Ghanaian News February 2017

JOBS!... JOBS!...JOBS! JOBS Long-Term and Short-Term

Reality Capital Management Accounting and Tax

NOW HIRING!!!

2200 Martin Grove Rd. Unit 205, Etobicoke, ON Tel: 647-388-5751

TREE OF LIFE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES Tel: 416-740-4428 4250 Weston Rd. Suite 202, North York, ON.

Vol. 21 No. 2

February 2017

Nii Odoi Yemoh

See advert on pg. 11

Display Advertising : 416-916-3700 / Classified Advertising:

Fax: 416-916-6701

The KEEPING YOU IN TOUCH WITH NEWS FROM HOME AND LOCAL COMMUNITY ISSUES

2256 Sheppard Ave. West, Suite 202, Toronto, Ont., M9M 1L7 Tel: 416-916-3700 Fax: 416-916-6701

GHANA: 60th Milestone of Nationhood By: Dr. Michael Baffoe, Winnipeg, MB

See details on

Pg. 3

National Black History Month Canada 2017 By: Rosemary Sadlier, Ottawa

Sixty Years ago, on March 6th, 1957, six political leaders led by Kwame Nkrumah stood on a podium at the Old Polo Grounds in Accra and declared the birth of a new nation called Ghana. The declaration was the country’s weaning of itself from the former colonial ruler, Britain. On that night, the British Flag, the Union Jack was lowered for the last time and the flag of the new nation, formerly known as the Gold Coast, was hoisted.

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, 1st President of Ghana

In his historic i n d e p e n d e n c e

declaration, the first Nkrumah declared that Prime Minister, Kwame the new nation and

its citizens reserved the right to “manage or even mismanage its own affairs”. Over the past 60 years, Ghana has undergone tremendous changes, some very positive, others not so positive while others have been damaging and even selfdestructive. The early years of nationhood under the first President, Kwame Nkrumah and the first post-colonial government run by the Convention People’s Party (CPP) were full of euphoria, promises, and high expectations. cont’d on pg. 17

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau On Monday February 6, 2017, the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Minister of Canadian Heritage Joly, hosted the annual reception at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec.

Other speakers to address the crowd included Minister of Immigration, Ahmed Hussen and MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes Parliamentary Secretary cont’d on pg. 31

Living Word Assembly of God celebrated Family Day with breakfast meeting at Toronto Plaza Hotel

Canada to fund Ghana’s new National Agricultural Campaign: PLANTING FOR FOOD AND JOBS with C$125million By: Dr. Michael Baffoe, Winnipeg, MB

Group picture of Living Word family

The new Ghana Government is to embark on a National Agricultural Campaign aimed at increasing cont’d on pg. 44

ALL NATIONS UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, KOFORIDUA, GHANA offers the following programmes:

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING Bachelor of Engineering (Oil and Gas) Electronics & Communications Engineering Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical) Bsc. (Hons.) Computer Science Bachelor of Engineering (Computer)

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing Bachelor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resource Management Bachelor of Business Administration in Banking and Finance

DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES & SCIENCES Bsc. Nursing (Joint Programme with Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology) Biblical Studies with Business Administration

Equipped For Every Good Work Apply Today: www.anuc.edu.gh * admissions@anuc.edu.gh * registrar@anuc.edu.gh * Ghana: 233-82-21587 / 215888 * Canada: 416-667-9333 * Toll Free: 1-866-845-5505

2

The Ghanaian News February 2017

“FOR OUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY IN OPERATION, ALL SAINTS UNIVERSITY WILL OFFER 50% TUITION FEE SCHOLARSHIP PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 25% INTEREST FREE LOAN, WHICH IS PAYABLE AT THE END OF THE PROGRAM. MCAT PREPARATORY CLASSES IN TORONTO WILL BE OF ONE YEAR DURATION ONLY (THREE SEMESTERS).

Ashanti Law

Dwen Hwe Kan!

We provide these services: • Real Estate (Closing - Sale and Purchase) • Immigration • Family Law • Wills and Estates • Criminal Law • Civil Litigation • Traffic Ticket

Appiah Boateng, Lawyer

The peculiar needs of a people are better understood by those who share or find their cultural experience relatable. It is in recognition of this all important need that Ashanti Law has been established to cater to the legal needs of the Ghanaian community in Toronto and beyond.

Tel: 647-781-3613

Fax: 416-391-6099

1110 Finch Ave, W., Suite #506, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 3J4

The Ghanaian News February 2017

EHINLAIYE LAW OFFICE Need a Lawyer on matters relating to * Residential and Commercial Real Estate * Business Sales and Purchase * Commercial Transactions * Family Law: Wills and Estate * Immigration Look no further

Our Law Offices are set up to give you sound legal and professional advise specifically on any of the above subject matters in a friendly and efficient manner.

We now have two locations to serve you Suite 300 - 1183 Finch Ave. West Toronto, ON M3J 2G2

207 Cross Avenue Oakville, Ont. L6J 2W9 Tel: 289-837-0906 Tel: 647 748 4664 Fax: 905-582-2694 Fax: 647 748 4774 Mobile: 905 616 0644

Jonathan Baah Annobil

Nana Akwasi Kwarteng

3

4

The Ghanaian News February 2017

1747 Albion Road, Unit 3, Etobicoke, ON, M9V 1C3

The Ghanaian News February 2017

5

# 1 VALUE TO THE WORLDD Serving The African Community Since 1979

WE DO ALL KINDS OF PASSPORT PHOTOS

We Offer Excellent Fares To And From All Major AFRICAN, European And North American Cities Call Us For Special Fares On KLM, Delta, Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines And Many More

For Reservations & Information Tel: 416-964-1950 Fax: 416-964-7546 Toll Free: 1-800-335-2304

416-649-9999

info@etravelair.com Sylvester Gyebi 50011608

569 Yonge Street

Finton Travel Ltd. IATA 67501490

TICO # 4308045

Traveling to Ghana, Nigeria or anywhere around the world

2200 Martin Grove Rd., Toronto, Ont., M9V 5H9

(Main Floor)Toronto,

Ontario

Royal African Travel & Cargo Services TDS #96-528773

TICO #50015070

Call Nana Osei Tel: 416-746-7028 Fax: 416-746-6806

Travel Consultant

Toronto

Kwame Agyemang Manager

Tel: 416-740-5617

2428 Islington Ave, Suite 205 (Elmhurst Plaza)

flyeastwest Competitive, Experienced, Efficient

Registration # 50016573, GST# 81585 8212 RT0001

We Offer Excellent Fares to AFRICAN, EUROPEAN / ASIA /AUSTRALIA and North America Cities.

We also offer Package Tours and Visitor to Canada Insurance.

Call the Experts: 905-276-0000 Watts 1 888 339 9336 E-mails:sk@airvacations.ca

7900 Hurontario St, Suite 202, Brampton, Ont, L6Y 0P6

Lowest Prices To Anywhere in Africa, Accra, Lagos, Nariobi & More.

Call Us For The Cheapest Air tickets and best Services

Ph # 905-281-2627 TICO # 50015262

4510 East Gate Parkway, Mississauga-ON, L4W 3W6

6

The Ghanaian News February 2017

EDITORIAL KEEPING YOU IN TOUCH WITH NEWS FROM HOME AND LOCAL COMMUNITY ISSUES

GHANA Turns 60 in March 2017

Joint Statement from President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

EDITORIAL Publisher / Editor Emmanuel Ayiku Contributing Editors Dr. Michael Baffoe Joe Kingsley Eyiah Director of Operations Comfort Ayiku Community Reporter Jonathan Annobil Winnipeg Bureau Dr. Michael Baffoe The Ghanaian News Publishes news and comments from the Community, serves Ghanaians across Canada with good source of information is committed to give good community Journalism The Ghanaian News is published in Canada by The Ghanaian News Corporation Editorial Office 2256 Sheppard Ave. Suite 202 Toronto, Ont. M9M 1L7 Tel:(416) 916-3700 Advertising Fax (416) 916-6701 Internet: www.ghanaiannews.ca E-mail: cayiku@gmail.com info@ghanaiannews.ca $1:00 per copy Subscription costs $66.00 for one year. including postage U.S. and foreign subscriptions costs US$120 per year.

Letters to the Editor We encourage your feedback and value your comments. Please feel free to write to us. keep letters to a maximum of 200 words, include your full name, Telephone # and mailing address with all correspondence.

Address your letters to the Editor The Ghanaian News 2256 Sheppard Ave. Suite 202 Toronto, Ont. M9M 1L7 Tel: 416-916-3700 or Fax: 416-916-6701 or e-mail us at info@ghanaiannews.ca Articles appearing in various columns of the Ghanaian News are intended to generate civil and informed public discussions.

You do not have to agree with opinions expressed by the writers.

That should encourage you to write to express your own views.

This is the way we generate lively and civil discussions in the community. Rejoinders are not forums for personal insults and we want readers to adhere to these principles.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage

Ghana’s annual ritual is here again, the 6 th of March that marks the attainment of nationhood by our dear nation, Ghana. This year’s anniversary, and its celebrations, are quite different from those of the past nine years.

This year marks sixty (60) years of nationhood and nation-building when we declared our right “to manage, and even mismanage our own affairs”. For the Ghanaian nation, 60 years is the top of the maturity age since public servants in that country retire from active work, “go on pension”, at 60 years. In this vein, Ghana is matured enough and ready for “pension” as they say in Canada, as a “senior citizen”. Ghana, is therefore to all intents and purposes, a senior citizen as of 6th of March, 2017.

President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held their first official meeting today in Washington, D.C. and affirmed their longstanding commitment to close cooperation in addressing both the challenges facing our two countries and problems around the world.

No two countries share deeper or broader relations than Canada and the United States. We are bound together by our history, our values, our economy, our environment, and our resolve to improve the lives of our citizens. Our close relationship and ongoing collaboration allow us to successfully meet any challenges we may face over the coming years, and to build a prosperous future for the people of both countries.

Recognizing the very “mature” age that the country has reached, it is very significant to note that Ghanaians decided to give themselves an early birthday present in December 2016, by voting into power, a brand-new government with an emphatic majority, both in the Presidential and Parliamentary elections, never witnessed in the political history of the nation. Ghanaians sent this unmistakeable message to underscore the fact that they were simply tired and stressed out beyond limit by the previous government Neighbours in Growing our that had messed up every aspect of life in that Economies country for the past eight years.

We recognize our profound shared By this clear electoral message, Ghanaians signalled that they wanted a complete change of direction for their country. Everyone knows that Ghana has all it takes to develop in a big way to provide quality of life for its citizens. The country has its fair share of natural resources including productive lands, minerals and good weather almost all year round. Food production should be no problem, but many of our citizens routinely go hungry. A few years ago, we discovered crude oil in commercial quantities and started production and export to generate additional revenue. The nation abounds in intellectual capacity and in almost every sphere of national endeavour that we wish to embark on, Ghana possesses enough educated people with the requisite skills to execute the jobs if these human resources are well harnessed.

We have abundant sunshine 365 days a year if we care to tap into solar energy. In fact, our list of abundant resources is endless. To all intents and purposes therefore, Ghana has no excuse and reasons for failure and non-performance as a nation. And that is why Ghanaians decided that they wanted a new government and new leaders for the country to turn the fortunes of the country and those of the citizens around for the better or best. Leaders of our country have no excuses at all not to perform to achieve good standards of living for its citizens.

With all the above-named resources, there is no reason why the country cannot sustain regular water supply, food and power supply for our citizens. There is also no reason to have a political culture in that country that only thrives on insults of elders and political opponents. Ghanaians have voted to change course as they mark 60 years of nationhood.

The message is clear and we expect nothing less from the new government. Fortunately, the new President has signalled his intention to take care of the numerous complaints and crisis that the country has been enveloped in up to this point.

And we would constantly be on the lookout to hold his feet and those of his government to those declared intentions and promises.

We salute Ghanaians, at home, and in the diaspora, on this anniversary of the nation’s birth. We salute them for signalling their desire to change course. And we wish all our compatriots the best on this occasion and the years ahead.

economic interests, and will work tirelessly to provide growth and jobs for both countries. Canada is the most important foreign market for thirty-five U.S. States, and more than $2 billion in two-way trade flows across our shared border every day. Millions of American and Canadian middle-class jobs, including in the manufacturing sector, depend on our partnership.

We affirm the importance of building on this existing strong foundation for trade and investment and further deepening our relationship, with the common goal of strengthening the middle class.

The United States and Canada also recognize the importance of cooperation to promote economic growth, provide benefits to our consumers and businesses, and advance free and fair trade. We will continue our dialogue on regulatory issues and pursue shared regulatory outcomes that are business-friendly, reduce costs, and increase economic efficiency without compromising health, safety, and environmental standards. We will work together regarding labour mobility in various economic sectors.

Given our shared focus on infrastructure investments, we will encourage opportunities for companies in both countries to create jobs through those investments. In particular, we look forward to the expeditious completion of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which will serve as a vital economic link between our two countries.

Energy Security and Environment U.S.-Canada energy and environmental cooperation are inextricably linked, and we commit to further improving our ties in those areas. We have built the world’s largest energy trading relationship.

We share the goals of energy security, a robust and secure energy grid, and a strong and resilient energy infrastructure that contributes to energy efficiency in both countries. We collaborate closely

on energy innovation, particularly in the clean energy sphere. As the process continues for the Keystone XL pipeline, we remain committed to moving forward on energy infrastructure projects that will create jobs while respecting the environment.

We also look forward to building on our many areas of environmental cooperation, particularly along our border and at the Great Lakes, and we will continue to work together to enhance the quality of our air and water.

Partners in Keeping our Border Secure We recognize the security of our borders as a top priority. Together, we address security at our shared border and throughout our two countries, while expediting legitimate and vital cross-border trade and travel. We demonstrate daily that security and efficiency go hand-in-hand, and we are building a 21st century border through initiatives such as pre-clearance of people and integrated cross-border law enforcement operations. In addition, our two countries are committed to a coordinated entry-exit information system so that records of land and air entries into one country establish exit records for the other.

Recognizing the success of preclearance operations for travellers, we commit to establishing pre-clearance operations for cargo. We intend to accelerate the completion of preclearance for additional cities and continue to expand this program.

Not only will these efforts enhance efficiency at our shared border, they will also strengthen our shared security. In the spirit of a more efficient and secure border, we will also examine ways to further integrate our border operations, including analysis of the feasibility of colocating border officials in common processing facilities.

Because we share a strong concern about the increase in opioid-related deaths, our countries will work together on common solutions to protect our people from opioid trafficking.

Given the integrated nature of the infrastructure that supports our intertwined economies, cyber threats to either country can affect the other.

We therefore commit to further cooperation to enhance critical infrastructure security, cyber incident management, public awareness, private sector engagement, and capacity building initiatives. cont’d on pg. 44

The Ghanaian News February 2017

Free Senior High School Program in Ghana takes off in September, President Akufo Addo Declares By: Dr. Michael Baffoe, Winnipeg, MB new public Senior High President Nana Addo Schools and cluster public Dankwa Akufo-Addo has Senior High Schools”. announced and the nation that his government “will Speaking on the theme fund the cost of public of the celebration, “One Senior High Schools for Vision, Many Lives”, all those who qualify for the President noted that entry from the 2017/2018 a society that aims to academic year onwards.” transform itself into Spelling out details of the a modern, productive policy, “so that no one player in the global in Ghana is left in any market needs an educated doubts”, the President workforce; and that means explained that “by free it must get its educational SHS, we mean that, in policies right. According addition to tuition which to the President, the is already free, there will fact that “we have been be no admission fees, no unable to give all our library fees, no science citizens the education center fees, no computer which has enabled the lab fees, no examination countries of the West fees, no utility fees; there and of Asia to thrive is will be free textbooks, free the missing link in our boarding and free meals, economic development.” and day students will get For this reason, the a meal at school for free.” P r e s i d e n t t o l d t h e gathering that he is President Akufo-Addo committed, “without any made this known on equivocation, without any S a t u r d a y, F e b r u a r y reservation, without any 11, 2017, when, as the doubt”, to take Ghana to Special Guest of Honour, the stage where public he delivered a speech S eni or H i gh S c ho ol at the 60th Anniversary education will be free for celebration of Okuapeman every Ghanaian child.

Senior High School at Akropong-Akuapem in T o u c h i n g o n t h e the Eastern Region. The Motivation for Teachers President added further as a centre-piece of that “Free SHS will the Freee SHS policy, also cover agricultural, President Akufo-Addo vocational and technical noted that a well-trained, institutions at the high confident and contented school level”. He also teacher is at the heart of made it clear that his his government’s delivery government has “a well- of quality education. thought out plan that He assured that “the involves the building of views of teachers will

be sought on education policy, innovation and implementation. Their professional development and needs will be treated with respect and we shall ensure that teachers’ salaries and allowances are paid regularly and on time.”

“My administration will also focus on the provision of incentives that will motivate teachers, and reward their hard work in the classroom. Government will collaborate with G N AT , N A G R AT , and other teaching associations to facilitate an affordable housing scheme for teachers.

Teachers will be afforded the opportunity to upgrade their qualifications and we aim to make the teaching profession, once again, a proud choice,” he added.

7

SIKAMAN-JOHNSON ACCOUNTING & TAX SERVICE

And in line with his party’s election campaign promise, President Akufo-Addo also indicated that teacher trainee allowances will be restored in the first budget of his presidency, which is scheduled for March, 2016. And in an incentive to the Okuapenman School, the President pledged his commitment to the renovation and the full equipping of the Science Resource Centre of the School as a commemorative event of its 60th birthday.

Ezekiel & Associates TAXES, HST & ACCOUNTING * Business & Corporate Tax Filing * HST Filing * Accounting & Bookkeeping

If you or your company have not done your taxes for the past five to ten years,

We are here to Help!

Tel: 416-638-2275 / 416-736-8549 Fax: 416-638-2270 Website: www.ekehefinancial.com

Email: info@ekehefinancial.com

4699 Keele St., #204, Toronto, ON, M3J 2N8

8

The Ghanaian News February 2017

Family, Friends, Community

THINKING OF SELLING OR BUYING A HOUSE

It's important to know someone you can rely on when it comes to your insurance and financial planning needs For the following products:

     

Life Insurance Disability Insurance RRSPs & Retirement Planning Children Education Plans Critical Illness Mortgage Insurance

Credit Valley Real Estate

"INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED, BROKERAGE"

Nana Asare Contact Nana Asare, B.A. (Hons),

CALL ME

BEC Dip

Agnes Ansong

Life Underwriter

Tel: 416-630-4000 ext. 335 Fax: 416-630-4022 Cell: 416-578-3417 Email: asare@theleadingedge.ca

3625 Dufferin Street, Suite 340, Toronto, Ont. M3K 1Z2

Boateng Insurance & Financial Services

Area of Service Include:

INSURANCE: Auto & Home Commercial Life, Disability Critical Illness Health & Mortgages

LOANS Leveraging and Investment Loans A.P.A. B.A. Wealth Creation Specialist

TAXES INVESTMENTS Tel: 416-208-7170 Cell: 416-843-0887 Mutual Funds, Seg Funds Fax: 416-208-7447 Annuities, RESP Email: erboateng@rogers.com RRSP, LLIF, RRIF, LIF

205-5 4117 Lawrence Avenue E., Scarborough, Ont., M1E 2S2

Insurance Services SERVICES * Personal Home & Auto * Life Insurance * Commercial Auto * Mortgage Insurance * Commercial Property * Disability Insurance * Professional Liability * Children Education Plan * And more....

Call: George Asiffo, Registered Insurance Broker Cell: 416-317-9579 Fax: 416-756-1635

Email: georgea@soundinsurance.ca Websites: www.soundinsurance.ca

Contact Info: Office: 905-793-5000 Toll Free: 1-800-631-5216 Direct: 416-558-8383

Eric A. Boateng

Direct line: 416-987-5766 Toll: 1-888-756-3334

Real Estate Sales Representative

www.soundwealth.ca

205 Lesmil Road, Toronto, Ontario, M3B 2V1

Fax: 905-793-5020 Email: agnes@royallepage.ca

10045 Hurontario St. Suite #1 Brampton, Ontario L6Z 0E6

The Ghanaian News February 2017

9

Census 2016: Canada’s population surpasses 35 million Growth picks up in Alberta, Manitoba, slows in Atlantic Canada Canada’s population increased to 35,151,728 last year largely driven by growth in the West, according to 2016 census data released Wednesday

by Statistics Canada.

The country’s population has grown five per cent since the last census in 2011, when it was at 33.5 million, the highest rate of growth among G7 countries. However, the growth rate declined from the 5.9 per cent increase recorded in 2011.

About two-thirds of the increase recorded in 2016 was due to net immigration into the country, while the rest was from new births.

The majority, or 66 per cent, of Canadians still live within 100 kilometres of the southern border with the U.S. The number of private dwellings grew nationwide by 5.6 per cent to 14.1 million.

The population continued to boom in Western Canada. The quickest pace of growth was recorded in Alberta (11.6 per cent), Saskatchewan (6.3 per cent) and Manitoba (5.8 per cent). The three prairie provinces recorded the most growth in the country for the first time since Confederation, according to Statistics Canada.

Alberta had been the fastest-growing province in the 2006 and 2011 censuses as well.

The rate of growth was higher than in 2011 in both Alberta and Manitoba, the only two provinces that registered an increased rate of growth from the last census.

It is important to note that the census was collected in May 2016, so does not fully take into account the recent economic slump in Alberta.

“The census compares 2011 to 2016, and we’ve seen 15 strong years of growth in Alberta,” says Karen Mihorean, director general of the education, labour and income statistics branch of Statistics Canada.

Mihorean said Alberta is unique among Canadian provinces for having strong numbers in all three factors that

contribute to population growth: immigration, interprovincial migration and new births.

and 0.2 per cent in Nova Scotia. New Brunswick’s population decreased by 0.5 per cent, the only province with a decline British Columbia also since 2011. grew faster than the national average, by 5.6 “From East to West, per cent. Just under 32 per population growth gets cent of Canadians now stronger and that’s a live in the four western trend we’ve seen for the provinces, compared to last few censuses,” says 38.3 per cent in Ontario, Mihorean. “In Atlantic 23.2 per cent in Quebec Canada, it’s a case of and 6.6 per cent in seeing people leaving Atlantic Canada. these provinces for other parts of the country.”

Low growth in Atlantic Canada O n t a r i o remained Canada’s most T h e f o u r A t l a n t i c populous province at 13.4 p r o v i n c e s r e c o r d e d million, an increase of 4.6 the lowest growth in per cent from 2011. But the country: 1.9 per Ontario’s growth rate was cent in Prince Edward lower than the national Island, one per cent average for the second in Newfoundland and c o n s e c u t i v e c e n s u s Labrador (where more period, the first time that d e a t h s t h a n b i r t h s has happened in more occurred in some years) than half a century.

Quebec’s population grew 3.3 per cent to 8.2 million, followed by British Columbia at 4.6 million, Alberta at 4.1 million, Manitoba at 1.3 million and Saskatchewan at 1.1 million. The population in Atlantic Canada was 2.3 million, with just under 924,000 residing in Nova Scotia.

The North was home to nearly 114,000, led by the Northwest Territories.

The population of Nunavut, which at 12.7 per cent had the highest growth rate of any province or territory due to its high fertility rate, moved ahead of Yukon.

Western cities record greatest growth While the rate of growth slowed in Canada’s three largest metropolitan areas, 35.5 per cent of Canadians now call Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver home.

Toronto remains the c o u n t r y ’s l a rg e s t metropolitan area at 5.9 million, increasing by 6.2 per cent since 2011.

Montreal’s population h a s s u rg e d p a s t t h e four million mark to 4.1 million, while Vancouver’s population now stands at 2.5 million, up 6.5 per cent.

With growth of 14.6 per cent, the highest of any metropolitan area in the country, Calgary is now Canada’s fourth largest city at 1.4 million, moving ahead of Ottawa-Gatineau (1.3 million). Also at 1.3 million, Edmonton is the only other Canadian city with more than a million residents.

The six fastest metropolitan areas were all in Western Canada: C a l g a r y, E d m o n t o n , Saskatoon, Regina, Lethbridge, Alta., and Kelowna, B.C., with all but the last posting growth of more than 10 per cent.

At the other end of the country, however, all of Atlantic Canada’s metropolitan areas recorded a slower rate of growth than in 2011, while the population of Saint John fell by 2.2 per cent — largely due to residents moving to other parts of Canada.

Sylvan Lake, Alta., was the fastest-growing census agglomeration, growing by 19.6 per cent since 2011, while Campbellton (mostly in New Brunswick but partly in Quebec) had the greatest decrease at 9.3 per cent.

Among municipalities with at least 5,000 residents, Warman, Sask., cont’d on pg. 12

10

The Ghanaian News February 2017

Call Godfred Boateng

416-528-9275

Call Godfred Boateng - 416-528-9275

The Ghanaian News February 2017

11

Population of metropolitan area of Toronto outpaced national growth rate Toronto ranked No. 1 among t h e c o u n t r y ’s 3 5 c e n s u s metropolitan areas.

OTTAWA - New census data shows the population of the metropolitan area of Toronto outpaced the national growth rate over the last five years.

Canada’s population on census day was 35,151,728, Statistics Canada reported.

Statistics Canada released the first batch of numbers from the 2016 census on Wednesday and the population of what the government agency refers to as the census metropolitan area of Toronto increased by 6.2 per cent since the last census in 2011.

The national census is conducted every five years.

The information published Wednesday is the first of several releases of data to come from Statistics Canada over the next year that will eventually paint a detailed picture of the country, right down to the local level including age breakdowns of the population, family makeup, languages spoken, immigration and ethnic origin, the level of education attained and income earned.

The area’s growth rate was above the national growth rate of 5.0 per cent, while the population of Ontario increased by 4.6 per cent.

Census metropolitan areas do not conform to established municipal boundaries.

Statistics Canada defines them as a metropolitan area with a population of at least 100,000, where the urban core of that area has at least 50,000 people.

Commuting patterns and other factors are used in determining these census metropolitan areas.

Looking at metropolitan areas this way takes in to account the growing impact of suburban areas on Canada’s largest cities.

Future census releases will give more insight to explain the reasons behind the population changes - whether it’s related mostly to changes in birth and death rates, immigration or interprovincial migration.

At the provincial level, population levels in Alberta saw the highest increase at 11.6 per cent, followed by Saskatchewan (6.3 per cent) and Manitoba (5.8 per cent).

When the 2016 census was taken last May 10, the population of the census metropolitan area of Toronto was 5,928,040, compared with 5,583,064 from the 2011 census. The population of the actual city of Toronto was 2,731,571, up from 2,615,060 in 2011.

Growth in New Brunswick shrank by 0.5 per cent - the first time since 2006 a province has reported a negative growth rate.

British Columbia’s population levels increased by 5.6 per cent, compared with Ontario (4.6 per cent), Quebec (3.3 per cent), Prince Edward Island

The census indicated that

(1.9 per cent), Newfoundland and Labrador (1.0 per cent) and Nova Scotia (0.2 per cent).

Among the northern territories, the population grew by 12.7 per cent in the Northwest Territories, 5.8 per cent in the Nunavut and 0.8 per cent in Yukon.

Oakville 193,832 182,520 6.2

Aurora 55,445 53,203 4.2

Burlington 183,314 175,779 4.3

Newmarket 84,224 79,978 5.3

Halton Hills 61,161 59,013 3.6

East Gwillimbury 23,991 22,473 6.8

Ontario is still the country’s most populous province, with a population of 13,448,494. The population of other provinces and territories: Quebec, 8,164,361; British Columbia, 4,648,055; Alberta, 4,067,175; Manitoba, 1,278,365; Saskatchewan, 1,098,352; New Brunswick, 923,598; New Brunswick, 747,101; Newfoundland and Labrador, 519,716; Prince Edward Island, 142,907; Northwest Territories, 41,786; Nunavut, 35,944 and Yukon, 35,874.

Pickering 91,771 88,721 3.4

Georgina 45,418 43,517 4.4

Ajax 119,677 109,600 9.2

Brock 11,642 11,341 2.7

Oshawa 159,458 149,607 6.6

Clarington 92,013 84,548 8.8

Vaughan 306,233 288,301 6.2

Scugog 21,617 21,569 0.2

Markham 328,966 301,709 9.0

Uxbridge 21,176 20,623 2.7

Richmond Hill 195,022 185,541 5.1

Whitby 128,377 122,022 5.2

Here is a local breakdown of census population information for communities in the Toronto region: Community 2016 2011 % change Metropolitan Toronto 5,928,040 5,583,064 6.2 City of Toronto 2,731,571 2,615,060 4.5 Mississauga 721,599 713,443 1.1 Brampton 593,638 523,906 13.3 Caledon 66,502 59,460 11.8

King 24,512 19,899 23.2 Milton 110,128 84,362 30.5

Cp24 Whitchurch-Stouffville 45,837 37,628 21.8

Ontario invests an additional $140m in mental health services The money will help fund new mental health initiatives, including services for 12-25 year olds Ontario is earmarking $140 million over three years for mental health and addictions services, including investments in psychotherapy and supportive housing.

The Liberal government says that’s in addition to $3.7 billion

that the province put toward those services in 2015-16.

Health Minister Eric Hoskins used the announcement to further pressure the federal government to boost Canada Health Transfer payments, saying that Ottawa’s current offer would mean Ontario would receive $38 million for mental health — about one per cent of the province’s expenditure.

0% Interest

NS TIO LU SO

MONEY PROBLEMS?

AL LD EB T

cont’d on pg. 13

C R

PLAN

Make One Monthly Payment for All Your Bills

IF

Are you using your overdraft all the time?

Are you living pay cheque to pay cheque?

Are you borrowing loans from Pay Day Loans?

Are the creditors or collection agencies harassing you?

Are you afraid of losing your car, house, RRSP, stocks or any other assets?

Do you think your credit rating is at risk or you have bad credit?

Do you have lawsuits against you?

Do you owe GST or income tax to Revenue Canada?

No Need to File for Bankruptcy

One Small Monthly Payment for all your Bills

OFFICE TOLL FREE

DIRECT LINE

1 855 671 0577

416 671 0577

WE CAN SAVE

Keep your car, house, RRSP and all other assets.

We will give you options according to your situation.

We will reduce your debts up to 80%.

We will stop calls and garnishment immediately.

We will help you to rebuild your credit minimum time.

We will help you to get credit and use it wisely with our CR Plan.

Call us for a Private and Confidential meeting.

MY TRUE CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

I had a busisness and it went well. But the debts were too high for me to afford all the loan and credit card payments by running the business. Siddique and All Debt Solutions showed me a way of managing all these payments by keeping my business running. Now I am able to save some money to buy a house in the future. - S.B.

OTHER LOCATIONS:

3181 East 53rd Ave. Vancouver BC V5S 1W4 4720 Kingsway | Burnaby, BC

WE CAN HELP

I am young and have a good job. I had a lot of loans/credit card payment that I could not pay regularly. Without having to file Bankruptcy. Siddique showed a way of making those payments and reducing my debts to 70%. Now I plan to buy a house in the future. Thank you Siddique. - G.I.

M. Siddique Certified Credit Councellor

I owed a lot of Income Taxes and could not sleep at night. All Debt Solutions helped me solve the problem. Now I am able to carry my life without any stress. Thanks a lot Siddique. - V.K. My wife and I had fights and arguments at home and were blaming each other for our financial situation. We were both working but somehow at the end of the month we didn’t have enough money. The calls from the Collections Agencies were driving us mad. It was good fortune that we contacted Siddique at All Debt Solutions. He helped us with our problem and there is peace at home after a long time. We cannot forget his dedication and patience in solving our problem. - G.S & R.S.

12

The Ghanaian News February 2017

FOCUS “Mandela: Gifts from a Leader”-A Reflection on Black History Month

By Joe Kingsley Eyiah, OCT, Brookview MS, Toronto On Thursday, February 16, 2017 a group of entertaining HOZA thrilled the students and staff of Brookview with their wonderful and entertaining performance on Black History under title: MANDELA-Gifts from a leader!

“Hoza” is an African word chosen to mean STOP, START or CHANGE by the group. Their mission is to help put a STOP to negative thinking and behaviors, and facilitate CHANGE that is needed to START living in a more socially just world.

The performance by the two-member group of Canadians with South African and Caribbean backgrounds was a combination of drumming, singing, acting and active interaction with students through questions and answers.

The students and teachers of the school also had the opportunity to participate in the skilful learning of playing the African drums brought by the group.

More importantly, HOZA convinced their audience by the end of the show on the need to exercise positive thinking and take action for what is right always. Apartheid

year is used, especially in North American, as the month to promote awareness about the contributions of people of Black ancestry to the development of freedom and justice in this part of the world. From the time of Harriet Tubman in the ‘Abolition and the Underground Railroad’; Jackie Robinson in South Africa during integrating major league Mandela’s time in the baseball in 1947; and 70s/80s was wrong! Martin Luther King Jr. M a n d e l a t h e r e f o r e delivering his famous ‘I mobilized the oppressed Have a Dream’ speech people in that country during the 1963 march on to stand up for what was Washington; to present, right! “After 27 years in that barrack Obama has prison Nelson Mandela become the first Black and was freed in 1990 and the 44th President of the negotiated the end of United States of America, apartheid in South Africa the history of African bringing peace to a Americans has struggled racially divided country to find its rightful place in and leading the fight for American History. Black human rights around the History has its own tall world.” That was part of history which is not my Black History and, Black point of discussion in History is World History! this discourse. However, Black History Month: I emphasize here and Black History Month is now that history in itself a time to reflect on the must be a GUIDE for the arduous but triumphant PRESENT and must serve civil rights movement in as an INSPIRATION the United States. It is a for the FUTURE. In celebration of obstacles this wise, HISTORY surmounted, tests passed, becomes dynamic and and wills strengthened useful! History ought in conquering injustice.’ to empower people to Thus, February every be all they can be. And

Kwame Nkrumah (first President of the re-born nation of Ghana in 1957 from the ashes of the Old Ghana Empire) of blessed memory: ‘The celebration of Black history month is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the Black race and the overall advancement of the human race!’ All people of African heritage must use Black History as a tool for perseverance to liberate themselves from ‘mental slavery’ and economic hardships that confront them wherever they find themselves in the world.

African governments must reflect on achievements of Black people around the world such as Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela as well as Bosomburu Kofi Anan and endeavor to create opportunities for their countries to achieve economic independence through political tolerance and sound policies. As Black people, we ought to be proud of our culture and advance it to enhance productivity for the development of our communities wherever we find ourselves in the world. It is my strongest opinion that, the celebration of the Black

History Month should not bring us together for only ‘talk-talk’ and dancing as well as feasting but move us forward towards unity, perseverance, hard work, respect for each other and the ultimate sacrifice of making our Black communities better than we have come to meet them. We ought to develop our local talents and skills in all fields of life; and patronize our local businesses which must also be run efficiently by the local entrepreneurs.

We have to demonstrate by resolute actions and practical decisions our determination to develop the welfare of the Black race just as Nelson Mandela and his compatriots did in Apartheid South Africa.

With such determination and resilience on our part, we will make our celebration of the Black History (ie recognition of the contributions of Black people to the world) Month more meaningful and relevant to progress and prosperity. Only in this way will the celebration of Black History anytime, anywhere play its full part in the advancement of true happiness of mankind. Happy Black History Month to All!!!!!!

Census 2016: Canada’s population surpasses 35 million cont’d from pg. 9

“Bookkeeping is a stable and in-demand profession with statistics indicating that 80% of all bookkeepers find full-time employment.”

Service Canada

Respond to the demand for bookkeepers.

Registered Professional Bookkeeper Program

Online | In-Class Contact an admissions officer or apply online today.

NATIONAL Online (604) 628-5784 / 1(844) 628-5784

Ashton College

BRITISH COLUMBIA Abbotsford Vancouver (604) 625-1150 (604) 283-2028

www.ashtoncollege.ca

Select programs are eligible for funding under Federal or Provincial Student Loan plans.

all things are possible to those who believe in history and learn from its lessons as well. Just studying about events and personalities of Black History only during the month of February each year is not enough to empower students of African heritage to succeed in the society w h i c h m a rg i n a l i z e s the Black race. Black History ought to become permanent part of the school curriculum so that students of other races can learn to appreciate Black contributions to society.

Activities planned for students during the celebration of Black History Month must not end with the month. Such promotional activities in Art, Science, Language and Mathematics must be encouraged throughout the school year. The contents of Black History must challenge students to higher feat of achievements in their studies.

Black History Is Meaningless Unless..: Black History on its own is meaningless unless it makes lasting impact on development of society.

And to borrow the words of another great son of Africa, Osagyefo Dr.

1114

had the highest rate of growth since 2011 at 55.1 per cent, followed by the Alberta communities of Blackfalds (48.1 per cent) and Cochrane (47.1 per cent). Bonnyville, Alta., had the fastest rate of decrease at 12.9 per cent.

The population and dwelling counts mark the first set of data from the mandatory shortform 2016 census to be released by Statistics Canada. Further releases, including those related to gender, language, immigration and labour,

will follow throughout 2017.

The data will assist decision-making across all levels of government and provide sociologists, demographers, urban planners and businesses with a wealth of information.

The Ghanaian News February 2017

13

What is wrong with football in Ghana?

By Edmund Agbeko, Toronto

pivotal role of football.

There was not the usual excitement during the recent African Cup matches. Normally when the Black Stars are playing in a major match, I leave the television to save the old heart from great tension by taking a book to bed.

We should restore football as the most popular game played by the youth. It is good for them in many ways. In the bad old days, a housemaster at school had to coach his house team in football, hockey and volley ball. He could ask colleagues who were not housemasters to help but he would do well to read, study and play the game so that he could coach his house team.

But I quickly go down to put the television on to watch the replay when the national team scores. But how did I know that the Stars had scored a goal?

It is simple. There were then yells and deafening

disappointing?

T h e p u b l i c disenchantment appeared to have affected the Ghanaian team. The second goal scored by Cameroun to deny the Stars firmly going into the finals was farcical. The Ghanaians were naturally applying great pressure for an equaliser. But was that a reason for ignoring the defence? The chasing of the Camerounian with the ball by two Ghanaians was funny. The Ghanaians appeared tired and

corruption appeared to be rife in the country. It was rumoured they asked for executive allowances to represent their country and had to climb down after some pressure.

But can we blame the

Of course as a teacher, you learn about the importance of games and sports in physical and mental development.

We should vigorously promote the inter-school and college games of old.

Facilities for other games should be provided to usefully engage our boys and girls at school. In particular, there should be grounds and parks at schools and in the country for games.

In my early days in life, we had many open fields in which to play football.

An open space, four heaps of stone for goal

shouts of joy from the nearby houses of where I lived. Taxis and even sedate cars sounded their horns. The excitement was usually great and widespread.

aimless. If not, how could they not overtake the Camerounian who was naturally slowed down by controlling the ball? And more importantly, why was there no defence?

Nothing of the sort, however, happened when the Stars played for the championship of Africa recently. I am told most areas in Ghana were quiet.

There was no indication that we had even qualified for the semi-finals. There appeared to be some disenchantment with football.

And why did the Black Stars fail to score after so much pressure? It appeared they had only one plan - get the ball to one or two strikers.

There were no attempts to try long shots through the many openings in the opponents’ defence; and the headings from the many good corners were not that good.

The Stars appeared to have been affected by the displeasure of many Ghanaians.

Even the press seemed to share in the yawning on football. But was it the game the people appeared to be tired of or were those involved in its administration and promotion found ineffective and

Instead of being heroes in waiting, they were regarded as money grabbers at a time when

The new funding is going toward a provincial structured psychotherapy program, up to nine mental health hubs for youth, and up to 1,150 more supportive housing units.

That housing gives people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless and living with mental illness or addictions a place to live as well as access to counseling.

The youth hubs would be available to people

money for players. What we need is to provide facilities so that we can tap talent throughout the country and imprint our character and style on the game.

Practically all you needed was open space and there were many of them. Where can the young play today? We build anywhere, anyhow and have no parks, open places of leisure let alone football parks.

Football is not merely a game to be watched and in which to promote teams and in which to place bets. It is to be enjoyed. In my youth, we were excited not only by the number of goals scored by our side but by the dribbling delight of players. We were thrilled not by “strikers” but by those who displayed “Amε” (dribbles).

So let us put a stop to the rampant development of towns without football and other parks. We must keep the young healthy.

Camping children on the sixth floor of a conurbation will not help.

The youth must be up and around to maintain and promote health and wellbeing. We cannot develop good footballers without parks and facilities for enjoyment.

What is wrong with football in Ghana is more serious than the lack and search for expert foreign coaches and trainers and the provision of adequate

Football has moved on and we should follow development. We should express our national character while we win matches. The Brazilians do not play football like the British who took the game over there. What is wrong with football is not the temporary d i s e n c h a n t m e n t . We should make facilities available, especially parks. It should be a crime to build on every available piece of land.

Stars? They were subjected to so much haggling about allowances and other payments during the World Cup competition in Brazil.

There appeared to be so much time-consuming arguments and confusion that eventually a plane had to be hired to carry allowances and other payments from Ghana to Brazil in this day and age of electronic transfers.

We became the laughing stock of the world!

Those who administer football in Ghana have, together with those who play, brought the game to a low ebb in Ghana. We must get rid of the bad administrators and restore the image of football. It is still the most popular game in Ghana and as we promote sports in general, we should not forget the

Ontario invests an additional $140m in mental health services cont’d from pg. 11

posts and a tennis ball and you were game for football. Today, it is more expensive to play even football. You need boots, goal posts, footballs and marked fields.

between the ages of 12 and 25 on a walk-in basis and provide “one-stop access” to mental health and addictions services, as well as other social supports. The Canadian Press

B.K OBENG ENT DJ SLIM BLAQ We cover all types of events: Weddings, Small gatherings Birthdays, Funerals, Parties Engagements, Outdoorings We have the best music for your events.

We're now serving: Toronto (GTA), Hamilton Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo ( Area ), London Ontario Windsor Ajax

Contact us today 519-​701-0093 or 289-887-8660

14

The Ghanaian News February 2017

Profile of Heads of Governments in Ghana since 1957

Ghana turns 60 years in March this year. It would be exactly 60 years ago on March 6, 1957 that Ghana gained its independence from British Colonial rule. The struggle for independence had begun with the United Gold Coast Convention in the aftermath of World War II. However, the man who led the nation to freedom and became its first President was Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Dr. Nkrumah was overthrown in a military coup in 1966. Since then there had been 4 more military interventions with 4 more civilian administrations after each military government.

Ghana from 1992 to present has enjoyed a stable government under its 4th Republic. As we celebrate the 60th birthday of our great nation, we bring to our readers the profiles of the heads of governments in Ghana since 1957 when the country became a sovereign . state.

D r. K w a m e N k r u m a h (21 Sept; 1909 – 27April 27 1972) Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who became the first head of government of independent Ghana under the Convention People Party (CPP) in 1957 was born on Saturday, September 21, 1909 at Nkroful in the Western region of Ghana. He married Helena Ritz Fathia, a relative of President Gamal Abdel Nassar of Egypt in 1958 and had three children with her.

Nkrumah was formerly known as Francis Nwia-Kofi, but he later changed his name to Kwame Nkrumah. Interestingly, the Fanti teacher who enrolled Francis Nwia-Kofi Ngonlomam into school inadvertently wrote “Nkrumah” for “Ngonloma” and it remained as such. After completing his elementary education at Half Assini, Nkrumah in 1927 entered the Government Training College in Accra (became known as Achimotta School later that year). He obtained his Teacher’s Certificate from the College in 1930. His life as a schoolteacher was brief as in 1932 he became a student at the Roman Catholic Seminary at Amisano near Cape Coast. He left for USA in 1935 to further his studies and obtained his BA degree in 1939 and another one, this time in Theology in 1942, all from the Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.

By 1943, Kwame Nkrumah had annexed MSc Education and MA Philosophy degrees at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. Meanwhile, he had combined his studies with lectureship, a job he did so well that he was voted the “Most Outstanding Professor-Of-TheYear” by ‘The Lincolnian’ in 1945. In the same year Kwame Nkrumah left USA for London,

England to study Law for his Doctoral degree. He shortly met George Padmore in London and they teamed up to organize the Sixth Pan-African Congress in Manchester, England.

Thereafter, Nkrumah intensified his activities for the decolonization of Africa. He wrote his first book titled ‘Towards Colonial Freedom’ in 1947.

In December 1947 Nkrumah returned to Gold Coast and became the General Secretary of United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC).

The Colonial government in 1948 detained him and 5 other Executive Members of the UGCC. Nkrumah was dismissed as the General Secretary of UGCC the same year due to his radical stand on independence. He had already formed the Convention Peoples Party (CPP); and declared Positive Action to demand Independence for the then Gold Coast in December 1949. He was arrested in January the following year and incarcerated.

However, while in prison, Nkrumah won the seat for Accra Central in an election held in February 1951. He was immediately released from prison to form new government.

Kwame Nkrumah again won the 1956 elections leading to independence and subsequently declared Ghana’s Independence on March 6th 1957.

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah then turned his efforts toward the unification of African States.

He therefore held an AllAfrican Peoples Conference in Accra in December 1958.

I n 1 9 6 0 D r. N k r u m a h declared Ghana as Republic.

Unfortunately, he became the target of assassination attempts by his ‘political enemies’ as was seen in the Kulungugu bombing in August, 1962. Dr. Nkrumah narrowly escaped death in that attempt on his life.

He turned Ghana into One Party-State with himself as Life President in 1964. Political tension gripped Ghana and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was deposed in a military coup d’etat while he was on a peace mission to Hanoi, North Vietnam. He went to live in Conakry, Guinea after his overthrow in 1966 until he died naturally in a Romania hospital on April 27th, 1972. His body was brought to Ghana for a fitting burial on July 7th, 1972.

Lt. General Joseph A. Ankrah (18th Aug., 1915 – 2 5 t h N o v. , 1 9 9 2 ) The next head of government after Dr. Nkrumah was a soldier by profession. He was Lt. General Joseph A. Ankrah, a native of Accra.

Gen. Ankrah was recalled from enforced retirement following the February 1966 coup staged

by Gen. Kotoka and Gen.

Afrifa to be the chairman of the National Liberation Council (NLC) and head of state.

From a very humble beginning, Ankrah had worked hard to obtain his Cambridge School Certificate in 1937.

Two years later, he was mobilized into West Africa Frontier Force on the outbreak of the Second World War. In 1946, he trained as Officer Cadet in U.K. and was commissioned as Lieutenant in 1947. By the dint of hardwork he rose through the ranks over the years to become Lieutenant Colonel. In August 1960 he was appointed Colonel, a position that few Ghanaians could occupy at that time.

He was made a Brigade Commander of the UN Peace Keeping Force in Congo from 1960 to 1961. Ankrah exhibited excellent soldiering qualities that won him a promotion to Brigadier in 1961.

Unfortunately, 3 years after being the head of government has was forced to resign as the Chairman of NLC and head over a bribery scandal.

He died on 25th November 1992 leaving behind several wives and 18 children.

Lt. General Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa (24 April, 1936 – 16 June, 1979) Upon the resignation of Gen. Ankrah in 1969, Lt. General Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa became the chairman of NLC and the head of government.

Afrifa was born at Mampong, Ashanti where he attended the Presbyterian Boys Boarding School. He had his Secondary education at Adisadel College, Cape Coast from 1952 to 1956.

He had his military training, first at the Regular Officer’s Special Training School from 1957 to 1958; and at the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England in 1958, From 1958 to 1960 he continued with his training at the Military Academy in Sandhurst, England; and in 1961 at the School of Infantry, Hythe in England. He returned to Ghana and became the Commander of the Rifle Company and, as a General Staff Officer from 1962 to 1964.

Afrifa was made the Commanding Officer of the Second Battalion of Infantry in 1966. It was during the same year in Kumasi where he was the Commander of First Infantary Brigade under Kotoka that the two planned and carried out the coup that toppled Nkrumah. He became a member of the eight-man ruling NLC, and a Commissioner of Finance, Trade and Economic Affairs. However, he took over as the Chairman of NLC and head of government in 1969 when Gen. Ankrah was

forced to resign that position.

In 1972, Gen. Afrifa was arrested and detained for almost the whole year by the National Redemption Council regime under Gen. Acheampong.

He led the Popular Movement for Freedom and Justice to protest against UNIGOV and demanding the return of the nation to constitutional rule.

On 16th June, 1979 he was taken from his farm at Mampong and executed by firing squad after the June 4th, 1979 upspring.

England as Senior Member of St. Anthony’s College.

Dr. Busia returned from exile in 1966 after Dr. Nkrumah’s overthrow and got appointed as the chairman of the National Advisory Committee of the NLC. From 1967 to 1968 he served as the chairman of the Center for Civic Education selling himself as the next leader through his countrywide assignments.

In 1968 he formed the Progress Party when the ban on politics was lifted and won elections in 1969 to become head of government (as a Prime Minister following the British type of government). He adopted a liberalized economic system and devalued the cedis by 44% in 1971. This attracted a lot of resistance from the public and while he was away in London his government was ousted in a coup led by Colonel I.K. Acheampong on January 13th, 1972.

Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia (11th July, 1913 – 28th August, 1974) Gen. Afrifa in October, 1969 handed over the governing of Ghana to Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia and his Progress Party (PP) after the parliamentary elections of that year which the PP won 104 of the 105 seats contested. Thus, Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia, a native of Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region became the second civilian head of government in Ghana after Dr. Nkrumah. He was anti – Nkrumaist stance.

The education and career life of Busia could be described as very academic. He entered Mfantsipim College at Cape Coast after completing his elementary education at the Wenchi Methodist School.

Busia trained as a professional teacher in 1931 and 1932 at the Wesley College in Kumasi.

From 1936 to 1939 he taught at the Achimota College in Accra during which period he did a correspondence course to gain a first degree with honors in History from the University of London. He went to the Oxford University in England and by 1941 earned his BA degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics as well as MA and Ph.D. degrees i n S o c i a l A n t h r o p o l o g y.

Dr. Busia returned to Ghana and worked as a District Commissioner from 1942 to 1949. He was appointed the first lecturer in African Studies at the University of Gold Coast in 1949.

Eventually, Dr. Busia became the first African to occupy a Chair in that University.

In 1951 the Ashanti Confederacy elected Dr. Busia to the Legislative Council.

He became the leader of the Ghana Congress Party, which joined with the other opposition parties to form the United Party (UP). As a leader of the opposition against Nkrumah, Busia felt his life was not safe and therefore fled the country in 1959 to Netherlands where he worked as Professor of Sociology and Culture at the University of Leiden in The Hague. He later moved to the University of Oxford in

General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong (23rd Sept., 1931 – 16th June, 1979) General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong used the general discontent against Busia’s government to stage a coup in 1972 to become the 3rd military head of government in Ghana.

Acheampong schooled at Trabuom elementary school near Kumasi where he was born. He furthered his education at St. Peter’s Catholic School in Kumasi and Central College of Commerce at Agona Swedru in the Central Region.

From 1945 to 1957 he worked at Timber Sawmill in Kumasi as Stenographer Secretary; at Kumasi Commercial College as a Tutor; and at Agona Swedru College of Commerce as Vice Principal.

He got enlisted as a Private in the Ghana Army in 1951 and later went to Cadet training at Mons, Aldershot. Upon his return to Ghana in 1959 he was commissioned Second Lieutenant. Determined to climb the ladder in the Army, Acheampong between 1959 and 1966 attended various courses including one in Personnel Administration at the Staff College. He also trained at Leavenworth, Kansas in USA and later became the Commanding Officer of the 5th and 6th Battalion.

Gen. Acheampong served as the chairman of Western Regional Committee of Administration from 1966 to 1971; and as the Commander of the First Infantary Brigade from 1971 to 1972.

When he assumed the head of government of Ghana in 1972, Gen. Acheampong reversed the devaluation of the cedis and

The Ghanaian News February 2017

15

Profile of Heads of Governments in Ghana since 1957 refused to pay the debts Ghana owed the outside world. He also embarked on the “Operation Feed Yourself”. However, by 1976 Acheampong’s regime has become unpopular as a result of mismanagement and economics hardships.

His UNIGOV idea which was to do away with partisan government was vehemently opposed with massive protests.

There were clashes with his opponents and some protestors were killed in Kumasi. On July 5th, 1978 Gen. Acheampong’s second-in-command, General Fred Akuffo and other members of the ruling supreme Military Council (SMC) staged a palace coup and removed Acheampong as the head of government. Acheampong was confined to his hometown, Trabuom in Ashanti Region until he was picked up and executed alongside other top military officer on 16th June, during the 1979 uprising.

General Fredrick William Kwasi Akuffo (21st March, 1937 – 16th June 1979) When Gen. Acheampong was removed in a palace coup on 5th July, 1978 General Fredrick Akuffo became chairman of SMC II and the head of government.

Akuffo who hailed from Akropong-Akwapim in the Eastern Region was educated at the Presbyterian Secondary School at OdumasiKrobo from 1952 to 1955.

He got enlisted as an OfficerCadet in the Ghana Army in 1957. He then studied at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, UK from 1958 to 1960; and at the Staff College in 1967; and also at the National Defense College, India in 1973. Posts he held included: Commanding Officer, Airborne Training School in Tamale from 1965 to 1966; commanding Officer, 6th Battalion from 1969 to 1970; Director General of Operations and Planning, Ministry of Defense in 1970.

Gen. Akuffo was appointed Army Commander in 1974 and Chief of Defense Staff in 1976.

When he took over from Acheampong, he initiated the return of the country to civilian rule by instituting a new Constitution Drafting Committee. He lifted the ban on politics though some prominent politicians were still banned.

Unfortunately, his efforts could not solve the country’s economic problems, which sent workers demonstrating in the streets. Flt. Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings and his men took advantage of the situation in the country and staged a coup d’etat on the 4th of June 1979 to overthrow

the SMCII. Rawlings became the chairman of ruling Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) and the fifth military head of government in Ghana.

However, the AFRC handed over power to democratically elected head in September, the same yar. Gen. Akuffo was shot by firing squad at the Teshie Military range with Gen. Acheampong and other on June 16th 1979.

Dr. Hilla Limann (12th Dec; 1934 – 23rd Jan; 1998) Flt. Lt. Rawlings and the AFRC organized elections in 1979 to return the country to civilian rule 3 months after the June 4th uprising. Dr. Hilla Limann who was the presidential candidate for the Peoples National Party (PNP) won the elections to become the third civilian head of government in Ghana. He was sworn in on 24th September, 1979 as the President of the Third Republic of Ghana.

Limann was born on 12th December, 1934 at Gwolu in the Upper West Region.

He was named Babini but he was brought up by his uncle, Heli Limann whose name he (Dr. Limann) assumed on entering primary school.

Limann attended Tamale Government Middle School from 1946 to 1949. He became a District Councilor at Tumu in the Upper West Region between 1952 and 1955.

In 1954, he lost parliamentary elections as an Independent Candidate.

Limann left Ghana for London in 1957 and later to France where he obtained his Ph.D. in Political Science and Constitutional Law in 1965 from the University of Paris.

He was made Head, Europe Desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs form 195 to 1968. In 1967 he served as a member of the Constitutional Commission.

After working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as Head of Ghana’s Mission in Togo and Counselor of Ghana’s Permanent Mission in Geneva, Dr. Limann returned to Ghana in 1975 and when the ban on politics was lifted Alhaji Imoro Egala, a ‘giant’ in the PNP – a group of Nkrumahistselected him to lead the party.

Thus, Dr. Limann became the head of government when PNP won the elections in 1979.

He immediately replenished the depleted food stock in the country and launched the Gold Endowment Fund to attract investors to Ghana. Unfortunately, on 31st December 1981 Flt. Lt. Rawlings took power back from Dr. Limann in a military coup called “a revolution”. Dr. Limann lived a private life till he died of natural causes on 23rd January, 1998 in Ghana.

Flight – Lieutenant Jerry John Kwasi Rawlings (22nd June, 1947-) Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings came back to Ghana politics as the sixth military head of government in 1981 and ‘metamorphosized’ himself in 1992 to become the fourth civilian head of government and the President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. His second and final term of office (by the constitution) expires at the end of this year, 2000.

The only head of government who is still alive is Rawlings.

Though a native of Dzelokope in the Volta Region, Rawlings was born in Accra on June 22, 1947 and has since lived almost his whole life in Accra.

He schooled at St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School at Adabraka in Accra and furthered his studies at Achimota School also in Accra in 1966.

In August 1967 he got enlisted as a Flight Cadet at the Ghana Air Force Station in Takoradi, Western Region. He was selected for Officer-Cadet Training at the Military Academic, Teshie in Accra. Rawlings went for Military Training Course in Takoradi after which he was commissioned as Pilot Officer in January 1969 (won the coveted Speed Bird Trophy as the Best Cadet in flying and airmanship).

In April, 1969 he was promoted to Flight Lieutenant.

On May 28, 1979 Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings was arrested for muting of the junior officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces. Before he could be sentenced on June 4, 1979 he was sprung from jail by Major Boakye-Djan and some junior officers. The coup makers formed the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) with Flt. Lt. Rawlings as the head. The AFRC did some ‘house cleaning’ by executing 3 former military heads of state and other military officers by firing squad. They handed over power to Dr. Limann and his PNP government in September, 1979. But Rawlings came back and ousted the Limann government in 1981. He formed the Provincial National Defense Council (PNDC) to carry out a “revolution”.

In 1992, Rawlings resigned from the Army and contested elections on the ticket of National Democratic Convention (NDC) and won. He won again in the 1996 elections.

Mr. John Kofi Agyekum Kufour Ghana’s 4th Republic saw a smooth changeover from the NDC government

to a new government of the National Patriotic Party (NPP) under the leadership of Mr. John Kofi Agyekum Kufour on January 7, 2001. Thus, Mr. Kufour became the fifth civilian head of government after Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings.

At the age of 62 years, Kufour who hails from the Ashanti Region of Ghana is the first opposition leader in Ghana to have beaten the i n cu m b e n t g o v e r n m e n t ’s presidential candidate to become the President of Ghana.

Like the first, second and third civilian heads of government, Kufour is well educated. He went to Oxford University in Britain and earned a Masters degree in philosophy, political science and economics.

He was called to the bar at Lincoln’s Inn in London in 1961 but he soon returned to Ghana and took to politics.

He became a member of the Constitutuent Assemblies, which drafted G h a n a ’s r e p u b l i c a n constitution in 1969 and 1979.

Mr. Kufour won a parliamentary seat and was appointed Deputy Foreign Minister in 1969 when Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia and his Progress Party (PP) came to power. Busia government was overthrown in 1972 and Kufour went into business running a brick and tile factory.

However, he returned to politics in 1979 and became the Deputy Minority parliamentary Leader when Ghana returned to democratic rule. That was to be for short time since Flt. J.J. Rawlings overthrew the government of Ghana in 1981.

Kufour was then appointed by Rawlings as Minister for Local Government but after nine months in office Kufour resigned from Rawling’s PNDC government due to political incompatability.

He then returned to entrepreneurship until 1992 when he came back to politics

Kufour lost the presidential elections to Rawlings in 1996 but stood again for presidency and won in 2000 to become the 5th civilian head of government of Ghana. He won the presidency for the 2nd time in 2004.

It is interesting to note that Ghana’s new democracy since 1992 has seen stability and grown over the years.

This is evidenced by the fact that the last two presidents of the country, in the persons of Rawlings and Kufour have both successfully served as heads of state for two consecutive terms of 8 years a term each.

Kufour will hand over his presidency to a newly elected president in January, 2009, thus, ending successfully his second term in office as the Head of State of Ghana.

Kufour is married to Theresa, a nurse with whom he has five grown-up children.

We congratulate Kufour and Rawlings (the only heads of states of our country still alive) as Ghana celebrates its 51st independence anniversary.

Professor John Evans Atta Mills (2009-2012) John Atta Mills became President of Ghana after two failed attempts. He lost twice against former President John Kufuor in 2000 and 2004.

However, in 2008 he won the country’s presidential election on the ticket of the then opposi-

tion National Democratic Party (NDC). He was sworn in by the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Georgina Theodora Wood on January 7, 2009 as the Third President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. (the 3rd John consecutively to rule Ghana!)

Prof. John Atta Mills was born on 21 July 1944 at Tarkwa in western Ghana. He graduated in law at the University of Ghana in 1967 before pursuing his legal studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

John Atta Mills then won a Fulbright scholarship at Stanford Law School in the US. He came back to his alma mater the University of Ghana as a lecturer for nearly 25 years.

From 1986 to 1993, Prof Atta Mills was the Acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service and the substantive Commissioner during 19931996. He was then selected as the running mate to former President Jerry Rawlings for the 1996 elections, and served as vice president from 1997 to 2001.

He was a keen hockey player, at one time a member of the national team, and also enjoyed swimming.

President Mills had more than one dozen publications in the taxation and law fields to his credit.

The 64-year old former President of Ghana was married to Ernestina Naadu Mills, a director of education and trained marriage counsellor. He died on July 12, 2012, the first sitting President of the country to die in office.

John Dramani Mahama: (July 24, 2012-present) President John Mahama was born on November 29, 1958 at Damongo, in the Northern Region of Ghana. He is a communications expert, historian, writer, former Member of Parliament and Minister of State, and immediate former Vice-President of Ghana.

He ascended to the high office of President following the death of the incumbent President John Evans Atta Mills on Tuesday, July 24 in Accra.

After completing his education, President Mahama went on to pursue an additional postgraduate diploma in social psychology at the Institute of Social Sciences in Moscow, and returned to Ghana from 1991 to 1996.

He worked as Information, Culture and Research Officer at the Embassy of Japan in Accra.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo (7th President of the 4th Republic, 7th January, 2017 – present) cont’d on pg. 17

16

The Ghanaian News February 2017

IMMIGRATION AND SOCIAL ISSUES By: James A. Kwaateng, B.A. (Hons), LLB (Hons)

Some Obstacles to Acquisition of Canadian Citizenship One becomes a Canadian citizen either by birth or by naturalization pursuant to the Citizenship Act. While the Canadian–born is certain of citizenship, the permanent resident holder has to apply to become a citizen of Canada and must meet certain criteria. The requirements keep changing and they become increasingly tough with time.

To apply for citizenship, the applicant must be 18 years old.

However, applications can be submitted for children under18 years by their parent, adoptive parent or legal guardian when the child is a permanent resident and one parent or the adoptive parent is a Canadian citizen or is applying to become a citizen at the same time.

In the past, there has been a requirement that applicants between the age of 18 and 54 years must be able to communicate in either English or French and have adequate knowledge of Canada and the responsibilities and privileges of Canadian citizenship.

Currently, applicants between 14 and 64 years – and not 18 to 54 years as it used to be the case - will have to send proof of their ability to speak and listen in English or French with their citizenship applications. Some examples of this proof can be: the results of an Immigrationapproved third-party test or transcripts or a diploma from a secondary education in English or French, in Canada or abroad; or evidence of achieving Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 or higher in certain governmentfunded language training programs.

Apart from children under 18 years, the current Citizenship application guidelines expect

an applicant to have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,460 days (four years) during the six years immediately preceding the date of his application and also to have been physically present for at least 183 days during each of the four calendar years that are fully or partially within the six years immediately before the date of application. This means the qualifying period for permanent residents to obtain Canadian citizenship has been extended from the current three years in a four-year period to a longer timeframe.

A citizenship applicant must not be charged with, on trial for, or involved in an appeal for an offence under the Citizenship Act or an indictable offence in Canada. A person who has been convicted of an indictable offence in Canada or has been convicted outside Canada of an offence that is determined to be equivalent to an indictable offence in Canada or has been convicted of an offence under the Citizenship Act, in the 4 years preceding the application

for citizenship is ineligible to apply for Canadian citizenship.

A citizenship applicant must not be under review for immigration or fraud reasons, must not be under a removal order and must not have any unfulfilled conditions related to his permanent resident status.

Also, the applicant should not be in prison, on parole or on probation in Canada and should not be serving a sentence outside Canada.

An applicant who has had his citizenship application refused for misrepresentation in the past five years, or has had his Canadian citizenship revoked because of fraud in the past ten years, should not apply.

The Government of Canada expects the citizenship applicant to have responsibly met his personal income tax filing obligations in four taxation years that are fully or partially within the six years immediately before the date of application.

In situations where the applicant has been convicted of terrorism, high treason, treason, or spying offences while he was a permanent resident or where the applicant has served as a member of an armed force of a country or organized armed group and that country or group engaged in armed conflict with Canada while the applicant was a permanent resident, the person does not qualify to apply for Canadian citizenship.

It is manifestly clear from the foregoing that eligibility criteria for Canadian citizenship are changing very fast and acquisition of citizenship is becoming harder and tougher.

Applicants are advised to seek proper advice regarding their eligibility if in doubt.

James A. Kwaateng is an Immigration Law practitioner with his offices located at 168A Oakdale Road, Suite 4, Toronto, Ontario. For thorough discussion of your immigration and related social and legal issues, you may contact him at telephone number (416) 7432758.

Government pressed on plan to deal with migrants illegally crossing into Canada Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale praises communities for ‘truly magnificent’ response to migrants The Liberal government is closely tracking the influx of asylum seekers illegally crossing into Canada, but opposition critics say much more must be done to keep migrants safe and to protect the integrity of the immigration system.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said today the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency are rearranging resources to ensure they can “deal effectively with the situation.”

“Should they recommend changes or adjustments or additions to what they have on the ground now, obviously the government would be anxious to have their advice,” he said.

Hundreds of people have been making the perilous, and illegal, journey from the U.S. into Canada, many of them fleeing a planned immigration crackdown south of the border Goodale said the government will ensure Canadian laws are applied at the border and following the crossing of the border, and praised

local communities for their “truly magnificent” response to the migrants.

“Obviously, they have concerns, but they’ve responded with compassion and with generosity and that is the kind of response that Canadians would expect both from themselves in terms of their common humanity,” he said.

But as the government grapples with next steps, opposition critics have opposing views on how the government should respond to the influx.

Suspend agreement, NDP urges NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan said the government must immediately suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement, a 2002 agreement with the United States which requires migrants to seek refugee status in the country they reach first.

She said U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive orders have created a “humanitarian crisis,” causing people to risk life and limb to cross in to Canada illegally because they don’t feel safe in the U.S. “We have a desperate,

desperate situation,” she said.

Welcoming refugees The day after Trump signed executive orders suspending the intake of Syrian refugees and banning travel from residents of seven Muslimmajority countries, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent a message on Twitter welcoming refugees.

“To those fleeing persecution, terror and war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength,” it read.

But Kwan said Trudeau must match “welcoming rhetoric” with real action instead of forcing people to cross through frozen fields by suspending the Safe Third Country Agreement.

“What is Canada going to do about it? Are we going to be complicit because that’s what we’re going right now. We’re just being bystanders watching this unfold,” she told CBC News. “I would say this is a very important moment in our history, to stand up for compassion, for humanitarianism, to stand up for human rights.”

Asked about the plan in the House of Commons today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the government will continue to ensure that laws are enforced and followed while demonstrating the strength and integrity of Canada’s immigration system.

“We will be welcoming, but we need to make sure that it’s done properly at the same time by all officials in Canada,” he said.

Deterring illegal crossings Conservative public safety critic Tony

Clement called for more resources for border agents and the RCMP to police areas that are under increasing pressure, which he said could help deter illegal crossings.

He also called on the government to develop a comprehensive strategy to stop a situation he says is “spiralling out of control.”

“Canadians are fair people, but they don’t want queuejumpers, they don’t want people going around the system that we have in place, which

is a very compassionate system,” he said.

“Canadians want the law to be applied.”

Clement said trust in Canada’s immigration system is at stake.

“I’m worried that if this snowballs and the hundreds that are migrating become thousands, it will test the integrity of our system, and that will not be good for anyone,” he said.

“The safety of the claimants, the law being applied reasonably or fairly in our country... those things are at risk.”

CBC

MAGS MECHANICAL Plumbing & Heating Specializing: Service Preventative Maintenance Boilers Furnace Plumbing DHW Re'circ Pumps Sump Pumps Cold Water Booster Pumps Cleaning of DHW Storage Tanks Garage exhaust fans garage heaters Kitchen/bathroom Exhaust, Etc.

Good Rate, Excellent Service Call Magnus Manso

Tel: 905-796-6575

Licence Boiler/FurnaceTechnician 1

Cell: 416-712-1052

6699 Falconer Drive #41 Mississauga, Ont., L5N 2E3 P.O. Box 323, Station 'A' Etobicoke, Ont. M9C 4V3

Profile of Heads of Governments in Ghana since 1957 cont’d from pg. 15 In 2000, President Mahama was re-elected for another four-year term as the MP for the Bole/Bamboi Constituency. He was again re-elected in 2004 for a third term.

From 2001 to 2004, President Mahama served as the Minority Parliamentary Spokesman for Communications and in 2002 he was appointed the Director of Communications for the NDC. He was swornin on Monday, January 7, 2013, as the fourth President of Ghana's Fourth Republic.

President Mahama has seven children. He is married to Mrs. Lordina Mahama.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo (7th President of the 4th Republic, 7th January, 2017 – present) Ghana’s current President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has what many people have described as an impressive political record spanning about four decades. Born on March 29, 1944 Nana Akufo-Addo was raised at Swalaba in Accra to Mr. Edward Akufo-Addo and Mrs Adeline Akufo-Addo. He hailed from Kyebi in the Eastern Region. His father was Ghana’s third Chief Justice from 1966-1970 and non-executive President from 1970-1972. Their residence, Betty House at Korle Wokon in Accra, was the headquarters of the Ghana’s first political party, the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) formed at Saltpond on August, 4 1947.

Educational Background He schooled at the Government

Boys School at Adabraka, and was later to go to Rowe Road School which is now Kimbu Secondary Technical. He later went to England to study for his O-Level and A-Level examinations at Lancing College, Sussex. He taught at Accra Academy Secondary School when he returned to Ghana in 1962, before going to University of Ghana to read Economics in 1964.

He earned a BSc (Economics) degree in 1967. He was subsequently to study law in the United Kingdom and was called to the English Bar (Middle Temple) in July 1971. Nana Akufo-Addo was called to the Ghana bar in July 1975.Akufo-Addo stayed in France for five years as a lawyer at the now-defunct New York-based international law firm, Coudert Frères.

Political Career He was the General Secretary of People’s Movement for Freedom and Justice (PMFJ) which led “NO” campaign in the UNIGOV referendum of 1978 under General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong administration which was to solicit support against a one-party military government. In 1991, Akufo-Addo served as the Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Danquah-Busia Memorial Club.He travelled throughout the country to establish branches of the Club. These branches eventually metamorphosed into local organs of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) prior to the 1992 general election.

Nana Addo was elected three times from 1996 - 2008 as the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South in the Eastern Region.He served his nation

from 2001 to 2007 as Cabinet Minister, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, and later as a Foreign Minister under the administration of President John Agyekum Kufuor with brilliance and distinction.

Akufo-Addo contested the 2008 presidential race and received 4,159,439 votes representing 49.13 per cent of the valid votes cast, in the first round, but was not enough for the 50 plus one percent needed for an outright victory. In the run-off, Nana Akufo-Addo lost to the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) Presidential Candidate, Professor John Evans Atta Mills. .Akufo-Addo again contested in the 2012 national elections against the NDC candidate, John Dramani Mahama after the demise of President Atta-Mills on July 24, 2012.

That election generated considerable controversy, and was finally decided by the Supreme Court in a narrow 5/4 verdict in favour of Mr Mahama.In the 2016 elections, Nana Akufo-Addo competed against six other presidential candidates including President Mahama, of the ruling NDC, Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet of the Convention People’s Party and Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive People’s Party.

Nana Akufo Addo finally got his dream come true when on December 7, 2016 he won a clear majority in the Presidential elections. He polled 5,716,026 votes representing 53.85 per cent as against his main rival, President Mahama’s 4,713,277 votes representing 44.40 per cent to win the contest in the first round.

Private school owners say Free SHS policy The Conference of Heads of Private Second Cycle Schools (CHOPSS) has expressed worry over government’s Free Senior High School (SHS) policy that is expected to start later this year.

Public Relations Officer of CHOPSS, Naphtali Kyei Baffour, said the policy when implemented will put them out of business.

“It is an undeniable fact that the private sector is the engine of growth for development.

Therefore any policy that seeks to collapse the activities of the private sector should be reconsidered. That is why we believe that inasmuch as the [Free SHS] policy is very good as it seeks the well-being and interests of students, parents, and Ghanaians as a whole, it is also imperative that as we sit, we look at factors that can help the private ones to be sustained,” he told Accra-based Citi FM. He said because private schools are sustained by absorbing

candidates who obtained low grades at the Junior High School level, and hence are unable to enter the secondary schools of their choice, the policy could present challenges in getting students to enroll in their schools.

“With the introduction of free SHS, we are yet to hear from the government if they are going to the old system where the cutoff point will be pegged at [aggregate] 30 or they will still operate with the existing one like aggregate 40, 42. If it still happens like that, then those who did not qualify for admission into public institutions that we relied on, now because it is free and they will still be qualified, it means that come two years, three years, four years, there will be no private school existing,” he laments.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government announced a fortnight ago that its flagship education policy would begin in the next academic year with an ambitious target to exempt

students from the payment of admission, utility, examination and other allied fees.

Spelling out the details of the policy, President Nana Akufo-Addo said, “so that no one in Ghana is left in any doubts... there will be free textbooks, free boarding, and free meals, and day students will get a meal at school for free.”

Meanwhile, source of funding for the policy has not been expressly stated.

Although it was suggested by Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo, that the Heritage Fund was a likely option to fund the policy, the government subsequently backed down on tapping into the Fund following public opposition to the suggestion.

There are reports that the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) and petroleum revenues allocated to the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) would be used to fund the policy.

Myjoyonline.com

Call Us First T h e G h a n a i a n N e w s 41 6 - 9 1 6 - 3 7 0 0

The Ghanaian News February 2017

17

GHANA: 60th Milestone of Nationhood cont’d from pg. 1 Dramatic infrastructural changes, social and economic development were undertaken in the country. This period saw the construction of the much famous Akosombo Hydro Power dam, the Accra-Tema Motorway, the Tema Harbour, the Independence Square, among others.

This period also saw the introduction of an accelerated fee-free elementary education which dramatically transformed the hitherto mainly illiterate population.

An affordable and accelerated secondary and technical education was launched under the Ghana Education Trust initiatives. The objective was to train enough manpower to man the civil and industrial services that were created from the early independence years. Free Teacher Training Education was also introduced that helped to train teachers to staff the numerous elementary schools that were opened across the country. Alongside this was the introduction of what was termed “Mass Education”, a mass literacy drive that targeted illiterate adults in the rural areas to read and write.

For post-secondary education, the CPP government expanded the University of Ghana, the Premier University, opened earlier by the colonial government in 1948. Two more universities were established: The University of Science and Technology in the nation’s second largest City, Kumasi to train the nation’s needed technical personnel. A third University was opened in the Central Region City of Cape Coast, the cradle of Ghana’s education network, the Cape Coast University originally mandated to train teachers to staff the numerous secondary/ technical and teachers’ colleges that had sprang up all over the country. In terms of education, this period can be described as the finest in Ghana’s history.

On the industrial front, a number of industries were established which were grouped and managed under the Ghana Industrial Holding Corporation (GIHOC). The Nsawam Cannery, GIHOC Distilleries, the Kumasi Jute factory, among others, were started under this scheme.

A national airline, Ghana Airways, was launched.

Ghana was then set to fly high and determined to take its place among the community of nations. The country became the center for the independence and anticolonial struggle for other sub-Saharan African countries still under colonial rule. Two

major liberation-oriented conferences were held in Accra: the All-Africa People’s Conference in 1958 and the Conference of Independent African States in 1965. Most African countries looked up to Ghana for political leadership and inspiration. It became known as the “Black Star” of Africa. On this front the nation was somehow “managing” its own affairs.

All was not rosy though. The period between 1957 and 1962 was also characterized by some political and social instability. Kwame Nkrumah and the CPP government displayed intolerance of criticism and political opposition. A draconian law, the Preventive Detention Act, was passed in 1959 which gave the CPP government sweeping powers to arrest and detain its political opponents, real and imaginary. Most of the perceived opponents of the government were shipped off and incarcerated at a medium security prison that was built near the town of Nsawam, some 25 miles north of Accra. Many of the opposition politicians were either incarcerated or fled into exile. The exiles included Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia, the leader of the main opposition party, the United Party. As fate will have it, he was to become Ghana’s second constitutional Prime Minister some ten years later in 1969.

The high expectations and hopes for Ghana’s accelerated development and political stability and maturity did not materialize or last long enough. The first postcolonial government headed

by Kwame Nkrumah lasted nine years and was violently overthrown in a military takeover initiated by the American C.I.A on 24 February, 1966.

This event accelerated the political upheavals, social and economic dislocations and destruction that had begun earlier in 1959 through the early 1960s.

On July 1st, 1960, the then Prime Minister, Kwame Nkrumah declared Ghana a Republic, and dumped the Queen of Britain as its political Head of State. Kwame Nkrumah then assumed the title of President of the Republic of Ghana. From this point onwards, the President sought to establish closer ties with the Socialist eastern countries much to the annoyance of the West, especially the United States who did not want to see what they perceived as a “communist” satellite regime in West Africa. It was this and other events that led to the CIA-engineered overthrow

18

The Ghanaian News February 2017

CEEKTEX INT'L LTD Importers and distributors of all kinds of African textiles and prints from factories to your door steps

• Vlisco Julius • President • Ghana kente

• Meba wo abrokyire And many more!

Prices from $10/6yds

Two Locations: 242 Eddystone Ave. Toronto, 2544 Weston Rd, Toronto opp. Eddystone meat (HWY 401 & Weston rd S) next to car dealership, Opp. Tel: 647 349 1629 Super store.

647 835 1627(cell) Tel: 647 350 1629

The Ghanaian News February 2017

19

Life of Faith Gospel Ministries Presents

POWER CONFERENCE 2017 MARCH 15TH to MARCH 19TH 2017 GUEST PREACHER AND WIFE

SPEAKER: DANA NILE END OF THE EARTH MINISTRY. MONTANA. UNITED STATES.

CONFERENCE SCHUDULE WEDNESDAY: MARCH 15TH 6:30 PM to 9PM THURSDAY: MARCH 16TH PASTORS Dana and Liz Nile Pastor Dana Nile from Ends of the Earth Rev. & Mrs. Osei Kwasi Wereko 6:30 PM to 9PM Ministries, Montana, USA. Host Pastors He and his wife Liz have travelled extensively TH FRIDAY: MARCH 17 around the world preaching the Gospel with signs and Wonders. They have being in full time 6:30 PM to 9PM ministry since 1984.

Come and witness the power of God and the TH SATURDAY: MARCH 18 manifestation of His Power.

6:30 PM to 9PM For more info call 18th Strathearn Ave. Unit 36-38, 416-727-1367 or SUNDAY: MARCH 19TH Building (A) North, visit www.lofgm.ca 10AM - 1PM Brampton, ON, L6T 4P1 Come and witness the power of God and the manifestation of His Power.

20

The Ghanaian News February 2017

KFS

Kidoo Financial Services Contact us for your

Financial Tips

TAXES Individuals Business

Charity/Non Profit

• Review your investments ( RRSP, RESP, Mortgage, Insurance) regularly with INSURANCE Life your advisor Disability/Self-employed

Critical Illness • Learn how to come up with a simple household INVESTMENTS RRSP budget Kwabena Ntim Andoh,

Guaranteed Investment Funds BSc MBA

RESP (Educational savings) • Manage your debts before they take over DEBT MANAGEMENT 1684 Weston Road,

Credit cards Toronto, ON, M9N 1E3 your life

Line of Credits, etc.

Tel/Fax: 416-551-1902 • Contact me to help you Cell: 647-405-8852 MORTGAGES Email: Kidoo@rogers.com Consultations achieve your financial goals Loan

Call Us First The Ghanaian News 416 916-3700

The Ghanaian News February 2017

21

SUE AND CHARLIE’S MEAT AND SEAFOOD IN MISSISSAUGA SPECIALIZING IN AFRICAN GROCERIES, MEATS & SEAFOODS o YAMS

o MACKEREL BOX

o GARI

o HARD CHICKEN

o FUFU

o SMOKED FISH

o PLANTAIN

o STOCKFISH

o COSMETICS

o MOVIES

o HAIR PRODUCTS

o PALM OIL

o KINGFISH BOX

o AND MUCH MORE!

FRESH CHICKEN, GOAT, BURNT GOAT, SHEEP BEEF

SUPPORT BLACK OWN BUSINESS Message from the Ghanaian News 416-916-3700

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A

NATURAL PRODUCT TO DEAL WITH

PROSTATE PROBLEMS OR IMMUNE SUPPORT? look no further...

Foster Owusu Serving the commuinity by empowering you with health information

IMMUNOCAL is the only natural supplement that is

scientifically and clinically proven to optimize your immune system.

MAGISTRAL helps prostate enlargement and its distressing symptoms.

For men’s prostate and uninary health.

It Includes Saw Palmetto, Ginseng, Ginkgo and Damiana for added sexual vitality.

www.1stcanadian.ca

If we don't have it, we'll get it for you.

Great Price, Great Quality, Great Service

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

Tel: 905 896 2226 or 905 896 3663 3057 Hurontario Street, Mississauga, L5A 2G9

22

The Ghanaian News February 2017

No toilet facility, no marriage KEEA Assembly bares teeth The Komenda-Edina-EguafoAbirem municipality assembly is proposing the inclusion of toilet facilities at the home of men as a precondition for contracting marriages.

This according to the assembly’s municipal sanitation officer Alex Damptey will help deal with the alarming rate of open defecation in the area, as many homes are without toilet facilities forcing women and children especially to resort to the beaches to attend to nature’s call.

Speaking to Kasapa News Central Regional Correspondent Kwaku BaahAcheamfour on the sidelines of a Stakeholders forum at the Assembly’s premise at Elmina in the central region aimed at addressing open defecation in the area, Mr. Alex Damptey explained that the drastic measure will help deal with the menace as every man would want to marry thereby making sure

Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on National Flag of Canada Day

that their homes have toilet facilities.

Landlords, he added will also be pressurised to make provisions in their homes as failure to do so will make potential grooms to boycott their premises for homes with toilet facilities.

Landlords who want to stay in business, he added will be left with no option but to make provision for toilet facilities in their homes which will go a long way in ending open defecation in the beaches and other places.

He explained that the effects of open defecation transcends health problems as even it demotivates tourisms from visiting the tourists sites in the area especially the Elmina castle resulting in loss of revenue.

Already, 14 people have been fined Ghc400 each by the Elmina Circuit court for engaging in open defecation at the beaches. kasapafmonline.com

The Ghanaian News celebrates 20 years of service to the community 1997 - 2017

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, issued the following statement to mark National Flag of Canada Day: “This year, as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation, let us reflect on the achievements the maple leaf flag represents: the hard work that has built this country, the sacrifices made by so many to keep it free, and the hard-won victories to ensure that compassion and diversity remain the cornerstones of our democracy.

“Few national symbols are as iconic as the maple leaf. Beavers and canoes may be just as enduring,

but only the maple leaf has come to represent unity, hope, generosity, openness, and respect – and the nation and its people who live up to those values every day. It is fitting that this cherished symbol is at the heart of Canada’s flag.

“Today, I invite all Canadians to reflect on what the maple leaf flag means to them, what it stands for around the world, and how it has helped shape our national identity.

I also invite you to take part in Canadian Heritage’s Share your moment with the flag challenge and celebrate one of our greatest national symbols.”

AFRICAN By Nature African Design for Fashion and more *African Fabric * Lace * Clothing * Accessories * Shoes * Children Clothing * Bags * And more Lace $35 each 3 for $100, 5 yards French lace and Void Lace 5 yards $100 Wax Print 6 yards from $10 and Up Cord Lace 5 yards for $50

Tel: 416-399-3601

Email: africanbynature@hotmail.com

7215 Goreway Drive, 2nd Floor, Unit 2B01, Mississauga, ON

The Ghanaian News February 2017

23

A FRO C ARRIBBEAN F OODS (Formerly India Africa)

Fresh Yams, Smoke Fish Exeter Corned Beef & Beauty Supply Special 2 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU BETTER TORONTO AND BRAMPTON

AFROCAN FOODS Importers & Distributors of Tropical Food and Merchandise 70 Devon Rd. (Airport Rd./Clark)

Tel: 905-458-5004

ONE STOP SHOPPING

AFRO CARRIBBEAN FOODS For All Your Carribean, Spanish And African Groceries, Produce, Meat, Fish etc.

2121 Jane St., Toronto, Ont.

Tel: 416-241-5435

ARE YOU BUILDING IN GHANA

?

We produce, supply and install Precast Concrete Floors for storey buildings in Ghana.

URBAN KWIK FLOOR SYSTEM Quick, Neat and Saves Cost by up to 30%

C O N TA C T U S 028 822 7031 020 404 4501 905 781 8434 urbcrete@yahoo.com www.urbanconcreteltd.com Head Office: No. 8 Isaac Street, Kwabenya, Accra, Ghana.

24

The Ghanaian News February 2017

Ghanaian Women’s Fasting and Prayer Conference 15th Anniversary Celebration

May 17th - May 22nd 2017 VENUE: Ghanaian Presbyterian Church , 51 High Meadow Place (Finch/Signet)

Theme: ...that everyone to be SAVED and come to full acknowledge of the TRUTH” 1 Tim 2:4 Evening Service: Wednesday to Friday - 7p.m. - 9 p.m.

Saturday: Community Picnic 12 noon to 6 p.m. (Presby) MONDAY: MAY 22nd 2017 (Victoria Day Holiday) 9 a.m. - 12 noon Contact: 416-877-3077, 146-916-3700, 416-904-0148, 647-768-8579, 416-558,8593, 647-878-0905, 416-882-5186, 416-820-9522, 647-654-5570, 647-300-6469, 647-892-9212, 905-488-9763, 647-718-4819

The Ghanaian News February 2017

ROYAL DENTAL CARE Your Personal Invitation Come and enjoy your Dental experience with General Dentistry For the Entire Family

SPINAL DECOMPRESSION THERAPY

NS UL TA TI

ON

We also offer these services: 1. Motor Vehicle Accident

2. Extended health care

3. Soft tissue massage

4. Custom made orthotics

EE

CO

Tel: 905-264-8010

nR

d.

Royal Dental Care

Martin Grove Rd.

FR

bio

Teeth Whitening $69.00 per arch

Fax: 905-264-9010

CLINIC HOURS:

Al

Save $150.00

NOW INTRODUCES:

1. Protruding and Herniating Discs 2. Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) 3. Spinal Root Impingment 4. Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) 5. Compression Fractures

Cosmetic Dentistry Gum treatment Surgery Dentures White Fillings

Evening and Saturday Appointments Always Available

Reg. $299.00 Limited time Offer

Dr. M. Agyemang, B.Sc. (Hons.), D.C.

STATE OF THE ART TREATMENT FOR:

Emergency & New Patients Welcome

Various Languages Spoken

ISLINGTON NORTH CHIROPRACTIC

Chiropractic & Rehabilitation

Dr. George Boahene Ansong

Family Dentistry Crowns & Bridges Teeth Whitening Root Canal Treatment Cleaning

25

Mondays 9:30am - 6:00pm Tuesdays 9:30am - 8:00pm Wednesdays: 9:30am - 6:00pm Thursdays 9:30am - 6:00pm Fridays 9:30 am -1:00pm Saturday 10:00am - 1:00pm

7007 ISLINGTON AVE., UNIT 14, Woodbridge, Ont, L4L 4T5

(North-East corner of Islington/Steeles)

Jane @ Wilson Medical Centre

P & C Rehabilitation Services Dr. Paul Agyemang, BHK (Hons) CSCS.DC. Chiropractor

Dr. George W. Otto, M.D.

416 652-6223

Kwame Sarpong, BSc, PA-C, CAPA

• Family Practice & Walk-in Clinic • Specialists • Travel Clinic • Driver Medical Examinations • Car Accident & Work Injuries • Disability Applications HOURS Monday - Friday: 9 am - 7 pm Saturday: 12 noon - 5 pm

Tel: 416-241-0515 2111 Jane St., Unit 3

Toronto, Ontario, M3M 1A2

Offering Excellent Services In: Dr. Paul Agyemang, Chiropractic Treatment BHK (Hons) CSCS.DC. Physiotherapy Treatment MVA (Motor Vehicle Accident) WSIB (Workplace Safety Insurance Bureau) Massage Therapy Custom made orthotics Work Conditioning Program Extended Health Care Acupuncture

Clinic Hours Monday Tuesday Wednesday

10 am - 7 pm 10 am - 7 pm 10 am - 1 pm

Tel: 416-652-6223

Thursday 10 am - 7 pm Friday 10 am - 6 pm Saturday

CLOSED

Fax: 416-661-4970

2100 Finch Avenue, W., Suite 310 Located Inside Norfinch Medical Building.

Directly opposite Humber River Hospital-Finch site

26

The Ghanaian News February 2017

African Caribbean Groceries Inc 63 Dundas West, Mississauga, Ont

Tel: 905-281-9515 Business Hours

Monday - Wednesday - 10:00am - 8:00pm Thursday - Friday - 10:00am - 9:00pm Saturday - 9:30am - 6:30pm Sunday - 12:30pm - 5:30pm

63 Dundas West of Hurontario

Kaf African Caribbean Market

SUPPORT

Tel: 905-855-3595

BLACK OWN

We specialize in African, Caribbean Groceries: *Gari Pounded *Yam *Vegetable Salad *Fufu *Potato Starch *Stock Fish *Salted Fish *Smoked Fish *Cerelac *Rice *Bournvita *Milo *Corned Beef *Phone Cards *Cosmetics *Goat meat and many more We are wholesalers and distributors of smoke fish

MONEY TRANSFER THROUGH MONEYGRAM

Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. Mon-Sat. 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Sun.

LOCATION:

Mississauga, Ontario

2642 Liruma Rd, #2A, Mississauga, Ont.,

BUSINESS Message from The Ghanaian News 416-916-3700

401 or 403 to South on Erin Mills Pkwy, Exit West on Dundas, 2nd light left Liruma Road, Behind Mr. Lube

New Kantamanto Market

Central Market We Carry All Your Tropical Grocery Items

Under New Management

For All Your Family Grocery Needs

Specializing In African and Caribbean Food & Hair Products

Open 7 Days A Week

* Fresh Ghana Yam (Pona) * Palm Oil * Titus Sardine * Exeter Corned Beef * Accra Kenkey * Akwaabi * Fresh Garden Eggs * Red Snapper And much more at discount prices

* Amane * Palm Oil * Atadwe * Adwene * Zomi Oil *Werewere * Fufu * Fish * Momone * Alata Samina * Rice * Fresh Yam * Nkuto * Garden Eggs * Goat Meat * Apem * Koobi * Shito * Kenkey * Geisha * Kpako * Gari * Kokonte * Asanka

We are open 7 Days a week.

Sundays from 12 noon to 6:00 pm

Food Containers On Sale

Tel: 416-745-5928

1288 Wilson Avenue, Unit #D, Toronto, Ontario

5010 Steeles Ave. W., Unit 2B, Etobicoke (Steeles/Kipling)

Xpress Tropical Foods & Meat

UNCLE SETH TROPICAL FOODS Specializing in African, Caribbean, Asian & Canadian Foods

African and Caribbean Grocery Store

*WHITE RICE

*ACCRA KENKEY WHITE CORN MEAL

* POTATO FLAKES

* OX HEAD SCENTED RICE

*GRACE KENNEDY SCENTED RICE

*GARI

*ALREADY MIXED FUFU

*ADWENE

*KONKONTE

* FRESH PONA YAMS *ASANKA

*QUALITY ZOMI

* WHITE CORN FLOUR

*BODIE FUFU

Twins Sister Tel: 416-235-1470 Cell: 416-948-2531

*POTATO STARCH *PALM SOUP

*KOOBI

*GHANA BREAD

* Fresh Ghana Yams (Pona) The * Palm Oil * Titus Sardine Lowest * Exeter Corned Beef Prices * Accra Kenkey in * Akwaabi * Fresh Garden Eggs Town * Red Snapper * And much more at discount prices

*SHITO Denton * Red Snapper * Tilapia * King Fish Steak * Mackerell

VISIT OUR FISH

MARKET AND BUTCHER SHOP We open 7 days a week. We also deliver

OUR BEAUTY AND HAIR PRODUCTS One of the Largest Selection

Tel:

416-288-9330

2069 Lawrence Ave. E. Scarborough, Ont.

We are open Monday - Friday: 9 am to 8 pm Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.

Tel: 416-249-7007 1712 Jane Street, Toronto (Jane/Lawrence)

The Ghanaian News February 2017

38% of Canadians dip into RRSPs early, BMO survey suggests Percentage of respondents withdrawing savings rose from 34% last year, poll indicates Almost four out of every 10 Canadians polled in a recent BMO survey admit they’ve withdrawn money from their RRSP early, and almost a fifth of them don’t ever expect to replenish what they’ve taken out.

According to the poll of 1,500 people, conducted by Pollara

but commissioned by Bank of Montreal, more and more Canadians are dipping into their retirement savings to keep their heads above water financially.

In a similar poll last year, 34 per cent of respondents said they had tapped their registered retirement savings plans early. This year, it jumped to 38 per cent.

The survey was conducted online between Dec. 14

and 19. It carries a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, BMO said.

But more than a fifth of those who have withdrawn money early said they did so to pay living expenses, and 18 per cent reported they did it to pay down debt — two excuses the tax man will not accept as legitimate enough to waive the penalty for doing so.

Of those polled who had dipped into the kitty early, almost a third, 30 per cent, said they had a good reason for doing so: buying a house. Under the Home Buyer’s Plan, Ottawa allows an RRSPholder to withdraw up to $25,000 from their RRSP “It’s concerning to see if they’re going to use that so many Canadians the money for a down cont’d on pg. 32

M A K O L A Tropical Foods THE SUPERMARKET IN THE HEART OF ACCRA-GHANA IS NOW HERE IN THE HEART OF TORONTO QUALITY FOODS

payment.

BEST PRICES IN TOWN

fresh yam * plantain * cocoyam * adwene* koobi * abodoi * egusi * gari * konkonte * goat meat * fufu * kenkey * snails * herrings *sugar bread etc. etc.

NEW ERA MART LTD. AFRICAN & WEST INDIAN GROCERIES

Quality Zome * Yams (Pona) * Gari * Konkonte * Goat Meat * Adwene * Maggi Cubes * Prekese

Tel: 416-740-7955 Fax: 416-749-8536 Email: ben@the-wire.com

1148 Albion Road. Etobicoke, Ont. (at Islington)

Asafo Market R & G African and Caribbean Grocery Inc. * Yam * Gari * Rice * Accra Kenkey * Can Food * Dry Fish * Koobi * Akwaabi Fish * And many more

40 Beverly Hill, Unit # 56, North York, Ontario

Call Rita or George

Jane & WilsonOpposite Sheridan Mall (Behind Burger King Next to Jerry)

Tel: 416-650-5368

Tel: 416-244-4496 / 416-824-3737

African Supermarket & Beauty Supply African Crops * Smoked Fish & Meat * Yam * Plantain * Gari * Fufu etc.

Call Rosina Boakye Tel: 905-913-0033 Cell: 647-588-5755 8887 The Gore Rd., #56 Brampton, Ont. (Jaipur Gore Plaza)

Mercies African Supermarket We Specialize in African Caribbean Groceries & much more...

* Red Snapper * Mackerel * Palm Oil * Egusi * Fresh Ghana Yams * King Fish Steak

* Adwene * Goat Meat * Creams & Lotions * Braids Open * Gels

7 Days

A Week Business Hours Monday - Saturday - 9:30 am - 8:00 pm Sunday - 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Tel: 905-846-2897 15 Brisdale Drive (Bovaird Dr. W. & Brisdale Drive)

27

391 Driftwood Court (Jane/Driftwood)

Atwima Marfo Enterprise (Formerly East-End Tropical Market)

287 Morningside Avenue (Behind old store) * African Yam * Chicken * Box of Mackerel * Burnt Goat * Red Mullet * Ram Goat Meat * Carnation Milk * Black Soap

* Obaatan Pa Mackerel * Goat Head * Clean Tilapia * Box of Red Snapper * Ackees * Chicken Legs * Grace Soup Mix

* Roasted Hard * African Snapper * Shea Butter * King Fish Steak * Goudas White Rice * Pig Tail * Yellow Yam

WAAKYE - WEEK-END SPECIAL - $5.99 (TAKE-OUT)

Guranteed Lowest Prices on All African Foods Videos and CDs

Cosmetics Tel: 416-286-0516

28

The Ghanaian News February 2017

President Akufo-Addo’s first state of the nation address President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Tuesday, February 21, 2017 delivered his first state of the nation address after his investiture as President of the land.

The president presented an outlook of the state in various sectors of the economy, as inherited from the John Mahama-led administration and also outlined his vision for the development of the country for the next fiscal year.

Below is the full speech: MESSAGE ON THE STATE OF THE NATION BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO, ON THE OCCASION OF THE STATE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2017.

Mr. Speaker, It is good to be back here again in this Chamber, where I spent some 12 memorable years as a Member of Parliament. I recollect with nostalgia the vigorous debates of my days here as a Minority MP, and I have very fond memories of being on the Majority side also.

I can see some old faces from my first days here like the 2nd Deputy Speaker, Hon. Alban Bagbin, whom I came to meet in the House in 1997, and who became a good friend of mine; and Hon Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Majority Leader, with whom I entered Parliament on the same side, at the same time.

conduct, and I call on all political parties, especially the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress, to ensure that this is the last time such undignified acts occur during our periods of transition.

Mr. Speaker, I come before you, today, in fulfilment of the constitutional obligation that the President of the Republic gives a message to Parliament on the state of the nation at the beginning of Parliament s session.

Since my inauguration some six weeks ago as president of our country, I have set to work, putting into place the members of the team who will help me govern.

I have heard it said that I am behaving like a man in a hurry. Mr. Speaker, I am, indeed, in a hurry, I am in a great hurry. The times, in which we live, demand that we, all, be in a hurry to deal with the problems we face.

I am grateful, therefore, to the Honourable House for the expeditious manner in which my ministerial nominees have been vetted and approved, thus far. I look forward to the House dealing with the rest of the nominees I send, in an equally fast and efficient manner.

On December 7th, 2016, the Ghanaian people went to the polls, and voted decisively for change. As a result, today, I am here again in this House, this time as President of the Republic, having secured an emphatic, electoral victory.

Now that the processes for the composition of the Council of State have been completed, I shall inaugurate the Council this week, which will enable me to proceed rapidly with the appointments that need to be done in consultation with the Council. The full complement of appointments should be in place by the end of March.

Mr. Speaker, we have to thank God for His Grace and Favour for a peaceful and smooth transfer of power, in which Ghanaians rose to the occasion, and made our nation the object of world admiration. The Ghanaian people are to be commended for their strong attachment to the principles of democratic accountability.

Mr. Speaker, the conditions in our country demand that government machinery functions efficiently and at full force, and that nothing is left on autopilot. The conditions demand that all of us, each and every one of us, tackle every task before us with speed and dedication.

I would like to take this opportunity, Mr Speaker, to express my sincere appreciation to my predecessor, President John Mahama, for his leadership and his role in the transition. His conduct has been a credit to our nation.

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to see the presence in this House of two other former Presidents of the Republic, their Excellencies Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor. I am in the enviable position of being the first Ghanaian leader to be able to draw on the experiences of three living, former Presidents.

This should, definitely, enrich my tenure of office.

Mr Speaker, I congratulate you on your unanimous election to preside over the affairs of this House. It is a fitting acknowledgement of your distinguished service to our nation. I congratulate also your deputies on their appointments, the 1st Deputy Speaker, a respected member of the House, Hon. Joe Osei Wusu, and 2nd Deputy Speaker, the veteran legislator, Hon. Alban Bagbin.

I commend also the Majority Leader, my contemporary in this House, who can now put his extensive experience of Parliament to use as Leader of the House and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs. My compliments go, too, to the new Minority Leader, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, who announced himself on the national stage when he came here in my last term in the House. It is clear that he has an important future in Ghanaian politics. I want to assure him and the leadership of the House, on both sides, that I will co-operate fully with Parliament to enhance the governance of our nation to be able to do the business of Ghana effectively.

Mr. Speaker, I use this occasion to commend the Electoral Commission and its Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, for the conduct of our recent elections, which has received domestic and international acclaim. In the coming years, I hope that our electoral processes will become even more robust, so that free and fair elections become automatic parts of our democratic culture.

Mr. Speaker, certain incidents occurred during the transition period that are matters of concern to me, and should be to every Ghanaian, as they marred an otherwise dignified and successful transition. Wrongdoing has no political colour, and I do not subscribe to the lawlessness of political party supporters simply because their party has been elected into office.

Mr. Speaker, when those incidents began, I instructed the then Inspector General of Police, John Kudalor, to apply the law, irrespective of political affiliation, to all lawbreakers. This instruction was also carried on to his successor, David Asante Appeatu. Both of them acted upon it, which helped to bring the situation under control.

It appears these events were predicated on some concept of equalisation, as they happened in 2009, and were repeated again in 2017. I condemn all such

SUPPORT BLACK OWN BUSINESS Message from The Ghanaian News 416-916-3700

Mr Speaker, to give a fair account of the state of our nation, I have to give an account of the state of our economy, of our governance and of our national culture and attitudes. This account will highlight some of the fundamental elements of the situation, and will not pretend to be a detailed, sectoral analysis of our condition. I leave that to the budget statement, to be delivered in ten days time.

Mr. Speaker, I say nothing new or dramatic, when I tell this Honourable House that the economy of our country is in a bad way. After all, in the run-up to the recent elections, I said so, often and loudly. Some six weeks after taking over the reins of government, it gives me no pleasure to have to say that our worst fears have been confirmed, plus a few additional, unpleasant surprises as well.

Mr Speaker, many get quite lost when economists start rattling figures and statistics. I will try not to bore you with a lot of figures, but I hope you will bear with me as I have to put certain essential facts before our country.

You would recall that, notwithstanding the fact that the previous government had more than ten times the financial resources than any other government since independence, its management of our economy in the run up to the 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections resulted in a quagmire that necessitated the urgent intervention of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2014. The IMF programme negotiated was ostensibly to restore fiscal discipline, debt sustainability and increase economic growth. The previous government promised Ghanaians that the reckless public expenditure that characterized the 2012 election year would not be repeated in 2016.

Mr. Speaker, the promises to the Ghanaian people were, however, not kept. In fact, virtually all the targets under the IMF programme, as at December 2016, have been missed. Fiscal indiscipline, once again, reared its head in the 2016 election year. Total projected expenditure for 2016 was GH¢43.9 billion (26% of GDP), but actual expenditure amounted to GH¢50.3 billion (30.2% of GDP).

The full facts of the situation have not been put before the Ghanaian people. It appears, from what we are finding out, that some GH¢7 billion of arrears and outstanding payments circumvented the very public financial management system that was put in place to prevent such occurrences. These expenditures are being currently audited.

Mr. Speaker, at the same time, revenue performance for the year was poor. The total revenue target for our country was GH¢37.9 billion (22.7% of GDP), but the actual revenue came in at GH¢33.2 billion (19.9% of GDP).

Mr. Speaker, the combination of higher expenditures and lower revenues than projected resulted in a significant increase in the budget deficit for 2016. As compared to a target of 5.3% under the IMF programme, the fiscal deficit for 2016 was 9% of GDP on a cash basis and 10.2% of GDP on a commitment basis (that is on the basis of expenditures undertaken but not yet paid for). It should be recalled that, at the time Ghana entered into the IMF programme to restore fiscal discipline, the fiscal deficit was 10.2% of GDP. It is very clear, therefore, that the objectives set out in the programme have not been achieved.

Mr. Speaker, the increasing fiscal deficits were financed by increased borrowing.

As at the beginning of 2009, Ghana s total debt stock was GH¢9.5 billion. By the end of 2016, the debt stock had ballooned to GH¢122 billion. Ghana s debt stock now stands at 74% of GDP, after all the previous denials to the contrary.

More debt was accumulated by the previous government in the last eight years than all other governments put together since independence! In fact, 92% of Ghana s total debt stock was incurred in the last eight years under the previous government. The interest costs on this debt have also increased and will amount to an estimated GH¢14.1 billion in 2017.

Mr. Speaker, the reality of the state Ghana s public finances today are quite stark. Today, as a result of policy choices, we find ourselves in a situation where Ghana s total revenue is consumed by three main budgetary lines: wages and salaries, interest payments and amortization and statutory payments. These three items alone account for 99.6% of government revenue. This means that cont’d on pg. 30

The Ghanaian News February 2017

Construction of Takoradi to Paga railway to begin end of year President Nana Addo Dankwa AkufoAddo has revealed that, the Takoradi – Paga rail line campaign promise will begin this year, by his administration.

He added: “We are confident that, through these interventions, significant job opportunities will be opened to Ghanaians across the country.”

The rail line is expected to connect the southern part of the country to the north and create jobs, according to the President.

The revamping of the rail network in the country, President AkufoAddo said, will open up the economy and provide access to the country’s landlocked transit trade partners like, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

In his first State of the Nation Address, President Akufo-Addo said, “Mr. Speaker, the Takoradi to Paga railway, connecting the Eastern and Western corridors, will be initiated this year to open up our country and provide access to our landlocked neighbours.

It will also provide a lot of jobs.”

The President’s announcements come after his Minister of Railway Development, Joe Ghartey during his vetting, told the Parliament’s Appointment Committee that, even cont’d on pg. 41

29

Afro Continental Bar & Grill We Serve All Kinds Of African Continental Dishes * Fried Yam with Tilapia or Red Snapper * Fried Plantain with Beans * Waakye (Rice & Beans) with Assorted meat * Banku with Okro or Peanut Soup * Dieho (TZ) * Konkonte * Jollof Rice * Fufu with Peanut Soup or Light Soup

GOLDEN GATES RESTAURANT Best African Cuisine * Dine in - Take out Catering

10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. - Monday to Sunday

Tel: 416-745-1394 2428 Islington Ave., Unit 104Toronto Ontario, M9W 3X8

BUSINESS HOURS MONDAY TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

- - - - - - -

12 NOON TO 7:00 PM 11:00 AM TO 10:00 PM 11:00 AM TO 10:00 PM 11:00 AM TO 10:00 PM 11:00 PM TO 11:00 PM 11:00 AM TO 11:00 PM 11:00 AM TO 11:00 PM

Call Kwame or Adwoa @ 416-519-6740 849 Albion Road (Albion/Islington)

Call Us First The Ghanaian News 416916-3700

30

The Ghanaian News February 2017

President Akufo-Addo’s first state of the nation address cont’d from pg. 28 anything else that government has to do outside of these lines will have to be financed by borrowing or aid. After eight years of the previous government, there is practically no fiscal space left. The persistent resort to borrowing for any additional expenditures to meet the aspirations of our people is also not sustainable. We cannot continue this way with our public finances. I will not allow this economy to collapse under my watch. We will reduce significantly the fiscal deficit this year.

Mr. Speaker, Ghana s economic growth has also declined dramatically.

Notwithstanding the record amount of financial resources at the disposal of the previous government, Ghana s GDP growth in 2016 (including oil) is estimated at 3.6%. This is the lowest GDP growth in about 23 years.

Mr. Speaker, Ghana s banking sector has not escaped the economic decline and has become increasingly fragile. Bad loans in the banking sector have risen significantly. Economic and Financial data from the Central Bank show that non-performing loans have risen sharply from 11.2% in May 2015 to 17.3% in December 2016. The recent Asset Quality Review of Banks shows significant vulnerability of banks to current economic conditions, with many exhibiting significant weaknesses.

Mr. Speaker, low growth, rising rate of unemployment, high fiscal deficits, high and rising debt, and increased depreciation of the cedi, high cost of food, housing and utilities and high non-performing loans, amongst others, are symptoms of deeper structural problems that will require a range of reforms, beginning immediately and spanning the short, medium and long terms. We are going to have to implement some tough, prudent and innovative policies to get out of this financial cul-de sac and rescue this economy, restore fiscal discipline and debt sustainability as well as increase economic growth.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me no joy to tell the story of the economy as it is - as we inherited it. Too much time, energy and resources were spent in the past, in my view, without a deliberate, conscious assessment of their impact on jobs, and whether or not we were spending wisely to improve the lives of the people, communities and businesses. But, I was not elected by the overwhelming majority of the Ghanaian people to complain. I was elected to get things done. I was elected to fix what is broken and my government and I are determined to do just that. At the beginning of March, the Minister for Finance will come to this House to lay out in the national budget the details of our economic policy and the clear roadmap that we have laid out for taking the country out of its current predicament and onto a sustainable path of recovery, jobs creation and prosperity. I am absolute in my confidence that we have the programme, the competence, the commitment, and the goodwill of the people to turn things around. By the Grace of God, we will succeed and I believe this House knows it too.

To initiate the Campaign, the District Assemblies will be tasked to identify and register progressive farmers in each of the 216 districts.

Mr Speaker, for too long our farmers have been left to cope by themselves, without the necessary support from government. For too long, our farmers have been left to the mercy of the vagaries of the weather.

We have decided to embark upon a programme to provide water to enable allyear farming. We are calling it the one-village, one-dam policy. It is a programme that I expect will rapidly get the support of the population, and should help to transform food insecurity in our country.

The three northern regions, in particular, will benefit from the availability of water to enable all-year farming, so that the enforced yearly migration can be minimized and food production become more predictable.

I look forward to an increase in public investment in agriculture, starting from the first budget of my government. We must reverse the unfortunate trend of the past eight years, which saw a regular decrease in public investment in the sector that provides a living for the majority of our people.

Mr Speaker, food processing has been the first step towards industrialization in virtually every country, and it is time for us to take it seriously. Not only will it serve to cut down on the wastage of crops during the high season, it will provide more jobs and expand farming business. Food processing will also save time in the preparation and cooking of our local foods, and there will be better control on the hygiene in the process. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to an exciting time in the agricultural sector.

Mr. Speaker, if I were to ask each one of you in this Chamber, today, to tell me what the number one problem was in your constituency, I suspect there would be a uniform answer: JOBS. The most critical challenge, inherited by this NPP government, is the very high, unprecedented level of unemployment, particularly among the youth. It is a debilitating and confidence-sapping problem that affects every home. We can argue on what the official rate of unemployment is, but we can all see the desperation of our young people. They want to work, but there are no jobs and some of them are being driven to unacceptable behaviour. We have a veritable time bomb on our hands.

To address this challenge, the government is embarking on one of the most comprehensive programmes for industrial transformation ever to be introduced in our country.

The key elements of this programme are:

In the immediate term, targeted legislative policy and institutional reforms will have to be undertaken to unleash the suppressed potential of the economy and allow Ghanaian entrepreneurship to rise and thrive, domestically and internationally.

1. restoration and maintenance of a stable macro-economy

For too many young people, unemployment is sadly the reality of the start to their adult life. For years, for generations, it was assumed and guaranteed in this country that the quality of life of every generation would be an improvement on that of their parents. We are now faced with the phenomenon of parents looking on in frustration as their grown-up children remain at home, without the means to strike an independent life by themselves.

3. provision of reliable, affordable power to enterprises and homes

This generation of Ghanaians dares not be the one to reverse this natural trend.

We must create the atmosphere that generates jobs. We must boost the confidence of the private sector to invest in the economy.

We must have the courage to start building our future and take the hard decisions that need to be taken to grow our economy. We have no choice but to reduce the budget deficit and cut waste in all sectors of public life. We must complete the formalisation of the economy. The process for a comprehensive national identification system and a property titling system will be completed this year. That will boost confidence in our country and increase investment from nationals and foreigners. Then we will be able to generate jobs.

2. monetary and fiscal measures which will lead to a reduction in interest rates and a reduction in the tax burden on enterprises

4. setting up of a stimulus package to support existing Ghanaian industries and improve their competitiveness 5. implementation of the initiative, through public-private partnerships, to establish at least one industrial enterprise in each of the 216 Districts in the One District, One Factory policy 6. development of strategic anchor initiatives as new pillars of growth for the Ghanaian economy, including the establishment of petrochemical industries; an iron and steel industry; an integrated aluminum industry; the expansion of the domestic production of pharmaceuticals; the establishment of a vehicle assembly and automotive industry; the production of industrial salt; the establishment of garment and textiles enterprises; and the manufacture of machinery, equipment and component parts 7. establishment of a multi-purpose industrial park in each of the ten regions

We must boost the confidence of the private sector to invest in the economy.

8. implementation of a comprehensive programme for SME development

Mr. Speaker, I believe the starting point in turning round our fortunes must be with agriculture. Unfortunately, the state of agriculture in our country right now is not good. Farmers are left on their own. It is not surprising, therefore, that food prices are high and we are having to import almost everything we eat, including vegetables from our Sahelian neighbours. And yet, agriculture provides the best opportunity to use modern methods to change the lives of many, within the shortest possible time.

9. establishment of an industrial sub-contracting exchange to link large scale companies with SMEs

We have to irrigate our lands and equip farmers with the skills needed to make farming a well-paying business. We aim to popularize farming by encouraging many people to take it up as a full or part time activity. A National Campaign, PLANTING FOR FOOD AND JOBS , will be launched to stimulate this activity. An amount of 125 million Canadian dollars has been secured from Canada, a friend of our nation, to support the initiative.

This Campaign will be anchored on the pillars that will transform agriculture: the provision of improved seeds, the supply of fertilizers, the provision of dedicated extension services, a marketing strategy and the use of e-Agriculture.

10. implementation of an aggressive programme for export development, targeting, primarily, regional and continental markets 11. enhancement of domestic retail market infrastructure and the active promotion of the marketing and distribution of domestically produced goods 12. improvement of the business environment through regulatory and other reforms, and 13. establishment of a permanent consultative forum for public-private sector dialogue. cont’d on pg. 32

The Ghanaian News celebrates 20 years of service to the community 1997 - 2017

The Ghanaian News February 2017

31

Community Information Pride Toronto names Olivia Nuamah as executive director announced they would not be taking part.

Nuamah is described as a community builder, mother, artist and DJ, who will bring almost 25 years of experience working in both the government and non-profit sectors to this position.

Olivia Nuamah has been named the new executive director for Pride Toronto. (DAVID COOPER / TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO)

‘My hope is the difference between last year and this year is here will be greater levels of engagement with our membership and community.’

The new executive director of Pride Toronto is taking a positive view of the controversy following last year’s parade.

Canada Cell: 647-280-8597 Tel: 647-708-2052 USA Cell 1-917-306-0073Tel: 1-914-652-7191 Ghana Cell: +233244-672052 Tel: +233332195630 Web: www.saharaherbals.com Email: atosahara@yahoo.com

“Joining Pride presents an incredible opportunity to step into a role that affirms who I am both as a leader and my personal desire to create cultural experiences that reflect the diversity of identities and experiences in our community,” Nuamah said in the news release.

I n 2 0 1 0 , N u a m a h was appointed executive director of the Atkinson Foundation, established by former Toronto Star publisher Joseph E. Atkinson to promote social and economic justice.

“We need to see tension as an opportunity,” said Olivia Nuamah, who was named to the position Friday.

Described as an accomplished executive leader, policy expert and social justice advocate, Nuamah also previously worked on former British prime minister Tony Blair’s pledge to end poverty in the United Kingdom by 2020.

“My hope is the difference between last year and this year is there will be greater levels of engagement with our membership and community in order to ensure that the festival reflects everybody’s experiences,” she said in a news release.

Born and raised in Toronto, she earned an undergraduate degree in international development and social anthropology from the University of Toronto. She earned a Masters in Social Anthropology of Children and Childhood Development from Brunel University.

Nuamah replaces Mathieu Chantelois who resigned last August.

Most recently, Nuamah was the executive director of Innercity Family Health, an organization that delivers healthcare to homeless communities in Toronto’s downtown east-end.

Chantelois signed an agreement with Black Lives Matter Toronto when the group shut down the parade and presented the organization with a list of demands, including the removal of police floats in the Pride marches and parades.

At the Toronto Pride annual general meeting last month, members of the community voted to uphold those demands. The Toronto police later

She has also been a volunteer at Toronto Pride for the past few years.

For those concerned about Pride’s future, Nuamah encouraged people to get involved.

“We are all Pride’s future,” she said.

Pride Toronto runs June 1-25.

National Black History Month in Canada 2017 cont’d from pg. 1 to the Minister of International Development.

Canada Post President and CEO Deepak Chopra unveiled the 2017 Black History Month Stamp featuring the first named African to Canada who arrived by 1604 - free man and interpreter, Mathieu Da Costa (by designer Andrew Perro and illustrator Ron Dollekamp) The Canadian Heritage Black History Month poster was evident featuring an image of Viola Desmond - the Canadian person who 9 years before Rosa Parks, defied and helped to dismantle Canadian segregation.

This huge event, with perhaps 1000 attendees, had participants representing most provinces in Canada. Among the many well recognized people were MPs Frank

Baylis, Greg Fergus, Emmanel Dubourg, Arif Virani and Salma Zahid; Senator Don Meredith, MPP Tony Ince, former MP Jean Augustine, former MPP Margaret Best, Chair ACLC Margaret Parsons, President BBPA Pauline Christian, President Brandon University Dr. Gervan Albert Fearon, Imam Michael Abdur Rashid Taylor, Tony Smith Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children rep, Ottawa Bkack History - Sarah Onyango, and Gwyn Chapman - Special Assistant to Mayor Tory.

As the person who has attended ever successive national Black History Month celebration in Ottawa, I was truly touched to see how far and wide this celebration, that I have helped to nurture, has become! I look forward to even more as we celebrate Canada’s 150th and the UN International Decade for People of African Descent!

32

The Ghanaian News February 2017

President Akufo-Addo’s first state of the nation address cont’d from pg. 30 We are confident that, through these interventions, significant job opportunities will be opened to Ghanaians across the country.

Mr. Speaker, the Takoradi to Paga railway, connecting the Eastern and Western corridors, will be initiated this year to open up our country and provide access to our landlocked neighbours. It will also provide a lot of jobs.

Mr Speaker, probably the most difficult problem, that has dogged this nation in the past five years, has been in the energy sector. This has caused havoc in small, medium and large enterprises. It has disrupted families and businesses and brought many organizations to their knees.

The most obvious manifestation of the energy problem has earned us notoriety in the world, with the entry into Wikipedia and other dictionaries of the word DUMSOR. It is a phenomenon that has blighted our lives, destroyed appliances and collapsed many companies. The attempts by the previous government to resolve the crisis have led to a gargantuan debt overhang in the sector.

We have inherited a heavily indebted energy sector, with the net debt reaching 2.4 billion US dollars as at December 2016. I have to point out the alarming fact that 800 million US dollars of this debt is owed to local banks, which threatens their stability and that of the whole financial sector. Indeed, the huge indebtedness of the energy sector constitutes the single major hurdle to Ghanaians enjoying reliable and affordable electricity supply.

Mr Speaker, there has been some improvement in the power supply since November last year, but the challenges facing Ghana s power sector are far from over. The key problem is cost. We produce power from Akosombo at three US cents per kilowatt hour. The marginal price charged for businesses is an effective 42 cents, more than ten times the average tariff in West Africa.

This makes it very difficult to start or run a business here and be competitive.

The cost of energy destroys businesses large and small. It is the bane of the vulcanizer, the tailor, the dressmaker and the hairdresser, the carpenter and the wayside fitting mechanic. It destroys jobs. It compounds poverty. The current state of the energy situation in our country is unsatisfactory.

The problems are enormous, but we must, and we will, confront them.

I am proposing a number of policy interventions. We will improve on transparency in tariff setting, and introduce a new tariff policy that will reclassify consumer categories in order to protect lifeline and strategic industrial consumers. We will also reduce significantly some of the levies and taxes on the tariffs.

We expect that all stakeholders will discuss these issues dispassionately and transparently, to ensure that all concerns are adequately addressed.

Mr. Speaker, the success of all our plans and all our aspirations depends on our ability to educate our young people, and provide the opportunity for lifelong education to the adult population. Mr. Speaker, it is not an original statement, but it is a true statement: education is the key; education holds the key to the rapid development of our country; it holds the key to a better understanding and accommodation with our environment; it equips us with the skills required to deal with the world; education holds the key to the prosperous and happy Ghana we all want and deserve.

Luckily, there is consensus amongst us on the need to provide quality education to all of Ghana s children. If I am in a hurry, I am in a hurry to ensure that every child born in this country attends school from Kindergarten to Senior High School; in other words, that is the basic education that each child is required to receive. We intend to reform the basic school curricula with emphasis on literacy, numeracy and creative skills.

And just in case there is anyone left in this country who has not heard yet, Free SHS starts with the 2017/2018 entrants into the public SHS. We shall embark upon a vigorous expansion and re-equipping of Technical, Vocational and Agricultural schools and align all TVAET under the Ministry of Education to ensure standardization.

The teaching of mathematics and science will take pride of place in all schools, as we aim to make understanding of the scientific basis of life a central plank in our schools. We will, thus, make the use of ICT a central feature of our national life.

My government shall place teachers at the centre of quality education, and encourage professionalism among them. There will have to be some legislative reforms to ease some of the bottlenecks at the district level of supervision.

By the way, teacher trainee allowances will be restored when the Minister of Finance comes to read the budget. We keep our promises, just as we shall ensure that our sports development is hinged on the revival of school sports.

Mr. Speaker, there has been far too much tension in the education sector. It is in everyone s interest that the school experience is a happy one for children, teachers and parents alike. The happy and skilled population that will drive the path to development starts at school. We aim to provide the key to prosperity in our schools.

As at the end of 2016, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) had signed 43 Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), whilst a further 23 were under discussion.

Government is conducting a review of all the Power Agreements entered into by the previous government in order to prioritise, renegotiate, defer or cancel outright, if necessary, in the national interest.

Mr. Speaker, we have to be healthy if we are to make a success of the plans and aspirations we have. The National Health Insurance Scheme remains the best option we have devised to ensure that as many people as possible have access to health care in our clinics and hospitals. The scheme is not in a good state, and there are too many providers that are owed money. They are threatening to opt out and stop offering their services to the most vulnerable in our society. We shall restore the National Health Insurance Scheme to good health.

Overall, we have begun to develop a national electricity masterplan, which will also explore the benefits of listing VRA and GRIDCO on the Stock Exchange.

And yes, the Minister for Finance will restore the allowances to trainee nurses in the budget.

Mr. Speaker, my government will enforce the procurement law. We will insist on open and competitive bidding for power capacity procurement. This will not only reduce the cost of power projects and ensure value for money, but will also address the problem of unplanned procurement.

Mr. Speaker, government will work with Parliament to pass the Affirmative Action Bill to increase women s involvement in decision making at all levels, and enable us achieve our current objective of 30 per cent participation of women in public appointments.

Government will encourage increased private sector investment in utility scale solar and wind energy projects, as well as accelerate the development of minigrid solutions in off-grid and island communities for lighting, irrigation and other economic activities.

Mr. Speaker, the time has come to enforce the Disability Act and ensure its compliance, which will begin with access to public buildings for the physically challenged. The Minister for Local Government will also see to the implementation of the District Integrated Social Services programme for children, families and vulnerable adults.

We will, consequently, review the Renewable Energy Act to provide further incentives to attract the private sector to invest.

Mr Speaker, the Ghana Compact II programme has officially come into force.

Both parties to the Compact, the Governments of Ghana and United States of America, are committed to complying with their obligations. However, the implementation of Ghana s commitments has faced some challenges due to disagreements between stakeholders, particularly between labour, ECG and the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA).

We need further dialogue on the key issues that have generated these disagreements. We are aware that these discussions should be concluded urgently in order to arrive at the decisions that will allow for its implementation.

38% of Canadians dip into RRSPs early, BMO survey suggests cont’d from pg. 27 are dipping into their RRSPs to meet short-term needs, which should only be considered as a last resort,” Chris Buttigieg w i t h B M O We a l t h Management said in a release announcing the results of the poll.

In Canada, there are very few ways to withdraw money from an RRSP before the age of 71 without a penalty. All things being equal, Ottawa takes a punitive withholding tax of up to 30 per cent of the withdrawal. Some

provinces also take a slice.

The amounts being taken out don’t seem to be small amounts of money, either.

According to the poll, the average withdrawal was $17,213 last year, up by more than $1,300 in the past year. Unless it’s for a reason the CRA deems to be legitimate, such as to buy a home or to go to school, anyone who took out that much from their RRSP last year would lose $5,163.90 right off the bat to the federal withholding tax.

While the average withdrawal size and percentage of people who have done so early varies across the country, the consequences can be just as serious.

“Before withdrawing from an RRSP, speak to a financial professional to make sure you have fully considered the ramifications of the early withdrawal tax consequences, and to consider any additional options that may be available to you,” Buttigieg said. CBC

Mr. Speaker, our people can only prosper and flourish in an atmosphere of peace and security. Safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation is critical for our progress.

We will improve the state of combat readiness of our armed forces by improving the logistical infrastructure, and improve the welfare of service men and women and also of veterans. Our armed forces remain one of the bestorganized and most professional in Africa.

Mr. Speaker, I bring you greetings from The Gambia, where I was a guest last weekend at the inauguration ceremony of President Adama Barrow. Ghana cont’d on pg. 61

The Ghanaian News February 2017

33

BUYING VERSES RENTING Living in Toronto, it’s impossible to escape the ongoing debate as whether to rent or buy a home. Everyone has an opinion, including those who have no business giving one, and often misguided decisions are made that cost potential homeowners to miss out on crucial investment opportunities.

It’s not my style to force people to buy a home. I encourage those who aren’t currently in the market to be patient and wait for the right opportunity for homeownership to present itself.

Buying a home just to say you own a home is a mistake. It takes planning and strategizing with your real estate agent before making an informed decision that will best work in your favour.

What I’ve realized

as one of the biggest obstacles to homeownership is fear. This is something I’ve recognized even in my own parents.

When I suggested back in 2008 that they purchase a home in the McVean area in Brampton for approximately $360K, they argued the safety and security of renting as reasons not to make the deal. Now those same homes today are selling for over $800,000.00.

I love my parents, but can point out when I think they have made a mistake. Like many Torontonians, the “safety” they feel renting is really just a way not to face the fear they associate with owning a home.

My parents also weren’t properly educated about real estate and investing. If they were, they would have understood that when an opportunity comes along and you have the means to

capitalize, you pull the trigger. Can you imagine how the contribution from the sale of that home could have benefited their retirement fund?

And that is my advice to those looking to own a home in today’s Toronto housing market. There’s nothing wrong with renting. It provides you with a place to live at the lowest upfront cost. When renting, however, you should do so while saving some dollars in preparation for when an opportunity for homeownership becomes available.

Ignoring this investment opportunity would be a mistake. We live in

Mortgage Brokerage

the GTA where home prices are increasing at an electric pace of 20% year over year.

While records continue to be broken literally every month, even as a renter, you should be budgeting for the time you will be able to capitalize on a property that works with your budget.

I think one of the biggest myths about renting is that you need to wait till the moment you’re ready to purchase a home to contact a real estate agent. That is absolutely false.

A good agent will help you prepare for homeownership. He or she will educate you about the market and guide you through what steps you can take right

now to ensure you’re ready. This is well before showing you any listings.

individual or family.

Homeownership is within the reach of anyone who is currently renting. It’s If you want to know simply a matter of the pros and cons of educating yourself renting vs buying, about the market, and just Google them. working with an agent The fact is that every to take the right steps situation is unique to properly prepare and every path to yourself to capitalize homeownership differs on the opportunity. depending on the

We’ve got a mortgage for that!

Luke Biereonwu, MBA

Mortgage Agent | Lic. M16002914

Luke@lukebiere.com | mortgageloanpro.ca

W H Y U S E A M O R TG AG E AG E N T ?

No credit, New credit, Poor credit, Divorce, Self Employed? Dominion Lending Centres Pro-Lending has over 90 lenders waiting for your business. I specialize in hard-to-approve mortgages. If I cant get you approved, no one can!

• • •

1st, 2nd & 3rd Mortgages Available • New Home Purchases • • Refinance Existing Mortgage

Home Equity Loans Commercial Mortgages Construction Loans

and Much More!

34

The Ghanaian News February 2017

Celebrating Canada’s 150 years Fun facts about Canada’s founding fathers From a prohibitionist pharmacist to an infidel editor, meet some of Canada’s Fathers of Confederation Canada’s 36 Fathers of Confederation were a not-so-motley crew of mostly lawyers and businessmen, with the odd doctor, journalist and pharmacist thrown in for good measure.

subject. “It was not until the Province of Canada asked for an invitation that a meeting was hurriedly organized for September 1 at Charlottetown,” explains the Government of Canada’s website.

Oliver Mowat: Trouble for John A. Macdonald

William Henry Pope: The infidel editor

Oliver Mowat fought his fellow Fathers of Confederation on provincial rights, making the case that provinces should have greater authority.

(Notman & Fraser/Bibliothèque et Archives Canada)

William Henry Pope: an infidel with a very strong judicial track record.

(Topley Studio/Library and Archives Canada)

Charles Tupper: 69 days in office

They met in Charlottetown, Quebec and London between 1864 and 1867 to discuss uniting New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the Province of Canada, which was composed of Canada East and Canada West (which would later become Quebec and Ontario).

The Fathers represented British North America colonies that had previously formed New France, until they were handed over to England at the end of the Seven Years’ War in 1763.

During the 100 years between that handover and the Confederation talks, American and European aggressions had put those colonies on alert. Economic, political and military concerns also contributed to talk of unification, as did a need for a national railway to facilitate trade.

The American Civil War (1861-1865) stoked fears of possible annexation.

Union, for many Fathers of Confederation, was the best way to avoid getting scooped up into the United States.

And so the Dominion of Canada was born on July 1, 1867. But who were these men, these Fathers of Confederation?

Leonard Tilley: Pro-union, anti-booze

Charles Tupper served as Nova Scotia’s premier before moving to federal politics. He pushed for Confederation after becoming convinced a small colony such as Nova Scotia would never gain much attention from England. (Topley Studio/Library and Archives Canada) Tupper worked as a doctor prior to becoming a politician, and occasionally performed medical work after joining the government; he was known for keeping a medical bag under his seat in the House of Commons. He was the Canadian Medical Association’s first president, and he also served as Canada’s sixth prime minister — for exactly 69 days — in 1896. He is the current record holder for shortest-serving prime minister in Canadian history.

Despite his political and medical successes, Tupper wasn’t well-liked: “Throughout his career Tupper was variously described as ‘the Boodle Knight,’ the ‘Great Stretcher’ (of the truth), ‘the old tramp,’ the ‘ArchCorruptionist’ and ‘the old wretch.’

All of these epithets contain a grain of truth and much of the abuse Tupper brought upon himself by his combativeness, his partisanship and his pomposity,” summarizes the Dictionary of Canadian Biography.

Pharmacist and noted prohibitionist Samuel Leonard Tilley. (Topley Studio/Library and Archives Canada) Originally a pharmacist hailing from New Brunswick (he first apprenticed at 13), Samuel Leonard Tilley sold his successful drugstore to become a politician. He was a proponent of responsible government and of prohibition — neither of which were popular in New Brunswick at the time — and a member of several protemperance groups. Tilley served as premier of New Brunswick before joining Canada’s first federal cabinet in 1867.

Tilley, along with fellow Maritime premiers Charles Tupper (Nova Scotia) and John Hamilton Gray (P.E.I.), had started discussing a union prior to 1864, but hadn’t settled on a date to hold a conference on the

Oliver Mowat, among other things, is the reason every province has its own liquor commission.

Mowat — the third premier of Ontario, a former justice minister and the great-great uncle of Farley Mowat — fought at 1864’s Quebec conference to decentralize certain government powers, making a constitutional case for provincial rights. This was much to the chagrin of John A. Macdonald, a fierce supporter of centralization.

Mowat and Macdonald’s antagonistic relationship began long before Confederation. They first met when Mowat articled in the 21-year-old Macdonald’s law office in Kingston, starting at the age of 15 (there was no formal legal education in Ontario at the time). He was a recurring thorn in Macdonald’s side until the latter died in 1891.

Jean-Charles Chapais: The farmer among the fathers

William Henry Pope, a lawyer and land agent by training, was also an editor of PEI’s The Islander newspaper. Pope was a renowned “infidel” — a term used at the time to describe atheists or agnostics — which sparked great controversy. In a series of letters addressed to P.E.I.’s Protestants, he mocked Catholicism and its “God made of a little flour and water.”

According to the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, William Henry Pope’s “tastes were quite extravagant, and despite his shrewdness, he was a poor manager of his personal finances.”

Despite these alleged failings, Pope was appointed as a judge to the Prince County court; only two of his decisions were ever appealed.

D’Arcy McGee: Rebel with a cause Once a pro-annexation Irish

By the numbers Provinces/territories that joined the Dominion of Canada after Confederation: •

Manitoba and Northwest Territories: 1870

•

British Columbia: 1871

•

Prince Edward Island: 1873

•

Yukon: 1898

•

Saskatchewan and Alberta: 1905

•

Newfoundland: 1949

•

Nunavut: 1999

Farmer and businessman JeanCharles Chapais of Kamouraska, Que. (William James Topley/Library and Archives Canada) Farmer and businessman Jean-Charles Chapais of Kamouraska, Que., may not be among the best-known Fathers of Confederation, but his contributions — namely the abolition of seigneurial tenure (a feudal land-distribution system) and the development of laws to help support farming — are still reflected in the Canada of today.

nationalist, McGee moved to Montreal in 1857 on the invitation of the city’s Irish community. (William Notman/ Library and Archives Canada) Irishman D’Arcy McGee had spent some time as a journalist, writing for the Irish newspaper the Nation.

Around the same time, McGee became a pro-independence agitator in 1848’s failed Irish rebellion.

The Ghanaian News February 2017

35

Celebrating Canada’s 150 years Fun facts about Canada’s founding fathers McGee left Ireland in the aftermath, settling first in New York and then in Boston, and founding an informal counterpart to the publication he’d worked for in Ireland, also called the Nation.

“When McGee’s projects failed to gain support, he moved to Montreal in 1857, at the invitation of the local Irish community,” says the Government of Canada’s website — at which point he also changed his mind about the U.S. annexation of Canada, which he had previously supported.

•

1 pharmacist: Samuel Leonard Tilley.

•

1 military officer: John Hamilton Gray.

George-Étienne Cartier: Reaching out to the French

and British Columbia to join the union. At home, he convinced Frenchspeaking residents suspicious of unification that if they didn’t consent to Confederation, Quebec could easily be annexed by the U.S. Cartier later became embroiled in the Pacific Scandal, a cash-forcontracts scheme in the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Cartier served as Macdonald’s righthand man, and occasional primeministerial fill-in, until his death from kidney disease in 1873. Macdonald burst into tears after announcing Cartier’s death in the House of Commons, reports the Dictionary of Canadian Biography.

McGee was shot and killed in Ottawa in 1868, after a late night at the House of Commons; his death was believed to have been the result of an Irish republican (Fenian) assassination plot. About 80,000 people attended his Montreal funeral procession — an astonishing figure, given the city had approximately 105,000 residents at the time.

John A. Macdonald: The architect

More than 80,000 people attended D’Arcy McGee’s funeral procession in Montreal on April 13, 1868. At the time, there were approximately 105,000 people living in the city.

(James Inglis/Library and Archives Canada) McGee was not, however, the only Father of Confederation to die from a gunshot wound. Fellow journalist George Brown, the founder of the Toronto Globe (which would later become the Globe and Mail), was shot in the leg in his office by a disgruntled former engine-room employee. The wound wasn’t fatal, but the ensuing infection was. He died in 1880.

By the numbers Canada was founded by: •

•

•

•

19 lawyers: Adams George Archibald, Alexander Campbell, George-Étienne Cartier, Edward Barron Chandler, James Cockburn, Robert Barry Dickey, Charles Fisher, John Hamilton Gray, Thomas Heath Haviland, William Alexander Henry, Hector-Louis Langevin, John A. Macdonald, Jonathan McCully, Peter Mitchell, Oliver Mowat, Edward Palmer, William Henry Pope, John William Ritchie, Frederic Bowker Terrington Carter.

9 businessmen: Jean-Charles Chapais, George Coles, Alexander Tilloch Galt, William Pearce Howland, John Mercer Johnson, Andrew Archibald Macdonald, Ambrose Shea, William Henry Steeves, Robert Duncan Wilmot.

4 journalists: George Brown, William McDougall, Thomas D’Arcy McGee, Edward Whelan.

2 doctors: Étienne-Paschal Taché, Charles Tupper.

George-Étienne Cartier, a staunch pro-unification advocate, was heavily involved with the Société St-JeanBaptiste, which is today dedicated to Quebec sovereignty. (George-Étienne Cartier) Finally, the two major architects of Confederation: George-Étienne Cartier and John A. Macdonald.

Born in St-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Que., Cartier helped sway Quebec, the Northwest Territories, Manitoba

John A. Macdonald, circa 1861–1863, around the same time he served as a joint premier for the Province of Canada. (Notman & Son/Library and

Archives Canada) Macdonald, who was premier of Canada West (previously Upper Canada) portion of the Province of Canada at the time Confederation talks began, was the chief driver of a federal union. Of the 72 resolutions established to provide Canada with a template for unification, Thomas D’Arcy McGee said Macdonald had written 50 of them.

“Macdonald had always preferred a highly centralized, preferably unitary, form of government that would not be torn by jurisdictional disputes,” writes the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, wanting to avert an American-style civil war.

Like many Canadian politicians who’ve come after him, Macdonald saw his share of controversies. The revelation of the Pacific Scandal in April 1873 was followed by the July publication of telegrams confirming Macdonald (as well as Cartier and Hector-Louis Langevin) had accepted cash from the main financial backer of the Canadian Pacific Railway while in the midst of negotiations.

The news caused a slew of defections, and Macdonald and his government resigned in November.

And like many other Canadian politicians who’ve come after him, Macdonald made a spectacular comeback just five years later, regaining the title of prime minister — running for and winning a seat in a riding he’d never even visited (Victoria, B.C.) — and serving until his death following a stroke in 1891.

CBC

CRA’s new fingerprinting policy could create travel problems for accused tax evaders Ta x a g e n c y c a l l s m a n d a t o r y fingerprinting ‘a powerful deterrent’ The Canada Revenue Agency has begun to record the fingerprints of every person charged with tax evasion, a move that could severely restrict foreign travel for anyone accused but not necessarily convicted of a criminal tax offence.

“Introducing a mandatory fingerprinting policy would serve as a powerful deterrent to those considering committing a serious tax offence or those who may contemplate reoffending,” says an internal memorandum justifying the new measure.

“The mobility restriction is an important deterrent, especially for people engaged in offshore tax evasion.”

The agency changed its policy manuals last fall to implement mandatory fingerprinting following years of inconsistent fingerprint collection based on the varying advice of local prosecutors.

The new policy means the fingerprints of all accused tax evaders will be recorded in the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) database, accessible by almost 70,000 Canadian police officers

but also by some foreign agencies such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its border officers.

As the memo notes, U.S. officials checking the CPIC database “may view a taxpayer charged and/or convicted for tax evasion as inadmissible to their country.”

CBC News obtained a copy of the memo, and the July 7 order authorizing the new policy, under the Access to Information Act, with several sections blacked out under security and advice exemptions.

Tracking begins April 1 “ Wi t h o u t a n a t i o n a l p o l i c y o n fingerprinting, CRA’s convictions were not always recorded in CPIC,” CRA spokesman David Walters said in an email. “Therefore, some persons convicted of tax evasion were unknown to law enforcement agencies.”

Walters said the agency will rely on qualified police officers to collect the prints. He said there are no statistics to date on how many fingerprints have been collected since the change in policy but formal tracking is to begin April 1.

The CPIC database is keyed to fingerprints, which are the prime means of tracking a person’s movements before and after conviction. “Without fingerprints, the CRA cannot ask law enforcement to carry out such tracing of movements,” the memo says.

The document also says the new policy puts those accused of tax evasion on a level playing field with people charged with theft, fraud and financial crimes.

They’re not charging many people ... they’re mostly settling out of courtDennis Howlett of Canadians for Tax Fairness There are other benefits, it says, including “facilitating the apprehension of an accused who fails to appear for trial or sentencing as it allows law enforcement to execute a bench warrant for the arrest of a person alleged to have committed a tax crime, including any accused who may leave the country to avoid facing the consequences of their actions.”

Walters says if an accused is acquitted of tax evasion, the agency will “request” the fingerprints be removed from the cont’d on pg. 45

36

The Ghanaian News February 2017

Community

y in pictures

The Ghanaian News February 2017

37

38

The Ghanaian News February 2017

PEOPLE AND PLACES

Ghanalinx Foundation donates to Gomoa Soccer For Change in Ghana

By Gabriel Odartei, Toronto

On Saturday January 21st 2017, Mr. Gabriel Odartei from Ghanalinx Foundation, Toronto Canada donated soccer jerseys and balls to the Gomoa Soccer for Change project in Gomoa Akropong in the Central Region of Ghana. This partnership was formed by Hon. Ernest Quarm, Assemblyman for Gomoa Akropong/Akroful Electoral Area in the Gomoa East District in the Central Region of Ghana, in collaboration with Ghanalinx Foundation and the Toronto North Soccer Club.

The mission of this project is to empower the youth in the community using the beautiful game of soccer, and to help them become leaders and excel both on and off the field.

Hon. Ernest Quarm set up Gomoa Soccer for Change soccer project as part of his developmental project in his electoral area and Gomoa District as a whole to use soccer as a means of transforming lives. Gomoa Soccer for Change Project has taken it upon itself to bring young children who have the talent and passion for football or soccer and groom them to take up football as a profession or any soccer or football-related work. “We strongly believe that, once they are successful in their football careers and knowing and remembering where they come from, it is possible to turn to the needy/vulnerable youth in our society”, Hon. While in the town of Gomoa Quarm said.

Akropong/Akroful, Gabriel met with the MP of Gomoa

Central Madame Naana Eyiah and also watched the Gomoa U20 players in a tournament match at the Swedru stadium.

To s u p p o r t t h e G o m o a Soccer4Change project, email: foundation@ghanalinx.com

The Ghana Methodist Church Montreal donates food items to a Charitable Organization Bon Dieu Dans La Rue Bon Dieu Dans La Rue (Good God in the Street) has been a shining beacon in the darkest corners in the city day and night. They provide a safe heaven for people of all background unconditionally. The multidisciplinary team helps the drop-ins take better care of themselves and resolve issues that may have been paralyzing them for a very long time.

for the Organization and asked for God’s blessing upon them for the good works it’s doing in the street of Montreal. Elder Gerald Arhin stated “ this worthwhile cause shows our desire of giving back as part of our social responsibility”. Mr. Phillips who received the items thanked the members and wished them a wider ministry.

Presenting the items, Rev Minister in charge (Rev. Joshua Doughan) prayed

For more information, please contact (514)542-0871.

From left: Aaron Quasie, Rev. Joshua Doughan, Mr. Phillips and Elder Gerald Arhin

Group picture of some members with Rev. Joshua Doughan and Mr. Phillips

The Ghanaian News celebrates 20 years of service to the community 1997 - 2017

The Ghanaian News February 2017

39

The Ghanaian Community in Winnipeg held their Annual Christmas Church Service at the Calvin Presbyterian Church at 95 Keewetin Street, Winnipeg on Sunday December 11, 2016.

Kwabena Osei Bonsu and Maame Tiwaa Bonsu pose with Samta

Christmas Church Service in Winnipeg

Margaret Yeboah, President, Ghana Union, Mrs. Bertha Tachie and Emilia Tufuor at Church Service

Winnipeg’s Ghanaian community choir at Christmas Service

HOZA Performs at Brookview Black History Month Assembly

From Joe Kingsley Eyiah, Toronto

The performers were only two. The drums were many and the audience over three hundred! They charged the cafeteria of Brookview Middle School in the Jane/ Finch area of Toronto with positive energy and dramatic sketches of Nelson Mandela’s gifts of leadership to celebrate this year’s Black History Month at the school.

Caribbean backgrounds was a combination of drumming, singing, acting and active interaction with students through questions and answers. The students and teachers of the school also had the opportunity

to participate in the skilful learning of playing the African drums brought by the group.

More importantly, HOZA convinced their audience by the end of the show on

It was during the morning h o u r s o f T h u r s d a y, February 16, 2017 when HOZA thrilled the students and staff of Brookview with their wonderful and entertaining performance on Black History under title: MANDELA-Gifts from a leader!

“Hoza” is an African word chosen to mean STOP, START or CHANGE by the group. Their mission is to help put a STOP to negative thinking and behaviors, and facilitate CHANGE that is needed to START living in a more socially just world.

The performance by the twomember group of Canadians with South African and

the need to exercise positive thinking and take action for what is right always.

Apartheid in South Africa during Mandela’s time in the 70s/80s was wrong!

Mandela therefore mobilized the oppressed people in that country to stand up for what was right! “After 27 years in

prison Nelson Mandela was freed in 1990 and negotiated the end of apartheid in South Africa bringing peace to a racially divided country and leading the fight for human rights around the world.” That was part of Black History and, Black History is World History!

Call Us First The Ghanaian News 41 6 - 9 1 6 - 37 0 0

40

The Ghanaian News February 2017

The Church of Pentecost Mckeown District celebrates Valentine’s Day @ Panemante Banquet & Convention Centre on February 11, 2017

The Ghanaian News February 2017

41

Frankly Speaking Free Senior High School Education in Ghana Let’s Ensure that its really free By: Dr. Michael Baffoe, Winnipeg, MB

The much-touted and much expected “free Senior High School” program and wish of the New Patriotic Party has finally been announced. This program was first announced by then Candidate, Nana AkufoAddo as part of his campaign promises in the run-up to the 2012 elections in Ghana. The then opposition party, led by John Evans Attah Mills and later by John DramaniMahama made a mockery of the idea rubbishing that it is impossible to run a free education program for Senior High School students in Ghana. As fate will have it, John Mahama “won” the elections through a decision by the Supreme Court on August 29th, 2013.

On assumption of office earlier in January 2013, the same John Mahama who had derided and dismissed the idea of free SHS, started making noise that his government will introduce the same scheme that he had condemned as unworkable. He even went further to promise to build 200 Community Senior High Schools in the country.

Call it political dishonesty if you want, and that will not be an understatement. When he was accused of stealing the same idea that he had condemned from Nana AkufoAddo and the NPP, John Mahama defended the idea as good and needed.

This about face of John Mahama and the NDC was no surprise to keen observers of the Ghana political scene and the changing pronouncements and positions of the NDC. They had earlier, between 2005 and 2008, condemned the building of the Presidential Palace, Jubilee House, that President Kufuor and his NPP government had

embarked on in celebration and commemoration of Ghana’s Golden Jubilee. John Mahama and the NDC promised, and at some point even vowed, to turn that Presidential edifice into a Zoo if they won the 2008 elections. However as soon as they were declared winners of the 2012 elections by the Supreme Court, John Mahama moved into the “Zoo” as his official office and residence.

Another dishonesty!!!

Back to the free SHS idea, I believe this is one of the most important, shrewd, and much-needed programs in our country. There are many, infact the largest majority of children in Ghana who cannot go any further than the Junior High Schools and are therefore condemned, through no fault of their own, to a life-time of poverty due to a lack of sound education and employable skills. This teeming majority are those whose parents cannot afford the high cost of a Senior High School education.

The irony of the whole Senior High School program is that the tuition is supposed to be free. The lodging is supposed to be free as well. What students are expected to pay is a sum

between 300 and 400 Ghana Cedis per term to cover the cost of feeding. However, the cost to students (and their parents) of a term of Senior High School in Ghana has been hovering anywhere between GHC1200 and GHC2000 depending on the location and status of the school. If your child gets admission to an “elite” school like Achimota in Accra, Mfantsipim or Wesley Girls in Cape Coast, the total fees may hover anywhere close to GHC3000, more than what it cost to go to University in Ghana. Why is this so?

Governments and the Ghanaian society have sat down and watched while the Heads of these Senior High Schools impose all kinds of ridiculous fees on poor students and their parents. Under the NDC government, they constantly threatened to dismiss any Senior High School Head who charged “unauthorized” fees, but these were empty threats. No SHS head was ever sanctioned for charging these unnecessary and killing fees.

I have personally experienced these charges. I have a nephew attending one of the Senior High Schools in the Assin South District in the Central Region of Ghana. When he went to the first school term a year ago, the school fee was assessed at GHC720... by some calculations I did not understand. We were required to pay for the cost of two plastic chairs, a termly charge of GHC25 for pumping water (water that is supplied by the government), Science Center fee, ICT Center fees, school “improvement” fund, a GHC50 contribution to the construction of a wall around the school, examination fees, and all kinds

You will be sacked if students fail BECE, WASSCE - Education Minister warns school heads Education Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has warned that basic and second cycle school heads who record 90 percent or more failure in their final exams will be sacked.

He says the persistent poor performance of the students in the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is unacceptable demanding that the school heads justify their continued stay in their positions.

Addressing heads of senior high schools (SHS) in Kumasi as part of a two-day familiarization tour to the Ashanti Region he emphasised that the Ministry would not continue to accommodate school heads who superintend over consistent poor performance.

Dr Prempeh noted that in public schools, the heads have justified their continued stay in office over the performance of the students when the same cannot be said for the private schools

The West African Examination Council statistics indicated that a total score of 600 being the maximum raw score in six subjects, 3,994 candidates got more than 500, which according to Mr Kor has never happened before in the history of BECE in Ghana.

Education Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh

whose continued operation is dependent on the performance of their students in the WASSCE. “Any school head who superintends over a failure of over 90% cannot be allowed to continue operation without accounting to the Ghana Education Service (GES).

Last September, the Director of General of the GES, Jacob A. Kor, lauded the exceptional improvement in the total scores of candidates for the 2016 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results after it was released.

However, the WASSCE results were nothing to write home about as the then presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo criticising the Mahama administration after more than half of candidates who wrote the exam failed.

The results showed that the students who sat for the 2016 exams failed in the core subjects of Maths, English, Science and Social Studies.

About 32 percent of the students obtained the pass grade of A to C6 in the core subjects and 19.82 percent of students cont’d on pg. 60

of nonsense fees. We ended up paying up to GHC1250 for the first term alone. And they keep adding other unnecessary charges and fees every term.

Keep in mind that this is a rural school. My friends who have their children enrolled at Mfantsipim, Adisadel, Wesley Girls and Holy Child Senior High Schools in Cape Coast tell me of greater fee woes. It seems they are made to pay for the name of the schools, not the content of what is delivered to the students. In effect, the Heads of these Senior High Schools have run amok and toying and capitalizing on the vulnerability of parents needing high school education for their children.

Many children whose parents cannot afford these unnecessary fees at the Senior High School level either do not go at all or are forced to drop out at some point.

In the meantime, these Senior High School Heads have built mansions and bought flashy cars out of the sweats of poor parents and no-one, including the Ghana governments, have raised a finger. I have been told that almost all the Heads pay heavy bribes to the appointing authorities and they therefore need to squeeze the bribes, plus their “profits” from unsuspecting and desperate parents.

Fortunately, the new President of Ghana, Nana AkufoAddo and his government seem to be on top of these nonsense and illegalities going on in the Senior High Schools that are denying access to senior high school education to children from poor families.

In announcing the free SHS program to take effect from September 2017, President AkufoAddo emphatically stated that, “so that no one in Ghana is left in any doubts, by free SHS, we mean that, in addition to tuition which is already free, there will be no admission fees, no library fees, no science center fees, no computer lab fees, no examination fees, no utility fees; there will be free

textbooks, free boarding and free meals, and day students will get a meal at school for free.”

The president and his government seem to know what they are talking about. If the fee scheme for the Senior High School is to succeed, they will need to keep an eye, a very close eye, on the unscrupulous behavior of the heads of these schools who will attempt to design all kinds of schemes and plans to circumvent the “free” in the program. If they catch any of them charging the abolished “fees” they should punish them severely to send a strong warning and deterrent to their other dishonest colleagues.

This is very important if the program is to succeed.

I have a personal painful of experience of being denied access to Secondary School because of poverty and so this SGS free scheme is very dear to my heart. I never had the opportunity to attend secondary school in Ghana. I had to embark on what I call, “education by installment” where I had to sit at home and study to take the GCE Ordinary Level and the GCE Advanced level examinations as a private student on my own to enable me get access to university education. It has not been an easy journey. Millions of Ghanaian children have suffered the same denying fate as mine and have ended up in misery, through no fault of their own, but because their parents could simply not afford the cost of secondary school education.

On behalf of the teeming majority of silent Ghanaian parents, I wish to say a big “thank you” to Nana AkufoAddo and his government on this bold move to free Ghanaian children from educational bondage. We should all help the government make this program work by being vigilant and report any SHS school head who will attempt to sneak in any unauthorised “fees”. We will be actively watching!

Construction of Takoradi to Paga railway to begin end of year cont’d from pg. 29 before he assumed office, there were private investors who have showed interest, in partnering government on rehabilitating and expanding rail network from the south to the north.

“Investors are queuing to partner government in the rehabilitation and expansion of the country’s rail network from the south to Paga in the Upper East Region, following a bold attempt by the AkufoAddo-led administration to transform the sector.”

The Minister further stated t h a t , G h a n a ’s d r e a m o f economic transformation will only materialize if government focuses on

expanding the railway sector.

“From Kumasi to Buipe forms the bread basket of this nation, we are convinced beyond doubt that if this line is developed, the price of foodstuffs, the economic benefits will be unimaginable. Mr Chairman, fuel is 50% less if it is carried by rail. Cocoa is 25% less if it is carried by rail,” he said.

Joe Ghartey said, a revamping of the railway sector, will improve the lives of Ghanaians and productivity, by reducing the stress people go through using congested roads, as they are forced to spend several hours in traffic. B & FT

42

The Ghanaian News February 2017

President Akufo-Addo’s Address Attracts Mixed Reactions The maiden State of the Nation Address, delivered by President Nana Addo Dankwa A k u f o - A d d o , t o P a r l i a m e n t , o n Tu e s d a y, in Accra has attracted mixed reactions.

Wearing a black suit over a white shirt with a flying tie to match, the President accompanied by wife Rebecca and Vice Mohammadu Bawumia, delivered the address in the presence of former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor.

While some on the side of the Majority praised the President for a brilliant, inspiring and hopeful delivery, There were also Traditional Rulers, the Clergy, both some on the Minority criticised the address, describing of Christian and Muslim faith, Service Commanders, as lacking substance, and rather a repetition of old ideas. Members of the Diplomatic Community and a crosssection of the public, who were in the House, and listened T h e d e l i v e r y o f t h e S t a t e o f t h e N a t i o n to the address which took one hour and five minutes.

Address is in fulfillment of a constitutional r e q u i r e m e n t f o r t h e P r e s i d e n t t o a d d r e s s In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Parliament at the beginning of a new session. Mr Bradford Adu, former MP for Okere (NPP) said President Nana Akufo Addo’s address touched on The address touched on the economy, education, the “almost everything”, and called on Ghanaians to nation’s debt, health, defence, and affirmative action put their hands on and support the President and to enhance the participation of women, in governance government to implement the programmes to enhance and leadership positions among, other others. the well-being of Ghanaians and “make the country

Olivia Akpari

very great.” According to Mr. Adu, the President’s highlight on the economy did not mean all was lost; and referred to Singapore, which he said had a worse situation, but was able to turn the economy around under the able leadership of Lee Kuan Yew. Mr Kwabena Appiah Pinkrah MP for Akrofuom (NPP) described the address as “very exact wonderful, which covered a lot, and the best State of the Nation Address in recent times.”

He said the address touched on every important aspect of the economy, adding that “let’s hope his team would work well. We know Nana can deliver.

“We pray and know God will help him and the approved team.” Mr Freddie Blay, Acting Chairman of the NPP, described the address as “good and excellent,” saying cont’d on pg. 59

Call

B.A. LL.B

Barrister & Solicitor

Olivia Akpari

Us

Tel: 905-565-0059 Fax: 905-565-0559

First The Ghanaian

LITIGATION SERVICES * Motor Vehicle Accidents * Slip and Falls * Long-Term Disability Claims * Short-Term Disability Claims * Wills * No-Charge Initial Consultation 7025 Tomken Rd. #204,

News 416 916-3700

Mississauga, Ontario, L5S 1R6

Osei Owusu

The Law Office of

Barrister, Solicitor & Notary Public

Dorothea Dadson LL.B LL.M

LAW OFFICE OF OSEI OWUSU

REAL ESTATE LAW

DO YOU NEED...

Buying a home may be the most important investment in your life. We ensure that it is done properly * Buying and selling your home * Transfers of property * Placing Mortgages, Refinancing FAMILY LAW CRIMINAL LAW IMMIGRATION Divorce Custody, Access and Support Separation Children Aid Cases

Adult Criminal Code offences Youth Criminal Justice Act (Young Offenders)

♦A Divorce ♦Custody Access ♦Child Support ♦A Separation Agreement, ♦Adoption, Division of Assets ♦Are You Buying or Selling Your Home

Sponsorships Sponsorship Appeals Humanitarian and Compassionate Cases

Also: Wills, Powers of Attorney, Foreign Divorce Opinions, Affidavits and Declarations, Certifying and Notarising documents

Tel: 416-614-1001

Call Us @ 416-385-8104 1648 Victoria Park Avenue, Suite 202

Fax: 416-614-6161

(Victoria Park/Eglinton)

1315 Finch Avenue West, Suite 410, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 2G6 (Keele/Finch)

BANSAH & ASSOCIATES

JAK LEGAL CONSULTANCY Professionals specialized in the following areas of practice:

Immigration Counsel

Areas of Specialization: ♦Immigration Hearings ♦Foreign Sponsorship & Appeals ♦Applications from inside Canada ♦Humanitarian & Compassionate Cases ♦Detention Reviews & Deportation Order Cases ♦Visa Extensions ♦Federal Skilled Worker Applications ♦Family Class Sponsorships ♦Student Visa ♦Provincial Nominee Program.

Legal Aid Accepted, Surprisingly Affordable Rates!

Immigration Law Other Practice Areas * Family Class Sponsorships * Uncontested Divorce * Sponsorship appeals * Small Claims Court Matters * Refugee Claims * Landlord and Tenant Matters * Humanitarian Applications * Power of Attorney * Invitation Letters * Agreements and Wills * Visa extensions * Bankruptcy Consultation * Work and Study Permits

Contact: Edward Bansah B.A (Hons), CCIC, FCMI Cert. Mig. & Ref Studies Member: Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants

Tel: 416-785-0522

Fax: 416-782-8563

1111 Albion Road, Unit 207, Toronto, ON, M9V 1A9

James A. Kwaateng, B.A. (Hons); LLB (Hons); CCIC Legal consultant; Commissioner of Oaths

Tel. (416) 743-2758 Fax: (416) 743-7027 168A Oakdale Rd., Suite 4, Toronto, Ontario, M3N 2S5.

The Ghanaian News February 2017

43

44

The Ghanaian News February 2017

View Point

Goal setting for your Teens by Parents

By Golda Abena Quayson

Are you part of your Teens Goal Setting?

It is believed that by the end of the year ninety percent, 90% of both adults and teens have it in mind to set goals for the New Year, but unfortunately only 10% will seriously complete their targets by the end of the year. These are few pointers to help you and your teen’s to stay on target for the New Year 2017.

Goal setting for teens can be cool as well as challenging if it encompasses ways for them to contribute, G o a l s e t t i n g i s a fosters their growing fundamental building independence and builds block teenagers need to self-esteem and making be successful at whatever the right choice for future. they want to accomplish Parents have to know in life. Goals help them to that this has to be done define what is important, in a non-judgmental and and teaches them how encouraging manner. to set these priorities. This approach allows the Goals give them a clear teens to be more open starting point, and when to their inner abilities to completed, can either be display and to accept and a finishing point or the consider other choices. starting point for their In other words it serves as positive reinforcers for next endeavour. the teen who is interested The process of goal in, but as yet unsure of setting includes learning what to do committing to how to develop a plan, goal setting as a process how to measure your and start thinking about progress, how to stay possible choice of positive and focused, how interest. to overcome roadblocks a n d t h e i m p o r t a n c e One of the realities that of taking action. Goal parents, teachers and setting is a character other authority figures education function that have to deal with is that helps teenagers set their teen role models in the priorities and gives them media are sometimes, a path for future success. at least in our opinion, less than ideal! There Goals are an important is a perspective shift part of life, and teenagers required here in order who learn to plan out and to see glimpses of what obtain goals contribute to makes the seemingly their healthy self-esteem outrageous behaviour not only when the goal of teen celebrities so is accomplished, but also popular amongst their along the path to the goal. fans. Without necessarily Here are a few tips in condoning their lifestyles goal setting and obtaining and actions, it can be them. helpful to take an interest Goals should be realistic. in what your teen is If a goal is realistic, given impressed with in his or time and effort, your teen her heroes. Because there stands a reasonably good are some aspects of what chance of accomplishing these celebrities have or it. Help your teen turn believe in, that teen also goals into smaller steps wants for themselves. or tasks so that your teen can feel that they are This can lead to some accomplishing something interesting and informal along the way to the goal. c o n v e r s a t i o n s a b o u t Help your teen to create a the possible values, plan to complete the tasks aspirations and talents for their goals by writing y o u r t e e n b e l i e v e s them down. Help your a r e d r i v i n g t h e i r teen to keep to the plan, o w n b e h a v i o u r a n d but be flexible as things expectations. Be open to change and obstacles may moments like this where come up that you did not your teen can share what plan for to happen. In the it is that they like or mist of everything praise admire in their various your teen when the goal, r o l e m o d e l s . Te e n s or parts of the goal, have respond particularly well to opportunities been accomplished. for volunteer work and other socially responsible

activities. This desire to make a worthwhile contribution is connected with their own awareness of personal identity and, as with many adults, can become the source of worthwhile goals that make a positive difference in the world.

Encourage them, by personal example where possible, to look for opportunities to get involved in helping others less fortunate than themselves -- the experience can teach so much about the social value of goal setting without you even needing to mention the term.

A growing desire for independence is another area where goal setting is a skill that surfaces naturally. While financial realities might determine whether or not older teen moves into a place of their own or with friends, a review of the possibilities can be very instructive in that the teen learns to see that the gap between the goal and the reality, while large, can be bridged.

How can this be done is by us the parents having the desire, commitment and focus on making it happen over time. Patience is one of the unsung attributes of successful goal setting, probably because we are collectively so impatient. In younger teens, this goal- setting skill can be nurtured when opportunities arise to plan sleepovers or to go on a short trip with a friend’s family, or in sports or animal welfare, or even choosing courses at university or college.

In effect, Goal setting is a character education function that gives teenagers a path for future success. All of the above, approaching your teen on these life journey as a parent, you should understand that, you are role modelling in a supportive and enthusing manner, and that can lead teens to naturally conclude that goal setting works!

Underpinning teen’s acceptance of setting goals as a worthwhile endeavour is a sense of self-satisfaction. For a young person struggling with finding their place in the world these mini successes can do wonders for their self-esteem.

Applaud them! And put words into action.

Canada to fund Ghana’s new National Agricultural Campaign: PLANTING FOR FOOD AND JOBS with C$125million cont’d from pg. 1 food production while simultaneously creating jobs. This was announced by President Nana Akufo Addo during his State of the Nation Address to Parliament on Tuesday February 21, 2016. Dubbed as “PLANTING FOR FOOD AND JOBS”,the President said that “this Campaign will be anchored on the pillars that will transform agriculture: the provision of improved seeds, the supply of fertilizers, the provision of dedicated extension services, a marketing strategy and the use of e-Agriculture”. The President announced that an amount of 125 million Canadian dollars has been secured from Canada, “a friend of our nation”, to support this new national initiative.

Bemoaning the sorry and neglected state of Agriculture in Ghana, President Akufo Addo pointed out that the starting point in turning round the fortunes of Ghana must be with agriculture.

“Unfortunately”, he lamented, “the state of agriculture in our country right now is not good. Farmers are left on their own. It is not surprising, therefore, that food prices are high and we are having to import almost everything we eat, including vegetables from our Sahelian neighbours. And yet, agriculture provides the best opportunity to use modern methods to change the lives of many, within the shortest possible time”, he said, to the applause of many of the MPs and people in the

public gallery of the Parliament that day.

The President announced that this new initiative will be tied to, and in line with the government’s policy of “one district, one dam policy” aimed to provide farmers with the needed water resources to boost agricultural and food production. “For too long our farmers have been left to cope by themselves, without the necessary support from government. For too long, our farmers have been left to the mercy of the vagaries of the weather; this will change under this new initiative”, he said.

He believed that this programme will provide water to enable all-year farming.

“We have to irrigate our lands and equip farmers with the skills needed to make farming a well-paying business. We aim to popularize farming by encouraging many people to take it up as a full or part time activity”, he emphasized.

The President further announced that as part of the initiatives for this Campaign, the District Assemblies will be tasked to identify and register progressive farmers in each of the 216 districts.

Linking this new initiative to the country’s rural-urban and northernsouthern migration, he expressed the hope that the three northern regions, in particular, will benefit from the availability of water to enable all-year farming, so that the enforced yearly migration can be minimized and food production become more predictable.

Joint Statement from President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cont’d from pg. 6 Allies in the World We are indispensable allies in the defence of North America and other parts of the world, through NATO and other multilateral efforts. Our troops have time and again fought together and sacrificed their lives for our shared values.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) illustrates the strength of our mutual commitment.

United States and Canadian forces jointly conduct aerospace warning, aerospace control, and maritime warning in defence of North America. We will work to modernize and broaden our NORAD partnership in these key domains, as well as in cyber and space.

The United States welcomes Canada’s recently announced decision to launch an open and transparent competition to replace its legacy fleet of CF18 fighter aircraft.

The United States also welcomes Canada’s decision to explore the immediate acquisition of 18 new Super Hornet aircraft as an

interim capability to supplement the CF-18s until the permanent replacement is ready.

Canada appreciates the cooperation of the United States to facilitate these processes.

The United States values Canada’s military contributions, including in the Global Coalition Against Daesh, and in Latvia. Together, we are harnessing all elements of national power to achieve the goal of degrading and destroying Daesh through our military operations to deny it safe havens and to build the capacity of local partners, stop the flow of foreign terrorist fighters into the Middle East region, cut off access to financing and funding, counter the Daesh narrative, and support the stabilization of communities liberated from Daesh.

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders It is a priority of both countries to ensure equal opportunities for women in the workforce. We are

committed to removing barriers to women’s participation in the business community and supporting women as they advance through it.

As part of this effort, we are creating a CanadaUnited States Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders.

We expect this initiative to promote the growth of women-owned enterprises and to further contribute to our overall economic growth and competitiveness, as well as the enhanced integration of our economies.

The Way Forward We share a commitment to continue to strengthen our ties for the benefit of our mutual prosperity and security. We look forward to our cabinets following up on today’s meeting with further discussions in their respective areas of responsibility. Our countries deserve our full commitment to increased economic growth, which we will deliver. The partnership between the United States and Canada will continue to be unique and a model for the world.

The Ghanaian News February 2017

Ask The Doctor

Lifestyle

By: David Yaw Twum-Barima, MD, MSc, FRCPC

45

This column is devoted to answering your questions on health and discusions of diseases which are common among the African Canadians.

Coffee: Does it offer health benefits?

Coffee has a long history of being blamed for many ills — from the humorous, “It will stunt your growth” to the notso-humorous claim that it causes heart disease and cancer. But some recent research indicates that coffee may not be so bad after all. So which is it — good or bad for your health? The best answer may be: It doesn’t seem to hurt and it may help, but it probably all depends on how much.

The latest research has not only confirmed that moderate coffee consumption doesn’t cause harm, it’s also uncovered possible benefits. Studies show that the risk for type 2 diabetes is lower among regular coffee drinkers than among those who don’t drink it. Also, coffee may reduce the risk of developing gallstones, discourage the development of colon cancer, improve cognitive

morning, try consuming from drinking filtered a 2-3 ounce serving coffee. The findings — every hour or so. Again, which will published moderation is the key. in May , 2006, in the However, other evidence journal “Circulation” — indicates that coffee is indicated that it didn’t not completely innocent. matter how much coffee Caffeine, coffee’s main participants drank.

function, reduce the risk of liver damage in people at high risk for liver disease, and reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease. Coffee has also been shown to improve endurance performance in long-duration physical activities.

For those who drink coffee to stay alert, new research suggests that you’ll stay more alert, particularly if you are fighting sleep deprivation, if you spread your coffee consumption over the course of the day. For instance, if you usually drink 16 ounces in the

ingredient is a mild addictive stimulant. And coffee does have modest cardiovascular effects such as increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and occasional irregular heartbeat that should be considered.

Studies have been largely inconclusive regarding coffee and its effect on women’s health issues such as breast health, cancer, and osteoporosis.

But, the negative effects of coffee tend to emerge in excessive drinking so it is best to avoid heavy consumption.

O n e l a rg e s t u d y o f 128,000 men and women showed no increase in the risk of heart disease

But another study of 4,000 coffee drinkers published in March 2006 in the “Journal of the American Medical Association” found that two or more cups of coffee a day can increase the risk of heart disease in people with a specific genetic mutation that slows the breakdown of caffeine in the body.

Several older studies have shown conflicting results.

The design of a study can have some effect on the interpretation of results, which may be another reason for the different conclusions.

Given the large number of participants in the study that showed no risk, it would be reasonable

Fruit and vegetables: For a longer life eat 10 a day Eating loads of fruit and vegetables - 10 portions a day - may give us longer lives, say researchers.

The study, by Imperial College London, calculated such eating habits could prevent 7.8 million premature d e a t h s e a c h y e a r.

Lower risks of heart disease and strokes were linked to eating: - apples - pears - citrus fruits - salads - green leafy vegetables (eg lettuce) - cruciferous veg

The team also identified specific fruit and veg The results, published in that reduced the risk of the International Journal cancer and heart disease. of Epidemiology, also assessed the risk of The analysis showed dying before your time. even small amounts had a health boon, but Compared with eating no more is even better. fruit or veg a day, it showed: A portion counts as 80g (3oz) of fruit or veg the equivalent of a small banana, a pear or three heaped tablespoons of spinach or peas.

- 200g cut the risk of cardiovascular disease by 13% while 800g cut the risk by 28% - 200g cut the risk of cancer by 4%, while 800g cut the risk by 13% - 200g cut The conclusions were the risk of a premature made by pooling data death by 15%, while on 95 separate studies, 800g cut the risk by 31% involving two million people’s eating habits. T h e r e s e a r c h e r s d o not know if eating Lower risks of cancer even more fruit and were linked to eating: veg would have even greater health benefits - green veg (eg spinach) as there is little evidence - yellow veg (eg peppers) out there to review.

- cruciferous vegetables ( e g c a u l i f l o w e r ) . Dr Dagfinn Aune, one of the researchers, said:

“Fruit and vegetables have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and to boost the health of our blood vessels and immune system.

“This may be due to the complex network of nutrients they hold.

“For instance, they contain many antioxidants, which may reduce DNA damage and lead to a reduction in cancer risk.”

However, many people struggle to even eat the five a day (400g) recommended by t h e Wo r l d H e a l t h Organization.

In the UK, only about one in three people eats enough.

Dr Aune said the findings did not mean the five-a-day message needed to change.

He told the BBC: “There are many different considerations i f c h a n g i n g p o l i c y, it’s not just the health

effects - is it feasible?

“But our findings are quite clear in that they do support five a day, but there are even some further benefits for higher intakes.”

Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at Public Health England, said: “The five-a-day target is the foundation of a healthy balanced diet and is an achievable way to help prevent a number of diseases.

“Whilst consuming more than five portions of fruit and vegetables a day may be desirable... adding pressure to consume more fruit and vegetables creates an unrealistic expectation.”

Not all of the 95 studies that were analysed fully accounted for other aspects of lifestyle, such as exercise levels, that could also play a role in prolonging lives.

However, Dr Aune said the conclusions were “quite robust”. BBC

to conclude that coffee poses little or no threat to cardiovascular health.

However, this is not to say that you should disregard the old maxim, “Everything in moderation.” Although coffee may not be harmful, other beverages such as milk and juice contain important nutrients that coffee does not.

diabetes and colon cancer but clearly nobody will advocate coffee consumption for that purpose, there is much more evidence of a protective effect from fruits, vegetables and whole grains than from coffee. So enjoy your coffee as part of a healthy diet that includes a wide variety of foods.

As noted above, some evidence suggests that drinking coffee may protect against type 2

References: 1) Mayo Clinic Housecall : May 2006 2) Harvard Health Publications, May 2006

CRA’s new fingerprinting policy could create travel problems for accused tax evaders cont’d from pg. 35 CPIC database — though some law firms specializing in fingerprint “destruction” warn the images could remain for months, depending on the protocols of the police service that registered the prints.

The new policy is part of the agency’s renewed emphasis on tax cheats, especially offshore tax evaders, and includes $444.4 million earmarked in last year’s budget to combat tax evasion over five years.

Financial tracking Since January 2015, financial institutions have also been required to report directly to the CRA all international electronic fund transfers of $10,000 or more. In a little more than a year following that legislative change, the agency received data on more than 17 million transactions.

The tax agency has also been more frequently accessing the financial databases of FINTRAC, the federal centre that combats money laundering and terrorist financing, after critics said the two institutions weren’t sharing enough information.

CRA formally asked FINTRAC for information from its databases on specific cases 68 times in 2015-2016, more than triple the requests from 2013-2014.

One of CRA’s most persistent critics — the non-profit Canadians for Tax Fairness, funded largely by unions — questions the effectiveness of the new fingerprinting policy when the agency turns so seldom to the justice system to catch big tax cheats.

“They are not charging many people, so the evidence would seem to indicate they’re mostly settling out of court,” executive director Dennis Howlett said in an interview.

“They do need to take some cases to court to clearly establish some precedents and to strengthen their negotiating hand when they do settle out of court …

We’re a bit surprised there aren’t more charges.”

Howlett also said CRA is still not pursuing wealthmanagement firms that facilitate offshore tax evasion, or corporations that may be keeping profits in offshore tax havens to evade taxes at home. CBC

46

The Ghanaian News February 2017

Jesus Is The Answer Salon

KAKS Beauty Supplies

1725 Jane St. (Jane/Lawrence) Toronto, ON, M9N 2S9

UP to 5-10 - 15-20 & 25% OFF On Every Purchase, Your One Stop Shop for all Your Beauty Care Products

Specialized In: All Types Of Hair Cuts And Designs

Visit us at 1660 Kingston Road, Unit 2, Pickering, Ont., L1V 5R2

Tel: 905-683-9163 Gladys

416-569-2453 Doris Beauty Supply &

4502 Kingston Road, Scarborough, Ont. Tel: 416-283-8303 Fax: 416-283-6590

Clothing

* Italian Shoes * European Suits * Jewelleries * Perfumes * Watches * Lace

Tel: 416-916-6675 2507 Finch Avenue W. (Milvan Plaza) Finch/Milvan, Toronto, Ont. M9M 2G1

J & I BEAUTY SUPPLY Tel: 416-740-1859

A. & A. Hair Design

Expert Styling * Weaving, African Braiding * Hair Cutting

Business Hours Mon.-Wed. Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

NEW LOCATION 1172 Albion Road, Etobicoke Next Plaza to Tim Horton's (Albion/Islington)

10.00am 9.00am 8.00am 6.30pm 8.00am

- 7.00pm - 9.00pm - 5.00pm - 11.30pm - 7.00pm

Tel: 416-241-7418 2111 Jane Street, (Beside India Africa)

Multiple Mix Inc. Specializing In: * Hair Relaxing * Braids * Weaves * Cornrows TWO LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU

* African Wax Prints Fabrics * Beauty Supplies * Lace * Fashion Jewelry * Clothing * Shoes

Call Awura Abena 416244-8666 / 647833-4419

Call: Elizabeth 416-445-4446 113 Ellesmere Rd., Scarborough, Ont. M1R 4C3

1707 Jane Street (Jane/Lawrence -opposite Laura Meat beside Dollar Joint)

Hannah’s Drapery & Hall Decorations SPECIALIZING IN : Custom Drapery, New Zebra Blinds, Window Shades, Austrian Shades,Washroom Sets ETC. Also , specialize in all kinds of event decor such as wedding, engagement, outdooring, graduations, corperate functions and funeral etc.

CALL HANNAH OR OTIS AT : 647 400 9815 OR 647 920 6757 INSTAGRAM PAGE : hannahdrapery

Number of mumps cases in Toronto linked to bars has risen to 17 TORONTO -- Public h e a l t h o ff i c i a l s a n d infectious disease experts are urging Canadians to check that their vaccinations are up to date as clusters of mumps are investigated in Ontario and Alberta, and measles cases are probed in Nova Scotia.

Mount Sinai Hospital.

The viral infections are both covered by the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) or measlesmumps-rubella-varicella ( M M RV ) v a c c i n e s .

But experts say people between the ages of 18 and 35 need to ensure they’ve had two doses of the shots to bolster their immunity.

McGeer said there was nothing overly worrisome about the recent mumps and measles cases but noted that they served as a reminder of the importance of immunization efforts.

“Mumps and measles are very contagious illnesses...at the moment we have this particular issue with people who’ve only had one dose of vaccine. For this age group, it’s a good time to check and make sure they’ve had two doses,” said Dr. Allison McGeer, director of infection control at Toronto’s

McGeer explained that when the mumps and measles vaccine was introduced, only one dose was administered but it later became apparent that two doses were needed for it to be effective over the long term.

“The fact that you can still get clusters of cases is a marker for just how important having those vaccination programs is.

If they didn’t happen then everybody got sick.”

In Toronto, public health officials said Friday that there were 17 confirmed cases of mumps in the city, all involving people between 18 and 35 years of age who had frequented cont’d on pg. 60

Backlogs addressed next month The Immigration and Refugee Board will begin to triage and refer old and new claims for shorter hearings in March in an attempt to reduce its ballooning backlog, or at least to stop it from snowballing.

Through flexible scheduling and shorter hearing streaming, the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) hopes to increase the productivity of its 119 decisionmakers by 15 to 20 per cent, said Paula Thompson, the board’s chief of staff.

The redeployment, announced earlier in February, came on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump’s anti-refugee policies and Canada’s lifting of the visa requirements for Mexican travelers in December.

However, Thompson said the board’s move was not prompted by these events. Torstar New Service

Shalom Beauty Supply 2065 Lawrence Ave. West, Toronto, Ontario Under New Management

* 100% Human Hair * Relaxers * Beauty Products * Braids (All kind) * Lace Front Wigs

Tel: 416-248-0875

The Ghanaian News February 2017

Jesluv Endless Ventures Area of service: • • • • • • • •

MONEY TRANSFER TO THE WHOLE WORLD TUTORING SERVICES (Grade 2-12) RAZA COMMUNICATIONS BEST AUTO / HOME INSURANCE LIFE/ DISABILITY INSURANCE MORTGAGES RESP/ LINE OF CREDIT DEBT CONSOLIDATION

• FINANCIAL/INSURANCE ADVISOR

Contact Charlotte @ 647-575-4825 jesluvendless@gmail.com

website: jesluv.com

BOACHIE Import/Export & Financial Services Tel: 416-266-9221 Cell: 416-880-2144 3545 Kingston Rd., #8, Scarborough, ON, M1M 1R6

47

All-N-1 house of beauty In honor of Black History Month is sponsoring its third Steam Event for women with natural hair.

February-23 to March 2 2017.

The salon is offering stimulating scalp shampoo service, steam hydrating treatment and thermal press and trim all for $45.00 Regular price $95.00.

Call us to schedule your appointment.

647-849-3463

Cita Beauty Home beauty products, foods, clothing

.We also shipping commercial/Personal Merchandise Worldwide. . Money transfers from Canada to Ghana on 24 hour basis.

Cell: 403 383 2275 Boachie 5103 44 Avenue NE, Calgary AB T1Y 2Z9

Alice Hair Designer Specializing in: Braids (All Types), Weaving, Haircutting, Hair Styling, Relaxing etc. . Income Tax-Personal/Business, (efile), GST Returns . Bookkeeping, Financial Services .Accounts Audits and preparations

CITA, YOUR LAST STOP FOR YOUR BEAUTY SUPPLIES AND AFRICAN FOODS NEW LOCATION: 3334-32 STREET NE (HORIZON AUTO CENTRE) INTERSECTION OF 32 AVENUE AND 32 STREET NE OUR PHONE AND FAX NUMBERS REMAIN THE SAME,

PHONE: (403)568-7602 FAX: (403) 568-7603

G-PRO Hair Signature Inside Themain Beauty Supply 0144

Call Us First The Ghanaian News 416916-3700

*Weaves *Haircuts *Scalp Treatment *Format Updo *Wigs *Corn row *Hair Coloring *Bridal Services and Many More Stylist/Cathy:

416-831-7934 416-645-0114

48

The Ghanaian News February 2017

AZ DRIVERS

STANDFAST AUTO INC.

WANTED

Certification - Imports & Domestic Vehicles

AZ drivers wanted for Toronto to Montreal, 2 years experience a must, Clean Abstract and CVOR. Criminal check required, Steady work through out the year, yard to yard work, Excellent pay package, mainly night work, weekly pay.

* TUNE-UPS * MUFFLERS* BRAKES * OIL CHANGE

Truck Mechanic Wanted 3 yrs or more experience

Only serious inquiries please For more information Call 647-993-6000

SIX STAR MOTORS 56 Penn Drive, North York

FREE INSPECTION

* Rust *Minor Repairs and Painting

Tel: 905-738-4504 Fax: 905-738-4504 30 Freshway Dr., Unit B5, Concord, Ont.

Sam Auto Body Collusion Repairs Sammy Lartey 647-428-6837 172 Toryork Dr., #9, North York, Ont.

(Jane & Highway 7)

Sam Auto Service

Tuffour

GENERAL REPAIR ON ALL MAKE & MODELS

Domestic & Import Contact: Sam

Auto Repair Shop

Tel: (416)743-6969

66 Milvan Dr. Units 6& 7, North York, Ont.

Tel: 416-743-6119

Guaranteed Job Satisfaction YOU ARE IN GOOD HANDS !!!

41 Brydon Drive, Etobicoke, Ont.

Erico's Auto Repairs

Oppong Auto

Certified Auto Mechanic (All Brands)

(Finch/Milvan) Eric Ofori:

Specializing In:

Tel: 647-704-4487 Call 647-785-7694

175 Toryork Rd., Unit 1B, North York, ON.

Air Conditioning Service Tune-ups, Brakes, Mufflers, General Repairs Service to all imports

AKAN AUTO SERVICE CENTRE Joe Akrofi Tel: (416) 748-2864

Paul Nsiah, Manager Tel: 416-746-3275

B. B.'S AUTO Inc. Complete general repairs to all foreign & domestic cars, Body and Custom painting

Oil Lube, Grease, brakes, Tune-Ups Electronic Ignition, Fuel Injection, etc 35 Taber Rd. #3, Rexdale, Ont.

Contact: Bismarck Bright or Nick Bright

Tel: (416)745-5690 Fax: (416)745-1514 16 Taber Rd, Etobicoke, Ont.

Dynamic Auto Repairs

M.S.B. Driving School

Auto Repairs For All Makes and Models

Ministry Approved Course Provider

Generator

Out of City Road Test

Sale

Business Hours Monday - Friday - 9:00am - 5:00pm Saturday 9:00am - 6:00pm

Obeng Tel: 905-782-4305 Cell: 647-225-4223

227 Advance Blvd., Unit 18 & 19 Brampton, Ont.

* Do Your 'G' Road Test Without Driving On Any of The 400 Highways * We Offer New And Nervous Drivers Until They Pass Their Road Test Contract (some conditions may apply) * Attend Our Classroom 25 hrs. Session To Get Your Certificate for Insurance Discount

Call Yusuf Serbeh (Akwasi)

Tel: 416-627-1100

Call 416 646-0495

15 John Street, Suite #1 (Weston/Lawrence)

Peaceful Driving School Best Driving School In Canada M.T.O. Approved course provider Toronto and out of City Road Test Full Package Includes: * 10 hours in car, 20 hours in class and 5 hours home links, for insurance discount certificate * Private lessons and pre-test packages * Let the professionals lead you to safety.

Solomon Adjei-Yeboah * We also provide driver improvement course as well as defensive driver improvement peacefuldrivingschool.com

Tel: 416-888-4922

230 Eddystone Avenue, Suite 203, North York, Ontario

DANIEL'S Driving School MTO Approved Course Provider Quality Driving Instructions At An Amazingly Low Cost

Sponsored by CAA, Get one year free membership up to 40% discount on Insurance

Area of operation: Brampton, Mississauga and Etobicoke

Daniel O. Oduro Kotoko

For Registration, please call:

416-568-1795

The Ghanaian News February 2017

cont’d from pg. 17

49

GHANA: 60th Milestone of Nationhood

of Kwame Nkrumah and the CPP government on 24th February, 1966.

Of the 60 years that Ghana has existed as an independent nation, the military has intervened four times to overthrow the elected or reigning governments.

The military has succeeded in ruling the country for 21 years of its sixty years of life as a nation. The first military government, established with the 1966 take-over lasted from February 1966 to August 1969 when the military government then headed by Lt. General Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa handed over power to a democratically elected government headed by Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia and his Progress Party (PP) government. This was the result of elections held in August 1969 which the Progress Party won by a landslide.

Under pressure from the international community to return the country to constitutional rule, Jeremiah Rawlings lifted the ban on political activity to allow political parties to be formed and function. He formed his own political party, got a Constitution to be written (on his terms), got elections organized and won the Presidency along with his political party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC). This was the beginning of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. Rawlings ruled the country again as President for another eight years, the maximum two terms allowed under the Constitution. The second elections of the Fourth Republic organized in December 2000, was won by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) under John Agyekum Kufour who won the Presidency after a second round runoff with the second place runner, John

John Rawlings to label such persons as “babies with sharp teeth”.

A new shrewd way of officially stealing the nation’s resources was instituted under the Attah-Mills-Mahama government from 2009. It has been known as “judgment debt”. Naked robbery and pillaging of the nation’s resources that has been occurring since the country attained nationhood reached alarming proportions from 2009. Under this scheme, individuals and companies were actively encouraged by government officials to sue the government (and the nation) in court claiming payments for “contracts” the government had abrogated. Millions of dollars and Cedis have been paid out to a number of often faceless

This Parliamentary government headed by Prime Minister Kofi Busialasted only 28 months before it was shot down by another bunch of restless soldiers led by then Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong who established the National Redemption Council government. This government ruled for three years and re-organized itself into a Supreme Military Council manned by all the service commanders of the Ghana Armed Forces who felt that their junior officers were doing all the looting and “chopping” of the nation’s resources and demanded to participate in the looting of the nation’s resources. A palace coup organized in July 1978 dumped then General KutuAcheampong and brought in a new set of military commanders into power with the establishment of another Supreme Military Council headed by Lt. General F.W.K Akuffo.

On May 15, 1979 a group of young military officers led by Flt. Lt. Jeremiah John Rawlings attempted to overthrow the government of the Supreme Military Council. The uprising failed and the mutineers were arrested. In the course of their trial before a military tribunal, another group of young officers engaged the government in a violent shoot-out and succeeded in overthrowing the government on June 4, 1979. They established the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) government manned by corporals and sergeants which ruled for only three months: June 4, 1979 to September 23, 1979.

This three-month rule of the AFRC was a real watershed in Ghana’s history. This period witnessed the most brutal and worse human rights abuses ever unleashed on the population of the country. Unruly, undisciplined and drunken soldiers roamed the streets and neighborhoods of the country, terrorized and cowed the population into submission. Six top military officers including three former Heads of State were executed by firing squad

by Jerry Rawlings under some very flimsy and questionable excuses. Thank God, this traumatic experience lasted only three months, but it left serious wounds and scars on the nation’s psyche which have not yet healed. The AFRC and Jeremiah Rawlings handed over power to a new democraticallyelected government headed by Dr. HillaLiman and his Peoples National Party (PNP) on 23 September 1979 after the PNP had won elections held on June 26, 1979. This was the launch of the Third Republic of Ghana.

The same Jeremiah John Rawlings who handed over power to Dr. HillaLiman again staged another military take-over of the government on 31 December, 1981, only 27 months into the life of the government of the Third Republic.

He established the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) which ruled the country until December 1992. As is his manner and style, Jerry Rawlings and his second military government subjected Ghanaians to another bout of brutality and human rights abuses including the arrest and brutal murder of three high court judges and a retired military officer on June 30, 1982.

disruptions to electricity and water supplies. The most affected places have been the large urban centers where businesses have collapsed as a result of constant water and electricity supply disruptions. Ghanaians have disparagingly termed the frequent power interruptions as “dumsor, dum sor”, literally meaning constant on and off switching of power. Cost of living has soared to levels never seen in the country’s 60-year history, with the then presiding government of John Dramani Mahama seemingly oblivious to solutions to the social and economic problems facing the people.

Ghana as a nation has over the past sixty years fulfilled the declaration and prophesy of its first leader, Kwame Nkrumah who declared on independence night, the right of the country to “manage or mismanage” its own affairs. Overall Ghana has succeeded in “mismanaging” its affairs much better than “managing” its affairs.

We have earned very high marks in the field of economic, political and social mismanagement of the nation. The future has looked really bleak for the nation and its citizens.

In early January, 2016, Ghanaians were again hit by another shocking news. The Mahama government had accepted or settlement in Ghana two terrorists who had been held by the United States at it’s terrorists detention center at Guantanamo Bay near Cuba.

This news created extreme fear and heightened anxiety among Ghanaians.

Instead of explaining the rationale for this reckless action to allay the anxiety of Ghanaians about the presence of known terrorists amongst them, the government and its officials rather resorted, as has been its modus operandi, to insulting any citizen who dared raise his/her voice and concern about this issue.

Evans Attah Mills. The NPP also won a slight majority of 124 of the then 200seat Parliament. President Kufour and his NPP won re-election in December 2004 for another four-year term.

Perhaps the greatest test of stability of the nation came in the run-up to the 2008 elections which ended the term of office of President Kufuor.

The NDC party won the Parliamentary elections on December 8, 2008 but the hotly-contested Presidential elections again run into a second round. In the end, John Attah Mills beat the NPP candidate Nana Akufo Addo in the runoff by less than 20,000 votes to win the Presidency. Tension in the country over this election reached fever pitch threatening to plunge the country into mayhem. Political giants like former U.N Secretary General, Kofi Annan had to be flown into the country to persuade the warring electoral opponents to let cool heads prevail to salvage Ghana’s image as a peace-loving nation and the beacon of political maturity and stability for Africa. In the end, the NPP and Akufo Addo had to concede defeat.

John Evans Attah Mills was sworn in as President on January 7, 2009 as the third President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana with John Dramani Mahama as his Vice President.

The first three years of the Attah Millsled NDC government also tested the stability of the nation. A culture of political intolerance, insults and naked robbery of the nation’s resources and finances engulfed the country. Political opponents publicly hauled insults at each other, in the media especially on radio and television. The most guilty of these behavior of political insults and intolerance were the government and NDC party officials. They attacked their political opponents, real or imagined, at will. The then President and Father of the nation, John Evans Attah Mills did nothing about this dangerous culture of political insults and intolerance which engulfed and enveloped the nation. This behavior, perpetuated by the young inexperienced people in the NDC led the former president and Founder of the NDC party uitself, Jerry

individuals under this official thievery scheme. The most disturbing of these s0-called judgement debts was one that was paid to a guy called Alfred Agbesi Woyome to the whooping tune of GHC51.2 million.

The Supreme Court of the country was later to rule that the country had no contract with this person and ordered that the money be refunded to the state with interest. As at the time of writing this piece in late February 2017, the man has refused to refund the money and no sanctions have been invoked against him.

By a twist of circumstances, President John Evans Attah Mills died “suddenly” through as yet unexplained circumstances on 24th July 2012. He was immediately succeeded by his Vice president, John Dramani Mahama to complete the last six months of the term of his mandate. John Dramani Mahama led the NDC through another bitterly-fought elections in December 2012 with their main opponents, the New Patriotic Party led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo.

John Mahama was declared winner of the Presidential elections in some very questionable circumstances by the Electoral Commissioner, Dr. KwadwoAfariDjan. Not satisfied with what they termed as an electoral fraud, the New Patriotic Party challenged the election results and the legitimacy of the declaration of Mahama as President to the Supreme Court of Ghana, as stipulated under Ghana’s constitution. The election petition, heard by nine of the Supreme Court Judges, ran for eight months from January 2013 to August 2013. On August 29, 2013, the Supreme Court released a very questionable judgment dismissing the electoral petition of the NPP. The ruling was so bizarre that the integrity of the court and some of the judges were called into question.

Between 2012 and early 2016 the social and economic life of the country deteriorated to low levels never seen in the country’s history. The most painful of these have been the long

It was amidst these very hopeless national conditions and life that Ghanaians went to the polls on December 7, 2016 to choose a President and a new Parliament. The results of the elections underscored and manifested the extreme anger of Ghanaians. They delivered a defeat to the ruling President John Mahama and his party, the NDC never recorded in the electoral history of the country.

The contest, again between Mahama and Nana Akufo Addo resulted in the resounding victory for Nana Akufo Addo who beat his opponent by a margin of more than one million votes. His party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) won an absolute majority grabbing 169 of the 275 Parliamentary seats. These elections also made history making John Mahama as the first sitting President in Ghana’s history to be defeated as a one-time President.

The new President Nana Addo |Dankwa Akufo Addo was sworn in as the seventh President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana on Saturday January 7th, 2017.

As at the time of writing this piece, he has appointed a total of 36 Ministers and ten Regional Ministers who have all been approved by Parliament. |Hope and positive expectation seem to be returning to Ghanaians as the await the performance of the new government.

These are the background events within which Ghana is celebrating 59 years as a nation. As we celebrate this anniversary, we all need to pray and thank our ancestors and our Gods that our nation has existed and survived these last 6o years without been plunged into the bloody mess that have engulfed some of our continental neighbors. God should bless our homeland, Ghana and make our nation great and strong.

We wish the new President and his government well. We hope that we will be able to write positive stories about their performance and records at similar anniversaries in the years to come.

50

The Ghanaian News February 2017

The world’s safest airlines the best long-haul airline in the Asia-Pacific region.

And as outstanding as its service may be, the airline is just as competent in terms of safety. Outside of terrorist attacks, Cathay Pacific has not suffered a fatal accident since the 1960s.

12. Founded in 1920, KLM is one of the oldest and most trusted names in the airline industry. Although KLM and Air France merged in 2004, the two airlines operate under separate brands. KLM has not had a fatality in almost 40 years.

6. With more than 800 mainline aircraft in its fleet, Delta Air Lines is the second largest carrier in the world. The Atlanta-based airline has not had a fatal accident in more than two decades.*

13. Germany’s Lufthansa is a European aviation juggernaut. In operation since 1955, the Frankfurt-based carrier was recently named Europe’s best long-haul airline by the website. It has not suffered any fatal accidents since 1993.

7. Like its neighbor, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad has maintained an unblemished safety record. It’s truly Despite some recent tragedies, air travel is still one remarkable how quickly the decade-old airline has of the safest forms of transportation around. In fact, grown in scale and reputation. according to Australian consumer-aviation website AirlineRatings.com, 2016 was the second safest year in the history of commercial aviation, after 2013.

AirlineRatings.com recently released a list of the 20 safest airlines selected from a pool of 425 carriers around the world. To compile its list, the website evaluated each airline based on its standing with international regulators, its fatality record over the past 10 years, its result from an International Air Transport Association (IATA) safety audit, and whether its country of origin conforms with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s eight-point safety parameter.

All of the airlines on this list passed those tests with 8. Taiwan’s Eva Air was recently named the best flying colors. long-haul airline in Asia by AirlineRatings.com. The The carriers on the list hail from Asia, North America, airline has not suffered any major accidents since its Australia, and Europe, with no carriers from Africa and founding in 1988.

South America making the cut. This top-20 includes only mainline carriers. Low-cost or boutique carriers such as JetBlue, Virgin America, Norwegian, and EasyJet were considered for a separate ranking.

AirlineRatings.com didn’t list the final finishing order for places two to 20, but did crown a winner.

1. Air New Zealand has made a fine recovery after a period of financial turmoil in the early 2000s. This renaissance culminated with AirlineRatings.com re- 9. Finnair, Finland’s national airline, doesn’t get as cently naming it the best airline in the world for the much attention in the media as some of its Scandinavian counterparts. But don’t discount the Helsinthird year in a row. ki-based carrier. It has one of the best safety records Air New Zealand has not suffered any significant in the business and hasn’t suffered any major accidents since the 1960s. incidents in the past couple of decades.

2. It’s called Alaska Airlines, but it’s actually based in Seattle. The carrier is a mainstay on the West Coast of the US. Alaska recently made a major splash with the $2.6 billion acquisition of Virgin America. The airline has not suffered a fatal crash since 2000.

10. Founded in 1929, Honolulu-based Hawaiian Airlines has been consistently regarded as one of the best in the US. Hawaiian currently boasts a fleet of more than 50 wide- and narrow-body airliners. Hawaiian has never experienced a fatal accident.

3. Founded in 1954, All Nippon Airways is well 11. Established in 1951, Japan Airlines has been Jaregarded for its consistent and high-quality service. pan’s national air carrier for more than 60 years. It has Last year, Skytrax ranked All Nippon sixth on its best not had a fatal crash in more than 30 years. airlines in the world list. ANA has not had a fatal crash in more than 45 years.

14. Formed in 1946, Scandinavian Airlines or SAS, currently serves as the national airline of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The airline’s last fatal crash occurred in 2001.

15. Singapore Airlines is universally lauded for its high-quality service and efficient operations. Skytrax named Singapore the second-best airline in the world. The Changi Airport-based carrier has been accident-free since 2000.

16. Swiss International Air Lines was formed in 2002 from the remnants of the bankrupt Swissair. In 2007, the airline became part of Germany’s Lufthansa Group.

Swiss has suffered no fatalities in its history.

17. Chicago-based United Airlines took its current shape in 2012 with the merger of United and Continental airlines. United has not suffered a non-terrorism-related fatal crash in more than 20 years.

18. Crawley, England-based Virgin Atlantic is billionaire Richard Branson’s original aviation venture. Since 2012, 49% of the carrier has been under the control of Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines. Virgin Atlantic has not suffered any fatal crashes in its history.

19. Virgin Australia, the Australian off-shoot of Richard Branson’s aviation empire, was founded in 1999 as a low-cost carrier called Virgin Blue. In 2011, the company switched to a traditional, full-service business model and was rebranded as Virgin Australia. The airline has no fatal crashes in its history.

4. British Airways formed in 1974 following the merger of British Overseas Airways Corporation and British European Airways. The airline has not experienced a fatal accident in three decades.

20. Once again, the winner is Australia’s Qantas. Qantas is the Volvo of the airline industry — a company whose reputation and mystique is built upon its clean safety record. This is for good reason. The 96-year-old airline has not had a fatal crash since 1951.

5. AirlineRatings.com recently named Cathay Pacific

Source: Business Insider

The Ghanaian News celebrates 20 years of service to the community 1997 - 2017

The Ghanaian News February 2017

The Canadian International Auto Show 2017 was a big success

By: Jonathan Annobil, Toronto, ON

The Canadian International Auto show is the largest automotive expo in Canada and also Canada’s largest consumer show with 650,000 square feet of exhibits, displays and attractions at the Toronto Metro Convention Centre.

The show spanned 10 days from February 17 to 26, with 16th February Media preview day -only the media were in attendance-before being opened to the public. During the Media Preview Day, winners were revealed by Automobile Journalists Association of Canada ( AJAC). The media, including the Ghanaian News had the opportunity of being the first to see the unveiling of new and concept cars.

The Volkswagen Golf (Alltrack) was named by AJAC as its 2017 Canadian Car of the Year, while the Subaru Forester took home the hardware as 2017 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year.

Finalists included the BMW M2 and the Hyundai Elantra in the Car of the Year category and the Chrysler Pacifica and the Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC in Utility Vehicle of the Year.

Twenty automotive manufacturers took the stage at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre over the course of Media Preview Day, and introduced new products to the Canadian market and providing insight into the current state of the industry.

Porsche gave us two Canadian premieres including the 911 GT3 Cup car and the 2017 Macan Turbo with a performance package. The 911 GT3 is the world’s most-produced GT racing car now houses a 4-litre, six-cylinder flat engine for even more driveCTX, the Escala features sweeping design lines, hand-stitched fabric inside and a powerful V8 prototype engine. Cadillac unveiled two new vehicles, including the Escala concept. Lower, longer and wider than the popular Cadillac also brought out the CT6 EV, which aims to please environmentally conscious drivers still looking for luxury and style.

The QX50 Concept showcases INFINITI’s vision for a next-generation mid-size premium crossover.

The car makes premiered four new cars, including the turbo charged SQ5, the sporty TTRS coupe, the R8 Spyder and for the first time in Canada an RS3 sedan. GMC unveiled its completely re-designed 2018 Terrain. Genesis also unveiled their new concept car with Kia introducing 2 new sedans the 2018 Stinger and Cadenza. Lexus pulled the wraps off two concept vehicles that point to what drivers can expect down the road.

Both the hydrogen-fueled LF-FC Concept and the subcompact UX Concept will let drivers activate certain functions with simple hand gestures.

Mercedes-Benz unveiled three new models for a Canadian market that set record sales, climbing 8.5 percent in 2016 and selling more than 48,000 units. Premieres at CIAS 2017 included the smart fourth of Electric Drive Coupe for urban drivers, AMG GT R Coupe with its ‘Green Hell’ paint job and the AMG GT C Roadster.

Reports coming from the organizers indicate record attendance to the 2017 auto show.

51

52

The Ghanaian News February 2017

Ernest Twumasi Ankrah passes away in Ghana

Ernest passed away on Feb. 21st 2017 at Achimota Hospital Accra after a short illness.

He is survived by wife Beatrice Twumasi Ankrah and four children, Richard, Marian, Alexander and Ernest Twumasi-Ankrah.

He was 61 years old.

Gone too soon Emma Ama Duoduwaah Nyarko 54 years died on 31st January 2017 at Agona Swedru Hospital Ghana.

Survived by son Emmanuel Yankson (USA), sister Dora Nyarkoh. Funeral arrangements to be announced later.

Funeral announcement will be announced later.

The Late Ernest Twumasi Ankrah

The Late Emma Ama Duoduwaah Nyarko

The Ghanaian News February 2017

53

In Loving Memory of

Richmond Gabriel Paulpillai March 25, 1944 to December 2016 Mr. Richmond Paulpillai was the Chancellor and Director of Administration ofAll Saint University School of Medicine, Dominica and St. Vincent.

Mr. Richmond Paulpillai sudden death happened in Toronto Family, friend and all Saint University members will miss you.

The Richmond Gabriel Paulpillai

May he rest in peace.

In Cherished Memory of our beloved husband and father The Late Mr. Robert Nathan Obeng

Your sudden death a year ago, Saturday, March 19, 2016 is still a mystery, we miss you daily and dearly. Time cannot heal the wound left in our hearts by your death.

You are too dear to lose, too precious to be forgotten, and never can there be a substitude for you.

May you Rest in Peace.

Remembered by your: wife Florence, children, Yaw Lartey, Nana Birago, grandchildren, Kaimen, Avery, Tanner, Kyle, in-law and the entire Obeng family of Antoa and Lartey-Akwapem, Ghanaian Presbyterian Church, friends and loved ones.

* There will be a family gathering on Sunday, April, 30, 2017 The Late Mr. Robert Nathan Obeng

54

The Ghanaian News February 2017

Beni Boo Styles WELL MADE - WELL PRICED - WELL DESERVED Beni Boo creates African inspired fashion to make you “look good and feel crazy good” By Zainab | iluminensence mag August 20, 2014 Designer extraordinaire, Beni Boo is an enthusiastic entrepreneur who loves everything fashionable.

“The world is our runway and we all think about fashion at least once a day, so you should let your style be a reflection of you.”

WHAT INSPIRED BENI BOO STYLES? Inarguably one of the most influential African fashion brands in Canada, Beni Boo Styles Studio is inspired by the vibrancy of the African Culture.

Beni Boo's striking designs are inspired by the vibrancy of African fabrics and patterns owing the feeling of having her custom-designed clothes and the difference it adds to fashion, Beni took it upon herself to infuse this trend into the Canadian scene.

“Inspired by the desire to never fail, Beni Boo Styles was created.”

SUCCESS IN FASHION Beni Boo Styles thrives on the vibrancy and unique nature of the African culture and textiles and inspired by the culture around her. This phenomenon is transformed into wearable clothing for all body types, race, age and sex. Beni creates designs completely outside of the box and stays connected through contemporary fashion magazines, while being inspired by pioneers in the industry.

Among her numerous successes is winning the 2013 Best Designer for the African Entertainment Awards, being the official Designer for Planet Africa TV & Magazine Awards & Gala, and outfitting the likes of Hon. Jean Augustine, Tracy Melchor, Karlyn Percil and Illuminessence Publisher, MayMarie Duwai-Sowa.

“In any given Beni Boo collection, you will be enthralled with the beauty that is displayed in each individual modern exotic wear.”

While living in Victoria, British Columbia, Beni earned her diploma at Pearson College and a Bachelor’s degree from York University in Toronto. Beni is currently a member of the African Canadian Development Council, a Fashion Editor for the Ghanaian community newspaper and coordinates fashion shows for charities and to raise funds for her community.

WORK ETHIC Despite the incredible success of her fashion line, Beni is quite down to earth and remains humbled by her life experiences. Beni aspires to stay true to herself and aims to always deliver on time. She stays motivated by surrounding herself with positive energy and people who keep her accountable of her goals and targets. While she works on attaining these personal goals.

The Beni Boo 2017Spribg&Summer collection is already available in store in Toronto (2581 Eglinton Ave West) and online @ www. beniboo.com

MAINTAINING WORK-LIFE BALANCE Beni manages her career, community and personal obligations by simply planning. She keeps in mind that plans do not always fall through, but having a plan helps get you back on track when you fall off. Beni’s approach to work and balancing her commitments makes her an empowered woman.

DEFINING AN EMPOWERED WOMAN Beni describes an empowered woman as “any woman who aspires to feel whole. Woman should be content in being themselves and be able to stay strong and positive. But most importantly, they should be able to inspire, encourage and support other women.”

GUIDING PHILOSOPHY “Making money is a result of success and success is a result of foresight and hard work.”

Thanks Beni Boo Styles

http://www.beniboo.com

416-732-0902

The Ghanaian News February 2017

Present Flyer in Store for

C

N

5%

D

DISCOUNT

55

WE FIX:

*MACBOOKS * COMPUTERS * LAPTOPS * PHONES * MONITORS * ACCESSORIES

Your NO. 1 Shop for all Electronics SPECIALIZING IN 110/220 VOLTS PRODUCTS

CHEAP TV & INTERNET SERVICES SALES, REPAIRS & UNLOCKING

908 Wilson Ave. Toronto, ON M3K 1E7 www.compurecanada.com

STORE HOURS MONDAY-FRIDAY SATURDAY

PHONE: 647 849-0708 / 647 409-7190 / 647 367-4431

9:30AM - 7:00PM 9:30:00AM - 6:30PM

www.compurecanada.com

PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE IN LIMITED QUANTITIES. PRODUCTS ARE LIMIT 1 PER CUSTOMER. PRODUCTS MAY NOT BE EXACTLY AS SHOWN. PRICES AND AVAILABILITY ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. COMPURE CANADA IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY MISPRINTS OR ERROR. ALL TRADEMARKS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS. ALL PRODUCTS ARE 3% CASH DISCOUNTED, IF NOT PAYING BY CASH OR DEBIT, 3% WILL BE ADDED TO THE TOTAL AMOUNT.

56

The Ghanaian News February 2017

FOOD AND RECIPES Compiled by Nana Ama

PALMNUT SOUP

Homemade Easter Bun

Ingredients 2 tins of plam nuts paste 2 large tomatoes 1 large size onion chopped salt and pepper to taste 500g fish and or meat 2 small size salted fish (optional) 1 tablet cabe maggie 8 large Okro (optional) 4 large garden eggs (optional)

For 8 Serving(s)

Ingredients 2 ounce(s) Grace Margarine 1 bottle(s) stout 1/2 cup(s) wine 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla 1/2 tablespoon(s) Grace Browning 1 tablespoon(s) Grace Guava Jam 1 medium egg (optional) 8 ounce(s) dark sugar 1 pound(s) counter flour 1 teaspoon(s) nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt 1 teaspoon(s) cinnamon powder 1 tablespoon(s) baking powder 1 tablespoon(s) mixed spice 1/4 pound(s) mixed peel, chopped 1/4 pound(s) raisins, soaked

Method 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Melt Grace Hello Margarine and allow to cool, then add stout, wine, vanilla, Grace Browning, Grace Guava Jam and beaten egg (if used).

Stir in the sugar and mix until all the granules are dissolved.

Mix together all the dry ingredients then add the chopped mixed peel and raisins.

Combine liquid mixture with dry ingredients and mix well.

Scrape the batter into a greased loaf pan 12”x4”x3”.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Cool on a cooling rack.

To Glaze: Combine 2 tablespoons honey with two tablespoons water and bring to a boil; remove from flame and use a pastry brush to apply it over the surface of the bun.

To Serve: Serve with slices of cheese.

Gracefoods.com

Mashed Ripe Plantain (Otor) Ingredients 4 fingers half ripe plantain 5g groundnut paste 1/4 teaspoonful ground pepper 1 large onion 2 tablespoonful palm oil Salt to taste

Method 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Peel the plantain into a saucepan Add water and salt to it and boil After 20 minutes, remove it from the fire and drain the water Grind pepper, onion and salt Add boiled ripe plantain and mix together Add groundnut paste and mix Put palm oil on fire, add chopped onions When the oil with the onion is well cooked, pur it onto the mashed plantain and mix altogether using a wooden spoon.

Serve with eggs or avocado

Method 1.Prepare fish/meat, chopped onions, salt and tomatoes and simmer 2. Mix palm nut paste with warm water and strain the liquid through a strainer.

3. Add liquid to the simmered meat/fish and the other vegeables and spices.

4. Allow the soup to simmer to the desired thinkness.

5. Skim off the excess oil from the top of the soup 6. Take it off the fire, serve with fufu, banku, kenkey, rice, yam etc.

YAM BALLS Ingredients 250g Yam 50g Margarine 1 or 1/2 Egg Yolk beaten 1 tlsp Milk Pepper, Salt, grated Nutmeg (to taste) Egg and bread crumbs for coating Oil for deep frying

METHOD 1. Boil yam thoroughly till cooked, drain and mash to get a smooth result 2. Add margarine while still hot 3. Add pepper salt and grated nutmeg 4. Add egg, malk if mxture is dry 5. Divide them into pieces and dredge with flour 6. Roll into balls and coat with eff and breadcrumbs 7. Fry in deep-frying until golden brown 8. Drain and serve

KAKLO - 6 Servings INGREDIENTS 400g - Riped Plantain (soft) 100g - Onion 50gm - Wheat Flour 1/2 tbsp - Salt 1 tbsp - Cayenne Pepper 1/2 tbsp - Mill Ginger 2 tbsp - Sugar

METHOD 1. Wash and peel plantain 2. Blend into a pulp 3. Add mixed spice and mill ginger and gradually incorporate in flour.

4. Add sugar and salt 5. Scoop and fry in moderately hot oil until golden brown in color 6. Drain and place on a kitchen paper.

ACCOMPANIMENT: Bambara Beans, Red Red or Bean Stew

The Ghanaian News February 2017

57

CLASSIFIED Classic Videos/Photos * Weddings *Birthdays *Christenings *Portraits Call Albert Aikins Tel: 416-244-3465 Cell: 416-278-9674 15 Lexington Ave, Unit 4, Etobicoke, Ont. M9V 2G4

For All Your Plumbing Needs Call Robert Nyarkoh 416-731-1679

New Home & Renovation All Repairs * Plugged Toilet * Plugged Drains

Isaac Best Photos Inc. Specialize In Weddings: * Christenings * Outdoorings * Parties * Funerals * Private pictures

Brings Your The Best Music In the 21st Century

DJ Services At: * Weddings * Engagements * Outdoorings * Funerals * Birthdays .. etc.

Prince Adom 416-451-9518

Insurance Advisor Home & Auto

Dixie & Burnhamthorpe 4141 Dixie Road, Unit 7 Mississauga, ON L4W 1V1 adwoa.boahen@rbc.com

Bella Beauty Supply All Kinds Of Hair Products:

Tel: 905-913-0066 Cell: 416-660-6373 8920 Hwy 50, Unit 5B, (Hwy 50/Ebenezer) Brampton, Ont. L6P 3A3

RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL

Action Navigator Video Productions SPECIAL EVENT VIDEO COVERAGE FOR ALL OCCASIONS QUALITY D.V VIDEO COVERAGE BIRTHDAYS, WEDDINGS, FUNERALS, OUTDOORINGS, ANNIVERSARIES PARTIES ETC.

Call 647-234-2086

Rough-ins, Leaks, Repairs, INSTALLATIONS: Dishwasher, Fridge, Sink, Taps, etc.

haroldkferguson46@gmail.com

princadom@yahoo.com

ONE STEP AHEAD IN QUALITY TWO STEPS BEHIND IN PRICE

Cynthia High Tech Videos Quality Video Productions

Tel: 905-625-3216 Fax: 905-625-3996 RBC Insurance Agency Ltd.

Adwoa Boahen

100% Human Hair, Weaves Extensions, Full Wig, Face & Body Lotion, Lace Holland Wax Prints, Hand Bags, Men & Ladies Shoes, Men Suit, Food Warmer

Tel: 416-614-8144 Cell: 416-890-5515

One Love Entertainment

cell 647-343-6923-Res

Nyarkoh Plumbing

Insurance

CALL : ACTION NAVIGATOR

SUPPORT BLACK OWN

(JOE) 416-616-6070 * Weddings * Special Occasions * Christenings * Sporting Events * Birthdays * Anniversaries * Anniversaries * Seminars * And Much More

3 Knightbridge, Brampton, Ont., L6T 3X3

Message from The Ghanaian News

Cell: 647-898-1892 Amos Labouring and Handyman Service • Basement Repair Chimney Dry Wall Painting Call Alva (Kofi)

905 799-1466

BUSINESS

416-916-3700

Nana Ebrey Video Production & Barber Shop Super Quality Videos

The D.J.’s 911 Soundz

Specializing in: Video coverage: Weddings, Outdooring, General Events, Birthday parties, Broadcasting Videos,

“We Are The Best Among The Rest In Toronto” We cover All occasions and gatherings.

We offer the best rate in GTA

Nana's Barber Shop

Contact Us Today For Your Appointment

Super Hair Cuts & Designs Call Nana Ebrey

416-244-2838 416-825-3413 21 Pioneer Ave., North York

DJ Emmanuel Osei-Tutu 416-450-6156 DJ (Fine Bee) Charles Addo 905-550-9004 DJ Joseph Osei-Tutu 647-887-5858

58

The Ghanaian News February 2017

Go Seko Shipping Inc. Freight Forwarding Division & Bailing of Used Clothes * Yam * Gari * Rice * Accra Kenkey * Canned Food * Dry Fish * Koobi and Many More We ship Cars, Trucks, Electrical Appliances, Computers, Clothing, Barrels, Personal Effects and many more

www.220v.com We Carry Brand Name 220/50Hz Export Model

BIG GENERATOR SALE Household Products Kitchen Appliances Generator

Call Nana Djan

Tel: 647-895-1315, 416-913-1986, Fax: 416-850-0580 E-mail: sekoshipping@gmail.com

Unlocked GSM Cellphones Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Siemens

LCD/LED/Plasma TVs

"we sell plastic shipping barrels"

52 Carrier Drive, #8 (Hwy 27 & Carrier) BIG Generator Sale Tel: 416-646-0495

Gas & Electric Stoves

FREEZERS, REFRIGERATORS, WASHERS, DRYERS, AIR CONDITIONERS, VACUUM CLEANERS, TRANSFORMERS Digital tape conversion, fast professional same day service South East Corner of Steeles and Fenmar / Pine Valley

5707 Steeles Ave. West,Toronto, Ont. M9L 1S7

BLACK STAR FAST SHIPPING INC. Freight Forwarding

Tawiah

The Most Reliable Way to Ship Overseas!

Fast, Reasonable and VERY Great Competitive Rates!

We Ship Trucks to Cars, Personal Items, Building materials, Used Clothes and Electronics. Also Deep Freezers and other.

WE BAIL USED CLOTHINGS

Linda

Tel: 647-231-4504 or 416-988-1842

11 Canso Rd, Etobicoke, Ont. (Martin Grove/Enterprise Rd.)

JM GLOBAL SHIPPING Freight Forwarders & Consolidators Express Shipping Services to Ghana. We take care of customs clearance storage facility availabe.

We ship cars. Trucks, Computer.

Building Materials, Electrical, Appliances, Used Clothing, Barrels, Personal Effects, Etc.

Contact Uncle James or Antwi

416-831-9478 / 647-878-9554 261 Canarctic Drive, Toronto, Ont. M3J 2N7 (Keele/Steeles -Opposite York University Keele Campus)

The Ghanaian News February 2017

President Akufo-Addo’s Address Attracts Mixed Reactions

CARGO - LINK INTERNATIONAL (Freight Forwarders & Consolidators) Competent Commitment & Excellence

cont’d from pg. 42 He also complained of the size of it showed the “true state of the nation. the number of Ministers, which he It’s exciting, it brings a lot of hope.” said would constitute a drain on national resources, arguing that some However, Mr. Sam Nartey George, of the newly created Ministries were MP for Ningo Prampram (NDC) just to “offer jobs for the boys.” said the President’s address had no substance and was superficial.

“Thirty -six Ministries plus 10 Regional Ministers? Deputy Ministers are yet to He took the President to task, saying come. Is this the lean government Nana despite his re-announcement of the take off Addo promised?, Alhaji Fuseini asked? of the free Senior High School education next September; he failed to indicate Dr. Bernice Adiku Heloo, MP for how the programme would be financed.

Hohoe (NDC), and former Deputy Minister for Environment commended Mr. Bernard Mornah, Chairman of the the President for his demand that “we People’s National Convention, one of adopt better and sustainable sanitation the parties that contested the NPP in the habits, and learn to protect and preserve December 2016 elections, said he was our environment.” totally disappointed by the address, and wondered why the Nana Akufo Addo government was planning to list the She urged the law enforcement agencies Volta River Authority and the GRIDCo to go beyond dealing with the ”boys” at the “galamsey” sites to politicians, on the Ghana Stock Exchange. traditional chiefs, foreigners among others who are the real culprits and He described the intended move as the beyond the “galamsey” business. sale of a strategic national asset and wondered if the proposed sale would solve On the proposed affirmative action by the human and managerial challenges the President to get more women into of the two companies. . Mr. Mornah public office, Dr. Heloo, a development was of the view that President Akufoconsultant, said that was laudable.

Addo should have worn a traditional attire rather the coat to give meaning She, however, said the process would to the idea of reviving local industries. not be easy because of cultural, religious, male ego; and suggested a A lh aji A B A Fuseini, MP for national debate be opened on the issue.

Sanerigu (NDC) sounding furious said President Akufo-Addo’s State of Mrs. Eugenia Gifty Kusi, the the Nation Address was a “subdued Presidential nominee on the yet to be speech,” and “litany of lamentations.” inaugurated Council of State, said the President sounded very clear that his “As he said, we expect him to fix the Administration would avoid “reckless problems. Did he know of the problems spending,” adding that the 170 questions before he made the plethora of utopian Vice President Bawumia asked promises to Ghanaians to get elected governing NDC then in government into office as President?,” Alhaji Fuseini still stood to be answered. GNA asked.

Micangel Global Inc. Shipping and Freight Forwarding

SEA * AIR

* LAND

Fast Easy And Reliable Service To All African Countries and Other Worldwide Ports CUSTOM CLEARANCE, PICK-UP, DELIVERY Call Angelina

Tel: 416-457-1174 270 Rexdale Blvd., Etobicoke, Ont.

59

For your Reliable Export Services - Shipping Services to Ghana, Nigeria, Clearing & Delivery Services in Ghana

* You don't need to go to the Port * You don't need to see any Agent * Just see a CARGO-LINK Representative in Accra & Kumasi for your Safe & Affordable Shipment * We also do door to door in Accra & Kumasi at very low transportation cost (EXTRA) * We give Bill of Lading too to those who want to clear their own goods Contact: Regina or B'B Manu

Tel: 416-736-1905 416-822-9462 Fax: 416-736-9973 1111 Finch Ave. W., Unit 31, North York

Hi-Tech Shipping Freight Forwarders & Consolidators 230 Milvan Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M9L 2A5

We ship to all African Countries. We are the cheapest, Fastest and most reliable agents in town.

We have been in successful business for twenty years.

We have moved to 14,000 sq ft. facility to serve you better. We have quality mattress for sale all sizes

Call Kobby or Nana Ababio

Tel: 416-744-2300 / 416-640-2310

60

The Ghanaian News February 2017

Number of mumps cases in Toronto linked to bars has risen to 17 cont’d from pg. 46 west-end bars.

A Toronto Public Health spokeswoman said 60 per cent of those cases were not immunized or underimmunized. Lenore Bromley noted, however, that the risk to the general public was low.

In Alberta, officials said there were up to four potential cases of mumps in Edmonton, which typically sees zero to two cases each year. And a hockey team based in Medicine Hat, Alta. had seven players and a coach with mumps, Alberta Health Services said.

The mumps virus is found in saliva and respiratory droplets, and is spread from person to person through coughing, sneezing, and coming into contact with a person’s saliva by sharing drinks or utensils, or by kissing.

Dr. Sarah Wilson, a medical epidemiologist with Public Health Ontario, said individuals in the age range currently more susceptible to mumps may also be more at risk because of their behaviour traits.

those who get two doses of the vaccine can still sometimes end up with mumps -- as seen in 40 per cent of the Toronto cases -- as the vaccine is considered about 88 per cent effective at that point.

That group of young adults is more likely to engage in behaviours and activities in which mumps spreads easily, like playing on sports teams where water bottles might be shared, living in dormitories in close conditions and sharing drinks and food in bars, she said.

Complications from mumps can include encephalitis, meningitis, painful swelling of the testicles or the ovaries, pancreatitis and hearing loss.

Pregnant women who become infected with mumps during the first three months of pregnancy are at risk of miscarriage.

“These situations provide really rich opportunities for the mumps virus, if it’s introduced, to spread easily in a population that might not be up to date with respect to mumps vaccine,” said Wilson. “I think those are some of the potential explanation for why we’re seeing more mumps these days, in particular in this age group.”

Wilson explained that even

In Nova Scotia, Dr. Trevor Arnason, medical officer of health for Halifax, Eastern Shore and West Hants areas, said there had been one case of mumps reported in January in the Halifax area and that the person had spent time in Toronto. Since then there have been two other cases, he said.

Arnason said in general, people with mumps symptoms have not been fully immunized,

usually having had only one dose of the MMR vaccine.

He said it’s the same situation with a measles outbreak in the province where there have been seven recently confirmed cases in the Halifax area.

Arnason said it was his sense from managing the measles outbreak was that it was not the result of “an active anti-vaccine issue.”

He said without a centralized d a t a b a s e o n p e o p l e ’s immunization history, the onus is on individuals to be aware of their own records and to take the necessary steps to protect themselves through various vaccination programs.

You will be sacked if students fail BECE, WASSCE Education Minister warns school heads cont’d from pg. 41 obtained D7-E8 which most tertiary institutions consider as a fail score. About 38.10 percent of students had F9.

Candidate Akufo-Addo said the development has made him sad adding the only way to put Measles symptoms can include the country on the path of develfever, cough, runny nose, red opment is by changing president eyes, sleepiness, irritability, John Mahama. small white spots on the inside of the mouth and throat, and a The minister working to prosblotchy rash on the face that ecute the change agenda of the spreads down the body. Cp24 President said those who fail out of the system end up as social deviants who come back to haunt society.

Dr Opoku Prempeh said the Service would give the schools all the support and help they need but they would demand accountability once the results come.

“We would also distribute DVD’s on students preparation for the WASSCE,” adding “it is our hope that with the provision of support and management orientation that you are going to receive, heads and teacher will be able to guide their students to improve their performance in WASSCE 2017.”

He disclosed that the GES has already been directed to start a school management discussion to commence the introduction of courses for those who are going into management.

SUPPORT BLACK OWN BUSINESS Message from The Ghanaian News

Mr. Keith Sargeant- KEITH@ACSCARGO.CA

Office: 905-455-2643 OR

Mobile Phone: 647-244-4205

Nana's Cleaning Services * Car Shampooing

416-916-3700

B.B’s Auto Int’l Ghana Ltd. Auto Repair and Body Shop

* Rim Treatment * Headlight Cleaning * Buffing & Waxing * Area Rug * Carpet & Sofa Cleaning

Call Nana 416-999-5543

Oyibi on the Dodwa Road For all your car repair contact Bismarck Bright 0277-709000 / 0266-858050 Nick Bright - 416-522-2416

The Ghanaian News February 2017

61

President Akufo-Addo’s first state of the nation address cont’d from pg. 32 should always take its membership of ECOWAS seriously, as its viability advances our national interest.

One of the first issues that came to my attention, as soon as I assumed office, was the request from ECOWAS to send a military contingent from Ghana, as part of the ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia (ECOMIG) to resolve the postelectoral impasse in that country. Senegal was to provide 3,150; Nigeria 509; and Ghana 210 troops. I assented to the request as it involved large issues of regional stability, and the preservation of democracy and rule of law in a member state. Ghana sent 208 troops. The Mission succeeded in creating the necessary environment for the rule of law to be maintained, and for the rightful transfer of authority to the newly elected President. I saw with my own eyes how popular that event has been in the Gambia; and how popular is the ECOWAS mission.

Consequently, ECOWAS has now put forward a new mandate which involves reducing the force to one of 500 soldiers, intended to be a stabilisation force. As from yesterday, February 20, Senegal will provide 250, Nigeria 200 and Ghana 50 troops in the force.

Presently about 3,000 Ghanaian soldiers are involved in peace keeping operations around the globe. We need to do more to keep their morale high and empower them. We have decided that they should be paid their allowances at post, and not on their return. I am glad to say that this new regime of payment has been applied to the case of The Gambian deployment.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to be able to inform the House that the outstanding arrears of 13 million US dollars for all peacekeeping personnel have been cleared by my government, and the contingents in the Gambia have been paid all their allowances in full.

I have asked the Minister for Defence to come shortly before Parliament and make a statement on the Gambian deployment.

There are serious difficulties facing our armed forces that are not unlike those facing other parts of our public sector. Overcrowded and inappropriate accommodation for personnel, inability to pay food and utility bills, and threats from providers to cut supplies; these are the everyday stories in all departments and our armed forces face the same problems. It is a regrettable state of affairs that will not continue under my administration.

Mr. Speaker, the police are the first line of security and protection for citizens.

We must have an efficient police service that has the confidence and support of the people. I am determined to give whatever support is required from government to ensure that we have the service that the people of Ghana deserve.

We must get a more professional police service, where recruitment and training practices are of acceptable international standards. We shall continue recruitment into the police service, with the aim of meeting the U.N ratio of 1 police officer to 500 civilians, and also ensuring gender equity.

All of us are agreed on the Ghana we want; a prosperous, united and peaceful country. Some countries have made progress in the economic field and achieved some of the results we desire. I have listened with incredulity, as some amongst us have advocated the harsh methods that appear to have helped some countries achieve rapid progress.

Some, amongst us, seem to be flirting with the concept of authoritarianism and romanticising it, as an acceptable price to pay to achieve rapid development.

Mr. Speaker, I have an unshakable and undying belief in freedom and the democratic process, and in their capacity to inspire rapid development.

Development in freedom should remain our moral anchor. That is the Ghanaian way and that is the Akufo-Addo way.

The rule of law should remain our guiding and unbending principle. Those of us in public service should acknowledge that corruption is one of the biggest concerns to the people of Ghana. It is the one subject on which a surprising number of people are willing to tolerate a waiver of due process. This is because, unfortunately, public officials are in danger of losing the confidence of the people in the fight against corruption. There is a perception that all public officials are part of a great scam to defraud the public and that they protect each other. It is in everybody s interest that the fight against corruption is transparent and has the support of the public.

Mr Speaker, the office of the Special Prosecutor has been shown to work in other places, and I shall be bringing legislation before the House for its rapid establishment. I am satisfied that the Office will be established in a manner consistent with the Constitution. In like manner, I shall propose for legislation amendments to the current asset declaration regime to make it more effective.

Mr Speaker, the people of Ghana have voted for change. All the various arms of government should recognize this strong desire on the part of the people for change. We continue along the path of business as usual at our own risk.

Mr Speaker, my personal belief in and adherence to the concept of the separation of powers is well-known, and I do not intend to interfere in any way in the affairs of Parliament or the Judiciary. But I would be failing in my duty if I failed to say what needs to be said.

Mr Speaker, all three arms of government, the Executive, the Judiciary and the Legislature need to take cognisance of the clear desire of the people of Ghana for change. All three branches must change the way we do things. I ask this Honourable House to take a candid look at itself and consider changing the way it conducts its business, if needs be.

Mr Speaker, there are some areas of our lives in which we can all demonstrate the preposterous excuse that there is something cultural about not paying attention to time. Mr Speaker, let us show that we acknowledge that change has, indeed, come by being punctual to functions. I intend to set a personal example.

The other area of our lives in which we can and should start making a change is the care of the environment. We are in danger of destroying our blessed country.

Ours is a beautiful country. If we claim to love our country, we must take care of the lands, the trees, the water bodies and the animals. They are part of what makes Ghana.

The change we have voted for demands that we adopt better and sustainable sanitation habits, and learn to protect and preserve our environment.

Mr. Speaker, there is one subject on my mind that I wish to put before the House for consideration. I believe, in this 60th year of our nation, that the time is ripe for us to establish consensus on some national issues. It is important for us to have a conversation on how we name things that are of national importance to us all. I speak of the seat of the Presidency and Founder’s Day. In my view, it is not right that, 60 years after independence, these matters are still at large. It does not inure to the dignity of the Ghanaian Republic that such matters have become subject to political football.

I believe we have to settle these matters once and for all, and in due course, I propose we have a national conversation and dialogue to this effect which, hopefully, will end in legislation that will reflect the national consensus.

Mr. Speaker, in a few days’ time, we shall mark the 60th anniversary of the independence of our country. Ebenezer, thus far has the Lord brought us.

Mr. Speaker, we all know where we want Ghana to be, and we are aware we are not where we want to be or ought to be. We also know of the big dreams of our forefathers to build a self-reliant and self-sustaining nation that would take pride of place amongst the comity of nations.

This anniversary provides us with the opportunity to reflect on our past and plan for the future. This is the Ghana we see a new Ghana. We will put in place policies that will deliver sustainable growth and cut out corruption.

We will set upon the path to build a Ghana that is not dependent on charity; a Ghana that is able to look after its people through intelligent management of the resources with which it has been endowed.

This is our path, and this path offers a new Ghana.

This Ghana will be defined by integrity, sovereignty, a common ethos, discipline, and shared values. It is one where we aim to be masters of our own destiny, where we mobilise our own resources for the future, breaking the shackles of the ‘Guggisberg’ colonial economy and a mind-set of dependency, bailouts and extraction. It is an economy where we look past commodities to position ourselves in a global marketplace. It is a country where we focus on trade, not aid, a hand-up, not a hand-out. It is a country with a strong private sector. It is a country that recognises the connectedness of its people and economy to those of its neighbours.

This requires a forward-looking vision for our country, enabling us to confront our challenges and embrace our opportunities, not one fastened in the rear-view mirror.

It is a Ghana beyond aid.

Mr. Speaker, thank you, and may God bless our homeland Ghana and make her great and strong.

62

The Ghanaian News February 2017

PLACES OF WORSHIP DIRECTORY Ghana Methodist Churches in Canada

I AM ALPHA & OMEGA MINISTRY INT'L

( SOCIETIES UNDER THE GHANA METHODIST CONFERENCE)

We invite you to worship with us

The Superintendent Minister-In-Charge

Church Service:

invites you to worship with us

Sunday Worship: 10.00a.m. - 12.30 p.m.

Wednesday Bible Studies: 6.00p.m. - 7.30 p.m.

Friday Prayer Meeting: 7.00p.m. - 9.00 p.m.

JESUS Loves You

Toronto Society

Bishop John Mensah

NEW LOCATION 100 Penn Drive, Unit #6, North York, Ont.

Place of Worship: 19 Penn Drive, North York, Ont. (off Finch Av./Milvan)

416-743-4555 (Office) 905-216-2323 (Residence) Day and Time of Worship: Sunday: Bible Class Meeting: 10:00 a.m. - 10.30 a.m.

Church Service: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Jericho Hour Prayer Meeting 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Wednesday Mid-day Prayer - 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Friday: Bible Teaching/Prayer Meeting 8:00 p.m. - 9.00 p.m.

Saturday Organizational Meeting: 6.30 p.m. - 9.30 p.m.

Sunday Brampton Prayer Meeting 8:00 p.m.

Tel: 416-419-6671

EVANGEL ASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCH NEW ADDRESS 314 Rexdale Blvd. Etobicoke, Ont. M9W 1R6 Tel: 416-242-7950 Fax: 416-242-8573

Calgary Methodist - 403-603-2864 Edmonton Methodist - 587-336-1223 Ottawa Methodist - 613-823-2291

In Montreal at: Place of Worship: 6870 Rue de Terreborne, Montreal, Que, H4B 1C5

Church Activities

Pastor in Charge

Rev. Milton Offei

Sunday School: Church Service: Sunday Evening: Wednesday Bible Studies: Friday Prayer Meeting:

10a.m. -11:00a.m.

11a.m. - 1:30p.m.

7p.m. - 8:30p.m.

7p.m. - 8:30p.m.

7p.m. - 9:00p.m.

Disciples Revival Church Healing & Deliverance Centre Rev. Dr. & Rev (Mrs) Charles Mantey Founders/Senior Pastors

416-614-7771

Very Rev. Joseph Owusu Atuahene

Day and Time of Worship Sunday Divine Service: 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Friday Prayer Meetings: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Contact: Rev. Joshua C. Doughan - 514-542-0871 SERVICES ARE CONDUCTED FOLLOWING THE TRADITIONAL GHANA METHODIST LITURGY. PLEASE COME AND JOIN US. WE HAVE A PLACE FOR YOU. GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU

CHRIST REDEEMER CHURCH

Pastor-in-charge: Pastor Eric Amoah Tel: (416) 748-1242 Cell: (416) 300-9970 Church Services Sunday Service: Bible Study: 10 a.m.-11a.m.

Worship Service: 11a.m. - 1p.m.

Wednesday: Bible Study 6:30p.m.-7:30p.m.

Friday Night Prayer: 8p.m.-10p.m. Pastor Eric Amoah Location: 4 Racine, Unit 9

(Kipling/Rexdale)

Email: info@disciplesrevivalchurch.org www.disciplesrevivalchurch.org

Redemption Faith Church

SUNDAY SERVICE - Morning - 10:00 am

Invites you to worship with us at 1485 ALBION ROAD (Albion/Kipling)

Mid-Week Service

Tel: 905-495-1936 Fax: 905-495-1937

Wed: Bible Study & Prayer: 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm Friday: Youth Service 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Friday: Adult Intercessory Prayer - 7:00 - 9:00 pm

This is a loving and caring Church that preaches and teaches the whole counsel of God. A place where the word of God is backed by strong anointing to bring Salvation, Healing and Deliverance to all people who believe on the LORD JESUS CHRIST

For deliverance & healing, come to Disciples, a Church that caters to your needs Do visit our website and sign up for the Pastor's monthly newsletter

www.disciplesrevivalchurch.org

30 Gordon Mackay Rd, North York, ON, M9N 2V6

Rev. Dr. Stephen Ofori-Darko

CHURCH ACTIVITIES: Sunday Search the Scriptures - 12 noon - 12-45 p.m.

Church Service - 12:45 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Fridays - 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Bible Study, Intercession & Deliverance

The Ghanaian News February 2017

63

FOOD FOR LIFE Bringing the Gospel to our Community by Rev. Isaac DeGraft Takyi Building Your Family God’s Way Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:2 NLT) This month is the family month in Ontario Canada. It is a statutory holiday in Ontario and some of the other provinces. Better stated: “Family Day is observed in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan on the third Monday of February.

In British Columbia, Family Day falls on the second Monday of February. This holiday celebrates the importance of families and family life to people and their communities”.

We are grateful and thankful to God and to the government of Ontario for doing this, giving her citizenry such an opportunity and the privilege to take time to reflect, evaluate and build a stronger family to ensure a stronger nation.

God created families as the foundation of the society and the nation. God placed the system for the success and progress of the family in His Word as a manufacturer will include a manual in the box of it’s finished product.

To maximize the use of the product, it will demand a careful reading of the manual. This same principle applies. To have strong, healthy and wealthy

his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed or embarrassed” Gen.2:24-25 AMP)

families, it will require an awareness and adherence to the God-given values, principles and precepts revealed to humanity in His instructional manual—The Bible; The Word of God. We have the choice to either follow God’s way or our own way.

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Gen.1:26-28 (NIV) and “For this reason a man shall leave

What is the family?

How is the family expected to live and function? How has the world expected the family to operate and function and how does God expect the family to see itself and live and raise themselves up? The family can be described as the unit made up of the husband, wife and children, not at the neglect of any other. This article presents God’s way of building our families as Christians to create a society that has zero tolerance for divorce.

It is a very painful process to try and build a family apart from God. In fact, it is impossible. Psalm 127 says, “Unless the Lord builds the house they labor in vain who build it.” Sadly, many families suffer because they have not first set the firm foundation of Christ in their home. Many may claim to be Christians and even acknowledge Him as a Savior for the future—but they have not set the Lord over their lives.

Whitney Hopler lays out the following ten practical ways of building your family God’s way: Be there; Express affirmation, warmth and

Ghanaian Presbyterian

encouragement; Build healthy morals and values; Discipline with consistency; Ruthlessly eliminate stress; Communicate well; Play together; Love your spouse; Remember that the best things in life aren’t things; and Energize your family’s spiritual growth. As Christian families, it is also important to watch out how you handle the issues of power, money and sex in your marriage. (I will deal with these later in future articles).

I am sure you can affirm the veracity of these points, but in addition to those, let us take a cue from the scriptures regarding God’s prescription for building our families: God is the Creator of the family, or, if you like, He is the Manufacturer of the marriage industry. So in order to succeed and excel, marry by His principles.

to multiply and fill the earth.

Husbands and wives with their children should always remember that God has blessed them to be together so they should do all things to stay under the blessing of God as one family under God. God expects the husband to love the wife and the wife to respect and submit to the husband. This is the biblical role for the husband and wife. It is not, as the culture of the world has prescribed, for example, that the husband’s role is to pay the rent and that of the wife is to take care of the grocery etc. God’s way of overcoming money issues in the marriage life is to be very transparent with each other and not otherwise. Why don’t you do it together out of love and respectful submission?

To build a Family God’s way let us remember the admonishing from Psalm 128:1-5a from the New Living God did not create us Translation: “How joyful are as male and female to rule those who fear the Lord, all who and lord it over ourselves, but follow his ways! You will enjoy to work together to rule over the fruit of your labor. How the other creation of God. joyful and prosperous you will Therefore, man and woman be! Your wife will be like a should cooperate to rule fruitful grapevine, flourishing together. Together the family within your home. Your children can and will accomplish great will be like vigorous young things done with excellence and olive trees as they sit around blessing. your table. That is the Lord’s Believe as a family that blessing for those who fear him.

God has blessed you together May the Lord continually bless you from Zion”

Living Word

Church of Montreal

Assembly of God Church (Affiliated with P.A.O.C.)

139 Millwick Drive Toronto, Ont. (Steeles/Islington) Tel: 416- 741-6285 Fax: 416- 741-0133

Minister: Rev. Stephen Azundem

Services: Sunday 10:00AM – 1:00PM Divine Worship Service Wednesday 7:00PM – 9:00PM Teaching Service (Bible Study) Friday 7:00PM – 9:00PM – Prayer Service

Tel (office): 514 278 8109 Tel (Cell): 514 660 2422

1345 rue Lapointe St. Laurent, QC, H4L 1K5 Location: At the Corner of O’Brien and Poirier.

Email: livingwordag@bellnet.ca Senior Pastor Rev. Isaac Takyi DeGraft

Church Activities

Sunday Early Morning Prayer: 8:30 a.m.

Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.

Worship Service: 10:30 a.m.

Tuesday Prayer: 10:00 a.m-12 noon

Wednesday Bible Study 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

Friday Prayer 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Last Friday of the month“All Night Prayer”):

7:30 p.m.-12 mid-night Youth Service (Fridays): 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Departmental Meeting (Every other Sunday): 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

64

The Ghanaian News February 2017

Ghana Calvary Methodist United Church, Toronto Tel: 416-614-6110 647-341-7305 Email: gcmuc.org Invites all Christians to join us to worship and glorify the Living God

Worship Schedule: Sunday Church Service - Akan: English Service

- 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

-

10:00 a.m. - 12 noon

Friday

- Prayer Meeting: - 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Saturday

- Organizational Meetings Choir Practice, Singing Band Practice

Bethel Prayer Ministry Int'l Do you desire to experience the power and the presence of God demonstrated in your life?

Do you want to experience the marvelous work of God's grace in your life?

Then, Bethel Prayer Ministry International would like to invite you to visit their church where the word of God is preached powerfully to release the power of God in your life.

Pastor Dennis Awuku COME AND YOU WILL BE BLESSED Senior Pastor

Contact:

Res. 416-740-6963 Church 416-642-0390 Worship Hours: Sunday Service: 9am - 1pm Tuesday 9am - 2 pm Consultation Wednesday: 7pm - 9p.m.

Friday: 9pm - 12 pm Saturday (Prayer Warriors) 6pm - 8pm Location: 52 Carrier Drive, Unit 12, (Albion/Hwy 27)

Etobicoke, Ont., M9w 5S5

Harvest Christian Church Invites you for a wonderful time with the Lord

Auxilliary Minister Rev. Samuel Victor Mpereh

-

647-770-8440

Venue of Worship 65 Mayall Avenue, Toronto, ON Tel: 416-614-6110 Email: gcmuc.org Hamilton Society Stoney Creek United Church (Chapel) 1 King Street West, Stoney Creek, Hamilton Contact: 289-244-5914, 289-700-6815, 289-698-1388

Worship Hours Sundays (Mornings) 10 - 12:45pm Wednesday (Bible Study) 7 -8:30 pm Friday (All Night Prayer) 8-10:30pm Rev Moses Sarpong

Come and Experience the power of the Word Join us at 196 Toryork Drive(Corner of Weston/Finch)

Tel: 416-743-2507

It’s Harvest Time So Reach Out And Make A Difference

It’s A Great Commission!

Apos. Dr. Emmanuel Anthony Owusu National Head

The Ghanaian News February 2017

65

The Apostolic Church Int'l.

The Apostolic Church International (Toronto Assembly) is a Branch of The Apostolic Church in Ghana Apostle Nii Aryee (Area Supt. Canada-Wide)

Meeting Schedule Sunday (Worship) Wednesday Teaching Service Friday Prayers Friday: Monthly All Night Service Saturday : Movements -

- - - -

10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

10:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.

5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

THE APOSTLES'

Field Superintendent contact: 416-454-6141 (cell) 905-913-2037 (Res)

CONTINUATION CHURCH INTERNATIONAL (CANADA)

168 Rexdale Blvd.,

North American Headquarters: 10 Belfield Road Toronto, Ont., M9W 1G1 Tel: 416-247-6629 Fax: 416-247-5308

Etobicoke, Ontario, M9W 1P6 Church Office 416-740-1979 Field Secretary: Pastor Cyril Williams - 416-875-9616

Lighthouse Assembly of God Church

Apostle Charles Anokye-Manu

SERVICE TIMES:

2016: OUR YEAR OF LOVING OUR COMMUNITY

SUNDAY SERVICES: 9:00 am-10:30 am Multinational Service 11:00 am-1:30 pm Ghanaian Service WEEKDAY SERVICES: Wednesday - Bible Studies Friday - Prayer Service LOCATION:

Pastor-in-charge: Rev. Boniface Keelson

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm 7:00 pm -9:00 pm

42 Steinway Blvd. Unit 1&2 (Hwy 27/Steeles) Toronto, Ontario, M9W 6Y6

Tel: 416-740-1200 Fax: 416-740-6435 Email:

lighthouseag@outlook.com Website: http:/www/lighthouseag.ca www.lighthouseagtoronto.org

Rhema Power of Grace Chapel Int'l

Worship Service Bible Studies Service All Night Service Deliverance

Toronto

Sunday - Divine Worship - 10a.m. - 1p.m.

Wednesday - Bible Studies 8p.m. - 10p.m.

Friday - Prayer / Deliverance - 7p.m. - 10p.m.

Contact Lines: Tel: 416-321-2796 (Pastor's Res) 416-747-9225 (Church)

Cell: 647-921-2414

378 Cremazie East Montreal, Quebec, H2P 1E5

Scarborough Assembly

63 Howden Rd., Unit 'F' Scarborough, ON, M1R 3C7 Pastor In-Charge: Pastor Ohene Kena Tel 647-850- 0142 Fax 416-945- 9445

Tel: 514-271-9083 Pastor-In-Charge: John Arhin

Contact: Res: 450-687-4916 Cell: 514-654-6178

Immanuel Assembly of God Church, Scarborough Sunday School: 9:30am -10:30am Church Service: 10:30am - 12 noon

350 Deerhide Cres, North York, ON Rev. Bishop Joe Bonnah

Montreal Assembly

10 Belfield Road Tel: 416-247-6629

Place of Worship:

Founder &Pastor-in-charge

- Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday 9:00 p.m.

- Friday 9:30 p.m.

- Saturday 4:00 p.m.

Worship With Us At These Branches In Canada

Invites all Christians, Non-Christians and members of the Resurrection Power Tradition to join us worship the Great Jehovah

Days And Time of Worship

Website: www.apostlescontinuation.org

Rev. Douglas O. Ansah Pastor-in-charge

LOCATION Don Montgomery Community Centre 2467 Eglinton Ave. E. Scarborough, Ont., (Kennedy/Eglinton Subway Station) For more info contact:

647-880-4216

Email: immanuelscarborough@gmail.com Website: immanuelaog.ca.

66

The Ghanaian News February 2017

The Apostolic Church Int’l Canada Inc.

(Currently, the only Ghana affiliated Apostolic Church in Canada)

Heaven In My Heart Ministries 100 Penn Dr, Unit #3 Rev. Eleanor Adu-Anane, Oversea and Founder MRE, ECE

Tel, 647-892-9412 Fax: 905-846-6257 E-mail eleanoraduanane@yahoo.ca

Time of Worship: Apostle Dr. KwabenaAkufo Supervising Apostle

Reverend Festus Ofori Senior Pastor Services

Sunday Worship Service 10am-1:00pm Wednesday Bible Studies 7:30pm-9:30pm Friday Prayer Meetings 7:30pm-9:30pm Contacts Us: 312 Rexdale Blvd, Etobicoke ON M9R 1R6 Major intersection Martin Grove www.theapostolicchurchcanada.org Email:apostolicchurchcanada@yahoo.com

Wednesday: Bible Studies 7:00pm to 8:30pm Friday: Prayer Meeting 8:30pm to 11pm st 1 . Friday of every month: All Night Prayer Meeting & Deliverance 9pm to 2am Saturday: Youth Meeting: 2pm to 4pm Choir Practice: 3pm to 5pm Sunday: Christian Education: 9am to 10am Celebration: 10:30am to 12:30pm

Rev. Mrs Eleanor Adu-Anane MRE, BA, RECE For Counselling & other matters contact the Pastor

647-892-9412 or 905-846-6257 E-mail: eleanoraduanane@yahoo.ca 100 Penn Drive Unit #3, North York, Ontario Canada. M9L 2A9

Tel: 647-607-5124 / 416-274-3378 416-897-4742

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Mathew 5:6

Come and taste the power of Christ.

Mailing Address: 2 Berwick Avenue Brampton Ontario, L6Z 2P6,

The Ghanaian News February 2017

67

GHANAIAN ANGLICAN CHURCH OF TORONTO 1796 Lawrence Avenue West (Jane & Lawrence) Rev. Fr. Kenneth Korsah

Sunday: Bible Study

- 2pm-3:00pm Sunday Worship - 3pm-5:00pm Tuesday: Teaching/Prayer - 7pm-9:00pm Thursday: Prayer Meeting - 10:30am-12noon Friday: Prayer Meeting - 7pm-9:00pm

Saturday: Group Meetings - 3pm-7:30pm Bro. Sam Hector Morris (People's Warden) 905-792-9761 Bro. Bernard Kufuor (Priest's Warden) 647-928-9370 Sis. Shirley Nartey Tawiah (Secretary)

Welcome Home Evangelistic Ministries Affiliated with the Evangelical Church In Canada

Gen. Overseer & Founder: Evang. & Prophetess Winnie Manu BRE, M. Div.

Worship Celebration Services Sunday Worship Celebration: 10 a.m.

Wednesday: Bible Studies - 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Friday: Intercessory Prayer Meeting 8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Friday: Youth Night - 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Healing Service: Last Sunday of every month

Place of Worship Cheyne Middle School 236 Queen Mary Drive Brampton, ON L7A 3L3

Christian Hope Ministry Int'l Invites You All To Come Worship With Us Apostle-in-charge: Apostle Twumasi Ankrah

Tel: 647-344-6726 Cell: 416-200-2453 TIME OF WORSHIP: Sunday 10:30 am - 1:30 pm Tuesday 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Friday 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm Apostle Twumasi Ankrah

VENUE: 1177 Finch Dr. #20, North York "And these signs will follow those who believe, in My Name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues, they will take up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them, they will lay hands on the sick , and they will recover. Amen (Mark 16:17)

"COME AND EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF GOD"

Transformation Centre Assembly of God Church, Mississauga Join us on Sundays for worship at: Venue: Clarkson Community Centre (Margaret Marland Room) Address: 2475 Truscott Drive, Mississauga, Ont (Southdown Rd/Truscott Dr. on Winston Churchill Blvd/Truscott Dr.

Time: 10.00AM-1.00PM

Contact Info: Tel: 647 210 7057 Fax: 905 495 4789 Website: www.wheministries.org

Email: whemtoday@gmail.com

Glory Pentecostal Ministry of Toronto Pastor-in-charge: Rev. Rockson Owusu Atwima - 416-708-7742

Invites all Christians and Non-Christians to join us to worship the Almighty God WORSHIP SCHEDULE Sunday Regular Service 11:00 am to 1:30 pm Tuesday Prayer and Healing Service 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Friday Prayer Night 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm

PLACE OF WORSHIP 230 Eddystone Ave., #207, North York, Ont. M3N 1H7 We are more tan our conquerors Romans 8:37 "Come and see the manifestation and the power of the Holy Spirit at work"

Praise Temple of Christ International Snr. Pastor: Apostle Osei-Bonsu 336 Gary Ray Drive @ Signet Worship Schedule Sunday Worship - 10 am - 12:30 pm Wednesday - Bible Study - 7 pm - 9 pm Friday - Prayer Meeting - 8 pm - 10 pm Second and last Friday of each month All Night Prayer Meeting 10 p.m. - 2 a.m.

Apostle Osei Bonsu

Contact: Pastor Isaac K. Bonful Tel: 289-814-5482 Email: transformcentreag@yahoo.ca www.transformationcentreag.ca "...Be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." Romans 12:2a

For information call: 905-840-7387, 647-208-1093 416-209-9136, 647-710-2573 Pastor Appiah Jacob

68

The Ghanaian News February 2017

Around the Ghana Sports Scene 2026 World Cup: African nations want 10 places at expanded competition Nigeria (pictured) and Algeria were the best performing African sides at the 2014 World Cup, reaching the last 16

The continent’s football association presidents have told football’s world governing body Fifa they want at least to 3.5, with Oceania, the small 10 spots in the 48-team World Pacific Islands confederation, having one automatic place at Cup. the finals instead of 0.5.

“All associations back the idea to expand the World Cup Inter-continental playoffs and there is hope that Africa between countries with half can have 10 places,” said a place would determine the South African FA chief Danny additional spots at the finals.

Jordaan.

The final allocation of places That would be double the five must be passed by the Fifa places Africa has at the 2018 Council.

Europe is seeking a minimum of 16 places, up from 13, and wants its sides to be separated in the opening group stage. The first phase will see 16 groups of three teams, with the top two advancing to a 32-team knockout phase under plans approved by Fifa last month.

Ghana’s Safo-Antwi wins gold at AIT athletics Grand Prix Ghanaian sprinter Sean SafoAntwi won the Men’s 60m final at the AIT International Athletics Grand Prix on Wednesday.

Africa will be looking to double the number of places it has at an expanded World Cup from 2026.

and 2022 events.

with Jonathan Baah Annobil

The subject of the expanded World Cup featured prominently at a three-day summit between Fifa chief Gianni Infantino and more than 50 presidents of the African FAs.

The talks were behind closed doors but Fifa officials said Infantino had outlined plans for an expanded World Cup and Asia are expected to get eight new development assistance for to nine places, compared to 4.5 member countries. now, and South America, which has 10 member countries, a It is the first time a summit of total of six, also up from 4.5. this type has been held, giving Africa’s FA representatives The Concacaf region, made informal contact with the Fifa up of the Caribbean, Central leadership, including the world and North American countries, governing body’s recently would get 6.5 places, compared

appointed general secretary Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura.

“It has been a very good idea and a chance for the associations to also speak directly to the Fifa leadership about their issues and concerns,” said Ahmad, the president of the Madagascar Football Federation.

Ahmad, who uses just one name, is running for the presidency of the Confederation of African Football against long-standing incumbent Issa Hayatou of Cameroon next month.

The summit comes three weeks before the Caf elections in Addis Ababa on March 16 and the FIFA event in Johannesburg has been dominated by intense lobbying, delegates said.

“Most of the business at this summit is actually outside of the conference room, in the corridors and the hotel lobby as different candidates try to persuade associations to vote for them,” said one African FA chief, who asked not to be named.

Safo-Antwi toppled his fellow competitors which in clu d e s G i ff e n s R a m o n from the Barbados, USA’s Cherry D’Angelo, Ghanaianborn Great Britain Athlete Aikenes-Aryeetey Harry, S en eg a l e s e S w a r a y J o s h as well as Codrington Giovanni and Dimitrov Denis from the Netherlands and Bulgaria respectively.

Safo-Antwi

The former British athlete switched allegiance to his country of birth last year and represented Ghana at the 2016 summer Olympics in Brazil, The Ghanaian set a season- but was eliminated in the first record after crossing the line round of the Men’s 100 metres with a time of 6.56 seconds. heat event. sportscrusader.com

Europa League Wrap: Acheampong, Asare secure qualification; Inaki, Luckassen shipped out Trio Frank Acheampong, Bennard Kumordzi and Nana Kwasi Asare celebrated wildly on Thursday night after securing qualification to the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

The biggest winner on the night was defender Nana Kwasi Asare who watched his teammates snatched a 2-2 draw at the White Hart Lane and progressed on a 3-2 aggregate.

Anderlecht qualified via a 3-3 aggregate score against Zenith.

Wing-back Frank Acheampong played 89 minutes for the Royal Club while young defender Emmanuel AdjeiSowah warmed their bench but French-born Dennis Appiah was not part of the game.

Midfielder Bennard

Kumordzi climbed off the bench in the 89th minute to play for Genk who pipped Romanian side Astra Guirgui 1-0 at the Luminus Arena.

Kumordzi played an influential role the first leg tie in Romania as they drew 2-2.

Spain-born Inaki Williams played the full 90 minutes but failed to find the net for Athletic Club as they succumbed to a 2-0 away loss at APOEL Nicosia and lose by 4-3 on aggregate.

Meanwhile Olympique Lyon made mockery of AZ Alkmaar after thrashing them 7-1 at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais. Dutch-born Derrick Luckassen played full throttle for the losers.

GHANAsoccernet.com

Claudio Ranieri among host of coaches who have applied for Stars job The Ghana football Association are yet to officially communicate the list of coaches who have applied for the Ghana Job.

applied yet for the vacant Post.

According to reports in the local media France legend Marcel Desailly ,ex-Ghana midfielder Otto Addo and Tanko Ibrahim are being tipped to become the next manager of the Ghana national team.

Sportsworldghana.com exclusively reveals the list of coaches who have so far applied for the Black Stars job.

Ghana is without a coach following the departure of Avram Grant.

Grant, a former Chelsea manager failed to renew his contract after leading the Black Stars to a fourth-placed finish at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.

The search for the successor for the Israeli has not kicked into full gear yet but trainers all over the Globe have declared their interest.

Claudio Ranieri has reportedly applied for Ghana job

To p M a n a g e r s i n t h e world including Arsene Wenger,Antoine Kambouare, Fabio Capello and Phil Neville are in the list .

Experience African Coaches like Philippe Troussier, twotime AFCON winner Herve Renard ,Henri Kasperjack and former Black Stars coach Claude Leroy are possible candidates for the Job.

Claudio Ranieri, recently sacked

by Leicester City has applied Its quite surprising that no for the job through an agent Ghanaian coach has officially who name is yet to be revealed .

Vet eran Gh an ai an co ach J.E Sarpong has urged the Ghana Football Association to appoint a local coach as head coach of the Black Stars . ” Foreign coaches can’t win trophies for us and so I don’t see the rationale behind their appointments,” ” I think Marcel Desailly has what it takes to lead the senior national team as he remains the only option that can bring success to us when given the top coaching job,” ”Again with the help of Ibrahim Tanko and Kwesi Appiah

being part of his technical men, I have no doubt that they can do the job when task to do so,” he pointed out.

Sportsworldghana.com source has hinted that, front runners for the Black stars are Dumas, Challandes, S a v o y, M a c M e n e m y, Corentin Martins and Ibenge.

Full list of coaches who have applied for Ghana job Georges Leekens, Bernard Simondi, Hugo Broos, Denis Lavagne, Hicham Jadrane Chazouani.

C l a u d e L e r o y, P h i l i p p e Troussier, Badou Zaki,Mancini, Yasen Petrov,Gao Hongbo,Tom Saintfiet, Florent Ibenge,Paul Munster, Henri Kasperjack, Herve Renard, Milutin sredojevic, Ernest Mtawali, Laurent Blanc, Christophe Galtier, Philippe Troussier, Bruno Genesio, Remi

garde, Christian Gourcuff.

Ali Maaloul, Benzarti, Sami Trabelsi, Pierre Andre Schuman, Paulo Silva, Claudio Robeirto Riveira, Georges Sorin, David Boulanger, Patrice Carteron, Bernard Casoni, Richard tardy, Jacky Bonnevay, Simon Mac Menemy, Franck Dumas, Raoul Savoy, Bernard Challandes, Didier Olle’ Nicolle, Georges Leekens Ilie balaci, Fabrizio ravanelli,Frederic Hantz, Alain Perrin, Paul le Guen, Didier six, Rolland Courbis, Patrice Neveu, Claudio Ranieri, Arsene Wenger, Scott Cooper, Phil Neville, Fabio Capello, Esteban Becker Churukian, Corentin Martins, Paul put, Ahcene AitAbdelmalek, Rainer Willfeld, Wilfred Schaeffer, Uli Stielike, Guus Hiddink, Chan hiu Ming, Kim Pan-Gon, Sundra Moorthy Varadaraju,Antoine Kambouare, Sabri Lamouchi, sportsworldghana.com

The Ghanaian News February 2017

69

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne participates in Black History Month reception at Queen’s Park

By Jonathan Baah Annobil, Queen’s Park, ON

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne along with some m e mber s of the Ontario Liberal Caucus attended a Black History reception on Tuesday February 21, 2017 at the Government Caucus Room, Main Legislative Building, Queen’s Park Toronto.

Hon. Granville Anderson, MPP Durham was the host of the event. The national recognition of Black History Month first occurred in 1996 after Hon. Jean Augustine, MP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore who was then the first African Canadian woman elected to the House of Commons tabled a motion to declare February as Black History Month in the House of Commons in Ottawa which received unanimous consent in December 1996.

In her opening remarks, Premier Wynne said “Black history is an integral part of Ontario’s history, and I’m honoured to be at this celebration. Since long before this province was called Ontario, Black men, women and children have been shaping it into the vibrant place we call home”.

Today, our Black citizens include the descendants of Black slaves and Black Loyalists who fought in the War of 1812. They include people who trace their roots back to the African continent. And they include the growing number of Black people who have come to Ontario from the Caribbean, “ she continued.” Black History

month was established to celebrate all of their stories she emphasised.

“I want to take a moment to highlight just one story, of a Black man born about two kilometres from here who made great contributions to the city of Toronto. William Hubbard was the son of American slaves who escaped a plantation in Virginia through the Underground Railroad. Ontario represented freedom to their family, but let’s not gloss over the reality.

Racial discrimination was rampant in Toronto — many of the city’s hotels, theatres and restaurants continued to bar Black people, William first worked as a baker, specializing in cakes. And then he took a job as a chauffeur, driving a horse-drawn cab for George Brown — a future Father of Confederation”, Premier Wynne added. “ The two became friends, and George encouraged William to enter politics. When William won a seat on Toronto’s city council in 1894, he made history as the first person of colour elected to public office in any major Canadian city he fought for the creation of High Park. And he stood up against discrimination in the city, defending the Chinese community against unfair taxes and presenting a petition calling for an end to attacks on the Jewish religion by anti-Semitic street preachers. Just last fall, a park was named for him in the east end of the city, near where he lived to be 93 years old”.

Premier Wynne speaking at Queen’s Park during Black History Month’s reception

She continued by saying that “I’m encouraged that as a country, we’re increasingly recognizing important historical figures from the Black community. Starting late next year, Black rights activist Viola Desmond will be featured on this country’s $10 bill — the first Canadian woman, and the first Black person, to be on a banknote”.

So today, and all month long, we celebrate Black history because it’s imperative for us all to know, and appreciate, and respect Ontario’s diverse heritage.

“When our government permanently established February as Black History Month in Ontario, we did so

because we want everyone to share stories like William’s and Viola’s. That is how we push back against ignorance, how we work to tackle systemic racism, and how we reaffirm to the world that everyone is welcome, and valued, in our Ontario.

As a government, we are taking concrete action to build a safer and more equitable province.

Earlier today, we formally recognized the United Nations’ Decade for People of African Descent. The UN Decade calls on the international community to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance that affect Black people.

She highlighted that in Ontario,

we are leading by example by responding to that call. Ontario’s Anti-Racism Directorate is working toward eliminating systemic racism in places like our schools, justice system and child welfare system”.

“In the coming weeks, the ARD will release Ontario’s antiracism strategic plan. This plan will lay out how we will build an anti-racism approach into government policies, programs and services that touch every one of us, and improve outcomes for Indigenous and racialized communities”.

People like William and Viola have shown us there is a better way forward. We can get there by working together she concluded and wished everyone a positive and reflective Black History Month.

Afroglobal Television first annual Black History Month reception

By Jonathan Baah Annobil, Toronto Afroglobal Television, Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) and Silvertrust Media organized the first annual Black History Month Reception on Thursday, February 2nd, 2017at the head office of PwC in the heart of the City of Toronto.

The event featured remarks by community leaders, public service officials, and business leaders. Highlights of the accomplishments of African Canadians as showcased on Afroglobal Television and other Silvertrust Media platforms were featured at the event. Some of the VIPs in attendance

Hon. Dr. Jean Augustine Keynote speaker were Honourable Mitzie H u n t e r, M i n i s t e r o f Education; Honourable Jagmeet Singh, Deputy Leader of the NDP; Honourable Jean Augustine, Former Fairness Commissioner of Ontario who was the Keynote S p e a k e r, a s w e l l a s

the Consul General of Jamaica Lloyd Wilks.

PwC was represented by Mr. Raj Kothari at the event.

The MC for the occasion Ms Karlyn Percil introduced Liberty Silver, Afroglobal 2016 Excellence Award for Entertainment recipient who sang the Canadian National anthem. Moses Mawa, President and CEO of Silvertrust Media and Afroglobal Te l e v i s i o n g a v e t h e purpose of the reception and thanked PwC for their partnership and heaped praises on all the black trailblazers. Hon. Mitzie Hunter Ontario Education minister also

gave a brief overview of the accomplishments of Blacks in Canada followed by a short speech and presentation of citation from Hon. Jagmeet Singh, Deputy Ontario NDP leader.

In her KeyNote address, Hon. Jean Augustine, former Ontario Fairness Commissioner and the first African Canadian woman to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons and also the first to serve in the federal cabinet, spoke about how the celebration of Black History Month came to fruition as she was the one to table it in Parliament much to the applause of the invited

Hon. Jagmeet Singh presenting a citation to Mr. & Mrs. Mawa

Patricia Mawa (2nd right), Kabu Asante (right) and other guests

Dr. Rosemary Sadlier (2nd left) and other guests

From left: Hon. Mitzie Hunter, Beverly Salmon, Kamala Jean Gopie, Hon. Dr. Jean Augustine

guests at the event.

This year, a special tribute will be accorded to Viola Desmond, who becomes the first Canadian woman and the first African Canadian to be on a banknote. Afroglobal Te l e v i s i o n t o o k t h e opportunity to also unveil

its special Black History Month programming.

As a show of appreciation, Beverley De Grasse, mother of sprinter Andre De Grasse was on hand to present bouquet of flowers to Hons. Mitzie Hunter and Jean Augustine.

70

The Ghanaian News February 2017

The #I Automobile & Cargo Shipping To WEST AFRICA

CARGO SHIPPING: LAND-SEA-AIR

ship@viamar.ca • www.viamar.ca Your Number 1 connection from Canada to TEMA GHANA and all of AFRICA with over 40 Years Experience

• Weekly /Service - Fast Transit times • Full loading service of Single Car / 2 / 3 and 4 cars in Container • Personal Effects / House Hold Goods - BAGS / BARRELS / USED CLOTHING • Commercial Cargo

For free Quote call

416-747-9774

RORO Service for TRUCKS MACHINERY Special Rates for 20' and 40' Containers

ask for Mr. Joe or Mr. Domenic

HEAD Office for Bookings / Inquiry: 4000 Steeles UNIT 9 Vaughan Ontario L4L 4V9

NEW Warehouse and loading yard Located at: 2844 Slough St, Mississauga, ON L4T 1G3

ALL NEW ARRIVALS

1 Lace $35 - 4 for $100.00

Heavy designed lace $50 for 5 yards

George - $50 each

Top and Bottom $25

Super Wax $20 for 6 yards Two for $35

3 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU BETTER!!

SCARBOROUGH BRAMPTON TORONTO 99 KENNEDY RD. SOUGH 3300 McNICOLL AVE. UNIT 9 2127 JANE STREET BRAMPTON,ON, L6W 3G2 SCARBOUGH, ON, M1V 5J6 TORONTO, ON, M3M 1A2 416-321-2626 905-453-8100 416-614-8200

The Ghanaian News February 2017

71