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Inside SEPTEMBER 7, 2020.qxp_Layout 1 06/09/2020 21:57 Page 1

NO. 1009012 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2020

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DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH

Control your

temper!

p5

Mahama advises Akufo-Addo

•Ex-Prez John Mahama

NDC launches

‘People’s

Manifesto’

today

p3

'Akyem Sakawa’ saga:

Explain

your

Page 3

reference

to Northerners

•President Nana Akufo-Addo

Concerned Northern Youth

demand from Akufo-Addo

MTN seeks

review at S/Court

•Over monopoly saga

p2

visit us: @dailyheritagegh dailyheritage facebook.com/daily.heritage.9


02 CONTENT

DAILY QUOTE

Failure is the condiment that

gives success its flavor

--Truman Capote

ANNIVERSARIES

25 Dec, Christmas Day

26 Dec, Boxing Day

1 Jan, New Year

DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2020

Published by: EIB

Network / Heritage

Communications Ltd.

Managing Editor:

William Asiedu:

0208156974

ISSN: 0855-52307

VOL 7

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676, Accra, Ghana.

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MTN seeks review at S/Court

• Over monopoly saga

TELECOMMU-

NICATIONS

GIANT, MTN

Ghana, has filed

a writ at the

Supreme Court

for a review of the decision by

the High Court to dismiss its suit

against the National Communications

Authority over monopoly

claims.

A statement by the largest telecoms

operator in the country

stated that MTN “would like to

inform its customers, shareholders

and other stakeholders that it

filed papers on Friday 4th September

at the Supreme Court

seeking to review the High

Court’s recent decision regarding

the declaration of MTN Ghana as

a Significant Market Power (SMP).

This step was taken after a careful

review of the Court’s judgment.

On Tuesday, September 1, An

Accra High Court of Justice

(Commercial Division) dismissed

MTN’s application for a judicial

review of the declaration by the

National Communications Authority

(NCA) of MTN Ghana as

an Significant Market Power

(SMP).

The statement added that

“MTN Ghana respects the decision

of the Court, however in our

opinion the judgement did not address

our concerns that the NCA’s

decision did not meet the requirements

of procedural fairness.

“MTN Ghana acknowledges

the duties and powers of the

NCA to promote fair competition

amongst licensed operators. We

also support the legitimate exercise

of the NCA’s regulatory powers,

but as a good corporate

citizen and considering the international

investment community

we believe that a decision by the

highest court of the land would

provide certainty and a veritable

precedence on the procedural fairness

in this, and future regulatory

decisions of the Authority.

“This will no doubt safeguard

the interest of customers, shareholders,

investors and the wider

industry. We believe Friday’s step

still provides an opportunity for

further engagements with the regulatory

authorities. Indeed, MTN

Ghana continues to reach out to

the regulator and key stakeholders

to have the concerns of both

sides addressed in a collaborative

and amicable manner.”

MTN Ghana further assured

“its cherished customers, shareholders

and other stakeholders of

its unflinching commitment to its

regulatory obligations and support

for the Ghanaian Government’s

efforts to enhance growth

and competition in all segments

of the telecommunications market.

“The company will continue to

invest and innovate to realise its

belief that every Ghanaian deserves

the benefits of a modern

connected life. MTN Ghana will

refrain from further statements or

comments on this matter until it

becomes necessary to update all

stakeholders of future material

developments.”

Background

Telecommunication giant,

MTN in June this year dragged

the National Communication Authority

to court over attempts by

the regulator to break up the nearmonopoly

of the company.

In a statement, MTN said despite

consultations with NCA, the

company was left with no choice

than to resort to the court to seek

redress.

MTN described the government’s

move as “unfair” and said

the decision to go to court, was a

“difficult” move.

The Ministry of Communications

on June 9, 2020 announced

that the telecommunication industry

was facing “glaring disparities”

and “imbalances” which it said

was unhealthy for competition.

According to a statement

signed by the Minister of Communications,

Ursula Owusu-Ekuful,

the new policies were meant

to correct the imbalance in the

telecommunication market.

The statement indicated that

the NCA would, among others,

apply the measures, including

asymmetrical interconnect rate in

favour of the disadvantaged operators,

in the exercise of its regulatory

mandate.

The NCA said it would also set

floor pricing on all minutes, data,

SMS and Mobile Money, and review

and approve all pricing by

the SMP as required by law.

It added that it would insist

that SMP did not have differential

prices for on-net and off-net

transactions while ensuring that

various operator vendors were not

subjected to exclusionary pricing

or behaviour.

These would be done besides

the NCA ensuring that SMP’s access

to information did not disadvantage

any value-added service

of non-SMP operators.

“It will require operators to

present implementation plans on

National Roaming Services within

the next 30 days for execution on

or before the next 90 days,” the

minister said.

“These measures kick in immediately

and the NCA is expected

to work with all Network

Operators who must cooperate to

ensure it is done painlessly.”

Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful pointed

out that the measures taken in the

past to open up the market and

ensure fairer competition, though

unpleasant to the dominant player

then, had eventually ensued to the

benefit of the consumer, which

had also seen a vibrant telecom

sector today.

“This will also have the same

result over time. It is corrective

and not punitive,” the statement

concluded.

A statement by the

largest telecoms

operator in the

country stated that

MTN “would like to

inform its customers,

shareholders

and other

stakeholders that it

filed papers on Friday

4th September

at the Supreme

Court seeking to

review the High

Court’s recent decision

regarding

the declaration of

MTN Ghana as a

Significant Market

Power (SMP). This

step was taken

after a careful review

of the Court’s

judgment.



'Akyem Sakawa’ saga:

Explain your reference

to Northerners

• Group demands from Akufo-Addo

NEWS DESK REPORT

AGROUP BY

NAME Concerned

Northern

Youth has

criticised President

Akufo-

Addo for what they say is his

reference to ‘Northerners’ in

his reaction to the ‘Akyem

Sakawa boys’ labelling involving

former President John Mahama.

According to the youth led

by Mohammed Nuhu, “As

much as we acknowledge the

context in which the President

tried to situate his comment,

we suspect his generalization

to encompass all Northerners

has underpinning sentiments.

It is in this respect we disagree

with the President and call on

him to explain his bitterness

against Northerners or Gonjas”.

The controversy was

sparked after Mr. Mahama

shared an article by Bolga Central

MP Isaac Adongo in which

the labelling was used in his

commentary on the Agyapa

royalties deal.

Below are details of the statement by

the group

PRESS STATEMENT BY

CONCERNED NORTHERN

YOUTH AGAINST PRESIDENT

AKUFO ADDO’S ETHNOCEN-

TRIC COMMENTS AGAINST

NORTHERNERS AND GONJAS

IN PARTICULAR.

TO ALL MEDIA HOUSES

Ladies and gentlemen of the

Media,

We have become aware of dangerous

ethnocentric comments

made by President Akufo Addo

during a meeting with the Catholic

Bishop’s Conference last Friday at

the Jubilee House. For the avoidance

of doubt, we quote the comment

below for reference:

“If I was to get up to make a

comment about Northerners or

Gonjas, you can imagine the uproar

that will be in this country.”

As much as we acknowledge the

context in which the President tried

to situate his comment, we suspect

his generalization to encompass all

Northerners has underpinning sentiments.

It is in this respect we disagree

with the President and call on

him to explain his bitterness against

Northerners or Gonjas.

We are at pains to understand

why ‘our father’ will let out such

thoughts as if he is squabbling with

•President Nana Akufo-Addo

us.We want to know what President

Akufo Addo has against Northerners

that if he says it it will cause an

uproar. We just want to know whatever

negative it is, we assure the

public that we will not call for an

uproar. One lesson we learned from

a past President, our own Prof. Atta

Mills, is that when one is elected

President, he becomes a father for

all; not for a few or his tribe alone.

It is perhaps on this notion that the

Presidential oath that the President

swore upon taking office entails a

pledge to dedicate himself to the

service and well-being of the people

of the Republic of Ghana and to do

right to all manner of persons. With

the visible anger of the President

towards Northerners, it is not very

likely he will uphold this pledge.

Again we are wondering if it is

the same President who few days

ago admonished the entire populace

to shun politicians who promote

tribal politics. There are many other

tribes in Ghana but the choice of

the Northerners which comprise

many tribes is intriguing. We feel it

is a subtle attack on the Northern

part of the country by a southern

president who feels aligned to the

south more than the North. This is

a clear division of the unitary state

entrusted in the hands of the President.

This attitude lends credence

to the perception of tribal politics

by the very person who admonishes

against it. It is nothing but hypocrisy

at best.

We therefore strongly condemn

the President’s insinuations and urge

him to render an unqualified apology

to Northerners at large. Democracy

does not mean only a few are liked

and recognized in plural societies!

Thank you.

Signed

Mohammed Nuhu

NDC launches ‘People’s Manifesto’ today

PROFESSOR NAANA Jane Opoku-

Agyemang, the running mate of the

National Democratic Congress (NDC)

flag-bearer, has said the NDC's Manifesto

is the reflection of the will of the

people.

She said it was time the will of the

people was reflected in mainstream

governance, adding that the times

when leaders sat in Accra to draft

manifestos for the people were long

gone.

"We must make sure the exact cry

of the people are incorporated into

policy documents to ensure the people

benefit directly."

The NDC will later today launch

the manifesto it has dubbed “People

Manifesto.”

A statement signed by Mr James

Agyenim-Boateng, the Spokesman of

the NDC Campaign Team, copied to

the Ghana News Agency in Accra on

Saturday, said Prof.Opoku-Agyemang

was speaking during a campaign tour

of Kwasiadukrom in the Bodi constituency

of the Western North Region.

Addressing chiefs and people of

the area, Prof Opoku-Agyemang said

the NDC's, yet to be launched manifesto,

is a document that would address

the needs of the people towards

national development.

She pointed out that 'The Big Push'

agenda in the manifesto, for instance,

when implemented would ensure job

creation for many people.

She said the youth would have

hands-on skills training and projects

started by the previous NDC government,

which were abandoned by the

current government, would be completed.

Prof Opoku-Agyemang called on

women to rally behind the John and

Jane ticket, especially as issues affecting

women and children, are on top of

the NDC’s agenda.

"This is our time as women and we

must take advantage of the opportunity,"

she said.

GNA

People’s manifesto

The main opposition National

Democratic Congress on August 28

deferred the launch of its manifesto

from August 31, to September 7, 2020.

In a statement signed by its General

Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia

of the NDC said: “At its weekly meeting

held on Thursday the 27th of August,

2020, the Functional Executive

Committee of the National Democratic

Congress has fixed Monday the

7th day of September, 2020 as the date

for the launch in Accra of the party’s

Manifesto for the December 2020

General Elections.

“This is to enable the National Executive

Committee and the Council of

Elders approve the policy principles

and strategies promised in the Manifesto.

The event will be held virtually,

in accordance with the appropriate

Covid-19 regulations. It will be

streamed live on various media outlets

throughout the country”.

The ruling New Patriotic Party

launched its manifesto for the 2020

polls in Cape Coast in the Central region

two weeks ago.


•Security forces chased the attackers through the tourist

areas of El Kantaoui.

Tunisia: Policeman and three militants dead after 'terrorist' attack

SECURITY OFFICIALS in

Tunisia say a police officer has

been killed and another

wounded in a knife attack in

the coastal resort of Sousse.

Three assailants were shot

dead after the incident, which

is being described as a terrorist

attack.

In 2015 Sousse was the

scene of one of Tunisia's

worst attacks, when 38 people,

most of them British tourists,

were killed by a gunman.

The latest incident comes

two days after a new government

was sworn in.

The suspected militants

rammed their vehicle into a

National Guard checkpoint at

a junction near the city's port.

"A patrol of two National

Guard officers was attacked

with a knife in the centre of

Sousse," National Guard

spokesman Houcem Eddine

Jebabli said, according to the

AFP news agency. BBC


WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH

World news in 4 stories

Mali coup: Ibrahim

Boubacar Keïta flies to UAE

MALI'S EX-PRES-

IDENT Ibrahim

Boubacar Keïta,

who was ousted

in a coup last

month, has left

the country.

Mr Keïta, 75, flew to the United

Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday

for medical treatment after suffering

a minor stroke, military officials

said.

The junta is currently in talks

with opposition and civil society

groups about a transition to civilian

rule.

It says it will step down in two

years, but West African leaders

want a quicker transfer of power.

Mr Keïta was overthrown on 18

August following mass protests

against his rule over corruption, the

mismanagement of the economy

and a dispute over legislative elections.

The coup sparked international

•Ibrahim Boubacar Keiẗa was detained by the military but later released

condemnation, but it was welcomed

by many Malians.

Mr Keïta was detained by the

military, but later freed.

On Thursday, he left a hospital

in the capital, Bamako, after a twoday

stay during which he was

treated for a minor stroke, AFP

news agency reported.

His former chief of staff said

he could be away for up to15 days.

BBC

•Residents in coastal areas of south-western Japan have

been bracing for the typhoon

Typhoon Haishen: 200,000 ordered to

evacuate as Japan braces for storm

MORE THAN 200,000 people

have been ordered to evacuate

areas of Japan threatened by

an approaching storm.

Typhoon Haishen is expected

to intensify on Sunday,

bringing heavy rain, storm

surges and winds of more than

100mph (160km/h).

It will move past Kyushu

on Sunday and is expected to

make landfall on Monday in

South Korea, which has raised

its typhoon warning to the

highest level.

It comes days after Maysak,

one of the region's strongest

typhoons in years.

Haishen has led to the closure

of factories, schools and

businesses across western

Japan. Hundreds of flights and

train services have also been

cancelled.

Japan's government will be

holding an emergency cabinet

meeting on Sunday to address the

storm.

The country's weather agency

said it was not likely to issue its

most serious typhoon warning,

but added that residents should

exercise their "most serious caution"

for possible record rains and

high waves along the coast.

Yoshihisa Nakamoto, director

of the agency's forecast division,

told reporters that surging tides

may also cause flooding in lowlying

areas, particularly around

river mouths.

As a result of the storm, hundreds

of thousands of people

have been advised to move to designated

shelters in places like

schools and community centres.

This includes all 36,600 residents

of the city of Goto, in

Nagasaki, where the typhoon

may hit directly. BBC

Belarus Lukashenko: Protesters defy heavy security

THOUSANDS OF people have

been making their way in columns

towards the centre of the Belarusian

capital Minsk for a new

protest against the president.

Riot police, backed by water

cannon and barriers, have sealed

off parts of the city and a number

of arrests have been made, with

reports of injuries.

Protesters seek the resignation

of President Alexander

Lukashenko.

They accuse the authorities of

rigging his re-election just over a

month ago, sparking deadly mass

unrest.

At least four people have died

and hundreds have been injured

since then, as the government

tried to stamp out dissent.

A number of opposition figures

have fled the country, On Saturday,

activist Olga Kovalkova

became the latest to say she had

taken refuge in neighbouring

Poland amid threats of imprisonment.

• Protesters are demanding an end to police brutality

Mr Lukashenko, in power since

1994, has accused Western nations

of interfering.

Protesters, human rights activists

and observers say riot police

are brutally suppressing peaceful

marches.

The former Soviet republic

borders Russia, on which it depends

heavily for energy and with

which it historically has close ties,

as well as Ukraine and EU states.

BBC




Ayekoo! Free SHS graduates, but the battle has just begun

ON MONDAY, July 20, this year’s unique West

African Senior School Certificate Examination

(WASSCE) started by practical subjects and after

47 days, the examination that was charecterised

with varius incidents ended on Saturday, September

5.

It is unique because it is not the entire West

African countries that sat for the examination.

Some countries like Nigeria cancelled its own

due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last Friday, a day before the examination finally

ended with the agric and science students

writing their final papers, some heads of Senior

High Schools (SHS) in the Greater Accra Region

had expressed satisfaction on the conduct of the

exit examinations, describing it as successful.

Mr Paul Amoasi Baidoo, Headmaster, St

Thomas Aquinas SHS, told the Ghana News

Agency that the examination was peaceful and

successful and commended the students for

comporting themselves.

“There were anxiety before the start of the

exams because of Covid-19, but through the

help of government, everything went on successfully.

We commend government for taking

the bold decision to allow the students to write

the exams,” he said.

The Headmaster pointed out that, no student

tested positive to virus, adding that the leadership

of the school ensured that all the students

strictly adhered to the Covid-19 Protocols.

Mr Isaac Arthur, Assistant Headmaster in

charge of Administration, Labone SHS, said the

General Arts students, Agriculture Students, Visual

Arts students and Home Economics students

had finished their exams and some had left

for home as directed by the Ghana Education

Service (GES).

Reverend Lydia Anim-Nketia, Headmistress

of Accra High SHS, expressed satisfaction about

the comportment level of the students and commended

the invigilators for performing their duties

effectively.

Per the records, a total of 375,737 candidates

sat for this year’s WASSCE in over 796 examination

centres across the country. Out of the number,

187,574 of the candidates were males and

188,163, females.

The Private schools presented a total of

61,899 candidates with public schools presenting

313,838 students.

On Friday, the GES and the Ghana Health

Service (GHS) in a joint press release and said

the final year students of SHS could go home on

that Friday, September 4th after completing their

examination.

The statement said students from schools

that had recorded a positive case but had no new

positive case within the last two weeks could vacate

and go home.

It said schools which recorded positive cases

within the last two weeks however, would have

their vacation delayed for assessment and observation,

and that parents of such students would

be notified.

Be that as it may be, the DAILY HER-

ITAGE would want to congratulate all the students

who have successful completed their

respective examination and wish them good luck

as they expect their results.

The paper would also want to commend the

Management and Staff of GES and GHS for

the commitment, dedication and sacrifices in the

interest of the students. The teachers, headmasters

and headmistresses and their entire staff for

a job well done, despite the Covid-19 fears.

However, the paper would also want to

throw a word of caution to these fresh graduates

to be concerned about what next in line for

them.

It has all been rosy from day, one. Free SHS

by the government, even though it has its own

challenges, that tag will forever be on them.

Secondly, these fresh WASSCE graduates are

arguably the most pampered and their activities

would be monitored as they return home.

The paper want to remind them that, now

that they are coming home and the challenges at

home are completely different from the school

environment.

Until such time that their results are out and

are ready for tertiary education, they are equally

going to face the world.

While we call on parents and guidance to be

alert and keep their eyes on the returnee graduates,

the paper also urges them to keep their eyes

on the kind of activities they do.

In other jurisdictions, there would be available

jobs for them to be doing prior to the release

of their results, but in a country of ours,

they have to hustle.

The paper is saying that who these graduates

become in future, greater part depends on this

few months of temptation that they are coming

home to wait for their results and calling on all

to keep watch and help them out. They are coming

home in their bulk majority.

They should bear in mind that, not all the

people they started the journey with ended it

with them. Some of them died along the way.

What it means is that, God has plans for them

all.

The DAILY HERITAGE would also like

to extend its condolences to all the families

whose wards passed on in the course of the examination

and wish them a peaceful rest.

To all stakeholders and policy makers who

ensured that, this unique examination see the

light of day, though marred with violence in

some school, the paper says ‘ayekooo.’

On this note, the paper once again says congratulations

but the battle has just begun.

Control your temper!

• Mahama advises Akufo-Addo

NEWSDESK REPORT

THE FORMER

President John

Dramani Mahama

has admonished

President Akufo-

Addo to control his temperament

in public in order to be seen as a

good leader.

Speaking in an interview on

TV XYZ, the flag-bearer of the

National Democratic Congress,

(NDC) said the President has no

right to be angry over a description

of some members of his

government as “Akyem Sakawa

boys” after he consistently described

former presidents with

unprintable words when he was in

opposition.

“President Akufo-Addo has

lost the right to complain a long

time ago, he was the opposition

leader who called presidents before

him anything you can imagine,

including ‘professor Do little’

and then he described somebody

as ‘simpa panyin’. He is the president

who has called his critics

• President Nana Akufo-Addo

naysayers, professional jeremiah’s,

I don’t understand on what standard

he can be offended at this

time because he has a precedence.

“I think that temperaments in

leadership is very important and

there are many things a president

must attend to and you must not

appear in public to have lost your

cool and I think he should maintain

his temperament to come

• Former President John Mahama

across

as a good leader,” Mr Mahama

said.

His comments come after

President Akufo-Addo complained

to Catholic Bishops at a

meeting at the Jubilee House after

Mr Mahama shared an article by

lawmaker Isaac Adongo which

used the labelling ‘Akyem Sakawa

Boys’ for some individuals in government.

“Archbishop,

this

name-calling

seems to be a

feature of

Ghanaian

public life.

But sometimes,

when

things come

out, we would

hope that you

will comment

on them. The

comment

made by my

opponent,

“Akyem

Sakawa people,”

I have

not heard any

public figure,

independent person, yourselves,

comment on it. It is completely

unacceptable. If I were to get up

to make comments about Northerners

or Gonjas, you can imagine

the uproar that would be in the

country.

“Presidential candidate, a former

President of Ghana, you can

call a group of Ghanaians

“sakawa people”, and it involves

the group for which the sitting

President comes, and that statement

goes without comment, and

at the same time we hear all these

statements, let all try and bring

the politics of insults to an end,”

the President bemoaned.

“I think that temperaments

in leadership

is very

important and there

are many things a

president must attend

to and you

must not appear in

public to have lost

your cool and I think

he should maintain

his temperament to

come across as a

good leader,” Mr

Mahama said.


06

Views

DAILY HERITAGE

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2020

Brutal lynching of Akua Denteh; Enact

laws to criminalize witch-labelling

BY ABUNDANT ROBERT K.

AWOLUGUTU

ON THURSDAY,

July 23, 2020 a

90-year-old

woman, Madam

Akua Denteh

was beaten to

death in broad daylight at Kafaba,

near Salaga, a well-known slave

market in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Salaga and Kafaba are in the

East Gonja Municipality of the

newly created Savannah Region

carved out of the Northern Region.

Aftermath

The hysteria and public outcry

created by the lynching of the 90 –

year old woman is beyond description.

And that is indeed what it

should be. The newspapers, radio,

and TV stations unreservedly condemned

the incident. Civil society

organizations and high-profile

Ghanaians including; former President

Jerry John Rawlings vehemently

and unreservedly

condemned the incident and called

for the arrest and prosecution of

the persons responsible for the

brutal murder of the 90-year-old

woman.

Within a few days, the Minister

for Gender, Women and Children

in President Akufo Addo’s Government

and the President of Ghana

himself joined the chorus to condemn

the murder and called for the

arrest and prosecution of the criminals.

The Minister called the killing of

the woman barbaric and told the

family that all those behind the

killing will be dealt with according

to law.

She said further that “Through

her death things will change,” and

urged the perpetrators to surrender

to the law enforcement agencies.

Whether or not as a result of

the brutal murder of Madam Akua

Dentah for allegedly being a witch,

things will change, we will wait and

see. The Ghana Police immediately

offered GH¢2, 000.00 for information

leading to the arrest of the culprits

even though the evidence was

streaming on social media and

shown on TV.

The first arrest the police made

was the chief of Kafaba. Whether

the arrest was right or wrong we

will get to know in due course of

time.

What was the crime of this 90-

year-old woman to warrant being

•Madam Akua Denteh being lynched

brutally lynched in public? According

to the newspaper reports a

fetish priestess declared Madam

Akua Denteh a witch who was behind

the burning of New Patriotic

Party (NPP) youth shed.

The priestess also accused the

old woman for being responsible

for the irregular and little rainfall in

Kafaba this year. She therefore recommended

the lynching of Madam

Akua Denteh.

In this twenty – first century

when the white man is planning the

building of underground cities,

tourists travels to the moon, living

in submarines at the bottom of the

ocean for months, flying in 500 capacity

jumbo jets at a speed faster

than sound, and transplanting

human hearts and kidneys, the

black man who is the oldest citizen

of the earth, is still accusing the fair

sex of being witches - an accusation

which is a figment of human

imagination.

The ancient Romans who lived

the years before Christ (BC) erroneously

believed that their god

Nimbus was responsible for rainfall.

Today in the twenty first century,

Africans, Ghanaians, believe

that a poor 90 – year old woman,

Madam Akua Denteh, was responsible

for the inadequacy of rainfall

in Kafaba and should be beaten to

death in the public square as video

cameras recorded the proceedings.

An Akan speaker may say, Owurade

Nyankunpong, did we go or

did we come! (In the name of

Almighty God, where are we going

in this twenty – first century!!).

Is Africa that backward or a few

ignorant Africans want the rest of

the world to believe that Africa is

many many years behind the rest of

the world in civilization and development?

Beliefs in Witchcraft

Belief in witchcraft and witches

is a figment of human imaginations.

I should rather put it this way.

Today, belief in witchcraft and

witches is the figment of the imagination

of a few incorrigible

Africans who accuse innocent

African women of being witches.

Witchcraft and witches do not

exist. Witchcraft and witches are

ancient phenomena used against

old and ugly looking women. They

should not have a place in this

modern world. They are nothing

but a mirage.

Under President John Dramani

Mahama’s Government, the Minister

for Gender, Women and Children

Affairs made the first attempt

ever by a Minister of State to put

an end to the suffering of innocent

Ghanaian women accused of being

witches and subjected to hooting,

torture, and expulsion from their

places of birth.

However the attempt was feeble

and flimsy. And above all it was a

nine – day wonder. What happened

is this. The Minister lamented the

maltreatment of women accused of

being witches. She issued strong

warning to the youth and all people

The priestess also accused the old woman for being responsible

for the irregular and little rainfall in Kafaba this

year. She therefore recommended the lynching of Madam

Akua Denteh.

who caused mayhem to such

women. She said that henceforth

the police will arrest and prosecute

persons involved in causing mayhem

to the women. She then ordered

the closure of all Witches

Homes or Witches Camps in the

country.

She made sure that the Camps

were closed down. But no law was

made to make it an offence for calling

another person a witch. A law

criminalizing the calling of people

witches is the panacea for saving

the Ghanaian woman from the accusation

of witchcraft and subjection

to torture. Such a law must be

draconian. The penalty for a breach

of the law should include imprisonment

for a second offender.

While I welcome the closure of

the so-called Witches Home, (because

that action brought to an end

Governments’ recognition of

witchcraft and witches), I totally

disapproved the closure of the

Homes without the enactment of a

law making it an offence to call a

woman a witch.

When the Homes were closed

down, in the absence of the law,

the so-called witches suffered. The

closure of the Homes in the absence

of the law made the closure

look like treating symptoms instead

of the disease.

Consequently, when the Minister

disappeared from the scene, the

incorrigible believers in witchcraft

and witches and the irascible irate

youth moved back into their old

bad ways and caused mayhem to

the poor Ghanaian women declared

witches.

And as I have stated above, they

had nowhere to go for safety. This

led to the reopening of the Camps.

What I see of this problem of socalled

witches in Ghana is – when

the incorrigible believers in witches

and the irresponsible youth exhibit

their unwarranted brutality on the

so-called witches, there is always

public hysteria and outcry.

The government of the day and

security agencies come out with

condemnations of the incidents.

But after a few months, the matter

is forgotten, and it is again business

as usual. And when the matter

raises its ugly head again Ghanaians

cry over spilt milk.

In one of my most recent

books, Missing Pages I attributed

the continued existence of witchcraft

and witches to past and present

governments, the law makers,

the security agencies and above all,

the traditional rulers.

It is their tacit or express recognition

of the twin ancient phenomena

and failure to protect innocent

Ghanaian women which give life to

witchcraft.

In towns and villages where Traditional

Rulers give protection to

women accused of witchcraft,

witchcraft exists only in name, like

fairies, invisible and harmless to

human beings.

The Executive Arm of the

Government, the Parliamentary

Arm of Government, the Security

Services, the Media and above all,

our Traditional leaders should join

hands now, and say enough is

enough!!!.

It is now time to enact a law

making it criminal to call, declare,

accuse a woman as a witch and take

physical action against her.

The writer is a venerable lawyer,

politician, author and senior citizen.

GNA


Some safety protocols for Covid-19

• Stay at home, observe

• Wash your hands often

• Cover your cough or

• Always wear a mask,

• Avoid touching your

social distancing and

with soap and water for at

sneeze with a tissue and

particularly when leaving

eyes, nose and mouth

avoid handshaking

least 20 seconds

dispose immediately

home



&Env.

20k new HIV infections

recorded in Ghana in 2019

– Aids Commission

BY ASABEA AKONOR

THE ASSUMPTION

by many Ghanaians

that there are no more

or very few new

HIV/AIDS infections

in the country is far

from the truth.

This is because information from

the Ghana Aids Commission (GAC)

has indicated that, 20,068 new infections

were recorded across the country,

with 13,616 HIV/AIDS related

deaths in 2019 alone.

Speaking during a collaborative

virtual media interactions between

Ghana Aids Commission and United

Nations Programme on AIDS on

Friday to discuss stigma and discrimination

against persons living with

HIV (PLHIV), Dr. Cosmos Ohene-

Adjei, acting director of the Ghana

AIDS Commission expressed worry

over the increasing number of people

who are unaware of their positive

status.

According to him, the continued

stigmatization and discrimination

against persons living with

HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) has largely

contributed to the spread of the

virus and other related effects due to

the fear for people to check their status.

“From the recently released 2019

national and sub national HIV estimate

and projections, we realised two

striking features. One is, more 142,

000 persons in Ghana are living with

HIV, but they do not know their

HIV positive status because they

have never tested. More than 46, 000

who know their HIV Status are not

on life saving treatments, that is, they

are not on ARVs”, Dr. Cosmos

Ohene-Adjei said.

He continued that stigmatization

of persons living with HIV is preventing

individuals from testing and

also following up on treatment which

is worsening the epidemic.

Explaining how to address

stigmatization and discrimination to

participants, Director of Technical

Services, Ghana Aids Commission,

Dr. Fred Nana Poku said, people

sometimes use the two words

interchangeably which is

not accurate.

According to him,

stigma is a dynamic

process of devaluation

that significantly

discredits

an individual in

the eyes of the

other, while discrimination

is any

form of arbitrary

distinction, exclusion,

or restriction

affecting a person by

virtue of inherent personal

characteristics or

perceived belonging to a

particular group.

He noted that knowledge of

HIV in Ghana is high, however,

stigmatization and discrimination is

common. He said, “only 8 per cent

of men and 14 per cent of women

were found to have accepting attitudes

towards people living with HIV

(GDHS,2014).

Even though per the study, 70 per

cent of women and 74 per cent of

men indicated that they will care for

an HIV-positive relative in their

homes, there is low acceptance of

services from HIV positive business

owners, teachers, and other essential

professionals which is challenging to

the improvement of their livelihoods,

Dr. Poku noted.

Some Heart-to-Heart (H2H) ambassadors

who shared their frustration

about the frequent ordeals they

go through as PLHIV in their communities,

pleaded with the public to

put an end to the practice.

Speaking during the media interaction,

one of the things they emphasized

on was the neglect of

orphans living with HIV. They said,

Caregivers refuse to cater for such

children

who

eventually lose their lives at tender

age.

“We are recording a lot of orphans

dying and some of them also

do not come for their antiretroviral”

one of the ambassadors indicated.

There are currently over 200,

1000 orphan children living with

HIV in Ghana.

The H2H ambassador also

pleaded with religious leaders to stop

asking for HIV test results before

blessing marriages. “My second point

I want to share is about the religious

leaders that still demand HIV test before

blessing marriages, we want to

tell the commission and the media

that, this is becoming a big problem

for our young people,” He said. He

also pleaded for funding to run their

activities.

Stigmatization and discrimination

of PHIV is subject to prosecution.

It is enshrined in the 1992 constitution

that a culprit can face up to 3

years imprisonment, or 200 penalty

units or both. The GAC Act 938,

2016 gives provision for non discrimination

so as to mitigate the effect

of stigmatization.

To address issues related

to stigma, Dr Poku indicated

that, per the constitution,

a person living

with or affected by

HIV or AIDS shall

enjoy the fundamental

human rights and

freedoms enshrined

in the constitution.

A person shall

also not directly or

indirectly discriminate

against a PLHIV or

AIDS based on the actual

or perceived status of

that person or of a close associate

of that person.

And a person who suffers an

act of discrimination based on the

actual or perceived HIV status of

that person or of a close associate of

that person may institute legal proceedings

to claim damages against

the person who carried out that act

of discrimination.

The GAC HIV Act 938 with provisions

was passed to close gaps

which permits discrimination according

to Dr. Poku

After elaborating on some of the

enormous effects of stigmatizing

PLHIV, he encouraged victims to be

bold and report incidents of stigma

and discriminations to institutions

such as GAC, Commission of

Human Rights and Administrative

Justice (CHRAJ), Legal Aid and

other civil society Organisations.

Dr Fred Nana Poku continued to

emphasize that PLHIV have the right

to health, right to privacy and confidentiality,

Insurance benefits, right to

education, political rights, sexual and

reproductive health rights among

others, therefore nobody has the

right to deny them anything they

need to be comfortable.

He called on the media, health

care givers, communities, Individuals,

as well as people in the work place

not to condone the habit of stigmatizing

and discriminating of PLHIV.

Even though HIV/AIDS related

cases remain one of Ghana’s developmental

issues, Dr. Ohene-Adjei is

optimistic that the new 2021-2025

HIV/AIDS national strategic plan

which has been drafted will address

crucial issues confronting

HIV/AIDS.

The goal of the new strategic

plan formulated, is to achieve the 95-

95-95 fast track targets by the year

2025.

He explained that, “I am sure you

are aware that we are all working towards

2030 where we will not want

to see AIDS as a public health threat

and by that time, the global community

is expecting that at least 95 per

cent of all persons who have the

HIV infection will get to know their

status, 95 per cent of those who

know their status will be put on sustain

antiretroviral therapy and again

those who are on therapy, 95 per cent

of them, will also have viral suppression”.

Mrs Angela Trenton-Mbonde,

UNAIDS country director encouraged

the media to use its platforms

to help reduce stigmatization in the

country. She said, HIV/AIDS epidemic

is not over; therefore there is

the need to intensify efforts in educating

the public to prevent the

spread and stigmatization of persons

living with HIV.

“HIV epidemic is not over and

there is still a lot of work to be done.

Furthermore, there is still a lot of

stigma and discrimination and you

can play a role to help stop this”, she

charged the media.


6TH

SEPTEMBER

2020

MONDAY

CURRENCY PARIS CODE BUYING SELLING

US Dollar USDGHS 5.6646 5.6702

RATES Pound Sterling GBPGHS

6.9991

7.0084

Euro

GBPGHS

6.3577

6.3649

10



Visa, StanChart launch ‘Safe is

Smart’ campaign

BY SENANU DAMILOLA WEMAKOR

VISA AND Standard Chartered

Bank last Friday, launched a nationwide

campaign to educate and promote

the adoption of e-commerce

in Ghana through secure and seamless

payment solutions offered by

the Bank.

The ‘Safe is Smart’ campaign

seeks to sensitize and encourage the

public and clients of Standard Chartered

(SC) to adopt e-commerce

with their Visa debit or credit cards

and the SC Mobile App, solutions

that are not only safe but enjoyable

to use.

In the wake of the Covid-19

pandemic, e-commerce demand has

risen exponentially and the ‘Safe is

Smart’ campaign demonstrates the

commitment of the two companies

to provide greater convenience to

businesses and individuals during

and after the pandemic.

Bossman Kwapong, Head, Products

and Segments, Retail Banking at

• To promote adoption of e-commerce in Ghana

Standard Chartered Bank, said

that the Bank is always looking

for ways to live up to its brand

promise ‘Here for Good’ and

will continue to trailblaze digital

revolution in the banking industry

by providing the best digital

lifestyle for its clients.

He noted that “To the Bank,

payments represent the life force

of Ghana’s economy and we

have collaborated with Visa, the

world’s leader in digital payments,

to continue delivering increasingly

convenient and

seamless payment capabilities

through our fully digital bank on

mobile – SC Mobile App. This

campaign is timely because our

clients will get to know the safe

and smart ways of transacting

through Standard Chartered

during and beyond COVID-19”.

Commenting on the partnership,

Adoma Peprah, the Country

Manager for Visa, indicated

that “Visa remains committed to

delivering safe, secure and reliable

payment solutions

that meet the needs of

merchants and their

customers. We hope

that this campaign will

help the public learn

how to fully harness

the potential of e-commerce.”

Through this partnership,

customers anywhere

anytime will

benefit from the ability

to use their Standard

Chartered Visa cards or

the SC Mobile App to

make online purchase

and payment for their

e-learning subscriptions

to keep the children

active at home,

daily essentials, grocery

shopping, weekend

date nights, special

treats and any other essential

payment.

“In addition to the

safe and secure online

payments, our customers can simply

start earning points on every payment

made using the card by registering

on the 360 rewards portal on

the SC Mobile App”, added Mr.

Kwapong.

According to a new “Global

Shopping Index” report published

by Salesforce, the number of unique

digital shoppers rose 40% year-onyear.

Digital shoppers drove 20%

revenue growth compared to 12% in

2019. A 2018 Global Payments Report

by McKinsey & Company, e-

payment volumes exceeded $3

trillion in 2017 and will more than

double by 2022.

“We recognize that the impact of

COVID-19 continues to reshape

much of our daily lives so we’re

working with our partners to ensure

that our capabilities are made widely

available and updated specifically to

help meet today’s challenges. We will

do this not only during the challenging

period but more so as our world

gets moving again”, noted Adoma.

Council urges government to end activities of industrial pair trawlers

THE GHANA National Canoe

Fishermen Council has called on

President Nana Addo Dankwa

Akufo-Addo to direct all industrial

pair trawlers to land their catches at

the two designated ports of Tema

and Takoradi as was done in 2018.

The move, the Council noted,

would help the Ministry of Fisheries

and Acqua Culture Development

and the Fisheries Commission officers

to assess the landings of the

trawlers and to identify vessels with

juveniles or small pelagics.

The Council said the presence of

observers on the vessels, the CCTV

cameras onboard and the Vessel

Monitoring Systems (VMS) of the

Monitoring and Control Surveillance

Device (MCSD) would ensure that

the trawlers did not dump their

catch on the high seas.

This was contained in a press release

issued by Western Regional

Chairman of the GNCFC, Nana

Emmanuel Odwire and Regional

Secretary, Mr Mike Abakah-Edu

after a meeting at Axim.

The statement said if such measures

were taken by the President "it

will compel the trawlers to catch

what they have been licensed to

catch" and put to rest the illegal

transhipment at sea otherwise

known as "Saiko".

The Council noted that Saiko

was one of the most damaging

forms of illegal fishing, which deprived

thousands of fishers and the

dependents of their livelihoods and

thereby threatening Ghana's food

security.

The Council, therefore, extended

its appreciation to President Nana

Akufo-Addo for his confirmation

during his recent tour to the Central

Region that "Saiko is illegal and his

government is committed to ending

it to save the livelihoods of the over

2.7 million Ghanaians who depend

•The leadership of the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen

Council addressing the media

on fishing".

The GNCFC also commended

President Nana Akufo-Addo on the

key steps his government had taken

to strengthen the enforcement units

to improve their efficiency in enforcing

the laws.

"The Council is ready to provide

further eyes on the sea as we undertake

our fishing expeditions and will

report suspected cases of illegal

transhipment to the marine police to

maximize the use of their limited resources."

The statement said the appeal to

the President to end Saiko was informed

by the poor catch of fishermen

across all the four coastal

regions.

The Council called for the enforcement

of the existing laws as

Saiko is prohibited under the Fisheries

laws of Ghana, the 2002 Fisheries

Act 625 and the 2010 Fisheries

Regulations LI 1968 which specifically

prohibits the transhipment of

fish from a Ghanaian industrial vessel

to a canoe.

It said the implementation of the

2020 budget statement on Saiko is

"more than adequate to address the

mother of all illegalities."

The Council called on political

parties to formulate policies that

would address the issues of illegal

fishing in the Fisheries sector. GNA

spread_ SEPTEMBER 7, 2020.qxp_SHOWBIZ TEMP 06/09/2020 21:49 Page 1

News

DAILY

CSOs more active

than opposition

– Gyampo

A SENIOR Lecturer at the University of

Ghana, Political Science Department,

Professor Ransford Gyampo has called

on the opposition NDC to sit-up and be

more active in keeping the government

on its toes.

According to Prof. Gyampo, Civil

Society Organisations (CSOs) have

recently been more vibrant in

scrutinising the government than the

opposition which he described as

worrying.

Prof. Gyampo who made this known

on Starr FM’s Analyses programme on

Saturday also slammed government

officials who he says are suddenly

irritated by the work of the CSOs but

were comfortable with when they were

in opposition.

“I think that the CSOs are taking on

regimes and I think that the CSO are

doing more than the opposition and the

opposition must sit up,” Prof. Gyampo

said.

He added “I commend on what

CSOs are doing and I call on

government to allow them to do what

they are doing and once a upon a time

they were in opposition and used the

platform by CSOs and all of a sudden

they are in power and find faults with

them…I will say it is political hypocrisy.”

His comments come after former

Journalist and a member of the New

Patriotic Party government, Madam

Elizabeth Ohene, in an article took a

swipe at some CSO’s in the country

describing them as all-knowing neutrals.

Her criticisms followed the uproar on

the Agyapa Royalties deal that the

government is seeking to implement.

The Government last Friday denied

suspending the Agyapa Royalties

transaction.

The Ministry of Finance which

issued the denial in a statement, said a

publication claiming the suspension of

the transaction after a meeting with Civil

Society Organizations (CSOs) is untrue.

While acknowledging meeting with

CSOs on September 2, 2020, as part of

efforts to broaden consultations and

ensure the buy-in of all Ghanaians for

the deal, the Ministry said no such

decision was arrived at to suspend it.

About the Agyapa deal

Parliament August 14th approved the

controversial Agyapa Mineral Royalty

Limited agreement with the government

of Ghana despite a walkout by the

Minority.

Two years ago, the House passed the

Minerals Income Investment Fund Act

2018 which establishes the Fund to

manage the equity interests of Ghana in

mining companies, and receive royalties

on behalf of government.

The fund is supposed to manage and

invest these royalties and revenue from

equities for higher returns for the

benefit of the country.

The law allows the fund to establish

Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to use

for the appropriate investments. Last

month, government introduced an

amendment to the act to ensure that the

SPVs have unfettered independence.

The approval will enable the country

to use a special purpose vehicle, Agyapa

Royalties Limited to secure about $1

billion to finance large infrastructural

projects.

In line with that, Agyapa, which will

operate as an independent private sector

entity, will be able to raise funds from

the capital market, both locally and

internationally, as an alternative to the

conventional debt capital market

transactions.

The funds, which are expected to be

raised from the Ghana Stock Exchange

(GSE) and the London Stock Exchange

(LSE), will be a long-term capital,

without a corresponding increase in

Ghana’s total debt stock and hence

without a public debt repayment

obligation.

•Professor Ransford Gyampo, a Senior Lecturer at the Political Science

Department of University of Ghana

THE AYAWASO North

Private School

Association (ANPSA)

has urged all final year

Basic Education

Certificate Examination

(BECE) candidates to make time for

their books as they sit for the final

examination this month.

The exercise dubbed ‘Forum and

Career Guidance for BECE

Candidates’ was to motivate the final

year students which attracted about 600

final year students from 20 different

schools within the Ayawaso North

Municipality.

Mr Daniel Nsiah, the monitoring

and supervising director at the

Municipal Education Directorate said

the forum was aimed at the

development of the children.

According to him, the 21st Century

students do not have time to study

their books but spend most of their

time playing with their mobile phones.

“We are here to prepare them

before they sit to write their final

exams”, he told the DAILY

HERITAGE,

Parent’s roles

Mr Nsiah said some parents do not

have time for their children’s

development, always pushing them to

school without making the time to

check on them to find out how they

are performing.

“Even though the money is

important, if after getting the money,

you realised that the child has gone

astray, you will spend the money to

straighten the child,” he stated.

“You cannot say I am fed-up with

the child and cannot cater for him

again,” Mr Nsiah said.

He said if children know the

importance of education, they would

not joke with it, or say they will not go

to school. Parents should identify the

talents of their children and not force

them to do courses they don’t have

interest in.

Life after school

Mr Nsiah urged all the final year

HERITAGE, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2020 WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH

Have time for your books

• ANPSA tells BECE candidates

BY PRINCE ESSIEN

students not to involve themselves in

social vices after school.

“Our community is popularly

known in social vices and we care so

much for their future so they should

avoid bad friends which may lead them

into such acts”, he added.

The BECE candidates were taken

through some topics such as

importance of education, Examination

rules and regulation, marking, career

guidance, life after school and

encouragement from some selected

role models within the community.

Some final year students who

attended the forum in an interview

with

DAILY

HERITAGE

thanked the

Ayawaso North Private

schools association for organizing such

forum.

“We say a big thank you to all our

speakers today for taking us through

such an important topics and forum.”

C/R: Boy, 18, defiles and

impregnates girl,12

Agyapa Royalties deal not suspended – Finance Ministry

BY JONATHAN ADJEI

THE MINISTRY of Finance has

dismissed claims that the controversial

Agyapa deal has been suspended.

The Technical Manager at Public

Interest and Accountability Committee

(PIAC), Mr. Mark Agyemang had said

that government would surely put on

hold the controversial Agyapa Royalties

deal for further consultations to take

place.

This, according to him, came up in

an adhoc meeting on Wednesday,

September 2, 2020 between the CSOs

and the Finance Minister.

Confirming the decision by

government in an interview on Ghana

• A cross section of the BECE candidates at forum

Kasa on Kasapa/Agoo T.V, Mr

Agyemang said he’s much convinced

that government will carry on with the

transaction, albeit rather cautiously as a

result of the controversy greeted with

the deal.

“The Minister has agreed to put on

hold the deal and start a consultative

process to digest the deal with the

relevant stakeholders. We understand

from the standpoint of the government

that the deal will come on by all means,

however, they’ve reasoned with the

CSOs and Ghanaians at large to pull the

brakes for now on the deal and do an

extensive consultation,” he told host

Bonohene Baffuor Awuah.

But the Ministry in a statement,

however, denied this claim insisting the

said meeting never tabled for discussion

•Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister of Finance

• Mr Daniel Nsiah,

Monitoring and Supervising

Director at the Municipal

Education Directorate

suspension of the deal.

“The Ministry wishes to state that,

the Agyapa Royalties transaction has not

been suspended as is being reported on

the Ghanaweb portal. We wish to also

state that Mr. Mark Agyemang,

Technical Manager of the Public

Interest and Accountability Committee,

who is purported to have said this in an

interview with Starr FM, was not in this

meeting,” the Ministry’s statement said.

The Ministry explained that the

government and the Civil Society

Organisations (CSOs) only deliberated

on issues relating to transparency and

engagement over the deal at the said

meeting.

“The meeting with the CSOs was

one such consultation and the Ministry

agreed with them to further broaden the

AN 18-YAR-OLD man known as

Okai has allegedly defiled and

impregnated a 12-year-old girl at Assin

Homaho-Domeabra in the Assin South

District of the Central Region.

According to the girl, the young

man slept with her for about five

consecutive times in a classroom.

Okai, has since gone into hiding

after it emerged that the girl has taken

seed and his alleged nefarious deeds

have been exposed.

Information gathered by

KASAPA FM suggest that

Okai is fond of defiling

young girls in the

community and

usually goes into

hiding whenever

he does that.

He only

comes back

when the case

has been

declared

‘foolish’ by the

police.

The family of

the victim

explained that the

case has been reported

to Domestic Violence

and Victim Support Unit of

the Ghana Police Service, but the

absence of Okai has caused the case to

be put on hold.

They are however calling on the

Police Service and the general public to

help find Okai and bring him to book.

Meanwhile, the Assin South police

have begun an investigation into the

matter.

consultations and to solicit further input

from them and other Ghanaian

constituencies going forward,” the

statement added.

Meanwhile, the Minority has

threatened to take the fight against the

controversial Agyapa Royalties deal to

the London Stock Exchange.

According to the minority, the

Agyapa deal is clouded with lack of

transparency.

“We will today [last Tuesday] put the

London Stock Exchange and the

Financial Conduct Authority on notice

that this agreement does not meet the

minimum requirement of diligence and

transparency and minimum

requirements of our constitution,” Mr.

Iddrisu stated.

C/R: Boy, 18,

defiles and

impregnates

girl,12

AN 18-YAR-OLD man

known as Okai has

allegedly defiled and

impregnated a 12-year-old

girl at Assin Homaho-

Domeabra in the Assin

South District of the

Central Region.

According to the girl,

the young man slept with

her for about five

consecutive times in a

classroom.

Okai, has since gone

into hiding after it

emerged that the girl has

taken seed and his alleged

nefarious deeds have

been exposed.

Information gathered

by KASAPA FM suggest

that Okai is fond of

defiling young girls in the

community and usually

goes into hiding

whenever he does that.

He only comes back

when the case has been

declared ‘foolish’ by the

police.

The family of the

victim explained that the

case has been reported to

Domestic Violence and

Victim Support Unit of

the Ghana Police Service,

but the absence of Okai

has caused the case to be

•File Photo

put on hold.

They are however

calling on the Police

Service and the general

public to help find Okai

and bring him to book.

Meanwhile, the Assin

South police have begun

an investigation into the

matter.

The family of

the victim

explained that

the case has

been reported

to Domestic

Violence and

Victim Support

Unit of the

Ghana Police

Service, but the

absence of Okai

has caused the

case to be put

on hold.



DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2020 11

Politics

Do not mind anything that anyone tells you about

anyone else. Judge everyone and everything for

yourself —Henry James

John Mahama speaks ahead

of 2020 Manifesto

MY BROTHERS

and sisters, on

Monday, we will

launch our manifesto

for 2020.

Let me take this opportunity to

offer some personal reflections on

the political substance of this

manifesto.

You offered me the humbling

chance to serve you from the

highest offices in Ghana – first as

Vice-President, for four years, and

then as President for another four

years. For this, I will forever be

grateful, and I will fight for your

wellbeing, for your hopes and for

your rights with all my strength

for the rest of my life.

But since I have already been

there, why run again? I know

many of you ask this question –

sometimes openly, sometimes in

silence. Why run again? It is a fair

question, and it deserves a fair,

personal answer.

In a sense, our manifesto will

provide the answer, but it will be a

collective answer, coming from all

the fabulous NDC members and

supporters, men and women, who

participated in its formulation.

In all honesty, I didn’t take the

decision to run for a second term

as President neither easily, nor

quickly. I didn’t jump into it. I did

•Prof. Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang, NDC Running Mate

it out of a sense of urgency, after

I began to contemplate more and

more thoroughly about our vulnerabilities

as a nation.

No country can aspire to become

developed; no society can

be truly resilient in the face of crisis

and adversity without a solid

economic and social infrastructure.

To create sustainable and evergrowing

prosperity – something

we all deserve – it requires building

a robust social and economic

infrastructure, one that supports

creativity, innovation and the production

of high value-added products

and services.

This is precisely why, during

my Presidency, I took aggressive

steps to develop and consolidate

our healthcare infrastructure, our

Let me give you just one example: access to electricity. In

2012, 69.2% of Ghanaians had access to electricity. In

2016, when I left office after my first term as President,

79.3% of Ghanaians had access to electricity. A 10 percentage

points increase in 4 years. When I left the office, I

was confident that a new government will deliver 90%, if

not 100% access to electricity in the next four years.

•Ex-Prez. John Mahama, NDC Flag bearer

educational infrastructure, our

transport infrastructure and our

digital infrastructure. This is the

only way to build a resilient nation.

Without creating and consolidating

a developed infrastructure,

no nation can resist global shocks.

Unfortunately, this current

government has refused to continue

on this path and therefore

failed to make our nation less vulnerable

and more resilient.

Let me give you just one example:

access to electricity. In

2012, 69.2% of Ghanaians had

access to electricity. In 2016, when

I left office after my first term as

President, 79.3% of Ghanaians

had access to electricity. A 10 percentage

points increase in 4 years.

When I left the office, I was confident

that a new government will

deliver 90%, if not 100% access

to electricity in the next four years.

However, the NPP government

increased overall access to

electricity from 79.3% to only

82.3%, a mere 3 percentage points

increase.

It is our sacred mission to turn

Ghana into an advanced nation as

soon as possible! It is our moral

obligation to be bold and to aim

for greatness!

“Good enough” is no longer

good enough! To prosper and

thrive, we need fundamental

change! We need to set our standards

and expectations far higher

than “good enough”! If we settle

for “good enough”, we settle for a

slow death of our very soul and of

our pride.

I run for President because I

want to leave a legacy: a solid infrastructure,

with 100% access for

all. With this legacy, we will build

a truly developed Ghana, on a par

with the advanced nations.

I know how to do it, part of it

I’ve already accomplished, and

since I know how to do it and the

current government doesn’t, I feel

I have the moral duty to ask for a

second term. This is not about

me, it’s about Ghana and Ghanaians.

This is what Monday’s manifesto

is about.

This is why I encourage all of

you to watch the launch ceremony.

God bless Ghana! God bless

each and every one of you!


12

DAILY

Politics


HERITAGE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2020

My political journey is not for personal

recognition – Nana Konadu

MY POLITICAL

journey is not

born out of

crave for personal

recognition

or gain but

chartered by a compelling sense of

service to humanity, Nana Konadu

Agyeman Rawlings, National

Democratic Party (NDP) Flagbearer,

said on Saturday.

She said the NDP was only interested

in giving people at the

grassroots the opportunity to contribute

towards policy making and

national development, as that was

the only way to give real meaning

to multiparty democracy.

The former First Lady said this

at the Party’s third National Delegates

Conference in Accra.

She received overwhelming endorsement

from the delegates as

the NDP Flagbearer for the 2020

Presidential Election and was subsequently

acknowledged by the

Electoral Commission.

The conference was on the

theme: “Shared Leadership for National

Transformation, Human

Empowerment, and Anti-Corruption.”

Nana Konadu said governance

should reflect the collective views

of every citizen and to make this

possible, her party was going to

work hard to have representation

in Parliament in the general election.

That, she said, was because Parliament

was the most crucial empowerment

embodiment of the

Republic, where each member was

•The former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings and her party

members at the Party’s third National Delegates Conference in Accra.

accountable to the people and

mandated to let the interest of

their constituents reflect on the national

agenda.

Nana Konadu said Ghana's politics

had long seen the habit of

politicising policies to creating fake

stories just to win political power

adding that it was time to move

away from that habit.

“The upcoming general election

is really not about me or my individuality

but about our nation and

our future. We should try to refocus

our lenses as a people on long

term national development visions,”

she said.

“We must have the ability to

have a collective vision born out of

our varied experiences, skills set

and unique characteristics to propel

the best, bright and most patriotic

citizens to advance a

nonpartisan agenda for a continuous

development.”

“I know that you are giving me

this trust to lead our party and nation

into an age beyond the twoparty

system. Together, we the

NDP will lead the country into

an era of economic advancement

tailored to our specific

strengths and needs.”

Former President Jerry John

Rawlings, in a speech read on his

behalf, said the political, social

and developmental challenges of

the country could best be managed

if there was a combined effort

to formulate realistic

policies that could be pursued to

a logical conclusion.

“Political pluralism has

breathed a dangerous air of division

into our socio-political development,

which threatens to

derail all we have worked hard as

a people to achieve,” he said.

He expressed the hope that

the endorsement of the NDP

leadership would add value to

the national political discourse

and enrich political development.

The Party, at the Conference,

acclaimed its National Executive

including Madam Betty Akufo

Amoabeng as the Chairperson,

Mr Anthony Kusi, Vice Chairperson,

and Alhaji Mohammed Frimpong,

General Secretary.

Others are Mr Laminu Zakaria,

National Organiser, Mr Michael

Mensah, Deputy National Organiser,

Madam Peace Adzo Aryee,

National Women’s Organiser, Mr

Charles Opoku, National Treasurer,

and Dr Worlanyor Mensah,

Director of Research.

It also out-doored members of

its Steering Committees: Standing

Orders, Elections, Welfare, and Research

and Monitoring.

The Executive and Committee

members were sworn-in to lead

the NDP to victory and preserve,

protect and defend Ghana and the

Party’s constitutions at all times.

The NDP was founded in October

2012 by Nana Konadu Agyeman

Rawlings, wife of former

President Rawlings, and formerly a

high ranking member of the National

Democratic Congress

(NDC).

She is the Founder of the 31st

December Women’s Movement, a

Non-Governmental Organisation,

which mobilises and empowers

women, especially the vulnerable,

to be part of a participatory democratic

system. GNA

Nana Konadu

said governance

should reflect

the collective

views of every

citizen and to

make this possible,

her party

was going to

work hard to

have representation

in Parliament

in the

general election.

Elizabeth Ohene’s article could incite people against CSOs – Akwetey

BY NAA DEDEI TETTEY

THE EXECUTIVE Director of the

Institute of the Democratic Governance

(IDEG) Dr Emmanuel Akwetey

has said former Editor for BBC

Focus on Africa and Daily Graphic,

Elizabeth Ohene could have incited

the government and people against

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

It follows an article (All-knowing

neutrals) authored by the veteran journalist

who also is a former Education

Minister in which she took on the

CSOs for acting all-knowing and

claiming to love Ghana more than

anybody in politics.

Madam Ohene wrote the opinion

piece in the wake of concerns the

CSOs raised about the controversial

Agyapa. The article has received tons

of reactions from some members of

the CSOs.

“These groups have strong opinions

and express them in colourful

language. I like that. They claim to

love Ghana far more than anybody

else and definitely more than anybody

in politics. I have problems with that.

They claim to be honest, hardworking

and effective and they have answers to

every problem. They are mistaken”

Madam Ohene wrote.

The Executive Director of IDEG,

Dr Akwetey who was guest on the

Starr FM’s Analyese Programme on

Saturday, said Madam Ohene got it

wrong with her latest article

“The first feeling I had when I

read Auntie Lizzy article, you know

we don’t use her formal name, we always

call her Auntie Lizzy, We are very

proud of her. No matter how she’s

gone against us. I think she stood and

been a model in speaking out and

bringing the issues out and in a very

balanced way, if you can read the articles

and so on. But the first impression

I got when I read her article, you

•Dr Emmanuel Akwetey, Executive Director of the

Institute of the Democratic Governance

know, “The Neutrals”, I just

felt that she probably could

have incited government

against civil society or people,

you know, the language

the description was so biased

and negative” he said

Dr Akwetey added “it

could motivate somebody

to say, let’s deal with them.

They are the obstacles in

our way, the barriers, they

have no right and so on.

But we have all the rights to

be there constitutionally to

point what is wrong. Accountability

is part of our

function”.

He further called for the

relationship to between the

state and CSOs to be

strengthen to benefit

Ghanaians. According to

the IDEG boss the labeling

of CSOs as all-knowing by

Madam Ohene is unmerited and

should be dismissed.

“We need to build the relationship

and stop saying, they (CSOs) think

everything they say must be taken. It

has never been the case. When the

current president, President Akufo-

Addo meets CSOs, do you know the

debate? He debates them, but we are

able to speak.

“At the end of the day when he is

summarizing he picks something, he

also gives us more information to tell

us that what we thought wasn’t the

case. Just as the (finance) minister has

done and now he feels we (government)

need to give more information,

we need to communicate, we need to

explain but we also need to listen.

After all we say we are acting in the interest

of the public. So that whole

charge that we are ones who when we

speak must be listened at all cost, I am

sorry to say is unmerited and it should

be dismissed”.



DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2020 13

GHOne TV auditions for ‘The Next TV Star’ reality show

BY EDWARD ACQUAH

AWARD-WIN-

NING PRE-

MIUM television

station, GHOne

TV has held a

two-day auditioning

session for Ghana’s newest reality

show, The Next TV Star.

Hundreds of aspiring television

personalities thronged the

network’s plush studios at Ridge

in Accra on Friday and Saturday

to participate in the auditions, a

stepping stone in climbing their

dream career ladder.

The reality show is expected to

be hosted by award-winning

morning show host and news anchor,

Serwaa Amihere with General

Manager of GHOne TV,

Nana Aba Anamoah as part of

the judging panel.

Others were TV personality

and communications strategist,

Bridget Ottoo and seasoned news

and current affairs host and

broadcast journalist, Israel Laryea.

The two-day auditions saw

•Award-winning morning show host of GH-Today Serwaa Amihere interacting with some participants

participants taken through various

presentation including news reading,

sports, entertainment as well

as lifestyle, after which successful

candidates progress on to the

next stage of the competition.

The Next Television Star is a

GHOne TV initiative with sponsorship

from Electroland Ghana

LTD, MTN, Verna Active by

Verna Ghana and Compu Ghana

and Empress Jamila.

LIVE FM makes switch to new digital offering LiveXtra

EIB NETWORK’s youth and

music-heavy station Live91.9FM

has made made a full switch to a

new digital offering LiveXtra last

Friday.

The new streaming platform

available on android, web and

soon on IOS, will seek to serve

Ghana’s vibrant music culture via

live radio, music, and podcasts

among other offerings.

The new app will serve unique

features such as mixes and specially

curated playlists from DJs

across the world, podcasts that

cut across various interests while

maintaining its signature vibrant

urban radio culture with guest

DJs and resident presenters.

Speaking on the new digital offering,

EIB Network Chief Executive

Officer (CEO), Nathan

Kwabena Anokye Adisi said

“LiveXtra is something we’ve

been working on for months

now.”

According to the CEO, “the

present and future is digital, and

as Ghana’s foremost media network

it’s only right that we again

set the pace and standard with

this new entity.

“We’re looking forward to

working with artistes, and creators

from all over the world. It’s also a

new chapter in our business as

we’ll be taking our clients on a

digital journey that would put

their products and services at the

forefront of their youthful market.

We’re excited to have you join

us on this new journey,” Mr

Anokye Adisi stated.

LiveXtra is currently available

on all radio streaming platforms

including TuneIn.

A successful radio brand, it

has over the years appealed to

Ghana and Africa’s millenial community.

LiveXtra is part of a diversified

portfolio of a dozen products

managed by EIB Network

spread across radio, television,

digital and print.

LiveXtra according to EIB

Network, will deliver refreshing

programming, while making use

of studio spaces that excite and

speak to modern radio aesthetics.

Adisi added that today’s ever

evolving media landscape necessitated

the launch of LiveXtra,

adding it is the end product of

years of careful planning.

“This has potential written all

over it. LiveXtra is the first, fully

concentrated online radio offering

by a media group in Ghana, and

we are glad that we get to once

again show the way.

“We’ve built this for

a market we have had

experience in for years.

The successes of the

past years will matter as

we seek to tap into this

modern potential. Our

people will always remain

our biggest assets

and we have a dedicated

team of talents ready to

ensure we win.”

ISSUED BY COM-

MUNICATIONS DE-

PARTMENT

EIB NETWORK

According to the

CEO, “the present

and future is

digital, and as

Ghana’s foremost

media network

it’s only

right that we

again set the

pace and standard

with this

new entity.



Arts & Ent


Stream Ghanaian Series “Every

Woman Has a Story” on Showmax

VIDEO STREAM-

ING service Showmax

from

MultiChoice Group

has been launched

in Ghana following

a successful rollout in other

African countries.

Since its rollout in 2015 Showmax

has been offering customers

with top notch entertainment,

movies, series, documentaries,

music, and news; but is tapping

into the soccer content from SuperSport

as it becomes available in

the country.

Following its launch, Showmax

has supplemented its library with a

bank of Ghanaian movies and series.

Cecil Sunkwa Mills, Managing

Director, MultiChoice Ghana who

was speaking at the launch, said,

“the best thing about the amazing

content on Showmax is that you

can watch whenever and wherever

you like, on pretty much any device

that’s connected to the internet,

with no ads and no

interruptions.”

He adds, “mobile usage is

mainstream in Africa, so having a

one-size-fits-all big screen streaming

service may not be the best solution.

Anyone with a smartphone

in Ghana will be able to get the

best Ghanaian/African content,

the best of Hollywood, and live

sporting action on the Showmax

service.”

Showmax host a plethora of

popular Ghanaian series and

movies from the likes of multiple

AMVCA winning director Shirley

Frimpong-Manso, Leila Djansi,

Juliet Ibrahim and Kwah Ansah.

This week the spotlight shines

on the drama series ‘Every

Woman Has A Story’ a directorial

debut of actress Juliet Ibrahim

which follows the lives of five

women who tell their stories of

love, joy, happiness, heartbreak

and pain.

This riveting drama series features

Toosweet Annan, Sonia

Ibrahim, Pascaline Edwards, Beverly

Afaglo, Fred Amugi,

Harold Amenyah, Vincent

McCauley and Vanessa Gyan.

Showmax also features international

shows including

the best of HBO, Kids

favourites, Hollywood blockbusters

plus live Premier

League action on the Showmax

Pro service and this is

something no other service

of its kind has.

Showmax is priced at

GHc45.99 while the Showmax

mobile goes for 22.99.

The Showmax Pro is valued

at GHc119.00 and the Showmax

Mobile is GHc59.99.

About Showmax

Showmax is an African

video-on-demand service

with a local-first approach

which delivers African stories

told in familiar voices as well

as the best that Hollywood

has to offer. This local-first strategy

is an advantage because it allows

for tailored content, apps,

packages, and partnerships, specifically

to what’s most important in

Africa.

Gospel Singer Priscilla Otumfuo drops ‘Yesu Mba’

BY EDWARD ACQUAH

THE ASSERTION that current

crop of gospel artistes lack creativity

and that the spiritual aspect

of their songs has been quenched

will soon be a thing of the past as

’YESU MBA’ hits the music market.

YESU MBA, an exceptional

spirit-filled single that has already

paced a trend even before its release

is from the camp of sensational

gospel diva, Priscilla.

Otumfuo.https://song.link/8bH

DXZZNwjpb9

Priscilla, an epitome of talent

has never relented on her efforts

to feed souls with spirit filled

songs. Talent like hers is very rare

especially in the generation we

find ourselves. Her vocal dexterity

and her ability to coin words into

wisdom clearly tell how well she’s

being led by the Holy Spirit. It was

of no wonder when her previous

works called the attention of

some international personalities

who showed keen interest in investing

in some of our acts here

in Ghana. This time, Priscilla has

raised the bar much higher. With

top-notch performance, I present

to you ‘YESU MBA’, a Ga dialect

which translates “Jesus is coming”,

Priscilla’s latest single.

On this classic piece, the singer

highlighted the second coming of

Christ and the need for us to prepare

our hearts for his coming.

Adding, the singer pointed out

some irreligious acts that when involved

in may kill our chances of

making heaven.

The Beatzgod produced song

will undoubtedly be the first of its

kind to hit the Ghanaian market.

Aside from the spiritual aspect of

the song, the singer came clear

with a heart-piercing message

ready to win thousands of souls

to God’s kingdom. What makes

the song more unique is the

rhythm. It comes with a creative

dance groove suitable for all dancing

purposes.

Though sung in Ga, the song

has these catchy elements which

can easily be grasped by people

from other tribes, a creative factor

I believe should be emulated by

other musicians.

On this classic piece,

the singer highlighted

the second coming of

Christ and the need

for us to prepare our

hearts for his coming.

Adding, the singer

pointed out some irreligious

acts that when

involved in may kill our

chances of making

heaven

• Priscilla Otumfuo



Arsenal offer two

players for Partey

ACCORDING TO reports, Arsenal

have decided to offer two

players to Atletico Madrid in

order to secure the services for

Thomas Partey.

The club has already agreed

personal terms with the player

per recent reports and now have

to pay a 50 million euro release

clause to Atletico Madrid. The

Spanish side have been adamant

on the release clause and rejected

a player plus cash offer for him

previously.

However, Arsenal still want to

sign Partey. They have offered

Guendouzi and Lacazette with

the hope that Atletico Madrid

will be convinced to see the deal

through.

Partey has returned to Spain

and is training with his teammates

ahead of the new season.

The club has already

agreed personal terms

with the player per recent

reports and now have to

pay a 50 million euro release

clause to Atletico

Madrid. The Spanish side

have been adamant on the

release clause and rejected

a player plus cash

offer for him previously.

Thomas Partey, Ghana and Atletic Madrid midfielder

Messi makes Barca u-turn

BARCELONA’S ALL-TIME leading

goalscorer Lionel Messi says he is staying

because it is “impossible” for any team to

pay his release clause and he does not want

to face “the club I love” in court.

The Argentine, 33, sent a fax to Barca

lat Tuesday saying he wanted to exercise a

clause in his contract which he said allowed

him to leave for free.

But the club said his 700m euro

(£624m) release clause would have to be

met.

“I thought and was sure that I was free

to leave,” Messi told Goal.

“The president always said that at the

end of the season I could decide if I

stayed or not.

“And this is the reason why I am going

to continue in the club. Now I am going to

continue in the club because the president

told me that the only way to leave was to

pay the 700m clause, and that this is impossible.”

Messi, whose contract expires next

summer, says the fact he did not tell Barca

he wanted to leave before 10 June was crucial,

and had he done so his release clause

would not have had to be met.

“Now they cling to the fact that I did

not say it before 10 June, when it turns out

that on 10 June we were competing for La

Liga in the middle of this awful coronavirus

and this disease altered all the season,”

he added.

“There was another way and it was to

go to trial. I would never go to court

against Barca because it is the club that I

love, which gave me everything since I arrived.

“It is the club of my life, I have made

my life here.”

Messi’s father Jorge had held talks in

Barcelona this week and insisted his son

could leave for free, only for La Liga to

back Barca’s stance over the release clause.

Manchester City were among the clubs

Lionel Messi, Barcelona Captain

linked with Messi when he made clear he

wanted to end his 20-year stay at the Nou

Camp, nine days after an 8-2 defeat by

Bayern Munich in the Champions League

quarter-finals.

That result meant Barca ended the season

with no silverware, and they replaced

manager Quique Setien with former Everton

and Netherlands manager Ronald

Koeman.

Messi is yet to train with his teammates

since Koeman’s arrival and admits

the club’s lack of recent success influenced

his decision to ask to leave.

“I looked further afield and I want to

compete at the highest level, win titles,

compete in the Champions League,” he

said.

“When I communicated my wish to

leave to my wife and children, it was a brutal

drama.

“The whole family began crying, my

children did not want to leave Barcelona,

nor did they want to change schools.

“I love Barcelona and I’m not going to

find a better place than here anywhere.

Still, I have the right to decide.

“I was going to look for new goals and

new challenges. And tomorrow I could go

back, because here in Barcelona I have

everything.”

From going to staying – a Messi timeline

• August 14 -Messi and Barcelona

are humiliated as they crash out of the

Champions League with an 8-2 thrashing

by eventual winners Bayern Munich in

their one-off quarter-final tie.

• August 17 -Head coach Quique

Setien is sacked eight months after taking

charge at the Nou Camp.

• August 19 -Former Barca midfielder

Ronald Koeman leaves his job as

manager of the Netherlands to take over

from Setien.

• August 25 -Messi sends a burofax

to Barca chiefs informing them he

wishes to leave – with claims of disagreements

between the player and the club of

the validity of a contract clause which

would allow him to go for free.

• August 30 -Messi does not turn

up for his scheduled Covid-19 test before

Barcelona’s start to pre-season training.

Later, La Liga issues a statement siding

with Barca in the dispute over whether

Messi can depart for nothing.

• September 2 -Messi and his father

Jorge hold a meeting with Barca, and

Jorge is reported in the Spanish press as

saying it would be “difficult” for his son to

stay at the Nou Camp.

• September 4 -Messi’s father

writes to La Liga insisting his son is contractually

allowed to leave Barcelona for

free in the current transfer window. However,

Messi later confirms his intention to

stay because he does not want to take

Barcelona to court. Source: BBC

Eddie Nketiah

‘proud’ after hitting

hat-trick as England

captain against

Kosovo

HAT-TRICK HERO

Eddie Nketiah feels

‘proud’ to have captained

England U-21

side to a resounding

victory against Kosovo

in Euro qualifiers last

Friday.

Nketiah led the

Young Lions and netted

a quick-fire hattrick

shortly after

half-time to help them

race into an unassailable

lead.

The Arsenal striker

Eddie Nketiah, England hat-trcik hero

scored once from the

penalty spot, as well as

a header at the backpost

and also a simple

close-range finish after

finding space in the

box.

The 21-year-old

took to Twitter to express

his delight over

the feat.

“Proud to have captained

the side for our

6-0 win today, even

sweeter to have topped

it off with a hat-trick.”


DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2020

• File photo: Kotoko squad

Asante Kotoko, AshGold cautioned

against African adventure

GHANA IN the

2020/2021 CAF

Inter-Club competitions

not to

participate.

The Ghana FA has chosen Asante

Kotoko and AshantiGold SC

to feature in the CAF Champions

League and the CAF Confederation

Cup respectively.

Following the cancellation of

the 2019-20 Ghana Football season

due to the Coronavirus pandemic,

the two clubs were selected

by virtue of winning the previously

held GFA’s Normalisation

Committee Special competitions.

Asante Kotoko won the NC

Special Competition Tier 1 and as

a result booked a ticket to enter

the CAF Champions League back

then while Ashantigold also won

the Tier 2 competition and by

virtue of that competed in the

Confederation Cup.

The two clubs subsequently

failed to make the necessary impact

by failing to qualify for the

Group Stages.

Ashantigold SC have confirmed

their participation in the

2020/21 CAF Confederation Cup

by writing to the Ghana FA, while

Asante Kotoko is expected to

confirm their participation by

Monday.

Some football connoisseurs

have argued that it will not be prudent

for any Ghanaian club to participate

in Africa considering the

current state of affairs of Ghana

Football.

Coach Paa Kwesi Fabin has

added his voice to such calls insisting

that the occurrences in the

recent past should be enough a

deterrent for Ghanaian clubs and

their Africa ambitions.

“In my honest opinion, no

Ghanaian club should go to Africa

looking at the happenings in our

games for the past years,” Paa

Kwesi Fabin told Pure FM.

Benjamin Afutu, two others in

contract talks with Accra

Hearts of Oak

ACCRA HEARTS of Oak have

begun talks on a fresh contract

with Kofi Kordzi, Robert Addo,

and Benjamin Afutu Kotey after

their outstanding performances in

the Ghana Premier League.

Afutu, 24, has been a key

player for the club after he joined

the Phobians on a three-year deal

in 2018 under Frank Nuttal on a

free transfer after ending his stay

with Karela United.

He scored two goals in 13 appearances

for Accra Hearts of

Oak in the 19/20 Ghana Premier

League season which was canceled

due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Robert Addo and Kofi Kordzi

also have a few months left on

their contract. They were instrumental

in the Phobia team with

Kordzi scoring six goals in 13 appearances

for Accra Hearts of

Oak.

Afutu, 24, has been a key

player for the club after he

joined the Phobians on a

three-year deal in 2018 under

Frank Nuttal on a free transfer

after ending his stay with

Karela United.

• Hearts want to offer Afutu a new contract

Inside SEPTEMBER 7, 2020 edited

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