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Chaos in Kumasi over seizure of Pragia tricycles by KMA

By
RICHARD OWUSU-AKYAW
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The towing yard of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) at Adum was on Monday thrown into a state of disorder when riders of ‘rickshaw’ tricycles, popularly known as Pragia, besieged the yard in an attempt to forcibly retrieve their impounded tricycles.

Numbering about three hundred, the irate Pragia riders blocked the main road in front of KMA and attempted to break into the transport yard, but they were prevented by the KMA City Guards and police officers who were on duty.

In the process, they attacked the Police Officers and City Guards by pelting them with stones and other objects, injuring eight police officers and destroying vehicles.

A distress call was placed to the military, who came and maintained law and order. Information available to this paper has it that twelve people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Prior to this incident, the riders had blocked the busy Suame roundabout – Kejetia (Dubai) road, with concrete slabs and tricycles, subjecting road users to harassments until the police and military teams intervened.

When Ms. Henrietta Afia Konadu, the Public Relations Officer for the KMA was contacted, she confirmed the development to The Chronicle. She indicated that since June 2023, the assembly has schooled leaders of these Pragia riders about the exercise that seeks to restrict their movement into the Central Business District (CBD) to reduce congestion.

According to her, the restriction order was supposed to take off from July 24, 2023 but the riders failed to comply with it.

On Monday, August 7, 2023 Afia Konadu explained that whilst they were trying to enforce the restriction order in the morning, they discovered that some of the riders of Pragia had blocked the road from Suame roundabout to Race Course.

The assembly responded by sending police to clear them from the road and in the process impounded forty-three tricycles.

This development, she noted, gave the KMA a clue about how chaotic the exercise could be so they spoke to the police to mount checkpoints at the various entry points into the CBD.

PRO Konadu told The Chronicle that after they have been cleared from the road, the Pragia riders came to the Towing Yard of the assembly to forcibly take away their impounded tricycles. They did this by pelting the police and City guards with stones and injured some of the peace officers.

“I was part of the team that went to the CBD and we urged these riders to leave the area; anyone whose motor was seized was trying to resist our directive,” she said.

When asked to explain how the situation was brought under control, she disclosed that the military were called in to restore law and order.

Responding to a question as to whether there has been any arrest, she explained that the police managed to detain twelve people. During interrogation, they claimed they were not riders of Pragia but they were called to come and fight the assembly taskforce.

“We beg of them, we know that they are our brothers and during the preliminary stage, they pleaded with the assembly to review the restriction by allowing them to ride to Labour roundabout instead of Anloga junction, which we agreed. We are doing this to sanitise the city, which is for all of us,” she said.

Mr. Seidu Rauf, one of the leaders with the Pragia Workers Association of Ghana, also confirmed the development, describing it as unfortunate.

According to Rauf, having received a letter from the KMA concerning the restrictions of their movements, they pleaded with the assembly to review its decision because it will affect them economically, but they were ignored.

“The areas designated for us are highways and we cannot work on highways,” Seidu Rauf told The Chronicle in a telephone interview.

Asked if indeed some Pragia riders attacked the Police Officers, he responded in the affirmative, saying the police told them (riders) to remove their tricycles from the road after which they (police) will give them (tricycles) back to the riders.

He said when they complied with the order and removed the tricycles, which they had used to block the road, the police surprisingly took away all the seized tricycles to the KMA transport yard.

Kwabena Kwabena addresses gay rumours

By
NANA KWESI COOMSON
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Kwabena Kwabena

Celebrated Ghanaian Highlife musician and prolific songwriter, Kwabena Kwabena has refuted rumors of him being a homosexual.

The rumour mill was filled with rumours of the ‘Aso’ crooner being gay when he was sighted in a female dress at the recently held Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA).

Speaking in an interview with Lexis Bill on Joy FM, Kwabena Kwabena shared his opinion about the controversial ANTI-LGBTQI+ Bill.

“I am a man and I am attracted to women. I can never be attracted to another man” Kwabena Kwabena shared.

According to Kwabena Kwabena, although he’s not gay but he finds it very ruthless for us to punish others over their own sexual preference that has no direct effects on anyone.

Kwabena Kwabena who has been pinned as a gay man also refuted the rumors and stated emphatically stated that he will never be attracted to a man.

He said; “Continuous discussions on LGBTQ issues rather promote the agenda as against the general societal disapproval of it.”

Meanwhile, the public hearing on the ANTI-LGBTQI+ Bills which started last Thursday under the auspices of the Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament has been temporarily suspended.

Court places interlocutory injunction on MUSIGA election

By
NANA KWESI COOMSON
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Bessa Simons and Ras Caleb Appiah-Levi, contenders for MUSIGA Presidency

An Accra High Court has placed an interlocutory injunction on the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) elections scheduled for today, Tuesday, August 8, 2023.

The elections will be on hold pending the final determination of the case by the court.

Plaintiffs in the legal action, Doe Kwablah Seyenam Nyamadi and Frederick Van Dyk, both members of MUSIGA, are praying to the court for an order of interlocutory injunction to restrain MUSIGA (the first defendant), Bice Osei Kuffour (Obour), the second defendant; and the Electoral Commission(third defendant) from holding the elections.

In their application, the plaintiffs contend that contrary to the requirements of the MUSIGA Constitution, the first and second defendants and their executives have failed to render proper accounts.

They contend also that by not rendering accounts, the defendants are not competent to hold elections and hand over to a new executive.

The third defendant is a statutory institution responsible for elections.

MUSIGA has postponed its elections several times since 2019 when Bice Osei Kuffour aka ‘Obour’ finished his tenure as president.

There had been issues concerning the update of the voters’ register and confusion over delegates’ eligibility status.

The acting president of the union, Bessa Simons, has been in office for the past four years.

Fred Nuamah makes U-turn on Ayawaso West Wuogon Parliamentary ambition

By
NANA KWESI COOMSON
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Fred Nuamah and John Dumelo

Actor Fred Nuamah who was lacing his boots to contest as parliamentary candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the Ayawaso West Wuogon(AWW) Constituency has changed his mind.

The Actor who was about to contest his friend John Dumelo is now in support of the former’s bid to lead the NDC in the Constituency.

In a letter dated August 7, 2023, and addressed to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NDC, Mr Nuamah stressed that his decision to withdraw from the parliamentary primaries was made in the interest of the unity of the party after “extensive consultations with key stakeholders and without any external influence.”

Actor Fred Nuamah has abandoned his ambition of becoming the parliamentary candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the Ayawaso West Wuogon(AWW) Constituency and is now in support of John Dumelo’s bid to lead the NDC in the Constituency.

In a letter dated August 7, 2023, and addressed to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NDC, Mr Nuamah stressed that his decision to withdraw from the parliamentary primaries was made in the interest of the unity of the party after “extensive consultations with key stakeholders and without any external influence.”

“I firmly believe that the NDC must present a unified front for the 2024 general elections. As a dedicated member of the NDC, I prioritize the party’s unity and the President John Mahama project aimed at rescuing our country,” he explained in his withdrawal letter addressed to the NEC of the NDC.

Beyond declaring his support for his former archrival JohnDumelo he urged his support base to rally behind him so as to enable the NDC to rescue the country from the ‘chokehold’ of the administration of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

“I wholeheartedly endorse and throw my support behind my good friend and brother, Mr. John Dumelo, to be the parliamentary candidate for the NDC in the Ayawaso West-Wuogon constituency….

“I urge all my supporters across all levels of the party in the constituency to rally behind John Dumelo and provide him with needed support. Together, with a renewed sense of togetherness, we can secure victory in the 2024 elections and uplift our nation from its current state,” he added.

Opposition cries foul as voters in CAR approve tenure elongation

By
admin
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Central African President Faustin-Archange Touadera arrives to attend a visit and a dinner at the Orsay Museum in Paris, France, November 10, 2018

Opposition leaders in the Central African Republic (CAR) have condemned the adoption of a controversial draft constitution that paves the way for presidential tenure elongation in the volatile country.

Mathias Morouba, head of the national poll body announced on Monday that voters cast 95.27 percent of their ballots in favour and 4.73 percent against, with a turnout of 61.10 percent in the referendum which began on July 30.

President Faustin-Archange Touadera is now eligible to run for another term in 2025. If elected, he could spend 16 years at the helm.

In response, his rivals have said the president is seeking a life presidency.

“It’s a comedy … we’ve all seen that people didn’t go out to vote and it doesn’t reflect the will of the Central African people,” said Crepin Mboli-Goumba, coordinator of the BRDC opposition coalition.

The constitution will now replace the current one that only allows presidents to serve two four-year terms. It also allows for the position of a vice president and a unicameral legislature, binning its Senate.

According to reports, there was a low turnout, especially in the capital. In one location in Bangui on July 30, a Reuters reporter saw only two dozen people in the queue.

The CAR has struggled to find stability since independence in 1960.

Source: Aljazeera.com

Italian banks hit with surprise windfall tax

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admin
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The Porta Nuova business district seen from the terrace of Duomo Cathedral in Milan

A hike in official interest rates resulted in record profits for Italian banks.

The tax will apply to the net interest income that comes from the gap between the banks’ lending and deposit rates.

Proceeds will be used to help mortgage holders and cut taxes, the government says.

The surprise move was agreed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s ministers at a cabinet meeting late on Monday. They vowed to invest the funds raised into helping households and businesses struggling with the cost of borrowing.

“One has only to look at banks’ first-half profits to realise that we are not talking about a few millions, but of billions,” Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini told a news conference in Rome late on Monday.

The decision shows the government intends “to punish banks’ unfair behaviour”, a source told the Reuters news agency.

Defending the move, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told the Corriere della Sera newspaper it was not against the banks, “but a measure to protect families” and those struggling to pay mortgages.

Around €2bn (£1.7bn) is reportedly expected to be generated from the levy, which will be used to fund support for families hit by higher interest rates.

Source: bbc.com

Dozens arrested over alleged child sex abuse following murder of two FBI agents

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admin
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Members of an alleged pedophile ring used software to anonymously share files, chat on message boards and access websites within the network, according to police.

A total of 98 people have been arrested in connection with child sex abuse, and 13 children rescued from harm, US and Australian authorities said Tuesday, more than two years after two FBI agents were killed investigating an alleged international pedophile ring.

In a news conference Tuesday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Australian Federal Police (AFP) said 79 arrests, 65 indictments, and 43 convictions in the US were carried out as a result of the joint operation, while 19 men were arrested in Australia.

Two FBI agents investigating the alleged ring were shot dead in 2021 while executing a search warrant for a computer programmer suspected of possession of child abuse material, CNN previously reported.

The alleged child abuse ring was a “peer to peer network” with “some offenders committing offenses for over 10 years,” said Australian Federal Police Commander Helen Schneider.

“Some of the children were known to the men who were arrested,” Schneider added, but refused to comment further.

Australian investigation

The Australian police investigation began in 2022 when the FBI passed on details of Australian members of a peer-to-peer network allegedly sharing child abuse material on the dark web.

“This operation was highly complex,” the FBI’s legal attaché in Canberra, Nitiana Mann, told reporters Tuesday. “The complexity and anonymity of these platforms means that no agency or country can fight these threats alone.”

Source: cnn.com

Niger coup: Wagner taking advantage of instability – Antony Blinken

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admin
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Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State

Russia’s Wagner mercenary group is “taking advantage” of instability in Niger, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told the BBC.

The country has been ruled by a junta following the ousting of President Mohamed Bazoum nearly two weeks ago.

There have been suggestions the coup leaders have asked for help from Wagner, which is known to be present in neighbouring Mali..

Mr Blinken said he did not think Russia or Wagner instigated Niger’s coup.

However the US was worried about the group “possibly manifesting itself” in parts of the Sahel region, he told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme

“I think what happened, and what continues to happen in Niger was not instigated by Russia or by Wagner, but… they tried to take advantage of it.

“Every single place that this Wagner group has gone, death, destruction and exploitation have followed,” said Mr Blinken.

“Insecurity has gone up, not down”.

He added that there was a “repeat of what’s happened in other countries, where they brought nothing but bad things in their wake”.

Both the US and France operate military bases in Niger as part of operations to disrupt jihadist groups operating in the wider region. Niger became the main base for French troops after they were told to leave Mali following a coup there.

Source: bbc.com

Niger coup leaders rebuff diplomatic overtures from AU, ECOWAS

By
admin
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Supporters of Niger's National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) demonstrate in Niamey on August 6, 2023

Niger’s military government has rejected the latest diplomatic mission from African countries aimed at restoring constitutional order after a July 26 coup, resisting pressure from the United States and United Nations to come to the negotiating table.

The African Union (AU) planned to send a joint mission with representatives of the UN and the West African bloc ECOWAS to Niger on Tuesday, but it was denied permission by the military government, which has closed Niger’s airspace, the French magazine Jeune Afrique reported.

Leaders of ECOWAS, or the Economic Community of West African States, are preparing for a summit on Thursday to discuss their standoff with Niger’s coup generals, who defied a Sunday deadline to reinstate overthrown President Mohamed Bazoum.

The possibility of military intervention will be discussed, but ECOWAS has said it is a last resort.

An AU spokesperson confirmed to the Reuters news agency that a mission had been denied access while ECOWAS declined to comment.

The coup leaders had already snubbed meetings with a senior US envoy and another ECOWAS delegation that tried to negotiate.

Under Bazoum, Niger was relatively successful in containing an armed uprising devastating the Sahel region. It was also an important ally for the West after two of its neighbours rejected former colonial power France as an ally and turned towards Russia instead.

Niger is the world’s seventh largest producer of uranium, the most widely used fuel for nuclear energy, adding to its strategic importance.

Source: Aljazeera.com

New Juaben Educational Directorate Receive Material Boost …as PTY Foundation support BECE candidates

By
ISAAC AKWETEY-OKUNOR
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The Chief Executive Officer of PTY Foundation Hon Philip Twum Yeboah (in green dress) with some teachers and students in a group photograph after the donation

In the quest to encourage Junior High students who are sitting for this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the New Juaben North Municipality, Philip Twum Yeboah, has donated mathematical sets to the Educational Directorate.

A total of 1,500 mathematical sets were donated for onward distribution to all the final year students who are sitting for the exam.

Speaking to the media during the short ceremony at the forecourt of the New Juaben North Educational Directorate office, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PTY Foundation said that supporting students to have peace of mind during exams time was a prime objective.

The PTY CEO, who is also an aspiring parliamentary candidate for the area, encouraged the candidates to be strong, audacious and read the questions carefully before answering them in order to achieve the best grades.

Mr. Yeboah cautioned them to desist from fasting during the examination period in order to increase their glucose levels to allow their brains to function, and also have enough time for sleeping.

He indicated that some candidates did not have vital stationeries to prepare adequately for the examination, adding that some suffered in answering construction questions without the use of the appropriate materials.

He continued that he had been donating mathematical sets and other learning materials to schools in the municipality for years as part of efforts to support quality teaching and learning.

The aspiring Member of Parliament (MP) on the ticket of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), averred that he was committed to addressing the educational challenges in the area.

Mr. Philip Twum Yeboah said he was supporting final year students because of the Free Senior High School (SHS) introduced by the government to enable every child in the country who qualifies for second-cycle education to be placed freely in a public school.

He added that the PTY Foundation was committed to supporting students in the municipality because not all of them were privileged to have a mathematical set during the examination.

On behalf of the final year students, the New Juaben North Municipal Education Director, Madam Beverly Dansoa Bartels, thanked the PTY Foundation for supporting the candidates with the mathematical sets.

She added that sometimes pupils asked their colleagues for rulers, pens and others materials during examinations, hence the donation was timely and highly appreciated.

Madam Beverly Dansoa pleaded with the Foundation to continue donating learning materials to enable the municipality deliver better education.

She called on the PTY for a partnership in terms of donating learning materials to enlarge the Foundation.

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