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The Conservative MP widely expected to follow Boris Johnson is Kwasi Kwarteng.

Caleb Qwofi Right
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Kwasi Kwarteng arrives at the Cabinet Office on Whitehall in London on Aug. 20, 2019. DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images

On Thursday, July 7, 2022, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned from his position as leader of the Conservative Party after losing the backing of key cabinet members.

At the entrance to Number 10 Downing Street on Thursday, Johnson said, “The process of selecting that new leader should begin now.” And as I will until a new leader is in place, I have constituted a cabinet today.

“Thank you for that fantastic mandate, the largest Conservative majority since 1987, and the biggest proportion of the vote since 1979,” Johnson said in his thank-you speech to the electorate.

“And the reason I have fought so hard in the last few days to continue to deliver that mandate in person was not just because I wanted to do so, but because I felt it was my job, my duty, my obligation to you to continue to do what we promised in 2019,” he added.

With millions of people wondering who will take over as prime minister, Boris Johnson’s statement has sparked the second leadership contest for the ruling Conservative Party in the past three years.

Before the party convention in October, a new leader is anticipated to be chosen, but Johnson is still in charge until then.

Kwasi Kwarteng, a British citizen with Ghanaian origin, is among those predicted to follow Boris Johnson, along with others like Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt, and Dominic Raab.

The Business Secretary and Spelthorne’s MP is Kwasi Kwarteng. During a discussion in Room 10, he was one of the Cabinet ministers who asked the Prime Minister to step aside.

Tweeting after Boris Johnson’s announcement, the 47-year-old said, “we now need a new Leader as soon as practicable. Someone who can rebuild trust, heal the country, and set out a new, sensible and consistent economic approach to help families.”

Following Paul Boateng, Kwasi Kwarteng was appointed Business Secretary on January 8, 2021, as part of a mini-reshuffle. Paul Boateng was the first black man to hold a position in the Cabinet.

Brief about Kwasi Kwarteng.

Kwasi Kwarteng describes himself as having been born and raised in London by his Ghanaian parents, Alfred K. Kwarteng and Charlotte Boaitey-Kwarteng, on his website, kwasi.kwarteng.mp@parliament.uk.

At Cambridge University, he majored in Classics and History before attending Harvard University on a Kennedy Scholarship. In 2000, he earned his PhD in economic history from Cambridge. Kwasi held jobs as an author and a financial analyst in the City before to entering politics.

On May 6, 2010, he was chosen to serve as the MP for Spelthorne, and he was re-elected in 2015, 2017 and 2019. Kwasi has held positions on the Public Accounts Committee, the Work and Pensions Select Committee, and the Transport Select Committee since being elected.

Kwarteng has also worked as the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s and the Leader of the House of Lords’ Parliamentary Private Secretary. He was appointed as a Minister of State in the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy in 2019 after serving as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Exiting the European Union in 2018.

Kwasi Kwarteng was appointed to the position of Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy in January 2021.

The MP in Spelthorne has continuously backed regional businesses, and in 2013 he established the Spelthorne Business Plan Competition to identify and help the region’s upcoming business leaders. Since then, every year has seen a successful completion of the competition with the exception of 2020 owing to the pandemic.

Kwasi Kwarteng has written several books and continues to have a keen interest in history, as well as in music and languages.

Resignation speech: ‘No-one is indispensable’ – Boris Johnson’s statement in full

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Boris Johnson stepped out of No 10 to the sound of applause from some political supporters, Downing St colleagues and his wife. Here is his resignation speech in full:

“Good afternoon everybody.

“It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new prime minister.

“And I’ve agreed with Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of our backbench MPs, that the process of choosing that new leader should begin now and the timetable will be announced next week.

“And I’ve today appointed a Cabinet to serve, as I will, until a new leader is in place.

“So I want to say to the millions of people who voted for us in 2019, many of them voting Conservative for the first time, thank you for that incredible mandate, the biggest Conservative majority since 1987, the biggest share of the vote since 1979.

“And the reason I have fought so hard in the last few days to continue to deliver that mandate in person was not just because I wanted to do so, but because I felt it was my job, my duty, my obligation to you to continue to do what we promised in 2019.

“And of course, I’m immensely proud of the achievements of this government, from getting Brexit done to settling our relations with the Continent for over half a century, reclaiming the power for this country to make its own laws in Parliament, getting us all through the pandemic, delivering the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe, the fastest exit from lockdown, and in the last few months, leading the West in standing up to Putin’s aggression in Ukraine.

“And let me say now, to the people of Ukraine, that I know that we in the UK will continue to back your fight for freedom for as long as it takes.

“And at the same time in this country, we’ve been pushing forward a vast programme of investment in infrastructure and skills and technology – the biggest for a century. Because if I have one insight into human beings, it is that genius and talent and enthusiasm and imagination are evenly distributed throughout the population.

“But opportunity is not, and that’s why we must keep levelling up, keep unleashing the potential of every part of the United Kingdom. And if we can do that, in this country, we will be the most prosperous in Europe.

“And in the last few days, I tried to persuade my colleagues that it would be eccentric to change governments when we’re delivering so much and when we have such a vast mandate and when we’re actually only a handful of points behind in the polls, even in mid-term, after quite a few months of pretty relentless sledging and when the economic scene is so difficult domestically and internationally.

“And I regret not to have been successful in those arguments and of course it’s painful not to be able to see through so many ideas and projects myself.

“But as we’ve seen at Westminster, the herd instinct is powerful and when the herd moves, it moves.

“And my friends in politics, no-one is remotely indispensable and our brilliant and Darwinian system will produce another leader, equally committed to taking this country forward through tough times.

“Not just helping families to get through it, but changing and improving the way we do things, cutting burdens on businesses and families and yes, cutting taxes, because that is the way to generate the growth and the income we need to pay for great public services.

“And to that new leader, I say whoever he or she may be, I say I will give you as much support as I can. And to you, the British public.

“I know that there will be many people who are relieved and perhaps quite a few who will also be disappointed. And I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world.

“But them’s the breaks

I want to thank Carrie and our children, and all the members of my family who have had to put up with so much for so long.

“I want to thank the peerless British civil service for all the help and support that you have given our police, our emergency services and, of course, our fantastic NHS, who at (a) critical moment, helped to extend my own period in office, as well as our armed services and our agencies that are so admired around the world.

“And our indefatigable Conservative Party members and supporters whose selfless campaigning makes our democracy possible. I want to thank the wonderful staff here at Chequers – here at Number 10, and of course at Chequers. And our fantastic prop force detectives, the one group by the way, who never leak.

“Above all, I want to thank you, the British public, for the immense privilege that you have given me and I want you to know that from now on until the new prime minister is in place, your interests will be served and the government of the country will be carried on.

“Being prime minister is an education in itself. I have travelled to every part of the United Kingdom and, in addition to the beauty of our natural world, I have found so many people possessed of such boundless British originality and so willing to tackle old problems in new ways that I know that even if things can sometimes seem dark now, our future together is golden.

“Thank you all very much. Thank you

Source:BBC

Adutwum was impressed by printing company’s decision to allocate 50% of its textbook production to basic schools.

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The Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has praised the printing company Appointed Time Printing (ATP) Limited—a subsidiary of the Jopsong Group of Companies (JGC)—following the production of its first batch of science textbooks for basic schools across the country.

He said the government awarded ATP a contract to print science textbooks for basic schools under the new curriculum, while other local printers were contracted to print various other subjects.

“I am very happy and satisfied with the printing job done by Appointed Time Printing, and I am even more impressed with the state-of-the-art printing machines imported by the company to use in its printing operations,” he expressed with satisfaction.

Dr. Osei Adutwum made the commendation while paying a working visit to ATP’s head office in Accra on Wednesday, July 6, 2022.
He said ATP has amply shown that printing government textbooks can be done in the country and by local printers.

“The Akufo-Addo administration made it a policy that all government textbooks should be printed in the country, and ATP has indeed demonstrated printing made-in-Ghana,” he said.

He reiterated President Akufo-Addo’s policy of ensuring improvement in education, hence the urgent need for textbooks to be made readily available for all basic schools throughout the country.

Dr. Osei Adutwum also used the space to commend ATP for employing Ghanaians in its operations.

The Head of Marketing of Appointed Time Printing Ltd., Mr. Charles Aidoo, expressed appreciation to the Education Minister for his visit.

He disclosed that his company is expected to print over 600,000 science textbooks, but was quick to reveal that “as we speak now, we are about 50% through”.
He is confident that by the end of August this year, his outfit will finish production of the textbooks.

This, he assured, is against a backdrop of the huge investment made into equipment by his company.

“It has been our plan to complete production ahead of the timelines set for us. That will ensure the textbooks reach schools early enough and enable our schoolchildren to get them and study,” he indicated.

According to him, this first batch of textbooks will be distributed to the Greater Accra, Volta, and Central Regions – adding that each of these regions has a specific quantity to be supplied.

“Yes, we are 50% through with the job, but we are still printing, folding, and distributing.” So, as and when the drivers come, the ones that are ready will be given to them for distribution,” Mr. Aidoo noted.

In late May this year, the government, through the Ministry of Education, contracted five local printers, including ATP, to print government textbooks for basic schools across the country.
Under the contract, both the publishers and printers were given 120 days to deliver. ATP was selected to print about 750,000 science basic school textbooks, and production commenced in June 2022.

The company aims to finish production by the end of August 2022.

Source: thebftonline.com

Several revenue streams, like VAT, are not doing well – Oppong Nkrumah

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The Value Added Tax (VAT), among other government revenue sources, is not operating properly, according to Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.
He stated that in order to rely less on funding and to lower the debt load, this is a scenario that needs to be addressed.

The Ofoase Ayirebi politician said on July 6 at the 3businesscolloquium hosted by Media General that “A number of our revenue handles in this country are not operating adequately. Take VAT. Data on VAT compliance have decreased. Those in charge of fiscal policy will tell you that occasionally raising the rate is necessary to make up for poor performance.

“I agree that you have to ensure that the rates are down, like we always say, broaden the base. But we have to come to a certain point where we push more to get those VAT numbers where they ought to be, so that we can get funding for the Ghana we want.

“Take property rates. If you were to send the piece of paper round this auditorium to ask everybody how much property rate did you pay in the year 2020, we may be amazed at the data we are getting.

“These are the realities, in all humility, that we have to confront to move tax to GDP rate from this 12 per cent to about 25 per cent, so that you rely less on financing and reduce your debt burden but that will deal with only one side of the challenge.”

According to Dr. John Asafu-Adjaye, a Senior Fellow at the Africa Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET), investor confidence in Ghana’s economy decreased as a result of the country’s downgrading by global credit rating agencies; therefore, approaching the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to restore that confidence makes sense.

Given the recent economic issues, according to Dr. Asafu-Adjaye, he was not surprised by the government’s choice to approach the IMF.

“Personally, I wasn’t surprised because given the sovereign rating downgrade, that Ghana suffered, Ghana is not able to to go into the capital market , investors confidence had gone down, capital flight. So I thought that going to the IMF makes sense in terms of restoring investor confidence,” he said

The IMF staff team is in Ghana to start preliminary conversations with the Ghanaian authorities about a potential IMF-supported program. Carlo Sdralevich, the mission chief for Ghana, is leading the delegation.

In response to a request from the Ghanaian government, Mr. Sdralevich stated in a statement that “an IMF staff team will in the coming days begin discussions on a potential program to support Ghana’s domestic economic policy. Given that in-depth conversations have not yet occurred, we are still in the early stages of the process.

“The IMF stands ready to assist Ghana to restore macroeconomic stability, safeguard debt sustainability, and promote inclusive and sustainable growth, and address the impact of the war in Ukraine and the lingering pandemic.”

“We are looking forward to our engagement with the authorities in Accra,” the Fund said.

Prof Ameyaw Akumfi implores teachers on strike to return to the classroom

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Prof. Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi, a former minister of education, has urged educators to get back in the classroom.
On Monday, July 4, 2022, a coalition of teacher unions said that they are putting down their tools.

They claim that despite their repeated requests for the government to give teachers a cost-of-living payment, their requests have been ignored.

As a result, they had no choice but to leave the classroom to make their point to the authorities.

In an address to a gathering of educators, Prof. Ameyaw Akumfi, a former teacher and former education minister, appealed to teachers.

According to Prof. Ameyaw Akumfi, such gaps in the academic calendar have an impact on both academic activity and society in some way.

He pointed out that teenage girls are exploited at these times, which could lead to teen pregnancy.

“Go back to school. Once a teacher, always a teacher.” Please resume your studies. Please return to school; our kids are just loitering around. Regarding the COLA, it will occur. This is a teacher making a specific appeal.

We are all parents now. When I went to another location, they wanted to stay for a week, and I told them it was too long. This is a particular request from a teacher to his coworkers, and I hope you can return to school tomorrow,” he stated.

Sex shouldn’t be provided without charge – Counsellor D.Y. Donkor to ladies

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Giving sex to a man is risky, according to relationship counselor Reverend D.Y. Donkor, who advises women not to offer sex for free.
“Sex is neither inexpensive nor is it inexpensive. If sex is inexpensive, prostitutes wouldn’t demand payment before sex, according to Rev. D. Y. Donkor in a TV XYZ discussion.

The relationship expert continued by saying that the meaning behind what he said might be understood by looking at how prostitutes interact with their customers.

“If sex is cheap, prostitutes would not take money before service. If it is free what they are going to do is that they open up and give it for free; so come and have sex with me and go. Prostitutes, therefore, want us to know that sex is not free, you have to pay for my services”, he narrated.

He asserted that “if a lady has a sexual relationship with you (men), and for the purpose of the love she feels for you, she has sex with you then man betrays her, it means you are telling her she is less expensive than the prostitute. Thus, having sex with a man involves risk. Rev. D.Y. Donkor gave a warning.

IMF bailout requests are an act of God – Obiri Boahen

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The government’s decision to apply for a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been characterized as an act of God by Nana Obiri Boahen, the Deputy General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), who claims that it is not odd.
“Visiting the IMF is not that unusual. We must occasionally leave room for the unexpected in our speech and conduct because we are only human. We may be complaining a lot if the NPP government hadn’t opted to approach the IMF and nothing had occurred,” Nana Obiri Boahen remarked in an interview with Kumasi’s Angel FM.

“The fact that we insisted we were not going to IMF some time back and now we have decided to go doesn’t mean our homegrown policies have failed or we don’t have the men anymore, the situation is uncontrollable”, he added.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war, according to the Private Legal Practitioner, are to blame for the country’s current difficulties and the decision to request a bailout from the IMF.

“Look at the pandemics that shook the world, which has made us prompted our decision, with that, COVID is act of God, Russia-Ukraine war is also an act of God”, he stated.

To assist in addressing Ghana’s balance of payment issues, the IMF team, led by economist Carlo Sdralevich, will meet with managers of the economy on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, in the nation’s capital.

John Dramani Maham, a former president, has advised President Akufo-Addo not to include Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta in the discussions with the IMF.

The IMF bargaining team should include non-NPP expertise – Prof Gyampo

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Prof. Ransford Gyampo, a political scientist at the University of Ghana, has asked the government to include professionals who are not part of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which is now in power, in the group that will negotiate Ghana’s economic program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
According to Prof. Gyampo, this should be done for the good of the country.

The Winner-Takes-All or Winner-Knows-All practice, in which individuals are barred from the governance system regardless of their level of competence so long as they are not members of the dominant political party, is something he wants the government to end.

“The selection of a team to negotiate any IMF bailout, must not be saddled with Winner-Takes-All and Winner-Knows-All. Other experts and independent minds who aren’t party people must be included for the sake of the national interest,” Prof Gyampo said.

The IMF team, chaired by Dr. Carlo Sdralevich, is scheduled to meet with the Ghanaian delegation to discuss which economic assistance plan will best suit Ghana’s struggling economy and aid in its quick recovery.

Ghana is unable to supply consumers with crude products-NPA

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Abdul Kudus Mohammed, the National Petroleum Authority’s (NPA) communications director, revealed that Ghana cannot meet its consumer demand for oil, which results in high prices for petroleum goods.

He claims that the effects of the global pricing unit on Ghana’s refined products are not as minor as they seem and are actually more difficult to explain.

The NPA Communications Director noted that other items come with crude in an interview on the Happy Morning Show, although most businesses only choose certain products like diesel or gasoline.

He emphasized once more that while diesel and petroleum products have different pricing units, the price of crude products is standardized.

“The issue of fuel pricing isn’t that straightforward. When crude prices go up or down, then the same implication should be in Ghana. But it’s not a straightforward implication like we expect. Crude is not the only thing we buy and in fact, because our refined rate is not working or the capacity does not meet the level to which they can meet the consumer needs of the Ghanaian public, most people do not buy crude.

“Some of the BDCs only buy petrol, others also buy only diesel, so it’s the refined products and not just crude and their pricing dynamics are different. For crude, it’s standardized but for petrol and diesel the dynamics are different,” he told Raymond Nyamador.

Meanwhile, the Unified Petroleum Price Fund (UPPF) margin on gasoline prices has been reinstated, according to the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).

It was noted that this was required to ensure that the country’s retail outlets could still carry petroleum products without being hampered.

The Authority added that if it had not taken action, the market’s supply of petroleum products may have suffered significantly.

The margin on gasoline and diesel will now each grow to 29 pesewas with the reintroduction of the UPPF. However, the price of gasoline has increased despite expectations that it would decrease by over 8%.

Many of Ghana’s media figures are cowards – Bridget Otoo to Manasseh

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Manasseh Azure Awuni, a journalist from Ghana, explains why it can be risky to stand up for or fight for colleagues who work for other media outlets when complaints about their subpar services arise.

His remarks follow those of broadcaster Bridget Otoo, who on Tuesday criticized Dr. Kwabena Duffour, owner of EIB Network, for failing to pay the monthly salaries of journalists. According to reports, some employees haven’t received payment in the previous nine months.

Bridget urged the station’s management to act morally rather than firing several employees who had protested not receiving their salaries. She urged Nana Aba Anamoah, her friend and general manager of GhOne TV, to stand up for her employees who have been

However, in response to the situation, Manasseh stated on July 5 in a Facebook post that protecting his coworkers can be “deadly,” especially if he doesn’t work for that media source.

“If you are a journalist, one thing you should be careful about is fighting for journalists in another media house. It’s “deadly”,” his post read.

The renowned female broadcaster responded by criticizing senior journalists for failing to confront station owners and managers about the bad working conditions for journalists. She once more warned her coworkers not to allow themselves to be “abused” just so they might remain in their jobs or appear on television.

“This is true. You can lose fake friends in the process.” The irony of a lot of media personalities is they are cowards deep down and would throw you under the bus! They demand of the politician the very thing they can’t even demand of their colleagues or management,” read Bridget’s tweet on July 6.

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