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Ronaldo ‘agrees £173MILLION contract with Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr

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Cristiano Ronaldo

The 37-year-old had his Manchester United contract terminated earlier this month, following a tumultuous relationship with club chiefs that only worsened when he made a number of controversial statements in a TV interview with Piers Morgan.

And now Ronaldo is said to have sensationally agreed a two-and-a-half year deal with Al Nassr – worth an eye-watering £172.9million per year – that will see him play until the age of 40, according to Spanish newspaper outlet Marca.

Sources close to the former Real Madrid and Juventus superstar insist no deal has been signed and that Ronaldo remains focused on the World Cup with his country, but reports in Spain today claim the ‘dizzying figures’ have been agreed.

The Portugal international was pushing for a move away from Old Trafford in the summer, but did not get his wish as he was determined to play Champions League football.

The former Real Madrid star rejected a switch to Saudi last summer, but without any firm interest from Europe’s elite clubs, he looks set to now make the move to the Middle East.

Al-Nassr are one of the most successful clubs in Saudi Arabia, having being crowned winners of the country’s top flight nine times, with their most recent triumph coming in 2019.

In both 2020 and 2021, Al-Nassr may not have won the league, but they did manage to win the Saudi Super Cup.

Credit: dailymail.co.uk

Australia stun Denmark to reach World Cup last 16

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Mathew Leckie was the hero as Australia beat Denmark

Australia reached the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time in 16 years after shocking Denmark.

The Danes, needing victory to progress, dominated possession but were caught out on the break when Australia scored the winner on the hour mark.

Denmark lost the ball in the Australian box and Mathew Leckie finished a brilliant counter attack with a low shot past Kasper Schmeichel.

Australia finish in second place in Group D on six points, only behind world champions France on goal difference.

Denmark meanwhile exit Qatar 2022 in disappointing fashion, with just one point from three games, sitting bottom of the group. Denmark came into the World Cup tipped by many fans and pundits as ‘dark horses’ after their impressive run to the semi-finals of Euro 2020 and a strong Uefa Nations League campaign in which they beat France home and away.

However they have failed to impress in Qatar and go home having scored only once in three Group D games.

Credit: bbc.com

Tunisia upset France but fail to qualify

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Wahbi Khazri earned Tunisia a memorable 1-0 win over France

France had a goal ruled out by VAR for offside in the final minute of stoppage-time as Tunisia held on to register a shock victory, but failed to qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup.

Substitute Antoine Griezmann volleyed in a dramatic equaliser at the Education City Stadium but the VAR decision meant Tunisia captain Wahbi Khazi’s brilliant first-half goal proved to be the winner.

However, with Australia recording a 1-0 victory over Denmark in the other match in Group D, Tunisia’s hopes of progressing had been dashed before Griezmann’s goal was ruled out.

France are through to the last 16 as group winners having already secured qualification with victory over Denmark in the last game.

Despite their failure to progress, Tunisia captain Khazi produced the moment fans had been waiting for – a goal at this World Cup – when he drove to the edge of the box and coolly rolled it into the bottom right corner.

There was an outpouring of emotion from a large following of Tunisia fans in the Education City Stadium, while substitutes sprinted onto the pitch in a moment of pure elation.

France, who were much-changed from their win over Denmark having already qualified as group winners, lacked quality in a disappointing performance.

Paris St-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe and Atletico Madrid’s Griezmann were brought on later in the second half to try and find a way back into the game.

Tunisia’s wait to reach the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time continues as they exit the competition.

Credit: bbc.com

The best player in the 2022 World Cup so far is Mohammed Kudus-Kevin Boateng

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Mohammed Kudus

Ghana prodigy Mohammed Kudus is the best player so far at the 2022 World Cup, says Germany-born legend Kevin-Prince Boateng despite the presence of superstars at the tournament in Qatar.

The former Ghana international predicted a big future for the talented youngster. Boateng has been blown away by what the talented Ghanaian youngster can do with the ball, which has led him to the conclusion that he is the best player of the competition so far.

Boateng, who is a pundit on German television, made this remarks after watching the impact of the youngster in his two matches so far for the Black Stars.

Kudus scored two goals for the Black Stars to down South Korea on Monday, after he set up one of the goals for Ghana in their 3-2 defeat at the hands of Portugal.

“Kudus is the best player in the World Cup at the moment and he overly impresses with what he does. It’s incredible what he can do with the ball,” Boateng said on German television Sport1.

“It will only be a matter of time before he moves, after the Dutch experience, to a top club,” Boateng said

Ghana will play Uruguay on Friday and Kudus is expected to be in top form for the Black Stars to help them advance to the next stage of the tournament in Qatar.

Credit: ghanasoccernet.com

NSS Boss goes bonkers: That Your Useless Nursing That You Do! … He tells a nurse at Manhyia Govt Hospital

By
RICHARD OWUSU-AKYAW
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Mr. Alex Opoku-Mensah

The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) have threatened to lay down their tools should the government and the Public Services Commission fail to sanction the Ashanti Regional Director of the National Service Scheme,Mr Alex Opoku-Mensah, affectionately known as Omens, who reportedly went to the Manhyia Government Hospital in Kumasi to have an altercation with a nurse on duty.

On Sunday, 27 November, 2022 a nurse at the hospital placed a call to a house officer at the heath facility, who happens to be the daughter of Mr Alex Opoku-Mensah,to come and alter a prescription for a patient, from the hospital’s E-Health system and also update the patient’s prescription order.

The said house officer, upon receipt of the message, came to the hospital with her father,to verbally assault the nurse for allegedly speaking to his daughter in a manner that was disrespectful.

In an audio intercepted by The Chronicle, the Ashanti Regional Director of the National Service Scheme asked the nurse:“What kind of course did you read in Senior High School? You are very frustrated, who born dog! You envy her, you don’t respect, are you a doctor? Who are you? Are you mad? Is the hospital yours? Stupid idiot!”

Mr Alex Opoku-Mensah continued, “That your useless nursing that you do, useless woman. Do you know who I am? I am the regional Director of the National Service Scheme, some of you are under me.”

The virtually besieged nurse at this point responded by saying: “She is a doctor, me too I am a nurse, we are all catering for patients and I have to call her and inform her if something goes wrong.”

The GRNMA in a statement issued yesterday and signed by Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo and David Tenkorang-Twum, called on the government to sack the NSS Director from office, since his behaviour sins against the conduct of a public servant.

“The Public Service Commission and Government for that matter, should sack the Regional Director because he is not fit for the Director position he holds in the Public Service.He has absolutely no right to enter Manhyia District Hospital and verbally abuse and threaten the nurse in question, who was on duty at the time.

The statement noted that as a Director, Mr Alex Opoku-Mensah should have known that Manhyia District Hospital had a Medical Superintendent and a Nurse Manager, under whom the nurse works and if indeed he had any complaint to make, they were the people he should have engaged and not to go and fight the nurse on behalf of his daughter.

“We wish to state categorically that if the government does not relieve Mr. Alex Opoku-Mensah of his duty as Ashanti Regional Director of the National Service Scheme within 72 hours, nurses and midwives of Manhyia Hospital will be called upon to lay down their tools, followed by the whole of Ashanti Region and then it will escalate to the whole nation.”

It called on the Management of Manhyia Hospital to ensure that the House Officer (doctor) is schooled on her role in the Medical Team and the fact that Nurses and Midwives are patients’ advocates and will continue to advocate for their patients and clients even if it makes another member in the team uncomfortable.

The GRNMA directed her local Ashanti Region Branch leaders to report Mr. Alex Opoku- Mensah  to the police immediately and report the same to the GRNMA Headquarters.

UNQUALIFIED APOLOGY

Meanwhile, Mr Opoku-Mensah has rendered an unqualified apology on his Facebook wall to the nursing fraternity over his conduct. The following is what he wrote. I understand the disappointment and appreciate the inconvenience my action has caused the general public as well as the Nursing FRATERNITY and Manhyia Hospital.

This has never been my style, but for a genuine reason to mediate a persistent issue between my daughter(Doctor) and a colleague nurse who I as well consider my daughter. I do apologise for any mishap and assure all, there shall not be a repetition of such.I look forward to maintaining a cordial relationship between any affected person.

Best Regards.

‘Ghana will be the loser if Minority reject the budget’

By
AGNES ANSAH
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Abena Osei-Asare, Deputy Minister for Finance

A Deputy Minister for Finance, Abena Osei-Asare, has advised the Minority to rethink their position to reject the 2023 budget because Ghana, as a country, would be the loser at the end of the day if the threat is carried out.

“This is the time that we have to support government. We are in this together and that is why we themed the budget Nkabom budget [to wit unity budget], she said whilst contributing to the debate of the budget yesterday.

“Let us work together devoid of all our politics because Ghana needs all of us and that is why we are elected to represent the people of Ghana. Support us and let it happen. Let us pass the budget and economy policy to help stabilise the economy, help it grow and lend support to the vulnerable,” the Deputy Minister said.

Earlier, the Minority’s spokesperson on Finance, Mr Cassiel Ato Forson said the hopeless situation of the country which is evidenced in the 2023 budget has caused Majority Members to run away from their own budget.

“…This budget statement, the bulkiest of all budget statements, but unfortunately the hopeless I have ever seen, failed to address the situation…

“…Mr Speaker, no wonder that the majority Members of Parliament have abandoned their own budget. No wonder.”

He made the comment while contributing the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy, which was presented by the Finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta in Parliament in Parliament on November 24, 2022.

The Minister presented the budget statement in accordance with Article 179 of the 1992 constitution and Section 21 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016.

Though Mr Forson didn’t explain the Majority was running away from its own budget statement, he insisted that some incidences in the chamber lend credence to it.

The Chronicle observed that many of the members from the Majority side refused to show up in the chamber yesterday and the Chairman of the Finance Committee, Mr Kwaku Kwarteng, who usually seconds the motion for the debate on the budget to commence didn’t do so this time round.

Rather, the Minister for State Enterprises and member for Effia constituency, Mr Joseph Cudjoe,  was the one who seconded the motion for the commencement of the debate and was the first to comment on the budget.

Making arguments to support his claims on why the budget offers no hope, Mr Forson noted that inflation, which was 13% at the beginning of the year, is currently at 44%.

He said, this means that within a period of 10 months, prices of goods and services have increased by over 200 times.

Secondly, Mr Forson noted that during the beginning of the year, one could use GH¢6.5 to buy a dollar, but now it is not possible.

“Mr Speaker, today you will struggle. To buy one dollar you will need GH¢15.00. Mr Speaker, this represents 60% increase in one year,” he pointed out and described the increment as the worst in the fourth republic.”

He again observed that securing a loan at the banks, these days, is not exciting at all. He noted that the interest is so high that one hardly borrows. “…Mr Speaker, that is how bad the current economic situation is.”

Touching on youth unemployment, the Ranking on Finance said that the number is inching close to 50%, yet the budget failed to address the situation. He said unemployment is becoming a national security crisis.

The Ranking Member also said notion that the NPP government is moving from taxation to production is a fallacy because the budget introduced 23 tax measures.

“This budget introduced 23 tax measures…So it is from taxation to more taxes and not from taxation to production; to more taxes as if we don’t care about the people of Ghana.”He indicated that the situation out there calls for an urgent action, but unfortunately nothing is being done, and said based on the hopeless nature of the budget, the Minority cannot support it.

Duffuor congratulates Black Stars

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Dr. Kwabena Duffuor

A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and a presidential aspirant, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, has congratulated the Black Stars for their victory over South Korea in Ghana’s second match of the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

A brace by Mohammed Kudus helped the Black Stars beat South Korea 3 – 2 in their second Group H game on Monday.

Mohammed Salisu scored the other goal in the thriller at the Education City stadium.

Dr. Kwabena Duffuor described the victory in a statement issued yesterday as hard fought, but deserving.

“Kudos to the Black Stars. Hard fought, but thoroughly well deserved victory against South Korea. Proud of the entire team and the unalloyed support given to them by all Ghanaians. Now to the final game against Uruguay.”

Despite a brief second half rally from the South Koreans, Otto Addo’s side picked up all three points to keep them in the race for a Round of 16.

Following the opening day loss to Portugal, the Black Stars needed to avoid defeat against the Koreans to stave off an early elimination from the tournament.

Hotel manager, another charged for breaking into doctor’s vehicle

By
BERNICE BESSEY
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Court

Daniel Deku, alias Paa Dan, a hotel manager, and Kofi Abdul Raman, alias Kofi Asiedu, a driver, have been remanded into lawful custody for allegedly breaking into a medical practitioner and a senior lecturer at University of Ghana Medical School, Dr. Benjamin Sarkodie Dabo’s vehicle.

The accused persons were remanded by the Circuit Court ‘3’, presided over by Susana Eduful, on Monday, November 28, 2022.

They were remanded to reappear before the court on 13th of next month, December, for a case management conference (CMC), after having pleaded not guilty to the charges – conspiracy to commit a crime, to wit stealing, stealing and causing unlawful damage.

The charges are respectively against Section 124(1) and 172 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

The brief facts

The case, as presented by the prosecuting officer, Chief Inspector Isaac Anquandah, is that Dr. Sarkodie Dabo is the complainant and has two other persons, Henry Kwaku Adu and Ekow Paintsil, who are both businessmen, as witnesses.

He added the accused persons, Paa Dan and Kofi Asiedu, are residents of Bortianor and Bubuashie respectively.

According to him, on October 11, 2022, at the Palace Mall, Labone Cantonments branch in the Greater Accra Region, the accused persons, with the intention to steal, caused damage to the right rear window of the complainant’s Toyota Land Cruiser, and made away with his items, including an Apple Mac book Pro laptop, valued GH¢15,000.00, and cash in two currencies – US$5,000.00 and GH¢20,000.00.

The accused persons allegedly also stole the complainant’s personal documents and went into hiding.

The prosecuting officer said on October 15, 2022, police intelligence led to the arrest of Paa Dan  at his hideout, and during interrogation, he mentioned Kofi Asiedu and Paa Henry (currently on the run) as his accomplices.

He continued that on October 30, 2022, Kofi Asiedu was arrested from his hideout at Bubuashie, and he admitted the offence during interrogation, and mentioned Ekow Paintsil as the one who bought the complainant’s Apple Mac Book pro laptop from him.

“PW3 (third prosecution witness), Ekow Paintsil, was invited by [the] police and he admitted that he bought the Apple Mac Book pro from A2 (Kofi Abdul Raman alias Kofi Asiedu) on 11th October 2022,” he said.

He narrated to the court that A2 gave the Apple Mac Book pro laptop to PW2 at Kwame Nkrumah Circle Tip Toe lane to sell a day after allegedly breaking into the medical practitioner’s vehicle.

The prosecuting officer continued that in the course of investigations, the witnesses in the case suspected foul play and handed over the complainant’s Apple Mac book pro, together with its charger, to the police for investigation.

It was during investigations that it was discovered that on October 11, 2022, Paa Dan and Kofi Asiedu, on board a Hyundai Accent with registration number GW 3178-16 driven by Paa Henry, as part of their of stealing spree, drove to the Place Mall, Labone Cantonments branch car park.

He said when the three accused persons got to the mall’s car park, it was Kofi Asiedu who got out of the car to spy in various vehicles parked for valuables.

It was during this process that he allegedly spotted the complainant’s Land Cruiser vehicle parked, and caused damage to the right rear window, stole his brown bag containing US$5,000.00, GH¢20,000.00, his bank cards, National Identification Cards, Apple Mac Book pro laptop valued GH¢15,000.00 and other official documents and bolted.

The Mall’s CCTV camera captured the crime scene, including the accused persons and the Hyundai Accent car which they used to commit the crime.

He said the CCTV footage was handed over to the police by the Mall officials on November 16 for further investigation.

C/Insp Anquandah added that after the police analysed the CCTV footage, the accused persons were charged with the offence and put before the court.

NDC & EC entrenched positions is recipe for disaster -CSOs

By
BERNICE BESSEY
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Emmanuel Bombande, Executive Director of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding

The fallout between the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Electoral Commission (EC) has been described by some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and political parties as a recipe for disaster ahead of or after the 2024 General Elections.

According to the CSOs and political parties, Ghana was losing its peaceful architecture, particularly, in the face of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) becoming less effectiveness in recent times.

Entities that have expressed concern over the fallout between the NDC and the EC particularly were the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) and Convention People’s Party (CPP).

The General Secretary of the CPP, Nana Yaa Jantuah, said: “I think it is time we dealt with it. I don’t know why the EC is so entrenched, and I don’t know why the NDC is so entrenched… Various efforts have been made to bring the EC and the NDC together. They (NDC) are not there at IPAC, and anytime a decision is taken, they sit on the sideline and condemn it.”

Their concerns follow a concern expressed by Emmanuel Bombande, Executive Director of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding, that although the country is blessed with a number of think-tanks, the EC is not utilising them in mediation, as it was in the days of Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan, the Commission’s former Chair.

Bombande was speaking as part of the discussants at a national forum on trending conflict issues in Ghana, organised under the theme: ‘Trending conflict in Ghana, fertile grounds for violence extremism’ by the National Catholic Secretariat in Accra yesterday.

According to him, the role of mediation in election had drastically reduced, and therefore, election related processes have more tension than before.

“Let watch it. It is sad that in 2020 over a simple matter as a birth certificate becoming an identity document, we would have to go to the Supreme Court.

Now, you know that when you go to the Supreme Court, court decisions are a winner and a loser with respect to our Supreme Court justice retired who is with us, and when a decision is made it is made… The expectation is that [with] the rule of law, we all accept the verdict.”

Mr. Bombande added that in the instances where those who lost in electoral dispute are not fully convinced by the court’s judgment, they would go home to radicalise themselves as extremists, asking rhetorically: “So are we surprised [with the number of] people killed in the 2020 elections?”

He urged that if the EC was not willing to go back to its roots, the National Peace Council should be used as the conveyor belt between it and the political parties, in order to address issues emerging as controversies and competition among political parties, as the country prepares for another election.

The security expert indicated that the very recent statement made by Prof Ken Attafuah that the National Identification Authority was ready to merge the Ghana Card with the voter identification card should not be a matter that should send the country into disarray.

“So when we get there will be no issues, but if we push it forward as a policy, it will be a dangerous ground to radicalise people who feel that they will lose, because if they go to the court and the court rules against them, then they will go to the streets and fight,” he cautioned.

DCE presents computers to ASHTEC

By
SEBASTIAN R. FREIKU
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DCE Woode presenting the computers to District Education Director Sarfo Kantanka
The computers on display

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Akrofuom, Maurice Jonas Woode, has presented 16 computers to the Akrofuom Senior High Technical School (ASHTEC) to promote teaching and learning of Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

The school’s package included 11 desktop and five laptop computers with standard specifications, which DCE Woode indicated had come at the right time when ICT had become important, and hoped they would further enhance the teaching and learning of ICT in the school.

The DCE had accessed the computers from LABDOO, a Germany-based global collaborative social network of grassroots volunteers, to provide schools in need with unused computers loaded with powerful educational software.

The acquisition was facilitated by Ms Ernestina Mensah, a member of the Ghana Union of Dusseldorf, who petitioned LABDOO on behalf of the DCE, who footed the cost of freight of about 540 Euros for the beneficiary.

Mr. Woode lauded LABDOO for donating 28,044 computers to 2,424 schools in 146 countries, including Ghana.

The District Director of Education, George Sarfo Kantanka, who received the computers on behalf of the Ghana Education Service and the school, expressed appreciation to the DCE for his tireless efforts at resolving the countless challenges of ASTEC.

He was happy with the DCE’s commitment to revive the ICT Laboratory, which lacked  computers initially, and pleaded  with the him to further assist the school in acquiring air conditioners for the ICT lab to prolong the lifespan of the equipment, and a television set for the students.

The Education Director also advised the school management to keep the computers in good shape at all times to serve the intended purpose for which they were donated.

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