The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor has said the government will give the fundamental bolster for the facilitating of the 2024 International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) working week.
He gave the assurance when a delegation from the International Federation of Surveyors led by its President, Dr. Diane Dumashie called on him on Tuesday in Accra.
The working week and conference, which will take place from May 19 to 23, 2024, is expected to draw 2,500 surveyors from over 120 countries.
Abu Jinapor stated that because his Ministry recognizes land as the mother component of its activities, all organizations in the land sector are considered integral partners and that the ministry was eager to work with the Federation to address issues in the lands sector.
He noted that for the two organizations to be successful, the Ministry and the Federation must first create a framework that would serve as a guide for the partnership.
On her part, the President of FIG, Dr. Diane Dumashie shed light on the Federation and stated that they needed to work together for mutual benefit.
Also present at the brief engagement was the Deputy Minister responsible for Lands and Forestry, Benito Owusu-Bio and other officials from FGI.
The Ashanti Region and the Greater Accra Region are considered to have Ghana’s deadliest and most dangerous roadways, respectively.
This is supported by data on the amount of mishaps and fatalities in these two regions’ cities, particularly in the capital cities of Accra and Kumasi.
Data from the Road Safety Authority of Ghana shows that the two regions recorded the most accidents and fatalities for 2022 and this has been the story for years.
In 2022, Greater Accra Region, for instance, recorded the greatest number of accidents in the country with nearly 46 percent of the total number of accidents recorded in 2022. It recorded some 6658 accidents followed by the Ashanti Region which recorded 3372 accidents, representing over 23 percent of accidents in Ghana.
The Oti Region recorded the lowest number of accidents in 2022 with only 0.64 percent of the total accidents recorded in 2022. Three other regions including the North East, Savana and the Upper West contributed less than 1 percent each to the total number of accidents recorded in 2022.
In terms of death and injuries, the two regions recorded the highest in the country with Greater Accra recording 485 accident deaths (25.01 percent of total road accident deaths) and 1989 injuries while the Ashanti Region recorded 382 deaths and 1202 injuries.
But does this mean that Greater Accra and Ashanti are the regions with the deadliest roads in Ghana?
The two regions according to statista.com host more than one-third of Ghana’s population so it should not be surprising if they see more road accidents and deaths. To check the rate of accidents and casualties, cases recorded are conventionally measured per 100,000 population.
The number of accidents per 100000 people in all the regions shows that the Greater Accra and Ashanti have the highest rate of accidents in Ghana.
The Greater Accra Region recorded approximately 123 accidents per 100000 population while the Ashanti Region recorded approximately 62 accidents per 100000 people.
However, when it comes to road accident deaths, the two regions with the highest rate of accidents, do not have the highest rate of deaths.
The Eastern Region has the highest rate of accident deaths in Ghana with approximately 11 deaths per 100,000 population compared to Greater Accra which has 9 road accident deaths per 100,000 population.
The Ashanti Region, which has the second highest rate of road accidents in Ghana, has a lower death rate (7.03 deaths per 100,000 population) compared to regions like the Western North (7.44 deaths per 100,000 population) and Ahafa (8.33 deaths per 100,000 population) which have lower accident rates.
So, it can be concluded that even though the Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions have high rates of accidents, they do not necessarily have the most dangerous roads in Ghana.
Dr. Ben KD Asante, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana National Gas Company Limited, has stated that the steady supply of gas from his organization has made Dumsor, a thing of the past.
“We want to kill dumsor anywhere not just Ghana,” he stated. “Now [with] reliable and incessant supply of gas, that menace of dumsor is gone because we have reliable gas supply now coming.”
Dr Asante made this known on Wednesday, January 11 when he took his turn at the State of Agencies Report in Accra.
He said previously there would have been power outage immediately a cable from Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRDICo) falls no matter the amount of gas the country has in store.
“But the fact that now we are able to provide reliable and sustainable gas to kill that menace of Dumsor, we can all sit here and smile.”
‘Commingled gas’
The Ghana Gas CEO mentioned that aside the supply from Atuabo, there is also reliable supply from the West African Gas Pipeline from Nigeria, giving the country commingled gas to power plants in the Tema enclave, in particular.
The plants in that enclave include AKSA Energy (203MW), CENPOWER (330MW) and Sunon Asogli (560MW).
The Company also supplies lean gas to the Volta River Authority’s twin power plant (TAPCO), which generates 330 MW, TICO Plant (330MW), Karpowership (450MW) and Amandi Power Plant (192MW).
Dr Asante said his outfit’s vision is to supply gas not only across the country but also to the sub-region.
“The vision of the company is to become a fully integrated gas services firm providing reliable supply of gas and gas derivatives in Ghana and the West African Sub-region,” Dr Asante said.
Oxfam, the bloc of global organizations fighting against poverty has ranked Ghana’s engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2015 as one of the most open processes globally.
In a report authored by Oxfam, the openness was grounded in how the then-government approached the fund leveraging on consultations with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).
IMANI Africa’s Bright Simons shared an extract from the report on Twitter with the caption: “Oxfam says Ghana’s IMF engagement in 2015 was one of the most open in the world, with strong engagement by CSOs pushing a public interest agenda.”
He added that as an actor in the CSO sector, he agreed with Oxfam: “I also find that the current IMF process is the opposite: with zero govt interest in openness & engagement.”
Mahama government goes to IMF
In 2015, Ghana’s economy was in trouble, hobbled by widening current account and budget deficits, rampant inflation, and a depreciating currency. Credit dried up as interest rates rose and banks’ bad loans piled up.
At the root of Ghana’s woes was out-of-control government spending, largely to pay salaries of an overgrown civil service.
The program
In early 2015, Ghana turned to the IMF for a $918 million loan to help stabilize the economy. IMF advisors, working with the Ghanaian government, developed a three-part program:
Extract from IMF report: Box 2: Ghana
Of all the case studies, Ghana represented the most successful example of meaningful engagement between CSOs and the IMF. This success was due to several factors which collectively amplified the power of Ghanaian civil society with respect to the IMF.
These included: the formation of a joint coalition of over 11 CSOs in 2014, known as the Civil Society Platform on the IMF Programme – now the Economic Governance Platform (EGP); structured preparation and capacity building among the coalition prior to and during IMF engagement; the support of Global North actors such as Oxfam in accessing IMF decision makers and political stakeholders at headquarters level; detailed research and published analysis of the issues up for discussion;*# and public-facing awareness and advocacy campaigns which included experts and stakeholders from different sectors.
These combined factors meant the coalition’s goals and concerns could not be ignored.
The Civil Society Platform on the IMF Programme [the Platform’) was principally responsible for ensuring the success of civil society negotiations with the IMF.
National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi says the country’s debt crisis is a result of government’s refusal to heed sound advice.
According to him, government officials were throwing parties and drinking Hennessey when the NDC was sounding cautions about Ghana’s increasing debt stock.
This he said, is the reason for the country’s current economic woes which have become a burden for both the state and citizens at large.
The NDC spokesperson made these remarks while bemoaning Ghana’s current debt stock and the attendant challenges on Adom TV’s Badwam programme on Monday.
Since Ghana gained independence in 1957 till date, the current debt figures by the NPP transcends all debts accrued within this period. Meanwhile, they can’t also account for any rewarding projects they’ve used the monies for.
When we were advising them, they did not listen. Rather, they were feasting on kenkey, cooking waakye and throwing kenkey and waakye parties with Hennessey at the Finance Ministry, amidst innuendoes at us
This is the end results, Sammy Gyamfi said.
He added that, the excessive borrowing by the government was because of its ‘selfishness’ and ‘greed’.
Venting his spleen, Mr Sammy Gyamfi further dismissed the defence by government communicators that the current economic crisis is due to the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
The sentiments by the NDC Communications Officer adds to the barrage of criticisms from the party as well as other citizens, given the current state of the economy.
At the moment, the country’s economic situation is at an all-time low, amidst a deprecation of the local currency against other major trading currencies including the US dollar.
Inflation is also at an all-time high, with the country’s end of year inflation for 2022 hitting at 54.1%
An infograph of Ghana’s inflation rate for December 2022, gleaned from the Ghana Statistical Service
Meanwhile, Ghana has reiterated its assurance on working to make the economy better.
Speaking at thanksgiving service at the Jubilee House earlier this week, President Akufo-Addo noted that he is positive about brighter days for Ghana, despite the present state of affairs.
General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said the Volta Region must cement its place as an unmovable bastion for the Party.
Fifi Kwetey said the Region’s hold as the fortress for the NDC had weakened in recent times as indigenes had become increasingly discouraged from identifying with the Party, while strongholds of the main political opponent, the NPP, remained fruitful.
Mr Kwetey was opening a regional retreat for Regional Executives of the Party at Dzodze in the Ketu North Municipality of the Volta Region, which is on the theme “Empowering Our Base for Victory in 2024.”
He said the Volta Region remained the birthplace and base of the NDC and should be maintained as the Party lost its monopoly over the northern parts of the country.
“Volta is the Region, where saviours of the nation come from as far as this country is concerned but we need to know who we are, and somehow, we know, who we are, and we need to start appreciating who we are.
“Volta must appreciate NDC and back it no matter what. It should become like a religion. We need to let our people appreciate that this is what we are. And I believe if we knew who we were, the situation where the love for this party would start dwindling in this Region should not happen.
He said a careful watch of what happens in Ashanti Region, and the Eastern Region, indicates that no matter how poor the NPP may perform, they understand that their Party is the NPP, and nothing changes that.
“Because somehow, they appreciate it, and believe in their party as a religion. Your Religion may not be the best religion, yet that is your religion. It is your responsibility to make sure you fix it, and you change it.”
The General Secretary went on to say, that “we need to let our people appreciate that this is who we are. There is nothing shameful about it.
You talk to some of our young people from Volta and they think it is something of pride to say ‘yea, we are not like our forefathers and uncles, and we believe that we should not continue with that.”
He alleged that NPP had managed to discourage natives of the region from adopting the Party and was robbing the region of its political lineage.
It is our job to ensure that our children remain loyal to this foundation to make it better. The NDC should be much more than a Party for us. It should be a religion.”
Mr Kwetey called for “better coordination” to be able work towards the Party’s needs, adding that Voltarians remained the most faithful to the Party, and sustained its popularity across the Country.
He said the Region must therefore become more creative to be able to lead the Party, and that the Party should work closer with the diaspora, and ensure such communities duly benefited from power.
The four-day retreat would help strategise towards the coming general elections which the Party hopes to win, and present are some National and Regional Executives and some Members of Parliament from the Region.
Mr Dan Agbodakpi, Chairman of the National Council of Elders who chaired the opening said Party executives must work in unity with MPs and other stakeholders particularly the grassroots to be able to remain formidable.
The Convener of the Individual Bondholders’ Forum, Senyo Hosi, has described as oppressive the government’s Domestic Debt Exchange programme.
He bemoaned that, if the debt programme is allowed to go through, about 60-70% of individual bondholders’ investments may automatically be eroded.
Government in December 2022, hinted that individual bondholders who were previously exempted from the Debt Exchange programme will be included, extending the deadline for registration to January 16, 2023.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, an incensed Mr. Hosi, said, “today I see people’s livelihoods eroding away, in some instances 60%-70% of their wealth is gone. Some may not even live to benefit from the current programme. It’s a very sad situation, and I’m awakened to that responsibility. What’s going on is not right, it’s bullshit, it’s oppressive. It defeats the entire process of finance”.
The Convener of the Individual Bondholders’ Forum slammed the Akufo-Addo government for failing to create room for engagements.
“More importantly, even in governance, you have real lives you are impacting, and you are not creating real room for engagements, who does that? Government should open a channel for us to negotiate on the arrangements,” Mr. Hosi demanded.
An infuriated Convener of the group charged the individual bondholders to reject the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme until a good deal is offered them by the government.
“The way government is forcing people to come on board, we are also saying no to the Debt Exchange Programme. We are not your whipping cart. [President] Nana Akufo-Addo, you can’t forget that you are dealing with people’s lives. We are encouraging every individual bondholder to reject the Debt Exchange Programme, write to your fund managers to reject it. We are saying no to Debt Exchange Programme till they [government] sit down and give us a deal that makes sustainable sense for us as individuals,” Mr. Hosi said.
Mobile money (Momo) service providers commenced the implementation of the 1 percent Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy) on electronic money transfers on Wednesday, January 11, 2023.
The implementation of the new E-Levy charge comes after Parliament approved a proposal by the government to amend the rate of the levy from the initial 1.5 percent to 1 percent.
Parliament, however, did not approve the government’s proposal to remove the GHC 100 daily threshold that will attract the Electronic Transfer Levy.
So, how will the reduction in the E-levy rate impact the livelihood of Ghanaians?
If a Momo user in a day transfers GHC 150 to another Momo user, only GHC 50 can be charged the 1 percent E-Levy.
So, the person will now be charged only GHC 0.5 (GHp 50) compared to GHC 0.75 (GHp 75), s/he will be paying when the levy was 1.5 percent.
For a GHC 500 transfer, GHC 400 will be charged E-Levy which correspondence to GHC 4 compared to the GHC 6 the person will have paid when the levy was 1.5 percent.
Below is a table of E-Levy transactions and their corresponding changes plus the saving (reductions) Momo users are enjoying now:
But E-Levy is not the only tax, mobile money users are going to pay. In addition, to the levy, Momo users are also supposed to pay telecommunication (telco) charges depending on their service provider.
So, for example, using the telco charges of the largest Momo issuer in Ghana, MTN, 0.75 percent, an accumulative daily transfer of GHC 150 will attract an E-Levy of GHC 0.5 and a telco charge of GHC 1.125, making the total tax on the transfer GHC 1.625.
Below is a list of the total charges Momo users will be paying with the new 1 percent E-Levy:
Some residents staying along the Adukrom-Aseseeso road in the Okere Distirct of the Eastern Region have expressed concern that they were exposed to health hazards following the generation of dust as a result of rehabilitation works being undertaken on the road.
Parts of the Adukrom-Mampong road have been entirely scrapped for the spreading of new asphalt even though residents and drivers say the road was in near perfect shape but for a “few” potholes.
Three months on, works are yet to start on the project, leaving the residents to their fate.
Works on the Aseseeso stretch which is part of ongoing works on the Koforidua-Adukrom-Somanya road is also exposing the residents to endless dust.
Though the roads are supposed to be watered regularly to assuage the plight of the people, the residents say this is no longer done.
The nature of the dusty road now is making life unbearable for residents with the public and road users becoming at risk of respiratory diseases.
The residents say shop owners were being compelled to close down their shops because selling by the roadside has become risky to both sellers and buyers.
A few who brace through the heavily- polluted environment are aware of the consequences but explain they have run out of options.
A common scene to behold is dusty buildings, vehicles and even crops as many people resort to the use of nose masks to prevent inhaling the dust.
A barber who gave his name as Bongo has his shop located by the dusty Adukrom-Akropong road. Complaining about the problem, in an interview with GhanaWeb, he said, “it’s a big problem for those of us by the roadside. We suffer from catarrh and we can’t stand it. We’re appealing to the authorities to come and address this problem for us.”
He added that though the contractor used to water the road, this has ceased without any explanation.
54-year-old Madam Abena runs a table top sewing business at Aseseeso. Wearing a nose mask to protect herself from the dust, she fears she might nevertheless soon develop a dust-induced infection if nothing was done about the situation.
Motorists, especially commercial drivers who ply the route have their share in the danger. One of them, a taxi driver who plies the Adukrom-Mampong road, Seth Opare told GhanaWeb that the situation compels drivers to send their vehicles for servicing and washing on regular basis at high cost as a result of the bumpy and dusty nature of the road.
Assembly man for Methodist Electoral Area, Hon Ebenezer Obiri Asare says he raised the motion on the issue in the last Assembly sitting and though assurances were given to water the roads regularly, nothing has been done.
Describing the state of the problem, the Assemblyman said, “because we are in the harmattan season, we don’t have torrential rain and this has caused us more dust leaving most of the residents at risk of cold and businesses are affected.”
The affected are thus calling on the government to prevail on the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), to ensure that the contractors working on the roads executed the projects such that it did not affect their health.
They are also calling on the contractors to water the road daily to reduce the volume of dust on the roads.
Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo weighs in on Prince Harry’s media appearances, Hakeem Jeffries’ acceptance speech and Louisiana requiring user identification on adult sites on ‘The Ingraham Angle.’
Kate Middleton was spotted for the first time since Prince Harry’s explosive memoir “Spare” hit bookshelves.
On Wednesday, the Princess of Wales attempted to keep a poker face as she was snapped by photographers while driving to Windsor Castle. The wife of Prince William was among the several members of the British royal family who found themselves at the center of controversy after the book went on sale around the world on Tuesday.
In the ghostwritten memoir, the Duke of Sussex detailed his grief following the death of his mother, Princess Diana, as well as his strained relationship with the Prince of Wales. He also expressed his frustration at the role of royal “spare” in the shadow of his older brother William, who is heir to the British throne.
Catherine, Princess Of Wales, seen here for the first time since the release of “Spare” as she returns to Windsor Castle. (TheImageDirect.com)
Harry slammed the U.K.’s tabloid press for coverage he considered prurient, intrusive and sometimes plain wrong. The 38-year-old claimed his relatives were unwelcoming to his wife Meghan Markle and even accused members of the royal family, including his stepmother Camilla, of leaking stories to the media to burnish their own reputations.
PRINCE HARRY SLAMS BRITISH PRESS, ‘SALACIOUS HEADLINES’ ON ‘THE LATE SHOW,’ CLAIMS HIS WORDS HAVE BEEN SPUN
So far, it has been business as usual for the royals. Harry’s aunt, Princess Anne, carried on with her duties on Wednesday by visiting British soldiers serving with a United Nations peacekeeping force in ethnically divided Cyprus.
Queen Elizabeth II’s only daughter met with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades. They discussed climate change-related issues, the energy crisis spurred by Russia’s war in Ukraine, and efforts to restart stalled talks to reunify Cyprus, a government statement said.
Britain’s Princess Anne leaves the presidential palace after a meeting with President Nicos Anastasiades, in Nicosia. Cyprus on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. (Photo by Danil Shamkin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Media access during her visit was limited. The 72-year-old did not make any public remarks.
Buckingham Palace officials have declined to comment on any of the allegations made in Harry’s book. A spokesperson for King Charles III didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. A spokesperson for Kensington Palace, which represents the Prince and Princess of Wales, told Fox News Digital they don’t have a comment. Allies of the royal family have pushed back on Harry’s claims, largely anonymously.
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Harry’s exposure of bitter divides inside the House of Windsor – alongside details of his mental health struggles, experiences with sex and drugs and decade-long military career – has generated reams of media coverage. The father of two has embarked on a press tour to promote the book, making appearances on ITV, CBS’ “60 Minutes,” “Good Morning America,” and most recently, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” He is also on the cover of People magazine.
Prince Harry is seen leaving “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on Jan. 9, 2023, in New York City. (Gotham/GC Images)
In the book, Harry recounted the infamous fallout between Middleton and Markle, both 41, which allegedly left the former American actress “sobbing on the floor.” The tense exchange allegedly took place days before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex tied the knot in 2018. In an excerpt, Harry claimed that his sister-in-law made the former “Suits” star cry after she demanded that “all the dresses” for the flower girls be remade.
“Charlotte’s dress is too big, too long, too baggy,” Middleton allegedly texted Markle, as quoted by Harper’s Bazaar. She was referring to her daughter’s flower girl dress. According to Harry, the dresses were made from measurements obtained at a previous fitting.
“She cried when she tried it on at home,” Middleton allegedly texted.
KATE MIDDLETON’S BIRTHDAY GETS OVERSHADOWED BY PRINCE HARRY’S ‘SPARE’ AS ROYALS MAINTAIN WALL OF SILENCE
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge leaves with her daughter Princess Charlotte after attending the wedding ceremony of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, on May 19, 2018. (Andrew Matthews/AFP via Getty Images)
According to Harry, Markle reminded Middleton that a tailor who could perform alterations was already at Kensington Palace.
“Right, and I told you the tailor has been standing by since 8am,” Markle allegedly replied. “Here. At KP. Can you take Charlotte to have it altered, as the other mums are doing?”
The book alleged that Middleton demanded that “all the dresses be remade,” noting that her own wedding dress designer agreed with her. Markle then reminded Middleton that she was stressed following the drama involving her father Thomas Markle. The former Hollywood lighting director famously didn’t attend the royal wedding.
The alleged royal row between the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex has been well-documented by the British press. (Richard Pohle – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“Kate said she was well aware, but the dresses. And the wedding is in four days!” claimed the book. It also alleged that Middleton had “problems with the way Meg was planning her wedding… it went back and forth.” Harry wrote that when he came home, his wife-to-be was “sobbing.”
PRINCE HARRY’S TOP 5 ’60 MINUTES’ BOMBSHELLS
British outlets reported that it was Markle who made Middleton cry. In “Spare,” Harry suggested that his father’s press office likely leaked the story to tabloids. The Duchess of Sussex spoke about the incident during a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.
“I don’t think it’s fair to her to get into the details of [the fight], because she apologized,” said Markle at the time. “And I’ve forgiven her. What was hard to get over was being blamed for something that not only I didn’t do, but that happened to me. And the people who were part of our wedding going to our comms team and saying, ‘I know this didn’t happen.’”
The alleged incident wasn’t the only moment Middleton’s name was brought up in “Spare.” In 2005, Harry notoriously wore a Nazi uniform to a costume party. He claimed in the book that it was William and Middleton who encouraged the choice of outfit and “howled” with laughter when they saw it.
Meghan Markle was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in 2021. The televised sit-down was viewed by nearly 50 million people globally. (AP)
The book’s publisher said “Spare” sold 400,000 copies in the U.K. in all formats – hardback, e-book and audio – on its first day. It is the top-selling book on Amazon’s U.K. site and Amazon.com in the U.S. and is already one of the year’s biggest sellers.
PRINCE HARRY FEARS ‘TABLOID MEDIA’ WILL RADICALIZE ITS READERS INTO CAUSING ‘HARM’ TO HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN
“As far as we know, the only books to have sold more in their first day are those starring the other Harry (Potter),” said Larry Finlay, managing director of Transworld Penguin Random House. The final Potter book, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” sold more than 2.5 million copies on its first day of release, in 2007.
A few stores in Britain opened at midnight to sell copies to diehard royal devotees and the merely curious. Many said they wanted to form their own opinion of the book after days of snippets and debate on news sites and television.
Prince Harry’s “Spare” hit bookstores on Tuesday. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
“Spare” is the latest in a string of public pronouncements by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex since they quit royal life in 2020. At the time, they cited what they saw as the media’s racist treatment of the duchess and a lack of support from the palace.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reside in Montecito, California, with their two children.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com.
Businessmen and economist, Dr Kofi Amoah, has urged persons and institutions who have been affected by the government’s debt exchange programme to fight the injustice and raw deal that has been handed them.
According to Dr Amoah, it is unconscionable that one of the supposed safest investments – government instruments- can go so horribly wrong that a debt exchange programme has to be instituted.
In a tweet shared on his personal and verified page this week, Dr Amoah said the consequence of the exchange programme is far-reaching and damning. “Ghanaians must not sit and accept financial injustice from their govt. Everywhere in the world, investing in govt financial instruments is considered the safest investment with the assured payback of investors’ funds.”
Explaining further when contacted by GhanaWeb, the former president of the GFA Normalization Committee said there is a danger of eroding the savings culture of many Ghanaians due to this debt exchange programme.
“Ghana cannot become an outlier in this globally recognized comfort zone unless we want to be counted among the failed and misgoverned countries of the world. There are far-reaching negative consequences for such behaviour.
Govt must choose paying its debt to haemorrhaging individual bondholders over spending billions on some ill-conceived, unsustainable projects calculated to win some legacy points for politicians and their political parties.”
He urged right-thinking Ghanaians to join those affected by this policy to fight against this policy which he says would be detrimental to many people and households. “When they come for me in the day and you say nothing because it’s not you, they may come for you in the thick of night and no one can see or come to your aid”.
The Habit of Robbing Individuals’ Hard-earned Money to Finance Over-bloated, corruption-laden projects Must be Halted
Support Lawyer Kpebu in assisting people get their money taken with force by govt
Govt debts are supposed to be the safest everywhere???????? https://t.co/VLh1JMm9fS
— CitizenKofi (@amoah_citizen) January 10, 2023
Debt Exchange
On December 5, 2022, the Government of Ghana launched Ghana’s Domestic Debt Exchange programme, an invitation for the voluntary exchange of approximately GHS137 billion of the domestic notes and bonds of the Republic, including E.S.L.A. and Daakye bonds, for a package of New Bonds to be issued by the Republic.
In a statement released after the announcement of the debt exchange, the finance minister, Ken Ofori Atta explained why the policy has become imperative.
“The objective is to reduce the excessive burden created by our debt on our economy and reach the debt sustainability targets defined by the IMF staff for the period through 2028 and beyond. In particular, to restore debt sustainability, we plan to reduce our total public debt-to-GDP ratio to 55% in present value terms.”
The head of the Huahi Royal Family of Boadi in the Ashanti Region has filed a suit against the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over his unlawful arrest by officers of the Ghana Police Service.
According to him, before his release, he was humiliated, subjected to torture and embarrassed at a palace instead of being processed for court.
“In my case, following my arrest on 18th November, 2021, the police failed, neglected or refused to caution or charge me for any offence but rather subjected me to torture, physical assault and humiliation on my personality and dignity.
“That I am advised by counsel and I respectfully concur with the advice that the police has no right, power or authority to arrest, restrict or detain a suspect without officially cautioning or charging him, and that any such arrest, restriction or detention contrary to the rules and procedures enshrined in the Constitution amounts to flagrant disregard for the Constitution and a breach of the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the suspect,” the plaintiff stated in his application.
It is the case of the plaintiff that by this act, the police officers violated his right to personal liberty, human dignity, right against unlawful arrest, detention or restriction and torture, as well as right to administrative fairness.
The plaintiff added that despite a petition to the Police Service to interrogate the matter, no concrete solutions had been reached, hence the suit.
Reliefs
Badu is asking the court to declare as unconstitutional his arrest, adding that the police violated his fundamental human rights guaranteed under the 1992 Constitution. As part of his reliefs, he asks for the following:
“An order directed at the respondents to pay me an amount of GH¢500,000 as compensation for my unlawful arrest and restriction pursuant to Article 14(5) of the 1992 Constitution.”
“An order directed at the respondents to compensate the applicant for the inconvenience, embarrassment, waste of time and violation of his fundamental human rights to dignity and administrative justice to a tune of GHC500,000.”
He is also asking for an order perpetually restraining the respondents, particularly all police officers involved in the misconduct under the authority of the respondent, from unlawfully arresting, restricting and/or detaining him ever again.
A cross section of Ghanaians has expressed frustration with the service of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) following the change of its meter app.
Some of the customers took to Facebook to register their displeasure after a customer shared a similar experience of not being credited after purchasing power with the new app.
Daniel Amoateng posted on Facebook saying, “ECG ECG ECG why? Please what is the name of the ECG boss I want to tag him.”
“It’s been 4 days since you debited my momo account, but my meter has not been credited, no token sent so I uploaded myself and you still haven’t credited my momo account after several complaints.”
He added: “My money is sitting with you and I have look for another money to purchase power why? In this 21st century and with the many IT people around we shouldn’t be suffering like this. I am even tired calling ur call center.”
ECG officials are yet to comment on the situation.
Below is the full post:
Meanwhile, some frustrated customers have also been sharing their experience on the development:
“Same happened to me last weekMy money is still with them Have to buy another power from their vendors the most painful part of it was that my light came the next day When you call the cal/help centre they will just take your info/details and nothing happen, said Richmond Afransah Mends-Haizel
“Boss mine has been there for about a month ooo..if u call the tell u nonfa nkoaaa …hmmmm,” Fifi Folson said.
“Bro, for more than 4 months. My account has not been credited and a staff at the district office tells me “sika no ashi”,” Isaac Osei Appah also posted.
Pollster and political analyst, Ben Ephson has slammed New Patriotic Party(NPP) Flagbearer hopeful, Alan Kyerematen over his comment that some policy decisions of President Akufo-Addo were wrong.
The immediate-past Trade and Industry Minister in his address to officially declare his intention to contest the flagbearership race of the governing NPP, commended the President for laying a good foundation for the country’s development.
He, however, stated that he disagreed with some of the policy decisions of the President.
The former Ghana’s Ambassador to the US said a future Alan Kyerematen led-government will mainstream the private sector as the engine of his transformation agenda and also run a lean government if given the nod.
“The President has laid a strong foundation for the socio-economic development of our country, although I believe there are things that could have been done differently. My vision is to build a superstructure on this foundation that will bring prosperity to our nation.”
But speaking to Naa Dedei Tettey on Morning Starr on Starr 103.5FM Wednesday, Pollster Ben Ehpson questioned why Alan Kyerematen did not resign as Trade and Industry Minister over these disagreements with the President as a matter of principle.
“If you are a minister and the President is exiting and you want to campaign and in your speech you say that certain things that were done could have been done better, maybe in the coming days he’ll want to go further. But I thought that it was a bit unnecessary, maybe he has his own campaign strategy and so that is the only part that I was a bit surprised about.”
“You are not going to run a campaign on you, Alan Kyeremateng. You are going to campaign on the record of the NPP government for the past six to seven years. I’m sure people are going to ask him to give examples of what has not been done right. If he disagreed vehemently with what had not been done right what prevented him from resigning? If you thought it was so bad that in your first address announcing your desire to contest you are taking the President on, you have not been sentenced by any court to be a minister, he could have just said because of a few things, Mr President I can’t take up your job.”
John Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen announced his intention to run for the position of New Patriotic Party flagbearer on January 10, 2022, six days after announcing his resignation as minister of trade and industry.
In a national broadcast shared across various media platforms, the multiple-times NPP flagbearer contestant also outlined some of his ideals while appealing to delegates of the party to elect him as their choice when the time comes.
Despite lauding the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for laying a strong foundation on which he intends to build his future government, Mr Kyerematen also made certain pronouncements that appear as subtle attacks directed at the government in which he served.
I believe there are things that could have been done differently
While highlighting his relationship with President Akufo-Addo and praising his government, Mr Kyerematen was quick to point out in his speech that certain things under the current administration could have been done using different approaches.
“The President has laid a strong foundation for the socioeconomic development of our country, although I believe there are things that could have been done differently. My vision is to build a superstructure on this foundation that will bring prosperity to our nation,” he stated.
We promised never to go back but we have gone back to IMF
For the government of President Akufo-Addo, one of the things that has brought heavy criticism upon the president and his “men” is the decision to seek financial support from the International Monetary Fund.
Despite kicking against calls to seek a bailout from the Fund amidst severe economic challenges, the government in a dramatic turn of events is currently seeking a $3 billion loan facility from the IMF.
According to Mr Kyerematen, although government made earlier promises to refrain from going to the IMF for help, they ultimately resorted to that because of challenges somewhat beyond their control.
“This is the seventeenth time that we have gone to the IMF over the last 57 years. We promised never to go back but we have gone back.One of the lessons that we have learnt from the recent developments is that Ghana’s economy is still fragile, vulnerable and susceptible to both external and domestic shocks.
Words without actions
Mr Kyerematen while seeking to highlight his campaign policy dubbed Great Transformational Plan (GTP), outlined what he said are seven critical issues that needs consideration.
According to the flagbearer hopeful, it has become imperative for the country to be action-oriented towards achieving results instead of engaging in talks.
Describing Ghana’s current state as “No Action Talk Only (NATO)” the former minister emphasised the need for the trend to be reversed.
“Ghana is gradually becoming a NATO country – “No Action Talk Only”. We need to remember that the use of time is a zero-sum game. What Ghana needs now are solutions and actions not debates,” he noted.
Cutting the size of government
Before the onset of Ghana’s current economic challenges, President Akufo-Addo was cited by his critics as leading an overly sized government causing strain on public resources.
The recent economic challenges of the country have deepened the accusation against the government and the need for the president to cut down on his numbers.
Without explicitly agreeing with the critics of his former appointing authority, Mr Kyerematen in his address noted the need for the size of the government to be trimmed while promising to do so if he wins power.
“The architecture of Government will be overhauled by consolidating some existing Ministries, Departments and Agencies. This will mean running a lean Government structure that will ensure operational efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of Government services,” he stated.
A diplomatically neutral state
President Akufo-Addo was recently called out by some critics for alleging that the Russian paid mercenaries were operating a mine along Burkina Faso’s border with Ghana.
The president who noted the situation as a concern to the US Secretary of State during a US-Africa Leaders Summit said the government of Burkina Faso had given out the mine to the Wagner Group as payment for work done.
Prior to the statement by the president which was deemed by many as potential grounds for a diplomatic row with Russia, the government had also been criticised for condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking in his national address on Tuesday, Mr Kyerematen noted that a government of Ghana under his leadership will be neutral on matters of the international community.
“Ghana’s diplomatic and economic relations with the International Community under the GTP will be predicated on the principle of ‘positive neutrality’, based on the strategic interests of Ghana, as well as our shared commitments for the preservation of peace around the world and respect for humanity,” he stated.
A broken economy?
Before concluding his address, the flagbearer hopeful signed off with a number of proverbs to inspire hope and belief in his course.
“Akyea na emmui” he alluded to a popular Akan saying which translates to “It is bent but not broken.”
For those concerned about the current state of Ghana’s economy fraught with high cost of living and hardship, this was a way by the flagbearer hopeful to elicit hope amidst the challenges.
According to Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, a former minister of food and agriculture, the agricultural sector of the Ghanaian economy grew significantly while he was in office.
He thanked the government, partners, stakeholders and the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the support in growing of the sector.
In a short statement after his resignation, he said “It’s been a great honour and privilege to serve the Ministry in the last 5 years. I express my sincere gratitude to President Akufo-Addo for the confidence reposed in me to lead agric industry.
“I thank NPP for contributing to the sector’s growth. I appreciate Ghanaian for their support.
It’s been a great honour and privilege to serve @mofaghana1 in the last 5 years. I express my sincere gratitude to @NAkufoAddo for the confidence reposed in me to lead #agric industry. I thank #npp for contributing to the sector’s growth. I appreciate 🇬🇭 for their support. pic.twitter.com/bSr5S3bNqw
— Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto (@afriyie_akoto) January 11, 2023
He resigned from the government on Tuesday January 10.
He submitted submitted his resignation letter to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo after a meeting at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, January 10.
The former lawmaker for Kwadaso is among some big wigs of the governing who are said to have been harbouring ambitions to take over from President Akufo-Addo as the party’s Presidential Candidate for the next elections in 2024.
The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) says most Senior High Schools across the country are yet to receive any food items or funds from either the Ghana Education Service or the National Food Buffer Stock Company.
The Conference which consists largely of headteachers across the country says the perennial disbursement challenges are putting a strain on their reopening activities as it is difficult to take in students with no food items to feed them.
President of the Conference who is also the headmaster of Opoku Ware School, Rev. Fr. Stephen Owusu Sekyere said they are expecting government to release their allocated funds to ensure that the reopening date is not postponed due to food shortages.
Father Owusu Sekyere told Citi News that the government defaulted on its promise to release the funds into their respective bank accounts by 9 am on January 10.
“We were promised that we should go to the bank in the morning at 9 am and that the money will be deposited into our accounts but as we speak, we keep checking our accounts and no school has received any money from their bank.”
The CHASS president said the government is also yet to supply the various schools with their food quotas in anticipation of the new academic year.
“I am having reports from some schools across the country that they are yet to receive food items. We’ve been in touch with Buffer Stock, and they say they are supplying the schools with some four food items, but my information tells me otherwise.”
The president stressed that all hopes have diminished and all they can do at the moment is to hope that the government heeds to their concerns.
“Students keep reporting, and we don’t know what to do at this point so all we can do at the moment is keep waiting for the monies to be released. We don’t have power over what happens or when the food items are supplied.”
The Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of chiefs has unanimously declared the enskinment of Mahama Sumani as the chief of Karaga null and void.
The Committee stated that Sumani’s enskinment goes contrary to the norms and cultural practices of the people of Dagbon.
The Committee has also given the former Regent, Mahama Sumani a 48-hour ultimatum to vacate the Karaga palace to make way for the legitimate chief enskinned by Ya Na Abukari II.
Two years ago, the overlord of Dagbon, Ya Na Abukari II, enskinned Na Nantomag Abdulai as Kari Na, however, his enskinment was opposed by some groups in the Karaga traditional area who were not pleased with the overlord’s decision.
They further went ahead to enskin the regent as the chief against the authority of the overlord.
In order to ensure a peaceful resolution, the enskinned chief by the Ya Na petitioned the Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs.
In a ruling given on Tuesday, January 10 at the Regional House of Chiefs, the Committee unanimously ruled that the petitioner, Na Nantomag Abdulai was duly nominated and enskinned in accordance with Dagbon custom and tradition.
In the midst of the current economic crisis, Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong , a flagbearer candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has reinforced calls on the Government to cut the number of ministers in order to give a good message to the populace.
He denounced the appointments of multiple deputy ministers, saying each minister should not have more than one deputy to reduce the cost of running the Government and enhance efficiency.
Speaking on a news programme monitored by the Ghana News Agency, Mr. Agyepong said the framers of the 1992 Constitution did not envisage larger Governments, hence their decision to peg the number of cabinet ministers at 19.
“I have never believed in having multiple deputy ministers. I think the President has one Vice President, so every minister should have one deputy.
“Small, lean, mean Government means that you are going to be efficient, more effective and the President will have a handle of his Government. It is important that we do these things, especially in financial distress,” he said.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, at the beginning of his second term in office in 2017, trimmed down the number of ministries in his second administration from 36 to 29 and scrapped 41 ministerial positions.
The President had appointed 126 ministers in his first term.
With Ghana’s economy taking a nosedive, there have been persistent calls on the President to further downsize his Government to reduce costs.
Mr. Agyepong said the scrapping of more ministerial positions would send a positive signal to the people about the Government’s readiness to sacrifice.
“The quantum may not be enough, but it sends a moral message and signal to the rest of the people,” he said.
Mr. Agyepong said the political class must demonstrate sacrifice and selflessness to win the trust of the people and rally them to develop the country.
“It is all about service, sacrifice, and selflessness. If you don’t have these character traits, you don’t have any business going into politics,” he said.
Mr. Agyepong said governance and development issues that had bedevilled the country could not be blamed on the Constitution but on bad leadership.
He bemoaned what he described as the lack of patriotism and readiness to serve among the political class and the people at large, saying: “We need the kind of leaders that are prepared to take difficult decisions and so that all of us will be doing what is right; putting our country first before everything.”
Why so much ado about an interview given in 1995, by a person who died less than two years later?
For starters, it was no ordinary interview. Whenever Princess Diana spoke, the world took notice—and her sit-down with journalist Martin Bashir that aired on the BBC’s Panorama 25 years ago was packed with candid, eye-opening turns of phrase from Prince Charles’ estranged wife, and has continued to be described as sensational. Now, the same can be said of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s tell-all. During their two-hour interview with Oprah Winfrey, the couple held nothing back while recalling the conversations—and concerns—the royal family had about their son’s skin color, the “falsehoods” The Firm continued to perpetuate and why they really stepped away from their titles.
And today, while the world scrutinizes every word Meghan and Harry said, there’s still talk about Diana’s segment, which approximately 23 million people tuned in to watch on Nov. 20, 1995. In fact, the interview is now under renewed scrutiny with regard to how Bashir got the Princess of Wales to go on camera in the first place.
“The independent investigation is a step in the right direction,” Prince William—who historically has had no great love for the media due to their treatment of his mother and, down the road, his future wife, Kate Middleton—said in a statement released by Kensington Palace Nov. 18. “It should help establish the truth behind the actions that led to the Panorama interview and subsequent decisions taken by those in the BBC at the time.”
Pool Photograph/Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
The investigation in question is in response to allegations from the late princess’ brother, Earl Charles Spencer, that Bashir used forged bank statements purporting to show that a former member of his security team had received money for sharing information about Diana. Moreover, it’s alleged that Bashir lied to Spencer about the queen and other senior royals in order to gain his trust and hasten a meeting. (Bashir has not yet personally responded to any of these allegations.)
People close to Diana, meanwhile, have said that she promptly regretted the whole thing—even before it had aired.
“I think the scales fell from her eyes and suddenly what had been rather a subversive or daring scheme—or however they [the BBC] had dressed it up for her—it suddenly in the cold light of day didn’t look like such a good idea,” Patrick Jephson, her former private secretary, told the Daily Mail in 2016 in response to a Mail on Sunday report that the BBC’s head of news at the time had purposely tried to keep Buckingham Palace in the dark about the Diana interview.
Express Newspapers Via AP Images
Not long after the broadcast, Queen Elizabeth II insisted that Charles and Diana, who had been separated since 1992, start divorce proceedings. Their split was finalized in 1996.
This hadn’t been the first time that Diana’s candor had made it into the public sphere, Andrew Morton’s biography utilizing recordings the princess made for him having been published in 1992. But something—maybe everything—about it rubbed the royals the wrong way. Here are the revelations that made it such an unforgettable hour:
PA Images via Getty Images
Lights, Cameras… Angst
“The most daunting aspect was the media attention,” Princess Diana told Martin Bashir on the BBC’s Panorama, “because my husband and I, we were told when we got engaged that the media would go quietly, and it didn’t; and then when we were married they said it would go quietly and it didn’t; and then it started to focus very much on me, and I seemed to be on the front of a newspaper every single day, which is an isolating experience, and the higher the media put you, place you, is the bigger the drop. And I was very aware of that.”
From the moment the press first got an inkling of a new romance between the very eligible Prince Charles and 19-year-old Lady Diana Spencer in 1980, they rarely gave her a moment’s piece, trailing her everywhere and hanging around outside her London flat. One intrepid so-called reporter even squeezed through a window at the nursery school where Diana was an aide, searching for a scoop.
She always assumed people would be more interested in her husband and his good works, “but I, during the years, you see yourself as a good product that sits on a shelf and sells well, and people make a lot of money out of you.”
JOHN SHELLEY/REX/Shutterstock
In the Deep End Down Under
Their 1983 tour of Australia and New Zealand that was widely praised as such a success was actually agony at times, Diana said.
“We went to Alice Springs, to Australia, and we went and did a walkabout, and I said to my husband: ‘What do I do now?’” she recalled. “And he said, ‘Go over to the other side and speak to [the press].’ I said, ‘I can’t, I just can’t.’ He said, ‘Well, you’ve got to do it.’ And he went off and did his bit, and I went off and did my bit. It practically finished me off there and then, and I suddenly realized—I went back to our hotel room and realized the impact that, you know, I had to sort myself out.”
After the trip, “I was a different person. I realized the sense of duty, the level of intensity of interest, and the demanding role I now found myself in.”
JSH TOUR/REX/Shutterstock
A Jealous Husband
Charles, the future King, didn’t exactly love playing second fiddle to his charming (if shy underneath it all) wife.
Asked if she was flattered by all the attention, she toldBashir, “No, not particularly, because with the media attention came a lot of jealousy. A great deal of complicated situations arose because of that.”
Eventually, Charles decided that they should do fewer joint engagements, so that on his own he would at least get some attention.
Tim Graham/Getty Images
The Real World
Diana became known as the People’s Princess for a reason. Not knowing at first what areas of public service she should get involved in when she first married Charles, patronages and advocating for causes being a large part of the job when you join The Firm, Diana explained, “I found myself being more and more involved with people who were rejected by society—with, I’d say, drug addicts, alcoholism, battered this, battered that—and I found an affinity there.”
“And I respected very much the honesty I found on that level with people I met, because in hospices, for instance, when people are dying they’re much more open and more vulnerable, and much more real than other people. And I appreciated that.”
No one from the palace ever steered her otherwise, she added, and “I’m lucky enough in the fact that I have found my role, and I’m very conscious of it, and I love being with people.”
Jayne Fincher/courtesy of HBO
Heir and a Spare
Diana openly acknowledged that her firstborn child being a boy was considered an extra-good thing by royal standards. And though she had previously said that, after Prince William was born, Charles was hoping for a daughter and was a wee bit disappointed when red-headed Prince Harry popped out instead, two boys was certainly better than two girls.
“It would have been a little tricky if it had been two girls—but that in itself brings the responsibilities of bringing them up, William’s future being as it is, and Harry like a form of a back-up in that aspect,” she said.
Anwar Hussein/Getty Images
They Called Her Crazy
Diana revealed that she experienced postnatal depression after William’s birth, “which no one ever discusses.” She said, “That in itself was a bit of a difficult time. You’d wake up in the morning feeling you didn’t want to get out of bed, you felt misunderstood, and just very, very low in yourself.”
Asked if she got help, the princess said, “I received a great deal of treatment, but I knew in myself that actually what I needed was space and time to adapt to all the different roles that had come my way. I knew I could do it, but I needed people to be patient and give me the space to do it.”
According to Diana, however, her in-laws didn’t know what to make of her.
“Well maybe I was the first person ever to be in this family who ever had a depression or was ever openly tearful,” she said. “And obviously that was daunting, because if you’ve never seen it before how do you support it?” Ultimately, “it gave everybody a wonderful new label: Diana’s unstable and Diana’s mentally unbalanced. And unfortunately that seems to have stuck on and off over the years.”
Photo by Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images
A History of Self-Harm
Reports that Diana had harmed herself turned out to be true.
“For instance you have so much pain inside yourself that you try and hurt yourself on the outside because you want help, but it’s the wrong help you’re asking for,” she reflected. “People see it as crying wolf or attention-seeking, and they think because you’re in the media all the time you’ve got enough attention. But I was actually crying out because I wanted to get better in order to go forward and continue my duty and my role as wife, mother, Princess of Wales.
“So yes, I did inflict upon myself. I didn’t like myself, I was ashamed because I couldn’t cope with the pressures.”
She would “just” hurt her arms and legs. Asked if Charles understood why she was doing that, she said, “No, but then not many people would have taken the time to see that.”
Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images; Netflix
Detailing Her Eating Disorder
Diana confirmed that she also battled bulimia for years.
“You inflict it upon yourself because your self-esteem is at a low ebb, and you don’t think you’re worthy or valuable,” she said, comparing binge eating to “having a pair of arms around you, but it’s…temporary. Then you’re disgusted at the bloatedness of your stomach, and then you bring it all up again.”
After spending her days comforting others, she’d go home and comfort herself with food. But, she added, “It was a symptom of what was going on in my marriage. I was crying out for help, but giving the wrong signals, and people were using my bulimia as a coat on a hanger: They decided that was the problem—Diana was unstable.”
Kent Gavin/Mirrorpix/Getty Images
She’s No Dummy
Diana was aware that the general impression of her was that she wasn’t as intellectually deep as Charles, and she resented it.
“I made the grave mistake once of saying to a child I was thick as a plank, in order to ease the child’s nervousness, which it did,” she recalled. “But that headline went all round the world, and I rather regret saying it.”
She and Charles actually had many common interests, Diana said. “We both liked people, both liked country life, both loved children, work in the cancer field, work in hospices.”
As far as her own interests, “I don’t think I was allowed to have any,” she said of their relationship early on. “I think that I’ve always been the 18-year-old girl he got engaged to, so I don’t think I’ve been given any credit for growth. And, my goodness, I’ve had to grow.”
David Hartley/Shutterstock
Three Was a Crowd
In perhaps the most quoted, most remembered segment of the interview, Diana admitted to knowing early on that her husband had rekindled his romance with ex-girlfriend Camilla Parker Bowles.
Asked if the affair led to the breakdown of her and Charles’ relationship, she replied, “Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.”
Later on, however, on whether she bore any responsibility, Diana said, “I take full responsibility,” before quickly adding, “I take some responsibility that our marriage went the way it did. I’ll take half of it, but I won’t take any more than that, because it takes two to get in this situation.”
Anwar Hussein/Getty Images
Leading a Double Life
Even before they separated, Diana and Charles were effectively living separate lives. When “we went abroad we had separate apartments, albeit we were on the same floor, so of course that was leaked, and that caused complications,” she remembered. “But Charles and I had our duty to perform, and that was paramount.”
And, she continued, “we were a very good team in public.”
When Bashir pointed out that a lot of people might not understand how they lived like that, Diana retorted, “Well, that’s their problem. I know what it felt like.”
Simon & Schuster
A Little Misdirection
Diana denied “personally assisting” Andrew Morton with the writing of his explosive 1992 biography Diana: Her True Story, but she did allow her friends to speak to him, she said, to help set the record straight on her behalf while her life behind the scenes was spiraling.
“A lot of people saw the distress that my life was in, and they felt it was a supportive thing to help in the way that they did,” she told Bashir. The princess had thought that maybe a book would give people “a better understanding” of her. “Maybe there’s a lot of women out there who suffer on the same level but in a different environment, who are unable to stand up for themselves because their self-esteem is cut into two.”
She left out, however, that she submitted to interviews by proxy, Morton asking questions via her friend Dr. James Colthurst, who recorded her responses. Diana also gave Colthurst (who in turn showed them to Morton) a few pieces of private correspondence from Camilla to Charles, the author shared in the Mail on Sunday in 2017.
“However, due to Britain’s libel laws, I wasn’t at the time able to write that Prince Charles and Camilla were lovers, because it couldn’t be proved,” Morton recalled. “Instead, I had to allude to a ‘secret friendship.’”
Unlike with the BBC interview, Morton said, “She never regretted the taping sessions. As her friend filmmaker Lord Puttnam recalled: ‘She owned what she had done. She knew what she was doing and took a calculated risk, even though she was scared sh–less. But I never heard one word of regret, I promise you.’” (After she died, the book was republished as Diana: Her True Story—In Her Own Words.)
Still, Diana told Bashir, the book (which “shocked and horrified” the royal family) was certainly a turning point for her and Charles. “What had been hidden—or rather what we thought had been hidden—then became out in the open and was spoken about on a daily basis, and the pressure was for us to sort ourselves out in some way.”
The sorting out resulted in their separation being formally announced in December 1992, capping off the Queen’s “annus horribilis.”
Bryn Colton/Getty Images
No Affair With James Gilbey
Diana was sorry that her affectionate friend had been sucked into her sordid squabbles when a recording of a flirtatious phone call between them was leaked to The Sun in 1992.
“But the implications of that conversation were that we’d had an adulterous relationship, which was not true,” she insisted. The transcript was published “to harm me in a serious manner, and that was the first time I’d experienced what it was like to be outside the net, so to speak, and not be in the family.”
Jayne Fincher/Getty Images
“She Won’t Go Quietly”
It was Diana’s firm belief that, once she and Charles separated, the royal family had it out for her, that they viewed her as “a problem.”
They weren’t quite sure what to do, she continued, because “‘she won’t go quietly,’ that’s the problem. I’ll fight to the end, because I believe that I have a role to fulfill, and I’ve got two children to bring up.”
Referring to a brief break she took from the public eye in 1993, Diana said her plan was to “confuse the enemy,” explaining, “the enemy was my husband’s department, because I always got more publicity, my work was…discussed much more than him.” They tried to undermine her “out of fear,” she continued, “because here was a strong woman doing her bit, and where was she getting her strength from to continue?”
Shutterstock
“A” for Honesty
Diana cheekily gave Charles kudos to admitting to adultery in his own bombshell interview with Jonathan Dimbleby, author of the 1994 biography The Prince of Wales.
“I was pretty devastated myself. But then I admired the honesty, because it takes a lot to do that,” she shared. “To be honest about a relationship with someone else, in his position—that’s quite something.”
Terry Fincher/Getty Images
How She Broke the News to William
When she and Charles were separating, she went to Ludgrove, William’s boarding school in Berkshire, to tell him in person. She remembered advising her son “that if you find someone you love in life you must hang on to it and look after it, and if you were lucky enough to find someone who loved you, then one must protect it. William asked me what had been going on, and could I answer his questions, which I did.”
She reiterated to her then 10-year-old child that “there were three of us in this marriage, and the pressure of the media was another factor, so the two together were very difficult. But although I still loved Papa I couldn’t live under the same roof as him, and likewise with him.”
Asked how that may have affected him, Diana said William was “a deep thinker, and we don’t know for a few years how it’s gone in. But I put it in gently, without resentment or any anger.”
Ron Dadswell/REX/Shutterstock
Coming Clean About Her Own Affair
Whether Diana would have ever stepped out on Charles if she hadn’t been so unhappy, we’ll never know. But she did admit to being more-than-close-friends with former army officer James Hewitt, who had been her and her sons’ riding instructor (and was the subject of a much-denied rumor that he’s Harry’s real father). He published a tell-all book, Princess In Love, about their affair, which began in 1987, and Diana “really minded” that he had profited from something so private.
“I adored him,” she admitted. “Yes, I was in love with him. But I was very let down.”
Arthur Edwards – WPA Pool/Getty Images
Order of Succession
Asked if she thought Charles would become King one day, Diana replied, “Who knows what fate will produce, who knows what circumstances will provoke?”
Asked if Charles wanted to be King, she said, “There was always conflict on that subject with him when we discussed it, and I understood that conflict, because it’s a very demanding role, being Prince of Wales, but it’s an equally more demanding role being King. And being Prince of Wales produces more freedom now, and being King would be a little bit more suffocating. And because I know the character I would think that the top job, as I call it, would bring enormous limitations to him, and I don’t know whether he could adapt to that.”
And on whether he should be King, or should William skip a rung and become the next monarch, Diana said, “Well, then you have to see that William’s very young at the moment, so do you want a burden like that to be put on his shoulders at such an age? So I can’t answer that question.” But, once he’s of age, “My wish is that my husband finds peace of mind, and from that follows others things, yes.”
Bashir closed the interview by asking Diana why she agreed to talk to him.
“Because we will have been separated three years this December, and the perception that has been given of me for the last three years has been very confusing, turbulent, and in some areas— I’m sure many—many people doubt me,” she explained. “And I want to reassure all those people who have loved me and supported me throughout the last 15 years that I’d never let them down. That is a priority to me, along with my children.”
And no, the princess said, she was not just trying to stick it to Charles for what he (or his family) had put her through.
“I don’t sit here with resentment,” Diana said. “I sit here with sadness because a marriage hasn’t worked. I sit here with hope because there’s a future ahead, a future for my husband, a future for myself and a future for the monarchy.”
Former Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye has called for a review of the appointment of the Electoral Commission Chairperson.
According to him, the appointment of the chair person by the every sitting President in accordance with the constitution, has always created challenges particularly between the two competing political parties.
For him, the EC chair should be elected by a commission members whose decision will be independent of any interferences, 3news.com reports.
“The Commission members being quite independent, not elected by the president or anyone, will then choose a chairperson, so that the work of the commission is collegial and collectives, then they are satisfied.
“In some places, you will find the situation whereby the EC boss is for a fixed term, 6 years, it recently happened in Nigeria. So that after doing a particular work you go, so that in choosing the EC boss it is usually a retired Professor or a Professor about to retire, a judge who is just part of the system, and then you do that work for 6 years, and then you leave,” he is quoted to have said by 3news.com.
Mr. Oquaye further indicated that the proposed selection process will help encourage a peaceful political environment and also safeguard the work of the EC which is to work independently.
“In other words, there is no end to wisdom with regards to what we have got now, nomination by the President and then ultimate approval by Parliament. Of course, if the president has Majority in Parliament, then the approval is as well as his nomination. All these I believe should be examined if we should have a peaceful political terrain, that is what I have ben saying,” he noted.
The President of Ghana has appointment power under the Constitution to appoint the EC chair.
While the framers of the Constitution have imposed varying levels of constraints on the President’s appointment power for democratic, governmental, prudential, and even historical considerations, the President wields both consultative and approval powers.
The President is compelled to act on the advice of the Council of State in selecting the Chairman/Chairwoman and members of the Electoral Commission as stated in Article 70(2) of the Constitution.
“The President shall act on the advice of the Council of State; appoint the Chairman, Deputy Chairmen, and other members of the Electoral Commission,” the constitution indicates.
The Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has divulged details of a conversation he had with former president John Agyekum Kufuor regarding the party’s flagbearership contest ahead of the 2024 elections.
The Suame MP is a proponent of the Bawumia-Alan ticket and has been seeking opinions from bigwigs of the party about his proposal.
Whereas his plan has received some endorsement from persons within the party, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu says John Agyekum Kufuour is against such an arrangement.
The Majority Leader told Kumasi-based Oyerepa TV that Kufuor shot down the proposal on grounds that it is against democratic principles.
In the view of Kufuor, the NPP has a history of providing fairgrounds for people to compete and therefore should not be scared of the challenge of Vice President Bawumia coming up against immediate-past Minister of Trade, Alan Kyerematen.
“President Kufuor has other ideas. He believes the party is a democratic party so we should allow the contest. I toned down because of what President Kufuor said. He probably was looking at it from a much broader perspective. He thinks the party has always been like this and that after the contest, unity will be restored so it should be kept like that. He wants us to leave them to contest,” he said in an interview published this week.
Unlike Kufuor who is against the arrangement, his Chief of Staff, Kwadwo Mpiani is reportedly in favor of the move and has even proposed ways of determining which of the two men should be flagbearer and which one should be running mate.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu says that Mpiani recommended the recruitment of an independent body to conduct a survey on the popularity of both Alan Kyerematen and Mahamudu Bawumia.
“I went to see some elders in the party for that arrangement. I saw Kwadwo Mpiani and President Kufuor. Pianim believes it’s a good suggestion but who should contest as flagbearer and who should be running mate. He suggested that we engage an independent group to conduct a survey to determine which one becomes flagbearer and which one is running mate. I felt it was a profound statement,” he said.
Meanwhile Alan Kyerematen has announced his decision to contest the flagbearer race of the party, four days after he resigned from his role as Minister of Trade and Industry.
Alan Kyerematen in an address on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 announced his plans for the party and the country.
“His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been my good friend for a very long time and will always remain so. Based on our shared commitments, the ideals and principles that inspired the founding fathers of the NPP, we have competed in the past but have always worked together thereafter.
“The President has laid a strong foundation for the social-economic development of our country, although I believe there are things that could have been done differently,” the presidential hopeful stated.
A former trade and industry minister, Alan Kyerematen, has formally declared his intention to run as the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flag bearer.
In an official address to the nation, he said even though he believes Ghana’s economy will be restored following the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Support Package, going back to IMF will be a thing of the past as the country if he is given the nod considering the country has gone for aid for the seventeenth time over the last 57 years.
According to Alan Kyerematen, to ensure economic stability for the country, a new plan ought to be put in place, one he intends to introduce.
Describing this plan as the Great Transformational Plan (GTP) of Ghana, he said it will span the period of 2025 to 2030.
He outlined some of these plans as follows:
A Strong Macroeconomic Environment:
The success of the GTP will depend primarily on strong macroeconomic fundamentals, which will include among other things, a stable currency, low inflation, sustainable debt levels, revenue optimization and tight expenditure control to guarantee fiscal balance, low competitive interest rates, strong external reserves backed by high levels of liquidity to support the financial sector.
To a large extent, the IMF support programme when fully executed, will create the appropriate conditions that will underpin the Great Transformational Plan.
New Agricultural Revolution (NAR) for Ghana:
The NAR will be based on five critical elements.
i. Introducing Technology and Innovation into Agriculture, through Research & Development (R&D) in Agronomy, Mechanization, Irrigation, and Plantation Management. This will build on the foundation laid by the Planting for Food and Jobs and Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) Programmes. Our farmers cannot be competitive without technology and innovation.
ii. The establishment of Licensed Food Distribution and Marketing companies by the Private Sector throughout the country at the district level, to be supported by the Government. These companies will constitute a vital link between farmers and Market Queens in the urban and peri-urban areas. It will be complemented by the introduction of a digitalized food distribution and marketing online platform which will connect producers to buyers and consumers.
iii. The strengthening of the Ghana Commodity Exchange as the marketplace for all actors in the Agricultural value chain.
iv. Deepening the current regime for lending and financing for the agricultural sector.
v. Enhancing the de-regulation of the Cocoa sector by deepening private sector participation in the buying and marketing (including export) of Cocoa.
vi. Mass Citizens participation in Agriculture by introducing an ‘Operation Own a Farm’ programme for the Ghanaian citizenry in general.
Industrial Transformation:
This will build on the successes of Government’s Ten Point Industrial Transformation Programme including the One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative; the establishment of Strategic Anchor Industries to diversify the economy beyond Cocoa and Gold e.g the Automobile assembly, Garment and Textiles, Pharmaceuticals and the Petrochemical industry; enhancing the growth and development of Small and Medium Enterprises; establishment of Industrial Parks and Special Economic Zones; and supporting Domestic Retail Trade and Distribution.
Accelerated Infrastructure Development : Promoting Private sector financing for public infrastructure such as Roads, Railways, Ports and Harbours, Water Supply Systems, Public Housing etc, which will reduce Government’s exposure to the financing of such infrastructure projects.
• Digital Mainstreaming: Digitalization will be mainstreamed in all Government and Public sector activities, building on the current work led by the Ministry of Communication and Digitalization.
• Energy Security and Diversification: Greater emphasis to be placed on developing renewable sources of energy, by fast-tracking the execution of Government’s energy transition strategy, including but not limited to nuclear and hydrogen energy.
• Decarbonization and Climate Resilience: Scaling up Government’s current efforts at reducing Ghana’s carbon footprints and facilitating access to the carbon trading markets, as well as establishing mechanisms to strengthen the country’s preparedness against the negative effects of climate change.
• National Security and Defence Optimization: Deploying resources to strengthen National Security and Defence Mechanisms and Infrastructure, to deal substantively with emerging security threats and challenges, particularly in the Sahalian region.
• Downsizing Government: The architecture of Government will be overhauled by consolidating some existing Ministries, Departments and Agencies. This will mean running a lean Government structure that will ensure operational efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of Government services.
Strategic Engagement with the International Community:
Ghana’s diplomatic and economic relations with the International Community under the GTP will be predicated on the principle of ‘positive neutrality’, based on the strategic interests of Ghana, as well as our shared commitments for the preservation of peace around the world and respect for humanity.
The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications has, as of today, January 11, 2023, commenced the implementation of a 1% charge on all electronic transfers.
This is in line with the announcement of the revision of the Electronic Transfers Levy rate from 1.5% to 1% during the presentation of the 2023 budget statement in parliament by the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.
Parliament subsequently debated and passed the revised E-Levy rate before the house went on recess in December 2022.
“As captured in the Electronic Transfer Levy (Amendment) Act, 2022, Act 1089 which has been passed by parliament and assented to by the President, the levy on electronic transfers has been reduced from 1.5% to 1%, while the GHS100 threshold remains unchanged,” the Chamber of Telecommunication stated in a statement ahead of the implementation.
Meanwhile, the Chamber has assured of its collaboration with the Ghana Revenue Authority and other key institutions to ensure a seamless implementation of the revised rate.
As part of the amendment of the E-Levy law, the government had sought to remove the GHC100 threshold as exempted by the initial act.
However, that failed as the minority in parliament which was opposed to the proposal won a vote against it.
Road accidents recorded between 2021 and 2022 have declined by 7.55%, according to the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service.
According to the statistics published by the MTTD, there were 16,182 total number of accidents in 2021 and 14,960 accidents in 2022. Death by accident has also reduced by 20.10%.
The Greater Accra region recorded the highest number of accidents, summing to 5,633 and 370 number of deaths. The Ashanti Region recorded the second highest with 3,372 total cases of accidents and 382 number of deaths.
The Region with the least number of cases is Central Region. The region recorded 656 total number of accidents and 111 deaths as a result of accidents.
In an interview with Joy News, the Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), David Osafo Adonteng commended Ghanaians and all stakeholders including the Ghana Police Service, DVLA, and media houses for their support in making this achievement.
The director-general of the authority also noted that accidents caused by motorcycles were one of the major concerns.
“We have seen the number of motorcycles involved in crashes reduce. Hitherto, that was one of the most critical problems and challenges we were facing; how to hold these motorcycle riders, some of them as you call them ‘okada’ and so on.”
The director-general also stated that it is possible to see less than 1,000 number of deaths by putting in more effort through education, enforcement, and advocacy.
“If we put in more effort, we can make it. Assuming this year, we are able to step up our game; education, enforcement, advocacy, and the rest. And then we are able to do more to reduce by 30% again, that means that we are hitting less than 2,000 and then we keep on moving. Gradually, at one point in time in the near future, we may see deaths less than a thousand.”
David Osafo Adonteng concluded by saying that, if the requisite resources and efforts are provided, the target will be met in a short time.
Thousands of Ghanaians have reportedly fallen prey to a travel scam and have been left stranded in Nigeria and Cameroun.
According to a video report on Akoma FM’s Facebook page, the stranded Ghanaians were promised employment opportunities and visas to travel abroad in a scam which involved persons from both Ghana and Nigeria.
The report added that some of the scammers were arrested on Friday, January 6, 2022, by the Ghana Police Service in Ejisu, a suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
One of the victims of the scam, a man, who spoke to Akoma FM, said that he was promised employment opportunities and a visa to travel abroad only to be left stranded in an uncompleted building in Nigeria.
He said that he went to Lagos, Nigeria to meet the travel agents who were supposed to facilitate his travel after paying them with the help of his friend in France.
“I am one of the victims who was stranded in Nigeria. I met the agent in Lagos who took me to a hotel where I spent 3 days.
“The agent told me that I was supposed to have an interview and after the 3 days, he took me to a building in Lagos where I was to have the interview. At the office, I met some Ghanaians who presented themselves as security officers which gave me some confidence,” he said in Twi.
The victim, however, added that in the course of the interview, he realised that he had been scammed when the interviewer started asking him unnecessary questions.
The news report also showed when the police arrested at least six men in Ejisu who are alleged to be involved in the rip-off and a building in Nigeria where some of the victims of the scam were being kept.
A Security analyst, Dr Adam Bonaa has said he never imagined that someone could fly a drone across the seat of government, the Jubilee House.
He explained that the Jubilee House is supposed to be a security zone because that is where the First and Second Gentlemen of the country operate from.
Any drone that is flown across the place is short down by the security and the owners arrested for prosecution, he added.
This happens in almost every jurisdiction where drones are flown across the seats of government.
Dr Bonaa was commenting on the controversial music video shot by American rapper Meek Mill.
He told TV3 that “As a country, we are capable of allowing or doing a lot of things but I never expected that we will get to a point that a diasporan entertainer will walk into and literally fly drones across Jubilee House.
“Jubilee House is supposed to be one of the areas that aircraft, at a certain height, cannot go, you will want to define it as a no flight zone.
“To that extent, if you as a media person, you dared to fly a drone or something for news purposes into the area, chances are that they will shoot it down and whoever it belongs to will be prosecuted. This is not limited to only Ghana, it is everywhere because that is the seat of government, that is the seat of the executive where you have the first and second gentlemen of the land.”
Following public uproar, Meek Mill apologized for the controversial music video and has since deleted it.
In a tweet, Meek Mill said, “my apologies to the people if any disrespected. We still gonna push to make the connection between black people in America and Africa.. What I’m trying to do is more than a video and you should see coming soon. My apologies to the office [of the President] also”.
Meek Mill visited Ghana and performed at the AfroNation concert on Thursday, December 29, 2022.
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has asked all district health directorates and facilities in the Bono Region to strengthen surveillance on Cholera and other diseases of epidemic potential.
This follows the recording of a case involving a 10-year-old girl in the Dormaa Municipality.
According to the alert, issued by Bono Regional Director of Health Dr Kofi Amo-Kodieh, all heads of health facilities in the Region have been asked to conduct investigations into all suspected cases and collect specimens for laboratory confirmation.
“You are also to intensify education on the prevention of cholera and other epidemic-prone diseases,” the alert said.
All medical directors have, therefore, been further asked to submit an updated epidermic preparedness plan for cholera to the Regional Health Directorate through the Disease Surveillance Unit by Monday, January 16.
Public sector workers are left with mixed feelings as to whether they will be receiving their Cost of Living Allowance with the commencement of a new year.
The 15% Cost of Living Allowance, which was introduced last year to cushion public sector workers against the economic hardship expired in December 2022.
In a report on Joy News’ AM Show, it was revealed by the President of Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr. Frank Serebour that, they are not expecting the allowance this month (January) as issues regarding extension of same are yet to be discussed.
The president of the association also noted that, salaries of public sector workers will see a 15% dip should government decide not to extend the allowance.
“The issue of COLA has not even been discussed and as we speak, January, essentially COLA will not be paid because we have not agreed on the fact that COLA should be paid because COLA was supposed to end in December. So the 15% will go off and if we are not able to conclude, that’d essentially mean that salaries of public sector workers will see a 15% dip, so we need to conclude,” Dr. Frank Serebour said.
However, President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwifery Association (GRNMA), Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo expects the allowance to be paid.
She said that, the cost of living allowance should run till they are done with a base pay negotiation.
“…we are all expecting, is for the ‘COLA to run, until we are done with the base pay negotiations and then, the directive is given to Controller to implement. Then, I think we will have some peace,” she stated.
She also added that the payment of the allowance is necessary to avert any possible agitations.
Nzema Koyele Eku, a group of Nzema natives has accused Louisa Arde, the municipal chief executive of Jomoro, of liaising with the police and a few chiefs to sabotage their annual games of fun and humanitarian aid despite a court order.
In a statement copied to GhanaWeb, the group said it scheduled the maiden edition of the annual event aimed at fostering unity and development for January 2, 2023, to climax its activities for 2022.
According to the group however, on the day of the said event which was to take place at Half-Assini, the President and Omahene of the Western Nzema Traditional Council, Awulae Annor Adjaye III and one Nana Ayebie Amihere with the tacit approval of the MCE stopped the event.
“Unfortunately, Awulae Annor Adjei III of Beyin and Nana Ayebie Amihere VI of Half – Assini decided to kick against the program. They succeeded in getting the MCE who is also the Chairperson of the Jomoro Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) side with them to make sure that the program did not materialize.
“The Association, through its legal team, filed for an Injunction at the Sekondi High Court. The Injunction was granted and served on Wednesday, 28th December, 2022 to all the above-mentioned individuals and the police refraining them from stopping the program to come on. The Regional Police Command and the IGP were copied accordingly,” the group said.
The group said despite an assurance by the Western Regional Police Command to provide security for the event, armed macho men from the palace of the chiefs stormed the venue and destroyed materials meant for the hosting of the event amidst violence.
“On Monday, 2nd January, 2023, at exactly 8:00am, whiles tents and chairs were being mounted/arranged we heard asafo drums beat from the chief’s palace towards our end with men wilding cutlasses at the same time some pickups and some minibuses full of armed macho men pull over and stationed themselves in front of the venue where we were mounting the canopies. As soon as the chief’s armed men got to the venue and begun attacking us, the macho guys came out of their vehicles aiding them to vandalize everything around. After destroying everything the policemen from Takoradi arrived at the place, called these guys to order and asked the organizers to rearrange the place while they took these guys to the police station,” the group said.
The Nzema Koyele Eku noted that the thugs after they were arrested by the police returned to the scene and unleash violence on the organisers, this time with no intervention from the police.
According to the group, while it has chosen to seek peace despite the violence, they find it worrying that “Awulae Annor Adjei III of Beyin and Nana Ayebie Amihere VI of Half – Assini together with the MCE (Hon. Louisa Arde) and the police, decided to go contrary to the High Court Injunction and prevented the program from happening.”
Jomoro MCE, chiefs accused of stopping humanitarian event despite court order
An association of Nzema indigenes, Nzema Koyele Eku, has accused the Municipal Chief Executive of Jomoro, Louisa Arde, of collaborating with the police and some chiefs to stop their annual humanitarian aid and fun games despite a court injunction.
In a statement copied to GhanaWeb, the group said it scheduled the maiden edition of the annual event aimed at fostering unity and development for January 2, 2023, to climax its activities in 2022.
According to the group, however, on the day of the event which was to take place at Half-Assini, the President and Omahene of the Western Nzema Traditional Council, Awulae Annor Adjaye III, and one Nana Ayebie Amihere, with the tacit approval of the MCE, stopped the event.
“Unfortunately, Awulae Annor Adjei III of Beyin and Nana Ayebie Amihere VI of Half – Assini decided to kick against the program. They succeeded in getting the MCE, who is also the Chairperson of the Jomoro Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) side with them to make sure that the program did not materialize.
“The association, through its legal team, filed for an injunction at the Sekondi High Court. The injunction was granted and served on Wednesday, 28th December, 2022 to all the above-mentioned individuals and the police, refraining them from stopping the program from continuing. The Regional Police Command and the IGP were copied accordingly,” the group said.
The group said despite an assurance by the Western Regional Police Command to provide security for the event, armed macho men from the palace of the chiefs stormed the venue and destroyed materials meant for the hosting of the event amidst violence.
“On Monday, 2nd January, 2023, at exactly 8:00 am, while tents and chairs were being mounted/arranged we heard asafo drums beat from the chief’s palace towards our end with men wilding cutlasses at the same time some pickups and some minibuses full of armed macho men pull over and stationed themselves in front of the venue where we were mounting the canopies. As soon as the chief’s armed men got to the venue and begun attacking us, the macho guys came out of their vehicles aiding them to vandalize everything around. After destroying everything the policemen from Takoradi arrived at the place, called these guys to order and asked the organizers to rearrange the place while they took these guys to the police station,” the group said.
The Nzema Koyele Eku noted that the thugs, after they were arrested by the police, returned to the scene and unleashed violence on the organisers, this time with no intervention from the police.
According to the group, while it has chosen to seek peace despite the violence, they find it worrying that “Awulae Annor Adjei III of Beyin and Nana Ayebie Amihere VI of Half-Assini, together with the MCE (Hon. Louisa Arde) and the police, decided to go contrary to the High Court Injunction and prevented the program from happening.”
Read the group’s full statement below:
Brief report on “Koyele Humanitarian Aid and Fun Games Day 2023”
Nzema Koyele Eku is an Association of notable Nzema indigenes, from both home and abroad, which has been duly incorporated under the Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992) with registration number CG191640621. The Association’s objective is to help foster unity among all Nzemas, facilitate or spearhead development in the various communities through unity and a sense of purpose for the greater good of the Nzemaland. Our programs also include humanitarian aid to people in our communities.
Climaxing the Association’s activities for the 2022 year period, a maiden/annual celebration dabbed “Nzema Koyele Humanitarian Aid and Fun Games Day 2023” was organized. The planning committee elected Half – Assini in the Jomoro Municipality as the venue and 2nd January, 2023 as the date for the program. This program was well received by all well-meaning Nzemas.
The purpose of this program was to celebrate the festive season with about 300 selected widows within the Jomoro Municipality of the Nzemaland through a well-organized get together, wining and dining with them after which numerous gifts were arranged to be given to them.
Unfortunately, Awulae Annor Adjei III of Beyin and Nana Ayebie Amihere VI of Half – Assini decided to kick against the program. They succeeded in getting the MCE who is also the Chairperson of the Jomoro Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) side with them to make sure that the program did not materialize.
The Association, through its legal team, filed for an Injunction at the Sekondi High Court. The Injunction was granted and served on Wednesday, 28th December, 2022 to all the above-mentioned individuals and the police refraining them from stopping the program to come on. The Regional Police Command and the IGP were copied accordingly.
Upon several deliberations, the western regional police command agreed to provide security for the organizers: to make sure that no one causes any havoc, before, during and after the program.
On Monday, 2nd January, 2023, at exactly 8:00am, whiles tents and chairs were being mounted/arranged we heard asafo drums beat from the chief’s palace towards our end with men wilding cutlasses at the same time some pick ups and some mini buses full of armed macho men pull over and stationed themselves in front of the venue where we were mounting the canopies. As soon as the chief’s armed men got to the venue and begun attacking us, the macho guys came out of their vehicles aiding them to vandalize everything around. After destroying everything the police men from Takoradi arrived at the place, called these guys to order and asked the organizers to rearrange the place while they took these guys to the police station.
Again, for the second time, these same tugs came back, this time around the police did not show up. They started beating the organizers and vandalizing the place again. This sent a great signal to us that the police has also taken side with the them to destroy the program. They destroyed the tents and chairs and other items meant for the program and packed off all the canopied and chairs to the police station.
As well-meaning indigenes, the youth and organizers decided not to fight back but to let peace reign. We packaged the already cooked food and share them to the women who have come from far and near.
So, upon the court restriction, Awulae Annor Adjei III of Beyin and Nana Ayebie Amihere VI of Half – Assini together with the MCE (Hon. Louisa Arde) and the police, decided to go contrary to the High Court Injunction and prevented the program from happening.
According to JoyNews sources, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the minister of food and agriculture, may submit his resignation today.
This comes four days after Trade Minister, Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, resigned from the government.
It is not clear yet the rationale behind Dr Akoto’s expected move.
Presidential Affairs correspondent, Elton Brobbey, says the Minister is expected to meet President Akufo-Addo later this afternoon to formally communicate his intention.
“We are told that there has been verbal communication regarding this matter so it is not a surprise to President Akufo-Addo. But what we are picking up is that at 2 pm when he meets the President, he will formally announce his resignation,” he said on Tuesday.
Dr Afriyie Akoto has been tipped as one of the personalities eyeing the flagbrearership position of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of the 2024 elections.
Critics say this may be a tactic to allow him to concentrate on the leadership ambition of his party.
The Ghana Union of Traders Association has appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to appoint a person of the same stature as Mr Alan Kyerematen to be the next Minister of Trade and Industry following the resignation of Mr Kyerematen.
The union indicated that Mr Kyerematen did an excellent job while in office therefore, they expect the new substantive appointee to follow suit.
“The Ghana Union of Traders’ Associations (GUTA) is deeply saddened by the news of the sudden resignation of the Trade and Industry Minister, Hon. Alan Kyerematen.
“All those who know him and happen to have come in contact with this affable gentleman will attest to the fact that he is an astute politician, a very humble public servant, versed in his area of duty, coupled with excellent human relations which have endeared him to all who have happened to meet him on matters of trade and industry, especially, those of us in the private sector.
“We can confidently say that he has performed excellently and left an indelible footprint that will ever remain in our memories. So we see him as an asset not only to Ghana but also to the sub-regional and continental blocs, as well as the entire globe”, parts of the Press Statement from GUTA reads.
Following Mr Kyerematen’s resignation, the President asked the Minister for Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, to act as caretaker Minister at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, until a substantive appointment is made.
Mr Akufo-Addo on Friday, 6th January 2023, accepted the resignation from office of Mr Alan Kyerematen.
This was after Mr Kyerematen, on Thursday, 5th January, informed him personally of his decision to resign, and subsequently submitted his letter of resignation to him.
President Akufo-Addo thanked Mr Kyerematen for his services to his government and to the country, and wished him well in his future endeavours.
According to Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a member of parliament for North Tongu, there is justification to assume that American rapper Meek Mill’s apology to Ghanaians is genuine.
In a Facebook post sighted by GhanaWeb, the MP has called on Ghanaians to forgive the rapper, who has been under heavy criticism for sharing snippets of a music video with shots from Ghana’s presidency.
“It does appear Meek Mill’s multiple apologies to Ghanaians are quite sincere & should be accepted by all,” he wrote.
The rapper, following widespread criticism coupled with allegations of him desecrating the Jubilee House, issued an apology to Ghanaians, saying he never meant to disrespect the country or the presidency.
“To the people of Ghana no video I drop is ever meant to disrespect the people of Ghana …. The fastest way to make connection is thru music and I wanted to do that with displaying art … im in my 30’s from America and didn’t know much about the lifestyle here,” his first apology shared in a series of tweets on Monday, January 9, 2023 said.
“My apologies to the people if any disrespect! We still gonna push to make the connection between black people in America and Africa … what I’m trying to do is more than a video and you should see coming soon! My apologies to the the office also!” it read.
“I don’t think they knew it was video footage when we asked to shoot its a small camera and one kid … in America we didn’t know this existed and was excited to show because they don’t show Ghana on our media much! So I’ll take responsibility for my mistake! Not intentional,” he added.
Despite asking that the rapper be forgiven for his gaffe, Mr. Ablakwa, who has asked for a probe into the incident and appropriate sanctions to be applied to culpable individuals, said the admission by Meek Mill has further justified his call.
“My only serious reservation, however, is his claim that he engaged in all that deplorable desecration & major security breach on the blind side of officials.
“Is the President safe? Is Ghana safe?” he questioned.
“This has, without a scintilla of doubt, further justified earlier demands for urgent investigations & severe sanctions,” the opposition MP added.
Meek Mill shared the video on his Instagram page after he visited the presidency following his recent trip to Ghana.
In the video shared by the rapper on his Instagram page, Meek Mill is captured in different places at the presidency from the frontage, through the main corridors, in the main conference hall—at a point positioned behind the presidential lectern—and later in a sitting area rapping.
His critics have cited security and moral concerns about the rapper’s actions.
Meanwhile, Meek Mill has since deleted the video, which has gone viral on social media.
After it was revealed that American rapper Meek Mill had gotten entry to the Jubilee House, had the privilege of seeing the president, and also had the opportunity to make some of a music video, Nigerians on Twitter had a field day making fun of Ghanaians.
“Ghana had to go so low just to sell Ghana. Given Meek Mill a pass to shoot a music video in their presidential house “Jubilee”. Thats some disrespect man. Meek Mill can’t try that in the White House. E nor fit try am for Aso Rock if he eventually visit naija,” a tweep with the handle @Olise_Emmanuel posted.
Aso Rock is the equivalent of Jubilee House, it is Nigeria’s presidential villa as they call it and most Nigerians are without a shred of doubt that Meek Mill will be lucky to be allowed in the Villa in the first place.
This is the latest installment in the Ghana versus Nigeria social media banter which in recent times is rooted on which country has the best jollof rice.
Ghana going back to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Twitter choosing to open its offices in Ghana are some other incidents that have triggered banter on especially Twitter.
Meek Mill vs. Ghana social media: What happened?
Meek Mill, Jubilee House and White House have been in Ghana’s Twitter trends since January 8, 2022 when the musician released a promo for his new video.
The video was taken when he met with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House late last year when he came to town for a musical concert.
Social media users were incensed about what they describe as near desecration of the presidency, citing moral and security grounds.
Meek Mill is sighted in different places at the presidency, from the frontage, through the main corridors, in the main conference hall – at a point positioned behind the presidential lectern – and later in a sitting area, rapping.
Meek Mill has since the outrage on social media deleted the controversial video and also rendered an unqualified apology to Ghanaians and to the presidency for the brouhaha he had caused.
The remarks made by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on the activities of Akonta Mining have drawn criticism from a former president.
In the view of Mr Mahama, the comments by the President should not be allowed to thwart the investigation on the activities of the company.
President Akufo-Addo exonerated Akonta Mining Company Limited from any wrongdoing, stressing that the Company is not involved in any illegal mining anywhere in Ghana.
In a remark after concerns about the menace came to the fore at the 28th National and 16th Biennial Congress of the National Union of Ghana Catholic Diocesan Priests Association held in Koforidua, he said “Let me respond briefly to the chairperson on the issue of illegal mining.
“I want to assure him and all of you that Akonta Mining is not engaged in any illegal mining anywhere in Ghana as we speak.
“Further, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has through the agency of the Forestry Commission with the assistance of the military made the effort to cordon off all 294 sites of forest reserves in the country and rid them of illegal mining as we speak.”
President Akufo-Addo was responding to a concern expressed by the chairperson of the occasion, Ing. Ken Ashigbey, regarding Akonta Mining Company Limited’s supposed infraction of the laws to mine in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Western North Region.
Despite having a mining lease, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in October, 2022 stopped Akonta Mining Company Limited, owned by New Patriotic Party’s Ashanti Region Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, from mining in the forest reserve.
The issue is under investigation by the Special Prosecutor.
Commenting on this in a statement, Mr Mahama said “That penchant by the president to absolve his appointees and other close associates of any wrongdoing as he has done with the ongoing investigations into the operations of Akonta Mining Company is a serious dent on the already deteriorating image of the Office of the President.
“As though proud of that dishonourable badge, ‘the clearing agent’, Nana Akufo-Addo has yet again justified the appropriateness of his nickname with the seeming presidential exoneration of Akonta Mining, a company owned by a member of his political party (NPP) and accused of illegal gold mining in the country’s forest reserves.
“The shocking impudence is how and when he even did that at a public event called by the country’s catholic clergy.”
Below is the full statement…
It is unacceptable that President Nana Akufo-Addo has consistently put pressure on state anti-corruption institutions by announcing clearance of appointees and companies that are under investigation for wrongdoing.
That penchant by the president to absolve his appointees and other close associates of any wrongdoing as he has done with the ongoing investigations into the operations of Akonta Mining Company is a serious dent on the already deteriorating image of the Office of the President.
As though proud of that dishonourable badge, ‘the clearing agent’, Nana Akufo-Addo has yet again justified the appropriateness of his nickname with the seeming presidential exoneration of Akonta Mining, a company owned by a member of his political party (NPP) and accused of illegal gold mining in the country’s forest reserves.
The shocking impudence is how and when he even did that at a public event called by the country’s catholic clergy.
Fortunately, and unfortunately, we are told by the owner of Akonta Mining that the Minister has explained to him they were forced to unwillingly act against his company because of public pressure from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), CSOs and NGOs. He also very alarmingly said the President called him ostensibly to appease him over Government’s action and that the Office of Special Prosecutor cannot touch him.
This is a sad commentary for a country that has in the past been held up in Africa as the poster boy for rule of law and democratic governance.
This sad development also erodes the years of hard work, which has earned Ghana international appeal in climate change and sustainable development discourse globally.
In addition, the President’s comment cannot be allowed to override or become a substitute for the statutory mandate granted the investigative bodies of Ghana by the Constitution.
Such acts fly in the face of justice and the fight against corruption, and of course erodes the faith of our citizens in our democracy.
As enjoined by our National Anthem to “cherish fearless honesty” and “resist oppressors’ rule,” we must all as citizens support the anti-corruption institutions to carry out their duties fairly and courageously without undue interference by any influences.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a member of parliament representing the North Tongu constituency, has said that the minority in parliament would not give up on efforts to impose penalties on those who permitted American rapper Meek Mill to film a music video at the Jubilee House, the seat of government.
Mr. Ablakwa insists that Meek Mill did not only desecrate the Jubilee House with his explicit lyrics in the music video but also breached the country’s security hence heads must roll.
Speaking in an interview with Citi News‘ Fred Duhoe, Mr. Ablakwa said: “Sanctions must be meted out to those in charge of security. There’s always someone who gives final authorization, who opens the doors, who is in charge of security at the Jubilee House. All those people in the chain of command, who have brought this monumental disgrace to this country must be shown the exit.”
“I can assure you that this not a matter that we in the opposition will raise and allow it to die out. We in the Minority will pursue this matter vigorously. We will continue to demand answers as a house with a constitutional mandate of oversight. We will pursue this matter and ensure that sanctions do apply. This also poses a security risk even to successive governments,” he added.
Background
After performing at the Afronation Concert in Ghana on December 29, 2022, American rapper, Meek Mill, was invited to the Jubilee House by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Days after the visit, he released a music video with explicit lyrics on Instagram which was shot at the Jubilee House.
Some Ghanaians were angry with the development because they are often prevented from filming at national security installations and sometimes molested yet a foreigner was given full access to the Jubilee House.
Meek Mill subsequently apologised for the video saying it was not in any way meant to disrespect Ghanaians or the Presidency.
Former President, John Mahama, has described as unacceptable and disturbing comments by President Nana Akufo-Addo absolving Akonta Mine of any illegality despite ongoing investigations by the Special Prosecutor.
In a post on Facebook, the former President said the penchant of president Akufo-Addo to absolve his appointees and party officials from any wrongdoing is a severe dent in the already deteriorating image of the presidency.
“As though proud of that dishonourable badge, ‘the clearing agent’, Nana Akufo-Addo has yet again justified the appropriateness of his nickname with the seeming presidential exoneration of Akonta Mining, a company owned by a member of his political party (NPP) and accused of illegal gold mining in the country’s forest reserves.”
“This sad development also erodes the years of hard work, which has earned Ghana international appeal in climate change and sustainable development discourse globally.”
President Akufo-Addo speaking at the 28th National and 16th Biennial Congress of the National Union of Ghana Catholic Diocesan Priests Association in Koforidua cleared the mining firm owned by the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako popularly known as Chairman Wontumi of any wrongdoing.
“I want to assure you all that Akonta Mine has not engaged in any form of illegal mining anywhere in Ghana as we speak,” the President said.
The mining firm is currently under investigation by the Special Prosecutor.
Below is the full post by John Mahama
It is unacceptable that President Nana Akufo-Addo has consistently put pressure on state anti-corruption institutions by announcing clearance of appointees and companies that are under investigation for wrongdoing.
That penchant by the president to absolve his appointees and other close associates of any wrongdoing as he has done with the ongoing investigations into the operations of Akonta Mining Company is a serious dent on the already deteriorating image of the Office of the President.
As though proud of that dishonourable badge, ‘the clearing agent’, Nana Akufo-Addo has yet again justified the appropriateness of his nickname with the seeming presidential exoneration of Akonta Mining, a company owned by a member of his political party (NPP) and accused of illegal gold mining in the country’s forest reserves.
The shocking impudence is how and when he even did that at a public event called by the country’s catholic clergy.
Fortunately, and unfortunately, we are told by the owner of Akonta Mining that the Minister has explained to him they were forced to unwillingly act against his company because of public pressure from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), CSOs and NGOs. He also very alarmingly said the President called him ostensibly to appease him over Government’s action and that the Office of Special Prosecutor cannot touch him.
This is a sad commentary for a country that has in the past been held up in Africa as the poster boy for the rule of law and democratic governance.
This sad development also erodes the years of hard work, which has earned Ghana international appeal in climate change and sustainable development discourse globally.
In addition, the President’s comment cannot be allowed to override or become a substitute for the statutory mandate granted the investigative bodies of Ghana by the Constitution.
Such acts fly in the face of justice and the fight against corruption, and of course erodes the faith of our citizens in our democracy.
As enjoined by our National Anthem to “cherish fearless honesty” and “resist oppressors’ rule,” we must all as citizens support the anti-corruption institutions to carry out their duties fairly and courageously without undue interference by any influences.
In three tweets posted on January 9, 2023; American rapper Meek Mill explained the circumstances around which he filmed footage in and around the Jubilee House.
Government had been under incessant pressure to address how the rapper filmed footage when he visited President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in December 2022 when he was in town for the Afro Nation concert.
Mill apologized to Ghanaians and to the presidency for the manner in which a music video promo he had put together had generated controversy and heavy social media backlash.
He posted the video on his Instagram reel but switched to Twitter to render his apology.
“To the people of Ghana no video I drop is ever meant to disrespect the people of Ghana …. The fastest way to make connection is thru music and I wanted to do that with displaying art … im in my 30’s from America and didn’t know much about the lifestyle here,” his first apology tweet read.
He followed it up with another apology, again to the Ghanaian people but also the presidency:
“My apologies to the people if any disrespect! We still gonna push to make the connection between black people in America and Africa … what I’m trying to do is more than a video and you should see coming soon! My apologies to the the office also!” it read.
When a Ghanaian blogger tweeted that the outrage was not targeted at him per se but at the presidency, he explained how he procured the footage.
“I don’t think they knew it was video footage when we asked to shoot its a small camera and one kid … in America we didn’t know this existed and was excited to show because they don’t show Ghana on our media much! So I’ll take responsibility for my mistake! Not intentional,” he added.
Venezuela’s opposition has voted to dissolve its parallel government and remove its leader, Juan Guaidó.
The move comes four years after Mr Guaidó declared himself president following the re-election of Nicolás Maduro in disputed polls.
He was recognised by many Western countries, including the US, but failed to oust the left-wing president.
The vote shows how most opposition politicians in Venezuela have lost faith in Mr Guaidó.
The National Assembly voted 72 to 29 to abolish his interim government.
Lawmakers also voted to appoint a commission to govern the country’s foreign assets, as they seek a united front ahead of elections scheduled for 2024.
Image caption,Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has grown increasingly authoritarian since his election in 2013
During talks in Mexico, the two issued a joint statement requesting that billions of dollars frozen abroad be released to help fund social projects.
It followed years of failed attempts to solve a political deadlock.
In response, the US said that it would allow the American oil company Chevron to resume some activity in Venezuela.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will request leave from the high-security Belmarsh Prison to attend Dame Vivienne Westwood’s funeral, his wife says.
Dame Vivienne was a vocal supporter and friend of Mr Assange for more than a decade, famously protesting against his incarceration suspended in a bird cage.
She died in London on Thursday aged 81.
Mr Assange is fighting extradition to the US on charges related to the publication of thousands of classified documents in 2010 and 2011.
“She was a huge friend, a great supporter, and it’s an enormous loss,” she added.
Asked how she intended to represent her husband at the funeral, she said: “Julian’s going to put in a request to be able to attend.”
Prison service spokesman Alan Selby told the BBC that it was unlikely such a request would be granted as this kind of leave was only meant for close relatives.
However, there was no explicit ban, he said, and it was up to prison governors to decide on a case-by-case basis.
A relevant guidance document states that applications should “balance security considerations with those of decency, and should only be refused on security grounds”.
Details of Dame Vivienne’s funeral have not yet been made public.
The Derbyshire-born designer made her name with her controversial punk and new wave styles in the 1970s and went on to dress a number of big stars.
Mr Assange himself described her as a “pillar of the anti-establishment”, in comments released by his wife.
He saluted Dame Vivienne’s creativity and friendship, saying she would be “missed terribly by me and many others”.
One headline-grabbing show of support for the Wikileaks founder saw Dame Vivienne suspending herself inside a large cage outside the Old Bailey in 2020.
She condemned her friend’s detention as a “stitch-up”, and led other protesters in chanting for his release.
She cemented her friendship with Mr Assange by visiting him during his long stay at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Mrs Assange said.
Mr Assange took refuge there for seven years, seeking asylum to avoid extradition. As well as his work with Wikileaks, he faced a rape allegation in Sweden. That investigation was later dropped.
But he was removed from the embassy in 2019 and imprisoned, and now faces a US trial over a leak of military information.
A request to hand him over has been approved by the UK government. However, Mr Assange is battling this, and has said the case against him is politically motivated.
Image caption,Stella Assange wore a dress designed by Dame Vivienne during her small-scale wedding at Belmarsh Prison earlier this year
In a statement jointly undersigned by the Association’s President, Thomas Elorm Tagbotor and PRO, Emmanuel Owusu, GRASAG noted that the proposed increments will affect undergraduate students, hence their concern.
The group added that, the decision comes at a time of economic hardship, and therefore their resistance to the proposed upward adjustments.
It therefore called on the government and other relevant stakeholders to freeze the upward review of fees for the upcoming academic year.
“GRASAG members all over the country have been hit hard by the economic downturn, and an increase in university fees, we believe, will exacerbate the situation”, portions of the statement said.
Page 1 of the statement form GRASAG
The Association further stated that it has received a lot of disturbing news from its members on how this increment will negatively impact their finances, hence the call for government and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to “halt the implementation of this increment indefinitely to allow for further engagements with all relevant stakeholders, including Student Unions”.
Page 2 of GRASAG’s move against the increment of fees
“We would like to state unequivocally that GRASAG will oppose any attempt by the any University Management to impose the increment on our members without extensive engagements with all relevant stakeholders.
Finally, we want to encourage our members to remain calm while we take steps to intervene in this matter”, the statement concluded.
The call by the students union comes on the back of some announced increments in fees by some tertiary institutions across the country.
This has been met with fierce resistance from some aggrieved students who have expressed their displeasure over the development.
In a series of tweets and other social media posts monitored by MyJoyOnline.com, the visibly displeased students have bemoaned the increments; stressing its adverse economic impact on them.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) says it is working around the clock to resolve the impasse between students and the various managers of public universities across the country.
Russia attacked Ukraine with 16 Iranian-made drones overnight – with seven of them targeted at the capital, Kyiv, Ukrainian officials have said.
All of the drones were destroyed, according to Kyiv’s military.
A day earlier, on Thursday, a wave of Russian missiles was fired at cities across the country.
Russia says it has been striking energy and military targets to weaken Ukraine’s capacity to move army reserves and repair equipment.
In the capital, an air alert was announced after 02:00 local time on Friday and residents were urged to take shelter.
Five of the drones were shot down in the air and two “on approach”, said Vitali Klitschko, the city’s mayor.
Reuters news agency reported hearing several blasts, as well as the sound of anti-aircraft fire. But the attack seemed to be over by dawn, it added.
No-one was reported injured in Kyiv, but windows in two buildings were damaged, Mr Klitschko added.
A fire was also started by one of the drones in a four-storey administrative building, according to the presidential office.
Ukraine’s armed forces said the country had been hit by more than 180 strikes of different kinds in the past 24 hours – mostly on energy infrastructure, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The attack came from “various directions with air and sea-based cruise missiles”, the air force said, noting that a number of “kamikaze” drones had also been used.
At least three people were killed and six were wounded, according to Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky.
Moscow’s defence ministry described it as a “massive strike” against military sites using “long-range high-precision weapons”, adding the goal was achieved, according to state media.
Most were repelled, but there were power cuts in Kyiv, Odesa, Kherson, Lviv and other regions, said Mr Zelensky.
He stressed it would have been much worse without Ukraine’s air defence systems.
It is believed Russia has been using Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones in the Ukraine conflict since mid-September. Iran has denied this.
Each drone has explosives in a warhead on its nose and is designed to loiter over a target until it is instructed to attack.
Dozens of Russian attacks have pounded Ukraine in recent weeks, causing repeated power outages across the country.
Ukraine’s presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, described Thursday’s strikes as “evil” and accused Moscow of seeking “to destroy critical infrastructure and kill civilians en masse”.
Moscow has repeatedly denied targeting civilians in its missile strikes. However, President Vladimir Putin has recently admitted that Russian troops have been hitting Ukraine’s critical energy facilities.
The government in Kyiv has pleaded with Western leaders to provide it with additional air defences, and US President Joe Biden recently agreed to supply its Patriot system.
Thursday’s attack came just hours after the Kremlin rejected Ukraine’s suggestion that peace talks could begin in 2023.
Former Pope of the Catholic Church, Benedict XVI has died at the age of 95.
In a statement by the Vatican News, the Pope is said to have died in the Vatican at 9:34 on Saturday, December 31, 2022.
“With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. Further information will be provided as soon as possible,” the statement said.
Born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, the late Pope retired prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013.
He was elected Pope of the Catholic Church in 2005 following the death of Pope John Paul II.
He chose to be known as “Pope Emeritus” following his resignation in 2013.
His predecessor, Pope Francis, asked for prayers for the Pope Emeritus after announcing that Benedict XVI was “very ill.”
“Let us #PrayTogether for Pope Emeritus Benedict who is supporting the Church in silence. Let us ask the Lord to console him and to sustain him in this witness of love for the Church, until the end,” Pope Francis wrote in a Twitter post.
“With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican.
Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah, founder of the Glorious Word Power Ministries International has assured the Christian faithful of prophecies come 2022 31st Watch Night.
He has also tasked all prophets to defy the recent police caution against prophecies that could allegedly create fear and panic stressing that it was an obligation to speak what God has revealed to the clergy, be it good or bad.
Owusu Bempah in an interview with Dan Kwaku Yeboah TV on YouTube expressly disagreed with the police release asking Inspector-General of Police, George Akuffo Dampare to desist from issuing such statements.
“On this issue, we (clergy) disagree with Dampare. On 31st, we will prophesy come what may and, in all humility, unless God doesn’t speak to us. Tomorrow whatever God reveals, I will say it, what requires concealment I will treat as such.
“Every prophet should speak because failure to do so will mean we speak of our own. So Dampare and his team should reconvene another meeting and stop issuing that pre 31st night warning,” he added.
The renowned clergyman, who is also known as the Nation’s Prophet, explained that despite all the efforts Akufo-Addo was putting into governing the country, his achievements appear muted.
Owusu Bempah said it seems as though there is a blanket placed on the country which is obstructing the good works of the president from manifesting.
“Nana Akufo-Addo is doing a lot but it seems concealed because of this directive. It is as though there is a blanket draped over the country. How can a sitting president and his vice be hooted at in public? It is not normal,” he submitted.
Akufo-Addo was hooted at on three occasions over the course of the year, first at the Global Citizen Concert at the Black Star Square then twice during engagements outside Accra.
Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia on the other hand was booed at when he represented the president at the annual Hogbetsotso Za in the Volta Region.
“The president and his people should realise that something is not right. NPP came to power with a prophetic word. What myself and others saw showed that it was God who was bringing Akufo-Addo into office.
“In his first four years, things were very okay. Even as we speak, he is doing a lot but it seems that his efforts are concealed. There is a hand covering something and they must sit up. Any godly nation that rejects God will attract curses,” he added.https://www.youtube.com/embed/n9dBwg1lKxI
Owusu Bempah was very close to Akufo-Addo until they fell out after the clergyman was arrested and put before court over a public disturbance case.
Earlier this year, he announced that he was no longer on good terms with the president and that he had stopped praying for him and the government.
On Christmas day, however, he hosted Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia who appealed to him to remember the government in prayer.
North Korea has fired three short range ballistic missiles towards the sea to the east of the Korean peninsula, South Korea’s military says.
This latest volley comes five days after North Korea flew drones into South Korea’s airspace for the first time since 2017.
North Korea has launched more missiles this year than ever before.
Washington said the latest missile launches do not pose an immediate threat to the US or its allies.
The three short-range ballistic missiles were fired from around 08:00 local time (23:00 GMT) from North Hwanghae Province, south of the capital Pyongyang, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
“North Korea’s ballistic missile(s) launch is a grave provocation that undermines peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula as well as the international community,” they added.
The missiles flew about 350 km (217 miles), the South Korean military said.
Japan’s coastguard earlier said one missile had fallen into the sea.
Seoul fired warning shots and sent jets and attack helicopters to shoot down the aircraft, one of which flew close to the capital.
Earlier this month, the US and its Asian allies imposed sanctions on three senior North Korean officials associated with the country’s recent missile tests.
Relations between North and South Korea have deteriorated since South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s conservative government took office in May, promising a tougher stance towards Pyongyang.
North Korea has become more assertive under Kim Jong-un who has overseen much of the recent development of its weapons programme.
He recently said he wanted his country to have the world’s most powerful nuclear force and declared it an “irreversible” nuclear state.
Pioneering US TV broadcaster Barbara Walters has died aged 93 after a career spanning half a century.
She became the first US female network news anchor when she joined ABC News in 1976.
Born in Boston at the start of the Great Depression in 1929, she won 12 Emmy awards.
As well as every US president from Richard Nixon to Donald Trump, she interviewed a host of music and pop culture stars.
“Barbara Walters passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones,” said publicist Cindi Berger in a statement on Friday night.
“She lived her life with no regrets. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists, but for all women.”
The showbusiness booking agent’s daughter began her career in journalism in 1961 with NBC, where she became a segment producer of women’s interest stories.
She rose through the ranks of the male-dominated industry to make history in 1974 by becoming the first female co-host of a US news programme, on NBC’s morning-time Today Show.
Image caption,Walters was the first female co-host of a US news programme, on NBC’s morning-time Today Show
When she broke the glass ceiling again by becoming the first female network news anchor, on ABC’s evening bulletin, her unprecedented $1m salary made her a media superstar.
“I have been blessed with a life I never expected,” Walters said back in 2000 as she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
She retired from a 52-year career in 2014 with a last appearance on her daytime show, The View.
She was joined on the programme by Hillary Clinton and media mogul Oprah Winfrey, both frequent Walters interview subjects.
“I can’t believe this day has come, and I can’t believe it’s for real,” Ms Clinton told Walters.
Over her long career she interviewed a long list of world leaders including UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Cuban President Fidel Castro as well Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin.
She also interviewed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a few months after a public uprising that would eventually turn into the country’s civil war.
Tributes have been flooding in for Walters.
Journalist Dan Rather said that “journalism has lost a pillar of professionalism, courage, and integrity”.
News anchor Don Lemon tweeted: “She was obviously amazing on television but I selfishly loved spending time with her in person. Sitting next to her at a dinner party was the best seat in the house.
“With love, respect and admiration – rest in peace Barbara Walters.”
Oprah Winfrey described Walters as “such a powerful and gracious role model”.
Disney’s chief executive, Bob Iger, said “Barbara was a true legend, a pioneer not just for women in journalism but for journalism itself.
“She was a one-of-a-kind reporter who landed many of the most important interviews of our time, from heads of state and leaders of regimes to the biggest celebrities and sports icons.”
Anchor of ABC World News Tonight, David Muir, tweeted: “So often we toss around the words icon, legend, trailblazer – but Barbara Walters was all of these.
“And perhaps, above all else, Barbara Walters was brave. She paved the way for so many – we learned from her – and remain in awe of her to this day.”
ABC News Correspondent, Deborah Roberts, who worked alongside Walters, described her as an “inimitable trailblazer”.
Senator Chuck Schumer said: “Barbara Walters was a trailblazing journalist, so many of her interviews were unforgettable. She broke the glass ceiling for so many women and girls.”
American actress Lynda Carter said: “Barbara Walters was an American institution.
“As the first female national news anchor, she opened the door to endless possibilities for so many girls who wanted to work in TV, myself included. Her impact cannot be overstated.”
Singer Jennifer Hudson said: “A true trailblazer and icon! She lived a full life and leaves behind such a powerful legacy.”
NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabba said Walters “never flinched when questioning the world’s most powerful people”.
“She held them accountable. She cared about the truth and she made us care too. Fortunately, she inspired many other journalists to be just as unrelenting. We are all better off because of her.”
Actor Hugh Jackman said Walters was “a trail blazer, wickedly funny, generous, open-hearted and a good friend.
“She also gave some of the most memorable dinner parties we’ve ever been to.”
Cassandra Banda, the first wife of business mogul Alhaji Asuma Banda has reportedly filed for divorce after close to five decades of their union.
A report by mynewsgh.com cited court documents in which Mrs. Banda is seeking the annullment of their marriage with settlement.
She argues in the court papers that she should be awarded 60% of Banda’s estate citing the role she played in supporting the now-ailing millionaire from his early days when they met in London.
Cassandra met and married the then 41-year-old Asuma Banda in London in 1974 but she contends that the marriage “has now reached a point of irreconcilable differences after years of alleged philandering by her husband which she largely ignored,” the Mynewsgh.com report stated.
Alhaji Asuma Banda has recently been in the news after viral videos of a custody battle around his bedside at the 37 Military Hospital was circulated on social media.
His two sisters subsequently appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, former president John Mahama and the National Chief Imam to intervene in the custody issues.
A court has granted custody and care of Banda to his second wife Edwina Baaba Coussey Banda who he married in 1991.
The one-time Anktrak Air CEO turned 89 this year and will clock 90 years by next year June.
American rapper Meek Mill has made a U-turn over how he lost his iPhone last Thursday before his performance at the Afro Nation concert.
He announced on Instagram that he had been pickpocketed and his phone stolen in the process.
In about 24 hours, an appeal by musician Shatta Wale, reportedly led to the retrieval of the phone.
But when it was believed that the dust had settled on the matter, the police announced late Friday evening (December 30) the arrest of one Nuhu Sule alias Ababaawa, as the suspected thief of the phone.
In a tweet hours after the police announcement, Mill said he was not even sure how he lost the phone and that all he needed was to get it back.
“I coulda dropped that phone on a dirt bike I don’t actually know for a fact somebody went in my pocket! I got it back that’s all I needed I don’t need anybody locked up for a phone.., I don’t even know what happened to it,” he tweeted.
I coulda dropped that phone on a dirt bike I don’t actually know for a fact somebody went in my pocket! I got it back that’s all I needed I don’t need anybody locked up for a phone.., I don’t even know what happened to it— MeekMill (@MeekMill) December 31, 2022
The Bono Regional Minister, Mad. Justina Owusu Banahene has admonished parents to enjoy this festive season with January in mind because the children that will demand expensive clothes for Christmas will be the same children who need school fees.
In a statement to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, Mad. Owusu Banahene noted that while “we all need to enjoy the festive season, it is equally prudent to save somewhere untouched for use from January. Parents whose wards will be going back to school in January must also be extra careful with spending without planning how to take care of their ward’s fees in the coming weeks from January 9, 2023″.
“With the ever-increasing cost of living, parents need to be financially savvy and make tough but necessary decisions to scale down on festive spending this year.
“Sometimes it is worth waiting rather than impulsively spending on non-essential items and services which would only bring misery. In making festive spending, parents should always distinguish between needs and wants, otherwise, parents may begin the New Year with more debts than they intended.
“The festive season is here. So, while we gear up to soak all the fun and festivity, not keeping a tab on our spending habits could put us in a bit of a financial mess. In fact, there is always the danger of overspending or spending excessively during the festive season,” she advised.
