Mahatma Powers Sogndal

Ghana striker Mahatma Otoo scored to help Sogndal secure a 2-0 win at Bryne which sees the side shoot up to the top of the Norwegian second tier league.

Lazio Plan Move For Boateng

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Italian side SS Lazio are said to be mooting a four-year offer for Schalke outcast Kevin-Prince Boateng.

The former AC Milan midfielder, who has had a poor season this term, was dealt a heavy blow on Monday. He was announced alongside Sidney Sam by the Schalke management as having been released from their contracts by the club. The club later said the two are on suspension.

According to Corriere della Sera and Tuttosport, Lazio, long admirers of the 28-year-old, are set to launch a second bid worth €2.2 million per season plus bonuses to tempt him to return to the Italian capital. Lazio failed to sign Boateng in 2010.

Boateng has one season more on his Schalke contract and the club are said to be plotting against having to compensate him for unilateral contract abrogation.

Meanwhile, the German professional players union, VDV, has released a statement criticising Schalke’s conduct as trying to use Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sidney Sam as scapegoats for their season woes, urging the two players to legally defend themselves against their employers.

 

Via: -Daily Guide  

CAF Boss Hayatou Mourns Attuquayefio

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CAF President Issa Hayatou has expressed sadness over the death of legendary ex- Ghanaian footballer and coach, Cecil Jones Attuquayefio.

The ex-forward passed away on Tuesday 12 May 2015 in Accra after a protracted illness, at the age of 70.

“On behalf of the CAF Executive Committee and on my own behalf, I extend my deepest condolences to the Ghana Football Association (GFA), the bereaved family and the Ghanaian football family. My thoughts are with you at this difficult moment.

“African football has lost one of its astute servants. From his playing era to his coaching days, Cecil Jones Attuquayefio left lasting memories in the minds of all,” said Hayatou.

Winner of the Africa Cup of Nations in 1965 (Tunisia), he was also part of the Black Stars squad that reached the final in 1968 (Ethiopia) and 1970 (Sudan).

Fondly called “Asmara” by his peers, he is famed for supervising the best moments in the history of Ghanaian club, Accra Hearts of Oak, guiding them to the CAF Champions League (2000), CAF Super Cup (2001) and CAF Confederation Cup titles (2004).

He was also named CAF Coach of the Year in 2000 and qualified Benin to their first ever Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2004 in Tunisia.

Besides the Ghana national team, he also hands stints with the Ghana U-17 team (winning bronze at the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Cup) and Ghana U-23 team with renowned players such as Michael Essien, Asamoah Gyan, Kwadwo Asamoah some of his pupils.

 

Via: -Daily Guide  

Attacks On Celebrities Unfortunate – Says UFC

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Lydia Forson

A group calling itself The United Cadres’ Front (UCF) has condemned derogatory comments made by some supporters of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) against the intended dumsor vigil being organised by some celebrities.

Some celebrities who are organising a vigil against the current power crisis have faced some verbal attacks from members of the NDC, including Stephen Atubiga, Alhaji Haruna Alidu and Ras Mubarak.

The group argued that though it is not in support of the vigil, they believe every Ghanaian is entitled to exercise his or her right.

Speaking on Citi FM, the secretary of the group, Efanam Komla Nyaku, said the group is saddened by the recent attacks on artistes who have decided to go on a vigil, adding that in as much as the group is against those who are verbally abusing the celebrities, the group is not endorsing their demonstration.

He, however, called on NDC sympathisers to cease making such derogatory remarks against the celebrities, arguing that persons who wish to make such statements should not hide behind the NDC party.

Komla Nyaku, however, opined that the celebrities have failed to interrogate the real cause of the power crisis but have rather resolved to embark on a vigil.

“The issues have to do with what is the cause of the dumsor. Unfortunately, they have not bothered to interrogate the cause of the dumsor. If they had interrogated the cause of the dumsor, one would have thought that they will come out with alternatives to the dumsor other than what government is doing.”

According to him, he is unsure if the celebrities spearheading the vigil know that the “dumsor is not the creation of the present administration but it was the lack of foresight, planning and the absence right approach and attitude towards our energy situation.”

Komla Nyaku added that if the organisers are bent on embarking on the procession, “then Ghanaians must allow them to do it because it is clear that they are doing the demonstration in pursuit of an agenda rather than getting a solution and it is for this reason Ghanaians should allow them just as any other person who will go.”

Via: -Daily Guide  

Kwaw Kese, Koo Ntakra, Others For MTN 4syte TV Pool Party In Kumasi

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The Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi, will today and tomorrow witness a two day musical event, musical jam and a pool party to entertain music fans and MTN subscribers in the region.

The two day event which would bring together friends and family as well as loved ones kicks off with a welcome party today at the Vienna City in Kumasi from 8:00pm with a number of well known DJs appearing.

Tomorrow, the organisers of the event would host a pool party dubbed ‘MTN 4Syte Pool Rave’ at the Miklin Hotel poolside also in Kumasi.

The pool party would witness musical performances from renowned artistes like Kwaw Kese, Flowking Stone, Keche, Choirmaster and winner of MTN hitmaker, Koo Ntakra.

4syte TV, MTN, Hunter’s Dry, Joy Dadi Bitters, Hennessy, Redbull Energy Drink and Miklin Hotel are the main sponsors for the event.

Also on the guest list are well-known television and radio personalities as well as celebrities from the music and movie industries.

By George Clifford Owusu

 

 

Via: -Daily Guide  

Walking Saves Lives

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Thousands of lives could be saved each year and productivity increased if people got off the sofa and stretched their legs more, James Basintale, MTN General Manager for Northern Business Sector, has said.

According to him, walking is a free activity which could transform people’s health with substantial benefits, but lack of exercise can be risky.

Speaking to the media in Kumasi after a two-hour brisk walking exercise of MTN staff and partners dubbed ‘Health Walk’, Mr Basintale noted, “We believe that when Ghanaians are healthy that is when we can be more productive.”

He disclosed that health walk was one of the events lined up for the celebration of Ashantifest in the month of May.

“As a business, we need to give back to society by engaging people in programmes of this nature. Health walk exercises the body, the mind and this good for the people to begin a productive week with strength and vigour,” the MTN boss stated.

He explained that the MTN Ashanti festival would celebrate the culture, customs and traditions of the Asante people, while the telecommunication company would take the opportunity to brand the region with colours of MTN.

He said Otumfuo Osei Tutu II would be involved in many of the company’s activities, and mentioned the golf tournament in particular as one the king himself would be participating in.

“Otumfuo will also host a dinner to enhance the image of Ashanti Region and the cultural values the region stands for,” Basintale added.

From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi

 

 

Via: -Daily Guide  

Man Gets 12 Years For Defilement

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A 37 year old man has been handed a 12 year jail term after confessing in an Accra Circuit Court that he defiled a 15 year old girl on two occasions that her mother sent her to him.

The accused person Michael Jacobson agreed with the court presided over by Mrs. Rita Budu-Agyemang that he was guilty of defiling a female under the age of sixteen and pleaded to be dealt leniently with.

Mrs. Budu-Agyemang consequently convicted the suspect who is unemployed on his own plea.

The facts of the case as presented by the prosecuting officer Detective Inspector Kofi Atimbire were that the complainant Beatrice Dansoaa, a food vendor and the mother of the victim lives with her daughter at Tabora where the suspect also lives.

He said last month the complainant sent her daughter to collect some items from the accused person and he took advantage of that and defiled the girl.

The prosecutor indicated that the suspect was later heard accusing the minor of flirting with other men in the area, so when the mother got wind of it she confronted her daughter.

He stated that the girl told her mum that the suspect had defiled her on the two occasions that she sent her to him.

The inspector disclosed that the matter was consequently reported to the police and the victim was issued with a medical form for medical examination and treatment after which the report was submitted to the police.

He said the suspect was subsequently arrested and he admitted the offence in his caution statement.

The police officer added that the suspect was arraigned before the court after the police had concluded investigations.

By Fidelia Achama

 

Via: -Daily Guide  

I Am Gay- Says Ghanaian Pastor’s Kid

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The new Big Brother housemates have only just gone into the house and already one has revealed that she is gay.

In the living room, Harriet asked her fellow housemates about their relationship status, which led to committed Christian and pastor’s daughter Adjoa Mensah revealing that she is gay, sparking a hilarious reaction from Kieran, who, Amy quipped, was ‘wounded’ by the revelation.

Kieran hit back saying that he was confused, presumably not at the concept of one being gay though.

Adjoa simply laughed at the reaction and said: “You weren’t expecting that, were you?”

The model went on to reveal that she has never slept with a man and that it is something she never wants to experience.

“No [I don't want guys at all] I want p****,” she said.

“Nah, I’m just saying it is what it is,” said Kieran when Adjoa asked why he was confused.

Later, when he was asked if he was gutted that she liked girls, he said: “Why am I gutted? That’s her business.”

It is not clear whether Adjoa is looking for love in the house. If she is, there’s always Sarah Greenwood.

Entering the diary room to talk with Big Brother about her fellow housemates, Adjoa said “Sarah is so lovely, and she’s hot and is just so sexy.”

Earlier in the episode, Adjoa took a liking to Jade and commented on how ‘so sexy’ she was but Jade said she didn’t think of girls in sexual matters.

Adjoa then asked: “So you don’t want to feel their p**** or something?”

 

CREDIT: Mirror.co.uk

 

 

Via: -Daily Guide  

Mills’ Death Unnatural -Family Head Declares

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The controversy surrounding the death of the late President John Evans Mills is back on the front burner as family head, Paul Ackom, rekindles the subject with a vociferous allegation that his brother did not die naturally.

“There is foul play in Mills’ death,” he said.

His latest demand for a post-mortem on the remains of his brother was prompted by former President Jerry John Rawlings’ opinion that the late Mills’ death was a blessing for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) which he proffered late last week.

Speaking to Oman FM on Wednesday rather hysterically, Mr Paul Ackom recalled the circumstances surrounding his brother’s death amidst dirges.

“How can the death of Mills be a blessing for the party in power as former President Rawlings claimed? I respect Rawlings a lot. I see him as a dynamic personality but for him to say what he said suggests that he knows something about what killed my brother,” Mr Ackom underscored.

“The NDC has returned to opposition already,” he said, explaining that he and his people in Otuam would not vote for the party come the next elections.

“We demand the remains of our brother for reburial in our hometown. When Limann died he was buried in his hometown, as was Kwame Nkrumah earlier. We ask John Mahama whether he would be buried at the Castle when he died?” he said with a strong voice.

The Castle in the 18^th Century he said, “was a burial ground for slaves who died as they awaited their shipment abroad. Mills has a family pedigree and not a slave to be buried at a place where slaves were buried. We demand his remains for reburial at Otuam.”

When Mills died he said “a press conference we sought to organize was aborted by the authorities. We intended to demand the remains for burial at his hometown.”

Mills died without blemish and just like Kwame Nkrumah, he died an honest man. “Let them be careful. We are serious,” he warned.

Government, he went on, has not told them anything about their request for the return of the remains of Mills. “Ato Dadzie has not told us anything,” he said.

“How can mild stroke kill a person as Cadman Mills said?” he wondered.

Rawlings said all manner of things against Mills, Mr Ackom said, as he recalled the former President’s denigrating remarks like “Atta Mortuary Man, Atta Go Slow,” to buttress his point about he (Rawlings) not supportive of the late president when he was at the helm.

Rawlings, according to him, said all these because Mills refused to do his (Rawlings’) bidding while he (Mills) was in office as president.

“Mills bled from his body openings,” he said, adding that “He did not receive attention until after an hour.”

Paul Ackom quizzed, “Governments would come and go. Why was Mills’ death a blessing for the NDC? Whoever dies without a post-mortem? We demand a post-mortem report to establish the cause of death.”

By A.R. Gomda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Via: -Daily Guide  

GLICO Boss Inducted Into Entrepreneurs’ Hall Of Fame

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Kwame Achampong-Kyei, Executive Chairman of GLICO GROUP, has been inducted into the Ghana Entrepreneurs’ Hall of Fame by the Entrepreneur Foundation of Ghana.

He was awarded for his outstanding contributions to entrepreneurship in the country.

The Entrepreneurs’ Hall of Fame award was held at the State Banquet Hall, Accra under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

The award was instituted for entrepreneurs who have made exceptional achievements to create economic and social values.

Out of 127 entrepreneurs honoured by the Entrepreneur Foundation, 30 outstanding entrepreneurs were inducted into the Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame.

Mr. K. Achampong –Kyei, after receiving the award, said “It is humbling for one to be recognized for his contributions towards the socio-economic development of Ghana.

“This award spurs me on to contribute more in generating new ideas and growing new companies to serve Mother Ghana.”

Mr. Achampong–Kyei founded the company in 1987 as Gemini Life Insurance Company (GLICO) which has grown into a group with six subsidiaries that specializes in insurance and financial intermediation.

He has won many prestigious awards including the President’s Club Membership, the International Quality Award in Life Underwriting (1980) from the Life Insurance Marketing and Research Association, USA.

In addition, he was awarded the Gold Award of the American International Group (1982), the CIMG Marketing Man of the Year (2008) and the Best Entrepreneur in Insurance (2010) instituted by the Entrepreneur Foundation of Ghana (EFG).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Kwame Achampong-Kyei

Via: -Daily Guide  

Ghana Loses $686m To Dumsor

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Kwabena Donkor, Power Minister

Ghana loses about $2.2 million daily and $686.4 million annually due to the power crisis.

According to a study conducted by the Institute of Statistical and Economic Research (ISSER), the figure translates to about 2 percent of national output lost.

The Economic Division of ISSER obtained the figures using the Opportunity Cost per Kilowatt analysis.

The report was based on the impact of the power crisis on Micro and Small Enterprises (MSE) only.

This is the first time a comprehensive study has quantified in monetary terms losses suffered by businesses since the power crisis began three years ago.

The report surveyed over 1, 250 MSE across all 10 regions of Ghana, and it was revealed that the crisis has lowered the annual sales of these companies by about 37 percent to 48 percent.

It was also discovered that only 20 percent of all MSEs have back-up generators to support their businesses to augment power supply.

Presenting the highlights of the report titled, ‘Electricity insecurity and its impact on micro and small business in Ghana,’ Dr. Charles Ackah, Head of the Economic Division at ISSER, charged government to show more seriousness in its quest to end the power crisis since the chain effects are crippling.

According to him, over four million MSEs across the country provide two thirds of all jobs in Ghana, adding that the power crisis would lead to the dismissal of a number of employees.

Ishmael Ackah, Head of the Policy Unit at the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), for his part, said the country needs about $4 billion each year to effectively deal with the power crisis and permanently bring it to an end.

By Cephas Larbi

cephrok@yahoo.com

 

 

Via: -Daily Guide  

Oteng-Adjei Justifies Grabbing Flashy Car

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Former Energy Minister, Dr. Joe Oteng-Adjei, has justified the use of a luxury vehicle he allegedly kept – even after his exit from government – for several months.

He has therefore dared members of ‘OccupyGhana’ who have suied him for keeping a Lexus vehicle with registration number GC 5958-11 leaving office as a minister.

The pressure group, led by Sydney Casely-Hayford, wants the court to order Dr. Oteng-Adjei to pay to the state a whopping GH¢355,812 for keeping the vehicle unlawfully for a period of 222 days (16 July, 2014 to 23 February, 2015).

Audit Report

The former minister after exiting government, allegedly kept the project car – Lexus LX 570 – purchased under rural electrification project.

An Auditor General’s report on the energy ministry regarding special rural electrification, had revealed that between 2010 and 2012 the ministry expended close to $2 million on 38 luxury vehicles and other office equipment which were to be used to monitor and inspect a rural electrification project.

AG’s Defence

OccupyGhana filed the suit on March 12 against Dr. Oteng-Adjei and joined the Attorney General in the suit.

The AG filed her defence on April 27, 2015, denying most of the claims but admitting that the said vehicle was one of the fleet of vehicles purchased under a project for the electrification of some communities in the Western, Central and Brong-Ahafo Regions, known as the Weldy Lamont Project.

In an attempt to shrug off the plaintiff’s claim of negligence, the AG appears to have exposed Dr. Oteng-Adjei when she averred that “Following a circular from the Chief of Staff, former ministers were allowed to use their official vehicles for a period of three months after leaving office.”

Oteng-Adjei’s Defence

In his defence filed on April 28, Dr. Oteng-Adjei said he would contend that “in so far as his letter of appointment contained express provision on the cessation of his appointment, he did not cease to hold public office after the reshuffle.”

According to him, after the reshuffle, he continued to render public service including attending meetings particularly in the energy sector, meetings at the seat of government with relevant  high level state officials in the Integrated  Aluminuim project as part of preparations towards the recent  visit to Qatar by the President of Ghana.

Argument

Dr Oteng-Adjei continued in his defence, “Defendant states that other ministers who were initially reshuffled and ceased to hold any ministerial positions were later reassigned to ministries and therefore 1^st defendant, just like the said persons, had no doubt that he would be reassigned. This is moreso when his appointment contained express and clear terms on the rights of both contracting parties.”

Dr. Oteng-Adjei further argued that it was only after his appointment as Chairman of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) on March 4, 2015 that by implication, he ceased to act as public servant adding, “even though he had not been expressly terminated as Minister of State as required by his letter of appointment.”

The former energy minister’s defence posits, “1^st defendant would contend that the action is a pretext by his political enemies to punish him for what they perceived to be his action which led to the state saving $46 million which otherwise would have benefited some interested parties.”

He said he had never refused to return the vehicle and at all material times, had no intention to unlawfully keep it saying, “The present action is without any basis and is not justifiable.”

By William Yaw Owusu

Via: -Daily Guide  

Prince David, Sydney Join Dumsor Vigil

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Sydney and Prince David Osei 

Two influential entertainers, actor Prince David Osei and musician Barimah Sydney, are the latest to join the ongoing ‘DumsorMustStop’ campaign to get the John Mahama-led government to fix the continuous energy crisis now known as “dumsor.”

The campaign, which is led by some of the country’s influential celebs including Yvonne Nelson and Sarkodie, started months ago as an online campaign.

It is currently about to hit the streets as organisers are preparing for a ‘DumsorMustStop’ night vigil to push their message and concerns to the government.

The power crisis has persisted for the past three years, with government constantly shifting the goalpost as to when it will end.

Many workers, especially in the major capital cities, have since been rendered redundant while several other businesses have closed down.

In April last year, Prince David asked Ghanaians to be patient and give the government time to improve the living conditions in the country.

The decision of the actor to join ‘DumsorMustStop’ is definitely an indication that he is not impressed at the turn of events.

“We are not intimidated, we are not cowards, we are citizens of this great nation…Ghana. DumsorMustStop. Flying into Ghana last night, all I saw when I looked down from the skies was utter darkness in the city of Accra…What happened to the beautiful Accra night? 16^th May the vigil is on…#DumsorMustStop,” Prince David Osei stated on social media last Friday.

Musician Sydney, on the other hand, is no stranger when it comes to criticising governments.

 

By Francis Addo (Twitter: @fdee50 Email: fdee500@yahoo.com)

 

 

   

 

Via: -Daily Guide  

Arthur Kennedy Is A Cancer, NPP Should Expel Him – Amoako Baah

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Dr Amoako Baah

Head of the Political Science department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Richard Amoako Baah, has suggested that a one-time flagbearer aspirant of the opposition New Patriotic Party be expelled from the party.

According to him, Dr Arthur Kennedy seems to be on a crusade to destroy the party’s flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo and with him, the party itself.

His comment is in relation to an article written by Arthur Kennedy in what seems to be an attack on the party’s 2016 flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo.

Dr Arthur Kennedy believes the 2016 flagbearer is scheming to remove the party’s General Secretary Kwabena Agyepong from office.

In the controversial article, he warned that the “dumb obsession” of the opposition Presidential candidate to remove “duly elected and loyal executives, bespeaks intolerance in a man who has the potential to be a great leader.”

Speaking on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’, the Political Science lecturer said  “if I was called on for an advice, I would say that he should be advised to stop what he is doing otherwise he should be expelled from the party altogether”.

He added, “let us give him the chance to amend his ways but if he doesn’t let us expel him from the party and once he is not a member of the party, he cannot comment on issues relating to the party.”

Citing Dr. Wereko Brobby who was suspended from the party due to similar behaviour, Dr Amoako Baah believes that the same thing should be done to Dr Arthur Kennedy and anyone who goes contrary to rules.

Dr Amoako Baah expressed disappointment with the words used in the article and said that such things seek to portray that there is bad blood between Dr Kennedy and Nana Akufo-Addo.

The political science lecturer believes, Dr Kennedy is using issues surrounding the General Secretary Kwabena Agyepong as camouflage to attack Nana Addo.

“All he is doing shows that he is against Nana Akufo-Addo and if he is against the flagbearer then he is against the party. He does not care what happens to the party,” Dr. Amoako-Baah said.

For someone who has been a presidential aspirant, Dr Amoako-Baah believes that expressing displeasure in the manner that Dr Kennedy did was unacceptable and should not be condoned.

“They should expel him from the party. It does not matter the so-called Alan camp, Kufuor camp, he is a cancer in the party that must be removed”, he stressed.

“What he is doing should not be tolerated by anyone in any faction in the party. It is inappropriate, unacceptable and in a lot of ways cowardice because if he has a problem, he should come to Ghana and not sit somewhere and write uncomplimentary things about people”.

Dr Amoako Baah also blamed the media for hyping Arthur Kennedy’s article by discussing its content.

“The media should be partly blamed, he has a personal vendetta against Nana Akufo-Addo and this must not be addressed in the media.

“Let him write all the letters he wants, nobody should pay attention to him”, he added.

Via: -Daily Guide  

I haven’t received my award – 2013 Journalist of the Year cries

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The reigning Journalist of the Year Mabel Aku Baneseh is yet to be given her prize package by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) almost a year on since the awards ceremony.

Baneseh was promised a trip outside the country, an undisclosed amount of money and a car for emerging overall winner for the year 2013.

She emerged journalist of the year for her exceptional reports on the 2012 election petition trial which traveled for well over eight months.

However, nine months on, the court correspondent of the state-owned Daily Graphic told StarrFMonline.com exclusively that the only package she has received are two television sets and two RLG laptops she won for emerging winner in the political and court reporting categories.

“I was told by the GJA president that about a month or two to the awards, the main sponsor Unilever pulled out. That is what I have been told,” Baneseh explained.

“I didn’t have any idea what exactly the entire prize package was about, but I was told by another journalist that it included a car and a trip.

“Even though as a mother I couldn’t accept to travel outside for too long, at least it should have been offered for me to reject.

“As we speak nothing has been given me; nothing at all,” she said.

According to her, the situation has become embarrassing to her since her friends and relatives keep asking if she had redeemed her prize.

“I wouldn’t have spoken about it but I decided to speak out because another GJA awards have been launched and I think it’s unfair that till date my package has still not been delivered”.

Meanwhile, the president of the Ghana Journalists Association Roland Affail Monney has confirmed to StarrFMonline.com that the association is yet to deliver the package to her.

He, however, maintains that they are in talks with the winner to resolve the issue.

Source: Starrfmonline.com

Via: -Daily Guide  

Govt Adds 12 Billion Cedis To Country’s Debts

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Seth Terkper – Finance Minister

It appears efforts by government to reduce the country’s rising debts are not yielding the needed results.

This is because latest figures from the Bank of Ghana shows that the country’s public debt continuous to rise.

The country’s debt stood at 88.2 billion cedis as at March this year, 12 billion cedis more than the 76 billion cedis recorded in December 2014.

However, in relation to the debt’s stock share of the total value of Ghana’s GDP, it has reduced to about 65 from 67 percent.

The development might come across as good news, especially for those who were worried that Ghana was inching closer to the dreaded 70 percent mark which could have put Ghana on the HIPC status.

Ghana’s economy is now worth 112 billion Ghana cedis, while the public debt stock stands at 88.2 billion cedis.

But Economist Sampson Aglikor tells Joy Business the numbers show that government needs to take a second look at programs aimed at checking its rising expenditure.

He called on government to be “radical” in its approach in order not to entangle itself in debt.

“Our debt sustainability framework must be very, very robust now and the monitory system must be key to ensure that we don’t find ourselves in a situation that creates a bigger challenge for the economy.”

Sampson Aglikor explained further what could be done to control the situation: “The debt refinancing strategy and also the expenditure expectation must be aggressively worked on. We should not, unfortunately, expect expenditure increases across a broad spectrum including wages and salaries, any marginal increases in that segment of government expenditure adds significant amount to the debt.”

Source: Myjoyonline.com

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‘Mahama has slept on Dumsor for too long’ – AFAG

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President John Dramani Mahama

Pressure group, Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) has criticized President John Dramani Mahama for not taking pragmatic steps to end what they describe as the painful power crisis facing the country.

According to them failed promises and assurances given by the president and his team of communicators show that government cannot solve the crisis anytime soon. “President Mahama and his government have slept for too long on this issue…Businesses are failing.

Thousands of workers are being laid off and the economy is in dire challenges,” a statement by AFAG stated.

AFAG made the statement to express their support for the celebrities who are planning to hold a “Dumsor” vigil in a bid to draw government’s attention to the debilitating effects of the over three-year power crisis. The vigil organizers claim that the power situation is affecting their jobs.

“AFAG appreciates the gesture of the celebrities to organize a vigil to drive home the long trumpeted message  that;  ‘Mr President fix the Dumsor.’

After all the numerous failed promises on the part of President Mahama, there is no doubt that, the usually politically inactive Ghanaian celebrity have waded into the fray,” the statement added. AFAG further urged the Greater Accra Regional Police command not to put any impediment in the way of the organizers.

“AFAG would want to advice the organizers to put in place adequate security measures and precautions to protect sympathizers attending the vigil.”

Meanwhile, the vigil organizers have been criticized by government officials following their decision to hold the exercise slated for May 16. Some government officials have accused the organizers of working for the NPP.

But former president, Jerry John Rawlings have warned persons attacking the celebrities to desist from it.

Source: Citifmonline.com

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Scattered Thoughts

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It has been a long time since I wrote an opinion piece. In Ghana we are told that “opinions are like noses; everybody has one.” And everyone thinks his nose is the finest. So who cares about another’s opinion? So I have kept my thoughts to myself. Worse still is your opinion if you are a political actor. In Ghana where we have made man the measure of truth rather than truth the measure of man, it is almost useless to express an opinion. So we are engaged in what Prof. Ali Mazrui called “the dialogue of the deaf.” Everybody is communicating but nobody hears the other. All that we need to do is to tag you as either NPP or NDC and then we can either accept or reject your opinion. We give vent to the saying that truth is relative. In Ghana truth is not just relative; it has a relative. It is either related to the NDC or the NPP.

Otherwise I see no reason why an actress/film producer’s lamentation about a national crisis has been elevated to a gargantuan national banter.  And that banter has assumed all sorts of shapes and forms. It has even become a debate about who are prostitutes and who are not; as if prostitutes don’t have the right to express their opinions. One NDC apologist even said, “John Mahama will take advice on morality; but not from a brothel.” When I read that comment, I laughed. I said to myself, there we go again; simply mouthing platitudes and hackneyed phrases and axioms to which we have not given thought. I think the best place to take an advice on morality is from a brothel. After all, that is why we say that “experience is the best teacher.” The people in a brothel can best advise us to refrain from immorality because they know the implications of immorality. Prof. Gaba says “how can you talk about drunkenness when you have not been drunk before?” The other day a Facebook friend wrote on her wall that women should not seek to marry successful men, thinking to become successful themselves because “success is not sexually transmitted.” Again I laughed. That is not true. Success is certainly sexually transmitted. Ask all the first ladies around the world especially the African ones.

I was listening to former American President Bill Clinton in his interview with Christiana Amanpour. When Amanpour asked him if he will be actively involved in his wife’s campaign, he answered in the negative. He explained that to be in politics “you have to be angry and resentful.” But he says he doesn’t want to be angry anymore. He says he is content being a grandfather to Chelsea’s daughter who makes him laugh all the time. He wants to continue to laugh rather than be angry. More importantly he said I don’t want this “negative identity politics.” He continues; “negative identity politics will win you an election; but it won’t guarantee a better future for our kids.” But in Ghana, that is all we do: negative identity politics; them versus us. Amartya Sen has propounded a theory called “identity and violence.” He states that “a sense of identity can be a source not merely of pride and joy, but also of strength and confidence…and yet identity can also kill- and kill with abandon. A strong and exclusive sense of belonging to one group can in many cases carry with it the perception of distance and divergence from other groups…we may suddenly be informed that we are not just Rwandans but specifically Hutus (we hate Tutsis)…”

In Ghana however, that is what we specialized in, negative identity politics-especially our friends in the NDC. Every day they are at pains to tell us how NPP people hate one group of Ghanaians or the other. We are being told that it is okay for Ghana to be run down as far as it is not being run down by either an Asante or an Akan. See how we demonise Asantes all because the bulk of NPP’s support is in the heartland of Asante. But what is the basis of that demonization? For centuries, Asante has been home to people from all parts of Ghana. As for ethnocentric comments, in as much as they are condemnable, they are heard in all parts of Ghana, from Hamile to Axim. We ought to exorcise the ghost of ethnocentrism. Like Clinton said, this negative identity politics will win us an election but it won’t guarantee a future for our kids; it won’t give us energy to power our industries; it won’t give jobs to our youth; it won’t stop the public purse from being looted; it won’t clean our cities; it won’t restore our NHIS; it won’t restore allowances to our teacher trainees and the list goes on.

This country is in some trouble. And it does not seem to me that those who are in charge of its management even recognize the fact that we are in some trouble. From a growth rate of 3.5% in 2000, we kept growing until we hit 11% in 2011. Today even with oil, we are growing at 4%. That is called retrogression, not progression. So how else are the NDC’s town criers convincing us that all is well? An NDC apologist told me that we should give President Mahama time because “Rome was not built in a day.” Well, that may be true. But it was not built in the dark either. It is important that he restores the light so we can see to mold the bricks for building “Rome.” Then we are being told that the NPP is the cause of “dumsor” because they didn’t add anything to the national grid in the eight years that they were in power. That is not true. Below is a transcript from the 2009 budget prepared by the NDC government and read by the then Minister for Finance, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor on the authority of the then President of Ghana, Evans Atta Mills.

“Madam Speaker, as part of measures to address the power crises in 2006/2007 which lasted over a year, government supported the expansion of power generating capacity. These are 126MW emergency power plants currently on standby after the power crisis and 80MW power plant by consortium of mining companies. Madam Speaker, a number of power projects were also initiated as medium term strategies and fully funded by government and VRA which created substantial financial burden on the national budget. These were 126 MW Tema Thermal 2 Power Plant (TT2PP); engineering, procurement and construction of gas turbine generators and balance of plant for the 230MW Kpone Thermal Project in progress.

Madam Speaker, additionally as part of measures to resolve the power crises the ministry on behalf of the government of Ghana signed a power purchase agreement and a lease agreement with Balkan Energy Ghana Limited to refurbish, commission and commercially operate the 125MW Osagyefo Power Barge. The contract was signed in 2007 and Balkan was to complete the project in 90 working days and further expand the plant by additional 60 MW subsequently. Balkan Energy has not met the deadline for operating the plant as works on the plant are still ongoing. Madam Speaker, work started on the Bui Hydro Project in 2007. Activities undertaken included clearing works on the Dam site, topographic surveys, geological and hydro-geological investigations, relocation and resettlement to Jama in the Brong Ahafo Region of three communities living at the Dam site. River closure was achieved in December 2008, paving way for works on the river beds to commence…”(2009 Budget Statement, pages 92-93). I didn’t write this. The NDC did. So the NPP did its bit to add to what was already there. The NDC needed to take it from there.

Scott McClellan, a former White House Press Secretary under President Bush jnr, writes in his book titled What Happened that; “most of our elected leaders in Washington, Republicans and Democrats alike, are good and decent people. Yet too many of them today have made a practice of shunning the truth and the high level of openness and forthrightness required to discover it. Most of it is not willful or conscious. Rather it is part of the modern Washington game that has become an accepted norm.” Today our government, the NDC government, has deliberately shunned all truth. Indeed we were told way back that it was the policy of the NDC to say that “the President has presented a cow when in fact he has presented a sheep.” What it means is that the NDC has deliberately perfected deception and raised it into an art; indeed the major tool of governance. And this is premised on the President’s belief that Ghanaians have “short memories.” In other words, we shall not remember their lies a while after they have been told.

This country is in some trouble. Otherwise how do we expect do get out of our mess when all the monies we have paid to people through dubious means including the Woyomes and the GYEEDAs and the SUBAHs are far greater than all the bailout money we expect to receive from the IMF? How do we expect to get out of our mess when our interest payments outstrip our oil revenues by almost tenfold?  Unfortunately, the President, with whom the buck stops, sees differently. Businesses are folding up. Workers are being laid off. And all he says to those businesses is that they aren’t smart. This reminds me of a scenario that played out in the USA decades back. During a press conference, the President was asked about the strength of the economy. The President answered, “If I wasn’t the President of the United States, I would invest heavily in the stock market.” An unidentified voice from the back responded, “if you weren’t the President, we would all invest heavily in the stock market.” We are presented with a similar situation in Ghana today where the President thinks differently from the rest of us.

I would end these scattered thoughts with what Ayi Kwei Armah said in his Beautyful Ones are not yet Born: “I saw men tear down the veils behind which the truth was hidden; but then, the same men, when they got power, found the veils useful; they made many more.”

Senior Lecturer, University of Cape Coast.

By: Mustapha Abdul-Hamid

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Burundi troops clash over coup bid

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Rival groups of soldiers are fighting each other in Burundi’s capital amid confusion over the success of an attempted coup against the president.

Gunfire and explosions were heard near state radio and television overnight.

President Pierre Nkurunziza, who is reported to be in Tanzania, has appealed for calm and said the coup has been foiled. But the coup leaders insist they remain in charge.

The unrest began when Mr Nkurunziza announced he was seeking a third term.

Opponents say the bid contravenes the constitution. Mr Nkurunziza came to power in 2005.

The coup was announced by Maj Gen Godefroid Niyombare, a former intelligence chief and ally of the president, after Mr Nkurunziza left for regional talks in Tanzania on Wednesday.

“The masses vigorously and tenaciously reject President Nkurunziza’s third-term mandate. President Pierre Nkurunziza has been relieved of his duties. The government is overthrown,” he said in a radio broadcast.

Thousands of people took to the streets to celebrate the announcement, marching on the centre of the capital, Bujumbura, alongside soldiers and two tanks.

One protester told the BBC this was a victory after weeks of protests.

Overnight, army chief of staff Gen Prime Niyongabo – a supporter of the president – announced the coup “has been stopped” after talks with the defence minister, who backs the overthrow.

And President Nkurunziza tweeted that the situation was under control and “constitutional order has been safeguarded”.

But this was contradicted by the coup leaders, one of whom said they were in control of “virtually the entire city” of Bujumbura.

“The soldiers who are being deployed are on our side,” coup spokesman Venon Ndabaneze also told the AFP news agency.

Within the army itself, factions loyal to each side reportedly began fighting each other for control of the national television and radio station overnight.

Loud blasts and heavy gunfire rang out.

The scenes of joy in the streets on Wednesday have been replaced by an uneasy silence, interrupted by sporadic gunfire. The streets of Bujumbura are deserted. It has been an anxious night.

People have their ears stuck to their radio sets, listening to the only two private broadcasters still running. One of the two was attacked overnight. The popular RPA – Radio Publique Africaine, which broadcast an interview with Gen Niyombare on Wednesday – was also targeted and had to shut down.

The usually vibrant private media play a key role in shaping opinion here, and President Nkurunziza’s supporters have been targeting them since the beginning of the crisis.

A lot of the tension overnight was also concentrated around the national broadcaster, which is strategic because it is the only outlet still broadcasting outside the capital.

Wednesday’s events unfolded after President Nkurunziza flew to the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam for a meeting with other East African leaders to discuss the crisis.

Officials there told the BBC that he had flown back to Burundi upon learning of the coup.

But the airport and borders were ordered to be closed by Gen Niyombare, and so Mr Nkurunziza had to return to Dar es Salaam.

A senior Tanzanian presidential security official told the AFP that he is in a secret location in Dar es Salaam.

source: BBC

 

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Dumsor Vigil Talks In Deadlock

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The much talked-about May 16 #DumsorMustStop vigil against the power crisis that has bedevilled the nation may suffer a major setback as the Ga chiefs insist on stopping the event.

The supposed peaceful vigil is being organised by some celebrities led by actress Yvonne Nelson, with Lydia Forson, rapper Sarkodie and a host of others. They are apparently angry at the intermittent power supply which has come to be known as dumsor.

A meeting among the police, organizers of the star-studded- event and the Ga Traditional Council to iron out some misunderstanding ended in a deadlock yesterday.

This was when chiefs of the Ga state stood their ground that they would not allow the event to take place as planned in view of a ban on drumming and noise-making – which is in force in parts of Accra – in spite of suggestions by the La chief fetish priest that the proposed venue for the event is part of La stool lands and not affected by the ban.

Present at the meeting were the Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Christian Tetteh Yehonu and his men, four of the traditional rulers and lawyers for the organizers of the event, Kofi Bentil and Nana Akwasi Awuah.

The police had earlier on Tuesday inspected the proposed venue of the event at Legon and were satisfied until yesterday when they met the chiefs.

The Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) ASP Afia Tenge, told DAILY GUIDE “the meeting ended in a deadlock… the Ga traditional people were insisting there is still a ban so it ended in a deadlock.”

On the other hand, she related that lawyers for the event organizers also insisted that the procession would not attract noise making but would be a peaceful and solemn march hence, should be allowed to proceed as planned.

The PRO said, “We are still negotiating to see if we can reach a compromise.”

She was however, not certain when they would meet again over the issue.

One of the lawyers, Nana Akwasi Awuah, also told the paper, “The police had no objection to our event; however, the Ga Traditional Council is not satisfied with our assurances that this is going to be a peaceful event. So that is how come it ended in a stalemate.”

He was of the belief that “The ban on drumming and noise-making does not mean that life must come to a standstill in Accra.”

Nana Awuah was hopeful that the Ga chiefs would soften their position for the vigil to come on.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

 

 

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ANTI- CELEBS DUM-SO DEMO

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BoG Increases Policy Rate To 22%

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Dr. Kofi Wampah 

Lending rates of commercial banks are expected to go up after the Bank of Ghana (BoG) increased its policy rate from 21 to 22 percent.

The increase in the policy rate, according to the Central Bank, is to reduce inflation which currently stands at 16.8 percent and facilitate the achievement of macro-economic stability.

The current policy rate, which is the highest since December 2003, was announced yesterday at a press conference held by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of Ghana.

The policy rate indicates the rate at which commercial banks can borrow from the Central Bank.

Interest rates, which currently hover around 35 percent on the average, are expected to go up owing to the increase in the policy rate.

Dr. Kofi Wampah, Governor of Bank of Ghana, who addressed the media yesterday, said the increment in the policy rate could have been higher but due to good fiscal consolidation, it was increased by 100 basis points.

He however said the committee would continue to monitor the situation and take the appropriate action in line with the fiscal consolidation.

Dr. Wampah said inflation expectations have heightened across consumers, businesses and the financial sector, which could have implications for pricing behaviour in the immediate outlook.

On growth, the Governor said challenges in the energy sector, fiscal consolidation and depreciation of the currency, as well as the current high cost of doing business, could weigh down on economic activity.

“Also, business sentiments have softened while consumer confidence, though up, remained subdued,” he said.

Dr. Wampah said external sector vulnerabilities also pose considerable risk to both inflation and growth.

“In particular, the fragile global financial conditions and continued commodity price volatility could adversely impact reserve accumulation.

“Also, the anticipated increase in US interest rates could lead to capital flow reversals.”

By Cephas Larbi

cephrok@yahoo.com

 

 

 

 

 

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Inflation Inches Up To 16.8%

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Dr. Philomena Nyarko

Year-on-year inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded 16.8 percent in April 2015 as against 16.6 percent in March 2015, representing a 0.2 percentage points increase, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has stated.

Government Statistician, Dr. Philomena Nyarko made this known in an interaction with the media yesterday in Accra.

According to her, the monthly change rate for April 2015 was 1.8 percent compared to 1.0 percent recorded in March 2015.

Food, Non-food Inflation

She indicated that the food and non-alcoholic beverages group recorded year-on-year inflation rate of 7.2 percent during the period under review.

“This is the same as the rate recorded in March 2015,” Dr. Nyarko added.

She noted that the non-food group recorded year-on-year inflation rate of 23.2 percent in April 2015 compared to the 23.1 percent recorded in March 2015.

According to her, “Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels recorded the highest rate of 25.0 percent followed by transport and clothing and footwear with 24.5 percent and 23.7 percent respectively.

Inflation, she said, was lowest in the communication subgroup which recorded 13.0 percent.

Dr. Nyarko indicated that the “price drivers” for the food inflation rate were “food products (17.0 percent); coffee, tea and cocoa (16.7 percent), sugar, jam, honey, chocolate and confectionery (15.4 percent), mineral water, soft drinks, fruits and vegetable juices (15.2 percent), milk, cheese and eggs (13.5percent), meats and meat products (13.2 percent) and cereals and cereal products (8.0 percent).

Regional Differentials

At the regional level, the year-on-year inflation, according to Dr. Nyarko, ranged from 14.1 percent in the Eastern Region to 18.9 percent in the Central Region.

The government statistician stated that three regions namely Central, Greater Accra and Ashanti, recorded inflation rates above the national average of 16.8 percent.

BY Melvin Tarlue

Tarluejames@yahoo.com

 

 

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Vivo Energy Rewards Retailers

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Award winners in a group picture  with the Managing  Director of Vivo Energy Ghana, Mr. Ebenezer Faulkner (left)

Vivo Energy Ghana, the company that distributes and markets Shell branded fuel and lubricants, has rewarded its territory manager, retailers, quality marshals at an event.

The special ceremony held in Koforidua in the Eastern Region brought together the company’s service station retailers across the country to review their performance in 2014 and share the business focus for 2015.

During the event, the company presented the distinguished and hardworking retailers with awards for their hard work.

Speaking at the event themed, ‘Delivering beyond the limits – Action now, Vivo Energy Ghana’s Retail Manager, Kwame Ackah challenged retailers to work hard and go the extra mile to achieve and exceed their sales and customer service targets.

“By so doing we can grow, remain in business, and maintain our number one position in the industry,” he said.

Managing Director of Vivo Energy Ghana, Ebenezer Faulkner commended the retailers for their commitment to business growth and excellent customer service at their forecourts which has made Vivo Energy Ghana the market leader in fuel in Ghana.

He reiterated Vivo Energy’s commitment to fuelling Ghana’s growth and offering Shell brand’s unique combination of quality, technology and efficiency to the broad base of retailers across Ghana.

“We will continue to work with our retailers to help them benefit from the strength and reputation of the Shell brand by using the full range of traditional, digital and social media to fully optimise marketing opportunities for Shell’s product and services,” Mr Faulkner said.

A retailer for the Takoradi Anaji service station, Godson Agbeshie Desewu was crowned the Retailer of the Year 2014 while the Gold Retailer Awards went to Theophius Aboagye and Peter Bota of Takoradi Highway and Tarkwa service stations respectively.

Jonas Quaye was also adjudged the Territory Manager of the year among his peers.

Touching on safety, Mr Faulkner disclosed that Vivo Energy Ghana is committed to achieving and maintaining the highest level of health, safety, security and environment (HSSE) standards across its operations.

“We know that our customers recognise and value the standards we set ourselves in HSSE and social performance. We also know that the maintenance and advancement of these standards will play a key role in winning new customers, building loyalty, engaging communities, motivating employees and growing our business. In view of this, I task all retailers to identify and report all potential incidents at their service stations so that necessary corrective measures can be put in place,” said Mr. Faulkner.

By Nii Ogbamey Tetteh

 

 

 

 

 

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ADB Top Man Eyes MD’s Job

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Stephen Kpordizh

After weeks of revolt against the Board of Directors and the Managing Director of the adb, it has emerged that a top executive member of the state-owned financial firm is the brain behind the internal rancor.

Information gathered by BUSINESS GUIDE indicates that an Executive Director of the bank, who is eyeing the post of the MD, has deployed strategies to unseat his immediate boss, Stephen Kpordzi and other directors of the bank.

According to sources, the Executive Director is using the bank’s workers’ union and the Union Industry, Commerce and Finance Workers (UNICOF), umbrella union of all financial institutions in the country, to achieve his objective.

“It is a surprise to see the front of the two union bodies coming together to champion the same cause of getting the MD out when in actual sense UNICOF should have been the mediating body to seek for a common ground in the impasse between the workers union of the bank and its top management staff, the sources said.

According to the sources, the majority of the aggrieved staff of adb and UNICOF expressed unhappiness about the state of affairs after they discovered that they were being used by the said executive Director to fight for the number one position of the bank.

The source alleged that $35,000 has been paid to a union member by the said top executive to lead the fight to oust the embattled MD.

Most of the aggrieved staff have come to the conclusion that the said executive director is bitter and jealous of the numerous benefits the MD is enjoying. He wants to have two official vehicles assigned to him just like Mr. Kpordzi since he is almost at par with the MD, they claimed.

BUSINESS GUIDE learnt that moments after last Wednesday’s meeting between management of adb and government officials, the said Executive Director summoned his collaborators, including some members of UNICOF and workers of adb, to strategize at a popular joint at Labone in Accra.

The sources said some operatives of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) trailed the said executive director while he was pursuing his agenda.

He has since been invited for questioning by the law  enforcement agency.

 

 

 

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‘Ghana Needs A Holistic Agric Strategy’

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Edward Effah, MD and CEO of Fidelity Bank

Edward Effah, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Fidelity Bank, has called for a comprehensive agricultural master plan to improve agribusiness in the country.

According to him, the lack of an agricultural master plan had hampered the continuous growth of the sector.

Mr. Effah, who made this known at the 2015 Agribusiness Investment Summit organized by the USAID in Accra, said “Ghana can learn a lot from Malaysia which has a consistent agriculture strategy and has been successful in exporting farm products for over 50 years.”

He added that Malaysia has built capacity in the agriculture sector and invested across the value chain of their crop production.

There are too many fragmented projects which do not bring the best out of the country’s agriculture sector, Mr. Effah indicated.

“We need a master plan to resolve these problems in the agriculture sector which currently contributes 22 percent of Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and generates about 45 percent of our foreign exchange.”

Touching on the high interest rates in Ghana, Mr. Effah explained that banks do not generate interest rates, adding “if government issues Treasury bill rate at 25 percent, the banks cannot lend at any rate lower than that”.

He reiterated Fidelity Bank’s commitment to helping grow the agriculture sector and Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) through financing.

The Agribusiness Summit was held under the USAID-Financing Ghanaian Agriculture Project (USAID-FinGAP).

USAID-FinGAP is a five-year project aimed at facilitating finance and investment in the soy, rice, and maize value chains in the northern part of Ghana and improving ancillary services.

The 2^nd edition of the summit was on the theme, ‘Overcoming obstacles to unlocking agricultural investment in Ghana.’

By Cephas Larbi

cephrok@yahoo.com

 

 

 

 

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Rawlings Defends Yvonne Nelson

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Barely 48 hours to the vigil planned by Ghanaian celebrities to protest against government’s inaction over the erratic power supply, former President Jerry Rawlings has condemned the verbal attacks from pro-government quarters against actress Yvonne Nelson, one of the leaders of the planned protest.

“That lady, Yvonne; Yvonne Nelson…the insults and attacks on her are unfair. She spoke her mind on what is currently happening in the country and she gets insulted for that. This is not how to do politics,”   Rawlings noted while commenting on current issues in the country on Wednesday when former Black        Stars captain Stephen Appiah paid a courtesy call on him.

Yvonne Nelson recently took to her twitter account to express her frustrations over the irrational rationing of electricity in Ghana and described the situation as “unbearable”.

“So freaking annoying now. This on and off biz (business), its unbearable… I know it’s affecting a lot of businesses. God help us,”    the leggy actress said in separate tweets.

She continued in other tweets: “Jesus gives hope. Our leaders!!! God our leaders. So much is going on in this country!!! The average citizen suffers with so much ignorance.  Citizens are afraid to speak.

“The system is upside down. No transparency! No truth! At least if the people knew the issues…Pray hardest when it is hardest to pray. Strong people stand up for themselves but stronger people stand up for others.”

This, however, did not go down well with a section of Ghanaians who took the actress to the cleaners.

Meanwhile several of the country’s celebrities have publicly confirmed their participation in the May 16 protest that now has the hastag #DumsorMustStop.

 

 

 

 

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Adziik Launches In Ghana

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Chris Konney, Country Manager of Adziik

Adziik (www.adziik.com), a Pan-African digital media store which offers a variety of music, books and movies from Africa and the Diaspora, has been launched in Accra.

Adziik’s main objective is to foster legal consumption of African art works and allow artists to benefit from their works. It has a strong presence in Francophone Africa (Senegal, Mali, Gabon, etc.) and its launch in Ghana means musicians from the country now have a platform to reach the larger African market and make financial gains.

In effect, Ghanaian musicians who sign on to Adziik can sell their songs in Ghana, in Francophone, Lusophone and other Anglophone African countries, in the Caribbean and finally in the US and Europe.

The goal of Adziik is to become the platform of choice when it comes to the promotion of African culture on a global scale.

“It is obvious music has moved from being a pastime to become a multi-million dollar industry around the globe, putting more than just food on the tables of musicians as well as other professionals within the Arts and Entertainment Industry,” Chris Koney, Country Manager (Ghana), noted.

He said he was available to engage various stakeholders and persons interested in partnering Adziik in Ghana.

Mr Koney continued: “Adziik has come at a perfect time, giving the opportunity to African musicians to make financial gains in other parts of the continent and outside Africa. Major digital media stores such as iTunes are not available to the unbanked and do not sell much of the local music that Africans listen to, which constitutes 70% of the music business in Africa.  Only renowned African artists or those from the Diaspora have access to it and even that access is limited.”

Users of Adziik are able to make purchases using the traditional payment methods (Visa, Mastercard, Paypal, and American Express) and mobile money payments, making it possible for people who do not have bank accounts or credit cards to enjoy the content and make purchases online.

Adziik offers a vast array of services, from a selection of prepaid cards to signature live sessions, with a cutting edge technology which enables legal access to music for the consumer while allowing local African artists and young authors to benefit from Adziik at no cost.

The word ‘adziik’ means music in Fang language. Adziik has its headquarters in Gabon and offices in New York City, Tanzania and will soon open new ones in Ghana and Senegal. Adziik is joining the digital revolution by transforming the way art is shared and consumed in Africa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Via: -Daily Guide  

Over 800 Films For AMAA 2015

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Lydia Forson

The 11^th edition of Africa’s foremost movie award, Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), is expected to come off in June 2015 instead of its traditional hosting month of April 2015. The delay was due to Nigeria’s general elections in March and April.

The awards academy announced it had over 800 films across the continent and the Diaspora for consideration.

The films came from over 60 countries, mostly within Africa, South America, United States and North America.

According to Mr Shaibu Hussein, a film critic and the chairman of College of Screeners, the organisers received a good number of entries from what could be considered new territories for AMAA from such countries as Cuba, Brazil, Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica.

“The enthusiasm and interest of filmmakers from South America, Francophone countries and North Africa are increasing by the day with the amount of films submitted for the awards from the countries in these regions.

“We are quite excited about this development,” said Mr Hussein.

“Already the pre-selection screening has started—the stage where the entries are screened in line with entry rules before the films that comply with the entry requirements are sent to College of Screeners, where the real job of adjudication starts.

A meeting of the Board of International Jurors will then be held after the College of Screeners to decide films that will make it to nomination,’’ Hussein added.

Via: -Daily Guide  

Truck Kills Man

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Kwame Joseph, the deceased

DISASTER STRUCK when a Ford Cargo Truck ran over the head of a mechanic at Suame Magazine in Kumasi on Monday afternoon.

The mechanic, Kwame Joseph asked the driver of the fateful cargo truck which he was repairing, to move forward a little to enable him check something. By then he (Kwame) was under the truck. The driver moved the vehicle but unfortunately Kwame’s head got trapped under the tyre in the process, killing him instantly.

The driver of the vehicle who was, reportedly not aware, was alerted to the horrific incident by the shouts of the frightened people standing by; who were mostly car mechanics.

Adama Awudu, the driver then moved the car away from Joseph’s head but it was too late as he had already given up the ghost.

The body of the deceased mechanic had since been deposited at the morgue whilst the police had arrested Adama for questioning.

Supt Frank Aborakwa, the Ashanti Regional Police MTTD Commander, disclosed the pathetic story to DAILY GUIDE in a chat.

According to him, Adama visited the Suame Magazine to repair his Ford Cargo Truck with registration number GT 1826-H.

The police chief said Joseph was under the truck repairing the air breaking system of the cylinder of the car whilst Adama sat in the car.

In the course of the repairs, Joseph allegedly told Adama to move the car for him to check something but sadly the car ran over his head.

Supt Aborakwa noted that people at the scene shouted to alert Adama about the disaster so he moved the car for the deceased to be rescued only to realise that he had died already.

FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi

 

 

 

 

Via: -Daily Guide  

Manager Sodomises Boy,14

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A warehouse manager at Teshie, Njoku Chisom, has been put before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly sodomising a 14 year-old boy on numerous occasions resulting in him behaving like a girl.

The parents of the victim detected some changes in the boy’s mannerism and when they asked why he was acting that way he disclosed to them that the suspect had been having sex with him for months.

The suspect, 26, was put before an Accra Circuit Court presided over by Rita Agyemang-Budu and charged with defilement of a child under the age of sixteen.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge. However, the presiding judge remanded him into police custody and adjourned the case to May 20, 2015.

Detective Inspector Kofi Atimbire, the prosecuting officer who presented the facts stated that the complainant was Agnes Anadzi a resident of Teshie while the suspect also lived in the same area.

According to him, in November 2014 the victim went to the office of the suspect and asked for funds as part of efforts to support the Red Cross.

He said the suspect told the boy to visit him at his residence later since he did not have money on him.  The victim later visited the suspect at his house and he allegedly placed the boy on his laps and inserted his penis into his anus.

The prosecutor said Chisom then gave the money to the victim and asked him not to tell anybody adding that he occasionally called the victim to his house and had anal sex with him.

According to the prosecutor, the 14-year old boy started behaving like a girl from then on and when questioned why he (victim) refused to tell his mother anything.

He said on April 22, 2015 the victim after a severe query from his mother revealed that the suspect had been having unnatural carnal knowledge of him.

A complaint was consequently lodged with the Domestic Violence Victim Support Unit and the suspect was arrested and arraigned after police had concluded investigations.

 By Fidelia Achama

 

 

Via: -Daily Guide  

Health Workers Cry Out Over Poor Services

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Dr Ebenezer Appiah Denkyira

AN ASSOCIATION of concerned health workers, Patients 1^st, has expressed grave concern about the government’s failure to deliver quality and reliable healthcare to Ghanaians.

According to Patients 1^st, healthcare delivery both at urban centres and rural communities in Ghana was at best, pitiful and at worst, completely non-existent.

In a press statement released on Tuesday and signed by Josephine Kwarteng, Mathew Owusu and Jefferson Asare Danquah – all members of Patient 1^st, the group stressed that “as a whole, whether rural or urban, healthcare in Ghana is in a critical condition, plagued by many maladies.”

They complained among other things, about the current abysmal performance of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), bad road networks across the country which make it seemingly impossible for patients and health workers to speedily access health facilities and the high spate of corruption among individuals in-charge of disbursing monies meant for the provision of healthcare services.

“In 2003, a laudable scheme, the National Health Insurance Scheme was launched. However, its efficient operability has been hampered by, among other things, long delays in provider reimbursement, fraud, abuse and delays in the issuing of registration cards,” they cried.

They claimed that “the scheme now faces an imminent collapse should government fail to take immediate pragmatic steps to salvage it.”

In their opinion, “The fight against illness and disease is an ongoing perpetual fight; one in which doctors, nurses and other health professionals gallantly continue to remain at the forefront.”

Incompetence

They, however, lamented that “all the efforts by our gallant health professionals in this fight are being seriously undermined and compromised by the incompetence and ineptitude of the current government.”

Poor service delivery has been a major hallmark of the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government which touts itself as a social democratic political party.

Necessity

Government and for that matter all stakeholders, they cautioned, must begin to view the delivery of quality healthcare to all Ghanaians as a basic right and necessity regardless of their social or economic statuses.

They assured Ghanaians that they as health professionals would remain committed to offering their services “to ensure that we make the best out of the demoralising state of affairs.”

Via: -Daily Guide  

Nurses Want Allowances Retained

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A section of the participants

The President of the Ghana Registered Nurses Association (GRNA), Kwaku Asante-Krobea, has called on government to retain the allowances of trainee nurses and midwives in the country.

He mentioned that the already dire situation and conditions under which the trainee nurses are studying could be worsened if their allowances are not maintained.

“We view this as a tragedy on the fortunes of our relationship with the government and the employer that has the potential for disharmony on the labour front,” he said.

Mr Asante-Krobea made this appeal during the launch of the International Nurses’ Day and Nurses Week Celebration in Accra on the theme: ‘Nurses And Midwives: A Force For Change – Care Effective, Cost Effective’.

Kwaku Asante-Krobea

The International Nurses’ Day is set aside to celebrate and honour nurses and midwives’ dedication, commitment and devotion to duty and their contributions to the healthcare profession across nations.

The GRNA President said the day should remind nurses and midwives of their association with the profession, adding that their role as frontline health professionals imposed a huge responsibility on them more than any other care professional.

“Let us remember the patient, knowing that our profession exists because there is the patient,” he said.

Professor Richard Adanu, Dean, School of Public Health, Legon, delivering the keynote address said the world was now talking about sustainable development goals and universal health coverage and urged the nurses and midwives to ensure that the gains of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were sustained while tracking new challenges.

He, therefore, challenged the nurses to ensure that the type of care that is provided to the client is the best possible care in their circumstance.

“Our delivery of care must be such that our clients are always happy to come back to us when the need arises,” he said.

Professor Adanu reiterated the importance of being abreast with current practices in their area of practice and admonished nurses to take keen interest in supplementing practice with continuous active self-education.

The GRNA also gave awards to deserving nurses from all the regions at the event.

By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri

Via: -Daily Guide  

US Tilapia Case Takes New Twist

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THE CASE of US Tilapia Investment, a subsidiary of US Group of Companies, which has supposedly exploited financially scores of innocent people, has taken a new twist, with President Mahama being mentioned in the matter.

Victims of the tilapia investment scam, led by one Adjei Kwame Nkrumah, Tuesday alleged that they suspected President Mahama has a hand in their infamous exploitation by Chief Godfred Medicine, Chief Executive officer (CEO) of US Tilapia Investment.

According to him, when Godfred Medicine was arrested in Accra, he openly boasted that so far as President Mahama and the NDC remained in political power, nobody could touch him, claiming that he would be set free in the end.

At that time, he said he and the other victims considered Chief Medicine’s statement as just boastfulness but the happenings after his arrest so far gives credence to their suspicion that perhaps President Mahama has a hand in their exploitation.

Kwame Nkrumah wondered why Chief Medicine is walking about freely after he had exploited hundreds of innocent Ghanaians who invested in his supposed tilapia business while the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government looks on unconcerned.

He threw a challenge to President Mahama to come out and support the victims as they seek justice in court, to prove that he as president has nothing to do with the US Tilapia Investment scam.

No Show

Kwame Nkrumah and other victims of the alleged fraud, drawn from all over Ghana, were at the high court in Kumasi on Tuesday where he made the wild allegation during an interview with DAILY GUIDE.

He told the paper that hearing of the case was originally slated for May 21 this year, “but because we are in a haste to get our monies back, we stormed the court on May 12, 2015.”

“We mistakenly thought that May 12 is May 21 that is why we came to the court in large numbers today,” he said, adding that their life-saving investment was being toyed with by the US Tilapia Company.

Debts

Kwame Nkrumah claimed that US Tilapia Investment owes the first batch of victims that invested in the tilapia business an amount of GH¢740,000, adding that the second batch also invested a staggering GH¢90,000 in the business.

FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi

 

    

 

 

 

1. Some victims of US Tilapia Investment at the court on Tuesday
2. One of the receipts on monies invested in the US Tilapia Investment business

 

Via: -Daily Guide