As part of the company’s one-month statewide revenue mobilization exercise, the Electricity Company of Ghana(ECG) in the Volta Region has restored power to certain institutions that were disconnected on Monday after they paid their debt.
The company on Monday disconnected, Ho Airport, KFC, GRA and other institutions during the exercise.
In a media briefing, Benjamin Obeng Antwi, the Public Relations Officer of ECG in the Volta Region announced that some institutions have been reconnected after settling their arrears.
“The Ho Airport has made a payment of 100,000 Cedis which is more than what they owed us. KFC also made payment of 123,000 Cedis”.
The Ghana Revenue Authority, GRA, after crunch talks with the company has also settled all arrears for the GRA Regional Office in Ho and the Customs training school at Kpetoe.
We thank these companies for cooperating with this exercise by settling their arrears and also urge other debtors to emulate this patriotic act to enable the company achieve its target.
The company also commends companies like GCB and the National Communication Authority for not owing the company as at the time the revenue officers visited them.
The company has also visited the Ho teaching hospital and Ho municipal hospital who have not paid any bill for over two years. The company has appealed to both hospitals to pay their bills since it’s a sensitive area and carrying out a disconnection might affect a lot of people.
As a company we do not take delight in disconnecting customers as that is mostly the last resort in order to prevent the customer from accruing more debt and to enable the company gather more revenue to keep the electricity supply chain running.
ECG is appealing to all customers to settle their arrears.
The National Democratic Congress’ (NDC’s) national communications officer, Sammy Gyamfi, claims thatCOVID-19 is not the cause for Ghana’s economy woes.
The Akufo-Addo administration has attributed Ghana’s economic crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Russia and Ukraine.
The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva had earlier agreed that COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war negatively affected the country’s economy.
But speaking on Face to Face on Citi TV with Umaru Sanda Amadu, Sammy Gyamfi, said the IMF Chief was being diplomatic with the truth on the true state of the Ghanaian economy.
According to him, the MD of IMF didn’t want to jeopardise the progress of the bailout the government is seeking to restructure its debt, hence the massaged facts regarding the economic crisis.
The NDC’s National Communications Officer reiterated that the economy was broken before the outbreak of COVID-19.
“The economy was worse before COVID-19 came in, even before COVID-19 our economy was broken. It’s not what the IMF or World Bank says, it’s about what the facts say. The IMF is like a doctor, doctors have a certain duty of care to their clients. They will tell you reasons for your sickness but in a diplomatic way and well-dressed manner”.
He maintained, “right now that we have gone to IMF for a bailout, they are our doctor, and we are the patient. They will definitely not say something that actually reflects the reality, knowing that it can hamper the bailout and economic recovery programme we are seeking from them. They were being diplomatic. In diplomatic settings, it’s very normal. If you listen to what these external players are saying, you will be deceived. You need to examine things for yourself, before COVID-19 what was the state of the economy?”.
Mr. Gyamfi asserted that the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be used as a justification by the government for the woes of the country slamming the government for spending money on wasteful ventures.
“They [NPP government] had more resources to transform this country than any government since Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s tenure. Yet have wasted these funds on needless and useless ventures such that today they have very little to show for the unprecedented resources they had. These and many falsehoods were presented by President Akufo-Addo in his state of the nation address,” the National Communications Officer of NDC pointed out.
According to him, the local currency had depreciated by close to 13% against the dollar before COVID-19 describing as false claims that the economy was on a good trajectory before the pandemic.
“Before COVID-19, our cedi had depreciated against the dollar by close to 13%. That claim that we were on a good trajectory before COVID-19 is false,” he stated.
According to President of theKorea Foundation for International Healthcare(KOFIH) Global Alumni-Ghana Chapter, Dr. Ralph Armah, about 10 out of every 800 children born in Ghana have a clubfoot deformity.
Infants with clubfoot have feet that are inwardly twisted, frequently to the point where the bottom of the foot looks sideways or even upward.
He said this at the launch of the public awareness on clubfoot in Ghana on the theme “Early detection and treatment prevents future disability; The role of healthcare actors,” in Accra yesterday.
He explained that the deformity could affect either feet or one foot but, in the instance, where only one foot is affected, “you become so dependent on one foot which creates further problems for the unaffected foot.”
He added that the KOFIH Global Alumni–Ghana Chapter was implementing the sensitisation programme, as part of advocacy and policy interventions, to raise awareness about clubfoot treatment in Ghana.
He revealed that as part of the group’s duties to give back to society, the clubfoot sensitisation exercise would be followed by a blood donationprogrammeand a clinical outreach in a deprived area.
He noted that the campaign would ensure that all children living with the deformity in the country were identified and provided with the treatment to avert further complications and stigma, as clubfoot was relatively easy and inexpensive to treat.
He appealed to midwives to draw the attention of mothers whenever they notice the deformity so they can seek treatment at the appropriate quarters.
A Senior Specialist, Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon, Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Dr Reuben Ngissah, revealed that the deformity could be treated in adults however its treatment was accompanied by several difficulties hence the need to treat it when the patient is still a child.
“When the patient is a child or baby, their tissues are very soft so it’s very easy to handle but when you wait for the child to grow, it becomes very difficult which means that we will have to consider other forms of treatment because casting might not work so we will have to rely on surgical interventions which are expensive,” he explained.
He appealed to all parents to seek early treatment for their children as it has a high success rate of about 95 per cent.
He urged the public to desist from tagging children with such deformity as “an evil spirit or bad luck” as it could be treated successfully.
The Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu in a speech read on his behalf by the Director of Allied Health at the Ministry of Health (MOH), Dr Ignatius Awini buno, underscored the need to have in place resilient health systems, to generate more awareness and linkages to services.
He added that clubfoot cannot be entirely prevented but with early detection and early intervention, clubfoot can be managed and treated.
“To ensure a resilient health system, we need to have a health workforce that is fit-for-purpose and fit-to-practice, appropriate infrastructure, medical devices, health financing, and an up-to-date health information management system amongst others,” he said.
The ongoing revenue mobilization effort being carried out by theElectricity Company of Ghana (ECG), according to the ECG’s managing director, Samuel Dubik Mahama is not driven by politics.
According to Samuel Dubik Mahama, suspicions that the exercise is being directed at a certain party’s political base are baseless and should be viewed disregarded.
He explained that the mass disconnection exercise has become necessary in order to mobilise much-needed revenue for the ECG to pay Independent Power Producers arrears amounting to an excess of $1 billion.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, he stressed that he has no intention to politicize his office or mandate.
“I don’t see myself as doing politics, I see myself now as a technocrat. The biggest mistake we could ever do is to politicise the work done by this office.
“So for me, your electricity bill doesn’t have a party colour…your electricity bill is red, gold, and green with a black star in the middle, that’s your electricity bill. So believe me, as I said, the status quo balances straight out,” he said.
Meanwhile, he has apologised to people who feel insulted or embarrassed as a result of the ECG’s disconnection exercise.
According to him, while the turn of events is unfortunate, it is important to embark on this exercise to ensure that consumers are made aware of the need to pay their bills on time.
“I know a few people who feel slighted, it’s not our intention to disrespect anybody or embarrass anybody I just believe we have a mandate and we should carry it out,” he said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has expressed the highest optimism over Ghana acquiring full membership status of the International Organsiation of La Francophonie.
The International Organsiation of La Francophonie also known as Organisation internationale de la Francophonie is an international organisation representing countries and regions where French is a lingua franca or customary language, where a significant proportion of the population are francophones, or where there is a notable affiliation with French culture.
Ghana is currently an Associate state of the organisation and is hopeful to attain full membership by the end of 2024 in order to strengthen cooperation between itself and its neighbours.
Speaking at a flag-raising ceremony to commemorate the 53rd anniversary of the International Organisation of La Francophonie, OIF, Foreign Affairs Minister, Madam Ayorkor Botchwey, noted that “I believe La Francophonie is more poised than ever to take up the challenges of the 21st century through economic cooperation and the development of cultural and creative industries in the quest for a better life for the younger generations.
“Ghana is therefore very excited to become a full member of this essential organisation, whose relevance to the socio-economic development of our country cannot be overlooked. We are happy to be part of this drive, which aligns with the vision of the government of Ghana,” she added.
The 53rd anniversary of the International Organisation of La Francophonie, OIF, was held in Accra.
During the event, Madam Ayorkor Botchwey underscored the relevance of supporting education and research in French. This, she believes, will promote economic cooperation between Ghana and Francophone countries in line with sustainable development.
“The various agreements and memoranda of understanding signed between Ghana and the OIF have accorded Ghanathe opportunity to enjoy fruitful collaboration with organisations and its head member states. The linguistic plan signed in May 2018 and the teacher mobility program are notable examples of our engagements. Within the context of the Teacher Mobility Programme, Ghana has played host to over 20 French teachers drawn from various Francophone countries who are helping to improve the quality of teaching and learning French in all the regions of the country across various sectors,” she noted.
The International Organisation of La Francophonie is an 88-member Francophone community that has, for the past 53 years, become a diverse political, economic, and cultural space, contributing to maintaining global peace, cooperation, and sustainable development.
It accounts for more than one-point-five million people in the world, representing one third of UN member countries. With nearly 20 percent of global trade, the organisation accounts for 16 percent of the world’s GDP. Ghana is closely associated with the Francophonie and shares its principles of peace, diversity, democracy, and human rights, among others.
Ghana has, since 2006, had the status of an associate member within the International Organisation of La Francophonie. Madam Ayorkor Botchwey was hopeful Ghana will achieve full membership status at the 2024 summit of the organisation.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation, in collaboration with Jamerson Strategic Consulting, a Non-Governmental Organisation in the United States of America, have presented maternity kits to new mothers on admission at three hospitals in Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region.
The items including baby feeding bottles, disposable nappies, towels and baby oils were to the Suntreso Government Hospital, Kwadaso Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Hospital and Tafo Government Hospital.
Executive Director of the Foundation, Madam Afua Kobi Prempeh said women contributed so much to the socio-economic development of the nation and needed to be treated in the best way possible when pregnant and make their welfare paramount as they continued to be women even during pregnancy.
The main motive of this foundation was to promote the sustainable development goal three, which includes good health for women as a thematic area.
Also, the foundation seeks to promote education by providing infrastructure and other learning materials to schools in the country to complement the government’s efforts in providing free and quality education to children.
The Director of Jamerson Consulting, Mr Jill Coleman said the organisation shared the same vision as the Otumfuo Foundation which is to help the marginalised in society.
Medical Superintendent of Kwadaso SDA Hospital, Dr. Randolph Adu-Baah called on other organisations or NGOs to support maternity blocks of various hospitals, to help give mothers quality
Healthy babies would help prevent and reduce infant and maternal mortality.
The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer, has announced that $5 million in new US funding will be provided to improve the performance of Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and ensure the quality of health services in the country.
The new five-year partnership was launched by the Ambassador and Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, Chief Executive Officer of the NHIA.
Ambassador Palmer stated that “the health sector is at the core of Ghana’s development. It is essential for the wellbeing of all Ghanaians that funding for health is prioritized. A healthy population is the basis for a prosperous population.”
The NHIA-USAID partnership aims to improve NHIA’s capacity to digitize all its information systems, making data available to NHIA to better communicate the Scheme’s financial and programmatic status to stakeholders.
The partnership will also focus on building NHIA systems to monitor the clinical quality of healthcare services. This actionable clinical data will help NHIA advocate for improved quality of care across public, faith-based, and private healthcare facilities, contributing to improved health outcomes across Ghana.
USAID’s integrated health programming supports the Government of Ghana in the areas of health system strengthening, maternal, reproductive, newborn, and child health, as well as malaria, HIV, social protection, water, sanitation and hygiene, global health security, and COVID-19. USAID supports the Government of Ghana to build a more resilient health system and prepare Ghana to face future health emergencies.
This funding is expected to provide a significant boost to Ghana’s healthcare system, ensuring that the NHIS is able to provide quality healthcare services to Ghanaians.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential hopeful will also hold a public lecture on political party financing in Ghana.
The event is expected to be attended by party stalwarts and bigwigs such as ChairmanJohnson Asiedu Nketiah and General Secretary Fifi Kwetey.
It is believed that the funds raised through the platform will be used to support Mahama’s campaign as well as aid other party activities, just as he did in previous years. In January 2020, the former president launched a similar fundraising platform to support his candidacy for the general elections.
As part of his preparations for the NDC primaries scheduled for May, Mahama’s campaign team, led by a leading member of the NDC, Prof Joshua Alabi, filed his nominations for the flagbearership position at the party’s headquarters in Accra on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. The team submitted the required documents and fees to contest the position.
Speaking after the submission of the nomination forms, Prof Alabi gave a strong indication to the Electoral Commission that they would not tolerate any compromise that could be disadvantageous to their candidate ahead of the 2024 general election.
Mr Mahama will face competition from former Mayor of Kumasi, Kojo Bonsu, businessman Ernest Kwaku Krobea, and former Finance Minister Dr. Kwabena Duffour in his quest to run on the NDC ticket in 2024.
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) should be partially be blamed for the debt owed by institutions, according toDr. Kwabena Donkor, a former minister of power and current member of parliament for Pru East.
He accused the state power distributor of previously succumbing to pressures from government institutions not to act to retrieve its debt.
Speaking on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 Tuesday, March 21, Dr Donkor said regarding the cause of the debt of the ECG that “It is an attitudinal problem. A lot of government institutions think there is one central government and that there can be debt settlement… there used to be an agency settlement arrangement but that is no more.
“ECG is partly to blame, previously it has succumbed to all sorts of pressures from government institutions. When I was the Minister of Power we put the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Finance on prepaid, once you put them on prepaid they can’t accumulate debt unless there is a fault, that is the challenge.”
The ECG has been embarking on a debt recovery exercise since Monday, March 20.
The company said that it has introduced a digitalized system to ensure the amount of money received from the debt recovery exercise is monitored directly by the Managing Director of the company.
The task force visited institutions such as Parliament, the Ghana Arprort Company Limited (GACL) and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) as part of the debt recovery.
Speaking to journalists after the exercise on Monday, March 20, the External Communications Manager of ECG, Laila Abubakar said “The national task force is the one that is in charge of the state-owned enterprises, the ministries, departments and agencies and so we have been going with them, we visited Parliament House, they were owing about a GHS13million they have committed to paying GHS8.5million, we saw evidence of that.
“We went to the Ghana Airpot Company, they owed arrears of GHS28million of which they made GHS10 million payment instantly just when we got there so we have given them 48 hours to make the full payment.”
She added “Now, we are here at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, they also owe in arrears of about GHS6 million but they have explained to us that because of the way they run their operations they wouldn’t be able to cough out the money for us instantly, they have had some discussions with the Minister of Information and the National Media Commission together with the Ministry of Energy and there was some sort of agreement last years. However, ECG’s point is that there has not been any movement on the debt that is remaining.
“They have explained to us they have a system and they are going to get some money and pay because they have to find innovative ways of coming up with the money and so we have been giving permission to leave them for now for 48 hours.”
The ECG has also been disconnecting homes and industries over debts.
Laila Abubakar said “In Tema, we have received photos of disconnections happening in residences, we have received photos of them in some of the industries in Tema and they are being disconnected.
“I am hoping that by the end of the day, we should be able to see a lot of money coming in into our accounts.
“Our system has been digitized in such a way that by the end of the day the Managing Director will be able to see how much we have recouped from this exercise and so we will report in a timely basis how much we are making on a weekly basis.”
TheBest Cocoa Farmers Association (BCFA) has urged the government to impose a ban on the shipment of Ghanaian poultry manure to its neighboring countries in the West African area as soon as possible.
The Association made the call when they paid a courtesy call on President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House today Tuesday 21 March 2023, to register their appreciation to the him for what they said is “the numerous support the [Akufo-Addo administration] “has given to cocoa farmers since assuming office in January 2017”.
Export of Poultry manure
Addressing President Akufo-Addo through their President Charles Gyamfi, the Association noted that their call for a total ban on the export of poultry manure has become necessary because the cocoa sector in the country needs the full compliment of all the poultry manure produced in the country in order to increase cocoa production and reduce the sector’s dependance on imported chemical fertilizers.
President Akufo-Addo meeting with the BCFA delegation at his office in the Jubilee House
“We want a ban on the export of poultry manure to neighbouring Countries. Currently, there is high export of manure to Cote d’Ivoire in recent times and we think this is not a good sign for our country and our cocoa sector” Charles Gyamfi the BCFA President Charles Gyamfi said.
“Instead, we want a deliberate effort by government to reduce importation of chemical fertilizers into our operations while at the same time, plans are put in place to support the production of poultry manure and its wide application in cocoa farming. As you are already aware, this type of manure protects the ecosystem and conserve the environment from destruction” the BCFA President added.
Pension’s Scheme / Cocoa roads
Turning his attention to the pension’s scheme of cocoa farmers, Mr Gyamfi noted that the promise of government made to them to establish the scheme “seems to be delaying in its full scale roll out”.
President Akufo-Addo in a group picture with the BCFA leadership
“Our members keep on asking when they will be enrolled onto the scheme as you promised in December 2020. We will be grateful if you could intervene to see to its full implementation sooner rather than later” Charles Gyamfi said.
About Cocoa roads, the BCFA President pointed out that their “advice is that very soon the rains will set in and the ongoing roads may suffer if we do not complete them”.
“We suggest that attention is paid to all on-going roads, complete them before new contracts are given. This will ensure value for money” the Association indicated in their submission during the meeting with President Akufo-Addo.
Prompt attention
President Akufo-Addo in his response to the cocoa farmers noted that he is happy that the farmers have drawn his attention to the issue of export of poultry manure by elements in the nation to neighbouring countries.
He assured the delegation that together with the caretaker Minister for Agriculture, Hawa Koomson, who was present at the meeting, their concern will be given the necessary attention it deserves in order to deal with the phenomenon.
The President also noted that the two other concerns they have presented which are the cocoa farmers pension scheme and cocoa roads, will both be given immediate attention.
Timely interventions
In their presentation, the BCFA noted that several interventions of the Akufo-Addo administration have helped to improve cocoa farming in the country.
“The Cocoa Rehabilitation Programme for instance, has helped to restore hope, joy and position the country’s cocoa sector on a solid path to recovery after years of continuous devastation caused by the CSSVD. The pruning and hand pollination exercises have also played their part in increasing yields significantly as well as bettering our livelihoods.
President Akufo-Addo receiving a citation from the BCFA leader
“The mass spraying exercise, which was repackaged to become more useful and timeous has helped to control pests and reduced the incidence of the black pod disease whereas the free seedlings project has assisted our members to establish new farms, and fill in vacancies” the association President said.
“The irrigation programme is gradually becoming a new concept in our traditional operations and those of us who have the set-up on our farms have seen how useful it has been to boosting yields.
“Cocoa Producer Prices have remained extremely good although we wish more could be done in that light. We commend you for taking all the bold steps to ensure that we get value for our cocoa farming business. “Most importantly, your decision in 2019 not to reduce the price of cocoa when all forces pressured you to reduce. It showed how much you care about farmers” he added.
Introduction of new awards
Speaking to the issue of awards instituted to encourage cocoa farmers, the association state that President Akufo-Addo gave “approval for two new awards to be added to the national cocoa awards categories”.
“The first one is the “Most Promising Young Cocoa Farmer Award”. The new form of this award, which is in its 5th year, has served as a motivation to the youth in our communities.
“Today, there is heightened competition among the youth to work harder to win this award. The second award is the “Most Enterprising Female Cocoa Farmer Award” the BCFA President said.
“This one too, has encouraged our women to do better and triggered keen competition among our women who play significant roles in cocoa farming” he added.
Since meeting Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in 2012, Energy Minister, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh has said that his ultimate goal has been to see that Bawumia is elected President of Ghana.
NAPO as known in politics, believes that with where Ghana currently is, the country needs an intelligent man like Bawumia to propel the country to a higher height.
Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh made this known while speaking on Kumasi-based Pure FM monitored by MyNewsGh.com.
“All my work I’ve done and everything I’ve represented since 2012 is to ensure that Dr. Bawumia becomes President of Ghana one day. I’ve never for a second dreamt of being his running mate. That is not why I’m supporting Dr. Bawumia’s work. I have the conviction and confidence that where Ghana is at the moment, we need someone like Dr. Bawumia to take Ghana forward.” He revealed
He, however, shot down claims that he wants to become the running mate of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
According to him, the Vice President has not even declared his intention to contest for the position so it’s worrying that people think he is lobbying to become his running mate.
“The man has not even declared his intentions to become the Flagbearer and subsequently President of this country. We just came to accompany him to Otumfuo’s Akwasidae. I was abroad some weeks ago working for the government when I heard someone insulting me and saying I want to become the Vice President. We have not even elected our flagbearer so how does someone even lobby to become Vice President?
People have been talking and saying things to paint others black and that is worrying. You don’t even get where they get their information from to link me to be lobbying to become the Bawumia’s running mate.”He bemoaned
The Energy Minister noted that people have started attacks just because of an internal contest but was quick to add that he is a man who does not subscribe to politics of insults.
“I don’t subscribe to the strategy of insulting your opponent and later going and begging so we move on. I will never forget if you insult me,” he said.
Rumors that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) leadership is attempting to have Muntaka Mubarak removed as the party’s representative in Asawase have been refuted by Sammy Gyamfi, the NDC’s national communications officer.
Rumours of Muntaka’s removal have been rife in recent times after some party supporters and branch executives in the Asawase constituency organized a press conference to question the competence of their parliamentary representative with some demanding for him to be replaced going into the 2024 general elections.
Muntaka’s woes began after the leadership of the NDC replaced him with Kwame Agbodza as the Minority Chief Whip in Parliament on January 24.
But speaking on Face to Face on Citi TV, Mr. Gyamfi said it is ridiculous the rumour had gained traction because the party doesn’t have the power to remove legislators.
“It is ridiculous because the party cannot remove any Member of Parliament. MPs are elected by their constituents, so the party has no power to remove a Member of Parliament. The fate of all aspirants or candidates will be determined by the delegates in the 275 constituencies and so the party will not protect any individual, but the party is protecting all the 275 seats but also where for good reason, the party has to engage various stakeholders on specific issues to build consensus, the party will do so.”
The announcement of Muntaka’s removal as theMinority Chief Whip birthed a series of agitations in Asawase where the MP has recently sued 11 branch executives for defamation and is demanding GH¢10 million in damages.
A number of issues, according to former board chair of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Professor Stephen Adei, have contributed significantly to the current economic crisis.
According to Professor Adei, fundamental weaknesses in the economy include low productivity, systematic corruption, a lack of patriotism, a desire for foreign goods, and others.
“It is true that during the domestic debt exchange, those who were campaigning so that individuals do not accept it came out very strong on how expenditure can be reduced, and I agree with them. Government can manage the economy with less. We should be able to make our intentions so that we can avoid the lessons of the past.”
He maintains the blame game between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) does not solve any problems.
“I do not want to make pronouncements as to whether Akufo-Addo government is worse or better than the Mahama government. I think that there is a situation that makes the comparison to apples and oranges because both of them took us to IMF.”
Earlier this week, Prof. Adei took a dig at the Akufo-Addo government for its excessive borrowing which he says is the cause of the country’s economic crisis.
According to the renowned economist, although the emergence of COVID-19 and the Russian-Ukraine war may have affected Ghana’s economy, the fundamental mistake government made was to have borrowed beyond its capacity.
He is thus calling on the government to accept responsibility and work to change the fortunes of the country.
Professor Adei said this when he addressed journalists on the sidelines of the Signature Market Pre-launch campaign at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi.
“I think the biggest mistake they made is that they borrowed beyond our capacity to service it. If you are a country and you borrow beyond your capacity, you will be in trouble, of course, COVID-19 came in, and the Russia-Ukraine [war].
Professor Adei also wants Ghanaians to strictly hold government officials accountable to prevent a similar situation in future.
“We have to learn and not repeat our mistakes by going on a borrowing spree, we should become watchdogs. The leakages should be reduced, the level of corruption, the wastage from the government after government is high so we don’t get value for money,” he stated.
The National Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has alleged that President Akufo-Addo is responsible for corruption in the country.
He again accused President Akufo-Addo of promoting corruption to the extent of going ahead with investigations to exonerate his appointees accused of engaging in corruption-related cases.
Sammy Gyamfi further slammed government officials for engaging in corruption which he said has taken a toll on the economy.
In an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu, on Face to Face on Citi TV, Sammy Gyamfi claimed, “they have come to promote corruption.President Akufo-Addocame to enable corruption, if corruption was a human being, its name would have been President Akufo-Addo. If you wanted to see corruption, and you saw President Akufo-Addo you would have found your answers”.
He stressed, “no President in the history of this country has promoted corruption than President Akufo-Addo. This President engages in corruption, his Vice President engages in corruption, and their officials engage in corruption. When they are caught by state agencies, they either fight them or even before investigations are done, the President comes out to whitewash himself and sometimes his corrupt officials”.
He wondered why the President conferred a national award on the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, who has been indicted by the Auditor General for misusing COVID-19 funds.
“As I speak with you, the Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang -Manu has been indicted by the Auditor General for paying $81 million for vaccines not supplied. Instead of sacking this man, President Akufo-Addo conferred a national award [Order of the Volta-Companion] on him. He also engaged in procurement breaches of Sputnik V vaccines,” he said.
The main printing operations began on Saturday, but the NIA claims that the preliminary work for the expedited printing began on Wednesday, March 15, with the configuration of printers, print servers, and monitors as well as the deployment of additional staff from its regional and district offices to increase staff capacity at the head office.
Printing of the cards was suspended following financial constraints faced by the NIA.
In view of this, more than 3.5 million cards were locked up in a bonded warehouse.
A statement issued by the NIA on March 21, stated, “the National Identification Authority wishes to inform the general public that on Saturday, 18th March 2023, it commenced the expedited printing of the backlog of 541,529 records accumulated since July 2022. The backlog arose from a shortage of blank cards due to financial challenges”.
The NIA noted that the commencement of the printing of cards follows payments of GH₵100 million by government to CalBank PLC.
The printing of the blank cards is expected to last for 11 days, ending on March 29.
“The commencement of the expedited printing follows the payment of GH₵100 million by Government of Ghana (GoG) to CalBank PLC, which then caused the release of a quantity of blank cards to NIA on Tuesday 14th March 2023. The printing of the blank cards is expected to last for 11 days, ending on 29th March 2023,” NIA emphasised in its statement.
The NIA assured to make public announcements and make the cards available at its regional and district offices across the country to be collected by persons who registered since July 2022.
NIA assured, “at the end of the exercise, NIA will make the cards available at its Regional and District Offices nationwide and announce to the public when the persons who registered for the cards since July 2022 should go to their respective NIA offices for the cards to be issued to them”.
According to Charles Bissiw, a former secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on illegal mining (galamsey), Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, the former minister of environment, science, and technology, has been declared a suspect twice in investigations into illegal small-scale mining,
He claimed that Prof. Frimpong-Boatengwas labeled a suspect because he was in charge of distributing excavators that the government had seized and confiscated for use in galamsey in 2020, which went missing.
Speaking in an interview on Neat FM on Monday, monitored by GhanaWeb, Bissiw added that Prof Frimpong-Boateng reported the issue of the missing excavators to the Ghana Police Service, and he became a suspect after the investigations into the matter.
“Prof knows the truth about this issue (the missing excavators) but he has let Ghana down. Prof reported this issue to the police, and I went to the CID to present my statement for their investigations. At the end of the day, Prof became a suspect.
“Ask him whether he responded to the invitation of the police. He, also, reported a case to the BNI (Bureau of National Investigations), and at the end of the day, he become a suspect. Ask him if he did not sack the officers of the BNI who came to interrogate him about the missing excavators,” he said in Twi.
He added that Prof. Frimpong Boateng has all the details about the persons behind the missing excavators, and he has let the country down by failing to tell Ghanaians the whole truth on the matter.
Charles Bissue, however, noted that the recent detail given on the number of excavators that went missing by the former science and technology minister, in an interview on the state broadcaster, GBC, is the truth.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on March 10, 2023, with GBC News, Prof. Frimpong Boateng, a renowned surgeon, refuted assertions that the number of excavators that went missing in 2020, when he was minister, was 500.
“No 500 excavators went messing, it was somebody who threw that into the media space to tag something of Frimpong Boateng. What am I doing with 500 excavators?” he questioned.
According to him, the anti-galamsey taskforce seized between 150 and 200 excavators.
“When we went round, I think we got about 150, 200 that you could see. The rest had either been given to the owners or put in extra parts and moved away. And somebody put it out there, Frimpong Boateng has taken 500 excavators, what am I going to do with them? There was an orchestrating scheme even within the party and government to get you out,” he said.
Last Friday, in Accra, a first-ever ceremony was held to commemorate the almost 70 years of friendship and bilateral ties betweenGhana and India.
Dubbed: ‘India-Ghana Partnership Day’, the ceremony afforded the two countries the opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to work together to scale-up bilateral relations for their mutual benefit.
They also expressed their commitment to strengthen political, economic, cultural and multilateral-level partnerships, while advancing collaboration in areas such as arts and culture, medicine, security, agriculture, technology, cyber security and education.
The celebration brought together dignitaries, including Members of Parliament(MPs), traditional leaders, state officials and members of the business community, at the residence of the Indian High Commissioner in Accra.
They included the National Security Minister, Albert Kan-Dapaah; the Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa; a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong; the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV; a member of the Council of State, Sam Okudzeto; the MP for Tema West, Carlos Ahenkorah, and some alumni of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC).
India-Ghana Day will be celebrated annually to bring together stakeholders to discuss issues concerning both countries for their mutual benefit.
Strong bond
Addressing the gathering, the Indian High Commissioner to Ghana, Sugandh Rajaram, said India and Ghana had enjoyed intense bilateral relations for years, adding that India had been supporting Ghana’s development by providing assistance in developmental projects through the provision of lines of credit (LoC) and grants.
“In the last two decades, we have extended more than half a billion dollars of concessional credit to Ghana for development projects and another half a billion dollars for new projects for critical infrastructure,” he said.
Mr Rajaram said India had entered a critical phase of its development trajectory in the next 25 years and expressed the hope that it would scale up the economic relationship between Ghana and India to new heights.
“We are looking at building a new economic India and the element to achieve that is to focus on small and medium enterprise capacity expertise to transform the economy through the use of new technologies,” he said.
He said a strong partnership with Ghana was critical to take charge of issues concerning the global south at the global level.
“Our developmental partnership with developing countries is also to ensure that the rich resources of Africa are used for the development of African countries through capacity building,” he added.
He thanked stakeholders of the two countries for partnering not only in the political and the economic spheres but also among the people of societies.
Development
Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong, for his part, said the celebration was timely, as it offered the two countries the opportunity to raise awareness of the collaborative endeavours between them, while taking stock of collective achievements and challenges.
He said Ghana had benefited from various training programmes and educational opportunities in diverse fields through the ITEC, which was established in 1964 to build the capacity of India’s friendly international partners, including Ghana.
He thanked the businesses and leaders of the Indian community for partnering Ghanaian businesses and contributing significantly to Ghana’s economy and expressed Ghana’s readiness to work with them to develop both countries.
The Ayawaso East Municipal Assembly (AEMA) in collaboration with the police have carried out a demolishing exercise, destroying about 200 structures, including motor repair shops, containers, and food vending facilities.
The exercise, which took place on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, was conducted between the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) and the Nima-Maamobi Community Library.
According to reports, the illegal occupants were located around the Central Mosque at Kawukudi, in the Ayawaso East Municipality.
The demolition exercise, which commenced at dawn, prevented some individuals from salvaging valuable items. Eyewitnesses have reported that the exercise was carried out thoroughly, leaving no structure standing.
“I went to the mosque to pray, and when I finished and came out I saw people running out of their rooms. Some of them had towels around their waist, and others wore only shorts because they were still sleeping when the demolition started,” said Rafik Seidu, an eyewitness, in an interview with Graphic Online.
The Ayawaso East Municipal Assembly has not yet disclosed what the demolished site would be used for in the near future.
However, affected residents are speculating that the piece of land could be used for the construction of a police station or a national mosque. Some have even alleged that the land has been sold to a church.
Hundreds of individuals have been rendered homeless as a result of the demolishing exercise.
The AEMA has assured the public that it will work with the appropriate authorities to ensure that those affected are adequately resettled.
According to theElectricity Company of Ghana (ECG), all of the system’s meters would be synchronized to make it simple for users to buy prepaid credits from a single App.
Managing Director of ECG, Samuel Dubik Masubir Mahama in a yet-to-be-aired interview with Bernard Avle said the move is to ensure efficiency in the system and also prevent long queues at vending points.
“Hopefully in a month or two, with the digital process that would be a story of the past because of theNFC at the back of your phone when the SDKs and APIs are done you will be able to touch your card to the back of your phone [and] you should be able to purchase and there will be no need to queue for all meters.
“Very soon there will be a proper launch when we are done with this, and we are going to be customer driven. Even postpaid can sit in the comfort of their homes and pay from the App.”
The ECG MD also ruled out the introduction of new meters currently in operation in the system.
According to him, the company has no plan to add new meters to the 21 different meters in operation in Ghana.
Mr Mahama promised that ECG will go all out to retrieve monies owed to them to help improve their services to Ghanaians.
He assured that in a month, ECG will retrieve the over 5 billion cedis owed by customers through the revenue mobilisation exercise.
The Electricity Company of Ghana disconnected some customers on the first day of its nationwide revenue mobilisation exercise which began on Monday, March 20, 2023.
In the Volta and Oti Regions, ECG officials from visited customers like Volta Serene, Abutia Stone Quarry, UHAS, and HTU who owed electricity bills.
The company disconnected KFC for owing GH¢68,000, Ho Airport for owing GH¢63,000, GRA Office for owing GH¢55,000, CEPS training academy for owing GH¢80,000 and Ho Technical University for owing GH¢402,000.
However, Ho technical university paid GH¢200,000 after crunch talks with the ECG and has been told to settle the arrears by end of March 2023.
The exercise also saw some companies make payments like the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) which paid GH¢1 million out of GH¢1.4million.
The company is set to visit Ho teaching hospital, and the National Communications Authority among others to retrieve about GH¢5 million within the Ho Municipality.
Five years in jail with hard labor has been given to the five individuals found guilty in connection with the operations of theWestern Togoland foundationgroup.
The Western Togoland movement is a group of people who want separatists to declare independence from the Republic of Ghana on September 25, 2020.
The accused persons, Ebenezer Gblorkpor, Afetorgbor Kpogo, Joseph Nyamewu, Wisdom Kuvor, and Israel Bessah Kpexor, have been accused on four counts under SMCD 20, i.e., attending meetings of a prohibited organisation contrary to Section 2(1)(b) and making contributions to the funds of a prohibited organisation contrary to Section 2(1)(g).
They were also charged with participating in the campaign of a prohibited organisation, contrary to Section 2(1)(d), and being a member of a prohibited organisation, contrary to Section 2(1)(i).
Ebenezer and his associates were apprehended in 2020 as part of a group of Western Togoland Foundation members who attacked a police station at Aveyime, released prisoners, stole ammunition, blocked roads leading to the Volta Region, and shot a police officer.
The prosecution challenged the defence attorney’s request that the court reconsider its sentence on the grounds that the defendants are first-time offenders who are young and have been held for more than a year while awaiting trial.
However, the prosecution requested that the court impose harsher sentences to act as a deterrent to others.
But the judge declined, noting that the convicts’ actions were premeditated and aggravated, hence the maximum sentence of five years should apply.
The Western Togoland movement, which unsuccessfully tried to declare independence in November 2019 under the leadership of Papavi Hogbedetor, sought to have the Volta Region and some other parts of the country, which were referred to as Western Togoland.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has said that the late former representative for Old Tafo, Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei was an effective lawmaker.
In Parliament today Tuesday, March 21, the Speaker said “Dr Akoto Osei was a very illustrious member, very effective, very well respected, a very true gentleman.
“The former Member of Parliament Dr Anthony Osei Akoto was not just a Member of Parliament but was also appointed a Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning and later became a Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, he really distinguished himself at both the Ministry and in Parliament for Ghana.
“Before even joining politics he was a known face and very active civil society leader who worked in the then very vibrant economic NGO.”
Dr Akoto Osei’s death was announced on the official Facebook page of theParliament of Ghanaon Monday, March 20.
“Former Old Tafo MP, Hon. Dr Anthony Osei Akoto passes away. May he rest in peace,” Parliament announced.
Dr Akoto Osei was in the cabinet of President John Agyekum Kufuor as Minister of State for Finance and Economic Planning.
He was a member of Parliament for the electoral district of Old Tafo in the Ashanti region.
He worked as deputy minister for Finance and Economic Planning in May 2003 and was a major economic adviser to the government.
He was elevated to substantive Minister for Finance and Economic Planning after the death of the then Minister Kwadwo Baah Wiredu.
He served in that role until 6 January 2009 when the government was handed over to the National Democratic Congress who had won the 2008 General Elections.
In February 2017, Osei was sworn in as Minister of Monitoring and Evaluation after being nominated by President Nana Akufo-Addo and going through the vetting process in the parliament of Ghana.
The ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation was a newly created Ministry to evaluate, monitor and plan review summits and forums in fulfillment of the government’s policies on evaluating the progress of its own ministries.
Following the passing of one of its founding members, Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will fly all of its flags at half-mast.
Dr. Akoto Osei, a leading member of the NPP and former Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, died on Monday, March 20, 2023.
The NPP extended its condolences to Akoto Osei’s family and friends.
The party described the late former Minister of State at the Finance Ministry as “a renowned statesman.”
It said he served the country “with distinction as a Minister of State at the Finance Ministry during the Kufour administration, and later as a Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation in the first term of the Akufo-Addo administration. The late distinguished banker, as he was known to all, embodied humility, dedication and selflessness in his service to Party and country.”
“The Party extends its heartfelt condolences to his immediate family and also commiserates with the rest of the nation for the painful loss of this illustrious citizen. In honour of his memory, the NPP directs that all Party flags at the national headquarters and in the respective regions and constituencies be flown at half-mast for the next seven days.”
Dr. Akoto Osei was the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo Constituency for 16 years and the Minister of Monitoring and Evaluation during President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s first term, from 2017 to 2021.
Osei worked as deputy minister for Finance and Economic Planning in May 2003 and was a major economic adviser to the government.
He was later elevated to substantive Minister for Finance and Economic Planning after the death of the then Minister Kwadwo Baah Wiredu.
He served in that role until January 6, 2009, when the government was handed over to the National Democratic Congress which had won the 2008 General Elections.
In February 2017, Osei was sworn in as Minister of Monitoring and Evaluation after being nominated by President Nana Akufo-Addo and going through the vetting process in the parliament of Ghana.
The ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation was a newly created Ministry to evaluate, monitor and plan review summits and forums in fulfilment of the government’s policies on evaluating the progress of its own ministries.
In May 2017, President Nana Akufo-Addo named Anthony Akoto Osei as part of the nineteen ministers who would form his cabinet.
The names of the 19 ministers were submitted to the Parliament of Ghana and announced by the then Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye.
As a Cabinet minister, Anthony Akoto Osei was part of the inner circle of the president and aided in key decision-making activities in the country.
Ghana is among 40 countries who are currently unhappy in theworld.
According to the World Happiness Report Ghana is 111th out of 146 countries.
The 11th annual World Happiness Report is based on economic and social data as well as surveys of people’s perceptions of their happiness.
A statement issued by Dr Isaac Newman Arthur, National Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Psychological Association(GPA), copied to the Ghana News Agency said “Happiness is a human right. Everyone deserves to be happy. Most of our human adventures and interventions are geared towards making happiness possible anytime, anywhere”.
It noted that happiness reflects how satisfied a person was with their quality of life, and it was at the heart of all mental health issues.
It said it was surprising the United Nations had set aside 20th March every year as International Happiness Day to serve as a reminder that happiness was a human right.
The statement said the UN General Assembly in its resolution 65/309 in 2011, encouraged member countries to enact policies that will improve the quality of life of its citizens, and to use various indicators of happiness to guide policy decisions.
It said each year, countries were ranked based on how happy their citizens were using the Gallup World Poll’s 14 indicators of happiness.
It said it included citizen engagement, emotions (wellbeing), diversity, education and families, business and economy, energy and environment, government and politics, law and order, religion and ethics, health, transportation, communication and technology, work, and food and shelter.
The statement said member countries were urged to build societies that ensured that the needs of their citizens were met.
It said all mental disorders affect several areas of a person’s functioning which robs the person of the happiness they deserve or wish for.
“Mental illnesses negatively impacts a person’s ability to cope and adjust to normal life situations, and live independently, form and maintain meaningful relationships, maintain a positive self-identity, and contribute meaningfully to society.” The statement said.
“Ghana has come a long way to improve on mental health services for her citizens, supported by individuals and organizations.”
It said the GPA, together with other mental health organisations had contributed immensely to this cause.
“Can everyone be happy in Ghana, and in other parts of the world? Yes, we can! By actively engaging in activities which maximize our mental wellbeing, that is having a positive attitude towards life, entertaining positive friendships or networks, having ample rest, moderate exercises,
learning to say ‘No’ when overwhelmed with avoidable schedules, having good nutrition, being thankful and grateful by counting our blessings amidst challenges, feelings of contentment, setting realistic goals and expectations, praying and meditating, engaging in hobbies and activities that create humor, forgiving ourselves and others, avoiding needless risks, and endeavoring to take informed decisions in life”.
It said above all, seek professional help if in distress by contacting mental health professionals.
“On this day, International Happiness Day, we wish all Ghanaians, and everyone anywhere a Happy Life.”
A Police dispatch rider has unfortunately met his death on Monday, March 20 at Pokuase in the Ga North Municipality of Accra.
According to reports, L/Cpl. Mustapha Mohammed, was riding his motorcycle out of Ofankor in pursuit of aToyota Corolla.
As they got to Pokuase, the driver allegedly slowed down for the cop to get close and then slammed on the brakes, sending the officer flying and crushing him to death under a moving truck.
The driver of the Toyota vehicle reportedly sped off after the incident.
The police officer’s motorcycle was severely damaged, and his helmet was crushed by the truck, causing serious injury, which led to his untimely demise.
Unfortunately, details of the Toyota Corolla car involved in the chase are not yet available.
Meanwhile, the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service has disclosed that at least 1,443 lives were lost in road crashes between January and July 2022.
According to the MTTD, the police service received reports of 886 road crashes during the period. Speaking to Citi News after the launch of the GPRTU App, Director of Operations for MTTD, Supt. Dr. Samuel Sasu Mensah, noted that the number of road crashes could be reduced if motorists drove more cautiously.
“From January to July 2022, we had 886 cases reported to the police. Out of this, those who were killed were 1,443, and those who got injured were 9,218. However, we have seen a marginal decrease in both fatalities and injuries. So as we progress in the year, we hope that, through good practices by the drivers, the number of road crashes being recorded in the country will be reduced,” he said.
According to Angel FM reporter, Mubarak Yakubu, the driver of the Toyota vehicle he was pursuing immediately sped off after the incident.
The reporter said the motorbike of the police officer was badly mangled while his helmet was also crushed by the truck, which caused him head injury leading to his death.
Details of the car which the late officer was pursuing, are not available at the time of filing this report.
Out of the 19, three are reportedly in critical condition.
The accident occurred on Monday evening with the victims receiving treatment at theWinneba Traumaand Specialist Hospital.
Information gathered by Adom News indicates the unfortunate incident occurred after the back tyre of a sprinter bus with number GN 3452-17 travelling from Adubiase burst.
This caused the vehicle to summersault multiple times and landed in a ditch.
The Energy Ministry, has disclosed its intentions to supply over 2,000 electricity meters to traders at Kejetia Market.
According to the Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (Napo) the days of having just one meter for the entire market are over.
The Minister wondered why traders could not enjoy separate meters to reduce the costs of paying high electricity bills at the facility.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh gave the assurance while addressing traders when he visited the facility to commensurate with traders that have lost their wares and shops in last Thursday’s fire which was started by someone cooking at the place.
“As the Minister of Energy, I have just heard the facility had only one meter. We will bring many meters, we have brought 2,000 meters, and we will continue to bring meters till all shops have their own individual meters.
“Please, I must be frank with you too, all those that have put unapproved structures in the market will be removed from here, we will not sit unconcerned after fixing this place for such things to reoccur, that we will not accept, we are begging all.
“With these obstacles in the market, how will any fire tender come into the market, or will any emergency situation be dealt with,” he questioned.
Did you know Baoule people from Ivory Coast are a subset of the Akan tribe?
And oh, presentIvory Coastwas founded by a great woman….
Queen Abla Pokou born between 1700 and 1720 on Tuesday, in Kumasi, was King Osei Tutu‘s niece, a co-founder of the Ashanti Empire in present-day Ghana.
Osei Tutu was ambushed and assassinated in 1718, Pokou’s second brother Dakon took over as leader of the Ashanti. The King’s reign lasted for almost two decades.
Following the passing of King Osei Tutu, a succession dispute resulted in the death of Dakon.
Pokuo got married but could not conceive, this became a challenge as she had needed to produce a son in order to succeed her brother.
One day, while Dakon and his army were engaged in battle away from the Ashanti capital of Kumasi the town was taken over by troops. Pokou was the only royal princess who survived the massacre, as such she was prepared to die at her post.
The enemy however, took her hostage, Dakon upon rival noticed her absence.
In rescuing the royal princess, Dakon appointed Tano, a warrior in leading the army to the camp of the enemy.
The warrior later married Pokuo, an heir to the golden Ashanti throne was ensured by the birth of a boy from the union.
In no time Dakon became ill and died, before his death, named a successor to the throne, since Pokuo’s son was young.
Nevertheless, Kwissi, Dakon’s rival, assassinated the successor shortly after.
Knowing that Pokou’s son would ultimately be the legitimate heir, Kwissi asked Pokou for permission to rule, but she refused.
Abla Pokou,however, fled out of fear for her safety and that of her family. She escaped with Dakon’s faithful subjects to modern-day Ivory Coast.
Queen Abla Pokou and her fugitives were unable to cross the Comoe River, upon rival.
Abla Pokuo and her people could not cross the river due to the high water caused by the continuous rain. The Comoe is a natural border between present-day Ghana and Ivory Coast.
Queen Abla Pokuo
According to the wise man with Pokuo a child from a noble lineage must be offered as sacrifice to appease the river gods. She flung her son into the river, he vanished among the waves. The trees on the bank immediately bent their trunks to create a bridge.
Another account indicates that, Abla and her escort were able to cross the river after a hippopotamus appeared on the river to pave way.
When they reached the other side, Abla Pokou she wailed and said “Bâ wouli,” to wit the child dead.
The Baoule people, who now reside in modern-day Ivory Coast, derived their name from this phrase (“ba wouli”). to serve as a reminder of the sacrifice of their leader.
Today, Abla is considered as the first and matriarch of the Baoule ethnic group in West Africa, in Ivory Coast. She reigned from around 1750 until around 1760.
She controlled a division of the great Ashanti Kingdom as it spread westward.
One of the main ethnic groups in present Ivory Coast is the Baoule people, a subset of the Akan.
She is acknowledged for her braveness to save her people and provide them with a better life.
The Queen’s jacket crafted from Baoule loincloth pays homage to the Baoule ethnic community and its heritage.
Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has described the death of former Member of Parliament for Old Tafo and deputy finance minister, Anthony Osei Akoto as shocking.
According to Dr. Bawumia, the former MP was a very good friend and brother whose “dedication to serving mother Ghana was unpaired and his fidelity to the country’s development was unquestionable.”
The death of Akoto Osei at age 64 was confirmed on March 20 by a post on the official Facebook page of Parliament.
“Former Old Tafo MP, Hon. Dr Anthony Osei Akoto passes away. May he rest in peace,” Parliament’s post accompanied by a photo of the deceased read.
“I paid him a visit just a few weeks ago and was happy that he was doing much better. The news of his passing has therefore come as a complete shock. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.
“I am happy to have had a brother in you and to have worked with you. Rest in peace, my brother,” Bawumia’s Facebook post read.
Who was Dr. Akoto Osei
Dr Akoto Osei was in the cabinet of former President John Agyekum Kufuor as the Minister of State for Finance and Economic Planning.
Before becoming the finance minister under ex-President Kufuor, he served as the deputy minister for the sector.
In May, 2017, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo named Dr Anthony Akoto Osei as part of his 19 ministers who would form his cabinet as the Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation.
He was a former Member of Parliament (MP) for the Old Tafo Constituency in the Ashanti Region. While in Parliament, he served as the Ranking Member for the Committee on Finance, and a member of the Interior and Defence committees of the House.
He obtained a PhD from Howard University in 1987, a Master of Arts degree in Applied Economics from the American University in 1980. He had earlier obtained a Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree in Economics from Oberlin College in Ohio in 1978.
On 27 March 2002, he became a member of the Management Board of Merchant Bank (Ghana) Ltd. Previously, he worked as Associate Professor at Dollard University (USA) and previously as a Research Assistant at the Centre for Policy Analysis (Ghana).
President Akufo-Addo has tasked the Election Commission (EC) to ensure that election 2024 is free, credible, and fair.
According to him, a fair election will strengthen Ghana’s democratic credentials.
“It is no secret that I have spent most of my adult life trying to fight for the establishment of democracy and human rights in this country and I have always fought and advocated for credible elections in Ghana. In emphasizing the importance of the credibility of elections, it must be pointed out that the counting, collation and declaration of the results, cannot and should not be more important than the sacred God-given rights of the citizen casting his or her ballot.”
Nana Akufo-Addo made this statement at the swearing-in of two EC Board members at theJubilee House.
The President further charged that the electoral management body should not be intimidated by pressure from political parties.
According to the President, criticisms are part of the country’s democracy and cannot be dismissed.
He asked the electoral management body to focus its efforts on the expectation of Ghanaians.
“Remember that now and ever, every single decision you take will be scrutinized to the letter.” That, however, should not scare you, and let no one try to coerce you into submission. On the contrary, let this expectation of the Ghanaian people spur you on to great heights, and above all, work to ensure that the will of the Ghanaian people is upheld.”
President Akufo-Addo swore in three new members of the Electoral Commission (EC) at the Jubilee House.
The newly inducted EC officials, namely, Dr Peter Appiahene, Salima Ahmed Tijani, and Rev. Akua Ofori Boateng, were inducted into office on Monday, March 20.
The President, however, urged them to uphold diligence in executing their mandate.
Following the swearing-in, Dr. Appiahene, speaking on behalf of the members, declared that they were prepared to deliver and strengthen Ghana’s democracy.
“We are, therefore, aware of the massive responsibilities and tasks that come with it.
“We want to state that we are poised and more prepared to deliver and contribute to the development of our democracy, especially in this digital era.” he said
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has warned traders at theKejetia Marketto be safety conscious in order to prevent another fire incident.
The New Kejetia Market in the Ashanti Region, which was destroyed by fire, will be able to resume operations today.
Despite traders’ protests, market management had previously decided that the facility would be closed for another week to allow for investigations.
However, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia announced on Monday that the decision had been reversed after preliminary reports ruled out electrical faults as the cause of the inferno.
In an interview with Citi News, ACFO Timothy Osafo-Afum, Head of Public Relations at the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), emphasized the importance of being more safety conscious.
“You don’t learn about what to do where there is an emergency. You must learn it long before the emergency comes, so you apply what you know. So let us be safety conscious and do what is expected of us so that in the time of emergency, we know what exactly to do.”
The New Kejetia Market in the Ashanti Region would reopen for business today after being closed for four days.
Last Wednesday, fire destroyed over 30 shops in the market.
Following a meeting with the leadership of the traders, the Ghana National Fire Service agreed to close the facility for a few days to allow for uninterrupted investigations.
The board also ordered that the facility should remain closed for another week.
Reuben Amey, General Secretary of the Kumasi Traders Association, told Citi News that the continuous closure would have harmed their finances.
“Even if they had opened the market yesterday March 20, we would have loved it. We traders are really suffering from the closure of the market. Though we are suffering, we accepted the 3-day closure, but any further delay in the reopening, we will suffer too much. We have already suffered losses when the market was razed by fire”.
Following a four-day closure, the New Kejetia Market in the Ashanti Region will reopen today.
Last Wednesday, fire destroyed over 30 shops in the market.
Following a meeting with the leadership of the traders, the Ghana National Fire Service agreed to close the facility for a few days to allow for uninterrupted investigations.
The board also ordered that the facility should remain closed for another week.
Reuben Amey, General Secretary of the Kumasi Traders Association, told Citi News that the continuous closure would have harmed their finances.
“Even if they had opened the market yesterday March 20, we would have loved it. We traders are really suffering from the closure of the market. Though we are suffering, we accepted the 3-day closure, but any further delay in the reopening, we will suffer too much. We have already suffered losses when the market was razed by fire”.
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) says it is adequately prepared for the resumption of business activities at the New Kejetia Market in the Ashanti Region after the facility was gutted by fire.
Following consultations with stakeholders, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia directed the market’s opening from Tuesday, March 21.
The Vice President announced that the decision had been reversed after preliminary reports ruled out electrical faults as the cause of the inferno.
In an interview with Citi News, ACFO Timothy Osafo-Afum, Head of Public Relations at the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), emphasized the importance of being more safety conscious.
“You don’t learn about what to do where there is an emergency. You must learn it long before the emergency comes, so you apply what you know. So let us be safety conscious and do what is expected of us so that in the time of emergency, we know what exactly to do.”
The Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has that reports from the the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) indicates that the Kejetia market fire incident was as a result of flames from a trader cooking at the premises.
According to him, while the store owner was cooking, the gas cylinder she was using caught fire and spread to a nearby chemical shop, resulting in the destruction of 33 of the market’s 8,000 stores.
He added that the chemical shop owner amongst others sells combustibles such as carbide, turpentine and gunpowder which exploded.
The Vice President indicated that this was uncovered after a preliminary investigation by the GNFS in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).
Addressing the traders after inspecting the part ravaged by the fire on March 20, the Vice President expressed his empathy to the affected traders assuring them of government’s support.
“We are here to empathise with you following the fire that gutted the market. We are equally affected by the sad situation, that’s why I’m here today to show my concerns. I was taken around the market by the GNFS, NADMO officials, and they told me that through their investigations, the market caught fire as a result of cooking by one of the traders whose shop was close to a nearby chemical shop, where they sell gunpowder, carbide, turpentine that resulted in the explosion,” the Vice President narrated.
Dr. Bawumia said, “The fire officers told me that the fire was not caused by an electrical fault but the cooking of food by the shop owner inside her shop, that’s where the fire started”.
The board of the new Kejetia Market also known as the Kumasi City Markets Limited on March 19, directed that the facility should be closed for one more week starting Monday, March 20 to allow GNFS to conduct further investigations.
The traders on the other hand have argued that such a move will negatively affect their businesses and have thus vowed to defy the directive.
But the Vice President during his visit said the traders whose shops were not affected could return to the market tomorrow March 21, 2023.
Although Ghana’s debt to the IMF remained constant at $1.70 billion in January 2023, it has however been ranked the most indebted African country to the IMF.
According to the Fund’s Quarterly Finances ending January 31, 2023, Ghana’s outstanding loans to the International Monetary Fund stood at 1.278 billion Special Drawing Rights (SDR 1.278 billion) at the end of January 2023, equivalent to $1.708 billion.
This is out of Africa’s total loans outstanding of SDR 16.15 billion to the Bretton Woodinstitution as of January 31, 2023.
The country has, however, so far repaid SDR 53 million, equivalent to $75.7 million to the IMF.
Ghana’s loan exposure to the Bretton Woods institution is classified as concessional lending. Concessional loan comes with a low-interest financing.
Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya were ranked 2nd and 3rd in Africa with the largest outstanding loans of SDR 1.142 billion and SDR 1.015 respectively to the Fund as of January 2023.
They have also received a disbursement of SDR 304 million and SDR 239 to boost their balance of payments.
Sudan and Uganda were 4th and 5th respectively with their exposure to the Fund estimated at SDR 992 million and SDR 632 million. Uganda has also received a disbursement of SDR 180 million to aid its fiscal economy.
The rest of Africa was indebted to the tune of SDR 10.1 billion to the IMF. The African countries have so far received disbursement of SDR 1.25 billion post-Covid-19.
In order to avoid being disconnected, Parliament has paid theElectricity Company of Ghana(ECG) about GH8 million of the GH13 million debt it owe.
The payment comes after revenue mobilization task force from ECG visited Ghana’s legislative house with the intention of disconnecting it from the national grid.
The exercise is part of the power distributor’s effort to recover over GH¢5 billion of debt accrued by private and state institutions for non-payment since August last year.
The exercise began today, March 20, 2023, after ECG announced the closure of its main offices except for customer support departments in order to embark on a one-month-long exercise.
The taskforce is currently heading to another institution.
A viral video on social media has shown how a man,Nana Swanzy Kescaped death after a driver with the license plate GE 5198-15 overtook his car on the Winneba-Cape Coast Road.
In a 15-minute video he shared on Facebook, the said man swerved into the bush in an attempt to avoid a crash with the car on the opposite side.
In the post he said ‘Wrongful and careless overtaking on the Winneba-Cape coast road that nearly took my life today.
Ghana Police Service kindly find, arrest and prosecute the driver of thisHyundai Elantra with registration number GE 5198-15”
The vice chancellor of Koforidua Technical University, Professor David Kofi Essumang, has disclosed the lack of lecture rooms in the institution.
He argues that the situation forces students to spend a lot of time on campus.
Prof Essumang made the disclosure at the school’s 27th matriculation in Koforidua the Eastern Regional capital.
He further added that inadequate student’s hostel is also a major challenge this he said makes it difficult for his outfit to have grasp of the students.
He entreated the matriculates who were about five thousand one hundred and 43 to be good ambassadors of the school.
He further advised them that their primary aim of enrollment is to study and channel their energies in that direction therefore limiting their time on social media.
The Vice Chancellor also revealed that the University through its Financial Aid Board FAB at the Counselling Unit, financial assistance will be provided to brilliant but needy students and other qualified needy students who, without such assistance, may not be able to meet their educational expenses.
Miss Patricia Oware who represented the matriculants urged her fellow students to take advantage of the opportunity given to them as students of the university and strive to become assets to the nation.
Yesterday, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia attended the second Akwasidae of the year at Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.
According to reports, he was met with loud cheers.
He was accompanied by theAshanti Region Constituency Executives of the party, some party elders, and Ministers of State and their Deputies.
Earlier, speaking at a brief event ahead of the Akwasidae, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia hailed the NPP in the Ashanti Region for the tremendous show of love for him.
He described the gesture, not only as surprising but also tremendous, urging the rank and file of the party in the region to continue to forge ahead in unity.
On Wednesday, March 23, 2023, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, a prospective presidential contender for the oppositionNational Democratic Congress (NDC), will submit his nomination form.
Contained in a statement signed by the Spokesperson for the former Minister of Finance, Antonio Edem Asinyo, it said that Dr. Duffuor will file the forms at the NDC’s headquarters in Accra.
“Aspiring Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Kwabena Duffuor will be submitting his nomination to contest the flagbearer election at the Party HQ on Thursday, 23rd day of March 2023 at 11:00am,” the statement said.
Also, the statement said that the initial date of Wednesday, March 22, was changed due to a request from the national executives of the party.
This, he explained, is due to the fact that on that initial date, the NDC’s National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, is set to present what the party has termed the True State of the Nation Address.
“The change in date from Wednesday to Thursday is in response to a request from the National Executive of the party to reschedule, due to the party’s True State of the Nation Address to be delivered by the Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia today, Monday at the UPSA auditorium at 2pm,” he added.
The Duffuor camp has since urged members of the party to be present at the event, adding that their candidate will also be present.
A truck carrying 275 bags of dried cocoa beans on its way to Togo has been intercepted at the Aflao Border by the National Intelligence Bureau’s (NIB) Aflao Division.
The accused, Francis Ewuah, the driver, andEbenezer Tetteh, the truck owner, both 35 years old, have been detained by police prison pending investigations.
Cocoa smuggling through unapproved routes is rampant along the Ghana-Togo frontiers due to the porous nature of the borders.
At about 7pm last Monday, the 13th of March, the Aflao Division of the National Intelligence Bureau, NIB had a tip-off that some persons were transporting cocoa beans from Osinase in the Eastern Region through Aflao to neighboring Togo.
Upon reaching the Aflao-Togo Border, the NIB intercepted the truck with registration number GX 8579 22.
After a search on the vehicle, two hundred and seventy five bags of cocoa beans were found and upon interrogation, the two suspects admitted their involvement in the crime.
The Director in Charge of Special Services of the Ghana COCOBOD, Charles Amenyaglo briefed the media on the operation.
Mr. Amenyaglo commended the Aflao NIB command for its vigilance which led to the arrest of the suspects.
He appealed to the public to be vigilant and help the security agencies to arrest people who smuggle cocoa into Togo through illegal routes.
The truck has since been impounded by the Police and the suspects remanded for further investigations after appearing in Court.
As the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) prepare to hold a nationwide protest, the Ghana High Commission in South Africahas urged members of the Ghanaian community to exercise caution and limit their movements.
In a circular, the High Commission warned Ghanaians to avoid mass gatherings and contact the police for assistance when required.
The High Commissionalso encouraged members of the Ghanaian community to contact the Mission in case of emergency or any occurrences that affect them directly.
South Africans are nervously awaiting a “national shutdown” Monday announced by the radical opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, which wants the country to come to a standstill due to a number of grievances.
Julius Malema, leader of the EFF, the third-largest party in Parliament, said South Africans are tired of rolling power cuts being implemented daily, corruption and unemployment among other issues.
The party is demanding that President Cyril Ramaphosa steps down because he is allegedly not running the country properly.
“On the 20th of March, we have to shut down this country to show the whole world that we are concerned about the state of affairs. We can’t fold our arms,” Malema said in a video message on the weekend.
He said the shutdown could be the beginning of an unstoppable revolution. The party has requested non-essential workers to remain home or join the protest.
Ramaphosa warned Thursday that the EFF’s planned protests were not a mere shutdown but an attempt to overthrow the government.
On Sunday, he informed parliament that 3,474 members of the South African National Defense Force have been deployed to support the police in the prevention and combating of crime and preservation of law and order.
According to reports, 33 individuals have been detained for last week’s demolition ofGolden Star Wassa Mineproperties in Benso,Western Area.
The company’s employees were forced to flee for their safety after the illegal miners reportedly set 12 vehicles on fire, including pick-up trucks, ambulances, and excavators.
The Head of Group Corporate Affairs of the company, Gerard Hillary Osei Boakye earlier narrated to Citi News, how they were attacked.
“We usually do our patrols to protect our concession which is required of us by law to be responsible for our boundaries and also prevent incursions, to make sure that community people, hunters, and farms are safe. On one such occasion which was Thursday, March 16, we encountered some illegal miners encroaching, we engaged them as part of our modus operandi and told them to move away”.
“They were interested in that area, so they came back and when they came back, we tried to ward them off with the help of the police. They dispersed again and apparently unconfirmed report reaching us is that they may have been injured in the cause of being dispersed. That probably infuriated them, and they came back to torch our vehicles and ran our security post down, destroyed our offices, basically burnt things down,” he explained.
Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has a lot of support from the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) membership to lead the party as leader into the general elections of 2024, according to First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Joseph Osei Owusu (Joewise).
He claimed that the number of NPP MPs and Ministers of States that accompanied Dr. Baswumia to the Manhyia palace inKumasi for the second Akwasiadae of the year, 2023, is evidence of the support the party accords him.
The Bekwai Member of Parliament said “All the MPs and ministers following Dr Bawumia are ministers and MPs who support the bid of Dr Bawumia to lead the NPP in the flagbeareship race. So we came with him to demonstrate or support for his bid to lead the NPP in the flagbeareship race.
“That is why all of us are here today to support him to greet the Otumfuo and also for us to pay homage to Otumfuo on Akwasiadae.”
He added “The number of MPs and Ministers following Dr Bawumia demonstrates the support he has within the leadership of the party and even within the rank and file of the party, it shows that in the competition to lead the NPP Dr Bawumia is high above everybody else.
“Those who supported the other candidates have followed him to come and greet Otumfuo so why would the rest of us who support Dr Bawumia not follow him?
“There is no controversy, in competition, it is a choice and everybody is able to choose freely, so this is a free choice.”
Today, Monday, March 20 the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will address the country on the theme ‘The True State of the Nation’.
Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the Chairperson of the NDC, will deliver the speech during the event, which will be held at the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA).
The ‘True State of the Nation Address’ is expected to counter ‘The State of The Nation Address’ delivered by President Akufo-Addoon Wednesday, March 8.
The NDC address, under the auspices of the party’s National Communications Bureau, is expected to focus heavily on the economy and factors that have pushed the country for an IMF bailout.
Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament says Ghana will not be able to secure the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) board approval at the end of March 2023 contrary to claims by the government.
The opposition group explained that the government has not been able to satisfy the financing assurances regarding the bailout which includes the board documents.
“Mr Speaker, our President said on authority that Ghana would get an IMF Board approval by the end of this month, I don’t know who is briefing our President, but Ghana will not be able to get an IMF Board approval by the end of this month because even the board documents are prepared.
“We need to get China to give Ghana financing assurance and that they are ready to take a haircut and China has not agreed,” Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson said.
A member of parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, has stated that the defamation case he won against investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas should not be seen as a victory for him but a win forprofessional journalism and all those who have been harmed by Anas’ investigative reporting.
In a statement, Mr Agyapong said “It is important that as we digest the judgment, we focus on the real essence and not view it as a victory for Ken.
“It is indeed a victory for professional journalism as well as individuals and governments across Africa who have suffered unjustly from this style of investigative journalism.”
The Accra High Court on Wednesday, March 15 dismissed the GH¢25 million defamation suit against Kennedy Ohene Agyapong brought by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
The judge, Justice Eric Baah, held that Anas Aremeyaw Anas failed to prove that Ken Agyapong defamed him by airing the documentary – “Who watches the watchman” – but rather, the documentary exposed shady deals that Anas and his associates were involved in.
This was after Anas, in 2018, sued the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmaker for allegedly defaming him.
Anas prayed to the court to award GH¢25 million against Mr Agyapong to compensate him for the defamatory material published against him by the MP.
The court concluded that what Anas is engaged in is not investigative journalism but rather “investigative terrorism” and that Agyapong was justified to call Anas “a blackmailer, corrupt, an extortionist, and evil”.
“I find the claims by the plaintiff [Anas Aremeyaw Anas) meritless and they are hereby dismissed,”Justice Baah ruled.
But Anas said he disagreed with the judge both on law and on the facts of the case.
He accused Justice Baah of delving into the arena of criminal prosecution against him despite the matter being a civil case.
“My team and I and the lawyers have carefully studied the judgment delivered by the court and we are unanimous that the judge made an overreach and descended into the arena and made criminal pronouncements about me as If I was standing a criminal trial.
“He also justified the MP accusing me of the murder of JB Danquah, murder of 20 Chinese nationals. We are filing an appeal because there was no evidence provided,” Anas said in a video recording responding to the judgment.”
He added “…I disagreed with the judge’s ruling both on law and the facts. when I started this work 21 years ago, I never assumed that it would be an easy road yet it is the evidence in my work and the commitment to truth and justice that has always led and prevailed against all the forces that have worked to pull us down”.
The Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry has accused the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, for stunting the sector’s expansion.
The Chamber asserts that the Minister’s opaque business practices and his choice to favoritise the hiring of contractors over first-come, first-served hiring are to blame.
Contractors in Ghana have for years been lamenting the government’s non-payment for projects executed.
Speaking to Citi News, the CEO of the Chamber, Emmanuel Cherry, stressed that “the posturing of the minister is further worsening our plight.”
“He has failed to be transparent in his operations over the years. Worst of, the Roads Minister pays contractors based on favouritism rather than a first-come first-serve basis are to blame.”
John Dramani Mahama, a candidate for the National Democracy Congress‘ (NDC) flagbearer position, will submit his nomination Tuesday, March 21 in order to participate in the May 13th primary elections.
Originally planned for Monday, the John Mahama Campaign says it is “very sorry for the postponement, which is in response to a request from the party to reschedule because of the presentation of the party’s True State of the Nation Address on Monday.”
Mr. Mahama will however continue his first phase tour of the Ashanti Region, which ends today, a statement by the aide to the former President, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, said.
John Mahama who is a one-term former president is seeking to return to power after he was defeated by Akufo-Addo in the 2016 and 2020general elections.
Mr. Mahama believes the Akufo-Addo government has put the country into reverse gear.
Below is the full statement from Mahama’s campaign team:
PRESS RELEASE
John Mahama to file nomination on Tuesday
National Democratic Congress (NDC) aspiring presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, will file his nomination to contest the 13th May 2023 primaries on Tuesday at 1.00pm.
Originally planned for Monday, the John Mahama Campaign says it is very sorry for the postponement, which is in response to a request from the party to reschedule because of the presentation of the party’s True State of the Nation Address on Monday.
President Mahama will however continue his first phase tour of the Ashanti Region, which ends today.
Joyce Bawah Mogtari Spokesperson Sunday, March 19, 2023.
The Ministry of Energy has refuted claims that it had its power cut off due to unpaid electrical bills.
Speaking on the matter, Communications Specialist at the Ministry, Kofi Abrefa Afena “the Ministry only had prepaid payment challenges and therefore called the ECG to intervene”.
He added that “The Ministry of Energy as the supervising agency of the ECG will support ECG in recovering all its money accruing from energy sold to consumers. The Ministry will lead by example in paying for its energy consumed”.
In order for ECG and NEDCo to be able to offer consumers necessary services, the Ministry, according to Mr. Afena, urges everyone to pay for the energy they use.
Meanwhile, the Electricity Company of Ghana says it will from today, Monday, March 20, embark on a massive disconnection exercise in a bid to mobilise revenue.
The exercise is using almost all ECG staff, from top management to junior officers to retrieve all the monies owed it.
According to the Managing Director, Mr Samuel Dubik Mahama Esq., the company is owed over GH¢5 billion from the month of September 2022 to February 2023. Most of this debt resides with the SOEs and MDAs.
Kayan Mata, can be aphrodisiacs, oils, herbs, potions, or potions, but their sole function is to improve sex or love.
It is made up of Hausaterms “Kayan” and “Mata,” which mean “property” or “things” in English. The phrase is literally translated as “women’s things” when put together.
It appears to have existed for centuries and originated fromNorthern Nigeria.
Originally, it was used by these women for sexual pleasure, and served as enhancers, or aphrodisiacs, especially for young brides, but in recent times, it has become a really huge trend for women all over the world.
In Ghana, the trend has become very prevalent and these products are even advertised via the internet and on various social media platforms.
Patrons of these products have diverse interests, to attract men for money, sex, marriage, etc. What some may not know is how the Kayan Mata is used by its clients.
In a post on media personality – Naa Ashorkor’s Facebook page, she indicates how some women with in-depth knowledge about how people use the Kayan Matan for their ‘victims’ shared this with her on her show; ‘Just us’.
According to her, she picked some pointers which include the fact that the Kayan Mata products are in 3 categories; vaginal upgrade, faithfulness, and libido boosting, and the third; favour and attraction potions.
Users of the potion need to talk to the oil and indicate exactly what they want from it and it happens.
“In order to activate the potion, you simply talk to the oil. For instance – “oil, please let me attract rich men who can buy me a car”. When you go out, the men will literally be falling over themselves for you. They can’t help it,” she wrote.
She however indicated that some men who called into the show also shared how the male variation referred to as ‘For girls’ is used by some men for similar interests.
“Interestingly, when I activated the phone lines to ask ladies to share their experiences, only men called! Apparently, Kayan mata is a variation of “For girls’ and the men have interesting stories about the potency of this potion. Scary! One guy said his friend used it to get his wife to accept his marriage proposal. So this woman is currently under a spell. Apparently, a lot of married people are under spells they are not aware of,” Naa Ashorkor narrated.
Naa Ashorkor also shared stories of how some users of these products suffered side effects or had experiences which didn’t go in their favour.
In one instance, a woman who tried using it to attract men ended up attracting mad men. In another, a woman who tried using it on another man who already had activated the ‘For girls’ potion ended up dying.
“A lady who bought and used attraction potion now attracts only “mad men” literally, in traffic, they approach her and try to touch her, they literally chase her around town, sometimes more than one at a time. When she complained to the vendor she bought it from, she told her to go to Benin to see the original seller. There is no other way to undo this charm,” she shared.
Adding,
“The side effects are dire. Sometimes you cannot break away from this spell or spirit even if you want to. My guest shared a story about a girl who used it on a man, the man apparently had more potent potions which killed her. She is dead oo”.
The Inspector General of Police has formed two independent committees to investigate the killing of 27-year-old Abu-Bakr Shahid, who was allegedly slain by the Police Anti-Robbery Unitin Wa, according to the Director General of Police in charge of administration, COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno.
Speaking at Wa as a leader of the Police delegation sent by theIGP to commiserate with the family of Shahid, COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno assured the family that the Police administration is leaving no stone unturned in their bid to get to the truth of the matter
Abu-Bakr Shahid was allegedly shot dead by the Police on Wednesday, March 8 on suspicion of being an armed robber.
The incident sparked a protest in Wa by members of his family, friends and residents of Dondoli where he hails from.
The family has strenuously denied the Police’s assertion and are calling for justice for him.
With a capacity to produce more than 5,000 automobiles and pickup trucks per year, Volkswagen(VW) Ghana Limited has constructed a vehicle assembly factory in Tema Free Zone.
The new, more upscale Tema assembly facility will take the place of the old Accra site, which inaugurated in August 2020.
Mr Jeffery Oppong Peprah, Managing Director of VW Ghana, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the commissioning, said the company had so far spent about eight million Euros in establishing a branch of the Germany Company in Ghana.
Mr Peprah said having the plant in Tema was strategic as it provided them with space to expand, adding that their proximity to the Tema Port also gave them a great advantage in exporting to other countries within the sub-region.
He said VW was currently producing six of its brands in Ghana namely, T-Cross, Teramount, Tiguan, Amarock, Passat, and Polo, which he stated best fit the local market.
Touching on the quality of the cars assembled in Ghana, he gave the assurance that the products were the same as those manufactured in their other plants in South Africa and Germany.
He said the vehicles as part of standards checks, undergosuspension tests, and fuel quality tests, among others.
He indicated that even though the quality was the same, the prices were affordable due to the VAT-free incentive from the government to buyers of the locally assembled vehicles as well as the non-payment of import tax on the vehicles compared to the imported ones.
He commended the Government for the initiative on the automotive industry, as according to him, countries that have developed, used automobiles as a backbone, adding that theGovernment must speed up the implementation of the remaining parts of the automotive policy to ensure they receive the benefits of their investments.
Mr Peprah noted that the ban on the importation of used vehicles which have devastating effects on the environment and health was yet to be fully implemented by the Government.
He added that auto financing policies must also be rolled out to provide the needed support for potential buyers of locally assembled vehicles.
Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, the caretaker Minister of Trade and Industry, and substantive Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, recalled that the establishment of the VW plant in Ghana was an offshoot from a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)which was signed between the Government of Ghana and German Chancellor when she visited Ghana in 2018.
Mr Jinapor said the government showed its commitment to the MOU through the Ghana Automotive Development Policy (GADP) which was approved by Cabinet, saying currently Ghana has six vehicle assembling plants producing nine brands of vehicles.
He reiterated that government knows the importance of the automotive industry to the growth of the economy and as a key strategic industry which provided skilled employment to the people, technology transfer, sustainable jobs, and local supply chain opportunities.
He said the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development programme, which operates under his ministry was another initiative aimed at supporting the automotive industry and adding value to the country’s aluminium, bauxite and other minerals.
He gave the assurance that the automotive component manufacturing policy would be laid before Cabinet in a few days to provide the needed full support for the companies.
