Private legal practitioner Kwame Jantuah has chastised Vice President Dr Mahamamudu Bawumia for constantly comparing the current performance of the cedi against the dollar under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.

He did not understand why the Dr Bawumia had been using the John Mahama led administration as a yardstick for the Akufo-Addo government which has come under criticism for how it is managing the economy.

Mr. Jantuah wanted Dr. Bawumia and the government to channel its energy on finding solutions to the depreciating cedi.

The government has come under criticism over the depreciating cedi against the dollar, a situation that many have lamented is affecting businesses in the country.

Prior to the 2016 elections, Dr. Bawumia was very critical of the Mahama administration and their failure to ensure that the cedi performed better against the dollar.

The Vice President attributed the depreciating cedi at the time to what he described as ‘weak fundamentals’ which he said was as a result of the NDC’s incompetence.

It is on the back of this that many Ghanaians had hopes that as leader of the current government’s economic management team, Dr. Bawumia, will ensure that the cedi performs better than it did under the NDC administration.

Currently, the cedi stands above GHC4.9 per dollar as against GHC4.2 per dollar at the end of 2016.

Dr. Bawumia who had been silent on the matter for months, spoke last Friday on the matter and justified the current exchange rate as being the best since 2012.

But his assertion did not go down well with Mr. Jantuah who advised Dr. Bawumia and his team to move away from the comparisons and work at getting the cedi performs better against the dollar.

Chief Operations Officer of Dalex Finance, Joe Jackson who aslo added his voice underscored the need for governments to move away from politicising issues regarding the performance of the cedi.

“Let us stop playing politics with the value of the cedi, the value of the cedi is an economic tool, it is not a barometer of political success or opinions,” he said.

“Once we do that, we are taking away one of the most important tools in growing and developing the economy,” Mr. Jackson said.

He said Ghana’s inability to produce more and export more, was the major cause of the depreciating cedi.

“The fundamentals are that, you do not produce enough in this country for exports; containers come in full of foodstuff and when they are going back, they go with air,” he held.

“Anytime we import, it is job we are creating for someone somewhere,” he added.

Story: Today Correspondent

Some aggrieved customers of Menzgold at Kasoa in the Central Region have threatened to embark on a naked demonstration should the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), fail to allow the company resume operations.

The customers who were mostly market women threatened to storm the Jubilee House naked in protest against the directive issued by SEC to Menzgold forcing them to stop operations.

The women questioned if the president wanted them to engage in prostitution in order for them to survive.

A women quizzed, ‘’I want to ask government if they want us to go out there and prostitute our bodies? That is what I want to ask President Akufo-Addo.

“We voted for him to assume the role as president but he has failed to give the youth jobs to do. God has brought in someone who has created jobs for us to do and government wants to close down the company”, she said.

“What does he [President] wants us to do if the company is shutdown, she asked”?

Another aggrieved customer of Menzgold threatened, ‘’we are storming the Jubilee House naked. We voted for Nana Addo because we had hope in him.

We voted for him because we trusted in him. There are no jobs and I have managed to set up my own business, gathered some money and invested it at Menzgold and now, you want to shut it down; this is not good and so we are ready to storm the Jubilee House naked.’’

The customers threatened to vote against his administration in 2020 should the challenges and issues of Menzgold be treated in a suspicious manner.

Others wondered why Menzgold was being treated ‘’unfairly’’ despite opening branches in other countries.

Meanwhile, another group calling itself Coalition of Concerned Youth have also called on the president to investigate his Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta because they suspect he is in engaging suspicious dealings at the disadvantage of financial institutions in Ghana.

Management of Menzgold announced on Thursday morning that it had temporarily halted its collectables and any new business related to its gold vault market with immediate effect.

Story: Kofi OWUSU TAWIAH

Writer’s email: kofi.tawiah@todaygh.com

Deputy Education Minister, Dr Yaw Adutwum, says it is impracticable to place students in private schools as an answer to the double-track system.

It has been argued variously that government should, instead of resorting to a double-track system to cater for increasing number of students in senior high schools (SHS), rather place some of the students in private SHSs.

Vice-President of IMANI, Kofi Bentil, argued this point forcefully, insisting the double-track system is a good idea.

Some heads of private senior high schools recently expressed disappointment at the government over the manner in which it had handled its free SHS policy which is the precursor to the increasing numbers necessitating the double-track system.

The heads, who are having to deal with almost empty classrooms since the programme took off, said they had been completely neglected by the government.

Speaking at the press conference in Accra recently, General Secretary of the Conference of Heads of Private Second Cycle Schools (CHOPSS), Joseph Dzamesi said before the programme was implemented, they were made to believe that their schools had a role to play, but that was not the case.

“We consider the development so far as undermining the contribution of private senior high schools in the educational sector. It is as though the government is intentionally trying to collapse all private senior high schools in the country,” he said.

Also, speaking on Joy FM/MultiTV’s news analysis programme, Newsfile, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Prof. George KT Oduro, said he was afraid double-track could affect the quality of education even though it appears to be an innovative system.

He also advocated the use of private schools, which have the capacity to admit some of the students and reduce the pressure on the public schools.

But responding to the recommendation, Dr Adutwum, credited with the idea, stressed that the ministry of education and the Ghana Education Service cannot assign children to schools they did not choose.

He said many students choose public schools and it was not the place of the education authorities to send them to private schools whose track-record parents have no idea about.

He also advocated the use of private schools, which have the capacity to admit some of the students and reduce the pressure on the public schools.

Pix: Dr Yaw Adutwum, Deputy Minister of Education

Member of Parliament  (MP) for the Tarkwa Nsuaem, George Mireku Duker, has asked sympathisers of Menzgold to stop blaming government for the recent happenings regarding the gold hub.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) wrote to Menzgold Ghana Company, demanding that all trading in gold without licence be ceased.

It also asked the company which has been on the warpath with the Bank of Ghana (BoG), not to take new contracts (investments) and also halt the broadcast and publishing of all its adverts forthwith.

Speaking on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ on Thursday, September 13; Menzgold Chairman, Fred Ohene Frimpong stated they were not aware of contravening any laws regarding their operations and so, questioned why the SEC would come after them, asking them to shut down.

But, according to Tarkwa Nsuaem MP, the management of Menzbank subsequently changed to Menzbanc and now Menzgold despite forewarnings from the Central Bank.

He wanted the general public to know that “it is the activities of the institution (Menzgold) itself that have resulted into this…It’s the behavior of some people which won’t augur well for the nation…It is not the government”.

Mireku Duker asked Ghanaians to leave government out of the issue because Menzgold had created its own woes.

He narrated that Menzgold begun in October 2014 as Menzbank and when the Bank of Ghana got wind of it, cautioned the management to halt operations till it was given a licence and acquired the right documentation.

Meanwhile, Managing Editor of The Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has descended heavily on Menzgold and its Chief Executive Officer, Nana Appiah Mensah, over the brouhaha.

Kwesi Pratt h asked (BoG), SEC and all the appropriate State regulators in the financial sector not to spare Menzgold if indeed they were not operating within the remits of the laws of Ghana.

He asked management of Menzgold to comply with the directives of the SEC and acquire the right documents and licence to operate as a gold company.

Story: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH

Double-track system…

Government says it will employ additional 9,000 graduates under the double-track system by the close of the year to make it sustainable, Evans Opoku-Bobie, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister-designate, has said.

He said last year 16,000 graduates were engaged towards the implementation of the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme, which has gathered momentum in this academic year.

Addressing the members of the Brong-Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs (BARHCs) at its Second General Meeting in Sunyani, Mr Opoku-Bobie, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asunafo North Constituency, said the implementation of the Free SHS programme had been associated with some challenges and efforts were being made to ensure total success.

He commended the traditional authorities, relevant institutions and all the key players in the education sector for their support towards the programme and expressed the hope that they would give similar support to make the double-track system meaningful.

Mr Opoku-Bobie said the role of traditional authorities towards facilitating accelerated national development was paramount, saying any government, which neglected the essential roles of chiefs, and queens would not succeed.

The regional minister-designate said chiefs and queens remained the embodiment of the people, hence the need to make regular contact with them, gather their views and aspirations to push forward development.

He applauded the collective role of the chiefs towards sustaining the prevailing peace in the region and advised them to support the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) in promoting peace in the Asunafo South District.

Mr Opoku-Bobie said REGSEC would leave no stone unturned to ensure that the existing political impasse between supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Asunafo South, particularly Kukuom and Sankore was resolved.

PimampimYaw Kagbrese VI, the President of the BARHCs, lauded the significant role and contributions of REGSEC in the handling of problematic issues in the region, saying the spontaneous and tactical manner that the Security Council had handled various disputes was commendable.

He commended President Nana Addo Dankwa AKufo-Addo for resourcing both the Judicial and Research and Traditional Affairs Committees of the House in carrying out their mandates.

The House later installed Mr Opoku-Bobie as the 51st chief and admitted Daasebre Dr Amankona Diawuo II, the Paramount Chief of Berekum Traditional Area also as a member of the House.

Story: Freeman AWLESU KORYEKPOR

Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh has dissolved Prempeh College Management Committee over the encroachment of school land.

The Headmaster of the school, Samuel Fordjour, and his team have been accused of leasing parcels of the school land to private developers.

Dr Opoku Prempeh who was on a surprise visit to the school, questioned authorities on the increasing spate of encroachment of school lands.

The minister who was suspicious immediately ordered the dissolution of the current school management committee to make way for an interim committee to manage the school’s affairs.

“I’ve informed the Regional Director of Education that we’ll dissolve the Board for now for being complicit in such a heinous thing. We’ll dissolve the board; we’ll form an interim management committee to look after Prempeh College and its assets better. We’ll reconstitute the Board with all the necessary stakeholders to be involved in the management of the day-to-day activity. This is an urgent matter so we’ll work with the Regional Director to find people who are able and willing to protect the school.

Dr Opoku Prempeh told the media the development would deter others from engaging in such condemnable acts.

He said all the illegal structures will be demolished to pave way for installation of school related projects.

“People should appreciate the fact that there are laws and order in this country, I hope that Ghanaians learn from today. Unless explicitly stated in law, it is not for Boards of schools to decide that we’ll sell part of school lands. It is not for them to decide that”, he said.

Story: James APPIAKORANG JNR., KUMASI, ASHANTI REGION

Thousands of workers of five defunct banks are writing aptitude tests across the country to justify their employment status with the newly created Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited  (CBG).

The over 3,000 workers were absorbed by the Consolidated Bank after the collapse of uniBank, Construction Bank, Sovereign Bank, Beige Bank and Royal Bank in August this year

An email to the workers informing them about the upcoming tests last week said each person was required to undertake the assessment scheduled for Saturday, September 15 and Sunday, the 16th.

“For your convenience, there are 10 test locations across the country. Your test venue will be selected for you based on proximity to your location. Please note that the assessment will be conducted online and is expected to last for one (1) hour.

“Over the course of the next 48 hours, you will receive personalised invitations, informing you of your test Venue and the competency area you have been mapped to. The competency area has been determined by your previous responsibilities in the member banks as well as its alignment to CBG’s strategic goals,” the letter added.

Some staff who took the test complained that they were not given enough time to prepare for it.

“We are not prepared. We had the mail at dawn – around 2 AM and they wanted us to print and present, so we are not ready,” one of the staff told the media.

Another said, “It was impromptu because if you receive a mail around 1 AM saying you should come and write an exam at 12 PM, it is some way.”

The employment ministry had, however, said the over 2,000 workers that were anticipated to lose their jobs will be engaged in other alternative ventures to benefit the banking sector.

Meanwhile President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has assured the Ghanaian people that “those responsible for the sequence of activities that led to the ‘banking crisis’ will face the full brunt of the law if they are found to have broken the law”.

According to President Akufo-Addo, “It is not right that the overwhelming majority of ordinary Ghanaians should pay for the actions of a greedy few, without sanction.”

President Akufo-Addo made this known on Saturday, September 15, 2018, when he delivered a speech at the 80th Anniversary of the Presbyterian Boys’ Senior High School, Legon.

The President stated that “the so-called ‘banking crisis’”, and the collapse and subsequent consolidation of some indigenous banks have been caused by the cutting of corners, circumvention of the laws, flouting and non-adherence to regulations, apparently with the complicity of senior officials of the Bank of Ghana.

Story: News Desk

The second comedy event organised by Glo Mobile, as part of its richly packaged Mega Shows, was held at the Fantasy Dome, Accra on Sunday and pulled thousands of subscribers on the network and friends of the brand.

Tagged Glo Laffta fest, the show has become the biggest comedy show ever staged in Accra with the biggest cast of some of the finest comedians on the continent.

The event turned out to be a fantastic opportunity for thousands in the audience to enjoy a night of excellent laughter and entertainment from a rich cast of comedians.

Comedians who performed at the show included Khemikal, Salvador, Senator, Foster Romanus, Dan D. Humorous, DKB, Basketmouth and Gordons. They delivered to an indulgent audience, far more laughter and amusement than anybody had expected.

The night began with performances from upcoming comedians, who showed some very good skills under the klieg lights. These rising acts included MJ, Comedian Waris and Comic Emma. The audience appreciated their individual skills.

First to perform among the major acts was Khemikal. Though diminutive in frame, he captivated the audience with some good sets of jokes from his rich repertoire and succeeded to get the audience reeling and yearning for more. Khemikal earned the confidence and plaudits of all with his flawless delivery and original jokes too. Many felt the future of comedy in Ghana belonged to him.

Ugandan Salvador cracked more ribs with his jokes, some of which the audience won’t forget in a hurry. Many at the event won’t forget his joke on event posters listing performing artistes and ending the list with “others”. He made those in the “others” list the butt of some good jokes.

Senator and Dan D Humorous gave a good account of themselves and justified why Glo included them on the historic show in Ghana. Both comedians, who were participating in the Glo Laffta fest for the first time in Ghana, were simply delightful. The audience did not fail to appreciate them for their exemplary performance.

DKB, Ghana’s biggest stand-up comedian also performed at the big show, although he will soon have to contend with the likes of Khemikal for Ghanaians attention as the biggest comedian in the land.

Basketmouth was a mix of himself – hilarious – as well as a ‘preacher’. He preached carefulness in matters of relationship with the opposite sex. But that was the best the preacher in him could do. He went ahead to stoke the fire of laughter. The crowd appreciated his every minute as he continually cracked them up.

The Bishop of Osusu Ministry, Gordons, was the last on the bill and did his very best to get the audience to have value for sparing time to be at the very entertaining event.

With the second outing of the Glo Laffta fest just out of the way, all is now set for the fourth event, the Glo Mega Music and the last event which are expected to hold on Saturday, September 22 and Saturday, October 20 respectively.

A statement from Glo enjoined the good people of Accra not to miss the last two events, as they would be biggest music shows ever witnessed in the country.

Already, artistes have been lined up for the Saturday, September 22 event. They include Stonebwoy, Wizkid, Yemi Alade, Tekno, among others.

Story Freeman KORYEKPOR AWLESU

Managing Director of Samsung Electronics Africa – Ghana, Mr Eugene Nahm, has indicated that the technology giant’s introduction of its new Galaxy Note9 will empower people through the combination of technology and lifestyle innovation.

According to Mr Nahm, the Galaxy Note9, which has been christened by industry experts, as “The Game Changer” is the only phone that, can keep up with the busy lives of people.

“It is designed for a level of performance, power and intelligence that today’s consumers want and need. The Note series has always been the showcase of premium technology,” Mr Nahm told the media at an official launch to introduce the Samsung Galaxy Note9 into the Ghanaian market.

“Today, we do everything on our phones. Mobile technology powers our lives – day and night; whether it’s staying connected with friends and family, leading a conference call on the go, taking the perfect photo or playing a favourite mobile game,” he added.

Galaxy Note9 is the latest addition to the Note family – Samsung’s line of most premium devices that set the bar for performance and power. The Note series is the first in the Galaxy portfolio to receive industry’s first smartphone innovations. And that’s because Note users do more with their phone than anyone else. They expect the latest and greatest. They want it all, and Note delivers.

Story: Business DESK

MTN Ghana has won four awards at the just ended Ghana Procurement & Supply Chain Awards 2018. MTN received awards in the following award categories:

In addition, Acting General Manager of Supply Chain & General Service at MTN Ghana, Mr Patrick Afari, was listed among the Top 20 Procurement Leaders in Ghana.

The awards seeks to celebrate exceptional talent, teams and organizations that have demonstrated excellence in delivering best practice and innovation in the Procurement and Supply Chain sector in Ghana. Ghana Procurement and Supply Chain Awards (GPSCA) is the first of its kind that celebrates such outstanding achievements.

Receiving the awards on behalf of MTN Ghana, Senior Manager for Sourcing Finance & Services, Mr Patrick Afari, expressed gratitude to Instinct Wave and Ghana Institute of Procurement & Supply for the recognition. He also dedicated the awards to the Management and Staff, Suppliers and Business Partners of MTN.

Commenting on the awards, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of MTN Ghana, Mr Modupe Kadri, said: “we are happy to have received these awards and to see our staff receive such recognition.

“The awards attest to the continuous improvements we continue to make in refining our Procurement and Supply Chain practices. We will continue to invest and implement transformational solutions that will continue to enhance our processes,” he added.

MTN Ghana has over the years, received some awards in the Procurement and Supply Chain space in the past. In 2015, MTN Ghana received an award from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS) Ghana and the Association of Ghana Industries for its outstanding contributions to local Procurement initiatives.  In 2014, MTN Ghana also received an award from CIPS Africa in Johannesburg for the “Most innovative use of technology in Procurement and Supply.”

Story: Business DESK

Golden Star Resources Limited (GSRL) has announced that it has entered into a long-term strategic relationship with La Mancha Holding, a Luxembourg-incorporated private gold investment company, which part of the proceeds would be used by the company to accelerate gold production in its Wassa and Prestea mines in the Western Region.

According to the company, the creation of a long-term strategic relationship with La Mancha would support its growth into a leading African gold producer.

As part of the transaction, the company stated that the La Mancha will invest approximately US $125.7 million cash into GSRL through a private placement and La Mancha will be issued 163,210,500 GSRL”s common shares, representing approximately 30% of the outstanding share capital on a non-diluted basis after giving effect to La Mancha’s investment.

It noted that the long-term nature of the investment was demonstrated by La Mancha’s agreement to a two-year equity lock-up and standstill and the provision of anti-dilution rights to La Mancha.

According to the company, the investment will strengthen GSRL’s balance sheet and provide the company with increased financial capacity to unlock organic growth opportunities and participate in the consolidation of the African gold sector.

It added that the transaction was value accretive for Golden Star’s shareholders, saying that the value of La Mancha’s investment equates to a price of US $0.77 per shares.

And following completion of the transaction, the company stated that La Mancha would nominate up to three representatives to the board of Golden Star.

President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GSRL, Mr Sam Coetzer, noted, “We are delighted to welcome La Mancha as a long-term strategic investor.

He said the company shares the vision of building a leading, Africa-focused gold producer and this transformative deal clearly endorses the potential of GSRL’s assets.

He indicated that La Mancha has a strong track record of creating sustainable shareholder value

He reiterated that La Mancha’s US$125.7 million investment will allow GSRL to fast track its exploration and expansion programmes at both Wassa and Prestea Underground Mines.

“The transaction also de-risks our balance sheet and lends us a platform to participate actively in the consolidation of the African gold mining industry.

“I am very encouraged by the professional approach of the La Mancha team and with our experience of building and operating mines, together we have the expertise and funding to grow across Africa,” he said.

For his part, Chief Executive Officer of La Mancha, Mr Andrew Wray, said that “Following the success of our strategic partnerships with Evolution Mining and Endeavour Mining, which have rapidly both become leading gold producers.

He stated that we are excited to have the opportunity to partner with Golden Star.

He said: “Our strategic goal is to create value with a long-term, supportive approach to the benefit of all stakeholders.”  He noted that “The Golden Star Board and management team share this objective and we have been impressed with their successful track record of project discovery and development around their existing assets in Ghana.”

“We look forward to working with Mr. Sam Coetzer and his team to unlock the value of Golden Star’s organic growth pipeline and to use our financial resources to help take advantage of external growth opportunities in Africa,” he said.

The minerals and mining sector, through commercial banks and the Bank of Ghana, have returned a total of US$ 2.57 billion of the US$ 3.68 billion mineral revenue into the country.

The revenue helped the sector to further deepen the foreign exchange market 2017, the Minerals Commission of Ghana has revealed

That represented 70 per cent of total mineral revenue in 2017. These facts were contained in the 2017 annual report of the Ghana Chamber of Mines.

Under the amended mandatory surrender requirements, the Bank of Ghana directed that mining companies and other export revenue earners to cede the equivalent share of their foreign exchange revenue to commercial banks.

This notwithstanding, it was expected that the BoG will continue to be a conduit for ploughing back mineral export proceeds into the country due to some challenges in implementing the policy directive.

The plough back of mineral exports receipts and expenditure are critical pathways by which mining influences the growth of the non-mineral economy and national development.

In the same year, US$ 368.164 million of the returned mineral revenue of US$ 2.57 billion was brought back into the country through the BoG.

This translates into 22 per cent of mineral revenue. The remaining US$ 2.20 billion was returned into the country through the commercial banks.  The total expenditure of the producing member companies of the chamber on goods and services procured from in-country suppliers and manufacturers stood at US$ 1.23 billion in 2017, representing 34 per cent outturn in 2016.

Further to this, the proportion of the producing mines’ expenditure of mineral revenue on imported consumables declined from seven per cent in 2016 to 6 per cent in 2017.  The 2017 share of expenditure translated into US$ 215.6 million.  Therefore, in the last few years, the mining sector pattern of expenditure consistently showed year on year increases in demand for locally sourced inputs and steady decline in spending on imported consumables.

Moreover, the mining companies’ statutory payments to the central government totalled US$ 400.4 million in 2017 while compensation payments to employees were US$515.1 million in the same period.  These represented 11 per cent and 14 per cent of realised mineral revenue respectively.

“No, it cannot be true”.  “It seems like only last week we exchanged pleasantries. Are you sure of what you are telling me?”  “Oh, how?”

These were some of my instant reactions when at 9.30pm on that fateful Friday; a friend called and said he had heard that Professor Atukwei Okai had passed away.  I went into immediate denial and started to send whatsapp messages asking friends whom I thought could confirm or deny the sad news.  It was a simple message, “Have you heard………. “

Responses started coming in one after another, confirming exactly what I did not want to hear.  What broke the camel’s back, for me, was when a friend, having confirmed asked me to check graphic-on-line news portal where the story was trending then.  I went numb and going to bed that night was a struggle.

Even till today, having witnessed his elaborate funeral only yesterday, I still find it difficult to accept that somebody who stood so tall in the world of poetry, so full of life; and always wearing infectious smiles could leave the scene so soon.  Was he staging a play for us?  Was he at Act one scene one?  No, rather, the stage had collapsed under his feet; death has snatched him away from the scene.  No more Lorgaligi Logarithms.

I got closer to the famous Poet in the late 1990s when I bumped into him at the Editorial office of the Daily Graphic.  In a conversation, he told me that with my insight into corporate life and working with multinationals, I should consider writing on business issues, adding, “That is a specialty people would love to read”.  I thanked him and promised him I would.   “When are you starting?” became a regular demand whenever I met him.

I got even closer to him and his family when our children got admitted to SOS Hermann Gmeiner College in Tema.  We used to meet at the College during weekend visiting time.   Then from 2010 to 2015, we came much closer when we both served on the Board of the Millennium Excellence Foundation with him as the Chairman.  We worked closely together to the extent that we even developed a friendly greeting, “I beg oooo”.  Our meetings were delightful.  I never saw him angry or raise his voice over any issues, though there were many.

He was so full of humour and brought much fun into every situation.  I could not help but admire him.  I remember a visit we made to Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.  In an audience with Otumfuo Osei-Tutu II, Asantehene, he went into one of his best moments when, on his feet to speak on behalf of the Foundation, he managed to weave in a few lines from his famous “Lorgaligi Logarithms”.  He sent all the chiefs assembled cracking with laughter putting everyone at ease.

Prof. Okai had a warm personality.  He was an imposing figure, a literary giant too sad to loose.  He brought smiles and laughter into the lives of those of us who got a little closer to him.  He came across as someone who did not have any dull moments of his own.

Our friendship matured with time and on my sixtieth birthday he sent me a gift of three of his books, A Slim Queen in a Palanquin, An Anthill in the Seas, and Pawpaw on a Mango Tree, all duly autographed.  Since then, each time we met the demand was, “When are we seeing your first book?”

So warm and affable, he genuinely took interest in the professional lives of people who showed interest in literary works and readily offered encouragement.  He was on whatsapp with me and anytime he came across any reading on women empowerment and achievements he shared with me.  He was a mentor par excellence.

The family, his wife Beatrice and his adorable daughters have indeed lost a gem, an irreplaceable husband and father.  He stood for peace and would quickly settle any disagreements before they became issues.  For him, saying sorry was a healing balm to any dissent, hence the “I beg ooooo” greeting that we developed and exchanged whenever we met.

He came down to everyone’s level and treated people as his equals.  Quite a rare human being.  Atukwei Okai will remain in our hearts for a long time to come.  Subconsciously, I have been looking out for him after Church on Sundays.  Yes, I get the urge to look for him and exchange our usual greeting, “I beg ooooo”.

Prof. as I called him, you have played your part. You have left a mark in the world of poetry.  We shall miss you dearly.

My mentor and a friend, May the Lord grant you eternal rest.  Adieu.

Article: Vicky WIREKO-ANDOH

Writer’s email: vickywirekoandoh@yahoo.com

Namibian President, Hage Gottfried Geingob, has described the former United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, the late Kofi Atta Annan, as an “exceptional humanitarian” who “lived an admirable life, defined by a love for humanity, dedication to work and a never say die mentality.”

President Geingob, who was in Ghana among several dignitaries including world leaders and the current UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, to attend the State funeral of the late Busumuru on Thursday, September 13, 2018 said he met and worked with Kofi Annan in the 1970s at the United Nations.

“Annan’s road towards international diplomatic accomplishment began in 1974, when he became Chief Civilian Personnel Officer in the UN Emergency Force in Cairo, Egypt. It was around the same time when I had also joined the United Nations as a Political Affairs Officer, and came to know him,” he said in his tribute to the Ghanaian.

Namibian President, Hage Gottfried Geingob (R), arrives in Ghana being accompanied by H.E. Charles Josop Namibian High Commissioner to Ghana

The Namibian leader was full of praise for Ghana for churning out great diplomats who have worked to earn respect for the continent. He mentioned Robert Kweku Atta Gardiner, who served as the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa from 1962 to 1975, and Dr. Alex Quaison-Sackey who was the first black African to serve as President of the UN General Assembly

According to him, those moments at the UN made every African proud.

“In 1964, the year I was appointed as SWAPO Representative to the United Nations and the Americas, I recall vividly, the pride that swelled amongst the people of Africa, when Dr. Alex Quaison-Sackey became the first black African to serve as President of the United Nations General Assembly in 1964.”

President Gottfried Geingbo said Kofi Annan’s ascension to the UN top job climaxed many great moments for Ghanaian diplomats who made the continent happy.

Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo speaking at the funeral service on Thursday said he was poorer for Mr Annan’s death as he’s lost a great advisor. According to him, “he gave me sensitive, deeply appreciated advice when I became President of the Republic.”

He said the last time he saw Mr. Annan was in March 2018, when the former international diplomat came to “inform me, much to my discomfiture, that he could no longer continue to serve as Chancellor of Ghana’s premier university, the University of Ghana, Legon, since he had served the two terms permitted by the statutes of the university.”

The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres who was in Ghana to pay his last respects said Kofi was a wise leader who embodied the ideals of the UN.

“Kofi Annan was the United Nations and the United Nations was him,” Mr. Guterres said in his tribute.

Nane Annan, widow with their children

His widow, Nane Maria Annan in an emotional farewell speech said Mr Annan “always believed that his inner strength and sense of hope came from his deep roots here and I want to thank Ghana for giving us such an extraordinary human being.

“My love, you are now back home where you started your long journey. May you rest in peace and may your wisdom and compassion continue to inspire us and guide us wherever we are.”

His daughter, Ama Annan described him as a “man of generosity of spirit, who dedicated his life to others, put himself at their disposal and was one of the most loving people I know. He always made you feel welcome and listened attentively to everything you had to say.”

Mr Annan was appointed Secretary-General by the UN General Assembly in December 1996 and began serving his four-year term of office on January 1, 1997, a term that was renewed for another four years.

Kofi Annan’s casket draped in the national colours of Ghana

The colourful but solemn ceremony was attended by all former living Ghanaian presidents, ministers, Members of Parliament, politicians, clergy, the business community, heads of state from different countries, members of diplomatic corps and a host of others.

Mr Annan died on August 18, 2018 in Switzerland. Family sources said he passed on peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his wife Nane Maria and children. He was buried at the military cemetery in Accra.

Story: Kwamena ANANSE

Nigeria defeated Ghana on penalties to win the WAFU U17 tournament in Niger and thus qualified for the African Championship to be held in Tanzania later this year.
The match ended 1-1 and the Golden Eaglets were masterful in penalties to dispatch the Black Starlets 3-1 on penalties.

The victory means Nigeria won the first WAFU B-17 Championship while Ghana failed to qualify for the African Championship to be played in Tanzania.

This means Ghana will not be able to play at the FIFA U-17 World Cup next year.

Nigeria will join Morocco, Cameroon, Uganda, Angola, and Tanzania for the final phase scheduled for Tanzania in 2019.

The Black Queens have arrived at Techiman to continue preparations and have met with the Koasehene and Mawerehene of Techiman Traditional Area, Nana Opoku Ofosu Gyeabour II, in his palace.

Ghana will host the 2018 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations to kick-off in November this year.

Nana Opoku is also owner of the great women’s soccer club—Ampem Dakoa Ladies.

The queens left the Ashanti Region on Saturday for Techiman after pitching temporal camp in Kumasi where they played and won two friendly games against Kumasi Soccer Academy Ladies (4-0) and a select side of Ashanti Region (2-0).

Bashiru Hayford and his team are preparing for this year’s Africa Women’s Cup of Nations to be hosted in Ghana.

Liverpool sealed an impressive victory over Tottenham at Wembley to continue their perfect start to the Premier League season.

Goals from Georginio Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino put the visitors in control and they had numerous chances to extend their advantage.

Erik Lamela’s stoppage-time strike set up a nervy finale, but the Reds held out to make it five wins from five.

Having been beaten by Watford in their previous game, Tottenham have now suffered consecutive league defeats for the first time since 2016.

It was supposed to be the start of a new era at Spurs, with this fixture planned for the opening of their new £800million stadium at White Hart Lane.

But due to construction delays it will be at least late November before their new 62,000-capacity home hosts a match.

Instead, their tenancy at Wembley continued with a deserved defeat as Liverpool ran riot on the counter-attack.

Standing in for thigh injury victim Hugo Lloris, goalkeeper Michel Vorm was at fault for both strikes that came either side of the interval, but Liverpool also wasted several additional chances.

The concern over Harry Kane’s form was justified by another quiet afternoon but Tottenham,

who were without Dele Alli because of a hamstring problem, under-performed across the pitch.

Alarm bells began ringing after just 44 seconds when Firmino stabbed the ball home only for a controversial offside decision to deny the Reds the goal their early dominance deserved.

The flag appeared to be raised against Sadio Mane but it was his Brazilian team-mate who beat Vorm from close range in the first of a host of shaky moments for Spurs’ defence.

Tottenham were struggling to escape their half as Liverpool pressed and in the 20th minute they invited additional pressure when Eric Dier’s wayward pass was intercepted by Mohamed Salah.

The Egyptian’s pace propelled him between Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld but his shot was stopped at close range by Vorm.

After a bright spell from Tottenham that nevertheless lacked any genuine threat, Firmino worked Mane clear only for the Senegal forward to be let down by a poor final touch.

For all their effectiveness on the break, it was a set-piece that secured Liverpool the breakthrough they deserved as a James Milner corner was cleared only as far as Wijnaldum.

The Dutch midfielder directed it back towards goal and Vorm should really have dealt with the header, but the goal-line technology confirmed that it had crossed the line.

Mane’s turn and shot that was kept out by Vorm brought the second half to life and Wembley erupted in response to Lucas Moura finding the left post before appealing to home fans for support.

But they were stunned into silence in the 54th minute, however, when Vertonghen nudged a cross by Mane on to the post where it deflected to Firmino, who could not miss from two yards out.

It should have been 3-0 when Liverpool piled forward but perhaps flustered by the amount of time he had on the ball, Mane continued running before producing a poor shot.

Salah forced a saved from Vorm before Mane failed with the follow-up and then the Egyptian made two trademark runs which ended with dismal final efforts.

Tottenham had the final say through Lamela but it was too little, too late for them.

Over 100 police officers armed with riot gears and guns have been deployed to Chereponi in the Northern Region to force-start the limited re-registration exercise in the area after the paramount chief summoned the electoral commission’s local staff and blocked the exercise in the district.

The deployment followed a District Security Council emergency meeting Sunday morning after Chief Maliba Jamehja Kofi prevented the commission from conducting the national exercise in the district capital.

The exercise is been conducted across some affected regions ahead of a disputed upcoming referendum for creation of more regions

Out of six new regions to be added to the exiting ten, two regions would be split out from the Northern Region.

Six districts; Bole/Bamboi, Sawla Tuna/Kalba, West Gonja, Central and East Gonja and Kpandai will make up the Savanna Region as requested by the Overlord and people of the Gonjaland Traditional Area.

The Mamprugu Moiduri, West Mamprusi, East Mamprusi, Bunkprugu and Yunyoo will form the North East Region as requested by the Naa yili and people of Mamprugu Traditional Area.

However, when the Regional Reorganization ministry released a proposed map for the two regions, it added Kpandai, a Gonjaland district, to districts in Dagbon and moved Chereponi, an Eastern Dagbon district into the Mamprugu region.

While the Gonjas have failed to protest the exclusion of Kpandai from the Savanna Region, the Regent of Dagbon, who had vowed not to allow an inch of Dagbon land to be added onto either proposed regions, has reportedly set out grand designs to resist the addition of Chereponi onto the North East Region.

The Kampakuyana and Acting Dagbon Traditional Council President vowed to protect the territorial integrity of Dagbon lands and scuttled the proposal for an Eastern Corridor Region, which will have split Dagbon into Western and Eastern, and separated almost a million Dagombas .

The re-registration exercise seeks to among other things boost voter turnout in the area where the referendum will be held in the next two months and to provide limited opportunity for first time voters.

In the Northern Region, a director of the Electoral Commission, Mr. Emmanuel Abeam Danso told Starr News the exercise was going on in 11 districts and will run for ten days before extended across the region.

But, on Saturday night, the chief of Chereponi summoned electoral commission officers in the district to his palace and warned them he would not allow the exercise to be conducted in the district.

He sent emissaries next day, Sunday, Sep. 16, when the exercise was scheduled to start nationwide especially in three regions, to follow up with threat to the lives of the officers if they disobey his order.

The chief’s action, according to his secretary, was to protest the addition of Chereponi to the proposed North East Region.

The Secretary said the people of Chereponi already pay allegiance to the Yaa Naa and so do not want to be part of the North East Region, which he claims would shift their loyalty to the Naa yili and overlord of Mamprugu.

The commission was forced to close their office and halt the process in the district and after a long deadlock, the district security council chaired by the District Chief Executive, Tahidu Abdul Razak, scrambled into an emergency meeting.

The Yendi police commander, Chief Superintendent Kofi Ayerizen said the exercise will resume tomorrow despite the chief’s stiff resistance.

He said armed police force from neighboring Saboba have been instructed to join their counterparts in Chereponi to ensure resumption of the exercise.

Kofi Ayerizen explained that the officers will protect local EC staff during the exercise.

The military has a command in Yendi but the police commander would not confirm or deny whether the military will be part of the operation.

Source: Starrfmonline.com

Professor Raymond Atuguba has described the removal of Professor Mawutor Avoke and Dr. Theopholus Senyo Ackorlie from office as Vice-Chancellor and Finance Officer, respectively of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), based on tribalism.
Similarly, he said the removal of Dr Wilberforce Dzisah as Rector of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) – all upon the coming into office of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), only points to tribalism.

In a statement issued and signed by, Prof. Atuguba said: “When a change of government occurred in January 2017, a certain cabal (for lack of a better word) that is associated with Winneba, saw this as an opportunity to change principal officers of the University of Education, Winneba. After acting as Lawyer for the victims of this move, I can only conclude that the only real reason for their removal was ethnocentric. So Vice Chancellor Avoke, Finance Officer Akorlie, and bearers of similar such names had to go.

“Note that this is not an isolated incident. At the moment, I am also lawyer for VC Dzisah of the Ghana Institute of Journalism, who, like Avoke and Akorlie bear names that are not quite “right”. I must say that the whole enterprise was so revolting, distasteful and crude that I constantly had mental and tummy convulsions in conducting the cases, until I decided to withdraw my representation before I was tempted to say things in court that are unprofessional and jeopardise my clients’ cases”.

Read Professor Atuguba’s full statement:

FACT ONE:

When a change of government occurred in January 2017, a certain cabal (for lack of a better word) that is associated with Winneba, saw this as an opportunity to change principal officers of the University of Education, Winneba. After acting as lawyer for the victims of this move, I can only conclude that the only real reason for their removal was ethnocentric. So Vice-Chancellor Avoke, Finance Officer Akorlie, and bearers of similar such names had to go. Note that this is not an isolated incident. At the moment, I am also lawyer for VC Dzisah of the Ghana Institute of Journalism, who, like Avoke and Akorlie bear names that are not quite “right”. I must say that the whole enterprise was so revolting, distasteful and crude that I constantly had mental and tummy convulsions in conducting the cases, until I decided to withdraw my representation before I was tempted to say things in court that are unprofessional and jeopardise my clients’ cases.

FACT TWO:

To achieve the above dastardly ethnocentric objective, the cabal set out to use 6 strategies.

Strategy one: Try to misuse the courts to remove the UEW officials

The cabal went to the Winneba High Court for a declaration that the appointments of Prof. Avoke and others were unlawful and that they had committed breaches of the Procurement Act and should be removed from office. Without giving Prof. Avoke and co., a hearing, the Winneba High Court, in breach of many laws in Ghana, granted the application and removed the officers from office.

I immediately filed a case to the Supreme Court on behalf of UTAG, which had taken up the case of the embattled lecturers, and in December 2017, the Supreme Court quashed, nullified, cancelled, the High Court judgment.

Strategy two: Victimise all the persons who tried to prevent the misuse of the courts to dismiss the innocent officials

Having failed to misuse the courts to remove the officials, the cabal decided to victimize anyone who had assisted in preventing them from doing so. As I write, the then President of UTAG, UEW branch, in whose name we mounted the failed application to join the Winneba suit and the successful first Supreme Court suit were brought, Dr. Bekoe, has been dismissed as a Lecturer by the UEW Council on trumped up charges. He has also been reported to the Winneba Police, again on trumped up charges, and is currently being prosecuted in the courts. He was rudely evicted from his residence late at night with this family soon after. The new President of UTAG, Winneba Branch, Dr. Duku, who replaced Bekoe, is currently facing disciplinary charges for bringing the case to court, and following the trend, will most likely be dismissed! What has Ghana descended to!

Every person who has sympathized with the embattled officers, has either been dismissed by the University or is currently facing disciplinary proceedings. The Disciplinary Committees, illegally set up, contrary to the 1992 Constitution and the University Statutes, act like typical kangaroo courts and have had a 100% success rate at dismissing from office anyone who has appeared before them so far in relation to this matter. One such person, Ms. Shine Lilian Agbevivi, was dismissed for forwarding a message that was supportive of the embattled officers to a UEW whatsApp platform! It looks like her name does not also sound “right”.

However, this strategy has also failed, as more and more persons are speaking up against the injustices, even as more and more of them are being sacked or hauled before disciplinary committees.

Strategy three: Try to misuse state investigative institutions to remove the UEW officials and the media to paint the embattled officers black

Having failed to quieten the harbingers of justice and human rights, the cabal moved to strategy number 3. Use state institutions to investigate and find something, anything, against the officials sought to be dismissed. Unfortunately, both the BNI and EOCO have been unable to find anything against them. When I acted as their lawyer, I wrote to both institutions to provide us the evidence of wrong doing that the University Council says the two institutions have found against my then clients. They were unable to produce anything.

In the meantime, the UEW Council has used public funds to sponsor full paged advertisements in the media, announcing that the embattled officers are guilty. Some of those who signed these announcements, turn around to sit on committees set up to investigate these officials. You declare them guilty today, and the next day you sit in judgment over them. Is this Ghana?

Strategy four: Go back to the courts and try to misuse them again

Having failed at the courts the first time, and having failed to cow everyone into submission, and having failed to find wrongdoing using the BNI, EOCO and the media, the cabal had nowhere else to go, but back to the courts. So back to the Winneba High Court they went, and secured a second judgment removing Prof. Avoke from Office as VC.

I again immediately filed a case in the Supreme Court for the second time, seeking to cancel out the second very wrongful judgment of the Winneba High Court. The Supreme Court has fixed 31st October 2018 (next month) as the date for judgment in this case. Do you now see why there is a rush to install a new VC before next month?

Indeed, I had also filed in the Supreme Court, applications for interim orders seeking to halt the victimizations, the dismissals, and the installation of new persons to offices that are contested in court. I also asked that these applications be heard in the vacation. These applications can, therefore, technically, be heard even tomorrow by the Supreme Court, now that most judges are back in town. Do you again see why there is a rush to install a new VC immediately?

Strategy five: Disrupt the attempts of the embattled officers to seek justice independently

In the meantime, I had instituted an action in the Cape Coast High Court, seeking to remove the usurpers from office and to declare that my clients were still the rightful office holders. I also brought actions to reinstate the Lecturers who were unlawfully dismissed. The cabal did everything to prevent the cases from being heard. On one occasion, in desperation, they sought an adjournment on the grounds that their lawyer was suddenly taken ill. It is not easy to lie, you know. The documentation they provided from the doctor showed that the letter to be excused from court was written two full days before the lawyer purportedly suddenly fell ill and was seen by the doctor! I pointed this out in open court. Because our rules of court are pro-defendant and not pro-plaintiff, it is easy for these disruptions to occur.

When we were making headway in the matter by June of this year, and the court had fixed judgment for August, “things” started to happen. As we speak, the judge sitting on the case has been transferred.

Strategy six: Use the president to provide political legitimacy to an illegality

In desperation, the cabal is now moving to their final strategy. Pull in the Father of the Nation, the First Gentleman, the Head of Government and of the Executive, and surreptitiously use him to give a cover of legitimacy over something that is clearly illegal, by fixing an induction of a new VC for UEW at the time the President is conducting a Central Regional tour, so that the President will, perhaps unwittingly, making a number of statements to the public:

1. That the illegal removal of Prof. Avoke and other officials in Winneba, and indeed in other Universities, is alright and has the support of the President;

2. The illegal installation of a new VC in Winneba, at a time that the Supreme Court is about to decide his fate next month, and the High Court is also set to decide the fate of the purported successor to Prof. Avoke next month, has the support of the President.

Source: Todaygh.com

Latif Abubakar’s Globe Productions never fail to thrill their audiences with their stage plays and that is exactly what they did with their latest titled, Judas and Delilah 2, at the Accra International Conference Centre on Saturday.
The production, which is a continuation of the first play, Judas and Delilah, staged earlier in the year, put the focus on HIV/AIDS.

Playing to a nearly full house, the play is set in a clinic and opens with two staff members, Baba and Oluu, having a conversation and keeping the audience in stitches with their sense of humour.

The atmosphere turns chaotic as a woman with a sick baby comes in followed by a policewoman and her colleague who is behaving abnormally. Oluu injects him to keep him calm.

A soldier also comes in to see the doctor and the exchanges with Baba and Oluu and the patients get even hotter.

Delilah, the nurse at the clinic attends to a patient called Judas but it is obvious that the latter is more interested in having Delilah touch him than anything else. He is just in love with the nurse.

A pretty Jezebel comes to the scene and it appears she has slept with the doctor, Nana and Baba. Meanwhile she says she is pregnant and has AIDS.

Earlier, Nana (played by Ekow Smith-Asante) had not recognised her and made advances at her saying he wants to make her his wife until she spilled the beans.

Apparently Delilah had a mission all this while and it was to arrest the doctor who has had AIDS for the past 10 years and was just spreading it. What happens to the doctor at the end of the day?

What about Delilah? Who wins her heart in the long run after all the men express their love for her?

Judas and Delilah is undoubtedly a hilarious play which kept the audience laughing from start to finish.

The play is interspersed with music and dancing making it very interesting. The issue of HIV-AIDS is treated in a light manner but the message is still sent across.

Acting was generally good and the set and costumes were on point. Latif Abubakar and Globe Productions deserve commendation putting up another great production.

Source: graphic.com.gh