Apple Music, a renowned global streaming platform, has announced Ghanaian music sensation King Paluta as their ‘Next Up’ artiste for the month of April.
The monthly ‘Next Up’ programme by Apple Music, identifies global music talents and gives them the spotlight on their platform to promote their works and further grow their audience.
King Paluta, who was recently nominated for the New Artiste of the Year at the upcoming Telecel Ghana Music Awards, has dominated social media trends with his “Aseda” song.
The motivational “Aseda, single, which is undoubtedly the biggest song in Ghana at the moment, has garnered millions of views across various social media platforms and also topped musical charts.
King Paluta recently headlined a concert in Dusseldorf, Germany, where he thrilled audiences with an amazing performance.
The Kumasi-based rapper and singer has made significant strides in his career and produced massive hits last year, which include “Yahitte,” “Sika Aba Fie,” and “Aha Ahye”.
Apple Music announces King Paluta as ‘Next Up’ artiste for April
Former MASLOC CEO gets 10 years for causing financial loss to the State
Sedinam Tamakloe-Attionu, a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), has been sentenced in absentia to ten years imprisonment in hard labour for willfully causing financial loss to the State.
Her accomplice, Daniel Axim, also a former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the same Institution, was also incarcerated for five years in hard labour.
They were charged for stealing GH¢3.19 million while at MASLOC and willfully causing GH¢1.97 million financial loss to the State.
The two were also accused of making unauthorised commitments resulting in financial obligations for the Government to the tune of GH¢61.74 million.
Tamakloe-Attionu absconded during the trial after the High Court presided over by Justice Mrs Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe granted her plea to seek medical attention abroad.
They were found culpable after the trial though they denied conspiring to cause financial loss to the State, conspiring to steal, stealing more than GHC1.7m, money laundering, improper payment and contravention of public procurement laws.
Passing judgement, the Court of Appeal Judge, with additional responsibility as a High Court Judge, considered the fact that the two convicts stole GHC1.7 million being part of an amount meant for a sensitisation exercise.
They also misappropriated monies for fire victims of Kantamanto traders and bought vehicles and mobile phones for MASLOC exceeding the market prices, among others.
To deter “professional criminals who engage in professional crime,” as the judge described it, she directed prosecution to undertake forfeiture proceedings against Tamakloe-Attionu, the main culprit.
The prosecution earlier told the Court that in 2017, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) conducted investigations into certain fraudulent disbursement of MASLOC funds involving the first and second accused persons.
Investigations revealed that in June 2014, MASLOC invested a sum of GH¢150,000 in Obaatanpa Micro-Finance Company Limited (Obaatanpa), a licensed Tier II microfinance company located at Ejura in the Ashanti Region.
Thereafter, Tamakloe-Attionu offered Obaatanpa a further investment sum of GH¢500,000.
As a result, a MASLOC Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) cheque dated July 24, 2014, in the sum of GH¢500,000, was drawn in favour of Obaatanpa.
Soon after Obaatanpa received the MASLOC cheque, the first accused person informed the Board Chairman of Obaatanpa that the investment amount of GH¢500,000 would attract 24 per cent interest.
Obaatanpa decided to return the amount to MASLOC since the interest rate being demanded by the accused person was too high and unprofitable for its business and issued a cheque in refund of the loan amount.
The prosecution said upon the presentation of the cheque, Tamakloe-Attionu declined to accept the cheque and made a demand for a cash refund of GH¢500,000, which was delivered to her by the Board Chairman of Obaatanpa on the night of August 28, 2014, at the Baatsona Total Filling Station located on Spintex Road in Accra.
By a letter dated August 28, 2014, Tamakloe-Attionu acknowledged receipt of the refunded sum.
In 2015, she wrote letters demanding Obaatanpa for the payment of interest on the principal investment sum of GH¢500,000.
In response to the demands, Obaatanpa wrote a reminder to MASLOC concerning the payment of the loan amount and drew Tamakloe-Attionu’s attention to the unjustified demands whereupon the demands stopped.
Investigations subsequently showed that MASLOC had no record of the amount paid to it and that Tamakloe-Attionu appropriated the GH¢500,000.
Conveners of Election Watch Ghana want information on BVR for Political parties
Youth Organizers of the People’s National Convention (PNC) and the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), and Conveners of ELECTION WATCH GHANA have called for Serial numbers of all biometric voter registration kits that will be used for the upcoming limited voter registration exercise.
“ Following credible media reports regarding the theft or disappearance of Biometric Verification registration kit (BVRs) at the Headquarters of the Commission and the destruction of BVD’s during the just ended District and Municipal Assembly election,2023, we write to request your office to furnish all political parties with the following”:
A statement jointly signed by Jude Balma and Mark Ewusi Arkoh, Conveners also requested that Number of the corresponding registration centres and all Registration printout during the limited voter registration should have the Biometric Voter Registration kits serial number on it, for authentication purposes.
“This request is necessitated by our commitment to ensuring that Ghana’s electoral processes conform to best and widely accepted practices.”
PIAC advocates appointment reforms to GNPC Board membership
The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has called for reforms to the composition and appointment processes of Board Members of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).
This according to the committee will allow persons with the technical competence or experience in the extractives industry to provide strategic direction to the NOC.
PIAC observed that the appointment to the GNPC Board is governed by PNDCL 64, which allowed all board members to be appointed by the President of Ghana, on the advice of the Minister for Energy.
“It is believed that persons often affiliated with the ruling administration are appointed to the Board,”
PIAC highlighted in its second Issue Paper titled, “The Role of GNPC in the Upstream Petroleum Industry: Challenges and Prospects”.
It also noted that the Board lacked institutional representation, unlike other Organisations such as the Petroleum Commission Board, which has representation from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Institution of Geoscientists, and three other persons, one of whom must be a woman.
It called for the urgent review of the PNDCL 64, which does not provide enough details on the qualifying criteria for appointment to the board of GNPC and for that matter served as an opening for ruling administration to appoint individuals “with strong allegiances to the party.”
PIAC also highlighted the need for the corporation to, among other things, take urgent action to retrieve funds owed to it by the state and other government agencies and review its Corporate Social Responsibility activities to commit more funds to cash calls and mandates, especially when its funding from the PHF is expected to cease.
“The Committee commends GNPC for its role in managing Ghana’s interest in all upstream petroleum activities for over 30 years since its establishment, however, the NOC must start refocusing on its core mandate, and increase its efforts at becoming a viable stand-alone operator,” the paper indicated.
PIAC is an independent statutory body mandated to promote transparency and accountability in the management of petroleum revenues in Ghana.
Propak Ghana 2024: More than 2,500 professionals to converge at int’l exhibition
About 2,500 professionals in the packaging, plastics, processing and print industries are expected at the second edition of the international exhibition and conference dubbed: ‘Propak Ghana 2024.’
The event, scheduled for April 23 to 25, 2024, at the Grand Arena, Accra International Conference Centre, would connect more than one hundred brands from across the world.
It includes a series of discussions “featuring leaders and innovators from a cross section of sectors, designed to spark meaningful conversations within the industry and its auxiliary services,” a release issued to the Ghana News Agency said Tuesday, in Accra.
“The first day will bring together a wide range of companies and sessions that cover smarter packaging, packaging innovation, the impact of digital printing on branding and labelling and opportunities in sustainable packaging in Ghana.
“The second day has been put together in collaboration with the events Strategic Partners, KPMG, under the theme of ‘Winning with Sustainability,’ said the release. It would also highlight topics such as ‘Thriving with Sustainable Finance’ and ‘Empowering Sustainable Innovation.’
On the third and final day, Africa Trade Academy would lead an Executive Masterclass, with sessions covering ‘branding, packaging and labelling’ in addition to ‘opportunities for export marketing and African Continental Free Trade Area, among other topics.
Top brands from across the globe would display their products and services.
They include: Resitech, Kane-Em Industries, Tinpack Industries and Finepack Industries.
Others are: Almassa for Recycling – Egypt, Casfil – Portugal, Elecster Oyj – Finland, Royal Kaak – the Netherlands and Windmoeller & Holscher – Germany.
Mohinani Group are Headline Sponsors of the even, while Jaykay Global Industries and Tetrapak West Africa have been named as Gold Sponsors.
The event is organised by Afrocet Montgomery, a branch of the Montgomery Group — one of the UK’s oldest established exhibitions and events companies, originally founded in 1895.
PIAC touts GNPC’s prowess as key energy provider
The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has called for the review of the laws of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to allow the National Oil Company (NOC) venture into the provision of integrated energy solutions.
In its second Issue Paper titled: “The Role of GNPC in the Upstream Petroleum Industry: Challenges and Prospects”, PIAC said the review of the almost 40-year old Provisional National Defence Council Law (PNDCL) 64 was necessary for GNPC to diversify and mitigate the existential threat the energy transition agenda poses to NOCs.
According to PIAC, GNPC could leverage its existing capabilities and resources, such as engineering and project management skills, access to capital, as well as land and infrastructure assets to engage in electricity generation and distribution, energy efficiency and management as well as energy trading and marketing.
Furthermore, it could expand into renewable energy, such as solar, wind, hydro, and biofuels, as well as other low-carbon or carbon-neutral technologies, such as hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, and electric vehicles, PIAC said.
It noted that the energy transition could reduce the demand and value of the core products of NOCs’, expose them to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks and liabilities, and undermine their competitive advantage and market share.
This, the committee observed, has manifested in the increasing investor reluctance to fund hydrocarbon investments.
It has, therefore, advised government to build its NOC to become a stand-alone world-class operator to handle significant portions of the nation’s activities in the upstream industry, to avoid the situation of hung resources.
“The making of an effective NOC amid the energy transition is a complex and challenging task that requires strategic vision, innovation, and adaptation.
To survive and thrive in the transition, NOCs need to rethink their strategies and business models and explore new opportunities and markets,” the paper highlighted.
Ghana requires geoscientists and academia to help in NCDs reduction-Prof. Arhin
Professor Emmanuel Arhin, a geoscientist, has urged government to leverage the expertise of geoscientists and academia to address the increasing prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the country.
He stated that NCDs were becoming increasingly significant in the field of public health and now the leading cause of mortality and disease burden in Ghana, saying NCDs continue to affect millions of people globally.
Professor Arhin, also the Dean of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) Campus at Dormaa, made the statement at a public lecture on the topic: “Origins of Emerging Non-Communicable Illnesses (NCDs): The Concealed Perils to Public Health.”
He observed that in the past, conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and heart diseases were considered lifestyle diseases when the environment were less polluted, however the situation has changed significantly as NCDs now affect individuals of all ages, including children.
He said statistics between 2019 and 2022 indicated that majority of individuals in Ghana diagnosed with type II diabetes fell within 30-39 age bracket, representing a population of over 1.4 million.
Professor Arhin highlighted a statement made by Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) during the World Heart Federation roundtable in Accra barely two years ago that over 600,000 individuals, comprising 400,000 females and 200,000 males, were diagnosed with high blood pressure annually in Ghana.
He emphasized that NCDs, if not prevented, could lead to metabolic disorders in individuals resulting in elevated blood sugar levels, which may lead to severe health complications such as cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and stroke.
Prof. Arhin reiterated the importance of the partnership between geoscientists and medical professionals which was long overdue.
He assumed that reducing the rising number of dialysis cases of NCDs required acknowledging that prevention was more effective option than cure and stressed the importance of proactively addressing the root sources of NCDs rather than just treating the symptoms.
Professor Arhin stressed the importance of creating an Environmental Disease Pattern Map for Ghana moving forward to help determine the route of exposure by analyzing food and water samples to confirm disease-types.
Additionally, human samples such as hair, nails and blood samples be collected to identify the underlying causes of NCDs to effectively combat the increasing prevalence of cases, he added.
AAG commences a professional training series to sharpen the skills of practitioners
The Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) has commenced a skills development series for all professionals within the marketing communications industry.
The professional training series dubbed “Essential Skills for Marketing Communications” had been crafted for individuals, who ply their trade in advertising, corporate communications, marketing, sales, public relations, client service & account management, creative designs, and general media management,
A statement issued in Accra by Isaac Cudjoe, the Executive Director, AAG said the marketing communications space was a keenly competitive environment, globally.
lt said it was an industry of creative thinkers that was constantly introducing new trends and ingenious ways of service and product delivery.
“National and international brand owners are responding, on a daily basis, to social changes and lifestyle demands in order to satisfy their clients and customers,” it said.
The statement said access to global markets and innovations through digital technology has made the industry even more fluid in its competitiveness.
It said practitioners in the marketing communications industry have no choice in this ever-changing space but to keep themselves abreast with the rapidly changing trends and winning global practices.
It said it was for these reasons and many others that the industry thought leader in Ghana, AAG was introducing this series of professional skills development for its members and all individuals within the thriving marketing communications industry.
The statement said the first three modules to be taught as part of the essential skills series were creative thinking & strategy, best practices in media planning and effective client service and account management.
It said the modules would be taught by successful CEOs and practitioners within the industry who possessed enviable track records and were currently managing winning brands and services.
The statement said the marketing communications industry was a key contributor to the Ghanaian economy with strong employment records and wielded enormous influence on politics, and social life bottom lines of both local and international businesses and brands.
HD PLUS Ghana shifts from subscription-based platform to free-to-air
SES HD PLUS Ghana (“SES HD PLUS”), the country’s premium high-definition (“HD”) satellite broadcast service provider, has announced a shift from a subscription-based platform to a free-to-air (“FTA”) model, effective 13 June 2024.
The strategic move is to revolutionise television viewing experiences across Ghana, giving access to five million homes on the West African Platform Services (“WAPS”) platform commonly called the MultiTV platform in Ghana.
In a news brief to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the Company said the transition would be overseen by WAPS, an SES affiliate in Ghana responsible for local ground services.
HD+ said the business model would transition from end-users paying an access fee to view HD channels to a model where HD channels were available for free as part of the wider FTA channels available on the WAPS platform.
The Company said the change would not only align with market dynamics, but also open new avenues for growth and innovation in the market.
The strategic shift according to HD+ would reinforce SES’s position in the media broadcast market in Ghana and the wider West African sub-region.
“From 30 May 2024, users of HD+ Decoders in Ghana are required to update their device with a new software that will be available over the air to gain access to the new FTA HD channel line-up.
This software update process will be supported by SES HD PLUS until 20 June 2024. The My HD PLUS TV operator and mobile Apps will be decommissioned on 30 May 202.”
“Effective 16 April 2024, customers in Ghana will no longer be able to purchase HD+ subscription packages and activate new HD+ devices.
However, HD+ Decoders can receive FTA channels.
Subscribers who have active subscription packages will continue to enjoy the service until 13 June 2024.
“HD+ subscribers whose subscriptions will be active beyond 13 June 2024, will be contacted regarding compensation starting from 30 April 2024 via HD+ call centre number 0242439872.
Customers with active subscriptions are also encouraged to call the HD+ call center for assistance,” the news brief said.
The Company said under the new model, FTA HD broadcasters in Ghana would contribute to have their channels on the WAPS platform as the free-to-air model significantly amplified advertising reach, extending from 250,000 to five million homes.
Adelaide Abbiw-Williams, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SES HD PLUS, commenting on the new strategy, said “We are proud to enable this game changer for the Ghana market. At SES HD PLUS, we believe that everyone deserves access to premium TV pictures, and this transition underscores our unwavering commitment to making that vision a reality.”
The Company said in the wake of the transition, the current form of SES HD PLUS would be discontinued, with remaining operations integrated into West African Platform Services (WAPS) by the end of June 2024.
According to the Company, SES remained dedicated to driving innovation and transforming the television landscape in Ghana by enhancing accessibility and empowering viewers to enjoy the best of television entertainment without compromise.
Mampong Akuapem Traditional Authority launches Cocoa Heritage Festival
The Mampong Akuapem Traditional Authority in collaboration with the Akuapem North Municipal Assembly has launched the Cocoa Heritage Festival at Mampong Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Museum at Mampong Akuapem in the Eastern Region.
The festival is on the theme: “Celebrating the Golden Bean: Cocoa’s Legacy and Future in Ghana.”
Nana Akua Perbea I, Queen Mother of Mampong, in an address said following the return of Tetteh Quarshie from Fernando Po, now Equatorial Guinea, to Ghana, he established the first Cocoa farm in Mampong Akuapem, which became a nursery where cocoa farmers obtained seedlings for planting.
She said its legacy was the cocoa bean that had today become the backbone of Ghana’s economy with funds from cocoa being used to support infrastructure development.
She indicated that Tetteh Quarshie’s pioneering work in commercial cocoa planting, the industry expanded throughout the nation’s forest regions and was now one of the most extensively grown cash crops in the country.
Farmer’s, she said, were assured of increased yield all-year round with the introduction of hybrid cocoa seedlings and adherence to the modern agronomic procedures as cocoa pods grow and ripen throughout the year.
“It is recognized that, cocoa is the backbone of the country, contributing significantly to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and generating about $2 billion in foreign exchange each year,” she stated.
The Queen Mother said it was worth celebrating cocoa in Ghana to recognize the invaluable role it played in the country’s economy, culture and global significance as a major producer and exporter of the precious commodity.
She noted that the Cocoa Heritage Festival in Mampong Akuapem would serve as a platform to distinguish and celebrate the significance of cocoa in the town’s history as the birthplace of cocoa in Ghana, and Ghana as the second highest cocoa growing country in the world.
One major objective of the cocoa heritage festival, she emphasized, was to preserve the historical account of the introduction of cocoa in Ghana.
Additionally, she said it was to celebrate the contribution and hard work of cocoa farmers in the country and honouring their dedication to cocoa production.
Launching it, Osabarima Kwame Otu Darte III, “Cocoa Chief,” said the cocoa crop which was planted in Mampong had brought immense benefit to the area and the country at large.
Giving a brief historical account, he said, a Ghanaian by name John Kwame Ayo travelled to England where he sold the first bag of cocoa for one pound.
Barima A.S. Asiedu-Larbi, the Municipal Chief Executive of Akuapem North Municipality, said thanks to the exploits of Tetteh Quarshie under whose adventure cocoa had become a household name in Ghana and the mainstay of Ghana’s economy.
He said the festival had come to stay. adding that after the formal launch, it would be celebrated every year with all the pomp and fashion it deserves.
Barima Asiedu-Larbi said Akuapeman was blessed extensively with countless tourism sites spanning from Aburi to Aprede, saying that the cocoa museum was one of such significant tourist attractions in the area.
He said come July, the festival would be celebrated with key individuals and distinguished personalities from all walks of life across the country in attendance.
He said there would be an exhibition of the various cocoa products and that it would be an eye-opener to attend such an event and invited all well-meaning Ghanaians to the grand maiden public event.
He indicated that on that defining day, a tour would be made to the Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Museum to have a first-hand view of the original cocoa tree planted by Tetteh Quarshie.
“This cocoa heritage festival would be a festival that would be celebrated on a yearly basis by the whole country in Mampong Akuapem,” he said.
Nana Amanor, Ntiamoah Gyan II, Kyedomhene, decried the state at which cocoa lands had been destroyed by galamsey and called on government to reinforce measures to clamp down on such illegal activities.