Cedi Begins To Slide

Dr Kofi Wampah – Bank of Ghana Boss

The local currency Cedi has started depreciating against major foreign currencies on the forex market.

As at press time yesterday, the Ghana cedi was going for GH¢3.73 to a dollar as against GH¢3.40 on July 8.

Nii Ogbamey Tetteh visited some commercial banks around Nima and the Ring Road to assess the performance of the local currency.

At Access Bank’s branch at the Nima Roundabout, buyers had to part with GH¢3.74 to get a dollar and GH¢5.95 for a pound.

At the GT Bank branch office located close to the Ridge Roundabout, GH¢3.73 was enough to get a dollar.

At the Nima adb, buyers used GH¢ 3.675 to get a dollar and the cedi was GH¢5.60 to a pound.

The Bank of Ghana’s website quoted GH¢3.42 for a dollar and GH¢5.35 for a pound.

By the foregoing rates, the local currency on average depreciated by about 29 percent since its brief appreciation against the foreign currencies from July 9.

The Central Bank had announced plans to inject $20 million on a daily basis to strengthen the cedi.

The BoG previously pumped $14 million per week onto the market but increased it recently to help shore up the cedi significantly.

The local currency started depreciating against the major foreign currencies at the beginning of January last year and continued this year until July 8 when it appreciated against major foreign currencies.

Various civil society groups and market analysts raised concerns about the sustainability of the exercise, describing it as a nine-day wonder.

It would be recalled that the US dollar which was sold at GH¢ 4.32 at the end of June this year fell to GH¢3.4 on July 8.

Market watchers have forecast the Ghana cedi could end the year at between GH¢3.90 and GH¢4.30 to a dollar.

Read More

Give Us Our Money – Collapsed Building Workers

Dr. Prosper Adabla

Workers who were at the site when the four-storey building under construction collapsed near the president’s residence and the premises of the Free Zones Board at Cantonments in Accra on Saturday, have complained about their unpaid salaries.

Though Dr. Prosper Adabla, the owner of the building was killed when the structure collapsed, the workers insisted that they should be paid their salaries immediately.

According to a survivor who was a worker at the site, monies meant to be given to them as stipends got trapped in the wreckage but was later retrieved and confiscated by the police as exhibit.

Another worker who was also a victim, told DAILY GUIDE that since Saturday, no one had come forward to tell them anything about their unpaid salaries.

“We are marked daily and paid weekly. On that faithful day, the lady who was supposed to pay us had the money with her when the building collapsed. She was rescued and the police also found the money later but till date no one has told us anything about our salaries,” the worker who pleaded anonymity, stated.

He appeared frail with bandages and plaster on his face, legs and arms. He added that some of the workers who were affected by the incident needed their salaries to pay for their medical bills.

He said the daily wage of each labourer was GH¢35.00 whiles that of each mason was GH¢45.00. This amount is accumulated and paid to the workers weekly.

When DAILY GUIDE visited the scene of the tragedy on Monday, the agitated workers said it appeared they were not going to be paid for the services they had rendered that week since no one from management had approached them concerning who was going to settle the medical bills of the affected workers and when they were all going to be paid.

There was only one lady among the 18 rescued persons who apparently was at the scene to pay the workers. She was trapped at the ground floor but miraculously survived.

Meanwhile, the La Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly has revealed that the owner of the building had disregarded a directive to stop work.

The assembly said the owner, Dr. Prosper Adabla, did not also have a building permit.

Dr. Adabla and two others died on the spot when the building collapsed Saturday afternoon.

La Dadekotopon Municipal Chief Executive, Rita Odoley Sowah who visited the site on  Monday, told journalists, “I am indeed lost for words because as this project was ongoing I had been here with my staff on several occasions to ask them to stop work because before you embark on any project you have to obtain permits from the assembly which they hadn’t done.

“When we say stop work you have to abide by that but for them they ignored it and continued working,” she said.

The police officials, National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and the Ghana Fire Service have started investigations into the incident.

Rescue Mission Ends

Meanwhile, a team made up of the police, military, firemen and NADMO that was undertaking rescue operations at the scene, completed its work at ground zero yesterday after saving the lives of about 18 persons.

Superintendent Mercy Wilson–Brown, the Cantonments District Police Commander who spoke to DAILY GUIDE, said at the end of the rescue mission that three bodies were retrieved.

“Ten victims were treated and discharged while four are still on admission receiving treatment,” she added.

According to Superintendent Wilson-Brown, the police were yet to investigate the criminal aspect of the incident.

Read More

Ghana Electoral Process Lauded

EC Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, Dr. Matlosa and Hannah Tetteh

Director of Political Affairs at the African Union (AU), Dr. Khabele Matlosa, has commended the electoral process of Ghana, stating that it had done well in terms of improving the management of elections.

According to him, there is the need for other African countries to learn from the professional electoral management bodies (EMBs) in Ghana that have been conducting credible, peaceful and democratic elections.

Dr. Matlosa, who was speaking at the General Assembly Meeting of Association of African Election Authorities (AAEA) in Accra, said Ghana had done well in terms of ensuring that elections  are managed transparently and democratically, leading to a peaceful outcome of the process.

“Some countries have successfully managed their elections and have ensured that democracy is sustained, deepened and natured.  One such country that has really done well in terms of improving management of elections is definitely the Republic of Ghana; and there are some lessons that other EMBs can learn from Ghana in terms of ensuring that elections are managed transparently and democratically leading to a peaceful outcome of the process,” he said.

He added that one of such lessons other African countries needed to learn from Ghana is that contestants need to have a culture of accepting election results based on a code of conduct they would have signed if the elections were conducted transparently, freely and fairly.

“The issue of ensuring that the judiciary is allowed to play its own role in dispute resolution in times where there have been disputes, Ghana is an example where those disputes have been resolved amicably through the judiciary and without parties interfering with the role of the courts,” he noted.

He proposed that African countries need to strengthen institutions that anchor democratic elections, citing National Peace Council as one of such strong institutions in Ghana.

Hanna Tetteh, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, also commended Nigeria for holding a free, fair, transparent and credible election which was devoid of violence and resulted in the change of political power.

“It is important because Nigeria, especially for those of us in West Africa, is one of the largest countries on our continent and if indeed in  a country such as Nigeria was able to hold elections that we all acknowledge as being well done, then I think that indeed there is no excuse for any country anywhere else on our continent not to be able to hold free, fair, transparent and credible elections,” she added.

Read More

Africa Requires Enlightened Politicians

Dr. Feyemi

FORMER GOVERNOR of Ekiti State in Nigeria, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has stated that the African continent requires thoughtful politicians with character and integrity who are bold and broad-minded enough to consider things which lie beyond the scope of their immediate benefit.

According to him, the continent also requires enlightened politicians   who are willing to rise above their own power interests or particular interests of their political parties in order to resolve the current democratic deficit that Africa is experiencing.

Speaking at the 3rd Atta Mills Memorial Lecture on Tuesday, Dr Fayemi said, “A good politician needs not be an intellectual but he should be able to explain without seeking to seduce; he should humbly look for the truth of this world without claiming to be its professional owner; character and integrity should be more important to him than academic brilliance.”

He added that in the realm of politics, intellectuals need to make their presence felt rather than accepting a political office and using that position for their selfish gains.

“They should alert people to the good qualities in themselves, including a sense of the values and interests which transcend the personal, without giving himself an air of superiority and imposing anything on his fellow humans; they should not yield to the dictates of public moods or of the mass media, while never hindering a constant scrutiny of their actions,” he said.

Paying tribute to the memory of the late President Atta Mills, Dr Fayemi described the late president as a man who “often cultivated relationships with some of his fellow leaders as preferred channels of quiet personal diplomacy.”

“He shunned disdained, flamboyant, self-promoting photo opportunities, opting instead to work behind the scenes. Professor Mills shunned the limelight, preferring to work behind the scenes. He soon became the influential architect of official interventions in many areas but he was always far more interested in getting results rather than milking his fame for political capital,” he said.

Read More

Rent Charges Skyrocket

Dr. Philomena Nyarko

Rent charges in most cities in Ghana have been increased astronomically in recently due to high prices of petroleum products and depreciation of cedi against major foreign currencies.

Dr. Philomena Nyarko, Government Statistician, who disclosed this to BUSINESS GUIDE recently in Accra, said ordinary Ghanaians are helpless because they often fail to meet such demands.

“We are talking about transport, utilities, education, clothing, housing and recreation and culture. If you take housing, rent is really causing the high rise in inflation. For rent alone we are seeing an inflation rate of 66.6 percent as compared to last year which was around 15.5 percent,” Dr. Nyarko said.

According to her, tenants in most cities would pay more for rent than they did last year because of the drastic increase in inflation.

Tenants at Abeka Lapaz and Adentan now pay GH¢180 for single room self-contained which used to be GH¢150.

While those occupying two-bedroom self contained are now paying GH¢250 compared to GH¢200 last year.

Tenants at Spintex Road are paying between GH¢250 and GH¢350 for single room self-contained depending on the type of building.

The situation at Dansoman is slightly different, with tenants paying between GH¢500 and GH¢600 for the two bedroom house and GH¢180 for single room self-contained.

Read More

Veep Urges Muslims To Be Tolerant

Vice President Amissah-Arthur (right), interacting with Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu.

Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has urged Ghanaians to tolerate various religious faiths in order sustain peace in the country.

According to him, there was the need to appreciate the different faiths in Ghana in the wake of religious attacks and violence in the sub-region.

Mr Amissah-Arthur, who was speaking at the 2015 Eid-Ul-Fitr prayer at the Independence Square in Accra, said Ghana stands for religious tolerance which must be upheld by all.

He asked Muslims to continue to pray for a peaceful and united country.

“We continue to give thanks to Allah for a peaceful, stable and a united Ghana. On a daily basis in our communities and workplaces, we exhibit tolerance and appreciation of our different faiths and show that we care about each other’s welfare,” he said.

He added that government was concerned about the long-term viability of the country’s economy to provide livelihood for citizens.

“The sacrifices, patience and prayers are producing the expected results. This year we are experiencing an improvement in economic circumstances. We are therefore confident that the programmes and projects and the measures we are implementing will continue to yield good results,” he said.

Ebola Virus

Touching on the Ebola virus, he stated that “the success in controlling the spread of the virus is for all of us to share but we have to resist the danger of complacency.

“Ebola has not been fully eradicated therefore we need to maintain our vigilance and implement the measures proposed by the health authorities to prevent any outbreak in our country.

“Ghana discharged its duty to the global community by providing a site for the United Nations mission for Ebola emergency response to coordinate the international response for the Ebola threat. In addition, Ghana contributed 42 health professional to assist our brothers and sisters in Liberia to battle the virus,” he said.

He assured Muslims that measures had been put in place to effectively organize this year’s Hajj.

National Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr. Osman Nuhu Sharubutu prayed to Allah for peace, unity and tranquility in the nation, admonishing both Muslims and Christians to live together in peace.

Read More

Airtel Money Registers 2m Customers

Hannah Agbozo

Airtel Ghana, one of the leading telecommunications companies in Ghana, has registered 2 million customers on its mobile money payment platform.

According to Hannah Agbozo, Director for Legal and Corporate Affairs, the attainment of the milestone broke the myth surrounding social innovation in the banking sector.

“The 2 million customer milestone goes beyond mere numbers. It shattered the myth about how to scale social innovation in banking to expand financial inclusion by offering a simple and affordable model to reach out to millions of Ghanaians who want to save or transact in a convenient, fast, reliable and affordable manner to help them meet their daily needs,” she said.

It would be recalled that Airtel Ghana announced that its Mobile Money Service had the highest adoption rate on the mobile money service market two months ago.

Manu Rajan, Marketing Director at Airtel Ghana, said his outfit’s mobile money service was innovative, flexible and secure.

“We believe that we have a strong value proposition for all our subscribers as the Airtel money service continues to grow in quantity and quality. Through collaborations our services have now been linked up with locally relevant service providers and outlets to enable our customers to pay for goods and services in a secure manner.

“We have also enriched the service with the latest of technology like the NFC payment system, which has made Airtel Money the smartest way to make payments in the country,” Mr Rajan added.

He disclosed that his outfit had put in place various structures to cater for the growing number of subscribers.

Users of Airtel Money can go to any of its 13,000 registered agents, 500 merchant outlets, 80 shops that accept Airtel Money, seven partner banks and over 215 ATMs nationwide to enjoy the smartest payment experience.

Read More

Inflation Rises To 17.1%

Dr. Philomena Nyarko

Year–on–year inflation for June 2015 as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded 17.1 percent up from the 16.9 percent recorded in May 2015.

The monthly change rate for June 2015 was 1.8 percent compared to one percent recorded in May 2015.

Government Statistician, Dr. Philomena Nyarko, addressing a press conference in Accra, said the non-food inflation  recorded 23.6 percent compared to 23.4 percent in May 2015.

“This is 0.2 percentage higher than what was recorded for May 2015. If you take the two main components of the inflation rate computation – food inflation and non-food inflation – we are saying is that the year-on-year non-food inflation rate was 23.6 percent compared with the 23.4 percent that was recorded for May 2015,” she said.

Dr. Nyarko said the main price drivers for the non-food inflation rate were transport, housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, education and clothing and footwear.

Transport recorded the highest rate of 25.5 percent followed by housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels which recorded 24.8 percent, while education registered 24.6 percent and clothing and footwear 24.3 percent.

Touching on food inflation, she noted: “We had the year-one-year figure 7.4 percent in June 2015 compared to the 7.3 percent in May 2015. The non-food inflation rate is more than three times that of the food inflation rate.  Now the inflation rate of imported food items year-on-year was 21.2 percent while that of locally-produced items was 15.5 percent.”

Food inflation rate was 7.4 percent compared to 7.3 percent in May 2015.

At the regional level, the Central Region recorded inflation of 19.5 percent, Ashanti Region, 18.2 percent, Volta Region, 17.6 percent while the Upper East Region had 17.4 percent.

Read More

Immigration Officers Interdicted

Nine officers from the Ghana Immigration service (GIS) have been interdicted for their involvement in various criminal misconducts that have caused the Service and the State thousands of Ghana cedis.

These criminal misconducts which ranged from falsification of stamps, permit racketeering, theft of residence permit stickers to underpayment and nonpayment of approved fees among others are said to have caused  a drastic drop in revenue generation.

According to a statement signed by ACOI Francis Palmdeti, Head of Public Affairs at GIS, the interdiction was to pave way for the police to launch a full-scale investigation into the matter.

“In 2014, the GIS noticed a drop in its revenue generation thereby affecting its internally generated funds. The Director of Immigration immediately tasked the Intelligence Unit of the Service to look into the matter. The unit did an extensive job and revealed very disturbing practices of some senior and junior officers,” he said.

He added that the interdiction was part of management’s arrangement to ensure that such criminal elements did not remain within the institution.

“It also turned out that, some of these officers turned themselves into a cabal within the Service, defrauding unsuspecting clients and the State. This conduct is patently uncharacteristic of majority of GIS personnel,” he said.

ACOI Palmdeti urged the public to not to transact any immigration business with the officers mentioned below until the matter is fully resolved.

The interdicted officers are ASI Penny Oduro Sarpong, ASSIST INSP. Colins Appiah , , ICO Nathan Kpegbah,  AICO 1 Kwadwo Huttons, AICO 1 Joseph Amponsah, AICO 1 Courage Ghandih and  AICO 2 Prince Adokwei Addo all stationed at the GIS Headquarters and ICO Jeffrey Tetteh and AICO 1 Francis Quaicoe stationed at Paga and Tema respectively.

GIS later cancelled and declared Resident’s Permit Stickers with the inscription ‘Permitted to reside in GHANA under Regulation 9(8) of LI 1691 as spouse/dependant/student of’ with serial numbers ranging from RP0000001 – RP0003000 invalid.

“Stickers for Principal Permit Holders with the inscription ‘Permitted to reside in GHANA under Sect. 13(1) of Act 573 whilst employed by’ with serial numbers ranging from RP 0201052 – RP 0201100, RP 0201101 – RP 0201127, RP 0201228 – RP 0201300, RP 0201301 – RP 0201398 and  RP 0211101 – RP 0212000 are also invalid,” ACOI Palmdeti said.

He disclosed that any foreigner with resident’s permit bearing any of the above serial numbers should report to the Public Affairs Unit at the Headquarters or the CID Headquarters to assist in investigations.

Read More

Adjetey Anang Turns Lecturer At NAFTI

Adjetey Anang

Popular Ghanaian actor, Adjetey Anang is now lecturer at the National Film & Television Institute (NAFTI) years after the gracing the screens as an actor.

“It is true. I am doing part time lecturing at NAFTI on acting. It’s a new area in their curriculum. It was introduced last year and I was called by the rector of the school to take that up. Yeah I am doing that part time for now. I have done it for about a year now,” he confirmed the new job.

Adjetey joins the likes of Brew Riverson who is also teaching at the University of Education, Winneba.

Adjetey is an implausible talent who has steadily meandered his way through to the top. He remains one of the most adorable and relevant Ghanaian screen icons of our time. He is a flawless actor and radiates a personality of desirable reputation.

He became a household name late 1999 and early 2000, when he played the character ‘Pusher’ in the rested TV series, Things We Do For Love, on GTV. Those days every youth in the country was fond of Pusher and mimicked his talent and the role he was playing in the series.

Adjetey didn’t die along with Things We Do For Love, as he steadily climbed back to fame after taking a break to school. Currently, he is sweeping major awards.

He won AMAAs, Ghana Movie Awards Best Actor 2014, Golden Movie Awards Best Actor 2015, GIAMA Awards and others. He has also received numerous nominations including the current Nigeria Entertainment Awards.

Source: ghanareporter.com 

Read More

Robbers Raid Film Makers

FIPAG Boss, Mr Hackman (in white shirt) inspecting the affected shops

A chain of six stores and warehouses belonging to some of Ghana’s leading  film producers, marketers and distributors at the Kejetia Bus Terminal in Kumasi were over the weekend robbed by unknown assailants, Nii Ogbamey Tetteh has gathered.

The well organised thieves were said to have even stolen the CCTV cameras fixed in front of the shops to help fight crime.

The robbers are reported to have made away with new laptops, mobile phones, security cameras and money worth over millions of Ghana Cedis.

According to Michael Kwaku Ola, Public Relations and Welfare Officer for the Film Producers’ Association of Ghana (FIPAG), the robbers broke into one of the shops on Saturday evening and later gained access to the other shops through the ceiling.

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) had earlier barricaded the bus terminal, following a directive to relocate the bus terminal together with shops there.

The FIPAG executives visited the bus terminal to commiserate with their affected members on Monday.

“Most of the shops there that had been scheduled to be relocated belong to film producers, marketers and distributors. The bus terminal had been barricaded and the few people who had shops and outlets there had been asked to close their shops till they had been relocated,” Mr Ola told Nii Ogbamey Tetteh

One of the film distributors told the paper that the robbers broke into his shop and into his safe and made away with money he had made from the sales of movie CDs.

Mr Ola added that following the unfortunate incident, the Kejetia Bus Terminal had become a security threat, making it unsafe for anyone to be around the place.

“Most of these producers, distributors and marketers also trade in laptops and mobile phones, and all these things were taken away. Even the shops with CCTV cameras, the thieves stole the cameras along with the recordings and everything. But fortunately, the movie CDs were left untouched,” he said.

He pleaded with KMA to relocate the bus terminal along with the shops as soon as possible to avert a recurrence of such an unfortunate incident.

Meanwhile the police have since launched a full scale investigation into the robbery.

Read More

Rapper 50 Cent says bankruptcy filing is 'strategic business move'

50 Cent

Rapper 50 Cent filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday, reporting debts and assets in the range of $10 million to $50 million.

The 40-year-old New York born entertainer called the voluntary Chapter 11 filing in a Connecticut bankruptcy court a "strategic business move" that would not affect fans.

"They won't see any adjustments ... I'm clear on my target and I'm not going to allow myself to fall apart based on little things," 50 Cent told Reuters in Los Angeles while promoting his forthcoming film "Southpaw."

Lawyers for the "Get Rich or Die Tryin" singer filed court papers in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Hartford under the musician's real name, Curtis James Jackson III.

It came two months after 50 Cent filed for bankruptcy protection for his SMS Promotions boxing promotion company, and three days after the rapper was ordered by a Manhattan court to pay $5 million in damages to a woman over a sex tape posted online in 2009.

The court case stemmed from a video in which the rapper is accused of adding a commentary to a tape that the woman made with her boyfriend, and posting it online without her permission.

The woman in the sex tape on Monday filed court papers in a bid to continue with the punitive damages phase of the trial involving 50 Cent, which would normally be halted under the bankruptcy filing.

In May, Forbes named 50 Cent as one of the five wealthiest hip-hop artists in the United States with a net worth of $155 million, largely from his business interests in clothing, beverages and music technology.

William Brewer, an attorney for 50 Cent, said in a statement that the bankruptcy filing would allow him to "continue his involvement with various business interests and continue his work as an entertainer" while he reorganizes his financial affairs.

Monday's bankruptcy filing lists his liabilities as in the region of $10 million to $50 million and his estimated assets in the same range.

The rapper has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and won a Grammy Award in 2010. He has also worked as an actor, appearing in the 2008 film "Righteous Kill," and as a boxing promoter.

His latest movie "Southpaw," in which he plays a manipulative manager and boxing promoter, is due for release in U.S. movie theaters next week.

Source: Reuters

Read More

Adjetey Anang Speaks -My Awards, Accident & Now A Lecturer

Adjetey Anang and Elorm (wife)

An implausible talent, Adjetey Anang, steadily meanders his way through to the top and currently remains one of the most adorable and relevant Ghanaian screen icons of our time.

He is a flawless actor and radiates a personality of desirable reputation.

Adjetey Anang became a household name late 1999 and early 2000, when he played the character ‘Pusher’ in the rested TV series, Things We Do For Love, on GTV. Those days every youth in the country was fond of Pusher and mimicked his talent and the role he was playing in the series.

Adjetey didn’t die along with Things We Do For Love, as he steadily climbed back to fame after taking a break to school. Currently, he is sweeping major awards.

He won AMAAs, Ghana Movie Awards Best Actor 2014, Golden Movie Awards Best Actor 2015, GIAMA Awards and others. He has also received numerous nominations including the current Nigeria Entertainment Awards.

In this interview with NEWS-ONE’s Francis Addo, Adjetey spoke about what awards mean to him, his new movie Cartel, his career as a lecturer, his upcoming project in Nigeria and Ghana, as well as a recent accident that occurred on set.

Congratulations on your numerous awards this year.

Thank you, Francis.

How many awards so far?

Not that much. I think for the past three years, it’s Ghana Movie Awards, Golden Movie Awards, GIAMA and of course the one that I missed was the AMVCAs 2014. But yeah these are the very recent ones.

It must be a good feeling?

It’s never like, ‘ooh I have done it again’. It’s like wow. I am always excited but it puts me under more pressure to really work harder because I’d want to keep on improving on my talent; not specifically because I am looking forward to an award, but just to give back to say that you rewarded me and I am going to give you something more. So basically that is it for me. Excited but on the flipside, it’s more hard work to be done.

What do awards mean to Adjetey?

For me it just tells me that my work is being recognised and must have hit a certain mark of appreciation and therefore people want to say well done. But then for me, as I said earlier on, it means that ok we going to expect more from you the next time because we want to see something else. It means I have to move the gears to another level. Well, it is satisfactory that the hard work has paid off. In another breadth, it also requires hard work for the next level. For me this is what awards mean to me.

So what’s up with Adjetey now?

I am currently reading a script that I am supposed to dash out to Nigeria and shoot. But the bigger project ahead of me is trying to co-produce something. For me, it is really on my heart because the subject of this project is targeting something that is etching on many hearts in Africa and globally. It is about how human life is precious, how you deprive people of basic amenities and basic freedom, and how far they will go just to survive. This is just to give you a gist of it but subsequently we will talk at length about everything, including where it’s going to be done and all that. It’s a project I am looking forward to and it is just at the beginning stages. We are putting things together.

It sounds like a child trafficking story?

There will be a bit of it in there but it’s not the major theme.

Is that your first time going to work in Nigeria?

Technically it’s my first time to work in Nigeria. Aside that, I have worked with Nigerian directors and artistes, but here in Ghana. Going in there to work fully is my first. On three occasions, I had the opportunity to go and work there but I was in school. Desmond Elliot tried me; and so did Tchidi during school days.

So who are you going to work with? 

I am working with a director called Willie (William). He is also the director that Nadia and I did the movie, Rain by Silverline Productions with.

You have an idea which actors will be on set?

Seriously I don’t know.

Any expectations?

I am crossing borders and I am going to go all out and give my very best. At this stage, I am going through character analysis and so on. Yeah I will give my best. Nigeria is a huge industry, and for them to want to work with me means a lot to me.

You recently shot the movie, Cartel. Tell me about it?

I think it’s my second action film; no, it’s third actually. It’s basically treating the subject of drug trafficking. It looks at how that industry operates, all the secrecy in it, how the distribution is done, who the contact guy is and of course, how it disturbs the country. The story focuses on my character, who is a trained law enforcement personnel who goes through periodic training in USA and comes back to help curb drug trafficking.

What efforts did you put into playing the character? What did you do after receiving the script?

That’s the difficult part. I mean,it is easy for us as actors to ignore that part but it adds to characterisation. My role deserves some flare in combating and martial art. We had a professional stunt director who took us through for about one or two months before we shot the movie. It took a toll on me because our bodies in this part of the world are not used to action genre. Then again, I got in touch with some mates of mine who are in the force. One of them is a detective and I went to his office to observe how they go about their work. It will amaze you that when you walk into a hospital, the mannerism of a doctor is a sharp contrast to a detective. These were some of the few things I did for the character.

Adjetey Anang

What is different about that role?

What is different for me is that this issue is very sensitive because the story is based on real life events that happen and real characters that have some history in drug trafficking. The story is based on real events if you in your position, you will be smart enough to know that they are talking about this guy but, of course, in an artistic way with its own storyline. When I read it, it really hit me that people are not just going to walk away that they enjoyed a movie but also go back and really think of drugs and their impact on the youth especially.  That was really a key thing for me.

I hear there was an accident on set.

Oh yeah. In the course of the training, we had to suspend it because I injured my back. So I had to go to the hospital. I did MRI and all that. This is just to tell our actors that start daily exercising and jogging before an action movie so that your body will be in shape for that. I have learnt my lesson.

Is the industry ready for action movies?

Well I think that actors, to a large extent, are probably almost ready but then technically, do we have the means? Do we have the skill in shooting action movies? So I think that that’s a long shot. There are certain softwares that are not available to us. There is a certain skill that comes with it and that’s why Ghanaian producers would avoid action movies because they are time-consuming and costly. So I will rather do a love story which is easier to do. But I think we still have a long way to go if we want to go into action movies. We need the skill and that’s what we don’t have. There are talented guys out there who are trying their hands on it and it is commendable but you still see and you want to compare with a Rambo 3 or Rambo 2 because we still lack certain key elements.

Do you share the opinion that there is a large market for action movies in Africa?

Yes…That’s why lots of people watch American movies. That’s the irony. That’s why Cartel and another movie will change the view or the tone of African action movies to just tell people that these people are doing something nice to compare to the western world.

I heard you are a lecturer now. Is it true?

(Laughs) It is true. I am doing part time lecturing at NAFTI on acting. It’s a new area in their curriculum. It was introduced last year and I was called by the rector of the school to take that up. Yeah I am doing that part time for now. I have done it for about a year now.

Devil In The Detail won you an award. How did you end up playing that role?

When I have such scripts from Shirley, we know we are going to negotiate. So what you saw in there was an edited version. But of course I am also not trying to be too rigid so it affects the aesthetics of the movie. It has to be balanced.

By Francis Addo (Twitter: @fdee50 Email: fdee500@yahoo.com)

Read More

Scientist Queries E-Waste Burning

Dr Kwadwo Ansong Asante

Dr Kwadwo Ansong Asante, a senior research scientist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has condemned the indiscriminate burning of electronic waste since it emits various contaminants into the environment.

According to him, burning of electronic appliances emits polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs), which are major causes of cancer and fertility problems in women, among others.

Dr Asante was speaking at an in-house review seminar in Accra on his research into the assessment of human exposure to PCBs and BFRs through fish consumption in Ghana.

“We need to put a stop to the indiscriminate electronic waste burning   which is a major way of exposing these contaminants into the environment. When you burn these e-wastes, apart from BFRs that are emitted, you also release very toxic compounds we call dioxides. These chemicals are causing harm to humanity,” he stated.

The senior research scientist said BFRs were incorporated in capacitors, condensers and transformers on appliances and gadgets to slow down the initial phase of a fire.

He highlighted that another major source of transfer of BFRs to humans was the consumption of contaminated fishes and animals.

“These toxic contaminants such as PCBs and BFRs are in fishes and any form of animal you can find. One of the reasons is that they are said to be lipophilic – they are found in lipid rich tissues and fatty tissues – and tilapia along with other species of fish have a lot of fat. These toxic contaminants are transferred to human beings through consumption,” he said.

Humphrey Darko, another research scientist at CSIR, also said his research on ‘An Index Assessment Of Water Quality In Some Selected River Systems’  in Ghana revealed that water bodies found in  areas where illegal mining was rampant  were poor in quality.

“Contaminants that go into the water are mostly from human activities like illegal miners who introducing some unwanted chemicals into the water and at the end affect the quality index of water,” he said.

Mr Darko urged the regulatory bodies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Water Resources Commission of Ghana (WRC) to stop the illegal mining activities in the areas that pollute the water bodies.

Read More

Vodafone Organises Blood Donation Exercise

Telecommunication giant, Vodafone Ghana, has donated several pints of blood to the National Blood Service (NBS) through a recent blood donation exercise at its headquarters within the Airport City enclave to support victims of the recent flood and fire disasters.


The exercise which was aimed at increasing the country’s blood stock levels in handling flood-related emergency cases brought together staff from UT Bank, Stanbic Bank, Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) and other organisations around the Airport City enclave to support the exercise.


According to Ebenezer Amankwah, Corporate Communications Manager at Vodafone Ghana, the blood donation exercise was part of Vodafone Foundation’s core mandate to support the communities in which they operate in.


“The mayhem and disaster that befell the country of June 3 has moved us to support people in need and the blood bank is always one of the institutions that need help with blood to support people in need of blood because of the situation. We look forward to collecting a lot of pints of blood from this exercise for the blood bank. If we do this, the blood bank can get a breather for the next months to come in terms of responding to emergencies like this,” Mr Amankwah said.


He added that that his outfit would embark on the blood donation exercise frequently in a bid to ensure that National Blood Service would have stock to handle such emergencies in future.


“We realised that the unavailability of blood meant that more lives could be lost. As a caring brand, Vodafone Ghana was touched by the plight of the flood and fire victims, we believe we have a role to play in saving the lives of victims of the floods and the associated emergency cases,”  he  said.


Sophia Lissah, External Affairs Manager at UT Holding, said her outfit also joined the blood donation exercise because they saw it as another opportunity to contribute their quota to save more lives from flood and fire disaster.


Dr Justina Ansah, Director of National Blood Service, commended Vodafone Foundation for the exercise, stating that “blood donation is a civic responsibility and we want all Ghanaians to see it as everybody’s responsibility.”

Read More

‘Gov’t Must Partner Churches’

(from left) Rev. Bassey and Most Rev. Gabriel Mante

Rev. Fr. Evaristus Bassey, Executive Secretary of Caritas Nigeria, has called on government to partner religious bodies in order to achieve the Post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Caritas is an agency established by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN). It is a specialized vehicle for human development with a mandate to coordinate the social interventions of the Catholic Church in Nigeria.


According to him, based on the experience of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), it had established guidelines for engaging faith based organizations and their leaders and government needed to adopt those guidelines. Rev. Bassey was speaking at a two-day forum on the theme: ‘Responding to Challenges and Opportunities of the Post 2015 development Agenda- Role of Catholic Development Organisations’ in Accra recently.


He said though there were 17 goals and about 169 targets on SDGs, the Church together with government needed to prioritize on goals that would properly fit into the relevant development agenda to achieve sustainable results.


Nii Moi Thompson, Director-General of the National Development Planning in a statement read on his behalf recalled that the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992, set up a global developmental agenda for the 21st century, called the Rio Declaration or Agenda 21.


He disclosed that a global development agenda known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were set up to achieve a number of global targets by 2015.


The Rio+20 outcome document, ‘The Future We Want,’ inter alia, called for the establishment of an Open Working Group (OWG) to develop a set of post-2015 global development agenda called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for consideration and appropriate action by the United Nations General Assembly at its 68th session.


“This process would be rolled over into Ghana’s long-term development for 2016-2056 which was currently being developed, adding that the existing cross-sectoral planning group which discusses various themes of the Ghana shared growth and development to ensure consistency, would be strengthened to include other stakeholders apart from government,” he added.


The forum which was organised by MAREDES, Catholic Relief Agencies, Caritas Africa, and the Catholic Bishops Conference, among others, brought together 20 Diocesan Development offices of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, Catholic Development Partners from Germany, England and USA, Caritas Member-Organisations from Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria and Sierra Leone as well as representatives of the symposium of Episcopal Conference of Africa and Madagascar.

Read More

Delta Airlines Champions Malaria Prevention

Delta Airlines has distributed treated insecticide bed nets to residents of Nima and Maamobi in Accra, in collaboration with the Ghana Red Cross Society.


According to Petra Asamoah, General Manager of Delta Airline General Sales Agency (GSA) Ghana, the distribution of the treated nets which was targeted at women and children, was part of organisation’s ‘Hang Up and Keep Up’ malaria prevention campaign.


She said the campaign was part of their corporate social responsibility to curb the mortality rate of children below the age of five as a result of malaria.


“Delta Airlines has been proud to support the work of the Ghana Red Cross Society, as it targets the vulnerable with treated nets with accompanying malaria prevention messages, to help reduce the rates of malaria infection and infant mortality in the country. The project was launched last year and we decided to do it again this year,” Mrs Asamoah said.


Hajia Mariam Salifu, the Acting Regional Facilitator of the Mother’s Club, a wing of the Ghana Red Cross Society, said the project had helped in reducing malaria infection in the Nima-Mamobi community.


She disclosed that the club would continue to educate the people on how to use the treated nets and the need to keep their environment clean as a way of helping to prevent the malaria infection.


Hajia Salifu commended the airline for the great work they were doing to support the Nima-Mamobi community


Delta has been operating in Ghana since December 2006 and now operates services to four African cities in four countries.


Delta has grown from 22 weekly departures to and from Africa in December 2006 to more than 42 planned for summer 2015.


Through the hubs in Atlanta and New York-JFK, Delta offers an unsurpassed network of hundreds of convenient onward connections.

Read More

Bill Cosby Admitted He Gave Woman Drugs Before Sex

Bill Cosby

US comedian Bill Cosby admitted he obtained sedatives with the intent of giving them to women he wanted to have sex with, court papers from 2005 show.

The unsealed files, obtained by the Associated Press news agency, show Mr Cosby made the admission in a sex abuse civil case brought by a woman.

That case was settled for an undisclosed sum in 2006.

Mr Cosby, now 77, is facing a series of sexual assault accusations dating back decades. He has denied the claims.

Mr Cosby has never been criminally charged.

The documents came to light after the AP went to court to compel the release of the documents. Mr Cosby's lawyers tried to stop the release of the papers, arguing it would embarrass their client and reveal personal information.

'I gave her Quaaludes. Then we have sex'

In his 2005 testimony, Mr Cosby admitted that he obtained Quaaludes in the 1970s, with the intent of giving it to women he wanted to have sex with.

The case was brought by Andrea Constand, a former employee of Temple University - the Philadelphia college with which Mr Cosby was once closely associated.

Source: BBC

Read More

Ama Ata Aidoo Honoured In Winhoek

Ama Ata Aidoo

Ghana’s acclaimed Pan-African feminist, poet, playwright and novelist, Prof. Ama Ata Aidoo, was recently celebrated at the  AfricAvenir and Spoken Word event in Namibia.

According to organizers, celebrating a woman’s contribution to Africa’s renaissance through screening of the 78-minute Ghanaian documentary entitled, ‘The Art of Ama Ata Aidoo,’ would go a long way to  inspire others to be equally courageous.

The event, which took place at the Goethe Institut in Namibia, was supported by the Finnish Embassy with the Ghana High Commission providing moral and patriotic support.

The film, which was directed by Yaba Badoe, explores the artistic contribution of one of Africa’s foremost women writers, a trailblazer for an entire generation of exciting new talent and charts Ama Ata Aidoo’s creative journey in a life that spans seven decades from colonial Ghana through the tumultuous era of independence to a more sober present day Africa where nurturing women’s creative talents remains as hard as ever.

The film portrays Madam Aidoo returning home to her ancestral village in the Central Region of Ghana, launches her latest collection of short stories in Accra, and travels to the University of California, Santa Barbara, to attend the premiering of her seminal play about the slave trade –  Anowa.

With contributions from Carole Boyce Davies, Nana Wilson-Tagoe and Vincent Odamtten, ‘The Art of Ama Ata Aidoo’ gives a fascinating insight into the life of a feminist, poet and novelist and brings her writing to new audiences.

“I was absolutely thrilled to learn from Yaba Badoe that her documentary on me and my work is getting premiered in Namibia. Hearing about this event took me back to my brief visit to Windhoek, and how absolutely wonderful that was…Over the years, there have been one or two occasions when I’d come close to returning to Namibia to lie low and write.

“Although those chances did not work out, I haven’t given up on that particular project yet. This evening though, I hope you enjoy ‘The Art of Ama Ata Aidoo’, the film…I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank you for all the great work you’ve been doing on, and for African films,”  Prof Aidoo said in a short message to the audience.

Read More

50% Ghanaians Lack Access To Water

Bishop Akolgo

The integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) has stated that though water is part of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets, 50 percent of Ghana’s population lacks access to safe water.

According to the policy think-tank, access to potable water which has been described by the United Nations (UN) as a human right has rather become a scarce annuity in some parts of the rural areas.

Leonard Shang- Quartey, Policy Analyst at ISODEC, said government together with civil society organisations (CSOs) needed to work towards delivering potable water to rural areas as a measure to help Ghana achieve the that aspect of MDGs.

Mr Shang- Quartey was speaking at the maiden edition of the Water Citizens National Forum, in collaboration with COSPE and the Water Citizens Network.

He said government had centered its concentration on providing access to potable water to urban areas to the detriment rural areas.

In Ghana, people still use water from unsafe sources and the activities of small-scale mining known as ‘galamsey’ continue to pollute water bodies in rural areas, making water scarce.

The policy analyst disclosed that one of the major obstacles to the principles of delivering potable water to rural areas was the activity of water grabbing that led to countries and individuals scrambling to control the management of water resources.

He added that water could not be considered as a commodity, particularly in Africa since the human body contained over 70 percent of water.

Bishop Akolgo, Executive Director of ISODEC, said without a clear strategy, CSOs would not be able to win the debate on water as human right and not just a commodity.

He called on stakeholders to find avenues to clearly define water as a human right and not a commodity.

The forum brought together CSOs and members of various communities affected by water pollution.

Read More

There Is No Zongo Girl In My Life -Stonebwoy

Stonebwoy

Award-winning Ghanaian musician Stonebwoy has told the VOA that there is no girl in his life, days after winning Best International Act, Africa at the Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards in the USA.

“There is no Zongo girl in my life but there are a lot of Zongo girls out there…We thank God for the women in our lives—our mothers, our sisters, our girlfriends. This song is one of the special love songs dedicated to the girls,” he told the radio station after he was asked about the special Zongo girl he recorded the song, Zongo Girl, for.

Stonebwoy spoke about his career, awards he has won and the motivation he has been getting.

He also explained ‘dumso’ and the power crisis Ghana is currently undergoing, using the platform to announce a July 4 show he was headlining in Atlanta.

It is unclear when Stonebwoy is coming back home after winning the BET Award.

However, the BET Award sparked an old controversy about Africans receiving BET Awards backstage—a situation many have described as humiliating to the African continent and its talents.

Stonebwoy became the first Ghanaian and African dancehall artiste to win a BET Award.  He beat top acts AKA and The Soil  from South Africa, Dr Congo’s Fally Ipupa,  Ghana’s Sarkodie, Kenya’s Sauti Sol, and Wizkid and Yemi Alade from  Nigeria.

By Francis Addo (Twitter: @fdee50     Email: fdee500@yahoo.com)

Read More

Tigo Supports GJA Awards

Dr. Monney receiving the cheque from Gifty Bingley

Telecommunications company, Tigo Ghana has presented a cheque of GHC 10,000 to support the online category of upcoming Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) awards.

According to the telecommunication company, the aim to recognize and appreciate the contributions of journalists fueled the drive to support the 20th edition of the GJA Awards which is slated for August 15 at the State Banquet Hall.

Speaking at the press conference to present the cash to the GJA in Accra recently, Gifty Bingley, Head of Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility  at Tigo stated that her outfit was ready to support institutions such as the GJA to encourage the pursuit of excellence among journalists in the country.

She stated that the Digital Journalism category was essential to Tigo because it provides data services which enable people to keep connected to family, friends and share information.

GJA president, Dr. Affail Monney commended the Tigo for the kind gesture and called on corporate Ghana to demonstrate their appreciation for journalists’ contribution to society.

“Many are those who look at our flaws and paint all of us with the same accusing brush. Yes, human we are so we have our own imperfections but our imperfections do not obscure that fact that majority of our members are doing well, they are exceling and their excellence is impacting meaningfully and positively in all dimensions of national life,” Dr. Monney said.

He disclosed that this year’s GJA Awards which will have energy as a critical subject had been tailored to reward excellence which will motivate others to give off their best thus leading to the improvement of the media landscape.

“Everything has been lined up to ensure that this event lives up to its billing as one of the best on the national calendar,” he noted.

In another development, World Vision has signed a sponsorship agreement with GJA to support the association with a GHC 30,000 annual package to support the fraternity.

The GHC 30,000 package would cover two training sessions for 25 reporters on Child Protection amounting to GHC 10,000, a sponsorship award for the best reporter on Child Protection worth GHC 10,000 as well as a GHC 10,000 to support the Award Ceremony.

Read More