TIG Post

Author: Phoebe Martekie Doku

  • Asiedu Nketiah gets invite to Ghana Media Music And Dinner Night

    The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah has received a high powered-delegation from organizers of the maiden annual Ghana Media Music and Dinner Night scheduled for July 30, 2022, at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).

    The courtesy call led by Dr Bernard BNA Yartey, the CEO of Lakeside Village, was to officially invite the outspoken political leader and some party executives and also seek their blessings.

    The NDC scribe commended the organizers of the event, Lakeside Village and Net Village for the initiative.

    He said the media plays a vital role in nation-building, and it was appropriate to set a day aside to dine and network with them.

    The Lakeside Village boss said “We thought through and realized how important the media is, so we decided to come up with this dinner gala.

    “It is not an award ceremony, the media all over the world go through a lot of stress, resulting in the death of many. There will be a lot to eat and drink on the evening, we believe it will go a long way to destress them and bring them together to network in a relaxed atmosphere.”

     

    Source: Graphic Showbiz

     

  • Adwoa Safo assures NPP and Akufo-Addo of her commitment

    The Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has reiterated her commitment to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration in the face of what she describes as a “political witchhunt” from within the party.

    Adwoa Safo, also Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection has come under increasing scrutiny in recent months over her absence from her official duties in Parliament.

    She and two other MPS have been investigated for absenting themselves from Parliament without permission for more than the stipulated 15 sitting days during the first meeting of the second session of the 8th Parliament.

    In a Facebook post congratulating newly-elected executives of the party, the Gender Minister said she had “become the victim of a sustained political witchhunt by certain elements in the NPP and in Parliament to achieve their own parochial goals”.

    “This has left me asking myself if this is happening because I am a woman who for just this one time needed some time off to deal with a few personal issues which were too dear to share with the larger publics. In the face of all these, I have questioned why I have had to be treated differently by not enjoying the famous support of our party leadership both in Parliament and at the party level in my most difficult moments these past few months,” she posted.

    “As a member of the party, I have served with utmost diligence (both in opposition and in government) and have at all times put the fortunes of my family at the disposal of the party. At no point in time have myself nor my family withheld anything of ours from our great Party, yet today, I am conveniently being called a traitor and all manner of names with several schemes being put to play and employed to oust me from my position as MP and Minister.

    “I conclude by reiterating that, in the face of clear political hounding and vendetta by certain elements within the party and parliament against me, I have never wavered in my commitment to the ideals and creed of the New Patriotic Party and the Government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, to whom, I am eternally grateful”.

     

    Source: Graphic Online

     

  • Six hotels, other hospitality facilities closed down in Ahafo Region

    The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has shut down six hotels and other hospitality facilities in the Ahafo Region for operating without licences.

    The affected facilities included pubs, and catering services among others at Sankore, Mim, Mehame Nkwanta, Goaso, and Kenyasi.

    The Ahafo, Bono and Bono East Regional Director of Authority, Joseph Appiagyei, who led the taskforce including the Ghana Police Service for the exercise, explained that the facilities in question are operating without regulatory permits of the GTA.

    6 hotels, other hospitality facilities closed down in Ahafo Region

    He told Adom News that the GTA gave them countless notices to do the needful in accordance with the law.

    However, these cautions seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

    The GTA, in collaboration with the police, subsequently moved in to close them down to safeguard those who patronise their goods and services.

    6 hotels, other hospitality facilities closed down in Ahafo Region

    To him, the said attitude by the owners and managers is not helping the country.

    According to Joseph Appiagyei, managers of the closed-down facilities in the Ahafo Region have up to seven working days to come to their office in Sunyani to prove compliance to avoid being processed for court.

    He further hinted that persons who breach the closure directive will be dealt with drastically.

     

    Source: Adom Online

     

  • Akuapem Poloo jubilates after getting Cardi B’s attention

    Actress Akuapem Poloo is undoubtedly one of the biggest fans of American rapper Cardi B. No wonder she went crazy when they first met in Ghana back in December 2019.

    Poloo’s friendly gesture earned her a secure spot in the rapper’s heart.

    Akuapem Poloo on Sunday took to her Instagram page to promote Cardi B’s latest single ‘Hot Shit’ which features Kanye West and Lil Durk.

    Her post read: “I love Cardi B. Bardi #HOTSH*T.”

    In no time, Cardi, who Poloo describes as her ‘Spirit Twin’ reacted to the post with heart emojis.

    The two have maintained a friendly relationship on social media, with the American superstar offering her financial support.

    Back in 2021, the Ghanaian actress revealed that Cardi sent her $30,000 during her court case involving the publication of obscene material about herself and her son.

    “Cardi supported me, she gave me $30,000.00 which I used during my court case and advised me all the time,” she said.

    Soon after Cardi’s reaction to her post, Poloo pinned and screenshotted the comment to prove that their friendship is still growing strong.

    Source: Ghanaweb

     

  • Angry Suame artisans pelt Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu with sachet water

    Some artisans at the Suame Magazine in the SuameMunicipality of the Ashanti region on Monday, July 18, 2022, hooted and pelted their Member of Parliament Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu with sachets of water for allegedly denying them development.

    The MP who is also the Majority Leader of Parliament had gone to inspect the abandoned Suame highway which the artisans said had claimed one life due to its deteriorated nature.

    It would be recalled that the artisans last Friday blocked the highway and demonstrated against the MP and the government for not ensuring that the road was fixed.

    They warned of another demonstration today if the contractor does not return to the road to have it fixed.

    The contractor has returned to the road which the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs had gone to inspect today.

    The angry artisans upon hearing of the arrival of the MP thronged the highway and started hooting, pelting him with sachets of water, and subsequently chased him away.

    The Suame legislator who was accompanied by the Municipality Chief Executive for the area, Mr. Maxwell Ofosu Boakye, and some party members had to run and seek protection on top of a storey building at Suame Tarkwa Makro.

    The artisans are still gathered in front of the building and chanting although police have been deployed to the scene to calm down nerves.

     

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Kennedy Agyapong accuses 15 NPP chairmen of bad faith

    The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, has stated that all the 15 regional chairmen of the party who openly declared their support for John Boadu have been disgraced.

    “All of them have been embarrassed. If it were somewhere, all of the chairmen would resign,” he stated.

    Speaking an interview with journalists at the Accra Sports Stadium after the declaration of Justin Kodua Frimpong as General Secretary of the NPP, the maverick MP urged the 15 regional chairmen to learn their lesson.

     

    “If you are a party chairman and you stab your people underground there, you cannot change their minds. That is the decision we have taken,” he stated.

    The NPP held its national delegates conference on the theme: “Holding together, working together.”

    The immediate past General Secretary, Mr Boadu, who was widely tipped to be retained, got 2,524 votes while his main challenger, Mr Frimpong, garnered 2,837 to emerge victorious. The other competitors, Iddrisu Musah had 104; Frederick Opare-Ansah had 50 votes and Ramseyer Agyemang-Prempeh polled eight votes.

    Another contender, Charles Bissue, who pulled out of the race a few days to the conference, got 12 votes.

    Disunity

    Mr Agyapong said the action of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, to whip all the regional chairmen to support the candidature of Mr Boadu could cause disunity in the party.

    “Wontumi should cool down; he does not own the party,” he stated.

    Mr Agyapong said he had learnt his lesson that the disunity in the “party stems from the fact that leaders of the party openly support candidates. This time, I decided that to get unity in the party, I am not going to openly support anybody.”

    Winners

    He said delegates would always vote for any candidate they believed was good.

    “If you are good and the people believe in your work, they will vote for you. But for the first time in the history of the NPP as a political party, you see 15 regional chairmen raising their hands because they have been whipped. They have been disgraced. That is all I can tell you,” he stated.

    He said that action by the 15 regional chairmen, led by Chairman Wontumi, ahead of the party’s national delegates conference smacked of bad faith in the party.

    Source: Graphic Online

  • 22,000 cant go to school in spite of free SHS

    In spite of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy of the government, 22,000 students offered admission to SHS each year are unable to go to school.

    This is because their parents are not capable of buying them chop boxes, trunks and other basic needs to take up the admission offered them.

    The revelation was made by a Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Anthony Boateng, at the fourth annual consultative meeting on education organised by the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital, last Wednesday.

    The four-day meeting, which brought together heads of second-cycle and tertiary educational institutions within the PCG and presbytery chairpersons was to discuss effective ways and strategies of managing the church’s educational institutions.

    It was also to generally look at the broader perspective of disciplinary practices and infrastructure development in its educational institutions as a partner with government in the delivery of quality education in the country.

    The meeting was on the theme: “Promoting academic excellence and moral uprightness in our educational institutions through religious discipline – Reflection on the past, the present and the future: The role of the Presbyterian Church and stakeholders”.

    “There are people in this country whose daily incomes are less than GH¢30, and under the free SHS, there are 22,000 qualified students who always cannot take up their places at SHS because they cannot buy chop boxes, trunks, and other basic needs for them to go to school. This is how serious the situation can be,” he said.

    Debts accumulation

    On the accumulation of debts in some schools, including Presbyterian institutions, Mr Boateng said heads who were planning to retire or be reposted deliberately accumulated huge sums running into hundreds of thousands of cedis as debt to creditors.

    He explained that the heads consciously credited items and took commissions before going away and that became accumulated debts to pay.

    He explained that most often the heads requested quantities more than or even double what was needed because the more the quantity, the more commission the suppliers paid to them.

    He called on heads to stop that practice.

    PTA

    With regard to parent-teacher associations (PTAs), he said although the noble aim was to enable parents and teachers to meet and discuss the academic progress of students, it had now become an institution for money collection.

    Mr Boateng said parents willing to financially assist schools should do so, but the schools should not levy students.

    He told the gathering that the GES would not accept heads of SHSs collecting money from students because they had not been mandated to do so.

    The Moderator of the General Assembly of the PCG, Rt Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, for his part, commended the speakers, as well as the participants, for their contributions.

    He encouraged them to continue the discussions to tap into more ideas and innovations to further improve Ghana’s higher education.

     

    Source: Graphic Online

     

  • 400 rice bags supplied to schools in need Eastern Regional Minister

    The Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong says about 400 bags of rice have been supplied to Senior High Schools that are in dire need of foodstuff in the region by the National Food Buffer Stock Company.

    This follows threats by the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) in the Eastern Region to recommend to the Ghana Education Service to shut down the schools over food shortage and the erratic release of funds if nothing was done to salvage the situation by last week Friday.

    Speaking to Citi News, the Eastern Regional Minister, assured that academic activities would continue today following the intervention.

    ”We have issued about 400 bags to schools that were in dire need of food. We realised some were in extreme need and others were struggling to make ends meet from what they had.”

    ”We are working to top up the supply and hopefully, academic activities can go on smoothly following this intervention.”

    The Eastern Region CHASS earlier complained of the food shortages it had suffered for the past two years, as well as struggles with reduced weight of food items supplied.

    It also complained about arrears in schools because of the erratic release of funds meant for perishable foods.

    Because of these challenges, the group considered the closure of schools if nothing changed by July 15.

    It also considered recommendations that parents “either feed their wards or pick them home until all the situations are normalised.”

     

    Source: Citi News

  • Two die of deadly Marburg virus, 98 quarantined

    Two people have died after contracting the deadly Marburg virus in Ghana, the Ghana Health Service (GHS)has confirmed.

    Both cases were detected in the Ashanti region.

    The GHS statement said 98 people are now under quarantine as suspected contact cases. There is no known treatment for Marburg.

    The virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads between humans through the transmission of bodily fluids.

    It is a severe, often fatal illness with symptoms including headache, fever, muscle pains, vomiting blood, and bleeding.

     

     

     

     

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Government using EC as pliant tool; keep an eye on them Mahama charges Minority MPs

    Former President, John Dramani Mahama,  has charged Members of Parliament in the Minority Group to keep a keen eye on the activities of the Executive arm of government.

    Delivering a speech at a closing ceremony of a retreat for Minority Group MPs at the Volta Serene hotel in Ho on Sunday, July 17, 2022, Mahama said the style of this administration has been to subjugate and dominate institutions for parochial and partisan gain, and as such, there is a need for it to be monitored.

    “These institutions have thus become pliant tools for the furtherance of the political ends of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and President Akufo-Addo,” he added.

    He named the Electoral Commission as one of such institutions “which instead of making it easy for our citizens to take part in elections, rather takes delight in making it difficult.”

    “They appear determined to ensure the disenfranchisement of sections of our population at all costs through a misguided insistence on the use of the Ghana Card as the only source of identification for a voter card. How do you do this, knowing that the Ghana Card is not available to everyone who should have one?”

    “You [Minority MPs] have become the immediate hope of a people who labour under irresponsible governance and abuse of office. There is the need therefore to meet this expectation by injecting further impetus into your work by keeping an even keener eye on the activities of the Executive.”

    He admitted that the Ghana Card is a relatively new feature of the country and has its merits in the scheme of things.

    His contention is that it is being brandished more as a political tool around which all manner of schemes is being fashioned ahead of the elections.

    He believes there is the need to allow sufficient time for its full integration “before this kind of unhelpful exclusion of all other legitimately acquired, credible and time-tested forms of identification is implemented.”

    Mr. John Mahama suspects foul play with the “haste on the part of the Electoral Commission to exclude all other means of identification.”

    Even though the Electoral Commission has clarified that it is only demanding the Ghana card for continuous registration and is not in the process of compiling a new one, Mr. Mahama is not convinced.

    He is demanding a system that enables all political parties and relevant stakeholders to possess the capacity to monitor same in real-time, to avoid fraud and exploitation to the undue advantage of any party.

     

    Source: Citinews

  • “Were in massive hole and dont need further digging” Mahama on $1 billion syndicated loan

    Former President, John Dramani Mahama says the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs will not support the approval of any new loans that do not have specific terms or purposes.

    This comes on the back of the $1 billion syndicated loan presented to Parliament.

    Delivering a speech at a closing ceremony of a retreat for Minority Group MPs at the Volta Serene hotel in Ho on Sunday, July 17, 2022, the former President said Ghana is in an economic hole, and it will not be prudent to continue digging with more loans.

    ”We do not believe that the existence of crisis permits even more reckless decision-making. All decisions and policy choices made at this critical juncture could offer relief or exacerbate our problems and make recovery extremely difficult. We are in a massive hole and, and we do not need further digging.”

    The 2022 budget noted an international financing programme to raise at least $750 million, with an option to increase it by a further $750 million for budget support and liability management.

    Although the budget captured $750 million, a $1 billion loan agreement is currently before the House.

    At a Finance Committee meeting on Thursday, the Minority stalled the approval processes owing to what they call the discrepancies between the loan presented to the house and what has been presented to the committee for consideration.

    A Ranking Member on the Committee, Cassiel Ato Forson said “the budget is saying that, in the course of the year, they will be taking a term loan of $750 million. Why do you ask us to approve $1 billion?”

    Reacting to the development, Mr. John Mahama insisted that until the terms of the $250 million loan component are renegotiated to make them “favourable” and same captured in subsequent budgets, the Minority MPs will not support its approval.

    “Our position on the $250 million component remains unchanged, as such unfavourable terms as the $40 million insurance payment and total interest of over $80 million make it too expensive and inimical to the economic interest of Ghana. It is also not programmed in the 2022 budget statement.”

    On the $750 million component, Mr. Mahama noted that after he raised concerns, some effort has gone into renegotiating the costs and terms, which now appear more favourable.

    He is however unclear on the exact purpose of the loan.

    Mr. Mahama said the NDC will only support its approval if ”evidence of its use for specific growth-related projects leading to improvements in the lives of people is presented.”

     

    Source: Citinews

  • AGL takes steps to improve accommodation for Huni-Valley Senior High School

    Abosso Goldfields Limited (AGL) through the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF) is constructing a 360-bed capacity girls’ dormitory for Huni-Valley Senior High School (SHS) in the Western Region.

    The project, aimed at improving upon accommodation challenges for girls in the school is about 85 per cent complete and is being executed by Boison Construction Limited, a local contractor, started in September 2020 and is expected to be completed in September this year.

    Speaking with the media in Huni-Valley before the project site tour, Mr Roger Adamah, Project Manager, GFGL, said management of Huni-Valley SHS made a request to the Mine and as part of their legacy project they opted to take it up.

    The facility, he said, would be furnished with double decker steel bunk beds, LED lights, ceiling fans, rooms for prefects, two-bedroom master’s accommodation for teachers, modern washrooms and concrete pavement would be provided to ensure parents have decent place to pack their vehicles any time they visit their wards.

    The project manager hinted that provision had been made for a bore hole and storage tanks so students would just pump and store water for use, adding, “we will also grow grass to beautify the environment”.

    Mr Adamah explained that “if you look at the louver blades, we went for those with plastic handles instead of the steel aluminum handles. It is quite expensive but in terms of durability it will stay long and make sure we do not have a lot of breakages”.

    “In terms of accessibility of the facility for the physically challenged, we want to make room for ramps at the front. So, all the dormitories on the ground floor will be fully accessible for physically challenged students” he announced.

    He pointed out that the GFGF want to make sure that once the dormitory was completed, students would not need to go out searching for water or a place to dry their clothes

    “So far we have spent GHï¿ 6.5 million but as l said when we do the commissioning, I am sure there are pretty much other things that will come in which we can pinpoint on our final number, but we have put some quality money in to make sure that all the things we have are of good standard and quality” Mr Adamah stated.

    Some students who interacted with the Ghana News Agency, praised the GFGF for helping to enhance the education of the girl-child, pledged to study hard so they become useful to their communities.

    Source: GNA

  • EC seeking to use Ghana Card as political tool to disenfranchise Ghanaians Mahama

    Former President, John Dramani Mahama says the Electoral Commission is seeking to use the Ghana Card as a political tool to frustrate Ghanaians in their quest to secure voters Card for the next elections.

    According to him, the Commission is one of many state agencies that have become pliant instruments in the advancement of the parochial interest of the Akufo-Addo administration.

    “One such institution is the Electoral Commission, which instead of making it easy for our citizens to take part in elections, rather takes delight in making it difficult. They appear determined to ensure the disenfranchisement of sections of our population at all costs through a misguided insistence on the use of the Ghana Card as the only source of identification for a voter card.

    “How do you do this, knowing that the Ghana Card is not available to everyone who should have one? The Ghana Card is a relatively new feature of our national life and has its merits in the scheme of things. At the moment, it is being brandished more as a political tool around which all manner of schemes is being fashioned towards elections. There is the need to allow sufficient time for its full integration into our way of life before this kind of unhelpful exclusion of all other legitimately acquired, credible and time-tested forms of identification are implemented,” Mr Mahama said during a speech at the closing ceremony of a Minority caucus workshop.

    He stressed: “The National Identification Authority cannot claim to have covered every Ghanaian who should be registered or distributed all the cards printed to those who have been captured in their system. They have failed to distribute hundreds of thousands of cards to people who have registered. Until full and total coverage is achieved in the roll out of the Ghana Card, room must be made for those who are yet to be served, to exercise their democratic rights of voting. They cannot be excluded from the voter register due to no fault of theirs”.

     

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Some teacher unions end strike action after resolution on COLA

    The Ghana National Association of Teachers, National Association of Graduate Teachers, Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana and the Teachers and Educational Workers Union have ended their strike action over the payment of the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).

    The four teacher unions laid down their working tools on July 4, over lack of consensus with the government.

    But the General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Mr. Thomas Musah on behalf of organised labour, directed the striking teacher unions to call off the industrial action.

    According to reports, the Senior Staff Association of the Universities of Ghana (SSAUoG) has not called off its strike embarked  on July 13, 2022.

    Although a number of schools in the Ashanti Region have resumed school, academic work is yet to commence.

    Final year students of the TI Hamadiya Senior High School say they cannot wait to see their teachers back in school Monday, 18 July, 2022 after their prolonged absence.

    A portion of the students who spoke to CitiNews revealed the difficulties they had to endure in the absence of their teachers.

    “In fact when the teachers went on strike it affected us a lot because class was not effective. There were no students. If you go to class and teachers are not there most of the time we don’t feel like learning and we are also just about to write our WASSCE. We are also unable to cover most of our courses. So now that they have come back we thank the government,” a male student said.

    Another final year student filled with excitement said,”I am very happy they are back to cover all our syllabus”.

    After the back and forth between labor unions and government, the two parties have now agreed on a 15% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) to be paid to all public sector workers.

    As part of the agreements, the teacher unions had to call off their strike action and return to class with immediate effect.

    According to reports, the payment of COLA takes retrospective effect from July 1, 2022.

     

    Source: The Independent Ghana

     

  • A.B. Crenstil was passionate about the growth of Highlife – Ambolley

    Legendary Ghanaian musician Gyedu Blay Ambolley, says the late Alfred Benjamin “A. B.” Crentsil was very passionate about the growth of Highlife and its sustainability for future generations.

    Ghanaians music lovers were dealt a huge blow after the veteran musician A.B. Crenstil passed on earlier in the week, aged 79.

    Ambolley, who was a very close musical colleague of A.B. Crentsil, recounted numerous conversations where the latter expressed concerns about the direction Highlife was heading, and the need to do more to grow the genre.

    “Whenever we met, A.B Crenstil was very jovial and cracked a lot of jokes, but we often had discussions about the growth and emancipation of Highlife music. We always shared ideas as to how we can contribute to sustaining the genre, a course we as veteran musicians have always championed over the years,” he told the Ghana News Agency.

    When asked about the legacy of A.B. Crenstil as one of Ghana’s music greats, Ambolley said: ” A.B. Crenstil had a distinct approach to his kind of music and you could always realise how unique his music was.

    “He could pick a verse from the bible and create some music which could be very relevant in our way of life as Ghanaians, and this should tell you how creative he was with his style. I want him to be remembered for his contribution to the growth of Highlife, for having performed all over the world, and for his passion to see Highlife transcend musical borders,” he said.

    Ambolley was, however, worried about how Highlife had been sidestepped by younger musicians, with some radio stations not helping the course of promoting Highlife, but remained optimistic that Highlife would not die.

     

     

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Railway Company to resume Tema-Accra shuttle train services on July 18

    Management of Ghana Railway Company Limited (GRCL) says it will on Monday, July 18, 2022, resume the Tema-Accra passenger train service, which was suspended temporarily for rehabilitation works.

    “After successfully addressing some technical challenges, GRCL conducted series of test runs and a final joint inspection was also carried out on July 7, 2022, by GRCL and Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) to ascertain the suitability of the line for passenger service,” a statement from GRCL noted.

    The Ghana Railway Company Limited in the statement said GRDA, which is the industry regulator, has granted it the approval to commence the shuttle service.

    “The general public is being advised to bear with us, that as a start, a restricted speed limit of 35km/h has been imposed on the movement of the train to enable our technical team to continue to address any teething problem that may emerge during these early stages of the resumption of the shuttle service.”

    “There would also be other GRCL officials onboard the train to obtain the views and concerns of commuters to enable Management of GRCL to address them to ensure smooth running of the passenger service to the best satisfaction of our clients. The general public is hereby assured of our usual comfortable, safe and punctual shuttle service GRCL provides,” the railway company added in the statement.

     

     

    Source: Citinews

     

  • Tiwa Savage gets Queen of Afrobeats doctorate

    Nigerian Afrobeats artist, Tiwa Savage, has been given an honorary doctorate by her alma mater, the UK’s University of Kent.

    “Tiwa studied Business at Kent before she embarked on her incredible career – a reminder to all our graduates today to reach for the stars!.” the university tweeted, adding that they were “super proud”.

    Tiwa began her music career doing backup vocals for artists.

    She was the first woman to win the Best African Act at the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards.

     

  • Compiling a new voter register using the Ghana card is good, but Ghanaians must all have one – Asiedu Nketia

    The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Asiedu Nketia has stated that using the Ghana Card as a sole document to register voters is not a bad idea.

    According to him, this will only be possible if all Ghanaians have received  their Ghana Cards from the National Identification Authority

    His comments come at the back of a warning in Parliament by the Minority against the Electoral Commissions to compile a new voter register using only the Ghana card.

    But Asiedu Nketia has cautioned the National Identification Authority and the Electoral Commission on that decision.

    “If you ask me that we should use the Ghana card exclusively for voter registration, I’ll say yes; It’s wonderful and I urged all Ghanaians to be given their Ghana card before that decision is implemented” he stated .

    It will be recalled that Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu stated that such a move by the EC will threaten the stability of the country as the rights of legal age Ghanaians to vote and exercise their franchise will be infringed upon.

    “Our understanding as we pick it up is that the Electoral Commission of Ghana is desperately planning to discard the 2020 voter register and replace it with a new voter register ,which has caused the taxpayer and the people of Ghana to build with $80million thereabout “ he said.

    Ahead of the 2020 general elections ,the EC had Justified its call for a new voters register by claiming that the 2016 register contained names of non citizens hence the reason for a new voters register.

     

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • Invest in the security of Members of Parliament – Afenyo-Markin pleads with govt

    Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called on the arms of government to prioritize the security of Members of Parliament.

    Addressing Parliament on Wednesday, he stated that measures must be put in place to ensure the safety of public office holders as attacks on lives are unannounced.

    “Japan never expected this and this is very sad, so Mr Speaker, I call on Parliament to invest in the security of Members of Parliament. I call on the executive to invest in the security of the executive. I call on all arms of government to take interest in the country of public office holders” he pointed out.

    His comments came at the back of the recent assassination of Former Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe.

    Alexander Afenyo-Markin further urged the Members of Parliament to communicate to their constituents despite the discourse that happens between the parliamentarians.

    According to him, the kind of situations some Ghanaians find themselves in, compel them to act in a manner that may threaten the lives of legislators.

    “Mr. Speaker the time has also come for us to go the extra mile to communicate with our constituents, because Mr. Speaker the situations people find themselves leads them to behave in a certain manner.

    It is important that even in our discourse as politicians, we don’t encourage hard lying views and extremist views to take precedence over very liberal and moderate  approach to our public discourse“ the MP advised.

    Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died Friday July 8, 2022 after being shot at a campaign event, an attack that shocked a country where gun violence is virtually nonexistent.

    Shinzo Abe, 67,was a towering political presence even after he stepped down as Japanese longest serving Prime Minister.

    Abe was rushed to Nara Medical University Hospital after going into cardio and pulmonary arrest. The hospital announced his death shortly after 5am.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

     

  • NIA has issued over 16.7 million Ghana Cards, over 895K uncollected

    Colonel Peter Kwame Ghansah (Rtd), the Head of Operations at the National Identification Authority (NIA), has disclosed that 16,936,934 Ghanaians has been registered by the Authority as of July 12, including pilot, mass and continuous registration exercises.

    He explained that the number of cards printed is 16,743,832 whilst the number of uncollected Ghana cards is 895,140, adding that the number of cards replaced is 159,439.

    Colonel Ghansah announced this when officials of the National Identification Authority appeared in the House to brief Members of Parliament (MPs) about the operations and activities of the NIA.

    Colonel Ghansah also explained that the number of persons whose records were updated is 34,623 whilst the number of foreigners registered and the number of non-citizens who renewed their cards from January to June 2022 is 12,379 and 15,552 is respectively.

    He said the total number of foreigners registered from 2013 to date is 156,339 and that from the figures it means that on average 17,371 foreigners are registered annually.

    Colonel Ghansah further indicated that between 2018 and 2022 the NIA executed MOUs for delivery of data harmonization and integration services with institutions including the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF), Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Bank of Ghana (BOG), Artel-Tigo, MTN, Vodafone and Glow.

    He explained that after the execution of the MOU and the data harmonization process, the NIA had transferred data to institutions including the GRA, SSNIT, NHIA and MTN, among others.

    He said for the GRA the NIA has transferred a total of 15, 797,860 data, SSNIT-15,412,055, NHIA-15,370,256, Artel-Tigo-1,766,446, MTN-11,524,584, Vodafone-10, 340,802 and Glo-142,215.

    Colonel Ghansah also stated that the NIA was engaging the Electoral Commission, Birth and Death Registry, Ghana Immigration Service, Passport Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration for similar purposes.

    He explained that Ghanaians who had registered but had not yet received their Ghana card could still be clarified by the Banks and Telcom companies if verification devices specified by the NIA were available.

    Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu in his comments raised concern that the Ghana card which is a public good is increasingly not accessible to millions of Ghanaians.

    He called on the NIA to give a regional and district breakdown in terms of the number of people registered as well as the cards issued by the Authority.

    “Many Ghanaians are struggling to have access to the Ghana card,” he said.

    Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, in his comment, reiterated the call for the NIA to provide the regional and district breakdown in terms of the figures to the House.

    “I subscribe to the idea that we should have the regional and district breakdown because Ghana is broken down into regions, so that when we have the full complements of the identification cards, it should even help us to know region by region and district by district the ethnic breakdown of the country” he added.

     

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Europe heatwave: Deadly wildfires spread in Mediterranean

    Thousands of firefighters are battling wildfires in Spain and southwestern France, in the grip of a heatwave that shows no sign of easing.

    In northern Portugal, a pilot died when his waterbombing plane crashed in the Foz Coa area, near the Spanish border.

    Fires are ravaging areas of France’s Gironde region, where more than 11,000 people have been evacuated.

    In southern Spain, near the Costa del Sol, about 2,300 people had to flee a wildfire spreading in the Mijas hills.

    Holidaymakers on the beach in Torremolinos saw big plumes of smoke rising in the hills, where several aircraft were tackling the blaze.

    Meanwhile, one local resident described the forest fires near France’s south-west Atlantic coast as feeling “post-apocalyptic”.

    “I’ve never seen this before,” Karyn, who lives near Teste-de-Buch, told news agency AFP.

    The fire there and another just south of Bordeaux have ravaged nearly 8,000 hectares (20,000 acres).

    Since Tuesday, temperatures have soared to 47C in Portugal and above 40C in Spain, leaving the countryside bone dry and fuelling the fires. More than 300 people have died from the heat in both countries, Spain’s Efe news agency reports.

    The Portuguese pilot who died was flying solo in a Fire Boss amphibious plane.

    Portugal’s fire hotspots are in the north – east of the city of Porto. Fires have destroyed 30,000 hectares (75,000 acres) of land this year – the largest area since the summer of 2017, when Portugal suffered devastating fires in which some 100 people died.

    Other parts of the Mediterranean are affected too. In Italy, the government has declared a state of emergency in the desiccated Po Valley – the country’s longest river is no more than a trickle in some places.

    In northern Morocco, several villages had to be evacuated as fires swept through the Larache, Ouezzane, Taza and Tetouan provinces. One village was totally destroyed in Ksar El Kebir.

    France has also had sweltering heat of about 40C and expects more next week, with 16 departments on orange alert, for severe weather.

    The head of France’s firefighters’ federation has warned of the impact global warming is having on civil protection. “It’s firefighters, civil security who deal with the effects on a daily basis – and these effects aren’t in 2030, they’re right now,” said Grégory Allione.

    Heatwaves have become more frequent, more intense, and last longer because of human-induced climate change. The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to carbon emissions.

     

    Source: BBC

  • Heatwave: National emergency declared after UK’s first red extreme heat warning

    A national emergency has been declared after a red extreme heat warning was issued for the first time, as temperatures could hit 40C (104F).

    The Met Office’s highest warning covers an area including London, Manchester and York on Monday and Tuesday.

    It means there is a risk to life and daily routines will need to change.

    Speed restrictions are likely on railway lines, some schools will close early and some hospital appointments will be cancelled.

    On the roads, gritters are planning to spread sand to reduce melting, and the RAC has warned more drivers will need help as cars overheat.

    On top of the Met Office warning, the UK Health Security Agency issued its highest level four heat alert to health and care bodies – warning illness and death could occur “among the fit and healthy”.

    NHS leaders on Friday evening warned there would be greater demand for ambulances and patients could be at risk if left outside hospitals in emergency vehicles in hot weather.

    In a letter they said ambulances should not wait outside emergency departments more than 30 minutes before offloading patients.

    It is the first time a red heat warning has been issued for parts of the UK, although the extreme heat warning system was only introduced in 2021.

    Downing Street said the alert was being treated as a national emergency. Officials met on Friday and will meet again during the weekend to discuss the response.

    The weather at the start of next week is forecast to be warm across the UK but temperatures will be more like 30C in Scotland and Northern Ireland, rather than the high 30s predicted in parts of England and Wales.

    The heatwave – originating in north Africa – is spreading across Europe and has fuelled wildfires in Portugal, France and Spain.

     

    Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said it was “potentially a very serious situation”, with a 50% chance of temperatures reaching 40C – likely along the A1 corridor, running from London northwards towards Yorkshire and the North East.

    The highest recorded temperature in the UK was 38.7C in Cambridge in 2019 and BBC Weather presenter Matt Taylor said there is now a realistic possibility of hitting 40C in the UK.

    “That is exceptionally hot, the sort of temperatures that if you are on holiday you may be able to deal with but in day-to-day life it can have severe impacts on health,” he said.

    What does extreme heat do to the body?

    As the body gets hotter, blood vessels open up. This leads to lower blood pressure and makes the heart work harder to push the blood around the body.

    This can cause mild symptoms such as an itchy heat rash or swollen feet as blood vessels become leaky.

    At the same time, sweating leads to the loss of fluids and salt and, crucially, the balance between them in the body changes.

    This, combined with the lowered blood pressure, can lead to heat exhaustion.

    Night-time temperatures in some areas will not drop below 25C but they are likely to start cooling off from Wednesday.

    Met Office CEO Penny Endersby said the extreme heat forecast was “absolutely unprecedented” and she urged people to take the warning as seriously as a red or amber warning for snow or wind.

    People in the UK are used to treating hot weather as a “chance to go and play in the sun” but “this is not that sort of weather”, she said.

    In England, there were 2,500 excess deaths in the summer of 2020 due to hot weather, and the Red Cross predicts that heat-related deaths in the UK could treble in 30 years.

    People are being urged to stay hydrated, look out for vulnerable people, keep curtains closed and stay out of the midday sun.

    There have been concerns about pressure on the NHS during the extreme weather. Downing Street said contingency plans were in place and the prime minister was being updated.

    The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the latter half of the 18th century, and experts predict that temperatures will keep rising unless governments make steep cuts to emissions.

    Seven of the top 10 hottest days in the UK have been since 2003, Mr Taylor said.

    • ‘The heat messes with my echolocation’
    • Woman dies following paddleboard rescue

    The latest heatwave has brought warnings of disruption to travel with rail firm Avanti West Coast warning that weekend services might be cancelled at short notice, with amended timetables and extended journey times expected on Monday and Tuesday.

    It said customers should only travel “if absolutely necessary” early next week.

    Network Rail said the impact to train services would “vary by region, but journeys will take significantly longer and there is a likelihood of cancellations, delays and last-minute alterations”.

    Transport for London has also urged people in the capital to only travel for “essential journeys” – and warned there may be some impact to Tube and rail services.

    Meanwhile in sport, five horse race meetings have been cancelled on Monday and Tuesday because of the forecast temperatures.

     

    Source: BBC

  • La Trobe Australia 2022 College Excellence Scholarships

    La Trobe University values academic excellence. High achieving International students thinking about applying for an undergraduate or postgraduate course will be automatically considered for this scholarship.

    The La Trobe International Scholarship (LTIS) rewards high achieving International students. This scholarship is worth between 15% to 25% off the annual tuition fees for the duration of studies.

    About La Trobe University

    La Trobe has been one of Australia’s pioneering universities for more than 50 years. Discover our unique history, including our motto and coat of arms. In 1967, 552 students enrolled at La Trobe University, the third university to open in Victoria, which has grown to accommodate more than 36,000 students, with over 7,000 international students from 110 countries. We now have a network of campuses, with over 28,000 students at our Melbourne Campus and over 7,500 at our campuses in Albury-Wodonga, Bendigo, Mildura, Melbourne City (Collins Street), Shepparton and Sydney.

     

    Requirements for La Trobe University Bachelors Qualification

    • Applicant must be an international student (non-Australian or New Zealand)
    • Must be applying to start an undergraduate or postgraduate coursework program.
    • This scholarship is not available to students who are currently enrolled at the university
    • Must meet course prerequisites
    • Must have equivalent to a weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 65 percent or higher (Australian Equivalency).

    Application Deadline

    December 31, 2022

     

    How to Apply

    Interested and qualified? Go to La Trobe University on www.latrobe.edu.au to apply

    Applicants will be automatically considered for the scholarship after submitting an application for an LTIS approved course.

    Percentage awarded is based on the WAM and overall eligibility of the course. The scholarship will be included in the Letter of Offer.

    The scholarship will be reflected on the student’s statement of account after the census-date once the student has accepted the offer, paid the required deposit mentioned on the offer letter and enrolled into their courses.

     

    Source: La Trobe University

  • Majority of Ghanaians believe e-levy is a bad idea Afrobarometer survey

    Majority of Ghanaians are not in favour of the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-levy), a new Afrobarometer study shows.

    The government introduced the e-levy on May 1, 2022, in a bid to widen the tax net.

    However, a large majority of Ghanaians think it is a bad idea and will mean a greater tax burden on citizens.

    The study shows that many do not trust that the government will use the revenues generated to fund development programmes, and citizens are almost evenly split as to whether they will continue to use electronic financial platforms.

    The study also indicates that a majority of Ghanaians believe there are several important goals that a tax revenue system must achieve, including ensuring that people understand the taxes they owe, reducing the tax burden, using tax revenues more effectively, and ensuring that citizens and businesses pay taxes.

    Key findings

    • Three-fourths of Ghanaians disapprove of the e-levy, including 67% who “strongly disapprove” of it (Figure 1). Only two in 10 (19%) endorse the new tax.
    • A similar proportion (76%) think the e-levy is a bad idea because it will increase the tax burden on the poor and ordinary citizens (Figure 2). This includes 63% who “strongly agree” with this view.
    • Three-quarters are also “not very confident” (24%) or “not at all confident” (51%) that the government will fulfill its pledge to use the revenues generated by the e-levy to fund development programmes.
    • Faced with the e-levy, Ghanaians are about evenly split as to whether they will continue to use electronic financial transactions (47%) or avoid using them (49%)
    • A majority of Ghanaians agree that there are several important goals that a tax revenue system must achieve, including ensuring that people understand the taxes they owe (82%), reducing the tax burden (81%), using tax revenues more effectively (83%), and ensuring that citizens and businesses pay taxes (79%).
    • Click here to read the full report

     

    Source: Citinews