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Yvonne Nelson hints of another ‘dumsor’ demonstration

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NANA KWESI COOMSON
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Yvonne Nelson

Actress Yvonne Nelson has hinted of another demonstration to express frustration against the resurgent power crisis, locally known as ‘dumsor.’

On her active Twitter handle, Miss Nelson expressed deep concern over the return of the power outage issue and called for a united effort to demand accountability from the nation’s leaders.

The letter, addressed to fellow Ghanaians, highlighted her history as an advocate for positive change, referencing the 2015 DumsorMustStop Campaign that she spearheaded alongside notable personalities such as Kofi Bentil from Imani Ghana, Prince David Osei, D Black, Van Vicker, Efya, Sarkodie, Barima Sidney, and DKB.

Yvonne reminisced the challenges faced during the initial campaign and emphasized the need for another collective effort to address the recurring power crisis. She noted the persistence of ‘dumsor’ for an extended period, describing it as alarming and detrimental to the nation’s progress.

Despite acknowledging the shifting political landscape and some individuals’ realignments, Nelson stressed the non-partisan nature of the fight against Dumsor. She called on Ghanaians from all walks of life, including legal professionals, volunteers, and concerned citizens, to join her in pushing for meaningful action to resolve the current power crisis.

The actress said she had extended invitations to key figures from Imani Ghana, including Kofi Bentil and Franklin Cudjoe, seeking their support and collaboration in organizing another DumsorMustStop Vigil. However, she disclosed that she was yet to receive a response regarding their interest in supporting another vigil.

Fella Makafui sets records straight on alleged relationship with D-Black

By
NANA KWESI COOMSON
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D-Black and Fella Makafui

Wife of Medikal, Actress Fella Makafui has set the records straight on rumours of allegedly dating rapper D-Black.

In April 2024, videos and pictures went viral on social media showing Fella Makafui smoking a cigar with D-Black. This did not go well with Medikal, who publicly expressed his displeasure with the act, which he felt was disrespectful.

Despite the ongoing tension, D-Black supported Medikal’s London concert on social media. Medikal, however, responded negatively, labelling D-Black as ‘fake’ and using offensive language, which sparked diverse reactions online.

Speaking on Hitz show on Hitz FM Fella Makafui declined to address the issue, insisting that there was nothing to discuss.

Fella maintained a stance of respect and loyalty towards D-Black, whom she considers a brother, and said she chose not to focus on the negative energy surrounding the incident.

“Let’s not disrespect D-Black and his family. I don’t even want to channel my energy into this thing, you know, this whole thing. Because D-Black is like a brother to me. That’s my big brother. Come on. There were thousands of people in the club. I went there with my friends to chill,” she said.

When asked about her husband’s reaction to a video that surfaced from the club, Makafui chose to keep her comments private, stating, “No comments.”

The actress refused to discuss the matter any further, stating, “There are certain issues that I wouldn’t want to talk about, and this is one of them.”

Arrests at Columbia University as New York City police clear Gaza protest

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Police gained access to Hamilton Hall through a second-floor window

Hundreds of New York City police officers have entered the Columbia University campus, taking many people into custody, in the latest escalation in Gaza protests that have swept campuses across the United States.

Live television images showed police entering the university in upper Manhattan, which has been the focal point of student protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, in which more than 34,500 Palestinians have been killed.

After entering the site shortly after 9pm on Tuesday (01:00 GMT on Wednesday), some officers approached Hamilton Hall, the administrative building, which students began occupying early on Tuesday morning after the management said it had begun suspending students who had refused to meet a previous deadline to disperse.

They had renamed the building “Hind’s Hall”, in memory of six-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab who was killed in Gaza in February.

“We’re clearing it out,” police in a riot unit yelled as they marched up to the barricaded entrance to the building, while dozens more officers moved on to the main protest camp.

Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine said in a post on X that the police officers were “wearing riot gear” and that “multiple blocks have been barricaded off”.

Police officers were seen in a long line, climbing into the building via a ladder extended from the top of a truck into a second-storey window.

Credit: aljazeera.com

‘Blame the government’: Kenyans bemoan lack of support amid record flooding

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Mathare residents wade through floodwaters as they recover their belongings after the Nairobi river burst its banks

Collins Obondo stood atop the rubble of a house in Mathare, one of the largest informal settlements in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, surveying the aftermath of a flood that destroyed his neighbourhood.

“This is all that’s left of my mother,” the 38-year-old said, looking down at the heap of muddy miscellaneous items gathered together on top of where her house once stood.

Last Tuesday, residents awoke in the middle of the night to the frantic shouts of “Maji! Maji!” (Water! Water!) after torrential rain triggered widespread flooding across the capital. The overpopulated settlement is situated within a valley through which the Mathare River flows. The waters had begun rising sharply, reaching about 35 metres (115 feet) high, sweeping away hundreds of makeshift homes built along the riverbed and submerging thousands more.

Obondo’s mother, Benna Buluma, who was a community activist known locally as “Mama Victor”, drowned in the floods. Obondo survived because he happened to be somewhere else, but his home, located beside hers, was also destroyed.

“It’s been hard to make sense of all of this,” Obondo said, adding that everyone who was home at the time died, including Buluma’s two small grandchildren who were with her at the time.

The children’s fathers – Victor and Bernard – were killed by Kenyan police in 2017. In the years since, Buluma had devoted her life to demanding justice for them, along with many families who have lost loved ones to police bullets.

“My mother spent years fighting for justice for the neglected people of the slums. And it was that same government neglect she was fighting against that killed her,”  Obondo said, his voice rising.

“I blame all this on the government,” he said about the loss and destruction that residents say they have been left alone to grapple with in the aftermath of the flood.

Credit: aljazeera.com

China highway collapse kills 24 people

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State media carried pictures showing a massive gash in the mountainside

Twenty-four people have died after a section of a mountainside highway collapsed in China’s Guangdong province, following days of heavy rain.

Thirty others were taken to hospital after a 17.9m (58 feet) stretch of the Meilong expressway crumbled at 02:10 local time (19:10 BST) on Wednesday.

Authorities have yet to state the cause of the incident.

Images on state media showed a massive gash in the forested mountainside below the highway.

The 30 people in hospital are “not currently at risk”, state media report. The provincial government has dispatched 500 emergency response personnel to the scene.

State media initially reported that 19 people had died but local authorities later said 24 people had been killed, with the number of injured persons still at 30.

Footage that appeared to have been taken shortly after the collapse showed flames and black smoke billowing from below the highway.

A total of 20 vehicles fell into the collapsed portion of the road, authorities said.

Another video carried by state media showed a smoking pile of charred cars partially covered in mud.

Guangdong, China’s most populous province, was hit with flash floods last week that killed four people and displaced 110,000 others.

The floods also damaged dozens of houses, shut schools and caused flight cancellations and delays. Authorities have estimated economic losses of 140.6m yuan ($19.4m; £15.5m).

The wild weather continued over the weekend, when a tornado ravaged a factory district in the provincial capital of Guangzhou, killing five people and wounding 33 others.

Hailstones the size of golf balls were also seen raining down on the city.

Credit: bbc.com

Gaza hostage’s mother pleads for ceasefire deal

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The mother of an Israeli-American man being held in Gaza has told the BBC that Israel and Hamas must urgently agree a new ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Rachel Goldberg-Polin’s son Hersh, who turned 23 four days before he was kidnapped from the Nova festival on 7 October, was seen in captivity in a new video released last week.

She described how she felt when she first watched it.

“As soon as I heard his voice I started to cry, because I haven’t heard his voice in half a year.

“To see him moving, and to see that he is clearly medically compromised, and that he’s fragile. His father Jon and I were both just crying, and I was holding my heart.”

“I don’t even know what I was saying. I was just making noises and crying, and Jon was crying”.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin was at the Nova music festival in a forested area close to the Gaza Strip when Hamas-led gunmen stormed Israel’s border fence, killing about 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

More than 360 of those killed were attending the festival event.

Hersh managed to get several kilometres away from the festival site in a car, before seeking refuge in a roadside bomb shelter with several dozen others. But outside, Hamas gunmen gathered and began throwing in grenades.

Before Wednesday, the last time he had been seen alive was in a Hamas video that showed him being loaded on to a pick-up truck, with part of his left arm missing.

In the new video, posted to Hamas’s Telegram account, Hersh lifts his arm to the camera to show a healed stump where his hand should be. He criticises Israel’s military campaign in Gaza before speaking directly to his parents and two sisters, urging them to keep campaigning for his release.

“We’re clearly very concerned about the injury,” Mrs Goldberg-Polin told me.

“We’ve had several surgeons who have seen the video that say he needs another surgery immediately. If he was treated, it was an emergency treatment. He needs a second surgery at least.”

Credit: bbc.com

MP urges informal sector workers to pay their taxes 

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Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu speaking to the media

Dr Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Dormaa Central in the Bono Region has advised informal sector workers to remain patriotic and pay their taxes.

Dr Agyemang-Manu, a former Health Minister, said informal sector workers could do it if they value their work, saying taxes were necessary to facilitate economic development.
The MP also urged the teeming unemployed youth to always seek jobs instead of idling around, saying “jobs will never find you if you remain idling.

Dr Agyemang-Manu gave the advice when he addressed both formal and informal workers at a durbar to commemorate this year’s May Day, held at Dormaa-Ahenkro.
He appealed to formal sector workers to also engage in extra jobs in the informal sector, not only to improve their socio-economic conditions, but also to position them well to respond to the economic trends.

“As a former Minister and now an MP, I still use part of my time at the weekend to farm,” he stated, and expressed worry about the situation where some people travelled overseas to do menial jobs, but never attempted to do the same jobs in their home country.

He entreated the workers to contribute to peaceful and incident-free general elections.
As part of the celebration, the participants engaged in corporate games, health, aerobics and eating competitions.

From Robert Tachie Mensson

GNA 

Health Benefits of Bone Marrow

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Bone Marrow

Humans have been enjoying delicious and nutritious animal bone marrow for centuries. It has a sweet, rich taste and a hearty texture, and is used mostly to flavor broths and soups. Recently, it has become a main course item at gourmet restaurants around the world.

A spongy tissue found in the center of bones, the marrow is mostly concentrated in the spine, hip, and thigh bones. Its stem cells produce red and white blood cells. These cells move oxygen throughout the bloodstream, assisting with tasks like blood clotting.

Health Benefits

As bone marrow has gained popularity in top kitchens around the world, scientists and doctors have begun to take a closer look at the following health benefits it presents:

Lower Risk of Weight-related Diseases

One study showed that the fat tissue in bone marrow contains a hormone called adiponectin. This hormone helps break down fats. It can maintain insulin sensitivity, and it has been linked to lower risk of diabetes, cardiovascular (heart) disease, and other obesity-associated cancers.

High levels of adiponectin are directly linked to a decreased risk of getting diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases. The study found that people who were overweight tended to have lower levels of adiponectin, but levels of the hormone rose as they shed pounds.

Maintains Skin, Bone, and Joint Health

Bone marrow is full of collagen, which improves the health and strength of bones and skin.

It is also rich in glucosamine, a compound that helps against osteoarthritis, relieves joint pain, and reduces inflammation in the joints.

Reduces Risk of Inflammation-related Diseases

Glycine and conjugated linoleic acid are both abundant in bone marrow, and they’ve been shown to have strong anti-inflammatory properties. Chronic inflammation is linked to serious diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, depression, and Alzheimer’s.

Nutrition

Bone marrow contains high levels of fat and calories, but it also has nutrients like vitamin B12.

Bone marrow also contains significant portions of your reference daily intake (RDI) of the following nutrients and minerals:

Riboflavin: 6% of RDI

Iron: 4% of RDI

Vitamin E: 2% of RDI

Phosphorus: 1% of RDI

Thiamine: 1% of RDI

Vitamin B12: 7%

Vitamin A: 1% of RDI

Portion Sizes

Although bone marrow is an excellent source of different vitamins and minerals, it’s also high in fat. If you’re going to add bone marrow to your diet, make sure to do so in moderation to avoid weight gain.

How to Prepare Bone Marrow

There are dozens of ways to add bone marrow to your diet. Make sure you’re sourcing it from a quality butcher. You want clean bones that are pale pink in color and come from animals that lived organically and range-free.

While you can get bone marrow from almost any animal, beef marrow is the most popular. Tell your butcher you’re looking to cook with bone marrow and he or she should have some good recommendations. Otherwise, you can ask them for shank bones, neck bones, knucklebones, or oxtail.

Broths and Soups

The traditional way to use bone marrow is in a broth or soup. How thick or rich you want your liquid to be will dictate how much marrow you put in. To extract bone marrow, simmer the bones for 36 to 48 hours.

Sauté

You can use bone marrow like you would work with any other type of oil. Heat it up on a frying pan and let it melt. Dig the marrow out of the bone with a spoon and put it on a hot skillet with some olive oil or canola oil.

Sauce

A great way to use bone marrow is in a sauce, especially for meat dishes. Extract the marrow as you would for a broth and add it into your sauce.

Spread

Bone marrow can be enjoyed just like butter — spread some on a cracker or a piece of toast.

You can also buy bone marrow that has already been removed from the bone. Liquid, powder, and capsule (pill) products make it easy to add bone marrow into your cuisine.

Source: www.webmd.com

Feature: Private Schools’ Call For Inclusion In Free SHS Program Is Apt

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Wisdom Koudjo Klu, the writer

The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) has issued a strong call to action regarding the exorbitant registration costs faced by private school students for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Led by GNAPS President Professor Damasus Tuurosong, the organization has formally requested that the government absorb these fees, an initiative aimed at reducing the financial burden on parents and students alike.

Professor Tuurosong highlighted that while public school students benefit from the government’s absorption of such fees through the Free SHS policy, their private counterparts are unfairly left to shoulder these substantial costs, which creates a disparity in the financial commitments of families based on the type of educational institution attended.

Private educational institutions are notably excluded from the benefits of Ghana’s Free Senior High School (Free SHSH) program. This nationally celebrated initiative currently covers examination fees for public high school students but stops short of assisting those in the private sector. The exclusion of private students from this benefit undermines the principle of equal access to education, as stated by the Free SHS policy.

GNAPS has pointed out this inconsistency, advocating for an inclusive approach that ensures all students, regardless of the type of school they attend, can enjoy the same financial support during these critical examination periods. Moreover, GNAPS argues that the absorption of these fees by the state would promote educational equity and could lead to improved academic outcomes across the board.

In addition to examination fees, GNAPS has also spotlighted the financial burden imposed on private schools by various educational regulatory bodies including the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA), the National Teaching Council (NTC), and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA).

These charges, which the association believes should be borne by the government, pertain to regular inspections and certifications that ensure educational standards are maintained. Professor Tuurosong stressed that these costs not only strain the operational budgets of private schools but also inevitably get passed down to parents, adding further to their financial load.

GNAPS urges a revaluation of these policies to alleviate unnecessary financial pressures on non-state educational providers and to support the broader educational ecosystem in Ghana.

The association is also campaigning against the 30% priority placement system that currently favors public school BECE candidates for placement into ‘Category A’ Senior High Schools.

This system, GNAPS argues, is inherently unfair and discriminatory, as it disadvantages students from private schools who are equally deserving of high-quality secondary education opportunities.

By advocating for the abolition of this system, GNAPS aims to foster a more equitable educational environment where admissions are based solely on merit and potential rather than the type of institution attended.

Addressing the concerns raised by GNAPS, the former President His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has pledged to integrate private secondary schools into the Free SHS program should he be elected in the upcoming December elections.

The former president believes that including private schools in this initiative is not only fair but also beneficial for the educational system as a whole, as many private institutions possess the necessary infrastructure and resources to effectively participate in and enrich the Free SHS program.

Additionally, the flag  bear of the NDC has committed to working closely with educational stakeholders to restructure Ghana’s educational system from basic through to tertiary levels. This ambitious plan aims to enhance educational outcomes and ensure that the system aligns more closely with the nation’s developmental goals.

By including private schools in the Free SHS program, the former president argues that it would stimulate more balanced competition among schools, raise educational standards across the board, and ensure that all students, regardless of their socio-economic background or the school they attend, have, access to free and quality education.

The dialogue surrounding the inclusion of private schools in the Free SHS program and the absorption of examination fees by the government highlights a critical phase in Ghana’s educational policy.

As the country gears up for the upcoming elections, the educational policies of competing parties are under scrutiny, with promises like those made by  His Excellency John Dramani Mahama potentially playing a pivotal role in influencing voter decisions.

The commitment to review and potentially overhaul the educational system suggests a future where the playing field might be levelled, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to attain the highest possible standards of education.

The debate initiated by GNAPS and the responses it has elicited underscore the complexities and challenges within Ghana’s educational sector. The call for policy changes by GNAPS reflects broader issues of equity and access that affect educational outcomes nationwide.

If the government takes steps to address these concerns, it could lead to significant improvements in the educational experiences of all Ghanaian students, fostering a generation that is better equipped to contribute to the country’s growth. The ongoing discussions are a hopeful indicator that stakeholders are ready to consider more inclusive and fair educational policies that can benefit a wider spectrum of the population.

As these issues continue to evolve, the outcome of the forthcoming elections could be a turning point in how education is prioritized and structured in Ghana. Stakeholders from all segments of society are watching closely, hopeful for reforms that will build a more inclusive and equitable educational framework, supporting the aspirations and potential of every Ghanaian student.

By WISDOM KOUDJO KLU.

(Wisdomklu@gmail.com)

Feature: The Driver’s Mate Conundrum

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Feature

There have been a lot of conversations about the use of the driver’s mate phrase by Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. It has been the subject of widespread commentary sometimes bordering on ridicule, humour and attack.

While this is all well and good, it has drowned the undergirding or larger point made by the Vice President. Perhaps more importantly, it also obfuscates or denies us the opportunity to appreciate the latent meanings embedded in the analogy and the values therein contained.

In short, the concept of a driver’s mate is familiar to us all. He’s an assistant, a vice, a deputy or a supporter to the main person in charge.

Far from running from responsibility, there are certain positive elements in the description used. And this could be a lesson in leadership or life value we can all learn from. As a Vice president, there is a certain element of support, assistance, dependability, loyalty and service and to a very credible extent, humility expected of the office holder.

Servant leadership is something that has consumed leadership and the governance industry for some time now. There is an expectation that leadership shouldn’t simply be about power but about service to the people and authority. The Vice President perceives himself as a person of service not only to the nation but the president who is his direct head.

Certainly, it is worth appreciating that as a Vice President, he didn’t see himself in competition with the President but rather from a position of service.

It takes some measure of humility to be able to adopt such a position of public service and servant leadership. It assured the president that he had a loyal and dependable assistant who he could count on. Every leader would appreciate having a humble vice or assistant devoid of ego, airs and certain chips which may denote a sense of entitlement, equality or power play. This fosters trust, unity and purposefulness to the national cause.

In the long history of presidential and vice presidential studies, we all know of Vice Presidents who have used the position as power bases, not always directly or consciously,  but in ways that have been distractive to the presidency or bred suspicion, to put it mildly.

Sometimes they have created fiefdoms that have at times led to serious cracks or divisions in an administration.  This is something many Ghanaians would not accuse Dr Bawumia of. VP Bawumia earned the trust of his boss the President.

I’m pretty sure most of us would look out for the measure of dependability when looking for an assistant.

Another value very closely related to the idea of a servant leader or dependable assistant is that of dutifulness. As a mate, you’re expected to be conscientious, and devoted to the task set before you.

The concept of a mate or an assistant thus has a major measure of responsibility associated with it. What has to be communicated more is not a sense of non-responsibility but rather that of commitment and devotion to the national course.

Once a president is elected, he becomes a national figure. The Vice president’s service to him though initially partisan immediately transitions to a nationalistic duty/service.

Of course, this is not to hold brief for any acts of responsibility on the side of the Vice President or President. And of course, as a critical thinker, the Veep is always expected to offer his perspectives during discourse and debate.

It is simply to add to the conversation and bring to the fore the values of capability, dedication, devotion, dependability, energy, humility, dutifulness and the perspicacity Vice President Bawumia brings to the table.

By Etse Sikanku

Etse Sikanku is a political and communication analyst.

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