MTN Ghana to sanction vendors who charge more on credit transfers
MTN Ghana, has warned that vendors, who charge customers a fee when they sell MTN airtime to them through the Electrical Virtual Distribution (EVD) system otherwise known as credit transfer, will be sanctioned. MTN has reduced the number of physical recharge cards on the market compelling more people to rely on mobile money and EVD to purchase credit. Checks by Citi News’ Ellen Dapaah show that some vendors charge as much as 15 percent of the amount of credit a customer purchases through the EVD. But according to MTN, vendors already make their profit from the transfer and are not expected to charge extra. In an interview with Citi News, the General Manager of Southern Regional Sales of MTN Ghana, Abubakar Mohammed, said vendors who charge extra money from EVD transfers will be sanctioned. “EVD agents are not to make any extra charges. Their fees are incorporated in the airtime they purchase from us. We give them a 5 percent cut. And so customers are to get the exact amount they purchase. They should insist on what s due them. If a customer feels he is being cheated, there are avenues to seek redress. You can either call the shortcode 100 and complain or visit any of the MTN centres and report the vendor.” “Some of the actions we take when such complaints come before us is to warn the vendors to desist from them or block them from using our EVDs. Our aim is to protect the customer and ensure that they get value for whatever they buy,” Mr. Mohammed explained. Citinewsroom Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
Akufo Addo announced $10,000 for each Black Satellites players for winning U-20 AFCON
President Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced a $10,000 reward package to each member of the national U-20 team for winning the recently ended Africa Youth Championship in Mauritania. He however was quick to add that half of the money to the players will be in cash while the remaining half will be put into an investment for the players. The President made the announcement when the team paid a courtesy call on him and to present the trophy they won to him at the seat of government this evening. The President also acknowledge the role of the technical team and announced that the coaches will each receive $5,000 for the efforts in helping Ghana clinch the title. Announcing the package Nana Addo: “We have a package for you which I am sure the GFA President, Sports Minister and your team leaders talked to you about. This is a token but it should help you receive the gratitude of the nation. It is also to tell you how happy Ghanaians are at what you have done. Each one of the team members will get $10,000 from the government, the rest of everyone will be receiving $5 as an expression of appreciation. The decision has been made that the money half of it will be in cash and the other put in investment over the next 10 years.” The Prez also made personal a donation of $5,000 to Issahaku, Danlad, Afriyie Barnieh and head Coach Zito for winning individual laurels at the tournament. Ghana’s U-20 side emerged as the champions of the just ended 2021 Africa Cup of Nations hosted in Mauritania. The Black Satellites defeated Uganda 2-0 in the finals tournament on Saturday. The win means, the Black Satellites have won the Youth Championship four times. Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
Why ‘Ramatu’ is trending on Twitter after Akufo-Addo’s SONA
As President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo wrapped up his State of the Nation Address, Tuesday, social media platform Twitter, as usual, was inundated with comments about his address, with various hashtags. One hashtag though, which managed to top the trends although it was not centered on the address was ‘Ramatu’ – a name that was chorused by voices believed to have emanated from the Minority in Parliament. The Speaker of the House, Alban Bagbin, somewhat popularized ‘Ramatu’ during the inauguration of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as President of the Republic on January 7, 2021, when he introduced the Second Lady Samira Bawumia as Ramatu Bawumia. The announcement left a lot of the audience shocked, and the Speaker sensing discomfort and murmurings on the premises said “I don’t know if the Second Lady has done an affidavit to change her name but that is what I have here”, referring to the programme brochure. This fan to flame unsubstantiated allegations that the Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia possibly has another wife, a claim which has not been denied by the parties involved. Outside the chamber of Parliament, in a giant marquee mounted at the car park of the forecourt of the State House, where President Akufo-Addo delivered his first State of the Nation Address of his second term, the Speaker in accordance with Standing Order 58, conveyed to the President, the gratitude of the House and said a formal communication will be forwarded to the Office of the President after the House has thoroughly debated the address. Having said this, the Speaker acknowledged some dignitaries present. At the mention of Samira Ramadan Bawumia as the spouse of the Vice President, a section of the gathering begun to chorus “we want Ramatu”, eliciting a humorous response from the Speaker who said he does not know who is Ramatu. “Honorable members, I don’t know which of you has a girlfriend called Ramatu but we don’t have any dignitary here called Ramatu,” Bagbin said. Below are a few social media reactions: Ghanaweb Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
FULL TEXT: President Akufo-Addo’s 2021 State of the Nation address
Message On The State Of The Nation By The President Of The Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, On Tuesday, 9th March 2021, At Parliament House, Accra. Mr. Speaker, It is always good to be back in Parliament, and to discharge the duty, in accordance with Article 67 of the Constitution, of delivering to the House a Message on the State of the Nation. I am particularly delighted as this Message is the first of my 2nd term, the validity of which was unanimously upheld last week in a well-reasoned and excellent ruling by a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court, presided over by the Chief Justice, on 4th March 2021. In accordance with protocol and convention, it is good to see that First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, Second Lady Samira Bawumia, Spouse of Mr. Speaker, Chief Justice Anin Yeboah, and Justices of the Supreme Court, re-elected Chairperson Nana Otuo Siriboe II, and Members of the Council of State, the new Chief of Defence Staff Vice Admiral Seth Amoamah, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. James Oppong-Boanuh, and Service Chiefs, are all present, as are the Dean and Members of the Diplomatic Corps. Let me use this opportunity to congratulate, once again, the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, on becoming Speaker of the 8th Parliament. His has been a distinguished career, having entered the 1st Parliament of the 4th Republic in 1993, and I came to meet him in the 2nd Parliament in 1997. He has been Majority Leader, Minister of State, one of the “three wisemen” in a previous Government, 2nd Deputy Speaker of Parliament, and now finds himself in this elevated position of being the third most important person in the governance structure of our country. It is wholly appropriate that, at such a critical period in the history of our country, my senior in Parliament and I should work together for the wellbeing of the Ghanaian people. Mr. Speaker, I wish you well in the discharge of the duties of this high office. Mr. Speaker, in 2017, I was here for the first time as President of the Republic, having won the election of 2016, and having inherited a faltering economy and an expectant people. Between that time and 2020, I sought to deliver on the mandate reposed on me and my party, the New Patriotic Party, and gain, once again, the confidence of the Ghanaian people. It was by no means a straight-forward task. We were able to deliver on most of our 2016 promises. In spite of the considerable challenges we confronted, and the setbacks we encountered, we were confident our record in office would put us in good stead before the electorate, and earn us a second term in office, which it did. It means that the reason for which the Ghanaian people went to the polls on 7th December, i.e to seek an improvement in their living standards and the rapid transformation of the economy, must continue in earnest. It means that the clarion call of “Four More for Nana and the NPP to do more for you” must be realised, and I intend to do so. The commencement of this process has been facilitated by members of this House, and I am thankful to you for enabling Government to be duly constituted. The expeditious and thorough manner in which my Ministers were scrutinised by the Appointments Committee, and the approval by the full House of each of the twenty-nine (29) substantive Ministers, for me, was an indication of the collective determination of both sides of the House, with mutual regard for each other, to work together for the good of the country. This is what the Ghanaian people demand from us by insisting on virtual parity in the House between the two major parties of our country. The realisation of the Ghana Project, and not the attainment of narrow partisan interests, must be the guiding principle of the business to be conducted in the House. As President of the Republic, I give my firm commitment to this end, and I assure Mr Speaker and the Legislature of the co-operation of the Executive in this endeavour. As I indicated in my acceptance speech on the night of 9th December 2020, now is the time for each and every one of us, irrespective of our political affiliations, to unite, join hands, stand shoulder-to-shoulder, and work hard to place Ghana where she deserves to be. Mr. Speaker, in the face of a global pandemic that has ravaged lives and livelihoods in all parts of the world, we cannot afford to pursue interests that will leave our nation and its citizens the poorer for it. COVID-19 has impacted heavily on economic activities, created uncertainty, weakened global growth conditions, whilst putting undue strain on already weak and fragile health systems, particularly in developing countries. Mr. Speaker, between 2017 and the first quarter of 2020, we had made considerable gains in the management of the national economy, where we witnessed annual average GDP growth of seven percent (7%), single digit inflation, reduced fiscal deficits with three consecutive years of primary surpluses, a relatively stable exchange rate, a significant improvement in the current account with three consecutive years of trade surpluses, strong foreign exchange reserve buffers, markedly reduced lending rates, and appreciable job creation. According to the COVID-19 Business Tracker survey, conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to job losses, with many Ghanaian businesses and firms being forced to cut costs by reducing staff hours, cutting wages, and, in some cases, laying off workers. This survey, again, showed that about seven hundred and seventy thousand (770,000) workers had their wages reduced, and about forty-two thousand (42,000) employees were laid off during the three-week partial lockdown imposed on the Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Areas and their contiguous districts, Tema and Kasoa. Government, however, succeeded in protecting the jobs and incomes of all public sector workers. Indeed, the cost of COVID-19 has been enormous. Our
JUST IN: Akufo Addo declared his second term as another year of roads
Details will be added soon….
Supreme Court’s verdict well-reasoned, excellent – Akufo-Addo
President of the Republic of Ghana Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo has said that the verdict given by the seven-member justices of the Supreme Court on the election petition filed by former President John Dramani Mahama, as well-reasoned and excellent. Delivering his first State of the Nation Address in his second term on Tuesday March 9, Mr Akufo-Addo said the judgment was “Well reason and excellent of the Supreme Court presided over by the Chief Justice on 4 March.” The highest court of the land by a unanimous decision dismissed the election petition brought before it by Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2020 elections. The seven-member panel led by the Chief Justice Kwesi Anin-Yeboah dismissed the petition on Thursday March 4, saying it was without merit. “The petitioner has not produced any evidence to rebut the presumptions created by the publication of CI 135. We are therefore of no reason to order a rerun. We accordingly dismiss the petition,” the Chief Justice said in the judgment. The justices of the apex court further told witnesses of the petitioner, Mr Rojo Mettle-Nunoo and Dr Michael Kpessa-Whyte to blame themselves for abandoning their duties in the strong room during the final collation of the election results if their claims are to be believed. During proceedings the two witnesses told the court that they were sent by the Chair of the Electoral Commission (EC) to Mr Mahama at the time of the collation of the final results in the strong room. In their absence the results were then announced. Delivering the judgment on Thursday March 4 the court said “…Notwithstanding all these allegations of misunderstandings with the chair of the 1st respondent in the strong room and the fact that they were absent during the declaration , they did not give any indication as to how these happenings in their absence affected the final results announced by the 1st Respondent. “Having signed or certified these forms, the witnesses, particularly PW 3 cannot turn round to talk about irregularities in the forms. “The testimonies would have carried some little weight if the purpose of the petition was to change entries made on the collation forms or summary sheets but that is not the case. “Their testimonies were therefore of no relevance to the said issues set out for determination and so we find them unworthy for consideration whatsoever.” Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
LIVESTREAMING: Akufo-Addo delivers SONA in Parliament
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo per Article 67 of the Constitution is delivering the State of the Nation Address to Parliament. The President, having won a second term mandate will outline to the house an overview of plans for his final tenure in office. The address is expected to cover all sectors of national development including security, economy, agriculture, environment, education and more importantly health, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the roll-out of the country’s vaccination exercise as well as the government’s economic recovery programme. Watch the President’s Address in Parliament below:
Justice Atuguba chairs Asaase Radio’s maiden TAG series Wednesday
Justice William Atuguba (Rtd), former judge of the Supreme Court of Ghana, will this Wednesday (10 March) chair the maiden edition of Asaase Radio’s Talk, Act and Grow (TAG) series. The TAG series is part of programmes being rolled out by Asaase Radio to contribute to insightful conversations that will stimulate action for socio economic development. The theme for the maiden edition is “Unpacking the 2020 presidential election petition judgment.” Head of Political and Legal Affairs at Asaase Radio, Wilberforce Asare, hosts the much-awaited TAG series live from the African Regent Hotel in Accra. “It is my hope and by extension, the hope of Asaase Radio that as we take an in-depth look at the judgment of the Supreme Court with regard to the 2020 election petition, same will be clearly understood by the people of Ghana. “Ultimately, the rationale behind the name we have chosen (Talk, Act, Grow), will be achieved. As we talk, we will not leave it there, we will act upon whatever conclusions we reach and then grow our beloved country, Ghana,” Asare said. The panellists The programme which starts at 3pm on Wednesday 10 March at the African Regent Hotel in Accra will feature panellists such as Dr Kwaku Agyeman-Budu, head of Law Centres at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Dennis Adjei Dwomoh, managing partner of Law Plus (Attorneys-at-Law). Others are Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo, a private legal practitioner and Fati Abubakar, deputy communications director at the Office of the President. Fred Dzakpata Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
UER: I am not sick. It is poverty – Woman weeps on Int’nal Women’s Day.
As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, we bring you the story of a 46 year old woman who has been making a living from the sales of firewood. Madam Sampana Demzooya tried to give education to her children but was unsuccessful due to poverty. At 24 years of age, Demzooya Sampana got married to a farmer at Nangodi in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region. She tried supporting her husband to raise a family by joining her mates at the forest to cut fire wood for sale. Madam Sampana has been doing this activity for a living for 26 years now. Neither she nor her husband had stepped foot into the classroom but agreed to come together to raise a family. This reporter visited her one early morning at her house to have a chat with her but she had already left to the forest to look for fire wood. The meeting was for rescheduled for another time where she agreed to share her story with him. “It’s been over 20 years since I started selling firewood to fend for my children. I started this after my first child. I realized that there was no where I could get money for medical bills and going to the grinding mill. So I went into it. I used to buy just a bowl of maize from the market from the sale of firewood. Life was not easy after marriage. I didn’t go to school. My husband too the same. We had no source of income. So gathering firewood and selling was the only option. That’s what I have been doing.” Demzooya narrated. Madam Demzooya further indicated that, she has six children with the husband: two girls and four boys. Both girls are married but one of them lost the husband when she was five months pregnant. She told the reporter how she wished she could give her children some level of education but due to poverty none of them has gone beyond primary 5 in school. One of the boys’ went into small scale mining during the lockdown period in 2020 and has since refused to go back to school. She regretted that she never had the opportunity to go to school. She used the opportunity to call on parents to invest in their children’s education if they can. She also appealed to government to support her set up a business so that she could stop selling firewood and be free from its attendant problems. “At that time, it was difficult for us. We had no money to buy books, uniform or pay for anything for the children’s education. I have suffered a lot in this. I have been beaten by rain, attacked by scorpions and even vehicles splashing water from the road on me anytime I’m returning home. Looking at my appearance, you can tell that, I am not sick. It is poverty. If I get assistance, I would be very happy. It will also help my children.” She recounted amidst regret. As early as 4:00am, Demzooya would set off into the Nangodi forest with a cutlass. She makes bunches of firewood from dead trees and shrubs, carries it on the head and sets back to the market to sell and that could fetch her between GHc12.00 and GHc16.00 for the day. Story by Peter Agengre. Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
Over 200k Ghanaians vaccinated; aged top list – GHS
A little over two hundred thousand Ghanaians have received their first dozes in the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination exercise, government has announced. The exercise began exactly a week ago with the AstraZeneca vaccine. The Greater Accra region has recorded the highest number of persons vaccinated. Director-General of the Ghana Health Service Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye speaking at a press conference at Peduase Monday disclosed “as of 7th March, a total of over 202,252 persons have been vaccinated. This is the one that has been ticked electronically.” He revealed “Greater Accra alone has vaccinated about 128,088 but they have about 58,000 people they have vaccinated which are yet to be entered. Because they are yet to be entered because we are reporting from the electronic platform that is why it is so.” “So, Ashanti would have about the third of the numbers to be entered. The largest number vaccinated so far are the over 60’s which currently stands at about 51,000 plus, followed by health workers 47,000. And then we have persons with underlying health conditions being the third with about 31,000,” he added. Ghana on Friday, March 5, received 50,000 pieces of COVID-19 vaccines from the Government of India At a short ceremony to receive the vaccines, Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey said: “The donation, coming just few days after the historic delivery of Six Hundred Thousand doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines to Ghana, under the COVAX Initiative, is certainly noteworthy support to our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and reflects the very cordial and fraternal relations between Ghana and India. Furthermore, it underscores the mutual commitment of our two governments to work in solidarity and partnership to address common challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic”. The initial tranche of deliveries of the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine were received on February 24, 2021. The first shipment of the vaccines from Covax was backed by the World Health Organization as part of efforts to procure and distribute inoculations for free to poor countries. “These 600,000 Covax vaccines are part of an initial tranche of deliveries of the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine licensed to the Serum Institute of India, which represent part of the first wave of Covid vaccines headed to several low and middle-income countries,” said UNICEF, which organized the shipment from Mumbai, in a joint statement with the WHO. Covax has said it would deliver two billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines globally by the end of 2021. Starrfm Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093