Office of the Late Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Krachi East has described as unprofessional and unethical headlines by some media houses on the cause of death of Francis Kofi Okesu. In a statement issued by the MCE’s Personal Assistant, Sham-Una Gmakanyi Sulemana, the MCE was “a devoted Christian, diligent and sober”. Therefore, the family was shocked about the reportage coming from the media. “We the family were shocked at some reportage emanating from the media, we are very confident in the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Health Service of conducting an independent investigation and publishing an autopsy report to unravel what actually led to his death" “Until such a report is released by these professional institutions of the state, any media story such as the recent headline from Joy News, Daily Graphic and other media houses should be disregarded and considered unprofessional and unethical" “The general public should disregard those cooked stories from a section of the media trying to discredit the reputation of the late MCE whom had served his people in the past one year with respect and diligence.” Mr Okesu, who was also the Dean of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the Oti Region, was found dead in a hotel room in Kumasi. Police have already began investigations into the unfortunate incident. “The whole Municipality is now in a state of mourning of a man who put on smiles even when it is hard for him,” the statement by the PA on Monday, September 5 concluded. Story by: Emmanuel Kwame Amoh

The Office of Former President, John Dramani Mahama has denied claims that he took home an amount of GHc14 Million in 2013 as his Ex-Gratia. The office is, therefore, urging the general public to debunk what it calls another false and scurrilous claim by Kwame Baffoe, a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). In a statement signed by the Special Aide to H.E John Dramani Mahama, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, she said "President Mahama never took any such ex-gratia payment of GH¢14 million in 2013 or at any other time during his 25 years of distinguished public service. Fortunately, ex-gratia payments are a matter of public record and are available in the office of the Chief of Staff or the Controller and Accountant General's Department" The statement further added that it is challenging the office of the Chief of Staff and Presidency to provide proof of the payment of any such amount. The Office of Former President Mahama charged government to stop using its idle miscreants among its ranks to spread falsehood. "It will be surprising if any such payment had been made to the former President and has not been reflected in any of the numerous Auditor General’s reports presented to Parliament since 2013" "We know that it is a stock in trade of President Akufo-Addo and his cronies to launch a campaign of calumny and false allegations against the personality of President Mahama anytime they have their backs against the wall" "As usual, this latest falsehood is a failed decoy to suppress the national discussions about the hardship Ghanaians are going through because of the clueless, inept, hopeless incompetence and poor governance of the Akufo-Addo and Bawumia administration" "It is a porous response to John Mahama’s promise to urgently re-look and review issues related to the emoluments of Article 71 office holders including ex-gratia payments" The office reiterated the points made by President Mahama recently, saying the next NDC Government will run an administration with a leaner government and far less ministers than Ghana has ever seen and ensure a cut in waste and exercise of frugality in everything Government does. "The NDC is also committed to the implementation of a review of the 1992 Constitution, which should among others, place a cap on the number of Supreme Court Justices and face the issues of Article 71 head on" Below is a copy of the release: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Kwaku Annan has finally responded to the viral video of Kennedy Agyapong publicly humiliating and disclosing that he has sacked him from NET 2 TV. According to Kennedy Agyapong in the trending video, he sacked Kwaku Annan for insulting Dr Bawumia in one of his Youtube videos. The former NET 2 employee has also angrily to boldly tell the MP to go to Hell with his arrogance and hypocrisy. According to pained and irate Kwaku Annan, Kennedy Agyapong is a big-time hypocrite because he was the same person who cheered him on anytime he insulted former president John Mahama. Kwaku Annan also called out Kennedy Agyapong for insulting his political foes but he’s now trying to portray himself as a saint. As emphatically stated by Kwaku Annan, Kennedy Agyapong should bow his head in shame because the Dr Bawumia he’s defending is the same person who attacked and insulted John Mahama unprovoked when his part was in opposition. He additionally questioned Kennedy Agyapong if he’s happy with how Dr Bawumia and the ruling NPP government are managing the affairs of the country. Story by: Peter Quao Adattor

Some angry beneficiaries of the Nation’s Builders Corps (NABCO) in the Northern Region have unreservedly apologized to the former president, John Dramani Mahama, saying they were deceived by the “lies” of then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, to vote against the former in 2016. Speaking at the just-ended Miisim Demo in Tamale, organised by Alliance for Progressive Forces over the hardship in the country, representatives of the NABCO trainees “cursed” president Akufo-Addo for what they described as “no future” to live up to. “I want to stand on behalf of all NABCO beneficiaries to apologize to John Dramani Mahama and Ghanaians at large. “Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Dr. Bawumia peddled falsehoods about former president Mahama, and convinced us to vote for them. “Now, they are owing us 11 months. Yet, they have refused to pay us,” they said. The NABCO beneficiaries also hinted that they would be resorting to legal means to get the government to pay them all the monies. “So, therefore, we are sending them to court, what a government! God will punish him [the president] for us”, the NABCO trainees told the gathering at the Tamale Jubilee Park over the weekend. Hundreds of citizens took to the streets of Tamale on Saturday, September 3, 2022, to draw the government’s attention to the economic challenges facing the country. They called for urgent steps to save Ghanaians from further hardship. The group, made up of people from various walks of life and predominantly residents of Tamale, walked through some major streets of the northern regional capital, clad in red T-shirts with various placards, capturing the feelings of the demonstrators about the economy. One of the leaders of the group, Prof. Jaspa Binduya explained that they were exercising their right as citizens to demand an improvement in the management of the economy through a peaceful demonstration. The demonstration, dubbed ‘Miisim demo’, was scheduled to take place earlier but was postponed due to the deaths of the Mionlana, Mahamadu Abdulai, and the Northern Regional Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Ibrahim Mobila. Miisim is a Dagbani word, which implies hardship; Miisim demo, therefore, means ‘hardship demonstration’. Credit: pakmediagh.com

Popular Chinese woman reported to be a kingpin in the galamsey business, Huang Ruixia alias Aisha Huang has been arrested again and arraigned for fresh charges. Aisha Huang, who was a household name in Ghana five years ago, was charged together with three others for engaging in sales and purchases of minerals without a license. She is also separately on a provisional charge of engaging in mining without a license. Her plea on the two charges was reserved due to the unavailability of a Chinese interpreter when she appeared at the Circuit Court in Accra on September 1. While Aisha Huang was arraigned last Friday with her plea yet to be taken, the remaining three – Jong Li Hua, Huang Jei and Huiad Hiahu appeared before the Circuit Court presided by His Honour Bright Acquah, on Monday, September 5. They have all pleaded not guilty to the charge and have been remanded into lawful custody to reappear on September 14. Even though the three were in court today, Aisha Huang who had earlier appeared in court last week was not present. It was the case of the prosecutor Detective Chief Inspector Frederick Sarpong that, investigations are still ongoing. All of them have been remanded into lawful custody. Per the brief facts of the prosecution, Aisha Huang had previously escaped prosecution in Accra when arrested earlier. She was said to have returned to her country and changed her identity only to come back to Ghana and commit the same crime. She is said to have applied for a TogoVisa and went through the borders into Ghana and back to the galamsey business in a town in the Ashanti Region. The three others with her are said to be selling mining equipment and dealing in gold without a valid licence in Accra. They were arrested upon Intelligence by National security. The case has been adjourned to September 14. Previous charges In May 2017, Aisha Huang gained some notoriety after her arrest and was tagged as the Galamsey Queen. She had been charged with three counts of undertaking small-scale mining operations, contrary to Section 99 (1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703); providing mining support services without valid registration with the Minerals Commission, and contrary to the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), and the illegal employment of foreign nationals, contrary to the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573). In the course of the prosecution, the government controversially discontinued the case and deported her in December 2018. Credit: pakmediagh.com

Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, says Ghana is the best destination of choice for investors looking to explore and do business on the Teak Market. He made these pronouncements as he represented the Vice President of the Republic, H.E Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia at the opening ceremony of the 4th World Teak Conference in Accra. He said "Ghana is a land of opportunities right from pre-colonial days, we are a place where opportunities abound and as the world focuses on post economic recovery, and seeks to examine the opportunities in the Teak market, Ghana is the best place to do this". The Information Minister highlighted the global market value of Teak, which he said is estimated around $400-600 million dollars. The Minister for Information said for a product that takes between 10-25 years to reach its market potential, it requires tenacity, clarity with interventions, policy coherence and sustainability measures to survive it when producing it, stressing that the outcome of the three day engagement will help Ghana and the global efforts of the contribution of the Teak Industry. "By the time you are done, our expectation is that we will receive a report which should guide global leaders on how to utilize the endless possibilities of Teak" he said. Hon. Oppong-Nkrumah said with Ghana being the leading producer of Teak on the African continent, Government is intentional about enhancing its production in Teak, stressing that, Afforestation is a key part of Ghana's strategy in building back the economy after the twin crisis of COVID 19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine War. "Teak is good business because it creates a lot of jobs and economic value for our people" Giving a brief historical antecedent of Teak to Ghana, Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel A. Jinapor disclosed that the timber species was introduced around 1905, with seeds sourced mainly from India and Burma, now Myanmar. He added that it was not until the early 1970s that the country started embarking on large-scale teak plantation development under the government’s Rural Development Programme. He noted that under the distinguished leadership of President Akufo-Addo, Ghana has prioritized forest landscape restoration, and especially commercial forest plantations, anchored around teak and other timber species. "We are implementing an aggressive afforestation and reforestation programme, through the Youth in Afforestation Project, the Modified Taungya System, the Forest Investment Program, and quite recently the Green Ghana Initiative" He further elaborated that Under the Green Ghana Initiative, out of the twenty-six million (26,000,000) tree seedlings distributed,  about five point two million (5,200,000) of them were teak seedlings. He asserted that currently, teak is the most exported timber species from Ghana, both in terms of volume and value. "Last year, for instance, teak constituted fifty-four (54%) by volume, and forty-five percent (45%) by value, of all the forty-two (42) timber species and wood products exported from the country" Samuel A. Jinapor urged all participants to be actively engaged during the conference and to utilise this great opportunity, especially the Business-to-Business sessions, to establish strategic alliances and business networks. He said it is his expectation that the outcomes from this conference will ensure more value-addition to teak products from the emerging markets and developing economies to improve rural livelihoods and returns on Teak investments in general, through a fair and transparent market system that equitably allocates benefits to all players along the value chain. On his part, the CEO of Forestry Commission, John Allotey who delivered the Welcome Address said Ghana is privileged to host the world in Accra the Centre of the Earth for the 4th World Teak Conference. He said the conference revolves around the Production of Teak, and the presence of key stakeholders from Academia, Researchers, Policy Makers, Exporters and Marketers is a testament of the great value and importance of Teak. He used the opportunity to rally participants on the three day Teak conference to participate in the Field trip organized by the local organizing committee to explore Ghana. "Our beautiful culture, warm and friendly people, delicious cuisines and peaceful atmosphere". The President of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, (IUFRO), Dr. John Parrotta in his statement gave an overview of IUFRO and its linkage with Teak, adding that he is proud of the commitment by governments and organizations to research and invest into the timber specie. He said as a proud partner and financier of the the 4th World Teak Conference, he is hopeful that the conference will afford participants the opportunity to connect,  share ideas and contribute to the growing conversation on the opportunities and challenges of Teak on the Global Market. In a Thematic Adress, Mr. Rahul Ahuja the CEO and Founder of Aaron Global gave a three phased presentation on the theme of the conference, naming his organisation as an exclusive Indian sales partner and the world's largest Teak trader. His presentation encompassed the Teak Market landscape which he said has a  global plantation Teak Market of 1.4million geometric cbm per year, while disclosing that India is the dominant Market for teak in the world with 94% production capacity, and the other 6% coming from Vietnam and China. Mr. Rahul Ahuja named a couple of uses for Teak, saying that up to 80% of the commodity is used for doors and door frames while the other 20% for Furniture and others. The opening ceremony also afforded other World Captains in the Forestry industry to make some statements on the conference. The Captains included; Walter Kollert, TEAKNET Steering Committee, Ms. Sheam Satkuru Executive Director, International Tropical Timber Organizations(ITTO), Japan and a Representative from the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). Interluded with beautiful cultural dances, drama and poetry recietals, the cpening ceremony, with the theme; Global Teak Market: Challenges and Opportunities for Emerging Markets and Developing Economies, saw over 300 participants from 31 countries across (5) continents – Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America, representing governments, policy makers, private sector, academia, professional foresters, researchers, development partners, civil society players and students. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

An Accra Circuit Court has remanded into custody 4 Chinese nationals for their alleged involvement in illegal small-scale mining activities. Hearing the case Monday September 5, three suspects, Jong Li Huang, Huang Jei and Huiad Hua pleaded not guilty in court to a charge of engaging in sales and purchases of minerals without license. Aisha Huang, deported in 2018 following her involvement in galamsey activities and has been brought back into the country, is facing charges of engaging in sale and purchases of minerals without license, as well as mining without license. Aisha Huang’s who appeared in court on Friday could not have her plea heard due to unavailability of a Chinese interpreter and hence remains in police custody. She was however absent when the case was called. Presiding judge, Samuel Bright Acquah remanded the suspects into custody to reappear before the court on September 14. By Laud Adu-Asare

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Mustapha Ussif remains optimistic the Black Stars of Ghana will excel at the 2022 Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) World Cup to win the coveted trophy for the first time for Africa. The World Cup trophy arrived on Saturday for a two-day tour in the capital, and Ghana is the first Africa country to host the trophy ahead of Senegal, Cameroon, Morocco, and Tunisia. Speaking to the media at a Press Conference at the Mariotte Hotel in Accra on Saturday, the Minister said he was hopeful Ghana can clinch the envied trophy. “We are happy to open the gate for the four other African countries on this tour. Ghana is hopeful to bring the trophy back to the country. We have set up plans and once executed, we believe the team would shine in Qatar. “For now we can only see the trophy and we want to touch and feel it by winning the World Cup. We have a young team and I believe in them,” Mr. Ussif said. Mr. Kurt Okraku President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), said the Black Stars would be competitive and ready for the quadrennial tournament, adding, “We will show the world (We are Ghana)”. The GFA President urged Ghanaians to rally their unflinching support towards the team to achieve success at the Mundial. Ghana is paired with Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea in Group H. The World Cup is billed for November 20-2 December in Doha, Qatar. Watch the video below: Source: GNA

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Krachi East in the Oti Region, Francis Kofi Okesu, has been found dead in a hotel room in Kumasi. According to the Police, they found his body in a supine position in bed naked with his left arm hanging beside the bed on Sunday. A careful examination of the body by health professionals found no marks of violence, but traces of spermatozoa on his thigh. According to the officials, the drops of spermatozoa suggest a possible sexual act before his death. Luv News checks revealed that the deceased had checked into the hotel late on Friday, September 2 with his driver, Sylvester Attah. The driver, however, left to lodge in a different hotel. Mr Kofi Okesu has not been seen since he checked into the hotel and efforts to reach him proved futile. Investigations established that Mr Attah could also not reach him on the scheduled day of return to Dambai on Sunday, September 4. An official complaint was lodged with the Police by the Manager of the said hotel in Kumasi. Subsequently, the Police broke into his room only to find the dead body of Mr Okesu. The Regional Crime Scene team of the police proceeded to the crime scene to begin investigations into what could have led to his death. Police sources say they have conducted a search of the room but have found nothing incriminating so far. The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, Municipal Chief Executive of Oforikrom, Abraham Antwi, and other security operatives have been to the scene. The body has been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy. Credit: Myjoyonline.com

The National Communications Authority (NCA) has released the punitive actions to be taken against unregistered SIM cards. The on-going SIM registration exercise is scheduled to end on 30th September, 2022. Persons who fail to register will suffer consequences. As part of the punitive measures, the NCA said there would will be re-routing of all outgoing calls to IVR for a message to be played before all calls go through everyday. Also, outgoing calls and Data Services for a sequential batch of numbers will be blocked for 48 hours (2 days) once a week on rotational basis. “Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) shall divide the Unregistered SIMS into five (5) batches for the purpose of implementing this punitive measure. “These measures shall exclude blocking of SMS to give defaulting subscribers the opportunity to initiate registration if they so wish. “Subscribers who fully register their SIM Cards within the period they have been blocked will only be unblocked by the MNOs after the 48 hours to avoid the MNOs tampering with their systems intermittently,” the NCA said in a statement dated September 2. Story by: Laud Nartey

Stephen Siaw, well known in the showbiz circles as Ayesem, has finally replied Mr Logic for labelling him as a fool on Accra-based Hitz FM during a show hosted by Andy Dosty. A few months ago, Ayesem on Connect FM‘s Entertainment Review Show with Ato Kwamina Otoo indicated he wrote Sista Afia’s hit songs including ‘Corner Corner’, ‘Slay Queen’, ‘Paper’ and ‘Asuoden’, among others. “I wrote all these songs for her but not even a single call from her to show appreciation,” he said. According to him, he wouldn’t have mentioned it but Sista Afia, for a long time, has not been giving him the needed credit as her songwriter. Reacting to the issue, Mr Logic called Ayesem a fool for writing several songs for the songstress even though she has not given him the necessary credit. “If this is true then Ayesem is a fool, yes he is a fool,” Mr Logic said. But in an interview with DJ Magnus on Connect FM on Saturday, September 3, Ayesem reacted to the insult from the loudmouth pundit by saying: “I heard it when Mr Logic called me a fool. I am not a fool as he said. He was quick to judge without listening to my side of the story. “I am surprised a person called Logic behaves like that sometimes. Anyway, that was his opinion,” he said. Ayesem, who is currently in the United States after performing at the 2022 edition of the Ghana Music Awards, U.S.A, is set to release a new song titled ‘Champagne’. Story by: DJ Magnus

Donald Trump has called President Joe Biden an “enemy of the state” at his first rally since the FBI searched his Florida resort for sensitive files. Speaking to thousands of supporters in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the ex-president accused Mr Biden of weaponizing the FBI against him. The raid was “one of the most shocking abuses of power by any administration in American history”, Mr Trump claimed. He was in the state to promote two Republican candidates. Dr Mehmet Oz is running for the US Senate, and state Senator Doug Mastriano is in the race to become Pennsylvania’s next governor. Both spoke only briefly – as always, the rally on Saturday night was really about one person: the headliner. Mr Trump, 76, spent the first part of his nearly two-hour speech criticising the FBI search early last month. FBI agents conducting the search found dozens of empty folders marked as classified, and top secret files were recovered from his personal office. Mr Trump, who is being investigated over his handling of classified records, denies wrongdoing. Apart from the raid, the former president returned to familiar themes at the Pennsylvania rally: false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him, attacks on rivals in the Democratic Party, and promises to “save our country”. Several times, he called for people who deal drugs to receive the death penalty. Here are four key things you need to know about Donald Trump’s rally. Punching back at the Department of Justice (DoJ) The former president is currently involved in a legal tussle with federal authorities over a cache of classified documents that the FBI seized last month. Government authorities say Mr Trump improperly took and stored White House documents, including some marked “top secret,” at his Florida home – the Mar-a-Lago resort. Federal prosecutors now say he may have obstructed the investigation into his possession of the documents. Mr Trump has previously spun investigations and attacks against him as “witch hunts,” and it was no different on Saturday. He came out swinging, calling the FBI’s search “the shameful raid and break-in on my home in Mar-a-Lago” a “travesty”. The former president has long built his appeal by casting himself and his supporters as political outsiders and persecuted figures. Mr Trump linked his personal legal troubles to his supporters’ political frustrations, claiming: “We are being assaulted… by the FBI and DOJ”. “It was not just my home that was raided… it was the hopes and dreams of every citizen who I’ve been fighting for since the moment I came down the golden escalator in 2015, wanting to represent the people,” he said, drawing boos from the crowd. Supporters think Trump was ‘set up’ The crowd was on his side when it came to the FBI’s search. This region supported Mr Trump in the 2020 election, even though Pennsylvania overall slipped from his grasp and chose Mr Biden. Two supporters had already procured “Defund the FBI” T-shirts to wear to the rally. Gail McCloskey, from the city of Altoona, nearly a three-hour drive away, told the BBC she thought the FBI visit was “a set up” Meanwhile, Kelly Borgogelli, 60, who had driven four hours from Buffalo, New York, to see Mr Trump, said: “They’re just going after him for pure hate.” Asked if she believed any of the multiple accusations made against Mr Trump over the years – that he incited a violent mob to storm the US Capitol last year, that he improperly pressured Ukraine’s president to investigate his political enemies, or that he falsified claims of election fraud in 2020 – Mrs Borgogelli replied she did not. “They’ve never given us any proof,” she said. Her companion, Maureen Ewart, 62, said if the justice department actually charged Mr Trump, the country would be “divided” “It will be crowded out there, the streets will be full,” Ms Ewart said, emphasising that she did not condone violence – but feared any criminal charges against the former president could spark civil unrest. At one point, Mr Trump himself claimed that the latest investigation into his possession of government documents was “going to produce a backlash” the likes of which the country had not seen before. His visit to Pennsylvania is a strategic choice Mr Trump’s name might not be on the ballot in Pennsylvania this year, but Trumpism certainly is. He hand-picked the US Senate candidate, celebrity medical expert Dr Oz, and endorsed the far-right election conspiracy theorist Mr Mastriano for governor after his surprising primary win. Their performance in the November election will be seen as a referendum on the strength of Mr Trump’s endorsement, and the political ideologies he’s unleashed on the Republican Party. The outcome could have ramifications for 2024. Mr Trump has not announced another presidential campaign, but has left the door wide open. Should his candidates prevail, the Republican Party will see it as a sign of Mr Trump’s continued dominance of their base voters. Should they lose, however, it could indicate to Mr Trump’s potential 2024 rivals that they may have a chance at the White House after all. Rallygoers were far more enthused about Mr Mastriano – a candidate more closely forged in the former president’s mould – than they were about Dr Oz. The crowd roared when Mr Mastriano was brought onstage. However Dr Oz was invited to join Mr Trump onstage well over an hour into the rally. The celebrity doctor spoke for less than two minutes, and after his remarks, someone in the back of the crowd shouted “he’s a Rino!” or “Republican in name only,” a criticism that Dr Oz is not sufficiently conservative. Both parties eye Pennsylvania The state is vital to Democrats’ hopes as well. They want to pick up a US Senate seat by propelling Lt Gov John Fetterman to victory. The governor’s race has taken on extra significance with Mr Mastriano’s landslide win in the Republican primary. He attended the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Congress and played a key role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Pennsylvania. Should he win the governorship, he would have significant power over the state’s election implementation. To oppose him, Democrats have put forth the state’s attorney general, Josh Shapiro, and President Biden held several high-profile events in the state in recent days to help whip up the Democratic base. In fact, he also visited Wilkes-Barre, on 30 August to give a major speech about guns and public safety and two days ago he gave a primetime address in Philadelphia. He argued that Trump’s ideology – which he called “Maga Republicans” after his predecessor’s famous campaign slogan – threatened American democracy. “Not every Republican, not even a majority of Republicans, are Maga Republicans,” Mr Biden said. “But there’s no question the Republican Party today is dominated, driven and intimidated by Donald Trump and the Maga Republicans, and that is a threat to this country.” On Saturday, Mr Trump called Mr Biden’s address the most “vicious hateful and divisive speech ever delivered by an American president”. Source: BBC