Xavi was officially presented to 10,000 adoring Barcelona fans at the Nou Camp on Monday afternoon and vowed to restore the club to its former glory.
Fans waited with baited breath before the iconic former midfielder emerged from the tunnel into the sunshine on the pitch with president Joan Laporta.
They waved their flags in unison and for a moment it seemed as though the 41-year-old was genuinely taken aback by the outpouring of support.
‘I don’t want to get too emotional,’ he told them. ‘So I can just tell you one thing – we are the best club in the world. And we will work with the highest standards to have success. We cannot accept defeats or draws, we have to win every game.
‘We are going to work to try and win many titles, thank you very much, this is an emotional moment for me.
‘We need you. Especially during the bad moments. We are in a difficult situation as a club. We need you more than ever.’
Xavi then proceeded to sign a contract on a table that had been set up on the turf while his family and friends watched on a few metres away.
He then posed for pictures while holding up a Barcelona shirt with his name on the back.
Ghanaian forward Mohammed Anas has been released by South African top-flight side TS Galaxy on the grounds of ‘carrying bad luck’.
Some senior players of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) approached the club’s leadership that their current struggling status on the league table is because of the presence of Anas in the squad, which led to the club’s decision to fire the Ghanaian star.
The Ghanaian striker joined Free State Stars and they were relegated, before he moved to Polokwane City, where they suffered a similar fate. He then made a move to Black Leopards and they were also relegated.
Subsequently, he transfered to TS Galaxy and this has now sparked concerns among the players that they would be relegated he is not sacked.
This led to the decision of the management of the club to sack the Ghanaian star.
A source told South Africa’s Citizen News newspaper that the Galaxy players raised their concern about Anas having bad luck and transferring it to the whole team.
“Every team he’s played for here (in South Africa) has either dodged relegation by a whisker or got relegated. He was at Maritzburg and they merely survived relegation that season. He was at Free State Stars when they were relegated and the same happened at Polokwane City
“Last season he was with Black Leopards and the same thing happened. The players were worried that they are trying everything but the results are just not coming,” said the source.
Anas joined TS Galaxy in August this year from Black Leopards who got relegated at the end of last season.
The weak financial standing of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has compelled management to misappropriate funds from the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) accounts for the payment of ex-gratia to Sub-Committee members and Assembly members.
The Chronicle has stumbled on evidence that members of the 6th Assembly of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) have reportedly been paid a total of GH¢240,071.00 in ex-gratia.
The said payment was captured in an audit of the Internally Generated Funds (IGF) accounts of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) for the period January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020.
On the year under review, the KMA had two Metro Coordinating Directors in the persons of Samuel Donkor and Kwadwo Akuamoah Boateng; two Finance Officers, namely, Daniel Kofi Kankam (January-June 2020, and David Adjei Abbam (July-December 2020), and two heads of Revenue, namely David Adjei Abbam (July-December 2020) and Eugene Asante-Koranteng (July-December 2020).
According to the report, which identified financial indiscipline and mismanagement under the supervision of various officials, an amount of GH¢240,071.00 was advanced from the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) funds for the payment of allowances and ex-gratia to Sub-Committee and Assembly members.
The report also indicated that three payment vouchers covering GH¢57,881.07 were not pre-audited before payments were made.
The audit report also detected that the KMA transacted 67 businesses without Value Added Tax (VAT) invoices involving an amount of GH¢556,498.05, an indication that either the businesses were not VAT registered, or evaded charging VAT with the KMA’s connivance.
It was also detected that the total payment of GH¢61,113.20 for building works and vehicle repairs were not supported by works orders and certificates of satisfactory work done.
The Metro Finance Director was unable to provide 11 payment vouchers for GH¢167,346.34 for the inspection of the audit team. He (Finance Officer) also made payment of GH¢13,540.00 without payment vouchers, the report indicated.
The KMA, however, raised GH¢20,952,314.52 (87.30%) from its traditional sources, against a budget of GH¢24,000,000, and that even though it budgeted to spend GH¢35,882,023.01 from its IGF, it ended up with an actual expenditure of GH¢34,729,199.63, resulting in a positive variance of GH¢1,152,823.38.
The auditors attributed the lapses to inadequate internal controls and non-compliance with the financial rules and regulations.
The report further suggested that the Metro Coordinating Director must ensure that the amount of GH¢240,071.00 was refunded into the BRT bank account, because the situation had deprived the BRT off the needed funds for its programmes and operations.
The Regional Auditor, Alhassan Z. Mahama, recommended that the KMA deals with VAT registered entities or persons, as well as strictly adhere to provisions of the Public Financial Management Regulation and Stores Regulations in future.
Collins Sarfo handcuffed before the Bekwai Circuit Court
A 38-year-old mason, Collins Sarfo, has been jailed twenty years after he pleaded guilty to attempting to have anal sex with a 16-year-old boy.
During the in-camera hearing of the case by the Bekwai Circuit Court, the Prosecutor, C/Insp Stephen Ofori, explained that the complainant in the case was the Assembly Member for Fomena Electoral Area and a teacher by profession.
C/Insp Ofori disclosed to the court that the victim and Collins Sarfo are all residents of Adansi Fomena in the Ashanti Region.
According to the Prosecutor, about a week ago, the accused engaged the victim at a public lavatory, where he (victim) helps a relative who is the attendant.
The Prosecutor told the court that the accused tried to lure the victim to have anal sex with him, but the latter rejected the idea, including money offered him.
The court was further told that despite rejecting the proposal, the accused persistently disturbed the minor. This forced the latter to report his conduct to a certain Osman, his elder brother. C/Insp Ofori indicated to the court that, on October 17, 2021, at about 8:00 am, the convict went to the victim again and demanded to have anal sex with him.
“Accused removed his penis and asked the victim to lick it. Victim became scared and walked out from the chamber of the lavatory, where he was at the time. Accused followed the victim to a plantain farm behind the lavatory, and promised to give the victim GH¢20.00 if he allowed him (convict) to have anal sex with him,” the Prosecutor further told the court. However, because the locals were frequenting the toilet at the time he engaged the boy, the convict asked him (victim) to go home and come back at an appointed time.
The worried victim, who was increasingly being bombarded with the anal sex plea from Collins Sarfo anytime he visited the toilet, again communicated the development to his brother, Osman, who also informed the complainant, Unit Committee members, and some members of the Neighbourhood Watch Committee.
The Prosecutor told the court that the witness (Osman) agreed to lay ambush and wait if Sarfo (convict) would come to execute his intention, as communicated to the victim. Around 9am, the convict arrived at the lavatory and went straight into the chamber to meet the victim, as he had agreed with him (victim).
The victim also arrived and went into the chamber to meet the convict. The latter then closed the door and as he was about to engage the victim in the act, Osman, who was lurking around, forced the door open and arrested him (convict) half naked. An amount of GH¢10.00, which was given to the victim to lure him for the sex act, was handed over to the police for investigations.
After investigations, the accused was charged with the offences.
Former Mayor Osei. AssibeyAntwi (right) hands over the management and administration of the KMA to Sam Pyne
Mr. Pyne gets 94.8% confirmation by assembly members
On Sunday September 19, 2021, eight months into the second administration of the ruling government, the President nominated Mr. Samuel Pyne, also called Sam Pyne, as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).
Subsequently, the 60-member Assembly, on Tuesday October 5, 2021, confirmed his appointment, as he polled 55 (94.8%) of the 58 votes cast to become the Mayor of Kumasi.
Sam Pyne, among 29 metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) was on Friday October 8, 2021, inducted into office by the Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, after he had sworn the Oath of Allegiance, Oath of Office, and Oath of Secrecy to resume his tenure as the 29th Mayor of Kumasi.
The new Mayor of Kumasi has, since October 12, 2021, fully assumed office with the handing over of the administration and management of the KMA, and by extension the Kumasi Metropolis, to him by Osei Assibey Antwi, the immediate past Mayor of Kumasi.
The new KMA boss has noted that the task ahead was enormous, but gave the assurance that with the cooperation of assembly members, he would hit the ground running and work hard to actualise the vision of the President and champion the development of Kumasi.
Sam Pyne – Mayor of Kumasi
SAM WHO?
Until his appointment last September, Sam Pyne had been the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) since 2010.
Samuel Pyne hails from Afigya Kyekyewere in the Ashanti Region, where he served as an elected Assembly Member of the then Afigya Sekyere District Assembly, from 2006 to 2008, during which period he was the Convener of the Social Services Sub–Committee. He also served as the Convener of the Environmental Sub-Committee of the Assembly in 2006.
This experience was after he had a stint as Assembly Member for Aowin Suaman District in 1989.
He was subsequently elected Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party in the Ashanti Region in 2010, a position he held until his nomination by the president last September.
Sam Pyne is a professional teacher, having trained as such at the Wesley College of Education in Kumasi, where he was the Entertainment Prefect, from 1994 to 1995.
He had his Secondary Education at Saint Augustine’s College at Cape Coast in the Central Region.
His last place of work as a teacher was at the Anglican Senior High School (KASS) in Kumasi, where he taught English Language.
The Regional Minister decorates the Mayor with the symbol of office
Experience
The new KMA Mayor has a rich experience in local governance and politics, which is heightened by his interest and expertise in Public Administration.
Mr. Samuel Pyne holds an M.A. in Local Government Administration and Organisation (LGAO) from the Local Government Institute in Accra. He also holds M.A. in Governance and Sustainable Development (GDS) from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Cape Coast, and a Bachelor of Education in English Education from the University of Education, Winneba.
Mr. Pyne has served and continues to serve on boards, council’s and associations.
He is a Board Member of the Kumasi Abattoir Company Limited from 2018 to date.
He was the Chairman of the Search Committee of Saint Louis College of Education in January, 2021, and serves as Council Member, Saint Louis College of Education, from 2019 to date.
Mr. Sam Pyne is a Member, Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT).
He is a Director of the Adutwumwaa Foundation, a non-governmental organisation(NGO), and once served as a Lecturer (English Education) at the University of Cape Coast (UCC).
Politics
He has served as Campaign Committee Member of the New Patriotic Party (Ashanti Region) for 2012, 2016 and 2020.
He is a Member of the National Council, National and Regional Communication teams, and National Training Team of the New Patriotic Party since 2010.
Sam Pyne has also been a Member of the Regional Training Team since 2004, and served as a Ward Secretary (NPP) –Old Tafo Suame Constituency, from 1992 to 1998, after which he became the Polling Station Chairman,Suame Constituency, from 1998 to 2010.
Trainings, Workshops and Conferences
Sam Pyne participated in the Annual Conferences Forum for Democratic Change in Uganda in 2017, and embarked on a development path suitable to National Conditions the Chinese experience (the Communist Party of China Beijing in October, 2019), and served as
Secretary for the Publicity, Research and Information Management (PRIM) in the Ashanti Region.
He was also exposed to Best Practices in Corporate Governance by the Ministry of Finance in December 2019, and also experienced Functions, Roles, Good Practices: Colleges of Education (N.C.T.E 2019) and Political Communication (Conservative Party United Kingdom –2016).
From Teacher Pyne to Mayor Pyne
By dint of hard work and perseverance, Teacher Pyne has proved to be an asset to the NPP, and thus moved on over the years in humility to become Honourable Pyne as an Assembly Member and Executive Committee Member of the Afigya Kwabre District Assembly, from 2008 to 2010, and now the new Mayor of Kumasi, a city with a population of 3,490,030, from the position of Ashanti Regional Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party.
Sam Pyne is married to Faustina Acheampong and has three children.
On Thursday, the WTO boss announced that her son was one of the first spinal surgeons in Maryland to perform a successful navigated lumbar spinal fusion using a robot.
The proud mother took to her Twitter account to share the good news, as she congratulated and encouraged her son on his medical feat.
Sharing pictures from the operation, she wrote, “Congratulations Dr. Uchechi Iweala, on being one of the first spinal surgeons in Maryland to perform a successful navigated lumbar spinal fusion using a robot! So proud to be your Mum! Keep it going!”
According to the Center for Advanced Orthopeadics, Dr. Iweala is a fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in spine surgery.
The doctor earned his Bachelor’s and Masters Degrees from Harvard and completed his residency training in orthopaedic surgery at George Washington University. Furthermore, Dr. Iweala completed a fellowship in spine surgery at New York University.
He majors in Robotic Spine Surgery, Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Cervical and Lumbar Disc Replacement, Spinal Fusion/Arthrodesis, Nerve Releases, etc.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at an Extraordinary Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government on Sunday in Accra, Ghana on the political situation in the Republics of Guinea and Mali.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, disclosed this in a statement titled, ‘VP Osinbajo to represent Nigeria at 3rd ECOWAS extraordinary summit in Accra on political situation in Guinea, Mali.’
Sunday’s Extraordinary summit, which will be the third on the same agenda this year, will assess previous resolutions and further review the political situation in the Republics of Guinea and Mali.
Osinbajo had participated at the second ECOWAS Extraordinary Summit on the political situation in Guinea and Mali held on September 16, in Accra, Ghana. Before that, he also attended a virtual ECOWAS Extraordinary Summit held on September 8, on the same agenda.
ECOWAS leaders in the communique issued at the end of the last special summit in Accra had, amongst other resolutions, decided to freeze the financial assets of members of the military junta, place a travel ban on them, while also demanding that the junta return Guinea to constitutional rule within six months.
Nigeria’s position on the situation in Guinea had been restated by Osinbajo at the summit, urging for the unconditional release of President Alpha Condé and calling for more pressure to be put on the country’s military leaders to return the nation to democratic rule.
Equally, the Vice President had commended the efforts of stakeholders in Mali and re-emphasized the need to strictly respect and follow the electoral timetable for transition to civil rule.
Mavis Hawa Koomson, Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development
The supply and distribution of premix fuel will soon be digitised to stop diversion and hoarding, the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mavis Hawa Koomson has disclosed at the inauguration of the new batch of members of the National Premix Committee in Accra.
She said the Ministry had initiated the plans to digitise the supply of premix fuel.
Fishers in the country will soon use canoe identification cards before purchasing premix fuel if the automation process is complete.
“The sale of premix fuel would be fully automated,” she emphasised
She noted that this would not only stop diversion of the product, but would also ensure that few individuals do not short-change the State and fishers in the supply and distribution chain.
Ms Koomson, therefore, urged the new Committee Members to pay attention to the selection and composition of the Landing Beach Committees so that people with good morals would be selected at the local level to ensure integrity in the sale of the product.
The National Premix Fuel Committee was established in accordance with LI 2233 of the National Premix Fuel Committee Regulations, 2016, with the mandate to facilitate the procurement and distribution of premix fuel to fishing communities in the country.
Between January 2017 and August 2021 407,740,500 litres of premix were distributed to Landing Beach Committees (LBCs) across the country.
Authorities inspecting the facility after comissioning of the project.
Students of KUMACA join dignitries to inspect the newly-commissioned lavatory project
The United State of America (USA) branch of Akunini, the Old Students’ Association of Kumasi Academy (KUMACA) has built and handed over a 12-seater ultra-modern lavatory facility for their Alma Mater. The new facility, which will cater for both boys and girls, has ceramic hand wash basins.
At a handing over ceremony in Kumasi recently, Mr. Kwame Boadu, the Communication Director of KUMACA-USA, noted that the project was initiated and completed to solve sanitation challenges facing the school and tasked the students to take good care of it.
The national president of Akunini, Dr. Kwabena Osiakwan Dapaah, said the school has never in its 64 years of existence benefited from such a huge project and commended Akunini, USA for the gesture.
He thanked Dr.Kwame Bawauh Edusei, class of 1974, an entrepreneur, medical officer, business man and a diplomat for his major contribution for the completion of the project.
The newly-commissioned lavatory facility built by KUMACA USA
Mr. Samuel Gato, the headmaster of the school, on his part, said the project is a curtain raiser for a massive science laboratory which would be commissioned soon.
According to him, the lavatory would surely help to reduce the excuse normally given by students to go back to the dormitory to attend to nature’s call, whilst classes are ongoing.
On behalf of the board of governors, school management, staff and students, he thanked the old students, especially the USA branch of Akunini, for providing the facility.
Some of the Akunini members who were in attendance at the function were; Mr. Kwame Boafo, Daniel Nimo, Osei Kufour and CharlesKraBoadu.
Sitting next to the Israeli Foreign Minister in Washington this October, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was clear: The Americans want to re-open their consulate in Jerusalem to serve Palestinians.
“We’ll be moving forward with the process of opening a consulate as part of deepening of those ties with the Palestinians,” Blinken said at the State Department.
Less than a month later, Israel’s political leadership was also clear: it has no plans to approve such a consulate.
Asked by CNN at a press conference Saturday evening about US intentions, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said his government had presented its opinion to the Americans “clearly and openly.”
“There is no room for another American consulate in Jerusalem. We always present our position quietly without drama and we expect it to be understood. Jerusalem is the capital of one state and that’s the state of Israel,” Bennett said, standing alongside Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman.
