The African Union (AU) has appointed Former President, John Mahama as its High Representative to Somalia. Mr. Mahama is expected to work towards resolving the political crisis in Somalia. The African Union in a statement issued on Saturday, May 8, 2021, indicated that Mr Mahama is to ensure there is “a mutually acceptable compromise towards an all-encompassing resolution for the holding of Somali elections in the shortest possible time.” In recent weeks, there has been heightened tension in Somalia, considered the horn of Africa. The tension followed a resolution to extend the term of incumbent president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed by two years. Credit: African Entertainment

Nigeria’s secret police have been cited as saying they have uncovered plots to overthrow President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria. Local and international media reports monitored by African Entertainment revealed that the secret police announced that they uncovered the plots by some disgruntled politicians, religious leaders and others to overthrow President Buhari. The Nigerian military, African Entertainment understands, has therefore reportedly warned members of the armed forces to keep politicians at an arm’s length. The military, according to Dw Africa, has pledged its loyalty to defend the Nigerian constitution and subject itself to civilian rule. Credit: African Entertainment

President Nana Akufo-Addo has accepted the nomination of Kissi Agyebeng, the lawyer for the highly ‘scandalous’ Agyapa gold royalties deal as Special Prosecutor. A statement released on Thursday, May 6, 2021, from the Presidency and obtained by African Entertainment says the President was therefore seeking the approval of Parliament for Mr Agyebeng to become the Special Prosecutor. According to the statement dated May 6, 2021 and signed by Acting of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, “the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has accepted the nomination of Mr Kissi Agyebeng as Special Prosecutor, and has by letter to the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, dated 29th April 2021, sought Parliament’s approval of the appointment. It would be called that Mr. Agyebeng was nominated by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Godfred Dame, as Special Prosecutor. When approved, Mr Agyebeng will replace Martin Amidu, the first ever Special Prosecutor of Ghana. Martin Amidu’s claims Former Special Prosecutor (SP), Martin Amidu, recently stated that Mr. Akufo-Addo, whom he described in time past as the “Mother Serpent” of corruption was ‘pressurized’ by persons implicated in the Agyapa Royalties Transaction corruption assessment report to appoint their surrogate, Mr. Agyebeng, as the Special Prosecutor to safeguard their interests. Mr. Amidu resigned as Special Prosecutor on November 15, 2020, after releasing the damaging report on the Agyapa deal. Speaking on the appointment of Mr. Agyebeng, Mr Amidu warned “do not defame Martin Amidu in the propaganda to nominate a new Special Prosecutor.” According to Mr Amidu in a statement, “It must, therefore, be worrying to any patriotic Ghanaian not afraid of the culture of silence to see Asaase Radio undertaking political propaganda beginning on 25th April 2021 to 26th April 2021 to prepare the minds of the Ghanaian and international public to accept the surrogate of the alter ego of the Asaase Radio station and Africa Legal Associates as the Special Prosecutor as mandated under section 4(1) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2018 (Act 959).” He added that “In the attempt of persons implicated in the Agyapa Royalties Transaction corruption assessment report to pressurize the President to appoint their surrogate as the Special Prosecutor to safeguard their interests, the online reportage of Asaase Radio resorted to direct fabrications, lies, and omissions against me in its narration of the reasons for my resignation.” Mr Amidu described Mr Akufo-Addo in 2020 as a President who took the presidential “oath while looking like the innocent flower of anti-corruption but being the mother serpent of corruption under it”. Below is a copy of release: Credit: Melvin Tarlue

The General Overseer of Prophetic Hills Chapel, Prophet Nigel Gaisie, has warned the authorities of Ghana including the President, Nana Akufo Addo against pending instabilities in the country between citizens and security personnel. Speaking on Angel FM' s Morning Show, Anɔpa Bɔfoɔ with Kwamina Sam Biney on May 6, 2021, monitored by Scooper News, the prophet said: " About two years ago, I saw in a dream that some 37 military personnel from the Burma camp were involved in some fights. " he said. "Last Sunday while conducting a service, I had another vision in which I saw a confrontation between the citizens and the police and we could not control it, " He added. Although the prophet did not emphatically state what would be the cause of the instability, he cautioned that security agencies monitor the borders more securely. "If there is anything the Ghanaians and Nana Akufo- Addo can do, we should strengthen our security. So if the Government, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NIB) are listening, they should monitor the borders " . - He concluded Let still stay in the Church because three members of the Christ Embassy Church have been charged for disobeying COVID- 19 protocols. This was after they allegedly violated protocols at a recent church event in Accra. The charges include non- compliance with the restrictions imposed against regulation 4 of the imposition of Restrictions (coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID- 19)) (No. 16), Executive Instrument (EI) 395 of 2020, and Section 6 of the imposition of the restriction law of 2020 (Law 1012). The Ghana Police service launched investigations into the alleged violation of COVID- 19 protocols by the Christ Embassy Church leaders during a service at the Fantasy Dome. The church held an event called Pneumatic Night for its members on Friday, April 30. According to the police, the leaders of Christ Embassy Church did not notify them of the event and did not provide any assurance about it. Since then, the Fantasy Dome has been closed pending the conclusion of the investigations. Credit: Phoenix News

The Public Utilities Regularly Commission (PURC) has released it's preliminary investigations into the cause of the recent erratic power supply and system collapse experienced in the country. In a release signed by the Executive Secretary of PURC, Mami Dufie Ofori, it said "The Commission has established through it's regulatory monitoring that, the erratic power supply coupled with low voltages especially during peak hours have been caused by a number of factors across the value chain of electricity supply. The statement also added that it includes but are not limited to technical challenges in the gas supply network. It further hinted that new transmission infrastructure are being constructed on the National Interconnected Transmission Systems (NITS) "Planned and unplanned maintenance activities on aspects of the NITS. Reduction in reactive power support in the mid-portion of the country. Emergency upgrade and modification works on the NITS to increase reactive power support and improve voltages in the mid-portion of the country" The PURC hinted that detailed report on the preliminary investigation can be found on the Commission's website. Below is a copy of the release: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Popular radio presenter Captain Smart says he is unperturbed about what is going on around him, insisting he cannot be cowed into silence. “Any day, any time, if there is any nonsense going on in this country, I will rise and talk,” he declared. “I will keep shouting, I will keep pointing the mistakes. If you are a politician, it is your responsibility to either like me or hates me because you don’t feed me and until we begin to do that, we can never ever save this country,” he insisted. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/lifestyle-spotlight-on-lisa-joy-ale-jay-youtuber-beauty-content-creator He was speaking on Good Evening Ghana on Metro TV on Thursday, May 6 following the controversy surrounding his apparent suspension from Angel Broadcasting Network (ABN). The Director of Operations of ABN said he was asked to stop presenting his show mid-way on Thursday morning after a call from owner Dr. Kwaku Oteng. They claimed as he narrated, that he was being too hard on the government to the extent of using unprintable words for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Vice President Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kyerematen. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/politics-i-will-turn-nafti-into-a-multimedia-university-mahama Again, he said the management had complained of calls from certain quarters including the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to Dr. Oteng over comments attributed to him on Angel FM’s morning show. He, however, served notice that he will be extremely happy in the next 30 days he has been asked to stay off work. Captain Smart, full name Blessed Godsbrain Smart, is expected to resume on Friday, June 4. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/watch-sarkodie-sips-malta-with-swag-video He stressed: “I am not afraid, I am not worried, I am not perturbed, I am not disturbed, I am a happy man. I am enjoying [with] my family and the 30 days they say I should stay home, thank God I will be the happiest person.” His suspension is seen as an affront to media freedom in the country, fuelling perceptions of a culture of silence. A few notable personalities took to social media to express their worry about the issue. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/angel-fm-gm-confirms-captain-smart-s-suspension-says-it-s-kwaku-oteng-s-decision 1. Had a worrying conversation moments ago. Captain Smart's boss has allegedly asked him to go off air for a while as a result of undue pressure that has been piled on him by 'high ranking officials in government'. — Franklin CUDJOE (@lordcudjoe) May 6, 2021The General Manager of Angel FM, Kwadwo Dickson, confirms the suspension of Captain Smart and says the reason for his suspension is that he has "spoken against government officials such as President Akufo-Addo, Vice-President Dr. Bawumia, Allan Kyeremateng, and the IGP." pic.twitter.com/LHJLNxxm6X — Manasseh Azure Awuni (@Manasseh_Azure) May 6, 2021 READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/culture-of-silence-captain-smart-suspended-after-criticizing-bawumia-for-poorly-managing-economy Credit:3news.com

General Manager of Angel Broadcasting Network (ABN), Kwadwo Dickson has confirmed the suspension of the host of the station's morning show, Captain Smart. According to him, the decision by management was based on the decision taken by the Chief Executive Officer of ABN, Dr Kwaku Oteng. He added that the CEO's decision was because of Captain Smart's constant attacks on government officials including President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his vice, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/lifestyle-spotlight-on-lisa-joy-ale-jay-youtuber-beauty-content-creator In a video intercepted by GhanaWeb, the ABN general manager said the CEO has had several conversations with Captain Smart but the suspended broadcaster always returns on air to do as he pleases. He said, "It’s true Captain Smart has been suspended by the Owner of Angel Broadcasting for talking against government officials like President Akufo-Addo and his vice, Dr Bawumia, Alan Kyeremanten… "He (the CEO) advised him on several occasions but (Smart) refused to pay heed to his advice hence his suspension," he said on a show on Angel FM. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/politics-i-will-turn-nafti-into-a-multimedia-university-mahama Meanwhile, investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni has given reasons why Captain smart has been suspended. According to him, "It's unknown how long he will be away. Management has not officially communicated this to the staff of the company." Also, "There have been complaints and pressure from some top government officials who are aggrieved by Captain Smart's utterances on his show. Management of the station are concerned about how he sometimes attacks personalities, instead of staying on the issues he discusses. They yanked him off air after several warnings and the complaints/pressure from some aggrieved top officials," he said in a Facebook post sighted by GhanaWeb. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/watch-sarkodie-sips-malta-with-swag-video Below is a video of Angel FM's General Manager confirming the suspension of Captain Smart: Credit: Ghanaweb

The Ministry of Energy has debunked claims made on various online portals that it has sacked it's Head of Communications, Nana Kofi Damoah. Painstaking investigations into this matter reveal that Mr. Damoah was engaged by the Petroleum Commission as a Communications Specialist in 2017 and seconded to the Ministry as Head of Communications. Subsequent to this, in a letter sighted dated 15th February 2021 to the CEO of the Petroleum Commission, the Chief Director of the Ministry, Mr. Lawrence Apaalse, indicated that Mr. Damoah's secondment had come to an end, following which he was being released back to the Petroleum Commission. Checks reveal that Mr. Damoah currently is back at post at the Petroleum Commission. Again on the suggestions of financial malfeasance by Mr. Damoah, it has come to light that on 25th February 2021,the Chief Director, in a memo to Mr. Damoah, clarified that there was no query on any audit issues or commitments as confirmed by the Ministry's Finance Directorate. Both pieces of correspondence are exhibited and clearly debunk these assertions which falsely seek to draw in the incumbent Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and his predecessor, Mr. Boakye Agyarko. Below are copies of the release: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

In a move that can be best be described as an intensification of the culture of silence in Ghana, broadcaster Captain Smart, has been suspended nearly a week after sharply criticizing Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for poorly managing Ghana’s economy. President of IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe, announced on Facebook that Angel FM has Captain Smart. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/watch-sarkodie-sips-malta-with-swag-video According to Mr. Cudjoe, he “had a worrying conversation moments ago. Captain Smart’s boss has allegedly asked him to go off air for a while as a result of undue pressure that has been piled on him by ‘high ranking officials in Government.'” He added in the post sighted by African Entertainment that “Captain Smart’s crime, allegedly, is that his usual commentary on national affairs, is making Government unpopular.” It would be recalled that Captian Smart recently launched new attacks on the Vice President for what he described as his incompetence to manage Ghana’s economy. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/politics-i-will-turn-nafti-into-a-multimedia-university-mahama While hosting a morning show on Angel FM, he Bawumia has failed woefully at growing Ghana’s economy and has as a result-driven the nation into huge debts. Captain Smart noted that he was very disappointed in Vice President Bawumia for failing to walk the talk and prove to Ghanaians why the NPP is a better alternative. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/lifestyle-spotlight-on-lisa-joy-ale-jay-youtuber-beauty-content-creator Watch Video from the said show Below: Credit: AE Contributor

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has released a statement announcing the postponement of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifications matches. Africa was set to begin its qualification in June this year and finish off in September. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/lifestyle-spotlight-on-lisa-joy-ale-jay-youtuber-beauty-content-creator CAF Emergency Committee in consultation with FIFA took the decision to postpone the qualification matches after taking into consideration the current challenges caused by COVID-19. The matches have been pushed backward to October 2021, November 2021, and March 2022 respectively. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/politics-i-will-turn-nafti-into-a-multimedia-university-mahama CAF said it is reassessing its protocols and processes to enhance the implementation of COVID-19 related protocols. This specifically includes focusing on pre-match testing which had been the source of some challenges in the previous windows. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/watch-sarkodie-sips-malta-with-swag-video The postponement will also give countries the opportunity to adequately prepare themselves for the matches. Below is the released statement : Credit: Mutala Yakubu

The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has countered assertions that there is a creeping culture of silence in the country. According to him, such perceptions only come from those who cannot withstand criticism. The Minister said this when he met with journalists in the North East Region on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, as part of the government’s measures to deepen freedom of speech and access to information in the country. “This claim that there is something called the culture of silence in this country cannot be true. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/watch-sarkodie-sips-malta-with-swag-video This is a country of about 500 radio stations, about 100 TV stations, millions of social media accounts and everybody is freely expressing themselves. What some persons cannot stand is that when they express their thoughts and other people speak that they disagree, then they claim you are silencing them. Respectfully, that is the beauty of our democracy, that I will have my say, and you can disagree with me,” Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said. Statesman, Sir Sam Jonah, while delivering a speech at a public lecture with Rotarians in Accra about two weeks ago, remarked that a culture of silence was slowly creeping into the country through convenience, hypocrisy and parochialism. “It appears to me that in recent times in our Fourth Republican dispensation, the courage to stand up for the truth and the determination to uphold the common good is lost. In our dark moments as a nation, it is concerning that the voices of the intellectuals are receding into oblivion. Sadly, it is a consequence of the deep partisan polarisation of our country such that everything is seen through the lenses of politics.” “It appears to me that the culture of silence has returned. This time not enforced by legal and military power but through convenience, parochialism, hypocrisy, and a lack of conviction. Where are our Adu Boahens and PV Ansahs?” he said. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/politics-i-will-turn-nafti-into-a-multimedia-university-mahama His comment has elicited several responses, with former president John Agyekum Kufuor indicating that the comment should not be treated casually but probed. The Minister for Information has previously expressed his disagreement with the assertion of a culture of silence in Ghana. While commissioning the office for the Coordinated Mechanism on the Safety of Journalists in Accra earlier this week, he said the office was an additional layer, aside from many other interventions demonstrating the government’s commitment to press freedom and the safety of journalists. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/lifestyle-spotlight-on-lisa-joy-ale-jay-youtuber-beauty-content-creator “It is the reason I cannot agree that there is a culture of silence in Ghana because the government is committed to the culture of free media in Ghana,” he stated at that event. Credit: Citinewsroom

Economy RwandAir Resumes flights to Zambia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe Rwanda’s national carrier, RwandAir has announced a resumption of flights to South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe after a three-month suspension. The resumption of flights will be to Zambia’s capital Lusaka, Zimbabwe’s capital Harare and South Africa’s economic centers Cape Town and Johannesburg. In February, the airline halted flights to South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe due to a variant of COVID-19 which had been reported in the countries. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/watch-sarkodie-sips-malta-with-swag-video The suspension came close to two months after authorities in South Africa announced the detection of the variant, 501Y.V2. “We’re glad to announce the resumption of our services to Harare and Cape Town with 2 weekly flights from 14 May 2021,” the airline said in a notice. Flights to Cape Town and Harare will operate twice weekly, as will flights to Lusaka, which will resume on May 7. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/politics-i-will-turn-nafti-into-a-multimedia-university-mahama Flights to Johannesburg will resume on the same day as those to Lusaka and will operate thrice weekly. For passengers arriving from South Africa, a certificate of a negative Covid-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure time is mandatory. Additionally, such passengers will be screened on arrival and those presenting symptoms will be required to have a Covid-19 test. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/lifestyle-spotlight-on-lisa-joy-ale-jay-youtuber-beauty-content-creator For passengers from Zambia, a Covid-19 PCR certificate of a test done 7days prior to arrival will be required. However, if a passenger takes the test on arrival, they must self-isolate for at least two days until results are out. RwandAir suffered a blow during the COVID-19 pandemic and is seeking to recover by putting in place health and safety measures and protocols to restore customer confidence, including a COVID-19 vaccination program for all staff. Credit: AE Contributor