Day: January 11, 2023

The Nigerian reality show, Big Brother Naija’s season 7 winner, Phyna Otabor has narrated what compelled her to terminate two pregnancies at the ages of 19 and 24 respectively.

The TV star said she did so because she was young and broke then and was in an abusive relationship as well.

Speaking in a recent interview with Punch, a Nigerian-based newspaper, following the insults received due to her abortion revelation via a tweet, she said she didn’t deserve to be insulted over it because the majority of women do abortions.

“As for my reasons for taking abortion pills, if there are 100 women in Nigeria today, 98 have done abortions. So, no one should judge me. I was in a 12-year relationship then and I was so young. The first abortion was when I was 19; I couldn’t go home to tell my parents that I was pregnant at that age. And the two pregnancies were so early like two to three weeks that I could just use tablets.

“The second was when I was 24, and I had finished serving then. I was ready to keep it but the relationship was getting toxic. He abused me and always beat me up. I said to myself that I couldn’t do this anymore, so I took it out and that was how I ended the relationship,” she explained.

On whether she will still terminate her pregnancy at this stage of her life, the 25-year-old actress said she will not repeat such behaviour because she is now well-to-do.

She boasted of being able to look after even ten children.

“Why would I do that? The way I am now, I have money to take care of 10 children, so why? In fact, if my parents were rich at the time of my first pregnancy, I wouldn’t have aborted it. But because I knew I was from a very poor background, we used to eat once a day then, especially in the afternoon and then carry it till the next day. So, keeping the baby then, was no option for me,” she said.

Miss Otabor, who is a Catholic by religion further asserted that she has asked God for forgiveness.

“In the face of God, it’s a sin and I have prayed and gone for confession. I am Catholic and I know God has forgiven me. It is what God says that counts. I don’t care what anybody thinks or says. I am not proud of committing abortion but the situation surrounding it was what I couldn’t help. For me, I do not see the essence of bringing children into this world when you are not ready.

“So, it’s either you abstain from sex, use protection or when it happens; you are either ready to chest the baby or take it out, especially when the situation is beyond you. Everybody has their own purpose behind their actions, just that there are some who are not scared of committing abortions at all, which is not good,” she noted.

Source: Modern Ghana

Tax analyst, Geoffrey Ocansey is projecting that government could generate about GH¢9 billion with the implementation of the reversal of the discount values at the ports.

He explains that the amount was lost at the ports annually due to the application for a markdown of benchmark value and other customs rulings.

The Ghana Revenue Authority announced the complete reversal of the benchmark policy effective 1st January 2023.

The policy which was implemented in 2019 saw a 50% reduction in the benchmark value of some 43 imported items and 30% on cars.

In an interview with Citi Business News, Geoffrey Ocansey opined that this move by the government will help bolster growth to the local economy.

“Just to talk about the removal of the benchmark, the point to note is that, we lost about GH¢9 billion when we actually applied that discount and granted it to importers at the ports.

“So if automatically you speak to figures, it means when you withdraw it [benchmark values], we are expected to recoup about GH¢9 billion plus more. We can rely on these provisions that the minister announced and other strategies to do more. The policy of removal is perfectly in line with international agreements like that of the World Trade Organization.”

He also urged the government to intensify tax collection from the informal sector with particular reference to business activities that are carried out during the night.

“I believe we can focus on the night and dawn economy for revenue mobilization. There are people who do their businesses during the night and dawn such as traders who bring in stuff from the hinterlands and phone traders at tiptoe lane; they are done with their activities by 5 am and around by this time the tax authorities have not started their work, but they have been left off the hook.”

Source: Modern Ghana

A pro-NPP youth group in the Upper West Region has called on all government appointees seeking to contest the upcoming presidential primaries of the party to honourably resign.

The group stated that the resignation will prevent such aspirants from using state resources to fund their campaigns and also promote healthy competition among all the NPP flag-bearer hopefuls.

Addressing a press conference in Wa, the convener of the group, Ahmed Marzuk commended the former Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen for his decision to resign and asked all appointees interested in the race to emulate the gesture.

“We would like to use this medium to urge all current ministers and party members holding other portfolios in government who intend to run for the NPP flagbearer position to follow the example of Alan and resign.”

The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr, Owusu Afriyie Akoto also quit his position on Tuesday to focus on his presidential ambition.

He will be challenged for the flagbearer slot by Mr Kyerematen who declared his intention to contest on Tuesday.

Vice President Dr, Mahamudu Bawumia and NPP firebrand Kennedy Agyepong are also rumoured to be interested in the presidential slot of the NPP.

Former General Secretary of NPP, Kwabena Agyepong is also likely to contest for the flagbearership slot of the party ahead of the 2024 elections.

Source: Modern Ghana

Ministry of Finance has categorically stated that it cannot exempt the insurance industry from the Debt Exchange Programme.

The Ghana Insurers Association in December 2022 called for the exemption of insurance companies from the domestic debt exchange programme.

According to the association, 40 percent of its total assets for the third quarter of 2022 were invested in Government of Ghana Securities hence any attempt to give its members a “haircut” will spell doom for the sector.

But in a letter signed by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to the President of the Ghana Insurers Association, the Finance Ministry stated that it has made some adjustments to the debt exchange programme due to feedback from the industry but cannot exempt the insurance industry.

“Based on your letter and the feedback from you and other industry associations, the Government, working with its advisors, has made significant enhancements to the terms of the exchange instruments to address key concerns raised about accrued interest and zero coupons for 2023. The government has also improved the commercial terms of the exchange instruments; which details were announced on 24th December 2022.

“In this regard, Government encourages a positive response from the industry to enable us to complete the exercise in the interest of the broader economy. In our meeting…you made it very clear, the peculiar nature of your industry and therefore the forbearance required; an exemption, however, is not an option,” parts of the statement read.

Ghana in mid-December 2022 secured a $3 billion staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) but the country must restructure its debt to get the final approval to access the IMF funds.

In December, Ghana launched a domestic debt exchange and later said it would default on nearly all of its $28.4 billion of external debts.

The government in December further extended the deadline to register for its domestic debt exchange to January 16, 2023, in order to secure internal approvals from the financial sector, the Finance Ministry said in a statement late on Saturday.

Under the original plan, local bonds were to be exchanged for new ones maturing in 2027, 2029, 2032 and 2037, with annual coupons set at 0% in 2023, 5% in 2024 and 10% from 2025 until maturity.

Under the new terms, however, the Finance Ministry said that eight additional instruments would be created, bringing the total number of new bonds to 12, with one maturing each year from 2027 to 2038.

Source: Modern Ghana

Chelsea’s pursuit of Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez is “closed”, says Benfica manager Roger Schmidt.

The Blues have been in talks with the Portuguese club about signing the 21-year-old 2022 World Cup winner but have failed to reach an agreement.

He celebrated scoring in Benfica’s 2-0 Portuguese Cup win at Varzim on Tuesday by thumping the badge on his shirt.

“I’m glad this question is closed and now we can focus on football again,” said Schmidt.

Fernandez, who joined Benfica from River Plate in August, has a release clause of about £106m.

“It was very important for Enzo to return to play with his team and for Benfica. Rumours of proposals and opportunities, that’s part of football,” added Schmidt, who has previously labelled Chelsea’s approach for Fernandez as “disrespectful”.

“The important thing is how the player and the club deal with the situation. It was all very open and sincere.

“I never had any doubts about his character, personality and attitude. An extraordinary player who loves to play football and for Benfica.”

Source: Modern Ghana

Former Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen has officially declared his intent to contest the NPP flagbearer race.

He said he will become a transformational leader who will build on the foundations laid by successive leaders of the nation over the last 65 years.

To achieve this strategic goal of transforming the country to become the shining star of the new Africa, Mr Kyerematen said “I will as President, launch and lead the execution of the Great Transformational Plan (GTP) of Ghana which will span the period 2025 to 2030.”

He said the Post-COVID Economic Recovery Programme (P-CERP) currently being implemented with the anticipated support from the IMF from 2023 to 2025, will be a transitional economic programme leading to the roll out of his GTP.

Mr Kyerematen said these in a televised address to the nation on Tuesday, 10 January 2023.

He noted that the GTP will be anchored on the following key pillars:

A Strong Macroeconomic Environment: The success of the GTP will depend primarily on strong macroeconomic fundamentals, which will include among other things, a stable currency, low inflation, sustainable debt levels, revenue optimization and tight expenditure control to guarantee fiscal balance, low competitive interest rates, strong external reserves backed by high levels of liquidity to support the financial sector.

To a large extent, the IMF support programme when fully executed, will create the appropriate conditions that will underpin the Great Transformational Plan.

A New Agricultural Revolution (NAR) for Ghana: The NAR will be based on five critical elements.

I. Introducing Technology and Innovation into Agriculture, through Research & Development (R&D) in Agronomy, Mechanization, Irrigation, and Plantation Management. This will build on the foundation laid by the Planting for Food and Jobs and Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) Programmes. Our farmers cannot be competitive without technology and innovation.

II. The establishment of Licensed Food Distribution and Marketing companies by the Private Sector throughout the country at the district level, to be supported by the Government. These companies will constitute a vital link between farmers and Market Queens in the urban and peri-urban areas. It will be complemented by the introduction of a digitalized food distribution and marketing online platform which will connect producers to buyers and consumers.

III. The strengthening of the Ghana Commodity Exchange as the marketplace for all actors in the Agricultural value chain.

IV. Deepening the current regime for lending and financing for the agricultural sector.

V. Enhancing the de-regulation of the Cocoa sector by deepening private sector participation in the buying and marketing (including export) of Cocoa.

VI. Mass Citizens participation in Agriculture by introducing an ‘Operation Own a Farm’ programme for the Ghanaian citizenry in general.

Industrial Transformation: This will build on the successes of Government’s Ten Point Industrial Transformation Programme including the One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative; the establishment of Strategic Anchor Industries to diversify the economy beyond Cocoa and Gold e.g the Automobile assembly, Garment and Textiles, Pharmaceuticals and the Petrochemical industry; enhancing the growth and development of Small and Medium Enterprises; establishment of Industrial Parks and Special Economic Zones; and supporting Domestic Retail Trade and Distribution.

Accelerated Infrastructure Development: Promoting Private sector financing for public infrastructure such as Roads, Railways, Ports and Harbours, Water Supply Systems, Public Housing etc, which will reduce Government’s exposure to the financing of such infrastructure projects.

Digital Mainstreaming: Digitalization will be mainstreamed in all Government and Public sector activities, building on the current work led by the Ministry of Communication and Digitalization.

Energy Security and Diversification: Greater emphasis to be placed on developing renewable sources of energy, by fast-tracking the execution of Government’s energy transition strategy, including but not limited to nuclear and hydrogen energy.

Decarbonization and Climate Resilience: Scaling up Government’s current efforts at reducing Ghana’s carbon footprints and facilitating access to the carbon trading markets, as well as establishing mechanisms to strengthen the country’s preparedness against the negative effects of climate change.

National Security and Defence Optimization: Deploying resources to strengthen National Security and Defence Mechanisms and Infrastructure, to deal substantively with emerging security threats and challenges, particularly in the Sahalian region.

Downsizing Government: The architecture of Government will be overhauled by consolidating some existing Ministries, Departments and Agencies. This will mean running a lean Government structure that will ensure operational efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of Government services.

Strategic Engagement with the International Community: Ghana’s diplomatic and economic relations with the International Community under the GTP will be predicated on the principle of ‘positive neutrality’, based on the strategic interests of Ghana, as well as our shared commitments for the preservation of peace around the world and respect for humanity.

The former minister further stated that he will in the next several months provide further details of his GTP in the new ‘Alan K Prime Time Talk Show’ to be introduced.

“I will also seek inputs from the people of Ghana as I go round in the regions and districts on my campaign tours,” he added.

Source: Modern Ghana

Sunyani –  Most Reverend Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, the Catholic Bishop of Sunyani has underscored the need for the country to formulate and implement a ‘don’t cut, don’t burn’ policy for total national reforestation through the Green Ghana Project (GGP). 

He said, the time has come for the government through the Forestry Commission (FC) and all recognised groups, both public and private to educate and saturate the minds of Ghanaians against bushfires and engaging in activities which can cause deforestation.

“Otherwise the work done in the past years and what’s being done now such as the GGP to reforest the country would not yield any results”, the Bishop stated.

The Bishop hoped “if the citizens adhered to the call, in the next three to four years some of the trees would have been maturing and big enough, so that even if there was a bush fire, its effect would be less”.

Most Rev.Gyamfi made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani as a contribution to efforts by the government to achieve a successful GGP.

He said in Ghana one needed not to plant trees because there were seeds readily available in the soil, implying that if there were no bushfires and it rains, the seeds would naturally germinate and within a few years there would be trees everywhere. 

Most Rev. Gyamfi cited Germans had adopted a scientific and sustainable way of cutting down trees for infrastructure development and other purposes, saying that had not caused reduction of the nation’s vegetation cover because trees were cut responsibly and sustainably while some forest reserves were declared no entry zones.

He said there was the need for the Forestry Services Division (FSD) of the FC to have a definite plan for reforestation and quizzed “if trees are cut and there is no succession plan to replace them, how can the vegetation cover be restored”?

“Irresponsible and continuous indiscriminate cutting of trees without planting will result in deforestation”, the bishop said.

Most Rev. Gyamfi called for a conscious effort not only by the FC and its associated organisations like the FSD but all Ghanaians to ensure the success of the GGP.

“The tree seedlings provided by the government and other organisations for planting on the GGP day must be nurtured and protected, but how is that being done and who follows up to ensure that the trees are doing well”, he quizzed. 

Most Rev. Gyamfi said the policy of national reforestation borders on patriotism, saying “without that our efforts in greening Ghana will be fruitless”.

“Let us as citizens be nationalistic by doing the right thing through the planting and protection of tree seedlings for Ghana to have abundant forest cover in the medium to long term to save our environment”, he said..

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ghanaian striker, Kwame Peprah is on the verge of joining South African side, Maritzburg United.

The forward is joining the side from Orlando Pirates.

The 22-year-old switched to the Buccaneers after the 2020/21 season from Ghana Premier League [GPL] side, King Faisal.

Peprah scored nine goals in over 30 appearances in all competitions and also played an integral role in helping them reach the final of last season’s CAF Confederations Cup of which they lost painfully to RS Berkane.

However, his start to the ongoing campaign has been very abysmal thus far, having netted or gotten involved in no goal in eight matches with his last league appearance happening against Kaizer Chiefs back in October.

With his inability to command playing minutes, speculations has it that, he is set to join Maritzburg United on loan until the end of the ongoing season to rediscover his form and probably return in the summer.

Source: Modern Ghana