I was handcuffed, slapped and kicked by National Security operatives – Caleb Kudah
Mr Caleb Kudah, a broadcast journalist with Citi FM/Citi TV, who was released on the same day after he was arrested on Tuesday, May 11, 2021, by personnel from the National Security has narrated his story.
According to him, he was humiliated as if he has committed a serious crime against the state. Countless slaps from different directions was given him.
“They pushed me and I sat on the chair. They [National Security operatives] slapped me from the back. I was trying to appeal to them that they had beaten me enough, but they were just slapping me from the back. I’ll be talking to another one and someone will just come and slap me from the back.”
He reiterated that he was kicked hard in the groin by one of the security personnel.
Caleb was arrested for filming some abandoned cars procured by MASLOC which had been parked at thevMinistry of National Security for several years now.
The arrest proceeded to one Mrs. Zoe Abu- Baidoo Addo, who Caleb had sent some of the files he captured at the Ministry electronically.
However operatives from the security ministry that was sent to Citi FM to arrest Mrs. Zoe were denied by the management of the Citi FM/Citi TV as they escorted her to the Ministry.
Meanwhile both journalists, Mr. Kudah and Zoe Abu-Baidoo, were released later in the evening on Tuesday.
There have being a lot of critics from Ghanaians following the incident. Some believe the arrest was too harsh.
Below are some Twitter comments from some Ghanaians following the incident;
“For deliberate misconduct they were lenient with you kraa … Wontoshw3 na 3w) S3 y3 pusa mawo.
“That’s what happens when u want to breach the security of the nation. Learn to obey simple laws. U are the same person who went on our roads to check drivers who break the law so they get arrested right and u succeeded. Why then do u also break laws and want to be served Tea. smh
“Who said u can’t film national security, If they are truly security they should make their zones a no network zone.
What they did is unprofessional, they v even expose themselves to secret filming.
Infact Ghana security is very loose.use technology and stop molesting.
“Mr President please take action against these so called national security officers who have been misbehaving in recent times… it’s a disgrace to the entire government and the nation to treat journalists like this….shame!
Entire Pokuase people could not sleep last night between 12am to 3am – Read full report.
Residents at Pokuase, a town in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana couldn’t sleep well last night. The cause of this sleepless night was as a result of an unprecedented blasting of an unknown source.
Pokuase is in the Ga West Municipal Assembly. Pokuase is found at a central point in a multi-sided star of roads leading to different parts of central Accra, and other major towns.
On Wednesday May 12, 2021, around 12:00am thereabout, residents at Pokuase and its environs heard a sound which depicts that of a bomb. The incident which went on repeatedly throughout the night woke almost all the residents from their sleep.
The incident of blasting went on from 12:00AM through about 3:00AM in the morning. The sound was so loud that buildings and some items were displayed from their stationed position.
Speaking to some of these affected residents, they said they has no idea of the source or cause of the incident as it happened unannounced at such ungodly hour.
“…I cannot tell where this blasting sounds came from but it was so frightening…my wife had to run to the children’s room and nearly hurt herself with the door…,” a resident told.
“We have never heard anything like this before —I have being staying here over ten years and nothing like this has happened before… We need to know what happened,” another resident reported.
“The thing looks like fireworks but it was so loud that I had to run from my own room only to found others standing outside… I hope this never repeat,” a resident’s report.
Speaking to some other residents, they anticipated that it could be from the interchange that is being constructed while some think that it could be the Chinese people celebrating their festival.
Whichever way it is, the incident was very frightening and scary. A lot of screaming were heard in different houses during the incident.
On account to this, residents are pleading to Authorities for clarification is there be any.
PHOTOS: The Church of Pentecost finally hands over Ejura Camp Prison to Ghana Prisons Service.
The Church of Pentecost has officially commissioned the multi-purpose prison facility at Ejura in the Ashanti Region and handed it over to the Ghana Prisons Service.
The facility which is described as unprecedented by many Ghanaians was told to have cost a sum of GHS3,297,139.81.
This initiative is part of the Church’s Vision 2023 and in line with the global conviction, “that every country’s prison’s system should move from being punitive to being corrective we planned to support the Ghana Prisons Service in carrying out its mandate of primarily reforming our convicted brothers and sisters who have to find themselves there for one reason or the other”.
The fully furnished facility is capable of housing over 200 inmates at a time. It also has features like a football pitch, a chapel, baptistry, modernize washrooms, an infirmary, workshops, mechanized borehole, offices.
The commission was done by the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, the Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, and the Chief of Ejura, Barima Osei Hwedie II.
Meanwhile the Chairman of the church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, said the construction of the facility was inspired by the “Possessing the Nations” agenda of the church.
According to Apostle Eric Nyamekye, one key scripture that inspired the church on in constructing and completing the facility even though the church has a fair share of infrastructural deficits and challenges by way of church buildings and mission houses has been ‘Hebrews 13:3’ which has been inscribed at certain locations in the edifice which reads, “Heb 13:3 KJV Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body”.
In his submission also, he explained that three similar prison facilities at various stages of completion are under construction at Nsawam, Obuasi, and Damango, all funded by the church in its zeal to partner government to reduce the burden faced by the nation’s prisons facilities and to equip inmates with skills to better integrate them into society after serving their jail terms.
“At the time of crafting the vision 2023 for the church in 2018, the Ghana Prisons Service was experiencing acute overcrowding in their holding facilities across the country. Available statistics then, suggested an inmates’ population of 14,855 for an authorized maximum capacity of 9,875 prisoners which was over 50% beyond the normal capacity. As of April ending 2021, there was a total of 13,081 prisoners occupying facilities that could cater for a maximum of 9,945 inmates. Those of you who were here during the sod-cutting for the commencement of this edifice in May 2019, I believe can well appreciate the practical meaning of not only what reformation or transformation means but also what the love of God through Christ Jesus is all about,” a statement by Apostle Eric Nyamekye.
The Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, who was so overwhelmed with this project by The Church of Pentecost, applauded the leadership of the church for its vision and show of generosity.
Below are excerpts of his statements;
“With the construction of this magnificent prison facility, The Church of Pentecost has shown and demonstrated that the gospel is a living word and that Christ hates sin but loves the sinner.”
“I am pleased that this prison facility has been purposely built according to specifications fitted with a workshop which will facilitate the reformation of inmates,” he said, adding, “Correction practice globally has evolved from punitive to offender reformation and rehabilitation to ensure their integration into society.”
We’re fixing economy, rolling out interventions to ease burden – Finance Minister
The Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, who disclosed this, said: “Starting this month, we are rolling out over eight additional interventions under the GhanaCARES “Obataanpa” programme and they will be in the health, agriculture, tourism, trade, digitisation, science and technology, housing and financial services,” he said.
Mr Ofori-Atta gave the assurance at the Minister’s Press Briefing series in Accra yesterday.
The event was to update the public on the progress of key government programmes and bread and butter concerns of citizens following the outpourings of concerns from various quarters on the deteriorating nature of affairs in the country.
In the other areas, the minister said he was working with the Ministers of Roads and Highways, Transport and the Interior to address congestion along the major highways.
Ken Ofori-Atta, Finance Minister
“We are fast-tracking the implementation of the US$200 million Jobs and Skills Programme to enhance job creation significantly. This intervention is designed to facilitate new and expanded private sector businesses to employ a lot more people. This, we believe, is a more sustainable way to rebuild this economy instead of expanding government employment schemes,” he further stated.
Besides, he said by the end of July, a new Development Bank would be established to provide long-term wholesale financing to the private sector through commercial banks.
Although the minister mentioned the biting effects of COVID-19 on the economy, he nevertheless indicated that the government would not complain about the development, but would remain focused on putting in place the necessary structures and interventions that would help speed up the recovery of the economy from the shocks of the pandemic and ensure social justice and mobility for all citizens.
The minister said the government had taken a critical look at a social media campaign dubbed #FixTheCountry, and was determined to address the issues raised by the youth who were championing the campaign.
“Over the past few weeks, I have been following the healthy conversation that started following the #FixTheCountry, a social media campaign primarily initiated by the youth. I have met the representatives of the conveners to understand and explore collective solutions over what the conveners describe as ‘a failure on the part of successive governments to improve the lives of the citizenry’.
“I acknowledge that these are challenging times for many of us, and we, like almost all the countries in the world, are living through rough weather. A time that has put a burden on the necessities of lives and livelihoods never like before in recent history. Unfortunately, these external shocks have heightened Ghana’s perennial problems, which we are committed to address,” he said.
Exceptional leadership
Mr Ofori-Atta said in extraordinary times, what was expected from the government was exceptional leadership. However, he explained that exceptional leadership could not be realised without a collective effort. On that score, he commended the youth for calling on the government and leaders of the country to be at their best.
“This shows the patriotism of the Ghanaian Youth, echoing the President’s call to be a citizen, not a spectator. You have elected us to solve the problems that face this country. We will continue to work with you and other stakeholders to do just that,” he said.
Pandemic intervention
Emphasising the impact of the pandemic on the economy and the measures that had already been implemented to reduce its effects on the public, Mr Ofori-Atta said, until the country was hit in March 2020, everything was on course to achieving the objective to stabilise and grow the economy, create jobs especially for the youth, modernise, digitise and formalise the economy; provide social protection for the vulnerable and create a safe and secure environment for citizens and businesses to thrive.
“From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, President Akufo-Addo laid out the five key objectives the government sought to achieve: limit and stop the importation of the virus; contain its spread and provide adequate care for the sick,” he said.
Mr Ofori-Atta said the government’s efforts were also to help limit the impact of the virus on social and economic life and inspire the expansion of our domestic capability and deepen our self-reliance.
He said the President made it an utmost priority to protect Ghanaian lives above all else, which was captured in his now world-famous quotation — “‘We know what to do to bring our economy back to life. What we do not know how to do is to bring people back to life.”
Full recovery
The Finance Minister noted that there was a need for the government to invest more in the organisational capital of Ghanaian businesses, as it was the only means for the economy to fully recover from the negative impact of the pandemic.
To achieve that, he said the government would strengthen small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and empower captains of industry to be in the position to better negotiate and make the right gains from the investments they make. “We have to be deliberate about this and this is something we are committed to and intend to do,” he stated.
First term achievement
Taking a look at the government’s achievements on the economy in the first term, he mentioned among other things, the implemented flagship initiatives, introduction and restoration of enhanced social protection policies, implementation of many digitalisation programmes to transform the economy and the cleaning of the financial sector.
“After four years of implementing these prudent measures, the Ghanaian economy witnessed a turnaround. Between 2017-2019, the economy grew by 7 per cent. You saw single-digit inflation of 7.9 per cent, reduced fiscal deficits with three consecutive years of primary surpluses, a relatively stable exchange rate, significant improvement in the current account with three successive years of trade surpluses, strong foreign exchange reserve buffers covering four months of import cover, and relatively low and sustained interest rates of about 13 per cent (Benchmark 91-Day Treasury Bill).
“As a result of the prudent policies, the economy continued to remain resilient in 2020, even at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
Source: Graphic Online
#FixTheCountry gives new directives for tomorrow – check it out here.
Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. We celebrate women in the country who have been the foundation of great men.
Relative to this occasion, the organizers of the #FixTheCountry protesters has scheduled some activities to mark the occasion in such a fascinating way.
According to them, although they were denied a mass demonstration by Court, they will still come off in a new format with remote demonstrations from individuals, according to its conveners.
In a release, they have given directive for all of the movement’s followers to observe the Mother’s Day occasion in a way that relates its ambition for a demonstration.
Below are an excerpts from the release;
“We are declaring this Sunday [May 9, 2021] as a day to serve our Motherland. Remember to honour Mother Ghana by wearing black to tell her that you will not give up on her,” the conveners said in a statement.
“On each hour between 1 pm and 4 pm, we are inviting everyone including trotro, taxi, and Uber drivers, and okada riders to blow their horns for 1 minute.”
“On each hour between 1 pm and 4 pm, we ask all of you at home, in all your communities to bang on utensils for 1 minute,” the statement added.
“to stand alone anywhere, including at vantage points in your community holding placards or signs with the hashtags.”
“Please be assured that the May 9th protest has not been planned as a one-off event.
“Record video of yourself! Pouring out your issue that needs to be fixed! to the world! The world needs to hear us!
Meanwhile the movement are still in waiting for the band to be lifted so they can undertake their demonstration.
Check out Dr Bawumia’s mother’s day tweet that saw Ghanaians reacting.
As we mark mother’s day today May 9, 2021, mothers are being celebrated in all parts of the world. There were a lot of wonderful moments that we saw on social media as some high profile personnel celebrate their mothers.
One of these persons was are very own Vice-President, Dr Bawumia, who tweeted with an attached photo of his mother and wife, the second lady.
He expressed how his mother is so dear to him so as her wife. He also expressed his gratitude to all mothers in the country.
“Happy Mother’s Day to my amazing mum, Hajia Mariama Bawumia; my lovely wife, Hajia Samira and all mothers in Ghana”.
“I celebrate you on this day and appreciate your continuous support, unconditional love, care and inspiration that propel my growth in life. #happymothersday2021.
Wife of the Veep on the left and mother of the Veep on the right.
Meanwhile some Ghanaians have reacted following the Veep’s tweet. Some of these people joined the Veep to celebrate his mother while others keot emphasising on the “#FixTheCountry”.
Below are some of the reactions of some Ghanaians;
“Happy Mother’s Day to the Homeless Mothers whose taxes have enriched your mother and wife Mr. Bawumia.
“Happy mother’s day to your beautiful mum and wife and to MOTHER GHANA! Please, help #FixMotherGhana sir. We believe in you. Make mother Ghana proud! 🙏
“Unity is often misconstrued as freedom in a country where the political culture keeps us in a circle of elect & regret, trading one ruler for the worst. The politics of ethnic extraction doesn’t liberate but incarcerates. Our unity is not the priority/agenda of this admins.
“Enough of comparing your government to the previous one, in fact we are tired of the politics… #We want GH to prosper… What have we done wrong…????
“The youth are crying, fix the economy, fix the roads, stop galamsey… It’s time to do the work .. Listen to the youth…. See the state of our hospitals…#We are Angry
“Happy mother’s day to them both but please advise your husband and son to stay away from deceiving the ordinary ghanaians thank you
“Ok well done fr fixing a mother’s day wishes to ur family.😞
Pls make wild and
#FixMotherGhana,
#FixTheCountryNow
#FixTheCountryGhana
#FixTheCountry 🇬🇭🇬🇭🇬🇭🇬🇭
“U left out Hajia Ramatu….Hajia Rama happy Mother’s day to you
The President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, had said he finds the current state of the black star square an awesome place and that he is please with it.
President Akufo-Addo – Ghana
In a tweet, the President expressed how proud he is as the leader of the country.
“The black star is calling. #Akwaaba. I am Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and I am the humble but proud President of the country at the centre of the world – #Ghana!,” the president’s tweet.
Meanwhile some Ghanaians have reacted to the president’s post. Below are some of the tweets following the president’s post
“We have minister for transport
We have minister for roads and highways
We have minister for railways
We have aviation ministry
I wan to ask, the roads n highways plus the railways n aviation, are they not under transport??
“This is indeed an unnecessary tweet when citizens are wallowing in pain n calling on you to fix the system. What does your tweet brings on board to solve teething problems of Ghanaians. We are waiting on you as a leader to say something positive. Or u ar making mockery of us.
“God bless you so much my president.
You’ve done so much for this country.
You introduce the best social intervention ever and tho it came with it own challenge, it’s a great catalyst in our dev’t as a nation.
The grateful youth are very grateful.
“Fixing it is a process so I believe you’ll fix it before your term ends. You’ve done a lot for Ghanaians since you came into office. No country is completely fixed, they’re all working towards it. With you in the helm of affairs, we’ll succeed. #NanaIsFixingIt #GhanaIsBeingFixed
“Guess where this is? LA… It doesn’t make it trash. Every country has problems. So do you ppl gain coming under a promotion in the national intrerst to trash the very country u claim to be fighting to make better? Thank God the lm that came for Year of return know Ghana better!
“Nana pls cut the 25m$ for the Black starts to 3m$ at least. The remaining can be use for developmental projects! Hear our plea
Watch video using the link below.
The black star is calling. #Akwaaba. I am Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and I am the humble but proud President of the country at the centre of the world – #Ghana! pic.twitter.com/hmWgWWxIwV
“Mama” was the word as Serwaa Amihere tweeted her mother for the first time.
Serwaa Amihere is a Ghanaian broadcast journalist and news presenter who currently works with GHOne. She won the Television Female Newscaster of the Year Award at the 2018 Radio and Television Personality Awards.
Serwaa Amihere
Serwaa has tweeted a photo of her mother for the first time to mark the mother’s day occasion.
Her mother whose name she did not mention is such a beautiful woman and an older version of her her daughter.
In the tweet, the only word Amihere could use was “Mama ❤️❤️”. Meanwhile the tweet has pulled some comments from her followers.
Serwaa’s mother
Below are some of the comments that was captured.
“Serwaaa AmiMum
“Since morning you’re now posting mom
.. happy mother’s day mom .we love you.. God bless you
“Waahw3 wei y3 asem she has chosen to post her mom at this time wats your problem abt dat oooh mo de3 everything u guys will find something to say about it
“No wonder some people say fix yourself first😂😂😂 now people want to determine the time to post her mum. Ei Ghana deɛ daabi daabi
“Maame yaa maame nie…Beauty and elegant
“Mama amihere😍..oje ony3 eii.Ur mother di33 she’ll fall under either the slippers weilding or knocking type…ade lie?
“she’s more beautiful than you
“Aho)f3 de3 y3 de wo oo. U de3 go and born plus some chimpanzee bi, u go born chimpanzee pro max.
“H333 are you sure?
Boi3 GOD bless me with beautiful like her mother.
“No wonder k)t) nwo anomaa…. Your mother too be praman nii
Who is the better replacement for Neymar at Barcelona – check out the list.
Since leaving the team in 2017, Barcelona has being finding replacement for the Brazilian skipper. With the huge sum they secired from selling him to PSG, the club had brought a lot of Players to fill his gap only to find out they still need more.
Paris Saint-Germain have agreed on a three-year deal extension with Neymar, ending speculation that the Brazilian could leave the club this summer. This could also mean that Barcelona’s aim of getting the player back has hit the rock.
The huge new deal is reportedly worth £26m per season, with the forward set to be on that lucrative £500,000-a-week rate until the summer of 2025.
Neymar, 29, has scored 85 goals in his 112 PSG appearances since joining from Barcelona, winning seven domestic trophies in that time.
“Paris Saint-Germain is delighted to announce that Neymar da Silva Santos Junior has signed a contract extension for a further three seasons until 30 June 2025.”
“Since joining the club in 2017, the Brazilian international (103 caps, 64 goals) has carved out a place among the Paris Saint-Germain club legends. With 85 goals and 51 assists in his 112 games for the club, PSG’s twinkle-toed no.10 has also broken into the top ten scorers in the club’s history.
A statement by Neymar said “I’m really pleased to continue my adventure at Paris Saint-Germain.
“I’m very happy in Paris, and proud to be part of this squad, to work with these players, a great coach and to be part of the history of this club.
“These are things that make me believe even more in this great project. I have grown as a person here, as a human being and as a player, too. So I am very happy to extend my contract and I hope to win many more trophies here.
Meanwhile Barcelona could be looking for another player to replace him as he could not make his return. Below are some suggested players who could fill Neymar’s gap as the likes of Greizemann and Dembele have not proven themselves yet.
1. Mohammed Salah
Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly, 28, is an Egyptian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Liverpool and captains the Egypt national team. Considered one of the best players in the world, he is known for his finishing, dribbling, and speed.
2. Riyad Mahrez
Riyad Karim Mahrez is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Premier League club Manchester City and captains the Algerian national team. The former Liecester City attacker has been one of City’s best player so far this season.
3. Erling Haaland
Erling Braut Haaland, 20, is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Norway national team. A prolific goalscorer, Haaland is recognised for his pace, athleticism and strength, earning him the nickname, ‘The Terminator’ by many of his admirers.
4. Jadon Sancho
Jadon Malik Sancho, 21, is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger for German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the England national team. A highly technical, creative player, he is known for his trickery, pace and use of feints in one-on-one situations.
Official: Chelsea and Man City release lineups ahead of tonight’s clash
Reaching the Champions League final according to the Mersyside Blues feels a little surreal as it’s something the Club and everyone connected to it has been dreaming about for many years.
In a tweet on the Manchester City Twitter page it expressed it profound joy for being able to enter into the Champions league finals for the first time in history.
“It’s taken a monumental effort from a magnificent set of footballers and a wonderful manager and backroom staff who have gone above and beyond this season to keep us entertained through an incredibly challenging year.
“Now, we have a chance to lift the most coveted trophy in club football, though Chelsea represent a formidable hurdle.
“It would be the perfect end to an unforgettable season when football has kept so many people’s spirits up, but whatever happens on May 29, it is an amazing achievement by Pep and his players.
Meanwhile before the finals, the two sides battles it all out today in the English Premier League (EPL) at Etihad. This match could away something about the finals which is to be played in some few days ahead.
Chelsea are visitors, though it’s doubtful the two starting XIs will be the same in Istanbul. Three points and Man City would be crown champions, “so that’s all the incentive we need, surely.
Tonight’s game will draw a lot of attention as it is obviously the biggest game of the week in the EPL. Both sides would be very determined to win this one but City could have advantage playing at home.
Pep Guardiola’s side won the reverse fixture 3-1 at Stamford Bridge in January, with goals coming from Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne. Callum Hudson-Odoi scored our consolation in stoppage time.
Meanwhile Chelsea won the FA Cup semi-final last month with Hakim Ziyech scoring the only goal.
Checks from the lineups of the two teams show that despite City’s desire for the EPL title today, they are also determined for the Champions league as they drop a lot of the first team players.
Meanwhile the Blues has also made some changes with the introduction of Gilmour into the team for tonight’s clash.
Official starting lineups for both teams
XI | Ederson, Cancelo, Dias, Laporte, Ake, Mendy, Rodrigo, Torres, Sterling (C), Aguero, Jesus
Chelsea IX | Mendy, Azpillicueta, Christensen, Rudiger, James, Kante, Gilmour, Alonso, Ziyech, Werner, Pulisic.
Predicted Scoreline
Looking at City’s starting IX, it is obvious we will be seeing a lot of attacking play from the home side.
That notwithstanding, the Blues are with Pulisic and Ziyech in support to Werner in a 4-3-3 formation. This could also pose a lot of danger for the City defense with the pace of Pulisic and Werner.
LIFESTYLE ARENA 