NDC demands refund of COVID-19 risk allowance from Oppong Nkrumah and staff
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) said, the “unjustifiable” payments made to the Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah and his staff under the cloak of COVID allowances must be refunded. Mr. Sammy Gyamfi, told the press on Wednesday, 1 February 2023, that “it also emerged that at the height of the pandemic when frontline health workers complained about the lack of adequate PPE, with some even losing their lives, senior management and supporting staff of the Ministry of Information were busy paying themselves a total amount of GHS151,000.00 as ‘COVID-19 risk allowance’ without approval” Mr. Gyamfi revealed this at a press conference on the Auditor-general’s report on Ghana’s COVID-19 funds. “One may ask: what risk did these staff of the Ministry of Information, led by the Minister, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, face to warrant the sharing of such colossal amount of money among themselves as risk allowances without approval?” Read the NDC’s full statement below: A MOMENT OF TRUTH PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY THE NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER OF THE NDC, COMRADE SAMMY GYMAFI ESQ. ON THE AUDITOR GENERAL’S REPORT ON GOVERNMENT’S COVID-19 EXPENDITURES. 1st February, 2023. Good morning, distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the media. We are highly pleased to have you here in your numbers, as we resume full duties under our ‘Moment of Truth’ series. We wish to assure you of our commitment to serve you with the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth in these engagements. Friends from the media, we should like to believe, that by now, you all in the media have sighted the report of the Auditor-General on a special audit conducted by his office into the COVID-19 expenditures of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government for the period, March 2020 to June 2022. In the very recent past, you have seen calls by the Minority in Parliament, the NDC and other well-meaning Ghanaians for accountability relative to COVID expenditures being met with fierce opposition from the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government. Indeed, you all will bear witness to the fact that, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has been as scared and petrified about calls for an audit into COVID-19 expenditures, as an old lady would be over the mention of dry bones. Today, it has become apparent that behind that morbid fear of accountability, was an attempt to conceal from the Ghanaian people, what some of us have always known to be stinking rot, high-profile corruption, naked thievery and the misuse of COVID funds by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government. As it is often said, the chickens are finally come home to roost through this special audit report, which in our opinion is a highly charitable and watered down account of how COVID-19 funds have been expended by government. The report nonetheless reveals jaw-dropping details of how various officials and assigns of this government misapplied, misused and in some cases, wilfully looted the unprecedented resource envelope that accrued to the NPP-Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government for the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Auditor-General’s report reveals that, by the kind courtesy of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghana benefitted immensely from unprecedented inflows of funds from various sources, such as the World Bank, the International Monitory Fund, the Africa Development Bank, the European Union, the Contingency Fund and the sale of BOG-COVID-19 Bonds among others. These funds, the report estimates to amount to a total of Twenty-One Billion, Eight-hundred and forty-four million, One-hundred and eighty-nine thousand, one-hundred and eighty-five Ghana cedis, twenty-four pesewas (GHS 21,844,189,185.24). We must emphasise here that this amount excludes other COVID-related funds such as the $1 Billion facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), being Ghana’s share of the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights (SDR) to boost post-COVID economic recovery of member countries. The Auditor-General’s estimate also excludes the over GHS62 million that accrued to the COVID-19 Trust Fund which was established by an Act of Parliament to help mobilise funds to complement government’s fight against the pandemic. These notwithstanding, the report observed that out of the total amount of GHS21.8 billion that accrued to the Government of Ghana, only GHS11, 750,683,059.11 was spent on COVID-19 activities while the rest of the money (precisely GHS10, 093,506,126.13) was spent on so-called “budget support”. The animal call “budget support” as we would later realise, was the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government’s euphemism for their reckless and wasteful election-driven expenses which resulted in an unprecedented budget deficit of 15.7% in the year 2020. We shall now discuss fifteen (15) key highlights of the shocking revelations contained in the Auditor General’s report on government’s COVID-19 expenditures: Firstly, the Auditor-General’s report details how the Ministry of Health paid a total of US$120,192,379.80 to UNICEF for the supply of COVID-19 vaccines but only received vaccines valued at US$38,322,000.00, with a whopping $81.8 million of the transaction unaccounted for. This, ladies and gentlemen, raises serious concerns given the history of the current Minister of Health, under whose watch Ghana entered into the dubious Sputnik V vaccine contract and paid a colossal amount of money for vaccines which were never supplied. It would be recalled how the government of Ghana, led by the Health Minister, Kweku Agyemang Menu, chose to pay $19 per dose of Sputnik V vaccine through a phony middleman called Sheik Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum of the UAE, when Ghana could have easily bought these vaccines directly from the Russian government at a unit cost of $10 or less. Fellow countrymen and women, we in the NDC are very concerned, that despite the dire economic crises confronting the nation, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has neglected and/or failed to retrieve the outstanding amount of $81.8 million, which could have been channeled into other developmental ventures to ameliorate the plight of suffering Ghanaians. Secondly, the Auditor-General’s report reveals how the Ministry of Health recklessly paid an amount of GHS10,309,919.94 as premium for Special Life Insurance Cover for 10,000 frontline Health Workers without any Life Insurance Policy document and beneficiary list. We find it intriguing, how such a huge life insurance premium was arrived at without a beneficiary list detailing names of beneficiaries,
NPP Presidential aspirants was early confab to distance themselves from dwindling Akufo-Addo gov’t – Lecturer
Mr. Jonathan Asante Okyere, a political science lecturer at Cape Coast University (UCC), has revealed that some aspirants contesting the flag bearership position of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) are insisting for an early conference so as to distance themselves from the dwindling Akufo-Addo government. According to the political Science lecturer, the aspirants are not comfortable with the government’s performance, especially in the management of the economy. Mr. Okyere was reacting to the NPP’s inconclusive National Executives Committee (NEC) meeting held on February 2, 2023, that failed to announce a date for the primaries. He was speaking on the mid-day news on Classfm on Friday, February 2023 He believes the president on the other hand is harbouring the fear he will become a lame-duck president if the party goes for an early congress. “The aspirants have realized that the legacy of the president is nothing to write home about and thus want an early conference to enable the candidate elected to devise his ways of getting Ghanaians to buy into their ideas and programmes. “It is the reason the aspirants want to prosecute their independent campaign not linked to the abysmal performance of the Nana Addo-led administration,” he stated. For publication please kindly contact us on +233256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com
Tijani Foundation donates to AIAFYA Children’s Home
A newly Launched Foundation known as Tijani Foundation has taken its first gesture to the AIAFYA Children Home in Abesim in Suyani, where the Foundation celebrated the birthday of Ayaaba Zachariah a member of this Foundation. The Executive Director of the Foundation Tijani Gafaru Kolan during an engagement told the press, that the Foundation is launched to make sure that students who spend lavishly, channel the little they have to the vulnerable in society than drinking, dancing, and making merry at the various club joints and birthday celebrations. He said, “with the support of other members we have donated exercise books and pens, Tissue, soft drinks, clothes, and Biscuits to the children AIAFYA Children’s Home. Meanwhile, after the donations, the Executive Director entreated colleague students and the general public to help extend their kind gesture to the vulnerable in society. For publication please kindly contact us on +233256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com
Truth & Justice shall not be buried–Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency has revealed an attempt for one Kwabena Adu Gyamfi to him from expossing further rots. “One Kwabena Adu Gyamfi also claiming to have an alias as Victor Kusi Boateng has secured a 10-day restraining order seeking to stop me from further publications on the Conflict of Interest & Double Identity Scandal. My lawyers duly instructed Truth & Justice shall not be buried” One Kwabena Adu Gyamfi also claiming to have an alias as Victor Kusi Boateng has secured a 10-day restraining order seeking to stop me from further publications on the Conflict of Interest & Double Identity Scandal. My lawyers duly instructed Truth & Justice shall not be buried pic.twitter.com/X4es4sogEL — Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) February 3, 2023 For publication please kindly contact us on +233256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com
Keith Yandle’s interesting educational journey you don’t know
More people have questioned the educational journey of Keith Yandle severally, here is the full detail. For Yandle’s education, he attended Milton High School and Cushing Academy during his childhood, where he played hockey. After that, he enrolled at the University of New Hampshire. However, he chose to let go of the idea of going to college and instead went to play for the Moncton Wildcats. Keith Yandle | Early Career & Amateur Years Based on the little trails we got about Keith, he has played ice hockey since he was a kid. Hence, from childhood, Yandle had wanted to pursue a professional career. Likewise, as a youth, Keith played in the 2000 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from the South Shore. He continued playing ice hockey in his high school and college years too. Not to mention, Yandle attended the University of New Hampshire, where his older brother, Brian, played from 2002 to 2006. Later in his career, Yandle forgoes his academics and instead played for the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League(QMJHL). From 2005 to 2006, Keith played in 66 games where he recorded 25 goals and 59 assists for 84 points during his amateur years. Similarly, the Wildcats won the QMJHL championship. At that time, Yandle got the QMJHL’s Emile Bouchard Trophy for the best defenseman and Telus Trophy for defensive player of the year. Keith Yandle | Professional NHL Years Finally, in the 2005 NHL draft, the Phoenix Coyotes picked him in the fourth round, 105th. And Yandle made his debut on October 11, 2006, against the Detroit Red Wings, where he played for the entire 20 minutes. Likely, Yandle participated in the American Hockey League All-Star Game as a PlanetUSA team member in the following season. Then straight to 2010, Keith got took part in his first Stanley Cup playoff game. There he scored his first goal for Phoenix against Detroit and eventually a tie. Later he would assist a goal and be named one of the game’s three stars. In 2011, NHL All-Star Game named him a replacement for the Atlanta Thrasher’s Tobias Enstrom. That same year in July, he began as a free agent and soon enough signed a five-year contract extension with the Coyotes worth $26.25 million. Moreover, in the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, Yandle proved to be an integral part of the game against the Los Angeles Kings. Held at the Western Conference Final, he contributed nine points during their run. Likewise, on November 14, 2014, Keith played his 400th consecutive game with the team. As a matter of fact, he is the second all-time on the franchise’s most extended consecutive games list, right after Dale Hawerchuk. The following year, Keith was then traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman John Moore. After a year, he was again traded by the Rangers to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a conditional 2017 fourth-round draft pick and a 2016 sixth-round draft pick. Thereafter, the Panthers signed Keith signed for a seven-year contract worth $44 million, just three days after the trade. He continued to wear jersey number 3 for the Florida team. Two years into the team, Panthers moved Yandle into the leader position for most consecutive games, 676 at that time. The change happened slightly after Anaheim Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano was suspended after playing 830 consecutive games back in 2018. For publication please kindly contact us on +233256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com
Keith Yandle: Who is Keith Yandle’s wife?
Keith Michael Yandle is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. Yandle was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the fourth round, 105th overall, at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. He played 1,109 games for the Arizona Coyotes, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, and Philadelphia Flyers. Keith Yandle | Age, Body Measurements, Height, and Weight One of the team’s critical members, Keith Yandle, has been courteously serving as one for the Florida Panthers. He was born on September 9, 1986, which makes him 33 years as of now. Yandle’s sun sign is Virgo, the sign well known for being smart, logical thinker, and emotional. True to this, the defenseman’s role is more than just brawling and strength; it also needs proper planning and quick reflex. Aside from his strategic plan, Yandle’s physicality also helps for the deed. Yandle stands at 6 feet 1 inch (185 cm) and weighs around 86 kgs(190 lbs). Thanks to his years and years of training, Yandle has mastered the control of his body. Other than that, Keith is a charismatic man who looks dandy with those dark brown eyes and the same shade of hair. What is Keith Yandle marital status Just as his professional life, Keith’s personal life is also a hot topic to many of his fans. Well, to let it out, Yandle is a married man as of now. He is married to his long-time girlfriend turned wife, Kristyn Yandle. Despite the lack of details, it is said the two have been dating for a long time. Keith’s wife was born and raised in Dorchester, Massachusetts, and she is known for doing many charity and social works.