The Western Regional Minister, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has stressed the need for the development and building of managerial skills of entrepreneurs to enhance the sustainability and growth of their businesses.
He said enhancing management skills was crucial for building a business and that perseverance and openness to learning were key attributes for any entrepreneur.
These were contained in a speech read on his behalf by Mr Frederick Agyemang, Western Regional Coordinating Director at the opening session of the 17th Electrical Wiring Certificate Awards Presentation Ceremony held in Takoradi.
He mentioned helping to raise awareness on the number of opportunities that were available to grow businesses, such as the variety of finance providers in the market as another form of support which could be offered to entrepreneurs.
The Minister said, entrepreneurs must understand that every business entrepreneur made mistakes and suffered setbacks, often for reasons beyond their control but that the key difference was how one responded to such mistakes and the setbacks.
Mr Darko-Mensah therefore, urged all existing entrepreneurs and future ones to be strong and know that they could come back stronger in the end if they persevered.
The Regional Minister indicated that youth entrepreneurship was high on every political agenda to boost competitiveness and employment, since the young entrepreneurs had the potential to build new economic dynamics geared towards growth and job creation.
He said the Government over the years had given attention to entrepreneurship promotion that focused attention on creating a more enabling environment to support youth entrepreneurs.
Mr Darko-Mensah pointed out that education and training had been a critical tool to develop the entrepreneurial mind set and specific skills for business start-ups and development.
He said there were SMEs support agencies which had been established as ‘one-stop’ shops providing more packaged support such as training and financial support, advisory and mentoring services for young people.
“May I, therefore, use this occasion to urge the youth especially, to look critically and assess the gaps that exist in the business landscape and set up enterprises that are sustainable, to fill in the gaps,” he stated.
The Regional Minister hinted that MasterCard and other Foundations were available for the youth to venture into entrepreneurship and that the Western Region offered many business opportunities for consideration under these initiatives.
Mr Isaac Yankson, Deputy Director of Trade and Industry for Western Region mentioned some of the core functions of the Ministry as the facilitation of private sector access to capital, and to ensure that private sector development programmes were complementary and covered a broad range of needs.
He added that the Ministry also facilitated innovation and entrepreneurship, to develop standards and Quality Systems to meet production requirements for local and international markets and facilitate the removal of institutional and legal bottlenecks.
Mr Yankson said the Ministry of Trade and Industry has been rigorously pursuing its National Industrial Transformation drive which sought to industrialise each District in the country and spatially create decent jobs for all.
Deputy Minority Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim says President Akufo-Addo has been cautioned by the National Security Minister that any attempt to deactivate SIM cards could destabilise the peace in the country.
According to the lawmaker, this explains why the National Communications Authority (NCA) reversed its plans of rolling out a partial restriction on voice calls last month.
Mr Ibrahim is, therefore, puzzled by the insistence of Sector Minister, Ursula Owusu Ekuful to proceed with the deactivation of SIM cards.
Although the Authority says it will not be able to print all outstanding Ghana National Identification Cards, the sole document for the verification of the chips, the NCA says the directives of the Minister are still in force.
However, speaking on The Pulse, Thursday, September 29 2022, the Member of Parliament for Banda who also serves on the Communications Committee in Parliament told host, Blessed Sogah that President Akufo-Addo has been cautioned by the National Security Ministry against blocking the SIM cards owing to the potential threats to the stability of the country.
“The two-day blockage of people’s SIM cards, the National Security Ministry had to go to the Presidency to talk to them that the country was about to be destabilized before the SIM cards were released. They will not go ahead to tell you this but that was the practical situation that happened. Ghanaians were furious and they nearly exploded,” he said.
Meanwhile, JoyNews checks at some registration centers across the country a day before the September 30 deadline indicate that many Ghanaians for some days now have besieged the centres with the same complaint of inability to register their SIM cards.
Reports from some residents who live close to Madam Janet Nsia, a woman who has been accused of beating her househelp to death, have revealed how the accused person used to ill-treat the latter.
According to most of these residents, Mama Jane was fond of maltreating the late Akua Kyem as though she was not a human being.
The reports further revealed that there was not a single day Mama Jane wouldn’t be seen begrudging the deceased.
Further interrogation revealed that the deceased had been the second victim to die in the hands of madam Jane through similar maltreatment.
A 24-year-old Akua Kyem who died on Monday was said to have died after suffering a severe beating and bruises from her 57-year-old house mistress, Madam Janet Nsia.
The sad incident which happened at Anwomaso in the Oforikrom municipality of the Ashanti region saw some blood stains on the body of the deceased.
Madam Janet Nsia who earlier denied a hand in the death of her house help went to the Domeabra police to report the incident whilst she declared herself innocent.
In her earlier narration, madam Janet claimed that Akua was found dead in her room on Monday morning, thus after she had come home very late on the previous night and refused to talk to her even after she had asked why Akua was coming home late.
She has allegedly confessed to having struggled with the 24-year-old before her demise.
Despite her earlier claim of innocence, some nearby residents accused her of beating the girl the previous night, with most of them citing a noise that emanated from the struggles during the previous night. They told GhanaWeb on condition of anonymity.
Some also blamed her and wondered why she chose to go to the police instead of sending the girl to a hospital after seeing her lied helpless.
“If she did not know the girl was dead already, why did she choose to go to the police instead of sending her to a hospital?”. An angry neighbour quizzed.
Mr. Kwadwo Peprah, the deceased’s family head who spoke to GhanaWeb on Tuesday evening said, the accused who was sent to the Ejisu magistrate court on Tuesday confessed to struggling with the victim on the previous night over a misunderstanding.
According to him, Mama Jane who was said to have accused the victim of stealing her Five Hundred Ghana Cedis confessed to beating her with her hands and other objects like knives, etc.
Meanwhile, the accused, madam Janet Nsia has been remanded into prison custody by the Ejisu magistrate court and is expected to reappear in court on 12th October 2022.
Information Minister Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah has warned that Ghana might soon be unable to export cocoa and coffee to some international markets.
According to Oppong Nkrumah, the ban might happen because of a new legislation in Europe.
In a post shared on Facebook, the minister indicated that the government was warned of this move by the Ghana Embassy in Belgium, which has started working to ensure that the ban does not come into force.
“In Europe, there is a new legislation that could soon make Ghanaian cocoa and coffee unexportable to many international markets.
“The Ghana Embassy in Belgium under the leadership of Ambassador Sena Boateng has moved swiftly to bring this to the attention of the Government of Ghana. It has also commenced work on realigning Ghanaian and European interests in cocoa and coffee,” parts of the post read.
He added that Ghana and other cocoa-producing countries in the West African sub-region must act swiftly to ensure that they are on the same page with European countries.
“Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire need to act quickly to secure the industry while meeting the interests of European markets else millions of households and our entire economies could be significantly affected soon,” he said.
The European Commission in November 2021 tabled a legislative proposal that aims at curbing deforestation and forest degradation driven by the expansion of agricultural land used to produce specific commodities, namely cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soya and wood, as part of its efforts to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
The legislation will mandate European countries to come up with regulations that will ensure that their import of these commodities from countries like Ghana are not only legal but are harvested, extracted and processed in a sustainable manner.
“The proposed regulation should cover high-carbon stock and biodiversity-rich ecosystems other than forests (such as wetlands, peatlands or savannahs), to avoid the problems of conversion and degradation being shifted to these landscapes,” parts of the legislation read.
The commission also indicated that sanctions on exporting countries who fail to meet the set standards should include a ban on their export.
The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) says the circulating video suggesting a student has been stabbed to death on campus is fake.
It says no such incident has been recorded because adequate security measures have been instituted to foil any attack or robbery in the University.
A statement signed by the SRC Public Relations Officer, Pascal Korbla, urged students and the general to disregard the false information only meant to discredit the University.
“Students are to rest assured that the Office of the Dean of Students and the SRC have put in place robust measures to curtail any insecurity on campus.
“We, therefore, urge students to disregard any false information and go on with academic activities as measures are being put in place to ensure their safety,” the statement directed.
In the late hours of Thursday, September 29, videos and photos suggesting an attack on UCC campus were shared on social media.
In a particular video, a female student was said to have been attacked and stabbed to death after she struggled with some unidentified robbers.
SRC statement saying there has not been any incident of stabbing on campus
This left some students in fear as some recalled how they had been attacked in the past two weeks in their hostels and residences.
But “we are unequivocally making it clear to the members of the University that there has not been such an incident in the University and the Office of the Dean of Students and the SRC have put in pace security measures to combat any insecurity in the University.”
The SRC added that it has embarked on a security campaign led by the School’s diapora security chairperson to sensitise students on security issues.
Also, 55 more watchdogs have been added to the existing security personnel on campus.
“So far, 35 watchdogs have been deployed to Amamomma, Kwasipra, Apewusika and Ayensu communities.
“The SRC has sent 20 watchdogs to Kwapraw to intensify security. Currently, one of the perpetrators has been caught and is currently in police custody,” the statement added.
Be security conscious
The Office of the Dean of Students has asked students, especially those in the diaspora, to be security conscious in whatever they do.
It admitted in a notice that the last two weeks has witnessed daily attacks on students in the Amamoma area.
Two of these attacks resulted in the affected students being cut severely with cutlasses requiring major surgery.
“Students should guard against risky beaviours such as being out alone late at night or before day break; leaving doors unlocked no matter how brief the time period; returning to their hostels deep in night; walking and/or talking on phones late at night outside…
Statement from UCC Dean of Students
“…moving about at night with laptops and other electrical gadgets; studying alone deep into the night at academic areas, and boarding commercial vehicles of unknown particulars.
“Students are encouraged to heed these guidelines to minimise their chances of being victims of recent up-surge of crimes in the community,” the notice cautioned.
Some residents of Kyebi in the Eastern Region have lamented the impact of illegal mining activities in the area which has recently resulted in flooding in the Kyebi township.
Following days of heavy rain, the Birim River which has been badly affected by galamsey had its banks overflowing and flooding the Kyebi township.
Some of the areas affected by the flooding included the Kyebi Circuit Court.
In a video sighted by GhanaWeb, some residents of Kyebi are heard lamenting the effects of galamsey in area.
“This is Kyebi and there is the court which has been entirely flooded. The fire service are on their way to rescue people. The Birim River has flooded the entire town,” a man is heard saying amidst blaring siren in the background.
“Our people get angry when we complain about galamsey. They claim galamsey has benefits, when Nana (Amoatia Ofori Panin II) talks about it they complain and claim it is their source of livelihood. Now see what galamsey has done to us,” a woman is also heard in the video saying.
Meanwhile, there is a renewed public conversation about the impact of illegal mining on Ghana’s water and forest reserves.
Currently, several water bodies are under threat from the galamsey activities while forest covers are being depleted by the day.
The family of 22-year-old Georgina Asor Botchwey have held a burial ceremony for the deceased at Yeji in the Bono East Region of Ghana.
Georgina was murdered in a ritual killing incident at Mankessim in the Central Region.
On Thursday, September 29, 2022, her family held a burial ceremony to put the deceased to final rest.
Her burial comes after police exhumed her body from the residence of a local chief at Mankessim.
Videos of the burial ceremony sighted by GhanaWeb show a mood of heavy grieving as the family and loved ones of Asor Botchwey put her to rest.
Two suspects, Michael Darko and Christopher Ekow Clarke, who were arrested for killing the 25-year-old aspiring nurse have confessed to killing another victim.
According to reports, Michael Darko is a self-styled pastor while Christopher Ekow Clark is said to be a local chief.
The two were arrested after Georgina Asor Botchwey, who had gone for an admission interview at the Ankarful Nursing Training School, had gone missing for weeks.
Michael Darko, according to reports, was the fiancé of Georgina’s sister and had requested to meet her in Mankessim after her interview.
Meanwhile, the police say the suspects have confirmed killing a second victim whose identity has been established while leads on a possible third victim are being followed.
Kosmos Innovation Center Ghana, Glovo and Open Value Foundation are organizing an Impact Entrepreneurship Competition for innovative and successful Ghanaian-owned businesses making a positive impact on society, with a view to strengthening the impact ecosystem in the country and contributing to bridge the gap between impact and profit.The Impact Entrepreneurship Competition is designed for entrepreneurs and early-stage companies generating positive impact in Ghana’s economic, social and/or environmental sectors, contributing to sustainable development in the country.
Over 20,000USD in cash prizes and more than 5,000USD of in-kind prizes will be awarded to the selected entrepreneurs during the competition. The winner will receive a grant of 15,000USD powered by Open Value Foundation. 10,000USD will be awarded to a company working to improve the health and wellbeing of others, including businesses tackling environmental issues impacting people’s health by Anesvad Foundation.
Additionally, based on the jury’s criteria, any of the live-pitch participants will have the opportunity to receive a package of support including mentoring, investor-readiness advice, networks, and introductions to other sources of funding and opportunities to access products and/or services donated by partners and collaborators.
To participate in the competition, the Ghana registered company must have raised less than USD250,000 in funding, have been in operations for 2 or more years, have a clear for-profit or sustainable business model with potential for scale and the ability to demonstrate positive social impact in Ghana (on rural, low-income, or disadvantaged communities).
The Competition will be made up of 2 stages. The first stage will be through an online submission while the second stage will be a physical event where the top eight shortlisted businesses will pitch in person to a panel of judges and investors. The live pitch will be held on 4th November 2022 in Accra.
All applications should be submitted to bit.ly/ImpactGhanaAwards or to kicghana.org on or before October 10th, 2022. All questions and enquiries should be directed to info@kicghana.org or +233 0342295432.
About Kosmos Innovation Center Ghana
The Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC) is investing in the future by supporting innovators turning today’s problems into tomorrow’s opportunities. We are on a mission to scale innovations that apply commercial solutions to key development challenges in Africa, starting with agriculture. We have successfully invested in hundreds of young entrepreneurs and small businesses who have big ideas and want to see their country grow. We achieve this through tailored coaching, skills building, expert mentorship, seed funding, and facilitating connections within and across industries. For more information about Kosmos Innovation Centre, please visit: https://kicghana.org/
About Glovo
Glovo is a pioneering multi-category delivery app and one of the world’s leading technology platforms intermediating in the on-demand delivery industry. Founded in Barcelona in 2015, it operates in Southwest Europe, Eastern Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa. For more information about Glovo, please visit: https://about.glovoapp.com/en/
About Open Value Foundation
Open Value Foundation is a family foundation on a mission to promote and encourage impact investing to improve people’s lives. It employs a hybrid model between traditional philanthropy and private capital investing, and works to accelerate the creation of innovative solutions to fight poverty and improve the lives of the most vulnerable people, bringing together impact stakeholders and strengthening the impact ecosystem. For more information about OVF, please visit: https://www.openvaluefoundation.org
About Anesvad Foundation
Anesvad Foundation has been committed to the Right to Health of all people for more than 50 years, focusing on those in the most vulnerable situations. It develops projects that guarantee access to health in Africa, seeking the greatest impact and the greatest sustainability. Anesvad Foundation also supports causes and projects that help improve people’s lives, in addition to guaranteeing its economic sustainability through a portfolio of impact investments. For more information, please visit: https://www.anesvad.org/
Engineer Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has called on the government to be bold enough to tell Ghanaians which areas of the economy it cannot afford to spend money on.
He charged the government to also list developmental projects the country’s scarce national resources cannot sustain.
“We cannot spend what we do not have and we must learn to live within our means,” Mr Agyepong said. He said this in an interview on Class FM’s morning show hosted by Kofi Oppong Asamoah.
This call has been necessitated as it is believed it will repose confidence in the citizenry. He added that it is sad to continue to go borrowing to meet our national budget deficits, adding that no one takes pride in borrowing.
Admitting there is a general global economic melt down, Ghana is where it is as a result of the collective unpatriotic attitude.
He chronicled these negative acts; as the issue of over-invoicing and under-invoicing, particularly at the ports, resulting in the realization of just about 20 percent of our supposed port revenues, collusion and conniving by civil and public servants to divert state funds, and other corrupt practices that have characterized our way of life, as a people.
Mr Agyepong questioned why we must invest a whooping € 500.00m (five hundred million Euros) in the proposed 18-kilometer Accra-Tema motor way reconstruction project; and said there should be value for money in our national expenditure culture.
He regretted that the spirit of nationalism and volunteerism seems to have disappeared from the Ghanaian and advised that it is about time to look at ourselves and bring back our cherished values.
PERSONAL CONVICTIONS
The NPP flag bearer hopeful opined that we can consolidate and merge some of our ministries to bring government overheads down.
He also believes that the procurement agency must be scrapped because it is another means of corruption, where any new government policy seems to be an opportunity for people to do their own thing.
Mr Agyepong reinterated his political philosophy; hinged on the 3S’s Service, Sacrifice and Selflessness which he said is people-centered, strong respect for Ghanaian values and a deep sense of love for one another. This, he believes, will translate into prosperity for the nation Ghana.
Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) has guided students on how to bridge the gap between academic theories and real-life corporate practices through its “GIJ Academic-Practitioner Conference.”
The 2022 GIJ Academic-Practitioner Conference held under the theme: “The PR & Marketing Communications Practice & Taught: Real or Perceived Gap?”, witnessed experts from both academia and the corporate world gather to share with students how best they could strive in the corporate world after school.
The event hosted at the GIJ Dzorwulu Campus on September 29, 2022, saw a filled auditorium as students enjoyed the privilege to listen to speakers like Dr. Abena Animwaa (HoD, Department of Communication Studies, University of Ghana), Paa Kwesi Forson (Head, Public Relations, Global Media Alliance), Cynthia Ofori-Dwumfo (Group Head – Marketing &Corporate Affairs, Hollard Ghana), Benjamin Alpha (Corporate Communications Professional), Sophia Kujordji (Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Jospong Group of Companies), Dr. Isaac Tandoh (Lecturer, Faculty of Public Relations, Advertising and Marketing, GIJ), and Joyce Ahiadorme (Head of Transformation and Communications, Texstyles Ghana Limited).
Dr. Isaac Tandoh, a decorated lecturer and an expert in both academia and corporate practice shared that the perceived gaps between academia and practice are only exaggerated. According to him, theories evolve hence students need to apply theories in a structured contest.
“Perceived gaps are just exaggerated. I’m tempted to say they are not existent. I had previously worked in the corporate with big institutions and the money was quite good for me. Finally, I decided to step into academic but one of the reasons I joined is that after my PHD studies I was still thinking if I need to go back to the industry and make my money. But most of the HRs I met questioned why would they employ a Dr who was only good with theories. I only knew this after I encountered one after an interview and was like I did very well but the assumption was that Drs are too theoretical. Then I asked him respectfully what is theory? He couldn’t answer but they were accusing me of being theoretical. Meanwhile these corporate bodies come to us and I have done a lot of trading programmed for a number of them in the country. So, for me if you really understand your theories, your practice will be better,” he said.
Joyce Ahiadorme on the other hand reiterated that industry is result oriented and powered by actions only. She highlighted that the ability to apply theories learnt to real work will guarantee success.
“The truth is you need the theories. For the individuals, the theories are important but do not think that is all. It is the application of those theories when you come in. For the lecturers and schools, the world is changing and for us things move quickly. Now climate change is globally talked about and there are theories around it that would begin to teach people. We talked about CSR when I was in school now it is ESG in the field.”
Paa Kwesi Forson. Head of Public Relations at Global Media Alliance, admonished students to build great relationships with their colleagues as this can help them in the future.
Head of Corporate Communications, Jospong Group, Sophia Kujordji in her view acknowledged that indeed there are perceived gaps between academia and practice. However, there are real ones.
She urged students to engage in internships and volunteerism to allow them to settle effortlessly in the corporate world.
“There are somethings that when you go into the work space you realize that yes, you have the theories but it has to be put into context for application. We can make it easier for ourselves through internships and offering ourselves, volunteer for other services just to learn or just to appreciate whether what you’re learning in school is what is pertaining here. The theory is key and very important. It gives you the basis and something to stand on to the next level. It is also important to have that humility, soft skill to enter into the workspace. You can’t do with one without the other. They have to go together,” she shared.
Also representing the academic field, Dr. Abena Yeboah-Banin reiterated that knowledge sharing is the primary purpose of educational institutions. However, according to her, such institutions are being denied the necessary resources to prepare the students for the job market.
“We create the knowledge and use however many available avenues to share that knowledge. There are two key resources that I’ve noticed that the academic is being denied. First is the resourcing for running that institution and the teaching and learning environment. Increasingly, the money and other resources needed to do that and be good at it are being taken away from academics but alongside it is the expectation that the academic should do magic and still be able to produce people who are ready for the market.”
“Second resource is the individual student’s readiness to be prepped. Unfortunately, we are dealing with students who are not driven, they don’t want to do the work and always want somebody to do the work for them. All they came in there for was the certificate. Walk out with it and not be able to do anything.”
Cynthia Ofori-Dwumfo on her part mentioned that society needs to encourage strict values through socialization as she said intentionality is the key to bridging the perceived gaps.
According to Benjamin Alpha, exploring is the key to skill development. The thought-provoking conference inspired sparked questions from students, while the renowned speakers satisfied their curiosity.
Professor. Eric Opoku Mensah, the Deputy Rector, also admonished students to take classroom experiences seriously as they serve as critical tools for the job market.
Speakers were appreciated with citations from the Public Relations department for honouring their request to share their experiences. Bright Senanu, the Executive Producer and the Event Marketing and Promotion Lecturer under whose leadership this conference was held was also appreciated with a citation. The conference was successfully moderated by PR lecturer, Doctoral Researcher, Brand and Corporate Communication Strategist, Noel Nutsugah.
Executive Director of the National Folklore Board, Bernice Ann Deh-Kumah, posits private individuals and organizations should up their efforts in the preservation of the country’s folklore.
She argues it is high time all beneficiaries of the country’s folklore contribute to its preservation and not dump the burden on government.
“In other countries the government doesn’t not preserve their folklore on its own, but receives backing and support from some individuals and NGOs. It will come as no surprise to me if the cost of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral was not borne by monarch alone,” she stated.
Calling for increased contribution to the preservation of folklore, Mrs. Deh-Kumah indicated that the usage of Ghanaian symbols abound both locally and internationally “but no one wants to pay a token towards the preservation of our culture and that is bad. We should not leave the preservation of folklore to government alone.”
It is simply sad Ghanaians home and abroad appreciate the value of folklore but refuse to contribute towards it preservation. The fear is that the refusal to preserve folklore can lead to its extinction.
Vice President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH), Kwabena Asante Offei, has emphatically stated that healthcare delivery is not something entrusted to the care of one man.
According to him, the most effective healthcare requires teamwork which he applauds Ghanaian health practitioners for.
Speaking to Sefah Danquah on e.tv Ghana’s ‘Men’s Lounge’ show, he said, “I think that to be honest, pharmacists in Ghana have really pushed wholistic pharmaceutical care in our country over the years.”
Using industrialization in Ghana as an example, he mentioned the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry as one of the most well organized, and advanced in the country “and this is led by pharmacists.
I was interning in one of the hospitals on a Tuesday for the first day with the senior pharmacist and 4 other young pharmacists. We were a team of about 12-15 people including doctors, nurses psychologists, nutritionists, and pharmacists moving from patient to patient. So, after everyone has given their report, the pharmacist prescribes the medication because he’s the expert in the field,” he revealed.
Regional Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana(PSGH), Stephen Bonney who was also on the show, agreed to this statement adding that pharmacists contribute immensely to the healthcare delivery system of the country.
“This is why when you go to any health facility and it comes to medicine, they all look up to the pharmacists,” he added.
The Ghana Armed Forces (GFA) has refuted news reports that its officers provide security for groups and individuals engaging in illegal small-scale mining (‘galamsey’).
The GFA, while reacting to audio-visuals published in the media, said that the person captured in the videos were not military men.
According to the military, investigations conducted into some of the allegations showed that the persons who were captured in military apparel were private security officers who had been contracted to protect legal small-scale mining firms.
“GAF wishes to state categorically that there are no military personnel deployed for such activities and no soldier is providing security for any mining company in any forest reserve in any part of the country.
“GAF further wishes to disclose that following reports of the presence of some security persons in uniform within the Aprampramah Forest and Kobro Forest Reserve stretch in Amansie Central, a patrol team from 4 Infantry Battalion and the Central Command Headquarters in Kumasi conducted an operation in the general area on 28 September 2022.
“The military patrol team picked up some individuals dressed in US military-pattern camouflage uniforms working for a private security firm, which has been contracted by a registered small-scale mining company named ‘Elvis and Co Mining Ltd’. These private security guards should not be misconstrued as GAF personnel because their camouflage pattern uniforms are even totally distinct from GAF,” parts of a statement issued by the GFA read.
Also, the military said it does not condone its officers engaging in illegal and unauthorised activities, especially galamsey.
It added that it remains committed to the fight against illegal mining and will not engage in activities that will derail the country’s progress in the fight against the menace.
Deep cracks and other road surface defects have developed on the Kaneshie – Mallam Road, also known as the K. A. Busia Highway in Accra, creating nuisance and wasting man-hours.
The road defects include the separation of aggregates from the binding materials, making the surface rough, the formation of depressions, mesh-like cracks known as alligator cracks, potholes and huge trenches often called craters.
The situation is worse at the Odorkor traffic intersection, where a deep crater has developed, thereby posing great danger to motorists and pedestrians.
The situation has resulted in the slow movement of vehicles on the 10-lane highway, leading to the build-up of heavy traffic in the area, especially during rush hours.
There is another crater on the side road on the Mallam-Odorkor side of the road as well as potholes on the opposite side travelling from Kaneshie towards Mallam, as well as on the inverse flow of traffic from Mallam towards Kaneshie.
Upon reaching the craters from either end of the road, the drivers are compelled to slow down to pass through the craters.
Driving from First Light to the Sakaman Junction for instance and vice versa, motorists have to contend with the potholes and gullies in the course of their journey.
Other dangerous spots on the stretch are near Accra Academy, Dansoman Junction, Darkuman Junction, Odorkor and Sakaman.
The situation is worse at night when there is poor visibility. At Odorkor, some motorists meander their way around the craters so that they do not damage their vehicles and in order to move a little faster.
However, in the course of meandering, they sometimes come close to grazing the sides of vehicles, creating panic.
Drivers using the inner lane from the Busia Junction, turning towards Odorkor are also affected by the problem.
Observations
The Daily Graphic team witnessed several incidents during a visit to the traffic lights area last Tuesday to observe the situation.
For instance, in the morning, while the traffic congestions stretched as far as to the Sakaman Junction for vehicles coming from the Mallam, the traffic jam stretches from the Darkuman Junction towards the Odorkor traffic lights for those coming from Kaneshie going to the opposite end in the evening, about 500 metres long.
Motorists’ concerns
In separate interviews, motorists who ply the Dr Busia Highway expressed concern about the situation in view of the precious hours they spent in traffic to go through the area.
They said the situation required urgent attention to ensure the free flow of vehicles so as to boost productivity.
One of such motorists, Yaw Ansah, said driving through the Odorkor traffic intersection had been ‘hellish’ as a result of the time spent in traffic.
“This place used to be one of the free flowing traffic areas on the Dr Busia Highway but unfortunately, that has changed,” he said.
Another motorist, Moses Arthur, said the situation was serious, especially with the prices of petroleum products, adding that “we end up burning all the fuel we buy with our money. Look at fuel prices nowadays, master, something must be done now,” he said.
A resident at Odorkor, Uncle Sam, said the craters could have been stopped from expanding given that they started very small.
“The craters here started very small but because we left them unattended, they have expanded, now see the problem we are having. These must be patched immediately to ease the travelling on the road,” he said.
A resident of Kasoa, Efo Kwaku, who uses the road daily, said the entire stretch needed some work but in the short-term, the Odorkor traffic area needed urgent attention before the unexpected happened.
‘’I have seen some drivers escape accidents by the skin of the teeth when they attempted meandering round those gaping holes.
“Let us not wait for an accident to happen before we set up a committee to, as usual, investigate a problem whose solution we all know,’’ he said.
Road profile
The Dr Busia Highway, previously known the Kaneshie-Mallam High Street, was constructed in 1991 by Construction Pioneers (CP).
The road links the Kaneshie to Odorkor and joins the National Road One (N1) at Mallam.
It was named the Dr Busia Highway after Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia, the Prime Minister of the Second Republic who had his private residence along the road at Odorkor (Busia Junction).
Notable places on the stretch include the Kaneshie First Light, Police Quarters, Atico Junction, Dansoman Junction (Hansonic), Darkuman Junction, Odorkor, Sakaman Junction and the Mallam Junction.
Sadiq Abdulai Abu popularly known as Baba Sadiq says his resignation as the CEO of 3 Media Networks, organisers of 3 Music Awards should not give room to speculation that he is not the founder of the company.
In a phone conversation with Graphic Showbiz today, September 30, Baba Sadiq pointed out that stepping down from his management role as the CEO of a company he founded was a normal practice in corporate governance.
“In the last five years since 3 Music Network was established, I have been at the helm of affairs as the founder and CEO. Stepping down as the CEO doesn’t mean I’m not the founder. I resigned because I need to move on to other things.
“I have this principle that I need to make an impact wherever I find myself and I believe that I have made a great impact at 3 Music Network. I’m still with the company but not in managerial role and there’s nothing wrong with that.
“The fact that you are a founder doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be part of management or have managerial roles,” Baba Sadiq said.
Sadiq Abdulai Abu resigns from 3 Media Networks
In the early hours of today, Baba Sadiq posted: “Today is officially my last working day as the CEO/MD of 3Media Networks (3Music TV) an organisation I founded in 2017 and had the rare privilege to lead for 5 years. The time has come to extend my quest for excellence and remarkable experience to other sectors of society,” he stated.
In a statement accompanying the announcement of his resignation, he mentioned that he has always lived by the principle to make impact wherever he finds himself and was glad to have made significant strides in the entertainment industry in Ghana and Africa.
“In all of my nearly 17 years of professional life in the Ghanaian and African media and entertainment industry, I have always lived by the creed that my work and life should ultimately benefit my industry, community and country and if later on in my life I am called upon by my people and country to serve in whatever capacity, I will not turn my back on them. I believe the time has come for me to extend my quest for excellence and remarkable experience in the media industry to other sectors of society”, the statement noted.
Baba Sadiq has been linked to vacant Accra Hearts of Oak CEO job and a move into politics to contest the Okaikoi Central seat on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
When asked about his political ambitions, he told Graphic Showbiz that it was still early days to confirm his next move. However, politics should not be ruled out of his future endeavours.
“I will be announcing my next engagement but I can’t rule out politics. When the calls for my people to represent them gets intense, I will heed to it,” he said.
The Eastern Regional Police Command has taken over the investigations into the shooting incident at Asamang Tamfoe in the Atewa East District on Thursday.
The incident is in relation to illegal mining activities in the area.
Meanwhile, 16 of the total of 24 suspects arrested are in police custody in Koforidua. The eight were released after a screening exercise by the police when it was detected that they were farmers who were arrested as part of the swoop.
They were taken to the Koforidua High Court Friday morning but the court was not in session.
Efforts are underway to grant them police enquiry bail.
A team from the Eastern Regional Police Command, led by the Regional Commander, DCOP Anderson Fosu Ackaah Friday morning visited the Asamang Tamfoe community to engage the people.
What happened?
There was some disagreement with community members of Asamang Tamfoe when an anti illegal mining taskforce and the police from Kyebi went to the area to arrest suspects and seize illegal mining equipment.
The police and the task force had gone into a bush in the area to stop a suspected illegal mining activity.
However, the community members insisted, their operations were approved as it was part of an approved community mining activity.
The police and task force seized some mining equipment including excavators.
On their way out in a convoy transporting the arrested suspects and the equipment to Kyebi where the District Police Command headquarters is located, the community members blocked the road.
Headmistress of Abonyi Catholic/BA Basic School, Madam Emelia Boevi is unhappy about the current dilapidated state of the school’s library facility and has appealed for support to get the facility renovated.
In an exclusive interview with GhanaWeb, she revealed that she was transferred to the school two years ago. Still, even before her arrival, the facility was in a very deplorable state. She then planned to refurbish it but at the same time, the KG Block was also not in good shape so she used the money to renovate the KG Block.
“I came here in 2020, during the Covid era. This’s how it was before I arrived so I decided to renovate it but at the same time, the KG Block was also not in good shape. So I used the money to renovate the KG Block instead of the library.
I’ve spoken with the community assemblyman and opinion leaders, and they promised to help us, but we’re yet to receive any help. Due to that, we’ve packed the books from the library; some into my office and the KG classroom. So, we need help so we can arrange the books back for the students to use,” she said.
Some students of the school also shared their challenges with GhanaWeb; according to them, the lack of a library facility is affecting their studies.
One Samuel Arthur, a JHS 2 student said, “I used to go to the library to read but because the library was not good, the books were packed from it so we want it to be renovated so we can have our books back to read.”
Besides, Beatrice Eshun, a class six student also mentioned that “We want a good library, this one is destroyed so you people should come and do it for us so that we can have a place to read.”
Besides, speaking with Hon. Matthew Acquah, the assemblyman for the area, admitted that such a report has come before him and he is working to get some funds for the refurbishment.
“I know about the bad state of the library, it has been like this for over two years now but we’re trying our best to get it renovated. They brought a budget which I promised to assist with! But I’m also pleading to anyone who can help us to come to our aid because this’s a big school,” he mentioned.
Abonyi Catholic/BA Basic School is located at Gomoa Abonyi in the Gomoa Central District in the Central Region. The school enrolls from KG to JHS with a population of about 500 students.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has hinted that government will soon review the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy).
Currently, all electronic money users including mobile money customers are charged 1.5 percent of accumulative transfers that exceed GH¢ 100 in a day.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the proceeds from the E-Levy are woefully below projected numbers with only about 10 percent of the projected GH¢600 million monthly being realised.
Speaking at a briefing in Accra on Wednesday, Ken Ofori-Atta said that the review of the E-Levy forms part of measures to help improve the government’s domestic revenue mobilisation.
He added that the review is also targeted at ensuring that a lot of Ghanaians pay the levy.
“Such exercises form part of an ongoing drive to ensure we take significant steps forward in remedying long-standing challenges with domestic revenue mobilization, indiscipline, corruption and leakages.
“Of course, heightened tax compliance and increased tax audit exercises will continue to be complemented by policy initiatives that allow us to tap into a wider pool of taxpayers in the years ahead.
“Towards this therefore we are looking at areas around the E-Levy to ensure its efficient implementation,” he said.
The Ministry for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has directed the Forestry Commission to cease the operations of Akonta Mining Company in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve of the Amenfi West Municipal Assembly.
According to a statement issued by the Public Affairs of the Ministry on Friday, September 30, 2022, the Company owned by the ruling New Patriotic Party Chairman for Ashanti Region, Antwi Boasiako alias Wontumi has been engaging in mining activities in the forest without a permit.
“The attention of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has been drawn to publications about certain operations by Akonta Mining Limited in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Amenfi West Municipality in the Western Region.
“Records available to the Ministry shows that while Akonta Mining Ltd has a mining lease to undertake mining operations in some parts of Samreboi, outside the Forest Reserve, the company has no mineral right to undertake any mining operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve,” the statement said.
According to the Ministry, while Akonta Mining Company had applied for a permit to mine in the said forest reserve, the Minister had yet to give approval to any such application hence rendering the activities of the firm in the said forest reserve illegal.
“Our records show that Akonta Mining Ltd, on 25 August, 2022, applied for a Mining Lease to undertake mining operations in the said Forest Reserve. By a Ministerial Directive, all reconnaissance, prospecting and/or exploratory activities in Forest Reserves in the country are suspended, except in exceptional circumstances. Although this directive does not affect mining in Forest Reserves, Akonta Mining Limited’s application has not been determined. Accordingly, any alleged activity being undertaken by the company in the Forest Reserve is illegal.
“The Hon. Minister for Lands and Natural Resources has, therefore, directed the Forestry Commission to, forthwith, ensure that the company does not carry out any operation in the Forest and to take the necessary action against any person found culpable in this matter,” the statement added.
The Ministry further assured of its commitment to the fight against illegal mining.
This development comes on the back of a renewed public conversation about the impact of illegal mining on Ghana’s water and forest reserves.
Currently, several water bodies are under threat from the galamsey activities while forest covers are being depleted by the day.
Pressure group, OccupyGhana, in an open statement to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo dated September 28, 2022, has entreated the president to take decisive actions against galamsey.
The group added that the galamsey menace has become rampant owing to the government’s inability and unwillingness to fight it despite the devastating impact it is having on the country.
OccupyGhana underscored that the laws of Ghana in its current state are capable of fighting galamsey. It added that the failure on the part of the government gives credence to complicity on the part of the very persons bestowed with the mandate to fight galamsey.
The group has therefore warned of its plans to shame the government if the president fails to end galamsey.
“For our part, we will send a reminder to you every Monday until we see firm action to stamp this crime out. If that fails, we will shame your government by going to court to compel the government to sit up and do its job! That is not a threat, sir; it is a promise,” the statement dated September 28, 2022, said.
Meanwhile, there have been reports of two shooting incidents concerning illegal mining activities.
According to reports, the first incident occurred at Samraboi where workers of Chairman Wontumi’s Akonta Mining are said to have shot at security officers of Samertex, a timber mining company.
The second incident is a clash between members of the Okyeman Environmental Taskforce and a community mining group at Asaman Tamfoe in the Atiwa East District.
A viral video from one of the incidents shows the indiscriminate firing of gunshots by a group of gun touting men.
The Ashanti Region has recorded one more death making it a total of two casualties when torrential rains swamped communities on three successive days.
The victim, an unidentified male believed to be 30 years old was the first to be confirmed dead at Asokwa. In contrast, the recent one, Kwadwo Mensah also believed to be in his mid-30s was found dead at Oduom-Bebre a suburb of Kumasi.
Eyewitnesses who spoke to OTEC News Kwame Agyenim Boateng explained that Mr. Mensah attempted to cross the Sisaa River which had overflown its banks to his home.
The deceased who is said to have ignored warnings from nearby residents not to ply that road at that moment slipped into the river and was taken away on Wednesday, September 29, 2022.
His lifeless body was however discovered by a search party in the area a day after he drowned.
The Municipal Director of the National Disaster Management Organization NADMO at Oforikrom Awudu Mohammed confirmed the incident to OTEC News.
“We rushed to the scene after receiving a distress call from one of the residents that a colleague had drowned. All attempts to find him were proven futile as the water had flooded the entire area.”
“So we came back in the morning and discovered his body from about 50 metres away from where he drowned.”
“The body was subsequently sent to the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for further investigations,” he said.
According to him, the money was used to settle upfront, a loan taken from the ministry of finance by GNPC Subsidiaries, to acquire a seven per cent stake in the TEN and Jubilee oil fields on behalf of the state.
In his view, therefore, even though administrative processes may not have been followed, in terms of lodging the money in the Petroleum Holding Fund (PHF), no harm was done to the state by the upfront payment of the loan taken by GNPC Subsidiaries using that quantum of petroleum receipts.
The minority caucus in parliament had noted with “serious concern” the “inability or refusal of the AkufoAddo/Bawumia-led government” to account for over $100 million of oil funds that accrued to the state coffers concerning petroleum lifting in the first quarter of 2022.
In a statement dated Thursday, 29 September 2022 signed by Mr John Abdulai Jinapor, the ranking member of the mines and energy committee of parliament, the caucus said: “The decision by the current NPP government to transfer revenues accruing from about 944,164 bbls of crude lifting in the Jubilee and TEN fields to a company established in a safe haven (outside Ghana) without parliamentary approval, amounts to a gross violation of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act, 2011 (Act 815) and Public Financial Management Act (Act 921)”.
“We have become aware that following the acquisition of a 7-per cent interest in the Occidental (Oxy) transaction in respect of the Jubilee and TEN fields by the government, ostensibly for GNPC in 2021, the Minister of Finance has clandestinely ceded the shares to an offshore company known as JOHL (a company set-up in the Cayman Islands) in a very surreptitious and opaque manner”, the statement said.
The minority said it is “very much alarmed” that contrary to requirements of the PRMA, revenues accruing from the nation’s oil fields “are not being paid into the Petroleum Holding Fund (PHF), which has been confirmed in the 2022 semi-annual report on petroleum receipts by the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC)”.
“As if this is not enough, the report further reveals that Capital Gains Tax was not assessed and collected by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in the sale of the 7% interest by Anadarko in the Jubilee and TEN fields in 2021”.
“This NPP government is proving by the day, that the nation’s oil resources cannot be entrusted in their care because not long ago, the PIAC, under the chairmanship of Dr Steve Manteaw, accused them over their inability to account for about GHȼ2 billion of Ghana’s oil cash for the 2017, 2018 and 2019 fiscal years”, the minority added.
It said this is “surely another ‘Agyapa’ deal in the making and we, as a minority, will not sit aloof for this government to raid the national purse, especially at a time when the nation is struggling to raise much-needed revenues for critical expenditure”, noted the caucus.
The minority demanded that the Minister of Finance and the government, “with immediate effect, repatriate all such illegal transfer payments back into the Petroleum Holding Fund (PHF)”.
“Failure to comply with our ultimatum will compel the Minority to use the necessary parliamentary processes to haul the Minister of Finance to parliament for possible censure”.
However, Mr Atta Akyea told Kofi Oppong Asamoah on Class91.3FM’s breakfast show on Friday, 30 September 2020: “Well, I think it’s a storm in a teacup because sometimes the impression is being given that the money has been spirited away”.
According to him, “there’s a whole debate, as to whether or not some money should be lodged in the petroleum holding fund, so, it’s an interpretation and accounting”.
The former minister of Works and Housing said his crosschecks show that “there was an opinion from the attorney general to the effect that they needn’t place the money in that account for the simple reason that there’s a seven-per cent equity acquisition in the TEN and Jubilee fields by GNPC Subsidiary and they didn’t have the money so the ministry of finance borrowed them the money so they do this acquisition; they are trying to improve the governmental stakes in these petroleum blocks”.
“When they [GNPC Subsidiaries] took the loan, they were unable to pay, so, they used the petroleum receipts due them to settle it, so, the ministry of finance took the money and paid for the loan upfront”, Mr Atta Akyea explained.
“The whole problem is simple: that the sheer fact that the money was not lodged in the PHF does not mean the money has been spirited away or stolen. … It’s all a balancing account but when push it to the political dimension that some money has been spirited away, it leaves much to be desired”, he added.
He said: “The sum of money, if you look at it, is equal to the seven per cent equity stake that the government, through GNPC Subsidiary has acquired. Let’s look at it from that perspective. So, when somebody is using his ingenuity to confer advantage and benefit to Ghana, ultimately, how can that be a problem?”
“And if the money was not so lodged in the PHF but it is shown that, indeed, the shares have been acquired, and the shares have been paid for, how can that be anything to undermine this country, financially?” he wondered
He continued: “Are we looking at the substance or the form? The sheer fact that the money was not lodged in the account but the money has been applied as it can be applied in the share acquisition to the benefit of Ghana”.
Mr Atta Akyea, who is the MP for Akim Abuakwa South in the Eastern Region, said: “My concern, with the greatest of respect, is that even if administrative processes were not followed, is there any disadvantage to Ghana when seven per cent shares have been acquired in the TEN and Jubilee fields?”
“That is the point of the matter. If administrative procedures were not followed, has it caused any financial loss to the state or it has helped us financially because if we are not careful, anything becomes political and propaganda”.
He added: “My joy is that no money has been lost to the state yet because we have gained. If there are any tax implications on this transition then they should be called upon to pay the tax”.
Some journalists from across the media space in Ghana and other anti-corruption stakeholders have pledged to deepen efforts to prevent corruption and work towards improving behaviours, norms, and standards needed to sustain an anti-corrupt society.
This comes on the back of a workshop organized by Corruption Watch Ghana for some selected journalists to effectively engage on corruption issues to promote good and accountable governance in the country.
The workshop, held on the theme, ‘Saving Millions for Ghana’s Development – Employing Innovative Ways to Fight Against Corruption,’ sought to advance the anti-corruption agenda by raising awareness and stimulating debate, fostering networking, cross-fertilization, and the exchange of experience that are indispensable for effective advocacy and action, on a national and global level.
The workshop also sought to promote cooperation among the media, civil society, and citizens by providing the opportunity for face-to-face dialogue and direct liaison between representatives from the media and organizations taking part while using modern-day technology for effective feedback.
Participants had in-depth discussions on how to identify the right mechanisms and approaches when carrying out corruption-related stories while maintaining neutrality as a journalist.
In a brief welcome address, William Nyarko, Executive Director of the Africa Center for International Law and Accountability (ACILA) and technical advisor to Corruption Watch Ghana, expressed gratitude to the journalists present for their continuous support in the fight against corruption. He also charged them not to give up in demanding accountability from all actors in the anti-corruption space to ensure corruption cases are investigated, suspects prosecuted, and stolen funds recovered.
Raymond Archer, Chief Executive Officer of D-Fence Security System and lead speaker of the discussion, stressed the need to practice impartiality when investigating corruption-related stories. He advised journalists to kick against limiting themselves to political and ideological beliefs and work in the nation’s interest.
In his address, he beckoned journalists to institute trust among themselves to get desired results in their line of work.
“The media, among other things, should push for the frontiers of press freedom. He stressed that forming alliances, trusting yourself, and working together are key in the fight against corruption,” he stressed.
In highlighting results from the Afrobarometer R9 survey, Alfred Ocansey, broadcast journalist with Media General, found the findings on the level of press freedom in Ghana shocking.
“Indeed, when I measure the results of investigative journalism in the country in the last five years, it has been relatively beyond average. But I want to question how many of my colleagues are of the view that press freedom is on the average level,” he queried.
Speaking on the economic vulnerability of most local journalists, Samuel Eshun, a broadcast journalist with Happy FM, bemoaned the lack of support and encouragement from officials and heads of institutions during investigations, a practice, he said, often exposed the vulnerability of journalists who get targeted by some corrupt government officials through bribery.
“If we are vulnerable as journalists, the strength to push for corruption-related stories and issues becomes very difficult,” Mr. Eshun lamented.
Meanwhile, Naa Dedei Tettey, a broadcast journalist with Starr FM, believed that journalists opting to work on ‘soft’ stories contributed to the surge in corruption and corruption-related activities in the country. She used the opportunity to encourage colleague media practitioners to produce more investigative reports.
The Corruption Watch workshop was attended by members of the Media for Public Integrity Group, news anchors, current affairs show hosts, and Corruption Watch partners.
A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and public health professionals has launched a five-year strategic plan to tackle alcohol abuse and other alcohol-related issues.
The strategy, which spans September, 2022, to August, 2027, is aimed at preventing and reducing alcohol intake to help attain goals and targets as contained in the sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 3.5 which states that “strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotics drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol”.
The coalition, also known as the West African Alcohol Policy Alliance (WAAPA), plans to ensure a professional network of alcohol relevant evidence-based research and reporting to influence alcohol policy in the sub-region and increase universal, equitable and affordable access to rehabilitation of people with prolonged alcohol issues.
It will also mainstream mental health in alcohol harm reduction strategies and ensure high visibility on policy engagement with development partners and governments.
Commitment
A Deputy Minister of Health, Mahama Asei Seini, said the government was committed to ensuring the successful implementation of the strategic plan.
“The Health Ministry will continue to commit funds and expertise through its departments and agencies to ensure the implementation of the alcohol policy and its related legislations and action plans towards the attainment of a global alcohol action plan,” he added.
The deputy minister, therefore, urged the World Health Organisation and other partners to support the implementation of the new plan to make the sub-region alcohol-harm-free.
Intervention
The Director of the Tobacco and Substance Abuse Directorate of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Dr Olivia Boateng, also said the plan was a welcome intervention in the agency’s fight against the harmful use of alcohol, particularly in the sub-region where alcohol use accounted for 7.1 per cent and 2.2 per cent of the global burden of disease for males and females respectively, according to WHO.
She highlighted some of the steps taken by the authority over the years to combat the harmful use of alcohol and said it was also drafting and reviewing the Harmful Use of Alcohol Regulations Act, 2021.
“The regulations, among other things, criminalise the creation of conditions favourable to the use of alcoholic drinks.
“It also provides for the procedure to apply for licenses and the power to close down premises if the FDA considers it necessary in the public interest,” Dr Boateng added.
A former Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Betty Mould Iddrisu, has taken yet another swipe at the judiciary over what she describes as a failure to reform to address widespread negative public perception but rather adopting threats to silence critics.
Mould Iddrisu, who is Ghana’s first female Attorney General, described attacks on the former president, John Dramani Mahama, as unfortunate, undemocratic, and a slap in the face of Ghanaians demanding fairness from an institution bestowed with powers to protect dictates of the 1992 constitution.
She condemned the current AG, Godfred Dame, stressing that she can only forgive him for abusing the platform he had during the recent Bar Conference in Accra.
“Very unfortunate for a young Attorney General, Godfred Dame to come out with such statements about our former President. He was disrespectful and very upsetting to me, having held that position before. I forgive him because I am a Christian and it’s an act of charity,” she told Eric Ahianyo on IDEAS Exchange, a current Affairs program on TV XYZ.
Mould Iddrisu, who could not hide her emotions, emphasized, “Article 125 of the Constitution says quite clearly that the administration of Justice is vested in the people of the Republic of Ghana and it is the judiciary who is to administer that. If you did listen to the people how on earth can you administer justice for us? They need to listen to us. This should be a wake-up call.
“I chaired that conference of NDC lawyers, which John Mahama addressed. And all of us enthusiastically support his remarks about the perception of Ghanaians’ waning confidence in the judiciary.”
Explaining her position further, Betty Mould Iddrisu said being a leader of the Bar (Attorney General), does not give anyone the right to use a GBA meeting to create such chaos.
She disclosed that she has not paid her dues as a lawyer for the past 10 years because of the partisan actions of such persons who lead the Ghana Bar Association.
“Our lawyers were extremely upset. I have never had much faith in the Ghana Bar Association because it lost its capacity to withstand external influences. We saw them at critical times during the previous regime because it’s obvious they are favouring one political party or the other. I will pay my dues when I feel the GBA will be fair, a true arbiter of the interest of all lawyers in Ghana,” she emphasized.
She added that this development must be a wake up call to the judiciary.
She argued that several public surveys and observations by renowned lawyers and civil society organizations have drawn similar conclusions in the recent past.
“John Mahama was just asking them to look within, assess what various persons are saying, step out and speak to ordinary Ghanaians themselves and find out what their perception of the Judiciary is.
“It is sad to see and hear the barrage of unjustifiable attacks leveled against the former President. Hundreds of lawyers present at the conference supported the President not because they are NDC but because 99% of them practice at the bar. They go to the Courts daily and they know what is happening in the courts, yet many may be afraid to talk because they will be victimized,” she added.
A presidential hopeful for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Kojo Bonsu, has said that the party will struggle to secure victory in the general elections of 2024 if his face is not on the ballot paper.
According to him, Ashanti members of the NDC have not had the opportunity to lead the party into an election before, and as such, his election as the flagbearer will attract a lot of voters from the region to cast their votes from him.
Kojo Bonsu also explained that it has not been easy serving as a member of the NDC, especially in the Ashanti Region, for obvious reasons, but he has continuously stood his ground and worked hard to ensure the party becomes more attractive in the region.
Speaking in an interview with Kumasi-based Oyerepa TV and monitored by GhanaWeb, the former Mayor of Kumasi observed that although “data has shown that Ashantis predominantly vote for the NPP,” his election as a flagbearer will bring a “new era to the party (NDC).
“If I become the flagbearer of the party, the NDC will secure a lot of votes in the Ashanti region. This means I will break the monopoly and split the votes NPP secures in the region. Even today, the market women at Central Market and Kejetia Market are all supporting my presidential bid. The women have said that if I become the leader of the party, they will all vote for me.
“So, if they (delegates) refuse to elect me as flagbearer, it means the number of votes we are expecting to win the 2024 elections will decline because Ashantis won’t vote for any other NDC candidate but me. Without me as flagbearer, it will be very difficult for the party to win the elections, but if I am the flagbearer, the Ashantis will know that I am one of their own, and they will vote for me,” he told the morning show host, Kwesi Parker-Wilson.
The former football administrator also revealed that former President John Agyekum Kufuor once asked him to step down for John Dramani Mahama to lead the NDC into the 2020 elections.
He added that it was the reason he pulled out from that race.
“Former President Kufuor advised me to stay away from the contest and allow John Mahama to run because he has been fully marketed. He also told me that this is not my time and soon my time will come, so I listened to him and pulled out of the race,” he added.
Kojo Bonsu, however, admitted that he is yet to consult the former president on his latest attempt at the flagbearer position of the NDC but has stated that he is convinced that no amount of persuasion will compel him to back down on his quest to lead the party into the 2024 elections.
Watch the latest episode of The Lowdown on GhanaWeb TV below:
The Lowdown: Role of the diaspora in the development of Africa
CEO of the Aaron Manvel Foundation Millie Lorene Tucker and Gary Hope, the CEO of FLCC – Bring Back Hope Foundation underscore the need for the African diaspora to help develop the continent in this episode of The Lowdown on GhanaWeb TV. According to the women trying to make and create a change in Ghana, our forefathers were sold away and made to develop strange lands. Thus, coming back home and developing their home country is the best thing to do especially when resources are available.
The trial of the former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board, Dr Stephen Opuni, and businessman and philanthropist, Mr Seidu Agongo, resumes on Monday, 3 October 2022, after a two-month legal break.
Trial judge Justice Clemence Honyenuga has six months to continue in service, having clocked the constitutionally mandatory retirement age of 70 years for Supreme Court judges on 4 September 2022.
The extra period is pursuant to Article 145(4) of the 1992 Constitution, which grants superior court judges that concession to wind up active cases and hand them over before proceeding on retirement.
Prior to the legal break, Justice Honyenuga, who is also a chief in the Volta Region, had said that Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, had given him some time to conclude the case.
The Supreme Court judge, who has been sitting on the case as an additional High Court judge, told the court on Thursday, 28 July 2022: “In pursuant to Article 112(2) of the Constitution, 1992, the Chief Justice has granted me a limited time to conclude this case”.
“In the circumstances, this court shall, in addition, sit on Tuesdays at 11 am for early disposal of this four-year-old case”, he added, before adjourning the matter to Monday, 3 October 2022 “, at 10 am for continuation”.
As the case returns next month, it enters critical mode and raises public interest in how things will pan out, especially as Justice Honyenuga was once prohibited from the case by the Supreme Court, which declared him incapable of being impartial on the matter after the defence team had accused him of bias.
The 3-2 decision was, however, subsequently overturned by the same Supreme Court after the state filed for a review, thus, restoring Justice Honyenuga on the case.
Ruling
The landmark 3-2 majority decision was made by the apex court on 28 July 2021.
That case was heard by Justices Jones Dotse, A.M Dordzie, Amadu Tanko, Lovelace Johnson and Gabriel Pwamang after the lawyers of Dr Opuni had complained of Justice Honyenuga’s likelihood of bias against their client after the judge had rejected some documents submitted as evidence that inured to the advantage of the accused persons.
Justice Gabriel Pwamang, who wrote the lead judgment, concluded as follows:
“A reasonably well-informed observer, taking account of the exclusion of the exhibits that appear to favour the accused person and the pronouncements made by the judge which connote that the 2nd and 3rd accused persons have defrauded Cocobod and it would not have happened but for the applicant [Dr Opuni] herein deliberately and knowingly facilitating it and that by that he has caused financial loss to the state, would come to the conclusion that the judge would not be impartial in the consideration of any defence the accused person has to put forward,” the majority decision read.
The majority noted: “The test is an objective one based on the principle that not only must justice be done, but it must be seen to be done. As the authorities say, bias is so insidious that the judge himself may not even be aware that he has a bias in the matter under consideration”.
“It is for the reasons explained above that I hereby grant the prayer for prohibition in order that justice will be seen to be done in this case. Therefore, in conclusion, the application succeeds on both counts and is accordingly granted as prayed.”
Attorney General Godfred Dame, however, filed a review application against Justice Honyenuga’s prohibition, which led to the same apex court overturning its earlier decision, thus, restoring Justice Honyenuga to the case.
The review application was heard by an enhanced panel with Justices Gertrude Torkonoo and Prof Ashie Kotey as additional Justices to the original panel.
Mr Dame had argued: “The decision of the ordinary bench contained fundamental and grave errors”, which, in his view, “manifestly resulted in a substantial miscarriage of justice”.
In the AG’s view, “The decision to prohibit the trial judge must be on the basis of only compelling circumstances which shows indisputable bias on the part of the judge, and not on account of matters complained by the respondent [Dr. Opuni]”.
While arguing against the Attorney General’s review application against the Supreme Court Justice’s removal, Dr Opuni’s counsel, Mr Sam Cudjoe, told the apex court: “He [Justice Honyenuga] had made his mind and was going through the rituals while waiting to pronounce sentence”.
Dr Opuni alleged that his right to be heard fairly had been breached by the judge, aside from a demonstration of bias.
The allegations flowed from Justice Honyenuga’s ruling on a submission of no case application.
Dr Opuni’s lawyers contended that the judge committed an error of law when he rejected some documents submitted as evidence.
Since March 2018, Dr Opuni and Mr Agongo, as well as Agricult Ghana Limited, an agrochemical company owned by the latter, have been facing 27 charges, including defrauding by false pretences, willfully causing financial loss to the state, corruption by public officers and contravention of the Public Procurement Act, in the purchase of Lithovit liquid fertiliser between 2014 and 2016.
They have pleaded not guilty to the charges and are on a GH¢300,000.00 self-recognisance bail each.
The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, has turned down his chances of becoming the party’s running-mate for the next flagbearer in the upcoming 2024 general election.
According to the incumbent national chairman, it is not within his ambition to either become a running mate or a flagbearer for the NDC.
He made the declaration on Angel FM’s Anopa Bofo morning show, Thursday, September 29, 2022, in response to a question on whether or not he would like to be the next running of the party.
Although he played an active role in the camp of Mr. John Dramani Mahama who was running mate to Prof John Atta Mills in the lead up to the 2008 elections, Mr. Ofosu Ampofo said he harbours no intention to be Mahama’s running mate should he win the NDC’s upcoming flagbearership contest.
“No, I won’t accept flagbearer, I won’t accept running mate position. What I want to do now is party work. Whoever the party elects and appoints as flagbearer and running mate, I will use my energy and wisdom gathered in the game to support them to win the [2024] election,” Ofosu Ampofo told host of the programme, Nana Yaa Brefo.
He maintained that his main priority is centered on helping the party come back to power for him to be addressed as ‘Chairman of a ruling party’ [NDC] in January 2025 and not as opposition chairman as he holds currently.
The former Eastern Regional Minister further explained that his undesired running mate position has to do with his political ambitions and has nothing to do with claims that he was at loggerheads with Mr. Mahama which he said are “false”.
Ahead of the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) delegates’ congress to elect new leaders in December this year, the committee charged to oversee the amendment of the constitution has been accused of engaging in moves that will eventually see John Mahama emerge as the party’s leader going into the 2024 polls.
The Constitutional Amendment Committee of the NDC according to Angelonline.com.gh sources is seeking to disenfranchise some delegates.
It has emerged that the Constitutional Amendment Committee has resolved to smuggle in obnoxious laws and remove delegates at the branch level and prevent them from voting.
According to Article 42G of the NDC’s constitution, which talks about Presidential elections in the party and who is eligible to vote, Branch executives, Constituency, Regional, National Executives and founding members are permitted to vote.
However, the source claims that the committee wants to expunge the branch executives from the list. The move is to allegedly pave way for former President John Mahama to lead the party for the fourth consecutive time.
This is coming at a time a leading member of the party, Dr Kwabena Duffour’s name popped up in the flagbearship race.
Due to his popularity at the grassroots level, some members of the party who are pro-John Mahama are said to be deliberately trying to sideline Dr. Duffour to give their favorite an advantage.
Dr. Duffour’s self-help public finance practical ‘Ahotor project’ has been widely accepted by the grassroots as it brings hope to the various branches and constituencies to be self-financing.
According to the source, the unwarranted exercise by the Committee has raised questions as it believes, would impact the fortunes of the party going into the 2024 elections.
The move to ensure that the ward statutory officials of the party are excluded from certain party nomination processes at the state level which will put the party in bad light, a situation some have vowed to oppose.
The source, who noted that some members of the party who have vowed to resist the move, said that “it is a Constitutional breach and is an evil agenda against the grassroots.”
The source said that the objective of having the delegates at the ward and the grassroots to integrate the people and give power back to the people has been defeated with the planned action.
On the planned amendment, the source said, “the party must be people-centered to make any reasonable impact in the coming elections since the expansion of the party statutory delegates to the ward level was to achieve the objective of bringing the party closer to the grass root.
“An attempt of this nature will, therefore, be a nullity since it will not meet the stipulated constitutional positions,” it added.
Greater Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, has charged the Chief Executive Officer of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, to improve his services of ensuring the region is clean or else face a tougher competition.
The Minister, in an interview on “Kokrokoo” on Peace FM, expressed his dissatisfaction with the work of Zoomlion.
He resented that the sanitation situation in the capital city has festered to an extent that the city is almost swallowed up by filth.
Henry Quartey disclosed that there is another waste management company whose presentation on how to keep the city clean is well-advanced and has caught his attention.
He recounted that the waste management company, whose name he withheld, has proposed a new technique to resolve the sanitation problem.
He, therefore, cautioned Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong and his company, Zoomlion, to up their game saying “if he jokes, I will give him competition in Accra. I want him to up his game with the issue of waste management and refuse collection in Accra”.
“I am sending a caution to Zoomlion. If he doesn’t up his game . . . I will give him competition in Accra. He should be told . . . because it’s not about the company.
“It’s about service to Ghana and I think that that service he should take it serious,”he said.
Henry Quartey continued and pledged that “if he doesn’t up his game, so long as I remain Regional Minister – Greater Accra – I will give him competition”.
He also cautioned individuals to stop throwing refuse at inappropriate places and into the gutters, especially during rainfalls.
Deputy National Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chief Nixon Biney, has stated empathically that, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and President Akufo-Addo, are oblivious of the true state of the feelings of many Ghanaians.
The NDC man in an interview on Kumasi-based Ultimate FM monitored by MyGewsgh.com, said, last weekend’s booing of Nana is just a tip of the iceberg, as many Ghanaians are just fed up with the NPP’s political lies, the reason a section of people booed him at the Global Citizen festival.
‘‘Sad to hear, the NPP accusing the NDC of being the brain behind the booing of Nana Addo, the NPP ought to respect Ghanaians, that was not a political program, we all know that it was a global festival with artiste performing here and there.
‘‘If you have young Ghanaians attending such a program and you have the president there and they boo at him and somebody thinks it is NDC who organized them, then they are refusing to understand there is hardship, that people are not happy with certain things happening.
‘‘Unemployment is high and the youth are not happy is a clear signal for the president to sit up, those saying it is NDC who organized this, I mean they should up their game a bit.
‘‘They should appreciate that it is the same people who elected the president at the same place where he told them he would protect the public purse of which he is failing them.
‘‘It is the same independence square the president said all Ghanaians should come on board and support him, why is he worried they are acting as citizens or he wants them to be spectators?’’ be asked.
The Deputy Organiser of the NDC noted this is just the tip of the iceberg, Ghanaians are generally not happy with him and his government.
‘‘The President must understand that Ghanaians are just showing him the signs of his bad governance, it is for him to take it in good faith. In fact, if they knew that it was the NDC that booed the president, what did they do? Are they saying that the national security is in comatose, which I don’t think so?
‘‘They should come again and look at it, that some sect of Ghanaians are not happy with the president and for that matter, he has got some few years to get out of office.
‘‘He should make this better for the suffering masses, why always NDC this or that, did you see anybody in NDC T-Shirt there, come on NPP, no they were Ghanaians.’’
It has been observed that the institution of marriage in Ghana is under attack due to modernity and the superhighway information available to people on social media and other internet enabled platforms.
Dr Abubakar Mohammed Marzuq Azindoo, the Personal Assistant to the National Chief Imam, and Ms Annie Emefa Fiawoo, a private legal practitioner, said this, and called for safeguards including legal support to individuals especially before marriage.
They said it was important for people to be counselled on the legal and social nuances of marriage and made to understand that it takes “a lot of sacrifices and love” to live in harmony as couple and among families and in society.
This would ensure that the institution of marriage is protected and made sustainable, with people having the peace of mind to build strong families and contribute to social cohesion and national development.
Dr Azindoo, said: “Today, the institution of marriage has become the worst victim of attack due to the superhighway of information, made possible through the internet and social media.”
He said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of the Marriage Link Consult (M-Link Consult) a one-stop marriage consulting and event firm, in Accra.
He encouraged institutions including religious organisations and counselling support units to support individuals to lasting and enjoyable marriages and advised that people to embrace love and sympathy in their marital lives.
Dr Azindoo commended M-Link Consult for the initiative and said: “This is a very good initiative, and I must say making it a non- denominational entity is what makes it more special, because it will make it easy for everyone, no matter their religion or beliefs, to walk in and get served.”
Ms Fiawoo also noted modernity and social media had made everything extremely fast with the institution of marriage, while bemoaning the high rate of divorce in the country.
She explained that every registered marriage could not be dissolved in Ghana within two years “unless under extreme circumstances” – one thing she said many people do not know.
“We have had many people seeking divorce in less than two years of their marriages, and they get shocked when we inform them that they cannot have a divorce until after two years. This tells us that people just rush into marriages and do not seek adequate legal information about marriage before registration,” she said.
She added that when people were made to undergo periodic pre and post marriage counselling together with engaging in occasional activities to spice up their union, marriages would be sustained, and cautioned against domestic violence.
Mr Sylvanus Tettey-Tamaklo, Former Ghana Ambassador to Zimbabwe recommended forgiveness and tolerance as the cornerstone of their marriages for couples.
He said: “The issue of forgiveness is very important in every marriage or relationship. Marriage Link must treat it. I also want you to treat the intestate succession law and the sickling tests as topics. They are very important.”
Mr Dickson Antwi, Chief Executive Officer of the company, called for concerted effort to counter the threat to the institution of marriage by promoting social harmony and peace in the homes.
Among others, M-Link Consult would provide marriage partner identification and matching services, and pre-marital counselling for both faith and non-faith-based individuals to adequately prepare them for marriage.
They would also offer customised marriage events organisation to help couples to have stress-free ceremony to suit the budget for marriage ceremony as well as marriage “juice up” services for couples facing challenges in their marriages.
Hundreds of people on Thursday gathered in front of the house of Christopher Ekow Quansah, the Tufuhen of Mankessim, to catch a glimpse of him and self-styled pastor Michael Darko, who allegedly murdered one Ms. Georgina Asor Botchwey.
A police team had led the two accused persons, who allegedly confessed to the killing of three more people, to the house of the Tufohen, located just after the Pacific Fuel Station, near the Mankessim Lorry Station for further investigations.
The crowd hooted at them amid name calling and casting of aspersions as drivers in traffic temporarily stopped over to watch the two, who have notoriously become famous.
A source told the GNA that the two accused persons had confessed to killing three other people, a male and two females and led the police team on Thursday afternoon, to the various locations.
The witness said the accused persons first took the team to the house of the Tufohen at Mankessim and Akwakrom near Mankessim, where they carried out their criminal activities.
The police thoroughly searched the rooms and took vital document and information for further investigation.
Again, in Mankessim, the two took the police team to a location where a male teacher was allegedly invited by them and was shot and killed instantly and his toes cut.
The police were also taken to a location in the Ekumfi District where they allegedly shot and killed a female trader and buried her under a bridge in the Ekumfi District.
The team also visited a location at Batanya in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamakese District, where they allegedly killed a young lady from Kumasi.
Apparently, the two pretended to be travel agents and prepared a traveling document for her to travel to Holland.
The two allegedly told the police that they met the lady at Batanyaa on the Cape Coast-Assin Fosu Highway and killed her.
The family of the deceased, who were at the mortuary in Cape Coast on Thursday afternoon, identified the body of their relative.
Meanwhile, a crack team of police personnel from the Central Regional Command were also led by the accused persons to arrest a 26-year-old mason in Mankessim, in connection with the alleged murder.
Sources, who did not want to be identified, told the Ghana News Agency that they saw the third suspect being whisked away and identified him as one Abbey, the in-law of Quansah.
According to the sources, Quansah, confessed to have hired the husband of one Esi Akyere to dig the pit in his houses at Mankessim.
Following the revelation, the police swiftly moved to the community and with the backing of the chiefs arrested Abbey, who initially denied the act but later admitted to digging the pit for GH¢50.
According to Abbey, who is also one of the leaders of the Youth Volunteer Group in the community, the Tufohen paid him the agreed amount in instalments of GH¢20 and GH¢30 respectively after the work.
Baffled by the revelation of the suspect, the sources said, the chiefs assembled all the members of the Youth Volunteer Group and impressed on them to confess if they were complicit in the murder case, but they all denied any knowledge of it.
The sources also said police personnel had been stationed at the deserted family house of the Tufohen where two dugout holes were found in two obscure and dirty separate rooms while it had also intensified patrols.
Earlier, Nana Akwa III, the Chief of Akwakrom, at a press conference, called for the arrest and inquiry into the activities of a fetish priest in the community and one Mr. Kwesi Gyan, the Abiradze Ebusuapayin of the Tufohen who could not be tracked since the news broke out.
“We are appealing to the police to interrogate his fetish priest in the community who the Tufohen liked so much and took cover prior to his arrest,” Nana Akwa pleaded.
Nana Akwa, who is also a legal practitioner, wondered how the Tufohen dug the craters containing numerous bottles and dead materials without the knowledge of the Ebusuapanyin.
“Since the arrest of the Tufohen, all attempts to reach his Ebusuapanyin, who was always in the community, has not been successful. There is no way anyone can dig out two pits in two separate rooms in a family house without the knowledge of the Ebusuapanyin. This is incomprehensible.
“More so, prior to the arrest of the Tufohen, his Ebusuapanyin was billed to meet the Chief and elders on some teething community issues, but he cannot be found. And why is he not answering our calls,” the Chief revealed.
Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa, Kobina Tahir Hammond, has reiterated his discontentment with the booing of President Akufo-Addo at the recently held Global Citizen Festival.
Speaking to Accra-based Joy FM, the MP indicated that the youth must at all times demonstrate respect towards people in authority no matter the circumstances.
Citing himself as an example, he maintained that he has never uttered foul language at the 2020 flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama, who has been president before and who is seen as a political opponent.
He insisted that it was wrong to insult leaders in that regard.
“It doesn’t matter if it was Akufo-Addo president or John Mahama president. John Mahama president, I have never in my life said anything insulting about John Mahama. I don’t do that.
“I am a different person. I don’t believe it is proper. I can take on the NDC I can take on…how much criticism haven’t you heard me make of the NDC administration and all of that? But I don’t insult personalities.
“I don’t believe that is the way politics should run . NDC administration is a bogus administration and this and that…it is unthinkable that I will at any point in time say it is appropriate to hoot at a president. He is the figure head,” KT Hammond opined.
He added that: “I don’t think I will ever boo at John Mahama when he becomes president again. When he was, I never insulted him.
“As I speak right now, John is my good friend. I have many friends in the NDC. It doesn’t cost much to respect”.
The booing of President Akufo-Addo at the global concert has been topical throughout this week with members of the New Patriotic Party expressing varying opinions on the matter.
While some insist the crowd rather cheered, others claim it was the opposition National Democratic Congress that planted rogues to cause the embarrassment to the president.
The NDC has however rejected the accusation, maintaining that the incident was a reflection of the frustration of the youth in the country.
A Chinese national who allegedly slashed the throat of his Ghanaian employee at Kweikuma, a community in the Sekondi-Takoradi municipality of the Western Region is set to make a court appearance today.
Police preliminary investigation indicates that the suspect, Xue Hue, on September 28, 2022, allegedly attacked the victim, who is a mason with Paulichenda Engineering, a construction company at Kweikuma, with a knife inflicting a cut on his neck.
The Police in a statement said Hue was arrested “for using an offensive weapon to cause harm” and will be put before court on September 30, 2022, to face justice.
The victim has since been treated and discharged.
Read the entire police statement below;
POLICE ARREST CHINESE NATIONAL FOR CAUSING HARM TO A CO-WORKER AT TAKORADI
The Police have arrested a Chinese national for using an offensive weapon to cause harm to his Ghanaian co-worker at a construction site at Kweikuma suburb of Takoradi, in the Western Region.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the suspect, Xue Hue, on September 28, 2022, allegedly attacked the victim, who is a mason with a construction company at Kweikuma, with a knife inflicting a cut on his neck.
The victim has since been treated and discharged.
Meanwhile, the suspect is in custody assisting investigation and will be put before court on September 30, 2022, to face justice.
The Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) will today witness the investiture and swearing-in of a former Minister of Defence in the erstwhile Kufuor Administration, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor as the Chancellor.
He will be the first Chancellor since the university’s conversion into a technical university a few years ago.
The trained medical doctor and former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia, is coming to the position with a vast experience in the field of administration, teaching, medical practice and understanding of the political economy to bear on the university.
His main charge as a Chancellor is to help the university council to achieve the vision of the university, which is to “be a world-class technical university devoted to science, technology and entrepreneurship education,” through the provision of quality teaching, learning and research in engineering, science, technology and entrepreneurship to promote industrial development in Ghana.
Who is Dr Addo-Kufuor?
The immediate past Chairman of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, London and West African College of Physicians and the founder of Kufuor Clinic at Adum, Kumasi.
He has taught at the School of Medicine of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and has served as an Inspector of Examinations at the University of Ghana Medical School, Department of Medicine, and is a Member of the Court of Examiners responsible for assessing foreign-trained doctors wishing to practice in Ghana by the Ghana Medical and Dental Council.
He is also a three-time MP for Manhyia from 1996 to 2008 before it was divided into Manhyia North and Manhyia South.
While serving as MP, he was made Minister of Defence under the Fourth Republic.
Achievements
As an MP, he is credited for the Buokrom Estate Water Project, which brought a huge relief to the residents who had for years been faced with water problems.
His biggest project for the constituency was perhaps the Ash Town Community Centre. The centre has a library, computer laboratory, canteen, indoor games room, offices for the Manhyia Sub-Metro, a 300-seater capacity facility and a football field.
As a Minister of Defence, it was during Dr Addo-Kufur’s tenure that the Phase II of the 37 Military Hospital was constructed. The hospital was elevated to a Postgraduate Teaching Hospital.
The project consisted of a Polyclinic, an IT Centre, a Physiotherapy Department, a Male Surgical Ward, a Public Health Division, an Out-patient Clinic for Surgical Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ear, Nose and Throat, Dermatology, and Medical Departments.
Other significant achievements of Dr Addo-Kufuor as a Minister of Defence included the construction of the New Burma Hall and Library, the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, the Computer and Commercial Centre at Burma Camp, the Beijing Barracks, and the rehabilitation of the Nicholson Stadium.
It was during his tenure that the Postgraduate degree programme was introduced at the Armed Forces Staff and Command College.
Dr Addo-Kufuor also introduced the “Armed Forces Open Day” which was meant to improve relations between the military and the civilians, where civilians were encouraged to visit the barracks, interact with the service personnel and have a look at some of the military hardware.
The first chancellor of KsTU is expected to bring all these credentials to bear on the management and administration of the university and make it one of the best in the country.
About KsTU
Formerly known as the Kumasi Technical Institute (KTI), KsTU was established in 1954 to offer craft courses. It was converted into a non-tertiary Polytechnic status in 1963 under the Ghana Education Service (GES) to start offering, in addition, technician diploma and sub-professional courses.
The Polytechnic Law, 1992 (PNDC L.321) elevated the polytechnic to a tertiary institution to provide high calibre skilled manpower with reference to manufacturing, commerce, science and technology to act as a catalyst for technological development.
The Technical University Act 2016, (Act 922) converted Kumasi Polytechnic to the present Kumasi Technical University with the aim of providing higher education in engineering, applied arts, science technology-based disciplines, technical and vocational training.
Personnel from the Central Regional Police Command have arrested a third person in connection with the murder of Ms. Georgina Asor Botchwey, according to a Ghana News Agency report.
The suspect, 26-year-old mason, who was identified as Abbey, is said to have been contracted by one of the accused persons to dig the pit in which the victim was hurriedly buried.
Abbey is said to be an in-law of ‘contractor’ Christopher Ekow Quansah, (Nana Clarke) the Tufuhen of Mankessim, who is facing charges of murder along with self-styled pastor, Michael Darko (Sofo Kofi).
The GNA report said Quansah, confessed to have hired the husband of one Esi Akyere to dig the pit in his houses at Mankessim.
Police with the support of the chiefs arrested Abbey who happens to be a member
of the community youth volunteer group. He confessed receiving GH¢50in two installments after earlier denying that he had been contracted.
Abbey said the Tufohen paid him a first instalments of ¢20 and ¢30 after he had completed the task.
Baffled by the revelation of the suspect, the sources said, the chiefs assembled all the members of the Youth Volunteer Group and impressed on them to confess if they were complicit in the murder case, but they all denied any knowledge of it, the GNA report added.
Meanwhile, family of the victim were a the Cape Coast Regional Hospital mortuary where they identified the body of Ms. Botchwey.
The deadline for SIM card re-registration ends today, September 30, 2022.
This comes after the Minister for Communication and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, extended the deadline for the sim card re-registration initially scheduled for July 31, 2022.
The minister said the extension had become necessary owing to challenges such as delays in the rollout of a self-serving registration app and delays in the acquisition of Ghana Cards, which is the mandatory document for the registration.
“Upon consultation with the industry and in view of the challenges enumerated above, I have very reluctantly decided to grant a final conditional extension.
“The programme will be extended to September 30 to end on the anniversary of its commencement. That will give us one full year of SIM registration to be reviewed at the end of this month and any SIM that has not been fully registered by the end of August will be barred from fully receiving certain services including voice and data services. It will also be more expensive to use unregistered SIMs. The full range of punitive measures will be announced at another press briefing in September,” the minister stated.
The SIM card registration exercise began on October 31 2021, and was expected to end on March 31 2022; however, as of March 17, over 14 million SIM cards had been linked to the Ghana Card, with over 10 million Bio-captures conducted and 99,445 new SIMs registered.
Due to some factors, including the fact that over 7.5 million citizens and residents were yet to obtain Ghana Cards to enable them to register their SIM cards, it was clear the deadline for completion of the re-registration of the remaining active SIM cards could not be met.
As a result, the ministry extended the deadline to July 31, 2022.
However, many are still facing challenges in acquiring their Ghana Card.
Another suspect has been arrested in connection with the ritual murder in Mankessim of a student nurse, Georgina Asor Botchwey.
The Ghana News Agency, reported the name of the suspect as one Abbey, he is said to be the husband to the niece of one of the suspects, Nana Clarke. The Modern Ghana news portal gave his name as Kobbie.
According to reports, he was hired to dig the hole in which the deceased was buried at Nana Clarke’s residence in Mankessim.
He becomes the third suspect to be picked in connection with the murder, the two others being Nana Clarke (real name Christopher Ekow Quansah) and Pastor Michael Darko Amponsah (Sofo Kofi).
The two are facing charges of conspiracy to commit crime to wit murder and murder, contrary to Section 46 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1980, Act 29.
A Cape Coast District court presided over Her Lordship Bernice Mensima Ackon remanded them on their last appearance on September 2.
The court agreed to the request of prosecution – led by DSP Daniel Gadzo – for more time to conclude investigations. The case was adjourned to October 4, 2022.
Watch the latest episode of The Lowdown below:
The Lowdown: Role of the diaspora in the development of Africa
CEO of the Aaron Manvel Foundation Millie Lorene Tucker and Gary Hope, the CEO of FLCC – Bring Back Hope Foundation underscore the need for the African diaspora to help develop the continent in this episode of The Lowdown on GhanaWeb TV. According to the women trying to make and create a change in Ghana, our forefathers were sold away and made to develop strange lands. Thus, coming back home and developing their home country is the best thing to do especially when resources are available.
Bernard Allotey Jacobs has charged the leadership and members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to protect the President of the Republic, Akufo-Addo, at all costs.
The former National Democratic Congress (NDC) Central Regional Chairman was alarmed at the embarrassment that the president had to endure at the Global Citizen Festival held in Accra on Saturday, 24th September, 2022.
The President was booed by a section of the crowd gathered at the event while addressing them.
The disgruntled patrons could be heard chanting ‘away’ to elicit their disapproval of the President’s presence during the concert which was televised on national screens and via YouTube to an audience across the globe.
Expressing his resentments over the patrons’ conduct, Allotey Jacobs accused the opposition NDC of orchestrating the move.
As a veteran in politics, he strongly believed the NDC stationed some people within the crowd to hoot at the president and also mobilized bloggers to blog it so as to create an impression that Nana Addo is unpopular with the masses.
“You would realize that some bloggers have been organized behind the scene just to take pictures and then make noise about and that is propaganda,” he told Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM’s morning show “Kokrokoo”.
Allotey also took a swipe at the rank and file of the NPP for failing to avert the incident.
“Your leader is always your leader. You should ensure any path he charts is clear. What he (President) said was full of wisdom and hope . . . They should be conscious of themselves that though it’s left with two years for the President to end his tenure, once he is the leader of the party, he needs the protection of every party member. For the party, your leader is more important than anything else,” he advised the ruling party.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Mr Dramani said though the chances of the NDC regaining political power remained high, it would not be an easy battle.
He, therefore, asked the members and supporters to intensify campaigns for victory.
He said the Party needed loyal and committed members to reach out to and propagate the proven track records and achievements of the NDC to persuade the voting population at the grassroots.
Mr Dramani, now vying for the Deputy Constituency Organiser position in the Party’s impending branch elections, said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had failed Ghanaians and was unable to fulfil the majority of its 2020 election promises.
This, he added, had provided an opportunity for the NDC to take advantage to intensify its campaign to make Ghanaians understand that “it is only the NDC that can alleviate their plight.”
Mr Dramani said: “We need a vibrant youth to lead the Party in the constituency not only to capture that seat from the NPP but also widen the presidential votes in the next general election.”
He appealed to supporters to contribute their quota to help rebuild and strengthen the Party to recapture power from the NPP to better the lives of the ordinary people.
Deputy Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister, Mark Okraku Mantey, is among the few government appointees who has a totally divergent view on the recent incident where President Akufo-Addo was reportedly booed.
In interview on Accra-based Hitz FM, Okraku Mantey said he was at the Black Star Square for the Global Citizen Festival but did not hear any boos except cheers.
“I was there. Until I left there and came home the following day, I didn’t know he was booed. I didn’t hear the chants, the shouts. I didn’t hear all that.
“I was with the president, his family, the Accra Mayor and the security team throughout the event. The crowd was too huge that it could have happened on just one side,” he stated during the interview.
His views are contrary to the New Patriotic Party’s position that the boos and jeers were orchestrated by members of the opposition National Democratic Congress.
Member of Parliament for Adaklu, Governs Kwame Agbodza, referencing the deputy Minister’s view that he only heard cheers for the president asked whether that meant it was the NDC members at the venue who were cheering the president.
In a tweet dated September 28, Agbodza asked: “Oh this is a new twist… It means the NDC organised the ‘CHEERING’ ?
“If so, then I guess President Akufo Addo must thank the NDC and encourage them to do more cheering…,” he added.
If so, then I guess President Akufo Addo must thank the NDC and encourage them to do more cheering…????
Thousands of patrons were at the Black Star Square to witness the concert that had a number of local and international artistes performing.
As host of the event, the president was called upon to give his remarks, which happened to be a prepared speech that lasted over six minutes.
The booing happened when he started his speech saying: “The whole world is in Ghana today.”
What started initially as people showing their disapproval of his presence on the stage, turned into loud clapping and chanting of the words: “away, away…,” the president, however, stayed the course and delivered his full speech.
As if that was not enough, people on social media latched on to the development to mock the president.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has assured customers of Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) of its commitment to ensuring that the Company resolves technical anomaly regarding the purchase of electricity.
The Commission, in a statement, said it was closely monitoring the situation and was in full discussions with the service provider to address the issue.
The ECG on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, informed its customers on the Ecash and PNS metering systems that due to a technical challenge, purchase of electricity credit had been interrupted, affecting customers in Volta, Takoradi, Tema, Cape Coast, Kasoa, Winneba, Swedru, Koforidua, Nkawkaw, and Tafo.
The Company on Thursday, September 29, 2022, said that it was working to rectify the technical anomaly, which had affected the purchase of electricity.
It, therefore, urged customers in the Greater Accra, Central, Eastern, Western and Volta regions to visit the Company’s district offices to purchase electricity.
Meanwhile, some customers have described the incident as unfortunate and asked the PURC to direct ECG to compensate those affected.
Northern Regional Minister Shani Alhassan Sayibu says eight hospitals under Agenda 111 in the Northern Region are expected to be completed by December 2023.
He said the Region which is also benefiting from the construction of a psychiatric hospital, the first of its kind in the five regions of the Northern part will also be done at the same time.
The Minister said this when he addressed stakeholders at the maiden Northern Regional Coordinating Council meeting for 2022.
The council meeting is the highest decision-making body in the region, which meets periodically to review the progress of the various activities, projects and programmes in the region.
Alhaji Shani said construction works have started in most of the districts whilst others are yet to commence.
He named the beneficiary districts and municipalities under the Agenda 111 projects as Mion, Wulensi, Kpandai, Saboba, Kumbungu, Nanton, Savelugu and Sagnarigu.
On security, the Minister commended the various security agencies for their proactive interventions which he said have contributed to reducing crime and insecurity in the region.
“We experienced some incidences earlier in the year, relating to some robberies in Tamale and some parts of the region.
“The response of our security agencies especially in Tamale has contributed to dealing with crime to the barest minimum. The current police visibility in town and traffic intersections has been quite effective,” he said.
Alhaji Shani urged the citizenry to support security in the fight against crime.
“We expect the cooperation and support of the entire citizenry to maintain law and order throughout the region,” he added.
He also cautioned those who engaged in negative activities such as wrongful parking, petty trading and among others around the Tamale interchange to desist from those activities.
“The Metropolitan Assembly should fashion out measures to ensure sanity at all times around the interchange”.
He also urged residents to inculcate the habit of monitoring activities of everyone and report suspicious behaviour and activities so that the police can deal with crimes like kidnapping, killing, armed robbery, rituals and occultism among other vices in the region.
“It is also imperative that we give attention to looming threats of violent extremism which has engulfed our neighbouring countries and especially, Burkina Faso.”
In education, the Minister urged the various assemblies to pay attention to the current and yet-to-be-written examinations adding that the students should be motivated to give in their best.
Alhaji Shani also talked of roads being constructed in the region to improve transportation and economic activities.
Judges and Magistrates have lamented the non-payment of their allowances on time, disclosing that their allowances are in arrears for several months.
According to the President of the Association of Magistrates and Judges, Justice Henry Kwofie, these allowances form an important part of their conditions of services and called on the government to honour this obligation.
Speaking at an annual conference of Judges and Magistrates, Justice Henry Kwofie explained that at the alarming rate of hike in food prices, it is necessary for their allowances to be paid on time so that it is not devalued.
“As I speak I am told that the fuel allowances for the first quarter was released only last week to the judicial service…I think that this is very necessary and that the situation where we always have to fight. You will recall My Lords that even this year some previous allowances outstanding from last year were paid and that was because of the instrumentality of the Chief Justice.
“I think that situation is not acceptable, allowances are part of our remuneration and we are entitled to it and we must be paid and paid promptly especially taking into consideration the recent increases in the price of fuel and petroleum products,” he lamented.
Justice Henry Kwofie also raised concerns about some courts which are in a deplorable state across the country and called on government to fix them.
Although he acknowledged government’s effort being made toward the accommodation of Judges, Justice Henry Kwofie said more needs to be done with respect to Judges’ accommodation.
“We want to draw the attention of the authorities while carrying out this infrastructural development of the very deplorable situation of the Cape Coast court complex. The Association has decided that we will drum home this deplorable condition of the Cape Coast court complex.
“The Cape Coast court is not fit for the purpose for which it was built and something urgently needs to be done about the Cape Coast court because it is not even safe for the Judges and the staff who work in that building and there is also the issue of an abandon High Court complex in Wa,” he added.
Meanwhile, Chief Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah has charged judges to play a role in safeguarding the cyber rights of citizens and treat all who come before them equally under the law.
“Yours is to dispense justice and to uphold the rule of law irrespective of public clamour,” the Chief Justice urged.
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is now able to sell credit at its district offices after some disruption to its prepaid metering systems that left customers stranded.
Currently, customers in the Greater Accra, Central, Eastern, Western and Volta Regions can visit ECG district offices to purchase electricity.
ECG in a statement assured customers on its prepaid metering systems that its team “is working progressively to rectify the technical anomaly which affected the purchase of electricity.”
Some Electricity consumers have been counting their losses, with some saying their businesses have been affected negatively following their inability to purchase electricity.
Since Tuesday, ECG customers both domestic and commercial who have run out of power supply have not been able to make purchases due to what officials from ECG have referred to as a technical challenge.
Some ECG vending centres and offices were turning people looking for electricity away.
The National Communications Authority (NCA) has urged the Accra High Court to dismiss a suit seeking to stop the regulatory body from blocking the SIM cards of people who fail to register them with Ghana Cards by September 30, 2022.
The nine applicants wanted the court to put an injunction on the NCA on the basis that they had registered for Ghana Cards but were yet to get them from the National Identification Authority (NIA) in order to register their sims.
However, the NCA, in its affidavit in opposition filed Thursday, September 29, 2022 argues that the suit is incompetent because the Ghana Cards of the applicants were ready but they had failed to collect them from the NIA.
According to the NCA, a search conducted by the NIA upon request by the NCA, through its lawyer, Gary Nimako Marfo, revealed that the Ghana Cards of the applicants had been printed but they had failed to pick them up.
“It is clear that the applicants have been indolent and have not taken any positive steps to collect their Ghana Cards from the National Identification Authority,” the NCA argued.
It is also the case of the NCA that the suit was failed to invoke the jurisdiction of the court because the affidavit in support of the applicants’ case was not sworn before a commissioner of oath as required by the rules of court.
Reliefs
In their application filed on September 22, 2022, the applicants were seeking seven reliefs.
First, they sought a declaration that the impugned directive of the respondents requiring the applicants to re-register their mobile phone sim with the Ghana Card as the only identity document, at a time when the National Identification Authority had not been able to issue Ghana Cards to applicants, was in breach of Articles 21, 23 and 296 of the 1992 constitution of the Republic of Ghana, the National Communications Authority Act 2008 (Act 769), the Subscriber Identity Module Registration Regulation 2011 (LI 2006) and the National Identity Register Regulation 2012 (LI 2111) and so, to that extent, null and void.
Second, they wanted a declaration that the impugned directives of the respondents, on the use of the applicants’ mobile phone sim cards and network services, imposing punitive measures/sanctions commencing 5 September 2022, breach Articles 21, 23 and 296 of the 1992 constitution of the Republic of Ghana, the National Communications Authority Act 2008 (Act 769), the Subscriber Identity Module Registration Regulation 2011 (LI 2006) and the National Identity Register Regulation 2012 (LI 2111) and so, to that extent, were null and void.
Third, the applicants sought a declaration that the impugned directives of the respondents to applicants’ mobile telecommunication companies to block, disconnect, deactivate, churn and/or in any other way or manner limit the use of the applicants’ mobile phone sim cards and network services by 30 September 2022, at a time when there was no reasonable possibility of applicants receiving their Ghana Cards from the National Identification Authority on or before 30 September 2022 for the purpose of using the identity cards to register their sim cards, was unfair, unreasonable, contrary to law and to that extent, unenforceable.
The group says out of the 71 vacant positions with 116 applicants, no one from the Upper West Region was selected, although the applicant with the highest score in the exams conducted emerged from the region.
The caucus says eight of the shortlisted applicants from the region were disqualified because they lacked the needed knowledge on the management of district health directorates and epidemic outbreaks.
Describing the situation as unfair, the Secretary of the Upper West NDC Caucus in Parliament, Dr. Sebastian N. Sandaare called on the Ghana Health Service to audit the recruitment process to ensure regional balance.
“The Ghana Health Service is reminded of the duty to act fairly and reasonably in the exercise of its administrative authority, as contained in Article 23 of the 1992 constitution.”
“The Ghana Health Service is enjoined to prohibit discrimination and prejudice on grounds of places of origin,” the MP said.
Amidst the worsening economic conditions and government’s plan to secure an IMF support programme, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta is hopeful of a “Ghana miracle” to salvage the economy.
Addressing the media on the state of the Ghanaian economy on Wednesday, the Minister said, “the sanctity and the well-functioning of the financial system are sacrosanct” and the country’s economy can only revive with the support and trust of all Ghanaians.
Ken Ofori-Atta in his address was optimistic and likened the revival of the country’s economy to the great Celtic Miracle in Ireland in the 1980s when Ireland was one of Europe’s poorest economies and described as the “beggars of Europe“.
However, Ireland’s economic situation changed in the 1990s and its economy recorded an impressive average growth rate.
This is the miracle Ken Ofori-Atta is hoping will materialise in the country’s economy.
“The sanctity and the well-functioning of the financial system are sacrosanct and we need the support and trust of all Ghanaians to deliver this. Let us join hands to get this done.
“The great Celtic Miracle in Ireland in the 1980s was the result of such collaborations, especially with Labour and we shall also be blessed with the Ghana Miracle,” the Minister said.
Meanwhile, the government in a bid to revive the economy has announced a 5-Member Committee consisting of prominent financial services professionals to lead extensive stakeholder engagements across all the key segments of the financial sector – banking, asset, management, pensions, and insurance – as part of moves to protect the financial system.
This is coming following the probability that the nation may undertake a debt restructuring programme.
The announcement of the Committee Members is expected to be made in the coming days.
According to Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, the committee will immediately get to work to engage key stakeholders in the financial services sector, additional to ongoing engagements with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), social partners (labour unions, employers, and FBOs), academia, industry professionals, and the leadership of Parliament.
This, he says, is government ambition to protect the financial sector.
The CEO of Danadams Pharmaceuticals Industry (Ghana) Limited, Dr Yaw Adu-Gyamfi, is at the Criminal Court in Accra over alleged fraud and forgery in his dealings with the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID).
The former President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) is also set to lose his properties including the Danpong Medical Centre and Head Office of Danpong Health Group among others.
According to court documents available to Myjoyonline, Danadams is said to have taken a loan using documents the Bank describes as “forged” as a prerequisite for the facility.
Loan request for anti-retroviral and anti-malaria drugs production
According to the EBID, by a Loan Agreement (No. 0078/AP/LA/BIDC/05/2013) dated 21st May 2013, it approved a loan facility of US$9,417,600.00 to Danadams for the production of anti-retroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS patients in the entire ECOWAS region.
“The loan facility was secured by two legal mortgages dated 4th August 2014, in respect of Dr Yaw Adu Gyamfi’s properties he made available to EBID for the payment of the principal amount, interest and other charges covenanted to be paid by Danadams to EBID in the event of a default on the loan facility.
“It was also secured by a legal charge created by Danadams in EBID’s favour in respect of equipment alleged by Dr Adu Gyamfi to be purchased by Danadams with the resources of the loan facility from an Indian Supplier.
According to EBID, “It was also an express term of the Loan Agreement that Danadams should open an escrow account with a reputable bank in Ghana to be funded with an amount of US$340,000.00 (representing one maturity in principal and interest) as a condition precedent for EBID’s disbursement of the first tranche of the loan in the sum of $6,020,840.00.
The Bank explained that this was “In order to induce EBID to disburse the first tranche of the loan, Dr Adu Gyamfi delivered to the Bank a letter dated 31st July 2014, purporting to emanate from the Royal Bank of Ghana, advising EBID of the opening of the escrow account and also assuring EBID that the account had been funded with the initial amount of US$340,000.00 as stipulated in the Loan Agreement. (This fraudulent letter is attached as ‘Appendix A’).”
It added, “Dr Adu Gyamfi also delivered to us a horde of official documents, including customs documents, purporting to show that Danadams had pre-financed the purchase of the equipment from the Indian company in the total sum of $6,020,840.00 through swift transfers made through Royal Bank of Ghana.”
“On the basis of the foregoing, and/or acting on the faith of these representations and induced thereby, EBID disbursed the first tranche to Danadams’ account with SG SSB Bank Ltd, Accra, the total sum of $6,020,840.00 on 14th January 2015, which Dr Adu Gyamfi acknowledged by a letter dated 15th April 2015.”
However, EBID said it later came to know that “The letter dated 31st July 2014, which Dr Adu Gyamfi presented to advise EBID about the opening of an escrow account was not issued by the Royal Bank of Ghana as he made us to believe. On the contrary, it was an elaborate forgery he created by cloning Royal Bank’s official stationary and also forging the signatures of the Bank’s officials on it.
“A supervision mission to the Royal Bank of Ghana conducted by EBID officials before disbursement of the second tranche of the facility revealed that even though the escrow account (No.1410310748215) was truly opened by Danadams with the Royal Bank, it was not funded with the sum of $340,000.00. It was during this mission that the Royal Bank delivered to EBID the actual letter they issued to Danadams which was not delivered to EBID.”
According to the Bank, “After the fraud had been detected, the Royal Bank issued a letter dated May 11, 2016, to Dr Adu-Gyamfi disassociating itself from his fraudulent activities and threatening to take legal action to purge their image.
“Swift payments delivered to EBID by Dr Adu Gyamfi as evidence of the purchase of equipment from the Indian Company were elaborate forgeries manufactured by him.”
The EBID further said, “Customs Declaration Forms delivered to EBID by Dr Adu Gyamfi as evidence of the importation of the equipment were fake or forgeries.
“Notwithstanding that he had executed or created a legal mortgage over his properties to secure Danadam’s repayment obligations to EBID, Dr Adu Gyamfi subsequently used the same property to secure Danadam’s repayment obligations to Royal Bank under a different facility in the sum of GH¢7 million from Royal Bank.”
The Bank said Dr Yaw Adu Gyamfi diverted the proceeds of the loan to other purposes other than for the purchase of the equipment, including paying off existing liabilities he and his company owed to SG-SSB Bank and other creditors.
Royal Bank distances itself from support letter
In its defence in a court document sighted by Joy News, the third defendant (The Royal Bank) – now defunct – told the Commercial Division (6) of the High Court in Accra that, “the first defendant (Danadams Pharmaceuticals) acting by the second defendant (Dr Yaw Adu-Gyamfi) approached them for a facility to construct a facility for the production of Anti-Retroviral and Anti-malaria drugs in Ghana.”
Under the terms of the facility, Danadams was expressly required to open an escrow account with a reputable bank in Ghana to be funded with an amount of $340,000 (representing one maturity in principal and interest) as a condition precedent for EBID’s disbursement of the facility.
In order to induce EBID to make disbursement of the loan, Dr Adu Gyamfi allegedly delivered to the Bank a letter dated July 31, 2014, purporting to emanate from the Royal Bank of Ghana, advising EBID of the opening of the escrow account and assuring EBID that the account had been funded with the initial amount of $340,000 as stipulated in the Loan Agreement.
According to the Royal Bank, on May 11, 2016, a delegation from EBID visited it “to enquire about the creation of an escrow account opened in the joint names of the Plaintiff and first defendant.
The Royal Bank “confirmed to the said delegation that indeed at the request of the first defendant, the escrow account has been opened but the same has not been funded. It was at this meeting that the delegation produced a letter dated July 31, 2014, allegedly coming from the third defendant and confirming that the same had been funded in the sum of $340,000.”
It further told the court that “on reading the content of the said letter produced by the delegation from EBID, third defendant noticed that the said letter was completely different in form and content from the one the third defendant wrote to the first defendant in relation to the opening of the escrow account.
“Third defendant avers that indeed the letter was produced by the delegation of EBID purporting to be coming from the third defendant in relation to the escrow account was complete forgery for the following reasons;
“(a) the letterhead on which the said letter was written was a complete forgery as the same was different from the normal letterhead used by the third defendant
(b) the letter written by the third defendant did not include the sentence “in addition, we write to confirm that an amount of $340,000 has been deposited in the Escrow Account Number 1410310310748215
(c) the characters in the terms of font etc are completely different from the ones written by the third defendant
(d) the signatures of the third defendant’s Head of Business Banking and Advisory Services was obviously forged as it is completely different from that of the said official of the third defendant
(e) the letter written by the third defendant to the first defendant was not copied to anybody but the which was produced by the delegation of EBID was actually copied to the President of the Plaintiff.
According to the Royal Bank, “they did not only deny the authorship of the said forged letter to the delegation of the plaintiff but the third defendant also wrote a letter dated 11 May 2016 seeking to know from the first defendant the source of the said letter as the same did not emanate from the third defendant. The said letter was copied to the plaintiff.
“…instead of the first defendant responding to the letter dated 11 May 2016, as aforementioned, the second defendant rather chose to respond by a WhatsApp message in which he referred to the forgery as a mistake and apologised to the third defendant for the wrongdoing.”
The Royal Bank also said apart from the WhatsApp message, “the first defendant also sent their lawyer namely Peter Dadzie” to its offices to “plead with the third defendant not to send to the Plaintiff, the Plaintiff’s copy of the letter aforementioned but this request was turned down.”
The Royal Bank, therefore, was surprised that EBID added it to the suit.
Reaction from Danadams
In documents to the Court 2020 sighted by Myjoyonline, Dr Yaw Adu Agyei Gyamfi “pleaded not guilty to all the charges.”
“A reading of the charge sheetwill confirm that the prosecution itself concedes that the basis of this whole prosecution is a loan agreement which Danadams as a Company secured and has defaulted in paying and that EBID as a bank is only using the criminal prosecution to frustrate and tarnish the hard-earned reputation of Dr Yaw Adu Agyei Gyamfi when at all times material EBID is much aware that the issue is a civil matter.
“It is not in doubt that Danadams Pharmaceuticals Limited secured the loan facility from EBID, it is also not in doubt that there has been a default on the part of Danadams Pharmaceuticals Limited. We wish to state emphatically that Dr Yaw Adu Agyei Gyamfi is innocent of the offences he has been charged with and that his prosecution is only a carefully crafted attempt to tarnish his hard-earned reputation.”
Judicial Service writes to Police Service
On July 12, the Judicial Secretary wrote to the Director General of the Police Legal Directorate asking it to help EBID to start the attachment process as granted in a judgement by the Court.
The Judicial Service explained that this was to “forestall any breach of peace that may arise, it will be greatly appreciated if you could detail armed Policemen to assist the Officers to execute the Writ.”
The Police Legal Directorate in return wrote to the regional Commander to assist EBID to carry out the process of attachment of the first and second defendants’ property.
