In order to enhance healthcare service, Ussif Mustapha, a member of parliament for the Yagaba Kubori seat and minister for youth and sports, has donated an ambulance to the Yizesi health center in the Mamprugu Moadiri district.
The ambulance, donated on 28 May, is the second to be presented to the facility after vice president Mahamudu Bawumia donated the first ambulance in 2016. It developed a fault in 2017 but has since not been repaired.
The minister said three communities – Kubori, Laogri and Kunkua – will also receive an ambulance each. This is his own initiative. He urged residents to ensure that the ambulance serves its intended purpose.
With the new ambulance, residents do not have to travel over 60km on motorbikes and tricycles for referral services.
Residents were happy to receive the ambulance following many appeals to the district assembly. A senior youth leader, Abdulai Yussifu Danso, expressed joy saying two of his relatives had suffered health complications due to the absence of an ambulance in the facility.
He said, “I am very happy that we now have an ambulance… My sister, Arasi, was in labour with twins. When we sent her to the Yizesi health centre only one baby survived.
“The nurses did their best but after several hours, the second labour was not setting in. The nurses asked us to call an ambulance. By the time it arrived, my sister had had a stillbirth.”
The district health director, Bukari Adam, who received the ambulance said the district had been struggling with referral of labour cases but that will now be a thing of the past.
He said, “I feel great for receiving this ambulance because it is huge relief to healthcare delivery here. Most of our referrals come late in the night around 1am to 3am. When we call for nearby ambulance services, they don’t want to attend to us sometimes. So, most of the time, we struggle to refer cases, especially labour cases in the night.”
James Gyakye Quayson will once again represent the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the incomingAssin North by-election.
In a statement, Deputy Communications Officer Godwin Ako Gunn said Mr Quayson has been a victim of a hunged Parliament, with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) doing everything possible to reduce the numbers of the NDC in Parliament.
He said “The only reason the NPP is so desperate to get a majority in Parliament is to pass the AGYAPA DEAL, the last promise left for the President’s family to own the natural resources of Ghana for a minimum of 25 years. I entreat all lovers of our democracy to support Hon. Quayson and the NDC, both in cash and in kind, to regain that seat. This support must be channelled through the proper party structure to ensure efficient deployment.
“With the Kumawu bye-election experience, we know the IMF cash will be up for spending in the Assin North Constituency. That is why all well-meaning Ghanaians must stand up to be counted in this campaign. Nana Addo has turned this nation upside down. It will take you and I to redirect the course of this nation. There can’t be any better time than this. This is a rescue mission. We must do this together – light a candle, and keep your hopes alive – because there are better days ahead.”
Parliament has informed theElectoral Commission (EC) of a vacancy in the Assin North Constituency.
A letter written to the Commission by the Clerk on Tuesday, May 30 said “In the exercise of the power conferred and the duty imposed on the Clerk to Parliament by Section 3 of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana (Amendment) Act 1996 (Act 527), I Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah, Clerk to Parliament do hereby formally notify you of the occurrence of a vacancy in the Assin North Constituticny necessitated by the Judgement of the Supreme Court dated 17th May 2023 vide Writ No. J1/11/2022 issued in respect of James Gyakye Quayson in the case of Micaheal Ankomah Nimfah vrs James Gyakye Quayson, the Electoral Commission of Ghana and the Attorney General request you to take appropriate consequential actions as required by law.”
The Supreme Court ordered Parliament to remove the name of Assin North Member of Parliament, James Gyakye Quayson, from the records of the Legislature.
The apex court on Wednesday, May 17 unanimously ruled that the name of Gyakye Quayson, should be expunged from the records of Parliament. This was after plaintiff Michael Ankomah Nimfah filed an application early this year, seeking among others, a true and proper interpretation of Article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution.
He sought to invoke the original jurisdiction of the apex court of the land to declare the election of Mr Gyakye Quayson as unconstitutional.
Article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution states: “A person shall not be qualified to be a member of Parliament if he owes allegiance to a country other than Ghana.”
The statute that permittedPresident Akufo-Addo to impose limitations as part of the effort to contain the coronavirus pandemic has been dismissed by the Supreme Court.
The government at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused the Legislation of the Imposition of the Restriction Act which gave powers to the President to restrict human activities for the purpose of fighting the pandemic.
Law Professor and Human Rights advocate, Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua along with eight others dragged the government to the Supreme Court.
The applicants sued the Attorney General claiming that directives pursuant to the act such as the closure of schools, and restriction of movements, were unconstitutional.
They claimed that it unlawfully empowered the President to unilaterally suspend fundamental human rights and freedoms in the whole or a part of Ghana, excluding the special role of the Chief Justice and the Superior Court of Judicature in managing or regulating the suspension of fundamental human rights and freedoms in the whole or a part of Ghana; and excluding the role of Parliament in managing or regulating the suspension of fundamental human rights and freedoms in the whole or a part of Ghana.
The apex court in delivering its ruling described the Act as null and void.
The late Professor Ama Ata Aidoo, née Christina Ama Aidoo was born on 23 March 1940 at Saltpond.
The Ghanaian author, poet, playwright and academic, was also a former Minister of Education in the Ghana government.
Ama Ata Aidoo who received international recognition as one of the most prominent African writers of the 20th and 21st centuries wrote her first play, The Dilemma of a Ghost, in 1964.
For more than fifty years she has produced top-notch plays including Anowa, Pittsburgh, Our Sister KillJoy, her first novel published in 1977.
In 2000, Aidoo founded the Mbaasem Foundation, a non-governmental organization based in Ghana with a mission “to support the development and sustainability of African women writers and their artistic output”.
The academician who studied at the University of Ghana, Legon and held a fellowship in creative writing at Stanford University in California, was appointed Minister of Education under the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) in 1982.
She resigned after 18 months, realising that she would be unable to achieve her aim of making education in Ghana freely accessible to all.
Below are some of the interesting books by the late author:
Dilemma of a Ghost (1965): The story revolves around Ato Yawson, a Ghanaian who completes his studies in the United States and returns to Ghana with his American wife, Eulalie.
It becomes evident from the start that Eulalie is different from the local girls, creating a potential for conflict.
Changes: A Love Story (1991) : The story chronicles a phase in the life of a career-focused Ghanaian woman, as she goes through a divorce from her first husband and enters into a polygamist marriage.
Our Sister Killjoy (1977): Presented in a prose-verse form, the narrative delves into the thoughts and experiences of Sissie, whose perspective is influenced by her encounters with the Western world and its contrast to her homeland. Along the way, she confronts the hypocrisy and corruption of the African elite. The story not only explores the dynamics of modern African society but also sheds light on the challenges faced by women worldwide.
No sweetness here and other stories(1970): This is another collection of short stories that depict the lives of ordinary people in post-independence Ghana, especially women and children. The stories deal with themes such as poverty, oppression, violence, love and survival. The book was first published by Longman in 1970 and has been reprinted several times by different publishers, including The Feminist Press at CUNY in 1969.
Anowa(1970): Anowa, characterized by her independent spirit, possesses her own unique perspectives. While she eventually finds a partner in Kofi Ako whom she decides to marry, her parents, particularly her mother, express disappointment in her choice. Disheartened by her parents’ reaction, Anowa decides to leave her family and embark on a journey with Kofi Ako. Although she loves him, she begins to realize that he is not entirely her ideal match.
Diplomatic Pounds & Other Stories (2012): This collection comprises twelve exquisitely crafted short stories that solidify the author’s esteemed status as a leading writer in Africa and beyond. Through her delicate and distinctive writing style, Aidoo explores ordinary subjects from fresh and unique perspectives. Her work challenges traditional norms, prompting readers to reexamine long-held beliefs and offering new insights into familiar themes.
An angry letter in January and other poems (1992): This thought-provoking poem intertwines themes of feminism and anti-racism as it responds to a letter from a bank. Beginning with the conventional tone of a response letter to a financial institution, the poem delves deeper to explore these important social issues.
The girl who can and other stories (1999): This collection of short stories serves as a powerful exploration of female empowerment. The author, an education administrator, passionately addresses the issue of limited educational opportunities for women in her contemporary Africa. Firmly believing in the transformative power of education, she advocates for women’s rights and strives to ensure that their progress aligns with the development of the newly independent nation. As a woman born in post-independent Ghana, she embarks on a courageous journey to fight for the rights of women and empower them with a new sense of identity.
After the Ceremonies: New and selected poems (2017): The poems featured in this collection delve into various themes, including colonialism, independence, motherhood, and gender, approaching them with an intimate and personal perspective while also offering commentary on wider social issues. The collection, titled “After the Ceremonies,” is organized into three sections, comprising both newly written poems and previously unpublished works.
Ghana, where the bead Speaks (2008): This captivating book is a vibrant, full-color volume spanning 106 pages. It brings together the poetic musings of renowned African woman writer, Ama Ata Aidoo, on the significance of beads within our society. Complementing Aidoo’s poetic reflections, the book also features an enlightening essay by Esi Sutherland-Addy, a professor of African Studies at the University of Ghana. Together, they provide a compelling exploration of the cultural and symbolic importance of beads in our lives.
Diplomatic Pounds & Other Stories (2012): In this collection of stories, the author celebrates the nuances of friendships and love while delving into the complexities of African Diaspora connections. The narratives explore the challenges and feelings of disconnectedness that arise from navigating different cultures, specifically Africa and the West, resulting in a sense of anomie and fragmentation. Aidoo’s keen interest lies in portraying the universal vulnerabilities and imperfections that are inherent to human nature. Through her stories, she sheds light on the shared human experiences that transcend cultural boundaries.
The Eagle and the Chickens and Other Stories (1986): The book contains short stories for children, teaching them
Birds and Other Poems (1989): This enchanting series of stories is crafted specifically for young readers, aiming to foster a love of reading from an early age. Accompanied by vibrant illustrations, these tales captivate young imaginations and inspire a lifelong passion for books. Whether enjoyed at home, in the classroom, or within school libraries, this collection is an essential addition to any literary collection dedicated to nurturing young minds.
The Eagle and the Chickens: A Story Retold(1986): This is a children’s book that retells a traditional African tale about an eagle who grows up among chickens and does not realize his true identity until he meets another eagle. The story teaches a lesson about self-discovery and courage. The book was published by the Ministry of Education, Curriculum Development Unit in Zimbabwe in the 1980s.
African Love Stories: An Anthology (2006): This is an anthology of love stories by African women writers from various countries and backgrounds. The stories celebrate the diversity and complexity of love in Africa, challenging the stereotypes and clichés that often dominate the representation of African romance.
President Akufo-Addo‘s directive forcing former, Auditor General, Daniel Domelovo to take a leave of absence been deemed unlawful by the Supreme Court.
In 2020, Domelovo was compelled by the presidency to take 169 working days of accumulated leave.
The Centre for Democratic Development(CDD) and eight other Civil Society Organizations who described the move as an affront to the independence of the office applied to the Supreme Court for a declaration that the action by the President was unconstitutional and null and void.
The suit filed in October 2020 was necessitated by the failure of the president to rescind the directive after several appeals.
After a two-year hearing, the apex court delivered its judgment, upholding the plea of the applicants.
As per the directive from the National Communications Authority (NCA), all active and unregistered SIM cards are required to be deactivated today, Wednesday May 31.
The Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful announced the commencement of the re-registration of all mobile SIM cards on October 1, 2021, and the exercise was expected to have lasted for a period of six months but was extended several times for tangible challenges faced by SIM card users.
Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia had earlier explained that the re-registration exercise was to rid the country’s cyberspace of fraud, monitor and track down persons who use their phones for criminal activities.
The Vice President’s comments were corroborated by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo-Dampare who said the re-registration exercise by the government had assisted the Service in its operations to clamp down on cybercrime in the country when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee on January 20, 2023.
Government on February 14, 2023, disclosed that a total of 25,150,522 SIM cards had been successfully registered in Ghana as of February 9, 2023, and also encouraged the public to comply with the registration timelines.
All unregistered SIM cards were set for deletion on April 17, 2023, but the decision was rescinded after several consultations.
But a day before the final deadline, hundreds ofGhanaians rushed to the National Identification Authority’s Headquarters in Accra in a last-minute attempt to secure a Ghana Card which is mandatory for the re-registration exercise to enable them register their SIM cards to avoid deactivation.
Ama Ata Aidoo (23 March 1942 – 31 May 2023) was a Ghanaian author, poet, playwright and academic, who was widely regarded as one of the most influential African writersof the 20th and 21st centuries.
She was the first published African woman dramatist and the winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for her novel Changes (1991).
She was also a former Minister of Education in Ghana and the founder of the Mbaasem Foundation, which supports and promotes African women writers.
She was the first published African woman dramatist and the winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for her novel Changes (1991).
She was also a former Minister of Education in Ghana and the founder of the Mbaasem Foundation, which supports and promotes African women writers.
Aidoo was born in Abeadzi Kyiakor, near Saltpond, in the Central Region of Ghana.
She came from a Fante royal family and was the daughter of Nana Yaw Fama, chief of Abeadzi Kyiakor, and Maame Abasema. She had a twin brother, Kwame Ata.
Prof Ama Ata Aidoo
She grew up during a time of resurgent British neocolonialism and witnessed the murder of her grandfather by neocolonialists.
Her father was an advocate of education and opened the first school in their village. Aidoo attended Wesley Girls’ High School in Cape Coast, where she developed her interest in writing.
She enrolled at the University of Ghana, Legon, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1964. She also wrote her first play, The Dilemma of a Ghost, which was published by Longman in 1965.
The play explores the cultural clash between a Ghanaian student who returns home with his African American wife. It was followed by another play, Anowa (1970), which deals with the issues of slavery and patriarchy in pre-colonial Ghana.
Prof Ama Ata Aidoo
After graduating, Aidoo held a fellowship in creative writing at Stanford University in California, before returning to Ghana in 1969 to teach English at the University of Ghana.
She later became a lecturer and then a professor at the University of Cape Coast. She also served as a research fellow at the Institute of African Studies at Legon.
Aidoo published her first novel, Our Sister Killjoy; or, Reflections from a Black-Eyed Squint, in 1977. The novel is a semi-autobiographical account of a young Ghanaian woman’s experiences in Europe and her critique of colonialism and racism.
It was followed by No Sweetness Here (1970), a collection of short stories that depict the lives of ordinary Ghanaians under neocolonialism.
In 1982, Aidoo was appointed as the Minister of Education under the Provisional National Defence Council led by Jerry Rawlings.
She was responsible for improving the quality and accessibility of education in Ghana, especially for girls and women. She also advocated for democracy, human rights, and social justice in Ghana and Africa.
Renowned Ghanaian writer, Prof. Ama Ata Aidoo
Aidoo resigned from her ministerial position in 1983 and moved to Zimbabwe, where she lived and taught for several years.
She also travelled extensively to other countries such as the United States, Germany, Kenya, and South Africa.
The late Prof Ama Ata Aidoo with Prof Wole Soyinka
She continued to write and publish various works, including poetry collections such as Someone Talking to Sometime (1985), Birds and Other Poems (1987), and An Angry Letter in January and Other Poems (1992).
Aidoo’s second novel, Changes: A Love Story (1991), won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Book (Africa) in 1992.
The novel portrays the challenges and choices faced by modern African women in their personal and professional lives.
It was followed by The Girl Who Can and Other Stories (1997), a collection of stories that explore various aspects of African womanhood.
In 2000, Aidoo established the Mbaasem Foundation, a non-governmental organization that supports and promotes the work of African women writers.
The foundation provides grants, training, mentoring, networking, and publishing opportunities for emerging and established writers.
The late Prof Ama Ata Aidoo sits alongside her colleague Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, the acclaimed Kenyan author of the novel “Weep Not, Child.” Photo Credit: Nana Kofi Acquah
The foundation also organizes events such as workshops, seminars, festivals, and book fairs that showcase the diversity and excellence of African women’s literature.
Aidoo died on 31 May 2023 at the age of 81. She was survived by her daughter Kinna Likimani and her grandson Nii Ayikwei Parkes.
She was mourned by many people around the world who admired her work and her contribution to African literature and culture.
Aidoo was a trailblazer who paved the way for other African women writers to follow. She was a pioneer who contributed to the development of African literature and culture. She was a legend who left an indelible mark on the world.
The writer died in the early hours of Wednesday, May 31, 2023.
The family of the esteemed literary icon announced her demise.
Prof. Ama Ata Aidoo, known for her exceptional contributions to African literature, bid farewell after a brief illness.
Her passing leaves a void in the literary world, as she touched the hearts and minds of readers worldwide with her insightful and thought-provoking works.
The acclaimed writer, born on March 23, 1942, in Abeadzi Kyiakor, Ghana, achieved international recognition for her novel “Our Sister Killjoy” and her play “Anowa.”
Prof. Aidoo’s literary prowess extended beyond the boundaries of fiction, encompassing poetry, drama, and essays.
Her works tackled diverse themes, including gender roles, African identity, and post-colonialism, resonating with readers across generations.
Prof. Ama Ata Aidoo’s contributions to the literary landscape have been widely celebrated, earning her numerous accolades throughout her career.
She received the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Book in Africa for her novel “Changes” in 1992.
Additionally, she was honored with the prestigiousGhanatta Award for Literature in 2018, recognizing her enduring impact on Ghanaian and African literature.
Beyond her writing, Prof. Aidoo was an educator and advocate for women’s empowerment.
She served as a lecturer at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana and was actively involved in promoting education and the arts in her country.
As news of her passing spreads, tributes pour in from fellow writers, scholars, and admirers of her work. Many recognize Prof. Ama Ata Aidoo as a trailblazer who fearlessly challenged societal norms and opened doors for African women writers.
Her literary legacy will continue to inspire and shape the literary landscape for years to come.
The family of Prof. Aidoo requests privacy during this time of mourning, as they prepare to bid their final farewell to a beloved relative and celebrate the indelible mark she left on the world of literature.
Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumiahas expressed confidence in becoming Ghana’s president.
Addressing a crowd of enthusiastic supporters alongside Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa, Dr. Bawumia acknowledged and appreciated their unwavering support.
Proclaiming to resounding cheers and applause, he stated, “I want you to know that I appreciate your support, we are going to break the eight. First of all, we are going to have to go and file for the flagbearership, which I am going to do.”
This announcement carries immense significance, signaling a notable development in the internal politics of the NPP as preparations for the upcoming 2024 presidential elections intensify.
On May 30, 2023, Dr. Bawumia’s campaign team, comprising Sammi Awuku, Fred Oware, and Ayisi Boateng, collected his nomination forms from the party’s headquarters, underscoring the significance of his candidacy. Widely regarded as one of the frontrunners in the race, his aspirations have gained considerable momentum.
In recent weeks, Dr. Bawumia has embarked on an extensive nationwide campaign, engaging with party executives, grassroots supporters, and influential figures in various communities.
The Vice President’s campaign has centered around showcasing his impressive track record in implementing key government programs, including the successful One-District-One-Factory initiative and the transformative Planting for Food and Jobs program.
Dr. Bawumia’s determination to secure victory in the flagbearership race is underpinned by his vision to transcend the traditional eight-year limit, symbolizing a renewed era of leadership and progress. With aspirations to assume the highest office in the land, he emphasized the importance of unwavering support from his followers.
The NPP’s upcoming flagbearership race promises to be an intriguing contest that will shape the party’s future trajectory. As Dr. Bawumia’s campaign gains momentum, his economic expertise, advocacy for digitalization, and ability to effectively communicate government policies position him as a formidable contender.
With the nation eagerly observing the dynamics of the race, the NPP’s internal politics take on heightened significance, setting the stage for a transformative and consequential journey towards the 2024 general elections.
An aide to former president John Dramani Mahama, Stan Xoese Dogbe, has posed six questions to SK Motors, a car dealership in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The company had in a May 30 facebook post responded to some observations Stan made about a raging ‘Ghana ambulance for sale’ video that was recorded at their premises.
In their response, the company apologized for the incident stating that the recording was done on their blindside, stressing further that all processes leading to the presence of the ambulance at their premises were above board.
Stan Dogbe, who had been referenced by the company, went into the comment section to pose a new set of questions relative to the company’s contractual arrangement with government.
See his questions below:
Thank you for availing yourself here, SK Motors SK Motors FZCO.
If the ambulance was merely a demonstration model and not meant for public purchase, why did you advertise it for commercial purchase on your Facebook just as you do with all other vehicles you display and sell?
Do you agree that your decision to delete the public post advertisement many hours after fact, was an act intended to deceive the public and issues about the integrity of your business dealings?
Your ‘client’, as you suggest, the Ministry of Health, Ghana, has through the National Ambulance Service told the world that SK Motors is an Ambulance manufacturer. Is SK Motors a manufacturer of ambulances and are you the ones who manufactured the stated 26 world bank funded ambulances?
Did SK Motors bid for publicly, and won the contract to supply the said 26 ambulances under with world bank funding?
Are you aware that a Government Auditor General’s report into COVID expenditure by the Govt of Ghana reported that a number of ambulances that should have been long delivered to the Ghana MoH were not delivered and there’s been no information on why?
Why has the delivery of the ambulances delayed and is SK Motors the contracted supplier by the MoH and the National Ambulance Service?
A client atGbetsile in Accra has received a summons letter from the Afienya District of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for improperly connecting power to 33 structures nearby.
The discovery was made as part of ECG’s recent national revenue mobilization exercise, which started on Monday, May 29, 2023, and is expected to end on Friday, June 2, 2023.
The customer fled upon seeing the ECG personnel. However, the meter was located outside his premise and was therefore accessible to the team.
In an interaction with residents by the ECG officials, some claimed to have been paying for the power they were using to the owner of the meter on a monthly basis.
The public relations officer for the ECG in the Tema Region urged the offender to report to the Tema Regional Office of ECG for further action.
“This customer has decided to distribute power to the other 33 structures. Further checks also revealed that the owner of the meter had done an illegal connection in the form of a meter bypass, which means that all the power they are using does not pass through the meter, so they are not paying for using the power.
“The culprit fled upon seeing the ECG personnel, so we could not get him. We have served a summons letter and asked that he reports to the Tema ECG office, and if it gets to prosecution, we will do that.”
The father of former WBO junior-featherweight champion Isaac Dogboe, Paul Dogboe, has shared the story of how his wife divorced him in the United Kingdom (UK).
According to him his ex-wife sold their only house, while his son Isaac texted him expressing his desire to no longer work together.
He further revealed that he declined to join his son in the USAin his recent fight against Robeisy Ramirez which Dogboe lost and claimed he was cheated by the judges.
The ex-British military man has told the story of how a Christian prophet successfully gossiped and lied about him to his wife in England leading to a divorce and the loss of his family.
He also revealed that Dogboe texted him that he won’t work with him again and he hasn’t seen his son for the past four years.
Founder of the Alabaster International Ministry,Prophet Kofi Oduro has stated that President Akufo-Addo will forever be remembered as the worst president in Ghana’s 4th Republic.
According to him, Akufo-Addo has only managed to bring untold hardship on ordinary Ghanaians since he came into office on January 7, 2017.
Speaking during a sermon at his church, Rev Oduro added thatAkufo-Addohas lost his way and cannot resolve the current economic challenges in the country.
“I want to tell my president; your expertise cannot fix this. From now until 7th December 2024, Your Excellency, you would go down in history as the worst in the 4th Republic.
“It has been six and half years of pain and agony. Six and half years of bleeding and bloodshed. We need help and that help no human can give… businesses are struggling, people are suffering,” he said.
The pastor added that the only way things would get better is when Akufo-Addo repents and begs God for forgiveness.
“Returned back with a pure heart, repentant heart and he will have mercy on all of us. When the righteous rule there is peace. Return back to God, he will restore your fortunes,” he said.
Watch Rev Oduro’s remarks in the video below:
Prophet Dr. Kofi Oduro, Senior Pastor of The Alabaster International Ministry has this message for president Akufo-Addo and his failed government.
Watch! pic.twitter.com/oj6My0X6cO
— General Marcus! (@marcusadampah) May 29, 2023
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The Asokore Mampong District Court in the Ashanti Region witnessed heightened tensions on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, as police personnel took the necessary step of locking the courtroom to prevent the entry of late Maadwoa’s family members.
The deceased is suspected to have been shot and killed by her police boyfriend, Inspector Twumasi.
According to GhanaWeb’s Ashanti Regional Correspondence, the police prevented all family members, including Maadwoa’s biological parents, from entering the courtroom immediately after suspect, Inspector Twumasi, arrived.
The decision to lock the courtroom and keep the family members outside according to him was made without any reason given.
It was revealed that the agitated family members had attempted to physically assault the suspect forcing the police officers to take the said action by locking the courtroom.
Their intense emotions compelled security operatives to lock the court as a precautionary measure.
It was also suspected that some family members of the deceased might be armed, prompting the officers to conduct a thorough search at the court premises.
26-year-old Victoria Dapaahalso known as Maadwoa was allegedly killed by her boyfriend, Inspector Ahmed Twumasi on 20th April 2023 at Adum, a few meters away from her house.
During the first court hearing, the suspect confessed to committing the act but insisted that it was not his intention to kill “his lover.”
Meanwhile, the Asokore Mampong District Court, presided over by His Worship Samuel Buabeng Quansah has remanded Inspector Twumasi into prison custody.
The suspect who is currently being transferred from police to prison custody will be in remand and is expected to reappear before the court on 20th June 2023.
His Worship gave the judgement after ACP Kofi Blagodzi, Head of Legal and Prosecution at the Ashanti regional police command had read that the Attorney General’s advice which approved the prosecution of the suspect for murder.
According to the prosecutor, the attorney general’s advice has given the green light for the prosecution of the police officer as a suspected murderer, and others.
He subsequently pleaded with the court that despite the greenlight, prosecution may need a few days to ready its full dockets so that the case can be transferred to the high court.
His Worship Samuel Buabeng Quansah, however, ordered for the suspect to be remanded into prison custody.
S K Motors, an automotive dealership located in Dubai,United Arab Emirates, has officially responded to the recent controversy surrounding the sale of Ghanaian ambulances.
This comes shortly after the dealership removed a photo of a Government of Ghana-branded ambulance from its Facebook page.
The deletion came in the wake of a viral video in which the said ambulance was sighted at the premises of the dealership along with other vehicles up for sale.
The dealership in a May 30, 2023 statement on Facebook referenced an earlier post by Stan Dogbe, an aide to former president Mahama, before stating facts from their side.
“Concerning the viral video of an ambulance in our parking yard, we deeply regret that someone took and circulated this video without our consent. It is disheartening to know that it may mislead the people of Ghana and tarnish the image of both the Government of Ghana and our company, S K Motors.
“Please understand that the ambulance featured in the video is a part of a World Bank-funded consignment intended to enhance emergency medical services in Ghana,” the statement further clarified.
“It was never meant for public purchase and was merely a demonstration model. We sincerely apologize for any confusion caused and want to assure you that we remain steadfast in upholding ethical practices,” it stressed.
Read their full post below:
with the reference of previous post on Facebook by https://www.facebook.com/stan.dogbe
Concerning the viral video of an ambulance in our parking yard, we deeply regret that someone took and circulated this video without our consent.
It is disheartening to know that it may mislead the people of Ghana and tarnish the image of both the Government of Ghana and our company, S K Motors.
Please understand that the ambulance featured in the video is a part of a World Bank-funded consignment intended to enhance emergency medical services in Ghana. It was never meant for public purchase and was merely a demonstration model.
We sincerely apologize for any confusion caused and want to assure you that we remain steadfast in upholding ethical practices. For further information, please feel free to contact us at info@skmotors.ae.
$22.07 million of the $58.1 million of the taxpayer money allotted by the government, according to the member of parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, was given to the contractor for thenational cathedral.
Ablakwa further stated that this amount was unlawfully withdrawn from the National Cathedral Funds.
In a tweet, the lawmaker expressed his disappointment at the lack of outrage among Ghanaians regarding the construction of the National Cathedral.
He emphasized that despite the controversies surrounding the project, the government audaciously continues to demand $100 million to import steel.
“National” Cathedral contractor, RIBADE JV received only US$22.07million out of the US$58.1million of taxpayer funds illegally withdrawn for the project. Ghanaians are not angry enough,” he tweeted.
“National” Cathedral contractor, RIBADE JV received only US$22.07million out of the US$58.1million of taxpayer funds illegally withdrawn for the project.
Ghanaians are not angry enough.
It is absolutely incredible that with the avalanche of scandals which cannot even fit into pic.twitter.com/aVL7KHz3qy
— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) May 30, 2023
TheNational Road Safety Authority(NRSA) has revealed that tiredness on the part of the Yutong driver caused the gory accident that claimed about 16 lives at Gomoa Okyereko in the Central Region.
The accident involved a fully packed Yutong bus heading towards Accra and a fuel tanker believed to be owned by Goodness Energy.
According to information gathered by Starr News, the driver of the Yutong bus was sleeping along the journey and upon reaching Gomoa Okyereko he veered from his lane into the opposite lane resulting in the collision with the Fuel tanker.
The body of all Sixteen deceased persons have been deposited at the Winneba Specialist and Trauma Hospital Mortuary while the injured are receiving treatment at the same facility.
Commenting on the crash in an interview with Starr News, the Central Regional Head of the National Road Safety Authority, Winneba urged government to dualize the major roads in the country to address road carnage.
“One thing we are advocating for is the dualization of the road. We tend to have lots of head-on -collisions, so that will be an engineering issue there(Gomoa Okyereko). For head-on-collisions we need to dualize the roads so that we’ll be able to minimize collisions at where we’re having the head-on-collisions.”
The National Road Safety Authority and the Ghana Police Service have identified Gomoa Okyereko as one of the most accident prone areas on the Accra to Cape Coast Highwayand have advised drivers to be extra careful on that stretch of the road.
The police have arrested 48 out of about 300 illegal miners ‘trapped’ in the recent galamsey pit collapse atAngloGoldshaft in the Ashanti region.
These individuals were part of a group of 300 illegal miners who had entered the mine shaft in search of gold deposits but became trapped in one of the shafts.
The police and military were deployed at the main exit of the shaft and instructed the miners to come out voluntarily. Subsequently, they were arrested and taken to a nearby police station.
In response to the arrests, a gathering of youth and relatives of the miners assembled at the Obuasi East District Assembly, demanding the release of the detainees.
The tense situation led to some individuals expressing their frustration by damaging the windows of a vehicle used to transport the arrested miners to the police station.
A significant number of miners have chosen to remain underground out of fear of being arrested.
On Tuesday, AngloGold Ashanti refuted suggestions that the over 300illegal miners trapped in one of the company’s mine shafts were confined and unable to exit.
In a statement from the mining firm, it was explained that the trapped miners have not been confined and can exit on foot via the existing ramp from the mine.
“Unauthorized persons underground are able to exit on foot, using the existing ramp through the main access of this mining area. No person underground has been confined in any way, and the main exit ramp from the mine remains open.
“Obuasi Gold Mine’s management team has notified the relevant authorities and public security services and is working closely with them.”
The Akufo-Addo administration has been urged by the minority caucus in parliament to transfer Jubilee Holdings Limited’s (JOHL) shares to the Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC).
The transfer of shares, the Minority believes will make Ghanaians confident that an appropriate oversight is being exercised on the assets.
It said it will also go a long way to ensure proper accountability and effective monitoring of the revenues accruing from petroleum resources.
The Minority in a statement signed by its Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson, stated “By this statement, the Minority calls on the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government to transfer the shares held by JOHL to GNPC without delay, in order that Ghanaians can be assured that appropriate oversight is being exercised on these assets by Parliament and other stakeholders. This will only go a long way to ensure proper accountability and effective monitoring of the revenues accruing from our petroleum resources”.
The Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, claimed that GNPC under the Chairmanship of Freddie Blay is working on a transaction to relinquish about 50% of the shares of Jubilee Oil Holdings Limited to PetroSA, the state-owned oil company of South Africa.
AngloGold Ashantihas denied claims that 300 illegal miners have been confined and unable to escape from one of the company’s mine shafts.
A statement from the mining firm explained that the trapped miners have not been confined and can exit on foot via the existing ramp from the mine.
“Unauthorized persons underground are able to exit on foot, via the existing ramp, through the main access of this mining area. No person underground has been confined in any way and the main exit ramp from the mine remains open.
“Obuasi Gold Mine’s management team has notified the relevant authorities and public security services and is working closely with them.”
The company added that seven illegal miners exited through this main access point on foot and are in the custody of the Ghana Police Service.
The miners reportedly entered the underground shaft in search of gold deposits but were unable to come out after all exit routes were closed.
One of the illegal miners, Ali Tijani who spoke to the media said some of his colleagues are unconscious as they have run out of food and water.
“We went to the AngloGold mine to work, but the place was closed down. For four days now, we are just in there. We don’t have any food or water. And they do not want to give us water. We are about 300. We went there on our own.”
Below is the full statement by AngloGold Ashanti
AngloGold Ashanti Ghana Provides Update on Media Reports
AngloGold Ashanti Ghana’s Obuasi Mine is aware of media reports alleging that illegal miners may have been trapped underground in the northern areas of the mine, remote from current active mining areas.
Unauthorized persons underground are able to exit on foot, via the existing ramp, through the main access of this mining area. No person underground has been confined in any way and the main exit ramp from the mine remains open.
Obuasi Gold Mine’s management team has notified the relevant authorities and public security services and is working closely with them.
Yesterday, seven illegal minersexited through this main access point on foot and are in the custody of the Ghana Police Service. Any unauthorized person underground is encouraged to leave the mine at any time by the exit points where public security personnel remain on standby.
The intrusion of illegal miners into underground areas remains a significantly dangerous activity and AngloGold Ashanti Ghana is working alongside authorities to ensure that only authorized mine personnel and contractors can access underground work areas.
The safety and security of our employees and community members remain our top priority and AngloGold Ashanti Ghana stands ready to provide any assistance required by the authorities in ensuring the safe exit of any unauthorized persons underground.
The oppositionNational Democratic Congress(NDC) has been cautioned to prepare for a similar defeat in the general elections of 2024 as it reels from its recent setback in the parliamentary by-election held at Kumawu in the Ashanti region.
The Metropolitan Chief Executive, Yohane Amarh Ashitey, has promised that the 2024 routing of the NDC by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) will be like the whipping of a school child.
“In the lead-up to the by-election in Kumawu, everybody said it would be a verdict on the performance of the NPP government ofPresident Akufo-Addoand as we now know, that verdict was another resounding rejection of the NDC.
“The NDC, therefore, should be preparing their minds for another whipping in 2024 – that one will be like a schoolmaster whipping a school child,” Hon. Yohane Amarh Ashitey told journalists.
He fired the taunt on the sidelines of a general meeting of the Tema East NPP delegates and party members at the Olams School in Tema Community One.
According to the MCE, “Kumawu is the writing on the wall for the NDC.”
The meeting had been held to deliberate on internal party issues but had seen the Tema MCE take almost all the shine from the event which was also attended by bigwigs including the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the party, Divine Agorhom.
Others in attendance were the Tema East NPP Constituency Chairman, Nene Ofoe Teyechu Agbadiagba IV, Hon. Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover, former deputy Minister of Transport and MP for Tema East, Mr. Stephen Aboagye, 2nd Vice Chairman, Solomon Sackitey, a senior officer at GPHA and Tema East NPP Secretary, Hon. Dennis Amanor Tetteh, Tema East sub-metro chairman, Gilbert Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover, constituency youth organizer and Albert Kraku, constituency communications officer. Hon. Albert Okyere, Ashaiman MCE, used the occasion to preach unity.
First, Yohane Amarh Ashitey had been mobbed by the delegates upon his arrival at the meeting and showered with cat-calls proclaiming him as the NPP’s incoming Parliamentary candidate for Tema East.
The meeting had been used by Divine Agorhom to announce that when the party opens nominations, way will be created for anybody interested in contesting for any of the three seats in Tema to contest.
To this, the delegates around started chanting the name of the MCE amidst war songs and avowals that only Hon. Yohane Amarh Ashitey will be allowed to contest unopposed for the Tema East NPP ticket which is currently vacant after former hardworking MP, Titus Glover, lost the election to the NDC’s Isaac Ashai Odamtten in 2020 as a result of betrayal on the part of some NPP Gurus.
The Tema MCE holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Master’s degree in Mobile Communications from Beckton University of East London.
He is also a former lecturer at the All Nations University College in Koforidua where he taught Transmission Lines and Wave Guide, Antenna and Wave Propagation, Microwave and Optical Communications.
A university Foundation Lecturer in Engineering Science and Engineering Mathematics, his credentials were touted by his fans.
Meanwhile, Hon. Yohane Amarh Ashitey explained why the NPP will soundly beat the NDC in the 2024 elections.
“It is a simple matter of records, Free SHS, we have built more schools, more roads, more factories, more interchanges and better managed the economy, the challenges of COVID notwithstanding, We have also shown more policy competence than the NDC, so the whipping of the NDC by the NPP like a school child in 2024 is a sure banker.” Yohane Amarh Ashitey.
A renowned University of Ghana political science lecturer and a leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Prof. Michael Kpessa-Whyte‘s contempt case will be heard today, Tuesday, May 30.
The proceedings, set to unfold today, will scrutinize his recent actions and require him to defend against allegations of contempt.
Dr. Kpessa-Whyte’s controversial remarks were made in a recent Twitter post where he expressed his belief that the Supreme Court was being transformed into a “Stupid Court.”
Additionally, he criticized the current state of Ghana’s judiciary, accusing it of partisanship and a lack of common sense.
These tweets came shortly after the Supreme Court decided to order the removal of NDC MP James Gyakye Quayson‘s name from Parliament’s records due to procedural breaches during his nomination and election in 2020.
Following the tweet, Dr. Kpessa-Whyte received inquiries regarding his statement, particularly in relation to Ghana’s judiciary.
He clarified that his tweets were not specifically referring to the Ghanaian judiciary but were instead influenced by global developments, including those in the United States.
As a result of his comments, the Supreme Court has summoned Dr. Kpessa-Whyte, initiating a process that requires him to provide a valid explanation for his alleged contemptuous remarks.
In honor of UN Peacekeepers’ Day, Thomas Mbomba, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, paid tribute to them and praised them for their commitment to maintaining world peace.
The Deputy Minister gave the commendation during a flagraising and wreath-laying ceremony in Accra in commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers on the theme: “Peace Begins with Me: 75 Years of UN Peacekeeping.”
This year’s theme recognises the service and sacrifice of peacekeepers, past and present, including more than 4,200 who have given their lives under the UN flag.
Mbomba said it was a great pride and honour to pay tribute to the remarkable achievements of the UN Peacekeepers who had selflessly dedicated themselves to the cause of peace, security, and stability across the globe.
As one of the pioneering Troop Contributing Countries to the UN peacekeeping efforts, Ghana recognises the key role that the UN plays in the maintenance of international peace and security.
“We have volunteered approximately 100,000 uniformed personnel as well as civilians in various capacities in more than 35 UN Missions around the world,” Mbomba said.
“Our uniformed personnel have served with pride and distinction since the 1960s, working in diverse and challenging conflict and post-conflict situations”.
Their contributions had not only brought hope to conflict-affected regions but had also brought honour and pride to the nation.
He said for 75 years, UN peacekeepers had played a vital role in saving lives, protecting civilians, and rebuilding communities torn apart by conflict.
The Deputy Minister said those brave men and women had faced immense challenges and danger while striving to achieve extraordinary outcomes.
He said their unwavering commitment, sacrifice, and dedication deserve their utmost admiration and gratitude.
Ghana had witnessed firsthand the impact of its peacekeepers in restoring stability, promoting dialogue, and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Charles Abani, theUN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, reaffirmed that the UN would continue to be a reliable partner in the agenda for peacekeeping adding: “I call on everyone; man, woman, young and old, to join the global movement for peace.”
“Let us become the catalyst for peace and change makers. Achieving peace is a goal for all.”
The Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, in a speech read on his behalf, urged member nations to recommit themselves to the noble ideals of the UN and forge a future where generations could live in a world of lasting peace.
More than 16 individuals have lost their lives in a head-on collision between a Youtong bus and a fuel tanker at Gomoa Okyereko.
The cause of the accident is not readily known, but the rescue team from the Ghana National Fire Service is at the scene trying to rescue the mate of the tanker trapped in the vehicle.
Reports indicate that the bus was traveling from Abidjan to Buduburam while the tanker was filled with petrol, traveling from Accra heading towards Takoradi.
The Ghana Ambulance Service and the Police Service are also on-site, providing support and assistance alongside the GNFS.
Four officers of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) have been honored with promotions in recognition of their courage and selfishness during a rescue operation.
The officers exhibited exceptional bravery while attempting to save three fellow colleagues who had been targeted by unidentified assailants in Bawku on April 3rd of this year.
The three officers whose car came under fire from unknown gunmen on their way to buy food were 30-year-old Assistant Inspector Eric Ayidiya, stationed at the Polimakom border post, and 42-year-old Inspector Lawrence Afari, stationed at Kulungugu post, both of whom got injured and received treatment at the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital.
A third officer, 42-year-old Inspector Philip Motey, died from injuries sustained during the attack. He was laid to rest last Saturday.
The officers who rescued their colleagues: Chief Superintendent (C/Supt.) Michael Brewu Ampofoh was promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Immigration.
Assistant Inspector Harris Quartey was promoted to the rank of Inspector; Immigration Control Officer (ICO) Wisdom Elorm Addo was promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector, whilst Assistant Immigration Control Officer Grade II Emmanuel Forson was promoted to the rank of Assistant Immigration Control Officer Grade I.
All four officers also received citations, certificates and plaques, recognising their work.
The Controller-General of Immigration, Kwame Asuah Takyi, in an address, said on the evening of April 3, 2023 at about 19:51 hours, Chief Superintendent Michal Brewu Ampofoh, received a distress call from one Assistant Inspector Eric Afari who informed the Bawku Command of the attack by the unknown gunmen who fired several shots at their vehicle, killing Inspector Phillip Motey and injuring two others.
Mr Takyi commended Chief Superintendent Ampofoand the three others for their swift response despite the perilous situation.
“Quickly, Chief Supt. Ampofoh and team of other three officers rushed to the scene while keeping touch with Assistant Inspector Laurence Afari through his phone, receiving directions and reassuring them that help was coming until the team got there… while it shocked me as well as many others how the immigration response team got there faster in spite of the danger on their way,” he said.
He encouraged other officers to follow the example of the four by not turning their backs on fellow colleagues when their assistance was needed especially, in volatile areas of duty such as Bawku.
“All security personnel should hold and teach that we must not turn our backs on our colleagues in any way or form when our help is most needed. I say this because we all know about the situation in the Bawku area and the danger that the conflict poses to security officials and residents as a whole,” he said.
On her part, Mrs. Adelaide Anno-Kumi, the Chief Director at the Ministry of Interior, in an address, on behalf of the Minister, Ambrose Dery, commended the immigration service for recognising the heroic move by the four officers as stipulated in regulation 171D (2016) L.I. 2245 of the Ghana Immigration Service.
Madam Anno-Kumi hinted that Government via the Ministry of Interior recognised threats faced by immigration service officers who worked around the clock to ensure that the country’s borders were safe and protected against all forms of cross border crimes.
She added that government would continue to retool the service to execute its mandate as expected.
The newly promoted Michael Brewu Ampofoh at a media interview said though he was pleased with the recognition for his hard work, he saw this award and promotion as an extra duty which required more efforts and commitment.
“… day in day out when we are promoted from one rank to the other it is an additional responsibility which is a paradigm shift in your behaviour, your operations, your attitudes towards work, how you respond to such calls,” he said.
In a video, the CEO of Engineers and Planners, Ibrahim Mahama, has been spotted regulating traffic in the dark at an unidentified site in Ghana.
The 41-second video captures the younger brother of former president John Dramani Mahama, in the middle of a road with some persons believed to be his workers directing traffic along a stretch.
In the shot are giant trucks used for mining which according to the Twitter user who shared the video were being transported up north for mining operations.
GhanaWeb checks shows that an aide to Ibrahim, Rafik was the first to circulate the video of his boss undertaking traffic duties.
“This was 2am yesterday (May 28). Mr. Ibrahim Mahama supervised the transportation of newly acquired mining equipment from Tema to the new mining site, in the Upper East Region,” Rafik stated..
Ibrahim Mahama is reputed as one of Ghana’s biggest businessmen and is known to be into the construction industry, the cement manufacturing business (via Dzata Cement) as well as intomining.
He was recently crowned Ghana’s Mining and Engineering CEO Of The Year, at the 7th Ghana CEO Summit 2023.
Former Presidential Staffer,Stan Xoese Dogbe has provided evidence confirming the video’s claims, in contrast to a press release disputing the viral video’s claims that an ambulance owned by the government is being auctioned in Dubai.
The National Ambulance Service, in a release dated May 29, 2023, attempted to set the record straight regarding the viral video showing a government of Ghana-branded Toyota Hiace ambulance supposedly being sold in Dubai.
According to the service, “The ambulance in question is one of the 26 Toyota Hiace Ambulances being procured by the Government, through the Ministry of Health and funded by the World Bank.
“The said ambulance is located on the premises of the Company, which is manufacturing the ambulances. “It is therefore untrue that the ambulance is there for sale,” the service added. The service explained that the ambulances are awaiting shipment to Ghana after the completion of the manufacturing process.
However, in a Facebook post, Stan Dogbe shared a screenshot of a May 23, 2023, post by the manufacturing company SK Motors FZCO on Facebook, where the company was advertising the same ambulance for sale.
“SK Motors FZCO, the Dubai-based car dealer, whom the National Ambulance Serviceof the Republic of Ghana claimed in a statement on Monday to be the manufacturers of a set of ambulances being procured, had earlier on May 23, 2023, put up for sale on its Facebook page what it described as New Toyota Hiace GL 2024 Ambulances.
“The ambulance in the accompanying photo for the advert was none other than what appeared in an amateur video with the Republic of Ghana National Ambulance Service logo and details on them,” Stan Dogbe wrote.
He revealed that the company has since deleted the post following the statement released by the National Ambulance Service. He also pointed out that the company in question is a car dealership and not a manufacturer, as claimed by the service. “In an earlier PR statement regarding the viral video, the Service claimed that the ambulance is part of a fleet that has been procured and is due to be shipped to Ghana.
The Service also claimed that SK Motors FZCO is the manufacturer of the Toyota ambulance, a fact that I have challenged the Service to provide proof of. “SK Motors has this evening deleted the earlier Facebook advert of the GoG advert, but folks had saved the post before they were prompted to delete,” he said.
The former presidential staffer highlighted the contradictions in the statement and criticized the government’s attempts to dismiss the video as propaganda.
“Does the National Ambulance Service have more information to provide? “Government officials had earlier sought to deny the video, claiming it was just another propaganda against the government, before the Service embarrassed them with its faulty and deceptive PR goof,” Stan Dogbe added.
The chief of Antoa,Nana Owusu Agyeman I, has been destooled by the ruler of the Ashanti Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Nana Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
According to multiple palace sources, the Asantehene ruled against the 96-year-old and ordered his destoolment as the chief of Antoa during a judicial hearing on Monday, May 29, 2023, at the Manhyia Palace.
Nana Kwame Owusu Agyeman, who had held the position of Antoahene for two decades, is reported to have violated customary procedures by appointing his nephew to take over his reign while he is still alive.
After being confronted by his kinsmen and elders who suggested that he should have sought the permission of the King before taking such action, he allegedly denigrated the Asantehene.
Following Otumfuo’s ruling on Monday evening, official rites for the destoolment of Nana Kwame Owusu Agyeman were immediately set into motion in the town of Antoa.
The chief is also alleged to have been charged for various improper acts including alleged multiple sale of lands.
According to the Director General of NaCCA, Prof. Edwin Appiah, some publishers fail to get approval from the council before putting their books on the market for sale.
This follows concerns raised by some parents and guardians that some textbooks with mistakes and are poorly written are on the market.
Speaking on Citi TV’s Point of View show, Prof. Edwin Appiah advised parents to be careful of the books they purchase for their wards.
“Most of the books out there have not been approved by NaCCA. The publishers falsely claim that their books are approved by GES and NaCCA, but this is a lie. These are some of the marketing gimmicks that publishers use.”
President of theNational Association of Graduate Teachers(NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu, however, said the sale of non-approved books is a result of the non-availability of approved books by NaCCA on the market.
Over 300 illegal miners are allegedly trapped in AngloGold’s Obuasi mine shaft at Anwiam, Ashanti Region.
The miners reportedly entered the underground shaft in search of gold deposits but were unable to come out after all exit routes were closed.
One of the illegal miners, Ali Tijani who spoke to the media said some of his colleagues are unconscious as they have run out of food and water.
He said they have reached out to their families and are hoping authorities can intervene to get them out of the shaft.
“We went to the AngloGold mine to work, but the place was closed down. For four days now, we are just in there. We don’t have any food or water. And they do not want to give us water. We are about 300. We went there on our own. The DCE must come to our aid. We don’t have any work, that’s why we go there to mine to take care of ourselves and our families,” he said.
Meanwhile, efforts to get a comment from officials of AngloGold on the development have not yielded any positive results.
President Akufo-Addo has stated that Ghanaians can now embrace and shake hands with one other in public with ease.
The review of COVID-19 safety measures comes at a time when the World Health Organisation has stated that COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency.
The president revealed the ease with COVID restrictions when he addressed the country on Sunday, May 28, 2023, in his last update on the country’s preparedness towards the fight againstCOVID-19.
“That culturally defining Ghanaian symbol, the handshake, was prohibited and frowned upon and we were advised not to hug our children and our loved ones…
“… Fellow Ghanaians, throughout these trying times, I kept urging all of you to believe that this, too, shall pass. Dare I say that this too has passed? The emergency is over, and we can safely lift many of the oppressive restrictions we have had to endure, we can shake hands, we can hug, we can visit, and we no longer have to wear masks,” he said.
The president, however, urged that such practices as the “regular hand washing and other personal hygiene measures” be maintained “so they become entrenched national habits.”
In 2020, Ghana sternly enforced safety protocol measures such as social distancing, no public gatherings, use of sanitizer and washing of hands regularly with soap.
Mother of the missing police bodyguard has urged the management of the Ghana Police Service to help find her son.
This was sighted in the Chronicles Newspaper dated May 29, 2023.
The mother of the police officer, identified in the report as Elizabeth Teiko Odonkor, 69, spoke to the media from her base in Opesika, in theYilo Krobo Municipalityof the Eastern Region, and claimed that the uncertainty surrounding her son’s condition whether he was alive or dead had caused sleepless nights for her entire family and friends as well.
The Manye (Queen mother), as she is affectionately known, continued by stating to the newspaper that she had been experiencing nightmares and was unsure of what to do for the previous thirteen years and eight months.
“Without the police telling me anything, I feel incomplete, especially now that his father also died six years ago,” she stated amid sobbing.
On the morning of Tuesday, September 22, 2009, General L/Cpl, Michael Adamtey Odonkor, with staff number 38222, prepared his outfits and readied for work, more so to meet his boss who was the then Inspector General of Police (IGP), John Kudalor who had travelled to China and was expected at the airport.
The report continued to explain that the wife of L/Cpl Odonko also a policewoman [name not given], took his toothbrush and paste to the bathhouse at the Tema Newtown police barracks where they lived. After having her bath, the wife returned to their room only to meet his absence.
When he was not showing up, a report was made at the Charge Office for investigations to commence.
The newspaper stated that the missing police officer General L/Cpl, Michael Adamtey Odonkor, Number 38222, served as the bodyguard of the then Director General of Police Operations,Commissioner of Police (COP) and later Inspector General of Police (IGP), John Kudalor and on Tuesday, September 22, 2009, he disappeared and his whereabouts remain unknown to date.
L/Cpl Odonkor’s family was visited by COP Kudalor and his wife on several occasions and gave them assurances that investigations into their son’s whereabouts were ongoing.
In 2011, some workers of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) were excavating at Tema Newtown in 2011, they accidentally stepped on some human bones. The detectives collected the bones and sent them to the Police Forensic Laboratory for analysis.
The mother of the missing police officer, Elizabeth Teiko Odonkor, was brought down as part of the scientific study for the DNA test. There hasn’t been any information about the analysis’s success or failure since that time.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of theNew Patriotic Party(NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, the Sekyere Kumawu by-election was an arduous battle for the party, requiring significant effort before achieving a resounding and decisive victory.
Addressing a news conference in Kumasi to mark one year anniversary of the election of the regional executives, Chairman Wontumi confessed that when they started the Kumawu by-election campaign, they didn’t have the support of the constituents.
He added “We were hooted when we arrived inKumawu to campaign because of the independent candidate and how 2020 general elections went in the constituency.”
Chairman Wontumi commended the Kumawu electorates and New Patriotic Party members who joined the campaign team in Kumawu to support the party in day and night campaign.
He assured the government will do its best to meet the infrastructural need to promote development in the Sekyere Kumawu district, adding that the NPP goverment is committed to addressing the current economic challenges the country is facing.
He said, Ashanti Region is forever grateful to the Government for the massive infrastructural projects ongoing in the region, adding that no political party can compare its work in Ashanti to the ruling New Patriotic part’s government in the last 7years.
“Currently, through the hard work of Nana Addo led government Kumasi can boast of International airport, asphalted roads, school infrastructural projects, retooling of Kumasi Technical University, proposed Suame inter Change, Kejetia Market phase two project, Agenda 111 , Boankra inland port among others.
“As we are celebrating our one year anniversary as regional executives of the party we want to assure the general public that Ashanti regional executives of the NPP will ensure that the party wins election 2024.”
The North Tongu constituency lawmaker, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has appealed to President Akufo-Addo to sympathize with the struggles faced by Ghanaians.
This was in reaction to the president’s address to the nation on Sunday, May 28, 2023, where he lifted all COVID-19 restrictions and proclaimed an end to the disease as a health emergency.
But the lawmaker has expressed worry that throughout the 37-minutes-long address of Akufo-Addo, there was no hint of scrapping the burdening COVID-19 levy and the E-levy, due to the IMF bailout.
In a Facebook post, the MP stated that “Ghanaians expected President Akufo-Addo to have announced the scrapping of the unjustifiable COVID-19 levy as he lifts all covid restrictions.
“Ghanaians also expected the awful E-Levy to be abolished since his government has opted for an IMF bailout.”
Ablakwa also pleaded with President Akufo-Addo to be sincere and sensitive to the sufferings of Ghanaians in these hard times.
“President Akufo-Addo must be sincere and sensitive to the plight of suffering Ghanaians,” he stated.
The MP for North Tongu also emphasized the need for lawmakers to unite to remove the COVID-19 and E-levies to address the plights of Ghanaians.
“I hope all parliamentarians will come together in the national interest, and take advantage of the mid-year budget review to expunge those two obsolete taxes.
“As President Akufo-Addo continues to let Ghanaians down, Parliament cannot afford to fail. May we be the people’s saving grace,” he added.
The Court of Appeals General Legal Counsel has rescinded its decision to suspend lawyer Kwame Fosu-Gyeabour.
The presiding justices of the case unanimously ruled that the lawyer’s continuous suspension will be an injustice as thecourthears his appeal, the Daily Guide newspaper reports.
On April 20, 2023, Fosu-Gyeabour was suspended by the General Legal Counsel from practicing as a lawyer for twelve months for breaching Rule 2(2) of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rule, 1960 (LL, 613), which requires a lawyer to uphold the dignity and high standing of his profession.
A notice of his suspension was issued to the public, and he was also banned from entering his chamber during the period of the suspension by the Judicial Secretary.
The report indicated that Fosu-Gyeabour filed an appeal to challenge the decision of the legal counsel.
He was accompanied by some of the loyal clients he represents, during the judgement of the case on Tuesday, May 23, 2023.
After the verdict the clients sang songs of praise toGod, some recalling how supportive the lawyer had been to them.
They accompanied him from the court to his chambers at West Ridge.
The lawyer, speaking at his chambers, expressed gratitude to God and his clients for their immense support.
A prominent figure in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and brother to the President, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has been criticised by a political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Prof. Ransford Gyampo over a 2015 tweet.
According to Prof. Gyampo, even though Ghana is presiding over abundant resources which shouldn’t have bankrupted the state, the deeds of the government justifies Akufo-Addo’s own “Yɛte sika so nanso ɛkɔm de yɛn” to wit we are in distress in the midst of abundance.
The lecturer said making certain utterances when in opposition does more harm than good to citizens of the country, referencing to Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko’s September 15, 2015 tweet.
His comment stems from President Akufo-Addo’s quest to return to the international capital market soon following Ghana’s bailout from the Bretton Wood Institution.
“If running an economy was all about borrowing your way into an unsustainable debt hole, then any halfwit can be president. Do you know who a halfwit is, a stupid or a foolish person. So I was a bit worried when the President just hinted that we may go to the capital market.
Buying into Dr. Theo Acheampong’s assertion that going to the capital market was something that shouldn’t be on the table now, Prof. Gyampo wondered “if we have all the resources here, why do we think about quickly going to the capital market? It’s the president who said ‘yɛte sika so nanso ɛkɔm de yɛn.’ It means we have all the resources here and in fact if we are truly going to go by some of the things the IMF is telling us to do and if we ourselves are going to look beyond some of the things that the IMF is telling us to do, then truly we’ll see that we are really presiding on resources where there would be no need for us to think about going to the capital market to be talking about borrowing.”
The former Director of the Centre for European Studies was explicit that “government of a developing country is too serious a business to be reduced to just borrowing and that if running an economy is all about borrowing your way into an unsustainable debt hole, then Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko says any stupid or foolish person can become aPresident.”
Parents of the about 500 suspended students of the Kumasi Technical Institute (KTI) in the Ashanti region have called on the school administration to allow their wards back to school.
The parents held an emergency meeting with the management ofKTI to apologise for the misconduct of their wards.
The students were suspended by the school’s disciplinary committee for staging a protest on campus and destroying school property.
The students went on rampage when the authorities failed to grant them access to watch a football match outside campus. They vandalised several school property, including school vehicles, water tanks and classroom desks.
According to the school authorities, some students who managed to run out of school to watch the football match also attacked the school’s security guard at post for refusing to allow them entry into the school compound.
Another group of students also managed to leave campus without permission to attend the inter-school athletics competition, absenting themselves from class for nearly three weeks.
On May 26, 2023, the school authorities investigated the matter and concluded on suspending these students.
The students were asked to leave the school premises and not return until management recalls them.
But parents of the affected students, disturbed by the verdict of the school management, held an emergency meeting with school authorities to plead on behalf of their wards.
The management of KTI is yet o revoke their decision.
President Akufo-Addohas emphasized that the bailout obtained from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is not an immediate remedy for the country’s challenges.
He believes it will, nonetheless, play a crucial role in restoring confidence and reopening opportunities that have been limited in recent years.
During a national address on Sunday, the President acknowledged that the approval represents a positive step toward putting the country back on track.
“Access to the IMF facility will not spell the immediate end of the difficulties we are in presently, but the fact that we have been able to negotiate such a deal sends a positive message to our trading partners, creditors and investors,” President Akufo-Addo stated during his May 28 address.
Akufo-Addo further highlighted that the IMF agreement would aid in restoring confidence in the Ghanaian economy, which has been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine.
“It should lead to the restoration of confidence and the reopening of opportunities that have been closed to us this past year and a half,” Akufo-Addo explained, emphasizing that it would also result in the resumption of stalled infrastructure projects.
The President reiterated that the successful implementation of the necessary reforms to make the deal effective would require the support of the Ghanaian people.
“We must all collaborate to ensure the success of this program,” Akufo-Addo urged. “Together, we must work towards building a brighter future for Ghana.”
A flagbearer candidate for theNew Patriotic Party(NPP), Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, will pick up his nomination paperwork today at the party’s headquarters in Asylum Down to begin the process of filing to contest for the Presidential Primary.
Persons familiar with the campaign activities of Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto say the exercise will be done by a group of party faithful called Friends of Dr. Afriyie Akoto.
“This group strongly believes in Dr. Afriyie Akoto and has therefore mobilized their own resources to support him. They keep on urging Dr. Afriyie Akoto to contest for the flagbearer position to save the party. So, they will pick the nomination forms today and go and hand it over to Dr. Afriyie Akoto at his Campaign Office. This is to urge him on”, Benjamin Oduro who is familiar with the campaign activities of Dr. Afriyie Akoto hinted.
Should the exercise go on as planned, the picking of nomination forms by Dr. Afriyie Akoto will bring to five the number of flagbearer hopefuls who have picked the forms to contest the party’s Presidential Primary.
When nominations opened on Friday, May 26, 2023, a former Trade and Industry Minister, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, former MP forMampongconstituency, Kofi Addae Nimo, former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko and former General Secretary of the NPP, Kwabena Agyei Agyapong, picked their nomination form to signal their readiness for the contest.
It is however not clear when the MP for Essikado Ketan, Joe Ghartey, former Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong and Vice-President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, will pick their nomination forms.
All have publicly announced their intentions to contest the party’s Presidential Primary.
On Thursday, May 25, 2023, the General Secretary of the NPP, Justin Kodua Frimpong, announced the roadmap to the party’s Presidential Primary.
In a statement released in Accra, opening of nominations was fixed at Friday, May 26, 2023 while nominations closes on June 24, 2023.
The party scheduled Saturday, August 26, 2023, as a day for its Special Electoral College Election if the candidates for its Presidential Primary exceed five.
It also scheduled Saturday, November 4, 2023, to hold its National Congress to elect a flagbearer for the 2024 general elections.
Lower Manya‘s Krobo Girls Presbyterian Senior High School has a new constructed block that will serve as the Home Economics department’s classrooms and offices.
The gesture was made possible by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation Foundation,( GNPC).
Construction of the new edifice started in in 2019 and comes with furniture and other equipment, costing the foundation some GHC1.7M.
Originally, a Science Block, the school’s Headmistress, Bernice Noel Mensah-Akutteh said management pleaded with GNPC to turn it into a block for the Home Economics students because of the classroom deficit.
Commissioning the project, Board Chairman of the GNPC Freddy Blay, said the GNPC set aside a portion of its budget to support infrastructure projects. Birthed in 2017, Freddy Blay defended the investments made into social impacts activities.
According to him, although the core mandate of GNPC is to explore for oil resources, oil itself all over the world sometimes creates problems for some communities because people fight over it. “Government is bent on ensuring that it is spread across the country. A lot of request have come but sometimes we need to select out of these requests. The region have benefited a lot, drilling bore- holes, and sanitation infrastructure and classroom blocks”.
The Executive Director of the GNPC Foundation, Dr Dominic Aduah, said GNPC is doing a lot through several models in the area of scholarships and training. “ GNPC Foundation is in to impact lives. One that I can talk of is scholarship. We have done about 6,000 local scholarshipin the tertiary.
This year we are about to handover 1,500 local scholarships”.
“Aside that we also have community empowerment project where we pick the youth from the streets and we give them skills, they then write the NVTI examinations after completion we take them through graduation and we give them requisite tools for them to train others”.
TheOverlord of the Dagbon traditional territory, Ya Naa Gariba II, has praised the Dagbon Police for what he calls their “outstanding performance” in maintaining the area’s peace, security, and order.
According to the king, the police leadership in the traditional area regularly confer with him on security matters concerning the area.
“Your men are doing well in Dagbon. They have been efficient and they always liaise with my palace in dealing with issues in the traditional area hence the security and peace we are witnessing in the enclave.
“I thank you for the patience and the skills you’re exhibiting as IGP. You’re sacrificing your sleep and comfort for the good of the entire country.The people and chiefs of Dagbon are grateful for the work that you’re doing,” the Overlord made the comments when the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare paid a courtesy call on him as part of his working tour of the region.
The IGP and some members of the police management board are touring the Savanna and Northern regions to touch base with police personnel in those regions to listen to their concerns on first hand basis.
The approval of the proposed remuneration structure and a payment schedule, according to the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG), would be sufficient to end the ongoing statewide strike.
This comes after the Judicial Service urged JUSAG to end the strike.
Management of the Judicial Service invited executives of the striking group to a meeting on May 31 to address their concerns in a release dated May 25, 2023.
In a statement to the media, General Secretary of JUSAG Abdulai Yakubu recognized the Judicial Service’s appeal but added that they would not change their judgment unless they were given a payment schedule.
“We respect the call by the Judicial Secretary to meet, and we are highly appreciative of the intervention that is coming from the management. However, the meeting that has been called is a work in progress and not an end to meeting our demand. So we will wait to get to the meeting before we make a decision,” he said.
Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, the nominee for the position of Chief Justice, stated during her vetting on Friday, May 26, that procedures are in place to address the issues raised by JUSAG.
Justice delivery is stalled as a result of JUSAG’s industrial action demanding a pay raise and the payment of arrears dating back to January 2023.
This comes after they met with the Minister of Education over the demands, of which NAFCO has indicated that plans are underway to get the Finance Ministry to release funds to pay them.
Speaking to the media, the spokesperson for the National Food Suppliers Association, Kwaku Amedume said they will not be moved by empty promises.
Mr. Amedume indicated that the respective agencies responsible for paying their arrears have been giving members of theAssociationconsistent empty promises so much so that they can no longer put up with such promises.
“That has always been the story we have been hearing for the past two years; we are organising some money, we are going to release some funding, we should bring our names, we should meet at 10 o’clock. We have gone through all these processes and promises, and we are still where we are for the past two years. So I don’t think it is enough to just conclude that we are satisfied. Until we have our money in our hands, we don’t trust that this money will be paid to us”.
“Mind you, day-in-day-out, the value of the money with Buffer Stock keeps reducing, and so we are more than interested in getting our money than any promise, we want action, not promises.”
The Association on AU Day, May 25, issued a 14-day ultimatum to the National Food Buffer Stock Company to pay the eighteen months’ arrears owed members else they will picket at the Buffer Stock’s premises until they are paid.
In a televised speech to the country on May 28, 2023, President Akufo-Addo complimented vice president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for serving as his deputy.
The President acknowledged the instrumental role played by officials of his government in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic but singled out the Vice President for his unwavering support during challenging moments.
“I am indebted to the Ministers of State, officials of the Presidency, led by the Chief of Staff, the Parliament and the Judiciary, and all the members of the brilliant COVID-19 Taskforce. I must make special mention of the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who was my reliable source of support in the darkest and most trying moments,” President Akufo-Addo stated.
President Akufo-Addo also expressed appreciation to various individuals, groups, government institutions, organizations, and organized labour for their contributions to Ghana’s battle against the pandemic.
During the address, the President officially declared the COVID-19 pandemic as over in Ghana. He shared the following statistics: “In general, since the first case was confirmed in our country on March 12, 2020, there have been one hundred and seventy-one thousand, seven hundred and fifty-eight (171,758) positive cases from two million, five hundred and thirty-eight thousand, one hundred and ninety-eight (2,538,198) tests.”
President Akufo-Addo also mentioned the progress of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, with twenty-five million, one hundred and seventy thousand, three hundred and eighty-two (25,170,382) vaccine doses administered. He added that ten million, five hundred and thirty-six thousand, four hundred and twenty (10,536,420) individuals have been fully vaccinated, representing 52.7% of the twenty million (20 million) people targeted. Additionally, four million, five hundred and ninety-nine thousand, eight hundred and eighty-three (4,599,883) individuals have received booster doses.
Based on these facts, the COVID-19 Taskforce chaired by President Akufo-Addo met on May 17 and made far-reaching decisions regarding the management of the pandemic. The President announced that all outstanding COVID-induced restrictions at airports and entry points have been lifted, returning to the pre-COVID situation in terms of health entry requirements.
President Akufo-Addo also highlighted the recently secured $3 billionInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) economy support facility, which he believes will aid in the restoration of Ghana’s economy from the impact of the pandemic.
President Akufo-Addo was however quick to mention that the IMF money will not spell immediate end to the nation’s economic woes.
Read the President’s full address below:
Address By The President Of The Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, On Updates To Ghana’s Enhanced Response To The Coronavirus Pandemic, On Sunday, 28th May 2023
Fellow Ghanaians, good evening.
It has been some time since I last came into your homes, so I want to thank you for having me again tonight. I have come because of two important events that both occurred last week on 17th May. The first is an update on the COVID-19 pandemic; the second is the recent agreement we have reached with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Some three weeks ago, on 5th May, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that COVID was no longer a public health emergency of global concern.
It had taken three years, five months and twenty days of unbelievable tumult, unrelenting pain and suffering and emotional turbulence of a world turned upside down, but we have at last heard the words for which we had all been praying. The scientists and health experts tell us that we no longer have a public health emergency of international concern.
They tell us also that there is evidence of reducing risks to human health from COVID-19 infections. This has led to the decreasing trend of COVID-19-related deaths, hospitalizations and intensive care admissions. The world has also achieved the long hoped-for immunity, and with improved clinical management, the experts say it is time to transition to long-term management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In other words, we can now breathe that collective sigh of relief. For, even though we may still have to deal with sporadic, isolated outbreaks, the crisis itself has technically ended.
The pandemic trend in Ghana is similar to the general global trend as announced by WHO.
As at 15th May, 2023, there have been one thousand, four hundred and sixty-two (1,462) deaths attributable to Covid-19 in Ghana, with the last death being recorded on 8th January, 2023. These are not mere figures, or inconvenient statistics, they are dearly loved parents, sons and daughters, relations, friends and colleagues whom we shall continue to miss dearly. May their souls rest in perfect peace. I am glad to report that, currently, we do not have any critical or severe cases.
In general, since the first case was confirmed in our country on March 12, 2020, there have been one hundred and seventy-one thousand, seven hundred and fifty-eight (171,758) positive cases from two million, five hundred and thirty-eight thousand, one hundred and ninety-eight (2,538,198) tests. You would recall that we started the Covid vaccination campaign in March 2021 and, as at 25th May 2023, twenty-five million, one hundred and seventy thousand, three hundred and eighty-two (25,170,382) vaccine doses have been administered. There are ten million, five hundred and thirty-six thousand four hundred and twenty (10,536,420) fully vaccinated people, that is, 52.7% out of the twenty million (20 million) people target we had set, with four million, five hundred and ninety-nine thousand, eight hundred and eighty three (4,599,883) persons having received booster doses.
In the light of these facts, the COVID-19 Taskforce, which I chair, met on 17th May and took some far-reaching decisions on the measures we have put in place for the management of the pandemic, which were announced by the Ghana Health Service on 19th May. The most important of these decisions was that the COVID-19 pandemic was over in Ghana.
Thus, all the outstanding Covid-induced restrictions at our airports and all entry points have been lifted, and we are back to the pre-COVID situation as far as health entry requirements are concerned.
It will be recalled that, three years ago, we started with drastic measures and restrictions; the international airport was shut for months and our land borders were closed to human traffic for almost three years.
The hospitality industry was devastated, hotels and restaurants and other social gathering places were shut down, schools and universities and training institutions were shut down. Indeed, our world was turned upside down. That culturally defining Ghanaian symbol, the handshake, was prohibited and frowned upon and we were advised not to hug our children and our loved ones.
Churches, mosques and other places of worship were closed for months, and our beaches remained emptied of human activity. Fellow Ghanaians, even our funerals, that sacred Ghanaian ritual, were stopped and then attempts were made to change the tone and character of the funeral with the imposition of restrictions on how many can attend or be fed at the ceremony.
Fellow Ghanaians, throughout these trying times, I kept urging all of you to believe that this, too, shall pass. Dare I say that this too has passed? The emergency is over, and we can safely lift many of the oppressive restrictions we have had to endure, we can shake hands, we can hug, we can visit, and we no longer have to wear masks. But it is strongly recommended that we keep some of the measures imposed during the crisis and integrate them into our everyday lives because they have served us well and will continue to serve us well.
I urge you all to continue with the regular hand washing and other personal hygiene measures, so they become entrenched national habits. There has been a dramatic decrease in diarrhoea diseases, and we have not had any cholera outbreaks these past three years – these developments are attributable mostly to the hand washing and improved hygiene regimen in our communities. It does not hurt to wear a mask if you have a cold for example, it might protect those around you. If you are uncomfortable in a crowded and enclosed space, go out into the open and continue the new ways we have devised for outside entertainment. I hope there will be no argument that we should continue and institutionalize the periodic cleansing, disinfection and fumigation of markets. Never again should our markets be breeding grounds for rodents.
There are other ways in which this nightmare has brought some good dividends that must be acknowledged.
It has led to the strengthening of our disease surveillance system, and this has been manifested in recent months by our ability to deal, in a very rapid and aggressive way, with outbreaks of frightening diseases like Marburg, Lassa fever, Monkey Pox, before they could turn into serious public health catastrophes.
The pandemic also exposed some of the painful deficiencies we have, and forced us to take some brave and necessary decisions, like the expansion of our network of health facilities under Agenda 111.
I doubt very much that, but for the pandemic, the network of health laboratories with capacity to do PCR testing in our country would have expanded exponentially from the initial 2 to 67 laboratories nationwide.
And, Fellow Ghanaians, we have begun the process of manufacturing our own vaccines with the establishment of the National Vaccine Institute. The painful lesson from the pandemic about the access to vaccines certainly concentrated our minds, and we must be proud that we did not bow our heads in defeat, but used the crisis to achieve such a positive outcome. We now have in place a Vaccine Institute and two Vaccine Manufacturing plants: I commissioned that of Atlantic Life Sciences Limited last year, and a few weeks ago, I performed the sod-cutting ceremony of that of DEK Vaccines Ltd.
There is no question but that Ghana came out of this global catastrophe much better than many other countries, if we consider the rate of infection, hospitalization and deaths. We must recognize that this happened because we worked at it in a focused and competent manner.
We refused to be swayed by the populist noises, conspiracy theory peddlers, false and uninformed analysts, but rather we relied firmly on the science and data-driven information for guidance.
Contrary to what some foreign experts claimed, we do have a decentralized, resilient public health system, which reaches every corner of our country with highly competent and dedicated health workers – a public health system of which we can be justly proud.
When it was most needed, the health sector and religious and traditional leaders demonstrated admirable leadership. The private sector rose to the occasion and displayed innovation and dynamism.
We managed a strong community engagement and communication strategy which carried the entire population along, and was admired and praised by Ghanaians and the outside world. Among Ministries, Departments and Agencies, there was strong and palpable multisector collaboration.
It certainly also helped that we found the resources from the government, partners, individuals, corporate entities, and the public to support health workers and procurement of required materials. Fighting covid has been a very expensive undertaking characterized, as it was, by lockdowns, closed borders, minimal economic activity and the consequential steep decline in revenues. The testing for the millions who went to public laboratories; the quarantine of arrivals from outside the country, hospital admissions, treatments and feeding for all patients were publicly funded and cost vast sums of money. The vaccination programme was expensive, very expensive; even though we received some donated vaccines, we purchased a lot with our own resources, and the multiple country-wide vaccination campaigns cost a lot of money.
The fumigation, cleansing and disinfection of markets, schools, offices and other public spaces also cost a lot of money. Free water was provided, and the cost of electricity subsidized. Fifty-four thousand (54,000) additional health workers were hired, and all health workers obtained a tax rebate.
Fellow Ghanaians, keeping us all informed about this most unpredictable virus was expensive. A lot of money was spent on public education, public information, risk communication, public and community engagements and keeping us all abreast with the relevant information. We must thank the Ministry of Information and its agencies, and the National Commission for Civic Education for the exceptional work.
It took courage, and I am particularly happy that we reopened schools, colleges and universities at the time we did in spite of the fears of some parents and the condemnation of our critics. In some countries, millions of girls and boys did not return when schools eventually reopened after they had been kept shut for over a year. The logistics for keeping the schools open were huge and costly, but I am delighted that no Ghanaian child was left behind.
Let me make it clear that COVID expenditures, essentially unplanned, have been subject, at my instigation, to audit by the Auditor-General, and are going through parliamentary processes. We all deserve to be reassured that the crisis was not used as a cover for corrupt practices. The COVID Health Recovery Levy that was introduced to help fill some of the expenditure holes might not be the most popular tax, but I entreat all of you to bear with us. The Covid Trust Fund has performed an invaluable service, and with these developments has reached the end of its mandate. I thank the trustees as well as all donors and contributors to the fund.
It is likely, God willing, that this will be the last in the series of ‘Fellow Ghanaians’ speeches on COVID, and, as your President, I have a truly long list of people and institutions I must take this opportunity to thank.
I thank, firstly, all of you, my compatriots, my fellow Ghanaians, for your patience, understanding and cooperation; health workers and the scientific community. I thank the leaders of the faith-based groups, the Christian Council, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, the Ghana Charismatic and Pentecostal Council, the Chief Imam and the Moslem leaders, for their strong involvement, powerful prayers and support, their help especially in feeding the vulnerable during the lockdown periods, and, through the Church of Pentecost, in providing accommodation for an isolation and treatment centre. I thank the Council of State and our traditional leaders, the National and Regional Houses of Chiefs, for their support and help in community sensitization. I thank the political and business leaders; development partnerships, NGOs, civil society; the sports, hospitality, entertainment, creative and tourism industries; our security services – police, military, immigration; teachers, pupils, students, parents, and guardians; I thank the journalists and the entire media.
A few weeks ago, I gave National Honours to most of the frontline workers who had been in the trenches as it were in the COVID battle. A total of twenty thousand one hundred and ten (20,110) people were given National Honours. They were well deserved, but I know some might have been left out, not out of any malice. We continue to recognize those who come to our attention.
I must make special mention of the Environmental Health personnel of the Ministry of Local Government. They played a key role in the burials of COVID-related deaths. The private funeral homes deserve honourable mention. They set the pace for how funerals should be conducted within the COVID protocol restrictions and with cultural sensitivity.
In paying tribute to the health workers, I should address our psychologists and psychiatrists and express my gratitude for their work. Covid exacted an extreme emotional turbulence on the population and no one can predict how long the effects on our mental health will last and their work continues even after the end of the emergency.
I believe it would be appropriate to make also a special mention of the Ministry of Health and its implementing and regulatory agencies, the Christian Health Association of Ghana, the Military and Police Health Services, quasi-government, private health care providers and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), which has established itself as a world-class institution, able to hold its own on the international scene.
On behalf of the people of Ghana, I express eternal gratitude to the Police, the Immigration and the Military, and the two IGPs, two CDSs and Comptroller-General that have served during the period.
I pay homage to the pharmaceutical and textile industries, and to the many corporate bodies that made generous donations, and rallied to the call for enhanced domestic production of medical supplies. The Ghana Airport Company must be mentioned for the hard work of its staff. The Ghana Education Service and the Director-General that saw us through the school closures and re-openings, thank you. And thank you to its sister body, the Ghana Health Service and its dynamic Director-General, both of whom gave such impressive accounts of themselves during this crisis.
It would be greatly remiss of me not to place on record my appreciation to the National Ambulance Service and its workers. They worked well and we are proud of them. I acknowledge the fact that digital technologies and drones helped very much in getting vaccines and medications to hard-to-reach areas, and I am glad they have become an integral part of our health delivery system. If we were still looking for any proof, we found that the high use of mobile phones and the digitalization agenda helped in the surveillance process, particularly with contact tracing and patient follow-up.
I am indebted to the Ministers of State, officials of the Presidency, led by the Chief of Staff, the Parliament and the Judiciary, and all the members of the brilliant COVID-19 Taskforce. I must make special mention of the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who was my reliable source of support in the darkest and most trying moments.
And to the many who advised me publicly and privately, supported and prayed for me, I say thank you.
The emergency is over. Unfortunately, the consequences are very much still with us, especially in terms of the economic devastation it has left in its trail.
It would be recalled that I said, right at the onset of the pandemic, that we would do whatever it took to protect the lives of the Ghanaian people. In the now often quoted statement, I said “we know what to do to bring the economy back to life, but what we do not know is how to bring people back to life”. The clear implication was that we would protect lives even if it was at the risk of harming the economy.
I knew that the pandemic and the measures we were taking to keep us alive would have a devastating effect on the economy, but I believe I had the support of the Ghanaian people to concentrate on protecting lives at any cost; but I do not think anyone, anywhere, imagined the effect would be so widespread, so destructive and so deep.
I owe it to you, my compatriots, and to myself to go to any length to bring back the economy to the rude health it was in before the onset of the pandemic. When things came to the state where I concluded that we had to go to the International Monetary Fund to access a facility for budgetary support, I gave directives to the Minister for Finance to start the process.
It was a painful decision for me to take, because going to the IMF was not part of the economic transformation agenda I had been pursuing, especially as my government had gone the extra mile to bring to a successful end the IMF programme we inherited from the previous government. But who would have imagined that President Akufo-Addo would order the closure of airports, offices, factories or schools. We were in extraordinary times and we took extraordinary measures, and when faced with the realities of the economic crisis last year, I accepted the challenge that the economy required a similar attitude, including the sacrifices many of us have made in recent times.
Luckily, the International Monetary Fund has been most supportive, and we have ended up with having our programme approved in record time, culminating in the formal approval by the IMF Board on 17th May. As I am sure we have all heard by now, the details of the programme have been explained by officials of the Fund and by our Minister for Finance and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana.
The first tranche of six hundred (600) million US dollars has been credited to our national account, out of the three (3) billion US dollars that we have negotiated to receive within a period of thirty-six (36) months.
Fellow Ghanaians, access to the IMF facility will not spell the immediate end of the difficulties we are in presently, but the fact that we have been able to negotiate such a deal sends a positive message to our trading partners, creditors and investors; a positive message that will be underpinned by the discipline, hard work and enterprise with which we execute the programme.
It should lead to the restoration of confidence and the reopening of avenues that had been closed to us this past year and a half. It should also lead to the resumption of many of the infrastructural projects that have stalled.
Fellow Ghanaians, we got ourselves out of a pandemic in which there were no precedents on which to rely, and where even the experts admitted they had no clear-cut solutions. We did it by being resolute, being focused and working very hard, and by accepting that we had to stick together.
With a similar frame of mind and attitude, we shall overcome the economic difficulties as well, sooner rather than later. I have no doubts at all in my mind that we are on the right path, and we would soon start to see significant improvements in the economy and in the living standards of Ghanaians.
Twi,
Anuanom, Nyame adom, Covid Yare3 no a 3to hy33 yen so, na 3de )haw bebree br3 yen no, Nyame adaworoma, y’atumi atu ase3. Me sr3 mo, mo mma y3n nyinaa nda Nyame ase, na y3n k) so hw3 y3n ho so yie
Ga,
Anyemim3, Nyonmor dromo naa, COVID hela niba wono, ni eke hawmo babaoo ba, nyonmor 3joo wo, wo nye wofal3shi.
Wo f33 woda nyomo shi ni wokw3 woh3no ojogban.
We are a God-fearing and a God-loving nation, and that is why throughout my presidency, I have consistently stressed that the Battle is the Lord’s. Thus, three years ago, when the pandemic first hit us, I asked for a National Day of Prayer and Fasting for God’s help to be observed on 25th March, 2020. Now that the Lord has heard our prayers and seen us through this COVID trial, I would respectfully ask that next Friday, i.e. 2nd June, all Muslims should say a special prayer of gratitude for our nation’s health, and that next Saturday and Sunday, i.e. 3rd and 4th June, all Christians should do the same. Fellow Ghanaians, we shall overcome our present economic difficulties. The Battle is indeed the Lord’s. Goodnight, and may God bless us all and our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong. I thank you.
Popularly perception that the COVID-19 fund which received millions of dollars in donation became a kitty for corruption has been dispelled by President Akufo-Addo his last national address to the nation on the global pandemic.
PresidentAkufo-Addo has stated that the COVID-19 pandemic was not used by his administration as a cover for participating in corrupt activities.
In a televised address to the nation on Sunday night, May 28, 2023, the President reassured the public, highlighting the courageous steps taken by his administration to protect citizens’ lives despite the unforeseen challenges posed by the pandemic.
“It took courage, and I am particularly happy that we reopened schools, colleges, and universities at the time we did, despite the fears of some parents and the criticism from our detractors. In some countries, millions of children did not return to school even after being closed for over a year. The logistics required to keep schools open were extensive and costly, but I am delighted that no Ghanaian child was left behind,” President Akufo-Addo expressed.
Addressing concerns about financial accountability, President Akufo-Addo assured the nation that COVID-19 expenditures, although unplanned, were audited by the Auditor-General at his request and are undergoing parliamentary scrutiny.
He emphasized the government’s commitment to transparency, stating, “We all deserve to be reassured that the crisis was not used as a cover for corrupt practices. The COVID Health Recovery Levy, implemented to help offset some of the expenditure, may not be the most popular tax, but I urge everyone to bear with us. The Covid Trust Fund has provided invaluable service and has now fulfilled its mandate. I express gratitude to the trustees, donors, and contributors to the fund.”
After presenting the current COVID-19 statistics in Ghana, President Akufo-Addo declared the pandemic officially over in the country.
This was arrived at after government’s COVID-19 Taskforce at a meeting on May 17 resolved to lift all remaining COVID-related restrictions at airports and entry points, returning to the pre-COVID situation regarding health entry requirements.
The government has faced criticism, particularly from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), accusing it of irresponsible borrowing and misappropriation of public funds under the guise of the COVID-19 fight. The government, however, maintains that the expenditures were necessary and justified, attributing the country’s current economic challenges to the global pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
Akufo-Addo urged the nation to recognize the government’s efforts and the importance of financial accountability in navigating the COVID-19 crisis successfully.
Read the President’s full address below:
Address By The President Of The Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, On Updates To Ghana’s Enhanced Response To The Coronavirus Pandemic, On Sunday, 28th May 2023
Fellow Ghanaians, good evening.
It has been some time since I last came into your homes, so I want to thank you for having me again tonight. I have come because of two important events that both occurred last week on 17th May. The first is an update on the COVID-19 pandemic; the second is the recent agreement we have reached with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Some three weeks ago, on 5th May, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that COVID was no longer a public health emergency of global concern.
It had taken three years, five months and twenty days of unbelievable tumult, unrelenting pain and suffering and emotional turbulence of a world turned upside down, but we have at last heard the words for which we had all been praying. The scientists and health experts tell us that we no longer have a public health emergency of international concern.
They tell us also that there is evidence of reducing risks to human health from COVID-19 infections. This has led to the decreasing trend of COVID-19-related deaths, hospitalizations and intensive care admissions. The world has also achieved the long hoped-for immunity, and with improved clinical management, the experts say it is time to transition to long-term management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In other words, we can now breathe that collective sigh of relief. For, even though we may still have to deal with sporadic, isolated outbreaks, the crisis itself has technically ended.
The pandemic trend in Ghana is similar to the general global trend as announced by WHO.
As at 15th May, 2023, there have been one thousand, four hundred and sixty-two (1,462) deaths attributable to Covid-19 in Ghana, with the last death being recorded on 8th January, 2023. These are not mere figures, or inconvenient statistics, they are dearly loved parents, sons and daughters, relations, friends and colleagues whom we shall continue to miss dearly. May their souls rest in perfect peace. I am glad to report that, currently, we do not have any critical or severe cases.
In general, since the first case was confirmed in our country on March 12, 2020, there have been one hundred and seventy-one thousand, seven hundred and fifty-eight (171,758) positive cases from two million, five hundred and thirty-eight thousand, one hundred and ninety-eight (2,538,198) tests. You would recall that we started the Covid vaccination campaign in March 2021 and, as at 25th May 2023, twenty-five million, one hundred and seventy thousand, three hundred and eighty-two (25,170,382) vaccine doses have been administered. There are ten million, five hundred and thirty-six thousand four hundred and twenty (10,536,420) fully vaccinated people, that is, 52.7% out of the twenty million (20 million) people target we had set, with four million, five hundred and ninety-nine thousand, eight hundred and eighty three (4,599,883) persons having received booster doses.
In the light of these facts, the COVID-19 Taskforce, which I chair, met on 17th May and took some far-reaching decisions on the measures we have put in place for the management of the pandemic, which were announced by the Ghana Health Service on 19th May. The most important of these decisions was that the COVID-19 pandemic was over in Ghana.
Thus, all the outstanding Covid-induced restrictions at our airports and all entry points have been lifted, and we are back to the pre-COVID situation as far as health entry requirements are concerned.
It will be recalled that, three years ago, we started with drastic measures and restrictions; the international airport was shut for months and our land borders were closed to human traffic for almost three years.
The hospitality industry was devastated, hotels and restaurants and other social gathering places were shut down, schools and universities and training institutions were shut down. Indeed, our world was turned upside down. That culturally defining Ghanaian symbol, the handshake, was prohibited and frowned upon and we were advised not to hug our children and our loved ones.
Churches, mosques and other places of worship were closed for months, and our beaches remained emptied of human activity. Fellow Ghanaians, even our funerals, that sacred Ghanaian ritual, were stopped and then attempts were made to change the tone and character of the funeral with the imposition of restrictions on how many can attend or be fed at the ceremony.
Fellow Ghanaians, throughout these trying times, I kept urging all of you to believe that this, too, shall pass. Dare I say that this too has passed? The emergency is over, and we can safely lift many of the oppressive restrictions we have had to endure, we can shake hands, we can hug, we can visit, and we no longer have to wear masks. But it is strongly recommended that we keep some of the measures imposed during the crisis and integrate them into our everyday lives because they have served us well and will continue to serve us well.
I urge you all to continue with the regular hand washing and other personal hygiene measures, so they become entrenched national habits. There has been a dramatic decrease in diarrhoea diseases, and we have not had any cholera outbreaks these past three years – these developments are attributable mostly to the hand washing and improved hygiene regimen in our communities. It does not hurt to wear a mask if you have a cold for example, it might protect those around you. If you are uncomfortable in a crowded and enclosed space, go out into the open and continue the new ways we have devised for outside entertainment. I hope there will be no argument that we should continue and institutionalize the periodic cleansing, disinfection and fumigation of markets. Never again should our markets be breeding grounds for rodents.
There are other ways in which this nightmare has brought some good dividends that must be acknowledged.
It has led to the strengthening of our disease surveillance system, and this has been manifested in recent months by our ability to deal, in a very rapid and aggressive way, with outbreaks of frightening diseases like Marburg, Lassa fever, Monkey Pox, before they could turn into serious public health catastrophes.
The pandemic also exposed some of the painful deficiencies we have, and forced us to take some brave and necessary decisions, like the expansion of our network of health facilities under Agenda 111.
I doubt very much that, but for the pandemic, the network of health laboratories with capacity to do PCR testing in our country would have expanded exponentially from the initial 2 to 67 laboratories nationwide.
And, Fellow Ghanaians, we have begun the process of manufacturing our own vaccines with the establishment of the National Vaccine Institute. The painful lesson from the pandemic about the access to vaccines certainly concentrated our minds, and we must be proud that we did not bow our heads in defeat, but used the crisis to achieve such a positive outcome. We now have in place a Vaccine Institute and two Vaccine Manufacturing plants: I commissioned that of Atlantic Life Sciences Limited last year, and a few weeks ago, I performed the sod-cutting ceremony of that of DEK Vaccines Ltd.
There is no question but that Ghana came out of this global catastrophe much better than many other countries, if we consider the rate of infection, hospitalization and deaths. We must recognize that this happened because we worked at it in a focused and competent manner.
We refused to be swayed by the populist noises, conspiracy theory peddlers, false and uninformed analysts, but rather we relied firmly on the science and data-driven information for guidance.
Contrary to what some foreign experts claimed, we do have a decentralized, resilient public health system, which reaches every corner of our country with highly competent and dedicated health workers – a public health system of which we can be justly proud.
When it was most needed, the health sector and religious and traditional leaders demonstrated admirable leadership. The private sector rose to the occasion and displayed innovation and dynamism.
We managed a strong community engagement and communication strategy which carried the entire population along, and was admired and praised by Ghanaians and the outside world. Among Ministries, Departments and Agencies, there was strong and palpable multisector collaboration.
It certainly also helped that we found the resources from the government, partners, individuals, corporate entities, and the public to support health workers and procurement of required materials. Fighting covid has been a very expensive undertaking characterized, as it was, by lockdowns, closed borders, minimal economic activity and the consequential steep decline in revenues. The testing for the millions who went to public laboratories; the quarantine of arrivals from outside the country, hospital admissions, treatments and feeding for all patients were publicly funded and cost vast sums of money. The vaccination programme was expensive, very expensive; even though we received some donated vaccines, we purchased a lot with our own resources, and the multiple country-wide vaccination campaigns cost a lot of money.
The fumigation, cleansing and disinfection of markets, schools, offices and other public spaces also cost a lot of money. Free water was provided, and the cost of electricity subsidized. Fifty-four thousand (54,000) additional health workers were hired, and all health workers obtained a tax rebate.
Fellow Ghanaians, keeping us all informed about this most unpredictable virus was expensive. A lot of money was spent on public education, public information, risk communication, public and community engagements and keeping us all abreast with the relevant information. We must thank the Ministry of Information and its agencies, and the National Commission for Civic Education for the exceptional work.
It took courage, and I am particularly happy that we reopened schools, colleges and universities at the time we did in spite of the fears of some parents and the condemnation of our critics. In some countries, millions of girls and boys did not return when schools eventually reopened after they had been kept shut for over a year. The logistics for keeping the schools open were huge and costly, but I am delighted that no Ghanaian child was left behind.
Let me make it clear that COVID expenditures, essentially unplanned, have been subject, at my instigation, to audit by the Auditor-General, and are going through parliamentary processes. We all deserve to be reassured that the crisis was not used as a cover for corrupt practices. The COVID Health Recovery Levy that was introduced to help fill some of the expenditure holes might not be the most popular tax, but I entreat all of you to bear with us. The Covid Trust Fund has performed an invaluable service, and with these developments has reached the end of its mandate. I thank the trustees as well as all donors and contributors to the fund.
It is likely, God willing, that this will be the last in the series of ‘Fellow Ghanaians’ speeches on COVID, and, as your President, I have a truly long list of people and institutions I must take this opportunity to thank.
I thank, firstly, all of you, my compatriots, my fellow Ghanaians, for your patience, understanding and cooperation; health workers and the scientific community. I thank the leaders of the faith-based groups, the Christian Council, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, the Ghana Charismatic and Pentecostal Council, the Chief Imam and the Moslem leaders, for their strong involvement, powerful prayers and support, their help especially in feeding the vulnerable during the lockdown periods, and, through the Church of Pentecost, in providing accommodation for an isolation and treatment centre. I thank the Council of State and our traditional leaders, the National and Regional Houses of Chiefs, for their support and help in community sensitization. I thank the political and business leaders; development partnerships, NGOs, civil society; the sports, hospitality, entertainment, creative and tourism industries; our security services – police, military, immigration; teachers, pupils, students, parents, and guardians; I thank the journalists and the entire media.
A few weeks ago, I gave National Honours to most of the frontline workers who had been in the trenches as it were in the COVID battle. A total of twenty thousand one hundred and ten (20,110) people were given National Honours. They were well deserved, but I know some might have been left out, not out of any malice. We continue to recognize those who come to our attention.
I must make special mention of the Environmental Health personnel of the Ministry of Local Government. They played a key role in the burials of COVID-related deaths. The private funeral homes deserve honourable mention. They set the pace for how funerals should be conducted within the COVID protocol restrictions and with cultural sensitivity.
In paying tribute to the health workers, I should address our psychologists and psychiatrists and express my gratitude for their work. Covid exacted an extreme emotional turbulence on the population and no one can predict how long the effects on our mental health will last and their work continues even after the end of the emergency.
I believe it would be appropriate to make also a special mention of the Ministry of Health and its implementing and regulatory agencies, the Christian Health Association of Ghana, the Military and Police Health Services, quasi-government, private health care providers and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), which has established itself as a world-class institution, able to hold its own on the international scene.
On behalf of the people of Ghana, I express eternal gratitude to the Police, the Immigration and the Military, and the two IGPs, two CDSs and Comptroller-General that have served during the period.
I pay homage to the pharmaceutical and textile industries, and to the many corporate bodies that made generous donations, and rallied to the call for enhanced domestic production of medical supplies. The Ghana Airport Company must be mentioned for the hard work of its staff. The Ghana Education Service and the Director-General that saw us through the school closures and re-openings, thank you. And thank you to its sister body, the Ghana Health Service and its dynamic Director-General, both of whom gave such impressive accounts of themselves during this crisis.
It would be greatly remiss of me not to place on record my appreciation to the National Ambulance Service and its workers. They worked well and we are proud of them. I acknowledge the fact that digital technologies and drones helped very much in getting vaccines and medications to hard-to-reach areas, and I am glad they have become an integral part of our health delivery system. If we were still looking for any proof, we found that the high use of mobile phones and the digitalization agenda helped in the surveillance process, particularly with contact tracing and patient follow-up.
I am indebted to the Ministers of State, officials of the Presidency, led by the Chief of Staff, the Parliament and the Judiciary, and all the members of the brilliant COVID-19 Taskforce. I must make special mention of the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who was my reliable source of support in the darkest and most trying moments.
And to the many who advised me publicly and privately, supported and prayed for me, I say thank you.
The emergency is over. Unfortunately, the consequences are very much still with us, especially in terms of the economic devastation it has left in its trail.
It would be recalled that I said, right at the onset of the pandemic, that we would do whatever it took to protect the lives of the Ghanaian people. In the now often quoted statement, I said “we know what to do to bring the economy back to life, but what we do not know is how to bring people back to life”. The clear implication was that we would protect lives even if it was at the risk of harming the economy.
I knew that the pandemic and the measures we were taking to keep us alive would have a devastating effect on the economy, but I believe I had the support of the Ghanaian people to concentrate on protecting lives at any cost; but I do not think anyone, anywhere, imagined the effect would be so widespread, so destructive and so deep.
I owe it to you, my compatriots, and to myself to go to any length to bring back the economy to the rude health it was in before the onset of the pandemic. When things came to the state where I concluded that we had to go to the International Monetary Fund to access a facility for budgetary support, I gave directives to the Minister for Finance to start the process.
It was a painful decision for me to take, because going to the IMF was not part of the economic transformation agenda I had been pursuing, especially as my government had gone the extra mile to bring to a successful end the IMF programme we inherited from the previous government. But who would have imagined that President Akufo-Addo would order the closure of airports, offices, factories or schools. We were in extraordinary times and we took extraordinary measures, and when faced with the realities of the economic crisis last year, I accepted the challenge that the economy required a similar attitude, including the sacrifices many of us have made in recent times.
Luckily, the International Monetary Fund has been most supportive, and we have ended up with having our programme approved in record time, culminating in the formal approval by the IMF Board on 17th May. As I am sure we have all heard by now, the details of the programme have been explained by officials of the Fund and by our Minister for Finance and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana.
The first tranche of six hundred (600) million US dollars has been credited to our national account, out of the three (3) billion US dollars that we have negotiated to receive within a period of thirty-six (36) months.
Fellow Ghanaians, access to the IMF facility will not spell the immediate end of the difficulties we are in presently, but the fact that we have been able to negotiate such a deal sends a positive message to our trading partners, creditors and investors; a positive message that will be underpinned by the discipline, hard work and enterprise with which we execute the programme.
It should lead to the restoration of confidence and the reopening of avenues that had been closed to us this past year and a half. It should also lead to the resumption of many of the infrastructural projects that have stalled.
Fellow Ghanaians, we got ourselves out of a pandemic in which there were no precedents on which to rely, and where even the experts admitted they had no clear-cut solutions. We did it by being resolute, being focused and working very hard, and by accepting that we had to stick together.
With a similar frame of mind and attitude, we shall overcome the economic difficulties as well, sooner rather than later. I have no doubts at all in my mind that we are on the right path, and we would soon start to see significant improvements in the economy and in the living standards of Ghanaians.
Twi,
Anuanom, Nyame adom, Covid Yare3 no a 3to hy33 yen so, na 3de )haw bebree br3 yen no, Nyame adaworoma, y’atumi atu ase3. Me sr3 mo, mo mma y3n nyinaa nda Nyame ase, na y3n k) so hw3 y3n ho so yie
Ga,
Anyemim3, Nyonmor dromo naa, COVID hela niba wono, ni eke hawmo babaoo ba, nyonmor 3joo wo, wo nye wofal3shi.
Wo f33 woda nyomo shi ni wokw3 woh3no ojogban.
We are a God-fearing and a God-loving nation, and that is why throughout my presidency, I have consistently stressed that the Battle is the Lord’s. Thus, three years ago, when the pandemic first hit us, I asked for a National Day of Prayer and Fasting for God’s help to be observed on 25th March, 2020. Now that the Lord has heard our prayers and seen us through this COVID trial, I would respectfully ask that next Friday, i.e. 2nd June, all Muslims should say a special prayer of gratitude for our nation’s health, and that next Saturday and Sunday, i.e. 3rd and 4th June, all Christians should do the same. Fellow Ghanaians, we shall overcome our present economic difficulties. The Battle is indeed the Lord’s. Goodnight, and may God bless us all and our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong. I thank you.
Projects that were put on hold as a result of efforts to obtain a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), according to President Akufo-Addo, will resume shortly.
The President gave this assurance when he addressed the nation in his 29th update on measures taken against the spread of Coronavirus and an update on the IMF programme.
The president in his update warned that the IMF programme will not bring an immediate end to Ghana’s economic woes but said he is confident it will bring confidence to the Ghanaian economy.
“Fellow Ghanaians, access to the IMF facility will not spell the immediate end of the difficulties we are in presently, but the fact that we have been able to negotiate such a deal sends a positive message to our trading partners, creditors and investors; a positive message that will be underpinned by the discipline, hard work and enterprise with which we execute the programme.
“It should lead to the restoration of confidence and the reopening of avenues that had been closed to us this past year and a half. It should also lead to the resumption of many of the infrastructural projects that have stalled.”
The Executive Board of the International MonetaryFundon May 17 approved a $3 billion credit facility to Ghana to help revive the ailing economy after months of negotiations.
The first tranche of $600 million of the facility hit the country’s account with the reminder $2.4 billion to be disbursed over a two-year period.
Clergywoman, Becky Paul-Enenche has admonished married women to refrain from invading their husbands’ privacy.
In her message tochurchmembers, she warned them against checking their husband’s phones.
Becky who has been married to Pastor Paul Enechie for 29 years, asked women to mind their business.
She said;
“Don’t have secrets with each other. Women let me beg you, if your husband discloses a secret to you, let him not hear it from your brother’s mouth or from your sister’s mouth or from your colleague in the office.
A Ghanaian artist, King Promise, made an impression on one of his female followers at a recent concert at the recently concluded Pent Hall Week that took place at the University of Ghana.
This heartwarming incident unfolded when King Promisepresented his white vest to a devoted fan, leading to an emotional moment that left the crowd touched and inspired.
The Pent Hall Week invasion concert, held over the weekend, was an electrifying event that brought together music artistes and music lovers from all over different campuses in Ghana together.
King Promise, known for his soulful voice and captivating stage presence, took the stage and delivered a performance that enthralled the audience.
Little did he know that one of his gestures would have a profound impact on a particular fan.
Amidst the energetic atmosphere, King Promise noticed a passionate female fan standing close to the stage, singing along to every word and tapping her feet to the beat of the music.
Impressed by her enthusiasm, he decided to make her experience even more memorable as he performed one of his popular songs, the singer removed his white vest and handed it to the overwhelmed fan who had stretched out her hand.
As the fan received the unexpected gift from her idol, she was overcome with a mix of emotions.
The combination of shock, joy, and gratitude made her wig slip off her head, adding a touch of unintentional humour to the moment.
It was evident that the fan was profoundly moved and tears welled up in her eyes as she clutched the vest close to her heart.
Ghanaian Neo-Soul and Afro-Soul singerEfya, as she is known in the music business, has professed her admiration and love for Blakk Rasta, a well-known radio host and performer.
In her words, Blakk Rasta is a person she respects and there is no way she will ever forget to know him and his contributions to the industry.
She stated: “Oh yes, I’ll never not know that man ever again in my life. I’ll know him every day, forever and ever and I pay respect to him for his job and everything he does.”
As earlier reported by GhanaWeb, on February 2, 2023, Efya in an interview with GHone TV was quizzed if she knew the radio presenter, Blakk Rasta.
In her response, she answered by saying that she doesn’t know him including Blakk Rasta’s personality and his works.
She said: Who is that? He is a rapper; he is what? He’s a radio journalist? But journalists say what they want. They don’t care. I don’t think I know who he is. What does he do, radio?
The host in order to help the singer recall the radio presenter sangBlakk Rasta’s popular song, ‘Barack Obama’ that was when she remembered the name sounded familiar to him.
“Oh, that funny man, yeah yeah yeah. He does funny songs, right? Listen, everyone for himself, God for us all”, she stated.
Blakk Rasta then replied to the comment she passed but was livid when Efya said he does funny songs. This, therefore, generated some tension between the singer and the radio presenter.
Efya, in an interview with Asempa 94.7 cleared the air by stating that she mistook Blakk Rasta for someone else which is why she denied knowing him earlier on.
She said: “I mistook him for someone else, yeah that is why”.
In light of her performances and the quantity of songs she has recorded, Fantana cannot claim to be the biggest female dancehall musician in Ghana, according to creative director/artist management Bullgod.
He added that for someone to declare him or herself as the biggest artiste, then that person must have a number of songs or catalogs to do that as well as shows and works to serve as proof, therefore, Fantana has not obtained that level yet.
Appearing as a guest on United Showbiz hosted byMzGee, he made such claims.
“She crosses over. How did she become the biggest? How many works does she have? If you weigh the matter, she’s not. You need to have a number of catalogs to do that.
Citing Ebony as an example, he said Ebony can be called the biggest female dancehall artiste in Ghana because she has the music and other things to show as evidence that she is.
“If I am going to say Ebony is a dancehall artiste, till today, her catalogs are there to show. Even if she is not even here, bless his soul. She is one of the biggest ever till today”, he said.
He went ahead to list a number of Ghanaian musicians who can boldly call themselves big artists and they include Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, and Samini.
He explained: “For somebody to say there are big, if Sarkodie says he’s big, there are works to show, If Shatta Wale says he’s big, there are works to show, Stonebwoy, Samini, you know Catalog and Fantana doesn’t have it. She is talented, she is beautiful, and has everything to be the biggest. Maybe she is speaking into her future so when she comes, she should work towards that and shouldn’t be based on words”.
On May 19, 2023, Fantana who has landed her role in one of the hottest Africa reality television series, ‘Young, Famous, and African’, in an introduction on an episode of the series mentioned that She is the biggest female dancehall artiste in Ghana.
Her declaration aroused several reactions from some netizens and other people who know much about music and through the statement she made, Bulldog also shared his opinion on the issue.
