Wife of Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams, Rosa Whitaker says her husband does not meddle in partisan politics.
According to her, the archbishop believes that it is important for people to pray for their leaders.
She said many political leaders visit her husband’s church because of the presence of God at the church.
“I don’t think that he is political at all. He is not what I will call political at all, he is very kingdom-minded,” she said.
Rosa Whitaker was speaking in an exclusive interview to TV3 in Washington DC, where she praised her husband for his enormous contribution to her business and career.
According to her, her association with the Archbishop over the past few years has been a blessing to her life.
The governing National Democratic Congress has been accused of planning to bring in some Togolese to register in the Electoral Commission’s limited registration exercise which starts April 28 to May 8, 2016.
The NPP has repeatedly called on the electoral commission to change the current voters register indicating that they suspect there are foreign nationals including Togolese on the register.
Speaking on 3fm’s Sunrise Morning Show, Volta regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Peter Amewu accused the DCE for Hohoe of being the mastermind behind the alleged registration.
“As at yesterday around 8pm some people were sitting across one of the border roads and the District Chief Executive intended to ask the people to go back because he thinks that the people should be allowed to come in vote in their numbers so that they will be given a new district.
“NPP activist that night told the DCE that they were not prepared to do that because they have been deceived for far too long.
“Fortunately our guys rejected that and stayed in that area the whole night as late as 2am and even called me to inform me that they were still there waiting to see if anybody would cross.
“They have also sent distribution lines to the neighboring villages and promised them electricity and it is just not fair and has promised some communities to come and register in exchange for electricity”.
Reacting to the accusation from the NPP the NDC chairman of the area John Gyapong said he was surprised about the comments coming from the Peter Amewu.
“We have no intentions of bringing in any Togolese to come and register but what we can say and not mince words is that if the person is Ghanaian and is anywhere in this world and has the opportunity to come and register, so be it.
“It is important to let our people know that we are doing registration so if they are qualified then they should come and do it.
“As a political party we have a lot of international relationships all over the world and we have our branches in Togo, Benin, Ivory Coast and a whole lot of other countries so we tell them that if you are Ghanaian and qualified then you can come”.
The singer is very cleverly selling “Boycott Beyonce” merchandise on her Formation tour. It’s a tongue-in-cheek reference to an earlier controversy over her Super Bowl performance and “Formation” music video.
In February Beyonce dropped the music video for her single “Formation,” and it included a reference to the Black Lives Matters movement. She followed that by including backup dancers dressed in Black Panther-esque outfits during her Super Bowl halftime show.
Some police unions viewed the show as being anti-police and asked their members not to provide off-duty security for her stadium tour.
But the singer told Elle magazine recently, “anyone who perceives my message as anti-police is completely mistaken.”
“I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of officers who sacrifice themselves to keep us safe,” she said.
“But let’s be clear: I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things. If celebrating my roots and culture during Black History Month made anyone uncomfortable, those feelings were there long before a video and long before me.”
Beyonce kicked off her Formation tour Wednesday night in Miami.
Former US trade representative to Africa and wife of Duncan Williams, Rosa Whitaker, has said that her husband’s prayer is responsible for the appreciation the cedi is currently witnessing.
She was speaking in an exclusive interview with TV3 at her base in Washington.
It would be recalled that the archbishop of the Action Faith Chapel International commanded the cedi to rise during a prayer with his congregation after a consistent decline in the value of the local currency.
Many including the now ambassador to the Netherlands, Dr Tony Aidoo criticized the Archbishop and described his prayer as a comic relief.
But Rosa Whitaker who is also President and Founder of the Whitaker Group said she believes her husband’s prayer saved the cedi.
“I don’t know why people thought it was funny, if you believe in the unlimited power of God and you have a currency crisis, why would you not apply prayer to that, it’s just that they just caught him publicly praying for that. He always prays for the Ghanaian economy,” she said.
She agreed that prayer alone will not resolve the crisis but said that she and her husband believe in the power of prayer.
Mr Benjamin Dagadu, the Deputy Minister of Petroleum, has appealed to organisations concerned with the granting of permits for the setting up of fuel filling stations to strictly enforce the laws to protect lives and property.
The authorising bodies must endeavor to ensure that such fuel stations adhered to safety regulations and not to expose communities in which they operated to harm, he said.
He said, the Ministry had received petitions from communities and residents where gas and petroleum outlets were located about the dangers that they faced due to the infrastructural and operational lapses in the siting of the stations.
Speaking at a workshop on the Siting of Filling Stations in Our Communities, Mr Dagadu said it was sad that follow-ups on such reports often indicated that such stations had been given the necessary permits by the appropriate authorities and agencies.
He expressed concern about public exposure to benzene, a chemical found in crude oil and gasoline, which could lead to harmful effects on the bone marrow and also caused anemia if inhaled for a longer period.
He said exposure to benzene had become topical issues in petroleum activities because permitting authorities had become silent on the exposure to those living in close proximity to retail outlets could face from it.
He called on stakeholders in the petroleum industry to put in place the needed mechanisms to ensure that the country avoided the recurrence of the June 3rd 2015 disaster.
Mr Dagadu called for coordinated efforts among the authorising agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), the Town and Country Planning among others, to ensure that the right things concerning the siting of filling stations were followed.
He said it was sad to note that after the June 3rd Disaster, agencies such as the EPA and the NPA embarked on separate operations to close down filling stations for either improper siting or the implementation of poor security and safety measures.
He expressed concern about incidences whereby some houses had to share walls with filling stations, which he said, was dangerous.
Mrs Adrianna Nelson, the Principal Programme Officer, Environmental Assessment and Audit Division of the EPA, called on all prospective filling station operators to endeavour to obtain the Environmental Permit from the EPA because it was a legal requirement and also it enabled operators to get all the needed advice before operation.
She cited damage to corporate image, costly litigation, especially over land, expensive cleanups and pollutions as some of the issues that people and corporate entities faced when they operated without permit.
“We sometimes face challenges such as inadequate consultation by prospective operators with relevant stakeholders, which delays the processing period, inability to authenticate screening report because they were not signed by the appropriate officers,” she said.
She said the EPA was also saddled with the challenges of non-compliance with permitting conditions giving to filling station operators, inadequate parking space for stations and the lack of consultation with neigbours before operations.
Mrs Esther Anku, the Chief Inspector of NPA, entreated prospective filling station operators to ensure that they received the “No Objection Letter’’ from the NPA before operations, as failure to do so would result in serious consequences for them.
She said it was sad that some Municipal and District Assemblies sometimes issued permits to prospective operators when they had not obtained the “No Objection Letter’’ from the NPA.
Accra Hearts of Oak head coach Kenichi Yatsuhashi says he is ready, and can handle any of Ghana’s national teams including the Black Stars if he is given the opportunity.
The Japanese-American, who before taking up the Hearts of Oak job did not have any high-profile coaching experience, believes he has what it takes to do the job, and is determined to surprise Ghanaians just as he has done with the Phobian club.
“I think some of our old players are having ego too, you know everyone doubted my ability to handle Hearts of Oak and I proved them wrong and I think that’s nothing different. I’m sure that there will be people that are doubting my ability to do the Black Stars or any national team job and you know I will prove them wrong again,” Kenichi told Accra-based ONUA FM.
“I think Hearts of Oak is a big job and I don’t think I have any step hand to do anything beyond that, you know, and if the Hearts of Oak board and the GFA can talk and agree on something of course I will because I have a contract with Hearts of Oak, but that is not something I’m interested in right now.”
Kenichi has led the Phobians to some vital victories in the ongoing Ghana premier league including breaking a six-year jinx by beating Medeama SC 2-0 at Tarkwa, as well as defeating Ashantigold 2-1 at Obuasi after nine years, but his biggest test is the match-day-ten clash with Asante Kotoko at the Accra sports stadium on Monday May 2, 2016
Hearts of Oak currently lie 2nd on the league log with 18points, two points behind leaders Wa All Stars, having won five, drawn three and lost one (at home to leaders Wa All Stars) game so far.
The 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has visited some polling stations in the Ejisu Juaben and Oforikrom constituencies of the Ashanti Region.
He was in the region on Thursday, April 28, 2016, the first day of the limited voter registration exercise.
The Alafia Polling Station, in Anloga, in the Oforikrom constituency, was Nana Akufo-Addo’s first point of call. There, he interacted with registration officials of the Electoral Commission, NPP polling agents and eligible voters, who were in the queue waiting for their turn to be registered.
The NPP flagbearer urged agents of the NPP at the polling station to remain vigilant and ensure that only eligible voters are registered, stressing that a credible voters’ register is the key to fostering confidence in the electoral process.
He also took the opportunity to interact with residents of Anloga, and encouraged first time voters to register, as this will afford them the opportunity to decide who to vote for in this year’s election and also go a long way to determining the kind of future they want.
Nana Akufo-Addo’s next point of call was the Ejisu constituency, where he visited the Bafoso Education Office (A) polling station, located within the premises of the Ejisu-Juaben Municipal Assembly.
Nana Agyeman Badu, the Registration Officer in-charge at the centre, told the NPP flagbearer that only three first time voters had registered at the centre as at 10am this morning. The registration officials and NPP polling agents indicated that the process had been smooth, with no hitches recorded.
To the NPP agents, Nana Akufo-Addo urged them to remain vigilant and insist on potential voters possessing the requisite identification, in accordance with the law, and also disclosing their residential addresses before being allowed to register.
Whilst observing the processes being undertaken by the registration officials, market women and NPP sympathisers, who learnt of Akufo-Addo’s presence, thronged the premises of the Municipal Assembly, filling it within a matter of seconds to encourage him ahead of this year’s polls, with chants of “Nana oo Nana”, “2016 is your time.”
Nana Akufo-Addo will in the coming days also visit polling stations in the Western and Central Regions to monitor the registration exercise.
Some communities fight for grazing rights for their cattle
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the security forces to crack down on cattle raiders accused of killing hundreds of people this year.
Soldiers and police would “go after the groups terrorising innocent people all over the country”, he said.
The raids are seen as the biggest security threat facing Nigeria after the Islamist-led insurgency.
Nomadic herders from the Fulani ethnic group and farming communities often clash for control of land and water.
The announcement comes after national outrage over the killing of at least 20 people on Monday in a raid on the Ukpabi Nimbo community in south-eastern Enugu State.
In a statement, Mr Buhari said he deeply sympathised with those who had lost their lives.
He had ordered Nigeria’s army and police chiefs to “secure all communities under attack by herdsmen”, Mr Buhari added.
“This government will not allow these attacks to continue,” the president said.
In February, about 300 people were killed and tens of thousands left homeless in a tit-for-tat raid in central Benue state, local media reported.
Homes, food stores and churches were also destroyed, reports said.
More than 1, 200 people were killed in 2014 by different Fulani groups, according to the Global Terrorism Index.
Who are the Fulanis? By Naziru Mikailu, BBC News
The Fulanis are believed to be largest semi-nomadic group in the world and are mainly based in West and Central Africa.
In Nigeria, there are two types: The semi-nomadic herders and those who live in the city.
Unlike the more integrated city dwellers, the nomadic groups spend most of their lives in the bush and are the ones largely involved in these clashes.
They herd their animals across vast dry hinterlands, something that often puts them at odds with many communities, especially farmers who accuse them of damaging their crops.
However, the Fulanis have sometimes been attacked and have their animals stolen by bandits, prompting reprisal attacks.
The conflict has been going on for about two decades, but following the upsurge in attacks this year the government is under increasing pressure to take steps to curb it.
More casualties are feared buried under the rubble of buildings in Aleppo
At least 14 patients and three doctors have been killed in an air strike on a hospital in the Syrian city of Aleppo, the charity Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) says.
Among those killed in the MSF-supported al-Quds hospital was one of the city’s last paediatricians, MSF said.
Local sources have blamed the Syrian government or Russian war planes, but there has been no official comment.
Monitors say attacks by both sides left 34 dead and dozens wounded on Thursday.
Violence in Syria has intensified in recent days, despite a partial truce.
The upsurge in violence comes amid reports that the Syrian army, backed by Russian air power, is gearing up for a major offensive in Aleppo.
The escalation has threatened to derail the UN-brokered peace talks, which resumed last month.
On Wednesday, the UN envoy to Syria urged the US and Russia to intervene “at the highest level” to save the talks.
“MSF-supported hospital in Aleppo destroyed, at least 14 patients and staff killed, toll expected to rise,” MSF tweeted on Thursday.
It said that the hospital was well known locally and had been hit by a direct air strike on Wednesday.
“We condemn the destruction of the al-Quds hospital, depriving people of essential healthcare,” the charity added.
An activist at the scene, named as Zuhair, told the BBC that buildings around the hospital were also hit.
“It was an air strike by two rockets, heavy rockets from [a] Russian air strike,” he said.
“Near the hospital one building on five floors just crumbled and just crashed down and we don’t know how many dead will be under these ruins.”
Image captionThe air strikes threaten to sink the Geneva peace talks
The civil defence agency, which is staffed by volunteers, said the hospital and surrounding buildings were hit by four consecutive air strikes.
Rami Abdurahman, head of the monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, named the paediatrician killed as Mohammed Wasim Moaz, 36.
He told the BBC that Mr Moaz was the last paediatrician in the rebel-held part of Aleppo and another was to be sent on Thursday to take his place.
The Observatory said rebel rocket fire on government-held areas on Thursday had killed 14 civilians while attacks by pro-government forces on rebel neighbourhoods had killed at least 20 people.
Analysis by Jim Muir, BBC News, Beirut
The two-month-old “cessation of hostilities”, which brought at least a relative lull to some parts of Syria, is indeed “hanging by a thread” as the UN mediator Staffan de Mistura put it.
One of the reasons why it is now at death’s door was reflected in the fact that from the outset it was not called a ceasefire or even a truce, because several factions were excluded, including not just the Islamic State militants but also the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.
Nusra fighters are present in almost all combat zones, and are mixed up with other groups such as Ahrar al-Sham that Russia is now pressing to have added to the international terror list.
That has meant that hostilities have continued and intensified in many areas, with the government able to claim its attacks are legitimate.
Now state forces are reported to be building up in Aleppo as violence escalates there, raising fears that a long and costly all-out battle for the contested city may be looming.
That would put paid both to the lull and to the Geneva peace talks, prompting the UN envoy to urge the US, Russians and others to press their clients on the ground to ease off, so that stalled negotiations have a chance of resuming.
Syrian state news made no mention of the hospital attack but also said that rebel shelling had killed at least 14 civilians in government-held areas in the north of the city.
Over the past week, more than 100 civilians have been killed in renewed bombardment by both rebel and government forces in Syria’s largest city, according to the UK-based Observatory.
Speaking on Wednesday after briefing the UN Security Council on the peace process, the envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, warned that the fragile cessation of hostilities agreed in February could collapse “at any time”.
He said that over the past 48 hours an average of one Syrian had been killed every 25 minutes and one wounded every 13 minutes.
For the peace talks in Geneva to succeed, he added, hostilities would need to be reduced to the levels immediately following the February agreement.
Calling on the US and Russia to co-operate, Mr de Mistura said the legacies of both President Barack Obama and President Vladimir Putin were linked to the success of the peace process in Syria.
More than 270,000 people have been killed since Syria’s bitter civil war conflict erupted in 2011 and millions have been forced to flee.
Fund Manager of the First Banc Heritage Fund, Winslow Sackeyfio has bemoaned the low level of interest of Ghanaians in long term investment.
Mr Sackeyfio said this attitude has more to do with the Ghanaian culture and upbringing.
He was speaking at the 5th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the First Banc Heritage Fund in Accra.
“We are extremely short term. Very few Ghanaians think long term. Ghanaians are naturally short term, and when it comes to investment, we are extremely bad. The normal period for long term is 5-10 years, but in Ghana, its 3-5 years. If you talk to a Ghanaian about 5-10 years investment, you won’t see them again. It’s more of a culture thing, and its affecting our investment life style,” he lamented.
According to him, education was the only means to salvage the situation
“The only way out is education. We at Heritage Fund go out to schools, institutions, and hold seminars and forums, on the relevance and the need to venture into long term,” he said.
He enumerated the returns the Heritage Fund has made, reiterating the funds commitment to risk management.
“Compared to a market of 11.1, which shows we outperformed the central market. We attained this height based on astute measures and good customer relations. We are optimistic about the fund, and will make more returns come next year,” he optimized.
In spite of the unimpressive performance of the stock market, the Heritage Fund made profit returns of 4.23% at the end of 2015, making more returns than the central bank of Ghana
The First Banc Heritage Fund is a long term investment fund, which remains committed to ensuring solid growth and long term value.
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) is working towards certifying traders in palm oil in the Volta Region.
The certification is to help bring some regulation into the industry and ensure that the public consumed quality palm oil.
Mr Eugene Addo, the Regional Director of the Authority, announced this at a sensitisation programme for dealers in the industry at the Ho Central Market, on Tuesday.
He said the initiative followed a post market survey, which indicated that some traders in the Region were adulterating palm oil with the “Sudan iv dye”, a chemical described as “genotoxic” and carcinogenic”.
Mr Addo said out of 118 samples tested, 30 had traces of Sudan IV dye, an indication that there was adulteration of the product in the chain.
He described the percentage of adulteration as alarming and warned that after the sensitisation and certification, culprits would be dealt with severely.
Mr Addo said the Authority was compiling a database for traders in the industry, after which it would give tags for easy identification by the public as certified dealers.
Madam Theresa Mansah Dagbe, the Ho Market Queen, commended the FDA for the efforts at protecting consumers and urged it to visit the market regularly to help check substandard foods and drugs.
Some dealers in palm oil expressed concern about the adulteration of the product, saying that they were frustrated about their inability to detect fake products from suppliers.
Dr. Zanetor Rawlings has now been cleared to cast her ballot in the 2016 general elections after she got registered as a voter today.
The daughter of former President Jerry John Rawlings registered Thursday at the Nyaniba Polling Station in the Klottey Korle constitution of the Greater Accra Region.
Her registration would come as a big relief to supporters of Zanetor, who is the National Democratic Congress parliamentary nominee for the Klottey Korle constituency.
Her candidature has been dogged with controversy following revelation that she was not a registered voter in Ghana.
The incumbent Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle, Nii Armah Ashietey has even dragged her to an Accra High Court praying it to declare her election by the party as null and void.
Dr Zanetor has also filed application at the Supreme Court challenging the capacity of the High Court to hear the case concerning her candidature.
Hearing was adjourned on Wednesday to May 3.
As the challenge to her candidacy bothered on the fact that she is not a registered voter, the embattled medical doctor took advantage of the 10-day limited registration by the Electoral Commission which began today.
It is however not clear if her opponent will prosecute the case further in court.
Two mutual funds managed by the First Banc Financial Services made substantial gains in the year 2015, bringing high revenues to shareholders who invested in the funds.
First Fund which is a short term investment and the Heritage
Fund, a long term investment, made 38.76% and 4.23% return on investment respectively.
The First Fund recorded a net interest income of more than GHC9.7 million as against GHC 4.7 million it earned in 2014 while the Heritage Fund made GHC 97,437 which is above the GHC 68,667 it made last year.
Meanwhile, the total value of assets under the management of the First Fund reached GHC 44.75 million, rising by 94 per cent from 2014’s GHC22.8 million and the heritage fund also grew at a rate of 6.32% in 2015 hitting more than GHC 1.5 million last year.
“Increase in net income is attributed to higher volume of business and higher market rates during the year,” the Chief Investment Officer and the Managing Director of the First Banc Financial Services, Samuel Annie Aseidu said at an Annual General Meeting.
In addition, “the high performance of the funds is due to the risk mitigation measures and the diversified portfolios of the funds,” he said.
He said the managers of the funds were committed to ensuring that contributors would receive high earnings on their investment.
The First Fund alone has a shareholder base of almost 10,000 investors.
“We are hoping for improvement in the investment portfolio this year as we hope to attract bulk investors to the fund,” he maintained.
At the annual general meeting, shareholders passed a resolution to permit management of the First Fund to waive charges for investors that are willing to pay more than GHC 500,000 into the fund for a period of a year.
This, according, to Mr Aseidu will position the fund to attract almost GHC40miilion worth of investment from the pension fund.
“We are preparing to open an office in Tema to provide services to residents of the city and neighboring towns such as Ningo and Pampram, however, feasibility studies to possibly enter the Takoradi and Kumasi markets are also under way,” he said. Nii Okai Tetteh | Onua FM | 3news.com
The Electoral Commission has begun registering potential first time voters in a 10-day limited registration exercise across the nation from today, Thursday, April 28.
At least 3,000 registration centers are expected to be mounted for the exercise, which is scheduled to end on Sunday, May 8.
It is the first exercise of the Electoral Commission of Ghana as regards preparations towards the 2016 elections.
Chair of the Commission Charlotte Osei has already assured of the EC’s preparations for the exercise.
The 25 registered political parties are expected to be represented at each center by their agents.
Poor education, wrong timing
Some Ghanaians have expressed concerns about the low level of sensitization in heralding the exercise.
Others think the EC appears to have a misplaced priority after it launched a five-year strategic plan including the launch of a new logo two days prior to the registration exercise.
Head of the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana Dr Bossman Asare in an interview on TV3’s News 360 on Wednesday, April 27 said “not a lot of public education has gone into it”.
He said most of the targeted Ghanaians – those who recently turned 18 – are currently in schools, questioning the timing of the exercise.
“We know a number of the students are writing the WASSCE and most of them should be 18 and above and we know that the system should be very fair for them to take part in the process.”
NDC ‘over-ready’
Speaking on TV3’s News@10 on Wednesday, National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Kofi Adams expressed confidence in the EC ahead of the exercise.
Mr Adams said the ruling party has already deployed agents to all registration centers, charging each of them to be bold to challenge any persons suspected to be less than 18 years.
“I hear there are some people who are bringing fake birth certificates and the rest to justify their ages. We are checking very well on that and crosschecking with serial numbers of all those information to make sure that those who are not qualified to register will not find their names in the register.
“We are more than ready for the exercise.”
NPP not satisfied
On behalf of his party, Director of Elections for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah said the NPP has put in place measures to “properly” accocunt for “whatever” registration that comes in daily.
“We are going to seriously guard this process,” he stressed.
He, however, expressed disappointment in the Commission’s preparedness in terms of sensitization towards the exercise.
“Yesterday, today all media attention has been on a certain logo and a certain strategic plan when you are planning to bring about 1.2 million new voters on your register. Such an important exercise.”
PNC taking exercise seriously
The People’s National Convention (PNC) says the exercise is such an important process not only for its new members but also for Ghanaians.
It says its flagbearer’s campaign has targetted potential first-time voters, tagging them the ‘New Force’.
“The future of Ghana lies on the shoulder of these young people,” said Atik Mohammed, the General Secretary of the party.
He said the PNC will deploy agents to all registration centers for the exercise.
Shops have been operating without electricity for several hours a day because of power cuts introduced this year
Venezuela’s government has imposed a two-day working week for public sector workers as a temporary measure to help it overcome a serious energy crisis.
Vice-President Aristobulo Isturiz announced that civil servants should turn up for work only on Mondays and Tuesdays until the crisis was over.
Venezuela is facing a major drought, which has dramatically reduced water levels at its main hydroelectric dam.
But the opposition has accused the government of mismanaging the crisis.
The measures announced on national television by Mr Isturiz affect two million public sector workers.
“There will be no work in the public sector on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, except for fundamental and necessary tasks,” he said.
Waiting for rain
President Nicolas Maduro had already given most of Venezuela’s 2.8 million state employees Fridays off during April and May, to cut down on electricity consumption.
He said Venezuela had been badly hit by the El Nino weather phenomenon and would return to normal when it started raining again.
“We are requesting international help, technical and financial aid to help revert the situation,” he said. “We are managing the situation in the best possible way while we wait for the rains to return.”
“Several countries in the region have been affected by the drought, caused by El Nino. But Venezuela has the highest domestic consumption of energy.”
The government has already adopted a number of other measures to try to deal with the crisis. In February, shopping centres were told to reduce their opening hours and generate their own energy.
Last week, the government said it would consider putting the clocks forward by half an hour to reduce demand for electricity in the early evening.
It also announced it was introducing power cuts for four hours a day.
The power shortages have deepened the country’s serious economic crisis.
Many businessmen and opposition politicians blame the energy crisis and shortages of basic goods on government economic mismanagement.
They say tough currency controls introduced in 2003 by the late president, Hugo Chavez, have only made this worse.
But Venezuela’s economy has also been hit by a sharp fall in the price of its main export, oil.
The governing National Democratic Congress has been accused of planning to bring in some Togolese to register in the Electoral Commission’s limited registration exercise which starts April 28 to May 8, 2016.
“I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of officers who sacrifice themselves to keep us safe,” she said.
Mr Benjamin Dagadu, the Deputy Minister of Petroleum, has appealed to organisations concerned with the granting of permits for the setting up of fuel filling stations to strictly enforce the laws to protect lives and property.
Two mutual funds managed by the First Banc Financial Services made substantial gains in the year 2015, bringing high revenues to shareholders who invested in the funds.
