There are a plethora of challenges facing the education sector and teachers in particular. Inadequate funding of educational institutions and lack of staff accommodation are the most pressing needs. Teachers stationed in rural communities are the most affected when it comes to inadequate accommodation. Some of the most deprived Districts with many rural dwellers in the Ashanti Region include Offinso North, Sekyere Afram Plains Ahafo Ano Districts. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/accra-hearts-of-oak-are-ghana-premier-league-champions OperaNewsGh has come across a letter from the Offinso North Education Directorate. The letter is dated 16th June 2021 and signed by the District Director, Mr. Michael Ignatius Darbbey-Tannian. The letter is admonishing staff of Ghana Education Service who are currently occupying staff quarters and bungalows in the Offinso North District to pay some amounts as rent. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/how-hearts-of-oak-versus-great-olympics-brought-musicians-politicians-and-diplomats-together The letter said: "As part of getting solutions to maintain and put our school bungalows in good condition, a meeting was held on 2nd June 2021, between Headteachers of schools, will bungalow and the District Director of Education and the following were agreed on: 1. Occupants of the school bungalows will pay monthly rent beginning 1st August 2021. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/we-ve-to-commend-gfa-and-the-security-personnel-they-did-a-splendid-job-daniel-koranteng-video 2. Occupants of the Rawlings days type of bungalows will pay GHc 20.00 per month per room. 3. Occupants of the modern-day type of school bungalow will pay GHc30.00 per month per room. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/report-wafa-sc-5-0-liberty-professionals-ruthless-academy-boys-turn-on-the-style-to-thump-liberty 4. The money is to be paid to the District Accountant at District Education Office". The letter further advised that teachers who are on pension and still occupying the school bungalows school vacate by Thursday, 15th July 2021. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/npp-epitomizes-selflessness-ama-busia-to-party-members Rural communities in the Offinso North District are Sraneso, Nkwaduano, Apatam, Bobra, Nyamebekere, etc. Source: Opera News

The Member of Parliament for Assin Central Kennedy Agyapong has verbally attacked his colleague lawmaker for Tamale North Alhassan Suhuyini who petitioned the Speaker of Parliament to invite him before the Privileges Committee of Parliament. Mr. Agyapong said he has not achieved anything in life and therefore he wants to set Ghana ablaze. Suhuyini had said he felt obliged to raise the issues against his colleague Member of Parliament for Assin Central Kennedy Agyapong on the floor of the House because of his background as a journalist. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/report-wafa-sc-5-0-liberty-professionals-ruthless-academy-boys-turn-on-the-style-to-thump-liberty This comes after Speaker Alban Bagbin has referred Mr. Agyapong to the Privileges Committee of Parliament for his utterances against a journalist with the Multimedia Group, Erastus Asare Donkor. Mr. Agyapong on Friday, July 9, is reported to have allegedly threatened to attack Mr. Asare Donkor, “for the journalistic work that the latter undertook during the recent shootings and killing incident at Ejura” on his television station. The Multimedia Group filed a formal complaint against Mr. Agyapong. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/we-ve-to-commend-gfa-and-the-security-personnel-they-did-a-splendid-job-daniel-koranteng-video On Wednesday, July 14, the former Broadcaster raised the issue on the floor of the house and asked the Speaker to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee. He said “Mr. Speaker, I think that as a former journalist I feel obliged to draw the House’s attention to this conduct of an Honorable colleague of this house which in my view, brings this house into disrepute. “Mr. Speaker, I urge you to exercise your powers under 27 and refer this conduct of the Honorable which is becoming unacceptable, to the Privileges Committee to ascertain the veracity of the comments that were made and recommend sanctions if possible that will act as a deterrent to other members who may be tempted to act like him.” READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/how-hearts-of-oak-versus-great-olympics-brought-musicians-politicians-and-diplomats-together In response to his request, the Speaker accordingly referred Mr. Agyapong to the committee. He said he cannot make a decision on Mr. Agyapong over his utterances against a journalist in Ghana. That decision to determine whether or not the conduct smacks of abuse of privileges, he said, rests with the lawmakers as a House, to take. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/accra-hearts-of-oak-are-ghana-premier-league-champions “As it is now, I am compelled to refer it to the Privileges Committee. I want to emphasize that it is the House that will make the decision, it is not the speaker, it is not any other person apart from the House. “That will be your collective wisdom that come to the conclusion whether what is alleged is just a mere allegation or is supported by facts and whether those facts constitute contempt of the House and abuse of a privilege of members, “It is important for me to emphasize here that the privilege and immunity of free speech apply in full force in plenary session and committee sessions, not when members are outside debating issues or on radio and TV. You don’t have that right, that privilege, that immunity to just say anything because you are a member of parliament. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/we-ve-to-commend-gfa-and-the-security-personnel-they-did-a-splendid-job-daniel-koranteng-video “We are not above the law. It is for good reasons because you represent a large number of people, you should be given the full immunity to be able to say what the people say they want you to say. That is why you say it here and you are covered. “That immunity doesn’t extend to you anywhere else. So pleased the committee should go into the matter, submit the report.” Reacting to this on his Radio Station Oman FM on Thursday, July 15, Kennedy Agyapong said “You cannot use the media to and the Police to gag me. You make a statement that I should be referred to the Privileges Committee of Parliament. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/how-hearts-of-oak-versus-great-olympics-brought-musicians-politicians-and-diplomats-together “I want to insult. He is a foolish MP, Suhuyini is stupid. He hasn’t achieved anything in life so he wants Ghana to burn. “I’m so disappointed in him. He uses everything for politics. The privileges committee is made up of human beings or they think being an MP is all I have, they think being MP is the only thing I rely on. If they remove parliament, I will continue to say the truth, no one can stop me.” He insisted that the business owner of Joy FM told him that the workers had resolved to sabotage the government because the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration is taking care of them, a claim the management of Joy FM denied. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/accra-hearts-of-oak-are-ghana-premier-league-champions “I will continue to speak the truth and not anyone silences me. The truth is that Joy FM has been disgraced, they should write an apology letter to the families that lost their relatives in the Ejura incident. They should also write to those injured as well. “I still repeat that they are corrupt, I dare Kwasi Twum and he claims he didn’t say it, he should be ashamed of himself. He said it in my office that the staff of Joy FM are threatening to sabotage the government because we don’t take care of them. If they push I will expose all the things about Joy FM.” Source: 3news.com

A Founding member of the New Patriotic Party Madam Ama Bame Busia has intimated that the New Patriotic Party was established by people who had the fortitude and the spirit of selflessness and has challenged the youth and members of the party in general to replicate same. The former 1st vice Chairperson, former member of the council of the state as well as sister of the late Kofi Abrefa Busia former Prime Minister of the Republic of Ghana said this when Dr. Nana Afriyie a medical officer accompanied Madam Mary Posch-Oduro, NPP welfare Committee Member and founding member of the party in Germany to her residence in Accra. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/accra-hearts-of-oak-are-ghana-premier-league-champions Mama Mary Posch-Oduro who currently serves the party as a member of the welfare committee has also in the past held numerous positions in NPP-Germany, including founding Treasurer (1993 - 1997), branch Women Organiser (1993 -1999), and organizing secretary (2001 - 2004). She together with Dr. Nana Afriyie and some party members of the Youth Employment Authority called on her where she shared her wise counsel of selflessness which needs to be embraced by party members of this generation. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/how-hearts-of-oak-versus-great-olympics-brought-musicians-politicians-and-diplomats-together Madam Ama Busia recounted the days she was in exile with her late brother Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia in London and Simon Diedong Dombo assumed the leadership as the opposition leader in the early days of Ghana's independence epitomizes the sacrifices and selflessness exhibited by the founding fathers of Dankwa-Busia-Dombo tradition. She urged party members to eschew greed or selfishness that is creeping in and trying to create disaffection for the party. Ama Busia said she will soon be launching a book later this year that will chronicle the genealogy of Dankwa-Busia-Dombo tradition which is not available to latter-day generation of the party folks to imbibe the sacrifices that were made by the founding fathers. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/we-ve-to-commend-gfa-and-the-security-personnel-they-did-a-splendid-job-daniel-koranteng-video The ever-glowing, eloquent, and highly learned Ama Busia will be 85years later this year. The team also visited the Ailing Alhaji Abubakar Abdul- Rahaman affectionately called Chairman Short at his residence in Accra. Alhaji Short is fondly remembered during his time as Upper West Regional Chairman and for taking the NPP in the Upper West Region from Zero Parliamentary seats to five seats when he served as Chairman of the party in the Region during the 2016 general elections. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/report-wafa-sc-5-0-liberty-professionals-ruthless-academy-boys-turn-on-the-style-to-thump-liberty Alhaji Short has been unwell for some time now so the team visited him to wish him well. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Information gathered indicates that the Director of Pantang Psychiatric Hospital, Dr Frank Bani who recently got himself engrossed in land matters at Pantang has allegedly orchestrated attacks on Nii Agyemang Kesi III who is the Divisional Head of the Ga Paramount Stool and land committee chairman of the Afutu Brempong family. Dr Frank Bani has been in the news lately for marking people’s buildings for demolition without any court order and so the Nii Afutu Brempong family has kicked against his action. Meanwhile, Dr Frank Bani is said to have taken his agenda to another level, starting a personal vendetta against top Ga Traditional leaders. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/accra-hearts-of-oak-are-ghana-premier-league-champions The attacks on Nii Agyeman Kesi III and his son occurred on Monday the 5th day of July 2021 at the premises of the Pantang Psychiatric Hospital when Nii Agyeman Kesi III who is the divisional head of the Ga paramount stool, went to the hospital to meet the Deputy Minister for Employment and Labour Relations. At his arrival, some thugs alleged to be contracted by Dr Frank Bani pounced on Nii Agyemang Kesi III and his son Joram De-Grant Quaye who drives his father around, beat and tagged them to be land guards. Sources indicated that the incident portrays as a planned attack purposely meant for the heads of the Afutu Brempong Family because of the seeming impasse between them and Dr Bani over the lands. This news firm however established that the Deputy Minister for Employment and Labour Relations was at the hospital to meet management over the same ongoing development regarding poor administration of the hospital under Dr Frank Bani. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/how-hearts-of-oak-versus-great-olympics-brought-musicians-politicians-and-diplomats-together According to sources, both senior and junior staff of the Pantang psychiatric hospital are against the poor managerial and administrative style of Dr Bani for which matter attracted the attention of the Deputy Minister who was at the hospital to keep himself abreast with developments. Is been gathered that Dr Frank Bani’s action of assuming the role of “landguard” under the pretence of securing and protecting government lands is not being supported by workers. Meanwhile, snippets of information received are that Ga Asafoatse Mei is preparing themselves to besiege the Pantang hospital over attacks on the divisional head of Ga Paramount Stool. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/we-ve-to-commend-gfa-and-the-security-personnel-they-did-a-splendid-job-daniel-koranteng-video They said the attacks and accusations levelled against the divisional head of the Ga Paramount Stool, Nii Agyemang Kesi III is an insult not only to him but that the devious action embarked by Dr Bani has affected the Ga state at large. Chiefs and elders of Pantang in an interview set the record straight and pointed out that, Nii Agyemang Kesi III is not a land guard as claimed by Dr Frank Bani. Emphatically they hammered that, Nii Agyemang Kesi III is a known Elder in the Ga State and as a result, immediate action shall be taken against Dr Frank Bani for his action. Source: Peacefmonline.com

Samuel Boadu’s Accra Hearts of Oak have crowned champions of 2020/2021 Ghana Premier League season after drawing 1-1 with Inter Allies on matchday 33 at the Accra Sports Stadium taking their unbeaten run to eleven games. With a game to go before the end of the season, Asante Kotoko’s 2-1 defeat to Bechem United meant that the Phobains can afford to lose their final game against WAFA and will still win the league with a point difference as they are tied on 61 points while the Porcupines occupy the second spot with 57. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/gpl-coronation-wafa-to-give-hearts-of-oak-guard-of-honour-on-saturday As coach Boadu continues to dominate the headlines for doing the impossible for Accra Hearts of Oak, GhanaWeb takes a look at his journey in the coaching fraternity before arriving in the capital to coach Accra Hearts of Oak. Coaching profile of Samuel Boadu: Samuel Boadu who started his coaching career with Fantomas FC, a Colts club in Kumasi in 2008, is a CAF License A certified coach. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/accra-hearts-of-oak-are-ghana-premier-league-champions He went on from Fantomas FC to handle Honeymoon FC, Latex Foam FC, and FC Porto before qualifying Shooting Stars FC to the Ashanti Regional Second Division Middle League Finals in 2017 before joining Division One League side Asokwa Deportivo in Kumasi where he spent five seasons (2013-2018, first as a youth team coach). After leaving Asokwa Deportivo, Samuel Boadu joined Ghana Premier League side Medeama SC in Tarkwa from 2018- 2021 where he led the Ghana Premier League table on two consecutive occasions before the league was truncated by the Anas Aremeyaw Anas expose in 2018 and the Coronavirus pandemic in June 2020. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/how-hearts-of-oak-versus-great-olympics-brought-musicians-politicians-and-diplomats-together Boadu suddenly left Medeama SC midway in the 2020/2021 season after he was announced by the Accra Hearts of Oak board on March 1, 2021, as their new head coach. The 35-year-old coach is now the best coach in Ghana after winning the Ghana Premier League and also winning the best coach award as the 3rd edition of the Ghana Football Awards. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/we-ve-to-commend-gfa-and-the-security-personnel-they-did-a-splendid-job-daniel-koranteng-video Source: www.ghanaweb.com

West African Football Academy (WAFA) will on Saturday be giving league champions Hearts of Oak a guard of honor before their matchday 34 at the Sogakope Park in the Volta Region. The Phobians secured their first league title in over a decade on matchday 33 against Liberty Professionals. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/accra-hearts-of-oak-are-ghana-premier-league-champions Hearts of Oak will be crowned champions after the game against WAFA. The team will also take home Ghc 250,000 as prize money plus 40 gold medals. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/how-hearts-of-oak-versus-great-olympics-brought-musicians-politicians-and-diplomats-together Prizes for the League winner and runners up are as follows: League winner - GHC 250,000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Cedis) 40 gold medals READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/we-ve-to-commend-gfa-and-the-security-personnel-they-did-a-splendid-job-daniel-koranteng-video 1st Runner up - GHC 150,000 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Cedis) 40 silver medals 2nd Runner up - GHC 80,000 (Eighty Thousand Ghana Cedis) 40 Bronze medals READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/report-wafa-sc-5-0-liberty-professionals-ruthless-academy-boys-turn-on-the-style-to-thump-liberty Credit: ghanasoccernet.com

The Leadership of Africa Education Watch (EduWatch), an Education Policy Research and Advocacy Organisation have expressed concerns about the procurement of GHc34.8Million worth of past questions for Senior High School Students across the country. According to EduWatch, contracting a company without a track record in Ghana’s publishing industry to publish and supply about 450,000 copies of past questions raises more questions. In a release sighted by Thnknewsonline.com, it said “There are concerns with Spending Efficiency arising out of the decision by the Ministry of Education (MoE) to subject the procurement of GHC 34.8 million worth of past questions to a single-source procurement method. Selecting repeatedly for two years, a company without a track record in Ghana’s publishing industry to publish and supply about 450,000 copies of past questions raises more questions” READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/government-statistician-blacks-out-on-live-tv-video Touching on whether past questions are necessary, EduWatch hinted that it supports the decision to provide all resources required to adequately prepare students for examinations. It also mentioned that it has no objection to the supply of past questions, answers, and examiner reports to support students so far as the teaching authorities recommend and find the same useful inadequately preparing students ahead of their examinations. “It is on this basis that we commend the government for providing the past questions” EduWatch mentioned. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/energy-minister-napo-tasks-ecg-gridco-to-identify-causes-of-dumsor Throwing light on spending inefficiency and financial waste in Ghana’s Education Sector; EduWatch said “The challenges in Ghana’s education sector scarcely includes bad policies. Indeed, there are mainly two – Inefficient Spending and Poor Management. Amid these two systemic deficits, no matter the objectives, strategies, and resourcing of policies and programs, there are bound to be poor, inequitable, or unsustainable outcomes” It explained that the 20% dropout rate at the basic level, lack of adequate teachers in deprived schools, poor teacher supervision, the existence of 5,000 schools under trees, lack of desks, exercise books, school uniforms, textbooks, etc. at the basic school level are all symptoms of Mismanagement and Spending Inefficiencies, considering that Ghana ranks very high among the countries committing most resources into education. On spending inefficiency in Africa’s Education Sector; it said “The African Development Bank in its Africa Economic Outlook 2020 report indicated that, even though Africa ranks 2nd globally in terms of its 5% GDP allocation to education, the continent ranks last in spending efficiency” READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/pastor-kwame-osei-manukure-set-to-launch-maiden-gospel-album-woye-mame-on-march-21 “It went ahead to predict that if Africa’s spending efficiency increases from an average 50% to the level of Latin America (Average 75%), primary school completion rate would increase from 79% to 98%,” it said. Addressing the copyrights issues of the materials, EduWatch noted that the explanation by the Ministry of Education (MoE) that its decision to use Kingdom Books and Stationery as single-source procurement beneficiary for the GHC 34.8 million contract was due to a copyright mandate issued to Kingdom Books by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) raises more questions. While the WAEC Act of 2006 (Act 719) does not confer the copyright over WAEC’s past questions to WAEC, after being paid by MoE to conduct an assessment of Ghanaian students, it shall be useful to share any such subsidiary contract conferring such copyrights to WAEC for public review. Read also: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dr-addo-kufuor-turns-80-ministry-of-interior-ghana-medical-association-celebrates-him “Regardless, what prevented/prevents the MoE from [also] obtaining the copyright permission and engaging its own publishers competitively rather than supporting the current monopolistic arrangement which ties Ghana down to an unfavorable procurement method?” it further revealed. Touching on sustainability, EduWatch said “At present, regular textbooks in Senior High Schools are used for over three years before replacement. What then is the justification for procuring over GHC 30 million worth of past questions on a disposable basis annually, when these past questions are scarcely used beyond six weeks in a year?” It, however, recommended that the procurement of past questions should happen once in every three years, just as textbooks adding that students should deposit the over 400 paged past question books with their respective schools after examinations, just as is done for all textbooks, to enable the subsequent batches to use for two more years. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/snubbing-other-chiefs-subjects-due-to-jaundiced-political-perception-doesn-t-bode-well-lawra-ndc “With wifi available in Senior High Schools, GES must support school heads to take the responsibility of sharing soft/hard copy updates of subsequent years’ questions with teachers to facilitate their engagement with students. Conclusion The two major systemic issues in the education sector are spending and management inefficiency. All others are symptoms. The MoE and agencies must demonstrate beyond the rhetoric that, making competitive procurement culture is a genuine government policy without which education SDGs cannot be attained by 2030” it concluded. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Alliance For Footsoldiers Advocacy (AFFA) has followed with keen interest discussions on emoluments for presidential spouses after recommendations to Parliament by the Professor Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu-led Committee became public. According to AFFA, the discussions which ordinarily should be a healthy one have unfortunately been characterized by mudslinging and unprintable invectives from the camp of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) -- a calculated move aimed at denting the images of the First Lady, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Second Lady, Mrs. Samira Bawumia and the government in general. Read also: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dr-addo-kufuor-turns-80-ministry-of-interior-ghana-medical-association-celebrates-him In a communique sighted by Thinknewsonline.com, the Executive Secretary of AFFA, Sir Obama Pokuase said "Both the First and Second Ladies, acting through their Communication Directorate have thus announced a refund to the state all allowances paid to them since 2017, and also a rejection of any further emoluments due them as approved by the Parliament of Ghana to safeguard their hard-won reputation." The communique added that AFFA welcomes the move and commends the First and Second Ladies. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/pastor-kwame-osei-manukure-set-to-launch-maiden-gospel-album-woye-mame-on-march-21 It added that undeniably, they have set a new and higher standard for presidential spouses (both former and present) whose offices, strictly speaking, are not recognized under the famous "Article 71" of the 1992 constitution for which reason deserve no such payment from the state. "In the name of equity and fairness, it is the contention of AFFA that Mrs. Lordina Mahama (wife of former president John Mahama) also refunds to the State the sum of THREE MILLION, TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND GHANA CEDIS (GHs 3, 200, 000) being the total allowance she received from the state coffers while her husband, Mr. Mahama served as vice president and president of the Republic of Ghana between 2009 to date," it said. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/energy-minister-napo-tasks-ecg-gridco-to-identify-causes-of-dumsor "That said, it is the submission of AFFA that presidential widows be treated differently. Parliament must initiate steps to pass legislation to give the State the needed legal backing to support them while cancelling any benefit(s) to those with their husbands alive" the leadership of AFFA concluded. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Nuno Espirito Santo looks to have landed his first signing as Tottenham boss, with a report claiming that a deal has been agreed for Japan star Takehiro Tomiyasu. Spurs have been tipped to land the versatile Bologna defender over the past few weeks. But The Athletic states that the two clubs are currently in the process of finalizing the terms of the deal, with Tomiyasu expected to cost around £15 million-plus add ons. The Athletic report also claims that Manchester United were keen on signing the player as well. However, Tottenham was always Tomiyasu’s preferred destination. The 22-year-old excelled in a Bologna side that finished a respectable 12th in Serie A last season. He made 33 appearances in all competitions, scoring twice. With Nuno looking to bring at least two new central defenders, Tomiyasu’s versatility will be a major asset for Spurs. The Japan international, who has won 23 caps for his country, can play as a centre-back or right-back. He is also comfortable playing in a back three, a formation Nuno often preferred at Wolves. The signing will also be the first for new sporting director Fabio Paratici. The Italian knows of Tomiyasu’s qualities from his time in his previous role with Juventus. The £15m fee also appears to be somewhat of a bargain for a player who has spent two seasons in Italy’s top flight and is also a seasoned international. Tottenham will now be hoping that Tomiyasu can quickly adapt to English football, as Paratici and Nuno set their sights on other targets. Below are some pictures: Credit: teamtalk.com

The Founder, an Architect by profession and Entrepreneur, returned to Ghana after several years in the United States to give his quota to the development of his Nation. As a witness to the constant negative outlook and poor governance stories coming out of the African Continent daily, Ashim Morton made it a decision to tell the successful enterprises and highlight individuals who were selflessly bringing about change in Ghana and Africa. The MEF is a non-profit organization that was founded to recognize and reward successful African businesses. The Millennium Excellence Awards were held every five years and honored approximately 20 institutions and individuals for their contributions to national development and was funded by corporates and individuals who believed in Ashim’s vision privately funded the award ceremonies. After a remarkable ten-year run of research and nominations, the Founder decided, with the Life Patron’s blessing, to expand the vision to the entire continent. Every two years, the Lifetime Africa Achievement Prize is held in a different African country with the same goal of recognizing excellence in Leadership, Governance, and Entrepreneurship. A Research Team recommends potential nominees to the Board of Governors, who make the final nomination of a Prize Laureate. This year’s award ceremony, is set to happen on the 17th Of July at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, Ghana. The Millennium Excellence Foundation’s Board of Directors has agreed to focus on three sectors in Ghana and across the African continent going forward. The Executive Team of the Foundations will provide services and implementation of Research and Development, Advisory, Consultancy, Training, Local and Regional Forums, and B2B in the sectors of interest. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

For the second time in a row, the Court of Appeal has thrown out an appeal against Nii Odartey Lamptey, filed by his ex-wife Gloria Appiah to own her ex-husband’s seven-bedroom East Legon mansion. In 2020, the Court of Appeal threw out a similar appeal filed by the ex-wife of the former Aston Villa Striker to get the plush residence as part of her alimony. Odartey Lamptey speaking to Kasapa FM’s reporter Alexander Anyankwaa after the court proceedings said “it’s been eight years of litigation but I am grateful to God for always being there for me. Few people survive in this kind of situation but thank Him I am alive and kicking, I will also want to use this opportunity to thank each and everyone who supported me throughout this battle.” READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/government-statistician-blacks-out-on-live-tv-video In June 2017, the Accra High Court Justice Cecilia Don-Chebe Agbevey who put finality to the winding legal battle ordered the estranged wife to vacate Odartey’s seven bed-room mansion in East Legon but must settle her with alimony of GHC 200,000.00, a car, and Odartey’s four-bedroom house located in Dome. The Ex-wife who struggled to come to terms with the ruling appealed for a review of the verdict with the aim of getting Odartey’s mansion as part of her entitlements but unfortunately, her appeal to own that large imposing residence was thrown out by the Appeals Court. All three judges who sat on the appeal ruled in favor of the ex-star and have asked Gloria to move out as soon as possible. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/energy-minister-napo-tasks-ecg-gridco-to-identify-causes-of-dumsor Odartey Lamptey Speaking to Kasapa FM’s Alexander Anyankwaa after the ruling said, “I feel happy now because it’s been over seven years of legal battle but I thank God that finally her appeal against me has been thrown out and the court has ordered her to evacuate from my mansion. It has not been easy at all but I thank The Lord Almighty for a battle well fought. I thank my lawyers, Kizito Beyuo & Iris K. Aggrey-Orleans for a great job.” He added that he wishes no one goes through what he was subjected to by his ex-wife. “It’s my prayer that nobody experience this kind of situation because it can easily ruin your life,” Odartey told Kasapa FM’s Sports Journalist Alexander Anyankwaa. The ex-Ghana star now has three beautiful children with movie star Ruweida Yakubu, two girls, and a boy. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/pastor-kwame-osei-manukure-set-to-launch-maiden-gospel-album-woye-mame-on-march-21 Background In 2013, reports emerged that DNA tests had uncovered the fact that the couple’s three children were not indeed fathered by the former World’s best juvenile player. The impasse emanated from when Gloria wanted Nii Odartey Lamptey to send ‘their’ first daughter abroad to further her studies at a cost of £26,000 a year for three years. Nii Odartey Lamptey then objected, citing the fact that the expense was too much and recommending that his daughter schools in Ghana for her University education. Read also: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dr-addo-kufuor-turns-80-ministry-of-interior-ghana-medical-association-celebrates-him Gloria was reportedly incensed by her husband’s stance and filed for divorce. Nii Lamptey initially agreed to the divorce but delayed in his response because he reportedly suspected his wife of alleged infidelity. The former midfielder, who represented Ghana at 1992, 1994, and 1996 African Nations Cup tournaments, secretly took samples from the three children and did a DNA test, which reportedly revealed that none of the three girls were fathered by him. Gloria demanded 50% of Nii Odartey Lamptey’s estate and other properties which he hotly disputed by asking the High Court to allow the DNA results to be entered into evidence. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/snubbing-other-chiefs-subjects-due-to-jaundiced-political-perception-doesn-t-bode-well-lawra-ndc Source: Kasapafmonline.com

The Former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, has stated that his only regret in life is trusting President Akufo-Addo as someone who genuinely wanted to fight corruption and get Ghana working. In a new article, the anti-corruption campaigner said he allowed himself to be conned by the president in a naive but sincere belief that Mr. Akufo-Addo was not going to use the criminal justice system to persecute his political opponents. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/energy-minister-napo-tasks-ecg-gridco-to-identify-causes-of-dumsor “The only regret I have in life is to have trusted President Nana Akufo Addo in such a sheepish manner as to have allowed him to have conned me into agreeing to be his Special Prosecutor in a naïve but sincere belief on my part that he was intent on fighting corruption and was also against using the process of criminal justice administration as an instrument of political discrimination against his political opponents" “The position and status of Special Prosecutor were not one I would ordinarily have agreed to be nominated and appointed to after declining nomination for the Supreme Court in 1999 as I indicated on oath at my vetting but for the fact the President invited, cajoled, promised, and assured me that the appointment was going to be on terms personal to me and vowed to ensure my independence and that of the Office.” READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/pastor-kwame-osei-manukure-set-to-launch-maiden-gospel-album-woye-mame-on-march-21 Below is the full statement by Martin Amidu THE DISQUALIFICATION OF MARTIN AMIDU AS SPECIAL PROSECUTOR WOULD RATHER HAVE BEEN A DISASTER FOR PRESIDENT NANA AKUFO ADDO: BY MARTIN A. B. K. AMIDU INTRODUCTION Mr. Godfred Dame had the effrontery, childlike pomposity, and arrogance to have said in the interview he granted to Metro TV’s Good Afternoon Ghana program that: “What I can say is that when his office was threatened by a legal suit, his own status as the Special Prosecutor was threatened by a legal suit; Dr. Dominic Ayine instituting an action against the attorney general and himself, I rather defended him [Amidu]; defended him to the best of my ability and my defense was actually upheld by the Supreme Court and that resulted in him continuing as Special Prosecutor…So, in a way, I’m responsible for his being Special Prosecutor, which he so much touts about”. This article is a sequel to my article, “A Short Tenure Fighting Corruption and Political Discrimination Is More Honourable”, published on 9th July 2021 in which I stated that: “I shall be demonstrating separately that the disaster (for an unfavorable outcome) rather awaited the President …who had appointed older persons to public office, instead of Martin Amidu or Cynthia Lamptey, my deputy who were only to be affected tangentially.” I never sought to be the Special Prosecutor to tout it as an achievement – It certainly is not! The only regret I have in life is to have trusted President Nana Akufo Addo in such a sheepish manner as to have allowed him to have conned me into agreeing to be his Special Prosecutor in a naïve but sincere belief on my part that he was intent on fighting corruption and was also against using the process of criminal justice administration as an instrument of political discrimination against his political opponents. The position and status of Special Prosecutor were not one I would ordinarily have agreed to be nominated and appointed to after declining nomination for the Supreme Court in 1999 as I indicated on oath at my vetting but for the fact the President invited, cajoled, promised, and assured me that the appointment was going to be on terms personal to me and vowed to ensure my independence and that of the Office. The President and I at our first meeting in his office on 10th January 2018 anticipated possible legal action by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on the age provision in Act 959 but we concluded, as seasoned constitutional lawyers, that Act 959 was constitutional, and above all, it was not our place to invalidate an Act of Parliament. THE DISHONESTY OF REMOVING A DEFENDANT’S NAME FROM THE CASE FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE GREED OF CLAIMING A POSSIBLE SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME The NDC as the President and I anticipated at our meeting on 10th January 2018 preceded Dr. Ayine’s action with an interview to 3FM on 12th January 2018 and a press statement also signed by its General Secretary on 5th February 2018. Dr. Dominic Ayine, the NDC Member of Parliament from my own region of the Upper East took freight and brought an action in the Supreme Court on 12th February 2018 against the Attorney General as 1st Defendant and me as the 2nd Defendant. The Attorney General filed her Statement of the 1st Defendant’s Case on 26th February 2018. I filed a Statement of the 2nd Defendant’s Case on 5th March 2018. Dr. Ayine and his team then applied to file a Supplementary Statement of Case on 23rd March 2018. I filed an affidavit in opposition to the application on 26th March 2018. The Attorney General filed her affidavit in opposition on 13th April 2018. On the hearing of the application on 19th April 2018, Dr. Ayine’s application was dismissed, compelling him and his team to apply to amend their Writ and Statement of Case, which were granted by the Court on 17th May 2018. I again filed my Amended Statement of the 2ndDefendant’s Case on 4th June 2018, and later the Memorandum of Issue on 9th January 2019. The Attorney General also filed her Amended Statement of the 1st Defendant’s Case in June 2018 and her Memorandum of Issues on 18th January 2019. Dr. Ayine, Plaintiff had filed his Memorandum of Issues on 30th November 2018. The case was then ripe for hearing within twelve (12) months from 12th February 2018. The case was called for hearing on 5th February 2019, almost one year since it was commenced, without the Attorney General having formally applied to have my name struck out from the suit as a Defendant. Mr. Dame who appeared for the Attorney General was content to take advantage of the benefit of seeing and reading my lucid pleadings resulting from my long experience as an advocate of landmarked constitutional law causes in the Supreme Court alongside distinguished lawyers such as the late Rt Hon. Peter Adjatey, Mr. J. B. da Rocha, and now President Akufo Addo as worthy opponents. Then suddenly and out of the blue, Mr. Dame, for the Attorney General, took Dr. Ayine with his lawyers and me, the 2ndDefendant, by surprise by disingenuously applying orally to the Court after almost one year since the case begun to have my name struck out of the case as the 2nd Defendant. Dr. Ayine’s lawyer, Tony Lithur, repeated a valid argument he had made in one of his applications when Mr. Dame orally applied to have me struck out of the case as a Defendant on 5th February 2019: “But the 1st Defendant cannot properly speak for him on the matter. The issue is, anyhow, moot as 2nd Defendant has since filed a Statement of Case in response to the Plaintiff’s Claim.” He should have added that by filing my Statement of 2nd Defendant’s Case and taking part in the case from 12th February 2018 through to 5th February 2019 I had shown beyond all reasonable doubt that I was an Interested Party in the case and entitled as such to remain a Defendant in the suit by the Court’s own precedent on the right of interested parties to take part in constitutional cases affecting them. I had invested time and energy in defending my tangential rights for a whole year. Mr. Dame slept on the case for a year as he did in the recent GPGC/Ghana arbitration. Unlike the GPGC arbitration in a foreign forum, when Mr. Dame woke up he was less than fair and candid to the Court, the plaintiff and to me by refusing or failing to draw the Court's attention to the fact that the Attorney General was not in fact a nominal defendant as Mr. Dame claimed in his submission but a substantive defendant answering substantively for supposedly nominating the Special Prosecutor under section 13(2) and subsequently the Deputy Special Prosecutor under section 16(2) of Act 959, respectively. The Court strangely and unfortunately, failed or refused to hear from me on this issue even though I was present, had announced myself, and had been recorded as appearing for myself. My name was struck out from the suit as a 2ndDefendant the same day. But my pleadings remained on the case docket, and I had no doubt that the judges would or had already read them and would take them into account in their consideration of the merits of Dr. Ayine’s case. My Amended Statement of the 2nd Defendant’s Case was published for the benefit of the public and can still be found on my website. Anybody may judge for him or herself whether my defense was not far more matured, reasoned, lucid, robust, and stronger than anything Mr. Godfred Dame thinks he filed on behalf of the Attorney General as the then 1st Defendant to have won the case for the Government. Mr. Godfred Dame deliberately got my name struck out from the suit (almost a whole year after it started) so that the Attorney General and he could bask in my name, integrity, and reputation and take credit for the outcome of the case as he now dishonorably caused to have been done first in his profile published on 9th February 2021 and at the interview, he granted on Metro TV on 24 June 2021. Delayed hearing and disposition of the case to render the Special Prosecutor ineffective The Attorney General, and Mr. Dame, her deputy who appeared for her in Court, made no effort to have the case heard for more than another year. Dr. Ayine and his team wanted an early trial and so did I, to enable me to vacate the office or clothe me with the full authority to perform as Special Prosecutor. The Attorney General, for reasons best known to her and Mr. Dame, refused to formally apply for an early hearing as is the normal practice in such serious constitutional cases against the Attorney General herself and the Republic. In the interim, a High Court almost literally injuncted me from performing my duties as the Special Prosecutor when it ruled on 31st July 2019 in an application for stay of proceedings that: “I am of the opinion that the situation at hand would amount to exceptional circumstances such that the instant proceedings ought to have stayed pending the determination of the Appeal and/ or the status of the Special Prosecutor, whichever comes first.” It meant any prosecution I mounted would face the same fate. No decision was made until 13th May 2020 when the Supreme Court disposed of Dr. Ayine’s case. The impression I formed (which was shared by other reasonable persons knowledgeable in the field) was that the Government that had appointed me the Special Prosecutor was, out of fear, more interested in assessing, in the interim, whether in the performance of the duties of the office I would show bias in its favor before, pressing for a hearing and disposition of the case. My reaction was to walk away from the Office, but former President Rawlings and others were prevailed upon to persuade me not to, as that would be an embarrassment to the President and the Government. I knew the catch in the case was the several more aged public officers appointed by the President to assist “The Family” enterprise who would have been affected if I walked away or was thrown under the bus. Nonetheless, my office was rendered ineffective by virtue of the ruling of the High Court, but the Attorney General and Mr. Dame, her deputy, never saw the urgency of the case being decided earlier than 13th May 2020. Eventually, it was adjudicated and decided upon by an almost entirely new panel made up of a new Chief Justice, three newly appointed judges and three members of the original panel two of whom dissented. I resigned seven months later, on 16th November 2020, leaving behind the more aged appointees of “The Family” who are still at the post to take care of its corrupt business. Mr. Godfred Dame appears to have deliberately and calculatingly gotten me out of being a Defendant in the case of Dr. Ayine v 1. Attorney General and 2. Martin Alamisi Amidu at the point the case was ripe for hearing so that he could claim in his biography that one of his achievements was “…for leading the efforts of the Government to… the challenge to the constitutionality of the appointment of Mr Martin Amidu as Special Prosecutor…”. But any experienced and deep-thinking lawyer would have realized that the suit by Dr. Ayine was firstly targeted against the Attorney General who supposedly nominated me under section 13(3) of Act 959 and my prospective deputy under section 16(2) of Act 959; secondly against the President for purportedly accepting the nominations and forwarding them to Parliament for consideration for approval; thirdly against Parliament for approving the nominations; fourthly against the President again for appointing me and later my deputy to our respective positions; and only lastly and tangentially against me and later deputy for accepting the supposedly unconstitutional nominations, resulting in approvals, and appointments. CONSEQUENCES OF NULLIFYING THE APPOINTMENTS ON NANA AKUFO ADDO Mr. Dame knows or ought to have known that even if the Supreme Court had declared my nomination and appointment as Special Prosecutor under section 13(3) of Act 959 to be inconsistent with the Constitution that decision would normally have saved any actions and decisions I had taken while holding the appointment. Any decision otherwise would firstly have meant that the Office of the Special Prosecutor was never operationalized by the President since the enactment of Act 959 because it was the appointment of the Special Prosecutor that operationalized the Office of the Special Prosecutor. Secondly, the Deputy Special Prosecutor could not also have remained in office as her nomination, approval, and appointment under section 16(2) would also have been unconstitutional as well on account of the reliefs sought from the Court. Commonsense should have pointed Mr. Dame to the fact that a declaration of nullity ab initio by the Court would have been a disaster for the calculating “Puppet Master”, the President, Nana Akufo Addo, and “The Family” from which the President would never have recovered his loss of face and not for me or my then deputy. The many appointed older members and associates of “The Family” who are still at post facilitating its corruption would have been out of office. But Mr. Godfred Yebaoh Dame could not even distill these simple outcomes and consequences for the “Puppet Master” the President who made him Deputy Minister which was glaring from Ayine’s Writ and Statement of Case even after the decision of the Supreme Court on 13th May 2020 and subsequently used my name for his profile before his parliamentary vetting, and subsequently granting the interview to Metro TV as Minister of Justice and Attorney General. INTEGRITY OF THE OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL The rights, privileges, and obligations guaranteed to every citizen under the 1992 Constitution will become meaningful the day every Attorney General in Ghana puts aside his or her first hat as the Minister of Justice under which he or she may act politically and concentrates on the letter and spirit of his or her professional mandate of the Attorney General under Article 88 of the Constitution. Article 88 is informed by hallowed customs and conventions enjoining fairness, candor, and impartiality to every citizen and eschewing arbitrariness and discrimination in the performance of the duties of that public office. It does not help the integrity of that Office when its occupant hops from radio station to radio station or from TV station to TV station doing politics and threatening political opponents with investigations by the police or with civil or quasi-criminal suits for criticizing his public performance. It certainly is not good for the respect due that Office when citizens begin disrespecting the Office by mocking any occupant of the office as a “Local Champion” adding that: “This $170M judgement debt case, they should have sent it to Supreme Court or?”; or that the occupant of the office should remember that: ““You can choose to threaten us. You can choose to behave anyway you want because you’re the Attorney General. But let me put this on record to you. You will not be Attorney General forever….”; or that the occupant is interfering politically on behalf of his appointing government with the constitutionally guaranteed rights of citizens to peacefully protest and demonstrate, and to freedom of expression or speech; or for the occupant of the office to tell citizens exercising their constitutional rights even before a Court decides their case that: “If you’re demonstrating about broken promises by successive governments since independence, what is the urgency about it?”; or for the occupant of the office to be unfortunately described by a fellow citizen as: “The puppet master reveals himself”; or to be challenged by citizens to “start with the criminal complaint against those who organized the Supper Spreader!”; or “that the police were his puppets; as such he was the puppet master all along in this suit”; or to be told that: “We have an Attorney-General Department. We have hired and paid two foreign law firms, Omnia Strategy and Volterra Fietta. Yet, we fell asleep and did not take advantage of the 28-day window afforded us to challenge the arbitration panel’s decision that we should pay $170M to GPCG for terminating a contract”; et cetera, et cetera, (I could go on and on), all within less than the first three months of assuming office. CONCLUSIONS Mr. Dame was nowhere near this universe when I received my Qualifying Certificate Under the Legal Profession Act in September 1978 and was enrolled as a lawyer the same year. I am done with the professional practice of the law just as I declined the nomination to the Supreme Court in 1999 but it hurts to see someone who could pass for the person who was my last biological child, now an independent adult, occupying an exalted office I once occupied, for however short a period, behaving without the requisite maturity and experience of public service. I welcome Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame’s pomposity and arrogance because they urge me on to continue criticizing him as a customary Ghanaian parent to change for his own betterment. This is the only way to depoliticize that exalted Office and put Ghana First. Martin A. B. K. Amidu