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Watch the latest news summary from BBC World News. International news updated 24 hours a day.

BBC World News headlines.

America's first supermodel

31 May 2016 Last updated at 23:05 BST

Wander around New York City and you'll see one of the dozen statues for which Audrey Munson was the model or inspiration in the early 1900s.

But few know the tale of the woman known as America's first supermodel, or why she spent decades in an asylum, where she died at the age of 104.
Now a new book, The Curse of Beauty: The Scandalous & Tragic Life of Audrey Munson, America's First Supermodel, is bringing her story to light.
The BBC recently caught up with its author, James Bone.
Filmed & edited by Colm O'Molloy

 

Islamic State group hits back as Iraqi army moves into Falluja

Militants from the so-called Islamic State have launched a dawn counter-attack as Iraqi government troops push into the city of Falluja.

A day after troops advanced through the southern suburb of Nuaimiya, scores of IS fighters attacked them, army officers told news agencies.
The army defeated the attackers but suffered casualties, the sources said.
Aid workers are increasingly concerned for the safety of 50,000 civilians said to be trapped in Falluja.
Reports speak of people starving to death and of being killed for refusing to fight for IS.
Read more: Testimony from inside Falluja
The Iraqi military has urged those remaining to either leave the city or stay indoors but IS is preventing civilians from fleeing.

Egypt to investigate 'dogs and slaves' remarks after Kenya complaint

Egypt to investigate 'dogs and slaves' remarks after Kenya complain

Egypt has said it will investigate accusations that one of its officials called sub-Saharan Africans "dogs and slaves" during a conference in Nairobi.

The allegation has been made by a Kenyan diplomat, who says Egypt should be stopped from representing Africa in any negotiations.
But Cairo says there are no indications such language has been used, and has demanded any recorded evidence.
The case could raise tensions between Egypt and its sub-Saharan neighbours.
In a formal complaint, Yvonne Khamati, chairwoman of the African Diplomatic Corps Technical Committee, said the remarks were made by the head of the Egyptian delegation at the UN Environmental Assembly last week.
Divisions at the meeting arose after a resolution on Gaza was not passed due to lack of quorum, she said.
Consultations were then made by different delegations to discuss the issue. The comment, in Arabic, was made during talks with the Egyptian team, Ms Khamati said.
"[The comments] are uncivilized, undiplomatic, irresponsible, degrading and insulting," she said in the document dated 29 May, which has been widely shared on social media.
She demanded an apology and that Egypt did not take any leadership position on behalf of Africa.
The Egyptian official has not been identified.
Egypt's foreign ministry said in a statement that its minister, Sameh Shoukry, demanded an "immediate investigation to uncover the truth" and that the necessary measures would be taken.
"All of the information available to the ministry thus far indicates that no such language was used by the Egyptian representative," the ministry said on its Facebook page.
"We reject any attempts to cast doubt on Egypt's belonging to Africa and its defence of the continent's interests," it added
The ministry also said it would send a document to be distributed to all African countries "expressing Egypt's rejection and denunciation of [Ms Khamati's] exceeding of her mandate".
Ties between Egypt and its sub-Saharan neighbours have been at odds over disputes including how River Nile waters should be shared by the countries it passes through.

 

Nigeria, DRC among countries with 'highest enslaved people in the world'

Nigeria leads in Africa and ranks eighth in the world with an estimated 875,500 modern slaves followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) which ranks ninth in the world with an estimated 873,100 enslaved people.

These are findings of the Global Slavery Index 2016 Report published on Tuesday by the Walk Free Foundation, an NGO focused on ending modern slavery in the world.

The 2016 Index ranked 167 countries based on the proportion of the population that is estimated to be in some form of slavery, and it found out that 45.8 million estimated people were enslaved, a 28% increase from the previous 2014 estimates.

Early marriage remained a significant problem in the region with UNICEF predicting that half of the world's child brides in 2050 will be African.

Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for an estimated 6,245,800 people, approximately 13.6% of the world’s total enslaved population with an average government response of 28.2%.

According to the report, slavery in sub-Saharan Africa takes the form of forced labour and forced marriage. “Early marriage remained a significant problem in the region with UNICEF predicting that half of the world’s child brides in 2050 will be African,” it added.

Nigeria leads Africa in terms of estimated numbers due to its population (182,202,000); but in terms of estimated percentages, it ranks 23 in the world with 0.481%.

The DRC however leads Africa in percentages followed by Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Central African Republic, all with 1.130%, and then followed by Mauritania with 1.058%, a decrease from the 2014 Index.

Egypt ranks 11 in the world and third in Africa with an estimated 572,900 people in modern slavery followed by Sudan (454,700) and Ethiopia (411, 600).

“The top ten countries with the largest estimated absolute number of people in modern slavery account for 68% of people living in modern slavery,” the report said.

India has the largest estimated absolute number of people in modern slavery in the world with 18,354,700 followed by China (3,388,400), Pakistan (2,134,900), Bangladesh (1,531,300), Uzbekistan (1,236,600), North Korea (1,100,000), Russia (1,048,500), Nigeria and the DRC.

UN envoy calls for more unity in defeating Islamic State in Libya

Two months after its installation in Tripoli, the Libyan unity government has been finding difficulties stabilising the country due to frequent attacks from the Islamic State.

In an effort to remedy this situation, , the UN envoy, Martin Kobler, has urged the warring factions to unite.

“The fight against IS must be first a Libyan fight and second a united fight. I think nobody acting alone would succeed. Thats why its very important and my constant message to all security actors, be them in the west or the east, to unite their forces,” he said.

The fight against IS must be first a Libyan fight and second a united fight. I think nobody acting alone would succeed.

Officials have also talked about the need to create a national army but say it is first of all important to establish the authority of the unity government frequently challenged by other factions.

“The objective is to comfort this government of national unity which has to assemble all Libyans. If France quickly installs an embassy here that will be a wonderful contribution to the political process,” French Foreign Affairs minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault said.

Libya’s unity government has urged the international community to lift the arms embargo on Libya imposed since 2011. The Unity government believe lifting the embargo will better equip the army in combating ISIS.

The army announced on Tuesday the recapturing of Ben Jawad and Nofliya towns from the hands of the militants.

Task force to monitor counterfeit and illicit trade

The government is to establish a new national task force to monitor counterfeiting and illicit trade in the country before the end of this year.
The duty of the task force would include monitoring all sectors namely drugs, textiles, electrical, cables and accessories, electronic items, food, drugs and tobaccos.

The Head of Tariff Advisory Board of the Ministry of Trade Industry (MoTI), Mr Lawrence Osei-Boateng, who spoke to the GRAPHIC BUSINESS in Accra, said counterfeiting and illicit trade were increasingly becoming alarming in the country.

He ,therefore, stressed the need for the country to establish a body to monitor and check counterfeiting and illicit trade that was affecting businesses in Ghana.

“This phenomenon ,however, possess major problems in Ghana, one of such is the sale of inferior goods to unsuspecting public which infringes the intellectual property rights of individuals and corporate bodies,”he said.

He noted that allowing such goods in the country posses potential danger to consumers such as fire hazards associated with the use of fake electric cables and the carcinogenic effects of some pirated textiles and drugs, as well as loss of revenue to the government.

“Further, the flooding of our markets with counterfeit goods also serves as a disincentive to innovative products in Ghana. A national task force would be established to curb this menace,” Mr Osei-Boateng indicated.

Made-in-Ghana

Going forward, the Head of Tariff Advisory Board, said Cabinet had approved the Made-in-Ghana Policy prepared by the MoTI to guide the production, marketing, distribution and consumption of locally made products.

“To reduce Ghana’s increasing level of trade deficit, the ministry started the implementation of a Made-in-Ghana promotional strategy to create awareness among Ghanaians to patronise locally produced goods and services,” he added.
He said as part of the promotional process, the ministry developed and launched a Made-in-Ghana logo to be used by Ghanaian firms as seal of quality to boost patronage of their products.

Mr Osei-Boateng reiterated the commitment of the MoTI to promote trade in the country, saying the promotion of Made-in-Ghana is a sure way of assuring investors market for their products.

Support to the private sector

He said the government was championing many policies such as the establishment of the Ghana International Trade Commission (GITC) and the Private Sector Development Strategy II to support the private sector.

Urging foreign investors to invest their capital in the country, he said the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), had incentive for investors in the form of tax holidays, duty waivers,adding that the Ghana Free Zones Board also supports enterprises in the regime of tax concessions.

He said the passage for the conversion of the Export Development and Agriculture Investment Fund (EDAIF) into the Ghana Import and Export Bank by Parliament was to boost credit for companies.

“The government is supporting private sector associations such as the Association of Ghana Industry,the Private Sector Foundation and the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry to make them vibrant,” he added.

For more news go to: www.graphic.com.gh

AngloGold takes gov’t to international arbitration

AngloGold Ashanti, a gold mining company, has dragged the government to the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) to seek redress for losses it has suffered due to the withdrawal of military personnel from its mining concessions.

Information gathered by the Daily Graphic was that the mining company resorted to ICSID, which is based in Washington, DC, following the nuisance posed by illegal miners as a result of the military’s withdrawal.

The company is arguing that the military was withdrawn despite an outstanding agreement for it (military) to provide security.

The case, which was registered on May 2, 2016, has been listed on ICSID’s website as Case No. ARB/16/15.

AngloGold Ashanti (Ghana Limited) is the claimant in the case while the President of the Republic of Ghana, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources and the Attorney-General of the Republic of Ghana are the respondents.

According to the publication on the ICSID website, the tribunal was yet to be constituted for the hearing of the case to commence.

Sources told the Daily Graphic the company was seeking the payment of compensation for suffering in the hands of illegal miners following the pulling out of the military from its mine sites.

Daily Graphic also learnt that the company had entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the military to provide protection for its mines and equipment but the military pulled out in February this year.

The legal teams for the mining company and the Attorney-General’s Department have declined to disclose the full content of the arbitration documents but the Daily Graphic has gathered that the government is engaging lawyers to legally battle it out with the mining company.

Documents on the case are yet to be uploaded on ICSID’s website.

The company recently reiterated its worry over the continued activities of illegal gold miners at its Obuasi Mine in the Ashanti Region.

It was particularly worried over the situation where illegal miners, popularly known as galamsey operators, had been looting the company’s high-grade gold-bearing material for months.

The Managing Director (MD) of AngloGold Ashanti’s Obuasi Mine, Mr Eric Asubonteng, told journalists recently that since the security forces were withdrawn at the beginning of February this year following a clash between the management of the Obuasi Mine and some illegal miners which led to the death of the mine’s corporate affairs manager, invasion of the mine’s concessions by illegal miners had continued undiminished.

He said the authorities had been informed of developments, including the damage being caused to the mine and the Obuasi community and the long-term prospects for the natural resource.

He stated that the hopes of AngloGold Ashanti were temporarily raised when it was announced that President Mahama had directed the return of the Ghana Army to the Obuasi Mine, adding, however, that on March 26, 2016, the military received an instruction to pull back to guard only certain limited parts of the mine.

“To this day, the illegal miners continue to operate with impunity on the richest parts of the ore body. We are at a loss to understand how a clear directive has been ignored. We fear serious and lasting consequences if the situation is allowed to continue,” Mr Asubonteng said.

For more news go to: www.graphic.com.gh

Korle Bu management develops strategic plan

The management of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has undertaken a three-day consensus building retreat to develop a new strategic plan for the hospital.

The retreat brought together the managers of the 14 departments of the hospital to deliberate on how to chart a new course and agenda for the nation’s premier health facility for the years ahead.

The retreat, the first of its kind in the history of the hospital, offered participants the platform to deliberate on the successes of and the challenges facing the facility and how to adopt innovative ways to improve upon its fortunes.

It also offered them the opportunity to voice their concerns and worries to the board and the entire management in order to find lasting solutions to them.

Resource persons included Professor Stephen Adei, a former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA); Prof. John Ahetor, a senior associate consultant for Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC); Dr Edward Kwapong, an HR practitioner, and Mrs Bridget Katsriku, the Chair of the Public Services Commission (PSC).

In his presentation, a Commissioner at the PSC, Mr Allotey Robertson, charged managers of the various departments to closely monitor and evaluate individual performances.

He observed that in many institutions, managers usually did not evaluate the performance of their subordinates individually.

“In Ghana, most managers tend to give every worker a satisfactory mark, which should not be the case. Every worker must be closely monitored and evaluated separately to know those doing well and those who are lagging behind,” he said.

In an interview, the Chief Executive Officer of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Gilbert Buckle, said the hospital was scaling up its activities to enhance its development in the years ahead.

That, he said, informed management’s decision to organise the programme to be able to plan for the years ahead and bring out a strategic plan which would serve as a reference point for all staff.

The Board Chairman, Prof. Anthony Mawuli Sallar, indicated that the hospital would address the communication gap between the management and the staff.

For more news go to: www.graphic.com.gh

Strange killings hits Twifo Praso

Panic and fear has gripped Twifo Praso residents following rise in strange ritual murders in the town.

Movements at Twifo Praso near Daamang in the Central Region, especially at night has grounded to a halt.

On Monday evening, residents were heard screaming and shouting on top of their voice that an unidentified lady has been murdered in cold blood. The victim, a middle-aged woman has had her breast removed and her chest cavity torn apart, with her private also removed.

Nyankonton Mu Nsem's Abubakar Nuhu narrating the incident said, this is not the first time such an incident has occurred.

According to him, residents claim that, some persons suspected to be ritual murderers and sakawa men have invaded the town.

Security in the area has been intensified to help bring the killers to book.

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP)

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has come out with 'the real story in the Allotey Jacobs saga'.

Rumours that were circulating on social media over the weekend indicated that the Central Regional Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress(NDC), Allotey Jacobs was arrested at the Heathrow Airport, UK, for allegedly engaging in money laundering.

The British High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin after the rumour emerged, denied that Allotey Jacobs had been arrested in the UK.

A section of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) started attacking Jon Benjamin and accused him of being the spokesperson of Allotey Jacobs and the NDC.

Meanwhile, Allotey Jacobs in an interview on PEACE FM morning show 'Kokrokoo' denied being arrested.

A statement signed by Nana Akomea, Communications Director, urged members of the NPP to desist from attacking Jon Benjamin.

Read full statement below

The New Patriotic Party wishes to urge all communicators, members, as well as sympathisers to not get involved in the unsavoury accusations against the British High Commissioner, Jon Benjamin, that he lied and aided corruption by defending the Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress.

Clearly, the British diplomat is not above criticism but it can be done without attacks on his person. The NPP finds the attacks against the integrity of Mr Jon Benjamin unsavoury and diversionary. What we believe Ghanaians must focus on are the issues bordering on incompetence and corruption which the trip by the NDC Regional Chairman represents.

We appreciate that the story over an alleged incident on the British Airways flight from Accra at Heathrow last Sunday involving Bernard Allotey Jacobs first emanated from a person who claimed, with evidence of presence, to have been an eyewitness on board that flight. Nevertheless, Ghanaians should have no reason to doubt the official statement issued by the representative of the British government in Ghana.

This “incident”, allegedly in the form of British Security Agencies boarding the said British Airways Flight from Accra to London and interrogating the Central Region Chairman on suspicion of money laundering, amongst other unproven allegations, according to the British High Commissioner, never happened, as per his thorough checks with the airport authorities.

In the absence of any form of evidence to prove otherwise, we urge all NPP members who have commented and may still be commenting on this issue to ceasefire and desist from attacking the British High Commissioner. We also condemn such baseless attacks.

Indeed, if there has been any diplomat who has been forthright and proactive in voicing his concerns about the high levels of corruption and incompetence in Ghana, it has been Jon Benjamin. From urging Small and Medium Enterprises in the country to demand government’s commitment to eliminate corruption and foster growth of the sector, to lamenting about government’s failure in not tackling corruption, Mr Benjamin’s pronouncements against rising levels of corruption in Ghana is well-documented and deserves commendation.

Indeed, the corruption and incompetence that have characterized the Mahama administration is readily evidenced in this “Allotey Bernard Saga” where the dealings of an important State institution, the National Petroleum Authority, is subjected to party cronyism and left in the hands of a board member who is bereft of the competence and expertise in the activities of the institution mandated to regulate, oversee and monitor the petroleum downstream industry in Ghana.

Authentix, a US company, which, according to Allotey Jacobs, has dealings with the NPA specializes in safeguarding clients in the refined fuels, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, agrochemicals and spirits industries from counterfeiting, product theft, product diversion, smuggling and adulteration. It is an interest player in procurements in the petroleum sector, which the NPA has oversight responsibility.

It is essentially a 2-week paid holiday for Mr. Allotey Jacobs. In one breadth, he claims the Board of Directors of the NPA sent him to Dallas to represent the company. In another breadth, he states that the entire cost of his trip is being funded by Authentix. Both issues raise red flags in Ghana and in the United States of America.

The trip raises some major questions:

1. What was the purpose of the trip that appeared to have been sanctioned by the NPA Board of Directors?

2. What was the Board of Directors’ thought process behind choosing Allotey Jacobs to represent the NPA? Did competence inform the decision to settle on him? And if so, which competency?

3. Was the business class return ticket sponsored by the NPA or by the US company as claimed publicly by the NDC Central Regional Chairman?

4. Did the company also sponsor the business class return ticket for Mrs Agbenotor, the other NPA staff who was on the trip?

5. Did the company also sponsor their hotel bills, as the lowest rate at the Westin Galleria Hotel, in Dallas, where Allotey Jacobs is staying, goes for $2,800 a night. Or, are Ghanaian taxpayers paying for the NDC Regional Chairman’s 12-day stay at the hotel, which is estimated to cost at least $33,600 or $67,200 for the two?

6. Is the US company also providing per diem and if so how much?

If this trip is sponsored by the Ghanaian taxpayer, we wish to know if it is in consonance with the recent directive from the Office of Chief of Staff, ostensibly issued to curtail wasteful, expensive, luxurious travels by public officials.

If Allotey Jacobs’ trip, as he boldly stated on radio Monday, is being funded by Authentix, then we wish to draw the attention of the United States government to a possible breach of Federal rules.

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, 15 U.S.C. §§ 78dd-1, et seq. ("FCPA"), was enacted for the purpose of making it unlawful for certain classes of persons and entities to make payments to foreign government officials to assist in obtaining or retaining business. Allotey Jacobs' claims on Citi FM's Eye Witness News, gives cause for Authentix to be investigated by the SEC for flouting the FCPA.

Based on this disclosure, there is a possibility of an infringement of this specific provision of the FCPA by Authentix, and the NPP is by this, drawing the attention of the United States Embassy to this potential breach.

The people of Ghana must see this usual habit of the NDC as highly unethical and smacking of the kind of corruption that has buried our nation under an ever-heaping pile of debts. It is wrong for a board member of state regulatory body such as the NPA to easily, willingly and boastfully open himself up to be corrupted by receiving perks from a company that has contractual interests in procurements to do with the very state agency for which the board member works.

This is just another example of the corruption and incompetence that have been the hallmark of John Mahama’s presidency.

We, however, encourage Ghanaian journalists not to be disturbed by the vile insults from the likes of Allotey Jacobs when they probe the propriety or otherwise of such actions by public officials.



….signed…

Nana Akomea

(Communications Director)

Kumkum Bhagya

Kumkum Bhagya is obstructing our local movies - kumawood Awards CEO

 

 Movie Producer cum Actor, Samuel Kwabena Darko widely known as Samdakus says consistent airing of Kumkum Bhagya and other soap operas on our television station is obstructing the growth of the local movie front.
He slammed television stations in Ghana for promoting foreign content than the local ones.
The Chief Executive Officer of KAFF Awards hinted that, the invasion of telenovelas on our local screens is killing the growth of the film industry.
Speaking in an interview with Fiifi Okran on Nhyira fm Entertainment Power, Samdakus stated that, the degrading and damaging aspect is that, whilst these Telenovelas steadily portray foreign cultures to the effect of our indigenous culture with scenes and acts is unwholesome, it is so harmful to the youth and future generation leaders of our country.
According to him,’’ the Ghanaian consumer of Television programmes of this sort is never to be left out when whipping out the pains.
He said, we all are also to be blamed in one way or the other for this cancerous beast which is gradually eating us up.
The Kumawood awards CEO told Entertainment Power that, television stations that show these series with the aim of entertaining their viewers are making things difficult for actors and movie producers in the country.
‘’ I think the government must put some strict measures in place to help curb this canker, I will suggest that the television stations will be given the directive to air 30% of the foreign materials and 70% of the local movies’’.
Samdakus called on the state institutions to place some restrictions to the airing of these foreign movies on our local television stations for the film industry to have a brighter future.
He said in pulling down this canker, industry players and stakeholders must all put their hands on deck including both the government and it agencies in finding effective means, measures, and strategies in curbing this curable disease

Video: Watch Dumas battle

 

Video: Watch Dumas battle Funke Akindle on Lip Sync Battle Africs

Funke Akindele brought her A-Game to the show when she lip synced Janet Jackson‘s 1986 classic ‘What Have You Done for Me Lately.

She was up against Ghanaian Actress Joselyn Dumas in a race to win the ‘Lip Sync Battle Africa‘ belt.

You can catch Lip Sync Battle Africa every Saturday at 6PM WAT on MTV Base Ch 322.

For her performance, Joselyn Dumas left the crowd gassed with her lip sync to Oleku by Ice Prince in a bid to win the Lip Sync Battle Africa belt against Funke Akindele.

For her performance, Joselyn Dumas left the crowd gassed with her lip sync to Oleku by Ice Prince in a bid to win the Lip Sync Battle Africa belt against Funke Akindele.

So who won?

Click 'Show Video'to watch Ghana's Joselyn Dumas' performance and Funke's video below:

NPP condemns

NPP condemns attacks on UK High Commissioner

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has condemned attacks on the UK High Commissioner, Jon Benjamin over his statement suggesting the alleged arrest of the Central Regional Chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) at the London Heathrow Airport was false.

A statement issued by the party and signed by the Director of Communications, Nana Akomea said the reputation of the UK High Commissioner in the country is unquestionable especially in the manner he has condemned corrupt practices of the government.

The NPP was reacting to the alleged arrest of the NDC Central Regional Chairman, Bernard Allotey Jacobs at Heathrow Airport, London on May 29.

Social media platforms were flooded with news of the arrest of the outspoken NDC Regional leader. There claims that he was apprehended for carrying on him the sum of 500, 000 British pounds whilst another account also said he was accosted for drug peddling.

The UK High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin reacted to the news when he took to twitter to debunk those claims. Later the High Commission issued an official statement affirming what its head had said earlier.

This action by the High Commission has angered many people who believe the UK is unnecessary interfering in domestic issues.

They condemned the High Commissioner claiming he is covering up for the Ghanaian government.

But the NPP believe otherwise saying such attacks on the reputation of the Jon Benjamin is baseless.

The party said the UK chief diplomat in Ghana “has been forthright and proactive in voicing his concerns about the high levels of corruption and incompetence in Ghana.”

“From urging Small and Medium Enterprises in the country to demand government’s commitment to eliminate corruption and foster growth of the sector, to lamenting about government’s failure in not tackling corruption, Mr Benjamin’s pronouncements against rising levels of corruption in Ghana is well-documented and deserves commendation,” the statement read.

social media

Shutdown social media if necessary – Group

If blocking social media for less than 24 hours will guarantee peace in Ghana on the day of election and beyond, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. John Kudalor, must not hesitate to carry out the action, Amass Ghana has suggested.

The Inspector General of Police stated that the Ghana Police Service is considering shutting down social media services during the November 7 general elections.

The move, according to him, is to curtail abuse of the social media platforms where members of the general public hide behind them to create tension.

His suggestion has been met with backlash by some members of the public, political parties and the Ghana Journalist Association.

But Amass Ghana, a peace advocacy network has urged the IGP not to be deterred from banning social media services if it could plunge Ghana into a state of anarchy. This was captured in a release copied to Peacefmonline.com.

They emphatically stated that they believes the IGP is on top of issues and is more enlightened on security details than several individuals and groups who have lambasted him for suggesting social media services could be banned on election day if the need be.

Full statement below

Amass Ghana has observed with great censure the commentary emanating from the public, political parties, Ghana Journalist Association, The Press Foundation and some persons from the inky fraternity pooh-poohing an open statement made by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. John Kudalor, hinting that, social media will face a temporal shutdown on the eve of the impending general elections, thus if things get critical.

Mr. John Kudalor was clear about the shutdown, “at one stage I was even saying that if it becomes critical on the eve of the election day we shall block all social media as other countries have done”, adding that if people are churning out the type of information which are quite false, then why not? The security of this nation is paramount.”

Amass Ghana is of the view that, no person is more enlightened on security details than the IGP as far as the security of this country is concern so why do we hear people with no security expertise calling the shots? One would have thought that those against the move were much better informed on the social media issues and its negative repercussions than such naked display of crass ignorant and infantile gimmicks.

We think this country is knee-deep in a state of conundrums, with tension oozing from every corner of this country, war drums are lying deep in our subconscious mind as thick as pebbles on the seashore, so shutting social media should be the least of our problems.

The problems which can derail us of our peace is far more critical than that of social media, with the arguments over a credible voter register, which have been scorched on our memories like a tyre tracks on virgin snow, so we think the media, politicians, public etc. should give it another lick.

Amass Ghana, a peace advocacy network, closely observing the activities trending on social media believes that, if issues of social media are not addressed properly, the peace we have all dotted-on can go bye-bye in a blink of an eye.

On this note, we will want to entreat Mr. John Kudalor not to hesitate to block social media platforms, should need be, besides if blocking social media for less than 24 hours will guarantee a safe sail through the eve of the elections then what are we to lose?

Thank you

Long Live Ghana

Long Live AmassGhana

…..signed……

Mr. Kofi Asamoah-Ababio
President

call off strike

JUSSAG likely to call off strike

The Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSSAG) has expressed some level of satisfaction with ongoing negotiation between themselves and government over concerns with their consolidated salaries.

JUSSAG has been on strike for the past two weeks over government’s failure to implement the consolidation of salaries and allowances for its members, more than a year after their request was forwarded for implementation.

Speaking to Citi News, President of JUSSAG, Alex Nartey said the Association is making progress with officials of the Employment Ministry and are closer to a resolution of the impasse.

“I have said that we are heading to closure of the industrial action except that there are certain issues we need to take a closer look at,” he added.

Mr. Nartey was however quick to add that another round of negotiations between government and JUSSAG “will commence on Wednesday.”

JUSSAG to continue strike

On Tuesday, JUSSAG indicated that it is continuing with its strike despite making some headway in its negotiations with government. The Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Haruna Iddrisu, on Monday expressed optimism that JUSSAG might call off its strike by close of Tuesday.

But speaking to the media after a national executive meeting on Tuesday, Mr. Nartey, said the Association is awaiting government’s definite response before calling off the strike.

NLC to return to court

Meanwhile the National Labour Commission (NLC) says it will head back to court today, for a new date for their case against members of JUSSAG to be heard.

Lawyers and officials of the NLC were not in court for the case in which the Commission is seeking an order to compel JUSSAG members to call off their strike.

But speaking to Citi News, the Executive Secretary of the NLC, Charles Adongo Bawa said the Commission “will get back to the Judicial Secretary for a new date to be fixed for the case to be called” if JUSSAG continues with its strike.

Attorney General

Attorney General in a ‘booby trap’ over Woyome’s case

Businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome has described as unlawful, the steps being taken by the State to sell his residential properties to defray a GH¢51.2 million judgement debt wrongfully paid to him.

The Attorney General attached four residential properties of Mr Woyome in execution of a Supreme Court judgement of July 29, 2014, which ordered him to refund the money on the grounds that he got it through unconstitutional and invalid contracts.

But just when the AG initiated the steps, the UT Bank laid claim to two of those residential properties at Trasacco in Accra, and proceeded to file a notice of claim at the High Court for the properties.

The AG has also filed a notice to dispute the claim by the UT Bank.

Notwithstanding the pending case, the Attorney General has in letter dated May 30, requested the Lands Commission to value the price of one of the said properties at Kpehe in Accra on June 2 to enable the State sell that property.

Per that letter signed by Chief State Attorney, Dorothy Afriyie Ansah, the AG also requested Mr Woyome to grant access to officers from the Land Valuation Division of the Lands Commission to undertake the valuation exercise.

This, lawyers of Mr Woyome say is unlawful in view of the fact that the said property is now a subject matter of a court case between Mr Woyome and the Manet Towers branch of UT Bank.

“It is remarkably curious that rather than ensuring that the pending matter before the court is determined, you have elected to ignore simple rudimentary procedure and in an inordinate haste, proceeding to have the said properties valued on the blind side of UT Bank,” the lawyers stated in a response letter dated May 31.

Accordingly, the lawyers stated in the letter signed by Ken Anku that in view of the circumstance, Mr Woyome is “constrained to observe” the said valuation exercise.

They wondered why the AG, who is the principal legal advisor to the government, is ignoring the law and placing “premium on booby trap”.

“While appreciating the notice to our client of your steps in the process of levying execution, we are unable to agree with your attempt to oust any notice to UT Bank and to that extent, the total disregard for the pending matter in court touching and concerning the subject matter under reference,” the lawyers said.

Background

On July 29, 2014, the Supreme Court ordered Woyome to refund GH¢51.2 million to the State on the basis that he got it through unconstitutional and invalid contracts between the State and Waterville Holdings Limited in 2006 for the construction of stadia for CAN 2008.

The court declared that the contracts upon which Woyome made and received the claim were in contravention of Article 181 (5) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, which requires such contracts to be laid before and approved by Parliament, the Daily Graphic reported.

The 11-member court, presided over by the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, was ruling on a review application filed by a former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Martin Amidu, who brought the initial action praying the court to order Woyome to pay the money.

June 14, 2013 judgement

The court had on June 14, 2013 directed the international construction firm Waterville Holdings Limited (BVI) to refund all the money paid to it by the Ghana government on the premise that it had no valid and constitutional contractual agreement with the government.

Waterville is expected to refund more than 25 million euros it received from the government following the court’s judgement.

A former Attorney General, Mr Martin Amidu, had, in the original suit, prayed the court to order Woyome to refund the money he had received as a result of the void contract the government had entered into with Waterville Holdings.

But the court declined jurisdiction over the issue, with the reason that the Attorney General was pursuing the matter at the Commercial Court to retrieve the money, which the court reversed its position on July 29, 2014 and thus quashed all processes at the Commercial Court.

Groupe Nduom

Groupe Nduom to meet with Ghanaians in Chicago

 

You might have heard it in the news recently that Groupe Nduom has acquired the Illinois-Service Federal Savings Bank (ISF Bank) in Chicago Illinois. The acquisition is historical as less than 10 percent of Banks in the USA are owned by Minority Blacks. Also, this is the first time, a Ghanaian, like you and I, have acquired a Bank here in the USA. In effect, this bank belongs to all Ghanaians in the Chicago community and beyond. Groupe Nduom has therefore asked that we organize a Town hall type meeting where Dr. Nduom and other members of Group Nduom will address the community and answer your questions.

The meeting is supported by the Ghana National Council and the Ghanaian Professionals of North America.

It is therefore our pleasure to invite you, to meet with Groupe Nduom. The meeting will detail some of the products that has been tailored to meet the community members, businesses or churches and other religious body's specific needs. Groupe Nduom will also want to hear from you so as to better serve you. In the interim, Group Nduom have planned the following:
• Designated a top bank official, who will deal directly with the Ghanaian Community. This they believe amongst others will make sure you are given the outmost attention when you conduct business at the ISF bank.
• Churches, Businesses and other individuals in the Ghanaian community who are considering to purchase properties such as a place of worship, houses, Town homes, cars or small scale business soft loans would get the best terms at the ISF bank.
• Group Nduom will partner with the leaders and members of the Ghanaian community to support some of the community's programs/activities and many others.

In the light of these, we are pleased to inform you that we have arrange a community Town Hall style meeting as follows:
Theme: Entrepreneurship, Groupe Nduom and the ISF Bank.
Date: June 18th 2016
Place: 5500 S. Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago IL 60637.
Time: 12 noon to 2 p.m. prompt.
In the meantime, please let us know if you have any suggestions by emailing hododiooho@aol.com or by calling 312-315-1934.
Sincerely,

Group Nduom
(Organizers)

[Video] June 3 survivors hunted by memories of tragedy

The Goil filling station at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra stood lifeless following the floods and explosion on June 3, 2015.

A year down the line, some survivors of the twin disaster are still being haunted by the scars left behind.

TV3’s Bridget Otoo visited the site to talk to some of the survivors.

She reports that the wounds of the survivors remain fresh and healing will take some time, especially for those who still shudder at sound of an impending storm.

Click to watch the video

NPP, NDC fail

 NPP, NDC fail to submit audited accounts

The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were among 19 political parties in the country who failed to meet the deadline of the Electoral Commission (EC) for the submission of audited financial records.

The EC issued a May 31 ultimatum to that effect but only seven out of twenty-five political parties presented their financial accounts for scrutiny as directed by the electoral body.

The EC in April threatened to apply sanctions in accordance with the law if the parties failed to comply with the requirement of the Political Parties’ Law Act 574.

The EC, among other things, requires political parties to submit audited accounts for the year. It also requires political parties to furnish the EC with details of the existence and location of their national, regional, district, and constituency offices.

Speaking to Class FM’s Paa Kwesi Parker-Wilson, the Director of Finance of the EC, Joseph Kwaku Asamoah, explained that the Commission would soon meet to take a decision on defaulters.

According to him, the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Convention People’s Party (CPP), National Democratic Party (NDP), Democratic People’s Party (DPP), Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Independent People’s Party (IPP) and the United Front Party (UFP) are the parties who have met the obligations.

“We have about 26 political parties in our books and 7 have been able to beat the deadline,” he stated.

He further noted that in their scheme of work “all political parties are equal, and [the EC] is no respecter of political parties”.

Mr Asamoah continued: “We wait to see the punitive measures [that the commission issues to the defaulters].

“The Commission is a very dialoguing institution and we will meet with the parties and whatever action will be communicated.”

From 2012, the NDC and NPP have failed to submit their financial records and Mr Asamoah indicates that “there must be an end to the road somewhere”.

“We cannot sit down aloof. The Commission in this wisdom thinks we need to ensure compliance and the provisions of the law were not established yesterday. It has been in the statute books since 2000; there must be an end to the road,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the PPP Nii Allotey Brew-Hammond says the EC must enforce the law to the letter if the political parties fail to meet the requirement.

“We have complied and our financial statement has been submitted and we have received acknowledgement letters from the EC. We are not asking the EC to do anything but to enforce the law. The EC must operationalize the law whatever form it takes. We want to let people know that the best way to develop the nation is to be law-abiding,” he underscored.

But Chairman for CPP Professor Edmund Delle said the electoral body risked being sued should it go ahead to withdraw the certificates of political parties that fail to meet its requirements.

“There should be a dialogue between the EC and these parties if it means giving them an extension. The smaller have something to contribute to multi-party democracy or finding a way to amend the law to be more inclusive than exclusive. It is likely that some of these smaller parties can also take the EC to court,” Prof Delle added.