Samuel Dubik Mahama, the managing director of the Electricity Company of Ghana(ECG), has said that, in the final round of its exercise, the company’s revenue mobilization team will disconnect businesses and houses due the ECG without consideration.
According to him, the public is fully aware of the exercise and that the team will not negotiate with any entity before disconnecting.
Speaking on Citi TV’s Face to Face programme, Mr. Dubik Mahama reiterated that the company has given its debtors enough grace period.
“This is the last week of the exercise, nobody is taking excuses, if you haven’t paid, the conversation has gone on for far too long. Anybody who doesn’t pay will be off the grid. The warnings started on March 20. Before we started, there was a countdown. Does that mean that you don’t take us seriously? The funny thing is when you take them off the grid, they find money to pay. That is when they realise that ECG is actually cheap,” he cautioned.
Mr. Dubik Mahama added that he will not succumb to any pressure from some people in authority to compel him put a stop to the revenue mobilization exercise.
“I have been given a mandate and I’m delivering to its fullest. I have been given the fullest support. Fantastic support from my Minister of Energy [Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh]. Fantastic support from my board, I have to doff my hats out to thePresident Akufo-Addo. My family they love me for what I’m doing. they [family] don’t even have the moral rights to beg on behalf of anybody owing us,” the Managing Director of ECG indicated.
Global Media Alliance has declared that it is poised to host the prestigious Ghana Beverage Awards (GBA), which will take place for the seventh time on April 21 at the plush Kempinski Gold Coast City in Accra.
According to the organizers, the awards night promises patrons a night full of captivating experiences whiles rewarding the ingenuity and effort of players in the beverage industry.
Speaking ahead of the event, CEO of Global Media Alliance, Ernest Boateng, lauded the participating beverage companies for their high level of participation in all activities that were earmarked to herald the awards night.
“As organizers, we followed with keen interest the high levels of energy and enthusiasm that were channelled into the various activities held to herald the main event and I must say that year’s participation has been exceptional.
“We would like to express our sincerest gratitude for your commitment, and we make a solemn promise to innovate and make GBA always worth looking forward to.
Since its inception, the awards scheme has grown on all levels including the number of votes, entries and categories; a true reflection of your growing acceptance of the scheme which we never take for granted.
“As always, we will continue to welcome and acknowledge your feedback, as part of efforts to cement the scheme’s position as a reference point for excelling beverage companies who have demonstrated commitment to satisfying the ever-changing needs of consumers,” he said.
He noted that his outfit is committed to providing an unforgettable experience for patrons and well-wishers of the beverage industry.
“Our theme which inspires excellence is the benchmark of experience we seek to give patrons of the night. Trust our highly experienced team of event managers to exceed the expectations of patrons.”
GBA is proudly supported by the Food and Beverage Association of Ghana (FABAG), Consumer Protection Agency (CPA), Food Research Institute (FRI) under CSIR, Silverbird Cinemas, Perception Management International (PMI), Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA).
Fourteencomputersbelonging to the Visually Impaired Department of Okuapeman Senior High School (SHS) in the Akuapem North Municipality of the Eastern Region, have been stolen by some robbers.
The alleged thieves, embarked on the operation during the Easter break at the School Laboratory by taking away 10 desktop computers, four laptops and a sound system used for the Oral English test during the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
A Police source, who confirmed the incident, said the stolen computers are the only gadgets the students use in training for internal and external West African Examination Council (WAEC) organised exams.
He explained that the stolen items are going to affect the preparation of students towards WASSCE and the conduct of the exams if not replaced in due time.
However, information gathered from the school indicated that several students do not know how to use Braille, and the computer is the only medium they are familiar with in writing exams.
“We are appealing to the Government of Ghana, corporate institutions, churches and individuals to help the school with about 20 desktop computers, 10 laptops and a sound system by July to help students write the exams successfully,” a source said.
Meanwhile, the Headmaster of the school, Reverend Richard Koranteng Afari, when contacted, said the issue has been reported to the police and investigations are underway.
Paul Andoh has been proposed as the new chief executive for the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai Municipal Assembly in the Western North Region by President Akufo-Addo.
He is set to replace Alfred Amoah, who died in a motor accident in July, last year.
Mr Amoah was returning to his municipality after an official meeting of all metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) at the Jubilee House.
The notice of the nominee was given to the Western North Minister by the Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Dan Botwe.
President Akufo-Addo nominated Mr Andoh in accordance with Article 243(1) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 20(1) of theLocal Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936).
“In view of this nomination, a special meeting would soon be held to confirm the nominee,” Western North Region Minister Joojo Rocky Obeng wrote to the Assembly on Tuesday, April 18.
Managing director of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Jerry K. Hinson, has referred to attempts by some firm employees to participate in industrial action as unethical.
In a letter to the workers, Mr Hinson warned that any worker who participates in the illegal strike action or picketing will be dealt with according to the laws.
At a press conference at the forecourt of TOR, Mr Bernard Owusu, National Chairman of GTPCWU, said the industrial action would precede the May Day celebrations.
He added that the workers plan to picket at the Jubilee House, the Ministry of Energy, and other strategic locations after meetings with management and government officials yielded no result.
“At a time of ongoing financial distress and debt restructuring program, significant benefits of this magnitude in an essential commodity such as petroleum products should be top on the national agenda. Unless the managers of the country have no confidence in those they have appointed to manage the TOR facility. The state is responsible for and determines those who constitute the Board of Directors and the MD of TOR. Therefore, all past and current operational anomalies and challenges must be borne by the appointing authority of these key critical office holders, knowing very well that all operational controls are a function of management.”
But in a letter to the workers, the TOR MD reminded workers that various procedures to address their challenges and grievances have not been exhausted, hence any attempt to embark on industrial action is unlawful and a breach of the Labour Act.
“Kindly be aware of the illegality of any such actions under clauses 168- 1 71 of the Labour Act and the consequences thereunder for participants/staff involved. Please be aware of section 171 in particular which emphasises the term “picketing” which is only lawful in furtherance of a lawful strike/industrial action.”
“Kindly be advised finally that participation of staff in any illegal action or picketing or indeed any act that purports to disrupt the activities of the Company or possibly undermine the authority of the Shareholder will be subjected to the prescribed ramifications under the relevant laws.”
The Managing Director of theElectricity Company of Ghana(ECG), Samuel Dubik Mahama has said that the company regrets allowing former President John Dramani Mahama pay for electricity consumed.
According to him, the business is in charge of reading the former president’s meter and delivering the bills to the Chief of Staff’s office for payment, a part the company has failed to play.
“We collate the bills of the former Presidents and take them to the Chief of Staff to pay. Former President Kufour’s bills were with us. We’ve given them to the Chief of Staff, and she has worked on them. We also had former President John Mahama’s own… We got in touch with him, and we realized that he has already been paying his own bills. So moving forward, we will discuss with him so that his bills will be absorbed,” he said.
The Managing Director explained that the company will rectify the situation to ensure that the former Presidentdoes not pay his own electricity bills going forward.
“So, from now onwards we are going to have discussions with him (John Mahama) so that moving forward it would be absorbed.
“I won’t put the blame at his doorsteps or make it political, it is my office, we were supposed to read his meter and take action by informing him that we will handle it, so, we now have put those structures in place after a very comprehensive conversation with the Chief of Staff.
“…so, we had a meeting with the Chief of Staff and she told us her piece of mind and she told us exactly what we have to do because a lot of people would like to drop the problem at the political doorstep which is wrong,” he stated.
He added that the Chief of Staff criticized the company for not fulfilling its obligations to former President Mahama the same way it does for former President Kufuor.
In 2022, former President Mahama disclosed that since he left office in 2017, the only benefit he receives from the government is his monthly pension. He added that he pays all his utility bills, which he believes should have been covered by the government.
“I receive only my monthly pension like President Kufuor and President Rawlings was receiving before he died. That is all I get.
“I pay the electricity bill for my house and my office, I pay the water bill for my house and my office. I live in my own accommodation so the State does not pay me anything for accommodation,” Mr Mahama said.
A member of the Communications Team of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Sammy Ayeh, has said that has no hand in current economic recovery of the country.
Inflation for the month of March lowered to 45 percent from 52.8 percent in February, earning the praise of the Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA).
The country is also nearing its negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the Executive Board’s approval of the $3 billion being sought.
Speaking on TV3‘s New Day on Wednesday, April 19, Dr Ayeh said the marginal improvement in economic conditions in the country has nothing to do with any policies of the government.
There is no ingenuity on the part of the government for what is being witnessed, he insisted.
“They have no hand in it,” he added.
He said no policy by government can take Ghana out of the current economic “mess” created by the Akufo-Addo-led government.
Dr Ayeh cited how the President had been flying in luxurious jets at the expense of the tax payer while government expenditure ballooned within a short spate of time.
He expressed doubt that the current alternative proposal to roll out another debt restructuring programme will yield any positive result.
The minister of works and housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has emphasized that efforts by the government to stop persistent flooding around the nation will be ineffective if people keep erecting buildings in prohibited locations.
The ministry maintains that government is working assiduously to ensure that adequate drains are constructed to prevent flooding when it rains.
In a media interview, the sector minister called on the public to desist from building on waterways.
“We recognise the need to improve drainage infrastructure in many other communities across the country, which is a subject of an ongoing engagement with the Ministry of Finance. Notwithstanding these efforts by the government, human activities undermine the impact of government’s investment to mitigate flood risk. We need citizens to support government’s efforts by respecting rules and regulations, government’s settlements planning and avoiding building on waterways and drainage,” Asenso-Boakye urged.
The Ministry of Works and Housing further disclosed that, as part of strategies to tackle flooding in vulnerable communities, the government is collaborating with the World Bank to invest $200 million through the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development Project (GARID).
President Akufo-Addo has officially cut sod for the development of DEKs Vaccines Ltd, a group of Ghanaian pharmaceutical enterprises.
According to President Akufo-Addo, the construction of the vaccine manufacturing plant “will help our nation realise the dream of becoming self-sufficient in the production and manufacture of vaccines”.
Speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, 18th April 2023, at Media, in the Ga West Municipality, the President indicated that the vision to manufacture vaccines in Ghana began on 28th February, 2021, in update 24 of what has come to be known as the “Fellow Ghanaians” series of addresses to the nation.
“The vaccine nationalism that was played out by the developed world, with the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, meant that we had to take urgent, critical steps towards making sure that never again would we be victims or pawns of the international vaccine order. It was imperative that we took our destiny into our own hands,” he said.
To this end, President Akufo-Addo indicated that he established a committee, under the chairmanship of the former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, to formulate a concrete plan of action towards domestic vaccine development and manufacturing.
This plan of action, he explained, culminated in the announcement of the establishment, in July 2021, of the National Vaccine Institute, with seed funding of $25 million from the European Investment Bank.
“Indeed, some two (2) months ago, on 14th February 2023, the National Vaccine Institute Bill 2022 was enacted by Parliament, for which I have given assent, and whose Board of Directors will soon be outdoored,” the President said. President Akufo-Addo cuts sod for vaccine manufacturing plant
He continued, “Its establishment has enabled the National Vaccine Institute work in unison with Ministries, Departments and Agencies in Ghana, to boost our country’s capacity to be self-reliant in the production of vaccines, and bring all of us to this gathering where work on the construction of DEKs Vaccines Ltd will soon begin.”
Whilst appreciating the COVAX, AU and AVATT in COVID-19 vaccine supply initiatives, President Akufo-Addo indicated that Ghana is also venturing into vaccine development and manufacturing with her sister African countries of Rwanda and Senegal, so as to become vaccine manufacturing hubs in sub-Saharan Africa.
“The National Vaccine Institute will co-ordinate and facilitate the capacity of DEKS Vaccines Ltd and other domestic pharmaceutical companies, such as Atlantic LifeSciences, a company operating under Government’s 1-District-1-Factory Programme, which I commissioned in April 2022, to fill, finish and package mRNA COVID-19 and other vaccines such as those against malaria and tuberculosis,” the President said.
He stated that, in the short term of two years, DEKs Vaccines Ltd will fill, finish, and package COVID-19 and the other vaccines for those against malaria and tuberculosis.
“In the medium-term, that is in five (5) years, the target is to continue the establishment of more domestic vaccine manufacturing plants in the country to manufacture vaccines to meet WHO GMP standards, with the long-term target being to produce a candidate vaccine in ten (10) years, using innovative technologies,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo thanked the German Government, its agency GIZ, the Consortium of International Partners, the European Investment Bank, which provided the five-million-euro (€5 million) grant to kickstart the project, and the European Union, which have been assisting Ghana in this endeavour.
He also thanked the chairperson and members of the Presidential Committee on Vaccine Manufacturing “for the excellent work they have done so far in bringing us to this point.”
At Oyarifain the Dodowa District, the Electricity Company of Ghana has seized more than 40 bogus meters.
The task force discovered the fake meters on their routine checks to inspect the health of ECG meters.
The Commercial Manager of the Accra East Region, Jonathan Asatente indicated that the power distribution company has been facing such incidents for some time now, but it always finds it difficult to apprehend the culprits because persons hardly volunteer information to it.
“Even if it is our staff that is behind this, we are ready to take them on, but it is difficult to find the truth because the people here are not willing to open up to us.”
“Some of the customers have been using these meters for years and it is just a few of them that were truthful enough to come and notify us,” Mr. Asatente added.
The Public Relations Manager of the Accra East Region of ECG also disclosed that the ECG has been to the area sometime back and removed those meters only to return to meet them reconnected.
“Some of the team came here first and noticed that there were meters that were not from the ECG, and so we removed some of them but as we came today, we realized that they have reconnected again. It is difficult to tell the number of customers that are involved but at the end of the day, we will find out the numbers involved.”
Member of parliament for Bortianor-Ngleshie-Amanfro, Sylvester Matthew Tetteh, has criticized member of parliament for Ningo Prampram, Sam Nartey George, for chastising the Akufo-Addo-led administration over the current state of the economy.
Speaking on a panel discussion on TV3’s ‘The Big Issue’ programme, on Monday, Sam George said that the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government are full of thieves, whose only aim is to steal from the people of Ghana.
He said that after stealing all the country’s resources, the government is now going into the pockets of Ghanaians to also steal them through its domestic exchange programme,
“The recklessness and callousness of these bunch of kleptocrats that we have running this country are…,” Sam George was saying before he was interjected by Sylvester Tetteh.
The MP for Bortianor-Ngleshie-Amanfro described Sam George’s comments as uncivilised and urged the host of the programme to check him.
“The words being used are not the best… We should have a very civil conversation… you come to a programmeand all you get is insults,” he said.
Sam George rebutted; “there can be no civility when you are stealing from me, you are stealing from my parent, you are stealing from our grandparents and you say I should be civil”.
Sylvester Tetteh, who was getting frustrated, berated Sam George for his comments saying, “a lot of people are watching including our kids. You don’t come on TV and come and insult people.
“We come and sit on national television and all we heap on the good people of this country is full of insults. Why are you not discussing issues, the content of the subject matter you are not discussing it and you come here and insult people? What kind of attitude is this.”
According toErnest Owusu Bempah, the NPP’s deputy communications director, President Akufo-Addo’s initiatives have already placed the party in a strong position to govern the country come 2024.
According to him, Akufo-Addo’s sterling performance has given the NPP a message that it can use to convince the people of Ghana to help the NPP ‘break the 8’.
Speaking in an interview on Onua TV, on Monday, monitored by GhanaWeb, Owusu Bempah added that one of the policies that Ghanaians will be forever grateful to Akufo-Addo for is the “almighty” Free Senior High School (Free SHS).
“Akufo-Addo has laid a foundation for us to take a very critical message to the people of Ghana (for the 2024 elections).“He (Akufo-Addo) has done a lot of things. First of all, you can speak of the social intervention policies including the almighty Free SHS policy.
“This policy will have a sterling impact on the ordinary Ghanaian.Today people who could not dream of having secondary education are in school,” he said in Twi.
He also said that the major opposition political party, which is the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said the implementation of the Free SHS policy was impossible, but today it has been rolled out and ordinary Ghanaiansare benefiting from it.
“Free SHS policy is very important, it is a key fundamental … forget about the problems we are facing including the shortage of food and infrastructure issues. The most important thing is that the policy has been implemented,” he added.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, vice president, claims that Africa’s continued reliance on basic commodities is hindering its economic development.
Dr. Bawumia says the situation is forcing many African governments to manage crises due to external shocks.
Speaking at the Harvard University’s Africa Development Conference in the United States over the weekend, Dr. Bawumia said African countries must shift from raw material production to value addition.
“The reliance on primary commodities has made African countries vulnerable to external shocks. As a result, the focus of economic management by successive African governments since independence has been crisis management as a result of factors such as an increase in oil prices, collapse in commodity prices, debt unsustainability, macro-instability and so on.
“Governments have by and large not focused on the underlying system that underpins economic activities and economic growth. Our focus has always been on managing crisis of one nature or the other,” the Vice President said.
Dr. Bawumia further urged, “Our generation needs to break the shackles of the impossibility mindset and embrace the mindset of possibility! It is time for us to figure out the best ways to be masters of our destiny, to chart our own path and develop on our own terms. It is possible!”
The Managing Director of theElectricity Company of Ghana(ECG), has said that preparations are being made to launch a new initiative that would concentrate on unauthorized power connections in the country.
According to Samuel Mahama, illegal connections cost grave losses to his outfit, therefore, the need for the outfit to undertake the exercise.
He further added that people who would be culpable of the act will be tried in court for stealing.
“So let’s take it that I am giving everyone a head start. Anybody who believes their meter has been tampered with and there is a bypass, note that the utility court is being set up and you are going to be charged with stealing.
“You will not be charged with bypass and we know stealing is imprisonment, so if you’ve bypassed the meter please correct it,” he said on Tuesday.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Mr Mahama used the platform to caution people who are illegally connected to the grid or using fake meters to address the issue before the exercise is rolled out.
He stressed that there will be no favours on the day of reckoning.
“This thing is a big moral and responsibility and values fight. We need to stop,” he stressed.
Mr Mahama decried the losses the power distributing company has endured due to the illicit behaviour.
Citing a newspaper, he said illegal connections cost ECG at least GH₵2 billion.
“For every percentage lost, it costs ECG GH₵100 million, and right now, ECG’s losses is at about 28 percent so that is GH₵2.8 billion,” he stated.
In March, the power-distributing company started an ambitious programme to recover GH₵5.7 billion owed by its customers.
Private manufacturing industries and mining firms are the highest debtors, followed by some government institutions.
Touching on the topic, ECG’s Managing Director said his outfit is halfway through the debt collection exercise.
A lady, Bogpoka Banga is said to have murdered her 39-year-old husband, Agyei Abanga in their bedroom at Logre, Nabdam District,Upper East Region.
A report by the Chronicles newspaper on April 18, 2023, stated that the deceased’s body was found by family members after his first child (daughter), who escaped from her mother, informed her grandmother and the rest of the family about the issue.
The culprit is said to have run to nearbyWalewalewith three of their children.
The newspaper reported that the daughter informed the extended family that her father was hit with an object, locked up and asked to leave for Walewale.
Bawa Dagal-Kurug, head of the bereaved family, said, shortly after they received the news, they searched for her whereabouts.
He gave an account of the issue to the newspaper.
“He lives in his house with his wife alone, though he used to live in the extended family with us. He still has a room here. His name is Agyei, a contractor. He has four kids; the eldest among them came to the extended family to report that their mother woke them up early at dawn with them (the kids). The kids told her grandmother that she has seen the mother lock up their father in a room, with blood all over the place,” he said.
He added that when she is found, she will be made to face justice for the crime committed.
The police command in the Nabdam district, Inspector Amado Zakaria, said his outfit will work hand-in-hand with the family to ensure the culprit is arrested.
Seth Gyimah, also known as Freezy MacBones, a light-heavyweight boxer from Ghana based in UK, has recounted his first interaction with former British World Champion Antony Joshua.
Speaking in a recent interview, the new Ghanaian sensational boxer disclosed that Anthony Joshua was the first to reach out to him although he has always been a big fan of his.
Recounting his first interaction with the British-Nigerian champion, Freezy MacBones stated that it still feels surreal to have Antony Joshua as a friend who continuously checks up on him after every fight.
“I don’t know where he got my number, I was sleeping and he called me on Facetime,” Freezy MacBones said in an interview with GTV.
He added, “I was so shocked it was Antony Joshua. He always checks up on me, even in my first fight he called me and said congratulations, you worked so hard and deserve everything.”
According to him, at the start of the year 2023,Anthony Joshua rewarded him with cash.
“At the beginning of the year, he called me to check up again and said send me your bank account and I said champ, don’t do that, the next day he reminded me again and he sent me $5,000,” Freezy MacBones stated.
Freezy MacBones went viral after he pummelled Darryl Sharp to win their Light Heavyweight bout in the United Kingdom.
The boxer’s life-changing story from being a laborer to becoming a boxer in the United Kingdom has inspired many.
Vivian Boadi, the Produce Buying Company‘s (PBC) deputy CEO and finance director, has stated that the company’s current state should not be blamed on management.
“The losses didn’t start in 2020 or 2021. The losses of PBC started way back in 2013. And that is where I would want everybody to know that it’s not as it’s being portrayed that the current management is the cause of the company’s downward trend of the market share,” Madam Boadi stated in an interview on JoyNews.
JoyNews’ investigations have since revealed that the country’s biggest indigenous cocoa-buying company, PBC, risks a possible collapse following its steep decline in market share from 30.88 per cent to 8 per cent over the last five years.
In January last year, the management of the company hinted at downsizing its staff because it was unable to meet financial and operational obligations to its workers.
In August 2022,managementissued a memo it was unable to pay salaries to staff. It’s now a tale of huge debts, fallen revenue, tonnes of cocoa beans stuck in the farms and produce clerks engaged in double trading to survive.
To this end, Madam Boadi said although the firm was on the verge of collapse, she maintained that management made efforts to sustain the company in the face of bankruptcy.
She disclosed that the decision made by the PBC in 2022 to lay off some of its staff was in an attempt to cut down expenditures.
The PBC Deputy CEO explained that at a point in 2021, there was 1200 staff enlisted on the payroll of the PBC, but there has been a reduction to 748 staff members.
However, she further claimed that management has come to the realisation that the business could still be able to operate effectively if the number of 748 staff is further reduced.
Subsequently, Madam Boadi stated that because they cut down on expenses, the Company was able to gain a major profit of ¢1.5 million, which made it possible for the company to thrive despite encountering financial challenges.
Also, she stressed that “If you check from 2021, we paid staff salary the whole twelve months. We didn’t have any problem with cash flow. In 2022, we had issues. Even at that time, the company was even able to go to CBG to borrow some money to be able to do the pre-seasonal purchases before the COCOBOD seed fund came.”
However, the Public Affairs Manager of COCOBOD, Fiifi Boafo has also expressed his concern about the fall of PBC.
He explained that the PBC, despite its challenges remained a trusted license-buying company, and that “COCOBOD has been working in ensuring that we are able to help them with capital for their business.”
Themilitary shouldn’t be a part of the primary security taskforce for the 2024 general elections, according to security analyst Dr. Adam Bonaa.
He said they should just be on standby for support if need be.
“They should not be part of the core tasksforce for the elections, they should be on standby,” he said on the Big Issue on TV3 Tuesday April 18.
Dr Bonaa was commenting on the meeting that the Police held with the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Monday.
The meeting which was called at the instance of the Inspector-General of Police was necessitated by press statements issued by the parties and subsequently followed by petitions to the Police Service with each party calling on the Police to arrest certain individuals of the other side for some alleged offences.
At the meeting, both parties were given the opportunity to air their grievances.
The main issue raised by them was in respect to comments by some political actors from both sides of the divide considered to be inflammatory.
The Police told the leadership of NDC and the NPP not to interfere with their job.
The Police said in a statement after a meeting with the leadership of the two parties that they “should do their politics and allow the Police to do policing. We therefore called on them to support us including by criticising us constructively to do a professional job in line with our constitutional mandate.
As we commend the leadership of the two political parties for availing themselves and contributing to the success of the meeting, we would like to call on Ghanaians to help us in our effort to build an independent Police service which will serve the greater good of the Ghanaian people and not the interest of any individual or group of people.
“Once again, we wish to assure the public that we remain committed to ensuring peace, security, law and order in the country at all times including before, during and after all elections in the country,” the statement said.
According to reports, President Akufo-Addo intends to nominate Justice Gertrude Araba Esabaa Torkornoo, a member of the Supreme Court, for confirmation by Parliament as the next Chief Justice.
According to the sources, the Council of State has already given the green light for Justice Torkornoo’s appointment and the President would soon forward her name to Parliament for approval, in accordance with Article 144(1) of the 1992 Constitution.
When approved by Parliament, Justice Torkornoo will replace Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, who retires as Chief Justice on May 24, 2023 when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 for justices of theCourt of Appealand the Supreme Court.
When she gets the nod from Parliament, the 60-year-old Justice Torkornoo will become the third female Chief Justice in the history of Ghana, following the footsteps of Justices Georgina Theodora Wood and Sophia Akuffo.
Justice Torkornoo will be President Akufo-Addo’s third appointment to the office of Chief Justice since he assumed office in January 2017.
Dr. Nana Yaw Peprah, acting program manager for theGhana Health Service‘s (GHS) National Malaria Elimination Program, has refuted allegations that industry actors purposefully launched the new R21 malaria vaccine a few days after the new mosquito strain was identified.
The vaccine was developed by Oxford Universityand manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) disclosed that it has given market authorisation to the new malaria vaccine – R21.
The FDA says after a thorough evaluation of the quality, efficacy, and safety of the vaccine, they realized that the benefits far outweigh the risks.
A similar malaria vaccine RTS, S which was the world’s first malaria vaccine was also developed in 2019 for children between 6 months upwards.
A new strain of mosquito, Anopheles stephensi, was discovered in parts of the capital Accra-Tuba and Dansoman, a few days after the announcement of the approval of a malaria vaccine -R21, for use in Ghana.
Some Ghanaians argued that the new vaccine was introduced in an attempt to compel Ghanaians to accept the new vaccine.
But reacting to this on the Citi Breakfast Show with Bernard Avle, Dr. Peprah explained, “We can’t conclude that it’s about money. It’s difficult, but it wasn’t a deliberate attempt to bring these two together [RTS,S and R21-vaccines]. It’s just happened that we have identified a strain of mosquito which we think can only be contained when all stakeholders come on board. They started working on the R21 vaccine 30 years ago, so it’s not like a new thing that we are trying to put together with the mosquito new species. So there is no evil thought with this”.
He said industry players are excited about vaccines due to the important roles they play in the fight against malaria.
“We are excited about vaccines because we believe that they are important in this fight, vaccines are part of the interventions we are using. In fact, we are using it in high-burden areas. Whether it’s RTS,S or R21 vaccine, it all depends on the approval processes. As at when it’s available to be used, we will use it, we are really excited about it [R21-vaccine]. It’s early days yet, we have to wait for clinical trials because that is when donors come in,” he asserted.
Acting Programme Manager, National Malaria Elimination Programme of Ghana Health Service disclosed that the country was able to discover the new breed of mosquito through surveillance.
“The new breed adapts easily, it’s very dynamic, it’s able to live in both clean and dirty waters. That makes it a very deadly one in that it can increase in population. It has resistance issues unlike the ones we are used to, which is why it has become an issue. We know that mosquito flies, and have been found in Africa, it’s moving all around the place, and until you put surveillance, you may not identify it even if it exists. We were able to pick it up through surveillance,” he underscored.
He said despite the new breed of mosquito, they are confident of containing malaria, calling on the public to be involved to help contain the new breed.
“We are calling on the communities to ensure that we are able to contain the Anopheles stephensi. We are doing a lot to contain it. We have zero confidence of containing malaria,” he stated.
April 25 is slated for the celebration of Malaria Day at the International Conference Center dubbed ‘zero malaria’.
According to Isaac Opoku Asamoah, a senior technical official at theGreater AccraRegional TB Control, Ghana has 125 new cases of tuberculosis (TB) and 30 fatal cases each day.
He said tuberculosis is a silent killer, and adults in most parts of the developing world, including Ghana, are unknowingly exposed to TB bacteria.
Asamoah, who was speaking with the Ghana News Agency, mentioned that the progression from latent to active TB disease depends on the individual’s immunity.
He said among people with a higher risk of progressing to the disease are smokers, alcoholics, prisoners, people living in crowded and poorly ventilated rooms, mineworkers and individuals exposed to silica.
The technical officer said individuals with lowered immunity caused by medical conditions such as HIV, diabetes, cancer, kidney failure and malnutrition are also at higher risk.
Asamoah said the 2023 World TB Day in Ghana was commemorated with a series of activities, including nationwide screening, especially in densely populated communities, intensifying advocacy and sensitisation, among others.
He said that the Ghana Paediatric Society had offered a webinar to paediatricians to increase their awareness of childhood TB and enable them to screen more children in all facilities.
He said, “This is because TB in children is difficult to diagnose, and research done last year in Komfo Anokye [Teaching Hospital] found 50 TB cases among severely ill children on admission from January to June.”
Asamoah stressed that TB is a preventable and curable disease and said free diagnosis and treatment are available at all public and accredited private health facilities.
Director general of the National Lotteries Authority (NLA), Sammi Awuku, has endorsed vice president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) candidate for the 2024 general elections.
Awuku, who is also the former National Organizer of the NPP, stated that he does not believe in the “aduru woso” (it is your time) principle when it comes to choosing a flagbearer for the party.
Instead, he believes in selecting someone who can do the job well.
Speaking in an interview with Movement TV on April 17, 2023, he maintained that Dr. Bawumia possesses all the qualities needed to lead the party effectively.
According to him, the Vice President is accommodating, religiously tolerant, and humble.
“I have said that theVice Presidentis a personal friend, I think he possesses some values, some virtues that I believe if he wants to contest, and Ghanaians support him, he will go far.
“I don’t believe in the ‘aduru woso’ (it is your time) principle, every election goes with its own strength and whenever there is vacancy people fight for it, with his politics of inclusion, he draws everyone closer, you will also realize that he is tolerant religiously.
“This is a man that when you invite him to church programs he goes to, you will see him in the Mosque and in the Church, he doesn’t discriminate and he respects everyone also.
He emphasized that as a one-time organizer at the youth and national levels, he has an eye for successful mobilization and campaigning.
“When he consults, and the party opens nominations and he wants to go, I will support him if he comes to me for my support,” he said.
He added that Bawumia’s leadership style has been evident in the various roles he has played in the party and the government.
Awuku’s endorsement comes at a time when the NPP is yet to hold its primaries to select a flagbearer for the party ahead of the 2024 elections.
Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, a former minister of communications, has petitioned President Akufo-Addo to instruct the Health Ministry to change its “no lift policy.”
Dr Boamah does not see any reason in the directive.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, the Medical Doctor insisted that the directive would limit access to the Ministry by vulnerable individuals.
He has thus asked President Akufo-Addo to immediately order the Ministry to reverse same.
“No elevator/lift days at the Ministry of Health ‘sɛn’? I mean, how! So, how does your government expect these vulnerable people, including pregnant women and children, to access the affected parts of the building that houses Ghana’s Ministry of Health (MoH) with the no-lift days policy?
“Therefore, I urge you Mr. President to cause the Ministry of Health to immediately reverse the policy of “no elevator/lift…” at theMinistry of Health in the best interest of people living with disabilities, the elderly, pregnant women and for that matter children,” he said in a Facebook post.
The Health Ministry in Memorandum instructed its staff not to access the elevators from the 1st to the 3rd floor on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The Ministry explained this directive has been necessitated by the government’s debt restructuring and the huge amount of money used in maintaining the elevators.
But the former Communications Minister says the decision is untenable.
A member of the National Democratic Congress‘ (NDC) publicity team, Margaret Ansei, has accused government of failing to address infrastructural challenges in Senior High Schools (SHS).
Her comment comes after it was reported that a toilet facility at the Ghana Senior High School(GHANASCO), a coed second-cycle institution in Tamale, Northern Region, has been converted into a dormitory.
According to her, accommodation challenges in schools have long existed, but the coming of the Free SHS should have prompted the government to address the infrastructural deficit before implementation.
“So, if today there is a policy that all children must go to school, it is a good thing. But in seven years, at least we should put all the parameters in place,” she said.
To her, the headmaster of GHANASCO acted to convert the toilet into dormitories because there wasn’t enough infrastructural development in the school as promised by the government.
“I don’t know how many dormitories the government under the Ministry of Education has built for the school in question and I do not really think that there will be a dormitory lying there and a rational person will convert toilet cubicles into dormitories for pupils,” she said
“I really think that the headmaster, as rational as he is, gone through the process to become a headmaster, will not just get up and say I am converting toilets into dormitories for human beings to go and sleep there” she went on to say.
Margaret Ansei further added that the government, prior to coming into office, promised to address the education challenges in the country, but it has failed woefully over the years.
“I remember prior to 2016, when Nana Addo was campaigning, he said he was going to build 350 schools from scratch. John Boadu amplified it, Nana Akomea also said the same thing. So, the 350 schools, if they are built, they are in their seventh year now at least… Ghanasco could get at least a 10-unit dormitory which can contain 50 students each. If we are seeing this today, then there is a challenge,” she added.
Margaret Ansei said this on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana, monitored by Ghanaweb.
The government’s newest alternative offer to include pension funds in the current debt restructuring has been rejected by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG).
Government has said, the decision to include pension funds in the programme is aimed at alleviating the cash constraints on the government in the coming years, while fully compensating the Pension Funds for the value of their current holdings.
But in a memo, UTAG said any move to add pension funds in the debt restructuring programme will overburden its already poor members.
“We are still unable to participate in any intervention that would worsen the plight of the already impoverished Ghanaian University Lecturer. We therefore write to unequivocally reject the request to use our Pension Funds i.e GUSS, SSNIT and any other pension fund that affect our members for the new alternative proposed offer by government.”
“his request by the government comes after organized labour fiercely rejected the inclusion of pension funds in the Domestic Debt Exchange programme.
“We warn that governmental intransigence in this matter would not be countenanced as we are willing to fight to ensure that no one robs our members of their pensions funds”, UTAG added in its statement.
What Finance Minister has been saying
The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta had explained that the proposal has been “crafted to facilitate the execution of the MoU, addressing the Government financial needs while maintaining the value of the pension funds.”
“The proposed offer entails exchanging your current holdings of Treasury Bonds, ESLA bonds and Daakye Bonds for a menu of the currently outstanding New Bonds (issued in February 2023 and maturing in 2027 and 2028 respectively. New Bond 2027 and New Bond 2028 featuring an average coupon of 8.4 % with a ratio of 1.15x, thus entailing an increase in patrimonial value.”
“This complemented by an additional cash payment of 10% (strip coupon). The stream of coupons to be received as part of this proposal will therefore be 21% compared to the current 18.5% of the outstanding old bonds,” he added.
He further indicated that “in 2023 and 2024, both instruments will pay 5% coupon in cash and the remainder will be capitalized into the nominal amount of the two bonds in order to comply with the cash constraints and the macro-framework defined under the programme with International Monetary Fund(IMF).”
He says the alternative offer has been designed to “(i) achieve the same average maturity as pension funds current holdings of the old bonds (currently between 4 and 5 years), (ii) achieve a similar average coupon (currently at 18.5%) while(iii) alleviating the cash constraints for the government over the first two years.”
The Finance Minister thus urged the Board of Trustees of pension funds to consider the proposal, indicating that “government is targeting to settle the offer by end of April 2023.”
The Electricity Company of Ghana‘s (ECG) revenue mobilization task team has disconnected Accra Technical University’s power for failing to pay a debt of GHS1.37 million.
The task force as part of efforts to recover monies visited five residential and non-residential facilities including the telecommunication company, AirtelTigo.
AirtelTigo paid GH¢1 million debt to avoid disconnection. Meanwhile, the Accra Technical University and Accra Digital Center were disconnected after an unsuccessful engagement.
The task force, however, commended Accra Breweries Limited and Fan Milk Ghana Limited for prompt payments of their bills
Meanwhile, theAccra West Region of ECG has recovered GH¢1 million from 140 customers for power theft.
The public relations officer of the Accra West Region, Fred Baimbill-Johnson, commended the task force for their vigilance in uncovering the illegalities.
The deputy minister of lands and natural resources,George Mireku Duker, has made hints that the government may, if the necessity arises, consider offering protection for mining businesses that are recognized by law.
His comments fall on the back of a recent destruction by some illegal miners at the Benso concession of Golden Star Wassa Limited in the Western Region.
Illegal small-scale miners, on March 16, 2023, besieged the Benso concession of Golden Star Wassa Limited and set ablaze some properties owned by the mining company after a team of security men and the police warded them off a concession they had invaded to cart away mine dust to prospect for gold.
The altercation that ensued left some illegal miners with various degrees of injuries.
The miners in retaliation pursued employees within the precinct of the Benso mine and torched 12 vehicles, including excavators, ambulances and pick-ups.
While on a visit to the facility by the Minerals Commission, the Deputy Minister said while government may consider providing security for mining companies, the companies should develop better relationship with their host communities to avoid the occurrence of such acts.
On his part the Group Corporate Affairs Manager of Golden Star Wassa Mine, Mr Gerard Boakye noted they will take a cue from the concerns raised by the minister.
The Daffiama area council has received 100 pieces of wood and 10 packs of roofing sheets from Dr. Sebastian Sandaare, member of parliament (MP) for the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa constituency.
This comes after rains destroyed some homes and other nonresidential facilities two weeks ago in Daffiama as heavy winds fell down several trees as well.
Some public facilities such as, Kay Robert Primary and Junior High schools at Daffiama Saapare, the Daffiama Health Center, Tendamba Junior High School and Primary, The District Offices of Education were not spared.
In a brief ceremony to hand over the roofing sheet to the area council, the Health Committee member of Ghana’s parliament said, visiting the affected areas demanded that much more attention is needed to augment the plight of the residents.
Dr. Sandaare however assured the district director of Ghana Education Services, that his appeal for support would be granted differently as the consignments being presented is meant for the household that were affected during the storm.
‘‘The director of education has written separately under schools to me as Member of Parliament, and I am happy to state that I will be responding officially to his appeal for support differently from the intervention I have given to the community, so the roofing sheets and wood that were donated are mainly for the community members” he said
He however called on the assembly and NADMO to come to the rescue of the residents of Daffiama.
Hon. Teebu Solomon who is the Assembly Member for the Daffiama South electoral area spoke on behalf of the people thanked the Member of Parliament for the gesture while calling on natives and other philanthropists to come to their aid as the rains caused a lot of damage in the area.
On Saturday, April 15, 2023, members of theGhana Armed Forces(GAF)discovered roughly 10,000 kg of ammonium nitrate and over 20,000 pieces of dynamite-like explosive charges that had been made from the substance.
Most of the ammonium nitrate was concealed in flour and rice sacks.
The ammonium nitrate and explosives were seized during a military operation led by personnel of the 2nd Infantry Battalion at the premises of Mohammed Brothers Company Limited and Dakete Mines in Tarkwa.
The operation was premised on detailed intelligence aimed at clamping down on the manufacture, sale, and use of illegal dynamite in parts of the country, especially mining areas.
13 people made up of 8 Chinese, 3 Togolese, an Ivorian, and a Nigerian were arrested during the operation.
On Friday, Ghana, under the direction of the Ministry of Health, observed 2023 World Health Day and launched the year-long celebration of the 75th anniversary of WHO.
Performing the launch in Accra, the Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manuunderscored the critical role WHO has played in supporting Ghana’s health sector agenda over the decades and expressed Ghana’s continuous support for the organisation in its efforts to promote health for all.
“Over the years, WHO has set the public health agenda, developed and promoted norms and standards and spearheaded efforts to strengthen health systems, eliminate, eradicate and control diseases,” Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu noted.
“The Government of Ghana anticipates an even more fruitful collaboration with WHO to fully operationalize the Universal Health Coverage(UHC) roadmap”.
The WHO Representative to Ghana, Dr Francis Kasolo praised the collaboration between Ghana and WHO which is helping to strengthen the health sector and promote the attainment of UHC and the Sustainable Development Goal 3.
“WHO and Ghana has stood shoulder to shoulder over the decades to strengthen health security, build resilient health systems and effectively deal with communicable and noncommunicable diseases”, Dr Kasolo said.
“Therefore, this 75th anniversary is a moment to reflect the public health successes of the past and come together with science, solutions, and solidarity to address future challenges”.
Delivering a public lecture on the theme; “WHO yesterday, today and the future”, the Foundation Vice-Chancellor of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Professor Fred Binka called for stronger support from member states and partners to strengthen WHO’s leadership in Global Public Health.
“Now more than ever, the world needs WHO given the emerging global public health challenges,” Professor Fred Binka emphasised. “Member states and partners must increase support to ensure an independent and well-functioning WHO so that it can continue to deliver on its mandate”.
The launch was attended by Diplomats, heads of Government Agencies, Development Partners, heads of United Nations Agencies in Ghana, former and current staff of WHO and other stakeholders.
The yearlong celebration of the anniversary in Ghana will see the rollout of campaigns engaging Government, partners, and the public to share their stories of what health means to them. Planning around the global Health Days, specific monthly themes will be identified to jointly celebrate public health achievements and highlight the pertinent challenges impeding the acceleration of universal health coverage (UHC) and health-related SDGs.
TheGhana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has paid GH2 million of its GH17.5 million debt to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the Volta Region after two years of not paying for power used.
The last time the GWCL paid for electricity consumed was in 2021 and this led to the company becoming the highest debtor of ECG in the Volta Region with a debt profile of GH¢17.5 million.
The payment of GH¢2 million to thepower distributorcomes after series of engagements which led to the power distributor serving the GWCL with a disconnection notice to settle its indebtedness or face disconnection on Tuesday 4th April 2023.
The disconnection notice led to crunch talks between both companies in the Volta Region which eventually saw the ECG rescind its decision to cut power supply to the facilities of GWCL.
Addressing the media, the Acting Volta Regional General Manager of ECG, Ing. Michael Buabin, said that “We rescinded our decision to disconnect GWCL on 4th April 2023 because we knew they were going to pay something very soon since the discussions we had with them at the Regional and Head Office level were positive“.
Ing. Buabin indicated that the company is not embarking on a mass disconnection exercise but a revenue mobilization exercise “so once the company engages you, and you show commitment to pay, there can be a consensus”.
“We don’t take delight in disconnecting customers, but we also want to collect the needed revenue so when we engage you and there’s positive feedback. We don’t take you off the national grid but once you default or fail to present a positive solution, disconnection which is always the last resort will be done”.
Ing. Buabin also noted that the GWCL provides essential services to consumers so disconnecting them also has adverse effects.
“For example, if we disconnect GWCL, hospitals, schools and innocent consumers who have paid their water bills will not get water supply, hence the need to engage the GWCL extensively for them to pay their bills to avoid disconnection”, he said.
Ing. Buabin indicated that the GH¢2 million paid by the GWCL is nowhere near its GH¢17.5 million debt in the region and urged them to make regular payments to avoid accruing more debt in the nearest future.
“The amount paid by GWCL is small compared to their debt profile, but we hope they will be making regular payments to enable them reduce or clear their debt. We will be monitoring the situation to ensure we receive frequent payments from their outfit”.
Ing. Buabin expressed hope that GWCL will fulfil its patriotic act of paying for electricity consumed by making another payment very soon.
Other institutions that made payments in the Volta Region include UHAS, Ho technical university, Abutia Stone Quarry among others.
The ECG has also engaged Hospitals that charge utilities as part of bills given to patients, especially missionary hospitals (CHAG), the Ghana Police Service, Ghana National Fire Service and Ghana Prisons Service in the Volta Region to settle their indebtedness or face disconnection.
A gold merchant uncovered in Al Jazeera’s investigative documentary, Gold Mafia, has claimed that President Akufo-Addo is his friend as well as lawyer.
Al Jazeera’s latest investigation, Gold Mafia, has uncovered a band of criminals driving gold smuggling and money laundering worth billions of dollars in Southern Africa.
However, those involved in this gold smuggling syndicate have business networks that stretch across the continent and operate in many other countries including Ghana.
Alistair Mathias, described by the investigative reporters as a financial architect who builds money laundering schemes for corrupt politicians, was approached by undercover journalists posing as Chinese criminals to help them launder money from China.
Speaking to the undercover reporters while trying to strike a deal, he alleged that Ghana’s president Akufo-Addo, is his friend and was his lawyer too.
Alistair had earlier revealed that he has been smuggling $40 million worth of gold from Ghana monthly, which is $480 million worth of gold annually.
“Ghana’s president is a good friend of mine. In fact, he was my lawyer,” Mathias was recorded saying.
The undercover reporters found one of the companies he had used in Ghana registered as Guldrest Resources, a gold exporter which is documented in the FinCEN Files.
During the FinCEN Files investigations in 2020, the offices of Guldrest Resources could not be traced, even though the company is registered in Ghana and is a member of the Chamber of Bullion Traders Ghana.
Mathias further stated that he knew the presidents of Zambia and the DRC. Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, he said, is his friend, and added that the Zimbabwean president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, is his partner.
“But I can’t say that publicly because he is under sanctions,” he said.
Telling undercover reporters how politicians everywhere including in Africa hide their money, he said they don’t keep assets in their own names; they use proxies – “Someone they can trust.”
He further told the reporters; “In Ghana I take tenders, road construction, procurement, supplying different things, oil, this that.”
He said by doing all that, the politicians are taken care of, and he could do all his things freely.
Later when confronted by Al Jazeera journalists about his claims, Mathias denied ever having any relationship with African politicians, or engaging in money laundering. He also denied ever being offered any tender by the Ghanaian government or doing any contracts for the government.
President Akufo-Addo has also told Al Jazeera that he has no recollection of acting as a lawyer for Mathias or his company.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has dispatched a committee on a fact-finding expedition to the Ghana Senior High School (GHANASCO) in Tamale in order to confirm the accuracy of rumors that bathroom cubicles have been converted into a housing facility for students.
This comes after the Ghana Education Service (GES) asked the headmaster and senior housemaster of the school to step aside following a viral video which indicated that students are using converted toilet cubicles as a boys’ dormitory.
The Ghana Education Service’s delegation to the school on Monday morning which was made up of the Deputy Director General of GES,Stephen Kweku Owusu, the Acting Northern Regional Director of Education and others inspected the said Gbanzaba dormitory and the cubicles which were said to be toilet facilities and converted into accommodation.
The Deputy Director General of GES, Stephen Kwaku Owusu speaking to the media said findings of their mission will be made public after the Director General is briefed.
“GES’ management attention was drawn to a video circulating in the media, regarding the management of GHANASCO putting students in a toilet. And we decided that the regional director should come down here to verify the truth of the report. We have received a bit of the report, therefore we decided to come from GES headquarters to find things for ourselves”.
“In a way to corroborate with what is happening in the media or otherwise, that is why I’m here, detailed by the director general of GES to come to the school to find out how the situation is. So that management can make a final decision on this. I will get back to my director and report to him, we will get back to the media on the next line of action,” he said.
Some students have also been speaking to Citi News on the issue.
“The actual fact where they said is toilet is not actually toilet. There’s no feature indicating that it’s a toilet. No one sleeps there,” he stated
Meanwhile, old students of the school have expressed disappointment in the report, insisting that there are enough bed spaces for students in the school.
“We have more than enough space, accommodation for students isn’t a problem at all, let alone to force them to sleep on the floor of the toilet cubicles that were showcased to the whole public,” Alhaji Baba Yakubu, President of the school’s Old Students of Association said.
The by-election for theKumawu constituencywill take place on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, according to the Electoral Commission (EC).
The Kumawu seat became vacant following the death of the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituencyPhilip Basoah.
The EC revealed in a release that nominations will be received at the Setwere Kumawu District Office of the Commission from 2nd May 2023 to 5th May 2023 between the hours of 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm on each day.
The Accra Digital Centre’s power has been cut off by the Accra West regional taskforce of the Electricity Company of Ghana(ECG) due to an outstanding debt of about GHS600,000.
The operation forms part of a national exercise by ECG to recoup monies owed by customers.
The National Exercise is expected to end this week. Hence, the taskforce is aggressively mobilizing its revenue.
Citi News sources say an amount of GH¢2.5 billion has been generated so far.
The team is currently heading to the AirtelTigooffice to carry out similar exercises.
The Akufo-Addo administration has been characterized as wicked and incompetent by Samuel Nartey George, member of parliament representing Ningo Prampram.
His comment follows the invitation to pensioners by the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to partake in a new debt restructuring he is proposing.
Speaking on the Big Issue on TV3 Monday April 17, he said “They have raped the public purse. They have stolen the purse, people lost money in financial clean up, debt exchange and now you are going for pensions funds and you say we shouldn’t talk.”
“This is a wicked, clueless and incompetent government,” he added.
But the Member of Parliament for Ngleshie-Amanfrom, Sylvester Tetteh said the Finance Minister is not forcing pensioners to take part in the proposal for new debt restructuring,
He says the Minister is only inviting the Pensioners.
(The Finance Minister) is only making a proposal and inviting people into it,” he said.
“He is not putting gun on the neck of the people,” he added.
Mr Ofori-Atta has proposed a new debt restructuring.
He is invitting Board of Trustees of pensions funds to permit pension funds to be added in the new proposal.
He explained that the proposal has been “crafted to facilitate the execution of the MoU, addressing the Government financial needs while maintaining the value of the pension funds.”
The proposed offer entails exchanging your current holdings of Treasury Bonds, ESLA bonds and Daakye Bonds for a menu of the currently outstanding New Bonds (issued in February 2023 and maturing in 2027 and 2028 respectively. New Bond 2027 and New Bond 2028 featuring an average coupon of 8.4 % with a ratio of 1.15x, thus entailing an increase in patrimonial value.
This complemented by an additional cash payment of 10% (strip coupon). The stream of coupons to be received as part of this proposal will therefore be 21% compared to the current 18.5% of the outstanding of old bonds.”
He further indicated that “in 2023 and 2024, both instruments will pay 5% coupon in cash and the remainder will be capitalized into the nominal amount of the two bonds in order to comply with the cash constraints and the macro-framework defined under the programme with International Monetary Fund (IMF).”
The headmaster of Ghana National Senior High School(GHANASCO) in Tamale, Douglas Yakubu, has denied claims that the school’s washrooms are being utilized as dormitories.
According to him, there is no iota of truth in the report and must be disregarded.
His comment comes on the back of a widely circulated video which showed students using toilet cubicles as dormitories, causing concern among parents and the public.
But speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr Yakubu said the video was indeed from GHANASCO but the report does not reflect reality.
He explained that, the facility though abandoned toilet cubicles are being used as store rooms for chop boxes.
“We have a lot of dormitory facilitiesin my school and recently, we took over a facility that can accommodate about 800 students so it is very ridiculous. I can’t imagine it.
“Where you saw is a box room and used to be an old washroom right from 1960 to the 80s but we stopped using it many years and every old student can attest to that. It has never been converted to a dormitory but a store room where students keep their chop boxes when going on vacation and another contains cleaning materials,” he claimed.
To him, the video is a deliberate attempt by some persons to run down the image of the school, adding it was recorded at the blind side of management.
The headmaster said some students might have taken their mattresses there to relax after learning.
“What students do is that occasionally they go and learn there because it is conducive. I even did that as a student,” he noted.
Africans, according to Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, have long been stuck in an aura of impossibility.
This, he said, was probably the result of the experience of years of slavery and colonialism.
“We don’t believe in ourselves. However, for us to realize our full potential and set ourselves apart, we need to break the shackles of impossibility mindset and embrace the mindset of possibility.
“African countries can do what the Advanced countries have done and more. It is possible,” he said on Saturday April 15 while speaking as the guest speaker at a gathering of students, academics and the business community at Harvard university during the African Development Conference at the Harvard Law School on the theme “reimagining Africa’s growth on our terms.”
He indicated that at the heart of this vision is the transformative power of technology.
“In my view, the greatest bane to the development of Africa is our inability to solve the basic problems of the absence of unique identity for our population, functioning property address systems, financial inclusion, payment systems, efficient public service delivery, etc. that underpin our economic activities.
“For many years after independence we have been trying to transform our economies without data and transparent systems. Without data and systems African countries cannot participate in the fourth Industrial Revolution,” he said.
Majority of people in and around Akwamu Gyakiti, in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region, have some kind of eye defect as a result of dust deposition caused by the poor roads.
This came to light during a free eye screening for the residents in the area.
Hundreds of residents were screened on various health complications and eye-related issues but those with eye defects topped the number of people screened.
In an interview with Onua TV, Dr. Jerry Agyemang ofRich Life Natural Herbal Centreexplained that most of the people with eye defects got them as a result of dust from the bad roads.
He said those with eye defects were asked to acquire spectacles.
The wife of Akwamu Gyakiti Chief, Antoinette Adom Bekai, who is also a nurse and facilitated the health screening, was elated such an exercise was organised for the people.
She said not only the dust from the bad roads but also in various schools affect the eyes of pupils.
Madam Adom Bekai explained that when these children play in the dusty environments it can affect their eyes.
In an effort to blackmail a businessman inBolgatanga, police in the Upper East Region have detained a self-described anti-corruption activist, Tii-roug Yaro Zuma.
Tii-roug Zuma who doubles as secretary to a group called National Patriots Against Injustice and Corruption Ghana (NAPAIC-Ghana) is in the grips of the police for allegedly scheming to extort money from a businessman with claims of having in his possession a damming video that captured the businessman having sex with another man’s wife at a prayer camp which is close to a drinking spot.
In what various actors in the matter have said is his modus operandi, Zuma proceeded to narrate such claims to a bar operator who then called a meeting between him and the businessman to get the matter discussed.
Police in the Upper East Region have arrested a self-styled anti-corruption campaigner Tii-roug Yaro Zuma for attempting to blackmail a businessman in Bolgatanga.
He would be arraigned before the Bolgatanga circuit court on Monday, April 17, 2023.
Tii-roug Zuma who doubles as secretary to a group called National Patriots Against Injustice and Corruption Ghana (NAPAIC-Ghana) is in the grips of the police for allegedly scheming to extort money from a businessman with claims of having in his possession a damming video that captured the businessman having sex with another man’s wife at a prayer camp which is close to a drinking spot.
In what various actors in the matter have said is his modus operandi, Zuma proceeded to narrate such claims to a bar operator who then called a meeting between him and the businessman to get the matter discussed.
The said businessman who under the circumstance was Tii-roug Zuma’s target denied the allegations of having an affair with the said woman and called for the woman to be invited to the meeting together with her husband to watch the video Tii-roug claimed he had.
Reports further disclosed that the self-acclaimed anti-corruption campaigner bolted from the meeting venue leaving behind his sandals and motorbike when he sensed a looming attempt by affiliates of the businessman to accost him at the meeting spot.
Tii-roug demanded money from the businessman to prevent the video from being sent to the woman’s husband.
He was arrested by the Upper East Regional police command on Friday, April 14, 2023.
It will be recalled that the NAPAIC Secretary was interdicted by the Ghana Education Service on February 17, 2020, for fraudulently using his late brother Baba Zumah’s certificates to gain employment at Arigu D/A Junior High School in the West Mamprusi District of the North East Region.
Concerns have been raised amongst discerning residents of the region over his integrity as he continues to hold himself out as an anti-corruption crusader, speaking for several groupings with the latest being the National Patriots Against Injustice and Corruption Ghana (NAPAIC-Ghana).
Aside from his records of impersonation which led to his interdiction by the Ghana Education Service, one grave dark side which raises eyebrows is his several names on different documents which is believed to be used for questionable dealings.
He bears the name Baba Zumah on his educational certificates, Baba Zumah Yaro on his National Health Insurance card issued in 2008, and Teroug Zongbil Yaro Zumah when registered to contest assembly member elections for Tindongo-Sheaga in 1998.
Former president, John Dramani Mahama, has voiced his worries over the information contained in the US State 2022 report on Ghana’s violations of human rights.
The U.S. Department of State last week released its 2022 annualCountry Reporton Human Rights Practices which cited Ghana for several human rights cases of abuse.
The report cited Ghana for a number of human rights abuses including arbitrary or unlawful killings, extrajudicial killings; torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment by the government or on behalf of the government among others.
According to the report, although the government took some steps to address corruption and human rights abuses by officials, whether in the security forces or elsewhere in the government, impunity remained a problem.
The report highlighted that corruption, brutality, uneven training, lack of oversight, and an overburdened judicial system contributed to police impunity.
It stated that police often failed to respond to reports of crimes. In many instances, police did not respond to complaints unless members of the public paid for police transportation and other operating expenses.
Speaking during his tour of Kpone Katamanso in theGreater Accra Region, Mr Mahama said “Recently, the US Human Right report has come out and it makes very bad reading.
“Human rights abuses, corruption, torture, so many things. And that is why I said when we come into office we will pursue constitutional review so that we tighten the constitution to ensure that it guarantees our freedoms and rights and make things better.
“We will set up a Governance Advisory Council and that would include Civil Society Organisations, religious leaders, chiefs and ordinary grassroots people.”
Former Manhyia North MP, Collins Owusu Amankwahhas disagreed with a poll conducted by renowned pollster Ben Ephson that indicates Alan Kyerematen, the front-runner for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential nomination, is losing support from party delegates.
According to him, Ben Ephson’s claim that Alan is losing popularity is false because his polls are not credible.
Speaking in an Akoma TV interview on April 13, Owusu Amankwah, who is a member of the campaign team for Alan, alleged that Ben Ephson makes favourable predictions for politicians who pay him.
“Nobody trusts Ben Ephson now. He sits in his office and listens to serial callers to make predictions.
“He predicted that the NDC’s former chairman, Ofosu Ampofo, is going to win at the end of the day, Asiedu Nketiah won. He said that John Badu (NPP’s former general secretary) would maintain his seat, but JFK won. He said Sam George will lose his seat… He is not credible.
“We will no longer pay attention to stomach pollsters, who make predictions based on your ability to pay. Sam George has come to say that if you go to him (Ben Ephson) and give him a fat envelope, he will make projects for you,” he said in Twi.
The former NPP MP also alleged that Ben Ephson, who is the managing editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper, is now doing the bidding of Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who has also indicated his intention of contesting in the NPP presidential primaries.
“Today he has turned the Daily Dispatch into the Daily Bawumia,” he said.
A 24-year-old commercial driverwho bit a police officer’s fingers while resisting arrest has been given a nine-month prison sentence by the Assin-Fosu District Court.
The convict, Ebenezer Nkoom, pleaded guilty to 13 different charges, including causing harm, unlawful harm, resisting arrest, and other road traffic offences.
He begged for leniency at the Court, presided over by Mr Abdul Majeed Illiasu.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Gilbert Ayongo said the complainants were General Constable Samuel Ayamba and Constable Sophia Essel, who were stationed at the Central North Regional Police Command of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD).
On Friday, April 7, 2023, at about 6:30 am, the complainants were detailed to manage traffic at the Assin-Fosu old market stretch of the highway where they spotted the convict driving a Hyundai Atos taxicab, with registration number CR 1157-20.
The prosecutor said the convict stopped at an un-designated place to pick up passengers without reasonable consideration to other road users.
The police officers approached the driver and cautioned him not to pick up passengers at that place and asked him to leave.
He was, however, adamant and replied that he would continue to pick up passengers from that spot until the Police arrested all other drivers who did the same.
Barely an hour later, Chief Inspector Ayongo said the convict returned to the same location, which led to his arrest.
While the officers joined his vehicle to be driven to the Regional MTTD, the convict rather drove them to an unknown destination and attempted to escape.
In the process of rearresting him, he resisted and bit the finger of General Constable Ayamba, “inflicting severe injuries on his hand,” the prosecutor said.
A motor rider who witnessed the incident quickly picked up the injured police officer and chased the convict, who drove the vehicle into a nearby bush, abandoned it and absconded.
The two officers reported the incident to Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Wonder Lumor, the Central North Regional MTTD Commander, who deployed two plain-clothed policemen and CID officers to the scene.
The prosecutor said about an hour later, the convict emerged in the company of two others, and he was arrested to assist with investigations.
A thorough check on the vehicle and documents revealed that he had failed to validate his driver’s license since Tuesday, February 1, 2022, and was driving a commercial vehicle at an unauthorised age of 24, instead of 25 years and above.
Also, he was driving a commercial vehicle without a spare tyre, warning signals, and fire extinguisher, among other things.
The government’s economic management team who have left for Washington to discuss concerns pertaining to its International Monetary Fund(IMF) program have no strategy this is according to managing partner of Ishmael Yamsom and Associates, Michael Harry Yamson.
According to him, despite having responded to various demands by the external creditors, the government has not communicated effectively with the citizenry its plans concerning the programme.
“Government didn’t seem to leave here with a game plan. Andgovernment has not been consistent in communicating its own game plan with Ghana. We are hearing government respond to the external partners are demanding. Ghana itself does not have a game plan.
“That for me is very obvious. Otherwise there shouldn’t even have been a hint of going back to pensioners,” he said on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday 15.
Mr. Yamson lamented the demand of external creditors that requests Ghana to include domestic bondholders in its debt restructuring exercise. According to him, the approach sorts to exacerbate living conditions in the country.
He added that there is a lack of understanding about what the situation means for the average Ghanaian.
According to him, “if Washington and the externals care so much about Ghanaian citizens and living standards, then the question becomes how do you ask the government to come back and destroy household incomes in the name of debt restructuring?”
Mr. Yamson also highlighted the lack of political consensus on government’s inability to generate sufficient tax revenue while in pursuit of an IMF programme. He said the government should have engaged the two major political parties in order to solve tax revenue issues.
He expressed that government ought to have tried solving internal issues before heading for negotiations in Washington.
However, reporting live from Washington, George Wiafe of JoyNews indicated that things are looking quite positive for Ghana as personal engagements with some officials at the meeting show that the country has met almost every requirement for the programme.
“I had an interaction with one person yesterday who is one of the critical actors in Ghana’s programme, in terms of approval and all the rest. Ghana has met everything.
“The only issue right now is the external creditors which they believe that based on the behind-the-scenes engagement that they are also having with these creditors, it appears that these creditors will come on board to approve Ghana’s programme,” he said.
An elderly Ghanaian resident ofFrankfurt, Germany, has expressed his misgivings over going abroad.
The man, who is known as Expensive Joe, recalled that though he was his own boss back in Accra due to his skills as a shoemaker and a carpenter, he was not allowed to utilize that in Germany.
Speaking to Zion Felix in an interview, Expensive Joe added that, in his opinion, his life would have been better if he had been allowed to use such skills.
“I travelled to Nigeria and Libya and finally settled in Frankfurt in 1991. We normally don’t say it, but if I am to speak for myself, I will it is the wasted years of my life. Travelling abroad didn’t help me. I was a shoemaker and carpenter back in Ghana. I was my own boss back in Accra.
“But when I came to Germany, I couldn’t make use of my skills because the system here is different. I believe if I had been given that chance, I would have made fortunes while I was here,” he explained.
Touching on his family, he reiterated that he was also not fortunate with women, as he has suffered 2 divorces – from a German woman who removed her womb, and from a Ghanaian woman he sponsored abroad.
“About family, my first wife, who was a German, told me she had removed her womb so she divorced me after 3 years. After that, I brought a Ghanaianwoman here. She came with her 2-year-old child. We had 2 children later together. However, we have been divorced for almost 10 years now,” he said.
Even though he is being taken care of by the German government, Expensive Joe advised young Ghanaians to think deeply about travelling overseas for greener pastures.
“Now I am a pensioner, but my first child is 21 years. I am not working at the moment, so I am being taken care of by the government. I will advise young people to really take their time. If you have the money to travel, it would be proper to stay and work in Ghana with that,” he advised.
In response to a recent direction from the National Communications Authority (NCA) about the ongoing SIM re-registration process, the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications announced that it will abide by the directive.
In a statement, theChamber said its members have been blocking services of subscribers who have not completed both stages of the SIM registration process as directed by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation since November 2022.
The NCA in a statement dated April 13, 2023, directed that all disconnected SIMs must be delinked from all databases by April 17, 2023.
This includes SIMs blocked in November 2022 for failing to complete both stages of the SIM registration process.
Additionally, all SIM cards registered after the limit of 10 per individual will be delinked, deactivated and removed from all databases by Monday, April 17, 2023.
The Chamber of Telecommunication is thus encouraging subscribers who have acquired Ghana cards but are yet to complete registration to do so before April 17, 2023.
It also urged subscribers with more than 10 SIMs registered to themselves to verify their SIMs on record at their nearest mobile network operator’s service centres urgently.
Furthermore, the Chamber stated that its members are obligated to completely deactivate all impacted subscriber SIMs which have not completed the registration by the said date without any further notice or extension of time for subscribers.
“It is crucial that the networks’ cherished customers are not barred from using voice, data, USSD, mobile money services and continue to have access to emergency and other important services.”
The Chamber added that subscribers with Ghana cards could avoid inconvenience by completing stage 2 (the biometric capture) of the registration process.
It emphasized that since the start of the SIM Registration Exercise, the members of the Chamber have invested heavily in arrangements to ensure that subscribers who have their Ghana cards and are ready to register, get registered at any of our several touchpoints across the country.
“For those that require special assistance to carry out the registration exercise, they are advised to contact their service provider.”
“Our members remain committed to supporting the efforts of all stakeholders to ensure that every customer in every part of the country is able to register their SIM card(s) with the Ghana card.”
The National Communications Authority (NCA) has instructed telecom companies to ensure that all SIM cards that have been disconnected are deleted from the registration databases.
The SIMs removed from the databases of the various network according to the NCA should reflect in the Central SIM Register by Monday, April 17, 2023.
The NCA’s directive, which provides clarity on earlier directives dated 6th April 2023, 11th April 2023, and 20th March 2023, stipulates that this should include SIMs that remain blocked in compliance with the Communication Minister’s directive on 30th November 2022.
Telecom operators have also been instructed to provide in writing to the NCA by Tuesday, 18th April 2023, the total number of SIMs disconnected in compliance with the directive.
Furthermore, the NCA has directed that “all SIMs registered after the limit of ten (10) must be removed from SIM registration databases and deactivated, with the same reflected in the Central SIM Register by Monday, 17th April 2023.”
The NCA has stressed that non-compliance with these directives would be in violation of Regulation 1 of the Subscriber Identity Module Registration Regulations, 2011.
“We count on your usual cooperation,” the NCA added.
TheEvalue-Ajomoro-Gwira constituency chairman, wife, the constituency secretary, and the organizer have all been suspended for suspected indiscipline and violating party rules during former president John Mahama’s regional trip.
According to the party, a group of party supporters wearing the T-shirt of the constituency Chairman’s wife hooted at the sitting Member of Parliament during the campaign tour, causing embarrassment to former President Mahama, the dignitaries present, and the party as a whole.
The party says the Chairman’s wife, who is seeking to become the Parliamentary Candidate for the constituency, should have known better and ensured that those wearing her T-shirt conducted themselves well to avoid such incidents.
The Chairman, Secretary, and Organizer have also been held responsible for their failure to ensure compliance with party directives and protect the party from public ridicule. The party has cited Article 48 of its constitution in justifying the punitive measure against them.
“Additionally, you would recall that in the lead-up to his tour, a circular was issued from the regional Secretariat to you, cautioning that no aspirant should be allowed to use the platform so created to campaign for him or herself.”
The embattled party members have been referred to the region’s National Disciplinary Committee for further action. The decision to suspend them has caused a stir within the party, with many questioning the severity of the punishment and the impact it could have on the NDC’s electoral fortunes in the constituency.
Professor Kobby Mensah, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Ghana Business School(UGBS), has urged the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC), security services, and political parties to take action over the recent comments made by the Minister of Food and Agriculture.
Bryan Acheampong, last weekend, mounted a platform at Mpraesoin the Eastern Region to address supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), vowing to ensure that the party does not hand over power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) even if they win the 2024 elections.
He also indicated that the NPP has the “men” to face the NDC if the latter employs violence in seeking to return to power.
Speaking on The Keypoints on TV3/3FM on Saturday, April 15, Prof Kobby Mensah said the comments by the Abetifi MP is a cause for concern.
“For me, I think that the EC must be concerned, the security agencies must be concerned, the political parties must be concerned, which the NDC has actually said they are concerned about,” he said.
Already, the opposition NDC has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to invite the Agriculture Minister for questioning.
The move, spearheaded by the party’s Director of Legal Affairs, Abraham Amaliba, provoked the NPP to also petition the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to probe 2020 Presidential Candidate John Dramani Mahama and National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia for similar comments.
But Prof Kobby Mensah said he was scandalised and, indeed, taken aback about the failure of the NPP to apologise for the comments by one of their own but rather backing them.
“I expected [the NPP] not to give away the Minister but I was expecting them to actually apologise, be remorseful and say that the Minister was carried away [and] we don’t think that this is the appropriate communication and we will have an internal process.
“In the meantime, we express that regret to the Ghanaian people. That would have been a fantastic political communication,” he stressed.
He expressed conviction that Mr Acheampong had been chastised in private by his party but expects a public action too.
For him, this could be a speech act to influence supporters of the NPP in acting untoward on election day.
