Thomas Tuchel has reportedly irritated Chelsea‘s squad by hauling players into training on what was supposed to be their day off.
The Blues manager is doing everything he can to arrest the club’s recent slump – which has put their participation in next season’s Champions League in some doubt – with the FA Cup final against Liverpool to come this weekend.
Chelsea threw away a two-goal lead and conceded a 97th-minute equaliser in their 2-2 draw with Wolves on Saturday, which left them with just one win in their last five matches. According to The Sun, players were unhappy at being called in on Sunday as they are exhausted following a season which has seen them play 59 games in all competitions so far. It is also reported that defender Marcos Alonso feels he was made a scapegoat in the Wolves game and believes he was having his effort questioned by being substituted at half-time.
In addition, the report claims that some of the squad think their chances of fighting for the league title next season are in jeopardy because of the impending exits of leaders such as Cesar Azpilicueta and Antonio Rudiger.
Tottenham boss Antonio Conte says Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp was looking for an “excuse or an alibi” when he criticised Spurs’ style in Saturday’s 1-1 draw. Klopp said “I don’t like this kind of football” and “they should do more for the game” after a good defensive Spurs showing dented Liverpool’s title hopes. Conte, though, suggested his opposing number was “a bit frustrated. It is important to be focused on your team not the opponent,” he said.
He added: “It means you want to find an excuse or an alibi because your job was wrong.”
Spurs are fifth in the Premier League table, four points off the Champions League places though they have the opportunity to cut that deficit when hosting fourth-placed Arsenal on Thursday.
Conte continued: “I want to win every game, I try to transfer this thought to my players.
“When I stay in one team, my aspiration or desire is to fight to win the title. To win the league in England is not easy. Pep Guardiola says Liverpool won one league in 30 years, it shows it is not simple.
“Maybe sometimes it’s easier to win the Champions League than the league in England but after the game against Liverpool, the good answer that I heard was my players were disappointed at the end of the game.
“They felt the possibility to win the the game. We analysed the game the day after. If there was a team that deserved to win it was Tottenham and not Liverpool.
“I think in this game, Klopp understood he gained one point, not lost two points. I think Jurgen is an intelligent person.”
Liverpool are three points behind leaders Manchester City with three games to go, starting with the Reds’ trip to Aston Villa on Tuesday.
Lionel Messi has been unveiled as an ambassador for tourism for Saudi Arabia, despite previously being urged to reject such overtures from the families of prisoners in the country.
A tweet from the Saudi Tourism Authority on Monday night showed Messi with his Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Leandro Parades in the background, with the caption: ‘We welcome Lionel Messi and his friends to Jeddah to enjoy Jeddah’s historical heritage and the beauty of the Red Sea – #Messi_Ambassador_For_Saudi_Tourism’.
Messi later shared a ‘sponsored by Visit Saudi’ post on Instagram from a yacht with the caption: ‘Discovering the Red Sea in Saudi. #VisitSaudi’.
Back in February, after it emerged via The Telegraph that Messi had been approached by the Saudi tourism board, families of prisoners of conscience wrote a letter that urged Messi not to get involved.
Messi was involved in promotional work with Saudi Arabia with his face seen on billboards in the country. And he is far from the only sporting idol with ties to the nation.
Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, turned down a $6m offer to work commercially with the nation last year.
Shi Li Wen, Huang Shen Jun, Li De Hao, Lan Hai Song
The Ghana ID cards made for the Chinese nationals
Four illegal Chinese immigrants who are awaiting deportation after the outcome of a GHC16,000,000 civil suit against them before a Kumasi High Court are said to bear Ghana Identity cards.
The chief of Kwapia in the Adansi North District, Nana Gyamena Oyiakwan, has revealed at a press conference at Obuasi over the weekend that the Chinese nationals bear Ghanaian identity and are walking in freedom, instead of being in prison custody or with the Ghana Immigration Service following a court order.
The chief said though the said identity cards conspicuously indicate that the bearers are non-citizens, he believed they should not have been issued at all in the first place considering the status of the holders who have been identified as illegal immigrants by the law.
Nana Gyamenah Oyiakwan, Chief of Kwapia
The Kwapiahene suspected that some Immigration officers are conniving with the illegal Immigrants and suggested that the Immigration officers who aid the illegal immigrants to enter the country must be sanctioned to ensure sanity in the system, as their actions contribute to the degradation of the environment and water bodies by the activities of the foreigners.
The chief suspected that in the case of the four illegal Chinese immigrants, some Immigration officers had granted them resident and work permit, even when it was evident before a court of law that they did not qualify under the Immigration Act, an indication that the discretion is being abused by government officials and collaborators, whose actions lead to the destruction of the environment.
The concerned chief said some Ghanaian collaborators are protecting the Chinese who are made to believe that officialdom can bend the rules to guarantee their stay in the country.
Nana Gyamena Oyiakwan referred to an instance where the said Ghanaian front men and collaborators frustrated and thwarted attempts by the Chinese Embassy in Ghana and the office of the Chief of Staff to handle the destruction of the 40-acre land, after they had been petitioned in June 2021 about the illegal activities of the immigrants.
Shi Li Wen, Huang Shen Jun, Li De Hao and Lan Haisong, the Chinese nationals, who had unlawfully entered Ghana and had undertaken illegal mining in a tract of land approved for educational purposes without the consent of the rightful owners, have also been cited for engaging in illegal mining activities.
They are said to have unconstitutionally, unlawfully and illegally entered and trespassed onto a parcel of the land and mined gold without the permission, mandate, authority and consent of lawful owners, whose lives are currently reportedly under threat.
Borometch Construction Company Limited, Seidu Fanzia School and Samuel Aboagye have sued the Chinese nationals for destroying a 40-acre land and thus rendering it unsuitable for the primary purpose underlying its acquisition.
Giving a background to the matter, Nana Gyamena Oyiakwan said the Court of Appeal, presided over by Mrs. Justice A. M. Domakyaareh, has ruled that the Chinese should be made to service their GHc16 million civil liability in court before they are deported for illegal mining.
The chief said on April 22, 2022 a Kumasi High court, presided over by His Lordship Mr. Justice E. Senyo Amedahe, granted an application for the arrest of the four Chinese illegal immigrants who were subsequently admitted to bail in the sum of GHC200,000 each with two sureties.
The court also asked the Chinese immigrants to deposit their passports and work permits at the registry of the court, which order has been defied.
According to the chief, a search conducted at the Registry of the High Court in Kumasi revealed that the Chinese nationals had not met the bail condition and yet, instead of being in prison custody or the Immigration Service they are walking in freedom with the alleged connivance of Ghanaian front men in officialdom.
Nana Gyamena Oyiakwan reiterated the concern of a High Court Judge over the situation where officials of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) issue work and resident permits to illegal immigrants.
He called on the government to prevail on officials of the Ghana Immigration Service to reconsider the use of the discretion of immigration officers in granting resident permits to foreigners who arrive in the country on 60 days B1 visas.
The chief also called on the Chinese Ambassador to safeguard further exploitation of the Chinese illegal immigrants in the instant case because their so-called collaborators are extorting huge monies which could have gone into servicing their civil liability before deportation.
He said because of their current status, the Chinese keep relocating under stressful conditions to avoid the long arms of the law hence the need for the Chinese Embassy to bail them out of their present predicament.
From Sebastian R. Freiku and Frederick Dando Abeam, Obuasi
Report reaching The Chronicle at press time last night indicates that a Ghanaian fishing vessel, MV Comforter II, which was on a fishing expedition in the Elmina waters last week Friday has sunk.
The incident happened about 97 Nautical miles off the coast of Takoradi. According to the Takoradi Marine Police, 26 crew members were on board the vessel. The cause of the accident is still being investigated.
The Chronicle understands that fourteen of the crew members have been rescued with the Chinese captain of the vessel feared dead.
The victims, who have been rescued are ten Ghanaians and four Chinese and they are currently receiving treatment at the International Maritime Hospital in Tema.
French ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Anne Sophie Avé, addressing the forum on public service in France
France and Ghana has held a forum to discuss the public service models of the their respective countries.
The discussion took place on May 5, 2022, where the French Embassy in Ghana and the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) outlined their models and how both countries could learn from each other.
The purpose was to provide a platform to discuss the French and Ghanaian models of public administration in a comparative light and to reflect on their present and future challenges.
French ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Anne Sophie Avé, responding to questions on France’s public service model
The forum, which was hugely attended by some students of University of Ghana and GIMPA, allowed for important discussion on administrative models, as institutions are what make a country stable and prosperous, beyond the constant change in leadership.
The French Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Anne Sophie Avé, presented the foundations of the French administrative model and the rules and regulations that apply to French civil servants to ensure the independence, transparency and accountability of the civil service. Professor Kingsley Agomor also presented the achievements and challenges of the GIMPA model since Ghana’s independence. FRENCH INSP
The conference also marked the creation of the French National Institute of Public Service (INSP). The INSP, introduced on January 1, 2022, is the new public benchmark dedicated to the recruitment, initial training and continuing training of French senior civil servants.
The INSP takes over from the French National School of Administration (ENA), where several senior Ghanaian civil servants have been trained.
The creation of the INSP was part of the top management reforms introduced by French President Emmanuel Macron, in order to achieve a more efficient, inclusive and attractive top administration.
Specifically, the INSP aims to recruit more diverse profiles. Under the new “talents” programme, 1,700 places will be created in preparatory courses necessary to enter France’s top public service schools for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. These students will be given financial aid and will pass specific entrance exams.
The INSP is responsible for providing senior state executives with initial and continuing training based on new foundations, the consulate said in a statement.
It oversees a common core program for public service schools that train senior executives from all three sectors of the public service and the administration of justice, to ensure common references, improve public action and then better serve French citizens.
A section the participants at the joint conference
The Institute’s mission, as a prestigious training centre for top executives and managers, is to build top-quality academic partnerships (in France and abroad) and to develop France’s international influence, which includes training of international students and welcoming foreign auditors.
In this regard, the INSP and GIMPA wish to strengthen their cooperation in the future.
The INSP has two training programs for international students: A 13-month program for young to mid-career civil servants: training in Strasbourg and a 3-month internship, which can be supplemented by a Master’s degree in Public management; An 8 month program for experienced executives of foreign public administrations, occupying positions of responsibility and endowed with a potential for development and influence.
This program allows them to become familiar with all facets of public management in France and in Europe. The reform of the French top administration was presented to GIMPA, UG and UPSA students and faculty by Antonin Guilhot, a INSP student and political intern at the French Embassy.
A Ghanaian civil servant in training at the INSP also spoke at the conference to share his experience with the audience.
Samuel Abu Jinapor, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Samuel Abu Jinapor, says Ghana is the preferred mining destination of choice in Africa, and that the country was always ready to do business with potential investors in the mining industry.
Speaking in a recent interview with journalists in Accra ahead of the 2022 Mining Indaba Conference scheduled for 9-12th May, 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa, Jinapor said Ghana’s stable political situation, economic growth reputation and position as the leading gold producer in Africa, are, among others, the basis for this assertion. He, therefore, called on the international community in the Mining sector to invest in Ghana.
The Minister added that the President Akufo-Addo led government is determined to make Ghana the Mining hub of Africa. According to him, the over-achieving goal of the Ghanaian President to make Ghana the Mining Hub of Africa, involves all the various components and linkages of the Mining industry, mainly from exploration, mining, downstream services, financial services and other related Mining activities “will be planted here in Ghana.”
The sector Minister indicated that, to achieve this, it would also require that his outfit create a conducive environment for private sector involvement and participation, which would mean a gamut of measures, are put in place to attract these private investments.
Mr. Jinapor reiterated government’s efforts on working towards establishing a mining financial centre, which he said, will be part of the plan in ensuring a conducive environment needed to grow the mining industry in Ghana.
“The overall objective of government in the mining sector, therefore is to build a sustainable, viable, Indigenous and environmentally sound mining industry with strong local content participation that contribute to the sustainable development of the country,” he said.
A Senior Pastor of the Redemption Baptist Church in Cape Coast, Dr Rev Isaac Mills-Owoo, has launched a book that discusses issues and finds solutions to problems facing contemporary societies, as far as what he termed as “authentic marriage” is concerned.
Titled “A Theology of Marriage & Family: A challenge to same-sex relationships”, the book presented an understanding of human sexuality and its related issues.
Additionally, the book presented an intriguing insight into authentic sexuality and authentic marriage, principles of marital relationship and parental tasks in the developmental process.
Prof Addo Obeng’s remarks
Speaking at the launch, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Professor Emmanuel Addo Obeng, who chaired the occasion, noted that though the book looked smallish in size, it was rich in content.
Prof Add Obeng further indicated that the content of the book enriched understanding of marriage not just from the Christian domain, but also from the social sciences perspective as well.
According to him, marriage and family were the foundation of every society and therefore, praised the author for articulating his views on pressing marital issues and other challenges such as the LGBTQ.
Author’s motivation
Dr Mills-Owoo on his part explained that his passion to help people preserve “authentic marriages” grew as he advanced in his career as a pastoral Counsellor.
“But it was not fully realised until during my doctoral programme in Marriage and Family in the United States”, the author explained.
“That was when I clearly understood the call of God for me to be bold to talk about some marital challenges that many Religious and Community Leaders and some Pastors shied away from or failed to provide adequate and authentic explanations for their abhorrence”.
He noted that when the movement of same sex relationship become prominent in the United States of America, it was very difficult to receive clear explanations from the Christian community, as to why one ought not to engage in such behaviours.
“It was at this point that I felt the need to help provide some understanding of the Theology of Marriage and Family so that the Institution of Traditional Marriages will not be abused continually with innocent people being lured into self destructive practices,” he said.
Explaining further, he mentioned that his goal was not to attack homosexuals and lesbians, but to ensure that people would understand the concept of the Theology of Marriage and Family.
This, he explained, would help them to “appreciate the unhealthy and destructive aspects of homosexual practices to the individuals involved, to families and to societies at large.
“To be fair, I do not only address these issues only from the Christians’ Biblical point of view, but I endeavour to explain how we can learn from the perspective of the Social Sciences”.
The first copy of the book was auctioned for Five Thousand Cedis.
Reverend Dr. Cyril Fayose, General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) has said every Ghanaian has a role to play in reviving the economy to recover from the global post-COVID-19 shocks.
Rev. Dr. Fayose who said this at the opening of the 12th Ho East Presbytery of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana (EPCG) at Ziavi Dzogbe in the Ho Municipality during a three-day Synod on the theme” Revive us again, o Lord, heal us”, asked Ghanaians to stop blame-games and forge ahead for recovery.
The Synod is being attended by over 100 delegates from all the 29 Pastoral districts in the Presbytery made up of Pastors, Catechists, Presbyters, representatives from all the church’s groups and second and tertiary institutions. Rev. Dr. Fayose who was the Guest of honor noted that ordinary Ghanaians were also holding the economy into ransom by their nefarious activities not only politicians.
On the environment, Dr. Fayose noted that the degradation of the forest and other unfriendly environmental practices were the cause of erratic rainfall patterns, global warming, and the destruction of the ozone layer.
“According to the experts there are more plastics in the sea than fishes.,” he said. The General Secretary appealed to the Church to be in the forefront of planting trees and the proper disposal of plastic wastes.
He said the mandate of the CCG was not only to unite Churches, but also be a voice for the vulnerable in society and urged member Churches to take up the care of “severely mentally ill” in their localities.
Rev. Wilson Seloame Alorvi, the Ho East Presbytery Moderator in his welcome address said the vision of the EPCG as a unitary corporate faith institution was to be a dynamic agent of God.
“The Church is leading in the great commission of Jesus Christ to bring light where there is darkness and transform the world into the likeness of Christ and be self-sustaining,” he added.
Rev. Alorvi called on Christians to approach God in prayer, contrition and humility and seek forgiveness for their wrongs and restoration of his blessings.
