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Dan Botwe lauds Common Fund Administrator for supporting sensitive projects

By
BERNICE BESSEY
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some government officials standing in front of the new edifice

Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Daniel Botwe has praised the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), Mrs. Irene Addo Lartey, for her special interest and effort in seeing to the completion of an office block for the Local Government Service.

Provision of the edifice, he said, is in line with Government’s agenda to deepen decentralisation in response to Article 20 of the Constitution. The Service, he said, is being equipped with the necessary facilities to enable it accomplish its obligations.

These remarks were contained in a solidarity message delivered on behalf of the Minister at the commissioning of the new office block for the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service (OHLGS) on Wednesday 5th April, 2023.

Dan Botwe disclosed that since the establishment of the Local Government Service, one of its major challenges has been inadequate office accommodation.

The Management and staff of the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service, he said, have had to operate from limited office accommodation over the years.

He said “It, therefore, comes as a relief to commission this ultramodern office facility, which is a result of the collaboration of the Ministry, the Office of the District Assembly Common Fund and the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service.”

“I commend the Administrator, Mrs Irene Addo Lartey, for her special interest and effort in seeing to the completion of this edifice.”

He urged the Head of Service, his Management and staff to put to good use the support government has provided by constructing the Office Block.

He assured provision of the office accommodation should enable the Head of Service to deploy the appropriate human resource to perform to its maximum capacity.

He also urged staff of the Service to utilize the facility proficiently and to ensure efficient and effective service delivery.

He expressed hope the Office Block will position the OHLGS to collaborate effectively with the Ministry to drive the decentralisation Agenda.

In his welcome address, Head of the LGS, Ing. Dr. Nana Ato Arthur disclosed that one of the challenges the Service has had to deal with for the past years was limited space for staff to engage in their official business.

He said a cursory walk through some of the offices of the OHLGS showed a picture of overcrowding and congestion, which had adverse effect on the productivity of staff and did not also auger well for an institution that had the mandate of administrative decentralization in the country.

According to him, although the need for additional office space was long overdue, the completion of the block brings a great relief to him as Head and the OHLGS as a whole.

“This new office block is a five-storey building with features that have been designed to include interactive spaces for the comfort of staff and visitors alike.”

“And it will surprise you to know that with the hardwork of the Contractor, this project was completed within 20 months at a cost of GH¢30 million,” he disclosed.

Dr. Ato Arthur thanked government, the Minister, the DACF Administrator, the Contractor, the Consultant and all who worked tirelessly towards successful execution of the project.

Kano Assembly passes State Emirates Bill 2019

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Kano House of Assembly

The Kano State Emirate Council Amendment Law 2019 has been passed into law by the State House of Assembly during its plenary session presided over by the Speaker, Rt Hon Engineer Hamisu Ibrahim Chidari, on Tuesday.

The bill was passed into Law after it underwent a series of deliberations in the Committee of the whole House.

Similarly, in today’s session, the House received a letter from the Executive Governor seeking the screening and confirmation of the appointment of Barrister Mahmoud Balarabe as the substantive Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission. The House committed the letter to the House Standing Committee on Anti-Corruption for further Legislative action.

Similarly, the House also received a letter from the Executive Governor on a draft bill for the establishment of a Rural Access Road Agency, and the letter was committed to the House for further action. The governor also sent another letter on Kano State Anthem developed by the Kano State Government and Bayero University for consideration and enactment into Law as well as that of draft sectoral and systematic land titling and registration bill 2022 (1443 A.H.) for deliberations and passage into Law by the House.

The House was also in receipt of a letter seeking confirmation for the approval of Balarabe Hassan Karaye as full-time commissioner in the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission and that of Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency Amendment number two bill of 2922 (1444 A.H.)

The letters were committed to the relevant committees for further legislative actions.

The House adjourned sitting to tomorrow, Wednesday, in a motion moved by the Majority Leader and member representing Warawa Constituency, Hon. Labaran Abdul Madari, and was seconded by Hon. Sale Ahmed Marke, Member representing Dawakin Tofa Constituency.

Credit: dailypost.ng

Wike backs PDP protesters, says he doesn’t trust INEC, police

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Governor Nyesom Wike

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has backed the ongoing protest at the State headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

The PDP members in the state whose protest at the state INEC office located along Aba/Port Harcourt Expressway has entered a second week are demanding joint inspection of materials used for the 2023 general elections.

The protesters reportedly assaulted Tonye Cole, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state who was on his way to the INEC office to honour a scheduled appointment to obtain documents to enable him challenge the outcome of the governorship elections in the state.

Speaking in a media chat on Tuesday, Mr Wike justified the protest saying they are being extra vigilant because they know what their opponents, apparently referring to APC, are capable of doing.

The media chat was aired by Channels television and monitored by PREMIUM TIMES. Mr Wike said the PDP also wants INEC to furnish it with the Certified True Copy of election results to file a response to petitions at the Election Petition Tribunal.

“We are being extra vigilant, all the plans, all the results they have printed to bring to (Election Petition) Tribunals, we have it in the flash,” Mr Wike said pointing a flash drive to the reporters.

He, however, declined disclosing the source of his information saying what matters is how relevant the information is.

INEC had declared the PDP candidate, Siminialaye Fubara as the winner of the 18 March governorship election in the state but Mr Cole of the APC is challenging the result at the tribunal.

Credit: premiumtimesng.com

Lagos Governorship race: PDP files election petition, wants APC, LP disqualified

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Lagos Governorship candidates

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate in Lagos State, Abdul-Azeez Adediran (Jandor), have submitted a petition before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal of Lagos State.

The party and Mr Adediran are calling for the disqualification of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP) candidates in the election for non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.

In the petition marked EPT/LAG/GOV/01/2023 dated April 7, the petitioners challenged the outcome of the 18 March governorship election on the grounds of substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Law as well as the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

While INEC is the 1st respondent, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; his Deputy Governorship candidate, Obafemi Hamzat; the All Progressive Congress (APC), the Labour Party Governorship Candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and the Labour Party respectively are the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th respondents.

Besides non-compliance with relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, Mr Adediran and PDP in their petition are claiming that at the time of the governorship election held on 18 March 2023, Messrs Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat, and Rhodes-Vivour were not qualified to contest the election.

The petitioners, therefore, prayed that all votes cast for them in the election be declared wasted.

“The 2nd and 3rd Respondents, although not duly sponsored and not qualified, contested along with the 1st Petitioner and others for the office of Governor of Lagos State, the subject matter of this Petition.

“Similarly, the 5th and 6th Respondents, although not duly sponsored and not qualified, contested along with the 1st Petitioner and others for the office of Governor of Lagos State, the subject matter of this Petition”.

Credit: premiumtimesng.com

Nigeria’s unemployment rate to rise to 41% in 2023 -KPMG

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Nigeria’s Unemployment Rate To Rise

Global audit and tax advisory firm, KPMG, has projected that Nigeria’s unemployment rate is expected to rise to  40.6% as compared to 2022’s 37.7%.

KPMG detailed this forecast in its International Global Economic Outlook report – H1 2023 on Tuesday, where it stated that “unemployment is expected to continue to be a major challenge in 2023 due to the limited investment by the private sector, low industrialization, and slower than required economic growth and consequently the inability of the economy to absorb the 4-5 million new entrants into the Nigerian job market every year”.

The report also revealed in part that there are expectations for GDP to continue to grow at a relatively slow pace of 3% in 2023 owing to the slowdown in economic activity that typically characterizes periods of political transition in Nigeria.

Furthermore, the spillover from an expected slowdown in the global economy in 2023 and its trade and financial flow implications are expected to drag
on GDP.

“Additionally, growth will be negatively affected by the Naira Redesign Policy introduced in Q4 2022 and Q1 2023 and its implications on key non-oil sectors like manufacturing, trade, accommodation and food services, transportation, and other services, further slowing down overall GDP growth in 2023,” the report read.

On the resurgence of major aspects of the economy,  it forecasted that the telecommunications, trade services, as well as the oil sector, are expected to see recoveries, on account of measures being taken to tackle security issues.

Credit: channelstv.com

Africa’s Growth Remains Low – World Bank

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Andrew Dabalen, World Bank Chief Economist for Africa

Growth across Sub-Saharan Africa remains sluggish, dragged down by uncertainty in the global economy, the underperformance of the continent’s largest economies, high inflation, and a sharp deceleration of investment growth, a World Bank report said Wednesday.

In the face of dampened growth prospects and rising debt levels, African governments must sharpen their focus on macroeconomic stability, domestic revenue mobilization, debt reduction, and productive investments to reduce extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity in the medium to long term.

Economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is set to slow from 3.6% in 2022 to 3.1% in 2023, according to the latest Africa’s Pulse, the World Bank’s April 2023 economic update for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Economic activity in South Africa is set to weaken further in 2023 (0.5% annual growth) as the energy crisis deepens, while the growth recovery in Nigeria for 2023 (2.8%) is still fragile as oil production remains subdued. The real gross domestic product (GDP) growth of the Western and Central Africa subregion is estimated to decline to 3.4% in 2023 from 3.7% in 2022, while that of Eastern and Southern Africa declines to 3.0% in 2023 from 3.5% in 2022.

“Weak growth combined with debt vulnerabilities and dismal investment growth risks a lost decade in poverty reduction,” said Andrew Dabalen, World Bank Chief Economist for Africa. “Policy makers need to redouble efforts to curb inflation, boost domestic resource mobilization, and enact pro-growth reforms—while continuing to help the poorest households cope with the rising costs of living.”

Debt distress risks remain high with 22 countries in the region at high risk of external debt distress or in debt distress as of December 2022. Unfavorable global financial conditions have increased borrowing costs and debt service costs in Africa, diverting money from badly needed development investments and threatening macro-fiscal stability.

Stubbornly high inflation and low investment growth continue to constrain African economies. While headline inflation appears to have peaked in the past year, inflation is set to remain high at 7.5% for 2023, and above central bank target bands for most countries. Investment growth in Sub-Saharan Africa fell from 6.8% in 2010-13 to 1.6% in 2021, with a sharper slowdown in Eastern and Southern Africa than in Western and Central Africa.

Despite these challenges, many countries in the region are showing resilience amidst multiple crises. These include Kenya, Cote d’Ivoire, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who grew at 5.2%, 6.7%, and 8.6% respectively in 2022. In the DRC, the mining sector was the main driver of growth due to an expansion in capacity and recovery in global demand. Harnessing natural resource wealth provides an opportunity to improve fiscal and debt sustainability of African countries, but the report cautions that this can only happen if countries get policies right and learn the lessons from the past boom and bust cycles.

“Rapid global decarbonization will bring significant economic opportunities to Africa,” noted James Cust,

‘New taxes are threat to Ghana’s economic development’

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Mr Abraham Koomson, the GFL Secretary General (R) making a point at the forum

The Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) says the consistent introduction of new taxes in the country is a threat to national economic development.

Mr Abraham Koomson, the GFL Secretary General, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency in Tema, said companies had employees and paid their salaries, as well as social security, contributing to the improvement of the standard of living for Ghanaians hence the numerous taxes could have adverse effect on their operations. .

He advised that government not to compel factories to move from the country because some companies had already begun to reduce their workforce, while others were planning to shut down soon.

Mr Koomson stressed that the closure of the companies would adversely affect government revenue all for its development programmes and increase the unemployment rate in the country.

He cautioned that if the local companies would not be revived for the survival of the country, foreign countries investing in the country must not be discouraged.

The GFL Secretary General urged the government to consider the implications of the Excise Duty Bill of 2022 on manufacturing industries, saying it would cripple companies and increase unemployment.

“The GFL continues to receive calls from Chief Executive Officers of companies and other stakeholders raising concerns that the new laws are rushed and passed without proper consultation to weigh the implications on industry, and by extension the fate of workers whose job security is guaranteed if industries break even,” he stated.

Mr Koomson said the products involved in the taxation among several others on the market, were already barely affordable because of the high cost of unit prices triggered by a combination of factors including water and electricity tariffs which saw an upward adjustment at the beginning of this month.

He added that high import bills for raw materials and the depreciation of the Ghana Cedi were all squeezing out capital by the day.

He said times had been hard, leading to companies having to adjust salaries of workers, break even to sustain operations; and the suspension of the new 20 percent bill would boost investor interest, guarantee sustained revenue inflows, and create more jobs.

By Elizabeth Larkwor Baah

GNA

 

He’s a shallow-minded child –Gyedu Blay Ambolley hits back at KOD

By
NANA KWESI COOMSON
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Gyedu Blay Ambolley

Highlife Veteran, Gyedu Blay-Ambolley has hit back hard at Ghanaian On-Air-Personality, Kofi Okyere Darko following the comments he made after the former’s claim that VGMA was a curse to the Highlife genre. According to KOD, Gyedu Blay-Ambolley had gotten it all wrong with regard to the people who were to blame for the decline of the Hi-life genre.

“Such nonsense! Which awards scheme has projected our music industry like the VGMA since independence? How many have projected our musicians beyond GH? How many have consistently done more than ten years? Some of our musicians have failed to evolve and [are] quick to blame others for their personal mishaps. When was the last time he released an album?” parts of KOD’s Facebook post directed at Ambolley read.

KOD said the issue was rather the fault of radio stations who had refused to play hi-life music and admonished Ambolley to rather blame them.

“When was the last time he released an album? He should be blaming some of the radio stations that don’t even play our music.”

But reacting to KOD’s Facebook post in an interview with Andy Dosty, the hiplife-originator said he was not ready to respond to the “young boy” because he was busy preparing for his next tour.

According to him, he considered the fashion designer and TV personality as a child whose mental capacity was not fully developed.

“I see Okyere Darko as a child. He is shallow-minded, the reason why he said those things,” he said,I am going on a European tour in May next year. My music, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley’s music, and in June, I will be back on tour.

Comparing their individual career trajectory, he questioned if KOD could take his Disc Jockeying skills or his fashion design acumen to the international stage.

“So when he sits and talks, can he take his clothes on tour as a designer like the way I am going on tour with my music? Can he take his DJing on tour like the way I am going on tour with my music? If these people talk, you know they are shallow minds,” he concluded

Credit: pulse.com.gh

‘I’m not craving for the Grammys, BET awards’ –Kojo Antwi

By
NANA KWESI COOMSON
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Kojo Antwi

Julius Kojo Antwi, well known in the music industry as Kojo Antwi, a popular Highlife musician, has disclosed that he does not do music with the intention of winning an award. According to him, he is into music because it is his desire to bless the world with his God-given talent and he not to get awards or validation.“Grammys is in and it’s nice that some people go and win it but me as an artiste it’s not my thing,” he said.

He added “BET awards did a certain category that would accommodate us but they the organizers are looking at the commercial aspect of it”.

In an exclusive interview with UTV’s Abeiku Santana on Atuu, the reggae musical artiste disclosed why he doesn’t often attend awards ceremonies.

“I don’t attend the awards ceremonies because I don’t play my music to win an award and I hope people don’t misjudge me,” he stated.

Kojo Antwi continued “God has gifted me the talent and if God gives me a new song I’ll share it with the world and that’s what I look for”.

The popular composer whose music career has spanned over 3 decades also added that although some musicians dream to win international awards, his aim is to produce songs that will linger forever.

“It is nice to win a Grammy and see others win but me as an artiste, it is not my thing,” he hammered.

Kojo Antwi is credited with several albums including ‘Mister Music Man’, ‘Densu’, ‘Afrafra’, and ‘Akuaba’. In recent times, Kojo Antwi has collaborated with some new school artistes including Stonebwoy and King Promise.

Credit: pulse.com.gh

Maiden Edition Of The Shine Summit Slated For June 2

By
MAXWELL OFORI
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Kobby Kyei (right) in a picture with some key personalities for the summit

The maiden edition of the technology, media, and entrepreneurship conference, dubbed ‘The Shine Summit’ will take place on Friday, June 2, 2023, in Accra.

The date and venue for the summit which will gather some of the best brains in the various sectors, was announced at the media launch held on Wednesday, April 5, 2023.

The summit is being powered by Global Ovations, whose Chief Executive Officer, Gideon Raji, gave the rundown, particularly on how to participate.

He stated that interested participants would have to watchout for a portal which would be launched soon and register to attend at no cost.

He also stated that the summit, which will take place at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, will have hubs to coach participants in specific areas, relating to the three thematic points.

The Shine Summit, according to the organisers, will serve as a platform that will mobilise the youth to educate them on a positive aspect of technology, media and entrepreneurship. The aim is to help create opportunities through collaboration and investment.

The launch of the summit brought together people in the media, technology space and entrepreneurs.

The likes of the EU Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Ramiandrasoa Razaaly, Bola Ray, Nana Ama McBrown, CEO of Caveman Watches Anthony Dzamefe, Comedian OB Amponsah, Andy Dosty and other great personalities attended the launch.

The brain behind The Shine Summit, Kobby Kyei, a Blogger, indicated that the conglomeration of like minds is to champion the positive agenda.He remarked that the idea is also to change the narrative from negative to positive.

He shared his life story, including how as a blogger, has contributed to some communities having access to portable drinking water.

Speaking particularly about the power of social media, for which reason the youth must be educated on, he rebuked the influx of unhealthy contents at the expense of positive creativity and innovations.

He thus invited everyone, especially the youth, who may not be aware of the power of social media to register and attend the summit on June 2, 2023, at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Accra.

“Our first gathering will be at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel and I will be looking forward to seeing each and every one of you, this is the time to make the difference and I’m very glad to start the journey with you”, Kobby Kyei said.

The Shine summit Speakers are;Anthony Dzamefe, Bernard KafuiSokpoe, Futurist Kwame, Wode Maya, Portia Gabor, Gifty Anti, Bola Ray, Tommy Annan Forson and Kobby Kyei.

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