TIG Post

Author: Phoebe Martekie Doku

  • Man battles for his life after falling from Tamale Interchange

    It is suspected that a man attempted suicide but miraculously survived the incident with life-threatening injuries.

    In less than a minute video sighted by MyNewsGh.com, the man who many suspect is mentally deranged is seen jumping from a height of the interchange amidst creams from residents and landing on the floor.

    He, however, did not die and was rushed to the Tamale Central Hospital for treatment, according to some onlookers who wondered what the motivation for the act was.

    Police in Tamale confirmed the incident to MyNewsGh.com and disclosed that they are investigating the matter and have yet to take a statement from the man who has yet to be identified.

    In April this year, residents raised concerns about how pedestrians, especially schoolchildren, have turned the dual-carriage interchange into a walkway and playground.

    Although members of the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TaMA) task force are sometimes deployed to the interchange and surrounding areas to ensure order, the situation returns immediately after they close from work.

    Background

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on March 29, 2022, commissioned the first-ever Tamale Interchange Project under the Sinohydro deal.

    The Northern Region benefitted from the 2 billion dollar loan and a grant from the Chinese government meant to develop the country, which was used to construct the interchange in the ancient town of Tamale.

    The project was one of the promises of the Akufo-Addo-led government under the Master Project Support Agreement (MPSA) between the Government of Ghana (GOG) and the $2 billion Sinohydro Corporation Company of China.

    The Tamale interchange is about one kilometre long and links Kumasi Road through Point 7, Central Taxi Rank, Central Market intersection with Melcom Road and Bolgatanga Road.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Churches hold prayer meeting over Krobo, ECG stand-off

    A coalition of religious bodies under the auspices of the municipal council of churches in Yilo and Lower Manya Krobo in Eastern Region has been formed to mediate the impasse between the Electricity Company of Ghana and Krobo residents.

    The mediation committee was formed by religious organizations in the two municipalities after noticing division among traditional and political leadership in Krobo land on the matter and lack of trust between the feuding parties ECG and the Krobo residents.

    Members of the Coalition of Religious Bodies mediation committee are Apostle Samuel Gakpetor, Agormanya Area Head of The Church of Pentecost (Chairman), Chairman of Dangme-Tongu Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana ,Rev. Abraham Okai is Secretary)m to the committee.

    Other members are Rev. Dr. Stephen Ohipeni Narh, Rev. Father Moses Huadji, Rev. Stephen Narteh, Rev. Joshua Akanyork, Alhaji Innusah (Chief Imam).

    The terms of reference for the mediation committee is to among other things work as neutral arbiters, ensure compromises to facilitate resolution processes taken into consideration the interest of the nation and Kroboland, and ensure peace and tranquility in the municipality.

    At a prayer meeting attended by Church leaders in the two municipalities Sunday evening of August 28,2022 at Zimmermann Presbyterian Church, the chairman of the mediation committee Apostle Samuel Gakpetor briefed the church leaders on the work done so far by the committee constituted on August 7,2022 .

    According to him, the committee has met all Ministers of the gospel in the two municipalities to unite the Pastorate front to support the committee. They have also had engagements with traditional rulers, political leadership including Eastern Regional Minister Seth Kwame Acheampong, influential individuals, various groups in Krobo area and visited victims of the recent military brutality.

    The mediation committee is expected to meet management of ECG, military high Command, and possibly hold durbar in Nuaso and Kpongunor communities.

    Rev. Abraham Okai, Secretary to the committee appealed for withdrawal of the armed military personnel to deescalate the tension in the community to facilitate mediation.

    The impasse between ECG and Krobo residents has existed for many years and led to deadly clashes.

    In a renewed feud, ECG cut power supply to the Yilo and Manya Krobo area on July 27,2022 after residents resisted prepaid meter installation and allegedly tampered with transformers.

    However, power was restored on August 19,2022 with exclusion of Nuaso community.The military invaded the community brutalised and shot some residents over alleged provocative attacks

    Source: Graphiconline

  • Immigration officer lands in trouble for allegedly defiling two girls aged 9,10

    The Asankrangwa Magistrates Court in the Amenfi West municipality of the Western Region has remanded a senior officer of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Elorm Tsekpor into police custody.

    The 50-year-old has been arrested for allegedly defiling two girls aged nine and 10 respectively at Newtown, a suburb of Asankrangwa.

    According to reports, the event happened in June of this year, but the suspect was brought before the court last Thursday on a bench warrant that the court had issued the previous week after he failed to appear.

    The court presided over by Mr. Augustine Fiifi Donfu, rejected a demanded that the suspect be sent to the Tarkwa Circuit Court, because the lacked the necessary jurisdiction to hear the case.

    It was the case of the prosecution, Police Inspector Appiah Bimpong, that Tsekpo who has been with the GIS since 1999 was currently stationed at the District Immigration Office, Asankrangwa in the Amenfi West municipality of the Western Region.

    According to him, the suspect resides in the same house with the victims and it had been alleged that on occasions, he organised parties for the victims and other children within the Newtown neighbourhood.

    Inspector Bimpong said that in July this year, one of the victims (the 10-year-old) fell sick and was not recovering after several medications. When her mother inspected her private parts, she suspected someone had had sexual intercourse with her.

    This prompted the father to further question the daughter, at which time the victim revealed that somewhere in June this year, the accused sent one Christiana to call her and the other victim (the 9-year-old) to collect gifts in his room, and there, Tsekpor had sexual intercourse with them.

    Later, the prosecution said the accused warned the two victims not to inform anyone about the affairs or else he will flee Asankragwa if they failed to keep the secret.

    Again, the father of the victim (aged 10), Mr. John Kofi Opoku, also conferred with the mother of the victim (aged 9) and upon interrogation, the victim confirmed the matter.

    “The parents jointly reported the case to the Asankrangwa police station and medical forms were issued for the victims to be taken to the hospital for examination and endorsement,” Inspector Bimpong stated.

  • 15% COLA hits workers accounts

    Workers across the country have started receiving the monthly 15 per cent Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) agreed upon between the government and Organised Labour.

    The Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) credited workers‘ account with the allowance on Monday, August 29, 2022.

    The July 2022 arrears and that of August 2022 were paid together.

    The total amount paid for COLA for the two months is about GH¢485million, Graphic Online has gathered.

    The government and Organised Labour agreed for the allowance, to be paid at a rate of 15 per cent of base pay and to take effect from July 1, 2022.

    The negotiations between the government side and Organised Labour concluded on Thursday, July 14, 2022.

    Organised Labour had initially demanded a 20 per cent COLA but it was slashed by five per cent to 15 per cent.

    Workers in the educational sector for instance embarked on an industrial action on July 4, 2022 in relation to the COLA.

    Source: Graphiconline

  • Oyerepa FM resolves impasse with Kumasi Traditional Council over Odike comment

    The impasse between the Kumasi Traditional Council and Oyerapa FM over remarks made on their airwaves by Akwasi Addae, Odike, the founder of the United Progressive Party (UPP), has been settled.

    On Monday, the radio station’s managers together with clerics from the Methodist and Presbyterian churches visited Manhyia Palace to render an apology. They were accompanied by clerics from the Methodist and Presbyterian churches.

    After deliberations, an apology from managers of Oyerepa FM was accepted by the chiefs. This implies that the radio station can now resume its operations after it suspended it last Friday.

    Founder of United Progressive Party (UPP) and businessman, Akwasi Addae Odike had made some comments on a radio discussion programme on Oyerepa FM.

    The chiefs saw that as an attack on their integrity and said Odike was inciting the youth against the chiefs.

    Following from that, managers of the radio station attended a Kumasi Traditional Council meeting last Thursday to apologise for allowing their airwaves to be used by Odike for those comments.

    But the chiefs said the posture of the radio station was not indicative of a show of remorse and therefore advised the managers to retreat, show remorse by suspending operations, and approach the council on Monday with a meaningful apology.

    Also at the Manhyia Palace to meet the Kumasi Traditional Council over the issue was the leadership of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).

    more to follow …

  • Gender Ministry winning fight against human trafficking – Minister

    A lot has been accomplished, according to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), in terms of the recovery and punishment of those involved in human trafficking and unauthorized immigration.

    The MoGCSP asserted that, the number of investigations increased from 87 in 2020 to 108 in 2021.

    Similarly to this, the overall prosecutions went from 13 to 22, while the total victims went from 587 to 831.

    This was disclosed last Wednesday by the MoGCSP’s designate minister, Lariba Zuweira Abudu, at the beginning of a three-day training session for law enforcement officials in Kumasi on counter-trafficking and irregular migration.

    Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring, trading or receipt of persons within and across national borders by the use of threats, force or other forms of coercion, abduction and fraud among others.

    Capacity building

    The three-day workshop was held in collaboration with Expertise France, with financial support from the European Union (EU) on the theme: “Combating human trafficking and irregular migration in Ghana”, and aimed at equipping officers to effectively implement the Human Traffic Act 2005 (Act 694).

    The beneficiaries, drawn from across the country, were trained in human rights issues, victim identification, rescue operation, victim protection, investigation, building dockets, among others, to bring them to speed on modern ways in handling human-trafficking issues.

    They were selected from the Ghana Revenue Authority-Customs Division, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Immigration Service and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).

    Madam Abudu said the feats were made possible through regular education, law enforcement and awareness creation.

    Monitoring

    For his part, the Project Manager, Expertise France, Serge Akpalou, said throughout the year, monitoring visits were conducted across the country and its borders to understand the state of affairs on the menace and to effectively tackle the issue at hand.

    He said so far, over 375 officers had been trained and 80 other officers had also benefited from an advanced level training programme.

  • 188 Vocational centres register with CTVET

    188 TVET institutions and training centers have been registered by the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET).

    52 of the registered training centers are state institutions, while the other 136 are private.

    Meanwhile, six have been given provisional clearance, 14 have obtained conditional approval, while the rest are full approval.

    Regional breakdown

    The Greater Accra Region has the highest number of training centres and institutions, topping all with 65, while the Ashanti Region follows with 36 institutions.

    The Eastern and Northern regions presented 21 institutions each, while the Central Region posted 13 institutions.

    The Volta and Western have 12 each, while Western North, Upper West and Upper East have two each and the Ahafo, Bono and Bono East regions together have two institutions.

    Levels

    All the registered institutions are running one or more of four levels: National Proficiency One, National Proficiency Two, National Certificate One and National Certificate Two.

    One hundred and seventy-six of the institutions offer the National Proficiency One, while 128 of them are running the National Proficiency Two.

    Fifty-six of the institutions are running programmes at the National Certificate One level, while 16 have programmes for the National Certificate Two level.

    Programmes offered

    The institutions are all offering job-tailored programmes such as Fashion Design Technology, Catering and Hospitality Management, Garment Making, Furniture Works, Welding and Fabrication, Building Construction Technology and Cosmetology.

    Some significantly new courses and high demanding skills are now being offered in some of the institutions.

    Some of these programmes include Computer Database Administration; Consumer Electronics; Biodigester Construction; Block Laying & Tilling; Automotive Engineering Technology; Electronic Installation; Plumbing & Gas Fitting Technology and Computer Networking system.

    Provisional, conditional approval

    Speaking on the registration, the Head of Corporate Affairs of CTVET, Albert Opare, explained that the provisional and conditional approvals were used interchangeably by the Accreditation Committee of the commission.

    “It means that the institution seeking accreditation has been approved to implement competency-based training (CBT) programmes for one year and is expected to rectify some deficiencies in the application submitted to enable the institution to meet the minimum standards required for the grant of full accreditation within the one-year provisional or conditional accreditation,” he explained.

    He added that the institution “loses the provisional accreditation” if it failed to meet the minimum standards required within the one year.

    Full approval

    Mr Opare explained that a full accreditation meant that the institution had met all the minimum standards required for accreditation and had no deficiencies to rectify in the application submitted.

    He added that the full accreditation was granted for five years after which the institution was required to renew it.

    Four levels

    Mr Opare said some of the institutions were running all the four courses and mentioned them to include the Tamale Technical University, Dabokpa Technical Institute and Modern Star Integrated School, all in Tamale in the Northern Region; Fr Dogli Memorial Technical Institute, New Agona and Kpando Technical Institute, both in the Volta Region.

    Others are the Tema Technical Institute, Tema; the Accra Technical Training Centre, Accra Institute of Technical and the National Vocational Training Institute, all in the Greater Accra Region; the Kumasi Tropical Institute of Agriculture and the Kumasi Technical Institute, both in the Ashanti Region.

    The rest are the Kumasi Vocational Training Institute, Ashanti Region; the University College of Agriculture and Environmental Studies, Bunso in the Eastern Region, and the Takoradi Technical Institute in the Western Region.

    Source: Graphiconline

  • 11 Illegal tourism businesses closed down

    The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has terminated 11 hospitality businesses in Accra that were operating illegally.

    This was the result of a compliance enforcement initiative the GTA undertook to record all tourism enterprise operators and streamline them as recognized firms within the tourism industry.

    The exercise comes after the authority gave notice on May 30, 2022, requesting that all tourism enterprise operators have their businesses properly registered and licensed by the GTA in accordance with the applicable law, as stated in section 25 (2) of the tourism Act 2011. (Act 817).

    The Act requires all tourism enterprises such as hotels, event centres, pubs, night clubs, movie houses, guest houses and spas, entertainment centres, tour companies, car rentals, travel agencies, etc. to be registered and licensed by the GTA so that it can regulate and standardise the operations of these businesses.

    During its compliance tour last Thursday ,August 25, officials of the GTA found out that some businesses were operating without licences and thus closed and locked those facilities.

    Facilities

    These closed-down tourism facilities include Gold 7 Guest house, Luna Gardens, WoodCote Guest house and Kleine Park Event Centre.

    Others are Akorli’s Inn Restaurant, Akorli’s Hotel, The Catfish Grill, Adziban Fast Food, Eduanipa, The Cencor Venue and Safcal Lodge.

    Illegal operations

    The Director of Corporate Affairs at the GTA, Jones Aruna Nelson, said there were many such enterprise operators who did not have the right documentation to legally operate.

    He explained that the aim of the exercise was to bring all tourism enterprise operators into their records and streamline them as recognised businesses under the tourism industry.

    The authority is mandated to regulate the activities of these enterprises and make sure they are operating within the standards set, conduct inspection as well as register and give licences.

    “We do not intend to destroy their businesses. As much as possible, we operate with the private sector. There is a public-private partnership and so we just want to come together and make sure everyone is working within the standards” Mr Nelson intimated.

    He also indicated that those were steps that would help coordinate the activities of the tourism industry to promote growth and strengthen partnerships.

    In addition to that, all registered enterprises are required to pay a one per cent levy to the GTA.

    Regulation, safety

    Mr Nelson said that was to allow the authority to come to the aid of any enterprise that might find itself in a stifle.

    “If you are operating without our notice and something happens to your client, we will not be able to help you.

    “Once you are recognised in our books as a registered tourism enterprise and paying the one per cent levy alongside your licence fee, we are able to come to your aid in any situation,” he said

    Mr Nelson, therefore, encouraged operators who had not been licensed to visit the GTA head office or the regional offices to have their business registered.

  • I didnt interfere with transfer of Customs officer – Asenso-Boakye

    The Minister of Works and Housing,Francis Asenso-Boakye, has refuted accusations that he meddled in the transfer of one Adubufour, a Customs officer stationed at the Tema Harbour, despite a disciplinary committee’s recommendation.

    Recently, Captain Smart, the host of the “Maakye” morning show on an Accra-based Onua TV, stated that, Mr. Asenso-Boakye was involved in the transfer in relation to a matter concerning Ghana Revenue Authority and a Ghanaian company and a Ghanaian firm, Labianca Company Limited (GRA).

    In a statement, Mr Asenso-Boakye explained that sometime in 2018, when he was a Deputy Chief of Staffat the Office of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, he received a phone call from some elders of his local community, Bantama in Kumasi.

    He explained that the elders informed him of a proposed transfer of Mr. Adubufour, who felt that he was unfairly targeted for the dutiful performance of his functions as a Customs officer.

    Mr Asenso-Boakye said he called the then Customs Boss to ascertain the veracity of the claim who denied that any such transfer was being considered.

    Feedback

    “I conveyed this feedback to the elders and took no further interest in the matter. At no time in the course of my conversation with the Customs Boss or Captain Smart was I made aware of any disciplinary committee recommendation to transfer Mr. Adubofuor as was stated on by Captain Smart on his TV programme” he added.

    He insisted that neither did he exert any undue influence on the Customs Boss to maintain Mr. Adubofour, “an authority I simply did not have, even if indeed, he was to be transferred”.

    Lawyers

    Mr Asenso-Boakye said in light of the above, he had instructed his lawyers to write to Captain Smart demanding retraction and apology and expressed the hope that would be done with dispatch and given equal prominence as with the false assertion made on his show”.

    “At all times in the discharge of my duties to our beloved country, I have operated with the highest standards of ethics and integrity and in full compliance with the law,” Mr Asenso-Boakye added.

    “The claims made by Captain Smart are false and without merit, and as a journalist, I was expecting him to conduct his work with the highest standard of integrity and truthfulness, much as is expected of all public servants and anyone seeking to promote good governance in the national interest,” he asserted.

    Source: Graphiconline

  • Police impound cocoa fertilizers allegedly diverted to Ashanti Region

    More than 500 bags of fertilizer intended for cocoa farmers were seized by police in the Ashanti Region.

    According to reports, the fertilizers were transported from Goaso in the Ahafo Region to the Ashanti Region.

    Citi News understands the consignment was seized by officers at the Kenyase District Police Command in the Kwabre East Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

    According to sources, police upon a tip-off on Friday, August 26, 2022 followed up and confiscated the items and kept them at a shop at Achiase-Jamasi near Kenyase.

    Information available to Citi News also indicates that one person whose name was given as Shaibu Amadu a 42-year-old was arrested by the police to assist in investigations.

    Sources claim that the suspect was later given a police inquiry bail and instructed to report to the police so they can continue their inquiries with him.

    The fertilizers are currently in the custody of the Kenyase District Police Command as investigations continue into the matter.

  • Don’t blame others for your failures – John Jinapor to Akufo-Addo

    President Akufo-Addo when he met chiefs in the Yapei-Kusawgu area last week when he visited the Savanna Region MP said their MP, John Jinapor when he was deputy minister of Power was unable to connect some 17 communities to the national electricity grid and was also not able to help establish a Senior High school in the area.

    Reacting to President Akufo-Addo’s comment, John Jinapor enquired from the President when he will fulfil his campaign promise of creating a new district out of the Central Gonja District and the establishment of a new Senior High school in the Kusawgu area.

    Mr Jinapor said, President Akufo-Addo instead of answering the constituents when he was going to fulfil his campaign promise, “rather chose to throw wild and flippant allegations against me, John Abdulai Jinapor, for what he described as my inability to connect some 17 communities to the national electricity grid. As if that was not enough, he proceeded to accuse me of not helping to establish the Senior High school that he, President Akufo-Addo promised.”

    In a post on Facebook, the Yapei-Kusawgu legislator asked President Akufo-Addo to “crosscheck his facts in future before seeking to deceive the citizenry with concocted, unsubstantiated, and fabricated allegations.”

    Exposing the fabrications of a non-performing president

    During the recent visit of President Akufo-Addo to the Savannah Region, the chiefs of the Yapei-Kusawgu Constituency sought to enquire from the President when he will fulfil his campaign promises of creating a new district out of the Central Gonja District and the establishment of a new Senior High school in the Kusawgu area.

    In response, President Akuffo-Addo rather chose to throw wild and flippant allegations against me, John Abdulai Jinapor, for what he described as my inability to connect some 17 communities to the national electricity grid. As if that was not enough, he proceeded to accuse me of not helping to establish the Senior High school that he, President Akufo-Addo promised.

    For the record, when I was appointed Deputy Minister for Energy and Petroleum, the Yapei-Kusawgu Constituency had only 4 towns connected to the national grid (i.e., Buipe, Yapei, Sankpala and Kusawgu).

    By dint of hard work, the constituency currently has about 100 communities connected to the national grid as part of an aggressive national electrification programme under the John Mahama NDC administration.

    So, Mr. President, if we have only 17 towns yet to be connected to the national grid, the critical question you should answer is what have you done so far to complement what you inherited? You cannot be sleeping on the job and blame others for your own failures.

    More importantly, at national level, the NDC Government expanded access to electricity from 50% to 83.24%. This can be confirmed in Paragraph 463 of the 2017 budget as presented by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta: “Under rural electrification, 1,212 communities were connected to the national grid, increasing the national electricity access rate from 80.5 percent to 83.24 percent”.

    President Akufo-Addo since assuming office and despite receiving over GH¢20 billion in ESLA Revenues, has only increased the access rate by a paltry 3%— from 83.24% to 86.63% as captured under Paragraph 810 of the 2022 budget: “In pursuit of H.E. The President’s aspiration to achieve universal coverage of electricity by 2024, a total of 162 communities were connected to the national grid thereby increasing the national electricity access rate from 85.17 percent in 2020 to 86.63 percent in 2021.”

    On the education front, President Mahama can be credited for the provision of three (3) Senior High Schools (Buipe Senior High, Buipe Technical and Mpaha Senior High) in the Yapei-Kusawgu Constituency.

    It is an undeniable fact that under the leadership of President Mahama, the Yapei-Kusawgu witnessed the commencement and commissioning of the Buipe Cement Factory and the Sheanut Processing factory not to mention the ultramodern Buipe District Hospital.

    Unfortunately, under President Akuffo-Addo, the Sheanut factory has been grossly mismanaged and run-down for some time now. No wonder he conveniently refused to visit Buipe, the district capital of the Central Gonja District.

    For someone who failed to provide portable drinking water for his own people as Minister and MP, until President Mahama provided portable water for the people of Kyebi, the least President Akufo-Addo can do is to acknowledge the good works of his predecessor.

    I wish to entreat President Akufo-Addo to crosscheck his facts in future before seeking to deceive the citizenry with concocted, unsubstantiated, and fabricated allegations.

    Ghanaians are indeed suffering under the abysmal performance of the Nana and Bawumia government and the least they can expect from this non-performing government is to be truthful and honest with the facts.

    Source: Graphiconline

  • NAM1 has a service passport, he is protected Captain Smart alleges

    Renowned journalist, Blessed Godsbrain Smart, popularly known as Captain Smart, has advised Menzgold Ghana Limited customers who lost their funds after the company was closed down, to give up on seeking justice.

    He asserted that the customers would not receive their money back because the Menzgold CEO, Nana Appiah Mensah, also known as NAM1, who is currently facing charges for operating unlawfully, is being shielded by those at the helm of affairs.

    In light of this, he added that, he is not surprised that the Economic and Organized Crime Office‘s (EOCO) Executive Director, COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, is alleged to have said that there is insufficient evidence to convict NAM1 of any crime.

    “EOCO said there is no evidence to take NAM1 to court for the court to prosecute and sentence him. What have I been telling you? I have told you guys that the Menzgold customers are not going to get their money back.

    “NAM1 will never be jailed. He is not going to be imprisoned for even three days. NAM1 is enjoying whatever he is enjoying. NAM1 is protected. EOCO is saying there are not enough laws in Ghana to take NAM1 to court. So, how did the Bank of Ghana close down MenzGold,” he said in Twi in an Onua TV interview monitored by GhanaWeb.

    He added that “NAM1 has indefinite vice to the UK and the US and also has easy access to Singapore. So, anything in his case becomes difficult, he travels out of the country. Who gave such a criminal a service passport? Service passports are given to government officials and anyone working for the government. Who gave NAM1 a service passport? He is protected.”

    Captain Smart further stated that even if the Office of the Special Prosecutor investigates NAM1, nothing can be done to him.

     

  • Anne Sophie Eve has been made a permanent citizen in Ghana – Stonebwoy

    Dancehall artiste, Stonebwoy, has announced that the outgoing French Ambassador, Anne Sophie Eve, has been made a permanent citizen of Ghana.

    This was disclosed at a farewell celebration held in Accra after the ambassador to Ghana had served her four-year term in office.

    Bola Ray and Stonebwoy were among the numerous Ghanaian superstars who attended the farewell celebration.

    In a tweet shared by Bola Ray, Stonebwoy is captured announcing that Anne Sophie Eve has been made a permanent Ghanaian and also thanked her for the love she has shown the Ghanaian music industry.

    “…Bola Ray says I should break the news on behalf of her excellency Anne Sophie Eve has been made a permanent citizen of Ghana,” he said.

    Other celebrities who showed up at her send-off party also included Kwame Eugene, Stacy Amoateng, Kalsume Sinare, and husband, among others.

     

     

  • Illegal connection: ECG disconnects Boomerang night club

    The Boomerang night club in Accra no longer receives electricity from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

    The ECG has ordered the management of the night club to appear before its project office in Accra.

    The action by the ECG comes after it discovered that a hostel connected to the nightclub was using roughly 25 air conditioners, refrigerators, and other electrical appliances through manipulated ECG meters.

    The hostel, owned by the night club, is occupied by Nigerians.

    The illegality was detected by the ECG revenue mobilisation task force as part of efforts to check metre conditions in the country.

    The managers of the night club admitted to the illegality, blaming it on the complex nature of dealing with the power distributing company.

     

  • Foreign Minister leads delegation to TICAD conference

    The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey arrived in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia on Friday for the two-day 8th Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD 8).

    The Minister, who is representing President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is leading a Ghana team that includes Hon. Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten, Minister for Trade and Industry, Hon. John Kumah, Deputy Minister for Finance and senior officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Finance, Trade and Industry and Roads and Highways.

    TICAD 8 will address Sustainable and inclusive growth, realizing sustainable and resilient society, and Building sustainable peace and stability.

    A Business Forum involving business executives from Africa and Japan is expected to provide opportunities for investments and trade cooperation. Ghanaian executives are participating in the Forum.

    As part of the visit, the Ghana delegation will sign with Japanese officials two grant agreements for infrastructure projects to be funded by Japan. In addition, bilateral talks will be held with JETRO and JICA as well as with a number of leading Japanese firms.

    The Foreign Minister will also hold bilateral talks with a number of Foreign Ministers and other officials.

    In a statement, Hon. Ayorkor Botchwey noted the timeliness of the TICAD conference as African countries rededicate to efforts to build resilient economies beyond aid. She stressed the need to forge a new development cooperation consistent with the ambitions of the African people for peace and prosperity.

    Ghana is expected to take the opportunity to advocate for the required higher-quality collaboration with Japan and other development partners.

    Source:kasapafmonline

  • I knew I wouldn’t pass, so I skipped getting my BECE results – Obaapa Christy

    Ghanaian gospel musician Obaapa Christy has revealed that she did not go for her Basic Education Certificate Examination(BECE) results because she was confident she wouldn’t do well.

    In an interview with Rainbow Radio’s mid-morning show, the gospel minister admitted she wasn’t a good student and that she was aware from the outset she wouldn’t excel in her BECE.

    “However, I have come to discover that education is important. You need a positive mindset to succeed. If I had that positive mindset, I think I would have made it. But it is not too late. I will be going back to school. It is not too late to go back to school.”

    She told Sokoohemaa Kukua that, despite her lack of higher education, God has used her to touch lives, transform homes, and bring joy to many others through her powerful songs.

    “If God had blessed people because of their higher education, I would not be where I am today. God gave me something, and that is what I have done all these years.”

    Obaapa Christy, who is celebrating 20 years in the industry, expressed gratitude to God for bringing her this far.

    The musician also revealed Mathematics and drawing were her best subjects.

    “Mathematics was my best subject because God knew I would be wealthy and be counting money,” she said amidst laughter.

     

     

     

  • Father shares his loss as his daughter drowns while livestreaming on Facebook

    The father of a Kenyan woman who drowned in a swimming pool in Canada while livestreaming on Facebook has spoken of his family’s loss.

    Hellen Wendy Nyabuto could be seen in a video struggling to stay afloat after diving into the deep end of the pool last week.
    The 23-year-old health worker, who lived in Toronto, had earlier responded to comments from viewers before resuming her swim.
    Her body was spotted hours later at the bottom of the pool.

    According to her brother, she drowned in Collingwood, Ontario, the town where she worked.
    Her father Nyabuto John Kiyondi, 56 told CNN from his home in Kenya: “I watched that video. I cried. It is terrible.”
    “She communicated with me two days before she perished. She sounded very fine and I was very happy. She promised me a phone. I didn’t feel anything abnormal,” he said.

    Nyabuto lived with her younger brother Enock in an apartment in Toronto and worked part-time as a health worker while studying nursing, her family said.
    “She has been in Canada for about three years,” Enock, who is one of her five sibling said.
    “All the financial responsibilities (of their family in Kenya) were on her,” he added.

    ‘Back to square one’
    Wendy’s father, a smallholder farmer in Kisii, southwest Kenya, said he is “back to square one” now that his daughter is gone.
    “She was assisting me financially to educate her siblings, particularly in terms of school fees and other expenses. I’m stuck now and back to square one. I’m wondering how her younger siblings will continue schooling,” Kiyondi told CNN.

    All he now wants is his daughter’s body returned to Kenya.
    “According to our tradition, one is supposed to be buried where he or she was born. I’ll not feel comfortable, psychologically, if my daughter is buried away from Kenya,” he said.
    Repatriating Wendy’s body will take a toll on her family’s meager resources and Enock said they’ve started a GoFundMe campaign to raise 50,000 Canadian dollars (around $38,000) to help with her burial costs.
    “The family is going through a rough time now. All we want is for her body to be transported back home for burial,” he said.

    Source: CNN

  • Government wont discriminate with development – Akufo-Addo

    President Akufo-Addo has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to distribute development equitably across the country.

    He said the government would continue to pursue such policy amid the difficulties to affect all of the Ghanaian society without discrimination.

    He, therefore, charged the citizenry to remain resolute and continue to support the government to deliver on its mandate.

    President Akufo-Addo said this when he addressed a durbar of chiefs and people at Yapei in the Central Gonja District to wrap up his two-day tour of the Savannah Region.

    He said all the programmes and interventions that the government had rolled out were meant to benefit every citizen of the land without discrimination.

    He urged the people, particularly the youth, to take advantage of the interventions initiated by the government to improve their livelihood and lives.

    Commendation

    The Paramount Chief of the Kusawgu Traditional Area, Kusawguwura Alhassan Soale Bonyanso II, in a speech read for him by the Chief of Yapei, Yapeiwura A.B.T. Zakaria, lauded the government for initiating a number of projects that were impacting positively on the lives of the people in the area.

    He, however, appealed to the government to consider expanding the Kusawgu water project to Yapei to provide potable water for the people.

    Road projects

    Earlier, the President paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of the Wasipe Traditional Area, Wasipewura Mumuni Kabasagya, at his palace in Daboya, the Central Gonja District capital.

    He indicated that roads in Daboya township roads and other major road projects in the district had been awarded on contract, and that work was expected to commence on them soon.

    Aside from the new projects on contract, President Akufo-Addo said, “a total of 24 road projects have been completed, and 135 projects were ongoing in the region”.

    Bridge

    On the delayed construction of the Daboya Bridge, he reiterated the government’s commitment to construct the bridge over the White Volta to serve as an alternative route for travellers from the north to the south, and from the Savannah Region to the Upper West Region.

    “The bridge over Daboya is going to be done, and I am confident that when I come back next year, it would have been done,” he assured the people.

    In 2017, the government announced the construction of a bridge over the White Volta at Daboya to link the Northern Region to the Savannah Region.

    When constructed, the 300-metre-long bridge, spanning the White Volta River, will be a critical link in the commercial and everyday life of people in the eastern parts of northern Ghana.

    However, since the announcement, nothing has been done about it.

    Appeal

    Wasipewura Kabasagya noted “We are reaping benefits from your road projects. Although the road projects have not been completed, vehicles can now move in the district and food crops are no longer wasting away on the farms. Market women are also able to go about their businesses”.

    He also appealed to the government to absorb a newly established college of education in the area into the public system and provide it with the resources and infrastructure to expand to accommodate and train teachers.

    Before ending his tour of the Savanna Region yesterday[August 25, 2022], President Akufo-Addo inspected some ongoing Agenda 111 hospital projects and road infrastructure also under construction.

    Source: Graphiconline

  • Police Service launches enhanced visibility policing strategy

    The Ghana Police Service has launched a community-based policing strategy that will foster collaboration between personnel of the service and local authorities to enforce law, order and security in metropolises, municipalities and districts across the country.

    Such collaboration will also enable the public to identify, prioritise and address pertinent issues of crime in their various communities.

    Dubbed: “Enhanced visibility and community policing strategy”, the plan will build on past community policing experiences to enhance police operations.

    The police will also intensify day and night patrols within small defined areas in various police districts and establish good relations, rapport and trust with residents of those areas.

    Also, district police commanders, who will be the main drivers of the strategy, will be required to develop security and crime prevention plans with stakeholders in their respective jurisdictions.

    Visibility

    The Director-General of the National Patrol Department of the Ghana Police Service, Commissioner of Police (COP) Paul Manly Awini, who launched the strategy document in Accra yesterday, said the plan would not only increase police visibility in communities but also ensure that personnel worked more in collaboration with opinion leaders and state agencies to sustain law and order in those areas.

    He said over the past decade, the community policing concept had made a significant contribution to the fight against crime in the country, hence the need to further enrich the concept and make it more effective.

    “It has become necessary to increase police visibility in zones where the fear of crime still exists and where crime and anti-social behaviour affect the daily lives of members of the public,” COP Awini said.

    The strategy, he said, integrated key elements of a community crime fighting and removal of fear of crime initiative, adding: “The launch of this strategy comes at a time when the Police Administration is making efforts to transform the law enforcement agency and make communities safer for the people.”

    It would also enhance crime prevention campaigns, in partnership with neighbourhood watch committees, residents associations, community protection assistants and other stakeholders, he said.

    COP Awini further said strategies developed by stakeholders at MMDAs would become their road map, an important element of local police accountability.

    Commendation

    The D-G commended consultants and the technical working group for their efforts at producing the final document for the implementation of the strategy.

    He also expressed gratitude to the German Development Agency (GIZ) for providing support and expertise for the Police Service for the development of the strategy.

    COP Awini urged the public to support the police in making the strategy effective, saying: “Security is a shared responsibility between the police and members of the public.”


    Source: Graphiconline

  • Bernard Avles wife to be buried on September 8

    Justine Avle, wife of celebrated broadcaster Bernard Avle, will be buried on September 8 at a private ceremony.

    The pre-burial service will take place at the Cedar Mountain Chapel, Assemblies of God at East Legon while there will be no wake keeping.

    A thanksgiving ceremony will then be held on Sunday, September 11 at the Makarious Cathedral at East Legon Hills.

    This is according to the details of a funeral arrangement sighted by GhanaWeb.

    Background

    Justine Avle died on the evening of Wednesday, August 3, 2022 at the age of 40.

    She died after a short illness.

    Many social media users expressed their heartfelt condolences to Bernard Avle following the shocking news, praying for strength for the journalist.

    The couple had four children at the time of her death.

    Bernard Avle is the General Manager of Citi FM and host of the Citi Breakfast Show on Citi FM, as well as the Point of View Show on Citi TV.

    Whenever he is talks about his wife on air, Bernard always referred to her as his biggest inspiration.

    Below is the details of the funeral arrangement

     

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Ghana is a lovely country – French Ambassador to Ghana

    Anne Sophie Avé, the outgoing French Ambassador to Ghana has stated that she had a great stay in Ghana.

    Avé, also known as “Nana Benneh III,” recently took the throne as the Nkosuohemaa (development queen) of Tain in the Bono Region, stated that Ghana is a beautiful nation.

    Speaking on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Wednesday, 24 August, Sophie Avé said Ghana is in a position to generate more money from the tourism industry.

    “I will remember Ghana as a place that I spent the best four years of my life. A country with amazingly talented people and while I am leaving, I still have a property here.

    “There is not a single way to achieve development, but the more Ghanaians understand that tourism is a business that they can benefit from… the better it will place them for national development,” she said.

    The outgoing French ambassador wants Ghanaians to be proud of telling the Ghanaian story.

    “When you are proud of your country and your heritage then you will broadcast it,” she said. “You will want to push it there and it is important that Ghanaians have pride in their heritage inculcated in them.”

  • One dead in a ghastly crash involving a fuel tanker

    On Wednesday, August 24, 2022,  a terrible accident in at Anhwiaso in the Adansi North District of the Ashanti Region claimed the life of one person.

    The incident involved a Nissan Versa car and Howo Fuel tanker truck.

    According to the Ghana National Fire Service, it received a report of the incident at about 04:09 PM on Wednesday.

    Officers dispatched to the scene retrieved the body of the driver of the Nissan Salon car, who lost his life in the crash.

    The GNFS urged motorists to avoid acts that can lead to accidents.
    “Motorists are hereby cautioned to be extra cautious on the road and avoid overspeeding, drunk driving, wrongful overtaking and careless driving to prevent road crashes,” the GNFS said.

    A video from the scene shows the mangled salon car being extricated by the fire officers amidst a crowd of bystanders.

  • Police on manhunt for Odikes attackers

    The Ashanti regional Police Command is on a manhunt for persons who attacked the office the founder of the United Progressive Party, Akwasi Addai also known as Odike.

    Some unidentified men on Monday, August 22, 2022, attacked Odike, and vandalised his regional party office at Pataase, in Kumasi.

    Glass doors, vehicles, a TV, and chairs were damaged at Odike’s office, according to the Regional Command that sent officers to the area after the incident.

     

    They did not only fire gunshots indiscriminately into the office but also at two cars parked in front of the office.

    The well-built men numbering about three, who stormed the office with a taxi cab, also smashed the windscreen of one of the cars in front of the office.

    One of the party members, who was in a meeting with Odike at the time of the attack, also sustained bruises on his face from the gunmen’s brutality.

    The culprits drove off after they demanded the whereabouts of Odike but could not find him.

  • Ghana records increase in human trafficking

    The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection‘s Human Trafficking Secretariat has revealed that in 2021 there were 831 human trafficking victims in Ghana as opposed to 587 the year before.

    According to the Ministry, the number of prosecutions grew from 13 in 2020 as compared to 22 last year, while the number of investigations increased from 87 in 2020 to 108 in 2021.

    The sector Deputy Minister, Madam Lariba Zuleira Abudu, who was speaking at the commencement of a capacity-building training program at Fumesua, in the Ashanti Region’s Ejisu Municipality, said government’s aim is to end the problem.

    Human trafficking, she said, was a global canker, therefore, stakeholders ought to work together to identify and deal with the issue head-on.

    The three-day programme has been put together by the Ministry in collaboration with the European Union (EU) and Expertise France, an international agency, to deepen the knowledge of security agencies on human trafficking and irregular migration.

    It would discuss topics on human rights issues, victim identification, rescue operations, victim protection and investigations, amongst others.

    Madam Abudu, who is also the Minister-designate for Gender, Children and Social protection, said the training had been designed to equip the law enforcement agencies to effectively implement the Human Trafficking Act 2005 (Act 694).

    She indicated that a National Plan of Action had been launched to deal decisively with human trafficking issues in all their forms.

    The Plan, according to her, had been structured in a way to whip up public understanding of the complexity of human trafficking and irregular migration.

    This is expected to improve the detections, investigations and prosecutions of suspected human traffickers and smugglers.

    Mr. Serge Akpalou, an official of Expertise France, said the COVID-19 pandemic and global economic recession had further exacerbated human trafficking.

    Therefore, the French International Agency would not relent working with stakeholders to address the issue.

    Chief Superintendent Mike Baah, of the National Headquarters, Ghana Police Service, urged the participants to take the training programme seriously to reduce to the barest minimum the incidence of human trafficking.

  • 12 busted over communal clashes in Gbalo, Kukpong, Sagong communities

    The police as part of an intelligence-led operation on August 24, 2022,  have detained 12 people for involving in the Gbalo,  Kukpong and Sagong communal clashes.

    The suspects are Sulemana A. Mumuni, Salifu Abdulai, Sulemana Seidu, Alidu Mukaila, Adam Naaba, Alhassan Nasona, Bawah Yakubu Ibn Mohammed and Bawah Salisu.

    The rest are Imoro Bomah, Imoro Karim, Adams Nasona and Abdulai Yussif.

    On 25th July 2022, the Gbalo and Kukpong and Sagong communities in the Chereponi District of the North-East Region.

    16 homes were burned down during the fights that took place a month ago, and several animals were also lost. However, the prompt action of the police helped to save lives and bring calm back to the affected neighborhoods.

    The police administration has commended the North-East Regional Police Commander, DCOP Mr Moses Ali Kpeachi and his team for their efforts in restoring calm and gathering intelligence leading to the arrest of the key suspects behind the clashes.

    The suspects will be arraigned today.

    The police urged citizens to choose dialogue rather than violence in resolving differences.

     

  • Labianca gate: Your response is a ‘lame attempt at damage control’ Lawyer tells Labianca

    Labianca Company Limited‘s reaction to the Special Prosecutor‘s findings has been criticized by private attorney Saviour Kudze, as a weak attempt at damage control.

    According to the lawyer, the response issued by the company was not from the lawyers of the Company and thereby questioning the basis for which Labianca Group Limited paid the ¢1.074 million after the report emerged.

    “This is a lame attempt at damage control because reading the statement which they issued, the statement, let me say was not issued by their lawyers but was issued by the Company with the intention of asking their lawyers to take the matter up,” Saviour Kudze said in an interview on Joy FM, Wednesday, August 24.

    He, however, argued that the reason for payment is that “they had agreed that there was some wrongdoing that is why they had to pay the money.

    “They themselves alluded to the fact that they appeared before the Special Prosecutor during the investigation and during the investigations of course if you had evidence in support of your case you would have made it available before the Special prosecutor.”

    The lawyer noted that the only legitimate claim Labianca’s statement is the “fact that they were not furnished with the Special Prosecutors report at a point in time.”

    Labianca in a statement issued on Wednesday, August 24, threatened to take legal action against the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) for issuing an influence-peddling report against it.

    The Company said, “we take the findings of the Office of the Special Prosecutor seriously and have consequently instructed our lawyers to take the necessary action on this matter.”

    Background

    The OSP in a recent report noted that it had recovered GH¢1.074 million from Labianca, owned by Eunice Jacqueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh, an elected member of the Council of State representing the Western Region.

    The amount represented a shortfall in import duties the frozen foods company paid to the state.

    In an investigative report by the OSP, Ms Asomah-Hinneh was accused of influence-peddling by allegedly using her position as a member of the Council of State and member of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to get a favourable decision from the Customs Division for her company.

    The investigative report, dated August 3, 2022, is titled: “Report of Investigation into Alleged Commission of Corruption and Corruption-Related Offences involving Labianca Group of Companies and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority.”

  • ‘No Military Base or Camp has been set ablaze’ – Ghana Armed Forces

    The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has rejected media reportage that a military base or camp in the Dormaa West District of the Bono Region has been set ablaze by some angry youth of the area.

    According to GAF, the facility that was set ablaze is an accommodation facility under construction to house the Military Detachment and a shelter for Forestry Commission staff.

    “No Military Base or Camp has been set ablaze,” GAF said in a statement signed by the Director of Public Relations, Naval Captain, Michael Addo Larbi.

    The statement added that “at the time of the incident, there were no military personnel at the location and it was the Police that successfully brought the situation under control.

    “It must be noted that the Military Detachment is yet to be permanently deployed to that particular location as part of Operation Halt I, to curb the illegal logging and lumbering which has been on the ascendency in the Region.”

    GAF, however, assured the public that it would put in “all measures to prevent and also take the appropriate action at its disposal to deal with any miscreant or any other person who would even attempt to burn down any military or national asset, facility or installation.”

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Meghan’s new claim is ‘a smack at Harry and a punch to the Royal Family’

    Royal commentator Angela Levin has lashed out at Meghan Markle after the Duchess claimed she didn’t “ever remember personally feeling the negative connotation behind the word ambitious until I started dating my now husband”.

    Angela said that the Royal Family is about ambition “in sense of duty and giving” and not “about getting to the top”.

    “The royal author continued: “She thought it was normal to be ambitious and only when she started dating Harry did she realise that it was not welcomed.”

    “My goodness, that is a smack at Harry and a punch to the Royal Family. Harry told her about life in the Royal Family, but she obviously did not want to listen,” said the commentator.

    Ms Levin also blasted Meghan for her claim in the podcast that she had to go on another royal engagement in South Africa after she heard there was a fire in Archie’s room.

    Taking to twitter on Wednesday, Levin wrote: Meghan outraged that she had to go on another royal engagement in S. Africa after she heard there was a fire in baby Archie’s room. Nasty to hear but as an actress doesn’t she know the show must go on. Luckily he wasn’t there but odd it was never leaked to the press.”

    Source: Geonews

  • 431 Ghanaians in the UAE risk deportation over expired documents

    Due to expired travel permits, 431 Ghanaians living in the United Arab Emirates who were scheduled for deportation have been imprisoned in Dubai as they wait for assistance from government.

    A representative for the inmates, Francis Frimpong asserted that they were duped by Ghanaian travel and tour companies, who pledged to offer them lucrative job opportunities and others.

    Mr. Frimpong said among them include breastfeeding mothers, who have been held at the Airport under harsh conditions.

    Nearly all of them, according to him, were persuaded to travel to the Gulf country in search of greener pastures, but the travel firms who processed their paperwork failed to uphold their end of the bargain after receiving hefty processing costs.

    “We were first sent to the deportation centre where they said there was an aircraft ready to lift us home but it was not true. They later sent us to their Immigration service head office and then we were detained.

    “All we do for some months now is bath and sleep because we are not allowed to go out. Many of us have fallen ill but we are not allowed to go out. Some fresh mothers have just given birth among us and their condition is deteriorating,” he complained.

    According to him, after contacting the Consulate General of the Republic of Ghana in the UAE, they were promised government intervention but that is yet to be realized as they continue to endure the hardship in detention.

    “The Consulate promised they will support us and get our return tickets to Ghana but that is in limbo. We have not heard anything from the Consulate after making such promise,” he bemoaned.

    Mr. Frimpong managed to reach Crime Check Foundation (CCF) to channel their grievances to the Ghanaian authorities to come to their rescue as soon as possible to avert the worsening of their predicament.

    He used the opportunity to advise prospective migrants to obtain the right documents from trustworthy sources and be wary of mouth-watering offers from Travel Agencies, but this will later land them in troubling situations as they find themselves.

    “We were promised that when we get here, the employers would extend the visa for us but it was not true. Jobs here are difficult to get and so anybody promising you good jobs is lying to you. Stay in Ghana and work,” he said.

    However, in its effort to ascertain the facts of the issue, the Consulate declined to comment when CCF contacted it.

     

  • The corrupt and the lying ones will kill you KKD reveals advice his father gave him

    Veteran broadcaster, Kwasi Kyei Darkwah (KKD) has stated that even though the outcome could result in his killing, his father has urged him to continue speak the truth against the government .

    KKD, who has criticized the administration in recent days over claims of nepotism, cronyism, conflicts of interest, and corruption stated that some people have called his elderly father to voice their displeasure with him regarding his criticisms of the government.

    “When they told me, I said to them that my son Kwasi Kyei is only a womaniser and women like him, but he is truthful. They are calling me from all over. Kwasi, what have you said?” KKD revealed his conversation with his father on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, edition of Joy News’ morning show.

    He asserted that his father requested videos of his statements from him after receiving such complaints in order to evaluate.

    “Please, if you would like for me to say a word of advice to my son, start by sending me the facts of the matter. So send me what he actually said. Don’t send me commentary because, in the Darkwah family, we don’t comment on commentary,” KKD recounted the words of his father.

    On how his father reacted to the reports and the complaints, KKD said his father warned him that his criticism against the government might lead to him being killed but urged him not to relent.

    “So they sent my father the video, and he looked at the video and said, ‘Kwasi, I’ve watched your video three times. Kwasi Kyei, my beloved son, they will kill you. The corrupt and the liars hate people who speak the truth; they will kill you. But what you said is the truth so continue,” KKD recalled the conversation with his father some four days ago.

    KKD has been accusing members of the current government of enriching themselves at the expense of the state and the citizens, among other things.

    He has taken on the minister for finance and one of his deputies, who he alleges have been embroiled in a conflict of interest.

    According to KKD, the minister and his deputy have their companies serving as financial and transaction advisers to the government, thus making gains even when the state borrows.

    He has noted that such a situation calls into question the finance minister’s motive whenever the country borrows money.

     

     

  • 12-year-old girl granted admission into University

    A JSS1 kid, Miss Jessica Okonye has been granted ‘admission’ as an auditor student into the Admiralty University of Nigeria, Ibusa, Delta state.

    Miss Okonye’s ‘admission’ came after she was discovered to be exceptionally brilliant by Professor (Chief) John Alizor, a retired American university professor.

    How it all started

    She was said to have startled the retired Professor at a shop where she served as an intern. The man promptly took interest in her and started mentoring her.

    This culminated in the professor giving her academic assignments and then the eventual ‘auditorship admission.’

    Before she was offered admission, she interacted with the leadership of the university, who were said to find her academic abilities to be very satisfactory.

    Young Ghanaian disc jockey DJ Switch has chalked another milestone in life after starting high school in the United States.

    The 14-year-old has been admitted into Chaminade College Preparatory, a prestigious school in Los Angeles.

    DJ Switch shared photos from her first day in school as she was warmly welcomed by her classmates who were mostly whites.

    Source: Yen.com

     

  • NASA reveals what a black hole 200 million light-years away sounds like

    Blackholes may still be one of the great mysteries of space, but at least scientists now know what they sound like.

    On Sunday, NASA tweeted a 34-second audio clip featuring the sound of a black hole located 200 million light-years away.

    “The misconception that there is no sound inspace originates because most space is a ~vacuum, providing no way for sound waves to travel,” the agency said in a post on its NASA Exoplanets Twitter page.

    “A galaxy cluster has so much gas that we’ve picked up actual sound,” they wrote. “Here it’s amplified, and mixed with other data, to hear a black hole!”

    The post quickly went viral, garnering more than 429,000 likes and 101,000 retweets on the platform.

    Many on social media shared their differing opinions on the sound featured in the clip, which many described as being eery.

    “I’m not religious, but I’m starting to think that those souls sent to Hell actually end up in a black hole,” wrote one user. “Sound ON to be horrified.”

    Added another: “Everyone keeps talking about how scary this sounds but genuinely to me it just sounds like the song it makes. Everything vibrates and has a hum to it, she’s just singing to us.”

    According to NASA, the black hole is located at the center of the Perseus galaxy, located 240 million light-years from Earth.

    Scientists have known since 2003 that the area is filled with sound after pressure waves sent out by the black hole “caused ripples in the cluster’s hot gas that could be translated into a note,” the agency said in a news release from May.

    But the note was one that the human ear can’t pick up, NASA explained, which is why they used technology to interpret the sound.

    Source: People.com

  • Sylvester Stallone covers up tattoo of his wife with ink of late dog, ‘Rocky’ Castmate, butkus

    The Rocky actor, 76, Sylvester Stallone recently added a tribute to his late dog butkus, who appeared in the movie and its sequel, on his bicep, covering a previous tattoo of his wife Jennifer Flavin‘s face.

    “Mr. Stallone intended to refresh the tattoo image of his wife Jennifer; however, the results were unsatisfactory and, unfortunately, unfixable,” Stallone’s publicist Michelle Bega told the Daily Mail after the outlet posted photos showing the actor’s tattoo coverup.

    She continued, “Mr. Stallone loves his family. The Stallones are presently filming a reality show together which will debut on Paramount+.”

    Stallone and Flavin celebrated their 25th anniversary in May, and marked the milestone occasion with respective Instagram tributes to each other.

    “Happy 25th anniversary to my amazing wife,” Stallone, 75, captioned a photo carousel of the pair. “There is not enough words to describe what this incredibly selfless dedicated, patient, woman has meant to our lives and I only wish they could be another 25! Thank you sweetheart!”

    In a post she has since deleted, Flavin, 53, wrote alongside her own snapshot collection, “Happy 25th wedding anniversary to us!  Thank you for always keeping me laughing, loving and protecting our beautiful family!”

    She concluded, “Our marriage keeps getting better every year! I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together!”

    Stallone’s new tattoo features a profile shot of the bullmastiff who died in 1981 from a heart attack, according to multiple outlets.

    Stallone has long professed his love for the canine, and in 2017, he posted a picture of his younger self and a puppy-dog Butkus on Instagram.

    At the time when the photo was taken in 1971, Stallone said he and the dog were “both thin, hungry and living in a flophouse above a subway stop.”

    In the post, he revealed he at one point had to sell the dog for $40 because he couldn’t afford to buy food.

    “After the screenplay for Rocky sold, and I could buy and buy him back, but the new owner knew I was desperate, and charged me $15,000 … He was worth every penny!” Stallone wrote.

    Source: People.com

  • Serena Williams shares sweet photo with daughter Olympia, bestie Meghan Markle

    Serena Williams turned her appearance on Meghan Markle‘s new podcast Archetypes into a family affair.

    On Tuesday, the tennis superstar, 40, shared a black-and-white photo on Instagram of her posing with her 4-year-old daughter Olympia and Markle, 41, while teasing her interview on Markle’s podcast.

    “I loved talking about so many important topics with my dear friend Meghan as her first guest on #archetypes for @spotify,” she captioned the snap. “It’s out now and worth the listen, especially if you’re ambitious ❤️”

    In the premiere episode, the duo discussed the double standard society sets for women who chase their dreams.

    In the opening of the episode, which dropped Tuesday, Markle said that the nuns of Immaculate Heart, the all-girls Catholic school in Los Angeles she attended from sixth through twelfth grades, always empowered the students to go after what they wanted.

    “This feminist ideology trickled down into nearly every aspect of my education. It’s probably safe to say into every aspect of my life,” she explained. “This message to me and my classmates was clear: our futures as young women were limitless. Ambition? That was the whole point!”

    “So I don’t remember ever personally feeling the negative connotation behind the word ‘ambitious’ until I started dating my now-husband,” she said.

    Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage

    Reflecting on life in the limelight as Prince Harry’s partner, she continued, “and apparently ambition is a terrible, terrible thing, for a woman that is — according to some. So, since I’ve felt the negativity behind it, it’s really hard to un-feel it. I can’t unsee it, either, in the millions of girls and women who make themselves smaller — so much smaller — on a regular basis.”

    Introducing Williams as “someone who embodies the spirit of ambition,” the two addressed the negative light society views ambitious women.

    “Often women are definitely put in these different boxes when we are ambitious or when we do have goals or when we reach our goals, it’s a negative connotation on how we reach the goals,” Williams said.

    Noting that the notion even applies to “little girls in a school room,” Markle pointed out that if a young girl “is ambitious or raises her hand more,” she’s likely to be labeled “bossy” because of her gender, to which Williams agreed.

    Markle and Williams first met at the Super Bowl in 2010 and immediately hit it off. They also appeared together at the 2014 Super Bowl, competing in DIRECTV’s Celebrity Beach Bowl. They played former NFL pros for the prize but made sure to make some time for fun on the sidelines.

    Since then, the Duchess of Sussex and Williams have supported each other, including Markle watching her friend play at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

    Source: People.com

  • Labianca ‘fights’ OSP over implicative report

    The management of La Bianca Company Limited has refuted claims that it obtained a custom advance ruling through “influence peddling or trading of influence,” noting that they have consistently obeyed the law when requesting advance rulings under the customs legislation.

    The company claims that it has not received any formal written documentation from the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) about its findings.

    “Over the years, the company has, in accordance with due process, applied for customs advance rulings under the Customs Act 2015 (Act 891). Indeed, over the years, the company has been tax compliant and has discharged all its obligations dutifully. Due to the nature of the operations of importers like us, the Ghana Revenue Authority, per Act 891, conducts periodic post clearance audits to determine possible undervaluation or overpayments of taxes,” a statement from management said in part.

    The statement added that they believe that report findings contradict their recollection of events and submissions made to the office.

    It further stated that the management takes the findings of the Office of the Special Prosecutor seriously and has consequently instructed lawyers to take the necessary action on this matter.

    “The Labianca management will abide by the laws of Ghana as they are committed to contributing their quota to national development.

    “As importers of quality frozen foods, we will always comply with the laws of Ghana. We are committed to contributing our quota to national development by investing right in our cold store infrastructure, and value chain, creating jobs, and paying taxes,” portions of the statement further said.

    Below is the statement

  • Conti-Katanga clash: KNUST student remanded for threatening to kill fellow student to pacify gods

    The Asokore Mampong Magistrate Court has remanded Elvis Nsiah, a Level 200 student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), into police custody for threatening to kill a fellow student to pacify gods.

    According to a tweet from the Ghana Police Service, his detention is related to the recent altercation on August 18 between students from Unity Hall, also known as Conti, and University Hall, also known as Katanga Hall.

    The police explained that, Elvis Nsiah allegedly threatened to stab five Conti Hall students and kill one other student in order to appease the gods.

    He is set to reappear before the court on August 30 while investigations continue into the distances on the KNUST campus

    “As part of the investigation into the rioting that occurred on the campus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, the Police have arrested suspect Elvis Nsiah, a level-200 student of university for the offence of threat of death.

    “The suspect is alleged to have threatened to stab five students of the Continental Hall of the university and kill one other student of the same hall to pacify what he refers to as the gods. The accused person was put before the Asokore Mampong Magistrate Court and has been remanded into police custody to reappear on 30th August, 2022. Meanwhile, the investigation is still ongoing to get all others involved in the rioting arrested to face justice,” the police tweeted.

    Background

    On the evening of August 18, there were violent scenes on the campus of KNUST as students of Unity Hall popularly known as Conti and University Hall popularly known as Katanga hall clashed.

    In an interview with Accra-based Asaase Radio, the University’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Dr. Daniel Norris Bekoe, explained that the attack was occasioned by a procession by Katanga Hall boys to mark their hall week celebration.

    According to him, when they got to Conti, the Katanga boys together with colleagues from Casely Hayford, Casford, from the University of Cape Coast; launched unprovoked attacks on the Conti hall residents.

    He narrated that the Conti Hall residents retreated, however, the Katangese continued their onslaught leading to the destruction of several properties.

    “Around 6:15 thereabout, the fellows of Katanga Hall including some alumni of the hall and their colleagues from Casely Hayford [Casford hall] in the University of Cape Coast were processing as part of the Katanga Hall week celebration. As part of the marching, they got to Unity Hall and then decided to launch an unprovoked attack on the fellows of Unity Hall. The students in Unity Hall decided to retreat and went into the hall and locked the gate but they decided to throw stones and ended up destroying 9 vehicles belonging to the hall fellows…(and) some staff of the hall,” Dr. Daniel Norris Bekoe said.

  • Customs bosses allegedly aided trucks under-declare goods, evade tax

    It has been disclosed that in October 2021, some senior officials within the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority assisted trucks in under-declaring goods and evading tax.

    A confidential letter by the then Deputy National Security Coordinator, Edward Asomani, in October 2021, indicated that Col. Kwadwo Damoah Commissioner of Customs Division of the GRA, ordered the release of some vehicles carrying commodities that had been impounded.

    The letter added that during the arrest, the traders called Col. Damoah to voice out their displeasure, subsequently, Kojo Bonsu, a Staff Officer to the Commissioner, then gave the detaining officer the order to release the trucks immediately.

    Col. Damoah has recently been in the news after a report by the Special Prosecutor implicated the office of the Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority in corruption-related acts involving Labianca Company Limited.

    The OSP recovered GH¢1.074 million from the Company owned by a Council of State member, Eunice Jacqueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh.

    The money was recovered as a shortfall of revenue arising from the issuance of the unlawful customs advance, meant to be duties paid to the state following the importation of the frozen foods.

    In the wake of the report, some Anti-Corruption groups called for sanctions against the Commissioner.

    Colonel Kwadwo Damoah, has described calls for sanctions against him over the report implicating his office in corruption-related acts as unfounded.

    Below is the full confidential statement by the National Security on the Tax Evasion

    1. Reports indicate that a Customs Intelligence team of the Customs—Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (CD-GRA) led by John Agbawu, with assistance from operatives of the Special Monitoring Team (SMT) of the National Intelligence Bureau, on 08/10/2021, intercepted and arrested two cargo trucks at DZORWULU traffic Light, near Fiesta Royale Hotel in Accra on suspicion of under-declaration and misdescription of goods.

    2. Gathered, the trucks, with registration numbers GW 6957 -13 and GT 8502 -16 from AFLAO, upon arrest, were escorted to the Customs Laboratory Division at Airport Roundabout for re-examination.

    3. It was revealed, after the re-examination, that a substantial number of goods in the trucks were undeclared and thus, no duties were paid on same. Kindly find attached the list of declared and undeclared goods in the trucks.

    4. It needs stating that, during the interception, the traders were discourteous towards the arresting officers, with one of them allegedly placing a to Col. DAMOAH, Commissioner of CD-GRA. Subsequently, AGBAWU received a call from one Kojo BONSU, Staff Officer to the Commissioner, instructing him to release the trucks unconditionally.

    5 Further, AGBAWU received another call from Adu KYEI, Deputy Commissioner of Operations, CD-GRA. who also gave similar instructions. Additionally, the trader who placed the call to Col, DAMOAH recorded the arresting officers on video, to be forwarded to him.

    6. Given the implications of this development, particularly those related to tax evasion, on the domestic revenue mobilization efforts of GRA, your outfit is urged to investigate the matter and update this Ministry accordingly.

    7. Your outfit is further urged to take necessary steps to prevent senior officials from undermining the work of customs officers at the various custom checkpoints across the country.

     

  • Kroboland: Nuaso town disconnected from power grid

    Power to Nuaso Old Town in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region has been cut off from the national grid by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

    The ECG’s action comes after some residents of the area allegedly threatened to pour hot and inflict cutlass wounds on the ECG and military officers should they fix the prepaid meters in the area.

    Per reports, the military men who were with the ECG officials retaliated by brutalizing the residents.

    According to the Public Relations Officer for ECG in the Tema Region, Sakyiwaa Mensah, power will only be restored when the residents consent to the installation of the prepaid meters.

    “We do not want a situation where we as a company would be piling on debt that we have not intended. This is how we operate in every other place.”

    “As we are not getting to do that [install the metres], before this outage, as part of the road map, we had said if you do not want the prepaid metres, we will disconnect you from the grid,” she said.

    Meanwhile, the Assembly Member for Nuaso Electoral Area in the Eastern Region, Samuel Torgbor, says two persons are currently receiving treatment from injuries sustained yesterday.

    The Yilo and Manya Krobo municipalities were previously without power for almost a month because of the impasse with ECG over the installation of the meters.

  • Ewuraba Eesi wins best gospel song of the year award

    Ghanaian Gospel Singer, Angela Esi Saki-Kordah whose stage name is Ewuraba Eesi has been awarded the best gospel song of the year at the 610music Western Music Awards 2022.

    This is the singer’s second comeback to the WMAs and she made history.

    The category was filled with notable musicians making the category a keenly contested one.

    The ‘Gospel Shatta’ as she is affectionately known emerged as the winner with her hit song ‘the Grace’ featuring renowned Ghanaian musician Nero X.

    The song which was released alongside a captivating video will draw you closer to God upon giving a listening ear.

    The Grace is undoubtedly one of the well-produced gospel songs for the year under review. In terms of producing quality music videos, just like the official video for this song, Ewuraba Eesi and Nero X did not fail to sweep us off our feet with the aesthetic performance, scenery, and choreography in ‘The Grace’.

    With over 25k views on YouTube ‘The Grace’ has impacted lives and circumstances and still counting beyond measures. It has also on other digital platforms received a greater number of streams after its release a few months ago.

    The video was directed by popular video director Tyron Phlims and the song was produced by multiple award-winning producer JakeBeatz.

    The 2022 Western Music Awards which has over the years awarded artists and their hard work came off on Saturday, August 20 at the Best Plus Atlantic Hotel in Takoradi.

    The event witnessed spectacular performances from several music greats.

    Meanwhile, Mr Bright Ameyaw (the executive producer cum her husband) who received the award on behalf of the singer thanked God, the media, team Ewuraba Eesi, her royals, colleagues and fans, bloggers, promoters and the entire management for contributing to this win.

    In addition, Ewuraba Eesi’s rising success has transcended boundaries. She has carve out an enviable niche for herself as one of the few gospel artistes promoting and projecting Ghanaian gospel music across the globe.

    She is famously known for songs such, Gyinapintsin, Aseda, Perfect love, Afehyiapa, Do a dance for Jesus, Gina la Yesu, The Grace, et al.

    Source: Modernghana

     

  • Porn and indecency under Ghana law (Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29)

    Section 101A Definition of sexual exploitation
    (1) Sexual exploitation is the use of a person for sexual activity that causes or is likely to cause serious physical and emotional injury or in prostitution or pornography.
    (2) A person who sexually exploits (a) another person other than a child commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a term of imprisonment of not less than five years and not more than 25 years; or (b) another person who is a child commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a term of imprisonment of not less than seven years and not more than 25 years.

    Section 278 Gross indecency
    A person who publicly and willfully does a grossly indecent act commits a misdemeanour.

    Section 278A Immoral or indecent customs or practices, bereaved spouses
    A person who compels a bereaved spouse or a relative of that spouse to undergo a custom or practice that is immoral or grossly indecent in nature commits a misdemeanour.

    Section 282 Indecent inscriptions
    A person who affixes to, or inscribes on, a place or thing so as to be visible from a public place, or affixes to, or inscribes on, a public urinal, or delivers to a person in a public place, or exhibits to public view from a building, a picture or printed or written matter of an indecent or obscene nature, commits a criminal offence and is liable to a fine not exceeding twenty-five penalty units.

    Section 283 Getting others to do the acts punishable under section 282
    A person who gives or delivers to any other person a picture or printed or written matter mentioned in section 282 with the intent that it be affixed, inscribed, delivered or exhibited as mentioned in that section commits a criminal offence and is liable to a fine not exceeding twenty-five penalty units.
    Section 284 Advertisements as to venereal disease declared indecent
    (1) An advertisement relating to venereal disease, nervous debility, or any other complaint or infirmity arising from or relating to sexual intercourse, and an advertisement claiming aphrodisiac properties for a preparation is, for the purposes of this Act, of an indecent or obscene nature.
    (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to an advertisement relating to venereal disease published by or with the authority of the Minister responsible for Health.

    ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS ACT, 2008 (ACT 772)
    Section 136 Child pornography
    (1) A person who intentionally does any of the following acts (a) publishes child pornography through a computer; (b) produces or procures child pornography for the purpose of its publication through a computer system; or (c) possesses child pornography in a computer system or on a computer or electronic record storage medium, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than 25 penalty units or a term of imprisonment of not more than10 years or to both.
    (2) In this section—
    “child” means a person below 18 years;
    “child pornography” includes material that visually depicts (a) a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct; (b) a person who appears to be a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct; (c) images representing a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct; and (d) unauthorised images of nude children;
    “publish” means (a) distribute, transmit, disseminate, circulate, deliver, exhibit, lend for gain, exchange, barter, sell or offer for sale, let on hire or offer to let on hire, offer in any other way, or make available in any way; (b) have in possession or custody, or under control, for the purpose of doing an act referred to in paragraph (a); and (c) print, photograph, copy or make in any other manner whether of the same or of a different kind or nature to carry out an act referred to in paragraph (a).

    DEVELOPMENT AND CLASSIFICATION OF FILM ACT, 2016 (ACT 935)
    Section 20 Pornographic films
    The Board shall not approve for exhibition, a film which it considers to be pornographic.
    Section 28 Forfeiture of equipment
    (1) Where a person… (b) exhibits a pornographic film, the Board shall seize the film and the equipment used for the exhibition without limiting criminal proceedings that may be instituted against the exhibitor and apply to the High Court for forfeiture to the State of both the film and the equipment.
    (2) A seizure of the film and equipment is not a bar to any criminal proceedings that may be instituted against the exhibiter.

    POSTAL AND COURIER SERVICES REGULATORY COMMISSION ACT, 2003 (ACT 649)
    Section 29(1) Prohibition on sending certain articles by post or courier
    A person shall not send by post… (d) an indecent or a pornographic printing, painting, photograph, lithograph, engraving, book, card or any other indecent pornographic article in whatever form; [or][ (e) a postal article that bears on the cover of it words, marks or designs of an indecent, pornographic, scurrilous, threatening or grossly offensive character.

    DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana

    Source: By Ace Anan Ankomah via The Finder

  • Kenya 2022 elections: ‘I look forward to working with you’ – Akufo-Addo to William Ruto

    President Akufo-Addo has congratulated His Excellency William Ruto, for emerging winner in the 2022 Presidential elections in Kenya.

    Whilst congratulating President-elect Ruto on his victory, as well as the Kenyan people for “their fortitude and maturity”, President Akufo-Addo expressed his delight at the peaceful atmosphere in which the elections were held.

    “I am delighted that your long years of meritorious service as a stalwart politician in Kenya will be useful to you, as you take on the onerous responsibilities that come with your new office”, the President told his Kenyan counterpart.

    He noted that the success of the 2022 election is yet another milestone in the pursuit of “our common aspiration” for democratic governance, rule of law and the inclusive participation of Ghanaians and Kenyans in the governance process of the two countries on the continent.

    “I look forward to working with you to champion the cause of our continent, and to strengthen further the historical bonds of friendship and co-operation that happily exist between our two countries and peoples,” President Akufo-Addo added.

    At the time of filing this report, the following leaders have sent congratulatory messages.

    * Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopian Prime Minister

    * Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Somali President

    * Emmerson Mnangagwa, Zimbabwean President

    * Evariste Ndayishimiye, Burundian President

    * Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerian President

    * Yoweri Museveni, Ugandan President

    * Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzanian President

    * Cyril Ramaphosa, South African president

    * Lazarus Chakwera, Malawian President

    * Umaru Sisocco Embalo, Guinea-Bissau president

    * Paul Kagame, Rwandan President

     

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Stop creating artificial shortage COPEC to fuel retailers

    The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) is calling on the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to check the issue of artificial shortage at some fuel stations.

    This follows complaints from some motorists concerning the lack of petroleum products at some pumps in particular areas in Accra.

    In a Citi News interview, Head of Research at COPEC, Benjamin Nsiah noted that NPA must sanction the fuel stations that create artificial fuel shortages.

    “COPEC has already been mentioning this particular event to the authorities, specifically NPA to ensure that when prices are about to change, they visit some of these retail outlets to check their tanks and ensure that there are products available. If any retail outlet comes to say there are no products, it means it is an intention to create a shortage.”

    Mr. Nsiah further allayed all fears of fuel shortage, adding that there was enough stock in the system to last a month.

    “We believe that there is not going to be fuel shortage in the coming month. What we know is that there is enough fuel to serve the market.”

    Source: Citi News

  • Nduom marks 3 years after revocation of GN Bank’s licence

    The founder and president of Groupe Nduom, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom,  has marked three years after the revocation of the licence of GN Bank.

    According to him in a Facebook post, three years ago, he had a dream to create a reliable, well-regulated financial institution that would be present throughout Ghana, but that ambition was deferred.

    He said since the revocation of the licence, thousands of young men and women [who worked for him] remain at home. Hundreds of millions of his assets have been either lost, abandoned, destroyed or rotting away.

    Dr. Nduom further noted that 300 branches of GN Bank remain locked up, “yet, our faith remains strong.”

    In his consolation, the former flagbearer of the Progressive People’s Party, PPP, quoted Jeremiah 29: 11 to end his post. On the occasion of the third anniversary of the revocation, the renowned entrepreneur said, ”the unbanked remain unbanked, yet our faith remains strong”.

    “TODAY is three years since our dream to develop a safe and sound regulated financial institution present everywhere in Ghana was deferred. Thousands of young men and women remain at home. Hundreds of millions of assets have been lost, abandoned, destroyed or rotting away. 300 branches remain locked up. The unbanked remain unbanked. Yet, our faith remains strong.

    “I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29: 11,” Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom concluded.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Bawku killing: Police investigate killing of 3 persons by unknown assailants

    The Upper East Regional Police Command has begun investigations into the killing of three persons at Bawku by unknown assailants.

    On Tuesday, August 16, 2022, three people were shot dead close to the entrance of the Bawku Senior High School.  They were returning from Bolgatanga in a commercial vehicle.

    The deceased are; Fatawu Ibrahim, Bunyaminu Adam and Ibrahim Abdulai.

    Even though the cause of the killing is yet to be ascertained, it has been linked to the ethnic disturbances in Bawku.

    The driver of the vehicle who sustained a gunshot wound in the leg together with one passenger managed to flee to for their lives.

     

  • Bawku-Bolga road has become a ‘killing field’ – Adib Saani

    The Bawku-Bolga road is becoming a dangerous route to ply, this is according to Security Analyst, Adib Saani.

    According to him, gunmen constantly attack drivers in a bid to target persons believed to be aligned with factions in the Bawku conflict.

    In an interview with Ghanaweb, Mr Saani indicated that, the situation has become so bad such that, commercial vehicle drivers thoroughly vet passengers before allowing them onboard.

    He noted however that such preventive measures have not curbed the attacks, adding that even the presence of security checkpoints do not deter gunmen from carrying out their operations.

    His comment was in relation to the killing of three persons on the highway near the Bawku Senior High School.

    “That road especially near the Bawku Secondary School also called Highways has become so dangerous commercial drivers carefully vet passengers before allowing them to board their vehicles. Assailants are able to ambush commercial vehicles and execute marked persons with impunity.

    “These marked persons are usually thought to have ties to either side of the conflict. Despite the existence of a security checkpoint, they are still able to successfully stage these operations,” he wrote.

    Online news portal, graphic.com.gh reported that three people were shot dead on the highway near the Bawku Senior High School yesterday Tuesday, August 16 around 2 PM.

    The deceased names were given as Muniyamimu Ashimu, 47; Fatawu Ibrahim, 37 and Mmam Abduali Ibrahim, 43.

    They were shot while travelling on board a vehicle from Bolga to Bawku.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Adwoa Safo has returned to the United States – Aide

    Nana Dubin Kwapong, an aide to Sarah Adwoa Safo, has said that the troubled MP for Dome Kwabenya has left Ghana once more, contrary to rumors that she had returned after a long absence.

    According to him, the embattled MP will be back when Parliament reconvenes to serve the people of Dome Kwabenya.

    “As we speak, the Honourable Member of Parliament [for Dome Kwabenya] is not in the country, she has gone back to the States and will be back in the country when Parliament reconvenes,” Nana Dubin said in a Joy FM interview on Tuesday, August 16.

    Sarah Adwoa Safo was reported to have returned to the country before Parliament went on recess on July 28, 2022.

    A recent Facebook post by the dismissed Gender Minister left many wondering whether she is returning to the country or not.

    Sharing photos of herself in what appeared to be a private jet while looking excited with a cheerful smile, the MP quoted Psalm 23:5 in her caption, “You prepare a table before me, in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.”

    Political witch hunt

    The legislator earlier opened up about the ordeal she is facing in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

    According to her, she has become a victim of a sustained political witch hunt by certain elements in the NPP and in Parliament for their own parochial goals.

    She expressed shock about how she is being treated differently by people, including members of her party for staying away from official duty in order to attend to personal issues involving her child.

    She said she had sacrificed a lot including her family for NPP but she is now being described as a traitor, “and there are schemes to oust me from my position as MP and Minister.”

    Dismissal from Office as a minister of state

    President Akufo-Addo relieved the MP of her ministerial position after staying outside the country for nearly a year amid calls from critics to get her axed.

    A letter signed by Eugene Arhin, Director of Communications at the Presidency said, the decision by the President to act on these calls on July 28, was “in accordance with Article 81(a) of the Constitution, the President of the Republic,  Akufo-Addo, has revoked the appointment of Hon Sarah Adwoa Safo, Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, as Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, with immediate effect.”

    Constitutional provision

    Article 81 of the 1992 Constitution stipulates that the office of a Minister of State or a Deputy Minister shall become vacant if

    (a) his appointment is revoked by the President; or

    (b) he is elected as Speaker or Deputy Speaker; or

    (c) he resigns from office; or

    (d) he dies

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • My removal as Gender Minister will help me focus on my parliamentary duties Adwoa Safo

    Sarah Adwoa Safo has broken silence following the termination of her appointment as the Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister by President Akufo–Addo.

    According to her, the directive by the President issued on July 28, 2022, will afford her the time to focus on her work as the Member of Parliament for the people of Dome Kwabenya.

    In a letter to the Presidency dated August 5, Sarah Adwoa Safo wrote “Cognizant of my duties to the 75,000 constituents who elected me, this development is opportune and will afford me more time to concentrate on my Parliamentary responsibilities and Constituency engagements as well as consolidate the gains we have made as a government at the Constituency level in our quest to break the eight.”

    President Akufo-Addo in accordance with Article 81 of the 1992 Constitution relieved Sarah Adwoa Safo of her duties as Gender Minister.

    Her dismissal came at time when Ghanaians called on the government to replace Adwoa Safo over her absence from post for over a year due to personal reasons.

    According to the former Gender Minister, it was an honour to serve at “this all-important Ministry albeit for a short time.”

    She also thanked the President for his “understanding, compassion and unending devotion” throughout the period she faced difficulties.

    “Your kind support has been very much welcome and for that I remain eternally grateful,” she added.

    Sarah Adwoa Safo mentioned that during her tenure of office, the Ministry put in place enough mechanisms to ensure a harmonious society where the survival and development of Women, Children, Persons with Disabilities as well as other vulnerable persons in society to transform the Social Protection Framework into a robust and more responsive one.”

    Meanwhile, Sarah Adwoa Safo has revealed that all officials assets provided her have been handed over to the Administrator of the Ministry.

     

    Source: The Independent Ghana

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Tailors, dressmakers urged to take advantage of AfCFTA

    The Bono East Regional Minister, Kwasi Adu-Gyan, at the weekend, urged members of the Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association(GNTDA) to take advantage of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to sell their products beyond Ghana.

    He said members of GNTDA could also tap into the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) initiative and penetrate into the United States of America (USA) clothing market to make more profit from their profession.

    Mr Adu-Gyan was addressing the first annual conference of the Bono East chapter of the association at Nkoranza, which was held on the theme “Clothing Africa and Beyond, the role of the Bono East Region”.

    More than 100 tailors and dressmakers attended the conference to deliberate on how they can improve on their products to enable them to penetrate into the foreign market.

    Technology

    Mr Adu-Gyan urged them to also explore opportunities offered by technology to improve their business so that they can compete with their counterparts all over the world.

    “You can learn the latest fashion designs from the Internet. You can also sell your beautifully sewn cloths on the Internet,” he advised.

    He observed that social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Youtube, among others, were available for tailors and dressmakers to enable their products to reach out to a large number of potential customers.

    Mr Adu-Gyan said it was unfortunate that Ghana spent over $182 million to import used clothing in the year 2020 alone, which made it the largest importer of used clothing in the world.

    He gave an assurance that the government was committed to supporting the private sector to make it the engine of growth and create jobs for the youth.

    He observed that the introduction of the “Friday Wear” concept had helped sustain the dressmaking and tailoring industry.

    Friday Wear

    The Bono East Chairman of GNTDA, Samuel Asante Addo, commended the government for various initiatives that aim to protect the industry.

    He explained that even though the Friday Wear concept had helped to boost the work of members of the association, there was the need for two more days to be added to the initiative.

    He also appealed to the government to extend the free senior high school policy to apprentices to entice more youth into apprenticeship of the various vocations.

    Present at the function was the Municipal Chief Executive of Nkoranza South, Daniel Yaw Owiredu.


     

    Source: Graphiconline

  • Chamber of Commerce inaugurates Eastern Regional Council

    The Eastern Regional Council of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI) has been launched and sworn in to help the Association extend its services in the region.

    The Eastern Regional Council of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI) has been launched and sworn in to help the Association extend its services in the area.

    At a short ceremony held in the Eastern Regional Capital, Koforidua, last Wednesday, the President of GNCCI, Clement Osei-Amoako, swore in three persons as the Eastern Regional Executives and 13 others to form the 16-member GNCCI Eastern Regional Council.

    The Regional Executives sworn in were Stephen Oware, Albert Atuah Amponsah and William Atitso Amankwa as the Eastern Regional Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Treasurer, respectively.

    The other members who joined to form the council were Stephen Oware, Albert Atuah Amponsah, William Atitso Amankwa, Henry Okyere Boakye, Kwabena Boakye-Antwi, Kingsley Kyere, Patrick Mensah and Felix Berbiye.

    Others were Joyce Pechi-Anim, Dr Samuel Amoah, Samuel Freeman-Amoah, Kennedy Richard Oduro, Samuel Boateng, Bernice Kafui Akoto, Dr Mark Boadu, and Justice Kwabena Wilson, the Eastern Regional Director of the GNCCI.

    Expansion

    In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the President of GNCCI, Clement Osei-Amoako, indicated that as the Eastern Region contributed significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of the country, there was the need for the expansion of the Chamber of Commerce to the region to harness all private institutions and businesses from diverse sectors.

    He said that the expansion was necessary because the GNCCI was regarded as the leading private chamber and more businesses needed to fall under its umbrella to make their voices stronger on issues of concern to the business community.

    Mr Osei-Amoako said “some of the issues that we are confronted with between now and December have to do with the interest rate and inflation and these are the main macroeconomics we have to look at, but the difficulty is that they are supply driven and not under the mandate of the Central Bank apart from the interest rate”.

    The President of GNCCI urged businesses in the Eastern Region to join the GNCCI to also benefit from the support schemes and have business partners for the growth of their respective businesses.

    In an address read by the Deputy Director Administration at the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council, Stella Panwum, on behalf of the Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong, he charged the Eastern Regional Council of GNCCI to lead the way in identifying the economic potentials across the 33 municipalities and districts in the region and bring them into the mainstream economic and industrial value chain.

    He urged the council to, in its quest to develop businesses in the region, improve on the quality of their products, packaging and other features in the wake of the implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) Agreement.

    He added that the agreement had enormous opportunities for businesses in Ghana but they should not lose sight of the fact that it was also going to increase competition in goods and services within the continent; hence the need for businesses to prepare adequately.

    Appreciation

    The Eastern Regional Chairman of GNCCI, Mr Oware, thanked the association heads for the trust reposed in him to lead the first council inaugurated in the region.

    He pledged to work hard with his team to achieve the target ahead by selling the association to all businesses in the region to expand their frontiers and help businesses grow in the region and the country at large.

    Source: Graphiconline

  • Parts of Tamale, Sagnarigu submerged in floods

    Numerous homeswere evacuated late Friday night as the Sagnarigu township and the Tamale metropolis were swamped by a torrential downpour.

    However, there has not been any report of casualty.

    The downpour, which lasted about six hours, also caused damage to an unspecified number of properties, while a number of cars, tricycles and motorbikes were swept away as sections of roads were completely taken over by the flood water.

    Checks by the Daily Graphic indicate that areas including Gumani, Kanvili, Tuunayili, Jisonayili, Kunyevila and Nyohini were severely affected.

    There was pandemonium at Gumani, as the main road linking Kanvili and Tuunayili was submerged by the flood water.

    Displaced persons

    Hundreds of residents who were affected by the flood in different parts of the metropolis are currently putting up with relatives and friends, while others were seen scooping water from their rooms when the Daily Graphic went round the affected communities last Saturday.

    Some residents of Rice City (Gumani), Jisonayili, Kanvili and Tuunayili, the hardest hit by the flood, were seen trying to salvage the remains of their soaked personal belongings.

    It was the timely intervention of the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) that prevented road users from being trapped in the flood in the affected areas.

    When contacted, officials of the Northern Regional Office of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) said they were currently on the ground undertaking an assessment to ascertain the extent of damage caused.

    Days after the devastating flood, the victims are still counting their losses, although commercial activities have bounced back in the metropolis.

    A resident, Adam Salifu, whose house was completely submerged, said he had lost all his belongings to the flood.

    Another resident, Safia Amadu, blamed the flood on poor drainage systems and choked gutters in the area.

    While calling for the drainage systems to be fixed, as well as for other challenges resulting in the flooding situation to be resolved, she also called on the authorities to, as a matter of urgency, go to the aid of victims with some relief items.

    Flooding has become an annual phenomenon in the Tamale metropolis and its environs.

    Last year, the GNFS in the Northern Region averted a possible major fire disaster when it spotted a fuel leakage at a filling station and controlled its flow as a four-hour downpour flooded parts of the metropolis.

    Imminent

    The fire disaster appeared imminent and brought to mind the June 3, 2015 incident in Accra, as petrol from an underground storage tank of the fuel station at Vittin, a densely populated area on the main Tamale-Yendi road in the Tamale metropolis, floated on the flood waters that swept across the community.

     

    Source: Graphic Online