Day: September 26, 2022

Eric Cantona has criticised his former Manchester United team-mate David Beckham for his position as a 2022 Qatar World Cup ambassador.

Former players Tim Cahill, Cafu, Samuel Eto’o, Xavi Hernandez and Ronald de Boer also hold ambassadorial positions for the tournament, due to be held in November and December this year.

At the start of 2022, Cantona said he would boycott the tournament in protest at the human rights abuses associated with the construction of some of the venues.

Canonta said: “It’s only about money and the way they treated the people who built the stadiums, it’s horrible. And thousands of people died. And yet we will celebrate this World Cup. Personally, I will not watch it. I understand football is a business. But I thought it was the only place where everybody could have a chance.”

Speaking this week to The Atheltic, the former French international defended players who will attend the tournament.

He explained: “If you have a player who says, ‘I will boycott the World Cup’, you say, ‘Bravo’. But you cannot condemn a 20-year-old player, who has a 10-year career, who lives in a world surrounded by people from football 24 hours per day.

“But do speak about the federations, speak about the politicians, who have the power to say, ‘No, we do not go to the World Cup’. We cannot be disappointed if players don’t want to boycott the World Cup, because at the top, the politicians, the presidents, the federations, the ministers…”

“The real power, everywhere in the world, they have the power to boycott it. It is too easy to say the players.”

Asked if he would become an ambassador as his former Man Utd team-mate Beckham had done, Cantona stated: “I would not do it at all. I do completely the opposite. In January 2022, I started to say that. Maybe I was the first one.

“But I am free to do it. And of course, an ex-player paid to do this kind of thing…”

“It could be they don’t know what has happened there. Or, if they know it, I think they did wrong. I think they made a big mistake. A big, big mistake.”

 

 

 

Source: Modern Ghana

Athletic Bilbao forward, Nico Williams has spoken about his brother’s decision to feature for the Black Stars of Ghana.

Inaki made his debut for the West African country against Brazil last weekend in a 3-0 defeat.

Meanwhile, Nico who also earned his maiden call-up to the Spanish made his debut in a 2-1 defeat to Switzerland in the UEFA Nations League.

Speaking after making his debut for Spain in the loss to the Swiss team, Nico explained that both players decided to go different ways.

“It was a natural decision, each one took their path and made their decision in a thoughtful way,” he said.

“I am very happy that my brother is in Ghana, I wish him things to go well, that he can have a great World Cup and achieve the highest goals,” he added.

Inaki will look to start on Tuesday, September 27, when the Black Stars face Nicaragua in their second game of the international window.

 

 

Source: Modern Ghana

The Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for Savannah Region, Alhaji Iddrisu Sulemana Kalamonia has cautioned members of the party in the Salaga South Constituency not to take the NDC for granted.

He said the seeming lack of cohesion among them could make the NDC have it easy.

Professor Kalamonia as he is affectionately called, said this on Saturday, September 24, 2022, when he attended an award ceremony organized by the Salaga South Constituency Secretary.

He said the seeming apathy among NDC members in the Constituency should not be a yardstick for members of the ruling NPP to think that it will automatically culminate in the party wining back the parliamentary seat they lost in the 2020 elections.

He therefore called for members of the party to stay united and work together as a team to win back the parliamentary seat come 2024.

The Regional Chairman also assured them of his continuous support to enable them discharge their core mandate to accelerate the interest of the party.

The maverick politician commended the Constituency Secretary, Mr. Abiola for instituting the awards scheme.

The awards scheme which is the brainchild of the party’s constituency secretary is aimed at rewarding committed and hardworking polling station executives, electoral area Coordinators and other party faithfuls.

In the company of the Salaga South Constituency Executives, Alhaji Iddrisu Sulemana Kalamonia later inspected an ongoing Rural Electrification Project at Kalampur in the East Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region.

In a brief address, he assured the chiefs and people of the community that Government remains committed to delivering its promise of connecting them to the national grid to propel socioeconomic activities in the area.

Residents of the community expressed appreciation to the NPP Government for taking practical steps to get them electricity which had eluded them for many years.

 

Source: Modern Ghana

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has been urged to forge ahead in unity going into the 2024 general elections as far a breaking the ‘8’ agenda is concerned.

Members of the party have also been told to work hard devoid of any internal wrangling that may exist between members due to the internal elections of new executives and the presidential candidate contest yet to be organised.

The party’s Director of External Affairs, Mr. Frederick Kofi Ameyaw made the appeal at the NPP New York branch General Meeting held on Saturday in the United States.

According to the NPP communicator, the NPP since 2017 has made a lot of achievements under the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia led administration which require a unified a team to push the disseminate information to Ghanaians.

He gain called on party members, communicators as well as the grassroot to continue to propagate the works of the party to lure more voters for the party come 2024.

The program was hosted by the NPP NY Chairman, Frank Antwi and was attended by many party leaders and Government appointees from both Ghana including, the KMA Boss, Sam Pyne; Hon Freda Prempeh, Minister of State in charge of Works and Housing; Eric Okyere Darko Esq, Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund; Hon. Kingsley Daniel Atta Boafo, Consul General, GH Consulate, New York.

The rest are Dr. Akwasi Acheampong, CEO of International Maritime Hospital, (MoH) and MadaJosephine Agyekum-Wallace, DMD, PMMC.

 

Source: Modern Ghana

A former National Organiser of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Yaw Boateng Gyan has called on the party’s Council of Elders to advise the General Secretary of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, not to contest for the position of National Chairman if he has such an intent.

According to Mr Boateng Gyan, Mr Nketia contesting for the position of National Chairman has the potential of derailing the efforts of the party to win the 2024 general elections.

“It has the potential to make things difficult for the party. We want to win the 2024 elections,” he said.

He noted that a contest between the two individuals, the incumbent, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and Asiedu Nketia, would demoralise the support base of the party going into the 2024 general elections.

He added that the support base of the two stalwarts of the party can make things difficult for the party going into the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.

“The contest between these two stalwarts will be fiercely contested because the two individuals have huge followings in the party,” he added.

Mr Boateng Gyan made this plea to the Council of Elders in an interview on Accra 100.5 FM’s mid-day news on Monday, September 26, 2022.

He highlighted how Mr Nketia has served as a Member of Parliament and has been the General Secretary for the past 17 years and how Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo has served the party in the capacity of National Organiser, Member of Parliament, Vice Chairman and National Chairman.

He was of the view that only the Council of Elders can deal with the issue adding that the two are potential members of the council by virtue of the positions they have held in the party.

 

Source: Modern Ghana

As plans are underway to equip sympathizers and members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) across the country, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Microfinance and Small Scale Centre, Mr. Paul Sarbeng has shared government policies and programs with party executives.

He explains what the NPP government has done and is continuing to do for the people of Ghana to reduce poverty in the country.

At a meeting with NPP Constituency Organizers in Kumasi, Mr. Sarbeng also explained that the welfare of the party executives should be taken seriously.

“MASLOC is for all Ghanaians and we intend to equip and resource you. The loan is not for free and you can also apply for it to cushion your small business if you are interested. Don’t hesitate to do so,” Mr. Sarbeng stated.

He added, “I must also say that if we are going to get another term of office, the work will depend on people like you.”

The meeting with the Deputy MASLOC CEO comes shortly after thirty-four trader groups at Kejetia Market received loans totaling Ghc1.7 million to sustain their businesses.

He also stated that recovery is ongoing and the institution’s ability to recover will enable it to give more loans to Ghanaian businesses and request their assistance in recovering the loans.

“There’s nothing the President can do and exclude Ashanti Region from it. So just exercise patience and it will get to your time,” Mr. Paul Sarbeng received cheers from party members present.

 

Source: Modern Ghana

 

Pressure from some quarters in the Ejisu constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is on its National Executives to conduct a free election to elect quality and competent constituency executives to steer affairs.

According to a patron, there is a crisis in the party.

Mr. Ntim Twumasi Kwaku said the only way to resolve the crisis in the party in the constituency is to cancel and conduct fresh elections from the polling stations level to the constituency level.

He explains, for the party to be able to retain the seat with a united front in line with the determination to break the 8, the calls by many are that the national executives should urgently conduct fresh elections to ensure free, fair and transparent polls.

“I’m saying that every single vote counts and we [NPP] can’t afford to lose Ejisu seat and 2024 polls because of any individual or group’s interest” the immediate past 2nd constituency vice chair and current Regional Communications team member stated on radio.

Popularly called NTK, he added,“I always say that politics is not dirty as some people say but it is our actions and in actions that makes it dirty. ..I’m therefore appealing to the leadership of the party to listen to the aggrieved members and resolve the crisis immediately.”

According to him, NPP sympathisers in Ejisu are increasingly losing faith in the current crop of leadership.

 

Source: Modern Ghana

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) branch in the Upper West Region is alleging that the police personnel deployed to beef up security in the region are inexperienced.

Following investigations into the killings of private security guards in the Region, the Ghana Police Service has deployed over 300 officers to the region.

According to the NDC office in the region, over 80% of the personnel deployed are new recruits who recently passed out.

The party while insisting that it has nothing against the Inspector General of Police said looking at the seriousness of the crimes committed in the region, more experienced officers are required.

The opposition party is of the view that through that, the mystery killings will be unraveled and dealt with as soon as possible.

“We have become aware of the deployment of about three hundred and fifty police officers by the IGP, to beef up the police strength in Wa. Our intelligence has gathered that, over 80 % of those deployed are newly passed out recruits, whose first assignment is to help unravel the mystery behind the serial killings in Wa.

“Without any prejudice against the IGP or the officers deployed, we are of the candid opinion that, the issues at hand required much more experienced hands and a greater attention from the government,” part of the NDC release signed by RCO Puo-Ire Prosper reads.

Meanwhile, the NDC has called on IGP Dr. George Akuffo Dampare to stay off social media and focus on bringing the perpetrators of the crime to book.

In the latest update on investigations into the Wa killings, some 18 suspects have been arrested by the Upper West Regional Police command.

Sources have confirmed that while eight of the suspects have been released on bail, the remaining ten are in custody assisting in investigations.

 

 

Source: Modern Ghana