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Tag: Ghana

  • Nigerian artistes see Ghana like heaven- Shatta Wale

    Nigerian artistes see Ghana like heaven- Shatta Wale

    Controversial Ghanaian dancehall artiste, Shatta Wale has continued to express his reservations for Nigerian artistes.

    TheNewsGuru recalls that Shatta Wale had slammed Nigerian tweeps on Monday morning, telling them to be grateful to Ghana for supporting Nigerian artistes.

    The rapper, however, continued his rant as he stated that Nigerian artistes do not show love.

    “Your artistes see Ghana like heaven. Anytime I say something about Nigeria it hits them hard. You guys sing about love but you don’t have it. All na scam,” the rapper tweeted.

    He added, “Nobody is hating nobody here but the way you Naija people like comparing your artistes to us is absurd.

    “Sorry for those Naija rats saying they haven’t heard my music before. Yes it’s because I am too ok with the love from Ghana where I was born rather than a strangers’ land to intimidate me.

     

    “Ask some of your artistes, they come here and flop. I have many shows I can make reference to. Some even get arrested here and some too dey chop slaps and you want to talk about stardom to me. No sir! Let your artiste tell you the truth!”

     

  • Punches thrown in Ghanaian parliament over electronic payments tax

    Punches thrown in Ghanaian parliament over electronic payments tax

    A brawl broke out on the floor of Ghana’s parliament late on Monday as lawmakers debated a proposed tax on electronic transactions that has divided the house for weeks.

    The 1.75 per cent e-levy, which would include taxes on mobile money payments, has been fiercely challenged by the opposition since it was first proposed last month and held up the passing of the national budget.

    Members of parliament rushed to the front of the chamber after Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu suggested the tax be debated and voted upon under a hastened “urgency” procedure. Some threw punches and grappled while others restrained their colleagues.

    A vote on whether to proceed with the urgency procedure was postponed to Jan. 18.

    “We need to demonstrate to the country that our democracy is growing, and will not suffer some of these unacceptable sins and spectacles we’ve witnessed on the floor,” minority leader Haruna Iddrisu said on Tuesday.

    Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta argues that the levy would widen the tax net and raise an additional 6.9 billion Ghanaian cedi (1.15 billion dollars) in 2022.

    But his proposal was met with boos and jeers in parliament when it was first announced.

    Those opposed to the levy say it would disproportionately affect lower-income people and those outside the formal banking system who rely heavily rely on mobile money transfers, reducing overall economic activity.

    Ofori-Atta has promised to hold further discussions with stakeholders about the levy.

  • Trouble for President Akufo-Addo as parliament rejects 2022 Budget proposal, lawmakers stage walkout

    Trouble for President Akufo-Addo as parliament rejects 2022 Budget proposal, lawmakers stage walkout

    Ghana’s parliament on Friday rejected the government’s 2022 budget proposal due to concerns over an electronic banking levy.

    It was the first time the national budget has been rejected since 1981 in the West African country.

    Ghana’s parliament is split between the two main parties following an election a year ago, increasing the risk of gridlock as the country struggles to rebound from the impact of the global pandemic and a heavy debt burden.

    Friday’s setback came after the government introduced a proposed new levy on electronic bank transactions, including popular mobile phone money apps.

    Ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmakers walked out after accusing the house speaker of bias because he said the finance minister should not be present during the vote.

    The opposition MPs then voted down the proposal.

    “The 2022 budget has been rejected by Parliament,” opposition lawmaker Sam George wrote in a Tweet. “We as a minority took a stand with the people of Ghana to reject a budget that had the obnoxious E-Levy, increased government fees, and charges. Victory for Ghana.”

    In January, soldiers were forced to enter Ghana’s parliament to break up fights between rival lawmakers at odds over the election results.

    President Nana Akufo-Addo’s ruling party will now have to negotiate with the opposition party in parliament to reach a compromise over the budget proposal.

    Ghana is touted as a stable democracy in volatile West Africa, although the 2021 elections were marked by opposition accusations of fraud and five people died in the violence.

  • Ghana parliament begins public hearings on anti-LGBT+ law

    Ghana parliament begins public hearings on anti-LGBT+ law

    Ghana’s parliament on Thursday hold the first public hearing on a new law that would make it illegal to be gay or to advocate for gay rights, its press office said.

    The so-called family values bill is currently before the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, which said it had received more than 150 memoranda from individuals, groups and faith-based organisations on the bill.

    The committee is expected to hear 10 petitions each week in a series of public sessions before the bill is put to a vote, deputy majority leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, said.

    Gay sex is already punishable by prison time in Ghana, but no one has been prosecuted in years.

    The new bill would go much further, criminalising the promotion and funding of LGBT+ activities as well as public displays of affection, cross-dressing and more.

    Ghana’s speaker of parliament, Alban Bagbin, pledged in his opening address last month that parliament would pass the bill into law “at the earliest possible time’’.

    U.N. human rights experts have urged lawmakers to reject it, saying it would establish a system of state-sponsored discrimination and violence against sexual minorities.

    LGBT+ rights groups in Ghana said they have seen a spike in homophobic attacks since the draft law was introduced in August.

    Arbitrary arrests, blackmail and evictions have more than doubled since then, with people targeted if they are suspected of being gay, said Danny Bediako, director of the human rights organisation Rightify Ghana.

    “Our greatest worry is the health and safety of our community members,’’ he told Reuters.

    “I have never seen so many people who want to leave the country.’’

    The bill has been promoted by conservative Christian groups in Ghana, which has become a hot spot for the debate on LGBT+ rights in Africa.

    The United States-based World Congress of Families (WCF), a group that works to advance anti-gay laws and policies around the world, held a major regional conference in Ghana’s capital Accra in 2019.

  • Lesbians, homosexuals are all members of the Body of Christ – Archbishop Welby

    Lesbians, homosexuals are all members of the Body of Christ – Archbishop Welby

    Archbishop Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury has said lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, queers and other people of similar orientation are all members of the Body of Christ.

    Archbishop Welby, who is the principal leader of the Church of England made this known in a statement on Tuesday in reaction to the draft anti-LGBTQ+ Bill due to be debated by the Ghanaian parliament.

    Welby expressed grave concerns and said he would be speaking with the Archbishop of Ghana in the coming days to discuss the Anglican Church of Ghana’s response to the Bill

    “I am gravely concerned by the draft anti-LGBTQ+ Bill due to be debated by the Ghanaian parliament. I will be speaking with the Archbishop of Ghana in the coming days to discuss the Anglican Church of Ghana’s response to the Bill.

    “The majority of Anglicans within the global Anglican Communion are committed to upholding both the traditional teaching on marriage as laid out in the 1998 Lambeth Conference Resolution I:10, and the rights of every person, regardless of sexual orientation, before the law.

    “In Resolution I:10, the Anglican Communion also made a commitment “to assure [LGBTQ+ people] that they are loved by God and that all baptised, believing and faithful persons, regardless of sexual orientation, are full members of the Body of Christ.

    “I remind our brothers and sisters in the Anglican Church of Ghana of these commitments. We are a global family of churches, but the mission of the church is the same in every culture and country: to demonstrate, through its actions and words, God’s offer of unconditional love to every human being through Jesus Christ,” the Archbishop stated.

  • 2022 AWCON Qualifiers: Super Falcons beat Black Queens of Ghana to reach final round

    2022 AWCON Qualifiers: Super Falcons beat Black Queens of Ghana to reach final round

    The Super Falcons fought a tough battle to edge Ghana’s Black Queens and reach the final round of the qualification series for next year’s Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) to be hosted by Morocco.

    A lone goal defeat in Accra on Sunday evening meant the nine-time African champions survived with a 2-1 aggregate win over their hosts.

    Both teams finished with 10 players after Ghana’s captain Portia Boakye was dismissed for a second bookable offence, and minutes after, Nigeria’s left back Glory Ogbonna was expelled by Ivorian referee Zomadre Sonia Kore.

    The lively Princella Adubea got Ghana’s goal midway into the second half as the Super Falcons were expecting adherence to fair play principle.

    Afterwards, captain Asisat Oshoala, missed an opportunity to draw Nigeria level.

    With the strong scent of blood, the Black Queens launched onslaught after onslaught but could not get the goal that would have tied the fixture and make penalty shootout inevitable at the Accra Sports Stadium.

    The Falcons progressed to the final round where they play the Lady Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire, in February 2022.

  • Ghanaian fraudster Tourey Ahmed Rufai extradited to the U.S.

    Ghanaian fraudster Tourey Ahmed Rufai extradited to the U.S.

    A Ghanaian fraudster, Tourey Ahmed Rufai who fled to Ghana after he was sentenced to four years in prison, was extradited to the United States on Friday to serve his sentence.

    The former Bronx resident was arrested in Ghana on 14 April, before he was extradited on 6 August.

    Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, along with other officials, announced Rufai’s extradition.

    Rufai, a/k/a “Joe Thompson,” a/k/a “Joe Terry,” a/k/a “Rufai A Tourey,” a/k/a “Ahmed Rufai Tourey,” was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote on 12 April, 2019.

    It was in connection with his participation in a fraud scheme based in Ghana involving the theft of over $10 million through business email compromises and romance scams.

    The gang targeted elderly victims from at least 2014 through 2018.

    According to court filings in Manhattan Federal Court:Between 2014 and 2018, RUFAI, was a member of a criminal enterprise, based in Ghana that was involved in defrauding more than 100 American businesses and individuals of more than $10 million through business email compromises and romance scams.

    RUFAI and his co-conspirators received or otherwise directed the receipt of millions of dollars in fraud proceeds from victims of the Enterprise in bank accounts that they controlled in the Bronx, New York.

    Some of these bank accounts were opened using fake names, stolen identities, or shell companies in order to avoid detection and hide the true identities of the members of the Enterprise controlling those accounts.

    Once the defendants received the fraud proceeds in bank accounts under their control, the defendants withdrew, transported, and laundered those fraud proceeds to other members of the Enterprise, including those located in Ghana.

    RUFAI, 33, was released on bail shortly after his arrest on January 9, 2018, on conditions including a $150,000 bond co-signed by three individuals, surrender of all travel documents, and home detention with electronic monitoring through an ankle bracelet.

    At his trial, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on January 9, 2019.

    In addition to a prison term of four years, he was also on 12 April, 2019 sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $109,868.61 and pay restitution of $320,449.97 to victims.

    The court ordered him to self-surrender to prison on May 24, 2019.

    Then, on May 12, 2019, 12 days prior to his surrender date, U.S. Pretrial Services learned that the defendant’s ankle bracelet had been removed and that the defendant had fled.

    A bench warrant was thereafter issued for the defendant’s arrest.

    On April 14, 2021, after the defendant’s bond was forfeited, the defendant was arrested in Ghana pending his extradition to the United States to serve his sentence.

    Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “When a defendant released on bail like Tourey Ahmed Rufai cuts his ankle bracelet and flees the country, it is an affront to the victims of his crimes and the Court.

    “Thanks to the extraordinary work of the FBI, IRS-CI, and our law enforcement partners both in the United States and in Ghana, this fugitive was apprehended in Ghana and has been returned to the United States to serve his four-year sentence.”

    FBI Acting Assistant Director Jacqueline Maguire said: “Justice will now rightfully be delivered – both to Mr. Rufai as he serves his prison sentence, and to the innocent victims from whom he stole millions of dollars.

    Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and IRS-CI in locating RUFAI in Ghana so that he could be arrested by Ghanaian law enforcement.

    Ms. Strauss also thanked the FBI Legal Attaché in Accra, Ghana, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division, the U.S. Marshals Service.

    He also thanked Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office, Interpol – Ghana Police Service’s Criminal Investigative Division, Ghana National Security, and the Ministry of Justice & Attorney General’s Office of Ghana, for their assistance in the extradition of RUFAI to the United States.

    The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Sagar K. Ravi is in charge of the prosecution.

  • Jollof face-off: Nigerian beat Ghanaian, wins $5000

    Jollof face-off: Nigerian beat Ghanaian, wins $5000

    To put an end to a longstanding contest between Nigeria and Ghana on which of the two West African countries cooked the best Jollof rice, a maiden edition of a ‘Jollof Faceoff’ competition was held over the weekend at The Rooftop by Ohuru HSE, Boardroom Apartments, Lekki, Lagos.

    At the event, Chef Hilda Effiong Bassey represented Nigeria while Chef Seyram Leslie Kumordzie represented Ghana respectively.

    In the end, three judges out of a four-man panel of judges adjudged and crowned Chef Hilda Effiong Bassey of Team Nigeria winner. The delectable Hilda Effiong Bassey won the grand prize of $5,000 USD while Chef Seyram Leslie Kumordzie got N500,000 as consolation.

    There is no doubt, her victory has shown that Nigeria Jollof rice is the undisputed queen of West African kitchens.

    The maiden event sponsored by VBank, Nigeria’s foremost digital bank and Banking App of the Year 2020, also brought together chefs and entrepreneurs in the food business to showcase their culinary skills and seek ways to grow their business.

    Speaking during a press parley earlier, Senior Product Manager, VBank, Ebere Ahaotu noted that the competition will afford everyone the opportunity to appreciate food or cooking as an art and to understand how different cultures prepared different types of foods, which in turn helps to build empathy for people in general.

    ‘’As you know, Vbank has consistently supported small businesses through a series of activities throughout the year, especially through our Grow with V webinar series and the current V series that we have for SMEs.

    ‘’In addition to our belief that this kind of competition allows us to appreciate cooking as an art form and for further appreciation of different cultures, we see it more as a way of impacting SMEs in the food business in Nigeria which is a major part of social and economic development.

    ‘’As an innovative brand, we are keen on economic empowerment, and it is our desire to see businesses go beyond profit-making to embed societal and environmental interests which would deliver long-term growth. ‘’

  • Buhari joins other African leaders for ECOWAS summit in Ghana

    Buhari joins other African leaders for ECOWAS summit in Ghana

    President Muhammadu Buhari is currently in Accra, Ghana participating in the 59th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.

    The Summit is chaired by Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo.

    President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina is also at the Summit.

    The Presidency earlier in a statement on Friday announced that President Buhari will be joining other Heads of State of Government of ECOWAS for the mid-year statutory meeting of the regional bloc, with the exception of Mali, which was recently suspended from the group.

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, ECOWAS Special Envoy, and Mediator to Mali is expected to present a report on his latest working visit to the West African country to the summit of the Heads of State.

  • JUST IN: Buhari jets to Ghana Tomorrow

    JUST IN: Buhari jets to Ghana Tomorrow

    President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja on Sunday for Accra, Ghana to attend an emergency Extraordinary Summit of ECOWAS, convened to discuss the recent political developments in Mali.

    Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, announced the visit on Saturday via a statement.

    The President is expected back in the country “at the end of the one-day Summit.”

    According to Mr Adesina, the meeting is at the instance of the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS and President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo.

    Prior to the Extraordinary Summit, the President had met with the Special Envoy and ECOWAS mediator in Mali, former President Goodluck Jonathan, who briefed him on the latest developments in the country following his meeting with key political actors in the West African country.

    “As the situation in Mali continues to evolve, Nigeria had condemned the May 24 military coup, the subsequent detention of the president and prime minister by soldiers, and called for the immediate and unconditional release of all civilian officials detained,” the statement added.

    “President Buhari will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd), Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Richard Adebayo, and Director-General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.”