The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) is warning the general public to desist from purchasing 'Ladha Ya Kuku' instant chicken noodles since it is not a registered product in Ghana. According to the FDA, the product has also been recalled from certain countries due to suspected presence of high levels of aflatoxin and pesticides. In a statement signed by the Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Corporate Service Division, Yvonne Nkrumah, it said "The only indomie instant chicken noodles product that is registered in Ghana is manufactured locally and only occasionally sourced from Nigeria" The statement also hinted that both products are taken through a rigorous process including testing regimes for aflatoxin and pesticide residues before market authorization is given. The FDA also mentioned that periodic post market testing is also conducted. The statement added that in light of the recent recalls in the other countries, the FDA has picked samples from the manufacturing facility in Ghana as well as different points of sale across regions nationwide for testing at the Centre for Laboratory Services and Research. Below is a copy of the release: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Methodist Church Ghana says it has disassociated itself from the banter between its past Bishop of Obuasi Diocese, Rt. Rev. Stephen R. Bosomtwe Ayensu against NDC's John Mahama. According to the Methodist Church, the said statement made by the Bishop during the 25th Annual Synod of the Obuasi Diocese sought to attack the position of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, the Former President of Ghana on the much talked about E-Levy. In a statement issued by the Conference Office, Wesley House, it said "The Methodist Church Ghana wishes to notify the General Public that the Presiding Bishop is the official spokesperson of the Church" "We, therefore, appeal to our noble friends of the media not to draw the name of the The Methodist Church Ghana into the alleged statements made by the past Bishop and currently the Superintendent Minister of the Amakom Circuit of tye Kumasi Diocese" The Methodist Church Ghana says it continues to to stay unaligned to any political party in the country. Below is a copy of the release: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has held its 2022 Annual Constitution Week Lecture and Panel Discussion at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in Accra. The event which came off on Tuesday May 10, brought together some resourced persons who shared their thought on Ghana's Constitution and the way forward. Speaking on the three "Three Decades of Uninterrupted Constitutional Rule: Revisiting the Agenda for Reforms", His Lordship, Justice Gabriel Pwamang said "After 30 years of existence, our constitution requires significant reforms that can only be accomplished by resort to the amendments procedure of chapter 25 of the Constitution" "Gladly, the work of the Constitution review commission in 2010 resulted to the comprehensive report" He explained that the review commission's comprehensive report pointed out three key dissatisfaction Ghanaians expressed about the workings of the 1992 Constitution at the time of consultation. "Deficit in transparent governance despite changing from dictatorship to Constitutional Rule in 1992" "Continous of high level public corruption and lack of accountability for revenue from Natural Resources Exploitation" "Non realisation of real democratic dividend in the form of accelerated national development promised as attainable in the Constitutional Rule" He further stressed that since those consultations, Ghanaians still continue to register their grievances with the governance under the 1992 Constitution. He underscored that, the calls for ammendments of Constitutional Reforms were getting louder by the day leaving the younger generations in a state of failing to see the better future ahead of them after continuous change of governments. His Lordship Gabriel Pwamang called for a hard look at the governance framework on the Constitution. On his part, Lecturer, Political Science, University of Ghana, Dr. Seidu Alidu described Ghana's Constitution as one of the greatest living institution of all time. He said "Having a Constitution no matter how structured or documented or detailed it is, does not necessarily mean that, Political Party Actors, Politicians and Elites will at all times obey or follow the guidelines of the Constitution" "So that is why the issue of Constitutional order is very important when we talk about Constitution. The Constitutional order is the unflinching commitment to implementing the spirit of the Constitution at all times, even in situations where it is the provision of the Constitution, it is against the interests of the political parties, they will still respect the element of the Constitution" Sharing her thoughts, Lecturer, School of Law, University of Ghana, Madam Clara Kasser-Tee, said "We do need to work on our constitution but we also do need to work on our values" She added that complaining about the Constitution alone will not solve the country’s problems. "The values of accountability. In spite of the hard letter of the word, it is a value. Leave the 1992 Constitution aside, we belong to various WhatsApp groups. How easy is it for you to hold your leadership in that group accountable. In the various associations that we belong to, how do we hold leaderships in those groups accountability?" Madam Kasser-Tee stressed that the populace must also be committed in living up certain values and make sure such values are actualized through the Constitution and other legal frameworks. The Executive Director, Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-GHANA), Prof. Henry Kwesi Prempeh, said "We came to this Constitution after many years of several coup d'etat and many discontinuity in government" "The Constitution creates certain incentives for government, politics and politicians be inclined towards development. The things that the Constitution regulates are there but the ones that it does not, who fills them? It is politics" "Afrobarometer has given us very important information that demand of democracy has been very strong. Citizens demand for democracy but they are also disappointed in te governments they elect" He stressed that what political parties give as dividend is not satisfactory to the general public. He added that there is an expectation gap which citizens are not getting. "When you hear citizens clamour for Constitution Reviews, parts of these clamour are as a result of the gaps the citizens find. We go to elect Presidents and MPs but we still expect more from them because they have not delivered a lot of the goods that we expect from them" The NCCE is a government agency in Ghana responsible for the education of Ghanaians on civic matters. The commission was established by Act 452 of the Parliament of Ghana in 1993. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Some scores of social media users have expressed mixed reactions over the viral naked video of Controversial Abena Korkor making waves on the Internet. According to some users, Abena Korkor needs medical attention while others say she is doing these just for media attention. In series of tweets sighted by Thinknewsonline.com, Saada tweeted "Abena Korkor really needs help. This is not funny, and leaving her alone like that is dangerous. I hope someone somewhere reach out to her" Mr. Ahenkorah also tweeted "Abena Korkor just posted some hot video on snap and tagged Stonebwoy,so what’s this girl up to?🤔" AMG Business Rapper, Medikal tweeted "Between Accra and Stubborn Academy I no de fi select favourite, Abena Korkor too de come join, the matter spoil. As3e !" Kojo Wud also added "Abena Korkor body is not even attractive tsw." Mister Chances tweeted "Abena Korkor’s Instagram comments VS Twitter" Below are some screenshots: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland has completed his Manchester City medical, according to reports, and the transfer is set to be confirmed this week. City are reportedly set to trigger the Norway international's €75m (£63m) release clause after seeing off competition from Real Madrid. Dortmund confirmed to SPORT1 earlier on Monday that they had given Haaland permission to take care of "personal matters". "The players have no training today and we allowed Erling to take care of personal matters," a club statement read. Belgian outlets DH les Sports+ and Nieuwsblad.be reported that the 21-year-old travelled to Brussels, Belgium, early on Monday to undergo his City medical at the Erasmus Hospital. Haaland is expected to sign a five-year contract believed to be worth £107m, including signing on bonuses, and the overall cost of the deal could total £213m. Haaland is set to be one of the club's top earners, although reports differ over whether he will be paid more than Kevin De Bruyne. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says City potentially signing Haaland can push the transfer market to "new levels". "I signed a new contract knowing that City would not stop developing," he told Sky Sports. "It's not about City to define if we can be happy or not. It's about us and what we can make of it. We have so many opportunities and so many different ways to win a football game and that we have to choose one and it's possible that we can do that. "If they sign Erling it will not weaken them. It's often spoken about his transfer. "At the moment there's a lot of talk about Erling and other people talk about money but this transfer will set new levels." Haaland has scored has scored 92 league goals in 121 appearances for Molde, Red Bull Salzburg and Dortmund in his career. Source: Eurosport

Former Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports under the erstwhile NDC administration, Joseph Yamin has said former Methodist Bishop Bosomtwe Ayensu is corrupt hence he doesn't have any credibility and moral right to chastise former President John Dramani Mahama. According to him, he was once a member of the Methodist Church before joining the Presby Church and for that matter knows a lot of secrets about the former Methodist Bishop. Joseph Yamin revealed that Bosomtwe Ayensu allegedly embezzled Ghc200,000 when he was the head pastor of Obuasi Diocese. "Bishop Bosomtwe Ayensu is very corrupt. He embezzled Two Thousand Ghana cedis when he was the Head pastor at Obuasi. The case has not still been settled yet," Joseph Yamin told Kojo Marfo on Kumasi-based Abusua FM. He added, "I was once a Methodist before switching to Presby so I know the in and outs of the Methodist Church. Send your reporters to Obuasi (Methodist) to ask the elders of the Church about this issue, the money was nowhere to be found under his administration as the pastor of the Church." Former President John Mahama last week, when addressing the NDC members on the theme ‘Ghana at the crossroads’ said the E-levy was a distortionary and burdensome tax that only forces Ghanaians to pay more while suffering. According to him, “Unfortunately in the face of this self-inflicted economic catastrophe, this government against all sound advise has decided to introduce the E-Levy that heaps more suffering on Ghanaians. “A new national democratic congress government, God willing, with the votes of the sovereign people of Ghana, in 2025 will repeal the E-Levy act.” However, Bishop Ayensu speaking to journalists at the Methodist Church’s 25th Synod held at the Mount Zion Methodist Church at Obuasi in the Ashanti Region described the pronouncement by the former president and his opposition party as backward and an attempt to sway voters. “A leading opposition party says this government has been borrowing to fund projects. But it [the government] has been strategic this time to introduce this homegrown policy to build our nation. So if someone says he will repeal this law when he wins power then such a person will not even win power to abort it. “If the E-levy is a good policy why will you abolish it? Such people can’t even do it because history keeps guiding us. Such comments usually end up as a political talk and deceit,” he added. Bishop Ayensu who expressed disappointment in the three-time NDC flagbearer for making such an utterance said it is an attempt to sway voters. In a rebuttal, Joseph Yamin also described the Bishop as an NPP propagandist. Story by: Richard Obeng Bediako

Russia's economy has plunged into its worst crisis for almost three decades as the country is battered by Western sanctions, a leaked copy of the Kremlin's own forecasts shows. The Russian finance ministry is predicting a 12pc collapse in GDP this year, the biggest contraction since 1994 when it was shifting towards capitalism under Boris Yeltsin, the first post-Soviet president. A collapse would wipe out around a decade of economic growth. The leak will pile pressure on Vladimir Putin, who on Monday presided over a scaled-down version of Russia's annual Victory Day parade marking the end of the Second World War in Europe. Russia has been hammered by heavy sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine, which are about to be ratcheted up further as Brussels discusses a ban on oil from the country. It has left the Kremlin teetering on the edge of a default after it last week narrowly avoided a failure to pay foreign debts for the first time since the Bolshevik revolution a century ago. The Kremlin has yet to issue a public economic outlook, but the finance ministry’s figures – seen by Bloomberg – are more pessimistic than the central bank’s forecasts of a contraction between 8pc and 10pc this year. The International Monetary Fund expects an 8.5pc decline. The dire figures emerged as Mr Putin appeared at a Victory Day parade in Moscow. The president did not use a speech to formally declare war against Ukraine or announce a larger-scale mobilisation, continuing to refer to the conflict as a “special operation”. Krishna Guha, an analyst at Evercore, said Mr Putin “is wary of risking domestic support for the war through mass conscription”. Meanwhile, European officials are locked in talks over how to press ahead with a mooted buying ban on Russian oil and gas. The European Commission is reportedly mulling offering more money to landlocked eastern European countries to build support for a ban, which is facing stiff opposition from Hungary. Britain and the UShave already vowed to ditch Russian oil, and European countries are also seeking to wean themselves off gas supplies from Moscow. Russia’s central bank has repeatedly slashed interest rates in recent weeks after raising them at the onset of conflict. The cuts, aimed at driving spending, came despite a surge in inflation to 17.7pc. Speaking in late April, governor Elvira Nabiullina warned of a severe recession, soaring prices and severe disruption to Russia’s labour market. She said the Russian economy would likely then remain stagnant in 2023. Official figures showed Russia’s economy grew by 3.7pc in the first quarter, but Ms Nabiullina said this was a temporary boost driven by people stocking up on the goods. Russia’s economy shrank by 3pc during 2020, the first year of the pandemic, and 7.8pc in 2009 amid the global financial crisis. Business surveys suggest activity is continuing to contract as sanctions cause demand to dry up. Bosses are increasingly pessimistic about the conditions they face as they whittle down work backlogs amid falling orders. Companies are firing staff and trying to cut costs as they grapple with soaring cost inflation, according to the latest purchasing managers’ index data from S&P Global. Credit: The Telegraph

President of Ghana Division One League side, New Edubiase, Abdul Salam Yakubu has said that, ongoing betting and match-fixing scandals in the Ghana football should partly be blamed on some Journalists. According to the soft spoken football administrator, he knows the names of some journalists and politicians who play huge roles in influencing clubs owners to engage in match rigging. “Some journalists are part of match-fixing in Ghana football, I know some who influenced games, club owners, and Politicians are all part.” he said on Accra based Angel FM. Mr Salam mentioned that, in other to have a league free such scandals, we must out an end to the  attitude of match-fixing. The astute administrator months ago expressed disappointment in how football was being ruined in Ghana and decided to put his club up for sale. The club has produced top players who represented the nation at different levels and also went on to ply their trades outside Ghana. Aseidu Attorbrah, Ebenezer Ofori, Moro Ibrahim, Latif Anabila and a few others. The Bekwai-based club sits 3rd on the Zone 2 table in the ongoing Division One League with 39 points after 24 games. They face 5th placed Skyy FC on Saturday. Source: 7sportsghana.com

The new economy needs the use of technology in trade and business activities to make a good living hence the role of government in ensuring ICT education for girls across the country. These are words of the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful to the female students participating in the Bono Regional Girls in ICT initiative. One thousand girls are benefiting from the Bono region’s programme which is part of the quest by government to bridge the gender gap in technology with support from the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication, GIFEC. “The direction in which the world is moving demands the use of ICT, whatever you want to do, even as a farmer or trader, ICT education is very important. ICT has become an enabler in the new economy and government is bent on exposing you girls and other young ones to the new trend” she said. Madam Owusu- Ekuful challenged the students participating in the regional Girls in ICT programme to take advantage of the initiative to excel in the field of ICT and Science. “It’s a privilege and an opportunity some have been fighting for but haven’t gotten so if you have it, make the best use of it now. She advised the students to work hard because, hard-work doesn’t kill but will rather make you adept in whatever you do. You are an Apple of God’s eye, God created you well therefore women are very important. We are perfection of creation so try to reinforce yourself with a positive image as a perfect creation of God and never be discouraged”. She also took inspiration from the 11 year old Princess Kumi, winner of the Bono East Girls in ICT to share some experiences with the girls on the programme so far. The Minister used the theme for this year; Access and Safety to inform the girls about the risk of abusing the internet. Selected Schools from all the twelve Districts in the region participated in the mentorship programme with support from the regional education service. Some teachers from the various districts were also trained as part of the initiative to impart the knowledge to other students that may not get the opportunity to participate. Chairperson of the Mentorship programme, Dr. Seyram Blossom Setufe, Acting Head, Department of Fisheries and Water Resources, School of Natural Resources boosted the morale of the girls and urged them to become scientists and IT experts in the future. “I will like you to pay attention, take note and develop interest in the field of engineering. Let your ears be open for the reason we are here and have that character and mindset that you can do it as an IT specialist or engineer” she advised. "There was training in coding which gave the girls the opportunity to explore the world of technology, through the creation of websites, computer games, interactive arts, mobile apps, and animation stories, using various programming languages. She challenged the girls to stay focus and develop interest in ICT subjects. Dr. Mercy Badu from the Department of Chemistry at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology exposed the girls to some tips that will support their learning process in the field of Science and ICT" According to her, there are limited ladies in the field and the need to bridge the gap through the Girls in ICT initiative. Other mentors includes, Juanita Ahia Quarcoo, Lecturer at the Department of Computer Science, Sunyani Technical University, Faiza Umar Bawah, Lecturer Department of Science and Informatics, University of Energy and Natural Resources Female Engineers from MTN were given the platform to share some experiences with the girls as well. The Mentorship Day event is part of the Girls in ICT Initiative aimed at given the girls the opportunity to interact with ladies in the field of ICT and Science education. As part of strategies to both ensure that Ghana achieves the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, and Ghana’s ICT4AD Policy on bridging the gender digital divide, the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, through its agencies – GIFEC, NCA and the Kofi Annan ICT Centre of Excellence, has expanded the scope of the GIICT event. Interestingly, over 60 percent of the girls trained, have no prior knowledge or experience in the use of computers. The Girls in ICT programme, was introduced in 2012 by the International Telecommunications Union to empower and encourage girls and young women to acquire digital skills and consider studies and careers in the growing field of information and communication technologies. Ghana, has adopted this initiative and observed it on a regional basis. It has already been celebrated in Greater Accra, Ashanti, Northern, Volta, Western, Western North, North East, Central and Oti Regions. Below are some pictures: Story by: News Desk Repot

Hearts of Oak Coach, Samuel Boadu says he is expecting his team to finish well in the ongoing Ghana Premier League season despite their poor start. The Phobians who are the defending champions have been uninspiring in the ongoing season. The Rainbow club have been inconsistent results in both home and away games in the ongoing campaign. As a result, Hearts of Oak can only aim for a top-four finish this season due to the point gap between them and league leaders Asante Kotoko. According to coach Samuel Boadu, his team did not start the season well but is aiming to finish. “It is quite unfortunate we didn’t start the season wel," he told StarTimes. “Getting to the end we are hoping things will get better. We are playing match after match and preparing towards the next game. At the end of the season we will be in a better position”. Hearts of Oak are currently occupying third position on the league table with 44 points after their 1-1 all draw against Bechem United in the matchday 28 games. Hearts of Oak will host Bibiani Gold Stars in the matchday 29 games at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday. Story by: Samuel Ekow Amoasi Appiah

Entertainment analyst Arnold Asamoah Baidoo has shared some winners he feels did not deserve their awards. These persons include Sarkodie, Joe Mettle and Lyrical Joe. The Vodafone Ghana Music Awards has always fueled controversies before and after as a celebrated musical event in Ghana. In a post-event discussion, Arnold Asamoah expressed disappointment with some artists who received awards at the show. “Yes, majority of the predictions that I did came to pass, so I’m pretty much excited. But there are a couple of awards that surprised me. And again, it’s only for discussion purposes. The first one was Sarkodie winning over Black Sherif when it came to the HipLife/Hip-hop Artiste of the Year. I had the greatest conviction that Sherif did better than Sarkodie for that duration, so he could have nibbed it. “The other award that really surprised me was Joe Mettle beating MOG for Gospel Artiste of the Year. I felt the year under review, MOG did quite better than Joe Mettle. So these two awards really shook me a little.” According to Arnold, “Lyrical Joe winning over Amerado because I felt Amerado this year really worked hard in terms of the rap performance category to win it.” Before submitting his displeasure, Arnold Asamoah said he was sharing his opinions as an industry stakeholder. And acknowledge that, like all award schemes, the VGMA board reserves the right to awards. “This conversation that we are having is part of the VGMAs. You know, the aftermath and the fact that who should have won what is part of the conversation that adds up to the buzz of the awards. So it is only fair that we discuss it.” Watch the video below: Story by: Grace Somuah-Annan

The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) has rendered an apology to the nation over what it calls a system disturbance which led to last Saturday blackout. According to GRIDCo, the power system experienced a system disturbance due to a faulted equipment on the Takoradi Extension–Winneba line. In a statement signed by the Corporate Communications, it said "Consequently, all generating plants in Aboadze, Tema (except Kpone Thermal Power Plant), Bui and Kpong were forced to shutdown. This caused forced outages within the coastal corridor of the National Grid which led to in some parts of Greater Accra, Western/Central, Middle and Northern parts of the country" The statement further added that Akosombo and Kpone Thermal Power Plants continued to be in service supplying power. "Restoration began immediately and supply was restored to all bulk supply points by 23:29hrs" "GRIDCo assures its valued stakeholders that it will continue to work towards the provision of a reliable power system for Ghana’s socio-economic development" GRIDCo says it apologises for any inconvenience caused. Below is a copy release: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith