GHANAIAN NEWS - JANUARY 2022

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Black History Month - All Year! recognition of this important date. I immediately sought to correct that with the City, then was successful with the Province of Ontario, all other provinces and finally after advocating for this at the national level with many MPs, it was passed in Dec. 1995, with this first national celebration in 1996.

By Rosemary Sadlier OOnt

February Black History Month is a special time to bring focus and attention to the experiences, achievement and contributions of people of African descent in Canada. It was however never meant to be the only time that we learn about or appreciate the Black Canadian experience or the contributions we will be making into the future.

It is hard to believe that in 1996 with the first national celebration taking place, that is was only then that symbolically the Canadian government was affirming that there were indeed Rosemary Sadlier OOnt Black people in this country and that they had a history, a long and proud history. first national celebration of February as Black History Month in the presence I was so very proud and humbled to of then Prime Minister Jean Chretien join the ‘Black Caucus” on stage in the along with the Hon. Jean Augustine

I was elated as I offered my remarks in both official languages and I was able to present an art print to the Prime Minister by artist David Kibuuka. I was very hopeful that this national commemoration would mean that no longer would our history be untaught, that we would find more representation in the board rooms and front line, that our systems would recognize our needs Dr. Jean Augustine and be willing to address them in an improved way. I was very hopeful that who championed my initiative through it would mean the national narrative the House of Commons.

After would bend to reflect our longterm joining the OBHS, I was faced with a presence and continuing contribution. potential loss of the official municipal cont’d on pg. 14

Year in Review 2021 Compiled by Jonathan Baah Annobil, Toronto, ON

The Year 2021 was very distressing for our community here in Canada and in the land of our birth, Ghana. We bring you some of the month by month highlights of major events that we covered and reported on during the past year.

January

US Embassy in Ghana suspends visa applications in Ghana

Toronto City launches Black Community COVID-19 response plan

years

of

April

GCAO Homework Club celebrates Black history Month virtually

Larry king: Veteran US talk show host dies aged 87

Toronto Asanteman Children’s Foundation donates to Tendercare Living Centre

64

Ghanaian-Canadian Association of Ontario distributes health devices to the community

African Canadian Social Development Council’s Historic “Black Lives Matter’’ rally

Prestige African-Canadian Support Services (PACSS) PROVIDES SUPPORT TO THE Black community funded by the Canadian Red Cross

Ghana celebrates independence

February Ghana: 64th Milestone of Nationhood and a special report Nana Kwateng Amanin, Omanhene of Montreal Traditional Council honored

by City of Montreal

Ghana first nation to receive corona virus vaccines from COVAX

March Canada to designate August 1 as Emancipation Day Ghana @64 Independence anniversary celebrated virtually in Toronto

Retired MP, Hon Jean Augustine, overcame hurdles to secure Black History Month designation

Acting Consul General of Ghana in Toronto admonishes Ghanaians to be problem solvers and good citizens at all times

Toronto became the first municipality in Canada to proclaim Black History Month in 1979

Former US President Obama’s paternal grandmother passes on

It is time to restore Nkrumah’s African Mission- Provost of Oboksese University of Excellence

Africa signs historic agreement with Johnson & Johnson for 400 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines

Supreme Court of Ghana upholds unanimously 2020 election victory of President Nana Addo

Don Yirenkyi promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant with York Regional police and is now the officer in charge of York Regional Police Intimate Partner Violence Unit (IPVU) Former Ghana High Commissioner to Canada, H.E Sulley Gariba passed away in Ghana Professor George Dei r e c e i v e s Lifetime Award from Ontario Alliance Of Black School Educators South African Airways bounces back, cont’d on pg. 26

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

EDITORIAL Publisher / Editor Emmanuel Ayiku Contributing Editor Joe Kingsley Eyiah Director of Operations Comfort Ayiku Community Reporter Jonathan Annobil Local Community Reporter Mickson Addo 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 1111 Albion Road, Suite 103 Etobicoke, Ont. M9V 1A9 Tel:(416) 916-3700 Advertising Fax (416) 916-6701 Website: 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 1111Albion Rd., Suite 103 Etobicoke, Ont., M9V 1A9 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.

Make BLACK HISTORY MONTH Meaningful The Month of February, ironically the shortest month of the year, is celebrated in Canada as Black History Month. The month and its celebrations provide an opportunity for Canadians to share and learn about the experiences, contributions and achievements of peoples of African ancestry. It was initiated in Canada by the Ontario Black History Society, which was founded in 1978.Before Black History Month was introduced in Canada, there was a movement to recognize North Americans of African descent. In 1926, African American historian, Carter G. Woodson conceived of the idea to declare Negro History Week (which became Black History Month) to coincide with the birth month of President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist and former enslaved person, Frederick Douglass. Later, sleeping car porters brought the idea north across the border into Canada.

The first celebration of February as Black History Month in Canada was organized at Toronto’s African Canadian “Shaw Street” British Methodist Episcopal Church in 1950 by Stanley G. Grizzle.

Later, the founders of the Ontario Black History Society, including Dr. Daniel G. Hill and Wilson O. Brooks, presented a petition to the City of Toronto to have February formally proclaimed as Black History Month. In 1979, the first-ever Canadian proclamation was issued by Toronto. In 1993, the Ontario Black History Society successfully filed a petition in Ontario to proclaim February as Black History Month.

Finally,former Member of Parliament for EtobicokeLakeshore, and then Parliamentary Secretary, Hon. Dr. Jean Augustine, introduced a Motion in the House of Commons in Ottawa which was unanimously on December 5, 1995. The first national declaration of Black History Month in Canada went into effect in February 1996.

We have come a long way since then. Every year in February, celebrations, big and small, take place across the Black Communities in Canada, some of which are attended, for the symbolism of it, by politicians and some government officials when it suits them. The noble idea of these celebrations was mooted to provide an opportunity for Canadians to share and learn about the experiences, contributions and achievements of peoples of African ancestry. Sadly, the history of the celebrations to date, across Canada, have been limited to efforts and involvements, some on very limited scale, to the members of the Black communities across Canada. There have been limited involvementin the celebrations by the power brokers, the rich and powerful as well as the mainstream citizenry in Canada. The only Province where politicians and political leadership have been actively participating in the Black History Month Celebrations has been the Province of Ontario. We thank them for their efforts and genuine interest in these celebrations.

We however call on the leaders of the Black communities in Canada to double their efforts in organizing events and activities to involve mainstream Canadians and power brokers in the country in these celebrations if its noble objectives of providing an opportunity for Canadians to share and learn about the experiences, contributions and achievements of peoples of African ancestryare to be achieved. The celebrations should not be limited only to the Black communities. This is the time we need to showcase the contributions of Canadians of African ancestry to the nation-building efforts in Canada. We have heroes, past, present and living whose achievements and contributions to the Canadian Mosaic should be highlighted and showcased.

That way, ALL Canadians will learn and embrace this noble idea and participate in the celebrations of Black History in Canada as a noble event worth celebrating.

Statement by the Prime Minister on Black History Month

Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Black History Month: “Today marks the start of Black History Month. It is a time to honour the legacy of Black Canadians, past and present, and to recognize and celebrate the significant contributions they continue to make to our country.

“This year, the Government of Canada’s Black History Month theme is ‘February and Forever: Celebrating Black history today and every day.’ It invites us to pay tribute to, and learn more about, the important roles that Black Canadians have played in building and shaping a more prosperous, diverse, and inclusive Canada.

“Black Canadians and their communities have a long history of being trailblazers and change makers. Among them is Dr. Alexandra Bastiany, an advocate for diversity in medicine who recently became Canada’s first Black woman interventional cardiologist.

Twenty-one-year-old Alphonso Davies from Edmonton is taking the soccer world by storm. Born to Liberian parents, he came to Canada at the age of five. He now plays for the Canadian men’s national soccer team and is a Global Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

“Black history is Canadian history. Canadians of African ancestry have been an integral part of the fabric of this land for centuries.

While Black History Month is a time for learning and celebration, we cannot forget that people of African descent created Black History Month in opposition to anti‑Black racism, hate, and discrimination. Racism, hate, and discrimination continue to be a reality for many Canadians. We also know that the COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed social and economic fractures in Canada. Inequality, injustice, and inherent privilege still exist in our society, and we must continue to work together to build a better and more inclusive future for all Canadians.

“As part of our strong commitment to combat all forms of anti‑Black racism and advance human rights and economic prosperity for Black Canadians, we officially recognized the United Nation’s International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-24).

And we are making it a priority to develop a whole‑of‑government action plan to ensure equality before the law, eradicate systemic racism, and improve the social, health, and economic well‑being of Black Canadians.

“We continue to work in partnership with Black communities to advance this work. In 2020, we launched Canada’s first Black Entrepreneurship Program to support Black Canadian business owners and entrepreneurs – for whom barriers were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic – as they grow their businesses, and to empower them to succeed into the future. We also committed to developing a Black Canadians Justice Strategy in consultation and cooperation with provinces, territories, and Black Canadians.

“We will continue to build on historic investments to community organizations that are at the heart of Black Canadian communities. From recently supporting 1,400 projects with Black-led organizations across Canada to moving forward with the implementation of the Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund. As part of Canada’s Anti‑Racism Strategy, we continue to provide resources to communities and organizations to eliminate inequities and tackle racism.

“On behalf of the Government of Canada, I encourage everyone to learn more about Black Canadian history, as we strive to make our country stronger, fairer, and more inclusive. Let’s aspire to be a society where all Black Canadians can succeed and prosper.”

PMO Media Relations

The Ghanaian News January 2022 7

O’Toole resigns as Conservative leader, will stay on as MP election defeat, reaching this point after a handful of electoral district associations put forward calls for a leadership vote before the one scheduled at the party’s national convention in 2023.

Erin O’Toole has resigned as the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada but will stay on to serve as the Durham, Ont. member of Parliament.

The majority of caucus voted to remove O’Toole in a secret ballot on Wednesday. In a decisive revolt, 118 votes were cast at the virtual morning meeting, 73 MPs voted in favour of replacing O’Toole, while 45 MPs voted to endorse his leadership.

Erin O’Toole Chair of the 119-member caucus, Scott Reid, said he did not vote.

Following this vote, O’Toole submitted his formal resignation to the party, effective immediately.

“Our party founded this great nation, I believe it can and should lead Canada out of these troubling times for our country,” he said in a video statement.

“I want to thank the people of Durham who I will continue to serve as Member of Parliament, I never lose sight of what an honour it is for me to serve my hometown in Parliament and there is not a bad seat in the House of Commons.”

He also thanked his wife, Rebecca and his children, Mollie and Jack.

One-third of the caucus signed a letter earlier this week to force the leadership review, an expression of what party insiders said was a broad dissatisfaction with O’Toole’s performance.

Under the Reform Act powers that enabled this vote to take place, O’Toole needed to secure more than 50 per cent support to hold on to his job, a threshold he failed to meet.

O’Toole spoke to caucus before the vote, but he was not successful in swaying enough of his MPs to allow him to remain at the helm until the party’s scheduled leadership review in 2023.

MPS WEIGH IN ON FUTURE OF PARTY Over the last few days both current and former MPs spoke out, issuing open letters making their case to their colleagues as to why they feel it’s time for O’Toole to go. Following O’Toole’s ouster MPs were quick to weigh in on what the major political move means for the party.

Alberta MP Matt Jeneroux called the removal of O’Toole as an “opportunity” for the party.

“We must rebuild trust amongst Canadians and show them that we are strong and stable leaders who are rooted in our conservative values while also understanding that we can evolve, learn, and modernize our party to reflect all,” he said.

Asked if the party is once again grappling with whether it should move more towards the right or the centre, Conservative MP Michael Barrett said the party has to have more conversations, starting with who will lead in the short term.

“I want to make sure that our party elects a leader who represents the views of Conservatives across Canada and gives us the best opportunity we have to replace a tired, corrupt, taxand-spend Liberal government that

that Canadians are growing very tired of,” he said.

Caucus secretary Ontario MP Eric Duncan, who has been vocal in his support of O’Toole when he faced internal leadership challenges in November, said he welcomes the change.

Alberta MP Garnett Genuis, who was one of the 35 MPs who signed the original letter prompting this vote, said he remains hopeful about the future of the party.

“There are many significant, challenging, and complex issues facing this country and I remain extremely optimistic about the future of the Conservative Party of Canada,” he told reporters on the Hill on Wednesday, declining to expand on why MPs ultimately chose to oust O’Toole.

“I would like to thank Erin O’Toole for all his hard work and wish him and his family well,” said Ontario MP Scott Aitchison.

Alberta MP Blaine Calkins said in a statement that he is looking forward to “a robust debate” on the issues central to the party and to hear from candidates’ ideas for a path forward.

Manitoba MP Raquel Dancho and Ontario MP Marilyn Gladu, who ran against O’Toole in the last leadership race, acknowledged that the role of opposition leader is a difficult one, especially in a pandemic.

When asked if she would run again, Gladu said “I’m thinking about it.

Alberta MP Ron Liepert gave more insight into the general sentiment of caucus.

“There were a number of caucus members who felt that in order to pull this disparate bunch together, we needed to start fresh and that Erin wasn’t going to be able to do it,” he said.

He added that he voted to keep O’Toole at the helm because he made a commitment to move up the party membership’s voting timeline to elect a new leader.

“To me, that’s really where that decision should be made anyway. It was party members who elected him as the leader, it should be party members to determine whether or not he stays,” he said.

O’TOOLE EMBATTLED ELECTION

SINCE

O’Toole had been fighting to hold on to his role to some degree since the Conservatives’ September 2021

In retaliation for launching a petition calling for an early leadership review, O’Toole booted Sen. Denise Batters from the national caucus in November.

She said Wednesday she was happy with what’s transpired, saying it provides a “clear direction” for federal Conservatives.

“Thousands of CPC members made their voices heard and Conservative MPs listened to them. Now we move forward together, unified in our resolve to demand better for Canadians,” Batters said.

The embattled leader framed this vote as “a reckoning” where the party needed to make a choice about what kind of party it wants to be going forward, a question the Conservatives have been grappling with for some time.

Among the concerns expressed by current and former MPs before his ouster were that O’Toole flip flopped on key issues, and that the party lost seats and MPs in key regions of the country despite leading in the polls for the early part of the 2021 campaign.

Others felt he failed to stand up for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms during the pandemic, and failed to unite the party.

There has also been inner-party disagreements over O’Toole’s more moderate positions on conversion therapy, deficit spending, and pricing carbon, after he framed himself as the “true blue” choice during his leadership bid.

After the election, O’Toole tapped former Alberta MP James Cumming with conducting an election postmortem to determine how the party’s 2021 campaign ended in defeat.

The report looked at everything from party infrastructure to the leader’s performance. Following its release, O’Toole reflected on the findings, noting that some found him “too scripted” and his main communication platform– a TV studio in Ottawa – proved ineffective.

A Conservative source told CTV News party infighting and a lack of candidate diversity also contributed to the loss.

Prior to entering the political ring, O’Toole spent more than a decade in the Royal Canadian Air Force and had a short stint as a corporate lawyer following his military service.

O’Toole won the Durham, Ont. byelection in 2012, following Bev

Oda’s resignation. He was the minister for veterans affairs under former prime minister Stephen Harper before the Liberals came to power in 2015.

He took his first run at party leadership in 2017 as one of the lesser-known candidates. He ultimately placed third behind Andrew Scheer and Maxime Bernier. He announced his second leadership bid in late January 2020, going on to beat out Peter MacKay for the job in August of that year.

The coming leadership race will be the second one the party has faced since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic.

O’Toole’s removal comes amid a trucker convoy rally in Ottawa protesting vaccine mandates and pandemic restrictions. While one of the main objectives of the rally was to oust Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, it is his main rival that has been toppled while the truckers are in town.

“What I find really surprising is the same Conservative MPs who are promoting the convoys against Mr. Trudeau, seem to have played a role in taking down Mr. O’Toole,” said NDP MP Charlie Angus on his way up to Parliament Hill.

O’Toole offered some parting thoughts on how the party should position itself going forward.

“This country needs a Conservative Party that is both an intellectual force and a governing force. Ideology without power is vanity, seeking power without ideology is hubris. Canadians deserve a government that delivers exemplary management with a foundation based upon values and our decency as a country,” he said.

“What Canadians deserve from a Conservative Party is a balance of ideas and inspiration.”

THANKED FOR HIS SERVICE O’Toole was not in the House of Commons on Wednesday, with Deputy Leader Candice Bergen leading off for the party in question period.

Before fielding questions, Trudeau thanked O’Toole for his service.

“There is a lot we don’t agree on for the direction of this county, but he stepped up to serve his country and I want to thank him for his sacrifice and also, particularly, Rebecca, Mollie, and Jack for being part of what is a very, very difficult life for even the most successful of us,” he said.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet said O’Toole has shown “great vigour and commitment” to Canada, while NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also thanked the former leader for his service. CTV News

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Saint Valentine’s Day, also known as Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is observed on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world, although it remains a working day in most of them.

hagiographical account of Saint Valentine of Rome states that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire. According to legend, during his imprisonment, he healed the daughter of his jailer, Asterius. An embellishment to this story states that before his execution he wrote her a letter signed “Your Valentine” as a farewell.

Today, Saint Valentine’s Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion, as well as in the Lutheran Church.

The Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrates Saint Valentine’s Day, albeit on July 6th and July 30th, the former date in honor of the Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and the latter date in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni). In Brazil, the Dia de São Valentim is recognized on June 12.

St. Valentine’s Day began as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. Several martyrdom stories were invented for the various Valentines that belonged to February 14, and added to later martyrologies. A popular The day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as “valentines”).

Valentine’s Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.

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FOCUS Is Ghana’s Educational System Really In Chaos?

Asks Joe Kingsley Eyiah, OCT, Brookview Middle School, Toronto-Canada

“Education is an essential sector to national development.”

United States of American got better part of him.

According to news reports from Ghana, press releases by the Ghana Education Service on any directives just before the re-opening of schools seemed to have come in multiples. There were all signs that there were not proper planning and consultations within GES before their first releases.

When I recently read on Twitter an article titled, “Chaos in Ghana’s Educational System Under American Educationist And Founder of Charter Schools As Minister of Education” I was greatly troubled! As an educationist and son of Ghana who has been writing a lot about educational issues I decided to investigate this troubling statement in the said article.

First, I learned that the Minister of Education in the person of Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum at the beginning of the school year in Ghana directed the Ghana Education Service (GES) to ask ‘private schools in the country who so wish to run three term system (trimester) while public schools run two term system (semester).”

The implication here was that even students at the basic level were to spend more months in the classroom before going on holidays break.

Also number of minutes per period was increased to 50 minutes for the basic schools just as it was increased to 60 minutes from 40 minutes for Senior High Schools (SHS) with the introduction of the double track system.

Second, I researched the background

of the Minister of Education who first appointed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in March, 2017 as the Deputy Minister of Education for Ghana and found that Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum is the founder of the New Designs Charter Schools in Los Angeles California. Prior to this, he worked as a Mathematics and Information Technology teacher at the Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles, California for ten years. During this period, he founded the International Studies Academy which served as a small learning community for students to thrive academically and socially.

Thus, Dr. Adutwum is passionate about education. However, in his interest and eagerness to change the calendar year run by the Ghana Education Service, his background with charter schools in

The situation alarmed teachers and other stakeholders of education in the country. Subsequently those directives were withdrawn.

Looking at the situation carefully, I would not conclude that the educational system in the country as at present has been thrown into total disarray. However, I must point out here, as I have always done over the years, that the educational system in Ghana has unduly suffered from party politics in the country. The two main political parties in Ghana have over the years used students in the country as ‘guinea pigs’ to introduce new experiments/reforms based solely on their political ideologies at the detriment of our national interest in

educational development. One big example is the handling of SSS/SHS (senior secondary) education in the country-its duration and quality!

The free secondary school education boldly introduced by the Nana Addo’s government is commendable. However, there is the urgent need to address its toothing problem in the face of lack of adequate educational infrastructure which has led to the double track in our SHS system leaving some students stranded in their timely acquisition of knowledge. Moreover, students of some basic schools in the country still have classes under trees.

Others sit and write on the floors of dilapidated classrooms. We’re is the proper planning for our educational system?

Ghana needs a national policy on education which must guide any government that comes to power.

Chaos is stirring us in the face with our unplanned educational policies but let us do better not to invite it into our educational system. For, education anywhere is essential to national development. A word to the wise, they say, is enough. God have mercy.

The Virtual Classes for the GCAO Homework Club resume after the Christmas break.

From Joe Kingsley Eyiah, Toronto The Twi and Math classes run on zoom (due to Covid-19 restrictions) for the participants of the GCAO Homework Club every Sunday afternoon resumed on January 30, 2022 after the Christmas break.

The resumption saw new participants registering for our lively Twi class ably taught by Madam Mavis Terkper at 3pm and the comprehensive Math classes at 4pm led by Ms. Shani Ocquaye Prempeh and supported in all lessons by the veteran educationist, Mr. Eyiah. Other GCAO volunteers who were present included Obaa Yaa and Vivian Ofori.

Participants of the Homework Club program every Sunday afternoon include students at the KG level to High School; and adults (Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians) who want to study the Twi language. There are also break up rooms for students during the Math classes.

Until the Covid-19 situation improves the GCAO Homework Club will continue to render classes on the zoom for its participants. Please, call 647283-3865; 647-456-6675; 416-3160244; 647-668-9069 or 705-794-8154 for registration as student or volunteer if you are interested.

The Ghanaian News January 2022 11

‘Apiate’, ‘Apiati’, ‘Appiatse’ confusion: a cue for Local Government Ministry?

By Edmund Agbeko, Toronto, ON

name of their hometown. If it’s confusing for adults, including experienced media correspondents, then pity the poor pupils!

The horrendous Tarkwa-Bogoso road explosion cost the nation a number of precious lives, besides landing Ghana in unwanted international headlines. Also, it has highlighted some flaws to be dealt with. Additionally, with scores injured and that Western Region community turned instantly into a wasteland, the accident is undoubtedly bringing in its wake many lessons, mostly about health and industrial safety.

However, after the dust settles, there should be attention to other lessons from the January 20 horror. An obvious one is that local authorities need to return to the practice of displaying the name of their locality at the entry and exit points.

Confusingly, the accident site has so far been identified by a number of similar sounding, but differently written names. Initially the name reported by the media was ‘Apiate’, but a day or two later it changed to ‘Appiatse’. Then other spellings emerged: ‘Apiatse’, ‘Apiati’, ‘Apiete’ and even ‘Apeatse’.

How could that be, I kept wondering. Of course the issue of places with double names is not new in Ghana. For example, Cape Coast is also known as ‘Oguaa’; and Accra has another identity as ‘Nkran’.

Nevertheless, the Apiate, Apiati, Appiatse confusion is a different dimension. One editor explained to me that the change to Appiatse was because “we got ‘Apiate’ wrong … and a local contact drew our attention.” Another editor told me that his Western Region correspondent “insisted that ‘Appiatse’ is the correct name” – although his paper had used ‘Apiate’ on January 21. A third editor said he believes ‘Apiate’, is correct because that is the spelling he got from the Ghana Statistical Service. For his part, a highly-placed Local Government source told me: “It’s Apiate (or Apeatse in Fante)”.

But of course this matter of names is a minor one in view of the enormity of the task ahead of the community and the Ghana Government: including assisting the bereaved; resettling the displaced and reconstruction.

The confusion seems to indicate that there was no specific, or documented, agreed spelling of the name of the community.

Moreover, this implies that there were no signposts bearing its name, which even if they had been destroyed in the blast, would still have been remembered, and used.

Another puzzling aspect was it a hamlet, community, settlement, village or small town? From the media reports, it wasn’t clear. Conceivably, different spellings of the name of a town or community could just be a problem of bad spelling, or carelessness, on the part of whoever first wrote the name.

Yet, I believe that if knowledgeable local authorities, or government officials in charge of that area, had taken an interest in place names as part of their responsibilities, such a confusion could have been avoided.

Surely, if the officially recognised version had been written on signposts conspicuously mounted at both ends of the place, people would have known which name or spelling is the official or accepted one.

I also wonder which of the names the hapless school children from that place write when they are required to write the

No surprise that the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources immediately announced the start of an investigation into the circumstances of the explosion. On January 20, a truck transporting explosives to the Chirano mine, had reportedly collided with a motorcycle, causing the explosives to ignite.

Casualties on the spot included 13 dead; scores seriously injured and the community razed to the ground. Sadly, as at January 27, the death toll had reportedly risen to 17.

Nevertheless, despite the fact that the name confusion is a side issue, it’s a reminder that there are actions which though not critical shouldn’t be neglected because they serve a useful purpose.

I suggest that the bewildering, different spellings for the accident spot should be taken as a cue by the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development to get the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to return to the old, very helpful practice of mounting name signposts for all places, especially in rural areas.

Sad that at present one can drive through swathes of communities and villages and find no information at all to assist visitors to know the identity of that place. This curious lack of appreciation of the importance of

signposting localities doesn’t speak well of our country.

Clearly, locality signposts indicate that the people in charge care, – and take pride in their identity. And pride in one’s community, whether hamlet, settlement, village or town, could translate into pride in one’s country. How did we get to this stage where even local assemblies and village leaders apparently are no longer proud of their birthplace?

My thinking is that displaying names of villages and town should also be of interest to the Ministry of Tourism, which has recently announced its intention to give a boost to domestic tourism. The drive to encourage interest in domestic tourism particularly, as well as increase international visitor numbers, should include secondary but important measures like place names to identify places.

Otherwise, how does anybody recommend a town or village to a would-be tourist if that place can’t even be identified immediately by name? It’s also notable that the ‘Apiate’, ‘Apiati’, ‘Appiatse’ bewilderment is not the only matter needing clarification.

The motorcycle rider widely reported to have been involved in the accident, has been reported as vehemently denying the allegation.

Allegedly, he insists that he was nowhere near that location at the time of the blowup.

If that is true, how could that aspect have been so misreported? Doubtless, there will be much to learn from the keenly awaited outcome of the investigation into the devastating explosion on the Bogoso road.

And, hopefully, in the near future, there will be action on the need for signposting places.

Maiden edition of Africa Technovate Awards to come off April 2 Africa Integrated Development and Communications Consultancies (AIDEC) has re-launched the maiden edition of the Africa Technovate Awards and Fair to appreciate and reward players of the technological space.

The awards programme and a fair are scheduled to come off on Saturday, April 2, 2022, at the auditorium of the University of Professional Studies (UPSA), Accra under the theme ‘Information Technology and the Way Forward for Africa under the Fourth Industrial Revolution’ from 9:00am to 9:00pm.

As part of the new preparations to allow for more inclusivity, and to bring out the best in technology, innovation, and creativity in Africa, the closing date for nominations has been fixed for Tuesday, February 15, 2022.

The technology and innovations awards ceremony are to recognize and reward African technology companies who have blazed the trail for several years and budding young innovative and creative tech companies charting a path for Africa in a fast digitally transforming world.

The awards will challenge and motivate tech companies driving digital solutions to even do more to make Africa stay competitive, especially under the era of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

Speaking at the launch, Managing Director of AIDEC, Ambrose Yennah said the ceremony will be graced with different key stakeholders and a number of distinguished guests who will share knowledge and ideas about their best experiences and practices and also share how they’ve stayed hopeful even in trying times of COVID-19

Ambrose Yennah “Apart from the awardees, other key stakeholders made up of a number of distinguished invited guests will be attending from some technology training institutions, top technology companies in the services sector, academia and policy and regulatory authorities of the technology space, under the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization,” he said.

The event will be held both physically with about 150 persons in attendance and virtually for all persons throughout Africa and beyond. All countries in Africa are targets for inclusion in the Africa Technovate Awards particularly Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Kenya, Cameroun, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Uganda, Zambia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Namibia, Tanzania, Botswana, Gambia, Niger.

Awards Category The award ceremony include three

sections: Sector Awards (silver category), Regional Awards (Gold category), and the Africa Awards (platinum category).

The sector awards will comprise of Outstanding Edtech Institution of the Year, FinTech Company of the Year, Health/Medtech Company of the Year, Digital Agri-Business of the Yea, and the Tech Insurance Company of the Year.

The regional awards comprise the Digital Innovation and Creativity Award, Digital Business Transformation Award, Tech Startup Company of the Year Award, Young Tech Startup Company of the Year Award, Blossoming Tech Company of the Year Award, Mature Tech Company of the Year Award, and the Ambitious Tech Company of the Year Award.

While the Africa awards (platinum) category comprises of Outstanding Digital Entrepreneur of the Decade, Lifetime Achievers Award, Quality Standards Award, Digital Excellence Awards, and the Long-Standing Service Engagement Award.

Awards criteria On awards criteria, the nominated individual or organization must be registered as an ICT company or service provider in the ICT sector and must show a track record of performance in the technology space.

Mr. Yennah added that the awardees must have demonstrated creativity, originality, and initiative in technology design and programming adding that they must also contribute to the development of technology products or solutions in the sector, country, or region. They must have industry standards

by establishing and demonstrating organizational best practices.

The company as well must demonstrate standards and show evidence of innovation and creativity using information technology to transform business operations.

Speakers, guest of honour The Special Guest of Honour is the Minister of Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful. The awards will be chaired by Ing. Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, CEO of Ghana Telecoms Chamber with Carol Annang, Country Director of Invest in Africa as co-chair.

Speakers for the event include Chairman, Ghana Dot Com, Prof. Nii Narku Quaynor; Executive Director, E-Commerce Association of Ghana, Paul Asinor; and President, Accra Institute of Technology, Prof. Clement Dzidonu.

Goodwill messages shall be shared by the Secretary-General of AfCFTA, Wamkele Mene; and the Country Director of GIZ, Regina Bauerochse Barbosa.

The event will be graced with a lively performance by ‘the lioness of Africa’ Wiyaala with support from Patchbay band.

Other side attractions will be the exhibition of tech products and services at the foyer of the Auditorium (UPSA).

There will be an event brochure both in soft and hard copies and advertisers and sponsors are encouraged to take advantage of the limited spaces available to sell their business and products across Africa and beyond. For further information about Africa Technovate Awards, kindly visit the link: Africatechnovateawards.tech BFT

12

The Ghanaian News January 2022

Deadline to renew Ontario health card extended Ontario residents now have another to be renewed was Feb. 28. eight months to get their health cards renewed.

“In response to the pandemic our government extended the renewal In a news release issued Wednesday, requirements for Ontario health cards,” the provincial government said they Health Minister Christine Elliott said were extending the deadline to renew in a statement. health cards to Sept. 30.

“While the majority of Ontarians have In an effort to keep people from continued to renew their documents gathering at Service Ontario locations throughout the pandemic, we are when the pandemic was first committed to ensuring all Ontarians declared, the government said that have the opportunity to renew while any identification cards, including continuing to access the care they need, the Ontario Photo Health Card, that when they need it.” expired after March 2020 did not have to be renewed.

Ontario residents will be able to continue using expired health cards As the situation improved, the until the new September deadline. government reinstated renewal requirements.

The deadline to renew drivers licences, licence stickers and other vehicle The original deadline for health cards products remains Feb. 28. Cp24

Ontario licence plate stickers could be eliminated, sources say The Doug Ford government is has not been finalized yet. considering scrapping licence plate stickers for Ontario vehicles, sources The government is exploring how these say. refunds could be issued, and it may be similar to the direct deposit system While the plan has not yet been used for the Ministry of Education finalized, it could save motorists up to student COVID-19 funds. $120 annually.

According to sources, licence plate stickers would be removed for passenger vehicles, light commercial vehicles, including pick-up trucks, and motorcycles.

The move to eliminate eliminate licence plate stickers is a strategy ahead of the June provincial election, sources said.

Ford’s team is looking to gain support from voters in the suburbs, where the majority of people own and drive a vehicle.

Sources said that eliminating licence plate stickers would cost the As of now, Ontario drivers must renew government $1 billion per year in their expired licence plate stickers revenue. before Feb. 28.

An announcement is expected to be The government has allowed people to made in the coming weeks, sources use expired licence plate stickers since said.

March 2020 to avoid people gathering in Service Ontario locations.

The government will issue refunds to Ontarians who have renewed their There are more than eight million licence plate stickers, sources said. The vehicles currently registered in list of people who qualify for a refund Ontario. CP24

Identity or Testimony?

A world of pity party

By Gifty Annobil, New York, NY Everyone has passed through some unpleasant phases of life. Whiles some are born into adversity, others are ushered into it by their choices and decisions. Whatever the attached reasons to these misfortunes in our lives are, recruiting people into it only blocks us from the possibility of being healed , restored and rescued happily.

A year ago, I was introduced to a single mothers group which had its weekly meetings scheduled on the Zoom Cloud app. Upon joining them in one of their active meetings, I was so amazed at how the entire meeting was centered on the series of pain they had all faced individually.

Almost all of them, who had the opportunity to address the meeting passed some sarcastic comment about their men. My only worry, really, was how their little daughters, seen in the background, were listening to our discussion and the negative orientation about men they were being introduced to.

After absorbing the bitter comments they were spewing; I interrupted rhetorically. WHAT ROLE DID ANY OF YOU PLAY IN HOW BAD YOU ALL CLAIM YOUR WERE MISTREATED? The leader of the group responded that ONLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD EVERYTHING GOING WELL FOR THEM WILL HAVE THE AUDACITY TO ASK WHAT SHE DESCRIBED AS AN UNWARRANTED QUESTION. I was already convinced I didn’t belong there. Before exiting however, I pleaded with them to listen to my story.I made the narrative very brief and they listened with rapt attention. The usual extreme emotional expressions were visible on their faces. A huge pity party was probably brewing for me. I interfered with what I believed was my contribution to what happened in my past life.

They could not hide their shock!

I exited the platform with a smile.

Clearly, that was the beginning of their healing.

Sometimes, a sincere act of excessively sympathizing with people gives them a good reason to remain in their misery.

Nelson Mandela, after spending 27 years in jail, became the first elected president to transform South Africa.

That is clearly a lesson from the irony of life!

Truly, pain can awaken a profound sense of meaning and purpose in someone’s life. Imagine the painful life threatening stories of these wonderful transformational speakers, Linda Cliatt-Wayman, and the Sean Stephenson, and how they have become professional global sensations and beautiful inspiration to many.

No matter the situation being faced with, the pain must never replace our urge to lead good expectations in every decision of results.”

You may never understand why such pain certainly occurred but redefining and deciding, how you choose to live in response to it lies on one’s shoulders.

Whether a personal identity or an inspirational testimony, YOU HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE!

Ontario allowing non-urgent, non-emergent surgeries to gradually resume Hospitals in Ontario will be allowed to gradually resume non-urgent and nonemergent surgeries and procedures as the province continues to see a steady decline in hospitalizations and ICU admissions.

“Thanks to the sacrifices of Ontarians and unwavering efforts of our health care workers, we are now in a position to resume additional surgeries and procedures,” said Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott in a statement.

The Ontario government announced Thursday that it is lifting the directive it issued last month, which ordered hospitals to pause non-urgent and nonemergent surgeries in the wake of rising cases due to the Omicron variant.

“We recognize the impact these measures have had on patients and together with our hospital partners we will ensure patients can continue to access the health care they need when they need it.”

The province said the resumption of these surgeries and procedures will follow a planned phased approach and will be guided by Ontario Health.

“While the months ahead will require continued vigilance, our hard work has allowed us to gradually and cautiously lift public health measures to let children and youth in schools participate in extra-curricular activities, and public hospitals to resume nonurgent surgeries and procedures,”

Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said in a statement.

Earlier this month, several medical and clinical activities were already allowed to resume, including diagnostic imaging, cancer screening, and nonurgent and emergent surgeries and procedures in pediatric specialty hospitals.

On Thursday, the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 dropped below 2,000 for the first time in more than a month. Cp24

The Ghanaian News January 2022 13

The local movie industry needs quality contentTimothy Bentum appeals

SIKAMAN-JOHNSON ACCOUNTING & TAX SERVICE

By Joyceline Natally Cudjoe, Accra, GH Actor-cum-pastor, Timothy Bentum, has called on producers of local movie to produce quality content to attract international audience.

According to him, the current industry needed paradigm shift to meet the digital market.

Speaking in an interview with the media, Timothy Bentum indicated that the Kumawood industry needed a revamp to get the sector excel although it has been able to flourish in recent times.

He further charged them to endeavour to reinvent themselves to fit well into the digital age.

“We are trying. I think the Twi people [Kumawood] are doing well. They are sitting on a cash cow. They should just revamp, think it through, subtitling right and don’t get a guy to follow a camera from here to Avenor to just buy time, so that you can do [part] one and two.”

“Get very good stuff out there because you have a huge following in Ghana and everywhere else,” Timothy Bentum advised.

The founder of Timothy Bentum Ministries implored the Englishspeaking counterparts to also project the Ghanaian culture like their

Timothy Bentum colleagues in other countries do.

“For the English people, I’ve always had a problem with it’s because you can’t do it better than Hollywood. So, what we should do as a movie industry is to become like South Africa where it’s an English movie but they mix it up and then they sub-title it so you sell your culture as a people,” he said.

Timothy Bentum indicated that was the surest to help the industry grow as the foreigners wanted to learn from other cultures.

“That is what people who are not Ghanaians want to see. We should be able to marry it to make it to make it right so as to satisfy our local audience and also endear the foreign audience to make it bigger,” he added.

OB Amponsah, Parrot Mouth win big at the Maiden GMLive Awards

By Joyceline Natally Cudjoe, Accra, GH Talented Ghanaian comedian, Obarima Akuoko Amponsah known in the industry as OB Amponsah has been emerged the ultimate winner at the maiden GMLive Awards which was held in Accra on Friday, January 14, 2022.

Long-Term and Short-Term

He won the star comedian award and other two awards namely GMLive Comic television personality and Standup comedian awards on the same night.

The night also saw Parrot mouth, a Nigerian winning the international comedian award.

Aside him, 11 other comedians were also awarded from categories including GmLive comic musician, comic male and female actor, comedy event and new comic actor.

Speaking exclusively to Ghanaian News during the event, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the award scheme, Greg Miller said the awards seek to honour and celebrate talented comedians and industrial stakeholders who promote comedy in the country.

“The award is first of a kind and it seeks to honour comedians and stakeholders who are projecting Ghana comedy on the map,” he explained.

Greg Miller said the award which has 15 categories was initiated to strengthen and propel comedians to become creative while encouraging Ghanaians to patronise comic events.

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Obarima Akuoko Amponsah known in the industry as OB Amponsah He expressed optimism in Gh comedy and congratulated the winners, urging them to do more for Gh comedy to compete evenly with foreign comedies.

Talking on the sidelines of Gh comedy, Greg Miller lamented that investors in the sector were low and appealed for corporate entities and individuals to invest in the sector.

“I see Gh comedy growing and getting grounds in the entertainment industry but the industry can better develop when we get investors to support the craft of comedians to push them to the world,” he added.

Greg Miller expressed his outfit’s commitment to support comedians and also add more categories in the next year’s awards.

The award was brought in collaboration with Spot On News, an entertainment media site in Ghana.

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14

The Ghanaian News January 2022

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

Invalidity of Proxy Marriages for Immigration purposes A proxy marriage is a marriage in which one or both of the participants are not physically present and are represented by another person at the time of solemnization of the marriage.

In many such cases, one or both of the parties would not be physically present at the same location, but would be represented by another person or would participate at the solemnization of the marriage by telephone, fax, internet or by other means.

Recently introduced regulatory amendments in Canada have rendered proxy, telephone, fax, internet or similar forms of marriage where one or both parties are not physically present invalid for immigration purposes.

This is apparently based on a general perception and presumption that the nature of proxy, telephone, fax, internet and other similar forms of marriage can help to facilitate early and forced marriages because the absence of one or both parties makes it difficult to determine that they have consented to the marriage. This recent measure there appears to address vulnerability of women in the immigration context.

Prior to the recently introduced regulatory amendments, foreign nationals who were not physically present at their wedding ceremony were eligible to immigrate to Canada as spouses so long as their marriage was legally valid in the country in which it took place. Thus, prior to this new introduction, a Canadian citizen

Section 5(c) of IRPR states that “both parties are to be physically present at the time of the marriage ceremony” while section 117(9) states that if one of the parties was not present, then the foreign national is not considered a member of the family class and section 125(1) sets out the same requirements for membership in the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class.

who marries a spouse in a country like Ghana customarily and in absentia could sponsor the spouse because that form of marriage is legally valid in those countries. The newly introduced amendments put recognition of such marriages in doubt in Canada, at least for immigration purposes. There is therefore a need for both parties to be physically present and participate in the ceremonies if sponsorship to Canada is contemplated Regulatory amendments are in place in Canada to ensure compliance and enforcement of this prohibition. The regulatory amendments disallowing proxy, telephone, fax, internet, and other similar forms of marriage for immigration purposes came into force on June 10, 2015. Amendments have accordingly been made to section 5 and subsections 117(9) and 125(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR).

Black History Month All Year! cont’d from pg. 1 I met someone recently who had immigrated from the Caribbean to Toronto. He told me that when he arrived, he was almost offended that something like a Black History Month existed. For him, coming from a country where racialized people, where Black people were the majority, thinking of himself as Black and needing a month to celebrate it was odd. He had come to this country to be Canadian. More importantly, he had never realized that being a Canadian included being Black. He had not come to learn about the reality that Black people have contributed to this country since before it was even Canada. He had accepted what he had been allowed to believe, that this was a white country or a country of immigrants perhaps with a nod to our First Nations. Upon arrival, he just guessed that other Blacks had only recently arrived like himself.

When people ask me why we still need a Black History Month now, I believe it is needed more than ever. We know that there are inequities that trouble many Black Canadians and likely will continue. Evidence of this sadly comes in the recent trucker’s blockade impacting Ottawa -claiming a move for freedom while displaying evidence of hate…

But we will never be able to see

any change take place unless we do something about it. At a time when Black History still remains an optional academic subject in schools perhaps with the exception of BHM events, how to we raise awareness? How can we have the type of society we want where everyone truly has an equal chance of success no matter what race, neighbourhood, gender expression or religion they might be? How do people secure the knowledge to assist them in becoming informed, thoughtful citizens?

What can we do to make those improvements?

Involve yourself with groups that address issues you are interested in. Read about both the historic and contemporary experiences of people who are not like you or who sometimes find themselves on the margins of our society. Ensure there is diversity in your organizations and on your boards. Listen to the concerns of people with openness and kindness before dismissing them based on what race or gender a person might have. Try doing things a different way so that you might get a different result - perhaps a better result. Black History Month is a reminder of what we have left out and a call to action to make sure we do something about redressing, correcting this lack of representation.

An exception however exists for members of the Canadian Armed Forces, who due to restrictions related to their service, might be absent from their marriage ceremony.

Also, before a decision is made to refuse an application due to the foregoing impropriety, the officer is required to consider whether the couple meets the definition of common-law partner and can be processed as such.

Humanitarian and compassionate considerations may also be applied to overcome the regulation if the situation warrants that.

It should also be noted that participation of both parties in person in marriages does not necessarily guarantee legal recognition. Other statutory regulations in the country of marriage must also be respected. For instance, in Ghana, even if both parties participate in a customary marriage in person, registration of the customary marriage with the appropriate marriage authorities following the necessary statutory requirements is necessary to enhance legal recognition of such marriages for immigration sponsorship purposes.

Apart from the aforementioned requirements, other legal requirements

must be met in order for marriages to be recognized for immigration purposes.

Among other requirements, if any or both of the prospective partners had been previously married, they must ensure that they are legally divorced before they remarry. The parties to the marriage should not be related whole blood, half blood or by adoption and the foreign national spouses should be of certain age in order for marriages to be given legal recognition for immigration purposes.

Also, be mindful of the fact that a legally valid marriage is not necessarily a genuine marriage and vice versa.

Notwithstanding legal validity of the relationship, a marriage must be genuine in order to warrant immigration sponsorship consideration. Officers are interested in finding out whether or not the relationship has been entered into fraudulently to facilitate immigration of any of the parties. A number of factors would collectively determine the genuineness of the marriage and the intent of the parties.

I strongly advise prospective partners and sponsors of spouses to seek professional advice whenever an issue or situation pertaining to their intended or newly-formed relationship is not clear-cut.

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

The Ghanaian News January 2022 15

National Investment Bank completes voluntary redundancy exercise Redundant GH¢6,000

NIB were given the opportunity to voluntarily leave the investment bank with some redundancy pay.

NIB staff to receive plus other benefits

Staff voluntary exit part of NIB transformation programme - MD NIB restructuring world-class bank

to –

Graphic online reported that staff that voluntary exited the bank received GH¢4000 compensation as well as GH¢2000 to cater for transportation needs and repatriation.

become MD

The National Investment Bank (NIB) has disclosed that it had completed a voluntary exit programme it started on December 17, 2021.

Managing Director of NIB, Mr Samuel Sarpong

Through the programme, staff of

In addition, the affected staff received either two years of medical insurance coverage or GH¢6,000 to cater for their medical needs

and a 5 percent discount on all outstanding loans they owed the bank.

A said press statement issued by NIB said the voluntary exit programme was successfully implemented and would help the bank get the best out of its staff.

The release said the exit programme formed part of effort of a broader transformation programme which is aimed at making the investment bank a key player in Ghana’s financial sector.

Managing Director of NIB, Mr Samuel Sarpong, also said in the statement that the transformation programme would make the NIB a worldclass financial institution that would play a vital role in Ghana’s economic growth through strategic investments and job creation.

On the voluntary exist programme, the MD said it would help ensure that the bank was run efficiently.

He added that the investment bank had made progress in the training of its human resources and had also successfully upgraded its system to help ensure that it attains its target of becoming a world-class financial institution. thebftonline.com

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The Ghanaian News January 2022

Has democracy disappointed Africa, hence the military taking over On Monday, January 24, a military coup occurred in Burkina Faso, one of the poorest countries in West Africa, after Mali and Guinea, all three countries are French-Speaking countries.

The coup in Burkina Faso is an element of the new liberation of Africa, as more than half of the people are dissatisfied with the way democracy works in that country.

Africa can’t be left alone and because of its vast amount of resources, the West and the United States of America do not want to see the success of the Black continent.

It seems democracy is losing popularity, even in the United States of America, things are falling apart, let alone the African countries governing under democratic governments.

The coup which led to the arrest of president Kabore is one of the stages of the new liberation of Africa. The French colonies are tired of the policies imposed by the former colonial masters.

On many occasions, the military would like to take over if they feel things are not going right for the people, therefore, the need to be liberated.

At times, such coups are necessary since they stabilize the countries.

Africa is known to be an unstable continent, due to political and tribal differences but when coups start to derail democracy, it reveals dissatisfaction and the quest for a change.

Already, coups have occurred in Mali and Guinea, followed by Burkina Faso.

The countries were under France before independence but France still manages political affairs in its former colonies.

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Citizens of Burkina Faso and other African countries where military regimes have taken place, see a

good example of rapid changes for their countries more than when under the umbrella of democracy.

Burkina Faso’s new military has dissolved the government and the National Assembly -Parliament, as well as closed its borders with neighboring countries.

According to the military leader, Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, the coup was carried out without violence, and the detainees are safe.

Columnist: Joel Savage

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The Ghanaian News January 2022 17

Mandatory vaccine and its effect on international tourism-Part I Happy new year to you all. We are back and I wish all readers a very prosperous new year. Tourism is at the cross road and we shall overcome hopefully this year. The rebound need to happen quickly and we need it really fast. International tourism is the driving force behind. Tourism. The Ghana Health Service has announced new vaccine requirements for all travelers to Ghana effective at midnight (12:00 a.m.) local time, December 12, 2021.

The following information is from the Ghana Health Service’s press release: Travelers to Ghana All persons 18 years-old and above arriving in Ghana will be required to provide evidence of full vaccination for a COVID-19 vaccine. All unvaccinated Ghanaians and residents of Ghana who are currently outside of the country and intend to return within 14 days from midnight December 12, 2021, are exempted. However, they will be vaccinated on arrival at the airport in Ghana.

Traveling out of Ghana All Ghanaians travelling out of the country are to be fully vaccinated effective midnight December 12, 2021.

Definition of Fully Vaccinated A person is said to be fully vaccinated when he or she has taken the full dose of vaccines approved and registered by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) of Ghana. You need two doses of AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna or Sputnik V to be declared as fully vaccinated. One dose of Johnson and Johnson vaccine is required to be declared fully vaccinated.

Other Arrival Requirements remain unchanged The 72-hour Negative PCR test requirement prior to travel remains in effect.

Completion of the Health Declaration Form remains in effect.

All persons who arrive in Ghana will undergo Antigen testing at the airport.

The CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council says she is against a global mandate to require a COVID-19 vaccination in order to travel. “We should never require the vaccination to get a job or to travel,” Gloria Guevara said in remarks at the Reuters Next Conference. “If you require the vaccination before travel, that takes us to discrimination. “I don’t think governments will require vaccination next year” for travel, Gloria Guevara, head of the World Travel and Tourism Council, said. “If they do that they will kill their sector.”

It is reported that several health experts said during the Reuters Next Conference that the mass roll-out of coronavirus vaccines would not result in enough people having immunity to be able to effectively stop COVID-19 from spreading. Those same health experts say the vaccine will only work, and create something of a herd immunity, if 70-75 percent of people are inoculated.

Dale Fisher, chairman of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Outbreak Alert and Response Network, said: “We won’t get back to normal

quickly. We know we need to get to herd immunity and we need that in a majority of countries, so we are not going to see that in 2021. There might be some countries that might achieve it but even then that will not create ‘normal’ especially in terms of border controls.”

Keen to restart travel as soon as possible, global travel organizations are pushing for Covid-19 testing over vaccine mandates. The debate still lingers on. the C.E.O of the WTTC has set the ball rolling and travel and tourism is at a cross road. The roll out of vaccines against Covid-19 has intensified debate about whether they should be made mandatory, with the head of a major tourism lobby saying that doing so would cause irreparable harm to the struggling sector. Those first in line to get the jabs include the elderly and vulnerable, who “are the last people who will travel”, she said.

Instead, rules for virus testing before departure are likely to be bolstered.

These are challenging times especially knowing how tourism can drive and boost many economies. We in Ghana recently benefited immensely from tourism revenue during the year of return. Many tourists unwilling to take the vaccines may opt to stay home which may reduce international arrivals drastically. Its obvious that in many countries, not all citizens will agree to take the vaccines though mandatory. It’s for us all to agree on the way forward.

The controversy surrounding the tennis star Novak Djokovic is one of many challenges that if not handle well could kill sport tourism due to this mandatory vaccine. CNN reports that he arrived in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open, but a reported visa bungle raised questions about his participation at the season-opening grand slam. Tournament organizers announced on Tuesday that Djokovic had been granted a medical exemption — a decision which has provoked a backlash among Australians.

However, according to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Border Force contacted the state Victoria government after learning of an issue with the visa submitted by Djokovic’s team while the Serb was on his way to Australia. He reportedly traveled to Australia on a visa that does not permit medical exemptions for being unvaccinated, Australian news outlets reported.

Acting Victoria Sports Minister Jaala Pulford confirmed in a tweet on Wednesday that the government would not support Djokovic’s visa application.

“The Federal Government has asked if we will support Novak Djokovic’s visa application to enter Australia. We will not be providing Novak Djokovic with individual visa application support to participate in the 2022 Australian Open Grand Slam,” wrote Pulford.

“We’ve always been clear on two points: visa approvals are a matter for the Federal Government, and medical exemptions are a matter for doctors,” she added.

Australian news outlets reported that the Australian Border Force subsequently sought support from the Victorian government to facilitate Djokovic’s entry because Victoria partners with Tennis Australia in

running the Australian Open. Both The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Djokovic would likely be allowed off the plane and into Melbourne, but the situation was still ongoing. Australians have responded with anger and skepticism to the news that men’s tennis No. 1 has been granted an exemption to compete.

There had been uncertainty over Djokovic’s participation after players were told they would have to be fully vaccinated in order to participate or have a medical exemption granted by an independent panel of experts. The exemption from the vaccine mandate means he will defend his 2021 title in Melbourne. He has not publicly revealed his vaccination status but voiced opposition to Covid-19 vaccines and vaccine mandates in April 2020. “Personally, I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel,” he said in a Facebook live chat, according to Reuters.

But in May of last year, Djokovic said vaccination was a matter of personal choice: “I will keep the decision as to whether I’m going to get vaccinated or not to myself. It’s an intimate decision, and I don’t want to go into this game of pro and against vaccines, which the media is unfortunately creating these days.

“However, it’s ultimately up to him to discuss with the public his condition if he chooses to do that and the reason why he received his exemption.”

Acting Victorian Sports Minister Jaala Pulford told reporters “nobody has had special treatment.”

Djokovic’s exemption comes two weeks after Russian tennis player Nata Vikhlyantseva revealed she would be unable to travel to the tournament because her vaccine is not recognized by local health authorities. Under the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation’s (ATAGI) current guidelines, a medical exemption is granted to individuals who have an “acute major medical condition (e.g. undergoing major surgery or hospital admission for a serious illness.”

The other remaining grounds for a medical exemption concern people who have suffered a “serious adverse event attributed to a previous dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, without another cause identified” and a vaccinee who “is a risk to themselves or others during the vaccination process,” due to an “underlying developmental or mental health disorder.”

Lastly, exemptions may be given to anyone with a “PCR-confirmed SARSCoV-2 infection, where vaccination can be deferred until six months,” and in cases where individuals have received “anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody or convalescent plasma therapy.”

In June 2020, Djokovic tested positive for coronavirus following an exhibition event he organized in Croatia, but since then there have been no reports of him being re-infected with the virus.

The backlash against the exemption comes after Melbourne residents spent more than 260 days confined to their homes, forbidden to leave except to buy groceries or other essential items, mostly in two long stretches from July to October, 2020 and August to October, 2021.

Australia has started 2022 with a record number of new Covid-19 cases due to a growing outbreak centered in the eastern states. New South Wales, the most populous state, and Victoria — home to Melbourne — both posted daily record case numbers on Saturday, health department figures showed.

Many commented on social media that thousands of Australians had been stranded abroad, unable to return to their home country even to visit sick or dying relatives, due to Australia’s strict border controls and quotas on arrivals.

This controversy clearly shows what is yet to come.

Philip Gebu is a Tourism Lecturer. He is the C.E.O of FoReal Destinations Ltd, a Tourism Destinations Management and Marketing Company based in Ghana and with partners in many other countries. thebftonline.com

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18

The Ghanaian News January 2022

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The Ghanaian News January 2022 19

Who Owns Ghana Lands: The People or the Chiefs?

By Yaw Ofori-Amanfo Many serious disputes have arisen and even wars fought over land ownership around the world, and for several centuries. Every human being born on earth, unless born away from their nativity, has a natural endowment of a small portion of land they can call home or homeland. It is a gift of nature. It is irreplaceable because land is immovable, non-extendable and a fixed asset that is either inherited, bequeathed, or transferred to others through sales or usurpation.

Bringing it closer home, during the time of inter-tribal wars, kingdoms and vassals fought for territorial acquisitions. In those primitive times, when humanity had not intentionally enacted rational laws to govern peaceful co-existence, anybody who felt stronger than their neighbor, could just get up and decide to invade and subjugate their neighbor with impunity. As neighbors conquered neighbors, so did foreign powers participate in this lucrative and fun business of invasions and conquests on the African landscape. Any conquered territories became the bona fide domain of the conqueror. Such behaviors replicated life in the jungle. The strong preyed on the weak and “dog ate dog” Foreign invaders such as the British were vehemently resisted and several wars were fought to protect and preserve the natural endowments of people, clans and tribes. Many chiefs or ancestors sacrificed their lives in attempts to defend the land they inhabited in order to bequeath to their descendants and generations unborn.

The protective resistance and agitation gave rise to the many independence movements and freedom fights. Independence was fought to reclaim and consolidate lands belonging to the present people and their descendants. Long after independence, when Ghana land was reclaimed from foreign invaders and restored to the people, the question of land ownership is still unresolved. Who owns Ghana land post independence? Does the land belong to the government, the chiefs, or the people?

A point worthy of notice is that, whereas the population has exploded and multiplied tenfold since independence, land boundaries remain static and the same. It means, ten times more people since independence are scrambling for the same land parcels. The phenomenon gives rise to the bullies, rich, wellconnected, educated, famous and powerful to prey on the weak, illiterate, poor and vulnerable ones. Wars and conflicts are still raging among the tribes and peoples of Ghana over land ownership and distribution. When the vulnerable muster courage to resist and protect their obviously only legacy and property, clashes and even wars are started. Tribes have bloodily fought tribes, and families bloodily fought families. In some cases, land guards are hired to protect people’s lands. It is a very touchy but potentially explosive and dangerous issue dangling in the air. The question of land tenure is still begging for answers.

The Ghana constitution of Ghana is not definitive about ownership of land in Ghana either. The constitution vaguely puts chiefs as custodians of the land, meaning they hold lands in trust for the people. A simple dictionary definition of custodian states, “A person who has responsibility for taking care of or protecting something.” By this definition, a custodian is not an owner but a caretaker. For example, “a custodian of the crown jewels” holds keys to the strong room where the crown jewels are kept. Banks act as custodians of people’s investment and accounts but the money therein does not belong to the banks. Custodians merely take care or guard someone’s property to ensure its safety. Unless these vague and exploitative designations of land tenure such as stool lands, vested lands and state lands etc are clearly defined, we stand the risk of being plagued with wars, skirmishes and deadly disputes. The average Ghanaian does not know what these terms mean in reality. All we know is that, the chiefs have adopted predatory practices to seize people’s lands and scuttled their livelihoods claiming ownership of the entire land within their territories. To the chiefs, this investiture means they are the material and rightful owners of all lands within their territories. This reversal of ownership makes chiefs owners, and the people custodians of the land (holding land in trust for chiefs). And so, which is which? Who actually owns Ghana land?

A case in point is the land tenure system in the Techiman Tradition Council area in the Bono East region. The chiefs of the towns and villages have enacted their own land laws and pushed down the throats of the people. These days, chiefs do not protect and guard any lands for posterity. They are actively and hurriedly engaged in selling lands within their territories. The standard practice of land sale by the chiefs in the Techiman traditional council area gives, for an acre of land containing four building plots, 3 plots to the chiefs and one building plot to family owners of the land. And, it does not matter how long, or how many generations of family members may have possessed and farmed the land, or how many people are in the families presently. In the distribution of land booty, the Omanhene is entitled to one plot of land sold anywhere in the traditional area. Also, any vacant plot of land anywhere in the city is claimed by the chief as his property.

Consequently, they have confiscated people’s idle lands especially if they make any attempts to build structures on them. For his booty allocation, the Omanhene is alleged to put pressure on the subchiefs to sell more lands so he can get his allocation. In this booty distribution system, the subchief in whose territory the land for sale is located takes two plots. The chief of Oforikrom in the traditional council area claimed, “one plot is for my personal development and the other for the development of the village.” Ironically, the portion for the village is also wholly taken by the chief and never accounted for or turned over for any kind

of development projects in the village. And this is the standard practice in the entire traditional domain. This means, the entire family or clan whose ancestors bequeathed the land as legacy and have resided on, and farmed the lands for centuries, is given one building plot out of four, for their development. Is this the distribution or land tenure system instituted by the Constitution of the republic?

It begs the question, for instance, for a chief co-opted from “somewhere” to be installed chief of a village he may never, in his entire life, have lived in, or even set foot in until his poaching and installation as chief to confiscate and apportion land to himself against the will of the people. He may have no friends, classmates, playmates, affinities and acquainted relatives in his new chiefdom. He may have become chief only on the grounds of an ancient tradition that stipulates that when there is a vacuum for a chief, the kingmakers cast their net wide to find which royal family is next in line of succession to produce a chief. In this search, they may go to a so-called family who may have moved to another town and lived all their lives there a century ago. So, they bring such a person to be chief of a place he may have no affinities, familial and social ties. For the last seventeen years or so that the Oforikromhene has been chief, he has never once slept in the village.

To make the situation even more bizarre, he bought land in another village and built his house there while still the chief of village he has been installed chief. The village folks are livid and claim they have no chief. They resent the disrespect they get from the chief of their village who does not see them human enough to sleep amongst them. The chief works at a coastal town and therefore does not see the day-to-day issues affecting the village folks. He rules through caretaker stooges, or proxy looters (chief-appointed and land sales gang) instead of the other clan, family heads and sub-chiefs. cont’d on pg. 35

Tens of thousands of people flee Cameroon as violence spreads There are now around 100,000 people, the vast majority of whom are women and children, living in around 20 informal sites

MSF head of mission in Chad. “For a few weeks, we organised mobile clinics to provide basic healthcare to 11,000 refugees in Chad, before the situation calmed down.”

Over the past few weeks thousands of people from Cameroon have crossed the Logone and Chari rivers to find refuge in Chad due to ongoing violence.

There are now around 100,000 people, the vast majority of whom are women and children, living in around 20 informal sites. We are mobilising teams in response, to provide care for people in need.

However the violence resumed suddenly and brutally, as it did on 8 December in Kousseri, a Cameroonian town on the border with Chad’s capital N’Djamena due to tensions over agricultural, pastoral and fisheries resources, which have not been resolved.

“The first inter-communal conflicts between Mousgoum fishermen and Arab herders in Cameroon began in August this year,” says Jessie Gaffric,

Forty-three people were injured by knives, bullets or arrows. Twentyfive of them had to be hospitalised in N’Djamena because of the lack of appropriate care in Kousseri.

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The Ghanaian News January 2022

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The Ghanaian News January 2022 21

Ghana is not safe from Coups – Col Aboagye Condition that led to coups in our countries can be found in Ghana, Author

made these remarks on Joy News Newsfile programme which was monitored by GhanaWeb.

Ghana’s democracy is not entrenched, Col Aboagye without Aboagye

He said: “when you go into the details you would realise that this so-called prosperity is only for a few – the majority of Ghanaians are poor and we need to be worried because, in a second, emotions could go through the roof.”

Author and consultant Col Fustus Aboagye has said Ghana is not safe from the military overthrows currently happening in some West African countries.

“What is happening in some of these countries could begin to happen here and I want us to pay attention to every Ghanaian,” he reiterated.

According to him a critical look at Ghana reveals that the condition that was the reason for coups can be found in Ghana.

He said currently a lot of Ghanaians were suffering and the behaviour of the political class is not helping.

The author said people generally say that Ghana was a prosperous country and the economy was doing well but “it is not as simple as that”.

“If people in this country cannot be paid, if there is unemployment why on earth do we have a political class that shuttles around the world in charted plans. For instance, why do we even have to talk about buying a new presidential plane? Why do we have to talk about paying first ladies when many people do not have the means

There are representation

Col

Aboagye,

people in Ghana in parliament, Col

a

retired

military

officer

who

to buy the daily bread to put in their mouths,” he said.

Also, he stated that claims that Ghana’s democracy is entrenched were false, saying: “Ghana’s democracy is not entrenched in fact I would argue that it is a veneer”.

This, he said is evident by the countries inability to resolve some of the issues that came up during the last general election.

“So, when for instance the president talks about the principle of free, fair and transparent elections. Can Ghanaians really pound their chest and say the last election was free, fair and transparent including even the election of the speaker in parliament, including the processes of voter registrations, can we really say that the election were free, fair and transparent,” he said.

“Have we consummated the outcome of the last election?

Why do we have a pocket of Citizens in this country who are disenfranchised – who do not have any representation in parliament?” he queried. GhanaWeb.com

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The Ghanaian News January 2022 23

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

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The Ghanaian News January 2022

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The Ghanaian News January 2022 25

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cont’d from pg. 1

Year in Review 2021

commences regional operation soon Church of Pentecost collaborates with Humber River Regional Hospital for Covid-19 vaccination program Maiden Ghanaian-Canadian Association of Ontario vaccination clinic Randell Adjei, a Ghanaian-Canadian named Ontario’s first poet laureate

Exciting Summer Leadership & basketball training workshop for Ghanaian kids in Mississauga Zumunta Muslim Association of Canada organizes BBQ for members and friends in Toronto

Ghana disqualified after grabbing bronze medal at the World Relay Championship in Poland

Ghana Auditor-General unearths messy financial irregularities in pre-university institutions

May

Ghana’s President Nana Addo cuts sod for commencement of Borteyman Olympic standard stadium

Inauguration ceremony of the New Ghana Union of Canada (UGC) held virtually in Toronto

September

Jordin Oppong of Brookview Middle School features in TDSB Anti-Black Racism campaign in Toronto

Canadians re-elected a Liberal minority government

COVID-19: Ghana to be selected as manufacturing hub for vaccines in Africa

Ghanaian Canadian Keli Tamakloe enstooled as the Mafiaga of Anlo State in Ghana

Achimota School in Accra Ghana ordered to admit Rastafarian students

Safe Haven 5K Walk & Fundraiser in support of Breast Cancer Awareness

African Development Bank Group supports risk-based supervision for capital markets

Introducing Plendify B2B Marketplace: A platform for Ghanaians in the diaspora

Ghanaian Women Prayer & Fasting Conference held virtually on Victoria’s Day

Annamie Paul resigns as Federal Green Party leader

Exclusive interview with Sarah Awuah, a founding member of Ghana Union of Canada (GUC)

Retirement service for Apostle Emmanuel Owusu and family and induction service for Apostle Ransford Obeng-Gyamfi and family

Joshua Buatsi wins WBA International Light Heavyweight title

Dortmund trainer Otto Addo starts work as Ghana assistant coach

June

October

Ghanaian-Canadian Kwame Addo to become an Ombudsman of Toronto City Council

Don’t remand people needlessly-Supreme Court of Ghana Justices tell judges

Emmanuel Duodu, GCAO President responded to the interview with Sarah Awuah of GUC in the May issue of Ghanaian News

Ghanaian Women’s Prayer Conference 2nd Segment virtually organized

Kenneth Kaunda: Zambia’s first president dies aged 97

US and Ghana inaugurate new $64.7 million Energy Infrastructure investment at Pokuase, Ghana

Former South African President Jacob Zuma begins jail term after handing himself over to Police

Impact Lives Church Toronto holds community event by providing non-perishable food items and school supplies

Ghana elected to UN Security Council for two year term

Rise and Shine Juvenile Disability Foundation launched in Accra

GCAO expresses gratitude to volunteers for the success of its COVID-19 vaccination in Toronto

Akonua and Kwarma Children’s Literacy Foundation, a registered Canadian Charity supports education in Ghana

British airways rescind decision to move Accra flights to Gatwick airport

Dr. Francis Bainyin Sam passes away in Ghana

The Ghana Union of Canada celebrates virtual Canada Day

Ontario minimum wage will increase to $15 per hour in January 2022

July

November

Hon Mary Simon becomes Canada’s first indigenous Governor General

H.E Charles Agyei Amoama, former Ghanaian-Canadian diplomat passed away

Emancipation Day is now official in Canada

Rev. Francis Owusu ordained at the Ghanaian Presbyterian Church

Canada introduces new Federal Holiday: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Constable Jamie Adjetey-Nelson appointed new Diversity Outreach Officer for Windsor Police Service GCAO Homework Club students participate in the celebration of the International African Child in Toronto Thousands join #Fix The Country demonstration in Accra Living Word Assembly of God organized first picnic during the pandemic Ace musician Kojo Antwi receives Millennium Excellence Award

Inauguration of the Alliance of Ghanaian-Canadian Associations (AGCA)

in Toronto Ghanaian-Canadian Association of Ontario (GCAO) elects new executives for a four year term Ghanaian-American fashion designer Virgil Abloh dies aged 41 Mary Dzifa, Ghanaian-Canadian businesswoman installed as Mama Nuamesi I of Tsito Awudome Ghana Toronto Transit Commission gives to kids of GCAO Homework Club in Toronto

December

Apostles’ Continuation Church Youth Winner of local Bible Quiz

Federation of African-Canadian Economics (FACE) is partnering with a growing network of business advisory experts to help Black Entrepreneurs create thriving businesses

August

Essential services across Canada hit by staff shortages due to COVID-19

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calls snap election

Canada reaches $31 billion deal in indigenous child welfare case

Amend the 1992 Constitution to reflect Constitutional Review Commission recommendations-NDC to President Nana Addo

Toronto child under the age of 4 dies due to COVID-19

Sim re-registration exercise starts in Ghana

Canada’s trade surplus swells to 13-year high, signaling economy stronger than expected

Tokyo 2020: Ghana men’s 4x100 relay team beats USA to advance to final

Deputy Governor of Bank Ghana says Ghana’s 24m tax base won’t meet development needs when donor level dries up

Desmond Tutu: South Africa anti-apartheid hero dies aged 90

Diana Hamilton breaks record, wins “Artiste of the Year” at 2021 GMA-USA

MPP Tom Rakocevic donates Christmas parcels to kids of GCAO Homework Club

Ontario prepares to launch digital ID program

Flight cancellations mount as Canadian airlines struggle with staff shortages

Two Ghanaian social commentators to face court in USA GCAO 2nd virtual modern Batik Summer Workshop ends in Toronto

If you are still wearing a single layer cloth mask ‘ditch it, head of Ontario’s science table says

The Ghanaian News January 2022 27

Rosemary Sadlier - The Kids Book of Black Canadian History

The Author’s Biography Rosemary Sadlier OOnt (Order of Ontario) is a social justice advocate, researcher, writer, consultant, and, international speaker on Black History, anti-racism and women’s issues. She is the past President, serving for 22 years as the unpaid leader of the Ontario Black History Society. She was the driving force of the secured commemoration of February as Black History Month at all levels of government; she secured August 1st as Emancipation Day municipally in 1995 and provincially in 2008 with a national declaration recently passed now making this a national commemoration in Canada. She saw to the creation of the national day for the Hon. Lincoln Alexander.

Sadlier was honoured with a Harry Jerome Award and named a Global Defender of Human Rights as part of the Speak Truth to Power initiative of the CTF. She was appointed to the Order of Ontario. She has given deputations to the UN Rapporteur on Race Relations, the Federal and Provincial Governments, OMB, and provided consultative work for the Royal Ontario Museum, the CMHR, The Ward Heritage Interpretative Group, the Bi-National Study of the Underground Railroad and heritage conferences.

Previously she served on the final selection committee of the national Mathieu Da Costa Challenge for Canadian Heritage and the Canada Post Stamp Advisory Committee.

An educator, she has developed or contributed to African Canadian curriculum, national exhibits and publications. She was an appointed member of the College of Early Childhood Educators and currently serves on the Registrations Appeals Committee of the Ontario College of Teachers.

An author, Sadlier has written 7 books on African Canadian history. A consultant, she effects diversity, equity and inclusion projects, and, recently was appointed Equality Lead for the Americas and the Caribbean with the Royal Commonwealth Society and she serves on the Rogers Group of Funds. Sadlier is dedicated to social justice and using the frame of Black History, seeks to educate and empower others.

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Justice Kofi Barnes of the Ontario Superior Court swears in new leaders of GCAO in Toronto

By Joe Kingsley Eyiah, Toronto, ON

On Sunday, January 23, 2022 the new leaders of the Ghanaian Canadian Association of Ontario (GCAO) were sworn into office by an Ontario Superior Court Judge, Honourable Kofi Barnes. First appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice in 2004, and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in 2013, the Honourable Mr. Justice Kofi N. Barnes is a respected member of the Ghanaian community in Canada.

Emmanuel Duodu President

Juliet Opoku 1st Vice President

Mary Akuamoah Boateng 2nd Vice President

Gabriel Odartei Secretary

Hon. Justice Kofi Barnes

Due to the the Covid-19 restrictions imposed on gatherings in Ontario, the swearing in ceremony had to be done virtually. All the elected as well as appointed leaders including the executives, wings, board of governors and the GCAO council were each sent a Conflict of Interest Policy from the Association’s Electoral Commission headed by Mr. Ntow-Duku to be signed and emailed back to the Commission before the virtual swearing-in date. GCAO leaders are the elected executive, and non-elected leaders include GCAO wing leaders, Advisory Board members or other GCAO volunteers entrusted with GCAO responsibilities in a leadership role.

Swearing in the leaders, Justice Barnes used the occasion to tell his own story as fresh man in Canada during the 1980s who had to work and support his education at the same time. That, he fully qualified for a job he applied for but was not hired due to the colour of his skin! He said, “my good neighbour of a different race who was given the job I applied for had to plead for me to be hired for the job on fifty-fifty pay base.” The neighbour helped him at that time and now he occupies high and responsible position in Canadian society.

He therefore admonished the GCAO leaders he was swearing into office to use their knowledge and talents to help others, especially the young people, they would be serving in the community.

The following categories were the bodies sworn in: 15 Wing Leaders (comprising seniors, Welfare, GVAC, Peace Council, Health and Education) 60 Council Members (representatives of associations, churches and mosque) 14 Advisory Board members 12 New Executives They were sworn in for four years to steer the affairs of GCAO. Dr. Awafo explained the setting up of a financial committee comprising of 3 qualified accountants, the elected financial secretary, with President Duodu and Dr. Awafo as members to take care of the financial aspects of GCAO.

Dan Junior Amankona Assistant Secretary

Mavis Tekpeki Financial Secretary

After the mass virtual swearing in ceremony, the incoming President, Mr. Emmanuel Duodu assisted by Dr. Victor Awafo who is the chair of the GCAO Advisory Board took time to call out all the names of the new GCAO leaders sworn into office that night.

On behalf of the executives, President Emmanuel Duodu who was re-elected promised to mobilize all Ghanaians in Ontario to build a better community for all.

He touched on the need to help our youth and build our own heritage centre soon to render needed services to support both the young and seniors in the community.

Suleman Damile Organizing Secretary

Abeeku Van-Dyke Asst. Organizing Secretary

Maud Cole Women Leader

Victor Adarquah Youth & Adults Organizer

Ibrahim Larchie Project Director

Mary Adarkwa Public Relations Office

Earlier, a prayer was offered by Fr. Korsah to begin the ceremony.

Vote of thanks was given by Mary Adarkwah at the end after which Pastor Eric Amoah said the closing prayer.

Masters of Ceremonies for the occasion were Anna Aidoo and Elder Appiah Kubi.

Hon. Justice Kofi Barnes virtually swearing in the new leaders of GCAO in Toronto

EDITOR’S NOTE The Ghanaian Canadian Association of Ontario (GCAO) Election is finally done. According to the GCAO Constitution, some of the elected Directors, including the president, vice-president, the executive secretary, assistant Secretary, and the treasury, shall NOT serve on the board of the directorship for more than two (2) consecutive terms.

Therefore some of the re-elected members are supposed to be in their second and final term.

Emmanuel Ayiku, Publisher

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The Ghanaian News January 2022

PEOPLE AND PLACES HappyFM/Lakeside Marina Park unveils 12th edition of Family Fun Run Illustrious Ghanaian radio brand, Happy98.9FM in partnership with the Lakeside Marina Park has launched the 2022 edition of its most anticipated run event, ‘Family Fun Run ’Being the 12th in its series, the Family Fun Run as the name suggests aims at improving and increasing family bonds, promoting the culture of exercising amongst families, and at the same time celebrating Ghana’s Independence Day. The 6 km and 10 km HappyFM/Lakeside Marina Family Fun Run was launched at the Silver Star Tower on February 1, 2022, with the management of both brands in attendance.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Global Media Alliance (GMA), Ernest Boateng in his opening remarks said that this family-led partnership between the institutions, HappyFM and Lakeside Marina Park has been filled with commitment, constancy, and philanthropic work.

He disclosed that after extensive consultation with stakeholders, the run which takes place on 6th March every year will, however, beheld on Monday, March 7, 2022, which is also apublicholiday.

The sum of Gh₵10 from each registration will also be donated to the Mercy Social Centre.

Director for Lakeside Estates, Salah Kwaku Kalmoni sharing modalities of the run said the Family Fun Run will be held under strict adherence to the COVID-19 safety protocols with one of the most important requirements being “all participants being fully vaccinated.”

For his part, Programmes Manager for Happy98.9FM, Elwoode Mantey said the brand which pursues developmental projects was proud to be partnering with Lakeside Marina for the Family Fun Run and pledged their continuous commitment to promoting family unity and doing good.

Sala Kamoni (right) with Happy 98.9 FM Officials

He revealed the best school team to emerge winners in their category during the run will enjoy Gh₵5,000 airtime from Happy98.9FM and its affiliate for promotional purposes “and this is a sign of how much we are committed towards the run.”

COVID-19

Additionally, the Manager of Lakeside Estates, Isaac Ntiamoah, indicated the run will start at 6 am in Accra at the Lakeside Marina Park, whilst starting and ending at the premises of Japan Motors in Kumasi, Takoradi, and Tamale on Monday, 7th March 2022.

With the run being an outdoor event, runners will remain spaced out, at least 6 feet apart to prevent body contact and neglect of social distancing policies. In addition to this, runners are not allowed to stand or sit in groups as areas will be demarcated with the right spacing for everyone.

The 6km and 10 km long walk/run will occur at the same time in four regions (Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi & Tamale) across the country and will see participants adhering to the strictest COVID-19 safety protocols.

Nose masks will be distributed to all participants at the run; this way, runners can keep themselves safe when they get too crowded places and on the run’s route. All participants will have their masks on at the start line and will only take them off when the run starts.

The registration fee for the run remains the same. Individual runners can pick up forms for GH₵50.00; GH₵150.00 for a family and a school team at GH₵250.00.

There will be a number of water stations along the route to not only provide water for the thirsty but also veronica buckets for handwashing.

Participants can pick up their registration forms at the premises of Happy FM at Asylum Down, the Lakeside Marina Park, Silver Star Tower, YFM – Accra Mall, and Global Media Alliance (GMA), Dzorwulu.

I would also use this opportunity to encourage everyone here to join the Run Ghana club to keep up with regular exercises to keep fit and stay healthy.

Protocols

Black History Month – Reflecting on the past, and looking towards the future for Black Canadians

By Staff Reporter, Toronto, ON

Dr. Augustine became the first Black woman elected to the Parliament of Canada, and just two years later, she singlehandedly brought forward a motion to create Black History Month. Recently, CityNews’ Faiza Amin spoke with Dr. Augustine and shared the comments spoken at Parliament when Black History Month was first introduced:

We asked both Dr. Augustine and Funmi a few questions around Black History Month, their inspirations, and thoughts for young Black Canadians:

Could you explain your journey to introducing a motion in the House of Commons to celebrate Black History Month in Canada? What, or who, was your inspiration To this day, Dr. Augustine for pushing the Bill through continues to reiterate the Parliament? importance of celebrating and recognizing the important Dr. Augustine: My zeal for this work of Black Canadians, and recognition started from my time encourages young Canadians in education when I saw little in not only remember our Black textbooks or curriculum modules Canadian heroes, but to continue about Black people and also their pioneering legacy. One of Indigenous peoples and I was these young Canadians is Funmi making it up to include in my Oyapero.

Social Studies lessons.

At just 18 years old, Funmi is establishing herself as an entrepreneurial leader after launching The Wholesale Princess (originally Goddess Girl Cosmetics) in 2018. A Ted Rogers Scholarship recipient, Funmi was nominated for the scholarship

by Jean Augustine Centre for Young Women’s Empowerment, a Centre that is dedicated to empowering girls and young women between the ages of 7 to 17 through programs focused on art, life skills, academic success

BHM is a time for ALL Canadians to learn and be aware of the rich and colourful community that has been a part of Canada since 1603 before Canada became a nation.

and leadership.

Knowing of the celebrations in the US and replicated by the Toronto Negro Women’s Association with a proclamation by the City I was moved to act when the Ontario Black History Society was told that the Federal Minister does not do Proclamations. In my advocacy around the response I was told that as a MP I had two courses open to me if I wanted to take on the issue…1) a Private Member’s Bill and 2) a Unanimous Consent Motion. I chose the second option but it meant ensuring that

What does Black History Month mean to you?

Dr. Jean Augustine all members knew and agreed that I could do this and give me their support when I rise to put the Motion.

Can you describe the importance of Black History Month and what this means for all Canadians?

Dr. Augustine: Black History Month (BHM) helps us to focus on the history of Canadians of African descent and to recognize that historically the Black population of Canada has played an important part in the development of this land, its culture, its economy, and its political structure.

Funmi: … Ever since I was younger, I have been so intrigued with Black history and everything that such monumental figures fought for before my time. To think that at one point in history I would not have been given the opportunity to even prove myself to the world simply because of the colour of my skin is hard to imagine. There was an entire generation of women who were smarter, stronger, fiercer, and more talented than me who were never able to fully showcase their abilities to the world simply because of the colour of their skin. Yet they still came together as one to fight for everything that I take for granted today.

I think, who am I to give up on anything that I don’t succeed at the first time, when I have an army of ancestors who were not afforded the same opportunities?

They created their own pathways, redesigned their own destinies. I look in the mirror everyday and see more than just myself, I see

everything that I can be, because of them. I see Maya Angelou, Coretta Scott King, Alice Walker, Harriet Tubman, Mahalia Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, Beyonce, Kamala Harris, Jean Augustine, and so many more inspirational woman who broke glass ceilings, and made it possible for women like me to be able to be able to touch the sky today.

Who from the Black community inspires you?

Funmi: There are many people from the Black community who inspire me everyday. My own mother and father who relocated their family from Nigeria to Canada with no help almost 15 years ago. Leaving everything they knew back home to give me the chance at having a better life than they did. My father earning a PHD in North America regardless of English being his second language and using education as his launchpad to success inspires me to never give up pursuing higher education regardless of how hard it can get at times. And watching my mother start a successful business in Nigeria and to see how effortlessly she handles it daily inspires me to keep going when I cont’d on pg. 49

The Ghanaian News January 2022 31

Nana Professor Okogyeaman Dankwa Ameyaw Kokroko II leads his Community to repossess large tract of land from Ghana Cocoa Board Jonathan Baah Annobil, reporting from Assin Fosu, Central Region, Ghana The Chief of AssinWurakese in the Assin Central Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana, Nana Professor OkogyeamanDankwa Ameyaw Kokroko IIhas led his Community members to repossess a large tract of land leased from the community to the Ghana Cocoa Board. In a dramatic move on Thursday January 20th, 2022, Nana Okogyeaman (the name significantly means “fighter/savior of community”, accompanied by his Elders and a large number of Community members, held a well-attended Press Conference at the Cocoa Research Station at AssinWurakese to announce the community’s repossession of a large tract of land the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, (CRIG), a subsidiary of the Ghana Cocoa Board has been occupying and working on for the past forty-seven years.

Known in private life as Professor Michael Baffoe, a Professor of Social Work at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, and a former Contributing Editor of The Ghanaian News, enumerated the list of long grievances of the AssinWurakese Community that led to the take-over events of Thursday January 20, 2022. Nana Okogyeaman explained that his predecessor Chiefs and Elders agreed to lease a large parcel of land measuring 450 acres, then very virgin forest lands to the Ghana Cocoa Board who sought the lands for the establishment of a Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) Research Station.

The AssinWurakese community was assured by the Ghana Cocoa Board that the establishment of this Station will provide benefits and development to the AssinWurakese Community, which will include provision of jobs for the youth of the community through the hundreds of jobs that were expected to be created by the activities that the Cocoa Board was going to undertake under the research station.

Thecommunity and its citizens were also assured of provisions of some vital social amenities like the construction of a School, Market, Health Clinic, a Police Station and the construction/rehabilitation of a 17-kilometer road that links the town of AssinWurakese to the site of the proposed cocoa research station at this location known as Nkukuasa. The provision of these vital amenities was to be in line with the Social Responsibility of Cocoa Board to our community whose lands Cocoa Board was leasing for its research station project.Also very important, as part of the provisions/terms of this land lease agreement, was the annual payment of cash royalties to the community of AssinWurakese for the duration of the forty-year lease.

NananOkogyeaman expressed deep regret that the Ghana Cocoa Board has NOT fulfilled its social responsibilities to the AssinWurakese Community as required under the Land Lease Agreement. Not a single one of the five items listed above,

Nana Prof. Okogyeaman Dankwa Ameyaw addressing a press conference in Assin Wurakese was provided by the Ghana Cocoa Board during the entire forty-year life of the land lease agreement. And equally regrettable is the fact that the Ghana Cocoa Board has not paid the annual cash royalties it was required to pay for its use of the lands to the AssinWurakese Community till the lease expired some six years ago in 2015.

Nana further explained that what has brought the community to the repossession event is the fact that in August 2016, the Ghana Cocoa Board, in a letter written to the AssinWurakese Traditional Council, communicated the decision of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Cocoa Board to release the entire 450-acre land back to the AssinWurakese Traditional Council.The CRIG, that was running this Cocoa Research Station started dismantling its equipment from the site and carted same away. The AssinWurakese Community demanded the official handover of the lands from the Ghana Cocoa Board to the Community.

To their utmost surprise, they noted from 2017 that the CRIG people were slowly returning to the land, harvesting cocoa, timber, oil palm and other farm produce.

The Chiefs and Elders have since approached the CRIG officials who have been occupying the land for an explanation of their presence. They have offered none cont’d onpg. 50

Togbi Nyaho Tamakloe VI leads fundraiser in support of Keta Sunset’s Beach Soccer World Clubs championship campaign in Spain

By Dickson Boadi His Majesty, Togbi Nyaho Tamakloe VI, Paramount Chief of Kome and Shine, Dufia of Whuti and Miafiaga (Left Wing King) of the Anlo Kingdom has volunteered to lead a fundraiser in support of Sunset Sports Keta’s impending Beach Soccer Worldwide Togbi Nyaho Tamakloe VI (BSWW) World Winners’ Cup (WWC) competition in Fuerteventura, Spain in April.

The reigning African and three (3) times Ghana champions have set sights on the World Club competition after emerging winners of Africa’s biggest club competition, Copa Lagos and stellar performances in the Ghana league and competitions.

His Majesty Togbi Nyaho Tamakloe VI, a youth development and a sports enthusiast, volunteered to lead a fundraiser that will see the Keta based club appear on the global stage after news emerged of the clubs interest in participating in the competition.

According to the CEO of Sunset Sports Keta and Vice Chairman of the Ghana Beach Soccer Clubs Union (GHABSCU) Dzidodo Ruben Adjahoe, the

gesture of support to the club from His Majesty Togbi Nyaho Tamakloe VI is very welcomed and all discussion with the King has been very fruitful.

The club CEO expressed confidence the efforts of the respected traditional leader of the Anlo Kingdom will yield very positive results.

“The club is very lucky at this important period in our growth to get support from His Majesty especially at

the point we need all the funding we can get to play in the world clubs championship. It’s been our dream to play on the global stage and with the support and unflinching support from our King, we are very confident our dreams will be a reality. Our King is in support of our ambitions and every discussion we’ve had has been very positive.” cont’d on pg. 49

32

The Ghanaian News January 2022

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RAMESH SANGHA LAW OFFICE Barristers, Solicitors & Notary Public.

Former Member Parliament & Chairperson (CPP Review Tribunal) CANADA. Office Address;

34 Estateview Circle, Brampton, ON

Tel: 905-456-9911

Fax: 905-456-9577

Email:Ramesh@SanghaLawyers.com Web: RameshSangha.ca

Call Us First The Ghanaian News

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416-916-3700

The Ghanaian News January 2022 35

Who Owns Ghana Lands: The People or the Chiefs? cont’d from pg. 19 So as it stands, the chief takes their farm lands and apportions for sale claiming the town has extended to those farm lands. And when land is demarcated, the village folks cannot afford the price put on their own plots confiscated without compensation. It means the villagers’ lands are stripped from them and sold to strangers. In the long run, when their birthright and only worthwhile possession in the world, and the only source of livelihood is commandeered from their hands, then where in the world do they go? It is tantamount to depriving the voiceless village folks their birthright. This is daylight robbery and avaricious.

It is predatory and it must stop or be stopped. Somebody needs to correct this anomaly and stop chiefs in Ghana from their predatory practices.

It begs the question of legitimacy. Should such chiefs, whose sole interest in chieftaincy is to snatch and sell the peoples’ lands for their personal indulgence, be chiefs at all? It would be different if such chiefs fought wars, as in the past, and conquered lands they could claim and make their own. But that is not the case. These chiefs do nothing meritorious to be installed chiefs. They go through no serious vetting to ascertain their suitability and qualification to be chiefs over people. They just inherit their chiefdoms by some bizarre traditions and customary legacies. We are all aware of how many vacant chief positions are currently beset with litigation and strife in Ghana. So how does all the land in chiefs’ domains become their bona fide properties through the stool, but for their personal gain?

This is unsustainable in the 21st Century Now, chiefs need to answer the questions if that is the accepted standard traditional practice in Akan culture. Has the Regional or National House of Chiefs approved such distribution and land tenure practices? Do the chiefs have any standard principles of rulership or do individual chiefs make their own rules? Culture and customs that they invoke as hegemony to be guarded for posterity’s sake, and the edification of the oracles have been skewed to become tools of suppression and fraud. This scenario is typical and pervasive of many traditional areas in the country. The national and regional house of chiefs have become accomplices in this predatory scheme of daylight oppression. Chiefs throughout the country are caught up in this systematic larceny of their people’s lands. So one is tempted to ask the obvious question: Is chieftaincy, as an institution, relevant in 21st century Ghana? What beneficial role do chiefs play in the national reconstruction?

People answer the question by suggesting that chiefs preserve our customs and culture. Great! But what relevant culture are they preserving? The culture of chiefs in Ghana today is predatory and self-aggrandizing. Most only think about themselves and how much they can pillage and plunder from their poor, voiceless

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Tel: 289-298-1086 Fax: 289-284-0163 Email: npoku@goldcoastimmigration.caWeb: www.goldcoastimmigration.ca

and vulnerable people.

With the population of Ghana exponentially increasing but with fixed, nonexpandable land size, I can only foresee a time coming when people would do everything within their powers to protect their land from usurpation and seizure, sidestepping the laws and constitutional stipulations of Ghana. Danger is looming large as we have already experienced with what we call, “the Fulani menace.”

With more migration from the North, including foreigners, in search of arable and grazing land, the phenomenon can only escalate. So, as a country with leaders, do we just sit down, as our custom is, for the worst case scenario to play out and then scramble for quick fixes? As the people’s anger bubble inside them, we may not have the luxury of negotiation when the bubble bursts. It can only create “the Arab Spring” type of situation where the aftermath of chaos and anarchy is very predictable.

The people of Ghana are crying and angry at the same time about their land confiscations by the very people that are supposed to protect and guard their sacred treasures. Is there anybody out there who cares and can save the situation before it escalates into chaos? Chiefs in Ghana have become predators, preying on their voiceless and vulnerable subjects. Chiefs need to know that they cannot rule over trees, or hills, or rivers or animals within their territories, but do only rule over people. It is because of people that they are chiefs. Therefore, as chiefs, they need to care about the safety, security and wellbeing of their subjects. They need to treat their subjects with respect and dignity even if they are poor or destitute folks. Any good chief would make enhancement and development of people’s lives their primary preoccupation. But, this practice of victimizing and preying on the very people who give chiefs their pedigree is unconscionable. Their major preoccupation has become pillaging the oracles and plundering the crown jewels.

In addition to confiscating the people’s legacies for chiefs’ personal usage, these chiefs act as if the practice is enshrined in their traditional mandates. It is immoral and perverse. As more and more chiefs demonstrate wanton disregard for their people’s feelings, maybe a time will soon come when chiefs may not be needed in our modern civilization. Chiefs’ behaviors in their communities have got people talking about such a phenomenon. In the era of social media and information overflow, chiefs are digging their own graves of extinction. “Buyer beware!!”

Among others, every government’s foremost obligation is to “provide safety of law and order, protecting citizens from each other and from foreign foes” (Thomas Hobbes). This obligation is sacrosanct! If a government cannot provide these basic human rights, then it is not a proper government aware of its duties.

It is ironic that various governments in Ghana look on, year after year, as Chiefs in the country prey on their people. While turning the blind eye to the atrocities perpetrated by chiefs, and deaf ears to the people’s cries, they are swift to dispatch police or soldiers to quell protests by the people for inhumane treatment in the hands of their own chiefs. When criminals hold citizens hostage, government functionaries and law enforcement apparatus look the other way and seem to condone criminal activities. It appears law enforcement have become bedfellows with the criminals otherwise one wonders why they do not intervene in criminal holdups, though they know the criminals’ hideouts. Just a few years back, the youth of Techiman Traditional Council got permission to stage a peaceful protest against rampant ritual killings, scamming and defrauding by Mallams, spiritualists etc in the city. The youth and town folks have had enough of the unchecked and unstoppable criminal activities by an overwhelming number of perpetrators.

The chiefs and law enforcement in the town should have preemptively checked and run these criminals out. To the contrary, they look the other way and by the omission of duty, become accomplices. Actually, sometimes these miscreants are defended and protected by the chiefs. As soon as the youth decided to help their extenuating circumstances by ridding their town of crime and fraudulent activities, police were dispatched into Techiman, not to arrest the criminals who are wellknown, but to arrest the protestors who assume the job of protecting their families and the town folks from criminal gangs. If there are any genuine leaders and not themselves predators, looting and sharing the natural birthrights of Ghanaian citizens, would such leaders rise to the occasion? Somebody must explain why they do not chase and arrest criminals, but turn around to arrest people who are trying to protect and keep their communities safe (Citifmonline.com, March 25, 2018). Why does law enforcement arrest the people who are trying, in their own limited ways, to do the job that the government promised but has failed to do?

Did citizens vote the government into power to also suppress people’s birthrights and oppressively silence their voices of protests into subjugation? Is anybody on the people’s side or should communities build their own security forces? Is the government using the law enforcement apparatus to suppress and oppress its citizens into silence? Watch out!!

This land tenure practices in Ghana must be resolved sooner rather than later, because I am afraid of the so many boiling hearts out there that might fight back if nobody fights for them. Remember, life is about survival and in irrational environments (jungle), the fittest and the most resilient survive. Can justice be granted the people of Techiman Traditional area especially, the people of the village of Oforikrom? Does anybody care?

By Yaw Ofori-Amanfo

36

The Ghanaian News January 2022

CARGO - LINK INTERNATIONAL (Freight Forwarders & Consolidators) Competent Commitment & Excellence

For your Reliable Export Services - Shipping Services to Ghana, Nigeria, Clearing & Delivery Services in Ghana * You don't need to go to the Port * You don't need to see any Agent * Just see a CARGO-LINK Representative in Accra & Kumasi for your Safe & Affordable Shipment * We also do door to door in Accra & Kumasi at very low transportation cost (EXTRA) * We give Bill of Lading too to those who want to clear their own goods Contact: Regina or B'B Manu

Tel: 416-736-1905 416-822-9462 Fax: 416-736-9973 1111 Finch Ave. W., Unit 31, North York

Go Seko Shipping Inc. Freight Forwarding Division & Bailing of Used Clothes * Yam * Gari * Rice * Accra Kenkey * Canned Food * Dry Fish * Koobi and Many More We ship Cars, Trucks, Electrical Appliances, Computers, Clothing, Barrels, Personal Effects and many more Call Nana Djan

Tel: 647-895-1315, 416-913-1986, Fax: 416-850-0580 E-mail: sekoshipping@gmail.com

52 Carrier Drive, #8 (Hwy 27 & Carrier)

The Ghanaian News January 2022 37

BLACK STAR FAST SHIPPING INC. Freight Forwarding WE BAIL USED CLOTHINGS The Most Reliable Way to Ship Overseas! Fast, Reasonable and VERY Great Competitive Rates!

We Ship Trucks to Cars, Personal Items, Building materials, Used Clothes and Electronics. Also Deep Freezers and other.

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Tel: 647-231-4504 647-724-2295 647-361-6026 416-246-0101 Fax: 647-557-2428

293 Eddystone Ave., Toronto, ON M3N 1H8 (Jane/Eddystone)

Hi-Tech Shipping Freight Forwarders & Consolidators 230 Milvan Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M9L 2A5 We ship to all African Countries. We are the cheapest, Fastest and most reliable agents in town.

We have been in successful business for twenty years.

We have moved to 14,000 sq ft. facility to serve you better. We have quality mattress for sale all sizes

Call Kobby or Nana Ababio

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

Micangel Global Inc. Shipping and Freight Forwarding SEA * AIR

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Fast Easy And Reliable Service To All African Countries and Other Worldwide Ports

CUSTOM CLEARANCE, PICK-UP, DELIVERY Call Angelina Tel: 416-457-1174 1889 Albion Road, Unit 7, Etobicoke, Ont.

38

The Ghanaian News January 2022

www.220v.com We Carry Brand Name 220v/50Hz Export Model Restaurant and Household Products Kitchen Appliances

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GSM Cellphones DUAL SIM

Generator Heavy Duty Restaurant Range

Freezer Deep Fryer

Commercial Oven

FREEZERS, REFRIGERATORS, WASHERS, DRYERS, AIR CONDITIONERS, VACUUM CLEANERS, TRANSFORMERS Gas & Electric Stoves

BIG Generator Sale

LED TVs

Tel: 416-646-0495

5707 Steeles Ave. West,Toronto, Ont. M9L 1S7 South East Corner of Steeles and Fenmar / Pine Valley SIX STAR MOTORS 56 Penn Drive, North York (Finch/Milvan) Specializing In: Air Conditioning Service Tune-ups, Brakes, Mufflers, General Repairs Service to all imports

Paul Nsiah, Manager Tel: 416-746-3275

Call Us First The Ghanaian News 416-916-3700

Sam Auto Service GENERAL REPAIR ON ALL MAKE & MODELS

Domestic & Import Contact: Sam

Tel: (416)743-6969

66 Milvan Dr. Units 6& 7, North York, Ont. Guaranteed Job Satisfaction YOU ARE IN GOOD HANDS !!!

ERICOS AUTO 647-704-4487 Complete Service for all Foreign and Domestic Cars

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Dynamic Auto Repairs Auto Repairs For All Makes and Models

Business Hours Monday - Friday - 9:00am - 5:00pm Saturday 9:00am - 6:00pm

Obeng Tel: 905-782-4305 Cell: 647-225-4223 1625 Trinity Dr., Unit 4 Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1W9

Sam Auto Body Collusion Repairs * Rust *Minor Repairs and Painting

Sammy Lartey 647-428-6837 172 Toryork Dr., #9, North York, Ont.

Eastern Automotive Repair Inc. Complete Service for all Foreign and Domestic Cars

Sam Tuffour - 416-743-6119 41 Brydon Drive, Etobicoke, Ont.

STANDFAST AUTO INC. Certification - Imports & Domestic Vehicles * TUNE-UPS * MUFFLERS* BRAKES * OIL CHANGE

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(Jane & Highway 7)

B. B.'S AUTO Inc. Complete general repairs to all foreign & domestic cars, Body and Custom painting Contact: Bismarck Bright or Nick Bright

Tel: (416)745-5690 Fax: (416)745-1514 16 Taber Rd, Etobicoke, Ont.

The Ghanaian News January 2022 39

40

The Ghanaian News January 2022

The Ghanaian News January 2022 41

42

The Ghanaian News January 2022

Deceased community members 2021 Remembering Departed Community Members in 2021 May their souls rest in perfect peace

Fafa Adzo Yayra Golokuma 24 Edmonton Oct 5

Felix Nii Awuley Anang 70 Oct 5

Mad. Comfort Doe 64 Aug 8

Cecilia Boadu 54 April

Felix Appiah Berko (68) Aug

Esther Osei Bonsu 69 Welland June 13

James Donkor (Kwadwo Kyeremeh)

Agnes Oduro Agyekumwah 68 Sept 23

Akwasi Yeboah

Esther Akua Afriyie 58 Dec 5

Emelia Bonnie 74 Dec 5

Nana Afrane Okesse (67) Aug 20

Kevin Asiedu 21 Sept 12

Godfred Nsiah Jan

Hannah Boakye Firang (55) March

Emmanuel Oppong 72 Sept 26

Charles P Agyekum (60) May 4

Doris Opoku (60) Dec

Adu Gyamfi Brempong 70 June 3

Charles Sarfo Calgary Aug 19

Rosemarie Sarfo 60 Nov 3

Michael Oppong Berchie 23 February

Dinah Kessewah Mortotosi 61 Edmonton Dec

David Andrew O Botchway (51) Edmonton Nov

Matilda Morkor Martey Kyei 82 July

Joseph Dennis Okine 74 March

Christina Sarfo Koranchie, 32

Stephen Osei Fordjour 39 June 25

Bernard Acheampong Dec 29, 65

Joseph Akan Nigmi

Albert Kwame Anie 81

Tony Kobina Mensah 66 April 30

Richard Cole 58 July 24

Stephen Kusi 65 20th January

Angelina Afua Gorman 68 July 4

H.E. Charles Agyei Amoama (74) Nov

Cecilia OtengPabi 59 Dec 27

Akwasi Owusu, 62

Dr. Francis Bainyin Sam (84) Oct 4

Dr. Rosemary Ofeibea Aboagye-King 58 July

Seth Ayitey

Akwasi Adu Gyamfi Yeboah 36 Oct

Opoku Antwi

Pastor Peter Awuah 59 Feb 16

Dr. Francis Tetteh 28 April

Elder John Kingsley Mensah 65 Calgary April 8

Abigail Anokye-Manu, 27 March

Jordon Aryee 64

Mike Kofi Attobrah 66 Samuel Panyin Montreal 66 April Dec 7

George Atto Wilson 74 Sept 25

O’Neal Oppong Gyeabuor 21 Sept 17

Lucille M Botchway 90 Edmonton Nov

Charles Boachie Dec 23

David Kwasi Arthur 54 June 6

Isaac Owusu Afriyie 66 Oct

Akwasi Aduse Opoku 69 Dec 27

Kate Osam 73 Saskatoon Dec 21

Jerry Nii Annan Akogyeram 61 Dec 16

Alice Danquah 67 Dec

James Ofori Agyemang (66) Feb 3

John Afful, 61 April 28

Opanin Oduro Kwarteng 80 Oct

The Ghanaian News January 2022 43

Deceased community members 2021 cont’d

Faustina Nyanin (61) May 15

H.E. Dr. Sulley Gariba (63) April 27

Pauline Serbe Berko 56 2nd Jan.

Richmond Agyemang Prempeh (52) Sept 10

Prince Appiah April

Joseph Kwaku Duah (65) May 1

Nana Kwadwo Adu Boakye (72) March

Agnes Donkor March

Clement Oduro Kwame Afoakwa Osika 67 yrs

Kwadwo Asamoah Boakye (26) Sept 7

Superior Evang.

Kwabena Bonsu “Okese” (71)

Kojo Adjaye (Jomo) 71 Dec 30

Michael Seth Nortey (73) Ottawa Dec 9

Vanessa Foriwaa Manu (18) Nov 23

Alex Biney (73) Mtl Jan 14

Anna OseiAcheampong (71) Aug 31

Edward Kingsley Yamoah 72

Bless Kwasi Matsakawo 79 Oct 9

Deceased community members in January 2022

Samuel Nii Sackey Angelo(65) Edmonton July

Ernest Ofori, 72

Oct 20

Andrews Asumadu Sakyi (66) June 15

Kyere Christopher Oct 22

Adelaide Appiah 64 Oct 11

Ernestina Esi Dadzie 59 Dec 23

Deceased community members in 2021 1.

Peter Boakye (39) Edmonton

Feb 17

2. Kofi Akosah Sarpong( Ottawa) March 3.Beatrice Hilda Deyegbe (64) Ottawa March 30 Geoffrey Frimpong, 34

Deaconness Vivian Jan 20

Jan 13

Charles Amponsah 61 Jan 22

Evanson Agyemang 46, Jan 11

Janet Prempeh Maame Attaa 70, Jan 25

5.

Amoah Sarfo (59) June

6.

Charles Hemeng Mtl

Sept 30

7.

Franklin Owusu (27)

Dec 26

8. Sackey Aklamanu Fort McMurray Dec 30 9.

Kwadwo Opoku Asumadu, 57

Eric Asare 38

Kristine Ama Otchere 21

Jan 8

Jan 26

Jan 13

Eric Opoku, 77 Jan 29

Kwasi Asare, 74 Jan 5

Pastor Patrick Antwi 71 Jan 18

Victoria Nkrumah (Afua Asantewaa) 79

Jonathan Addo 65 Jan 25

George Anthony Sarpong (70) Sept 22

10.

Osei Boakye

Dec

11.

Kenneth Adomako (64)

12.

Emmanuel Oppong (72) Sept 25

13.

Robert Charles Mensah (61) Oct 26

14

Geoffrey Koomson (64) Oct 17

15.

Kingsley Osei Brenyah (68) Oct

16.

Kweku Korang (36)

July 29

Nov 23

May they rest in peace till we meet again

44

The Ghanaian News January 2022

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 Place of Worship: 69 Milvan Drive, North York, Ont. (Finch Av./Milvan)

416-743-4555 (Office) 905-216-2323 (Residence) Day and Time of Worship:

Very Rev. Joseph Owusu Atuahene Minister-in-charge

Edmonton Methodist

Sunday: Bible Class Meeting:

Church Service:

Jericho Hour Prayer Meeting Wednesday Mid-day Prayer Friday: Bible Teaching/Prayer Meeting Saturday Organizational Meeting: Sunday Brampton Prayer Meeting

587-336-1223

Redemption Methodist Church

Ottawa Methodist 613-823-2291

Vancouver Methodist 416-833-1615

Location: 955 Wilson Ave., Unit 12, North York, ON Weekly Service Schedule: Monday 7 pm - 8 pm Online Bible Study: Thursday 7 pm - 8:30 pm, Prayer Meeting Friday 7:30 pm - 9 pm Divine Service, Sundays 10 am - 12:30 pm Contacts: Agnes Donkor - 647-881-4808, Felicia Owusu - 647-533-1093, Grace Kubi - 647-608-5373

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.

10:00 a.m. - 10.30 a.m.

10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m. - 9.00 p.m.

6.30 p.m. - 9.30 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

Friday Prayer Meetings: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Contact: Rev. Joshua C. Doughan - 514-542-0871

Hamilton Society Stoney Creek United Church (Chapel) 1 King Street West, Stoney Creek, Hamilton Contact: 289-244-5914, 289-700-6815, 289-698-1388

Very Reverend Albert K. Appiah, BETHANY METHODIST CHURCH-BRAMPTON PLACE OF WORSHIP1A KNIGHTSBRIGE ROAD (Senior’s Lounge) Sunday Divine Service 2PM-5PM Online Prayer Meeting Fridays at 8PM -9PM 416-800-4317 Code # 9632581 Contact: Robert Frans (289-541-5579) Felix Gyimah (289-931-8443)

SERVICES ARE CONDUCTED FOLLOWING THE TRADITIONAL GHANA METHODIST LITURGY. PLEASE COME AND JOIN US. WE HAVE A PLACE FOR YOU. GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU

FOOD FOR LIFE

The Ghanaian News January 2022 45

Bringing the Gospel to our Community By Rev. Isaac De-Graft Takyi THE CHRISTIAN IN 2022: LIVE LIKE CHRIST PT 2 “Panic not, fear not, worry not, blame not, complain not, condemn not and criticize not, BUT Trust God, Love God and Have Faith in God” —Isaac De-Graft Takyi

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” – Luke 23:24 They doubted, disputed with Jesus.

They arrested, falsely accused him, put a crown of thorns on His head.

They nailed Him to the cross and were casting lots on his clothes. Jesus could have opened His mouth and called a thousand angels. In His mouth He had the power to end it all.

“Putting on Christ’...is not one among many jobs a Christian has to do; and it is not a sort of special exercise for the top class. It is the whole of Christianity.

Christianity offers nothing else at all.”

—C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)

We continue with our strong desire to live like Jesus in 2022. Because of our faith in Christ and love for other believers we will try and find some answers to the question, how do we live like Jesus?

I believe that for us to live like Jesus we must cultivate and practice the following:

1. Seek First the Kingdom of God But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. – Matthew 6:33 Jesus devoted His life to the will, way, word of God and the work of the ministry. To do His Father’s will which was to bring the kingdom of God to this earth was His primary responsibility.

What are you doing to fulfill the great commission that Jesus told us to do? After all, fulfilling the great commission is God’s will for your life.

Are you making the Kingdom of God a priority in your life? in your house? with your family?

2. Unconditional Love Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. John 15:13 The King of the Universe, The Creator of all things gave up His throne, His beauty, His glory and His position to come and die for you and me. There were no conditions to His love, He died for the murderer, for the drunkard, for the rapist, for the liar, for the homosexual, and for the drug addict.

With His body,He paid the price and endured the punishment that was

But He only opened his mouth to ask for forgiveness for those who were crucifying him. meant for you and I. He did it to save us because He loved us even though we didn’t deserve His love.

The Word of God says that the Love of God has been shed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. So, God’s love is already inside of you; you just have to bring it out.

It is not easy to forgive someone that has hurt you or a loved one deeply. It’s not easy but with God’s help you can do it.

The Bible tells us that we must forgive if we want to be forgiven.

So, forgiveness is not a suggestion, forgiveness is a command.

Is forgiveness a joy for you?

Love like Jesus did, love the sinner.

Your love is a testimony of God’s love for them.

Are you loving unconditionally? Do you love the beggar the same way that you love the pastor in your church?

Do youlove your parents, wife and children the same way you love your pastor?

3. Prayerful Life But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. —Luke 5:16 Jesus spent time daily with the Father in prayer. Jesus knew how important it was to be connected and have a personal relationship with theFather.

Do you remember God only when you are in trouble or when you are about to go to bed? Or do you have constant communication with Him? Remember, He is always with you. He loves to hear your voice. Talk to God every day, all day; that’s all prayer is: having a conversation with God. Your faithfulness and fruitfulness is dependent on your prayer life.

Is spending time in prayer with the Lord a priority in your life?

4. Forgiveness

5.

Compassion

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. -Matthew 9:36 Jesus was moved with compassion for the people that He came to save.

Compassion means sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.In the world we live right now, people only worry about themselves and “what is in it for me?”We have become so self-

absorbed that we have forgotten to have compassion for other people.Who do you need to show compassion to?

Being compassionate makes you more like Christ.

6. Obedience And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. – Philippians 2:8

Jesus was obedient and surrendered Himself to the will of the Father.

Obedience can be hard, it can be scary, it requires lots of faith. But obedience is greatly rewarded.

Remember, that in 2022, God doesn’t want your sacrifice without obedience He wants your obedience as the foundation for your sacrifice.

Obedience brings God’s blessing in your life; do you need the blessing?

To be like Christ this year let us encourage ourselves to seek God’s kingdom first, love always,pray always, forgive always, show compassion always and obey God always.

Source: https://www.womanofnoblecharacter.com/ ways-to-become-more-like-christ/

46

The Ghanaian News January 2022

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

416-614-7771 Email: info@disciplesrevivalchurch.org www.disciplesrevivalchurch.org

SUNDAY SERVICE - Morning - 10:00 am 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

The Ghanaian News January 2022 47

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.

Pastor Eric Amoah Friday Night Prayer: 8p.m.-10p.m.

Location: 14 Haas Rd. , #100, Etobicoke, ON, M9W 3A2

EVANGEL ASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCH 314 Rexdale Blvd. Etobicoke, Ont. M9W 1R6 Tel: 416-242-7950 Fax: 416-242-8573 Church Activities Sunday School: 10a.m. -11:00a.m.

Church Service: 11a.m. - 1:30p.m.

Sunday Evening: 7p.m. - 8:30p.m.

Pastor in Charge Wednesday Bible Studies: 7p.m. - 8:30p.m.

Rev. Milton Offei Friday Prayer Meeting: 7p.m. - 9:00p.m.

Transformation Centre Assembly of God Church, Mississauga Join us on Sundays for Worship at: Venue: 161 Lakeshore Road W, Mississauga, ON Time: 10:30am—1:30pm

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

Contact: Rev. Isaac K. Bonful Tel: 289-814-5482 Email: transformcentreag@yahoo.ca Website: www. transformationcentreag.ca

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

Tel: 416-419-6671

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind… “Rom.12:2a

Good Shepherd Prayer Ministry Invites you all to come worship with us Venue: 95 Eddystone Ave unit 4 North York, ON Time of worship: Sunday:10am - 1pm Wednesday bible studies 7pm - 9pm Friday Prayer / Deliverance 7pm - 9pm

Pastor Joseph Nash Sarfo Founder & Pastor-in-charge

The thief cometh not , but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.11.l am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Amen.

John 10 :10-11

Tel: 416 667-9763 cell 647 500-4415 / 647 718-4819 / 416 300-4258 Email:pastorjsarfo@gmail.com I encourage you to join us in worship regardless of your situation the power of God is available to make you whole

Bishop John Mensah

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:

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)

Etobicoke, Ont., M9w 5S5

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The Ghanaian News January 2022

The Apostolic Church Int'l.

THE APOSTLES' CONTINUATION CHURCH INTERNATIONAL (CANADA)

The Apostolic Church International (Toronto Assembly) is a Branch of The Apostolic Church in Ghana

North American Headquarters: 10 Belfield Road Toronto, Ont., M9W 1G1 Tel: 416-247-6629 Fax: 416-247-5308

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.

Field Superintendent contact: 416-454-6141 (cell) 905-913-2037 (Res)

168 Rexdale Blvd., Etobicoke, Ontario, M9W 1P6 Church Office 416-740-1979 Field Secretary: Pastor Cyril Williams - 416-875-9616

Immanuel Assembly of God Church, Scarborough

Rev. Douglas O. Ansah Pastor-in-charge

Sunday School: 9:30am -10:30am Church Service: 10:30am - 12 noon

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.

Rhema Power of Grace Chapel Int'l

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

NEW Place of Worship:

135 Oakdale Rd, North York, ON Days And Time of Worship Sunday Divine Worship Twi Service - 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Multicultural Service - 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Wednesday - Midweek Service Friday - All Night Service

Rev. Bishop Joe Bonnah Founder &Pastor-in-charge

-

8p.m. - 10p.m.

10p.m. - 1a.m.

Contact Lines: 416-321-2796 (Pastor's Res) 416-747-9225 (Church) Cell: 647-921-2414

Apostle Charles Anokye-Manu

Website: www.apostlescontinuation.org

SERVICE TIMES: Worship Service Bible Studies Service All Night Service Deliverance

- 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

Toronto

10 Belfield Road Tel: 416-247-6629 Scarborough Assembly 63 Howden Rd., Unit 'F' Scarborough, ON, M1R 3C7 Tel 647-850- 0142 Fax 416-945- 9445

Montreal Assembly 378 Cremazie East Montreal, Quebec, H2P 1E5 Tel: 514-271-9083 Pastor-In-Charge: John Arhin

Contact: Res: 450-687-4916 Cell: 514-654-6178

Church of Christ Ghanaian Congregation Greater Toronto Area Matthew 16:18

Sunday Service: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Contact Information Adu Kwasi 647-745-8074 Brother Acheampong 416-671-4268 Sam - Ghana House 647-867-2020 Brother Agyenim Boateng 647-656-9905 Brother Ato Essel 416-728-8574 Brother Samuel Asamoah 647-867-0945 Nana Samuel Owusu Boakye 647-892-9251

New Church Address 8500 Tobram Rd. Unit 46, Brampton (Tobram/Steeles)

All Are Invited

The Ghanaian News January 2022 49

Black History Month – Reflecting on the past, and looking towards cont’d from pg. 30 the future for Black Canadians come across difficult times with my business.

What words of inspiration would you say to young Black children of today?

Additionally, Rosa Parks is a very influential woman in Black history in my life. Her story reminds me that even the smallest acts of courage can leave a large impact in society. Her story reminds me to speak up when I feel injustice happening around me and to not be afraid of the consequences that may arise from society looking at me as just another, “angry Black woman.” Because “angry Black women” were just Black women with strong voices that they were not afraid to let others hear.

Dr. Augustine: To the youth, I say there is nothing you cannot do if you put your mind to it and be prepared to work hard. Nothing comes easily. Have a dream. Be respectful. Don’t be afraid to seek help and advice.

Funmi: Rosa Parks once said, “You must not be fearful of what you are doing when what you are doing is right.” Do not be afraid to say what needs to be said, or do what needs to be done, even if you may be the first to do it. You just need to be willing to

Togbi Nyaho Tamakloe VI leads fundraiser in support of Keta Sunset’s Beach Soccer World Clubs championship campaign in Spain cont’d from pg. 31 The award-winning beach soccer club executive also stated a fundraising team will be put in place to compliment the efforts of the King.

“His Majesty as we understand is very committed to help us get to play in Spain and we are very appreciative of the effort. Togbi has equally demanding responsibilities as well, so we are looking to identify other prominent people from our area to support our King in this regard.

His Majesty, Togbi Nyaho Tamakloe VI holds an MBA from the University of New Brunswick, Canada. He is a former Edmonton

Police Commissioner and a Chief Administrative Officer Consultant. For over 25 years Togbi has been providing executive leadership and governance advice to organizations. He is currently the Vice President and Founding Member of The Coalition for Canadian Police Reform (C-CPR).

Sunset Sports Keta is Ghana’s most successful beach soccer club having won Africa’s biggest club competition, Copa Lagos and three (3) Ghana league championships in four (4) league seasons amongst other titles.

The team is looking to fundraise about USD100, 000 to be able to make a maiden appearance on the world stage.

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"

Lighthouse Assembly of God Church

Snr. Pastor: Apostle Osei-Bonsu

THEME FOR YEAR 2020:

“PRAYER AND THE WORD” Acts 6:4

336 Gary Ray Drive @ Signet Worship Schedule

SUNDAY SERVICES: 10:00 am-1:30 pm Ghanaian Service Pastor-in-charge:

WEEKDAY SERVICES: Rev. Boniface Keelson Wednesday - Bible Studies 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Friday - Holy Ghost Service 7:00 pm -9:00 pm LOCATION:

Praise Temple of Christ International

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

42 Steinway Blvd. Unit 1&2 (Hwy 27/Steeles) Toronto, Ontario, M9W 6Y6

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

lighthouseagtoronto.org

lighthouseag@outlook.com

Pastor Appiah Jacob

For information call: 905-840-7387, 647-208-1093 416-209-9136, 647-710-2573

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The Ghanaian News January 2022

Nana Professor Okogyeaman Dankwa Ameyaw Kokroko II leads his Community to repossess large tract of land from Ghana Cocoa Board cont’d from pg. 31 ever since, and they have continued for five years to harvest cocoa, timber, oil palm and other farm produce and not offering any accounting of same to our community.

Much agitation has gone on among members of the community, especially the youth, many of whom are unemployed and could benefit from the use of this land for agricultural purposes. Nana explained further that the Ghana Cocoa Board and its affiliate agency, CRIG, have turned deaf ears to the demands for accountability from the community on the issues raised above: i.e. the payment of the annual cash royalties due to the community for the 40-year life of the land lease agreement, the hand-over of the land as well as the accounting and payment of the revenues that have accrued from their continuous appropriation of the land since August 2016 when the Ghana Cocoa Board released the letter communicating its decision to release the land.

In their frustration, and to prevent a potential outbreak of violence among our frustrated citizenry, Nana Okogyeaman revealed that he petitioned the Office of the President in October 2021 with the same complaints enumerated above and pleaded for intervention from the Office of the President to resolve this issue and ensure justice to his community.

In a quick response, the Office of the President directed the Minister for Food and Agriculture, with a letter dated 11th November, 2021, to meet with us and find “an amicable resolution” of the issues, and report back to the Office of the President.

This letter was copied to the Ghana Cocoa Board.

On 23rd November, 2021, a number of officials from the CRIG at AkimTafo and the Ghana Cocoa Board traveled to meet with Nana and his Elders at the Cocoa Research Station. They pleaded with Nana and his Elders to give them a week to consult with their Chief Executive Officer, whom they claimed was out of the country and promised to meet with us to resolve the issue as soon as he returned the following week.

Since then, neither the Minister of Food and Agriculture to whom the Presidential directive was sent, nor officials of the Ghana Cocoa Board have made any efforts to meet with the Chief and his community over the grievances enumerated above Nana therefore emphasized that as a result of the total disrespect shown to his community, as well as the continuous pillaging of the community’s precious resource by the Ghana Cocoa Board, they were announcing and affirming a repossession of their land, their rightful resource.

Nana warned that the community was peacefully asking all CRIG and COCOBOD officials and their workers engaged by the Ghana Cocoa Board to vacate the lands and premises immediately. He reiterated that the community will no longer tolerate the continuous pillaging and misappropriation of their lands by the Ghana Cocoa Board and its affiliate agency, the CRIG. In a final notice, Nana Okogyeaman asked the Ghana Cocoa Board to initiate the necessary processes to pay to the AssinWurakese Traditional Council ALL the accumulated cash royalties due to the community for the 40-year life of the land lease agreement. He also demanded accountability for the all revenues accruing since August 2016 when they took the decision to release the land up to the day of January 2022.

The move by Nana and his Elders was highly applauded by a large number of community members who attended the repossession event.

Managing covid stress In a previous article, I mentioned that covid stress can kill faster than the coronavirus itself. I also told you thatStress Management is one of the four pillars of a strong immune system (together with a healthy diet, daily exercise and adequate sleep). Now, I’m giving you a simple tool to reduce stress – abdominal (belly) breathing.

Babiesdo it naturally- they have verylittle stress –but as we age, stress and anxiety make us switch to shallow, chest breathing.

Belly Breathing.

There are many benefits of belly breathing:it increases oxygen supply to the body, enhances blood circulation,increases lung capacity, lowers blood pressure, releases endorphins (feel-good hormones which alleviate depression), clears the mind, improves brain function and memory,enhances problem-solvingand reduces stress.Belly breathing also relieves headaches, backaches and stomach aches- which can be caused by stress.

Step-by-step Bellybreathing can be done lying, sitting or standing - I recommend lying down for beginners.It’s also best to have a quiet place (in time, you’ll be able to do it anywhere – even standing on a bus)!

1) Put aside 30-45 minuteswithout distraction. Wear comfortable, loose clothing; remove jewelry, glasses, shoes.Music is optional (calming, nature sounds preferred - to drown out other noises and help you focus).

Darken the room (close window shades, turn off lights or wear eyemask).

2) Lie on a firm bed or on a padded floor. Place a flat pillow (or rolled-up beach towel) underneath neck/head and another underneath knees. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Close your eyes.

Dr. Sandra Romano Anthony body and into your belly. Pretend there’s a balloon in your belly;fill it with this inhaled air (don’t get stressed trying to fill it the first few times -you’ll get better with practice). Focus on your belly rising and falling.

4) Exhale -through your nose, as slowly as possible. Practise until your exhaled breath is much, muchslower than the inhaled. As you exhale, imagine the stress leaving your body.

5) If distracting thoughts and worries enter your mind, mentally “throw them out the window” and re-focus on your breathing or on the music.Visualise pleasant scenes while breathing:eg., being at the beach or walking through a flower garden.

Never force your breath (that’s stressful)! Stop if you feel windedtake a few regular shallow (chest) breaths, then resume belly breathing.

Do not use an alarm clock to end your session; ask someone to gently inform you when time’s up.Before standing, lie on your side for a few minutes - to reduce the risk of falling.

Caution:If done for an extensive period at bed time (15+ minutes), this might keep you wide awake for several hours (okay if you’re cramming for exams).In some people, doing it at bedtime promotes deep sleep.

3) Inhalenormally-through your noseDr. Sandra Romano Anthony. and push out your belly at the same E-mail: dr_sandra_anthony@yahoo. time. Feel the air going through your comWhatsApp: 1-416-929-4909.

Fruit and vegetables: For a longer life Eating loads of fruit and vegetables - 10 portions a day - may give us longer lives, say researchers.

The study, by Imperial College London, calculated such eating habits could prevent 7.8 million premature deaths each year.

The team also identified specific fruit and veg that reduced the risk of cancer and heart disease.

The analysis showed even small amounts had a health boon, but more is even better.

A portion counts as 80g (3oz) of fruit or veg - the equivalent of a small banana, a pear or three heaped tablespoons of spinach or peas.

The conclusions were made by pooling data on 95 separate studies, involving two million people’s eating habits.

Lower risks of cancer were linked to eating: - green veg (eg spinach) - yellow veg (eg peppers) - cruciferous vegetables (eg cauliflower).

Lower risks of heart disease and strokes were linked to eating: - apples - pears - citrus fruits - salads - green leafy vegetables (eg lettuce) - cruciferous veg

Dr Dagfinn Aune, one of the researchers, said: “Fruit and vegetables have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and to boost the health of our blood vessels and immune system.

not just the health effects - is it feasible?

The results, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, also assessed the risk of dying before your time.

“This may be due to the complex network of nutrients they hold.

Compared with eating no fruit or veg a day, it showed:

“For instance, they contain many antioxidants, which may reduce DNA damage and lead to a reduction in cancer risk.”

Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at Public Health England, said: “The five-aday target is the foundation of a healthy balanced diet and is an achievable way to help prevent a number of diseases.

- 200g cut the risk of cardiovascular disease by 13% while 800g cut the risk by 28% - 200g cut the risk of cancer by 4%, while 800g cut the risk by 13% 200g cut the risk of a premature death by 15%, while 800g cut the risk by 31%

However, many people struggle to even eat the five a day (400g) recommended by the World Health Organization.

The researchers do not know if eating even more fruit and veg would have even greater health benefits as there is little evidence out there to review.

In in

the UK, only about one three people eats enough.

“But our findings are quite clear in that they do support five a day, but there are even some further benefits for higher intakes.”

“Whilst consuming more than five portions of fruit and vegetables a day may be desirable... adding pressure to consume more fruit and vegetables creates an unrealistic expectation.”

Dr Aune said the findings did not mean the five-a-day message needed to change.

Not all of the 95 studies that were analysed fully accounted for other aspects of lifestyle, such as exercise levels, that could also play a role in prolonging lives.

He told the BBC: “There are many different considerations if changing policy, it’s

However, Dr Aune said the conclusions were “quite robust”. BBC

Ask The Doctor

Lifestyle

By: David Yaw Twum-Barima, MD, MSc, FRCPC

The Ghanaian News January 2022 51

This column is devoted to answering your questions on health and discusions of diseases which are common among the African Canadians.

Headaches: Self-care measures for headache relief Frequent headaches can interfere with your daily life. But healthy lifestyle choices can help you head off the pain.

Start with the basics, including diet, exercise and relaxation.

medications contain caffeine. But heavy daily caffeine use — more than 600 milligrams of caffeine a day, or about four to seven cups of coffee — can cause headaches and irritability.

Nearly everyone experiences occasional tension headaches. But frequent tension headaches can interfere with your daily life. Aside from over-the-counter or prescription medication, do you wonder what else you can do to stop the pain? The answer may be as simple as taking good care of yourself.

Keep stress under control

Make healthy lifestyle choices The same lifestyle choices that promote good health may reduce the frequency and severity of your tension headaches.

Consider the basics: • Eat healthy foods. Don’t skip meals — especially breakfast.

• Exercise regularly. During physical activity, your body releases certain chemicals that block pain signals to your brain. If your doctor agrees, choose any exercise you enjoy.

Walking, swimming and cycling are often good choices. But it’s important to

Stress and tension headaches often go hand in hand. To reduce stress, try these simple tips:

start slowly. Exercising too vigorously can trigger some types of headaches.

• Get enough sleep. Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day — even on weekends. Relax before you go to bed. If you don’t fall asleep within 15 minutes, get up. Read or do another quiet activity until you become drowsy.

Keep in mind that medications that contain caffeine or other stimulants, including some headache medications, may interfere with sleep.

• Avoid excess caffeine.

Sometimes caffeine helps curb headaches. In fact, many headache

• Simplify your life. Rather than looking for ways to squeeze more activities or chores into the day, find a way to leave some things out.

• Manage your time wisely.

Update your to-do list every day — both at work and at home. Delegate what you can, and break large projects into manageable chunks.

•

Take a break. If you feel

overwhelmed, a few slow stretches or a quick walk may renew your energy for the task at hand.

• Adjust your attitude. Stay positive. If you find yourself thinking, “This can’t be done,” switch gears.

Think instead, “This will be tough. But I can make it work.”

• Let go. Don’t worry about things you can’t control.

Ease muscle tension Muscle tension can trigger tension headaches. If you’re feeling tense, apply heat or ice to soothe sore neck and shoulder muscles. Use a heating pad set on low, a hot-water bottle, a warm compress or a hot towel. A hot bath or shower may help, too. If you’d rather use ice, wrap the ice pack in a cloth to protect your skin.

Number of people in Ontario needing mental health support increasing: survey More people in Ontario are accessing mental health support than at any other time during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new survey suggests.

Association conducted three similar surveys earlier in the pandemic - in April 2020, July 2020 and February 2021.

The Canadian Mental Health Association poll indicated 24 per cent of respondents have sought help for mental health challenges, compared to 17 per cent last winter and nine per cent almost two years ago.

In the latest survey, nearly half - 48 per cent - of respondents said their mental health has worsened since the pandemic began, compared to 36 per cent at the start of the pandemic

Camille Quenneville, the association’s CEO, said the survey results are worrying as they indicate the mental health of those living in the province is not improving.

“We’ve conducted four polls during this pandemic because we wanted to get a sense of how people are doing nearly two years in,” she said in a written statement.

“Needless to say we’re very concerned that the numbers are going in the wrong direction.”

The poll surveyed 1,001 Ontario adults between Jan. 10 and Jan. 17, and carries a margin of error of 3.1 per cent.

The

Canadian

Mental

Health

Thirty two per cent of those surveyed said they are struggling with high levels of stress and 31 per cent have high levels of anxiety.

Accessing mental health support appears to be a challenge as 43 per cent of survey respondents indicated it was difficult to get help, up from 37 per cent at the start of the pandemic.

About 65 per cent of those surveyed said mental health supports are helpful, down from 77 per cent near the beginning of COVID-19.

“We will continue to monitor these trends because, as we know, mental health is a continuum and people’s moods and feelings can change with a return to normalcy,” Quenneville said.

The Canadian Press

Call Us First The Ghanaian News 416-916-3700

52

The Ghanaian News January 2022

Around the World Sports Scene 6 unforgetable moments of 2021 AFCON GOAL analyses major happenings in the concluded campaign held in Cameroon

the first game where they lost to Morocco by a solitary goal.

Mukansanga makes history

In the Group F match featuring Mali and Tunisia staged in Limbe on January 12, both teams were desperate for victory. Mali went on to score their goal through Ibrahima Kone - from the penalty spot - while the Carthage Eagles wasted their chance courtesy of Wahbi Khazri.

However, the spotlight was on Zambian referee Janny Sikazwe; he reportedly failed to stop his watch and went on to blow the final whistle in the 85th minute. He was corrected but again ended the game with a few seconds remaining in regulation time.

Tunisia, later on, refused to return to the pitch to play the final few minutes. It was later revealed Sikazwe had health issues that affected him.

Algeria’s

elimination

Coming into the competition, favourites Algeria had gone 34 matches without tasting defeat. However, things did not go for them as planned.

Sierra Leone held them to a goalless draw before Equatorial Guinea claimed a shocking 1-0 win. They fell 3-1 to Ivory Coast and were eliminated from the competition. It was unexpected but it happened, giving them a chance to go back to the drawing board.

Ghana’s

humiliating

exit

Just like the former champions, Ghana were considered among the favourites and nobody would have predicted they would fall in the first hurdle.

Things did not work out for the West African nation from

Rwanda referee Salima Rhadia Mukansanga made history as the first-ever woman referee to officiate in the Africa Cup of Nations when she blew the whistle for Zimbabwe’s surprise 2-1 victory over Guinea on January 18.

The 23-year-old played the entire duration of the World Cup qualifier against United States, only to find out he was injured days later.

Bastie Samir narrates how some Ghanaian boxers travel abroad to get beaten for cash Some Ghanaian boxers accused of engaging in fixed fights

community,” Bastie Samir said in the interview.

Some Ghanaian boxers charge $1500 for fixed bouts – Report

He added, “I can’t mention out names. But I can tell you emphatically that a number of our boxers travel out of the country consistently, get beaten within one or two rounds and smilingly dance away with cash.”

GBA boxing league to commence in February 2022

The 35-year-old, who had already served as the fourth official during the Malawi versus Guinea fixture, took charge of the Group B clash at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium.

Undefeated lightweight boxer, Bastie Samir has disclosed that allegations of some Ghanaian boxers travelling outside the country to engage in fixed bouts for cash is indeed true.

Senegal

In a report filed by the Ghanaian Times, it was revealed that some Ghanaian boxers are paid cash within the range of “$1,500 to $5,000” which “gleefully translate into some decent money for the boxer” to fight in fixed bouts to improve the records of some boxer abroad.

finally

crowned

Senegal graced the final in 2002 but fell to Cameroon 3-2 in the shootout after a goalless draw in regulation time. In 2019, they again played well and qualified for the last hurdle. However, they were downed by Algeria by a solitary goal scored early in the game by Baghdad Bounedjah.

In 2022 they made it to the final again, better and well prepared and they played Egypt. The Pharaohs managed to survive the first 120 minutes after many opportunities for the Teranga Lions. This time around, they were not going to let it go, Sadio Mane fired the winning penalty to hand Aliou Cisse the trophy.

There were ugly scenes in the 1-1 draw with Gabon that saw Benjamin Tetteh get suspended for three games, before a 3-2 loss to debutants Comoros sent them packing. Questions will be asked about the impact of Andre and Jordan Ayew. Will they redeem their reputation in the World Cup qualifiers? goal.com

Honduras midfielder Wisdom Quaye unaware of injury in USA game due freezing temperature Honduras-born Ghanaian midfielder Wisdom Quaye has revealed he was unaware of the injury he picked in the game against the United States due to the freezing temperatures in Minnesota.

with Jonathan Baah Annobil

and I don’t know when I got hurt, maybe in a tackle or a collision. I didn’t feel my feet because of how cold it was, there wasn’t any pain. But when I was at room temperature, I started to feel the pain It swelled up quite a bit. At the airport there came a time when I couldn’t walk,” he declared to El Diez de Honduras.

The game was playing in freezing temperatures with some players suffering from hypothermia.

Weston Mckennie, Walker Zimmerman and Christian Pulisic scored for the United States as they defeat Honduras to inch closer to qualification.

“I played the whole game

Ghanasoccernet

The report also listed instances where some local boxers have been beaten in a dramatic fight

Boxer, Bastie Samir with some ending less than two minutes into the fight.

Bastie Samir told the Times Sports he was aware of the phenomenon and has been approached by several matchmakers.

Although the boxer refused to name some boxers engaged in such acts, he stated that it is a widely known fact that boxers in recent times travel abroad to fight and end up returning home with a decent amount of cash.

“It is all-too known to everybody in the boxing

In an attempt to stop boxers from engaging in fixed bouts, the Ghana Boxing Authority has implored boxers to seek their approval before travelling to fight abroad.

Communications Director of the GBA, Mohammed Amin Lamptey said, “now boxers cannot leave the country to fight without authority from us.”

He added, “boxers cannot be taken out for fights unless we consent or approve to it.” www.ghanaweb.com

Ghanaian starlet Darko Gyabi scores as Man City hits five past Derby County in Premier League 2 The 17-year-old central midfielder registered the second goal for the Sky Blues two minutes after the interval English-born Ghanaian starlet Darko Gyabi registered one of the goals for Manchester City U23 when they beat Derby County U23 5-0 in the Premier League 2 on Tuesday evening.

Gyabi, 17, hit the back of the net with a clinical strike in the 47th minute at the

Loughborough Stadium.

University

While the London-born was scoring for the Sky Blues, his Ghanaian compatriot Kwaku Oduroh lasted 74 minutes for the league leaders.

Gyabi is blessed with great technique and an excellent shooting range as well as the vision to pick out his teammates. Regarded as one of City’s best academy prospects,

he could get his chance to shine in the first team this season.

The box-to-box midfielder can be deployed in several roles, City lured Gyabi to the club from Millwall back in 2018.

He scored eight goals in 18 appearances for City’s U18s last season.

Akyereko/Ghanasportsonline

Black Stars were paid $20,000 as appearance fee at 2021 AFCON Henry Asante-Twum Ghana Football Association (GFA) Communications Director, Henry Asante-Twum has confirmed that the Black Stars were paid $20,000 as appearance fee at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.

Black Stars stage after debutants the final

exited grouplosing 3-2 to Comoros in group game.

Ghana finished bottom of Group C with only one point after three matches played.

“The

players

were

paid

who returned for a second spell in charge in September.

The 68-year-old led the Black Stars to the AFCON final in 2010 and the World Cup quarter-finals the same year and guided the West Africans through to Africa’s play-offs for this year’s World Cup. Henry Asante-Twum $20,000 as appearance fee, they didn’t earn any bonus because they did not win a single game,” Asante-Twum told Starr FM in an interview.

The AFCON exit led to the sacking of Milovan Rajevac,

Ghana will face Nigeria in the final play-offs of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in March.

The Black Stars are two games away from returning to the tournament for the first time since 2014 and for the fourth time overall. footballghana.com

The Ghanaian News January 2022 53

Beni Boo Styles WELL MADE - WELL PRICED Black History Month fashion Representation Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of blacks in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week, Today we Highlighting the black community’s contributions, culture, history , fashion and impact in the world. We celebrate change, inclusivity, representation our heritage through fashion .

And remember ”Donyale Luna (August 31, 1945 – May 17, 1979) was an American model and actress. Generally cited as “the first black supermodel”, Luna was the first African American model to appear on the cover of the British edition of Vogue, in May 1966.

And Zelda Wynn Valdes. Zelda Barbour Wynn Valdes (June 28, 1905 - September 26, 2001) was an African-American fashion designer and costumer.

So even after Black History Month and Fashion Week , lets make it a habbit to indulge in shopping black and supporting black designers and moving the sartorial conversation forward.

Manager, Beni Boo Styles 1-416-732-0902 Beniboostyles@ yahoo.coo www.Beniboo.com Sewing Studio on St. Clair W.

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The Ghanaian News January 2022 The Ghanaian News March 2019

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The Ghanaian News January 2022 55

FOOD AND RECIPES Compiled by Nana Ama, Toronto, ON

Yam Balls

Homemade Easter Bun

Ingredients

Ingredients

250g Yam 50g Margarine 1 or 1/2 Egg Yolk beaten 1 tlsp Milk Pepper, Salt, grated Nutmeg (to taste) Egg and bread crumbs for coating Oil for deep frying

2 ounce(s) Grace Margarin 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

Method

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. Boil yam thoroughly till cooked, drain and mash to get a smooth result 2. Add margarine while still hot 3. Add pepper salt and grated nutmeg 4. Add egg, malk if mxture is dry 5. Divide them into pieces and dredge with flour 6. Roll into balls and coat with eff and breadcrumbs 7. Fry in deep-frying until golden brown 8. Drain and serve

PANETONE

1/4 pound(s) mixed peel, chopped 1/4 pound(s) raisins, soaked

Method 1.

Melt Grace Hello Margarine and allow to cool, then add stout, wine, vanilla, Grace Browning, Grace Guava Jam and beaten 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.

To Glaze: Combine 2 tablespoons honey with two tablespoons water and bring to a boil; remove from flame and use a pastry brush to apply it over the surface of the bun.

To Serve: Serve with slices of cheese.

Gracefoods.com

Ingredients 4 tbsp warm milk 2 x 7g sachets fast-action dried yeast 100g caster sugar 250g butter , softened 5 medium eggs , lightly beaten 2 tsp vanilla extract grated zest of 1 lemon grated zest of 1 orange 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting 80g raisins 80g sultanas 3 tbsp dark rum 100g good-quality candied lemon and orange peel, finely chopped For the topping 30g whole blanched almonds , roughly chopped 1 tbsp caster sugar 1 tbsp egg white 1 tbsp icing sugar

Mashed Ripe Plantain (Otor)

Method

Ingredients

Grease a panettone tin (see Tip) or a 20cm deep cake tin, or use a panettone case.

Place the warm milk in a bowl and add the yeast and 1 tsp of sugar and leave for a few minutes.

Put the remaining sugar in a large bowl and beat together with the butter and vanilla extract until really light, creamy and pale.

Stir in the lemon and orange zest. Add the eggs a little at a time until all are well incorporated. Spoon in a tablespoon of the flour if the mixture starts to curdle and beat this in with the eggs.

Place the flour in a large bowl and mix with a good pinch of salt and make a well in the centre. Add the yeast mixture then the butter and egg mixture, folding in with a large spoon to make a soft dough. Knead for 5 mins in the bowl until it all starts to come together. It will be a pretty sticky dough at this stage.

Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a further 10 mins, until everything has come together and you have a very soft and stretchy dough. Add a light sprinkling of flour to the surface and your hands as you go to stop the mixture sticking, but try not to add too much. Place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with cling film. Leave in a warm place for 2 hrs until doubled in size.

Place the raisins and sultanas in a small saucepan with the rum and heat gently for 5 – 7 mins until the fruit has absorbed the liquid and is plump and juicy. Set aside to cool.

When the dough is risen, tip it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for another 5 mins. Gradually knead in the soaked raisins, sultanas and chopped candied peel. Shape the dough into a ball and pop into the prepared tin. If using a 20cm cake tin, wrap a layer of baking parchment around the outside of the tin, to come up about 5cm above the rim, and secure the paper with string. This will help contain the dough as it rises. Cover lightly with cling film and leave to rise for another hour until it has risen to the top of the tin or paper.

Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Adjust the oven shelf to the right height. Mix together the almonds, caster sugar and egg white for the topping and gently brush over the top of the panettone. Place in the oven and bake for 40 - 50 mins until golden and risen and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins before turning out onto a wire rack. Leave to cool completely before dusting lightly with icing sugar and cutting into wedges to serve.

4 fingers half ripe plantain 5g groundnut paste 1/4 teaspoonful ground pepper 1 large onion 2 tablespoonful palm oil Salt to taste

Method 1.

Peel the plantain into a saucepan

2.

Add water and salt to it and boil

3.

After 20 minutes, remove it from the fire and drain the water

4.

Grind pepper, onion and salt

5.

Add boiled ripe plantain and mix together

6.

Add groundnut paste and mix

7.

Put palm oil on fire, add chopped onions

8.

When the oil with the onion is well cooked, pur it onto the mashed plantain and mix altogether using a wooden spoon.

9.

Serve with eggs or avocado

56 The Ghanaian News January 2022

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