Pope Benedict bids farewell at St. Peter's; Resigns today

 

Pope Benedict XVI held the final audience of his pontificate before a sea of faithful in Saint Peter's Square on Wednesday, a farewell that he said wouldn't mark the end of his life in public.
Addressing the crowd, the pope said he faced a "difficult and trying" decision in relinquishing leadership of Roman Catholicism's more than one billion faithful, a step he will take Thursday evening.
Although he plans to retire to a life of study and prayer, the pontiff told the crowd on Wednesday that there was no going back to his prepapal life, noting that his election eight years ago marked the end of "any privacy."
"There is no returning to private life. My decision to forgo the exercise of active ministry does not revoke this. I do not return to private life," Pope Benedict said, addressing the square, which was thronged with banners from around the world. "I do not abandon the cross, but remain in a new way near to the Crucified Lord," he said.
The pope's resignation, which was announced two weeks ago, is an event that hasn't occurred in six centuries. It shocked the rank-and-file faithful. The Holy See has been putting the finishing touches on the protocols the Church will use to address the future pope emeritus, as he will be called, as well as the vestments he will wear.
On the cobblestones around Saint Peter's, the past week has played out as a series of final bows and last acts. On Sunday, the pope spoke from the window of the papal apartments for the last time, and on Wednesday, he mounted the ivory-painted popemobile for a final ride as its namesake passenger, gliding through a thicket of flags and chants of "Viva, il Papa!"
n his address, the pope reflected on his election and on the tumultuous years that came in its wake. Over the course of his papacy, the pope garnered praise for his writings and drew large crowds during trips abroad. Controversy, however, loomed over his administration, including the spread of the sexual-abuse crisis across the world and bouts of infighting within Vatican ranks. That tumult has drawn calls from within Vatican walls and beyond for the election of a successor capable of reining in the Church's sprawling ranks.
"I have felt like St. Peter with the Apostles in the boat on the Sea of Galilee: the Lord has given us many days of sunshine and gentle breeze, days in which the catch has been abundant," the pope said.
"There have [also] been times when the seas were rough and the wind against us—as in the whole history of the Church it has ever been—and the Lord seemed to sleep," he added. The remark referenced a gospel passage in which Jesus Christ sleeps amid a storm at sea and then awakes to calm the tempest.
The turnout in St. Peter's Square was higher Wednesday than in many of the pope's public audiences in recent years.
However, the piazza's oval contours didn't brim with faithful the way it did in the early days of his pontificate, following the death of his predecessor, John Paul II.
"We have come just for this occasion to say goodbye to this pope, because he worked a lot and was very patient," said Carmen Marsal Moyano, 54, who had traveled to Rome from Madrid with her husband. The pope, she said, "should have been recognized instead of criticized."

Source: Wall Street Journal

John Painstil did not commit suicide

A media adviser to John Paintsil Mr Ebenezer Aidoo has denied media speculations that John Painstil attempted to commit suicide.

He said they were in a meeting planning how the defender will leave for Israel to continue his football career when he suddenly fainted and was rushed to the hospital.

The Ghanaian defender John Paintsil who was arrested last Friday for allegedly assaulting his wife and causing harm to his neighbours was rushed to the Ghana-Canada Hospital after he allegedly attempted to commit suicide.

Mr. Aidoo added that according to the doctors who attended to John Paintsil he suffered from ‘exhaustion and dehydration’, but after he had received medical attention, he was released.

Mr Aidoo mentioned that the post or status Paintsil posted on his blackberry did not mean he wanted to kill himself, but rather, what happened to him was an accident which could happen at anytime a person goes under pressure.

Story: Philomena Blankson [Rainbow Radio]

Two Ghanaians make Forbe’s under 30 Africa's best young entrepreneurs

Two Ghanaians have been named in Forbes Magazine’s 30 best young entrepreneurs under age 30 in Africa.
23 year old Sandra Appiah and 28 year old Isaac Boateng are co-founders of a New York city-based new media company called Face2Face Africa.
Forbes enlisted an independent panel of 12 judges to identify Africans below 30 years who are making the most dramatic impact across the continent and Sandra Appiah and Isaac Boateng’s company made the cut.

Apart from the Ghanaians, the list included about 7 South Africans, 7 Kenyan’s, and 4 Nigerians.
Malawi, Tanzania, Congo, Uganda and Cameroon and Zimbabwe all had one each.
The activities of these young African entrepreneurs cut across Real Estate, Financial Services, Manufacturing, Media, Tech, Green tech, Healthcare, Agriculture and Fashion.
Face2Face Africa, run by Sandra Appiah and Isaac Boateng has three divisions: an outfit that publishes a magazine which explores African development, culture, entertainment and fashion, an events business and a thriving website.

Source: Ghana [citifmonline.com]

ECOWAS EPA meeting, time for Ghana to show leadership

Ahead of an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) experts meeting on the Economic Partnership agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU), to be held in Accra from 20-22nd of February 2013, there are gloomy clouds on the horizon, firstly about the possible direction that ECOWAS officials’ might lead the region and ‘betray’ their peoples and the sub-region by reversing current negotiating positions and offering even more liberal terms to an intransigent and aggressive European Union; and secondly, about the role that Ghana might play in such an unfortunate turn of events.
ECOWAS CSO’s have issued a public admonition to the officials about the prospect of such a ‘betrayal’
His Excellency, President Mahama himself has had cause to speak caustically about the direction of the EPAs and their dangerous implications for West Africa and Ghana at the 7th summit of the Africa,Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of countries in December 2012.
Given Ghana’s delicate and potentially game-changing position in the West African EPA framework, it is imperative to call on the Government to show consistency of purpose and offer some leadership at this critical juncture in the EPA process.
The Ghanaian President spoke against the EU’s imposition of arbitrary and aggressive deadlines on countries like Ghana to sign the EPAs as well as the EU’s insistence on far-going, outright liberalization and how these will damage national revenue (through sharp reductions in customs revenue collection); adversely impact entire economies of what are still developing and least developed countries; and undermine regional economic integration such as that pursued by West African states through ECOWAS.
Despite such clear grasp of the fractious and anti-developmental nature of the current EU-driven EPAs, Ghana has continued to equivocate on its own EPA positions in ways that undermine and weaken ECOWAS as a whole.
Even the pro-free trade World Bank states that opening of more than 65% of West African markets on equal terms to EU companies and goods will destroy domestic industry.
Yet, in the face of an already struggling Ghanaian industry, barely gasping under the choking weight of unfair competition by imports, and despite the ECOWAS position of 70% market opening in the EPAs, Ghana’s go-it-alone interim EPA offers an 80%+ opening to the EU.
As long as such as this exists the EU will use it as a benchmark pushing the entire region towards this lower, disastrous threshold.
Such inconsistency is all the more dangerous in the face of the contrasting single-minded aggressiveness of the EU to exploit its political position to gain pole position in certain global markets both to export its way out of its current crisis and to secure its competitiveness for the future.
Thus EU firms based in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and across the West and Central African coast have attained monopoly position in so-called ‘non-traditional exports’ such as bananas, pawpaw, pineapples, agro-processing of cocoa and other products as well as a chunk of the shipping activity and control of key infrastructure such as terminals and ports along that entire stretch of Africa.
These well integrated operations are backed by EU governments and promoted through every available means including Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and so-called ‘development aid’ flows and conditions.
Such advantages are what the EU seeks to lock-in and expand on a virtually permanent and limitless basis through the instrument of the EPAs.
For the EU, this strategy is continuously being developed, evolved and renewed.
For instance in 2008 the EU launched its raw material initiatives that seeks to enable Europe gain unimpeded access to raw materials to guarantee proper and sustainable functioning of the EU economy.
Sectors such as construction, chemicals, automotive, aerospace, machinery and equipment sectors which provide a total value added of € 1 324 billion and employment for some 30 million people all depend on access to raw materials and Africa is a fertile ground for both raw materials and market for finished goods.
A year before, in 2007, the EU had launched a new economic strategy based on expanding use of ‘free trade agreements’ such as the EPAs.
It is therefore not strange that the issues expressed in the raw materials initiative find expression in the EPA negotiations.
The European Union had based its assessment and projections for the coming decades on the firm conclusion that its survival depends on access to and control of strategic raw materials, assets and markets across the world hence the growing importance to it of projects such as the EPAs.
With the rise of new competitors on the global scene like China, the need to leverage spheres of interest and markets controlled since colonial times increases even more, and with it, the (as yet) non-violent political warfare for the Continent’s (Africa) resources.
The warfare will be intensified in the wake of the never-ending financial and economic crises that engulfed the euro-zone since 2008.
The stakes are very high. For us, it is our economy, our development and our livelihoods.
But it is also about our governments and their integrity at the national but also the sub-regional level as well.
At the Accra meeting this week ECOWAS (and Ghana’s) position on the question of market access will be greatly strengthened if Ghana renounces her unilateral initialed agreement which offers 80 percent market access.
And in the overall review of the negotiations, Ghana can cite her current struggles to regulate the trade of scrap-metals as an industrial resource by advocating the removal of rules in the EPA that prohibit the use of export taxes (which Ghana has used to encourage local processing and use of raw materials) or its currently ever-widening trade deficit (reported this week as $4.2 billion).
His Excellency, the President, John Mahama must not go the route of double-speak, inconsistency previously trodden by some Ghanaian officials and leaders in all successive governments to date, since the EPA negotiations started in 2002. Millions of livelihoods depend on what government does with this trade pact.

Story: Sylvester Bagooro

Muntari hails AC Milan discipline

AC Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari paid tribute to the tactical discipline of Massimiliano Allegri's side as they recorded a shock 2-0 victory over Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 clash.
Muntari struck a superb volley to seal the win after compatriot Kevin-Prince Boateng had given the Rossoneri a well-deserved lead early in the second half, and the former Inter man was thrilled to be on the scoresheet for the first time in Europe's premier tournament.
He told Sky Sports after the match: "I was telling my wife I've never scored in the Champions League, and it came today! I'm really surprised, but really happy, both for the goal and the win for the team.
"We listened to our coach, he did a fantastic job. We were very disciplined on the pitch and we managed to close every angle. Barcelona is the top club in the world, they have amazing players, and if you play without concentration, they will make you suffer.
"Two-nil is a lot, but playing in Camp Nou is not easy. We have this advantage and we will try to do well."
Such was Milan's stoic defensive display, Barca were limited to just two efforts on target in the 90 minutes, and full-back Kevin Constant was pleased that their planning came together on the night.
"During the week, we worked hard on the defensive side," he told BeIn Sport. "We knew Barca would possess the ball, we were prepared. We also knew we would have chances and we took advantage of them.
"It's a step further. It's something good. But we know that it will be very different in Barcelona. It is up to us to recover well and do it again."
M'Baye Niang feels his side could have done more to add to their two-goal tally, but insisted he was perfectly happy to take a healthy lead to Camp Nou in March.
"It is the perfect score," he remarked to BeIn Sport. "Even if we missed some opportunities we won't spit on this result when we are facing the best team in the world.
"It is a good omen for the return game. It is fully deserved. We wanted to play a great game in front of our fans. We had to win and we did so in a very good fashion.
"But with Barca, you never know. We have a good advantage, let's do the same game again."
Credit: Goal.com

President Mahama delivers State of the Nation address

President John Dramani Mahama will on Thursday morning deliver his maiden State of the Nation's address to the Sixth Parliament of the Fourth republic with uneasiness that minority may boycott the event.
The Minority, who had earlier indicated they reserved the right to attend the event appear have noted they they will be present in the chamber.
The address is in line with Article 67 of the Constitution, which mandates the President to at the beginning of each session of Parliament deliver a message on State of the Nation.
The Minority boycotted the Swearing-in and investiture of President Mahama on January 7, 2013 and had also not participated in the vetting of ministerial nominees arguing that those decisions could be annulled when the Supreme Court’s ruling on the New Patriotic Party's petition challenging the results of the 2012 elections goes in their favour.
The presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo Addo, his running-mate, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia and the Party’s National Chairman, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey have questioned the outcome of the 2012 presidential elections at the Supreme Court.

Source: Ghana [GNA]

CAF reveals seeding for 2015 Afcon

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has revealed the seeding for the draw for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations holding in Morocco.
The draw will take place on March 10 in Morocco during Caf General Assembly, with the qualification procedure reverting to its normal format as opposed to the modified mode for the just-conclude edition.
Forty-four teams are on the starting line and seeded in four pots of 11 teams each according to their current ranking.
Seedings
Pot one: Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Mali, South Africa, Cape Verde, DR Congo, Zambia, Tunisia, Ghana.
Pot two: Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Senegal, Cameroon, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Gabon, Uganda, Congo, Central African Republic.
Pot three: Ethiopia, Benin, Angola, Niger, Zimbabwe, Equatorial, Mozambique, Malawi, Burundi, Liberia, Sudan.
Pot four: To be determined after the preliminary round.

Credit: Supersports

Technorati Tags: CAF,AFCON,Africa Football,Africa Sports,Ghana Football,AFCON 2015

No cause for alarm over 2013 WASCCE exams

Story: Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy [Rainbow Radio]

The Ministry of Education has described as false publication by the Daily Graphic which sought to create an impression that, 400,000 students who were expected to write the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the month of April and May 2013 would face serious challenges such as inadequate examination halls, invigilators and science laboratories for practicals.

With a few weeks to the commencement of this year's WASSCE, reports say these challenges have been identified by the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education.

But the Public Relations Officer for the Ministry, Paul Kofi Krampah in an interview with Frontline hosted by Kwaku Owusu Frimpong in London and George Yaw Okyere explained that the only problem that may occur would be the science practicals and even that, the students would be doing the practicals in batches.

He has therefore debunked these allegations, explaining that in 2006 their outfit realised that this year, the number of students in normal schools would be increased, more than their counterparts’ technical and vocational students. He said due to this, the Ministry set up a committee to look into the issue and the possible challenges were addressed.

He mentioned that they have re-structured the academic calendar for the 2012/13 academic year to enable the final year students write their examination comfortably when the rest of the students’ would be on vacation.

Mr. Krampah revealed that additional three thousand classrooms have been constructed across the country to ensure a conducive atmosphere for teaching, learning and examination.

He however said that the increase in enrolment of science students may be the cause because of the inadequate science classrooms and laboratory for some of the students.

Mr. Krampah gave assurance that indeed students would write their WASSCE with no challenges and that there should not be any cause for alarm.

Sunyani commercial drivers demonstrate over meagre increment of fare

Commercial drivers at the Sunyani Municipality of the Brong Ahafo Region who ply the Abesim route today demonstrated against the new lorry fares which were imposed on them by officials of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) in the Region.

The drivers were arguing that they were excluded from the negotiations prior to the new lorry fares increment.

They explained that they fuel their vehicles not only with petrol and diesel, but also gas, which was increased more than petrol and diesel, adding, gas was increased by 50%.

The drivers were of the view that, apart from the aforementioned, spare parts prices have been increased and public toilet operators have also increased their charges more than three time in a year.

But they, the drivers were given only 10 pesewas increment, a situation which to them, is cheating and unacceptable to them.

The commercial drivers, who were clad in red, prevented other commercial drivers from conveying passengers to their various destinations.

They chanted war song ‘yen ani abere ye ani koo’.

Before the increment, passengers were paying 60pesewas but was increased to 70 pesewas.

The drivers also accused their Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Kwasi Oppong Ababio and one Mr. Ahenkora also of the Sunyani Municipal Assembly of conniving with the GPRTU in cheating them.

All efforts by our correspondent, Kofi Sarpong, to get the GPRTU, the MCE and Mr. Ahenkora to react to the story proved futile.

 

Source: Rainbow Radio International

Ivory Coast ex-President Laurent Gbagbo at ICC court

Ivorian ex-President Laurent Gbagbo has appeared at the International Criminal Court to hear whether he could be tried on charges of crimes against humanity.

He is the first former head of state to have appeared at The Hague-based court.

He faces four charges, including murder and rape, in the wake of Ivory Coast's disputed presidential poll in 2010.

Some 3,000 people were killed in violence after Mr Gbagbo refused to accept defeat in the polls. The 67-year-old insists he is innocent.

'Inadmissible' case

Tuesday saw presiding judge Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi open the confirmation of charges hearing, which will decide whether there is enough evidence to try Mr Gbagbo.

The judge stressed that the hearing would not be ruling whether the former president was guilty or innocent.

Mr Gbagbo's defence lawyers argued that he was already under investigation in his own country and that the authorities there must be the ones to try him - not The Hague court.

They urged the judges to "declare this case inadmissible".

Mr Gbagbo, a former history professor, sat silently in the courtroom listening to the proceedings. He made no comments.

Outside the court, some 300 supporters of Mr Gbagbo held a rally, demanding his immediate release.

'French plot'

The court earlier decided to hold shorter than usual sessions because of Mr Gbagbo's poor health. The hearings are scheduled to last until 28 February.

The charges against him relate to the violence after the 2010 election when he refused to accept defeat by current Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara.

Mr Gbagbo - who was arrested in Ivory Coast in April 2011 and later extradited to The Hague - accuses former colonial power France of plotting to topple him from power in the world's biggest cocoa producer.

The ICC began operating in 2002 to bring to justice those responsible for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in countries that accept its jurisdiction, or when the UN Security Council refers a case to it.

Mr Gbagbo is the first former head of state to go on trial there, although Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia and Liberia's Charles Taylor were tried by special courts in The Hague.

 

Source: Gbagbo

Nollywood actor Justus Esiri is dead

Nollywood movie industry has been hit with another sudden death and it's veteran actor Justus Esiri.
He passed way on Monday night after a short-time battle with an undisclosed ailment in his hometown.
Few months ago, Nigerian singer and Mavin record member, Dr Sid introduced Justus Esiri as his father. Dr Sid real name is Onoriode Esiri, he is the youngest child of the deceased.
As at the time of this report, no detail has been released regarding Justus Esiri's death but it is a shock to everybody as the family only released this few hours ago.
A source said the now late Justus Esiri has been secretly battling an age related illness for a while but his family chose to make it a secret until his sudden demise Monday night at the age of 71.
Last year over four top Nollywood stars including Pete Eneh and Enebeli Elebuwa died.
Pete Eneh died of untreated leg infection on November 15, 2012 at a private hospital in Enugu while Enebeli Elebuwa died of stroke on the 4th of December 2012 at a private hospital in New Delhi, India.
Just this last week two Nollywood actors died tragically. A source who claimed the angel of death has visited Nollywood might be proven true with the sudden demise of top Nigerian movie stars one after the other within the past 12 months.
Before his death, Justus Esiri was a member of the Order of Niger (MON). He came into limelight in the early 80's through the popular Village Headmaster TV series. He has also featured in many interesting Nollywood movies.
The late Justus Esiri was born in November 1942 in Oria, Abraka, Delta State. His studied at Catholic Secondary school in Warri in year 1948 before proceeding to Maximillan University in Munich, German in 1964.
He also attended Prof. Weners Institute of Engineering, West Berlin, 1967 and the Ahrens School of Performing Arts in 1968.
Justus Esiri, detoured into motion picture production in 1968 as a staff of the Schiller Theater, Berlin, Germany, where he stayed till 1976. During the 1977 FESTAC held in Lagos, he choreographed the Modern Dress exhibition.
He was Production Manager for Dinner With The Devil. He worked as News translator and Newscaster with the Voice of Nigeria (German Service).

Source: Naijagist

Ghana's economy on unsustainable path; budget deficit highest in history - Bawumia

The data coming in on Ghana’s economic performance in 2012 indicates quite simply that public finances are out of control and the economy is in trouble. At the end of 2012, Ghana’s budget deficit was a whopping GH¢8.7 billion, amounting to 12.1% of GDP using the rebased GDP numbers (or some 20% of GDP in terms of the old GDP series). This is the highest recorded budget deficit in Ghana’s history.
From Nkrumah through Acheampong, Rawlings and Kufuor, no government has incurred this level of budget deficit. What is more worrying is that this provisional deficit figure excludes some GH¢4.0 billion in commitments and arrears yet to be paid to contractors and other service providers. If we include these arrears the deficit for 2012 would be some 23% of GDP using rebased numbers (or some 35% of GDP using the old GDP series). These are mindboggling numbers. The crux of the problem is that government spending increased astronomically to 34.5% of GDP even though government revenues amounted to 16.1% of GDP (a gap of over 100%) for the year.

The provisional 2012 budget deficit of 12.1% of GDP is almost double the budget deficit of 6.5% in 2008 using the rebased GDP numbers (or 11.2% of GDP using the old GDP series) notwithstanding the fact that Ghana enjoyed more favourable economic circumstances in 2012. In 2008 Ghana was not an oil producer and the global economy was in crisis. In 2012 on the other hand, Ghana was an oil producer facing a favourable external environment for its exports and yet managed to double the 2008 budget (which this government described at the time as “reckless”) and in the process achieve what is a truly unprecedented budget deficit in Ghana’s history.
The government promised last year that its management of the economy would be more prudent than that of other governments in previous election years. Despite all the favourable opportunities at its disposal, 2012 has turned out to be the worst election year outcome in Ghana’s history in terms of the management of public finances. This is also yet another failed NDC promise.

For any economy with this historic budget deficit combined with an increasing balance of payments deficit (some 13% of rebased GDP) and mounting public debt, this state of affairs will raise alarm bells, but not so in Ghana.

The government has found a way to delay tackling critical economic problems through borrowing domestically and internationally and falsely claiming “unprecedented” achievements at home. In the process, Ghana’s total public debt has increased from GH¢9.6 billion in 2008 to GH¢33.5 billion in 2012 (an increase of 248% in 4 years!). As has been demonstrated for Ghana and many countries in the past however, this path and manner of managing an economy is unsustainable.
Take the example of the management of oil revenues. It turns out that the NDC government forecast oil revenues from corporate taxes of GH¢384.1 million for 2012 knowing full well that revenue would not materialize. This is because the Jubilee partners are entitled to capital cost recovery under the Petroleum Income Tax Law 1987 (PNDC Law 188) and the government knew this. The government nonetheless forecast the receipt of these revenues because the provisions of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act 2011 are such that the proportion of then oil revenues that accrues to the budget (The Annual Budget Funding Amount) is based on projected benchmark oil revenue.

Under the Act, 70% of projected oil revenue accrues to the budget and 30% is divided between the Stabilization (21%) and Heritage (9%) funds. The government therefore over projected the oil revenue so as to get more of the oil revenue into the budget. In the meantime, the projected revenues were spent through government borrowing. Is it therefore a surprise that with such economic management the budget deficit would increase astronomically?
Poor economic management has consequences. Unfortunately, the burden of the inevitable consequences of the NDC’s management of the economy is bound to fall disproportionately on the segments of society which are least able to afford it, as prices for petroleum products (whatever happened to the oil hedging policy?), transportation, water, electricity (in the face of water and power shortages), school fees, tax increases, expenditure cuts, unemployment, wage pressures, inflation, interest rates etc. shoot up and non-oil GDP growth slows down. This reality is already being felt and will soon be patently obvious for all to see.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was the running mate to Ghana's main opposition leader, Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2012 election. He is an Oxford-trained economist, former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana and until recently, Country Director of the African Development Bank in Zimbabwe.

Source: Dr Mahamudu Bawumia

More blackouts as ECG sheds off 400 megawatts

If the current load shedding exercise is dire, residential and commercial users of electricity in Ghana will have to brace up for even more calamitous outages.
GRIDCO, generators of electricity in Ghana have instructed the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to shed an additional 400 megawatts of electricity across the country.
Public Relations Officer of the ECG William Boateng who confirmed this to Joy News’ Evans Mensah said the situation is worse than imagined.

Explaining how dire the situation is, Boateng said shedding 400 megawatts of power is just the same as putting off the whole of Ashanti, Volta, Eastern and Central Regions of Ghana.
Prior to this announcement, many residents and businesses are already suffocating under a load management regime which sees lights taken off, at least three times a week for long hours.
Ghana's industrial hub has been taken over by the sound of noisy generators whose fuel has also been increased.

According to William Boateng the country does not appear to be following any time table for the load shedding.
Depending on the megawatts they are instructed to shed by GRIDCO on a particular day, the lights may have to be taken, he indicated.
Asked why the load shedding persists, Boateng said the country is facing a huge generation challenges which has nothing to do with distribution.
He could not say when the situation will be normalised.

Source: Ghana [myjoyonline.com]

No Ghana return for Real Madrid star Michael Essien

Hopes of Michael Essien making a much awaited return to the senior national team, the Black Stars as the 2014 World Cup qualifiers get underway next month has received a severe jolt as the Real Madrid midfielder is not keen on returning to the team any time soon.

According to a close source to the on-loan Chelsea star, Essien is not particularly happy with the kind of treatment meted out to some of the senior players of the Black Stars some of whom were treated shabbily the Ghanaian football authorities as they entered the twilight of their careers.
He privately concedes that officialdom are only interested in taking all the glory when things are running smooth, but quick to ignore the players whose toil led to national glories.
A case in point is Stephen Appiah who recently conceded that he doesn’t recollect the last time he had even a phone call from the Ghanaian football authorities, let alone being invited for the just-ended AFCON tournament.
Again Essien believes he won’t be in a position to warm the bench when he comes for national assignments to be ‘humiliated’ like other senior players and so prefers to enjoy his relatively peace at Madrid where he has gradually warmed his way into the scheme of things at the Los blancos.
Again he knows he’s getting to the latter stages of his career so he is being cautious of returning to the national team fold where he suffered most of his career threatening injuries.
With the pitches in Africa nothing good to write home about, Essien believes a new injury to his fragile knee will effectively mean an end to his career so the idea of him returning to the team for now is almost non-existent.

Source: Ghana [90 Minutes]

Masterminds of Mobila killing must be charged - Samia

Chairman of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Samia Yaba Nkrumah is advocating for the instigators of the death of Alhaji Issah Mobila to be charged and prosecuted.
According to her, though the party is releaved by the sentence of the killers of the CPP’s Northern Regional Chairman, there is a need for the men who gave the instructions for the killing to also face the law.
“We are saying that these officers who tortured Chairman Mobila were acting upon instructions; so these men were acting on certain instructions. Even though the men have been charged we believe the people who instigated them must also be charged. Those who were behind the instructions given to the three sentenced officers must also be charged.”
Speaking on Eyewitness News, the CPP Chairman further noted that the manslaughter charge was not appropriate.
She said the men who had been sentenced acted upon instructions and that those who issued the instructions must also be charged.
“We are relieved the detractors have been found but we are not satisfied with the verdict. We look forward to compensation to the family and also the instigators of the act must be brought to justice.”
Alhaji Abdul Latif, a friend to the late Issah Mobila, also expressed delight at the sentence and said “at least the rule of law has worked and this will serve as a deterrent to people who will want to take the law into their hands and misbehave.”
An Accra Fast Track High Court on Monday sentenced the three accused persons charged with the Alhaji Issah Mobila death to an aggregate of 40 years.
Alhaji Mobila was allegedly tortured to death at the Kamina Barracks on December 9, 2004 after he had been transferred from the Tamale Police to military custody.
Source: Ghana [citifmonline.com]

EC to investigate attempts to sign Pink Sheets at Savelugu

 

The Electoral Commission says it will investigate circumstances under which its Returning Officer at Savelugu in the Northern Region invited Presiding Officers to validate some unsigned Pink Sheets containing records of voting in the last election.
Acting Public Affairs Director at the EC, Mr. Christian Owusu Parry, told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show Monday that the Commission was in the process of inviting its officers who were arrested Sunday and latter granted bail in respect of the case, to Accra to explain their actions.
He said the Commission was concerned that the officers involved did not exercise good judgment in their attempt to obtain post-facto signatures on the Pink Sheets, especially given that the outcome of the elections was being challenged in a court of law.
The Pink Sheets contains records of; the number of ballots issued at a polling station on voting day, the total number of votes, the ballot account and the number of votes obtained by each candidate in an election. All Pink Sheets have to be signed by the presiding officer of the polling station.
Sunday the police in Savelugu arrested three EC officers for attempting to procure signatures to validate some Pink Sheets that were not signed by Presiding Officers at the close of polls in December last year.
The arrest followed an alarm raised by supporters of the opposition New Patriotic Party which is alleging fraud in the election.
The party has petitioned the Supreme Court of Ghana to nullify the declaration of President John Dramani Mahama as the winner of the last year’s election.
Mr Owusu Parry said because the case is in court, the officers ought to have been careful and not do anything that would create the impression that evidence was being tampered with.
He, however, insisted that the attempt to sign the unsigned Pink Sheets did not go to core of the case in court because it did not involve the doctoring of the figures on the sheets.
Mr. Parry said although some Pink Sheets may have been left unsigned, that did not invalidate the votes from those polling stations because the sheets were endorsed by agents of the candidates in the elections.
Communication Director of the NPP, Nana Akomea disagreed.
He said the attempt to validate the Pink Sheets was the clearest testament to the validity of the issues raised by the three NPP leaders – Nana Akufo-Addo, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and Jake Obtsebi-Lamptey - in their petition to the Supreme Court.
He said a major plank of the NPP’s case was that thousands of Pink Sheets had not been signed as required by the electoral laws of the country and were therefore invalid.
The belated attempt to sign them, he said, was to right the wrong which the NPP was pointing to.
He said it was curious that the EC, which in its response to the petition denied that some Pink Sheets had been considered valid even though they were unsigned, was now seeking to procure signatures on the sheets.
He said the petitioners would notify the Supreme Court of the attempt to tamper with evidence in the custody of the EC.
Nana Akomea expressed gratitude to the NPP supporters whose vigilance led to the arrests but urged them not to take the law into their own hands; but allow the security agencies to do their work.

Source: Ghana l Myjoyonline.com l Malik Abass Daabu

3 die in accident in Central Region

Story: Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy [Rainbow Radio]
Three people lost their lives in a fatal accident which occurred at Assin Akrofuom in the Central Region.
Four other passengers were also injured.
The accident involved a cargo truck with registration number AS 2951 10 and a Metro Mass Transit bus with registration numbers GT 7781 Y.
The Metro Mass Transit bus was from New Adubiase heading to Accra while the cargo truck carrying mobile network poles and wires was also from Accra heading towards Kumasi.
One of the deceased died on the spot while the two died on their way to a near-bye health centre.
Eye witness’ account had it that they suspect the driver of the cargo truck driver was dozing and so lost control of the steer which resulted in the accident.
They told our Central Regional correspondent, Kofi Otabil that the Metro Mass driver in trying to prevent head-on collision with the truck, blew horn but to no avail. The truck therefore crossed the Metro Mass bus damaging the vehicle as well.
He says the poles in the truck fell on some of the passengers which resulted into the injury and killing one on the spot.
Both the injured and dead have been taken to Assin Foso St Martins Hospital for treatment and autopsy.

MTN & Rainbow Radio organise blood donation exercise on Vals Day

Story: Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy & Dora Sintim [Rainbow Radio]

As part of efforts to mark this year’s Valentine’s Day, MTN foundation-Ghana in collaboration with Rainbow Radio International 87.5FM organised a blood donation exercise to help save lives and fill the National Blood bank which had been empty for some time.

Blood makes up 7% of the human body weight and the average adult has 10 pints of blood in his or her body to be able to survive.

The blood donation exercise took place at the Ridge MTN Head Office and Makola.

The exercise brought many people who voluntarily donated blood as a way of saving lives.

Speaking in an interview with Nyankonton Mu Nsem, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN-Ghana, Mr. Michael Ikpoki explained that they came up with this initiative because they were moved by the lack of blood at the National Blood Bank at the nation’s premier hospital, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

He explained that they organised the exercise on the 14^th February, being Valentine’s Day, because they believe in love.

Mr. Ikpoki also explained that the exercise was not only organised in Accra, but also in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region and Takoradi in the Western Region with the hope of securing 500 pints of blood for the blood banks at the Effia Nkwanta Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and the Ridge Hospital.

A Medical Doctor at the Ridge hospital, who was part of the blood transfusion team, Dr Emmanuel Addipa-Adapoe expressed joy towards the exercise organised by MTN Foundation-Ghana.

He advised all the donors to wait for three months before any such exercise could be taken again else it might affect their health if they donate blood continuously.

He revealed that the only blood left in the hospital was used to save a pregnant woman’s life yesterday and to that effect urged all benevolent to donate and help save lives.

The Corporate Service Executive of MTN-Ghana, Mrs. Cynthia Lumor, mentioned that their responsibility is to make the public feel comfortable by expressing their services through education, health and economic empowerment.

She hoped that the exercise would be extended to the boarders of all the regions.

The donors were given MTN souvenirs and beverages which included milo and milk to help them regain their lost blood.

Other side attractions were musicians such as Okyeame Kwame, Kwesi Oteng and brass bands to back the exercise.