Alumni Poku Sarkodie presenting a laptop to a student
Sixty brilliant students of Anglican Senior High School, Kumasi (KASHS) have received laptops as part of the 60th Anniversary celebration of CHITO Academic Excellence Awards.
Mr. Kwame Opoku Sarkodie, a distinguished Alumni of 1978 to 1983 of the school, donated the laptops in support of his alma mater to motivate students who excel in academic performance.
According to him, the initiative was supported by his friends in the United States of America (USA) to express his love for the Anglican Senior High School (KASHS) and to also express his gratitude to the school for moulding his life.
Rev. Canon Francis Senkyere, Headmaster of the school, commended him for his tireless efforts to ensure that the school excelled as the regional champions in the last Science and Mathematics Quiz.
According to him, Mr. Sarkodie was always in touch with him, with regards to the performance of the students to become champions in the region, and urged the school to do more serious towards winning the National Science and Mathematics championship.
Nana Adu-Gyamfi, Otumfuo’s Adontenhene and Chairman of the Governing Board of the school, explained that the purpose of the awards by CHITO was to reflect on the tireless efforts and dedication the school in inculcating into the students to honour and sharpen their focus to achieve greater heights.
Work on three major projects under construction and being funded by Anglo Gold Ashanti Obuasi mine under its 10-Year Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) in the Obuasi East District and Obuasi Municipal are progressing steadily.
The one-storey 9-unit classroom block
They are a one-storey 9-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities at Sanso, a District Police Headquarters at Bidiem, and an Examination Printing Centre at Pompora Treatment Plant (PTP).
The Senior Manager Sustainability of the company, Mr. Emmanuel Baidoo, engineers of Anglo Gold, the police, the assembly and staff of the Education Directorate to inspect the said projects.
The three projects, according to the respective spokespersons, are expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Examination Printing Centre at PTP
Speaking to the media at the end of the tour, Mr. Baidoo said he was happy with the work so far done by the contractors.
He noted that all the contractors had met the time lines set for them, and said since the company could not employ everybody in Obuasi, the local contractors on the company’s jobs had been mandated to employ the youth in the areas where the projects are sited, so that those youth would be economically empowered.
Emmanuel Baidoo addressing the media after the tour
Touching on the construction of the Police Headquarters, the Senior Manager Sustainability said the company was proud to be associated with the security of Obuasi, hence, the magnificent Police Headquarters block.
Both the Education Directors for the Obuasi Municipal and the Obuasi East District, Messrs George Alfred Koomson and Kwabena Owusu Nketia, as well as the representative of the Police Commander, ASP Kofi Amo, all expressed their appreciation to Anglo Gold Ashanti for the projects.
Darko Clinton, Assemblyman for Abobonwinu electoral area
Mr. Clinton Darko, Assembly Member for Abobonwinu/Adupri Electoral Area, has built and handed over an ultramodern Community and Recreational Centre for the residents of the Abobonwinu/Adupri community.
The facility, which consists of washrooms, 65 inches and two flat screens televisions took the Assembly Member four months to complete and is intended to help in the organisation of durbars and other recreational activities in the community.
The front view of the facility
At the commissioning of the edifice were Mr. Isaac Kofi Marfo, District Chief Executive for the area, Isaac Kwame Asiamah, Member of Parliament for Atwima Mponua Constituency, chiefs and NPP party supporters, and heads of departments of the Atwima Mponua District Assembly.
MP Asiamah commended the Assembly Member for the laudable initiative, commitment and contributions to the economic development of the area.
Nana Agyei, Chief of Nyinahin Nkyensikrom, commended the Assembly Member and challenged other stakeholders and philanthropists to be inspired by the initiative to contribute towards improving their lot and make life better for the people.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to “set up a presidential panel of enquiry to promptly probe the grim allegations that over US$15 billion of oil revenues, and N200 billion budgeted to repair the refineries are missing and unaccounted for between 2020 and 2021, as documented by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).”
SERAP urged Tinubu to name and shame anyone suspected to be responsible for the missing and unaccounted public funds and to ensure their effective prosecution, as well as the full recovery of proceeds of crime.
The organization also urged him “to fully implement all the recommendations by NEITI in its 2021 report.”
In the letter dated 23 September 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these serious allegations. Taking these important measures would end the impunity of perpetrators.
“As President and Minister of Petroleum Resources, your office ought to be concerned about these damning revelations, by getting to the bottom of the allegations and ensuring that suspected perpetrators are promptly brought to justice, and any missing public funds fully recovered.
“Any failure to investigate these grave allegations, bring suspected perpetrators to justice and recover any missing public funds would have serious resource allocation and exacerbate the country’s debt burden.
“The findings by NEITI suggest a grave violation of the public trust and the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], national anti-corruption laws, and the country’s obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption.
“The allegations of corruption documented by NEITI undermine economic development of the country, trap the majority of Nigerians in poverty and deprive them of opportunities.”
Second Deputy Governor, Mrs. Elsie Addo Awadzi receiving the award.
The Bank of Ghana has won the Financial Inclusion Institutional Leadership Award 2023 of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI). The award, which was given at the just ended AFI 2023 Global Policy Forum (GPF), held in Manila, Philippines, was hosted by the Central Bank of the Philippines.
The award was in recognition of the Bank’s pioneering role in promoting financial inclusion and intellectual contributions to AFI Knowledge Products and Policy Guidelines.
The theme of the 2023 GPF was: “Stability, Sustainability and Inclusivity for Shared Prosperity” and emphasised the importance of financial inclusion and sustainable development for monetary and financial stability.
The forum was attended by over 700 participants from member institutions, global financial sector standard setting bodies and other policy makers.
Through the Bank’s representation on all seven Working Groups (WGs) of AFI, three of which it chairs, it contributes significantly to peer reviews of member jurisdictions’ policy and regulatory frameworks and helps to shape enabling policy and regulation of various pillars of financial inclusion.
The Bank has also hosted a number of AFI peer learning exchange programmes where it has provided training for members of the AFI network.
The award was received in Manila, Philippines on 15th September 2023 on behalf of the Bank by the Second Deputy Governor, Mrs. Elsie Addo Awadzi, who also chairs AFI’s Gender Inclusive Finance Committee.
The Alliance for Financial Inclusion is a policy leadership alliance owned and led by member Central Banks and financial regulatory institutions with the common objective of advancing financial inclusion at country, regional and international levels.
Its eighty-five (85) member institutions come from over 80 emerging and developing countries.
The GPF is an annual flagship event of AFI, organised to share experiences of financial inclusion implementations of member countries, assess impact of financial inclusion policies, socio-economic developments, and global financial standards on financial inclusion and make new policy commitment on financial inclusion to address observed challenges.
The Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG) has launched its Customer Satisfaction Index Report, the CIMG-CSI, 2022.
The National President of CIMG, Dr. Kasser Tee, who addressed the gathering, indicated that the study was conducted in the last quarter of 2022.
He continued that the effects of the DDEP on the financial performance of banks for the full year 2022, and first quarter of 2023 for some was huge and devastating.
“As you may recall, the CIMG, in 2021 embarked on a journey to establish a standard Customer Satisfaction Index for Ghana, as it is done in most advanced markets around the globe. This exercise gave birth to the successful launch of the first ever Customer Satisfaction Index in Ghana for 2021”, he said.
According to him, that maiden study, the Banking Industry of Ghana, scored 95% service quality, which was deemed to be low for financial services, but today his outfit has been able to expand the study a notch further to cover Business Banking as well, unlike the maiden report that covered only Consumer Banking.
Dr. Kasser Tee urged each of the 23 universal banks to subscribe to this report as the findings would be very useful in shaping their decisions and actions on the three important study variables of Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty, as well as their individual and combined effects on bank performance.
“It is an established fact that high service quality promotes customer satisfaction, which in turn aids in shaping customer behavioural intentions by way of loyalty and guarantees positive financial consequences on both the income statements and balance sheets of organisations”, he asserted.
He concluded by expressing his gratitude to the dedicated team of experts who have painstakingly worked on this report.
“Their expertise and commitment to delivering accurate and insightful information is evident in this report and I am confident that it will serve as a valuable resource for the regulator, management of banks, including providers of related services within the larger financial services sector of Ghana”, he thanked them.
Background
In 2021, the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG) commissioned a baseline study to establish the CIMG-CSI (later referred to as GH-CSI) score for consumer banking in Ghana.
The objective of the report is to measure Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty for 2022 and compare same with 2021 scores.
It is also to compare the Customer Satisfaction Index (GH-CSI) for 2022 and 2021 and to measure the levels of service quality, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty for Banking Services.
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has stated that it employs various compliance and enforcement measures, such as visits to registered businesses, and closing of shops due to failure of importers and traders to pay taxes among others.
This was in reaction to false narratives being peddled in the media space by members of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) and Traders Advocacy Group Ghana (TAGG). Members of GUTA and TAGG have, in recent times, being complaining about frequent arrests of their goods by Customs Monitoring Taskforce eventually leading to payment of heavy penalties by traders. They have also raised allegations of harassment and extortion on the part of the Customs Taskforce.
But according to Florence Asante, Assistant Commissioner, Communication and Public Affairs of the GRA, the Customs Division had put in place four Monitoring Taskforces to stop smuggling, under declaration, misdescription and concealment of goods, thereby ensuring that the right amount of taxes are paid by importers.
Speaking on some of interceptions made by the monitoring teams she said, “On 8th March 2023, two trucks with registration numbers GB 517-22 and GR7891-21 carrying 4X20FT containers were wholly misdescribed to contain coal pressor spiral.
Offloading of containers at the Tema Port
A total revenue of GH¢37,763.67 had been paid for all the four containers. Upon re-examination, it was uncovered that the declared coal pressor spiral was mackerel in tomato sauce. Re-assessment was done and a total evaded revenue of GH¢1,464,118.20 was realised”.
Madam Asante further indicated that the team, in collaboration with National Investigation Bureau (NIB) and National Security also intercepted two trucks, which contained smuggled frozen mackerel at Dormaa Kyeremasu in the Bono Region and after re-examination and assessment was done an additional tax of GH¢138,536.36 was recouped to the state.
“Three trucks which were carrying tomato paste and mackerel were also intercepted at a hidden place around Adugyama in the Ashanti Region. Upon interrogation and meticulous examination of their Customs Bills of Entry (BOE)s, it was evident that the consignment in the three trucks had paid revenue of only GH¢78,000.00 and hence they were picked for further action.
After re-examination and re-assessment, it came out clearly that there was tax evasion and hence a total evaded tax of GH¢206,997.78 was recouped to the state and many more”, she added.
Apart from being a deterrent to those persons who are involved in non-compliant activities, she said these compliance activities also resulted in additional revenue for the State.
As a result, she appealed to the Management of leadership of GUTA and TAGG to cooperate with the various Taskforces across the country and encourage their members to comply with the Tax laws.
Madam Asante asserted that her outfit will continue to engage the members of Trade Associations, including GUTA and TAGG, to address their issues as we strive to achieve our common goal of revenue mobilization.
“We also encourage the general public to report any misconduct on the part of GRA officers during these exercises and in their normal course of work on 0800-900-110”, she encouraged.
Additionally, she indicated that the names of companies, importers, and Clearing agents who have been found to be involved in these malpractices and the resultant short collection will be published as the laws prescribe.
She assured that GRA will continue to ensure that the human involvement in revenue mobilization is reduced while improving on automation of systems to eliminate the use of discretion and thereby assist taxpayers to comply.
“Also, remain committed to our core mandate of revenue mobilization and facilitation of
Trade and we assure all traders and the general public that the work of the Taskforces
and the other compliance activities is not to intimidate or harass them, but rather to
ensure that businesses are complying with the tax laws and are paying the right amount of taxes due the Government of Ghana for national development”, the statement noted.
French rapper MHD has been given a 12-year jail term for the murder of a young man in Paris in 2018.
A court in the capital found the 29-year-old MHD, real name Mohamed Sylla, guilty of involvement in the gang-related killing of Loic K, 23.
The victim was knocked down by MHD’s Mercedes, then beaten and stabbed to death by a crowd of about 12 people.
MHD, who is known for blending trap and West African music to get “Afro trap”, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
“From the beginning, I have maintained my innocence in this case and I will continue to maintain my innocence,” he told the packed court in Paris, AFP news agency reports.
He denied being at the scene of the murder, arguing that the case against him was based on rumours.
However, a local resident filmed the incident in the summer of 2018 from his window, and the car was quickly identified as belonging to MHD.
Other witnesses identified him by his haircut and a jumper, AFP reports.
Five of MHD’s co-defendants were also given prison terms ranging between 10 and 18 years.
Another three were acquitted.
It was not immediately known if those sentenced to jail were planning to appeal.
MHD, who has a huge following on social media, was working as a pizza delivery boy in Paris before turning to music professionally.
Five years ago, he spoke to BBC’s What’s New? programme about how he came up with the idea of “Afro trap”.
A security guard stationed at the Pure FM studios in Kumasi reportedly fainted upon encountering his favorite star, Shatta Wale, in person. The man was so overwhelmed by the presence of Shatta Wale that he couldn’t believe his eyes and collapsed in disbelief.
Shatta Wale had visited the Pure FM studios in Kumasi for an interview, and the security guard’s reaction to meeting him in person created quite a buzz on the internet.
Some netizens have even likened Shatta Wale to Ghana’s version of Michael Jackson, given the fan’s extreme reaction.
Shatta Wale has amassed one of the largest and most dedicated fanbases in Ghana over the years and his music has not only influenced his supporters but also his personal charisma as an individual.
The incident raises the question of who people consider their star crush and whether they would have a similar reaction if they were to meet them in person.
Afrobeat musician and businessman D-Black has expressed his dissatisfaction with how the Ghanaian music industry is being managed. He believes that the mismanagement of the industry has led to many musicians facing financial difficulties and exiting the showbiz scene in poverty.
Speaking on JoyPrime entertainment, D-Black points out that institutions like MUSIGA (Musicians Union of Ghana) are facing leadership issues and legal challenges, making it difficult for them to effectively represent and protect the interests of Ghanaian artists and also criticizes GHAMRO (Ghana Music Rights Organization) for its lack of accountability in distributing royalties to musicians.
“MUSIGA as a body is in court. There’s no leader. It’s just a mess. I feel like those systems need to be put in place to overlook the rights of Ghanaian creatives not only in the music scene but also in the movie industry as well.”
“If I’m to speak bluntly, I will say that the structures that are in place for our music industry are terrible. GAMRO is a terrible organization. There’s no accountability. I don’t know how much I’ve made from GAMRO in my 13 years in the music industry.”
He suggests that there is a need for better structures and systems to oversee the rights and welfare of Ghanaian creatives, not only in music but also in the movie industry.
D-Black highlights the importance of accountability and collaboration with right-collection agencies to ensure that artists receive their fair share of royalties.
