The Lead NewsPaper Ghana

17/11/2012

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28/10/2012

@10 BoreDoM: A Must Read Article ... Source [Nana Yaw Wiredu] 18Newspaper.com

This year’s Miss Malaika theme should have been a decade of Boredom and not a decade of beauty as the hyped event was not only too boring but poorly patronized. Readers will bear witness to the fac...

27/09/2012

By Kofi Bentil Imani has analysed the proposals from the NPP regarding Free Secondary Education, and concluded that, as the proposal is now, it is not appropriate to deliver what Ghana’s education ...

20/09/2012

Don’t Blame Textbooks And Economic Theory For Your Economic Mismanagement – Bawumia

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Running Mate to Nana Akufo-Addo has called on the ruling National Democratic Congress and its economic managers to accept the blame for the poor shape of the Ghanaian economy and to stop offering excuses and blaming textbooks and economic theories as was heard when the NDC unveiled its running mate days ago.

Dr. Bawumia who is on a 16 day tour of the Northern Region made the comment while speaking to a charged crowd of thousands of NPP supporters in Chereponi on Wednesday afternoon.

Touching on the current state of the economy, he said “just yesterday, I heard that some blame was being put on economic theory and text books for Ghana’s woeful economic performance. Economic mismanagement and wrong economic policies are at the heart of the NDC failure to manage the Ghanaian economy. It isn’t textbooks or economic theory that should be blamed for the economic mismanagement of the NDC
It is not text books or economic theory that is causing high cost of living in Ghana; it is not text books or economic theory that is causing high interest rates in Ghana. Government is supposed to have single digit inflation but government is borrowing at over 20%. How do you blame that on economic theory? It is not economic theory or textbooks that are causing high youth unemployment in Ghana. It is not economic theory that is causing the collapse of the cedi. It is not economic theory or textbooks that are asking us to pursue an economic policy of ‘woyomization’. I don’t know of a textbook that has been written on ‘woyomization’, so you cannot blame ‘woyomization’ or your own poor management of the economy on any textbook. You cannot blame the collapse of the NHIS on a textbook or theory” he said.

Dr. Bawumia likened the NDCs new excuse of blaming textbooks and economic theories to a doctor who after administering the wrong treatment to a patient leading to the death of the particular patient attempts to blame the books he read in medical school or claim that he or she is using his or her own methods to treat patients.

“One would have taken this doctor seriously if the patient was actually alive and kicking. But if the patient is dying or dead why should anyone believe that this doctor knows what he is doing or his left from his right?” He quizzed.

The former Country Representative of the African Development Bank in Zimbabwe reminded the current managers of the Ghanaian economy that the economy cannot and must not be managed on a trial and error basis and assured them that New Patriotic Party (NPP) is not going to sit idle and watch while the people of Ghana are misled.

The Chereponi constituency is the fifth constituency to have been visited by the NPP Vice-Presidential candidate since the commencement of his Northern Regional Tour.

The Running Mate to Nana Akufo-Addo was accompanied to Chereponi by former Vice – President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Sheik T B Damba, 2nd National Chairman of the NPP, Mustapha Hamid, spokesperson to Nana Akufo-Addo, Hajia Alima Mahama, former Minister under the Kufuor administration, Mohammed Amin Anta, former Chief Executive of the Tamale Metropolis among many others.

Source: NPP Communications Directorate

20/09/2012

No intimidation would be allowed on election day - Mahama

President John Mahama has assured electorates that the December polls will be the most peaceful elections Ghana has ever held in its history.

According to the President, no individual will be allowed to intimidate electorates on the day of voting.

President Mahama made the comments when he visited the Odorna garage square on a campaign tour of the Korley Clotey constituency of the Greater Accra region on Wednesday.

The tour officially marks the commencement of the President’s campaign in the region.

According to the President, he is confident that the NDC would get a one touch victory in the upcoming polls.

"The elections will be very peaceful" President Mahama said adding "Professor Mills wanted this elections to be different and peaceful so I would ensure that this is organized without any form of intimidation".

Meanwhile, the President is scheduled for the Northern region today.

His visit to the region will offer him the opportunity to commiserate with flood victims over there.

Source: radioxyzonline.com

20/09/2012

Fake Rice Hits Ghana’s Markets

By Kofi Safo-Antwi

So determined to swim in a sea of profits while ripping-off unsuspecting buyers of their monies, crooks operating from locations along the Spintex Road in Accra appear hell-bent on driving the rice industry straight into a ditch this Christmas, THE GHANAIAN SUN can reveal today.

Consequently sacks with prints of favourable brand names such as SUNDIATA, ROYAL FEAST, SAVANNAH, BLUE BIRD, THAI JASMINE RICE, THAI UMBRELLA RICE, RUBY, PHOENIX, BLACK JEWEL and the like attract a handsome pricing, once they can be delivered to the rogues in pretty good condition such that re-bagging may not give the game away.

Slippery tongues who have developed the pattern of playing the inquisitive monkey who had a bullet in the face have told THE GHANAIAN SUN that, the lowest grades of rice (in certain cases declared unfit for human consumption) are stashed into the bags and sewed neatly and professionally, in order to escape its detection by the most prying of eyes.

“They are then packed in commercial quantities and loaded onto trucks and dispatched to scores of stores for sale to the unsuspecting public,” one source told THE GHANAIAN SUN as the paper was on the prowl to ascertain the authenticity or otherwise of the goings-on.

Some patrons of some brands THE GHANAIAN SUN spoke to complained that, quite apart from the fact of some rice appearing in broken form, the grades are just too low that there is little doubt some of them are fit only for consumption by poultry animals.

The paper discovered a number of bags of rice so cleverly sewed whose inner stuff could possibly not match the quality writings on the sacks-claim otherwise, there would have been no need to open the sack for re-sewing at the premise as claimed by witnesses.

With a full bag of rice on the markets averaging 160 Ghana Cedis, it now confounds most consumers who end up with raw deals how else The Ghana Standards Board, and The Food And Drugs Board seem to sit idly by for crooks of such nature to have a field day, in landing massive profits?

Indeed with the Christmas season fast approaching, smart crooks, it appears the crooks know in the fibre of their being that rice sales will soar to the high heavens, and therefore continued dozing by the relevant authorities could lead to a catastrophe, if they drag their feet a shade late in a rescue mission.

THE GHANAIAN SUN learnt while on the investigative growl that not too long ago, the nation used to spend a colossal $500 million on rice importation until the advent of the ruling NDC, when so much talk was made of growing and eating local rice. However, the sudden appearance of low quality grades of rice ought to be a teasing challenge to the nation’s law-enforcers that, unwholesomeness has landed on Ghanaian markets.

The end result is that rice brands of the more popular kinds are duplicated with cheeky ease, and once buyers do not wise-up early enough to differentiate good from bad among the brands, rice buying in the stores will be business as usual. The other day THE GHANAIAN SUN acting on prompts from a source, learned of a 24-hour shift in a Lebanese-controlled rice warehouse along the Spintex Road, where milling and stuffing machines that supposedly undertake the clandestine venture were sited. But as Christmas inches closer and closer every day, it becomes incumbent on our security agencies that they need not clasp their hands and sit idly by because, if rice has to be eaten its qualitative taste and excellent nutritional values have to be distinct from the crap the rogues are bagging, popularly called TI GYIMI. …

20/09/2012

Low budget, weak research hinders tourism development – Baba Jamal

Mr. Baba Jamal, Deputy Minister of Tourism has noted that the poor performance of countries in the sub- region in their tourism competitiveness was due to weak research and low budget allocations to the sector.

He said the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism competitiveness index for 2011 ranked Ghana 108th out of 139 countries in terms of tourism competitiveness which was a slight improvement form its 110th position in 2009.

The country also placed tenth among African countries and in West Africa only the Gambia and Senegal were above Ghana as being more competitive.

Mr. Jamal made these remarks at a sensitization workshop for stakeholders in the Upper West Region on the operationalisation of the new Tourism Law, Act 817 and the implementation of the tourism Levy regulations (LI 2185)

He said the true wealth-creating and poverty reduction potential of the tourism sector was yet to be derived as Ghana was yet to make the necessary investments in that sector.

The government alone could not meet the substantial amounts of money involved hence the need for imposition of levies to complement government budget allocations, he stated.

He said any country that wished to compete in the tourism market must scale up its legislations, policies, infrastructure and quality of service.

According to the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), tourism arrivals and receipts doubled between the periods 2005 and 2010, while the tourism arrivals and receipts also grew at double digit figures annually within the same period.

Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper West Regional Minister, said figures released recently by the GTA showed that visitor arrivals grew from 698,069 in 2008 to 1,080,220 in 2011, with corresponding receipts of 1.4 billion dollars and 2.17 billion dollars respectively.

He called for a public/private partnership as a way of making Ghana a competitive and quality tourism destination within the frame work of respect for the country’s cultural, historical and environmental heritage.

The Regional Minister said his region could boast of many tourism resources such as the Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary and World’s heritage monuments like the Wa Naa’s palace and the Gwollu Slave Defence Walls.

20/09/2012

Essien Is Miles Ahead Of Mikel Obi - Fmr. Nigeria Coach

Former Nigeria captain Christian Chukwu Okoro is well convinced that Ghana midfielder Michael Essien is miles ahead of his country man Mikel Obi.

The 'Bison' fell down the pecking order at the Stamford Bridge prompting him to accept a season-long loan deal with Real Madrid on transfer deadline day. “I would choose Essien on any second, and any minute over Mikel,” Chukwu told Sunyani-based Storm FM. “Essien is the best in the holding midfield role, Mikel is still learning.” “Essien is a more powerful and a complete defensive midfielder than Mikel.

Mikel is good but he has more to learn more before he can get into the class of Essien.”

“For me I would always prefer Essien but [Roberto] Di Mateo has chosen Mikel over him,” the former Super Eagles coach said. Chukwu was the captain when the Eagles lifted the African Cup of Nations in 1980 and also coached them when they reached the semi-finals of the same competition in Tunisia.

Source: Goal.com

20/09/2012

Ghana makes another oil discovery offshore

The Ghana National petroleum Corporation (GNPC) announced Thursday, another discovery at the Sankofa East-1 well.

The exploration well which is located in the Cape Three Point Block offshore Ghana, has encountered 18.5 metres (61 feet) of gas-condensate pay in Campanian-aged turbidite channel sands and 22.5 meters (74 feet) of oil pay in Cenomanian sequence.

During the production test performed in the Oil level, the well flowed about 5,000 bopd of 30°API oil.

The Sankofa East discovery is located 4 km east of the Sankofa gas and condensate discovery and drilled to a total depth of 3650 metres in water depth of 825 meters.

This discovery while confirming the important role of this block in the development of non-associated gas resources also reveals its oil potential.

It is planned that after completion of logging operations, the well will be suspended for possible future use in appraisal and development operations.

According to Mr. Thomas Manu, the Director of Operations, the Sankofa East discovery extends the presence of hydrocarbon to the East of the Main Sankofa Discovery.

Mr. Thomas Manu further stated that “the oil discovery has enhanced the value of the Sankofa and Gye Nyame discoveries, which is advancing toward a plan of development.”

Ghana National Petroleum Corporation has 15-percent carried interest in the Deepwater Tano Block.

The other Partners in the Block include Eni (47.222-percent working interest and operator) and Vitol Upstream Ghana Limited (37.778-percent working interest).

20/09/2012

Bradez speaks out on artist performance fee and more

Kuntakinte and Stone of Bradez have added their voice on the matter of how much is charged for an artiste’s performance.

Especially in Ghana, there have been various speculations on the amounts Ghanaian artistes charge for their performances. Owing to this, inspirational rap group and only rap group in Ghana made up of blood brothers, Bradez, has debunked views that Ghanaian musicians charge too much for performances.

To Bradez, a lot go into music production and promotion. In that respect, musicians should be given what is adequate for their performances and investment. It is, however, to this effect that the group, which is made up of Kwaku Nsiah- Boamah (Flow King-Stone) and Kwaku Nsiah Amankwah (Kunta Kinte) recently released a music video on YouTube titled “SIKA” (L’ARGENT). This music video seeks to clarify life in the eyes of the musician. And this involves becoming a musician, and ensuring its success in the music industry as well as maintaining this success financially.

Speaking of success, however, Flow King-Stone, the elder of the group, disclosed money as the pivot of matters in the music industry in that even after producing music, money is what enables the artiste to produce another song for the fans to use it for their own gratification. But little do others know about how much money involved in making production possible.

On this, Stone states the hassle of making payment to each party involved in producing music to making it reach the listener with an estimate of 17000 Ghana Cedis aside what is even given to radio presenters. Then the matter of hit making comes in the situation whereby the artiste is left with the condition of either accruing profit or having loss from the music in which huge amount of monies had been invested.

But Bradez, as they have always maintained their grounds in the music industry, says it is always ready to give Ghanaians the best.

Source: edmunasakyi.blogspot.com

20/09/2012

Asamoah excels as Juventus spoil Chelsea party

Juventus midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah showed his top-class status as he was among the players who excelled when they held Chelsea to a 2-2 draw in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The Ghana international got high marks as Chelsea blew a two-goal lead as their defence of the Champions League title got off to a breathless start.

Oscar looked set to enjoy a dream European debut with a stunning first-half double but the Italian champions ruthlessly exposed the holders’ defensive deficiencies to sn**ch a draw.

Arturo Vidal pulled a goal back before the break and, after Eden Hazard was denied what appeared a penalty, Fabio Quagliarella came off the bench to equalise and was a lick of paint from completing a sensational turnaround.

That would have been cruel on Chelsea but – as in their Uefa Super Cup thrashing by Atletico Madrid – they left themselves exposed enough to make such an outcome possible.

Asamoah was rated among the best players on the night at Stamford Bridge as he got 7/10 for his efforts for the Italian giants.