The Government of Ghana (GoG) through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has said its attention has been drawn to a news item by “the Telegraph” captioned “British soldiers expected in Ghana after withdrawal from Mali”. According to the Ministry, the story by “The Telegraph” which was authored by Will Brown their Africa correspondent, stated that the British Government had taken a decision to send 300 Special Forces units to Ghana to support the Accra Initiative. In a statement, the Ministry said “The Government of Ghana has no interactions with the UK Government aimed at deploying UK soldiers to Ghana for purposes of operations as described in the story.” The Accra Initiative (Al) is a cooperative and collaborative security mechanism, launched in 2017 under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo with his colleagues from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, and Togo. The current members of the Initiative are Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Mali, and Niger. The Initiative aims to prevent a spill over of terrorism from the Sahel and to address transnational organized crime within the common border areas of member states. The initiative is to further exchange intelligence, build capacity and undertake military action against terrorist forces in the Sahel that threaten coastal west Africa. The Accra Initiative is an African-led, African-executed initiative which would depend solely on the armed forces of its member states. The presence of the UK Minister for the Armed Forces in Accra, according to the Ministry, was to participate in the Accra Initiative Conference on 21 st and 22 nd November 2022. “The Government of Ghana wishes to state that the information regarding British special forces is false. Neither Ghana nor any other member of the Accra Initiative has discussed with any partner, any such request nor contemplated the involvement of foreign forces in any of their activities.“ "It is noted that some persons on social media have already leapt on the back of the false news item to spread vile accusations against the Ghana Government. We urge all patriotic Africans, including Ghanaian patriots, to not fall into the trap of disinformation, misinformation, and fake news that are intended to divide our societies and undermine our unity of purpose.“ While the member states of the Initiative appreciate the partnerships they share with the international community, either on an individual basis or collectively, the kinds of support envisaged under the Accra Initiative will not extend to the involvement of foreign troops.“ Indeed, the British Minister for the Armed Forces, Rt Hon James Heappey, clarified the position today in an interview he granted the BBC World Service.” Source: 3news.com

Ghanaian blogger, Zionfelix, has confirmed the sudden death of the wife of Kumawood actor, Collins Oteng, popularly known as Okomfo Kolege. Narrating the incident which occurred on Saturday, November 19, 2022, Zionfelix, who had been to the deceased’s family house to confirm the sad news, said she died in a labour ward during delivery. According to Zionfelix, the baby was also pronounced dead. "Our brother’s wife is dead. Kolege’s wife is dead. She was going to give birth. God rest her soul. I was listening to Hello FM on Saturday where I first heard the news of Kolege’s wife’s death, I was so shocked. Now I’m in Kumasi. I just came from his house to confirm and its true. The family confirmed. Before that, I went to the lady’s house at Koforidua Tabre together with Otele and it was a sad scene,” he stated in a video spotted on his page. Zionfelix added that actor, Kolege, is currently inconsolable as he has been struck with two huge loses (his wife and child). "Kolege is inconsolable. His wife died in the labour ward, together with the baby when they went to give birth. His wife was a nurse and he loved her so much. There is a saying that men don’t cry but my brother has cried his eyes out. We pray God consoles him. If you know him, kindly call him and console him,” he added. Meanwhile, the burial date for Kolege’s wife has been scheduled for December 17, 2022, at her hometown, Koforidua Tabiri, within the Abuakwa area in the Ashanti Region. Watch the video below: Source: Ghanaweb

Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor (MP) has sought to ignite the interest and role of large-scale mining companies in the fight against illegal small-scale mining by reminding them of their quintessential duty to protecting the environment. “We cannot have one aspect of the industry promoting environmentally-sound practices, while the other is destroying the gains made. We must work together, and with host communities, to safeguard our environment, and provide opportunities for host communities to reduce the appetite for venturing into dangerous activities like illegal mining”, he said. According to him, it is of vital importance to the country that the large-scale mining companies who have historically adhered religiously to the mining regulations share their experiences and expertise with the small-scale mining companies and dragged them along in the bid to protect the environment. The Minister said with both sectors sharing the common aim of exploiting the country’s mineral resources to serve the interest of the public, it is paramount that they exchange ideas, experiences and resources where necessary to allow for the responsible and sustainable exploitation of the mineral resource. He also commended some mining companies in the country for ceding parts of their concessions for government’s innovative and laudable Community Mining Scheme initiatives. Hon. Jinapor made this statement when he delivered the opening remarks at the World Gold Council Workshop on Monday, November 21, 2022 in Accra. “Large-scale mining and small scale mining, are two sides of the same coin. They are both aimed at exploiting our mineral resources for the benefit of our people, using different methods and resources. They can, and they must, mutually co-exist. I must commend, here, some of your members, who have voluntarily ceded part of their concessions for community mining schemes. But that should just be the beginning, large scale mining companies that use highly skilled methods must work closely with small scale miners to ensure that they, also, mine responsibly”, he said. "The focus of the three-day forum is to deliberate on “the role of large scale gold mining companies in promoting responsible artisanal and small scale gold mining”. Describing the discussion as timely, the Minister implored the large-scale mining companies not to downplay the important role they play in the fight against illegal mining. Aware of this, he says government is ever-ready to engage and collaborate with the large-scale companies on the gamut of measures being rolled out by government to address the challenges in the small-scale mining sector. The measures, includes the roll out of the Community Mining Scheme, deployment of anti-galamsey taskforce known as Operation Halt II and permanent deployment of river wardens are all meant to prevent the destruction of the environment by illegal miners, promote and develop the small-scale mining sector. The Minister promised that despite the giant strides made in the fight against illegal mining, government will not take its foot off the pedal and will continue to seek fight the menace until it is satisfied that the country’s water resources is safe for future generations. Mr. Edward Beckham, Senior advisor of the World Gold Council appealed to countries to adopt responsible and sustainable ways to exploit their resources. He said the workshop will lead to the exchange of knowledge and expertise on effectively harnessing mineral resources for the growth of the country while protecting the environment. In a presentation, the CEO of Minerals Commission, Mr. Martin Ayisi says as part of efforts by the Minerals Commission to expedite the licensing process and generally ensure effective and efficient service delivery, the Minerals Commission have digitalized its applications including the renewal for a mineral right (large and small scale), permit and licenses. The three-day workshop is being attended by nine mining large scale companies including Gold Fields, Anglogold Ashanti and Newmont Africa as well as representatives of small scale mining firms. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal ruled on Monday that the decision to release ex-president Jacob Zuma on early medical parole was "unlawful" and he should return to prison to finish his sentence for contempt of court. Zuma was sentenced last year to 15 months imprisonment after ignoring a court order to testify at a government inquiry into widespread corruption during his nine years as president, which ended in 2018 when Cyril Ramaphosa replaced him on an anti-graft ticket. Zuma handed himself over to authorities in July last year and was released on medical parole two months later. His arrest had sparked widespread looting and violence in which at least 337 people were killed. In December last year, the high court set aside the parole decision and ordered Zuma to return to jail. But Zuma appealed and remained free. The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the decision to grant Zuma medical parole against the advice of the specialist Medical Parole Advisory Board had been unlawful. "On any conceivable basis, the commissioner's decision was unlawful and unconstitutional. The high court was correct to set it aside," the judgement said. It also rejected a decision by the department of correctional services in October this year that Zuma's prison sentence had finished while his appeal was being heard. "In other words, Mr Zuma, in law, has not finished serving his sentence. He must return to the Estcourt Correctional centre to do so," the Supreme Court of Appeal judgement read. A spokesman for Jacob Zuma Foundation said in the afternoon that the foundation would respond within an hour, but by evening it had yet to do so. On Sunday, ahead of the court ruling, foundation spokesman Mzwanele Manyi said the judgment did not have anything to do with Zuma. "We think... he has served the 15 months that he was meant to serve in any event and importantly it is not President Zuma that applied for the medical parole... It is the government itself, the department of correctional services initiated the process and they saw it through," he had said. The court did not rule on whether time spent by Zuma on medical parole should be taken into account when determining the remaining period of incarceration, saying this would be left in the hands of the national commissioner of correctional services. The department of correctional services said it noted and respects the court's decision. "(We) will study the full judgement in seeking to clarify a way forward within the requisite time frame," a statement said. Credit: Reuters.com

The National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah says the Accra Initiative is set to hold an international conference on counter-terrorism in the sub-region. Addressing the media on Sunday, Mr Kan Dapaah said the conference will be held at three levels. They are; technical conference involving non-state actors, a ministerial session involving the Ministers of Security, Defence and Foreign Affairs and the summit on Heads of State and Government of member states. He said the first part of the conference – non-states member conference happened on 17-18th November, 2022 at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC). The Accra Initiate currently comprise seven-member states namely; Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger and Togo. According to the National Security Minister, Nigeria has been admitted as an observer state and is hoping to be made a full member state. According to him, the objective of the initiative is to strengthen operational collaboration between member states to prevent terrorists and extremists from taking refuge in a member state, as well as to dismantle terrorist networks and prevent the expansion of cells to combat radicalization and violent extremism. The Minister also stated that, the second part of the conference, the ministerial session is scheduled for 21st November, 2022 at the Accra International Conference Centre. He noted that, all Heads of Missions in Ghana have been invited for the open sessions. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Manchester United's Forward, Cristiano Ronaldo and Parish Saint Germain (PSG) Star, Lionel Messi have released an iconic Louis Vuitton picture on their respective Facebook pages. The two football greats were captured playing chess on Louis Vuitton's long tradition of crafting trunks. Cristiano Ronaldo posted "Victory is a State of Mind. A long tradition of crafting trunks photographed by Annie Leibovitz for Louis Vuitton" Lionel Messi also posted "Victory is in the mind. A long-standing tradition of handcrafted trunk building photographed by Louis Vuitton for Annie Leibovitz" Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly known as Louis Vuitton, the French luxury fashion house and company was founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ranging from luxury bags and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes, watches, jewelry, accessories, sunglasses and books. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

One person is feared dead after timber logs fell from a timber truck fell on three cars at the Bogoso market on Saturday after. The timber truck was coming from the Prestea direction towards Bogoso. A lowbed had packed on one side of the road at the market, upon reaching that place the timber truck driver decided to used the other side of the road but because of the long nature of the truck, it was unable to negotiate the curve back to its lane and the timber fell on three cars; one taxi and two private cars. More Soon... Below are some pictures: Source: www.ghanaweb.com

A door of opportunities has been opened for the youth of Ashongman, thanks to the strong desire and passion of award-winning Ghanaian rapper, Gambo to give back to society and contribute his quota to the development of Ghana. Over the past four years, Gambo, the 'Girls Girls' crooner, has been actively contributing to the development of Ashongman, a suburb of Accra. https://gambomusic.ffm.to/gambo-girls-girls But the 'Drip' hitmaker and reigning Vodafone Ghana Unsung Artist of the Year Gambo, has decided to take things a notch higher as far as supporting human resource development in Ashongman is concerned, and he has officially launched his upcoming concerts that will give young people in Ashongman the platform to showcase their talents. Gambo is hosting two big concerts in December this year. The first concert dubbed: 'Ashongman to the world' is taking place on December 2, 2022, with the second concert scheduled to take place at Old Tafo in Kumasi on December 16. Among the artists billed to perform are: veteran musician Ayigbe Edem, Mr. Drew, Keche, Kofi Jamar, Strongman and Tulenkay. Several surprise artists are billed to also perform. The ‘Gambo & Friends’ Concert’ is scheduled to kick off at 7 pm on December 2 at the Old Ashongman School Park. Gambo will then headline another concert at Old Tafo, Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region on December 16, 2022, beginning 7 pm as well. The concerts, aimed at promoting youth entrepreneurship and talent development for a better life, are being organised by Gambo’s record label, BlackMob. Gambo, the reigning Vodafone Ghana Unsung Artist of the Year will be performing several of his hit songs including ‘Boys Aye Wild’, ‘Drip’, ‘Settle’ and his recently released track ‘We Outside’. Addressing several journalists at the City Eye Restaurant in Ashongman on Saturday, November 19, 2022, about the upcoming concerts and what they will mean for the unearthing of young talents in Ashongman, Gambo expressed his profound love for the street and his desire to be a blessing to his generation, especially the youth of Ashongman. He recounted his several supports to the youth in the area over the years, including promoting soccer development in Ashongman expressing his commitment to continually supporting the people of Ashongman who are so dear to him. He observed the need to support the development of young talents, saying "when you spread love, you get blessings." He says a lot of upcoming artists will perform at the 'Ashongman To The World' Concert, saying giving young artists the platform to showcase their talents is the main goal of the whole concert. Gambo, the 'Settle' hitmaker said some of the youth of Ashongman are good rappers, dancers and comedians "but they don't have a stage" to showcase their talents, saying "I am glad that I am able to provide the stage for the cause." https://youtu.be/mHehA_aL2xk Several youth of Ashongman, some of them young artists managers, turned filled the City Eye Restaurant to express their love for Gambo and to urge him to continue being a blessing to them. They expressed the belief such concerts will give them the needed exposure. Below are videos: Story by: Thinknewsonline.com

A Former Finance Minister of Ghana, Dr. Kwesi Botchwey has been reported dead, according to Accra-based Asaase Radio. According to the portal, the 78-year-old finance minister passed away on Saturday, November 19, 2022 at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital where he was said to have been receiving medical care. Dr. Kwesi Botchwey is a well-respected economist and governance expert who served during the military era of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) (1982 to 1991) and the constitutional period of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) (1992 to 1995). He was known as one of the country's longest-serving Finance Ministers. Profile of the late Dr. Kwesi BotchweyDr. Kwesi Botchwey was born on 3 September 1944. He attended his secondary school education at the Presbyterian Boys’ Senior High School in Ghana. Later on, he earned a Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Ghana and then a Master of Laws degree at the Yale Law School in the USA. The late economist and finance minister holds a doctorate degree from the University of Michigan Law School in the USA. Prior to becoming a finance minister, Dr. Kwesi Botchwey was a lecturer at the University of Zambia, the University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and the University of Ghana. He also served as an advisor to World Bank on the 1997 World Development Report. Dr. Botchwey had vast expertise in economic management as he was a member and Chairman of IMF‘s Group of Independent Experts who conducted the first-ever external evaluation of the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility under the Fund. He also served as an advisor to the UNDP‘s UN Special Initiative on Africa and an advisor to the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM). Source: www.ghanaweb.com

The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. George Mireku Duker on Friday, November 18, 2022 launched the Atronsu-Ampenkrom Community Mining Scheme for residents of Atronso in the Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai Municipal Assembly of the Western North Region. The Community Mining Scheme (CMS) is projected to create 2000 direct jobs and 1000 indirect jobs for residents in Atronso Apemkro and nearby towns. Speaking at the launch, Hon. George Mireku Duker said in the face of economic turmoil triggered by global factors, the government has remained faithful to its promise of creating jobs by creating a more responsible and sustainable mining model. Hon. Mirek Duker diffused criticism that government has mismanaged the economy, stressing that the situation could have been a lot worse had it not been for the homegrown policies instituted by the government. He disclosed that government is committed to sanitizing the small-scale mining sector due to the enormous benefits it offers the country. He added that whereas large-scale mining companies employs over 30,000 Ghanaians, the small-scale mining sector employ more than a million Ghanaians. The Deputy Minister said it is for this reason that despite calls for government to shutdown the sector, it has remained steadfast in sanitizing the sector instead of shutting it down. In a message to the community and its leadership, he cautioned them against allowing foreign involvement in the scheme and also urged to protect the waterbodies in the area. He called for a collaborative efforts from the public and the government to protect the country’s rich mineral resources. Hon. Mireku Duker outlined measures instituted by government to fight illegal mining which among other things include the recruitment of 300 riverguards to provide permanent patrol on waterbodies, procurement of speedboats for patrol on waterbodies and the registration and tracking of all earth-moving equipment in the country. “We are experiencing a global economic crisis. It’s not only Ghana, it’s everywhere in the world. God has blessed with gold and it is creating jobs for us. All the large-scale mining companies employ 30,000 person. Act 703 permits Ghanaians to engage in small-scale mining. Small-scale mining employs over 1miilion Ghanaians" “I will never call for the banning of small-scale mining. The Community Mining Scheme will create jobs for the youth in the community but that does not mean we must destroy our waterbodies. We must all support government and protect our river bodies”, he said. Hon. Alfred Obeng, the Member of Parliament for Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai said the fight to safeguard Ghana’s resources requires the support of all. He underscored the importance of the Community Mining Scheme for the youth in the area and commended the Ministry for the efforts. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Mines, Hon. George Mireku Duker has made a passionate appeal to the youth of Kenyasi and the management as well as staff of Newmont Mining Limited to bury the hatchet and allow peace to prevail. Hon. Mireku Duker said both the mining company and community owe each other a fiduciary duty and that it is imperative that calmness is restored for them to enjoy the full benefit of the relationship. Addressing the community and the management at separate meetings on Friday, November 18, 2022, the Deputy Minister urged the two parties to employ dialogue as the means of settling their differences, warning that violence will only incur losses. Detailing the purpose of his visit, Hon. George Mireku Duker explained that he is on a fact-finding mission to uncover the remote and immediate causes that resulted in the chaos and will submit his findings to the sector Minister who will forward it to the security agencies for necessary actions to be taken. Whiles describing the incident that led to the death of one resident as unfortunate, Hon. Duker said the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources will collaborate with the community, Newmont and security agencies to ensure that whoever acted untowardly is dealt with and lasting peace is found. Hon. Duker who visited the injured victims of the mayhem, expressed the sympathies of the Sector Minister, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor and hoped that some useful lessons will be picked from the unfortunate incident. He appealed to the traditional authorities to rally the youth and counsel them against violence and exercise restrains in their bid to strive for what they believe is due their community. “On behalf of the government, I send my sincerest condolence and sympathies to everyone. The Police are investigating the issue and government will collaborate with them. We’ve visited those in the hospital and I will pass on the needed information to the relevant authorities to ensure that the right things are done. “I will urge you all to exercise restraint and be in the known that we are not overlooking the issue. Government is keenly following matters and my presence here is to show that we are with you and concerned with all that is going on. Once again my condolences to the family of the bereaved,” he said. In his engagement with Newmont Mining Limited, Hon. Mireku Duker advised them to cooperate with the security agencies to restore calm and ensure the safety of their staff. He disclosed the commitment of government to creating the enabling environment for the company and other licensed mining companies to thrive. Hon. Mireku Duker remarked that management of the company should take steps to establish a harmonious relationship with the traditional authorities so as to facilitate its smooth operation in the area. On behalf of government, the Deputy Minister also visited the injured victims at the Hospital and expressed his warm felicitations whiles assuring them of speedy recovery. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, has denied allegations that he did not get authorisation for National Cathedral expenditures. The Finance Minister said the project was 100 per cent owned by the state, contrary to impressions that it was the project of President Nana Addo Dakwa Akufo Addo. He told the Adhoc Committee of Parliament hearing the censure motion to remove him that expenditures in respect of the National Cathedral were made from the Contingency Vote under the “Other Government Obligations” vote. He said the spending was done from that in line with the practice before his tenure. “I have copies of several payments from the Contingency Vote dating back to 2015 to share,” he said. He said, as Finance Minister, he was fully aware of the approval procedures for use of the Contingency Fund and had not breached its requirement. “The National Cathedral is 100% owned by the State and is not the President’s Cathedral as described by the Proponents" “Indeed, the Attorney General issued an opinion on January 6, 2022, that the National Cathedral is a state-owned company limited by guarantee, under the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board,” Mr Ofori-Atta said. He said the policy direction and updates on the National Cathedral have been publicly presented over the years through the National Budget Statement and Economic Policy presented to Parliament. “In conclusion, Co-Chairs, all the payments made for the National Cathedral were lawfully done and from the Contingency Vote under the “Other Government Obligations” vote and not from the Contingency Fund as alleged by the Proponents,” he said. Story by: Thinknewsonline.com