Newly wedded Ghanaian Entrepreneur, Actress and Producer, Tracey Badu Ntiamoah has showered praises to her bridesmaids for the love shown her. In an Instagram post, Tracey Badu Ntiamoah wrote "These ladies are amazing ❤️❤️ #francey22 @asare_bernice_ @ladyharriet_ @ama_kyeraaa @cilla.bae @wuzpoks_surprise_package @iam_afrewo @afia_adonko @elle.avril @make_her_upgh.wigs" The appreciation post was matched with a beautiful video. Tracey's post was met with lots of love from loved ones and followers on Instagram. Below is an embedded video: Story: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Ghanaian Actress, Producer and Entrepreneur, Tracey Boakye has taken to her Instagram page to flaunt her new name. In a post sighted by Thinknewsonline.com on Instagram, Tracey Boakye posted "My name is Mrs Tracey Badu Ntiamoah 💍 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿 #francey22 #Francey22" The beautiful bride was also captured in a video receiving some cash blessings from her bridesmaids. Mrs Badu Ntiamoah's wedding has turned Kumasi, the capital town of the Ashanti Region upside down as many have travelled across the cross and overseas to witness the ceremony. Her post was met with love from her loved ones and followers on Instagram. Below is an embedded post: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The patient, who is 66 years old and requests anonymity, was unintentionally cured of the virus following a stem cell transplant to treat his leukaemia. Doctors determined that his malignant blood cells needed to be replaced with those from a donor who also happened to be HIV-resistant three and a half years ago. On July 27, AIDS experts revealed that a fourth person had been "cured" of HIV. However, the risky operation for patients who were facing cancer may not provide much solace for the tens of millions of people who are HIV-positive globally. In advance of the International AIDS Conference, which gets underway in Montreal, Canada, on Friday, the 66-year-old man, known as the "City of Hope" patient after the Californian facility where he received treatment, was told that his illness was in remission. After experts reported in February that a US woman known as the New York patient had also entered remission, he is the second individual to be officially declared to have been cured this year. He said in a statement: "When I was diagnosed with HIV in 1988, like many others, I thought it was a death sentence. "I never thought I would live to see the day that I no longer have HIV." He is one of four patients who have been treated in this fashion, and he is the oldest. Timothy Ray Brown, a "Berlin patient," was the first in 2007. The cure is the "holy grail," according to the president-elect of the International Aids Society (IAS), and it provides "continuing hope and motivation" for HIV-positive people. Because non-HIV positive donors lack the receptors needed for HIV to infect cells, scientists think it works. Credit: BBC

Ghana is about to witness one of the glamourous weddings as Tracey Boakye is about to tie the knot to her fiancé, Frank Badu Ntiamoah. After teasing fans with wedding hashtags, photos of bridal shower and pre-wedding photos, the date for Tracey Boakye's wedding has popped up. The much-anticipated wedding which is hashtagged #Fracey22 will begin on Thursday, July 28, 2022. An invitation that confirms the union between Tacey Boakye and her fiancé, Frank Kwaku Badu Ntiamoah says the couple's traditional marriage will happen on Thursday, July 28, 2022. Tracey, ahead of the wedding, had some of her close friends organise a beautiful bridal shower for her. This came off on Tuesday, July 26, 2022. Meanwhile, the actress has, today, July 27, 2022, revealed the mystery man to the public. Tracey dropped a pre-wedding photo with her man as they twinned, and thanked him. The name of her fiancé has surfaced as Frank Badu Ntiamoah. an artist. Her post has triggered massive reactions, as her colleague industry players congratulated and wished her. Frank, also, posted some of their pre-wedding photos while thanking his wife-to-be, Tracey for accepting to be with him. The actress, recently, disclosed that the man she has a baby with supported her to build her house in East Legon, an affluent town in Accra. She disclosed in an interview with Abeiku Santana that although she started building the house without any help, the support of this unknown baby daddy expedited the project to be completed within 8 months. "I built my house by myself but papa no' supported because his child lives here too." She claimed it is normal for even financially successful women to ask for monetary support from their male partners. Tracey pointed out that her wealth cannot be wholly attributed to her baby daddy although she didn’t deny the immense support of this person over the past years. “In a relationship, both parties contribute. To me, even if I have a house full of money, I will accept your money and add it to what have once we are dating. That is the nature of women, we always want extra money from our men even though we have enough. “I did some by myself and definitely with the support of someone, the man l am dating and share a child with. It is normal to receive a little support from him but l am very forceful. Those that know me can testify to my hard work,” she noted. Below are some pictures: Credit: Pulse GH

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, has taken an exception to a recent research on corruption, which put the Ghana Police Service Number 1 on the rankings. In a 14-pointer letter to the research institutions – the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) – Dr Dampare questioned the methodology used, describing the findings as “heavily challenged and corrupt”. “We assume that such a research is aimed at finding solutions for the country’s corruption-related problems,” he acknowledged. “The Service has long acknowledged that some of its personnel may be involved in some corrupt practices and we continue to implement measures to discourage such conduct. “It probably would have been helpful if you had engaged us to take on board what is being done by the Service and incorporated this into the findings.” Among the points raised by the IGP in his letter on Wednesday, July 27 include: i. It has been observed that the research did not cover some other public institutions such as the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Civil Aviation, Audit Service, Parliamentary Service, Ghana National Fire Service, Gaming Commission, Public Media houses, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO),  Narcotic Control Commission (NACOC), the Attorney General (AG’s) Department, the Registrar Generals Department among others and these are all institutions, we believe, that the public deals with regularly. ii. More importantly, a further scrutiny of the report shows that your two institutions (CHRAJ and Ghana Statistical Service) were also not part of the research and we are wondering why you do not think they are also candidates for corruption investigation, considering that they also provide critical services to the public. iii. We also noticed that some institutions such as the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) was disaggregated into components with one part touching on Customs officers and another part on tax officers. Another example is the Ghana Health Service where you had doctors, nurses and midwives in one group and other health workers in the public hospitals constituting the other group. Even some other institutions such as public utility services, which include the Ghana Water Company, Electricity Company of Ghana and others were aggregated as one. One wonders why the lack of consistency in your approach. iv. In addition, in some instances you combined different institutions as one entity; for example, prosecutors are not part of the judicial service but you put them together as one. Also, teachers and lecturers, though both operate in the education sector, they do not belong to the same institution but were lumped together. This seems to us to be a clear case of combining mangoes and oranges to corrupt the flavour of each. v. For some other institutions, only sections were covered; for example, the Judicial Service is not made up of only judges. Lecturers, professors and teachers are not the full complement of the institutions they represent. What about the other officials of these institutions? Do their actions not affect service delivery of their institutions? This is evidence that you compared the whole of some institutions to the parts of some others. In specific terms, you compared the whole of the Police Service with sections of the Judicial Service, sections of the GRA and others. vi. We Know that there are three branches (arms) of government, namely the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. From our understanding, most of the institutions covered in your research are under the Executive branch and yet, you also introduced another institution named the Executive Branch of Government without offering any explanation as to what it constitutes. Your comment on this will be helpful. vii. We have also read that you used some multiple levels of quality assurance to eliminate errors in your research, but looking at the report, we believe we have good reason to be sceptical about this quality assurance mechanism. For example, we wonder whether you made any attempts to verify and authenticate from any of the affected institutions the credibility of the information given you by the interviewees since we cannot feel that in the research. viii. Using your contacts-based and the value-based ranking methods for your analysis, we would like a regional, monthly and departmental breakdown of your findings for the Police Service to enable us pinpoint where the issues are and tackle them. ix. We also did not see any specific recommendations in the report and we find it surprising that a major research like this did not offer any recommendations and solutions. x. There is also the real risk that your research may have been affected by a historically pervasive stereotyping of the Police Service. The Service has almost now become the default institution of choice for such research and has therefore encouraged a deep-seated public stereotype over the years. This stereotype may easily influence respondent choices and it is therefore fair to expect that you factor it in assessing the validity of your findings. xi.  From the foregoing, it is our considered view that the research and its findings are heavily challenged and corrupted from both the academic and practice point of view. XII.  We want to place on record that we are passionate about this since the continuous empirically and scientifically unsubstantiated labelling of the police as the most corrupt institution in the country only goes to feed this perception and damage the reputation of the Police Service as well as weaken the morale of its personnel. As we have all now come to accept, perception tends to be more powerful than reality and therefore we have no choice than to share our position on this matter. It even further questioned why the research institutions like GSS and CHRAJ were not part of the surveys since their workers are candidates of corruption. “From the foregoing, it is our considered view thatg the research and its findings are heavily challeneged and corrupted from both the academic and practice point of view.” Credit: 3news.com

The Ghana National Blood Service is calling on all and sundry to engage in blood donation exercise twice every year to help support the blood bank save lives. The Blood bank believes it is important for everyone to support the blood bank with their blood as they claim the blood bank is challenged with blood shortage. They made this known when the Ministry of Information together with the Press Pool organized the 2nd Edition of the Health Screening and Blood Donation Exercise today at the ministry to support the Ghana National Blood Service to save life. Speaking to the media during the exercise, the Principal Blood Donor Recruitment officer at the Ghana National Blood Service, Madam Joyce Oppong-Adu stressed that, they are working tirelessly to increase the blood at the bank as she call on all and sundry to make it a habit of donating blood. Leading the donation exercise, the Deputy Minister for Information, Fatimatu Abubakar commended all those who took part in the exercise. She urged others to also take interest in the exercise of donating blood as she says, it will help save those in need. Some of the donor partners who supported the exercise also expressed their desire to join the Ministry of Information to organize the donation exercise. They believe Ghanaians must support in donating blood. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Brazilian Midfielder, Fabio Gama has started training with new outfit Muharraq Club after completing a move to the side ahead of next season. The Brazilian midfielder recently joined the Bahrain giants on a two-year deal as a free agent after leaving Kotoko. The 29-year-old left the Ghana Premier League side at the end of the 2021/22 football season. The Porcupine Warriors failed to reach an agreement over a contract extension. Kotoko were unable to reach an agreement for a new contract because the 29-year-old demanded a salary increase that Kotoko refused to pay. The midfielder wasted no time in joining his new teammates at practice as they prepare for the new season. Fabio Gama in his two-year stint with Asante Kotoko scored five goals in 48 appearances. Following an impressive debut season in which he scored four goals in 28 Ghana Premier League games, the attacking midfielder made 20 appearances in the 2021/22 season. Injuries plagued him early in the season, limiting his playing time under Prosper Ogum Narteh. Gama joined the club on a two years before the start of the 2020/21 Ghana football season. Muharraq, a club founded 94 years ago, have won the Bahrani league 34 times and other domestic titles. Source: footballghana.com

Sarah Adwoa Safo's fate as the Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya in Accra will be decided by Parliament on Thursday. It follows the laying of the report of the Privileges Committee of Parliament on the three absentee MPs. Graphic Online understands by a Majority decision, members on the Privileges Committee have recommended that the Dome-Kwabenya seat should be declared vacant while the Minority thinks that the absentee MP should be offered more time and the opportunity to respond, why she absented herself without permission before a conclusive decision on her seat is taken. A copy of the report of the Privileges Committee of Parliament seen by Graphic Online has confirmed this position. Parliament is expected to consider the report of the committee at its sitting on Thursday [July 28, 2022], which is the last day before the House goes on a break. Regarding Sarah Adwoa Safo, in spite of all the efforts made to invite her to attend upon the Committee, she did not appear before the Committee to provide the reasons for her absence from the House without written permission for more than the 15 Sittings threshold. By the provisions of Article 97 (1) (c) of the 1992 Constitution, the onus is on Sarah Adwoa Safo to provide a reasonable explanation to the Privileges Committee why she shall not vacate her Seat, for having absented herself for 42 Sittings, during the period under consideration. Graphic Online understands that the Minority Members on the Committee concede that reasonable efforts were made to get Sarah Adwoa Safo to appear before the Committee, however, the Minority Members are of the view that, the lack of response of Sarah Adwoa Safo to the numerous invitations of the Committee should be reported to the House without any conclusions. The Majority is however of the view that, Sarah Adwoa Safo failed to take advantage of the numerous opportunities and facilities offered her to provide reasonable explanation to the Committee with regard to her absence without leave. Therefore, pursuant to Article 97 (1) (c) of the 1992 Constitution and the Court of Appeal decision in the case of Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare V. the Attorney General & 3 Ors, the Dome-Kwabenya Seat is automatically vacant by operation of law. Why the committee invited the 3 absentee MPs? The Privileges Committee of Parliament concluded its work on the three absentee Members of Parliament (MP) in June 2022. MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, MP for Ayawaso Central, Henry Quartey who is also the Greater Accra Regional Minister and MP for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, also Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection were investigated for absenting themselves from Parliament without permission for more than the stipulated 15 sitting days during the first meeting of the second session of the 8th Parliament. They were referred to the Privileges Committee of Parliament by the Speaker, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin. The committee was to consider circumstances surrounding their absence in pursuance to Article 97(1) (c) of the 1992 Constitution. Henry Quartey and Kennedy Agyapong appeared before the committee but Sarah Adwoa Safo was unable to appear. Decision At the last sitting of the committee on Wednesday, July 13, 2022, all 15 members from the Majority voted to pardon Henry Quartey and Kennedy Agyapong. The 12 Members on the Minority side also agreed to pardon them. This is after they admitted to absenting themselves for more than the 15 Sittings threshold. However, the explanations given by Agyapong and Quartey for being absent were found reasonable. Recommendation It is the recommendation of the Committee that the House should take advantage of the ongoing review of the Standing Orders to provide procedure for the operationalisation of Article 97 (1) (c) of the Constitution. In addition, it is also the recommendation of the committee that, by its majority decision, the House should adopt its Report, pursuant to Article 97 (1) (c) of the Constitution and Orders 16 (1) of the Standing Orders of Parliament, that is, declare the Dome-Kwabenya seat vacant. Explaining the efforts made to reach Adwoa Safo for an explanation, the Committee reported that all efforts to reach her in person, to serve her with the invitation to appear before the Committee to explain her absence from the House were unsuccessful. Steps taken to serve her with the invitation letter were that, the Committee first wrote to her on three occasions through her Office in Parliament; Pigeonhole in Parliament; the Ministry of Gender and Social Protection where she currently superintend as the Sector Minister; her official email address; and WhatsApp number. When the Committee was unsuccessful with the above-mentioned means, it employed the services of the Personal Assistant who facilitated her television interview with Joy News on Thursday, May 26, 2022. The Personal Assistant acknowledged receipt of the invitation letter and promised to deliver same to her. According to the Personal Assistant, he sent the invitation letter via internet and other online communication platforms which they normally use to communicate. Unfortunately, the Personal Assistant could not confirm to the Committee Secretariat, whether or not Sarah Adwoa Safo received the invitation letter sent to her through her Personal Assistant. The Committee took further steps to serve her with a summon by a publication in the Daily Graphic, Ghanaian Times, and Daily Guide newspapers dated June 16, 2022 and her place of abode, on June 20, 2022, pursuant to Order 205 of the Standing Orders of Parliament. In all instances, opportunity was given for her to avail herself of Zoom video conferencing facilities to appear before the Committee. However, the Member neither appeared before the Committee nor gave any feedback as to receipt of any of the invitations or summons from the Committee. Credit: Graphiconline.com

The Minority in Parliament has commenced a process that seeks to remove the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, from office. The caucus which has 137 members in Parliament has so far gathered over 100 signatures to kick-start a Vote of C ensure proceedings against the Finance Minister. This is in accordance with article 82 of the 1992 Constitution, which provides a detailed procedure of removing a minister of state through proceedings in Parliament. For such a motion to be successfully moved, it requires at least one-third (92) of the signatures of all members of Parliament and considering the numbers of the Minority, meeting this requirement appears to be fulfilled. However, the requirement for the motion to be supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds (183) of all the members of Parliament, in order to pass a vote of censure on a Minister of State, will not be met by the Minority in Parliament without the support of members from the Majority side If the motion is admitted, the Minister for Finance will be the second Minister in recent times to have such a motion filed against him, following that of the Minister of Health, which is still pending. Pressure to resign The move by the Minority follows the decision of the country to formally seek support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after the Finance Minister had publicly stated that the country will not do so. This had led to pressure mounting on the minister to resign, with some arguing that he was the right person to lead the country’s discussions with the IMF, considering his earlier stance on an IMF programme. The Finance Minister has, however, stated that he would not resign stating that “it is almost like telling a father to resign from his children because he has changed his mind. “There are times that decisions have to be made for the survival of a country and, therefore, if circumstances such as COVID or the Ukraine war occur which are not typical, it does change the environment, and sensible people will change their minds,” he said. Constitutional provision Article 82 of the 1992 Constitution states that; (1) Parliament may, by are solution supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of all the members of Parliament, pass a vote of censure on a Minister of State. (2) A motion for the resolution referred to in clause (1) of this Article shall not be moved in Parliament unless—(a) seven days’ notice has been given of the motion; and (b) the notice for the motion has been signed by not less than one-third of all the members of Parliament; (3) The motion shall be debated in Parliament within fourteen days after the receipt by the Speaker of the notice for the motion. (4) A Minister of State in respect of whom a vote of censure is debated under clause (3) of this article is entitled, during the debate, to be heard in his defence. (5) Where a vote of censure is passed against a Minister under this article the President may, unless the Minister resigns his office, revoke his appointment as a Minister. (6) For the avoidance of doubt, this article applies to a Deputy Minister as it applies to a Minister of State. Credit: Graphiconline.com

A road safety expert, Cecil Gabrah, has warned that drivers who indulge in sexual activities before embarking on long journeys risk losing concentration and can be involved in road accidents. He says having sex is like going on a marathon, which can make one suffer fatigue and lose control of the steering wheel. In an interview with Benjamin Akakpo for the Drive Safe campaign on JoyNews, Mr. Gabrah warned drivers to desist from energy-draining activities before taking long journeys. “Who suffers from fatigue? Drivers who do not plan their trips; drivers who stay drinking at night; drivers who work overnight; drivers who have sex during their journeys – they are all part of it. “God created sex. If you are a man [and have sex], you are knocked off and you will be sleepy and that is why immediately after sex, you find the man either snoring. He is tired, he’s run for more than 100 metres so you don’t go and sit behind the steering wheel to drive,” he cautioned. He advised drivers to avoid setting off for long journeys at dawn because accidents are rife during such hours. “If you are traveling, sleep early and wake up early but don’t set off early like 4 am, 5 am. You will meet those who did not sleep especially those heavy duty drivers who will not sleep,” he added. Credit: Myjoyonline.com

President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), a Non-profit Organizations, Dr. Humphrey Ayim-Darke has hinted that Digital Technology has become a toolkit for the civil service in Ghana. According to him, the old ways of doing business were a barrier to unlocking the full potential of the sector. Speaking at a public lecture at the 2022 Civil Service Week celebration in Accra, he said "Now digital technology within the civil service should provide a fast route to getting our jobs done speedily and cost-effectively" He added that employees can now save time and work more productively and cohesively, even across cities, countries, and continents through technology. "Our regular work schedule of 8am to 5pm has inherent inefficiencies we need to purge. People report for work from 8am to 5pm, yet the effective working time may be only for about 2hours of real work" He also noted that by improving technology in the civil service, it has become more appealing to younger workers. "Graduates are expecting a technologically advanced workplace. They have grown up in the digital age, often being completely unfamiliar with the way things used to be. This means, they can work best when given the technology they are proficient at using. We need to adopt new ways of doing things., as the status quo is evidently not an option anymore" Dr. Ayim-Darke further mentioned that it is imperative to bear in mind that going digital is no more an option, but a requirement of the age people live in and expect public workforces to embrace and maintain digital skills, through recurrent training, as that will give them a belonging into the digital transformation era. "A number of our SMEs found value in virtual and digital solutions during the outbreak of the COIVID pandemic, thereby changing the way and manner they do business. What is required of the public service is to rethink the future and prepare for the uncertainties and unfamiliar terrain that is unfolding. "May I urge Governing Bodies to avert their mind to these developing trends in business and keep pace with these innovations and systems in the interest of a refined public service delivery" "I convinced that our industrial sector, which forms an important nexus in our economy, could record a higher contribution to GDP, if we deploy the appropriate technology and build synergy between the public and private sectors. It is therefore imperative that we deepen this digitalization agenda for the private sector to leverage on the acceleration of our socio-economic development" "I am aware that digitalization certainly generates user-data, and may I crave the indulgence of our public institutions to ensure effective data protection of privacy in our engagement" "We consider our Civil Service an important partner, that can contribute meaningfully to improve public service delivery and we are delighted to join you at this moment. Do accept our hearty congratulations on this occasion of your Civil Service week celebration!" "Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it is obvious that the exigencies of our time, call for immediate actions to address the current needs. The big question is - how do we brace up to meet, not only the increasing and sophisticated needs of our society, but also our own need to keep pace with the evolving technologies of our times? We need to broaden this conversation...and that is why I was excited about the opportunity to speak at this event" Dr. Ayim-Darke, however, noted that It is the firm belief that only a private sector-led industrial development, with mutual support from public institutions to reform and improve regulatory process and service delivery, will help create sustainable employment, wealth and growth of the Ghanaian economy and as the AGI, remain committed to this cause. "We are at a pivotal time in our economic development and as we move forward, perhaps the greatest aspiration any of us could hope for, is an investment in H.E. the Vice President’s vision of Ghana becoming a digitalized and technology-driven economy, in order achieve a lot more with little" He admitted that the private sector depends largely on the public sector for many services. At the public sector level, it expected to see the public institutions and Government strengthen public administration and accountability structures, to reduce the bureaucracy in order to build business confidence for the private sector to enable it to thrive. "It is the combination of good governance, effective MDAs role play and efficient private sector contribution, that will collectively bring efficiency in the way we operate as an economy" "Recounting some past experiences for example; delays and the charge of unofficial fees at our ports, that undermine trade facilitation programmes and reforms, have been a major concern. However, with the paperless system,  we have seen significant improvement in our cargo clearance and port operations, under the Single Window, and more recently, ICUMS" "Payment and filing of tax returns online is also a positive development. The digital platforms have also enabled the payment of fees and charges in a more efficient manner than previously, being devoid of human contact. We commend Government for the introduction of the digital address system as well" "Often times, many of our MDAs insist on receiving hard copies of documents, that have to be endorsed, before any action. As much as we may…though often laboriously, we must be able to move from this culture to more securely digitised options" Dr. Ayim-Darke noted that digitalization must be an integral part of the public sector reforms, to engender transparency fairness and efficiency in service delivery. On her part, the Deputy Minister for Communications and Digitalization, Pomaa Boateng assured the Civil Service of Government's support to ensure effecience and effectiveness in their work. She was confident that through a collective effort, the flag of the Civil Service will not only fly high but also be the most talked-about as well as most envied. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Celebrated Ghanaian Lawyer, Tsatsu Tsikata has challenged the Akufo-Addo Administration to establish a better governance as the basis for a better Ghana despite the current economic crisis, social unrest and political disaffection. According to Mr. Tsikata, once the country's institutions starts working effectively and not party members, it will help contribute to better governance. Speaking at the John Evans Atta Mills 10th Anniversary Commemorative Lecture in Accra on Tuesday, he said "At this critical time in our nation’s existence, at this time of economic crisis, of social unrest and political disaffection, President Mills, as the standard-bearer of integrity, beckons us all to establish a better governance as the basis for a BETTER GHANA." "Better governance is about making our institutions work effectively and not just for our party members. It is also not about coveting power for an individual or for the party" "It is about serving the whole polity. That is what President Mills meant by being a President for all and not just for members of his party" "I quote some further words of his in that June 18 2008 speech at the IEA which have a chilling resonance: “is it not ironical that 7 or 8 years is long enough to make some elected officials and their families fabulously wealthy and yet they say 8 years is too short a time to solve problems of poverty for the generality of the masses?” Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata reminded the youth to make a foundation of integrity the bedrock of a nation-building. "The youth recognize starkly that their current existence and their prospects for the future are jeopardized by the lack of integrity in our nation, by leaders who frankly have less of a stake in the future that lies ahead, but who make fulsome promises for electioneering purposes" "Today, President Mills’ integrity, his good judgment, his wisdom can still guide us in making the right decisions to ensure, for instance, that the oil and gas sector can be a driver of national development and well-being of all Ghanaians and not a source of corrupt personal enrichment" He used the memory of Late President Mills to call attention to the fundamental need for integrity in public life, politics, and those who seek or hold leadership positions. "I believe that we pay a heavy price for our failure to insist on integrity as a necessary qualification for those who seek high office" The Celebrated Lawyer further stressed that it is unfortunate how poeple in government have shut their eyes to corruption when it is from their party. He further noted that it has led to the lack of moral authority to confront corrupt practices by others. He reminded the gathering that Late President Mills built on his personal integrity to deliver leadership success and initiate the 'Better Ghana' agenda. "He showed that integrity mattered to deliver economic benefits because it is the integrity deficit that regularly gets translated into fiscal deficits" Mr. Tsikata praised Late President Mills for being effective in delivering on governmental goals because of his integrity. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith