NDC Boys Chase NPP Man

Michael Omari Wadie

SOME LOYALISTS of President John Dramani Mahama are pushing for the arrest and detention of a former constituency

Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Michael Omari Wadie.

The issue concerns a photograph in circulation on various social media networks, especially Facebook, in which the picture

of a man, who seems to have been ‘photo-shopped’ to look like President Mahama, is seen having sex with a woman at a supposed office.

Though Mr Wadie has denied being the brain behind the picture in circulation, a pro-NDC group, calling themselves Coalition

for the Protection of Individual Liberties and Constitutional Rights (COPCOR), claimed “the said picture has been doctored

by a former Constituency Chairman and former National Chairmanaspirant of the NPP by name Michael Omari Wadie.” However, a statement issued in Accra yesterday called for the arrest of the NPP man. The statement, which was signed by Ransford Vanni-Amoah, Abraham Ferguson Jnr, Ali Dawud, Charles Agyemang, Ernest Gyamfi and one Theresa Awuni said, “We are calling on the Ghana Police Service, Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the National Security to call Omari Wadie for further questioning and investigation and if possible, prosecute him.” It is not clear the police, BNI and the National Security would take up the issue since Omari Wadie has not received any police invitation. But leadership of the NDC group indicated their readiness to “provide the security services with concrete evidence when called upon to assist” while calling on the Christian Council of Ghana, Muslim Community and all well-meaning Ghanaians to condemn what they described as a ‘criminal act’ since according to them “it is not in the interest of national unity and cohesion”.

The group has also asked the NPP as a party to condemn this act and disassociate the party from such an act, as a proof that

they do not endorse such actions from a person they suspect to be one of their own. Mr Wadie also issued a counter statement in which he made an outright denial of being the manufacturer of the picture in question. “I vehemently refute the allegations and state categorically that I am not the source of the images,” he noted. Apart from that, the former NPP Chairman for the Ayawaso West Wuogon insisted “I am not the camera man who filmed them, I have never been to President Mahama’s office or the location where this was filmed, I am not an I.C.T expert and I am not a graphic designer or animation expert.”

He suspected the picture in circulation was an insider job; emanating from the NDC itself and, therefore, asked for his name to be disassociated with it, insisting that “if truly this is edited and meant to embarrass the President, we should just identify the girl and catch the real culprits behind this by tracing their Internet Protocol address. “We should all condemn all such distasteful and sordid action in our body politics”, reiterating his position, “I am not responsible for the picture be it original or edited; I refute and debunk the allegations the NDC has levelled against me,” he added.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

Kludze Endorses Supreme Court Judges

from left Professor Justice Kludze, Brigadier General Francis Agyemfra (Rtd), chairperson, Hans Burning Executive
Director NIMD and Mr. Kwesi Jonah, lecturer, political science department University of Ghana.

A FORMER Justice of the Supreme Court and Professor of Law, Justice A. K. P Kludze

has expressed confidence in the nine justices of the Supreme Court to dispense justice fairly in the ongoing hearing of the landmark electionpetition.

He said the Supreme Court is conscious of the responsibility it holds for the future advancement of the nation and would therefore act in accordance with the statues of the law. “Almost needless to say, I believe that the Supreme Court itself is not unmindful of the enormity of the responsibility it bears for the future development and stability of this nation.

I believe that the court will discharge this responsibility fairly, fairly, no matter whose ox is gored,” he said. Justice Kludze therefore urged the parties involved to abide by the ruling of the Supreme Court at the end of the case.

He said the parties and the public alike should remain tolerant and patient and accept the verdict with equanimity. “Unless we accept and abide by the decision of the Supreme Court, we inevitably unleash chaos and violence on ourselves and ongoing generations yet to come,” he said. Justice Kludze noted that whatever the decision of the Supreme Court, the country cannot see progress unless citizens learn to tolerate each other’s divergent views. He said democracy requires competition in the market place of ideas and not vituperation and physical attacks on the streets. He added that the political parties are not military brigades or combatant military units but organizations with similar programmes working and competing to improve Ghana to guarantee the progress of the nation. “We must try to let democracy work for us. It has worked reasonably well in other countries.

Through education and leadership by example we can let democracy flourish in Ghana,” he said. Justice Kludze made this known yesterday in Accra at an IEA roundtable on the theme: “Post-electoral Dispute Resolution: Fostering Peace, National Cohesion and Reconciliation after the Supreme Court Ruling.” He spoke on the topic: “Political parties as agents of national cohesion and reconciliation – the dos and don’ts in the aftermath of the Supreme Court Ruling.” Kwesi Jonah, a lecturer at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, touched on “the role of civil society in ensuring peace and security in the aftermath of the election dispute resolution i.e. media, religious bodies, etc.” He argued that whatever the ruling of the Supreme Court, the country should learn from the outcome and strengthen its electoral system.

Extreme polarization

Brigadier General Agemfra, chairman for the occasion, in a welcome address, noted that even though a solid foundation for democratic rule had been laid, the road has not been smooth. “For although the tradition of acceding power democratically is increasingly taking root, a matter of great concern in recent times is the extreme political polarization of the country.” He commented: “Unfortunately, however, the case has generated animosity and acrimony between the leaders and supporters of the two main political parties, the New Patriotic Party and the ruling National Democratic Congress and discussions on the issues have not been on the front burner of national discussions. Fortunately, both the leaders of the NPP and the NDC have indicated their intention to accept the results.” He was of the opinion that IEA’s timely discussion and action on the sensitive issue

would go a long way to promote peace and national cohesion in Ghana.

BY Jamila Akweley Okertchiri

Edward Mahama Pops Up

Edward Mahama

FORMER FLAGBEARER of the People’s National Convention
(PNC), Dr. Edward Nasigrie Mahama yesterday curtailed
his political hibernation when he passed a commentary on the
ongoing election petition hearing at the Supreme Court.

While addressing a press conference on political developments in the country, he charged the National Peace Council and faith-based organizations to start psyching Ghanaians towards an eventual judgment of the Supreme Court regarding the election
petition hearing.

He said the time for organizations to preach peace and togetherness was now and not when the decision of the Supreme Court had been made known. “All those who will be called to make peace should do that while the sun shines,” he said. He said on several occasions, both the President, John Dramani Mahama, and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had pledged to accept the verdict of the Supreme Court. However, it is the reaction of grassroots members of both parties that could jeopardize
the stability of this nation.

“Since we do not know and no one knows what decision the panel of nine judges will make, it is appropriate and timely now to address both sides,” he said.

Mr. Mahama said the rank and file of both parties should know that there is the possibility of review of the decision of the Supreme Court, stressing that no one should do anything untoward when the judgment is given.

“Just as we accepted the results of the run offs in 2000 and 2008, I now call on my fellow citizens to accept the verdict of our learned judges,” he said.

He also called on the media and hosts of political talk shows to avoid offering their platforms to non-legal people to interpret objections and rulings in ways that are completely incorrect but may be rational and heighten tension in the country.

Mr. Mahama observed that the task given to the judges is not just to give judgment in favour of one party or the other but to tell citizens what a nation at the crossroads should do in accordance with laws that governed it.

He said the citizenry should pay heed to the advice of traditional and spiritual leaders such as His Royal Highness Otumfuo Osei Tutu and his Eminence Archbishop Palmer Buckle.

“Fellow Ghanaians let us appreciate the peace of God, which has stayed on this nation since independence and be prepared to sacrifice our talent, money, time and energy to make Ghana an African Paradise,” he noted.

BY Jamila Akweley Okertchiri

Cops Grab Gun Dealers

The suspects

THREE UNDERCOVER operations have rid the Ashanti Region of 103 illegal weapons and led to the arrest of four people, the Regional Police Command announced yesterday.

The staggering firearms, including 55 double-barrel guns, 42 single-barrel guns, four locally-made pistols and two foreign revolvers, as well as four butts, 12 “AA” live cartridges and quantities of blacksmith equipment, were displayed at the regional police headquarters.

Speaking at a press briefing, DCOP Augustine Gyening said the seizure of the firearms indicated the number of guns held

by civilians. According to him, the weapons were traced back to two communities in the region and one community in the Brong

Ahafo Region. He mentioned the communities as Fumso in the Adansi North District, Ejisu in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality and Techiman.

According to the police chief, the threat that illegal guns posed to security in the country could not be overstated, appealing to members of the public to cooperate with law enforcement agencies. DCOP Gyening said the latest gun was retrieved from 33-year-old Collins Boadi Bonsu, who attempted to sell a foreign pistol for GH¢2,000 at Golden Tulip in Kumasi on May 22, 2013 around 2:00pm. The suspect was charged with attempting to sell firearm without license.

The regional police commander disclosed that the police arrested Kwadwo Dakanu, 42; John Gadasu, 45; Vincent Detse, 34 and Kwame Agbemator, 50. The suspects, he said, were arrested during a raid at their blacksmith workshops and residences at Fumso, Ejisu and Techiman.

Mr. Gyening maintained that the region was stable despite the recent violent crimes in Kumasi. According to the police commander, it would be erroneous for anybody to suggest that the city was volatile. Meanwhile, the police have stated that

they have arrested four persons suspected to be armed robbers who attempted to beat a policeman at a checkpoint at Dakwadwom.

DCOP Gyening identified the suspects as Daniel Apusiba aka Buffalo, 18, student; Dennis Kwaku Acheampong, 21, electrician; Akwasi Asamoah, 18, student, and 20-year-old Samuel Offei. He stated that the three suspects, after borrowing a locally-made pistol from the fourth suspect, Samuel Offei, hired the services of a vigilant taxi driver from Santase Roundabout with the view to rob fellow students who had organized a function at a popular hotel.

Their plans were revealed by the cabbie who became suspicious of their conduct. They were arrested at the police checkpoint where the pistol concealed in Daniel Apusiba’s trousers was retrieved. All the suspects are currently assisting the police in their investigation. DCOP Gyening appealed to the general public to take note of the various securityarrangements instituted in the metropolis.

FROM Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi

I Won’t Refuse Police Protection – Gloria Akuffo

Gloria Akuffo

Spokesperson for the petitioners in the ongoing election petition case Lawyer Gloria Akuffo has indicated that she will not decline police protection after formal application by her party.

The NPP officially wrote to the police seeking protection for Madam Gloria Akuffoand Lead Counsel for the petitioners Philip Addison.

In an interview with Citi News Madam Gloria Akuffo stated that some unknown men on motorbikes sought to know her residence a day after the burglary at her office.

A day after the breaking was discovered some unknown persons on an unregistered motorbike went to the offices of Akuffo Addo and co. and asked for where I live” she said.

According to her, although they were sent away without the information they needed, “it has become worrisome especially if my house becomes the target.”

She added that things should not be taken for granted because although she is not at home, her family could be in danger.

She called on the police to deal with the request judiciously.

Citifmonline

Presidents J.A Kufuor and J.J Rawlings
seated together at the funeral service for the
late business tycoon, B.A Mensah yesterday

CELEBRATED INDUSTRIALIST Benjamin Amponsah Mensah, famously known as B. A Mensah, would today go home to his maker after 88 years of a life well lived. Even before his mortal remains are interred in his hometown of Kumawu in the Ashanti Region, the children he left behind have raised concerns about the seizure of several properties he tirelessly worked for. At a memorial church service held in his honour at the Ridge Church in Accra

yesterday, one of his children, Bernard Kojo Mensah, senior to Herbert Mensah, expressed disappointment in the continuous withholding of his father’s property in spite of several court rulings in their favour. “Despite success in the courts and a declaration that the seizure of his company was illegal, at the time of his death, the properties had still not been returned to B. A Mensah nor had he been fully compensated for their seizure,” he noted.

This, he said, was in view of the fact that “the litigation, almost a quarter of a century old, continues while SSNIT and Duraplast and BAT continue to occupy or support the occupation of property B.A purchased and developed and used to contribute to Ghana’s economic and business development and success”.

This attracted expressions of ‘aw’ by the congregation. Present were former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor who sat right in front the pulpitfrom which Bernard read the biography of his late father nearly moving to tears. Others included members of the erstwhile New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration and National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration including Hackman Owusu Agyemang, Isaac Osei, Felix Owusu Agyepong, Sheik I.C

Quaye, Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu and his wife, Betty Mould Iddrisu, Alex Segbefia and a host of others.

Tribute

In a brief tribute to the late B.A Mensah, former President Kufuor described him as “an entrepreneur of the highest order; one of whose vision and foresight allowed him to see opportunities where others were doubtful.”

He spoke of the late B.A Mensah, whom he preferred to call ‘Rock of Ages’ as a man who “was able to turn his dreams into reality, and from a very humble background, he started to create an industrial empire at a time when doing business was alien to most of his compatriots.”

Apart from being shocked when the news of the death got to him, Mr Kufuor said “my sadness was also because the viciousness of politics in our part of the world prevented B.A, despite his many accomplishments from attaining his full potential in the business world.”

But for the harsh contradictions of the politics in the country, the former President noted with emphasis that “B.A and the likes of Appenteng-Mensah of Panbros Salt, Siaw of Tata Brewary,Kofi Owusu of Kowus Motors and a few others in that clique would have been to Ghana what Rockerfeller, Carnegie Morgan, Ford and Vanderbilt were to the industrial development of the United States.

Unlike his colleague, former President Kufuor, Mr Rawlings did not get anopportunity to speak on the occasion but was dully acknowledged as present at the event. Sermon was delivered by Most Reverend Dr Justice Ofei Akrofi, Aglican Bishop of Accra. Soon after the service, the mortal remains of the late B.A Mensah was dispatched to his hometown, Kumawu where the burial and funeral are scheduled to take place.

BY Charles Takyi-Boadu

from left Professor Justice Kludze, Brigadier General Francis Agyemfra (Rtd), chairperson, Hans Burning Executive
Director NIMD and Mr. Kwesi Jonah, lecturer, political science department University of Ghana.

A FORMER Justice of the Supreme Court and Professor of Law, Justice A. K. P Kludze

has expressed confidence in the nine justices of the Supreme Court to dispense justice fairly in the ongoing hearing of the landmark electionpetition.

He said the Supreme Court is conscious of the responsibility it holds for the future advancement of the nation and would therefore act in accordance with the statues of the law. “Almost needless to say, I believe that the Supreme Court itself is not unmindful of the enormity of the responsibility it bears for the future development and stability of this nation.

I believe that the court will discharge this responsibility fairly, fairly, no matter whose ox is gored,” he said. Justice Kludze therefore urged the parties involved to abide by the ruling of the Supreme Court at the end of the case.

He said the parties and the public alike should remain tolerant and patient and accept the verdict with equanimity. “Unless we accept and abide by the decision of the Supreme Court, we inevitably unleash chaos and violence on ourselves and ongoing generations yet to come,” he said. Justice Kludze noted that whatever the decision of the Supreme Court, the country cannot see progress unless citizens learn to tolerate each other’s divergent views. He said democracy requires competition in the market place of ideas and not vituperation and physical attacks on the streets. He added that the political parties are not military brigades or combatant military units but organizations with similar programmes working and competing to improve Ghana to guarantee the progress of the nation. “We must try to let democracy work for us. It has worked reasonably well in other countries.

Through education and leadership by example we can let democracy flourish in Ghana,” he said. Justice Kludze made this known yesterday in Accra at an IEA roundtable on the theme: “Post-electoral Dispute Resolution: Fostering Peace, National Cohesion and Reconciliation after the Supreme Court Ruling.” He spoke on the topic: “Political parties as agents of national cohesion and reconciliation – the dos and don’ts in the aftermath of the Supreme Court Ruling.” Kwesi Jonah, a lecturer at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, touched on “the role of civil society in ensuring peace and security in the aftermath of the election dispute resolution i.e. media, religious bodies, etc.” He argued that whatever the ruling of the Supreme Court, the country should learn from the outcome and strengthen its electoral system.

Extreme polarization

Brigadier General Agemfra, chairman for the occasion, in a welcome address, noted that even though a solid foundation for democratic rule had been laid, the road has not been smooth. “For although the tradition of acceding power democratically is increasingly taking root, a matter of great concern in recent times is the extreme political polarization of the country.” He commented: “Unfortunately, however, the case has generated animosity and acrimony between the leaders and supporters of the two main political parties, the New Patriotic Party and the ruling National Democratic Congress and discussions on the issues have not been on the front burner of national discussions. Fortunately, both the leaders of the NPP and the NDC have indicated their intention to accept the results.” He was of the opinion that IEA’s timely discussion and action on the sensitive issue

would go a long way to promote peace and national cohesion in Ghana.

BY Jamila Akweley Okertchiri

The suspects

THREE UNDERCOVER operations have rid the Ashanti Region of 103 illegal weapons and led to the arrest of four people, the Regional Police Command announced yesterday.

The staggering firearms, including 55 double-barrel guns, 42 single-barrel guns, four locally-made pistols and two foreign revolvers, as well as four butts, 12 “AA” live cartridges and quantities of blacksmith equipment, were displayed at the regional police headquarters.

Speaking at a press briefing, DCOP Augustine Gyening said the seizure of the firearms indicated the number of guns held

by civilians. According to him, the weapons were traced back to two communities in the region and one community in the Brong

Ahafo Region. He mentioned the communities as Fumso in the Adansi North District, Ejisu in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality and Techiman.

According to the police chief, the threat that illegal guns posed to security in the country could not be overstated, appealing to members of the public to cooperate with law enforcement agencies. DCOP Gyening said the latest gun was retrieved from 33-year-old Collins Boadi Bonsu, who attempted to sell a foreign pistol for GH¢2,000 at Golden Tulip in Kumasi on May 22, 2013 around 2:00pm. The suspect was charged with attempting to sell firearm without license.

The regional police commander disclosed that the police arrested Kwadwo Dakanu, 42; John Gadasu, 45; Vincent Detse, 34 and Kwame Agbemator, 50. The suspects, he said, were arrested during a raid at their blacksmith workshops and residences at Fumso, Ejisu and Techiman.

Mr. Gyening maintained that the region was stable despite the recent violent crimes in Kumasi. According to the police commander, it would be erroneous for anybody to suggest that the city was volatile. Meanwhile, the police have stated that

they have arrested four persons suspected to be armed robbers who attempted to beat a policeman at a checkpoint at Dakwadwom.

DCOP Gyening identified the suspects as Daniel Apusiba aka Buffalo, 18, student; Dennis Kwaku Acheampong, 21, electrician; Akwasi Asamoah, 18, student, and 20-year-old Samuel Offei. He stated that the three suspects, after borrowing a locally-made pistol from the fourth suspect, Samuel Offei, hired the services of a vigilant taxi driver from Santase Roundabout with the view to rob fellow students who had organized a function at a popular hotel.

Their plans were revealed by the cabbie who became suspicious of their conduct. They were arrested at the police checkpoint where the pistol concealed in Daniel Apusiba’s trousers was retrieved. All the suspects are currently assisting the police in their investigation. DCOP Gyening appealed to the general public to take note of the various securityarrangements instituted in the metropolis.

FROM Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi

Bertha Sogah

The ongoing investigation into the alleged misappropriation against Bertha Sogah, Chief Executive Officer of the Micro and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) has been called into question by chiefs of three Traditional Areas in the Volta Region.
According to the chiefs of the Kpeve, Tongor and Kpalime Traditional areas, they were not against the investigation in itself, but were rather against the composition of the committee conducting the investigation.

They believe the committee, which is within the MASLOC set-up, would not be fair and equitable in their operation.

As a result, they have called for an external and neutral body to
conduct the investigations for the purposes of fairness, equity and expediency. The chiefs made the observation and recommendation in a press statement copied to DAILY GUIDE last Tuesday.

The three signatories of the statement include Torgbui Adza Wiah Kwesi II of Kpalime, Torgbui Asuo Kwesi V of Tongor and Torgbui Aku Dompeh XI of Kpeve.

About a month ago, the CEO of MASLOC was asked by the office of the President to proceed on leave following reports of misappropriation of funds brought against her, among others, her dealings with Amisgold Microfinance Service Limited; a company alleged to be owned by her husband.

The board chairman of MASLOC, Lieutenant Colonel (Rtd) Kaku Korsah also stated that contrary to widely held speculations, there was no financial loss to the state despite the discrepancies alleged to have been recorded in the outfit.

According to him, the money that was given out by the CEO Bertha Sogah, had been retrieved by the Committee that was set up to investigate the matter.

More so, the Board was waiting for the Committee’s report which should have been ready by now, before a definite statement would be made.

Before the committee concludes its work, the chiefs and people of the Kpalime, Tongor and Kpeve traditional areas, kinsmen of Bertha Sogah called for the replacement of the committee with an external and neutral committee on the suspicion of some conspiracy against the beleaguered MASLOC CEO for the ultimate principle of truth, fairness, equity and justice to prevail.

From Fred Duodu, Ho

CAPTURED! Fulani women and children

What is happening at Atta Akura in the Kintampo North Municipality in the Brong Ahafo Region and other areas in the country has brought to the fore, the saying that, the sins of the fathers shall visit the children.

Anytime there is a fracas between Fulani cattle herdsmen and their Ghanaian hosts, the most affected are innocent women and children.

The situation has become so alarming that these innocent women and children really need the support of all well meaning Ghanaians.  In the case of Atta Akura cattle herdsmen, the fathers’ crime was that they tried to protect their cattle from being taken away by cattle rustlers.

A typical example of the sad story of Fulani women and children happened at Atta Akura when a fight ensued between Fulani cattle herdsmen and some cattle rustlers.  When the Fulani cattle herdsmen run for dear lives, leaving behind their wives and children, they were literally taken as captives. When DAILY GUIDE visited the village following a tip off, the women and children were made to sit on the ground at their thatch-roofed houses without food and water for several hours, while their armed ‘captors’ stood around, giving commands.

Speaking to DAILY GUIDE in Hausa, one of the ‘captives’, Hawawu Musah said some men from a nearby village raided their kraal during the night and when their husbands resisted, a fight ensued but since the men were fully armed, their husbands had no choice but to run away, leaving them to their fate. She said what happened was not the first and that anytime cattle rustlers raided their kraal, a fight ensued.  According to Hawawu, their husbands are law-abiding and would not do anything to harm their hosts but because some Ghanaians perceive all Fulani herdsmen as armed robbers, all Fulanis are lumped together and treated badly.

She revealed to DAILY GUIDE that sometimes some of the herdsmen are attacked and killed in the bush and their cattle herded away.  She seized the opportunity to appeal to the government to come to their aid because they were also contributing their quota towards nation building.

A farmer who lives with the Fulani herdsmen, Adamu Krudando told DAILY GUIDE that since the herdsmen and their families came to live with him, he has found nothing wrong with them. He said what was disturbing as far as he was concerned was that they did not take their children to school and their wives only milked the cattle and took the products to the market to sell.  According to Krudando, “when you live with them you would realize they are not harmful”.  In his view those who engaged in armed robbery were not cattle herdsmen but hardened criminals who come to Ghana solely to engage in robbery.

FROM Eric Bawah, Atta Akura

Pastor David Sunday

A Nigerian who claimed to be a pastor has been arrested for swindling a 19-year-old girl.

Police said he tricked the teenager to hand over her parent’s jewellery and money to prevent the premature death of 12 members of her family.

The young lady at the centre of the scam whose name was being withheld for security reasons was made to part with jewellery worth GH¢5,000 and a total cash amount of GH¢2,750.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Stephen Kofi Ahiataku, Adentan District Police Commander informed DAILY GUIDE that at about 10:00am on February 1, 2013, a stranger approached the young lady for assistance to pay for his transportation cost.

“The young lady who had pity on the stranger gave him GH¢5. But he told her that he was not a Ghanaian and that he would need help to sell some goods he had brought to Ghana.”

The stranger who reportedly gave his name as Patrick said his goods included laptops and phones but when the young girl accompanied him to Labone junction for the said goods, they were met by another young man with brown envelops which he claimed could be transformed into money.

After demonstrating how the brown envelop could be changed into money by simply rubbing it in the arms, the young lady protested that she was only there to help sell laptops and phones and not to change paper into money.

The two gentlemen later took GH¢20 from the young lady and asked her to accompany them to Achimota, a suburb of Accra to meet another man who would give them money to pay her back.

On arrival, they met one Pastor David Sunday, 48, who started telling the young lady about her encounter with the young men but unknown to the teenager, he was the lead trickster.

The alleged kingpin then informed the young lady that 12 of her family members would die prematurely if he did not pray for her.

He convinced the lady to first give him whatever money she had, “So she went to the bank and withdrew GH¢130 for them,” said the Commander.

After the prayers, the pastor ordered her to go home and bring some more money and all the jewelleries in the house since they had been contaminated by bad spirits “and that she was not to mention it to anybody or risk losing her life instantly”.

According to the Adenta Commander, the lady obliged and returned with an amount of GH¢2600 which belonged to her parents and all the family jewellery including gold ornaments which she handed over to the pastor in a hotel.

The pastor asked the teenager to wait for him in the room whilst he went to a different room to pray over the items and the money. However, the man bolted with his booty.

After waiting for a while and calling his phone several times to no avail, the teenager called the first stranger who told her she had been scammed.

The case was then reported to the Adenta Police but while investigations where still ongoing the teenager, on May 13, at about 1:00pm met Pastor David Sunday and raised the alarm.

With the help of some drivers and conductors at a lorry station the pastor was grabbed and handed over to the Adenta Police Station.

In his statement to the police, the pastor initially denied but later confirmed the young lady’s story.

The pastor told the police he arrived in Ghana in 2010 and lived at Nsakina, near Ablekuma where he worshiped with a local church.

DSP Ahiataku advised the public to be wary of tricksters.

 By Emelia Ennin Abbey and Linda Tanya

Seth Terkper

For the first four months of 2013, Government’s fiscal deficit was equivalent to 3.8 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as against a target of 3 percent.

This came to light after the Bank of Ghana (BoG) gathered provisional estimates on Ghana’s broad fiscal data.

The bank’s latest Monetary Policy Committee report stated that such a development was on the back of a significant shortfall in revenues with expenditures marginally below target.

“Total revenue and grants was GH¢6.3 billion against a target of GH¢7.1 billion. Of this, domestic revenue amounted to GH¢5.9 billion below the target of GH¢6.4 billion on account of lower tax revenues.

“Total revenue amounted to GH¢4.2 billion below the target of GH¢4.9 billion and the low tax revenue collection over the period was the result of lower company profits and lower imports due to the general slowdown in economic activity.”

It said grant disbursement also reduced by 38.3 percent, reflecting non-disbursement from the Multi-Donor Budget Support partners.

While non-tax revenues registered higher than budgeted at GH¢1.6 billion compared to target of GH¢1.5 billion, total expenditures, including payments for the clearance of arrears and outstanding commitments, amounted to GH¢9.7 billion lower than the budget target of GH¢9.8 billion.

“The wage bill amounted to GH¢3 billion against a target of GH¢2.8 billion. Similarly, interest payments amounted to GH¢1.6 billion against a target of GH¢1.1 billion.

These developments resulted in an overall budget deficit of GH¢3.4 billion (3.8 percent of GDP) in the four months of the year, as against a target of GH¢2.7 billion (3 percent of GDP).”

The deficit was financed mainly from domestic sources, resulting in net domestic financing of GH¢2.7 billion, higher than the budget target of GH¢2.2 billion.

The foreign financing component of the budget amounted to GH¢687.2 million, also higher than the GH¢482.1 million target.

The last surveys conducted in March and April by the Central Bank showed weakened sentiments by both businesses and consumers.

“The business index declined to 99.0 percent in March 2013 from 104.1 in December 2012. This was partly due to the energy crisis, which in turn lowered business optimism about growth prospects and heightened inflation expectations over the medium-term horizon.

Similarly, the Consumer Confidence Index also fell to 96.1 in April, from 105.0 in January 2013.”

Also, the Bank of Ghana’s Composite Index of Economic Activity, which measures the pace of economic activity contracted by 0.6 percent in March 2013 as against 14.8 percent growth in March 2012.

“All the components of the CIEA recorded negative yearly growth rates with the exception of tourist arrivals, domestic VAT and domestic money banks’ credit to the private sector.

On global developments, international commodity prices broadly softened in the first quarter of 2013.

Crude oil price ended the first quarter at US$112.56 per barrel, and are projected to end the year at US$100 per barrel. Gold prices declined sharply to US$1,400 per ounce as at May 21, and are forecast to rise only slightly to US$1,455 per ounce by year end.

However, cocoa prices were at US$2,176 per tonne in the first quarter and it is expected to end the year at US$2,475 per tonne.

 By Samuel Boadi

Richard Anderson and some Delta staff at the press conference

The leading United States carrier, Delta Airlines is hosting over 50 journalists from various countries across the globe including Ghana under its ‘Delta International Media Summit.’

The summit opened yesterday at Westin Times Square Hotel in New York where journalists were taken through the operations of the airline including its major breakthrough in consolidating its foothold in the aviation industry.

The airline is acquiring a stake in Virgin Atlantic, the London based airline.

Talks on the proposed deal have reached an advanced stage and it is expected to be consummated by the third quarter of the year, according to Richard Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of Delta to journalists.

The climax of the three-day event is the official inauguration of Delta’s $1.4billion terminal at the JFK airport in New York. The new terminal four will be Delta’s operational hub at JFK.

Previous media summit took place in Atlanta, headquarters of the airline.

The airline’s senior management staff attended a press conference addressed by Richard Anderson, Chief Executive Officer.

Ed Bastian, President, Delta Air Lines was also in attendance.

Mr Anderson said the Atlanta based airline considers JFK airport as the most competitive market in the world, hence the huge investment. “JFK T4 (Terminal 4) is Delta’s most important global gateway, with service to 100 cities worldwide- more than any other carrier,” the Delta chief said.

The airline has strong international partners such as KLM/Air France and Alitalia, among other global players in the Asia and the Americas, in its quest to build a global brand.

Delta Airlines is the only carrier flying passengers direct from the Kotoka International Airport in Accra to the United States.

“Delta is reshaping its business model for stability and great customer service even with economic uncertainty and high fuel costs,” Mr Anderson intimated.

The airline has also invested in refinery to cut down on fuel cost.

Last year alone, it spent over $12billion on aviation fuel.

There was a breakout session with Perry Cantarutti, Senior Vice President Europe, Middle East and Africa where issues such as Economic development and tourism were discussed.

Cristyne Nicholas, Chair of the New York State Tourism Advisory Council; Ken Adams, Empire State Development president & CEO and Commissioner of the New York State Department of Economic Development and John Heimlich, Vice President and Chief Economist for Airlines for America were also in attendance.

The official opening of the new terminal will take place today with Richard Anderson addressing the gathering including Jos Nijhuis, President and CEO of Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, Holland.

The New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, US Representative, Gregory Meeks, New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York will grace the occasion.

There will be a tour of the facility after the commissioning.

 From Fortune Alimi, New York

Haruna Iddrisu

Ghana’s trade deficit deteriorated to US$334.6 million for the first four months of this year from a near zero balance in the corresponding period of last year.

The country’s services, income and transfer account recorded a lower deficit of US$788 million compared to a deficit of US$986.8 million in 2012.

This situation was driven by some moderation in the prices of major export commodities on the international market and slower growth in imports, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) noted.

“Total exports declined by 7.3 percent in year-on-year terms to US$3.8 billion during the first quarter of 2013. Of the total, gold exports were US$1.5 billion, cocoa beans and products were US$725.8 million and crude oil exports amounted to US$1.1 billion.

“Total imports, on the other hand, recorded a marginal year-on-year growth of 0.8 percent to US$4.2 billion in the first quarter. Of this, non-oil imports went down by 7.1 percent to US$3.2 billion while oil imports increased by 44.2 percent to US$913.3 million.”

It said that net inflows in the country’s capital and financial account improved to US$1.4 billion compared to US$156.7 billion in 2012, adding that this was on the back of higher official capital inflows amounting to US$316.3 million, net short-term capital flows of US$262 million, portfolio investments of US$246.3 million and private capital of US$570 million.

The foregoing developments resulted in an improved balance of payments deficit of US$136.3 million in the first quarter of 2013 compared to a deficit of US$1.3 billion in the same period of 2012.

However, the stock of public debt increased to GH¢38.3 billion (43.2 percent of GDP) at end April 2013 from GH¢35.1 billion in December 2012.

Of this, the stock of domestic debt amounted to GH¢20.3 billion compared to GH¢18.5 billion in December 2012.

“External debt stood at US$9.5 billion up from US$8.8 billion over the same period.”

From January to mid-May 2013, the local currency cumulatively depreciated by 2.3 percent against the US dollar. During the first quarter, the real exchange rate appreciated by 5.9 percent.

Furthermore, private inward transfers received through the banking system for the first quarter declined by 14.1 percent on a year-on-year basis to US$3.9 billion.

Of the total transfers, US$393.2 million accrued to individuals compared to US$478.5 million in the same period of 2012.

“Gross international reserves amounted to US$5.2 billion at the end of April 2013 compared to a stock position of US$5.4 billion at the end of December 2012. This is equivalent to 2.9 months of import cover.”

 By Samuel Boadi

Asare Akuffo – President of Ghana Association of Bankers

Total assets of the country’s banking industry increased to GH¢29.6 billion at the end of April 2013 compared to GH¢23.2 billion in April 2012.

This was driven mainly by advances which accounted for 42.5 percent of the total amount.

The asset growth was aided by deposits which recorded an annual growth of 22.4 percent as against GH¢20.7 billion at the end of April 2013.

Non-performing loans (NPL) ratio within the banking industry decreased to 13.3 percent in April 2012, while the ratio, excluding the loss category, declined to 5.2 percent from 6.1 percent in the same period.

The sector’s performance was strong in the first four months of the year with increased competition, improved liquidity and profitability, the Central Bank indicates.

Noting that interest rates on the Treasury Bill market broadly declined, it explained: “Between December 2012 and April 2013, both the 91-day and 182-day Treasury Bill rates remained broadly unchanged at 23 percent. The 1-year note rate fell from 23 to 22.1 percent while the rate on the 2-year note declined from 23 to 22.4 percent. The 3-year bond rate fell from 21 to 16.9 percent. Because there was no issue of the 5-year bond, the rate therefore remained unchanged at 23 percent.”

Meanwhile, the latest credit conditions survey by BoG showed a general net tightening of credit conditions.

With the exception of consumer credit which saw some easing, the credit stance for other types of loans including small and medium-scale enterprises, large enterprises, short and long term loans, were tightened.

Additionally, annual growth in private sector credit slowed to 28.7 percent in nominal terms at the end of March 2013 from 44.6 percent in March 2012.

Similarly, annual growth of the real private sector credit was 17.6 percent in March 2013, down from 32.9 percent in March 2012.

While the weighted average interbank rate declined to 16.9 percent in April 2013 from 17.5 percent in December 2012, average lending rates of the banks were revised upwards to 27.1 percent in April 2013 from 25.7 percent in December 2012.

By Samuel Boadi

Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, the Minister of Energy and Petroleum cutting the tape to officially inaugurate the Dansoman District of ECG

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) would soon adopt Live-line routine maintenance strategy where power would still be on while maintenance is being undertaken by technicians.

“The essence of the project is to carry out planned maintenance and fix faults on energized networks. This will benefit customers immensely because they will continue to enjoy electricity supply as we work live on our distribution networks at all voltage levels,” stated Rev William Hutton-Mensah, the Managing Director of ECG.

He announced this when he launched a GHC1.8million ultra-modern office complex for the Dansoman district of the ECG last Friday.

CITY & BUSINESS GUIDE gathered that the Live-line project has reached an advanced stage of implementation as a contract has been signed with partners to commence the setting up of systems for the project. Already, technicians of ECG are being trained for the project.

The ECG is currently receiving serious backlash from the general public for the persistent power cut that has negatively affected Ghanaians for almost a year.

But Mr. Hutton-Mensah said the embattled power company would boost its capacity to improve power supply.

The country is currently running over 200 megawatts of shortfalls resulting in the erratic supply.

Even though there is a huge supply shortage, the company is still battling with system losses caused by illegal power connections and archaic equipment.

“Currently our system loss figure stands at 23 percent from 26 percent (in 2012), and we hope to reduce it further to about 21 percent by the close of the year,” the managing director explained.

By Raphael Ofori-Adeniran

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Michael Omari Wadie

SOME LOYALISTS of President John Dramani Mahama are pushing for the arrest and detention of a former constituency

Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Michael Omari Wadie.

The issue concerns a photograph in circulation on various social media networks, especially Facebook, in which the picture

of a man, who seems to have been ‘photo-shopped’ to look like President Mahama, is seen having sex with a woman at a supposed office.

Though Mr Wadie has denied being the brain behind the picture in circulation, a pro-NDC group, calling themselves Coalition

for the Protection of Individual Liberties and Constitutional Rights (COPCOR), claimed “the said picture has been doctored

by a former Constituency Chairman and former National Chairmanaspirant of the NPP by name Michael Omari Wadie.” However, a statement issued in Accra yesterday called for the arrest of the NPP man. The statement, which was signed by Ransford Vanni-Amoah, Abraham Ferguson Jnr, Ali Dawud, Charles Agyemang, Ernest Gyamfi and one Theresa Awuni said, “We are calling on the Ghana Police Service, Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the National Security to call Omari Wadie for further questioning and investigation and if possible, prosecute him.” It is not clear the police, BNI and the National Security would take up the issue since Omari Wadie has not received any police invitation. But leadership of the NDC group indicated their readiness to “provide the security services with concrete evidence when called upon to assist” while calling on the Christian Council of Ghana, Muslim Community and all well-meaning Ghanaians to condemn what they described as a ‘criminal act’ since according to them “it is not in the interest of national unity and cohesion”.

The group has also asked the NPP as a party to condemn this act and disassociate the party from such an act, as a proof that

they do not endorse such actions from a person they suspect to be one of their own. Mr Wadie also issued a counter statement in which he made an outright denial of being the manufacturer of the picture in question. “I vehemently refute the allegations and state categorically that I am not the source of the images,” he noted. Apart from that, the former NPP Chairman for the Ayawaso West Wuogon insisted “I am not the camera man who filmed them, I have never been to President Mahama’s office or the location where this was filmed, I am not an I.C.T expert and I am not a graphic designer or animation expert.”

He suspected the picture in circulation was an insider job; emanating from the NDC itself and, therefore, asked for his name to be disassociated with it, insisting that “if truly this is edited and meant to embarrass the President, we should just identify the girl and catch the real culprits behind this by tracing their Internet Protocol address. “We should all condemn all such distasteful and sordid action in our body politics”, reiterating his position, “I am not responsible for the picture be it original or edited; I refute and debunk the allegations the NDC has levelled against me,” he added.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

Edward Mahama

FORMER FLAGBEARER of the People’s National Convention
(PNC), Dr. Edward Nasigrie Mahama yesterday curtailed
his political hibernation when he passed a commentary on the
ongoing election petition hearing at the Supreme Court.

While addressing a press conference on political developments in the country, he charged the National Peace Council and faith-based organizations to start psyching Ghanaians towards an eventual judgment of the Supreme Court regarding the election
petition hearing.

He said the time for organizations to preach peace and togetherness was now and not when the decision of the Supreme Court had been made known. “All those who will be called to make peace should do that while the sun shines,” he said. He said on several occasions, both the President, John Dramani Mahama, and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had pledged to accept the verdict of the Supreme Court. However, it is the reaction of grassroots members of both parties that could jeopardize
the stability of this nation.

“Since we do not know and no one knows what decision the panel of nine judges will make, it is appropriate and timely now to address both sides,” he said.

Mr. Mahama said the rank and file of both parties should know that there is the possibility of review of the decision of the Supreme Court, stressing that no one should do anything untoward when the judgment is given.

“Just as we accepted the results of the run offs in 2000 and 2008, I now call on my fellow citizens to accept the verdict of our learned judges,” he said.

He also called on the media and hosts of political talk shows to avoid offering their platforms to non-legal people to interpret objections and rulings in ways that are completely incorrect but may be rational and heighten tension in the country.

Mr. Mahama observed that the task given to the judges is not just to give judgment in favour of one party or the other but to tell citizens what a nation at the crossroads should do in accordance with laws that governed it.

He said the citizenry should pay heed to the advice of traditional and spiritual leaders such as His Royal Highness Otumfuo Osei Tutu and his Eminence Archbishop Palmer Buckle.

“Fellow Ghanaians let us appreciate the peace of God, which has stayed on this nation since independence and be prepared to sacrifice our talent, money, time and energy to make Ghana an African Paradise,” he noted.

BY Jamila Akweley Okertchiri

Presidents J.A Kufuor and J.J Rawlings
seated together at the funeral service for the
late business tycoon, B.A Mensah yesterday

CELEBRATED INDUSTRIALIST Benjamin Amponsah Mensah, famously known as B. A Mensah, would today go home to his maker after 88 years of a life well lived. Even before his mortal remains are interred in his hometown of Kumawu in the Ashanti Region, the children he left behind have raised concerns about the seizure of several properties he tirelessly worked for. At a memorial church service held in his honour at the Ridge Church in Accra

yesterday, one of his children, Bernard Kojo Mensah, senior to Herbert Mensah, expressed disappointment in the continuous withholding of his father’s property in spite of several court rulings in their favour. “Despite success in the courts and a declaration that the seizure of his company was illegal, at the time of his death, the properties had still not been returned to B. A Mensah nor had he been fully compensated for their seizure,” he noted.

This, he said, was in view of the fact that “the litigation, almost a quarter of a century old, continues while SSNIT and Duraplast and BAT continue to occupy or support the occupation of property B.A purchased and developed and used to contribute to Ghana’s economic and business development and success”.

This attracted expressions of ‘aw’ by the congregation. Present were former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor who sat right in front the pulpitfrom which Bernard read the biography of his late father nearly moving to tears. Others included members of the erstwhile New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration and National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration including Hackman Owusu Agyemang, Isaac Osei, Felix Owusu Agyepong, Sheik I.C

Quaye, Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu and his wife, Betty Mould Iddrisu, Alex Segbefia and a host of others.

Tribute

In a brief tribute to the late B.A Mensah, former President Kufuor described him as “an entrepreneur of the highest order; one of whose vision and foresight allowed him to see opportunities where others were doubtful.”

He spoke of the late B.A Mensah, whom he preferred to call ‘Rock of Ages’ as a man who “was able to turn his dreams into reality, and from a very humble background, he started to create an industrial empire at a time when doing business was alien to most of his compatriots.”

Apart from being shocked when the news of the death got to him, Mr Kufuor said “my sadness was also because the viciousness of politics in our part of the world prevented B.A, despite his many accomplishments from attaining his full potential in the business world.”

But for the harsh contradictions of the politics in the country, the former President noted with emphasis that “B.A and the likes of Appenteng-Mensah of Panbros Salt, Siaw of Tata Brewary,Kofi Owusu of Kowus Motors and a few others in that clique would have been to Ghana what Rockerfeller, Carnegie Morgan, Ford and Vanderbilt were to the industrial development of the United States.

Unlike his colleague, former President Kufuor, Mr Rawlings did not get anopportunity to speak on the occasion but was dully acknowledged as present at the event. Sermon was delivered by Most Reverend Dr Justice Ofei Akrofi, Aglican Bishop of Accra. Soon after the service, the mortal remains of the late B.A Mensah was dispatched to his hometown, Kumawu where the burial and funeral are scheduled to take place.

BY Charles Takyi-Boadu

Gloria Akuffo

Spokesperson for the petitioners in the ongoing election petition case Lawyer Gloria Akuffo has indicated that she will not decline police protection after formal application by her party.

The NPP officially wrote to the police seeking protection for Madam Gloria Akuffoand Lead Counsel for the petitioners Philip Addison.

In an interview with Citi News Madam Gloria Akuffo stated that some unknown men on motorbikes sought to know her residence a day after the burglary at her office.

A day after the breaking was discovered some unknown persons on an unregistered motorbike went to the offices of Akuffo Addo and co. and asked for where I live” she said.

According to her, although they were sent away without the information they needed, “it has become worrisome especially if my house becomes the target.”

She added that things should not be taken for granted because although she is not at home, her family could be in danger.

She called on the police to deal with the request judiciously.

Citifmonline

Reports reaching DAILY GUIDE indicate that KPMG, the reputable international accounting firm chosen by all the parties to count the number of Pink Sheets used as exhibits in the landmark Presidential Election Petition, has found 13,900 of the documents.

It was unclear as at the time of going to press if the exercise had been completed, but it was likely to confirm the petitioners’ case that they, indeed, attached the 11,842 as exhibits.

The Brouhaha

The issue of how many pink sheets were attached as exhibits in the case became very contentious with the respondents insisting that they did not receive all the further and better particulars as directed by the court.

The request to count the pink sheets was initially made by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), before the court. With the consent of all the parties in the petition, an order was given by the court for an independent referee to conduct the exercise.

Just as KPMG commenced the exercise in the presence of two observers each from the parties as ordered by the court, the NDC, through its lead counsel Tsatsu Tsikata, came to court with a story that the exhibits had been compromised and that the boxes containing the pink sheets had increased from 24 to 31.

In fact, the allegation over whether or not the boxes of the exhibits had been tampered with started right after the court’s sitting on Monday, May 20, when news broke that Mr. Tsikata, Tony Lithur who represents President John Dramani Mahama and later James Quarshie-Idun representing the Electoral Commission (EC), had gate-crashed the venue for the counting and requested the Supreme Court panel chairman Justice William Atuguba to review the order of the court.

According to Mr. Tsikata, there were alleged criminalities involved and as a result, they would prefer an extended control mechanism that would take into consideration copies served on at least two panel members to compare that with the pink sheets at the court’s registry.

The issue of whether the petition was being unduly delayed had come up strongly since Mr. Tsikata took over the cross-examination of the principal witness, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who is also the 2^nd petitioner. And many were of the view that the brouhaha over the pink sheets was part of the ploy to drag the process.

Mr. Tsikata, whose client came into the petition by way of a joinder, was in his 13^th day of cross-examination even though NDC’s co-respondents including President John Dramani Mahama and the Electoral Commission (EC) used about three days each to conclude a similar exercise.

Just as he was winding up on his cross-examination, he brought another motion, seeking to cross-examine some of the witnesses who filed affidavits in support of the petitioners’ case; but the court threw him out, together with President Mahama and the EC who made similar applications.

Mr. Tsikata however, had always denied criticisms that his style of cross-examination was designed to delay the process, often accusing the petitioners of presenting exhibits that forced the respondents to ‘dig deep’ in order to counter the petitioners’ claims.

When the NDC complained to the court, the nine-member panel chaired by Justice William Atuguba rejected their attempt to halt the counting exercise.

The court ruled that KPMG should continue with the exercise and any concerns that would be raised by the parties incorporated into the final report.

The accounting firm had the duty of “specifying in respect of each pink sheet, polling station name and its code number and exhibit number if any,” the court stated.

“In doing so the said referee should make a true and faithful count of the said exhibits of pink sheets according to and under the various categories of alleged electoral malpractices in issue before this court.”

The court said the professional fees to be charged by KPMG should be shared equally between the parties and added that each party was at liberty to choose two representatives for the counting exercise as observers.

KPMG, however, opted to do the counting free of charge.

By William Yaw Owusu

Robert Lewandowski and Arjen Robben

TONIGHT’S UEFA Champions League Final features th top two clubs in Germany; and Bayern Munich is a clear favorite over Borussia Dortmund for odds-makers and AccuScore’s simulation computer. Considering Bayern has dominated domestically and continentally, it is easy to see why Las Vegas bookmakers are offering only about $40 for every $100 bet on Bayern winning today. To put that into percentages, AccuScore calculated a 68 percent probability of Bayern flying back to Germany with the Champions

League trophy in hand.Head to head, Dortmund has won five of the last nine meetings between the clubs, but this season, Bayern broke Dortmund’s spell. Bayern faced Dortmund in four matches during the 2012-13 campaign and recorded two wins, two draws and no losses.

In the season-opening German Super Cup, Munich defeated Dortmund 2-1. Dortmund and  Munich also met in the quarterfinal of the German Cup this season. Arjen Robben played hero at the Allianz Arena to lead Munich to a 1-0 win, and Dortmund, whichwon the domestic cup the previous two seasons, was eliminated as a result. Along with the aforementioned trio of forwards, Robben is another name likely to find his way onto the score sheet. Robben and company went on to advance to the final of the German Cup, and that match will be played the weekend following the Champions League Final. If Bayern wins its final two matches before the summer break, it will cap a perfect season of four trophies from four competitions: German Super Cup, German Bundesliga, German Cup and UEFA Champions League.

To highlight its special season, Bayern dominated the domestic league and finished an astronomical 25 points ahead ofsecond-place Dortmund – a record. The Bavarian giants also set Bundesliga records for clean sheets (21), most wins (29), most away wins (15) and overall points (91). In all, Bayern Munich equaled or broke so many Bundesliga records during the 2012-13 campaign.

In Europe, Bayern played a perfect quarterfinals and semifinals en route to Saturday’s final. The Germans defeated Juventus, the Italian champion, and Barcelona, the Spanish champion, by an aggregate score of 11-0 over four matches.

Leading up to today’s final, Bayern Munich has already convinced the world that it is the best team in Germany and Europe, but if Dortmund was to walk away as an upset winner, Munich’s dream season of success would quickly transform into a nightmare campaign of failure.

Joe Debrah

Business man and former Board member of Kumasi Asante Kotoko Kennedy ‘Cappuccino Agyepong has flown into the country, ex-Porcupine Warriors star Joe Debrah for the Hearts/Kotoko Oldies clash at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi on Sunday.

In an interview with DAILY GUIDE SPORTS from his base in Germany, Joe Debra praised Kennedy Agyepong, CEO of Kenpong Group of Companies, for the efforts the latter made in bringing him down for the ‘big game’.

“Kenpong is the one bringing me down to Ghana for the match. He is paying for my ticket and everything. Besides that he has done a lot for me and I will continue to pray for him.

“I know the fans have missed me all this time. Even though I might not perform like I used to, I will do my best to make them happy on Sunday,” Joe Debra added.

Retired footballers of the two glamorous clubs in the country will cross swords in Kumasi this Sunday.

Dubbed ‘Historic Clash’, the contest is being organized by Anim Addo, a producer at Peace FM, an Accra-based radio station.

The match is intended to rekindle the healthy rivalry existing between the two sides.

Former Kotoko stars Joe Debrah, Frimpong Manso, Opoku Afriyie, Prince Adu Poku, Isaac Kwakye and Prince Opoku Polley are expected to feature in the game.

Black Stars ex skipper Stephen Appiah will lead the Phobians, who are expected to parade players like Abladey Kumah, Ishmael Addo and Emmanuel Armah ‘Senegal’.

At a press conference in Kumasi, Mr Anim Addo indicated that the game would be played in a two-legged format, with Kumasi hosting the first leg and Accra the return leg.

Mr Addo stated that part of the gate proceeds would be donated to the Kumasi Children’s Home, with the remainder going to the combatants as appearance fees.

He urged football fans to throng the stadium to support a worthy cause.

Mr. Addo is being partnered by the Despite Group of Companies to organize the historic event.

Saka Quaye, the Ashanti Regional Sports Development Officer, urged the organizers to go a step further by organizing matches between old players of the various national teams in the West Africa sub-region.

 FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi

Lionel Messi with Neymar

Lionel Messi believes Neymar would make a “wonderful addition” to the Barcelona squad should he opt to move to Camp Nou.

Speculation has intensified in recent weeks over where the Santos star will be plying his trade next season, with Barcelona currently attempting to negotiate a deal despite the player’s insistence he will remain in Brazil until 2014.

However, should such a move materialise, Messi feels the starlet would add a different dimension to Barca’s attacking threat.

“I do not know if he will end up at the club or not. However, it is true that he is a player who would bring a very different dimension to the team,” he told Qatar Alkass. “Of course he would be a wonderful addition.”

The Argentina international then looked ahead to next year’s World Cup in Brazil and insists he wants to taste glory at the tournament irrespective of what it could mean for his reputation in the history of the game.

“All I care about is winning the World Cup,” he said. “I won’t be thinking about whether it will mean I am the best player ever or not.”

The 25-year-old also praised former coaches Frank Rijkaard and Bayern Munich-bound Pep Guardiola, a man who Messi believes will be a huge hit at Bayern and wherever he chooses to go in future.

“He [Rijkaard] was the one who believed in me when I was 17,” the Argentina skipper added. “It was one of the most important times of my life working under him, and Pep told me I was the best player he has ever coached.

“He will succeed at Bayern. He will succeed anywhere he goes because his understanding and reading of the game is like nobody else’s.”

Michael Essien and his boss Jose Mourinho

Ghanaian midfielder Michael Essien has jumped to the defence of departing Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, insisting he is not what many people think he is.

The iconic Portuguese coach though loved by many is also widely loathed.

His critics believe he comes across as an arrogant person with his no-nonsense, tough-talking style.

Mourinho is one manager who wouldn’t mind offering a ‘stupid’ answer when ‘stupid’ questions are thrown at him during press conferences.

His immense passion for the sport, obvious through his sometimes very frantic antics and celebrations on the touchlines, is sometimes interpreted as disrespectful to opposing teams.

This plus widespread rumours he is a destructive character in the dressing room does not endear him to many neutrals though he is widely loved.

Essien, who is likely to reunite with Mourinho at Chelsea next season, as being aggressively speculated, however says many have the wrong perception of the iconic manager whose true colours are only revealed once you get close enough.

“He is a lovely man,” the Ghana international said in excerpts of a promotional video for his upcoming charity event in Ghana.

“When you work with him and get close to him you will understand the sort of person he is.
“He is very passionate about the game, he gives everything and he is very friendly, a very funny man.

“It’s funny how some people see him, like when he is giving interviews and stuff but he is totally like a lovely man.”

Mourinho is expected to make his third visit to Ghana this June on the invitation of Michael Essien to grace the latter’s charity event.

MTNFootball

Mouganie (3rd L)with Gifty Asare Ekeocha, PRO, Latex Foam, presenting the cheque to Mr Nyantakyi. With them are Emmanuel Gyimah, FA Gen. Sec., Ike Addo, Marketing and George Afriyie, Ex.Co Member

Latex Foam has signed a sponsorship deal, subject to annual renewal for five years, with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) at its head office in Accra.

The package, $100,000 per year for five years, was intended to cushion the senior national male soccer team, the Black Stars, and the FA in its operations.

Rolling out at its Switch Back Road office yesterday, Jamil Mouganie, Deputy General Manager of Latex Foam said it was an honour and a privilege to support the team.

“In our business, we believe for every individual to give his best shot by way of productivity, the mind and the body will require good rest. We at Latex Foam believe if you sleep well, you dream well, hence this support.

“We want to make sure that our players and the technical team sleep well, so they can dream well, and realize their dream of making their third successive World Cup appearance and winning many more trophies for the country.

“We consider this package a dream one simply because we believe it will cushion them to realize their dreams. Anytime they represent us, they do it (dream), and winning the World Cup has been a dream, but we hope this support will them realize that dream,” Mouganie said.

He pledged his outfit’s continued support as the years roll by.

GFA chief Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi indicated that the financial boost will go a long way to support the FA in the smooth running of its day-to-day activities.

According to him, the package had come at an opportune time as the team prepare in their forthcoming World Cup qualifiers and ultimately make it to Brazil 2014.

“This package will certainly go a long way to alleviate our financial burden. We need such support to take care of our administrative expenses. Government alone can’t support us all the time. I want to assure you that you wouldn’t regret associating with us,” said Mr Nyantakyi.

He appealed to West Africa’s biggest foam manufacturers to consider throwing their weight behind the various Supporters Unions by way of sponsorship in future.

Public Relations Officer of Latex Foam Gifty Asare Ekeocha, revealed that the team will benefit from their products by way of rewards.

By Kofi Owusu Aduonum

The Pakistan International Airlines plane that was escorted into Stansted by Typhoon jets today

Two men had repeatedly tried get into the cockpit of a passenger plane which had to be escorted by an RAF Typhoon jet as it travelled from Pakistan to the UK.

Police have arrested two men on suspicion of endangerment of an aircraft today after the plane was diverted to Stansted Airport.

Officers boarded Pakistan International Airlines flight PK709, which is believed to have been carrying 297 passengers bound for Manchester, after it landed at Stansted and removed the men, aged 30 and 41, from the plane.

According to one of the passengers, the aircraft’s cabin crew said two men had repeatedly tried to get into the cockpit.

Umari Nauman told Sky News: ‘The cabin crew informed us that basically they tried to come into the cockpit a few times and because they had been asked not to do that they got into a bit of an argument with the crew and made a few threats.’

She said all the passengers had been ordered to leave their possessions on board before leaving the plane.

Ms Nauman also said helicopters escorted the aircraft before landing.

It is thought that the incident might have been sparked by a scuffle or a disagreement among passengers.

A police spokesman said: ‘Essex Police have boarded a passenger plane diverted to Stansted Airport and two men have been arrested on suspicion of endangerment of an aircraft. They have been removed from the plane.’

The RAF jet was scrambled following an incident around 10 minutes before the plane, which departed from Lahore, was due to land in Manchester at 2pm.

The incident is not thought to be terrorism-related at this stage, it is understood.

A Pakistan International Airlines spokesman said the plane had now landed in the UK but it was not immediately in communication with the pilot.

Mahmouda Aslam, 50, from Prestwich, Manchester, was at the airport awaiting her husband, Mohammed on the flight.

After speaking to her husband on his mobile, she said: ‘I said, “Are you alright? Are you scared?” He said, “We are all OK. The flight is full of police.’

The pilot asked for the plane to be diverted to Stansted as a precaution after becoming concerned about a passenger who was shouting, The Guardian has reported.

The pilot was satisfied the incident had been resolved, according to the newspaper.

A spokesman for Stansted Airport said passengers were being taken off the plane.

‘They will be taken to a reception centre on the airport where police may wish to interview them about what they have seen.

‘At some point police and the airline will arrange for their onward transportation to Manchester.’

Eurocontrol, Europe’s air navigation safety watchdog, has said ‘significant’ delays are expected at Stansted Airport following an ‘incident with a 777 declaring an emergency’, ITV News has reported.

The MoD has said a total of 25 Quick Reaction Alerts were launched in 2012.

The very same plane on the very same flight – from Lahore to Manchester – had been diverted to Stansted on September 7 2011 due to a bomb scare.

Today’s flight had left Lahore at 9.35am local time and was thought to have been carrying 297 passengers.

An MoD spokesman said the incident was now a police matter and ‘our involvement is over’.
He said Typhoon jets can be scrambled after the pilot or crew of a passenger aircraft sends out an emergency signal.

‘The purpose of going up is to investigate what the situation is,’ he said. ‘Often when a Quick Reaction Alert aircraft is launched the details are not known, but it is known that a signal has been sent.

‘Part of the purpose of sending a Typhoon up is to have a look and see what they can see.’

The incident occurred on the same day a British Airways plane had to made a dramatic emergency landing because of a ‘technical fault’.

The arrests come at a sensitive time in Pakistani politics following a string of terror attacks in the country after the presidential elections.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility yesterday for a bomb that killed 11 security personnel and two civilians in the southwestern city of Quetta.

It was the second major attack since the May 11 general election which marked the first transition between civilian governments in Pakistan’s turbulent history after a campaign marred by violence.

Prime Minister-elect Nawaz Sharif has called for talks with the Pakistani Taliban in a bid to end rising militancy.

Dailymail

Friends recall what Michael Adebolajo was like at Marshall Fields School (left) and after the brutal murder

When his old school friends saw him on the television drenched in blood, waving a cleaver and declaring jihad, they nearly fell off their chairs.

There was no mistaking Michael Adebolajo, their ‘bright and witty’ classmate from a devoutly Christian family.

They remembered his smile, him studying hard, taking the bus to school and playing football with his mates.

But, his athletic frame aside, he bore no resemblance to the ghastly figure now haunting the nation’s television screens.

For despite spouting rhetoric about supposed British crimes in ‘our lands’, Adebolajo is a British citizen born in London.

His mother and father are hard-working Nigerian immigrants from an academic family in West Africa who settled in London in the early 1980s. A Christian couple, they believed in assimilating into British life, and Michael seems to have forged easy friendships with schoolmates of all colours and creeds.

Virtually all the friends on his Facebook page have traditional British names such as Louise, Kelly, Robert, Craig, Gemma, Lauren and Paul, to name a few. Among them is Matthew Selt, now a professional snooker player.

He was ‘just a lovely, lovely guy’, in the words of former classmate Stephen Cavalier – who, as a serving PC in the Metropolitan Police – could scarcely have followed a different path.

Speaking at his home in Essex yesterday, Mr Cavalier said: ‘It seems odd to say it now, after the events of yesterday, but I remember him as just a lovely, lovely guy.

‘I knew Michael at Marshalls Park School in Romford when we were teenagers. He was a good sportsman and just an all-round nice guy.’

He said he was no longer close to Adebolajo, who had requested they become ‘Facebook friends’ a few years ago.

‘As soon as I saw the news last night I immediately recognised it was Michael. I was in shock really when I saw him.’

Adebolajo’s dark side seems to have been awakened in his mid-teens, around the time Tony Blair was sending British troops into Afghanistan and Iraq.

He descended into a world where he was consumed with jihadism and later joined several Islamist groups banned in Britain because they are considered so extreme.

Radicalised by the likes of hate preacher Anjem Choudary, he fell into petty crime. Alarmed by the changes they saw in their son, his parents moved the family to Lincolnshire to make a fresh start.

But it was too little, too late, to save their first-born from an ugly descent.

Friends said he became a heavy cannabis user after the move. One told the Daily Star: ‘His whole life was about cannabis. He said it expanded his mind.’

Adebolajo is also believed to have experimented with other drugs.

By 2003, he began calling himself Mujaahid – meaning ‘one who engages in jihad’. By 2006, he was allegedly marching with Islamic fanatics bearing placards exhorting: ‘Behead those who insult Islam’.

Last year, it is believed, police stopped him travelling to Somalia to fight alongside Al-Shabbab fanatics – the group behind the 2011 kidnapping of Judith Tebbutt and murder of her husband David.

Michael Olumide Akinbiyi Adebolajo was born on December 10, 1984, at Kings College Hospital in Lambeth, South London.

His Nigerian-born father, Anthony, was a student at the time, and went on to become an NHS nurse.

His mother, Tina, the niece of a university law professor in Benin, West Africa, was a housewife but she too dedicated herself to public duty by becoming a social worker.

They had a second boy, Jeremiah, 22 months later and then two daughters, and soon after the family moved to Romford in Essex, where Adebolajo attended Marshalls Park school from 1996 to 2001, and then Havering Sixth Form College for his A levels.

‘He was a Christian. A nice, normal guy. All his friends were white and used to go round to each other’s houses all the time,’ a former friend said.

Another classmate, Simon Collings, 25, said: ‘His family were very Christian. Him and his siblings are all religiously named – his brother Jeremiah and his sisters Blessing and Christiana. He was a clever guy.’ A woman purporting to be Adebolajo’s sister Blessing told the Romford Recorder newspaper yesterday: ‘We didn’t know he was going to do this.’

Schoolmate Darren Marsh added: ‘He was always a good guy at school and [would] do anything for anyone.’

James Smith said: ‘I’m not sure I quite believe this. I sat next to him in Sociology at college’, and Michaela Payne said, ‘As soon as I saw the news I almost fell off my chair.’

Neighbours of the family remembered them as friendly and welcoming churchgoers. But Graham Silverton, 63, who has lived in the street for 25 years, said neighbours had a particularly bad experience with Adebolajo when he was a teenager.

He said one of the neighbours’ children, a teenage girl, had gone to the Adebolajos door to retrieve a ball kicked into their garden and was insulted and punched by Adebolajo.

Another said the teenager was inviting groups of friends to sit in the garage and listen to loud music with ‘lots of beer’.

According to Choudary, Adebolajo embraced Islam around the age of 15 or 16. ‘I knew him as Mujaahid. He attended our meetings and my lectures,’ the preacher boasted.

After A levels, Adebolajo attended the  University in Greenwich, South-East London, and lived in student accommodation in the borough which has a large Muslim population.

He is believed to have attended the nearby Lewisham Islamic Centre mosque, which police visited yesterday. In 2006, the mosque’s cleric Shakeel Begg was recorded urging students to wage jihad against Israelis in Palestine.

Despite his Muslim beliefs, Adebolajo fell into petty crime including stealing mobile phones, and is understood to have spent a short spell behind bars for violent behaviour. On his Facebook page, he wrote recently: ‘Mostly HMP [prison]. I have been a naughty boy but don’t tell anybody. Nowadays I’m a personal trainer.’

A friend said: ‘Michael used to preach a lot about Islam. He told me he converted in jail.’

Adebolajo’s family lived in Romford until around 2004, when they moved to Lincolnshire. It is unclear if his parents are still a couple, or if they divorced around this time.

There was no answer at the five-bedroom detached village home in Saxilby, near Lincoln, where Adebolajo’s father, Anthony, is believed to live.

Last week, Adebolajo was spotted with his alleged accomplice preaching on the street outside Poundland in Woolwich town centre. For whatever reason, he decided words were not enough.

Dailymail

Emergency services attended to the aircraft following the emergency landing

Both runways were closed at Heathrow airport after a British Airways plane was forced to make an emergency landing.

The Airbus A319, which was carrying 75 passengers on its journey to Oslo, was forced to return to the airport moments after taking off because of a ‘technical fault’, British Airways has said.

Dramatic footage from the scene shows smoke billowing from the plane while it is still in the air and eyewitness have described hearing ‘a blowout’ and seeing one of the engines on fire as it flew overhead.

Speculation has emerged that the plane had run into a ‘bird strike’

A Heathrow spokesman said all of the passengers have been ‘safely evacuated’ and ‘accounted for’.

The spokesman said the airport itself remained open, despite the closure of the runways following the incident at about 9am today.

Both runways at Heathrow Airport have been closed after a British Airways plane had to make an emergency landing

Officials have ruled out a terror attack and investigators are now looking into the possibility of a bird strike shortly after take-off.

Emergency vehicles surrounded the plane and emergency chutes could be seen being deployed after it landed.

Eye witness Clive Cook, who lives on the Heathrow flight path, described seeing smoke billowing from the plane, with the right engine on fire.

He told Sky News: ‘The actual engine itself was on fire.

‘This plane was coming over and suddenly the tone of the engine changed dramatically, and I could almost say it sounded as if it was like a blowout, or an explosion.

‘I’m absolutely certain that as it came through the clouds, and I looked up… the right engine was on fire, it wasn’t smoking, it was actually on fire.’

Mr Cook said he saw the plane over the Thames at Battersea as he was taking his daughter to nursery.

Another eyewitness, named only as Jamie, was working in his garden near to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea, when he saw the plane.

He told Sky News: ‘All of a sudden we heard this almighty noise. It was like a fire jet going over. We could just see the right engine on fire – it was absolutely horrendous to see.

‘You don’t see things like that every day, it’s incredible really.

‘Your thoughts are with the people – if we could hear it that badly then what were the people going through on that plane?’

He said he thought the plane was just a few thousand feet above the ground and added: ‘It was below the clouds at this stage. To see an aircraft on fire – it wasn’t good to watch.’

A British Airways spokesman said a ‘full investigation’ was to be carried out into the incident.

The spokesman said: ‘The BA762, Heathrow to Oslo service, returned back to Heathrow shortly after take-off due to a technical fault.

‘The Airbus A319 aircraft was carrying 75 customers.

‘The aircraft landed safely and emergency slides were deployed and we are currently caring for our customers.

‘Emergency services attended the aircraft.

‘We will be carrying out a full investigation into the incident.’

London Fire Brigade said a crew from Heathrow fire station had assisted Heathrow Airport’s fire service with ‘an aircraft fire’.

‘We believe the fire is now out,’ it added.

The plane was on Heathrow’s northern runway which remained shut. Later the southern runway reopened.

Passengers on resumed flights at Heathrow were being warned to expect delays of 30-60 minutes as well as 30 minutes of aircraft taxiing time.

Dailymail

Ellie Sanders, (pictured with mother, Kelly) 4, was born without a right ear and has hearing loss meaning she will struggle to hear her teachers when she starts school in September

A girl born with one ear is being denied a hearing aid for her first day of school because of where she lives.

Ellie Sanders, four, was born with a rare condition called hemifacial microsomia which affects the development of the lower half of the face.

It left her with just one functioning ear, meaning she desperately needs a special device to allow her to hear her teachers clearly on her first day of school in September.

Her mother Kelly, 31, applied for the bone anchored hearing aid implant (Baha) which transmits sound directly through the skull and reaches the inner ear.

But she says Ellie is the victim of a ‘postcode lottery’ with two NHS trusts arguing about who should pay the £3,000 bill.
While other children elsewhere in Britain get the aid Ellie, from Truro, Cornwall, faces starting school without one.

Ms Sanders said: ‘Other families in the same situation elsewhere in the UK have been offered a Baha. They don’t have to go crawling around to other trusts.
‘I don’t know how long this process is going to take. It’s just so unclear where we stand, whereas other people seem to have great support.

‘Ellie struggles now in a nursery setting. We have become more concerned with her affected side and how she will cope with starting school in September, but they seem to be passing the buck.’

Ms Sanders first tried unsuccessfully to get a Baha from the former Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust which later became NHS Kernow.

When she asked NHS Kernow for the device she was told she couldn’t have one and was instead directed to NHS England, which has also failed to deliver.

After endless consultations and letters Ms Sanders now fears the vital aid will not reach her daughter before she starts school.

A spokesman for NHS Kernow said: ‘This particular type of equipment is funded by NHS England. We have written to the consultant caring for Ellie to advise him of this.’

NHS England refused to comment on individual cases but a spokesman said: ‘From April 1, 2013 there was a new national commissioning policy in place providing guidance on bone anchored hearing aids for hearing loss.

‘This now ensures patients have the same access to treatment irrespective of where they live in the country.’

Dailymail

The MoD today revealed that the soldier slaughtered yesterday was Lee Rigby, who served with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

The murdered soldier who was executed close to a military barracks by two Islamist fanatics was today named as Lee Rigby.

Police were this afternoon guarding the 25-year-old serviceman’s home in Middleton, Greater Manchester.

He was described as a ‘loving father’ to his son Jack, two.

Drummer Lee Rigby was just starting his Army career and had recently fought in Afghanistan with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

But as he walked towards the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, south-east London yesterday afternoon, he was run down by a car on the pavement and hacked to death.

Drummer Rigby was known to his comrades as ‘Riggers’, who said he was a ‘popular’ and ‘very bubbly character’.

He was ‘one of the battalion’s great characters, always smiling’, friends said today.

Announcing his death The Ministry of Defence said in a statement: ‘Drummer Lee Rigby, or ‘Riggers’ to his friends, was born in July 1987 in Crumpsall, Manchester.

‘He joined the Army in 2006 and on successful completion of his infantry training course at Infantry Training Centre Catterick he was selected to be a member of the Corps of Drums and posted to 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

‘His first posting was as a machine gunner in Cyprus where the Battalion was serving as the resident Infantry Battalion in Dhekelia. Having performed a plethora of tasks while in Cyprus, he returned to the UK in the early part of 2008 to Hounslow, West London. Here, Drummer Rigby stood proudly outside the Royal Palaces as part of the Battalion’s public duties commitment. He was an integral member of the Corps of Drums throughout the Battalion’s time on public duties, the highlight of which was being a part of the Household Division’s Beating the Retreat – a real honour for a line infantry

‘In April 2009 Drummer Rigby deployed on Operations for the first time to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, where he served as a member of the Fire Support Group in Patrol Base Woqab.

‘On returning to the UK he completed a second tour of public duties and then moved with the Battalion to Celle, Germany, to be held at a state of high readiness for contingency operations as part of the Small Scale Contingency Battle Group. In 2011 Drummer Rigby took up a Recruiting post in London where he also assisted with duties at Regimental Headquarters in the Tower of London.

‘An extremely popular and witty soldier, Drummer Rigby was a larger than life personality within the Corps of Drums and was well known, liked and respected across the Second Fusiliers. He was a passionate and life-long Manchester United fan.

‘A loving father to his son Jack, aged 2 years, he will be sorely missed by all who knew him. The regiment’s thoughts and prayers are with his family during this extremely difficult time. “Once a Fusilier, always a Fusilier.”’

Lieutenant Colonel Jim Taylor MBE, Second Fusiliers Commanding Officer, described Drummer Rigby as a ‘dedicated and professional soldier’ who was a ‘real character within the Second Fusiliers’.

He added: ‘Larger than life, he was at the heart of our Corps of Drums.  An experienced and talented side drummer and machine gunner, he was a true warrior and served with distinction in Afghanistan, Germany and Cyprus.

‘His ability, talent and personality made him a natural choice to work in the recruiting group.  He will be sorely missed by everyone in the Second Fusiliers.’

Captain Alan Williamson, Drummer Rigby’s Platoon Commander from 2010 to 2011, added that he was ‘a cheeky and humorous man, always there with a joke to brighten the mood’.

Cpt Williamson said: ‘An excellent side drummer and highly competent machine gunner, he was always there to help out the younger members of the Fire Support Group whenever possible.

And Warrant Officer Class 1 Ned Miller, Regimental Sergeant Major Second Fusiliers, said:  ‘Riggers is what every Battalion needs. He was one of the Battalion’s great characters, always smiling.’

Vicar Guy Jamieson, who married Drummer Rigby in 2007 to the wife whom he was separated from, at St Anne-in-the-Grove Church in Southowram, West Yorkshire, said it was an ‘absolute tragedy’.

He said: ‘When the news first came through yesterday I felt sickened. It’s abhorrent. We hear a lot about military tragedies overseas but the fact that it was in the street in a city makes it more horrific.

‘I remember his wedding well. He had already spoken to the chaplain at Catterick (Garrison) and came to me well prepared with lots of questions. The wedding day was wonderful.

‘Because it was a military wedding it requires a lot of preparation. I remember sitting next to Lee on the front pew before everything started and reminding him what his first words to say were.’

Military wives, police and members of the public were laying bouquets of flowers near the scene in honour of the murder victim today.

One note left said simply: ‘So sorry. Our thoughts are with your family, friends and comrades.’

Dailymail

EL

Ai R T E L GHANA has congratulatedits brandamb a s s a d o r EL, for winning the Album of the Year at this year’s vodafone ghana Music Awards (vgMA) with his album titled ‘Something else’.

The rapper, songwriter and music producer beat Cwesi Oteng, Okyeame Kwame, D-Black, and Asem to win the enviable award. ‘Something else’ is a double CD compilation with 24 tracks including the very popular ‘Kaalu’, ‘Obuu mo’ and ‘Auntie Martha’.

Head of Corporate Communications at Airtel Ghana, Donald Gwira said in a statement that “the album is indeed a good one and it is not surprising that it notched the award. EL is a hardworking artiste who gives off his best all the time and that can be heard throughout the 24 tracks on the album. We at Airtel are proud of his achievements”, he said.
Airtel earlier this year signed EL, known in privatelife as Elorm Adablah, as its
new brand ambassador.

EL composed and performed the signature tune heralding Airtel’s new thematic
campaign, ‘My paddies, My network’.
In an earlier interview,the ‘Kaalu’ hitmaker explained that he bought into the friendship concept of Airtel because it bore a striking semblance with his own rise to prominence.

EL is billed to perform at Sunyani, Takoradi and in Accra during the Airtel Rising Stars competitions, which start from May 31 in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region.

Carlos Sekyi, GHAMRO Chairman

Five music pirates who were arrested from their various hideouts in Accra recently by the tasked force of the Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO), have been jailed by the AMA Motor and Sanitation Court at Abeka in Accra.

The courts fined the five pirates 500 penalty units each (300 million old Ghana cedis) or in default collectively serve 10 years in prison for reproduction and distribution of audio and visual works contrary to section 42(1) of the Copyright Act 690.

Briefing the court on Friday, May 17, Inspector Hanson Armah stated that the complainant Eric Tetteh and GHAMRO taskforce members together with the police stormed Osu, La,  37 Lorry stations and its environs and found the accused persons namely Bernard Amakye, Awal Mohammed, Owusu Gabriel, Andy Obeng and Opoku Maxwell with their laptops illegally downloading songs for commercial purposes. They were arrested, sent to the Tesano Police Station and subsequently charged and arraigned before court.

Four of the accused persons pleaded guilty with explanation, whilst the 2nd accused Mohammed Awal pleaded not guilty to charges preferred against them.

Prosecuting witnesses Emmanuel Adjei and Eric Tetteh stated in open court that it took the GHAMRO Taskforce over two weeks to secretly monitor the unlawful downloading and sales of musical works of several artistes including Sarkodie, Daddy Lumba, R2 Bees, Hannah Marfo and Akua Serwaa by the accused persons, adding that their illegal activities were captured in pictorial form which they used as evidence exhibited in open court.

Judge Antwi Barima stated that music piracy had destroyed the careers of several brilliant creators including the late Snr Eddie Donkor and Akwasi Ampofo Adjei, and it was time to mete out appropriate punishment to offenders to serve as a deterrent. He said the “guilty with explanation” pleas of four of the accused persons “could not see the light of day neither could their respective explanations hold water”, and that the “not guilty” plea of Mohammed Awal was “highly vexatious, unmeritorious and frivolous” in the light of irrefutable evidence of Awal in the act of illegally selling songs of artistes.

After stating that “he who does not punish evil commands it to be done”, the judge convicted and sentenced the accused persons. He then ordered that all infringing equipment used by the accused be instantly destroyed on the court premises under the supervision of the court registrar and the prosecutor, which was immediately carried out by crushing, burning and finally dumping at a rubbish dump near the court premises.

Present in court throughout the proceedings were GHAMRO Chairman Carlos Sakyi and board member Mark Okraku Mantey, who called the ruling a monumental victory for composers and producers, many of whom had gone bankrupt due to blatant robbery of their music in practically every part of the country.

They promised to continue waging a relentless war on piracy to bring prosperity and relief to music owners and investors in Ghana.

Jackie Appiah

All roads are expected to lead to the Silverbird Cinema in Accra on Friday evening as the latest romantic comedy starring top actors, Omar Sheriff Captan, Adjetey Anang and Jackie Appiah among others, hits the big screens.

The movie would be unveiled at a red carpet grand premiere Friday evening.

In past weeks, various casts have been talking about their roles on various media platforms.

The calm-actor, Omar Sheriff Captan had last week created the impression that the movie would be his last before he moves on to his other dream of becoming a man of God.

The new movie, directed by Frank Rajah, is from the stables of Raj Films and Heroes Production.

It also stars USA-based Cameroonian actress Okawa Shaznay, Uche Iwuannyawu, Henry A Asiedu and Liberian-born-Ghanaian actress, Chichi Neblett among others.

This group of actors and a number of others would be gracing the red carpet, come May 24.

The new film is arguably the first film that paired the two actors, Jackie Appiah and Adjetey Anang as lovers.

It is the next romantic comedy to rock the movie scene. ‘Cheaters’ follows the stories of several young couples caught up in a web of love, lies and extra-marital affairs. It throws more light on the assumption that marriage is the only war in which one sleeps with the enemy. If the couple is inseparable, it usually takes five people to separate it and ‘Cheaters’ reflects just that. In this film, love is portrayed as a mysterious adventure that takes one through many twists and turns.

One adds a bit of infidelity to the mix and he or she has the perfect recipe for disaster.

Movie enthusiasts are encouraged to wait until May 24, to watch how these love-torn couples struggle to make it through another overrated love-fest called Valentine’s Day.

By Francis Addo

Bola Ray (middle) in a pose with Edem (left) and WizKid

On June 29, Ghanaian music fans would witness the much awaited historic musical concert dubbed ‘Ghana Meets Naija’, at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) in Accra at 8:00p.m.

The music concert, organised by the nation’s entertainment powerhouse, Empire Entertainment, would witness an unprecedented list of some of the biggest names in both Ghanaian and Nigerian music, and probably Africa as a whole, in a concert only fit for the gods of music.

One would wonder if the conference centre would be able to handle the enormity of this event, considering the long list of ‘giant’ artistes billed to rock the concert.

Among artistes to be on stage for the groundbreaking event are music heavy weights  R2Bees, who just won six awards including Artiste of the Year at the 2013 Ghana Music Awards; Edem, Okyeame Kwame, Raquel, E.L., Xo Senavoe, Dr Slim, Dobble  among others.

The Nigerian line-up includes Wizkid, Burna Boy, Timaya and a host of others.

The event was announced with an official launching ceremony on Wednesday at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Accra.

Nathaniel Kwabena Anokye Adisi, aka Bola Ray, CEO of Empire Entertainment speaking at the launch noted that the concert was built on the solid foundation of harnessing the talents of both countries for unity.

He promised that the event which was in its third edition would not just be a night of glitz and glamour but something that had never happened in Ghana’s entertainment scene before.

Some of the artistes at the launch ceremony promised to give fans nothing but fun.

Empire Entertainment has become synonymous with organizing the biggest and most entertaining raves in the country and building on from last year, the ‘Ghana Meets Naija’ brand has become entrenched in the minds of music fans as the ultimate musical mega jam.

As such, nothing less than spectacular performances, an electrifying ambiance and an absolutely exciting show can be expected on the night of June 29.

‘Ghana Meets Naija’ concert is brought to you by MTN and RLG with support from Hennessey and powered by Empire Entertainment and Media GH.

By George Clifford Owusu

EL

E.L, the versatile singer, songwriter, and producer, will on Saturday June 1, stage a live musical concert at the Alliance Française in Accra.

E.L, who has promised to perform his favourite hit songs to satisfy patrons who will attend the show, is expected to surprise the audience with a blend of different varieties of music inspired from various sources.

The event, which is expected to attract a large number of music fans, as well as stakeholders in the music industry, will kick off at 8:00pm.

This would be his first public performance after his ‘Something Else’ won the overall best ‘Album of the Year’ over the weekend at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs).

His stagecraft and creative performance on stage during the Vodafone Ghana music Awards held last Saturday earned him the credential as one of the most thrilling hip-life artistes in the country.

E.L is noted for his unparalleled and irresistible stage presence that gets his audience asking for more anytime he performs.

E.L says he is ready to unleash an extraordinary performance on the night; one that his fans have never witnessed before.

E.L. is an enterprising young music icon who has appeared on many musical concerts held in the country and performed with music stars like Sarkodie, J. Martins, 9ice, Fabulous and Rick Ross.

A natural performer with good stagecraft, any time he grabs the microphone on stage, music fans see him as a real music icon whose presence will boost the image of Ghanaian music on the international scene.

Unarguably, one of the biggest producers cum rappers, he has lent his blend of hip-hop/afro beat sounds and voice to major hits for the likes of  Sarkodie’s ‘You Go Kill Me’, ‘Dangerous’, D-Black’s ‘Get on the Dance Floor’, Reggie Rockstone’s ‘Rockstone’s Office’, Asem’s ‘Check Your Weight’ and many more.

This event is powered by The 12 with support from BBNZ, Heel the World, Bob Pixel Photography, George Britton and Edge 53, BuzzGH, HypeNation, Lynx TV and YFM.

By George Clifford Owusu

AU

FIFTY YEARS ago, some illustrious sons of Africa gave birth to an association of independent

states with a view to reaping the advantages of a continental union.

Every year, the landmark occasion in continental politics is commemorated with a number of activities as we are doing now. The most significant of such activities this year is the assemblage

of African leaders in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to maul over the challenges of Africa and to chart the way forward. Many factors informed the decision by the founding fathers to float the concept of a continental union of independent states, the bottom- line of which is the betterment of the lot of the African having extricated themselves from the shackles of colonialism. Those were the early days of independence; a critical period in the political history of countries which had just emerged from centuries of colonialism. The African who had suffered discrimination under the colonial master was still struggling to come to terms with his post-independence life and really needed such a continental union to serve his varied interests.

The leaders of the countries which had just emerged from colonialism went to the assistance of their brothers and sisters still suffering the ordeal of colonialism, the most prominent of which was Dr Kwame Nkrumah under the auspices of the continental union recently created. It was in this vein that Ghana became a Mecca for liberation fighters, as Kwame Nkrumah created a haven for them to live here and sort out the liberation struggle in their home countries where they suffered persecution at the hands of the colonialists.

The late Dr Kwame Nkrumah did not rest on his oars as he struggled to advance the cause of the African in the international community. It is worth recalling his famous remark: “The independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked with the total liberation of Africa and with the projection of the African personality in the international community.”

Fifty years after the delivery of the AU, a reflection of the journey so far against the backdrop of what the founding fathers sought to achieve is appropriate. Wars and pestilence continue to characterize the African story so many years after independence, making some wonder whether the independence struggle was worth the candle. Economic enslavement is still the order as most of the independent countries continue to seek donor support for their annual budgets so many years after severing their umbilical cords from the colonial masters as natural resources become curses. Governance is still bereft of morals as political leaders run governments as their fiefdoms, prompting avoidable strife.

Elections, cornerstone of democracy in most countries lack integrity as incumbent governments unfurl tricks to circumvent the will of the electorate. This is the reality of the African story 50 years after the formation of the AU. The challenges notwithstanding, we can pop champagne for the 50th milestone as we pray that changes would occur that would lift Africa

from the shackles of avoidable poverty.

Prof. Justice A.K.P. Kludze yesterday critiqued important aspects of our democracy with observations which in our estimation are long overdue, especially emanating from a personality of his calibre. It is the umpteenth time that he is contributing towards the fine-tuning of our nascent democracy.

Our editorials have not lost sight of such observations as we continue to highlight factors militating against the progress of our democracy regardless of whose ox is gored.

Such observations isolate the challenges dotting our democratic journey towards the Promised Land of a decent governance system. Unfortunately, we appear to be light years away from this seeming Utopian aspiration.

A periodic review of how we have fared so far is highly recommended and could replace the picture of Utopianism with realism. With no dearth of personalities like the venerable Professor Emeritus Kludze and others, we can count on a wonderful array of knowledgeable sons and daughters of the soil to support us in charting a better governance path which has eluded us for far too long.

Although his presentation at the Institute of Economic Affairs-sponsored programme on post-electoral dispute resolution was randomly arranged, it covered the sore areas of governance in the country. The randomness underlying his presentation reflects the hydra-headed challenges we encounter in local politics, the addressing of which would define the success of our democratic experiment.

There could not have been a more appropriate subject of discussion than something pertaining to the acceptability of the verdict of the Supreme Court which is faced with arguably the most challenging case in the history of post-independence Ghana.

With chroniclers of Ghana’s judicial history busy recording the goings-on at the Supreme Court, the judges do not need to be reminded about the importance of the assignment bestowed upon them.

The election petition hearing has reached a critical segment with the Star Witness completing his session in the dock and the man representing the President just beginning his turn.

Interesting days lie ahead as the petition hearing continues with the expectations of Ghanaians still at an all-time high.

Prof. Kludze has asked his compatriots to have confidence in the judges adjudicating in the high-profile case. Given his many years on the bench, we do not have doubts in his observations and would pray that justice which is being demanded by both sides of the political divide is served without fear or favour.

We have never had doubts in the ability of the judges to steer clear of arbitrariness, especially in a case upon which the future of democracy hinges.

When the people lose confidence in the judiciary, especially in an unprecedented case such as  we have on our menu today, the future of our democracy would be under an unusual threat.

Being mindful about our remarks as they pertain to the case ongoing, making informed remarks not prejudicial to the petition hearing are important in ensuring the sanctity of the case at hand. For the judges, all we expect of them is to adjudicate without fear or favour. This way judgment at the end of it all will be devoid of blemish and contributory towards the betterment of our democracy.

President John Mahama

One of the qualities of a leader and for the purposes of this commentary, the President, is firmness, decisiveness and readiness to take responsibility for the repercussions of such decisions.

Whoever occupies the seat of president takes decisions on behalf of the citizenry and implements them for the general good of the nation. The President should be ready to take responsibility for the fallouts that these decisions would engender.

Some decisions have improved the ratings of presidents while others have prompted their premature exit from the high office.

They would be considered ineffective presidents who suffer from indecisions in the face of a plethora of options, especially so, since running a government is about taking decisions.

Our President appears to be a victim of this ailment, as he finds it difficult to take decisions and inclining more towards announcing his intentions than actually walking his talks.

It is good he has observed and remarked about the financial anomalies at the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). He has also served notice that he would descend upon defaulting officials in the revenue collection agency.

While it is in order for the President to intervene in matters which threaten the economy and other sectors upon which the survival of the state hinges, such talks should be walked.

There appears to be an all-permeating incidence of lethargy in government business as things fall apart in governance; a situation attributable to a conclusion by many Ghanaians about the inability of the centre to hold adequately.

Until there is a reversal of the prevailing trend in governance, the impression about the President’s inability to take decisive action to rectify faulty government departments would continue to hold sway even as things continue to fall apart.

Putting CEPS on the spot, as contained in the presidential warning, reminds many about how the late President John Evans Atta Mills stormed the Tema Port and observed that officials of the Service, when they are posted to the facility, built houses within two months of being there.

The late President only succeeding in making the headlines and that was all.

Picking on CEPS is downplaying the challenges facing the country today. All government agencies are plagued with challenges of indifference on the part of personnel to the ultimate detriment of Ghana.

Action will always speak louder than words and so we would rather the President walked his talks and not the reverse.

A general cracking of the whip on all government agencies will be preferable to limiting it to CEPS alone because, after all, there is a high level of indifference towards graft across the board.

Commodore Sowa cutting ribbon with Lt Col John Van Steenburgh and Lt Keith Blakely

U S DEFENSE Attaché Lt Col Keith Blakely and Deputy Office of Security Cooperation Chief, Lt Col John Van Steenburgh have cut the ribbon with Commodore Sowa, Director General- Medical of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), on a newly donated laboratory facility in Takoradi in the Western Region.  The laboratory would assist the GAF in developing and implementing military-specific HIV prevention, care and treatment programmes, including, HIV testing and counselling, diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections and screening for tuberculosis.

The US Department of Defence HIV/AIDS Prevention Programme (DHAPP) constructed and equipped the laboratory, valued at $85,000, for use by the GAF.  This collaboration between the US Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU)-3 and the DHAPP was funded by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).  The renovation initiative started in 2010, and transformed the former building into two laboratories, one for HIV/AIDS and the other for malaria.  The facility intends to reach out to the large military community in the area, including active duty and retired military personnel (Navy, Air Force and Army), civilian staff and family members living in Sekondi and Takoradi.

The US Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU)-3 has engaged in numerous infectious disease surveillance efforts in collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) such as influenza surveillance, sexually transmitted disease surveillance, and acute febrile infections (AFI) surveillance, and would be initiating this AFI surveillance at the Takoradi laboratory in the upcoming year. With the laboratory established with the GAF, education and training of the support staff would pave the way for more sophisticated testing to be undertaken autonomously by the garrison. Through this project, the facility had been furnished with state of the art laboratory equipment, including a centrifuge, an analytical balance, a light microscope, hot air oven, an incubator  an autoclave, and an  overhead water tank with the capacity to store over 1000 gallons of water and water heaters .

The US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programme implemented by USAID, the Centres for Disease Control (CDC), the Department of Defence (DOD), the Department of State and Peace Corps have fought the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS in Ghana since 2007. PEPFAR, which directly funds the Government of Ghana’s AIDS response supported HIV counselling and testing for more than 86,000 people in 2012 alone and is currently working with 15 laboratories across the country to attain international accreditation. PEPFAR supports people living with HIV today in Ghana, to empower them to take care of themselves, to help each other seek treatment, and to bring the message of prevention to others.

Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai

Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai, a consultant and breast surgeon, has dispelled the wrong perception that breast cancer was caused by witch- craft, explaining that though the causal agent of the disease has not yet been known, it has no traces of curse or witchcraft.

She has therefore advised women to go for early and prompt clinical screening on breast cancer for detection and medication.

According to her, the alarming rate at which women were dying of breast cancer and other breast related diseases in the country demanded that those within the ages of 35 and 49 to undergo screening, irrespective of their health status.

Dr Wiafe who is the President of the Breast Care International (BCI), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) was speaking to pressmen at Afrisipa, a mining town in the Tano North District of Brong-Ahafo Region, after about 500 women had undergone free breast screening exercise, jointly organized by the NGO and the Ahafo Mine of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) to mark the 5^th anniversary celebration of Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF).

NADeF was established by the Ahafo mine in 2008 to spearhead the execution of sustainable development in the 10 host communities around the mine and NGGL contributes one dollar per ounce of gold produced and one percent of its annual net profit to the foundation.

She said breast cancer was the number one disease killer among women, pointing out Ghana ranked 10^th in breast cancer burden in the world, an indication that the disease was alarming in the country.

Dr Wiafe said treatment becomes difficult when patients report late for medical attention and that explained why all women must ensure that they were screened.

She disclosed that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) covered treatment of the disease and advised those who have been detected to seek prompt medical care rather than moving from one prayer camp to the other.

Dr Wiafe said breast cancer could only be diagnosed after test. She also highlighted that the disease was curable and advised religious organizations to support patients to seek medication.

She mentioned the liver, brain and bones as some of the target organs of the disease and with earlier detection it could be treated.

The President of BCI explained that the NGO had chosen to work in deprived communities due to the fact that women in those areas were the most affected.

 From Vivianna Mensah, Sunyani

Ghana’s renowned ICT wizkid Herman Chinery-Hesse, on his cell phone

THE DEPUTY Director of Engineering of the National Communications Authority (NCA), Henry Kanor has cautioned cell phone subscribers against long use of mobile telephones on the ear.

According to him, the long usage has negative health implications on the individual, rekindling the widespread controversy about mobile phones usage and its health implications.

According to Mr. Kanor, cellular phones emit radiofrequency energy known as radio waves, a form of non-ionizing radiation that could cause health problems for the user.

Speaking at a sensitization forum in Obuasi on electromagnetic fields exposure and health implication, the Deputy Director said, as the number of calls per day, length of each call, and the amount of time people used cell phones have increased, it was important for users to use hands-free.

For him, it would be better for people to resort text-messaging for long communication to save them from any possible health implication.

The forum was a joint public education campaign of the Ministry of Communication and the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC).

Desmond Boakye, director at the Ministry of Communications, said the 21^st century had witnessed an explosion of technological applications that rely on electricity and thus produce electromagnetic fields: “We cannot avoid this because technology makes our lives healthier, wealthier and safer. It is a major contributor to the economic and social progress that enhances our quality of life as Ghanaians,” he noted.

“As of March this year, 2013, there were 26, 464, 964 telephone subscribers or mobile phones users in Ghana – each one with its own electromagnetic fields,” he disclosed.

Sherry Ayittey

Acting United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Ghana representative, Sarah Hague, has called on African leaders to ensure universal birth registration of children in Africa, including Ghana.

Hague, in a statement to mark the 50^th anniversary of the African Union said, “The 50^th ‘birthday’ of the African Union is a chance to make a lasting commitment to the continent’s children by giving every child a name and legal status.”

The child population of Africa is expected to rise to 130 million by 2025; demographic studies show, with almost one in every three children globally, expected to live in Africa by mid-century.

She said children could be denied access to basic services like schooling as a result of an absence of legal identities.

“Without details of their age, they cannot be easily protected against child labour, human trafficking, early marriage, commercial sex exploitation and other forms of exploitation,” she said.

Hague thus noted that the first step to ensuring that every child, everywhere, was protected and had access to their rights was to be counted and given a legal identity.

According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2011only 62 percent of children under five in Ghana have their birth registered, indicating that nearly 40 percent of Ghanaian children are not counted as citizens.

The UNICEF Ghana representative noted that in Ghana rural children were much less likely to be registered and this put them at risk of being cut off from social services and legal protection crucial to their survival and future.

“Ghana’s most important resource is its children and its future will be built by its children, so their rights need to be protected,” the acting UNICEF Ghana representative said.

She said UNICEF Ghana is working with the government to register 90% of children under five by 2016 in furtherance of its efforts to register more than 4,000 children’s births in hard to reach areas of the Upper East and Eastern regions last year.

“We welcome the anniversary’s focus on Africa’s collective future,” said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Martin Mogwanja. “By starting with strong civil registration systems, not only will the continent be closer to meeting its commitments to children but these investments will help inform planning needs for the next generation as well as meeting broader development goals.”

The ward and theatre block

A NEW maternity and theatre block for the Fomena Health Centre to promote health delivery has been inaugurated at the community in the Adansi North District of the Ashanti Region.

The MTN Ghana Foundation constructed the single-storey block, which has 20 beds and a theatre at a cost of GH¢250,000.

Until this new health infrastructure, the Fomena Health Centre did not have wards for admission, which made it impossible for the centre to perform to its maximum capabilities.

The centre would provide students of the Community Nursing Training School the opportunity to have clinical experience at the health centre.

In his inaugural address, James Bukari Basintale, MTN general manager for the Northern Business District, said the construction of the block was part of the company’s commitment of helping to improve healthcare delivery in the country.

Mr. Basintale said since Ashanti Region was statistically leading in maternal deaths with the ratio standing at 315 per 100,000 live births, it called for joint efforts by all stakeholders in improving the situation.

“The provision of this infrastructure is therefore expected to help reduce maternal mortality, increase access to primary healthcare and also help Ghana attain the millennium development goals,” he pointed out.

According to him, MTN was extremely proud of the investment as the theatre and wards would serve thousands of people living in and around the Adansi North District.

Mr. Basintale stated that MTN Ghana Foundation had invested over GH¢11, 000,000 on various community development projects in the areas of health and education.

The District Chief Executive (DCE), Alhaji Abdul-Lateef Majdoub, conceded that the challenges in the sector were quite enormous for government alone to cope with. He therefore called on corporate organizations to emulate the kind gesture of MTN.

He said the search for an approved health facility befitting the status of Fomena had been a priority to him since assumption of office as the DCE.

 From Ernest Kofi Adu, Fomena

Kwesi Biney

Last week, I was advised by a lady well wisher to go slow on the mahogany bitters. I was very glad and took it as an advice coming from a mother, a sister or a wife. Vic Yaa Digee is a well wisher and I respect her advice and concern for me. However, I beg Victoria to allow me to go over board today for reasons that would be known presently. As you read this piece, I have taken six shots of very well verified mahogany bitters and Daavi, my unfailing customer was very shocked. Those who do not have the courage should stop reading beyond this paragraph because I am going beyond town today out of misery and anger as well.

Tomorrow, the remains of B.A. Mensah will be interred in his hometown Kumawu, in the Ashanti region. The one week celebration of my father Dr J .A. Addison, one time President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) is also taking place today here in Takoradi. Last Tuesday, the one week celebration of Kweku Owusu, popularly known as Kowus was also celebrated in his home town in Akyem-Kukurantumi. Now, Victoria, you can understand why I have increased the consumption of my mahogany bitters, I am very distraught, more on it soon.

As a young journalist in the early 1990s, I regularly met the late B.A. Mensah at various public functions, primarily fora for business people and economic discussions. One could visibly see solemnity on his face, and imagine the pains in his heart. Every opportunity B.A. had at any of these public gathering, he drew attention to the confiscation of his business, the International Tobacco Company, producers of Rothmans cigarette, the first ever Ghanaian to have produced cigarettes in Ghana and other property. B.A. believed and I still believe even in death, that the PNDC government was very unfair to him. He told his story over and over again, but nobody listened to him.

B.A Mensah

B.A. Mensah, soldiered on to the courts of this country to challenge the seizure of his three Mercedes Benz  which were not part of the business which the PNDC claimed had committed an offence against the state and for which reason his business was taken away from him. The Courts had found favour with his case and had asked the state to pay him the equivalent of GH¢800,000 then for denying him the use of his cars. The PNDC treated the courts judgement with contempt. His business colleagues within the AGI were too timid to speak on his behalf. It was natural since the leadership at the time was by CEOs of Multi-National Corporations and came from my Fanti ethnic background. No sacrifice of cheese and bacon breakfast for a colleague.

B.A. Mensah was not broken down, he continued to tell his stories by personally taking columns in newspapers to tell not only his story, but those of other businessmen who had suffered unfairly under the PNDC. The political environment at the time did not also encourage many Editors of the then burgeoning private print media to sustain the views of B.A. In 1998, when I took over the Editorship of the then ‘The Guide’, B.A. drove to my office one afternoon to present a handwritten script for publication. He took a seat and allowed me to read through the script and I assured him of publication of the article. I did so and said I was going to publish it. That was the beginning of the relationship between B.A and my humble self.

I offered him the platform to get off his chest, the pains that had concretized in him as a result of a system which by all intents and purposes was envious of success in our society. He became my father and called me anytime he thought he had something to discuss with me. So strong was this relationship that when President Kufuor was elected as the President of this Republic and B.A.Mensah decided to organize a party in his residence for the new President, B.A. elected me as the RSVP, distributing invitation cards to those I thought were good enough to be at the party. How honoured I was such that senior party members like Nana Akufo Addo, Dr. Apraku and so many others could only attend the party at my discretion. Me too I am somebody. That is how close I was with B.A.

The most worrying thing about how the PNDC/NDC treated B.A.Mensah and other categorized businessmen in this country is what is worrying. Under the PNDC/NDC administration, Akan businessmen were deliberately targeted and their businesses ruined without recourse to the judicial processes of Ghana, so to speak in the name of a revolution. The regimes above destroyed the businesses of people like;

1. The Appentengs and their investments in salt in the Ada area

2. J.K.Siaw and the Tata Brewery

3. Kowus Motors

4. Mr. Owusu of Combined Farms, which was exporting raw Pineapples to Europe

5. Dr. Safo Adu and his Chemical industry

6. Dr. J.A. Addison’s Multi-Paper Wall industry in Takoradi

7. Appiah-Menka’s Apino Soap

8. Boakye Mattress

9. Kindom Herbal in recent times

10. B.A.Mensah and many more who lost their businesses in silence.

It is very evident that the PNDC/NDC with its Ewe leadership targeted Akan businesses and destroyed them, sending some of them into their early graves while impoverishing others as well. It is sad that in a developing country like Ghana, a government will deliberately want to even out the gap between the successful people and failures by destroying the businesses of targeted successful people from a section of our society. One wonders how many Ghanaians lost their jobs through this ethnic-based business cleansing by the PNDC/NDC administrations.

I am very sure that some people will start accusing me of raising ethnic sentiments and tension in this country. The question to those people is whether what has been stated above did not happen. The above individuals contributed their knowledge and efforts, resources and time to help build this country, and in one fell swoop their businesses were taken from them and given away to others. In the case of Kowus Motors, Dan Abodakpi offered it to SABAT Motors, formed by three Ewe business people, virtually against the rules of divestiture, true or false? We should not pretend that there is ethnic harmony in this country. It is a fact that there is a systematic attempt at relegating the majority of the people of this country to the background and allowing the minority to take control of every facet of our national life. That is very dangerous.

We killed our Pioneer businesses because they belonged to Akans, today we are raising to the high heavens, businesses like rLG of Roland Agambilla and Asogli Gas Plant owned by none-Akans. They and many more are new generation of businessmen. Did we have to destroy old businesses and shift the balance of business ownership from particular ethnic groupings to other ethnic groups?  If the B.A. Mensahs and many of those examples above, no matter what their offences were, had been guided unto the part of ‘business righteousness’, their contributions to the economy today would have been immense. The ill-motivated ethnic intents by the regimes against Akans have not helped this country grow the way we wanted it to. They were born out of envy and hatred towards the successful Akans and it does not seem to have abated.

B.A. Mensah, Kweku Owusu, Dr. J.A.Addison, and all those affected by this ethnic cleansing both earlier departed or alive, your intentions for this country were noble; you created jobs for the youth then and fed so many mouths. Your strengths and tenacity of purpose for this country, your patriotism and hard work, earned you your well deserving reputations and no amount of ethnic hatred and palpable envy from those who can only make it in life through access to public funds cannot be wiped off the history of this country.

B.A, I should have been by your graveside to sing dirges but I am unable to do so but I believe that even in death, you remain strong, consistent and principled. What else can your detractors do to you as you join your ancestors, nothing but the shameful knowledge that they destroyed your business because you were not one of them. Adieu and may the Good Lord offer you everlasting peace. Hihihihi, aoo, me nee?

Kwesibiney2009gh@yahoo.com

By Kwesi Biney

Africanus Owusu-Ansah

DOCTOR: Foul whisperings are abroad; unnatural deeds

Do breed unnatural troubles. Infected minds

To their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets:

More needs she the divine than the physician:-

God, God forgive us all!-

Macbeth: William Shakespeare.

There are more questions than answers

Pictures in my mind that will not show

There are more questions than answers

And the more I find out the less I know

Yeah, the more I find out the less I know.

I’ve asked the question time and time again

Why is there so little of a moment

Oh, what is life, how do we live

What should we take and how much should we give.

Jonny Nash

JUSTICE KPEGAH can be described as indomitable and irrepressible.

He is formidable, irresistible, formidable and impregnable. Many Ghanaians were commiserating with him – showing sympathy, remorsefulness – not because he had gone the way of all flesh, but because they thought his physical strength had waned, and he losing Round 1 in his battle against Nana Akuffo Addo, they had decided to down their arsenal. The ‘Thrilla in Manila’ had become still-born.

Little did the ‘sympathisers’ know that what had dulled and numbed Kpegah’s limbs had not dimmed and blunted his faculties – he still had his wits about him to fire salvos at anyone within range.

In an article in the ‘Daily Graphic’ of May 17, 2013, captioned ‘Kpegah cautions Legal Bodies’, he “cautioned the General Legal Council, the Judiciary and the Ghana Bar Association not to conspire to frustrate him in his case against Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo – Addo…”

He writes: “I hope they will maintain the independence required by the ethics of our profession. They should not push me to the wall to make a number of damning revelations that will haunt them for the rest of their lives”. What revelations, and what about himself?

He continues: “Let me also caution those in the judicial set – up, who have resorted to using acts of intimidation such as transfer out of Accra and promotion to cow judges into deciding cases in their favour. At the premises of the courts, there is an inscription that ‘JUSTICE IS NOT FOR SALE; however, what obtains in our justice system today is that ‘JUSTICE IS FOR SALE’ to the highest bidder”. And what happened in his time as a judge?

After a long narration of the case against Nana Addo, he went into an over – drive into attacking the Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood of being “neck – deep in the dismissal of my case by the Fast Track High Court.”

Obviously, no one expected Kpegah to shout the accolades of the trial court judge, Mrs Cecilia Sowah whom he describes as “fair and firm”.

But how does the person he describes as “loudmouth”, Ebow Duncan, come in? How true is it that he was “openly boasting in a Cape Coast drinking spot that (Kpegah’s) case against Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo would be dismissed”? If I may ask, what does Kpegah mean by this paragraph: “He (Lawyer Ebow Duncan) stated emphatically that ‘they’ had pre- arranged with Her Ladyship the Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood to put Justice Mrs Cecilia Sowah on my case so they can expose her relationship with the Vice – President, Amissah – Arthur.

“It is an open secret that the Presiding judge, Justice Mrs Cecilia Sowah is a sibling of his Excellency the Vice President. The Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Georgina Theodora Wood thus colluded with Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and his agents in order to set up this innocent judge and thereby create the impression that the ruling government is behind this suit”. Mrs Cecilia Sowah is a sibling of the Vice President, so what?

It is difficult to appreciate the import and impact of the last paragraph: “Besides, the Chief Justice is well aware of the good relationship I have always had with Justice Mrs Cecilia Sowah and, therefore, she deliberately put her on my case as a potential set – up. This set – up was staged so that should the ruling go my way the paid agents and assigns of Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo will then go on a wild media propaganda that I was very close to this Honourable Judge during my days as a judge in Cape Coast. They had also lined up a number of paid agents and assigns as witnesses to come and testify to it”.

There are just too many questions –perhaps more questions than answers. Is this simply loose talk or a planned tirade of someone who is peeved? So Justice Kpegah needs to be told that when one loses a case in the High Court, he can go to the Court of Appeal and from there to the Supreme Court? Why does he not do exactly that, but resorts to the media and other avenues to make his case? OR is it Kpegah’s double who is writing the scripts for him? OR is Kpegah displaying his character as a ‘snake in the grass’ – a shady, deceitful, cunning character who could strike without warning?

OR Does he reckon the collateral damage that he is inflicting on the legal bodies: the General Legal Council, the Judiciary and the Ghana Bar Association. But it is not just these bodies; included are his own family, his close associates, organisations he has worked for before, or any person or association he is in touch with.

Sometimes, the damage may not be apparent, but latent- but will be there, all the same. OR why does Kpegah throw caution to the wind, and plunge himself into this unnecessary fracas? Is it senility or senescence or sheer wickedness?

In my wild dreams one such character, Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’s ‘Christmas Carol’ readily  comes to mind. Charles Dickens’s character, the miserly, sour, stingy semi – recluse displays not only the ideological and ethical changes that had occurred within his psyche, but also the emotional transformation that has engulfed him. This results from supernatural visits from his dead business partner, Jacob Marley, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet – to – come .

Charles Dickens writes of Scrooge: “Oh!  But he was a tight – fitting hand at the grindstone. Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!

“External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty

“Nobody ever stopped in the street to say with gladsome looks, ‘My dear Scrooge, how are you, when will you come to see me?’ No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was o’ clock, no man or woman ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge. Even the blindmen’s dogs appeared to know him and when they saw him coming on, would wag their tail as though they said ‘No eye at all is better than an evil eye, dark master.”

In the story, the first spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Past takes Scrooge to Christmas scenes and reminds him of his youth, when he was more innocent.

Then the second spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to Christmas scenes of hearty celebrations in many homes, with his impoverished clerk Bob Cratchit whose sick son Tiny Tim cannot obtain medical attention because of Scrooge’s unwillingness to pay Cratchit a decent salary,. The third spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to come takes Scrooge to visions of the future: Tiny Tim’s death , Scrooge’s own death, with his business  partners refusing to attend his funeral unless there is lunch: Scrooge’s neglected and untended grave – all prompt the miserly Scrooge to swear to change his way to avert the ‘shadows of what may be’.

Scrooge wakes up in the Christmas morning beaming with joy and love, becoming a different man overnight; he now treats his fellow men with compassion, generosity and love.

In Macbeth, Act 2 Sc 3, Macduff, after seeing the dead body of King Duncan addresses Lady Macbeth. “O gentle lady, ‘Tis not for you to hear what I can speak. The repetition in a woman’s ear Would murder as it fell”.

I do not think Kpegah considered it worthwhile to read my article “Kill All The Lawyers”, nor the concluding part of “Debonair, Genteel Behaviour At The Supreme Court”. Who am I to advise a former Supreme Court Judge?  Whatever agony or pain is coming upon Kpegah is self-inflicted. All I can do is to wish him well; otherwise, the more he writes, the more he castigates others, the more satanic he bleats and squirms, the worse he should expect from some people. Scrooge.

Africanus Owusu-Ansah

africanusoa@gmail.com

Guidance comes from the root word ‘to guide’ which could also mean to bring out or to lead. Vivian etel (2007). The concept guidance also means to monitor, direct or to help an individual to achieve his or her aspirations in life.

Guidance is a process of helping someone to make a good and informed choice. It involves making people understand themselves and what goes on around them. According to Shertzer and Stone (1976), Guidance is a process of helping an individual to understand himself and his world.

Counselling on the other hand is a relationship between a Professional Counsellor and a client where the counsellor assists the client to overcome a challenge. The counselling relationship is an open relationship where the client feels free to share his/her problem with the counsellor in a free environment created by the counsellor.

Thompson and Poppen (1972) defined Counselling as a person to person relationship in which one person helps another to solve a problem.

ASSISTANCE

From this background, the existence of the Guidance and Counselling unit in our educational institutions is inevitable; hence the unit must be strengthened and equipped with professionals to offer assistance to the youth in schools for them to achieve their future aspirations. This is because most students in school are in their adolescent stage and this is a formative stage which demands guidance, especially in the form of information giving.

The recent happenings in our educational institutions across the country leave much to be desired.  The report that some students are involved in prostitution, armed robbery and homosexuality among others must be a concern for all of us. For me, it is a manifestation of failure on our part to tighten institutions which are mandated to be in charge of our youth development in the country. In addition, the youth are deeply rooted in foreign culture since nobody is ready to inculcate our values and ideals in them. Not long ago there was a report that 8000 gays including Junior High School students have registered with an NGO in the Central and Western regions. There was another revelation that more basic school students now smoke and the sodomy of five students at the Adisadel College by their Mathematics teacher. The sodomy of the 15-year-old boy in Takoradi by an adult and the dismissal of a lesbian lecturer at the Takoradi Polytechnic were signals that there was a serious problem in our schools, especially the boarding houses. Unfortunately, after such reports I have not seen any pragmatic effort being put in place to prevent more innocent young people from becoming victims of many of these vices. In recent times, there have been reports of suspension of students across the country for committing several offences.

SUSPENSION

According to a myjoyonline report, the Northern Business Senior High School in Tamale suspended over 950 of their final year students with Kumasi Girls also doing same to over 400 students during the Easter celebrations, this year, for various offences. The Daily Graphic, in its 1^st April edition also reported that 85 students from Keta Business College and Abor Senior High School were withdrawn for a similar offence.

The number of students involved in all these incidents is very worrying and should be a source of concern for all patriotic Ghanaians who have youth development at heart. The fact that the number of affected students is overwhelming means that there is a serious problem with the systems and institutions mandated to check the behaviour of our students.

Whilst I commend school authorities for taking disciplinary actions against them, I also believe that the solution to curb this menace goes beyond suspensions.

We must come to terms with the adolescence stage which is very critical and sensitive to the development of the individual.

Most people take decisions such as choice of career, programme of study in higher institutions, personal development etc and therefore it is important that we have strong institutions in place to provide Guidance and Counselling to them.

It appears our concentration is on teaching of content and passing of examinations which has become the business of the day in most of our schools, at the expense of our moral and social lives. Whilst I acknowledge teachers for doing their best to make sure students pass and become successful people, we must also make sure we don’t produce people who will have social and moral issues with the larger society. I call for the opening of counselling centres in all our first and second cycle institutions to serve as a catalyst in giving useful information to help students to understand themselves and the world around them.

ESTABLISHMENT

The establishing of counselling centres at all levels of education is inevitable in our quest to promote a healthy lifestyle of our younger generations. The training of more educational counsellors who would facilitate guidance talks through information giving should be the priority of the Ghana education service. Such centres may also liaise with local NGOs and communities in organizing programmes for teachers and parents to create awareness of the consequences of behaviours such as homosexuality, drug addiction, early sex, abortion etc. It is obvious that children who fall prey to their victims are innocent and naive. It is therefore our duty as a country to protect them. Educational counsellors must facilitate the strengthening of clubs and associations in our schools. Such clubs give opportunity to students to share ideas on many of these issues which are gradually becoming a problem.

I also urge civil society organizations to offer assistance to schools in their catchment area in this direction.

Professor George Kankam of the Department of Psychology and Education, University of Education states: “If education has any fundamental, then the fundamentals of guidance and counselling will constitute the fundamental of education”.

Guidance and Counselling should therefore move hand in hand in our educational setup to assist students to properly adjust to the school environment.

BY ALI TANTI ROBERT

YOUTH MEDIA GROUP

YES GHANA

Obuasi

Sydney Casely-Hayford

It is 4am.  The lights just went out at McCarthy Hill and I am stumped.

I deliberately caught an early night, try to catch up on sleep and start an early day, Sunday.

We had a little storm, a mild rainfall and “dum,” shades of the bad old days when you knew for certain that rain come light go.

I just returned from a trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi and I forgot within a week that power is not stable, water does not flow and the Glo internet service is unpredictable.  My Glo service is out this morning, I have been trying to get a solution since 8am, and I have a lot of work to do.  It is 11am and vive la difference.  You cannot compare Accra to Dubai, there is no anchor dot to even start the debate.  Accra scores no points over the city built in a desert and flourishing to no end.

I doubt if there is any Minister or MP in this country, who has neither lived, studied nor visited Dubai yet.  What do they see when they get there?  Doesn’t any of it rub off on them?  Make them think they would like to live in a city where the roads are seven lanes wide, buses pick up on time from air-conditioned stations, the metro rail service is unmanned and runs on time?

What about taxis that are all Toyota Camrys and you can hire a Lexus taxi at a cost no different from the regular metered taxis in the city?  What about 24-hour shopping malls, where everything under the sun is available?  And that is just a sample of the stuff I appreciated on my first trip.  What do they bring back from these visits?  This was my first time to Dubai, it is more classy than the USA, UK and South Africa where I have spent a fair bit of time.  The architecture, boy!  So here I stop, because it is so easy to get carried away.  The concern is what do we bring back from travel and escapades like this?  This morning, I am asking, “What are we doing?”

The answer might lie in Gloria Akuffo’s filing cabinets and her hard drives.  Yet again some to be caught thieves, raided Gloria’s offices and this time, dismantled and took away the hard drives in her computers.  Purpose?

She is touted as the lead counsel for the Petitioners in the ongoing case at the Supreme Court and she might have been foolish enough after the first break-in to leave sensitive information on the drives.

Something that might incriminate her and the team, some evidence that could be sneaked in at this late stage, could turn the tables on the NPP challenge and nullify or terminate the case.  On the other hand, it could be a simple thief needing a twenty-one gigabyte hard drive and there are none in town, except someone mentioned that Gloria had some computers with the exact specification needed.

Makes you wonder, on hindsight, whether when both rear tires burst on Bawumia’s Toyota Landcruiser, it was a factory default by the manufacturers or something more sinister to stop the now star witness from testifying in court. Just saying.

This is so P(NDC) days, but now with a less cowering Ghanaian citizen and a few milestones of democracy between our prayer beads and rosaries, we fight back through law courts, which character is tested to the limit.

After a couple weeks of battering his witness on the stand, my feelers in town say Tsatsu has thrown out what little credibility he brought to the courtroom.  His cross has gone on too long, too very boring, repetitive and in some measure very rude.  Most people I spoke with say he has tried deliberately to hold back the end result.  I read a piece on the web, were someone did ask the question, if Tsatsu really believed the NDC won fairly, why not move faster and get the final decision out to the public?  A rhetorical question because Tsatsu will certainly not reply.

We are coming to the end of this case; I sense it.  The Justices must be tired, it is hot under the gowns and the seats are not the most comfortable in town.  They certainly do not recline and you cannot catch a snooze like Asiedu Nketia does from time to time after lunch recess.

Tsatsu’s tedium has run them ragged and from Monday we will pace this better.  Not sure what will happen next, but if the NDC calls witnesses to the stand, I suggest to the NPP side “no questions for this witness your Honors.”

Oh, but we must cross-examine Afari Gyan to establish his state of mind and of course we must get our “Opia relief” with Asiedu Nketia.  Why not?  There has to be some hilarity to all this.

What happens after KPMG confirms the numbers at the end of two weeks? Which is a ridiculous timeframe for the assignment by the way.

It cannot take that long to verify numbers.  There is no audit opinion required to do this count, it has already been grouped and analysed and their job is to confirm that analysis.  For the same reason I said a few weeks ago that this should be a freebie by KPMG, I say they can give this result in two days.  It is a no-brainer verification assignment and speed is of essence.  It will be better that they throw staff at it, pull an all-nighter and get it done, if it needs that.  But it doesn’t.  Counting 11,842 twice is nothing.  First you do a raw count, should take maximum two hours with 12 people, including recording and creating a check sheet.  Then you do another two hour count of the exhibit groups with the same twelve persons; it is the same sheets.

Allow some time to go over because it is such a sensitive issue; so take a day to write a properly worded report and we are done.

Now if KPMG says the numbers are true.  What now EC and NDC?  We finally have a numeric confirmation but we will need a quantification of the drift of votes between the candidates.  This should be done to make the Court’s decision balanced and cogent.

Alternatively, let’s say the numbers are short.  Let’s say the Court Registry is faulted because they did not deliver the right quantity to the NDC side.  Should they have waited all this time before making this an issue?  Ah!  I have some illogical problems with this.  The first thing we should have done was to agree the number of votes in play, from day one.  The last thing we need is for the Respondent’s camps to say they now need more time to go through any extra sheets they were not given.  But even if this is so, how does the end game change?

If KPMG verify only 8,600 sheets, the case will have to be decided on that number.  The key thing is the final quantification.

If you go to court to say someone has stolen 11,842 cedis from your account and later the bank confirms that only 8,600 was stolen, you have to modify your loss claim to 8,600 and that is all you get.

Does it become a new case?  I think we are in interesting waters here.  More fat to the Justice’s seats.  There is an unprecedented decision in the offing.

Otumfuo did a little tactical maneuver.  Seeing as he, just as I see that the end is nigh, he scuttled over to JDM and Nana Addo to confirm that they will stick to their agreed decisions that will couple them to a violent-free historic acceptance of the outcome.

Why he had to talk to the “chaos manufacturer” JJ Rawlings, I have no idea.  There is no coup offering here for Jerry John, Ghana wants to do this respectably.  Both candidates are reminded.  But read Otumfuo’s next interlay on Chieftancy.  I think he has a little history-knowledge gap.

President Mahama realized how important this case is to our democracy.  In his State of the Nation Address in January he refused to acknowledge that before his Presidency was a looming legal challenge.

This week, he applauds the legal toll road and now understands the state in which we found ourselves at the beginning of the year.

I waxed royally with Gertrude and Gertrude on Emirates flight back to Ghana.  Both very pleasant ladies and I doff my hat off to the pair, we bonded immediately, they on Facebook, me, pleasant smiles that made me feel that coming back to Ghana was an experience after all.  Right side Gertie even gave me good advice on my duty free purchase with no hesitation.  Thanks peeps, you made my trip.

And it got me thinking.  Emirates is what Ghana Airways could have been if we had a mind to handle it as a private craft and manage it as a business instead of a toy for ministers and MPs.  The rice and agushie stew lunch offering was superb, washed with fruit, cool water, juice of choice and apple crumble for desert.  And that was in the economy seat.  Can we do Ghana Airways again?  This time differently?  Maybe we learn from mistakes past?

My favorite group swept the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards show.  Big Up R2Bees.  Shoot me a new one.

Ghana, Aha a ye de papa.  Alius valde week advenio. Another great week to come!

Set aside, for the moment, the ongoing Supreme Court case, and focus instead on a very serious issue which could affect the nation in the foreseeable future.  In fact, put aside, for the moment, the insecurity at Kumasi and travel along with me as I deal with this topic.  We all seem to have closed our eyes at the menace while Rome continues to burn.  It did not start today and may not end tomorrow.  What is disturbing is that the whole issue is growing day by day.  You may not observe the menace if you are living in opulent areas where children get the best of education and have easy access to their laptops. If you happen to visit my holy village you will see what I am going to write about and indeed, you will move in sympathy with parents who are overwhelmed by what is happening.  I am talking of teenage pregnancy which is in the ascendancy.

Today in Ghana, it is no more a surprise when you see a 13-year-old girl carrying pregnancy or having a little baby strapped on her narrow back.  Our little girls have all too soon acquired very strong sexual desire and are out there “opening up” for whosoever cares to “enter the Black hole of Calcutta”.  Today in God’s own country, there is in the empire, lust and nudity which have threatened to become a fashion.  We have come face to face with the danger of veritable alienation among the young girls who are supposed to be in schools rather than carrying babies on their narrow backs.  For now you may think the situation, as far as teenage pregnancy is concerned, is not a problem.  Pray to God so that you may live for 20 years and you will realize the danger.

In 20 years’ time these innocent children who are born today by teenagers will be old enough to handle guns.  Majority of them would not be able to acquire education and as such they will surely become a burden and a liability to society.  These are the children who will eventually take over from where Ataa Ayi left off.  When this comes to pass, you who used all your resources to educate your child will be in danger. And of course, your children too will be in danger.  That is why we need to boldly tackle the issue holistically.  We need to find the causes and nip the menace in the bud rather than waiting to treat the symptoms as we are doing.

One major reason why teenage pregnancy is in the increase is poverty.  That is why you hardly see pregnant little girls in places where the rich dwell. Many parents these days find it difficult to make ends meet or provide three square meals a day for their wards not to talk of paying school fees.  Such children are left to fend for themselves.  Sometimes these unfortunate children offer sex for food and other goodies.  In some cases they roam the streets in search of men who will sleep with them and give them money to buy clothes since their parents cannot afford to buy them such clothes.  In their attempt to entice men who seek canal communion  and end up impregnating them, these little girls fail to seek sartorial propriety, decency, protocol and decorum in their dressing.  In fact, their dress comportment has nothing good to write home about.  They dress to attract men instead of pleasing God.  Parents watch helplessly when their children put on these unacceptable dresses which expose their nudity simply because they were not the ones who bought the dresses for them.  The sad aspect of this issue is that some parents dress like the girls do and so they don’t have the moral right to sanction these children.

Another reason is the hard drug craze which has threatened to attract God’s fury on society as a whole.  Spare some time and visit one of these ghettoes and “basis” where these drugs are sold and see for yourself.  These girls and boys who should have been in schools spend the whole day smoking marijuana and sniffing cocaine.  Because the devil finds work for the idle hand, these children enter town with the sole aim of stealing in order to make money to buy drugs.  When they fail in their bid to get something to steal, they turn to sell their clothes in order to get money to buy marijuana, cocaine, heroin and akpatashie to top it up.  When they mix up these drugs, they become daring and start going on robbery spree.  We used to see only grown up men and women who are addicted to one hard drug or the other, but these days, things have changed.  You see a teenager addicted to a drug so much so that she or he cannot eat without taking cocaine, marijuana etc.  When a girl becomes “high” she exposes herself to the danger of being raped and also flouts the rules of continence.

Peer influence is yet another reason why our little girls go out there ‘opening up’ and end up carrying unwanted pregnancies.  That is why parents should watch and study female friends of their daughters.  Some parents do not have time for their daughters simply because they are too busy in their quest for money.  Such girls who lack parental guidance easily go wayward.  If your daughter befriends girls of that nature, they teach her bad things.  If such wayward a girl gets a boyfriend, she introduces the friend of the boyfriend to your innocent girl.

We shy away from sex education and use custom and tradition as a barrier.  In fact, we see sex education as a taboo even in this 21^st century. Instead of mothers discussing sex issues with their daughters, they pretend the child will automatically come to know everything about sex when she grows.  That, to me, is a very big mistake.  Parents and teachers should be at the forefront as far as sex education is concerned.  When the girl comes to realize the gravity and implication in sex, she will not venture into that arena.  Pornography, for example, is another way of introducing girls to sex.  Parents must educate their children about the danger in watching pornographic films.  In this age of internet connectivity, there is the need for parents to educate their girls to avoid browsing pornographic materials on the internet.  And of cause, internet café attendants can also do the nation a favour if they don’t allow girls to browse pornographic materials at their cafes.

It is an undeniable fact that many a time broken homes breed wayward girls.  Because the man and the woman no longer stay together, the responsibility of taking care of the girl child becomes a problem.  The situation becomes worse when the girl child finds herself in the custody of the mother.   Women are naturally very busy.  You either see them at the saloon or the market.  When they are not in these places, expect to see them gossiping or at the party.  In such circumstances, the girl child seizes the opportunity to do the unthinkable.

Free SHS And Teenage Pregnancy

My personal research indicated that majority of these teenagers who get impregnated could not go beyond the Junior High School.  Because they pass out of the JHS at a tender age, they are unemployable.  The best job that they could do is to sell ice water and doughnuts.  Such girls are always prone to the danger of being lured into having sex with adults or their fellow male JHS counterparts.  That is why the idea of a free SHS was laudable.  It is very sad to mention here that those who voted against the free SHS are most affected because majority of them are poor and cannot afford to take their children to SHS, thereby exposing them to early pregnancy since the devil finds job for the idle hands.  Come to my holy village and see pregnant teenagers sleeping in a single room with their parents.  As to how the man will get a chance to go near the wife at night, your guess is as good as mine.  In some instances men who impregnate these girls fail to take responsibility.  Parents are then forced to add extra responsibility by caring for the pregnant daughter and her siblings.  If it happens that the wife is also pregnant, then “wahala don come be that”. The situation is very worrisome, heartbreaking, heartrending and heart-raking.  Let us spare some time to pray on this canker!!!

By Eric Bawah

Improved: Scotland-based Touch Bionics says the latest i-limb boasts unparalleled dexterity and superior control and ease of use

A teenage boy who lost an arm and a leg as a baby has become the first person in the UK to be fitted with a prosthetic hand that is so advanced it can be controlled via a smartphone app.

Patrick Kane, 16, is now sporting the i-limb ultra revolution, which can be remotely-controlled and comes complete with an iOS app allowing the wearer to control its grip.

Patrick can also take advantage of five individually powered digits – including a rotating thumb – on the prosthetic, which is Scottish firm Touch Bionics’ most advanced yet.
The teenager, from London, lost all of the fingers on his left hand after contracting meningococcal septicaemia – the virulent form of meningitis – when he was just nine-months-old.
Doctors were also forced to amputate Patrick’s right leg below the knee, and part of each finger from his right hand.

The student – who was fitted with his first prosthetic through the NHS shortly after his first birthday – previously wore an i-limb ultra, but has now become the first person in the UK to be fitted with the new, more advanced version from the brains at Touch Bionics.

Featuring a rotating wrist and an aluminium chassis, the firm claims their creation is the most dextrous prosthetic limb ever made.

It’s unique app capability means the wearer can choose from a range of 24 different grips at the touch of a button. The app can also offers training on how to best use the device and can diagnose problems with it.

Previously Patrick could use only four pre-set grips on the go, and would have to return to his computer to alter the settings.

The i-limb is so sensitive it can be used to grip a single sheet of paper, play Connect Four or tie shoelaces – but it is also powerful enough to withstand the strain of 90kg weights in the gym.

The covering can be made to match the wearer’s natural skin tone, but Patrick chose a jet black version of the i-limb, which costs from £25,000 to upwards of £80,000, depending on how far up the arm it needs to extend.

‘I have only had it for 24 hours and it’s not so much that it allows me to do new things but it will allow me to do things more smoothly and naturally,’ Patrick said.

‘The movement runs much more smoothly. I have been practising playing Connect 4 with it.

‘There are custom grips I can choose so if I have a certain tennis racquet or cricket bat I could choose a grip for it to fit it perfectly and it will remember that.

‘I also use it in the gym, on the rowing machine and using weights and pulleys,’ he said.

The advanced prosthetic uses muscle signals to shift into a series of pre-set patterns.

It achieves this by using electrodes in the wrist to pick up electrical impulses created by contracting muscles, which are interpreted by a computer in the back of the hand.

Each of the fingers bends at the joints and can be adapted to fit around any shape of object the owner wants to hold.

These pictures show Patrick using his new bionic hand to grasp a range of items from a smartphone and a water glass to a rubber ball and a single coin.

The bionic hand can also be used for various tasks from typing to tying shoe laces.

It comes in black or neutral, can automatically return to a natural position after a period of inactivity and is powered by a battery.

The device is so technical that users have to undergo rigorous training in order to get the most out of it.

 Dailymail

A phone too far? The Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone was the first ‘phablet’ but now an even bigger version has been launched

It is the biggest smartphone on sale, with a giant 6.3inch screen.

Samsung’s new Mega Galaxy handset look more like a tablet than a phone – and has already been slammed as ‘just too big’.

Samsung hopes the big design will appeal to commuters and others who regularly watch films on their gadgets.

Tecno N7

TECNO GHANA, a leading dual SIM mobile phone brand, has launched its new 3.75G Android smartphone – TECNO N7– onto the Ghanaian market at a short but colourful ceremony in Accra.

Designed for users with high demand for smartphones, the TECNO N7 will be available at all TECNO outlets in Ghana, the company noted.

Building on the success of the popular TECNO N3, the TECNO N7, a dual SIM smartphone, features the combination of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with a 1GHz dual core CPU and runs on a 5-inch touch screen.

“With the TECNO N7, we want to offer young Ghanaians a more superior smartphone with high-end performance and a better user experience,” Mounir Boukali, PRO of TECNO Mobile, commented.

With a 1GHz dual core processor, the device offers users a fast data processing speed and the ability to use multiple applications at the same time, along with a smooth web browsing experience.

TECNO N7 users can download over 800,000 innovative and interesting apps.

The TECNO N7 presents users with an amazingly smooth operation experience while viewing messages, multimedia, web content or games, among others.

The device comes with a variety of applications that allow the consumer to connect to their social networks with ease.

And one such application worthy of note is Flash Share, a unique transfer software that allows one to share files of any format and size at an amazingly fast speed and does not require internet connectivity, WIFI or SIM card.

Other notable features of this Android-driven smartphone include a 5 mega pixel rear camera with flash, a 0.3 mega pixel front camera and a powerful 2,300mAh battery, which allows the users to enjoy five hours of talktime. Also, the device combines a 4GB ROM and 512GB RAM with expandable memory of up to 32GB.

TECNO also offers an 8GB memory card.

“We always endeavour to provide suitable products to the consumer based on market demand. There is no doubt that people’s demand from smartphones is met in the N7. We will have more smartphones coming onto the market soon, which will meet the needs of diverse groups of people,” Boukali confirmed.

By Samuel Boadi