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null | The Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested one more person in connection with the murder of a community nurse, Ruth Ama Eshun, in the Bosomtwe District of the Ashanti Region.
This brings to two the number of suspects arrested in the case. Several others have also been questioned.
The 37-year old mason apprentice, Kofi Gariba alias Amanya Atiuwenti, was arrested on Thursday, February 13 to assist in investigations into the murder case.
He is currently being held by the police who are preparing to put him before court.
The first suspect, Dominic Fosu, 35 years, was arrested on February 5, 2020 at Sewua Aboaso after a Samsung mobile phone belonging to him was retrieved at the crime scene.
He has since been remanded into police custody by the Asokwa District Court presided over by Ms Korkor Achaw Owusu to appear again on Wednesday, February 26, 2020.
“The Command assures the bereaved family and the general public that it will do everything possible within the laws of our land to get the perpetrators to face the full rigors of the law,” a police statement on Monday said.
It has meanwhile appealed to the general public, especially anyone with information on the perpetrator (s) to volunteer same to the Ashanti Regional Police Command.
The police has also urged the media to be circumspect in their reportage of such cases in order not to jeopardize investigation.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 17, 2020 | https://3news.com/police-grab-one-more-suspect-in-murdered-nurse-case/ |
null | Week five of the Ghana Women's Premier League treated fans to some thrilling and exciting football outcomes at the weekend in both the northern and southern zones.
While several of the top stars struggle to stamp their authority on the league, some are doing amazing things.
With 10 goals in five matches, Ophelia Serwaa Amponsah has taken the league by storm. Her three goals helped the Ampem Ladies secure a mouthwatering 7-1 victory over Supreme Ladies in Kumasi to close the gap on northern zone leaders, Prison's ladies.
[caption id="attachment_13690" align="aligncenter" width="780"] Ophelia won the Nasco Player of the Game[/caption]
Sensational Ophelia Serwaa is excited for her amazing skills.
“I'm very happy for all my goals but I'm grateful to my teammates, they have contributed to this success and I want do more and win the best player this season in the Women's Premier League,” she said.
For Prison Ladies, they maintained their good form and top spot with a clinical 2-1 win over Ash Town ladies.
Sandra Atinga and Benedicta Nana Duku scored to give Kumasi Sports Academy their second win in the season as they beat City rivalry Fabulous Ladies 2-1.
Elsewhere, Northern Ladies and Pearl Pia Ladies played out a goalless draw.
Hasaacas Ladies meanwhile, continued their perfect run scoring 18 goals in the last three games.
Head Coach Yusif Basigi praised his girls for their excellent performance.
“Our endurance level is very high and tactically we are playing very well. They always contain their opponents and take advantage of any lose balls. For statistics, in all our matches that we have scored 9-0, 4-0 and 5-0 many of the goals are scored in the second half that tells you that our endurance level is high and we Hassacas Ladies are back in the game and ready for everyone,” he said.
There are the strugglers though. Immigration Ladies are still in search of their first win of the season as they were held to a 2-2 drawn game at the McDan Park against Samaria Ladies.
[caption id="attachment_13692" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] Immigration Ladies vs Samaria Ladies[/caption]
Sea Lions also held police ladies at home to a one all drawn game.
However Lady Strikers turn the table around by defeating Halifax Ladies 1-0 at the Tema Sports Stadium; making Halifax Ladies record their first defeat of the season.
In all, a total of 27 goals were recorded at the various zones; 3 ended in draw whiles 5 wins were recorded in both zones of under the women's league.
By Nana Akua Amankwaa|3news.com|Ghana Should Chris Hughton be sacked following performance of Ghana Black Stars? | null | null | February 17, 2020 | https://3news.com/womens-league-wk5-ophelia-amponsah-in-top-form-with-10-goals-in-5-matches/ |
null | A 19-year-old man has been arrested by he police at Akim Oda for allegedly kidnapping a nine-year-old boy at Jamaica, a suburb of Akim Asuboa in the Eastern Region.
The suspect claiming to be a stranger from Accra, according to the Police, asked the 9-year-old victim (name withheld) last Sunday to show him the way leading from Akim Asuboa to Akim Manso which is a neighbouring town.
He is said to have taken advantage of that to kidnap the little boy.
“Later in the afternoon, the suspect called the mother of the victim on mobile phone to demand an amount of GHȻ 5,000.00 as ransom for his release,” the Police said in a statement on Monday.
Police investigation showed that the suspect travelled with the victim in a commercial transport (trotro) from Akim Asuboa to Manso and continued to Akim Asene and finally to Akim Oda where police traced and arrested him.
“The victim is fine and has been handed over to his mother after preliminary assessment and counseling, while the suspect is being processed for court,” the police said.
The police has meanwhile entreated all parents and guardians to educate their kids “to know that it is okay to talk to strangers but it is not okay to go anywhere with a stranger without the parent's or guardians' permission”.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 17, 2020 | https://3news.com/19-year-old-man-who-kidnapped-9yr-old-boy-for-%c2%a25000-ransom-arrested/ |
null | At least 20 people, many of them women and children, have been killed in a stampede in south-eastern Niger, reports say. | null | null | February 17, 2020 | https://3news.com/at-least-20-killed-in-niger-aid-stampede/ |
null | Orthopedic surgeons at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital are alarmed at the increasing cases of pediatric fractures with rotten limbs and warned parents against resorting to alternative medicine for such cases.
In 2019, 15 kids with rotten limbs who were not given immediate medical attention were amputated at the Hospital's Trauma and Orthopedic Directorate,
A child bone fracture, also known as pediatric fracture, is a medical condition in which a bone of a child is cracked or broken.
A total of 529 cases of pediatric fractures were recorded at KATH in 2019 alone, most of which authorities say, were caused by vehicle knockdowns and falls.
[caption id="attachment_13661" align="aligncenter" width="743"] A kid with amputated hand[/caption]
Some of the fractures also occur in schools when the children are playing unsupervised.
Head of the Directorate, Dr Dominic Yeboah Konadu, said parents often trivialize injuries in the arm or leg and resort to alternative forms of treatment.
“Because the fractures in children in schools occur in just one arm or leg, parents trivialise it and Resort to alternative treatment of care, by the time the kids are brought to KATH, the limbs are rotten and insensate,” he noted.
Dr Konadu explained that as an emergency measure, the rotten limbs have to be amputated
“One worrying thing is that when the affected limbs are rotten, we have to intervene with an emergency measure of amputating the affected limb but the parents turn round accusing us at the Hospital that we always amputate limbs but if immediate care was sought at the Hospital the limbs would have been saved,” he explained.
Traditional bone setters and other alternative care in treating pediatric fractures is the preferred choice by a number of people. The practitioners, however, have challenges in proper handling of fractures and treatment
Dr Konadu Yeboah disclosed the Ghana College of Physician and Surgeons is partnering AO Alliance in initiating a nationwide training for traditional bone setters on basic treatment of fractures.
“The truth of the matter is that a lot of people prefer seeking first treatment from the traditional bone setters and other alternative care providers. However there are some excesses in their treatment”
He said they were in talks with the bone setters to organize a basic training workshop for all the bone setters “so they can be able to bandage fractures well and also refer cases beyond them to professional orthopedic practitioners immediately”.
By Beatrice Spio Garbrah|3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 17, 2020 | https://3news.com/limbs-of-15-kids-amputated-at-kath-due-to-delay-in-reporting-bone-fracture/ |
null | Dispute resolution service provider, Gamey and Co ADR Centre has offered to mediate the impasse arising out of the controversial decision by the Electoral Commission to compile a new voters' register for the December general elections.
The decision to compile a new voters' register from April 18 has triggered stiff opposition from some political parties and a wave of mammoth protests in parts of the country, which critics say is causing seeming political tension.
According Gamey and Co, the current atmosphere, if not well handled, could disturb the peace and security in the country, hence underscored the need to reach amicable settlement between the EC and the opposing parties.
“In this regard, the Gamey & Co ADR Centre has offered to conduct a Facilitated Mediation which would help the Electoral Commission and the political parties concerned to reach an agreement,” a statement issued Monday by the firm said.
It has proposed February 24 to hold what it termed as pre-mediation meeting with the respective stakeholders and a plenary session the next day.
The firms assured that it will use its longstanding experience and expertise, to get the two sides to effectively address their interests and concerns for a solution that should be mutually beneficial to them and the entire nation.
“We offer the mediation as our corporate social responsibility to mother Ghana, and trust that the Electoral Commission and the concerned parties, who are interested in a peaceful electoral process, would accept the mediation intervention.
It added: “We have high confidence in the two sides to make it happen”.
Meanwhile, the statement did not say whether the firm has informed the EC and the political parties involved of the plan to resolve the impasse between them.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 17, 2020 | https://3news.com/gamey-and-co-offers-to-mediate-impasse-over-new-voters-register/ |
null | About 6,000 dignitaries, including heads of states from the West African sub region will converge in Accra on July 11 for what is expected to be the biggest ever awards event in Ghana's recent history, the Millennium Excellence Awards.
The revered king of Asante, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II will lead a retinue chiefs and queens from the Asante Kingdom to Accra to attend this year's awards ceremony which is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
It will be a rich display of Asante culture in Accra as the Asantehene who celebrates his 70th birthday this year, will also celebrate the ‘Awukudae', an important Asante traditional festival in the capital city as part of activities heralding the awards which is known for its integrity and reputation for excellence.
“This award ceremony is a very historical one,” chairperson of the Millennium Excellence Foundation, Mrs Grace Amey-Obeng, said at the launch of the 20th anniversary and awards of the Millennium Excellence Foundation at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra Thursday.
This year's Millennium Excellence Awards, she stated, will be the most colourful awards and cultural event ever to be hosted in recent time in the country.
“His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II will arrive in Accra with hundreds of his chiefs and queens,” she announced, noting the king will be joined by some presidents of the ECOWAS community and other international guests.
Thursday's launch performed by the Paramount Chief of Asante Asokore, S. K. B. Asante saw some of the heavyweights in the business community, including the board of governors of the Millennium Excellence Foundation.
They included second deputy speaker of parliament, Alban Bagbin, CEO of MTN Selorm Adadevoh, US Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie Sullivan, Board chair of the GhanaGas, Madam Christine Churcher and Hussein Fakhry, CEO of Interplast Ghana.
Nominations
More than 1,600 Ghanaians and corporate institutions have been nominated in the 35 competitive categories of the awards held every five years. Thirty-five of them who will stand out will be celebrated and given awards for their outstanding contribution to national development.
The Millennium Excellence Awards has since the year 2000 been recognising Ghanaians in all sectors of the economy for their selflessness, dedication, effort, knowledge and contribution to Ghana's socio-economic and political development.
“The journey towards our landmark celebration has been exhilarating as we've read through hundreds and thousands of documents, highlighting leadership,” President of the Millennium Excellence Foundation, Ambassador Ashim Morton said in a statement issued at the launch.
He added: “We want this year to be a milestone in enhancing the Millennium Excellence Foundations profile in the world”.
Ambassador Morton who has been driving the award-giving Foundation under the guidance of Otumfuo Osei-Tutu thus urged all join the award giving body the needed support to keep striving for excellence.
“The Asantehene has advised me on every step of the way to ensure we maintain key acceptance from the public in all that we do. The impediments to success are certainly challenging but no one said the road will be smooth,” he indicated.
This year's event to be hosted at the Fantasy Dome, Trade Fair Centre, is under the theme “Celebrating 20 years of Excellence.
The Dome will be totally transformed to give it an extraordinary appearance.
Entertainment for the night will be in the hands the Africa's legends Angélique Kidjo from Benin, Salif Keita from Mali and Pat Thomas from Ghana as well as Gambia's international vocalist Sona Jobarteh.
Organisers of the awards are promising an unforgettable experience and world class event for patrons of the event who have from now to April 15, 2020 to make table reservations.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 17, 2020 | https://3news.com/millennium-excellence-awards-to-set-record-in-ghana-with-20th-anniversary/ |
null | More promiscuous people are more likely to get cancer in old age, according to a study.
Researchers found that having 10 or more sexual partners over a lifetime almost doubled the risk of a woman developing cancer, and raised it by two thirds for men.
A link between sexually-transmitted infections and cancers – HPV, for example, is known to raise the risk of diseases in the cervix and penis – could be to blame.
And people who had sex with more partners also tended to drink more alcohol and smoke more cigarettes, the scientists said – but they also did more exercise.
The finding was no reason to avoid having sex, they added, and said that intercourse brings a variety of physical and mental health benefits which outweighed the longer-term risk.
Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, collected data from nearly 6,000 men and women over the age of 50.
Among men, those who reported more than 10 lovers in their lives had a 69 per cent higher chance of getting cancer, compared with those who had bedded only one or none.
Women who reported 10 or more sexual partners were found to be 91 per cent more likely to have been diagnosed with cancer.
Only 486 men (19 per cent) and 239 women (7.5 per cent) admitted to having had sex with 10 or more people.
Dr Lee Smith, an Anglia Ruskin University expert and the author of the study, told MailOnline: ‘We expected there to be an association between number of sexual partners and cancer risk as previous research has shown that specific STIs may lead to several cancers.
‘Indeed, a higher number of sexual partners means greater potential exposure to STIs. It is interesting that the risk is higher in women when compared to men.
‘This may be because the link between certain STIs and cancer is stronger in women, such as HPV (Human papillomavirus) and cervical cancer compared to HPV and penile cancer.' People in the study, which was published in the journal BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health, had an average age of 64 and most were married. The most common category for both sexes was one or no sexual partners – 785 out of 2,537 men and 1,285 out of 3,185 women. In both sexes, people with a more colourful sexual history also tended to be younger, single and in either the richest or the poorest communities. And those who reported a higher tally of sexual partners were also more likely to smoke, drink frequently, and do more vigorous physical activity on a weekly basis, the study found. When all the data was analysed, a significant association emerged between the number of lifetime sexual partners and risk of a cancer diagnosis among both sexes. Participants were also asked to rate their own health and report any long standing condition or infirmity which impinged on routine activity in any way. Researchers claim the results provide some evidence that the number of lifetime sexual partners is associated with adverse health outcomes in a sample of older adults in England. However, Dr Smith did not want to discourage people from having sex. He said: ‘Sexual activity has multiple physical and mental health benefits especially in older age and we would not want to discourage sexual activity among older adults. ‘People who had risky sexual encounters should contact their health care providers to get checked for potential sexually transmitted infections and should discuss openly about how to minimise this risk with their health care providers. Using appropriate protection will reduce the risk of related cancers going forward.' Researchers noted that their study could not establish cause but said the findings chime with those of previous studies, implicating sexually transmitted infections in the development of several types of cancer and hepatitis. They didn't obtain information on the specific types of cancer participants reported, but speculated: ‘…the heightened risk of cancer might be driven by those types known to be associated with [sexually transmitted infections].' And they suggested that inquiring about the number of sexual partners might complement existing cancer screening programmes by helping to identify those at risk. That is, if further research can establish a causal association between the number of sexual partners and subsequent ill health. But an explanation for the gender difference in long term condition risk remains ‘elusive,' they wrote, especially given that men tend to have more lifetime sexual partners than women, while women are more likely than men to see a doctor when they feel ill, so potentially limiting the associated consequences for their long term health. | null | null | February 14, 2020 | https://3news.com/women-whove-had-10-or-more-sexual-partners-91-likely-to-get-cancer/ |
null | Executives of the New Patriotic Party at the Manhyia North constituency have deserted their offices in what is being viewed as a ploy to prevent the Member of Parliament for the area to file his nomination forms.
The MP, Collins Owusu Amankwaa, is said to be in the bad books of the executives due to a longstanding issue between him and the constituency executives which has created division within the party.
The disagreement which has been raging since 2016 and led to the slapping of the MP by the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Antwi Boasiako in May 1, 2016, is said to have reignited as the party gears up for its primary in the constituency.
Mr Amankwa who picked nomination forms to contest the primary in a bid to win the party's ticket for the December parliamentary elections, is scheduled to present the filled nomination forms today, February 14.
His only contender, Akwasi Konadu, is also expected to present his forms to the party executives today.
By 11:00 a.m. Friday, the MP and his supporters as well as some delegates of the NPP arrived at the constituency office to find the place deserted, although the office was opened.
[caption id="attachment_13455" align="aligncenter" width="808"] The MP greeting some of the party members at the constituency office[/caption]
William Evans-Nkum reports from the constituency office that “The incumbent MP is supposed to file his nomination today but executives have deserted their offices to avoid receiving the nomination forms”.
According to him, the situation has created a volatile environment.
Chairman of the Council of Elders for the constituency, Nana Akwasi Gyembibi, has arrived at the party office to receive the MP's nomination forms, Evans reports.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 14, 2020 | https://3news.com/manhyia-north-npp-executives-run-away-from-receiving-mps-nomination-forms/ |
null | The Ghana Police Service says it has not begun any recruitment exercise, stating recruitment adverts making the rounds on social media are fake.
An artwork purportedly sanctioned by the Police Administration claimed some 1,100 Ghanaians with WASSCE qualification are being recruited into the Police Service and requested interested persons to call some numbers provided in the flyer.
But the Police say they have not issue such flyer announcing recruitment into the Service.
“We are not calling for applications for recruitment!” the Police statement said.
It thus warned the public to “beware of fake recruitment adverts” and disregard any information calling for applications into the Ghana Police Service at this time.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 14, 2020 | https://3news.com/were-not-recruiting-ghana-police/ |
null | Coronavirus cases are not rising dramatically outside China despite a spike in Hubei province, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. | null | null | February 14, 2020 | https://3news.com/no-change-in-outbreak-despite-china-spike-who/ |
null | Officials of three political parties have walked out of a technical meeting with the Electoral Commission (EC) on the back of disagreement over compilation of a new voters' register for the December general elections.
IT representatives of the various political parties were invited by the EC Thursday to thrash out outstanding issues regarding the controversial new voters' register the EC is seeking to create for the polls.
Our correspondent Thomas Adotei Pappoe, who was at the EC headquarters in Accra, reports that the representatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), People's National Convention (PNC) and the United Front Party (UFP) have stormed out of the meeting.
“Their reason is that instead of discussing the technical issues with them the EC appeared to have made up its mind of compiling a register,” our correspondent reported.
Despite the action by the NDC, PNC and UFP, the meeting went on with reps of the other political parties who have accepted the EC's decision to compile a new register.
“The meeting has not halted…currently the meeting is still ongoing with the Electoral Commission,” our correspondent said.
The three parties claimed the agenda for the meeting was to discuss the challenges with the Biometric Voters' Register and Biometric Verification Devices but it turned out the EC had a different agenda.
The EC, they said, rather went ahead to discus with them modalities on how to compile a new voters' register which they have opposed.
The Director of IT of the NDC, Kwame Osei Griffiths, told our correspondent that information available to them suggests that the distribution for the BVDs and the BVRs will take 83 days, claiming it will thus not be possible for the EC to even start the registration on April 18 as announced.
Why new biometric system?
The Commission took the decision to acquire a new Biometric Voter Management System for the upcoming general elections based on the advice of its IT team and external consultants.
The two concluded it would be prudent to acquire a new system rather than refurbish the current system.
“It is important to note that the equipment that the entire voter management system runs on, from enrolment, duplication, adjudication to voters' verification is obsolete and no longer supported by their Original Equipment Manufacturers,” the EC claimed earlier this year.
New voters' register is a done deal
Despite criticism and resistance against the compilation of a new voters' register, the EC has said it will go ahead with the exercise.
According to the EC, the scheduled engagement with the 21-member Eminent Advisory Committee and the political parties on Thursday, January 30 will not to seek consensus on whether or not to go on with the new registration exercise set to begin on April 18.
“You can't get consensus anywhere; it can never happen and it will never happen. If we want to get consensus before we act, then we will never act,” Dr Serebour Quaicoe, the Director of Electoral Services, said on TV3 Saturday.
The January 30 meeting, he explained, had been arranged for the EC to inform the stakeholders of its programmes concerning the new voters' register, and solicit views on how best it can be implemented.
“We have our programme; we will explain to them and then we move on with the programme,” he stated, adding “there is no doubt about us doing the registration”.
He said the EC is not under any obligation to have consensus on issues before acting, saying “with respect to compiling new voters register, we are convinced beyond reasonable doubt there is the need for it”.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 13, 2020 | https://3news.com/3-political-parties-storm-out-of-ec-technical-meeting-over-new-voters-register/ |
null | The Chief Executive of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA),Hayford Attah-Krufi, has called for support in its bid to increase coverage to the informal sector.
“Eighty per cent of working population working for themselves, and since pensions is for everyone, they must come on board,” he said.
Mr Attah-Krufi made the comment when some senior management staff of the Authority paid a courtesy call on the management of Media General in Accra.
The National Pensions Regulatory Authority is looking forward to leveraging switch technology to increase pension coverage for the informal sector worker.
Its long term goal is also to ensure retirement income security and regulate pensions through effective policy direction to secure income for the retired in Ghana.
To be able to achieve its objective, the NPRA is reaching out to media organizations with proven track record.
Mr Attah-Krufi said the decision to choose Media General stems from its leading role on the market.
He called for Media General's support as it rolls out its programs.
Group chief executive officer of Media General, Beatrice Agyemang, promised the Media General will support the NPRA to carry out its mandate.
“You have us as partners to sensitize Ghanaians on pension schemes,” she assured.
The delegation was taken on a tour of TV3.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 13, 2020 | https://3news.com/npra-courts-media-general-for-support/ |
null | The Chinese man who was declared wanted by the Police for allegedly killing his compatriot at Asankragwa in the Western Region has been arrested by the Ghana Immigration Service.
Wei Yanwei was arrested in the late Tuesday at a hideout at Adiembra, a suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region through an intelligence led operation, the Ghana Immigration said in a statement Wednesday.
The 25-year-old Chinese national allegedly stabbed to death a Chinese businessman, Lee Buau, at Asankragwa in the Wassa Amenfi West District of the Western Region on 24th January of this year.
Two other accomplices, also Chinese nationals, Li Daojian and Huang Xuwu were picked up by personnel of the Ghana Immigration Service.
They are currently in the custody of the Ashanti Regional Immigration Command and will be handed over to the Ghana Police Service for the necessary action to be taken.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 13, 2020 | https://3news.com/chinese-man-declared-wanted-for-murder-of-another-chinese-arrested-in-kumasi/ |
null | Bryan Acheampong has with immediate effect been removed from the Ministry of National Security.
The Member of Parliament for Abetifi who served as a Minister of State at the National Security Ministry, has from February 13 been re-assigned to the Interior Ministry, where he will serve as a Minister of State, a statement issued by the Presidency Wednesday announced.
Also, the Deputy Interior Minister, Henry Quartey, has also been reassigned to the Ministry of National Security as Deputy Minister.
No reasons were given for the reshuffle by the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, who has about 11 months to end his first four-year term.
It is, however, believed to have been triggered by the recommendations of the Justice Emile Short Commission.
The Commission recommended that Mr Acheampong is sanctioned for his role in the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence in January 2019 which temporarily disrupted voting at the La Bawaleshie Presby Primary Polling Station.
The MP admitted to deploying a SWAT team to the area to act on intelligence, which he claimed suggested there was a stockpiling of arms and ammunition in the area.
The five-member commission constituted by the government in February last year and chaired by Justice Emile Short concluded that Mr Acheampong was ultimately responsible for the acts the national security operatives unleashed at the polling station.
“The Commission recommends that Mr. Bryan Acheampong be reprimanded for his ultimate responsibility as Minister in authorizing an operation of that character and on a day of an election in a built up area,” the Short report said.
It also recommended to the President Nana Akufo-Addo to clarify the exact role of Mr. Acheampong.
The government in its White Paper on the report, however, rejected the recommendation for the Minister to be punished, claiming the Commission failed to establish a factual basis for that.
“The Government rejects the Commission's recommendation in paragraph 8.3.6 on page 59 of the Report on the basis that the Commission failed to establish the factual basis for the said recommendation,” it said.
Prior to that, there were calls for him to either resign or be sacked by the president but those were ignored by Mr Acheampong and the government.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 13, 2020 | https://3news.com/akufo-addo-removes-bryan-acheampong-from-ministry-of-national-security/ |
null | The Ghana Meteorological Agency is warning of fire outbreaks in across the country on the back of heightened outburst of the harmattan this week.
The harmattan on Wednesday, February 12 engulfed Ghana, creating a dry and hazy atmosphere with drastic visibility particularly in the mornings and evenings. It is the fourth outburst for the 2019/2020 harmattan season.
Meteorologists say the current weather condition will continue until the February 16.
“From our fire monitoring charts and other meteorological parameters, there is a very high probability of fire outbreaks due to careless handling of open fires,” a statement from the Meteorological Agency said on Tuesday.
It has thus asked the public, particularly liquefied petroleum operators, to be mindful of naked fires, and be cautions in lighting fires in and around forests, farmlands and open areas without extended fire belt.
Within the period, it said, visibility values of will reduce to less than 1km to a little above 3km.
“With the current dry and cool continental winds invading the country, and as such the West African sub-region, relative humidity values will be less than 20% over the Northern Ghana, 20-40% over the middle sector and 25-55% over the Coastal bell,” it stated.
It indicated that night to early morning hours temperatures will be relatively cool over the northern half of the country while in the afternoon hours will be dominated by warm with hazy sunshine.
Wednesday's forecast released by the Agency said despite the dry and hazy conditions being experienced in the country, areas in the Western and Western North regions will be misty becoming by mid-morning.
It warned that poor visibility will be observed across the country today , pegging visibility distance at 500 metres to 4000 metres.
It said state of the sea will however be calm.
Below is the forecast for the next 24 hours | null | null | February 13, 2020 | https://3news.com/meteo-agency-warns-of-fire-outbreaks-as-harmattan-unleashes-intense-weather/ |
null | Valentine is a special season to express one's feelings and emotions to that special someone.
Every February 14, people across the world exchange candies, flowers and gifts with their loved ones, all in the name of expressing love.
This year on the 3FM Drive, Valentine has been taken a notch higher.
Listeners of the Accra's most sought after Drive Time show are not be left out in this celebration of love.
The show is organising the “Test for Love” promotion which will offer lovers the opportunity to express their love to their significant others in this season of love.
Giovani Caleb, host of the show, grills lovers as he attempts to test how couples know each other through question time, charades, Karaoke, song identification and many activities to select the Top 3.
The selected couples will then join him on the 3FM Bus Ride on Friday, February 14 – Valentine's Day – to the University of Ghana where the Top 3 and seven other couples will receive their prizes.
The wining couple will get an all-week expenses paid trip to Dubai.
The second place couple will get an all-week expenses paid trip to Mombasa, Kenya, while the third place couple will get a weekend stay at Sogakope Holy Trinity Spa in the Volta Region.
Couples were tasked to text their partners name and contact prefix with TSL. They were then called on the 3FM Drive (#3FMDrive) to test how well they knew each other.
Eleven out of over 100 entries were selected and will be invited to the studios to take part in the second phase of Test for Love.
The 3FM Drive Test for Love promotion is proudly sponsored by Travel Desk, Global Wings, Holy Trinity Spa and Gokal Cosmetics.
By Maame Adwoa|3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 13, 2020 | https://3news.com/3fm-drive-to-fly-couples-to-dubai-mombasa-and-sogakope-for-valentine/ |
null | The introduction of improved security features into the administration of the Defective Vehicle (DV) number plate system by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) this year has led to a significant improvement in the revenue performance of the authority.
Whereas the DVLA generated less than GH¢4 million from the sale of 15,544 DV plates for the whole of last year, it generated GH¢6 million from selling 25,000 upgraded DV plates between January 2 and February 7, this year, representing an increase of more than 60 per cent over the 2019 collection.
Data the Daily Graphic obtained from the DVLA indicated that the authority sold 7,287 and 1,850 DV plates in January and February last year, respectively.
The DV plate is normally given to owners of new and unregistered vehicles who are in the process of repairing the vehicles or preparing them for sale to third parties.
A DV plate costs GH¢242 and is valid for a year.
The Deputy Director in charge of Research, Business Development and Innovation (RBD&I) at the DVLA, Mr Abraham Zaato, told the Daily Graphic that before the introduction of the security upgrades, the process was largely insecure and prone to counterfeiting and theft.
New plate
The new technology deployed by the authority has barcodes embedded with data such as serial numbers and relevant vehicle information, and embossed with hologram stickers.
The stickers self-destruct when tampered with to protect it against forgery. If someone attempts to remove one, part of the sticker remains adhered to the surface, causing it to rip apart, destroying the entire hologram in the process.
The security upgrades on the DV trade plates include optical security features, such as microtext and laser readable hidden image, creating difficult-to-counterfeit labels that also allow critical information, such as serial numbers, to be read with the naked eye and a quick response (QR) code.
Important
Mr Zaato explained that motor vehicle licence plates, and for that matter DV plates, were essentially the identity card of a vehicle and so it was important to ensure their authenticity and protect them against counterfeiting and theft.
He said the management of the DVLA suspected that there could be weaknesses and pronounced leakages in the DV plate administration, hence the decision to introduce extra security features, together with a robust management software, to this year's distribution of the DV trade plates.
“As a result, in just five weeks — between January 2 and February 7, this year — of the new administration, the authority recorded sales of over 25,000 DV trade plates, representing a 53 per cent increase over total revenue accrued from the sale of plates for the whole of last year,” he added.
Mr Zaato said the authority was intrigued by the development, saying: “It is exploring all avenues to design and deploy more secure products and services to the public. This is a very significant improvement over last year's revenue,” he stressed.
Trade licence
Section 23 of the Road Traffic Regulation, 2012 (LI 2,180) provides for the use of trade licence.
Subsection One provides: “The licensing authority may issue a trade licence to a motor trader, fleet owner or licensed trade plate dealer on payment by the trader, owner or dealer of the prescribed fee specified in the Fifth Schedule.”
It also provides in Subsection Two: “A trade licence is valid for a period of one year and only in relation to the specific motor vehicle for which the trade licence was issued.”
Daily Graphic | null | null | February 13, 2020 | https://3news.com/new-dv-plates-generate-%c2%a26m-in-1-month/ |
null | A 35-year-old boutique operator has been stabbed to death by a man believed to be mentally deranged in Wa in the Upper West Region under inexplicable circumstance.
Kiemtore Suleman who operated a boutique belonging to his younger brother, was said to have had a scuffle with the mentally deranged man identified only as Anyo Wednesday morning.
Eyewitnesses told 3news.com that Suleman who had chewing stick in his mouth, arrived to open his shop at about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday but a scuffle broke between him and the mentally deranged man.
Anyo allegedly stabbed Suleman in the chest and took to his heels. According to eyewitnesses who could not explain what caused the scuffle, Suleman who was bleeding, chased Anyo but unfortunately collapsed.
Police in the area have commenced investigations into the matter while the body of the deceased been sent to the Wa Municipal Hospital morgue.
Some residents claim it is not the first time the mentally deranged man has attacked or even stabbed someone in the Wa municipality.
For some of them, Anyo is only pretending to be mentally ill but others think otherwise.
According to some residents, Anyo was previously sleeping in an abandoned container for the Wa Municipal Health Insurance but was recently chased out by the youth because he was terrorising people in the area.
By Yakubu Abdul-Gafur|3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 12, 2020 | https://3news.com/boutique-operator-strangely-stabbed-to-death-by-suspected-mentally-ill-man/ |
null | The Police in Wa in the Upper West Region have intercepted 14 sheep suspected to have been stolen from their owners in the area.
A police patrol team intercepted the sheep Monday at about 10:00 p.m around the Wa Municiapl traffic light area while they were being transported in a tricycle by some two unidentified men who bolted upon seeing a night police patrol team.
“It is believed that the sheep were stolen from an unknown destination,” a police statement said.
It is therefore asking anyone in the area whose sheep are missing to contact the Wa Police station for identification and collection.
“It should be noted that the animals would be disposed of as the Regional Command may direct after seven days” ending February 17 if the owner is not found.
Meanwhile, the police said the tricycle which was transporting the domestic animals has been impounded as part of investigations into the case.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 12, 2020 | https://3news.com/police-in-wa-looking-for-owner-of-14-suspected-stolen-sheep/ |
null | Bernie Sanders has won the New Hampshire Democratic primary contest, on a terrible night for former vice-president Joe Biden. | null | null | February 12, 2020 | https://3news.com/sanders-white-house-bid-gathers-pace/ |
null | Available figures have revealed the Akufo-Addo government has delivered only 29.4 per cent of its campaign promises after three years in office.
In what some critics described as a smart move to score political points, the government lump together the promises delivered and those being delivered to give itself 78 per cent score.
The New Patriotic Party in its 2016 manifesto, promised to deliver some 388 promises in all sectors of the economy.
A careful analysis of official figures released by the Vice President Dr Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia at the Town Hall Meeting and Result Fair in Kumasi Tuesday showed the government which has just 10 months to end its first term of four years, has delivered only 114 promises.
This represents 29.4 per cent of the total promises.
Currently, a total of 189 promises representing 48.7 per cent are being delivered by the government per the figures which have since been published on the government's special website tracking its manifesto promises.
Eighty-five other promises, representing 21.9 per cent, are yet to be implemented by the government.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 12, 2020 | https://3news.com/govt-figures-show-akufo-addo-delivered-only-29-4-of-manifesto-promises/ |
null | Chief executive of the defunct gold-dealership firm MenzGold, Nana Appiah Mensah, is set to initiate fresh action to force a United Arab Emirates-based firm to pay him some 39 million dollars owed him from a business transaction.
A Dubai High Court in April last year ordered Royal Horison to pay the amount to the man popularly referred to as NAM1, a decision the Arabian company contested on appeal and lost in July 2019.
Information gathered by 3news.com suggests the Emerati firm has since failed to pay Nana Appiah Mensah who is currently facing trial in Ghana for allegedly defrauding hundreds of Ghanaians millions of cedis.
Lawyers for NAM1 have gone to Dubai to file new court processes to force the Royal Horison to pay the money, Public Regaltions officer of MenzGold, Nii Armah Amarteifio, told Onua FM Wednesday.
“We are expecting the Dubai money to come. We shipped 750kg of Gold to them amounting to $39m. We have to go back to file the necessary papers to retrieve the money and the lawyers are working on that” he told host of Yen Sempa, Bright Asempa.
Nii Amarteifio explained that Royal Horison has been giving an excuses that MenzGold is a scam, for which reason it has been reluctant in releasing the money to Nana Appiah Mensah.
“The man [Royal Horison official] says the customers in Ghana are saying it's a scam and the man is taking advantage over that. We have also written to the AG office to help us retrieve the money, even though we have not gotten any reply yet,” he explained.
Payments
Nii Amarteifio said MenzGold has paid 2,000 customers “and those people that we have paid, we have given them full payments”.
He said the NAM1 is working to raise funds in Ghana to settle the customers, noting as and when the funds are available, customers would be notified and payments to them made.
“We wait for cash at hand. My boss is the one working to raise the money. We are now raising money internally to pay them” he claimed.
Fred Forson who is the Spokesperson for the Coalition of Aggrieved Menzgold Customers reacting to the payment, claimed information he has showed that none of their members has received payment.
By Kweku Antwi-Otoo|3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 12, 2020 | https://3news.com/nam1-lawyers-head-to-dubai-to-chase-39m/ |
null | A 12-year-old boy has been crashed to death at a road construction site in Zebilla in the Upper East Region.
A pick up vehicle belonging to the Brazillian construction firm, Queiroz Galvao, was said to be reversing when it crashed the boy who was crossing the Bolgatanga Bawku –Pulmakom road at the Customs barrier area on a bicycle.
The back tyre of the vehicle registered GW 2102- 17, crashed the boy's head, killing him instantly.
Some residents of the Aramkoliga near the scene were outraged at the development but cool heads prevailed when the police arrived at the scene in good time to prevent attack
Construction work on the Bolgatanga Bawku –Pulmakom road was immediately halted for the day as workers of the construction firm, Queiroz Galvao, abandoned the project site for fear of being attacked by residents. Work resumed Wednesday morning.
The deceased has been identified as Thomas Asore, a class 3 pupil of the Lamboya Model Primary School.
Driver of the vehicle, Oheneba Kwajo Safo, according to the police, was detained for questioning as part of investigations into the case while the vehicle has also impounded for testing.
Superintendent of police, Mr. Adam Ahmed Mahama told 3news.com that the body of the deceased has been conveyed to Zebilla Government Hospital morgue for autopsy.
He cautioned motorist and pedestrians be careful when using the roads under construction to avoid unnecessary accidents.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 12, 2020 | https://3news.com/boy-crashed-to-death-at-road-construction-site-in-zebilla/ |
null | Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia says the combination of prudent macro-and micro- economic policies and programmes implemented by the Akufo-Addo administration over the last three years has strengthened Ghana's economy and restored her to the path of economic development.
Addressing the townhall and results fair of the government in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region Tuesday, he said the change in Ghana's fortunes, he said, has been been acknowledged by the international bodies.
Using a combination of graphs, tables and text, Vice President Bawumia provided evidence to buttress his claim that the Akufo-Addo administration had largely delivered on its manifesto promises, especially on the economy.
“The data shows that Ghana's macroeconomic fundamentals are strong. Indeed, the strength of Ghana's fundamentals was confirmed recently by Moody's Ratings which changed Ghana's sovereign ratings from B3 with a stable outlook to B3 with a positive outlook. This is unprecedented for an election year,” Vice President Bawumia pointed out.
“Standards and Poors also upgraded Ghana's sovereign credit rating from B- to B with a stable outlook last year. This was the first upgrade by S&P for Ghana in 10 years! This is a strong affirmation of the positive assessment by the international financial markets of Ghana's economic fundamentals.
“Just last week, Ghana successfully issued the longest-dated Eurobond ever issued by a Sub-Saharan African country with investors placing $15 billion of orders for Ghana's 41 year Eurobond. The 7 year Bond issued has attracted the lowest coupon rates ever for Ghana at 6.375% compared with the 9.25% Ghana had to pay for a similar Eurobond issue in 2016. This is a massive show of confidence in the Ghanaian economy by investors.”
Throwing more light on the economic performance of the three year old government, Vice President Bawumia continued,
“For the first time in a decade, Ghana recorded primary balance surpluses (that is our tax revenues exceeded all government spending—excluding debt service payments) for three years in a row (2017-2019).
“Inflation has dropped steadily from the high of 15.4 percent at the end of 2016 to 7.9 percent at the end of December 2019, about the lowest we have seen since 1992.
“For the first time in over two decades, the trade balance (the difference between what we export and what we import) recorded a surplus in 2017, a larger surplus in 2018, and an even larger surplus in 2019.
“Even the cedi exchange rate under the NPP (2017-2019) is twice as stable as it was under NDC (2013-2016) – Average depreciation of 18% compared to 8.7%). For the NPP to match the almost four-fold Usain Bolt-like dash of the nominal level of the cedi exchange rate under the NDC, the cedi exchange rate will have to reach some GH15/US$!”
By Presidency|3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 11, 2020 | https://3news.com/bawumia-touts-weve-steadied-the-economic-ship-ghana-on-course/ |
null | Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia says the combination of prudent macro-and micro- economic policies and programmes implemented by the Akufo-Addo administration over the last three years has strengthened Ghana's economy and restored her to the path of economic development. Addressing the townhall and results fair of the government in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region Tuesday, he said the change in Ghana's fortunes, he said, has been been acknowledged by the international bodies. Using a combination of graphs, tables and text, Vice President Bawumia provided evidence to buttress his claim that the Akufo-Addo administration had largely delivered on its manifesto promises, especially on the economy. “The data shows that Ghana's macroeconomic fundamentals are strong. Indeed, the strength of Ghana's fundamentals was confirmed recently by Moody's Ratings which changed Ghana's sovereign ratings from B3 with a stable outlook to B3 with a positive outlook. This is unprecedented for an election year,” Vice President Bawumia pointed out. “Standards and Poors also upgraded Ghana's sovereign credit rating from B- to B with a stable outlook last year. This was the first upgrade by S&P for Ghana in 10 years! This is a strong affirmation of the positive assessment by the international financial markets of Ghana's economic fundamentals. “Just last week, Ghana successfully issued the longest-dated Eurobond ever issued by a Sub-Saharan African country with investors placing $15 billion of orders for Ghana's 41 year Eurobond. The 7 year Bond issued has attracted the lowest coupon rates ever for Ghana at 6.375% compared with the 9.25% Ghana had to pay for a similar Eurobond issue in 2016. This is a massive show of confidence in the Ghanaian economy by investors.” Throwing more light on the economic performance of the three year old government, Vice President Bawumia continued, “For the first time in a decade, Ghana recorded primary balance surpluses (that is our tax revenues exceeded all government spending—excluding debt service payments) for three years in a row (2017-2019). “Inflation has dropped steadily from the high of 15.4 percent at the end of 2016 to 7.9 percent at the end of December 2019, about the lowest we have seen since 1992. “For the first time in over two decades, the trade balance (the difference between what we export and what we import) recorded a surplus in 2017, a larger surplus in 2018, and an even larger surplus in 2019. “Even the cedi exchange rate under the NPP (2017-2019) is twice as stable as it was under NDC (2013-2016) – Average depreciation of 18% compared to 8.7%). For the NPP to match the almost four-fold Usain Bolt-like dash of the nominal level of the cedi exchange rate under the NDC, the cedi exchange rate will have to reach some GH15/US$!” By Presidency|3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 11, 2020 | https://3news.com/bawumia-touts-weve-steadied-the-economic-ship-ghana-on-course-2/ |
null | Father of the late Ebony Reigns, Nana Opoku Kwarteng, will on February 16 [Ebony's birthday] hold the first of an annual jollof party to celebrate the musician who was killed in a road accident two years ago.
The late ‘Maame Hwe' hitmaker and two others died in a fatal accident on February 8, 2018, while returning from Sunyani in the Bono Region where she had visited her mother.
Speaking on Showbiz 927 on 3FM with MzGee, the grieving Starboy Kwarteng, said it has been difficult for him to get over the death of his daughter who was one of the best female musicians in the country at the time.
“The pain, I don't know when I'm going to get over this, I'm trying my best but trust me it hasn't been easy and I'm coping and I don't believe deep down my heart that there's [going to] be one day that I'm going to forget about all this, the pain will always be there but we will manage it,” he said.
Asked why he is organizing a jollof party to celebrate the dancehall queen, Mr Kwarteng explained that Ebony loved cooking jollof, claiming she cooked it best than anybody.
“I decided to choose it being her birthday, to invite people all over to come over to my place, wine and dine with us which the menu wouldn't be anything apart from jollof, chicken and salad. I'm trying to immortalise her personality in my own way, I'm trying to as it were, to protect her legacy. Inasmuch as you come over to eat jollof or you cook it in the house is still remembering the queen. Her legacy lives on.”
The Bony to the World record boss added that, Ebony left a great legacy.
“First female artiste to win the prestigious award Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA 2018 Artiste of the year)… her style, her attitude, everything about the queen was so unique, that you cannot compare hence, when she died, the government involved it resources to make it a big deal.”
By Moses Dickson|3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 11, 2020 | https://3news.com/im-immortalising-ebony-with-annual-jollof-party-father/ |
null | Hasaacas Ladies recorded their second biggest win away over Immigrations Ladies in a four-goal mauling on match day four of the women's premier league while Ampem Darkoa also tasted the first defeat of the season.
Another exciting weekend of women's football just went past with several interesting results across the two zones.
Let's dive into the matches and make sense of what the results mean. 18 goals were scored in the two zones with only two home wins.
Three visiting teams took the shine from the home sides while a further three drawn games were recorded.
Prison Ladies continued to assert or maintain themselves in the Northern Zone handing over Ampem Darkoa their first defeat of the season.
Elsewhere, Alhassan Bintu's goal helped Pearl Pia Ladies marched on with another important win, beating Kumasi Sports Academy who recorded their first loss of the season.
Northern Ladies held Fabulous Ladies at home after suffering a set back on their way to Kumasi.
Without a win this season, Ashtown and Supreme Ladies failed to usurp each other with a one-all draw.
In the Southern Zone, Hasaacas Ladies are considered giants in women's football for a reason.
That was proven when they thrashed Immigration Ladies 4-0 at McDan Park in their second consecutive win this season.
Head Coach Yusif Basigi seemed delighted with his side's comeback win and praised them for their efforts after losing their first two games of the campaign.
In other results, Sea Lions beat Ladystrikers 3-0 at the Robert Mensah Sports Stadium. Halifax recorded their 3rd draw in the season as they held Police Ladies at their own backyard.
Soccer Intellectuals maintained their unbeaten run as they pulled the brake on Samaria Ladies, good away record to climb to the top of the southern zone table.
By Nana Akua Amankwaa|3news.com|Ghana Should Chris Hughton be sacked following performance of Ghana Black Stars? | null | null | February 11, 2020 | https://3news.com/womens-premier-league-week-4-recap-ampem-darkoa-suffered-1st-defeat/ |
null | Hasaacas Ladies recorded their second biggest win away over Immigrations Ladies in a four-goal mauling on match day four of the women's premier league while Ampem Darkoa also tasted the first defeat of the season. Another exciting weekend of women's football just went past with several interesting results across the two zones. Let's dive into the matches and make sense of what the results mean. 18 goals were scored in the two zones with only two home wins. Three visiting teams took the shine from the home sides while a further three drawn games were recorded. Prison Ladies continued to assert or maintain themselves in the Northern Zone handing over Ampem Darkoa their first defeat of the season. Elsewhere, Alhassan Bintu's goal helped Pearl Pia Ladies marched on with another important win, beating Kumasi Sports Academy who recorded their first loss of the season. Northern Ladies held Fabulous Ladies at home after suffering a set back on their way to Kumasi. Without a win this season, Ashtown and Supreme Ladies failed to usurp each other with a one-all draw. In the Southern Zone, Hasaacas Ladies are considered giants in women's football for a reason. That was proven when they thrashed Immigration Ladies 4-0 at McDan Park in their second consecutive win this season. Head Coach Yusif Basigi seemed delighted with his side's comeback win and praised them for their efforts after losing their first two games of the campaign. In other results, Sea Lions beat Ladystrikers 3-0 at the Robert Mensah Sports Stadium. Halifax recorded their 3rd draw in the season as they held Police Ladies at their own backyard. Soccer Intellectuals maintained their unbeaten run as they pulled the brake on Samaria Ladies, good away record to climb to the top of the southern zone table. By Nana Akua Amankwaa|3news.com|Ghana Should Chris Hughton be sacked following performance of Ghana Black Stars? | null | null | February 11, 2020 | https://3news.com/womens-premier-league-week-4-recap-ampem-darkoa-suffered-1st-defeat-2/ |
null | Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has given the Akufo-Addo government plaudits, stating it has within three years ensured prudent management of Ghana's economy, making it one of the robust in the continent.
The current government, he argued, is managing the economy better than it was during the eight year rule of the National Democratic Congress under the late John Mills and John Mahama.
“As a result of good fiscal discipline, the fiscal deficit on cash basis has declined from 6.6 per cent of rebase GDP in 2016 to 3.8 per cent in 2018 or 0.8 per cent in 2019 below the fiscal role of 5 per cent. We are managing the public finances better,” he said at the first town hall meeting for 2020 in Kumasi Tuesday.
For the first time in a decade, he said, Ghana has recorded primary balance surplus in the last three successive years due to the implementation of good and prudent fiscal management, which he said, has slowed down the rate of the country's debt accumulation.
Despite Ghana's debt stock moving from 122 billion cedis in 2016 to 214 billion cedis in November 2019, the vice president contended that Ghana's debt rate accumulation has slowed.
“The total public debt has increased from 122 billion cedis in 2016 to 214 billion cedis that is 62.2 per cent of GDP at the end of November 2019 but this includes the cost of the banking sector cleanup which as you know, is over 13 billion cedis and counting. Excluding the cost of the banking sector clean up, the debt stock stands at 203 billion or 51.9 per cent of GDP.
“However,” he explained, “if you look at these debt dynamics, the strong fiscal adjustments that has taken place, and better debt management has meant that the rate of debt accumulation has slowed down considerably, the lowest in a decade”.
The eight years under the NDC, he said saw Ghana's debt stock increased by 267 per cent, and noted that between 2012 and 2016 it increased by another 243 per cent but between 2016 and 2019 the increase has been 79 per cent.
“So there is a big difference,” he stated.
According to the former deputy governor of the Bank of Ghana, “Even though the quantum of the debt has gone up, we are paying less as a percentage of our annual income to service that debt, and that is good economic management”.
The vice president said the challenge was huge at the time that they assumed office in January 7, 2017 yet it has within the short three years worked to turn it around as promised Ghanaians during the 2016 electioneering.
By Stephen Kwabena Effah|3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 11, 2020 | https://3news.com/weve-slowed-ghanas-debt-accumulation-rate-despite-%c2%a2214bn-debt-bawumia/ |
null | The Chief Executive of the Chamber of Pharmacy-Ghana, Anthony Ameka, is claiming Ghana's indebtedness to their members is greatly obstructing efforts by Chinese pharmaceutical companies in finding vaccines for the novel coronavirus.
“All the companies that produce the vaccines for coronavirus have closed down in China because we are not able to pay them. It will worsen the satiation in China,” he alleged Tuesday on Onua FM.
Pharmaceutical companies in Ghana on February 10 announced they will cease medical supplies to health facilities under the National Health Insurance Scheme until they provide payment guarantees.
“Health facilities owing more than three (3) months shall no more enjoy any credit facilities from our members,” they said in a statement issued by the Chamber of Pharmacy-Ghana.
Speaking on the matter on Onua FM's Yen Sempa on Tuesday, Mr Ameka claimed their suppliers in China are not ready to supply their Ghanaian counterparts due to their indebtedness.
Also, he claimed “the prices of some suppliers have gone up to 78%” something he said was affecting Ghanaian pharmaceuticals.
SSNIT and GRA
Mr. Ameka noted that despite being owed by government, SSNIT and the Ghana Revenue Authority have been chasing them for SSNIT contributions of their staff and taxes.
By Kweku Antwi-Otoo|3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 11, 2020 | https://3news.com/ghanas-debt-to-pharmaceutical-companies-affecting-efforts-at-finding-coronavirus-vaccine/ |
null | The Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has commended Ghana's banking sector for the continued support for Government initiatives and development programmes over the years.
The Vice President is particularly grateful for the support of Barclays Bank Ghana over the years in achieving Government's flagship programmes in agriculture, education and technology, and for supporting other programmes such as rural telephony network expansion, Ghana Road fund financing, Getfund Syndicated facility, all geared towards inclusive development.
Vice President Bawumia gave the commendation when he delivered an address on behalf of President Nana Akufo-Addo at the launch of Absa Bank Ghana, formerly Barclays Bank Ghana, in Accra on Monday, 10th February, 2020.
This change follows the takeover of Barclay's Bank by the Absa group in 2018.
Recalling some highlights of Barclays Bank's 103 year history in Ghana, Vice President Bawumia commended the bank for setting a high bar for banking in the country and partnering successive governments to achieve remarkable feats.
“You have made significant contribution to the economic growth and development of Ghana. As a bank, you have played significant roles in our annual cocoa syndication arrangement, the various Eurobonds and many other financing deals to generate funds for key government projects to serve the people of our beloved country.
“Indeed, you were at the forefront of the 2017 bold historic 2.25 billion dollars bond, which we raised to help support key development projects for Ghanaians. The deal, the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa, was instrumental in Government's liability management strategy.
“In addition to the above, you are playing an instrumental role in the financing of various important development projects across the country” Vice President Bawumia disclosed.
“These and the many other support give us the confidence that Absa Bank's commitment to Ghana is unchanging.”
Vice President Bawumia called on the banking and financial sector to do more for Small and Medium Entreprises (SME), who play a very key role in the economy.
“One area of great concern for us as government is support to the Small and Medium-sized Scale Enterprises. The contribution of the SME sector to our economy is quite significant. It is for this reason that government continues to encourage private sector support for this segment.
“The President acknowledges the support the private sector and especially some of the financial institutions are giving to the SME sector, making us truly partners in development.”
To take further advantage of the benefits of technology and digitisation Ghana, Vice President Bawumia said, is reaching for a major frontier of financial inclusion.
“Thanks to the Bank of Ghana and Ghipps, Ghana will launch a Universal QR Code payments system next month. This will make it possible for all retailers to receive payments on their mobile phones without the need for Point of Sale device.
“Soon we will be buying ‘Kofi brokeman,' paying for tro-tro services, paying rent and for stuff in the market with our QR Code. Singapore launched a QR Code system in 2018. Ghana will be about the only country in Africa with a QR Code system.
“It is our determination that Ghana will not be left behind in the 4th Industrial Revolution and our human resource development, our financial sector development should focus broadly on building an inclusive system that opens the landscape for innovation and deepening of both the public and private sector environment.”
Vice President Bawumia commended the board and management of Barclays for the smooth transition to a new brand name, saying “Ghana together with Absa Bank is making history. This year, 2020, is the dawn of a new decade and a new and refreshed beginning for Absa Bank Ghana Limited and we are proud to be part of this beginning.”
By Presidency|Ghana | null | null | February 11, 2020 | https://3news.com/bawumia-unveils-absa-bank-ghana-ltd/ |
null | China has “removed” several senior officials over their handling of the coronavirus outbreak – as the death toll passed 1,000. | null | null | February 11, 2020 | https://3news.com/bosses-removed-as-coronavirus-death-toll-hits-1000/ |
null | China has “removed” several senior officials over their handling of the coronavirus outbreak – as the death toll passed 1,000. The party secretary for the Hubei Health Commission, and the head of the commission, were among those who lost their jobs. They are the most senior officials to be demoted so far. The deputy director of the local Red Cross was also removed for “dereliction of duty” over “handling of donations”. The two Hubei party officials will be replaced by a national figure – the deputy director of China's National Health Commission, Wang Hesheng. On Monday, some 103 died in Hubei province alone, a daily record, and the national death toll is now 1,016. But the number of new infections nationally was down almost 20% from the day before, from 3,062 to 2,478. Hubei's health commission confirmed 2,097 new cases in the province on Monday, down from 2,618 the previous day. According to state media, there have been hundreds of sackings, investigations and warnings across Hubei and other provinces during the outbreak. But removal from a certain role – while regarded as a censure – does not always mean the person will be sacked entirely, as it can also mean demotion. As well as being removed from their posts, officials can also be punished by the ruling Communist Party. For example, the deputy head of the Red Cross, Zhang Qin, was given “a serious intra-Party warning as well as a serious administrative demerit”, state media said. Earlier this month, the deputy head of the Wuhan bureau of statistics was removed, also with a “serious intra-party warning as well as a serious administrative demerit for violating relevant regulations to distribute face masks”. The head of the health commission of Huanggang, the second-worst hit city in Hubei after Wuhan, has also been removed. In recent days, Chinese authorities have increasingly been criticised for their handling of the crisis. The death of a doctor whose early warnings were suppressed by authorities sparked widespread public anger. Beijing has sent a team from its highest anti-corruption agency to Hubei to investigate the treatment of Dr Li by police. There are now more than 42,200 confirmed cases across China, in the country's gravest public health crisis since the Sars outbreak in 2002-3. The Hubei health commission said the province had a total of 31,728 cases with 974 deaths by the end of Monday – a fatality rate of 3%. More than three-quarters of the deaths have been in Hubei's provincial capital, Wuhan, the centre of the outbreak. The city of 11 million has been in lockdown for weeks. In Hong Kong, 23 households were evacuated from an estate on Monday night, and taken into quarantine, after cases were detected there. The territory has had months of protests and chief executive Carrie Lam said: “In order to fight this virus, Hong Kong needs the full cooperation and active participation of every member of society. “This is a time for social cohesion; this is a time for everyone of us to display civic responsibility.” In the UK, four new cases were announced on Monday – taking the total number of people infected in the country to eight. The government issued new powers in England to keep people in quarantine, but the overall risk level in the UK remains “moderate”. Meanwhile, 65 more people have tested positive on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship moored off Japan – meaning 135 out of 3,700 passengers have caught the virus. Thailand on Tuesday did not allow passengers from another cruise ship to disembark, despite no confirmed infections aboard. The MS Westerdam had already been barred from docking in Guam and Japan. North Korea is reported to have sent hundreds of workers to patrol its borders with China, as it steps up measures to protect against the virus. Road, rail and air links with China have already been cut. The country has not reported any infections but South Korean media say the virus has reached the secretive communist state. The main signs of infection are fever (high temperature) and a cough as well as shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. Frequent hand washing with soap or gel, avoiding close contact with people who are ill and not touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, can help cut the risk of infection. Catching coughs and sneezes in a tissue, binning it and washing your hands can minimise the risk of spreading disease. | null | null | February 11, 2020 | https://3news.com/bosses-removed-as-coronavirus-death-toll-hits-1000-2/ |
null | Ghana earned $378 million from the sale of 110 tonnes of raw cashew nuts in 2018.
The amount represented 43 per cent of the total revenue obtained from non-traditional export commodities in the country.
The Director of Crop Services of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Mr Seth Osei-Akoto, announced this at the opening of a one-week technical upscaling development training programme on cashew value chain promotion in Sunyani yesterday.
Seventy-two participants, made up of tutors from agriculture training institutions in Ghana are taking part in the training programme to ensure that they acquire the right knowledge in order to pass it on to potential trainees who enrol in their institutions.
The training was organised by Competitive Cashew Initiative (GIZ/ComCashew), a non-governmental organisation, in collaboration with the Ghana Skills Development Initiative (GSDI), with support from the MoFA.
Challenges
Addressing the participants, Mr Osei-Akoto said there were challenges bedevilling the cashew sub-sector in most producing countries, including Ghana, where production levels were still low between 200 to 400 kilogrammes per hectare as compared to the potential yield of 1,500 to 2,000 kilograms per hectare in Asia and other continents.
Mr Osei-Akoto explained that under the flagship programme, Planting for Food and Jobs, the government had supported the development and distribution of about five million improved planting seedlings to farmers this year.
Mr Osei-Akoto commended ComCashew and its partners for the investment in the capacity building of actors with the cashew sub-sector and gave assurance that the ministry would continue to collaborate and support such initiatives.
Authority Act
He said it was gratifying that the government had passed the Tree Crop Development Authority Act (Act 1010) that sought to develop and regulate the cashew sub-sector to enable it to contribute to the economic transformation of the country.
In a speech read on her behalf, the Bono Regional Minister, Mrs Evelyn Ama Kumi-Richardson, observed that as a region with the highest production in cashew, the government's Planting for Export and Rural Development programme had been very beneficial to its farmers.
She stated that cashew processing companies in the region had invested in adding value not only to the cashew kennels but also the apple and called on partners in the cashew sub-sector to support and encourage more processing of the commodity in the region.
Capacity building
For her part, the Finance and Administration Manager of ComCashew, Mrs Juliana Ofori-Karikari, explained that the main objective of her organisation was to increase the competitiveness of production and processing of cashew in Africa.
Mrs Ofori-Karikari observed that Ghana had become a place of expertise in cashew throughout West Africa and said that had become possible through the efforts of MoFA, supported by stakeholders such as GIZ/ComCashew.
Touching on the objective of the training, Mr Leonard Dogbey of the Ghana Skills Development Initiative stated that there was the need to equip facilitators such as tutors of agriculture educational institutions with the standard skills to enable them to impart their knowledge to their potential trainees to enhance job creation and employment opportunities.
Source Graphic Online | null | null | February 11, 2020 | https://3news.com/ghana-earns-378-million-from-raw-cashew-nuts-exports/ |
null | “We‘re dying! Our hostels haven't been sprayed. Some media in Ghana are not painting a true picture of what is happening to us in China. We're dying here in China!”
These were the opening statement of Ms. Naa, a Ghanaian medical student in Hanghou, a city in China. She and her colleagues have been terrified for months indoors. They're only waiting to either get affected by the fast-spreading virus which has claimed over 37,000 lives in China and many others in about 25 countries.
“Broken” Naa was a part of the two I had a chat with this morning (Monday, February 102020). They narrated their ordeal with raging voices. According to them, they've heard the government of Ghana is contemplating evacuating them. They've also heard some monies have been sent to their student leadership in China to purchase nose masks and other protective gears.
But all these have done nothing to clearing their fear of infection and death soon. They feel abandoned by the Chinese government despite intentional law requires proper treatment of foreign nationals. More pathetic – they feel dejected by their own government, the government of Ghana. They say they're discriminated against in their daily strive to remain unaffected; and to worsen the situation, they continue to be trapped in their hostels as they witness many terrifying deaths around them.
Our brothers and sisters say, each day comes with a new novel coronavirus case. These cases happen right under their noses, and some next-doors. They say at the least complaint of headache or stomach ache, some students in question are picked up and sent to quarantine centers and mixed up with affected people. Despite the growing cases around them, their hostels haven't been fumigated, but their Chinese counterparts have theirs fumigated.
Schools have been closed down in the midst of the outbreak, some will soon reopen in a fortnight's time. Our Ghanaian siblings remain indoors unable to do anything meaningful of life. For months now, they continue to endure everything that comes with living in a stuffy, less tidy and sickening room environment. Many of them continue to pick up communicable diseases as a result. But they dare not complain to the hearing of anyone. They delete every news or chat they receive on the subject of the epidemic, there're daily tech surveillance on them.
The cost of living of our brothers and sisters have also shot up exponentially. A menu is sent round the various rooms for them to choose what they wish to buy, at very exorbitant prices. Some have starved, others are starving. For those who have monies to eat, fear anything could be put in the food they order. Many are running out of food and money. The epidemic has curtailed their movements.
Some students who are engulfed with uncontrolled fear contact their school authorities. The response by some authorities shows the gravitas of the situation and the need for government to reconsider its decisions. For instance, a Dean of one of the universities is reported to have advised the students to go to their countries because the situation is getting out of hand, the rate at which people are dying is scary. Ghanaian students have been thrown into a shock and psychological trauma. They've since been reaching out to relative in Ghana and crying that they are saved.
After I told them, the hesitance on the part of government to evacuate them is due to the fear of contracting the dreaded virus in the process of evacuation, they answered in a sorrowful voice that they'd prefer to die in their beloved home (Ghana) than in a strange land which isn't compassionate about their lives.
The lives of these Ghanaian brothers and sisters have become even more volatile in the face of allegations that Chinese government appealing to their highest court to obtain judgment to kill all affected patients. This allegation has been reported as false but the chaotic situation remains unchanged.
I am terrified myself after hearing the account of my sisters in Hangzhou. I can't forget how teary they sounded and how hopeless they'd become because of their plights. More worrying, I haven't read any of such accounts on the Ghanaian media.
Indeed, such a worrying issue that need urgent attention and reconsideration by the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the President himself. We can't wait until we record the first black case. For me whether they're on scholarship or not, it's not a time for selective justice, it should worry everyone called Ghanaian.
Mr Minister, Your Excellency the President, your children in China say they want to die in Ghana and not China. And as it stands now, they are dying! Please rescue them!
I asked Miss Naa, what could be done to help them if evacuation fails, she said their hostels should be sprayed regularly, and that may only contain their cries for a while, since they feel the virus has come very close to them in their hostels.
By Kabu Nartey|[email protected] | null | null | February 10, 2020 | https://3news.com/were-starving-and-suffering-ghanaian-students-in-china-scream/ |
null | Is the memory of your ex buggin' you? The San Antonio Zoo has a solution… | null | null | February 10, 2020 | https://3news.com/name-a-cockroach-after-your-ex-and-feed-it-to-animal-on-valentines-day/ |
null | Is the memory of your ex buggin' you? The San Antonio Zoo has a solution… | null | null | February 10, 2020 | https://3news.com/name-a-cockroach-after-your-ex-and-feed-it-to-animal-on-valentines-day-2/ |
null | Four Chinese nationals have been arrested in Kenya after one of them – a chef at a local restaurant – was recorded caning a Kenyan worker. The footage was broadcast by a local TV station. WATCH: ‘K24 Digital' has exclusively obtained a disturbing video clip showing a senior Chinese hotel officer whipping a Kenyan waiter over allegations of reporting late to work. The video was recorded at Chez Wou Restaurant in Kileleshwa, Nairobi last week. pic.twitter.com/CTIns3wOyn The Embassy noticed a video clip about a Chinese chef and Kenyan colleague issued by K24 TV today. We support the Kenyan police to investigate the whole issue thoroughly according to Kenyan laws. Whoever violating the law will face the legal consequences.@K24Tv | null | null | February 10, 2020 | https://3news.com/chinese-national-arrested-for-caning-kenyan/ |
null | The Special Prosecutor has commenced investigations into the allegations of bribery against Ghanaian public officials in the controversial Airbus SE deal, stating there is reasonable suspicion of corruption.
European aviation giant, Airbus is alleged to have paid millions of dollars in bribes to some Ghana government officials in the sale of three military aircraft to Ghana in 2011 and 2015.
The UK Crown Court ruled on January 20, 2020 that the purchase of two of the aircrafts were compromised and therefore fined Airbus €3 billion for flouting OECD rules.
The Presidency on February 3 petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor to investigate the bribery allegations contained in the judgement and take the necessary action.
A statement issued Monday, February 10 by the Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu said his outfit has determined that there are “reasonable suspicion of the commission of corruption and corruption-related offences of bribery of public officers and the use of public office by public officers for private profit”.
That, he explained, are offences under the mandate of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959).
Accordingly, he said preliminary investigation has since been opened into the case and his office has requested both relevant domestic public institutions connected to the issue to assist in the investigations.
“Contacts have also been initiated with the appropriate foreign authorities as provided by law for information and documents to assist the on-going investigation,” he said in the statement.
It has thus appealed to the public not to speculate or politicize “the disclosures made in the deferred prosecution agreements and judgments” so as to allow his Office to treat the suspected crimes as “suspected crimes simpliciter and nothing more, pending the conclusion of the investigation”.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 10, 2020 | https://3news.com/amidu-requests-for-more-details-on-airbus-bribery-scandal/ |
null | South Korean film Parasite has been named best picture at this year's Oscars, becoming the first non-English language film to take the top prize. | null | null | February 10, 2020 | https://3news.com/south-koreas-parasite-makes-oscars-history/ |
null | South Korean film Parasite has been named best picture at this year's Oscars, becoming the first non-English language film to take the top prize. Renee Zellweger won best actress for playing Judy Garland in Judy. Joaquin Phoenix was named best actor for Joker. Brad Pitt and Laura Dern scooped the supporting acting awards for their roles in Once Upon A Time in Hollywood and Marriage Story respectively. Parasite won four awards in total, while Sir Sam Mendes's 1917 took three. The World War One epic had been the favourite to win best picture, but its awards all came in the technical categories. Parasite's Bong Joon-ho beat Sir Sam to the prize for best director, and also took the best original screenplay award. The film is a vicious social satire about two families from different classes in Seoul – one who live in poverty in a semi-basement, and another rich family residing in a large home. It has now managed what no other subtitled film has done in the 92-year history of the Academy Awards and won best picture. “I feel like I'll wake up to find it's all a dream. It all feels very surreal,” Bong said. Producer Kwak Sin-ae, who collected the trophy, said: “I'm speechless. We never imagined this to happen. I feel like a very opportune moment in history is happening right now.” There were boos when organisers tried to cut short the best picture acceptance speech by turning the stage lights off – leading the lights to be turned back on, allowing the celebrations to continue. Pitt won the first acting Oscar of his career – picking up the best supporting actor trophy for his role in Quentin Tarantino's film. He was the first winner of the night, and immediately used his speech to attack the way the impeachment proceedings against US President Donald Trump were handled. He referred to the fact that Republican senators voted against allowing witnesses including former National Security Adviser John Bolton to give evidence. “They told me I only have 45 seconds up here, which is 45 seconds more than the Senate gave John Bolton this week,” he said. “I'm thinking maybe Quentin does a movie about it and in the end the adults do the right thing.” The 56-year-old moved from the political to the personal, paying tribute to co-star Leonardo DiCaprio and reflecting on his journey to Hollywood superstardom. “I'm a bit gobsmacked,” he said, getting emotional. “I'm not one to look back, but this has made me do so.” Phoenix, who won best actor for his remarkable performance in the origin story about Batman's nemesis, also used the podium to send a heartfelt message about the state of the world, saying actors have the power to give a “voice for the voiceless”. After telling the audience to stop clapping him as he took to the stage – “Don't do that” – he managed to cover topics from animal rights and the environment to racism and sexism. The vegan activist told the audience that “we feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow, and when she gives birth, we steal her baby even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable”. He also pointed out his own flaws: “I've been a scoundrel in my life. I've been cruel at times and hard to work with, but so many people in this room have given me a second chance.” He ended his speech by quoting a lyric written by his late brother River: “Run to the rescue and love and peace will follow.” A day before her 53rd birthday, Laura Dern won best supporting actress for playing a divorce lawyer in Marriage Story. She comes from an illustrious acting family, but in winning managed something her parents have not. Mother Diane Ladd has been nominated for three Academy Awards, and dad Bruce Dern has two unsuccessful nominations. “Some say never meet your heroes,” their daughter told the audience. “But I say if you're really blessed, you get them as your parents.” Meanwhile, Zellweger used her speech to pay tribute to Garland, who was nominated for two Oscars in the 1950s and 60s. “Judy Garland did not receive this honour in her time,” the actress said. “I am certain that this moment is an extension of the celebration of her legacy.” For the second year, the ceremony had no host. It all started with an incendiary performance by singer and Moonlight actress Janelle Monae. “We are celebrating all the women who directed phenomenal films,” she said. “I'm proud to be here as a black queer woman.” Then Steve Martin and Chris Rock appeared to deliver the traditional opening monologue as a double act. “We both have hosted the Oscars before. And this is such an incredible demotion,” Martin quipped. He remarked: “Think how much the Oscars have changed in the past 92 years. Back in 1929 there were no black acting nominees.” Rock added: “And now in 2020 we've got one.” They then gave way to a string of other celebrities to introduce each award. BBC | null | null | February 10, 2020 | https://3news.com/south-koreas-parasite-makes-oscars-history-2/ |
null | The Millennium Excellence Foundation (MEF) will on February 13, 2020 launch the 5th Millennium Excellence Awards (MEA), Ghana's most prestigious and independent award, in Accra.
Known for its integrity and reputation for excellence, the Foundation has through the quinquennial awards, recognised institutions and individuals in all sectors of the Ghanaian economy for their varied contributions to national development.
More than 1,600 individuals and organisations have been nominated in the 37 categories under the award, which is scheduled to take place in Accra in July 2020.
The nominees were carefully selected by a MEF research team based on their selflessness, dedication, effort, knowledge and contribution to Ghana's socio-economic and political development.
The names of the nominees will be published in the Daily Graphic for the public to nominate one person or institution in each of the categories.
The public also have the opportunity to nominate individuals and entities who they feel are deserving of a Millennium Excellence Award, but have not been captured in the list. All new nominations outside the published names must be justified with reasons for consideration.
Chairperson of the Foundation, Grace Amey-Obeng, will perform the launch of the event which will be attended by a representative of the life patron, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and other past laureates of the awards.
The Millennium Excellence Foundation is headed by a Life Patron, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who ensures the sustainability of its mission. It is headed by the Founder, Ashim Morton, whose goal is to drive the principles of sustainable development in Africa.
The Chairman and Vice Chairman together with the Board of Directors are the policymakers at the Foundation. All Members of the Foundation are experts in the fields of attention of the Foundation's policy framework.
The Foundation focuses most of its resources in three key areas – Agriculture and Food Security; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene and Science [WASH]; and Innovation and Technology.
The three areas of focus are headed by the President, Board of Governors, Advisory Technical team and program managers. The Executive Team serves a five-yearly term and responsible for overall management of the Foundations Prize Ceremonies and Consultancy Services it provides. The Team works with its Partners to ensure the sustainability of our mission.
It aligns its objectives with the SDGs to reduce poverty, ensure accountability in Governance in three key areas of attention that will lead to sustainable growth and development for the citizens of Africa.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | February 4, 2020 | https://3news.com/5th-millennium-excellence-awards-launch-set-for-feb-13/ |
null | Zoomlion Ghana Limited has served notice it will appeal the decision of the Accra High Court dismissing a case that challenged the validity of surcharges issued by the Auditor General against the waste management firm.
“Much as Zoomlion welcomes the decision, it should be noted that the company is clothed with the right to seek a review of the High Court's decision and will proceed to take steps it deems fit based on the counsel of its Lawyers upon studying the ruling,” it said in a statement Monday.
Though Zoomlion said it was yet to receive a certified true copy of the court's decision, “the court was categorical that no fraud was established”.
The surcharges were issued following an audit of a contract executed by Zoomlion Ghana Limited for the Ministry of Health. Although Zoomlion always maintained that the Auditor General's position was ill-suited when measured against the actual circumstances of the contract, the High Court held otherwise.
“It is noteworthy that no reasons were immediately assigned by the Court for its ruling save to indicate that the facts will be captured in a detailed decision,” Zoomlion said in the statement.
It has meanwhile assured the public particularly its stakeholders that the company's commitment to transparency in its operations and regard for regulatory authorities and the law, as well as excellence in service delivery remains firm.
The Auditor-General in January 2019 served a surcharge and disallowance certificate on Zoomlion, which the company disagreed with and appropriately appealed against it in the High Court in accordance with law.
By 3newss.com|Ghana | null | null | February 4, 2020 | https://3news.com/zoomlion-to-appeal-high-court-decision-on-auditor-generals-surcharge/ |
null | Manchester United are in talks to sign former Watford striker Odion Ighalo and are growing confident of loaning a forward before the transfer deadline. | null | null | January 31, 2020 | https://3news.com/man-united-in-talks-with-striker-ighalo/ |
null | If you thought you've seen or heard it all then you are in for a big surprise. Because apparently, pregnant women are a big turn-on for some men and get this, these men are literally strangers. Crazy right!
I have heard some pregnant women say how unattractive and uncomfortable they feel during their pregnancy. But for some reasons best known to these men, they have the hotspots for pregnant women.
Imagine walking down the street with your baby bump then bam! A man walks up to you only to express interest in you. I mean how does that even work? How do you handle such a situation? Do you laugh it off and walk away? Or do you give them a piece of your mind? And what if they are persistent? What do you do?
These are questions some women who called into the Onua FM drive time show Efie Ne Fie to answer and also share their experiences with the host, Dr. Prekese.
The women were asked whether they've been pursued by men who weren't their partners when they were pregnant, and their answers will leave your jaws on the floor.
According to the women who shared the experiences, men who pursued them did not mind that they were either married or in a relationship. Some even went as far as paying for their medical bills.
Isabella who was 6-month pregnant recounted how a man stayed with her all day when they met at the hospital. According to her, she had gone for an antenatal care when she met the said man who asked her whether she was married. Even though, she told him she was, that did not deter him, as he was adamant about winning her.
“He asked about the whereabouts of my husband and when I told him he was at work, he offered to stay with me at the hospital and pretend to be my husband when we go see the doctor. After my checks, he took me for grocery shopping and even bought me a phone when I lied about not having a phone”, she said.
Another caller who also shared her experience detailed how she met a man when she was 6-month pregnant. Akua revealed how the man shared his marital issues with her.
“He told me he and his wife have been married for 5 years without a child. And so if I was willing, he would want to marry me and take care of me and my unborn child and adopt my child as his own when I deliver”, she revealed.
The most shocking and probably funny one is when a caller (name withheld) narrated her story about a man she met during an errand in town who offered to be her “sidekick”or boyfriend during her pregnancy period and offer his “services” whenever she was in the mood for sex.
“After learning that my husband had traveled outside the country, he said he will be willing to have sex with me whenever I am in the mood for it as my husband wasn't available and he found me very attractive”, she said.
When asked how they handled the situation, some said they laughed it off and walked away. Others gave them a piece of their mind while but the rest took advantage of the situation.
Tune in every Monday and Tuesday for the Mma Kasa segment on Onua FM's Efie Ne Fie with Dr. Prekese at 3pm and listen to women share their experiences on various social issues that will shock you to your very core.
By Geraldine Amaning|3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 31, 2020 | https://3news.com/pregnant-women-reveal-how-theyre-pursued-by-men/ |
null | Doctors and other health professionals in Ghana trained five years ago to respond to Ebola cases are being asked to immediately regroup and prepare to handle any possible case of coronavirus, which has been declared a global health emergency.
Cases of the virus have reached nearly 10,000 in China, and more than 100 cases have been reported in 22 other countries. A total of 213 have died from the disease in China so far, according to the BBC.
On the back of cases being recorded outside china where the outbreak originated, Ghana has stepped up surveillance at its entry points as passengers are screened for possible infection before being allowed entry.
Government on Monday designated the Ridge Hospital and the Tema General Hospital as centres to manage possible cases of coronavirus in the country.
It also said the country has triggered its emergency preparedness and response plan amidst the rising number of infections from the virus which was first recorded in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
The Ghana Medical in a statement Friday said it is concerned about the disease.
“The human interactions between countries make the possibility of an outbreak of the coronavirus in Ghana very real,” it stated.
The situation, according to the association, requires that Ghana prepares in terms of logistics, protocols and trained personnel to deal with any possible case.
Accordingly, it underscored the need for the reactivation of a well-coordinated rapid response team like the one set up during the Ebola pandemic in 2014/2015.
“We urge doctors and other health care workers who were trained as part of that response team to immediately regroup and get involved actively as we strengthen our preparedness towards any possible case of coronavirus infection in Ghana”.
Click here to read the full statement | null | null | January 31, 2020 | https://3news.com/gma-appeals-to-doctors-trained-for-ebola-to-be-on-standby-for-coronavirus/ |
null | Anglogold Ashanti has celebrated its first gold production at the Obuasi Mine, a year after the reactivation of operations.
The once viable Obuasi firm was nearly shut down as a result of number of factors including continues fall of the global price of cocoa.
Over a thousand of people lost their jobs, both direct and indirect with indigenes of Obuasi being the worst affected.
The celebration of the gold pour was to herald a new production era.
“The shutdown of the mine brought a serious hardship to the community,” President Nana Akufo-Addo asserts.
Anglogold bounces back
In January 2019, the Obuasi mine restored operations with the support of government. The president Nana Akufo-Addo, the Asantehene took part of the historical opening of Anglogold Ashanti.
2016 campaign promise
Nana Akufo-Addo during his tour of Obuasi in the 2016 electioneering assured the people his government will ensure the mine resume operations.
“In fulfilment of the 2016 campaign promise to the people of Obuasi, my assumption of office saw series of discussions which has brought the mine back to life,” Nana Akufo-Addo said.
Global CEO of Anglogold, Kelvin Dushnisky said “the objective is to move into 2020 to hit 4000 tonnes a day production mark.”
Local content
Managing director of Anglogold Ashanti, Eric Asubonteng told 3news.com “when we went out to redevelop the mind we made a conscious decision through our discussion with local content. Once we hit the ground running we introduce a program which has the participation of Ghanaian businesses. We have a result to show.”
By William Evans-Nkum|3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 31, 2020 | https://3news.com/anglogold-celebrates-first-gold-production-at-revived-obuasi-mine/ |
null | The Bawku West District Assembly in the Upper East region has for the second time in two weeks failed to elect a presiding member after two rounds of voting.
At the end of the first round of voting on Thursday January 30, none of the two candidates secured the two-thirds of the total votes cast to emerge the winner.
Assembly member for Zebilla central electoral Atiah Kurugu, who is a teacher, polled 32 votes in the first round while his contender, Alfred Ndaugo, a retired educationist, polled 18 votes.
[caption id="attachment_12161" align="aligncenter" width="1008"] The two vying for the PM job[/caption]
The second round saw the teacher securing 31 votes with the retired educationist getting 19 votes.
The Assembly is composed of 50 members of which 34 are elected and 15 are government appointees.
[caption id="attachment_12162" align="aligncenter" width="1008"] Members of the assembly[/caption]
Acting District Coordinating Director, Mr. Elias Atimbire had prior to the voting pleaded with the assembly members to collaborate and choose a leader who would steer the affairs of the assembly to facilitate development in the district.
He noted that the absence of a Presiding Member for the past three years was affecting the Assembly's decision-making process and implementation of projects and programmes.
DCE for the area, Madam Victoria Ayamba expressed worry at the turn of events, but was however confident that a substantive presiding member would be elected at the next General Assembly meeting.
She called on the assembly members to be united for the development of the district.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 31, 2020 | https://3news.com/bawku-west-assembly-fails-to-elect-presiding-member/ |
null | Police investigators in the Garu District of Upper East Region have rejected a 6,540-cedi bribe offered for a motor bike theft case to be dropped.
Kofi Awuni, who has been arrested, was said to have offered the money to investigators handling the case on Thursday.
Police intelligence led to the arrest of Amadu Yakubu in connection with a missing motorbike on Tuesday. January 28, 2020.
A search conducted in his room led to the retrieval of three unregistered motor bikes which were suspected to have been stolen from their owners.
Further Investigations led to the arrest of Wudu Mohammed an alleged accomplice who is suspected for dishonestly receiving of stolen motor bikes and offering them for sale.
“While investigation was on-going, suspect Kofi Awuni offered investigators 6.540.00 cedis for the case of stealing and dishonestly receiving to be dropped. He was subsequently arrested and cautioned for attempting to bribe public officer,” a police statement said Friday.
The money offered, the police say, has been retained as exhibit for evidential purposes.
All three suspects who are under investigation were expected to be arraigned on charges of stealing and bribing public officer Friday.
The Police have urged the public to refrain from offering bribes to public officers during investigations.
“Instead, they should assist police with information leading to the arrest and prosecution of offenders…it is an offence against the state to bribe a police officer.
Meanwhile the Upper East Regional Police Command has intensified its operations to clamp down on criminals, especially those involved in motor bike theft, a crime it said, has been rampant along the Ghana, Togo and Burkina Faso borders.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 31, 2020 | https://3news.com/police-investigators-reject-over-6000-bribe-to-drop-case-arrest-3-suspects/ |
null | The new coronavirus has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization, as the outbreak continues to spread outside China. | null | null | January 30, 2020 | https://3news.com/coronavirus-declared-global-health-emergency-by-who/ |
null | Former President John Dramani Mahama has suggested he has been vindicated for stating in 2016 that Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia did not have the competence to run the country's economy.
On the back of criticism from the then presidential and vice presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party against his running of the economy, Mahama asked; “do you know what it takes to be a president?”
Mr Mahama who is now in opposition claims the management of the economy for the past three years by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia led-government, has clearly demonstrated the two have no practical expertise whatsoever.
He said: “I'm sure today they see the reality and I would've hope that today, Bawumia would give another lecture at the Central University and say the same theoretical things he used to say.
“You don't run an economy from textbooks; you don't run an economy with economic lectures,” Mahama said Thursday evening in a Live Social media interaction.
For the former president who is seeking to recapture power from Nana Akufo-Addo, “Running an economy takes practical work, determination and prioritization”.
He argued economic management was not as theoretical as Dr Bawumia made it seem ahead of the December 2016 general elections.
Akufo-Addo & Bawumia were naive
Mr Mahama contended that both Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr Bawumia “were very naïve” and were only interested in asking the former vice president, the late Dr Kwesi Amissah Arthur “170 theoretical questions”.
He stated that after all the economic lectures by Dr Bawumia, the Akufo-Addo government is having difficulty to diagnose the cause of the depreciation of the Ghana cedi, which Mahama said even a first year economic student can do
“…today they come and set up a 40-man committee to understand why forex is [falling]. I mean a first year university student will tell you and so you don't need that FX Committee”, he said.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 30, 2020 | https://3news.com/you-dont-run-an-economy-from-textbooks-mahama-tells-bawumia/ |
null | Subah Infosolutions Ghana Limited, one of Ghana's leading IT and telecommunications solution provider, has saved the government of Guinea millions of dollars from sim box fraud.
The government through its Telecoms Regulatory Agency, ARPT, contracted Subah Infosolutions to perform an investigation to detect and locate these suspected fraudulent SIM box devices operating on the network of operators in Guinea.
Based on a great job Subah did for Ghana between 2014 to 2017, the company was invited to come and assist as the Mobile Network Operators in Guinea were experiencing revenue loss due to fraudulent and unauthorized diversion of International voice calls through SIM box equipment on various telecommunication mobile network SIM Cards.
After a one month technical and very thorough investigations, Subah through an implemented Fraud Management System, with its local consulting agents, performed an operation, saving the Guinean government close to 1.5 million dollars in November, 2019.
Subah's intervention has saved the Guinean government a total of 7,747,992 million dollars from January, 2019 to November, 2019.
Mr. Eric Nyarko-Aboagye, Chief Operating Officer of the Subah Group, indicated that the Guinean contract is a testament to the fact that Subah Infosolutions has what it takes to provide Revenue Assurance and Audit across Africa.
“We continue to build higher competencies in Cyber security and have all the necessary equipment to assist African governments to mobilize resources for critical national development,” he added.
He reiterated that Subah's solution does not only reduce revenue leakage but it also stops fraudsters from siphoning revenue from the state. “
It will be recalled that Subah's Revenue Monitoring Assurance and Tax Monitoring System (RATMS) in Ghana saved the nation 43 million dollars between 2014 and 2017 as the system ensured that government and other state agencies get hold of the taxes they are entitled to from telecommunication operators.
The RATMS is a rigorous system that enables tax authorities to accelerate tax collection via a distributed and scalable multi-threaded architecture configuration that supports multi-vendor and technology networks.
In 2017 Subah Infosolutions was adjudged the “Best Revenue Assurance, Fraud & Traffic Monitoring Solution” provider at the 4th Annual Africa Telecoms Fraud, Revenue Assurance and Risk Management Forum in Kenya.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 30, 2020 | https://3news.com/subah-saves-guinea-7-7-million-from-sim-box-fraud/ |
null | “When I closed THE GRAPES OF WRATH, I was a different man. It enriched my powers of thinking and discipline, and my relationships. I left prison more informed than I went in and the more informed you are the less arrogant and aggressive you are.” – Nelson Mandela
The above quote by one of the world's icons of democracy, Nelson Madiba Mandela, clearly demonstrates the significance of information and for that matter education in the transformation and reformation of a person. It is for this reason that I believe the Ghana Prisons Administration's focus on inmates' education is a step in the right direction.
It would be recalled that the Ghana Prisons Service in 2007 with the support of the Ghana Education Service (GES) introduced formal education into Ghana's Prison system. It is worthy of note that the inmate students, have also over the years, justified the investments being made in their education as they continue to churn out remarkable results. In 2019 for example, all the 40 inmates presented for BECE recorded a 100% pass of which 25, all juveniles of the Senior Correctional Centre, secured placement in various Senior High Schools, thus benefitting from Government's free SHS programme. Nine/ 9 adults also sat for WASCE, Nov/Dec and are awaiting results of whom I don't expect less.
The Service also runs various vocational and trade training programmes for interested inmates. These include carpentry, tailoring, kente weaving, batik, tie and dye, macramé, block moulding and crocheting, among others.
The Ghana Prisons Service's 2018 Annual Report puts the educational backgrounds of inmates admitted same year as follows: | null | null | January 30, 2020 | https://3news.com/prison-education-the-way-to-go/ |
null | Imprisonment, in recent times, has moved from the era of human warehousing to that which seeks to correct the offending behaviour of offenders. The shift in focus, undoubtedly, requires from the Ghana Prisons Service newer treatment modules which focus on filling behavioural and intellectual gaps of offenders to empower them for fruitful and law abiding lives upon discharge to keep the revolving door of crime shut.
An emerging module employed by the Ghana Prisons Service in this regard is formal and non-formal education. The drive seeks to provide opportunities for prisoners who desire to continue their education or receive literacy training to do so. Most of Ghana's prisons run Junior and Senior High Schools, Technical and Vocational Training, as well as literacy classes through the Non-Formal Education Division of the Ghana Education Service. This fulfils a provision in the United Nation's Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners which states that “so far as is practicable, the education of prisoners shall be integrated with the educational system of the country, so that after their release, they may continue their education without difficulty”.
Less education, more offenders
Statistics gathered over the years suggest that, persons with little or no formal education are more likely to come into conflict with the law. According to the 2018 Annual Report of the Ghana Prisons Service, out of the 9,034 persons admitted into prison, 5,888 had been educated up to the basic level whereas 1,495 had no formal education at the time of admission. These offenders, mostly, had little or no access to educational opportunities probably due to circumstances such as extreme poverty and broken homes. Educational programmes behind bars mostly attempt to right the educational wrongs inflicted on society's marginalised. It has the tendency of reducing one's likelihood of returning to criminal activity as higher academic attainment ensures greater opportunities for employment, improve skill set for economic flexibility and affords the individual stronger decision-making skills required to ensure their compliance with the law upon release.
Positive intervention
On the 18th of January 2020, 59 inmates of the Nsawam Medium Security Prison were matriculated to read various diploma programmes through distance learning from the College of Distance Education of the University of Cape Coast. The tripartite agreement between Plan Volta Foundation, University of Cape Coast and the Ghana Prisons Service has the vision of rolling out the programme across Ghana's 44 prison establishments for qualified inmates.
The programme comes at a time when the Service was struggling to secure a partner for prisoners' tertiary education, as those who had successfully completed secondary education either before their incarceration or from within the walls of our prisons had no opportunities for further studies. The gap in the continuum demotivated prisoners from subscribing to available educational programmes as there was no opportunity to continue beyond the secondary level.
An investment in public safety
Any investment to assist the Ghana Prisons Service deliver on its constitutional mandates of safe custody, welfare, reformation and rehabilitation of prisoners is an investment in public safety. Newman et al in their 1993 work, Prison Literacy, assert that, “appropriate education leads to a more humane and more tolerable prison environment in which to live and work, not only for the inmates but also for the officers, staff and everyone else”.
Prisoner education kills boredom which reminds them of the pains of imprisonment as the pressures of academic work affords them little or no time to grieve over their predicaments. This presents to the prison administrator a fertile ground to implement rehabilitation modules with the overall aim of improving public safety.
Related areas of need
While we commend Plan Volta Foundation and the University of Cape Coast for this intervention, it is important to note that, the module requires the strengthening of certain pillars to prevent a situation where it turns into an effort in futility.
The Service continues to grapple with a daily feeding rate of GH 1.80 per inmate. The amount, which is obviously inadequate, leaves prison administrators in very tight corners as it is almost impossible to convince a virtually hungry offender to subscribe to reformation and rehabilitation modules. There is an urgent need for an upward adjustment of the rate to reduce the burden on prison administrators.
Overcrowding remains a challenge in Ghana's prisons as the 2018 Annual Report of the Service pegs the rate at 52.5%. With the attendant health implications that overcrowding brings, corporate Ghana and faith-based organizations are encouraged to follow the example of the Church of Pentecost to intervene by providing infrastructure required to ease the congestion and present to prisoners a humane environment capable of supporting their reformation.
Finally, when beneficiaries of prison educational modules are released, society should offer them equal employment opportunities as persons who received same training outside. This would serve as a motivation for those in prison to subscribe to prison educational programmes as Dorothea Dix, an American mental health advocate rightly put it, “while we diminish the stimulant of fear, we must increase to prisoners the incitements of hope, in proportion as we extinguish the terrors of the law, we should awaken and strengthen the control of the conscience”.
By DSP Daniel Machator| Deputy Chief Public Relations officer of the Ghana Prisons Service | null | null | January 29, 2020 | https://3news.com/educating-ghanas-imprisoned-a-pathway-to-remain-out-of-jail/ |
null | Chief executive of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Akwasi Agyemang has rubbished calls by entertainment critic Ola Michael for him to be made the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
According to Mr Agyemang, such calls are unhealthy and must not be entertained.
Ola Michael, speaking on Showbiz 927 on 3FM with MzGee, said he believes strongly that Mr Akwasi Agyemang can do a better job than Barbara Oteng Gyasi, who is the current Minister of the sector.
The movie producer stressed that Barbara Oteng Gyasi is a “total misfit” because she does not know anything about the sector she is handling.
“Catherine [Afeku, former Minister of the sector] was on a learning process. She almost got some few things right before she exited. She has so many faults but was getting some few things right. This current one, to me, is a total misfit,” he said.
Ola Michael added, “I wish they could have brought somebody like Akwasi Agyemang who seems to be now running the whole industry in a very simple way. This woman doesn't know jack about what she's doing.”
To buttress his point further, the entertainment critic noted that, “Akwasi Agyemang is running the industry. Right now, Kumasi people are getting loans from GTA. This minister couldn't do anything about it.”
But the GTA boss holds a contrary view. For him, the sector Minister is doing a good job.
“Let's not even start that conversation. It's a very unhealthy and unfortunate statement. I work to a board and a minister, the fact that I have to go out there as the implementing agency doesn't mean that my minister is not doing her work. She does her work; she is at the background…” Mr Agyemang said.
He stressed that the minister is doing a lot – including the Ghana Film Authority, Creative Arts Bill and Afro Nation – for the sector.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 28, 2020 | https://3news.com/calls-for-me-to-be-tourism-minister-unhealthy-akwasi-agyemang/ |
null | Ghana has launched a new general emergency number to replace the current emergency numbers for the various emergency service providers in the country.
Effective today, all persons requiring emergency services from the Police, Fire Service and the Ambulance Service are required to dial 112 on all networks.
“In the past, the Police Service, the Fire Service and the National Ambulance Service all had different emergency numbers. I'm happy to announce that thankfully, we've merged all the emergency numbers to one number which is 112,” President Nana Akufo-Addo announced Tuesday.
Speaking at a ceremony officially commission some 307 newly procured ambulances for distribution nationwide, Nana Akufo-Addo said “For any form of emergency, the number to dial is 112″.
All calls to the 112 emergency number will go through a central command centre, which will reroute the call to the appropriate emergency service provider for prompt response.
President Akufo-Addo expressed concern about the level of prank calls people make to emergency service providers in the country, warning the behaviour threatens the lives of the people.
According to him, 90 per cents of calls to the emergency service providers are usually prank calls, stating “This is not right as it only endangers the lives of Ghanaians in need”.
“I will appeal that this improvement in emergency service be not abused,” he advised.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 28, 2020 | https://3news.com/ghana-announces-112-as-new-general-emergency-number/ |
null | The chiefs and people of Samreboi in the Amenfi West District of the Western Region have threatened to hit the streets again soon to protest against the bad nature of roads in the area.
The residents on November 8, 2019 embarked on a massive demonstration to register their displeasure about the bad state on roads in the area.
A two-week-ultimatum was issued to government to ensure that the poor road network in the area was fixed.
According to them, although Samreboi is a leading cocoa and timber producing area in the country, all the roads linking the town have been left in deplorable state by successive governments.
Speaking on our Sunrise morning show on Tuesday, January 28, 2020, Chief of Samreboi, Nana Ackah Andoh said they are yet to get any response from the government over their concerns.
“We were hopeful of hearing a favourable response from the authorities after presenting our petition to the MCE of the area, but as we speak, nothing has been said to us or are there any plans to fix the roads”.
Nana Ackah Andoh also said they are putting measures in place to embark on another massive demonstration after the expiration of the ultimatum given to government.
According to him, they would longer wait for the rains to commence before government brings in equipment to fix the roads.
“When it begins to rains, it would be impossible for work to be done on the roads”.
He further stated that, if they do not register their displeasure now and get the roads fixed, politicians would only pretend to get the roads fixed because it is an election year.
By Mercydalyne Lokko|3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 28, 2020 | https://3news.com/samreboi-chiefs-residents-threaten-more-protests-over-bad-roads/ |
null | Artiste Manager Bulldog has praised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for implementing the Year of Return initiative.
According to him, the initiative, which saw Ghana host the Afro Nation concert in December last year, has sparked some excitement in the entertainment industry.
Considering the successes chalked by the Year of Return, Bulldog, born Lawrence Nana Asiamah Hanson, is urging successive governments to continue the initiative.
The very vocal artiste manager, speaking in an interview on Showbiz 927 on 3FM, was quick to stress that it will be better to maintain President Akufo-Addo than to have a new leader who will scrap the initiative.
Bulldog, who manages Dancehall artiste Shatta Wale, said he won't entertain any government, irrespective of the party, who will come to power and shelve the Year of Return/Beyond the Return initiative.
He said this while reacting to the deal signed between the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and Event Horizon Entertainment Limited for Ghana to host the Afro Nation concert for the next five years.
Last year, there was a huge influx of foreign nationals into Ghana as the country rounded up the successful Year of Return activities. The year 2019 marked exactly 400 years since the first black slaves arrived in Virginia in the US.
For four nights last year, some of Africa's biggest acts took turns to help write music history in Ghana. If you mattered most in music in Africa this year, the Afro Nation stage was your playground.
From Shatta Wale, Burna Boy, Stonebwoy, Wizkid, R2Bees, Davido, D'banj, Kuami Eugene, Olamide, to Teni, the list was endless. It was raining stars at the Laboma Beach from Friday, December 27 to Monday, December 30, 2019.
Watch Bulldog below Video: Let's keep Akufo-Addo if new gov't will scrap Year of Return – Bulldog Artiste Manager Bulldog has praised President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo for implementing the Year of Return initiative. According to him, the initiative, which saw Ghana host the Afro Nation concert in December last year, has sparked some excitement in the entertainment industry. Considering the successes chalked by the Year of Return, Bulldog, born Lawrence Nana Asiamah Hanson, is urging successive governments to continue the initiative. The very vocal artiste manager, speaking in an interview on Showbiz 927 on FM, was quick to stress that it will be better to maintain President Akufo-Addo than to have a new leader who will scrap the initiative. Bulldog, who manages Dancehall artiste Shatta Wale, said he won't entertain any government, irrespective of the party, who will come to power and shelve the Year of Return/Beyond the Return initiative. Watch the video for Bulldog's comments. A post shared by TV3 Ghana (@tv3_ghana) on Jan 27, 2020 at 11:25am PST | null | null | January 28, 2020 | https://3news.com/video-lets-keep-akufo-addo-if-bulldog/ |
null | The Ghana Railways Company Limited has commenced a three day free passenger service on the Takoradi to Tarkwa rail line.
The trail is to prepare the line for commercial service on February 5.
Tuesday's free passenger service follows a successful completion of rehabilitation works on the Takoradi to Tarkwa rail line as part of the Nana Akufo-Addo administration's agenda to rehabilitate the Western Rail line.
At about 6:30am Tuesday, a five set of coaches and a locomotive with a capacity of 80 – passengers – set off from the Takoradi Train Station to Tarkwa.
It will be the first time in 13 years since a passenger train had gone to Tarkwa from Takoradi.
Scores of residents of Sekondi Takoradi who joined the train could not hide their excitement.
“My happiness is indescribable. When I was a kid I was traveling to Kumasi with my parents on the train and it was so nice. This trip brings back memories, Anita Quarm told 3news.com.
For Gladys Adu, the revival of the passenger service comes as a big relief.
“I travel to Tarkwa every three days. Sometimes it is very scary traveling on the Tarkwa road because of the potholes. Now that I have an alternative I am so happy”.
A 65-year-old Nancy Boadu has her farm at Bonsawire, one of the towns along the rail.
Until the passenger service stopped in 2007, she was carting her goods by rail.
She indicated that ever since the rail stopped, she have had to pay huge transport fares for her farm produce.
“Now that the train is back, I can make savings on my fare,” he said.
Turbulence
From Takoradi to Kojokrom the rail lines were completely made anew.
However, the lines from Kojokrom to Tarkwa are still the old lines that were constructed during the colonial days.
The journey on that line was a bit turbulent.
Deputy Managing Director Dr. Ing. Michael Anyetei said it is not surprising that the experience on the Kojokrom to Takoradi line is different.
“These tracks were constructed during the colonial days. What we did here is entirely different from the Takoradi to Kojokrom lines. For Kojokrom to Tarkwa it is the old tracks that we rehabilitated,” he explained.
“What is happening is that we have a team of engineers on board who are taking notice of all the areas that you experienced the small challenge. And those areas will be fortified”.
The 66.8 kilometers journey took less than 3 hours.
By Eric Yaw Adjei|3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 28, 2020 | https://3news.com/train-passenger-service-commences-on-takoradi-tarkwa-line-after-13-years/ |
null | Parliament will reconvene today, January 28 for a 9-week sitting that will see the legislators among other things, consider a number of bills.
The sitting, which will be the first for the year and also the final under the fourth session of the 7th parliament, will consider a number of motions for debate and referrals at the Committee level.
President Nana Akufo-Addo will also present his last State of the Nation Address under his first four-year term.
Bills to be presented to the House will include Affirmative Action Bill 2019, Rent (Amendment) Bill 2019, Ghana Petroleum Hub Development Corporation Bill 2019 and the Community Water and Sanitation Agency Reform (Amendment) Bill 2019.
Seventeen bills at the Committee level which will also be worked on during the sitting include Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill 2018, Intestate Succession Bill 2018, Office of the Special Prosecutor (Amendment) Bill 2019 and the Ghana Communication Technology University Bill 2019.
The Ghana Cocoa Board (Amendment) Bill 2017 which is with the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and the Customs Amendment Bill 2019 with the Finance Committee will be read for a second time.
The Narcotics Control Commission Bill 2019, the Corporate Insolvency Bill 2019 and the Land Bill 2018 are at the consideration stage.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 28, 2020 | https://3news.com/parliament-resumes-sitting-today/ |
null | The constant demands of parenting can put a real strain on mums and dads – but a study has found husbands cause a higher level of stress in their wives than their offspring.
A survey of 7,000 mums by Today found on average they rate their levels of stress at a worryingly high 8.5 out of 10. And 46 per cent say their husbands add more stress to their day-to-day lives than the children they care for.
Many mums complained that they view their other half as ‘big kids' rather than equal partners, giving them yet another not-so-little terror to keep an eye on.
Mums also believed that the stress they experience is very different to ‘dad stress', leading to an inability to see eye-to-eye as a parenting team which only, again, increases levels of stress.
Three quarters feel the majority of parenting and household tasks falls largely on them, and mums stress most about not having enough time in the day to complete everything that needs to be done.
One in five also admit a daily source of stress is being left to feel like they don't feel like they get enough support or help from their spouse.
Hal Runkel, a therapist and author, said the ‘problem is not men, it's marriage', arguing even good marriages are stressful by nature.
He believes ‘marriage is a more difficult relationship than parenting' and combining the two is a recipe for stress.
But on the other side, a survey of 1,500 fathers found that dads feel like they are contributing more to raising their kids than ever – and not getting any credit.
Two thirds said what they wanted most from their partner was acknowledgement of the work they do, such as a ‘good job' every now and then.
Source mirror.co.uk | null | null | January 28, 2020 | https://3news.com/husbands-cause-more-stress-for-their-wives-than-their-children-study-finds/ |
null | President Nana Akufo-Addo has officially declared to seek re-election in the December 2020 presidential election on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for another four year term.
A team from the Presidency led by Director of Research at the Jubilee House, Victor Newman, on Monday, January 27 picked nomination forms from the party's national headquarters in Accra on behalf of Nana Akufo-Addo.
Nana Akufo-Addo becomes the first and only person who has picked nomination forms so far to contest the presidential primary of the NPP.
“I'm hoping to be the candidate of the New Patriotic Party,” Nana Akufo-Addo said on Monday.
Apart from the President, no other party member has so far declared intention to challenge the President who will be ending his first mandate on January 7, 2021.
General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu who issued the form to Nana Akufo-Addo's team told Joy FM he cannot tell whether other persons will pick nomination forms to contest the presidential primary.
If by the close of nomination on February 20 and there is only one person, he said, the party will notwithstanding organise a national congress for the delegates to approve his candidature before he can contest the presidential election.
“We have just 30 days to finish the process and there is the need for him to get signatures from all the regions,” he said.
President Nana Akufo-Addo has up to February 20 to file his nomination forms with a 200,000 filing fee.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 27, 2020 | https://3news.com/11731-2/ |
null | Ghanaian songstress Stephanie Benson has disclosed that she masturbates whenever she feels for sex and the husband is not around or is asleep.
The 52-year-old mother described masturbation as a beautiful thing, asking why Ghanaians see it as a taboo.
She said masturbation is important for women to explore their bodies, adding that there is nothing wrong for her as a married woman to masturbate.
In an Instagram post, Stephanie Benson said: “I mean, I still do it at my age. It is like when my ‘stupid' husband is sleeping and I am horny, you know… (gestures) and then I sort of get to know my body. Sometimes, I am sure when I am not there – I travel a lot – and he is in the shower, he probably does it, too. I'd rather he did it in there than to put it in another woman,” she stated.
“Masturbation is a beautiful thing”, Stephanie Benson said, wondering: “Why do we make it such a taboo?”
“… I need you to understand that masturbating is not a big deal. I think all of those things are really important for a woman to explore. It is our body. This is ours. Unless we know about it, how do we let someone understand what our bodies like, how it feels, how to touch it. Touching yourself is like everything, I think. It is really important to just explore”. Why do we shy away from exploring our bodies when we are the only ones who will ever know how we can be pleased and to have a fulfilling sexual relationship with our partner. As much as sex may not be the most important part of a relationship it plays a major part in establishing a good connection with your partner. Tell me your thoughts. ❤️ #69steph A post shared by Stephanie Benson (@stephaniebensonlive) on Jan 23, 2020 at 4:58am PST | null | null | January 27, 2020 | https://3news.com/masturbation-is-a-beautiful-thing-i-masturbate-when-horny-stephanie-benson/ |
null | The National Communications officer of the National Democratic Congress Sammy Gyamfi has been released on bail few hours after he was arrested from the television station premises in Accra Monday.
Reason behind his arrest at UTV premises at Abeka was initially unclear, but it emerged later that it was based on a case of forgery and publication of false information brought against him in December last year.
One of his lawyers, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, told 3news.com that his client was formally charged and granted police bail with two sureties.
Addressing a crowd of party supporters who thronged the CID headquarters, Mr Gyamfi said no amount of intimidation and oppression can cow him into silence.
He described himself as fearless, assuring the supporters of his relentless efforts at ensuring that his NDC regain political power.
“Some of us are fearless; we cannot be intimidated. We are on course to rescue this country from the hands of those who oppress us and no amount of intimidation, no amount of harassment can cow us into silence,” he stated.
The outspoken NDC executive declined to give details of what transpired between him and the Police CID but assured that his lawyers will in the coming days address the issues in the media.
He said he has not committed any crime whatsoever, suggesting the case against him is the machination of some people at the presidency to intimidate him
“I Sammy Gyamfi, I am not a criminal, I've never committed a crime and no amount of concoction or fabrication from the flagstaff house can intimidate me or silence me”.
On the back of a complaint from the presidency, the CID invited Mr Gyamfi on December 23 to the Police CID headquarters in Accra for possible questioning, but officers had to postpone it to the next day due to their other engagements.
But Mr Gyamfi, who is a lawyer himself, in a letter to the Police CID, stated that he will no longer honour the invitation citing new development in the case as the basis.
“Inasmuch as we wish to honour your invitation due to the respect we have for your institution, our client instructs us that we cannot honour your invitation due to change in circumstances,” the letter written by his lawyer Godwin Kudzo Tameklo said.
The case & matters arising
Mr Gyamfi is being accused of forgery and publishing false information to create fear and panic, something he has since denied.
The CID however have secured a court order to seize Mr Gyamfi's phone and another directed at Facebook to grant the CID full access to his Facebook account to search for evidence.
This has triggered what appears to be a legal battle between Mr Gyamfi and the Police as the former has filed an application at the Human Rights Court to enforce what he said is a breach of his fundamental human rights and freedom.
He wants the high court to quash the order of the lower court.
This development, lawyer for Mr Gyamfi argued, makes it impossible for his client to subject himself to the Police CID to be investigated for the alleged cybercrime.
“Our client has filed an application for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights at the High Court in relation to the matter being handled by your office and an application for interlocutory injunction which have both been served on you through Evelyn Owusu(Secretary),” the letter said.
The decision to turn down the invitation, the lawyer explained “is purely on the grounds that honouring your invitation especially when we have misgivings and concerns about how the whole matter has been handled”.
By 3news.com | null | null | January 27, 2020 | https://3news.com/sammy-gyamfi-released-on-police-bail/ |
null | The New Patriotic Party says sitting members of parliament in the Ashanti Region will not be allowed to go unopposed in the party's upcoming primaries in the region.
Ashanti Regional Chairman of the party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, a.k.a. Chairman Wontumi, is reported to have suggested that the NPP will protect sitting MPs in the region, triggering agitation among some party members and supports.
But General Secretary of NPP, John Boadu has said nothing of the sort will happen.
Without mincing words, he said nobody should be prevented from running and that any aspiring candidate who suffers obstruction in getting access to the nomination forms or in the filing process should apply to the regional party for a nomination form.
“If that fails, he or she should appeal to the National Secretariat,” he said.
He has thus issued nomination forms to Constituency Chairmen and asked them not to deny any member of the party who wishes to contest in the primaries.
Mr Boadu said this Friday when he met with the Ashanti Regional Council of the party comprising all regional executives, constituency chairmen and secretaries as well as sitting MPs and MMDCEs in the region.
He was in the region to organize orientation for the various constituency elections committee members in furtherance of the Rules and Regulations for the conduct of the primaries.
The General Secretary chairs the National Parliamentary Vetting Committee for the Ashanti Region with Gary Nimako and Abdul Aziz Futah as the other reps from NEC on the vetting committee.
Mr Boadu reaffirmed their commitment to a free and fair process particularly in the Ashanti Region.
The meeting was also to afford the NEC representatives an opportunity to explain in details the rules and regulations for the conduct of the primaries.
It again offered the national executives the opportunity to consult with regional and constituency executives on ways to ensure that seats that were won marginally are protected in order for the party retain those seats in 2020.
The meeting also discussed strategies to win seats that are currently being held by the opposition party.
In attendance were the National Chairman of the party, Freddy Blay; the 2nd National Vice Chairman, F.F. Antoh; the National Nasara Coordinator, Abdul Aziz Futah; a Deputy National Communications Director, Yaw Preko, all regional executives and other party kingpins.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 27, 2020 | https://3news.com/sitting-mps-wont-go-unopposed-in-ashanti-region-npp-declares/ |
null | Achimota Preparatory and Junior High School on Monday postponed a scheduled mock examination for pupils on the back of a planned takeover of the management of the school by the Ghana Education Service (GES).
Some teachers told 3news.com Monday that the postponement has been triggered by the back and forth between the school authorities and the GES over the forceful takeover.
The GES is claiming the land on which the Achimota Preparatory and JHS sits, was leased to the school, but it has for years failed to pay the necessary royalties agreed upon.
Accordingly, GES on December 27 last year served notice to the owners of the privately-owned school it will from today “take over the premises” of the school.
“Parents are to be informed that personnel from the Ghana Education Service shall be posted to the school. There is therefore no need for any pupil/student to be withdrawn from the school,” GES said in its letter to the school.
It added: “all government policies applicable to public schools shall be applied to the management of the school”.
But the decision has been met with stiff resistance from owners and teachers of the school as well as some parents who have vowed to ensure the forceful takeover does not happen.
Our correspondent Joseph Armstrong reported from the school premises Monday morning that the GES officials were yet to show up for the takeover.
He said the atmosphere at the school was calm and academic activities have been going on smoothly.
Emergency Meeting
Meanwhile, the GES is currently locked up in an emergency meeting at its head office in Accra over the issue.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 27, 2020 | https://3news.com/achimota-basic-school-halts-mock-exams-over-ges-takeover-saga/ |
null | National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has allegedly been arrested by some plain-clothed security officers around Tesano.
Eyewitnesses say he was making his way to his car after participating in a radio discussion on Accra-based Peace FM on Monday when the five officers believed to be from the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) ambushed him with an arrest warrant.
He was taken away in a white pick-up vehicle with registration number VR 4870 – 12 and is believed to be at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Police Headquarters.
Although the reason for the recent arrest is unknown, Mr Gyamfi has been under investigation since December last year over alleged cybercrime offences.
He has been accused of forgery and publication of false information targeted at tarnishing the image of the Akufo-Addo government.
His last trip to the Police Headquarters in honour of an invitation on December 23, 2019, was rescheduled by the security service.
Mr Gyamfi subsequently filed a suit at the Accra High Court asking for his arrest warrant to be overturned.
Meanwhile, Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Peter Boamah Otokonor told Myjoyonline.com minutes after the arrest that what government is doing through the security operatives “is an attack on democracy and an attempt to test the patience of the opposition NDC.”
According to him, party executives, officials and supporters are massing up to storm the CID Headquarters in support of the outspoken NDC Communications Officer.
Source Myjoyonline.com | null | null | January 27, 2020 | https://3news.com/ndcs-sammy-gyamfi-arrested-after-radio-discussion/ |
null | The Electoral Commission (EC) will this week announce a new vendor to supply the Commission with hardware and software equipment to be used for the compilation of a new voters' register for the December 2020 general elections.
Parliament has approved 390 million cedis for the procurement of a new biometric system said to have a facial recognition technology.
Four companies, according to the EC, have already been shortlisted through open tendering.
“The hardware, I know we have four companies but I can't give them off head now. We did open tendering and we have screened them to four, out of the four we will take one,” Director of Electoral Services at the EC, Dr Serebour Quaicoe said on TV3 Key Points on Saturday.
He noted that the EC was in the process of settling on a vendor for the supply of hardware and software equipment which include will include a new biometric voting system.
“I'm told by the end of next week [this week], by a week today the contract would have been awarded,” he added.
Why new biometric system?
The Commission took the decision to acquire a new Biometric Voter Management Solution for the upcoming general elections based on the advice of its IT team and external consultants.
The two concluded it would be prudent to acquire a new system rather than refurbish the current system.
“It is important to note that the equipment that the entire voter management system runs on, from enrolment, duplication, adjudication to voters' verification is obsolete and no longer supported by their Original Equipment Manufacturers,” the EC claimed earlier this year.
New voters' register is a done deal
Despite criticism and resistance against the compilation of a new voters' register, the EC has said it will go ahead with the registration exercise.
According to the EC, the scheduled engagement with the 21-member Eminent Advisory Committee and the political parties on Thursday, will not to seek consensus on whether or not to go on with the new registration exercise set to begin on April 18.
“You can't get consensus anywhere; it can never happen and it will never happen. If we want to get consensus before we act, then we will never act,” Dr Quaicoe said on TV3 Saturday.
The January 30 meeting, he explained, has been arranged for the EC to inform the stakeholders of its programmes concerning the new voters' register, and solicit views on how best it can be implemented.
“We have our programme; we will explain to them and then we move on with the programme,” he stated, adding “there is no doubt about us doing the registration”.
He said the EC is not under any obligation to have consensus on issues before acting, saying “with respect to compiling new voters register, we are convinced beyond reasonable doubt there is the need for it”.
Data centre contract
Persol Systems Limited was two weeks ago announced by the Commission as the winner of the contract to construct a new Production and Disaster Recovery Data Centre.
MTN was also awarded the contract to provide internet connectivity services to the various district offices of the Commission.
The selection was made following a successful international competitive tender process and subsequent short listing of bidders last year, in compliance with the Public Procurement Act regulations.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 27, 2020 | https://3news.com/contract-for-supply-of-new-biometric-voter-system-to-be-awarded-this-week-ec/ |
null | The Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo has dedicated her Grammy award to the Nigerian singer Burna Boy who was up against her to win the music prize. They were set against each other in the World Music category of the US music awards on Sunday night. But Kidjo won, for the fourth time, leaving Burna Boy still waiting to win his first. She said that he is changing Africa: “Four years ago on this stage, I was telling you that the new generation of artists coming from Africa are going to take you by storm. “And the time has come. This is for Burna Boy. “Burna Boy is among those young artists that come from Africa that is changing the way our continent is perceived and the way African music has been the bedrock of every music.” BBC | null | null | January 27, 2020 | https://3news.com/angelique-kidjo-dedicates-her-grammy-to-burna-boy/ |
null | Two out of four persons thieves who stole 300 cattle from Kete-Krachi in the Oti Region have been arrested by the Police in Savannah Region.
Ibrahim Imoro and Amadu Imoro were said to have taken the stolen cows to a farm settlement near Kosorgbor in the Savannah Region.
They were arrested from their hideout Sunday night, a police statement said on Monday.
“Their arrest was made possible due to information given by a patriotic Ghanaian, whom we salute this morning,” the statement said.
“We are using this story to also encourage you to support your Police with information, to help rid this country of criminals,” it added.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 27, 2020 | https://3news.com/two-thieves-arrested-for-stealing-300-cattle-from-kete-krachi/ |
null | Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered air strikes against bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers in Niger state. On Saturday gunmen killed 11 people and kidnapped four women during door-to-door attacks, reported Sahara Reporters and The Daily Sun. President Buhari described the repeated attacks by the bandits “as a disaster”. Pres. @MBuhari has authorized deployment of @NigAirForce to support troops & policemen deployed to fight bandits, kidnappers & cattle rustlers in the forest area bordering Kaduna, Niger and Zamfara to fight bandits. NAF will in line with this set up refueling facilities in Minna. President Buhari said the air raids “remain the best approach given the lack of motorised roads in the areas constantly under attack”. The air strikes will support troops already deployed on the ground. The Nigerian air force is already setting up refuelling facilities at Minna, the state's capital, to support the operations. Earlier this month gunmen killed six people, injured five and kidnapped others in the neighbouring Kaduna state. | null | null | January 27, 2020 | https://3news.com/buhari-orders-air-strikes-against-bandits/ |
null | Health officials are dealing with a suspected case of coronavirus in Ivory Coast, the country's health ministry has announced. | null | null | January 27, 2020 | https://3news.com/ivory-coast-tests-woman-for-china-virus/ |
null | The Electoral Commission says biographical data of Ghanaians who possess voter's ID card will not be captured in the upcoming voter registration exercise to compile a new voters' register for the December 2020 general elections.
It explained Saturday that bio details on the current voter ID card will be transferred onto a new voter ID card to be issued to eligible voters who show up at polling stations across the country to register.
Persons with the current voter ID cards will thus have only their fingerprints and photos captured in the registration exercise which is set to begin from April 18.
“Now what we will do is that [if] you go to the polling station, once you have the ID and your voter ID card is a legitimate one, we only take fingerprints and we take picture of your face and you're gone,” Director of Electoral Services at the EC, Dr Serebour Quaicoe said on The Key Points on TV3 Saturday.
He said the decision not to recapture the biodata of persons with the current voter ID cards was taken after consultation and careful consideration.
Mr Quaicoe said an eligible voter will have to present at the polling station, a valid voter ID card, Ghana Card, a Ghanaian passport or driver's licence to be registered in the exercise.
“If none of these four is available to you, then two guarantors who have already registered, will guarantee for you to be registered,” he added.
The Commission's last minute decision to compile a new voters' register just eight months to the presidential and parliamentary election has been met with stiff resistance from an alliance of some opposition parties and civil society.
Some critics have primary questioned the timing of the exercise while others have posited advocates of a new register have failed to make a strong case.
Two mammoth rallies in Tamale and Kumasi against the move to have a new voters' register caused an intervention from the 21-member Eminent Advisory Committee of the EC and Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to let calm prevail.
The dissenting political parties, who formed the Inter-Party Resistance Against a New Voters' Register (IPRNA), consequently suspended further protests based on what it said was “good faith” shown by the EC to listen to them.
No turning back on new voters' register
On the back of new development that the EC will go ahead with the registration exercise despite a scheduled meeting that was supposed to resolve the issue, the group on Friday announced a resumption protests.
According to the EC, the scheduled engagement with the 21-member Eminent Advisory Committee and the political parties next week, is not to seek consensus on whether or not to go on with the new registration.
“You can't get consensus anywhere; it can never happen and it will never happen. If we want to get consensus before we act, then we will never act,” Director of Electoral Services at the EC, Dr Quaicoe, said on TV3 Saturday.
The January 30 meeting, he explained, has been arranged for the EC to inform the stakeholders of its programmes concerning the new voters' register, and solicit views on how best it can be implemented.
“We have our programme; we will explain to them and then we move on with the programme,” he stated, adding “there is no doubt about us doing the registration”.
He said the EC is not under any obligation to have consensus on issues before acting, saying “with respect to compiling new voters register, we are convinced beyond reasonable doubt there is the need for it”.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 26, 2020 | https://3news.com/ec-to-use-biodata-on-current-voter-id-system-to-compile-new-voters-register/ |
null | Ashley Young assisted a goal on his Inter Milan debut as they were held by Cagliari. | null | null | January 26, 2020 | https://3news.com/young-assists-goal-on-inter-debut/ |
null | Danny Garcia claims Ivan Redkach said “Mike Tyson” to him when the Ukrainian bit him during the American's win by unanimous decision on Saturday. Should Chris Hughton be sacked following performance of Ghana Black Stars? | null | null | January 26, 2020 | https://3news.com/he-said-mike-tyson-when-he-bit-me-danny-garcia/ |
null | “…Over the years, we have learnt that it is not enough or not sustainable for government to focus on direct receipts from oil and Gas activities…one area we look at as ensuring sustainable benefits from the exploitation of resources is through local content policies or initiatives…” Director of Local content-PC “…Where are the legacies? The legacy, what are we going to point out to say this is what we have been able to achieve, that is what local content is for… Are we developing local companies to take over”? CEO, Zormelo and Associates, Douglas Zormelo. “For me, I applied direct; I was called for interview, went through some recruitment process and at last, I was given the job. I am currently working with Comms department of xxx company”, Local Employee of O&G. Ghana's Local Content (LC) law was passed six years ago. The Local Content and Local Participation Bill was formulated and passed into law in 2013, LI2204 in Ghana's Parliament. It ensures compliance with local content targets as set in the Regulations; Petroleum Commission (PC), a Ghanaian regulating body ensures the utilization of Ghanaian personnel, materials, services and businesses in the industry. It coordinates the flow of information amongst all relevant agencies and collaborate with other institutions on matters concerning the industry. It also develops guidelines, directives and policies to promote local content and undertake public education on local content policies, laws, regulations, philosophy and implementation. The local content law, LI2204 insists on employment and training of Ghanaian nationals, promotion of research and development, participation of local industries in the provision of services, and technology transfer provisions which seek to address the subject, are collectively referred to as local content or national content. Thus, Local Content refers to the percentage of locally produced materials, personnel, financing, goods and services rendered to oil industry and which can be measured in monetary terms. The other side of LI2204 promotes Local Participation which refers to the level of Ghanaian Ownership in the oil and gas industry. To qualify as a Ghanaian/indigenous company, the company must have at least 51% of its equity owned by a Ghanaian with 80% executive and senior management positions and 100% non-management and other positions occupied by Ghanaians The LC was founded on these five key tenets: Increase patronage of goods and services, maximize employment, maximize technical and skill transfer, increase in international competition and enhance linkage between oil and Gas sector and the rest of the economy as well as maximizing the patronage of Ghanaian goods and services and thereby increase in-country spend; Increased employment of Ghanaian professionals by ensuring the localization of job opportunities; Facilitate Technology and Skills Transfer through Training, Research and Development; Enhance local participation by encouraging Ghanaians to have equity ownership and management participation in upstream petroleum activities; and Develop local capacities resulting in increased capabilities and competitiveness of indigenous Ghanaian companies and individuals. The director of Local Content (LC) of Petroleum Commission (PC), Kwaku Boateng has disclosed that about 4,556 Ghanaians have been employed in about 16 major oil and gas companies in Ghana. This, he noted excludes staff of PC and Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC) adding “about 75% of Ghanaians form the entire oil and Gas employment population”. After six years of implementing the LC law, Mr. Boateng says Ghana is relatively benefiting with regards to infrastructure and knowledge transfer. “Now when you go to Takoradi, a lot of interesting facilities are being put up there. We have a cement plant, we have a pipe coating plant, we have a machine shop doing pipe-line threading, we have world-class training center –Rigworld Training Center, and a Rigworld Solution producing bolts and nuts and other spare parts for oil and gas and other mining sector…” He added that “three waste management facilities and five fabrication models have been set up by the oil and gas sector. He stated that a contract value costing about US$ 6.2 billion have been awarded to joint ventures. Ghanaians secured value of contract costing about US$ 1.2 billion and uncountable indirect employments. In the area of agriculture, PC is in talks with some stakeholders to promote planting food for the industry instead of the companies importing all produce from abroad. “We are in talks with the Western Region House of Chiefs and the Minister of Agriculture, to encourage farmers to get into greenhouse farming…” This Mr. Boateng noted will reduce importation of farm produce like vegetables, fruits and poultry from South Africa and elsewhere. Mr. Kwaku Boateng posited that before the implementation of the local content law, Ghana was only benefiting from direct receipts like royalties, taxes and government participation and other funds generated from oil production. But that was not enough and hence perceived the LC as a sustainable measure to maximize benefits from oil production. “…over the years, we have learnt that it is not enough or not sustainable for government to focus on direct receipts from oil and Gas activities…One area we look at as ensuring sustainable benefits from the exploitation of resources is through local content policies or initiatives” Perhaps if the Local content law was not in place, industry players would have on so many occasions flouted Ghana's trade regulations without punishment but as it is now, the LC law requires that every contract that exceeds $100,000 must be submitted to PC for approval a situation that PC says adherence is strict. Mr. Boateng revealed that some time ago, about 10 Oil and Gas companies awarded huge contracts without PC's approval and were fined between GHS20,000 to GHS400, 000 for. He hinted that PC was investigating about 10 contract breach cases. With the implementation of the Local Content Law in Ghana, many indigenous companies have secured joint ventures opportunities with oil and gas foreign companies “In this case, the Ghanaian companies must have at least a minimum of 10% equity shares”, Mr. Boateng said. One indigenous company that is making leaps in the Oil and Gas industry is Zormelo and Associates. It has been in existence since 2008. It is an upstream service provider. Z&A has been recruiting for many Oil and Gas companies in Ghana for both onshore and offshore. It recruits for Tullow Ghana, MODEC, and FPSO, among others. Digesting on the impact of the Local Content law six years after its implementation in Ghana, the Chief Executive Officer of Z&A and president of Association of Service providers, Douglas Zormelo intimated that the law has helped especially in skill and knowledge acquisition. He explained that many indigenous employees have acquired specialized skills from a cross section of expatriates. He also noted the succession plan as enforced by the LI2204; the indigenes are being trained by the expats to take over. He cited for example, Tullow having a Ghanaian director. He believes that Ghana is “making in-roads because Cosmos, Tullow, and MODEC have Ghanaians at the top levels”. Amidst these tracked records of achievements within six years of implementing it, the local content law is plagued with some challenges that need to be addressed. The local content director, Mr. Kwaku Boateng enumerated some; 1.Mismatch of professional entities forming joint ventures resulting into lack of skill and knowledge transfer. Adding to challenges, the president of Association of Service Providers Mr. Zormelo also outlined the underlisted as faced with the oil and Gas industry which affect the local players; Meanwhile, the director of Local Content at PC, Mr. Boateng has pointed out some aspects of the LI that need to be reviewed. He even noted the review process is on-going and it is expected to complete by March, 2020 after Parliament approves it. He mentioned for instance, a set target of Ghanaians with equity share of 10% in a joint venture is scaring some investors away and thus called for a review of that aspect of the LI. He also noted the demand for quarterly, half-year and annual reports is overwhelming the companies. A portion of the LI requires that the Oil and Gas companies submit a five-year research and development plan but complains flowing from the companies show that it is expensive and Mr. Kwaku Boateng suggested a review of this. He has also observed within the time that since Ghana is not an industry-based producer, some set targets are unrealistic stressing for instance, supply and provision of goods and services targets are high such that the Ghana service providers are not able to meet the target. Meanwhile, the president of the Association of Service providers, Mr. Zormelo has advised PC to ensure that the oil and gas industry leaves legacies behind especially when the foreign companies have left. “…is there any company that can do what Tullow is doing today? What are we going to point out as our achievement? That is what local content it is for, are we developing local companies to take over” explaining, “not to say local companies should sack the foreign companies” but insisted “the local companies must have the competence to do the things that need to be done.” He also advised PC to call for stakeholder consultation to point out issues confronting the Oil and Gas industry as far as Local Content law is concerned so their opinions could be included in the ongoing review of LI2204. At least according PCs local content director, there are over 4000 local oil and gas employees in Ghana and one of them currently working with the corporate communications department of one of the multinational companies in Ghana shared her experience how she got recruited. “For me, I applied direct; I was called for interview, went through some recruitment process and at last, I was given the job. I am currently working with Comms department of xxx company.” By Loveridge Animonyam Ampratwum Okyere The author is a broadcast journalist with the Class Media Group. | null | null | January 26, 2020 | https://3news.com/local-content-law-six-years-after-its-implementation/ |
null | Businessman Seidu Agongo has described Ghana's environment as hostile, stating it is not conducive for local entrepreneurs to blossom.
“As an entrepreneur with appreciable number of years of experience, there is no gainsaying that an indigenous entrepreneur is five times likely to fail where his/her foreign counterpart would easily succeed,” the founder of the now-defunct Heritage Bank said in an article.
“That has nothing to do with intellect; it is an ‘environment' challenge”, he observed, adding: “And like good and bad, this has been unfortunately suffered by many entrepreneurs on the continent, with Ghana not being an exception. In short, while bankable or business ideas are king in other jurisdictions, the environment – a pot of soup comprising attitudes, laws, policies, politics and politicking; state agencies and their agents and the agenda of politicians and their assigns – determines the success or otherwise of businesses in Africa”.
In his view, “The mere fact that local businesses are ‘one of our own' and also start small, means that they deserve all the support that the country can garner for them”, yet, he noted: “That is never the case”.
“Here, unlike elsewhere, consumers see products of local businesses as test-case products that must prove themselves before they enjoy patronage. As a result, trust and patronage are limited, resulting in weakened growth. As for financing, there are more theses on it already,” he asserted.
“The challenge aggravates as one moves up the ladder. The state is, perhaps, the biggest culprit in all of this. As the biggest consumer in every economy, Ghanaian and African governments have failed to use the state's purchasing power to deliberately empower their own in business and create giant companies that can bridge the poverty and unemployment gaps.
“The ruling class tends to see local entrepreneurs as ‘members of a party' rather than ‘members of development.' Indigenous businesses are, sometimes, viewed as partisan and given raw deals by politicians. These politicians use the state's swelling power to marginalise those they disagree with and in the process, deprive employees and potential ones of life-changing jobs.
“This dampens local investments and boosts foreign direct investment; a disconnect that we seem to have been happy about as a nation”, the philanthropist said.
Read the full article below
In Africa, ideas aren't enough
…. Environment is king but Ghana must be an exception
Ghana is rising. That is no longer a narrative, it is a reality.
After enjoying more than two decades of sociopolitical stability, Ghana is now a land of economic freedom where investors from all over the world troop to start businesses and/or takeover struggling ones that they nurture and build into multi-million-dollar companies that pay them handsome profits.
In spite of the liveliness in the economy over the years, more opportunities still exist.
In 2010, the oil economy emerged and has since combined seamlessly with the age-old mining business to create a buoyant extractive sector that is now dominating growth in gross domestic product (GDP). Together with the bubbling telecommunication sector and a sprawling financial industry (whose fortunes have been dampened by ongoing reforms), growth in the services sector is strong enough to eclipse the misfortunes in the agriculture sector and the manufacturing sub-sector, where locals are mostly found.
The result is a Ghana that is shaking off its old self and putting on a new coat akin to an economy on a confident ascent to prosperity. And there is strong evidence to this. If you doubt, take a stroll through the principal streets of Accra and while at it, take keen interests in the skyline of the capital city. One will surely be greeted by multi-million-dollar, luxurious apartments, high-rise buildings, skyscrapers and many more booming construction works that are meant to erect additional structures in our populous and increasingly cosmopolitan city.
On the streets are also fairly luxurious vehicles, cruising on asphalted roads that lead to these buildings. No wonder, therefore, that several shopping malls and retail shops have emerged to, not only meet the needs of the continuously expanding middle class but also to satisfy the strong taste of an import-dependent country.
These are but the few exemplifiers that the Ghana rising ‘fever' has moved from a narrative to a reality. And it has done that steadily in a country whose retail sector is said to be worth more than $24 billion.
Illuminating poverty
But the way that Ghana's steady strides to prosperity are not hidden is the same way that poverty in the country is conspicuous. Remnants of the widening inequality, which has been deepened by the peculiar nature of the growth drivers, are remarkable. The streets of Accra and the other principal cities bear witnesses to this.
Every day, dozens of unemployed youth compete with vehicles and pedestrians in the major streets to sell, from which they survive and remit the excesses to their families, mostly in the hinterlands. In the night, these hawkers find shelters in every available structure, including even open streets, until daylight pours them back to the streets to continue with the struggle.
Poverty levels are still above 20 per cent of our population, according to the World Bank, and unemployment is now a ticking time bomb.
What makes the situation more fretful is its cyclical nature? Like the World Bank notes in a 2016 report, poverty is intimately connected to the kind of job one holds, rather than to whether one works. In other words, poor people are more likely to access jobs that poorly remunerate and to think that this could impact their children and by extension generations, makes it even scarier.
Non-inclusive growth
What is the point? Ghana's growth over the years, although commendable, has failed to lift millions out of poverty. It has deepened the inequality gap and both the World Bank and the United Nations recognise this.
There is reasonable cause that the situation could keep more poor people and their generations in that situation for years and this why: A chunk of the growth has been funded by less or non-inclusive sectors whose fortunes are in the tight grips of foreign interests. Take the extractive sector, for instance; although a strong enabler of growth, not many linkages are created to the real economy to help impact the likes of agriculture and manufacturing where locals are known to have been burning their hands. Yet, the billions of cedis recouped in investments are repatriated, rightly so, to the non-resident investors.
The telecommunication sector is another. Before, it was the banking sector.
Marginalising locals
To survive this, the country needs to re-strategise and bank all its hopes on entrepreneurship. This is where empowering local entrepreneurs comes in handy.
As an entrepreneur with appreciable number of years of experience, there is no gainsaying that an indigenous entrepreneur is five times likely to fail where his/her foreign counterpart would easily succeed.
That has nothing to do with intellect; it is an ‘environment' challenge. And like good and bad, this has been unfortunately suffered by many entrepreneurs on the continent, with Ghana not being an exception. In short, while bankable or business ideas are king in other jurisdictions, the environment – a pot of soup comprising attitudes, laws, policies, politics and politicking; state agencies and their agents and the agenda of politicians and their assigns – determines the success or otherwise of businesses in Africa.
The mere fact that local businesses are ‘one of our own' and also start small, means that they deserve all the support that the country can garner for them. Yet, that is never the case. Here, unlike elsewhere, consumers see products of local businesses as test-case products that must prove themselves before they enjoy patronage. As a result, trust and patronage are limited, resulting in weakened growth. As for financing, there are more theses on it already.
The challenge aggravates as one moves up the ladder. The state is, perhaps, the biggest culprit in all of this. As the biggest consumer in every economy, Ghanaian and African governments have failed to use the state's purchasing power to deliberately empower their own in business and create giant companies that can bridge the poverty and unemployment gaps.
The ruling class tends to see local entrepreneurs as ‘members of a party' rather than ‘members of development.' Indigenous businesses are, sometimes, viewed as partisan and given raw deals by politicians. These politicians use the state's swelling power to marginalise those they disagree with and in the process, deprive employees and potential ones of life-changing jobs.
This dampens local investments and boosts foreign direct investment; a disconnect that we seem to have been happy about as a nation.
Empower locals | null | null | January 26, 2020 | https://3news.com/ghanas-environment-hostile-to-local-entrepreneurs/ |
null | One person has been shot dead at Kpatinga in the Gushegu municipality of the Northern Region where chieftaincy violence has injured at least five people and left about 20 houses burnt since last Friday.
The deceased, identified as Alhassan Abass, a 55-year-old traditional healer, was caught up in crossfire between security officers deployed in the area to maintain peace, and some civilians Sunday morning.
This was after a military officer was said to have been shot by an unknown person from one of the feuding factions.
“A BNI vehicle was used to convey his remains,” an eyewitness told our correspondent Zubaida Ismail.
One other person who was also shot in Sunday morning's incident is receiving treatment at the Gushegu Municipal Hospital. A bullet is said to be stuck in his stomach area.
[caption id="attachment_11471" align="aligncenter" width="1040"] bullets from the scene[/caption]
Meanwhile, two persons have been arrested in the chieftaincy clash.
Police in the area have remained tight-lipped on the identities of the two who were arrested last Friday
They have however, confirmed Sunday's incident, describing it as reprisal.
“We can confirm reprisals between 6amGMT and 8amGMT Sunday January 26, 2020. The reprisals have led to the burning of at least ten more houses bringing the number of torched houses to at least twenty in almost 48 hours” a police source Zubaida.
At least four persons were left in critical condition after sustaining gunshot wounds in the renewed chieftaincy clash last Friday. About 10 houses have also been reportedly torched.
Supporters of two rival chiefs started shooting each other claiming legitimacy to the Kpatinga skin.
Both chiefs are holding themselves as rightful chiefs to the skin.
Information gathered by 3news.com indicated the confusion started when relatives of a deceased sub-chief visited the palace of one of the chiefs as part of the funeral processes.
Per their custom, relatives of a deceased sub chief needed to go to the palace of the chief of the area for some rituals.
But reports said, the visit by the family to the palace of one of the chiefs triggered supporters of the other chief rise against the move, creating a violent scene leading to the shooting of some persons.
“The relatives of the deceased Chief went to the palace of Chief Alhassan Natogma who was enskined by the Mion-Lana when he was Boli-Lana as regent of Kpatinga to represent the Abudu Royal Gate as part of the funeral processes but supporters of his contender Chief Fuseini Ziblim also enskinned by the then Kampakuya-Na now Yo-Na to represent the Andani Royal Gate took offence,” an eyewitness who spoke on condition of anonymity told 3news.com
Some women and children have fled the Kpatinga community to Gushegu Health Centre where they are seeking refuge.
[caption id="attachment_11469" align="aligncenter" width="1032"] Some of the women and children seeking refuge at the Gushegu Health Centre[/caption]
They were said to have fled the community Friday at about p.m. Although some returned on Saturday, more were forced to leave again Sunday morning on the back of the latest reprisal.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 26, 2020 | https://3news.com/one-dead-soldier-and-one-other-hit-by-bullet-in-kpatinga-violence/ |
null | Comedian Funny Face has called for calm in the midst of a suit by a US-based Ghanaian woman.
The comedian says the suit is just a case of a relationship gone bad.
The US-based woman, Mary Ama Boansi, is alleging that Funny Face took monies from her with the promise that he would marry her.
According to court documents, the comedian failed to pay back an amount of 53,105.53 dollars when the relationship turned sour.
Funny Face, according to the documents, proposed marriage to Mary Ama Boansi after they met and fell in love in 2016.
Mary Ama Boansi subsequently footed the bill of some of Funny Face's projects.
Because Funny Face allegedly failed to marry her, Ama Boansi is asking the court to, among other things, direct Funny Face to pay her 53,105.53 dollars or its Ghana cedi equivalent plus interest at bank rate.
The amount, according to the writ, is the total sum of money she allegedly gave the comedian.
Reacting to the suit, in a video that has surfaced online, Funny Face told his fans that there is no cause for alarm.
“Funny Fans relax. Don't panic, it's nothing serious. This is a pure case of a relationship gone bad that someone,” wants to use to tarnish his image.
“Over one year breakup you are now coming back… anyway the issue is in court,” and his lawyers are handling it. It's a case of relationship gone bad – Funny Face reacts to $53,000 suit Comedian Funny Face has called for calm in the midst of a suit by a US-based Ghanaian woman. The comedian says the suit is just a case of a relationship gone bad. The US-based woman, Mary Ama Boansi, is alleging that Funny Face took monies from her with the promise that he would marry her. According to court documents, the comedian failed to pay back an amount of 53,105.53 dollars when the relationship turned sour. Funny Face, according to the documents, proposed marriage to Mary Ama Boansi after they met and fell in love in 2016. Mary Ama Boansi subsequently footed the bill of some of Funny Face's projects. A post shared by TV3 Ghana (@tv3_ghana) on Jan 26, 2020 at 3:00am PST | null | null | January 26, 2020 | https://3news.com/its-a-case-of-relationship-gone-bad-funny-face-reacts-to-53000-suit/ |
null | Kumawood actress Rose Mensah, popularly known as Kyeiwaa, has married again after her previous marriage to Kumasi-based spare parts dealer, Daniel Osei, ended just after four days.
The 57-year-old actress got married to Micheal Kissi Asare in a court wedding in Massachusetts, United States of America.
The simple ceremony was attended by only a few friends and family of the couple.
In 2015, the actress returned her ring and drinks after she discovered that Mr Osei was already married to another woman.
Kyeiwaa was accompanied by her father and some Kumawood actors and actresses to end the marriage. Kumawood actress Rose Mensah, popularly known as Kyeiwaa, has married again after her previous marriage to Kumasi-based spare parts dealer, Daniel Osei, ended just after four days. The 57-year-old actress got married to Micheal Kissi Asare in a court wedding in Massachusetts, United States of America. The simple ceremony was attended by only a few friends and family of the couple. A post shared by TV3 Ghana (@tv3_ghana) on Jan 25, 2020 at 12:39pm PST | null | null | January 26, 2020 | https://3news.com/videophotos-kumawood-actress-kyeiwaa-marries-in-the-us/ |
null | The 62nd annual Grammy Awards take place in Los Angeles on Sunday night. | null | null | January 26, 2020 | https://3news.com/grammys-2020-seven-things-to-watch-out-for/ |
null | Staff of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority are demanding the immediate removal of their board chairman, Air Commodore Rexford G.M. Acquah (retd), who they have accused of unprofessionalism.
He is alleged to be working outside his mandate and micromanaging the Authority with disregard to the functions of management and staff.
A letter from the staff of the Authority to the Minister of Aviation dated January 23, claimed Air Commodore Acquah has “become abusive and abrasive in nature” towards top management the rank and tile of the Authority.
“[He] has had lots of run-in with members of staff,” the letter signed by the leaders of the Local Divisional Union and all other professional Associations of the Authority claimed.
“His continuous unilateral imposition of his dictates and interference in the day-to-day operations of the Authority as well as his unwarranted habit of threatening Management and staff over internal administrative matters have become unbearable,” they alleged.
They claimed the chairman's interference in the day-to-day running of the Authority is so much that he even controls the processes of interviews for vacant positions and also sits in as part of the panel.
Also, the staff are claiming Air Commodore Acquah “has an insatiable desire for the use of Authority assets,” noting he has a dedicated vehicle at his disposal and the Authority has had to buy two units of air conditioners for him.
According to the leadership of the local union and the staff, they are obliged to help build, grow and ensure the stability of the Authority in particular and the industry in general, but indicated the actions of the board chairman “are not in sync with the tenets of the Authority”.
“In essence, we have agreed that we can no longer work with him and he must be removed immediately,” the staff demanded.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 26, 2020 | https://3news.com/remove-abusive-unprofessional-board-chair-civil-aviation-workers-demand/ |
null | A Consultant Urologist at the Kumasi South Hospital, Dr Samuel Amanamah, says it's time to pay critical attention to erectile dysfunction (ED) among men as when not well treated, puts men at risk of getting stroke and heart attacks.
This is as a result of people turning to aphrodisiac mixtures which ends up compounding the issue as it also raises their risk of contracting other diseases.
Also, the impact of ED goes beyond the medical condition with an adverse social impact on families and societies.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the consultant urologist said about 50 per cent of men between the ages of 40 and 70 in Ghana suffered the condition.
However, he said, studies show that as low as 10 per cent seek professional help as most of them try to find solutions themselves until it was late.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a condition in which a man regularly finds it difficult to get or keep a firm erection.
The condition is a medical condition but can also be psychological.
Medical experts say organic causes are usually the result of an underlying medical condition affecting the blood vessels or nerves supplying the penis.
Symptoms
Dr Amanamah advised men to look out for the signs of ED since they manifested themselves in various ways, namely absence of early morning erection and feeling of cold sensation at the tip of the penis.
“Others have strong erection initially, but that dissipates within seconds. All these symptoms end up with the inability to attain and maintain an erection good enough for sexual intercourse,” he explained.
“Diabetes, hypertension, priapism (prolonged erection) and dyslipidemia (high cholesterol) are the notorious ones,” he emphasised.
Stigmatisation
Dr Amanamah, who is also a Sexopathologist, said it was unfortunate that many had not seen ED as a disease that needed to be investigated to find out the causes and treated like any other disease.
“Over the years, men with ED have been stigmatised, making them feel inferior to other men. Unfortunately, this has found its way into the legal books and crept its ugly head into our theology in certain jurisdictions. Marriage in these jurisdictions is consummated only after successful sexual intercourse irrespective of the vows made or signed.
“ED patients are stigmatised and traumatised psychologically with continuous tensions at home,' he stated.
Unprofessional treatment
Dr Amanamah indicated that the grave nature of the condition and the unfortunate stigmatisation had pushed desperate patients to seek help from unprofessionals, which usually left them worse off.
This, he added, had made underground and unprofessional treatment thrive to the detriment of the health of some ED patients.
A good treatment for ED, the urologist said, included identifying the causes of the ED, adding that any treatment that did not seek to find the root cause and deal with it “might just see some improvement in the erection for a while, only for the ED to bounce back because the cause of the ED is still present and progressing”.
Treatment
The consultant urologist said orthodox medicine was the best treatment for ED irrespective of age, stressing that not everyone with the condition would need surgery (implant) as some would need counselling, others oral medication, others injections and others medical devices.
“But the bottom line is that everyone can be treated,” he said.
GraphicOnline | null | null | January 26, 2020 | https://3news.com/pay-critical-attention-to-erectile-dysfunction-urologist-to-men/ |
null | Lesotho's prime minister and his wife are caught up in a murder investigation involving allegations so sinister that they have the makings of a crime novel. Pumza Fihlani tries to unpack the mystery from the capital of the southern African nation, Maseru. | null | null | January 26, 2020 | https://3news.com/lesothos-prime-minister-wife-wanted-for-questioning-over-murder-of-ex-wife/ |
null | Quique Setien suffered his first defeat as Barcelona manager as Valencia claimed their first home win over the Spanish champions since 2007. | null | null | January 25, 2020 | https://3news.com/setiens-barcelona-beaten-at-valencia/ |
null | Commercial rail passenger services from Takoradi to Tarkwa in the Western Region will commence from February 5, the Ghana Railways Company has announced.
It follows the completion of rehabilitation works on the Takoradi to Tarkwa rail line and successful test runs.
Passenger service on the narrow-gauge line had been out of service since September 2007.
The rehabilitation of the Takoradi to Tarkwa rail line which started a year ago by the government of Ghana, forms part of the development of the Western rail lines.
A statement issued Saturday by the Ghana Railways Company Limited said several tests runs conducted on the rail line with the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) proved the suitability of line for passenger services.
“After the test runs, GRDA has given certification for the Ghana Railway Company Limited to commence passenger services on the line”, the statement said.
Consequently, the Ghana Railway Company Limited has resolved to start the passenger service by offering a three-day free passenger services from Takoradi to Tarkwa on January 28, 30 and 31.
“The train will depart from Takoradi Station to Tarkwa at 6:15am and depart from Tarkwa Station to Takoradi at 3:00pm each day” it said.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Railway Company has indicated there will be occasional interruption in operations for contractors to undertake civil works.
“Currently, the Western line is being developed and occasionally there will be the need for GRCL to stop operations to enable the contractor do some civil works on the line,” it said.
By Eric Yaw Adjei|3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 25, 2020 | https://3news.com/passenger-services-on-takoradi-tarkwa-rail-line-begin-tuesday-with-3-day-free-ride/ |
null | Former assembly members of the Kwahu Afram Plains North District Assembly will next week be paid their ex-gratia totalling over 67,000 cedis.
Each of the 31 elected members who served between October 2015 and October 2019 will receive 1,500 cedis while the 28 government appointees who also served for the last two years are will walk home 750 cedis each.
The 59 members, of which 15 of them retained their seats in the last district level election, had planned to picket at the Assembly on January 23 to prevent the new newly constituted assembly from being inaugurated.
The 15 had resolved to boycott the election of a presiding member for the assembly.
But ahead of the inauguration of the assembly Thursday, the former presiding member, Ms. Kate Mawusi of the Okai Zongo electoral area impressed on her colleagues to back down on their intended action as she worked to get the monies paid.
Our correspondent Yvonne Neequaye reported that it took the intervention of Ms Mawusi who retained her seat and seeking to become the presiding member of the assembly, to calm the tensed atmosphere created by the ex-assembly members.
She reported that Ms Mawusi assured the ex-members that she was working with the assembly to get them paid by next week, an assurance they took in good faith, and allowed the new assembly to be inaugurated.
Meanwhile, the Assembly failed to elect a presideing member after two rounds of voting.
At the end of the first round, the two contenders, Ms Mawusi and Nana Opoku Tutu, a government appointee, garnered 17 and 29 respectively, less the two-thirds of total votes required.
Ms Mawusi in the second round polled 18 while Nana Tutu secured 28.
A third round of election is expected in the next 10 days.
Failed deadlines
One of the old assembly members, Tetteh Fredrick Quodzo, told 3news.com Wednesday night that the assembly have failed to comply with agreed timelines for the payment of the ex-gratia.
“We have engaged Management but they failed to fulfil their promise” he said.
According to him, they met with management of the Assembly on January 8 this year at which it was agreed for the money to be paid in instalment. The assembly was to pay the first instalment of 1,000 cedis to each elected member and 500 cedis in six months' time.
They however failed, he said.
He questioned why a new assembly should be inaugurated when old members have not been paid their end of service benefits.
“Our people [referring to the 15 who retained their seats] will pull out from the election of a presiding member tomorrow and that will mean it cannot go on because there will not be quorum” he told 3news.com
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 25, 2020 | https://3news.com/ex-assembly-members-to-receive-over-%c2%a267k-in-ex-gratia-next-week/ |
null | Inter Milan hope to complete the signing of Christian Eriksen from Tottenham on Monday. Should Chris Hughton be sacked following performance of Ghana Black Stars? | null | null | January 25, 2020 | https://3news.com/inter-hope-to-sign-eriksen-on-monday/ |
null | Upper East Regional Minister, Paulina Tangoba Abayage, has announced she has picked nomination form to contest the Novrongo central parliamentary seat in the December 2020 general elections.
Ms Abayage who will contest on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party, will first have to beat Minister of Aviation, Joseph Kofi Adda, who currently occupies that seat, in the NPP primary to get the mandate of the party.
The regional minister announced her bid Friday night during a press soiree in Bolgatanga.
“This morning I paid 2,000 cedis in banker's draft and picked my forms to contest the Navrongo central parliamentary primaries,” she said and declined to give further details, particularly on her motivation to contest.
She told journalists at the event that she will not “say anything further. So don't ask me anything about that again”.
The media practitioner cum gender activist was made Ghana's Ambassador to Italy seven months after Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo assumed office as the President of Ghana.
She was however recalled to take up the regional minister job in August 2018.
Ms Abayage replaced Mr Rockson Bukari who was accused of non-performance.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 25, 2020 | https://3news.com/u-e-regional-minister-challenges-kofi-adda-for-npp-slot/ |
null | Ghana's economic outlook has been scored positive by the renowned credit rating agency, Moody's Investors Service.
It pegged the country's rating balance rating at B3, thus moving it from stable to positive.
The decision to assign a positive outlook reflects Moody's rising confidence that the Ghana's institutions and policy settings will foster improved macroeconomic and fiscal stability over the medium term.
That, it explained is partly due to the reforms implemented under the recent IMF reform programme.
“Those reforms are beginning to bear fruit” it said in a statement issued Friday.
Moody's cited Ghana's return to primary fiscal surpluses, measures to smooth the debt maturity profile and increasingly sustainable growth prospects as benefits of the programme.
Despite these, it said pressures and risks remain, as evidenced by persistent revenue challenges, a potential repeat of pre-election fiscal cycles, and the emergence of significant arrears and further contingent liabilities in the energy sector, all contributing to rising public debt.
“The positive outlook reflects increasing confidence that the government will manage those pressures in such a way as to sustain and enhance external and fiscal stability,” Moody's stated.
The decision to affirm the B3 rating balances, for now, those positive medium-term trends and existing challenges.
A key constraint on the rating is the country's significant exposure to international capital flow reversals, which tend to coincide with exchange rate volatility and rising external and domestic borrowing costs, putting pressure on already weak debt affordability.
Measures which reduce that exposure by demonstrating reliable liquidity risk management and increasingly firm control over the debt position would support an upgrade to a B2 rating.
However, Moody's said those measures will take time to evidence impact.
“As a consequence, the outlook is unlikely to be resolved quickly and may even extend beyond the usual 18 month period in order to monitor how policy unfolds following the forthcoming election, and in particular the government's progress in implementing its energy recovery strategy.
“Ghana's foreign- and local-currency bond and deposit ceilings remain unchanged, namely the foreign-currency bond ceiling at B1, the foreign-currency deposit ceiling at Caa1, and the local-currency bond and deposit ceilings at Ba3”.
Click here to read the full report
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 25, 2020 | https://3news.com/ghanas-economic-outlook-moves-from-stable-to-positive/ |
null | At least four persons are in critical condition after sustaining gunshot wounds in a renewed chieftaincy clash between two factions at Kpatinga in the Gusheigu District of the Northern region.
One of them is currently receiving treatment at the Tamale Teaching Hospital while the others are at the Gusheigu and Savelugu hospitals.
About 10 houses have also been reportedly torched.
Armed military and police personnel have also been deployed to the area.
Supporters of two rival chiefs started shooting each other claiming legitimacy to the Kpatinga skin.
Both chiefs are holding themselves as rightful chiefs to the skin.
Information gathered by 3news.com indicated the confusion started when relatives of a deceased sub-chief visited the palace of one of the chiefs as part of the funeral processes.
Per their custom, relatives of a deceased sub chief needed to go to the palace of the chief of the area for some rituals.
But reports said, the visit by the family to the palace of one of the chiefs triggered supporters of the other chief rise against the move, creating a violent scene leading to the shooting of some persons.
“The relatives of the deceased Chief went to the palace of Chief Alhassan Natogma who was enskined by the Mion-Lana when he was Boli-Lana as regent of Kpatinga to represent the Abudu Royal Gate as part of the funeral processes but supporters of his contender Chief Fuseini Ziblim also enskinned by the then Kampakuya-Na now Yo-Na to represent the Andani Royal Gate took offence,” an eyewitness who spoke on condition of anonymity told 3news.com
No arrest has been made yet.
By Christopher Amoako|3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 25, 2020 | https://3news.com/gun-battle-leaves-4-in-critical-condition-in-renewed-chieftaincy-clash-at-kpatinga/ |
null | The Electoral Commission (EC) has stated its decision to compile a new voters' register for Ghana's presidential and parliamentary elections in December is final, despite strong resistance against the last minute move.
According to the EC, the scheduled engagement with the 21-member Eminent Advisory Committee and the political parties next week, is not to seek consensus on whether or not to go on with the new registration.
“You can't get consensus anywhere; it can never happen and it will never happen. If we want to get consensus before we act, then we will never act,” Director of Electoral Services at the EC, Dr Serebour Quaicoe, said on TV3 news analysis programme, The Key Point, Saturday.
The January 30 meeting, he explained, has been arranged for the EC to inform the stakeholders of its programmes concerning the new voters' register, and solicit views on how best it can be implemented.
[caption id="attachment_11410" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Dr Quaicoe[/caption]
“We have our programme; we will explain to them and then we move on with the programme,” he stated, adding “there is no doubt about us doing the registration”.
Two mammoth rallies in Tamale and Kumasi against the move to have a new voters' register caused an intervention from the 21-member Eminent Advisory Committee of the EC, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to let calm prevail.
The dissenting political parties, who formed the Inter-Party Resistance Against a New Voters' Register (IPRNA) consequently suspended further protests based on what it said was “good faith” shown by the EC to listen to them.
However, news that the EC has planned to go ahead with the registration from April 18 forced the group to announce on Friday, a resumption of further protest in the coming days.
But the EC issued a statement moments later on Friday, to announce its Eminent Advisory Committee will meet with members of the Commission and representatives of political parties to “engage” them on the plan to compile a voters' register.
When contacted Saturday to for further details on next week's meeting, Dr Quaicoe stated emphatically that the chapter on the push for a suspension of the registration is closed.
He said the EC is not under any obligation to have consensus on issues before acting, saying “with respect to compiling new voters register, we are convinced beyond reasonable doubt there is the need for it”.
The scheduled engagement, he said, “is not …for them to tell us ‘do it or not to do it, no'. If there are suggestions that can come in to polish our approach to it,” the commission will consider it.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 25, 2020 | https://3news.com/our-decision-on-new-voters-compilation-final-jan-30-meeting-wont-change-it-ec/ |
null | The death toll from a newly-discovered coronavirus in China has risen to 41 on the day of the Lunar New Year. | null | null | January 25, 2020 | https://3news.com/death-toll-rises-as-coronavirus-spreads/ |
null | The Oguaa Traditional Council has denied reports claiming that the Omanhene of Cape Coast, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, has been destooled.
According to the Council, there has been “a false news” circulating on social media that the paramount chief has been destooled.
“He has not, repeat, not been destooled,” a statement issued and signed by the Senior Registrar of the Council, I.A. Donkoh said.
It said Osabrima Kwesi Atta II “is still the paramount chief of Cape Coast”.
The Council has thus warned the public to desist from circulating the false information, noting that anyone caught circulating such false news will be made to face the full rigours of the law.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 24, 2020 | https://3news.com/cape-coast-paramount-chief-osabarima-kwesi-atta-ii-not-destooled/ |
null | Assistant Commissioner of Police, Dr Benjamin Agordzo, who was released on bail Thursday, has said he has no plans whatsoever to topple Ghana's government as has been alleged against him.
The top police officer being tried for his alleged involvement in a coup plot said, with his six years' experience in peacekeeping in war ravaged countries, he will be the last person to do anything to disturb the peace of Ghana.
“Having spent about 6 years of my life in peace keeping missions in Sudan, Somalia and Haiti and witnessed how conflicts have ravaged those countries, I will be the last person to do anything to derail the strides we've made in democratic development,” ACP Agordzo said.
Insisting his innocence in a Facebook post Friday morning, he said his love for the country will not allow him to destabilise it, saying “I love my country so dearly I can never ever do anything to disturb the relative peace we enjoy in Ghana”.
“This is what I stand for and I'll never exchange this for anything else,” he indicated.
ACP Agordzo was arrested on November 5 last year upon his return from a UN peacekeeping, and put him before a lower court the next day which remanded him for further investigations.
Several efforts to get bail failed as the court held it was premature until January 21 when he was granted a self-recognisance bail to the tune of 500,000 cedis.
His passport was seized, and ordered to among other conditions, report to the Inspector General of Police or his representative twice every week for 3 months and once a week afterwards.
Despite the bail, he was kept in custody by police authorities until Thursday, January 23 when they resolved to allow him conclude the execution of his bail.=
In his first social media post, he described his almost three months incarceration as “a whole world of experience”.
“I was particularly strengthened by the fact that even thousands who had never set eyes on me believed that I couldn't have done what I was being accused of,” he stated in the post.
The outspoken officer said he believes in democratic values such as rule of law, human rights and constitutional rule, stating that those principles “drive the passion” in me him.
At his first court appearance on November 6, 2019, ACP Agordzo suggested he was targeted for being critical of the system.
He told journalists outside the courtroom in Accra that he would not allow the “frivolous” charges (abetment to commit treason felony) which he said were trumped up by the state, to weigh him down in his criticisms.
“These charges are frivolous. I'm strong as anything. I'm not going to be bogged down, nobody can gag me. I have not committed any crime; I've done nothing wrong,” he said.
He expressed surprise that he is being ‘targeted' for expressing his opinion on a social media platform when the President, Nana Akufo-Addo in his inaugural address on January 7, 2017 asked Ghanaians to be citizens and not spectators
“I mean the president called upon us to be citizens so when I express my opinion on a WhatsApp platform unrelated to any alleged coup, nobody should bog me down and I will stand for this,” he said.
What is the case?
ACP Agordzo is alleged to have funded the activities of the coup plotters with 2,000 Ghana cedis.
His lawyer, Martin Kpebu, though admitted that his client indeed parted with the amount, he explained the amount was for a “philanthropic activity at Agbobloshie” in Accra.
At least 7 persons including a medical doctor and serving military personnel are facing trial for plotting to overthrow the Akufo-Addo-led government.
Government announced a joint security services operation on September 20, 2019 led to the retrieval of several arms, explosive devices and ammunition from locations within Accra and Kpone-Bawaleshie in Dodowa.
Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said at the time that three persons including a medical doctor were arrested in the operation, noting they were a part of group of persons who were planning to target the presidency and destabilise the country.
“The arrest and seizure come after 15 months of surveillance and gathering of evidence on the activities of the prime suspects and others,” he said in a statement.
Five persons, Dr Frederick Yao Mac-Palm, said to be the leader of the group, and Ezor Kafui, a local weapon manufacturer, Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu, Colonel Samuel kojo Gameli and a civilian employee of the Ghana Armed Forces, Gershon Akpa, have since been put before court.
By Stephen Kwabena Effah|3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 24, 2020 | https://3news.com/i-love-ghana-ill-be-the-last-person-to-derail-it-acp-agordzo/ |
null | When Ghanaian comedian OB Amponsah walked off the stage of D2R 2019, little did he envisage that the next few days were going to plunge him into total disbelief, flatten his dimples, and loosen all the air from his head which was still swelling as a result of the delirious raves he had received.
The D2R crowd had given him the biggest applause and cheer of his comedy career, and he had gone to bed with sugar and honey fighting for real estate in his head.
OB woke up the next morning thinking to himself, ‘I have arrived', but that thought was quickly cut short as insults and threats started flowing into his inbox like Boti Falls. Calls from unknown numbers were coming through, and after picking a few, his mouth which had brought this debt upon him, was stuck open in shock. At this point, let me bring you some erudition if you have no idea what he had done.
D2R, a music performance show organized by Citi FM always has a comedian passing through. The lot fell on OB Amponsah this time round so he embraced it and prepared with a set that got the audience totally cracked up. It was in this performance that he decided to educate his audience on some names and their implications on the bearer. As an actress, Ama K. Abebrese is always playing crying roles in movies, and according to OB, the cause is in her name Abebrese; which means great suffering.
After a few other relevant and funny examples, he continued that the name Mahama in the Hausa language meant corruption. This punchline got many of the audience members laughing hard, but OB quickly realized not everyone found it funny. He therefore made a swift disclaimer that it was just a joke. He then apologized and asked the audience not to kill his young career. OB went on to finish his set and got the applause of his life from the audience; hence his swollen head when he went to bed.
Apparently, sympathizers of former President Mahama did not hear OB's apology. To them, this Mahama joke was a deliberate effort to tarnish the image of His Excellency JM. In fact, social media screenshots were pulled out as evidence that this was not a one-off action by the ‘foolish comedian'. He was doing the bidding of his paymasters as usual and so the time had come to nip him in the bud once and for all. Their trap had caught a stubborn ‘bayla' and they were bent on chewing him like Christmas chicken. On social media, OB was trending gidigidi!
Meanwhile, the 1026 Laughs Comedy show had him on the bill the next day. You can imagine your man could not sleep that night; yet he was expected to ‘kill it'. To make matters worse, Charter House received a strong message from Hon. Sam George threatening to have him removed from the bill. The long and short was that ‘they got their eyes on him'. At this point, things had gotten critical and OB decided to release an apology letter. This apology letter was described as an apology of an apology letter by the angry JM sympathizers. I thought same too, but it sufficed anyway. Before he went on stage to perform on the 26th of December, 2019; OB admits he was a miserable, traumatized and broken man. In fact, he wished he had someone to psyche him up. Yet as professional as he is, he went on stage and killed it!
It is this brouhaha that led to the staging of the show dubbed ‘Political Refugee' on the 18th of January, 2020, at the Snap Cinema. Accra. With a room fully packed, OB mounted the stage clad in his Pajamas; thanks to a certain viral video call. With his unique storytelling skills, the first part of his set were jokes centered on Hon. Kan Dapaah, Sugar Daddies, distant relationships, phone sex and sexting.
He then dedicated the second part of his set to the predicament that led to this show. With a projected screen, OB showed some of the messages he received from the irate JM followers. By reading each message with the character it possessed, he used the insults and threats to laugh at his pain. As audience, we could not help but laugh along. Once a while he swayed into what he calls his Baffour jokes. Baffour is supposed to be an unrelenting stuttering friend of his, whose escapades can pass for a whole comedy special. Again the audience could not control themselves as the humor got to its crescendo.
It was refreshing though to note a few of the messages that encouraged and assured him that the hate messages and calls did not reflect the ideals of the NDC. My favorite message though was the one that called him a Congolese chimpanzee! A Congolese chimpanzee oo!! I mean how?!? Perhaps the sender is an expert in primates and their geographical habitats; who knows?
OB Amponsah's ‘Political Refugee' was a great night of Ghanaian comedy. If you missed it, you missed out on an opportunity to have a good laugh. Other performers of the night included MJ, Jeff, Kweli, Rymer, Nii O Nii, TeeKay, Efe Keys, Atta Kay, and Jerry who stood out as a talented comedian with a bright future. Clemento Suarez, the MC of the night, was in his usual witty and hilarious element. In fact, the moment I laughed the loudest was when Clement decided to be a backup singer to Atta Kay, a budding singer. I laughed so hard I was in tears!
In conclusion, OB Amponsah used the show to clear the air that he is not on the payroll of the NPP, and that the Mahama joke was just a joke and should stay as such. He ended his set with a standing ovation from the audience and confirmed himself as one of the top dogs of Ghanaian comedy.
OB Amponsah, the political refugee, took a depressing situation and turned it around to bring laughter and joy to a large audience and to himself. Congratulations to him! OB is in the form of his life, and if he keeps working hard, he will go places. Well, except for an NDC rally though.
By Nick Asante| email cncafrica.posteritygh.com | null | null | January 24, 2020 | https://3news.com/ob-amponsahs-political-refugee-lemons-to-lemonade/ |
null | China has widened a lockdown in Hubei province – the centre of the coronavirus outbreak – as the death toll climbed to 26. | null | null | January 24, 2020 | https://3news.com/virus-death-toll-rises-as-more-cities-shut-down/ |
null | Nine suspected drug dealers have been arrested at Achimota in Accra in a special police operation Wednesday.
The intelligence-led operation which was conducted at ‘Vegas Ghetto' led to the retrieval of several parcels of wrapped white substances and dried leaves believed to be narcotic drugs.
A police statement Thursday said several other items were also retrieved from the suspects.
“The operation is part of the Police Administration's resolve to weed out criminals from the Ghanaian society,” it explained.
It said such intelligence-led preventive policing and strategic operational exercises will continue, to ensure that law and order is achieved before, during and after this year's general elections.
The police are thus encouraging the public to assist them with information on criminal activities.
By 3news.com|Ghana | null | null | January 24, 2020 | https://3news.com/9-suspected-drug-dealers-arrested-at-achimota-vegas-ghetto/ |
null | The immediate past Director-General of the National Communications Authority (NCA), William Matthew Tetteh Tevie, who is standing trial on allegations of stealing and causing financial loss to the state, has testified that he is not a thief.
“In my whole professional life I have never stolen anybody's money,” he told the Accra High Court yesterday when he opened his defence.
Tevie is standing trial with Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie, a former Board Chairman of the NCA; Nana Owusu Ensaw, a former board member; Alhaji Salifu Mimina Osman, a former Deputy National Security Coordinator, and a businessman, George Derek Oppong.
They are alleged to have embezzled $4 million of state funds during the purchase of a cyber security surveillance equipment or listening devices for the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), which was sponsored by the NCA.
The accused persons have been charged with diverse counts of wilfully causing financial loss of $4 million to the state, stealing, conspiracy, money laundering, among other charges.
They have pleaded not guilty to all the charges and are currently on bail in the sum of $1 million each.
Evidence-in-chief
Led by his lawyer, Mr Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, to give his evidence-in-chief, Tevie refuted all allegations levelled against him in relation to the said embezzlement.
According to him, investigations into the case never established that he had benefitted personally from the purchase of the cyber security equipment.
“I gave all my bank accounts details to the investigation team and they did not make any adverse findings against me,” he told the court.
On the issue of whether or not he had caused financial loss to the state, the accused stated that he could not have caused financial loss because the said cyber security equipment was in the possession of the state.
“It cannot be said that I have caused financial loss when the equipment has been paid for, tested, delivered and is in the hands of the Republic. I did not use my office for private gain. Of all the investigations that were done into the transaction, nothing showed that I benefited from this transaction,” he added.
Cyber security
The prosecution has made a case that there was no approval for the purchase of any cyber security equipment by the NSCS, which was to be sponsored by the NCA
Also, it has presented a case that the $4 million paid by the NCA for the purchase of the equipment was not approved and also not captured in the NCA's budget.
The prosecution has also argued that the payment for the security equipment was outside the stated mandate of the NCA, as stipulated by law.
Tevie, however, refuted the prosecution's arguments and contended that the NCA decided to provide institutional support for the NSCS to purchase the equipment because of the increased level of terrorist threats in the West African sub-region.
According to him, information technology was now a crucial tool in the fight against terrorism and, therefore, he decided to make cyber security a priority when he became the Director-General of the NCA in 2016.
On the issue of the funding not being captured in the budget, he said the budget was not “cast in stone” and could be varied at any time.
The former NCA boss will continue with his evidence-in-chief on January 28, 2020 at the court, presided over by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, a Justice of the Court of Appeal with additional responsibility as a High Court judge.
Prosecution's fact
Per the facts of the case, Baffoe-Bonnie, Tevie and Osman were allegedly aided by a private citizen, Oppong, to engage in the act.
According to the state, the previous administration had contracted an Israeli company, NSO Group Technology Limited, to supply listening equipment at a cost of $6 million to enable the authorities to monitor conversations of persons suspected to be engaged in terror activities.
A local agent, Infraloks Development Limited, also charged $2 million to facilitate the transaction, bringing the total sum to $8 million.
The facts stated that the National Security did not have the money to fund the transaction, and for that reason, the NCA, which has supervisory jurisdiction over the use of such equipment, was asked to fund the project.
It said an amount of $4 million was withdrawn from the accounts of the NCA and $1 million out of the withdrawn amount deposited into the accounts of the Israeli company.
According to the state, the remaining $3 million was lodged in the account of Oppong, who acted as a representative of the local agents, Infraloks Development Ltd.
Osman is alleged to have fronted for the entire deal.
The state said the accused persons later laundered the amount for their private benefit.
Source Daily Graphic | null | null | January 24, 2020 | https://3news.com/im-not-a-thief-former-nca-boss/ |