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Okyeame Kofi: Akyeame developed and defined Hiplife in Ghana

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Ghanaian Hiplife legend Okyeame Kofi, known in real life as Daniel Kofi Amoateng, has revealed that the music genre hiplife was developed and defined by his group, Akyeame.

According to Okyeame Kofi , when it comes to hiplife and defining hiplife in Ghana  then it  is the Akyeame group that  was the pace setter .

The Akyeame was a hiplife music group he formed with current rap doctor Okyeame Kwame back in the early days of Hiplife.

Speaking in an interview with Heavy Dee on KETEKE on Max 89.7 FM, Sunday, 22nd June, 2020, Okyeame Kofi said “if you ask me truly and if the subject matter is not rap and it’s fusion then I will probably give it to Ambuley, being truthful and all .But when it comes to hiplife and defining hiplife then it is Akyeame.”

Heavy Dee
Heavy Dee on KETEKE on Max 89.7 FM

The “Shake that thing” hit maker further added that even Reggie Rockstone, Ghana’s grandpa of Hiplife music, accepts that. It is a done deal and no one can change that fact.

He said “We took the definition of what hip and the life into high life , bit of it and exemplified it. We went into the studio and did that for people to really understand what we mean by the genre Hipife.”

“There are elements of hiphop and highlife in it and we even took it a much higher by fusing it with a little RnB and dance hall.”

“Nana Quame playing the RnB part and Yoggi Doggi playing the dancehall part, it’s like a fusion of lot of things,” Okyeame Kofi said.

In the mid nineties, he and Okyeame Quame came together to form a duo called Akyeame who took hiplife to another level within and out of the boundaries of Ghana.

They came out with five albums, in the year 2000 the duo won the best hiplife rap Song of the year in the maiden edition of the Ghana music awards with their classic piece massan aba. They also won the best RAP group at the Sky award 2001.

President Akufo-Addo: Ghana’s COVID-19 case count now 14,154, as 147 new cases are recorded.

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The total COVID-19 cases of Ghana have increased to 14,154 in less than 24-hours.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced the latest 147 new COVID-19 cases during his 12th address to the nation on Sunday, June 21, 2020.

However, the total number of COVID-19 recoveries and deaths remain at 10,473 and 85 respectively.

Akufo-Addo said “As at Saturday, 20th June, the total number of positives, cumulatively, stands at 14,154, out of the 270,300 tests conducted. Under the revised policy, 5,925 persons have recovered and discharged.

“This brings the total number of recoveries to 10,473. The number of active cases is, thus, 3,596,” he added.

Akufo-Addo continued: In our hospitals and isolation centres, we currently have 24 persons severely ill, six persons critically ill, with four persons on ventilators. 85 persons have, regrettably, died.”

Find below the case count of per Region

Greater Accra Region – 8,075

Ashanti Region – 2,812

Western Region – 1,148

Central Region – 794

Eastern Region – 373

Volta Region – 314

Upper East Region – 271

Oti Region – 105

Western North Region – 82

Northern Region – 61

Savannah Region – 37

Upper West Region – 35

Bono East Region – 33

Ahafo Region – 8

North East Region – 3

Bono Region – 3

Mr. Drew: I support the ‘Ghanaian artistes are hungry’ movement

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Mr. Drew, the Highly Spiritual Music signee, is supporting the movement started by top Ghanaian musicians in the country who are crying for better conditions for the creative industry.

According to Mr. Drew, a lot of musicians in Ghana are actually hungry; however, most of them are scared to admit it.
Shatta Wale, Edem and a host of other Musicians have on several occasions expressed their thoughts that Ghanaian musician are angry. This comments didn’t go down well with a lot of their colleagues.
Speaking on an Accra-based FM station on Wednesday, however, Mr Drew emphasized that the movement does not mean that musicians in Ghana are poor, but a collective fight to create an enabling environment for musicians to thrive financially.
Some weeks back, a controversy was stirred by the artiste, who after his ‘Eat’ song featuring Stonebwoy was taken off YouTube over copyright claims said he was paying more attention to getting his music across the shores of Ghana.
According to the ‘Dwe’ singer, he is tired of Ghanaian musicians being branded as local champions.
“I have a small fan base in the United Kingdom and United States and I hope to strengthen the fan base in these two countries and spread my wings to other parts of the world,” Mr Drew noted.
Mr Drew believes he is the biggest musician in Ghana and mentioned his biggest issue with the music industry has to do with how GHAMRO tracks revenues online.
He further said that more attention should be paid to it since many Ghanaian artists are ‘hungry’.
He is currently promoting his new song with afrobeats sensation Kelvynboy titled ‘Later’.

 

Coronavirus: Ghana records 393 new cases with 58 recoveries and 0 death

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On Thursday Ghana’s coronavirus infections increased by some 393 cases, bringing the total recorded to 12, 929.

The Ghana Health Service’s update indicates that the number of recoveries which was recorded at 4410 on Wednesday, June 17 has been pushed to 4468 due to some 58 recoveries.

However, there has not been any new death recorded as the death toll remains 66 with 14 people being critically ill and four on ventilators.

From the latest update, Ghana’s active cases now stand at 8,395.

“14 cases are classified as severe and four are classified as critical that are on ventilators,” Dr. Badu Sarkodie, the Director of the Disease Surveillance Department of the Ghana Health Service, said.

Below is the regional breakdown

Greater Accra Region – 7,573
Ashanti Region – 2,403
Western Region – 1,051
Central Region – 732
Eastern Region – 299
Volta Region – 291
Upper East Region – 241
Oti Region – 101
Western North Region – 81
Northern Region – 61
Savannah Region – 37
Upper West Region – 32
Bono East Region – 23

North East Region – 2
Bono Region – 1
Ahafo Region – 1

 

Former Ghana U-20 captain Clifford Aboagye joins Mexican giants Santos Laguna

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Former Ghanaian youth star Clifford Aboagye has signed for Mexican powerhouse Santos Laguna ahead of the 2020 LIGA MX Opening Tournament.

The 25, year old had a good spell with fellow LIGA MX side Querétaro FC and his performances caught the eye of Santos Laguna.

The former Ghana U20 captain has taken Mexican football by storm since he joined Atlas on loan from Spanish side Granada in 2017.

He was awarded the Bronze Ball at the FIFA U20 World Cup in 2013, moved from Inter Allies FC to Italian side Udinese and was subsequently loaned to Granada CF where linked up with the Andalusians until 2018.

After a torrid poor spell however, he was assigned to the reserves in Segunda División B. This led pundits to conclude that Aboagye’s time in Spain was a failure.

Notwithstanding the career dip, the diminutive midfielder has stepped up again with the flair that attracted many scouts to chase his signature seven years ago.

 

BoG: Gov’t plans to issue GH¢17,837 securities

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The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has said the Government of Ghana, for the period between June to August this year, plans to issue securities to the tune of GH¢17,837.87 million (gross), of which GH¢15,806.61 million is to rollover maturities and the remaining GH¢2,031.26 million is fresh issuance to meet Government’s financing requirements.

According to the central bank it expects that the 2020 June to August Calendar will meet the requirements of market participants.

The BoG said “We assure all stakeholders and the general public that we continue to strive for greater predictability and transparency in the domestic bond market.”

A calendar has been released by the BoG for the perusal of the investing public as part of Government’s effort to improve market transparency in the issuance of Government securities.

It  is developed based on the Net Domestic Financing provided in the 2020 Budget, the domestic maturities, the 2020 Annual Borrowing & Recovery Plan (ABRP) and the Medium Term Debt Management Strategy (MTDS) for 2020-2023.

The securities that are intended to be issued in respect of Government’s Public Sector Borrowing Requirements for the period June to August, 2020 shows in the Calendar.

The issuance calendar is expected to be updated by government on a monthly rolling basis, to reflect a full quarter financing programme.

The Calendar furthermore also takes into consideration Government’s liability management programme, market developments (both domestic and international) and the Treasury & Debt Management objective of lengthening the maturity profile of the public debt.

IMF Boss to govts: Monitor use of stimulus package

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The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva has said Governments must pay attention to how the stimulus packages provided to support businesses in this period of the coronavirus pandemic are utilized.

In her remarks to Italy’s National Consultation, She said: “We also know that we ought to pay attention to how we use the enormous injection of stimulus so that we give the economy a chance to recover and grow.

“And here is an unusual message to the membership from the IMF Managing Director: please spend as much as you need. But spend carefully and keep your receipts: we don’t want accountability to be lost.

“And we must be careful not to withdraw the stimulus too fast if we want to ensure the recovery maintains momentum. We know that digital is a big winner in this crisis—and some experts say the pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation by two or three years. This gives us a chance to build on this transformation for the future.

The IMF boss further said that Europe is in a more risk-prone environment.

“As one critical example, climate change is real. We may have put it on the back burner during this crisis, but it is still with us. I tell everyone—if you don’t like the pandemic, you are not going to like the climate crisis when it comes. So, there is action to take towards a greener economy.

“And we know there are ways in which we must address inequality. This was done well after the Second World War, and after this current crisis, we must renew our commitment in a similar way.

“Together, the whole world—including the EU, Italy, and the IMF—faces a clear question. How will history judge our response to this crisis?

Will history say we presided over the great reversal that brought more poverty, more fragmentation, and less trade? Or will history say we marshaled a great reset and a great renewal on a massive scale?

“Here, the European Union has championed a strong sense of solidarity and a strong sense that the recovery is coming.

“As a former budget commissioner, I believe this is a key moment when the European dream is becoming reality because Europe is standing together to put forward a fiscal support package of the magnitude required to help countries cope with the pandemic and its economic fallout. This is money that Europe will get from markets on the basis of its strength, and that it will distribute to member states on the basis of their needs.

“And I want to say clearly – it is not just about the money. It is a chance for Europe to restart its convergence engine, which has been stalling since the global financial crisis. It is a chance for Europe to exercise leadership. And it is a chance not to be missed.”

 

Ofori-Atta: Govt to weed out unprofessional auditors

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The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has revealed that government has made a decision to deal with auditors who engage in unprofessional conduct in relation to their work.

According to Ken Ofori-Atta , some auditors in charge of auditing jobs sometimes get away with unprofessional practices because no one audits their work when they are done, a situation he said leads to so many wrongs being buried upon the issuance of their reports never to be resurrected again.

He said this will soon be over after the inauguration of a new Tax Audit and Quality Assurance Unit.

Jointly inaugurated by Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the unit was inaugurated to deal with the issue of corruption in revenue mobilization in Ghana.

According to Mr Ofori Atta, the unit will also ensure a centralized audit planning process and guarantee quality auditing in Ghana.

Mr Ofori Atta explained that: “Some auditors in charge of auditing jobs sometimes get away with unprofessional practices because no one audits their work when they are done, so many wrongs are buried upon the issuance of their reports never to be resurrected again, and we want to change that.

“So there should be an audit to audit the Auditor concept. Once they know their work may be reviewed, they will not compromise on the integrity of their work.”

The Commissioner-General of the GRA, Reverend Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, also said the Unit will help the Commission improve revenue collection.

“If you as a tax Authority want to be able to wipe away the issue of corruption and integrity, it requires a definite, purposeful act to move ahead otherwise no matter what you do, we will not be able to get the needed result.

“Therefore GRA as part of our strategic direction aim at coming out with a definite action that will ensure that perception or the reality of corruption as far audit is concerned is reduced to a significant level in GRA. Our commitment to this course is absolute” he stated.

Micheal Oppong Kwafo appointed as Executive Counsel Member of the Minifootball Association of Ghana (MAG)

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According to media reports, the Minifootball Association of Ghana (MAG) has officially appointed Mr.Michael Oppong Kwafo as an Executive Council Member of the Association.

The appointment was announced by the Minifootball Association of Ghana (MAG) in an official letter signed by Mr. Andrews Ako Nai, the President of MAG, which is dated May 26, 2020 and addressed to Mr. Oppong Kwafo.

All issues bordering on his financial reward will be discussed in his contract.

The tenure of Mr. Oppong Kwafo’s office is five (5) years for three (3) terms at most.

His responsibilities and roles as an executive council member of the MAG are as follows:

  1. To formulate strategic policies for the association.
  2. To make recommendations, offer advice and assist in decision-making process for the Association.
  3. To review budget request and to make recommendations for allocation amounts.
  4. To formulate and enforce procedures which facilitate the development of Minifootball.

Mr.Michael Oppong Kwafo, accepting the Executive Council Member appointment, started working officially at the MAG National Secretariat on 15th June, 2020.

Below is the content of the appointment letter to Mr. Oppong Kwafo from MAG:

Dear Sir,

TO:
MICHAEL OPPONG KWAFO

C/O FRANK NKANSAH

P.O.BOX KN 4000

KANESHIE- ACCRA.

DATE:
May 26, 2020

 

APPOINTMENT OF MR. MICHAEL OPPONG KWAFO AS AN EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER OF THE MINIFOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF GHANA(MAG)

 

This is to certify that Mr.Michael Oppong Kwafo has been officially appointed as an Executive Council Member of the Minifootball Association of Ghana (MAG).

Your tenure of office is five (5) years for three (3) terms at most.

Your responsibility is as follows:

  1. To formulate strategic policies for the Association.
  2. To make recommendations, offer advice and assist in decision-making process for the Association.
  3. To review budget request and to make recommendations for allocation amounts.
  4. To formulate and enforce procedures which facilitate the development of Minifootball.

All issues bordering on your financial rewards will be discussed in your contract.

Your acceptance letter is expected to reach MAG’s National Secretariat not later than 10th June,2020.

You are officially expected to commence work on 15th June,2020.

We will like to take this opportunity to congratulate you for your appointment and wish you the best of luck.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

……………………………………………….

Andrews Ako Nai

(President of MAG)

 

Oppong Nkrumah: NDC engages in ‘intellectual dishonesty’ in assessment of government’s achievements

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The New Patriotic Party (NPP) led government has jabbed the Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) over claims that the ruling NPP party has only achieved about 14% of its manifesto promises.

Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, addressing journalists in Accra on Monday, June 15, 2020, said  the claims by the NDC is a  distortion of facts “one that the leading opposition party is engaging in to serve their own parochial partisan interest”.

According to Mr Oppong Nkrumah, the opposition NDC party is parading dishonesty about the current state of affairs.

“As we get into the 2020 national conversation period, one of the narratives that the NDC seek to carve is a narrative of dishonesty and in order to give life or credence to that narrative, they have to create scenarios that if indeed we made 388 promises, they will find some ways of adding some 235 and claim that we made 631 and in the end say therefore that we have been dishonest”

Mr Nkrumah indicated that part of the strategy of the NDC is increasing the NPP’s promises from 388 to 631 to enable the opposition party make a claim of dishonesty against the Akufo-Addo administration.

“They make this argument because what they seek is to downplay our achievement as a country and as a people” he added.

In the third edition of their weekly press conference Monday, the NDC rated the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) 14 percent in their manifesto promises prior to the 2016 general elections. The press conference which was led by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa described as woeful government’s accomplishment of its own promises.

However, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah, who was responding to the claims, stated that “what they have always forgotten is that if Ghana succeeds, and the Government of Ghana, regardless of which administration is in power, gets the credit, it insures to the benefit of all Ghanaians including them. When Ghanaian leadership is respected and appreciated across the continent or the world, they too, regardless of their partisan political Colour benefit from the collateral credit.”

The Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi, admonished that despite this year being an election year, the country should be focused on conversations that will help bring development.

“We are clear in our minds that this year being an election year, despite the expectation that our attention as a nation even on politics should be focused on leadership in times of crisis, it comes as no surprise that the group will resort to such attempts. We do not believe that Ghana’s progress record should be undermined in those attempts to be partisan. Government assures the people of Ghana to set and defend the nation’s record of growth straight even in this trying times” he added.