A first-year female student at Aburi Girls Senior High School in the Eastern Region has tragically passed away.
The student, who complained of severe stomach pains, succumbed on Monday, February 5, 2024.
According to a source within the school, allegations suggest that the student was denied medical attention by the school nurse, who reportedly accused her of repeatedly feigning illness.
Tragically, by the time she was rushed to the hospital, she had passed away.
The deceased student’s body has been deposited at the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital pending autopsy.
Her family, reportedly residing abroad, has been informed and arrived in Ghana after receiving the sad news.
Police in collaboration with Management of the School are conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has expressed concern over the significant turnover of Members of Parliament (MPs).
He therefore urged the various political parties to address the issue seriously.
During the recent primaries of the New Patriotic Party 28 MPs lost their bid to return.
About 17 NDC MPs also lost during the party’s primaries last year. 5 MPs from the NDC and 19 from the NPP also opted out.
This sudden shift in parliamentary composition raises concerns about Ghana’s democratic development and the stability of the legislature.
Speaker in his welcome address on the floor emphasized that while individual competence matters, party endorsement is equally crucial.
The Speaker called on all stakeholders to consider the hemorrhage and its financial implications, pointing out that the investment made in each MP is substantial and should not go to waste after every four years.
The defense chiefs from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries excluding Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea and Niger, gather for their extraordinary meeting in Accra, Ghana, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023, to discuss the situation in Niger. Three West African nations of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have quit the regional economic bloc known as ECOWAS. Their respective juntas said in a joint statement on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024 that the bloc has imposed “inhumane” sanctions to reverse the coups in their nations and has also “moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and Pan-Africanism” after nearly 50 years of its establishment.
Credit: Richard Eshun Nanaresh/File/AP
Kadiatou Seydou moved to Ghana from Mali a year and a half ago to improve her English. She left home just after the military assumed control of the landlocked country of 22 million people.
Seydou recalls she was in her office when events unfolded.
” I was in the capital, Bamako and there were gunshots and I saw in the news that they are about to do a coup d’etat in the country. I was very surprised. I couldn’t understand so they sent us a message that everyone should go home because the situation is becoming worse”, she said.
The military justified the coup to tackle the country’s problems with corruption, mismanagement and electoral violence under then-president Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.
But since the coup, Seydou has returned to Mali to visit and said the situation has not improved.
“Even now, there’s a lot of terrorists, there is insecurity. The country is not secure,” Seydou said. “I can say that things are worse now but before, it wasn’t like that.”
This is a busy scene from the central business district in Accra, Ghana. A 2023 Afrobarometer survey shows a
decline in the preference for democracy in Africa leaving some analysts worried. Credit: Ridwan Karim DiniOsman/StarrFM.com.gh
For more than a decade, the Sahel region in West Africa has been plagued by attacks linked to armed groups like al-Qaeda. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have been the worst affected by militant Islamist groups.
Now, Mali — along with Burkina Faso and Niger — have announced their withdrawal from the regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, citing “inhumane sanctions” and its failure to help these countries fight terrorist groups in the Sahel region.
Burkina Faso and Mali together account for 52% for all terrorism-related deaths in Africa, according to the Global Terrorism Index. Burkina Faso is the most affected by terrorism on the African continent and the second most-affected worldwide.
A mural is seen in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on March 1, 2023. A new report by Human Rights Watch says Burkina Faso’s security forces killed at least 60 civilians in three different drone strikes which the West African nation’s military government claimed were targeting extremists. Credit: Photo/AP
These countries expected that the ECOWAS would do more to help them fight terrorism. Instead, they were hit with severe sanctions and suspended from the robust regional organization.
Established in 1975, ECOWAS is a robust regional organisation that allows for the seamless movement of goods and services across West African countries and enables millions of people to settle in neighbouring states with visa-free travel and easy work permits.
It may be harder now for people like Seydou to travel freely across borders.
The ECOWAS treaty also enables millions of people to settle in neighboring states with visa-free travel and easy
work permits. Credit: Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman/StarrFM.com.gh
She said she disagrees with Mali’s decision to exit the bloc.
“It is not necessary. These three countries don’t have a sea, there’s no ports. So what are we going to do? It is not the right time. Because we need the rest of the countries that are part of ECOWAS.”
Ivory Coast and Ghana supply electricity to Mali and Burkina Faso, and as active trade partners, this could impact access to electricity.
Seyni Afizou, a 24-year-old student from Niger who has lived near Accra for the last six months, said he supports his country’s exit from the ECOWAS, because the organisation has not offered protection against terrorism.
“When the terrorists killed Nigerien people, Malian people and Burkinabe people, where was ECOWAS? But no one talks about it. And now we don’t care about them,” he said.
Niger’s army led a coup against then-President Mohamed Bazoum in July last year blaming corruption, rising insecurity and a lack of economic growth. The soldiers said the intervention was necessary to avoid the inevitable demise of Niger, home to more than 25 million people.
Days after the coup, ECOWAS suspended Niger from the regional bloc and imposed economic sanctions.
“I think ECOWAS is useless. You see Bazoum, the former president, was stealing a lot of money. The people tried to remove him and ECOWAS said, ‘No!’ Why? People said they prefer this military more than this Bazoum.”
Afizou added that ECOWAS and its democratic values have failed to bring social justice and economic equity to people within the Sahel region.
There have been six coups in West Africa within the last three years.
A bustling market in Abuja, Nigeria. ECOWAS allows for seamless movement of goods and services across West African countries. Credit: Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman/StarrFM.com.gh
A 2023 Afrobarometer survey shows a decline in the preference for democracy in Africa, dropping from 75% in 2012 to 66%. Additionally, 53% of respondents said a coup is legitimate if civilian leaders abuse their power, which is often the case.
“We don’t need democracy,” said Aboubacar Drabo, 20, who moved to Accra three months ago from Mali.
“Democracy doesn’t help Africa to develop themselves. We saw 60 years of democracy. What happened? Nothing happened. The situation is the same and the situation is very bad,” he said.
Now, analysts are worried that the exit of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger from ECOWAS will erode decades of progress within the West Africa bloc.
“There’s going to be a lot of hardship. There’s going to be really a lot of hardship,” said Ghanaian economist Joe Jackson.
Joe Jackson is a Ghanaian economist and financial analyst. Credit: Ridwan Karim DiniOsman/StarrFM.com.gh
He said that leaving ECOWAS could further worsen hunger, poverty and already fragile public health systems in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. This could also disrupt trade and services in the West African subregion, valued at almost $150 billion annually, he cautioned.
“Goods that we import from these countries, especially Burkina [Faso], especially the foodstuffs, are not going to come again. That’s a problem for us,” he said.
Jackson said the exit could also potentially lead the three countries to seek markets outside the continent, like in Russia.
Naana Abena Appenteng, a tomato trader in Accra, said the exit will adversely affect her access to high-quality tomatoes from Burkina Faso. In 2022, annual tomato imports from Burkina Faso to Ghana hit a staggering $400 million.
“Now what will I tell my customers if Burkina Faso stops selling or transporting to us? Things will be really tough for me,” she said.
In 2022, annual tomato imports from neighboring Burkina Faso to Ghana hit a staggering $400 million, up from an estimated $99.5 million in 2018. Credit: Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman/StarrFM.com.gh
Yaw Mensah, a truck driver who regularly transports goods across regional borders, said the announcement has unsettled him. He said he and other drivers are unsure now about the new regulations and the delays they might face at border checkpoints.
“Our leaders have to do something about this very fast,” he said.
Implications of the exit go beyond regional economic integration. Adib Saani, a security and international relations analyst in Ghana, said a lot is at stake.
He said these three countries are most impacted by terrorism. Withdrawing from ECOWAS could compromise the region’s counterterrorism efforts.
All three countries have developed stronger ties to Russia after distancing themselves from France, a former colonial power.
In September last year, the three countries formed the Alliance of Sahel States to work together against potential armed rebellions or external aggression.
Saani said this sort of division in the region is dangerous.
“This will work to the advantage of terrorists. Because terrorists want to see us divided. If we are divided, we wouldn’t be able to galvanize resources to counter them. They might even look forward to spreading their tentacles to other countries that haven’t been impacted by terrorism such as Ghana.”
Saani wants ECOWAS to persuade the three countries to stay members — it remains to be seen whether they will reconsider their exits.
But Burkina Faso’s military leader Ibrahim Traoré said the move to exit ECOWAS was thoughtful and strategic.
“It’s not a burst of anger. If it was an outburst, we would have done it a long time ago.”
File photo: Some officers of the Ghana Police Service
The Chief of Kwahu Bepong in the Eastern region Nana Nyarko Bawuah II has commended the Ghana Police Service for their professionalism in the handling of the incident involving a murder suspect at his palace.
According to the chief, but for the professional conduct of the police personnel the situation could have escalated and gotten out of control.
“The youth stormed this palace determined to lynch the suspect here. They were throwing everything they could get into the palace when the police prevented them from attacking the suspect. In fact it was the women among them who were supplying the stones for the men to throw in here.
“But the police were so professional with their approach to the incident. They showed that they were well trained, they shielded the suspect from any attack. In fact the angry youth didn’t realized when the police took the suspect from the palace. And when they realized he was no longer at the palace they turned their anger at the police attack them and their motorbikes and others,” the chief made the remarks when the Eastern regional Minster Seth Kwame Acheampong visited the troubled area today.
Meanwhile, more than 40 people have been arrested and are being prosecuted by the police following the incident.
The violence erupted following the alleged rape and murder of a 45-year-old woman, Akua Kyerewaa, by a 23-year-old ex-convict, Kwasi Tenkorang.
The 18-year-old teenager who has been charged together with a 15-year-old juvenile has told the High Court in Accra that “I do not know anything about the death of Ishmael Mensah Abdallah.”
The two teenagers have been charged for conspiracy and murder of the 10-year-old Ishmael Mensah Abdallah before the High Court in Accra presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo.
While the 15-year-old juvenile (1st Accused) has admitted the offense and stated that they “committed the crime together,” the young offender (2nd Accused) has denied the charges.
In Court on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 the 18-year-old 2nd Accused opened his defence in the ongoing trial after the first accused had closed his case.
While being led by his counsel to give his Evidence-in-Chief to the Court, the 18-year-old said, the 15-year-old juvenile’s account that they planned the death of the 10-year-old Ishmael was not true.
“When the first accused spent the night in my house, we did not plan the death of Ishmael,” he told the Court on Tuesday, February 6, 2024.
“On Friday, (April 2, 2021), when the first accused came to my house, I asked him where he was coming from and he told me that he went to work with his father around Subum near Nsawam.
“I asked him where his father was and he told me that his father had left earlier to the house,” he narrated to the Court.
He added, “I also asked him if he had been home and he told me that when he went home, he saw that the door had been locked so he decided to spend the night in my house because I was home alone that day.”
“When he spent the night in my house, we did not discuss anything in relation to going to any place and on that day, he (15-year-old) did not speak to anyone on phone when he was in my house,” he told the jury.
“I told him the coming Monday, (April 5, 2021), I would want to visit my hometown. He told me he’d like to come along with me to my home town because he had heard that there’s a lot of black magic there.
“The first accused (15-year-old juvenile) also told me that he had won a lottery and that he had GHc500 on his phone that day.
“I told him that I was feeling sleepy and I wanted to go to sleep. I turned off the light and we both slept,” he told the Court.
Unfortunate April 3
Asked by his Counsel to tell the Court what happened the next day, the 2nd Accused offered explanation.
“My lady on Saturday, April 3, 2021, when I and the first accused woke up, I told him to wash his face and start heading home since his father might be looking for him.
“After he freshened up, he left. The first accused left my house at about 5am to 6am.
“I went to brush my teeth and that is when my grandfather asked me to warm the farm so I and my siblings can eat.
“I lit up the fire and was about to warm the food when I saw Mr Nyarko father asked how I was doing,” he narrated to the Court.
“I said I was fine, he proceeded to tell me that he had some work to do and would like me to assist him to do that. I asked him where his son, 1st Accused was and he told me that 1st Accused wasn’t feeling well so he could not assist him.
“I asked his (1st accused) father if he was aware that his son slept over in my house on Friday,” but said, “the first accused father told me that his son did not tell him that but rather he told him that he slept in an uncompleted building close to their house,” he stated.
The case has been adjourned to February 8, 2024 for continuation
Renowned Ghanaian watchmaker and founder of Caveman Watches, Anthony Dzamefe, Entrepreneur and founder of EMY Africa Awards, Kojo Soboh and CEO and founder of GUBA Enterprise, Lady Dentaa Amoateng were extended special invitations to attend the 2024 Grammys Awards.
The Grammy Awards, one of the most prestigious events in the global music industry, attract artists, influencers, and industry leaders from around the world, this year invited some astute Ghanaian personalities, including Lady Dentaa, Kojo Soboh, Anthony Dzamefe, and others, as part of the measures to celebrate the rich diversity and talent within the African music scene on the world stage.
Speaking about the invitation, Anthony Dzamefe shared his excitement, saying, “I am humbled by the invitation to attend the Grammy Awards. It’s a recognition of the craftsmanship and creativity that Ghana and Africa offer, and I’m proud to be part of this moment.”
The three personalities were also present at the GRAMMY African Nominee Brunch which served as a prelude to the main GRAMMY Awards ceremony. The prestigious event brought together some of the brightest stars in African music, creating an atmosphere of celebration and camaraderie.
The event which seeks to celebrate African nominees, had the second edition of the African Grammy Nominees brunch hosted by Ghanaian broadcaster Berla Mundi.
This year’s African Grammy Nominee Brunch was organized under the auspices of Grow Unite and Build (GUBA) in partnership with Rollingstone is tipped to be worth attending as it has top-rated and award-winning African achievers gracing the occasion.
The likes of Grammy Award Winner and South African Singer Zakes Bantwini, Entrepreneur and founder of Emy Africa Kojo Soboh, Grammy-nominated music producer Musa Keys, and other great African personalities made the night full of applause for the African creative exports.
The brunch was held a day before the grand 66th Grammy Awards which made Tyla’s ‘Water’ win the new African category, ‘Best African Performance’ to honor African talents and ensure fairness and and a level playing field for Africans in the coveted music awards.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome Kwabenya Sara Adwoa Safo has questioned the part of the National Pledge which references “our forefathers” indicating its gender bias.
The MP suggested “foremothers” be included to cater for women. The speaker however indicated the wording is from the constitution thus a change might require an amendment.
Some of the new changes in the new standing orders are the creation of Economic Planning Committees from the finance committee.
Members of Parliament will henceforth have their roll call taken by the speaker each morning before sitting commences. This is according to the new standing orders approved by the house last year.
The MPs are also required to recite the National Pledge at the beginning of every sitting week.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin commenced implementation of the new standing orders today when sitting reconvened.
Some members of Parliament however had questions for the speaker about the optical implications of having to be marked absent in the plenary even when present at committee meetings. Wa West MP Peter Toobu for instance asked how that could be cured.
Other MPs including Asawase MP Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak however hailed the initiative arguing it would ensure punctuality. Reacting to the concerns the speaker explained the roll call is to ensure speakers presiding are better informed about quorum requirements.
He however indicated an electronic clocking system will subsequently be introduced to replace the manual roll call.
The Defence and Interior Committee has equally been split. Parliament through the new standing orders has been empowered to summon heads of institutions and agencies without having to go through sector ministers as had existed under the old regime.
The Ghana Police Service has interdicted a Police Chief Inspector, Benjamine Doe Kuwornu, stationed in the Central Region, for misconducting himself in a video which has been sighted by the Police Administration.
In a terse the Police administration explained that the move will allow for a thorough investigation into his conduct in line with Police Service Regulations.
“We would like to reiterate our assurance to the general public that the Police Service will continue to ensure that professionalism is maintained at all times in the discharge of our mandate,” the Police Service added.
The Sentinel Commercial Real Estate Investment Trust (the Sentinel REIT), the first Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) licensed under the current Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) REIT Guidelines has acquired One Airport Square (OAS), the iconic Grade A building in the prime area of Accra’s Airport City.
The nine-story OAS is a mixed-use building with a commercial space of 2,000 square meters and office space of 15,000 square meters. Boasting state-of-the art facilities, the building, which houses several blue-chip corporates, has a current occupancy rate of 80percent.
The acquisition of OAS was executed through a combination of equity and debt financing. Equity capital was provided by Stanbic Investment Management Services (representing Cocobod, Axis Pensions Trust and several other pension schemes), Petra Trust, United Pension Trustees, General Trust, Bora Capital Advisors, Tesah Capital and Black Star Advisors. Nedbank, a leading property finance lender in South Africa provided the debt components of the acquisition comprising a term loan facility and a short-term bridge facility.
Kisseih Antonio, CEO of Sentinel Asset Management Limited
“We are thrilled to have successfully acquired our first asset, a building that exemplifies the quality and strategic focus of the Sentinel REIT. This acquisition aligns with our strategy of investing in high-quality, income-producing assets with strong growth potential.
OAS benefits from a prime location, a diverse tenant base and significant upside potential. The acquisition also reflects our team’s dedication, expertise, and commitment to delivering value to our investors” said Kisseih Antonio, CEO of Sentinel Asset Management Limited, promoters and managers of the Sentinel REIT.
“We extend our gratitude to the SEC and the capital providers whose collaboration and support were instrumental in us successfully closing the acquisition. We also want to highlight Nedbank’s contribution in enabling the transaction to be as seamless as it was considering that the Sentinel REIT is the first investment vehicle exclusively dedicated to investing in real estate in Ghana.
As such, their international track record in funding REITs and their local market experience in real estate financing were invaluable. In addition, their provision of a short-term bridge facility to the Sentinel REIT was key to the successful acquisition of OAS.”
The Sentinel REIT is a close-ended scheme that aims to provide investors with regular and stable income with sustainable growth, liquidity and capital growth per share from investments in commercial real estate investments. The strategy for the Sentinel REIT is to invest in a portfolio of commercial real estate assets that have attractive investment fundamentals in terms of prime location, architectural design, stable tenant base, and properly structured leases.
It aims to achieve long-term appreciation of its assets and maximize returns on capital employed. The Sentinel REIT presents an opportunity for discerning investors to balance their investment portfolio by investing in assets that generate cashflow that is hedged against any depreciation of the Ghana cedi, and to partake in a stable and consistent stream.
Assin North’s Member of Parliament, James Gyakye Quayson, has stated that he is back from the medical treatment to resume active engagements with his constituents.
The legislator declares his return to the country with a commitment to serve his constituents and Ghana.
Because of health problems, the MP was largely absent from parliament during the last session.
Addressing the media in Parliament on Tuesday, the lawmaker assured his constituents of his commitment to serve them.
“Tell Ghanaians I am alive and kicking, I’m strong and I really miss them but sometimes in life, you have to take care of yourself. I am back in full swing, and I am going to take care of my constituents, my caucus and the country Ghana. We are going to win and we are going to succeed again. My people can’t wait to see me, to welcome me and work for them.
“Assin North, there’s no turning back. Forward ever, backwards never and Ghana is going to move forward. We are all going to put our heads together and make sure this country succeeds,” Mr. Quayson stated.
