The managing editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jr has slammed the minority caucus in Parliament for not doing enough to stop the passage of the new Value Added Tax (VAT) Amendment law.
Pratt holds the view that if the minority caucus was determined to block the passage of the bill, they would have done all it takes to achieve that feat.
He compared them to the NPP MPs, stating that if it was the government that needed the bill to go through, they would have done everything possible to seal it.
“The vote on VAT, when they counted it, It was 136-135. Meaning that one NDC MP was not there to vote. We are being told that it was for medical reasons. Medical reasons can mean so many things.
“Maybe the father or aunt was sick. If she herself was not sick, then there is a problem. If the NPP was facing a critical vote like the VAT and one of them was critically ill and in surgery, they would have brought him in an ambulance, Let’s be serious.”
Parliament on Thursday, December 22,2022 passed the Vat Amendment Bill which will see a 2.5% increment on the rate.
How voting was done
Members of the Minority argued against the upward review of the VAT rate stating such a move could compound the hardship Ghanaians are already going through.
Ranking member for the Finance Committee Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and his deputy Isaac Adongo argued the timing was wrong.
The majority MPs, however, argued that the government needs the revenue to resuscitate the economy urging the NDC MPs to support the passage of the bill.
In the end, minority chief whip Muntaka Mubarak had to call for a head count after the voice vote.
The resistance of the NDC MPs was curtailed after the process, since they could only get 135 of their members against 136 of the majority.
Reports indicate that the decision by the minority leadership to not call for a division, that would’ve required secret voting, angered the backbenchers.
The VAT vote was the only one of eight items the minority caucus opposed in the 2023 Budget that it lost.
A potential flagbearer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kennedy Agyapong, has stated that if elected president, he will take steps to regularize galamsey.
Speaking in an Nsem PII TV video sighted by GhanaWeb, Ken Agyapong said that he is not going to destroy the business of galamseyers but rather provide them with the needed training and legalise their activities so that they can mine in an environmentally friendly way.
“The way galamseyers are destroying our water bodies, they should be registered under one body so that they can be regulated to make sure that they don’t destroy our forest, they don’t destroy our water bodies.
“When I come (become president), I will not say that their (the galamseyers’) work should be destroyed but we are going to regularise them, legalise their activities and give them the needed training,” he said Twi.
Ken Agyapong, the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, who was interacting with some Ghanaians in Nevada, USA, insisted that just as small-scale mining is done in America without destroying the environment, it can also be done in Ghana.
He added that allowing Ghanaians to own small-scale mining sites is better than fronting for foreigners to mine illegally.
The MP also said that one of the main reasons why galamsey is prevalent in Ghana is because there is no political will to stop it.
He added that politicians from both the NPP and the opposition, National Democratic Congress (NDC), are involved in the menace.
A specialist in family medicine at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Ghana’s Greater Accra Region, Dr. Ernest Anim-Opare, has defined the process of overcoming addiction as a long journey and a cycle.
Speaking on the GTV Breakfast Show on how to do away with or manage one’s addiction to alcohol, especially during the festive season, Dr. Anim-Opare generalised addiction as one that “needs a very meticulous process to be broken”.
He explained that for one who is addicted to either alcohol, gambling and hard drugs to break away, required, “a behavioral transition”.
According to him, the behavioral transition or cycle begins with the “precontemplation stage”. Here, he described as the stage where the individual may be hooked on something but may not be able to identify what it is or the dangers therein.
The second stage of the cycle, he termed as the “contemplation stage”. Here, the individual begins to realize the danger their deeds may have or lead them into and begin to reason into it. The third stage of the cycle, which is the “planning stage”, is where the individual plans or decides on refraining from some engagements or friends that lure or push him or her into such addictive acts.
The fourth stage of the cycle is the “action stage”. Here, Dr. Anim-Opare described as the stage where the plan of refraining from addictive acts is implemented or put to effective work. The “maintenance stage”, follows after the plan has been put into action for at least six months or more to see progress.
The last and final stage of the cycle is the “relapse stage”. This stage is where the individual after going through all the five stages explained above will have to go through guidance and counselling.
Dr. Anim-Opare described the relapse stage as one that is very essential in the breakaway process.
“The fact is that all five stages are not a linear journey but indeed a tough one.
The Ghanaian Armed Forces have reported unprovoked violent attacks on its soldiers by a number of communities in the Ashanti area, which is afflicted by illegal mining, while legitimate operations to drive away illegal gold miners, also known as “galamsey,” were underway.
The Ghana Armed Forces claims that despite the situation being alarming, these tendencies cannot dissuade the Forces from carrying out its mandate to assist the government in putting an end to environmentally destructive phenomena and that, going forward, any such unruly attitude toward soldiers will be met with the most suitable responses.
During this year’s West African Soldiers Social Activities at Kwadaso near Kumasi in the Ashanti region, Brigadier General Joseph Aphour, the General Officer Commanding the Central Command of the Ghana Armed Forces, issued the warning.
“The posture of some locals towards troops on anti-galamsey operations has been a cause of worry to us. There have been instances where some locals pelted troops with stones and other harmful materials which they laid their hands on. Some of these individuals sometimes wield deadly weapons at troops, all in attempt to frustrate us from undertaking our legally sanctioned duties. It is my hope that appropriate stakeholders would be impressed upon to caution these youth to desist from such acts to avoid any clash with the military and other security agencies”, the GOC cautioned.
He also issued a warning to soldiers who, alone or as part of a group, engage in clandestine activities because doing so is against operational protocol.
“I will also like to sound a note of caution to all troops to also refrain from indulging in illegal or one man operation. Any soldier who is found culpable of this unprofessional behaviour will be dealt with accordingly’’.
The General Officer Commanding the Central Command used the occasion to enumerate some progress made since he assumed duty in the regions under his command.
These include an ongoing construction of an accommodation for officers, provision of regular potable water supply systems at both the Command Headquarters and the Iddris Baracks, completion of the commercial water production factory with a delivery truck and a coconut plantation as additional income generation sources.
“ When I took office here the command major challenge included accommodation for troops, lack of portable water and other means of raising generation founds for day today management of the command. I’m happy to report that currently we no more have water problem in our barracks again. The commercial water project my predecessors started has also been completed. While 20 units accommodation for soldiers are also at the completion stage’’.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Simon Osei Mensah, noted that, the region is now relatively peaceful mainly due to the cooperation, unity and team work among the various security services.
He commended the Command of the Central Command also for the various initiatives to generate additional income to support what the government provides, which he admitted, is inadequate.
Mr. Osei Mensah, however, reminded the military that they have more work to do to ensure absolute peace and security in the region in the ensuing year.
“I know you are under resourced but with the little resources available at your deposal you have delivered for the region. I appreciate your efforts in maintaining law and order in your operational command, however more need to be done against the potential terrorism against the region the country as such. Remains committed to ensure you are appropriately resourced to carry your constitutional defense responsibility for the country’’.
The West African Soldiers Social Activities, WASSA, is an occasion for both soldiers and civilian staff of the Ghana Armed Forces to shed off some of the work-related stress through social activities with their families and other stakeholders.
This year’s edition for the staff of the Central Command of the Ghana Armed Forces is the first since the outbreak of COVID-19.
Nigerian national Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, 40, a prisoner, owned 15 acres of land in Ghana, Abbas is known on Instagram as “Ray Hushpuppi.”
The notorious prisoner, who is doing more than 11 years in a federal state prison in the United States of America for money laundering and fraudulent crimes, was reportedly fishing in Ghana, according to the reports.
The prolific international fraudster’s catfish farm is also said to have been discovered after documents were found in his home, according to thisis50.com.
The information also showed that Hushpuppi was in the process of expanding operations on the farm.
The documents also showed that once, Hushpuppi gave a female waitress $5,000 as a tip, as receipts found in his apartment during his arrest at the Palazzo Versace in Dubai showed.
Hushpuppi was arrested in Dubai in 2020 over an extensive fraud scheme that has robbed victims of their money in the U.S., Qatar, the United Kingdom, and other places.
He was extradited to the US, where he was charged with fraud and money laundering. He pleaded guilty to all charges levelled against him.
The socialite, however, bagged only 11 years in prison after he appealed to US Judge Otis Wright to tamper justice with mercy and a lighter jail term after scoring high in cleaning activities while in prison.
A member of parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, has criticized the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration’s National Buildings Corps (NABCO) initiative as a poor choice of strategy.
According to him, most of the trainees under the programme, who were posted to government agencies, were paid for no work done.
Speaking to some Ghanaians in Nevada, USA, in an audio-visual shared by Nsem Pii TV, Ken Agyapong said that the government should have used the money for the programme to establish factories that will provide decent employment to Ghanaian youth.
“The youth must take their destiny into their own hands, (but) then again, what police did we implement (to help with unemployment)? I think that we made was with the introduction of NABCO.
“NABCO trainees were posted to government offices and ministries where they were doing nothing and being paid GH¢700 every month.
“The money the government used (for NABCO) could have been used to establish industries that could have provided 20,000 permanent employment out of the 100,000 trainees to reduce the number of unemployed youth,” he said in Twi.
Agyapong, who has indicated his intention of contesting in the presidential primaries of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), noted that President Akufo-Addo should be praised for some of his policy initiatives, including the One District, One Factory programme.
Undoubtedly, 2022 will be one of the most difficult years Ghanaians have ever experienced, especially for those who did not experience the 1980s drought.
Many expect the father of the country, the president, to give hope to the citizenry with his public pronouncements. Unfortunately, some statements President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made added insult to injury for many Ghanaians.
The president’s comments that annoyed Ghanaians were mostly made during his tour of some parts of the country.
Here are three statements by Akufo-Addo that did not sit well with many Ghanaians:
To those of you saying bad things about me in the Ashanti Region, I will shame you all – Akufo-Addo
President Akufo-Addo, while speaking during a sod-cutting ceremony for the Suame Interchange on October 18, 2022, as part of his Ashanti Region tour, berated his political detractors in the region.
According to him, these people will be shamed one by one for the numerous things he has done for the people of the region, which is considered the ‘political world bank’ of his party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
President Akufo-Addo stated that for the past six years that he has been in office, the people of the Ashanti Region have benefitted enough from his government; therefore, his detractors cannot say otherwise.
“And to those of you going around saying bad things about me in the Ashanti Region, one after the other, they are all going to be shamed convincingly today, tomorrow and the day after.
“In spite of our present difficulties, which I know will be gone as soon as possible, I continue to be excited about the future prospects of the nation, and I urge all Ghanaians to join hands in building the Ghana that we want, we can realize it if we all work at it,” he said.
Your threats to vote against the NPP don’t frighten me – Akufo-Addo
The president once again raised eyebrows in an interview on OTEC FM during his tour of the Ashanti Region when he stated how unfazed he was about the NPP losing the next general elections.
He explained that while there are threats to vote against them, he is unmoved, adding that the intimidation of voting against the NPP due to unfulfilled promises or lack of development under his tenure is a voter’s personal decision he cannot be bothered about.
“People make those kinds of threats; they don’t frighten me. Somebody votes for you, and somebody supports you. It’s because they want you to do certain things for them. I understand that. But there is no need for people to say that if I am unable to do this and that… those are their own issues to deal with. Of course, I will do it (the road).
“But if it comes to the election and you choose to vote for the NDC, that is your own issue; that is not my worry because nobody holds your thumb to vote; it is your own work. The important thing is that I understand my responsibility, and we will deal with it,” the president said.
I’m not so sure if Aisha Huang was deported – Akufo-Addo
In September 2022, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo contradicted statements by some of his appointees that illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) kingpin, Aisha Huang, was deported from Ghana in 2018.
Speaking in an interview on Stone City Radio in Ho during his tour of the Volta Region, which GhanaWeb monitored, Akufo-Addo expressed uncertainty about whether Aisha Huang was deported.
According to the president, it is likely that the ‘galamsey’ queen was never deported but fled the country in 2018.
“… I am not still sure whether she was, in fact, deported or whether she fled the country the first time and has now come back or whatever. There still seems to be some uncertainty about it.
“Whichever way it is, she has become a sort of nickname for all that the ‘galamsey’ represents and also, unnfortunately, for the involvement of Chinese nationals in this illicit trade,” he said.
Oppong Nkrumah’s shocked expression after Akufo-Addo said Aisha Huang wasn’t deported.
In the first of a series of joint quarterly district dialogue held in Asankragua, in the Wassa Amenfi West district, the district assembly, representatives from other government agencies, cocoa companies, gold mining association and community representatives came together to discuss various commitments made that would support the elimination of forced and child labour in the local communities.
While progress has been made in recent years towards eradication of child labour, especially the impact of Covid-19 which saw schools shut down around the globe has exacerbated the situation putting an additional 9 million children at risk of child labour globally.
Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire account for over 60% of global cocoa production. While this significantly boosts the country’s economy, it has also brought serious challenges, including a rise in forced labour and child labour due to several factors including the above.
The government of Ghana and cocoa companies have made a lot of effort in interventions towards eradicating child and forced labour.
Nonetheless, the menace still persists and is a cause of concern to both producing and consuming countries.
It is because of this concern that the Norwegian government with funding through NORAD is working with Rainforest Alliance together with communities through its local partners, the Center for Social Impact Studies and New Generation Concern, to curb the menace.
In a plenary after group discussions, community representatives presented their concerns about interventions being implemented at the community level by government and cocoa companies/gold associations to eradicate child labour in the last four months. They also advocated for inclusion in discussions that leads to choice of interventions by companies and government that will best meet their needs and make an impact.
The Wassa Amenfi Municipal Assembly, as part of its commitment to eliminating child labour and the worst form of child labour, indicated that they will support community self-help initiatives in mining and cocoa communities to eradicate child labour.
To this end, the Municipality is urging local communities to submit to the District Assembly such initiatives for validation and support.
A Development Planning Officer of the Assembly, Cyril Ankomah, made this known at a dialogue on child and forced labour by the RainForest Alliance and their local partners in Asankragua.
According to the Assembly, reporting child labour cases is free, and called on people to support the Municipality in dealing with the menace.
Representative from CHRAJ, Social Welfare and NCCE present also mentioned what they have been doing so far and pledged their continuous support to collaborate with other stakeholders in raising awareness.
The Sustainability Officer of Touton Ghana Cocoa Buying Company, Manasseh Ameworlor, who spoke on behalf of cocoa companies at the meeting, reiterated their total commitment towards eliminating child labour in their operational areas.
He said the companies would continue to support schools with furniture, reading materials, and playgrounds and form climate-smart groups.
He urged RainForest Alliance and their local partners to organize regular dialogues since it keeps everyone in check regarding child and forced labour.
A consultant on the project, Elizabeth Adubofour, encouraged the stakeholders to work assiduously towards preventing, identifying and addressing forced and child labour whiles she encouraged the community members to be diligent in their work and contribute their quota towards this shared responsibility as they have roles to play in its eradication.
The Senior Project Manager (Forced and Child Labour), RainForest Alliance, Joyce Poku-Marboah, drew attention to the fact that there is difference between child work and child labour and not every work a child gets involved in is child labour.
She also called on government, cocoa and gold-mining companies to fulfill their commitments and be more proactive by committing to their own plans, strategies and activities designed to eliminate child and forced labour.
She said the district dialogue was premised on the grounds that child labour was a shared responsibility that required the involvement of all stakeholders to work to eliminate the practice from the sector.
“We Need to Collaborate. Together We Can!”
Present at the district dialogue were representatives from the district assembly (representing government), cocoa companies and goldmining associations, religious leaders, social welfare and community development, NCCE, CHRAJ and community volunteers and opinion leaders.
The President, Nana Addo Dankwa-Akufo-Addo, has urged Ghanaians in privileged circumstances to give back to the less fortunate individuals in society during this holiday season.
He further urged Ghanaians to offer some comfort to people who are in distress to avert any untoward circumstances in their lives.
The President believes the gesture will put some smiles on the faces of the poor and the needy.
“I urge all of us, to celebrate the season safely and responsibly, if you are in a more fortunate position, remember to lend a helping hand to those who are in need, let each one of us do our bit to help feed those who are hungry and offer comfort to those who are in distress,” the President said this his Christmas message to Ghanaians.
He expressed hope that Ghana will rise up again as his government works around the clock to prudently manage the economy.
“I am happy that in spite of it all, we are beginning to emerge out of the difficulties which encourages me to say that with hard work, dedication and continued prudence in the management of the affairs of our nation, we will rise up again,” the President added.
Due to the nation’s economic difficulties, this year’s Christmas appears a little different.
However, the political authorities in Ghana are urging the Ghanaians to have confidence and hope for the best in 2023.
The President of the Republic, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in a video message shared on social media, expressed optimism about the ability of Ghana’s economy to bounce back.
“I am happy that in spite of it all we are beginning to emerge out of the difficulties which encourages me to say that with hard work dedication and continued prudence in the management of the affairs of our nation, we will rise up again,” Akufo-Addo said.
The Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, in a tweet he shared, wished Ghanaians well and urged them to work together for a better 2023.
“May unity in serving the Republic be our mantra in 2023,” parts of his tweet read.
The Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, in a video message, said, “It is my prayer that this Christmas will fill you and your families with hope, joy, peace and above all good health”.
Below are some of the Christmas and New Year messages shared by Akufo-Addo, ex-President John Dramani Mahama and other politicians:
At the birth of Jesus, a bright star lit up in the sky and the wise men followed it with, gold, frankincense and myrrh. May this X’mas day, speedily bring, gold, frankincense and myrrh, your way in the mighty name of Jesus. I wish us all well. Ghana ???????? will not die. Shalom????❤️????— Samuel Koku Anyidoho???????? (@KokuAnyidoho) December 25, 2022
Wishing everyone in my constituency and beyond a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year. May this festive season bring lots of Joy and Happiness in everyone’s life. #TogetherWeCanpic.twitter.com/vuEGC3rqeT— Hon. Dorcas Affo-Toffey (@AfoDorcas) December 25, 2022
At the core of this festive season is the message of hope, peace and love. Despite these crushing economic challenges, I respectfully ask Ghanaians to take heart and collectively commit to the spirit of hope in entering the year 2023. Merry Christmas to you and your families. pic.twitter.com/H7rbVolZnW— Dr. Kwabena Duffuor (@DrDuffuor) December 25, 2022
Abdulai Osman from Larabanga and Fuseini Sumani from Damongo Atributo, both poachers who reside in the West Gonja Municipality in the Savannah Region, were apprehended in the Palma beat of the Mole National Park at around 6:30 p.m. on Friday, December 23, 2022.
The Poachers had killed an antelope and a waterbuck. The rangers at the Mole National Park who were on the field and has been tracking the two Poachers for some time managed to apprehend them.
The Park Manager of the Mole National Park Ali Mahama confirmed the arrest to Bole-based Nkilgi Fm and stated that; “the Poachers killed an antelope and a waterbuck”.
Mahama added; “We are wide awake and will make the Park a no-go area for all Poachers. Our duty is to protect the animals and we will do everything to protect them from Poachers”.
One of the contenders in the race has caught the attention of many Ghanaians as Nigerians get ready to cast ballots in February 2023 to choose new political leaders and a new president.
This is because of the slogan the candidate, Abdulrahnan Abdulrazaq, is using in his campaign, which is very common in Ghana too.
In a billboard spotted by GhanaWeb, the candidate, who is the current governor of Kwara State and is seeking re-election, had the inscription, “Four More To Do More.”
That slogan was very prominent in Ghana in 2020 because the sitting president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and his party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), used those same words in their re-election bid.
It has therefore become very interesting that the Nigerian politician, who is running on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), would also run with the same tagline.
Nigeria will hold its general elections on Saturday, February 25, 2023.
Senior Vice president of Imani Africa, Bight Simmons, asserted that the Ghanaian government spent $6 million on a consultant for the National Cathedral project.
According to him, it is unclear what has been done by this consultant, who he names as Cary Summers, to merit the amount of money as payment.
Sharing this in a tweet, Bright Simmons said this is a mystery.
“As the year draws to a close, one of the mysteries that remain unexplained is what Mr. Cary Summers did to earn ~$6 million as a consultant to Ghana’s ‘National Cathedral,” he wrote.
The Imani Vice President also questioned why the government of Ghana owes the Nehemiah Group, which has been involved in the creation, construction, and/or operations of numerous global projects over the last twenty years, one of which is Ghana’s National Cathedral.
“Why does Ghana still owe his Nehemiah Group? Maybe without the GHC80m to share in 2023, answers will come,” he added.
So far, there have been questions and doubts as to the progress of work on the $400 million project.
Details available on wikipedia.com say that by the end of 2022, the government of Ghana had spent over $58 million on the project, with about half of it going to architect David Adjaye’s firm, Adjacent & Associates.
The Glorious Word Power Ministry International’s founder and leader, Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah, has revealed his first prophecy for the upcoming year.
Usually, the man of God announces his prophecies on December 31 but on Christmas Day, Sunday, December 25, 2022, Owusu Bempah detailed a spiritual encounter he had which gives him confidence that 2023 will be a great year.
Addressing his congregation, he prophesied into their lives that their prayers will be answered in the coming year.
“I had a revelation that I was holding a mango. I saw another mango hanging and God asked me to hit the mango I was holding with the one hanging. I did just that and both mangoes fell into my hands. There will be blessings in 2023.
“Mangoes will fall into your hands. Something joyous will come to life. 2023 will be exciting. Don’t be surprised if you park your car here. Those without lands will buy land,” he said.
Reverend Owusu Bempah also promised his church members to expect fireworks on December 31, 2022, when he will announce new prophecies.
“This year’s 31st All Night will be different from the others. We will see things we’ve not seen before and Ghanaians will hear what they’ve never heard before.
“I’m very keen on the 31st night service and I can’t sleep. I wish tomorrow was 31st. It’s like Jesus rising to Heaven after his death. He was wild because he didn’t want anything to disturb him.
“In the World Cup, there is an Argentine player called Messi and I heard that he couldn’t sleep because of the game, I’ve meant 31st night more than Messi meant the World Cup,” he said.
Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bwumia on Sunday, December 25, 2022 visited Reverend Owusu Bempah’s church to mark Christmas Day.
Bawumia appealed to Reverend Owusu Bempah to continue praying for the Akufo-Addo-led government.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service has cautioned against what it terms to be charlatanic activities. In a statement issued on Friday, it warned the public to desist from such ventures.
“The activities which often begin with misleading advertisements on some mainstream and social media platforms lure unsuspecting members of the public including children, and deceive them into engaging in dubious acts, in the hope of getting rich overnight”, the police said.
Meanwhile, financial news portal, Bloomberg is predicting that the economy in the coming year could be worse than 2022 where government admitted huge headwinds that hit the economy with depreciation of the cedi and galloping inflation as main indicators.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has urged Apostle Isaac Owusu-Bempah, Head Pastor of the Glorious Word Power Miracles International, to remain praying for Ghana’s peace as well as on behalf of the administration.
Dr Bawumia indicated that Ghana has enjoyed peace due to the prayers of Men and Women of Ghana including Mr Owusu-Bempah.
He said this when he attended the Christmas church service at the Glorious Word Power Miracles International on Sunday December 25.
“Today, Ghana is one of the most peaceful countries, the most peaceful country in West Africa and the second most peaceful country in the whole of Africa, we should thank God.
“I believe that we are a peaceful country not by a coincidence but by the grace of God, we have men and women of God who keep praying for the this country and God is listening to our prayers.
“I want to thank Rev Owusu-Bempah for his prayers for this country I want to ask that he should continue praying for Ghana and the government.”
To help ensure accident-free holiday celebrations, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has urged the general public to think carefully about using electrical power sparingly.
Mr Richard Mac-Ekor, Ho District Manager of the Company said the hazards associated with improper electricity were more likely during the period and could ruin the celebrations for entire households and communities, therefore all must help ensure safe consumption.
The District Manager made the call while sending season’s greetings through the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to customers and the public.
“We have to manage our celebrations during the yuletide and be mindful that electricity can shorten our happiness if we don’t follow principles,” he said, reminding us of the need to switch off all gadgets and appliances when leaving homes and other premises.
He said the ECG was working round the clock throughout the period to ensure uninterrupted supply, and that although major offices took their annual breaks, vital sections including the faults and the various vending points remained operational.
The District Manager wished the public a happy season and advised to limit alcohol consumption to be able to “identify electrical hazards and avoid them.
“Despite a challenging year, we have hope because of His (Christ) birth,” he said.
Mrs Patience Amuzu, Volta Regional President of the Power Queens Club of the ECG, also called to “make merry with caution,” and said women should ensure electrical appliances received the needed attention to prevent hazards and accidents.
Three major non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have halted work in Afghanistan after women were banned from working for them by the Taliban.
In a joint statement, Care International, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and Save the Children said they would be unable to continue their work “without our female staff”.
The aid groups are “demanding” that women can continue to work for them.
Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban have been steadily repressing women’s rights.
The latest edict on NGOs came just days after the Taliban banned women from attending university.
Abdel Rahman Habib, spokesman for the Taliban’s ministry of economy, claimed female workers at the foreign aid groups had broken dress codes by not wearing hijabs.
The Taliban threatened to cancel the licence of any organisation that did not swiftly comply with the ban.
The leaders of Care, the NRC and Save the Children said the organisations “would not have jointly reached millions of Afghans in need since August 2021” were it not for their female staff.
“Whilst we gain clarity on this announcement, we are suspending our programmes, demanding that men and women can equally continue our lifesaving assistance in Afghanistan,” their statement added.
Ramiz Alakbarov, the United Nations’ top humanitarian coordinator, said the UN was trying to get the ban reversed and that it was a “red line for the entire humanitarian community”.
The United Nations could stop humanitarian aid delivery in Afghanistan if the Taliban authorities do not reverse their edict banning women aid workers, the official told the BBC.
But Mr Alakbarov said it was still unclear what the Taliban meant by its edict.
He said the Taliban’s minister of health had told the UN the agency should continue its health-related work and women could “report to work and discharge their services”.
Other ministries had also contacted the UN directly to say work in the areas of disaster management and emergencies should continue, he added.
Jan Egeland of the NRC said nearly 500 of the aid group’s 1400 workers were women, and that female staff had been operating “according to all traditional values, dress code, movement, [and] separation of offices”.
He said he hoped the decision would be “reversed in the next few days” and warned that millions would suffer if NGOs’ work was obstructed.
NGOs also expressed concern about the effect the ban would have on jobs “in the midst of an enormous economic crisis”.
Female Afghan NGO workers acting as the main earners in their household previously told the BBC of their fear and helplessness following the ban.
One asked: “If I cannot go to my job, who can support my family?” Another breadwinner called the news “shocking” and insisted she had complied with the Taliban’s strict dress code.
The ban triggered international outcry, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warning it would “disrupt vital and life-saving assistance to millions”.
Since seizing back control of the country last year, the Taliban has steadily restricted women’s rights – despite promising its rule would be softer than the regime seen in the 1990s.
As well as the bans on NGO workers and female university students – in the case of students, now being enforced by armed guards – secondary schools for girls remain closed in most provinces.
Women have also been prevented from entering parks and gyms, among other public places.
King Charles greeted crowds at Sandringham after attending a Christmas Day church service for the first time as monarch.
The King and Camilla, the Queen Consort were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, their children and other senior royals at the Norfolk estate.
Crowds gathered outside St Mary Magdalene Church from the early hours.
It is the first time members of the Royal Family have spent Christmas at Sandringham House since 2019.
The royal standard is flying above the house, marking a return to traditional royal festivities.
The sound of the church organ rang out as members of the Royal Family made the short walk from Sandringham House to the church just before 11:00 GMT.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children, and the Duke of York and his children Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie attended the service.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex who last celebrated Christmas at Sandringham in 2018 were not there.
The King and Queen Consort, as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, spoke to crowds following the 45-minute service. Some in the crowd gave them flowers and gifts.
It is the first year the King has hosted the Royal Family’s traditional gathering at the Norfolk estate since the death of his mother.
Queen Elizabeth II hosted 32 Christmases at Sandringham but was forced to cancel her annual festivities in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid pandemic.
Later this afternoon the King’s first Christmas Day message will be broadcast. It was recorded on 13 December in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, where the late Queen was buried in September.
Crowds started gathering outside St Mary Magdalene Church in the early hours hoping to catch a glimpse of the royals and to speak to them as they walked back to the house following the service.
Sandringham House has been the private home of British monarchs for more than 160 years.
At least 15 people have been killed, and about 40 injured, by a huge fuel tanker explosion near a hospital east of Johannesburg.
The tanker appeared to have got stuck under a low bridge on Saturday morning in Boksburg city, about 100m from Tambo Memorial Hospital.
Patients were evacuated from the hospital’s casualty after part of the roof collapsed following the blast.
The truck was carrying liquid petroleum gas.
“Apparently, a gas tanker drove under the subway bridge and got stuck in there, and due to friction, it caught alight,” emergency services spokesperson William Ntladi was quoted as saying.
As firefighters tried to put out the blaze, there was a huge second explosion – captured on amateur video – that destroyed a fire engine and two motor vehicles.
There are fears the death toll could rise, as 19 people are in critical condition and 15 others are stable but seriously hurt, AFP reports.
Eyewitness Michael Kulinji described the blast as “more like a bomb” and told the Reuters news agency that he had seen the fire under the bridge.
Another witness, Jean Marie Booysen, said that she saw “immense flames at about 06:35 local time (04:35 GMT) and thought “this feels like 6.5 on the Richter”, according to Reuters.
Footage apparently taken in the immediate aftermath of the blast shows a number of dazed and burned people stumbling around a residential area near the epicentre.
More than one million Americans and Canadians are facing Christmas Day without power as a massive winter storm continues to pummel North America.
A bomb cyclone, when atmospheric pressure plummets, has brought snow, strong winds and freezing temperatures.
Nearly 250 million are affected, and at least 19 deaths have been linked to the storm that extends more than 2,000 miles (3,200km) from Quebec to Texas.
Thousands of flights have been cancelled during the festive period.
The western US state of Montana is the worst hit by the cold, with temperatures dropping to -50F (-45C).
Near white-out conditions have been reported in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan. In the city of Buffalo, New York state, the US National Weather Service (NWS) reported “zero mile” visibility.
In the Pacific Northwest, some residents ice-skated on frozen streets in Seattle and Portland.
Coastal flooding has been seen in America’s north-eastern New England region, inundating communities and downing power lines.
Image caption,This man in Minneapolis, Minnesota state, clearly struggled to clear a passage from heavy snowImage caption,This restaurant in Hamburg, New York state, was covered in ice from the spray of Lake Erie wavesImage caption,In Canada, a number of motorists have had to abandon their vehicles in blizzards in the province of Ontario
Even the usually milder southern states of Florida and Georgia are experiencing hard-freeze warnings.
The only region that has largely been spared the cold weather is California where continental mountain ranges are helping to protect the Golden State.
In Canada, the provinces of Ontario and Quebec were bearing the brunt of the Arctic blast.
Much of the rest of the country, from British Columbia to Newfoundland, was under extreme cold and winter storm warnings.
A number of the storm-related fatalities have involved road traffic accidents, including a 50-car pile-up in Ohio that killed four motorists. Another four died in separate crashes in the state.
Travel problems across the country were being exacerbated by a shortage of snowplough operators, with low pay rates being blamed.
The NWS says more than 100 daily cold temperature records could be tied or broken over the next few days.
An order by the Taliban banning women from working for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) has been condemned by the United Nations, which said the move violated fundamental rights.
The Islamist rulers justified the move by saying female NGO staff had broken dress codes by not wearing hijabs.
The US Secretary of State also criticised the move saying it would be “devastating for the Afghan people”.
Female Afghan NGO workers acting as the main earners in their household told the BBC of their fear and helplessness.
One asked: “If I cannot go to my job, who can support my family?” Another breadwinner called the news “shocking” and insisted she had complied with the Taliban’s strict dress code.
A third woman questioned the Taliban’s “Islamic morals”, saying she would now struggle to pay her bills and feed her children.
“The world is watching us and doing nothing,” said another female interviewee. The BBC is not publishing the women’s names in order to protect them.
Saturday’s order came in a letter from the Ministry of Economy to both national and international NGOs. It threatened to cancel the licence of any organisation that did not swiftly comply.
By way of explanation, it said women were breaking Sharia law by failing to wear the hijab.
The move has sparked international outrage, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying he was deeply concerned, adding that it “will disrupt vital and life-saving assistance to millions”.
“Women are central to humanitarian operations around the world. This decision could be devastating for the Afghan people,” Mr Blinken said.
It was also described as a “clear breach of humanitarian principles” by a senior United Nations official.
UN agencies have a significant presence in the country, carrying out relief and development work. An urgent meeting of the Humanitarian Country Team was planned for Sunday to respond to the news.
An employee of Save the Children told BBC News the organisation was planning to meet Taliban authorities, saying that if women were not allowed to work then some NGOs would have to close.
It is also feared that Afghan women could be left unable to receive aid directly, if organisations are only allowed to employ men. Taliban rules prevent men from working with women.
Female employees were “essential” for reaching other women and girls, explained Melissa Cornet from Care International.
She added: “Without them, the humanitarian situation might deteriorate rapidly, in a situation where most of the country is already facing life-threatening levels of hunger.”
The South Asian branch of Amnesty International described the ban as “yet another deplorable attempt to erase women from the political, social and economic spaces” of Afghanistan.
One doctor working in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif and nearby remote villages said she was “sad and devastated” at the development.
She predicted “great difficulty” for women trying to access medical treatment, as they “can’t fully tell their problems to men”.
Meanwhile, one imam – whose identity is again being protected by the BBC – said the Taliban was “not committed to any Islamic value”.
He explained: “Islam has not said that men can educate and women cannot. Or men can work and women cannot. We are confused about this decision.”
A ban on women attending Afghan universities earlier this week met similar criticism. It triggered protests – including in Herat on Saturday – which were rapidly suppressed by the Taliban.
Since seizing back control of the country last year, the group has steadily restricted women’s rights – despite promising its rule would be softer than the regime seen in the 1990s.
As well as the ban on female university students – now being enforced by armed guards – secondary schools for girls remain closed in most provinces.
Women have also been prevented from entering parks and gyms, among other public places.
King Charles will celebrate Christmas at Sandringham with his family for the first time since before the pandemic.
The last time the Royal Family spent Christmas at their Norfolk estate was in 2019, but the royal standard is flying above the house, marking a return to the festive tradition.
Today also marks the first Christmas since the death of the Queen in September, aged 96.
The family will attend a morning service at St Mary Magdalene Church, greeting fans before sitting down to a family dinner with turkey and the usual festive trimmings.
The King and Camilla are expected to be joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children George, Charlotte and Louis, the Princess Royal and her family, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children.
It is understood that the Duke of York and his former wife Sarah, Duchess of York, are on the estate, but it is not known if Andrew will make a public appearance.
The 62-year-old’s reputation has taken a beating since he settled a civil sex case out of court.
King Charles is expected to reflect on the loss of his mother and her legacy.
In a nod to his long-held commitment to the environment, the King is pictured standing in front of a large Christmas tree, decorated with pine cones and sustainable ornaments made of paper and glass.
It is a change of scene from the messages recorded by the Queen, where she would traditionally be seated and surrounded by photos of her family.
No photos for the King this year – but there are floral arrangements in the background using English foliage of holly, ivy, and red skimmia.
The year is drawing to a close after a challenging few months for the King, facing the fallout from Harry and Meghan’s Netflix documentary, as well as accusations of racism within inner royal circles.
Image: Prince George and Princess Charlotte singing at the carol service
Meanwhile, Prince George and Princess Charlotte were seen singing in full voice at the Christmas carol service overseen by their mother, the Princess of Wales.
The service was filmed at Westminster Abbey earlier this month, but was broadcast on Christmas Eve.
George and Charlotte were among more than 1,800 people at the televised service, which was narrated by Catherine Zeta-Jones.
At least 28 people have died in the US as the country grapples with a brutal winter storm.
Blizzard conditions have left almost 300,000 homes and businesses without power, as temperatures plunge to well below freezing.
More than 3,000 flights were cancelled on Saturday, with some airports closed.
On Friday more than 200 million people were under some form of weather warn
Warning of 90mph winds and 20cm of snow
Icy conditions on the roads prompted many authorities to warn against non-essential travel, and hundreds of people who did venture out found themselves stranded in their vehicles.
Among those who have died are three people in car crashes in Kentucky, and another three in Oklahoma, two of which happened as winds blew the drifting snow.
In Montana, the National Weather Service warned that the eastern slope of Glacier National Park and nearby foothills and plains could see up to 20.3cm of snow and winds of up to 90mph.
Montana saw a temperature of -45.6C (-50F) earlier in the storm, while yesterday’s low belonged to the remote town of Havre – also in Montana – which saw -39C (38F).
In Maine, more than 107,000 properties are without power and utility bosses have warned it could take days before supply is fully-restored, while some other states have asked customers to cut back on their usage to avoid rolling blackouts.
Several busloads of migrants were dropped off in front of Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence in Washington, DC, on Christmas Eve in 18 degree weather late Saturday.
An initial two busloads were taken to local shelters, according to an administration official. More buses arrived outside the vice president’s residence later Saturday evening. A CNN team saw migrants being dropped off, with some migrants wearing only T-shirts in the freezing weather. They were given blankets and put on another bus that went to a local church.
Tatiana Laborde, managing director of SAMU First Response, said her group was prepared for Saturday night’s arrivals. Busloads of migrants have been arriving in Washington weekly since April.
“The DC community has been welcoming buses from Texas anytime they’ve come since April,” she said. “Christmas Eve and freezing cold weather is no different. We are always here welcoming folks with open arms.”
It’s not clear who is responsible for sending the migrants to the Naval Observatory, though CNN reported earlier this year that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had sent buses of migrants north, including to a location outside Harris’ home.
Abbott is one of at least three Republican governors who have taken credit for busing or flying migrants north this year to protest the Biden administration’s immigration policies. He previously confirmed in September that his state had sent the buses to Harris’ residence at that time.
A murder investigation has been launched after a woman was fatally shot at a pub near Liverpool on Christmas Eve.
Merseyside Police officers were called to the Lighthouse Inn in Wallasey Village at about 23:50 GMT on Saturday.
Three men and the female victim were taken to hospital suffering gunshot wounds – the woman later died.
Det Supt Dave McCaughrean said the shooting happened at a “busy venue full of young people”.
He added: “We believe that the gunman left the pub car park in a dark coloured vehicle – possibly a dark coloured Mercedes shortly after the shooting.”
The force said a “number of others” were also injured in the shooting, which was described as despicable by the chief constable.
Det Supt McCaughrean appealed for anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward.
“This investigation is in the very early stages and we understand that this is a truly shocking and devastating incident that has happened just before Christmas Day,” he added.
“We have a number of officers at Wallasey Village who are carrying out extensive inquiries to understand exactly what has taken place and take immediate action.
“A woman has tragically lost her life at Christmas whilst several people are being treated in hospital and our thoughts and condolences are with the victim’s family.”
Police added the woman’s next of kin had been informed and her family were being supported by specially trained officers.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged his people to persevere in the face of Russian attacks as the country celebrates Christmas.
In a defiant speech on Saturday, he said: “Freedom comes at a high price. But slavery has an even higher price.”
Russia’s missile and drone attacks have left millions of Ukrainians without power, heating and running water.
Earlier on Saturday, Russian air strikes killed 10 people in Ukraine’s southern Kherson city, officials said.
The regional authorities said another 68 people were injured and called on local residents to urgently donate blood.
Describing Russia as a “terrorist country”, Mr Zelensky accused Russian troops of “killing for the sake of intimidation and pleasure”.
In a post on social media, he showed pictures of streets strewn with bodies and burning cars, saying “the world must see and understand what absolute evil we are fighting against”.
Kherson, the only regional capital captured by Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion on 24 February, was liberated by Ukraine last month.
Since then it has been frequently targeted by Russian forces positioned on the left (eastern) bank of the Dnipro river.
Moscow has repeatedly denied targeting civilians in its attacks. However, President Vladimir Putin has recently admitted that Russian troops have been hitting Ukraine’s critical energy facilities.
Most Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians, and mark Christmas Eve – the main day of the festive season in the country – on 6 January.
However, a growing number of worshippers have been celebrating the day on 24 December, in line with the majority of Christians around the world.
Image caption,President Zelensky: “We will not wait for a miracle. After all, we create it ourselves”
In a video address to the nation late on Saturday, Mr Zelensky said: “We endured at the beginning of the war. We endured attacks, threats, nuclear blackmail, terror, missile strikes. Let’s endure this winter because we know what we are fighting for.
“We will celebrate our holidays! As always. We will smile and be happy. As always. The difference is one. We will not wait for a miracle. After all, we create it ourselves.”
For many Ukrainians, Christmas will be in the dark and in the cold, says the BBC’s Hugo Bachega in Kyiv.
But Ukrainians say the hardships have only made them stronger, as the war enters its 11th month, our correspondent adds.
On Saturday, fierce fighting continued in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region where Russian troops attacked the strategic town of Bakhmut.
Recently, the cost of a bowl of local rice in Bolga in the Upper Upper East Region has rapidly shot up to GH¢30. The same quantity of rice was sold at GH¢20 just a few months ago.
Many have attributed the hike in price to the extinction of the US-based polished rice which has been extinct on the market for the past five months.
This brand of rice has always been a hot cake among buyers because according to many consumers, it does not stick together when cooked.
They are blaming the situation on the fact that consumers of the US-based polished rice were now drifting to the local rice, as they do not have any other alternative.
This they said, has increased the demand for the locally grown rice, thereby leading to price increase.
They spoke to GhanaWeb’s Upper East Regional correspondent, regarding the matter.
Madam Lamisi noted that the US brand of polished rice had been missing on the market for the past five months.
She explained that the development was due to the depreciation of the Ghana cedi.
She noted that their suppliers in Burkina Faso explained that they could no longer supply due to the depreciation fn the cedi; they felt they would not be able to afford anymore.
“They said the (CFA Franc) is high so when they buy and bring, we cannot buy. We too, we don’t have the (CFA Franc) so that we can use it to buy,” she stated.
Madam Lamisi, intimated that many customers initially kept asking of that brand for a long time, and subsequently got used to the local rice and other brands.
“At first, they used to ask of the US one, but when they noticed that it was no longer there, they started buying the other types and they are beginning to like them,” she said.
She however indicated that business moved faster when the USA brand was available.
A rice seller madam Mary, indicated that when the US rice was on the market, the affluent customers purchased that, whiles the poor purchased the locally grown rice.
“When that polished rice was there, the rich people were buying that one, while the poor were buying the local rice,” she said.
She expressed worry that the current hike in the cost of locally grown rice was at the disadvantage of the poor.
“Now that the price of the local rice has gone up here, the poor people are suffering because it is not easy for them to buy. It is very difficult for them now,” she lamented.
Another seller Madam Lizzy, rather wondered why people liked the USA brand of rice. According to her, there are other brands of rice that are equally good.
“I don’t know why people do not want to try the other types of rice. Look at this brand of rice, it is equally very good and even better in taste. Just try it and see, you will come back for more,” she said.
“l don’t know whether it is because it has a very bright colour, l don’t know why people like it like that. When it even got finished, people were putting other rice in the US sacks and selling and they were buying because they know if it is that one they will buy,” she revealed.
“Sometime ago, a man went to a store and bought a bag of rice in a US rice sack. When he got home, he realized that it was a different kind of rice and he quickly sent it back,” she recalled.
She however noted that many people have now embraced the local rice, as they have noticed that is good.
An American couple living in Uganda accused of torturing their 10-year-old foster child could face the death penalty if convicted of their latest charge, prosecutors said.
Nicholas Spencer and Mackenzie Leigh Mathias Spencer, both 32, were arrested and charged earlier this month with aggravated torture, which carries a life sentence if convicted, for alleged abuse spanning two years.
This week, they were also charged with aggravated child trafficking, which carries the death sentence if convicted, Joan Keko, an attorney with the Ugandan state prosecutor’s office, confirmed to ABC News.
The Spencers previously pleaded not guilty to the aggravated torture charge, The Associated Press reported. They will be able to plead to the new charge once the case moves to a higher court, according to the AP.
The two are being detained at a maximum-security prison in Luzira, a suburb of the capital of Kampala, and were not granted bail after being determined a flight risk, Keko said.
The couple allegedly “constantly tortured” the foster child between 2020 and 2022, which “attracted the attention of neighbours,” who notified Kampala Metropolitan police, according to a statement from the Uganda Police Force.
PHOTO: American couple Nicholas Spencer and Mackenzie Leigh Mathias Spencer, both 32, stand in the dock at Buganda road court, where they were charged with torturing a 10-year-old, in Kampala, Uganda, on Dec. 14, 2022. (Abubaker Lubowa/Reuters)
The child was allegedly locked in an empty room, without clothes, food or water, and a medical report showed beating marks on his body, according to Kampala Metropolitan spokesperson Luke Owoyesigire.
Police received video evidence from a neighbor and nurse who were checking on the child, a Kampala police source told ABC News.
he Spencers are originally from South Carolina, according to Keko. They moved to Uganda in 2017 as volunteers, police said.
The couple fostered three children in 2018, including the one they were alleged to have tortured, from an organization called Welcome Ministry, in Jinja City, police said. The couple then joined a private company and moved to Upper Naguru, a neighborhood in Kampala, police said.
Their work permit expired in 2021, according to Keko.
The infamous French serial killer who inspired the award-winning TV show “The Serpent,” escaped from a Nepali prison on Friday.
“Sobhraj has been released from the jail. He has been handed over to the immigration department. The officials at the immigration department informed us that he would be deported to France soon, as early as today,” Ishwari Prasad Pandey, an official at Nepal Central prison told CNN.
He arrived in Paris on Saturday, according to AFP.
Sobhraj, aged 78, had been serving a life sentence in Nepal for killing two tourists in 1975, but many of his alleged murders remain unsolved.
He was freed after Nepal’s top court on Wednesday ordered his release on the grounds of his age and health. He is suffering from a heart disease and needs open-heart surgery, the court said.
Born in French-administered Saigon, Vietnam, Sobhraj was first jailed in Paris in 1963 for burglary but went on to be accused of committing crimes in a list of countries: France, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, India, Thailand and Malaysia.
He also escaped from prison inseveral countries, and his propensity for evading the authorities earned him the nickname “The Serpent.”
Sobhraj eventually admitted to at least 12 killings between 1972 and 1976, and hinted at others to interviewers before retracting the confessions ahead of further court cases, according to his biographers. His true number of victims is unknown.
In 2014, a Nepali court convicted Sobhraj for the 1975 murder of Canadian tourist Laurent Carrière, handing down a 20-year sentence.
The 2021 BBC/Netflix drama called “The Serpent” is based on the story of Sobhraj’s alleged murders. It tells how for years, he evaded the law across Asia as he allegedly drugged, robbed and murdered backpackers along the so-called “hippie trail” – while former Dutch diplomat Herman Knippenberg worked with authorities to capture him.
King Charles is set to include a tribute to his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in his first Christmas message as monarch.
An image of Charles delivering his speech, which is due to be broadcast on Christmas Day at 15:00 GMT, shows the King in St George’s Chapel, Windsor.
In her final Christmas message, the late Queen spoke of “passing the baton” to the next generation.
And her son’s first Christmas Day message will remember her legacy.
This will be the first televised annual royal Christmas Day broadcast not to be presented by the late Queen, who appeared in the first TV message in 1957.
The photo of the King shows him recording this year’s message in the chapel where a committal service was held during the Queen’s funeral in September.
Both his mother and father, Prince Philip, are buried in the George VI Memorial Chapel within St George’s Chapel.
The picture, released by Buckingham Palace, shows King Charles standing in front of a Christmas tree with plastic-free, recyclable decorations and arrangements of holly and ivy in the background.
This year sees the King and Camilla the Queen Consort return to the tradition of spending Christmas in Sandringham, Norfolk, after concerns about Covid and Queen Elizabeth’s health kept the Royal Family in Windsor last year.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are among the senior royals expected to be with King Charles for Christmas.
In her 2021 Christmas message, the Queen gave a highly personal tribute to her “beloved” Prince Philip, who died in April of that year.
Image caption,Queen Elizabeth presented the first televised Christmas message in 1957
The King’s Christmas Day broadcast continues a tradition going back 90 years.
The first royal Christmas broadcast was a live radio speech in 1932, delivered from Sandringham by George V, with the script written by the author Rudyard Kipling.
In 1957, Elizabeth II delivered the first televised message, saying that it was a technological landmark that “television has made it possible for many of you to see me in your homes on Christmas Day”.
The message became part of many families’ Christmas celebrations and the first televised broadcast in 1957 set a familiar pattern.
The national anthem was followed by the monarch speaking directly to the camera, with a speech that included Christmas greetings, a religious lesson, support for the Commonwealth, a round-up of the royal year and a moral message for the times.
In 1957 it meant a warning about values in public life, criticising a culture of “self-interest”.
The timing of the Christmas broadcast was originally set for 15.00 GMT as best for reaching the most countries in different time zones around the world.
At least 20 people have been killed after a blaze swept through a home for the elderly in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, Russian officials say.
Another six people were injured. The entire top floor of the the two-storey wooden building was gutted by the overnight fire.
Initial reports say it may have been caused by a faulty heating boiler.
The private home for the elderly was operating illegally, officials were quoted as saying by Tass news agency.
Dozens of firefighters were deployed and the blaze was extinguished early on Saturday.
The governor of the region said all similar facilities would now be inspected.
A criminal inquiry has been launched.
Local fire service officials told Tass that many unregistered homes for the elderly were operating across Russia. As such, they were considered private property and not be subject to fire safety inspections.
In 2018, 60 people – including 37 children – died in a leisure centre fire in Kemerovo.
A leading human rights activist in Iran has written from prison to give the BBC details of how women detained in recent anti-government protests are being sexually and physically abused.
Narges Mohammadi said such assaults had become more common in recent protests.
She is serving a lengthy sentence in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison.
The protests were triggered by the death in custody in September of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, arrested for violating strict dress codes.
She was detained by morality police in mid-September for allegedly wearing her hijab, or headscarf, “improperly”.
More than 500 protesters, including 69 children, have been killed, while thousands of others have been arrested, human rights activists say. Dozens of Iranian security personnel are also reported to have been killed.
Many of those arrested have allegedly been subjected to torture and other ill-treatment in custody.
Ms Mohammadi is deputy head of Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi’s Defenders of Human Rights Center. She has received several jail sentences since 2011 and is currently in prison for “spreading propaganda”.
This year she was also included in the BBC’s 100 Women – a high profile list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world.
‘Hands and legs tied to hook’
Ms Mohammadi says in her letter that some of the women arrested during the recent demonstrations were transferred to the women’s ward in Evin prison.
That gave her a chance to hear shocking details of the abuse they suffered.
She says that one well-known activist had her hands and legs tied to a hook above her head in the vehicle taking her to prison – and was then sexually assaulted by security officers.
Image caption,Ms Mohammadi, pictured here in 2007, is serving a lengthy sentence in Evin prison
Ms Mohammadi says she saw bruises and scars on her body.
She says another woman who was arrested in the street was taken on a motorbike by two security officers – one in front and one behind – and was repeatedly assaulted.
Iran’s state broadcaster has denied reports of security forces using rape and sexual abuse against female protesters.
A report on 19 December said female prisoners were kept in facilities run by all-female staff, adding that claims of rape in the Western media were “rumours” and “baseless”.
But Iran also continues to heavily repress domestic reporting of the protests, with one recent report suggesting it was now the third largest jailer of journalists in the world.
Ms Mohammadi says that even though reporting abuse may lead to intimidation of the families of women in detention, she believes it’s necessary to expose what’s happening – in order to try to put a stop to it.
“Not revealing these crimes would contribute to the continuation of application of this repressive methods against women,” she says.
“Therefore, it seems that the assault on women activists, fighters, and protesters in Iran should be widely and powerfully reported at the global level.”
She added that this was especially important given the pressure on civil society in Iran.
“In the absence of powerful independent civil organisations, the attention and support of the media and international human rights organisations and global public opinion is essential,” she said.
Ms Mohammadi ended the letter by expressing the belief that Iran’s “brave, resilient, lively and hopeful women” would attain victory.
“Victory means establishing democracy, peace and human rights and ending tyranny,” she added.
Some 200 million Americans are feeling the icy grip of a massive winter storm that has been linked to at least 19 deaths ahead of the holiday weekend.
More than 1.5 million people lost power and thousands of flights were cancelled on Friday.
The vast storm extends more than 2,000 miles (3,200km) from Texas to Quebec.
A bomb cyclone, when atmospheric pressure plummets, has brought blizzard conditions to the Great Lakes on the US-Canada border.
In Canada, Ontario and Quebec were bearing the brunt of the Arctic blast, with power cut to hundreds of thousands.
Much of the rest of the country, from British Columbia to Newfoundland, was under extreme cold and winter storm warnings.
The US National Weather Service (NWS) said its Friday map “depicts one of the greatest extents of winter weather warnings and advisories ever”.
Temperatures in Elk Park, Montana, dropped to -50F (-45C), while the town of Hell, Michigan, has frozen over.
It was 1F (-17C) in the snow-covered community on Friday night. Emily, a bartender at Smitty’s Hell Saloon, told the BBC: “It’s pretty cold here, but we’re having a hell of a time.”
In South Dakota, snowed-in Native Americans burned clothes for warmth after running out of fuel, said tribal officials.
Heavy snowfall was forecast in areas of Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Buffalo, New York, was expecting at least 35in (89cm). The National Weather Service reported “zero mile” visibility there and posted video of white-out conditions.
“We don’t even want to be parked in it, you *definitely* don’t want to be driving in it. Seriously,” it said in the tweet.
More than eight million people remained under blizzard warnings, said the NWS.
Coastal flooding has been seen in New England, New York and New Jersey.
Image caption,Cows walk in the snow following a blizzard in Sturgis, South Dakota
In the Pacific Northwest, some residents ice-skated on frozen streets in Seattle and Portland.
Even the usually milder southern states of Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Georgia were experiencing hard-freeze warnings.
A number of the storm-related fatalities have involved road traffic accidents, including a 50-car pile-up in Ohio that killed four motorists. Another four died in separate crashes in the state.
Travel problems across the country were being exacerbated by a shortage of snow plough operators, with low pay rates being blamed.Media caption,
Watch: Flooding pours through the streets of New York and New Jersey
More than 5,900 US flights were cancelled on Friday, according to the tracking site FlightAware, as flyers battled to make it home for Christmas. Another 1,200 Saturday flights have already been cancelled.
By Friday night one million customers had no electricity across the US, according to PowerOutage.us.
Utilities throughout the Tennessee Valley were implementing rolling blackouts to save power.
The NWS says more than 100 daily cold temperature records could be tied or broken over the next few days. Decades-old records have already been matched:
Denver, Colorado, dropped to -24F on Thursday, its lowest point since the 1990s. Craig McBrierty, 34, who is originally from Scotland, but now lives in Denver, told the BBC it is “colder than I have ever experienced”
Wichita, Kansas, recorded its coldest wind chill (-32F) since 2000
Nashville, Tennessee, saw its temperatures plunge to below zero for the first time in 26 years
Casper, Wyoming, set a new record low on Tuesday of -42F
Dr. Kwame Asah-Asante, a political scientist, has claimed that given Ghana’s current economic circumstances, a National Cathedral is not necessary at this time.
“At this time we don’t need it,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday December 24.
He further indicated that the financing mechanism for the project was not transparent enough.
He said “Initially, we thought the churches were going to finance but later we were made to know that the state was involved.”
“Utmost transparency, we missed that,” he stressed.
Parliament did not approve the controversial GHS80 million that was earmarked for construction of the National Cathedral.
To that end, the amount has been channeled into Communication and Road sectors.
Earlier, the Ranking Member on the joint committee of Trade, Industry and Tourism, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, on Tuesday, December 20 dedicated a Minority voting decision to reject the budget estimates for the building of the National Cathedral as captured in the 2023 budget statement to Ghanaians.
He said the decision was a victory to all Ghanaians as previous allocations to the project were not properly accounted for.
Eleven Minority MPs as against 10 Majority MPs, therefore, voted to reject the GH¢80-million allocation for the continuation of the project.
Commenting on this development, Member of Parliament for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said “Government compelled to withdraw and reallocate the obnoxious and dubious GHS80million for President Akufo-Addo’s Cathedral to the Roads and Communications sectors.
“We won this battle for God and the suffering masses. Thank you all for your unflinching support.”
A contender in the just-ended National Youth Organizer election of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Brogya Genfi, has warned that issues that characterized the party’s National Youth Organizer election if not immediately resolved could cause division in the party.
Brogya Genfi who narrowly lost to incumbent George Opare Addo is in court to restrain the latter from holding himself as the National Youth Organizer of the party.
Speaking to Starr News, Brogya Genfi said the issues must be resolved now to ensure the needed unity and cohesion in the party to enable the NDC to wrestle power from the governing New Patriotic party come the 2024 election.
“… for example, the Eastern Regional Youth election has been annulled, why, because the Regional Youth Organizer is my supporter. Because he’s from the home region of the National Youth Organizer and he’s not supporting him, he’s gone to court to annul the election. That can also breed division and so that must be looked at. So it’s not just about the action I have taken.”
He added: “I would love to have an opportunity with the former President(Mahama) for an extensive discussion on the way forward for the party.”
Meanwhile, the NDC at its National Delegates Congress over the weekend defied a court injunction secured by Brogya Genfi and swore in George Opare Addo as its Youth Organiser.
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has finally restored electricity to inhabitants of Nuaso in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region after nearly five months of no power.
The residents had over the months lamented over the lack of electricity in the community after a joint team of ECG and military personnel disconnected the community on August 22, three days after power was restored to the Krobo area after a month of total outage over the installation of prepaid meters.
A clash between soldiers and some agitated residents during the disconnection led to eight residents sustaining gunshot wounds.
The affected customers bemoaned that the situation was hindering economic, social and domestic activities in the community.
Several engagements involving the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the area, Simon Kwaku Tetteh, the National Security Ministry, the Energy Ministry, the Assemblyman for the area, Hon Samuel Torgbor, management of the ECG and some prominent personalities in the community were held towards restoring power to the area.
Currently, prepaid meters are being installed in various households in the community without any agitations in the final phase of the month-long controversial exercise in the Krobo area.
Some residents who spoke with GhanaWeb in an interview expressed relief at the restoration of the power supply to the neighbourhood.
They however lamented that their sources of livelihood were affected with many of them thrown out of business.
A hairdresser, Tettey Mercy Angmorkie said, “The light out affected our businesses but we are happy to power has been restored. We could not work because we rely on power for our work so we ended up sitting down without working.”
Another, Bernice Asimeh, a cold store operator said she was forced to close down her shop and only resumed work following the restoration of power to the community. “It affected us because I use the fridge to freeze my drinks so when we were in the dark it affected me so much.”
Bernice who said she initially opposed the prepaid meters said though she still prefers the postpaid meters, she was nevertheless ready to accept the new meters now. “We have nothing to say, we’re just there so when they bring it we’ll accept it,” she expressed.
According to her, she has lost many of her customers as a result and it would take her a long time to get them back.
A manager of a car washing bay, Francis Asimeh said all the 25 employees who worked at the facility before the outage became unemployed, forcing them to join other nearby washing bays to enable them to make ends meet.
He said though they were making sales of between Ghc150 and Ghc200 a day before the outage, they’re unable to make as many sales now as they notify their customers to return to their base for business.
The respondents however expressed their preparedness to accept the prepaid meters currently being rolled out in the community but called for further sensitization from the power distributors.
Assemblymember for Nuaso Old Town, Samuel Torgbor said the people were happy that power supply had been restored to the area and blamed the lack of understanding for the unfortunate incident.
On her part, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Tema Region, Miss Sakyiwaa Mensah said the company’s decision to restore power to the area followed an agreement reached from engagements with various stakeholders to safeguard ECG interests in the area.
“There had been ongoing discussions with various stakeholders, aimed at restoring power, safeguarding ECG property and ensuring that work can be carried out in a safe environment. The restoration is part of the consensus reached from these stakeholder engagements with chiefs, opinion leaders and management of ECG,” she said.
She furthered that the meter installation exercise has been completed at Nuaso New Town and currently progressing smoothly at Nuaso Old Town. “It has been smooth so far. ECG is appreciative of the cordial working environment which has enabled work to go on smoothly,” noted the PRO.
Dormaahene, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu I has urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to halt work on the National Cathedral.
Dormaahene, who is the President of the Bono Regional House of Chief, said that the Cathedral project cannot be a priority of the government, given the difficulties Ghanaians are facing.
Osagyefo Agyemang Badu I, while addressing the media, added that the project can continue once the country is out of the woods and Akufo-Addo should not be the one who has to necessarily complete it.
“One of the things Ghanaians are asking me to talk to the president about is the National Cathedral. He (Akufo-Addo) swore to God to build a National Cathedral when he becomes president which is a good thing.
“However, given the economic difficulties Ghanaians are facing around this time, the people have asked me to tell you (Akufo-Addo) to put the project on hold. It is your initiative, no one can take it away from you but don’t use the national coffers to build a cathedral.
“.. tell him to focus on economic recovery so that in good time even if he is not able to complete it, any of these brothers (successors) could do so. That is what Ghanaians want me to tell you,” he said in Twi.
Meanwhile, Parliament’s Trades and Industry Committee has suspended the approval process for an amount of GH¢80 million allocated for the construction of the National Cathedral.
Tamale Central Member of Parliament, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, who disclosed the development to Accra-based JoyNews on December 13, said the suspension will be in place till justification for the allocation is made.
“What the Committee decided was that we cannot just approve this GH¢80 million, we must know how the other GH¢339 million was spent. What did it constitute?
“The GH¢80 million you want us to approve, how did it find space in the budget line of the Ministry of Tourism when the Minister and the directors could not speak to the questions we were asking? What constitutes the GH¢80 million, they should give us a breakdown,” he stressed.
In opposition to the government’s proposed Debt Exchange Program, the country’s health sector workers have released a strike action schedule.
The health sector workers, made up of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), the Health Sector Workers’ Union (HSWU) of TUC Ghana, and the Government and Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA), all constituent members of Organised Labour, reiterated that following a meeting held by Organised Labour on Monday, December 19, 2022, it was agreed that an industrial strike will be embarked on.
It stressed that the “action has become necessary to press home our demand for the exemption of pension funds from the domestic debt exchange programme as announced by the Finance Minister.”
It, therefore, entreated all health sector workers “to follow the outlined road map to ensure a smooth implementation of the strike.”
According to the health sector workers, the industrial strike will take place as follows: “27 December 2022, withdrawal of all outpatient services; 2 January 2023, withdrawal of emergency services; 9 January 2023, withdrawal of all services.”
Organised Labour has served notice of a nationwide strike beginning next week over the government’s failure to exempt pension funds from the debt exchange programme that has been extended to next year.
The stipulated date for the strike is Tuesday, December 27, 2022.
The Secretary-General of Organised Labour, Dr. Anthony Yaw Baah, made this known at a press briefing today, Monday, December 19, 2022.
He said the strike has been occasioned by the government’s decision to introduce a debt exchange programme.
According to him, the strike will be in force until the government exempts pension funds from the planned debt exchange programme.
“We are asking the government to exempt us from the debt exchange programme.
“We have already told the world that if the government doesn’t do that, we will advise ourselves.
“Today, we are here to announce the advice. The advice is very simple.
“We have all agreed that because the government has refused to grant our request, we have decided firmly that all workers of Ghana are going to strike on December 27, 2022, and we will be on strike until our demands are met,” Dr Yaw Baah vehemently noted.
A representative for Assin Central parliament, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, visited the national leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Tuesday, December 20, as a courtesy call in order to learn about recent events there.
Mr. Agyapong was full of praise for the national officers for how they have taken steps to bring the party and government together for a common purpose.
He said closeness in party and government is important for ensuring unity since it affords the opportunity for the government and other officials to liaise with each other in the implementation of policies and ideologies.
He eulogized the national executives and urged them to do more in strengthening the ties between the party and the government as it helps to augment unity. Mr. Agyapong said he is concerned very much for party unity and urged all those who aspire to lead it to do their best in that regard.
He pledged his support for anyone who would be endorsed to lead the party and said, once he would need everyone’s support should he become the next leader, he is ever prepared to help others.
He said the NPP cannot afford to relinquish political power as the alternative party would be worse and scary. He advised the NPP not to waste time on the newly elected NDC national executives especially Mr. Asiedu Nketiah and Fiifi Kwetey as they are only propagandists.
Mr. Agyapong recalled in 2008 when these same people out of their propaganda, fabricated documents and assigned money in false bank accounts for him and other NPP appointees at the time and made Ghanaians believe that they had stolen money from the state.
Hon. Agyapong said that, although these stories were deliberately fabricated by the NDC but many Ghanaians bought into and it affected the fortunes of the NPP. He has therefore cautioned his party members to take the fight to the NDC this time round but not to sit down to remain callous while they lie to Ghanaians.
A New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament, Eugene Boakye Antwi, has wondered why the country is continuously entertaining the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.
Describing it as “nonsense,” the Subin MP said that if this was happening in another jurisdiction, such things would never have been allowed to fester.
According to a myjoyonline.com report, the MP, who is part of some rebel parliamentarians who are seeking the sacking of their party member, the Minister of Finance, made this known while speaking in an interview on JoyNews.
He stated that they are determined to keep President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s promise of removing the minister after he completes his tasks of presenting the 2023 budget to parliament and leading the conclusion of the IMF talks.
“…these are major policy failures that in any civilized democracy, Ken Ofori-Atta will not stand on his feet. Why are we entertaining such nonsense? Excuse my French.
“… what have we got against him as a person? You brought something to us; we are talking about those issues, and you forget about this and say that we want to unseat somebody in the constituency just because you have failed?
“You saw us in the Chamber fighting our NDC guys to pass the e-levy. So, what have we not done for Ken Ofori-Atta to succeed as a finance minister and I say posterity will judge us if this is personal,” he said.
Eugene Antwi further said that he was elected as an MP by his people and as such, all he is seeking is in their interest first, just as it is for the good of the country, far more than anything that will please the president.
“Nobody made me an MP, Akufo-Addo did not make me an MP. God made me an MP. I was elected just as Akufo-Addo was elected so nobody should dare threaten anybody. When you veer into that realm you even muddy the waters more… I contested the primaries like Akufo-Addo contested the primaries to become president.
“The fact that we have taken this position does not mean that it is directly directed at President Akufo-Addo, no. We are talking about the supreme interest of the party. No individual is bigger than this party including Nana Akufo-Addo.” he added.
Over 80 MPs from the majority party have openly declared their opposition to Ken Ofori-Atta, calling on the president to fire him.
The MPs have recently reactivated their demands after the minister fulfilled the requirement of President Nana Akufo-Addo to have him stay on a little longer to complete the IMF deal and present the 2023 budget to parliament.
Even though the beginning of the eighth parliament had major happenings like a hung parliament and the election of the speaker from the opposition party, among others, the year 2022 had some unprecedented incidents that got the nation talking.
GhanaWeb compiles a list of some of these happenings;
Majority calls for Dome-Kwabenya’s seat to be declared vacant
On April 5, 2022, Speaker Alban Bagbin directed Adwoa Safo, Kennedy Agyapong and Henry Quartey to the Privileges Committee.
The Speaker’s directive was in line with Article 97 (1) (c) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 17 of the Standing Orders of Parliament, which states emphatically that “A Member shall not absent himself during a meeting for more than fifteen sittings without the permission in writing of the Speaker. Any member infringing this Order shall have his conduct referred to the Privileges Committee.”
The Privileges Committee produced a report after meeting the two other MPs, Ken Agyapong and Henry Quartey, and presented it to parliament.
The Privileges Committee said in their report that they could not reach Adwoa Safo; therefore, they could not come out with a decision, but the majority maintained that whether or not they heard from Adwoa Safo, the constitution stated clearly that the seat should be declared vacant as it was automatic for it to be so.
However, when the report was brought to the house, the majority leader insisted that the committee had submitted the report to the house and the report had been laid for the information of the house and, therefore, a decision had already been determined concerning the three persons and the imperatives of Article 97 would automatically be triggered.
The majority leader added that what was captured as a motion in the order paper had issues as the purpose of a motion is for the house to make a determination, one he considers already determined (by declaring the seat vacant).
“Mr Speaker, the privileges committee have submitted the report, and indeed my own thinking and the incumbent of the situation is that once the committee has made a determination in respect of the three persons, then the imperative of Article 97 will automatically be triggered.
“Mr Speaker, my thinking is that even what is captured here as a motion; the purpose of a motion is for the house to make a determination and thinking that rarely this is not for the house to make a determination.”
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, argued that the house is governed by the 1992 constitution and the standing orders of the house.
According to him, the house should not set a precedent that a seat can be declared vacant based on recommendations of a Privileges Committee report, a precedent that could likely affect the house subsequently.
Haruna Iddrisu emphasized that if a report has been submitted to parliament, the house must take a decision.
However, the Speaker dismissed this call by the majority, stating that the report from the committee was not final but to be brought before the house for the plenary to take a decision on the matter.
The Speaker is yet to take a decision on this matter even though Adwoa Safo officially returned to the house on November 11, 2022.
NPP MPs protesting against an appointee of their govt
On October 25, a group of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament petitioned President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to sack the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen, to restore public confidence in the economy.
This was announced in a media briefing by their spokesperson, Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi, Member of Parliament for Asante-Akim North.
The group said it will not partake in government business nor support the 2023 budget if the president fails to heed their calls.
According to them, the move follows previous concerns sent to the government that had not yielded any positive results.
“We have had occasions to defend allegations of conflicts of interest, lack of confidence, and trust against the leadership of the Finance Ministry.
“The recent development within the economy is of major concern to our caucus and our constituents. We have made our grave concern to our president through the parliamentary leadership and the leadership of the party without any positive response,” Andy Appiah Kubi said.
The MPs believe the move would change the current economic situation in the country.
This action has been described as unprecedented, as many have also called on the president to take action to avoid political instability.
However, just at the time these calls were made, a video of Aremeyaw Anas’ latest exposé, dubbed ‘Galamsey Economy’ compelled President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to sack the Minister of State in Charge of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen, from office.
Charles Adu Boahen alleged on video that Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia needs just USD 200,000 as an ‘appearance fee’ and some positions from an investor for his siblings to get his backing and influence in establishing a business in Ghana.
A few days before the budget reading, the leadership of the New Patriotic Party called on the aggrieved members not to boycott the budget reading.
They obliged this plea and showed up in their numbers for the budget.
Joe Wise overturns major decision by Alban Bagbin again
On February 22, 2022, the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu, threw out a motion by the minority for a bipartisan committee to look into the government’s COVID-19 expenditure.
This is after the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, had admitted the motion before leaving his chair for the First Deputy Speaker to continue with proceedings in the chamber on the day.
It is not the first time the First Deputy Speaker has overturned a decision by the Speaker of Parliament.
Motion by Minority to probe COVID-19 expenditure
On February 22, the Minority in Parliament presented a memo to the House seeking to probe the government’s expenditure on COVID-19 from 2020.
The motion, championed by three members of the minority, proposed, “that this house constitutes a bi-partisan parliamentary committee chaired by a member of the minority caucus, to enquire into the expenditures made by the Ghana Government in relation to COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020.”
Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader; Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, Minority Chief Whip; and Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Ranking Member on Parliament’s Finance Committee, were the proposed members.
The motion was presented and read by Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson as he outlined the need for the house to probe the expenditure.
Ato Forson stated that an amount of 1.2 billion Ghana cedis was approved by parliament to support the Coronavirus alleviation program, but the government is yet to account for their expenditure, even though they exceeded the approved amount to 8.2 billion Ghana cedis.
Seconding the motion, the Member of Parliament for Asawase, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, added that the health ministry, per the 2021 budget review, was only able to account for an amount of 600 million Ghana cedis.
However, before the debate could continue, Speaker Alban Bagbin requested that the Deputy First Speaker take the chair, leaving the actual debate in the hands of Joseph Osei Owusu.
After the motion was seconded, the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, raised a preliminary objection to the motion.
He described the motion as baseless and urged the sit-in Speaker to reject the motion.
Making reference to Article 187 of the Constitution, he indicated that the Auditor General is the best person to investigate the matter and not any other committee.
Ruling on the motion, Joe Wise said the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, should not have admitted the motion.
“My view is that the motion ought not to have been admitted and it is improperly before the house. I so rule,” he said.
On March 29, the Minority Members of Parliament staged a walk-out before the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy) Bill 2021 was passed.
The walkout occurred after the House had concluded the debate on the bill and the Speaker was to put the question on the motion for the adoption of the Finance
The Committee’s report in 2.4 million, approximately eight per cent of the population, were registered as personal income taxpayers.
Prior to the walking out, the minority had complained that the E-Levy bill consideration came as a surprise as it was not listed in Parliament’s business statement for the week.
However the bill was passed after the 137 MPs of the Minority side of Parliament staged a walkout of the Chamber, on the grounds that they did not want to be associated with any further proceedings on or approval of the bill, which was being considered under a certificate of urgency.
A Chinese national, Aisha Huang, who is currently on trial in Ghana for allegedly conducting mining operations without a permit, was allegedly responsible for the damage of the River Offin, according to a witness in the case.
The witness, Timothy Teye Ali, a farmer at Sukuumu, Bepotenten, in the Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Region, who is the fifth to appear before the court so far, made this known through a written statement read on his behalf in court.
He added that the mining activities of Aisha Huang also led to the destruction of other water bodies in the Ashanti Region, a report by graphic.com.gh has said.
Timothy Teye Ali told the court that in 2017, he was contacted by one James Ogbey over his interest in purchasing land to mine gold.
He added that after an assessment of what he had to offer, they came to an agreement on GH¢28,000 as the final charge.
He continued that he was then informed by Ogbey that the accused, Aisha Huang, was on that day elsewhere and for which reason she could not be present with them.
Timothy added that although they had an agreement for Ogbey to make full payment before the land was released to him, the four-acre farmland was cleared the following morning.
Upon confronting him, Timothy, through his statement that was read by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Atokora Obuobisa, said that Ogbey then paid him GH¢3,000, GH¢4,000 and GH¢5,000 as part payments for the land that had already been cleared.
“The accused person continued to work on my land without fully paying me until she was arrested for illegal mining,” his statement said.
Timothy explained further that following Aisha Huang’s arrest in 2017, together with his family members, they went to meet James Obey (Aisha’s foreman), to demand the rest of his money, but he only got the assurance from Ogbey that even if convicted, Aisha Huang’s properties would be enough to be sold off to make up his money for him.
“The galamsey activities of the accused person led to the destruction of the Offin, Nkyingo, Afraso, and Kobri rivers at Sakuumu, Bepotenten,” he added.
Timothy Ali will be cross-examined in court on Wednesday, December 21, 2022.
Aisha Huang (En Huang) is standing trial for being deeply involved in galamsey (illegal mining).
In 2018, she was deported from the country after the state decided to discontinue her trial, in which she was accused of engaging in small-scale mining without a license.
It was later discovered that the Chinese national had found her way back into the country and returned to mining.
The Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Wa West Constituency in the Upper East Region, Mr. Peter Lanchene Toobu, thinks the New Patriotic Party (NPPactual )’s nature is to create noise while it is in opposition and do little when it is in power.
Mr. Peter Lanchene Toobu painted this picture of the NPP while speaking in an interview with Odehyieba Kofi Essuman, host of the Ghana Yensom morning show on Accra 100.5 FM on Wednesday, December 21, 2022.
According to him, people who are not politicians, including pastors, find their voices when the NPP is in opposition.
He said some of these pastors take the noise to the hilt by offering politically tainted prayers and preaching.
He said that coupled with this, the party elements make all manner of noise, which turns out to be “much ado about nothing.”
He noted that all these pastors artificially lose their voice when the NPP is in government.
“When Ghana is quiet, you need nobody to be told that the NPP is governing,” he disclosed.
“Yes! Look at what is happening with the construction of the National Cathedral yet these pastors are mute,” he added.
He said when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) led by former President Mahama was in government, the NPP in opposition made all manner of allegations against the then government, only to come to power and repeat the same mistakes they spoke about.
He then stressed that there is relative silence when the same NPP is in government.
“This government has gone to the contingency vault to withdraw funds for the construction of the National Cathedral,” he charged, adding that funds cannot be withdrawn from the vault for projects that will last for four years and more.
He predicted that this government will end up using GHS3 billion on the project and it will still be at the foundation levels.
“This is not an era for building a cathedral for God when people are hungry,” he asserted.
The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, and Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, his predecessor, have appeared in public for the first time since the NDC Congress in Accra that just ended.
The two met at the wedding ceremony of Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the NDC, on Wednesday, December 21, 2022.
Ahead of the election that saw Asiedu Nketiah, the former General Secretary of the party emerge winner in the National Chairman-ship race, the two candidates were actively engaged in a lot of media banters.
The last time they were seen together was on the morning of Sunday, December 18, 2022, just moments before the official results for the polls were declared by the officials of the Electoral Commission of Ghana.
After the contest, Asiedu Nketiah won convincingly with a 5,569 to the 2,892 votes garnered by Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo.
Sammy Gyamfi’s wedding is a private one that was attended by dignitaries like the former president, John Dramani Mahama.
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor, has guaranteed private plantation owners that the government and his ministry will always support and fully back their business as long as it advances the government’s goal of finding answers to the climate change.
Mr. Jinapor gave this assurance when he joined the plantation developers during a sensitisation forum organised for the private developers by the Ghana Forest Investment Programme, (GFIP) under the auspices of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
The awareness creation on the plantation loan scheme programme is on the sidelines of the sector minister’s one-day tour of the Ashanti Region on Tuesday, December 20, 2022.
He noted that government has absolute trust in the private sector even as it is giving out loans from its Forest Investment Project to engage in plantation enterprises because, he said, “we believe in the private sector as anything you do in human endeavour, whether medicine, commerce, agriculture, plantations, or anything, when you have the private sector at the fulcrum or the pivot around which your enterprise revolves, you can rest assured that you will be successful.”
The sector minister said that the Ministry’s presence at their meeting to create awareness of the plantation loan scheme is a testimony of the government’s commitment to their endeavour, adding that this support to the private sector to establish commercial forest plantation will yield a common goal which is the provision of industrial timber, restoration of the degraded landscape, job creation for the youth and provision of ecological services which he is especially happy about.
He indicated that this financing is also a vehicle for Government to realise its vision to protect the remaining forests, increase its forest estate, improve the lives of community members working in the rural landscape and pilot the viability of contracting commercial loans for plantation development.
He encouraged the private developers saying that the work they are involved in, although difficult, is a very important one and with a government that believes in the private sector, he urged them to get actively involved and make it work for the common good.
Stating the objective of the loan scheme to private sector plantation developers, Benito Owusu-Bio, the Deputy Minister responsible for Lands and Forestry, disclosed that in line with the achievements, the Ghana Forest Investment Programme (GFIP) and to consolidate the gains made under the original GFIP programme, financing of USD 19.39 million loans and grants were extended to Ghana in January 2019 and out of this total sum, USD 7.0 million is being loaned out to support small to medium scale plantation development through a concessionary loan scheme.
He opined that the objective of the scheme is to stimulate private sector investment in commercial forest plantations, which he said will be achieved through the provision of financial assistance and technical support to small and medium-scale forest plantation investors.
The Deputy Minister informed the developers that there are terms and conditions to acquire the loan, and the most pertinent among all is ownership of the lands on which they have the plantation.
He appreciated the efforts of the sector minister and the ministry for the tireless efforts in getting the loan scheme approved, noting that he is certain the private sector will do a good job with this opportunity given.
The government’s 2023 plans to demolish the Accra International Conference Centre(AICC) and build a new one for €116 million were thwarted by members of parliament from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), both in the Foreign Affairs Committee and in plenary last night, Tuesday, December 20, 2022. (GHC 1.3 billion).
The MPs also successfully blocked proposals to open new Ghanaian embassies in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Mexico.
MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who disclosed this in a Facebook post, said the government cannot be defaulting on its loan obligations and imposing “crude haircuts, particularly on pensions for the vulnerable aged and still be pursuing fanciful projects which can be deferred to better economic times in the future.”
This comes after the trade, industry, and tourism committee of parliament also rejected the GHC 80 million budgetary allocation for the construction of the National Cathedral.
The minority side of the committee voted against the budget in a 11:10 majority decision.
A member of the committee, Mr. Yussif Sulemana, told journalists on Tuesday, December 20, 2022: “I can tell you on authority that at the end of the day, we had to vote, and after the vote, the minority carried the day. We have voted against it, and we are saying that this is not the time for us to be spending that huge sum of money on building a cathedral.”
The Bole-Bamboi MP said: “Apart from that, we were told at the committee level that they had already spent GHC 339 million, and when we asked them to give us evidence of how the money was spent, it was a challenge.”
Again, he noted, “We were told that they have moved the cathedral from wherever it was to the ministry of tourism. And the question I put to them was that the organisation that is handling this cathedral, the secretariat, is it under the ministry of tourism?”
“If it’s not under the ministry of tourism, then it means that you want to use the ministry as a conduit to send the money wherever you want to send it, and we, the minority, will not accept it.”
The Minority leader in parliament, has asked Parliament to shoulder some of the blame and accountability for the failure to hold the executive branch of government accountable for carrying out its duties.
According to him, Parliament must accept the blame for the government’s excessive borrowing.
He said it was the responsibility of Parliament to check the excessive borrowing by the government, asking: “How did we get here?”
“Parliament’s role as the defender of the people’s interests is lost,” he said.
He made the admission on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, during a roundtable with the core leadership of Parliament on harnessing the dividends of democracy over the last 30 years, organised by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
Democratic dividends refer to the benefits that a democratic system can provide for society.
Among these benefits are the provision of public goods and an institutionalised arrangement for carrying the people along in the discharge of the duties of the state.
The discussion was on the theme: ‘Parliament and the harnessing of democratic dividends: Assignment.’
It brought together experts, including the Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, and Dr Maame Adwoa Gyeke-Jandoh, former Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Ghana, Legon.
The Minority Leader admitted that Parliament was always found wanting when it came to exercising its oversight due to intense partisanship.
He said the House struggled to determine what was best for the national interest against the interests of political parties.
Mr. Iddrisu said the consequences of excessive borrowing were being felt by “all of us.”
He argued that Article 181 of the Constitution gave Parliament the sole right to approve the terms and conditions of all loans.
“So if the Minister of Finance’s borrowing has exceeded 100 percent of GDP, how did we get here?” He asked.
He intimated that Parliament had become a “clearing house,” approving Executive members nominated to serve, without scrutinizing them and telling them in the face “that their conduct is not good enough.”
“The Parliament of Ghana is contributing, through acts of commission or omission, to eroding public faith and confidence in our democracy,” he stressed.
The four suspects who were being imprisoned for the kidnapping of two Canadian women were each given a sentence of 40 years in jail with hard labor by the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court.
Sampson Agarlor, the ring leader, Elvis Ojiyorwe, Jeff Omarsar, all Nigerian nationals and Yusif Yakubu, a Ghanaian were convicted after the court found them guilty of two charges of conspiracy and two charges of kidnapping.
They were each sentenced to serve nine years for the charge of conspiracy and 10 years for kidnapping.
The sentencing, the court said are to run concurrently, meaning they will each serve the highest which is 10 years but a combined 40 years for all.
The Court presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo ordered that the mobile phones of the convicts used in perpetrating the offense should be burnt while the pistols retrieved were handed over to the authorities.
According to EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, the families of the victims monitored the judgement via video link.
The Court said the prosecution after calling 11 witnesses was able to discharge the burden of proof which the convicts could not counter.
The Court also said the convicts came to the country purposely to kidnap expatriates to make money, a development the court observed destroyed Ghana’s International relations with investors.
Justice Osei Marfo urged the state to undertake law reforms to ensure that harsher punishments are imposed to deal with issues of kidnapping.
According to her, the current maximum punishment of 10 years for kidnapping is not deterrent enough and Ghana should learn from other countries who have strengthened their laws.
The Director of Public Prosecution, Mrs Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa welcomed the call and said a committee has been constituted to review some of the laws.
She said they will request for the judgement of the court and refer the call to the committee.
Lawyer Yaw Dankwah, who represented three of the four convicts apologised to the victims and their families.
He said, their job as lawyers is just to strengthen the judicial system.
The second convict, Elvis Ojiyorwe, knelt down before the court after he was sentenced to apologise to the victims and their families.
But his plea for a reduced sentence was turned down by the court.
Apology
Justice Osei Marfo while apologizing to the victims and their family said, “No one deserved what they (victims) have been through.”
She said in “matters like this justice must be done. My sincere apology to the victims and their family.”
Background
The four accused persons were standing trial for kidnapping two Canadian ladies since 2020.
The two ladies – Miss Lauren Patricia Catherine Tiley and Miss Bailey Jordan Chilley, who were in Kumasi to participate in a youth programme on June 4, 2019, were kidnapped.
The four persons who have been charged with unlawful imprisonment of two Canadian nationals have pleaded not guilty to four charges related to kidnapping.
The accused – Sampson Agharlor, aka Romeo, the ring leader together with Elvis Ojiyorwe, Jeff Omarsar and Yusif Yakubu have all denied the charges of conspiracy to kidnap, two kidnappings, and unlawful imprisonment.
A 39-year-old taxi driver, Kojo Amonoo was nearly shot dead at Ajumako after armed robbers snatched his taxi cab from him.
According to the victim, a young girl about 14 years old hired him to drive her to a building construction site surrounded by a bush.
He narrated to Kasapa News’ Yaw Boagyan that upon reaching the destination, three men at the site immediately rushed, attacked him and snatched his taxi cab from him.
He said he was shot at by the armed rubbers but fortunately and miraculously the bullet failed to eject, which angered the robbers to beat him up mercilessly until he pretended to be dead before they left him and took his taxi with registration number GW-5692-20 away.
He said he did not get any help while shouting for help at the scene of the attack so he crawled till he met somebody who took him to the Ajumako District Government Hospital.
The case has been reported to the Ajumako District Police Station for investigation.
The Chairman of the National Media Commission of Ghana (NMC), Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo, has said that the newly elected National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, can no longer serve on the Parliamentary Service Board.
Speaking at an event in Accra, Boadu Ayeboafo, explained that Asiedu Nketiah can no longer serve on the Parliamentary Service Board because the Constitution of Ghana indicates that members of such boards should be apolitical.
He also suggested that Asiedu Nketiah, as the leader of the NDC, may not give objective advice to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin.
“There is this concern that once Mr. Asiedu Nketiah is now the chairman of the NDC, he should not be part of the advisory group to the speaker and serve on the board.
“Because I know that Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey was a member of the National Media Commission, and because of him, the Constitution was amended to say that anybody who holds political office should not be a member of the National Media Commission.
“So, if somebody holding political office cannot be a member of the commission. How can somebody leading a political party advise the speaker, who is supposed to demonstrate objectivity and neutrality in the highest sense?” He questioned.
Johnson Asiedu Nketiah won the party’s chairmanship race at the National Delegates Congress held at the Accra Sports Stadium last Saturday.
Asiedu Nketia received 5574 votes, with Ofosu Ampofo receiving 2892 votes, Samuel Yaw Adusei receiving 52 votes, and Nii Armah Ashietey receiving 38 votes.
