Legendary Highlife musician, producer and song composer, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley has described musician Kofi Kinaata as the only one who is currently preserving the indigenous Highlife music in his song.
Speaking an interview on Joy Prime TV monitored by Dikoder.com, Mr. Ambuley observed that the other big artists like Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy have no Ghanaian identity as far as music is concerned.
“If you take Kinaata, when he sings you could see that there is kind of locality in there and when he is rapping to you can see the locality”, Gyedu- Blay said.
He further said though Kofi Kinaata is doing well in the Music Industry, he said he still has to work hard on his music to make his identity clear in his arts.
Speaking great about Kinaata, he said “Kofi Kinaata undoubtedly is one of the young Ghanaian song writers noted for producing quality music with good lyrical content.”
His songs, “Susuka” and ‘Things Fall Apart” have all been rated by Ghanaians as one of the best all music imbedded with good lyrics and well composed.
The Board of Directors and Management of Ekumfi Fruits and Juices Limited have commended the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for officially commissioning the Ekumfi fruit juice processing factory last week Friday.
According to a statement signed by the Chief Operating Officer of the company, Frederick Kobbyna Acquaah, “wish to express our profound gratitude to God Almighty and H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo also known as Nana Oyeadze Nokwarfo I of Ekumfi Traditional Area, for his vision, unflinching support, direction and passion to industrialise Ghana through the One-District-One-Factory Programme of which Ekumfi Fruits and Juices Ltd is proudly, the first.
We are also grateful to Odeefo Akyin VIII, Paramount Chief of Ekumfi Traditional Area, under whose auspices the commissioning of the factory was held, and all the paramount chiefs who were invited to grace the occasion. We are indeed humbled”.
The statement said, “ we would like to express our gratitude to Hon Gifty Ohene Konadu, the National coordinator, One-District-One-Factory, for her dedication, sacrifice and enviably, her involvement in our project and the One-District-One-Factory secretariat as well as the CEO, Board of Directors and Management of Ghana Exim Bank who financed the project.
“Also, our special thanks to the following, without whom the project would not have been possible. The CEO, Board of Directors and Management of Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) for enrolling the Company on a programme to receive planting materials (pineapple suckers), in support of our raw material base.
Ekumfi Pineapple Outgrowers Association, Greenfields and Foods Ghana Ltd, The Central Regional Minister, Hon Kwamena Duncan and His Deputy Hon Adjei Baffour, The Member of Parliament of Ekumfi, and Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Hon Francis Kingsley Ato Codjoe.
The District Chief Executive, Hon Bernard Bright Grant, and the District Assembly Central Region Industrial Development Agenda, it said.
“We acknowledge the immense support and cooperation of the following government organs: Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), and Ghana water company (GWC). We cherish the continuous support and cooperation of the Chiefs and People of Ekumfi. We are grateful to the people of Ghana” it said.
The Ekumfi Fruits and Juices Factory processes 100% natural juices in 3 great variants Pineapple, Pine-Ginja and Pine-Tropic under the brand names EKUMFI PURE JUICE and EKU JUICE
The Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, has said former President John Dramani Mahama will restore Ghanaian participation in the banking sector in Ghana.
He said it was unfortunate that the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration has collapsed local participation in the sector in the name of the cleanup exercise.
His comment comes after the General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu, has asked the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to feel free to copy the content of the manifesto of the governing party ahead of this year’s elections.
Mr Boadu, who was speaking at the unveiling of the 2020 manifesto document of the NPP on Saturday, August 22 in Cape Coast, said the NDC were waiting for the NPP to launch their document to enable them copy the ideas in it for theirs.
He said: “We have launched our manifesto today. They are waiting for us to launch our manifesto so they can copy, they are free to copy.”
He further stated: “This manifesto promises to be an embodiment of progress and prosperity and promises for the Ghanaian people.
But speaking on TV3’S New Day Monday, August 24, the opposition Lawmaker, Sam George, said the NDC will offer a better manifesto document to Ghanaians.
He said “How do you copy a manifesto that is empty? How do you copy a manifesto that does not inspire any hope or any enthusiasm in Ghana? How do you copy a dead document?
He added “Ghanaians are waiting for the NDC’s manifesto where we will speak to the restoring the banking and financial sector jobs.
“Where former President Mahama has said that under his watch we will restore Ghanaian participation in our banking sector”
On Friday, a day before the NPP’s manifesto launch in Cape Coast, President Akufo Addo stated in an interview on ATL FM that a critical need assessment must be carried out first before an airport can be constructed in the Central Region.
“The response of the government should be that the matter has been thoroughly examined and the need has been established. That is the process the Ministry of Aviation is going through.”
“We have to be able to decide for ourselves whether the need for the airport can be justified when you have Accra, you have Kumasi, you have Takoradi, you have Tamale whether on the coast with Accra’s presence there’s the need for an additional airport,” the president said.
However, launching the party’s manifesto on Saturday, Dr. Bawumia announced that the party will construct an airport and a harbour in cape coast if the party is re-elected.
After the announcement by the Vice President, a section of Ghanaians have questioned whether the president was unaware of the contents in the manifesto.
But speaking in an interview on the Morning Starr, Mr Bissue who is also the General Secretary of the NPP in the Western region said the president was just keeping his cards to his chest.
“I think the President was keeping his cards close to his chest with regards to giving Cape Coast an airport.”
“They borrowed three times more than I did in my time and if you ask what was done with about $54 billion that was borrowed, I mean you can see examples of it all over the place,” he said in an interview on TV XYZ on Sunday, August 23 at the end of his tour of the Volta and Oti regions.
He said despite borrowing more than three times than he did while in office between 2012 and 2017, there is nothing to show for the current development.
He cited the expansion of the ports, construction of railways, roads, schools and hospitals as evidence of the investment of his borrowing, for which he was lambasted in the run-up to the 2016 elections.
“People can physically see what that money was used for.”
He stressed that the situation is contrary in the case of the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government.
“Unfortunately in this case, you don’t see anything. In social-economic, in infrastructure, you don’t find anything.”
He emphasised: “What has happened is this government has borrowed for consumption and that’s the tragedy.
“When you borrow you don’t use it for consumption. you borrow in order that you can invest in the real sector and capital development.”
He called on the youth of the nation to be concerned about the rate of borrowing under this government.
Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama has strongly defended his promise to legalize the commercial use of motorcycles popularly called ‘okada’ in Ghana if he is elected President on December 7, 2020.
Mr Mahama in an address to chiefs and people of Kpando in the Volta Region as part of his tour of the region said he recognizes the benefits of the ‘okada’ business to the many families that depend on it, hence his promise.
Currently, the use of motorbikes and tricycles for commercial purposes in any form is against Ghana’s Road Traffic Regulations 2012 (L.I 2180).
Some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have criticized Mahama over the promise describing it as hypocritical and an attempt to lure Ghanaians to vote for him.
But speaking in an interview on XYZ TV, John Mahama who is also a former President said he made this promise because okada it has provided more jobs than any government policy.
“This is a service that has come to stay. Whether you legalize it or not you cannot stop it and so why behave like the ostrich and bury your head in the sand. These okadas have created more jobs in this economy than any government job-related policy. It has created more jobs than NABCo, it has created more jobs than YEA and all those artificial job creation programs.
He further argued that legalizing the trade will enable the government to save the riders from constant harassment from the police since they are currently operating illegally.
“These young people are living under harassment because it is illegal and so the police harass them; they stop them from time to time and take money off them and all that. And so, my suggestion is that we should legalize it and regulate it to make it safer by training the riders, ensuring that the riders observe all the safety precautions and provide a helmet for the passenger.”
The former President also indicated that by regularizing the commercial use of motorcycles, riders will be easily identified to ensure that they go by all traffic regulations.
“We must be able to identify that this is a commercial motorcycle so that we can ensure that they are following the rules and they must obey all traffic regulations. You can’t pick a passenger and get to a red traffic light and ride through. So, I say let’s legalize, let’s regularize because it has created sustainable jobs and people are earning an income out of this.”
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has promised on behalf of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), to build sixteen model Senior High Schools in the Zongo communities in all sixteen regions in Ghana.
This was among many promises that were made at the launch of the NPP Manifesto held on August 22, 2020, at the University of Cape Coast.
Dr. Bawumia said, “We want to make sure that we focus on education in the Zongo communities so we are building model Senior High Schools at the Zongo communities in each of the 16 regions so we will have 16 model Senior High Schools in Zongo communities”.
Zongo communities are among the most highly deprived communities in the country and prior to the 2016 elections, the NPP made a promise to address the problem with education, as well as look for a vehicle that will prioritize development in Zongos so as to move away from the rice and sugar tpe of development.
In three and a half years, the NPP government boasts of establishing a Ministry for Inner-city and Zongo development, and creating the Zongo Development Fund which is paving way for sustainable development in these communities.
Moving further on his promises, the Vice President noted that one of the areas that has not received enough attention from past governments is the area of special needs education hence, the NPP government, when given another chance to build this country, will focus more on this area and support organizations in the private sector who are also trying to help this cause.
“We are going to increase the resources and infrastructure for special needs education across the country”, he stated.
Still on the provision of infrastructure to better education, Dr. Bawumia observed that the field of legal education is also one that has limited infrastructure, thus, limits intake and in turn, causes a lot of frustration with many prospective lawyers who are unable to get in. He promised that the NPP government will also expand infrastructure in this field so as to increase access to professional legal education in the country.
Mr John Dramani Mahama, Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has called on the youth in the country to vote for a political party that prioritises and cares for their future.
“This election is about your future, especially the young people. It is about the future for your children and children’s children and the party that will guarantee that future is the NDC,” he said.
Mr Mahama who addressed the people of Alavanyo in the Hohoe Municipality as part of his tour to the Volta region said the NDC would create one million jobs for the young people of Ghana, if voted for.
He said the next NDC government would also provide financial assistance for the youth, who would be interested in learning apprenticeship or skills with their hands.
The Flagbearer called on eligible voters to go out in their numbers during the exhibition of the voter’s register to check their names and cautioned them not to vote “skirt and blouse” during the December polls.
“In Hohoe Constituency, no skirt and blouse vote. I know that because elections are coming, they will come and give you money.
“When they bring the money, take it and ‘chop’ it, but when you enter the booth, remember that you are voting for the future of your children.”
Mr Mahama said the many plans the Party had for citizens would materialise if given the nod.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and Running Mate of NPP flagbearer, announced this at the launch of its 2020 Manifesto in Cape Coast on Saturday.
The policy would save the government millions of Ghana cedis as it would offload the cost of maintenance of that equipment on a leasing company.
The Party also promised to establish a National Transport Sector Recapitalization Policy to enable commercial vehicle operators to exchange their old vehicles with new ones and pay the cost overtime.
This would breathe life into the local automobile manufacturing companies, get rid of rickety vehicles on the road as well as reduce the high incidence of road crashes.
The Manifesto was on the theme, “Leadership of Service, Protecting our Progress, Transforming Ghana for All” was held virtually, and streamed live on major media outlets and social media platforms across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Manifesto was segmented into three parts-accounting for our leadership, consolidating our gain and plan for accelerating growth.
The Manifesto is a social contract between the Party and the people. It outlines the programmes, policies and ideas it intends to implement should it wins power.
The event was attended by government officials, traditional rulers and party bigwigs, with President Akufo-Addo officially outdooring the document.
Vice President Bawumia added that the next NPP government would implement a National Rental Assistance Scheme with a seed fund of GHc100 million to enable gainfully employed Ghanaians rent decent apartments and pay it overtime.
Giving accounts of the Akufo-Addo led government’s three and half years in office, Dr Bawumia said it had fulfilled 80 per cent of its promises, with over 300 achievements.
The achievements, he said, cut across various sectors of the economy including many infrastructural development in the areas of roads, healthcare, agriculture, education and social interventions to ease the burden on the poor and vulnerable.
The next NPP government, Vice President Bawumia assured, would consolidate the gains made so far and focus on its industrialisation drive including one-district,one-factory, Planting for Food and Jobs, Rearing for Export and Rural Development, commence the Integrated Aluminum and Bauxite, Iron and Steel projects as well as expand other existing programmes.
He told Martin Asiedu-Dartey on the TV3’s News@10 Thursday August 20 that the kind of debate Mr Mahama is calling for has been ongoing within the media space among stakeholders since Tuesday August 18 after the Vice president Dr Mahamudu Bawumia recounted the achievements of the government with respect to infrastructure.
The vice president had said since 2017, the government of President Akufo-Addo has initiated 17,334 infrastructural projects in this country.
“Of these, we have completed 8,746 and there is 8,588 ongoing,” Dr Bawumia said.
But Mahama on his campaign tour of the Volta Region called on Akufo-Addo to come for a one-on-one debate if he thinks that he has performed better than the previous administration.
“I am willing to present myself for a debate with President Akufo-Addo any day, anytime, anywhere. And we will settle the matter once and for all,” Mahama said on Wednesday.
Reacting to his call, Pius Hadzide said, “that invitation is pointless and unnecessary.
“It is a desperate and smart way of Mr Mahama to run away from a discussion or debate that is already ongoing on infrastructure of the first term of every administration.”
A member of the Conventions People’s Party Kwame Jantuah is of the view that manifestos prepared and released by political parties is a causal factor for financial loss.
According to him, manifestos haven’t been of any help to the country and that a long-term development plan is needed.
His reservation comes after the New Patriotic Party announced it would be inaugurating its manifesto on Saturday August 22, as the December polls is fast-approaching.
Speaking on the Morning Starr with host Francis Abban, Mr Jantuah said “we need a long term development plan and also implement it because manifestos haven’t helped.”
“I keep saying and I’ll continue saying that manifestos in this country keep causing us financial losses,” he added.
Deputy Communications Director for the NPP Kamal-Deen Abdulai touching on the manifesto launch said “we promised a governance of transparency, truth and we are delivering and people can verify that.”
“We have chosen the Central Region to launch our manifesto and to Kickstart our campaign towards the 2020 elections. But due to the COVID-19 protocols, it’s going to be limited in terms of attendance.”
Politician, Akua Donkor who aspires to be the President of Ghana has waded in the Papa No conversation by blowing the cover of who the Papa No is.
Since this Papa No conversation started, many have pointed fingers and mentioned names, alleging to be the Papa No with very little evidence to back their claims.
Akua Donkor who is the founder of Ghana freedom party, without fear and panic has mentioned who the Papa no is, and also raveled some ladies who are also involved with the Papa no.
The aspiring Presidential candidate, made this revelation during an interview on one Silva Fm where she blew the cover of Papa no.
According to Akua Donkor, the Papa no we are looking for is no other person than, the ex President John Dramani Mahama. She said this boldly with every bit of confidence in her.
She also said, the ex President had lot of ladies including an MP who he has bough a house for in Tema and has even given birth about 5 or 6 months ago.
Madam Akua Donkor really has a history with the ex President, as she campaigned for him massively during the last elections, and started calling him her son because of how close they were.
The next National Democratic Congress (NDC) under John Mahama will pay each assembly member a monthly salary of at least GHC1, 000, MyNewsGh.com has learnt.
“I did the mathematics; elected assembly members are 55000. If we give each of them GHC1,000 a month, that is GH¢55 million a year”, former President John Dramani Mahama hinted when he toured Mepe in the North Tongu constituency of the Volta Region on Monday, 17 August 2020.
According to him, if President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo alone could spend GHC69 million on travels in nine months in 2019, then the money could be found to pay assembly members.
“So, if the President alone can travel [for] GH¢69 million cedis in nine months, why can’t we find the money to pay assembly members?” the NDC flagbearer asked party supporters.
Meanwhile, after Mr Mahama’s promise to pay assembly members during a meeting with the Ghana Association of Assembly Members (GAAM) at his office in Accra, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, said it was a rehashed 2012 manifesto promise of the NDC which the former President never fulfilled as President between 2013 and 2016 while in office
“He [Mahama] knows it is impossible, the real situation is that the way the decentralisation scheme has been designed, they are like a board of the assembly and are not a full-time employee”, the Minister stated.
The newly sworn-in Municipal Chief Executive for the Akuapim North Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region has identified the provision of quality education as one of his utmost priorities during his tenure of office.
Barima Asiedu Larbi Awuah Sarpong who extolled the brilliant academic prowess of the people of Akuapem North promised to pursue vigorous educational reforms to revamp the current falling standards of education in the area.
Speaking in an interview with the media after taking his oath in a swearing-in ceremony at Akropong on Tuesday, August 18, 2020, the New Assembly Chief said he would bring his experience in the educational sector to bear on the fortunes of education in the area.
Identifying sanitation as another priority of his office, the new MCE resolved to institute pragmatic measures to deal with the menace in line with the President’s vision of making Ghana a clean country.
Barima Asiedu Larbi Awuah Sarpong’s nomination early in August by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo followed the removal of the former MCE for the area, Dennis Aboagye.
At a confirmation exercise at the assembly hall of the Municipal Assembly, the new MCE received 45 votes out of the 46 casts, in the election supervised by the Electoral Commission led by the Municipal Electoral Officer, Solomon Anganga.
He swore the official oath and oath of secrecy before Her Honour, Arit Nsemoh, a Circuit Court Judge at the Akropong Circuit Court.
He expressed his profound gratitude to the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, the Member of Parliament for Akuapim North, Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah Adjei and the Assembly Members of the Akuapim North Municipal Assembly for the confidence reposed in him and for the opportunity to serve the people in the municipality.
Barima Asiedu Larbi Awuah Sarpong also promised to offer his assistance and devoted services to the people and urged all and sundry to support and cooperate with him.
The Assembly Chief called for unity and avoid division to ensure maximum development in Akuapem North.
He acknowledged the arduous task ahead of him but said his confirmation together with that of the Presiding Member would ensure the speedy execution of various projects in the area.
He promised to consult all stakeholders including the former MCE and other MCEs to consult them for the progress of Akuapem North.
Confirmation of Presiding Member
The Akuapim North Municipal Assembly which on six previous occasions was unsuccessful in electing a Presiding Member, finally and almost unanimously endorsed the former Presiding Member, Mr. Asiedu Offei as its new PM.
Mr. Asiedu Offei was elected with 45 out of 46 votes as the new PM for the Akuapem North Municipal Assembly.
The election was supervised by the Electoral Commission led by the Municipal Electoral Officer, Solomon Anganga.
The new Presiding Member swore the official oath and oath of secrecy before Her Honour, Arit Nsemoh, a Circuit Court Judge at the Akropong Circuit Court.
Barima Awuah Sarpong until his nomination was the headmaster of the Okuapeman Basic School and a student at the Ghana School of Law.
Eastern Regional Minister, Eric Kwakye Darfuor on behalf of President Akuffo Addo thanked the Assembly Members for their support and urged them to collaborate with the chiefs to develop the area.
The minister who was satisfied with the turn of events was hopeful that the confirmation of the MCE and PM would guarantee the quick growth of the municipality.
He urged the two men to cooperate with the Assembly members in the discharge of his duties.
Mr. Darfuor urged the assembly to ensure the prudent development of the area as the people have hope in them and expect rapid development in return for the taxes they pay as the positions occupied by the Assembly Members must come with benefits to the people.
The members of the assembly pledged their allegiance, cooperation and support for the MCE and the PM and called on them to reciprocate the gesture to ensure unity.
They also promised to use their influence to support the assembly.
The First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo Addo has commissioned a 40-seater computerised library stocked with books on different subjects for children at Moree in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese (AAK) district of the Central Region.
The library is a project under the “Learning to read and reading to learn initiative” launched by the Rebecca Foundation to improve literacy among children from the ages of six and 15.
Speaking at the commissioning, the first lady explained that the library was built to ensure that children in Moree had access to information and ultimately secure a deserved great future.
She encouraged the children to cultivate the culture of reading saying, “read, learn new words and learn new things. Start writing your own little stories, it can be about your everyday life, adventure or some issue that you feel passionate about”
She stressed that writing would give them a voice to communicate with the World and share their talent.
Three similar libraries have been built in the Upper west, Bono and the Western North Regions, while Oti and Ashanti regions are also to benefit soon.
The First Lady said one’s ability to write, read and communicate effectively was vital for social and economic development and to transform lives.
However, she regretted that studies showed that many children at the lower primary level in Sub-Saharan Africa struggled to read in the official or local languages.
“Anyone with limited literacy skills is virtually excluded from written information that can change their lives. Literacy is not just about reading and writing, it is the ability to read, understand and apply the content to improve one’s life and that of society”, she added.
According to the first lady, the free Senior High School (SHS) policy had been one of the most significant developments in the history of the country that would have major positive impact on the society.
“If we enhance a child’s ability to read and write, the learning outcomes and success at academic achievement greatly improve. We have no option as a country that to re-ignite the reading culture”.
“All projects of Rebecca Foundation are designed to be mainstreamed to ensure ownership by beneficiaries”, she added.
She expressed gratitude to the Ghana Library Authority (GLA) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) for their immense support for the “ reading to learn and learning to read project”.
Mr Hayford Siaw, the Director General of the GLA said a total of 80 libraries were built since 2017, while several others were renovated to meet modern standards.
Four of them he said, were built by the Rebecca Foundation and expressed gratitude to the First Lady for her commitment to improving literacy among Ghanaian children.
