Category: General

Ace broadcaster, Abeiku Aggrey Santana says he is disappointed in Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia following his support of the Electronic Transfer Levy Bill, (E-Levy).

Speaking on UTV’s United Showbiz on Saturday, the broadcaster said he could not fathom why Dr. Bawumia, who had initially ranted against the bill, will later make a U-turn to push for its implementation.

“I am disappointed that the government passed E Levy and disappointed in the vice president because he was Peace FM sometime back and said he didn’t see the need to tax Momo.

“He was untruthful to us because he was the first person to oppose the bill at the time. He said it wasn’t a good idea but now he has made a U-turn saying the country needs it,” he stated furiously.

He lambasted President Akufo-Addo for pushing the bill down the throat of Ghanaians even when it was evidently clear Ghanaians rejected it widely.

“Nobody is saying we shouldn’t pay tax. The problem is what are those monies meant for tax used for? In 1995 when VAT was introduced, Akufo Addo vehemently protested against it because he said it will kill us.

“That was what brought about the ‘Kumi Preko’ demo. But Ghanaians did not demonstrate against the E Levy. The VAT was lesser than the E Levy but we haven’t demonstrated,” he stated.

In August 2020, Dr. Bawumia is reported to have stated on Peace FM that there was no need for taxing mobile money services.

“I don’t think Mobile Money should be taxed because most of the people who use the service are poor people, so if you put more taxes on it, they will suffer,” he told Kwame Sefa Kayi, host of Kokorokoo morning show.

Source: Modern Ghana

The maiden public lecture in honour of Justice RS Blay, a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana has been slated for Friday, April 8, at Bisa Aberewa Museum in Sekondi.

The late Justice Blay was the Speaker of the first Constituent Assembly of Ghana in 1969 and President of the Ghana Bar Association.

A statement by the organisers of the event and copied to the Ghana News Agency said apart from decades of public service and contributions to many sectors of Ghana’s development, Justice RS Blay was one of the Big Four, Pa Grant, Francis Awoonor Williams, Dr JB Danquah and himself, who initiated the idea of the United Gold Coast Convention and, therefore, a prominent founding member of the UGCC as its 1st Vice-President when it was inaugurated at Saltpond on August 15, 1947.

It said the maiden lecture which would be delivered by a distinguished scholar and Historian, Nana Kobina Nketsiah V, the Omanhene of Essikado and chaired by Mr Freddy Blay, Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, would not only focus on the unique contribution of RS Blay to the struggle for Ghana’s independence but also highlight the special role played by the workers and people of his home region and its capital Sekondi-Takoradi to the struggle.

“It will also provide the platform for objective and critical analysis of the varied and various contributions by Gold Coast and Ghanaian patriots whose sacrifices resulted in Ghana’s independence on March 6, 1957, under the leadership of the nation’s first Prime Minister, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah,” it said.

“This will be an annual event which will provide a platform for conversations on both the past and contemporary history of Ghana.”

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ghanaian singer Ohemaa Esther has announced her presence in the industry with a brand new single dubbed, “Wobetumi Aye Bribi”.

The song which was produced by Sam Mix, talks about what one can do to praise God for what He has done.

“After waking up every morning with breath in you, this is the song you need to sing to glorify God for the gift of life,” she stated.

Esther Adu known by her stage name Ohemaa Esther is a gospel artist, songwriter, and performer from Bogoso.

Ohemaa Esther is quite a vibrant figure who is one of the lead vocalists in her church currently where she fellowships in Bogoso, Western Region of Ghana.

Esther has been an independent artist who takes her inspiration from Gospel Songstress Obaapa Christy and has lots of surprises for the gospel fraternity in her subsequent releases.

Wobetumi Aye Bribi is a testimony song that will soon take over the industry.

Source: Modern Ghana

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has offered his best wishes to Muslims in Ghana and around the world on the commencement of this year’s Ramadan fast.

The Islamic community in Ghana began their month-long fast today after the National Chief Imam, Shiekh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, declared Apirl 3, as the start date for the 2022 Ramadan.

In a message on Sunday, the President urged Muslims to to commit to the essence of the period.

“It is a month of intense devotion and commitment to the principles of love, sacrifice and devotion to duty.

” I urge Muslims to strive to live by these values, and cloak the month of Ramadan in sanctity and holiness,” he said.

Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar for fasting, prayer and introspection.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, April 04, GNA – The Executive Committee of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) has named a nine-member committee to oversee the nomination of deserving athletes and officials for the 47th SWAG Awards.

This year’s event has been tentatively fixed for December, where deserving athletes and officials would be honored for their hard work within the year 2022.

The committee, chaired by Mr Frank Owusu Ansah, is expected to submit their shortlisted nominees to the SWAG Executive on October 14, 2022.

However, unlike previous editions where the committee would monitor athletes or surf for the performances of deserving athletes, EXCO has urged all SWAG members to also monitor athletes’ performances and submit names with justification or defence to the Nominations Committee not later than September 30, 2022.

The SWAG General Assembly would review and input on the final shortlist for release on October 29, 2022, and all are requested to help the committee execute its work.

Mr. Anthony Ekow Esilfie would serve as the Vice Chair while Mr. Kenneth Odeng Adade serves as the secretary to the committee.

Other members of the committee are; Mr. Sheikh Tophic Sienu, Mr. Precious Sermevoh, Ms. Senyuedzorm Adadevor, Mr. Akapko Agodji, Miss Edna Quansah and Mr. Kwaku Sarpong Sarkodie.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Black Sherif’s rise in the music circles continues to soar considering his unique song writing abilities and great vocals, something that has found him traversing across musical borders.

After the release of the “First and Second Sermon”, Black Sherif is out with another banger “Kwaku the Traveller ‘ a single which unravels the mysteries of street life.    

The song since its release last Thursday, “Kwaku the Traveller”  has made waves across the continent topping charts on various streaming platforms including YouTube, Audiomack, Boomplay, among other streaming platforms.

It is worth noting that Black Sherif’s has become the first Ghanaian artiste to top Apple Music in Nigeria, a remarkable milestone which shows his fast rise.

Black Sherif on “Kwaku the Traveller ” demonstrates his artistry in churning out some mind-blowing lyrics which resonates with every young or old person.

According to Black Sherif, the lyrics in the song were motivated by the struggles in life of many youth having decided to shed light on street life.

“Remember you know a traveller, the name is Kwaku the Hustler, He’s been far away chasing guallalaa. I’ll be back again bro, meka menan. I swear on my life, I can’t wait to be back. I know you miss me I know..,” Black Sherif sang in his chorus.

The chorus of the song would reverberate with anyone trying to make positive strides in life, but faces some challenges, yet remains persistent in achieving his set target in life.

Black Sherif has often been criticized for his line of lyrics in the past but the lyrical flow in “Kwaku the Traveller” certainly deserves some commendation considering the motivation it carries.

The journey to musical stardom has just started for the 21-year-old and he looks very promising in putting Ghana on the music map around the world.

Music lovers are certainly awaiting the first pack of songs from Black Sherif, something he says would be released later in the year.

Listen here: https://youtu.be/Hb6I7GoTvzI

Source: Ghana News Agency

(Berlin) – Scores of migrants who had been arbitrarily detained in Ukraine remain locked up there and are at heightened risk amid the hostilities, including military activity in the vicinity, Human Rights Watch said today. Ukrainian authorities should immediately release migrants and asylum seekers detained due to their migration status and allow them to reach safety in Poland.

“Migrants and asylum seekers are currently locked up in the middle of a war zone and justifiably terrified,” said Nadia Hardman, refugee and migrant rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. “There is no excuse, over a month into this conflict, for keeping civilians in immigration detention. They should be immediately released and allowed to seek refuge and safety like all other civilians.”

In early March 2022, Human Rights Watch interviewed four men by telephone who are being held in the Zhuravychi Migrant Accommodation Center in Volyn’ oblast. The detention site is a former military barracks in a pine forest, one hour from Lutsk, a city in northwestern Ukraine. All interviewees said that they had been detained in the months prior to the Russian invasion for irregularly trying to cross the border into Poland.

The men asked that their nationalities not be disclosed for security reasons but said that people of up to 15 nationalities were being held there, including people from Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Syria.

Zhuravychi and two other migrant detention facilities in Ukraine are supported with EU funding. The Global Detention Project has confirmed that the center in Chernihiv has now been emptied but the center in Mykolaiv is operating. Human Rights Watch has been unable to verify whether anyone is still detained there. The men said that at the time of the interviews more than 100 men and an unknown number of women were detained at the Zhuravychi MAC. Some have since been able to negotiate their release, in some cases with help from their embassies. Lighthouse Reports, which is also investigating the issue, has estimated that up to 45 people remain there. It has not been possible to verify this figure or determine whether this includes men and women.

Three of the men said they were in Ukraine on student visas that had expired. All four had tried to cross the border into Poland but were intercepted by Polish border guard forces and handed directly to Ukrainian border guards. The men said they were sentenced to between 6 and 18 months for crossing the border irregularly after summary court proceedings for which they were not provided legal counsel or given the right to claim asylum.

Whatever the original basis for their detention, their continued detention at the center is arbitrary and places them at risk of harm from the hostilities, Human Rights Watch said.

While interviewees said that conditions in the Zhuravychi detention center were difficult prior to the conflict, the situation significantly deteriorated after February 24. In the days following the Russian invasion, they said, members of the Ukrainian military moved into the center. The detention center guards moved all migrant and asylum seekers into one of the two buildings in the complex, freeing the second building for Ukrainian soldiers.

A video, verified and analyzed by Human Rights Watch, shows scores of Ukrainian soldiers standing in the courtyard of the Zhuravychi MAC, corroborating the accounts that the Ukrainian military is actively using the site. Another video, also verified by Human Rights Watch, shows a military vehicle slowly driving on the road outside the detention center. Recorded from the same location, a second video shows a group of approximately 30 men in camouflage uniforms walking on the same road and turning into the compound next door.

On or around the date after the full-scale invasion, the people interviewed said a group of detainees gathered in the yard of the detention center near the gate to protest the conditions and asked to be allowed leave to go to the Polish border.

The guards refused to open the gate and instead forcibly quelled the protest and beat the detainees with their batons, they said. Human Rights Watch analyzed a video that appears to show the aftermath of the protest: a group of men crowd around an unconscious man lying on the ground. People interviewed said that a guard had punched him. A group of guards are also visible in the video, in black uniforms standing near the gate.

“We came out to peacefully protest,” one of those interviewed said. “We want to go. We are terrified.… We tried to walk towards the gate … and after we were marching towards the gate.… They beat us. It was terrible. Some of my friends were injured.”

Interviewees said that guards said they could leave Zhuravychi if they joined the Ukrainian war effort and added they would all immediately be granted Ukrainian citizenship and documentation. They said that no one accepted the offer.

On March 18, five men and one woman were released when officials from their embassy intervened and facilitated their evacuation and safe travel to the border with Poland. Ukraine should release all migrants and asylum seekers detained at the Zhuravychi detention center and facilitate their safe travel to the Polish border, Human Rights Watch said.

The European Union (EU) has long funded Ukraine’s border control and migration management programs and funded the International Center for Migration Policy Development to construct the perimeter security systems at Zhuravychi MAC. The core of the EU’s strategy has been to stop the flow of migrants and asylum seekers into the EU by shifting the burden and responsibility for migrants and refugees to countries neighboring the EU, in this case Ukraine. Now that Ukraine has become a war zone, the EU should do all it can to secure the release and safe passage of people detained in Ukraine because of their migration status. United Nations agencies and other international actors should support this call to release civilians at Zhuravychi and any other operational migrant detention centers and provide assistance where relevant.

“There is so much suffering in Ukraine right now and so many civilians who still need to reach safety and refuge,” Hardman said. “Efforts to help people flee Ukraine should include foreigners locked up in immigration detention centers.”

Source: Human Rights Watch

Accra, April 04, GNA – The Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has banned the St Martins School Park, Daboase indefinitely.

The ban takes immediate effect, after crowd violence at the venue leading injuries on players and officials of Samartex FC.

A statement from the GFA said, this decision was taken following assaults on the Officials and Players of FC Samartex 1996 by the home supporters in the Division zone League match between Skyy FC and FC Samartex on Sunday, April 3, 2022.

The Competitions Department of the GFA would now fix the venues for the upcoming home matches of Skyy Fc with due regards to the distance to be travelled by the away teams.

Below is the letter sent to the Club:

The seminars and meetings on Safety and Security at match venues organised by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for clubs and the GFA regulations on Safety and Security refer.

It is against this background of the efforts invested in promoting the safety and security at our matches that the Association is shocked and extremely alarmed at the criminal assaults on some officials and players of the away team, FC Samartex 1996 before, during and after the Division One League match by your home supporters at the St Martins School park, Daboase on Sunday, April 3, 2022.

The Executive Council has accordingly exercised its powers under Article 14(2) of the Division One League Regulations and has ban the venue indefinitely.

14(2) “The GFA may order the closure of any league centre/venue where the safety of clubs, match officials and/or spectators cannot be guaranteed”.

The GFA Prosecutors have been tasked to prefer the appropriate Charges immediately and for theDisciplinary Committee to sit on this matter expeditiously.

The GFA demands that Skyy Football Club shall immediately assist the Police to cause the arrest of the persons involved in the attack, without fail, in accordance with the promise given by the clubs to the Inspector General of Police in our engagement with the leadership of the Ghana Police Service.

The Association has instructed the Competitions Department to fix the venues for the upcoming home matches of Skyy FC with due regards to the distance to be travelled by the away teams (note that matches can be fixed at the home of the away team, if required).

That all clubs are to take note and comply strictly with the GFA Matchday COVID-19 Protocols and the Safety & Security regulations.

The GFA wishes to sound a strong note of caution to all members (especially all clubs) that the slightest harassment or attack on Club Officials, Supporter, Team Officials, players, Match Officials (Referees, Match Commissioners, GFA Cameramen & Women, Venue Media Officers) and the media shall be dealt with severely and swiftly.

Also, any comments from any player, team or club official and club social media handles which incites supporters against match officials shall be dealt with as well.

There shall be zero tolerance for violence and incitement to violence in our game especially in this second round of the leagues.

Source: Ghana News Agency