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GHANA: 61st Milestone of Nationhood By: Dr. Michael Baffoe, Winnipeg, MB

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.

Ghana our beloved country is free forever....! declared by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah 1957 Sixty-One Years ago, on March 6th, Polo Grounds in Accra and declared the 1957, six political leaders led by Kwame birth of a new nation called Ghana. The Nkrumah stood on a podium at the Old declaration was the country’s weaning

In his historic independence declaration, the first Prime Minister, Kwame Nkrumah declared that 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 self-destructive.

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. 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 cont’d on pg. 54

Induction of Officers of Susana Wesley Mission Auxiliary (SUWMA) at Ghana Calvary Methodist United Church Toronto.

By Emmanuel Ayiku, Toronto

On Sunday February 25th, 2018, at the Ghana Calvary Methodist United Church Toronto, induction of the Circuit’s Susana Wesley Mission Auxiliary (SUWMA) Officers was held. The Theme for the Induction celebrations was: Witnessing to Christ, Teaching for effective Christian Formation. The officiating Preacher was the Very Rev. Joseph Atuahene, Minister -in-charge of the Ghana Methodist Church of Toronto. He admonished the newly officers to be cognizant of the adage that “Today is your time, tomorrow will not be your time”. They should therefore share cont’d on pg. 35 Group picture of SUWMA members with Opoku Agyemang and Clergy

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

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

GHANA TURNS 61 IN MARCH 2018!

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, may be a bit modest from those that were held last year in 2017 when citizens of Ghana, at home and abroad, celebrated a great milestone: sixty (60) years of nationhood and nation-building, when we declared our right “to manage, and even mismanage our own affairs”.

Well, we have added another year to the Ghanaian nation’s life. In Ghana, we as a nation, is one year past the retirement age for public officials where 60 years is the top of the maturity age when public servants in that country retire from active work, “go on pension”, to use the local parlance. In this vein, Ghana is matured and a little past the “pension” age, but we have decided that we have not achieved much in our adult life, so we will prod on.

It was in recognition of its very “mature” and anticipated pension age that the 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 that had messed up every aspect of life in that country for the past eight years.

Collectively though, we should all take responsibility for the mess in which the nation Ghana finds itself one year after its “pension age”. The collective apathy and wanton disregard for public property and institutions is ingrained in all of us. The desire to get rich quickly at the expense of the nation and the general good continues. The desire to get into politics and government with the sole purpose of stealing public money is still alive among many of our nation’s citizens, one year past the “pension” age.

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 up to its current “pension age”. It is in recognition of all the above that the new President, Nana Akufo Addo declared on his inauguration in January 2017 that God did not put us on the land called Ghana with all its resources to be poor. On this anniversary of one year past our nation’s “pension age”, the leaders and citizens of our country have no excuses at all not to perform to achieve good standards of living for its citizens.

We salute Ghanaians, at home, and in the diaspora, on this anniversary of the nation’s birth.

Highlights from federal budget tabled Tuesday

by Finance Minister Bill Morneau OTTAWA - Highlights from the federal Liberal budget tabled Tuesday by Finance Minister Bill Morneau: · “Proactive” pay equity legislation, as well as $3 million over five years for a “pay transparency” measure, to close the wage gap among federal workers and in federally regulated sectors, impacting some 1.2 million people. · The “Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare,” to be headed by former Ontario health minister Eric Hoskins, which will explore ways to establish a national drug program. · $3.2 billion over five years for Canadian science and research, including money for granting councils and Canada Research Chairs, upgrading outdated laboratory facilities and harnessing the power of “Big Data.” · $2.6 billion over five years for a wide array of measures to encourage and foster scientific innovation and gender equality in the field, including encouraging female entrepreneurs and business leaders, revamping procurement and expanding access to broadband internet. · A federal deficit of $18.1 billion, including a $3-billion “risk adjustment,” down from $19.3 billion last year, that’s projected to decline slowly over the next several years, reaching $12.3 billion ($9.3 billion without the $3-billion cushion) by 2022-23. · About $1.4 billion over six years to support Indigenous children in foster care and promote family reunification, plus $400 million over 10 years to upgrade and expand Inuit housing and $500 million for Metis housing. · Higher excise taxes on tobacco products, including a $1 increase on a carton of 200 cigarettes and an adjustment that would see taxes increase with inflation every year, rather than every five years. · $1.2 billion over five years and $344.7 million a year afterward for a new employment insurance parental sharing benefit that would provide additional “use-it-or-lose-it” benefits

for non-birthing parents to encourage women to re-enter the workforce. · $2 billion over five years for international aid through a new International Assistance Innovation program, designed to come up with flexible new financing arrangements, and the Sovereign Loans program. · $155.2 million over five years for a new Canadian Centre for Cyber Security and $116 million over five years for the RCMP to create a National Cybercrime Co-ordination Unit. · $448.5 million over five years to double the number of placements under the Canada Summer Jobs program by 2019-20. · $172 million over five years and $42.5 million a year afterward for the Canada Media Fund to foster the growth of Canadian-produced content. · $50 million over five years to support “local journalism in underserved communities,” and plans to explore new models that would allow private and philanthropic support for “non-profit” journalism, including allowing Canadian newspapers to receive charitable status. · $75 million over five years, with $11.8 million a year afterward, to bolster Canada’s trade ties with China and Asia. · $191 million over five years to support jobs in the softwood lumber industry, including litigation under the World Trade Organization and NAFTA’s dispute resolution mechanism. · $90.6 million over five years to track down tax evaders and avoiders, plus $41.9 million over five years and $9.3 million a year thereafter to help Canada’s courts deal with the additional caseload. · Changes to income sprinkling, passive investment income and the small business tax rate that are expected to save the government $925 million a year by 2022-23. · $173.2 million in 2018-19 to support claim processing and to improve border security to better manage the increased number of people seeking asylum in Canada. The Canadian Press

Feds tighten tax rules for small businesses and passive income in budget OTTAWA - The Trudeau government tabled a budget Tuesday that will use billions of dollars worth of fresh fiscal runway for new investments, a decision that leaves Ottawa with no timetable for balanced books anywhere on its horizon.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s budget will channel the extra dollars into new spending that he’s banking on to lift Canada’s long-term growth.

In releasing his third fiscal plan, Morneau sought to reassure Canadians the new spending would be carried out in a responsible way, while arguing his earlier investments had already produced encouraging economic results.

“The economy is doing well - remarkably

well,” Morneau said in prepared remarks of his budget speech.

“With a strong and growing economy in place, we believe that now is the right time to focus on the deeper challenges that hold our economy - and our people - back.”

Compared to the fall, the government has $19.8 billion in additional cash to play with over the next six years - an average of $3.3 billion per year in extra fiscal elbow room.

That money was generated by a number of sources, including the stronger economy, revenues from tax changes for private corporations, lower-thancont’d on pg. 47

The Ghanaian News February 2018

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Ontario is banning door-to-door sales as of March 1 A ban on unsolicited, door-to-door sales of select household items has taken effect March 1 in Ontario.

Consumers will be able to keep select goods and services with no obligations if signed in door-to-door sale S a y goodbye to the salesperson knocking on your door to ask when you last cleaned your ducts.

A ban on unsolicited, doorto-door sales of select household appliances — such as furnaces or water heaters — will take effect March 1 in Ontario.

If you enter a contract in a door-to-door sale after that date, the agreement will be legally void and you’ll be able to keep the goods and services with no obligations, the province said in a news release.

Etobicoke Centre MPP Yvan Baker said he first introduced the bill after hearing horror stories from seniors in his riding who say they face aggressive sales tactics from people hawking their wares at their doors.

“One of my constituents said to me, ‘We really need to do something to

make sure people feel comfortable opening up their doors; that they feel secure in their own homes,” he said at Queen’s Park Thursday.

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furnaces

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water heaters

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water treatment devices

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water purifiers

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water filters

•

water softeners

•

duct cleaning services

•

any good or service that performs or combines one or more of the above functions

Overall, “door-to-door contracts have been among the top complaints received by the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services,” the government’s news release said. Baker says these specific goods and services were targeted because of the many aggressive sales

tactics and scams that are typically used to sell them.

If you’d like to buy or lease any of these products, you can contact businesses and invite them to your home, according to the law. Contracts signed under the new rules will also be subject to a standard 10-day cooling off period, a period of time during which you can cancel the agreement — for any reason — without penalty.

B u s i n e s s e s representatives who come to your home for repairs, maintenance or energy assessments

won’t be able to sell you a new contract. They can only leave promotional information about their products or services.

If you call to request repair or maintenance, the business must inform you of any product or service they’d like to offer and if you agree, their service person can discuss it with you in person.

Under the new law, related businesses will need to maintain records for up to three years detailing how new contracts were made.

They’re also required to have a cover page on promotional material outlining consumer rights. CBC News

Liberals speed up foreign spouse reunions, tackle application backlog The Liberal government has cut the waiting times for foreign spouses looking to reunite with their loved ones in Canada and has made considerable headway on a big backlog of applications.

Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen marks Valentine’s Day with progress update on spousal sponsorship program Kathleen Harris · CBC News · Posted: Feb 14, 2018 9:00 AM ET | Last Updated: 3 hours ago The Liberal government has cut back the wait times for foreign spouses looking to reunite with their loved ones in Canada and has made considerable headway on a big backlog of applications.

The average wait is now one year in about 80 per cent of cases, down from the previous two-year wait, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Immigration officials also have made a significant dent in what had become a vast backlog of files, bringing it from roughly 75,000 files down to about 15,000 in just over a year. cont’d on pg. 12

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

President Akufo-Addo swears in Martin Amidu as Special Prosecutor The President of the Republic, Nana AddoDankwa AkufoAddo, on Friday, 23rd February, 2018, swore into office Martin Alamisi Burns Kaiser as the Special Prosecutor.

At an event at the Flagstaff House, President AkufoAddo noted that the Ghanaian people expect the Office of the Special Prosecutor to rise to the occasion, and collaborate with other existing law enforcement agencies, to fight relentlessly, and help eliminate corruption in the nation’s public life.

“We expect the Special Prosecutor to discharge his duties vigorously, with courage, without fear or favour, ill-will or malice, in accordance with the rule of law.

The establishment of this Office is for a high purpose, and must not, under any circumstances, be used as an avenue for persecution or vengeance,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo further noted that “the overwhelming, popular acceptance by the good people of Ghana, and the strong consensus approval by Parliament, of

After taking the Oath of Office and the Oath of Secrecy at the seat of government on Friday, Mr. Martin Amidu said throughout his 43 years of practice as a lawyer, he has maintained a high sense of discipline and has carried out his duty without fear or favour.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has promised to respect the independence of Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu in the discharge of his responsibilities.

Below is the speech delivered by the President at the swearing-in ceremony Let me first welcome you all warmly to the seat of our nation’s presidency.

President Akufo-Addo (right) and Martin Amidu Mr.Amidu’s nomination, justify the confidence I repose in him.”

Below is the speech delivered by the President at the swearing-in ceremony Let me first welcome you all warmly to the seat of our nation’s presidency.

On the second day of this year, I assented to the enactment of the Office of Special Prosecutor Act, 2017, (Act 959).

Pursuant thereto, the Attorney-General, Ms Gloria Akuffo, in compliance with the provisions of s.13(3) of the Act, wrote to me, on 11th January, 2018, to nominate Mr. Martin Alamisi Burns Kaiser Amidu for appointment

as Special Prosecutor.

I readily accepted the A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l ’s nomination, and, on the same day, announced his nomination to the country, and, subsequently, on 11th January, 2018, I sought the approval of Parliament for the appointment.

After a spirited and revealing vetting of the nominee, Parliament, on 20th February, 2018, notified me, by letter under the hand of the Speaker, the Rt. Hon. Michael Aaron Oquaye, of its decision to approve, by consensus, the nomination of Mr.Amidu for appointment as Special Prosecutor. cont’d on pg. 31

I’ll treat crime as crime Martin Amidu Ghana’s first Special P r o s e c u t o r, M a r t i n Amidu, has stated that he will treat crime as crime and nothing else as he discharges his duties.

Akufo-Addo’s speech at Amidu’s swearing in

same conviction that he assumes the office of the Special Prosecutor. He pledged his unwavering commitment to the people of Ghana and to the fight against corruption.

On his part, President Nana Addo Dankwa AkufoAddo acknowledged the vast experience of Mr. Amidu and the fact that as contemporaries, they had different legal and political views on issues.

However, the vigor and tenacity exhibited by He said it is with the the Special Prosecutor

in those days will come in handy as he fights corruption in the country, the President observed.

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On the second day of this year, I assented to the enactment of the Office of Special Prosecutor Act, 2017, (Act 959).

Pursuant thereto, the Attorney-General, Ms Gloria Akuffo, in compliance with the provisions of s.13(3) of the Act, wrote to me, on 11th January 2018, to nominate Mr Martin Alamisi Burns Kaiser Amidu for appointment as Special Prosecutor. I readily accepted the Attorney General’s nomination, and, on the same day, announced his nomination to the country, and, subsequently, on 11th January 2018, I sought the approval of Parliament for the appointment.

After a spirited and revealing vetting of the nominee, Parliament, on 20th February 2018, notified me, by letter under the hand of the Speaker, the Rt. Hon. Michael Aaron Oquaye, of its decision to approve, by consensus, the nomination of Mr Amidu for appointment as Special Prosecutor.

By the swearing-in of Mr Amidu this afternoon, the process of appointment of the Special Prosecutor, set forth in s.13 of the Act, has been completed.

The enactment of Act 959 and the successful appointment of a Special Prosecutor are historic events in our modern history. The Ghanaian people have, in overwhelming numbers, denounced the canker of corruption that has, in recent years, engulfed the public life of our nation to the detriment of our progress. The response of the New Patriotic Party to this strong, popular sentiment, was to pledge, inter alia, in its Manifesto for the 2016 general elections, the establishment of the Office of Special Prosecutor, an independent, non-partisan body, with the relevant professional capability, to lead the fight against corruption, and hold public officials, past and present, accountable for their stewardship of public finances.

The Ghanaian people expect the Office of the Special Prosecutor to rise to the occasion, and collaborate with other existing law enforcement agencies, to fight relentlessly, and help eliminate corruption in our public life. We expect the Special Prosecutor to discharge his duties vigorously, with courage, without fear or favour, ill-will or malice, in accordance with the rule of law.

The establishment of this Office is for a high purpose, and must not, under any circumstances, be used as an avenue for persecution or vengeance.

The Office will be required to do

justice to all manner of persons. In his book, “Practice and Procedure In The Trial Courts and Tribunals of Ghana” (2011, Second Edition), the respected, former member of the Supreme Court, Brobbey JSC, reiterated the overriding duty of a Prosecutor in the following words: “Always the principle holds that (the prosecutor) is concerned with justice first, justice second and conviction a very bad third”.

The overwhelming, popular acceptance by the good people of Ghana, and the strong consensus approval by Parliament, of Mr Amidu’s nomination, justify the confidence I repose in him.

Indeed, his eloquence and grasp of issues, displayed to the public during his recent vetting, is a further testimony of the soundness of his appointment. I want to assure him that not only will the Executive, including the Attorney General, respect scrupulously the independence of his Office, but will also provide him with whatever assistance is required to enable him to discharge his high duties effectively, in the interest of the Ghanaian people.

The recent publication of Ghana’s score in the 2017 Corruption Perception Index, organised by Transparency International, showing a further drop in our standing, a result largely based on “the plethora of corruption allegations/ exposés” before the onset of this administration, indicates the enormity of the task ahead. It is noteworthy that its local chapter, Ghana Integrity Initiative, in commenting on the report, has acknowledged that “digitisation is changing the ways we communicate and how we do business, and as a result reduced the corruption rate in Ghana.”

The Special Prosecutor cannot do it all by himself. He requires the active co-operation of all the institutions of our state, as well as that of the general public if he is to be successful in the fight against corruption.

I have known Martin Amidu for several years. Indeed, I was his opposing counsel in many of the landmark constitutional cases in the early years of the 4th Republic in the 1990s, and can personally testify to the tenacity with which he holds onto his views. That tenacity has now to be exercised in favour of the Ghanaian people in his new office.

I congratulate him on his deserved appointment and wish him God’s g u i d a n c e i n t h e e ff o r t h e w i l l undoubtedly be making to try to instil integrity and accountability in the governance of our country. The ultimate beneficiaries of his actions, indeed, of the actions of all of us in public office, will be the Ghanaian people.

Thank you, and may God bless us all and our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong. Source: Myjoyonline. com

The Ghanaian News February 2018

Black History Month: Remembering Viola Desmond’s fight for change On a fall evening in 1946, one woman’s act of courage and resilience in the face of racism would prove to be a pivotal moment in Canada’s history.

Viola Desmond was a successful Black Nova Scotia businesswoman who defiantly refused to leave a whites-only area of a movie theatre on November8, 1946, and was subsequently jailed, convicted and fined.

While she was unsuccessful in her subsequent efforts to quash her criminal conviction, her story resulted in a milestone human rights case in Canada.

Desmond’scourt case was one of the first known legal challenges against racial segregation brought by a Black woman in Canada. It was an inspiration for change and part of a wider set of efforts toward racial equality across the country.

The case touched a nerve within the Black community and added to the growing consciousness regarding racial discrimination in Nova Scotia.

Desmond eventually received a posthumous free pardon from the Nova Scotia government on April 15, 2010. It was granted by thenLieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia,Mayann Francis, the first Black Nova Scotian and only the second Black person to hold such a position in Canada.

The premier at the time,

Viola Desmond Darrel Dexter, issued a public declaration and apology,saying charges should never have been laid and that Desmond’s conviction was a miscarriage of justice.

In 2018, the theme of the Government of Canada’s Black History Month campaign is Black Canadian Women: Stories of Strength, Courage and Vision.

Viola Desmond’s courageous stand and ensuing fight for justice is one such story and is about to make history once again. Later this year, Viola Desmond will become the face of Canada’s new $10 bank note, becoming the first Canadian woman to appear on a regularlycirculating note.

The Bank of Canadais proud to feature Viola Desmond as the portrait subject of this human rights-themed note. This note will gradually become available to the public starting at the end of this year, alongside other $10 bank notes already in circulation.

The reverse side of the new $10

note will depict symbols and images that complement Viola Desmond’s achievements and reflect the broader themes of social justice and the struggle for rights and freedoms.

Viola Desmond was named as the portrait subject following an open nomination process thatcalled on Canadians tosuggest who they thought should be on the next bank note.

11

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The excitement surrounding thenew $10 featuring Viola Desmond provides an opportunity to break withtradition once again with the next $5 note, which willfeature another prominent Canadiannominated by the public who hasmade amark on the history of our country.

In due course, the Bank will launch another consultation process to seek input from Canadians on the portrait subject and design of the new$5 note, building on the successes of this most recent process.

Visit bankofcanada.ca to learn more about the design and security of Canada’s currency and stay tuned for the launch of the next bank NOTE-able campaign.Follow the Bank on Twitter (@bankofcanada) for the latest news about Canadian bank notes.

The Bank of Canada Museum is on Facebook! Follow, like and share the latest information about Canada’s new $10 bank note and much more: @BoCMuseum

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

FOCUS It’s Time for Middle and High School Students to Create Pathways to Success “Creating Pathways to Success responds to the realities of a complex, rapidly changing world”

By Joe Kingsley Eyiah, OCT, Brookview MS, Toronto, Canada January and February of every school year see our students in Middle and High Schools choosing courses and selecting schools/universities which will prepare them ultimately for successful careers in life. Such act of creating pathways to success by students ought to be carefully thought out and planned to achieve the desired goals. Thus, there must be an education and career/ life planning program to support student success!

In this write-up, I briefly discuss some important steps students can follow with the help of parents when creating pathways to success.

influences the choices they make and the degree to which they are able to achieve their goals.” How true!! Such great influence must not be overlooked.

It is for that reason that the Ontario government has developed an educational policy which envisages all students leave secondary school with a clear plan for their initial postsecondary It is said that, “What d e s t i n a t i o n . Wi t h a students believe about clear plan, a student, themselves and their a f t e r h i g h s c h o o l opportunities, and what education, can enter their peers and the adults into apprentice training, in their lives believe college, university or the about them, significantly workplace. The student

also is empowered to make changes for his/her future by revising such plan.

I have had the privilege many times to talk about transition from, especially, the elementary school level to high school and from the high school level to college/ university on community radio stations in Toronto, Canada and the influx of questions on the subject from parents had been overwhelming. So what can we do as teachers and as parents/guardians to help students to create pathways to success as they go through the various transitions in their educational journey?

As Teachers: Teachers are facilitators of learning in the classrooms. Their influence on students as far as learning is concerned is very crucial. Teachers must therefore ensure

that students develop the knowledge and skills they (students) need to make informed education and career/life choices. In this wise, teachers ought to expose their students to ‘Economic for Success’ and/or career cruising.

My experience with Junior Achievement of Canada working with Grade 8 students in my school is one of the ways that I think teachers can embrace to achieve such purpose. As teachers, we have to provide classroom and schoolwide opportunities for this learning.

Above all, we (educationists) need to engage parents and the broader community in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the program of creating pathways to success, to support students in their learning.

As Parents/Students: Parents ought to encourage their children (students) to discover who (students) they are? What opportunities are there for them (the students)? What they want to become? And what are their plans for achieving their goals?

Students will have to create and maintain an Individual Pathways Plan (IPP) during Grades 7 to 12. According to the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), the IPP becomes the planning tool for course selection, goal setting and postsecondary destination planning. The TDSB, for example, has provided its students with an electronic version of the IPP through www.myBlueprint.ca/ tdsb. The IPP Tracker provides grade-specific activities to complete in order to build an effective education plan annually. Students are able to do this from their homes! Congratulations to TDSB! I hope other school boards and Ministries of Education also benefits because the applicants are less stressed around the world could and more productive at work.

Liberals speed up foreign spouse reunions, tackle application backlog cont’d from pg. 9 shop in Mississauga, Ont. Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen told CBC News it was the “humane” thing to do.

“We wanted to make sure families were not unnecessarily kept apart and family reunification is a very key priority for our government,” he said in an interview.

“And that is why spousal sponsorship was, is and will continue to be a key part of our immigration system.”

Hussen said the results were achieved by deploying a “tiger team” of staff to tackle the backlog, and by simplifying the application process to avoid delays and duplication.

He said the government took no shortcuts on the rigorous screening process, even though most claims are from what he called “bona fide” couples.

The minister formally announced details of progress made on the file to date, along with changes to the application process meant to boost efficiency, at a dessert

‘ S i g n i f i c a n t improvement’ The decision to make the announcement with couples in attendance who have benefited from quicker processing times — and to do it on Valentine’s Day — was meant to underscore how immigration policies affect real lives, Hussen said.

“To each person, it means the world to them to make sure that application is processed quickly and that they’re reunited with their family members,” he said.

Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen says the government has delivered on its promise to cut the processing wait times and has also reduced the large backlog of applications.

1:45 The plan to speed up spousal sponsorship processing was announced in December 2016 by thenimmigration minister John McCallum. At the same time, the family reunification guide was cut from 180 pages to a 75-page document, and

the application form was rewritten to incorporate plain language.

During a news conference Wednesday, Hussen said speeding up the benefits helps society at large.

“The bottom line here is that we want newcomers to integrate well into their new communities and succeed, and speeding up family reunification helps us to do just that,” he said.

Va n c o u v e r - b a s e d i m m i g r a t i o n lawyer Zool Suleman said his clients with proper documentation have seen a “significant improvement” in the system since then.

Political advantage “If I was to choose one of the two or three areas where there’s been tremendous success for this government, this particular change has, I think, been one of their key successes,” he said.

Suleman said the government scores political points with reuniting couples by speeding up the process — but society

“These applications end up being, sometimes, at the core of a great deal of stress between couples,” he said. “Whatever you can do to expedite and make the positive decision to be made, or the negative decision to be made, the better.”

Toronto immigration lawyer Lorne Waldman said he’s seen some cases processed “surprisingly quickly” in the last year — but that’s not the experience for everyone.

“I think it depends on the visa office. I think it depends a little bit on luck,” he said. “It would say it’s uneven.

There have been some improvements and we’ve seen some cases processed extremely quickly, but we still see people waiting a long time to be reunited with their family members.”

Some offices that have been notoriously slow in past continue to be slow, Waldman said.

emulate such a shinning example.

All said and done, a career is ones path through life. This encompasses education, learning, different jobs, family life, friendships, community activities and leisure activities. Its development requires students to understand themselves and opportunities in both the world and workplace in order to create the right pathways to build successful future. Students from postsecondary institutions in Ghana, for example, are mostly unemployed due to the lack of effective planning for the workplace while at school in a country where job opportunities are dwindling.

It must be noted that the workplace is rapidly changing as existing jobs become more complex and new jobs demand increased levels of education with the desired employable skills. This is why we need to assist students wherever they are to be able to create pathways to success!

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

13

Special Prosecutor: Is Martin Amidu Born To Wrestle With Looters?

By Edmund Agbeko, Toronto Martin Alamisi Burnes Kaiser Amidu makes history by becoming Ghana’s first Special Prosecutor (SP). The former Attorney General and Minister of Justice in the NDC-Millsadministration takes the new office amidst higher expectation that, he will help uproot corruption in the system. He was sworn-in by President Akufo-Addo on Friday 23 February 2018 at the Flagstaff House in Accra.

Amidu graduated with an LLB (Hons) from Ghana’s p r e m i e r u n i v e r s i t y, University of Ghana in 1976 and Ghana School of Law in 1978 with a Barrister at Law (BL) degree. Additionally, he holds MA in Conflict Resolution from the Antioch University Ohio USA. Mr. Amidu, 66, had also previously served as Deputy Attorney in the first NDC government of President Jerry John Rawlings—the man he views as his best referee.

He also served as Ghana’s Interior Minister from January 2011 - January 2012 among other distinguished political positions in the past three decades.

At the swearing-in ceremony, Mr. Amidu assured the President and Ghanaians that he will not renege on his promise to fight corruption in the country, despite claims by a section of the populace that he will embark on a political witch-hunt.

“I’ve given Mr. President my word of honour that I will discharge the duties you have entrusted to my care with similar integrity and honour with your support. Mr. President, I want to assure you that, the propaganda about witchhunting will not daunt me from prosecuting all corruption crimes without reference to political considerations. I will treat crime as crime and nothing else,” he assured.

His appointer, President Akufo-Addo also reassured Mr. Amidu that, the independence of his office would not be compromised by the executive or any other arm of government. He said the office would be provided with the needed assistance to effectively deal with corruption and eliminate same.

“I want to assure him that not only will the Executive including the Attorney General

respects scrupulously the independence of his office, but will also provide him with whatever assistance is required to enable him to discharge his high duties effectively in the interest of the Ghanaian people,” he said.

Is He Born To Wrestle With Looters?

Some are born to teach Some are born to preach, others like catching crocs and the likes but in all these, Ghana is blessed - Her first SP is born to wrestle with rogues.

That’s right! The antigraft crusader----Mr. Amidu is born to catch thieves. It’s something he claims he’s been doing in his life time.

And he didn’t mince words when he had his day with the Parliament’s Appointment Committee on Tuesday 13 February 2018 during the vetting session. He told the committee and the whole world what he has up his sleeve.

According to him, he knows all the ways and means or the methods about how to track down nation wreckers - assuring Ghanaians that he’ll catch the thieves regardless of their modus operandi.

“We’ll trace them if they think they’re smart enough to deposit our monies abroad,” he said about looters. For those who think that they’re smart enough and hiding them abroad, may be, they don’t need to approve me, because if they do, I’ve the capability because I’ve done it before and under my administration it will be done.”

He described himself as the man in the arena who finds himself in the mud, face-dirtied, nosebloodied but that won’t stop him from waging battle against corruption.

“Nothing will stop me from fighting corruption; whether I get this position or not because I will continue to fight for the people of this country.

We’ll make sure that if you get into it, we‘ll hold you there. I started fighting corruption as

a young man and I will continue to pursue that.

Crime is crime, political party cards must not be an assurance for crime.

Period,” Mr. Amidu gave the assurance.

I am as well. It’s an insult.

Maybe there’s something wrong that needs to be changed as far as those figures are concerned.

He’s a man to be very proud of,” he said.

High Expectation

Plea Bargain - Is It Amidu’s Objective To Fill The Nation’s Prisons?

Former President John Rawlings says Mr. Amidu is the right individual, emphasising that the former Attorney General has what it takes to chase the economic saboteurs out of town. Rawlings believes Amidu will instil discipline and integrity in our governments and said this of him, “Martin Amidu will help to clean up the situation.

He’s going to help us restore integrity back into governance that you can’t get into government and have the impunity to steal and get away with it. If you don’t trust Martin Amidu, then don’t trust anybody.”

He continued: “To think we [NDC] could have utilized somebody like Martin Amidu many years ago from Prof. Mills to our friend John Mahama but instead, we avoided him, we ostracised him the way we do with people like my wife and me. It takes somebody from a party completely opposed us, Nana Akufo-Addo to come and appoint him, not as a Minister of State but as [Special] Prosecutor.

We ought to give him credit,” he told journalists at the State House during the final funeral rites of the late mathematics and science Professor, Francis Allotey.

“I don’t care if I ‘m not able to prosecute anybody.

We are not going to only fill Nsawam, so that we feed you, we cloth you, we take you to hospital when you’re sick but we will concentrate on collecting the stolen money too because that’s very important. If a person agrees to pay back the money they have misappropriated, ensuring they do that is better than imprisoning them and feeding them with state funds until they grow old and are pardoned, I think we can all move on with our lives”, he told the vetting committee.

Mrs. Ursula OwusuEkuful, Minister of

President Nana Akufo Addo (right and Martin Amidu Communications supports Mr. Amidu on the idea of plea bargain.

She believes the priority of the state should be about recouping every single stolen dime with interest back into the national kitty, by securing the cooperation of the looters through the plea bargain arrangement that the Special Prosecutor Law has introduced for the first time in Ghana.

“I was in Parliament when Amidu was being approved and I was looking at the plea bargaining arrangement in

the law. We are interested in retrieving money than locking people up. So if anybody think they have done something untoward and come out and say this money has come into our possession wrongfully, so here is the money with interest and that’s it, we move on with our lives. It can save all of us a lot of angst as that will be the end of the matter. If there is anyone who find themselves in similar positions, I think they should look at that [option] by killing several birds with one stone and getting on with their lives.”, the minister said.

Law Suit A day before his vetting, a suit was filed at the Supreme Court by Deputy ranking Minority Member on Constitutional Affairs, Dr. Dominic Ayine, who was seeking a declaration that, Mr. Amidu, 66, could not hold public office because he’s exceeded the mandate age limit per the 1992 Constitution.

But Parliament endorsed h i m a s M r. A m i d u received unanimous approval from the House of the Legislature. This happened earlier last week, despite a pending suit at the Supreme Court over his eligibility for the position.

However, Fmr. President Rawlings views the move from Dominic Ayine as an insult - “Do judges stop thinking? Judges can stay on till they are 70. The President is above 70 and

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

Profile of Heads of Governments in Ghana since 1957

Ghana turns 61 years in March this year. It would be exactly 61 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 2018

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) In 2000, President Mahama was re-elected for cont’d on pg. 16

16

The Ghanaian News February 2018

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

Sponsorship of Parents and Grandparents versus Super Visa Applications by Parents and Grandparents The super visa is a fast way of uniting with relatives in Canada and living with them over a considerably long period of time instead of waiting for years to get sponsorship applications processed. Under the super visa application system, a parent or grandparent may apply for a single-entry visa to Canada for two years or apply for a multiple-entry visa for up to ten years with the status period for each entry lasting up to two years, to visit a child or a grandchild.

Like sponsorships, a super visa applicant is required to be the parent or grandparent of a citizen or a permanent resident of Canada. Additionally, the super visa applicant, like persons being sponsored

cont’d from pg. 15

as permanent residents, must undergo medical examinations and be medically admissible to Canada.

Similar to sponsorship applications, the child or grandchild of the super visa applicant who is in Canada is required to meet the minimum income threshold based on one’s family size determined from time to time by the Immigration. However,

if you are sponsoring a parent or grandparent, you must meet the minimum necessary income requirement for each of the three taxation years immediately preceding the date of your application and, unlike super visa applications, the minimum necessary income for such sponsorships is equal to the Low income Cut-offs (LICOs) plus 30 percent.

The two applications are dissimilar in several respects. Among the dissimilarities, a cap of 10, 000 is currently placed on applications to sponsor parents and grandparents but no such cap is placed on super visa applications. Parents who come to Canada through sponsorship

Ghana Government

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 sworn-in 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 dent of the

4th

Dankwa Akufo Addo (7th Republic, 7th January, 2017 –

are given permanent resident status whereas super visa applicants are viewed as visitors, and are therefore required to demonstrate that they will leave Canada by choice at the end of the visa.

And, also, while parents and grandparents who are sponsored to Canada as permanent residents are permitted to engage in employment freely, super visa holders, being visitors, are denied that automatic right.

Parents and grandparents being sponsored as permanent residents can avail themselves of free Government medical services. This is however not the case with parents and grandparents who come with super visas.

The super visa applicant must provide a proof that he or she has a private medical insurance with a Canadian insurance company. The insurance should be valid for each entry to Canada and available for review by a port of entry officer.

Another feature that distinguishes parents who enter Canada as sponsored

permanent residents from super visa holders relates to who can accompany the visa holder. The dependants of super visa applicants are not eligible to accompany the applicants. Only the super visa applicant’s spouse or common-law partner can accompany the applicant.

If dependants want to accompany parents or grandparents who hold super visas to Canada, the dependants will have to apply for regular visitor visas. This is not the case with parents and grandparents who are sponsored to Canada as permanent residents.

The applicants can have their dependent children accompany them to Canada as permanent residents provided they satisfy the conditions of dependency and the minimum income requirements are met.

Prospective applicants should also consider the fact that parents and grandparents who enter and live in Canada as sponsored permanent residents may, by virtue of having lived in Canada as permanent residents

over a long period of time, be entitled to old age security and other benefits but that might not be the case with super visa holders. Regardless of the aggregate number of years super visa holders live in Canada, they are viewed as visitors throughout the entire duration of their stay in Canada.

It is necessary one weighs the benefits and disadvantages of super visa against those of the regular single visitor and regular multipleentry visas and actual permanent resident status acquired through sponsorship applications in the choice-making process. Contact a specialist in Immigration Law for some advice if and when necessary.

James A. Kwaateng, is an Immigration Law practitioner with offices located at 168A Oakdale Road, Suite 4, Toronto, Ontario. For thorough discussion of your immigration and related social and legal issues, contact him at telephone number (416) 743-2758.

Presipresent)

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.

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

Prof George. Sefa Dei speaks at the African Canadian Social Development Council’s Black History Month celebration at the North York Civic Center

By Staff Reporter, North York

Ghanaian-born Professor George Sefa Dei of the University of Toronto was the Keynote Speaker at the event. Professor Dei, who last November 2017 was inducted into the as Fellow of Royal Society of Canada, the most prestigious award for a Canadian academic scholar, spoke candidly about Black and African peoples, our histories and contributions to society and the true meaning of Blackness in the context of the scourge of anti-Blackness and anti-Black racism.

His remarks were widely received by the audience.

Professor Dei reflected on the contributions of African

Prof. George Sefa Dei peoples, our civilizations, the long Black presence in Canada, and our collective responsibilities to build strong, viable communities in Canada. Professor Dei noted how Black and African peoples’ contributions to Canada continue to be a very much untold story. There

is Harriet Tubman and the U n d e rg r o u n d R a i l r o a d ’s struggles of resistance and escape, as well as the Negro Citizenship Association fight for a bill of rights and freedoms that were to inform our current constitutional rights as Canadians. He also noted the fact of how African slaves “helped build the frontier economy of Upper Canada, now Ontario” and the unflinching struggles of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters for collective agreement and fair wages for its members.

Professor Dei then asked the audience to acknowledge the saliency of Blackness in contemporary society, pointing out that how bodies are read is

extremely important and have tangible effects. Professor Dei also cautioned on “the need to challenge a fixed, essentialized & degenerate Blackness by evoking the multidimensionality of Black identities & subjectivities, and to celebrate Blackness in all its complexities (race, class, gender, sexuality, [dis]ability, geographies, etc.]”. He opined that as Black peoples “we must see resistance as a defining part of heterogeneous Blackness and also that Blackness cannot be understood outside a conception of Africanness”.

In his remarks Professor Dei also stressed that “Blackness has not always derived its meaning from Whiteness and

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He cited an important African idiom to end his address, “It is not what one is called that is most important but rather what one responds to”.

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

The Ghanaian News February 2018

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

GCAO VP Speaks at Black History Month Celebration in Toronto From Joe Kingsley Eyiah &Jonathan Annobil, Driftwood Community Centre, Toronto.

Mr. Eric Nyarko, the Vice President of the Ghanaian Canadian Association of Ontario (GCAO) has called on black people especially Muslims and Christians living in Toronto to unite their efforts in moving their community forward.

Mr. Nyarko who is also a young pastor-trainee with the Toronto Ghana Methodist Church used the biblical story of the ‘tower of Babel’ which expresses God’s wonder at the unity of the people at that time in their efforts to build a tower which could reach the heavens. It was only when God confused their common language and brought disunity amongst the people that they failed in their efforts to construct the tower to reach the heavens. “There is therefore strength in unity” Mr. Nyarko emphasized.

He then prayed the Black Christian and Muslim communities in Toronto to organize joint services periodically for their members to promote strong unity among them.

Mr. Nyarko was speaking at Black History Month celebration presented

by Ahmadiyya Muslim Community on February 22, 2018 at Driftwood Community Centre in Toronto. Other speakers at the function included Messers Tristen Brennet, Jeff Martin and Mark Strong of G98.7 Radio in Toronto. Mr. Strong, a Muslim with Christian background, used his experiences in life as a Black person to urge the various Black youth groups to persevere with

their efforts in making d i ff e r e n c e f o r g o o d in their communities.

He was supported in his admonition by Jeff Martin with the assertion that, “the times have empowered us already, it is how we move together to accomplish our objectives as black people that matters now.”

Juda Charles performed the ‘Spoken Word’ while Jason Lindo (JL) sang some old tunes from the Late Bob Marley’s repertoire to inspire the gathering.

During question and answer time, the speakers took time to explain the possibilities and the opportunities available to Christians and Muslims in our African/Black Community to forge ahead together to meet the needs of our community.

The achievements of our community ought to be celebrated every month and not only in February!

The Black History Month (BHM) Celebration which was under the theme: “How Can we Unite African/Black Organizations to Work in Addressing the Current Needs of the African/ Black Community” was ably co-ordinated by Mr. Abid Mirza.

Side attraction included exhibition of products and historic black inventions/pioneers in pictures by African/Black businesses such as the Ghanaian News, Lakeside Estate, Blue Rose Ltd, Sinton Landmark Bus Lines, Caribbean Students Association York University and AhmadyyaJama’at Canada.

Participants

Cross section of participants

Jason Lindo - Singer

Participants

MC Juda Charles - Spoken Word Ghanaian News at Lakeside Estates stand Ahamadiyya Muslim stand

From right: Eric Nyarko, Tristan Briennet, Mark Strong, Jeff Martin, Abid Mirza

Some of the audience Ghanaian News at Black Business stand

The Ghanaian News February 2018

23

Premier Wynne & the Ontario Liberal Caucus holds Black History Month Reception at Queen’s Park

By Jonathan Baah Annobil, Toronto The Government Caucus Room #247, Main Legislative Building atQueen’s Park Toronto, was the venue where P r e m i e r Wy n n e a n d some Ontario Liberal Caucus held a reception to celebrate Black History Month on Monday February 26, 2018.The event was co-hosted

by Hon.Mitzie Hunter, Michael Coteau and Granville Anderson, all MPPs. Ontario Black History Society under past president Dr. Rosemary Sadlier, after series of petitions, was able to secure a proclamation from the Province of

Ontario marking February as Black History Month in 1993. On February 16, 2016 Minister Michael Coteau introduced a bill which after going through the process and the third reading eventually became law in Ontario.

Hon. MitzieHunter welcomed all present and introduced the MPPs and aspiring MPPs. Four young children from Scarborough played the Canadian National Anthem and were given a thunderous applause followed by the rendition of the Black National Anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by Ms. Tiffany Gooch and was

supported by most of the audience.

Hon. Michael Coteau was then called upon to introduce Premier Wynne and took the opportunity to articulate some of the achievements of the Liberal Government including the free pharma care for those under 25 years and the raise of the minimum wage to $14.

Premier Kathleen Wynne flanked by some members of her caucus of diverse backgrounds, remarked that she was happy to be part of the celebrations and also on some of programs initiated by her government for the benefit of all Ontarians.

Premier Wynne with Liberal Cauccus

Ms. Nadine Williams, a poet, recited two poems one in English

and the other in patois to the admiration of the audience. Closing remarks were given by

Hon. Granville Anderson.

An exhibition by Cultural Expression Art Gallery was mounted at the event.

Children, parents, community Brookview Middle School in Toronto marks BHM with HOZA elders and some GCAO executives and Fashion Show from Ghana & at the Homework Club celebration of Black History Month in Toronto other African countries

Joe Kingsley Eyiah in his Ghanaian traditional outfit at Brookview MS BHM

HOZA in dramatic show depicting ‘Apartheid era’ in South Africa at Brookview’s celebration of Black History Month

Ghanaian News celebrates 20th anniversary 1997 - 2018

Ghanaian children who attend the Ghanaian Canadian Association of Ontario (GCAO) Homework Club in Toronto on Sunday, February 25, 2018 put up a simply but splendid Ghanaian traditional show to commemorate t h i s y e a r ’s B l a c k History Month. They greeted adults present at the function in the traditional way and eloquently introduced themselves individually in Twi. (The Homework Club has added the teaching of Ghanaian heritage including the Twi language to its program at 10 Belfield Road in Etobicoke every Sunday).

When the young Ghanaian Canadian girl, Nana Adwoa took to the dance floor to do the traditional adowa she was all graceful and splendid.

The function which was organized by Mavis Terkper (Twi teacher) and Joe Kingsley Eyiah (Principal of the Homework Club) was attended by some elders of the Toronto Ghanaian community including Opanin Tuah of the Brong Ahafo Association, parents of Young Nana Adwoa (a the children and some Ghanaian girl born in Canada) dancing to the tunes executives members of traditional adowa of GCAO led by Mr. Duodu who is the President.

24

The Ghanaian News February 2018

Toronto Ghanaian Seventh Day Adventist Church 25th Anniversary launched February 24, 2018

By Elder Dan Oteng and Media Group,Toronto

The weekend of February 24, 2018 was a spiritually uplifting, memorable celebration experience of Ghanaian Adventist in Toronto. It was the 25th Anniversary Launching weekend at 285 Attwell Drive, Toronto, Ontario.

With the anniversary theme, “By His Faithfulness” the weekend was filled with Series of prayers, worship and celebration. The Guest Speaker for this grand occasion was Pastor Dr. Emmanuel Osei, from New York State, United States. Currently, Pastor Osei is in charge of two churches as a district, namely First Ghana and Yonkers Seventh-day Adventist churches. Pastor

Emmanuel Osei was actively involved with the Toronto-Ghanaian church from its inception to the organization of the church.

Pastor Kwame Owusu Brobbey, the church pastor in his launching message congratulates the church of this milestone” not by might, nor by power”, but by His Faithfulness. When we look back to how the Lord has led the church, we can only praise and thank Him for His goodness and love.

Elder Dr. Kwame Sarpong

Pastor Dr. Emmanuel Osei, Guest speaker

Elder. Dan Oteng giving history of the church

Theme song “By His Faithfulness” written and composed by Sam Asare Bediako was joyfully sung throughout cont’d on pg. 32

Pastor Kwame Owusu Brobbey welcoming the congregation

Elder Dr. Sarpong giving a brief history for Bearea

The anniversary planning committee

Elder Kwaku Gyetuah moderator for the launching giving a welcoming address

Children ministry

Singing groups singing anniversary song

Job Appiah giving a brief church history from Kingview

Congregation praying

Atwell Singing Band

Agnes Amoah giving vote of thanks

Elder Kennedy Asarfo Adjei giving a brief history from Willowdale

The Ghanaian News February 2018

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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 2018

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

1288 Wilson Avenue, Unit #D, Toronto, Ontario

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 2018

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

BEST PRICES IN TOWN

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

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

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

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

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

Tel: 416-244-4496

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

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* 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)

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

Call Rita or George

Tel: 416-650-5368 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 2018

New Kaneshi Market Under New Management Open 7 Days A Week Monday to Friday 8:00 to 9:00 pm Saturdays 9:00 am to 8:00 pm Sundays 2:30 pm to 8:00 pm * Fresh Ghana Yams (Pona) * Palm Oil * Titus Sardine * Exeter Corned Beef

* Akwaabi * Fresh Garden Eggs * Red Snapper * Accra Kenkey

1190 Weston Road 416-614-1664 or 416-317-6327

New African King Meat Shop Under New Management

Lowest Price Guaranteed Specializing in African, Caribbean and Asian Wholesale deal on Yam, Gari, Kokonte and more • • • • •

Burnt Goat Fresh Goat Ox Tail Cow Tripe Smoke Fish

• • • • • •

Ghana Yam Maggi Seasoning cubes Trofai Palm Cream, Palmnut Cream, Ghana Fresh Palm Oil and Coconut Oil Veggies

Business Hours Monday to Friday 10 am - 8:30 pm Saturdays 9 am to 8 pm Sundays 2 pm - 6 pm

Consumer Hotline: 647-344-0988 2223 Jane Street (opposite Chalkfarm) Toronto

The Ghanaian News February 2018

29

What renters need to know about Ontario’s new tenancy lease agreements TORONTO -- Ontarians fed up with battling their landlord over contentious terms they didn’t realize were hidden in the fine print of their lease will soon be getting some reprieve.

On April 30, it will become mandatory for most residential landlords to use a 13page standardized lease agreement, recently unveiled by the provincial government in hopes of protecting tenants from being tricked by

lengthy agreements rife with illegal clauses and language that is hard to understand and often winds up in litigation.

Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario lawyer Dania Majid breaks down the basics of the new lease and what renters should be aware of: ------WHY HAS THE P R O V I N C E INTRODUCED A NEW S TA N D A R D I Z E D AGREEMENT?

Before the new agreement, a lease would look drastically different from one landlord to another. There was a huge range of what was included and excluded.

Even with corporate or professional landlords, their leases contained several illegal clauses that tenants were signing in these long, legalese-type documents. The hope was that by creating a standard form lease that excluded all of these illegal clauses and harmonized what a big landlord and a small

BANTAMA Supermarket Quality Products from Africa & Caribbean Our Products: * White Yams * Smoked Cat Fish (Pitre) *Smoked Herrings (Amane) * Smoked Herrings (Nsisaawa) * African Ocean Mackerel in chilli sauce or in tomates * And much more....

Tel: 647-764-0159 647-764-2335

landlord would put in front of a tenant, it would be simpler, clearer to read, easier to understand, and both parties would know what the rent was and what was being offered or included in that rent.

Right now most major cities, including Toronto, have low vacancy rates, extremely high rent and an affordable housing crisis.

The agreement is trying to level a very unbalanced playing field for tenants and landlords, and close a gap in negotiating power between the two parties.

-------W H AT S H O U L D I LOOK OUT FOR IF I’M A TENANT SIGNING THE NEW LEASE? There is a section at the end of the new lease that allows a landlord to attach a document with additional terms not already in the lease. The standard form lease is comprehensive enough, so a landlord should not need to add any terms. But what we might see creep in -- which is what we were trying to get rid of -- is things like regulating guests and how many you

can have and how long they can stay, and clauses around maintenance like requiring a tenant to do work around the premise like mowing the lawn, shovelling the driveway and undertaking minor repairs inside the unit.

Other things that could slip in there are issues around privacy and when the landlord can have access to the unit, penalty fees, additional processing fees or application fees.

A tenant shouldn’t be paying damage deposits, more than one month’s rent in advance, interest cont’d on pg. 47

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

2300 Finch Ave. W., Unit #48, Toronto, Ont.

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

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)

30

The Ghanaian News February 2018

Billy Graham: Influential Another blow! Veteran actor Super OD is dead actor, Asonaba Kwaku trying to raise him. He was US evangelist dies at 99 Veteran Darko, popularly known as breathing slowly. The voice

US evangelist Billy Graham - one of the most influential preachers of the 20th Century - has died aged 99.

Super OD has passed on.

Graham became one of the best-known promoters of Christianity, beginning his worldwide mission in large arenas in London in 1954.

Confirming his passing on Hitz FM’s daybreak Hitz, Simon, son of Super OD said he died at the hospital.

He died at his home in Montreat, North Carolina, a spokesman for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association said.

In a 60-year career, he is estimated to have preached to hundreds of millions of people.

Graham reached millions of them through TV - the first to use the medium to convey the Christian message on that scale.

Young preacher to worldwide phenomenon Born in 1918 and raised on his family’s dairy farm in Charlotte, North Carolina, Billy Graham became a committed Christian at the age of 16 after hearing a travelling evangelist.

He was ordained a minister in 1939, aged 21.

Graham’s public profile was raised in the United States when he held a two-month ministry in a giant tent in Los Angeles in 1949. in Paris in 1986 His global mission took him to all corners of the world including Nigeria and communist North Korea.

An early sermon outside the US took place before 12,000 worshippers in 1954 in Haringay Arena, London.

At first ambivalent about the civil rights movement in the US,

Super OD is said to have died Tuesday, 13th February 2018.

he became more sympathetic in the 1950s, preaching to racially integrated congregations.

His fiery delivery became more measured with advancing years and controversy surrounding the techniques of mass evangelism.

Graham avoided the scandals - sexual and financial - which dogged some contemporary televangelists through the decades.

A social conservative, he opposed same-sex marriage and abortion.

Graham preached his final revival meeting in New York in 2005 at the age of 86.

As the end of his life approached, he said: “I know that soon my life will be over. I thank God for it, and for all He has given me in this life. But I look forward to Heaven.”

‘Plus side of history’ - tributes Reacting in a tweet, President Donald Trump called him a special man.

He wrote: “The GREAT Billy Graham is dead. There was nobody like him! He will be missed by Christians and all religions. A very special man.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, tweeted that he was an example to generations of modern Christians. BBC

Ebony killed in motor crash Ghanaian dancehall musician Ebony Reigns has died.

He said they were returning from Sunyani after a visit when the unfortunate incident occurred Thursday dawn.

“He was sick though. When we took him to clinic, they said the sugar level shot up. Due to medications, it dropped. It was normal for him to live even though he had been suffering from diabetes. He couldn’t talk well, he eat nicely so we took him to the hospital.

Later, they said we should buy some medicine. We did; he was responding to treatment.

He said they were removed from the mangled vehicle and have since been deposited the Mankraso Hospital morgue.

According to reports, the driver however survived and is receiving treatment.

Adomonline.com

“While he was breathing in and out slowly, we just prayed to God but what would happen would happen,” Simon sorrowfully recounted.

“When you talked to him, he could respond with his head.

This morning, we went there to help him bath and make sure the nurses will come and take care of him. They told us we should go and get some medicine. I realised that something strange was going to happen because he became heavy when we were

Super OD, started acting in the 1970s and gained national prominence in the 1990s for roles in popular series, Akan Drama on Ghana Television.

He was part of the Oppong Drama Group which later became known as Osofo Dadzie Group.

He was 84. abrantepa.com

Appiah Menka dies He was a member of the Constitution Review Commission which was established by the Mills administration.

A founding father of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Mr. Appiah Akenten Menka has died.

He 13 H e

d ied Tu es day, February 2018. w a s

Mr. Appiah Menka is also the Chairman of the Ashanti Oil Mills, Appiah Menka Complex Limited and Appiah Menka Plantations.

8 4 .

Mr. Appiah Menka served as a Minister of State in the Second Republic.

The private legal practitioner and businessman is also known for producing the

popular Appino soap.

He is also the Chairman of the Council of Elders of the NPP in the Ashanti Region. classfmonline.com

Ghanaian Professor dies on duty in China From Joe Kingsley Eyiah

in China, reports further states.

G h a n a i a n P r o f e s s o r, D r.

Reynolds Okine has been reported to have died while on duty in China this week.

His wife, Mrs Dora Okine flew to China to join Prof Okine as he was recovering from his surgery.

Prof Okai, a member of the Amakom SDA Church, Kumasi was the former Rector of Koforidua Poly Technic now Technical University.

Prof Okine, Principal of Kumasi Campus of the University of Education, Winneba left Ghana on educational duty last month and had a crisis that led to his admission in the hospital.

He survived 2 surgeries and was undergoing rehabilitation

The Mankraso District Police Commander told Joy FM that Ebony was returning to Accra to make preparations for a trip to America.

He said Ebony and two military officers were on board a Jeep with registration AS 497—16 from Sunyani heading towards Kumasi when it collided headon with a VIP bus heading towards Sunyani from Kumasi.

was gone; an indication that somebody was going to die.

exercises in a reputable hospital

He left behind a wife and three children.

Call Us First The Ghanaian News 416916-3700

The Ghanaian News February 2018

31

Community Information PART-TIME DRIVER URGENTLY NEEDED Lighthouse Assembly of God is urgently looking for a part-time driver to drive Church bus on Sundays.

Qualifications: • Must have any of the following valid licenses Class: B,D and E • Must have at least 2 years’ experience driving school bus or any bus carrying passengers If you meet the above qualifications, Please call any of the following numbers:

416-7401200 or 647- 6280976

President Akufo-Addo swears in Martin Amidu as Special Prosecutor cont’d from pg. 10

persecution or vengeance.

By the swearingin of Mr.Amidu this afternoon, the process of appointment of the Special Prosecutor, set forth in s.13 of the Act, has been completed.

The enactment of Act 959, and the successful appointment of a S p e c i a l P r o s e c u t o r, are historic events in our modern history.

The Office will be required to do justice to all manner of persons. In his book, “Practice and Procedure In The Trial Courts and Tribunals of Ghana” (2011, Second Edition), the respected, former member of the Supreme Court, Brobbey JSC, reiterated the overriding duty of a Prosecutor in the following words: “Always the principle holds that (the prosecutor) is concerned with justice first, justice second and conviction a very bad third”.

The Ghanaian people have, in overwhelming numbers, denounced the canker of corruption that has, in recent years, engulfed the public life of our nation to the detriment of our progress.

The response of the New Patriotic Party to this strong, popular sentiment, was to pledge, inter alia, in its Manifesto for the 2016 general elections, the establishment of the Office of Special Prosecutor, an independent, non-partisan body, with the relevant professional capability, to lead the fight against corruption, and hold public officials, past and present, accountable for their stewardship of public finances.

The Ghanaian people expect the Office of the Special Prosecutor to rise to the occasion, and collaborate with other existing law enforcement agencies, to fight relentlessly, and help eliminate corruption in our public life. We expect the Special Prosecutor to discharge his duties vigorously, with courage, without fear or favour, ill-will or malice, in accordance with the rule of law. The establishment of this Office is for a high purpose, and must not, under any circumstances, be used as an avenue for

The overwhelming, popular acceptance by the good people of Ghana, and the strong consensus approval by Parliament, of Mr.Amidu’s nomination justify the confidence I repose in him.

Indeed, his eloquence and grasp of issues, displayed to the public during his recent vetting, is further testimony of the soundness of his appointment.

I want to assure him that not only will the Executive, including the Attorney General, respect scrupulously the independence of his Office, but will also provide him with whatever assistance is required to enable him discharge his high duties effectively, in the interest of the Ghanaian people.

The recent publication of Ghana’s score in the 2017 Corruption Perception Index, organised

by Transparency International, showing a further drop in our standing, a result largely based on “the plethora of corruption allegations/

exposés” before the onset of this administration, indicates the enormity of the task ahead.

It is noteworthy that its local chapter, Ghana Integrity Initiative, in commenting on the report, has acknowledged that “digitisation is changing the ways we communicate and how we do business, and as a result reduced the corruption rate in Ghana.”

The Special Prosecutor cannot do it all by himself. He requires the active co-operation of all the institutions of our state, as well as that of the general public, if he is to be successful in the fight against corruption.

I have known Martin Amidu for several years.

Indeed, I was his opposing counsel in many of the landmark constitutional cases in the early years of the 4th Republic in the 1990s, and can personally testify to the tenacity with which he holds onto his views. That tenacity has now to be exercised in favour of the Ghanaian people in his new office.

I congratulate him on his deserved appointment, and wish him God’s guidance in the effort he will undoubtedly be making to try to instil integrity and accountability in the governance of our country.

The ultimate beneficiaries of his actions, indeed, of the actions of all of us in public office, will be the Ghanaian people.

Thank you, and may God bless us all and our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong.

Source: Flagstaff House Communications Bureau

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

Ask Aunty Doris From this edition, we start a new Question and Answer Column with our Columnist on Relationships titled: ASK AUNTY DORIS. Readers who want to chat with our Counselor/Columnist should send their questions to: editor@ghanaiannews.ca She will publish your Question and her Answers in our subsequent issues. Please keep your questions short... maximum of three lines.

Dear Aunty Doris,

Dear Aunty Doris, Dear Aunty Doris, I have an eighteen years old son who just broke up with his girlfriend.

He mentioned to me once that he would commit suicide if he ever finds the girl with another boy. I have tried to talk to him several times but he doesn’t want to talk. What should I do?

Worried Single Mother

Hello Akos:

It’s not uncommon, particularly with teens, that they don’t want to talk. Or, they don’t want to talk to you. The key is that there may be somebody they can talk to, and it’s not a time to stand and say, “You must talk to me because I’m your parent.” Find somebody they do feel comfortable talking to, and try to help them engage with that person. You also talk to your doctor who will refer him to a psychotherapist for counseling.

Good luck.

Dear Aunty Doris, My husband’s ex-wife always accepts whatever story the kids feed her without checking with us to see if the information is accurate. How do we keep the peace?

Hello: Itseems to me you’ve got twoissues going on here: an angry ex-wife plus kids playing both sides against the middle. Your husband, not you, should deal directly with the ex, over disagreements. In the meantime, here’s how to keep your own sanity: The ex and the kids are looking for a reaction; don’t give it to them, no matter how mean or wrong they are. Remind yourself that children struggle for years with split loyalties. Many would love to drive away the step-parent, and making you the step-monster is an excellent tactic. If they repeat bad things their mother said about you, respond in an unemotional, neutral way. ;”That’s not true. Your mom must have heard wrong. Now, who wants lunch?” In return, don’t talk bad about their mother, no matter what she pulls. If you still need help, a therapist who specializes in divorced families can give coping strategies. If the ex’s behavior crosses the line from just irritating to disruptive and alienating, look into getting a court mediator to set some ground rules.

Budget suggests that rollout of infrastructure money will be slower than expected OTTAWA - New figures in this week’s federal budget suggest billions of dollars from the Liberal government’s vaunted infrastructure program now won’t be spent until after Canadians go to the polls next year.

The sluggish pace of federal infrastructure spending has been a persistent burr under the saddle of a government that rode to power on a promise to ramp up spending for roads, bridges, community centres, transit and water systems to stimulate the economy.

Tuesday’s budget showed more than $3.8 billion from Phase 1 of the plan -- which was supposed to be spent by the end of the month -- won’t be totally out the door until at least 2021.

The second phase of spending, which

Should a married person have a close friend of the opposite sex? I am married and all my close friends are males. My husband gets upset and tells me its not right for a married woman to be close friends with men.

Akos

is still subject to negotiations with the provinces and territories, has also seen its funding moved around: the government now says more than $3 billion won’t be spent until at least 2025, with the majority of that spending to take place in 2028.

There is nothing wrong with married women to be friends with guys, however, there are some principles that we would be wise to heed.

Married people especially need to be wary of friendships with members of the opposite sex because temptations are more likely to arise when there are marital problems. If a man’s best friend is a woman who is not his wife, he is likely to share these problems with her, which can lead to an unhealthy emotional attachment. The same holds true for a woman who has as a best friend a man who is not her husband.

Most married people who have affairs don’t purposely go out to find a romantic interest outside of their marriage. Many people say, “I didn’t mean for it to happen; it just happened”. But these things “just happen” when we “play with fire” and put ourselves in situations that are difficult to control.

When we feel a spouse is not attentive to our needs, we can easily feel that we have “fallen in love” with someone else who does give us the attention we crave. When we feel ignored or under-appreciated by a spouse, we should communicate our struggles with the spouse and avoid the danger of seeking comfort elsewhere.Married men and women should carefully avoid putting themselves in compromising situations when it comes to the opposite sex. If they are seen together in public, it might give the wrong impression. If they are alone on the phone or in person, they will subject themselves to the temptation of an emotional or physical affair, so the wise thing would be to stick to visiting as couples or “double dating” with other married couples, as opposed to risking the complications associated with close friendships with the opposite sex.

Toronto Ghanaian Seventh Day Adventist Church celebrates 25th Anniversary cont’d from pg. 24 the entire weekend celebration. Friday, February 23rd evening was a special prayer session and Sabbath morning was a remarkable worship with many visitors. The anniversary was officially launched Sabbath afternoon, February 24th, in a colorful ceremony, of great joy in celebration.

o First Week August 4th – HOME COMING

The 25th Anniversary celebration will be ALL YEAR EVENTS.

The organizers express to the church members and the community to look for more information via social media, WhatsApp, Yonkodo Radio, Ghanaian News and others.

Highlights of the Occasion · Series of Prayer and Fasting Session

And that might not be the end of it, since the budget also warns that further adjustments may have to be made over time.

A spokesman for Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi says the new numbers reflect when the government expects to receive expense claims from cities and provinces, a process that often creates a lag between when work takes place and when the federal money is spent. The Canadian Press

· Inspirational Music Concert · Community Outreach Cleaning Campaign · Out-door Sporting Events · Health Fair- Free Blood Glucose/BMI Check · Worship and Celebration · The Climax will be in August

o S e c o n d We e k A u g u s t 11 t h HISTORIAL REFLECTION o T h i r d We e k A u g u s t 1 8 t h CELEBRATION

Hallelujah … “Let us Celebrate”

BY HIS FAITHFULNESS … “We’ve come thus far” Contacts Elder Gyetuah: (416) 833-6794/ Elder Dan Oteng :( 647) 219-1400/ Elder Dan Nyantakyi (647) 296-4353/ Amponsaa Laryea: (416) 522-7060/ Agnes Amoah: (647)760-3683/ Janet Sarpong: (647)458-1867/ Samuel Appiah: (416) 30-1555

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

Apostle’s Continuation Church International’s 28 Day Fasting & Prayer Ends

By Jonathan Baah Annobil, Toronto

The annual Fasting and Prayers event of the Apostle’s Continuation Church international (ACCI) Toronto successfully climaxed on Sunday February 25, 2018 after 28 days of fasting and prayers.

The fasting began on Sunday cont’d on pg. 50 Apostle Charles Anokye Manu

Apos. Anokye-Manu with some pastors and elders

Congregation

Media crew

Music Ministry

Congregation Congregation

Praises Time Men Praises Time Women

Women Leaders

Women Leaders

Children

Congregation

The Ghanaian News February 2018

35

Induction of Officers of Susana Wesley Mission Auxiliary (SUWMA) at Ghana Calvary Methodist United Church Toronto. cont’d from pg. 1 their experiences with all to save Society.

liberalization. “It seems today”, he said, “that, science and modern culture have solution to every human problem hence, the world does not need God, forgetting the fact that, God is the God of Culture, Science, and Technology”

To u c h i n g o n t h e expectations of Christians, he said that they have no other business than to promote the kingdom of God through witnessing.

He wondered whether today’s Christians are exercising their core The Very Rev. Atuahene responsibility to rescue lamented that news the perishing and caring for the dying souls?

He lamented that the world today is getting away from God as a result of the emergence o f t e c h n o l o g y, secularization and

around the world today testify that the world is living in total darkness, and Christians who

have been chosen as the light to guide the world cont’d on pg. 41

Supt Inister Toronto Circuit Very Rev. Joseph Owusu Atuahene

Theresa Impraim, Circuit Chaplain, Montreal

Very Rev. Albert K. Appiah, Host

Charles Coffie Jnr.

Sisters Brenda and Sarah, Calgary Circuit Patron Nana Adu Sarkodie Montreal receiving gift President Theresa (right) and some members

Some SUWMA members From left Dr & Mrs Firang, Tine Kessie, Theresa Efua Matheer Nana Adu Nuako congratulating the New Executives

Group picture of the Executives with the Clergy

Group pictures of the Executives with Opoku Agyemang and the Clergy

Diocesan Executives Theresa Efua Matheer addressing the members

Cross section of SUWMA

Group of inducted officers

36

The Ghanaian News February 2018

Community

y in pictures

The Ghanaian News February 2018

37

38

The Ghanaian News February 2018

PEOPLE AND PLACES

Doris Osei Bonsu celebrates her birthday in style with friends

Doris Osei Bonsu and husband cutting cake Friends and well-wishers at the party

Dr. Wiafe-Amoako leads NPP, Toronto

By Eddie Ameh, Toronto Dr. Francis Wiafe-Amoako was elected chairman of the Toronto chapter of the New Patriotic Party over the weekend.

He won a landslide victory, comfortably beating Kwaku Gyetua in an election which initially was thought to be a stiff competition between both men. A third contender Macdonald Agbenyo stepped down just before the election.

Wiafe-Amoako polled 34 out of the valid 39 votes cast, leaving Gyetua with only five votes. Gyetua congratulated WiafeAmoako for winning the position and pledged his support and commitment to his leadership. He said he was available to help in any capacity to make the NPP and Nana Addo’s vision for the country succeed.

Wiafe-Amoako thanked his main contender Gyetua for the competition and promised to make the chapter relevant in national discourse. “I want to make this chapter very vibrant and make sure we are heard both in national and international conversations,” he said.

He also said he wants to help members, most of whom have business ideas and want to establish businesses back home to do so taking advantage of the diaspora office at the presidency. “There are a lot of members who have business ideas and want to help back home. I will help them take advantage of the numerous policies of the president to make sure that happens smoothly,” he added.

Francis Dwomoh who was the lone contender for the position of vice chairman polled 38 of the “Yes” votes against only one “No” votes. Samuel Nana Yaw Ameh, the incumbent organizer polled 37 “Yes” votes against two “No” votes as the only contender for the position of secretary. Samuel Asirifi also won the position of Organizer as the sole candidate polling 36 “Yes” votes against three “No” votes. Samuel Ofosu Ware also polled 35 “Yes” votes against four no votes to retain his position as treasurer. He stood unopposed.

Outgoing chairman, Chris Acheapong said he believes the new team will take the chapter to a new level. “I have confidence in the new team and I believe they will achieve a lot for the party in the next four years,” he said.

Acheapong also charged the new executives to embark on membership drive and whip up interest for older members whose interests have waned over the last few years.

The election was held in a peaceful atmosphere in sharp contrast to the acrimony that characterised the election four years ago.

Four years ago, the election was fraught with so much controversy that it nearly resulted in the split of the party. Acting General Secretary John Boadu stepped in to mediate and helped with a road map to peace. This in large contributed to the smooth running of the election.

from right to left: Dr. Francis Wiafe-Amoako chairman-elect NPP, Toronto, Nana Yaw Ameh, Samuel Ofosu Ware, Samuel Asirifi Wiafe-Amoako, a political science professor at the University of Toronto promised to provide a new kind of

leadership that will attract everybody to come on board.

The new executives will be sworn in office on March 25.

Ghanaian News celebrates 20th anniversary 1997 - 2018

The Ghanaian News February 2018

39

African Canadian Social Development Council celebrates 1st Black History

By Jonathan Baah Annobil, Toronto

Month at the North York Civic Center North York Civic Center 5100 Yonge Street Toronto was the venue of the 1st African Canadian Social Development Council’s (ACSDC) celebration of Black History Month on Tuesday February 27, 2018.Some Ghanaian chiefs and a queen mother decked in their colourful kente costumes were ushered into the chambers amidst the playing of adowa music. They were, as custom demands led, by an adroit adowa dancer took their place after greeting the audience. The President of the board and general membership of ACSDC, Mr. Sam Kabu Asante delivered a short welcome address. He explained the composition of the Council which is an umbrella of about 38 cultural organizations from 38 African countries based here in Toronto. He added that when we are united we can go places as our voices will catch the eyes of the authorities.

Mrs. Lanre Tunji Ajayi, CEO of Sickle Cell awareness Group of Ontario gave a short lecture on the traits of Sickle Cell and appealed to people to get tested for Sickle Cell as all sickle cell conditions are inherited from both parents. She also spoke about Bill S-21, an Act recognizing June 19th of every year as the National Awareness Day which became law on December 12, 2017.

The Rhythm, a Nigerian Cultural Group

Empress Aisha and Kiyoya Amoah, entertainers

then took to stage to entertain the crowd with their beautiful dances.This performance was followed by remarks by the Consul General of Ghana in Toronto Mr. Thomas Seshie. He said that people in the diaspora are assets to their respective countries. Israelites came back to build Jerusalem. Singapore was transformed by its diasporans and the same applies to other countries. He emphasized the need to link up with our

home countries and help develop them.

Diasporans have the wealth, expertise and exposure that could be harnessed to transform our countries.

The Consul General continued that Ghana has been independent for 61 years and has been relying on handouts from donor countries but if it could solve our own problems, Ghana and other countries could have been economically cont’d on pg. 44

Kabu Assante, President

Emmanuel Duodu, GCAO President

Prof. George Sefa Dei, Keynote speaker

Vernon Hendrickson

Thomas Seshie, C Cnsult General

Andrew Motouba, Vice President

Nananom

Mrs. Lanre Tunji Adjaye

Anna Owusu Prempeh Aidoo, MC

The Rythm - Nigeria

Some invited guests Cross section of invited guests

Cultural dancers

Cross section of audience

40

The Ghanaian News February 2018

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41

Frankly Speaking One Year of Nana AkufoAddos’s Government in Ghana: A Balance Sheet By: Dr. Michael Baffoe, Winnipeg, MB

The government of President Nana Addo DankwaAkufo Addo has been in office for a little over a year now as the nation celebrates 61 years of nationhood: It has been in power for precisely fourteen months.

As part of our celebrations of the nation’s 61 st birthday anniversary, I will attempt an accounting and evaluation of the government’s performance over the past one year.

Nana Akufo Addo and his NPP party swept to power in a massive electoral victory on December 7, 2016, winning the Presidency by nearly 54% to 44% for his opponent, the then incumbent President, John DramaniMahama. His political party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) swept the Parliamentary poll by a comfortable 169 seats to the opposition NDC’s 106. The President and his party won the crucial elections on the promises they made to the Ghanaian people and most importantly, on the high hopes and expectations that the citizens had for a change of direction of the way the country was governed.

The factors and indicators that influenced the people’s decision to vote out the previous government and party, and usher in a new government and Party were numerous, but clear.

They ranged from a derailed and broken national economy, run-away inflation rates, high levels of unemployment, especially among the youth, high levels of corruption among public officials, a deteriorating security situation, especially armed robberies on highways, o n p e o p l e ’s h o m e s , a n d businesses, and arrogance of public officials, to name but a few. There was despondency among the populace: People had lost hope in the country and its government’s ability to turn the nation’s fortunes around in the run-up to the December 2016 elections..

Against the background of the indicators above, the a s s u m p t i o n o f o ff i c e o f President Akuffo Addo and his government brought an almost immediate lowering of the tension and temperature in the country. This underscores the definition of hope, which is “the expectation of something good”. Ghanaians were actually hoping that the new government will succeed, to a large extent, in turning their fortunes around for their standards of living to

be improved.

It is gratifying to say with confidence that the President and his government have achieved some gains for the country since taken office in January, 2017. The economy seems to be on a stabilizing mode; inflation has gone down significantly, public confidence in their government seems to have gone up a bit, if not too high. In terms of the economy, I will give the government a grade of B. This is because although they have put in place some stabilizing measures, we are yet to achieve significant economic growth and stability.

The rate of the national currency, the Cedi, is still hovering around GHC3.40 to US$1.00, despite an initial improvement in the early days of the government’s assumption office. The C3.40 to one US Dollar was about the same rate the Cedi was as at the time of the elections in December, 2016. On inflation, the rate has come down significantly from around 13 to 15% as at the end of November 2016 to around 9% to 10% as at January 2018. In that area, I will rate the government’s performance level at a B+.

One area that the government has performed poorly is in the area of employment, and critically on youth employment.

This is one area that then Presidential Candidate, Nana Akufo Addo and his NPP party made the most noise in the campaign and raised a lot of hopes and expectations among the youth. As at the time of writing this piece on March 1 st, 2018, the eve of the nation’s 61st birthday, and fourteen months into the reign of this government, there has been little or no dent in the levels of youth employment in the country. During the election campaign, Nana Akufo emphasized over and over again, and the citizens agreed with him, that the unacceptable high levels of unemployment

among the nation’s youth, poses a great security risk.

And sure it is! The youth are graduating from High Schools, Colleges, Universities, and skills training programs with no hope of finding employment if they have no connectionto people in government and ruling party. To that extent, the hopes of the country’s youth that their fortunes were going to turn around quickly with the election of Nana Addo and his party, have been dashed. In the area of job creating and slaying the unemployment dragon, I will rate the performance of the government as FAIL, a capital “F”.

Following the government’s own analysis of the unemployment issue as a national security risk, the raging and increasing levels of unemployment among the nation’s energetic youth has translated into a deteriorating security situation in the country.

Armed robberies, some of them in broad daylight undertaken by well-built young men and women, which went down significantly in the early weeks and months of the government’s tenure, have arisen to alarming proportions. The armed robbers are roaming the nation’s towns, villages, highways, businesses, homes and the streets robbing people with impunity, killing and maiming their victims in the process. Some have attacked Police Stations, of all places, and freed their criminal accomplices from police cells, sometimes killing police personnel in the process. In the last month of February, attacks on businesses dealing with money transfers and exchanges have been the preferred targets of the criminals. In the last week of February, armed robbers attacked a car dealership in Accra in broad daylight shooting their way to the location of the company’s monies from their sales, roughing up and injuring workers in the process.

A number of robberies have also taken place in Tema, the Port City where a Lebanese businessman was shot and killed after being robbed of his money withdrawn from the bank. The list goes on and on.

People are living in heightened sense of fear and anxiety. With calls from the public for the resignation of the nation’s security chiefs, the Minister of Interior and the Inspector General of Police for their shoddy performance, the Police

administration has re-organized and shuffled their top ranks to try and get a handle on the deteriorating security situation.

In the area of security therefore, the government scores a C. On the fight against the raging canker of corruption, the President and his government has taken a number of positive measures: these range from closing the loophole in awarding government contracts and minimizing the use of sole sourcing, a mechanism that the previous government was using to siphon public money into private pockets sometimes to pay for no work done or to overprice government contracts. The President hit a bull-horn with a master stroke of appointing Mr. Martin AlamisiAmidu as the Special Public Prosecutor, the first in the nation’s history to tackle corruption in public life and to protect the public purse.

Even before he starts work, the

mere mention of his name alone strikes fear and panic among the public thieves.

In this area of fighting corruption, therefore I will rate the government performance with an A. In terms of behavior of government officials, there are some elements in the government who continue to exhibit arrogance, as if nothing has changed in the country. The president needs to send such people a strong message that arrogance has no place in the new Ghanaian dispensation.

Overall, I will rate the performance of Nana AkufoAddo’s government over the past one year at a B. We hope they will improve their performance significantly during the year 2018 so that on the 62nd anniversary of the nation’s independence next year, we will be proud and have good reasons to increate their grade level and GPA.

Induction of Officers of Susana Wesley Mission Auxiliary (SUWMA) at Ghana Calvary Methodist United Church Toronto cont’d from pg. 35

have comfortably joined the world in darkness. “They have lost their potency and focus”, he said, and Church members are fighting one another within the church, instead of fighting the real enemy, Satan. We was particularly das about how people struggle for positions in the church instead of focusing on evangelism, and expressed the regret that pride and arrogance have become the order of the day, while sycophancy and complacency have filled the pews. “Leaders are over feeding on the flock instead

of feeding them”, he said.

It is for the above vices, he said that the memberships of the church are declining because we have failed to witness to Christ. He t h e r e f o r e c h a rg e d t h e inductees and all Christians to get up and rekindle our witnessing role to rescue the world. “It is very urgent and the duty also demands it”, he concluded.

The chairpersons for the induction were Dr. & Mrs. Firang with Ms Tina Kessie as vice-chairperson.

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43

Ghana remembers 28th February crossroads shooting incident allied forces during the Second World War, were killed while the Regiment was going to present a petition to the then British C o l o n i a l G o v e r n o r, S i r G e r a l d C r e a s y.

News about the death of the servicemen spread r a p i d l y, l e a d i n g t o a situation where law and order broke down in Accra and other parts of the country.

Five wreaths were laid in memory of the dead veterans. Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia laid a wreath on behalf of government and the people of Ghana.

The ex-servicemen were going to present a petition to the Governor on their unpaid war benefits when they were intercepted at the crossroads by a contingent of armed policemen.

It encouraged anticolonial movements to press the British government to institute a committee to investigate the killings and general disorder.

on February 28, 1948, S e r g e a n t A d j e t e y, Corporal Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey, all members of the Gold Coast Regiment of the R o y a l We s t A f r i c a n Frontier Force, that fought alongside the

The contingent, led

by British Police Superintendent, Mr. Colin Imray, ordered that they disperse and when they refused to obey, he gave an order to the police to open fire and the three exservicemen were killed.

Ghana on Wednesday, 28th February 2018, commemorated the 70th anniversary of the 28 February Christianborg crossroads shooting incident at the Nationalism Park at Osu in Accra.

The Committee recommended selfgovernment for the Gold Coast, which subsequently led to the attainment of political independence for the country on 6 March 1957. classfmonline.com

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From left: Sgt. Adjetey, Private O. Lamptey, Cpl Attipoe

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

“Let Us Talk About Migration”

Community Concerns

By: Stephen A.Quaye.

International migration is a complex phenomenon that touches on a multiplicity of economic, social and security aspects affecting our daily lives in an increasing interconnected world, the world migration report 2018 has made it clear.

According to the report, current estimates are that there are 244 million international migrants globally or 3.3% of the world’s population.

While the vast majority of people in the world continue to live in the country which they were born, more people are migrating to other countries, especially those within their region.

Many others are migrating to highincome countries that are further afield. Work is the major reason that people migrate internationally, and migrant workers constitute a large majority of the world’s international migrants, with most living in highincome countries and many engaged in the service sector.

Global displacement is set at a record high, with the number of internationally displaced at over 40 million and the number of refugees more than 22 million the report revealed.

MIGRATION. Migration can be simply defined as a seasonal movement of human beings from one region to another or movement from somewhere to somewhere.

In other words,human migration, is said to be the movement by people from one place to another with the intentions of settling, permanently or temporarily in a new

location which started from creation of the world.

The book of life records that Adam and Eve, the first couple, sinned a ga inst God a nd h e moved or migrated them from the Garden of Eden to elsewhere, Abraham was moved from his father’s house onto the land flowing with milk and honey.

Jacob and his twelve sons of Israel migrated to Egypt, Israelites migrated from Egypt to the Promised Land, Mary and Joseph heeding the angel’s voice moved Jesus to Egypt to escape the King Herod’s massacre of young children from the age of four to a day old male and Slaves were moved from Sub Saharan Africa to plantations in North America.

The story of movement by people from one place to another has been with us since creation till this present generation and will be with us till the end of the world.

MAJOR CAUSES OF MIGRATION A human rights organization called One America says that, migration is a complex process and has been a feature of human societies for many centuries.

It said, there are many r e as o n s w h y p e o p le choose to migrate, i n c l u d i n g p o v e r t y, armed conflict, social strife, political turmoil, economic hardships and more.

Ultimate Visa, another human rights organization also argues that people migrate for a number of reasons amongst them are environmental, economic, cultural, political and social which

are categorized into two factors being push factors and pull factors.

As one may understand, people are either pushed or pulled to migrate.

Either they involuntarily or voluntarily migrated.

It says that push factors are the reasons why people leave an area. They are usually involuntarily or forced migration because of crop failure, drought, flooding, poverty and war.

Pull factors are the reasons why people are attracted or pulled to a particular area. They are usually voluntarily migrations in the area of better services, good climate, and higher employment, lower risk from natural hazards, more fertile lands, more wealth, political stability, safer, less crime.

T H E L AW O N MIGRATION The International Organization for Migration [I.O.M], states that, “international law [I.ML], which is the international legal frame work governing migration, is not covered by any one legal instrument or norm.

Instead, IML is an umbrella term covering a variety of principles and rules that together regulate the international obligations of states with regard to migrants”.

Now that you, a potential migrant know the reasons or the causes of migration, where do you think you belong?

Are you being pushed or pulled to migrate to a country where you face deportation?

Let us talk about deportation, my next article.

To be continued.

Doris Osei Bonsu, Crisis Counselor, Toronto Lots of young adults believe they have a soul mate somewhere waiting for them, according to a study. Clearly, the idea of a soul mate is a pervasive one … but is it real? Where did the term even come from? Is it dangerous to put so much faith in a notion that is nearly impossible to prove?For many, the idea of a soul mate is rooted in fate, God’s will. Others have no clear understanding of exactly why they believe in the idea of a soul mate but still feel strongly that they are destined to be with one specific person in this world.

The concept of a soul mate is a seductive one; the thought that one person can perfectly complete, or at least complement us, is incredibly attractive.

If and when we find our true soul mate, our flaws won’t really matter since our soul mate will be perfectly equipped to handle and balance these flaws.When times are good, it is easy to believe that the person you are with could be your soul mate. But when things get harder, this same confidence can just as easily be shaken. What if you were wrong— what if this person was really never truly your soul mate? Surely, your true soul mate would never disappoint you, never misunderstand you, will never hurt you.

Maybe your real soul mate is still out there somewhere, waiting for you.

While the concept of a soul mate can never be definitively proved, neither can it be disproved. So what harms can come from believing in soul mates, or at least hope for one? The problem can be that our concept of soul mates can cause us to have unrealistic

Soul Mates Do Exist expectations for love and prompt us to leave relationships that actually have a great future. Let’s take for example that you have found someone special, a possible soul mate candidate. There is a 20-year study that suggests that 55 to 60 percent of divorcing couples discarded unions with real potential. Many of these individuals maintained that they still loved their partner but were bored or felt the relationship hadn’t lived up to their expectations.

Viable relationships are often tossed out, not because of irreversible problems, but because our partner didn’t quite measure up to the romantic ideals that we had in our head. Particularly in the long-term, committed relationships or marriage. We sometimes end a solid relationship merely because you are no longer 100% convinced your partner is your soul mate. That, I am afraid, seems irresponsible.That is not to say we should stay in unhealthyrelationships, but rather, that we should weigh the merits of a relationship objectively.. But being a good fit doesn’t mean that you need to share every personality trait or interest as your partner.

Soul mates may very well exist … perhaps you are fortunate enough to have found yours already. Ultimately what matters though is not our partner’s ability to pass some mysterious soul mate test. What matters most is that we have confidence in our ability to continue finding beauty, strength, and yes, true love, in our relationship with the person we’re with.

African Canadian Social Development Council celebrates 1st Black History cont’d from pg. 39 independent. He ended that Africa has what it takes to develop so we have to help our countries to develop and believes that we can.

Mr. Emmanuel Duodu, President of the Ghanaian Canadian Association of Ontario (GCAO) remarked that we have a responsibility to mentor our youth.

Barack Obama, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and Nelson Mandela, all with their youthful exuberance had a vision of becoming presidents of their respective countries which all came to pass. We should help our youth as future leaders in our various communities to enable them reach their potential by lifting up our communities through youth engagement.

Mr. Vernon Hendrickson of Thornhill African Caribbean Canadian Association says he has known Kabu Asante for over

30 years in Canada. He talked about how slaves were taken from Africa to the West Indies to work on sugar cane and cotton plantations. The produce was then shipped to England and reshipped to Africa in other forms like gunpowder.

It was because of the political, religious and philosophical reasons why it went on for a long time.

Empress Aisha and Kiyoya Amoah entertained the crowd in a song for the occasion after which Empress Aisha recited a poem she wrote for the event titled “ Black History why we do it”.

The Keynote speaker, Prof. Sefa Dei of University of Toronto spoke about Black and African peoples, our histories and contributions to society and the true meaning of Blackness in the context of the scourge of anti-Blackness and antiBlack racism. Vote of thanks to bring the event to an end was done by Andrew Motouba, Vice-President of ACSDC. The MC for the occasion wasAnna Owusu Prempeh Aidoo.

The Ghanaian News February 2018

Lifestyle

Timely intake of water can reduce hypertension - Study Reveals Drinking of adequate quantities of potable water throughout the day can help reduce cases of high blood pressure, Dr Gregory Ba-Lagi Lugu Zuri, Medical Officer in-charge of Natural Wellness Center has said.

sustainable management of freshwater resources.

“When you don’t drink more water, your blood becomes thick and this creates difficulty in circulation of it to the various parts of the body.

Drinking adequate water lightens the blood and facilitates not only blood flow but the circulation of nutrients,” he explained.

Dr Zuri noted that, “Most people who die of hypertension could have been saved if they took water therapy seriously.

When you start to feel thirsty then it means that your cells are agitating for more water and you should respond quickly by drinking adequate water”.

Dr Zuri who disclosed this at the media launch of the World Water Day (WWD) on Tuesday at Ngleshie Amanfrom, a suburb of Accra said a study conducted at their health facility showed that 20 per cent of patient with hypertension case were caused by thirst.

The Medical Director encouraged the public to drink water to help food digestion, clear their system and protect them from medical conditions including severe headache and general body pains.

The WWD was instituted by the United Nations in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and since then, the day has been celebrated by the international community on the March 22 of each year to draw attention to the importance of water and advocate for

The theme for this year’s celebration is “Nature for Water,” with a focus on exploring naturebased solutions to 21st Century water challenges.

He recommended that people should cultivate the habit of drinking adequate water first thing in the morning, midmorning and before bed to enhance blood circulations and excretion.

Mr Ben Yaw Ampomah, Executive Secretary o f Wa t e r R e s o u r c e Commission (WRC) said most water bodies in the country were been polluted through improper household waste disposal,

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Is fast food to blame for Ghana’s obesity epidemic?

There is growing concern about rising obesity in Ghana and Africa at large.

According to research by Quartz, obesity is high among urban African women between 15 and 49 years He said communities and has increased in the 24 African n e e d e d t o d e v e l o p countries the research has been c o p i n g s t r a t e g i e s conducted in over the last 25 years. which should include l o c a l t e c h n o l o g i c a l Egypt has the highest prevalence innovations, management of obesity, with two out of every p r a c t i c e s a n d a l s o five Egyptians (39%) being obese, d e m o n s t r a t e s o m e followed by 22% in Ghana, with practical knowledge in obesity being most prevalent among their livelihood activities lower income earners. Among obesity to ensure efficient use of factors, the most cited today is fast food. their water resources. The Executive Secretary urged Late last year, the New York Times the chiefs and people published an article titled “Obesity of communities along Was Rising as Ghana Embraced Fast river bodies to maintain Food. Then Came KFC”, where the customary rules and writers argue that the growing rate regulations on water use. of obesity in the country is being Mr Ampomah advised the fueled by changing lifestyles and public to revisit rainwater- diet, rising income, social pressure harvesting techniques for and status, and notably, KFC and water supply and form Pizza Hut, whose lure and propaganda Traditional Community Ghanaians can’t seem to resist.

Based Organisations as steps to guard water. In fact, the country seems poised to collapse under the weight of its people.

Mrs Adwoa Darko, Public Relations Officer of WRC This week, signs at the Accra Mall said the global objective point to the emergence of yet another of this year ’s WWD fast food franchise in the country – celebrations were to raise Burger King. Burger King first entered public awareness about the African market via South Africa the potential of nature- in 2013 and has acquired the rights based solutions for water to open stores in Zambia, Botswana, management policy and Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia practice, and educate the and Mauritius, Angola, and Ivory public on the importance Coast, where it is currently operating. of exploring nature-based solutions to tackle key With Ghana regaining its position challenges confronting as the “star of the West”, Ghana’s t h e w a t e r s e c t o r . market seems poised for Burger King’s entry as analysts rank it as Africa’s ghananewsagency.org fastest-growing economy this year.

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B u t , F a s t F o o d C a n ’ t Te l l G h a n a ’s E n t i r e O b e s i t y S t o r y With Burger King set to open, many are quick and eager to point to fast food as the cause of the country’s obesity crisis.

This, however, may be misguided.

Although Ghanaians face mounting pressure and exposure to “Western” fast and processed foods, Ghanaians and Africans, in general, have a history of obesity that predates these players.

Ghanaians have traditionally praised “larger bodies” – beer belly for men, and big buttocks for women – as signs of wealth, power, and being well-kept.

These social cues and aspirations are decades old and go beyond easy troupes of Africans being manipulated

by Western fast food propaganda.

Ghanaians also find themselves negotiating among their choices and portions with traditional foods, as they move from active, labor-intensive work on farms to more sedentary, office lifestyles, which require less of the local carbohydrate-rich foods ( ie. fufu and banku) Ghanaians are used to. Ghanaian food as Ghanaians enjoy them today also contributes to obesity.

On the side of consumer health, growing access to technology and information means more Ghanaians are learning about illnesses and diseases and their causes, diagnosis, and treatment.

Both lifestyle changes and access to technology has led to an increase in the reported number of healthrelated illnesses and has encouraged many to pursue a healthy lifestyle.

There are countless gyms, fitness clubs, vegetarian and vegan restaurants, health stores, and online groups and vendors who are fanning the health craze in Ghana. These scores of fitness enthusiasts in the country must be encouraged and supported.

In sum, the history of obesity in Ghana reaches far beyond the recent influx of fast food restaurants. To fully address the concerning issue of obesity in Ghana and Africa at large, governments, health officials and interested public entities must deal with the deeper cultural history of obesity in their societies.

As one research in South Africa found, in many cases, obese women in Africa are often malnourished or over-nourished, often eating for comfort, pleasure, and food, which points to a larger cultural and health problem way beyond eating fast food.

“Although women expressed the desire to lose some excess weight for practical reasons, there was no negative social pressure to motivate this. The attitudes recorded from the research project suggest that cultural perceptions of excess body weight … complicate the design of effective health promotion strategies to normalise and maintain ideal body weight”, the researchers explained.

Sure, foreign fast food entrants must be regulated and cautioned against. But cultural beliefs about body aesthetics are yet to fully change and this will continue to impede any progress in the area if not addressed. face2faceafrica.com

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

Young Ghanaian entrepreneur honoured by Buckingham palace

By John F. Davis A young Ghanaian entrepreneur based in the UK, Mr Poku Osei, was on February 14th, honoured by the Buckingham palace for his immense contributions in the

commonwealth diaspora.

Mr Osei, together with other distinguished personalities were selected and acknowledged during a reception? organized

by the Queen,? in advance of the London Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, for their ?civic contributions, to the ?wider ??communities? in the UK.?

Mr Osei was selected for his company, Babbasa, a Community Interest C o m p a n y, w h i c h ?provides professional mentoring schemes, accredited skills training and ?career-orientated

events?, aim at supporting young people to move into education or self-employment.

His contributions cont’d on pg. 61

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Feds tighten tax rules for small businesses and passive income in budget cont’d from pg. 6 expected departmental spending and reprofiled infrastructure commitments.

But due to the new investments, the government will continue posting annual deficits.

Morneau plan to raise long-term growth is counting on waves of new measures designed to advance fundamental science, nurture the innovative economy and to knock down many of the barriers preventing women from fully participating in the workforce.

Indeed, one of the predominant themes of the budget is increasing the workforce participation of women, which many say will bring big economic benefits for Canada.

But it remains to be seen whether the additional investments will be enough to give future generations the economic boost the Liberals have vowed to deliver.

Some say Ottawa has spent too much because the government may have to eventually address another economic downturn or any potential fallout from the trade and competitiveness uncertainty connected to the United States.

Others argue Morneau should be spending far more if he truly wants to increase Canadian growth. For example, some said the budget’s lack of a comprehensive child-care plan means O t t a w a h a s n ’t g o n e far enough to ensure the economy reaps the benefits of boosting female participation in the workforce.

The government is projecting deficits roughly in line with its October projections. The new outlook now shows an $18.1-billion shortfall for 2018-19 that’s expected to gradually shrink to $12.3 billion in 202223, including annual $3-billion cushions to offset risks.

During the 2015 campaign, the Liberals had pledged to keep annual deficits at no more than $10 billion and to balance the books by 2019.

On Tuesday, Morneau reiterated that he’s instead focused on another fiscal “anchor” of lowering the net debt-to-GDP ratio - a measure of Ottawa’s debt burden - each year. The budget predicts the ratio to decline each year over the outlook.

The lack of a zero will draw criticism, particularly from the

opposition Conservatives.

There are concerns over Ottawa’s deficit-spending plan at a time of economic expansion and warnings it could find itself far deeper down the deficit hole in the event of a recession.

Other major worries are linked to the unknowns surrounding the outcome of the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the potentially greater fallout from the U.S. plan to slash corporate tax changes.

Jean-Francois Perrault, chief economist for Scotiabank, said the government’s plans to focus new spending in the budget on important, long-term goals to address inequality also raise the question of whether it still has room to navigate rough economic waters in There have been repeated the future. calls on Morneau to respond by cutting He said the long-term business taxes in Canada plans in the budget should - but he has refused to act have a positive economic until the U.S. government impact, but it remains to irons out the details of seen by how much. its tax overhaul. The budget acknowledged the “If you do things that uncertainty and said more r e d u c e i n e q u a l i t y, analysis was necessary. depending on how you do them, there is a growth The government will do payoff,” Perrault said. its homework on the U.S. tax plan before taking For example, he said the any steps to address it budget introduces lots - to make sure Canada of smaller steps towards gets it right, Morneau r a i s i n g w o r k f o r c e told a news conference participation among before the budget was women. However, it introduced.

“It’s not news to me that business is asking for lower tax rates - I was in business, that’s a pretty common refrain,” Morneau said.

What renters need to know about Ontario’s new tenancy lease agreements cont’d from pg. 29 on arrears or penalties on missed rental payments, and they shouldn’t be expected to waive their liability or their landlord’s liability for maintenance and repair issues.

-------WHAT ENHANCED RIGHTS DO TENANTS H AV E W I T H T H E LEASE? There is a provision that if a tenant requests a copy of their lease and doesn’t get it within 21 days, they can withhold one month’s rent. If the landlord doesn’t produce it after that month, the tenant wouldn’t be required to repay it. It is a small enforcement method built into the agreement to ensure tenants get a copy of their leases and know

what they sign. If they never get a copy of their lease, they get 60 days’ notice to terminate the tenancy early.

-------W H AT K I N D S O F PROPERTIES DOES THE LEASE APPLY TO? This will apply to residential tenant properties, but not care homes, mobile home parks, land lease communities and most social housing. There might be some exclusions under co-operative housing as well.

-------IF I HAVE A LEASE SIGNED BEFORE APRIL 30, DO I NEED TO SIGN A NEW ONE?

“We have an extremely positive situation in our economy right now...

Being in a very strong economic position make us resilient to deal with challenges around the world.”

lacks a broader childcare plan, he said - for Perreault, the single most important measure that encourages women to enter the workforce.

Economist Armine Yalnizyan agreed that the budget lacks the “secret sauce” of child care.

She said in other jurisdictions governmentsubsidized child care has proven it pays for itself by enabling more women to enter the workforce, thus raising revenues.

Yalnizyan also argues that in its effort to keep the debt-to-GDP on a downward track, the Liberals are actually spending less over

the outlook when the promised investments are compared to revenues. To explain it, she noted how the government moved forward nearly $5 billion in past infrastructure commitments to the next two years.

She said as long as there’s no unexpected downturn, the government appears to keeping its fiscal powder dry this year, so it can put more into the 2019 budget - which will be tabled months before the next election.

“But that does not square with their focus on saying we need to plan for the long-run growth of the economy,” Yalnizyan said. The Canadian Press

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All old leases remain valid. The only thing that remains to be void is any illegal clause that might have been contained in them.

-------WHERE CAN I RECEIVE MORE I N F O R M AT I O N ABOUT THE NEW LEASE? Visit ACTO.ca’s tenant resources page. If you’re in Toronto, the Federation o f M e t r o Te n a n t s ’ Associations has a hotline for questions, and if you are low income, you can contact your community legal clinic.

The interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

The Canadian Press

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GNA’s perspectives on 25 years of Ghana’s Fourth Republic

By Godwill Arthur Mensah, GNA Accra, Jan 08, GNA - Ghana returned to constitutional rule and multi-party democracy after a topsy-turvy eight military regimes from 1966 to 1982 without any clear sense of direction for socio-economic development.

business. Government announced some tax cuts for businesses in the budget.

Therefore, the 1992 Constitution came into effect on January 7, 1993, and provided the country a sovereign document and clear direction for organising a democratic State.

The government also re-introduced the teacher and nursing trainee allowances, paperless ports programme, e-registration of businesses, National Property Addressing System and e-licensing of vehicles, and started putting structures in place to roll out the National Identification System,

It also rolled-out its flagship Free SHS policy on September 13, 2017, which saw government footing the bills of over 360,000 BECE candidates who qualified for admission into senior high school.

The country adopted a unitary republic with sovereignty residing in the people and designed to ensure probity, accountability and the rule of law as well as ensuring the concept of powersharing.

The constitution reflects the lessons learnt from the previous constitutions of Ghana including the 1957, 1960, 1969 and 1979, and also incorporated some provisions and institutions drawn from British and United States constitutional style.

Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings, a retired Airforce pilot, who for 10 years, presided over the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) won the 1992 presidential election and was subsequently sworn into office on January 7, 1993.

Most Ghanaians remember Former President Rawlings for his charisma, championing the principles of discipline, probity and accountability and leading economic recovery programme during his 10 years as the Head of State under the PNDC administration and eight years as President.

However, his critics believe that he (Rawlings) presided over a society where there was too many human rights abuses while freedom of expression by the media, the judiciary and other members of the public was not fully entrenched despite paving the way for media pluralism in the country.

After serving two terms in office, President Rawlings handed over political power to John Agyekum Kufuor on January 7, 2001.

Former President Kufuor, popularly known as the “gentle giant” became the second President under the Fourth Republic after emerging victorious in the 2000 presidential polls.

He was sworn into office on January 7, 2001, marking the first peaceful democratic transition of political power in Ghana since independence in 1957.

Former President Kufuor was fondly remembered by most Ghanaians for his courageous decision to take Ghana to the Highly Indebted Poor Country Initiative, which was intended to cancel the country’s foreign debts, restore the national economy and put it on the path of growth.

He introduced some programmes under the five priority areas, including the pursuit of good governance, modernisation of agriculture for rural development, private sector development, enhanced social services and vigorous infrastructure development, It was during the administration of President Kufuor that the private sector was touted as the engine of growth and created the Private Sector Initiatives for cassava and palm nut plantations, which was to harness the creativity and the entrepreneurial spirit of the Ghanaian for wealth creation and prosperity for all.

Present and past presidents of Ghana within 25 years

President Kufuor extended credit to small-scale businesses and made the realisation of all-inclusive government possible by appointing Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, the then member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and Alhaji Inusa of the People’s National Convention (PNC) into his government.

He also introduced the Metro Mass Transport system, the National Health Insurance Scheme, the development of model senior high schools, the School Feeding Programme and the Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty (LEAP).

After serving two terms in office, President J. A. Kufuor bowed out of the political scene as the Constitution of Ghana demanded.

The Ghanaian electorate, through the ballot box, voted in Professor John Evans Atta-Mills, popularly known as “Asomdwee Hene” into power as the third President of the Fourth Republic.

Ghanaians liked him for his Godly character and humility, which resonated through his speeches and relationship with his fellow Ghanaians.

President Atta-Mills showed his Godly character by defiantly declaring to the Western countries that Ghana would not legalise homosexuality.

With his vast knowledge in taxation, President Atta-Mills introduced economic programmes and policies, which reduced inflation to a single digit, ensured a stable currency and increased the country’s economic growth rate to 14 per cent in 2011, and Ghana started producing crude oil in commercial quantities.

After President Prof. Atta-Mills’ sudden demise in 2012, his vice John Dramani Mahama was sworn-in as President and led the country into peaceful election on December 7, 2012, which he eventually won.

President Mahama, who continued the policies and programmes of his predecessor, steered the country to achieve some successes, including infrastructural development such as construction of roads, flyovers, community senior high schools, health facilities, electrification projects, and respect for the rule of law.

However, his administration witnessed prolonged electricity crisis, otherwise known as “dumsor”” leading to the collapse of some businesses and allegations of corruption by members of his government.

Ghanaians eventually voted against him in the 2016 general election, and, therefore, ushered-in Nana Addo

Dankwa Akufo-Addo led government into office on January 7, 2017.

Nana Akufo-Addo came into power on the back of many juicy promises, which were outlined in the NPP manifesto, including “One District, One Factory, “One Constituency, One Million Cedis”, “One Village, One Dam”, Free Senior High School Policy, intention to create jobs for the numerous unemployed youth, stimulus package for collapsing but viable businesses, protecting the public purse and fight corruption.

He reiterated his intention to fulfil those promises during his inaugural address on January 7, 2017 and gave the assurance that, he would not disappoint Ghanaians.

At the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, USA, last year, President AkufoAddo told the world that Ghana was determined to realise her potentials and ensuring a prosperous nation.

He said: “We want to build an economy that is not dependent on charity and hand-outs but we want to build an economy that looks past primary commodity and position our country in a global market place.

“We’re not disclaiming aid but we do want to discard mind-set of dependency and living on hand-outs, we want to build a Ghana beyond aid”.

The Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta announced in the 2018 budget in November last year that, Government had chalked some successes in managing the economy in 2017 with the GDP growth pegged around 7.8 per cent from 3.6 in 2016, reduction of the policy rate from 26 per cent to 20, reduction of inflation from 15.4 per cent to 11.7 per cent as of September.

Mr Ofori-Atta indicated that the country’s debt stock had reduced from 73 per cent to GDP to 68.3 as of September 2017, the fiscal deficit which in 2016 was around 9.3 is projected around 6. 3 per cent by the end of 2017.

However, Dr Eric Osei-Assibey, an Economist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana, told the GNA that the programmes instituted by government was brilliant, but the approach it was using to address graduate unemployment would be problematic in the long term.

He therefore, urged government to expand the local economy and provide more incentives to the private sector to expand, in order to absorb the unemployed graduates and add value to the country’s primary commodities locally, instead of exporting them abroad.

He said government should look at innovative ways of generating enough revenue within since budget support from donors had dwindled considerably, therefore government should be more aggressive in domestic revenue mobilisation.

President Akufo-Addo named his ministers and other appointees in record time but some Ghanaians lambasted the government for appointing 110 ministers, which is the highest number in any of the Fourth Republic government.

Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, the General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana also asked government to come clear on how it would ensure sustainable funding of its flagship programmes such as the Free SHS, One Constituency, One Million Ghana Cedis, One District, One Dam, among other promises it made in the 2016 election.

The government witnessed some tough moments with some members of the ruling party, the Invincible Forces, attacking some government appointees in an act of political vigilantism, which created insecurity in the country and painted a bad picture of the country in the eyes of the international community.

Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso, an experienced researcher and expert on governance issues, has asked government to enforce discipline in the country in view of the various acts of political vigilantism perpetrated by the invincible Forces, a group affiliated to the ruling party.

Government took a bold step to clamp down on illegal small-scale mining, otherwise known as “galamsey” leading to a six-month moratorium on all operations of small-scale mining in view of the environmental devastation the phenomenon had caused to vegetation and water bodies.

Ghanaians have high expectations and would not take any excuses from the Government therefore it is high time government begin putting its words into action or else the Ghanaian electorate would teach the Akufo-Addo led administration a bitter lesson in the 2020 general election.

The Akufo-Addo led government rolled out its Economic Policy and Budget Statement in March 2017, which planned to stabilise the local currency, reduce inflation, undertake debts profiling and ensure stable macroeconomic indicators that would create conducive environment for doing

It is our fervent hope that the government would mobilise resources from both within and outside as well as adding value to the country’s primary commodities so that Ghana would work again and create the needed jobs for the teeming unemployed youth and ensure prosperity for all. GNA

50

The Ghanaian News February 2018

How much do visas cost for these top travel destinations of Ghanaians?

In this list, we have complied the prices of five of some of the most sought after visas for Ghanaians. Despite widespread calls, many of these embassies do not offer for refunds when visas are bounced.

Ghanaians have a long history of travelling internationally. Many migrate internationally with the aim of seeking work and better opportunities for themselves and their families.

Ghanaians require visas to visit many of these countries but these don’t come cheap for many countries.

In this list, we have complied the prices of five of some of the most sought after visas for Ghanaians. The list only looked at the cost of visas for visit or tourist visa which typically last for six months or under. Despite widespread calls, many of these embassies do not offer for refunds when visas are bounced.

Canada

United States of America Despite being a fellow Commonwealth country, Ghanaians do not enjoy visa free access to Canada. Ghanaians wanting to visit the land of maples, would have to cough up 100 Canadian dollars which is about 333 cedis.

China

The United States comes on top with the most expensive visas on our list of countries. A tourist visa to the United States would set an applicant back by 160 dollars which is approximately 704 cedis. This could be more depending on what pertains at the currency markets.

United Kingdom

In the last two decades, China has become a significant player in terms of trade and development cooperation for many countries. And Ghana has not been left out.

The world’s second biggest economy is the source of many items on sale on many Ghanaian markets. Aside trade, the Far East country has been a great attraction for many Ghanaians. Staying true to the low prices Chinese products are wellknown, visas to visit the country are relatively cheaper compared to other leading economies. A visa to China would cost you just 50 dollars which is just about 219 cedis, making it the cheapest on our list.

Apostle’s Continuation Church Int’l’s 28 Day Fasting & Prayer Ends Britain is a very popular destination for many Ghanaian travellers. That is because of the colonial link between our two nations. However, it doesn’t cost peanuts to obtain a visa to the United Kingdom. Prospective travellers from Ghana would have to part with 119 dollars for a standard visit visa to the UK, which is about 522 cedis.

Australia

The world’s largest island is also popular place of travel for many Ghanaians despite the many hours of flying that it would take one to get there. Visas are also another hurdle that a prospective traveller would have to deal with. A subclass 600 tourist visa to the down under would set you back by 135 Australian dollars which is approximately 166 cedis.

cont’d from pg. 34 January 28, 2018.

The theme was “Discovering the Hidden Treasure” taken from Matthew 13:44. The preacher was Apostle Anokye-Manu, North America Apostle and Head of the Toronto Mission.

Before his exhortation, he urged the members to come forward and register themselves with the Holy Spirit to tap into his blessing for a change, deliverance and for answered prayers.

He added that we fast and pray for divine intervention from above.

Since the formation of the church this has been an ongoing process and therefore, urged the congregation to take part in this annual fasting.

Fasting is important in the life of a Christian and it is our obligation as Christians to stand

against the wiles of the devil.

Apostle AnokyeManu continued that today is going to be thanksgiving, exultation, and blessing the Lord and dancing but we need the Word. We started on Friday 23 February, 2018 on the topic the power of imagination.

Imagination is followed by visualization, creativity and end of it is motivation. The Bible says the kingdom of God is so precious as such it should be your number one priority. Salvation is first for it is written that ‘’seek ye the kingdom of God first and all other things shall be added unto you’.

“It is about time we try to differentiate between spirituality and physical things. Spirituality is how you relate to your God.” His exhortation was on the

topic that ‘your salvation will lead you to discover your treasure”. When people are serious with their salvation, salvation will lead you the blessing of the Lord. Whenever you live in a church for a longer time that is when and where the blessings in that church come upon you. It is good when you are sensitive to spiritual things. Your heart will be glad if you are able to fulfil your destiny and leave something good for your children. Also discovering your treasure means in the Lord you hold on to your salvation that God will lead you to achieve and accomplish your purpose here on earth.

Apostle Anokye-Manu’s message was centered on the premise that your salvation will lead you to discover your treasure.

The Ghanaian News February 2018

51

COBAANA constructs ultra-modern educational facility for Ayakomaso in Brong Ahafo

By Jonathan Baah Annobil

The Council of BrongAhafo Association of North America (COBAANA) heeded the clarion call for help from Ayakomaso and has constructed an ultra-modern Junior High School facility at Ayakomaso in the Sunyani West District of the BrongAhafo Region.The complex for Ayakomaso Methodist School constructed at an estimated cost of $100,000

by COBAANA consists

of three classroom blocks, an office, dining hall and a computer lab.

M r. A l e x A n k o m a h o f To r o n t o C a n a d a , President of COBAANA

was on hand as the complex was inaugurated.

He advised the authorities of the school to take good cont’d on pg. 61

New Ayakomaso Methosit School

Some members of COBAANA

Cutting of ribbon

Presentation of certificate to Alex Ankomah

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

Speak not, “Hate Speech “- By Stephen A. Quaye A YOUNG UNIVERSITY graduate resident in Toronto was given a chase by Toronto Police for over speeding on one of the roads in the city.

When the police finally pulled him over, he was given a ticket for over speeding. After the police have asked him to go, he pulled a finger on the peace officer who gave him another ticket for insulting behaviour.

Two weeks after that incident, a New Yorker, who posted strong words on his face book wall, was found guilty by a law court which sentenced him to three years imprisonment.

What impression do these two scenarios create in your mind?

The impression is that the act of speaking insulting words or better still hates speeches

in our schools, communities, and cities, provinces and at our work places has become so common that it calls for a strong collaborative effort to raise awareness to control it.

Yes some concerns have been raised about it. But it seems more people are not bothered about it as the insults keep flying every day in the air like scud missiles hitting their targets and creating tension in our communities, schools, work places and homes.

Politicians are speaking hate speeches, teachers re speaking it, lawyers are speaking it, religious leaders are speaking it, doctors are speaking it, students are speaking it and even ordinary men and women as parents are both old and young are chewing it like gum.

Thinking that the few cases

that have made the headlines about those who spoke it and were punished will serve as deterrent to others, not the more we hear friend, colleague students, coworkers, supervisors in some working institutions as well as politicians continue to speak it and risk being trapped in the drag net of the law.

WHAT IS A HATE SPEECH Because I am not yet a legal mogul, I will first define it outside law and then what the law says it is.

Hate speech is outside the law, communication that vilifies a person or group based on discrimination against that person or group. So using (S) word, (F) word on someone can be termed as hate speech.

Now let us look at what the law says. In law hate speech

is any speech, gesture, or conduct, writing or display which is forbidden because it may incite violence or prejudicial action against or by a protected individual or group, or because it disposes or intimidates a protected individual or group.

The law may identify a protected individual by certain characters where in some countries a victim of hate speech may seek redress under the civil law, criminal law or both.

A website that uses hate speech is called a hate site.

Most of these contain internet forums and news briefs that emphasize a particular viewpoint.

A CASE IN POINT On August 6, 2013, The Toronto Sun newspaper reported that Toronto Police was investigating a hate speech, after a speaker of a controversial anti-Israeli rally said Jews must vacate that country or be shot dead.

According to the story, the center for Israel and Jews Affairs [CIJA], the group claiming to have complained to the police identified the speaker as Elias Hazineh who issued the hate speech at Queens Park in Toronto.

The event featured the speaker who in video footage insisted that Jews must leave Israel’s heartland or face death.

Whiles on the side of the New Yorker he posted a speech about his ex-girlfriend on the social media network face book.

It was found by another person who also hinted the ex-girlfriend that complained to the police and it resulted in the subsequent arrest, charge with hate speech and served a jail sentence.

CANADA DOES NOT TOLERATE HATE SPEECH In Canada, issuing a hate speech or insulting or better still advocating genocide or inciting hatred against any identifiable individual or group is an indictable offence under the criminal code of Canada with maximum prison terms of two or fourteen years.

An identifiable group is defined as any section of the public distinguished by colour, race, religion, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.

One greatest achievement so far by the Police and the

law courts is judicial control over religious leaders and individuals alike that makes hate speeches or insults that could cause chaos in this great country of ours.

But does that means that after the fines by the police, the courts and jail sentence served, the law enforcers have completed their work and anybody elsewhere can make any speech be it insulting or hateful and inciting and go scot free?

No, I want everyone to be reminded that the big brothers in the blue/black uniform are watching you closely to trap you in the law net.

As we continue to take bold steps in the year 2018 that the lord has ushered us in, my advice to avowed Ghanaians in Canada and beyond is found in the book of life Ephesians 4:31 which says and I quote, “Let all... Screaming and abusive speech be taken away from you.”

Ladies and gentlemen, words can become weapons producing devastating effects as another bible proverb says, “It is better to be living in a waste land than with a bitter tongued an angry woman or man emphasis my.” Proverbs 21:19.

And when it comes to senior and junior worker relationships, the bible says in Colossians 3:21 “Do not be exasperating your children and parents too, so that they do not become downhearted.”

Since most of us have formed workplace families, this statement is very important for all of us in order to accommodate each and every one as far as discharging our various duties are concern.

Readers, I want you to take it into this year that just as ocean waves can erode solid rock; a pattern of hurtful speech can also weaken a family just like what we have formed in our homes, schools, churches, workplaces and in our communities.

In conclusion, may the lord our God guide and counsel us, may he protect us and our families and make us prosperous this and the years ahead of us and bring our families we have lost custody of as a result of hate speech to continue what God has blessed us with which is prosperous families to contribute to the growth of our dear countries Canada and Ghana.

The Ghanaian News February 2018

53

6 serious wars that made Ghana what it is today Ghana was never as peaceful as it is today. In fact, the journey to political stability started way back even before Independence in 1956 Written history dating back to the 1800s shows how our ancestors waged bloody wars between themselves and colonial masters all in the thirsty search for political freedom. For those of us who read history at high school or university, you may remember some of these battles including the most famous Yaa Asantewaa War. In this article, we shall be exploring some 7 popular wars of the 19th Century which shaped the landscape of culture and politics in Ghana.

3. Ashanti-Fante war of 1806

This was a fierce war between the Ashanti and Fante Confederacy. The disagreement between the Ashantis and Fantes is documented to have grown more severe during the start of the 19th century. It all started when the Asantehene of the Ashanti punished some people for robbing graves. But these charged persons were granted refuge by the Fantes. This led to a war between the Fantes and Ashantis resulting in the loss of over a 1000 lives.

1. Yaa Asantewaa War This popular war is also called the War of the Golden Stool. It happened in 1900. It is documented to be the final bloody and massive war between Ashantis and the British Colony. It all started when the British Imperial Government of the Gold Coast demanded that the Ashantis surrender the Golden Stool to them. This stool was and continues to be the throne and symbol of the Ashanti Region. The demand for the Golden Stool by the British ignited the anger of the Ashanti Kingdom whose King, Prempeh 1, had been in exile. The only queen of Ejisu, Yaa Asantewaa, took it upon herself to lead the battle against the British. Unfortunately, Yaa Asantewaa lost the war leading to the arrest of chiefs including the Queen Mother of Ejisu, Yaa Asantewaa, who got exiled to the Seychelles, for 25 years.

4. Ga-Fante war of 1811 The Ga-Fante war in 1811 was an intense tribal war which continued for years between the Gas and Fates who were also fighting against the friends of both tribes. The Asante won the pitched battle, but then had to retreat in the face of the guerrilla tactics used by the Akwapim in the Akwapim Hills, where the Asante had the disadvantage of not knowing the terrain so well. Akwapim, battled also against the Europeans by conquering Dutch fort at Apam and a British one at Tantamkweri.

2. Sagrenti War Defeated Asantes bowing before their colonial masters (Photo credit: Getty Images)Originally called the “Sir Garnet Wolseley War”, the Sagrenti War happened between 1873 to 1874 between the Asantes and the British Empire.

An army under Sir Garnet Wolseley crossed the Pra River into the Asante territory. The war was called “Sagrenti War” mainly because Ghanaians could not pronounce the name Sir Garnet. The British force, this time proved too strong for the Asante who, after a long and tough fight, agreed to sign a peace treaty at Fomena. At about the same time the British defeated the Anlo people in the Volta area. On the 12th of September, 1874, the whole of Southern Ghana including Anloland became a British colony.

5. Battle of Nsamankow

British colonialists staging fierce fight against Asantes The Battle of Nsamankow happened in 1824. It was a first fierce war between British colonial forces and the Ashanti Empire The British force under Charles McCarthy was defeated by an Ashanti force. It is unknown who won this battle but written history shows that 80 British troops were outnumbered by over 10,000 troops.

6. Battle of Amoaful The Battle of Amoaful was a battle fought on 31 January 1874 during the Third Anglo-Ashanti War when Sir Garnet Wolseley defeated the Ashantis after strong resistance. The attack was led by the 42nd Regiment of Foot. At Amoaful, one combat post-mortem pays tribute to the Ashanti commander: “The great Chief Amankwatia was among the killed. Admirable skill was shown in the position selected by Amankwatia, and the determination and generalship he displayed in the defense fully bore out his great reputation as an able tactician and gallant soldier.” Lance-Sergeant Samuel McGaw won the Victoria Cross during the action. Source: Yen.com.gh

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

GHANA: 61st Milestone of Nationhood cont’d from pg. 1 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 anti-colonial 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 post-colonial government headed by Kwame Nkrumah lasted nine years and was violently overthrown in a military take-over 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 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.

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. cont’d on pg. 70

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

FOOD AND RECIPES Compiled by Nana Ama

Homemade Easter Bun 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

How to prepare beef macaroni Ingredients 1 pound minced beef Olive oil 1 Ginger root 3 medium onions, chopped 3 cloves of garlic 4 large tomatoes, chopped 4 scotch bonnet, paste 2 large green pepper, chopped 4 carrots, chopped All purpose seasoning Method

Method Cook macaroni per the directions on the package.

1.

Melt Grace Hello Margarine and allow to cool, then add stout, vanilla, Grace Browning, Grace Guava Jam and beaten wine, egg (if used).

2.

Stir in the sugar and mix until all the granules are dissolved.

3.

Mix together all the dry ingredients then add the chopped mixed peel and raisins.

4.

Combine liquid mixture with dry ingredients and mix well.

5.

Scrape the batter into a greased loaf pan 12”x4”x3”.

6.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

7.

Cool on a cooling rack.

Saute onion, garlic, and ginger in wok for 2 minutes Add chopped, water, seasoning and cover to cook for 5- 9 minutes Season with salt and pepper.

Add minced beef and chopped vegetables Cover and simmer for 3 minutes.

Add macaroni, heat through and serve

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 How to prepare squid curry at home the surface of the bun.

Ingredients To Serve: Serve with slices of cheese.

Squid, chopped Gracefoods.com Ginger, puree Garlic, puree

How to prepare creamy avocado salad dressing

Onion, puree Lemon zest

Ingredients 1 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup fat-free plain yogurt 1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced 2 green onions, chopped 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon dill weed 1/8 teaspoon pepper Method In a blender, combine all ingredients; cover and process until blended.

Transfer to a jar or bowl. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Coconut milk Curry powder Scotch bonnet Black pepper Method

Heat oil in a wok over medium heat and add onions.

Stir in ginger and garlic and allow to cook for 2 minutes.

Add squid and season with salt.

Add lemon zest and stir.

Add curry powder and coconut milk.

Allow to cook for 2 minutes and add your black pepper and scotch bonnet.

Leave to simmer for some minutes and serve with boiled rice or yam.

The Ghanaian News February 2018

57

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

Canada’s GDP grew by 1.7 per cent annualized rate in fourth quarter OTTAWA -- The Canadian economy expanded at a pace of 1.7 per cent over the final three months of 2017, a rate that was below the rapid growth seen in the first half of the year, Statistics Canada reported Friday.

T h e a g e n c y ’s l a t e s t numbers for real gross domestic product showed the economy grew three per cent for all of 2017, which was a muchstronger pace than 2016 when growth was 1.4 per cent.

The fourth-quarter expansion of 1.7 per cent came in higher than growth in the third quarter, which was revised to 1.5 per cent from 1.7 per cent.

Growth in the fourth quarter was driven by a 2.3 per cent increase in business investment compared with the third quarter, and a 0.5 per cent quarter-over-quarter rise in household spending, the report said.

For all of 2017, the agency said household spending easily made the biggest contribution to growth, followed by inventory and business investment.

Exports also grew for the second-straight year with gains in both goods and services.

“Much of this growth was attributable to the first two quarters of 2017, with deceleration observed toward the end of year,” the report said.

The three per cent figure for 2017 matches the projection by privatesector economists that was included in Tuesday’s f ed e r a l b u d g e t . T h e budget also predicts real GDP growth of 2.2 per cent in 2018 and 1.6 per cent next year.

Statcan revised its real GDP numbers upward for the first and second quarters of 2017.

For the first quarter, the estimate was increased

to four per cent from 3.7 per cent; for the second quarter, revised growth was 4.4 per cent, up from its initial reading of 4.3 per cent.

By industry throughout 2017, the report said the growth was “widespread” with 18 of the 20 sectors showing increases.

Goods-producing industries expanded 4.6 per cent, compared to two-straight annual contractions of 0.5 per cent in 2016 and 1.7 per cent in 2015. The biggest contribution to growth from the goodsproducing industries in 2017 came from natural resources extraction, which expanded 7.8 per cent.

Services industries expanded 2.8 per cent last year for their highest pace of growth since 2011. It was led by a 7.5 per cent boost from the wholesale-trade sector.

The Canadian Press

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

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First Nations Calgary Summit CARGO - LINK INTERNATIONAL

By William Doyle-Marshall The Indigenous Youth and Natural Resource Development summit titled “Our Land, Our Future,” taking place on November 21 & 22at the Grey Eagle Resort and Casino in Calgary brings together government, industry & Indigenous communities to discuss a road map towards a more sustainable natural resource economy in Canada.

Relationships between industry, government and Indigenous peoples lie at the heart of Canada’s natural resource sector, says organizers of the summit. Each holds a powerful position with unique rights and responsibilities. Yet, all parties rely on the others to fully achieve their long-term aspirations and objectives says the Conference Board of Canada.

Canada’s future prosperity depends on these groups building respectful, collaborative and mutually-beneficial relationships so that each can become a stronger, more supportive partner for the others. A collaborative, mutuallybeneficial approach is also critical to ensuring sustainable, environmentally responsible development, the board concludes in its promotional material.

The Conference Board of Canada is proud to be working with a balanced Advisory Committee of Indigenous, private and public sector representatives as well as Indigenous youth to put this event together. “We feel it is critical to have input and direction from those groups that are most knowledgeable about, implicated in, or affected by the issues that we will be exploring through

the summit,” the Board emphasizes in its promotional material.

Confirmed speakers include Chad Day President, Tahltan Central Government; Harold Calla - Executive Chair, Board of Directors, First Nations Financial Management Board; Tom Isaac Partner, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP; Mitchell Case - President, Métis Nation of Ontario Youth Council; Dr. Daniel F. Muzyka - President and Chief Executive Officer, The Conference Board of Canada and Dr. Ken S. Coates - Canada Research Chair in Regional Innovation, University of Saskatchewan.

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Tel: 416-744-2300 / 416-640-2310

60

The Ghanaian News February 2018

Hurricanes provide opportunity for Caribbean nationals to break down some barriers

By William Doyle-Marshall Caribbean nationals in the Diaspora are looking for answers about recent hurricanes and flooding in the region. Disaster continued across islands in the Caribbean including the twin-island country for many days this summer, with reports of landslides, rivers breaking their banks resulting in flooding of numerous homes.At least two major roadways, in the twin island republic -- Mosquito Creek and the Manzanilla/ Mayaro Road hadto close to low vehicles.

Adamo Patterson, president of the Jamaican Canadian Association in Toronto said during an interview while events raise money for each mishap, they present the opportunity for Caribbean nationals to work together to break down some of the barriers and the silos that, as a community “we set up and we create intentionally or not”. She affirmed that the JCA isfirmly behind Haiti and other Caribbean nations, whether it is the sort of tragic, emergency reactionary time or on a sustained basis, JCA continues to try to find ways to create awareness about what’s happening and then to be able to respond.

The JCA is very interested in finding out how Caribbean Nationals who reside in the Diaspora can really come together, to really start to have conversations that are really beyond the emergency

and the reactionary thing.

An overwhelming concern is how do they bridge the divide that exists between the islands? Ms. Patterson would be extremely happy for those who are from the different Caribbean islands can have some of those conversations “that we are afraid to have”.

Acknowledging those maybe baby steps. Never-the-less it will be a long process because it’s been tried for many decades in the GTA. Under the organization’s new strategic direction,the JCA leader disclosed there is room for using its community space for initiating, for hosting to be able to advance some of those conversations.

Some nationals in the region are still reeling from recent hurricane tragedies. The current state of Dominica for instance, reflects extensive devastation. Up to 50,000 of the islands reflect some levels of homelessness. The same scenes of destruction are repeated across the island, in every town and village.

Most of the island’s roofs are destroyed—including that of the Prime Minister’s official residence. Some are relegated to limited sections of theirhomesthat are covered by tarpaulins, and makeshift roofing. According to Prime Minster, Roosevelt Skerrit, ‘Dominica needs to embark on a complete rebuilding. The plan according to the Prime Minister is not to rebuild “as it was” but to do so in a manner which enables the island to bear rising sea levels and other destructive phenomena

resulting from the increased hurricane activity in the region.

According to the Caribbean Disaster Management Agency (CDEMA), Dominica’s urgent and short-term needs are for high-grade tarpaulin that can serve as roofing for the months it will take to rebuild homes. Also needed is more industrial equipment to clear and rebuild roads and bridges, and for restoration of communications infrastructure in schools and other public institutions.

A family of four in Trinidad was rescued by a team of villagers from Caparo who responded to cries for help as the family members were stranded in a bamboo patch while water was rising dangerously to the point of drowning. April Ravello, the pregnant mother, her husband Nathyon Lewis; t h e i r t w o - y e a r- o l d s o n Njisane, in a car seat, her daughter, Angel were saved by a team of Caparo villagers who included Victor Dick, who was in the area to attend a funeral, his colleague Neil Joseph and other villagers. They were later interviewed on local television where they gave their account of the drama in the water that day.

After two hours struggling the serious floods, they said no emergency help arrived despite calling for assistance.

April Ravello told the Trinidad Guardian newspaper, she is “eternally

grateful” to the men who b r a v e d t h e d i r t y, m u d d y flood waters to save her family. She reported that her family were driving from Rio Claro along the Caparo Road to Chaguanas where her husband had a basketball game scheduled for 3 pm.

But just after 2 pm flood waters started to inundate the car. “It (the car) stalled and started going down in the water. It was being pulled by the current from the nearby river,” she said.

The annual hurricane season has been troubling the region for decades and nationals are still wondering about the talk around plans for Disaster Preparedness in the various islands. Following this year ’s flooding there were serious calls for the resignation of the leadership of the Disaster Preparedness and Management team in Trinidad and Tobago. While the Deputy Chief Executive Officer resisted calls for his resignation, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon said his assessment of the situation is that it is a “very serious” and Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley believed serious changes had to be made.

Prior to moving on to the University of Guyana as Chancellor, Professor E. Nigel Harris reported that University-wide centreshad been created to address areas of vulnerability in the Caribbean such as Disaster Preparedness,

Sustainable Development for Small Island States and Crime and Social Justice.Within the context of UWI’s 2007/2012 Strategic Plan the institution was working to fashion initiatives that will enhance Caribbean competitiveness by expanding and enriching undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and by building robust research productivity in areas such as biotechnology, computer sciences, information technology, energy and tourism, says Professor E. Nigel Harris former Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies.

Meanwhile, following serious hurricanes in the Eastern Caribbean, St. Kitts has agreed to partner with Carnival Cruise Line to assist in delivering humanitarian relief supplies to St. Maarten, which was severely impacted by Hurricane Irma. As such, Miami-based Carnival Cruise Line delivered supplies to St. Kitts during a call from the Carnival Fascination, which docked at Port Zante recently.

Among supplies then delivered by boat from St. Kitts to St. Maarten were food, beverages, medical supplies and equipment including essential items such as blankets, batteries and ice.

St. Kitts’ own relief efforts for neighbouring islands began the previously with water from the St. Kitts Bottling Company being shipped on a vessel to Saba, where it was in very low supply.St. Kitts’ Robert L. Bradshaw International A ir p o r t ( S K B ) h as b e en offered as a staging platform for relief efforts to St. Barts, St. Eustatius, Saba, French St. Martin and Dutch St. Maarten.

October 31, 2017

Call Us First The Ghanaian News 416 916-3700

The Ghanaian News February 2018

61

Things Fall Apart: The Police Personnel Is Under Siege And Defenseless WE ARE NOT SAFE WHEN OUR POLICE force is under siege everywhere in the country.

And, where do we go from here when our police force is defenseless and public safety is at its state of doldrums ?

Supposedly, the Ghana Police is to “pray for safety and divine protection” .Excuse me!

What about a comprehensive megawatt alteration of the entire police service and its basic antique structures?

I had just started reading about the news item on the “transformation of Ghana Police Service” which was proposed by the IGP, when the news of the cell break-in and murder of a police officer at Kwabenya police station hit the airwaves.

As if that was not enough to shake up the nation’s law enforcement agencies’ equilibrium, another revelation hit the news: ”A police officer allegedly has confessed to taking Gh10,000 from a parent of one of two robbers, who were jailed for a robbery incident”— oh, Lordy!. The rotten apples are making the good ones look very,very bad.

Oh yes, it’s nice to talk about the “transformation of the police service”, however, how good is it when the beneficiaries of the so-called ‘transformation’ are paradoxically are both victims and perpetrators of major crimes?

Seriously, the Ghana Police Service needs more than just ‘transformation’. It needs to be completely redesigned and tuned-up if it wants to be a “first class policing institution in Africa”.

Honestly, for it to be a premium institution it needs to overhaul these areas: recruitment, training, policies and procedures , in-service training, accommodation, logistics, and total adoption of dogs in its arsenal. In other words, a total modernization of the police force is needed in order to be in tempo with time and the kinds of criminal elements we have in our midst now .

Well, there are plenty of ideas and suggestions being floating around, however let’s concentrate on the recent development at Kwabenya police station for now.

As usual, Ghanaians have the tendency to focus exclusively on the source of funds instead of finding the solutions to a problem. Instead of focusing on our vision which can allow us to see through any obstacles ,the first thing we focus on is the ‘road blocks’ because we don’t have the capacity to visualize the outcome of our goals. And, the incident at kwabenya police station is definitely going to be treated as such.

The modernization of the police service and its stations will be seen as capital intensive endeavor therefore “it can’t be done overnight”. We have been operating on the mind- set of “don’t fix it if it ain’t broke” for years and that is why every

safety starts from home, how secured is your home life? What about learning to avoid FATAL CONTACT and deadly viruses that may lurk figuratively in the shadows of the streets you police every day? I hope you get my point clearly now!

The only difference between Ghanaian police officers and that of the American law enforcement officers is that they’re well- equipped and they put much premium on constant in –service training in every area of their work. They also don’t leave anything to chance or luck because anything can happen—I mean anything!

Unfortunately, Ghana police personnel is under siege lately across the land .And, it makes us (the citizenry) wonder if we have any protection at all in this country. It’s very scarily.

Once we are on police’s security we need to decentralize the officers’ dwellings. Why do they live in the barracks instead of around the police stations or spread around the neighborhood of the town or city they police?

Another important thing is that the Ghana police service (how can I put it delicately?) has lost its respect and integrity as far

institution in the nation is in bad shape.

But , we shouldn’t talk about lack of money to fix the police service and its headaches when we waste a lot of resources through various dubious schemes we deliberately design to milk the system to death. Do you remember the $72 million we spent on the software? Couldn’t we have done something meaningful with that kind of money to upgrade our police service?

The point is, to make our police personnel and stations well secured we have to redesign the charge offices and cells with electronic controlled devices.

In the developed countries (specifically, USA) every police station is designed in such a way that it will be impossible for any break –ins to occur or an unwanted person to enter the main entrance.

First, the main entrance is electronically controlled by an officer who is stationed in a cont’d from pg. 51 bullet-proof glass booth inside the building. He also controls care of the facilities and also the access to the cell which help maintain it. is behind his station. No one (absolutely, no one) can open The District Chief Executive the door leading to where the officer is stationed and the cell ( D C E ) o f S u n y a n i We s t without the officer’s input or District, Mr. Martin Obeng stated that the improvement approval.

And once you enter the main of education in the district lobby you can’t even get out and Ghana as a whole is a of the building without the priority for the government. He officer’s approval. He has total added that the government has control of all the doors in the absorbed the payment of the building. registration fees for the Basic In United states of America, Education Certificate (BCE) dare I say they have more sophisticated criminal elements and as such parents should on their streets than what we have in Ghana , therefore crime rate is very high so is police officers’ homicide rate. In other words, American police officers cont’d from pg. 46 are frequently killed in the line of duty because of the level of Most of his contributions are geared towards bridging the their crime rate.

However, the only equalizer is gap between disadvantaged their ability to think ahead of youngsters and the job market, the criminals or the in-service while helping them realise training they go through every their professional ambitions. six months to hone their law enforcement skills and design new methods of their trade. He was also ?honour?ed for Remember marksmanship is undertaking pro?grammes that a skill that needs constant encourage people to realise practice. The questions are their work-based ambitions. these: As a Ghanaian police officer, when was the last B a c k g r o u n d time you went to the shooting range to practice since you Poku arrived in Bristol, a city came out of the Police Depot? in South West England from How often do you read public Ghana in 2008 to study a -safety related materials? What about creative hand-cuffing master’s degree. He ?initially techniques? How much have ?established? Babbasa? an you invested your time in 21th informal group of volunteers century police officers’ safety to empower disadvantaged tips? And since police officer’s youngsters to confidently

the citizenry is concerned—it’s a gospel truth! Therefore, to be an effective institution it needs to get back to the basics. To get back to its good reputation i t n eeds a n i n d e p e n d e n t investigation team that is under the auspices of the Attorney General. This outfit will take every allegation against any police officer and do a thorough investigation and come out with findings. With this kind of arrangement it will stop the police from policing itself whenever one of its members commits a crime. The police can’t have autonomy like the Armed forces because of its operations and contact with the citizenry. This is how it’s done in the united States.

The same outfit will do the background check of all the recruits, to ascertain that we get the high caliber of officers who are ‘pure’. I’m talking about officers who will follow strict police service’s procedures and policies—that means they won’t make tactical or deliberate human errors and cut corners.

The world is witnessing the resurgence of crime waves— terrorism against the innocent citizenry and its police forces

.The way out is to outsmart the criminals. But how do we do it when sometimes the ‘criminals’ are those who supposed to enforce the laws?

This is war so it can’t be fought with Rhetoric.

Nevertheless, the police work is a tough profession with no reward. While the loudmouthed critics, politicians, and the socalled community leaders and experts are safe in their homes and mansions, the police officers will have to be dealing with the criminals and ‘societal rejects’, all of it in mostly unfamiliar and hostile environment and most of it under uncertain or apprehensive circumstances.

Since police work is a behavior control business, it follows that there are those people who will wait for their chance to hurt, beat, kick, curse at or shoot and kill our officers in the line of duty, if they feel they have the physical or psychological opportunity.

Kwaku Adu-Gyamfi(voice of reason) *The author is a social commentator and the CEO of Lion Gate Associates(Public safety related outfit).

COBAANA constructs ultra-modern educational facility for Ayakomaso in Brong Ahafo help their wards to access the educational enhancement being put in place by the government.

emulation. He added that he will welcome anybody to do developmental projects in the town.

Mrs. Veronica Angeline AduSaforo, the Sunyani West District Director of Education in her remarks said that there should be a collaboration of parents, the general public and the schools in the provision of basic educational infrastructure.

Nana Yaw SimpremoAdu-Yaw I, the Odikro of Ayakomaso thanked COBAANA for their noble deed which is worthy of

The Headmistress of the School, Madam Judith Yibile thanked COBAANA for coming to the aid of the school and assured that the building would be maintained and put into a good use. The school which was in dire need of repairs was established in 2011 and has a total population of over 230 pupils.

Young Ghanaian entrepreneur honoured by Buckingham palace step into the world of work.?

Babbasa is now incorporated as a Community Interest Company, with paid employees, supporting hundreds of young people each year.

They were recently awarded the Best Community Organisation in the Southwest of England at the MTM Regional Awards in the UK. In Ghana, he acquired Postgraduate Certificate in Bus ine s s A d m i n i s t r a t i o n at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and holds a BA Hons in Psychology and Political Science at

the University of Ghana.

On arrival in the UK, he attended the University of Salford, where he studied Property Management, Real Estate and Property Management (2010 – 2011) in the UK. He ?also ?attended the U n i v e r s i t y o f We s t o f England?? studying the ?Master of Science (MSc), Business Management in 2016?

Mr Osei aims to set up a branch of Babbasa in Ghana by 2020 to help the many talented but unemployed youth, realize their dream by improving on their God-given tallents and skill and calls on the interested partners to help realize this dream.

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

PLACES OF WORSHIP DIRECTORY

Ghana Methodist Churches in Canada ( SOCIETIES UNDER THE GHANA METHODIST CONFERENCE) The Superintendents Minister-In-Charge invites

you

to worship with us Toronto Society Very Rev. Joseph Owusu Atuahene Minister-in-charge

Place of Worship: 19 Penn Drive, North York, Ont. (off Finch Av./Milvan)

Very Reverend Albert K. 416-743-4555 (Office) 905-216-2323 (Residence) Appiah, Minister in-charge Day and Time of Worship: Ghana Calvary Methodist United Church, Toronto 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.

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 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Calgary Methodist - 403-603-2864 Edmonton Methodist - 587-336-1223 Ottawa Methodist - 613-823-2291 Vancouver Methodist - 416-833-1615

In Montreal at: Place of Worship: 6870 Rue de Terreborne, Montreal, Que, H4B 1C5

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

Disciples Revival Church Healing & Deliverance Centre Rev. Dr. & Rev (Mrs) Charles Mantey Founders/Senior Pastors

416-614-7771

Saturday

- Organizational Meetings Choir Practice, Singing Band Practice

Venue of Worship 65 Mayall Avenue, Toronto, Ontario Tel: 416-614-6110 / 647-341-7305 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

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

SUNDAY SERVICE - Morning - 10:00 am

Heaven In My Heart Ministries 100 Penn Dr, Unit #3 Rev. Eleanor Adu-Anane, Oversea and Founder MRE, ECE

Mid-Week Service 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 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

Tel, 647-892-9412 Fax: 905-846-6257 E-mail eleanoraduanane@yahoo.ca

Time of Worship: 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 Rev. Mrs Eleanor AduSaturday: Youth Meeting: 2pm to 4pm Anane MRE, BA, RECE For Counselling & other Choir Practice: 3pm to 5pm matters contact the Pastor Sunday: Christian Education: 9am to 10am 647-892-9412 or Celebration: 10:30am to 12:30pm 905-846-6257 Mailing Address: 2 Berwick Avenue Brampton Ontario, L6Z 2P6,

FOOD FOR LIFE

The Ghanaian News February 2018

63

Bringing the Gospel to our Community by Rev. Isaac DeGraft Takyi Thinking your way into health, wealth and eternal life Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Commit your way to the Lord; Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. Do not fret . . . For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. (Psalm 37:3, 5, 8, 9, 23) “Where success is concerned, people are not measured in inches, or pounds, or college degrees, orfamily background; they are measured by the size of their thinking.”—DAVID SCHWARTZ John Maxwell in his books, Thinking for a Change, and How Successful People Think (Change Your Thinking And Change Your Life), and based on the conviction that, how successful people think can be learned,explains eleven thinking skills of which we will like to explore for the next eleven months. The key concepts in these books discuss the thought processes used by successful individuals and describes how these techniques can be learned.

line thinking. We will begin with what He begins with: the wisdom of Big-Picture thinking. Come on the journey with me.

John Maxwell outlines the 11 types of thinking and the important skills attributed to each. According to him, people succeed by: 1. Seeing the wisdom of big-picture thinking 2. Unleashing the potential of focused thinking 3.

Discovering the joy of creative thinking 4. Recognizing the importance of realistic thinking 5. Releasing the power of strategic thinking 6. Feeling the energy of possibility thinking 7. Embracing the lessons of reflective thinking 8.

Questioning the acceptance of popular thinking 9. Encouraging the participation of shared thinking 10. Experiencing the satisfaction of unselfish thinking 11. Enjoying the returns associated with bottom-

What does it mean to acquire the Wisdom of Big-Picture Thinking?

Big-picture thinkers see the Big-picture. They are never satisfied with what they already know. They look for opportunities to learn. Bigpicture thinkers are always asking questions and listening to the answers. They are good listeners. Big-picture thinkers work hard to see beyond their own world; they want to see what others are seeing. Bigpicture thinkers expand their experience because they expand their world. They accomplish far more than narrow-minded people.

This can be illustrated with the following examples; When somebody like Jack Welch tells a General Electric employee that the ongoing relationship with the customer is more important than the sale of an individualproduct, he’s reminding them of the big picture. When two parents are fed up with potty training,

Ghanaian Presbyterian Church of Montreal

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.

poor grades, or fender-benders, and one reminds the other that the current difficult time is only a temporary season, then they benefit from thinking big picture. Real estate developer Donald Trump quipped, “You have to think anyway, so why not think big?” Big-picture thinking brings wholeness and maturity to a person’s thinking. It brings perspective.

It’s like making the frame of a picture bigger, in the process expanding not only what you can see, but what you are able to do.

Why should we becomebigpicture thinkers? How important is the acquiringof this skill of big-picture thinking?

Among many other reasons John Maxwell emphasises these facts to authenticate the significance of intentionally acquiring the wisdom and understanding of Big-Picture thinking.Big-picture thinking allows you to lead effectively in your life. Big-picture thinking keeps you on the target, it keeps you focussed on the main thing in life: the clarity of God’s purpose for your life. Bigpicture thinking promotes team work. Big-picture thinking allows you to see what others

see. Big-picture thinking keeps you from being caught up in the mundane.Big-picture thinking helps you chart uncharted territory.

Our Father Abraham Sees the Big Picture (Genesis 12) While followers focus on the immediate challenges, Christian leaders dream of what could happen in the next year, next decade or even the next generation. When God told Abraham to leave the comfort of his home in Haran, his relatives, and everything familiar, so that he might start fresh in another land, Abraham began to see the big picture. He would become the father of a nation and ultimately become a blessing to the whole world.

Abraham was a big-picture thinker because of a God-given vision. What is the Lord asking you to do with your life?

How do Big-Picture thinkers do it? How do they become bigpicture thinkers? And how can you and I become big-picture thinkers?

John Maxwell will reveal that when youengage a big-picture thinker, you will discover cont’d on pg. 66

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

I AM ALPHA & OMEGA MINISTRY INT'L We invite you to worship with us Church Service: 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

Bishop John Mensah

NEW LOCATION

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:

100 Penn Drive, Unit #6, North York, Ont.

Tel: 416-419-6671

Cell. 416-400-8211 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)

EVANGEL ASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCH 314 Rexdale Blvd. Etobicoke, Ont. M9W 1R6 Tel: 416-242-7950 Fax: 416-242-8573 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.

Etobicoke, Ont., M9w 5S5

Harvest Christian Church Invites you for a wonderful time with the Lord

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!

The Ghanaian News February 2018

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 Apostle Charles Anokye-Manu

Lighthouse Assembly of God Church

SERVICE TIMES:

2017: LIBERTY IN THE SPIRIT 2 Corinthian 3:17

SUNDAY SERVICES: 10:00 am-1:30 pm Ghanaian Service WEEKDAY SERVICES: Wednesday - Bible Studies Friday - Prayer Service LOCATION:

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

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

63 Howden Rd., Unit 'F' Scarborough, ON, M1R 3C7 Tel 647-850- 0142 Fax 416-945- 9445

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

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

378 Cremazie East Montreal, Quebec, H2P 1E5

Scarborough Assembly

Place of Worship:

Founder &Pastor-in-charge

Montreal Assembly

10 Belfield Road Tel: 416-247-6629

Invites all Christians, Non-Christians and members of the Resurrection Power Tradition to join us worship the Great Jehovah

Days And Time of Worship

- 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

Pastor-in-charge: Rev. Boniface Keelson

Tel: 416-740-1200 Fax: 416-740-6435 Email:

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.

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

Thinking your way into health, wealth and eternal life cont’d from pg. 63

Welcome Home Evangelistic Ministries Affiliated with the Evangelical Church In Canada

Gen. Overseer & Founder: Evang. & Prophetess Winnie Manu BRE, M. Div.

New address: Heart Lake United Church 85 Sandalwood Pkwy E. Brampton, ON Sunday Morning Worship Celebration start from 1:30 pm Wednesday Discipleship class is 7pm Friday Prayer meeting is 7pm Contact Info: Tel: 647 210 7057 Fax: 905 495 4789 Website: www.wheministries.org

Email: whemtoday@gmail.com

that they practise great intentional listening skills, they are lifelong leaners, expansive lookers, and they live with wholeness, i.e. live a very fulfilling life.

Friends and dear readers, we can all become good big-picture thinkerslike Abrahamif we pay attention to the following five points: 1. Donot strive for certainty:When dealing with complicated ideas, it is necessary to accept some degree of ambiguity 2. Learn always from every experience of yours: It is essential to learn from both your successes and failures 3. Walk in complete obedience to God and His Word 4. Gain insight from a variety of people: Learn from people; important insights can be gained from customers, employees, coworkers, and company leaders, and 5. Give yourself the permission to expand your world: Do not be afraid to expand your world.

God told Abram: “Leave your country, your family, and your father’s home for a land that I will show you. I’ll make you a great nation and bless you, I’ll make you famous; you’ll be a blessing. I’ll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I’ll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you.”

So, Abram left just as God said, and Lot left with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot with him, along with all the possessions and people they had gotten in Haran and set out for the land of Canaan and arrived safe and sound. Abram passed through the country as far as Shechem and the Oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites occupied the land.

God appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your children.” Abram built an altar at the place God had appeared to him. He moved on from there to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent between Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. He built an altar there and prayed to God. Abram kept moving, steadily making his way south, to the Negev.(Genesis12:1-9) Thinking Questions 1. Are you learning from life’s experiences?

2. Are you gaining insight from other Christians and leaders?

3. What are other ways can you become a big-picture thinker?

4. Do you agree with the following statement:“When God blesses you, He has more than you in mind!”? Why or why not?

5. Am I thinking beyond myself and my world so that I process ideas with a holistic perspective?

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Call Us First The Ghanaian News 416 916-3700

Christian Hope Ministry Int'l Invites You All To Come Worship With Us Apostle-in-charge: Apostle Twumasi Ankrah

Apostle Twumasi Ankrah

Tel: 647-916-0780 / 647-703-9717 TIME OF WORSHIP: Sunday 10:30 am - 1:30 pm Tuesday 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Friday 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

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

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

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

Around the Ghana Sports Scene Princella Adubea honored at People’s Award Ampem Darkoa footballer, Princella Adubea, was, organizers of the People’s Aw a r d f o r h e r e x p l o i t s in

women

football.

The Sunyani Senior High graduate begun active football in senior high playing for Prisons and has risen through the ranks of the female national teams to earn a call up into the Black queens last February but could not join her colleagues due to injury.

The current captain of the Black Princesses expressed

France, finishing as joint

her joy at the award saying

top scorer of the qualifiers

she is elated to be recognized

with 10 goals to her credit.

and will continue to do more for her club and country.

The event was held at the coconut Grove hotel and

The goal poacher and winger

attracted many high profile

helped the black princesses to

personalities.

qualify for their fifth consecutive world cup appearance in

Source: adomonline.com

Thomas Partey ‘thrilled’ to extend Atletico Madrid contract Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey is delighted to have had his Atletico Madrid contract extended by a further two years.

Partey has penned a new deal, committing him to the club until June 2023. His current deal was due to expire in 2020.

“I’m thrilled to renew my contract with the club of my life,” Partey told the club’s website. “I hope to continue here for many more years and help the club.

“I always try to work hard. It’s not easy to make the first team and for me, it gives me pride to continue to work for this club.”

Partey made 10 starts in all competitions for Atletico last season but has seen that number almost triple with three months still to play in the campaign.

International Rugby Tournaments is a Ghana National Issue - Herbert Mensah The amount needed to host the Bronze Cup in Ghana, an honour that was bestowed on Ghana for the second year in a row, runs into tens of thousands of dollars Mr. Herbert Mensah, President of the Ghana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) (http:// GhanaRugby.org) briefed the Ghana Rugby Family on the upcoming Rugby Africa Bronze Cup scheduled for May 2018 and said that it was, in fact, more a Ghana flag flying event than just a Rugby event.

y e s t e r d a y, h o n o u r e d b y

In a video message from his home in Accra, Mensah said that the hosting of the Bronze Cup in Ghana against nations such as Lesotho, Mauritius and Rwanda is massive not only for Ghana Rugby but indeed for Ghana as a whole.

“The amounts involved are massive, and there are some parties who are upand-standing and who are supporting the event. I thank them,” Mensah said.

Mensah has been critical in the past of the lack of support from the Ghana sporting bodies of their support to not only Ghana Rugby, but to all minority sports in general.

The amount needed to host the Bronze Cup in Ghana, an honour that was bestowed on Ghana for the second year in a row, runs into tens of thousands of dollars and Mensah appealed to all to come forward and help to make Ghanaians proud of one of their best performing national sports.

Ghana Rugby had a memorable year in 2017 when it managed to achieve the following exceptional accolades: o Winning the Rugby Afrique Regional Challenge between Ghana, Benin and Togo in May 2017; o Becoming Full Members of World Rugby on 10 May 2017 in a record time of fewer than three years; o Achieving a ranking on the Rugby Afrique Men’s Sevens table for the first time in its history in Kampala in October 2017, o Getting promoted to the Rugby Afrique Bronze Cup Division in November 2017, and o Being awarded the hosting rights of the Rugby Africa Bronze Cup in May 2018.

Ghana Rugby Football Union

Ghanaian side Satellite City invited for Dallas Cup tournament in the USA Satellite City will be the torch bearer as Ghana goes in search of glory at the annual Dallas Cup, in Texas USA from March 25- April 1.

Head coach of Satellite City FC, Freddie KwekuEtsiakoh, says “We are honoured and proud to represent Ghana with the objective to win the tournament and bring the Cup back to Ghana.”

Freddie added that “this is the start of a five year partnership with Dallas Cup and the idea to take the best talent from Ghana to showcase their technical and tactical football attributes and give the players a platform to grow and live out their dreams.

“I see myself well [and] happy because I’m playing a lot more minutes,” Partey said. “The team is strong, scoring many goals in the last few games and we are going to keep Ghana’s Black Queens have fighting to remain high up in been crowned the champions of the standings.” the maiden edition WAFU Zone B women’s tournament after Atletico are second in La Liga beating hosts, Cote d’Ivoire 1-0 and have taken 25 points in in the final game on Saturday. their last nine games heading A second minute strike from into Sunday’s game at leaders Janet Egyir was all it took Barcelona.GHANAsoccernet. the 2015 All Africa Games champions to deny the Ivorians com a host and win dream.

Call Us First The Ghanaian News 416-916-3700

with Jonathan Baah Annobil

Dallas Cup is the oldest and most prestigious international youth tournament in USA; it is sanctioned by the United State Soccer Federation (USSF).

from all walks of life.

The competition will include some of the following teams: Satellite City, Arsenal FC, Man United, Tigres, Toronto Over 4000 footballers will FC, Liverpool, EC Vitoria participate in the 2018 edition and defending champions FC and will have 250 officials Dallas.

Story By: Gloria Peprah

Ghana’s Black Queens win WAFU tournament

Having already met in the opening Group A match, the final game at the Robert Champroux Stadium was

tipped to be an uncompromising encounter and it did.

Though barely had the whistle gone for kickoff that the Queens began harassing the Ivorians and the result was instant as Egyir finished off a rebound from an earlier free kick taken.

The Ivorians tried all they could to equalise and possibly win, but their efforts were thwarted by the resolute Queens side and not even four minutes of added time, during which the Ivorians earned two corner kicks could

change the scoreline.

In addition to winning the trophy, heroine of the day, Egyir, was adjudged the Best Player of the competition, while Captain Portia Boakye won the Top Scorer’s prize with four goals and three assists.

C o t e d ’ I v o i r e ’s c a p t a i n , CinthiaDjohore won the Best Goalkeeper’s prize.

Nigeria Super Falcons earlier claimed third place with a 2-1 win over Mali. Ghanafa.org

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The Ghanaian News February 2018

GHANA: 61st Milestone of Nationhood cont’d from pg. 54 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.

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 run-off with the second place runner, John Evans Attah Mills. The NPP also won a slight majority of 124 of the then 200-seat Parliament. President Kufour and his NPP won reelection 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 peaceloving 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 Mills-led 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 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-MillsMahama 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 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 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.

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.

The new Government has been in power for the past fourteen months as at the time of writing this piece.

We can say with confidence that the Akufo Addo administration has taken a number of positive steps and measures to stabilize the nation and its economy. The indicators and signs are that things are turning around.

Challenges, however remain which will require the maximum attention of all the brains and expertise in the government, with active support and collaboration from the citizens to turn the fortunes of the nation around. So far the indications are that a number of leakages and holes through which corruption was being perpetuated with impunity by public officials have been blocked. The appointment of a Special Public Prosecutor, the first of its kind in Ghana, to investigate and prosecute all known and reported cases of corruption in Ghanaian public life is commendable and historic.

The greatest challenge to the development and stability of the nation is the threat to public safety and security. Over the past year, and especially over the past two months of 2018, the spate of armed robberies and brazen attacks on people’s lives and property, have been on the increase. This has raised a lot of concerns and fears among the population. We hope the government and its security apparatus will have a firm grip on the problem to allow citizens to go about their lives in peace.

As we celebrate this year’s anniversary, we all need to pray and thank our ancestors and our gods that our nation has existed and survived these last 61 years without been plunged into the bloody agitations and political 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 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.

The Ghanaian News February 2018

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