The festival is on the theme on the theme: “Championing our Ancestral Legacy”

The Effutu Police Command has given assurance of its preparedness to maintain peace and order during the 2025 Aboakyer Festival of the Chiefs and People of Effutuman.

The command however called on celebrants of the upcoming festival to cooperate with the law enforcement agency for a peaceful celebration.

The command gave the assurance in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after a joint float by various security agencies in Effutu to create awareness, on their readiness.

The festival is on the theme on the theme: “Championing our Ancestral Legacy”.

The festival commenced on Sunday, April 26, 2025, will climax on Saturday, May 4 with the two Asafo companies-Tuafo Number One and Dentsefo Number Two, going into their ancestral forest to catch a live bushbuck.

The first catch will be presented to Neenyi Ghartey VII, Paramount Chief of Effutu Traditional Area who will be sitting in state to receiving homage, to step on three times to signify its acceptance by their god, Penkye Otu.

“Aboakyer festival attracts a lot of people to Effutu Municipality, particularly Winneba the capital town, which brings issues of security and therefore, we must be prepared to combat crime,” ACP Ibrahim Opoku, the Commander in Charge of the Effutu Police Commnad, said.

He added that creating an enabling environment for merry makers to celebrate the occasion without any hindrances will not be compromised.

He gave assurance that they were adequately ready and will continue to provide protection for lives and property before, during and after the festivity.”

ACP Opoku underscored the need for the entire people living in Effutu to remain vigilant, while key stakeholders of the festival worked tirelessly to sustain the Aboakyer as one of the well-known festivals in the country and the world at large.

The police entreated the public to complement their role during the period by giving out information on suspicious persons seen around their environment for immediate action.”

He cautioned that the police would ruthlessly deal with any individual or group of persons who would attempt to foment trouble or to indulge in activities to mar the celebration and the peace of Effutu Oma.

On strategies to combat crime, he said a number of personnel have been deployed at various points in the municipality including residential areas, the beaches, recreation and event centres, lorry parks and markets to ensure sanity.

“We have put in place snap checks mechanisms to clamp down on criminals, especially armed robbers and violent criminals,” the officer said.

ACP Opoku said day and night patrols have also been intensified to ensure that each one in Effutuman executed their work without any hindrances.

He advised drivers to respect all road traffic regulations and rules while driving or transporting people to join the chiefs and people of Effutuman to celebrate the festival.

The Ghana Chamber of Mines has pledged its support to the government’s efforts to diversify the country’s mineral portfolio and boost value addition along the battery supply chain. This commitment follows reports of potentially mineable nickel deposits discovered in the Oti Region.

The discovery emerged from ongoing iron ore exploration activities conducted by the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC) and the Ghana Geological Survey Authority.

Preliminary drill samples have revealed nickel concentrations exceeding one percent—a threshold considered commercially viable—positioning Ghana to potentially join the global race for critical minerals. Although certified laboratory results are still pending, officials have described the initial data as promising.

Speaking to Citi Business News, the CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Dasana Nantogmah, reaffirmed the Chamber’s readiness to collaborate with the government to explore and develop the new resource.

“We need to wait for more details from the Minerals Commission to determine the size and commercial viability of the deposit. If it proves economically viable, the government has mechanisms for engaging investors, and we are prepared to support these efforts. Successfully developing this resource could diversify our portfolio, create jobs, and generate revenue to advance Ghana’s development agenda,” he stated.

Dasana Nantogmah, the Chamber’s CEO, also urged the government to scrap the Value Added Tax (VAT) on exploration activities.

“Our position has always been clear: exploration is the lifeblood of mining. Without exploration, mining cannot occur. The discovery of nickel is a direct result of exploration. However, exploration companies are currently burdened with VAT on key activities like assaying and drilling. We have consistently engaged the government on the need to remove VAT to encourage more exploration,” he noted.

Sammy Gyamfi, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board

The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has extended the deadline for Ghanaian gold dealers holding licences issued by the former Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) or the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to reapply under the new licensing regime. The new deadline is now May 21, 2025.

Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, April 30, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, stated:

“We gave all PMMC licence holders and holders of licences issued by the minister responsible for mines an ultimatum which elapses today, 30th April, to apply for new licences under the Ghana Gold Board Act.

But we know that most of you have not been able to apply at all. We can also see from the back end of our website and the licence application portal that some of you have started the process of applying but have not yet completed it.”

He noted that while a few applicants have completed their submissions, the Board wants to ensure fairness by granting an additional three weeks to accommodate the rest.

“We’ve decided to extend the timeframe for you to apply for a new Gold Board licence. That window is from today, 30th April 2025, to 21st May 2025. We believe this is fair, and this period should be adequate for anyone serious and desirous of acquiring a Gold Board licence to do so.”

Under the new Ghana Gold Board Act, all previous gold trading licences have been rendered invalid. Mr. Gyamfi urged all those wishing to remain in the gold trade to apply immediately through the official portal.

“Let me indicate again that if you want a licence, you must go to the website of the Gold Board, which is goldbod.gov.gh — and that’s G-O-L-D-B-O-D, not B-O-A-R-D. Make sure you read the requirements and terms and conditions of the licence before you begin the process.”

Applicants are required to pay a fee, create an account, and complete the application forms accurately. Mr. Gyamfi warned that errors or omissions could result in disqualification.

“If you make serious omissions or errors in the application, it will go against you in the decision the Gold Board will make on that application.”

He concluded with a firm warning: there will be no further extension beyond the new deadline.

“This new deadline of 21st May 2025 is final. It will not be extended. By the 21st of this month, only persons who have been granted licences by the Gold Board will be tolerated in the gold trading sector.

If you are a Ghanaian and you hold a licence under PMMC or the Ministry and you fail to apply for a new licence before the 21st, you will be committing a punishable criminal offence if caught trading in gold after that date.”

The Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has raised concerns over President John Dramani Mahama’s suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, citing a lack of transparency and a regulatory framework guiding the decision.

President Mahama suspended Chief Justice Torkornoo on Tuesday, April 22, after a prima facie case was established following petitions submitted by private citizen Daniel Ofori, senior police officer Ayamga Akolgo, and the civic group Shining Stars of Ghana. A five-member committee has been constituted to investigate the matter.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View with Bernard Avle, Lawyer Baffour Awuah questioned the constitutional soundness and procedural clarity of the suspension.

 “The president, in deciding to suspend, is adjudicating. Adjudication involves decision making, and that decision making in this circumstance is perfectly situated or Article 146 [10] is perfectly situated within it,” he stated.

He emphasised that the absence of a Constitutional Instrument (CI) to define the circumstances under which a Chief Justice may be suspended makes it difficult to assess the fairness and transparency of the process.

“How do we judge the fairness, candour, or the lack of arbitrariness of this decision? The only way we could have judged it is the existence of a constitutional Instrument. Here we are, we don’t have the benefits of the decision that went into the suspension.

“We don’t have the benefit of a constitutional Instrument to give us a fore knowledge of the circumstances under which a Chief Justice may be suspended. And this is a Chief Justice who was vetted and approved by Parliament. And I call her the people’s Chief Justice because of her role under Article 124 [5] of the constitution,” he stated.

“Now you have suspended the people’s Chief Justice in an in camera proceedings without the involvement of Parliament. Nobody in this country knows what decision went into the decision to suspend her,” he said, adding, “This is the more reason why regulation is necessary. Tomorrow she might not be there, and it will be another person, and this will recur.”

CJ’s suspension: GBA’s request defies Supreme Court rulings – Edudzi

…..

Explore the world of impactful news with CitiNewsroom on WhatsApp!

Click on the link to join the Citi Newsroom channel for curated, meaningful stories tailored just for YOU:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCYzPRAYlUPudDDe53x

No spam, just the stories that truly matter! #StayInformed #CitiNewsroom #CNRDigital

In this post, Kofi Akpabli literally jumps across my Facebook wall and wounds my pride with a scary review of my recent work, “Proudly Ghanaian: Our Gold Still Glitters.” Read Akpabli’s damage.

Spanning 250 pages, ‘’Proudly Ghanaian: Our Gold Still Glitters’’ is a book that has been curated into six sections, yielding 55 delightful short episodes. Check Sectional Titles: Our Fingerprints, Our Nightmares, DC Kwame Kwakye, Travel and See, and Politics (Acheampong Weed). The final section is dubbed Our Black Stars, which betrays the author’s own passion for sports.

Prof. Kwesi Yankah’s latest comes after Pen at Risk: Spilling My Little Beans, which is largely biographical. Before that was Beyond the Political Spider, which is heavy on scholarship in the humanities. ’Proudly Ghanaian’, therefore, can be cited as the least political of Yankah’s recent works. While he takes his foot off the political pedal, lovers of politics will still be satiated with narratives on Kwame Nkrumah, press freedom and the contemporary political situation. Coming out after he has left active office, can we call this new book a precursor to the renaissance of Yankah’s writings?

The book focuses on Ghanaian identity, Ghanaian idiosyncrasies and Ghanaian pride. From page to page, and irrespective of subject matter, the Kwesi Yankah quintessence is stamped all over, i.e, language power, self-denigration, humour and counter-intuitive insight. Erudition is vested in matters high and low. The thing about Yankah is that the banal, the grave, the mundane, the sacred, the sensational, and the unspeakable are all given eloquent expression in his choice of themes to confront.

Seamlessly, he juxtaposes the Frivolous with the Serious. Out of the many issues confronting the nation state of Ghana, who would have thought something as frivolous as ‘yemuadie’ would gain attention in the national space? It is because, much as it is a local favourite, ofals costs Ghana more than 200 million dollars a year to import. But see how Yankah plays with the packaging of this great meal.

Hear him: “I finally met my “meeter” last Wednesday: Green soup (abunuabunu) with tender Yemuadie tossed centre-stage, and guarded by two Cape Coast crabs. Waiting at the touchline were organic grasscutter spare parts conveyed by express from Mankesim, and a drizzle of Agona mushrooms. In attendance were five bashful snails from Mensakrom, almost shivering without their winter coat. Within a sea of abunuabunu soup, the award-winning bowl before me could be labelled as “Yemuadie and Friends Ltd.”

Then Kwesi Yankah waxes analytical, technical even: “Yemuadie” is a bowl of assorted livestock entrails: liver, bladder, kidney, gizzard, lungs, etc. But these are often standalones and less appealing until collectively wrapped in a perforated stomach wall, known in Ghana as “towel.” A little strip of small intestines is carefully wound around the loose pack, terminating in a diminutive knot. Firm and secure, the Yemuadie wrap is now sealed and stamped, ready for the market.”

In ’Proudly Ghanaian,’’ the author’s ability to link the ordinary personal story to the national agenda is admirable. At a state event held in 1993, he met a broken woman, Asantewa, who was injured during an assassination attempt on Kwame Nkrumah in 1963. This is how he concludes his account: ‘’Asantewa wept and tottered her way towards the Tema Station. She was hobbling towards the 4th Republic. To those fighting over Nkrumah’s heritage: Asantewa’s plight is something to be scrambled for.”

May I now turn to the temporal scope of this new book. The chapters cover issues as current as galamsey, past-studentism and the emerging dominance of the female gender in leadership and enrolment across Ghana’s universities. Ace Ankomah’s domestic brood of lawyers receives inspiring mention, so does former IGP Dampare’s roadside exploits with roasted plantains.

What caught me gulping and yearning for more were themes that encapsulate past years. It is one thing to hear about a national episode from afar, and another thing to get a ringside account. For such articles, ‘Proudly Ghanaian’ is such an eye-opener! Covering articles written over a span of 40 years, from the 1980s to 2023, the reader is given invaluable access to past and contemporary issues, enabling comparative perspectives.

Such issues include public blurts by the famous DC Kwame Kwakye, Kwame Nkrumah’s celebrated district commissioner, whose peculiar English affirmed his grassroots image as a verandah boy, and facilitated access to infrastructure resources in his district. Also significant were innovative uniforms for JSS students introduced by Madam Aanaa Enin, in charge of education under the PNDC. But one cannot leave out the Pork Show event (1986) and local reactions to the killing of Burkina Faso’s Capt Thomas Sankara, a great pal of Ghana’s leader, J.J. Rawlings.

In the article, Do You Miss Ghana?, the writer cleverly performs a double entendre on the title to also refer to a decades-old crisis facing the nation’s beauty contests. The piece explores the vexatious issue of – s3bi taflatse – the body quality of our ladies who have participated in beauty pageants since the nation gained independence. I identify the thesis statement of that article as follows: ‘’Take a close look at Miss Ghana in the past 8 or so years, and juxtapose them with the portrait of Miss Monica Amekoafia of 1957, and see how far we have travelled the road of independence; from buxom bodies to lean and hungry contours.’’

This article was written in 1997, at the height of the Embassy Double Do Series. My curiosity then led to the following research question. At what point in our Republic did the supposed decline in natural beauty of our contestants start? Here again, I consulted the scriptures according to Kwesi Yankah. The author does not provide field data but rather enriches scholarship with anecdotal evidence to advance a theory.

‘’No wonder the late General Afrifa of the ruling National Liberation Council (then a Brigadier) remarked in 1967 after the Miss Ghana contest, that if he had known of the low quality of beauties to be paraded that year, he would have brought along his grandmother”

To be continued….

*****

You can contact the writer at [email protected]

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

Campaign Manager for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Frederick Opare-Ansah, has pushed back against suggestions that Dr. Bawumia’s religion played a role in his loss during the 2024 general elections.

In a strong defense of the former presidential candidate, Opare-Ansah insisted that the data proves otherwise.

“The election outcome was influenced by a complex array of issues, but faith was not a decisive element,” he said during an interview on the Wontumi Morning Show with Oheneba Nana Asiedu.

Opare-Ansah revealed that Dr Bawumia himself commissioned research to examine the religious angle that has dominated post-election narratives.

The findings, according to him, did not support the claim that Ghanaians voted along religious lines.

“Moreover, specific examples from various constituencies further debunked the claim,” he said. “For instance, in Sunyani West, a predominantly Christian area, the parliamentary seat was won by an NDC Muslim candidate.

Similarly, in Assin Central, the NDC’s Muslim parliamentary candidate emerged victorious. Another compelling example is Assin South, where Reverend Ntim Fordjour serves as MP.

Despite being a Reverend Minister, Dr. Bawumia garnered more votes as the presidential candidate in the constituency than Rev. Fordjour did in the parliamentary election.”

These examples, he argued, highlight the political maturity of the Ghanaian electorate and their willingness to vote based on issues rather than religious affiliation.

Energy Minister John Abdulai Jinapor has rebuked the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), questioning why lights continue to go off every time it rains.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, April 30, Jinapor didn’t hold back. “Firstly, I do not see why the lights always go off when it rains. It makes no sense to me,” he said, clearly frustrated.

He revealed he had a meeting scheduled with ECG management the same day at 1:30 pm to demand answers.

“The ECG MD and his team tried to explain, but I said, you must stretch yourself beyond what you are doing now. We must get to a level where, when it rains, the lights will stay on. I cannot accept that when it rains, 21 feeders go off. We must find a solution.”

Jinapor said the problem lies not just in outdated infrastructure, but also in poor responsiveness and communication. “Yesterday, when it rained, about 21 feeders went off,” he recounted.

“And I asked, and they said, the equipment and the machinery are so obsolete, that is what we’ve inherited. We now have to ensure that we upgrade it and make it more robust, more resilient, so that it can serve the people.”

But he insisted that blaming obsolete equipment is not enough.

“The other thing, too, is a human factor,” he said. “Yes, this is what you’ve inherited. You have some plans over the period, but immediately, when the lights go out, what is the response time? Immediately, it goes off, people must move in.”

He described complaints from Ghanaians who go days without electricity and get no help. “Sometimes you hear people saying that we’ve been off for one day, two days, and nobody has come. That is unacceptable. It will stop.”

The minister stressed that the government is acting with urgency. “It’s been tough, it’s been difficult,” he admitted.

“It’s going to take very difficult decisions, and we’ve started implementing some decisions.”

John Jinapor explained that major improvements take time.

“The only thing about the energy sector is that it has a long gestation period. For instance, we’ve realised that a lot of the lines are bad. A lot of the transformers are obsolete. Now, if you want to change transformers, it takes time.

“Secondly, because of the current energy architecture, if I want to change your transformer, your lights have to go off before I change it. And so naturally, people will even get angry when the lights go off.”

He also took issue with how poorly ECG communicates with the public.

“I went to a shop to buy something about two months ago, and the woman said the light had been off since 11 in the morning. And then when she called the control centre, they said they were sending technical people.”

But when Jinapor followed up, he got a different story.

“Then I called the MD, who said, Oh, they’ve announced that we’re going to do some routine work, so they would have finished by 5 pm.”

He said the woman at the ECG office should have been told the right thing.

“That lady would have been told, please don’t worry, we are doing something good to make the lines better. It will help you in the long run, so please bear with us. By 5 pm, you’ll be back online.”

“But when you tell the customer that the men are coming to fix it and they are not coming, it creates a problem.”

He said the ministry is working on all fronts.

“We are putting in place all the necessary mechanisms to ensure that the response time is very quick,” he said.

“We are dealing with short-term measures, the medium-term measures, and then some long-term measures to stabilise the grid.”

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

Member of Parliament for Akyem Swedru Kennedy Nyarko Osei

President John Dramani Mahama has nominated seven Justices of the Court of Appeal for elevation to the Supreme Court.

However, this announcement has triggered a response from political figures, including the Member of Parliament for Akyem Swedru Kennedy Nyarko Osei, who took to Facebook to share his views on the current state of judicial appointments.

Osei reflected on the previous controversy surrounding President Akufo-Addo’s judicial nominations, which were met with strong opposition from the NDC.

At the time, the NDC argued that the Supreme Court was already “packed” and that some nominees were blocked from assuming their roles. Osei expressed his belief that many Ghanaians were misled into thinking voting against the NPP would solve their problems.

“Most of you who were deceived into thinking that voting against the NPP was the solution to your problems… tighten your belts and if possible get a spare heart somewhere,” Osei wrote, suggesting that the situation surrounding judicial appointments would only get more complex.

He also pointed out that several judges who were duly vetted by Parliament had been blocked from assuming office due to the NDC’s objections, based on the claim that the court was already overwhelmed.

“Ghanaians haven’t seen anything yet,” he added, hinting that the ongoing political and judicial developments would unfold further in the coming months.

On the other hand, President Mahama’s recent nominations of Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei, Justice Gbiel Simon Suurbaareh, and Justice Senyo Dzamefe, among others, are by the constitutional powers granted under Article 144(2) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

The nominated judges are now subject to approval by Parliament. The presidency has underscored the importance of these appointments in a letter signed by Callistus Mahama, the Secretary to the President.

Richard Agyare makes a plea for reforming Ghana’s cash-and-carry healthcare system

Richard Agyare, also known as Akwasi Poku, a UK-based Ghanaian peace advocate and philanthropist from Agyeimpra in the Offinso Municipality, has made a passionate plea for reforming Ghana’s cash-and-carry healthcare system, citing its devastating impact on vulnerable patients.

His appeal came during a significant donation to settle the outstanding medical bills of thirteen patients at Offinso St. Patrick’s Hospital.

“It is deeply worrying that hospitals often deny patients crucial medical care due to their inability to immediately pay for readily available medications,” Agyare stated.

“This unfortunately leads to avoidable deaths within our hospitals. Many individuals, who are potential family heads and valuable contributors to Ghana, are lost due to these conditions.”

Speaking with urgency, Agyare called upon the government and relevant stakeholders to prioritize reforms to the healthcare system. “Forcing sick people to pay before providing emergency care is unacceptable. The cash-and-carry system has claimed too many lives, and it’s time we prioritized the lives of all Ghanaians.”

He further urged the government to address the shortcomings of the National Health Insurance Scheme, seeking alternative solutions to alleviate the burden on patients.

“The priority for hospitals should be the patient’s well-being,” he emphasized. “They should understand the patient’s situation, prioritize their life, and provide care before demanding payment.”

Agyare, a native of Offinso Agyeimpra now residing in the United Kingdom, personally provided funds to clear the debts of patients who had been discharged but were unable to pay their bills. “Today, I have come to St. Patrick’s Hospital to settle the bills of individuals unable to pay,” he explained.

“Thirteen patients have benefitted today, and I hope to return and do more.”

Agyare concluded with a call to action: “I also urge well-to-do individuals to emulate this gesture. Many patients are suffering, and a visit to a hospital to witness these struggles can inspire empathy and compassion.”

Following Agyare’s address, Pearl Bemmah Poku, the Nurse Manager at St. Patrick’s Hospital, expressed her profound gratitude for his act of kindness.

“On behalf of the board and management of St. Patrick’s Hospital, I extend our deepest gratitude to Agyare for his generous donation. We frequently encounter patients in need of financial assistance for their medical care and other essential support. This donation will go a long way in helping us provide that support, and we are immensely grateful.”

She further encouraged other philanthropists to contribute to the hospital’s mission of serving the needy.

The beneficiary patients, who had previously lost hope due to their inability to settle their debts, expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Agyare. Many recounted their difficult circumstances, emphasizing how basic necessities, such as food, had become a struggle.

The youth have been urged to take advantage of opportunities in the rice value chain to create employment and create wealth for themselves.

Estimates from the Ghana Statistical Service indicate that Ghana spent GH¢1.98 billion importing milled rice and another GH¢1.07 billion importing broken rice in the year 2024.

According to a Report by the Competitive African Rice Platform (CARP), Ghana and AGRA published in April, investment in the rice value chain is a significant opportunity for economic growth, job creation, and food security.

The “Investment Guide for Stakeholders in the Rice Value Chain” says rice has become an important strategic crop in Ghana’s economy and its consumption keeps increasing because of population growth, urbanisation, and change in consumer habits.

“The rising demand for locally produced rice from institutions such as schools and hotels presents a significant opportunity to expand the domestic rice market and boost profitability,” the report noted.

The report also called for investment in rice input supply chains and the establishment of mechanisation service centres.

It additionally highlighted the need for credit facilities tailored to smallholder farmers to unlock the barriers relating to financing.

Further, the report called for joint ventures to establish state-of-the-art milling facilities, development of export-oriented packaging facilities, investment in brand development and market penetration strategies, and public-private partnerships to access regional markets.

The report also called for investment in climate-controlled warehouses to help minimise post-harvest losses caused by pests, moisture, and mould, ensuring better rice quality and longer shelf life.

The report additionally called for subsidies for inputs and equipment, as well as tax incentives for investments in agro-processing.

Reaction by young rice farmer

Rice farmer and co-founder of Bubuva Agro Ltd. in the Central Tongu District of the Volta Region, Julius Karl Fieve, agrees that the rice value chain offers valuable opportunities for young people.

“I strongly agree with the report’s emphasis on opportunities across the rice value chain, particularly beyond production, in areas like processing.

“My experience as a young rice farmer convinces me that there are substantial investment opportunities in this sector that other young people can tap into, especially given Ghana’s growing demand for rice and the gaps in the value chain,” he said.

He says areas like mechanisation and processing of rice present great opportunities.

“Mechanisation is a critical need in rice farming. Young people can invest in machinery rental businesses, providing harvesters and tractors to farmers like me on a pay-per-use basis,” he explained.

“The lack of modern milling facilities in the Volta Region means I cannot process my rice to meet market standards, such as those demanded by urban consumers in Accra or Tamale or Kumasi. Young entrepreneurs can invest in small-scale rice mills,” he explained.

“Quality seeds are a game-changer for rice farming, but access to improved varieties like AGRA rice or Jasmine 85 is limited in my area.

“I spend GH¢80,000 on seeds, often travelling to Asutsuare to source them. Young people can invest in certified seed production,” he observed.

The 36-year-old’s firm is cultivating 100 acres of upland rice, employing sustainable farming methods and striving for higher yields.

“My goal is to increase our output from the current 2.5 metric tons per acre to 4 metric tons per acre, contributing to Ghana’s rice self-sufficiency goals and reducing the country’s reliance on imports,” he explained.

“As a young farmer, I see these opportunities as a chance to not only grow my business but also inspire other youth to join the sector, contributing to Ghana’s economic transformation while building sustainable livelihoods,” he added.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

A US district judge has found Apple wilfully violated her injunction in a case brought by Epic Games — and that a top Apple executive “outright lied” under oath.

The injunction was supposed to block Apple from anticompetitive conduct and pricing, opening the App Store up to outside payment options.

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said she was referring the matter to the US Attorney for Northern District of California to investigate whether a criminal contempt proceeding is appropriate.

Apple responded to the ruling late Wednesday.

“We strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the court’s order and we will appeal,” an Apple spokesperson said.

Wednesday’s judgement refers to a 2021 case brought by Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, one of the world’s most popular games, which argued that third-party payment options should be available to customers.

It challenged the up-to-30% cut Apple takes from purchases – and argued that the App Store was monopolistic.

In her 2021 judgement, Judge Gonzalez Rogers stated that Apple could no longer prohibit developers linking to their own purchasing mechanisms.

As well as game purchasing, another example of how this would work is a movie-streaming service being able to tell customers to subscribe via its own website, without using Apple’s in-app purchasing mechanism.

In a contempt order issued Wednesday, Judge Gonzalez Rogers found that Apple nevertheless continued to interfere with competition with attempts that the court stated “will not be tolerated”.

Judge Gonzalez Rogers added that internal company documents she reviewed showed Apple deliberately violated the injunction.

The documents reveal “that Apple knew exactly what it was doing and at every turn chose the most anticompetitive option,” she wrote.

She said CEO Tim Cook ignored executive Phillip Schiller’s urging to have Apple comply with the injunction and allowed CFO Luca Maestri to convince him not to.

“Cook chose poorly,” she wrote.

She also said Apple’s vice president of finance Alex Roman “outright lied under oath”.

The judge wrote that one example of Apple’s attempts to evade the injunction included a decision to charge a 27% commission on off-app purchases. where it had previously charged nothing.

The company also imposed new barriers and requirements to discourage customers from using competing purchasing platforms, she said.

In a post on X, Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney said Epic Games would return Fortnite to the US iOS App Store next week and offered an olive branch to his long-time rival.

“Epic puts forth a peace proposal: If Apple extends the court’s friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we’ll return ‘Fortnite’ to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic,” Sweeney wrote.

In another post, he wrote: “NO FEES on web transactions. Game over for the Apple Tax. Apple’s 15-30% junk fees are now just as dead here in the United States of America as they are in Europe under the Digital Markets Act. Unlawful here, unlawful there.”

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

Former MP for Assin Central, Ken Agyapong

A former flagbearer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kennedy Agyapong, has revealed the identity of the individual whose thugs allegedly stabbed one of his supporters in Kumasi.

There had been allegations that the suspect was a member of the security detail of the former Vice President and NPP flagbearer for the 2024 general elections, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

However, speaking in an interview with UTV in Kumasi, Kennedy Agyapong, a former Member of Parliament for Assin Central, clarified that the suspect was brought to the venue by a party member named Ali Suraj, who is a security operative.

He stated emphatically that the suspect was not part of Dr. Bawumia’s security detail.

“The one who did the stabbing was brought in by Ali Suraj. In fact, throughout our rounds, I know the security operatives with Dr. Bawumia. Whenever we arrive at event grounds, we exchange pleasantries. It is only in Kumasi that Ali Suraj brought these guys who came and disgraced the party.”

When asked about Ali Suraj’s role in the party, Kennedy Agyapong said he had no clear idea.

“I knew him from America. He’s come down to Ghana and turned into some influential man. He has not been with us on the Thank You Tour. But when we arrived here in Kumasi, he suddenly appeared and got involved.”

A supporter of Kennedy Agyapong, the former presidential aspirant on the ticket of the NPP, was stabbed during the party’s “Thank You Tour” at Bantama, Kumasi, on April 29, 2025, following a confrontation with a group of heavily built men.

According to eyewitnesses, the altercation reportedly began when a group of students from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology attempted to prevent the armed men from taking away cash that had been presented to them after the event.

During the scuffle, one of the students was stabbed in the upper right rib. Members of the student group said the initial confrontation occurred inside an auditorium where NPP leaders were addressing supporters.

Tensions escalated after the group received an undisclosed amount of money from an unidentified individual. The armed men allegedly intercepted the cash and threatened the students at gunpoint.

After the students called for assistance in an attempt to retrieve the money, another confrontation erupted. The assailants reportedly fired multiple gunshots into the air.

“One of the guys brandished a gun, and when one of our members confronted him, he put the gun away and walked off,” an eyewitness recounted.

“When I confronted the guys, they spoke in Hausa. We tried to reason with them to return at least some of the money. They gave us GH¢200, which was too small,” another witness said.

“When we pushed further, one of them pulled a gun and fired eight shots into the air. As we ran for our lives, one of them drew a knife and stabbed my colleague.”

Initially, the victim was taken to Suntreso Hospital but was later referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for further examination and treatment.

Medical staff at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital’s emergency unit later confirmed that the victim was in stable condition after undergoing minor surgery.

Kennedy Agyapong has exposed the liars: the guy who was stabbed has nothing to do with Dr. Bawumia or Politics.

Kennedy Said

1. The one who stabbed the student isn’t Bawumia’s machoman as being reported by the propagandist.

2. The student was not stabbed because he supported… pic.twitter.com/5Wr6GeJJm0

— Gen. Buhari (@Gen_Buhari_) April 30, 2025

KA

Meanwhile, watch GhanaWeb’s tour of Odweanoma Paragliding Field below: