Kwarasey set for Ghana return after two year absence

0
Adam Larsen KwaraseyAdam Larsen Kwarasey is set for a return to the Black Stars with his name pencilled down for the twin Nations Cup qualifier against Mozambique later this month.
The USA based goalkeeper has had a difficult relationship with Ghana coach Avram Grant after he turned down an invitation for a friendly against Canada but he will be handed a second chance against Mozambique. Kwarasey has not played in two years since appearing at the 2014 World Cup in a game against USA. Kwarasey’s return will spell temporary doom for Fatau Dauda who has been dropped from the squad. Grant’s 23-man squad for the two games on March 24th and March 27th is dominated by familiar names but there is no place in the side for Mubarak Wakaso who is absent through injury. Ghana is top of Nations Cup qualifying group H after two wins in their opening two games. By TV3 Sports Desk Twitter: @TV3SportsGH

Tigo’s Shelter 4 Education Initiative lauded

0
Among the refurbished schools was the one at DimabiAt the recent brand re-launch of Tigo’s digital revolution at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, the Deputy Minister for Communication, Ato Sarpong, praised the company for its social responsibility flagship project, Shelter 4 Education.
He commended the project for its positive impact on the lives of school children, the beneficiary communities and the country’s educational landscape as a whole. “Over the past few years, Tigo has been top of mind in the media, particularly with Shelter 4 Education, building schools across the country. The project supports government’s effort to tackle the lack of educational infrastructure particularly in rural parts of the country,” he said. The telecoms company constructed four schools and refurbished two others expected to serve as motivation to encourage parents to send their wards to school, thereby increasing enrolment. Tigo launched its new tagline ‘Live it. Love it.’, which reflects the company’s ambition to become the most consumed digital services brand of choice. At the launch, the Deputy Minister was hopeful of the telecom sector and upbeat about Tigo’s transformational journey, explaining that despite the various industry challenges over the year, Tigo is still a dominate force in the market. He praised the company for investing millions of Ghanaian cedis in the last couple years to improve network quality, rollout of new cell sites and data centers. Source: tv3network.com|Ghana

Mahama wants margin of preference under Procurement Act moved to 20 %

0
Prez Mahama 2President John Dramani Mahama has advocated for an upward adjustment of the margin of preference given to local content under the Public Procurement Act.
The president is proposing that the threshold should be pegged at 20 percent from the about existing 12-15 percent. Section 60 (1) of Act 663 states that “A procurement entity may grant a margin of preference for the benefit of tenders for work by domestic contractors or for the benefit of tenders for domestically produced goods or for the benefit of domestic suppliers of services.” Speaking in an exclusive interview with Bridget Otoo on TV3 New Day on Monday, President Mahama said the increase would make Ghanaian products competitive. “To make Ghanaian product more competitive, you give them a certain percentage. I think that that percentage should even be increased to about 20 percent. “If even a Ghanaian product is 20 percent more expensive than a foreign product, because it manufacturer is creating jobs in our economy we should go for their Ghanaian product.” However, President Mahama noted, Ghanaians, especially government agencies’ budget cost will go up if we are to give preference to local products that are often expensive. “If Ghanaian product is far more expensive than the foreign product then it means we must be prepared to buy it and that is going to come out of the consolidated fund,” he underscored. President Mahama also indicated that his call for the increment is influenced by government’s “deliberate policy to give advantage to Ghanaian businesses”. He therefore prayed that persons working to amend the Public Procurement Act, 2003 Act 663 would do well to fix the “loopholes” in the Act for Parliament to ratify it.   Source: Isaac Essel | tv3network.com | Ghana

Mahama mourns Bob Okala: “you brought joy to many homes”

0
Prez MahamaPresident John Mahama has celebrated late Ghanaian comedian, Bob Okala who passed away Sunday dawn saying, “you brought joy to many homes.”
In a tweet to express his condolence to the family of Bob Okala, Mr. Mahama said “RIP Bob Okala, you brought joy to many homes and of course to Lordina and I. #RIPBobOkala” The 64 year old veteran comedian, Samuel Kwadjo Boaben, know in Showbiz as Bob Okala died after collapsing onstage. His death occurred in Koforidua after he had performed at a musical concert put together by Joy Herbal Industries. He is said to have collapsed after a short performance on the stage and was rushed to the hospital where he was declared dead. Bob Okala’s death comes barely a month after fellow stage comedian, ‘Nkomode’ also died after a prolonged illness. The two of them became popular through the Key Soap Concert party which used to be shown on TV in the middle to late 90’s and early 2000s. It is reported that staff of Joy Daddy industries who rushed him to the Koforidua hospital after he had collapsed, where he was pronounced dead. The late comedian was with his son at the event and has since reported to family members who according to our sources have been to the hospital to ascertain the veracity of the news. By Martin Asiedu-Dartey|tv3network.com|Ghana Twitter: @NewsyMartin

Bank of Ghana governor shocked over arrest of fugitive cocaine in-law

0
Dr. Henry Kofi WampahGovernor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Henry Kofi Wampah has confirmed that British fugitive, David Macdermott who was arrested in Ghana over cocaine related offences is indeed married to his step daughter.
In a short statement released on Sunday following the arrest which took place on Friday, Dr. Wampah said “I have received news about the arrest of David McDermott, who is married to my step daughter, Ramona, with shock. “David has been known to me as a worker in the mining sector and has been living in the country with Ramona since their marriage some three years ago.” The statement went on further to say that “until I received information about his arrest, I had absolutely no knowledge about David being a fugitive of the British government.” Mr. McDermott, described by some as Britain’s most wanted cocaine fugitive has been hiding out in Ghana at his home in Burma Hills in Accra. The 42-year-old is married to Ramona Wampah, the step daughter of the governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Henry Kofi Wampah and they have a child together. Suspected of being a member of an organised crime syndicate from Liverpool – he has been on the run for three-years for his connection to a smuggling plot to import£71 million worth of cocaineinto the UK. Tracking down David has been a relentless task, the British High Commission in Accra has been working tirelessly with Ghana’s Bureau of National Investigations and with the police in the UK in a joint operation that has been swift and successful. “The Ghanaian police acting on a tip off stepped into arrest David in conjunction with British officials. “They have since began their extradition application – no British police have been to the country yet – but if the case is granted going forward they will send out a team.” The news of the arrest is yet another boost for the British Foreign Office in Accra who last month expedited the extradition of Arthur Simpson-Kent who was arrested in connection with the murder of Eastenders actress Sian Blake and her two sons. McDermott’s gang is believed to be responsible for a failed smuggling operation discovered by Border Force at Tilbury Docks in May 2013, when officers seized 400kg (881Ibs) of cocaine smuggled into the country in a container of frozen Argentinian beef. The suspected drug trafficker is also wanted for conspiracy to blackmail.He is currently being held in custody by the Ghanaian authorities. His arrest means that 76 out of 86 fugitives on the Captura list have now been caught. The Operation was launched in 2006 to trace wanted criminals suspected of fleeing to Spain to avoid the British authorities. Speaking after McDermott’s arrest, Dave Allan, head of the NCA’s international crime bureau, said: “This arrest is a result of closely working with the Ghanaian authorities, and shows our determination and success in tracking down fugitives, however far they run in an attempt to evade capture. “McDermott was the last man outstanding in a plot to smuggle a huge quantity of cocaine which would have ended up on the streets of Merseyside. He will now be returned to the UK to stand trial.” By Martin Asiedu-Dartey|tv3network.com|Ghana Twitter: @NewsyMartin

E/R Police Commander Awuni passes on

0
DCOP Angwubutoge Awuni was the Eastern Region Police CommanderThe Eastern Region Commander of the Ghana Police Service, Angwubutoge Awuni, has passed on, tv3network.com can confirm.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) died Monday morning after a short illness. Until his death, DCOP Awuni was a Council Member of the Institute of Public Relations, Ghana. He was also an accredited member of the Institute. He was also the first director of the Motor Traffice and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service. He joined the Service as a physician and later rose through the ranks to become a trainer at the Ghana Police Hospital. Until his death, he was Physician Assistant Anaesthesia/EMT Trainer at the Ghana National Ambulance Service. Source: tv3network.com|Ghana

Ghana@59 brochure: Errors avoidable, caused by printer’s devil -Mahama

0
Prez Mahama on Brochure sagaPresident John Dramani Mahama has described the errors in Ghana’s 59th Independence Day anniversary brochure as avoidable and blamed it on what he says is “the printers devil”
“It’s unfortunate. I think those mistakes are avoidable,” he said in an exclusive interview Monday on TV3’s morning magazine show, New Day. The anniversary brochure, allegedly produced by the Flagstaff House Communication Bureau, was fraught with errors, inaccuracies and misrepresentations.The brochure among other errors, addressed Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta as the President of Ghana; something that grabbed international headlines and criticism. Brochure saga
              Social media was awashed with snapshots of the various errors and inaccuracies, which some Ghanaians say has exposed the country to international ridicule. But President Mahama believes those unpardonable errors and misrepresentation did not mar what he said was a beautiful celebration of Ghana’s 59th independence day on March 6. “It was a beautiful celebration. I don’t think it should have been marred by something as simple as the printer’s devil in the brochure,” he stated, adding that the Chief of Staff is working to ensure such event does not occur. “The Chief of Staff is working on it to make sure that does not happen again. The Chief of staff is dealing with that and I think that the Chief of Staff has received reports on what happened and so he is taking remedial action to make sure it doesn’t happen again and I think that those are administrative measures that are within his ambit to take,” he said. He added: “Ghanaians want to be sure that when we have such impressive ceremony its not marred by things like mistakes in the brochure. I think we can do it well.” On whether the Kenya’s President saw the misrepresentation of his designation and what he said about it, President Mahama said President Kenyatta did not spot the error. “We actually went through the brochure and he didn’t show that he notice he was described as the President of Ghana…he was particularly intrigued by the picture of Nkrumah and his family” he said, adding that Mr Kenyatta has requested for a framed copy of the said picture. By Stephen Kwabena Effah|tv3network.com|Ghana Twitter @steviekgh

Regulate the use of mobile phones in Parliament – Dr. Dramani

0
Mobile phones in parliamentThe Executive Director of the African Sector for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Rashid Dramani is making a strong case for the use of mobile phones on the floor of parliament to be regulated.
The Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho recently bemoaned the conduct of members of parliament on the floor of the house, complaining that members were fond of engaging in unparliamentary conduct. Speaking on 3FM’s ‘Late Edition’ hosted by Alfred Ocansey, Dr. Dramani said measures should be taken to curb the situation from escalating. “In some parliaments once you walk into the premises of the chamber, your phone is disabled immediately”. He noted, “Sometimes when we have a delegation come in to visit Ghana and they go to our parliament, they are amazed by what they see… “In other parliaments in East Africa, the moment you walk into the chamber your network is disabled until the session is over. “We see how members of parliament during debates pay more attention to their phones rather than focus on issues being raised”. “We want to encourage the use of technology but I think sometimes the use of technology in the house should be only to enhance the work that the honorable members are doing”.   Source: Nana Afrane Asante |tv3network.com

Ivory Coast: Deadly shooting at Grand Bassam beach resort

0

GUN SHOTSUnidentified gunmen have killed at least five people at a beach resort in southern Ivory Coast, officials say.

The assailants fired on beach-goers in the town of Grand Bassam, about 40km (25 miles) east of the country’s commercial capital Abidjan.

The resort is popular with local people and foreigners. Security forces have been sent to the scene. Ivory Coast was seen as a model of stability in West Africa until a civil war erupted in 2002. The conflict pitted the mainly Muslim north against the largely Christian south. Since then, peace deals have alternated with renewed violence. AFP news agency quotes a military official as saying five people were killed, but other reports put the death toll higher. A witness of Sunday’s attack told AFP news agency that “heavily armed men wearing balaclavas” had opened fire near the L’Etoile du Sud hotel, which was full of expats in the current heatwave. Another eyewitness, Souleymane Kamagate, says he saw people running from the beach and fleeing in all directions. BBC regional reporter Maud Jullien says Ivory Coast has been identified as one of several countries in West Africa at risk of being targeted by Islamist militants. Luxury hotels were targeted by such groups in Mali in November and Burkina Faso in January. Source: BBC

MTN makes GH¢6.3m a day

0
mtn Mobile network operator MTN Ghana posted a strong revenue performance last year, raking in about GH¢2.32billion in a year many businesses in the country reeled under a challenging macroeconomic environment exacerbated by the erratic energy supply situation, affirming the company as the most profitable telephony operator in the country. This means that MTN last year generated about GH¢6.34million in revenue every single day and is looking to up its revenue performance as while preparing to launch its entry into the LTE (4G) arena by middle of the year. The revenue performance of MTN represents a 15.9 percent increase over the 2014 figure of GH¢1.99billion and was supported strongly by its data services, which contributed 30.6 percent to the company’s total revenue. Out of the revenue it made in 2015, MTN paid GH¢675.6million as taxes to government, which is GH¢70.6million more than it did in 2014, and represents about 70 percent of the total tax collected by the Ghana Revenue Authority from the telecom sector. According to the financial figures of MTN as seen by the B&FT, the Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) — which indicates how much profit the company makes with its current assets — increased by 24.4 percent to GH¢938.3million, which is equivalent to 3.197 million South African rand at an exchange rate of one rand to GH¢0.2935. The EBITDA margin, which tells the company’s core or operating profitability, increased 3.1 percentage points to 40.5% despite an increase in US dollar-denominated expenses associated with sharp depreciation of the cedi against the US dollar. According to MTN’s hierarchy, the increase in the EBITDA margin — which was also impacted negatively by weak macro economic conditions and increased competition — was mainly due to well-maintained costs and no management fees paid to the MTN Group in the year. The performance of MTN has revived calls for the South African-controlled telephony operator to allow Ghanaians a share in its fortunes by listing on the Ghana Stock Exchange, a move many consider the needed catalyst to increase liquidity on the local bourse. MTN Ghana CEO, Ebenezer Twum Asante, who has not yet ruled out the possibility of listing on the stock exchange, explained in Accra on Thursday that the company will soon decide on the appropriate channel to allow Ghanaians to share in its ownership, since acquisition of the LTE licence in December last year requires the company to have at least 35 percent local ownership. “The 4G licence comes with a localisation condition, and we are looking at various options to localise about 35 percent of our business in Ghana – and the stock market will be one of the options. But is it going to be the most favoured option looking at the time we have to do the listing? I don’t know. But as and when we are ready with the full details, we will share how we will go about the localisation condition,” he said. MTN, currently the biggest mobile network operator in Ghana, controls 46 percent of the mobile phone subscriber market — with total voice subscriptions totalling a little above 16.25million as at the end of December last year. In 2015, the company increased its voice subscriptions by 17.3 percent on the back of what the management considers to be “attractive voice and data offers aimed at subscriber acquisition and churn management”. The company’s performance in the data market was also encouraging with 8.634 million subscriptions, which makes up of 47.8 percent of the entire data market share. Revenue from the company’s data services, according to Mr. Twum Asante, increased by 85.2 percent last year, which is an exciting outcome for the company as the data segment has long considered the next frontier of profitability for telecom companies across the globe. Source: thebftonline.com