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“Nothing fishy about the monetary affairs ”Prof Opoku Onyinah breaks silence

Caleb Qwofi Right
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Apostle Prof Opoku Onyinah, the chairman of the National Cathedral of Ghana’s (NCG) board of trustees, has stated that the charges of corruption regarding the Cathedral project are untrue.

The Cathedral project is proceeding normally, despite what has been stated in the media, according to Prof. Opoku Onyinah, according to citinewsroom.com.

Although there is “nothing fishy about the monetary affairs,” he claimed that the claims against the project are “extremely serious.”

“We cannot betray the faith the nation has placed in us through the president,” he continued.

By adding that “the church must mobilize itself to acquire finances to build the project,” he further implied that the Church was in charge of building the Cathedral.

Prof. Opoku Onyinah also urged that procedural matters be dealt with at their appropriate levels.

Rev. Kusi Boateng, the secretary of the board of trustees, added that the government was in charge of paying for the Cathedral’s architectural construction.

He continued by saying that the public will soon receive all the facts about the project from the Secretary for the Cathedral.

“… it was obvious that Adjaye and Associates would be taken care of by the government.

There is no secrecy surrounding this endeavor, he stated, and everything that must be published or said will be done so when the time is right.

The National Cathedral of Ghana Secretariat has revealed that donations totaling more than GH32 million have been made in support of the Cathedral project.

The Secretariat claims that it got more than GH2.6 million in 2018, GH3.8 million in 2019, GH13.8 million in 2020, GH7.7 million in 2021, and GH3.6 million thus far in 2022.

It stated that a significant portion of the donation came from private individuals and organizations and added that the Ghanaian Church gave more than GH2 million.

The Church of Pentecost, Action Chapel International, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, and the Southern Ghana Union SDA are the top donors, providing GH 700,000, 200,000, 200,000, and 200,000 respectively, according to a document made public by the NEC Secretariat.

The release also stated that Ghana would have a National Cathedral Week Celebration from July 4 to July 10, 2022.

We’ll watch out that IMF bailout doesn’t negatively impact social interventions – Government spokesperson

Caleb Qwofi Right
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The International Monetary Fund would not be permitted to prescribe the terms of conditionalities in the event that the government requests financial relief, according to Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, the government’s spokesperson for governance and security.

Mr. Boakye-Danquah has argued that the government will take steps to ensure that current social intervention programs, such as Free SHS, are unaffected by any IMF measures that might be implemented in the event that the government needs a bailout.

“We will ensure that it does not affect jobs,” he told Johnnie Hughes on TV3‘s New Day on Tuesday, June 28.

“We will ensure that it does affect Free SHS, we will ensure that it will not affect other social intervention programs.”

He stressed that approaching the negotiation table, “we will have our own tailor-made [suggestions].”

This comes in the wake of heightened discussions that the government is contemplating going for an IMF bailout in the near future.

The administration has previously denied allegations that it had requested any relief from the Bretton Woods institution, but the rising debt levels have raised the possibility of open conversations in that regard.

A crunch meeting of six ministers is currently being led by Senior Advisor to the President and former Finance Minister Yaw Osafo-Marfo to evaluate the effects of the economic mitigating measures announced in March of this year.

Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Minister of Food and Agriculture, Minister of Transport Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, Minister of Local Government, Rural Development, and Decentralization Dan Kwaku Botwe, and caretaker Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection Cecilia Abena Dapaah are the ministers taking part in this three-day event.

Source: Abubakar Sadick

The rest are Minister for Trade and Industry Alan Kyerematen and Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah

Government has already decided to go to the IMF – Captain Smart alleges

Caleb Qwofi Right
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Known broadcaster Captain Smart, also known as Blessed Godsbrain Smart, asserts that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his Cabinet have already decided to apply for an IMF bailout.

He asserts that Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, whom he describes as Ghana’s shadow prime minister, recently made certain remarks to ascertain the public’s response to the nation’s IMF programme and to mentally prepare Ghanaians for it.

“I warned you that between January and June, the government will apply for a rescue from the IMF… They already visited the IMF.

Gabby, we are not children, your uncle (President Akufo-Addo) said you should come and test the waters, he added in Twi. “Gabby stated he is not against an IMF programme in principle,” he continued.

Speaking on his Maakye show on Onua TV, the journalist further claimed that because Gabby is Ghana’s shadow prime minister, the government shares his views on the Electronic Transfer Level (E-Levyinability )’s to meet its goal and the need for borrowing to pay public sector employees.

He continued by saying that the government’s decision to turn to the IMF for financial assistance is a vindication of former President John Dramani Mahama.

He revealed how the ex-president was criticized by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his appointees when he entered an IMF program.

In a series of tweets, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a pillar of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), expressed his principled support for Ghana turning to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for financial assistance.

He claimed that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine crisis served as reason for Ghana’s request for a bailout from the IMF.

“I am not for an IMF program that throws peanuts at us but imposes conditions that will end up hurting the poor, jobs and businesses more. Covid-19 and War in Ukraine are not of Africa’s doing but more to our doom. A program that pretends it is all our doing is doomed to fail.

“Am I against an IMF program in principle? No,” the tweets he shared on June 27, 2022, read.

He added that the government might soon borrow money in order to pay employees in the public sector.

President Akufo-Addo ought to be terrified if he is seeing the demonstration – Otokunor

Caleb Qwofi Right
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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo should be afraid, according to Peter Boamah Otokunor, Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, if he sees how many Ghanaians have turned out to oppose the country’s current economic difficulties.

He added that the president should be terrified of the people’s fury because the typical Ghanaian spirit is unyielding and cannot be quenched.

He responded to the first day’s fight between the police and demonstrators by saying that they are nonviolent protesters who want to express their “disquiet and abhorrence for the ineptitude and corruption of this government and nothing is going to stop us.”

Following the altercation from yesterday, the government had anticipated that people would disperse and not participate in the demonstration, but Ghanaians flocked to the area to make another statement, according to the NDC Deputy Secretary.

“I’m sure that what they did yesterday, they thought that they were going to instill fear in the people and nobody will come out, look at the numbers, look at the humongous numbers that are out, they are there to make another statement that Mr. Akufo-Addo, enough is enough we are tired of your aggression, we are tired of the tyranny, we are tired of the corruption, we are tired of the mismanagement, and that enough is enough,” he said.

Otokunor added that the current administration has no idea how to run the economy.

He added that nothing or no one will deter them from protesting. “We are going to do this demonstration over and over again,” he said.

Okada riders, kayaye girls, and persons from all walks of life have joined the second day of the ‘Arise Ghana Demo’. The protesters will be moving from the El-Wak sports stadium to the Parliament of Ghana.

Nana Akomea flees from NPP rent advance for youth pledge

Caleb Qwofi Right
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Nana Akomea, a former NPP communications director, has at last reacted to requests for him to fulfill the pledge of paying a rent advance for Ghanaian youth.
In the midst of the 2020 election campaign, Nana Akomea stated that the NPP administration of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will give rent advances for young Ghanaians.

At a press conference, he declared, “Government will effectively pay the rent Advance for you, and you pay the rent to the scheme on a monthly basis.

In essence, he added, “the NPP government would solve the significant rent advance issue plaguing the youth and indeed many other Ghanaians in its next term.”

However, Nana Akomea stated on Accra-based Metro TV that he was not speaking for himself but rather for the political party.

People who want him to fulfill the pledge should instead go to the Ministry of Housing’s office to find out what is being done.

“Last week, someone emailed me something, and I laughed. They said Nana Akomea indicated the government would pay the rent, but we haven’t been able to track him down. We can’t pay our rent, so we’ll take him to court.

I didn’t communicate those things on my behalf. This is what the manifesto said we will do so probably if you want to know what’s happening to the rent promise you have to go to the Ministry in charge of rent or in charge of housing. When I come and sit here and you play pronouncement been made I’m embarrassed because these are not propaganda. These are things that we said,” he said on Accra-based Metro TV.

Joshua Akamba spotted with weapon at Arise Ghana demo

Caleb Qwofi Right
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Joshua Hamidu Akamba, the National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), was seen armed amidst a group of Arise Ghana protesters.

It happens shortly after another protester who had gathered at the El-Wak stadium for day two of their rally was detained for having a gun.

Mr. Akamba was told to put the weapon away when his attention was called to the criminality connected with such conduct, according to public notice by the Ghana Police Service.

“He was also urged to notify other demonstrators to desist from carrying offensive weapons during the demonstration,” the police said.

Joshua Akamba later told protestors with firearms to surrender their weapons “because we need our people to be safe.”

Energy Minister swears in new ECG MD and orders him to advance its direction

Caleb Qwofi Right
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Samuel Dubik Mahama, the new Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), has been sworn in by Energy Minister Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh.

This swearing-in follows the appointment of Mr. Mahama, who was formerly a member of the Board, as Managing Director by H.E. the President.

To replace Mr. Kwame Agyeman-Budu, who retired, Mr. Mahama is appointed.

At a time when the ECG is undergoing reforms and pursuing Ghanaians for stealing electricity, Mr. Mahama enters the picture.

He is anticipated to assist the organization in generating revenue.

The Minister also took Mrs. Nana Nsafoah’s oath of office as a member of the ECG Board on that day.

While administering Mrs. Nsafoah’s oath of office, the minister stated that as a fresh face, he anticipates that she will bring her wealth of expertise to the company’s advantage.

Devt Economist to Arise Ghana: Call for adequate accountability instead

Caleb Qwofi Right
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Dr. Patrick Assuming, a development economist at the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), has emphasized that although some tax policies may temporarily address some of the problems facing the nation, Ghanaians should think about more long-term solutions.

He argued that rather than calling for the complete elimination of taxes, Ghanaians should hold the government responsible for the taxes they pay.

This follows demands made by Arise Ghana protesters for the elimination of levies on products like petroleum.

He said, “But we also have to look at the broader picture and think longer term. So, we may do that today and it may bring fuel prices by around 3cedis and 50 pesewas or so. But if we have not addressed the fundamental challenges, the fundamental problems that have brought us here, you’d do that today and three months down the line we’re back to 11 cedis.”

“So, while some adjustments to the taxes may bring immediate relief, for me I think the most important thing is to look at addressing the weaknesses within the Ghanaian economy that has led to a point where the currency is sharply depreciating, and frankly over the last few years the economy is not doing well, and it’s not creating enough jobs for the youth,” he said on JoyNews.

According to Dr. Assuming, tax cuts now would cause Ghana’s debt gap to expand, increasing the nation’s debt to GDP ratio..

“I think if the demonstrators were making that kind of demand or requesting that government show a little more accountability in terms of how public money is spent, I think that will be a more sustainable solution to the current problems we have.

“We may decide to cut the taxes, but the other thing is that if we decide to cut taxes today, you know, the state of government financing is such that it’s going to lead to a situation where our deficit will widen and our debt will widen ultimately at some point down the line you have to bring back taxes to pay off the debt,” he said.

“So, I think there is every legitimate reason to ask and demand that there is better accountability and better use of the taxpayers’ funds and also that the economy is better managed and ensure that we are on a sustainable path, that the currency gets strengthened and also there is growth that leads to better employment opportunities for the youth,” he concluded.

Ghanaian taxed GH¢7,400 on an imported MacBook Pro

Caleb Qwofi Right
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Many people were perplexed by a social media post in which a person claimed to have paid GH7,400 in taxes on an imported MacBook Pro laptop.

This was discovered after the tax receipt for the laptop was posted on Twitter.

Among the 17 tolls levied on the single item were the COVID-19 Recovery Levy, the Ghana Education Trust Fund Levy, and the ECOWAS Levy.

The invoice was posted on Twitter by @justicea83 with the caption, “This is the amount I paid for duty on a Macbook Pro.”

Many Ghanaians responded to his message on social media, lamenting how the system is set up to deny its people and make them poorer.

Another Twitter user who had a comparable experience disclosed that he had paid about GHC 3,000 in import taxes on an S22 ultra and an iPhone 12.

He posted “Imported an S22 ultra and iPhone 12 through DHL, still paid duty of over GH3000” in the comment area.

Some commenters even suggested that the user may have bought more than one MacBook Pro to justify the exorbitant taxes.

He responded by clarifying that he only bought one thing and bemoaning “Even if we are unable to manufacture laptops, we nevertheless demand exorbitant prices from people who import them solely for use. It is unfair!”

Police and protesters brawl during the Arise Ghana demonstration while tear gas and rocks are thrown

CALEB QWOFI RIGHT
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As Arise Ghana protesters and police officers battle, it appears that there is a misunderstanding on the demonstration grounds at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.

After some crowd members opted to push against the police, who had erected a roadblock to prevent protesters from going from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle toward the Ringroad Central area, tear gas was thrown into the crowd by police for roughly 15 minutes.

The confrontation took place after the organizers met with senior police officers to debate the best course of action in the wake of obstruction as protesters attempted to leave Obra Spot.

Local police officers had advised organizers to follow the court-designated path for the protest, which is from Obra Spot via Independence Square.

The Arise Ghana demonstration’s organizers, however, insisted on using the Ring Road Central area through the Ako Adjei Interchange to reach the ministries and refused to accede to this.

The organizers returned to speak to the crowd about the situation after this discussion with the police, but during this time, irate protesters rebelled against the police and attempted to push back the barricade.

To disperse the crowd, which was now shoving and throwing things at the police in addition to pushing back against them, the police used tear gas.

Since 500 police officers have been sent to the region to deal with the problem, there is a significant police presence.

There are still pockets of protesters dispersed throughout the area, burning tires and throwing stones at passing police.

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