President Akufo-Addo is leading the trends on social media platform; Twitter, following the resignation of UK’s Prime Minister, Liz Truss.
Liz Truss resigned as Prime Minister of the UK some 45 days after she took office.
This comes about a week after UK-born Ghanaian Chancellor of the Exchequer, Kwasi Kwarteng was sacked amid fallouts from the mini-budget presented before UK parliament.
Her resignation comes at a time Ghanaians are calling for the President and Finance minister to resign due to the current economic crisis the country is facing.
Following the announcement of Liz Truss’ resignation, Ghanaians have taken to Twitter to question why president Akufo-Addo has failed to resign despite the worsening economic crisis and corruption.
A twitter user, Vincent Aperko, said Liz Truss has resigned but Addo D is still president of Ghana after failing to #FixTheCountry. I still wonder how and why disappointed NNP members still defend Nana Addo outside.”
Another User, Kuffour will be soo disappointed in Addo D’s government . I now understand why he wanted Alancash to be president instead of Nana Addo”
Below are some of the tweets:
Liz Truss has resigned but Addo D is still president of Ghana after failing to #FixTheCountry. I still wonder how and why disappointed NNP members still defend Nana Addo outside. pic.twitter.com/XCF3avDWCc
You people say you no dey like Mahama, Bawumia too you no dey like. You say make Kennedy Agyapong too komot for der. Now some are even saying Alan Cash is part of Addo D’s administration so they don’t want him either. So now, who do you people want?
Anybody who says “Mahama is not an option” is a big Fool…with greatest of respects! Are you the option? People should not use their disappointment in Addo D and His cohorts to spew Nonsense. Ghanaians are fed up with the double standards ???? @ElikemKotoko@AnnanPerry
Stressing that help isn’t going to drop like manna from heaven, the ‘Atta Adwoa’ hitmaker has advised Ghanaians to take the bull by the horn.
According to PYung, there are no signs that the government is interested in easing the country’s economic crisis, adding that the time to act is now.
“We the youth naa for rise then help wanna body. The Government will never help. It has been this way for ages. Are we still gonna wait? For how Long? We should wake up,” he wrote on Twitter
We the youth naa for rise then help wanna body💯. The Government will never Help. It has been this for Ages. Are we still Gonna wait? For how Long?. We should wake up.
Meanwhile, some Ghanaian celebrities have also complained bitterly about the hardships the country has been plagued with under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Mr President, @NAkufoAddo , this eye drop ( xalacom) was 120ghc , its now 273ghc and even 300ghc in some pharmacies. I need to use this every evening, without it, the pressures on my eye will go up and will result in glaucoma. How many Ghanaians do you… pic.twitter.com/RiVHTfokB2
These celebrities, who seem ‘fed up’, have lamented about the depreciating cedis to the dollar, the constant fuel price hikes, and the overall hardships that everyone in the country is currently experiencing.
The likes of Yvonne Nelson, Prince David Osei, Lydia Forson, Shatta Wale, Efia Odo, Kojo Cue, Sarkodie, and many others have cried out on social media.
Former Minister of State and former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines Dr. Joyce Aryee has said the actions of Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as ‘Nana Agradaa, is a clear indication that she is not from God.
According to her, money doubling in Church is a sin that contradicts the teachings of God.
She also stated that Nana Agraada doesn’t carry the spirit of God because of her actions in her Church.
Dr. Joyce Aryee urged Ghanaians to read the Bible to help them identify the true men of God and unscrupulous ones.
Speaking with Kwaku Owusu Adjei on Adwenekasa on Accra-based Original FM 91.9, she said, “We saw the real man of God which is Elijah, and the fake ones. There are a lot of fake pastors in this country so Ghanaians must read the Bible well to be able to identify the real men of God because you will be able to know the true men of God through their actions. ”
Nana Agradaa is facing seven counts of defrauding by false pretence and charlatanic advertisement on TV and in a newspaper to lure her victims.
A viral video last Saturday showed aggrieved members of the Church alleging that their leader, a one-time traditional priestess, had swindled them.
President Akufo-Addo says there is no basis for him to sack the Finance Minister Ofori-Atta.
According to him, Ken Ofori-Atta has discharged his duties “excellently” and he cannot relieve such a person of his position.
President Akufo-Addo speaking on OTEC FM on Monday said he has full confidence in the Minister who is his cousin.
He insisted that Ofori-Atta cannot be blamed for the current economic woes the country is facing.
“I came to office in 2017 under a stringent IMF programme. This same man was able to manage the affairs of our economy in such a way that in my first term, we were one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.
“An average growth rate of 7% which allowed us to initiate programmes such as Planting for Food and Jobs. So somebody who has been able to do that. The current difficulties are not his fault. So how do I do it (sack him)? What will be the basis? What will be the rationale.”
President Akufo-Addo thus said calls for him to sack the Minister is unjustified.
“If we were to say he didn’t do well in the first term, then why did I renominate him for my second term? So for me, his performance in my first time was excellent. Let me use that word. Excellent,” he added.
Some Ghanaians have called on the President to relieve the Minister of his duties due to the poor state of the Ghanaian economy.
Ghana is currently seeking support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to stay the economy afloat, but despite the gloom, President Akufo Addo insists he will keep the Finance Minister.
Meanwhile, the Ghanaian cedi exchanged for ¢12 to $1 in many places on Friday, selling at ¢12.10 at most forex bureaux or the retail market.
This development comes within a week after the cedi earlier depreciated against the dollar.
Meanwhile, scores of Ghanaians have taken to social media to bemoan the situation; urging the government to take urgent steps to address the persistent depreciation of the country’s currency.
President Akufo-Addo has reiterated his commitment to end illegal mining popularly called galamsey in the country.
He disclosed that no government in the history of Ghana has embarked on a more rigorous galamsey fight than his government.
He made this known at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi at the start of a four-day tour of the Ashanti region.
He said the galamsey menace that has been generated in recent times explains the importance Ghanaians attach to the issue.
According to him, “We are here to eradicate galamsey and surely, it would be eradicated…No government has shown that resilience in the fight against galamsey.”
“One issue that has generated negative public criticism is galamsey. Though it attracted less public discussion before my tenure, it is the talk of the town, even among traditional leaders.
“This means the issue is common and calls for all hands on deck to bring it to an end, he stated.
Earlier, the President said he was being truthful in his commitment when he proclaimed in 2017 to end galamsey.
He disclosed that his fight against the menace five years ago cost him and the NPP “significant losses in the mining communities” during the election 2020.
Galamsey is heavily criticized in Ghana due to its detrimental environmental effects which many believe outweigh any possible economic and cultural justifications.
The practice of galamsey activities contributes tremendously to the local economy of the communities within which the practice is conducted.
The number of galamseyers in Ghana is unknown but believed to be from 20,000 to 50,000, including thousands from China.
The major cause of galamsey is unemployment among the youth in Ghana.
The calls for the sacking of Ghana’s Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, have reignited following the sacking of the UK’s Finance Minister, Kwasi Kwarteng, early on Friday.
The UK’s Chancellor of Exchequer was sacked by British Prime Minister Liz Truss on Friday, October 14, 2022, after just six weeks of his appointment.
His dismissal has largely been attributed to the performance of the British economy over the last few weeks and the failure of his mini-budget to result in a positive impact.
The announcement of his sacking has seen several Ghanaians take to social media to demand the sacking of Ghana’s finance minister.
Ken Ofori-Atta has been the subject of some critics calling for the heads of some officials in the current government.
The calls are largely grounded in the current performance of the Ghanaian economy and the current economic hardship.
See some social media reactions below:
Stop bothering yourself, fellow Ghanaians. @NAkufoAddo won’t learn from the UK. Tweaa!! Ken Ofori Atta means more to him, personally, than the good of Ghana & your welfare. Nepotism! Corruption! Clueless! Incompetent!
Let’s head roll in Ghana…Kwasi Kwarteng didn’t exhibit a quarter of Bawumia and Ken Ofori-Atta incompetence but he’s been sacked…what is @NAkufoAddo waiting for to sack his Finance Minister and @MBawumia as head of EMT??? pic.twitter.com/05wrrTgkmB
Them sack Kwasi Kwarteng in less than 6 weeks but Ofori-Atta is in his 6th year as our Finance Minister.???????????????????? pic.twitter.com/bwgIOkMMKC
You see difference in Ghana n UK? Kwasi Kwarteng came in and within a month or so of incompetence he’s fired by Liz Truss! Bawumia and Ken Ofori Atta have been incompetent for 6 years now and they are still at post! And you want Ghana to develop? Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo why?
— Is RAYOE in your playlist?!❤️???? (@GhanaSocialU) October 14, 2022
Kwasi Kwarteng sacked in less than 7 weeks being appointed as Finance Minister in the UK but Ken Ofori Atta is still the Finance Minister in this economic woes for 6 years?
Clearly, Ghana’s Presidency doesn’t have serious goals.
In UK Kwesi Kwarteng has been sacked after 40 days as chancellor while in Ghana Ken Ofori Atta still maintains power after almost 6 yrs with more than 120% cedi depreciation.. ???? ????
The system in UK functions very well and effectively. In other news, Ken Ofori-Atta is still Ghana’s Finance Minister.
When we say life no balance, this is what we mean pic.twitter.com/Y4hwyy04et
Kwasi Kwarteng hasn’t done a fraction of the damage Ken Ofori-Atta has caused the Ghanaian economy but he gets to be sacked and Ken is showered with praises from his family member, President H.E @NAkufoAddo as Ghanaians languish in more pain.
Sad — no justice in the world. ????????
— Kwame Gabby Emu Ye ???????? ???????? (@KwameEmuYe) October 14, 2022
A lady Liz Truss even have the balls sack her chancellor for non performance and we have Akufo Addo always applauding Ken Ofori Atta when the cedi is now 12.10 to a dollar
At least GH¢2 million will be pumped into the construction of the controversial astroturf in Tumu in the Upper West region, the Contractor for the project, Sinkare has clarified.
He told Francis Abban, host of Morning Starr on Starr 103.5 Fm, that the 100 by 120 feet pitch alone will cost 1.1 million cedis.
The rest of the money is for floodlights and ancillary works, Mr Sinkare said.
There has been a hue and cry over the project cost after the sod-cutting by Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia on Tuesday, October 11, 2022.
The average cost of astroturfs has been between 300,000 and 600,000 Ghana cedis, according to the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC).
Some Ghanaians on social media reacted to the cost of the Tumu astroturf project questioning why government will splurge GH¢2 million to construct an artificial pitch.
In July 2022, government revealed that it constructed 30 astroturfs at a total cost of GH¢40,779,395.79.
However, a report by PIAC also quoted that the cost of the astroturfs amounted to GH¢8,188,000 million, a massive variance of GHS32,591,395.44.
The book also captures the social, cultural and economic values; facts that settle the indistinct and blurring stories about kente.
This translates into a much greater appreciation for the kente industry.
Titled “Kete/Kente- A Priceless gem of Ghana”, the 64-page book also provides an elaborate history of how the early weavers in Ghana, Gobtensed Kente Limited, have sustained the family Kente business since 1821 to date.
Written by Togbi Gobah Tengey Sedoh, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gobtensed Kente Limited, the book additionally tracks the strides of Kete/Kente from the 11th century in the Ancient Ghana Empire, detailing every developmental phase by putting together catalogued sources of information.
Some of the highlights of the book included; the step by step breakdown of the weaving process, names of kente and their meanings, kente weaving tools and terms, among others.
The book was launched last Sunday and it coincided with Togbi Gobah Tengey Sedoh’s 78th birthday celebration.
Appreciation
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Togbi Gobah Tengey Seddoh noted that it was time Ghanaians appreciated their own and what they brought to the table.
“It has become common that we don’t appreciate ourselves, what we have and stand for, this must stop. Let’s appreciate goodness, because Africa is one of the greatest species in the world,” he said.
Reading
He added that Ghanaians should cultivate the habit of documenting and reading what belonged to them.
“So, you read about the history book of Jews, among others, but do not read what is written about you, why? because we do not believe in what we have? this must stop, no one can tell our story better than ourselves. I thank you all for being with us and I know God will bless all of us and when he does, keep on blessing others closer to you,” he said.
A teacher
Trained as professional teacher at Amedzofe E.P Training College, Togbi Gobah Tengey Sedoh taught from 1968 to 1980 in various parts of the Volta Region and beyond before wearing the amour of an astute kente weaver.
He was elected as the District GNAT Secretary from 1972-79. Togbi Gobah Tengey Sedoh has travelled extensively in the United States of America giving lectures and exposition in universities on our cultural heritage and the history of kente weaving.
The family business, which spans more than 200 years with the late Liberty Yao (LY) Gobah being the first Managing Director, Wellington Gobah, Sylvanus Gobah, Alice Adjormadoh, David Gobah, Mary Gobah and Timothy Gobah as directors.
Political life
Apart from being a businessman, industrialist and philanthropist, Togbi Gobah Tengey Sedoh has had a stint with politics. He was once upon a time appointed Volta Regional Treasurer of Action Congress Party, led by Col. Bernasko.
The founder of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Akwasi Addai Odike, has said that Ghana is currently experiencing what he describes as “environmental terrorism” under the government of Akufo-Addo.
He said that President Akufo-Addo is looking on as illegal miners (galamseyers) terrorize the country by stealing its natural resources.
He added that the galamseyers are also destroying its lands and water bodies, and to an extent, the lives of Ghanaians.
Speaking in an Onua TV interview monitored by GhanaWeb, on Friday, October 7, Odike added that the environmental terrorism in Ghana is worse than the terrorism, coups, and other upheavals in countries in the West African sub-region because it is not only killing Ghanaians but it is also denying the country the needed resources to develop.
“You (Akufo-Addo) you are superintending evil; you are superintending environmental terrorism. When there are coups in West Africa, you come out and say that they (the coups) are not good, but what you are doing is worse than coups.
“Our lands that you are destroying is worse than someone organizing a coup. Because, despite the coup in Burkina Faso, their lands will still be intact. If they stop the coups, their lands will still be there for them.
“There hasn’t been any coup in Ghana but our lands are being destroyed, and we don’t have portable water. Who is better off between us and Burkina Faso? The Rwandans had a conflict, nobody destroyed their land and now that they have resolved their issues, they are using their resources to develop their country,” he said.
Odike also berated Akufo-Addo for failing to go to any of the ‘galamsey’ sites across the country to see for himself the devastating effects of menace.
“… have you seen Akufo-Addo visiting any of the galamsey areas? As a president whose lands and water bodies are being destroyed by galamsey, Akufo-Addo has never visited any of these sites,” he noted.
Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has travelled to France to receive an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Sorbonne University on Monday, October 10, 2022.
According to myjoyonline.com, the president left Ghana on Saturday, October 8, 2022, and will be conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree and an Award of Honoris Causa as part of the activities for his six-day working visit to France.
A statement issued on Sunday, October 9, 2022, said that before receiving the award, the president will address the 215th Session of UNESCO.
“Prior to receiving the Honorary Doctorate from Sorbonne University, the President will address the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at its 215th Session,” Joy News quoted part of the statement.
It further stated that Akufo-Addo will also address the Asia Society Forum on the theme, “To Act in Troubled Times: new perspectives from France, Asia, Africa and the world”.
The statement also indicated that the president will commission the refurbished Chancery building of Ghana’s Embassy in Paris.
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has said its involvement in the fight against illegal mining in the country was a very successful one and something that Ghanaians would not believe really happened.
The military also described their role in the fight against the menace as massive and unbelievable.
“There is a lot of success being achieved and I think that is not what comes out most of the time because in terms of the operations that we conduct, ideally, it shouldn’t be something that we report on an everyday basis that will come up with certain situations and report to Ghana”. Director Public Relations Ghana Armed Forces, Naval Captain Michael Addo Larbi said this in an interview with Citi TV monitored by MyNewsGh.com.
“In terms of the roles of the armed forces and the number of seizure of excavators that we do, some that have been immobilized or destroyed and the number of equipment in terms of structures are massive. It is not something that you would even believe that this is what was going on”, Naval Captain Michael Addo Larbi added.
The statement comes from the military comes a few days after the President of the Republic Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo addressed the House of Chiefs in Kumasi on the fight against illegal mining and the way out.
Naval Captain Michael Addo Larbi further noted that, there is more to be done as a country in the fight against illegal mining adding that, there should be a collaborative effort by all stakeholders.
“But there is a lot of success being achieved. There is more to be done but a collaborative effort is what is needed at this material time”., he urged.
Samuel Yaw Adusei, a National Democratic Congress (NDC) chairman hopeful, has stated that it is incumbent on the opposition party to win the 2024 general elections to liberate Ghanaians from their sufferings.
He believes that victory for the party in 2024 cannot be achieved under the incumbent Chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo and General Secretary Asiedu Nketiah, who are aiming for the Chairmanship position.
Addressing a press conference on October 6, the former Ashanti Regional Minister under the John Mahama-led administration explained that there was distrust between Ofosu-Ampofo, and Asiedu Nketiah, hence their decision to contest for the same post.
Adusei said he was the new face the NDC needed in the Chairmanship seat adding that both Ofosu-Ampofo and Asiedu Nketiah played a key role in the defeat of the party in 2016 by a historic margin and the 2020 election as well.
“There is extreme hardship in the country that was created by this government and the NDC should win power in 2024 to save Ghanaians but we can’t do that with either Aseidu Nketiah or Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo as our National Chairman
”Aseidu Nketiah has been the General Secretary for the past 17 years and he worked side by side with Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo in the 2016 elections but does not believe that the current chairman should continue …and that’s why he is contesting and the same with Ofosu Ampofo because he doesn’t believe that Aseidu Nketiah whom he has known for years can fill his shoes,” Samuel Yaw Adusei said.
“What these very experienced politicians are doing is to tell the NDC members that they cannot do the job and there is a need for a new face because they have no confidence in each other. They are calling for a change and I am that change because they played vital roles in the 2016 and 2020 elections and we lost.
“The NDC cannot afford to lose the 2024 elections and that is why they need to vote for me as the National Chairman because they cannot win the elections with either Aseidu Nketiah or Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo,” he added.
NDC is looking to stage a comeback into government after two terms in opposition. Ahead of that, it has slated December 17 for its internal elections which will see to the election of national executive officers.
The President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II, has dared Ghanaians to make available evidence that proves that the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Chairman Wontumi, is involved in illegal mining, also known as galamsey.
In his view, President Akufo-Addo can only act when there’s sufficient evidence that his appointees are involved in illegal mining activities.
On September 30, 2022, the Minerals Commission issued a statement asking Akonta Mining, a company owned by Chairman Wontumi, to stop mining operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve, describing the activities of the company as illegal.
But critics have said that the chiefs in the area should have rather asked President Nana Akufo-Addo to punish Chairman Wontumi over his involvement in the galamsey activities.
Reacting to the claims, the President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II, argued that traditional authorities do not operate on rumours.
He however stated that persons with concrete evidence to back the claims should make it available for the necessary actions to be taken on them.
“I have heard that Wontumi is doing galamsey. Whether it is true or not, I don’t know and I don’t have any evidence, so how do I tell the president about Wontumi in such a forum or expect me to speak about an issue on national television when I don’t have any facts or direct evidence on Wontumi’s activities?
“So, if you have the evidence or anyone has evidence that Wontumi is into galamsey, make it available to the president and he will act on it,” he told Morning Show host of Kumasi-based Oyerepa TV, Kwesi Parker-Wilson.
Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II also cautioned chiefs against engaging in illegal mining.
He insisted that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has their full support in arresting and prosecuting persons involved in the act in spite of their status in the society.
“The chiefs have been warned against the practice because we have asked the President to deal with anyone who is involved, whether a chief, a politician or whoever must be arrested to curb the menace,” he added.
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has directed Ghanaians who have been wrongfully charged the E-Levy on their first GH¢100 transaction to report to their charging entities for redress.
Some Ghanaians have taken to social media to complain about unlawful charges on their transactions, even though they have successfully linked their Ghana Card details with their SIM cards.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Head of Project Management at GRA, Isaac Kwabena Amoako, explained that the various charging entities may have not updated the Ghana card details of their customers, thus the wrongful deductions.
“We are aware of these wrongful charges. The good news is that there is an avenue for customers to make complaints when there are wrongful charges. What we have also noticed is that customers have gone to the charging entities, especially the banks, to update their information, but the charging entities have failed to update same with GRA.”
“Anyone who has been wrongfully charged has an obligation to report to their charging entities. They are not supposed to reach out to GRA. Coming to us means that you are reporting the charging entities. You only report to us when you do not get the desired results after contacting your charging entities.”
Deputy National Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chief Nixon Biney, has stated empathically that, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and President Akufo-Addo, are oblivious of the true state of the feelings of many Ghanaians.
The NDC man in an interview on Kumasi-based Ultimate FM monitored by MyGewsgh.com, said, last weekend’s booing of Nana is just a tip of the iceberg, as many Ghanaians are just fed up with the NPP’s political lies, the reason a section of people booed him at the Global Citizen festival.
‘‘Sad to hear, the NPP accusing the NDC of being the brain behind the booing of Nana Addo, the NPP ought to respect Ghanaians, that was not a political program, we all know that it was a global festival with artiste performing here and there.
‘‘If you have young Ghanaians attending such a program and you have the president there and they boo at him and somebody thinks it is NDC who organized them, then they are refusing to understand there is hardship, that people are not happy with certain things happening.
‘‘Unemployment is high and the youth are not happy is a clear signal for the president to sit up, those saying it is NDC who organized this, I mean they should up their game a bit.
‘‘They should appreciate that it is the same people who elected the president at the same place where he told them he would protect the public purse of which he is failing them.
‘‘It is the same independence square the president said all Ghanaians should come on board and support him, why is he worried they are acting as citizens or he wants them to be spectators?’’ be asked.
The Deputy Organiser of the NDC noted this is just the tip of the iceberg, Ghanaians are generally not happy with him and his government.
‘‘The President must understand that Ghanaians are just showing him the signs of his bad governance, it is for him to take it in good faith. In fact, if they knew that it was the NDC that booed the president, what did they do? Are they saying that the national security is in comatose, which I don’t think so?
‘‘They should come again and look at it, that some sect of Ghanaians are not happy with the president and for that matter, he has got some few years to get out of office.
‘‘He should make this better for the suffering masses, why always NDC this or that, did you see anybody in NDC T-Shirt there, come on NPP, no they were Ghanaians.’’
The second Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party in the Fanteakwa south constituency, Nana Kofi Akomea Jnr has waded into the booing at President Akufo-Addo with a call to the youth.
The experienced NPP Communicator believed the youth could have addressed their supposed displeasure in a different way instead of on such a global stage.
President Akufo-Addo was booed ‘Away, Away, Away’ at the Global Citizen Festival in Accra over the weekend when he was invited on stage to address the many participants present at the event.
Nana Kofi Akomea Jnr in an interview with the reporter described the incident as unfortunate and disgracing to hoot at the first gentleman of the land to the world.
Even though he did not apportion blame on any individual or group, he found it difficult to understand why some people can plan and hoot at the President, knowing well that the world was watching.
According to Nana Kofi Akomea Jnr, he does not believe the cation of the participants has to do with the state of the economy but may come with reasons unknown to Ghanaians.
He stressed that the Akufo-Addo-led government has been touted as one of the many Presidents who has handled the economy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war and rather needs commendations from Ghanaians and not the other way round.
“I will urge Ghanaians, especially the youth to trust in the Akufo-Addo-led NPP government as a lot is being done to redeem the image of the current global economic crisis,” he said.
Following the two games the Black Stars played during the international break, Ghanaians have raised a number of concerns about the team.
Ghana defeated Nicaragua 1-0 and fell to Brazil 3-0.
There are problems, many people have said, that need to be fixed before the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup starts.
Ghanaians would prefer to see the squad move past the group stage this time because of Ghana’s disastrous prior performance in the competition, which resulted in a group stage departure.
Before Ghana’s opening match against Portugal in the group stage, GhanaWeb looks at five questions Otto Addo needs to address in their final exhibition game against Switzerland.
What formation best suits the team?
Otto Addo has been experimenting and exploring his formation options in order to find the best fit for his squad.
The manager has tried a variety of systems, but the majority of them are 3-5-2 and 4-2-3-1. He does not appear to have decided which of the two is the best fit.
There are concerns that Otto needs to have a defined system in place for his team before the serious business of the World Cup begins.
The Ayews dilemma
Many believe that Andre Ayew and Jordan Ayew have outlived their usefulness with the Black Stars. The argument has been that the Ayews can be on the team, but they should not be one of the first names on the line-up.
Otto Addo faces a difficult choice between giving in to public pressure or fighting it. In any case, he will be asked questions.
Dennis Odoi or Alidu Seidu?
The Black Stars have three options at right-back: Tariq Lamptey, Denis Odoi, and Alidu Seidu.
Lamptey appears to be the top pick in the pecking order, so he will be in the squad. As a result, Otto Addo will be torn between Alidu Seidu and Dennis Odoi for a backup spot in his final squad.
In the few games they have played, Alidu and Odoi have both proven their worth. Otto must now decide who makes the final list.
Who will lead the frontline for Ghana?
The Black Stars are lacking goals because they lack a prolific goal scorer, which leaves the manager unsure of how to set up his attacking lines to get the goals flowing.
In the games against Brazil and Nicaragua, he played Afena-Gyan and Inaki Williams respectively. He now has to decide which of the two players deserves to start at the World Cup.
Where does Kudus play?
One of Otto Addo’s problems is the role of Kudus Mohammed in his system. Kudus is flourishing at Ajax, where he is a false nine. For the Black Stars, however, he plays in his natural position of offensive midfielder, where many believe he takes far too many touches before releasing the ball.
Hence, Otto Addo must find a role for Kudus that will enable him to work efficiently.
Communication Team Member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Kofi Ntiamoah, has urged Ghanaians to have confidence in the Akufo-Addo administration to navigate the nation positively through the present economic storms because, fundamentally, the NPP has a track record of doing so.
Nana Kofi Ntiamoah reminded Ghanaians that although times may be hard now, the Akufo-Addo administration inherited an even more dire situation and successfully moved the country onto a path of growth until the whole world was blindsided by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and locally, the banking sector clean-up.
He assured that despite the present difficulties, the government is working assiduously to restore the country on the path of growth and accelerated development shifted off course by the three almost concurrent challenges.
“Not long ago, we had felt similar despair. The fear of losing our lives to a pandemic and the near halt to our economy as we battled to survive each day. Some years ago also we had been confronted by very dire economic circumstances.
The joblessness of our youth, years of lights out that impacted adversely on businesses and jobs, the disappointment of dealing with a collapsed national health insurance system and inability to access health care, the bane of the cash and carry system, a nearly collapsed national ambulance system, freeze on public sector employment, an almost collapsed banking sector and so on,” Nana Kofi Ntiamoah told Accra-based Wontumi TV.
“The government of President Akufo-Addo put in much effort to turn things around and elevate the standards of living of the Ghanaian people above what the situation used to be at the time this government was formed in 2017. Taking over from then meant we had to do our best also to make things work and better.
“Together as a country, we proceeded to fix the economy. We made great gains and the records attest to this. Prior to the Coronavirus pandemic which has impacted all economies in the world, we stabilized the economy and achieved great strides,” he added.
“In the midst of the current economic challenges we face, we are putting in place the key pillars for the economic transformation of Ghana. We may not yet be where we want to be, and we may be buffeted by the winds of the pandemic and the war for yet a little while, but we have made a great start and, together, we shall finish what we started.”
At the announcement of Kwasi Kwarteng as the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom (Minister of Finance), many celebrated him because true to their predictions, he was handed over the job.
For many others, including Ghanaians across the world, it was another feather in the cup of its people breaking barriers in other parts of the globe.
And while the job of the Chancellor of the Exchequer is not expected to be any easier on the British-born Ghanaian, many did not quite anticipate that so early into his reign, there would be some major, negative happenings.
Kwasi Kwarteng under fire for smiling during Queen’s funeral
On Monday, September 19, 2022, people from all walks of life attended the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at the Westminster Abbey in London.
Per GhanaWeb’s checks, four Ghanaians were formally invited to the event for different reasons. Ghana’s First Couple were in London for the event as were two other personalities with Ghanaian parentage who are British.
Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah, a one-time equerry of the Queen was in attendance, escorting the cortege on its last journey from the Westminster Abbey to the Royal Vault. The fourth Ghanaian was Kwasi Kwarteng.
Kwarteng, who is British-born but of Ghanaian ancestry, and the current UK Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister), was also in attendance.
He, however, courted controversy on social media after he was captured in a viral video smiling at a point during the ceremony – specifically when a two-minute silence had been declared for the memory of the queen.
Angry social media users – especially on Twitter – called for his head for desecrating what was a solemn occasion for the nation.
Others also alleged that Kwarteng was smiling at himself because he was most likely picking a personal call and had been told something that gave him cause to smile at a rather off time.
Kwarteng, as a senior member of Prime Minister Liz Truss’ government, had a prominent seat at the venue of the service.
When Kwasi Kwarteng delivers his mini budget on Friday all opposition MP’s should coke up, wipe their brows, sway uncontrollably, and laugh like the laughing policeman. pic.twitter.com/mxPRaQ3aNG
British MP suspended for calling Kwasi Kwarteng ‘superficially’ black
In the most recent instance, a British Member of Parliament (MP) from the Labour Party, Rupa Huq, has been suspended by her party for alleged racist comments she made against British-born Ghanaian MP, Kwasi Kwarteng.
According to news.sky.com, the party suspended Rupa Huq for describing Kwasi Kwarteng as a “superficially” black man, pending investigations.
The report indicated that the suspended MP made racist comments against the chancellor in an audio recording posted online by the Guido Fawkes website.
“Superficially he is a black man. He went to Eton, I think, he went to a very expensive prep school, all the way through, the top schools in the country.
“If you hear him on the Today programme, you wouldn’t know he is black,” Rupa Huq was quoted to have said by news.sky.com.
The Labour Party condemned the remarks by the MP and urged her to apologise.
Rupa Huq in a post on social media indicated that she had contacted the UK finance minister to apologise to him in person for the comments she made.
“I have today contacted Kwasi Kwarteng to offer my sincere and heartfelt apologies for the comments I made at yesterday’s Labour conference fringe meeting.
“My comments were ill-judged and I wholeheartedly apologise to anyone affected,” the post she shared read.
Background on Kwesi Kwarteng:
Kwasi Kwarteng became the first black person to become UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister) following his appointment by UK Prime Minister, Liz Truss, on September 6, 2022.
Kwarteng was born Akwasi Addo Alfred Kwarteng in Waltham Forest, East London, in May 1975 to Ghanaian parents, Alfred and Charlotte, who had both immigrated to the United Kingdom a decade earlier as students.
His parents, who went on to become an international economist and a barrister respectively, sent him to an expensive private prep school that produced numerous Cabinet-level politicians. He then attended the famous Eton college — a production line for British leaders including Boris Johnson and David Cameron.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah and the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council have signed up to sponsor 2000 children below the age of 18 years in the Ashanti Region unto the National Health Insurance scheme.
The gesture was in support of an initiative of the Ashanti Regional Office of the NHIA dubbed, “the 1000k for Health Project,”
meant to court the support of well-meaning Ghanaians, whose donations would pay for the NHIS registration fees of at least 1,000 vulnerable children below the age of 18, in the Ashanti Region. Speaking to the media after CEO of the NHIA, Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye, paid him a courtesy visit, Hon. Simon Osei-Mensah
remarked that the project is a significant milestone that will aid in addressing a significant problem with access to healthcare in the region and the country as a
whole.
The Regional Minister stated that he is aware of the various policies and strategies the NHIA management is putting together for a successful NHIS because he
served on the Health Committee for eight years while serving as a Member of Parliament. Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister, personally paid GH¢6,000 to register the first 1000 children, while the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council also paid GH¢6,000 to help register more children in the region into the scheme.
He said the intervention was not only a formidable initiative to improve NHIS and increase the numbers, but also marked a milestone in the success story of the scheme in seeking good health for all citizens in the country.
Mr. Osei-Mensah assured the support of the Regional Coordinating Council and called on all stakeholders to get on board to transform the health sector and build a healthier nation. Dr. Okoe-Boye revealed that the 1,000 for health project is an initiative to augment the government’s support for vulnerable children, of which the enrollment of children with childhood cancer onto the NHIS is key.
70 years and above to get instant access after registering for NHIS The CEO of the NHIA, Dr. Bernard Oko Boye, also announced to the
Ashanti Regional Minister that people 70 years old and above who register with the NHIS can access health care on the same day.
This, according to the CEO, has become necessary due to the frustration some elderly people go through in the bid to access health care.
The waiting period of 30 days has therefore been waived for subscribers who are 70 years old and above, just as pregnant women. The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was established by the government of Ghana in 2003. The program is a form of national health insurance established to provide equitable access and financial coverage for basic health care services to Ghanaian citizens.
The Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi will host the second edition of the National Fitness Day on Saturday, October 15, 2022.
The National Fitness Day is a day dedicated to encouraging Ghanaians to exercise and stay fit.
The Sports Ministry, in collaboration with Vice President Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, who also serves as the ambassador for National Fitness Day, organized the maiden edition on Saturday, September 10, 2022, at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Several Ghanaians exercised alongside Dr. Bawumia, Azuma Nelson, professional cyclists, soccer teams from a few selected
second cycle schools in the Greater Accra Region, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, the King of the Ga State, Sports Minister Mustapha Yusif, and a few other politicians during the first edition in Accra.
The Vice President capitalized on the occasion to encourage Ghanaians to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines.
He argued that the government cannot achieve a strong economy without a healthy populace because healthy Ghanaians significantly contribute to the development of the nation.
“I encourage all to embrace regular physical activity to improve our well-being. If we are healthy in body, we are healthy in mind, and so we want to make sure that Ghana is healthy, and the national fitness day should help us build fitness, and that means better productivity for us,” he added.
Additionally, Dr. Bawumia lauded the Sports Ministry for successfully administering the event as well as individuals who observed the maiden edition across the country.
“After mooting the idea to the Ministry of Youth and Sports last year, and following President Akufo-Addo’s full backing and subsequent approval by Cabinet, it was really exciting to exercise with Ghanaians from all walks of life, especially the youth, who demonstrated admirable passion throughout the nearly two-hour
exercise,” he stated.
Also, the National Sports Authority’s Board Chairman, Seth Panwum, said the project is the beginning of a more unified and
healthy country.
“This is a national event which covers the whole country. The people in the Ashanti region also organized one which I am told the numbers, too, are great. If you cannot do it every day, you can set aside one day of the month to burn some fat and put the mind in a healthy body for mother Ghana, I think it is a welcome idea,” he added.
On August 20, 2022, the Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Yusif, launched the National Fitness Day initiative, which will take place across the country every
second Saturday of the month.
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) says it is committed to supplying quality, reliable and safe power supply to Ghanaians across its operating areas.
To this end, it has urged Ghanaians to be responsible citizens by paying for the electricity they use and report all forms of power theft to the appropriate authorities.
Mr Ebenezer Ghunney, the General Manager of ECG for Accra West Region, gave the assurance when the company commissioned a 200KVA transformer for the Ga West Municipal Hospital at Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region on Friday.
The transformer is to provide constant and reliable power supply to the hospital and improve healthcare services.
It was installed at a cost of GHC200,000.00.
Mr Ghunney said the company chose the Ga West Municipal Hospital because of years of complaints regarding the unreliability of power supply to the facility.
“Before today, this hospital used to be served from a public transformer and they often reported issues of power fluctuations, low voltage and frequent interruption of power supply to some critical units of the hospital, including the neo natal intensive care (NICU), theatre, emergency unit, the laboratory and the records (OPD),” he said.
He added: “The installation of this dedicated 200kVA transformer to the Ga West Municipal hospital is, therefore, a means of improving power supply and reliability to this facility, and in our own small way, ensure that the provision of healthcare to the people and patrons of this hospital is not jeopardized.”
He said the gesture formed part of the company’s corporate social responsibility as well as 2022 ICT Expo activities.
Established in 1984 as a health center, the facility was designated as a Municipal Hospital in 2008.
Currently serving a population of more than 200,000 in the Ga West Municipality and adjoining municipalities, the hospital serves on average, 72,000 outpatients and 8,500 inpatients annually.
The Emergency Unit of the hospital sees more than 6,000 patients annually, that is, more than 16 patients daily and remains the only and highest referral facility in the Ga West Municipality.
However, without a dedicated transformer, the facility relied on the only transformer that served the entire community.
Dr Eric Sarpong-Ntiamoah, the Medical Superintendent, Ga West Municipal Hospital, said the installed transformer would massively improve power supply to the facility for better healthcare delivery.
He explained that over the years, the facility had had to battle with frequent power trips as a result of low voltage from the only transformer that served the community.
“An uncountable number of medical equipment and computers got damaged due to the unstable power supply. This has made the hospital very expensive to run since we have to constantly be buying equipment,” he bemoaned.
Dr Sarpong-Ntiamoah disclosed that since January this year, the hospital had spent over GH¢40,000 on fuel to power its 100KVA generator to ensure stable power supply.
“This amount could have been channeled into purchasing equipment or medicines thus aiding in the provision of quality care,” he said.
While commending the ECG for the gesture, the Medical Superintendent appealed to other benevolent organisations to come to the aid of the hospital to help address the myriad of challenges confronting it.
These challenges include inadequate space for maternal cases admission (pre and post-delivery and labor ward), inadequate delivery beds for admission and deliveries, limited rooms for health services (consultation room, office, nutrition and public health education room) and limited space for antenatal clinics.
He also called for the provision of state of the art equipment for the Emergency Unit, Wards, Theatre and Theatre Recovery to enable it to deal with emergency cases.
Dr Margaretta Gloria Chandi, the Municipal Director of Health Services for Ga West, assured management of the ECG that the hospital would do all it could to maintain the property.
Charles Owusu has called on Ghanaians, especially the youth, to stop seeking quick ways to enrich themselves.
The former Head of the Monitoring Unit at the Forestry Commission was alarmed by recent news of the murder of a 25-year-old trainee nurse at Mankessim in the Central Region.
Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder
According to a Police statement, the two – a self-styled Pastor, Michael Darko alias Nana 1, and Christopher Ekow Clark, Tufuhene (Chief) of Akwakrom – confessed to “murdering the victim for money rituals.”
“During Police interrogation, suspect Michael Darko, who is the alleged boyfriend of the senior sister of the deceased victim and was last seen with her, led police to the location where they had buried her after the murder.”
The body has since been exhumed and deposited at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy.
“The two accused persons were today, 22nd September 2022 arraigned at the District Court II in Cape Coast and have been remanded to reappear before the court on October 4, 2022.”
Speaking on “Kokrokoo” programme on Peace FM, Charles Owusu wondered why people would kill to have money.
He charged the citizenry to know that it is good for one to be prosperous but this ambitious desire to be rich at all cost, thus resort to money rituals, is not the right way.
He asked the public to use appropriate means through hardwork to gain riches.
“Money cannot buy life. Let’s be careful about our desires for quick riches,” he stated.
Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, has alleged that Ghanaians are being stressed with the ongoing SIM card re-registration exercise because of the selfish interest of persons at the National Identification Authority (NIA) and Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation.
According to Bright Simons, the re-registration exercise logically could be done together with the registration for the National Identification Cards (Ghana Card) but this is not being done because of the personal interest of some people at both the NIA and the ministry.
“Procurement is at the root of all the major scandals we have had in this country which involves money if you look closely. I can assure you that all the problems, we are facing with the SIM card (re-registration), the irrationality of the fact that people don’t have the Ghana Card but people are still insisting you should use the Ghana Card.
“If you delve into it very seriously (you will find out that) it is actually because there are private companies behind both sides – the people that are doing the Ghana Card stuff and the people that are doing the SIM registration stuff and they are competing amongst each other.
“So, the simplest thing which should have been that when I was doing my Ghana Card, you will take my phone number, send me a text message to establish that is actually my phone number. And then you will connect the data that has my biometric and that is the end of it, my card is registered. The reason why they will not allow you to do that (is because) it offends some people’s private interests. That is the only reason,” he said at the 2022 Baah-Wiredu Lecture in Accra.
Meanwhile, the National Communication Authority (NCA), on September 5, 2022, announced that persons who have not registered their SIM cards would be barred from receiving certain services, including all outgoing voice calls and data services.
The NCA explained in a statement that the move forms part of punitive actions ahead of the SIM re-registration deadline, which takes effect on September 30, 2022.
It added that persons who fail to register their SIM cards before the September 30 deadline would have their numbers blocked permanently.
But, the Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Prof. Kenneth Agyeman Attafuah, has stated that his outfit cannot issue Ghana Cards to all persons who need them to register their SIM cards before the stated deadline.
This means that not all the nearly 2 million Ghanaian phone users who do not have the Ghana Card yet will be able to register their SIM cards before September 30, 2022 deadline.
According to Prof. Attafuah, the NIA currently does not have the capacity to print Ghana Card for Ghanaians who need them to register their SIM Cards, citinesroom.com reports.
“There is no way that NIA can register those people. It is technically physically impossible. We had said way back in March that it was impossible. I have said it is like expecting a maiden to make a baby every three months.
“That is not how the physical and logistical system has been designed to respond. We cannot do that,” he said.
Education can be really expensive, but as the narrative has always been, it is a necessary evil.
And it is this motivation that has led two Ghanaians to focus their energies and investments on building the educational structure of Africa through higher education.
Patrick Awuah and Fred Swaniker of Ashesi University and the African Leadership University, respectively are blazing the trails of African education and, by that, developing a continent of bright, inquisitive, resilient, and passionate people.
In this Friday GhanaWeb feature, we put a spotlight on these two personalities and their achievements in the education sector of the African continent.
In the biographies of Patrick and Fred below, you will get to understand better their stories and how it is they are working to churn out a generation of Africans who are academically different but in a very critical way.
Patrick Awuah, Founder and President, Ashesi University
The following biography of Patrick Awuah is culled from the official website of his university, Ashesi University
Patrick Awuah is the Founder and President of Ashesi University, a private, not-for-profit institution that has quickly gained a reputation for innovation and quality education in Ghana.
In 2012, Ashesi University was ranked as one of the top ten Most Respected Companies in Ghana, and was the first educational institution to win the award. In the same survey, Patrick Awuah was named the 4th Most Respected CEO in Ghana.
Before founding Ashesi University, Patrick worked as a Program Manager for Microsoft where, among other things, he spearheaded the development of dial-up internet working technologies and gained a reputation for bringing difficult projects to completion.
He holds bachelor’s degrees in Engineering and Economics from Swarthmore College; an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business; and honorary doctorates from Swarthmore College, Babson College, and the University of Waterloo.
He has won many prestigious international awards including the MacArthur Fellowship; the McNulty Prize; Membership of the Order of the Volta — one of Ghana’s highest awards, given to individuals who exemplify the ideal of service to the country, and the World Innovation Summit for Education Prize. In 2015, Patrick was named one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders by Fortune, and received the Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award, given to UC Berkeley alumni with distinguished records of service to their countries.
Patrick served on the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA) of the U.S. Agency for International Development from 2010 to 2016. He is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative of the Aspen Global Leadership Network; a member of the Council on Foreign Relations; and a member of the Tau Beta Pi honor society for excellence in engineering.
Honourary Doctorates
• Honourary Doctor of Laws, Swarthmore College, 2004
• Honourary Doctor of Laws, Babson College, 2013
• Honourary Doctor of Engineering, University of Waterloo, 2018
Major Awards
• Membership of the Order of the Volta by President of Ghana, His Excellency J.A. Kufuor, 2007
• John P. McNulty Prize, 2009
• Social Entrepreneur of the Year, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, 2014
• 2015 Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award, University of California, Berkeley, 2015
• MacArthur Fellowship, 2015
• WISE Prize Laureate, 2017
Summary of Other Affiliations and Awards:
• Fellow of the African Leadership Initiative—Aspen Global Leadership Network
• Member, US Council of Foreign Relations
• Member: Tau Beta Pi Honor Society for Excellence in Engineering.
• Member, TED Fellows Program: 2007 TED/Global, 2009 TED Fellow
• Ghana Web, 2005 Person of the Year
• Young Global Leader, 2007, World Economic Forum
• Winner, 2009 Microsoft Alumni Foundation “Integral Fellow” award
• Winner, John P. McNulty Prize 2009, Aspen Institute
• Ghana’s 8th Most Respected CEO, 2010 (PricewaterhouseCoopers)
• Winner, Educational Development, Millennium Excellence Awards 2010, Ghana
• Member, Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA) of the U.S. Agency for International Development, March 2010 – March 2016
• Ghana’s 4th Most Respected CEO, 2012 (PricewaterhouseCoopers)
• Leading Through Innovation Award, University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, 2012
• Paul Harris Fellow, The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International, 2013
• Elon Medal for Entrepreneurial Leadership, Elon University, 2014
• 50 Greatest Leaders in 2015, Fortune Magazine, 2015
Fred Swaniker
Fred Swaniker of the Africa Leadership University based in Rwanda is a Ghanaian whose inspiring story of struggles led him to start what is one of the model universities for leadership on the African continent.
The following profile is also made available by the official website of the school.
Fred was recognized by US President Obama in 2010 and again in 2013 for his work in developing Africa’s future leaders.
He has been recognised as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, by Forbes Magazine as one of the top ten young ‘power men’ in Africa, and by Echoing Green as one of the fifteen ‘best emerging social entrepreneurs in the world’.
He is a Fellow of the Aspen Institute’s Global Leadership Network and was a TED Fellow in 2009.
Fred began his professional career as a consultant with McKinsey and Company and has an MBA from Stanford Business School, where he was named an Arjay Miller Scholar, a distinction awarded to the top 10% of each graduating class at the business school.
He was born in Ghana but has lived and worked in about 10 different African countries. Fred is deeply passionate about Africa and believes that the missing ingredient on the continent is good leadership.
In line with this, Fred founded the African Leadership ‘Group’—an ecosystem of organizations that includes African Leadership Academy, African Leadership Network, Africa Advisory Group, and of course, ALU.
Collectively, these institutions aim to transform Africa by identifying, developing, and connecting three million game-changing leaders for Africa by 2060.
The government has been advised to publicize development initiatives across the nation, including those funded by tax dollars, including WASH facilities, hospitals, and schools.
Mr. Benedict Doh, Finance Manager, Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), claimed that branding such facilities will provide Ghanaians with “convenient evidence” of the need of paying taxes.
He said that by doing so, Ghanaians would be more likely to have faith in the Tax and Revenue Administration system and, as a result, be prepared to pay taxes in support of the government’s development objective.
Mr. Doh stated in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra that it would be simpler for individuals to pay taxes freely if they could recognize the initiatives that their taxes were funding.
It would help address the complaints many make about not seeing what the Government was doing with taxes paid.
Mr Doh who also is a Tax Analyst said: “We know the Government uses revenues from taxes to fund some of the development projects. But several of them are even ‘labelled as GoG funded.’ That is great, but let’s go to the next level of labelling them specifically as being ‘funded with taxpayers’ money if it is so.”
“We know that the part of tax revenues that goes into capital expenditure is not that much. But as little as it might be, if people begin to see projects funded with taxpayers’ money, and labelled appropriately, it will have a positive impact on their willingness to contribute,” he emphasised.
Apart from the labelling projects financed with taxes for easy identification by the citizenry, Mr Doh called on the Government to work towards making loans attractive to businesspeople.
He said: “Beyond that, we should also see issues of corruption being tackled decisively by the Government, because most people think the resources are not being managed very well by the State, and that does not encourage them to pay.”
The Finance Manager encouraged the Government to make its digitisation processes benefit people in rural communities by introducing payment and transactions platforms like SMS and educating them on the use of such platforms.
He also asked the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to intensify its public education, especially in rural areas.
Despite the implementation of the Electronic Transactions Levy (E-Levy), which is intended to expand the tax net and increase the country’s revenue by roughly GHS 6.9 billion (original objective), Ghana is still having trouble reaching its revenue goals.
According to a GII report, the current economic situation in Ghana is forcing many firms and other taxpayers to forgo paying taxes, which has a negative impact on both productivity and profit.
Six million eligible Ghanaians pay taxes, or about 1.5 million of them, making Ghana’s tax to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio one of the lowest in Africa.
Therefore, stakeholders have urged for coordinated actions to alter the situation in order to encourage Ghanaians to comply voluntarily while pushing the government to establish a strong and well-structured system to increase tax contribution and compliance.
According to a report by Onua FM, the police recovered three pump action pistols and threeexcavators during the arrest.
The operation comes after five other Chinese nationals were arrested in connection with the theft of two excavators and unlawful mining activities.
Meanwhile, the District Chief Executive of Ellembelle, Kwasi Bonzo, and four others have been arrested and granted police enquiry bail over an incident involving one of the missing excavators.
The DCE is accused of interfering in police duties by seeking to stop the transportation of the excavator to the Western Regional Police Command in Takoradi.
According to him, there is no need for him to be levying surcharges because the financial statements of the various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) are true and fair.
“We should stop putting undue pressure on the Auditor General. We should protect the credibility and integrity of constitutional bodies and state institutions. Because the audit that is conducted to establish irregularities or to express an independent opinion on financial statements of public institutions may be different from an audit to establish disallowance and surcharge procedures.
“Even though professionally, the two could have been done when you are on the premises of the client to save the state some resources. The Auditor General has indicated in his report that he will do a further review of the infractions and those that he is able to establish higher level culpability, he will issue disallowance and surcharges,†he said.
He added that those criticizing the Auditor General are merely harming the reputation of the government agency he oversees.
Many Ghanaians, including members of the Coalition for Democratic Accountability and Inclusive Governance, have berated the Auditor General for failing to prosecute people whom his office finds to have committed infractions at the various MDAs and have called
Some notable members of the coalition, including lawyer Samson Ayenini, lawyer Martin Kpebu and lawyer Akoto Ampaw, have said that failure to prosecute such persons is a dereliction of duty and an upfront to the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
They have, therefore, urged the Auditor General to resign for someone ready to hold corrupt officials accountable to take his position.
In a statement, it mentioned that some anti-foreigner groups had made preparations to oust foreigners from their workplaces or occupations starting in September.
“Whilst recognising that this is not a government or state policy, such activities by individualsor groups could degenerate into violence aimed at foreigners or threaten their lives, safety and livelihood,†the statement said.
The violent xenophobia against Africans in South Africa has a recent history.
Foreign Africans have been used as a scapegoat and blamed for crimes, economic instability, and poor governance.
They have been targets of nationwide protests and shutdowns characterised by mob violence, looting, and torching of their businesses.
The Ghana mission urged members of the Ghanaian community to “be vigilant to any such incidents, restrict their movements to safe areas, avoid mass gatherings and refrain from engaging in activities that could result in conflict, brawls or deterioration in their safety.â€
Chinese national and galamsey kingpin, Aisha Huang‘s re-arrest after her deportation in December 2018 has dominated the news headlines for obvious reasons.
How she re-entered the country without detection till her recent arrest has been the major question on the minds of many Ghanaians.
According to new details that have emerged, Huang opted to use Ghana’s eastern land border to enter the country when she decided to return to continue her trade.
According to a report by Accra-based Citi FM, Aisha Huang returned to Ghana through the Togo border in January this year and upon her arrival acquired a Ghana card in February 2022 with a new name, Huang En.
The report added that sources confirmed that she always sneaked out of Ghana when she got intelligence about the possibility of an arrest.
Despite coming in through Afloa, Aisha made the Ashanti Regional capital of Kumasi her base from where she engaged in the business of selling mining materials. She was arrested with other accomplices at Ahodwo in Kumasi.
On Monday, September 5, 2022, the Accra Circuit Court 9 presided by Samuel Bright Acquah, remanded Aisha Huang, into custody.
This was after Miss Huang, together with three other Chinese nationals, were brought before the court on charges including engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals without a license and mining without a license.
The court could not take into record the pleas of the four suspects because there was no interpreter to help translate proceedings for the Chinese nationals.
The accused persons were not represented by a lawyer.
Based on the circumstance, the lead prosecutor, Chief Inspector Detective Frederick Sarpong, prayed to the court for an adjournment.
The court adjourned sitting on the case to Wednesday, September 14, 2022.
Aisha Huang arrested in deported from Ghana in 2018
Ms. Huang, who was described as “untouchable” on some media platforms, was in 2017 charged with undertaking small-scale mining operations contrary to Section 99 (1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).
She was also charged with providing mine support services without valid registration with the Minerals Commission, contrary to Section 59 and 99 (2) of the Minerals and Mining Act; and also charged with illegal employment of foreign nationals (in breach of section 24 of the Immigration Act and regulation 18 of the Immigration Regulations).
Her deportation meant the state discontinued the trial against her.
Former United Nations (UN) Senior Advisor, Prof Baffour Agyeman-Duah, has suggested that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has done no wrong by appointee some of his family relations into positions in his government.
Prof Agyeman-Duah explained that the president is at liberty to appoint any person, provided the person is qualified, 3newroom.com
He added that even former President John Agyekum Kufuorand presidents of advanced democracies like the United States have appointed family members in their governments.
“There is nothing wrong appointing your brother or your son. After all, in other jurisdictions even in the American democracy that we tend to admire, Kennedy appointed his own brother as Attorney General.
“I think when former President Kufuor appointed his brother as Defence Minister there was nothing wrong about that, a very capable person that he appointed. So those are really not the critical issues,†he said.
He, however, indicated that the appointment should not be in positions that breed corruption.
“Even when appointments are made it is important to avoid clear cases of conflict of interest… where money or resources are involved, where there is a higher likelihood of somebody taking cover under the position and the connections available to him to kind of swindle the country, that is where I think my priority will be.
“When you are in the position to make big decisions or decisions that affect all of us, at the same time closely connected to some institutions through which these decisions perhaps may pass or the institution that may be used for the implementation, closely related to you, then there is likelihood that perhaps you made that decision knowing too well that certain benefits will accrue to that institution that you belong to,†he said.
President Akufo-Addo has been heavily criticised for appointing some of his family members and friends into top positions including Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and Roads and Highways Minister Kwasi Amoako-Atta.
Some Ghanaianshave said that the president is not able to sack these two ministers despite the fact that they have underperformed because he is protecting them.
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.
Some social media users are in a state of devastation over a recent post shared by the Chief Executive of Groupe Nduom, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, concerning his lost fortunes in the past three years.
The businessman and politician has taken to his Facebook page to recount the collapse of his GN Bank which had several branches nationwide three years on.
The Bank of Ghana on August 16, 2019, revoked the licences of some 23 insolvent savings and loans and finance house companies including GN Savings and Loans Ltd which he owned.
Announcing the closure, the Central Bank indicated that the financial condition of GN Savings and Loans Limited had deteriorated since its reclassification from GN Bank in 2018, with both negative capital adequacy ratio and negative net worth.
BoG further explained its Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) was -61% in breach of the minimum requirement of 13%.
But to Dr Nduom, a dream to develop a safe and sound regulated financial institution present everywhere in Ghana was deferred with thousands of young men and women now at home.
“Hundreds of millions of assets have been lost, abandoned, destroyed or rotting away: 300 branches remain locked up. The unbanked remains unbanked,†he wrote in a Facebook post.
Quoting inspiration from Jeremiah 29: 11, he stated his faith, however, remains strong in the face of the challenges.
Papa Kwesi Nduom fills eyes of Ghanaians with tears
His post has sparked mixed reactions amid prayers for God to restore everything he has lost in the course of the financial sector clean-up.
Not everyone will have Ghana Card by Sept. ending; It’s ‘Unrealistic’ And ‘Impossible’! – NIA Boss to Ursula
Executive Director of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Professor Ken Agyeman Attafuah seems to have burst Hon. Ursula Owusu’s bubble about getting all Ghanaians to register their SIM cards with Ghana Card by the end of September.
The Communications and Digitalisation Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, issued a directive to Ghanaians who haven’t yet engaged in the ongoing SIM re-registration exercise to do so or have their SIM cards deactivated.
She has extended the deadline for the registration exercise to the end of September this year hoping that all Ghanaians would have their SIM cards registered. This is the third time of extending the deadline for the exercise.
Deadline Extension
Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday, 31st July and later in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on “Kokrokoo“, Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful said; “Upon consultation with the industry and in view of the challenges enumerated above, I have very reluctantly decided to grant a conditional extension. The programme will be extended to 30th September to end on the anniversary of its commencement.â€
“That will give us one full year of SIM registration. It will be reviewed at the end of this month and any SIM that has not been fully registered by the end of August will be barred from receiving certain services including voice and data services,†she added.
It Is Not Possible
But days after her speech, the NIA – the body mandated to establish and manage a national data centre, by setting up a system to collect, process, store, retrieve and disseminate personal data on Ghanaian citizens and legally and permanently resident foreign nationals, and to issue national identity cards – says it will not be possible for all Ghanaians to receive their Ghana Cards to enable them register their SIM cards before or by the deadline.
Prof Attafuah who heads the NIA, stated on PeaceFM that there are some bottlenecks that need to be taken into serious consideration.
He was emphatic that not all the applicants will have their cards before the deadline because the NIA’s capacity is limited; pointing out that this is because the Authority has inadequate number of personnel to register all Ghanaians and distribute their cards to them by the end of September.
“We have opened 276 operational district offices. Every constituency has an office…On the 3rd of November, 2021, we opened 16 Regional offices and 276 district offices operational simultaneously which is a different case but they are all working. Initially, we had some resistance from some political quarters but the truth of the matter is that, at the end of the day, all these offices are functional and serving the good people of this country.
“Every Regional office has only 5 people. Every district office has only 4 people. During the mass registration, 16 people were in every registration center and in every district, there will be about 200 registration centers. Today, there is only one office in every district or municipality and it has either a maximum of five or a maximum of four”, he said.
Unrealistic Expectation
Prof. Ken Attafuah also added that the law that establishes the NIA didn’t take into effect the SIM re-registration exercise, explaining the law required the NIA to “exist in perpetuity and for Ghanaian to go there and register at their leisure and pleasure“.
The NIA, he expounded, “is like a hospital or a maternity ward; you go there when you need to after the mass registration but today, it’s become impromptu for everyone and the strength does not exist“.
Prof. Attafuah stressed; “It is an unrealistic expectation that we will be able to give all of them their cards…It is not possible to do that. What is possible, however, is to put in greater efforts and make sure as many as can get it can but to guarantee that every single one is not possible”.
“The number of SIM cards linked to the Ghana Cards are less than 15 million and yet we have issued more than 15.5 million, so that’s also another factor to consider. Also, by the NCA’s own statistics, it has not been possible since October 1st when they began to link all the available Ghana Cards to the SIM cards“, he further said.
He made these submissions during an interview on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” programme Friday morning.
Source: peacefmonline
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.
Patriotism does not consist in waving the flag, but in striving for our country to be both righteous and strong. We swear on our honor to be loyal to Ghana, our motherland. What is going on around the country demonstrates that Ghanaians have lost sight of the importance of patriotism in our national life.
From the presidency to the legislature, the judiciary, public and civil servants, and the last man in the community. Everyone is simply irresponsible. Individual gain has taken precedence over the collective interest of all.
Every morning after salaat, I take some time to reflect on our country, Ghana.
The more I do the exercise, the more worried I become. I become perplexed because I don’t know where to begin in my quest to find solutions to the numerous challenges that face us as a nation.
According to the elderly, the most difficult challenge is excessive partisanship, which motivates the political class to take unnecessary intransigent positions on issues of national concern. The NDC sees nothing positive in NPP leadership, and vice versa.
Some of the problems we face, ideally, can be easily solved with a patriotic mindset. According to the World Bank, Ghana has 20.66 percent of arable land coverage, while China has 12.68 percent. Ironically, Ghana’s food imports from China in 2019 totaled US$37.72, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade.
So, I ask myself, what exactly is wrong with our country? Why should Ghana, which has more agricultural land, need to import food from China? I heard the argument that Ghanaians have an insatiable desire for foreign goods. Really? Where has the patriotism gone? I believe that Ghanaians should love to consume what we produce in order to save our economy from total collapse.
In my opinion, businessmen and women are deliberately driving the so-called appetite for foreign goods in order to stay in the import business and make abnormal profits. This viewpoint is supported by importers withdrawing their advertisement from Citi FM after the entity attempted to promote Ghana-made rice.
Many people point to the leadership’s lack of confidence in imposing a total ban on imports of goods that Ghana can produce locally. Nigeria banned maize imports in 2020 in order to boost domestic production and stimulate a rapid economic recovery. Many imported foodstuffs can be banned in Ghana.
A well-designed policy in this area alone will reduce unemployment and ensure the country’s food security.
To give true meaning to our patriotism, we as citizens must first believe in ourselves and what we produce. Let us all go back to our own backyard gardens. This should assure us of chemical-free foods and the passion that goes with farming.
There is still a chance for Ghana to develop and it has to be through patriotism.
Prof. Adei indicated that average Ghanaians are more interested in showing off their wealth by buying excess clothes and having more clothing than millionaires in western countries like the late Steve Jobs who owned only four pairs of jeans, graphic.com.gh reports.
He, therefore, urged Ghanaians to learn to avoid wasting their monies on unnecessary acquisitions including excess clothes.
“… limit the price of financial success… In other words, don’t make certain sacrifices, that is financial discipline, not wasting your money.
“The average Ghanaian has more clothing than a millionaire in America, yes…” Prof. Adei is quoted to have said at the Springboard Your Virtual University show.
Also, Prof. Adei said that it is wrong for people to prioritise wealth over having good relationships.
“Getting rich at the expense of personal integrity, a good marriage, family life, fellowship and friendship only makes you a rich fool,†he added.
Legendary Ghanaian musician Gyedu Blay Ambolley, says the late Alfred Benjamin “A. B.” Crentsil was very passionate about the growth of Highlifeand 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.
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.
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 Ghanaiansfind 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.
A 49-year-old Ghanaian voodoo practitioner in Scotland will be deported to Ghana after brutally beating his wife.
Michael Yartey, who throttled a trainee doctor has been jailed for 82 days and will be deported back to West Africa on his release.
Yartey came to Scotland from Ghana to start a new life with his medic wife but attacked her days after arriving in Perth.
He who told police voodoo was his religion, had been sponsored to live in the UK by his wife Jessie Vanderpuije.
But she has withdrawn her sponsorship after being subjected to a violent assault in her own home when Yartey seized her by the throat during a row.
He then hurled her to the ground and refused to leave the house in Cedar Drive, Perth, on February 11 this year.
As well as being jailed for 82 days, Yartey was made the subject of a non-harassment order banning him from approaching or contacting his estranged partner.
He was unable to provide a post-release address and, as a result, will be deported back to Ghana after spending the majority of his time in Scotland behind bars.
Perth Sheriff Court was told Yartey arrived from Ghana, where 13 per cent of the population follow the voodoo faith, on January 29 to start a new life.
However, he was arrested and taken into custody after attacking Jessie less than a fortnight later and has been locked up ever since.
Yartey wept in the dock when he initially appeared from custody and admitted seizing her by the throat and pushing her to the ground.
He also admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner by refusing to leave the house.
Fiscal depute Bill Kermode told the court: “The complainer is no longer willing to be his sponsor, so the grounds for him to remain in the UK will no longer exist and he is likely to be deported back to Ghana.â€
Several Ghanaians who live within the jurisdiction of several high-tension poles mounted behind Fiesta Royal Hotel in Accra have witnessed a demolition of the structures they call home.
The affected persons noted that the exercise started within the wee hours of today.
Briefing the news team on what transpired, they averred that the area was evaded by security personnel and some other persons they believe were land guards without their notice around 3am Friday.
Those affected by the exercise include petty traders, mainly pure water sellers, tailors, bar operators, security personnel, among others.
The squatters further told the news team that some who were unable to secure their belongings had them destroyed by the excavators and security personnel who were at the site.
School children who were with their parents upon the arrival of the news team said they had no choice but to stay home to help pack what their families secured.
Some who called on government to come to their aid, requested for a temporal structure from the Akufo-Addo-led government to lay their heads at night whilst they look for permanent places to rent.
Others, however, threatened not to exercise their franchise in the upcoming general elections adding that they will not hesitate to vote out the Akufo-Addo government for not being there for Ghanaians as promised.
Explaining why they had taken such as a decision in an election year, most averred that the president and his appointees after being voted into power, render them homeless while they use taxpayer’s money to sponsor their lavish lifestyle.
The Ministry of Transport has appealed to Ghanaians to comply with the new increase in transport fares.
Transport fares have been increased by 10% effective today, Monday, and expected to cover intra-city travel commonly called trotro, intercity or long-distance travels and shared taxis.
The Public Relations Officer for the Transport Ministry, Gloria Holm-Graves in an interview with Citi News urged both the transport operators and the commuting public to adhere to the new fixtures.
“After meaningful discussions with the transporters, it was agreed that we have a 10% increment in transport fares. The Ministry is appealing to all transporters and the general public to comply with the new directive. The transporters have provided a chart and it shows how much the 10% would be with different fares. So for instance in situations where the commuter pays GH¢1, you may have to add 10 pesewas to make it GH¢1.10,†she said.
The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council issued a statement earlier on, announcing the increase in the transport fares.
According to the statement, the rise was “to accommodate predominantly an increase in fuel prices.â€
This was after government announced an increment in the Energy Sector Levy to help raise income to pay off the energy sector debt during the mid-year budget review.
Transport fares were last increased by the GPRTU in April 2017 by 15 percent.
