The Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has praised Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, for leading Ghana’s digitalisation drive.
Annoh-Dompreh was reacting to news of Ghana being ranked number one in the 2022 Digital Competitiveness Index in Anglophone West Africa.
Ghana scored 66 percent on the index, half a percentage point more than Cape Verde, which was ranked second-best. Nigeria completed the top three with a 65 percent score.
The index was compiled by the pan-African think tank Digital Foundation Africa, and it measures and ranks which of the West African states is implementing and adopting good digitalisation policies while mapping the growth of its digital development sectors for socio-economic transformations.
The index was compiled using about 10 variables, ranging from mobile money and online transactions, to digital infrastructure and policy implementation.
“The Ranking would guide ECOWAS states in their approach in the implementation and development of the digital sector hence translating into how citizens transact and use digital in their daily lives. After the release of the index, activities will be held to engage governments and other stakeholders per country to help in the direction and future of the digital sector,” parts of a statement announcing the 2022 Digital Competitiveness Index read.
Reacting to the development in a tweet shared on January 24, 2023, Annoh-Dompreh, the Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri, described Bawumia as an economic and digitalisation genius.
His tweet was a retweet of a feat as shared by a pro-NPP activist. He captioned his post, “The Economic & Digital Messiah.”
Cassiel Ato Forson has been appointed the Minority Leader in Parliament, replacing Haruna Iddrisu, who had been leading the caucus for the last six years.
Ato Forson is a known face in parliament with his role as the Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of the House.
His new position was announced via a January 24, 2023, statement signed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey.
GhanaWeb looks at 10 quick facts about the new Minority Leader
1. Ato Forson is in his fourth consecutive term as Member of Parliament for the people of the Ajuamko-Enyan-Esiam constituency.
2. His highest education qualification is a PhD in Finance attained in 2020.
3. He is touted as a financial expert and holds other certificates in Taxation, Economics as well as Accounting.
4. He is a former deputy Minister of Finance between 2013 – 2017.
5. He is currently a Ranking Member of Parliament’s Finance Committee and serves on the House and Foreign Affairs Committees.
6. He was born on August 5, 1978, in Ajumako Bisease, Central Region of Ghana.
7. He obtained a Master of Science in Taxation from the University of Oxford after a BSc in Accounting from South Bank University, London U.K.
8. His Ph.D. was in Business and Management (finance option) from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
9. Ato Forson is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana, and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) replaced the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, as the leader of the minority caucus in Parliament.
In what appears to be his last interview as majority leader, which was with JoyNews on Monday, January 23, 2023, Haruna Iddrisu said that all incumbent NDC MPs who want to return to the house have his support as the minority leader.
He added that there are a number of MPs that he will impress upon the leadership of the NDC to ensure are the party’s candidates for the 2024 parliamentary elections.
“As a majority leader, I should have a fair assessment of some of the MPs that the party necessarily must consider returning to Parliament. Because this work is about experience.
“… as minority leader my first loyalty is to incumbent. I support every incumbent who wants to return back to Parliament,” he said.
Haruna Iddrissu went on to list a number of NDC MPs who he thinks must be in the 9th Parliament of Ghana, including the MP for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, and the MP for Ayensuano, Teddy Safori Addi.
The NDC appointed the former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, as the minority leader in the 8th Parliament of Ghana’s Fourth Republic.
According to the NDC, Kofi Armah Buah, MP for Ellembele, will take over as the Deputy Minority Chief Whip.
While Kwame Governs Agbodza, MP for Abaklu, he will replace Asawase MP Muntaka Mohammed as the Chief Whip.
Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the First Deputy Minority Chief Whip, while Comfort Doyo Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is the Second Deputy Minority Chief Whip.
This, was contained in a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, from the National Democratic Congress dated January 23, 2023.
Alex Mould, a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), and Gavivina Tamakloe have been ordered to pay a bond of GHC5 million to the state for failing to produce Sedina Tamakloe Attionu.
The sureties, Alex Mould and Gavivina Tamakloe, secured a GHC 5 million bail for the former boss of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, who is standing trial for allegedly causing financial loss of GHC 90 million to the state during her tenure as the CEO of MASLOC between 2013 and January 2017.
The accused person was slapped with a forfeiture of recognisance today (January 24) when the case came up for hearing at the court presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, Graphiconline reports.
Per Section 104 of the Criminal Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30), if the two sureties are unable to pay the GHC 5 million bail sum, the court can order the sale of their properties to recover the amount.
On February 7, 2023, the Court will decide whether or not to try Attionu in absentia.
Sedina Tamakloe Attionu failed to show up for the trial for the past 16 months after being granted permission by the court to travel to the USA for medical treatment.
In May 2022, The financial and economic high court denied the request of state attorneys to trial the former chief executive officer (CEO) of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, in absentia.
The presiding judge of the case, Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botwe, said that the case will not proceed until the two people who stood surety for her (guaranteed the bail application for her release) including the former CEO of Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC), Alex Mould, appear in court, asaaseradio.com reports.
The former MASLOC CEO, Sedina Tamakloe, who is accused of causing financial loss to the state and stealing around GH¢ 93 million from MASLOC coffers has been standing trial since 2020. She has, however, refused to return to Ghana after she was granted permission by the court to travel abroad on health grounds.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor has directed that the Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Development Authority, Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, be prosecuted for criminal offences.
The report also directed the similar criminal prosecutions of the two deputy CEOs of the NDA, Stephen Yir-eru Engman (Operations), and Patrick Seidu (Finance & Administration).
This, the report stated, is due to their respective roles in breaches of the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663).
This was contained in the OSP’s Report of Investigation into Alleged Commission of Corruption and Corruption-Related Offences involving the Northern Development Authority and A&QD Consortium Limited, dated January 24, 2023.
It was based on a written complaint dated June 15, 2022, and addressed to the Special Prosecutor by Martin Luther Kpebu, a private legal practitioner, requesting for investigation into the operations of NDA and the actions of its Chief Executive and Board Chairman.
“The complaint alleged that NDA awarded a contract to A&QS Consortium Limited (hereafter, A&QS) on 28 January 2020 for consultancy services for the supervision of some constituencies in the Upper West Region under the IPEP for the contract sum of Five Million Seven Hundred and Twenty Thousand cedis (GHC5,720,000.00). However, upon the exit of the then Acting Chief Executive who executed the contract, the contract sum was illegally increased to Ten Million Four Hundred Thousand cedis (GHC10,400,000.00) by the removal of the page containing the original figure of Five Million Seven Hundred and Twenty Thousand cedis (GHC5,720,000.00) and its replacement at page 25 clause 33.1 of the contract with a fresh page containing the bloated figure of Ten Million Four Hundred Thousand cedis (GHC10,400,000.00) to make it appear as if it is the contract executed by the previous Acting Chief Executive,” the report stated.
According to the OSP, it conducted the investigations over a period of six months, interviewing twenty persons over a period of four months before arriving at its conclusions.
It established that there were some major breaches in a contract that existed between the government organisation and A&QS and Associate Beaver Consult for the implementation of NDA’s Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) at a contract sum of Twenty-Nine Million Six Hundred and Forty Thousand cedis (GHC29,640,000.00).
The report also indicated how the outgoing CEO of the NDA had struck a deal with the companies, but upon his termination, the same was not communicated with the new management.
“In December 2019, Dr. Haroun’s appointment was terminated. At the time of his exit as Acting Chief Executive of NDA, the two (2) procured companies – A&QS and Associate Beaver Consult – had not been notified of any award of a contract, and no contract had been executed between NDA and either consulting entity for the commencement of the respective projects.
“There appeared to be a framework document which had the signatures of Dr. Haroun and the Chief Executive of A&QS, Mr. Andrew Kuundaari. However, the signatures were not witnessed. Then again, the document had no deliverables on the nature of the work to be performed by A&QS. It had no contract sum and it had neither a commencement date nor a date for the contract period. Mr. Kuundaari did not read the framework document and he did not know its contents since it had always remained in the custody of Mr. Stephen Yir-eru Engmen, the Deputy Chief Executive of NDA in charge of Operations.
“It was evident and clear to every relevant person that no contract had been signed between NDA and A&QS at the time of Dr. Haroun’s departure. However, Mr. Kuundaari and Mr. Engmen would subsequently point to the framework document in an attempt to justify their actions,” the report stated.
In its conclusion, the OSP report stated that it had directed the Controller and Accountant General to freeze payments to A&QS.
It further directed for the criminal prosecutions of the CEO, Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, and his two deputies.
“On 1 July 2022, the Special Prosecutor directed the Controller and Accountant General to immediately freeze payments to A&QS under NDA’s implementation of the IPEP until the close of the investigation. While lifting the directive in principle, the Special Prosecutor advises all public officers in the approval chain to advert their minds to the tenor of the 16 January 2020 PPA approval for the procurement by NDA of A&QS and to ensure value for money.
“On the basis of the findings, the Special Prosecutor directs the criminal prosecution of the persons named below for respective breaches of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663): Mr. Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, Chief Executive, Northern Development Authority; Mr. Stephen Yir-eru Engmen, Deputy Chief Executive (Operations), Northern Development Authority; and Mr. Patrick Seidu, Deputy Chief Executive (Finance & Administration), Northern Development Authority,” it added.
The founder and leader of Springs of Grace and Power Embassy International, Prophet Prince Elisha Osei Kofi, has alleged that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is under a spiritual attack.
According to the prophet, the seat of the president is cursed, and everything President Akufo-Addo does will go well.
“Some spirits have come together to fight President Akufo-Addo to make sure that he does not end well. The forces are more powerful than Nana Addo, now it is beyond him.
“The president’s chair in the Jubilee House has been cursed. No matter the good intentions you have, if you sit on it you will fail. That chair has been there since the era of Kwame Nkrumah, there are a lot of spirits surrounding it. It must be changed,” he said in Twi in an Onua TV interview monitored by GhanaWeb.
The pastor advised the incoming president of Ghana, after the 2024 election, to get rid of the presidential chairs that are used to swear in the president and his vice if s/he wants to be successful.
“Anybody who by the mercy of God becomes the president of Ghana on January 7, 2025 should remove the presidential chair and that of the vice president after the swearing-in. Take those chairs to the museum and let them make new ones,” he said.
A former female member of the national service has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the First Atlantic Bank and its Chief Financial Officer, Ernest Kwasi Nimako.
The plaintiff, Deborah Seyram Adablah, stated in her writ of summons that during her national service at the bank, she entered into a ‘parlor relationship’ as a result of persistent sexual harassment and abuse by Ernest Kwasi Nimako.
According to her, Ernest Kwasi Nimako was her superior in the capacity of the Chief Financial Officer at the bank.
Hence, failure on her part to accept Mr. Nimako’s sexual demands meant her days at the bank were going to be miserable.
In her writ, she also alleged that virtually every senior manager has a girlfriend in the bank, and they change the ladies at their will, to the knowledge of the managers of the bank.
She reiterated that failure on the part of the female staff to give in to their demands would mean they would be bullied by their bosses.
Miss Adablah narrated that she was convinced by Ernest Kwasi Nimako not to take up a contract with the bank after he assured her of “a lump sum of working capital, a car, paying her accommodation for 3 years; GHC3000 a month, a promise to marry her after divorcing his wife, and a ring, among others.”
The plaintiff alleges Ernest Kwasi Nimako stopped paying her rent and monthly allowance after they had some differences.
She is therefore seeking an order from the court to direct Ernest Kwasi Nimako to transfer the title of car no GC 7899-21 into her name.
She is also seeking a refund of the cost of repairs of over GHC10,000, which he promised to refund but failed to do.
She also wants Ernest Nimako to pay a lump sum of money to enable her to start a business to take care of herself, as agreed by her and the defendant, among others.
First Atlantic Bank is yet to respond to these allegations.
The government has been told to at least commit 10% of the Goods and Services budget and 33% of the infrastructure budget of the education sector to basic education.
Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) said the government must do this if the country is to invest adequately to build new schools to replace the over 5,000 schools currently under trees and sheds, and provide education for the 1 million out-of-school children.
Eduwatch said on the occasion of the International Day of Education that although Ghana has made efforts to improve on child education, there is still more room for improvement.
the think tank noted that five (5) years ago, the United Nations proclaimed 24th January as International Day of Education, to acknowledge and celebrate the role of education as a tool for peace and development.
This year’s celebration marks the mid-point of the journey to achieve Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Ghana, like many countries, has committed to ensuring all children of basic school-going age, enroll and complete the full course of basic education with relevant learning outcomes by 2030.
“While Ghana has since made significant strides over the years to promote access to education for many children, there still remain 1 million children out of school – approximately 9% of children aged 4 -16. Quality in the delivery of education remains a challenge, as about 87% of children aged 10 could not read and understand age-appropriate sentences by 2018,” a statement issued by Eduwatch said.
It added that Ghana’s government has expressed its commitment to transforming education, and this requires adequate and equitable financing. However, the recent 40% budgetary cut to basic education (Goods and Services) does not support the transformation agenda of the government.
To transform education, the government must increase the current 12% allocation of the national education budget to 23%, in line with the President’s commitment at the 2022 United Nations Transforming Education Summit.
“At least 10% of the Goods and Services budget and 33% of the infrastructure budget of the education sector must be committed to basic education, if we are to invest adequately to build new schools to replace the over 5,000 schools currently under trees and sheds, and provide education for the 1 million out of school children.
“There is no better day to recommit to adequate and equitable financing of education than the International Day of Education 2023,” it said.
The minority in the House of Representatives has intimated that when the Parliament reconvenes in February, there will be further, embarrassing discoveries about how the government used COVID-19 funds.
It comes on the back of revelations in the Auditor General’s Special Report on Ghana’s COVID-19 expenditure which revealed serious procurement breaches and financial misappropriation.
According to the report, the Ministry of Health paid over 10 million cedis in insurance premiums to cover 10,000 frontline health workers and allied health professionals without a life insurance policy document.
But Ranking Member on the Health Committee of Parliament, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh said this is the tip of the iceberg, adding that more damning revelations will come out when Parliament reconvenes.
“Nothing in this report is surprising, I think that there’s more to it than we are hearing or seeing at the moment. For me, it doesn’t come as a surprise at all. Let people get this clear, it is not as though the Auditor-General set out himself to uncover certain rot or to audit COVID expenditure. This is something we on the Minority side have fought for all this while. If you’ll recall there was a point in time when the Deputy Speaker was presiding and a motion in that regard was thrown out.
“We on the Minority side have control over what we can do to contribute to the development of this country. I can assure you on that note that we’ll do our best, very soon, the five-member bi-partisan committee will start sitting in public. We are inviting memoranda and we’ll do what we think must be done as a Parliament.”
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has released new images of what he says is evidence that the JNS Talent Centre received an amount of GHC3.5million from the National Cathedral Secretariat to supply it with paper towels.
According to the MP, who has been on a recent campaign to uncover some alleged corrupt and dubious actions of the Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral, Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, this new detail makes matters worse for the preacher.
Earlier, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa had provided documents to the effect that JNS Talent Centre, owned by a certain Kwabena Adu Gyamfi, is only an alias of Rev. Kusi Boateng.
In this latest document, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP said that the details show that indeed, the amount of GHc3.5million that was received by JNS Talent was not a loan but money for the supply of some items.
This, he added, is contrary to earlier claims made to the effect that the amount given to the company was a loan from the National Cathedral Secretariat.
“Evidence secured of how the ubiquitous JNS Talent Centre Limited, secretly & dubiously owned by Kwabena Adu Gyamfi AKA Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, received a staggering GHS3.5million of Ghana’s COVID-19 cash to supply paper towels. This further complicates his cathedral loan claims,” the MP wrote on Twitter.
It will be recalled that the Executive Director of the Cathedral project, Dr. Paul Opoku Mensah, earlier explained that an amount of GHc2.6 million was paid to JNS Talent Centre Limited because it was an interest-free loan the company helped it secure to meet some contractual obligations in 2021.
“We had signed a contract; we were supposed to pay them (contractors) mobilization and that was part of the seed money from the state, and the state had actually transferred the money to the Minister of Finance, but the Controller (and Accountant General) had asked for some time to pay it.
“We had already kind of postponed this payment to the contractors, so a board member said he could help us top-up because he had some money, and we could just top it off to pay the contractors,” he stated.
See the post by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa below:
Evidence secured of how the ubiquitous JNS Talent Centre Limited secretly & dubiously owned by Kwabena Adu Gyamfi AKA Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng received a staggering GHS3.5million of Ghana’s COVID-19 cash to supply paper towels.
Pastor for Harvest Chapel International, Reverend Edward A. Randolph-Koranteng has said that if the building of the National Cathedral is inspired by God, no man or entity can stop it.
According to him, the wrath of God was incurred on the Babylonians when they tried to construct a powerful city and a tower “with its top in the skies” to establish their own reputation.
He explained that God kicked against their ill-motivated vision and confused their language and placed the responsibility to trust God to do his will in this critical national agendum.
“If the National Cathedral is being built for the right reasons and is being inspired by God, then neither a mortal nor another entity can stop it from happening.”
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the Reverend noted “however, it will be a fruitless endeavor if it is not from God and would also be completed regardless of protest or how long it takes to finish if the building is of God, despite whatever opposition it may face and any allegations of scandals that may be connected to it.”
Building a National Cathedral can be difficult, as is being experienced now in Ghana, and such difficulties are nothing new.
He cited how the construction of St. Peter’s in Rome, which is considered the pinnacle of the high Renaissance, was marked by both the splendor and scandal of the time as referred in the (pages. [281]-284) of BASILICA by R.A. Scotti).
The most revered monument in Europe, the 2,000-year-old St. Peter’s Basilica constructed by Emperor Constantine over the apostle’s tomb, was destroyed in 1506 so that a greater Basilica could be constructed by the fiercely ambitious Renaissance Pope Julius II.
For two centuries, 27 popes, and the creativity of the finest painters of their time; Michelangelo, Bramante, Raphael, and Bernin were expended on the building of the new St. Peter’s while, Modern Rome also rose, as glorious as the city of the Caesars, as the Basilica did.
Rev Randolph-Koranteng said the Protestant Reformation was sparked by the new Basilica, dividing the Christian world for all time, but at an inconceivable cost.
He continued saying “let’s stay calm… do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
The Management of Ghana Water Company Limited(GWCL) has announced rationing of water supply as raw water bodies from various sources deplete due to the cut down of trees.
In a statement, the Ghana Water Company Limited revealed that consumers may encounter erratic flow of water in some parts of the country, especially the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central Western and Northern regions.
“With the onset of the dry season, the entire country is expected to experience challenges with water supply because of the depletion of raw water from the various water bodies,” the statement said.
Speaking on News Desk on Monday, the Head of Communications, Stanley Martey, said trees giving water bodies cover have been cut down.
“Trees that give our water bodies cover have all been cut away because of farming activities. We are also aware that the pollution in our water bodies has silted most of our water bodies and such rate of evaporation is high and we do not have huge volumes of water in our water bodies,” he said.
The Management has therefore called on consumers to play their role to minimise the impact of the situation as it cannot tell when the erratic supply could end.
“For now, because of the climatic changes as we know, it is a bit difficult to determine whether it will end in a month or two. The Ghana Water Company Limited has put in resilient measures and we also expect that consumers will also play their role so together we can minimise the impact.”
Read the full details of GWCL’s statement below:
DRY SEASON WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES
With the onset of the dry season, the entire country is expected to experience challenges with water supply because of the depletion of raw water from the various water bodies. As a result, consumers may encounter erratic flow of water in some parts of the country, especially the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central, Western and the Northern Regions.
The Management of the Ghana Water Company Limited wishes to assure the consuming public, that it has put in measures to ameliorate the situation. Management therefore wishes to call on all to be part of the solution, hence, consumers are advised to strictly adhere to the following conservation measures;
Cease indiscriminate watering of lawns with treated water,
Moderate the use of treated water for car washing by resorting to the use of buckets, instead of hosing,
shut all taps when not in use,
Repair all leakages in your homes, like overflowing reservoirs and dripping taps, valves, etc. (the little drops also swell your water bills.)
Report all burst pipes and leakages immediately to the nearest GWCL District offices, Customer Service Centers and Fault Offices.
Report all persons engaged in illegal connections, by-passes, and all malpractices against GWCL.
You can also send google GPS locations, pictures and videos of the burst and leakages on the GWCL WhatsApp lines 0555123393, 0555155524, (WhatsApp information only and not calls)
The public can call GWCL on these numbers; 0207385089, 0207385090. The toll-free line is 0800 40 000 for Vodafone cell and land lines only and 0302 218240 for all other networks.
The GWCL has currently resorted to Water Demand Management to ensure equitable distribution of the water from the various treatment plants. All District Offices have been requested to announce to customers, days on which water will be flowing so customers can store water.
During dry seasons, consumers resort to the use of treated water for keeping lawns green, for commercial washing of vehicles etc. currently the dry season is on and consumers with greater dependence on rainwater have also compounded the problem by taking to treated water use. These practices ease the pressures in the pipelines thereby causing low pressures and no flow in some areas, especially the hilly areas.
Management of GWCL is very much concerned about the impact of the dry season on the raw water sources, which has been compounded by the excessive pollution of the water bodies and wish to assure the public that, the company, together with the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, and allied Ministries, are working assiduously to improve on raw water resources in the Country.
The cooperation of the public is greatly appreciated.
Bice Osei Kuffuor, the Managing Director of the Ghana Post Company Limited is confident about the chances of the New Patriotic Party in the 2024 elections.
Obour, as he is widely known believes that the key element that will decide the 2024 elections is a government’s ability to wheel its citizens out of crisis and as far as he is concerned, the NPP government has done a good job of lifting Ghanaians from the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking on The Hard Truth show, Obour bragged that the NPP has already won the elections and that going to the polls on December 7, 2024, will be a mere formality.
“NPP has already broken the eight. For anybody who is making an assessment of a situation, we need to look at how you are able to come out of problems. COVID-19 was a major bomb everywhere in the world. The US, UK, and Italy all struggled with it. In Ghana, we managed it brilliantly.
“A problem will come but look at how people are able to manage themselves out of the problem. Problems happen all the time but depending on the government of the day, how did we solve the problem? Are we not solving the issues? Currently, we are going through a difficult time and it’s not a Ghana-limited problem,” he said.
Whiles Obour is sure of victory in 2024, the party itself is unsure of who will be standing on its ticket for the 2024 elections.
Former Minister of Trades and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, and Dr Owusu Akoto Afriyie are some of the persons who have already confirmed their decision to contest the elections.
Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is also expected to run for the position as he seeks to replace his boss, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Meanwhile, the party is yet to announce a date for the holding of it Presidential and Parliamentary congress.
The security at the University of Ghana has detained a man who was pretending to be a stranded student.
A statement from the university said the imposter confessed to the offence and said he was hired by some students to pretend he was one of them.
He said he resided at the Commonwealth Hall illegally in the last academic year.
He had a fake student ID number.
The imposter said he was put up to the ploy to court bad press for the school by sleeping in front of Commonwealth Hall.
“It has come to the attention of the management of the University of Ghana that some unscrupulous individuals are influencing students of the university and other persons to pose as stranded former students of Commonwealth Hall”, the statement said.
“One of such persons, being used to attract media attention, was arrested by University Security and has confessed to living in Commonwealth Hall illegally last academic year”.
“He confirmed that he was lured to pose as a stranded student and slept in front of Commonwealth Hall during the night of Monday, January 16, 2023, to gain media attention. He has been handed over to the police for further investigations.”
The university assured the students, their parents and the general public that all former legal residents of Commonwealth Hall and male students of Mensah Sarbah Hall have been duly assigned rooms at UGEL halls.
The school said “measures have also been put in place to assist students with genuine financial difficulty paying the residential fees in the UGEL Halls. Academic work is proceeding peacefully, and the university assures all students that adequate measures have been put in place to ensure their safety and well-being”.
“Students are encouraged to be alert and report to the appropriate authorities, individuals who seek to entice them to disturb the peace on the University campus”.
“Any student involved in such acts will face appropriate disciplinary processes. We look forward to a fruitful and productive academic year.”
Two respected clerics who are also board members of the National Cathedral project have demanded the immediate suspension and audit of the project.
The two; Archbishop Duncan Williams and Reverend Eastwood Anaba say their call is based on the controversies surrounding the project.
According to them, the suspension will pave the way for transparency and accountability to be provided to the Ghanaian people.
In a memo sent to the Board of Trustees on Monday, January 23, and sighted by MyJoyOnline.com, they called for independent audit into the expenditures of the project.
The two respected preachers said the auditor(s) must be one that is nationally recognised.
“That in the spirit and cause of transparency and accountability to the Ghanaian people, the current Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral shall appoint an independent, nationally recognised accounting firm to audit all public funds contributed to and spent by the National Cathedral.
“Auditors will also audit the overall cost of the project. This appointment of an auditor shall take place before the deferment of activities of the Board of Trustees,” excerpts of the memo said.
Meanwhile, the two Bible scholars also said the project should only continue until the economic conditions in the country improve.
“That current activities advancing the construction of Ghana’s National Cathedral shall be deferred until the atmospherics in Ghana are improved and the audit of the Cathedral account is done,” excerpts of the memo added.
The National Cathedral Project has been one of the most controversial public issues since the project was first announced by President Akufo-Addo.
Apart from questions of accountability which have been repeatedly raised by the Minority in Parliament, there have also been concerns about the relevance of the project, in the face of the country’s economic crisis.
Amidst the plethora of issues, founder of the LightHouse Chapel International, Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, resigned from the Cathedral’s Board of Trustee in August 2022.
In so doing, the preacher did not assign any specific reason for his departure; leaving the public to rely on their own conjectures and speculations about why the celebrated man of God left the scene.
However, after five months of his resignation, the Bishop’s justifications for exiting the Board have been revealed.
The seasoned Bible teacher noted in his resignation letter which appears to have been leaked recently that his unresolved concerns about the cost of the National Cathedral and other pertinent issues triggered his exit.
The said letter was addressed by the Bishop to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral.
“I feel that the treatment of the issues I have raised in my several letters has been unfortunate. My letters have been ignored in the past; not attended to for years, and at best addressed flippantly”, Dag Heward-Mills said.
“You may recall I have spoken passionately and written extensively about the costs, the design, the location, the fundraising, the mobilization of the churches, and the role of the trustees.
“These, if heeded, would have made our project more achievable. Generally speaking, my inputs, my opinions, and my letters have been trivialized and set aside”, portions of the letter further disclosed.
The University of Ghana’s management has refuted reports that some students, particularly former Commonwealth Hall tenants, have been left stranded on campus as a result of the implementation of the new housing policy.
In a press statement, the management said that the purported students who claimed to be stranded on its campus are individuals who have been hired to attract media attention to paint the institution black to the populace.
The statement furthered that one of such persons, being used to attract media attention has been arrested by the university security and upon interrogation, he has confirmed being lured to pose as a stranded student of the institution.
“It has come to the attention of the Management of the University of Ghana that some unscrupulous individuals are influencing students of the University and other persons to pose as stranded former students of commonwealth Hall.
“One of such persons, being used to attract media attention, was arrested by the university security and has confessed to living in commonwealth hall illegally last academic year. He confirmed that he was lured to pose as a stranded student and slept in front of the commonwealth hall during the night of Monday, January 16, 2023, to gain media attention. he has been handed over to the police for further investigations,” part of the statement read.
The statement added that all former legal residents of Commonwealth Hall and male students of Mensah Sarbah Hall have been assigned rooms at UGEL halls on its campus.
“Management assures parents and the general public that all legal residents of commonwealth hall and male students of Mensah Sarbah Hall Have been duly assigned rooms at UGEL halls. Measures have also been put in place to assist students who have genuine financial difficulty with paying the residential fees in the UGEL halls, “the Statements added.
Daniel Yaw Domelevo, the former Auditor-General has expressed disquiet about the use of state funds on the construction of the National Cathedral.
According to him, since the concept of the project stems from Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s promise to God for making him president, the funding should be from his coffers not through state funds.
In a Joy News interview, Daniel Domelevo also criticized how the Ministry of Finance used funds from the Contingency Vote to finance portions of the project.
In the wisdom of Domelevo, the practise was illegal and untenable and must be condemned by all.
“I find the expenditure for that transaction very unfortunate. At no point should we be using public funds to fund individual people’s needs or desires. If the president desires to build a cathedral for God, he should go ahead and use his money not public funds. Even if he wants to use public funds, the constitution has laid down procedure for the use of public funds especially from the Consolidated Funds. Article 1 states that it must be in the budget approved by Parliament,” he said.
The National Cathedral has been fraught in endless controversies with the latest allegation being wrongful payment made to Reverend Kusi Boateng, a member of the cathedral’s Board of Trustees.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu is on a crusade to expose what he views as wrongful payment of state funds to certain individuals and organizations concerned with the construction of the Cathedral.
After an initial allegation that a whopping GH¢2.6 million was dished out to a company named JNS Talent Centre Limited, Ablakwa embarked on a mission to discover the persons behind the company.
Ablakwa’s investigations into the alleged payment led to the discovery of one Kwabena Adu Gyamfi as a director of JNS Talent Centre.
Having confirmed the identities of two out of three directors of the centre, Ablakwa went on an expedition to discover the identity of the third director, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
According to his findings, citing a number of statutory documents, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi is the same as Reverend Kusi Boateng, who has allegedly been operating under the pseudonym Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
In an explosive set of allegations which he describes as the Tsar Bomba of all scandals, Ablakwa claimed that Reverend Kusi Boateng holds multiple passports and identification cards with some bearing the name Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
“You will recall that in my earlier exposé of the scandalous GHS2.6million cash transfer from the National Cathedral Secretariat to JNS Talent Centre Limited, I pointed out that incorporation documents reveal that the three directors of JNS Talent Centre Limited are Johannes Eshun, Sheila Eshun and Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
“I also later revealed that Rev. Johannes Eshun is a branch pastor of National Cathedral Executive Council Member/Director, Rev. Victor Kusi-Boateng’s Power Chapel Worldwide.
“Hitherto, the third director—Mr. Kwabena Adu Gyamfi has remained a mystery figure.
“I am now able to reveal the true identity of this mystery director of JNS, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
“Definitely, the code has finally been cracked and it shocks to the marrow!
“Unimpeachable and incontrovertible evidence confirms that Mr. Kwabena Adu Gyamfi is the famous Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng who still serves on the National Cathedral Board as an Executive Council Member/Director.
“For the avoidance of doubt, there is no distinct Kwabena Adu Gyamfi. Kwabena Adu Gyamfi is a criminal creation of Rev. Victor Kusi-Boateng. The two are therefore one and the same.
“Rev. Victor Kusi-Boateng AKA Kwabena Adu Gyamfi thought he had outwitted every Ghanaian, particularly our authorities whom he dribbled for many years; but the day of reckoning is finally here.
“From unassailable and irreproachable documents in my possession, Rev. Victor Kusi-Boateng AKA Kwabena Adu Gyamfi uses multiple passports and multiple identification cards with different names and different dates of birth as his special modus operandi,” he wrote on Facebook.
The Ministry of Health rented a building for 25 years for more than GH $15 million, according to the Auditor-General’s report on Ghana’s COVID-19 expenditures.
The report also stated that the ministry used over GH¢20 million to refurbish the building which was to serve as a COVID-19 isolation centre but was never used.
“The Ministry of Health entered into a 25-year Finance Lease Agreement at a total lease value of GH¢15,265,000.00 in 2020 to be used as a holding and isolation centre in Adaklu in the Volta Region.
“The works, we noted, include remodelling the existing buildings to be used as holding, treatment and isolation centres but could not use the facility for the intended purpose which resulted in an additional cost of GH¢20,382,247.70,” parts of the report read.
The A-G indicated that because of the huge amount of money spent on the building, it impressed the ministry to buy it.
“We recommended to the Chief Director to consider outright acquisition of the building,” it said.
The audit report also showed that nearly 50 percent of the money the state mobilised to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country was used for budget support and not issues related to the outbreak.
The report, which was prepared by the Auditor-General department, indicated that the government raised nearly GH¢22 billion, as of June 2022, to fight COVID-19 in Ghana through the Contingency Fund, the World Bank Group, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the European Union (EU).
However, out of the total amount raised to fight COVID-19 only about GH¢12 billion (a little over 50 per cent of the total funds raised) was used for activities geared toward fighting the spread of the virus and its impact in Ghana.
The member of parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has demanded the arrest and prosecution of any government employees who received Covid – 19 vaccines that were given to the state near to the time of their expiration.
According to the lawmaker, the government front-liners who were supposed to oversee the well-being of Ghanaians received over 1 million vaccines which were close to expiration.
“Officers that led to receiving these expired vaccines should be prosecuted, you see what has happened is a crime against humanity. You see the government declared a state of emergency that we’re sick and we gave them money to go and buy vaccines for us, and they went to get expired ones. That’s inefficiency and irresponsibility of public officers,” he said.
His comments follow the Auditor-General’s reports on the money the government spent to fight Covid -19 between the period of March 2022 and June 2022. The A-G’s report states that about 1,022,348 donated vaccines which were delivered to the state close to expiration.
The Auditor-General report added that the fear that the vaccines could accidentally be issued among the wholesome ones for vaccination which could pose a public health threat to the country, should be disposed of.
The Auditor-General further stated that the programme’s manager of the health directorate explained that the vaccines were donated vaccines that were delivered to them close to expiry.
The next flagbearer should be chosen by the delegates of the ruling New Patriotic Party, who have been urged to put the party first and support Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.
Mr. Kwadwo Owusu, a campaign team member for Hon Kennedy Agyapong who made the call emphasized that NPP can only retain power in the 2024 Presidential polls if the Assin Central MP is made to lead the party.
Mr. Owusu in a press release copied to OTEC News on Monday, January 23, 2023, said Kennedy Agyapong remains the best choice for the NPP.
“The overwhelming support base of Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong alone, speak volumes and has registered hope in the minds of the discerning delegates and the Ghanaian populace to be up and alert against people painting false pictures of reality by always bending facts to suit just their interests”.
“The inclusion of Kennedy Agyapong in the flagbearership race of the NPP; a business mogul, philanthropically inclined;(constructed 80-bed cardiothoracic center at the 37 military hospitals, donation of a Cancer treatment machine to Komfo Anokye teaching hospital, Kumasi. Massive support in cash and PPEs for the fight against covid-19 and many changes he has, and still affecting the livelihood of the ordinary Ghanaian.”
“Such a results-oriented, apt, and always ready to help, has succeeded in transmogrifying today’s politics from ‘sweet talks’
and conjuring unrealistic stories unto a fair field of realists, that is; bringing your track record to bear for critical scrutiny to prove your realness to settle on as the best choice to lead the NPP and Ghana”.
Mr. Kwadwo Owusu noted that the name Kennedy Ohene Agyapong is not just a genius, but a positive straight-up man full of a can-do spirit, who is always eager and willing to effect changes positively in the lives of the ordinary Ghanaian.
He added that voting the Assin Central MP as the next flagbearer of the NPP will leapfrog the party’s votes come 2024.
Read the full statement below:
For Immediate release
22nd January 2023
NPP WILL MAKE KEN THE FLAGBEARER AND GHANAIANS MUST EMBRACE HIM AS THE NEXT PRESIDENT.
The overwhelming support base of Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong alone, speak volumes and has registered hope in the minds of the discerning delegates and the Ghanaian populace to be up and alert against people painting false pictures of reality by always bending facts to suit just their personal interests. Meanwhile, this agenda happens and changes only in the books and in the end, breeds nothing but political disheartening and jittering to survive.
The current political terrain does not support the usual deception people always drive through. And the sudden unleashed of political uneasiness in some quarters, is a result of the inclusion of the man Ken in the flagbearership race of the NPP; a business mogul, philanthropically inclined;(construction of 80-bed cardiothoracic center at the 37 military hospital, donation of a Cancer treatment machine to Komfo Anokye teaching hospital, Kumasi. Massive support in cash and PPEs for the fight against covid-19 and many changes he has, and still effecting in the livelihood of the ordinary Ghanaian.
Such a results-oriented, apt and always ready-to-help, has succeeded in transmogrifying today’s politics from ‘sweet talks’
and conjuring unrealistic stories unto a fair field of realists, that is; bringing your track record to bear for critical scrutiny to prove your realness to settle on as the best choice to lead the NPP and Ghana.
The name Kennedy Ohene Agyapong is not just genius, but a positive straight-up man full of a can-do spirit, always eager and willing to effect changes positively in the lives of the ordinary Ghanaian. Government does the higher rate of employment, yet, Ken with what God has blessed him with, keeps forcing day in, day out, to turn things around for the people of Ghana when he can, and Ghanaians nationwide attest to his kind-heartedness and altruistic nature of such character with a high level of benevolence.
Ken has done a lot for Ghana and the NPP and still bankrolls the party till today, and the little said about NPP’s days in opposition, the better, because, everyone knows that, NPP has been an albatros on the neck of Hon Ken and he must be supported with every support available.
In all of these; this same man has employed numerous Ghanaians and still employing.
Tt is only fair and proper to give him(Ken) the chance to lead and do more for the NPP and Ghana as a whole, and I encourage all and sundry to wake up and support Ken.
When you have the facts and can speak to them with evidence, you only explain to people and when questions emerged to that effect, you do justice to it with supporting evidence but you don’t dissipate time and energy campaigning, knowing very well that, you can push through lies, deception and propaganda to blackmail innocent Ghanaians to suit your personal interest.
Ghanaians are wild awake, we have to broaden our horizons and therefore Ken must be allowed without any hindrances to contest, win decisively to lead the NPP into the 2024 Presidential Election and win as well to become the president.
God bless our homeland Ghana and make us great and strong.
In order to support the activities of fire fighting in the nation, the administration of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has promised that by June of this year, all outdated fire tenders in the service’s possession will be replaced with some state-of-the-art fire tenders.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of GNFS, Assistant Chief Fire Officer Timothy Osafo Affum, gave this assurance while speaking on some of the challenges confronting the service in an interview with the host of the Ghana Yensom morning show, Odeyeeba Kofi Essuman on Accra 100.5 FM on Friday, January 20, 2023.
He said the government over the years has helped to get a partner who has taken all the specifications for the procurement of new fire tenders for the service.
He added that all the needed agreements have been signed for the fire tenders to arrive in the country by June this year.
According to him, the specification had been given to the partner because fire tenders are not sold on the open markets like ordinary cars.
“These are equipment that is country-specific so all these considerations had to be made when it comes to procurement of such equipment,” he explained.
He said the existing tenders in possession of the service are more than 10-years-old which is not supposed to be the case.
“Ideally, a fire tender should not be in use for more than five years,” he added.
He revealed that there are about 209 fire stations across the country with only 200 fire tenders.
He added that the situation is so because some of the tenders have broken down and others are obsolete.
He corrected the notion that the police and military are favoured when it is time to equip the security services.
He added that this notion cannot be the reality because one fire tender can procure several vehicles for the police and military.
“So when tenders numbering about 100 are procured for the fire service it comes with a huge cost because tenders are quite expensive and country-specific.”
He commended the government for the measures it is making to equip the fire service administration to live to the expectations of the general public.
The Auditor General’s special report on Ghana’s COVID-19 expenditure has revealed that the Ministry of Health paid over GH¢10 million in insurance premiums to cover 10,000 frontline health workers and allied health professionals without a life insurance policy document.
The report which spans between March 2020 and June 2022 scrutinizes how monies received from the various institution including the World Bank, AFDB, EU and the contingency fund summing up to the tune of 21.8 billion were utilized.
“General principles of insurance require that when an employer or organisation purchases Group Life Insurance Policy to cover employees in case of death, accident, temporary/permanent disability and critical illness, the employer or organisation may keep the master agreement, but the identified employees should receive Certificate of Coverage which could be used by the beneficiary or next of kin to apply for the claims when the need arises.
Additionally, the National Insurance Commission Guidelines on Life Insurance Products require that as a standard, all Life Insurance Policy documents must have the name of the person(s) insured by the policy and the name of the policy owner, the amount of insurance coverage (face amount and sum assured) provided by the policy and the effective date of the policy.
We observed that the Ministry paid GH¢10,309,919.94 as premium for Special Life Insurance Cover for 10,000 Health Workers and Allied Health Professionals working on the COVID-19 pandemic without any Life Insurance Policy document detailing the beneficiaries, their location, next of kin in case of death, nature of the benefit and the term of the coverage.” a portion of the report read.
This development according to A-G meant that workers could not have triggered any processes to get compensation if the insurance companies had defaulted in taking care of them in the instance where they had been infected by the virus.
“Health Workers and Allied Health Professionals working on the COVID-19 pandemic who have not signed any insurance policy document will find it difficult to access any benefit under this blanket premium payment arrangement. In the event of default by the insurance companies in payment of benefit, the employees will not have the legal capacity to seek legal redress in Court” the report added.
Other Infraction by the Ministry of Health cited in the report include;
Payment of an amount of US$81,870,379.80 to UNICEF/AVAT for the supply of 16,025,650 vaccines that have still not been delivered.
“In the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Health entered into an agreement with The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and related supplies based on second additional credit financing of US$200,000,000.00 by the World Bank (Credit 6923-GH). Page 3 of the signed agreement stated that the Government intends to apply a portion of the proceeds of the financing, up to an amount of US$147,483,170.16 (the “total funding ceiling”) to eligible payments under this Agreement. We noted that the Ministry of Health on behalf of Government of Ghana paid an amount of US$120,192,379.80 to UNICEF/AVAT for the supply of 16,025,650 vaccines under the agreement. However, 5,109,600.00 doses of vaccines valued at US$38,322,000.00 were supplied to the National Cold Room, resulting in an outstanding amount of US$81,870,379.80 with UNICEF/AVAT” page 73 & 74 of the report captured.
The report also cited the Health Ministry for increasing the cost of five contracts with total contract sum of GH¢24,256,500.00 by GH¢4,017,000.00 through variation orders without approval of the Central Tender Review Committee and also entering into four contracts for the supply of PPEs at a cost of GH¢9,280,300.00 through single-source procurement without the approval of the Board of the Public Procurement.
Additionally, the Ministry also on 15 December 2021 entered a contract signed for the supply of 26 Toyota Hiace Deluxe Ambulances valued at US$4,049,460.12 out of which US$607,419.02 was paid on 2 September 2022 to be delivered by 15 January 2022. The ambulances remain undelivered.
The Ministry of Health is also cited for entering into a 25-year Finance Lease Agreement with QHC Project Limited at a total lease value of GH¢15,265,000.00 in April 2020 for uncompleted buildings in Adaklu in the Volta Region which was to be used as an isolation centre during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic without recourse to the Minister of Finance and financial assessment by the Debt Management Unit. The facilities were not used for the intended purpose and is therefore being remodelling at an additional cost of GH¢20,382,247.70 out of which GH¢13,726,079.86 had been paid.
Again, medical equipment valued at US$110,088.00 and GH¢27,895.00 were issued to a private hospital by name Christleads & Specialist Hospital belonging to Dr. C. K. Amenuveve in Madina which did not serve as a COVID-19 isolation centre or did not receive any COVID-19 patient.
Also, Medical equipment valued at US$247,404.79, procured and received at the Temporary Central Medical Stores and subsequently issued to some specific health facilities between January 2021 and June 2022 are yet to be received by the health facilities.
One Isolation centre, the report reveals that three treatment, isolation and holding centre completed at a total cost of GH¢29,173,259.90 was yet to be put to use while seven isolation and treatment centres being constructed at a cost of GH¢158,072,331.23 had not been completed at the time of the audit, 30 months after the construction had commenced in April, 2020.
Meanwhile a Contractor for the design, construction and equipment of Nalerigu treatment and holding centre in North East Region awarded on 11 May 2020, at a cost of GH¢15,000,000.00 abandoned site three months after starting work after an advance mobilisation of GH¢4,500,000.00, constituting 30 percent of the contract had been paid from GoG sources.
A former minister of education, says it might have been a mistake for him to run against former president John Evan Atta Mills in the 2006 National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer campaign.
According to him, he took the decision to contest after the late president, who was his good friend, convinced him he had his support.
He added that he, however, later discovered that the late Professor Mills had also said the same to a number of people, which was then used against him.
“It may have been a mistake. I did that partly because my own very good friend, Prof. Mills, had been telling me, for about five years, Ekwow you are the only one I support, and unfortunately, he also said that to a number of people who then used that against me with him.
“And so even though the jury is out until the day of my departure from earth, I think that decision may have been an error just because I didn’t need to put myself in a conflicting situation with a very good friend. But fortunately, President Mills did not find that offensive at all…” Asaase radio quoted Ekwow Spio-Garbrah.
In December 2006, the late Prof. John Evans Atta Mills polled 1362 votes, representing 81.4% of the total votes cast, to win the National Democratic Congress flagbearership slot for the 2008 election. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah polled 146 votes representing 8.7%, Mahama Iddrisu had 137 votes representing 8.2% and Eddie Annan had 28 votes representing 1.7%.
When asked if he would contest in the upcoming NDC flagbearship race, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah said the NDC has not really invited any contestants to show their faces, even though some people believe he (Ekwow Spio-Garbrah) will be a good president.
“Some people believe I can be a good president…The jury is out. I think now there are a lot of wonderful people already putting themselves up, but the party [NDC] has not really invited any contestants to show their faces.”
“We’ve seen some pictures of others who are likely to contest, so we will watch out for them…my view is that whereas in the past I have listened to the advice of a small group of people to put myself forward, I would rather ask for more rigorous analysis to see because there is no point in running [for flagbearer] if you know you are not going to win. And if there is a better person who can do the job better than you, why not?”
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has set May 13, 2023, as a date to elect their flagbearer.
This was announced by the NDC General Secretary Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, at a press conference at the NDC headquarters in Accra on Wednesday, January 18, 2023.
So far, former President John Dramani Mahama, Kojo Bonsu, and Dr. Kwabena Duffuor are tipped to contest the elections.
Recently, a University of Ghana student visited the White House and met with President Joe Biden.
Sekou Berthe was captured in a photo with Biden at the Oval Office at the American presidency.
In the photos, Berthe, clad in traditional African attire, shakes his host, with both men beaming with smiles.
The photos were shared by the University of Ghana’s International Programmes Office on Twitter.
The caption of the tweet identified Berthe as a “PhD student” of the university, adding that he had “recently presented his credentials to H.E. Joseph Biden Jr., President of the United States of America, as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.”
Sekou Berthe is a Malian diplomat and the country’s ambassador to the United States.
See the tweet below:
H.E. Sekou Berthe, Ambassador of Mali to the U.S.A and PhD student @univofgh, recently presented his credentials to H.E. Joseph Biden Jr., President of the United States of America, as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation between the two countries. #UGIS75@leciadugpic.twitter.com/bSDqkCczRr— UG International Programmes Office (@UofGhanaGlobal) January 23, 2023
On the announcement of his death on January 23, 1998, the Washington Post reported it as “Hilla Limann, 64, who was ousted as president of Ghana in a 1981 coup after a brief rule, and who tried to reclaim the post in elections 11 years later, died Jan. 23 at a hospital here.”
He is reported to have died of a heart ailment.
Twenty-five (25) years on, GhanaWeb looks back on the life of Ghana’s only elected president in the third republic.
Who was Dr. Hilla Limann?
Former president Hilla Limann, who died at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, was born at Gwollu in the Upper Region in 1934.
Dr. Limann, a career diplomat, was born to Mr. Limann and Madam Hayaba. He had his elementary education at Lawra Confederacy Native Authority Primary Boarding School from 1941 to 1945 and the Tamale Middle Boarding school from 1946 – 1949.
He taught as a pupil teacher at Tumu for one year after receiving his standard seven leaving certificate. Dr. Limann entered the government teacher training college at Tamale and passed out with the teacher’s certificate “B”. At the college, he took part in local and district council politics. From 1952 to 1955, he served on the Sissala District Council as a local and district councillor, and he was the council’s chairman for two years (1953-55).
Dr. Limann studied at the London School of Economics from where he obtained his B.Sc. Economics. He also studied at Sorbonne University – Cours De La Langue Et De La Civilisation Francaise (School of French Language and Civilisation) and obtained a Higher Diploma in 1962.
From 1962-65, he studied at Faculte De Droit Et De Sciences Economiques (Faculty of Law and Economics) at Paris, France, and obtained a doctorate et Science politique et de droit constitutionnel (Doctorate in political science and constitutional law) in 1965.
From 1965 until January 1979, Dr. Limann was foreign officer. He was head of chancellery at the Ghana Embassy in Lomé from 1969-71. From 1971 to 1975 he was counsellor for the Ghana permanent mission in Geneva.
Dr. Limann was elected the presidential candidate of the People’s National Party (PNP), the successor of the CPP, for the 1979b elections.
He polled 631,559 votes (35.32 percent) in the June 18 elections to beat nine other candidates. He went into a run-off with Mr. Victor Owusu, the Popular Front Party (PFP) candidate who had 533,928 (29.86 percent) of the votes.
During the second round in July 1979, Dr. Limann convincingly beat Mr. Owusu to be elected president of the third republic. He was sworn into office on September 24, 1979, and took over from Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings and the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC).
He was plagued by internal squabbles in the party, leading to his overthrow by Flt. Lt. Rawlings on December 31, 1981. Dr. Limann formed the People’s National Convention (PNC) to contest the 1992 elections when the ban on political activities was lifted. He came a distant third to President Rawlings of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Professor Albert Adu Boahen of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Dr. Limann surprised many people when he stepped down for Dr. Edward Mahama as the presidential candidate of the party during the 1996 polls. He was in and out of hospital for heart ailment of over the past couple of years. Dr. Limann is survived by a wife, Fulera, and six children – Sibi, Sammoi, Hagommie, Leda, Danni-Hasi, Habuguwie.
The Chamber for Bulk Oil Distributors (CBODs) wants government to urgently develop a framework to direct the gold-for-oil policy to prevent unfair treatment.
Some members of the chamber have already been engaging the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST), to access the product, a week after the government received the first consignment under the arrangement.
But speaking to Citi News, CEO of the chamber, Dr. Patrick Kwaku Ofori, indicated that the framework is needed to avoid discrimination.
“I think the first consignment has already been there, some of our members were already trading with BOST. Those who already have an existing arrangement with government I think something can be done. Because we are looking forward to a potential or proper framework that will guide the whole process.
“I know the regulator met to solicit our views in terms of ensuring that they create a level playing field so that nobody is actually disadvantaged. And also the gains from the pricing advantage that can happen through the process can also trigger down to the pumps,” Dr. Patrick Kwaku Ofori opined.
Ghana on January 15, 2023, took delivery of 40,000 metric tons of the first consignment under the policy from the United Arab Emirates.
The move by the government is meant to tackle dwindling foreign currency reserves coupled with the demand for dollars by oil importers, which is weakening the local cedi and increasing living costs.
Parents whose children attend senior high schools in the area have been urged by the Savannah regional education directorate to make sure their children show up for class.
The call by the directorate has become necessary because three weeks after reopening schools, most students are yet to report.
The Savannah regional director of the Ghana Education Service, Hajia Katumi Natogmah Atta who made the appeal through Citi News said the situation is very worrying.
Hajia Katumi reminded parents that the timetable will not change for Senior High Schools in the Savannah Region.
“I am appealing to parents in the Savannah Region to allow our students to come to school. We have reopened and as of Friday the attendance wasn’t encouraging. So I want to tell parents that we have reopened, and we are prepared to teach, so parents should allow their children to come to school.
“The academic calendar will not change for Savannah. The time they write WASSCE will be the same time that students in Savannah will also write WASSCE…so if they don’t come it will be difficult for the teachers to cover the syllabus.”
Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has alleged that embattled secretary of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral uses different signatures on documents available to him.
This is in addition to earlier allegations that the Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng uses two distinct names (the other being Kwabena Adu Gyamfi) both with different dates of birth on official documents.
Ablakwa has also provided evidence that shows that Kusi Boateng has used two different names in respect of his mother in filling forms and also has two different Tax Identification Numbers (TIN).
Commenting on the issue of signatures during an interview on Accra-based Radio Gold (Januray 18), Ablakwa dismissed the reverend’s claim that his ‘revelations’ were part of a malicious agenda.
What Ablakwa said:
“Who has the audacity to talk about malicious agenda, and he even forgets that that is not the signature he uses when he is writing under Victor Kusi Boateng, he forgets.
“There are so many things I haven’t put out yet. I have six signatures for him. I am waiting for him at CHRAJ (Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice),” he added before showing evidence to the host of two different signatures in respect of Kusi Boateng and Adu Gyamfi.
“He even forgot… I have six signatures for him, he was confused. He forgets, he forgets all of that. He should deal with me and stop these empty threats about future court suits. He has forgotten the signatures he uses when he is Victor Kusi Boateng,” Ablakwa stressed.
Ablakwa goes after Rev. Kusi Boateng and JNS Talent Center
Ablakwa dragged Reverend Kusi Boateng to CHRAJ early last week after publishing, on social media, a series of allegations against the clergyman in respect of payments by the National Cathedral to JNS Talent Center, a company closely associated with Kusi Boateng.
Among other allegations, the MP alleged irregular payments of some GHC2.6 million from the National Cathedral accounts to JNS, where Rev. Kusi Boateng is listed as a director with his other ‘official name ‘Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.’
The Cathedral has formally rejected the allegations of irregular payment explaining that the accused only extended a loan to the board and was later paid a full refund without interest.
SARA
There are six different signatures between Kusi Boateng and Adu Gyamfi – Ablakwa alleges
Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has alleged that the embattled secretary of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral uses different signatures on documents available to him.
This is in addition to earlier allegations that Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng uses two distinct names (the other being Kwabena Adu Gyamfi), both with different dates of birth on official documents.
Ablakwa has also provided evidence that shows that Kusi Boateng has used two different names, in respect of his mother, in filling out forms and also has two different Tax Identification Numbers (TIN).
Commenting on the issue of signatures during an interview on Accra-based Radio Gold (Januray 18), Ablakwa dismissed the reverend’s claim that his ‘revelations’ were part of a malicious agenda.
What Ablakwa said:
“Who has the audacity to talk about malicious agenda, and he even forgets that that is not the signature he uses when he is writing under Victor Kusi Boateng, he forgets.
“There are so many things I haven’t put out yet. I have six signatures for him. I am waiting for him at CHRAJ (Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice),” he added before showing evidence to the host of two different signatures in respect of Kusi Boateng and Adu Gyamfi.
“He even forgot… I have six signatures for him; he was confused. He forgets, he forgets all of that. He should deal with me and stop these empty threats about future court suits. He has forgotten the signatures he uses when he is Victor Kusi Boateng,” Ablakwa stressed.
Ablakwa goes after Rev. Kusi Boateng and JNS Talent Center
Ablakwa dragged Reverend Kusi Boateng to CHRAJ early last week after publishing on social media, a series of allegations against the clergyman in respect of payments by the National Cathedral to JNS Talent Center, a company closely associated with Kusi Boateng.
Among other allegations, the MP alleged irregular payments of some GHC2.6 million from the National Cathedral accounts to JNS, where Rev. Kusi Boateng is listed as a director with his other ‘official name, ‘Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.’
The Cathedral has formally rejected the allegations of irregular payment, explaining that the accused only extended a loan to the board and was later paid a full refund without interest.
Global CEO of the HuD Group, Dr. Yaw Perbi, is calling for an audit on the amount spent so far on the National Cathedral project.
Since 2022, the National Cathedral project has been marred with a number of scandals. The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has been on a quest to uncover what he deems dishonesty at the National Cathedral Secretariat.
He alleges that around GH2.6 million was given to a business controlled by Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, a member of the cathedral’s board, without reasonable explanation.
Amidst the allegations, Mr Perbi has suggested that government should halt ongoing works on the project in order to give a vivid update to Ghanaians, as well as clear the air.
“If we decide to move forward after the audit, I suggest we give it time. If it is not Nana Akufo-Addo’s cathedral but Ghana’s, then let’s take our time to do it. We also need to be transparent. There is too much darkness surrounding the project. Let us also allow God’s people to build God’s church.”
“Lastly, we must be as passionate about our software as we are about the hardware bearing in mind that God does not just require the building but is interested in our values, behaviours, attitudes, and systems,” he added.
The National Cathedral project was launched by the Akufo-Addo-led administration in March 2017 as a concrete expression of the nation’s societal harmony, spirituality, and unity.
The $360 million interdenominational cathedral will have a 5,000-seat auditorium, chapels, and a baptistery. Its completion has been scheduled for March 2024, but currently, construction works have been suspended due to lack of funds.
Amid an economy deemed to be in crisis, some Ghanaians believe constructing a cathedral is not the optimal way to utilise the country’s scarce resources.
Despite the criticisms against the President, he has pledged to complete the construction of the building.
Pensioners Bondholders Forum has rescinded its decision to picket at the Finance Ministry today, Monday, January, 23.
Earlier, the forum announced its intentions to mass up at the Ministries after the government’s decision to include pension bondholders in its Domestic Debt Exchange Programme.
Speaking to the media on January 13, 2023, the Convener of the Forum, Dr Adu A. Antwi, revealed that it had previously petitioned the government concerning the said issue, yet that has still not yielded the desired results.
“We have also petitioned key stakeholders in the country, including the Speaker of Parliament, the Council of State, the National House of Chiefs, the Christian Council of Ghana, the Office of the Chief Imam, the National Peace Council, and the Catholic Bishops Conference, about our displeasure on the issue,” he added.
The forum informed the police about its plans to gather at the Ministry of Finance. However, the pensioners indicated in a press release issued prior to the protest that it had already started the process of engagement with former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and John Dramani Mahama.
This, it explained is “to seek their sympathy, support, and intervention for our cause.”
It added that “As a result of these engagements, we have cancelled our intended convergence at the premises of the Ministry of Finance on Monday 23rd of January 2023, and informed the Police accordingly”.
However, the forum was quick to add that should the engagements birth to no results, it will have no other option than to “take action should the need arise.”
As part of Ghana’s Domestic Debt Exchange Programme launched last year, bondholders were encouraged to willingly exchange about GH¢137 billion in domestic notes and bonds of the Republic for a package of new bonds.
In light of this, a series of four new bonds with maturities in 2027, 2029, 2032, and 2037 were to replace the old domestic bonds as of December 1, 2022.
In 2023, this new series of bonds will have 0% coupons, followed by 5% coupons in 2024 and 10% coupons beginning in 2025, whereby, coupon payments will be made every six months.
A farmer in his late 40’s has allegedly shot his son after a quarrel.
The son, whose name has been given as Ankoo, 25, according to 3news.com, died on the spot at the Ahuntumanu community.
Confirming the incident, an Assembly member for the area Stephen Ackah stated that the suspect, identified as uncle Awortwe, confronted his son about his bad behavior, which included stealing valuable items from his house whenever he visited.
However, during the last visit, he attempted to take his father’s hunting gun away, but his father got upset and shot him.
“The information I have gathered is that the son who is now deceased has become a burden on his father due to his bad attitude. He lives in Kwesimintsim, and whenever he visits his father, he steals almost everything in the house and sells it.
“His father has been complaining on several occasions, but he is not changing his bad attitude. So, it is alleged that he came to visit his father and exhibited a similar attitude; this time, he wanted to take his hunting gun away. His father got frustrated and shot him.” 3news.com quoted Stephen Ackah.
Stephen Ackah added that the sound of the gunshot made members of the community rush to the scene, only to find his son dead in a pool of blood.
“They heard gunshots and rushed to their house, but they only found the lifeless body of Ankoo in a pool of blood. He was already dead,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Ahanta West District Police Command has apprehended uncle Awortwe and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate incident.
The lifeless body of the deceased has been deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.
A fire breakout destroying a piece of the main girls’ dormitory block at Wa Sec Tech has left over 200 students stranded.
The inferno started at about 8:00 pm last night, destroying five rooms and the belongings of the girls in the one-story dormitory block.
It took the intervention of personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service to bring the disaster under control, thereby preventing the fire from destroying the entire dormitory block.
Assistant Divisional Fire Officer, Iddrisu Imran who led the team of firefighters to the scene disclosed that the immediate cause of the fire was not known but that his outfit had commenced investigations into the disaster that rendered the over 200 girls homeless.
“The top floor of about five rooms was affected. The fire started burning before we were called. We are trying our best to quench the fire. There are no casualties, some of them were shocked and have been sent to the nearest health facility,” he stated.
By the end of this week, the joint technical committee that is addressing the issues raised by certain bondholders should have concluded its duty.
The committee comprising representatives from the government and the bondholders have been meeting and exchanging ideas since Thursday, January 19, 2023.
According to Citi News sources, the bondholders who held a town hall meeting on Sunday welcomed the idea of the committee only if it helps in exempting them from the programme.
In an interview with Citi News, one of the lawyers for the bondholders, Martin Kpebu indicated that his clients are only in favour of a decision that excludes them from the debt exchange programme.
“So for them, they are happy as long as the result will be that individual bondholders are exempted. So it’s not like they wholeheartedly embrace the committee. They gave a caveat that this committee is welcomed only if it results in the exemption of individual bondholders. That is the kind of reception it had. Let’s hope that the committee will finish up its work this week and present its report and that the Finance Minister will grant a 100% exemption of individual bondholders from the DDE. We will finish [our work] this week,” Martin Kpebu expressed.
A total of GH 605,962 was unaccounted for at the peak of the pandemic, according to the Auditor General‘s audit on Covid-19 expenditures.
Breaking it down, the Audit Service noted that government contrary to the public financial management regulation distributed GH¢451,800.00 directly to the Paramount Chiefs of the Traditional Councils.
This, according to the report, was to help Ghana’s fight against the pandemic.
The report reveals that GH¢154,161.97 of the funds transferred was misapplied.
“The Registrars of Ashanti and Central Regional Houses of Chiefs explained that the amounts were disbursed to the Paramount Chiefs upon directives from the Presidents of the Houses.
“The Registrar, Brong Ahafo said he was not at post during the period, whilst the other five Registrars could not assign reasons for the lapse,” parts of the report read.
It is in view of this, that the Auditor-General concluded that the unaccounted funds were misappropriated or misapplied.
The Audit Service further recommended that the Chief Director should ensure the Registrars of the eight Houses of Chiefs recover the total amount of GH¢605,961.97 from Chiefs failing which the Chief Director should pay the amount into the Auditor General’s Recoveries account.”
On Sunday, January 22, 2023, a flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party(NPP), Kennedy Agyapong visited the Glorious Word Power Ministry International, a Christian denomination founded and led by Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah.
Kennedy Agyapong who was given the opportunity to share a sermon with the congregants built his preaching on the Bible’s position on how fake prophets will abound in the end times.
The Assin Central lawmaker referenced a 2019 campaign he embarked against some Christians leaders he believed to be charlatans who were parading as prophets.
Kennedy Agyapong said that some Christians misconstrued his crusade as one against the Christian faith explaining that he was doing what a good Christian ought to do which is expose people whose actions bring shame to the faith.
He stated emphatically that he believes in the Bible and is a devout Christian but will not sit unconcerned for some persons to fleece people in the name of Christianity.
“The topic I intend to teach is the same verse Reverend Owusu Bempah chose. In 2019, I started a crusade to expose pastors and prophets who are fake. Some of the affected persons were preaching that I was anti-Christ so when I went to certain churches, the pastors told me I was anti-Christ.
“The topic by Reverend Owusu Bempah shows you what I was trying to do. My first verse is 1st Kings 19:24-40 and it talks about Elijah and the Prophets of Baal. We are in the end times and that is exactly what we are experiencing.
“We have good prophets and bad ones. Just as the disciples asked Jesus to show them how to pray. We should ask Reverend Owusu Bempah how we can detect the good prophets. If he had lied, I would have exposed him but his topic aligns with mine. He has shown the difference between genuine prophets and bad ones,” he said.
Kennedy Agyapong’s visit to the Glorious Word Power Ministry International follows a similar visit to the Parliament House Chapel weeks back.
On December 31, 2022 Kennedy Agyapong visited the church owned by Prophet Amoako Atta who is on record to have prophesied that the Assin Central MP will one day run the affairs of this country.
Kennedy Agyapong is the second high-profile member of the NPP to have visited Reverend Owusu Bempah’s church after Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia on December 25, 2022.
The general secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, has paid a visit to his home district to convey his gratitude to the local chiefs and populace.
The NDC party executive was the immediate past Member of Parliament for the Ketu South constituency until 2020 when he stepped down, making way for the current legislator, Abla Dzifa Gomashie.
In photos and videos shared online, Fifi Kwetey shared his excitement at returning home, adding that he felt really at home.
“Over the weekend, I was in Ketu South. It was such a wonderful experience to return to the constituency where I grew up and once served as an MP. I sincerely appreciate the warm reception I received from the religious leaders, traditional authorities, party executives and the good people of the area,” he wrote on Facebook.
The visit by the NDC General Secretary was done in the company of the sitting MP, Dzifa Gomashie; the Volta Regional Chairman, Mawutor Agbavitor; and other executives of the party.
The team met with constituency executives and engaged in a number of activities geared towards rekindling the spirit of patriotism in their members.
The team also visited some churches in the community.
“I thanked the leadership of both churches for their support to the NDC and Ghana and appealed to them not to relent in their efforts to make the nation better, great and strong,” he added.
Fifi Fiavi Kwetey and the team also paid homage to Togbui Fiti Adzonugagag Amenya V, the Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Council; as well as Togbui Addo of the Klikor Traditional Area, and Tigbui Adamah of Some Traditional Area.
“My tour ended with a visit to my hometown, Nogokpo, where I paid homage to the chief, Togbui Sabah,” he added.
Fifi Kwetey was elected as General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at their recent National Delegates Congress, where he beat competition from the likes of Elvis Afriyie Ankrah and Dr Peter Boamah Otokunor.
The congress also saw the election of Johnson Asiedu Nketiah as the National Chairman of the party, beating the incumbent, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo.
If the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) is not handled properly, Dr. Mark Assibey-Yeboah, a former chairman of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, has predicted doom for the financial sector.
The former Member of Parliament for New Juaben South does not see any light in the immediate future and is concerned that the finance sector could crash.
Speaking in an interview with TV3, Dr. Mark Assibey-Yeboah explained that the current events are going to limit cash inflow to the banks.
He also elucidated that the country’s external creditors may not be interested in giving the country needed loans going forward.
He warned Ghanaians to expect lay-offs from banking institutions in the country and that could mark the beginning of the crisis.
When he was quizzed by a TV3 reporter whether he believes the banking sector will crash, Dr. Mark Assibey-Yeboah responded with a definite ‘Yes’ and went ahead to provide reasons for his position.
“Where we are now, this is not the time to massage issues. I don’t want to mention names but do you see the exposures of some banks? Some of them will collapse. Let’s say you are a bank and you are exposed to government bonds to the tune of GH¢2billion even at 20%, that is GH¢400million in interest payments for holdings. Do you know what that will mean to your balance sheet?
“Very soon banks are going to lay people off. We haven’t even gotten to the external. Now, all projects for which we contracted loans, the IPCs are not doing anything so very soon you will see the Obestebi Interchange and all those construction works grinding to a halt because the external creditors are saying if you are going to suspend debt repayment then we are not going to advance any further loan,” he said.
On how the situation can be addressed, Dr. Mark Assibey-Yeboah urged the government to take some responsibility and not impose everything on the citizens.
According to him, certain flagship programs of government will have to be rationalized along with the need to cut down on expenditure.
“I don’t know if we don’t appreciate the extent of the problem or we are hiding some information from somebody but where we are now there are no easy solutions out there. We have to look at revenue a bit more and close the loopholes. You can’t do all of this if you can’t do serious expenditure rationalization. We have to do expenditure rationalization,” he said.
As part of conditionalities to achieve the IMF bailout, the government has recommended that all benefit due bondholders in 2023 not be paid.
Per the arrangement, the payment of the benefits will resume in 2024 at the rate of 5%.
This arrangement has been widely criticized with critics saying that the government is worsening the situation of already burdened Ghanaians.
Dr Kobby Mensah, a lecturer at the University of Ghana and a political communication expert, has ranked the Akufo-Addo-led administration as the worst in history.
According to the lecturer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s legacy as president is disastrous.
He likened Nana Addo’s government to that of former President John Agyekum Kufour, arguing that before Nana Addo was elected, Many Ghanaians believed that he would be a better leader than the latter.
“Before Nana Addo came, I think within the NPP, most people to be honest with you a lot of people with all due respect, didn’t even think that president Kufour was better than Nana Addo. For a lot of people within the NPP,” he said.
Speaking in an interview on Neat FM monitored by GhanaWeb, Dr Kobby Mensah added that due to Ghanaians’ high hopes for President Akufo-Addo, they held the opinion that Kufuor’s administration was paving the path for him to engage in a significant economic upturn.
“It was as if president Kufuor was John the Baptist and Nana Addo was Jesus Christ. That he was coming to prepare the way for Nana Addo’s government. So, the majority of people in NPP were actually expecting Nana Addo’s presidency more than they expected Kufour’s presidency. And they did not give the due to president Kufour until Nana Addo came to power. So, the question is where is the legacy?
He concluded by saying that Nana Addo’s administration is an abject failure and there is no way for future generations to compare its accomplishments to that of the previous presidents.
“…in history or some years to come, we’re going to refer to president Kufour’s NPP and Nana Addo’s NPP. I don’t think you can actually compare the two. So, the cost again is that the legacy that Nana Addo is going to leave, I think that is going to be very disastrous.
Jude Kofie, an 11-year-old son of Ghanaian parents living in Aurora, Colorado, was with the family one day when his father started hearing an unusually good sound coming from their basement.
Of course, there was an old keyboard in there, but Isaiah Kofie, the father, was certain nobody at home knew how to play it.
But he got the shock of his life when, on walking in on his son, he saw him beautifully and masterfully displaying his musical prowess on the keyboard.
To be sure his son was the one doing this magic on the keyboard when he had never learnt how to play, he got him a bigger one to see what else he could do.
“And boy, could he do,” a CBS video report said.
This all happened about a year and a half ago, the report added.
And when CBS went to interview him, and then asked him what he thought about his sudden knowledge of music, Jude replied, “It’s a miracle.”
“You think it’s a miracle?” CBS News asked him.
“That’s what I prefer,” he responded.
But his father was yet to get a far bigger shock of his life when one day, out of nowhere, and without any prompting, a huge piano was delivered to their house.
For Jude, it was ‘music to his eyes’ but his father, Isaiah, could only react in shock at the knowledge that it was “all for free.”
“Who does that?” he said to the CBS reporter.
But they found their secret ‘surpriser’ soon enough, in the person of Bill Magnusson, a piano tutor.
Explaining why, Bill said he saw a local news story about Jude and then he heard him play.
Having also learned that Jude’s parents has immigrated from Ghana and were raising four children, while still sending money back home to their family in Ghana, he felt a great compassion to help them.
“What resources are left over to help this special little soul?” he asked.
And so Bill did the unimaginable: he used his father’s inheritance of $15,000 to purchase a piano for Jude.
“We’re family now,” he added.
Isaiah Kofie is still living in shock, but even more, he understands how much it is to be grateful too.
“Somebody to just love your son like that by making sure that his future is secured, we are super thankful,” he said.
The Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) has been requested to take prompt action to review an anticipated unvalidated payment of GH14.7 million in Covid-19 spending.
Government at the height of the coronavirus pandemic provided free water between April and December 2020.
Some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and private water providers were paid GH¢22,819,862.42 to settle the cost of water for 2020 and 2021.
But the Auditor-General is raising questions about a GH¢37,609,791.71 bill provided as the cost of free water supplied by the NGOs and private water operators.
The said payment leaves a balance of ¢14,789,929.29 left to settle the suppliers.
This was revealed in the audit of Covid-19 transactions for the period March 2020 to June 2022.
The Auditor General says its assessment of the situation revealed that “there were no actual water bills generated and submitted to the Agency by the NGOs and Private Individual Water providers to support their claims.”
According to the report, the entities involved arrived at the amount by using “the maximum pumping capacities of the machines and the estimated population of the communities involved.”
He does not find this as a feasible measuring modality for the water consumption within the said period and wants answers.
It recommended that the outstanding amount of ¢14 million be paid based on actual bills and not estimated bills.
In response, management justified the payments by explaining that some of the private water providers had water meters which they used to prepare their own water bills based on water consumption and that those bills were vetted by the District Assemblies and CWSA Regional Offices.
The Community Water and Sanitation Agency claimed that the non-payment of the balance will impede the Agency’s relationship with the suppliers, hence hurting future activities when their services and possibly litigation.
However, the A-G insists that “we did not see water bills submitted by the NGOs and other private water service providers to the headquarters and therefore could not confirm the information provided by management.”
This is a directive of the Ghana TVET Service after some students went on a rampage on Sunday morning, protesting the poor results of their predecessors in their final examination.
About 40 of them have been arrested for causing damage to school property.
About four government vehicles, including a Mahindra and an Isuzu pickup trucks, a Nissan Patrol and a school bus were vandalised.
A Toyota Vitz vehicle owned by the Senior House Mistress was also damaged.
The students also turned over another salon car owned by a teacher.
In a statement signed by the Ghana TVET Service Director-General, Mawusi Nudekor Awity, the closure was “upon the advice of the Sekyere East District Security Council and the Ashanti Regional Security Council.”
Students have been directed to vacate the school premises with immediate effect.
“The Security Services will be on hand to evacuate all the students to protect lives and properties. Parents are advised to take steps to pick up their wards from the school,” portions of the January 22 statement read.
Founder and General Overseer of the Lord’s Parliament Chapel International, Apostle Francis Amoako-Atta, has warned that Ghanaians will come to regret their inaction regarding President Akufo-Addo’s National Cathedral project.
According to the Apostle, the president’s idea is a laudable one that will unleash heavenly favour and supernatural growth on the country.
“The cathedral will be the center of religious tourism in Africa. If Ghanaians don’t support the project, foreign investors will take over the building and management of the holy building, and Ghanaians will have to pay to get in”, he said. This, he hinted, will make Ghanaians remorseful if they don’t support the project.
Known in religious circles as the “Practical Strategic Preacher,” the Life Coach made the declaration on Friday in an interview with Speaker Nana Fianko, host of Atinka TV’s flagship current affairs show, “The Agenda.”
He was proud of the judges who gave up their homes without a second thought so that the historical monument could be built. This action, he mentioned, has touched the Lord’s heart and would make him shine His face upon the nation’s judiciary. He added that the cathedral is well located for its purpose.
Reacting to criticisms about the project, Apostle Amoako-Attah opined that the naysayers lack sufficient knowledge of how God works and are blind to the economic and spiritual significance of the project to the country, the sub-region, and Africa at large. He asked the President and the National Cathedral Secretariat to stay strong and focus on the job at hand for God and country.
Nevertheless, Apostle Amoako-Attah bemoaned the slow pace of the building project.
According to him, the fact that, the project is barely at the foundation three years after the fundraising is an eyesore and leaves a lot to be desired.
An unidentified baby girl believed to be about two weeks old has been found dead at sefwi-Bekwai in the Bibiani Anwhiaso Bekwai Municipality of the Western North Region.
The deceased was found at a refuse dump in the early hours of Friday, January 20, 2023, wrapped in a cloth.
Mr Kwaku Bawah, a staff of Zoomlion Ghana Limited and an eyewitness, confirmed the story to the Ghana News Agency, said he went to the refuse dump at dawn as has been his daily routine.
“On arrival l saw a baby covered with a cloth but the legs were showing so l raised alarm and some neighbours came over only to realize the baby had already passed away.”
He said they informed the Assembly Member of Anorku Electoral Area, Mr Akwasi Prince Tano, who reported the incident to the Sefwi-Bekwai District Police Command.
Mr Tano said the police had collaborated with the Environmental Health Officers in the Municipality to bury the baby while investigations continued.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Bortianor-Ngleshie- Amanfro, Sylvester Tetteh, has stated the continuous stay of Ken Ofori-Atta as Finance Minister will undermine the financial sector.
The lawmaker demanded that the president terminate the appointment of the finance minister to restore some confidence in the financial sector.
He further argued that Ghanaians have already lost faith in the minister and therefore his involvement in the negotiations of the Domestic Debt Exchange and the IMF bailout raises serious doubts.
In an interview with Okay FM, Sylvester Tetteh added that the 80 members of the majority caucus who have called for the resignation of the minister still stand by their statements and are waiting for the president to revoke the minister’s appointment.
“We members of parliament, our call is that Ken Ofori-Atta must give way, and we’ve given our reasons why he must give way and the reasons are still tenable.
“There are two things involved, is either the president will terminate his appointment because he gave him that position or he himself will resign because of how bad the economy is.
“We’ve realized that the overall confidence in the financial architecture of this country is all about Ken Ofori-Atta. we’ve tried several times but still, he is at the post.
“So, for us, the worse thing is that we will boycott his business in government… But our position hasn’t changed and Ken must go, we believe that it will inspire some confidence in the economy and the new leadership will bring new ideas.
In November, some NPP parliamentarians demanded that Mr Ofori-Atta be sacked as Finance Minister.
The MPs, numbering about 80, held a press conference to impress on the President to relieve his cousin of the responsibility of managing the national purse or risk losing their support for government business going forward.
The minister was then referred to a committee of the parliament for a vote of censure. Contrarily, the vote of censure failed to remove the sector minister because the majority left the chamber during the voting and according to the constitution, the destiny of the minister must be decided by two-thirds of the house.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu has indicated that he has obtained more documents of the secretary to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana, whom he has accused of operating under the pseudonym Kwabena Adu Gyamfi for criminal purposes.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said that he has now obtained the National Identification Card (GhanaCard), different driver’s licenses plus other additional documents of Kusi Boateng.
During an interview on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana, on Friday, when asked about the GhanaCard of Rev Kusi Boateng by broadcaster Randy Abbey, Ablakwa said, “I have secured that (the Ghana Card) too. I’m keeping that close to my chest. You know I told you about the structure.
“I have the National ID (GhanaCard) and I have other driving licenses too, but I am keeping those close to my chest. You see this matter we are not even midway yet. It is a relay race, it is going to be very interesting,” he said.
Ablakwa also said that the explanation by the National Cathedral Secretariat that the $2.6 million paid to Rev Kusi Boateng was a loan repayment was an afterthought.
According to him, the Board of Trustees never discussed acquiring a loan facility, and at the time the loan was acquired, the Cathedral had about $6 million in its bank accounts.
The Abesim Township in the Sunyani Municipality was in a state of grief and sorrow when the Dormaa Traditional Council announced the death of Barima Kumi Acheaw II, the town’s chief on Saturday.
According to the Council, Barima Acheaw II, also the Kyidomhene (chief in charge of crowd) of the Dormaa Traditional Areal, died on September 30, 2022, after short illness.
He was 70 and reigned for 19 years and left behind a wife and six children.
Scores of mourners clad in mourning cloth, red armbands, and black head gear could not hold back their tears, when Barima Atosi Ababio, the Sumankwaahene (chief in charge of health) broke the news of the death of the chief at the Abesim Palace.
“As tradition demands, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, the Paramount Chief of the Dormaa Traditional Area, has asked me to inform you that Barima Acheaw II went for medical treatment, but he could not return and joined his ancestors,” he stated.
The solemn gathering was greeted with grief and sorrow as the people wailed uncontrollably, amid the sporadic firing of musketries by some traditional warriors.
Describing the late chief as development-oriented, Nana Kyei Nketiah, the chief of the Adonten royal family of Abesim, later told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that Barima Acheaw II played an instrumental role in the development of the Abesim Township and the Dormaa Traditional Area.
Nana Nketiah said the late chief reigned 19 years between 2003 and 2022.
Key among Barima Acheaw II’s achievements, he said, included the construction of the Abesim Police station, the Ghana National Fire Service command, Abesim Health Clinic and a maternity block, as well as the Abesim Senior High School and a market.
Nana Nketiah said with the consultation of Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Badu II, the Abesim Divisional Council had set up a committee to oversee the successful organisation of the final funeral rites of the late chief slated for March 23 to March 27, 2023.
“The best way we can appreciate the immeasurable contribution of our chief towards the development of the area is to endeavour to give him a befitting burial, as he joins his ancestors and we are determined to do so because Barima Acheaw II has really paid his dues,” he stated.
The secretary to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana, Rev Kusi Boateng, has posited that the current scrutiny he is facing due to corruption allegations with his role in the construction of the National Cathedral, is part of the trials he must go through.
He said that the challenges he is going through are necessary for him to be successful.
Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, therefore, urged his church members not to be worried about what people are saying about him because he will be vindicated at the end of the day.
“How can I go up without fighting the demons in the air? And so, stop all these fights and all these arguments. The question is that, is your father okay? I’m 100 percent okay.
“The question is that, is your father happy? I’m super happy. The question is that, is your father going to go through this? I promise you that I will go through this honourably.
“So, every one of you should be relaxed, be happy, and don’t waste your time fighting on Facebook,” he told members of his church, Power Chapel International, on Sunday, January 22, 2023.
Background
The latest corruption exposé on the National Cathedral by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, suggested impropriety on the part of the secretary to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana, Rev Victor Kusi Boateng.
On January 16, 2023, the MP made some allegations against Rev. Kusi Boateng, who is the secretary to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana.
In an earlier revelation about the National Cathedral, Okudzeto Ablakwa said a whopping GH¢2.6 million was dished out to a company named JNS Talent Centre Limited.
Further investigations into the alleged payment led to the discovery of one Kwabena Adu Gyamfi as a director of JNS Talent Centre.
Having confirmed the identities of two out of three directors of the centre, Ablakwa dug deeper in a bid to discover the identity of the third director, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
According to his findings, citing a number of statutory documents, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi was the same as Reverend Kusi Boateng, who has allegedly been operating under the pseudonym Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
The body of an unidentified man believed to be in his thirties was found on the Bimbilla-Kpaturi Road on Sunday morning. The body was seen lying beside his motorbike.
The cause of death is not yet known.
Meanwhile, farmers on the road say there was a robbery attack last night hence they believe the man in question was part of the victims who tried to flee for their lives but run out of luck.
A farmer, Fusheini Alhassan told Citi News “I was going to farm, and we saw him lying down. Because of this, I am going back home. In the Dagbani tradition, when you see things like this on your war to the farm, you can not work”.
Police from the Bimbilla came to convey the body for autopsy.
An initial inspection of the body by the police showed that the person may have been murdered elsewhere, and the body was dumped at the scene because there were cuts on the arms and legs with no blood stains where the body was lying.
The police officers deployed to the scene declined to give any remarks.
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has recalled a moment he describes as a “never-before-time” in parliament when the government completely forgot an entire budget for a region in its yearly budget.
He explained that this was in November of 2019 when the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, came to present the 2020 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to the House.
Recalling this on Friday, January 20, 2023, edition of Good Morning Ghana on Metro TV, the MP said that it took his scrutiny of the statement to be able to identify the major omission.
“You remember when the Year of Roads budget was presented? I quickly went through the budget and discovered that the Volta Region had been left out – November 2019, for the 2020 Year of roads,- and then we drew attention,” he said.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa went on to say that the minister, in order to express gratitude to the Minority, had to return to parliament the next day just to present a budget for the Volta Region.
He added that the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, was also grateful to them because he knew that their discovery had saved them from an unintended consequence.
“So, the next day – it was the first time it had happened in the history of Ghana’s parliament, the finance minister came back to the House and presented a budget, listing projects for the Volta Region, and even commended us for discovering that; that it was an oversight; it was a major slip, and if we hadn’t discovered it, and 2020 had come, and Voltarians found out later on, the consequences would have been dire,” he added.
The NASCO Feeding Minds organization in partnership with some alumni of the University of Ghana have commissioned an ultra-modern ICT learning centre on the campus of the premier university to aid students in their research and other academic activities.
The commission exercise which was themed; commissioning of the J.R. A Ayee ICT Centre and the K.Boafo-Arthur E-learning Centre was fully sponsored by NASCO Feeding Minds under the leadership of Seidu Nuhu Barnasco.
Seidu Nuhu Barnasco, the Co-Founder and CEO of NASCO Feeding Minds spoke during the commissioning exercise and said that the organization in partnership with some old students of the university decided to support the educational facility with a renovated ICT lab.
“For the past ten years, NASCO feeding minds has established sixteen computer centres, so coming to the university of Ghana, it’s refreshing for us because it grants us an opportunity to contribute to the university’s vision of becoming a world-class university and also promotes the digitization agenda of the university.
“For us, is also another leverage for us to augment government efforts in providing good quality education to our graduates. “Especially, now that the current government is promoting the digitalization of the economy, we think that it is important to train the necessary human resources needed that will fit into this government policy and agenda. So, we donated 40 desktop computers and 15 laptops to the department,” he said.
He continued by saying that as part of the government’s digitization agenda, they also wanted to contribute their fair share by supporting the university with an ICT laboratory.
The program was graced by the Pro Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Gordon Awandare, Head of the political science department Dr Seidu Alidu among others.
