LC Waikiki, a leading fashion retail brand globally, continues its expansion in Ghana and has opened its second store at the Achimota Retail Centre in Accra. This comes after the brand opened its first store at the Junction Mall in Accra last year.
The store openings in Ghana by the fashion retail giant form part of its plan to expand further in Africa in line with its mission, ‘Everyone Deserves to Dress Well.’ In the new store which covers an area of over 900m², the customers can find LC Waikiki’s special collections with wide choice of for men, women and children.
LC Waikiki’s Country Manager, Aziddin Zidi, speaking on the opening of the new store stated: “Ghanian market is one of most attractive market in Africa thanks to it’s economic potential, population and location in West Africa. It is a proud moment for us to open this store today as it signifies progress in LC Waikiki’s Africa growth strategy.
The two stores in Ghana makes us the second country in West Africa where LC Waikiki has expanded its brand following its success in the East African market and we are very happy about that. We are targeting more stores and more cities to be closer to our customers wherever they wish to find us.
Regarding our goals; we are planning to open our next store in Kumasi and we are aiming to be on 2 cities with 5 stores by end of 2023. From this day onward, our promise to the Ghanaian market is to provide them with quality and fashionable items and never will we go back on this promise.”
Globally, the Turkish brand continues its operations with more than 1200 stores in 56 countries, 357 different cities on 4 continents and 57,000 employees. LC Waikiki’s target is to have more than 1500 stores all over the world in the next few years. The company reported that they have had 530 million items sold in 2021.
From this day onward, our promise to the Ghanaian market is to provide them with quality and fashionable items and never will we go back on this promise.”
Founded in 1988 and initially established in France, LC Waikiki has been operating in Turkey since 1997 with the aim of making fashion accessible to everyone. Its mission has always been ‘Everyone deserves to dress well’. For 34 years, LC Waikiki has continued to expand both nationally and internationally with 57,000 employees worldwide and more than 1,200 stores in 56 countries, in 357 cities around the world.
Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has urged managers of Ghana’s economy to as a matter of urgency begin talks with the World Bank and friendly nations for economic support even as it looks to get a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the shortest possible time.
Mr Bentil contends that the balance of payment support expected from the IMF will not be enough to deal with Ghana’s current economic crisis.
“We need more than the IMF. We need to be speaking to the world bank and friendly nations for concessionary loans to shore up the economy and then get IMF to tide us over to health. We should be speaking to them by now, IMF alone can’t help us,” he argued.
Government has had to seek an IMF bailout after months of dithering and seeking desperate to tax its way out of its inability to meet debt repayment obligations.
The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta who had ruled out seeking an IMF bailout is currently leading negotiations to secure some three billion dollars for the country to heal resolve balance of payment challenges.
But Mr Bentil is of the opinion that the expected there billion dollars will be insufficient given the dire straits of the country.
Ghanaians are reeling under a harsh economy that has left vulnerable households unable to meet basic daily expenditure as inflation skyrockets and the currency continues a free fall against the dollar.
Narrating events leading to his arrest, Captain Smart in a 3FM interview alleged that there were spies of the NIB on the premise of his media house who relayed information about his movements to the office.
The media house has released a CCTV footage of an alleged NIB informants whom it claim was feeding intelligence about Captain Smart and other staff of the station to the operatives who eventually arrested him.
A video making the waves on social media captures Alfred Ocansey, a staff of TV3 running commentary over a video in which he claims a woman made his way to their premise and carried out her informant activities.
Why Captain Smart was arrested
The Ministry of Information earlier this week accused the journalist of impugning the character of President Akufo-Addo.
The statement was on the back of a broadcast by Captain Smart on October 17, 2022, in which he accused the president of being actively involved in illegal mining also known as galamsey activities.
Describing the claims by Captain Smart as false and malicious, the ministry further accused the journalist of engaging in unethical and irresponsible journalism.
The government in the statement said it was referring the matter to the National Media Commission for review and adjudication.
Despite the statement by government in which a threat of legal action was issued, Captain Smart in a subsequent edition of his programme reiterated his allegations against the president.
According to him, the allegation was on the basis of some of the government’s actions and inactions relative to the fight against illegal mining.
“These are the reasons why Nana is a galamsey kingpin. Osafo Maafo is a Senior Advisor to the President but asked us to allow Aisha Huang to go because of $2 billion when she was arrested. Is the $2 billion more important than our lands?
“Secondly, Chairman Wontumi is doing galamsey but still at post. Meanwhile, Kwabena Agyapong, Sammy Crabbe and Paul Afoko were suspended for doing things against party. They didn’t do anything to the state but the party. But Wontumi is doing something that is against the country. Is the party more important than the country?
“Also, the Minerals Commission boss has said Wontumi had no license to enter the Tano Nimiri forest. But the only thing government was able to do was to ask some small boys to put some old equipment there for them to burn them to suggest they have taken any action. If you’re not a kingpin, sack Wontumi,” he said.
Apostle Elijah King, the leader of the Fire Nation Arena Ministries in Lusaka, Zambia has made some interesting predictions about the flagbearer race of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
In a sermon in his church that has been in circulation on social media, Apostle Elijah King disclosed that there will be instances of backbiting and betrayal from some of the candidates.
According to him, one of the leading candidates who will fall victim to the scheme will break away from the NPP and set up his own party.
This person, he claims will win the general elections and set the country on the path of autocracy and military rule.
“The Lord shows me that there will be confusion in the present government of Ghana. There will be confusion in the NPP and they will end up fighting each other and setting each other up. There is this race of the next presidential candidate. I won’t go into details but there is one particular man amongst the candidates that the Lord focused on and spoke to me about.
“I saw that the man will be set up and betrayed by the party. Out of the betrayal and anger, he will walk away and set up his own political party. He will buy people and Lord says, he will rule like a military government. Whatever he says will become final,” he said.
The three leading candidates in the NPP race are Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Trades, and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen, and Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong.
Though the first two names are yet to officially announce their interest in the race but Kennedy Agyapong has announced his, detailing his plans for the primaries and the national election.
Richard Ahiagbah, the National Communications Director of the governing New Patriotic Party, (NPP) is concerned about the continued depreciation of the Ghana cedi.
He is equally concerned about what he describes as ‘talking down’ the currency which is currently the worst against the US dollar globally according to a Bloomberg report.
“The widespread talking down of the cedi is contributing largely to the struggle of the cedi. The technical word for it is speculation. The speculation must stop,” he tweeted on Friday, October 21.
His tweet was in reaction to a description of the cedi as ‘worthless’ in a news reportage by Accra-based TV3.
Ahiagbah was echoing a similar concern raised by a leading member of the NPP, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, who had in a series of Facebook posts warned against how journalists especially describe the cedi.
Gabby holds that whenever journalists report negatively on the cedi, they become accessories to fuel speculation about the currency and thus become complicit in its depreciation.
He wrote in a Facebook post on October 20 thus: “Journalists can report and influence. But where the default mode is to influence negatively, such media houses run the risk of becoming partners in speculation.
“It is not the job of journalists and analysts to fix the cedi; but fixing it is not helped if they make it more their job to fuel speculations.
“The cedi may be worth 60% less now than what it was to the US dollar last year. But it is not worthless! My sympathies go to the many, many businesses and consumers out there who simply do not know where to turn,” the post added.
His comments come a day after Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta appealed against panic and unnecessary rush to get the dollar. he, however, described the depreciation of the cedi as ‘perplexing.’
Ghanaians have vented their frustration on the government, accusing the authorities of being incompetent, as a result of the country’s crippling economic situation.
In a video sighted by GhanaWeb, some residents can be heard booing the president and his entourage as they drive on a stretch riddled with potholes in a town reported to be Akyem Akroso, in the Eastern Region.
The president received boos due to the appalling condition of the area’s roads, according to a Twitter user going by the name @PrinceHenry_PHK.
Skyrocketing fuel prices, ever-increasing food market prices, bad roads, and a high cost of living among other factors have driven Ghanaians to resort to booing the president at any given chance.
The first time was at the Global Citizen Festival, an international event held at Ghana’s Independence Square, where he was jeered as he took the platform to make his speech.
The incident drew a lot of criticism, with some chastising the youth and labelling them impolite for engaging in such behavior on an international platform.
A few days ago, while the president toured the Ashanti region to commission some projects, several market women and men also booed at him and his entourage as they drove through Adum.
The number of times Ghanaians have publicly shown their anger with the current administration in recent weeks now stands at three following the most recent booing episode in the Eastern region.
The Police have arrested two individuals seen in a viral video, with one wearing a black attire with police insignia.
The person seen in the attire, Marcus Dankwah, is not a police officer and is currently in custody together with his accomplice, Pascal Nelson.
According to the police, a search conducted on them led to the recovery of the attire.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the said video footage, which originated from a TikTok account identified as the official page of Vzonetv and shared on various social media platforms, was taken on October 18, 2022.
The investigation by the police also revealed the suspects are social media content providers who produce videos for their online TV channel Vzonetv.
“As the investigation continues to establish the source of the attire and prepare the suspects to face justice, we would like to caution the public against acts that tend to injure the reputation of the Ghana Police Service.”
President Akufo-Addo has expressed optimism over the ability of his government to remedy recent economic headwinds the country is facing.
In an interview on Republic 97.5 FM, the president said the solutions being sought will fix the fundamentals of the economy and by so doing justify the government’s aspirations.
“I am confident that where our economy is now, we will find a solution to it and with that, the whole world will see that the fundamentals of the Ghanaian economy, the things we set out t do, we were right in identifying those things.”
He identified specifically the areas of food security and industrial development and expansion as major planks of the new economy being built.
On the causes of the current crisis, Akufo-Addo, who is currently touring the Eastern Region, put it down to the inability this year to raise funds on the capital markets.
“One of the most fundamental is our capacity to raise money on the international capital markets, this year that has been compromised. Largely as a result of issues in the global economy, which meant that all budgets of countries have been thrown out of gear,” he stated.
The economy is facing major headwinds that have been characterized by galloping inflation, consistent depreciation of the cedi and general high cost of living and of doing business.
The government is hoping to reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, for an economic support programme aimed at shoring up the economy and easing the burden on ordinary Ghanaians.
Dr. Richard Amoako Baah, a Political Scientist and a member of the governing NPP, is of the view that the governing New Patriotic Party‘s (NPP) ‘break the 8’ agenda is mere rhetoric.
According to him, it will be difficult for the governing party to achieve that aim because going beyond the eight-year cycle as has been the case since 1992 can only be possible by deeds or performance and not words.
“When people are saying that you cannot break the 8, that is what they are saying, you cannot. What are you going to do to break the 8 anyway? It is your performance that breaks whatever you want to break not you yourself saying it…it is others who are going to vote to look at your performance and they thought that they will break it for you. So, we see these things because there is a lack of performance,” Dr. Amoako Baah said on Joy FM, Friday, October 21.
The political scientist was reacting to the Global InfoAnalytics survey report which revealed that 70% of eligible voters doubt the ability of the New Patriotic Party to win the 2024 general elections.
To him, the survey is not scientific although it gives an idea of where the country is heading.
He noted that the unpopularity of President Akufo-Addo is a clear testimony of the position of the NPP in the 2024 elections.
“The party in power and especially when the leader, the President becomes this unpopular it is very easy to decide where this is going. You will know the outcome beforehand but this research is unscientific that is all it is.”
Global InfoAnalytics survey in its October 2022 report stated that the majority of the voters have ruled out the possibility of the NPP ‘breaking the eight’.
“On the question of whether the NPP can ‘Break the Eight’, approximately 70% of voters do not believe the NPP can win the 2024 election, whilst 19% believe so and 10% have no opinion”, a summary of the survey disclosed.
The survey also revealed that former President John Dramani Mahama, if given the mandate as the NDC flagbearer, will beat any of the two frontrunners of the governing NPP in the 2024 elections.
The report noted that Ghanaians are likely to vote for John Dramani Mahama as the next president over Dr Mahamudu Bawumia or Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen.
“In the general elections, the poll shows Mahama (JDM) continues to lead his potential rivals from the NPP, Bawumia (DMB) and Alan Kyeremanten (AKK) by a significant margin if the elections were held today.
“The poll shows further that among voters who are likely to vote in the 2024 elections, JDM leads DMB 62% to 33%, representing a 29% lead. 6% of voters prefer to vote for someone else (SO). In the race between JDM and AKK, JDM leads AKK 60% to 36%, representing a 24% lead. 5% prefer to vote for SO”, excerpts of the survey read.
Global InfoAnalytics
Global InfoAnalytics Ltd, is a research company based in Accra. The company describes itself as “the trusted foundation for decision making; we earn that trust through the application of sophisticated methodologies to the real-world problems of companies, political organisations and policy and strategic decision-makers.”
Global InfoAnalytics has uniquely addressed the market demand for big data analytics solutions and services and provide clients with cost-effective and result-oriented service offerings that enable them to gain a competitive edge.
Latest election survey by Global InfoAnalytics has predicted former President John Dramani Mahama as the preferred candidate to win the 2024 general elections.
The survey indicated should the 2020 NDC flagbearer be given the mandate by his party, Ghanaians will vote for him as the next president over any of the frontrunners of the governing NPP thus, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia or Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen.
The October 2022 report sampled views across the length and breadth of the country and stated that presently, Mahama has more appeal than both the Vice President and the Minister for Trade and Industry.
“In the general elections, the poll shows Mahama (JDM) continues to lead his potential rivals from the NPP, Bawumia (DMB) and Alan Kyeremanten (AKK) by a significant margin if the elections were held today.
“The poll shows further that among voters who are likely to vote in the 2024 elections, JDM leads DMB 62% to 33%, representing a 29% lead. 6% of voters prefer to vote for someone else (SO). In the race between JDM and AKK, JDM leads AKK 60% to 36%, representing a 24% lead. 5% prefer to vote for SO”, excerpts of the survey read.
The report continued: “The poll also shows JDM regaining the Northern region after lagging behind in earlier polls. JDM continues to lead in the North East region, the home region of the Vice President, according to the poll.
“JDM lead DMB 69% to 28% and leads AKK by 29% to 69%. In the North East, JDM leads DMB by 53% to 45% and AKK by 52% to 48%.”
In the race for the NDC’s flagbearership, the report said John Dramani Mahama is ahead of all other contenders.
“He leads Dr. Kwabena Duffour (DKD) 71% to 19%. Hon. Kojo Bonsu, attracts 3% of the votes with someone else,7%. DKD’s improvement in the polls suggests that people who had earlier said they intended to vote for someone else in the July polls, opting for him instead”, the survey said.
Global InfoAnalytics
Global InfoAnalytics Ltd, is a research company based in Accra. The company describes itself as “the trusted foundation for decision making; we earn that trust through the application of sophisticated methodologies to the real-world problems of companies, political organisations and policy and strategic decision-makers.”
Global InfoAnalytics has uniquely addressed the market demand for big data analytics solutions and services and provide clients with cost-effective and result-oriented service offerings that enable them to gain a competitive edge.
On Wednesday, October 20, 2022, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Liz Truss announced her resignation from the role.
Liz Truss stepped down as Prime Minister of the UK after just 45 days, setting a record as the shortest-lived PM of the UK.
Her resignation came on the back of a series of U-turns on her economic plan which led to the axing of the Chancellor of Finance, Kwasi Kwarteng.
It does however appear that there were some spiritual anglings to her short reign as the PM of the UK which is currently experiencing an economic meltdown.
Two Ghanaian prophets, Badu Kobi of the Glorious Wave Chapel International and Prophet Amoako Attah of the Parliament Chapel International prophesied the resignation of Liz Truss four days before she made it public that she was stepping down.
In separate videos published on their social media handles, the two prophets disclosed that Liz Truss had days in the spiritual realm and was not going to last long in office.
Amoako Attah said “this woman will not spend a year in office. She has days, weeks and months but not a year. Other people will prefer the return of Boris Johnson.
Prophet Badu Kobi said, “Liz Truss will be the shortest serving Prime Minister. He cannot be in the shadows of a failure. Liz Truss will be the shortest in the history of Great Britain”.
Speaking at a press conference at No 10 Downing Street on Thursday afternoon, Truss said she came into office at a time of “great economic and international instability”.
“I recognize…given the situation I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party,” she noted.
Actress and model, Efia Odo, is concerned about the continued depreciation of the Ghana cedi.
She joined a long list of showbiz personalities lamenting the rate at which the cedi is losing grounds against the United States dollar.
In an October 20, 2022 tweet, at the time forex bureaus were reporting that a dollar had reached a record 13 Ghana cedi mark, Efia posed a rhetorical question on her timeline.
“$1=13 Cedis. Did we die and wake up in hell?” she asked.
She joins the likes of actresses Lydia Forson and Yvonne Nelson in calling out the government over the cedi depreciation.
Actor Prince David Osei has also threatened a protest amid calls for the government to fix the economy. On her part, broadcaster Nana Aba Anamoah published an open letter on the economy among others, calling on Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to resign.
The economy is facing major headwinds that have been characterized by galloping inflation, consistent depreciation of the cedi and general high cost of living and of doing business.
The government is hoping to reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, for an economic support programme aimed at shoring up the economy and easing the burden on ordinary Ghanaians.
In a Director OJ video, rap legend Michael Owusu ‘Sarkodie’ Addo has asserted his dominance in what seems like a freestyle song.
Delivered in keeping with the popular braggadocios Hiphop spirit, he addressed a number of issues including why he is still an independent artiste and not signed to any major record label.
Africa’s most decorated rapper, he, in this surprise release titled ‘Fraud N*** in Suit’, compared detractors in the creative arts industry to bloggers who write “stupid things” to for money.
He also likened them to “blood sucking” mosquitoes, and warned them he would kill them with an insecticide.
“You don’t have good intentions. You’re here in Ghana, always scheming to destroy people,” he further charged and strongly warned that they should stay off Black Sherif.
“I beg you don’t go after Blacko with your witchcraft,” he barked sarcastically in a plea.
King Sarkodie, as is his nickname, he rapped in English, Pidgin and Akan.
Recently, Sarkodie, citing a trip to South Africa, indicated how popular ‘Blacko’ has become internationally. He recalled an instance where people in a club he was in, were pining to hear Black Sherif’s music as the biggest record of the night.
“It’s not just part of the playlist. We’re talking about the biggest song of the night that people are looking forward to at the highest peak,” the rapper affectionately called Sark said.
He also prayed for the 20-year-old: “He is about to see more than he has done already. So he should strap on for the better things that are about to happen. God bless you, Blacko.”
Sarkodie said these things at Black Sherif’s private cocktail to celebrate his debut album: ‘The Villain I Never Was’.
Meanwhile, due to some pictures of the two in a recording studio, spotted on social media, it is said they have collaborated on unreleased music.
Sarkodie is at the moment, gearing up for the November 11, 2022, release of his ‘Jamz’ project.
Samuel Bryan Buabeng, a presidential staffer admits that times are hard and the government is working to bring relief to the citizenry in the short to medium term.
He is, however, not convinced that the main opposition leader, former president John Dramani Mahama, given his previous record can make things any better for Ghanaians.
Commenting on the prevailing economic difficulties via an October 21, 2022 tweet, Buabeng restated his belief that the government will soon fix the problem with the economy.
“We won’t be cowered or deceived by Mahama and his enablers. He doesn’t have the magic hands to make Ghana any better, we still have receipts of his moribund government, never again! We shall overcome. We have done it before. This, too, shall pass.”
The economy is facing major headwinds that have been characterized by galloping inflation, consistent depreciation of the cedi and general high cost of living and of doing business.
The government is hoping to reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, for an economic support programme aimed at shoring up the economy and easing the burden on ordinary Ghanaians.
The upcoming season ofThe Crownis going to be covering some of the most painful times in recent memory for the Royal Family, and it might prove to be very difficult for Prince William and Prince Harry to stomach.
ET recently sat down with royal expert Katie Nicholl, who helped shine some light on what the princes may be struggling with when it comes to season 5 of The Crown, which largely covers the 1990s — a particularly tumultuous and dark time for the family.
“I think this series is going to be quite uncomfortable viewing, not just for [Queen Consort] Camilla and [King] Charles but also for William and Harry,” Nicholl explained. “Scenes leading up to their mother’s death are going to be very, very uncomfortable for them.”
Princess Diana died in a shocking car crash in Paris in 1997, at the age of 36. At the time, William and Harry were 15 and 12, respectively.
“This is a period that they had to live out so publicly. We heard Harry talk about the very real impact it’s had on his life, and William as well,” Nicholl shared. “So for this to sort of be revisited, even if it’s done tastefully … for this to be brought up all over again is incredibly hard for William and Harry.”
“[There is] a sense that, really, their mother’s ghost can’t ever be laid to rest for them,” she added. “I think [that] is really still something that’s very real and very difficult for them.”
Nicholl explained that the “biggest problem” the royal family and critics of the show have with the current seasons is that it “is about people who are still alive today.”
“The events, yes, are 25 years old, but they still feel very current because they’re constantly still making headlines — largely through films and TV series like this,” she said. “Those early [seasons] felt like there was enough history, felt like there was enough distance. But this just feels uncomfortably close.”
“That being said, with all the media hype and the attention the series has been getting, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if this is the biggest rated [season] for the series, in terms of viewing figures,” Nicholl added.
Another element of awkwardness may stem from the casting of Dominic West — a real-life friend of Harry — to play a younger Charles.
“For Dominic West, going into that role playing Charles, during some of the most tumultuous years of the Royal Family — and at a time when Charles’ popularity was absolutely rock bottom — I think any actor would jump at the chance because, obviously, it’s a wonderful opportunity,” Nicholl said. “But [they might] also think twice about it as well. I mean, when they were making The Crown they would have known, given the queen’s age, given her frailty, [that] there was always a real risk that this series was going to go out when she was either close to death or indeed had died, as is the case.”
“So I think that is a big responsibility for the actors,” Nicholl said. “It’s not just a role, it’s not just a character, it’s not just a part. It’s a real person who now happens to be king, and it is the dredging up of a past which he’d much rather move on from.”
Season 5 of The Crown premieres Nov. 9 on Netflix.
The Minister for Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has served notice to persons who are yet to complete their SIM registration process to do so before October 30.
According to her, some Ghanaians have been able to complete the first stage of the registration but are yet to complete the process with their biometric details.
These persons she noted, should take advantage of the SIM self-registration app to complete the process or risk having their SIM cards blocked.
In a release sighted by GhanaWeb on October 21, 2022, she said: It is however disconcerting that almost 10 million people who have linked their SIM Cards to their Ghana Cards (i.e. completed Stage 1 registration) have not completed their Stage 2 registration.
“There is no excuse for this since these individuals have their Ghana Cards, have started the process, and had ample opportunity to fully register their SIM Cards, including through the use of the self-registration app which is the first of its kind in the world,” she added.
Read the full release below:
PRESS STATEMENT ON SIM REGISTRATION EXERCISE
I commend the millions of Ghanaians and non-Ghanaian residents in Ghana who have diligently registered their SIM Cards in accordance with the SIM Registration directives since the process commenced on 1st October 2021.
The primary objective of the SIM Registration exercise, as we have continually emphasized, is to protect us all against fraud, promote our collective security and advance our transformational digital agenda.
Mobile phones and SIM-enabled devices have become essential livelihood tools and underpin many digital innovations we find indispensable, but despite the immense benefits of modern digital technology, there are also significant risks, some of which we are seeking to mitigate through the SIM registration exercise.
We must ensure a safe digital ecosystem for us all. Government has no intention of just inconveniencing or overburdening citizens or depriving them of the use of their SIM Card enabled devices.
The good news is that despite the challenges that this exercise has encountered, including challenges with the acquisition of Ghana Cards, we have chalked significant successes we should be proud of. Between 1st October 2021 and 4th October 2022;
• 28,959,006 SIM Cards have been linked to Ghana Cards (Stage 1 registration); representing 67.28% of the 42,749,662 total SIM cards issued nationally
• 18,930,664 SIM Cards have been fully registered (Completed both Stages 1 and 2) – representing 44.28% of the total SIM cards issued. This equates to 69.64% of all Stage 1 registrations.
• 13,720,687 unique Counts of Ghana Cards have been used so far for the registration exercise
While we have not yet achieved our target, by every measurable yardstick and against the challenges that we have as a developing economy, this is quite an achievement. 14 million Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians can sleep safely, comforted by the fact that their 18.8 million SIM Cards are safe and secure. We have made good progress, and this is a collective gain that we must celebrate.
It is however disconcerting that almost 10 million people who have linked their SIM Cards to their Ghana Cards (i.e. completed Stage 1 registration) have not completed their Stage 2 registration. There is no excuse for this since these individuals have their Ghana Cards, have started the process and had ample opportunity to fully register their SIM Cards, including through the use of the self registration app which is the first of its kind in the world.
There may be some who are opposed to the SIM Card registration exercise for either ideological, philosophical, or political reasons. Let me just remind them that they may be exercising their right to opt-out of this exercise but all actions have consequences. All unregistered SIMs will be deactivated. Regulation 1(b) of the Subscriber Identity Module Registration Regulations, 2011 (L.I 2006) states that “A network operator or service provider shall not activate a Subscriber Identity Module for a subscriber unless the subscriber complies with the directives given by the Authority under the Act and the National Communications Authority Act, 2008, (Act 769) on the registration of Subscriber Identity Module.”
This imposes a legal obligation on all Network Operators to activate ONLY SIMs registered in the manner prescribed by the NCA on their network. Any SIM which is not duly registered in accordance with NCA directives cannot be activated on any network in Ghana.
The Authority, NCA, therefore, has the power to issue DIRECTIVES detailing the entire procedure for SIM registration and to impose penalties/sanctions for noncompliance with the Directives.
As a responsible government, we will ensure that they enforce the law to the letter.
We also acknowledge that some of our citizens have had difficulties obtaining Ghana Cards to enable them undertake their SIM registration, although 1.3 million Ghanaians have also been issued their Ghana cards but have not collected them. This is regrettable and we will continue to engage the National Identification Authority to expedite the process.
At the end of July 2022, I announced a two-month extension of the deadline for registration to 30 September 2022. Following consultation with the industry, I hereby announce the following:
1. All SIM Cards that have been linked to Ghana Cards (i.e. completed Stage 1 registration), but have not completed their Stage 2 registration will be blocked from the end of October. This is not an extension of the deadline but a temporary moratorium to encourage these individuals to complete the process. If they have any peculiar challenges, they should contact the NCA.
These good people have the Ghana card, have started the process, and will be encouraged to complete it with this gentle reminder. All other unregistered SIMs will also be blocked progressively.
2. The NCA is in discussions with the NIA on registered amputees and other categories of persons and will make an announcement shortly on arrangements made to accommodate them. The provision made earlier for SIMs active outside Ghana and diplomats still stands.
3. All data-only SIMs including those issued by Surfline, Busy Internet, Telesol, and any institution such as ECG, have up to the end of November to complete registration.
4. Some people have registered more than ten (10) SIM Cards for personal use and the database has identified it and will clean it up. They should, as a matter of urgency, delink the unwanted SIM Cards immediately because any excess SIM Cards over the individual limit of 10 SIMs per person will be removed from the database and blocked.
This will also address issues of pre-registered SIMS. Let me remind all SIM card vendors that it is an offense to pre-register and sell SIM cards. The NCA has been directed to conduct mystery shopping and enforce the law against those miscreants. If found guilty, they could be imprisoned for up to 5 years.
Let me conclude by stating that the government is fully committed to ensuring that we have a safe digital ecosystem underpinning our collective cybersecurity. A successful SIM Card registration exercise is an essential part of this goal and I therefore appeal to us all to put our national interest first and do the right thing for this country.
As we celebrate our successes on the SIM Card registration, the government will continue to uphold its commitment to protect all citizens. We encourage all of us to live up to our obligations to each other and to the state. We need your cooperation to ensure that this essential SIM Card registration exercise succeeds.
The Pharmaceutical Industry in Ghana has disclosed its decision to stop supplying drugs and medications to health facilities across the country on credit basis as a result of the instability of the Ghana cedi.
At a press conference in Accra Thursday, October 20, 202, the Pharma Industry noted that the decision which takes immediate effect will affect the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
The three major players in the sector, the Ghana National Chamber of Pharmacy, the Pharmaceutical Association of Ghana, and the Pharmaceutical Importers and Wholesalers Association of Ghana stressed that the current depreciation of the cedi against the dollar has compelled them to change their approach to business.
President of the Pharmaceutical Importers and Wholesalers Association, William Adum Addo stressed that the instability of the Ghana cedi might affect the quality of drugs on the market.
“The effect of medicine prices will not only result in challenges with medicine availability and accessibility but most importantly the quality of life of Ghanaians because we all know health is wealth. They cannot afford the exorbitantly high cost of medicine … very soon a sizable number of industry players may be forced to fold up or lay off staff,” he said.
According to the Chairman of Ghana National Chamber of Pharmacy, Harrison Abutiate, major players have had to cough up huge sums of money to import drugs and other materials needed for the production of medicines.
The groups urged the government to release all outstanding debts owed its members to prevent the shortage of products in the country.
Former President, John Dramani Mahama, has expressed concern about the state of Ghana’s economy and called on the citizenry and the media to “come on board” to salvage the situation.
He said the economy was in a “terrible” situation and urged government to “come clean on the state of the economy” and “rally the people” to fix it.
The former president made the call when some executives of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Accra on Friday, October 21, 2022.
The purpose of the visit was to among others, introduce the new executives to the former President and officially invite him to the 2022 GJA Media Awards scheduled for November 12, 2022.
Former President Mahama, who is also a communications expert, is a member of the GJA.
Ghana currently has an interbank exchange rate of GHS11.5 to US$1, inflation rate of 37.2 per cent, and a monetary policy rate of 24.5 per cent.
Mr Mahama urged the media to continue to play its “watchdog” role to build confidence and restore faith in the country’s democracy.
He urged the Government to take urgent steps to restore the economy and halt the rapid depreciation of the Cedi.
“The economy is in danger of crushing if we don’t get an IMF programme. How to even survive until that IMF Programme is going to be very difficult.
“In circumstance like this, what you do is to rally the country…We have come to the reality of the situation, and we all need to come on board and see how we can salvage it,” he said.
Mr Mahama commended the GJA for playing a “strong role” in broadening the media space since the promulgation of the 1992 Constitution, which, he said, had guaranteed the freedom of the press.
He expressed worry that Ghana dropped to 30 places in the latest World Press Freedom Index, describing the country’s performance as “poor”.
Mr Mahama asked the GJA to rise against any form of attack on journalists and defend its members from harassment in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 12 of the 1992 Constitution.
“One of your own, Ahmed Suale paid the ultimate prize and as at now, there seem not to be any movement in apprehending the people who assassinated him.
“I think that it is something that you (GJA) must not sleep on. Continue to fight to make sure that whoever was responsible for that murder is brought to book,” he said.
Mr Albert Dwumfour, President of GJA, commended the former President for his role in promoting press freedom during his tenure as President.
He said the vision of the new administration was to ensure the welfare of journalists through professional development, investing in human capital, and building capacities to meet emerging trends.
Mr Dwumfour said the Association would soon launch the “Journalists Support Fund” to provide legal services and other interventions to journalists attacked in line of duty.
“The Fund will put together a team of legal brains who will tell and see to the logical conclusion of such cases,” he said.
The government’s Green Ghana Project (GGP) remains a realistic intervention to mitigate the effects of climate change in the country, Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister has said.
The project, she said, had for the past two years planted more than 27 million varieties of tree species to restore the nation’s degraded forest and vegetative cover.
Madam Owusu-Banahene, therefore, implored everybody to help nurture and grow the trees to help tackle the nation’s vulnerability to climate change and its impacts.
The Regional Minister was speaking at a climate justice promotion capacity building and knowledge sharing workshop in Sunyani, organised by the Sunyani Zonal Chapter of the Ghana Institute of Planners (GIP) with support from the G2 Foundation, a non-government organisation.
Under the theme “Climate Change, Iniquities and Building a Local Resilience: Promoting Climate Justice through Planning Activism”, the workshop was attended by development planners drawn from the 12 politically administrative districts and municipalities in the Bono Region.
It sought to empower participants including traditional leaders and students to adapt climate mitigation systems and strategies, as well as helping to put climate issues on the forefront of policy formulation and implementation at district and regional levels.
Mad Owusu-Banahene emphasised the government’s commitment towards implementing policies and programmes directed at mitigating the effects of climate change in the country.
The government has committed the Forestry Commission (FC) to ensure six million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions reduction under the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ programme with the World Bank since 2019, she added.
She, therefore, stressed the need to strengthen the competencies of development practitioners for effective and efficient formulation and implementation of programmes aimed at achieving climate justice set targets.
“Agriculture, water, energy and the extraction of mineral resources are essential drivers of development in our countries, but at the same time, are characteristically sensitive to changing climate,” Mad Owusu-Banahene indicated.
Dr. Michael Addaney, lecturer at the University of Energy and Natural Resources, observed that climate change was well felt in the country, and called for concerted efforts to tackle unscrupulous human activities contributing to global warming.
Earlier, in a welcoming address, James Ata-Era, the Sunyani Zonal Chairman of the GIP, called on the Municipal and District Assemblies in the region to strengthen by-laws on environmental sustainability.
He called on everybody to support the fight against illegal mining, logging, sand winning and the indiscriminate dumping of plastic waste.
A group, consisting of the victims and families of victims of the Ejura killings has submitted a joint memorandum to petition the Appointments Committee of Parliament against confirming the nomination of Justice Kingsley Koomson to the Supreme Court of Ghana,
This is in connection with his role in the work of the Interministerial Committee that investigated the killings that occurred in Ejura in the Ashanti Region.
In a petition to Parliament, the group said, “We consider that Justice Kingsley Koomson lacks the necessary independence of thought, moral conviction and integrity that will support his nomination to the Supreme Court.”
“Justice Kingsley Koomson’s record with the Koomson Committee shows that he is not up to the task and that he had failed when he was entrusted with a national duty requiring that he show the necessary independence of thought, moral conviction and integrity that will support his nomination to the Supreme Court.”
“We invite the Appointments Committee and subsequently Parliament to reject the nomination of Justice Koomson to the Supreme Court,” the petition added.
The President Akufo-Addo, has stated that government is prepared to take the necessary steps in reclaiming all state lands including University of Cape Coast (UCC) lands that have been encroached on by developers across the country.
He explained that, one-third of the UCC’s legally acquired land for instance had been taken over by encroachers, saying, “This is unacceptable.”
President Akufo-Addo said this at a durbar held at the campus of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to climax the 60th anniversary celebration of the establishment of the University.
He inaugurated a number of facilities namely, the School of Graduate Studies Building, a six-storey guest house and School of Medical Sciences Auditorium and adjoining facilities.
The anniversary was on the theme: “60 years of quality higher education: expanding the frontiers.”
President Akufo-Addo said: “I am saddened with this state of affairs especially because it is happening in Cape Coast of all places, the cradle of Ghana’s education system”
He, therefore, called on the chiefs and people of the area to ensure cessation of this unfortunate activities, saying, “We must begin to see the university not only as a national asset and asset of the Central Region but most importantly also as an asset of the people of Cape Coast in particular.”
Touching on the current economic challenges, he said, graduates of UCC and Ghanaians in general, should continue to be inspired by the patriotic endeavours showed by members of the Aborigines RightS Protection Society which was founded in Cape Coast which ensured indigenous ownership of landS as they were threatened by European colonialists.
“It is this same example of patriotic endeavour, this same spirit of determination and tenacity by the Aborigines that we must summon up today to enable us navigate the current difficult headwinds that have engulfed the economy of our country so that we must come out stronger and more empowered than we were before to continue our journey towards our destiny of prosperity and freedom,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo commended the UCC for the feat it had chalked over the years and therefore charged management to ensure that the institution remain pure and unadulterated un the provision of quality academic and intellectual discourse and in finding solution to complex and far-reaching problems across borders and disciplines.
He expressed anticipation of witnessing products of the University making positive impact and building a strong and distinctive workforce in Ghana, West Africa and across the world.
He further urged management, staff, students and stakeholders to put their shoulders to the wheel to ensure further development and transformation of the University.
He noted that the achievement of UCC over the years had been remarkable as it was reflected in considerable growth of faculty, students and infrastructure.
He gave an assurance of his commitment towards redeeming a pledge made last year of supporting the construction of students’ accommodation facility for the University.
“I acknowledge the need for further expansion of infrastructure to meet current demands and support for the free SHS initiative of this administration,” he said.
He said, the current administration would offer the needed support to expand its infrastructure for the benefit of the numerous senior high school graduates who now qualify to access university education yearly.
The government, he said, would not renege on its commitment in providing quality education and equal opportunities for future generations to have a good education.
“Regardless of the difficulties currently confronting our nation, government will continue to intervene and remain responsible for the provision of free and quality basic and secondary education for all,” he indicated.
He noted that education was the key to the development of any country and said his administration’s commitment to the Free SHS remains unshaken.
The Vice Chancellor of UCC, Prof. Johnson NyarkoBoampong, in his address, appealed to the government for financial clearance to recruit additional staff to compliment the efforts of the overstretched academic staff.
The University, he said, was currently pursuing international institutional accreditation exercise and said, it would ultimately enhance the process to increase the competitiveness of UCC.
He indicated that the University was pursuing a creative path to transform UCC into a world class competitive entrepreneurial university.
The Chancellor of UCC, Sir Sam Essuon Jonah, in his address, underscored the need for the University to be innovative in the training of students in order for them to meet the changing global demand.
He urged the School of Agriculture to lead the way in coming out with better yielding crop varieties in ensuring increase in crop production.
The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) has signed a loan agreement extending a facility of USD 60 Million to the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDco).
The purpose of the facility is to finance the installation and upgrading of transmission lines in the Republic of Ghana.
The signing ceremony took place on 18th October 2022 at the head office of the Bank in Lome, Togo.
The President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), Dr. George Agyekum Donkor, signed on behalf of the Bank while the Chief Executive Officer of GRIDco, Ing. Ebenezer Kofi Essienyi, signed on behalf of GRIDco.
In his short remarks, Dr. Donkor observed that as ECOWAS Member States work towards post-COVID-19 economic recovery, it will be necessary that regional electricity connectivity also expands in order to accommodate growth.
In this regard, he emphasised the need for the expansion of electricity infrastructure in the sub-region as a key sector that must be given the necessary attention.
Dr. Donkor disclosed that the Bank’s total commitment to Ghana stood at USD 250 Million as of October 12, 2022.
He reiterated the Bank’s commitment to continue to finance infrastructure projects across all sectors of the economies of ECOWAS Member States to accelerate recovery and development for the Sub-region.
The President of EBID observed that the project was in line with the Bank’s strategic objectives and aligned perfectly with Ghana’s Agenda for Jobs II.
Taking his turn, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of GRIDCo, Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere, indicated that the projects to be undertaken with EBID’s facility were part of a broader plan of GRIDCo to upgrade and install infrastructure to continue to improve efficiency and increase the transmission of power within Ghana and other West African Counties such as Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Cote D’Ivoire.
While appreciating the confidence reposed in GRIDCo by EBID, he stated that the completion of the project would lead to the strengthening and expansion of the transmission network, reducing technical losses and enhancing businesses and livelihoods in Ghana and the ECOWAS subregion.
Ambassador Blay-Ahimere commended the President of EBID and his team for their dedication and professionalism that saw the expeditious completion of the credit process and the consummation of the transaction.
Present at the ceremony was Ghana’s Ambassador to Togo, His Excellency Kofi Dementia, Executives from C-Nergy Ghana, and the Managing Director of Cal Bank PLC., Mr. Philip Owiredu.
An economist, Courage Buttah, has berated Ghanaian traders for putting pressure on government to save the cedi from further depreciation.
According to him, if the government had a magic wand to turn things around and save the cedi, it would have used it a long time ago.
Mr Courage Buttah took issues with the traders agitating for the government to save the cedi from further fall.
The economist made these comments while speaking on 505 evening news analysis programme on Class 91.3 FM on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, on the issue of the traders’ strike in the central business districts.
He was of the view that the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) and all other associations are within their rights to adopt any means to drum home their concerns but “my concerns are what will these strikes do to the high-interest rate, rising inflation rate among others?”
“I don’t think putting pressure on the government at this time of crisis is apt,” he added.
Mr Courage Buttah also said if there is anything to do, it must be the traders appreciating that “we are a nation in crisis.”
He called on Ghanaians to show some patriotism by helping the government navigate the crisis.
“If you live in a nation where personal interests override national interests this is where you will get to,” he charged.
“People talk down the cedi by doing all manner of speculations about it,” he also noted.
“These same people who claim to be Ghanaians buy the dollar.
The Forum for Public Sector Associations and Unions have asked the Government not to apply a “haircut” to Tier 2 Pension Funds as part of a “probable” debt restructuring programme.
The Forum said it had taken note of media reports suggesting that about 94 percent of Tier 2 Pension contributions placed in government securities might be affected by the said debt restructuring agenda.
At a press conference in Accra on Thursday, October 20, 2022, Mr Isaac Bampoe Addo, Chairman of the Forum, said any such decision on the Tier 2 Pensions would contravene provisions of the National Pensions Act, 2008.
“If the Government was to pursue the restructuring of Ghana’s debt by touching pension funds placed in government securities, it would be tantamount to the deceit of benefits envisaged under the Three Tier Pensions Scheme,” he said.
Mr Addo said following the media reports, the Forum officially wrote to the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) for clarification.
He said the NPRA, in its response to the Forum, assured that: “there’s no such policy or decision at the moment to restructure Ghana’s debt and as regards the 94 per cent of Tier 2 pension contributions placed in government securities.”
Mr Addo said the decision to place a larger proportion of Tier-2 funds into Government Securities, was due to the fact Government paid all the Temporary Pension Fund Account (TPFA) at the Bank of Ghana in government securities. He said the Occupational Pension Schemes had efficiently grown the Tier-2 Pensions Funds that would allow the schemes to pay “better lump sum” to its contributors on retirement.
“Thus, if the government would want to touch these funds, that are privately managed, it would be tantamount to the Government reaping where it has not sown,” he said.
The Forum is made up of nine public sector Unions and Associations, including the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, the Ghana National Association of Teachers; the Ghana Medical Association; the Ghana Registered Nurses’ and Midwives’ Association, and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT).
The rest are the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana, Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana, and the Ghana Hospitals Pharmacists Association. The Forum constitutes about 70 per cent of the public sector payroll. Ghana’s Pension Scheme is in three tiers. The First Tier is the Basic National Social Security Scheme for all workers in Ghana. It is a defined benefit scheme and mandatory for workers to have 13.5 per cent contributions made on their behalf, and managed by SSNIT.
The Second Tier is a defined contributory Occupational Pension Scheme mandatory for workers with 5 per cent contribution made on behalf of members.
The contribution is managed privately by approved Trustees. The Third Tier which includes all Provident Funds and all other Pension Funds outside Tiers I and II is a voluntary scheme.
Section 102 of the Pensions Act states: “the accrued benefits of a member in an occupational pension scheme shall not be attached in execution of a judgment debt or be used as a charge, pledge, lien or be transferred, assigned or alienated by or on behalf of the member.”
The High Court in Accra presided over by Justice Eric Baah has fixed February 16, next year, (2023), to deliver judgement in the case in which Ace Investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas has sued Kennedy Agyepong for defamation.
The Assin Central Member of Parliament (MP) is facing a GHc25M sum from Anas over some comments he (MP) had allegedly made against the investigative journalist in public after airing his investigative piece #Number 12, which exposed some rots in Ghana Football.
Justice Eric Baah, a Justice of the Court of Appeal who is sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court judge, fixed the date after the parties had ended their testimonies.
EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent Murtala Inusah reports that the lawyers have been directed to file their written addresses by December 6, 2022, and they would be back in 2023 for judgement.
Background
Sometime in 2018, the ace international investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas dragged the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Mr Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, to court for defaming him.
Anas was asking the High Court to award aggravated damages to the tune of GH¢25 million arising from defamatory materials published by the MP.
He said the MP had been publishing materials in his bid to discredit the investigative journalist, who has released an explosive piece on the rot in Ghana football.
Displeased with the MP’s actions, Anas has, through his lawyer, Mr Kissi Agyebeng, sued Mr Agyapong for the award of general damages for defamation in the defendant’s publications.
A journalist, Mr Listowell Yesu Bukarson, has been granted the lawful attorney to stand in for Anas.
Publications
The publication complained of are May 29, 2018 live programme in Twi on Adom TV, where Mr Agyapong categorically stated that Anas was a blackmailer, corrupt, an extortionist and evil.
According to the statement of claim, the defendant, in a similar manner, published defamatory words on May 31, 2018 via Oman FM, a private radio station owned by the defendant.
The statement of claim also stated that the defendant published more defamatory materials against the plaintiff via other platforms to the extent of releasing pictures purported to be those of the investigative journalist in his bid to blow the latter’s cover.
The purpose of the visit was to introduce the new executives of the association, re-engage Mr Mahama as a member and invite him as a special guest for the upcoming GJA awards scheduled to take place at Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel on Saturday, 12 November 2022.
Speaking during the visit on Friday, 21 October 2022, the GJA acknowledged the former President’s support in the establishment of the media fund under his government, geared towards aiding and building the capacity of journalists.
President of the GJA, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour said: “Your support and promotion of press freedom is non-negotiable. You’ve been the guest of honour for our GJA awards when you were the president; this is how important you valued the Association.”
The former President commended the association for a peaceful election.
He noted that: “Many of us watchers of the media were getting a bit concerned with the delay in democratisation within the organisation and you being the watchdogs of our democracy if you yourselves could not get it right then there were a lot of concerns being expressed about it.
“But I’m happy that your election finally took place and an executive has been put in place.”
Mr Mahama further commended the Association for its role in broadening the media space in the country.
“The watchdog role of the media and they’re saying that the media shall be the watchdog of the people over government and so that is a role that you have had to effectively play. The GJA has played a very strong role in broadening the media space in order that journalists can operate and operate without fear of harassment.”
He called on the GJA, not to relent in its efforts to ensure justice for slain journalist, Ahmed Suale.
“For some time, there’s been concerns that the Association had become a bit docile in terms not only of safeguarding the media space but also in terms of defending its members when they come under attack from the work that they do.
“Of course one of your own, paid the ultimate price, Ahmed Suale and as of now there still doesn’t seem to be any movement in apprehending the people who assassinated him in such cold blood and I think that is something that you must not sleep on. You must continue to fight to make sure that whoever were responsible for that murder, you know, are brought to book.”
A total of 13, 209 delegates are expected to vote to decide the fate of some 466 aspirants in the Bono Regional National Democratic Congress (NDC) Party’s constituency election this weekend.
In all, that region has 12 constituencies.
Mr Richard Blay, the Party’s Bono Regional Director of Elections, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Sunyani that Banda was the only constituency among the 12 that had all its aspirants going unopposed and therefore, would settle for acclamation on Saturday.
He said that aside, the Berekum East constituency would hold the election on Sunday, but the rest would have theirs on Saturday.
Giving the constituency breakdown, Mr Blay explained that in Sunyani East Constituency, 43 aspirants were seeking to be elected with 2,295 delegates expected to vote, whereas in Sunyani West, 1,700 delegates would be voting for 40 aspirants.
At the Berekum East constituency, 1,204 delegates would be voting for 47 aspirants, whereas Berekum West has 46 candidates with 561 expected delegates.
The Dormaa West constituency has 39 contenders and 540 delegates, Dormaa East, 36 candidates and 807 delegates and the Dormaa Central, 42 aspirants but 1,247 delegates.
The Jaman North and Jaman South constituencies have 41 and 47 aspirants, with 1,014 and 1,211 expected delegates, respectively.
The Wenchi constituency has 50 aspirants and 1,256 delegates with the Tain constituency having 35 aspirants and 1,372 delegates.
Mr Blay expressed satisfaction with the election process in all the 12 constituencies, saying everything was on course for a successful, free, and fair election, indicating security on the day was well-assured for the safety of everyone.
The 466 candidates are contesting Chairman, Vice- Chairman, Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Organiser, Deputy Organiser, Treasurer, Deputy Treasurer, Communication Officer, and Deputy Communication Officer positions.
The other positions are Women Organiser, Deputy Women Organiser, Youth Organiser, Deputy Youth Organiser, One Youth Representative, Zongo Caucus Coordinator and eight other Executive members.
Eastern Region is one of the mining regions in Ghana Chinese sneaking to engage in illegal mining.
Dozens of these Chinese illegal miners have been arrested in the last five years but only three have been imprisoned.
As part of the fight against the menace, Chief Justice designated the Koforidua High Court 3 and Circuit Court B, to deal with illegal mining cases in the region.
Recent statistics by the Eastern Regional Office of the Attorney General Department headed by Chief State Attorney Mrs. Emily Addo-Okyireh detailed that, a total of 187 illegal miners charged in 48 cases have been convicted and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment in the Region since 2017.
The 187 convicted persons include 29 nationals of Niger, seven Nigerians and three Chinese.
A majority of the accused persons were tried and sentenced under the old section 99 of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703). Section 99(1) of Act 703 prescribed a penalty of a minimum fine of three thousand penalty units or imprisonment for a term of not more than five years for the offence of buying or selling minerals without a licence.
For the offence of undertaking a small-scale mining operation without a licence or acting in contravention of a provision of Act 703 in respect of which an offence is created, section 99(2) of Act 703 stipulated a penalty of a minimum fine of one thousand penalty units or to imprisonment for a term not more than three years.
In spite of the provision not being punitive enough, the Office of the Attorney-General says it succeeded in ensuring the application of maximum or near maximum custodial sentences allowed under imposed on the accused persons in 40 of the cases with the court exercising the discretion to impose a fine the rest of the cases.
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called on President Akufo-Addo to suspend his regional tours immediately.
The MP, in a tweet on Thursday, October 20, 2022, stated that the president cannot travel around the country as the citizens’ hardships continue to worsen.
The MP, who was particularly worried about the current rapid rate of depreciation of the Ghana Cedi, said the cedi’s performance should be treated as a national security threat.
He added that Akufo-Addo should, as a matter of urgency, fire his finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, and start consultative engagement with all stakeholders across the political divide to help find solutions to the difficulties Ghanaians are going through.
“The total crash of the Cedi must be seen as a major national security threat.
“Prez Akufo-Addo should immediately suspend his regional booing tours, sack his Finance Minister, dissolve his failed EMT & convene a non-partisan emergency economic rescue forum to harvest fresh ideas,” the tweet the MP shared read.
On Friday, October 21, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo began a three-day tour to the Eastern Region to commission completed projects, inspect ongoing ones and interact with traditional authorities of the area.
The Eastern Region tour comes days after the president’s tour of the Ashanti Region, which made news headlines after Akufo-Addo was hooted at by some factions in the party’s stronghold over the economic hardship in the country.
President Akufo-Addo and his government have come under heavy scrutiny for failing to address the current economic challenges in the country.
The prices of goods and services have been continuously rising all year round, with inflation currently hovering over 37 per cent.
The Ghana cedi has been ranked the worst currency in the world among 148 currencies tracked by Bloomberg, overtaking Sri Lanka’s rupee, having depreciated by nearly 50 per cent so far in 2022.
Ahead of season 5’s debut on Nov. 9, Netflix finally debuted a fiery trailer for the new episodes of The Crown, giving audiences an extended look “a house divided” as Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s divorce takes center stage on creator Peter Morgan’s historical drama about the royal family.
Picking up in the early 1990s, the series will focus on the “most visual” era of the royals as they navigated newfound attention surrounding the Palace, which included many headline-grabbing events and scandals of the time.
“That’s the amazing thing about playing these people at this time, because in the journey of The Crownso far out of all the seasons, this is the most visual content we have of the royal family,” said Elizabeth Debicki, who makes a stunning transformation into Diana as the trailer shows her struggling in her marriage to Charles, which many have said always included a third person, Camilla Parker-Bowles.
As per tradition of the Emmy-winning series, a new cast has taken over the key roles, with Debicki now portraying the late princess after Emma Corrin originated the role in season 4 and Dominic West following in Julian Baring and Josh O’Connor’s footsteps as Charles, who was recently named king following his mother’s death in September.
Joining them is Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Claudia Harrison as Princess Anne, Olivia Williams as Charles’ longtime friend and eventual second wife as well as Jonny Lee Miller as John Major, Salim Daw as Mohamed Al Fayed and Khalid Abdalla as Dodi Fayed.
The trailer, set to a haunting version The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony,” also teases other notable moments from the early ‘90s, including Diana’s “revenge dress” to her controversial, sit-down interview with reporter Martin Bashir to the fire that broke out in Windsor Castle, which offers a fitting allegory to what is happening with the family at that time.
While Charles and Camilla’s “tampongate” was not seen here, it is another wild moment that West confirmed would be depicted in season 5. “I remember thinking it was something so sordid and deeply, deeply embarrassing [at the time],” he shared in a recent interview.
“Looking back on it, and having to play it, what you’re conscious of is that the blame was not with these two people, two lovers, who were having a private conversation,” he continued. “What’s really [clear now] is how invasive and disgusting was the press’s attention to it, that they printed it out verbatim and you could call a number and listen to the actual tape. I think it made me extremely sympathetic towards the two of them and what they’d gone through.”
Echoing that sentiment about the press, Debicki has said that “in the ‘90s everything had started to be filmed and also it was the birth of the 24-hour news cycle, so there’s just this incredible amount of content that we have access to.” And as a result, “Diana was the most photographed person in the world at that time.”
Of course, no matter how much Diana and Charles’ marriage is depicted this season, there’s no forgetting that this series is always about the queen, and how she managed to maintain her reign and family’s place in the ever-evolving British consciousness.
Following Emmy-winning turns by Claire Foy and Olivia Colman, Staunton is tasked with portraying Her Majesty in her later years until the series closes out with season 6. “I’m greatly honored,” Staunton previously told ET about being approached by creator Peter Morgan and his team to complete “the last lap” and finish out what the other two actresses started before her. “I don’t want to let the air go out of the balloon and I really have to bring it home. I would love to do that for all the people who have gone before me.”
In a later interview, she acknowledged the fans who were excited to see her join the franchise, saying, “Let’s just hope that works out for them because I’ve done it. Nothing I can do about it now!”
A Public Relations Office (PRO) of the Ministry of Education has refuted assertions that the former Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, was fired because of a misunderstanding with the Education Minister.
According to Kwasi Kwarteng, most people think there was friction between the Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, and the former GES boss because the minister was taking away some of the duties of the GES due to a new law.
His remarks follow an allegation by Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak, that Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa was sacked because of his many disagreements with the Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum.
“The real reasons for sending Prof back to the classroom are not in this letter. “The truth is that the tension and frosty relationship between Hon. Adutwum and Prof. Opoku-Amankwa led to this, nothing more, nothing less,” parts of a tweet the MP shared on October 19 read.
But Kwasi Kwarteng, in a Neat FM interview monitored by GhanaWeb, explained that the education ministry reassigning roles of the GES to other agencies of government does not mean that there was a bad relationship between Dr. Adutwum and Prof. Opoku-Amankwa
“The view that the Minister of Education and Prof Opoku-Amankwa did not have a good working relationship is not the case. People are saying this because they see the minister for education reassigning some of the duties of the GES to other agencies.
“But the explanation is that a new law enacted in 2020 by Parliament, the Education Bodies Regulatory Acts, took some of the roles previously played by the GES to other agencies.
“For example, the National Teaching Council, which caters for the well-being of all teachers, was previously just an office under the Ghana Education Services. Another example is the Schools Inspectorate, which is now national and has its director general and so on, used to be a unit under the Ghana Education Service,” he said in Twi.
On Friday, the former France and Bayern Munich winger announced his retirement at the age of 39, having agreed to terminate his deal with Serie A club Salernitana.
He signed for Salernitana ahead of last season, though for the first time since the 2004-05 season, failed to score in the league.
His sole Serie A appearance this season came in a 1-0 defeat to Roma back in August, as a second-half substitute, and in truth it was no surprise when rumours recently emerged of his imminent retirement.
There can be no doubt, however, that Ribery will go down as one of European football’s greats of the modern era.
In 2013, Ribery was nominated for the Ballon d’Or, finishing third in the voting behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Falling short against two of the best to play the game is no shame, and using Opta data, here are some of the key facts from Ribery’s glittering career.
The ball stops. The feelings inside me do not.
Der Ball ruht. Die Gefühle in mir nicht.
Le ballon s’arrette mais pas mes sentiments pour lui.
Il pallone si ferma. Le emozioni dentro di me, no.
Having made a name for himself with Brest in Ligue 2, Ribery was recruited by Metz in 2004. He spent only half a season there and scored just one goal before joining Turkish giants Galatasaray, yet he made a big impact, with comparisons drawn to one of the club’s greatest exports, Robert Pires.
His only goal in Turkey came in the Turkish Cup final against Gala’s great rivals Fenerbahce, in a 5-1 victory. Having claimed his first trophy, Ribery headed home to France, signing for Marseille.
It was a messy move, with FIFA ultimately ruling in Ribery’s favour after the player claimed he had not been paid his wages by Gala, as well as alleging to have been threatened by his former agent and a club director.
Ribery spent two seasons with Marseille and became a star, being named the National Union of Professional Footballers’ (UNFP) Young Player of the Year in 2006.
His performances at the 2006 World Cup (more on that later) only increased his profile, with Marseille seeing off interest from Real Madrid, Arsenal and, controversially, rivals Lyon to keep hold of Ribery.
That decision paid off for OM. In his final campaign in France, in 2006-07, Ribery provided eight assists, behind only Nancy’s Benjamin Gavanon (nine), and had the highest tally of chances created per 90 minutes (2.95) among players who had featured for over 100 minutes across the season.
Marseille finished second, after losing in the final of the Coupe de France, and Ribery was named the French Player of the Year by France Football.
Flourishing for France
Ribery made his debut for Les Bleus in May 2006, ahead of the World Cup in Germany, where he truly made his name as a superstar.
Between making his debut and playing his final international match in March 2014, Ribery featured in more France games than any other player (81) in the same period, 11 ahead of second-ranked Florent Malouda.
Indeed, his 37 goal involvements (16 goals, 21 assists) was more than any other French player, and puts him sixth on the nation’s goal involvements list in the 21st century.
He helped France reach the final of the 2006 World Cup, though they failed to make it out of the group stage in South Africa four years later, while success also eluded them in the Euros during Ribery’s stint on the international stage.
Greatness in Germany
In 2007, Bayern paid Marseille €25million for the 24-year-old. It was an investment worth every cent.
Ribery went on to play 425 times for Bayern in all competitions, making him the non-German player with the second-most appearances for the club, behind David Alaba (431), since 1965.
When it comes to French players, only Jonathan Schmid has made more Bundesliga appearances (296) than Ribery (273), who scored 124 goals in all competitions for Bayern.
Since detailed data collection of the Bundesliga began in 2004, Thomas Muller is the only player to provide more assists than Ribery, who set up 92 goals.
Ribery was at the peak of his powers in the 2012-13 season, as he helped Bayern win the treble and was named UEFA Men’s Player of the Year, before going on to come third in the Ballon d’Or rankings.
That season, he provided 14 assists in the Bundesliga, a total trailing only Andres Iniesta (16) when it came to players in Europe’s big five leagues.
Ribery left Bayern as a club great, having formed one of the all-time most fearsome wing partnerships with Arjen Robben. He won nine Bundesliga titles, a tally that trails only former club-mates Alaba and Robert Lewandowski (10 each) when it comes to foreign players in Germany’s top tier.
Italian swansong
After leaving Bayern, Ribery tried his hand in Italy, joining Fiorentina.
Over his two seasons in Florence, Ribery created 70 goalscoring opportunities in Serie A, behind only Erick Pulgar (104) in Fiorentina’s squad. His dribbling ability was still top class, too, with Gaetano Castrovilli his only team-mate to complete more dribbles (123 to Ribery’s 117).
Ribery played 51 times for Fiorentina in all competitions, starting on 47 occasions. He scored five goals, contributed nine assists and had 182 touches in the opposition’s box. Surprisingly, he played only five successful crosses, though he was often deployed in a more central role for La Viola.
In his 25 matches for Salernitana, Ribery failed to score, though his three assists in Serie A mean he is the club’s joint-top creator of goals, alongside Milan Djuric and Pasquale Mazzocchi, in the same timeframe.
Reality star Alexandra Asogwa well known as Alex Unusual has shared a status report of her colleagues as they bury their friend Rico Swavey today.
In the late hours of yesterday, Big Brother Naija stars, loved ones and family organized a night of tribute on Wednesday in honor of the late singer.
In a lengthy post shared by the best friend of Rico Swavey, Alex Unusual, she gave a report of how her other BBNija colleagues as she described the situation as unbearable.
She wrote on her page…
“It’s past 1 am, You would have wanted us all to be happy. We will stay happy for you. This world is stressful anyway . You can rest now my fresh boy.
You came into our lives, taught us to smile and you left. I’ll understand all this soon I hope.
Today is a remembrance of a day Nigeria failed a lot of us. We bury you today 20th October. God gives us strength . I’ll love you forever Rico
Koko won’t stop crying. She says her chest burns inside.
Anto just can’t understand it, Ahneeka is lost, Princess is confused, Vandora has never been so confused her whole life, Nina is yet to believe she won’t see you again, Ifu is traumatized,
Ceec is hurting, Bam Bam won’t stop crying.
I would have said boys will be boys but I’m not sure they can be boys for now. Tobi is a wreck, I’m tired of consoling him so do something, Leo keeps trying to be strong for everyone, Miracle is speechless, Lolu keeps crying like a baby it’s like we’ll have to call him, Angel is keeping a strong face dying inside, K brule is too pissed to express himself, he keeps turning pink,
Deeone keeps trying to console everyone but I’m not sure he is ok, Bitto is really down,
Teddy is in denial and you? please give me the status report Rico.
Oh, I almost forgot Alex. Alex can’t feel anymore. She’s been laughing at what I don’t know.
I’m giving you a status report, I’ll let you know when things change if they ever do.
Mum, dad, and everyone is looking ok but I can’t tell you that they are. A lot of things are wrong but we’ll stay happy for you. #ricoswavey“.
According to 50 Cent, he has reached a moment where he is no longer concerned about releasing a whole album in order to connect with his core fans.
The rapper admitted to Ebro In The Morning that, at this point in his career, he will feel equally as ecstatic as he did with top-charting albums like Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ or The Massacre if a lesser production of original music has the same effect on his fans.
“If I give [my fans] an EP and they feel is a monster;” Fif said, “if I call it a soundtrack and I put five or six songs of my material inside it and they love it, I’ll still have the same gratification. I’m on tour right now, I just did Prague last night, the O2 [Arena] sold out; I do it again tonight. You see what I’m saying?”
He continued: “I’m on a world tour right now. What I need, a new CD to do it? We’re starting to enter that stage where Prince was at, where he could say, ‘Yo, Imma do a show tonight,’ and it sells out.”
He continued by saying that after realizing that his core audience, who were in college or “having an adult experience” for the first time when he initially entered the scene, are now at a totally different stage of life, he has changed how he goes about producing new songs or videos.
“Now, those people are 43 years old,” he remarked. “They’re having that drink that they would have on premises at the night club, they’re having at home now. They meet the person that they’re hanging out with somewhere else, not in the nightlife. Cuz their kids are partying there.”
President Akufo-Addo will begin a three-day working visit to the Eastern Region today to commission completed projects, inspect ongoing ones and interact with traditional authorities of the area.
President Akufo-Addo will attend the official opening of the NPP National Executives and Directors Training and Orientation Conference at Rock City in the Abetifi constituency and hold an interview session on Rock City Radio.
He will then proceed to Nkawkaw to inspect the construction of the Nkawkaw-Abirem-Ofoase-Akim Oda road project.
President Akufo-Addo will later pay a courtesy call on the Chief of Ofoase, inspect the construction of the Ofoase-Ayirebi Agenda 111 Hospital Project and depart to Akyem Asuboa in the Asene Manso Akroso constituency to inspect a similar project there.
Day two of the tour will begin with the commissioning of a 1D1F Beverage Factory, a 24-Unit Classroom Block at St. Martins SHS, as well as an accommodation complex inside the Nsawam Camp Prison, all in the Nsawam-Adoagyiri constituency.
He will proceed to Kwabeng to inspect work on the Agenda 111 hospital project and the Buntaa Farms, followed by the commissioning of the Model STEM Senior High School and the Abomosu bridge, and well as an inspection of the Abomosu Polyclinic in Atiwa West.
The final day of the President’s tour will begin in the Abuakwa South constituency with the inauguration of the Archdeaconry at St. Mark Anglican church in Kyebi.
He will proceed to the Yiadom Hwedie Palace in Koforidua to pay a courtesy call on the Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Kwaku Boateng III, and commission a 24-Unit Classroom Block at Pentecost Senior High School.
He will commission the newly constructed New Juaben South Municipal Assembly in Koforidua to end the tour of the region.
The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has ended its strike after two days and urged its members to reopen their shops today, Friday.
The union in a statement said consultations with the government and Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II had led to the softening of its stance.
GUTA had been protesting because of Ghana’s forex challenges and the rising cost of doing business.
The cedi has been noted as the worst-performing currency and has fallen by over 50 percent to the dollar in 2022.
But citing goodwill from the government, the union said the government plans to put together a working committee made up of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, National security and GUTA, to “swiftly come out with pragmatic measures to solve the challenges.”
It also said it had been assured that its recommendations “would be factored in the ongoing IMF discussions.”
The government hopes to receive $3 billion under an IMF extended credit facility programme to support the economy and open the doors to more borrowing on the international market.
Among interventions and concessions the government has made to GUTA, a Deputy Trade and Industry Minister, Michael Okyere Baafi, said a fixed exchange rate will be maintained at the ports for the next three months to cushion traders who import goods.
The Deputy Minister also said the government will suspend the ongoing invigilation by the Ghana Revenue Authority that has resulted in protests and the closure of businesses, specifically in Adum, Kumasi.
The Forum for Public Sector Associations and Unions have asked the Government not to apply a “haircut” to Tier 2 Pension Funds as part of a “probable” debt restructuring programme.
The Forum said it had taken note of media reports suggesting that about 94 percent of Tier 2 Pension contributions placed in government securities might be affected by the said debt restructuring agenda.
At a press conference in Accra on Thursday, October 20, 2022, Mr Isaac Bampoe Addo, Chairman of the Forum, said any such decision on the Tier 2 Pensions would contravene provisions of the National Pensions Act, 2008.
“If the Government was to pursue the restructuring of Ghana’s debt by touching pension funds placed in government securities, it would be tantamount to the deceit of benefits envisaged under the Three Tier Pensions Scheme,” he said.
Mr Addo said following the media reports, the Forum officially wrote to the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) for clarification.
He said the NPRA, in its response to the Forum, assured that: “there’s no such policy or decision at the moment to restructure Ghana’s debt and as regards the 94 per cent of Tier 2 pension contributions placed in government securities.”
Mr Addo said the decision to place a larger proportion of Tier-2 funds into Government Securities, was due to the fact Government paid all the Temporary Pension Fund Account (TPFA) at the Bank of Ghana in government securities. He said the Occupational Pension Schemes had efficiently grown the Tier-2 Pensions Funds that would allow the schemes to pay “better lump sum” to its contributors on retirement.
“Thus, if the government would want to touch these funds, that are privately managed, it would be tantamount to the Government reaping where it has not sown,” he said.
The Forum is made up of nine public sector Unions and Associations, including the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, the Ghana National Association of Teachers; the Ghana Medical Association; the Ghana Registered Nurses’ and Midwives’ Association, and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT).
The rest are the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana, Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana, and the Ghana Hospitals Pharmacists Association. The Forum constitutes about 70 per cent of the public sector payroll. Ghana’s Pension Scheme is in three tiers. The First Tier is the Basic National Social Security Scheme for all workers in Ghana. It is a defined benefit scheme and mandatory for workers to have 13.5 per cent contributions made on their behalf, and managed by SSNIT.
The Second Tier is a defined contributory Occupational Pension Scheme mandatory for workers with 5 per cent contribution made on behalf of members.
The contribution is managed privately by approved Trustees. The Third Tier which includes all Provident Funds and all other Pension Funds outside Tiers I and II is a voluntary scheme.
Section 102 of the Pensions Act states: “the accrued benefits of a member in an occupational pension scheme shall not be attached in execution of a judgment debt or be used as a charge, pledge, lien or be transferred, assigned or alienated by or on behalf of the member.”
The government says it will take inventory of all unlawfully erected buildings in the core zone of the Sakumo Ramsar site from today for onward demolition.
This comes after some fence walls in the area were pulled down on Wednesday.
Speaking to journalists during a visit to the Sakumo ramsar site, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu Bio says the government is committed to ensuring the protection of the wetland.
“They all do not have building permits… they are all encroachers because there is an executive instrument and as such, they are not to be here. Those ones will be marked.”
“We are taking into consideration that those that will be marked are the ones that are really within the flood probe area,” Mr. Owusu Bio.
The demolition comes after a series of warnings for persons erecting buildings on the site to desist from the act to help preserve the ecological state of the ramsar site.
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has assured it is working to address the concerns of the pharmaceutical sector resulting from production challenges because of increased costs of production.
Speaking to Citi News, the spokesperson for NHIA, Barima Sarpong said the authority was still supporting the sector.
“Almost every month, we are able to pay something to our providers,” he noted.
Because of challenges of cost of production brought on by the depreciation of the cedi, the Ghana National Chamber of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Importers and Wholesalers Association, and Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Ghana say they have resorted to the cash-and-carry system.
The associations say economic indicators such as high inflation, high-interest rates, increase in fuel prices and high cost of utility are affecting the prices of raw materials which translates to the high cost of the finished product.
The cedi has been singled out as the worst-performing currency, and the NHIS relies on inflows which are not indexed to the dollar.
It is thus using an old reimbursement formula to pay pharmacies and hospitals.
The Executive Secretary of the West Africa Manufacturers association, Lucia Addai, said there could be a 1,000 percent increase in the price of pharmaceuticals because of the deprecation of the cedi, among others.
The cedi has fallen by over 50 percent to the dollar in 2022.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP)of commissioning projects initiated under the Mahama government during the President’s recent tour of the Ashanti Region.
According to the party, President Akufo-Addo has failed the people of the region despite making numerous promises during the election period.
Addressing the press, the Ashanti Regional Communications Director of the NDC, Abass Nurudeen, said the underwhelming performance of the NPP vindicates the NDC.
“President, Akufo-Addo has very little to show for all his unprecedented borrowing,” Mr. Nurudeen said.
In contrast, he added that former President Mahama started legacy projects like the Kejetia Central Market, which President Akufo-Addo inspected during his tour.
But the NPP has vehemently defended the party’s infrastructure track record in the Ashanti Region.
Richard Ahiagbah, the Communications Director of the NPP, argued that in these matters, governance should be considered a continuum.
“They are the ones who will tell you that government is a continuum. All the debt they incurred as they are sitting in opposition now, who is paying it?”
The Ministry of Education has described as unacceptable the posture of some teacher unions with regard to the appointment of Dr. Eric Nkansah as Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES).
Reacting to the claims by the teacher unions, the Public Relations Officer of the Education Ministry, Kwasi Kwarteng, said the stance of the teachers is disrespectful and must not be entertained.
“It is not funny. It is very disrespectful to the number one person of the land [President Akufo-Addo] and we are very surprised,” Mr. Kwarteng said.
“We thought the union leaders should have known better,” the spokesperson added.
Dr. Eric Nkansah replaced Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa as the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service.
The four teacher unions at a press conference on Thursday criticised the decision, arguing that the new Director General of the GES is not a professional teacher and as such not fit for the role.
“He is a banking officer. He has not risen through the teaching ranks,” President of NAGRAT, Angel Carbonu said to Citi News.
The Ghana Road Transport Union (GPRTU) says it will on Monday, October 24, 2022, announce new fares for public transport.
This according to the union has been necessitated by the continuous soaring of prices of petroleum products at the various fuel pumps.
Currently, Diesel and Petrol are selling for over GH¢15 and GH¢13 respectively at major fuel pumps; a situation transport operators say it’s eroding their profit.
A meeting between the GPRTU and Transport Ministry on the fare adjustment ended in a stalemate.
Speaking to Citi News, the Industrial Relations Officer for the GPRTU, Abbas Imoro said the union can do little to salvage the situation.
“Normally, if we are able to conclude, we will come out on Monday with a percentage of increment. We will give the passengers a few days to adjust themselves to the new prices.”
He further admonished passengers to bear with the GPRTU in order to keep their business running.
“We’ve been very considerate. This would have been the third or fourth adjustment from May. We are all in this country and have seen frequent increments in fuel prices. But we have sacrificed to contain it. But we can no longer bear the cost.”
The Director of Communication at the Jubilee House has said comments made by President Akufo-Addo with regards to the people of Kwabre were taken out of context.
According to Eugene Arhin, the president did not call the bluff of the people but rather stated that he is focused on fulfilling his promises.
“I don’t think the President was calling anybody’s bluff. The host asked him a particular question and the response the President gave was to what the host was saying.
“Indeed, if you look at the package of road construction that is currently going on in the Kwabre and the Manso areas, I mean, what the President stated in his response was that I don’t think anybody threatening that, ‘I will not vote for him’ should be something that he should be worried about,” Eugene Arhin is said to have stated during a presser at the Jubilee House.
President Akufo-Addo, during an interview said he is unmoved by threats to vote out the new Patriotic Party.
According to the president, threats of voting against him or the NPP due to unfulfilled promises or lack of development under his tenure, especially, is a personal decision which he cannot be bothered about.
The president was reacting to a message sent into the radio programme by a listener who stated that residents of Kwabre and Manso would vote against the NPP if President Akufo-Addo’s government failed to construct their roads.
The message, as read by the host of the programme, Captain Koda, stated that the residents of the area, being a stronghold of the NPP, voted massively for President Akufo-Addo.
“Our plea through you (roads minister) to the Mr President is that when you look at the voting pattern, residents of Kwabre voted massively for Nana. They said I should tell the president that they will be pained if you don’t construct their roads for them in 2024; they will vote against the NPP,” the host, sending the message through the Minister for Roads and Transport, Kwasi Amoako Atta, who was in the studio with the president, said.
However, after several backlashes from Ghanaians with regards to the president’s response, Eugene Arhin said the president meant that he has no control over who a citizen decides to vote for even though he is focused on fulfilling his promises.
“At the end of the day, his focus is to make sure that he delivers. Once he delivers and the road infrastructure is there and you still decide to go and vote for another party, that is your problem,” Eugene noted.
He continued, “What he did indicate in that interview was that, work is ongoing in all parts of the country. There is no way we can construct all roads at the same time. It is not possible, looking at the national purse. So, if people, as per what the host was saying, will not be patient and wait for their time, that is fine, but he did not call anybody’s bluff,” the chronicle quoted Eugene Arhin as having said.
“Ghana has a population of about 31 million people, and receives 15 million pieces of used clothing each week – 40 percent of which goes to the graveyard.”
Trade data as of 2020 have shown that Ghana has become the world’s biggest dumping ground for used clothing in the last decade.
The value of used clothing shipped into the country has tripled during the last decade, from US$65m in 2010 to over US$180m in 2020.
“The UK alone shipped over US$70m worth of used clothing to Ghana in 2020, accounting for close to 40 percent of the country’s used clothing imports.”
One is greeted with tangled pieces of textiles and discarded clothing washed up at the Korle-Gonno beach in Accra.
This tangled clothing is repeatedly swept along the shores by changing tides. A closer examination shows that these clothes are burrowed deep into the sand like a new geological formation. “They go as deep as six feet,” said a local fisherman.
“Studies have shown that we have a lot more of such textile waste on the ocean bed,” Solomon Noi, Director of Waste Management for the Accra Metropolitan Assembly said. “This poses a significant threat to aquatic life.”
With the “choked landfills” and “limited control” over unwanted clothing exports into Ghana, Mr. Noi argues that managing discarded used clothing in Accra has become a “huge burden” for the city authorities.
“This is an area nobody is talking about; this is a real crisis,” he said.
A four-month investigation by Gideon Sarpong has shown that the negative impact of discarded used clothing on Ghana’s environment is fuelled by unscrupulous merchants and charities, unsuspecting donors and the global fast-fashion business. Inaction on the part of government officials in Ghana and the UK has also contributed to this crisis.
Kantamanto – A morgue for UK’s used clothing
Kantamanto, the largest used clothing market in West Africa, is its own market – distinct from many other markets in Ghana. On a typical day you can expect to hear the sound of sellers hustling to lure consumers, with many yelling things like “five cedis, four cedis, pants and trousers”.
The market looks like a maze, with many rows of vendors selling their wares. There is a covered indoor market that extends onto surrounding sidewalks. Like a typical department store in the west, the market also has sections and a general sense of order.
Over the years, Kantamanto – located in Accra’s business district – has been transformed into a morgue for the UK’s used clothing. It now performs the final retail rites before 40 percent of the 15 million pieces of used clothes it receives each week are sent to the graveyard — at choked landfills at Old Fadama and its surrounding areas in Accra
Landfill at Old Fadama. Old Fadama is a large slum on the outskirts of Accra, Ghana, with over 80,000 residents
Samuel Antwi Oteng is a researcher with The OR Foundation – an NGO that focuses on the intersection of environmental justice and fashion development. He explained how the overwhelming quantity of used clothing imported into Ghana every week is unsustainable for the population.
“Ghana has a population of about 31 million people, so thinking about the ratio between people living in the country and quantity (15 million pieces) of clothing that is coming in every week, it shows there is a great disconnect.”
The textile trash collected from Kantamanto is the “single-largest consolidated waste stream in the entire city of Accra”, according to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).
Nana Amo, a used clothing importer and trader at the Kantamanto market, admitted the negative impact of used clothing on the environment – describing clothing importation as a “risk-taking” business.
“The bale I import is sealed and I do not know what is inside. So if you are a buyer and you detect that there are unusable clothes in there, there is little you can do but discard them and make a loss,” he said. “Unfortunately, improper disposal of these clothes means all our gutters are choked… with very negative consequences for us all.”
Trade data as of 2020 have shown that Ghana has become the biggest dumping ground of used clothing in the last decade. The value of worn clothing shipped into the country has tripled during the last decade, from US$65m in 2010 to over US$180m in 2020.
The UK alone shipped over US$70m worth of used clothing to Ghana in 2020, accounting for close to 40 percent of the country’s imports and the UK’s biggest export product to Ghana.
Not everybody who donates their clothing to charities in the UK understands how charities like Oxfam sell donated clothes to merchants and retailers in nations like Ghana and Nigeria, many of which wind up in landfills, the ocean and drains, and harm the environment.
Ghana’s trade minister Alan Kyerematen did not respond to several requests for comment on the dumping of used clothes in the country and his ministry’s actions to end it.
The fashion industry and UK government’s failure to act
Samuel Antwi Oteng attributed a large part of the problem to commercial practices of the fashion industry, which promote excessive consumption and waste.
“All of those fashion brands like Boohoo, Asos, Nike, H&M and Adidas produce clothes in excess, more than people need; and so they build waste into their models. But there is a whole business built around donations and buyback programmes, where people and companies collect these clothes, sort them, bale them and ship them to countries like Ghana,” he explained.
In 2019, a UK House of Commons audit report on fast-fashion found that fast-fashion and its consumption in the UK leaves developing countries “with the bulk of its environmental and social costs”.
“There are too many UK fashion businesses which acknowledge the negative impacts of their operations on workers and the environment, but do little or nothing to mitigate the harm they are causing,” said Dr. Mark Sumner, a lecturer in sustainability and fashion at the University of Leeds in a statement to the UK parliament.
Despite the environmental harm facing many societies as a result of fast-fashion, the British government following release of the audit report on ‘Fixing Fashion’, rejected recommendations made by a cross-political party committee to regulate the supply chain. This included government saying it won’t consider improved clothing collection and sorting until 2025.
The report urged the British government to put more pressure on brands and retailers to take more responsibility for the global epidemic of throwaway clothing – including by imposing a tax on fashion manufacturers and requiring high-earning fashion stores to meet mandatory environmental standards.
Katharine Hamnett, a British activist and designer, described the government’s response as “tragic”, adding that the study “hadn’t been hard-hitting enough anyhow”.
Globally, the fashion industry is responsible for around 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions according to the United Nations, and it consumes more energy than the international aviation and shipping industries combined.
According to Madeleine Cobbing, a researcher at Greenpeace, most clothes are not designed for recycling.
According to her, most clothes are “blends of synthetic and natural fibres which are difficult to recycle; while the huge volumes of fashion being bought and thrown away prevent any meaningful attempt at circularity”.
Boohoo, and some other top UK fashion companies are currently under investigation by the UK competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority, for potential “greenwashing” following concerns about the way the company’s products are being marketed as eco-friendly and sustainable when this is not the case.
However, Frank Egleton – corporate affairs manager of Boohoo, in an email insisted that: “10 percent of its cotton use is sourced from ‘Better Cotton’ farmers who produce cotton in a way that respects people and the environment, and improves livelihoods”.
Unemployment, used clothing trade and Ghana’s government inaction
Meanwhile in Ghana – where restrictions on the importation of used undergarments has been in place for over three decades – government has failed to significantly stem the flow of this used clothing. A recent Ghanaweb report showed traders openly selling the banned undergarments in Kantamanto, despite the potential harm to customers and cautions from health experts.
Facing one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the region at close to 40 percent, government “risks incurring the wrath of workers in the informal sector” if it imposes a complete ban on used clothing, said trader Nana Amo.
“What jobs have the state created and what job will government expect us to do if it bans the sale of used clothing?” he demanded. “After the state bans the sale and importation of used clothing, it should show us what we should do.”
The second-hand clothing industry directly employs over 35,000 people in Ghana.
Samuel Antwi Oteng argues that the problem of used clothing imports into Ghana – which dates back to the 1960s – is very complicated and needs to be addressed on a variety of levels, including cultural and socioeconomic.
He said: “Sometimes, when we discuss this issue we overly focus on a complete ban; but there are so many layers to it. We must look at past influences and how colonialism has influenced us. How politics affects it, and how neglect of the informal economy influences it.
“If you think about the Kantamanto market, it’s not as if the current president or previous ones created those jobs for the people there. The people that work there created those jobs for themselves,” he added.
Way Forward
In designing any lasting solution, Samuel recommends: “We must include the second-hand community itself in the conversation. Thinking about the unemployment situation in the country, what other opportunities are out there if people want to leave the trade?”
For Solomon Noi, whose responsibility it is to ensure that Accra always remains clean, the solution lies with producer tax and strict enforcement of textile standards.
“We must have external producer responsibility, so that right from the manufacturer I think there should some percentage of cost is to be slapped on the product for disposal at its final destination,” he said.
Ghana, he maintained, should “tighten” its laws so that we are forced to comply with ‘strict standards’.
“Below a certain minimum standard of quality, textiles should be rejected.
“If this cannot be achieved, then Europeans should rather dispose of worn-out clothing in their countries, they have the technology for it, rather than bringing it here [Ghana].”
For Ghana and rest of Africa to fully reap the benefits of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), there is the need to “strategically” move away from short term price-based buying to value and developmental based sourcing.
Strategic sourcing, according to Professor Douglas Boateng, refers to the ‘big picture’ element of supply chain management, with a prime focus on the entire benefits of sourcing to organisation, industry and society.
“There are many existing structural inefficiencies that have threatened the success of the Agreement but thankfully, we are gradually removing them. But this will not yield the intended results if we continue to stick to the old, and evidently flawed approach to the sourcing factors of production,” Professor Boateng stated in an extensive session with the B&FT.
Strategic sourcing has come into renewed focus following the advent of COVID-19, as individuals, companies and governments sought value pricing due to unprecedented disruptions to global supply chains.
Prof. Boateng, however, emphasised that whilst “maximizing” spending remains one of the principal goals of strategic sourcing, it does so by taking into consideration the total acquisition cost of ownership incurred over the medium-to-long term. “Strategic sourcing is not about the cheapest price, but rather about value pricing and attainment,” he re-emphasized.
According to Professor Boateng, oftentimes decision makers have been carried away by the notion that the best value for money purchase is the one where they pay the least amount of money upfront. However, the global evidence from extensive research and experience shows that, it is not necessarily the case.
Africa’s first-ever appointed Professor Extraordinaire for supply and value chain management, governance and Industrialisation, former non-executive chairman of the Public Procurement Authority and currently chairman of Ghana’s Minerals Income and Investment Fund also advised if Africa can focus on developing its supply chain infrastructure, it would not only allow for improved intra-continental trade but would see the region emerge as a major player in the global trade.
Already, the continent’s infrastructure investment deficit according to the African Development Bank will be as much as US$170 billion a year by 2025, with an estimated gap of around $100 billion a year with transportation networks being one of the areas in which this is most pronounced. Road networks in the continent’s 16 landlocked countries are woefully inadequate, coupled with poor port administration, and underdeveloped rail and waterway systems.
In addition to measures being undertaken to overcome some of these challenges, Prof. Boateng called for individuals, businesses and nations to think outside of their local and national contexts and to make use of enabling information technologies to foster continental networking and information flows.
“Large political and socio-economic issues need to be tackled as a collective to break down artificial trade barriers. In time, African economies can move away from country-specific initiatives to ‘Proudly African’ initiatives – for example, a product might be labelled ‘Made in Africa,’ produced in Ghana or South Africa or Kenya etc.
Through this, the definition of ‘buying local’ automatically changes to strategically sourcing continental-wide produced goods and services. Such a move has positive implications for AfCFTA,” Prof. Boateng explained.
He also recommended that strategic sourcing becomes a mandatory feature across the education spectrum as well as in the procurement policies of businesses and the central governments.
The rate of return usually in relation to loans, deposits and other financial investments is usually known as the interest rate. This rate of return is usually over a specified time period.
In Ghana, it is unlawful for financial institutions to quote interest rates as daily or monthly. The Bank of Ghana requires that interest rates be quoted per annum.
Interest rates are generally closely related to a concept known as the time value of money. This concept basically states that an amount of GH¢100 received today is worth more than the same GH¢100 to be received at some time later in the future. It closely follows the bird-in-hand argument and attaches more importance to current cash balance over future cash balance, all other things being equal.
Most people can relate to the well-known phenomenon wherein prices of goods and services change over time. In Ghana, prices of goods have generally risen since start of the year. This phenomenon is known as inflation. The opposite of inflation is deflation – a situation where prices of goods and services generally fall over time. Inflation weakens the purchasing power of your hard-earned cash, and thus it is important to take steps to preserve the purchasing power of your cash.
One way of protecting the purchasing power of cash is via interest rates. To compensate investors for the loss of purchasing power due to inflation, banks and financial institutions usually pay some compensation to investors. This compensation comes in the form of interest rates and is meant to cushion investors. Usually, this interest rate is higher than the inflation rate. The real return on one’s investment is thus the excess of the interest rate above the inflation rate.
The financial markets provide a platform for people who have excess funds to channel these resources to other people who need those funds. Generally, those with excess funds (lenders) prefer to lend for a shorter period, while those with deficits (borrowers) prefer to borrow for a longer period. If you have a bank account, you surely have at some point been a borrower or a lender.
Generally, if you apply for a loan and are able to adequately demonstrate your ability to repay, you benefit from lower credit risk premiums. Credit risk is the risk that you may default and thus not be able to pay back the amount you have borrowed or its interest. Based on the size of the transaction, you may be able to obtain some preferential treatment from the bank. This is called volume premium. A tenor premium relates to how much more or less you are charged on a loan depending on how long you want the cash for. Generally, tenor premiums increase as the tenor of the loan increases.
The rate charged by a bank on your loan may either be fixed rate or floating rate. As the names suggest, these rates may either remain unchanged or be changed regularly over the life of the loan. In a rising interest rate environment, it is always advisable to borrow at fixed rates since that will be less expensive compared to borrowing at floating rates.
In Ghana, regulators of the financial markets include the Bank of Ghana, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ghana Stock Exchange, the National Insurance Commission, and the National Pensions Regulatory Authority. It is thus crucial to engage in any form of business transactions only with entities that are licenced by their respective regulators.
Transacting with a regulated entity such as First National Bank, for example, affords you the opportunity to seek redress should you feel unfairly treated. A loan-shark on the other hand may not be subject to the scrutiny of regulators, and thus could treat you unfavourably.
There are two concepts that one needs to consider when looking at interest rates. First is the Monetary Policy Rate (simply referred to as the policy rate), which is the benchmark rate at which banks can borrow money from the Bank of Ghana. The current policy rate is 24.50 percent. The policy rate influences the Ghana Reference Rate (GRR), which serves as a reference for the interest rate that banks charge their customers on credit products such as home loans. The current GRR rate is 27.44 percent and is adjusted monthly. The interest rate on an investment is often referred to as the yield on that investment.
Generally, if you apply for a loan from a bank such as First National Bank, the bank will conduct an assessment of your ability to service the loan. Based on your perceived creditworthiness among other factors, the bank may decide to approve or decline your loan application. If you are successful with your loan application, the bank charges an applicable lending rate based on your risk profile, the amount involved, available liquidity and other factors.
The lending rate charged by the bank includes the reference rate (GRR) and a risk premium. The GRR is positively correlated to the monetary policy rate (MPR), so that one would expect the lending rate to go up when the policy rate goes up and vice versa.
Why are interest rates rising?
At the beginning of year 2022, the policy rate was at 14.5 percent while the 91-day Treasury bill rate was 12.5 percent. Currently, the policy rate is at 24.5 percent while the 91-day rate is 30.96 percent. Yields on the 182-day and 364-day T-bills have also risen, from 13.2 percent and 16.6 percent as at end of 2021 to 31.9 percent and 31.5 percent respectively.
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of Ghana meets about six times a year and uses interest rates to manage inflation. Inflation is simply how much a weighted basket of goods and services – such as groceries and petrol – goes up from one period to another, usually a year. The changes are expressed in percentages, and since the Bank of Ghana’s inflation target is between 6 percent and 10 percent, the central bank seeks to ensure price stability by keeping inflation in this target band.
According to data from Ghana Statistical Services, Ghana’s consumer inflation rate is currently at 37.2 percent. The high inflation is due to several issues, mainly supply chain disruptions as a result of the Russian-Ukraine war which drove prices of crude oil and agriculture commodities upward; the cedi-depreciation against major trading currencies; and upward adjustments in the prices of utilities.
This means that it now costs more to transport goods and produce necessities such as food. Inflation thus reduces the purchasing power of your money.
Global developments – both economic and political – have also caused consumer inflation to go up, resulting in efforts by the various central banks to contain rising prices via increases in their policy rates. The Bank of England, US Federal Reserve as well as the South African Reserve Bank have all hiked rates on the back of inflationary concerns.
As a consumer, what does this mean for you?
If you have a floating rate credit facility – whether it’s secured or unsecured – and the interest rate goes up, your monthly repayment will go up as well. You will pay more for every new loan you apply for when interest rates rise. For example, a GH¢100,000 loan will cost about GH¢2,500 more per annum now that the reference interest rate has gone up by 2.5 percent. This will unfortunately limit your spending as goods costs more.
Below are some quick tips to manage the strain of rising interest rates on your pocket:
Keep track of what you spend. See where your money goes and if there are ways to cut back on some of the spending you don’t have to do. For instance, you could spend less on take-awaysand treats, and put that money toward your mortgage repayment or other credit.
Move your credit debit order as close as possible to the date you get your income. This way you’ll know that your debit order has been paid and won’t have to worry about keeping money aside for the rest of the month.
Food prices have gone up in the last few months, so look for ways to save money on food – like buying non-perishables once a month and creating a weekly menu from the pantry, then only buying a few fresh things every week.
The good thing about the interest rate cycle is that if you have savings such as emergency savings or you live off the interest from cash investments, the interest on those savings should also go up. This means that more interest will be earned, so more interest will be paid every month.
If you do free-up cash via the tips above or alternatively obtain the increase on interest paid on cash investments, think about using that to pay off any expensive credit that you may have or saving it for an emergency, or putting it toward your longer-term goals such as retirement savings. Save and invest with First National Bank with as little as GH¢100 and earn cool interest.
>>the writer is Head, Global Markets at First National Bank Ghana
More Ghanaian nurses are in the process of securing visas to practice abroad, a situation most of them say is born out of poor working conditions in the country.
Over the past year, there have been increased cases of Ghanaian-trained nurses and other health professionals travelling outside the country.
A general nurse, who wishes to be known as Alawani, last month secured a job and visa to the United Kingdom. Prior to the new appointment, she had been practicing at a hospital in the Eastern Region for over seven years.
Asked why she chose to leave, she indicated that she has nothing to show for the years she has been working in Ghana as a nurse. She lamented the meagre salary, poor conditions of service, and risks nurses have to endure in Ghana’s health facilities.
“I am very passionate about my job and I work really hard, but the economy is too hard on us. A lot of nurses are leaving Ghana to countries like the UK and US for many reasons, including good salaries and better employment contracts.
“I am for the idea of nurses seeking opportunities overseas, because we live in a country where nobody cares about you as a nurse and you are underpaid for overworking. You cannot even take good care of yourself and your family,” she said.
According to Ms. Alawani, leaving the country to practice in the UK was her only option after furthering her education and obtaining a degree in nursing.
Comparing some conditions of service for nurses in Ghana and the UK, Ms. Alawani said: “In Ghana, the normal work hours are between 8-9 hours a day – and sometimes you even end up working for up to 14 hours or more and earn a monthly salary. It is the same salary even if you work extra hours, and nobody really cares about your efforts.
“Here in the UK, it is totally different. If you do more hours you get more pay, and every company has its own number of work-hours per week – which is usually between 39-42 hours. So, for instance, if you do your 39 hours before the week-end, you have more hours to do extra-time for extra pay,” she added.
As regards earnings, she noted that salaries in the UK are far better and more encouraging than what nurses earn in Ghana.
“For instance, back home (Ghana) if you work for 9-12 hours a day for maybe 4 days in a week, you earn a monthly salary of about GH¢2,000 regardless how long your shifts last. But in the UK, you could earn a minimum of £12 or £13 pounds per hour. So, if you are working for 12 hours in a day for 4 or 5 days, you can imagine how much you earn in a month.”
Another nurse, who for the purpose of this article wants to be known as Adora, has been practicing as a nurse at a facility in Accra for 10 years.
She also wishes to leave the country, as according to her is the right decision because the salary abroad is better and worth the effort put in.
“You will enjoy better living conditions. I will leave this country if I have the opportunity,” she stated.
When asked whether they are aware their decisions to leave the country to practice elsewhere may affect Ghana’s health sector negatively, responses from these nurses varied.
For Ms. Alawani, even though more nurses are being trained in institutions each year she believe the country will lose out on experienced personnel, and that should be of major concern to authorities.
“Most of my colleagues have left and others are willing to leave, too. The situation will affect the health sector in Ghana because you end up losing competent and experienced health personnel. Our leaders may think that if you leave there are always people in the queue seeking employment, but they forget that experience is very important in the field.”
Adora on the other hand feels that: “There are a lot of people being trained, and immediately the economy becomes stable the remaining will stay”.
Minority calls for action
Meanwhile, the Minority group in parliament last month directed government’s attention to prioritise the welfare of health personnel in the country, so as to curb high attrition among the workforce.
A statement signed by the Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, on 6th September 2022, said the situation of healthcare practitioners leaving the country has become critical and needs government attention.
“Contrary to the propaganda and noise government makes on addressing the welfare needs of health professionals, most professionals will confirm that their conditions of service have deteriorated over the years.
“Government’s lack of concern for public health workers in this hyperinflationary period has exacerbated an already bad economic situation, leading to high attrition among the workforce.
“In June this year, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) informed Ghanaians that in the first quarter of 2022, over 3,000 trained nurses and midwives left the shores of Ghana to seek greener pastures abroad.
“The story is not different among practicing doctors in Ghana. Alarmingly, General Practitioners, specialists and consultants have all joined a long line of Ghanaian health professionals waiting for clearance or job offers from abroad in order to leave this country. The situation has become critical – to the point that Ghana is currently experiencing losses of general practitioners and specialists needed to handle cases across the healthcare continuum,” the statement said.
Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has urged Ghanaians not to panic over the high depreciation of the Cedi.
The woes of the Ghana Cedi continue to deepen as the currency has depreciated further about GHC14.50 to 1$ less than a day after reaching GHC13.5 to 1$ on October 20.
This is equivalent to about 13% depreciation in only four days of this week.
But Ken Ofori Atta believes the economy will bounce back soon and the Cedi stabilized following measures being put in place by the government.
“…It is a bit perplexing but as you know, typically we go to market at the beginning of the year and get our 2 billion, this we were not able to do. We were able to get our 750 from AfroExim and in the summer – August or so things stabilized a bit. Then we moved on traditionally as we do with the ASL (Annual Syndicated Loan) of COCOBOD and that came in very strongly. So it’s a bit perplexing to see where it’s going.”
“Of course, typically in October, people are importing for Christmas, and maybe there’s a rush for that. But my expectation is that once we also conclude with the Fund, that will lead to the Fund’s disbursement early next year. With the support we are getting from countries like Germany, France etcetera, we are confident that we’ll get the resources needed. So we really will want people not to panic or be rushing for that pressure on the currency. I think it is unnecessary and we are in good shape,” Mr Ofori Atta said in an interview in Washington.
Hearing of the application filed by lead convenor of the #FixTheCountry pressure group, urging the court to strike out his treason felony charges has been deferred to October 28.
Barker-Vormawor, through his lawyers led by Dr. Justice Srem-Sai filed the application at the High Court praying the Court to throw out the Attorney General’s Bill of indictment and summary of evidence filed against him to stand trial.
The Ashaiman District Court had committed him for trial at the High Court for two counts of Treason felony.
On October 13 when all the parties appeared before the High Court presided over by Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh, the court fixed today to hear the application.
However, in Court on Friday, October 21, the court did not sit with the parties agreeing on coming next Friday.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has been indicted by the State on two counts of treason felony contrary to section 182(b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and treason felony contrary to section 182(b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
According to EIB Network’s Legal Affair Correspondent Murtala Inusah, Oliver Barker-Vormawor was present in court with a Ghana flag over his shoulders.
Bill of Indictment
On May 30, the state through the Director of Public Prosecutions Mrs. Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa filed the Bill of Indictment which is now being challenged by #FixTheCountry convenor.
His lawyers have argued that the nature of the charges preferred sin against the rules of multiplicity and duplicity.
Witnesses
According to the summary of evidence, the state indicates that it intends to call three witnesses at trial.
They are Andrew Okyere, No 55341 D/CONST Dunstan Guba and D/CPL Mark Owusu.
The state will also be tendering some eight exhibits to support their case at the trial.
They are the investigation cautioned statement of the accused (Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor) dated 11 February 2022, Charged statement of the accused dated 11 February 2022 and Investigation cautioned statement of the accused dated 16 February 2022.
The remaining exhibits are charge statement of the accused dated 1 April 2022, Facebook and Twitter posts of the accused person from February 2021 to February 2022, Facebook post of the accused person on 30 April 2022, Intelligence report from Cybercrime unit, and Intelligence report from National Security.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor was arrested after he was said to have made a series of Facebook posts alleged to have been geared towards overthrow of government.
The Director of Communications at the Jubilee House, Eugene Arhin, has said neither himself nor President Akufo-Addo heard Ghanaians booing at them during their tour in the Ashanti Region this week.
According to him, the presidency was surprised when they saw the report in the media suggesting that some traders hooted and booed at the president.
“I didn’t hear anything. Even the president himself [didn’t hear anything too]. Some of us were a little bit taken aback [when we saw that in the media],” citinewsroom quoted Eugene Arhin.
On October 18, 2022, some traders at Adum reportedly hooted and booed at Akufo-Addo’s convoy as it made its way through the Central Business District of Kumasi during his tour in the region.
As seen in videos shared via social media, some traders lined up along the stretch of the road booed away as the president and his convoy passed through the Adum Market to inspect the progress of work on the Kejetia/Central Market Project Phase II.
The booing of the president’s convoy has largely been attributed to the current state of the Ghanaian economy and the general economic hardship in the country.
Some three weeks ago, the president, in a similar fashion, was booed at a public event held at Independence Square.
The president, who had mounted a podium to deliver an address during a Global Citizens Festival held in Ghana, was welcomed with wild boos.
Reacting to this, Eugene Arhin said just like what happened at the Global Citizens Festival; they also heard no boos are was reported.
“It is just like, probably, what happened during the Global Citizen festival. A group of people standing somewhere doing their own thing, and they record… but meanwhile, once you are in front there, you literally don’t hear anything,” he added.
. You can rest now my fresh boy.
. I’ll love you forever Rico