Music of Sunday, 2 May 2021Source: Skbeatz RecordsKumasi-based gospel contemporary group 'The Blood Crew' is set to host its 5th-anniversary concert. The anniversary dubbed 'the transformation concert' is slated to take place on May 2, 2021, at the Family Chapel International, Kumasi. The commemoration will be held as part of the group's annual live musical concert dubbed 'The Blood Effect 2021'. The versatile music group promises to bless patrons with more thrilling ministrations. Sammie Obeng-Poku, 2021 VGMA Nominee Enuonyam, minister Daniel Owusu Ansah and the 'Created2Worship' crew.

General News of Sunday, 2 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comFormer president John Dramani Mahama has opined that the introduction of new taxes will only worsen the plight of citizens. According to him, Ghanaians are already going through unbearable hardships under the Akufo-Addo-led administration hence the introduction of new taxes was not prudent. “Unfortunately, in Ghana, we are going through unbearable hardship and suffering from an ever-increasing cost of living. An increase in existing taxes & introduction of new ones takes effect from today, May Day. This is in addition to power outages and shortage of water in many homes, cities and municipalities,” Mahama wrote.

General News of Sunday, 2 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.com‘Galamsey' is a local term used in Ghana for illegal or unregulated gold mining operations. But according to the Deputy Youth Organizer of the National Democratic Congress, Edem Agbana, those seized excavators were taken from the original owners and shared like ‘kelewele’ among the NPP Party executives. Citing some NPP members, Edem Agbana claimed that rather than fight the menace plaguing the country, the governing party was robbing Peter to pay Paul by handing over the seized equipment to party members. “Instead of fighting the problem of small-scale mining, President Akufo-Addo and his government were only interested in replacing the indigenes and the illegal small-scale miners with party apparatchiks”. According to Isaac Karikari, a director at the lands and natural resources ministry, the recovering lands and waterbodies destroyed by galamsey would cost the country an estimated US$2.3 billion in 2016.

The ‘Forkuo afahye’ although not very popular has been touted as Ghana’s biggest and oldest festival of all times and this is because it has been in existence even before colonization. 40 days before the festival, the Sesseman township is plunged into a state of reflection which is characterized by a ban on noisemaking. ‘Ntoa’ makes an appearance after 40 days when the date for the festival is due. The week-long festival is commenced with a special drumming to announce its opening and anyone that makes a mistake whiles playing that particular drum dies. It is believed that the ‘ntoa’ deity has fought great battles on behalf of the town, provided security and has made the land flourish.

General News of Sunday, 2 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comThe Ghana Education Service has directed the management of Wesley Girls' High School and other schools preventing Muslim students from partaking in the Ramadan fast to allow them do so. The Service, in a statement cited by GhanaWeb, said even though the decision to prevent students from fasting in school was made because of health complications some of them have, students who wish to partake in the exercise should be allowed to do so. “Fasting undertaken by students for various reasons and observed differently by the respective groupings has had varied health implications on our students over the years. The net effect was that students developed various health conditions. The school, therefore, took the decision, then, that irrespective of one’s religious background, fasting was not permitted.”The statement is in response to reports that authorities of Wesley Girls’ had prevented a Muslim student from partaking in the ongoing Ramadan fasting.

The incident, he said, generated chaos, resulting in the warning shots and the casualties recorded. “So the warning shots [began] then later the gun went down because the people were more than the police and that incident happened. The Police Commander said the youth of Brenase, prior to the incident had turned the community into a “no go area” for police officers and fought the police off on any impending arrests in the area. Assemblyman for Akyem Brenase Electoral Area, when contacted, however had a different story. Matthew Kwadjo Adagba in an interview with GhanaWeb said the police fired the warning shots when pursuing an unidentified suspect they saw at Brenase when returning from Kotokuom.

According to the boy's grandfather, he sought the consent of the traditional healer to send Hanan to the hospital for medical treatment which he agreed. Meanwhile, Hanan's grandparents are unable to adequately cater for themselves and their grandchild who now depends on crutches to move around. Hanan's grandfather said. Hanan's grandfather said they would not mind if someone offers to adopt the child and take proper care of him so he can have a good education. Little Hanan's grandparents called on philanthropists, and NGOs to come to their aid and help them support little Hanan's education.

Entertainment of Sunday, 2 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comBusiness mogul and owner of Net2 TV, Kennedy Agyapong exposed his incompetence when he unleashed insults on staff and management of the channel in his quest to express discontentment over the decision to play adverts for a very long period, Nana Yaw Wiredu, Director of OnePlayAfrica has said. While describing the decision as “nonsense”, “bogus” and “stupid”, Kennedy Agyapong threatened to sack managers of the channel, stressing that the level of their inefficiency is repugnant. How can you think I could be here and manage everything when people here have been tasked to? But making a submission on GhanaWeb TV’s entertainment review show Bloggers’ Forum, Nana Yaw Wiredu argued that the conduct of Kennedy Agyapong on the show was unwarranted. He needs to apologize publicly just” Nana Yaw Wiredu told host Abrantepa.

“Prof Addai, Otumfuor Osei Tutu, the Okyehene have all been subjected to abuse for expressing their views on national issues. “Culture of silence is not the Rawlings-era when you talk and are arrested as was meted out to Kweku Baako and Haruna Atta. The culture of silence has now migrated to another form where they shut you up and insult you. What Sam Jonah said about the Culture of SilenceIn the past, when all had failed, academia was the last vanguard. It appears to me that the culture of silence has returned.

General News of Sunday, 2 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comLawyer Kissi Agyebeng, the Attorney General's nominee for the vacant post of Special Prosecutor may be qualified to occupy the seat vacated by Martin Amidu but he has little or no credentials in the anti-corruption space. This is the view advanced by Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa, MFWA. “What is the track record of Kissi Agyebeng when it comes to anti-corruption and fighting corruption? “In terms of the word qualification, I won’t take that away from him but we have to look at whether or not his track record in the anti-corruption struggle merits him such position,” he stated. The SP role was created under the Akufo-Addo-1 administration as an independent layer in the government's resolve to fight corruption.

According to him, even members of the media fraternity were quietly suffering from the phenomenon which has crept back into the national discourse. These days, there is freedom of expression, but no freedom after expressing,” he said in a social media post. What Sam Jonah said about the Culture of SilenceIn the past, when all had failed, academia was the last vanguard. Under the hallowed cloak of academic freedom, men and women of conscience could write and speak words that penetrated the halls of power. This time not enforced by legal and military power but through convenience, parochialism, hypocrisy and lack of conviction.

General News of Sunday, 2 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comPresident Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia prior to their election in 2016 blamed the high cost of living in Ghana on the then incumbent Mahama administration. Then a candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo on February 16, 2012, wrote on his verified Twitter timeline, “The cost of living and the cost of fuel is the highest in Ghana today.”Dr Bawumia also tweeted, “The prices of basic commodities such as gari, pure water, cement and prices of fuel products had all seen triple-digit increases. Felix Kwakye Ofosu, an NDC member on May 1, 2021, shared a screenshot of the tweets by the future President and future Vice President and stated:“These two are solely responsible for the extreme hardships Ghanaians are going through. Don’t brook any excuses from them.”James Agyenim-Boateng, on the other hand, tweeted, “You put your trust in Akufo-Addo/ Bawumia government at your own peril. They promise to reduce taxes and they do the exact opposite.”Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo in addressing workers on May Day said:“I have taken the decision to freeze salary increments for this year, 2021, for myself as president, the vice president, ministers, deputy ministers, and all appointees of the executive.

General News of Sunday, 2 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comKennedy Ohene Agyapong (NPP – Assin Central MP) has described banks in Ghana as bogus due to the poor services they offer to their customers. Agyapong further disclosed that the bank he was going to clear the cheque from told him emphatically, “the image is not clear and was asked to redeposit the cheque till Tuesday”. He wants his books to look good, so they bounced my own cheque which I [had] signed. They said the image is not clear but present it on Tuesday, why should I present something which is blurred on Tuesday?”“Ghana banks, I won’t take anyone out of it, they are all bogus. They bounced my cheque just because you want your balance to look good because it is the end of the month…I don’t borrow from you.

General News of Sunday, 2 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comGalamsey Action Group, a civil society organization made up of indigenes of the Western Region and Western North Region says the Chiefs, Region Ministers, MMDCEs and the people of the Western and Western North regions should rise against galamsey because it is destroying the major rivers. In a petition signed by Elizabeth Allua Vaah, Galamsey Action Group said:"We fear that unless something drastic is done to curb this menace, we will need to import water for our survival, not counting debilitating diseases that can result from prolonged mercury poisoning. Today, our country stands at the crossroads, flirting with a self-inflicted environmental disaster with unthinkable consequences for us and future generations. Many of our youth, oblivious to the dangers and in dire need of employment, have embraced this devastating venture as their means for survival. Watch how the water bodies have been destroyed with the galamsey activities.

General News of Sunday, 2 May 2021Source: Atinka OnlineThe Executive Director of Child Rights International, Mr Bright Appiah has denied demanding GHC200,000 from actress Rosemond Brown to open an account for her child. According to reports by some bloggers, Mr Appiah asked Akuapem Poloo to open an investment account with GH¢200,000 for her son so that her case will be dropped. Speaking with Ekourba Gyasi Simpremu on Atinka TV’s morning show, Ghana Nie, Mr Appiah said, ”We have never asked anyone to give Child Rights International GH¢200,000 for the care of the child. Akuapem Poloo was sentenced to 90 -day imprisonment by the Accra Circuit Court for publishing her nude pictures with her son beside her son on social media. But she is currently on a bail pending the court’s decision on the appeal filed on the 90-days jail sentence.