Former president of the republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, has shared his life-changing experience growing as a politician.
The former statesman, claimed that he took a decision to leave politics to persue lecturing , after serving as member of parliament for three consecutive terms and a minister.
Speaking at the 13th Graduation Ceremony at the Accra Business School, under the theme; “creating jobs in the Ghanaian economy, challenges and opportunities”, the NDC potential flagbearer, asserted that, destiny would have carried him into a higher rank of his lecturing career, but he received a divine calling to serve his country in the higher office as vice president and later as president of the country.
“Not many people are aware of this story of my life, but standing before you as though in a lecture theatre, takes me back to this memory, many years ago, having served for three terms as a member of parliament and minister, I took a decision to leave politics and persue a doctorate degree, after which my intention was to return to teach in a university that had been newly established in Ghana. I believe that, this life’s choices would have put me in the ranks of your hard working lectures here in shaping, impacting, and sharing knowledge with young people like you, but the hand of destiny intervened and I received the calling to serve my country in the higher office as vice president and later as faith will have it, as president of this great nation,” he said.
John Dramani Mahama, served as president of Ghana from 24th July 2012 to 7th January 2017.
He previously served as vice President of Ghana from January 2009 to July 2012.
He was the member of parliament for Bole Bamboi from 1997 to 2009 and served as deputy minister for communication and minister for communication in the erstwhile NDC administration.
His name is Thomas Ayisah, married, a top personality at one of Ghana’s oil companies, the owner of a hundred and fourteen houses, all built with monies from his own pocket and an employer of over 300 people in Ghana.
Sounds luxurious for a lifestyle right? Perhaps! But his was a rather rough start, one that has earned him scars for life.
He was born in a village at Sefwi Wiawso in the Western North Region of Ghana, growing up in a relatively poor family. His childhood was tough he says. Though his father was a cocoa farmer, they had very little to boast of in terms of wealth as a family.
Young Thomas will return from the farm with his father in his dirty clothes only to see his classmates neatly dressed and returning from school.
He managed to do this, to get some money to support his schooling till it was time to progress to the tertiary level. At this point, he was helpless. His father said there was no money and his mother could only help if she borrowed money.
With a dream to attend the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS) what is now the University of Professional Studies (UPSA), he acquired some GHc500 which was borrowed by his mother for him and set off for the city; Accra.
This was when his struggles as an independent person began.
Speaking to Youtuber, Wode Maya in an interview, he said;
“So I picked that money and went to Nkawkaw to the sawmill, where they make wood and I started business and I enrolled in school.
“Every weekend, I’ll go the sawmill, go and pick products to sell in the market, then my first year in IPS was crazy. I had to perch in my friend’s hostel. When I was going to school, I had only 2 pairs of clothes and one shoe. In my first semester, it was like a curse from God but I survived it till today.
“I started scrap business with a couple of friends,” he said.
In his second year, with links from a friend, things got a bit better, he began working with a bank as a sales officer. It was through this he met and picked success tips from established people in various companies whom he was selling the bank’s products to.
After a while, in 2011, he moved to the Universal Merchant Bank where he worked till 2013 when he moved to work for an oil company.
Here, although he was promised better, Thomas was paid less – and during this period, his house and everything he owned got burnt. Life was hard all over again but his friends helped him out and linked him to some people who helped him start over.
“In the process, I visited oil companies etc. I did that till 2013 then I left for an oil company. They said they’ll pay me commission. They said they’ll give me 2,000 but they gave me 1,000 for the first month and after they were paying me 500 cedis.
“In 2014, one Sunday, I moved from the house and everything in the house got burnt, everything I own. Even customers’ monies with me at home got burnt.
“My company ceased my car before they gave me money to start up. Through this, I got a contract for the company but on that very day, I got fired.
“I got in touch with a friend who helped me, introduced me to someone who helped me get some products,” he said.
Thomas then explained that with some savings of about GHc1,500 which was 15 million cedis in the old Ghanaian currency, he decided to get married. Following this decision, his friends decided to gift him some money for his honeymoon. It was this money he used to establish his very first building which was a 6-bedroom house, after consultation with his wife.
“It is that money I used to start my building business. Within 6 months, we built a 5-bedroom house with a boy’s quarters.
“After this I started my own company, picking contracts to supply fuel oil to other factories and from there, my company started growing.
“I was living alone here in the bush so I sat and said why can’t I build a community for people to move in and settle,” Thomas added.
Today, he is the Head of Procurement at Akwaaba Oil Refinery and is the owner of a Real Estate Community; Agazy Homes – with some 114 houses.
Some eleven passengers who were onboard a car travelling on the Assin Nyankomase-Brofoyedru stretch of the Kumasi highway are reported to be battling for their lives.
The car, Hyundai Grace with registration number AC 1469-22 is said to have been involved in a ghastly accident after a tyre burst.
According to a report by Adomonline.com sighted by GhanaWeb, the driver lost control of the car after landing in a pothole leading to the tyre burst.
The car is said to have somersaulted before coming to a halt.
A team of MTTD officers led by one Inspector Godwin Tsikata upon visiting the accident scene has established through their preliminary investigation that the incident was a result of overspeeding.
Meanwhile, the injured passengers are said to be on admission at the St Francis Xavier Hospital receiving treatment while the accident vehicle has been towed to a police station for investigation to continue.
The Central region has contributed about 49,752.00 metric tons of fish valued at GH¢389,335.00 out of a total of 628.617.53 metric tons of fish caught countrywide from January to November 2022.
The figure represents an increase of 33.24 a cent of the 471.798 metric tons recorded in 2021.
Additionally, on Aquaculture development, the Region contributed a total of 913.65 metric tons made up of 258 metric tons and 655.65 metric tons of Tilapia and Catfish respectively, which is 1.02 percent of the total aquaculture production nationwide.
Nationally, the total volume of marine fish landings grew by 20.53 percent from 326,867 metric tons in 2021 to 393,970 percent metric tons in 2022.
Dr. Peter Omega, the Central Regional Director of the Department of Agriculture disclosed this at the 38th Regional Farmer’s Day celebration held at Jukwa in the Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira District to reward 30 outstanding farmers.
This celebration, which was on the theme: “Accelerating Agriculture Development through Value Addition”, was graced by Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, the Regional, a host of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives, traditional authorities, and farmers.
The awards ceremony was instituted to reward the nation’s hard-working and gallant farmers and fishers for their commendable and meritorious contributions to the nation’s food security.
Dr Omega said the Government through the Fisheries Commission had intensified support to train some fish farmers in the aquaculture sector as part of measures to address the rapid depletion of fish stock in the country’s marine space.
In line with that, he said some individuals had received support to reclaim some illegal mining sites for aquaculture projects, which were yielding positive results at Diaso in the Upper Denkyira West District.
Touching on the cocoa sector, Dr Omega said, a total of 383.73 hectares of Cocoa Swollen Shoot Disease infected farms had been removed since 2017.
With that, he said a total of 268.53 hectares representing 69.98% of the rehabilitated farms have been replanted with free plantain suckers, free hybrid cocoa seedlings, and free desirable economic shade trees that commensurate with the farm size.
The move was in tandem with the Region’s strategy to increase its output in the national tonnage of cocoa and distributed a total of 5,576,495 free hybrid cocoa seedlings and 170,425 desirable economic shade trees to some 8,707 cocoa farmers within the region.
The region subsequently, produced a total of 89,528.81 tons of dried cocoa beans compared to the previous year’s 135,858.50 tons.
Towards improving the market linkages of agricultural activities in the region, a total of 474,226 farmers and fishers have been linked to 173 Agricultural input dealers for input supply, while 55 aggregators and traders have been linked to farmers, processors, and consumers.
Similarly, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Commission created a sector database of 301 agro-processors, who are into cassava, oil palm, vegetables, coconut, ginger, maize, rice, sweet potato, poultry, piggery, and fish processing and had been linked to farmers and fishers for raw materials and traders and consumers.
On crop production, Dr. Omega announced that the production of agricultural commodities recorded a significant increase by the average of 2.5%.
“Maize production shows an increment from 326,625 in 2020 to 348,240 in 2021, rice-12,308 in 2020 to 16,246 in 2021, cassava -3,338,905 in 2020 to 3,540,553 in 2021, plantain- 278,256 in 2020 to 327,522 in 2021.
“Poultry production increased from 3,367,612 in 2020 to 3,586,507 in 2021, while sheep and goat increased from 894,612 in 2020 to 939,382 in 2021 and pigs from 51,777 to 53,045.
That represents a drop of 34.10% compared to the previous yield could be attributed mainly to the alternating bearing nature of the crop.
While celebrating farmers for their determination to maintain national food security, Dr Omega charged them to accept and improve on their technology through value addition.
They should accept give’s strategy on transforming the agricultural sector by upgrading the value chain—production, postproduction, and appropriate policies
He urged processors in planting materials and breeds of animals, farmers, and fishers are expected to add value to their products.
“Institutions and organizations are to add value to research findings, agriculture financing, extension delivery, product certification and regulation, and agriculture infrastructure development including irrigation, storage, and transport facilities.
“Packaging, processing, delivery, and fortifying of products like gari with orange flesh sweet potatoes which provide all the essential vitamins in our diets.
“Certification by the Food and Drugs Authority and the Ghana Standards Authority are forms of adding, value to food products since they go through their processes to ensure quality and safeguard public health agro-processing has emerged as one of the most attractive sectors for investment,” he advised.
For her part, Mrs Assan reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting farmers to maintain national food security.
She encouraged the youth to take advantage of the government’s interventions in the sector to improve their livelihoods and commended Canfed Ghana for supporting the farmers in the region.
Several gallant farmers were rewarded for their hard work to enable others to emulate them.
The old terminal building at the recently inaugurated Sunyani Airport is to be remodeled and expanded to accommodate the expected increase in passenger throughput.
The facility was officially inaugurated on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, after a seven-year closure to allow for an extensive renovation of the domestic airport sited in the middle belt.
The runway of the Sunyani Airport, under phase 1 of the rehabilitation exercise, was extended from 1,280 meters to 1,400 meters.
The extension of the runway from 1,280 meters to 1,400 meters now makes it possible for the airport to accommodate medium-sized jet planes.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, presenting the 2023 budget said a new terminal building is in the offing.
“In line with Government’s policy to improve air connectivity, boost trade and tourism, the Ministry rehabilitated, commissioned, and operationalised the Sunyani Airport.
The construction of Phase II of the Airport will commence in 2023. The scope of work will include extension of the existing runway, and the existing terminal building will undergo expansion and remodeling,” he said.
The domestic airline, PassionAir, has operated the Accra-Sunyani route since the official inauguration this year. Given the very good load on the route, PassionAir now operates six weekly flights on the Accra-Sunyani-Accra route in response to increased demand.
The airline operates Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 and Bombardier Dash 8 Q300 planes that can transport 78 and 50 passengers respectively.
Brief background of Sunyani Airport
The Sunyani Airport was originally constructed as an Airstrip and later upgraded into an airport in 1969. The airport currently has a total runway length of 1,520 meters made up of 1,400 meters paved and 60 meters unpaved Runway End Safety Area (RESA) at both ends.
It had the capacity to handle and process 100 passengers per hour. Since the commencement of commercial operations, the airport has not had any major renovation works, resulting in the poor state of the airport including cracks and potholes on the runway.
In 2015, the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) and Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) shut down the airport as a precautionary measure to forestall
any disaster. Prior to shutting it down, it was serviced by now defunct domestic airline operator, Starbow.
The rehabilitation and expansion of the airport was carried out in phases. A contract was awarded in 2018 for the rehabilitation of the existing runway, minimal renovation of the terminal building, construction of some airport internal roads and other auxiliary facilities.
Rehabilitation works are almost complete and the airport is to be opened to traffic in the next few months.
President Nana Akufo-Addo has admitted that there have been challenges associated with the implementation of the Free SHS policy.
Despite the challenges, the President has assured that the government will address many of them and many more over time during the 70th-anniversary anniversary celebration of Opoku Oware School (OWASS) in Kumasi on Saturday, December 3, 2022.
The theme for the anniversary was “Seven Decades of Leadership Through Self-Discipline” and it was chaired by Justice Steven Alan Brobbey, an old student of OWASS and former Supreme Court Judge.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was the Guest of Honour along with the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kumasi, His Grace Most Rev Gabriel Anokye.
The program also attracted old students (Akatakyie) from all over the globe, former headmasters and staff, politicians, government appointees, MPs and the public.
President Nana Akuffo Addo stated that despite the challenges, he was very proud of the policy and the results so far.
“Six years following the Free SHS Policy, it has guaranteed a minimum of 1.3 million Ghanaian children, the highest such enrollment in our history, ” he said.
“Yes, there have been challenges associated with the policy which the government is addressing substantially many of them and there will be more over time, such is the nature of social evolution to the stage the challenges will be met,” he admitted.
In addressing the situation, the President assured that “despite the economic difficulties confronting the nation, the government has devoted more resources to the running of the SHS Policy.
“From the budget of GHC2.3 billion in 2022, a 28.6% increase has been applied to this year’s budget for Free SHS Policy, ie GHC2.96 billion,” Akufo-Addo added.
The chairperson for the program, Justice Steven Alan Brobbey, an old student and former Supreme Court Judge, urged the students to be self-disciplined.
He indicated that it will assist them to achieve academic excellence and play important roles in the development of the nation.
The Headmaster of Opoku Oware School, Rev Fr Stephen Owusu Sekyere, in a remark commended the old students (Akatakyie) for sacrificing their resources to assist the school.
He also expressed his gratitude to President Nana Akuffo Addo for resourcing the school with classroom blocks, however, appealed to the president to then complete a 21-classroom block and build a wall around the wall to ward off encroachment.
The National Chief Iman, Sheikh Dr Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, has paid a historic visit to his ancestral home at Axim in the Nzema-East Municipality of the Western Region.
The visit follows a befitting homecoming summit in honour of the-103-year old Spiritual Father of the Muslim Community in Ghana.
The National Chief Iman was accompanied by the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Catholic Church of Cape Coast, Most Reverend Gabriel Palmer Buckle, also a native of Axim and personal friend of Dr Sharubutu, and his Spokesperson, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu.
Others were the Public Relations Officer, Alhaji Latif Abdulsalam, Secretary, Siddiq Tanko, the Western Regional Chief Imam (Alasunna), Sheikh Mozu and the Western Regional Chief Imam, Zulkifli Abdul Wahid among others.
Dr Sharubutu was given a rousing welcome as school children, family, and guests ushered him into Axim with brass band music procession.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Nzema-East, Madam Dorcas Elizabeth Amoah, welcomed him and his entourage to her residence and expressed her gratitude for the visit.
She said the visit would cement the relationships between the office of the National Chief Iman and the Axim Community and Nzema Manle.
She prayed that Sheikh Dr Nuhu Sharubutu would continue to visit home to cement his relationship with them.
His Grace, Archbishop Gabriel Palmer Buckle, expressed great pleasure that he and the National Chief Iman hailed from Axim.
He described Sheikh Dr Sharubutu as a pillar in Islam, a peace-loving person, unifier and a beacon of hope and development in the country and the world.
He described the Chief Iman’s role in conflict resolution in parts of the country as giant strides to ensure peace.
The Paramount Chief of the Lower Axim Traditional Council, Awulae Attibrukusu, commended the National Chief Iman for making Axim and Nzema proud by occupying the highest office of Islam and contributing to the religious and socio-economic development of the country.
He paid a glowing tribute to the Development Queenmother of Upper Axim, Obahyema Erza Ngonlomah, for spearheading the home-coming summit and to the planning committee for a good job done.
The National Chief Iman, through his Spokesperson, Sheikh Aremeyaw, thanked traditional rulers and the planning committee for making his visit a reality.
He recalled some years back when he used to pay frequent visits home during which he spearheaded the building of a mosque in Axim and prayed to continue to visit home to be a blessing to Axim and Nzema Manle.
Government has started stakeholder engagement over the proposed construction of an airport to serve both the Central and Western regions.
The Central region currently has no functional commercial airport, while the military airport in Takoradi is used for scheduled commercial flights.
The decision to construct an airport for each region or one to serve both regions has gone through many phases. Ankaful was initially mooted as the possible location to site an airport for Central Region.
The Central region, which is a major tourism destination in the country, given its rich history and UNESCO World Heritage castles sited along the coast, is only accessible to tourists by road.
Connecting with the regional capital, Cape Coast, from Accra is hampered by heavy vehicular traffic. It takes about two (2) hours to connect from Accra on a typical weekend when many people usually travel for tourism and social events.
Cape Coast played a crucial role in the success of the Year of Return held in Ghana in 2019. Indeed a total of US$1.9 billion was generated into the economy through activities related to the “Year of Return.”
The programme also brought about an increase of over 200,000 in total arrivals into the country.
The Western Region is also one of the country’s most endowed areas and the oil hub. The region also hosts a lot of foreign companies operating in the mining, manufacturing and other sectors.
Presenting the 2023 Budget to Parliament, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, gave the clearest indication that one airport will be constructed to serve both regions.
“Mr. Speaker, Phase II of Kumasi Airport Expansion Project is fully completed while Phase III is 89.33 percent complete. Additionally, a draft feasibility report on the Central/Western Region Airport was submitted and is being subjected to stakeholder engagement,” he said.
Commenting on the proposed airport, Sean Mendis, a commercial aviation expert, told AviationGhana exclusively that: “In general though, investment in aviation infrastructure is always a positive thing provided projects also are maintained well. Ghana already has a very robust culture of domestic air travel, and one of the highest number of per capita domestic travellers in sub-Saharan Africa.”
He added that the need for maintenance should be factored into the cost of the projects. “Airports are not build and forget projects unfortunately. They have to be maintained and operated at a professional standard to continue to be operational, so any investment needs to budget for that as well.”
Economic benefits of airports
A study by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) shows that the economic benefits of aviation investment are still large, and provide a strong justification for investment in the aviation industry.
The study found that for developing economies, the annual economic rates of return range from 16% to 28%.
“Developing countries face capital costs, especially for new aircraft, that are similar to those faced by developed countries. As such, though the boost to GDP is higher in proportional terms for developing economies, the capital costs are still high. Nevertheless, the available economic return is still large and provides a strong justification for investment in the aviation industry,” he said.
“There are significant and positive benefits generated by investment in aviation infrastructure and services, particularly in developing economies. By increasing a country’s connections to the global air transport network, investment in aviation can boost its long-term productivity and economic growth.”
“Greater aviation connectivity – and the improvements in productivity and GDP growth it can provide – can also help to boost a country’s competitiveness. By way of illustration, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has developed a Global Competitiveness Index for the travel and tourism sector.”
The WEF’s index incorporates many of the factors necessary to develop connectivity and create wider economic benefits in terms of productivity and economic growth.
There is a clear positive relationship between a country’s connectivity and its performance in the WEF index.
Teacher trainees in all sixteen Colleges of Education affiliated with the University of Cape Coast have boycotted all mid-semester quizzes.
The teacher trainees refused to write the first mid-semester paper; Gender and Writing paper scheduled for Thursday, December 1, 2022.
Trainees at the OLA College of Education, Berekun College of Education, Abetifi College of Education, St. Francis College of Education, St. Monicas’s College of Education, Seventh Day Adventist College of Education, Christ the Teacher College of Education, Atebubu College of Education and Foso College all boycotted the mid-semester examination.
Similarly, trainees at the Holy Child College of Education, Kibi College of Education, Holy Spirit College of Education, Jasikan College of Education, St. Ambrose College of Education, St. Teresa’s College of Education and Offinso College of Education all followed suit.
At the Atebubu College of Education, for instance, the trainees availed themselves for the examination but refused to write the paper and stormed out of the hall with the examination papers when the question papers were distributed to them.
The boycott follows a three weeks old strike by two bodies, the Colleges of Education Tutors Association of Ghana and the Colleges of Education Non-Teaching Staff Association of Ghana (CENTSAG) over welfare concerns.
According to the students, they have lost five weeks of contact hours as a result of the ongoing strike by CETAG and will need a postponement of all examinations until issues surrounding the strike are resolved.
They contend that the tutors have not been able to cover most of the topics nor have they been able to award scores for continuous assessment.
A second year of the Atebubu College of Education, Peter Katari, supported the boycott because their earlier pleas to the mentoring university for a postponement like other sister mentoring universities were ignored.
“The boycott is in the right direction because we can’t write exams when tutors have been on strike for three weeks now. We have a lot to cover in terms of content but the university wanted to go ahead with the examination and we responded by boycotting it”.
Confirming the boycott to GhanaWeb, the General Secretary of the Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana (TTAG), Musah Sumaila, disclosed that they have resolved not to take part in the mid-semester quizzes as well as the scheduled end-of-semester examination.
He added that they want the University of Cape Coast to postpone the mid-semester quizzes and end-of-semester examination until the impasse between CETAG and the government is resolved.
“We have decided to boycott the mid-semester quizzes as well as the scheduled end-of-semester examination because of impending issues. We cannot write examination under the current conditions and it is only fair that they postpone it until the strike is called off”.
Meanwhile, this portal can confirm that all SRC Presidents in the 46 Colleges of Education across the country had earlier written to the National Executive of TTAG directing all students and teachers to stay off the examination.
The media and journalists in Ghana have been advised to delve more into stories that seek to educate the public about human trafficking in Ghana and around the world.
Speaking to JoyNews after a one-day intensive workshop for the International Justice Mission’s (IJM) second cohort of the Young Journalists’ Fellowship program, National Director of Advocacy & Partnerships at the International Justice Mission, Worlanyo Kojo Forster, encouraged journalists to help complement the government’s efforts in fighting human trafficking by being more resourceful.
“The media needs to understand the space more. When you understand something, you can be a better advocate and so I encourage journalists to delve more into human trafficking and have an understanding of the laws that govern trafficking in our nation and even the world.
“I also encourage journalists to be more resourceful in terms of being investigative, being more on the field and helping to hold officials accountable and support the government agencies who are already doing the work so they can maximize their strength and skills”.
National Director of Advocacy & Partnerships at the International Justice Mission, Worlanyo Kojo Forster
Meanwhile, IJM has inducted 14 young journalists selected across Ghana into the one year long Young Journalists Fellowship Program cohort 2. Worlanyo Kojo Forster, says this is to train young journalists on issues of human trafficking for them to become better advocates.
“The purpose of this fellowship is to engage young journalists to train them on issues of child trafficking, to give them an understanding of it, help them to understand the policies we have as a country and how we can hold officials accountable so we can continue to maximize our efforts against child trafficking.
“Last year we started a cohort where we engaged 10 young journalists who are fairly new in the profession to have basic understanding of the issues of trafficking and help the to better advocates of it and have them in their line of work and it was hugely successful and this year we are launching a second cohort as well.”
JoyNews’ Nicholas Ekow Yamoah was one the journalists selected to be part Young Journalist Fellowship Program cohort 2 with others from Adom TV, Ghone TV, GBC, GNA, ZamiReports, and Beyond FM.
IJM Ghana is empowering 14 young and energetic journalists from various media houses, radio, television, and print media as part of its efforts to raise awareness of human trafficking through the use of mass media and also maintain a strategic relationship with journalists and media outlets through the Young Journalist Fellowship Program cohort 2.
The journalists are from different parts of Ghana, specifically from source and destination communities with a history of human trafficking. Over the course of their one-year fellowship program, these young journalists, who are connected to prestigious media outlets, will cover human trafficking and IJM’s activities.
A social advocacy group focused on enabling local communities to engage the government and ensure they benefit from national policies and programmes, SEND Ghana, has advised government to slow down on its dependence on development partners to fund its capital expenditure.
In a press statement released on Thursday, December 1, 2022, the group noted that government’s contribution to the country’s capital expenditure continues to dwindle year after year.
The report reveals that in the 2023 budget, government funds amounted to 1.8 percent, while development partners contributed to 92.22 percent of the total allocations.
“Our analysis of the national budgets (2019-2023) shows that the government still relies heavily on Development Partners (DPs) to fund its capital investments for some major ministries. Investments in the provision of Water, Hygiene and Sanitation (WASH) services in the last four years have largely been donor driven. In the 2019 budget for the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, 70.26 percent of projected allocation was sourced from DPs. In 2020, it increased to 82.39 percent,” part of the release read.
“This trend continued in 2021 with projected funds from DPs, for purposes of capital expenditure, constituting 75 percent, while the GoG, Internal Generated Funds (IGF), and the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) collectively make up just about 25 percent. In the 2023 budget, a whopping 92.22 percent of the total allocation is expected to come from DPs while GoG’s contribution reduced from 8.48 percent in 2022 to 1.8 percent in 2023,” it added.
SEND Ghana acknowledged that while a massive contribution by development partners to the capital expenditure was essential for economic growth, over-reliance on external supports may hinder government’s agricultural modernization and industrialization initiative.
“While investment in CAPEX is critical in stimulating growth, over reliance on donor support, which is characteristically unpredictable, puts at risk the government’s drive in pursuing agricultural modernization and industrialization,” it added.
Parliament is expected to debate the 2023 budget in the coming week.
Armed robbers on Friday (2 December) killed a woman at Aprawhem in the Eastern Region, an official police statement said.
According to the police, the gang of armed robbers also robbed a gold dealer of some valuables during the attack.
In a terse statement, the police gave assurance to the general public that the armed robbers will be arrested to face justice.
“The police have since last night embarked on a special operation to arrest a gang of armed robbers who shot a woman at Aprawhem on 2 December 2022 and also robbed a gold dealer of some valuables.
“We would like to assure the public that we will surely get these thugs arrested to face justice,” the statement said.
Political activist and entertainment pundit, Kwame A Plus, has reiterated his call for people to work hard and look for money because it can save a person even from going to jail.
He was reacting to a December 1, 2022, Accra High Court contempt ruling that pronounced fines on himself and others with jail time to be imposed in case of default.
A Plus said in a video posted on his Facebook wall that he was witness to how a co-convict opted to settle the GH¢65,000 fine slapped on all of them.
The person in question is Nana Ama McBrown, actress and hostess of UTV’s entertainment programme, United Showbiz.
“…when the amount was mentioned, GHC65,000 cedis, Nana Ama McBrown removed her cheque and offered to pay for everyone, Ama; you are brutal.
“When I went out of the court, I was almost accosted until I replied that ‘my Lord, we are going to take our chequebook and give the court money.’
He continued that McBrown asked the other accused Fadda Dickson: “Fadda should I pay for everyone so that you reimburse me? Fadda said she should relax, that the money was there.”
He did not disclose whether the total sum of GHC325,000 in lieu of the five persons had been settled and by who.
Fadda Dickson, Felicity Nana Ama Agyeman, aka Nana Ama McBrown; Valentina Nana Agyeiwaa, alias Afia Schwarzenegger; Kwame Asare Obeng, alias Kwame A Plus, and Emmanuel Barnes, alias Mr. Logic and UTV, were recently cited for contempt of court.
The parties were dragged to court by Chairman Wontumi after all except Fadda Dickson, the Executive Director of the United Showbiz programme, discussed the merits of Wontumi’s defamation suit against Afia Schwar whiles the issue was pending in court.
The High Court in its ruling on Thursday, December 1, 2022, convicted and fined all of them to pay GH¢65,000 each; in default, they are to spend two months in jail.
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Chief Executive, Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye says the decision to revoke the licenses of credentialed healthcare providers charging illegal fees is non-negotiable.
According to him, the NHIA is paying one and a half billion cedis annually to healthcare providers for claims submitted to the Authority for which reason it is unreasonable to demand extra money from NHIS members at the point of need.
He emphasized that any healthcare provider caught acting with impunity would not be spared.
“We are making sure our members are properly taken care of. We are ready to revoke the credentials of healthcare facilities who make extra monetary demands from our members with impunity.”
Dr. Okoe Boye expressed his misgivings at a meeting with the Upper East Regional Minister on December 1, 2022.
The Regional Minister, Hon. Stephen Yakubu commended the bond between the NHIA executive management and the Governing Board.
He said the people of the northern belt have largely been beneficiaries of the NHIS because it is pro-poor focused.
The Regional Minister described as enormous the NHIA’s recent innovations such as the Mobile Renewal platform and the Ghana card and NHIS card linkage.
As part of the visit, Dr. Okoe Boye paid a courtesy call to the paramount Chief of the Paga traditional area where he stated, “We trust that our revered father, the Pagapio will go on with his blessings and good counseling to enable the NHIA to make progress in ensuring that all residents in Ghana are covered by the NHIS.”
“We encourage the entire population in Kassena Nankana to enroll in the Scheme to access affordable and quality healthcare.”
He said it would soon be possible for all residents in Ghana and beyond to register for the NHIS via online through a digital platform yet to be officially launched by the Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in Tamale.
He underscored the need for NHIS members to periodically renew their membership using the dedicated short code *929#.
The Pagapio, Pe Pwanalunga-Charles Awiah Awampaga II applauded the NHIA’s executive management and the Governing Board for touching base with him.
He made a firm pledge to help the NHIA succeed in increasing the NHIS active membership in his traditional area.
The Pagapio made a passionate appeal to Dr. Okoe Boye and the Governing Board to open an additional office in the area.
The team visited the NHIS Navrongo district office and also interacted with staff who talked about their achievements and challenges.
The NHIA Chief Executive on November 28, 2022, embarked on a working visit to the northern belt comprising the Northern, North East, Savannah, and Upper East regions, except the Upper West region.
The nationwide working tour was to interface with major stakeholders including traditional leaders, administrative heads, and staff of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
He is being accompanied by some NHIA Board members and Directors, among others.
Alex Tenge, a carpenter has allegedly killed his mother and grandfather at Okorase in the Akuapem North Municipality in the Eastern region.
The suspect beheaded the about 90-year-old grandfather Tenge Sodzado, and cut it into pieces before pursuing and butchering the mother Rita Agbabli Tenge, 40, in the compound of the house for raising alarm.
The incident occurred Thursday, December 1, 2022, at about 11:30pm. The suspect is alleged to have committed the heinous crime after allegedly drinking Sobolo laced with wee.
He has reportedly told the Police.
Starr News visit to the family house observed a solemn meeting by the family members as they receive sympathizers.
The widower who’s the son of the deceased old man Francis Tenge said the family is devasted by the incident.
“I left my wife and father home Thursday morning to my hometown, I arrived 9:30 pm. Then I had a call from my wife that Alex(suspect) had gone to a nearby house and attempted to entangle the neck of a girl in the house so the father was going to report at the police station”. Francis Tenge told Starr News.
He narrated further, “I tried calling back for an update on the police case but my wife didn’t respond to the phone calls. I was later told that my son Alex has killed my wife and father. It was very difficult for me, so I set off the next day to come home. Now I need psychological help, I need your prayers and support. My son has never misbehaved like that. I don’t know what came to him. I am told he informed police that someone gave him sobolo”.
Kwasi Gboha, an Elder in the family said they are collaborating with the police for further investigation after which the body will be released to them for burial.
Late Rita Ababli Tenge was a Christian with Leaders Light International Ministry, Okorase branch. She had returned from church on the fateful night before being gruesomely killed.
Two Pastors of the Church – Pastor Frank Aki and Pastor Ebenezer Awuah on Saturday morning visited the bereaved family to commiserate and motivate them with scriptures.
Rita Tenge left behind four children made up of two boys and two girls with the older child now 14 years of age whilst the last born is 9 months old.
Meanwhile, the suspect is in police custody assisting investigation whilst the bodies have been deposited at the morgue of the Eastern Regional Hospital.
Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Kwaku Afriyie, has described Ghana’s fight against COVID-19 as spectacular.
As a medical practitioner who trained in the United States of America and compared the two countries, he said Ghana managed the outbreak far better than America with the resources and logistics.
The minister explained that the World Health Organization initially told the world that vaccination was unnecessary, but later reversed its position.
“Nana Addo has performed admirably. He handled the case in a spectacular manner. America, with its sophisticated logistics and resources, could not handle the situation as well as Ghana. Check the figures for Brazil and Ecuador to understand my point,” he said.
Dr. Afriyie said Ghana had done well, and per what we have gone through, more persons should have died, but our response to the Covid-19 outbreak was far better than in several countries.
“We had very good leadership. President Akufo-Addo did well and must be commended,” he stressed.
He further asserted that the current crisis is not caused by mismanagement as alleged by the opposition.
He said the outbreak of the virus contributed largely to the current economic crisis.
He assured Ghanaians that the President is competent and has what it takes to turn things around.
The Association of Road Contractors is lamenting government’s reluctance in settling debt owed them since 2018.
Members say the situation is really affecting their livelihoods and taking a toll on their health and businesses and rather frustrating.
Vice Chairman for the Association Stephen Atatsi while speaking on Akoma FM‘s weekend political show Wonsom, which was also telecast on Onua TV Saturday, December 3, revealed that most of their members are out of business and traumatized due to enormous financial burden on them as they took huge loans to execute government tasks (road projects).
The road contractors, who sounded disgruntled, told host of the show Aduanaba Kofi Asante Ennin that “since 2018, government hasn’t paid a penny to us and he owes us millions of dollars. The amount is as a result of delayed payment and accumulation of interest on certificates locked up at the sector ministry”.
Mr. Atatsi further lamented most of their members are hospitalized due to depression and frustration from persistent pressure from banks and other creditors.
He added that “some of the members are now living from hand to mouth because government has refused to pay huge amount of debt owed them. Some even cannot afford to buy their medical bills, so we are really going through a lot this is not fair”.
He expressed passionate grief about how unfairly government has been treating members of the Association of Road Contractors.
He further appealed to government to as matter of urgency come to their aid by paying up the four-year debt which is amounting to millions of dollars to salvage members of the Association and their families from excruciating situation they are faced with.
A technical advisor at the Office of the Vice President, Dr Kabiru Mahama, has condemned some cabinet ministers and NPP MPs who abandoned parliamentary work to cheer the Black Stars in Qatar.
Parliament on Tuesday, November 29, began the debate on the 2023 budget, which is considered crucial to the government’s efforts to reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout.
But on the day the debate commenced, less than 30 NPP MPs were in the Chamber to participate in the Budget debate.
Subsequently, photos of some leading cabinet ministers in Qatar including the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation Ursula Owusu-Ekuful surfaced online, attracting condemnation by some Ghanaians who described the development as insensitive.
Speaking on the Big Issue on Citi TV/Citi FM, Dr. Mahama said President Akufo-Addo would be appalled by the lack of critical reflection by the MPs.
“I am sure that this is something the President will be very appalled at because the Members of Parliament are expected to sit through the debate of the budget.
“That exercise of discretion by the cabinet ministers involved in this particular case was exercised without critical reflection on the situation because nothing justifies the fact that you are in this situation, and you go to Qatar to cheer the Black Stars.”
Former President John Dramani Mahama has blamed the freeze in employment for the public sector announced in the 2023 budget on the reckless spending and mismanagement of President Akufo-Addo and his appointees.
Speaking at the 13th Congregation of the Accra Business School on Saturday, the former President painted a gloomy picture for the country in the coming years and urged the graduates to venture into entrepreneurship or look to the private sector for employment.
“Unfortunately, parastatals that were thriving a few years ago have been run into the ground by political appointees who have mismanaged the affairs of the state-owned enterprises. These constraints further the ability of the public sector to employ.
“Let me put our situation in a better context. Compensation cost for 2022 was estimated at 55.3 percent of tax revenue, which means off all the taxes we collect we spend 55.3 percent to pay wages and salaries for the public sector alone, amortisation and interest payments consumed the rest of our taxes,” the former president said.
Mr Mahama added that the “situation has compelled the government this year to announce a freeze or a ban on public-sector employment. This makes the situation rather dire for you…unfortunately due to mismanagement and reckless expenditure by the government over the last five years, the private business environment is also in a very poor state today.”
The former President’s comments follow the government’s announcement of a freeze on hiring into the public and civil service effective January 2023 as part of cabinet directives for expenditure rationalisation in the 2023 Budget as the country readies itself for a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
There have been similar freezes on public sector employment in 2008 and 2014.
Deputy Attorney-General (AG), Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, says he disagrees with Justice Eric Kyei Baffour that the proposed settlement in the Capital Bank trial will make crime attractive.
On Thursday, the Commercial Division of the Accra High Court presided over by the Justice rejected the terms of settlements reached between state prosecutors and the founder of Capital Bank, William Ato Essien.
Mr. Essien, per the proposed settlement, agreed to pay GH₵90 million in total: GH₵30 million on Thursday and GH₵60 million in an agreed installment settlement with the state.
Responding to the question posed by Newsfile host, Samson Lardy Anyenini, on what his outfit thought of the assertion that the agreed settlement seeks to make crime attractive to people, he said the claim was far from true.
Mr Yeboah explained that “the judge spoke from an advantaged position, he is the one presiding and he knows what he may want to do. As a prosecutor, we cannot be certain that we will win the case, it will go the other way but perhaps the judge passed that comment because he is sitting in a privileged position so that is the response that I will give to that.”
He explained that previous experiences have informed his outfit to always pursue innovative ways to collect state monies from culprits before other punishments are meted out.
The Deputy AG further said that the approach his outfit used was not as simple as it seems because it still limited the accused from occupying some positions.
“Let’s go to our constitution, if you want to hold any public office, if you want to be an MP, if you want to be Minister, Deputy Minister, if you have been convicted of an offense involving dishonesty, you are limited from holding such position,” he said.
He stressed that the proposed approach dented the reputation of the former boss and creates limited opportunities for him.
“If you are a business person like Ato Essien who is into financing from the banks and specialized deposit taking institution Act, Act 930, you can not be a director of any financial institution or work in any position relating to the finances of the company, you cannot,” he noted.
Mr. Tuah-Yeboah further noted that the Attorney-General’s insistence on retrieving the monies from Ato Essien is because previous experience had shown that often when culprits were sent to prison, the State could not fall on any asset to recoup stolen funds.
“If someone does not have the asset you can fall on, you cannot say you are going to imprison the persons. So in this particular matter, maybe they are convicted by the court which we are certain the court may do because we have a very good case.
“If they are convicted and Ato Essien imprisoned and the court says we should go and then get his property and auction, do we know his property?” he said.
Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil says the unrest in the labour sector is the doing of government.
The lawyer, who was speaking on the issue of disparity between Article 71 officeholders and Single-Spine workers, said the country has failed when it comes to “dealing with public sector wages over time”.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, he said none of the problems caused can be attributed to public sector workers.
“Zero of the problems are with the public and civil servant. All the problems are with the leaders. When you employ somebody, the person’s wage is not a net loss to you because the person helps you to make more money than you pay them.”
“So if you take the civil and public servants, the government workers, whatever we’re paying them, if they were producing well enough, it will not be a net loss to you, it won’t be a problem, it will be a fraction of what they’re making,” he said.
Mr. Bentil argued that politicians and government officials are “messing up” the public sector.
He said proof of the above was the fact that workers from the public sector work efficiently when they are in the private sector than they do in the public sector.
“The public sector has about three times more qualifications than the private sector. And whenever they move, whether to international organizations or into the private sector, they produce massively. So why don’t they get the same levels of productivity when they’re in the civil and public service?
“It’s because of the leadership and the political messing up of that space. It’s because people are appointing political misfits into office. It is simply because the leadership there is poor at every level.”
He reiterated that the country should not blame the public sector workers for low productivity.
Public sector workers have been raising concerns over the huge gap between the salaries of Article 71 officeholders and Single-Spine workers.
By 2016, the difference between average salary earners of these two groups amounted to ₵17,088 with single spine workers taking as low as 1,128 as against Article 71 holder’s 18,211.
In view of this, organized labour recently rejected a proposal of 18% salary increment.
The group which consists of unions such as; GNAT, CLOGSAG and TUC stated that they will not accept any increment less than 60% although they are demanding a 65% increment.
A 67-year-old woman, Antie Aba Yaa has been found hanging in her uncompleted house at Nkusukum, a suburb of Mankessim in the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region.
She was found dead and hanging on Saturday, December 3, 2022.
Speaking in an interview with EIB Network Central Regional Correspondent, Yaw Boagyan, a daughter of the deceased, Sister Esi said she woke up early in the morning going for jogging and her mother was nowhere to be found, but she thought her mother had gone out to visit a neighbour.
After she returned from the jogging, she noticed that her mother was still not in the house so she began searching for her.
Upon searching, she noticed that there were signs that an activity had happened in the house, hence she went nearer and found that her 67-year-old woman was hanging.
According to her, the incident has left residents shocked and struck with fear.
They therefore called on the police to beef up security in the area.
Meanwhile, police in the Mankessim have conveyed the body to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital Mortuary for autopsy and preservation.
Government in the 2023 Budget Statement has only allocated 12 percent to the education sector which is about three to eight percent short of the international benchmark of at least 15 percent to 20 percent, a situation the Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) describes as alarming.
In the budget statement, out of the projected government expenditure of GH₵205billion, only GH₵24.7billion, representing 12 percent of the total budget, is allocated to the education sector.
Meanwhile, at the Global Education Summit held in July 2021 in the United Kingdom (UK), President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo pledged to spend at least 23 percent of the national budget toward the development of education in the country over the next medium term from 2021 to 2025.
According to Eduwatch, this is not only one of the lowest proportions of government budget allocation to the education sector in about two decades, but also raises concerns about Ghana’s ability to meet the upper limit of the international education financing benchmark of 15 percent to 20 percent of public expenditure, and 4 percent to 6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
Even more alarming, according to Eduwatch, is that only 39 percent (GH₵1.8billion) of the GH₵24.7billion was allocated to Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), against total GETFund levy accruals of GH₵4.6billion for education financing.
Furthermore, out of the total allocation to education, GH₵2.7billion, representing 12.1 percent of the total education allocation, is earmarked for Capital Expenditure (CAPEX), where education infrastructure is financed.
This, compared to the 2022 allocation of GH₵1.4billion, represents an increase of 92 percent but is still too insignificant to tackle the gargantuan education infrastructure needs, hence, fewer infrastructure projects outcome should be expected.
“The declining proportion of the national budgetary allocation to the education sector has a strong potential to negatively affect the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-4) targets, especially at the basic education level. Government must take steps to augment the deficit in the 2023 supplementary budget, and revise the medium-term expenditure framework to reflect its international commitments on education financing, as well as the real needs of the sector,” Eduwatch lamented.
The Executive Director of Eduwatch, Kofi Asare, has called on Parliament to interrogate the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta, about why the 25 percent capping of the GETFund could possibly lead to an allocation of only 39 percent of accruals to the GETFund levy, adding that the continuous capping of GETFund is inimical to education development, especially at the basic level where the infrastructure gap continues to widen.
Out of the total allocation to education, GH₵4.9billion, representing 21.4 percent of the education budget is allocated to goods and services.
This, compared to the 2022 allocation of GH₵4.4billion, does not only represent an increase of 11 percent, but indicates an increase in the proportion of the education budget spent on goods and services from 17.9 percent in 2022 to 21.4 percent in 2023.
Out of this Gh₵2.95 billion representing 60 percent is earmarked for financing the free Senior High School (free SHS) programme. This constitutes an increase of 26 percent from the 2022 allocation of Gh₵2.3 billion.
Infrastructure deficit at basic level
There are 1.2 million children out of basic school in Ghana, mainly because of huge deficits in the availability of public basic schools in underserved communities.
This, coupled with the over 5,000 basic schools taking place under trees, sheds, and dilapidated structures, and the lack of Junior High Schools in about 4,000 primary schools must be enough reason for the government to listen to calls by Parliament and Civil Society for uncapping the GETFund.
Police in the US state of Alabama have arrested an 82-year-old woman over an outstanding rubbish bill.
Martha Louis Menefield said she was confused as officers handcuffed her and arrested her on Sunday.
The amount that led to her arrest was reportedly $77.80 (£63.28).
In a statement on Facebook, City of Valley police said they treated Ms Menefield respectfully and that they had notified her several times that she had not paid the bill for three months.
“Ms Menefield was treated respectfully by our officers in the performance of their duties and was released on a bond as prescribed by the violation,” said Mike Reynolds, police chief for the City of Valley in Alabama, in the statement, which has drawn significant criticism online.
People from Alabama and across the country denounced the police department in the comments section.
“Everybody who played a role in arresting this 82-year-old Valley, Alabama resident must be held accountable for their actions,” wrote Donald Watkins, a former attorney in the state, in one example.
“You’re not kidding?” she asked the officer. But when the police explained that he was indeed there to arrest her over the unpaid bill, Ms Menefield said, “I was upset because I didn’t know why they would come and arrest me.”
Once in handcuffs, one of the officers “kind of whispered it to me: ‘Don’t cry’”, she said. She recalled telling an officer: “How would you feel if they came and arrested your grandmama?”
Following her arrest, she was taken to the Valley police department and temporarily held before she was released on bond.
“I was in a little cage-like thing at the police station,” Ms Menefield told CBS News. “And I said, ‘Y’all put me in this cage? You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”
Mr Reynolds did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment.
In his Facebook statement, Mr Reynolds wrote that city officials had attempted to contact Ms Menefield about her bill multiple times.
He said that she had received a citation in August for the unpaid bills, and that the city’s code enforcement department “tried to call Ms Menefield several times and attempted to contact her in person at her residence.”
Officials left a notice on her door, Mr Reynolds said, providing contact information and an advisory that she was required to appear in court in September.
“A warrant for Failure to Pay Trash was issued when she did not appear in court,” Mr Reynolds said, adding that Ms Menefield also had her trash services suspended three times in the past two years.
Ms Menefield told CBS News that she did not know the bill in question had not been paid, and that she had never received a notice to appear in court.
A Russian businessman has been arrested at his multi-million-pound London home by officers investigating potential criminal activity by oligarchs.
The man, 58, was held on suspicion of money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the Home Office and conspiracy to commit perjury.
A 35-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of money laundering.
He was also arrested for obstructing an officer when trying to leave with a bag containing thousands of pounds in cash.
A third man, 39, who is the former boyfriend of the businessman’s current partner, was arrested at his home in Pimlico, central London, for offences including money laundering and conspiracy to defraud.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) said more than 50 officers from its Combatting Kleptocracy Cell were involved in the operation at the businessman’s property, where a number of digital devices and a significant quantity of cash was seized following a search.
Graeme Biggar, director general of the NCA, said the unit, which was established this year, was having “significant success investigating potential criminal activity by oligarchs”.
He added: “We will continue to use all the powers and tactics available to us to disrupt this threat.”
All three of the arrested men, who have not been named by the NCA, have been released on bail.
The NCA said it was the latest operation carried out as part of its efforts to disrupt the activities of corrupt international business figures and their enablers.
Almost 100 “disruptions” – actions that remove or reduce a criminal threat – have been carried out against Putin-linked elites and their enablers, including account freezing orders (AFOs) over accounts held by people closely linked to sanctioned Russians, according to the NCA.
Almost 20% of unaccompanied child migrants from Albania taken in by Kent County Council this year have disappeared, the BBC has found.
The local authority took in 197 Albanian children up to 31 October, 39 of whom have gone missing.
Ecpat UK, which campaigns to protect children from exploitation, said the figures were very concerning.
The council said it had worked closely with the Home Office and police to safeguard vulnerable children.
The figures were obtained by the BBC via a Freedom of Information request.
The council said 197 Albanian children processed at the Home Office’s Kent Intake Unit came into its care between 1 January and 31 October.
It added that, as of 7 November, 39 were recorded as missing. However, it said some of those children would have since turned 18.
Government figures collated by the BBC show 44,122 people have crossed on small boats so far this year, compared with 28,461 who arrived in 2021.
This contributed to overcrowding at the Manston processing centre in Kent, which at one point was holding more than double its capacity, at about 4,000 people.
The rising number of diphtheria cases among asylum seekers who have recently arrived in the UK has also been a concern.
Meanwhile, a government plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda is currently on hold as it faces a legal challenge in the court.
Analysis: BBC reporter Simon Jones
For a local authority which is taking on the role of a child’s guardian, just one young person going missing is one too many.
For Kent County Council, to not know the whereabouts of 39 of the Albanian children it was tasked with caring for must be extremely worrying.
The council says candidly that it can be very difficult to prevent some children from going missing.
It’s trying to identify proactively those who might be at risk of exploitation, and, when missing children are found, it will carry out a debrief to see if lessons can be learned.
It has certainly felt under pressure in recent years over the number of asylum-seeking children it has been required to take on, at times refusing to accept any more, saying services were at breaking point.
Now, more unaccompanied children are being dispersed around the country. But the challenge of protecting those children from potential harm remains very real.
More than 12,000 migrants from Albania have reached the UK by boat so far this year – an increase of almost 4,000% compared with 2021.
The issue has been highlighted by Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick, who said that on some small boats 80% of those on board were from Albania.
Laura Durán, head of policy, advocacy and research for Ecpat UK said this was a “really high” number of missing children.
She said: “We’re really concerned they are at risk of exploitation or have effectively been trafficked.
“They could be facing labour exploitation in different industries such as construction or car washes; they could be criminally exploited in drug distribution or in cannabis farms, or they could be sexually exploited.”
Image caption,
Migrants rest at an unnamed Home Office facility in Kent
In a statement, Kent County Council said it had seen a “significant increase” in the number of unaccompanied Albanian children referred to its services.
It said: “Whilst all unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are vulnerable to exploitation… research and experience evidences that some nationalities are particularly vulnerable and can go missing from local authority care very quickly.
“Kent County Council has used both established safeguarding protocols, including the National Referral Mechanism, and initiated multi-agency strategies to minimise the risks for these children as much as possible.
“The council continues to take a proactive role in safeguarding all unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in its care.”
Russia is consolidating its military presence in the captured port city of Mariupol by constructing a large army base, satellite photos released from the Earth observation company Maxar appear to show.
The new, U-shaped compound sits near the centre of the city. On its roof, the red, white and blue star of the Russian army can be seen, with letters reading “Russian army, for the people of Mariupol”.
Image source, Maxar
Image caption,
The newly constructed Russian military base in Mariupol suggests Russia is seeking to dig in in the city
Moscow’s forces laid siege to the city for almost three months earlier this year, and constant artillery barrages left much of it in ruins.
Ukrainian officials estimated last month that some 25,000 civilians were killed in the strikes, while the UN said it had confirmed the deaths of 1,348 civilians, but said the true death toll was “likely thousands higher”.
Images of the city’s graveyard appear to show it being extended. Russian troops have reportedly been removing dead bodies from destroyed buildings in recent months and taking them away for burial. Last month, an analysis of images obtained by BBC Panorama suggested 1,500 new graves have been dug at the cemetery.
Image source, Maxar
Image caption,
Photos of the Mariupol cemetery taken in March 2022
Image source, Maxar
Image caption,
Images of the cemetery taken in November show new graves being dug in the right foreground and the left foreground
A large protective screen has also been erected around the remains of the city’s theatre, where hundreds of people are believed to have died after Russian forces targeted it in a missile strike on 18 March. The attack – which Amnesty International called “clear war crime” by Russia – left the site in ruins.
Image source, Maxar
Image caption,The remains of the Mariupol theatre after a missile strike in March
Image source, Maxar
Image caption,In new images, a large screen can be seen around the theatre
Ukrainian officials estimate that up to 90% of the city’s infrastructure was left in ruins by the Russian bombardment, and the new images suggest that Moscow has started to demolish many of the residential buildings that were left beyond repair.
Image source, Maxar
Image caption,Residential buildings after being targeted by Russian strikes in March
Image source, Maxar
Image caption,The new images show the damaged buildings have been demolished in anticipation of reconstruction
Other images show huge amounts of building supplies at the city metro station. During the Russian bombardment of Mariupol, many civilians could be seen waiting outside the station for food and other necessities.
Image source, Maxar
Image caption,An image showing building supplies at Mariupol’s metro station
Image source, Maxar
Image caption,
The metro station in March
The images come amid reports that Russia is slowly building up its defensive positions in Mariupol, as Ukrainian counteroffensives in the south and east increasingly put the city under threat.
Last month, UK defence officials said the Russian military was using two plants in occupied Mariupol to produce large numbers of “dragon’s teeth” – concrete blocks designed to slow advancing enemy armour and other vehicles.
The city is strategically important for Russia, forming part of its “land bridge” linking Russia to annexed Crimea.
The Air Force on Friday unveiled its newest stealth bomber aircraft, the B-21 Raider, in Palmdale, California. Built by Northrop Grumman, the bomber was named in honor of the “courageous spirit” of airmen who carried out the surprise World War II Doolittle Raid.
The sixth-generation aircraft is expected to help the Air Force “penetrate the toughest defenses for precision strikes anywhere in the world,” Northrop Grumman’s press release said. Six bombers are currently in “various stages of final assembly” in California, according to the release.
The event on Friday was even more significant given that it marked the first time in more than 30 years a new US bomber has been publicly unveiled since the B-2 Spirit was presented in 1988. While the US originally planned to have a fleet of 132 B-2s, just 21 were ultimately purchased.
The release of the new bomber comes amid heightened tensions between the US and both China and Russia. Just days ago, the Pentagon released its annual report on China, which said the country has doubled its number of nuclear warheads in a fraction of the time the US expected it to.
By 2035, the report said, China could have roughly 1,500 nuclear warheads – an “accelerated expansion” of its stockpile, a senior defense official told CNN.
The B-21 was designed with that competition in mind. Northrop Grumman’s rundown of the new bomber’s abilities said that while adversaries “continue to invest in and develop advanced weapons,” the B-21 will allow the US to penetrate enemy air defense and hit targets “anywhere in the world.”
“America’s defense will always be rooted in deterring conflict. So, we are again making it plain to any potential foe: the risk and the cost of aggression far outweigh any conceivable gains,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during the unveiling ceremony Friday. “This is deterrence the American way.”
While Friday marked the “first time the world’s first sixth-generation aircraft (was) seen by the public,” Northrop Grumman said, airmen and aircraft enthusiasts alike will have to wait until next year to actually see one in the air.
The first B-21 flight is expected to happen in 2023, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said, though she emphasized that the timing of the first flight “will be data and event, not date, driven.”
The Air Force previously said that the new nuclear-capable stealth bomber, which has the ability to carry both nuclear and conventional weapons and which will fall under the Air Force’s Global Strike Command, will be “the backbone of the future Air Force bomber force,” designed in a way that is ripe for future modernization efforts.
The service named Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, as the home of the B-21 and home to the aircraft’s training program. Each aircraft was anticipated to cost $550 million when the price was set in 2010; after adjusting for inflation this year, Stefanek said, the cost of each aircraft, including training materials, support equipment and other components of the bomber, is $692 million. The Air Force plans to purchase at least 100 of the stealth bombers.
“Even the most sophisticated air defense systems will struggle to detect the B-21 in the sky,” Austin said at the unveiling.
The B-21 has been built with long-term sustainability and maintainability in mind, Northrop Grumman said in the release. It has also been designed to be rapidly upgraded when future threats demand it – a process that can often be slowed down by bureaucratic red tape and delayed timelines when it comes to older military aircraft and vehicles.
The bomber won’t undergo “block upgrades,” according to Northrop Grumman, which is a method of periodically upgrading parts of a system. Instead, the company said new “technology, capabilities and weapons will be seamlessly incorporated” through software upgrades.
“This will ensure the B-21 Raider can continuously meet the evolving threat head on for decades to come,” the company said.
The name “Raider” was submitted by airmen with the 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron out of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and beat out more than 2,000 other suggestions. It refers to the April 1942 Doolittle Raid, during which 80 airmen flew a retaliatory mission to bomb Japan just months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Led by then-Lt. Col. James “Jimmy” Doolittle, the airmen flew roughly 650 miles to Japan, bombing military installations, storage facilities and factories, according to the Air Force. But because of limited fuel, they knew it was unlikely they’d make it back to safety as planned.
Instead, the pilots and crew “ditched at sea, bailed out, or crash-landed in China,” according to the National Museum of the US Air Force, many reaching safety with the help of Chinese citizens. According to the museum, as many as a quarter of a million Chinese citizens were later executed by the Japanese as punishment for assisting the Americans.
Former Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James announced the new bomber’s name in 2016 alongside one of the airmen who flew on that World War II mission, retired Lt. Col. Richard Cole, who died in 2019.
“We wanted [to] ensure the aircraft had a strong name airmen could take pride in, especially those who will have the opportunity to fly and maintain the B-21,” Lt. Col. Jaime Hernandez, commander of the 337th, said in 2016. “We also wanted to take an element of our history into account, and the story of the Doolittle Raiders embodies just that.”
Nearly 20,000 people in the United States were admitted to the hospital for flu last week, almost double the number of admissions from the week before, according to data updated Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC estimates that there have been at least 8.7 million illnesses, 78,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths from influenza this season.
In a letter to the nation’s governors Friday, US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra notes that flu and other respiratory viruses are “increasing strain” on the country’s health care systems.
In a letter obtained exclusively by CNN, Becerra wrote that the Biden administration “stands ready to continue assisting you with resources, supplies, and personnel.”
Last month, children’s health leaders requested a formal emergency declaration from the federal government to support hospitals and communities amid an “alarming surge of pediatric respiratory illnesses, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza, along with the continuing children’s mental health emergency.”
The Biden administration has not declared a public emergency for RSV or flu, but the Becerra letter outlines ways the public health emergency declaration for Covid-19 can be applied to more broadly address challenges brought on by a confluence of Covid-19 and other respiratory and seasonal illnesses.
“The Administration has exercised regulatory flexibilities to help health care providers and suppliers continue to respond to COVID-19. These flexibilities – while critical in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic – can also help address many of the challenges you face during the spread of non-COVID-19 illnesses, including RSV and flu,” the letter says. “They remain available to you and health care providers as you all make care available in response to flu, RSV, COVID-19, and other illnesses.”
For example, if a hospital has staffing shortages that have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, it may use a waiver that would allow increased surge capacity or easier patient transfers – even if the patients need treatment for something other than Covid-19, such as flu or RSV.
The letter also highlights available funding, including $400 million from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to prepare for and respond to public health threats each year, including flu and other respiratory diseases such as RSV, along with data, analysis and other planning resources put together by the federal government. It also notes that the federal government is monitoring the supply chain for critical drugs and devices and that federal health officials over the past month have been engaging with the nation’s governors through a meeting hosted by the National Governors Association.
“As your federal partner, we stand ready to evaluate any request for federal medical assistance and support – including requests for medical personnel and equipment – working in close coordination with you and local jurisdictions to determine the needs and availability of matching resources,” Becerra wrote.
Flu activity has been highest in the South, with hot spots spreading from El Paso to southwest Virginia. All but six states are experiencing “high” or “very high” respiratory virus levels, and seasonal flu activity remains “high and continues to increase,” according to the CDC.
There have been nearly 17 flu hospitalizations for every 100,000 people this season, rates typically seen in December or January. The cumulative hospitalization rate hasn’t been this high at this point in the season in more than a decade.
The latest surveillance data probably does not reflect the full effects of holiday gatherings, as it only captures through November 26, two days past Thanksgiving.
While flu continues to ramp up, RSV has shown signs of slowing nationwide, but test positivity rates are still higher than they’ve been in years, and cumulative hospitalization rates are about 10 times higher than typical for this point in the season. Less than two months in, the RSV hospitalization rate this season is already nearing the total RSV hospitalization rate from the entire 2018-19 season.
There is no vaccine for RSV, but health officials have urged people to get their flu shots and updated Covid-19 boosters heading into winter. With the holiday season – and flu season – underway, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned this week of the potential for an emergency situation.
“When you have very little wiggle room of intensive care beds, when you have like almost all the intensive care beds that are occupied, it’s bad for the children who have RSV and need intensive care. But it also occupies all the beds, and children who have a number of other diseases that require intensive care or ICU, they don’t have the bed for it,” Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “So if you get to that situation, that’s approaching an emergency.”
Health officials are urging parents to look out for symptoms of Strep A after six children died with an invasive form of the bacterial infection.
Strep A infections are usually mild, causing illness ranging from a sore throat to scarlet fever, but can develop into a more serious invasive Group A Strep (iGAS) infection.
Experts say there are more Strep A cases than usual this year.
Prof Beate Kampmann said parents should seek medical help if they were worried.
Health officials confirmed on Friday that six children had died with iGAS – including five under 10-year-olds in England and a girl from Wales since September. No deaths have been confirmed in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
The UK Health Security Agency said the last time there was an intensive period of Strep A infection was in 2017-18, when there were four deaths in England in the equivalent time frame.
The rise in Strep A cases and deaths is most likely due to high amounts of the bacteria circulating and increased social mixing, the UKHSA said.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday, infectious diseases paediatrician Prof Kampmann said Strep A caused “an a-symptomatic infection in the majority of people, then there is a sore throat, then scarlet fever, and in a very, very small minority will there be invasive Group A Strep”.
She said there had been three times as much scarlet fever this year than was seen pre-pandemic: “It starts off with a high fever, very sore throat and very red tongue, which has this sort of papillae – eventually developing a rash which feels a bit like sandpaper.
“The rash starts in the elbows and behind the neck. It tends to then peel after about ten days because the disease is caused by a toxin that is produced by this bacterium.”
Prof Kampmann said if children became really unwell, or if parents were in doubt, they should seek help. She also said children with a fever should be kept off school.
She continued: “The good news is that Group A Strep is very, very treatable with penicillin.”
But she added, “if your child is deteriorating in any way, you feel that they’re not eating, drinking, being quite flat and lethargic you need to take them to the doctors and to get them checked out”.
The latest data shows there were 851 cases of scarlet fever reported in the week of 14-20 November, compared to an average of 186 for the preceding years.
Virologist Dr Chris Smith said the general rise in Strep A infections could be due to a drop in immunity following the pandemic.
He told BBC Breakfast: “There’s something about the vulnerability of the population and particularly younger people.
“What has changed is that younger people have been through three years, almost, of relative isolation from each other.
“They haven’t caught the normal infections at the normal rates and at the normal times that normal children of that sort of age bracket would have done.
“So, we wonder whether it is that we are seeing a big rash of cases all at once.”
There have been 2.3 cases of the invasive Strep A disease per 100,000 children aged one to four in England this year, compared with an average of 0.5 in pre-pandemic seasons of 2017-19, the UKHSA said.
There have also been 1.1 cases per 100,000 children aged five to nine, compared with a pre-pandemic average over the same period of 0.3.
UKHSA advises people to call 999 or go to A&E if:
your child is having difficulty breathing – you may notice grunting noises or their tummy sucking under their ribs
there are pauses when your child breathes
your child’s skin, tongue or lips are blue
your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake
What is Strep A?
Image source, BSIP/Getty Images
Group A streptococcal (GAS) infection is caused by strains of the streptococcus pyogenes bacterium
The bacteria can live on hands or the throat for long enough to allow easy spread between people through sneezing, kissing and skin contact
Most infections cause mild illnesses such as “strep throat” or skin infections
It can also cause scarlet fever and in the majority of cases this clears up with antibiotics
On rare occasions the bacteria can get deeper into the body – including infecting the lungs and bloodstream. It is known as invasive GAS (iGAS) and needs urgent treatment as this can be serious and life-threatening.
The German government wants to stop energy companies from increasing electricity and gas prices in 2023, Bild newspaper reported Saturday, citing draft legislation.
The government has already ordered a cap on energy prices for next year to quell the energy crisis that threatens household budgets and the viability of many businesses.
What is the government planning?
A draft law on next year’s energy price brake, which was announced by Berlin last month, will also force utility companies to justify any increase in price, for example, extreme volatility in financial markets, Bild reported.
Otherwise, they would be banned from increasing prices in 2023.
The measure, if passed, would mean that hundreds of price increases already announced by energy firms for next year would have to be reversed.
The government wants to prevent energy firms from abusing an €83-billion ($87-billion) subsidy scheme to pay for the price cap.
The price rise justification will be part of the mechanism that firms will need to adhere to receive those subsidies.
“We want to prevent free-rider effects that encourage utility companies to charge higher tariffs,” Michael Kruse, spokesman for energy policy for the neoliberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) parliamentary group, told Bild.
Free riding occurs when one firm benefits from the actions and efforts of another without paying or sharing the costs.
One passenger was killed and four injured when a “rogue wave” hit their cruise ship during a storm earlier this week.
The passengers had been taking an Antarctic cruise aboard the Viking Polaris when it was hit by the storm as it sailed towards Ushuaia, Argentina, late on Tuesday evening.
The storm caused a giant wave that broke several panes of glass on the cruise ship and these fell onto and killed an American woman.
Viking Cruises confirmed in a statement issued Saturday that the ship had been hit by a “rogue wave” – a type of wave the US National Ocean Service describes as being “greater than twice the size of surrounding waves.”
“It is with great sadness that we confirmed a guest passed away following the incident,” Viking Cruises said.
It did not reveal the passenger’s name or nationality.
However, the Argentine state news agency Telam said the dead passenger was an American woman who “received blows from a glass surface that collapsed in the middle of the storm.”
“Four other guests sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident and were treated by the ship’s onboard doctor and medical staff,” Viking said.
The cruise line said it is investigating and has canceled the Viking Polaris’ next trip scheduled for December 5 to 17.
The boat arrived in Argentina Wednesday and had sustained “limited damage” during the incident, Viking Cruises said.
The US National Ocean Service describes rogue waves as being “very unpredictable” and says they often come unexpectedly from directions other than prevailing wind and waves.”
The US Air Force has unveiled its newest nuclear stealth bomber, the B-21, which will gradually replace aircraft first flown in the Cold War.
The first new bomber in 30 years could cost nearly $700m (£569m) each and can carry nuclear and conventional weapons.
As expected, specific details of the aircraft remain shrouded in secrecy.
But US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said it was “a testament to America’s enduring advantages in ingenuity and innovation”.
The B-21 Raider was unveiled during a ceremony on Friday at manufacturer Northrop Grumman’s facility in California.
Mr Austin said the plane would offer significant advances over existing bombers in the US fleet, stating that “even the most sophisticated air defence systems will struggle to detect the B-21 in the sky”.
“Fifty years of advances in low-observable technology have gone into this aircraft,” he said.
Image source, Reuters
He added that the plane was also built with an “open system architecture,” which allows for the incorporation of “new weapons that haven’t even been invented yet”.
While the potential for an uncrewed flight was not mentioned during the ceremony, a US Air Force spokeswoman said the aircraft was “provisioned for the possibility, but there has been no decision to fly without a crew”.
The first flight by a B-21 is expected to take place next year.
It will eventually replace the B-1 and B-2 models and the fleet is estimated to cost $203bn (£165m) to develop, buy and operate over 30 years, according to Bloomberg.
Six planes are currently in production, the manufacturer said, adding they would feature the “next generation of stealth” and that it is employing unspecified “new manufacturing techniques and materials”.
The US Air Force is planning to acquire at least 100 of the aircraft.
A cap on the price of Russian oil will restrict Russia’s revenues for the “illegal war in Ukraine,” the US says.
The cap, approved by Western allies on Friday, is aimed at stopping countries paying more than $60 (£48) for a barrel of seaborne Russian crude oil.
The measure – due to come into force on Monday – intensifies Western pressure on Russia over the invasion.
Ukraine said the Western-proposed cap should be halved. Russia said it would not supply to countries enforcing it.
The price cap was put forward in September by the G7 group of industrialised nations (the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the EU) in a bid to hit Moscow’s ability to finance the war in Ukraine.
In a joint statement, the G7, the European Union and Australia said the decision was taken to “prevent Russia from profiting from its war of aggression against Ukraine”.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the price cap would also further constrain Russian President Vladimir Putin’s finances and “limit the revenues he’s using to fund his brutal invasion”, while avoiding disrupting global supplies which could send petrol prices soaring around the world.
“With Russia’s economy already contracting and its budget increasingly stretched thin, the price cap will immediately cut into Putin’s most important source of revenue,” she said in a statement.
UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the UK would not waver in its support and would continue to look for new ways to “clamp down on Putin’s funding streams”.
The agreement of a price cap comes just days before an EU-wide ban on Russian crude oil imported by sea comes into force, also on 5 December.
The price cap – which is meant to affect oil exports worldwide – is meant to complement that.
Countries which sign up to the G7-led policy will only be permitted to purchase oil and petroleum products transported via sea that are sold at or below the price cap.
Ukraine’s Western allies also plan to deny insurance to tankers delivering Russian oil to countries that do not stick to the price cap. This will make it hard for Russia to sell oil above that price.
Senior Russian politician Leonid Slutsky told Tass news agency the EU was jeopardising its own energy security with the cap.
Though the measures will most certainly be felt by Russia, the blow will be partially softened by its move to sell its oil to other markets such as India and China – which are currently the largest single buyers of Russian crude oil.
Image source, .
Before the war, in 2021, more than half of Russia’s oil exports went to Europe, according to the International Energy Association. Germany was the largest importer, followed by the Netherlands and Poland.
But since the war, EU countries have been desperately trying to decrease their dependency. The US has already banned Russian crude oil, while the UK plans to phase it out by the end of the year.
In the era of tweets being coughed up under the mantra of ‘The internet doesn’t forget,’ politicians are often the subject of social media posts that literally slap them in the face.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is facing one such social media post in the wake of the Black Stars exit from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Otto Addo-led team fell 2 – 0 to Uruguay in a must-win fixture on December 2, 2022; which result meant the two teams exited the tournament with Portugal and South Korea advancing.
A 2014 tweet by the president has resurfaced as people mock its content relative to recent happenings in the country.
It reads: “No water, no electricity, no petrol, no jobs, no mercy, no World Cup cictory! #Ghana”
The president had urged the team to take revenge on the Uruguayans after a 2010 incident where Luis Suarez, their captain in yesterday’s game thwarted Ghana’s prospect of making history by becoming the first African side to qualify for the semi-finals of the World Cup.
Akufo-Addo has yet to comment on the outcome of the match.
In 2014 when his tweet was made, the then Asamoah Gyan-led Black Stars made a disastrous outing in Brazil when they failed to win a single match yet ‘cooked’ a global spectacle that saw dollars being flown to pay their appearance fees for fears of a boycott.
Ghana ended bottom of Group H with Portugal topping whiles South Korea finsihed second ahead of Uruguay on goal difference – both teams finished with four points apiece.
The Black Stars recorded three points from three games – losing to Portugal and Uruguay and beating South Korea. They scored five goals and conceded seven.
Coach Otto Addo has resigned his position in the post-match press conference.
Match Report: Uruguay vs. Ghana
The Black Stars of Ghana had one task going into their final Group H fixture at the 2022 World Cup.
Win at all costs, worse case draw against Uruguay and secure passage into the Round-of-16 stage of the competition.
The match was, however, settled with three major incidents in the first half. A penalty miss by Black Stars skipper Andre Dede Ayew, when the score was goalless.
Then Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s two goals for Uruguay which came in quick sucession, consigned the Black Stars to a second World Cup defeat against the South Americans who broke hearts of Africans in 2010.
Their 2 – 0 victory over the Black Stars was, however, not enough to get them through to the next round of the tournament as South Korea beat Portugal 2-1.
With Uruguay in dire need of a third goal to progress to the next round of the World Cup, Suarez was reduced to tears as efforts to score another goal proved futile.
Portugal and South Korea advanced from Group H as Uruguay and Ghana exited the tournament after finished 3rd and 4th respectively.
Nurses at the Manhyia District Hospital in the Kumasi metropolis have rescinded their decision to strike.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Friday, December 2, 2022.
According to the GRNMA, their employers, the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS), “have reached out in writing to condemn the actions of Mr Alex Opoku Mensah.”
It noted that its employers further called on “the leadership of the GRNMA and the entire Nursing and Midwifery Fraternity to remain calm and withdraw the intended and roadmap to embark on an industrial strike, and allow for the due administrative processes and investigations to be conducted by the National Service Secretariat for a final determination on the incident.”
It also indicated that “other stakeholders including our dear patients and clients and the general public have also formally and informally condemned the actions of Mr Alex Opoku Mensah and have pleaded the leadership of the GRNMA to rescind its decision on embarking on a full scale strike action and resume nursing and midwifery services at Manhyia District Hospital.”
It noted that, in view of this, it has “called off its strike in Manhyia District Hospital and the intended roadmap for a full industrial action to allow the committee set up the National Service Secretariat to carry out its mandate and to ensure that our patients and clients do not suffer unduly.”
It called on all nurses and midwives especially those in Manhyia District hospital to kindly adhere to this directive and return to work Saturday, December 3, 2022 and continue providing safe and quality nursing and midwifery services to the people of Manhyia and its environs.
For failing to sack the Ashanti Regional Director of the NSS, nurses at the Manhyia Government Hospital began a sit-down strike on Friday, 2 December 2022.
The GRNMA spearheading the strike threatened to escalate it on 6 December where all nurses in the region will remain at home if the NSS regional Director was still at post.
The Association in a statement further said there will be a nationwide strike of nurses by Friday, November 9, 2022, if their demand was not met.
Mr Opoku-Mensah has been suspended by the management of the NSS pending investigations but the GRNMA is unsatisfied.
They want him sacked from office for barging into the Manhyia Government Hospital to insult a nurse on duty.
Mr Opoku-Mensah went to the hospital to fight the nurse on behalf of his daughter after the nurse had questioned the house officer on an issue.
The nurse is believed to have used her own phone to call Mr Opoku-Mensah’s daughter to come to the hospital and log into the E-Health System and update a patient’s prescription order so that the patient is not billed for unissued drugs.
It is not clear how the nurse communicated with Mr Mensah’s daughter on the phone which made her feel disrespected.
Mr Opoku-Mensah then followed his daughter to the hospital and was captured on tape insulting the nurse and threatening to mastermind her removal from the hospital.
He went on further to say his daughter is more intelligent than the said nurse and further threatened to come to the hospital in his daughter’s defence anytime she is intimidated by anyone in the facility.
The GRNMA said Mr Opoku-Mensah had no right to enter the hospital to abuse a nurse.
The group said as a Regional Director of the NSS, he should have known that the Manhyia District Hospital has management with whom he could have lodged a complaint instead of barging into the facility to attack the nurse.
Meanwhile, Mr Opoku-Mensah has apologised for his action.
In a Facebook post, the embattled Mr Opoku-Mensah said “I understand the disappointment and appreciate the inconvenience my action has caused the general public as well as the Nursing FRATERNITY and Manhyia Hospital.
“This has never been my style but for a genuine reason to mediate a persistent issue between my daughter(Doctor) and a colleague nurse who I as well consider my daughter.”
“I do apologise for any mishap and assure all, there shall not be a repetition of such…I look forward to maintaining a cordial relationship with any affected person.”
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Chief Executive, Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye has said the decision to revoke the licences of credentialed healthcare providers charging illegal fees is non-negotiable.
According to him, the NHIA is paying one and a half billion cedis annually to healthcare providers for claims submitted to the Authority for which reason it is unreasonable to demand extra money from NHIS members at the point of need.
He emphasized that any healthcare provider caught acting with impunity would not be spared.
“We are making sure our members are properly taken care of. We are ready to revoke the credentials of healthcare facilities who make extra monetary demands from our members with impunity,” he said.
Dr. Okoe-Boye expressed his misgivings at a meeting with the Upper East Regional Minister on December 1, 2022.
Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu commended the bond between the NHIA executive management and the governing board.
He said the people of the northern belt have largely been beneficiaries of the NHIS because it is pro-poor focused.
The Regional Minister described as enormous the NHIA’s recent innovations such as the Mobile Renewal platform and the Ghana card and NHIS card linkage.
As part of the visit, Dr. Okoe-Boye paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of Paga traditional area where he stated, “We trust that our revered father, the Pagapio will go on with his blessings and good counselling to enable the NHIA make progress in ensuring that all residents in Ghana are covered by the NHIS.”
“We encourage the entire population in Kassena Nankana to enroll onto the Scheme to access affordable and quality healthcare.”
He said it would soon be possible for all residents in Ghana and beyond to register onto the NHIS via online through a digital platform yet to be officially launched by the Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in Tamale.
He underscored the need for NHIS members to periodically renew their membership using the dedicated short code *929#.
The Pagapio, Pe Pwanalunga-Charles Awiah Awampaga II applauded the NHIA’s executive management and the Governing Board for touching base with him.
He made a firm pledge to help the NHIA succeed in increasing the NHIS active membership in his traditional area.
The Pagapio made a passionate appeal to Dr. Okoe Boye and the Governing Board to open an additional office in the area.
The team visited the NHIS Navrongo district office and also interacted with staff who talked about their achievements and challenges.
The NHIA Chief Executive on November 28,2022 embarked on a working visit to the northern belt comprising the Northern, North East, Savannah and Upper East regions, except the Upper West region.
The nationwide working tour was to interface with major stakeholders including traditional leaders, administrative heads and staff of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
He is being accompanied by some NHIA Board members and Directors, among others.
Ghana Black Stars have once again failed to live up to expectations and have left Ghanaians in shambles as a result.
Ghana faced Uruguay today in the ongoing World Cup tournament with hopes of progressing to the round of 16.
Just as hopes were built, dreams came crashing down when Uruguay tossed and ravaged Ghana.
What was to be a revenge game turned into an eyesore, particularly when captain Andre Ayew missed a penalty that would have put Ghana in a lead position.
Luis Suarez’s side scored a few minutes after Dede Ayew missed a penalty in the 21st minute.
G. de Arrascaeta took advantage of a confusion that hit Ghana and scored in the 26th minute.
Arrascaeta doubled his side’s dominance in the 32nd minute.
Ghana’s defense proved to be porous.
Uruguay’s victory however did not materialize as they missed the bullseye, which is a place in the round of 16.
South Korea ensured Uruguay’s absence when they won their game against Portugal which took place simultaneously.
South Korea beat Ronaldo’s side by two goals to one. Portugal led Group H with 6 points.
South Korea and Uruguay followed with 4 points. Ghana was at the bottom with 3 points.
A Nigerian man who is facing trial for the murder of a middle-woman identified as Vivian has told a Teshie Magistrate Court that his action was out of self-defence.
The accused known as Daniel Dennis, during court hearing on Thursday, December 1, explained that his victim, an alleged sex worker who was murdered in cold blood, beheaded and legs broken, got into a fight with him after he tried preventing her from smoking weed in his room at Spintex, Accra.
According to a report by United Television, the accused; 35 years, also claimed that the deceased woman was a Nigerian.
As earlier reported, the accused who is facing trial was picked up by the Ghana Police Service after his landlord discovered a dismembered body inside his locked room.
Earlier reports claimed that the victim was the girlfriend of Daniel, a claim he has denied according to UTV.
The Director of Ghana School of Law (GSL) popularly known as Makola, Mr. Yaw Oppong says he is no more surprised when he hears any news concerning the country’s legal training institution.
Speaking on the ‘Scoop’, a segment on GTV’s Breakfast Show with Kafui Dey on Thursday, December 1, 2022, Mr. Oppong explained that he has ceased to be surprised when matters come up about GSL after knowing the meaning of Makola.
“I have said elsewhere that when I got to know the meaning of Makola I ceased to be surprised when matters come up about GSL.
I mean it is a place where I understand the original name means to come to fetch fire “Ma Ko La” so GSL is a place where people come to fetch the fire of legal education” the Director of GSL reiterated.
He continued by saying, “we are fine about what is happening except for the number of times it matters that some people either have contrived or because of the absence of understanding about the peculiar situations that occur in the school.
According to him, a lot of good things are happening under his administration at GSL but it is not for management to go about trumpeting them. Adding that “those who are the beneficiaries know that we are doing a lot of good things for them and mother Ghana so we are fine.”
On the issues of brouhaha about law entrance exams, Mr. Oppong stated categorically that the GSL does not conduct entrance examinations.
“Well, first of all, I want to put it on record that the Ghana School of Law has an institution that is akin to WAEC, it is called Independent Examination Committee which is established under the mother institution called the Ghana Legal Council.
So sometimes when you see the Ghana School of Law entrance exams, I say that there’s nothing like that. We don’t conduct examinations.
“Sometimes it’s like WACE conducting an exam and people go to the headmaster of my former school Pope John, asking why are these problems associated with the examination that WACE conducted? But be that as it may, we are together. But when there is good news in the system, a series of good news we must also hear that,” he added.
Leave our land now or we kill all your cattle – Ejurahene to Fulani herdsmen
According to the chief, it has become clear that these herdsmen are behind the rampant armed robbery incidents and murdering of innocent persons in the traditional area.
Addressing a gathering of Chiefs, elders, and all security services heads in the Ejura Municipality, Barima Osei Hwedie II, stated that the traditional authority cannot sit down unconcerned for such criminal activities to persist hence the need to crack the whip now.
“A few days ago, Fulani herdsmen accosted, shot, and killed a police officer who was off duty on the Miminaso No. 2 to Nkoranza stretch of road and we cannot allow such crimes to continue. We have thus resolved that we will no longer entertain any cattle on our land. We’re today declaring that no cattle belonging to Fulani herdsmen should be found on our land. Any chief in this jurisdiction on whose land we find cattle will be dealt with. I’m serving notice that we’ll kill any cattle found in any village, not a single one will be spared. We don’t want any Fulani herdsman to live amongst us.”
Barima Osei Hwedie II further warned all chiefs within his jurisdiction to fully comply with his directive or have themselves to blame for the consequences of their action.
“The Miminaso No. 2 Chief who I destooled a few days ago for disobeying my order and was keeping Fulani herdsmen in his village should serve as a warning to you. As you leave this meeting, when I have evidence that any of you are having cattle on your land, you will also be destooled with immediate effect. That is not a difficult thing for me to do at all. Nobody among you should take money from these Fulani herdsmen men and keep them on your land. You the agents who live in this town and import cattle, this land is not yours, we cannot allow you to destroy our lands simply because you make money from dealing in cattle. To the cattle dealers, I direct you to use the same channel you used to import cattle into this town to send them back to where they came from.” Barima Osei Hwedie fumed.
A banking consultant has said that Ghana’s economy may be headed toward a recession if the financial managers do not act appropriately.
According to Dr. Richmond Atuahene, the country’s high debt levels, which have led to debt restructuring, will make 2023 quite difficult if things are not aligned properly.
“We’re not going to have it easy. It’s going to be very difficult because everybody is talking, but they haven’t taken into consideration the debt-restructuring process. That itself can affect the economy so much that we will possibly go into recession,” myjoyonline.com quoted him.
Dr. Atuahene added that when recessions occur, the affected countries are not able to bounce back within a short period.
According to him, measures such as; debt-reduction, debt profile, debt restructuring, debt rescheduling, and debt swap as cited in the 2023 budget, hinder cash flow, therefore businesses are bound to suffer when these measures are indulged.
Meanwhile, a financial analyst, Professor Williams Peprah, has stated that the government should not conduct debt restructuring in a way that discourages investors from investing.
According to him, interest payments can be postponed whiles principals are paid under the possible programme.
Earlier, reports have revealed that some domestic investors were losing their investments due to an order from the Securities and Exchange Commission to banks.
The supposed order was for banks to use the mark-to-market approach to pay investors.
The investors have since lamented the inconveniences that this has caused while adding that some have begun losing part of their principal.
However, Prof. Peprah advised the government to restructure debt in a way that gives room for people to be able to access their principal when they want due to rising inflation in the country.
He said: “For the bonds, loss of confidence in the Ghanaian economy, it is better to defer interest payments and then pay principals so that people will be able to get cash flow to survive.”
“The reason why we’re seeing a lot of people trying to dump or discount their bonds now is because they need cash to survive because of the high inflation. So, government will have to have a metric where a certain class of investors is allowed to receive some funds to survive,” he said.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader, says the group will resist the approval of budget estimates for ministers who fail to move the motion of the ongoing debate of the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of their respective ministries in the House.
He expressed concern about how ministers of the various ministries were not taking the business of the House seriously.
“Mr Speaker, going forward, we will resist the approval of any estimates coming from ministers who absent themselves from such exercises,” he said.
Mr Iddirsu said this on the floor of Parliament on Thursday.
Parliament is expected to conclude a debate on the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy presented by Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Finance Minister, Tuesday, December 6, 2022.
The House is thus expected to subsequently approve the Appropriation Bill.
Mr Iddrisu, the Member of Parliament for Tamale South on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress, further cautioned sector ministers to avail themselves to the House for the approval of their budgets.
“When we get to the approval of budget estimates and ministers don’t appear in person in Parliament by themselves, we will not support the approval of the budget allocations to those ministries.
“Ministers must take this House very seriously, and only ministers so appointed by the President to oversee the sectors of those ministries must rise from their seats to move motions to ask for budget allocations and approval by this House. Failure to do so will mean that we will stump down a number of those motions,” Mr Iddrisu said.
He noted that Parliament and the minority would hold the government accountable, adding that “we intend to strengthen oversight, and it begins with this our decision. If ministers don’t appear in person to move motions for budget allocations, then they should expect the fiercest resistance from this side of the House.”
Since the debate on the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy began on Tuesday, November 29, the MPs on the Majority side have silently protested without showing up to contribute to the debate compared to the Minority side of the House.
The group had also called for the timely debate of the censure motion against Mr Ofori-Atta since it was not captured in the Business Statement for the following week.
“On the motion of censure against the Finance Minister, the words in Article 82 do not give Parliament perpetuity to discuss the matter, we are within defined time limits to consider the motion and take decisions as appropriate so whatever committee has been set up, we need to bring closure to it,” he said.
Treasurer for Ghana National Cocoa Farmers Association, Nana Yaa Asantewaa, has warned cocoa will soon be scarce in the country
She also lamented that cocoa farmers are not given fair prices got their cocoa products, and the same applies to other farmers.
Speaking on NyankontonMu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, she asserted that the major reason why several young people do not want to farm is due to these issues.
He posited that farmers are not usually not respected or treated fairly.
“Farmers are not treated with respect. We are not recognised. People determine the kind of prices they want to give us. Cocoa pricing is worse. The government of Ghana do not give us fair pricing.”
These and other challenges, she added, have prevented several young people from going into farming.
She said when the youth see how farmers struggle, and unfairly they are treated, they [youth] are discouraged from pursuing a career in farming.
She warned that “soon, cocoa will no longer be a major commodity. There would also be a scarcity of food in the country. If we fail to address these challenges, farming will no longer be lucrative, and Ghana will face a serious food crisis”.
Police say it cannot provide protection for pressure group, Justice for Ghana for more than one day regarding the group’s planned picketing at Parliament House.
However, the group contends it can hold a peaceful picketing with or without protection from the Ghana Police Service.
This came up when the leadership of Justice for Ghana met the Greater Accra Regional Command of the Ghana Police Service Thursday afternoon at the Nima Divisional Police Command.
The meeting was centered on the modalities for the picketing at Parliament House and the controversial Cathedral from 6th December 2022.
Meanwhile, police say Parliament ought to be notified of the picketing while the picketing at the Cathedral Project site should also be limited to the external perimeter.
Another meeting has been scheduled to iron out the details for the upcoming picketing in the coming days.
At the invitation of the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, Ghana’s former president, John Agyekum Kufuor, experienced something in the southeastern Asian country that forever changed his mindset about presidential tenures.
Narrating how that came to be, during his engagement with the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) on Reviewing the 1992 constitution recently, Kufuor said that on arriving in the country he came face-to-face with two realities.
He said that after learning that Malaysia got its oil palm seedlings from Ghana, he arrived in the country to an even more eye-opening discovery of how well the country had utilized the ‘gift’ it got from his very own country.
“I was invited to Malaysia by Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, who was Prime Minister; I was president and it must have been 2005-2006 and it was a great eye opener to me. I had learnt that Malaysia took the oil palm seedling from here (Ghana) there. I got to Kuala Lumpur, the plane, as it was coming to land, you’ll see miles and miles of palm trees all over, and very modern agriculture.
“And then when I got there, probably, they just wanted to show me something, they took me to where they had refined palm oil into some oil that will be used even as engine oil. And then they used the husks for fertilizer for the palm trees, so every bit of palm.
“So, I said these people got this thing from us and we do not know how to do this. See what they are doing with it themselves. Then, at a point, he invited me to his offices in New Kuala Lumpur; the office is like a mosque, he took me to the rooftop, and Dr Mohammed, perhaps not taller than 5 feet… and then from there, I saw the layout of the city: the streets – beautiful, and the development,” he said.
President John Agyekum Kufuor also explained that having been quite surprised at the expanse of development and innovation that the Malaysians had used the oil palm seedlings for in their country, he asked Dr. Mohamed how they did it.
In response, he said the Malaysian Prime Minister asked him a question that jolted his mind so much, he came to the realization that there is the need for Ghana to relook at its constitutional arrangement for the tenure of its presidency.
“So, I gasped and said, ‘Oh, Mr. Prime Minister, since when have you been doing this?’ So, the man looked me up and down. The question he asked me was, ‘What’s your term of office?’
“I said, 4 years. So, he said back, what can you do in four years? By then he had exceeded 10 years and I’m not suggesting we go that way, but definitely, 4 years, he made the point forcefully that you don’t really create so much in 4 years,” he added.
Black Stars midfielder, Mohammed Kudus, has had a mural of him painted on the streets of Nima to celebrate his success story so far.
The mural includes his celebration after scoring one of Ghana’s three goals during the 3-2 win over South Korea at the World Cup.
The painting was done by international graffiti artist, Mohammed Awudu, who believes the player’s rise to stardom is an inspiration to the neighbourhood and young talents in the area.
Moh Awudu in shot ( PC: Kobbi Blaq)
Present at the unveiling was the former Mayor of Accra, Nii Adjei Sowah, Dr Afua Asabea Asare, the CEO of Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Rabiu Maude, a youth activist as well as kids and other residents in the area.
Kudus grew up in Nima, a suburb of Accra, and started his footballing career there before joining Strong Tower.
The 22-year-old then joined the Right to Dream Academy where he was later developed and transferred to Danish side, FC Nordsjaelland.
In July 2020, Kudus earned a move to Eredivisie side, Ajax Amsterdam, where his performance continues to attract interest from several top clubs.
The attacking midfielder is currently in Qatar with the Black Stars for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
He further gained the world’s attention after his brace against South Korea moved Ghana to second position in Group H ahead of the final game against Uruguay on Friday, December 2.
Former President, John Mahama, has urged the government to prioritise agribusinesses and support key players in the agricultural value chain as a means to boost the economy.
According to him, in the face of recent downgrades by international rating agencies and the high inflation rate in the country, supporting the agricultural sector to reduce imports and strengthen the weakening cedi is the way to go.
He said this in a Facebook post to mark this year’s National Farmers’ Day celebrated on December 2.
“I celebrate all farmers on this auspicious occasion for their priceless efforts that feed us and keep our industries running.
“With Ghana’s economy at the brink of collapse, as proven by Rating Agencies through their unending downgrades, and the hardship it has brought to many homes, this is the time for government to begin to take farmers and farming related businesses serious,” he said.
He continued, “This is the surest way we can reduce imports, strengthen the struggling cedi and save Ghana’s economy.
“I urge government to prioritise agribusiness and support with favourable financing for farmers and all actors in the agricultural value chain.”
Meanwhile, Moody’s has downgraded the Government of Ghana’s long-term issuer ratings to Ca from Caa2 or further junk status and changed the outlook to stable.
This concludes the review for downgrade that was initiated on September 30, 2022.
“The Ca rating reflects Moody’s expectation that private creditors will likely incur substantial losses in the restructuring of both local and foreign currencies debts planned by the government as part of its 2023 budget proposed to Parliament on 24 November 2022″, a statement published on its website said..
The statement pointed out that “given Ghana’s high government debt burden and the debt structure, it is likely there will be substantial losses on both categories of debt in order for the government to meaningfully improve debt sustainability”.
Private Legal Practitioner, Martin Kpebu has commended Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, the presiding Judge for the case between the State and founder of Capital Bank, William Ato Essien for rejecting a settlement between both parties.
He agreed with the judge that the terms for the settlement do not favour the state, thus should be reconsidered.
Mr. Essien, per the proposed settlement, agreed to pay GH₵90 million in total: GH₵30 million today and GH₵60 million in an agreed installment settlement with the state.
But in court on Thursday, December 1, 2022, the presiding judge, Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, who was ready with his judgment, said the state appears to have been compromised.
“So, after three years of going through prosecution with the state calling 17 witnesses, is this the best settlement for the prosecution? It appears the state is compromised.”
Justice Kyei Baffour added that Section 35 of the Courts Act upon which the terms of the settlement were based is inapplicable in this case.
Section 35 of the Courts Act states that “Where a person is charged with an offence before the High Court or a Regional Tribunal, the commission of which has caused economic loss, harm, or damage to the state or any state agency, the accused may inform the prosecutor whether the accused admits the offence and is willing to offer compensation or make restitution and reparation for the loss, harm, or damage caused.”
Reacting to the ruling, Mr. Kpebu said “the Judge has done extremely well and he should be commended because I buy into the argument that the value of the money today is certainly far less than its value three to four years ago.”
He believes that Mr. Ato Essien’s offer is not enough per the rule of time value of money and must be prepared to offer a significant offer before such settlement could be considered.
“It is always good to recover money from accused persons rather than throwing them into jail. It does not serve anybody’s interest as such.
“Looking at it, it appears that Mr. Ato Essien would have to increase his offer significantly or like we say in Ghanaian English, gargantuan. So that the judge will find it very difficult to reject same and that would help. Because as I said we do not benefit that much when an accused person is going to jail, especially when there is no violent offence,’ he said on Top Story, Thursday.
William Ato Essien, Rev. Fitzgerald Odonkor and Tetteh Nettey, a former Managing Director of MC Management Service owned by Mr. Essien were charged with 23 counts of conspiracy, stealing from the ¢620 million liquidity support given to the bank by the Bank of Ghana (BoG), to enable it to service its maturing debt.
The accused persons, according to the prosecution, opened various bank accounts with Capital Bank through which the ¢620 million BoG liquidity support was transferred while others were carried in jute bags to Ato Essien.
Meanwhile, the court adjourned proceedings to December 13 for the parties to convince the court on the issues that have been raised.
The former Member of Parliament (MP) for Lawra and former Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, Anthony Abayifaa Karbo has responded to claims by the Assin Central MP and New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer hopeful, Hon Kennedy Agyapong that the former embarked on a tribal campaign against him.
He has also responded to allegations of owning properties in the USA as claimed by the NPP firebrand in an audio recording earlier this week.
In a Facebook post, Karbo revealed that at a meeting held between him and Hon Kennedy Agyapong, the allegations were refuted, adding that he is not a tribalist and does not own any property in the USA.
Karbo indicated that his engagement with Hon Kennedy Agyapong together with Hon KT Hammond, Fred Oware and Dr. Gideon Boako was in the interest of brokering peace and unity among brothers and not to fault anyone for an apology.
In reaction to claims that the meeting between the parties was to apologise to Hon. Agyapong, Karbo disclosed that it was not the case but rather it was meant to “pledge to organise ourselves in a more peaceful and decorous manner as we approach the internal contest”.
“Also, contrary to a published story on Net2TV online belonging to Hon Kennedy Agyapong that the meeting was a platform for me to apologise to Hon Kennedy Agyapong, I wish to state without equivocation that NO one at the meeting apologised to the other. It was a brotherly family meeting intended to settle our differences. If any, we pledged to organise ourselves in a more peaceful and decorous manner as we approach the internal contest” – the statement on his Facebook page indicated.
Karbo further opined that he and Hon Kennedy Agyapong are longstanding friends and “one family and we commit to unite in one accord for the betterment or the New Patriotic Party”,
Below is the statement by Hon Anthony Karbo:
On the Matter of Hon Kennedy Agyapong, His Northern Region Tour and Issues Arising
I have become aware of a viral audio recording of Hon. Kennedy Agyapong in which the MP was campaigning in the Upper East Region. The audio, among other things, attempted to accuse me of embarking on Tribal Campaign, impugning corruption on my part as a Former MP and Deputy Minister and suggested underhand dealings of persons believed to be working for the Vice President to prevent the Hon. Kennedy Agyapong from meeting Party members in the North.
In the interest of party unity and peace, a meeting was arranged with Hon. Kennedy Agyapong to delve into the accusations/allegations and also clarify the misinformation. The meeting was attended by Messrs. KT Hammond, Fred Oware, Dr Gideon Boako and myself.
It was a good and fruitful meeting and in the end it was clarified at the meeting that, I, Anthony Karbo had NOT embarked on any Tribal Campaign as alleged and wish to put on record that TRIBAL POLITICS is not part of my personality and political activism. All my life, I have enjoyed the support of persons irrespective of where they hail from and reciprocated same.
The Hon. Kennedy Agyapong himself will attest to this fact given my long-standing relationship with him spanning decades which is public knowledge.
I wish to state categorically that I own no such property in the USA as alleged and the claim of impugning corruption against me is non-existent.
It was also clear that none of the associates of the Vice President or myself had attempted to influence any party official in the North not to attend the meeting called by Hon. Kennedy Agyapong.
Also, contrary to a published story on Net2tvonline that the meeting was a platform for me and the Vice President’s office to apologise to Hon Kennedy Agyapong, I wish to state without equivocation that no one at the said meeting apologised to the other. It was a brotherly family meeting intended to clear the misinformation and both pledged to organise ourselves in a more peaceful and decorous manner as we approach the internal contest.
We are one family and we commit to unite in one accord for the betterment of the New Patriotic Party.
National Director of Advocacy & Partnerships at the International Justice Mission, Worlanyo Kojo Forster
