Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, in a press conference in Accra on Monday, December 5, 2022, has call on the public not to withdraw their finances from banks and various savings and loans institutions. This is as a result based on reports that some customers of Databank and Ecobank have lost hundreds of cedis on their investments which has to an extreme affected their initial deposits. Several Ghanaians have thronged their various financial institutions to withdraw their savings and investments to avoid losing both their principal and interests. Other’s have also pointed out that Ecobank has been utilizing the mark-to-market...
Govt did not engage Minority on Debt Exchange programme – Suhuyini
Tamale North Member of Parliament Alhassan Suhuyini has said that the Minority in Parliament was not engaged by the government on the debt exchange programme announced by the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta. He accused the government of recklessness and dishonesty that have led to the challenges. “Their recklessness and their dishonesty have brought us to where we we are, he said on the Big Issue with Berla Mundi on TV3 Tuesday December 6. Asked whether they were engaged by the government on the new programme, he said “never, we were not engaged. you can even hear TUC and others saying they...
Senegal police hunt MPs who attacked female colleague
Police in Senegal are searching for two opposition lawmakers who attacked a female MP during a brawl in parliament last week. Massata Samb slapped Amy Ndiaye, and Mamadou Niang kicked her in the stomach during a justice ministry budget vote on Thursday. Ms Ndiaye then threw a chair at Mr Samb before the speaker suspended proceedings. Prosecutors in Dakar have launched proceedings against the two male MPs. The violence in parliament was widely condemned in Senegal, and came during an annual UN-backed awareness campaign about violence against women and girls. Source: BBC
We’re shocked Akufo-Addo watched World Cup in Qatar despite economic crisis – Minority
The Minority in Parliament say they are shocked by the President’s World Cup trip to Qatar despite the country’s economic difficulties. Addressing the press on Monday, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu indicated that the move by the President was not prudent. According to the NDC lawmaker, the decision by some other government appointees to travel to Qatar while discussions on the 2023 Budget was ongoing was also not ideal. “We’re particularly stunned that the President himself joined even as he’s managing a major economic crisis. As if a better performance of the Black Stars contributed to addressing this economic mess”,...
Prof. Kwesi Yankah writes: The curse of penalties; Dede Ayew
In 2007, I sat beside the Maestro Abedi Pele, the celebrated father of Dede Ayew, on a trip to Namibia representing Ghana. I was part of a three-member delegation put together to market the AFCON trophy ahead of CAN 2008, to be hosted by Ghana. Riks Brobby representing the LOC chairman was with us. I was chair of the Accra Venue Organising Committee Our interaction over a three-day period got me closer to Abedi, one of Africa’s greatest footballers, then retired. In truth, however, our very first encounter was in 2001 at Zurich, Switzerland, where a conference I attended included...
A ball of Kenkey was ¢2 a year ago; it’s now ¢4 – Sagnarigu MP ABA Fuseini
Sagnarigu lawmaker ABA Fuseini has criticized the government for the economic challenges Ghanaians are saddled with at the moment. He noted that the cost of living has been increasing astronomically. On Monday December 5, he took a ball of kenkey to Parliament to demonstrate how hard the economy has become. “Mr Speaker, before your distinguished self last year, I brought a ball of kenkey. At that time a ball of Kenkey was 2 Ghana Cedis. Today, it is 4 Ghana Cedis.”
Gunmen Kidnap Worshippers in Nigeria Mosque Attack
Gunmen abducted 19 Muslim worshippers after attacking a mosque in the restive northwest of Nigeria, police said Sunday. The attackers stormed the mosque in Maigamji village, in Katsina state, during evening prayers Saturday and carried out the kidnappings after shooting and wounding the imam and another worshipper, said local police spokesman Gambo Isah. Northwest and central Nigeria have been terrorized by criminal gangs locally known as bandits, who raid villages to steal cattle, kidnap for ransom and burn homes after looting supplies. Hostages are usually released after a ransom is paid to the gangs, which take refuge in the vast...
Carpenter Kills Mother, Grand Father December 4, 2022
Alex Tenge, a 22-year old carpentry trainee Killed his stepfather and grandmother after consuming sobolo combined with indian hemps, in the eastern town of koforidua. The entire affair took place when there was a festive occasion at Koforidua Okurasi, and many people had traveled there from various parts of Ghana. Alex was overjoyed and drank a variety of beverages, including sobolo. Following the drink, it is reported that Alex tried to fondle a particular woman but she refused and yelled for help, and it was the woman’s shouts that drew attention to Alex. Later that night, blood stains were discovered...
These are difficult times – Ofori-Atta
Minister of Finance Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta has conceded the difficulties plaguing the country’s economy and he is seeking the “understanding and support” of all Ghanaians to restore macroeconomic stability. In a nationwide broadcast on Sunday, December 4, Mr Ofori-Atta assured that measures are being taken to restore the economy “in the shortest possible time”. “These are difficult times and we count on the support of all Ghanaians and the investor community to make the exercise successful,” he said. The exercise he talked about was the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme announced in the 2023 budget statement delivered in Parliament on...
Debt servicing consumes 70% of tax revenue; almost of all govt’s funds – Ofori-Atta
The Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has justified the introduction of the debt exchange programme as announced in the 2023 budget statement. He said the programme has become necessary because of the enormous challenges with debt servicing. Launching the programme in Accra on Monday December 5, he revealed that debt servicing is consuming “almost of government’s revenue and also 70 per cent of tax revenue.” “Which is why we are announcing this to restore our capacity to service debt,” he stressed. Under the debt exchange programme, he said, ” domestic bond holders will be asked to exchange their instruments for new ones.” He...