President John Mahama has set up a high-powered inter-ministerial taskforce to deal with the galamsey menace in the country.
The taskforce which will be led by the Lands and Mines Minister Alhaji Inusah Fuseini has the herculean task to ensure that activities of illegal small scale miners come to an end.
The committee will include the Ministers for the Interior, Defence, Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration as well as Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.
Inaugurating the committee at the Flagstaff house President Mahama said galamsey is becoming a security threat that needs to be halted before it degenerates.
President Mahama says it is unacceptable that lives are being lost and our water bodies being destroyed as a result of activities of these illegal small scale miners.
He says the committee’s work takes immediate effect and should report on monthly bases to the Chief of Staff.
He charged the taskforce to actualize his determination to bring “sanity” into the mining sector, and to also ensure that the small scale mining sector is reserved for Ghanaians.
“I am sending a clear signal to the offending individuals and groupings that the government will not allow their activities to cause conflict, dislocation, environmental degradation and unemployment when in fact the sector should rather benefit our communities and our country.”
The president also gave directive to the committee to seize the equipment of small scale miners who have refused to register their activities and prosecute them.
Foreigners caught engaging in small scale mining should be deported, the president ordered.
He also asked the taskforce to revoke the license of Ghanaians who have subleased their concessions to foreigners.
Deputy Minister of Communication, Vickie Lakshmi Hamah has called on the Ghana Maritime Authority to protect the several submarine fibre optic cables that have been landed on the shores of Ghana to provide better telecom and internet service nationwide.
She made the call at the launch of the newly landed ACE (Africa Coast to Europe) submarine cable, which was brought in country by Expresso-Dolphin, to be managed by Expresso Ghana.
The US$700million 17,000km-long cable is owned by connects 23 countries and it is owned by a consortium of 19 companies, including Expresso-Dolphin, a partnership of the Expresso Group and Dolphin International.
ACE comes to Ghana with 5.12terabits/second capacity, to add to the country’s current huge fibre capacity of 7.2terabits/sec from the MTN’s WACS, Globacom’s Glo One, Vodafone’s SAT-3 and the independently-owned Main One.
Vickie Hamah noted that the additional fibre capacity promises to improve internet accessibility and quality across country, and create huge business opportunities, but vandalism and theft of submarine cables at sea could be a threat to the expected benefits.
“I therefore wish to add my voice to the call for the Maritime Authority to protect the investment made into acquiring and bringing these submarine cables to Ghana to ensure that the country derives full benefits from them,” she said.
She urged the Maritime Authority to involve the various fishing communities in education programs to the fisher folk would understand the importance of protecting rather than engaging in maritime practices that would damage the submarine cables.
The Deputy Minister noted that the first phase of the e-government project has been completed on the back of fibre optics infrastructure installed inland to provide connectivity between all state institutions and agencies; and work is also ongoing on the National Fibre Optic Backbone to provide internet access to the remote parts of the country.
Vickie Hamah said other aspects of the e-government project such as e-Justice, e-Parliament, e-Service, e-Health, e-Education and others are expected to come on stream in the remaining phases of the project, adding that huge fibre capacity available to the country would boost the availability and effectiveness of all these platforms aside boosting private business.
“I am happy to report that the Ghana Internet Service Providers Association has informed government that 45% of the internet traffic is currently handled locally through the system internet exchange point,” she said.
She is hopeful that this could get better going forward, but critical to that better future is the need to protect the “gargantuan” investment made in the submarine cables through improved maritime security.
Managing Director of Expresso, El Amir Ahmed El Amir is confident the ACE cable would help to improve telecoms and data service in the country in terms of the diversity of routes, quality of service and even price to the consumer.
He noted that there is an expected data consumption boom in West Africa over the next three to five years and the huge bandwidth capacity in Ghana now, places the country in a very advantageous position to take full advantage of the boom.
Deputy Director General of National Communication Authority (NCA), Albert Eninful observed the need for more affordable smartphones like the new Nokia Asha 501 and Huawei’s 4Afrika Ascend W1 to come to Ghana so most Ghanaians can have access to the internet through mobile broadband.
Airtel Ghana says it is giving customers and prospective customers interested in owning a Samsung Galaxy S4 or Blackberry Z10 handset 250minutes free voice calls to all local networks and 750MB of data a month for a period of three months from the day of purchase.
Head of Corporate Communications & External Affairs at Airtel Ghana, Donald Gwira told Adom Business the handset would be sold to customers at the existing market price, so the additional value comes at no cost to the user so long as they stay on Airtel.
“The S4 and Z10 are devices a section of our markets have yearned for and we believe that what we are offering will excite them”, he said.
Gwira added that with the introduction of both phones in all Airtel Shops across the country, Airtel Ghana is positioning itself as the preferred network of use for the new devices from Samsung and BlackBerry.
Meanwhile, Samsung is urging all of its dealers to offer a one year payment plan for the Galaxy S4 to customers, but Gwira said for now the S4 is being distributed on upfront payment terms at GHC1,550, adding that “any changes to this arrangement will be communicated to our customers.”
Marketing Director at Airtel Ghana, Ashish Malhotra also noted that the company had always sought to offer customers exciting deals, adding: “We know that Samsung and BlackBerry are among the favorite handsets of our customers and so we are offering them and especially new customers, what they crave for.”
Malhotra said Airtel expects new customers to jump aboard the network for a great experience as quality phones work better on a quality network.
It could cost about 100 thousand dollars for an audit to be carried out on pink sheet exhibits in the on-going election petition case.
This is what Joy Business has gathered could be the estimated fee for the review by accounting firm, KPMG.
The Presiding Judge in the election petition case, Justice Atuguba on Thursday ordered an audit of the exhibits following a challenge of the figures by lawyer for respondents, as submitted by the petitioners.
Joy Business has learnt, KPMG is even yet to be officially written to before they can even give their quotes for the job.
Sources say the cost is expected to cover what could be described as “the high risk nature” of the audit, and the personnel required to carry out the work.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has ordered parties in the case to pay a deposit of 15,000 cedis as administrative fee for the auditing.
This should mean that each of the parties would pay 5,000 Ghana cedis. The amount is to be used in settling part of the auditing by accounting firm, KPMG.
Samson Lardy Ayenin, a Lawyer, speaking on the Super Morning ShowFriday, believes the parties in the case are likely to bear most of the cost for the audit.
KPMG is a global network of professional firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. The firm has 145, 000 professionals working in 152 countries worldwide.
David Moyes has been handed a six-year contract by Manchester United and will succeed Sir Alex Ferguson on 1 July.
Moyes, who leaves Everton after 11 years in charge at Goodison Park, was Ferguson’s recommendation to succeed him as manager at Old Trafford.
Moyes, 50, was out of contract at Everton at the end of the season.
“We unanimously agreed on David Moyes,” said Ferguson, who announced his retirement on Wednesday after 26 years as United boss.
“David is a man of great integrity with a strong work ethic. I’ve admired his work for a long time and approached him as far back as 1998 to discuss the position of assistant manager here.
“There is no question he has all the qualities we expect of a manager at this club.”
Moyes, who will be introduced as United boss in “due course”, said it was “a great honour” to be appointed as the new manager of the Premier League champions.
“I am delighted that Sir Alex saw fit to recommend me for the job. I have great respect for everything he has done and for the football club,” added the Scot.
“I know how hard it will be to follow the best manager ever, but the opportunity to manage Manchester United isn’t something that comes around very often and I’m really looking forward to taking up the post next season.”
Moyes, described as having “all the skills needed to build on United’s phenomenal legacy” by incoming chief Ed Woodward, also paid tribute to current club Everton and vowed to remain fully committed until the end of the season.
“I have had a terrific job at Everton, with a tremendous chairman and board of directors, and a great set of players. Between now and the end of the season, I will do everything in my power to make sure we finish as high as possible in the table.
“Everton’s fantastic fans have played a big part in making my years at Goodison so enjoyable and I thank them wholeheartedly for the support they have given me and the players. Everton will be close to me for the rest of my life.”
Everton said in a statement: “The chairman, on behalf of the club, would like to place on record his thanks to David for the massive contribution he has made to Everton since his arrival in March 2002. He has been an outstanding manager.”
Moyes was installed as favourite to leave Everton for United following a rush of bets over the weekend, even before speculation mounted about Ferguson’s retirement.
Ferguson, who stays at Old Trafford as a director and ambassador, has had a close relationship with his successor throughout his managerial career and, as he confirmed on Thursday, considered appointing him as his assistant when Moyes was in charge at Preston North End.
Moyes had insisted he would make any decision on his Everton future until the end of the season, but has now accepted the challenge of succeeding the man many have seen as his mentor.
He has won widespread acclaim for consistently guiding Everton into the upper reaches of the Premier League on a limited budget, including reaching the qualifying stages of the Champions League in 2005, when they lost to eventual semi-finalists Villarreal.
Moyes has not won a trophy in his time at Goodison Park but United’s hierarchy – and no doubt Ferguson – have been impressed by the stability he has brought and his ability to keep Everton punching above their financial weight.
He now has the challenge of continuing Ferguson’s successes as United defend the Premier League title they clinched on 22 April and is expected to have transfer resources that are vast compared to those he enjoyed at Everton.
One of his first tasks will be to resolve the future of Wayne Rooney. The England striker had told the club he wants to leave, but could still be persuaded to stay should he receive assurances that he is central to Moyes’s plans.
Moyes will also be charged with plotting United’s campaign to win back the Champions League trophy they last won against Chelsea in Moscow in 2008.
Meanwhile, Wigan manager Roberto Martinez and Swansea boss Michael Laudrup have both been strongly linked with a move to Goodison Park to replace Moyes.
American Hip hop act DeAndre Cortez Way better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em, or simply Soulja Boy, has included Ghana in his African Tour this year and is set to headline a major musical concert in Accra.
The African Tour which is powered by Swag Family Legacy Entertainment in collaboration with EDGE53, is set to host Soulja Boy in three African countries. The Ghana edition of the tour is set to take place at the Accra International Conference Centre this year.
Soulja Boy will share the stage with some of Africa’s best acts from Nigeria and Ghana. Already, word about Soulja Boys’ concert in Ghana is making rounds in gossip circles.
Rumor has it that Soulja Boy is far advanced with plans of signing a Ghanaian artiste to his SODMG record label and that signed artiste would be the headliner for the concert. It further went to tell that Soulja Boy would be signing artistes from each of the African countries he performed.
The American rapper has a huge loyal fan base in Ghana. An astounding performer by industry standards, he is sure to deliver a thrilling soft-sell debut performance in the West African country.
He had his major breakthrough in September 2007, his single “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was initially self-published on the internet, and it later became a number-one hit in the United States for seven non-consecutive weeks starting in September 2007. On August 17 Way, was listed at #18 on the Forbes list of Hip-Hop Cash Kings of 2010, earning $7 million for that year
It was followed by hit tracks including Kiss Me Thru the Phone” and “Turn My Swag On” (iSouljaBoyTellem) and “Pretty Boy Swag” (The DeAndre Way)..
His works have extensively featured award winning artistes such as Jay Z, Kanye West, Eminem, Lil Wayne and many others
The very creative hip hop act that is, Soulja Boy, has been nominated and won several awards ranging from the BET Awards, BET Hip-Hop Awards, Grammy Awards, Ozone Awards, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, Teen Choice Awards
Most of his tracks are very popular among the hiphop community here in Ghana.
The above laurels are a confirmation of why his coming to Ghana is unique in every sense of the word. The organizers have said the musical experience at the Conference Centre would offer a chance to his core fan base here in Ghana, to witness live in action, one of the best lyrical MC’s in the hiphop world.
Microsoft has extended a guarantee that provides Yahoo with financial protection as part of the two companies’ Internet search partnership.
An arrangement requiring Microsoft Corp. to pay Yahoo Inc. a minimum amount per search on Yahoo’s website expired March 31. That had raised concerns Yahoo might make less money from the Microsoft partnership.
Those worries eased Tuesday with a Yahoo regulatory filing that disclosed Microsoft is maintaining the revenue-per-search guarantee through March 2014.
Yahoo rose 90 cents, or 3.6 percent, to close Tuesday at $26.07. It’s the first time the stock has closed above $26 in nearly five years, continuing an upturn that began after Yahoo hired former Google executive Marissa Mayer as its CEO nearly 10 months ago. The shares have surged by 67 percent since Mayer’s arrival.
Yahoo, based in Sunnyvale, Calif., didn’t reveal the minimum amount that it’s likely to see under the Microsoft guarantee. But Yahoo Chief Financial Officer Ken Goldman told analysts last month that Yahoo’s revenue would decline by about $50 million to $60 million during the rest of this year without the guaranteed Microsoft payments.
Microsoft extended the guarantee on April 30, retroactive to April 1, according to Yahoo’s filing.
This is the second time that Microsoft has extended the guarantee since its 10-year search partnership with Yahoo began in 2010. The guarantee originally was supposed to expire in late 2011, but Microsoft agreed to protect Yahoo for a longer period because its technology hasn’t been generating as much advertising revenue as the two sides anticipated.
The alliance calls for Microsoft to provide its search technology to Yahoo in exchange for 12 percent of the revenue from search ads on Yahoo’s site.
The disappointing performance of the search partnership is one of the reasons that Yahoo fell into a financial funk that battered its stock. Yahoo posted modest revenue growth last year, the first gain since 2008.
Yahoo’s filing contained other good news besides the extension of the Microsoft guarantee. The documents also provided more details about the robust growth at Alibaba Group, a Chinese Internet company in which Yahoo owns a 24 percent stake.
Alibaba’s earnings last year more than doubled to $642 million while its revenue climbed 80 percent to $1.8 billion. That was illuminating information because Alibaba is still a privately held company. Alibaba is expected to go public within the next two years, giving Yahoo a chance to reap a huge windfall by selling its shares in the company.
The management of Kumasi Asante Kotoko has officially written to their arch-rivals Accra Hearts of Oaks requesting for the services of their prolific striker, Mahatma Otoo, A1 Radio understands.
Otoo, who has less than six months left on his contract with the Phobians is not showing signs of extending his contract after management of the club had promised to increase his wage bill.
He has, however, been linked to several clubs including the Kumasi-based club after negotiations with Hearts have not been successful.
The Reds on Thursday submitted an official written letter to the Hearts secretariat through their Greater Accra Representatives, Nana Kwame Danquah, late in the afternoon.
Nonetheless, A1 radio sources within the Reds reveal that aside Otoo the technical team has also shown enormous interest in Moro Abubakar after critically following his performance in the Ghana Premier League.
This would also follow with a written request to Hearts for his services next week to pave way for talks to begin between the two parties.
The Porcupine Warriors are certain they would retain the league title to return to Africa next season so they could use the Hearts duo.
Both players are integral part of the Rainbow team that is on a redemption mission in the ongoing Ghanaian Glo Premier League.
Following recent labour unrest in the country, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana has called on government, Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and other stakeholders to demonstrate their willingness to end the spate of labour crisis.
While appealing to the striking doctors to call off their strike, the church has also appealed to government to be truthful to its commitments and readiness to negotiate and if possible write down an undertaking to promise to paying the doctors.
The Presbyterian Church also appealed to labour unions not to resort to entrenched positions but allow due process involving negotiations. This was made known in a communiqué issued by the Upper Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana at the end of its third Annual Presbytery Conference held in Nalerigu and presented in Bolgatnga on Tuesday.
Revered Esmond Wasau Nagba is chairperson of the Upper Presbytery and read the statement on behalf of the church. “Presbytery observes that there have been few issues bordering peace and security of this country, especially in the first quarter of this year”.
While government hopes to end the current load shedding exercise by Friday, the Presbyterian Church has observed that the power crisis has brought untold hardship to both domestic and industrial users who depend on power for productivity, profit and survival.
On the issue of the ministerial swapping, the presbyterian church commends the move made by president John Mahama saying it is a way of finding solutions to agitations and defusing tensions surrounding the ministerial appointments due ethnocentrism. “Presbytery observes the current controversies surrounding aspects of the SADA initiatives”.
“Presbytery urges all key actors and beneficiaries to be sincere and ensure that this initiative is de-politicized and be allowed to be the pro-poor programe that was meant to lift the Volta, Brong Ahafo, Central and Northern poor farmer from economic misery to some level of economic liberation”.
The statement further commended all Ghanaians for the generally peaceful reaction to the outcome of the 2012 general elections. The Presbyterian Church urges the two main political parties to remain calm while the Supreme Court hears the election 2012 case.
If your child walks in on you during an intimate moment, you need to tailor your response to the child’s age, experts say.
It’s a moment that not all parents have experienced, but that many of us fear: You’re enjoying a passionate encounter with your partner, oblivious to the pitter-patter of little feet until it’s too late.
Have you just scarred your kid for life? Certainly not — but, depending on your child’s age, you might have some explaining to do.
“Being walked in on during sex is a very common experience — and a great example of why it is important to knock first, and always respect someone’s privacy,” says sexologist Logan Levkoff.
“But before you say anything to your child, you are going to need to determine what they heard, saw, and if they even care about what was going on.”
I believe that how you should address these questions or concerns depends on your child’s age.
For example, most experts agree that parents shouldn’t worry about being intimate near their baby.
“Many families choose co-sleeping with babies, or having babies in the parental bedroom,” explains psychotherapist Jennifer Naparstek Klein.
“It doesn’t seem harmful for there to be parental sexuality while a baby snoozes or is nearby in various states of alertness. Babies cannot process what the parents are doing, so it has no significance to them.”
Here are some considerations for every age group:
Toddlers: Some young children may be oblivious to sex, while others may need reassurance.
“Children sometimes think something violent or frightening is happening, and that should be addressed,” says sex therapist Margie Nichols. “When my son was a toddler, he thought his stepdad was ‘hurting’ me because, well, we were way too loud and even very late at night my son could hear us.”
Explain that you and your partner were having a private moment and that you weren’t hurting each other, and leave it at that unless your child has more questions.
Elementary-age children: Kids this age have some curiosity about sex, but at the same time, they generally want to steer away from the subject.
“Always follow your child’s lead on what they can handle,” suggests Klein. “If they get too uncomfortable with sex talk, save it for a later time.”
Tweens: By this age, many kids know what’s going on and may even make noises of loud disgust if they walk in on you by accident. Yet it’s a great time to give your child the idea that sex is a private, enjoyable activity that takes place in adult relationships, says Nichols.
Teens: “Older kids are sometimes amused when they guess that their parents have been sexual, but if it’s in their faces too much of the time, it can create discomfort and anxiety,” says Klein.
“Teens can better handle the idea of their parents as sexual beings, but they really don’t need to see it. Ask any teenager: They’ll tell you themselves whether they want to see their parents getting it on. I promise you, the answer is no.”
But these days, you don’t just have to worry about your child walking in on a private moment — you may also have to explain other things encountered in or out of the home, such as sex toys, self-pleasuring and even pornography.
“The average age a kid sees porn is 10. It’s everywhere and it’s naive to think your kid won’t see it,” says sexual health educator Amy Lang of Birds + Bees + Kids.
“Tell them about porn before they stumble across it: ‘Sometimes people look at pictures or videos of people having sex. This is called pornography, or porn. It’s not for kids, and your heart and mind aren’t ready to see something like this. You won’t be in trouble if you do, but I need to make sure you are OK.'”
However you choose to talk about sex, “you want to remain low-key, not emotional. Try to assess where your child is coming from and what his or her unspoken questions might be, give appropriate information and be sex-positive,” says Nichols.
Take some steps to prevent a repeat performance: Install a lock on your bedroom door, encourage kids to knock, play soft music or the TV for white noise at night, and schedule “private parent time” when your child knows not to disturb you.
But don’t keep all intimacy behind closed doors. “Being affectionate — not sexual — in front of your children can be a wonderful thing,” says Levkoff.
“Kids should know that there is physical love and intimacy and we model for them how to express that in healthy ways.” So kiss, hug, cuddle, and hold hands with your partner.
