A mother of two, who was badly disfigured by her husband for not adhering to his order to stop using WhatsApp, has narrated the nightmare she went through. Speaking in an interview on UTV, the woman said that before her husband attacked her, he threatened to kill himself if she does not stop using the social media platform. The victim, who had bandages all over her body, said that she was asleep when her husband, whom she named as Robert Arhin, started attacking her. “He told me that he would kill himself if I don’t delete the WhatsApp on my phone. And I told him to stop talking like that because I will not cheat on him. I also told him that he cannot leave me alone to take care of our two young children. I then decided to give him my phone so that he will give it back to me when he is convinced, I am not doing anything bad. “I slept off and he started attacking me… I realised it was a knife he was using to attack me after I run out of the room and saw that I was bleeding all over,” she said in Twi. “I have two stitches on my head. He cut off three fingers on my left hand leaving the index figure and the thumb. He divided the thumb on my right hand and also cut other parts of my body,” she added. The victim also said that her husband is now on the run and has not been seen after the incident. Credit: Ghana Guardian

Black Stars striker, Jordan Ayew has urged Ghanaians to support the local league by attending games and cheering for their clubs. Ayew's appeal was part of the Ghana Football Association (GFA)'s drive to rekindle fan interest in flocking to match centres to watch games on matchdays. The Crystal Palace attacker underlined the importance of fans massing to stadiums on match days in a video posted by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) on social media. “I encourage everyone to keep on supporting the betPawa Premier League.“ "I’m urging everyone to keep coming to the stadium to fill the stadium because it’s important to our league. Thank you guys,” Jordan Ayew appealed. With two matches to end the season, The 2022/23 Ghana Premier League season will culminate next month with Medeama SC, Aduana Stars, and Bechem United dominating the battle for the title. Meanwhile, Jordan Ayew has been picked to the Black Stars roster for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Madagascar on June 18. Credit: Ghanasoccernet

Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho was captured launching a profane verbal attack on referee Anthony Taylor in the car park after Roma’s Europa League final loss. The video quickly spread on social media, drawing widespread attention and criticism. During the match, Mourinho expressed his dissatisfaction with several decisions by Taylor, resulting in a yellow card for dissent. After the final, emotions escalated. In a post-match interview, Mourinho slammed the Premier League referee. “The truth is that we are all very sad, with or without crying the truth is this,” he said, via RomaPress. “We will get home dead of tiredness and dead because of tonight’s unfair refereeing display. Great game, great final, intense, gritty, vibrant, but the referee seemed Spanish. Too many yellow cards for us then he doesn’t give Lamela his second yellow allowing him to take a penalty in the end.” He then proceeded to unleash a barrage of explicit language at Taylor in the car park. In the video, an enraged Mourinho can be seen repeatedly describing Taylor as a “F****** disgrace”. Sevilla won the final 4-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, with the Spanish side claiming their seventh Europa League title while handing Mourinho his first defeat in a European Cup final in Budapest. Credit: 3news.com

Popular Ghanaian Highlife crooner, Kwabena Kwabena has addressed the rumours and speculations surrounding his sexuality in a new interview online. During a conversation with blogger Zionfelix, Kwabena Kwabena expressed his view that “being gay or not being gay is not like an association.” He emphasized that just as one may have sexual feelings for women, individuals who identify as gay experience feelings for men. However, he made it clear that he personally does not have any feelings for men. He further explained that sexuality is an inherent state and not something that is learned. It is either someone is attracted to the same sex or they are not. “being gay or not being gay is not like an association. Just as you have sexual feelings for women, those who do that (gays) are in a state, they have feelings for men. But I don’t don’t have any feelings for men,” he expressed. While there are people who are attracted to the same sex, he clarified that he is not one of them. However, he emphasized that this does not make him someone who has a problem with individuals in that state. Kwabena Kwabena highlighted that he has three children, all of whom he had with women. “Sexuality is a state. It is not something you learn. It is either you are attracted to the same sex or not. There are people who are attracted to the same sex. But I am not. But it doesn’t make me somebody who has a problem with somebody in that state. But to put on record, I have three kids and I had them with women,” he furth. He expressed his disapproval of people drawing conclusions about his sexual orientation based on his fashion choices. The ‘Aso’ singer noted that there are individuals whose physical appearances may resemble the opposite sex, but their sexuality might surprise others. He emphasized that some people tend to stereotype others, but he remains undeterred from experimenting with fashion and being bold in his choices. “There are individuals whose physical appearances look like the opposite sex but when you go into their sexuality, you would be surprised to know they are not what you think they are,” he noted. Reiterating that he is not gay, Kwabena Kwabena mentioned that in the past, he was perceived as a womanizer. Therefore, he finds it surprising that some people have now labelled him as gay. He explained that the inspiration for his outfit at the 24th Vodafone Ghana Music Awards was the fashion trend of the 1970s; citing the influence of icons such as James Brown, Jimmy Hendrix, Senior Eddie Donkor, Obuoba JA Adofo, and the pop culture of the 70s on his looks. Furthermore, he asserted that red carpet-events at award ceremonies provide celebrities with an opportunity to make bold statements through their outfits. “Nowadays I watch James Brown, Jimmy Hendrix, Senior Eddie Donkor, Obuoba JA Adofo and the 70s pop culture and they dress to strike you. What was unfortunate [about people’s comment on my outfit] was sexualising it,” he said. The ‘Tokro’ hitmaker at the recently-held VGMA’s came under attack by fans and entertainment pundits for his aesthetic on the red carpet; with several people alluding to perhaps a switch in sexual orientation. Credit: 3news.com

Geisha, the preferred soap brand for mothers in Ghana, brought joy to over 2,000 women and mothers directly over the Mother’s Day weekend. It was a time for them to honour the gift of motherhood while experiencing the wide range of Geisha’s exceptional products. As a brand that cherishes the values of strength and resilience, Geisha has made Mother’s Day its milestone event in the year to recognise the vital role mothers play in instilling these values in their children. Building on the success of last year’s initiative, where Geisha donated hampers to mothers of newborn babies, the brand expanded its reach this year. Over the weekend, the Geisha team visited various institutions, including the National Mosque on Friday, 12th May, and Perez Chapel on Mother’s Day. They surprised the audiences with Geisha and Unilever products, music and fanfare to brighten the occasion. From the red-carpet experience to presenting hampers to selected mothers, the Geisha team brought an extra touch of fragrance to an already special day for mothers at their places of worship. Speaking at the Mother’s Day engagement, Mr. Frederick Asare, Category Marketing Manager for Skin Cleansing at Unilever Ghana, emphasised Geisha’s connection with mothers, saying, “Geisha as a brand is proud of the enduring relationship that we have built with mothers over many decades. We say that the product lasts like a mother’s love, highlighting our claim that we are a strong soap for long lasting care" "It’s for this reason that we want to make Mother’s Day special for thousands of mothers. Mothers all over Ghana are moving mountains to give their children what they need to live to their highest potential, and we want to encourage them and cheer them on.” Engaging with mothers and customers provided the brand team with a valuable opportunity to directly discuss what they appreciate about the brand and how Geisha can better serve them. Mrs. Nana Yaa Owusu-Ansah, Marketing Director for Beauty, Wellbeing and Personal Care – Unilever Ghana and Francophone Africa, expressed her appreciation to all hardworking mothers all over the country who are making sacrifices for their children’s wellbeing, and who are instilling in them values to live by: “Geisha’s endorsement of mothers and Mother’s Day comes from our brand purpose, which is deeply rooted in the values of strength and resilience. Over the years, our mantra has been to celebrate and support women from all spheres of life.” Mrs. Owusu-Ansah, who is also a member of the Board of Directors and the Founder of Super Moms Club in Unilever, reiterated Geisha’s commitment to helping mothers from all walks of life in their united quest of raising the next generation with long lasting love. Afia, a recipient of one of the gift bags, was grateful to Geisha for the gesture. She said, “I did not expect this at all. I’ve heard about how Geisha soap lasts long like a mother’s love but seeing them come here to us makes us feel even more special.” The Mother’s Day activation is part of Geisha’s Olaastaama campaign to reach customers where they are, while highlighting Geisha soap’s longer-lasting properties. As a champion of women’s causes, Geisha earlier this year supported International Women’s Day with a women’s summit and continued with other interactions in markets and homes within Accra and the Eastern Region. Geisha soap comes in sizes of 90g, 180g and 250g, catering to families of all sizes and budgets. As one of the leading Unilever brands across categories, Geisha has a rich history of being Ghana’s most loved soap on account of its long-lasting benefits and value for money. It remains Ghana’s leading skin cleansing product and is made with natural ingredients that offer unique skin benefits by variant. Credit: 3news.com

Even in defeat, Jose Mourinho managed to bring joy to a young football fan as he graciously handed him his Europa League runners-up medal. Following AS Roma’s heartbreaking loss on penalties to the seasoned winners Sevilla in the Europa League final, Mourinho chose to give away his own medal to a fan. Initially, there were claims that Mourinho had tossed his medal into the crowd as an expression of disappointment after relinquishing a 1-0 lead, only to ultimately succumb to a thrilling 4-1 penalty shootout defeat in Budapest. However, photos have revealed that Mourinho deliberately singled out the young fan, who is reported to be an Israeli supporter of Roma, and presented him with the medal. The young boy was absolutely delighted by Mourinho’s kind gesture. Meanwhile, the Portuguese manager continues to make headlines for his outburst at referee Anthony Taylor in the car park. The former Chelsea manager labelled the Premier League referee a “disgrace” in explicit terms, alleging biased officiating that he believes ultimately cost his team and tarnished his impressive record in European finals. Until Wednesday, Mourinho had never lost a European final, boasting a flawless 100% record in five attempts. However, his record crumbled against a Sevilla side renowned for their prowess in the Europa League, having triumphed in all seven of their previous final appearances, including the one last night. Credit: 3news.com

The Ghana National Gas Company Limited board including the Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ben Asante, inspected ongoing projects in Atuabo in the Western Region over the weekend. These projects are geared towards ensuring development in the Atuabo enclave. It is the intention of the gas company to provide these projects for workers and the community as a whole. They are: a trauma center, Ghana Gas lounge, a soap making factory for three communities namely Asemda, Anokye and Atuabo. The entourage of the board and the CEO visited the Gas Processing Plant (GPP) to assess their operations after coming from a shutdown maintenance work done by the company a few months ago. The delegation first called on the Chief of Atuabo, Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli III, who is also a board member, at his palace before proceeding to begin the inspection in the Atuabo enclave. According to Dr. Ben Asante, it is the intention of the gas company to build the GPP Train 2 to spark development in the Atuabo enclave. “It’s been a while since we intended to build GPP Train 2 and it is time for that dream to materialize,” he stated. The trauma center consists of a surgery room to oversee major traumatic injuries such as falls, motor vehicle collisions, or gunshot wounds to all individuals and even referral cases from Ivory Coast it is close to the gas processing plants in the Western Region of Ghana. The trauma center will have 16 beds for regular wards, 8 beds for the VIP ward for government officials, chief executives, board members of the gas company and important personalities and 4 beds for the High Dependency Unit. Ancillary facilities include Oxygen Cylinder Building, Radiology Department building, 2 Guard houses and a Helipad which will transport serious cases from far and near. Again, the trauma center will have offices for both doctors and nurses and a reception. The soap factory will train women in soap making that will supply the contractors with locally made liquid soap. The gas company has already trained twenty women from Asemda, Ankoye and Atuabo who will be starting the liquid soap making at the factory. “Initially, we didn’t know whether the Train 2 was going to be built somewhere but we can confidently say, it will be built in Atuabo here, near the GPP,” Dr Ben Asante revealed. The Ghana Gas GPP Train 2 will be bigger than the current GPP which will spark the economy here in Atuabo and Ghana as a country. “If the Train 2 will come as planned, it will depend on that amount of gas that Tullow Ghana will give us as well. We are in talks all the time, we have to pay them before they bring us gas as agreed. We call something security, deposit which will guarantee them to supply us with the gas,” he said. “Let’s say we have about 100 units of gas, Tullow will add additional 100 units of gas so it will be a total of 200 units.” The board members including Stephen Sumani Nayina, Delphine Dogbegah, John Darko and Nana Owusu Amsah Ababio were impressed with the GPP after they shut down for maintenance work and assured engineers of its commitment to assist for all their operations. Credit: 3news.com

Former Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen has thanked Market Quessn for picking the presidential nomination forms of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for him to contest in the upcoming internal elections of the governing party. In a tweet, he said “I am humbled and grateful to the incredible market Queens who have generously contributed to my pursuit in leading the NPP into victory in 2024. “Your resolute support and belief in my vision for our great nation is truly inspiring.” On Wednesday, May 31, market queens led a delegation to pick the forms on behalf of the former Ghana Ambassador to the US. Among the delegation were former General Secretary of the party Nana Ohene Ntow and former members of Parliament Ayikoi Otoo and Alhaji Abubakar Boniface Saddique. A leader of the Kumasi Tomato Sellers Union, Comfort Serwaa, on behalf of the market queens, said they had vowed years back to pick the forms for Mr Kyerematen and now is the right time to fulfil that promise. She said they raised more than GH¢100,000 from market women to buy the nomination forms for Mr Kyerematen, popularly known as Alan Cash. Credit: 3news.com

Businessman and economist Dr. Kofi Amoah has underscored the importance of young people to the economic transformation of Africa. He stressed that the role of Africa’s youth in nation-building and economic development could only be enhanced if nations invested in quality education and embraced the values of truthfulness, justice, equality, and respect. Africa has 1.3 billion inhabitants, 60% of them under the age of 25. And, by 2030, young Africans are expected to constitute 42% of global youth. Dr. Amoah was addressing nearly 2,500 listeners on a Twitter Spaces event organized by the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and supported by student leaders of other public universities under the theme: ‘The Youth of Ghana and Nation-Building; the Missing Link’. “This is the first in a series I will be having to address key issues facing Ghana and Africa,” the businessman informed his audience, who included Nigerian youth. Dr. Amoah noted that political accountability and strong literacy skills were vital prerequisites for national development, and challenged Africa’s youth to be mindful of the missing link between the continent’s complicity in the Atlantic slave trade and colonialism, and the current state of its economic development. “What is it in our blueprint, mindset, and understanding of ourselves that made us become slaves? How do you, as a tribe or a community, align yourself with foreigners to capture your neighbours and sell them into slavery?” he asked. “How do you sign a bond, in the case of Ghana, the Bond of 1844, between the Gold Coast and the British, that lasted for 118 years, to give your sovereignty to another foreign entity to rule over you and own your lands and tax you at will to develop their country?” Dr. Amoah lamented that workers in Africa received some of the lowest wages in the world, a situation he said was made worse by a bad compensation structure. He called for a united Africa in which ethnicity, tribalism, and religious bigotry would have no place, noting that it was embarrassing for a continent with the largest fertile lands, water bodies, and the best weather to continue to import food. “We borrow $1billion to do an infrastructure project, say a flyover, a major road or a hospital, and turn around to award the contract for its construction to a foreign company,” he continued. “We do this, 66 years after independence, because we lack confidence in our own contractors. Our thinking is flawed, and I want you the young ones to wake up.” The businessman decried Africa’s appetite for mega loans, noting that the practice had driven many economies into bankruptcy. “The purpose of education and training is to create the skillsets to do inside your country what needs to be done by yourselves to retain the resources and money inside your economy as the multiplier effect to generate more income and wealth,” Dr. Amoah reminded his audience. “This will create jobs and taxpayers, a critical source of wealth through which African nations can provide infrastructure for their citizens.” He stated that people would continue to view Africa as a scar on the conscience of the world until the continent’s youth took urgent steps to redeem its image. “In order to be able to progress, we must first correct the demerits in our tribal relations, build trust and confidence among ourselves, and inculcate the pursuit of excellence in our daily activities,” the businessman emphasized. “The task ahead of us can never be greater than the strength within us. Let us go forth and build an African empire.” #TimewithCitizenKofi is a monthly twitter conversation between Dr. Kofi Amoah (Citizen kofi) and youths of Ghana. The next one dated 4th June 2023 at exactly 7pm to 9pm. Twitter handle for the space is Voice_Of_Ghana. The topic for discussion is ‘Political and social accountability of the youth of Ghana and Africa’ with Prof. Ransford Gyampo as the moderator. Credit: 3news.com

The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has held a stakeholder meeting with representatives of the Attorney General’s Department, Ghana Revenue Authority, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Anti- Corruption Coalition and the Financial Intelligence Centre to deliberate on the repealing of Act 804 and drafting a new bill. Delivering the key note address on the repeal of EOCO Act 2010 (Act 804), the Deputy Minister of Justice, Alfred Tuah Yeboah stated that the time has come for the shortfalls in the EOCO Act 2010 (804) to be addressed in order to make EOCO more effective in its operations. Stating the challenges of the EOCO Act 2010(804), he stated that the repeal of the Act will clarify the work of EOCO and grant it the independence it needs to work effectively and to execute its mandate. He further stressed that the new bill will address the shortfalls in the areas of confiscation, asset management, freezing and seizure, other sources of funding, among other loopholes in the Act such that it can strengthen the legal framework for which the Office operates. The Executive Director of EOCO, COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Daquah was elated beyond herself for the meeting and thanked all key partners represented at the meeting. She also bemoaned the fact that the lack of conditions of service for EOCO is greatly affecting the retention of officers in EOCO. The Director of Administration of EOCO, Edward Cudjoe took stakeholders through the current EOCO Act while highlighting some shortfalls and the need to urgently work on them. Notable among them were whether EOCO is a security agency or not, sources of funding for EOCO operational activities, freezing, seizure, assets recovery and management. After his presentation, the bill was opened for criticism, suggestions, deliberations, and contributions. Various views, suggestions and criticisms were churned with the view to help make the bill a robust law. Present at the meeting were, the Board Chairman of EOCO, Stephen Raymond Dapaah-Addo, the Head of Legislative Drafting at AG’s, Mrs. Mavis Amoa, Deputy Executive Directors of EOCO, Nana Antwi and Mrs. Aba J. Opoku and some officers of EOCO. The stakeholder engagement to repeal ACT 804 was held on May 31. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Information reaching Thinknewsonline.com indicates that Ghanaian writer and playwright, Prof. Ama Ata Aidoo has died. She died on Wednesday, May 31, at the age of 81, according to her family. Family of late Prof. Ama Ata Aidoo said “But in the hope of the resurrection, the death of our beloved relative and writer who passed away in the early hours of this morning, Wednesday 31st May 2023, after a short illness”. Head of family, Opanyin Kwamena Essandoh Aidoo further said "Funeral arrangements would be announced in due course. The Family requests privacy at this difficult moment,” Background Born on March 23, 1942 at Abeadzi Kyiakor near Saltpond in the Central Region of Ghana, Ama attended the Wesley Girls’ High School and University of Ghana. She received international recognition as one of the most prominent African writers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Prof Aidoo began to write seriously while an honours student at the University of Ghana in 1964. The writer, whose work, written in English, emphasised the paradoxical position of the modern African woman. She won early recognition with a problem play, The Dilemma of a Ghost (1965), in which a Ghanaian student returning home brings his African American wife into the traditional culture and the extended family that he now finds restrictive. Their dilemma reflects Aidoo’s characteristic concern with the “been-to” (African educated abroad), voiced again in her semi autobiographical experimental first novel, Our Sister Killjoy; or, Reflections from a Black-Eyed Squint (1966). Prof Aidoo also won a fellowship to Stanford University in California, returned to teach at Cape Coast, Ghana (1970–82), and subsequently accepted various visiting professorships in the United States and Kenya. Credit: GIK/APA

Executive Director of Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), COP Maame Tiwaa Addo-Danquah has announced that Thirty-seven (37) officers have passed out successfully with Post-Chartered Diploma in Forensic Audit. According to her, a short closing ceremony on May 26 was held for the thirty-seven (37) officers, who took part in a three-week Post-Chartered Diploma in Forensic Audit at the Head Office of Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Accra. Thirty (30) of the participants were officers from EOCO, while the rest were officers drawn from other partner organisations namely, Controller and Accountant-General's Department (CAGD), Ghana Police Service (GPS), Audit Service, Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), Internal Audit Agency (IAA), and Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). The programme was organised for EOCO in collaboration with Institute of Chartered Accountants from 8th May to 26th May 2023. The Post-Chartered Diploma programme in Forensic Audit is one of the Institute’s flagship programmes geared towards equipping participants with specialized skills beyond their professional or post-graduate qualifications. The key areas covered in the programme were, Financial Crime, Forensic Audit, Cybercrime and, Criminology and Law. Speaking at the ceremony, the Executive Director of EOCO, COP/Mrs. Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah underscored the need for officers to be trained on-the-job in order to equip them with comparable skills required in their line of duty. This, she said, would go a long way to save the country from the expense of hiring external auditors whenever the need arose. She therefore urged the graduates to transfer the skills acquired to impact their duties significantly. Director, Member Services at the Institute, Emmanuel Arthur, reiterated the need for participants to use the knowledge acquired in the past three weeks in the execution of their duties to lend credence to the import of their newly-acquired skills. Present at the programme were the Nana Antwi, Deputy Executive Director/Operations, EOCO, Mrs. Aba J. Opoku, Deputy Executive Director/Intelligence and Monitoring, EOCO, DSP Nana Oppong (Rtd.), Accra Regional Security Coordinator, Ghana Police Service, Mr. Emmanuel Arthur, Director, Member Services, ICAG and Programme Coordinator, Ms Ruby Lamptey, ICAG. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith