Day: April 20, 2022

Accra, April 20, GNA – An Accra Circuit Court has granted GHC80,000.00 bail with two sureties to a trader who allegedly robbed a lady he met on a dating App.

Calistus Ugochukwu Okafor denied robbing the victim, name withheld, of her phone.

He will make his next appearance on May 16, 2022.

The prosecution told the Court presided over by Mrs Rosemond Baah Torsu that the complainant was unemployed and resident of Nungua whilst Okafo lived at Mamprobi Kamara.

It said Okafo and the victim met on “Meet 24,” a Dating app, and on March 16, 2022, Okafo invited the complainant to meet him at the Korle Bu Total Filling Station at 21:15 hours.

The prosecution said he turned up at 22:15 hours whilst the victim arrived on time.

It said the accused person sent the complainant to an unknown place where at knife point, he allegedly robbed her of her Infinix cellular phone valued at GHC800.00, forcibly raped her and bolted with the phone.

The prosecution said the next day at about 0800 hours, the complainant in the company of her friend on a bus from Dansoman Agege to Circle, spotted Okafo at the Mamprobi Lotto House bus stop.

It said she got down together with her friend, a witness in the case, confronted the accused person and demanded her mobile phone leading to a struggle between the two.

The Court heard that her friend, with the support of some onlookers, helped in arresting Okafo and sent him to the Mamprobi Police.

The victim, the prosecution said, was issued with a police medical report form to attend Hospital, where a vaginal swap was taken for examination.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Global food waste is a massive issue with huge financial, ethical, and environmental costs. An estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted globally each year, one-third of all food produced for human consumption, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, post-harvest food losses are estimated to be worth USD 4 billion per year – or enough to feed at least 48 million people, according to the UN Environment Programme. The amount of food lost or wasted costs 2.6 trillion USD each year and is more than enough to feed the world’s 815 million hungry people four times over.

During the month of Ramadan, trends have also shown that people tend to buy more food items than their normal requirements for self-consumption and hosting of guests. Due to the limited quantity of food to be consumed by people this additional quantity of cooked or made food becomes waste as Iftar is not usually eaten as night snacks or as Suhoor the next day.

The demand for fresh food increases as the majority of people is willing to spend an extra amount for a better quality of food.

The causes of food wastage range from poor preservation to overly-selective customers, but regardless of the cause, we can all pitch in to combat this global issue. One major way to prevent this in every household is to take advantage of refrigerators with healthier and smarter innovations.

One global brand that has continuously rethought how food wastage can be better managed is home appliance leader, LG Electronics. LG’s never-ending quest to innovate its refrigerators and other home appliances have also led to the development of other technologies designed to create more efficient experiences.

“Food waste is a known issue during Ramadan, and LG is committed to not just helping people eat healthily, but reducing food waste as well. We are leading the way with our green, smart and innovative refrigerators that feature advanced convenient, time-saving, and consumer-centric technologies in unmatched designs.

We will keep offering user-friendly products that offer our customers convenience, and benefit their overall health and productivity, said Mr. Brian Kang, General Manager, Home Appliances Division, LG Electronics West Africa.

“At LG, we aim to create convenient solutions to meet the needs of everyone in the home. We want to help create happy family moments this Ramadan, and we are wholly invested in identifying the daily moments where families need our technology the most. Our appliances are designed to be smart, safe, convenient, and time-saving, so everyone can enjoy more quality time at home”, he stated.

LG Electronics has become a consumer’s delight in the African market as a consequence of the longevity of most of its products, particularly the refrigerator, which is available in a variety of configurations including Side by Side, Door-in-Door, and Top Freezer refrigerators.

LG InstaView Door-in-Door™ Refrigerator

Over a million customers choose LG’s iconic InstaView Door-in-Door refrigerator worldwide. This success can be attributed to the remarkable progress the company has made in the last couple of years by delivering products that promote better hygiene and impeccable style with proven fresh food technologies.

A great meal always starts with great ingredients and keeping your ingredients fresh, healthy, and tasty is what the LG InstaView Door-in-Door™ Refrigerator does best. Its sleek 33-inch glass panel enables the family to peek into the refrigerator with a simple gesture of knocking twice.

There is no need to open the refrigerator door to know what is inside, which means you reduce cold air loss by up to 41 percent and keep your ingredients fresher for longer. The Door-in-Door feature puts milk, yogurt, juice, and snacks within easy access, again, without ever having to open the main fridge door.
https://www.lg.com/africa/instaview-door-in-door-refrigerators.

LG Side by Side Refrigerators

Designed for form and function, LG’s Side-by-Side fridges have the wow factor you’ve been looking for with a sleek flat-panel design, without sacrificing organization or capacity. LG’s Energy Star certified Side by Side refrigerators take energy efficiency to new heights, positively impacting your energy bill and lowering your energy consumption.

It boasts technology and head-turning design details that are almost as impressive as the instant access they provide.

With the Slim SpacePlus™ Ice System in the Side by Side Refrigerator, no more bulky ice makers. LG’s unique ice system is inside the door, opening up an entire top shelf for more storage. It enables users to store more food and beverages with abundant fridge space and easily make and access ice with the special Slim Indoor Ice Maker.

Side by Side Refrigerators like GC-B247SLUV, GC-X257CVVV, and GC-B247KQDV have globally received good reviews and ratings for their exceptional innovations. https://www.lg.com/africa/side-by-side-refrigerators.

LG Top Freezer Refrigerator

The LG Top Freezer Refrigerator with Door Cooling, Linear Cooling, and HygieneFresh+™ allows families to prepare for Ramadan with fresh fruits, vegetables, and other essentials, without the fear of them spoiling, thanks to LG’s smart, consumer-centric technologies.

The LinearCooling™ reduces temperature fluctuations, locking in the flavor of freshness. This means that you can confidently buy your weekly groceries without having to worry about them spoiling.

With Smart ThinQ™, you can control and diagnose your refrigerator with your smartphone even when you’re not at home. Easily set the refrigerator temperature, control HygieneFresh+™, and diagnose your refrigerator with a simple touch on your smartphone. https://www.lg.com/africa/top-freezer-refrigerators

Hygiene Fresh+™ – Minimize bacteria and odors, maximize freshness

A feature like LG’s HygieneFRESH+™ removes up to 99.99 percent of bacteria and filters out bad odors via a revolutionary 5-step filter, ensuring food is contamination-free and leftovers stay fresher for longer. Meanwhile, an air supply channel diffuses fresh, crisp air to each and every shelf.

Hygiene Fresh+™ also offers additional convenience by eliminating the need to change or replace any filters. In addition to Hygiene Fresh+™, the Top Freezer incorporates the Fresh O Zone feature to maintain the optimum temperature for food that quickly go bad such as fish, poultry, and red meat.

Users no longer have to freeze meat in order to preserve it for long periods of time. Fresh O Zone keeps items stored inside in their initial state of freshness, ready to be cooked anytime.

Express Freeze

LG InstaView Door-in-Door refrigerator comes with an Express Freeze option which enables users to speed up ice production, chill drinks faster, and better freeze foods and deserts. You won’t have to memorize any buttons, either. LG’s ThinQ integration lets you activate Express Freeze and monitor temperatures with your smartphone, so there’s no need to repeatedly check on the fridge to see if things are ready. It also enables you to eliminate frequent trips to the grocery store with the largest capacity French door refrigerator, to stock up and store all your favorite foods.

Every LG refrigerator is packed with all the latest innovations in LG technology. Find more about LG refrigerators to choose your most preferred option here: https://www.lg.com/africa/refrigerators.

About LG Electronics

LG Electronics Inc. is a global innovator in technology and manufacturing with operations in 140 locations and a workforce of over 70,000 around the world. With 2018 global sales of USD 54.4 billion, LG is composed of five companies – Home Appliance & Air Solution, Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Vehicle Component Solutions, and Business Solutions. LG is a world-leading producer of TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, and mobile devices, including premium LG SIGNATURE and LG ThinQ products featuring artificial intelligence. For more information about our products in Nigeria, visit Our Brand | About LG | LG Nigeria

Source: Ghana Web

Accra, April 20, GNA- The Confederations of African Football (CAF), has disapproved the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi from hosting senior category “A” matches due to poor maintenance of the stadium.

This decision was made as a result of the report received by the association over observations that were made in the first leg encounter of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) World Cup qualifiers between Ghana and Nigeria.

A statement signed by the Development Officer of CAF to the General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Mr. Prosper Harrison Addo said, “Following the one match approval given by CAF for the use of Baba Yara Sports Stadium (Kumasi) in the FIFA World Cup Qatar African Qualifiers 2022 playoff round matches under the conditions that specific points were to be corrected in the stadium”. 

According to the Association, the improvements made so far to make the Stadium a better one still does not meet the standards required by CAF to host senior international A matches. 

In the statement, the association announced its decision to prohibit using the stadium for senior international category A matches and also  automatically removed from the confederations approved stadiums, but would only be approved for any subsequent CAF/FIFA International Senior national team matches and CAF Mens Inter clubs competition. 

CAF further urged the stadium authorities to completely renovate and refurbish the stadium in order to be approved for future CAF competitions. 

“We recommend that the renovation plan is based on modern architecture, contemporary design, and high-quality equipment and materials with a clear project plan and specific timelines in the off-field areas pointed out,” it said. 

CAF finally made it known in the statement that all remarks and comments must be respected before the stadium would be given the go ahead to host any international senior CAF match.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS), together with the National Sports Authority(NSA) would seek to work together in order to get the stadium back to CAFs category A list to host senior international matches.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Austin Gamey is a leading Labour Consultant and former MP and Deputy Minister

Gladys Gamey is the mother of Philip Gamey, renowned entrepreneur and businessman

The wife of Austin Gamey and a Director of Gamey Group Gladys Gamey has passed on.

A spokesperson for Philip Gamey the renowned entrepreneur confirmed the death of his mother in a release.

“Gladys Gamey died on Friday, April 15th while at the Empat-Caiquo hospital in Tema after an illness. The family asks for continued prayers and support and will issue further details on plans for home going services in due course” the statement said.

Read the full statement below.

“The Executive Chairman of Institute of Executive Studies, Philip Gamey, and distinguished entrepreneur has lost his mother Gladys Gamey who is also the wife of Ghana’s foremost Labour Consultant and former Member of Parliament and Deputy Minister, Austin Gamey.

Until her untimely death which occurred at Empat-Quaco Hospital in Tema, Gladys Gamey was also a Director of Gamey and Gamey and had previously worked as the Managing Director for Ausvog until her retirement.

Gladys Gamey is survived by her husband, Austin Gamey, and seven children Lawrence Gamey, Lawrencia Gamey, Rebecca Gamey, Phebe Gamey, Philip Gamey, Davidson Gamey, and Benjamin Gamey and fourteen grandchildren.
The family requests continued prayers and support. Further details on plans for homegoing services for her will be announced in due course.”

Source: Ghana Web

Three weeks have passed since some 500 people were allegedly summarily executed in Moura, a village in central Mali – and UN investigators have yet to be granted access, the UN rights office, OHCHR, said on Wednesday. 

According to reports, Malian Armed Forces accompanied by foreign military personnel allegedly carried out killings and other grave violations during a military operation. 

UN News’s Alexandre Carrette and spoke to Alioune Tine, UN Independent Expert on Mali, after an official visit to the country last month. 

Cancerous impunity 

Alexandre Carette: Ten months after a military coup that overthrew President Boubacar Keit, the situation in Mali remains precarious. The country is facing political and security crises that have been compounded by drought, COVID-19 and violent extremism, which has triggered multiple abuses throughout almost all regions.  

High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has denounced extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances and sexual violence and Mali is under international sanctions – notably from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).  

You recently told the Human Rights Council that violence there has spread so rapidly that it is jeopardizing the very survival of Malian civilians. What does this mean, concretely? 

Alioune Tine: The security situation is extremely concerning. It is starting to become difficult for Mali to control. Although we felt like the situation was improving from July to December 2021, every day I now hear about jihadists attacks, especially from the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), in the centre of Mali, in Gao. And it is, above all, the civilians who are caught by armed groups, extremists, jihadists and the Malian army.  

There are many serious violations, French citizens tortured and disappearing. And impunity is a big problem, including of certain Malian soldiers accused of serious allegations of aggression. Even if we were to open investigations, structural problems within the military justice system would only hamper the procedure. If the criminal prosecutor can take up the issue, it can’t go far, because the offices of investigating judges – who must continue the legal proceedings – are not yet ready. So, we call on Mali for instructions so that legal proceedings can have a concrete result because impunity is a real cancer for institutions and society. It risks discrediting and undermining the credibility of the army, can potentially create a situation of continuous violence and is bad for national cohesion. So, on this issue, we really insist that practical and concrete measures must be taken by the Malian authorities. 

Prioritize civilians 

Alexandre Carette: Could you who these rampant extremist armed groups are in Mali and whether they exist in the wider Sahel region? 

Alioune Tine: They are groups that loot, rape and force children into military service. It is cancer that not only threatens Mali today but also coastal countries, like Benin, northern Togo, Ghana and Senegal. Today’s big problems are a result of the fact that we haven’t been able to defeat these groups since 2012. Despite international efforts that have called on enormous military means, and financial support, civil society and especially civilian populations continue to pay the price. We need to reconsider our global strategy, which also involves African institutions like ECOWAS, African Union (AU).

The top priority is to protect the civilians who are invariably the main victims.

The top priority is to protect the civilians who are invariably the main victims 

Preventing an apocalypse 

Alexandre Carette: You mentioned that the international community has invested significantly in security. At the request of the Malian authorities, France has announced the withdrawal of Operation Barkhane. What impact might that have on human rights and civilian abuses? 

Alioune Tine: With nearly 6,000 men with equipment and intelligence and so on, Barkhane was a major operation whose absence can only accentuate Mali’s vulnerability. We consistently advise dialogue between France and Mali, who are old friends, and recommend that security cooperation with Malian partners be done on a broad basis, with the respect of human rights. This is extremely important for all international human rights obligations. When my team and I had discussions with the European diplomats in Mali, I saw a glimmer of hope. We asked the international community not to abandon the country, whose needs have never been as great. The collapse of Mali means the fall of East Africa – a kind of apocalypse. So once again, we appeal to the international community and call on the Malian authorities to favour dialogue so that everyone can find their place to work for the stability, security and peace in Mali. 

Securing security 

Alexandre Carette: It seems that Mali has asked mercenaries of the paramilitary Wagner group for help. Many delegations have criticized their activities and abuses. Were you able to investigate these allegations? 

Alioune Tine: No one can confirm that Wagner is there. But the right question is why Wagner would be there. I think that Africans must build their own geopolitics to ensure their own security, also to ensure their own interest and to do so in dialogue with the whole planet and especially with the West. However, we must be extremely careful that there are no negative impacts on Mali from geopolitical shifts that we are witnessing today. 

Elections 

Alexandre Carette: Today, there is a problem of governance in the Sahel region. There have been a coups d’etat in Burkina Faso and Mali. Could elections be a first step towards normalizing the situation? 

Alioune Tine: Elections must be seriously considered before any actions are taken. Mali is a country experiencing a huge security emergency and an enormous political crisis with geopolitical shifts. From my perspective, with ECOWAS’ help, solutions may be found through discussion, if taken with care not to make the situation worse. We have to continue the dialogue, without saying to ourselves, ‘Well, elections are the solution.’ They must be prepared well so that their results do not trigger another crisis, because in reality, the coup came from the contested legislative elections in Mali. 

Looking ahead 

Alexandre Carette: What can the UN and international community do to help Mali recover? What are the priorities? 

Alioune Tine: Since all security responses have failed, the situation must first be reflected upon. We need to think about the African security response, with ECOWAS and AU. While considering the situation, we must ensure that civil society is integrated into the discussions before deciding what we’re going to do to overcome the security crisis. We need to find the most appropriate solutions to correct what went wrong. 

Alexandre Carette: Despite everything, are you optimistic for the future? 

Alioune Tine: Yes, I am. I am optimistic because there is a debate. We are talking and that is very positive. And there are solutions that people are coming up with. I think we’re going to get through this, I’m definitely optimistic for the future. 

Source: United Nations

Tema, April 20, GNA – Madam Rebecca Yisrael, a beautician at Tema Community One, has urged hairdressers in the country to do extensive research on new products before applying them to clients’ hair.

She said their knowledge of hair care products, their usage, and possible side effects could help them do better treatment of hair and scalp conditions according to the diversity of hair types.

“I always tell my staff, you must read the manufacturer’s instructions for new products before using them, you have to be an addicted reader because every product comes with its instructions,” Mrs Yisrael told the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Tema.

She added that there were different types of hair which included coarse, normal, and soft hair which required different treatments to make hair healthy depending on the situation.

“If the beautician does not know much about a product, he or she could cause damage to your hair, let’s say you have a soft hair, after relaxing the hair you don’t have to wait for some time but if she doesn’t know that, she’ll make you wait and that is dangerous to your hair,” she added.

She explained there were many reasons why hair might be falling whether temporary, reversible, or permanent as such experts in the hair field needed to be on top of issues and provide a medium for solving the clients’ problems.

Mrs Yisrael mentioned that gone were the days when people perceived that, hairdressers were uneducated, explaining that on the contrary the hairdresser needed to sharpen skills to fit the current needs of people.

She cautioned against mixing assorted brands of products for the hair as it could damage hair and appealed to the people to also read instructions on the products, they were using to be able to help some beauticians with little information about such products.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, April 20, GNA – An Accra Circuit Court has granted a GHC100,000.00 bail with two sureties to a pharmacist who allegedly posed as a medical doctor at the Police Hospital.

Reagan Kaaiemabong is also facing two other charges – possession of firearm without authority and threatening to kill two persons at the 2M Express Transport yard at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.

He has denied all the charges.

The Court, presided over by Mrs Rosemond Baah Torsu, ordered him to return to court on May 17, 2022.

Police Inspector Jonas Larweh told the Court that Mr Suleiman Abdulai, a security man and Richard Annor, a driver, both of the 2M Transport were the complainants in the case.

He said on February 18, 2022, at about 23:30 hours, Kaaiemabong, the accused person, who was driving, parked his car at the transport yard and “started urinating in the yard.”

Inspector Larweh said Mr Abdulai approached him and an argument ensued between the two where the accused person pulled a Brunei pistol at him and threatened his life.

He said that attracted Mr Annor to the scene and the accused person allegedly pulled a gun at him, too.

The Prosecution said a Police Patrol team was called leading to his arrest.

It said Kaaiemabong told the team he was a doctor with the Police Hospital, but investigations revealed that he was a pharmacist intern with the facility between October 2015 and June 2016 and had since not worked with the Hospital.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, April 20, GNA – Zongo Chiefs, Imams and youth leaders have pledged to collaborate with the police to prevent violence and crime in their respective communities.

They said it was only through community involvement that violent clashes between groups and other related crimes could be averted.

They made the pledge at a capacity building conference on conflict prevention and management for Chiefs, Imams, women and youth leaders organized by the Zongo Development Fund (ZoDF) in Accra.

It was on the theme: “Peace and Security in Zongo Communities – Changing the Narrative”.

Topics discussed at the conference were “Peace Building and Management”, “Crime Prevention and Community Involvement”, “Violence in Zongo Communities -Stereotyping or Reality? Implications thereof”, and “Islamic Perspective of Peace Building”.

The Chiefs, women and youth leaders noted that some of the crimes were perpetrated by outsiders, hence the need for a concerted effort to expose the criminals.

They expressed worry that the image of Zongos was tarnished because of the violent activities of the youth.

In an address read on his behalf by the Coordinator of the Zongo and Inner-City Development Secretariat, Mr Ben Abdallah Banda, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, said while the primary responsibility of government was peace building and sustaining peace, chiefs, Imams, magiyas and youth leaders were also required to do more to build peaceful and resilient societies.

He said many countries were witnessing more violent conflicts now more than ever. “Records show numbers of civilians are being killed or injured by explosives and people are on the move displaced by violence, war and persecution.

“Horrific violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms, rising nationalism and xenophobia are prevalent”, he said.

Dr Bawumia said, any violent tendencies in Zongos, inner cities and other communities needed to be discouraged and affirmed the government’s resolve towards executing projects to improve the socio-economic conditions of people.

In his address, the Chief Executive Officer of Zongo Development Fund (ZoDF), Obrempong Dr Arafat Sulemana Abdulai, said the Fund attached a great importance to security in Zongos.

For instance, he said, the ZoDF had installed thousands of streetlights in Zongo communities to improve visibility and ward off criminals.

Obrempong Dr Arafat said the peace building conference was also an attempt to mobilize the stakeholders in Zongos to maintain peace and fight crime and aside the numerous projects executed by ZoDF in Zongo communities, it had given the people of Zongo a sense of identity.

For his part, the Accra Regional Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr Iddi Seidu, expressed worry at the increase trade and consumption of narcotic substances and gambling in Zongos.

He said the Holy Qur’an had spoken against intake of narcotic substances and gambling, hence the need for Muslim leaders to support efforts at fighting the canker in their respective localities.

Source: Ghana News Agency