President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has officially inaugurated the Borteyman Sports Complex, a state-of-the-art facility that will serve as one of the primary venues for the upcoming African Games – Accra 2023. The ceremony took place on Tuesday, marking the beginning of the 25-day countdown to the start of the competition. During the event, President Akufo-Addo urged the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) to deliver an exceptional edition of the African Games, which is expected to attract over 8,000 visitors from across the continent. He emphasised the importance of providing top-notch hospitality to the athletes, officials, journalists, and fans who will be attending the event. The Borteyman Sports Complex is equipped with world-class facilities, including a 1,000-seater capacity swimming pool, a multi-purpose Sports Hall, a 500-seater temporary dome for handball, volleyball, judo, karate, taekwondo, fencing, and arm-wrestling, and a five-tennis court complex. The complex will host seven competitive sports during the Games, including table tennis, handball, tennis, volleyball, swimming, badminton, and the triathlon, with four of these events – table tennis, tennis, triathlon, and badminton – doubling as qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. President Akufo-Addo highlighted the hybrid approach adopted by his government and the LOC, which involves utilizing both existing facilities and completing new projects, such as the University of Ghana Stadium and the Borteyman Complex, to ensure timely readiness for the Games. The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, commended the consultant and contractor of the Borteyman facility for their swift completion of the project. He envisioned the Borteyman Complex as a centre for sports excellence, serving as a legacy for future generations. Mr Ussif expressed hope for the facility’s sustained maintenance to ensure that future generations also benefit from it. The African Games, which will take place from March 8 to 23, 2024. Credit: 3news

Access Holdings Plc has appointed Bolaji Agbede as the Acting Group Chief Executive Officer. This comes after the demise of the Group’s CEO, Herbert Wigwe, who died in a helicopter crash in California, United States on Friday, February 9, 2024. A statement from the company’s secretary Sunday Ekwochi said, “Further to its announcement dated February 11, 2024, the Board of Directors of Access Holdings Plc (‘the Company’) has today announced the appointment of Ms Bolaji Agbede as the Acting Group CEO of the Company following the unfortunate demise of its former Group CEO, Dr Herbert Wigwe, on February 9, 2024,” the company said in a statement Monday. Ms Agbede joined Access Bank in 2003 as an Assistant General, with nearly three decades of professional experience cutting across banking and business consultancy services. Until her recent appointment, Ms. Agbede was the Company’s most senior founding Executive Director in charge of Business Support. She has nearly three decades of professional experience cutting across banking and business consultancy services. Ms Agbede commenced her professional career in 1992 at Guaranty Trust Bank and served in various capacities within the Commercial Banking and Operations functions rising to the position of Manager in 2001. She subsequently served as the Chief Executive Officer of JKG Limited, a business consulting outfit in 2003. She served in different roles at the bank including, Head, Group Human Resources between 2010 and 2022 before she was appointed the company’s founding Executive Director, Business Support in 2022, a role she held until her new appointment. Agbede has about 30 years of experience cutting across banking and business consultancy services. She began her career at Guaranty Trust Bank in 1992 and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Lagos (1990) and a Master of Business Administration Degree from Canfield University, UK, in 2002. She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Management UK and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria. Her appointment is however subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Credit: 3news

The Danquah Institute, a Research and Policy Research Organization, has backed the recognition by Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia of the role that the Bank of Ghana (BoG) played during the crisis by making advances to the government. Director of Research at the Danquah Institute, Dr Frank Bannor stated at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, February 13 that the central bank took a prudent decision to support the government at a crucial period. At the time, he recounted, Ghana had been severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war just as other economies including the US, UK Germany, and India also suffered from these exogenous shocks. At the same period, he said, Ghana had also lost access to the international capital market for support. “If you are handicapped and you do not have any option but you have a mother with some money elsewhere it will be best to fall on it. We at the Dauqah Institue affirm what Dr Bawumia said regarding the Bank of Ghana’s decision to provide financing to the Government of Ghana during that pivotal period,” Dr Bannor who is also a development economist, said. He further stated that the impact of the Covid 19 and the war “can never be underrated and there are empirical documents from the IMF, and World Bank to to support this.” Dr. Bawumia strongly defended the BoG during his address at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) last Wednesday, February 7 for heavily monetising the fiscal deficit, especially in 2022. Dr. Bawumia commended the central bank for saving the economy from collapse at a time when Ghana had lost access to international capital markets. He indicated BoG’s action was responsible and that it was temporary as the Bank had advanced money to Government in only two of the past seven years. “The Bank of Ghana provided needed financing to the government at a critical moment. What the BoG did was very responsible in putting the interest of the citizens first,” he said. Credit: 3news

Ghanaian singer and songwriter, Rebecca Akosua Acheampong known in showbiz as Becca has refuted claims that she has ended singing or performing as an artiste. It can be recalled that back in 2020 Becca announced via her Instagram page her decision to quit as a recording artiste by the end of 2020. The decision was to allow her pay attention to her family as she had become a mother at that time. She also wanted to explore other field like real estate investment. Speaking with Nana Ama McBrown on Onua Showtime, Becca explained that the statement was only to the effect that she took a hiatus from actively recording music and not quitting as a musician. She stressed that her decision did not imply that she could not perform on stage during events or had quit singing completely. “At a point in my life I decided to take a break so I when issued the statement people misunderstood it. I only said I did not want to be actively recording music. It did not mean that as an artiste I cannot perform on stage or I have stopped singing totally, it was only to the effect that I will not be engaging in studio recording. “Also, I wanted to explore other areas after almost 14 years of music. But as an artiste honestly you can never say that you won’t sing anymore,” she noted on Sunday, February 11. When questioned by host if there is any possibility she could return to active studio recordings, she replied “honestly, I do not know. The valentine love night show will tell.” Becca who is now married and into real estate investment in addition to other businesses will grace the stage with colleague artiste Kwabena Kwabena on Wednesday, February 14 for the Vitamilk Love Night. Meanwhile, Kwabena Kwabena said it took him two years to convince Becca for his yearly Valentine night performance. “I wanted her to understand that she’s been missed by her fans. I have been to so many stages that after singing and about to leave stage, then the fans begin to sing ‘U lied to me’ then I sing my part and make the fans sing her part. It gave me the impression that she’s been missed,” Kwabena Kwabena said. Credit: 3news

Mr Kennedy Agyapong and Sly Tetteh, lawmakers for Assin Central and Bortianor-Ngleshie Amanfrom, respectively have made peace after they nearly engaged in a brawl in Parliament on Tuesday, February 13. Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo Markin invited the two of them into his office where they settled their differences. They were seen in a video having a hearty conversation amidst laughter. It was unclear what caused the near brawl. However, a video sighted by 3News.com depicted a visibly angry Ken Agyapong walking towards the Bortianor-Ngleshie Amanfrom MP. It took the intervention of Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, to whisk Sylvester Tetteh out of the chamber for calm to be restored. Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Dr Rasheed Draman has condemned the near brawl between Kennedy Agyapong and Sly Tetteh, lawmakers for Assin Central and Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfrom, respectively. He asked the Members of Parliament to behave honorably as their title demands them to be. Speaking on this matter on the Midday news on 3FM with Beatrice Adu, Dr Draman said “We have to appeal to our members of Parliament to be as parliamentary and as honorable as as possible as their title directs them to be. “Today, because of the power of technology and media whatever happens in every corner of Parliament is usually seen by all our citizenry, I think that the last thing that we want is to see our MPs who make laws and who tell every citizen that if you have any disagreement the best way to resolve that disagreement is to go through the proper channels laid out in a democracy like ours" “Using your fists or your power of the body is not one of the procedures for resolving issues. “Certainly, it is not parliamentary, we don’t want to see our MPs fighting in the House.” Credit: 3news

There was a near brawl between the Member of Parliament for the Assin Central constituency, Kennedy Agyapong, and the MP for Bortianor-Ngleshie-Amanfrom, Sylvester Tetteh, on the floor of parliament on February 13. It is unclear as to what caused the near brawl. However, a video sighted by 3News.com depicted a visibly angry Ken Agyapong walking towards the Ngleshie Amanfrom MP. Dep Maj Leader whisked Sylvester Tetteh away. It took the intervention of the Deputy Majority Leader and MP for Efutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, to whisk Sylvester Tetteh out of the chamber for calm to be restored. More to come…

Renowned Ghanaian actress and producer, Akofa Edjeani has disclosed a troubling experience in her career, revealing that she lost a movie role because she refused to engage in inappropriate advances with a director. According to her, although she admits that sexual harassment obtains in every sphere of life the behaviour is prevalent in the entertainment industry. Opening up about some of the challenges women face in the entertainment industry on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z, the screen goddess said; “I remember we were shooting somewhere after Kumasi, I think. Unfortunately, the producer was a Nigerian. We were going to shoot two movies back to back. So based on that, the executive producer had begged me to bring my rates down, that because we were doing two movies he would pay a certain amount, which reluctantly I agreed to. ”Now here is the director who asked me to come to his room. I said ‘come to your room and do what?’. He said ‘to watch a movie’. I said ‘watch what movie? I mean come on, whatever you want to tell me, I don’t need to come to your room’. Apparently, he wanted something else. I said ‘like seriously?’ Are you serious? The actress who doubles as an entreprenuer further detailed that she was not cast for the second movie because she did not consent to the director’s sexual demands. “I didn’t go to his room and guess what, that caused me the next movie. And when I asked the executive producer he said it was the director who was casting but I said ‘you were paying me this amount because we agreed on shooting two movies’. And he said there was nothing he could do about it because it was the director that did the casting,” she emphasizied. Akorfa to a greater extent averred that  throughout her career, she has always believed in her talent, a reason she has never given in to any sexual demands for movie roles. She therefore, advised young women who want to get into the creative industry, should believe in their abilities and not fall for the wiles of such men. Credit: Ameyaw Debrah

Multiple award-winning Ghanaian highlife musician, George Kwabena Adu, known by the stage name Kwabena Kwabena has recently declared his exit from the political arena as the December 7, 2024 elections approach. According to the ‘Aso’ hitmaker, he does not affiliate with any political party anymore. It can be recalled that the musician in 2016 publicly campaigned and validated the New Patriotic Party to win power. He further released a campaign song for the NPP back in 2008. The musician has since been linked to the New Patriotic Party for the past years due to his activities for the party. “I just have one word for all of us. Come December 7 2016, we are going to vote for change. This year, we are changing things,” Kwabena Kwabena said when he mounted the NPP campaign platform on October 9, 2016. However, speaking in an interview with Cookie Tee on TV3’s New Day on Friday, February 9, 2024, the renowned singer made known that he is completely out of politics. “I am completely out of politics. I am Ghanaian,” he said when questioned by host Cookie Tee whether he will campaign for the NPP in this year’s election. Credit: Ameyaw Debrah

Celebrated Ghanaian comedian and actress, Jacinta Asi Ocansey has recently opened up about the challenges she has faced in her career, revealing instances where she was paid less and excluded from shows solely because of her gender. Shedding light on Gender Pay Gap and Discrimination in showbiz industry, the talented performer shared her experiences, shedding light on the pervasive gender disparities that persist in the comedy industry. Despite her undeniable talent and a growing fan base, Jacinta has confronted a disheartening reality where gender-based discrimination affects not only her earnings but also her visibility in the comedy scene. Speaking in an interview with Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z , the stand-up comedian and actress disclosed instances where she received lower pay compared to her male counterparts solely because she is a woman. According to her, she turned down roles in the past after finding out that her male colleagues were offered quite a higher compensation for the same project. She detailed by saying; “I mean our industry is so small such that I could pick up my phone and call my colleagues and say ‘Guy how far these people are calling have they called you? “So what figures are we playing with so that all appear to be on the same page? And then I realized that okay I’m being offered GH¢5 and offering other people GH¢10.” Jainta further stressed on the fact that she declined offers when she felt undervalued. She went on to detail that  it is up to her to bargain for bigger compensation in these situations and quietly turn down offers should they not meet her requirements. The actresss to a greater extent  highlighted some unfair treatment including being denied opportunities with one event organizer citing women as “difficult to manage.” She stated that it is unfair that women in the industry are being measured not based on their qualifications and abilities but on their gender. Credit: Ameyaw Debrah

The National Service Scheme (NSS) has released the first batch of PIN CODES for thirteen thousand, three hundred and fifty-three (13,353) eligible Ghanaian trained teachers to enable them enrol to be deployed to offer their one-year mandatory national service for the 2024 service year. This is contained in a press release dated February 12 and signed by the Ag. Director of Corporate Affairs, Ambrose Entsiwah Jnr. “All eligible trained teachers are requested to log on to the Scheme’s website at www.nss.gov, to follow the online enrolment procedure.  Please note that a registration fee of GHC40.00 should be paid at any branch of the ADB Bank to obtain access to the main enrolment platform to complete the enrolment process. Alternatively, payment of GHC41.00 could be made via MTN MoMo,” the release explained. “Enrolment starts on Wednesday, 14 February 2024 and ends on Wednesday, 28. February, 2024.  All eligible trained teachers are to ensure that they complete their online enrolment process themselves within the stipulated period,” the NSS urged. The National Service programme is a compulsory one-year service required of all citizens of Ghana who are 18 years and above, at the time of deployment. The Scheme which started in 1973 now operates under Act 426 (of 1980). Under the law, Ghanaian students who graduate from accredited tertiary institutions are therefore required to undertake this national assignment. Credit: 3news

The Chief of Staff Akosua Frema Osei-Opare has inaugurated the district assemblies in Suhum and Ayensuano in the Eastern Region, underscoring the significance of decentralisation and local governance in Ghana’s democratic landscape. Speaking on behalf of President Nana Akufo-Addo on Monday (February 12), she congratulated all elected assembly and unit committee members for their success in the recent district level elections. The chief of staff reiterated the government’s commitment to deepening decentralisation, as mandated by the constitution, emphasising the role of district assemblies in promoting popular participation in governance and decision-making at the local level. With the inauguration of 259 district assemblies, Osei-Opare noted the progress made in decentralisation efforts since 1988. She said that the government is now closer to the people than ever before, thanks to the expanded network of district assemblies. However, she acknowledged that despite decades of decentralisation efforts, there is still a tendency among citizens to look towards Accra for solutions to local issues. She urged assembly members to change this status quo by actively engaging with their constituents and delivering basic public services at the local level. “The instinct of the average citizen is still to look towards Accra or their MPs for things that fall within the remit of the district assembly. I am expecting that you would be part of the team that finally changes the status quo and deepen local governance and decentralisation to enable the citizens have access to basic public services in their districts rather than demanding for such services from Accra,” she said. Osei-Opare called for continuous capacity building and sensitisation efforts to deepen understanding of decentralisation and local governance among citizens. She stressed the importance of building strong partnerships and collaborations with local structures, including urban, town, and area councils, to optimise the benefits of local governance. “You should also establish strong partnerships and collaborate with the local structures particularly, the urban, town, zonal and area council, the unit committees and traditional authorities as well as other identifiable groups to facilitate the work of the District Assembly. It is through these partnerships and collaborations that the ideals of local governance are optimized for the benefit of the people,” she said. The chief of staff highlighted the government’s focus on improving the mobilisation of internally generated funds (IGFs) for district development. She urged assembly members to work together to create innovative ways of mobilising resources within their areas. Osei-Opare reminded assembly members of their critical role in advancing the government’s development agenda, particularly the Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies (2022-2025). She stressed on the need for alignment with national and sectoral policies to ensure effective implementation of local projects and programs. Furthermore, she addressed leadership challenges at the district level, noting the importance of maintaining close contact with electoral areas and consulting constituents on development issues. She highlighted efforts to address resource constraints and announced upcoming orientation and training programmes to enhance assembly members’ competence. Credit: 3news

Gospel Group Daughters of Glorious Jesus has disclosed a shocking revelation of how their song ministrations healed two mentally challenged persons. Lead Singer of the group, Cynthia Appiadu recounted these testimonies in an interview with Citi TV. She recalled that one time in Virgina after they had ministered a song, a lady approached them and shared a testimony of how she got healed from mental disorder after consistently listening to their songs. “We’ve had one person from Virginia. When we started one of our songs we saw the girl rolling until we finished. She was just quiet and she came to us and said I just want to share my testimony" “She started that she was 16 years and went insane and her mother had bought a cassette of daughters of Glorious Jesus songs and her mother use to play the songs all the time and one day she came back to her senses. So, when we started ministering that particular song which healed her, she couldn’t stand,” she shared. According to her, another man in Manchester also recounted his testimony to them about how he was traumatized and affected mentally after he was deported from Italy. “And another man in Manchester he was an MC for the program we attended. He was in Italy and deported to Ghana as soon as he got to Ghana, he was mentally affected by the situation. But where he used to stay one person was consistently playing our songs and he will go and stand behind the window, listen and be dancing until the music stops." “One day he was listening to the song and all he saw was he was not himself and took his bath and realized he was healed. So he even shared his testimony before he even started hosting the program in Manchester,” she narrated. These testimonies they say motivates and encourages the gospel music trio to continue come up with amazing music for Ghanaians. Daughters of Glorious Jesus was formed in 1989 and has produced over a hundred songs to their name. The gospel music group through their performances has imprinted their names into the hearts and minds of Ghanaians for three and half decades with their back-to-back hits which have transformed lives over the period. Credit: 3news