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2022 CAF Awards: Mane and Oshoala win top awards

Senegal’s star forward Sadio Mane has been named Africa’s Men’s Player of the Year at the CAF Awards 2022, after leading the Teranga Lions to its maiden Africa Cup of Nations title, while Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala set a new record when she walked away with her fifth Women’s Player of the Year award. It was a highly successful night for Senegal who were also named National Team of the Year, while their coach Aliou Cisse was named Africa’s Coach of the Year at a glittering function in the Moroccan capital of Rabat. Mane retains the CAF African Player of the Year title, having also won the 2019 edition: the previous edition. He has recently left England’s Liverpool after a trophy-laden spell with the Reds, becoming the German Bundesliga’s marquee player after signing for Bayern Munich. Oshoala now overtakes her compatriot Perpetua Nkwocha, to stand alone as a record five-time winner of the African Player of the Year accolade. South Africa’s national women’s head coach Desiree Ellis, who will lead Banyana Banyana into Saturday’s final of the 2022 TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations against hosts Morocco, was named Africa’s Coach of the Year in the women’s football category. To top off a huge night for the Teranga Lions, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pape Matar Sarr, who made his international debut as an 18-year-old and was part of Senegal’s AFCON 2021 winning team, was named Africa’s Young Player of the Year. The awards were held at Morocco’s impressive Mohamed VI Technical Centre in Sale, Rabat and attended by a gathering of Africa’s top football personalities and football stars. Morocco’s Wydad Athletic Club were rewarded for their TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2022 win by being named Africa’s Club of the Year in the men’s section. South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns FC were named Africa’s women’s Club of the Year after winning their domestic league and the inaugural TotalEnergies Women’s Champions League in Egypt in 2021. Ghana’s Evelyn Badu scooped a double on the night as she won the women’s Interclub Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards, after leading Hasaacas Ladies all the way to the final of the inaugural TotalEnergies Women’s Champions League and winning the tournament’s Golden Boot. The men’s Interclub Player of the Year was won by legendary Al Ahly and Egypt goalkeeper and captain, Mohamed El Shenawy. It was another Senegalese player in Simba’s Pape Ousmane Sakho who won CAF’s Goal of the Year in the mixed category for men and women for his spectacular overhead strike for Simba against Asec Mimosa in a TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup group game. The women’s National Team of the Year will be named after Saturday’s TotalEnergies Women’s Cup of Nations final between hosts Morocco and South Africa at the Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. The Full List of Winners: Player of the Year (Men) Sadio Mane (Senegal and Bayern Munich) Player of the Year (Women) Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria and FC Barcelona) Interclub Player of the Year (Women) Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes) Interclub Player of the Year (Men) Mohamed El Shenawy (Egypt & Al Ahly) Young Player of the Year (Women) Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes) Young Player of the Year (Men) Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal and Tottenham Hotspur) Coach of the Year (Women) Desiree Ellis (South Africa) Coach of the Year (Men) Aliou Cisse (Senegal) Club of the Year (Women) Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) Club of the Year (Men) Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco) National Team of the Year (Men) Senegal National Team of the Year (Women) Due to the absence of a major women’s competition during the period under review, the Organising Team for the CAF Awards 2022 has reviewed the selection process for this important category. The TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco will be factored as one of the criterion in deciding a winner befitting of the status of the award and women’s football in general. The winner will be announced on 23 July 2022 during the final match of the Women’s AFCON. Goal of the Year Pape Ousmane Sakho (Senegal & Simba) Read the full article

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2022 CAF Awards: Ghana’s Evelyn Badu wins two awards

Ghanaian midfielder, Evelyn Badu, has been crowned the Women’s Interclub Player of the Year and Women’s Young Player of the Year at the 2022 CAF Awards in Rabat, Morocco on Thursday. The 19-year-old had a stellar campaign with Hasaacas Ladies in 2021, leading them to the CAF Women’s Champions League final which they ended up losing 2-0 to Mamelodi Sundowns. She was the best player of the tournament and won golden boot. Badu was in great form as Hasaacas Ladies won the double in Ghana and emerged champions of WAFU B tournament in Ivory Coast. Badu ended up in the top three for the Interclub Player of the Year alongside Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Andile Dlamini and South African centre-back Bambanani Mbanie. In the Young Player of the Year, she went up against national teammate Doris Boaduwaa and Yasmine Zouhir. She is currently with the Black Princesses team as they prepare for the FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup which will take place in Costa Rica next month. Badu now plays for Norwegian club Avaldsnes IL. Read the full article

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Take hard decisions, Ghana is broke; do we still want to spend on feeding in SHSs? – Joe Jackson to govt

A Financial Analyst and Chief Operations Officer at the Dalex Finance, Mr Joe Jackson is making a case for cuts in government’s spending on some programmes especially the feeding component of the free Senior High School (SHS) programme. In his view, times are hard, the country is broke therefore, critical decisions ought to be taken by managers of the economy to look at ways to cut expenditure. He said this in an interview with TV3 ahead of the presentation of the mid year budget review on Monday by the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta. “It is time for us to look at all the expenditure cuts, it is time for us to look and wonder, do wo we want to spend this much on feeding and boarding in the SHS regime? “Is this what we want to spend our money in the such difficult times on? These are hard times, there are hard decisions to be taken and one of the things we must realize is that Ghana is broke.” Ghana’s economy is currently going through severe challenges, a situation that has forced the country to go to the International Monetary Fund for support. Accordingly, a staff team led by Carlo Sdralevich arrived in Ghana on July 6 to engage the government of Ghana. The team concluded its initial work on Wednesday July 13. The IMF team met with Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, and Governor Ernest Addison of the Bank of Ghana. They also met with the Parliament’s Finance Committee, civil society organizations, and development partners, including UNICEF and the World Bank to engage on social spending. At the conclusion of the mission, Mr. Sdralevich issued the following statement said Ghana is facing a challenging economic and social situation amid an increasingly difficult global environment. The fiscal and debt situation has severely worsened following the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, investors’ concerns have triggered credit rating downgrades, capital outflows, loss of external market access, and rising domestic borrowing costs. “In addition, the global economic shock caused by the war in Ukraine is hitting Ghana at a time when the country is still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic shock and with limited room for maneuver. These adverse developments have contributed to slowing economic growth, accumulation of unpaid bills, a large exchange rate depreciation, and a surge in inflation. “The IMF team held initial discussions on a comprehensive reform package to restore macroeconomic stability and anchor debt sustainability. The team made progress in assessing the economic situation and identifying policy priorities in the near term,” the IMF said. It added “The discussions focused on improving fiscal balances in a sustainable way while protecting the vulnerable and poor; ensuring credibility of the monetary policy and exchange rate regimes; preserving financial sector stability; and designing reforms to enhance growth, create jobs, and strengthen governance. “IMF staff will continue to monitor the economic and social situation closely and engage in the coming weeks with the authorities on the formulation of their Enhanced Domestic Program that could be supported by an IMF arrangement and with broad stakeholders’ consultation “We reaffirm our commitment to support Ghana at this difficult time, consistent with the IMF’s policies. “Staff express their gratitude to the authorities, civil society, and development partners for their constructive engagement and support during the mission.” The Government of Ghana on Friday July 1 announced that it was seeking support from the IMF. This followed a telephone conversation between the President and the IMF Managing Director, Miss Kristalina Georgieva, conveying Ghana’s decision to engage with the Fund, a statement by the Ministry of Information said. Read the full article

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Covid Trust Fund has received a total of ȼ62.3m – Sophia Akuffo

As at 30th  June 2022, the Trust Fund had received a total amount of GHȼ62,329,941.98, Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Fund, Sophia Akuffo has revealed. As at 30thJune 2022, the Fund had disbursed, for various programmes as well as for administrative purposes and procurement of items, an amount of GH¢53,230,805.37. Under the project of activities, she said procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (GH¢10,257,360.00) for distribution to Ghana Health Service, viz. 56 Regional/ municipal/ district hospitals, COVID-19 Care Management Centres, Isolation Centres; 8 Testing Centres; 126 CHPS compounds have been done with portions of the cash received. It has also contributed GH¢6,801,840.00 to Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund (GCPSF) for construction of 100-bed National Infectious Disease Centre in Accra at the Ga East Municipal Hospital. The facility was commissioned on 24 July, 2020. The laboratory and a ward are named after the National Trust Fund, in recognition of its contribution. Madam Sophia Akuffo, a former Chief Justice of Ghana, stated at a press conference in Accra on Thursday July 21 that two forms of donations were received, cash and in kind. With the in-kind, she said, hand sanitizers, cleansing equipment, tinned foods, liquid soap, rice, pasta, vehicles were received. Non-perishable food items – tinned foods, biscuits, rice, noodles/pasta),´fuel coupons, ´mechanical and solar hand washing basins – equipment) were also received. C-19NTF-Presentation-for-Meet-the-Press-Final-1Download The Fund, Established 27th March, 2020, was created to serve as an an avenue for well-meaning individuals, groups and corporate bodies to contribute or donate moneys and resources towards the combat of COVID-19.´ It is also to receive any other moneys or resources contributed or donated towards the combat of the Coronavirus. Read the full article

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COVID-19 Trust Fund left with GH¢9m in account; appeals for more funds

The Chairperson of the COVID-19 National Trust Fund, Justice Sofia Akuffo, is appealing for more donations for the fund, as they have only a balance of GH¢9 million left in their account. During the peak of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, a trust fund was set up to enable well-meaning Ghanaians and corporations to contribute in order to complement the government’s efforts. Addressing journalists in Accra on Thursday, Justice Akuffo gave a detailed account of what the rest of the funds were used for. According to the former Chief Justice, over GH¢62 million was donated to the trust fund and as of June 30, 2022, about GH¢53 million of the donations have been used. The amounts have also been used on administrative costs. She further explained that almost GH¢10.3 million was allocated to the Ghana Health Service, while about GH¢6.8 million was given to the Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund for the construction of a 100-bed facility. The fund also distributed vehicles to various facilities helping with the COVD-19 fight. “As time went on we realised that, yes, these health centres are there, but there are other health facilities” that needed help so “we needed to also make donations to such places so that right from the start, you are protecting the medical staff, and you are also protecting the users of the hospitals, clinics and so forth.” Justice Akuffo also noted that attention was also given to Community-based Health Planning and Service (CHPS), which she described as the frontline in the fight against COVID-19. “When somebody had a fever or couldn’t breathe and was sent to a CHPS compound, there had to be protection there as well,” she said. Read the full article

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Islamic SHS shooting: Defense and Interior Committee accuses Police of peddling falsehood

The Defense and Interior Committee of Parliament has accused the Police administration of peddling falsehood in the shooting incident at the Islamic Senior High School in Kumasi where scores of students were injured and rushed various hospitals after the Police fired tear gas to disperse them during a demonstration. The Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin tasked the Defense and Interior committee to fact-find the issue. Chairman of the Committee, Kennedy Agyapong, speaking to journalists in Parliament on Thursday July 21 shortly after presenting the report to the house asked the speaker of parliament to establish a by partisan committee to further investigate the matter. “When it was referred to us, we first met the Police High rank with the IGP leading it. They told us what actually transpired and the swift decision they took, from Accra to Kumasi. “The IGP himself went there, within two hours he was there, which was good. But we realized that when we were on campus, the Islamic School, the report they gave us was different from what the Police told us and we went to the Police because we hear about 8 of them also got injured. “In the course of that, when I was asking questions, I realized the Inspector was reluctant. I asked several times, did you Police officers enter the campus? They all said no. Meanwhile we have bullets from some of the dormitories that the Police entered. “But with the referral, we had a limit so we couldn’t probe into it well, that is why we entered there and we realized they were not telling us the truth or giving us the full picture. That is why we came here asking the Speaker to give Parliament bi-partisan committee, another opportunity to go and investigate so that they can question the Police very well. “In fact, the IGP did very well, moving from Accra to Kumasi within two hours, I think he did well, no doubt about that but the picture they painted to us, when we went there it was a bit different, that is why the Committee recommended that they should form bi-partisan committee to probe into it further.” Following the shooting on Monday June 13, the Deputy Regional Commander in the Ashanti Region, DCOP Kwesi Akomea Apraku has been removed. This was after the Inspector General of Police Dr George Akuffo Dampre led a team to the area to assess the situation. Portions of a statement issued by the Police after the IGP’s visit said “It was further established that even though nobody was hit by a bullet the Police handling of the incident was poor and fell short of our standard operating procedure on crowd control. “As a result, DCOP Kwesi Akomeah-Apraku who was acting as the Regional Commander has been removed from his position and has been interdicted. Two other officers, ACP Mr George Ankomah, the Regional Operations Officer and ACP Mr Alex Cudjoe Acquah, the Suame Divisional Police Commander have also been interdicted to make way for a thorough investigations into the matter.” Over thirty students of the Islamic Senior High School were rushed to the hospital after the police allegedly fired tear gas and live bullets to disperse students who were demonstrating over incessant vehicular knockdown. Worried parents stormed the school to demand for the release of their wards on Monday June 13. The affected students were conveyed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and other hospitals in Kumasi. “I should be worried but some of them have been resituated . we will follow to the hospital and see how they are doing,” Madam Mary Owusu Afriyie, the Regional Education Director told journalists. Read the full article

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Ken Ofori-Atta must resign over IMF u-turn and Ghanaians cannot be your kids – Kwabena Agyapong

A former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwabena Agyapong has called for the resignation of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta. His call is based on Ghana’s return to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), despite the earlier claims by the Finance Minister about the country’s bright economic prospects. Speaking in an interview on The Hard Truth on Wednesday, he explained that the contradiction between the Finance Minister’s assuring remarks and the country’s subsequent request for an IMF bailout should be enough grounds for him to step aside. “I would think that on the basis of what he said two weeks before to the country, which that we will never go to the IMF and we’re a proud country with the resources. “When you speak like that, you should look yourself in the mirror and say, look I got it wrong. Mr President I thank you for giving me the opportunity and I should stand down ’, he told host, Nana Akosua Konadu. The suggestion by Mr Agyapong adds to a series of calls urging the Finance Minister to resign over his poor management of the economy. Notable personalities like ex-President John Dramani Mahama and a former Chief of Staff under the Kufuor regime, Kwadwo Mpiani, have all impressed upon Mr Ofori-Atta to quit his job. In a Facebook post on July 2, John Mahama said Mr Ofori-Atta has already lost his credibility, trust and confidence after he supervised “the disastrous collapse of the economy”. He intimated that the Finance Minister should not be added to the team of negotiators engaging the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for economic support. “In addition, given his obvious failures, the Vice President must be relieved of his responsibility as Chair of the Economic Management Team to enable the President to reconstitute the team. We must draw useful lessons from this episode and avoid cheap politicking with the economy that can only yield the disastrous outcomes that have brought us here”, Mahama further emphasised.

On his part, Mr Kwadwo Mpiani said Ken Ofori-Atta must take a personal decision to resign. “Honestly, if I were the Finance Minister, from my utterances and then what has been happening, I will just go and say Mr President, thank you so much. I think it best for me to sit back for another person to take over. That will be my personal decision. But I am not going to tell any President to drop the Finance Minister or any Minister. That should be left to the President,” he said in an interview with JoyNews on Thursday, July 14. But reacting to these calls and the widespread public backlash, Ken Ofori-Atta says he will not vacate his post. Speaking in an interview with JoyNews during the recently-held National Delegates Conference of the NPP, he indicated that, even though he has firm convictions about the economy, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war compelled government to engage the IMF. In his rebuttals, he therefore stated that the calls for him to resign is like telling a father to abandon his kids. Ghana’s return to the IMF was contained in a press statement which was issued by the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, on July 1, 2022. This generated a lot of debates with citizens still divided over the relevance of the move. But according to government communicators, the decision to return to the IMF will help the country close its fiscal gaps and place the economy on a better footing. Meanwhile, ahead of the support from the IMF, Parliament on Wednesday, July 20, approved a $750 million loan request from the Finance Ministry This was after the Chairman of the Finance Committee, Kwaku Kwarteng laid the motion for approval. According to him, the loan will help the government raise the needed funds to complete the infrastructural projects in the 2022 budget. Read the full article

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Ken Ofori-Atta must resign over IMF u-turn and Ghanaians cannot be your kids – Kwabena Agyapong

A former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwabena Agyapong has called for the resignation of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta. His call is based on Ghana’s return to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), despite the earlier claims by the Finance Minister about the country’s bright economic prospects. Speaking in an interview on The Hard Truth on Wednesday, he explained that the contradiction between the Finance Minister’s assuring remarks and the country’s subsequent request for an IMF bailout should be enough grounds for him to step aside. “I would think that on the basis of what he said two weeks before to the country, which that we will never go to the IMF and we’re a proud country with the resources. “When you speak like that, you should look yourself in the mirror and say, look I got it wrong. Mr President I thank you for giving me the opportunity and I should stand down ’, he told host, Nana Akosua Konadu. The suggestion by Mr Agyapong adds to a series of calls urging the Finance Minister to resign over his poor management of the economy. Notable personalities like ex-President John Dramani Mahama and a former Chief of Staff under the Kufuor regime, Kwadwo Mpiani, have all impressed upon Mr Ofori-Atta to quit his job. In a Facebook post on July 2, John Mahama said Mr Ofori-Atta has already lost his credibility, trust and confidence after he supervised “the disastrous collapse of the economy”. He intimated that the Finance Minister should not be added to the team of negotiators engaging the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for economic support. “In addition, given his obvious failures, the Vice President must be relieved of his responsibility as Chair of the Economic Management Team to enable the President to reconstitute the team. We must draw useful lessons from this episode and avoid cheap politicking with the economy that can only yield the disastrous outcomes that have brought us here”, Mahama further emphasised.

On his part, Mr Kwadwo Mpiani said Ken Ofori-Atta must take a personal decision to resign. “Honestly, if I were the Finance Minister, from my utterances and then what has been happening, I will just go and say Mr President, thank you so much. I think it best for me to sit back for another person to take over. That will be my personal decision. But I am not going to tell any President to drop the Finance Minister or any Minister. That should be left to the President,” he said in an interview with JoyNews on Thursday, July 14. But reacting to these calls and the widespread public backlash, Ken Ofori-Atta says he will not vacate his post. Speaking in an interview with JoyNews during the recently-held National Delegates Conference of the NPP, he indicated that, even though he has firm convictions about the economy, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war compelled government to engage the IMF. In his rebuttals, he therefore stated that the calls for him to resign is like telling a father to abandon his kids. Ghana’s return to the IMF was contained in a press statement which was issued by the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, on July 1, 2022. This generated a lot of debates with citizens still divided over the relevance of the move. But according to government communicators, the decision to return to the IMF will help the country close its fiscal gaps and place the economy on a better footing. Meanwhile, ahead of the support from the IMF, Parliament on Wednesday, July 20, approved a $750 million loan request from the Finance Ministry This was after the Chairman of the Finance Committee, Kwaku Kwarteng laid the motion for approval. According to him, the loan will help the government raise the needed funds to complete the infrastructural projects in the 2022 budget. Read the full article

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Bawumia’s Ghana card-interchanges comparison was misconstrued – Prof. Attafuah

The Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Ken Attafuah, has jumped to the defence of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia following the latter’s comparison of Ghana card and physical projects. Speaking at the launch of two new high-level information technology programmes at Accra Business School at Baatson in Accra on Thursday, July 14, 2022, the Vice President said he would choose the Ghana card over 1000 interchanges as the former has a greater impact. This sparked funny reactions from Ghanaians, who took to social media to ridicule Dr. Bawumia. The Deputy General Secretary of NDC, Peter Boamah Otokunor also threw a jab at the Vice President while delivering his goodwill message at the New Patriotic Party’s Delegates Conference at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday, July 16, 2022. He said, “When we were coming , I decided to buy a ball of kenkey. This ball of kenkey sells for 5 cedis. The leaves on the kenkey alone will be 3 cedis; more expensive than the kenkey itself. Guess what, ladies and gentlemen, I bought the kenkey with my Ghana Card.” Responding to the reactions on the Citi Breakfast Show, the NIA Executive Secretary said, “I think that there is a bit of a misunderstanding. The Ghana card has been underappreciated. We cannot begin to quantify the level of impact the Ghana card will have on our civility.” He supported his stance with more benefits the Ghana card presents to the country. “By the time we have captured about 2 million people on the system, we will never have to queue to register for anything. If the EC’s plans as raised by the minority comes to fruition, we will have continuous registration just with your Ghana card. There will be no contestations about citizenship, and age.” “SSNIT will be a cleaner place. Pension payments will be sanitised. Identity conflicts will be a thing of the past,” he noted. Read the full article

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E/R Police Command receives van to fight child trafficking

The Eastern Regional Police Commander, DCOP Anderson Fosu-Ackaah, says failure to curb child trafficking could pose a threat to society and the nation. He noted a concerted effort is needed to help address the child trafficking canker. “When victims grow up and have nothing doing, they could be a threat to society and they could be a national threat because most of them might not know what to do at certain ages of their lives. So, when you see it alert the police, alert the anti-human trafficking department or the International Justice Mission. We shall work on it and rescue them,” he said at a ceremony in Koforidua to receive a van. The van is a donation from a non-governmental organisation, International Justice Mission (IJM), to support the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit in the Eastern Region to curb the menace of child and human trafficking. The International Justice Mission (IJM) is a non-governmental organisation whose mission is to help rescue child trafficking and child labour victims in the country. It has been key partners to the Ghana Police Anti-Human Trafficking Unit in the fight against the menace of child trafficking. The Director of Operations for IJM Ghana, Anita Budu, observed since 2016 fighting child labour has been a daunting task for the police due to lack of a vehicle, logistics and other resources and commended them for success chalked despite the challenge. “Since 2016, we have been working with the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit and the Ghana Police Service here to rescue children and so we have been able to rescue a number of children. Cases have been taken to court and also there have been convictions and so the work has really progressed with the Ghana Police Service and also the Attorney General’s office and the Department of Social Welfare.” She added: “Today we are donating a vehicle to the Ghana Police Service and it is to support their work to tackle issues of trafficking. A lot of the time, the cases are not here in Koforidua, they are in remote areas closer to the lake and so hopefully the vehicle will be able to help them be able to access these areas for investigations and also for rescuing of the children.” The Eastern Regional Police Commander, DCOP Anderson Fosu-Ackaah, urged all stakeholders to help curb the menace. “We should all help to fight against human trafficking since it doesn’t help the society. It doesn’t help the victims, it doesn’t help the country as a whole because people are not given the chance to develop their own potentials. They may take them very young and even some of them don’t have access to school. So, it’s a challenge to all of us to speak against it.” He was elated about the intervention of the van that would help the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit reach remote areas where the child trafficking crimes are usually perpetuated. “The IJM has been in partnership with the Ghana Police Service over the years to fight human trafficking. They deem it fit to support us by way of transport because when they rescue, they have to bring the victims and send them to court as well and all this require the use of vehicle to do it so it is a great intervention for us.” Read the full article

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‘To prevent Ghana from going bankrupt’ – Why Finance Ministry needed $750m loan

Parliament, earlier today, approved a $750 million loan agreement sought by the government to finance capital and growth-related expenditures in the 2022 budget. The Minority in Parliament had resisted the approval of the facility and for weeks progressed stalled on the deal. But government had grown in desperation to get the lump sum of $1 billion dollars loan to shore the country’s foreign reserve and also support the 2022 budget. Following weeks of back and forth between both sides of the house, some consensus was reached as the Minority softened their stance. The major part of the deal, a $750 million loan to be sourced from the AfreximBank has now been approved. According to the report of the Finance Committee which has been adopted by the plenary, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta told the members the loan was critical and urgent. “The Minister of Finance explained to the committee that the approval of the facility is urgently needed to avoid the country going bankrupt and help the country meet its debt obligations.” According to the Chairman of the Finance Committee Kwaku Kwarteng who urged his colleagues to approve the loan, the facility was critical to enable government to deliver on its responsibilities. Kwaku Kwarteng had earlier said on Joy FM’s Top Story that without the loan, salaries could not be paid and debt obligations could not be met. Members of Parliament on the Minority side although supported the approval of the loan agreement, raised significant concerns about the country’s current debt situation which they say has become unsustainable. The Finance Committee will continue to meet to find common grounds on the 250 million dollar component of the deal which has stalled because of some concerns raised by the Minority. Read the full article

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Parliament approves $750m loan agreement dispute IMF program

Ghana’s Parliament has approved the $750million loan agreement which formed part of a $1 billion dollar the government is seeking to pay for infrastructure projects across the country as well as increase the reserve. It was approved on Wednesday July 20, TV3’s Parliamentary Correspondent, Courage Komla Kluste reported. The Minority accused the government of duplicating projects captured under the loan agreement. The Ranking Member on the roads and transport committee Kwame Governs Agbodza asked the Finance minister and the Roads Ministry to come clear on the components of the loan before the approval. “We have noticed some projects being duplicated in the agreement. We do not believe this is right and we will not encourage it. We want some clarifications. The real problem in the Eastern corridor is the Oti-Damongo session, which the Chinese have failed to deliver, and we are encouraging the Minister for Roads and Highways to terminate the contract and reward it.” “If we have any resources, we should be setting aside some money for the new contractor to complete the session… We believe that the breakdown is not satisfactory. We are not necessarily opposed to the $750 million. “We only want to get things clearer. The information we have gathered so far is too limited,” Mr Agbodza told journalists in Parliament on Wednesday July 20. Read the full article

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TESCON is now useless and not recognize in npp political structure – Worlanyo Tsekpo

The Bono Regional Youth Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Efo Worlanyo Tsekpo, has thrown a salvo at the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) calling its tertiary educational wing a useless entity. Speaking at Tertiary Education Institutions Network (TEIN) entrepreneurship programme at the weekend in Sunyani, the outspoken Youth leader urged TEIN, student wing of the main opposition party, to work hard to bring the party back to power. Mr. Tsekpo accused the NPP of using the court to frustrate its student wing, Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) in the just-ended delegates fronferefnce. The NPP received injunctions stopping its student wing, TESCON and local proxy voters from casting their ballots in the delegates conference on Saturday July 16. This affected over 300 students from voting. TESCON executives expressed their disappointment over the situation. Worlanyo Tsekpo said unlike the NPP, the NDC values the contribution of its students in the development of the party and the nation hence has plans for all TEIN members. For this reason, he said the National Youth Organizer and his deputies have launched the TEIN app to collate their data so that in the near future the party can rely on it to help them when the need arises. He emphasized that the NDC cares about their future youth hence the Entrepreneurship training initiative to equip the young umbrella family for future ahead of them. He thus urged patrons to take the training seriously and make good use of it after school. The occasion was graced by high profile personalities like Madam Obuobia, Hon. Edem Agbana and other distinguished speakers Read the full article

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‘You can’t transform economy with just brick and mortar’ – Bawumia slams critics

Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has hit back at critics who say the government’s digitization drive is not yielding the needed results. He insisted that government’s digitization agenda has resulted in the transformation of the economy. He thus emphasized the need to discourage the notion that African countries are not well resourced to lead efforts at promoting digitization in the continent. “Unfortunately, for governments who try to move our country to a different level, they are confronted with a mindset that only sees the impossibility. A mindset that refuses to believe that African countries like Ghana can lead the world in the implementation of digital technologies, and this is why I enjoy proving the sceptics wrong all the time.” “Ultimately, we must all remember that you cannot transform an economy with just brick and mortar. You can transform an economy with ideas, systems, and institutions. And this is why we are focusing on these ideas.” Digitization initiatives introduced by the governing NPP include the creation of a new digital platform where tax returns can be filed digitally and the adoption of a paperless system at some government institutions. The government has also declared its intentions of digitising the land registry with blockchain technology to bolster the integrity and ease of land acquisition. Read the full article

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EC appears determined to disenfranchise some Ghanaians – Mahama

EC appears determined to disenfranchise some Ghanaians – Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama has said that the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana appears determined to disenfranchise some Ghanaians by insisting on the Ghana card as the only source of identification for a voter card. He stated in a tweet that the EC, instead of making it easy for citizens to take part in elections, rather takes delight in making it difficult. The Minority Leader,…

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Ghana prime minister said Akufo-Addo will reshuffle his ministers if need be – Gabby Otchere-Darko

New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart, Gabby Otchere-Darko says political watchers should be measured with calls for a ministerial reshuffle.  Gabby Otchere-Darko says President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is not “quick to reshuffle” his ministers despite intense pressure, but will do so at the right time.  “On ministerial reshuffle, it’s the prerogative of the president. He is one president who is not quick to reshuffle. But I believe, if, in his wisdom, he sees that there’s a need to reshuffle ,” he said in a Citi News interview. Ghanaians have been mounting pressure on the president to sack some of his ministers and re-assign others. The calls have also intensified because some ministers are preparing for other political ambitions.  But Gabby believes the President will take that decision at the appropriate time. He was speaking at the NPP’s national delegates conference currently underway at the Accra Sports Stadium.  “Clearly, between now and 2024, the need will arise. And some may say the need is now. But I think he ; he will listen, he will look at what he wants to do, what he’s getting from his ministers, what he’s not getting from them, and make the right decision.” Read the full article

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NPA assures of reduction in fuel prices in coming months

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has assured the public of a reduction in the prices of fuel in the coming months locally. This is based on anticipation of the drop in the price of crude oil on the international market. Already, the Chamber for Petroleum Consumers Ghana (COPEC) has hinted of a six percent drop in prices at the pumps in the coming days. Currently, diesel is almost GH¢15 per litre while petrol sells for over GH¢11 per litre at the pumps. Some filling stations over the weekend recorded some marginal price drops. Speaking to Citi News, the Chief Executive Officer of NPA, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid was optimistic that fuel prices will drop. ”We have enough fuel in the country to meet the demands. There should be no concern regarding the supply of diesel, especially.” After a rampant increase in the price of fuel at the pumps, consumers seem pleased with the recent drop in prices at some fuel stations and are hopeful of further reductions in the coming months. This comes as some Oil Marketing Companies across the country reduced their prices by up to 60p per litre over the weekend. Read the full article