The government’s SIM re-registration initiative, according to Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. George Akuffo-Dampare, has aided in efforts to combat cybercrime in the nation.
The IGP said the blocking of the unregistered SIMs has helped in defining the space to identify such fraudsters for their subsequent arrest.
Speaking at the Public Accounts Committee hearings, the IGP assured of efforts to deal with scammers within the cyberspace.
“The challenge used to be the case where we had people walking to any service provider and getting a SIM card registered. With the registration of the numbers and the blocking of all the numbers which are unregistered, there is a difficulty for these people [scammers] to continue with their operations. So the registration has helped us in defining the space to get these people arrested.”
The government said the re-registration of SIM cards is to aid in the monitoring and tracking of persons who use mobile phones for criminal activities.
The move is also to check the increasing rate of cybercrime activities in the country.
Premix fuel is likely to be sold at GH25 per gallon on all of the country’s landing beaches after the initial GH10 price was raised by GH15.
The increase according to the government has been necessitated by the increases in the price of crude on the international market.
Nana Abrokwa Asare who is the administrator of the National Premix Secretariat said the government can simply no longer continue to bear the huge subsidies it gives to fishermen and other users of the product across the country.
Speaking in an interview with Citi News, Mr. Asare said the decision to increase the price was reached after consultations with the leadership of the fisherfolk and the NPA in collaboration with the Energy Ministry.
“Premix fuel as we know is highly subsidized by the government and the subsidy is as huge as 85 percent, so the government in recent times also experienced the challenges of having to catch up with the ever-rising cost of fuel on the international market, so we engaged the leadership of the fisherfolk to discuss the modalities that can help us improve the supply of premix fuel and one of the things that came up strongly were we considering a marginal increase in the price of premix fuel.”
Mr. Asare argued that the current increase will bring respite to the government and also improve the delivery of the product.
“It reduces the burden on the government. For the record, a gallon was being sold for GH¢10 when a gallon should have been sold for GH¢80 and so the government was incurring a debt of GH¢70 per gallon. And so, after sitting down and deliberating with the fisherfolks, we agreed that a gallon of premix should be sold for about GH¢30 but putting everything together in consultation with NPA and the Ministry of Energy, we came to a consensus that a gallon must be sold for GH¢25.”
This comes after the Institute of Energy Security (IES), described as baseless factors accounting for the recent notice by the Public Utility Regulatory Commission for an increase in utility tariffs.
There is an impending increase in electricity and water tariffs by 30 and 8.3 percent respectively, effective February 1.
The Commission, while citing inflation as a factor, indicated that the cost of the electricity generation mix has also seen an increase taking into account the depreciation of the cedi.
Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, Ishmael Ackah noted that IES’ assumptions are miscalculated.
“In Ghana, about 60 percent of our generation comes from thermal and about 40 percent from hydro. But with the hydro, we have the legacy hydro, Akosombo, Kpong and Bui. Where we come in is the legacy. Now, there is also a law that established the electricity market oversight panel. So not all the hydro comes to what we call the regulated market.”
“They [IES] say, the hydro will be 38 percent and out of this, we want to give five percent to Ghana water. Then VRA also has other commitments to export. Out of the export, we are also giving five percent. Then we also have the deregulated market. When we take all these components out, all that I have mentioned contributed about 33 percent.”
“So the component of the 38 percent that came to the regulated market, the 67 percent that we used, that is what we shared between ECG, NEDCo and Enclave Power and when you do the calculations, you get the 26 percent. So maybe, they didn’t take notice of this”, he explained on Eyewitness News.
What did IES say?
The IES asked PURC to reconsider the energy mix assumption used in the tariff adjustment.
It anticipated a marginal increase in tariff if more hydroelectric power is produced from the generation mix.
“The IES however considers the assumption used by the PURC on the electricity generation mix of 26.11% hydro and 73.89% thermal as baseless. That assumption amounts to giving priority to thermal power generation over hydro, given that water elevation for Bui and Akosombo generating stations (GS) have improved waterhead levels, and capable of producing over 35% of power in 2023, in IES’ estimation,” IES said in a statement.
“IES therefore calls on the PURC to reconsider the energy mix assumption used in the tariff adjustment (to reflect improved water-head levels) as that has an impact on the Weighted Average Cost of Gas, which has been reviewed to $6.0952/MMBtu from $5.9060MMBtu. This, the IES believe will bring some relief to already burdened citizens, and in the face of the current economic crisis.”
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has announced that the results of the 2022 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) will be released on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.
The council in a press statement dated January 19, 2023, said that investigations are ongoing into examination irregularity cases detected during and after the conduct of the examination.
“Having successfully conducted the examination at 2,023 centres and completed coordination and marking exercises, the council is far advanced with post-examination activities.
“Investigations are ongoing into examination irregularity cases detected during and after the conduct of the examination. For a quick resolution of malpractice cases, the council appeals to affected school authorities and candidates to respond with dispatch to its invitation. Candidates are informed that their refusal to honour such invitation shall not impede the council from making a final determination on the cases in question…
“The target date for the release of results for the BECE for both school and private candidates, 2022 is Wednesday, 25th January 2023,” part of the statement read.
The statement added that parents and candidates should remain calm as the council works towards the release of the results.
The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is actively gearing up for a busy 2023 ahead of crucial 2024 General Elections as they look to wrestle power from the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
It will be the first major test for the newly-elected batch of executives led by National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, who until December 2022 had served for 17 years as the party’s General Secretary.
Asiedu Nketiah, along with his successor Fifi Fiavi Kwetey and members of the National Executive body are gunning for early victory by way of leading the NDC into the Jubilee House after eight years in opposition.
The party on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 released detailed guidelines on how its presidential and parliamentary primaries will be conducted later this year.
GhanaWeb looks at the major highlights contained in both processes.
Major modalities for the presidential primary
Date and venues:
The election of the Presidential Candidate shall be held on Saturday, 13th May, 2023 at Voting Centers in all 276 Constituencies of the NDC which includes the SALL/Guan catchment area.
The National Headquarters of the NDC shall constitute an additional voting center for all delegates from external branches of the party.
Nomination process and completing forms:
Nominations shall be opened between 22nd and 24th March, 2023
A candidate must be proposed by a party member in good standing and endorsed by five others in each constituency in each region across the country.
Candidates shall be subjected to a vetting process which is expected to take place at the party Headquarters on a specified date.
Cost of forms and submission:
Nomination forms shall be made available in the office of the General Secretary for purchase at a non-refundable fee of Thirty thousand Ghana Cedis (Gh¢30,000.00) paid by bankers’ draft.
The completed forms (Nomination and endorsement forms) are to be returned to the General Secretary of the Party with evidence of the payment of a non-refundable filing fee of Five hundred thousand Ghana Cedis (Gh¢500,000.00) via bankers’ draft.
Female candidates and Persons with Disabilities shall pay fifty percent (50%) of the filing fees
Election Day:
The presidential primary will take place concurrently with the parliamentary primary with the party’s national headquarters serving as the collation center.
A candidate will require 50% plus one to win a first-round victory.
Major modalities for the parliamentary primary
Date and place:
It shall be held on same day as the presidential primary (May 13, 2023). The election shall be held at a venue within the Constituency as determined by the Constituency Executive Committee in consultation with the Regional Executive Committee (REC) of the respective region.
Nomination forms
Forms shall be made available online for download on www.ghanandc.com and a non-refundable fee of Five thousand Ghana Cedis (Gh¢5,000.00) paid online via the stipulated momo or bank card.
The completed forms (nomination and endorsement) shall be completed and submiited to the Elections Directorate of the constituency after the payment of a non-refundable filing fee of Forty thousand Ghana cedis (Gh¢40,000.00) via Bank Card on www.ghanandc.com.
Completing forms:
Each contestant must be proposed by one person and seconded by three (3) persons all of whom must be members of good standing of the party in different branches of the constituency.
Each prospective candidate shall be endorsed by at least one branch executive member of the party from 50 percent of the total branches in the constituency.
Day of voting:
All rules as applies in national elections shall be applicable along with any other rules as communicated by the National Executive Committee (NEC).
Candidates can appoint agents to monitor the process. Ballots shall be counted and collated immediately after the process and winner shall be declared on the basis of first past the post – aspirant with highest number of votes.
Key timelines for the process:
OPENING OF NOMINATIONS MONDAY 22ND – 24TH FEBRUARY, 2023
SUBMISSION OF FORMS/ FILING OF NOMINATION MONDAY 20TH – 22ND MARCH 2023
The Public Relations Officer of the Savannah Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), Habibu Muftawu has been recalled by the Information Services Department.
Citi News sources at the Regional Coordinating Council say the recall is with immediate effect.
Though the reason for the recall is not stated, it is believed it was a result of his alleged involvement in the disturbances at the Damongo police station on Monday that led to the shooting of one person.
Mr. Muftawu who also doubles as the PRO of the Gonja Land Youth association was seen at the police station when some youth besieged the station to demand the release of eight persons arrested in connection with some disturbances in Buipe.
The Gonja Land Youth Association has been at loggerheads with the Gonja traditional council over some issues for some time.
The Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral has responded to contents of the resignation letter of one of its members, portions of which have been published in the media this week.
The August 2022 resignation letter of Bishop Dag Heward-Mills found its way into the media with some of the reasons he gave for leaving generating lots of commentary around the project which has recently been at the center of some controversies.
Heward-Mills resigns as a trustee
Heward-Mills’ August 2022 resignation letter as a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral contained a number of reasons why he was opting out.
Chief amongst them are issues of corporate governance breaches, government unilaterally acting on major decisions without recourse to the trustees and public uproar over accountability in respect of the use of public funds for the project.
Chairman of Board of Trustees responds
In an official release signed by the Chairman of the board, Apostle Prof Opoku Onyinah, the Board said some of the issues Heward-Mills raised in his letter had been addressed in the October 15 reply to his resignation as well as a visit to his office.
In clarifying a number of issues, the release emphasized that the Cathedral project was a partnership between the state and the church and that each party knew their exact roles from the outset.
“The National Cathedral is a partnership between the State and Church, and the roles of the state have been clearly specified in the partnership: appointment of the Architect, the Land, the Secretariat and Seed Money for the preparatory phase of the work,” the release read.
The architect for the project was selected by the president even before the trustees were appointed and that the contractors were also selected through a transparent international procurement process which the Board of Trustees approved.
Concluding remarks on work of trustees
In its conclusion, it addressed how the Board of Trustees worked and related despite coming from different churches.
“One of the key strengths of the National Cathedral Project is the Board of Trustees, made up of some of the key, pioneering leaders of the church in Ghana, and whose work on the project is contributing to improved inter-church relations in the country. These church leaders, the Board of Trustees, have pioneered and/or lead vibrant churches with global reach and impact.
“These churches and their leaders not only have deep-seated theological differences, but also different understandings and approaches to the development of the National Cathedral. The challenge of such a group is that individual leaders, with a history of implementing their own organizational /denominational programs and vision, have to be part of a collective decision-making process where their preferences might not always prevail. Specifically, this means that no one leader can have all their preferences, methods, and approaches accepted. In this changed and unfamiliar context, some would prefer to leave the Trusteeship.
“This notwithstanding, we are grateful that all the Trustees — including Bishop Dag Heward-Mills who voluntarily left the Trusteeship — still remain committed to the vision of the National Cathedral and want to see it completed to God’s glory,” the statement concluded.
The Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Benjamin Boakye believes government’s proposed gold-for-oil policy is nothing but a recipe to take total control of the petroleum value chain.
He said the arguments advanced in favour of the policy are distorted and shredded in parochial interests.
Mr. Boakye argued that it isn’t true that forex shortage is largely to blame for the nation’s energy shortfalls.
“That assumption that gold proceeds don’t come to Ghana and therefore the government doesn’t have control over the revenues from the export of gold is flawed. The government understands this industry more than some of us because there is no way a gold business can operate without the proceeds coming into the country. If you check the Chamber of Mines report and the reports of the mining companies, the monies needed to keep the mines running and to be able to pay their taxes to the government is about 75 percent of the total export of the gold.”
Speaking on the Point of View on Citi TV, the energy analyst said the government’s insinuations that forex shortage is a worrying trend affecting the country’s energy needs is outlandish and preposterous.
“Gold has a dollar value and if you track the gold and the dollar in the last decade, you will realize that there is no currency in the world that has been stronger than the dollar. So the government is just trying to control the value chain and there is nothing more than what they are trying to do.
“Those who are doing the gold export and purchases, ask them, most of them rely on their partners in foreign countries who bring in the dollar for them to finance their operations to be able to buy the gold and export to them.”
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has revealed that a rice processing firm in the Central Region, Tedman Company Limited is indebted to the Ministry to the tune of GH¢127,177.
The company was offered a rice mill to boost its local rice production activities in 2012 but has since not made payment to the Crop Services Department of the Ministry.
No tangible efforts have been made by the company after a decade of its indebtedness to the state.
During its hearings, the Public Accounts Committee announced plans to invite the firm over the matter.
Audited documents revealed that the recommendations of the auditors were that the company be made to pay the amount at the Bank of Ghana’s prevailing interest rate, but no commitments have been made since 2012.
The Agric Ministry’s representative indicated that efforts made to retrieve the amount have not been fruitful and has resolved to refer the matter to the Attorney General for advice.
“We have still not been able to recover the remaining amount and there have been a series of letters to the company and our next line of action is to refer the matter to the Attorney General for advice on the matter.
“The company has only paid GH¢4,000, and we are saying that after all these series of communication, they have still not paid and being a transaction that is of commercial nature, it is the Attorney General that will be in the best place to advise us.”
The Minister for Road and Highways, Kwasi Amoako Atta has said that despite the fact the Tema-Motorway, has gone beyond its designed life, the government cannot put a specific date to when work will begin.
According to him, progress has been made with procedures leading to the start of work and that work will soon commence.
The Minister for Roads and Transport made this known when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee to consider the 2020 Auditor General report and was questioned on when the Tema Motorway will be reconstructed.
“…the Tema Motorway has gone beyond its designed life, you know that the motorway was constructed in the mid-60s and it was supposed to have a design life of 50 years, so they are planning to reconstruct the motorway.
“…As much as the government plans to reconstruct that road, there are a few challenges and I believe very soon we shall go over those challenges and start work. But I wouldn’t put any specific date on it but we’ve gone very far and it may not be long at all from now, work on the motorway will start and comes under the project name of the reconstruction of Motorway,” Kwasi Amoako Atta said.
The finance minister in November revealed government is seeking to secure funds from Ghana Infrastructure Investment (GIIF) for a 27.7 km of the Accra-Tema Motorway and extension project.
According to him, the project, when approved, will provide the Tema-Motorway with five lanes on each side of the stretch.
Speaking in parliament, he indicated that aside the Tema-Motorway lanes, the government will remodel the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange and there will be a reconstruction of the Apenkwa interchange and a new interchange at the Fiesta Royale crossroads and Neoplan area.
Theophilus Donkor, lawyer for the self-styled evangelist Patricia Asideua, also known as Nana Agradaa has been detained and accused of attacking some police officers.
Citi News gathers that on January 16, 2023, Nana Agradaa was rearrested on the premises of the Accra Circuit Court for a yet-to-be-known crime.
The lawyer, Theophilus Donkor resisted the arrest of his client and in the process used abusive words against the police officers and obstructed them.
He has been charged with counts of abuse of public officer, contrary to Section 205 (c) of the Criminal Offences Act and Offensive conduct conducive to breach of peace contrary to section 207 of the criminal Offences Act.
His plea is yet to be taken.
The lawyer is said to have filed an injunction against the police officers that they do not have any jurisdiction to effect the arrest and charge him accordingly.
He makes the point that he was invited by the Cantonments police which is outside the jurisdiction of where the incident occurred alleging that this arrest is an attempt by the police to tarnish his popularity and tamper with his current handling of cases involving Nana Agradaa over charlatanic advertisements.
The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) has asked the government to suspend its Domestic Debt Exchange programme (DDE) and pursue wider engagement with stakeholders.
The CCG in a January 19, 2023 statement signed by Rt. Rev. Prof. J.O.Y Mante said it had arrived at that position after keenly following public debates and talking to some affected parties.
Their call for engagement, the statement noted, was because they had “identified lapses in the debt restructuring programme, a major one being lack of consultation with affected individuals and institutions.”
The statement continued: “With the current economic hardships in the country and the agitations among the general public, it is in the nation’s interest for the Finance Ministry to suspend the 31st January deadline given to individuals to sign on to the program and rather propose a road map for dialogue to make the process participatory such that the outcome would be acceptable to all.”
The government has failed to secure a debt restructuring deal with domestic lenders, postponing a deadline for the DDE thrice, the latest deadline being January 31, 2023.
The DDE is seen as a crucial requirement to secure a programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) following a torrid 2022 in which the economy suffered from rising inflation, massive depreciation of the Ghana cedi and the rising cost of living.
The government has repeatedly blamed the crisis partly on the aftershocks of the COVID pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war but has promised to turn around the economic fortunes of the country after sealing a Staff-Level Agreement with the IMF late last year, with hopes that funds from the US$3 billion facility will be released early this year.
The government is hamstrung by hurdles as it attempts to secure a debt restructuring programme at home. Processes are underway to restructure external debts too, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta disclosed to Accra-based Joy FM on January 18.
Organized labour successfully fought off plans to include pensions in the DDE; now individual bondholders are also rejecting plans to include them with talks ongoing on a mutually acceptable way forward.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for La-Dadekotopn Municipal Assembly (LaDMA), Solomon Quartey, has appealed to the chiefs and people of La in the Greater Accra Region to be measured in their demands for the reconstruction of the collapsed La General Hospital.
He called on the people to exercise some patience as the government takes steps to have the hospital reconstructed to serve them better.
He explained that the government demolished the hospital with good intentions; to redevelop the hospital into a better facility that would better serve the people of the area in no time.
He added that the decision to demolish the hospital was because the hospital had over the years failed the structural integrity test.
“We had good intentions for demolishing the dangerous five-storey La General Hospital structure,” the MCE said.
He called for calm while trying to address the issues that have accounted for the delays in reconstructing the collapsed hospital while speaking in an interview on the Ghana Yensom morning show hosted by Odehyeeba Kofi Essuman on Accra 100.5 FM on Thursday, January 19, 2023.
He quickly added that had it not been for the Covid-19 pandemic that hit China, the donor partner funding of the La General Hospital redevelopment project, the project would have been completed by now.
He said the donor partner had to pull out of the project because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He assured the people of La that work will begin on the project by the end of the first quarter of the year as the Ministry of Health has indicated that it has been able to secure some funding for the completion of the project.
According to him, members of the La Youth Association have been duly informed about the decision for work to begin in the first quarter of this year.
In July 2020, the La General Hospital facility was demolished after the hospital’s administration in 2015 reported severe structural problems.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on August 10, 2020, cut the sod for the commencement of construction of the La General Hospital Redevelopment Project.
The delay in constructing the project has outraged residents, the Member of Parliament for La-Dadekotpon, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, and the Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh.
Member of Parliament for the Assin Central,Kennedy Agyapong, has disclosed plans to increase tourism in the nation if he wins the presidency in 2024.
He outlined his tourism plans in an interview with cross section of journalists during his recent tour of the Central Region where his constituency is located.
Talking about potential of tourism
The Ken City Media owner addressed how he will tackle the perennial issue of dealing with the pollution of the Odaw river located in Accra.
The river canal which connects to the sea has become a major headache when it rains heavily, triggering flooding in the center of the city.
Agyapong lamented that whiles other places in the world benefit from the sea, Ghana is yet to fully tap into that area. He cited Dubai, South Africa’s Cape Town, Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, Bahamas, Antigua, Trinidad and Tobago, as places making money from the sea.
Dealing with the Odaw River the Trump way
On the matter of the Odaw, he said: “Look at the Odaw River, the amount of dirt seeping into the sea, I will be like Donald Trump, I will build a long wall on both sides, so that nobody from his home will throw refuse into the Odaw which will end up in the sea.
“We will prevent it and clean the whole Odaw River and put boats on it, so that people will ride from Circle all the way to the sea, Jamestown,” he stressed.
He also spoke about plans for other tourist sites like Cape Coast and Elmina Castles.
Exit Parliament, presidential plans
Agyapong has through his campaign for the flagbearership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) stressed that tourism and mechanized agriculture are the two main levers he will leverage to transform the economy.
He has been MP for Assin Central for over 20 years and has stated that he will not be seeking reelection.
His presidential ambition is barely a year old but his candidature is deemed to be one of the most popular along with that of Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and former Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kyerematen.
The National Cathedral project is estimated to cost at least a billion dollars when completed, according to North Tongu Member of Parliament Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Ablakwa has since last year waged a dogged campaign for accountability on the construction of the facility which is currently officially estimated to cost US$350 million.
He is concerned particularly by the amount of public funds dedicated to the project despite earlier government communication that it will be funded by the Christian community.
“My analysis is that this project is more than a billion dollars, it is more than a billion dollars by the time we are done paying for the recklessness of president Akufo-Addo,” he said in an interview on Accra-based Radio Gold (January 18).
Meanwhile, Ablakwa has praised Bishop Dag Heward-Mills for his candour in addressing issues related to the project in his leaked resignation letter of August 2022 as a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral.
The lawmaker added that even if there was a national consensus on the need to build the facility, “will the wisest thing to do be not to look for a greenfield, an unencumbered land?” he asked lamenting how public and private structures were demolished to make way for the project.
Some traders within the Kejetia market in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region have begun closing down their shops over what they describe as exorbitant electricity bills.
The traders have on several occasions clashed with the management of the Kejetia market over the decision to use one bulk meter for the over seven thousand (7000) shops in the market.
Traders over the years complained that they pay exorbitant electricity bills due to the failure of the management of the facility to provide separate meters for shops within the market.
It appears the situation is not likely to be resolved anytime soon as the leadership of the traders has blamed the management of the facility for the closure of their shops.
President of the Federation of Kumasi traders, Nana Akwasi Prempeh, said some traders have been forced to close down their shops since they are not able to pay the huge electricity bills.
Nana Akwasi Prempeh also blamed the management of the facility for the delay in providing individual meters to shops.
Meanwhile, the management of ECG has revealed that the facility owes over five million Ghana cedis in arrears.
ECG is thus insisting that the failure of the facility to pay its arrears is what has caused the delay in providing the individual meters.
The Minister for Justice and Attorney General, Godfred Dame, had said that the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has brought unparalleled improvement to the justice delivery system of Ghana.
According to him, not only has the government brought a much-needed improvement in the human capacity of his ministry and its agencies, but it has also equipped them with the tools to ensure effective justice delivery.
The minister, who made these remarks in a Good Evening Ghana interview monitored by GhanaWeb, went on to list some of the New Patriotic Party government’s achievements in his ministry.
Human Capacity:
Godfred said that the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government has boosted the human resource capacity of his ministry by recruiting about 200 attorneys since 2017.
“Last year, 70 attorneys were recruited, the year before 2021, another 70 were recruited. During Madame Gloria Akuffo’s time, another 60 or 70 were recruited… and this year I have applied for financial clearance to recruit about 50 or 60 more,” he said.
He added that the government has also been offering regular training to state attorneys both locally and internationally, with about 5 of them currently undergoing training abroad.
Infrastructure:
The attorney general also said the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government will soon complete the Law House, which has been under construction since 2003.
He stated that the Law House would be completed within a year and used as office space for the minister and its agencies.
“When I came, I ensured that there was an earnest construction of the project, and I am sure that in about six months or so the Law House will be done… from a state where it was 35 percent complete when I assumed office,” he said.
Equipment:
In the area of tools and equipment, he said that some of his agencies did not even have vehicles to run their operations, but between 2017 and 2023, the government procured a lot of vehicles for these agencies.
“My predecessor Madame Gloria Akuffo, believed there were 27 vehicles. Last year, in 2022, on account of the support of the minister of finance and the president’s decision at cabinet, I delivered 91 vehicles.
“The Law Reform Commission had only one vehicle, which was way back in 1997; Legal Aid had only about three or four vehicles… I doubled the stock of vehicles available to each agency and each regional office,” he said.
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has sanctioned four Oil Marketing Companies (0MCs) for engaging in illicit third-party trading of petroleum products.
The affected oil marketing companies are Finest Oil, Petro XP, Glasark Oil, and Lilygold Resources Ltd.
A statement by the NPA said “Finest Oil will pay a fine of GHS160, 000.00 comprising of GHS10, 000.00 for engaging in Third Party Supplies for the first time and GHS150,000.00 for the unlawful lifting of petroleum products. Failure to comply will attract an additional one (1) month’s suspension of its operations.
“That Petro XP will also pay a fine of GHS340,000.00 comprising GHS10, 000.00 for engaging in Third Party Supplies for the first time and GHS330,000.00 for the unlawful lifting of Petroleum products. Failure to comply will attract an additional one (1) month’s suspension of its operations.
According to the statement, “Glasark Oil will pay a fine of GHS95,000.00 comprising GHS10,000.00 for engaging in Third Party Supplies for the first time and GHS85,000.00 for the unlawful lifting of Petroleum products. Failure to comply will attract an additional one (1) month’s suspension of its operations.
“That Lilygold Resources Ltd will pay a fine not exceeding five (5) times the License/Permit fee for breaking the Authority’s seals and failure to pay will result in the suspension of its operating license in addition to paying the Penalties meted out to it.”
Former president John Dramani Mahama has described the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party as the better manager of Ghana’s economy, as the state is in near collapse under the Akufo-Addo-led administration.
According to him, poverty has worsened due to extreme inflation and price volatility.
These deteriorations were discovered during his visits to the Savanna, Northern, and Upper West Regions.
In a Facebook post, he said the country is near collapse.
“I am back to Accra from a trip to the Savanna, Northern, and Upper West Regions – and poverty has worsened due to extreme inflation & price volatility. The economy is in a near state of collapse; clearly, the NDC has been a better manager of the economy!” he said
The Ashanti Region New Patriotic Party (NPP) Constituency Chairmen Association has requested that the party hold its flagbearer election immediately.
According to the association, if the election is conducted early, it will give them enough time to prepare and market the party’s flagbearer before the 2024 elections.
In a press release, the group also indicated that another reason they want an early congress is to afford the party enough time to resolve outstanding conflicts and challenges resulting from the elections.
They added that a formal petition will be presented to the National Executive Committee (NEC)for consideration.
Read the full statement below:
ASHANTI NPP CONSTITUENCY CHAIRMEN ASSOCIATION CALLS FOR EARLY CONGRESS
WE THE Ashanti Regional Constituency Chairmen Association would like to add our voices to the call for the party to organise early congress to elect the flagbearer for the 2024 general elections.
There is no doubt that the 2024 elections will be a crucial one which will require comprehensive processes and preparations.
Our decision to support this call for early congress is therefore based on a number of valid and genuine considerations.
Some of these include:
1. An early congress will afford the party enough time to prepare and market the eventual winner and flagbearer ahead of the elections. This will help ensure that we do not repeat the 2008 experience which gravely affected the party leading to its eventual defeat.
2. As expected in any democratic electoral process across the world, elections like these have the potential to foment internal rifts and troubles amongst supporters of opposing candidates, therefore an early congress will afford the party the opportunity to address some of these fallout and build united front to achieve victory.
3. We also believe that an early congress will afford the party enough time resolve outstanding conflicts and challenges resulting out of the elections.
4. An early congress will also give government and the sitting President the peace of mind to implement its policies and programmes, whilst carrying the entire party machinery along.
In conclusion, we members of the Ashanti Regional NPP Constituency Chairmen Association will present a formal petition to the National Executive Committee (NEC) for consideration in the upcoming meeting slated for January 31.
Signed
Mr. Dominic Bosompim 0244258138
Chairman, Odotobri Constituency
Dean, Constituency Chairmen Association Ashanti Region
Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana, Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, has hinted that he will take action with respect to deliberate defamation targeted at his person by a lawmaker.
Rev. Kusi Boateng said he was currently committed to responding to a formal enquiry in respect of allegations made against him by Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The MP mentioned the clergyman in his ‘Mother of all scandals’ publication on January 16, 2023, alleging principally that Kusi Boateng was using two different identities on official documents.
He had earlier on alleged that an amount of GH¢2.6 million was ‘irregularly’ paid out from the chest of the National Cathedral to JNS Talent Centre, a company closely associated to Kusi Boateng.
In his response to the accusations, the clergyman stayed away from directly addressing the identity issue but said he welcomed the enquiry by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), following the lodging of an official petition by Ablakwa.
Kusi Boateng’s statement of January 16, 2023 added: “When all is done, I will seek redress against Mr. Ablakwa for his deliberate defamatory statements against me.
“I will continue to contribute my quota to the National Cathedral project and offer my services to the country to the best of my ability,” the statement concluded.
The Presbyterian Church of Ghana has said the latest reports about the resignation of the immediate past moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Rev. Professor Cephas Omenyo from the National Cathedral Board of Trustees is misleading.
Speaking to Starr News with Naa Dedei Tettey, the spokesperson for the Presbyterian Church, Rev. George Larbi explained that the former Moderator resigned long ago due to ill-health.
“When he was elected, per his position as a moderator of the church, he was appointed a trustee of the National Cathedral. So, when he fell sick and could not function again and later on a new moderator was elected. In fact, he refused to be a member of the trustee.
“So, I remember I drew the attention of the public relations officer of the National Cathedral, that in this case they should take away Rev. Prof. Cephas Omenyo’s photo. Because, one of our former moderators, in the person of Very Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey already sits on the trustee. So, the current moderator is not even a member of the trustee because we already have Very. Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey there,” Mr. Larbi added.
The North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa had claimed that the National Cathedral Secretariat was misleading the Ghanaian public and the world that all the published trustees are registered as directors.
“Contrary to the information provided in the said press statement (see page 5) and on the Nicodemusly updated national cathedral website (after we exposed the Pastor Otabil deception), to the effect that all the Board of Trustees has been registered as Directors of the National Cathedral of Ghana; we note surprisingly, that the venerable Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, Presiding Bishop of the Lighthouse Group of Churches and the esteemed Rev. Prof. Cephas Omenyo, Former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church were not registered as directors on the incorporation date of 18th July, 2019.
“The two revered clergymen have at all material times been clearly left out, and substituted with the following names: Samuel Antwi and Kingsley Ofosu Ntiamoah.
After about five months down the line, the founder of the LightHouse Chapel International, Bishop Dag Heward-Mills’ reasons for exiting the Board has been revealed.
In a letter available to Accra-based Citi TV, the seasoned Man of God noted that his unresolved concerns about the cost of the National Cathedral and other pertinent issues triggered his exit.
But in the case of the former moderator of the Presby church, the leadership of the Presby Church of Ghana responded that all this confusion about Rev. Prof Omenyo and his resignation keeps resurfacing because people are using him to score their cheap political points.
Nonetheless, spokesperson for the Presbyterian Church, Rev. George Larbi has called on the board of the National Cathedral Secretariat to sit up and clear its name on the number of allegations levelled against them.
Rev. George Larbi expressed worry about the developments that have characterized the construction of the National Cathedral.
“I read them, I hear them in the news. If what those who are raising the allegations are saying is true, then I will urge the board to sit up. If what they are saying also is for political gains or some personal gains then they should be careful. And sometimes at least they should go to the right place to seek proper information.
“If you don’t understand something, approach them, go to them. This is what I have received, this is what I have seen, this is what I have heard, and please what the truth in it is? For people to explain to you rather than everyday counter allegations. After all, whether it is state money, individual’s money, the church’s money, at the end of the day it is money. We have to ensure that whatever money is given to them, they account it judiciously to the people,” Mr. Larbi advised.
A potential flagbearer for the New Patriotic Party(NPP), Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, asserted that his dedication to the party once caused him to lose a woman he had planned to marry.
According to Kennedy Agyapong, the said woman left him after he returned from the United States of America to support the party in the 1992 elections.
“In 1992, I was in a relationship with Madam Stella. I also had another girlfriend back here in Ghana that I intended to marry. But when it comes to women some are good and some are bad.
“In 1992 I returned home one day to meet the one back here in Ghana holding my ticket and trying to find out if I could go back, because Adu Boahen had lost and NPP had also lost.,” the Assin Central MP said during an interview on his Net2 TV.
“The other woman left me because I had gone broke, she saw the amount of money I brought at that age and spent everything on the NPP. Right after losing the election, she said by their fruits you will know them; she left,” he added.
Ultimately he said, he had to go back to the U.S where he was accepted by his first girlfriend – Stella who forgave him and accepted him back.
“I stayed in Ghana for 8 months, and when I went back my office had been repossessed. I went back to driving a taxi.
“Stella remained. She forgave me and I had no option because her friends back here were calling her to that a lady is driving your man’s car. But she forgave me. All because of NPP, I lost the woman, I lost the office,” she added.
Kennedy Agyapong was responding to Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, who in a recent interview with JoyNews, questioned his competence and devotion as a prospective flagbearer of the NPP.
According to Kennedy Agyapong who is regarded as a financier of the NPP, he has a track record assisting the party in various moments of financial need.
This is corroborated by the former Deputy General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Obiri Boahen.
Obiri Boahen in an interview with Wontumi radio while calling out Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe said, “I said what! What is Nyaho Tamakloe trying to say? In 2016 alone, Kennedy Agypong and Kutin bought almost a hundred pickups. He paid a debt of $3 million for the NPP and that was even in the 90s,” Obiri Boahen said.
“Tell me which of the 275 constituencies in Ghana have not felt the impact of Kennedy Agyapong? I am with Bawumia, I am campaigning for Bawumia but it doesn’t mean I should sit aloof if someone says something about Bawumia’s competitor and I have details about it,” he added.
The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, says the NHIS has only four months of outstanding debt to clear with healthcare providers across the country. He said this when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee.
His submission triggered the Member of Parliament for Buem, Kofi Adams to enquire about the law and regulation that guide the payment of funds to providers.
According to Mr. Agyeman-Manu, the payment process takes three months, but the Deputy CEO of the NHIS, Francis Owusu was unable to confirm this.
This necessitated the Minister to withdraw his earlier submission promising to look again at the payment policy.
The sitting revealed several unearned salaries in many health facilities including Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
Officials of the hospital told the Committee that it was working to recover those monies, but the Chairman, James Klutse Avedzie did not accept their explanation, saying that the Management of Korle Bu must pay the money.
Mr. Avedzie said the numerous procurement breaches that occurred at the Ministry call for prosecution and referred the same to the Attorney General’s Department.
But the Health Minister pleaded with the Chairman to temper justice with mercy.
Inspector General of Police(IGP), Dr George Akufo Dampare has ordered the immediate transfer of police officers and families residing in a housing facility at Apromase to another area.
The move by the IGP is necessitated by a fire that swept away a 35-year-old Sergeant Owusu Asante Baafi with the Anti-Robbery Unit, his wife, and a three-month old child on January 16, 2023.
The fire, which began around 11:30p.m., allegedly razed down the entire five-bedroom self-contained flat in which the deceased family was living.
The Ghana National Fire Service and the police have launched a collaborative probe into the incident. According to the Ghana National Fire Service, late detection and a call for help led to the destruction of five out of the 15 apartments housing some police officers and their families.
In his address to the victims, the IGP stated that the facility would be confined to a complete, accurate structural and technical evaluation as part of the inquiry.
Following the incident, other police officers and their families living in the affected housing facility have been traumatized and forced to relocate.
However, the IGP was joined by some senior officers from the police administration to express condolences to the victims and assured that psychosocial support and clinical psychologists will be given to the victims.
The IGP “We are in this together, we feel your pain, and that’s the reason why I had to travel all the way from Accra to see you in person.
“Let me assure you that, there will be a joint investigation between the police and GNFS to bring finality to this matter and see how best we can assist you. “Just as you are shattered about this incident, we are shocked too, and the best way to express our feelings is to come and console you,” he said.
The Minority in Parliament is set to embark on a series of meetings with investors and individual bondholders across the country over the government’s Domestic Debt Exchange (DDE) programme.
Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu announced the nationwide roadshows to look at the poor qualities of the DDE programme while interacting with the press on Monday.
“We wish to take this opportunity to indicate our intention to embark on nationwide roadshows to foster a deeper understanding of this matter and rally Ghanaians to demand a more favorable resolution of the economic crisis,” he said.
The Minority’s stance on the programme is gloom-ridden as they believe that the government’s initiative “will leave affected persons, mainly the middle class, improvised while worsening the plight of the poor.”
“The inclusion of individual bondholders in the Domestic Debt Exchange is the biggest transfer of funds from the pockets of Ghanaians to the government,” Mr Iddrisu further lamented.
The Domestic Debt Exchange Programme, which is a voluntary exercise, seeks to classify domestic bonds into 12 categories. Government has increased the new bonds offered by adding eight new instruments to the composition of the new bonds, for a total of 12 new bonds, one maturing each year starting January 2027 and ending January 2038.
It is offering accrued and unpaid interest on eligible bonds, and a cash tender fee payment to holders of eligible bonds maturing in 2023.
“The Exchange Consideration Ratio applicable to eligible bonds maturing in 2023 will be different from other eligible bonds,” the government has stated.
The government has extended the expiration date of the Domestic Debt Exchange programme from Monday, 16th January 2023 to Tuesday, 31st January 2023.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the period before the expiration date of the programme will be used to further engage stakeholders especially individual bondholders to mitigate any adverse impacts they may face.
Already, the Ministry noted that important discussions are ongoing with financial institutions, notably in relation to forbearance measures, accounting treatment, as well as the structure and parameters of the Ghana Financial Stability Fund (GFSF).
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, handed over the trade ministry to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, John Abu Jinapor, as caretaker minister pending the appointment of a substantive replacement.
Alan Kyeremanteng, who has long eyed the presidential seat on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), tendered in his resignation letter on Thursday, January 5 2023, to pursue his presidential ambition.
However, his resignation took effect on January 16, 2023, as announced earlier by the outgoing minister. The politician who served as Minister for Trade and Industry from 2017 to 2023 briefed Mr Jinapor on the operations and administrations of the ministry and presented his handing over notes during a brief handover ceremony at the at the trade ministry.
In his tweet, he noted that “I had a successful handover to the caretaker minister, Hon. Samuel Abu Jinapor, who has been tasked by His Excellency the President to assume responsibility for the Ministry of Trade and Industry pending the appointment of a substantive replacement.”
Mr. Jinapor, in response, pledged to work with stakeholders and partners in the sector to see the vision of the president come to fruition. He said, “I pledged my commitment to work with all stakeholders and partners to steer the affairs of this ministry until a substantive minister is appointed,” Jinapor, who is the substantive minister for lands and natural resources,tweeted after the event.
The president, Akufo-Addo, in a statement, announced the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, as caretaker of the Ministry of Trade and Industry following the resignation of Alan Kyeremanten.
Several critics were quick to criticize the minister, complaining that he was already overwhelmed by the challenges in his ministry at the time.
However, Mr. Jinapor was later announced as Mr Ofori-Atta’s replacement. “The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has tasked the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel Abu Jinapor, MP, to assume responsibility for the Ministry of Trade and Industry, with effect from Monday, January 16, 2023, pending the appointment of a substantive replacement for the outgoing Minister, Mr. Alan Kyerematen,” the statement read.
The Koforidua High Court has granted an interlocutory injunction to two youths in Lower Manya Krobo Municipality in the Eastern Region against the conduct of the District level election that is scheduled to take place in the municipality on January 17, 2023.
“The Electoral Commission wishes to inform the General Public that the Lower Manya Krobo District Level Elections slated for Tuesday 17th January 2023 has been adjourned,” a statement issued by the EC and signed by its Chairperson Jean Adukwei Mensa said.
Following a request for an injunction by two teenagers, the EC postponed the polls. In a statement, the commission explained, “This has become necessary due toan Application for injunction filed against the Electoral Commission at the High Court in Koforidua,”
The freshly turned 18-year-olds Angel Agyeman and Michael Tetteh claimed that the EC had breached their constitutional right to vote in district-level elections in accordance with Article 33 of the 1992 Constitution.
The adolescents claim that after they turned 18, the EC did not hold a registration drive to allow them to sign up for the elections.
In order to prevent the District Level Elections from taking place, the youngsters applied for an interlocutory injunction.
Prior to the matter’s resolution, a High Court restraining order prevented the EC and its agent from carrying out the elections that were initially scheduled for today, January 17, 2023.
On January 17, 2023, the Municipality planned to hold district-level elections and a total of 127 male candidates were running to represent their respective electoral districts, while 280 others were running in the Unit Committee elections.
Due to a disagreement between the Municipality and Dangme West District, now known as Shai-Osudoku, over 11 electoral areas created at Akuse, Lower Manya Krobo did not hold district level elections for eight years.
However, a Supreme Court decision in favor of Lower Manya Krobo ended the conflict, which commenced with the departure of several Akuse assembly members for the former Dangme West District.
In 2013 and beyond, the election of Assembly members and members of unit committees was promptly held; however, the election did not coincide with the national electoral commission calendar.
In the meantime, Nene Sakite, the Konor of Manya Krobo Traditional Area, petitioned the EC on December 12 to contemplate integrating the district level elections in Lower Manya Krobo with the regular national process.
In 2013 and beyond, the election of Assembly members and members of unit committees was promptly held; however, the election did not coincide with the national electoral commission calendar.
In the meantime, Nene Sakite, the Konor of Manya Krobo Traditional Area, petitioned the EC on December 12 to contemplate integrating the district level elections in Lower Manya Krobo with the regular national process.
A couple in Accra is accusing the 37 Military Hospital staff for the ‘disappearance’ of one of their freshly-born babies delivered at the hospital.
The delivery was done through Caesarean section on Thursday, September 8, 2022.
A visibly distraught mother of the supposed twin, 38-year-old trader – Audrey Agyapong, and her 54-year-old husband, Daniel Naawu, are suspecting foul play.
Narrating their ordeal to the Ghanaian Times in Accra, the couple recalled that an ultrasonic checks done 31 weeks into the gestation period at two medical facilities, including the 37 Military Hospital, showed that Ms Agyapong was carrying two live foetuses (twins).
A radiological report of the twin foetuses after 31 weeks
The Ghanaian Times’ painstaking investigations suggested that the first scan report, which was signed off by Dr Otu Danquah, was conducted on April 22, 2022, at the Cerica Diagnostic Services at Lartebiokoshie in Accra, when the pregnancy was 20 weeks.
Its results showed live intrauterine (inside the uterus) foetuses.
The first ultrasonic scan after 20 weeks showed two foetuses
Furthermore, a second ultrasonic scan done at the 37 Military Hospital on July 21, 2022, and signed by Drs M.T Mpetey and R. Asiedu, a Resident and Senior Physician respectively, confirmed results of the earlier scan with twin A weighing 269g and B weighing 261g.
“In all, we did four different scans, all showing I was carrying live twins and it is baffling that one could disappear at birth,” Ms Agyapong told the Ghanaian Times.
Explaining further, she said on September 7, 2022, when her gestation period was 38 weeks, she was admitted at the 37 Military Hospital where her vitals were taken with two foetal heart beats confirmed as normal.
“On the 8th of September 2022, the morning of the operation, my babies were checked again and I was told they were both well. Double logistics were therefore taken for them. At the theatre, I was prepared for the operation and anaesthesia was given which completely numbed the lower part of my body.
“A screen was placed in the middle which prevented me from directly viewing what was happening. However, I felt the two babies being taken from my womb. Later, I heard a cry and one female baby was shown to me by a doctor named Dr Ali Saine, who told me ‘It is only one baby’.”
Dr Saine is a senior Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the 37 Military Hospital, who performed the Caesarean section.
“I was startled and whilst trying to process the import of what I was just told, I heard the doctor tell his team members to take out their phones and video it. I was taken to the recovery ward where the doctor told me he would come and talk to me,” recalled Ms Agyapong, who said she had been having sleepless nights since the incident.
According to the disturbed mother, to make matters worse, she was later told that what she thought was a second baby, was rather a placenta.
“I was shocked because this was not the first time I was giving birth and I know how one feels when the placenta comes out.”
For his part, Mr Naawu, a senior driver at J.A Plant Pool Ghana Limited in Accra, said his baby’s alleged disappearance was “unacceptable” as he was asked to pay for double items before the operation.
“I have twins from my previous marriage and was glad I was going to have another set only to be told this shocking story,” the evidently upset father fumed.
He continued: “As I speak now, I have not been able to outdoor the child, nor give her a name, because I do not know whether the missing baby is also female or male.”
Meanwhile, on October 10, 2022, Mr Naawu petitioned the Commander-in-Charge of the 37 Military Hospital to cause an investigation into the matter and bring back his missing child.
Several attempts made by the Ghanaian Times to speak to Dr Ali Saine on the issue, proved futile, as he insisted on contacting the Commander-in-Charge of the 37 Military Hospital, for permission.
“We have a laid-down procedure here. I can’t speak to the media unless you seek permission from the appropriate quarters at the hospital,” he insisted.
After a couple of attempts to speak to him fell through, the Ghanaian Times on October 14, 2022, officially wrote to the Commander-in-Charge of the 37 Military Hospital, requesting an interview with Dr Saine.
Several follow-ups have been made ever since, but to no avail; as it was always met with the refrain at the hospital’s administration that: “we are working on it.”
On Friday, October 28, 2022, the Ghanaian Times wrote another letter addressed to the Public Affairs Department of the 37 Military Hospital, requesting for an interview with Dr Ali Saine, but only received a verbal response assuring that an investigation has been commenced into the case.
However, an eye specialist at the 37 Military Hospital, Wing Commander Isaac Bediako Fordjuor who is part of a team tasked to probe into the matter, told the Ghanaian Times in November last year that investigations had commenced.
“We have interviewed all concerned including nurses who worked at the theatre on that fateful day and we shall brief you on our findings when we are done,” he said.
Nearly four months have passed since investigations commenced into the incident.
Leader of the Minority in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, has revealed that his side of the House is working to subject the debt exchange programme to legal scrutiny.
Speaking to the media, he noted that Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta may have breached Article 181(5) of the Constitution, which requires the government to seek approval from Parliament before announcing any haircut on all government bonds, loans, and instruments.
“We are even beginning to elevate this matter to a legal constitutional matter as to whether or not the Minister of Finance, suo moto, by himself as an individual can undo what the sovereign Parliament of Ghana has done pursuant to Article 181(5) of the constitution,” he said.
“All those loans, all those bonds, all those instruments whose terms and conditions were approved by Parliament, including the debt of domestic bonds, contractual relationships have been entered into. How can the Finance Minister allocate to himself the mandate to do this even without providing information to Parliament or with its prior approval?” he questioned.
Article 181(5) of the 1992 Constitution requires that all international business or economic transactions to which the government is a party must be laid before Parliament for approval before they can come into effect.
Mr Iddrisu, therefore, urged the government to halt ongoing processes related to its debt exchange program, which is intended to keep the country from defaulting on its debt.
At a press conference on Monday, Mr Iddrisu noted that there is “total confusion, rejection, and disapproval of the initiative” since it was launched by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta in December last year.
According to him, the opposition is justified since the programme poses a major risk to financial institutions, insurance companies, as well as individual bondholders who have recently been included in the programme.
“The programme will exacerbate the already perilous financial sector that we have in Ghana,” he added.
The Tamale South legislator, therefore, said, “We in the NDC, the Minority group, call on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to immediately suspend the ongoing debt exchange programme.”
In an attempt to secure a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the government has proposed that all bondholders will not receive any interest in 2023.
As per government estimates, dividends will begin to be paid next year, in 2024, at a discounted rate of 5%. Due to this, bondholders who wish to transfer their bonds will not be able to get back their full principal.
The proposal, however, has been rejected by many bondholders since its announcement. Their view is that if the proposal is implemented, they will suffer a great deal of loss, and some may even lose money on their investments.
The Minority’s call seeks to add to the numerous voices urging the government to restrain from implementing the debt exchange programme. Mr Haruna Iddrisu believes that unemployment will heighten and support for the private sector will dwindle if the programme is implemented in its current state.
In the meantime, the government has extended the deadline for the domestic debt exchange programme to January 31, 2022. This is the fourth time the government has extended its deadline, and according to the Finance Ministry, the programme has been suspended yet again due to “pending further stakeholder engagement with institutional and individual investors.”
The Chamber of Automobile Dealership Ghana (CHADG), have pulled back their threats to take action against the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and it’s Executive Director COP Maame Tiwaa Addo-Danquah.
The livid car dealers threatened to deal with the anti-crime organisation over the seizure of some vehicles believed to have been stolen.
The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) carried out an intelligence-led operation for the retrieval of various specifications of luxury vehicles in the country.
The retrieved cars, according to EOCO, were suspected to have been stolen from the United States of America (USA) and Canada.
“On Friday December 9, 2022, thirty-seven (37) of such vehicles were retrieved from some garages in Accra during which ten (10) persons were arrested,” an EOCO statement said.
Provoked by the operation carried out by EOCO, Chamber of Automobile Dealership Ghana (CHADG) accused the state institution of acting in bad faith and threatened to take action.
However, General Secretary of the Chamber George Dumenu in an interview with journalists said the threats were issued out of anger as he admits that fighting with EOCO on the issue will be fruitless.
“We were unhappy about how our vehicles were seized. No one will be happy if such a thing is done to him or her. That is why we reacted in that manner. We spoke out of anger, we cannot rub shoulders with government institutions like EOCO,” he said.
After discovering an unidentified body in a small grave next to the school’s park on Tuesday afternoon, students at the St. Aiden Anglican basic school in Wa in the Upper West Region were left in a state of terror and fear.
Pupils of the St. Aiden Anglican basic school in Wa in the on Tuesday afternoon were thrown into a state of fear and panic after they found an unidentified body in a shallow grave near the school’s park.
The incident is the first since the beginning of this year after 12 of similar cases were recorded last year in Wa.
Citi News’ Latif Mahama said teachers and pupils of the St. Aiden Anglican basic school watched in fear and disbelief as the police tried to exhume the remains of the yet-to-be-identified body near the school’s park.
Citi News sources at the school indicate that some pupils run into a shallow grave which had bones protruding from it.
Within minutes, the school became a point of attraction as scores of students travelled far and near to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be yet another gruesome murder in the Wa township.
Unlike similar incidents that engulfed the Wa township last year, Tuesday’s body had decomposed.
About 18 suspects have been arrested in connection with what is suspected to be ritual killings in the Wa within the past 11 months.
Sources within the Upper West regional police command indicate that investigations so far have not linked any of the suspects to the killings.
Some of the suspects have been released on medical grounds while others are still in custody pending further investigations.
Residents, however, say the killings in the Wa township are becoming one too many and must be halted by the police.
Both teachers and pupils of the St. Aiden Anglican basic school declined to speak on Tuesday’s incident.
The general public has been urged by the Ghanaian Electoral Commission (EC) to ignore any job posting purporting to be from the commission.
A statement from the Commission said it is currently not recruiting and that any recruitment advert must be treated as a scam from unscrupulous persons.
“The attention of the Electoral Commission has been drawn to an advertisement circulating on various social media platforms to the effect that the Commission is undertaking a recruitment exercise.
“The general public is informed that the Commission is not carrying out any recruitment exercise.”
“The public is advised to disregard the said advertisement,” the statement added.
To instill trust in the failing economy, chartered economist Emmanuel Amoah Darkwah has resisted putting “sweeping reforms” into place.
He said despite several suggestions, the government had taken an entrenched position.
Ghana, he noted, was in debt distress, and the only out was for the government to roll out sweeping fiscal reforms to address our crisis.
He said it would be prudent for the government to initiate measures to save the country money, especially in these critical moments.
Mr. Amoah averred that the interest payments are rising to 52 billion, and that is not sustainable.
He said if care was not taken government workers would not be paid since the chunk of the revenue goes into paying interest.
He added that if the government wants the debt restructuring to succeed, then there should be some level of fiscal discipline on the part of the government.
Amoah Darkwah went on to say that the government should be reduced in size.
He stated that the government should not be hesitant to maintain fiscal discipline if the debt exchange programme is to be successful.
Nuhu Sule, the defendant charged in connection with the disappearance of American rapper Meek Mill’s phone, has been offered a bail of GHC 50,000 with two sureties who are ostensibly state servants.
The accused was arrested after he returned the iPhone 14 pro max which went missing during the hip-hop artist’s visit to Ghana during the Christmas season.
Though the victim has expressed disinterest in the matter, the state has charged the suspect with counts of stealing. The accused has however pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Meek Mill tweeted on December 29 that he had lost his phone which he said he doesn’t know whether it was stolen or mistakenly dropped.
Shatta Wale tweeted appealing to the general public to return the phone, and it was returned by the suspect who is now in custody.
Meek Mill followed up with a tweet that he wasn’t interested in pressing charges against the suspect and pleaded that the suspect is released.
Educational Communities Worldwide has elected Veronica Safoa Owusu as President of the Board of Directors.
“She brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this role, and we are confident that she will be an invaluable asset to the team and will be instrumental in helping us achieve our mission,” the company said.
Veronica Safoa Owusu has been an active member of the board since 2021, and she has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to the success of the organization.
She has a track record of hands-on leadership when it comes to managing team operations in Ghana and driving results, and we believe that she will be instrumental in helping us achieve our goals. “We are thrilled to have Veronica Safoa Owusu take on this leadership role,” said Lawrence Fianko, CEO.
“She has a passion for education and a dedication to improving outcomes for underprivileged students, and I am excited to work closely with Veronica in the coming years and am confident that she will guide us continue to make a positive impact in the lives of students globally”.
Educational Communities Worldwide is an educational non-profit that unlocks the potential for under-resourced students to become impactful global leaders through access to holistic educational opportunities, resources, and community development. We are dedicated to providing support to under-resourced students in developing countries and we believe that every student deserves the opportunity to succeed.
Former Railways Development Minister, Joe Ghartey has blamed the New Patriotic Party government’s inability to redeem its promise of building sky trains in Accra on external forces with an emphasis on budget constraints.
The Essikado-Ketan lawmaker said the project which was expected to reduce traffic congestion in Accra stalled when the terms of the contract and the total contract sum were laid bare.
Speaking about the project on Eyewitness News, Mr. Ghartey said the Railway Ministry’s budget limits for the 2018 fiscal year were a little below what the contract was projected to cost.
“We were approached by South Africans who said they could build the sky trains on a BOT [Build, Operate, Transfer] basis, and the amount of money that they were talking about per kilometer, we did not have it in the budget. What I had been given was a limit of $2 billion and that was supposed to be used for the Tema-Mpakadan railway line and the Western railway line.”
He further elaborated that the number of years the South African contractor and investors wanted to operate the trains before transferring the project to the state was a major disincentive for the continuation of discussions.
“So these people came in 2018 and said they would build the sky trains on the build, operate and transfer basis, and so we signed an MoU with them, and they came back after doing some initial studies and said they are in a position to raise money for the project, and so we should sign a concessional agreement for the trains to be transferred to us after 30 years and that was something we had to look into.”
He also explained that the state needed to run all the necessary feasibility studies to ascertain the viability of the project which was hindered by the outbreak of Covid-19, making it impossible for the South African firm to come down to conduct the studies.
“In 2019 and 2020, the world including South Africa was under lockdown, so these people could not come to do the feasibility studies and that is why I decided to focus on the railway and kept the sky trains on hold.”
The government of Ghana signed the agreement with the South African group, Africa Investment (Ai) SkyTrain Consortium, for the construction of the Accra Sky Train Project in November 2018.
Africa Investment (Ai) SkyTrain Consortium was expected to conduct extensive feasibility studies in nine months and commission the construction by 2020 but none of that is yet to happen five years on.
Ghana bought $2m shares in Sky Train company established in Mauritius – Auditor General
It later turned out that an amount of US$2 million Ghana paid in 2019 as premium to acquire ordinary shares for the development of the Accra Sky Train Project became a net liability.
This was contained in a report by the Auditor General on the Public Accounts of Ghana’s Public Boards, Corporations and other Statutory Institutions for the period ended December 31, 2021.
In the report, it emerged that Africa Investor Holdings Limited incorporated a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) in Mauritius for the purposes of establishing Ghana Sky Train Limited, to develop the Accra Sky Train Project through a concession on Design, Build, Finance and Operate arrangement.
According to the Auditor General’s report, the Government of Ghana through the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund paid US$2 million to Africa Investor Holdings Limited as full consideration for 10 ordinary shares at US$1.00 per share in Ai Sky Train Consortium Holdings (the SPV).
Thus, the premium paid for each share was US$199,999.
The SPV reported a net liability on 31 December 2020.
The Auditor General noted that the investment in the SPV could not be recovered if the Accra Sky Train Project is unable to secure the licencing, and the Executive and Parliamentary approvals.
“We urged Management to continue to monitor the feasibility and the recoverability of the investment in the SPV and make the necessary provisions based on the outcome of the feasibility studies. Management noted the recommendation for compliance”, the audit report recommended.
A presidential aspirant of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, believes he stands very tall amongst all the aspirants vying for the party’s presidential race.
He added that he is the best person to lead the party on the flagbearership ticket in the run-up to the 2024 polls.
The former Minister for Trade and Industry in the John Agyekum Kufuor government was part of the seventeen 17 aspirants who contested the flagbearership of NPP in 2007 but polled 19 votes.
Dr. Apraku expressed confidence that his experience places him in a higher position to win the party’s presidential race which will catapult him to leading the country.
He joins the league of the Vice President, Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, former Trade Minister, Kwadwo Alan Kyerematen and the former Agric Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto.
Speaking with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News, Dr. Apraku stated, “I’m confident that my old experience is what is prevailing. I have a lot of experience, I think I’m in a better position than ever before to win this election and lead this country. I stand very tall amongst all the aspirants, my experience is overwhelming. I have practical experience in managing economies, and dealing with current problems. Furthermore, I believe I have a better chance than anybody in this race to win. The taste of the pudding is in the eating”.
Askedif NPP delegates will this time round vote massively for him, the former Offinso North Member of Parliament underscored, “there is time for everything, you may also recall that the first time I went, I was number three. I did far better than in the last instance. Well times are different now, and I have been around the country, I have been to fourteen 14, out of the sixteen 16 regions in our country”.
Profile of Dr. Konadu Apraku
Kofi Konadu Apraku was Minister for Regional Cooperation and NEPAD in John Kufuor’s administration from 2003 to 2006. He also served as the Minister of Trade and Industry under Kufuor from 2001 to 2003.
In the year 2008, he was appointed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Council of Ministers as ECOWAS Commissioner for Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research. He is responsible for Multilateral surveillance mechanism which involves regular assessment through joint surveillance missions of the economies of ECOWAS members’ state.
He ensured convergence criteria are being met and provide economic and statistical data for member state and help them attain the convergence criteria and the ECOWAS single currency.
He also liaised with the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund [IMF], African Development Bank amongst other financial institutions to support the development of ECOWAS regions.
Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku was first voted into Parliament on January 7, 1997, to represent his constituency.
He polled 10,456 votes out of the 21,428 valid votes cast representing 37.80%.
He contested against Nana Oduro-Baah, a National Democratic Congress (NDC) aspirant who polled 10,257 votes representing 37.10%, Manu Yaw Joseph, PNC aspirant who polled 358 votes representing 1.30% and Emmanuel Kwame Boakye an IND aspirant who also polled 357 votes representing 1.30%.
He was re-elected on January 7, 2001, after he emerged winner during the 2000 general elections and polled 13,160 votes out of the 21,543 valid votes cast representing 61.00%.
He was again re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Offinso North Constituency in the Ashanti Region in the 2004 general elections with a total vote of 13,389 representing 50.30% of the total votes cast.
Some continuing students of the University of Ghana (UG), have been left stranded on campus following the university’s new residential policy.
The management of the university introduced a residential policy which directed continuing students of Commonwealth Hall and male students of Mensah Sarbah Hall to be assigned to other residential facilities on campus following recent clashes between the two feuding halls.
Following the new accommodation policy, some affected students of the Commonwealth Hall were spotted sleeping in an open area that looks like a parking lot in front of the hall.
In a video posted by Joy News on social media, about five (5) students were captured sleeping in the open space of the parking lot on the bare floor.
The Management of the University of Ghana last December revoked the accommodation of all continuing male students of the Commonwealth and Mensah Sarbah Halls after another round of clashes involving the two feuding halls.
The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has announced plans by the government to distribute free electronic tablets to all Senior High School (SHS) students across the country.
Dr Bawumia says the move forms part of the government’s digitization agenda.
The tablet, according to the Vice President will serve as alternative textbooks for the students.
The Vice President was speaking at this year’s New Year School at the University of Ghana, Legon.
“This year, we are on course to provide all Senior High School students in Ghana with tablets which are loaded with textbooks on them for their studies. That’s a very game-changing development. We will have past questions preloaded on these tablets that will be distributed.”
There are also plans to make free internet access to Senior High Schools and Tertiary institutions to improve teaching and learning.
The government has said it has already awarded the contract for the first batch of Wi-Fi installations to begin in some second cycle and tertiary institutions as part of the project.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has advised the Member of Parliament of North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzato Ablakwa to cease spreading what he views to be misinformation about the National Cathedral and its board of trustees and rather pursue a presidential ambition.
Speaking in an interview on Wontumi TV, Wontumi stated that Haruna Iddrisu will be the NDC’s flagbearer in a few years and that Ablakwa stands a chance of becoming his running mate if he plays his cards well.
“See, Mahama will lose in the 2024 elections, so, Okudzato Ablakwa has to be humble so that when Haruna Iddrisu is becoming a flagbearer he will consider you as his running mate. But now you’re tarnishing your image. Mahama cannot come again. He has already been president and vice so that’s the end for him,” Wontumi said.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has been a staunch advocate against the construction of the National Cathedral, on grounds that the timing, location and process are wrong.
He made some allegations against Reverend Kusi Boateng, secretary to the Board of Trustees for the National Cathedral in a social media post dated January 16, 2023.
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 Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram has called on religious leaders to dissociate themselves from the construction of the National Cathedral.
Speaking on GHOne TV, the lawmaker expressed worry about religious leaders allowing themselves to be connected to the construction of the controversial edifice.
He described as untenable the decision by religious leaders in the Christian faith to continue to sit on the National Cathedral Board.
“Many of you, gave off your use for the propagation and establishment of the gospel. Especially in the charismatic faith in our land. We love you and we cherish you and it breaks our heart that you allow crooks in government to use your face as a smoke screen to steal from the poor.
“You have taught us in many Sunday sermons to speak truth to authority. And as your son, I make an appeal to you, the Apostolic fathers, to save yourself and your dignity. And disassociate yourself from the blatant stealing. Do not be accomplices to ask what Ananias and Saphira did,” the lawmaker stated.
The MP asked the religious leaders to read Amos: 5:21-24 which mainly points to what God told his people not to do.
“…I want nothing to do with your religious projects, your pretentious slogan and goal. I am sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image-making. I have had all I can take of the noisy ego music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want?”
According to Sam George his call to the National Cathedral Secretariat is to demand justice for the people of Ghana adding that “I want fairness, rivers of it, that’s all I want.”
“Is there anything fair about the scandals that have rotted the building of that so-called cathedral? That is not a cathedral, it is a multipurpose meeting home. Do not allow yourselves as Apostolic fathers, matriarchs and patriarchs of our faith to be used to do this smoke screen.”
Sam George also added that the prevailing economic mess that the government is struggling to fix is also a result of the happening with the construction of the National Cathedral.
“What you have are fraudsters in the government, bandits in cassock trying to use the name of God to steal. To steal in the name of God is a curse and that is why our country is in the mess that it is. Because you cannot use the name of God in vain. God will not be mocked and that is why he has turned his back on this nation.”
The Accra Accra High Court has sentenced the Chief Executive Officer of erstwhile Career Link Marketers Company Limited, Reverend Edward to 519 years imprisonment.
According to a report by the Chronicle newspaper, Reverend Buabeng was handed the sentence on Monday, January 16, 2023 after being found guilty on 173 counts of conspiracy to commit a crime and defrauding by false pretenses.
The ruling by the court presided over by Evelyn Asamoah brought an end to three years of trial where 12 witnesses testified against the reverend minister.
The convict, Reverend Asamoah will serve 8 years of each of the 173 accounts with the sentences running concurrently.
Particulars of the case
According to the Chronicle, the complainants in the case are a husband and wife, John Osei-Kumi who is a marketer, and Brenda Adolphine, a banker.
The facts of the case presented by the state prosecutor, Chief Inspector Benneh show that the complainants who are residents of Dansoman invested an amount of $7,000 jointly into the company of Reverend Buabeng who was operating some form of a Ponzi scheme.
On her own, Brenda Adolphine Amoah invested $6,000 with the expectation of gaining 40% in interest for a period of three months.
But when the investments which were made in July 2018 were due for the complainants to enjoy their benefits, the convict failed to honor his obligation to his clients.
After failed attempts to get their monies, the couple lodged a complaint with the Dansoman Police where it turned out that over 100 complaints had been filed about the same Reverend Buabeng.
Police investigations revealed that Reverend Buabeng went into hiding after all the complainants made an investment of about GH¢1,193,136 and US$185,408.00 into his company.
He was subsequently arrested.
The prosecutor informed the court that Reverend Buabeng admitted to defrauding the complainants but offered to refund the monies as his firm had the resources to do so.
An agreement was reached and payment arrangements were made but Reverend Buabeng failed to honor the terms of the agreement which led to his re-arrest and trial.
He was found guilty of all the charges leveled against him and the judge handed him the sentence.
His wife whose name the report gives as Mrs. Asamoah was along with the second accused Wilfred Brown acquitted and discharged.
Meanwhile, a bench warrant has been issued for the third accused, Aubrey des-Bodes Mends who is said to have jumped bail.
An audio recording from one Dr Patrick Asiedu accusing some police officers of planting substances suspected to be narcotics in his vehicle has surfaced on social media.
Dr Asiedu reported that the incident occurred last week Friday while on the Trasacco road while on his way home to Kwashieman.
“I met these policemen on the road and they asked me to pull over. I did and when they came, they asked that I get down from the car to search me. I was not comfortable with it but because I felt they were doing their work, I got down.
They searched the car. In a few seconds, one of the policemen called me and told me he could see I had my tag and I am a doctor. If that is the case then do we have any problem with you but what is this weed doing in your car. I was like ‘what do you mean?’ He said look under your seat. What is this weed and cocaine doing over there? I was like cocaine and weed in my car?”
He allegedly told them “I have no idea what they are doing in my car,” but according to Dr Asiedu, the police officers insisted the substances were his.
In his narration, the health professional further claimed that the police requested a bribe of GHS20,000 to avoid being sent to the police station and the Narcotics Control Commission.
“You can spend 15 years in jail so pay GHS20,000,” he claimed the police said while being directed to hold the suspected narcotics.
Dr Patrick Asiedu said he phoned his brother at the Ghana Armed Forces who arrived at the scene with a number of military men.
Per the audio, the parties involved proceeded to the police station and were later directed to head to the Narcotics Control Commission, but they were called by one Commander to engage at a location Dr Asiedu failed to mention.
After their meeting hitting a snug, Dr Asiedu said he headed to the Narcotics Control Commission where his fingerprint was scanned.
“When they checked my fingerprint, they didn’t find any trace and my brother told the police to tell the truth,” he said.
“One of the officers, who is a Muslim swore that he could never plant drugs in a car. Then another officer started crying, saying that we are very sorry. We planted it in his car,” Dr Asiedu added.
Dr Asiedu further alleged that one Commander offered money to bury the issue, but was slapped by his brother, an action that led to a fisticuff.
The said police officers, he said, were arrested by the military officers who arrived with his brother, and were sent to the East Legon Police Station but later transferred to the Accra Central Police Station.
The audio has garnered massive reactions on social media platforms. While some Ghanaians have corroborated the claims made by Dr Asiedu by sharing their own experiences, others have questioned the validity of his claims.
In a press statement on January 18, addressing the allegation, the Ghana Police Service announced that it has launched investigations into the matter.
The Service noted its initial checks provided information contrary to the claims made by Dr Asiedu. The Police stated that it found no complaint at the East Legon and the Accra Central Police Stations mentioned in the audio.
Also, the Police said it contacted the Narcotics Control Commission and the Ghana Armed Forces and both institutions have indicated that “no such incident has come to their attention.”
However, the Service has assured that it will get to the bottom of the alleged incident as it “does not condone any unprofessional conduct in its quest to become an institution worthy of respect and trust in the country.”
Nutritionist Fred Amese has revealed on my health Segment of the 3FM’s Sunrise show that protein and fiber foods like beans, which is popularly called gobe; roasted groundnut and maize, tiger nuts, cocoyam leave sauce “kontomire” and dark chocolates enhance the production of quality sperms and release of viable eggs.
He explained that these meals aid the vibrance of the male and female hormones and in effect, hasten reproduction by developing quality sperm and eggs.
“For what to eat to get quality sperm and ovaries, ‘gobe’ (beans) is number one, with palm oil, garnished with plantain. It is very rich in protein and fiber, and all foods with fiber give good sperm quality. If you look at the nutritional composition, carbohydrate is also very included” the nutritionist said.
He expounded that the micro-nutrients contained in ‘gobe’ ensure the course of reproduction which a lot of people disregard. However, the deficiency of these micro-nutrients is termed as “hidden hunger” because their effects are not very visible and alarming.
“In this country, we have what we call ‘hidden hunger’ and that is micro-nutrient deficiency where people are eating normally, but because the meals are not balanced, they are not meeting their nutritional needs, so the body is hungry even though they are satisfied.”
Mr. Amese also mentioned that the nutritional value of kontomire promotes good sperm and egg production hence urges its consumption but should be cooked appropriately thus, not over-boiled in order to sustain its nutritional value.
“Kontomire gives good sperm quality, but you need to prepare it in a way that you don’t destroy the nutrients, do not overcook it, just let a little heat cook it, take it out and grind it”
Nutritionist Fred Amese has further advised young men to desist from wearing tight underwears as it is detrimental to sperm production and release. He has explained that there is a certain temperature that the sperm needs to thrive and tampering with the optimum temperature suitable for its production creates adversity to its productivity.
“The body is structured such that, it needs an optimum temperature for sperm production that is why nature in its own wisdom created a sack outwardly to contain the testicles so if you notice, when the weather is very cold the scrotum shrinks towards the body so that it will absorb heat from the body so if you’re wearing underwear which constantly shifting your testicles towards your body, it reacts to it by slowing down the sperm production process and consequently reducing sperm count” he admonished.
The Damongo Police have arrested one person, a driver, in connection with the recent disturbances that occurred in Buipe in the Savannah Region.
This comes on the back of the arrest of eight people in the community for their involvement in the ruination of property belonging to some non-indigenes at Mande in Buipe.
One person was shot during the melee.
The driver is reported to have driven some of the protestors to the Police Station on Monday, 16 January 2023.
The youth, who were protesting the alleged enskinment of a chief, who is a non-indigene, in the suburb, also stomped the Palace of the Yagbonwura demanding the release of the persons who were arrested.
Calm has since been restored to the town, however, the youth have said if the Police go ahead with their alleged intention to arrest the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Gonjaland Youth Association, the worse may occur.
According to the Youth Chief of the Damongo Traditional area, Yakubu Jaaga, arresting the PRO of the Gonjaland Youth Association will only escalate the situation.
He said: “We are calling for peace, so there is no need in arresting our PRO.
“Immediately they [Police] arrest the PRO, they will escalate the whole issue.”
Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral, Rev Kusi Boateng has said he is fully prepared for the investigations that will be conducted by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) into the allegation made against him Member of Parliament for Noth Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
He said he is prepared to make his case when he appears before the Commission.
“I wish to assure the public that the statement made by Mr Ablakwa are a twisted narration of events to pursue a malicious political agenda.
“There has never been any criminal intent nor any crime committed in my dealings with the government of Ghana or National Cathedral,” Rev Kusi Boateng said.
Mr Ablakwa presented what he described as “unimpeachable” and “incontrovertible” evidence against him.
According to the opposition lawmaker, Rev Kusi Boateng is the third “mystery” director of JNS Talent Cantre Limited, a firm he had earlier accused of receiving GH¢2.6 million illegal cash transfer from the Secretariat.
“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,” he said.
For the avoidance of doubt, he added, 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, he said.
“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.”
Mr Ablakwa has further petitioned the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice ( CHRAJ) to look into the matter.
Divisional Chief of Okper in the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area of the Eastern Region has launched scathing allegations of interference against the Eastern Regional First Vice Chairman of the ruling NPP in the raging chieftaincy dispute in the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area as well as instigating and leading acts of thuggery and attacks on opposing chieftaincy factions.
Accusing Mr. Twum Barimah Koranteng of “disintegrating, destroying, tearing apart and ravaging” Yilo Krobo, Nene Nanekey Terkpertey Ofori Agor IX at a press conference at Somanya on Sunday, January 15th, 2023 said the NPP first vice chairman was holding the people of Somanya hostage and thereby depriving the municipal of its much-needed development.
“He is really doing great harm to our land and people… he has labelled himself as Somanya champion and he is really misbehaving and infiltrating into very sensitive areas within Yilo Klo,” noted parts of a statement read by the chief at the press conference.”
Citing various incidents allegedly perpetrated by Mr. Barimah, Nene Agor accused the politician of being the mastermind behind an attack on the youth of Okperpiem on 15th November 2021 which led to four persons being injured.
The chief also alleged that the regional first vice chairman days ago sponsored some traditional leaders to invade Okperpiem where they attempted to install Asafoatse, Asafoatse Manye and some youth leaders within the enclave.
He blamed the continuous acts of lawlessness on the Somanya police who have failed to act on the numerous complaints reported to them pertaining to these incidents.
Also accusing him of instigating clashes in some chieftaincy issues in Yilo Krobo despite not being an indigene of the area, Nene Agor said, “Twum Barimah Koranteng is the brain behind the Konor chieftaincy problems at Sra. He has money to sponsor the illegality and forcing his preferred choices on the unsuspecting people of Yilo Krobo as traditional leaders.”
According to him, some chiefs were dependent on the politician for survival and hence were aiding his deeds.
The traditional leader also called on indigenes of Yilo Krobo not to allow themselves to be divided by the actions of persons he called “outsiders”.
He also cautioned Mr. Twum Barimah “to send his activities out of Krobo chieftaincy problems,” and “stop infiltrating into places that he’s not needed.”
Nene Agor threatened to organize a demonstration against the politician if he did not put a stop to his illegitimate activities in the Okper area.
Mr. Twum Barimah Koranteng when contacted to respond to the allegations denied comment on the grounds that he had referred the issue to his legal team for advice and would respond at the appropriate time.
The founder and leader of the Lighthouse Chapel International, Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, has said that questions being raised by Ghanaians on the construction of the National Cathedral of Ghana are legitimate.
According to him, the public have the right to ask questions about the project because, 6 years after the construction of the project started and after using $30 million of public funds, they can only see a huge pit in the centre of Accra, citinewroom.com reports.
Heward-Mills, who is reported to have made these remarks in a letter he wrote to the Board of Trustees and Executive Director of the National Cathedral, added that Ghanaians deserve some answers to the questions they have raised.
“I am a firm believer in the president’s vision. I believe that the public can see and is questioning the fact that we have spent almost six years since the sod-cutting of this project as well as over $30m (thirty million dollars) of public funds, to excavate a massive pit in the centre of the city.
“I do believe that many of the questions that are being asked and hurled at the National Cathedral Project are reasonable and legitimate questions by objective citizens who just want answers to their questions,” parts of the letter is quoted by citinewsroom.com.
The pastor also raised some concerns about payments made to stakeholders involved in the cathedral project.
“Continuing to pay contractors $40,000 (forty thousand dollars) a month as we wait to procure a huge loan in this hostile atmosphere sounds dicey to me. I do believe that almost six years down the line, we need to look at a different approach to achieve our goal of building God’s house in Ghana,” he said.
He also said that the fund-raising methods used by the supervisors of the project did not yield much result, with some of the programmes organised to raise funds costing more than the monies raised.
“I suggest another form of fund-raising where we would be guaranteed more donations from denominations, churches, individuals, businessmen and corporate bodies. I would be happy to discuss these if the committee is interested in that,” he added.
Cocoa farmers at Ohiampeanika in the Amenfi West District of the Western Region have vehemently denied using child labour on their farms.
They have, therefore, threatened to sue Al Jazeera, an international media organization that published a television story to the effect that cocoa farmers in the area engage children to work on their farms.
The TV report by the Qatar-based media organization which went viral indicated, among others, that a visit to the farming community revealed children working on cocoa farms.
The farmers, who are infuriated by the video circulating, have described the news item as stage-managed.
“The Al Jazeera video circulating is false. They visited us and told us they were from Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and that they were to listen to our problems to help solve them not knowing they had ulterior motives “, they lamented.
The visibly angry farmers asserted that what the international media organization did has dented the country’s cocoa sector in the eyes of the international community, adding: “We will go all out to sue them”.
A former Assembly member for the area, Samuel Ofori Asare, who featured in the Al Jazeera video, said the media house never told them they were going to do a news story.
“We were here one Sunday when they came and said they were from COCOBOD and that they want to meet the farmers to know their challenges and the kind of support they (the visitors) could offer.
“After listening to the farmers, the Al Jazeera pressman indicated that they wanted some of the farmers whose farms were nearby to go with them to demonstrate how the cocoa is planted and harvested,” he noted.
He said one of the farmers called Owusu Gyan alias Daffa, whose farm was nearby, opted to go with them.
“As they were going, the pressmen from Al Jazeera asked if they could get some children to go with them so they can carry the baskets into which the cocoa pods would be harvested,” he added.
He said Daffa’s brother’s three children who are all in school and had closed from church on that Sunday were asked to change quickly and went to the farm with them.
He continued: “So in the farm, the Al Jazeera journalists who spoke through a Ghanaian interpreter, would tell the farmers what to do as they were filming.
“So they will tell a farmer to use the cutlass to harvest the pods from the tree and give it to the children to open them and the journalists were filming.
“So as for us, we are here waiting for the support they promised only to hear that there had been an Al Jazeera TV report indicating that farmers in this community use child labour on their farms.
“In fact, we were surprised and we want the whole world to know that cocoa farmers here do not engage children to work on their farms and so all should disregard that report. Ghanaian cocoa farmers don’t use child labour on their farms,” he stressed.
The Director of Special Services at COCOBOD, Charles Amenyaglo said what transpired was criminal and that a report had subsequently been lodged with the police.
He appealed to all those who played a part in the story to cooperate with the police particularly when they are called to give their statements.
