Business News of Tuesday, 18 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comToyota Ghana Company Limited has said that it is not giving out gifts as part of its celebration of 80 years. In a statement, the car manufacturing giant stated that contrary to claims making the rounds, the company has not decided to“Our attention has been drawn to a link circulating on social media indicating that Toyota is giving away gifts as part of her 80th anniversary celebrations. “Please note that Toyota Ghana Company Limited (TGCL), the authorized distributors of Toyota Motor Corporation’s (TMC) products and services in Ghana has not received any official communication of such activity,” the statement read in part. The company has therefore asked that the public disregards any such information as it is non-factual. “We therefore advice the public to be cautious as they open this link since TGCL is not responsible for the content in the link,” it said.

The former Minister of Youth and Sports told Adom-Otchere to carefully think about his program as it was becoming unpopular. “I didn’t watch it but the reactions were not good. According to Afriyie Ankrah, the feedback from that particular episode of his programme was in bad taste. “Let it get into your system Dr Rawlings, you come from a privileged home...behave properly, stop misbehaving,” angry Paul Adom-Otchere said on his TV show. In a later show, Paul Adom-Otchere offered a halfhearted apology, saying the tirade was rendered unscripted and had not been seen by his team.

This is just one example of messages Kweku Baako received over his remarks. Social media…," Mr Baako said. Mr Baako had said he’ll under no circumstance ever kneel before the revered Overlord of Asanteman, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. I will seize your bag of documents and burn them.”The above is just one example of messages Mr Baako received over his remarks. Social media… , Mr Baako said.

Business News of Tuesday, 18 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.com• Nana Akomea has revealed that STC loses an amount of GH¢2.2 million each month due to the closure of Ghana’s land borders. Speaking in an interview on Krokrokoo Morning Show monitored by GhanaWeb on May 18, 2021, Mr Akomea noted that almost GH¢37 million has been lost in revenue from March 2020 to May 2021. “Right from March 2020 when we placed restrictions on the country due to covid, STC has lost almost GH¢37 million due to Covid-19.”“In March 2020, we lost GH¢5.2 million because we weren’t operating at the time. We lost GH¢2.2 million for every single month,” Nana Akomea lamented. The CEO of STC however noted that the government provided his outfit with an amount of GH¢10 million to cushion the company.

Business News of Tuesday, 18 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comOn the commodities market today May 18, 2021, Crude Oil is trading sixty-six dollars, fifty-three cents ($66.53) as compared to yesterday’s trading of sixty-five dollars, thirty-two cents ($65.32). Gold is trading at one thousand eight hundred and sixty-six dollars, fifty-one pesewas ($1,866.14) as compared to yesterday’s trading of one thousand eight hundred and forty-nine dollars, fifty-one cents ($1,849.51). Cocoa is trading at two thousand, five hundred and twenty-one dollars ($2,521.00) as compared to yesterday’s trading of two thousand, five hundred and four dollars ($2,504.00). Meanwhile, Cotton is also trading at eighty-three dollars, seventy-two cents ($83.72) as compared to yesterday’s trading of eighty-three dollars, thirty-two cents ($83.32). And Coffee is trading at one hundred and forty-seven dollars, fifteen cents ($147.15) as compared to yesterday’s trading of one hundred and forty-four dollars, twenty-five cents ($144.25).

General News of Tuesday, 18 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comVeteran journalist Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has accused the Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, of promoting an illegality with his justification of the burning of excavators found at illegal small scale mining sites. Baako whiles speaking on Peace FM said he could not comprehend why the state will engage in activities that are not enshrined in law. Baako noted that the government is breaking the rules with impunity and advised the state to make laws to back its actions to avert future problems. Sefa Kayi quoted Nitiwul as having said that “We are not seizing any equipment, no equipment will be returned home, they will all be destroyed on site. If state actors in the name of the state ignore an existing law and preach lawlessness, it is unfortunate.

But Powers has issued a response to Banku claims, deflating the allegations levelled against him by his rival boxer. Most of my family members have also traveled outside, what about you?,” Powers asked Banku. He challenged Banku to put his properties on display, alleging that Banku lives in a single room. 'You are a mad man' – Ayittey Powers replies Bukom BankuOver the weekend, a video surfaced of boxer cum comedian Braimah Kamoko popularly known as Bukom Banku slamming his compatriot Ayittey Powers for being irresponsible and a swindler. He challenged Banku to put his properties on display, alleging that Banku lives in a single room.

General News of Tuesday, 18 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comProfessor Kwasi Aning, the Director of the Faculty of Academic Affairs at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre has bemoaned the infiltration of National Security by persons believed to be members of pro-government vigilante groups. It has come to light that the National Security establishment has been invaded by members of vigilante group who according to the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator DCOP Opare Addo undertake all kinds of operations. Speaking in a JoyNews interview, Professor Kwasi Aning said that it is an indication that the conversation about disbanding the group was not backed by actions. He noted that instead of being rendered powerless, the vigilante groups have rather been integrated into the National Security and accorded bestowed unto themselves powers of the state. “What this means is that the optimistic, celebratory talk around the disbandment which the National Peace Council led is nothing but a sham”.

General News of Tuesday, 18 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.com• Some Ghanaians believe government should have used the excavators for other construction works than burning them• In the last couple of days, some excavators have been burnt over claims they're being used for illegal mining• Authorities have said the decision to burn the excavators is part of the measures to curb illegal miningScores of Ghanaians have stated that the decision by the government to burn some 8 excavators being used for illegal mining activities “galamsey” in the country was wrong. According to them, the excavators could have been used by state agencies for construction work which will help in developing the country. Speaking to GhanaWeb’s Amos Ekow Coffie on #TrendighGH, they suggested that the government should rather have educated the miners on the safe and appropriate ways of mining using the excavators than burn them. “The government should have rather used the excavators to help develop the nation in other sectors like construction rather than burning, this is a wrong move,” one of the respondents at the 37 Military lorry station told GhanaWeb. Watch the full interview below:

General News of Tuesday, 18 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comOheneba Nkrabea, one of the two Rastafarian students who sued Achimota School after the school’s authorities denied them admission due to the hairstyle will know his fate on May 31, 2021. This is after the Human Rights Court 1 of the Accra High Court set May 31, 2021, as judgement for the case. Stella Badu, Chief State Attorney and lawyer for Achimota School mentioned that the school will be breaking its rules on uniformity if the student is admitted. The sitting judge, Gifty Adjei Addo announced that the other case involving Tyron Marhguy and Achimota School will be decided on the same day. He explained that the policy will deal with all issues involving religion as evidenced in the case of Wesley Girls’ Senior High School.

General News of Tuesday, 18 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comVice President of the Republic, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has announced that the drones used for the distribution of medical supplies to some health centres in the country are fully manned by Ghanaian flight engineers. Lauding the government for embarking on this journey, he noted that the move has also created jobs for Ghanaians with the four distribution centres. The four distribution centres Zipline operates in Ghana include; Omenako, Mpanya, Vobsi and Sefwi Wiawso. The drone services have started and this has created jobs in all these drones centres." Zipline makes an average daily delivery of 100 medical commodities from each of the distribution centres.

According to the NDC Executive, the decision to burn seized mining equipment including excavators worth thousands of dollars is a matter of using “illegality to fight an illegality”. “Government decision to fight illegality with illegality at mining site's (galamsey) will only end up in paying Judgement debts. The Government of Ghana is burning excavators at galamsey sites in the name of executive directives which is not supported by law. Yes we all believe in the operation to stop illegal mining (galamsey) but it must be backed by law to achieve the purpose of the operation. If the President can't trust his appointees with confiscated excavators, how can we trust him in the fight against galamsey?” he questioned.

Over the past weeks some driver unions across the country have been demanding an increment in transport prices at the back of a recent increase in fuel prices. Mr Aguada said the men warned him to desist from the ongoing pursuit as it is making the government on the day unpopular. That if I don’t shut up and stop the things I am doing, then he showed me a gun hoisted on his thigh and said, it will finish me,” the PRO recounted. The PRO, however, said he is yet to file a report with the police. In a related development, leadership of the various driver unions are in a state of disagreement on the proposed increment in transport fares by 20%.

Speaking specifically on the health sector, Nana Aba wondered how different things would have been if the NDC had actually made investments in the health sector during their stint in government. According to Sammy Gyamfi, “no party in the history of this 4th republic has done more than the NDC has done in the health sector”. The question we should ask is what do they have to show relative to investments in the health sector for this gargantuan and unprecedented resource envelope? But Nana Aba in her reaction to Sammy Gyamfi’s post when prompted by a follower, stated that despite the listed achievements by the NDC, the nation’s health sector continues to be in a sorry state. When you’re told there’s no bed, pull out Sammy Gyamfi’s detailed NDC achievements & get patients to sleep on it,” she tweeted.

Kate Gyamfua, the National Women’s Organiser of the governing NPP has vowed to seek legal redress over the burning of her excavators and other mining equipment by members of ‘Operation Halt’. Kumi insisted Kate Gyamfua’s Xtra Gold Mining Limited has not been involved in illegal mining activities. He noted, the military task force destroyed 9 excavators and 1 washing plant that belonged to Xtra Gold Mining Limited adding that Xtra Gold Mining is a large-scale mining operator and has the necessary documentation to prove it. Meanwhile, Kennedy Agyapong, the Assin Central MP, has alleged that a number of top government and NPP officials are involved in galamsey. If you see the number of top NPP officials involved in galamsey whom I tried to fight and lost, you’d be shocked,” Kennedy Agyapong said on Net 2 TV recently.