The Okyehene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin and the Okyeman Environment Foundation (OEF) in collaboration with Zoomlion Ghana Limited have organised a clean up exercise on Monday, at Kyebi in the Eastern Region. The cleanup climaxed activities which included health screening, church service and awards day that were organized to commemorate the 71st birthday of the Okyehene. The exercise was also meant to improve the sanitation condition of the town and to encourage behavioural change among residents towards maintaining a more hygienic and sanitized environment for the benefit of the people Kyebi. Members of the OEF joined hands with workers of Zoomlion to disilt gutters and clear areas of rubbish within the principal areas of the town. Speaking after the exercise, Osaagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, noted that it was necessary to keep a clean environment for good health and urged the people to maintain proper sanitation habits. He revealed that the traditional council and the OEF would collaborate with the Abuakwa South Assembly to provide waste bins at vantage points “so that people can dumb their waste wherever they find themselves.” “Anybody found to litter the compound with rubbish would be arrested and fined because we cannot always have to leave the cleaning of our environment to Zoomlion. It should be our collective responsibility,” he stated. He called on residents of the town to report to the Abuakwa Traditional Council if they found anybody indiscriminately cutting down trees or pouring hot water on trees, adding anyone found culpable would be dealt with. “Trees comes with it several benefits including providing shade, clean air and environment among others and we urge all residents to desist from cutting trees but rather plant them,” he said. He said Kyebi has remained a clean city and urged all residents to help maintain the place as a clean town. Osaagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin expressed his appreciation to Zoomlion for their support and continuous collaboration with other assemblies to rid the country of filth. The Executive Secretary of the OEF, Mr Kofi Gyimah Amoako said the clean up exercise would be maintained, adding that every household would be required to do clean up once a month while Zoomlion would be in charge of the collection bits. He called on corporate bodies to partner with OEF to do such exercises to help keep the town clean for good health and for tourists attractions. For his part, the Senior Corporate Affairs Officer of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Daniel Ohene Obeng said the exercise was part of similar ones organised in other parts of the regions to draw the public’s attention to the worsening sanitation conditions. He said the clean up exercise would ensure free flow of water in the gutters to avoid flooding and to make sure that the environment was clean. He called for the participation of all and sundry in making the Eastern Region clean and pleaded with the members of the community to embark on regular clean up exercises to keep their environment clean and free from flooding. “I also appeal that dustbins provided would be used for the intended purpose,” he said. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Ghana Geological Survey Authority has discovered large quantities of Iron ore deposits in Akokrowa, a farming community in the Oti Region of Ghana. The iron ore, according to the geological investigation, is 55.22 weight percent (fe) and of a higher grade. The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Hon. Samuel A Jinapor at a meeting with the Chiefs and people of Akokrowa on Tuesday 14th December, 2021 said government will ensure that the commodity found in the area benefits the people. He said government is determined to provide value addition to its raw commodity and  would ensure that the Ghana Intergrated Iron and Steel Development work closely with the GGSA and the community to ensure that full value chain is retained in the region and the country. He maintained that the exploration and the business of the Iron will create jobs and wealth for the people of Oti and the country in general. Hon. Jinapor, who is on a two day tour of the Volta and Oti regions as part of his nationwide working visit,  described the discovery of the iron ore in  commercial quantities as " Good News" and urged the Chiefs and people to work in harmony to drive development to the area. In a welcome remarks, the Omanhene of the Apesokubi Traditional Area Okogyeaman Koram II, expressed the readiness of his people to make the project a success. He pledged to support the GGSA, GIISDEC and government, saying " I will release Lands to expand and push the progress of the work as and when required". The Chief also appealed to the government through the Hon. Minister to provide them with electrification, schools, hospitals and other amenities to help  relief the people while commending the  President of the Republic for the creation of the Oti Region which has long being on the drawing Board. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor said government is taking the necessary actions to crawl back and also find the measures required to revamp the sawmill industry in Ghana. He said this when he visited the Volta Forest Products, a sawmill factory in the Volta Region, on the sidelines of his one-day tour of the region on Monday, 13th December, 2021. He said the problems and issues raised by the Manager of Volta Forest Products are not peculiar to the factory but a national industrial concern which has confronted all the heritage sawmill industries. The Minister pointed out forcefully that these problems is as a result of years of systemic failure, actions and inactions of successive actors. He went on to say that, he cannot use just a singular visit to digest all of the problems and proffess solutions because " there is the question of raw materials, the unsustainable exploitation of forest reserves of our country" "These are resources which are finite and if we continue to exploit them without having regard to it's sustainability, you get to the situation we find ourselves in today. The question of machinery and value addition is also considerable" He continued. He however declared that his presence at the factory is a clear testimony of government's commitment to develop the private sector generally and the sawmill industry in particular. Hon. Jinapor added that government is already doing a lot to protect the forest cover of the country and revamp the industry. " In the first term of President Akufo-Addo alone, the number of hectors of forest plantation which has been restored is more than all the hectors put together since independence and this tells you how determined we are to protect the forest cover of our country and also to get raw materials to get plywood for the local market and export to Nigeria and so on and so forth" On his part, the Manager of the factory, Mr. Tom Amewu Duglu, expressed his gratitude to the Minister for taking the trouble to visit the factory saying that they are happy the Minister and by extentions government has visited and will eventually help save the situation. He outlined a number of challenges the factory is facing which he said is gradually dwindling the hopes of the youth and asked for the support and help of the government through the Minister. He said " These days, raw materials is becoming our problem and because our reach is getting further, we always need more to expand our territory. We will therefore entreat the Hon. Minister to assist us in all directions" Volta Forestry Product is a sawmill industry in the Volta Region that manufactures plywood for the domestic market and for export. The factory operates within 10 administrative districts in both Volta and Oti Regions with the largest employing capacity of the youth, numbering up to over 850 local employees. Below are some pictures: Story by: News Desk Report

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor has announced the government’s readiness to enhance the exploration, prospecting, and recognizance of minerals in the Volta region. The Minister said this during a meeting with the Volta Regional House of Chiefs at Ho on Monday, 13th September, 2021 as part of the final leg of his Nationwide tour. Addressing the gathering, the Minister called on the Volta Regional House of Chiefs to work closely and collaboratively with him, the Ministry, and the government to help discover gold deposits in the Volta region. He said he believes that there is nowhere in Ghana that gold cannot be found and therefore asked the Chiefs to come together and support him invest, investigating and discovering these gold deposits for the development of the region and Ghana at large. ” I am determined for us to enhance the exploration, prospecting, and recognizance of minerals here in the Volta region”. Samuel Abu Jinapor stated that the Volta region can also produce gold in commercial quantities as the Upper East Region is currently doing with the requisite prospecting by the Minerals Commission. The Minister went on to make a firm and solid pledge that the Ministry will work closely with the Chiefs in a formal and an administrative manner to ensure that the natural resources in the Volta Region are protected. ” Government and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources are determined to work closely with the Regional House of Chiefs on all fronts; matters to do with the management of lands and other resources of Volta region all-inclusive. I want to commit to the House that we will work closely, paying attention to your advice, your concerns and your inputs because that is the only way we can achieve results.” He further assured them that when these minerals are exploited, he will ensure that they benefit the Chiefs and people of the Volta Region. The Minister stated that he wants to change the narrative of Chiefs being at the background to have them actively involved in the administration of Lands and Natural Resources of the country and therefore asked for their support saying. ” I believe the traditional rulers must be the fulcrum around which land administration revolves because if you want to manage the Lands and Natural Resources of a country and do it effectively, you have to collaborate closely with the Chiefs and it’s the only way we can manage this” The Minister employed the opportunity and announced that he will visit the region again to organize a sensitization programme on the New Land Act, (Act 2020) as a way of keeping his word and also a way of educating the Chief and getting them ready for the collaborative work of managing the Lands of the region. Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor also stated that he is familiar and aware of the issues regarding illegal logging, sand wining, land encroachment, and forest reserves which are pestering the Volta region, and gave the assurance that it will be considered and managed. President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, Togbe Tepre Hodo IV, on his part, said that he is happy that the Minister has given such high assurances. He promised the Minister of their support saying that they are expectant for ideas from the Minister to help harness the resources in the region. Other revered Chiefs at the meeting suggested that the laws regarding land administration be amended for Chiefs to have a legal backing which will in effect afford them the power to actively work with the government and the Ministry in the management of the Lands and Natural Resources of Ghana. Story by: Kweku Stephen

PSG will face Real Madrid in the 2021-22 Champions League round of 16 after the ties had to be redrawn on a chaotic and embarrassing afternoon for UEFA. The two European heavyweights will clash next year in the pick of the ties, with reigning champions Chelsea facing Lille - who they also were paired with in the original draw. Manchester United - who were originally against PSG - will face Atletico Madrid, Manchester City are against Sporting CP and Liverpool will take on Inter. Official Champions League last-16 draw RB Salzburg vs Bayern Munich Sporting vs Manchester City Benfica vs Ajax Chelsea vs Lille Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United Villarreal vs Juventus Inter vs Liverpool PSG vs Real Madrid Why were the ties redrawn? The draw for the last 16 had to be redrawn after a mistake resulted in the original ties being declared null and void. Manchester United were originally placed with Villarreal, however, this was an error as they were in the same group. They were then wrongly not included in the pot for the subsequent tie. PSG were then drawn with Man Utd - which would have seen Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi face off - however the entire draw was cancelled and redrawn. Original Champions League last-16 draw Benfica vs Real Madrid Villarreal vs Manchester City Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich Red Bull Salzburg vs Liverpool Inter vs Ajax Sporting vs Juventus Chelsea vs Lille PSG vs Manchester United The bigger picture When Manchester United were drawn against Paris Saint-Germain, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi looked to be getting the chance to rekindle their old rivalry. However, instead, Messi will renew rivalries with Real Madrid for the first time since leaving their Clasico foes Barcelona on a free transfer in the summer. Why couldn't Liverpool play Villarreal? There was some initial confusion when it was stated during the redraw that Villarreal could only face Juventus, despite Liverpool still being in the pot of group winners. This was because Inter had not been drawn yet either, and the three group winners left were Juventus - another Serie A side - and Real Madrid, who they were in the same group with. Therefore Inter had to be paired with Liverpool from the teams who remained, and so Villarreal could only go with Juve - and Real Madrid were forced into a tie with PSG. Dates for Champions League last-16 fixtures The first legs of heavyweight European encounters will take place on February 15/16/22/23 in 2022. Return dates will be held a few weeks later on March 8/9/15/16. All of those still involved in the competition are looking to make their way to a final showdown at the Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg on May 28. It is worth noting that the away goals rule is no longer used in elite European competition, meaning that any ties which finish all square on aggregate will go to extra-time and penalties if required. Credit: Goal.com

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor as part of his Volta Regional tour on Monday, 13th December, 2021, made a whistle stop at the Davyi River in Hohoe which has been cleared of all filth through the tree planting initiative started by the Member of Parliament of Hohoe, Hon. Peter Amewu. The Minister, being very impressed with the work done by the youth, congratulated them for availing themselves for such a worthy cause saying " this is indeed very remarkable" The Minister opined that this is a true example of ramifications of the Green Ghana initiative which is a vision of the President of the Republic, Nana Adoo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo. He called on all Ghanaians; politicians, public servants, citizens and all stakeholders to mobilise themselves and support government to Green the country. He also employed the opportunity to express his gratitude to Hon. Peter Amewu, the Minister for Railway Development and a former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, who accompanied the Minister and his entourage to the Dayi River saying that he is grateful for such a noble and laudable initiative. "I believe this is what is expected of all of us as Ghanaians, where politicians like him and various stakeholders will partner and assist government for us to be able to preserve and save the natural resources of our country" He said. Hon. Jinapor added that he has travelled the whole country and this is by far the cleanest river he has seen. Adding that it is his wish that all other rivers in the country will be as clean as this has become. Hon. Amewu on his part, called for support for the Lands Minister, entreating all Ghanaians to support the Green Ghana Project come 2022. The Chief Director at the Ministry, Prof. Patrick Agbesinyale, giving a brief background of the river said because of urbanisation the river got polluted with heavy waste which affected water supply in the area to the point of House holds getting access to water only once a week. He said to salvage the Dayi River, a tree planting project was launched in between February and March this year which mobilised the youth to clear the river of all filth and then planted 40,000 trees, 100 meters along both banks of the river. Whiles assuring that 99.9% of all these trees planted have survived. Below are some pictures: Story by: News Desk Report

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor led a delegation from the Ministry to commiserate with the Chiefs and the people of the Gbi Traditional Area following the demise and burial of the Late paramount chief, Togbega Gabusu VI. The Hon. Minister who was a one-day tour of the Volta region, described the late Togbega as a very good friend of His Excellency the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo adding that his presence at the Palace was also express the President's deepest condolences to the Chiefs and people of Gbi State. Hon. Jinapor recounted the his of the New Patriotic Party ( NPP) in the area saying that Hohoe is home to the NPP and pledged the government's unflinching commitment and cooperation to drive development in the area. The Hon. Minister eulogized the Member of Parliament for Hohoe, Hon. Peter Amewu for his dedication and hardwork in government, adding that he is not surprised that he won the 2020 election and described the feet as a "political miracle" in Hohoe. Hon. Jinapor also used the ocassion to call on the Chiefs and people of Gbi State to work together in unity, disregarding political affiliation and colourisation for the foward march of the region and the country. The Minister on behalf of the Ministry, donated an amount of 20,000 cedis, one carton of whisky, 10 packs of bottled water in support of the funeral of the late paramount chief. The Acting Paramount Chief, Togbe Worde expressed his profound gratitude to the Hon. Minister for such a generous gesture. He also thanked the Minister for taking time of his busy schedule to mourn with them and further explained that the delegation that keeps coming shows the love the NPPs have for the people of Hohoe and the Gbi State in general. The Late Paramount chief was a board member of the Forestry Commission, an agency under the Ministry. Below are some pictures: Story by: News Desk Report

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor has charged the Ghana Boundary Commission to work closely with the Volta Regional House of Chiefs to protect the territories of the Volta Region from intruders. He said he knows that boundary issues are of grave importance to the region and that is why he has charged the commission that is legally mandated to resolve issues to do with boundaries in Ghana, to ensure they totally resolve these matters. The Minister said this during a meeting with the Volta Regional House of Chiefs at Ho on Monday, 13th September, 2021 as part of the final leg of his Nationwide tour. Addressing the gathering, the Minister called on the Volta Regional House of Chiefs to work closely and collaboratively with him, the Ministry and government to help discover gold deposites in the Volta region. He said he believes that there is nowhere in Ghana that gold cannot be found and therefore asked the Chiefs to come together and support him invest, investigate and discover these gold deposits for the development of the region and Ghana at large. " I am determined for us to enhance the exploration, perspective, recognisance of minerals here in the Volta region". The Minister went on to make a firm and solid pledge that the Ministry will work closely with the Chiefs in a formal and an administrative manner to ensure that the natural resources in the Volta Region are protected. " Government and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources are determined to work closely with the Regional House of Chiefs on all fronts; matters to do with the management of lands and other resources of Volta region all inclusive. I want to commit to the House that we will work closely, paying attention to your advice, your concerns and your inputs because that is the only way we can achieve results." He further assured them that when these minerals are exploited, he will ensure that they benefit the Chiefs and people of the Volta Region. The Minister stated that he wants to change the narrative of Chiefs being at the background to have them actively involved in the administration of Lands and Natural Resources of the country and therefore asked for their support saying " I believe the traditional rulers must be the fulcrum around which land administration revolves because if you want to manage the Lands and Natural Resources of a country and do it effectively, you have to collaborative closely with the Chiefs and it's the only way we can manage this" The Minister employed the opportunity and announced that he will visit the region again to organise a sensitisation programme on the New Land Act, (Act 2020) as a way of keeping his word and also a way of educating the Chief and getting them ready for the collaborative work of managing the Lands of the region. Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor also stated that he is familiar and aware of the issues regarding illegal logging, sand wining, land encroachment and forest reserves which are pestering the Volta region and gave the assurance that it will be considered and managed. President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, Togbe Tepre Hodo IV, on his part said that he is happy that the Minister has given such high assurances. He promised the Minister of their support saying that they are expectant for ideas from the Minister to help harness the resources in the region. Other revered Chiefs at the meeting suggested that the laws regarding land administration be amended for Chiefs to have a legal backing which will in effect afford them the power to actively work with government and the Ministry in the management of the Lands and Natural Resources of Ghana. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

UEFA suffered embarrassment on Monday when the Champions League round-of-16 draw had to be repeated after the initial draw was rendered invalid due to a clerical error where Manchester United were mistakenly omitted as potential opponents for Atletico Madrid. During Monday’s initial draw, United were eventually paired with Paris Saint-Germain, having earlier been placed as opponents for Villarreal, whom they could not have met, having been in the same group as Unai Emery’s side. “Following a technical problem with the software of an external service provider that instructs the officials as to which teams are eligible to play each other, a material error occurred in the draw for the UEFA Champions League round of 16. As a result of this, the draw has been declared void and will be entirely redone at 3 p.m. CET (9 a.m. ET/ 2 p.m. GMT),” a UEFA spokesperson said. Atletico were the next team drawn and, while United should have been one of their potential opponents, they were omitted as a computer glitch appeared to indicate they had already been drawn when they had not. “We are speaking to UEFA to check for an explanation and resolution after the errors committed during the Champions League round-of-16 draw,” an Atletico statement read. The reigning LaLiga champions were then drawn against Bayern Munich, while Manchester City were Villarreal’s official opponents. Initial round-of-16 draw Benfica vs. Real Madrid Villarreal vs. Manchester City Atletico Madrid vs. Bayern Munich FC Salzburg vs. Liverpool Internazionale vs. Ajax Amsterdam Sporting CP vs. Juventus Chelsea vs. Lille Paris Saint-Germain vs. Manchester United Source link

The Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has said the Minority Caucus in parliament has betrayed Ghanaians three times since the second term of President Nana Akufo-Addo started in January 2021. In an article on the 2022 budget imbroglio, Mr Amidu, who described the behaviour of the Minority as one reminiscent of the biblical Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus Christ, said the first betrayal was the approval of some contentious ministerial nominees of the president despite having earlier vowed to reject them. “The second betrayal and sell-out came on 29 March 2021 when, without any tangible reason explaining its volte-face, the Minority Leader seconded the approval of the Minister of Finance nominee in a consensus voice vote in parliament”, the former Attorney General wrote. “The third betrayal and sell-out began Nicodemusly, with what appeared to have been the repentance of Judas Iscariot in the first two betrayals of the Ghanaian electorate on Friday, 26th November 2021, when we, the people, were deceived into believing that the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy had been rejected by parliament because of the vigilance of the Minority caucus in parliament”, Mr Amidu said. He noted that the NDC Minority caucus had, “unbeknown to the public, been assimilated into Nana Akufo-Addo’s one-party Kabuki dance ensemble”. “The Minority and the Majority held a secret meeting on 30 November 2021 at which the Minority agreed to absent itself from the main parliamentary sitting that day to enable the Majority abuse the 1992 Constitution and Standing Orders of Parliament in purporting to rescind the rejected 2022 Budget of 26 November 2021”, he alleged. In his view, the Majority caucus, which has “internalised the egoism of power of the government, has learnt to recruit the Minority for the Nana Akufo-Addo one-party Kabuki dance” “The Minority caucus has, since the beginning of the second term of the Nana Akufo-Addo government, accepted integration and has become ‘the lizard that jumped from a high iroko tree to the ground [and] said he would praise himself if no-one did’ even when the electorate and its own ordinary members see them as traitors to the Constitutional role assigned an opposition party of 137 Members of Parliament in an equally split parliament” “The Minority enabled the appointment of the Minister of Finance together with any 2022 Budget hardships he inflicts upon Ghanaians. Judas Iscariot repented. The NDC can do the same”, he said. Read Mr Amidu’s full epistle below: THE EGOISM OF POWER & THE LIZARD THAT JUMPED FROM A HIGH IROKO TREE TO THE GROUND – THE 2022 BUDGET: BY MARTIN A. B. K. AMIDU “Radix Malorum Est Cupiditas” THE FIRST BETRAYAL On 3rd March 2021, the Minority in Parliament contrary to its own avowed negative evaluations approved the affected ministerial nominees of the President for appointment. The Ghanaian electorate, including some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Executive and its mass followers outside Parliament, who had the benefit of viewing what transpired in Parliament during the vetting process through public broadcasting felt betrayed, and disappointed by the brazen sell out by the NDC caucus in Parliament to the Government in the approval process. The Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the NDC (NDC-FEC) held a crisis meeting the next day, 4th March 2021 and acknowledged in a press statement that: “… whatever the disappointment and disagreements may be especially from among the rank and file of the party, care should be taken not to allow these to degenerate into unnecessary bickering at the expense of party discipline and cohesion.” The statement added that: “We are also of the view that urgent action is required to deal with the matter and consequently we have initiated a consultation process with the Party's Council of Elders in this regard. It is in our collective interest as a party to address challenges facing the Caucus Leadership and the Backbench as a whole. This task will be tackled expeditiously so as to preserve the unity, cohesion and resilience of the NDC parliamentary Caucus.” The tempers of Ghanaians and the ordinary members of the NDC itself were not assuaged by this appeal. Consequently, the Minority Leader on 5th March 2021 had to make a public statement on behalf of the Minority caucus in Parliament to reject claims that the Minority caucus had been influenced with money to vote to approve the ministerial nominees. He was at pains to point out in the statement that the caucus will never make money or consideration the basis of their engagement with the ruling party: “The Leadership and entire Parliamentary caucus of the NDC wish to reiterate our commitment to the cause of the great National Democratic Congress. We expressly reaffirm our resolve to hold the Akufo-Addo government to account over the coming days, months and years for their stewardship to the Ghanaian people. This is nonnegotiable. You may be disappointed in this outcome but we will not disappoint or let you down in the future. The Caucus has never been and would never be for sale.” The Council of Elders of the NDC then met with the Leadership of the NDC on Tuesday, 9th March 2021, to discuss the developments in Parliament arising from the approval of some of the Ministers designate on 3rd March 2021. As a squeal to this meeting the Council of Elders met again on Tuesday, 9th March 2021 with the Leaderships of the NDC and the NDC caucus in Parliament following which the Chairman of the Council of Elders issued a statement collectively agreeing that the incident of 3rd March 2021 in Parliament where some ministerial nominees were approved was “regrettable and unfortunate, and runs contrary to the principles and values of the party.” (Emphasis supplied). In the words of the press statement signed by the Chairman of the Council of Elders: “The Caucus Leadership have since pledged to uphold the principles and values of the party in our collective bid to develop our country. …. The Council urged the National leadership of the party to resolve issues relating to the Caucus leadership in Parliament and called on the rank and file of the party to remain calm, and provide the needed support to our Caucus in order to hold the Akufo Addo government strictly to the principles of probity and accountability.” Judas Iscariot could not keep faith with this first compact of integrity with the electorate facilitated by the Council of Elders for even one month. THE SECOND BETRAYAL The second betrayal and sell-out came on 29th March 2021 when without any tangible reason explaining its volte-face the Minority Leader seconded the approval of the Minister of Finance nominee in a consensus voice vote in Parliament. The real culprits behind the shameless compromises and sell out became public knowledge the next day, 30th March 2021 when the Squealer of the NDC appeared on Peace FM to admit the NDC-FEC’s responsibility and gave reasons for the betrayal by the Minority Caucus of the Ghanaian electorate. Peace FM reported the story as follows: “General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has revealed reasons why the Minority Caucus on the Appointments Committee approved Finance Minister-designate Ken Ofori-Atta. And it is shocking to the core as it is vain.” It was indeed shocking to the core as it was vain. The Squealer of the NDC said on air that: “We have strategies as a political party and some of the NDC leaders sat down and considered the approval of the nominee as to whether passing or failing him, which one will be in the interest of the party. So, we all decided that if we allow him to be the finance minister, it will be in the interest of the NDC....We realised during the vetting of the finance minister, he was exposed in all his wrong deeds...The banks he collapsed, PDS deal and bad financial decisions he superintended over; we needed him to be there to remind Ghanaians what he has wrought on this country…. tell Nana Akufo-Addo that if it is this lame-back finance minister he wants to still be in control of the country’s finances, so be it, and that is why we told our people to approve him.” The capitulation of the Minority caucus in Parliament in approving the Minister of Finance nominee who is now bent on inflicting a draconian and harsh 2022 Budget with economic and social hardships on Ghanaians was the handy work of a former Minister of Finance of the NDC and the NDC-FEC as I have written and pointed out in my analysis available online and on my website as: “The MPs Double Salary Criminal Investigation Docket Was Handled By the Attorney-General and Never By Martin Amidu As Special Prosecutor”, at page 3 under the sub-title – ‘The Double Salary & Other Criminal cases were Negotiated for Ministerial Approvals’ thereof. THE THIRD BETRAYAL The third betrayal and sell out began Nicodemusly with what appeared to have been the repentance of Judas Iscariot in the first two betrayals of the Ghanaian electorate on Friday, 26th November 2021 when We, the People, were deceived into believing that the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy had been rejected by Parliament because of the vigilance of the Minority caucus in Parliament. The NDC Minority caucus had, unbeknown to the public, been assimilated into Nana Akufo-Addo’s one-party Kabuki dance ensemble. The Minority and the Majority held a secret meeting on 30th November 2021 at which the Minority agreed to absent itself from the main parliamentary sitting that day to enable the Majority to abuse the 1992 Constitution and Standing Orders of Parliament in purporting to rescind the rejected 2022 Budget of 26th November 2021. The latest in the Nana Akufo-Addo one-party Kabuki dance is that, as expected, a letter with reference number PS/CS/167 dated 10th November 2021 [sic] under the signature of the Clerk to Parliament and addressed to the Minority Leader has put an end to the Kabuki dance as far as the sham attempts by the Minority caucus to save face in the name of rescinding the rescission of the rejected 2022 Budget on 30th November 2021 is concerned. The two paragraphs of the letter state: "Please refer to your communication dated 7th December 2021 on the Motion relating to a ruling of the Hon. First Deputy Speaker on Wednesday, 1st December 2021. The Hon. First Deputy Speaker, pursuant to Order 13 (2) of the Standing Orders of Parliament, has directed that I inform you that the Motion is not admitted. Meanwhile, the reality, substance and purpose of the Nana Akufo-Addo Kabuki dance were achieved in the acceptance by the Minority caucus on Tuesday, 7th December 2021 of the Majority decision on 30th November 2021 rescinding and approving the 2022 Budget. On 7th December 2021, the Minister of Finance laid before Parliament a modification to the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government for deliberations. The First Deputy Speaker directed that modification be made to the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Government by attaching the modification submitted by the Minister of Finance to the original budget. The Minority Leader acknowledged the modification laid by the Minister of Finance and in preliminary comments to the Speaker’s directives for modifications to the 2022 Budget was reported by Joy News to have said that “the Minority was a very responsible opposition; declaring that ‘and therefore, we engage and we are engaged with Government, appreciating that social consultation is important to save our country and the economy…”’. He also said that: “Mr Speaker, we believe that the e-levy is punitive and it will undermine our quest to build a critical economy in seeking to tax (electronic financial) transactions,” Mr Iddrisu said. … So, Mr Speaker, we on this side (of the House), we are unable to support the Government in its quest to impose an e-levy at 1.75 per cent on momo (mobile money) and affiliated transactions including remittances… Therefore, we stand opposed, and at every level that e-levy is introduced, we will stand united to oppose it because of the effects on the core poor of the Ghanaian people.” On the next day, 8th December 2021 the NDC’s Squealer told Ghanaians that the NDC MPs are using every legal means to reject the budget. In typical Orwellian doublespeak fashion, he prepared the public’s mind for the obnoxious compromise with the Majority when he stated in his contradictory speech at the NDC Public Forum on the 2022 Budget that the approval of the Budget does not mean the e-levy has been approved since Select Committees have to further assess the fiscal policy. The General Secretary then gave the order of the FEC to the Minority caucus in Parliament in the following words: “So, we are at a stage where maybe from tomorrow, we will revisit the approval or non-approval of the budget. But whatever happens, we still stand by our position and we have agreed with our MPs that a boycott is not an option because if we boycott, what it means is that all these other stages will be a railroad. So, we will be present and undertake our key responsibility of holding the elephant accountable.” (Emphasis supplied). The Minority caucus had thus moved away from the draconian hardships and ills that afflict the 2022 Budget to concentrate on the E-Levy as its main objection to the rejected 2022 Budget which it treacherously facilitated to reinstate. The NDC Minority Leader was under instructions from the NDC-FEC to test the waters with the announcement he made on 2nd December 2021 at the 10th Anniversary launch of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications on the Minority accepting a 1% e-levy. This position was repeated by the NDC Squealer in his address to the NDC Public Forum on 8th December 2021. This explains the massive rescue operations undertaken by the NDC outside and inside Parliament to redeem the image of its Minority Leader after his speech at the 10th Anniversary launch of the Chamber of Telecommunications backfired. Anybody reading my last article – “The Shameless Compromises of the One-Party Political Elite against the Ghanaian Electorate” should have noticed that because I knew the real traitors behind the scenes, I portrayed the Minority Leader’s speech as the NDC position and not his own. The Ghanaian electorate had been hoodwinked with a circus of deceptions since 26th November 2021 of sham disagreements amongst the Nana Akufo-Addo one-party dance ensemble in Parliament. Rational and reasonable patriotic Ghanaians have always been on the alert to the machinations of such comprador political elites. Patriotic citizens were never deceived. Patriots unravelled every step in the betrayal process. We are now at the stage of what the two caucuses in parliament wanted and anticipated the most in the 2022 Budget season – the Budget Committee hearings and specially, the accompanying allowances of various forms and shapes. As usual, the Christmas calls and both sides must be one in the Kabuki dance against the interest of the Ghanaian electorate. There were still ugly noises by the Minority on Friday 10th December 2021 about demands for the financial proposals in the 2022 Budget including the e-levy to be laid before the House for appropriate consideration to avoid hasty approval under a certificate of urgency. The Minority Chief Whip stated on Friday that: “Mr Speaker, in the business statement from Tuesday to Friday, conspicuously missing was the financial bills including the Electronic Transaction bill.” Parliament may rise on 21st December 2021 instead of 17th December 2021 ostensibly to give it time to consider outstanding estimates and other matters. But this is going to be business as usual amongst Nana Akufo-Addo’s Kabuki dance ensemble which has fully integrated the Minority caucus as it has been during each budget season. The Budget, as an important policy, and the Appropriation Act affecting the economic and social wellbeing of Ghanaians for the next year will be railroaded through Parliament and passed without prior consultation with affected stakeholders and We the People. We the People can go to hell. The next election is three years away in 2024. CONCLUSIONS The Majority caucus which has internalised the egoism of power of the Government has learnt to recruit the Minority for the Nana Akufo-Addo One-Party Kabuki dance. The Minority caucus has since the beginning of the second term of the Nana Akufo-Addo Government accepted integration and has become “the lizard that jumped from a high iroko tree to the ground said he would praise himself if no-one did” even when the electorate and its own ordinary members see them as traitors to the Constitutional role assigned an opposition party of 137 Members of Parliament in an equally split Parliament. The Minority enabled the appointment of the Minister of Finance together with any 2022 Budget hardships he inflicts upon Ghanaians. Judas Iscariot repented. The NDC can do the same. The best defence for the 1992 Constitution is for all patriots to continue exposing the one-party political elite who are really comprador bourgeoises for neocolonialist interests for who they really are by putting Ghana First! Martin A. B. K. Amidu Credit: Modern Ghana

Manchester United have been drawn against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last-16 knockout stage, setting up a meeting between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. United are outsiders to lift the trophy but they are yet to lose a game since the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and interim manager Ralf Rangnick is slowly implementing his philosophy on the team. In a point of further intrigue, United will also face the team coached by Mauricio Pochettino, the manager who has been strongly linked with succeeding Solskjaer as the club’s next permanent manager. Both Ronaldo and Messi joined new clubs last summer in an attempt to add another Champions League crown to their distinguished careers. Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford after leaving Juventus while Messi departed Barcelona to move to Paris. Ronaldo and Messi faced off in the group stage of the Champions League last season as Juventus played Barcelona. United, meanwhile, played PSG in the group stages of last season’s competition, winning at the Parc des Princes but losing in the return match at Old Trafford. The Premier League side knocked PSG out of the Champions League in the 2018-19 season, thanks to Marcus Rashford’s last-minute penalty. Full draw: Benfica vs Real Madrid Villarreal vs Man City Atletico vs Bayern Salzburg vs Liverpool Inter vs Ajax Sporting vs Juventus Chelsea vs Lille PSG vs Man Utd See picture below: Credit: Independent

The Management and Staff of Zoomlion Ghana limited, led by the Executive Chairman, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong has donated GHC50,000.00 to the National Chief Imam of Ghana as support for the Ghana National Mosque Complex Project. The donation was the climax of the Annual Thanksgiving Service of the Jospong Group of Companies of which Zoomlion Ghana Limited leads the Environment and Sanitation Cluster of subsidiaries today at the instance of the National Chief Imam, Dr. Osmanu Sharabutu. The motive was to give thanks to the Almighty Allah for his grace and mercies throughout a successful year of 2021. The Chief Executive Chairman of Jospong Group of Companies, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong said it was imperative to thank God for sustaining the peaceful atmosphere in the country where his outfit undertook most of its businesses. He alluded to the fact that, the Lord had been so good and wonderful to the people of Ghana and therefore deserved to be praised and worshipped. Receiving the donation on behalf of the Muslim Community in Ghana, the Chief Imam Dr. Osmanau Nuhu Sharabutu expressed his profound gratitude to the management and Staff of Zoomlion. He used the opportunity to pray for the Executive Chairman, Management and Staff of Zoomlion Ghana and the entire Jospong Group of Companies and asked for God’s blessings in their work. The donation took place at the premises of the mosque, on Friday 10th December 2021 after the Jumma'ah prayer. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith