Happy birthday to Yvonne Okoro

Today is the birthday of one of Ghana’s screen diva, Yvonne Chinyere Okereke Okoro.

Yvonne is an actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist. She's been in the movie industry actively for 4years after she graduated from University of Ghana, Legon wit a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2008 and a diploma from the University of Nantes in France in 2009 in French civilization and culture.

After taking a brief course in drama in France in 2009, Yvonne returned to acting which is her first love in Ghana.

Yvonne Okoro has over the years played different roles in movies here in Ghana, Nigeria and France and has a plethora of accolades, with several awards and nominations under her belt.

Some of the awards are: Best Actress 2010 at the Ghana movie awards, nominee for Best Actress 2011, 2012 and 2013 at the African Movie Academy Awards and winning Best Actress at the Nigerian excellence awards in 2011 and 2012 honoured by the ambassador of Nigeria His Excellency Musuliu Obanikoro for personality of the year.

The first Ghanaian actress to have been interviewed on BBC focus for Africa and appeared on the radio breakfast show Newsday on BBC radio as fast rising entrepreneur.

She's been involved in several charitable causes and has to a degree been able to fulfill some of her social responsibilities.

Today as part of her gift back to the society, she will be launching a state of the art play ground for the Dzorwulu Special School.

GhanaWeb Entertainment Desk wishes her long life and prosperity as she enjoys her day.

Zoomlion to begin waste separation programme

Zoomlion Ghana Limited, would begin a new waste separation programme for government institutions especially the ministries and some public schools in Accra.

Under the programme, three types of waste bins would be given to each institution within the ministries and the selected schools in Accra. One of the bins would contain paper, another plastics and the last one food waste. 

Dr Joseph Agyepong Siaw, Executive Chairman of the Zoomlion Group of Companies whose speech was read on his behalf at the launch of the National Source Waste Segregation Programme, expressed dissatisfaction about the indiscriminate disposal of waste without knowledge of separation.

The Programme is an initiative of Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation in partnership with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and waste management experts- Zoomlion.

Dr Agyepong Siaw explained that the source waste segregation or separation is an educational and attitudinal issue, which should have been part of the culture and practice of the people both at homes and in public places.

“It is however sad and unfortunate that in most homes, offices and in public places waste is treated as something that needs to be dumped anyhow,” he said.

He noted that the production of waste is inevitable in any country in the world, however segregating and recycling waste appropriately could prevent potential health hazards as well as keep the environment clean.

Dr Agyepong Siaw announced that Zoomlion has built a lot of landfill sites in Accra and is currently building transfer stations across the country for effective waste segregation and transportation.

Dr Joe Oteng Adjei, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation whose speech was read on his behalf stated that waste segregation is an efficient and environmentally sustainable way of managing waste in the country.

He noted that the process would help reduce the amount of waste to be transported to land filled sites as well as provide additional value from secondary raw materials, which could be recycled into useful products to support economic development.

He said waste segregation should be encouraged and promoted in hospitals, schools, government offices and even homes.

Dr Adjei said Ghanaians should understand that waste is a resource which should be handled properly to generate wealth.

Mr Daniel Amlalo, Executive Director of EPA said waste management and practices such as landfill disposal and incineration have failed to provide opportunities for the complete reuse and recycling of solid waste.

He said the Agency is committed to the waste segregation project for recycling and organic manure production for agriculture and landscaping.

GNA

11 ROBBERS GRABBED ON SEPARATE OPERATIONS

By Zulaihatu Abubakar

The Greater Accra Regional Police Command has arrested eleven armed robbers in different operations within the Greater Accra Region.

Some of the robbers have been on the police wanted list for committing varius degrees of robbery in and outside Accra the Police has said.

In a press briefing in Accra yesterday, the Regional Police Commander DCOP Christian Tetteh Yohonu explained that, the police have been on the lookout for any suspected activities within the Metropolis.

According to him, the first and second case of robbery involved car snatching with suspects Renold Blay age 26, Kwesi alias Boutigue, Abu Mohammed alias Alhaji 32, Ackun kwadwo alias Abodam 32 and Wahab Bawah alias teller 29 are in the grip of the police respectively.

According to the Regional Commander, in October to November, 2013, the Police have experienced a number of car snatching cases in the Region.

DCOP Yohuno narrated the first robbery of taxi snatching with suspects Ackun and Wahab that, on the 15th of this month, at about 12:30am the suspects hired a Nissan Almera taxi with registration number GR 6166 – 13 to Riz junction at Madina.

The victim later reported the incident and upon intelligence from the Police source led to the arrest of the two suspects at their hide out at Madina in which they made a revelation upon interrogation that from October this year they have succeeded in snatching ten cars in the Accra metropolis.

He said, an investigation conducted by his outfits led to the arrest of suspects Seyram Danquah alias two face and Awudu Awal as their accomplices in which six out of the ten snatched vehicles have been retrieved and handed over to ther respective owners.

In the case of the second snatchers, Renold Blay has been described as expert in car snatching.

According to DCOP Yohonu  Blay and his accomplice Kwesi alias Boutique hired a Nissan March taxi cab from Kwame Nkrumah Circle to Tantra Hill in Accra.

When they got to their final destination the two suspects pulled a knife on the driver and succeeded in snatching the taxi cab.

Upon Police interrogation after the arrest, the suspect Renold Blay confessed snatching the car and drove to Asamankese where they sold for GH¢ 2,000.

The Police have also arrested two notorious armed robbers on separate incidents, Yakubu Shaibu alias Jelilu and Micheal Tetteh alias Charles Wayo Amartey Tetteh 32.

Suspect Yakubu Shaibu was arrested for the offence of robbing Mamprobi Guinness Depot on the 18th of July this year with his five accomplices who are currently facing trial but suspect Yakubu managed to escape upon seeing the Police on that faithful day.

The Greater Accra Police Commander noted that, one of the five robbers who was a worker at the Guinness Depot at Mamprobi Emmanuel Laryea planned the robbery in which they manage to take away an amount of GH¢700.00 with some items and shot the security personnel on duty who met his untimely death upon arrival at the Kole-Bu Teaching hospital.

Suspect Micheal Tetteh alias Charley Wayo Amartey Tetteh was also grabbed for committing series of armed robbery in Accra, Tema and Ashaiman with his gangs.

DCOP Yohuno noted that, on the 6th of this month at about 1:30pm, the Reional Police Comnman had a tip-off that, the suspect was armed with a pistol looking for ammunition to buy at Abelemkpe in Accra.

The Police acted swiftly and arrested him and after a search on him, a “Black Walther” pistol number 301104 was retrieved from him.

Further investigation also disclosed that, the suspect and his gang were behind the armed robber attack in Tarkwa in which a hooping sum of GH¢900,000.00 was robbed.

DCOP Yohuno however appealed to the general public and especially those who have ever fallen victims to the robbers to assist in the prosecution at the law court.

10% SALARY CUT VRS 10% KICKBACK

The difference bewteen a ‘property grabbing’ and ‘People’s gov’t’

Last Tuesday, the Finance Minister Seth Tekper, took to the floor of parliament to perform an annual ritual of presenting the nation’s fiscal policy to the house of Parliament in line with the Article 179 of the 1992 constitution.

Since the event in Parliament, most serious economists and business minded people have described the 2014 Budget as quite like none they had ever seen in recent projections of successive governments in terms of its frankness, and transformational character. 

Among other things, there were significant highpoints of the budget including tax removals and favorable adjustments.

 However,  the 10% voluntary salary cut by President Mahama and all government appointees announced in the budget appears to have sunk a dagger in the hearts of many opposition elements who thought it was rather a populist move.

 Juxtaposing the 10% voluntary salary give away by the NDC government functionaries to allegations by former National Chairman of the NPP, Alhaji Haruna Esseku that the government under President John Agyekum Kufuor was illegally collecting a 10% Kickback from would be contractors before awarding contract to them, it is obvious why Minority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu and his allied Think Tank called, IMANI are chastising and labeling the budget with all kinds of mundane descriptions.

According to the NPP Chairman who was speaking to his party delegates in a secret meeting at a location in the Eastern Region of Ghana, accruals from the illegal kickback collection were  being kept by President Kufuor himself.

Interestingly, accruals from the voluntary salary cut of the Mahama government  as announce by the Finance Minister, are to be used to support maternal health care; showing a huge class between the two leading political parties.

    Also whilst under the erstwhile Kuffuor government, there was a calculated effort to crippled state agencies and weaken their ability to keep watch over the highly corrupted executives the current budget has shown its eagerness to tackle corruption on various fronts.

According to Mr. Seth Tekper,  the government has increased allocations to the state anti-corruption agencies to intensify their ongoing war on graft.

“To fight corruption in all its forms and, following H.E's directives, additional budget provisions have been made to strengthen anti¬corruption agencies, notably CHRAJ. A percentage of proceeds of corruption when recovered, will be paid to anti-corruption agencies instrumental in exposing such acts, and this will further strengthen their resource base”

Mr. Seth Terkper, presenting the 2014 Budget statement and Economic Policy of the government in Parliament, has announced that the President, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, his Veep, Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur, together with Government Appointees and Ministers of State will take a "a voluntary 10% pay cut" next year.

He further revealed that "the amount to be deducted will be channeled into maternal health".

According to him, the move is to demonstrate leadership and several efforts being put in place to solve the ballooning wage bill of public sector workers due to the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure.

“Single Spine Salary Structure is imposing severe strain on the economy but government, employers and organized labour are continuing negotiations on how to solve it....We believe we are of one mind and therefore we are determined that the public sector wages will not put a strain on budget…to demonstrate leadership, the president, his Vice, appointees and ministers of State have decided to take a voluntary 10% pay cut in 2014...the amount to be deducted will be channeled into maternal health,” Hon Seth Terkper said.

As usual, the NPP and its apocalypse think tank, IMANI have been condemning the budget in other to divert attention from the visible contrast between their government and that of the current.

 Professor George Yaw Gyan-Baffour, Member of Parliament (MP) for Wenchi and a ranking member of the Minority on Finance, said the budget indicated a bleak future for Ghana’s economy, because the economic policy statement did not espouse concrete actions, policies and programmes that would transform the economy.

He said the focus on infrastructural development alone cannot transform the economy, adding that govern ought to be bold to put more money in Small and Medium Scale Enterprise development and encourage private sector growth and reduce the cost of credit to propel the financial system significantly.

The lawmaker expressed fear that the revenue government has projected to realise from the 2.5 per cent increase in the Value Added Tax rate would not be applied to the shore up infrastructural development but would be utilised for other sectors of the economy because of the unrealistic projections in the budget.

Prof Gyan-Baffour said he was not enthused that government chose to increase the tax rate instead of broadening the tax base, suggesting that the move would stifle private sector growth and dwindle the fortunes of the economy.

Also condemning the novel gesture from government officials was  Franklin Cudjoe  who said the cut was rather too small.

 Speaking on Joy fm morning show yesterday, "I thought the percentage should have been more in line with tariff that have been increased. I think the 10 per cent is small.

" Pushing further, Franklin Cudjoe noted the "real" cut should be directed at waste within government bureaucracy and contracts that does not give government value for money.

Ghana was nothing to write home about under NPP - NDC Guru

A member of the Communications team of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Bernard Anim Piesie, has charged the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to zip up over President John Dramani Mahama’s anti-corruption and transparency drive since they (NPP) failed to fight the canker with their “zero tolerance for corruption” crusade.

President Mahama last Friday gave instructions to the Attorney General and Finance Ministry to retrieve all judgment debts from foreign firms and the suspension of all GYEEDA payments as a starting point to deal with corruption and bring sanity in his (Mahama’s) administration.

But the opposition NPP, in the words of Asamoah Gyamfi, communicator of the party, believes that the President is paying lip-service and engaging in public relations gimmick with the anti-corruption directive he rolled out. According to him, the President is not committed in putting a stop to the canker in the country as he has lost the will-power to sack officials who have been named in various corruption cases.

It is against this backdrop that the NDC communicator asserted on Okay Fm that “the Ghana we inherited in 2008 was not a country we could beat our chest out in pride that we had a better Ghana under NPP.”

“……if Ghana was a better place, the late President Mills and current President Mahama would not have pursued ‘Better Ghana Agenda’ in 2008; Ghanaians also accepted that the country was not better under NPP. It was full of corruption…the NPP in power, rechanneled state funds which were meant for development and the betterment of Ghanaians to award themselves with medals,” he stated.

With the developmental projects being undertaken under NDC, he averred that Ghanaians can appreciate the fact that President Mahama is vigorously putting every measure in place to fulfill his campaign promises, stressing that Ghanaians will rather reward him at the end of his tenure in office.

Admitting the existence of corruption in the country, he pointed out that corruption still remains a serious canker, not only in Ghana, but the world over. He stressed that despite the support given to the former President Kufuor, he failed to curb the practice under his leadership.

“…President Mahama has learnt from the flaws of former President Kufuor and is poised to make a difference in the fight against corruption…the measures President Mahama is initiating will make corruption unattractive to Ghanaians who have the perception that it is easy to amass wealth in politics,” he added.

Source: peacefmonline.com

Chief Justice probes allegations of judicial tampering in election petition

Information available to Myjoyonline.com indicates that the Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood has instituted a probe into various allegations of judicial tampering in the recently decidedelection petition.

A source close to the Judicial Council of Ghana said the decision to probe the allegations was taken at an emergency meeting Wednesday, November 20, 2013.

The source said claims by dismissed Deputy Communications Minister, Victoria Hamah, that Gender and Social Protection Minister, Nana Oye Lithur may have played a role in securing a favourable verdict for President John Mahama, the Electoral Commission and the governing National Democratic Congress (the Respondents in the election petition), is one of three allegations to be investigated.

It said previous claims that the judiciary was interfered with in the matter of the election petition, brought by three leaders of the opposition NPP, challenging the validity of President John Mahama’s election, have been lumped together with Vicky Hamah’s claims and are now being investigated.

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision affirming the validity of President Mahama’s election in the 2012 poll, the Free Press Online, published allegations that the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, had, acting on behalf of the president, bribed the nine-member panel to dismiss the petition.

The Asantehene denied the claim, just as Nana Oye Lithur did.

But the opposition New Patriotic Party, in the wake of Ms. Mahama’s claims which were contained in a leaked tape, petitioned the Chief Justice, to in the interest of protecting the sanctity of the judiciary, institute an administrative inquiry into the claims.

General Secretary of the NPP, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, said the denial of Nana Oye Lithur was not sufficient to allay the fears of Ghanaians that something untoward may have happened in the case.

He argued that since the former Deputy Minister was a member of government, her claims could not have been without basis and, therefore, should not be dismissed.

Our source said, in addition to Vicky Hamah’s claims, the other allegations are also being investigated.

More soon.

By Myjoyonline.com | Malik Abass Daabu