Day: October 25, 2021

Former Ghana international, Mohammed Polo believes Milovan Rajevac must be able to get the best out of the Black Stars players to be able to secure a place in the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

Ghana returned to winning ways with a 3-1 and a 1-0 win over Zimbabwe in the October games under the Serbian trainer.

The team resume their final Group G games against Ethiopia and South Africa in the November games.

According to the Hearts of Oak legend and coach, the 67-year-old must work to get the best out of Partey, Kudus and Sulemana to be able to qualify for the Mundial.

“Black Stars can only make it to the World Cup if coach Milovan Rajevac gets the best of Thomas Partey, Kudus Mohamed and Kamaldeen Sulemana in our subsequent games because without these players Ghana will not qualify,” Polo told Kumasi based Light FM.

Ghana sit 2nd with 9 points. The Black Stars will be hosted by Ethiopia in South Africa in the matchday 5 games before hosting South Africa at the Cape Coast Stadium in the final round of games.

The winner of the group will make it to the playoffs.

The West African country is seeking to return to the global showpiece having missed out in the last edition hosted in 2018 in Russia.

Source: Modern Ghana

Sunyani,– The Sunyani Traditional Council (STC) has lauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s commitment to re-shaping and improving access roads in the Sunyani Municipality.

Nana Kwaku Saben II, the Akwamuhene of the Council who gave the commendation, expressed the hope the government would facilitate the completion of the on-going works on the Sunyani town roads project, being executed by the Chinese Sino-hydro Corporation.

The Akwamuhene spoke on behalf of Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II, the Paramount Chief of Sunyani, when Mr Ansu Kumi, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive paid a courtesy call on the STC in Sunyani.

Nana Saben II declared the council’s support in ensuring President Akufo-Addo through the MCE bring the development of the municipality to the next level, and appealed to the people of Sunyani to cooperate with the MCE.

“We acknowledge your humility and respect you have so far accorded the Council and we promise to support your administration to become successful,” he said.

Nana Saben II commended Mr Kwaku Ameyaw-Cheremeh, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sunyani East for improving educational infrastructure in the area and expressed the optimism the MCE would collaborate effectively with the MP for Sunyani to get its fair share of the national cake.

On his part, Mr Kumi also expressed appreciation to the Chiefs and people of Sunyani, Assembly Members and supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for his confirmation.

He pledged to make regular contacts with the Traditional Council towards initiating and executing development projects, saying as the embodiment of the people, chiefs and queens could not be neglected in decision making and development process.

“Nananom I can’t fail you and together with you we would be able to address the development challenges in the Municipality,” Mr Ansu stated.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Tullow Oil plc (Tullow) is pleased to announce the appointment of Phuthuma Nhleko as an independent non-executive Director and Chairman-designate of Tullow.

Phuthuma will join the Board as a non-executive Director on 25 October 2021 and will take over as Chairman of Tullow from Dorothy Thompson, CBE, following a suitable handover period and after Dorothy steps down as Chair and retires from the Board by the year-end.

Phuthuma brings extensive emerging markets experience to Tullow having worked successfully across Africa over the past three decades. Phuthuma was Chief Executive of MTN Group, the leading pan-African telecommunications company, from 2002 to 2011.

During his time with MTN, the Group grew rapidly in Africa and the Middle East, gaining over 185 million subscribers to become one of the largest listed companies in Africa. In 2013, Phuthuma returned to MTN as a non-executive Director and Chairman until 2019. This included a period as Executive Chairman from 2015 to 2017. He remained part of the international advisory board for the business until August 2021.

After stepping down as Chief Executive of MTN in 2011, Phuthuma was a non-executive Director at BP plc (2011-16) and Anglo-American plc (2011-15). He also served previously on the Boards of Nedbank and Old Mutual in South Africa.

Currently, Phuthuma is Chairman of Phembani Group, an investment group which he founded in 1994, and is Chairman-designate of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Ltd. Phuthuma is also a non-executive director of the South African downstream energy company, Engen Petroleum, and a non-executive Director of IHS Towers, the NYSE-listed Emerging Markets Telecom Infrastructure Provider.

Phuthuma is a South African national and holds a BSc in Civil Engineering from Ohio State University and an MBA from Atlanta University.

Dorothy Thompson, Chair of Tullow Oil plc, commented today:

“Phuthuma brings to Tullow excellent and relevant experience, having successfully built a truly pan-African business. He is a widely acclaimed business leader with a deep understanding of Africa and a broad set of relationships across the continent. He also brings experience from listed companies across a number of international markets, including the UK and Africa.

“Phuthuma joins Tullow at a key moment in its development. With a stable balance sheet and a clear strategy underpinned by a commitment to Net-Zero by 2030 and to responsible and safe operations, Tullow is well-positioned to re-establish itself as a leader in Africa. Phuthuma will play an important part in supporting Tullow’s ambitions to be a partner of choice for Governments and our industry peers as the African oil and gas sector evolves over the coming decade.”

Phuthuma Nhleko, Chairman-designate of Tullow Oil Plc, also commented today:
“I am very pleased to have been appointed as Chairman-designate of Tullow, a company I have followed with much interest since its inception. I am impressed with the successful turnaround and transformational refinancing that allows Tullow to build on its strong position and reputation within the African oil and gas sector.

“I believe Tullow is uniquely placed to develop the oil and gas resources of its host countries efficiently and safely while minimizing its environmental impact. I look forward to supporting the Tullow team as they grow the business, deliver Shared Prosperity and create value for our investors, staff, host nations, and communities.”

Source: Ghana Web

A team of specialist medics from the UK’s Emergency Medical Team has arrived in Papua New Guinea in response to an urgent appeal for international assistance.

A small team of specialist medics from the UK’s Emergency Medical Team has arrived in Papua New Guinea on 24 October in response to an urgent appeal for international assistance.

Papua New Guinea’s health services are under severe pressure from the rapid spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19.

The team of 10 experts will provide direct clinical care and mentorship to support local health care workers who are battling a sharp surge in cases.

The team members, including 4 NHS doctors and nurses, will be deployed for up to 6 weeks and will work closely with the country’s National Control Centre for COVID-19, National Department for Health, World Health Organisation and other partners.

Minister for the Pacific, Lord Goldsmith said:

I am pleased that the UK has been able to respond quickly to Papua New Guinea’s urgent appeal for medical assistance.

The deployment of a UK Emergency Medical Team brings British expertise to where it is most needed. It will help save lives and build healthcare capacity in PNG for the future and demonstrates the vital role the UK is playing in the region.

Team Leader of the Emergency Medical Team, Pete Sykes said:

UK-Med are proud to represent the UK Emergency Medical Team in Papua New Guinea. Our expert team will be providing critical medical care to patients suffering with COVID-19 and support to health staff, at a time when their national health service has been overwhelmed by the rapid spread of a third wave of the virus.

The UK Government-funded deployment includes experts in emergency medicine, critical care and logistics and is managed by the British NGO UK Med.

The team arrived in the capital Port Moresby, following a direct request for assistance from the country’s National Pandemic Controller and will focus on capacity building as well as helping to tackle the current surge in cases.

The UK is committed to working in the Indo-Pacific to address global challenges. This deployment builds on the millions of vaccines the UK has already donated to the region and supports our close Commonwealth partner, Papua New Guinea.

It is also in addition to the UK’s donation of over £400,000 for vital medical equipment for Papua New Guinea and work through COVAX to provide hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 vaccines to the country.

Notes to Editors

The UK Government’s Emergency Medical Team (UK EMT), which has World Health Organization (WHO) classification, is a rapid medical response capability funded by the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the UK EMT has supported the WHO and health ministries in deployments of over 100 medical experts to Armenia, Bangladesh, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Chad, Eswatini, Ghana, Lesotho, Lebanon, Namibia, South Africa, Tunisia and Zambia.

Source: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Early this month when Callum Hudson-Odoi turned down a call-up to the England Under-21 squad, it sparked fears that the youngster’s unusual decision was motivated by the potential of a nationality switch, following a request weeks earlier by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during a visit the player paid to the Flagstaff House on June 7 by the Chelsea star to consider playing for Ghana.

It prompted the England manager, Gareth Southgate, to meet Hudson Odoi to assure him of a future with the Three Lions.

The 20-year-old Chelsea star was born in London to Ghanaian parents — his father, Bismark Odoi, formerly played for Hearts of Oak — and could be eligible to play for the Black Stars in November 2022 ahead of next year’s FIFA World Cup under new FIFA rules, provided he no longer features for Southgate’s side with which he has made three appearances.

Hudson-Odoi’s case reflects a move in recent years to get talented players of Ghanaian descent to play for the national teams, the latest being goalkeeper Jojo Wollacott of English fourth tier side, Swindon Town, who made his international debut against Zimbabwe in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Cape Coast this month.

The 25-year-old shot-stopper was born in Bristol to Ghanaian parents but not much was known about him until his surprise call up by new Black Stars coach, Milovan Rajevac, on the recommendation of the team’s goalkeepers trainer, Richard Kingson.

To the surprise of many, Wollacott immediately established himself in the team and was chosen ahead of more experienced teammates for back-to-back victories against Zimbabwe, earning the praise of Rajevac for his exploits in the posts.

He joins a long list of Ghanaians in the diaspora — players of Ghanaian parentage born outside Ghana— who in the last three decades have featured for the senior national team and the junior sides.

Baffoe the trailblazer

Ghana first rolled the carpet for ‘diasporan’ players four decades ago when a giant Germany-based defender, Anthony Baffoe, made his international debut for the Black Stars in the qualifying competition for the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations in Senegal.

He was introduced into the Black Stars by the team’s German coach, Burkhard Ziese (now deceased), who had a preference for well-built players.

The Fortuna Dusseldorf defender cemented his place in the team which he later captained in the final of the 1992 AFCON when the substantive captain, Abedi Pele, served a suspension.

Born and raised in Germany to a Ghanaian diplomat father, Baffoe later became one of Ghana football’s biggest ambassadors working for sport’s world governing body, FIFA, and most recently as the Deputy General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football in charge of football development.

Four decades ago, it was rare for players born outside of Ghana with Ghanaian parentage to feature for the Black Stars as the national team was replete with many top stars notably, Abedi and Anthony Yeboah.

However, Baffoe’s successful career provided motivation for the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to pay particular attention to look beyond the shores of Ghana for the best players available for the national team as there was a big pool of talents in European countries with large Ghanaian population, particularly England and Germany, and from even places like Switzerland and Norway.

In 1993, the Black Stars rolled the red carpet for Kenny Acheampong, then plying his trade for Leyton Orient in England, who featured against Liberia in the 1994 AFCON qualifying competition.

However, he made just one appearance for Ghana and got missing from the national team’s radar.

The trend picked up in the late 1990s when Charles Whittle, a Switzerland-born Ghanaian midfielder had the chance to play for Ghana and subsequently opened the floodgates for other like UK-based forward Kim Grant, Otto Addo, Hans Sarpei, Lloyd Owusu, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Albert Adomah, Adam Larsen Kwarasey, Jeffrey Schlupp and Kwesi Appiah.

With slim chances of playing for their countries of birth, these players looked to Ghana for their international career and to enhance their profile and market value, especially as they had an opportunity to play in major international competitions like the AFCON and the FIFA World Cup.

Otto Addo, born in Hamburg to Ghanaian parents, made 15 appearances for Ghana including starring in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in the country of his birth.

Two decades later, he is an assistant coach of the Black Stars and is supporting Coach Rajevac to qualify Ghana to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

However, not all overtures made to some of these players to represent Ghana have yielded positive results.

Players such as former Dutch international George Boateng, Ghent midfielder Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe, born in Belgium to Ghanaian parents; former England international and Brighton star, Daniel Nii Tackie Mensah Welbeck, among others, turned town an opportunity to play for Ghana and rather represented their countries of birth.

Former Italy star Mario Balotelli (born Mario Barwuah to Ghanaian parents in Italy) flatly rejected requests to play for Ghana, saying he “did not feel Ghanaian” due to his difficult childhood as his biological parents gave him up for adoption at age three, following which he was raised by his Italian foster parents, Silvia and Francesco Balotelli.

While Wollacott is the newest kid on the block, there are many other talented stars born overseas waiting on the sidelines ready to jump on board the Black Stars train if the team qualifies for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

And there is a fairly good chance that Hudson-Odoi could jump at that opportunity to make a nationality switch even though he has already won the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup with England.

Source: Modern Ghana

Sharing has always been an important part of Ghanaian culture, especially when it comes to food. It makes moments better and brings a sense of belonging whenever people come together to eat or share food.

Based on this, Domino’s Pizza Ghana embarked on a touching campaign to share some pizza with the whole of Accra. As such, they generated the hashtag, “#ShareADominos” as the tag line for the campaign which they ran both online and on-ground.

They kicked off the campaign by surprising Oswald Gennuh, the special “Our Day” personality. It was a day that saw the whole country come together to give the young man an unforgettable ‘Our Day’ celebration.

Next, was a visit to the Osu Children’s Home. They arrived with several boxes of pizza and other members of their team. The children had fun and were excited to share boxes of pizza with their friends and caretakers.

Back online, Domino’s Pizza Ghana challenged their followers to engage in a fun activity called #SquadGoals where followers had to post images of their squad they’d like to share some pizza with. This saw a lot of followers and even non-followers also participating in the challenge and many winning boxes of Domino’s Pizza to share with friends.

They followed up with an exciting on-street activation dubbed “Traffic Jam” which saw them share boxes of pizza at traffic build-ups right in front of their stores in Osu and East Legon. It was a beautiful sight to see many people enjoying slices of pizza and adding a bit of fun and excitement to a rather frustrating traffic situation. Some street vendors joined in the fun as well. The response on that day and after were very positive ones.

Domino’s Pizza Ghana decided to also surprise some media houses to share some pizza and excitement. The visits to Okay FM and Peace FM received a heart-warming reception. They shared fun insights about Domino’s Pizza, the available toppings, and the irresistible stringy cheese. The producers of the show had fun and invited them to come for another visit soon.

In October, as part of their breast cancer awareness campaign and still, on a mission to #ShareADominos, they donated pizzas to certain hospitals that we’re screening for breast cancer. These hospitals were The Trust Hospital, HealthNet Swan Medical Centre, Obaatan Pa Women’s Hospital, and Yeboah Hospital. This gesture sought to encourage more women to get screened and increase their chance of survival. The women were happy they chose those hospitals to screen at and definitely enjoyed their treats.

Finally, the brand manager of Domino’s Pizza Ghana, Kwabena Addo had this to say, “Domino’s Pizza has always been about bringing people together to enjoy our pizza and putting smiles on their faces and that’s exactly what this campaign was about. We’re very happy with the reception we received and how pleasantly surprised a lot of Ghanaians were. In October, we tried to make an impact in the communities where our branches are located and this is really just the beginning and we are looking forward to making it even bigger and better and taking it all across the country.”

Follow Domino’s Pizza Ghana on all socials for opportunities to win more pizza.

Source: Ghana Web

Emirates plans to boost its operational workforce by planning to recruit more than 6,000 staff over the next six months. As restrictions ease worldwide with the wider administration of the vaccine, additional pilots, cabin crew, engineering specialists, and ground staff will be needed to support the airline’s ramp-up of operations across its global network in response to the sooner-than-expected surge in customer demand.

Emirates has already restored 90% of its network and is on track to reach 70% of its pre-pandemic capacity by the end of 2021. The world’s largest international airline is supplementing its flight schedules with increased frequencies to meet the pent-up demand. It is also deploying its high-capacity double-decker A380 aircraft on popular routes around its network.

By November, Emirates will offer more than 165,000 additional seats on its flagship A380 aircraft.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, said: “Emirates has always been at the heart of Dubai’s growth. Our requirement for 6,000 additional operational staff signifies the quick recovery Dubai’s economy is witnessing and will lead to opportunities and other positive developments across various other businesses, including those in the Consumer, travel, and tourism sectors.

“We have been prudently restoring our operations in line with the borders re-opening and ease of travel protocols, and with the positive signs in the economic recovery and continuous growth of demand, we are hopeful to be back to where we were pre-pandemic, from mid-2022.”

In September, Emirates embarked on a worldwide campaign to recruit 3,000 cabin crew and 500 airport services employees to join its Dubai hub to support its operational requirements arising from the travel industry recovery. As travel demand gains more traction than was earlier anticipated, Emirates will now require an additional 700 ground staff in Dubai and across its network.

Furthermore, the airline is offering exciting career opportunities for 600 qualified pilots interested in joining the global airline’s Flight Operations team based in Dubai. Candidates can find out more about the roles and requirements on https://www.emiratesgroupcareers.com.

As part of the recruitment drive, Emirates also aims to reinforce its Engineering team, by hiring 1,200 skilled technical staff, comprising aircraft engineers and engineering support staff, to be based in Dubai and outstations.

Emirates is the world’s largest operator of both the Boeing 777 and A380 aircraft. Its fleet currently comprises 263 widebody aircraft and the airline has a number of new aircraft on order to meet future demand, including Airbus A350s, Boeing 787-9s, and Boeing 777-X aircraft types.

All of Emirates’ Boeing 777 aircraft are in active service, operating to more than 120 destinations on both passenger and cargo missions. The airline also currently flies its flagship A380 aircraft to 18 cities, and this will soon be scaled up by more than 65% to reach 27 destinations at the end of November.

By December, the last two A380s will be delivered to join Emirates’ fleet and some 50 of its A380 aircraft will have returned to active service.

Dubai’s diverse mix of cultures, tax-free environment, and leading infrastructure for living, working, and recreation continues to attract people from all over the world, with more than 200 nationalities calling the city their home.

Dubai’s robust response to the pandemic has consistently been ranked amongst the most effective in the world, made successful through the country’s strong leadership and efficient public and private partnerships to achieve its goal.

The rapid vaccination roll-out in the United Arab Emirates and clear pandemic protocols have enabled Dubai to quickly and safely re-open to international tourism and business activities since July 2020. Currently, more than 86% of the UAE’s population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and more than 96% have received at least one dose, placing it as the highest in the world in terms of the number of vaccines administered per 100 people.

Candidates who wish to apply to join Emirates’ flight deck crew, cabin crew, airport services team, and other roles can find out more on https://www.emiratesgroupcareers.com.

Source: Ghana Web

The “Street Foodz Ghana” is a new docu-reality platform that seeks to appreciate and showcase authentic Ghanaian street food and its vendors to boost tourism.

Maxima Media, the owners of FoodBay TV and the creators and curators of StreetFoodz Naija, arguably Africa’s largest food docu-reality series, have expanded their tentacles on the continent with the arrival of StreetFoodz Ghana.

The show was officially launched on Thursday, October 21, 2021, during a press conference and was highlighted by the announcement of the Gino brand as the headline sponsor.

The debut episode of the show, which will be aired via AdomTV – 5:30 pm (Saturday), MaxTV – 6:30 pm (Saturday), Joy Prime – 6:00 pm (Saturday), and one- 6.30 pm (Sunday) on 30th October 2021, will carry compelling and exciting content and celebrate (among others) a diverse range of street food vendors who are often overlooked by mainstream media.

Out of 100 and more entries made, 13 Ghana’s best food vendors who qualified to partake in the main hottest food contest ever will compete for the Grand prize worth GHc 50,000, GHc 20,000 and GHc 10, 000 including bragging rights, the crown and the grand title of “King of Street foods in Ghana” — putting a lively culinary culture, unique palates, and frequently strange civilizations to the test.

The show will also explore the street foods and their vendors from across the capital. Archival footage is combined with face-to-face interviews and follows street food chefs and their history, which is intertwined with the big picture of how influential street food is in their native country.

Speaking at the official press launch held at the Alisa Hotel, Ghana, Georgina Abbam- Baidoo Amfo, Project manager, Street Foodz Ghana said:

“We used this opportunity to take a tour around the country to select 13 street food vendors who would be trained for 13 weeks. The winner will be coming out as the Street Food King in Ghana and will also get his/her aerial space renovated, an SMS tool kit (branding), and a promotional video for advertising.”

Akua Obiri-Yeboah, Marketing director, GB foods Ghana declared her entity’s unflinching support towards this move since contestants and to a large extent, Street Food Chefs rely on their brand to serve millions of consumers.

“We felt this was a very good platform because the people we are targeting rely on our products and brands to feed millions of consumers. And based on the idea and discussion we had, we felt it was a good way to reach out to the foodservice outlets out there. We wanted to be part of it to let them know we place a high value on them for patronizing our brand. We are looking forward to having an engaging and exciting experience with the team at street food and vendors.”

Olufemi Ogundoro, Managing Director of Maxima Media Group also said the move is in line with the vision of FoodBay TV to put African food on the world food map.

“Food Bay TV is a dedicated platform that focuses primarily on food and lifestyle and showcases the best of African foods to the rest of the world. Ghana has the best cultural appreciation in Africa. Ghanaians are proud of their heritage and equally proud of their food. That is why we have this platform to able to showcase the best Ghanaian street food, elevating the standards and majorly boosting tourism.”

Launched in 2019, the Street Foodz show is aimed at promoting local cuisine, as well as supporting entrepreneurs in the food sector and rebranding street foods. Just like the maiden edition, and the subsequent one, the 30 minutes televised and digitally transmitted docu-reality series will showcase the best of Africa’s street food delicacies.

Source: Ghana Web