Illegal Mining is treasonable offence; Minister

Baffour Agyei Kesse IV, Adumhene of Kumasi

The Adumhene of Kumasi, Baffuor Agyei Kesse IV, has said Nananom cannot be blamed for the spate of illegal mining activities across the country.

The Kumasi chief parried accusing fingers at chiefs for the increase in illegal mining activities in parts of the country and emphasised that chiefs do not have the power to neither encourage it nor stop the practice.

He said the increase in illegal mining, which has resulted in heavy pollution of water bodies and the degradation of forests and the environment over the years, should be laid at the doorstep of the Minerals Commission.

According to the chief, the 1992 Constitution of Ghana empowers the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Minerals Commission to administer the mining industry in Ghana.

It was established under the Minerals Commission Act, 1993 (Act 450), with the statutory purpose of the “regulation and management of the utilisation of the mineral resources and the coordination of the policies in relation to them,” as the key Regulator of mining and the

mining industry.

The chief also pointed to the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act703), as amended by the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2015 (Act900), the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995), and the Minerals Commission Act, 1993 (Act 450) as well as the Minerals

Development Fund Act, 2016 (Act 912) and the environment-related laws such as the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (490) and several other legislation among other enactments which empowers the Minerals Commission, as the sole regulator of the mining industry.

In the face of the cited legislations, Baffuor Agyei Kesse affirmed that chiefs cannot stop miners who come to their jurisdictions with legal documentations to engage in seeming legal business.

He bemoaned the situation where some of these miners and concessionaires come wielding guns and knives and most cases with military and police backing which creates tension and conflict between local law enforcing agents and deployed security personnel.

“Which chief dares challenge the legal documentation of concession by the Minerals Commission as provided by law for a miner or mining companies”, the Adumhene questioned in an interview with The Chronicle in Kumasi.

“Miners and mining companies do not just enter into concessions and start mining, the get approval from the Minerals Commission with the backing of the government”, he said.

Baffuor Agyei Kesse mentioned that what pertains currently is for the Minerals Commission to accept, process and/or recommend the grant of mining leases and rights and renewal and extension of exploration and prospecting licences in forest reserves by miners without the involvement and consent of chiefs.

He said chiefs are, by their status, bound to only collect or accept drink monies when the Minerals Commission have permitted the miners byway of legal documentation to access concessions.

Baffuor Agyei Kesse emphasised that chiefs can only be blamed when they abuse the trust and their involvement accorded them by the Minerals Commission to be part of the regulation and management of the mining industry.

The Adumhene, therefore, called for the involvement of chiefs in regulating mining operations saying as landowners, chiefs should be part of approval of concessions and that until the role of nananom in regulating the mining industry is recognised by the government, the Minerals Commission should, in fairness to them (chiefs), stop shifting the blame.

He has, therefore, suggested that the Minerals Commission should adopt pragmatic measures to address the challenge once and for all.

Diddy and Dr Dre settle beef, hit studio to record

By

-

September 2, 2022

What appeared to be a forever feud between CEO of Bad Boy Records, Diddy and Sound Engineer, Dr. Dre has been settled as the two are seen in the studios of the latter.

Diddy who was formerly known as Puff Daddy shared an Instagram post consisting of five photos of the dynamic duo in the studio, looking hard at work.

He wrote in the caption, “Yesterday, one of my biggest dreams finally came true. I remember the first time I heard @DrDre’s production. It gave me clear direction on the level of Producer that I wanted to be.

Last night, I got the chance to work with this man and to see his genius as he coached me through vocals.”

“He reminded me of myself, but with a different style and way more focused. I gotta step my focus up! lol But it was a great experience and I thank God for it. I hope one day ya’ll get to have the same experience with someone that you always looked up to as a hero” he added.

“The two music moguls came together to collaborate for Dr. Dre’s highly anticipated upcoming album with Snoop Dogg, who was also in attendance. Producing with Dr. Dre has been a long-time dream for Mr. [Sean] Combs and the night was made even more special as he coached him through vocals” Diddy said to a source.

Lady Adwoa celebrates 10th anniversary of ‘In His Presence’ in UK

By

-

September 2, 2022

A renowned United Kingdom based Gospel Artiste, Lady Adwoa, set to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her annual event dubbed ‘In His Presence with Lady Adwoa.’

The well-advertised gospel event comes off on 3rd of September, 2022 at 5pm at the Praise Gate Temple in West Crydon, London.

Lady Adwoa, a worshipper is a mother of 2 who works as a full-time project manager and hosts events on radio.

“All editions of ‘In His Presence’ has had the move of God. This being the 10^th edition has a special in Heaven. There will be a major move of God as we host MOG, Akese Brempong, Emmanuel Smith, Jojo Demens, Emmanuel Gyamfi, Nayaa, K.K. Mensah, Isaac Essuman amongst others” Lady Adwoa revealed, mentioning the supporting Artistes for the event.

According to Lady Adwoa, “patrons should come with an expectation and be ready for God’s major move.”

“The first edition of ‘In His Presence’ was in 2011,” Lady Adwoa reveals.

Lady Adwoa is the founder of Hope Assured Foundation, a charity organization that reaches out to orphanages, underprivileged children, as well as children with special needs.

She had a pressing need to reach out to underprivileged children and those with special needs

Her first concert in 2011 was the launch of her foundation, Hope Assured Foundation which makes ‘In His Presence’ have two sessions; an evening of praise and worship and a forum to raise funds for Hope Assured Foundations.

She has been able to reach out to orphanages in Ghana like Shekinah Homes, New Life Orphanage, Rhema Orphanage, Fafraha Orphanage, and supported the children’s hospital with medical supplies from the proceeds of the event.

Lyrical insists Amerado didn’t deserve 3 Music Awards’ Best Rapper

By

-

September 2, 2022

Lyrical Joe is still convinced that his arch rival, Amerado didn’t deserve the ‘Best Rapper of the year’ award at this year’s 3 Music Awards.

The two rappers have been engaging in lyrical war since Amerado won the award at the 3 Music Awards.

In an interview on TV3 which was monitored by The Chronicle, Lyrical Joe emphatically stated that,Amerado did not deserve to win the award.

Lyrical Joe also explained that the song he did after the 3Music Awards was not targeted at Amerado, but he responded.

According to Lyrical Joe; “Let me tell you how it went on my side. We were both nominated last year for EP of the Year and Rapper of the Year on 3Music. So he won EP of the Year and Rapper of the Year.

So the EP of the Year, I didn’t have any problem with it. But the Rapper of the Year, that’s where I had a problem. I had a problem, not with him. I had a problem with the award scheme, and so I did a song.”

“That song wasn’t a diss song. It was questioning because I was like, you guys said your theme is Beyond the Music. Are you looking at views because the song had views? You said beat dexterity.

It had one rap song that had like four different beats in it. So the qualities and everything that they stated they were looking for as an award scheme the song had it” he added.

“On top of it, it had views. Yeah, voting went on as well. And we had other people in that category that if it depended on Ghanaians voting, neither I nor he will take that award. Let’s be honest.”

“I did a short freestyle. About 1 min 20 secs. And I questioned 3Music, not him. Even in that freestyle, I told him, bro, you know I love you, but this field is mine,” Lyrical Joe explained.

I’ll retire only when I make $1 trillion; Stonebwoy

By

-

September 2, 2022

Dancehall Artiste, Stonebwoy has revealed that he will only retire from music when he makes $1 trillion.

The ‘Sobolo’ crooner said: “I will be very honest with you guys. If I make like 1 trillion dollars, I will come back here and say it’s done. I tell you. I’m done.”

According to Stonebwoy, it is a matter of time before his exposure drives him to accomplish greater things, at which point he will return to declare the end of his hustler days.

“I believe I have been ready, and I can get way further than this because I’m exposed to bigger heights, bigger outlooks, and I believe that just in a matter of time, we are going to hit that pinnacle where I will come back here on the radio and tell you, Yo mapo)n (I’ve ended)” Stonebwoy mentioned.

Stonebwoy’s answer is a quick reply to critics accusing him of being attention-seeking for cleaning clogged gutters in Ashaiman in preparation for his ‘Ashaiman to Da World Festival.’

Critics claim that Stonebwoy doesn’t have to clean up Ashaiman just before his well-advertised event and questioned him if it is during time for his shows that he realizes the filth in Ashaiman.

Africa’s oldest dinosaur found in Zimbabwe

By

-

September 2, 2022

Scientists have unearthed in Zimbabwe the remains of Africa’s oldest dinosaur, which lived than 230 million years ago. The Mbiresaurus raathi was one metre tall, ran on two legs and had a long neck and jagged teeth.

Scientists said it was a species of sauropodomorph, a relative of the sauropod, which walked on four legs. The skeleton was discovered during two expeditions, in 2017 and 2019, to the Zambezi Valley.

Darlington Munyikwa, deputy director of National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, and who was part of the expeditions, told the BBC that fossils from that era – which ended more than 200 million years ago – had been unearthed in South America, India and now Zimbabwe.

The find is expected to shed more light on evolution and migration of early dinosaurs, back when the world was one huge continent and Zimbabwe was at the same latitude as those countries, he said.

Credit: bbc.com

Russian oil executive dies in fall from hospital window

By

-

September 2, 2022

Ravil Maganov (right) with Vladimir Putin

A senior Russian oil executive has died after falling from the window of a Moscow hospital, months after his company criticised the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Ravil Maganov, the chair of the board of directors of Lukoil, Russia’s largest private oil company, “fell from a window at Central clinical hospital,” the Interfax news agency wrote on Thursday, citing a source. “He died from injuries sustained.”

Lukoil said Maganov had “passed away following a severe illness”. The company did not say what Maganov was being treated for.

It was not immediately clear whether his death was an accident, a suicide, or could be tied to foul play. Russian state media agencies citing an unnamed source reported that Maganov had been admitted to the hospital with a heart condition and had been on antidepressants.

Baza, a Russian news site with close ties to the police, suggested he may have slipped from a balcony while smoking.

Half a dozen businesspeople with ties to the Russian energy industry have died in apparent suicides or in mysterious circumstances since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. None of the deaths have been classified as murders.

Credit: theguardian.com

Taiwan shoots down drone over island off China coast

By

-

September 2, 2022

Taiwan’s military has said it shot down an unidentified civilian drone over the outlying island of Kinmen amid a continuing increase in Chinese military activity around the island since last month’s controversial visit by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The drone, which was shot down on Thursday, is the first to be hit following a warning from Taiwan that it would use live ammunition against drones. The threat came after a video of Taiwanese soldiers throwing rocks at a Chinese drone went viral.

Drone flights have reportedly escalated near Kinmen, which is located a few kilometres off the coast of China, and around the Matsu Islands in the East China Sea.

The decision to fire on Chinese drones is a departure for Taiwan’s military, said Yen-Chi Hsu, an assistant researcher at Taiwan’s Council on Strategic and Wargaming Studies.

Taiwan’s military said China has made use of “civilian aircraft, weather balloons, recreational fishing boats and marine research vessels” against it, according to government media.

Credit: Aljazeera.com

Japanese minister declares war on floppy disks

By

-

September 2, 2022