NDC PAID GHC500,000 TO RECRUIT FOREIGNERS NPP-MPS

New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has alleged that the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) paid an amount of GHC500,000 to persons to help recruit foreigners to register in Ghana as voters.

 

The NPP firebrand revealed on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen Programme Thursday that the recruiters included one gold miner in Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo region who was charged with recruiting Burkinabes.

 

“Some females were also contracted with recruiting persons from Ivory Coast…the NDC promised to give each voter 2000 Cfa and they have actually given them 1000 CFA for registering with the promise of given them a further 1000 when they come to vote…,” he alleged on the show.

 

In Togo, Ken Agyapong continued that he has video and pictorial evidence showing persons recruited by the NDC registering foreign voters.

 

The registration officers, he said, are NDC members who were given the machines by the Electoral Commission (EC).

 

These and many more, the NPP Legislator said forms part of the reasons why the NDC is vehemently kicking against calls for a new voters register.

 

“What is the interest of the NDC…are we going to change the register with their money…?” he asked.

 

NPP vice presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia at a press conference in Alisa Hotel in Accra on Tuesday called for a new voters register since according to him, the existing one is heavily bloated.

 

Dr. Bawumia speaking at a widely publicized press conference said the party’s investigative team identified this suspected anomaly after comparing Ghana’s voters register to that of Togo.

 

These persons, he said, were mostly found in the Volta Region with Ketu South cited as one of the constituencies where the anomalies abound.

 

And these claims, Ken Agyapong said were true adding that he would play tapes when dared to provide further evidence.

 

Asked why he would not provide his evidence to the security agencies for further perusal, Ken said he ‘does not trust the security agencies as they are being controlled by the government.’

 

“We should ask ourselves if the people they claim to be Togolese also vote in Togo…we can’t allow foreigners to determine who would be President in Ghana…,” he said.

 

Ken continued that he also has evidence of a list compiled by the NDC of foreigners they are expecting to come to cast ballots in 2016.

 

Source: adomonline.com

We Can’t Step Down For PNC – NDC Insists

The governing National Democratic Congress has described the People’s National Convention’s call for the NDC to discourage its members from contesting in constituencies occupied by the PNC as suicidal. The Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, George Lawson, told Citi News that it is wrong for the PNC to issue such a warning. “You don’t hand over constituency seats; it’s the people who decide which political party member is supposed to lead them. How do we hand over? That is suicidal,” he said. George Lawson says the PNC went against the gentleman’s agreement between the two parties by talking to the media about this proposal before contacting the NDC. “We have what we call gentleman’s agreement. It doesn’t mean they have to issue a public statement. If they want to do this, then come and let’s talk; you do not go to the media. They have not come to tell us anything” Mr. Lawson called the proposal by the opposition People National Convention as inappropriate. The People’s National Convention (PNC) had been angry with with plans by NDC to field candidates in constituencies with incumbent PNC Members of Parliament. The PNC argued that because of the alliance it has with the governing party, it’s MP must not be contested by NDC candidates. The PNC MP for Builsa South, Alhassan Azong who served as Minister under the Mills government is set to face serious competition from Presidential staffer, Clement Apaak who has announced his interest to contest in the primaries.

Source: Citi Sports

NPP Consoles Family Of The Late Samuel Nuamah

Related Stories   The New Patriotic Party, and its 2016 presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, extend our deepest condolences to the family of the late Samuel Nuamah, the Ghanaian Times journalist, who lost his life in the fatal accident of Thursday, August 20, involving members of the presidential press corps, who were returning from assignment in the Volta Region. Our hearts and thoughts also go out to the injured, some of whom are still on admission at the 37 Military Hospital. We pray for a speedy recovery for them. The NPP urges members of the media fraternity, who have been shaken by this tragedy, to remain firm and continue to discharge their duties in service to God and Mother Ghana. The bonds that exist between them must be strengthened in these trying times in honour of their fallen compatriot. May the soul of Samuel Nuamah rest in perfect peace. ……signed…… Nana Akomea

Nzema Youth Fight MPs

Kwaku Kwarteng   Related Stories   The youth of Nzema in the Western Region are up-in-arms against the five New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament (MPs) who are allegedly pursuing an agenda to kick against the establishment of the Atuabo Freeport in the region. The five include Kwaku Kwarteng, Obuasi West MP; Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, Takoradi; Joseph Cudjoe, Effia; Hawa Koomson, Ewutu Senya East and Kofi Brako, Tema Central. The MPs initially filed an application at the Sekondi High Court to have Clause 7 of the agreement establishing the port removed, claiming that the clause imposed an illegal restriction on the Takoradi port to expand its services. The high court, presided over by Justice Peter Kwabena Ababio, dismissed the case, explaining that the court could not interfere and overturn a decision taken by parliament as an independent body, in accordance with the Standing Orders of the House. The MPs, therefore, filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Cape Coast, but the application was again dismissed by the court, presided over by Justice Clement Hoenyenugah, stating that the application was defective, and subsequently struck it out. According to the Nzema youth, the persistence by the five MPs in pursuing the case from court to court to “delay or stop the establishment of the freeport is out of order.” Addressing a press conference at Anokyie in the district, Abizi Morkeh, president of Nzema Youth for Peace and Development (NYPD), added that it was worrying when projects such as the Atuabo Freeport, with the prospects of creating jobs and give meaning to the local content policy in the oil and gas sector, is being kicked against. “The Atuabo Freeport project will enhance our economic development therefore the agitations by the MPs tell us that their venture is just towards a destructive and bias partisan attack on the project,” he posited. “We want to know whether the five MPs were not in parliament when the commercial agreement about the Atuabo port was approved and passed. Don’t they have the right to challenge the decision reached by the majority members?” he queried. He stated, “The behaviour of the MPs if allowed can set a bad precedent where parliamentarians after a law is passed by the House, can turn around and go to court to challenge it.” He challenged the assertion that the construction of the Atuabo Freeport has the potential to thwart the operations of the Takoradi port, quoting the Director General of Ghana Ports and Habours Authority, Richard Anamoo, who had once stated that the Atuabo project did not pose any threat to the viability and survival of the Takoradi habour.       Source: Daily Guide

I Grieve For Dr. Bawumia; He’s Embarrassing Himself Too Much - Koku Anyidoho

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, NPP's Running Mate For 2016   Related Stories   “I grieve for Dr. Bawumia because it is obvious he does not understand the electoral process of the country; the embarrassment is too much on him,” said the deputy General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress [NDC], Koku Anyidoho, after Dr. Bawumia, NPP’s 2016 presidential Running Mate revealed some people in Ghana’s voters register are Togolese. Between 2008 and 2012, available data shows that there has been an unusual increase in the voters register in several constituencies, the New Patriotic Party has alleged. The said growth is one that defies logic and this is one thing that concerns Dr. Bawumia. “One cannot credibly explain for example how increases in the voters register of magnitudes exceeding 40% can take place. Where did the people come from?” “...quite a large number of the constituencies with unusual increases in the voters register are those from neighboring countries. Take the Western region for example, where notwithstanding the oil find, Sekondi and Takoradi saw a 5% decrease in registered voters while Suaman and Nzema East saw increases in the voters register by 23% and 27.7% respectively,” he claimed. Using facial biometric recognition technology, the NPP’s investigation team fished out 76,286 voters with the same names and faces on the Ghanaian and Togolese voters registers. This was made by known the party’s vice presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as he illustrated during a power point presentation. Commenting on the findings, Koku Anyidoho on Okay Fm’s "Ade Akye Abia" Morning show said the exercise carried out by Dr. Bawumia is embarrassing which exposes his ignorance in the country’s electoral process. To him, Dr. Bawumia’s ignorance of the electoral process has always been used by his Flagbearer, Nana Akufo- Addo to coerce him to come out with concocted figures which is obscured to win public sympathy. He again averred that Dr. Bawumia’s embarrassment in the press conference is similar to the slur he cast upon himself when he was misled to lead the NPP’s 2012 election petition at the Supreme Court. “I grieve for Dr. Bawumia because it is obvious he does not understand the electoral process of the country and so when they deceive him to hold a press conference, then he quickly come out to do it. It was similar situation he embarrassed himself at the Supreme Court when they petitioned the court for a reverse in the 2012 election results; they are only pushing him to come out to embarrass himself the more…that is why I am saying he is embarrassing himself and I think somebody should advice him to stop it,” he asserted. He wondered why Nana Akufo-Addo did not hold the press conference to do the power point presentation; reminding the opposition that laws cannot be passed in retrospect as it wants to scrap the current voters register because of the Supreme Court ruling against the use of NHIS card for voters registration. He however was convinced that the presentation by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was meant to create the impression that the voters register is bloated in NDC strongholds; indicating it is disingenuous and gross dishonesty for the NPP to fail to highlight in its presentation areas in its strongholds which have bloated voters register.       Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com.gh/E-mail: bigdallas1985@gmail.com

THE WORLDS UNSOLD CAR STOCKPILE [Photos

Above is just a few of the thousands upon thousands of unsold cars at Sheerness, United Kingdom.  Please do see this on Google Maps….type in Sheerness, United Kingdom.  Look to the west coast, below River Thames next to River Medway. Left of A249, Brielle Way.

There are hundreds of places like this in the world today and they keep on piling up…

THE WORLDS UNSOLD CAR STOCKPILE

Houston…We have a problem!…Nobody is buying brand new cars anymore!  Well they are, but not on the scale they once were.  Millions of brand new unsold cars are just sitting redundant on runways and car parks around the world.  There, they stay, slowly deteriorating without being maintained.

Below is an image of a massive car park at Swindon, United Kingdom, with thousands upon thousands of unsold cars just sitting there with not a buyer in sight. The car manufacturers have to buy more and more land just to park their cars as they perpetually roll off the production line.

There is proof that the worlds recession is still biting and won’t let go.  All around the world there are huge stockpiles of unsold cars and they are being added to every day.  They have run out of space to park all of these brand new unsold cars and are having to buy acres and acres of land to store them.

NOTE:

The images on this web page showing all of these unsold cars are just a very small portion of those around the world.  There are literally thousands of these “car parks” rammed full of unsold cars in practically every country on the planet.  Just in case you were wondering, these images have not been Photoshopped, they are the real deal!

Its hard to believe that there are so many unsold cars in the world but its true.  The worse part is that the amount of unsold cars keeps on getting bigger every day.

It would be fair to say that it is becoming a mechanical epidemic of epic proportions.  If anybody from outer space is reading this webpage, we here on Earth have too many cars, why not come and buy a few hundred thousand of them for your own planet! (sorry but this is all I can think of)

Below is shown just a few of the 57,000 cars (and growing) that await delivery from their home in the Port of Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. With Google Maps look South of Broening Hwy in Dundalk for the massive expanse of space where all these cars are parked up.

The car industry would never sell these cars at massive reductions in their prices to get rid of them, no they still want every buck.  If they were to price these cars for a couple of thousand they would sell them.  However, nobody would then buy any expensive cars and then they  would end up being unsold.  Its quite a pickle we have gotten ourselves into.

Below is shown an image of the Nissan test track in Sunderland United Kingdom.  Only it is no longer being used, reason…there are too many unsold cars parked up on it!  The amount of cars keeps on piling up on it until its overflowing.  Nissan then acquires more land to park up the cars, as they continue to come off the production line.

UPDATE: Currently May 16th, 2014, all of these cars at the Nissan Sunderland test track have disappeared? Now I don’t believe they have all suddenly been sold.  I would guess they may have been taken away and recycled to make room for the next vast production run.

Indeed next to that test track and adjacent to the Nissan factory, they are collating again as shown on the Google Maps image below.  So where did the last lot go? This is not an employees car park by the way.

None of the images on this webpage are of ordinary car parks at shopping malls, football matches etc.  Trust me, they are just mountains and mountains of brand spanking new unsold cars. There is no real reason why you should be driving an old clunker now is there?

The car industry cannot stop making new cars because they would have to close their factories and lay off tens of thousands of employees.  This would further add to the recession.  Also the domino effect would be catastrophic as steel manufactures would not sell their steel. All the tens of thousands of places where car components are made would also be effected, indeed the world could come to a grinding halt.

Below is shown just a small area of a gigantic car park  in Spain where tens of thousands of cars just sit and sunbathe all day.

They are also piling up at the port of Valencia in Spain as seen below.  They are either waiting to be exported to…nowhere or have been imported…to go nowhere.

Tens of thousands of cars are still being made every week but hardly any of them are being sold.  Nearly every household in developed countries already has a car or even two or three cars parked up on their driveway as it is.

Below is an image of thousands upon thousands of unsold cars parked up on a runway near St Petersburg in Russia.  They are all imported from Europe, they are all then parked up and they are all then left to rot. Consequently, the airport is now unusable for its original purpose.

The cycle of buying, using, buying using has been broken, it is now just a case of “using” with no buying. Below is an image of thousands of unsold cars parked up on an disused runway at Upper Heyford, Bicester, Oxfordshire. They are seriously running out of space to store these cars.

It is a sorry state of affairs and there is no answer to it, solutions don’t exist.  So the cars just keep on being manufactured and keep on adding to the millions of unsold cars already sitting redundant around the world.

Below are parked tens of thousands of cars at Royal Portbury Docks, Avonmouth, near Bristol in the United Kingdom. If you look on Google Maps and scan around the area at say 200ft you will see nothing but parked up unsold cars. They are absolutley everywhere in that area practically every open space has unsold cars parked up on it.

Below is that same area in Avonmouth, UK, but zoomed out. Every gray space that you see is filled with unsold cars.  Anyone want to hazard a guess at how many are there…

As it is, there are more cars than there are people on the planet with an estimated 10 billion roadworthy cars in the world today.

We literally cannot make enough of them. Below are seen just a few of the thousands of Citroen’s parked up at Corby, Northamptonshire in England. They are being added to daily, imported from France but with nowhere else to go once they arrive.

So there they sit, brand spanking new cars, all with a couple of miles on the clock that was consummate with them being driven to their car parks.  Below is the latest May 2014 Google Maps image of unsold cars in Corby, Northamptonshire.

Manufacturing more cars than can be sold is against all logic, logistics and economics but it continues day after day, week after week, month after month, year in year out.

Below is shown a recent (April 2014) screen grab from Google Maps of the Italian port of Civitavecchia.  All those little specks are a few thousand brand new unsold Peugeots.  Just collecting dust and maybe a bit of salty sea spray!

Below, all nice and shiny but with nowhere to go.  Red and white and black and silver, purple, pink and blue, all the colors of the rainbow and be they all brand new.  Indeed all the colors of the rainbow are down there on those cars, making pretty mosaics, montages of color and still life.  Maybe that is all they will now ever be, surreal urban art of the techno production age.  Magnificent metal boxes, wasting space and saving grace, all sitting still, because its business at mill.

All around the world these cars just keep on piling up, there is no end in sight.  The economy shouts out quite loud that nobody has the money anymore to spend on a new car. The reason being that they are making their “old” cars go on a lot longer.  But we cannot stop making them, soon we will run out of space to park them.  We are nearly running out of space to drive them that’s for sure!

Below, more cars mount up in the port of Valencia in Spain. They will not be exported as there is nowhere for them to go, so they just sit and rot in their colorful droves.

Gone are the days when the family would have a new car every year, they are now keeping what they have got.  It may be fair to say that some  families still get a new car every year but its the majority that now do not.

The results are in these images, hundreds of thousands if not millions of cars around the world are driven from their factories, parked up and left.

Could we say that these cars have been left to rot!  Maybe, as these cars will certainly rot if they are not bought, driven and cared for.  It does not look like they will be sold any day soon, many of them have been standing for over 12 months or even longer and this is detrimental to the car.

Below, as far as the eye can see, right into the background, cars, cars and more cars. But what’s beyond the horizon?  Have a guess…Yes that’s right…even more cars!  All brand new but with no homes to go to.  Do you think they will ever start giving them away, that may be the only radical solution.  Who knows, you could soon be getting a free car with every packet of cornflakes.

When a car is left standing idle, all the oil sinks to the bottom of the sump, and then corrosion begins to set in on all the internal engine parts where the oil has drained away.

Cold corrosion is when condensation builds up in the cylinders and rust forms in the bores. The engines would then start to seize and would need to be professionally freed before they could be started.  Also the tires start to lose air and the batteries start to go flat, indeed the detrimental list goes on and on.

So the longer they sit there the worse it slowly becomes for them.  What is the answer to this?  Well they need to be sold and that just isn’t happening.

The epidemic is not improving, it is getting worse.  Car manufactureres are constantly coming out with new models with the latest technology in them.  Hence prospective buyers of, for example, a new Citroen Xsara Picasso want the latest model, not last years model.  Hence all the unsold Citroen Xsara Picasso cars from the previous year will now have even lesser chance of being sold.

The problems then just keep on mounting up.  In the end, the unsold cars that are say 2 years old will have no alternative but to be either crushed up, dismantled and/or their parts recycled.

Some car manufacturers moved their production over to China, General Motors and Cadillac are examples of this.  They are then shipped over in containers and unloaded at ports.  However they are now being told to put a big halt in their import into the U.S.A. as they just can’t sell them in the quantities they would desire.  Consequently Chinese car parks are now filling up with brand new American cars.  Well nobody in China can afford them on their meagre pittance wages, so there they will stay until our economy improves…which it might do in a few generations.

Wisconsin uni faces closure over Gh¢600k unpaid tax

The Wisconsin University was almost closed down Friday by the Ghana Revenue Authority’s taskforce due to unpaid taxes in excess of Gh¢600,000.

According to the GRA, the university has failed to pay its taxes from 2010 to 2013.

Starr FM’s Osei Owusu Amankwaah who was with the taskforce reported that the chairman of the university’s council Justice Dotse and board chair Dr Emmanuel Owusu signed an undertaken to pay 50% of the arrears August 24.

The GRA is embarking on an operation to lock up all companies that are in tax arrears.

The task force was set up August 3, 2013 and has visited 324 delinquent tax payers and have retrieved about Gh¢12.4 million for the state.

The taskforce, however, sealed the offices of Margins ID Systems for owing Gh¢2,095,387.06 from July 2013 while the International Energy Insurance Company had its premises locked for owing well over Gh¢1.3 million.



Source: Starrfmonline.com

Photographer Arrested For Defilement

THE DOMESTIC Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Tema Regional Police Command has arrested a 24-year-old photographer for sexually assaulting a 15-y

The culprit, Alfred Arthur was said to have lured the victim into his abode at Community 4, Tema where he defiled the Junior High School (JHS) graduate causing her to bleed profusely.
Information gathered indicated that on Monday, August 10, 2015, at about 9.30pm, the victim went to buy food at the Tema Community 4 Night Market and on her way met Alfred who she happens to know and he asked her to pass by his residence when returning home.
The victim, upon her return, did not meet Alfred in the house and called him on her mobile phone. Suspect told her to wait for him as he was also returning from Community 7, Tema where he went to get some food. Few minutes later Alfred turned in the two walked into his room.
Alfred was alleged to have started making sexual advances towards the girl which she resisted but the suspect was said to have overpowered her and had sex with her.
The suspect kept the victim till 4am the following morning before allowing her to go home when she complained of pains in her abdomen and legs.
The victim, however, kept the ordeal to herself until Saturday, August 15, 2015, when her mother, who had earlier thought her daughter’s bleeding was as a result of her monthly menses, realized that her daughter was in extreme pains and confronted her.
The victim told her mother everything and the matter was reported to the Community 4 police. The police arrested the suspect and the case was referred to the Regional DOVVSU for investigations.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Juliana Obeng, the Public Relations Officer(PRO) of the Tema Regional Police Command when contacted confirmed the incident. She disclosed that a medical form had been issued to the victim for medical examination and treatment.
ASP Obeng said suspect in his caution statement admitted the offence but explained that he has been dating victim for some time and that on the day of the incident, he was drunk but did not force victim for sex.
She, however, specified that Alfred has been charged with defilement and will be arraigned before court soon.

ear-old.

Criminals Invade Mobile Money Services

Samuel Thompson Essel, Chief Executive of Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), says criminals have currently invaded the Mobile Money platforms to perpetrate their illegal trade.According to FIC Boss, the Mobile Money platform might be the next big challenge in dealing with money laundering if telecommunications companies and financial companies do not put serious security measures in place.
Speaking at a workshop yesterday in Accra on cash handling and security, Mr Essel stated that the registration of SIM cards by the telecommunication companies had not entirely prevented criminals from accessing mobile networks for their fraudulent activities.
The cash handling and security workshop is an annual event designed to create the platform to bring stakeholders within the cash handling ecosystem together to deliberate on challenges and best practices to enhance cash handling and management within the financial services and other allied sectors.
“Currently, criminals operating on the internet have resorted to the use of mobile money payments to perpetrate their illicit trade. Issues of identification of Mobile Money patrons–both physical and electronic identity will thus become a major challenge in combating money laundering if stakeholders do not marshal forces to adequately regulate this sector,” he said.
He added that efforts being made by stakeholders to ensure uniformity of customer identification procedures on the mobile money platform needs to be commended.
“In particular, effectuating the provisions of the National Identity Register Law, 2008 (Act 750) with respect to mandatory use of the national identity card in conducting transactions and registration of SIM is very crucial. Accordingly, the National Identification Authority (NIA) needs to shore up its operations to achieve the desired mandate,” he noted.
Albert Antwi-Boasiako, Founder and Principal Consultant at e-Crime Bureau, also disclosed that it was important to create awareness of the risk that the Mobile Money platform poses in order to put the necessary mechanisms in place to avert any unforeseen events relating to security.
“Security implications of mobile money have to do with identity of mobile money patrons. “We have instances whereby criminal suspects have actually used fraudulent documents to register SIM cards and other things. We need to come to terms to know what is coming in the industry so that we stay one step ahead of the fraudster,” Mr Antwi-Boasiako said.
He said the electronic platforms required constant monitoring and auditing to ensure that they are fit for purpose.
“Security is work in progress. We also need to be aware of the emerging dimensions, share best practices on how to prevent and detect some of these issues. The risk we are exposed to is technology like hacking threats, software configuration issues and insider related attacks, among others,” he disclosed.

Volta chiefs release land for UHAS campus

Following the announcement by the Ministry of Education to construct a satellite campus of the University of Health and Allied Sciences in the Southern Volta, the chiefs and people of Dagbamate and its surrounding villages in the Akatsi South District have pledged to willingly release the 10 acre piece of land for the project.
At a press conference, the chief of Dagbamete Torgbui Klu Agudzeamegah II said the community over the years through communal spirit spearheaded developmental projects such as construction of classroom blocks, a health center, and free accommodation for health workers in the area to augment government efforts.
He said the location of the proposed the land is conducive for academic works.
“The chief and elders of the community and its surrounding villages want to assure Government of their willingness to go to any length to support the project. We believe that this offer from the people of Dagbamete will enhance the fast execution of the establishment of the campus” he said.
University Health and Allied Sciences is the first publicly-funded state university in the Volta region.
The University currently operates five schools namely, School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences sited in Sokode, School of Nursing and Midwifery and School of Medicine in Ho and School of Public Health and School of Allied Health Sciences in Hohoe.
The School of Pharmacy has been earmarked for construction in the southern part of the Volta region.
–
Source: citifmonline.com

Gov’t must apologise not us – GMA

he General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr. Frank Serebour has insisted that they do not owe Ghanaians any apology over the three-week long strike.
The GMA on Friday called off the strike,
He said it is government that should be apologising.He was speaking on Eyewitness News when he was asked whether the GMA will apologise to Ghanaians for the needless deaths that occurred when public sector workers embarked on strike for three weeks.
“If there is any apology to such people, I think it should come from government and not the Ghana Medical Association,” he insisted.
It has also directed it’s members to report to work on Monday August 24, 2015.
Defeat?
Meanwhile, Dr. Serebour  rejected claims that calling off the strike means they had been defeated by government.
“The issue with the GMA is that we are a very democratic organization, people have their views and opinions. Even in this meeting, there were varied views but at the end of the day we go with the collective opinion and then we accept. So that is exactly what we did today.”
–
Source: citifmonline.com

 yielding to public appeal.

Doctors to sign conditions of service September 30

Haruna Iddrisu

Ghanaian doctors will sign a codified conditions of service by September 30, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations has disclosed.

Haruna Iddrisu assured negotiations between the doctors, who called off their strike Friday, and the government will resume Monday, August 24 at 11am.

According to him, government welcomes the doctors’ decision to return to the wards and theaters after laying down their tools for three weeks to demand better conditions of service.

Speaking on Joy FM’s news analysis and current affairs programme News File Saturday, Iddrisu said government is committed to healthy talks and will aim at completing the process by the end of next month in order to incorporate the outcome in the 2016 budget.

“The principle is not in dispute and not in doubt. It is just the nuances of it,” the minister stated.

He expressed government’s gratitude to all stakeholders who helped in persuading the doctors to return to work.

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) in a statement to doctors said that “the ongoing withdrawal of out-patient and emergencies services by members of the GMA is suspended. That the suspension takes effect from Monday August 24, 2015. That all members of the GMA should fully restore their services effective 8am on the said day.”

It added: “That the negotiations committee of the GMA should continue to negotiate on behalf of the members of the GMA with government such that the conclusion of negotiations would be fed into the 2016 budget for implementation of same.”

Source: starrfmonline.com

Samsung to ‘adjust’ Galaxy S6 prices following profit drop

Samsung’s quarterly results are in, and the results, especially for the company’s mobile division, are not good.
Samsung’s revenue in the second quarter of 2015 was 48.54 trillion won ($41.7 billion), with profit being 6.9 trillion won ($5.87 billion) — an increase over last quarter, but a 7 and 4 percent year-over-year drop, respectively
The company’s mobile division turned a profit of 2.76 trillion won ($2.35 billion), a steep drop over last year’s Q2 profit of 4.42 trillion won ($3.76 billion). Samsung attributes this to declining shipments of older mid- and low-range models, marketing expenditures and failing to meet the market demand for its Galaxy S6 Edge. While that sounds like a good problem to have, Samsung expects the smartphone market’s growth to slow down in the second half of 2015, which is why it will “flexibly adjust” the prices of its Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge — presumably meaning a price drop.
More good news is on the way for fans of Samsung phones. In its earnings report Thursday, the company also said it will launch “a new model with a larger screen.” Rumors say this device is the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, which will have a larger, 5.7-inch screen curved on both sides.
Samsung recently sent out an invite for an Aug. 13 event in New York. Besides the S6 Edge Plus, the company is expected to announce an all-metal Galaxy Note 5 as well.
On the tablet front, Samsung expects negative growth ahead, but hopes its Galaxy Tab A, as well as an entirely new product, can shift the tide in its favor.
–
Source: Mashable

.

Senegal jails seven men for ‘being gay’

Seven men have been jailed for six months in Senegal, after they were found guilty of homosexuality.

A court in Dakar heard police caught the men having sex during a raid.

The mother of one of the accused told the authorities her son was gay, but she failed to show up as a prosecution witness at the trial.

Homosexuality is banned in the west African country. It is punishable by up to five years in prison and fines of up to $2,500 (£1,500).

Defence lawyer, Abdoul Daff, said the mother’s failure to appear in court should have caused the case to collapse.

“There was neither material evidence nor testimony in order to corroborate the claims,” he added.

“So, we take note of this and we will see what to do next.”

Senegal’s population is more than 95% Muslim, and people in same-sex relationships are often forced to hide their sexuality.

Gay rights activist Djamil Bangoura from the group Prudence said he was disappointed by the verdict.

“It is such a pity to see these Senegalese men condemned in front of everyone just because they are gay,” he added.

During a recent trip to Kenya, US President Barack Obama called on African nations to ensure gay men and women are treated equally.

Homosexuality is illegal in 38 countries on the continent and is punishable by death in Sudan, Mauritania, Somalia and northern Nigeria.



Source: BBC

Nelson Mandela Grandson Charged With Raping Girl, 15

One of Nelson Mandela’s grandsons
The 24-year-old, who cannot be named until he enters his plea, is accused of raping the teenager in the toilets of a restaurant in Johannesburg.
Earlier in the week, the family of the alleged victim said that Mr Mandela’s ex-wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, had sent her bodyguard to dissuade them from pressing charges.
The Mandela family has not commented.
Senior members of the Mandela family, including the former president’s daughter Makaziwe Mandela, were in court during a brief hearing.
The accused cannot be named until he formally enters his plea.
BBC Southern Africa correspondent Karen Allen says the family of South Africa’s first black president have found themselves constantly in the public spotlight.
Just three months ago, another of his grandsons, Mandla Mandela, was given a suspended sentence after being convicted of assault, following an attack on a teacher after a road rage incident.
BBC

has been charged with raping a 15-year-old girl in South Africa.

Chelsea on course for the treble – Mourinho

The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ has reminded critics that he enjoyed historic campaigns at Porto and Inter despite making disappointing st
Jose Mourinho has jokingly predicted that Chelsea will win the treble this year, despite their disappointing start to the new campaign.
The Portuguese coach claims his side’s 2-2 draw with Swansea City in their first game of the season has mirrored similarly disappointing results in the opening game of treble-winning seasons at Porto and Inter.
But Mourinho has another, less encouraging superstition he has to deal with too: losing to managers with surnames beginning with ‘P’.
His last six Premier League defeats have come against sides managed by Tony Pulis, Gus Poyet, Alan Pardew, Mauricio Pochettino and Manuel Pellegrini – and next up is a trip to take on Pulis’ West Brom at the Hawthorns.
“I wouldn’t mind to go to the superstitious side of the game: I never win against a P,” he told reporters.
“And seasons where I start with a 2-2 at home, I win the treble. Porto, Inter v Bari, 2-2 against Swansea. So maybe this season… the treble?”
Contrary to Mourinho’s claim, Inter in fact drew 1-1 with Bari the year they won the treble, but Porto began their trophy-filled 2002-03 campaign with a 2-2 draw at home to Belenenses.

Source: Goal.com

arts as the Blues look for their first win of the season.

Death, murder, and fear in post-elections Burundi

Bujumbura, Burundi - At 6:30pm on Wednesday, August 5, Congolese Burundians Paul Ramadhan,29, and his nephew Mechak Ramadhan,17, whose family fled political violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo many years ago, were stopped by police and ordered onto the ground.
There was gunfire and a grenade blast, and the two were dead.
A witness, who was injured in the blast, said they were shot by the police who had asked them no questions. The police spokesman, Pierre Nkurikiye, told Africa Review two armed men were killed after attacking a police van.
Mechak’s father Omar insists they were returning from prayers at the local mosque and had done nothing to warrant being killed.
"Do you know how it is in Cibitoke? Policemen think that people who live in Cibitoke are all protestors.  But it is not true," the father said.
After a short period of relative calm following Burundi’s contested election, the small African nation has again experienced a surge in violence since the assassination of General Adolphe Nshimirimana on August 2.
Nshimirimana, former head of the intelligence service and a powerful adviser to the president, Pierre Nkurunziza, was killed in a daylight rocket attack on a large intersection in Kamenge, the heart of his own support base. His security team was also killed.
The next evening, renowned human rights activist Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, who publicly opposed the president’s bid for a third term, was shot in the face and neck by a man on a motorcycle as he was returning home from work.
Then almost 2 weeks after Nshimirimana’s death came another political assassination. Colonel Jean Bikomagu, the civil war-era army chief, was gunned down outside his home on Saturday and his daughter injured.
Brother Hippolyte Manirakiza, Director General of the Kamenge Neuro-Psychiatry Centre said fear has become pervasive in Burundian society.
"Now people are afraid of each other. People are afraid to talk. When they are driving and a car comes behind they are afraid. People don’t sleep anymore," he said.
"This is a social crisis."

The Accra Central District Police Command is searching for one Richard Amoako, chief executive officer of Tua Kakraa Susu Company, for alleged fraud. Mr Amoako is alleged to have defrauded several people, mostly market women, under the pretext of making them save their monies with the company – what is known in the local parlance as susu. Amoako has allegedly recruited about ten sales representatives who go about collecting the monies from the traders. He was declared wanted after one of his sales representatives was apprehended by the women who suspected they had been defrauded, and handed the staff over to the Accra Central police. Confirming the story to DAILY GUIDE, DSP Owusu Sekyere, Accra central district crime officer, said the victims, numbering about five, brought in one Madam Mari-Gold Mensah, a sales representative of Tua Kakraa Susu Company, for defrauding them. According to the complainants, Mari-Gold came to them three months ago at the Kantamanto market and introduced herself as a sales representative of the company. According to the victims, Mari-Gold told them her company was running a promotion for market women and customers who wanted to buy items of their choices but did not have the money readily at hand. The police officer said some of the women who claimed they needed television sets, cement, blocks, refrigerators and other items, started depositing various amounts of money to the susu company through Madam Mari-Gold. After completing the payment, the victims said, Mari–Gold refused to deliver the items to them and that all efforts to get the company refund their monies proved futile. The crime officer added that when Mari-Gold was interrogated by the police, she claimed that all the monies she collected were given to Mr Richard Amaoko, the CEO of the Tua Kakraa Susu Company. “When I realized that some of my customers had finished paying for the items they requested, I immediately informed my boss about it but he did nothing about it. She added that some of the clients had paid various sums of money totaling about GH¢3,000 to the company.

Source: Daily Guide

Full Details: Why Medical Doctors Called Off Strike

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has called off its three week old strike. The decision to call off the strike was taken after an executive council meeting by the leaders of the Ghana Medical Association held Friday. The doctors withdrew their services on July 30, 2015 in protest over the absence of a codified conditions of service. They were demanding a signed document detailing a number of entitlements to be given to them as part of their conditions of service. Below is the full statement issued by the GMA: PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED AT THE END OF AN EMERGENCY NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING, HELD IN ACCRA ON AUGUST 21, 2015. The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) having met and extensively deliberated on the ongoing industrial action by the Members of the GMA and having discussed all developments including the following; 1. Dedication of GMA Members The determination and dedication of the members of the GMA to fight for a negotiated and signed Conditions of Service document for doctors in Ministry of Health (MOH) and its agencies cannot be over emphasized. All doctors in the public sector have indeed proven that we have the tenacity and the capacity to fight for our future and shall continue to work together to achieve our goals. The National Executive Council of the GMA would like to salute our gallant doctors. It is clear to everybody that the fight has just started and our determination to get a negotiated and signed Conditions of Service document shall never be abandoned until same is achieved. 2. Appeals The National Executive Council of the GMA in its deliberations took into consideration the appeals by the ordinary Ghanaians, the wise counsel of certain eminent individuals and some credible organizations. The intervention of former Heads of State, Otumfuo Osei Tutu Il (Asantehene), Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin (Okyehene), the Christian Council, Catholic Bishops Conference, Ghana Pentecostal Council, Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), the National House of Chiefs, the Peace Council, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Ghana Health. Service Council, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, and sections of the media. It is the hope of the GMA that, all these people who have intervened will not relent on their effort to ensure that doctors in this country get their Conditions of Service to forestall future occurrence of this industrial unrest. 3. Insults by Government Communicators The GMA at this moment forgives all these individuals who out of ignorance and other motivations took the path of insults in their attempt to resolve this industrial unrest by doctors to demand a legitimate right. It is the hope of the GMA that, these people will take a cue from this protracted industrial dispute and realize that, insults including threats of armed robbery attacks do very little to help matters when it comes to labour disputes. 4. National Labour Commission (NLC) Directive The NLC in time past has woefully failed to enforce its rulings in favour of the GMA against government. It is our hope that the NLC would leave up to expectation this time around. 5. Government’s Ultimatums, Intimidations and Threats Threats by governments and its agencies rather increased the resolve of the GMA. It is the position of the GMA that, the government has taken an entrenched position throughout the process of negotiations. The government instead of adopting a problem solving approach rather chose to go on the tangent of threats and intimidations. We would like to indicate that, these threats, intimidations and ultimatums do not solve any problems in the industrial front. 6. Opinion of So-Called Labour Consultants The GMA finds it very unfortunate that some individuals who call themselves labour consultants chose the path of emotions in expressing their opinion in this matter. It was the hope of the GMA that some of these people could have been more professional in their work instead of choosing to only see one side of the coin and in all their communications clearly showed bias towards the GMA. Indeed, some of these so-called labour consultants have proven to all and sundry that they are more of government communicators and propagandists than professionals. In as much as NEC is aware that the general membership would like to pursue this matter to its logical conclusion, the NEC of the GMA decides as follows: a. That the ongoing withdrawal of out-patient and emergency services by members of the GMA is suspended. b. That the suspension takes effect from Monday 24th of August, 2015. c. That all members of the GMA should fully restore their services effective 8.00am on the said date. d. That the Negotiation Committee of the GMA should continue to negotiate on behalf of the members of the GMA with government such that the conclusions of negotiations would be fed into the 2016 budget for implementation of same. e. That all members should wait for further information from leadership as and when it becomes necessary. Signed by President of GMA, Dr Kwabena Opoku Adusei; and General Secretary, Dr Frank Serebour.

Source: manassehazure.com

Revealed: Why The Doctors Did Not Resign

The Ashanti regional chairman of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Frank Ankobea has revealed why the striking doctors failed to tender in their resignation letters as has been expected. Dr. Frank Ankobeah speaking on Asempa Friday said, they failed to resign en masse because of the various appeals from several opinion leaders in the country. "We failed to resign en masse because we took into consideration the various appeals from the people like chiefs, religious leaders and other opinion leaders...," he said. Members of GMA failed to resign en masse and have decided to continue with their strike after a crucial meeting in Accra on Friday. The public sector doctors threatened to resign en masse on Friday, 14th August, 2015 if government failed to yield to their demands for a condition of service. But after a three-hour meeting Friday, the doctors decided to continue with their strike and review their decision in two weeks if their conditions of service are still not met. According to him, government has taken doctors in the country for granted for so long and will not allow any official from the government to intimidate them as they demand their conditions of service. Despite offering the appeals from the opinion leaders as a reason for they not resigning, the Ashanti Regional GMA chairman said he would not be surprised to see individual members of the group resign from now. “I will not be surprised if individual doctors begin to resign on their own. What we are demanding is our conditions of service but it looks like government is not committed...,” he said. Dr. Frank Ankobeah added that the GMA would not disclose their next line of action insisting that 'when we get to the river, we shall surely cross it'. “We just pray and hope to go back to work after negotiations have been resolved but if that is not done, then I’m scared to say that some individual doctors will be forced to resign,” he stated.

Source: adomonline.com

Copyright Laws Not Functioning — Betty Mould Iddrisu

A former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mrs Betty Mould Iddrisu, has stated that the country’s copyright laws a
According to her, Ghana has good copyright laws but the authorities are not demonstrating enough commitment by prosecuting offenders who steal other people’s work.
“The lawmakers and enforcers know about the laws but have failed to deal with offenders,” she stated.
Mrs Iddrisu made the observation at the second annual Intellectual Property (IP) forum in Accra on Wednesday.
It had the theme, “Copyright and related rights in the digital era,” and brought together industry players and officials from the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA).
The copyright laws are meant to curb the stealing of people’s art works and protect the intellectual and property rights of individuals.
Piracy
Mrs Iddrisu expressed concern about the surge in piracy in the country, which she said was affecting the businesses of people in the arts industry.
“Some music, sound recording and films, among others, are being pirated,” she said, adding that if nothing was done about the situation, it would eventually kill the industry.
She advised creative artistes to take advantage of the prevailing digital technology to improve their work and gain international recognition.
Importance
The Board Chairman of the Intellectual Property Network, Ghana (IP Ghana), Mr Emmanuel Sackey, said intellectual property was an important component of other nations’ economic development.
He also said countries that were effectively enforcing their IP laws were experiencing growth in their countries so the government had to put the necessary structures in place to promote the industry.
He further indicated that the registration of IPs protected people’s creative works and prevented others from using it illegally.
Awareness creation
Mr Sackey explained that IP Ghana was a think tank devoted to the promotion and branding of made-in-Ghana goods and services. It also sought to advance the cause of the IP system in the country.
He said the organisation was made up of experts and practitioners trained in IP by the Africa Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) and other bodies and called for more public education on copyright issues.
Mr Sackey also appealed to the government to pay particular attention to the development of the organisation since the country could benefit enormously from its activities..
Source: Daily Graphic

re not functioning effectively.

NSS traffic control personnel ready for the streets

The traffic situation in Accra is set to ease, as some 210 NSS traffic control personnel will soon be deployed to direct traffic across the city.
The 210 service personnel were outdoored today at the Police training school in Accra after three weeks of,They were trained in traffic management, security, accident scene management among others.The personnel are expected to complement the efforts of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) unit of the Ghana Police service to reduce vehicular traffic in the country.

The personnel were deployed under the urban traffic management module on the National Service Scheme (NSS).

About 1,000 graduates from various tertiary institutions are expected to be deployed nationwide under the module.
Speaking to citifmonline.com after the event in Accra, the Acting Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Dr Michael Kpessa-Whyte said the module, among other things, seeks “to revive the spirit of patriotism and love,We have had in recent times, huge traffic congestions and we thought that the large numbers of our youth coming out of the tertiary institutions who are now going to traverse into the world of work are a pool of resource that could be used to ensure that we can bring some order reduce the congestion on our roads and ensure that Ghanaian workers and commuters who are going to work have a hassle free morning and afternoon when they close from work. This is also to revive the spirit of patriotism and love for country in our youth.” Role of personnel
Dr. Whyte explained that the personnel deployed to the streets “will also be collecting data on traffic incidents, some of them will be doing administrative work among others. So there is a lot that will be doing and I think that this will come one of the most attractive modules for national service personnel who will be coming into the scheme.”
Some of the personnel told citifmonline.com that they were elated about the work.
“I would say it is privilege being here. There is so much indiscipline on our streets and I believe our presence will really impact positively on the roads,” one of them expressed.
Meanwhile, the 210 newly trained personnel will hit the streets from September 1, 2015.Source:  citifmonline.com

More Drama Over Gyan Sex Tape• Police Has No Court Date • Sex Video Missing • Pregnancy Vanishes

Drama continues to unfold over the sexual intercourse between Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan and a lady who describes herse
The drama generated by the sexual encounter has been handled by three different police stations, put three popular persons behind bars, caused a law court to slap a two-week remand term on popular musician Ekwo Micah, landed NEWS-ONE, the paper which first broke the story, in court, generated accusations of rape, sodomy, blackmail, defamation, extortion and a huge media attention still in full blaze.
It is not certain what the outcome of the case may be, but a police source told NEWS-ONE on Wednesday that though there is overwhelming evidence of conspiracy to extort money against Sarah Kwabla, her musician friend Ekwo Micah, journalist Osarfo Anthony and a certain Chris, the case may never be sent to court because of interventions by very influential persons who do not want Sarah Kwabla prosecuted.
“The case is ready; charge sheet and facts everything is ready but we have not fixed a court date because some big people do not want it to go to court and are lobbying we send it to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General for further study until people forget about the whole case,” the police source disclosed.
This will not be the first time the Ghana Police Service has not pursued a case that has gained public and national attention even when the police has enough evidence.
The most recent was when police investigations proved that Ms Ada, a radio presenter, had connived with others to cook up a story that she had been kidnapped and gang raped.
Checks by NEWS-ONE showed that though Sarah Kwabla had claimed she secretly recorded the sexual intercourse and that the video contained evidence she was raped and sodomised by the footballer, she told the police the video was missing.
Even a special copy supposedly given to Sarah Kwabla’s mother for safekeeping cannot be produced. Apart from Sarah Kwabla, no other person, not even her lawyers, saw the video before it went missing.
Sarah Kwabla had also alleged that the intercourse she had with Asamoah Gyan resulted in a pregnancy but NEWS-ONE has gathered that the pregnancy has vanished.
What is not clear is whether Sarah Kwabla’s pregnancy vanished through a miscarriage or through an abortion.
A paternity test scheduled to have been conducted on Tuesday, June 23 to ascertain whether or not Asamoah Gyan was responsible for the pregnancy did not come on because Sarah Kwabla did not honour the appointment, though part-payment for the cost of the test had been deposited at the medical facility.
Sarah said she secretly recorded her sexual encounter with the Black Stars captain in her apartment but decided to make it public because her relationship with the footballer was not going as she had envisaged.

lf as a 22-year-old university student, Sarah Kwabla, six months ago.

Ghana doesn’t want ‘ECOWAS voters’ register’ – Akufo-Addo

Akufo-Addo: “We don’t want a West African election.”

The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo-Addo, has said the spectre of having non-Ghanaians on the voters’ register, who eventually have a say as to who Ghana’s president should be, must no longer be countenanced by all well-meaning Ghanaians.

According to Nana Akufo-Addo, the evidence gathered by the NPP, which shows that Ghana’s biometric voters’ register contains the names of thousands of foreign nationals, is indicative of the fact that the electoral roll is fundamentally flawed and unfit for the 2016 elections.

“We don’t want a West African election, we want a Ghanaian election. We only want an election of Ghanaian people who are entitled to vote,” he stressed.

The NPP flagbearer made this known when Alex Kojo Abban, NPP parliamentary candidate for Gomoa West; Gabriel Nsoh Agana, NPP parliamentary candidate for Bongo; Ekow Quansah Hayford, NPP parliamentary candidate for Mfantseman; and Daniel Okyem Aboagye, NPP parliamentary candidate for Bantama, paid separate courtesy calls on him at his Nima residence on Thursday.

Towards ensuring that a new voters’ register is compiled for 2016, Nana Akufo-Addo stated that “the NPP will continue to agitate peacefully, and advocate for a new voters’ register for 2016. At the end of the day, the Electoral Commission will have to look at our evidence, do what is right, and do what the people of Ghana are demanding.”

Akufo-Addo wondered why the ruling National Democratic Congress party, led by its General Secretary, has taken upon itself the role of “chief advocate for the Electoral Commission, an independent body.”

These actions by the NDC, however, according to him, will not deter the NPP from stressing the need for Ghana to have a new, credible voters’ register that must be compiled in time for the 2016 general elections

“We will not be perturbed (by the actions of the NDC). We want a register that is fit for purpose. We don’t want an ‘ECOWAS register' ”, Nana Addo maintained.

The ‘fight’ being put up to ensure that a new voters’ register is not compiled for the 2016 election, Nana Akufo-Addo said, is indicative of the fact that “President Mahama and his NDC party will not want to let power go off easily.”

Source: starrfmonline.com