Fulfill campaign promise, reduce fuel price below N175/litre –Pastor tells Tinubu

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October 18, 2024

Left to Right, Ministers Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Idris Mohammed, and Atiku Bagudu

Ministers who represented the Federal Government at a meeting with labour leaders on Wednesday said the interaction was fruitful. The ministers briefed the press after the meeting held at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, Abuja.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, led the Federal Government’s side; while the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero; Trade Union Congress (TUC) Secretary General, Nuhu Toro; led the OrganisedLabour team.

The Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; and Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu; were all in attendance.

Although the agenda of the meeting was not made public, the OrganisedLabour has been unhappy with the recent hike in the pump price of petrol, electricity tariff, galloping inflation, and the high cost of living in the country.

In Abuja, the situation has not been anyway different as NNPCL retail outlets hiked the price of the essential commodity from ₦897 to ₦1,030.

The fresh increase followed the September 2, 2024 increase by the NNPCL. The retail company had hiked the price per litre of petrol from ₦568 to ₦855, sparking outrage. The price per litre of petrol was raised from ₦184 to ₦568 last June.

Credit: channelstv.com

Businessman remanded over alleged GH¢188k land fraud case

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BERNICE BESSEY

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October 18, 2024

Charles Cobblah, a 55-year-old businessman, has been remanded into police custody by the Circuit Court in Accra, presided over by Susan Eduful, in connection with an alleged land fraud scheme.

The prosecution, led by DSP Evans Kesse, was ordered to file all necessary disclosures and statements before the next hearing.

Charles Cobblah, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, faces two counts; defrauding by false pretence, contrary to Section 131(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and fraudulent transaction of land, contrary to Section 277(2) of the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036).

The case was first heard on October 9, 2024 called again on October 16, 2024 and later adjourned to October 28, 2024 for further proceedings.

Background of the Case

According to the facts presented by the prosecution, the complainant, Irene Esinam Tordjro, a businesswoman and the lawful attorney of her brother, Isaac Selorm Tordjro, was defrauded by Charles Cobblah in 2022.

Isaac Selorm Tordjro, who resides in the United States, had expressed interest in acquiring land in Ghana for a building project. Irene Esinam Tordjro was introduced to Charles Cobblah as a businessman involved in land sales.

Charles Cobblah allegedly demanded and received GH¢188,000.00 in cash and electrical appliances from Irene in exchange for two plots of land located at Kasoa-Ofaakor, valued at GH¢200,000.00.

Charles Cobblah promised to deliver the land documents after full payment. On June 23, 2024, Irene visited the land only to find it being developed by another individual, who claimed Cobblah had sold the same plots to him. When confronted, Cobblah admitted to reselling the land and promised a refund, which never materialised.

Investigation and Arrest

Following the complaint lodged by Irene, Charles Cobblah was arrested by the police. During the investigation, Charles Cobblah confessed to the offence and refunded GH¢10,000.00, a fraction of the total sum.

However, after failing to fulfill the rest of his promise, he was charged and arraigned.

The court has now remanded him into police custody pending further proceedings, while the prosecution continues to gather evidence for the trial.

Sunon Asogli shuts down 560MW plant over US$259m debt

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October 18, 2024

Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited has shut down its 560MW combined-circled power plant in Kpone over US$259 million debt owed it by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

An official of the company told The Chronicle that Sunon Asogli shut down the plant on 8th October, 2024 as it had no other option than to do so, after all diplomatic efforts to get the debt settled yielded no result.

“Since then, the government has not made any attempt to meet Sunon Asogli to discuss the way forward to settle the debt,” the official told The Chronicle on the telephone, on Wednesday evening.

The official said the huge debt owed it by the ECG has crippled the operations of Ghana’s largest Independent Power Producer (IPP).

He added, “Despite Sunon Asogli’s decision not to invoice ECG for idle capacity, the debt owed has increased by 23 per cent between January and September 2024, with only 22.6 per cent of the invoices for that period settled through the Cash Waterfall Mechanism.

“Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) has over the years been very considerate in its dealings with ECG and the government, and, unlike other independent power producers, has not even invoiced ECG for accrued idle capacity charges.

“Despite this, ECG owes Sunon Asogli a net (excluding fuel) receivable amount of US$259 million, as of the end of September 2024.”

Unite to fight galamsey –Chief tells small-scale miners

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October 18, 2024

Execs of the miners who attended the meeting

The Chief of Wassa Asikuma, Baffour Kwame Anim II, has urged small-scale miners to unite against illegal mining (galamsey), calling on those operating legitimately to join forces, profile themselves and identify illegal miners within their ranks.

Speaking at a durbar of small-scale miners at Wassa Akropong, capital of the Wassa Amenfi East District in the Western Region on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 Baffour Anim II underscored the need for collective action to eliminate illegal miners.

The Chief’s appeal comes amidst growing concerns about the devastating impact of galamsey on the environment, water bodies and local communities. The Chief’s traditional area has not been immune to the effects of galamsey.

The durbar was organised by the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM) under the theme: “Sustainable Small-Scale Mining for National Development”.

The event brought together stakeholders such as the clergy, district chief executives, opinion leaders, youth groups, law enforcement agencies and traditional authorities.

Baffour Anim II, commenting further, revealed that there is a huge number of licensed small-scale miners who have not joined GNASSM.

This situation, he added, made the work of the GNASSM very difficult and urged all who have not joined GNASSM to immediately do so.

“It’s time for legitimate small-scale miners to take ownership of the fight against galamsey.

By profiling yourselves and working together, you can help eliminate those who tarnish your reputation”, he noted.

The Chief of Wassa Asikuma stressed that licensed small-scale miners must promote responsible mining practices by establishing standards, monitoring compliance and reporting illegal activities.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly, Frederick Korankye reiterated calls for the small-scale miners to remain resolute and commit to being responsible in all their operations, particularly towards the environment.

He urged all those calling for a total ban on all forms of mining and related activities to have a second look at their stance, as their request when granted will have adverse consequences on the Ghanaian economy.

“We have noted with concern some resource persons that are called on radio and television programs to speak on illegal mining and its devastating impact on the environment.

“These resource persons end up speaking with emotions rather than providing solutions to addressing the challenge at hand.

“They always appear not to understand small-scale mining where the license holders mine responsibly and in a sustainable manner”, he noted.

The National Vice-President of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners, Sampson Kofi Wiredu advised illegal miners to stop mining in river bodies. They should also remove all their changfans and leave the area peacefully. He also urged those mining in forest reserves to also bring their operations to a halt.

“Mining in river bodies and forest reserves are prohibited. These areas are red zones. This note of caution is a peaceful one and we expect all those mining in the rivers and forest reserves to go. However, our taskforce and monitoring units supported by the military will not deal kindly with non-compliant illegal miners. We will arrest and prosecute them”, he said.

By Stephen Odoi-Larbi

My parents worked for their money; I didn’t want to be a spoiled child –Lisa Quama

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October 18, 2024

Dancer Lisa Naa Quama Darko, affectionately called Lisa Quama has expressed why she decided to venture into dancing although her parents are financially buoyant enough to cater to her needs.

She said in an interview on Joy Prime’s Changes show that she has her personal ambitions and did not want to depend solely on her parents for support, adding that she wanted to work and earn money by herself to avoid being a ‘spoiled child.’

“My parents worked for their money. So, I didn’t want to be that spoilt child; I really loved to dance and didn’t want to be punished,” she told Roselyn Felli.

According to her, money was not her primary aim at the beginning because dance was less valued at the time. However, she preferred to join her colleagues in performing at events without being paid.

She was passionate about it and did not bother her parents with her dancing prowess because she was academically good. So, she put in effort to excel in all examinations to make her parents happy.

“I was more of a hustler. Forget my parents. I mean, we’re okay. I didn’t want to bother them with this dancing thing because I was smart in school. So they understood the fact that I was getting good grades so I could do whatever I wanted to do because I was getting the grades for them and I could do the dance for myself.”

The dancer saved her school ‘chop money’ to pay for dance lessons during vacations, allowing her to nurture and improve her dexterity.

She was also determined to buy a car for her mother from the savings she made once her activities started generating income. She made sacrifices by wearing the same clothes repeatedly to prove her worth to her parents, which she eventually did, even though her mom already had a car.

Credit: myjoyonline.com

Marriage is a bed of thorny roses -Van Vicker celebrates 21st wedding anniversary

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October 18, 2024

Renowned Actor Van Vicker and his wife Adjoa are celebrating their 21st wedding anniversary.

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, October 16, Van Vicker reflected on their enduring relationship, describing marriage as a “bed of thorny roses.”

Regardless of the “thorny” description of marriage, Van Vicker expressed gratitude to God for how far he has brought his marriage and praised his wife, Adjoa, for being by his side for 30 years.

“Today is my 21st wedding anniversary. I am grateful to God. Marriage is a bed of thorny roses. It has extremely lovely times and really trying moments. In all moments, ‘THE WILL’ is key. Getting married to the ‘right’ person is critical (knowing the person substantially). Staying ‘in love’ is paramount (not just ‘loving’ your spouse)

“And finally for me, it’s ‘the desire’ to want to stay married (in the absence of abuse). The culminated effect of these 3 points may transcend those thorns in the roses. Prickly as they may be, however, the internal remedies are sufficient to let you move to the next day and the next and for years.

“Regardless of the thorns love is still a beautiful thing. I have no regrets about being married and staying married. I pray for Grace to continue this beautiful struggle. I am blessed to have my wife Adjoa Van Vicker by my side all these years. I have known her for 30 years of life. Happy anniversary to us”, he wrote on Instagram.

Creative arts key to economic growth -Bawumia

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October 18, 2024

Vice President and NPP flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has called for greater investment and strategic focus on the creative arts sector to boost national development.

Speaking to industry stakeholders, he stressed the importance of supporting Ghanaian creatives to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

“We’ve been working with MUSIGA, GHAMRO, and the private sector to create a platform that can help track royalties and facilitate revenue management for musicians and other creatives,” he said.

According to him, Ghana must do more to ensure that creatives can benefit from their work.

The Vice President acknowledged the challenges faced by Ghanaian artists in maximizing returns from their work.

“We need to take proactive steps to ensure our creatives can grow and contribute to the national economy,” he urged, adding that the development of a local music streaming platform is a step in the right direction.

Dr. Bawumia also emphasised the need to foster collaboration between the creative arts sector and other industries.

“The creative arts are key to economic growth, and by working together, we can make sure this sector thrives,” he stated.

As the government continues to support initiatives that empower creatives, Bawumia stressed that the local streaming platform is only one of several steps needed to ensure sustainable growth in the industry.

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Shatta Wale gets Bawumia to speak pidgin English

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October 18, 2024

The Vice President and Flagbearer of the ruling NPP government, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, met with stakeholders in the creative arts sector on Wednesday, 16 October 2024.

Addressing the stakeholders, Dr Bawumia emphasised the need for a homegrown solution to enable Ghanaian musicians to achieve better financial rewards from their work. This new platform is expected to provide a fairer revenue model for Ghanaian creatives, allowing them to better track and collect royalties.

One memorable moment during the meeting occurred when Shatta Wale, the self-proclaimed Dancehall King, posed a question and requested that the Vice President respond in pidgin.

“I want to know what you have for our fans out there… and that’s the street… And Your Excellency, I will please plead with you, when you want to respond to what I’m saying, for today and for the people out there on the street, just say it in pidgin small for me,” Shatta Wale asked with a touch of humour.

In characteristically engaging style, the Vice President and flagbearer of the ruling party also responded in pidgin.

Bawumia’s response

“The thing wey dey my heart, be the people wey dey suffer for the country. I be patron of ‘let’s lead Ghana.’ I be farm labourer before, I be cleaner, taxi driver before, so I know how people dey suffer, my heart dey the streets. The thing wey I dey do all be how I for help the streets. Free SHS and digitalisation dey come help everyone, so if I come government I sabi the thing I go do to help everyone.”

Dr Bawumia’s meeting, held on Wednesday, 16 October 2024, was attended by prominent figures in the creative economy, including Shatta Wale, Samini, and Kuami Eugene.

Credit: pulse.com.gh

Australian territory resumes jailing 10-year-olds

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October 18, 2024