Tinubu Spokesperson on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale
The special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, has said military intervention is “not off the table” as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) seeks to ensure that democratic rule returns to Niger Republic.
Ngelale revealed this during an interview with Al Jazeera on Tuesday evening.
He was reacting to concerns that Niger’s junta had defied the ECOWAS deadline.
ECOWAS had threatened the use of force if the junta does not comply with the deadline which elapsed on Sunday.
Ngelala noted that the additional sanctions on Niger are proof that the commission is focused on a diplomatic approach before resorting to the use of force as a last option.
“We are not taking the kind of simplistic approach that some international media have chosen to take which is that ‘either you must go in or you’re not serious or you stay out and you’re not serious,’ we do not accept that simple narrative.
“What we are saying is that we have multiple levers on which we can leverage to achieve the end that we are seeking to achieve which is to uphold the ECOWAS protocols by ensuring that there is a return of civilian democratic rule under the leadership of President Bazoum as duly elected by the people of Niger Republic.
“Now, whether that happens today or next week or next month we will see but we are determined to leverage all elements of our power regionally to ensure that happens and that is not limited only to military intervention.
“Although military intervention has not and will not be taken off the table,” Ngelale said.
Mr. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Member of Parliament for Ellembelle in the Western Region has expressed worry over the state of infrastructural development in the Region.
Mr. Buah, who is also the Deputy Minority Leader in Parliament, said the Region was lagging in terms of infrastructural development such as roads, hospitals and schools which needed urgent attention.
He raised the concern when he addressed participants at a public forum, in Takoradi, which was organized by Parliament as part of activities to celebrate 30th anniversary of the fourth republican Parliament.
Mr. Buah described the Western Region as the breadbasket of the country and deserved its fair share of the national cake.
The MP said: “In a Region that just this year gave Ghana GH¢1.4 billion from oil proceeds, we say developing the Western Region is in the interest of the country”.
He, therefore, appealed to policymakers to expedite actions and institute measures to enhance the socio-economic development and improve upon the living standards of the people.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, Western Regional Minister, acknowledged the developmental gaps in the Region, and said efforts were being made by the government to address such challenges.
Rev Dr Samuel Worlanyo Mensah, Economist and Lecturer, Wisconsin International University College
Rev Dr. Samuel Worlanyo Mensah, Economist and Lecturer, Wisconsin International University College, has called on Parliament to investigate the Bank of Ghana’s GH¢60. 8 billion loss.
He said although the Central Bank had attributed the loss to the domestic debt restructuring programme in its 2022 annual report, there ought to be a Parliament committee to probe whether or not there had been some irregularities and illegalities.
“Is it not frightening that Bank of Ghana would superintend over this huge loss. I believe there were irregularities and illegalities and a Parliamentary committee must investigate the GH¢60.8 billion loss and any wrong doing found must be punished,” Dr. Mensah said.
He said the investigation should include other statutory transactions that the Bank had undertaken in the past 8 to 10 years.
The Bank of Ghana explained the reason for the loss as the impairment of the holdings of marketable government stocks and non-marketable instruments of government being held in their books.
It said the stocks of government instruments had built over the years, adding that the holdings of the instruments and COCOBOD exposures were all part of the debt exchange where the Bank of Ghana served as the loss absorber to the entire debt exchange programme.
This resulted in the central bank taking on 50 per cent principal haircut on the total principal which stood at GH¢64.5 billion at the time of the exchange.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, he said the government didn’t spend much in those transactions and for that matter the programme should not be an expenditure attributed to the transactions of Bank of Ghana.
He said the rationale used for revoking the licenses of some financial institutions during banking sector cleanup should be the same rationale in investigating the central bank of any irregularities.
“As a crucial regulator and a huge industry player, you can’t do things haphazardly. The Bank of Ghana had not given the breakdown of how it incurred the loss, raising a concern for interrogation,” the Lecturer said.
He said if the details had been provided and cost-benefit analysis and investigation had proven that the Bank was complicit, then those who oversaw activities leading to the loss should be charged for mismanagement, misappropriation and misapplication of public funds.
Dr Mensah said Ghanaian had been going through a serious socioeconomic turmoill and the loss of such a colossal amount of money (GH¢60.8 billion) which is equivalent to about $5.4 billion, more than the $3 billion IMF bailout be “swept under the carpet.”
“The GH¢60.8 billion could be used to champion the industrialisation drive, that is the One District One Factory. The money could build all the factories for us in all the districts across the country,” he added.
Elvis Boateng, Ashanti South Assistant Manager- GWCL
Twenty-four customers of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) have appeared before the Asokwa Court 3, presided over by Her Lady Hilda Esther Wryther, for non-payment of GH¢400,000 water tariffs.
Mr. Elvis Boateng, Assistant Ashanti South Commercial Manager, told the media that, the suspects decided not to pay after the Ghana Water Company tried severally to get payments for water used by them.
He disclosed that, even at the court sitting some of the defaulters failed to show up while others were represented.
Presenting the case to the court, Ebenezer Padi Narh, Ashanti Regional Public Relation Officer (PRO), stated that most of the defaulters owed the company between one and two years for using the water without any attempt to pay.
According to him, access to quality water was human rights, but the monies invested in the production, treatment, and the services of vehicles and other logistics to deliver daily operations was costly, and expressed worry over why customers refused to pay for the services rendered by the company, and insisted on collecting every pesewa owed.
The case has been adjourned to Monday, August 28, 2023, to enable all the defaulters to appear before the court.
To ensure that the ongoing Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) is free from examination malpractices, the police have arrested two tutors for their alleged involvement in the act.
In a tweet by the official Twitter handle of the Ghana Police Service, it disclosed that
on Monday, 7th August, 2023 it rounded up two people for engaging in examination malpractices at the Dunkwa Secondary Technical Centre in the Upper Denkyira East Municipality in the Central Region.
The two suspects, according to the statement, are Albert Adu-Gyan and Yaw Adadai, tutors of PEEBLE Calvary and Oxford Santech schools respectively.
They were arrested when they attempted to smuggle into the examination hall some solved examination questions to candidates sitting for their finals.
The police advised the public to shy away from engaging in such acts. “We would like to caution the public against indulging in examination malpractices in the ongoing BECE as the Police will arrest any person(s) found involved in such practices,” the statement said.
A group photograph of participants after the launch of the sickle cell awareness campaign
The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) School of Public Health has launched a Sickle Cell Disease awareness education campaign in the Volta Region at Hohoe. It is meant to educate the people to understand and appreciate the disease to reduce the stigma associated with it.
The programme, which was attended by pupils and students, traditional rulers and parents, was under the theme: “Formalising New-born Screening and Hydroxyurea, Knowing your Status’’.
The Vice Chancellor of UHAS, Prof Lydia Aziato launching the programme, said Sickle Cell Disease was genetically passed down from parents to child, but some could carry half of what gave the disease without experiencing the condition themselves.
Prof Aziato explained that children could be born as sickle cell patients because both parents had the trait of sickle cell or one of the parents must have sickle cell disease and the other must have sickle cell trait.
She explained further that sickle cell patients normally experienced intermittent pains, most commonly felt in the bones and stomach, as well as anaemia, jaundice organ damage, disability, and could lead to death.
The Vice Chancellor emphasised the importance of regular clinic attendance, staying hydrated and blood transfusion might be needed in some cases. He added that awareness creation and regular education would help people to understand sickle cell better and provide the needed support for carriers.
According to her, even though sickle cell disease had been there for decades, many people did not know much about the disease, therefore the campaign in the region would help people to understand the disease. It would also create the needed awareness by fostering the culture of comprehensive care to reduce the stigma associated with the disease.
In a speech read on behalf of the Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Letsa, by the Kpando Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Geoffrey Kodzo Badasu, he said the government had made available Hydroxyurea for the treatment of people with sickle cell disease.
Dr Letsa said the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service, the Sickle Cell Foundation of Ghana, Global Medicines Company and NOVARTIS were working hard to create a holistic approach to help manage the disease and remove fear and stigma related to it.
The Minister assured that the government was committed to addressing the health needs of the citizenry including sickle cell disease management, to ensure a safe and healthy society that would enable citizens to lead healthy lives, and contribute meaningfully to national development.
The Paramount Chief of Gbi Traditional area, Togbega Gabusu VII, pledged on behalf of chiefs in Gbi traditional area, to support the campaign and commended UHAS for the launch of the sickle cell disease awareness creation through education for the region.
The Minister being briefed about the project on arrival at the Farms
The National Service Scheme (NSS) has contributed to the reduction in government budget by GHc1.3 billion, following deployment of personnel to key sectors of governance.
The Scheme had deployed personnel to seven sectors including Health, Agriculture, Education, Police, as well as the Private and Business Development sectors.
Bryan Acheampong with Agric and NSS officials on board a tractor for a tour of the farm
The Executive Director of the NSS, Osei Assibey Antwi, who made these disclosures said about 7,000 personnel were deployed to the Educational sector to support teaching and learning, whilst about 5,000 went to Agriculture, thus helping to reduce government expenditure.
The scheme intends to deploy an estimated 180,000 personnel to institutions this year.The NSS already runs other farm projects at Ejura in Ashanti, Abotiapota in the Volta region, Wenchi and Prenam in the Bono East Region, Tamale and Ankaful among others.
The occasion was when the Minister of Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, visited and toured the National Service farms at the Sekyere Kumawu Economic enclave last Monday to acquaint himself with the development and operations at the farms.
Mr Osei Assibey Antwi said following the bid of the scheme to venture into full scale mechanised farming and do end-to-end Agriculture from production to processing, in line with its mission of “Deployment for Employment”, it acquired 20,000 acres of arable land for large scale cultivation of soya bean, rice and maize, as well as animal husbandry, aquaculture, poultry and other ancillary infrastructure that will make it a truly integrated farm.
Soya bean cultivation
He reiterated the commitment of the Scheme to provide jobs for personnel interested in pursuing agriculture as a venture and disclosed that about 400 service personnel would be deployed to the NSS Kumawu Farm project for general training with funds, to prepare the land to transition them into agriculture to come out as entrepreneurs.
Mr. Assibey Antwi said that the Kumawu Youth Farms, unlike the other farm projects by the NSS, will engage in mixed cropping and animal husbandry and noted that it will not only enhance Ghana’s food security but also create jobs for the teeming youth, as well as support poultry farmers with feed for their birds.
He said the main objective of the project is to produce food to support government agencies in the running of the Buffer Stock and the Ghana School Feeding programme.
The NSS Executive Director, therefore, called for the support of the Ministry of Agriculture to enable the NSS to process soya beans.
Minister Acheampong, who was impressed about the development at the farms after a tour with his team of directors, commended the management of NSS for the huge investment in the Kumawu farm project and urged the managers to maintain the high standards set to ensure sustainable returns.
Minister Acheampong inspects soya bean plantation
The minister also inspected the Ware House of the NSS Farm project at Agogo, where farm produce are kept for distribution.
He pledged support for the NSS, which he described as a pacesetter in Agriculture in the country and assured that his Ministry would follow the NSS modules to be able to feed the population and for export.
Popular Canadian rapper Tory Lanez has been sentenced to 10 years for shooting fellow musician, Megan Thee Stallion.
Lanez shot Grammy winner Megan Thee Stallion in the feet during an argument between the pair after a party in 2020.
He was found guilty on three gun-related charges in December and has been held in jail since.
The shooting, which polarised the music world, left Megan Thee Stallion needing surgery to remove bullet fragments from her foot.
The LA District Attorney said after the verdict that her fame helped bring attention to the issue of violence against women.
“The fact that she is a successful entertainer has brought an important spotlight on the issue of violence against women,” said prosecutor George Gascón.
The shooting occurred during the journey home from a pool party hosted by reality star Kylie Jenner.
Prosecutors had asked the judge to impose a 13-year prison sentence. They said Lanez deserved a lengthy sentence for shooting a “vulnerable victim” on a quiet residential street, and for waging “a campaign to humiliate and re-traumatise her” after the attack.
Director of Victim Services at the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, Tanishia Wright, told reporters after the sentencing hearing: “Violence against black women and girls is a long standing national epidemic that has long been overlooked and under-reported.”
Nigerian actress Tonto Dikeh has taken to social media to share her happiness and gratitude to God, as rumours circulate about the possible collapse of her ex-husband Olakunle Churchill’s marriage to fellow actress Rosy Meurer.
Amidst these whispers of uncertainty, Tonto Dikeh has chosen to view the issues in their relationship as a form of divine retribution on her behalf.
According to her post, the challenges they face at home are a manifestation of God’s response to her grievances.
A post from the widely recognized Nigerian blog, Gistlover, has been making rounds on social media. The post hinted at a possible strains in Rosy Meurer and Churchill’s marital bond, citing allegations involving infidelity and instances of domestic discord.
These matters, marked by their sensitivity, have reportedly been contained within the confines of their private sphere as the family works towards reconciliation.
As of now, the couple has not issued any official statements regarding these reports. However, Tonto Dikeh, who asserts that her previous claims about her ex-husband are echoing in his new marriage, has found solace in the unfolding situation and has taken to her social media channels to express her contentment.
Baby Mama of Shatta Wale, Michy, has disclosed that, she will rather want her son to pursue a career in soccer than music as a result of the discipline in the former.
The TV presenter has expressed that the prevailing lack of discipline within the Ghanaian entertainment industry is a reason she would discourage her son from doing music.
“Majesty is a remarkable young boy, especially when he interacts with people—it’s truly fascinating. He’s already showing an interest in playing the piano, and we’re in the process of refining his piano skills. His inclination towards musical instruments and his desire to understand beats and rhythms are apparent. While I do recognize a potential future in music, I’d rather see him pursue soccer due to the strong sense of discipline that accompanies it,” she expressed.
According to Michy, the absence of discipline in the entertainment sector is disheartening. As a result, she is hesitant about supporting her son’s potential involvement in the music industry.
During an appearance on the Asempa Showbiz Review, Michy revealed that, Majesty displays an affinity for music, particularly the piano, and she is supportive of honing his musical skills. However, she leans toward guiding him into a career in football due to the inherent discipline associated with the sport.
Majesty is the son of Charles Nii Armah Mensah, popularly known as Shatta Wale and Michy.
