Manchester United have called an emergency board meeting to discuss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dismissal as manager in the wake of the club’s debilitating 4-1 loss at relegation-threatened Watford. The Sunday Times understands the virtual meeting has been scheduled for 7pm with Solskjaer’s compensation terms on its agenda. Solskjaer, 48, has now won just four games in 13 and the collapse in form has been dramatic with the defeat at Vicarage Road following back-to-back home defeats to bitter rivals Manchester City and Liverpool. The Glazer family has also instructed club officials to further accelerate attempts to persuade Zinedine Zidane to take over the managerial position mid-season, increasing United’s financial offer to the three-times Champions League winning coach. Credit: The Times

Africa is known to be the only continent which does not consume what it produces, with a total of less than 16% intra-Africa trade flows, compared to the 60%, 40 % and 30% intra-regional trade achieved in Europe, North America and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) respectively. This came to light at the 2nd Intra-African Trade Fair, 2021 being organized under the auspices of the Secretariat of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The event, which was opened in Durban, South Africa on Monday, 15th November 2021 by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, had seven (7) other African heads of States present with a number of dignitaries and representatives of businesses all across Africa and beyond. It was noted that, the coming to being of the AfCFTA in January 2020 constituted one giant step towards the fulfillment of the aspirations of the Africa Union and that the AfCFTA agreement, commits businesses and governments to work at changing the sad narrative of intra-Africa trade to realize a single market for its over 1.2 billion people with a combined Gross Domestic Product of US$3 trillion. Major barriers to an efficient trade system within the continent have been identified to include high cost of doing business, corruption, security concerns and varied certification requirements. The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Ghana together with other standards regulatory authorities are present at the on-going fair with the purpose of interacting with the business community to provide regulatory support that will facilitate trade across the continent. The event has also brought to the fore the urgent need for effective harmonization of country regulatory requirements to support this agenda. "Studies so far have shown that standards and regulations have a potential to either act as barriers or catalysts for trade. For example, stricter food safety regulations and standards are often portrayed as non-tariff barriers to trade but can be a powerful catalyst for investments in improving food safety management systems, especially when incentives for these investments are lacking in domestic markets" Furthermore, trade policy, standards and regulation interventions can have a positive impact on the quality of products and increase access to high-end export markets. The FDA has therefore expressed its total support and commitment to several continental initiatives such as the adoption of the Africa Union model law on medical products regulation, support for the West Africa Medicines Regulatory Harmonization project and the establishment of the Africa Medicines Agency in the near future. Additionally, FDA continues to advocate for the simplification and reduction of the cost of compliance of businesses to regulatory requirements to facilitate trade through the introduction of its flagship programme -the Progressive Licensing Scheme, targeted at developing cottage, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs). It is expected that through these initiatives, Ghanaian businesses will be able to increase their export base and help to realize an ultimate boost in intra-Africa trade transactions by volume and value. To this end, the FDA looks forward to a successful fair that will yield over $40 billion trade and investment deals, as it brings together 1000 exhibitors and 10,000 conference delegates, trade visitors and think tanks to discuss the implementation of these pertinent continental trade issues. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Captain Kojo Tsikata, a former Head of National Security during the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) regime has died. He was one of the founding members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Sources close to his family and the National Democratic Congress disclosed this to Citi News on Saturday. A subsequent statement from the family signed by Col. Joshua Agbotui (Rtd) and Fui Tsikata said Captain Tsikata died in the early hours of Saturday, November 20, 2021. “In accordance with his wishes, the family will be making arrangements for a private family funeral,” the statement added. Mr. Tsikata had been away from public eye for the past decade. In 1982 he was appointed to serve in the government of the late Jerry Rawlings as the head of national security. He also served as a member of the Council of State. He was cited by retired a supreme court judge, His Lordship Justice Emmanuel Nii Ashie Kotey, as being among those responsible for the the kidnapping and murder of three high court judges and a retired army officer on 30 June 1983 during the PNDC regime. His controversial personality divided opinion among political analysts. He sparked controversy when he rejected a national award to be conferred on him in the category of the order of Volta companion under President John Kufour of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2008. In a statement dated 23rd June 2008, Kojo Tsikata said “I have just returned from a trip outside Ghana. While abroad, I learnt of the bizarre proceedings in the High Court before Mrs. Henrietta Abban on Wednesday, 18 June which have led to the incarceration of my cousin, Tsatsu.” “I have now learnt that my name is on a list of persons on whom national honours are to be conferred. I cannot fathom the mental processes that led to my name being put on that list. Let me put it beyond doubt that I will not accept any honours from Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor or any of his cronies who have blatantly and cynically engaged in a systematic manipulation of the judicial process.” His former boss, the late Jerry John Rawlings also rejected the award saying he wants justice to be served in the cases of the Yaa Naa, Alhaji Mobila, Tsatsu Tsikata and Dan Abodakpi. Credit: Citinewsroom

Ken Ofori-Atta says he started his investment company, Databank Financial Services Limited, with a loan of $25,000 in Kantamanto. According to him, that process taught him the humility of understanding where he wanted to go with his business. He disagreed with the assertion that at the time he started his business, he was a high-skilled labourer. “I started my company, Databank, in 1990 in Kantamanto and I borrowed $25,000. Whether it is high-skilled or not, you don’t start an investment bank in Kantamanto, do you? “And that is the humility of understanding of wherever you want to go and the problems of entrepreneurship. You fail, you pick you to go. There is a clear empathy and understanding of what it takes to be able to build a business and it is not short term,” Ken Ofori-Atta told Paul Adom-Otchere on the ‘Good Evening Ghana' show. The Finance Minister was defending the YouStart initiative in the 2022 ‘Agyenkwa’ budget. The initiative is the government’s policy aimed at creating one million jobs for the youth of this country. Delivering the 2022 budget statement in Parliament, Ken Ofori-Atta explained: “The understanding of the youth employment challenge, as well as extensive consultations with stakeholders including youth associations and educational institutions across the country, have led to the development of the YouStart initiative which proposes to use GH¢1 billion each year to catalyze an ecosystem to create 1 million jobs and in partnership with the Finance Institutions and Development Partners, raise another GH¢2 Billion Cedis. “In addition, our local Banks have agreed to a package that will result in increasing their SME portfolio up to GH¢5 billion over the next 3 years. “This, Mr. Speaker results in an unprecedented historic GH¢10 billion cedis commitment to the private sector and YouStart over the next 3 years. “Mr. Speaker, YouStart is a vehicle for supporting young entrepreneurs to gain access to capital, training, technical skills and mentoring to enable them to launch and operate their own businesses. “Mr. Speaker, the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), and partner financial institutions, will serve as the implementing arms of YouStart. “Entrepreneurs will be able to apply for support through a dedicated YouStart online portal. “NEIP will also engage our Faith-Based Organisations as partners for the delivery of essential artisanal skills, business competitions, and feasibility studies and introduction to financing institutions with a commitment of up to 10% of GOG contribution to the YouStart Programme.” Source: www.ghanaweb.com

A Primary School Teacher in Danbatta, Nigeria, Mallam Aliyu Ibrahim has had hot water poured on his private part by his wife after he disclosed plans of marrying a second wife. According to sources, the wife of Mallam Ibrahim felt disrespected by the decision. It is emerging that the couple who have been married for years have 10 kids. Explaining his horrific encounter, Mallam Ibrahim said "Since the time I told her about my plans to marry another wife, I did not see any change of attitude from her and we had been living together peacefully" He further said "Last night after I returned home, I bought some meat for them. U met her boiling water but I had no idea, she was going to use it on me" Sources say Mallam Ibrahim is currently responding to treatment. Story by: News Desk Report

The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has opened up about his struggles with ill-health in recent times. There have been speculations about the Minister’s health due to changes in his physical appearance in public for some time now. Speaking on Good Evening Ghana on Metro TV on Thursday, November 19, 2021, Mr. Ofori-Atta said he has been managing liver disease for some time now. He spoke a day after presenting the government’s 2022 budget statement to parliament. “I got COVID-19 somewhere in November and then got out of a hospital’s emergency. I came home on the 10th of December, things were pretty good when I came. Then I began to feel jaundiced. I was later diagnosed and told my liver was inflamed and required some work to determine what was really happening.” “It took some time to find the probable cure, which involved steroids and all of that. I went back for review in August. The information was that it’s pretty much gone. They are now titrating to see how to bring the steroid down, so I can get back to normal life.” The Minister however insisted that he is fit enough to discharge his duties. “Essentially, I’m pretty much mended. I need just to manage my rest, sleep and exercise and have some good food.” “We are grateful to God and other people who have us in prayers. But clearly, the DNA is strong enough to do the work I have to do.” The Minister was away from his post for weeks in the first quarter of 2021 after contracting COVID-19. He was flown out of the country to the US to receive medical attention from complications of the virus Mr. Ofori-Atta left for the US on Sunday, February 14, 2021, on orders of his personal doctors. Credit: Citinewsroom

Liverpool playmaker, Mohammed Salah has hinted that he will be donating for auctioning the Jersey he used against Manchester United in the ongoing English Premier League. According to the player, all proceeds of the auction will go to an animal charity in Egypt. In a tweet sighted by Thinknewsonline.com, Salah wrote "I will be donating, for auction, the jersey I used in the match of 24 Oct. 2021 against Manchester United, with all proceeds of the auction to go to an animal charity in Egypt" He added that he will update football lovers on where and how to bid. It will be recalled that Mo Salah helped his side, Liverpool to thrashed bitter rivals, Manchester United, 5-0 on October 24, 2021. The game saw Mohammed Salah scoring a hat-trick. The Liverpool star who doubles as an Egyptian football god, won the admiration of many after that impressive performance. Below is a screenshot of his tweet and a picture: Story by Joshua Kwabena Smith

The High Commission of Ghana in South Africa has denied reports that a Ghanaian has been stabbed to death following the outcome of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) World Cup qualifier between Ghana and South Africa last Sunday. There was an earlier report a day after the match that, a Ghanaian had been stabbed to death in South Africa after post-match arguments. Ghana defeated South Africa by a lone goal courtesy of a penalty converted by Andre Ayew. A statement from the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria said a thorough investigation had been conducted and the outcome suggested the news was fake. It added that Ghanaians in South Africa should go about their daily activities without fear. It said, “They should act with circumspect by avoiding unnecessary arguments as well in areas where sentiments and tensions are high. They should contact the mission at any time when they feel their lives are in danger,”. The South Africa Football Association (SAFA) on Wednesday lodged a protest with FIFA with claims that the match was manipulated. SAFA also called for a replay of the match. However, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has denied the allegations and expressed its readiness to cooperate with FIFA on investigations. Source: GNA

A viral video of some stranded Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates in Adanwomase in the Kwabre District of the Ashanti Region has elicited passionate calls for Ghanaian leaders to sit up. The sad video that has gone viral on social media since Tuesday saw some residents of the Kwabre area stranded behind a portion of the Adanwomase-Amampe road that has been cut through by flood water. Drivers of commercial vehicles including BECE candidates were stranded for hours without knowing what next to do. Luck shined on them when a man driving a Caterpillar offered to carry them in the loader bucket across the road. Though scary, the students had to muster the courage to jump in order not to miss their exams. An eyewitness at Kwabre, Kwabena Bobi told ModernGhana News that “there was no way we could have crossed if the caterpillar man had not come there at that time.” He added, “The water would have been around my stomach, under my breast if I had attempted to cross so I would have been wet and could have gone to my work place anymore. “We don’t know why this area seems to be neglected as if we are not part of Ghana, and for the heavy trucks that use this stretch of the road, since the road got worse, they don’t even pass here again, instead of them to do something about for us, they have stopped passing here.” Watch the video below: Story by: James Appiakorang

Former Cameroon star Samuel Eto'o officially filed his candidacy for the presidency of the country's football federation on Wednesday, promising he would be the "next president despite the cheating". Eto'o, a four-time African footballer of the year, was accompanied by a crowd of supporters as he submitted his bid at the Cameroonian federation's headquarters in Yaounde. "I urge the opposite camp to be careful because we have accepted lots of things," Eto'o told reporters. The 40-year-old ex-Barcelona and Inter Milan striker said the current leadership had offered him a position as vice-president, a proposition he rejected. "I will be the next president of the federation despite all the cheating," he declared. Eto'o said it was "time to rebuild our football" when he announced his intention to run for president in September. The Court of Arbitration for Sport in January annulled the 2018 elections won by Seidou Mbombo Njoya, who Eto'o described as having "failed miserably". New elections are scheduled for December, a month before Cameroon hosts the Africa Cup of Nations, a tournament delayed a year by the Covid-19 pandemic. Below are some pictures: Credit: AFP

The Ghana Statistical Service has revealed in their 2021 population and housing census official report that over 80% of marriages in Ghana are not recognized by law, hence illegal. According to the GSS, the 2021 PHC General report also focused on marriages registered under the Register General-Department which showed only 20% of them are duly registered Addressing the media during the release of the 2021 general report in Accra, government Statistician Prof Samuel Kobina Annim indicated that, majority of those registered are in Greater Accra Region, whereas the three Northern Regions recorded the highest illegal and unregistered marriages in the country He again added this baseline information therefore calls for urgent need to intensify education on the need to duly register marriages. Meanwhile, touching on the certified general report of the 2021 Population and Housing Census exercise, Prof Samuel Kobina Annim said the country's population stands at 30,832,019 with Greater Accra and Ashanti Region recording highest in the country. He again added Kumasi Metropolis having the most populous district with a population of 443,981 as again Banda District recording lowest with 28,179. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The President's nominee who got confirmed into office by the Honourable Members of the Banda District Assembly as District Chief Executive (DCE), Hon. Akoneh Emmanuel, has began his journey with a 'Thank you Tour' to the chiefs of the communities in the Banda District. He was accompanied by the Executives of the District assembly. The DCE thanked the Chiefs and the people for entrusting him with all their efforts and assured them of good administration. He added that the Chiefs were doing marvelous work to help develop their communities but he is chosen to make additions. "Before I was nominated as a DCE, the Chiefs were already in the bid of developing their enclaves, so I needed to get to them for advice and blessings to enhance my work", he expressed. The tour to the communities in the District was visited 9 communities to interact with the citizens as well as to explain some government policies to them. He indicated that the visits of such nature was supposed to be regular to enable him and Management of the Banda District Assembly account to the people for the power entrusted to him as their leaders, but hinted that peace and unity should prevail for a better living amongst them. At Banda Nyire, which is one of the communities he visited, he mentioned that education is the key issue he will open his eyes on, to reduce educational unsatisfactions. "I have had some request from the Chiefs which are very challenging for them for them and I will make sure to assist them, but I will first tackle education issues, cause where there is no way to education, development regards", he stated. In addition to curb challenges in the district, he stated that in a bid to promote healthcare at the community levels, CHIPS compounds will set to ease the stress the people go through in assessing healthcare at the communities. In all the communities he visited, the chiefs were full of appreciation for the DCE’s visit and the projects embarked upon in their District. They pledged their collaboration in ensuring that the Assembly succeeds in all its programmes in the present and the future in unity and peace. He added his voice to the 2022 budget that, it is a good idea to scrap the road tolls cause it was a cheat to some enclaves and a good idea to introduce the electronic levy which will set up a cease corruption. He made this known to Appiah Kubi in an interview on Tain FM Anɔpa Nkɔmmɔ. The Tour is said to proceed to the remaining communities within the District. Source: Tain FM