GHANAIAN NEWS FEBUARY 2021

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The Ghanaian News

Tel: 416-638-2275 Fax: 416-638-2270 see pg. 8

Vol. 25 No. 2 February 2021

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GHANA: 64th Milestone of Nationhood and History a Special Report

By: Emmanuel Ayiku, Toronto, ON

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

backward never

damaging and even self-destructive.

The early years of nationhood under the first President, Kwame Nkrumah and the first post-colonial government run by the Convention People’s Party (CPP) were full of euphoria, promises, and high expectations. Dramatic infrastructural changes, social and economic development were undertaken in the country. This period saw the construction of the much famous Akosombo Hydro Power dam, the Accra-Tema Motorway, the Tema In his historic independence Harbour, the Independence Square, declaration, the first Prime Minister, among others.

Kwame Nkrumah declared that the new nation and its citizens reserved the This period also saw the introduction right to “manage or even mismanage of an accelerated fee-free elementary its own affairs”. Over the past 64 years, education which dramatically Ghana has undergone tremendous transformed the hitherto mainly changes, some very positive, others illiterate population. An affordable and not so positive while others have been

cont’d on pg. 33

Independence Arch/Black Star Gate and Kwame Nkrumah

Nana Kwateng Amanin honoured by City of Montreal

By Jonathan Baah Annobil, Montreal, Quebec The promotion and practice of the rich Ghanaian culture and also the maintenance of the Ghanaian heritage in Montreal Quebec caught the eyes of Montreal City Hall. It resulted in the Ghanaian Traditional Council of Montréal Quebec led

by Omanhene Oseadieyo Kwateng Amanin being honored for its impact in the City.

The citation given to Omanhene read as follows:”This honorary certificate recognizes your commitment to our community and is offered to you as part of the Black History Month as a thank you for your contribution to the quality of life of our citizens.”

On Saturday, 27th February, 2021, Mary Deros representing Villeray Saint-Michel Parc-Extension on Montreal City Council presented a certificate to Omanhene Kwateng Amanin to celebrate Black History Month in Montreal.

Omanhene Oseadieyo Kwateng Amanin decked in his rich and colourful kente costume and adorned in gold bangles, in his acceptance of the award stated that Black history month is a time to reflect on creating awareness of our struggles and challenges that face us everyday as black people.

He continued that it is not about only celebrating our achievements and our successes.

As people of colour which we are frequently referred to; we need to understand and be aware that coming together as a unified people is the only way, in his opinion, to fight against all the challenges that confront us every blessed day. “We must remember, “ he added that there is no division amongst African blacks, Caribbean blacks or other blacks from other parts of the universe. We are all black people with common goals and ambitions to succeed. Our differences and our challenges make us to thrive together as one united people.”

cont’d on pg. 7

Nana Kwateng receiving his citation from Mary Deros franked by his wife

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The Ghanaian News February 2021

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

GHANA TURNS 64 IN MARCH 2021

EDITORIAL

The 6th of March that marks the attainment of nationhood by our dear nation Ghana is here again. This year’s anniversary parade and it’s celebrations in our Homeland Ghana, is suspended by the President of the Republic H.E. Nana Akufo Addo. He directed the Suspension of the traditional 6th March anniversary celebrations and its related activities in the Regions, Metropolitans / Municipal, District Assemblies across the country due to the high prevalence rate of COVID-19 cases in Ghana.

However citizens of Ghanaians Abroad at different locations are celebrating our, great milestone: sixty-four (64) years of nationhood and nation-building in a special way virtually.

Publisher / Editor Emmanuel Ayiku Contributing Editor Joe Kingsley Eyiah Director of Operations Comfort Ayiku Community Reporter Jonathan Annobil

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.

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

Well, we have added another year to the Ghanaian nation’s life. In Ghana, we as a nation, is four years past the retirement age for public officials where 60 years is the top of the maturity age when public servants in that country retire from active work, “go on pension”, In this regard, Ghana is matured and consider at pension age that we should have managed our affairs well, but we have not achieved much in our adult life so far.

Collectively though, we should all take responsibility for the problems we find ourselves in terms of luck of developments in the country.

Nepotism: examples of politicians and persons in leadership positions, pushing their family members into areas they have less or no knowledge about which always leads to underperformance. Then the issue of “order from above” when there is a need for employment at any institutions, such behaviors have affected the Ghana’s development negatively.

On our Health systems is not the Government’s PPRIORITY but just to stay in power and when they are sick they run to seek medical attention in overseas. WHY? They don’t believe in the systems themselves. Again they don’t believe the Health care professionals, this is very SAD situation.

Now Corruption is on the rise for developments contracts. Is about time the Government puts its foot down to stamp out some of this serious practice that is pushing us back instead of moving forward.

The collective apathy and wanton disregard for public property and institutions is ingrained in all of us. The desire to get rich quickly at the expense of the nation and the general good continues. The desire to get into politics and government with the sole purpose of stealing public money is still alive among many of our nation’s citizens after 64 years of Independence.

Everyone knows that Ghana has all it takes to develop in a big way to provide quality of life for its citizens. The country has its fair share of natural resources including productive lands, minerals and good weather almost all year round. Food production should be no problem, but many of our citizens routinely go hungry. We have crude oil in commercial quantities and started production and export to generate additional revenue. The nation has more intellectual capacity and in almost every sphere of national endeavour that we can embark on, Ghana possesses enough educated people with the requisite skills to execute the jobs if these human resources are well harnessed.

We have abundant sunshine 365 days a year if we care to tap into solar energy. In fact, our list of abundant resources is endless. To all intents and purposes therefore, Ghana has no excuse and reasons for failure and non-performance as a nation up to its current “Maturity age”. It is in recognition of all the above that Ghana should not be poor and On this anniversary of 64 years the leaders and citizens of our country have no excuses at all not to perform to achieve good standards of living for its citizens.

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

Supreme Court unanimously upholds 2020 election victory of Akufo-Addo

By Staff Reporter, Accra, Ghana

Ghana’s Supreme Court has by a unanimous decision dismissed the presidential election petition brought before it by the Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in last year’s elections, John Dramani Mahama.this means the Supreme Court has upheld the reelection of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as president of Ghana and also means he was validly elected during the December 7, 2020, presidential elections.

The verdict was read out today

by Chief Justice Kwasi AninYeboah who led the seven-member panel that has been sitting on the 2020 Election Petition since the hearing began on January 14, 2021.

“The petitioner has not provided any evidence to rebut the evidence created by the presumption CI135, for which his action must fail.

“We therefore have no reason to order a re-run as pleaded by the petitioner. We accordingly dismiss the petition as having no merit,” the CJ said in conclusion to over the twohour judgement. The court basically held that the petitioner failed to conclusively prove any of the issues that it had filed for determination.

The were

issued

for as

determination follows:

1. Whether or not the petition discloses any reasonable cause of action 2. Whether or not based on the data contained in the declaration of the

1st Respondent (EC), no candidate obtained more than 50% of the valid votes cast as required by Article 63 (3) of the 1992 constitution 3. Whether or not the 2nd Respondent still met article 63 (3) of the 1992 constitution threshold by the exclusion or inclusion of the Techiman South constituency Presidential Election Results of 2020 4. Whether or not the declaration by the 1st Respondent dated the 9th of December was in violation of Article 63 (3) of the 1992 constitution 5. Whether or not the alleged vote padding and other errors complained of by the petitioner affected the outcome of the Presidential Election results of 2020.

The Petition was lodged at the apex court by former president John Dramani Mahama, who was flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC. Mahama was challenging the EC’s December 9 declaration of Akufo-Addo as president-elect.

Mahama dragged two parties to the top court. They were: the Electoral Commission and President AkufoAddo as first and second respondents respectively.

Following the court’s decision, scores of Ghanaians including legal brains and also members of the two major political parties in Ghana the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been expressing divergent views on social media.

Scientists develop method to detect fake news Social media is increasingly used to spread fake news. The same problem can be found on the capital market— criminals spread fake news about companies in order to manipulate share prices. Researchers at the Universities of Göttingen and Frankfurt and the Jožef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana have developed an approach that can recognize such fake news, even when the news content is repeatedly adapted.

The results of the study were published in the Journal of the Association for Information Systems.

In order to detect false information, such as fictitious data that presents a company in a positive light, the scientists used machine-learning methods and created classification models that can be applied to identify suspicious messages based on their content and certain linguistic characteristics. “Here, we look at other aspects of the text that makes up the message, such as the comprehensibility of the language and the mood that the text conveys,” says Professor Jan Muntermann from the University of Göttingen.

The approach is already known in principle from its use by spam filters,

for example. However, the key problem with current methods is that to avoid being recognized, fraudsters continuously adapt the content and avoid certain words that are used to identify the fake news. This is where the researchers’ new approach comes in: To identify fake news despite detection evasion strategies, the method combines models recently developed by the researchers in such a way that high detection rates and robustness come together. So even if “suspicious” words disappear from the text, the fake news is still recognized by its linguistic features. “This puts scammers into a dilemma. They can only avoid detection if they change the mood of the text so that it is negative, for instance,” explains Dr. Michael Siering. “But then they would miss their target of inducing investors to buy certain stocks.”

The new approach can be used, for example, in market surveillance for temporarily suspending the trading of affected stocks. In addition, it offers investors valuable information to avoid falling for such fraud schemes.

It is also possible that it could be used for criminal prosecutions in the future.

University of Göttingen

The Ghanaian News February 2021 7

A common sense approach US Embassy suspends visa to personal hygiene during applications in Ghana Corona virus now and beyond “Nine-tenths of our sickness can be prevented by right thinking plus right hygiene - ninetenths of it!” - Henry Miller.

You see, these streets have suddenly become scary. I recollect how we often laugh about the many cautions that are often sounded to us concerning our personal hygiene. I remember how we often sarcastically blurt out “the one who introduced hygiene kraa e be borla car wey kill am.” Well, this local quote doesn’t sound funny anymore.

Going about my regular errands in town, I see the “panicky” reactions of people within this Covid19 season.

Understandably so especially given the number of cases and deaths recorded worldwide especially in areas of the world deemed as advanced and enlightened. As we monitor the various news portals it is also easy to determine the fright and confusion on the faces of people in countries that have recorded high cases and deaths.

While there has been some efforts by authorities in Ghana to provide the standard health amenities and follow the WHO approved protocols to mitigate against the escalation in numbers of cases already recorded in the country, I think we as individuals at this critical point

in our health management period take responsibility for our personal health safety and take serious our personal hygiene. There have been several talks about the seeming unpreparedness of the government to protect the citizenry (within and without its borders) against the possibility of contracting the condition. Let’s continue to demand of the government what is within their authority to do, whilst at it let’s support them by doing what is within our individual abilities to protect ourselves and those within our close circles against being infected.

One important step to take as individuals is not to fan the flame of fear. Fear can immobilise you and stop you from acting sensibly, and now more than ever is not the time to act insensibly. Let us make it our responsibility to educate our brothers and sisters who can not read or understand the education in English in our local dialects.

As the education by health experts say, observing good personal hygiene is one sure way of avoiding infection.

It is important that we continue to remind each other as often as we can to wash our hands as often as possible with soap under running water, cough into the inside of our elbows and cont’d on pg. 9

The United States Embassy in Ghana has announced the postponement of some scheduled visa appointments.

This follows the upsurge in the country’s COVID-19 cases.

In a public notice on Twitter, Monday, 8 February, 2021, the US embassy said; “The ongoing pandemic and current conditions in Ghana have compelled the postponement of some scheduled visa appointments.” The embassy acknowledged it “regrets the difficulties that the change in appointment date brings and we understand the hardship these actions have for those hoping to travel soon to the United States.

“In the meantime, we will continue to

operate with the greatest consideration for the health of our staff and applicants, and we ask for your patience and understanding”, the notice added.

More COVID-19-related deaths at the weekend have taken Ghana’s COVID-19 fatality toll to 464, the latest figures of the Ghana Health Service indicate.

There are 765 new cases.

The active caseload is now 6,411.

So far, a total of 71,533 cases have been confirmed in Ghana since March last year.

Out of that number, 64,658 have recovered. US Embassy, Accra

Omanhene Oseadieyo Kwateng Amanin honoured by City of Montreal cont’d from pg. 1 Omanhene continued that on this day , celebrating our history reminds us that the struggle for equality, systematic racism and discrimination both in public and private lives continues to affect our growth and development. We continue to face all these challenges every day. He added that we cannot fight it individually but we need a united common front to continue to fight this common enemy.

Nana further added that our forefathers fought and some paid with their lives, yet we continue to witness them every day. Black History Month is not just honoring heroes past and present, but it is to remind us that the struggle continues.

Let us remind ourselves to continue with the messages from our past leaders such as Frederick Douglas, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Clarence Avant, W.E.B Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Bob Marley, Nelson Mandela, the list goes on and on just to mention a few.

Omanhene Oseadieyo Kwarteng Amanin concluded that there is more to be done, we all need to do our part, it could be providing a loving care a black child, encouraging or motivating a black child to go to school or volunteering your time to help the development and progress in your neighborhood. With that, we can all hold hands and walk together as one people and take a knee together that Black Lives Matter

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Canada’s Economy Off To Roaring Start After Worst Year On Record

The Ghanaian News February 2021 9

Canada had a worse 2020 economically than the U.S. but not as bad as Europe.

Canada’s economy posted a surprisingly strong January after clocking its worst year on record in 2020, Statistics Canada said Tuesday.

The economy grew 0.5 per cent in the first month of the year, much faster than the 0.1 per cent seen in December, on the strength of manufacturing and construction, StatCan said in a preliminary estimate for the month. Final numbers will be released March 31.

With final data in for December, the agency calculated that Canada’s economy shrank 5.4 per cent in the pandemic year of 2020, the sharpest contraction in records going back to 1961. But that data set doesn’t go back to the Great Depression, when Canada’s spending

and economic output is estimated to have shrunk by 42 per cent from 1929 to 1930.

Canada’s 2020 decline is somewhat worse than what the U.S. has seen, where economic output fell 3.5 per cent in 2020, but not quite as bad the European Union, which saw a 6.4-percent decline, or the U.K., where the economy shrank 9.9 per cent. Japan’s economy shrank by 4.8 per cent.

China’s economy was the only major one to clock growth last year, coming in at 2.3 per cent, much slower than the country’s usual pace.

Still, economists are more focused on the strongerthan-expected recovery than the gloomy numbers for last year.

“The ... increase in fourthquarter GDP was three times as strong as the consensus forecast from just a couple of months ago,” Stephen Brown of Capital Economics wrote in a client note. “We expect GDP to return to its pre-pandemic level by the third quarter of this year, which is earlier than most other forecasters anticipate.”

One area that did not perform well was retail, which suffered under government restrictions through January.

that to people doing their holiday shopping early, in November, due to expected pandemic delays.

“Canada’s economy was continuing to warm up as we turned the corner into a new year, even if the start of 2021 doesn’t look quite as boomy as we saw south of the border,” CIBC economist Avery Shenfeld wrote in a client note.

“That seems to set aside earlier fears of an outright downturn in the first quarter, as a relaxation in health restrictions suggests Though StatCan didn’t that January might have break out preliminary retail been the worst month for sales for January, December consumers.” retail sales were down 3.3 per cent, the agency Daniel Tencer Business said, with widespread Editor, HuffPost Canada declines in most sectors.

StatCan attributed some of

A common sense approach to personal hygiene during Corona virus now and beyond

cont’d from pg. 7

avoid coughing/sneezing into our palms, cough into tissues and discard appropriately, use alcohol based hand sanitisers, avoid touching your face as much as possible (practicable), avoid shaking hands, eat well (nutritious/balance meals) to boost your immune system, exercise, rest well and observe social distancing protocols.

The steps proposed are definitely not exhaustive, what is essential is the application of COMMON SENSE. Yes, C O M M O N S E N S E. I can not stress it enough. “A breach of common sense is a breach of school rules,” if-you-know-you-know.

There are countries that have not recorded a single case and there are also countries that have for more than 7 days not recorded any new case beyond the initial cases recorded, this indicates that observing the set out protocols plus the application of a good dose of COMMON SENSE will lead to a reduction in recorded cases or even no cases at all.

Let us also note the following symptoms: coughing, high temperatures, fever and difficulty in breathing and immediately call the following numbers 112, 0558439868 and 0509497700 for assistance if or when we observe these symptoms in ourselves or others.

Let’s sign off with this quote from Sri Sathya Sai Baba, “Keep your own house and its surroundings pure and clean. This hygiene will keep you healthy and benefit your worldly life.”

Columnist: Michael Kwadwo Sakyiama, Contributor

10

The Ghanaian News February 2021

FOCUS Let’s Make Black History More Meaningful

By Joe Kingsley Eyiah, OCT, Brookview Middle School, Toronto-Canada The celebration of the Black History Month should not bring us together for only ‘talk-talk’ and dancing as well as feasting but move us forward towards unity, perseverance, hard work, respect for each other and the ultimate sacrifice of making our Black communities better than we have come to meet them.

I am tempted to discuss again the meaning of the celebration of Black History Month to us as black people the world over. ‘February’ is designated as Black History Month and the month after it we celebrate the independence anniversary of our beloved motherland, Ghana. Is Ghana’s Independence becoming as meaningless as the celebration of Black History Month? This is thought provoking question which needs to be handled on its own relevance so for now let’s focus on the celebration of February as Black History Month.

This year, on Sunday, February 28, the Homework Club of the Ghanaian Canadian Association of Ontario (GCAO) organized a virtual celebration of the Black History Month for its students. Though the program was brief, the discussions involved were very thought-provoking. Some kids expressed their genuine ‘fear’ of being targeted in their schools as black people.

My school in Toronto, throughout the month, has been engaging students in learning about contributions and great quotations of people of the Black race who have positively impacted their communities and the world as a whole.

They are engaged in poster contest, skits and poetry. There is also plan to launch the Black Students Alliance

Black History has its own tall history which is not my point of discussion in this discourse. However, I emphasize here and now that history in itself must be a GUIDE for the PRESENT and must serve as an INSPIRATION for the FUTURE. In this wise, HISTORY becomes dynamic and useful! History ought to empower people to be all they can be. And all things are possible to those who believe in history and learn from its lessons as well. Just studying about events and personalities of Black History only during the month of February each year is not enough to empower students of African heritage (BSA) which will provide virtual space to succeed in the society which in the afternoons for all students who marginalizes the Black race. Black like to be part of the BSA to meet and History ought to become permanent discuss issues on racial discrimination. part of the school curriculum so that students of other races can learn to Black History Month is a time to appreciate Black contributions to reflect on the arduous but triumphant society. Activities planned for students civil rights movement in the United during the celebration of Black History States. It is a celebration of obstacles Month must not end with the month. surmounted, tests passed, and wills Such promotional activities in Art, strengthened in conquering injustice.’ Science, Language and Mathematics Thus, February every year is used, must be encouraged throughout the especially in North American, as the school year. The contents of Black month to promote awareness about History must challenge students to the contributions of people of Black higher feat of achievements in their ancestry to the development of freedom studies. and justice in this part of the world.

From the time of Harriet Tubman in Black History Is Meaningless Unless..: the ‘Abolition and the Underground Railroad’; Jackie Robinson integrating Black History on its own is major league baseball in 1947; and meaningless unless it makes lasting Martin Luther King Jr. delivering impact on development of society. And his famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech to borrow the words of another great during the 1963 march on Washington; son of Africa, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame to present, that barrack Obama has Nkrumah (first President of the rebecome the first Black and the 44th born nation of Ghana in 1957 from President of the United States of the ashes of the Old Ghana Empire) America, the history of African of blessed memory: ‘The celebration Americans has struggled to find its of Black history month is meaningless rightful place in American History. unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the Black race and the overall advancement of the human

race!’ All people of African heritage must use Black History as a tool for perseverance to liberate themselves from ‘mental slavery’ and economic hardships that confront them wherever they find themselves in the world.

African governments must reflect on achievements of Black people around the world such as Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela as well as Bosomburu Kofi Anan and endeavor to create opportunities for their countries to achieve economic independence through political tolerance and sound policies. As Black people, we ought to be proud of our culture and advance it to enhance productivity for the development of our communities wherever we find ourselves in the world. It is my strongest opinion that, the celebration of the Black History Month should not bring us together for only ‘talk-talk’ and dancing as well as feasting but move us forward towards unity, perseverance, hard work, respect for each other and the ultimate sacrifice of making our Black communities better than we have come to meet them. We ought to develop our local talents and skills in all fields of life; and patronize our local businesses which must also be run efficiently by the local entrepreneurs.

We have to demonstrate by resolute actions and practical decisions our determination to develop the welfare of the Black race. With such determination and resilience on our part, we will make our celebration of the Black History (ie recognition of the contributions of Black people to the world) Month more meaningful and relevant to progress and prosperity.

Only in this way will the celebration of Black History anytime, anywhere play its full part in the advancement of true happiness of mankind.

The Ghanaian News February 2021 11

COVID-19 creed: Africa during, beyond pandemic

By Edmund Agbeko, Toronto, ON

The recent advice by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for governments to “spend as much as (they) can and then spend a little bit more” to deal with the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic is a welcome departure from the fund’s traditional prescriptions of austerity in the midst of economic crises.

But then this is no traditional crisis, hence the need for nontraditional approaches.

But how do we increase spending, especially in countries with weak institutions for mobilising and managing fresh resources, to overcome the crisis and tackle the future?

The question is particularly relevant for Africa where economic growth had stagnated before the pandemic and weak institutions and structural rigidities have undermined the

efficacy of the response to the crisis. Any surge in spending must, perforce, be accompanied by institutional, structural and technical reforms across the three phases of the crisis and beyond: relief (for survival), recovery (restoring economies to prepandemic levels) and reconstruction (building back better through structural reforms, sustained growth and sustainable development over the medium to long term).

COVID-19 creed Based on experiences from the crisis and Africa’s tenuous record

of development over the past 50-plus years, the following principles, together forming the COVID-19 creed, are proposed. They are not exhaustive and may apply differently in different countries according to the strength of existing institutions and stages of development.

Learn from crisis The worst thing about a crisis is to ignore its useful lessons. Many of the innovative solutions to the crisis carry lessons that must be formalised into national development strategies. Governmentbusiness collaboration to provide emergency water and sanitation services to previously neglected communities, for example, can be institutionalised to accelerate Africa’s low basic sanitation coverage of about 35 per cent.

The explosive growth in digitisation, especially

in education and food delivery, has been good but is also a reminder of the digital poverty and inequality that have long hindered Africa’s progress in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Equitable access to affordable and reliable internet must be prioritised. Food delivery services might have created new jobs, but they have also increased waste generation, possibly even pollution. Public education and relevant regulatory reforms should be in order. Any taxes extracted from these new services must be matched with adequate public services.

Revolutionise fiscal, monetary policies Africa’s weak financial capacity to deal with the crisis is a timely reminder to revolutionise fiscal and monetary policies, ranging from the obvious to the not so obvious.

Effective strategies for efficient revenue mobilisation and revenue utilisation are required. This means the traditional threedimensional approach to fiscal policy – revenue, expenditure and debt management – must be driven by a fourth dimension, a productivity revolution.

Government spending must aim at conspicuous d e v e l o p m e n t , not conspicuous consumption, which breeds public resentment and encourages tax evasion. (In the midst of the crisis, one government bought 30 Land Cruisers ostensibly to “monitor” the pandemic when hospitals lacked enough PPEs). The quality of debt (i.e. its purpose) must be given as much importance as its quantity, and indicators of fiscal soundness must be critically re-evaluated for their relevance and accuracy.

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Ratios based on GDP, in particular, are notoriously misleading, especially in countries

with poor GDP data, and must be supplemented or replaced with better ones.

Inflation targeting, which was never suitable for Africa to begin with, must give way to a realist (or real sector) approach to central banking that prioritises economic growth and job creation.

The pace of economic growth, accompanied by appropriate structural reforms, will then determine price pressures in Africa’s sclerotic post-colonial economies where inflation is more of a structural phenomenon than a monetary (or monetarist) one. Central banks should establish labour economics departments to support monetary policy.

Localise national economies.

This is one structural reform that will bear fruit over time but requires policies during the relief and recovery phases.

Local Economic Development (LED) has been marginalised in national development strategies largely because the concept is misunderstood and misapplied.

A simplified framework based on (1) business development, (2) infrastructure and spatial development, and (3) social development is presented here to guide policymakers.

At the centre of the framework is an integrated subframework to measure job creation and decent work. In keeping with the UN’s framework for resilient economic recovery, all local development plans must incorporate strategies for resilience against future crises of all kinds, not just pandemics.

Formalise national economies There can be no economic transformation (i.e. the reallocation of resources

from inefficient sectors to more efficient ones) and the eradication of poverty without a rapid reduction in Africa’s economic informality, the highest in the world at 85.8 per cent, compared to an average of 61.2 per cent.

Informality spans a spectrum from survivalist activities by “own-account workers” (60-80 per cent of the labour force) to potentially viable small-scale enterprises, including microprofessional and other services, often operating outside required legal norms.

Formalisation policies should be differentiated and targeted.

The International Labour Organisation’s (ILO’s) 2015 Transition from informal to the formal economy offers a useful analytical framework, but countries should customise their own policies.

Open-air markets, for example, must be transformed into modern and efficient workplaces.

Formalisation should constitute an integral part of the productivity revolution.

Reconceptualise foreign aid Most African countries will require some form of aid – loans, grants or technical assistance – in the foreseeable future.

Contrary to some misconceptions, aid, per se, is not bad for development. China used it for over 40 years to transform its economy into a global behemoth.

Aid types and how they are administered ultimately matter most.

Nuisance aid such as pet donor projects that create an illusion of progress but leave no durable legacies must be discouraged in favour of strategic aid such as major infrastructure projects or institutional reforms that contribute to development tangibly and sustainably.

In Africa we Trust!

12

The Ghanaian News February 2021

Stonebwoy, Shatta Wale are officially giving the nod to partake in the 22nd VGMA

BY JOYCELINE NATALLY CUDJOE

The board of Vodafone Ghana Music (VGMAs) has officially lifted the ban on the two celebrated Ghanaian artistes Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy actions almost marred the night of fun 20th edition of the VGMA in 2019.

Aw a r d s imposed dancehall after their during the

The ban was imposed following a brawl between the two artistes when Stonebwoy pulled a gun at Shatta Wale who forcefully made his way on stage at a point when Stonebwoy was receiving an award for the Dancehall artiste of the year.

As a result they were banned indefinitely and their awards were stripped off.

In an interview with the Ghanaian News in Accra on Friday, the Head of Public Event of Charter House, Robert Klah noted that although the ban has officially lifted but engagement was still ongoing between his outfit and managements of the two artistes.

He said due to that Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale had not been able to file nominations for this year’s awards.

Stonebwoy

“Because the time that the board made the decision it was heading to the closure of nominations so they did not get ample time to file. Moreover we are still engaging them so once everything is sorted out we will give them time to also nominate themselves and partake in the awards,” Mr

Klah explained.

Touching on why the board lifted the ban so soon, he said the ban has already served its purpose and there was the need to involve the artiste in the awards scheme.

“The Board agreed to admit them back because the ban has served its purpose and that such altercations that brought the scheme into disrepute, will not occur in future events as others have learnt lessons from it,” Mr Klah noted.

In addition he stated that their collaborative works with other artistes were also eligible for award selection.

Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale have since smoked the peace pipe and were working tirelessly to promote Ghana’s art to the world.

Shatta Wale

Meanwhile, Bulldog Manager of Shatta Wale has threatened not to allow the artiste partake in the awards.

According to him the two artistes, Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy were disrespected.

He indicated that the board dent their image by getting them arrested .

Bulldog said if the awards board fail to officially apologise to the management teams of both artistes, Shatta Wale would not involve himself in the awards.

Charter House has received over 1k nominations for this year’s VGMA Robert Klah

BY JOYCELINE NATALLY CUDJOE

The Jostling for who is who in the Ghana Music Industry has begun as nominations for this year’s Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) has been opened.

for the 2021 edition of the awards which was opened on January 19, 2021.

He explained that they have received over 1000 musical works produced and released Various artistes who believe they deserve laurels from January 1 to December 31, 2020 and for their exploits in the music scene last year were presented to the awards academy for had filed their nomination to make case for consideration. themselves.

Mr. Klah noted that this would give artistes They would need the endorsement of their fan opportunity to be nominated and awarded for base through voting and attestation from the their hard work. awards board and academy to get through the “Completed filled forms with copies of CDs, race.

2020 was difficult but an eventful year in the industry after coronavirus outbreak challenged “our songbirds” from new artistes to well grounded ones, in the manner they dropped hits and how they market their songs to constantly keep music lovers in the dance mood.

Wendy Shay

videos and promotional pictures were submitted via online before February 15, 2021,” he added.

Mr Klah announced that Charter House would communicate any amendments to the scheme within March, adding that “the requirements and mechanics for the 22nd VGMA Unsung Category will also be communicated within the first week of March when the board will announce the date for the nominees announcement.”

The battle for supremacy on diverse music charts was fierce as songs toppled each other every week, only a few were able to sustain the hype.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Ghanaian News in Accra on Friday, the Head of Public Event of Charter House, Mr. Robert Klah stated that his outfit has closed the nominations Kidi

The awards festival seeks to also recognise producers, record labels and other industry professionals who have kept the industry vibrant.

The Ghanaian News February 2021 13

WOMEN; THE SECRET TO WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

SIKAMAN-JOHNSON

By Gifty Annobil, Toronto, ON

I mysteriously found myself as a business reporter during my national service. A position no lady had occupied prior to me.

and control close to 80 percent of consumer spending; but someway, somehow, we’ve become convinced that we need men to empower us.

As challenging as it was, I had all the men in the department promising their commitment to give me the required training.

Within 3 months I was able to do my first business news story, a report on Ghana’s budget presented to parliament by the late Dr. Baah Weredu who was then a Finance Minister under the NPP government.

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Impressed with my work, the business editor decided to assign me to do more business reports.

After my third attempt, I was called to a meeting only to be told that I had been removed from the business desk; no better explanation was given.

Later I was informed by a reliable source that the authorities then wanted the department to be run by men. This was January 2007.

On March 8 of the same year, a conference was organized in which one of the women who decided to take me off the business desk in the newsroom, gave a key note address on women empowerment in commemoration of International Women’s Day. I was stunned when I heard her talk about how women are not given opportunities in male dominated fields and how we need to change

the status quo.

I asked myself, Did this woman write the speech herself? Can she hear herself speak? Who are the people she is expecting to change the status quo she is talking about?

A friend of mine who used to work with one of the leading banks in Ghana was painfully transferred from a branch which was closer to her house to the bank’s headquarters while on maternity leave. Her boss, a woman, gladly facilitated the transfer process, indicating that she needed staff members who will be available to work longer hours.

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Soon it will international women’s day and long old written speeches will be repackaged to continue with calls to action for accelerating gender parity.

Do not get me wrong, I believe in consensus building and the global platform occasions like, International women’s day creates to unify tenacity and drive action for gender parity.

My purpose here is to throw light on how our little contributions at our homes and work places can to a large extent contribute to the ultimate goal.

We need to stand up for ourselves if we want to make a big difference.

Interesting,right? How can we expect women to succeed if we are not directly involved in the effort as women? Why are we making this whole women empowerment issue as a battle with our male counterparts?

In my opinion one roadblock to equality is women’s tendency to stay silent. In fact we have all been there.

We withness something at work that isn’t okay and ignore it out of fear, jealousy or ambivalence.

It’s time we change that.

We can all speak up as individuals .

Are policies and initiatives really all that we need if it’s execution will be unconscionably marred by beneficiaries?

Supporting each other will help us advance at work, reach our big life goals and achieve even more.

Women comprise more than half of the workforce globally

Happy Women’s day in advance to all Women across the Globe!

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The Ghanaian News February 2021

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

Revisiting Factors Considered by Immigration in Sponsorship of Relatives One of the principal objectives of Canada Immigration pursuant to Section 3 of the Immigration and Refugee protection Act (IRPA) is “to see that families are reunited in Canada”.

Section 11 of IRPA also states a visa or document may be issued to an applicant if, following an examination, an immigration officer is satisfied that the foreign national is not inadmissible and meets the requirements of the Act. Sponsorships involving relatives like spouses and adopted children attract special attention principally because such relationships are, generally, artificially created. The onus is on the parties to prove that such relationships are genuine and are also legally valid.

With respect to romantic relationships, section 4 of the Regulations states that a foreign national

must not be less than 18 years before they can be sponsored. Canadian law also requires that two people who contract marriage should not be related by blood or adoption.

shall not be considered a spouse, a commonlaw partner or a conjugal partner of a person if the relationship was entered into primarily for the purpose of acquiring any status or privilege under the Act or is not genuine.

Regarding marriages, the Act puts the onus on applicants to prove that their marriage is legal where it took place. For immigration purposes, a marriage must be valid both under the laws of the jurisdiction where it took place and under Canadian federal law.

Generally, Canadian laws would require previously married applicants to be legally divorced before they may remarry and foreign national spouses

Adoptions must necessarily comply with the requirements of the province or territory in Canada to which the child would immigrate.

Other requirements include, but not limited to: home study, consent of biological parents, compliance with the Hague Convention on Adoption (if applicable), and compliance with the laws of the country where the adoption takes place.

The genuineness of relationships like marriages and adoption is considered only after the issue of legal validity of the claimed relationships has been determined. Immigration officers enter the second phase of assessment which is determination of genuineness of the

claimed relationship after a clearance has been given regarding legal validity. In the course of determining genuineness of marriages, for instance, officers would use several tools and factors among which are: past immigration file records; the timing of the marriage; circumstances and duration of courtship; history of multiple marriages; significant degree of attachment; emotional and financial interdependency and general commitment to a shared life together.

Similarly, Immigration officers having been convinced of the legal validity of an adoption would, among other things, like to see that the authority of the natural parents is supplanted by that of the adoptive parents after adoption.

Officers would like to be convinced that the adoptive parents treat the adopted child the same way they treat their natural children, if they have any. Furthermore, officers would be interested in knowing

the arrangements and actions taken by the adoptive parents as they relate to caring, providing and planning for the adopted child; the number of children in both the biological and adoptive family; the number of siblings of the same sex in the adopted child’s biological and adoptive families and the socio-economic situation of the biological parents.

would not believe that all such relationships are genuine. They may, among other things, use past immigration records and do their own investigation to determine genuineness of such relationships.

And whenever necessary, the Immigration may resort to DNA testing to determine the claimed relationships biologically.

Other forms of relationships, including parents, sons, daughters, grandparents, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, grandsons and granddaughters, are essentially biological.

Unlike relationships such as adoptions and marriages, one does not necessarily need to follow any specially laid down procedure in order to legitimize such relationships.

Presumably, such relationships are legally valid.

Immigration Laws and Regulations on sponsorship of relatives are becoming increasingly complex.

Contact a competent professional for clarification whenever necessary to avoid unnecessary appeals and delays in your sponsorship applications.

Notwithstanding the presumed legal validity of the aforementioned relationships, officers

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

The Ghanaian News February 2021 15

6 serious wars that made Ghana what it is today

Ghana was never as peaceful as it is today. In fact, the journey to political stability started way back even before Independence in 1956

Written history dating back to the 1800s shows how our ancestors waged bloody wars between themselves and colonial masters all in the thirsty search for political freedom. For those of us who read history at high school or university, you may remember some of these battles including the most famous Yaa Asantewaa War. In this article, we shall be exploring some 7 popular wars of the 19th Century which shaped the landscape of culture and politics in Ghana.

3. Ashanti-Fante war of 1806

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

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

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

2. Sagrenti War

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

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

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

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

16

The Ghanaian News February 2021

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The Ghanaian News February 2021 17

Covid-19 vaccines face a trust gap against some traditional African remedies Zimbabwe and Madagascar backed home remedies in the early days of the pandemic.

Now that could hinder vaccination efforts.

In the early days of Covid-19, people from Zimbabwe to Tanzania turned to home remedies for a disease about which little was known. But now, even as African countries begin rolling out vaccine programs, many could still stick with traditional treatments.

Amid a serious surge in cases, after people travelled over the Christmas season from South Africa where a new variant has been spreading, Zimbabwe began vaccinations for healthcare and frontline workers last week, with some 200,000 donated doses of China’s Sinopharm shot. Ghana, meanwhile, received the first vaccine doses from Covax, the initiative to help low and middle-income countries get Covid-19 vaccines.

But between fear of the new vaccine, and low supply across the continent, interviews in Zimbabwe suggest that many still plan to—and perhaps have to—rely on herbal treatments.

Itai Rusike, executive director of Zimbabwe’s Community Working Group on Health, a network of community-based organizations, says it’s common for people in the country to first consult traditional healers or use home remedies to treat general illnesses before seeking modern medical care services, especially for those in rural areas who live far away from medical health facilities.

“This has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, as the majority of people in Zimbabwe seem to have more faith and trust in home remedies to prevent and treat Covid-19 related illnesses due to vaccine disinformation and skepticism,” Rusike said.

This was a view also expressed to Quartz by other health experts, as well as ordinary citizens.

That preference has also been shaped by government backing for herbal treatments as one form of Covid-19 treatment in the early months of the pandemic last year, a move that physicians criticized, and which could now hamper vaccination efforts.

A boost for Covid-19 home remedies from governments Zimbabwe was in the middle of its worst economic crisis in decades, with a frayed healthcare system suffering from shortages of medicines and protective equipment, when it experienced its first Covid-19 death last March.

In April 2020, Zimbabwe’s government authorized traditional herbalists to treat Covid-19 using herbs

as an alternative to the World Health Organization High-level Covid-19 vaccine skepticism (WHO) guidelines on a respiratory disease that not The Covax program has committed to vaccinating at much was known about at the time. least 20% of Africa’s population, or about 300 million Zimbabwe was not alone: other African nations such people, by the end of this year. as Madagascar and Tanzania authorized and promoted the use of home remedies to cure Covid-19 In Zimbabwe, as in many African nations, the Covid-19 vaccination campaign could be held back by without research. vaccine hesitancy around imported vaccines, fueled In April 2020, Madagascan president Andry Rajoelina by a cocktail of lack of information, misinformation, launched a herbal tea which was marketed in bottles. and conspiracy theories around Covid-19 vaccines.

According to the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research, which developed the beverage, the herbal The donated Chinese vaccine, in particular, has remedy is produced mainly from artemisia, a plant sparked anxiety because it has not been authorized with proven efficacy against malaria. Tanzania’s by the World Health Organization, and also has a president John Magufuli, who was quick to declare lower efficacy rate than the shots developed by Pfizer/ the country Covid-19 free last June, also ordered a BioNTech and Moderna. shipment of the Madagascan herbal medicine to treat But more broadly, frontline workers and religious the respiratory disease last year. groups have voiced concerns that Africans are being In Zimbabwe, there has been a rise in the number treated as guinea pigs for Covid-19 vaccine developed of traders packaging Zumbani tea leaves for sale by pharmaceutical companies, even though the shots in the cities, to treat Covid-19 related symptoms. have undergone human testing in multiple countries The woody shrub is known scientifically as Lippia prior to being used in Africa. javanica, part of the verbena family, and is often used Nor is the government effectively communicating for fevers and flu. about the vaccines and how they’ve been tested and Africa University, located in the eastern part of reviewed so far by multiple regulatory authorities.

Zimbabwe, is in the process of developing cough “For a vaccination program to be effective there is drops made from the Zumbani plant. a need to have a clear and effective communication “The cough drops are not going to be sold as a plan and that has not been the case with Zimbabwe,” pharmaceutical drug for now, but a herbal remedy, said Norman Matara, secretary of the Zimbabwe and they will be available commercially in one Association of Doctors for Human Rights. “People do month’s time,” an Africa University official told not have information regarding these vaccines and it makes them fear the unknown.”

Quartz Africa.

Adding to the medical community’s worries, Covid-19 misinformation and conspiracy theories are not only ministers and a retired general who died after being spread by ordinary citizens on popular social contracting Covid-19 in Harare, Jan. 27. media platforms, but also by religious leaders and political figures who have outsize influence.

For now, there’s no research showing the efficacy of these medicines for treating or preventing Covid-19— Zimbabwean defense minister Oppah Muchinguri, who though Zimbabwe’s health minister Constantino last year said Covid-19 was punishment by God Chiwenga has advocated for medical facilities to to the US and its allies for imposing sanctions ascertain the efficacy of traditional medicine and on Zimbabwe, has expressed strong resistance to herbs to combat the novel coronavirus. But the imported vaccines—even though Zimbabwe has no government’s backing of these remedies, coupled plans to develop a domestic vaccine. with vaccine skepticism expressed even by officials, could hamper Zimbabwe’s goal of vaccinating 60% “I am not going to take other nations’ vaccines. Why of its population. The government hasn’t said when it should we not have ours?” she said last month. hopes to reach that target.

REUTERS Pallbearers carry a coffin at the burial of two cabinet

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The Ghanaian News February 2021

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The Ghanaian News February 2021 19

AFTERSHOCK IN GHANA’S ELECTION 2020 “50% plus one vote, the invalid construct.”

By: Stephen A. Quaye, Toronto-Canada

pushed Nana Akufo Addo over the edge to defeat John Mahama.

“When two elephant’s fights, it is the grass that suffers” the old adage goes.

So in the case of the 2020 presidential petition that the supreme court of Ghana just passed ruling, the two elephants were the two main political parties National Democratic Congress [NDC] and the New Patriotic Party [NPP].

The opposition leader of the National Democratic Congress [NDC] Mr. John Dramani Mahama challenged the election results of 51.30 % declared for his opponent Nana Akufo Addo as the winner by the Electoral Commission [E.C.] of Ghana.

What could be determined as the source of conflict between these two political parties is the determination of attainable 50+1 votes that declare a presidential candidate a winner that all waited for the Supreme Court and has successfully ruled on it.

Of course the grass suffering from this conflict is the ordinary Ghanaian that the conflict stalled development that they were enjoying.

Having said that, the time bomb which could serve as a threat to Ghana’s beautiful political processes is the confusion surrounding the 50+1% vote constitutional mandate that a presidential candidate must attain in general elections to be declared a winner.

The argument that the 50+1% is not attainable was raised by a distinguish chief of New Juaben, Daasebre [Professor Emeritus] Oti Boateng in his excellent article published in Ghana last year November which called for a total review of that requirement or constitutional provision.

It is unfortunate that all have turned a blind eye and deaf ears to the recommendations only for the confusion to continue to serve as a source of conflict threatening our fourth republican constitution governing our party democracy in Ghana.

The 50+1% to be attained by a presidential candidate to emerge as the winner of presidential elections as he put it the number of votes needed to win a presidential election in Ghana is stipulated in the article 63[3] of the constitution and it reads, “A person shall not be elected as president of Ghana unless at the presidential election the number of votes cast in his favour is more than 50% of the total number of the valid votes cast at the election.”

Daasebre Oti Boateng, pointed out that in spite of the clear and unambiguous constitutional provision, the EC introduced an invalid construct, the so called 50% plus one vote rule as a proxy for the true constitutional provision stated above.

Explaining the invalid construct, the former state statistician, stated among other reasons why the 50% plus one vote is invalid and mentioned as follows:

Still talk about allegations of Agyapa Fiscal scandal which is hanging around the neck like albatross of some ministers of the NPP government which Nana Akufo Addo is the leader.

a). that the two components of the construct are non-additive since percentages and natural numbers cannot be added unless prior conversion is made from one state to the other,

Seriously could you believe that just few weeks after the EC declared Nana Akufo Addo winner of the 2020 election, Mr. John Mahama and some of his followers petitioned the supreme court to annul the election results and call a run off between him and the president?

At the time of filing this article for consideration and publication, my attention was drawn to the fact that last year’s election recorded the highest number of rejected ballots in the b) that once the 50 percent of the total history of Ghana’s elections. valid votes cast in an election is obtained, there is no valid vote or votes left According to the chairperson of the anywhere behind to be added to the 50 EC Mrs. Jane Adukwei Mensah, the percent thereafter, and election body registered 17, 027, 64 c). that in all cases where the total number eligible voters in the last election. Out of valid votes cast in an election is an of which 13,434,574 votes were casted odd number, it is impossible for any on the voting day. contesting candidate to obtain exactly 50 percent of the votes thus rendering the 50 percent component part of the construct inoperative and invalid.

Having established the source of the conflict which is the invalid construct of the 50% plus one vote, we can now understand why some followers of Mr. John Mahama insisted that President Nana Akufo Addo did not attain 50% plus one vote to emerge the winner of the last election and prayed the Supreme Court for a run off between the two.

No but on countless occasions on radio, Sammy Gyamfi of the NDC challenged the EC that per their own collated results the president did not attain more than 50 % rather he got 49.98%.

But so strange enough, Mr. John Mahama and his witnesses could not present their substantive figures to the court and also did not challenge the electoral figures that was declared by the [E.C] as rejected ballots that some officers deliberately tempered with ballots.

The president Nana Akufo Addo obtained six million, seven hundred and thirty thousand, four hundred and thirteen votes [6,730,413] which represented 51.30%. His main

challenger Mr. John Dramani Mahama also got six million, two hundred and fourteen thousand eight hundred and eighty nine [6,214,889] votes which also represented 47.36%.

What the electoral commissioner has failed to tell Ghanaians is how many rejected ballots were recorded in the last elections so that we can deeply interrogate the matter as comrade Kwaku Baako will always say.

This is one of the reasons why I don’t agree with minister designate for information Mr. Oppong Nkrumah going on radio and television shows talking about other issues and not the spoilt ballots.

At least a countless number of Ghanaians saw what happened at the polling stations where some returning officers deliberately tore off the first position of Nana Akufo Addo.

This criminal act did not just reduced the number of votes for Akufo Addo, those tempered ballots also carried the serial numbers which rendered them rejected ballots.

So the question many are still asking is how many ballots were rejected because Akufo Addo’s slot was torn off?

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Ghana’s election 2020 is over and Nana Akufo Addo has been sworn in to serve another four years term of office as the head of state.

However the aftershock in the December 7, 2020 elections could be felt weeks after the election not because the president managed to beat his opponent to retain his seat.

But the opposition leader and his followers piled up troubles aimed at hindering Akufo Addo’s successful administration for the last lap.

Forget about the unsubstantiated allegations of corruption tag the opposition leader John Mahama tried to hang on the New Patriotic Party [NPP] leader, the failure of his government to cushion ordinary Ghanaians that

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20

The Ghanaian News February 2021

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The Ghanaian News February 2021 21

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For All Your Plumbing Needs Call Robert Nyarkoh 416-731-1679

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Hair Stylist and Braider wanted for commission Contact: 647-628-4288 or visit us @1844 Jane Street Nana Ebrey Video Production & Barber Shop Super Quality Videos Specializing in: Video coverage: Weddings, Outdooring, General Events, Birthday parties, Broadcasting Videos,

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22

The Ghanaian News February 2021

African Caribbean Groceries Inc 63 Dundas West, Mississauga, Ont

Tel: 905-281-9515 Business Hours

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

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Kaf African Caribbean Market

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Tel: 905-855-3595

401 or 403 to South on Erin Mills Pkwy,

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Specializing In African and Caribbean Food & Hair Products

Open 7 Days A Week * Amane * Palm Oil * Atadwe * Adwene * Zomi Oil *Werewere * Fufu * Fish * Momone * Alata Samina * Rice * Fresh Yam * Nkuto * Garden Eggs * Goat Meat * Apem * Koobi * Shito * Kenkey * Geisha * Kpako * Gari * Kokonte * Asanka

Twins Sister Tel: 416-235-1470 Cell: 647-448-3241 Email. new.kantamantomarket@gmail.com

266 Eddystone Ave, North York, Ont. M3N 1H7

Xpress Tropical Foods & Meat

African and Caribbean Grocery Store

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

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Exit West on Dundas, 2nd light left Liruma Road, Behind Mr. Lube

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

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

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

The Ghanaian News February 2021 23

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* African Yam * Chicken * Box of Mackerel * Burnt Goat * Red Mullet * Ram Goat Meat * Carnation Milk * Black Soap

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24

The Ghanaian News February 2021

New African King Meat Shop Under New Management

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

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

The Ghanaian News February 2021 25

26

The Ghanaian News February 2021

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

By Jonathan Baah Annobil, Toronto The Ghanaian-Canadian Association of Ontario (GCAO) on Saturday February 27, 2021 held a special medical supply and resources giveaway to the community.

This is another initiative from GCAO to help the community during this COVID-19 pandemic.

The event took place at the Apostles’ Continuation Church on 10 Belfield, Etobicoke Ontario. Diabetes and High Blood Pressure tool kits were freely distributed to community members who pre-registered.

Some of the items distributed were Glucometers (Contour, Free-Style, Accucheck, and One-Touch) insulin pen needles and Injectible medication needles, Blood Pressure Monitoring devices and Pedometers.

Mrs. Felicia Botchway, Munira Mahama, Mrs. Juliet Opoku and husband Mr. Opoku manned the table that distributed the health devices. Mrs. Juliet Opoku also gave some pieces of advice on the distributed devices. The community members that missed out are to register with GCAO for the next giveaway to be announced later as this event was very successful. Please register at https://forms.gle/SAvrAcaff2MkGy2L6 or gcaocovid@gmail.com

Community members waiting to receive their kit

Community members receiving their kit

GCAO Homework Club Celebrate Black History Month virtually

By Joe Kingsley Eyiah The Homework Club of the Ghanaian Canadian Association of Ontario (GCAO) based in Toronto on Sunday, February 28, 2021 celebrated this year’s Black History Month with its participants on zoom.

The program was facilitated by Mavis, Obaa Yaa, Mr. Eyiah and Shani Ocquaye. Leading the introductory presentation via zoom, Mavis walked the participants through a gallery of great Black contributors to Black History including the Queen mother of Ejusi-Yaa Asantewaa and the first President of GhanaOsagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

She hi-lighted the roles played by

these two prominent Ghanaians in history. That, Yaa Asantewaa as a lady warrior led the Asantes to defend the golden stool of the Asante kingdom when the British attempted to capture the stool in the 1800s. And that, Kwame Nkrumah as a young politician led Ghana to independence from British colonial rule in 1957.

Also, the bravery of the Black activist, Rosa Park in defying black and white segregation on the seating on a public bus which led to the boycott of public transportation by the Blacks and the subsequent abolition of the segregation act was brought into focus.

A video depicting a black teenager wearing a T-shirt with the bold inscription ‘Listen, Learn, Act’ was shown. In the video, the teenage boy shared his experience of anti-black racism at school and in his community.

After the video, participants interacted with the facilitators through questions and answers time. During the discussion children expressed their fear of being targeted at school if they identified themselves as Ghanaians through their dressing at school.

The need to bring change in our

schools and communities as black people to educate ourselves and others on black excellence came up.

It was agreed that such change should begin at our homes. The food we eat, the clothes we put on and the language we speak with our children among others should reflect our black identity always and ‘not only during the celebration of Black History Month’.

Mr. Eyiah

Mavis

Obaa Yaa

Shani Ocquaye

The Ghanaian News February 2021 27

Final Funeral Rites of Nana Akwasi Djan, Montreal Nkosuohene held in Ghana

From Staff Reporter, Mampong, Ashanti Reg.

Nana Akwasi Djan of the Ghanaian Traditional Council of Montreal, Quebec who was Montreal’s Nkosuohene passed away at the Ridge Hospital Accra on July 5th 2020. He was 57 years and is survived by his wife, Efia Ataa, Nkosusuohemaa of the Ghanaian Traditional Council of Montréal, Quebec and 2 children.

Afua Attaa, widow saying goodbye to her husband

He was buried at Ashanti Mampong Kyirimfaso Cemetery on Saturday January 23, 2021 with final funeral rites organized on the same day. Thanksgiving service was held on Sunday January 24th at the Mampong Presbyterian Church.

Omanhene Oseiadeyo Kwarteng Amanin led a strong delegation of the Traditional Council from Montréal to the funeral rites in Ghana.

Nana Kwateng with other chief mourners at the funeral

Nana Kwateng with Afua Ataa and children at the thanksgiving service Family and well-wishers at the family gathering

28

The Ghanaian News February 2021

Trudeau Optimistic Canada’s September Vaccination Goal Can Move Up The U.S. has vaccinated 51 million people. Two million people have been vaccinated across Canada.

By Zi-Ann Lum Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he’s optimistic Canada’s COVID-19 immunization timeline could be accelerated after President Joe Biden’s announcement that the U.S. will have enough vaccines for all adults by the end of May. Trudeau said Canada reached a milestone this week with two million COVID-19 vaccines administered across the country. He repeated a promise that every Canadian adult who wants a vaccine will be able to receive a shot by the end of September.

If all the vaccines Canada contracted are able to be manufactured and shipped without significant delays, Trudeau said, the government is “very optimistic” the September goalpost could move forward.

More than 51 million people in the U.S. have already received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

There have been more than 515,000 deaths reported in the country linked to the virus.

Asked if he is concerned about witnessing the U.S. potentially reopen its economy this summer while many Canadians still wait for vaccines, Trudeau noted how hard Canada’s neighbour has been hit by the pandemic.

“Obviously, the pandemic has had a very different course in the United States with far greater death tolls and

CP/SEAN KILPATRICKPrime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a press conference in Ottawa on Feb. 26, 2021 case counts and that has had its own impact on the American economy that Canadians haven’t quite felt the same way,” the prime minister said.

In Canada, more than 22,000 deaths have been reported as linked to COVID-19. Trudeau cautioned against comparing Canada’s work against the U.S., adding immunization campaigns are following scientific recommendations from experts and are moving as quickly as possible.

He said in his conversations with Biden, it was very mutually understood that “you don’t get through this pandemic anywhere, not fully, until you get through it everywhere.”

The prime minister left the door open to the possibility a future deal with the U.S. could bring potential surplus

vaccines north.

“Like most countries around the world, they are prioritizing their own populations but they are, by also stepping up on the COVAX facility internationally, by looking at how they can be helpful around the world, very open to helping out other countries and those conversations will continue,” he said.

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that President Biden’s focus remains foremost on getting Americans vaccinated first.

“The president did not make any commitments nor did he give a timeline,” Psaki said in response to a question about sharing vaccine doses with long-time allies.

The U.S. currently has “more than enough doses” to vaccinate the American people, she said.

Canada previously, and currently, does not have the manufacturing capacity to produce domestic COVID-19 vaccines. The federal government signed vaccine procurement deals, exceeding $1 billion in value, to secure up to 429 million doses from seven vaccine candidates.

If all the vaccines candidates are approved, and all contractual deliveries are fulfilled, there will be more than 10 doses available for every Canadian. So far, Health Canada has approved three

Travelers Required 3-Night Stay at Canadian Hotel

By Ella Bergquist

There are new travel measures being taken to help limit the spread of COVID-19 and its variants in Canada.

The Canadian Government has kept the narrative that they strongly advise all Canadians to cancel or postpone any non-essential travel plans outside of Canada. Those who decide to travel by air outside of Canada for any non-essential reasons will face consequences when they return to Canada. For those traveling to Canada there are new requirements for air travellers such as a required hotel stay.

New Requirements for Traveling to Canada Those who are travelling to Canada must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 molecular test that was taken up to 72 hours before their scheduled departure time.

“As of February 21, 2021, at 11:59 pm ET, travelers, unless exempted, will also be required to: reserve a governmentauthorized hotel for 3 nights prior to departure to Canada • take a COVID-19 molecular •

• Radisson Vancouver Airport test on arrival in Canada • The Westin Wall Centre, • stay in the governmentVancouver Airport authorized hotel while awaiting Ontario Hotels the results of the COVID-19 • Alt Hotel Pearson Airport molecular test taken on arrival • Fairfield Inn & Suites Toronto • pay for the cost of the hotel Airport stay, as well as all associated • Four Points by Sheraton costs for: • Holiday Inn Toronto o food International Airport o security • Sheraton Gateway Hotel in o transportation Toronto International Airport o infection prevention and control measures Quebec Hotels Travelers must present proof of • Aloft Montreal Airport having reserved and pre-paid for their • Crowne Plaza Montreal accommodation through ArriveCAN. Airport • Holiday Inn Express and Travelers will still be required Suites Montreal Airport to complete the remainder of the • Montreal Airport Marriott Inmandatory 14-day quarantine after Terminal their mandatory hotel stopover.” – IRCC After the 3-Day Hotel Quarantine

After you have been quarantined in the government approved hotel for Ontario Hotels three days you will be required to take • Acclaim Hotel another COVID-19 molecular test • Calgary Airport Marriott In- during the next 14-day quarantine at Terminal Hotel your intended residence. Air travelers British Columbia Hotels will be provided with a COVID test and instructions before leaving the • Fairmont Vancouver Airport airport.

List of Government Approved Hotels

vaccines for use.

Trudeau said Wednesday that the government had to plan for potential delays in its procurement strategy for vaccines. He pointed to the delivery disruption from Pfizer’s plant upgrades in Belgium and supply-chain challenges with Moderna as examples of unforeseen challenges.

“These are new processes for new vaccines that are being manufactured in the millions and even in billions in order to cover all of everyone on Earth,” he said, explaining why the federal government signed more deals to ensure supply.

AstraZeneca’s vaccine was the latest candidate approved by Health Canada last week. The federal government signed an agreement with AstraZeneca for 20 million doses of its vaccine.

The vaccine, like Moderna’s, can be stored at normal refrigeration temperatures, between two and eight degrees Celsius, making it easier to transport than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which requires sub-zero temperatures below -60C. According to the Canada Border Services Agency, the first 500,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine arrived by a FedEx flight Wednesday evening.

Source: Huffpost

IMF/World Bank calls on IDA countries to suspend debt payments With immediate effect and consistent with national laws of the creditor countries, the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is calling on all official bilateral creditors to suspend debt payments from International Development Association (IDA) countries that request forbearance.

This follows a joint statement to the G20 concerning debt relief for the poorest countries in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Ghana is a member of IDA and will, therefore, enjoy the directive from the two Breton Wood institutions.

The statement added that the coronavirus outbreak is likely to have severe economic and social consequences for IDA countries, home to a quarter of the world’s population and two-thirds of the world’s population living in extreme poverty.

“We invite G20 leaders to task the WBG and the IMF to make these assessments, including identifying cont’d on pg. 29

Governments looking at longer-term measures to slow COVID-19 spread

Governments across Canada showed signs of settling in for longer periods of physical distancing on Tuesday as they stepped up efforts to protect the country’s most vulnerable residents from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As at least two provinces extended plans to keep schools closed in a bid to slow the spread of the virus, federal officials expressed concern about the effects the disease is having on groups ranging from health-care workers to prison inmates.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $2 billion in government funding to purchase muchneeded personal protective equipment for the country’s front-line medical staff, adding the feds were preparing for worst-case scenarios in their efforts to ensure key equipment is in place across the health-care system.

Less than an hour later, Canada’s top public health official sounded the alarm about the effect COVID-19 is having on marginalized groups.

“Of greatest concern at the moment relates to the introduction and spread of the virus in enclosed settings where vulnerable people reside,” said Dr. Theresa Tam. “We currently have a number of ongoing outbreaks in long-term care homes, cases in First Nations and Inuit communities, and in corrections facilities.”

to severely curtail traffic between the two countries.

© Thomson Reuters Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at a news conference at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada March 19, 2020. REUTERS/Blair Gable

One of the worst of those outbreaks is unfolding at a nursing home in Ontario, one of the provinces hardest hit by the outbreak. At least nine residents of the Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, Ont. have died in recent weeks, according to the local health authority, which says the disease caused by the novel coronavirus has also infected at least 24 staff members. © Provided by The Canadian Press Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, meanwhile, signalled an outbreak among health-care workers who live in Ontario but work in the United States. She referenced cases in the border city of Windsor, Ont., but few details were immediately available.

Medical workers are currently among the few people permitted to cross the border after both Canada and the U.S. reached a mutual agreement

The outbreaks in Ontario were just the latest sign that life in the province would not return to normal for some time, a sentiment confirmed on Tuesday afternoon when the government announced that schools would remain closed at least until May 4.

T h e Manitoba government went one step further, as Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen announced classes would be suspended indefinitely unless public health officials advise they can safely resume.

Teachers across the country have been moving course materials online in the weeks since the COVID-19 outbreak upended everyday life in much of Canada.

Meanwhile in Quebec, the province with the highest number of COVID-19 cases nationwide, Premier Francois Legault warned of a looming shortage of medical equipment needed to fight the pandemic.

He said certain types of medical supplies could be depleted in anywhere from three to seven days if not replenished soon.

Health authorities have reported more than 8,400 cases of the virus in Canada, including 95 deaths.

Michelle McQuigge, The Canadian Press

IMF/World Bank calls on IDA countries to suspend debt payments cont’d from pg. 28 the countries with unsustainable debt situations and to prepare a proposal for comprehensive action by official bilateral creditors to address both the financing and debt relief needs of IDA countries.

“We will seek endorsement for the proposal at the Development Committee during the Spring Meetings (April 16/17),” the statement said.

The World Bank Group and the IMF believe it is imperative at this moment to provide a global sense of relief for developing countries as well as a strong signal to financial markets. The international community would welcome G20 support for this Call to Action. Source: classfmonline.com

Call Us First The Ghanaian News 416-916-3700

The Ghanaian News February 2021 29

Ghana 1st nation to receive coronavirus vaccines from COVAX Ghana received the world’s first delivery of coronavirus vaccines from the United Nations-backed COVAX initiative on Wednesday — the long-awaited start for a program that has thus far fallen short of hopes that it would ensure shots were given quickly to the world’s most vulnerable people.

The arrival of 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the West African country marks the beginning of the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history, according to the World Health Organization and UNICEF. It is a linchpin of efforts to bring the pandemic to an end and has been hailed as the first time the world has delivered a highly sought-after vaccine to poor countries during an ongoing outbreak.

“Today marks the historic moment for which we have been planning and working so hard. With the first shipment of doses, we can make good on the promise of the COVAX facility to ensure people from less wealthy countries are not left behind in the race for life-saving vaccines,” said Henrietta Fore, executive director of UNICEF, which delivered the vaccines.

But the initiative, formed to ensure fair access to vaccines by low- and middle-income countries, has been hampered by the severely limited global supply of doses and logistical problems. Although it aims to deliver 2 billion shots this year, it currently has legally binding agreements only for several hundred million shots.

It already missed its own goal of beginning vaccinations in poor countries at the same time immunizations were rolled out in rich ones, some of which have now administered millions of shots. That delay led numerous poorer countries to rush to sign their own deals, potentially undermining COVAX’s efforts to get shots to the neediest people worldwide.

And some countries can’t afford to go it alone.

Ghana is among 92 countries that will receive vaccines for free through the initiative, which is led by the WHO; Gavi, a vaccine group; and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Another 90 countries and eight territories have agreed to pay.

Ghana, a nation of 30 million people that has recorded 81,245 cases and 584 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, plans to begin vaccinations on March 2. Neighboring Ivory Coast will be the next to receive vaccines, and also will roll them out starting next week.

Even as it celebrated receiving the

first doses, Ghana noted the long road ahead.

“The government of Ghana remains resolute at ensuring the welfare of all Ghanaians and is making frantic efforts to acquire adequate vaccines to cover the entire population through bilateral and multilateral agencies,” Ghana’s acting minister of information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said in a statement.

That freneticism has been echoed across the continent of 1.3 billion people, as deliveries have fallen behind schedule and African nations have scrambled to secure vaccines from various sources. Only about seven of 54 have begun vaccination campaigns.

Some activists have also expressed serious concern about the COVAX initiative’s goal of only giving enough shots to cover about 20% to 30% of the population in countries that receive donated doses. They have warned that even if the program is successful in distributing those vaccines, those countries will remain vulnerable to continued coronavirus outbreaks since most experts guess that at least 70% of people will need protection from the virus to reach herd immunity.

And experts have noted that even if richer countries reach some level of herd immunity, everyone will remain vulnerable as long as there are pockets of COVID-19 anywhere in the world.

“We will not end the pandemic anywhere unless we end it everywhere,” said WHO DirectorGeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Today is a major first step towards realizing our shared vision of vaccine equity, but it’s just the beginning. We still have a lot of work to do with governments and manufacturers to ensure that vaccination of health workers and older people is underway in all countries within the first 100 days of this year.”

The vaccines delivered Wednesday are the first of some about 7 million doses being produced by the Serum Institute in India for some 20 countries, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Over the coming weeks, COVAX must deliver vaccines to all participating economies to ensure that those most at risk are protected, wherever they live,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi. “We need governments and businesses now to recommit their support for COVAX and help us defeat this virus as quickly as possible.”

Francis Kokutse And Carley Petesch, The Associated Press

30

The Ghanaian News February 2021

Profile of Heads of Governments in Ghana since 1957

Compiled by Emmanuel Ayiku and Jonathan Baah Annobil, Toronto, ON

It is exactly 64 years ago on March 6, 1957 that Ghana gained its independence from British Colonial rule. The struggle for independence had begun with the United Gold Coast Convention in the aftermath of World War II. However, the man who led the nation to freedom and became its first President was Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Dr. Nkrumah was overthrown in a military coup in 1966. Since then there had been 4 more military interventions with 4 more civilian administrations after each military government. Ghana from 1992 to present has enjoyed a stable government under its 4th Republic. As we celebrate the 60th birthday of our great nation, we bring to our readers the profiles of the heads of governments in Ghana since 1957 when the country became a sovereign state.

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

Nkrumah was formerly known as Francis NwiaKofi, but he later changed his name to Kwame Nkrumah.

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

By 1943, Kwame Nkrumah had annexed MSc Education and MA Philosophy degrees at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. Meanwhile, he had combined his studies with lectureship, a job he did so well

that he was voted the “Most Outstanding Professor-OfThe-Year” by ‘The Lincolnian’ in 1945. In the same year Kwame Nkrumah left USA for London, England to study Law for his Doctoral degree. He shortly met George Padmore in London and they teamed up to organize the Sixth Pan-African Congress in Manchester, England. Thereafter, Nkrumah intensified his activities for the de-colonization of Africa. He wrote his first book titled ‘Towards Colonial Freedom’ in 1947.

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

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

However, while in prison, Nkrumah won the seat for Accra Central in an election held in February 1951. He was immediately released from prison to form new government. Kwame Nkrumah again won the 1956 elections leading to independence and subsequently declared Ghana’s Independence on March 6th 1957.

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

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

In 1960 Dr. Nkrumah declared Ghana as Republic.

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

He turned Ghana into One Party-State with himself as Life President in 1964. Political tension gripped Ghana and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was deposed in a military coup d’etat while he was on a peace mission to Hanoi, North Vietnam.

He went to live in Conakry, Guinea after his overthrow in 1966 until he died naturally in a Romania hospital on April 27th, 1972. His body was brought to Ghana for a fitting burial on July 7th, 1972.

Lt. General Joseph A. Ankrah

–

(18th 25th

Aug., Nov.,

1915 1992)

The next head of government after Dr. Nkrumah was a soldier by profession. He was Lt. General Joseph A. Ankrah, a native of Accra.

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

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

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

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

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

However, he took over as the Chairman of NLC and head of government in 1969 when Gen. Ankrah was forced to resign that position.

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

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

On 16th June, was taken from at Mampong and by firing squad June 4th, 1979

1979 he his farm executed after the upspring.

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

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

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

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

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

He had his military training, first at the Regular Officer’s Special Training School from 1957 to 1958; and at the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England in 1958, From 1958 to 1960 he continued with his training at the Military Academy in Sandhurst, England; and in 1961 at the School of Infantry, Hythe in England.

He returned to Ghana and became the Commander of the Rifle Company and, as a General Staff Officer from 1962 to 1964.

Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia (11th July, 1913 – 28thAugust, 1974)

of Gold Coast in 1949.

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

In 1951 the Ashanti Confederacy elected Dr. Busia to the Legislative Council. He became the leader of the Ghana Congress Party, which joined with the other opposition parties to form the United Party (UP). As a leader of the opposition against Nkrumah, Busia felt his life was not safe and therefore fled the country in 1959 to Netherlands where he worked as Professor of Sociology and Culture at the University of Leiden in The Hague. He later moved to the University of Oxford in England as Senior Member of St. Anthony’s College.

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

In 1968 he formed the Progress Party when the ban on politics was lifted and won elections in 1969 to become head of government (as a Prime Minister following the British type of government).

He adopted a liberalized economic system and devalued the cedis by 44% in 1971. This attracted a lot of resistance from the public and while he was away in London his government was ousted in a coup led by Colonel I.K. Acheampong on January 13th, 1972.

Gen. Afrifa in October, 1969 handed over the governing of Ghana to Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia and his Progress Party (PP) after the parliamentary elections of that year which the PP won 104 of the 105 seats contested. Thus, Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia, a native of Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region became the second civilian head of government in Ghana after Dr. Nkrumah. He was anti – Nkrumaist stance. General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong (23rd Sept., The education and career life 1931 – 16th June, 1979) of Busia could be described as very academic. He entered Mfantsipim College at Cape Ignatius Kutu Coast after completing his General elementary education at the Acheampong used the general Wenchi Methodist School. discontent against Busia’s Busia trained as a professional government to stage a coup in teacher in 1931 and 1932 at 1972 to become the 3rd military the Wesley College in Kumasi. head of government in Ghana.

From 1936 to 1939 he taught schooled at the Achimota College in Acheampong Trabuom elementary Accra during which period he at did a correspondence course to school near Kumasi where gain a first degree with honors he was born. He furthered in History from the University his education at St. Peter’s of London. He went to the Catholic School in Kumasi Oxford University in England and Central College of and by 1941 earned his BA Commerce at Agona Swedru degree in Politics, Philosophy in the Central Region. and Economics as well as MA and Ph.D. degrees From 1945 to 1957 he worked in Social Anthropology. at Timber Sawmill in Kumasi as Stenographer Secretary; Kumasi Commercial Dr. Busia returned to Ghana at and worked as a District College as a Tutor; and at Commissioner from 1942 Agona Swedru College of to 1949. He was appointed Commerce as Vice Principal. the first lecturer in African Studies at the University He got enlisted as a Private in

The Ghanaian News February 2021 31

Profile of Heads of Governments in Ghana since 1957 the Ghana Army in 1951 and later went to Cadet training at Mons, Aldershot. Upon his return to Ghana in 1959 he was commissioned Second Lieutenant. Determined to climb the ladder in the Army, Acheampong between 1959 and 1966 attended various courses including one in Personnel Administration at the Staff College. He also trained at Leavenworth, Kansas in USA and later became the Commanding Officer of the 5th and 6th Battalion.

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

When he assumed the head of government of Ghana in 1972, Gen. Acheampong reversed the devaluation of the cedis and refused to pay the debts Ghana owed the outside world. He also embarked on the “Operation Feed Yourself”. However, by 1976 Acheampong’s regime has become unpopular as a result of mismanagement and economics hardships.

His UNIGOV idea which was to do away with partisan government was vehemently opposed with massive protests. There were clashes with his opponents and some protestors were killed in Kumasi. On July 5th, 1978 Gen. Acheampong’s secondin-command, General Fred Akuffo and other members of the ruling supreme Military Council (SMC) staged a palace coup and removed Acheampong as the head of government.

Acheampong was confined to his hometown, Trabuom in Ashanti Region until he was picked up and executed alongside other top military officer on 16th June, during the 1979 uprising.

College in 1967; and also at the National Defense College, India in 1973. Posts he held included: Commanding Officer, Airborne Training School in Tamale from 1965 to 1966; commanding Officer, 6th Battalion from 1969 to 1970; Director General of Operations and Planning, Ministry of Defense in 1970.

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

When he took over from Acheampong, he initiated the return of the country to civilian rule by instituting a new Constitution Drafting Committee.

He lifted the ban on politics though some prominent politicians were still banned.

Unfortunately, his efforts could not solve the country’s economic problems, which sent workers demonstrating in the streets. Flt. Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings and his men took advantage of the situation in the country and staged a coup d’etat on the 4th of June 1979 to overthrow the SMCII. Rawlings became the chairman of ruling Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) and the fifth military head of government in Ghana.

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

Mr. John Agyekum

Dr. Hilla Limann (12th Dec; 1934 – 23rd Jan; 1998)

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

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

He got enlisted as an OfficerCadet in the Ghana Army in 1957. He then studied at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, UK from 1958 to 1960; and at the Staff

parliamentary elections as Trophy as the Best Cadet in an Independent Candidate. flying and airmanship). In April, 1969 he was promoted Flight Lieutenant.

Limann left Ghana for to London in 1957 and later to France where he obtained On May 28, 1979 Flt. Lt. J.J. was arrested for his Ph.D. in Political Science Rawlings muting of the junior officers and Constitutional Law in and men of the Ghana Armed 1965 from the University of Forces. Before he could be Paris. He was made Head, sentenced on June 4, 1979 Europe Desk at the Ministry he was sprung from jail by of Foreign Affairs form Major Boakye-Djan and some The coup 195 to 1968. In 1967 he junior officers. served as a member of the makers formed the Armed Constitutional Commission. Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) with Flt. Lt. Rawlings After working with the as the head. The AFRC did ‘house cleaning’ by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as some executing 3 former military Head of Ghana’s Mission in heads of state and other Togo and Counselor of Ghana’s military officers by firing Permanent Mission in Geneva, squad. They handed over Dr. Limann returned to Ghana power to Dr. Limann and his in 1975 and when the ban on PNP government in September, politics was lifted Alhaji Imoro 1979. But Rawlings came Egala, a ‘giant’ in the PNP – a back and ousted the Limann group of Nkrumahists-elected government in 1981. He him to lead the party. Thus, formed the Provincial National Council (PNDC) Dr. Limann became the head Defense to carry out a “revolution”. of government when PNP won the elections in 1979. In 1992, Rawlings resigned from the Army He immediately replenished and contested elections the depleted food stock in on the ticket of National the country and launched Democratic Convention the Gold Endowment (NDC) and won. He won Fund to attract investors to again in the 1996 elections.

Ghana.

Unfortunately, on 31st December 1981 Flt. Lt. Rawlings took power back from Dr. Limann in a military coup called “a revolution”.

Dr. Limann lived a private life till he died of natural causes on 23rd January, 1998 in Ghana.

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

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

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

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

In

1954,

he

lost

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

This is evidenced by the fact that the last two presidents of the country, in the persons of Rawlings and Kufour have both successfully served as heads of state for two consecutive terms of 8 years a term each. Kufour will hand over his presidency to a newly elected president in January, 2009, thus, ending successfully his second term in office as the Head of State of Ghana.

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

Kofi Kufour

Ghana’s 4th Republic saw a smooth changeover from the NDC government to a new government of the National Patriotic Party (NPP) under the leadership of Mr. John Kofi Agyekum Kufour on January 7, 2001. Thus, Mr. Kufour became the fifth head of government Flight – Lieutenant Jerry civilian after Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings.

John Kwasi Rawlings (22nd June, 1947-) At the age of 62 years, Kufour who hails from the Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings came Ashanti Region of Ghana is back to Ghana politics as the first opposition leader the sixth military head of in Ghana to have beaten the government’s government in 1981 and incumbent ‘metamorphosized’ himself presidential candidate to in 1992 to become the fourth become the President of Ghana. civilian head of government Like the first, second and the President of the Fourth and third civilian heads Republic of Ghana.

His of government, Kufour is second and final term of office well educated. He went to (by the constitution) expires Oxford University in Britain at the end of this year, 2000. and earned a Masters degree in philosophy, political The only head of government science and economics. He who is still alive is Rawlings. was called to the bar at Inn in London in Though a native of Dzelokope Lincoln’s 1961 but he soon returned to in the Volta Region, Rawlings Ghana and took to politics. was born in Accra on June 22, 1947 and has since lived He became a almost his whole life in Accra. member of the Constitutuent Assemblies, which drafted He schooled at St. Joseph’s Ghana’s republican Catholic Primary School constitution in 1969 and 1979. at Adabraka in Accra Mr. Kufour won a and furthered his studies at Achimota School parliamentary seat and was Deputy Foreign also in Accra in 1966. appointed Minister in 1969 when Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia and his In August 1967 he got Progress Party (PP) came to enlisted as a Flight Cadet power.

Busia government at the Ghana Air Force was overthrown in 1972 and Station in Takoradi, Western Kufour went into business Region. He was selected for running a brick and tile However, he Officer-Cadet Training at the factory.

Military Academic, Teshie returned to politics in 1979 became the Deputy in Accra.

Rawlings went and Minority parliamentary for Military Training Course Leader when Ghana returned in Takoradi after which he to democratic rule. That was was commissioned as Pilot to be for short time since Flt. Officer in January 1969 J.J. Rawlings overthrew the (won the coveted Speed Bird government of Ghana in 1981. .

rule Ghana!) Kufour was then appointed by Rawlings as Minister for Local Government but after nine months in office Kufour resigned from Rawling’s PNDC government due to political incompatability. He then returned to entrepreneurship until 1992 when he came back to politics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We congratulate Kufour and Rawlings (the only heads of states of our country still alive) as Ghana celebrates its 51st independence anniversary. cont’d on pg. 32

32

The Ghanaian News February 2021

Profile of Heads of Governments in Ghana since 1957

cont’d from pg. 31

again re-elected in 2004 for a third term.

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

President Mahama has seven children.

He is married to Mrs. Lordina Mahama.

John ma: P

(July r

Dramani Maha24, 2012-present) e s i

John Mahama wasborn on November 29, 1958 at Damongo, in the Northern Region of Ghana. He is a communications expert, historian, writer, former Member of Parliament and Minister of State, and immediate former Vice-President of Ghana.

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

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo (7th President of the 4th Republic, 7th January, 2017 – present)

After completing his education, President Mahama went on to pursue an additional postgraduate diploma in social psychology at the Institute of Social Sciences in Moscow, and returned to Ghana from 1991 to 1996. He worked as Information, Culture and Research Officer at the Embassy of Japan in Accra. another four-year term as the MP for the Bole/Bamboi Constituency. He was

Ghana’s current President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has what many people have described as an impressive political record spanning about four decades. Born on March 29, 1944 Nana Akufo-Addo was raised at Swalaba in Accra to Mr. Edward Akufo-Addo and Mrs Adeline Akufo-Addo. He hailed from Kyebi in the Eastern Region. His father was Ghana’s third Chief Justice from 1966-1970 and non-executive

President from 1970-1972. Their residence, Betty House at Korle Wokon in Accra, was the headquarters of the Ghana’s first political party, the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) formed at Saltpond on August, 4 1947.

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

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

Political Career He was the General Secretary of People’s Movement for Freedom and Justice (PMFJ) which led “NO” campaign in the UNIGOV referendum of 1978 under General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong administration which was to solicit support against a one-party military government. In 1991, Akufo-Addo served as the Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Danquah-Busia Memorial Club.

He travelled throughout the country to establish branches of the Club. These branches eventually metamorphosed into local organs of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) prior to the 1992 general election.

Nana Addo was elected three times from 1996 - 2008 as the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South in the Eastern Region.He served his nation from 2001 to 2007 as Cabinet Minister, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, and later as a Foreign Minister under the administration of President John Agyekum Kufuor with brilliance and distinction.

Akufo-Addo contested the 2008 presidential race and received 4,159,439 votes representing 49.13 per cent of the valid votes cast, in the first round, but was not enough for the 50 plus one percent needed for an outright victory.

In the run-off, Nana Akufo-Addo lost to the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) Presidential Candidate, Professor John Evans Atta Mills. .Akufo-Addo again contested in the 2012 national elections against the NDC candidate, John Dramani Mahama after the demise of President Atta-Mills on July 24, 2012.

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

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

Source: Ghanaian News

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Tel: (233) 54 305 6581 (233)50 408 1356 (233) 54 034 0463

A Royal Welcome Awaits YOU

The Ghanaian News February 2021 33

GHANA: 64th Milestone of Nationhood and History a Special Report

cont’d from pg. 1

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

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

On the industrial front, a number of industries were established which were grouped and managed under the Ghana Industrial Holding Corporation (GIHOC).

The Nsawam Cannery, GIHOC Distilleries, the Kumasi Jute factory, among others, were started under this scheme. A national airline, Ghana Airways, was launched. Ghana was then set to fly high and determined to take its place among the community of nations. The country became the center for the independence and anti-colonial struggle for other sub-Saharan African countries still under colonial rule. Two major liberation-oriented conferences were held in Accra: the All-Africa People’s Conference in 1958 and the Conference of Independent African States in 1965. Most African countries looked up to Ghana for political leadership and inspiration. It became known as the “Black Star” of Africa. On this front the nation was somehow “managing” its own affairs.

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

The high expectations and hopes for Ghana’s accelerated development and political stability and maturity did not materialize or last long enough. The first post-colonial government headed by Kwame Nkrumah lasted nine years and was violently overthrown in a military take-over initiated by the American C.I.A on 24 February, 1966. This event accelerated the political upheavals, social and economic dislocations and destruction that had begun earlier in 1959 through the early 1960s.

On July 1st, 1960, the then Prime Minister, Kwame Nkrumah declared Ghana a Republic, and dumped the Queen of Britain as its political Head of State. Kwame Nkrumah then assumed the title of President of the Republic of Ghana. From this point onwards, the President sought to establish closer ties with the Socialist eastern countries much to the annoyance of the West, especially the United States who did not want to see what they perceived as a “communist” satellite regime in West Africa. It was this and other events that led to the CIA-engineered overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah and the CPP government on 24th February, 1966.

Of the 64 years that Ghana has existed as an independent nation, the military has intervened four times to overthrow the elected or reigning governments. The military has succeeded in ruling the country for 21 years of its sixty four years of life as a nation. The first military government, established with the 1966 takeover lasted from February 1966 to August 1969 when the military government then headed by Lt. General Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa handed over power to a democratically elected government headed by Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia and his Progress Party (PP) government. This was the result of elections held in August 1969 which the Progress Party won by a landslide.

This Parliamentary government headed by Prime Minister Kofi Busia lasted only 28 months before it was shot down by another bunch of restless soldiers led by then Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong who established the National Redemption Council government. This government ruled for three years and

re-organized itself into a Supreme Military Council manned by all the service commanders of the Ghana Armed Forces who felt that their junior officers were doing all the looting and “chopping” of the nation’s resources and demanded to participate in the looting of the nation’s resources. A palace coup organized in July 1978 dumped then General Kutu Acheampong and brought in a new set of military commanders into power with the establishment of another Supreme Military Council headed by Lt. General F.W.K Akuffo.

On May 15, 1979 a group of young military officers led by Flt. Lt. Jeremiah John Rawlings attempted to overthrow the government of the Supreme Military Council. The uprising failed and the mutineers were arrested. In the course of their trial before a military tribunal, another group of young officers engaged the government in a violent shoot-out and succeeded in overthrowing the government on June 4, 1979. They established the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) government manned by corporals and sergeants which ruled for only three months: June 4, 1979 to September 23, 1979.

This three-month rule of the AFRC was a real watershed in Ghana’s history. This period witnessed the most brutal and worse human rights abuses ever unleashed on the population of the country. Unruly, undisciplined and drunken soldiers roamed the streets and neighborhoods of the country, terrorized and cowed the population into submission. Six top military officers including three former Heads of State were executed by firing squad by Jerry Rawlings under some very flimsy and questionable excuses. Thank God, this traumatic experience lasted only three months, but it left serious wounds and scars on the nation’s psyche which have not yet healed. The AFRC and Jeremiah Rawlings handed over power to a new democratically-elected government headed by Dr. Hilla Liman and his Peoples National Party (PNP) on 23 September 1979 after the PNP had won elections held on June 26, 1979. This was the launch of the Third Republic of Ghana.

The same Jeremiah John Rawlings who handed over power to Dr. Hilla Liman again staged another military take-over of the government on 31 December, 1981, only 27 months into the life of the government of the Third Republic. He established the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) which ruled the country until December 1992. As is his manner and style, Jerry Rawlings and his second military government subjected Ghanaians to another bout of brutality and human rights abuses including the arrest and brutal murder of three high court judges and a retired military officer on June 30, 1982.

Under pressure from the international community to return the country to constitutional rule, Jeremiah Rawlings lifted the ban on political activity to allow political parties to be formed and function. He formed his own political party, got a Constitution to be written (on his terms), got elections organized and won the Presidency along with his political party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC). This was the beginning of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. Rawlings ruled the country again as President for another eight years, the maximum two terms allowed under the Constitution. The second elections of the Fourth Republic organized in December 2000, was won by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) under John Agyekum Kufour who won the Presidency after a second round run-off with the second place runner, John Evans Attah Mills. The NPP also won a slight majority of 124 of the then 200-seat Parliament. President Kufour and his NPP won re-election in December 2004 for another four-year term.

Perhaps the greatest test of stability of the nation came in the run-up to the 2008 elections which ended the term of office of President Kufuor. The NDC party won the Parliamentary elections on December 8, 2008 but the hotly-contested Presidential elections again run into a second round. In the end, John Attah Mills beat the NPP candidate Nana Akufo Addo in the run-off by less than 20,000 votes to win the Presidency. Tension in the country over this election reached fever pitch threatening to plunge the country into mayhem. Political giants like former U.N Secretary General, Kofi Annan had to be flown into the country to persuade the warring electoral opponents to let cool heads prevail to salvage Ghana’s image as a peace-loving nation and the beacon of political maturity and stability for Africa. In the end, the NPP and Akufo Addo had to concede defeat.

John Evans Attah Mills was sworn in as President on January 7, 2009 as the third President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana with John Dramani Mahama as his Vice President.

The first three years of the Attah Mills-led NDC government also tested the stability of the nation. A culture of political intolerance, insults and naked robbery of the nation’s resources and finances engulfed the country. Political opponents publicly hauled insults at each other, in the media especially on radio and television.

The most guilty of these behavior of political insults and intolerance were the

cont’d on pg. 43

34

The Ghanaian News February 2021

Olivia Akpari

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The Ghanaian News February 2021 35

647-782-6733

36

The Ghanaian News February 2021

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

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The Ghanaian News February 2021 37

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The Ghanaian News February 2021

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The Ghanaian News

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The Ghanaian News February 2021 39

ANIDA Food Bank and community Food Programs

By Emmanuel Ayiku, Toronto, ON

This year with Covid-19 pandemic still upon us, and challenging, many organizations and churches with the support of donors and through all levels of the government are operating Food Bank program to help our communities.

south side at Steeles between Norfinch and Hwy 400. The Food Bank opens on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 pm to

4 pm. It provides a three day supply of food bi- weekly to individuals and families.

Appointment is need and identification is required,

including proof of address for each family member. It is open to the public who are in need.

Contact info 416-887-9333.

ANIDA Food Bank is among the many organizations that operate Food Bank to support our community. ANIDA Food Bank located at

AFTER “I DO” TEN YEARS AGO WHAT NEXT……

By: Stephen A.Quaye, Toronto-Canada.

When people ask me about the essence of “Holy Matrimony”, I ask them to tell me first their experience when they tasted a luscious chocolate in their life.

“Did you take a luscious chocolate bar on the Valentine’s Day? How did you feel after that bite?”

The sweet taste of chocolate, they all replied.

Yes I take a bite of chocolate too every Valentine’s Day and can still feel the luscious taste of the vitality.

Let me ask you the reader basic question any ordinary man on the street will ask and is what makes you take a bite of chocolate someone offers as an expression of love?

Here you go. The sweet taste one enjoys after taking the bite into the chocolate makes one desire for the vitality of good health and the power of prosperity, CHOCOLATE. The same thing goes for love in an expected successful marriage. You take a bite into love which is the decoder of marriage with the expectation that you will find the ingredients that will make the relationship last longer.

Taking a bite into sweet love that leads to marriage

one has to exchange the vows “I do” in order to find the sweet taste of joy and happiness that abounds in that institution.

After ten solid years of successful marriage, now the question often asked is, “have you discovered the sweet taste of love and what is it?”

According to Dr. Gary Chapman, Marriage and Family Life consultant, the sweet taste after taking a bite of love which is the “I DO” comes in five forms which he outlines in his bestselling book, “The Five Love Languages.”

What are these five love languages that when one speaks keep the light of love in his marriage glowing all the time? He mentioned as follows, “WORDS OF AFFIRMATION, QUALITY TIME, RECEIVNG GIFTS, and ACTS OF SERVICE and PHYSICAL TOUCH.” Let us open our bible to the book of Genesis chapter 24 which talks about the marriage between Isaac and Rebecca.

The last verse of the chapter talks about how Isaac spoke the love language of Rebecca saying,” Isaac took Rebecca into the tent where his mother had lived before she died and Rebecca became his wife.

LOVE LANGUAGE OF PHYSICAL TOUCH. The same verse also speaks about how Rebecca spoke the love language of Isaac as it says,” Isaac loved Rebecca who comforted him over the loss of his mother Sarah”. LOVE LANGUAGE OF QUALITY TIME. Have you been speaking the love language of your soul mate to express heartfelt commitment to him or her? Thumps up for those who have been doing that, they can tell the sparkling light of joy in their lives every day.

Do not worry if you have not discovered the love language of your partner yet to speak and bring the sparkling light of joy in your marriage as am going to show you how to do so in a minute.

Before I show you, let me present a nice scenario of how my one and only Princess A.A.Osisiadan-Quaye Mrs. discovered my love languages and by speaking it each other day have been keeping the sparkling light of joy in our marriage for the past ten years.

Our Holy family with Batia and Aaron

After our marriage ceremony, I introduced Princess

When I bit into Chocolate to evening walks which is my hobby. One day whiles walking on a shoulder of a road, my wife gave me her [one and only] husband a gift.

I thought my wife was expressing her satisfaction of taking her out every evening which she developed more interest in that hobby later.

Not knowing I was aiding my wife to discover my love language and speak it for me to love her more, as my wife was also aiding me to discover her love language to keep our love more tightly.

After “I DO”, married couples have to keep the sparkling light of love in their marriage glowing which means discovering the five love languages of their partners and speak to them.

These five love languages can keep the light which is not just happiness but unending happiness in marriages glowing.

We want our desires such as everlasting marriage to be constantly fulfilled and it is this continuous unending flow of five love languages that defines the sparkling light in our marriages.

Celebrating our tenth anniversary of holy matrimony, I would urge you to get a copy of this wonderful book which I have described as the light of successful marriage for you to discover how best to enjoy your marriage.

You can order a copy online by visiting: www.fivelovelanguages.com or w w w. a g a p e m a r k e t p l a c e . c o m Enjoy the sweet bite of love in your marriage by discovering your five love languages and speak them accordingly.

40

The Ghanaian News February 2021

Sarkozy’s conviction carries echoes for Trump

By Ishaan Tharoor The ex-president was a polarizing figure, a firebrand who relished in ruffling the feathers of opponents to the left. At home, he demonized immigrants and ethnic minorities and aped the rhetoric of the far right.

His penchant for shattering norms, including efforts to politicize the judiciary, drew the ire of critics.

Abroad, he raised eyebrows after conspicuously courting Middle East potentates. His glamorous wife, at least for a time, was more admired than him.

Eventually, the public tired of his act and the support of a motivated base proved insufficient; he became a oneterm president, cast out of power by a national electorate eager for a return to “normalcy.” Stripped of the shield of presidential immunity, he then found himself mired in spiraling legal battles. He raged against the “grotesque” witch hunt against him, but could not forestall an ignominious reckoning.

No, we’re not talking about former president Donald Trump. On Monday, a French court found former French president Nicolas Sarkozy guilty of corruption and influence peddling.

He was given a three-year sentence, two years of which were suspended.

He may still avoid actual jail time following appeals, but the reputational damage, at the very least, is done — Sarkozy is only the second head of state in modern France to be convicted of corruption.

The echoes of what’s happening to Sarkozy ought to be ringing loud for Trump. Despite considerable differences in the political contexts where they operated, the two share

elements of a political style. In his memoir published last year, former president Barack Obama described Sarkozy as an incorrigible narcissist, “his chest thrust out like a bantam cock’s … never straying from his primary, barely disguised interest, which was to be at the center of the action and take credit for whatever it was that might be worth taking credit for.”

Both Trump and Sarkozy demanded absolute loyalty from those around them — as a Le Monde editorial once noted, with Sarkozy it was either “allegiance or vengeance.” And they harnessed a divisive, angry agenda to get their way. “After Sarkozy’s million-miles-an-hour presidency, France — like America now — was running on fumes,” wrote CNN’s Cyril Vanier last year. “The country was exhausted. For many voters, the passions unleashed, the acrimony, the national soul-searching hadn’t been sustainable.”

Trump was impeached an unprecedented two times by the House on charges including abuse of power; Sarkozy is now contemplating a spell

in prison for the same. “The charges against Sarkozy, who was president between 2007 and 2012, were centered around the question whether the former French leader was behind a deal with a magistrate to illegally receive information on inquiries linked to him, using false names and unofficial phone lines,” explained my colleague Rick Noack. “According to the prosecution, Sarkozy and his then-lawyer and longtime friend Thierry Herzog attempted to bribe the magistrate, Gilbert Azibert, by offering him a high-profile position in return for information. The incident took place after Sarkozy had left office.”

Sarkozy also faces other legal woes, including allegations that he received campaign funding from the late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2007, an investigation into whether he fraudulently overspent in his failed 2012 reelection bid and a probe launched January into alleged influence-peddling after Sarkozy signed a lucrative contract with a Russian insurance company.

In court, Sarkozy rejected the various charges against him. “Never abused my influence, alleged or real,” he said in December. “What right do they have to drag me through the mud like this for six years? Is there no rule of law?”

But prosecutors argued that he was finally facing the consequences for his abuse of power. “The events would not have occurred if a former president, as well as a lawyer, had kept in mind the magnitude, the responsibility, and the duties of his office,” prosecutor Jean-Luc

Blachon told the court in Paris as the trial concluded.

The legal dragnet is tightening around Trump, too. While Republican senators guaranteed his second acquittal on impeachment charges last month, Trump as a private citizen still faces a crowded slate of criminal and civil litigation, including his role in stoking the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, his prepresidency business dealings and defamation claims by women who allege he assaulted them, claims he has denied. The allegations are in some instances far more grave than those associated with Sarkozy.

But though the stain of illegal activities doomed Sarkozy’s attempt at a political comeback in 2016, Trump seems still in pole position to make a new bid for the presidency in 2024. He took center stage Sunday at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference and, unrepentant, once more delivered his customary airing of grievances and falsehoods.

Rather than work to sideline the former president, the bulk of the Republican Party appears still in his thrall.

That may change as the legal cases against Trump and some close allies start to catch up. “There has to be some consequence for telling these lies — because when you lie to people, they take action based on what they think is true,” said Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt, a Republican who received threats after false allegations of fraud in the counting of the city’s votes, to The Washington Post. “Because it’s such a dangerous new thing that occurred, there has to be some reconciliation.

Moving on isn’t enough.”

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The Ghanaian News February 2021 41

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42

The Ghanaian News February 2021

FOOD AND RECIPES

Compiled by Nana Ama, Toronto, ON

EASTER DINNER BUNS

HOT CROSS BUNS

Dough 1 cup warm homogenized milk (250 ml) ¼ cup sugar (60 ml) ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (60 ml) ½ Tbsp salt (7 ml) 3 cup all-purpose flour (750 ml) 1 egg 1 envelope (1/4-ounces) active dry yeast flour, for bench flour Assembly 1 egg 1 Tbsp milk (15 ml)

These sweet spiced buns, best when freshly hot out of the oven, are traditionally served on Easter, marked with a cross to symbolize Jesus's crucifixion.

Ingredients 1 lemon 1 navel orange 1 cup sugar 3⁄4 cup currants 1⁄8 tsp. allspice 1⁄8 tsp. cinnamon 1⁄8 tsp. nutmeg 1 1⁄2 tsp. active dry yeast 1 cup milk, warmed to 115° F Directions 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 2 cups bread flour Dough 1⁄2 cup sugar 1. In a small bowl, combine sugar with ½ cup warm milk and mix well. 2 tsp. kosher salt Add the yeast and stir. Let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes, until 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing 2 eggs, lightly beaten it foams.

2. In another bowl, combine the egg and remaining ½ cup warm milk and 1⁄4 cup orange marmalade 1⁄4 cup confectioners sugar melted butter 3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour and salt by hand. Add the yeast mixture and the egg mixture. With the Instructions stand mixer, start mixing the dough on low speed. Increase speed as flour is incorporated. Continue to mix until dough comes together. Increase Remove sections of the lemon peel in 1-inch strips and, using a paring knife, trim off any of the white pith. Julienne the strips and repeat the machine speed, knead dough until it comes together.

4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 6 to 8 minutes, process with the orange. Combine sugar and 1 cup of water in a 1-qt. adding more flour if necessary, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Put saucepan over high heat; bring to a boil and cook until sugar has dissolved, the dough into a large oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave 1-2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add lemon and orange pieces; overnight in the fridge or alternatively let proof until doubled in a warm simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Drain and combine with currants and spices; set aside. spot for 45 minutes.

In the bowl of an stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine yeast Assembly 1. Punch down dough and turn it out onto a floured surface. Tear off pieces and milk; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the butter, half the of the dough and form sixteen 1 ½-inch balls. Roll them onto a surface to eggs, and the dry ingredients; mix on low speed for 8-10 minutes, until a make smooth. Place in a buttered 8 x 8 x 2-inch pan. Let rest, covered, in smooth dough forms. Remove from bowl and place on a lightly floured surface; fold in the fruit mixture, working until just evenly distributed. a warm spot, until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and 2. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. 3. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk to make an egg wash. let rise until doubled in size, about 60–80 minutes.

Using a pastry brush, generously coat the top of the buns with the egg Divide dough into 10 equal sized pieces; working with one piece at a time, wash. Bake the dinner buns for about 13 to 15 minutes or until they are roll into balls. Place balls onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper; cover with a kitchen towel and let rise again until doubled in size, about golden brown. Serve warm and pull apart at the table.

45 min.- 1 hour.

4. Yield: 16 servings Heat oven to 325° F. Combine remaining egg with 1 tbsp. water; lightly brush each roll with egg wash. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating halfway.

Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes.

PANETONE In a 1-qt. saucepan over low heat, combine orange marmalade and 1 tbsp. water; stir until marmalade loosens. Brush each roll with the marmalade Ingredients glaze and let stand an additional 10 minutes until glaze sets.

4 tbsp warm milk Combine the confectioners’ sugar with 2 tsp. water. Pour into a piping bag 2 x 7g sachets fast-action dried yeast and pipe crosses on rolls. Serve warm.

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 Method 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

PANETONE - Cont’d 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.

The Ghanaian News February 2021 43

GHANA: 64th Milestone of Nationhood and History a Special Report

cont’d from pg. 33

government and NDC party officials. They attacked their political opponents, real or imagined, at will.

The then President and Father of the nation, John Evans Attah Mills did nothing about this dangerous culture of political insults and intolerance which engulfed and enveloped the nation. This behavior, perpetuated by the young inexperienced people in the NDC led the former president and Founder of the NDC party itself, Jerry John Rawlings to label such persons as “babies with sharp teeth”.

A new shrewd way of officially stealing the nation’s resources was instituted under the Attah-MillsMahama government from 2009. It has been known as “judgment debt”. Naked robbery and pillaging of the nation’s resources that has been occurring since the country attained nationhood reached alarming proportions from 2009. Under this scheme, individuals and companies were actively encouraged by government officials to sue the government (and the nation) in court claiming payments for “contracts” the government had abrogated. Millions of dollars and Cedis have been paid out to a number of often faceless individuals under this official thievery scheme. The most disturbing of these socalled judgement debts was one that was paid to a guy called Alfred Agbesi Woyome to the whooping tune of GHC51.2 million.

The Supreme Court of the country was later to rule that the country had no contract with this person and ordered that the money be refunded to the state with interest. As at the time of writing this piece in late February 2017, the man has refused to refund the money and no sanctions have been invoked against him.

By a twist of circumstances, President John Evans Attah Mills died “suddenly” through as yet unexplained circumstances on 24th July 2012. He was immediately succeeded by his Vice president, John Dramani Mahama to complete the last six months of the term of his mandate. John Dramani Mahama led the NDC through another bitterly-fought elections in December 2012 with their main opponents, the New Patriotic Party led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo.

John Mahama was declared winner of the Presidential elections in some very questionable circumstances by the Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Kwadwo Afari Djan. Not satisfied with what they termed as an electoral fraud, the New Patriotic Party challenged the election results and the legitimacy of the declaration of Mahama as President to the Supreme Court of Ghana, as stipulated under Ghana’s constitution. The election petition, heard by nine of the Supreme Court Judges, ran for eight months from January 2013 to August 2013. On August 29, 2013, the Supreme Court

released a very questionable judgment dismissing the electoral petition of the NPP. The ruling was so bizarre that the integrity of the court and some of the judges were called into question.

Between 2012 and early 2016 the social and economic life of the country deteriorated to low levels never seen in the country’s history. The most painful of these have been the long disruptions to electricity and water supplies. The most affected places have been the large urban centers where businesses have collapsed as a result of constant water and electricity supply disruptions. Ghanaians have disparagingly termed the frequent power interruptions as “dumsor, dum sor”, literally meaning constant on and off switching of power. Cost of living has soared to levels never seen in the country’s 64-year history, with the then presiding government of John Dramani Mahama seemingly oblivious to solutions to the social and economic problems facing the people.

Ghana as a nation has over the past sixty four years fulfilled the declaration and prophesy of its first leader, Kwame Nkrumah who declared on independence night, the right of the country to “manage or mismanage” its own affairs. Overall Ghana has succeeded in “mismanaging” its affairs much better than “managing” its affairs. We have earned very high marks in the field of economic, political and social mismanagement of the nation.

The future has looked really bleak for the nation and its citizens.

In early January, 2016, Ghanaians were again hit by another shocking news: The Mahama government had accepted or settlement in Ghana two terrorists who had been held by the United States at it’s terrorists detention center at Guantanamo Bay near Cuba. This news created extreme fear and heightened anxiety among Ghanaians. Instead of explaining the rationale for this reckless action to allay the anxiety of Ghanaians about the presence of known terrorists amongst them, the government and its officials rather resorted, as has been its modus operandi, to insulting any citizen who dared raise his/her voice and concern about this issue.

It was amidst these very hopeless national conditions and life that Ghanaians went to the polls on December 7, 2016 to choose a President and a new Parliament. The results of the elections underscored and manifested the extreme anger of Ghanaians.

They delivered a defeat to the ruling President John Mahama and his party, the NDC never recorded in the electoral history of the country. The contest, again between Mahama and Nana Akufo Addo resulted in the resounding victory for Nana Akufo Addo who beat his opponent by a margin of more than one million votes. His party, the New Patriotic

Party (NPP) won an absolute majority grabbing 169 of the 275 Parliamentary seats. These elections also made history making John Mahama as the first sitting President in Ghana’s history to be defeated as a onetime President.

The new President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo was sworn in as the seventh President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana on Saturday January 7th, 2017.

The new Government has been in power for the past fourteen months as at the time of writing this piece.

We can say with confidence that the Akufo Addo administration has taken a number of positive steps and measures to stabilize the nation and its economy.

The indicators and signs are that things are turning around.

Challenges, however remain which will require the maximum attention of all the brains and expertise in the government, with active support and collaboration from the citizens to turn the fortunes of the nation around. So far the indications are that a number of leakages and holes through which corruption was being perpetuated with impunity by public officials have been blocked. The appointment of a Special Public Prosecutor, the first of its kind in Ghana, to investigate and prosecute all known and reported cases of corruption in Ghanaian public life is commendable and historic.

The greatest challenge to the development and stability of the nation is the threat to public safety and security. Over the past year, and especially over the past two months of 2018, the spate of armed robberies and brazen attacks on people’s lives and property, have been on the increase. This has raised a lot of concerns and fears among the population. We hope the government and its security apparatus will have a firm grip on the problem to allow citizens to go about their lives in peace.

On December 7th 2020, the incumbent President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo was re-elected to a second term in office.

As we celebrate this year’s anniversary, we all need to pray and thank our ancestors and our gods that our nation has existed and survived these last 64 years without been plunged into the bloody agitations and political mess that have engulfed some of our continental neighbors. God should bless our homeland, Ghana and make our nation great and strong.

We wish the President and his government well. We hope that we will be able to write positive stories about their performance and records at similar anniversaries in the years to come. God Bless Ghana.

Please Stay Safe and Healthy Continue to observe Covid-19 protocols A message from The Ghanaian News Call Us First - 416-916-3700

44

The Ghanaian News February 2021

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 587-336-1223

Ottawa Methodist 613-823-2291

Vancouver Methodist 416-833-1615

Sunday: Bible Class Meeting:

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

Church Service:

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

Jericho Hour Prayer Meeting 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Wednesday Mid-day Prayer - 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Friday: Bible Teaching/Prayer Meeting 8:00 p.m. - 9.00 p.m.

Saturday Organizational Meeting: 6.30 p.m. - 9.30 p.m.

Sunday Brampton Prayer Meeting

8:00 p.m.

Redemption Methodist Church

BETHANY METHODIST CHURCH-BRAMPTON

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

PLACE OF WORSHIP1A KNIGHTSBRIGE ROAD (Senior’s Lounge)

Location: 955 Wilson Ave., Unit 12, North York, ON

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.

Very Reverend Albert K. Appiah,

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

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

Bringing the Gospel to our Community

The Ghanaian News February 2021 45

by Rev. Isaac DeGraft Takyi

THE CHRISTIAN AND COVID-19: “LOVE PRAYS” “Panic not, fear not, worry not, blame not, complain not, condemn not and criticize not, BUT Trust God, Have Faith, Be Hygienic, Stay Home, Socially Distance, Mask Up, Pray Always, Love People, Worship God, Reach Out and Serve Society”—Isaac De-Graft Takyi

even live?”

Stay home, stay safe, save lives—Premier Doug Ford

Do you love God? Do your truly love God? Do you know that you love God? Please do not be annoyed. I desire to make a submission to you on this, and thereafter, we will pray.

My point is, if you and I love God, we will pray— no matter how long or how short the time may be.

We thank God for preserving, protecting, and providing for us all through 2020 during the COVID-19 season. In 2021, with the discovery of the vaccines, we hear of variants of the virus, such as the one from the UK, Brazil, and that of South Africa in Canada. As at the day of writing, more than 20,000 Canadians have lost their lives because of COVID-19.

My guess will be that there are varied questions going on in the minds of citizens particularly Christians, such as: “What should the Christian do in times like this?”,“How should we live?”and “Why should we

ILLUSTRATIONS 1. LUKE 18:1-8

We will draw out some prayer principles based on Luke 18:1-14; 11:58,that can help us find the motivation to love, live, lead through intentional times of prayer to make a difference in our world.

QUESTIONS

So, What is prayer? How important is prayer to you? Do you have a place, period, and plan for prayer? When did you pray last week? And when will you pray this week?

Why must you pray? And why do you pray?

As lovers of God, do we believe that our bodies,

which is the house of God, is the house of prayer? Let me personalize it. Do you believe that your body is the house of prayer?

Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I Myself have seen it,” declares the Lord.—Jeremiah 7:11 (New American Standard Bible) 11

And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”—Mark 11:17 (New American Standard Bible) 17

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

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

“For some time he refused.

But finally, he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

4

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?

Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you; he will see that they get justice, and 6

quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

2. Luke 11:5-8 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Do not bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.(New International Version) 5

What does “pray and not faint” mean?

He said that we are not to faint. The word has the meaning of becoming discouraged, or to lose heart, to despair, to get tired, to give up,

to become weary, to tire through weariness of spirit.

I want to come your way this month with words of encouragement to the effect that God cares, He loves you and hasmade a way for usto pray to the Father in the name of the Son. What does the parable of the persistent friend teach us?

• The need to have a friend and to be a friend.

• The need to always pray—morning, noon, evening, midnight— Cry out to God, day and night!

• The need to never ever give up praying.

• The need to have a shameless audacity.

• The need to know the God you love, serve, and obey.

• The need to draw closer to God. It is important for us to cont’d on pg. 51

46

The Ghanaian News February 2021

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 February 2021 47

EVANGEL

ASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCH

314 Rexdale Blvd. Etobicoke, Ont. M9W 1R6 Tel: 416-242-7950 Fax: 416-242-8573 Church Activities

Pastor in Charge

Rev. Milton Offei

Sunday School: Church Service: Sunday Evening: Wednesday Bible Studies: Friday Prayer Meeting:

10a.m. -11:00a.m.

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

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

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

7p.m. - 9:00p.m.

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

Sunday Worship: 10.00a.m. - 12.30 p.m.

Wednesday Bible Studies: 6.00p.m. - 7.30 p.m.

Friday Prayer Meeting: 7.00p.m. - 9.00 p.m.

JESUS Loves You

Bishop John Mensah

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

Tel: 416-419-6671

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

Contact: Rev. Isaac K. Bonful Tel: 289-814-5482

Email: transformcentreag@yahoo.ca Website: www. transformationcentreag.ca 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

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

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

Worship Hours 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

Sundays (Mornings) 10 - 12:45pm Wednesday (Bible Study) 7 -8:30 pm Friday (All Night Prayer) 8-10:30pm Rev Moses Sarpong

Come and Experience the power of the Word Join us at 196 Toryork Drive(Corner of Weston/Finch)

Tel: 416-743-2507

It’s Harvest Time So Reach Out And Make A Difference

It’s A Great Commission!

48

The Ghanaian News February 2021

The Apostolic Church Int'l.

The Apostolic Church International (Toronto Assembly) is a Branch of The Apostolic Church in Ghana Apostle Nii Aryee (Area Supt. Canada-Wide)

Meeting Schedule Sunday (Worship) Wednesday Teaching Service Friday Prayers Friday: Monthly All Night Service Saturday : Movements -

- - - -

10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

10:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.

5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

THE APOSTLES'

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

CONTINUATION CHURCH INTERNATIONAL (CANADA)

168 Rexdale Blvd.,

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

Etobicoke, Ontario, M9W 1P6 Church Office 416-740-1979 Field Secretary: Pastor Cyril Williams - 416-875-9616 Apostle Charles Anokye-Manu

Lighthouse Assembly of God Church THEME FOR YEAR 2020:

“PRAYER AND THE WORD” Acts 6:4 SUNDAY SERVICES: 10:00 am-1:30 pm Ghanaian Service

Pastor-in-charge: Rev. Boniface Keelson

WEEKDAY SERVICES: Wednesday - Bible Studies 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Friday - Holy Ghost Service 7:00 pm -9:00 pm LOCATION:

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

Rhema Power of Grace Chapel Int'l

SERVICE TIMES:

Worship Service Bible Studies Service All Night Service Deliverance

Toronto

Rev. Bishop Joe Bonnah

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

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

Montreal Assembly

10 Belfield Road Tel: 416-247-6629

378 Cremazie East Montreal, Quebec, H2P 1E5

Scarborough Assembly

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

Tel: 514-271-9083

Pastor-In-Charge: John Arhin

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

Immanuel Assembly of God Church, Scarborough

Place of Worship:

Days And Time of Worship

- Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday 9:00 p.m.

- Friday 9:30 p.m.

- Saturday 4:00 p.m.

Worship With Us At These Branches In Canada

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

350 Deerhide Cres, North York, ON

Website: www.apostlescontinuation.org

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.

The Ghanaian News February 2021 49

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

Address: 1771 Albion Rd. (Forum Banquet Hall) Hwy 27/Albion

Every Sunday:

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 647-656-9905 Brother Ato 416-728-8574 Brother Asamoah 647-867-0945

All Are Invited Ghanaian Presbyterian Church of Montreal

Minister: Rev. Stephen Azundem Services: Tel (office): 450-314-0871 Sunday 10:00AM – 1:00PM Tel (Cell): 514 660 2422 Divine Worship Service Res: 514-542-4142 Wednesday 7:00PM – 9:00PM Teaching Service (Bible Study) Friday 7:00PM – 9:00PM – Prayer Service

3000 Boul St-rose Laval, Quebec, H7R 1T6

Welcome Home

Evangelistic Ministries

Affiliated with the Evangelical Church In Canada

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

New address:

Heart Lake United Church 85 Sandalwood Pkwy E. Brampton, ON Sunday Worship Service Start from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Wednesday Discipleship class is 7pm Friday Prayer meeting is 7pm Contact Info: Tel: 647 210 7057 Fax: 905 495 4789

Website: www.whemfamily.com

Email: whemtoday@gmail.com

Glory Pentecostal Ministry of Toronto

Pastor-in-charge: Rev. Rockson Owusu Atwima - 416-708-7742

Invites all Christians and Non-Christians to join us to worship the Almighty God WORSHIP SCHEDULE Sunday Regular Service 11:00 am to 1:30 pm Tuesday Prayer and Healing Service 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Friday Prayer Night 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm

PLACE OF WORSHIP 230 Eddystone Ave., #207, North York, Ont. M3N 1H7 We are more tan our conquerors Romans 8:37

"Come and see the manifestation and the power of the Holy Spirit at work"

Praise Temple of Christ International Snr. Pastor: Apostle Osei-Bonsu 336 Gary Ray Drive @ Signet Worship Schedule Sunday Worship - 10 am - 12:30 pm Wednesday - Bible Study - 7 pm - 9 pm Friday - Prayer Meeting - 8 pm - 10 pm Second and last Friday of each month All Night Prayer Meeting 10 p.m. - 2 a.m.

Apostle Osei Bonsu

Pastor Appiah Jacob

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The Ghanaian News February 2021

Sarah Efumwaa Obeng

Some Things to Let People Stop Doing to You This Year to Move Forward!

I heard of a story from my friend, Angel and Marcof a young teenager whose mother was in and out of prison and rehabliterally her entire life. The father was not mentioned, and this young boy was eventually fostered by a loving family.Let us call the mother who adopted this boy Sarah and call the boy John. I learned a lot from this story and I am happy to share.

One weekend when this foster family was enjoying a barbecue in their home with some friends over, the distressed mother unexpectedly came by to see her son. After some hesitation, Sarah let John and his mother talk privately on the front porch while Sarah was occasionally eavesdropping from the living room window just to make sure everything was okay.

John’s mother was extremely rough around the edges and almost immediately started bringing up hurtful memories from the past. About 20 minutes into the conversation, she told him, “I see your anger, and I just wish I could go back in time and raise you again, to change who you are and give you a better upbringing.”

Sarah was about to walk out onto the porch to interject when Cody calmly replied, “I’m not angry. I’m perfectly fine, thank you. I’m proud of who I am. Maybe you should go even further back in time and change who you are instead.” And then he walked his mother to the front steps of the porch and politely asked her to leave.

John’s response is impressive on many levels. It takes a lot of courage, especially as a teenager with a rough upbringing, to tactfully stand up for yourself, and he handled himself with grace.

So, whenever you’re dealing with a difficult or hostile person, remember how John handled himself. Take a stand! Set some boundaries! This is your life. You may not be able to control all the things people do to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.

You can decide not to let their actions and opinions invade your heart and mind. And above all, you can decide whom to walk beside into tomorrow, and whom to leave behind today.

It’s time to Stop letting people drag you into needless arguments. Stop wasting your time trying to explain yourself to people who have proven that they are committed to misunderstanding you.

Quit defining your intelligence or selfworth by the number of arguments you have won, but by the number of times you have said, “This needless nonsense is not worth my time!”

Stop letting hateful people motivate you to hate them back. – forgiving

makes you heal. Letting go, makes you grow. Choose both. As Gandhi once said, “An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.”

Regardless of how despicable another has acted, never let hate build in your heart. Fighting hatred with hatred only hurts you more. When you decide to hate someone you automatically begin digging two graves: one for your enemy and one for you.

Stop letting people drown you with their negativity. – Positivity is a choice.

Choose wisely. Be smart enough to walk away from the negativity around you. It is never worth your while, ever, to engage in senseless drama.

Stop letting people make you feel ashamed of your scars. – Scars remind us that we have had hurts, wounds, and that we have healed! Scars remind us that our past is real, and that we have grown beyond it. Every scar has a story.

Don’t be afraid to tell it and own it.

Stop listening to those who criticize you for your honest mistakes. – To grow strong and wise, you must have the courage to make mistakes. Allow yourself to be a beginner. No one starts off being excellent. It’s great to have feedback but to be criticized for our mistakes must be stopped.

Stop letting others blind you from YOUR truth. – Today, the only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday. Prove yourself to yourself, not others.

Stop letting people bully you. – Bullying is not OK. Period. There is no freedom on Earth that gives someone the right to assault who you are as a person. Sadly, some people just won’t be happy until they’ve pushed your ego to the ground and stomped on it.

What you have to do is have the nerve to stand your ground, but if you need to walk away or leave, then leave! Period.

Even if it is a job. Use the wisdom in you. Stop the stupid mistake I made by staying on a job where you are bullied, disrespected, and nothing is done about it by the employer or your managers.

Stop betraying yourself. Don’t give them any leeway. Nobody has the power to make you feel small unless you give them that power.

Stop letting people take advantage of you. – Sometimes people don’t notice the things we do for them until we stop doing them. This is NOT right! Realize this. You deserve better. You deserve to be with people who make you smile – friends who don’t take you for granted – friends who won’t leave you hanging.

Think about this deeply and you will understand what I am talking about.

Stop letting people treat you like a back-up plan. – Don’t settle to simply be someone’s downtime, spare time,

part time, or sometime. If they can’t reliably be there for you when you need them most, they’re not worth your time. What is the point of being an option to someone when they are your priority! When you agree to a set time, both parties should respect the time and agenda.

Stop letting the wrong people get between you and the right ones. – Don’t let the people who refuse to love you keep you from the people who do love you. Spend time with those who make your world a little brighter simply by being in it. Someday you will either regret not doing so, or you will say, “I’m glad I did.”

Stop letting people leave grudges in your mind. – Remember, the first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. The first to move forward is the happiest. Always.

I know this for sure. I was put in a position by some ‘friends’ where apology was demanded of me. Well, what I did!? I sincerely apologized. I felt terrified but I did it. I was shaken but till today, I feel so excited I did it and walked away with grace, respect, and self-worth! I bear no grudge and I live in peace with room for new great friends! Be brave, strong and apologize and live happily ever after. You will thank me later. If you forget everything in this article, please, please, remember this one. You cannot hold fire in your hands and expect someone else to get burned.

Stop letting people use your past to poison your present. – Life is too short to tirelessly struggle with old news and those who refuse to let it go. Some people cannot stand that you’re moving on with your life and so they will try to drag your past to catch up with you.

Do not help them by acknowledging their behavior. Keep moving forward.

Practice acceptance and forgiveness.

Letting go of the past is your first step to happiness.

Stop letting people convince you that change is a bad thing. – The things we can’t change often end up changing us.

This change happens for a reason. Roll with it. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it in the end. I am not going to tell you what to change because you know those things in your life you must change. Think about it for a minute.

What in your life must you change to move forward in life! List them down – actually, document them and start today.

Stop letting people dump on your dreams. – Life will test you to see how serious you are about pursuing a particular path. And sooner or later you may face negative feedback from others. When this happens, remember not to let anyone crush your spirit. If

you are passionate about something, pursue it, no matter what anyone else thinks. That is how dreams are achieved. I have had that experience TODAY as I type this article out. I got an unsolicited advice from a stranger about a pursuit I am working on. Well, I am focused and not derailed. I have my dream, or at least God gave me that dream. God did not give it to that person, so I am not going to allow that person to dump anything on my dream.

Stop letting naysayers talk you out of putting in the extra effort. – Hard times often lead to greatness. Keep the faith. It will be worth it in the end.

The beginnings to great things are always the hardest. You may be in the beginnings right now but keep pushing through. I am pushing through as well.

We will breakthrough.

Stop letting people convince you of their quick-fix schemes. – Anything worth achieving takes time and dedicated effort. Period. Honestly, I used to believe that making wishes and saying prayers changed things, but now I know that wishes and prayers change us, and WE change things and make things happen.

Stop letting people tell you that you need more to be happy. – Thankfulness is the start of happiness. Make gratitude your lifestyle. Take a walk and say ‘thank you’ the whole time you are walking and see how you feel afterwards. I know this is life changing so I encourage you to give it a shot and thank me later. We don’t need more stuff to be happy. We need a grateful heart to be happy and truly joyful.

Appreciate what you have got. Be thankful for the little and the big things in life that mean a lot.

I recently spoke with a sister in Ottawa and she told me of a stranger she met in the grocery store who approached her and said she sold ladies cloths and fabrics – in this time of lockdown. What do we want more cloths for – where are we wearing them to. My sister simply looked at her and said no, thank you.

She was surprised to have met such a person because my sister says she gets scared to the marrow when she walks into her closet and sees all the cloths and ‘stuff’ she has. We all have piled up stuff. We have so much to be grateful for apart from the ‘stuff’. Be grateful for your life and health, your family and neighbors, your community and city, your province and country, all the nature around you. Be grateful for your legs and hands and joints and all you can think of. This is the beginning of happiness and joy. Spend less time accumulating stuff and you will be happier.

The choice is yours for the picking.

What would you add to the list? What would you not let others do to you?

The Ghanaian News February 2021 51

Lifestyle

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

Eating Fruit on an empty stomach We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths. It’s not as easy as you think. It’s important to know how and when to eat.

What is the correct way of eating fruits?

IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS! * FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. If you eat fruit like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.

FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD. Let’s say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so.

In the meantime the whole meal rots and ferments and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil....

So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals!

You have heard people complaining — every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats up, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet, etc — actually all

this will not arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat!

Graying hair, balding,nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes all these will NOT happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach.

There is no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the Secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight.

When you need to drink fruit juice - drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans. Don’t even drink juice that has been heated up. Don’t eat cooked fruits because you don’t get the nutrients at all. You only get to taste.

Cooking destroys all the vitamins.

But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice throughout the 3 days

and you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look!

KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit.

Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

ORANGE : Sweetest medicine.

Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose ofglutathione, which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene — the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners

for their high vitamin C content..

Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.

Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer! Can you believe this? For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this ‘sludge’ reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine.

Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

A serious note about heart attacks HEART ATTACK PROCEDURE’: (THIS IS NOT A JOKE!) Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line. You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms.

Sixty percent of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let’s be careful and be aware. The more we know the better chance we could survive.

Dr Stephen Mak

THE CHRISTIAN AND COVID-19: “LOVE PRAYS”

cont’d from pg. 45

know that if we do not persevere in prayers we will not persevere in faith, love, service, and obedience.

The reality is, God is not like the judge, but we are like the widow. We can trust Him to answer us, but can He trust us to keep asking?

3. Luke 18:9-14 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you: this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

9

The Spirit of Love in the Spirit of prayer: • Does not trust in self. Watch out for the errors of an inflated self, a deflated sense of God and a distracted sense of values in your life as the Pharisee exhibited.

• Is not self righteous.

• Does not treat others with disrespect.

• Is not proud but exalted through the spirit of humility.

• Is a heart sensitive to sin, deception and lies.

• Is totally dependent on God. Humility, my friends is the way of life in the Kingdom. So, do not let pride render your religion empty, prayers futile and boasting foolish1.

CONCLUSION The Spirit of Love is indeed the Spirit of prayer that is prayed out with the Spirit of humility and persistent daily because of faith, trust, hope and love for God.

52

The Ghanaian News February 2021

Around the World Sports Scene Afful Basit wins 2021 National Cross Country race Afful Basit from the Central Region and Belinda Segbobu from the Upper West Region stole the show at the 2021 National Cross Country race organized by the National Sports Authority (NSA) at Sefwi-Wiaso in the Western North Region, on Saturday.

Basit, making his third appearance in the competition clocked 29m 44s.14 to win the Men’s category ahead of John Kudan and David Nakuosi from the Ashanti Region and Upper West Region made a time of 30m.15s.48 and 30m.20s.09 respectively in the 20km race.

The race which started in the early hours of Saturday at Ayemkrom and ended at the Glistering Park at SefwiWiaso had 200 athletes drawn from the 16 Regions participating.

In the female category, Segbofu, beat Sherifa Moro and Rosina Tit with a time of 35m.11s.

She beat the duo with a difference of 35 seconds to emerge top.

The two athletes told the GNA Sports they prepared well for the competition and were hungry to compete for Ghana on the international front.

Overall, Ashanti Region picked 20 points to place first as the best Region, whilst Central Region and Greater Accra occupied the second and third position with 50 and 75 points respectively in the Men’s category.

In the female division, Upper West emerged as the best team with 22 points, followed

by Ashanti Region (32 points) and Eastern Region (86 points) in that order.

For their efforts, the first three athletes in both categories received a cash prize of GHc3,000, GHc2,000 and GHc1,000 whereas the best Region received GHc10,000.

Also, all the participating athletes were presented with certificates, a book authored by the NSA Director General Prof. Peter Twumasi and products from

Pomasidor

Ghana.

Mr. Kofi Aboagye, a Pharmacist in the Region made a special donation of undisclosed cash to Western North Region for successfully hosting the competition.

The NSA Director General, after the event told the GNA Sports, “this is one of the competitions we can use to raise long-distance runners. When it comes to long-distance running in Ghana, we really don’t put in resources to harness their potentials.

When we continue to do this, we can identify talents in Ghana to match their opponents on the international front.

“We would mold and polish these talents for major competitions. We are satisfied that these budding talents would have the resources to be ready for the world.

There were scouts here and some of these athletes would be picked.”

Eastern Region would host the 2022 National Cross Country Race.

GNA

Amponsah qualifies for Africa Cross Country Championship

‘Experienced’ Asamoah will be decisive to our survival- Cagliari manager Leonardo Semplici Cagliari manager Leonardo Semplici admits Ghanaian midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah’s experience will be crucial in their survival hopes.

The former Juventus and Inter Milan player became the Ghanaian with the most appearances in the serie A with 271 games.

Having won the scudetto six times with Juventus and played an important role as they reach the finals of the UEFA champions League, he is expected to be a key cog for Cagliari.

His arrival at Cagliari sees him reuniting with former teammate at Inter Radja Niangolan, both of whom are expected to translate their experiences into results for the struggling club.

“Radja is the extra element of this team to reach salvation. He is physically improving to get back in full shape.

He must be put in the best possible condition, he will play lower than usual. Asamoah will also be decisive, he has great experience and I hope to have him in condition as soon as

possible,” said Semplici.

Asamoah made his debut on Sunday in Cagliari’s 2-0 victory over Crotone.

The victory moves them to 18th on the league table. GHANAsoccernet

18-Premier League teams in the ongoing season.

Former Ghana goalkeeper Abubakari Damba says Razak Abalorah is the best goalkeeper in the ongoing Ghana Premier League.

Abalorah, since getting the opportunity to be in post for the Porcupine Warriors under Coach Johnson Smith has cemented his place as the team’s number one relegating captain Felix Annan on the bench.

Amponsah, a student of the University of Education, Winneba secured his qualification at the 2021 Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) Cross Country Championship held in Accra last Saturday.

Kwadwo Asamoah

Razak Abalorah is the best goalkeeper in the Ghana Premier League- ExGhana goalkeeper Abubakari Damba

The Asante Kotoko goalkeeper has been impressive for his side in the ongoing campaign.

Ghana’s long-distance runner William Amponsah has qualified for the Africa Cross Country Championship scheduled for Lome, Togo on March 6, 2021.

Amponsah clocked an impressive 35:49.34 in the 12km race while Ishmael Arthur of the Ghana Armed Forced placed second with a time of 36:50.84. Samuel Ataylar Awini came third with a time of 37:18.08

with Jonathan Baah Annobil

“Razak Abalora is my best goalkeeper so far in the league. To be honest, he is a very good goalkeeper. He has been outstanding in the league”, he told Happy FM.

Razak Abalorah the game against arch-rivals Hearts of Oak in the Super Clash on Sunday after saving a penalty.

Abubakari Damba in his observation on the performance of goalkeepers The former WAFA said Razak Abalorah is the goalkeeper kept his side in best goalkeeper among the Ghana’s long-distance runner, William Amponsah

He also commended Great Olympics young goalkeeper Saeed.

“The young goalkeeper of Olympics, Saeed is another goalkeeper doing well.

He has a big and bright future . If he gets the right guidance and remains determined and focused”.

GHANAsoccernet

NSA congratulates Richard Commey over Marinez defeat

Amponsah in an interview with GNA Sports after securing his qualification was elated and said he was ready for the main race in Togo.

The female’s cross country race also saw Lariba Juliana Zakat also secure her qualification to Africa Cross Country Championship after placing first in a time of 42:29.3.

The National Sports Authority (NSA) has congratulated former International Boxing Federation (IBF) Lightweight Champion, Richard Commey for defeating Jackson Marinez of the Dominican Republic by a technical Knockout.

“The race was a tough one but thank God I qualified for the Africa Championship and I have already started preparing for the task ahead.

Elizabeth Azure came second with a time of 44:58.2 while Hildermary Bayor placed third with a time of 45:12.0.

In a congratulatory message signed by the Acting Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Charles Amofa it said, “His display of tenacity and determination has once again brought honour to Ghana and as such he should be commended for emerging victorious.

“I would have to put in hard work if I am to make any meaningful impact in the Africa Championship but I hope to be ready when the time is due,” he said.

Amponsah in December won the firstever Sekondi-Takoradi Marathon, to confirm his dominance in the longdistance race in Ghana GNA

Commey secured a sixth-round Technical Knockout (TKO) over Marinez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas over the weekend to announce his prowess in boxing again.

“We have no doubts in our minds that this victory would spur him on to win more titles for the country. We once again say “ayekoo” to you and wish you well in all your endeavours.”

This was Commey’s first fight after losing his IBF lightweight title to Teofino Lopez by a second-round TKO in December 2019. GNA

The Ghanaian News February 2021 53

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The Ghanaian News February 2021

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The Ghanaian News February 2021 55

Ghana Month: Ghana’s Tourist Attraction Many people like to travel. Travelling is fun, especially when it is for relaxation and site seeing.

Often, we get to learn about the history behind the names of some of these tourist sites when we visit these places but as part of Ghana Month series, we bring you a summary of the history behind the names behind some of the country’s tourist sites.

Afadjato or mount Afadja:

Nzulezu:

Picture from breathlist.com

photo from jonilar.net This is the name of the highest mountain in Ghana. The peak of the mountain is located close to the village of Liati Wote.

History has it that, When the Ewe people migrated to the area and saw the mountain, it looked like the mound in which water yam is planted. They also discovered some creeping plants on the mountain that resembled the water yam plant and so they decided to give the name “Avadze-to” which emerges from “Avadze” which is the Ewe word for water yam, and ‘to’ which means mountain.

Over time, the word has been corrupted to become Afadjato. The first part – Afadja is the name of the mountain whilst the suffix ‘to’ is the Ewe name for mountain, it is, therefore, inappropriate to call it Mount Afadjato as that will be a repetition, literally meaning, “Mount Afadja Mountain”.

Nzulezu is the name of a stilt village located in the Jomoro District in the Western Region of Ghana. It serves as an inhabitant for the people of the area but has also over time, attracted several persons who visit for site seeing. It is built over Lake Tadane.

Nzulezu is an Nzema word meaning “surface of water”. History has it that the ancestors of the inhabitants of the village migrated from Walata or Oualata, a city in ancient Ghana Empire and were brought to the place under the guide of a snail. This snail, they believe, was a god who protected them from slave traders and other ethnic groups.

The snail is therefore revered by the people of the land as a totem.

James Fort, Accra, Ghana

Bosomtwi

James Fort was built in Accra when the British came to Ghana during the “Gold Coast” days. In 1673, the Royal African Company of England constructed the fort to aid them in the trade of both gold and slaves. It serves as a reminder of the country’s colonial rule. The fort was later turned into a prison until 2008.

Today, James Fort is one of the most popular attractions in Ghana, attracting visitors who are eager to educate themselves on the nation’s past. If you are a visitor to Ghana, James Fort is the place for you to explore the life of assumed criminals who were convicted in this facility.

Busua Beach Photo from visitghana.com It is the name of a very popular lake found in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

The lake is about a half an hour drive from Kumasi. The name of this lake is derived from two Akan words “Bosom” which means smaller god or deity and ‘Otwi’ which means Antelope.

According to Oral history, the lake was discovered by a hunter named Akora Bompe from Asaman who was said to have been chasing an antelope. Though he had shot and injured the antelope initially, it still continued to run till it disappeared in a small pond ahead. It is believed the water body was a god.

The hunter who finally settled beside the water body subsequently named it “Bosomtwi’ which means “antelope god”.

Busua Beach Resort is nestled between Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) and Accra Ghana’s capital city. Positioned on several acres of natural sandy beaches overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Busua boasts of 62 luxurious rooms and suites in chalet style and restaurants with mouth-watering cuisine.

Busua is a small fishing village in the Western Region’s Ahanta West District in Ghana. west!

56 The Ghanaian News December 2020

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