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Contractor stopped work after taking ¢4.5 million for Covid-19 treatment centre in Nalerigu – Auditor General

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The Auditor-General has cited Makro Structures Limited for abandoning the Covid-19 isolation and treatment centre project at Nalerigu in the North East Region.

According to the audit service, the contractor was awarded the GH¢15 million project by government on May 11, 2020, and was due for completion in October 2022.

It was subsequently paid GH¢4.5 million, representing 30 per cent of the total amount, to commence the design, construction and equipping of the centre.

However, the Auditor-General, in its latest report on government’s Covid-19 expenditure between March 2020 and June 2022, indicated that Makro Structures Limited, after commencing work in October 2021, completed up to 10 per cent of the construction work and left the site in December 2021.

“A written communication from the director of the Infrastructure Directorate indicates that the director had made several efforts to get the contractor to the site, but the contractor was unwilling to continue.

“The absence of a performance bond has contributed to the difficulty in recovering the amount paid to the contractor for non-performance,” reads part of the audit report.

The Auditor-General, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, also noted that the abandonment was hampering government’s efforts to establish a treatment and holding centre in the North East Region.

He, however, recommended that the Chief Director should recover the mobilisation amount, terminate the contract and re-award the construction of the project to a more committed contractor.

Meet Paul Mashatile’s Parents

Caleb Qwofi Right
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Paul Mashatile is a South African politician and member of the African National Congress (ANC).

He has served in various leadership positions within the ANC and the government, including as Premier of Gauteng, the country’s economic heartland, and currently as Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology.

Paul Mashatile was born in 1957 in Atteridgeville, a township west of Pretoria. He began his political career in the 1980s as a member of the ANC Youth League, where he was actively involved in fighting apartheid. He was arrested and imprisoned several times during this period for his political activities.

After the fall of apartheid in 1994, Mashatile was elected to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, where he served as the ANC’s Chief Whip. In 2000, he was appointed the provincial MEC (Member of the Executive Council) for Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, a position he held until his election as Premier of Gauteng in 2008. He served as Premier of Gauteng from May 2008 to May 2014.

As Premier, Mashatile was credited with implementing policies that helped improve the province’s economic growth and social development. He also played a key role in the establishment of the Gauteng City-Region Observatory, which aimed to improve the coordination and planning of development in the province.

After serving as Premier, Mashatile was appointed as Minister of Arts and Culture, a position he held until 2019. In 2019, he was appointed Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology. He still holds this position. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the development and promotion of the country’s cultural and creative industries, as well as the promotion of science and technology.

Mashatile has been a vocal advocate for the rights of the poor and marginalized, and is known for his strong commitment to social justice and equality. He is also a strong supporter of the arts and culture and has been instrumental in promoting the development of the country’s creative industries.

Throughout his career, Mashatile has been actively involved in the ANC and has held several leadership positions within the party. He is currently a member of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and has served as the ANC’s Gauteng Chairperson.

As a member of the NEC, Mashatile has been a vocal advocate for the renewal of the party, calling for the ANC to become more responsive to the needs of the people and more accountable to its members. He is also a strong supporter of the party’s alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Communist Party (SACP).

In summary, Paul Mashatile is a respected political figure in South Africa, known for his strong commitment to social justice and equality, and has played a key role in shaping the country’s political and economic landscape as a leader in the African National Congress (ANC) and as a Premier and Minister in the government.

He was born as the son of Mr. Mashatile and Marriam Nomvula Mashatile. His mother was a domestic worker, his father a layman.

Over 1 million doses of vaccines expired – Auditor-General

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The Auditor-General’s report noted that Section 83 of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) requires the head of the procuring entity to convene a committee of inquiry comprising representatives of departments with obsolete stocks to report on the items and, subject to a technical report on them, recommend the best method of disposal.

The report found that 1,022,348 doses of vaccines received at the National Cold Store and distributed to user facilities in the various districts and regions had expired.

According to the Auditor-General, the programme manager stated that the vaccines were donated vaccines that were delivered to them close to their expiry date.

The vaccines could inadvertently/mistakenly be distributed among healthy people for vaccination, which could pose a public health threat to the country.

“We recommended that the Director of Public Health should ensure that the vaccines are disposed of safely,” the Auditor General said.

Management responded that, as part of public health measures, these vaccines are not stored in the cold room at all, so that they are not inadvertently distributed among safe vaccines.

Rather, they are kept outside the cold room and transported to the Regional Health Directorate for destruction in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Management also indicated that as part of the SOPs and in accordance with the law, management is working with a team comprising the Food and Drugs Authority, the Ghana Health Service, health partners (including WHO and/or UNICEF), the Environmental Health Department of the relevant local government, the Environmental Protection Agency and other departments to dispose of the expired vaccines.

Okudzeto lays out more of the evidence against Pastor Kusi Boateng

CALEB QWOFI RIGHT
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The Member of Parliament for the North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has presented further evidence to support his claims that the Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral Secretariat, Reverend Victor Kusi Boateng, has two Tax Identification Numbers (TINs).

Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa was responding to claims by supporters of Reverend Kusi Boateng that he has two TINs.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP on Monday 19 January presented evidence to show that Pastor Kusi Boateng is the same person as Kwabena Adu Gyamfi, the third director of the JNS Talent Centre.

His exposé, which was officially reported to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) the same day, has been challenged by some, including Rev Kusi Boateng.

But he insists his evidence is ‘undeniable’.

What is it that we want to see before we start to take things seriously?-Kofi Bentil

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Kofi Bentil-IMANI

The Vice President of policy think-tank IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has berated the government over its decision to go ahead with the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) despite several calls to reconsider the decision.

According to him, Ghana’s ‘rush’ to proceed with the programme is ‘abnormal and arrogant in approach’.

The government has stressed that the domestic debt exchange programme is part of a broader agenda to restructure the country’s debt and financial sustainability, noting that countries such as Jamaica, Greece and Barbados have gone through similar routes to support their ailing economies.

But Kofi Bentil, in a Facebook post, questioned the government’s haste and modus operandi, noting that the aforementioned countries took months before finalising their decision.

He also touched on the plight of individual bondholders who would be hit hard by the move.

“Ghana’s rush to do a Domestic Debt Exchange (DDE) is abnormal and arrogant in its approach. It took Jamaica 30 months. It took Barbados 18 months. It took Grenada 30 months. It is NOT easy because you are asking people to give you their property. You can’t stampede them!”

Kofi Bentil also took the Ministry of Finance to task in the said Facebook for failing to coordinate and work out solutions with the creditors involved.

“The Ministry of Finance has failed to bear the cost of coordinating with local creditors and co-creating the solution with them. Everywhere we have seen successful debt restructuring, the government has done it. Bar none,” he added.

He went on to warn the government that “if we don’t get this right, it will become a systemic, full-blown economic disaster and later a national security disaster. What do we want to see before we get serious?”

I’m confident that we’re going to get the IMF Board to approve the bailout by March 2023, -Ofori-Atta

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KEN

The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has said he is confident that Ghana will win the approval of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) board for the $3 billion bailout it is seeking in March 2023.

According to him, the government hopes to prove to the IMF board that its debt is sustainable by completing its move to join the Paris Club and its domestic debt exchange programme.

“I’m confident that we will get it (the IMF board’s approval of the bailout). But as I said earlier, we have a deadline of the end of February for the Paris Club and so we have to be able to do that. And in the meantime, we would have completed our domestic debt exchange programme.

“And therefore to be able to go to the board in March to implement that,” he said in an interview on JoyNews’ PM Express programme on Thursday, monitored by Countryghana.

Asked if the government was hoping to get approval from the IMF board in March and not February as stated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Ofori-Atta said, “That is correct… that is correct.”

The Finance Minister said government is working with the IMF to ensure that Ghana’s IMF agreement is approved by the board before the end of March 2023.

“We joined the fund’s programme in July (2022), and the president said we should have our SLA (Staff-Level Agreement) by the end of the year. And it looked impossible because it really hadn’t been done before and between the fund and the government of Ghana, we worked hard and we were able to do that.

“So we are working in the same spirit and I expect that we should be able to do this,” he said.

Mr Ofori-Atta added that the IMF agreement would help resolve Ghana’s balance of payments difficulties and thus kick-start the country’s economic recovery process.

The IMF and the Government of Ghana have reached a staff-level agreement on economic policies and reforms to be supported by a new three-year arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) of about US$3 billion on 13 December 2022.

In a statement posted on the Fund’s website, the IMF mission chief for Ghana, Stéphane Roudet, said, “I am pleased to announce that the IMF team has reached a staff-level agreement with the Ghanaian authorities on a three-year programme supported by an arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) of SDR 2.242 billion, or about US$3 billion.”

“The economic programme aims to restore macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability, while laying the foundation for stronger and more inclusive growth.”

The statement also noted that the staff-level agreement is subject to approval by the IMF’s management and Executive Board, and receipt of the necessary financing assurances from Ghana’s partners and creditors.

Parents of Siobhan Finneran Who are Siobhan Finneran’s parents?

Caleb Qwofi Right
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Siobhan Finneran is an English actress and prolific television documentary narrator, officially known as Siobhan Margaret Finneran.

She developed a love for acting at an early age and was born on April 27, 1966 in Oldham, United Kingdom. In a career spanning over 3 decades, Siobhan Finneran has been consistent.

After studying theater, she made her screen debut in the independent film Rita, Sue, and Bob Too in 1987. She has also appeared in a variety of television drama series including Coronation Street, Clocking Off and The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard.
Siobhan Finneran played the female lead in On the Shore of the Wide World, winning the Manchester Evening News Theatre Award for her performance.

She played a lawyer in the miniseries Unforgiven, an embittered servant in the first three series of the costume drama Downton Abbey, and a recovering addict in Happy Valley. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 2017 British Academy Television Awards.

She has risen to become one of the most sought-after performers in the entertainment industry. In January 2023, Siobhan Finneran made headlines when she reprised her role as Clare in the third and final series of Happy Valley, which aired on BBC One & BBC iPlayer in the UK.

Parents of Siobhan Finneran Who are Siobhan Finneran’s parents?

Siobhan Finneran was born in Oldham, UK to Irish parents. Not much is known about Siobhan Finneran’s parents as they live their lives away from the limelight.

Information regarding their name, date of birth, age, height, weight and whether they are still alive or not was not available at the time of writing this article.

Who are the siblings of Richard Riakporhe? Does he have sisters?

Caleb Qwofi Right
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Richard Riakporhe is a talented British professional boxer who was the holder of the British cruiserweight title from the year 2019 to September, 2020.

Let’s learn more about Richard Riakporhe’s siblings.

Richard Riakporhe Biography
Richard Riakporhe opened his eyes for the very first time on the 5th of January, 1990 in London, in the United Kingdom.

Talking about Richard’s education, he graduated from Kingston University in London, earning a degree in Marketing Communications and Advertising in 2015.

At the age of 15, he was stabbed in the chest outside a house party, requiring emergency surgery to drain blood from his lungs.

He is British by nationality and mixed by ethnicity. His religion is Christian and his race is black.

Richard recently celebrated his 32nd birthday in January 2022, and according to his birthdate, his star sign is Capricorn.

Richard Riakporhe is 6’5″ (196 cm) tall and his physique type is athletic. He has short black hair and dark brown eyes.

He had a late start in boxing; he first stepped into a gym, the Lynn ABC, at the age of 19.

He made his professional debut on August 6, 2018, defeating Jason Jones at the York Hall in London, winning a four round points decision (PTS).

On March 2, 2019, he made the first defense of his WBA title against Tommy McCarthy at the East of England Arena in Peterborough.

On October 2, 2021, he returned from a nearly two-year layoff to face Krzysztof Twardowski. He won the fight by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 79-72.

He later defeated Olanrewaju Durodola with a fifth-round technical knockout to capture the vacant WBC Silver cruiserweight title.

Riakporhe is also booked to face Fabio Turchi on March 26, 2022 in the main event of a BOXXER Fight Night card taking place at Wembley Arena, London, England. He won the fight by knockout, dropping Jumah with a right straight to the body early in the eighth round.

Richard Riakporhe has already made a name for himself. He has a net worth of between $1 million and $5 million as of 2022.

He also earns a handsome amount of salary, which is in the range of thousands of dollars per year.

Richard Riakporhe’s parents are originally from Nigeria, but he was born and raised in Walworth, London.

Who are the siblings of Richard Riakporhe? Does he have sisters?

At this time, there is no record of any siblings of Richard Riakporhe or who his brothers and sisters might be.

I would never leave marriage over infidelity – Patience Ozokwo

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Patience

Nollywood actress, Patience Ozokwor, popularly known as Mama G, has explained why she would never advise anyone to leave a marriage because of infidelity.

Patience Ozokwor, popularly known as Mama G, has explained why she would never advise anyone to leave a marriage because of infidelity.

The veteran actress made the assertion during a popular cooking show, Mercy’s Menu, hosted by her colleague, Mercy Johnson Okojie.

According to Mama G, she would not allow anyone to leave their marriage for a “visitor”.

“Would you advise someone to leave if there’s infidelity?” Mercy asked.

“Me, I’m not going to leave my house for anybody, you’re the visitor who came in. Find your way out,” Mama G replied.

“I will so keep my family, so polish it, and sweep out all the debts, and then had a peaceful home again”.

Mercy went on to ask, “Even if the infidelity is constant?”

“If the infidelity is constant, it is the one who is an infidel who should go out. I don’t leave my house for anybody,” Mama G replied.

The movie star also spoke about why she wouldn’t advise divorce in marriages, but separation instead, adding that God is not against separation, but he despises divorce.

“God is not against separation. What God doesn’t want is divorce. God is not saying that we should not divorce because sometimes he does not know that we have offended – no,” she said.

“Coming from a Christian background, we are not allowed to divorce.

“If you pray and the man turns around to become something else, run for your life because only those who are alive can tell the story. If you are dead, no one can tell your story for you.

“For me, marriage is forever, till death do us part. That is the way I brought up my children. What we have today amazes me.

“I feel sorry for the children they give birth to, because I don’t know how they could learn anything better from their parents.

Girlfriend of Richard Riakporhe: With whom does Richard Riakporhe date?

Caleb Qwofi Right
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0

Richard Riakporhe is a talented British professional boxer who was the holder of the British cruiserweight title from the year 2019 to September, 2020.

Let’s learn more about Richard Riakporhe’s siblings.

Richard Riakporhe opened his eyes for the very first time on the 5th of January, 1990 in London, in the United Kingdom.

Talking about Richard’s education, he graduated from Kingston University in London, earning a degree in Marketing Communications and Advertising in 2015.

At the age of 15, he was stabbed in the chest outside a house party, requiring emergency surgery to drain blood from his lungs.

He is British by nationality and mixed by ethnicity. His religion is Christian and his race is black.

Richard recently celebrated his 32nd birthday in January 2022, and according to his birthdate, his star sign is Capricorn.

Richard Riakporhe is 6’5″ (196 cm) tall and his physique type is athletic. He has short black hair and dark brown eyes.

He had a late start in boxing; he first stepped into a gym, the Lynn ABC, at the age of 19.

He made his professional debut on August 6, 2018, defeating Jason Jones at the York Hall in London, winning a four round points decision (PTS).

On March 2, 2019, he made the first defense of his WBA title against Tommy McCarthy at the East of England Arena in Peterborough.

On October 2, 2021, he returned from a nearly two-year layoff to face Krzysztof Twardowski. He won the fight by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 79-72.

He later defeated Olanrewaju Durodola with a fifth-round technical knockout to capture the vacant WBC Silver cruiserweight title.

Riakporhe is also booked to face Fabio Turchi on March 26, 2022 in the main event of a BOXXER Fight Night card taking place at Wembley Arena, London, England. He won the fight by knockout, dropping Jumah with a right straight to the body early in the eighth round.

Richard Riakporhe has already made a name for himself. He has a net worth of between $1 million and $5 million as of 2022.

He also earns a handsome amount of salary, which is in the range of thousands of dollars per year.

Richard Riakporhe’s parents are originally from Nigeria, but he was born and raised in Walworth, London.

Girlfriend of Richard Riakporhe: With whom does Richard Riakporhe date?

Richard Riakporhe is a single boxer. Let’s go into the details of Riakporhe’s personal life. Except for his Instagram account and the photos he shares with his fans, he tries to keep his life as private as possible and doesn’t share much about it.

At the beginning of his career, Riakporhe might have gotten involved with a few girls, but there’s no information about his ex-girlfriends. Regarding his sexual orientation, he is heterosexual.

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