety,†the statement concluded.Â
Deputy Finance Minister, John Ampontuah Kumah has stated that government will need the support of the minority caucus in parliament to implement the E-Levy.
According to him, the majority caucus in parliament does not currently have the numbers to pass the E-Levy bill.
“The minority is not in support of the E-Levy, and given the current structure of parliament, if we do not get both sides to agree, it would be difficult to pass the E-Levy bill.
“We have not been able to raise the members to pass the bill. So, we are currently negotiating. As we speak, the Council of State has entered the discussion and has engaged the minority. We urge religious leaders, all Ghanaians and everyone concerned about the finances of the country to put politics aside for the sake of the country,” he said in Twi during an interview with Neat FM, monitored by GhanaWeb.
“If we get the support of everybody, we will present it for parliament to pass it. The result of the 2020 election shows that the people of Ghana want us to work together,” he added.
“If you have equal members and one side is not in agreement, then you must have the patience to engage more till we are all on the same page,” he said.
John Kumah, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ejisu, clarified that the government could pay public servants even if it cannot implement the E-Levy, contrary to claims by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin.
He, however, noted that the levy is needed for other important government expenditures, including the construction of infrastructural projects and the government’s job creation initiatives.
Retired Military Officer, Captain Nkrabea Effah Dartey, has urged the country’s National Security apparatus to arrest the Dean of the University of Ghana Law School, Prof. Raymond Atuguba, for alleged coup comments he made.
According to Capt. Effah Dartey, Prof Atuguba must be arrested for inciting the public against the government, mynewsgh.com reports.
“The Professor lacks an intellectual basis for making that statement. He is throwing dust into the eyes of Ghanaians. National Security should investigate him. He should not be allowed to make statements like these… He should be arrested for [the] crime of inciting soldiers and creating insecurity.
“You can’t say because there’s a problem, coup is ripe to happen. I don’t agree with him. For the last time, I don’t agree with him. If I were the Minister, I would have arrested him by now for him to explain to us what he means. He should be arrested as a matter of urgency. Statements like these should not be allowed,” Capt. Dartey was quoted to have said on Pure FM.
The Dean of UG Law School is reported to have said that Ghana’s current economic situation could serve as a basis for a military overtake.
He indicated that if nothing is done to avert the current hardship being faced by Ghanaians, a coup might happen.
“We do not want a coup in this country, yet I fear if we don’t act quickly, we will have one on our hands very soon,” Prof Atuguba is reported to have said.
Russian missiles and rockets have hit the the cultural heart of Ukraine’s second city in what officials said was a deadly and “barbaric” attack.
An opera house, concert hall and government offices were hit in Freedom Square, in the centre of the north-eastern city, Kharkiv.
At least 20 people, including a child were injured, but authorities are still trying to clarify if anyone was killed.
The attack came as Ukraine’s president said Russia was committing war crimes.
“Russian forces have today cruelly targeted Kharkiv with artillery fire,” Mr Zelensky said. “This is a peaceful place, peaceful suburbs… The Russians knew where they were shooting…,” he said.
Video footage showed a missile hitting the local government building and exploding, causing a massive fireball.
Kharkiv has been bombed heavily for days now. Ukraine’s government accuses Russia of trying to lay siege to Kharkiv and other cities, including the capital Kyiv, where a huge Russian armoured convoy is approaching.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the world must do more to punish Russia for the “barbaric” attack on Freedom Square and residential neighbourhoods, accusing the Russian President Vladimir Putin of committing “more war crimes out of fury, murders innocent civilians”.
The sixth day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has seen continued attacks on several fronts, but the Russian advance has reportedly been slowed by Ukrainian resistance.
People in the southern city of Kherson say it is now surrounded, and the mayor of Mariupol, a port city also in the south of Ukraine said it had been fired upon overnight.
Meanwhile new satellite images showed a 40-mile (64km) long Russian military convoy snaking its way toward the capital, Kyiv, where air raid sirens were again ringing out on Tuesday morning.
The convoy – which has appeared to slow in the last 24 hours – includes armoured vehicles, tanks, artillery and logistical vehicles, and is said to be less than 18 miles (30km) from Kyiv.
Kherson surrounded
The mayor of Kherson said Russian forces had set up checkpoints surrounding the city, which has a population of some 300,000 people, and is located in the south, near to Moscow-controlled Crimea.
But Mayor Igor Kolykhayev said defiantly on Facebook that the city “has been and will stay Ukrainian”.
A journalist in the city, Alena Panina told broadcaster Ukraine 24 that “the city is actually surrounded, there are a lot of Russian soldiers and military equipment on all sides, they set up checkpoints at the exits.”
There was still electricity, water, and heating in Kherson but said it was getting difficult to bring food into the city because it is stored in warehouses on Kherson’s outskirts, she added.
Mariupol
Also in the south, there were strong words from the mayor of the strategically located port city of Mariupol, who said the city had been under constant shelling.
“Russian Nazis seek the genocide of the Ukrainian nation,” Vadym Boychenko told Ukrainian 24 News. “We will fight until the last bullet… If they run out, we will use our teeth against the enemy that is moving towards Mariupol.”
Russian-backed separatist leader, Denis Pushilin, has said his forces will aim to encircle Mariupol on Tuesday, the Russian state-owned RIA Novosti news agency reported.
Investigation into war crimes
Claims that Russia is committing war crimes are mounting, with Ukraine’s president, local government officials, and Amnesty International saying the attacks on residential districts need to be investigated.
Russia has previously denied targeting residential areas, but the International Criminal Court (ICC) – which examines war crimes – is looking to open an investigation.
Chief prosecutor Karim Khan still needs the approval of ICC judges to begin work, but for now has asked his team to start collecting evidence of abuses, such as attacks on civilians.
Mr Khan said his investigation would look into alleged crimes arising from the fighting, as well as violations dating back to the initial Russian invasion in 2014. However any Russian nationals accused of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide in Ukraine, would have to be extradited by the Kremlin before standing trial in The Hague.
More than half a million people across Ukraine have fled their homes to escape the fighting, according to the United Nations, and more than 130 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since Thursday, including 13 children.
On Monday, envoys for Russia and Ukraine held talks at the Belarus border on Monday, but they reached no agreements other than a commitment to meet again in the next few days.
Mr Zelensky has also called for the West to consider a no-fly zone over Ukraine – something Washington has so far ruled out over fears it could draw the US into a direct conflict with Russia.
The military junta in Burkina Faso has approved a three-year transitional plan to prepare the country for a return to democracy.
A government committee had proposed a two-and-half year transition period, but the current duration means junta leader Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba will be in charge for 36 months before the next election is held.
The junta had been under pressure from the regional bloc, ECOWAS, to present a transitional plan.Â
Sandaogo signed a charter to that effect in the capital Ouagadougou, stating that it had been agreed upon after a national forum.Â
“The document says he will not be allowed to stand in elections scheduled for 2025,” the BBC Africa LIVE page noted.
Burkina Faso joins Mali and Guinea, as West African countries that have been suspended by ECOWAS and the AU following military takeovers.Â
Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba is the leader of the junta that overthrew President Christian Roch Marc Kabore.Â
Until his ‘rise’ to the position of coup leader, Damiba’s last held post as a Lieutenant Colonel of the army was head of security for the capital, Ouagadougou (the country’s third security region).
He had only been handed that post in December 2021 by outgone President Kabore in a move analysts said was to retain support of the military at the time.
From Ouagadougou security chief, Damiba was announced on Monday evening as leader of the junta known as “Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration, or MPSR.”
Embattled #FixTheCountry Convener, Oliver Barker Mawusi Vormawor went haywire on Monday, February 28, 2022, during a hearing of his case at the Ashaiman District Court, causing a judge to order his removal from the courtroom.
Oliver, who seemed peeved about the trial judge, Eleanor Kakra Barnes Botwe’s conduct, described her court as a Kangaroo court.
Charged with treason felony, the activist was first arraigned before the Ashaiman District Court on Monday, February 14, 2022, following his arrest the Friday before.
He was denied bail by the court citing jurisdiction on the basis of the charges of treason felony pressed against him.
He was therefore remanded into custody, and the case adjourned to Monday, February 28, 2022.Â
When his case was called for the second time on Monday, the lead counsel for the accused, Justice Srem Sai, sought the court’s answer on whether it lacked jurisdiction on dealing with matters that concern the personal liberty of his client.
He asked the court to provide an answer whether it “has the jurisdiction to determine the personal liberty of my client, for there is no point in bringing the prisoner to a court for his liberty to be decided when that court has no capacity or jurisdiction to determine this.”
The prosecution, however, parried the defence counsel’s question, arguing that the case was at the right forum since the charge of treason felony levelled against the accused is an indictable offence.
According to the prosecution, the Criminal Procedure Code, 1990 (Act 30) stipulates that the trial of indictable offences commence at a District Court.
The presiding judge at this point sought to remind the defence counsel that while she lacked jurisdiction to grant bail on the matter, she had the mandate to remand the accused person into custody and further reiterated a piece of advice she issued at the first sitting.
She advised the defence counsel to file a bail request at an appropriate court, which is the High Court.
Her statement, however, ignited fury from the accused person, who was standing in a dock some few metres away from the judge.
In a confrontation directed at the judge, Oliver Barker Vormawor shouted, “we have not asked for bail.”
Seemingly perplexed by his action, Elaenor Kakra Barnes Botwe ordered the accused person to comport himself, emphasizing that he had no right to address the court without her explicit consent.
Oliver Barker, who was remonstrating the judge’s order then shouted back, saying, “We have not asked for bail. This is a kangaroo court. The bench has not covered itself in glory. I am not going to glorify a sham.”
The judge, who would have none of his tantrums, immediately ordered his removal from the courtroom.
Unpleased by the actions of the accused person, the judge described his attitude as though he sees the bench as being against him.
She emphasized that she, as a presiding judge, had no vexed interest in the trial and cautioned the defence counsel to get his client in check.
She noted that she would be compelled to order the accused person’s absence from subsequent sittings if he fails to compose himself.
The police who had been called into the courtroom immediately whisked Oliver out and bundled him into the van he was brought to court in.
The case was subsequently adjourned to March 15, 2022, with the judge ordering another two weeks for the accused person.
Background
Oliver Barker Vormawor’s arrest was effected by National Security Operatives on February 11, at the Kotoka International Airport after he had arrived in the country from the UK.
He was later handed over to the Ashaiman Police who announced his arrest as being in connection with his threat to stage a coup if the controversial Electronic Transactions Levy (E-Levy) is passed into law by parliament.
According to the police, Oliver Barker in a Facebook post which he said he will “do the coup himself” if the proposed 1.5% E-Levy is passed into law, showed “a clear statement of intent with a possible will to execute a coup in his declaration of intent to subvert the constitution of the Republic.”
He was thus charged with treason felony by the police.
“The youth vented their anger on the fire fighters who had gone to the community to put out a fire set on excavator parked close to buildings belonging to illegal mining operators (Galamseyers) by Operation Halt Team when the fire had spread to surrounding property.
“As a result of the attack, two firefighters suffered various degrees of injuries and the fire tender was vandalized,†the Head of Public Relations of the Ghana National Fire Service, Timothy Safo-Affum, said.Â
The Service has since charged the Ghana Police Service to expedite investigations into the attacks on its personnel, adding that this is becoming one too many.Â
In a recent report, the Ghana National Fire Service bemoaned the persistent attacks on some of its men while on duty, particularly in the region.Â
“The Regional Command is not happy at the way fire tenders deployed to attend to fire outbreaks are pelted with stones without any provocation,†Divisional Officer (DO) III Desmond Ackah, the Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO), GNFS is reported to have said.Â
He added that such acts had led to the destruction of some of their fire tenders.Â
On Tuesday, July 27, 2022, at Moshie Zongo, some fire tenders on their way to control a fire outbreak were repeatedly pelted with stones by some rowdy youth.
Due to this, the personnel had to return, a situation that led to the burning of two children who had been trapped in their room.Â
“They accused us of moving to the area late, however, this is not the case since we acted swiftly in mobilizing fire tenders stationed at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Fire Unit to be there on time.Â
“As a matter of fact, we went there fully equipped, and so the suggestion that there was no water in our tanks is also not true.Â
“We have realized it is becoming a trend in the Region, especially in the Zongo communities,†he bemoaned.
The Ghana Police Service has said that its officers in the Upper East Region have shot and killed a suspected robber during a shootout at Nyariga Forest, near Bolgatanga.
According to the Police, the suspected robbers, three in number, were engaged by its officers on patrol, in a shootout, after intelligence gathered showed that the robbers were attacking market women from the Nyariga market.
It, however, indicated that two of the suspected robbers who were engaged in the shootout managed to escape.
“The robbers engaged the Police in a shootout, and one was gunned down in the process, but the two others managed to escape. The injured suspect was rushed to the Regional Hospital for treatment but was pronounced dead on arrival by the medical officer. Meanwhile, his body has been deposited at the Regional Hospital Morgue for preservation.
“Items retrieved from him (the dead suspect) include the pump-action gun with serial No MVS4951A loaded with five (5) rounds of BB cartridge ammunition he was using. Also, a backpack containing eleven rounds of the same BB cartridge ammunition was retrieved from the scene,†a statement on the Facebook page of the Police said.
The Police also urged members of the Nyariga community and its environs to help provide information that will lead to the arrest of the two suspect robbers who managed to escape.
Fixthecountry Convener Oliver Barker Vormawor was sent out of court by the sitting judge, Her Honour Eleanor Kakra Barnes Botwe, following a heated argument between him and the judge.
During the proceedings on February 28, 2022, at the Ashaiman District Court, Justice Srem Sai was seeking an inquiry on the court’s authority to deal with matters that affect the liberty of Oliver Barker.
State Prosecutor ASP Sylvestre Asare responded by stating that the court was the right medium since the charge of treason felony levelled against him is an indictable offence.
The Magistrate then reminded Barker-Vormawor’s legal team that she had earlier ruled that the appropriate forum for requesting bail was the High Court.
The convener who was a meter away from the judge said, “We have not asked for bail,” he said.
The Magistrate urged him to remain silent while two officers moved closer to urge the accused person to remain calm.
The accused person who ignored the judge continued, “We have not asked for bail. This is a kangaroo process. The bench has not covered itself in glory. I am not going to glorify a sham,” Myjoyonline quoted Oliver Barker in a report.
The Magistrate urged the lawyers to restrain the accused person, but the youth activist yelled out again, “This process is a sham.”
The Magistrate then ordered his removal from the court. However, the Magistrate warned that the accused person would not be allowed in the court premises, except his lawyer, should he continue to attack the court.
Background
One of the #FixTheCountry movement convenors, Barker-Vormawor, was remanded into police custody after being charged with Treason Felony on Monday, February 14, 2022.
Barker-Vormawor was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport on his arrival from London and was subsequently detained by the Tema Regional Police Command in connection with a post he allegedly made on Facebook.
Mr Barker-Vormawor’s arrest is about a social media post he threatened to stage a coup if the E-levy currently under consideration in parliament is passed into law.
During his court appearance on February 14, 2022, the presiding judge, Her Honour Eleanor Barnes, said she does not have the jurisdiction to grant bail to the accused due to the nature of the offence.
She, however, urged the defence team to repeat their bail application at the High Court or challenge her ruling.
Meanwhile, Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor is expected to reappear on March 15, 2022.
Prices of petroleum products may go up by about 6%, beginning March 1st, 2022, if government fails to intervene in the rising price of crude oil.
According to the Institute for Energy Security, the impending price increases have been largely influenced by the sharp depreciation of the cedi against the US dollar.
“Other factors include the 3.33% increase in the price of Brent crude, the 2.71% rise in Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) price, the 3.58% increase in the price of petrol, and the 4.50% jump in diesel price; all on the international oil and fuel marketsâ€, it added.
Crude oil prices rose on Thursday, 24th February 2022 when markets became aware of a military operation sanctioned by the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin. The so-called “special military operation†in Ukraine organised under the hand of the President fueled market anxiety over the potential impact for oil and gas supply from the region and the escalating tensions of a potential World War III.
The data analysed by the IES Economic Desk on the Foreign Exchange (Forex) market within the Pricing-window also revealed that the cedi further depreciated against major trading currencies. Against the dollar, the cedi depreciated further by 4.11% to close trading at ¢6.85.
Benab, Zen sold fuel at lower prices
During the last pricing window, Benab Oil, Zen Petroleum, Goodness Oil, Star Oil, Dukes Oil and Reliance were the Oil Marketing Companies with the least-priced fuel on the local market.
Total Energies, Shell (Vivo), Sel, Allied and Puma joined a few others to sell the highest-priced fuel on the market within the past Pricing-window.
Prices at most pumps rose beyond ¢7.70 per litre for both petrol and diesel, thus bringing the national average price for both products to ¢7.86 per litre.
The current average price represents an increase of 7% over the previous average price of ¢7.35 per litre.
