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Friday, July 26, 2013
Boakye-Yiadom, Chibsah, Duncan & Ghana starlets who could break into the Goal 50 list
We take a look at the bright young starlets
emerging from Ghana who could well be in the running for a Goal 50 nod
in the coming years
No Ghanaian has made it into the Goal 50 – a class of best players selected across the world by Goal editors and released annually.
Ahead of this year’s announcement on July 29, Goal takes a look at the 10 brightest youngsters from Ghana who can make it to the Goal 50 in some years to come.
| SILAS TWUMASI - South Bronx United |
The 16-year-old striker is one of the emerging talents in American soccer where he has won the juvenile goal king tile thrice in a row with South Bronx United. Twumasi whose strength lies in his pace, power, skills and an eye for goal has already trained with the senior side of MLS giants New York Red Bulls and has plans of moving to Europe to continue his career after his High School Education next year.
| OBENG REGAN - FK Napredak |
Regan
was one of the main reasons why Napredak qualified for the Serbian
elite division. The 18-year-old diminutive playmaker is likened to
football lord Diego Maradona and has been widely tipped to become one of
the greatest players of his generation if he keeps his form. The former
Gomoah Fetteh Feyernoord and Kumasi Asante Kotoko youth team star
possesses a sublime left-foot and can take players on with his skills.| RAZAK IDDRISU - Wolfsburg |
The German national Under-17 star striker has already made name in the European country with his exploits for the youth team of Wolfsburg. Versatile Iddrisu can operate on both flanks and as a typical centre forward his major assets are his strength, skills and an eye for goals. The son of former Ghana striker Abu Iddrisu Razak is considered as one of the best teenage footballers in Germany.
| ABRAHAM AKWASI FRIMPONG - FK Napredak |
Frimpong won the overall best player of the prestigious Romeo and Juliet youth tournament in Italy in 2008 which featured the likes of Stephane El Sharaawy, Black Stars players Afriyie Acquah and Richmond Boakye-Yiadom among others. The 20-year-old solid centre-back can also operate in central and defensive midfield and was key to Napredak’s promotion to the Serbian top flight. Clubs such as Parma have shown interest in him. He has previously played for Vicenza and Vojvodina.
| GODSWAY DONYOH - Manchester City |
The 18-year-old forward is on loan at Swedish side Djurgardens and helped the club to the final of the Swedish Cup this season. Donyoh, who was purchased by former City boss Roberto Mancini, is a versatile striker and well endowed with skills, flair, aerial ability and has a keen eye for goals. The striker is expected to lead the Manchester City attack in the English premiership few years to come as his progress has been very excellent.
| AMIDU SALIFU - Fiorentina |
Salifu is one of the best young central midfielders. He caught the eyes of several clubs during the 2008 Romeo and Juliet tournament in Italy and eventually signed for Vicenza. The 21-year-old excelled greatly and was bought by Fiorentina and became one of the few young players to have Serie A experience. Since 2011 he has played 24 games in all for the La Viola and Catania where he was on loan last season.
| JOSEPH ALFRED DUNCAN - Inter Milan |
Duncan made name with the Inter Milan Primavera in 2011 by helping them to win the trophy and made two appearances in the first half of last season when he was promoted to the first team before moving on loan to Livorno. The 20-year-old ambidextrous midfielder played a major part in helping Livorno to gain promotion to the Italian Serie A and his fine exploits has caught the eyes of clubs such as Sunderland, Genoa, Bologna and Sampdoria. He is considered as one of the best young footballers in Italy.
| YUSSIF CHIBSAH RAMAN - Parma |
The Parma player who was originally owned by the Gialloblu and the Old Lady was voted as the Juventus best on-loan player for 2013 in a poll conducted by the club’s management and fans. Chibsah spent last season on-loan at Sassuolo and was the engine of the Modena-based club as they qualified for the Serie A for the first time in their 90-year history. Parma have now bought the other half of his rights from Juventus to fully own him.
| GODFRED ADOFO - Parma |
The midfield enforcer who is also owned by Parma captained their youth team in 2011 before moving on loan to Romanian sides CFR Cluj and Uta Arad last season where he helped the latter to place third in the league. Currently, newly-promoted Spanish side Elche are on his heels. The 20-year-old anchor man is noted for his good tactical play, tackles, good passes as well as scoring goals from midfield.
| RICHMOND BOAKYE-YIADOM - Juventus |
The Juventus striker scored 10 times for Sassuolo to gain promotion to the Serie A though missing a couple of weeks through his participation in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and injuries. Boakye-Yiadom, who was onetime described by the Italian media as the best striker in the Serie B, have earned applause across the peninsula for his fantastic display for all the teams he has played for. The 20-year-old, who was also bought by Genoa after the 2008 Romeo and Juliet tournament, is one of the few players in world football to score in all his debuts.
I want to be a legend— Efya
Efya wants to be a legendPowerful
singer, Efya, appears to have what she expects to do with her music
career all laid out by her. “I want to be a legend”, she revealed to
Showbiz last week.“I would want to be remembered not just as a female musician who rocked the Ghana music scene for a while but as one who came, made a difference and left a legacy”
The Best In Me hit maker, who has been the toast of many audiences for her great voice, artistic performances and bold stage presence, said that whatever modest success she has achieved has been the result of hard work and regular practice.
“When I get on stage, the only thing that I have on my mind is to see my fans happy after my performance. It is not about me anymore but my fans who want to get the best out of me.
“As a musician, they are the reason I hit that stage so I don’t have to disappoint them but ensure they are full to the brim. That has been my secret and it has come along with rehearsals over the years.
“Any musician who performs to the satisfaction of the fans knows because you could tell from their faces. For me, I feel ‘gingam’ when my audiences applaud my performance because that tells me that I have nailed it. If not why am I a performer?” she asked.
Like many great singers, Efya had a feel of a future star when she was a member of her church choir but she had her first public exposure when she participated in the maiden edition of Stars of the Future talent show.
But now, she has hit big stages both home and abroad notable among them is her sterling performance at the African Magic Viewers Choice held in Nigeria earlier this year which earned her remarkable comments.
Efya may be enjoying all the praises for being a good singer and performer but she is definitely not pleased with allegations about her involvement with drug use.
“I don’t know where all these allegations come from. Anytime, one works hard to get recognition and success, it is alluded to negativity and I sometimes wonder if people cannot use positive means to get success,” she said.
She told Showbiz that she cared less about such allegations because they made her stronger and only gave her an indication that she is doing something right.
“Maybe, people are overwhelmed by my impact in the industry within this relatively short period. It didn’t come on a silver platter. I worked hard and I see no reason why I should allow people’s perception and what they think to define me. Nobody knows me better than myself so I don’t have to drum it into people’s ears that I don’t do drugs”.
Currently, she is working on the release of her solo debut album, Love Genesis after the release of Unveiled which she did together with Irene Logan back in 2009.
By Gifty Owusu Amoah/Graphic Showbiz/Ghana
Jasmine: The shooting star
Jasmine BaroudiShe
might not be popular among the A-list actresses in Ghana but Jasmine
Baroudi is one actress who is determined to shoot to the top as a a star
in a short while.Jasmine who has so far featured in movies such as Contract, Adams Apples Series, Lost In His Glory, Devoted, and television series Peep, Desperations and My Home believes strongly that with these few movies to her credit, the future looks bright.
“I might be new on the movie scene but I have something different from the other actors. My acting is real which many people admire me for” Jasmine told Showbiz in an interview last week.
Born to Mrs. Rebecca Akoto and the late Mr. Abdul Razak Baroudi, Jasmine said her first invitation to act in a movie came from producer Dickson Dzapatsu when he was about to shoot his TV series Between The Sheets.
“Although it was my first time on set, Dickson Dzapatsu didn’t have too much problem with my acting. I had on my own rehearsed with friends before going on location therefore I was ready to do the job.
Just when other movie producers started using her, Jasmine took a break to do her national service. “After my national service, I was engaged in other things which took me away from acting”.
Jasmine said she cannot stand people who knew next to nothing about acting but go ahead to criticise actors for not playing a role well. “How many people can act as a mad person? “Sometimes even good actors who have been around for years have to do it over and over again before they get things right”, she added.
Jasmine attended Morning Star School, continued to Wesley Girls’ High School and then to University of Ghana, Legon majoring in Psychology.
By Kofi Duah/Graphic Showbiz/Ghana
Here are the Hit-Maker finalists
They
met for the first time at a photo shoot last Monday and though the
expected civilities prevailed, no one need to be told that the 12 acts
in this year’s MTN Hit-Maker final had already started plotting how to outdo each other to clinch the ultimate at stake.
The finalists are Abigail Antwi, Albert Buabeng, Stephen ‘Kofi Korea’ Kim, Olevya Aba, Fiifi Sey Armah, Prizinerz (Duo), Jamilatu Mohammed, Miguel Oduro Daniels, Nana Adobea, Hussein Musah, Koo Ntakara and Gilbert Bossu.
They will be officially outdoored tonight at a ceremony at the Oak Plaza Hotel on the Spintex Road in Accra but some of them are already bursting with anxiety to get into action.
The Priznerz from Cape Coast, for instance, believe they have what it takes to win the contest. Made up of George Kwasi Sarpong and Christopher Boakye Yiadom, they claim they have the most visual style which would make people want to see them again and again.
“We have some wicked stuff that comment on socio-political and economic situations but which are extremely entertaining and motivational at the same time. We cannot wait to get started,” the Priznerz said in a chat.
One of the competition’s judges, Bessa Simons said there was nothing wrong with any of the contestants expressing optimism about their chances in the coming weeks.
To him, it is fair for those selected to fill their heads with thoughts of doing well which could propel them to excel.
“It is a tough but enjoyable road ahead. Whoever thinks he or she is coming out on top should be ready to work extremely hard. We want them to be as original as possible. None of them should try to sound like any other act they know.
“The judges, MTN, producer-engineers and everyone else connected with the show are ready to give all the necessary support so it would be up to the contestants to prove themselves. All we want is the best act to win and bring something fresh to the scene,” Bessa said.
Another judge, Zapp Mallet pointed out that the contestants must not relent on their efforts at all and that they must approach the show like fighting in a battle for their lives.
“They must put in everything they have because each one has the potential to win. Only one act can, however, win the top prize so those who do not win must not take it as the end of the world. After all, they would have had a lot of exposure and knowledge to help them move forward with their careers.”
Farmhouse, the company producing the show also says everything is set for an exciting show.
“Now that we know the final set, it is going to be business all the way,” said Ivan Quashigah of Farmhouse.
Television viewers were highly thrilled by the maiden edition last year. The indications are that they are in for another interesting season of the MTN Hit-Maker.
Graphic Showbiz/Ghana
Jim Boyce wants Premier League to back 2022 winter World Cup
But the Premier League are opposed to a move as it would cause major disruptions to the fixture calendar.
"A sensible decision has to be made," Boyce told the BBC. "I would appeal to people in the Premier League."
Analysis
"The realities of awarding Qatar the 2022 World Cup have now dawned on Fifa and the major domestic leagues."Sepp Blatter announced he will ask his executive committee, in October, to move the tournament from the searing summer heat in the desert state to the cooler, winter months.
"That has prompted Richard Scudamore to reflect that disruption to football's calendar - in the seasons leading up to 2022 and possibly after - will prove "chaotic".
"Then there are the proponents who say 2022 should be a watershed moment for football - a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to switch the domestic game to the summer months to take advantage of better weather in the lucrative European leagues.
"That's something that will be vehemently opposed by cricket and other sports that currently play in football's off-season.
"A fierce debate is underway and the battle-lines are being drawn."
Medical evidence highlighted the
dangers of playing games in temperatures that average 40C in June and
can reach 50C. The heat dips to an average of 20C during the winter
months.
Boyce said: "I know Qatar has said they will air-condition the stadiums and I'm sure they will be fantastic but you have to be realistic.
"You're taking thousands of people, who want to see and enjoy a World Cup, but in temperatures exceeding 50 degrees, that would not be comfortable or healthy for all of those people.
"Probably the main objectors at the moment are the Premier League and I can understand why because there's a lot of money involved.
"But from a common sense and especially a health point of view, (a winter World Cup) is something I would dearly love to see and I would hope that people would sit down and try to sort it out."
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore is worried that momentum is shifting in favour of a winter World Cup but insists he will continue to fight the proposal.
"Ultimately Fifa will decide, so of course one is worried," he said. "We're not silly, we're not stupid, we can see that that's the way the momentum is shifting.
"They can't really just decide to shift it by six months. Everybody's running a tight calendar.
"To suddenly change it all around is very impractical and in my view won't work and it shouldn't be allowed to work."
Five AMA security guards arrested
The
security personnel were at the entrance of the Pedestrian Shopping Mall
to ensure safety. INSET: One of the victims carrying her sewing machine
to safety.Picture: EMMANUEL BAAHFive security guards of
the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) have been arrested to assist in
investigations into last Wednesday’s fire outbreak at the Pedestrian
Shopping Mall at Odawna, near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra.The five suspects were on duty at the time of the fire outbreak and reportedly made an attempt to put out the fire before calling the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) when it went beyond their control.
A police source told the Daily Graphic that the arrest of the five security guards did not mean they were culpable.
It said the five security guards had indicated that they were on their usual patrols to drive away persons in the area, when they spotted the fire from one of the kiosks.
The fire, which started around 7:50 pm, destroyed vast amounts of property and could have done more harm but for the swift response of the personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).
Mr Prince Billy Anaglatey, Divisional Officer and Deputy Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, reiterated that traders should desist from cooking and spending the nights in the markets as those activities were major causes of fire.
He urged the AMA to ensure that markets were properly planned with accessible routes for fire engines to use, any time there was such outbreaks.
He suggested that as Ghana strived hard to curb these fire outbreaks, there was the need for authorities to put up a structure in all the markets to house fire officers as one of the measures to deal with such fires at their early stages.
A victim of the fire, Mr Seth Oppong, a boutique owner, said he had lost all his stock in the fire.He also said he lost two shops in the recent fire outbreak at the Kantamanto Market, adding that " Only God can keep me alive to see the future".
Another victim, Mr Fred Otoo, who also lost two shops, said another shop of his wife which was fully stocked with shoes and an amount of
GH ¢12,000, which his wife had kept in the shop for her trading activities, had also been burnt.
By Emmanuel Baah
Hockey Stadium reverts to Theodosia Okoh on President’s orders
Theodosia Okoh The
Chief of Staff, Mr Prosper Douglas Bani, on behalf of President john
dramani Mahama, has directed the Chief Executive of the Accra
Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to reverse the decision to change the name
of the National Hockey Pitch.According to information released to journalists at the Flagstaff House yesterday, the Presidency was not aware of the decision to change the name from ‘Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium’ and had directed a reversal of the decision forthwith.
It said the AMA Chief Executive, Alfred Vanderpuije, had also been summoned to the Presidency over the decision, which was taken without recourse to the Presidency.
The AMA announced that it had renamed the National Hockey Pitch as part of the celebration of the first anniversary of the demise of President J.E.A. Mills in recognition of his prominent role in the development of hockey in the country.
The renaming of the pitch has attracted criticism from some quarters, with retired sports journalist and former Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Joe Aggrey, saying the renaming was not right, as the pitch had already been named after Mrs Okoh.
Hours before the presidency settled the matter, Mrs Okoh broke her silence and warned: “You either keep the honour by retaining my name on the national hockey stadium, or do your worst!”
The usually calm Mrs Okoh, the first female chairperson of the Ghana Hockey Association (GHA) and after whom the stadium had been named since 2004, did not hide her anger and disappointment over the decision by the AMA last Tuesday to rename the sporting facilitys.
She told the Graphic Sports yesterday: “It is sad the way and manner ordinary people who strive to achieve something for the country are treated. I’m proud of the role I played to bring Ghana hockey this far, but today I’m really sad about the way I’m being treated. I don’t think the late President, knowing him for who he was, would approve of this.”
Mrs Okoh, 91, who is also famed for designing the national flag, also advised that those in authority must take actions that would encourage many more ordinary people to be more patriotic and nationalist instead of doing things that would keep them holed-up in their small corners.
“I secured the present venue for hockey at a time when no one was ready to commit to the sport. When there were moves to convert the area into a lorry park, I almost single-handedly opposed it and fought hard to keep the place for the sport so that we could all have somewhere to play because the pitch at Achimota where the sport was played was no longer in good condition.”
“I believe I deserve the honour done me for the role I played in Ghana hockey but if they decide not to give me that honour, the least I deserve is respect.”
Mrs Okoh, a Patron of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) insisted her name be taken off the facility if it was only for the playing pitch and not the entire stadium as was explained by the Mayor of Accra Mayor, Dr Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, on Peace FM’s morning show Kokrokoo.
“The pitch has been named after her (Madam Theodosia), but the stadium is in the name of the late President. The facility in the stadium and the whole environment has been named after him (President Mills)…the hockey stadium is now going to be known as Prof John Evans Atta Mills Hockey Stadium but when you enter the stadium, the pitch is there and that will be in her name (Madam Theodosia Okoh Pitch). It has not changed,” explained the Mayor.
Story: Rosalind K. Amoh/Graphic Sports/Ghana
Usain Bolt wants to renew faith in athletics after drugs scandals
Six-time Olympic sprint champion
Usain Bolt wants to help restore faith in the sport after failed drug tests by fellow Jamaican athletes.
Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson recently tested positive, as did American Tyson Gay,
the fastest man in the world this year.
Bolt, 26, runs at the London Anniversary Games at the Olympic Stadium at the weekend.
"I have to work even harder to help the country and the sport," he said.
"Now I'm even more focussed and ready to go and do better and try to inspire people and to show people that it is possible."
Bolt insists he has never taken drugs and said: "I'm clean but you have to be very careful as an athlete because right now there are a lot of things on the banned list.
"You have to keep up to date with this kind of thing. It's kind of hard, but that's why you have a team to make sure.
"I get tested all the while. I got tested the day before yesterday. It's just part of the routine. "
Bolt, the 100m and 200m world record-holder, pointed to his success as a junior athlete as evidence of his innocence.
"I've broken every record there ever was to break since I was growing up," he told the BBC.
"It's not a surprise that I'm breaking world records because I've been doing it since I was a junior.
"I want to explain to people that 'this is just me'. I run fast because I have a talent and was put on this Earth to inspire a lot of people."
The US Anti-Doping Agency informed American Gay, 30, that his A sample from an out-of-competition test in May was positive.
Powell, the all-time fourth quickest, tested positive for a banned stimulant at June's Jamaican Championships and fellow Jamaican Simpson failed a drug test at the same event.
After Powell tested positive for the banned stimulant oxilofrine at the national trials last month, Bolt said it was a blow for Jamaica and athletics.
"I didn't want to bombard him with questions," said Bolt, who will run the 100m and 4x100m at the London Anniversary Games.
"I told him, 'Sorry to hear what was going on.' And he said, 'Yes, it's kind of rough, it's hard."'
With Gay and Powell still waiting for the results of their 'B' samples, Bolt was keen to avoid speculation when he spoke to the media in London on Thursday.
"There are a lot of details left to be discussed," he said.
The recent spate of positive drug tests has put the focus back on a sport that has been dogged by doping scandals in the past.
"It's going to set athletics back a little bit, but as a person I can't really focus on this," added Bolt.
"I still have the World Championships, everyone is stepping up their game, so I have to really focus on that.
"I am just trying to work hard, run fast and hopefully help people forget what has happened and just move on."
Bolt was speaking on the same day a Jamaica football player tested positive for a banned substance after a World Cup qualifying match against Honduras.
The Jamaica Football Federation said it was notified by Fifa that a "member of the Jamaican squad returned an adverse analytical finding on his urine sample" after the 11 June game.
Bolt became the first athlete to retain the Olympic 100m and 200m crowns when he took gold in both events at the 2012 London Olympics last summer. He then won his third gold of the Games when he anchored Jamaica's sprint relay team to a world record.
Police Service dismisses 108 officers
One hundred and eight police officers were
dismissed from the Ghana Police Service between 2010 and June this year,
as a result of their involvement in various criminal activities.
An additional 132 personnel of the service were demoted while 239 were sanctioned during the period.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, said 433 officers were currently facing service enquiry for misconduct and served notice that the Police Administration would weed out the bad ones in the service as part of its reorganisation exercise.
Discipline in the Police Administration
Mr Alhassan was responding to a question on corruption in the Ghana Police Service when the top brass of the Police Administration held an encounter with the leadership of the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) in Accra yesterday.
The interaction was meant for the Police Administration to court the support of the Christian leadership as part of efforts at maintaining the peace after the Supreme Court verdict on the election petition.
The visit to the CCG was also to update the clergymen on the measures the Police Administration had put in place to curb crime in the country.
The IGP said the police would not shield their own against the interest of the state, and that the Police Administration had put mechanisms in place to “police” its officers.
“We recently deployed secret surveillance cameras on the highways on our men to keep them in check,”?he said, adding that while offending officers were severely sanctioned, structures were also in place to instill discipline in the service.
Officers who accompanied the IGP
Officers who accompanied the IGP were the Director-General in charge of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Mr Prosper Ablorh; the Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Christian Tetteh Yohuno; the Director of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr Angwubutoge Awuni, and the Director-General in charge of Administration, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Ms Rose Atinga Bio.
Paradigm shift in the Police Administration
The IGP said there had been a paradigm shift in the manner the police approached issues and explained that proactive approaches had now been adopted to prevent crimes from happening.
On that score, he said the Police Administration had embarked on educational and other sensitisation activities to involve the citizenry in its work, in its efforts at ridding the country of criminal activities.
The Chairman of the CCG, Rt Rev Francis Amenu, pledged the support of the leadership of the council to the Police Administration, and urged the rest of society to accept the Supreme Court verdict in the interest of the country.
IGP visits National Chief Imam
Earlier, Mr Alhassan had called on the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, at his residence, where the IGP urged the Muslim community to partner the Police Administration to effectively discharge its mandate.
More police stations to be built
Mr Alhassan said the Police Administration had targeted to construct an additional 200 police stations across the country, noting that in spite of the constraints, the administration would endeavour to complete a number of projects for the police.
There are about 800 police stations and 700 police district headquarters at different locations in the country.
He underscored the resolve of the police to vigorously pursue their constitutional mandate for the public to go about their normal activities without fear or intimidation.
Market fires
The IGP stated that the Police Administration was collaborating with other security agencies to monitor major markets in the country to help eliminate the incidence of fire outbreaks at those markets.
He said special investigative teams were currently in place to help forestall any eventuality.
Public order
Mr Alhassan made reference to the recent violence in Kumasi, Nkonya and Alavanyo that claimed some lives and said the police had intensified their patrols to prevent a recurrence of violence.
He added that rush-hour patrols had been instituted in the major cities to beef up police presence in the communities while restructuring was currently going on in the Police Administration to effectively combat crime.
Supreme Court verdict
For him, as the lead law enforcement agency in Ghana, the Police Administration would continue to advocate peace and tranquility as the verdict of the Supreme Court on the presidential election approached.
According to him, the police were adequately prepared to contain any unforeseen situation, adding, “Our boots are laced and our vehicles are in good order to contain any public disturbances.”
The IGP donated five boxes of mineral water, a carton of milk, five bags of rice, two gallons of oil, a bag of sugar, 12 packs of tea and 12 tins of Milo in support of the Ramadan.
ACP Awuni appeals to Muslim youth
Mr Awuni called on Muslim youth to register their motorbikes to avoid brushes with the law.
He said during Ramadan, it behooved on Muslim youth to avoid reckless riding on the roads and obey road traffic regulations.
Chief Imam responds
The Spokesperson of the Chief Imam, Alhaji Mohammed Gado, thanked the IGP and his entourage for the visit and pledged the support of the Muslim community to the cause of the Police Administration.
He said Sheikh Sharubutu had an established organisation that was committed to conflict resolution and bringing together Christians and Muslims in a bid to promote inter-religious harmony in the country.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Ghana ready to host Miss World - Tourism Minister
This
country has hosted several major world events in the past and in the
eyes of the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Elizabeth
Ofosu Adjare, Ghana is ready to host the oldest surviving major
international beauty pageant, Miss World.Speaking at the final event of the Miss Ghana 2013 pageant at the State House in Accra last Saturday, the Minister said Ghana would be honoured to host the Miss World pageant because we have the right professionals, accommodation and other facilities to efficiently do that.
The chairperson of the Miss World pageant, Julia Morley as well as the current Miss World, Yu Wenxia of China were present at the Miss Ghana event as the Minister extolled our worthy credentials.
'We have got summer all year round, a weather which many patrons of Miss World pay lots of money to travel to enjoy. We have got well-educated, highly trained work-force that are eager to be part of the business,' the Minister said.
'Ghana boasts of some of the best professionals in the creative arts business, from music to film, show production to graphic design and show hosting. We are also proud to let you know that Accra boasts of over 1000 rooms in 4-star rated hotels. We would be most delighted to host Miss World.'
Since the pageant was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951, two African countriesNigeria and South Africa have hosted the Miss World pageant and Communications expert, William Asiedu who has covered international pageants across the world, thinks Ghana can also competently host the pageant.
According to Asiedu, one of the most important items for hosting such an event is an appropriate venue and he believes we have a couple of suitable venues.
'Since the Miss World is a respected international brand, it always moves with its own team of experts that supports the brand. The team only requires some amount of support from local experts to pull everything through,' Asiedu said.
In his view, the key challenge would be for the Miss Ghana Organisation to be extremelty efficient in terms of flight arrangements, ground transportation, hotel bookings and publicity.
Asiedu stated that the airline business works well in this country and there are enough luxury cars and hotel accommodation alongside online publicity business being up to speed. He, therefore felt the 120 or so people that would come in for the pageant from around the world should be well-catered for.
'Do not forget that we hosted the Model of the Universe international pageant in 2003 where about 87 contestants from around the world came to Ghana and it was a huge success. Believe me, we can easily host Miss World in this country,' Asiedu added.
Source: Daily Graphic
Blogger banned from Jackson trial
A blogger has had his camera phone confiscated after being accused of taking a picture of jurors in the Michael Jackson trial.Baliffs also banned him from the building after he took the photo in the courthouse hallway.
William Wagener, a regular spectator at the trial, has been ordered to return to court on Thursday to hear if the ban will be permanent.
Jackson's family are seeking damages from AEG Live over the singer's death.
His mother, Katherine, is demanding $40 billion (£26bn), claiming the company did not investigate Conrad Murray, the doctor hired to be Jackson's physician, and ignored warning signs about his health.
Security around the trial, which has been running since April, has been tight, with the judge giving regular reminders about no photographs being taken that might impede the process.
Mr Wagener claims he mistakenly took the photo inside the courthouse and that any ban on him entering the courtroom would impede his covering the trial.
He previously attended the entire Michael Jackson child abuse trial in 2005 and has accused prosecutors of not telling the truth and the world's media of lying about what went on in the courtroom.
He has since launched an appeal to raise $10 million (£6.54m) to make a documentary about the trial, which eventually saw Jackson acquitted of child abuse allegations.
So far Mr Wagener has raised $10,000 (£6,540).
Source: BBC
Police Bike Patrol units to provide security in Accra’s ‘nook and cranny’
The
Ghana Police Service has assured residents in the country’s capital
that its newly introduced Motor Bike Patrol Unit will be deployed
throughout the region to complement efforts by other units of the
Service.
The Service has, therefore, appealed to members of the public to cooperate in order to rid the city of robbers.
This was made known by the
Kaneshie District Commander, Chief Superintendent Fiam Sena Adika, in
Accra following the arrest of two motor bike riders who attempted to rob
a lady of her bag.
The incident happened Monday evening around the Old Melcolm Building in Accra.
After giving the robbers a hot
chase, the motor bike patrol team managed to grab them after they had
abandoned their motor bike and fallen into a gutter near Peace FM.
“If they will not stop then they
should relocate from Accra because very soon all areas in Accra will be
covered by motor bike patrol teams that will enter all nook and cranny,”
C/Supt. Adika warned.
The two will be arraigned before court soon.
Source: TV3 News|Ghana
20-year old and beyond MDA buildings to undergo re-wiring: Statement
The
Fire Service Council and the management of the Ghana National Fire
Service (GNFS) after an emergency meeting has asked for cooperation from
managers of Municipal, Metropolitan and District Assemblies in ensuring
safety of public buildings.
Fire safety audits by the Service in MMDAs and other public buildings are currently on-going.
A statement released after the meeting
said all regional and district fire commanders have been tasked to
ensure continuous and effective implementation of guidelines and
strategies for increased public fire safety education.
The Service also advised that buildings
of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) constructed 20 years ago
and beyond should immediately undergo electrical re-wiring and an early
fire detection and suppression systems within their premises be
installed.
The Statement also reminds all MDA's
that as required by Act 537 of 1997 (Fire Service Establishment Act) and
LI 1724 of 2330 (Fire Precaution Regulations) all employees are to be
trained to enhance fire prevention and safety at the workplace.
Source: tv3network.com|Ghana
‘Eco’ set to be launched in 2015
Governors
of Central Banks of the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) are keeping the January 1, 2015 date for the launch of a common
currency in the region.
Though most countries are yet to
meet conditions set for the monetary union, member states believe a
common currency could make the West African region financially
competitive.
In his welcome address at the 29th
Meeting of the Committee of Governors of Central Banks of ECOWAS, Dr
Henry Wampah, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, urged members to work
tirelessly towards the achievement of that goal.
“As Governors are aware, the West African Monetary Zone members had set 1st January, 2015 for the launch of the common currency,” Dr Wampah noted.
“I will therefore urge those of us in the WAMZ to continue to work tirelessly towards this important milestone.”
He recalled an agreement by member
states in 2000 in Dakar, Senegal that macroeconomic stability should
precede monetary union with further conditions set for the various
stages in introducing the common currency, Eco.
“Today, the same conditions
that prompted these decisions exist, providing us with even more
compelling grounds to work harder at convergence,” Dr Wampah pointed
out.
“It is our responsibility
to give meaning to these in order to help transform the ECOWAS region
into a viable and productive economic and financial space that is truly
competitive and able to withstand pressures in a fiercely competitive
global economic system.”
Source: tv3network.com|Ghana
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Michael Jackson's mom: 'I want to know what really happened'
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Jackson matriarch Katherine Jackson: "A lot of the facts that have been said are not the truth"
- Michael Jackson's "not here to speak for himself," his mother says
- "My son was a very good person," Jackson's mother testifies
- Expert says Jackson would have earned $1.5 billion from touring and sponsorship
Katherine Jackson, likely
the final witness as her lawyers conclude their wrongful death case
against the pop icon's last concert promoter, began her testimony Friday
and will conclude it Monday in a Los Angeles court.
"The most difficult thing
is to sit here in the court and listen to all the bad things they say
about my son," Jackson testified.
The 83-year-old matriarch
of the world's most famous entertainment family sat on the front row in
the small courtroom for most of the 51 previous days of testimony.
"A lot of the facts that
have been said are not the truth," she said. She said contrary to what
an AEG Live executive wrote in an e-mail as Jackson prepared for his
comeback concerts in 2009, her son was not lazy.
Paris Jackson's deposition
Paris Jackson deposition played in court
But she especially
objected to an e-mail from AEG parent company's general counsel that
called Jackson "a freak" on the same day his company's top executives
were going to his house to sign the "This Is It" tour contract.
"He's not here to speak for himself," his mother said. She said she would "try my best" to speak for the pop icon.
Jurors leaned forward and
listened closely during Jackson's testimony and as her lawyer showed
them video of her son performing as a child.
The lawsuit filed by
Katherine Jackson and on behalf of the singer's three children contends
AEG Live is liable for the death of Jackson because it hired, retained
or supervised Dr. Conrad Murray. The doctor was convicted of involuntary
manslaughter.
AEG Live argues it was
Jackson, not their company, who chose and controlled Murray, who
admitted giving Jackson nightly infusions of a surgical anesthetic the
coroner ruled killed him. Its executives had no way of knowing about the
dangerous treatments Murray was giving Jackson in the privacy of his
bedroom, AEG Live lawyers contend.
"Why are you here?" Jackson lawyer Brian Panish asked Katherine
"Because I want to know what really happened to my son," she said. "And that's why I am here."
Panish asked Jackson how
it made her feel to have been asked probing and personal questions
about her family by AEG Live lawyer Marvin Putnam during a dozen hours
of deposition testimony.
"It makes me feel real
bad, because my son was a very good person," she said. "He loved
everybody, he gave to charity, he was in the Guinness Book of World
Records for giving to charity."
Putnam faces the challenge of not appearing unkind to Katherine Jackson while also trying to discredit her testimony.
"Forget it," she said as
she stopped before answering Putnam's question about why she initially
included, and later dropped show director Kenny Ortega as a defendant in
her lawsuit.
"Forget what ma'am?" Putnam asked.
Jackson remained silent for about a minute, staring back at Putnam.
Would it help to reread the question, he asked.
"No, it wouldn't be helpful," Jackson answered curtly.
The judge finally
ordered the question stricken from the record because the answer
involved privileged discussions with her lawyers.
Jackson returned to the
stand after the lunch break but she told the judge she was tired after
just a few more minutes of questioning by Putnam. The judge sent jurors
home two hours early and will allow Katherine Jackson to resume her
testimony Monday morning.
If jurors decide that
AEG Live is liable in Jackson's death, they could award damages based on
the loss of the mother's and children's relationship with him and the
amount of money he was unable to earn because his life was cut short.
The wrongful death trial is about to get a lot uglier, if defense lawyers live up to the promise of their opening statements.
AEG Live lawyers this
week brought up the child molestation charges against Jackson and the
2002 incident in which the pop star "dangled" his infant son on a Berlin
hotel balcony.
Touring till 66?
Paris Jackson made
another appearance in the trial this week -- via a video of her
deposition in March. Jurors saw a clip of AEG Live lawyer Putnam asking
the 15-year-old what her father told her about his "This Is It" tour:
Putnam: "Did he explain to you how long the tour was going to last?"
Paris: "I assume a long time since it was a world tour, but those usually last a long time"
Putnam: "How did you understand it was a world tour?"
Paris: "Because he told us."
Putnam: "What did he tell you?"
Paris: "That we were going around the world on tour."
Certified public
accountant Arthur Erk, who has managed and audited the business affairs
of many top artists, testified Wednesday that he is "reasonably certain"
that Jackson would have performed 260 shows around the world as part of
his "This Is It" tour. He would have earned $890 million over the three
years of concerts in Europe, Asia, South America, North America and
Australia, Erk said.
Jackson would have
earned at least $1.5 billion from touring, endorsements and sponsorships
had he not died preparing for his comeback tour, Erk said.
AEG Live's unprecedented
sellout of 50 shows scheduled for London's O2 Arena in 2009 and 2010
proved there was "pent-up demand" to see Jackson live, despite
controversies that had tarnished his reputation in the years since his
last tour in 1998, Erk said.
An e-mail from AEG Live
CEO Randy Phillips said fans bought all 750,000 tickets put on sale for
31 shows in March 2009 in just two hours. Enough buyers were registered
to sell out another 100 shows, Phillips wrote.
"Dude, we're going to
sell out a ridiculous amount of tickets," AEG Live Co-CEO Paul Gongaware
wrote in an e-mail. "We've got to get Mikey to add more shows."
Jackson's manager quickly approved another 19 shows, bringing the total to 50.
"Ten million tickets for the rest of the world? They would have gobbled up those tickets in seconds," Erk said.
AEG Live lawyer Sabrina
Strong challenged Erk's estimate, asking if any other act has ever made
as much money on a tour. "No," he said. "This would have been a
record-breaking world tour."
Jackson would have done another 195 shows over four more world tours before retiring from the road at age 66, Erk predicted.
Putnam called Erk's
estimates "a creation, a fabrication" which suggests Jackson would have
made more after age 50 that he did in the three tours during the "height
of his fame."
Jackson never intended to perform after the 50 shows in London, Putnam said.
AEG Live showed jurors a
video clip of Katherine Jackson's deposition, in which she said her son
would joke that he "didn't want to be moonwalking on stage at 50."
"Michael said that quite
a few years back and he was joking," his mother explained in her
testimony Friday. "I thought it was funny and most of us said things
like that. I used to think 50 was very old."
In fact, Jackson was 50
when he signed a three-year contract with AEG Live for his comeback
tour, which would have likely included his famous moonwalk dance steps
as he performed "Billie Jean."
"We announced that we're
going to have one tour in London, that's what was announced, and it was
called 'This Is It,' meaning in London, this show is it," he said.
"This show is it. This is the last thing he's ever going to do. As a
result of this being his final performance ever, to be at the O2 in
London, there was enormous response, understandably, and therefore we
sold 50 shows."
With the Jackson case
ending -- which Putnam called "ridiculous" -- "now we're going to start
to show what actually occurred here," he said.
No Conrad Murray testimony
AEG Live's defense team confirmed Wednesday that they would not be calling Murray to testify.
"I have no intention of
calling him myself, unless it's requested, your honor," Putnam said,
replying to the judge's question about his plans.
Until now, AEG Live
lawyers have suggested they might call Murray, who is serving a
four-year jail sentence for involuntary manslaughter, to the witness
stand.
Murray's lawyer gave the
Jackson and AEG Live lawyers a sworn statement from the doctor before
the trial began stating that he would invoke his constitutional
protection against self-incrimination by refusing to answer questions if
subpoenaed.
See you in September
Jurors, who were told
when the trial started in April that it could end sometime in August,
appeared unfazed when Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Yvette
Palazuelos told them this week that it is likely to extend into
mid-September. Putnam estimated this week that he needs about 30 days in
court to present his defense after the plaintiffs rest.
The jurors often have
laughed and smiled in reaction to testimony and the interplay between
Jackson lead lawyer Brian Panish, the judge and the AEG defense team.
For example, when
Palazuelos ordered Panish to turn around and face the bench while AEG
attorney Sabrina Strong cross-examined Erk, jurors seemed amused.
Panish, whose seat was just in front of Strong's lectern, had been
looking directly up at her at close range.
There were no laughs in
the hallway after court on Tuesday when Panish and Putnam exchanged
words. The two lawyers were standing about 15 feet apart, each talking
to reporters, when they began directing their words at each other. The
court clerk interrupted the heated conversation, threatening to summon
deputies.
Palazuelos lectured the
lawyers in her chambers the next morning and imposed new rules that bar
them from speaking to journalists in the hallway.
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