Ghanaians to enjoy tax cut says newly elected President Nana Akufo-Addo

Ghanaians to enjoy tax cut says newly elected President Nana Akufo-Addo

Regional News Unknown   16:48

While Nigerian President Buhari is busy inflicting untold hardship on Nigerians with various forms of taxes and levies in the heat of economic recession which is largely brought about by his lack of basic economic knowledge of running a nation with several unqualified members of his cabinet not having the requisite skills to run their various ministries, department and agencies, busy witch-hunting his perceived political rivals with security agencies, reverse is the case in Ghana.

His counterpart in Ghana, President Nana Akufo-Addo has announced his resolve to reduce taxes in a bid to encourage various businesses to grow, which will in return boost the economy of the country, and protect the public purse by ensuring that the country gets value for money on all services.

Though the strategy he wishes to employ to enable him achieve a tax cut policy and still stick to an IMF austerity plan that was a condition of a 918 million dollars bailout is not yet clear, but it is a good.

“We will reduce taxes to recover the momentum of our economy,” said Akufo-Addo, wrapped in a traditional kaleidoscopic “kente” robe.

“Ghana is open for business again.” The inauguration attracted Ghanaians in their thousands who were also well dressed in their kente singing and clapping, drumming and dancing.

Akufo-Addo suggested government money would be spent wisely.

“I shall protect the public purse by insisting on value for money,” he said.

“Public service is just that: service, and is not to be seen as an opportunity for making money.

” Ghana expects growth will return to above eight per cent in 2017 as new oil and gas fields from Tullow and ENI come on tap.

Akufo-Addo served as one time foreign minister and attorney general in the NPP government that ruled between 2001 and 2009.

Before his victory in the last election, he had in the past lost close battles for the presidency on two occcasions. He is the son of a former chief justice and non-executive president of Ghana.

During his campaign, he had accused the Mahama administration of corruption and incompetence, charges the outgoing president denied.

The swearing in ceremony was also attended by lots of African leaders and other international dignitaries, including President Muhammadu Buhari, Chadian President Idris Deby, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and former UN chief Kofi Annan.

Ghanaians are proud of having a stable democracy and acutely aware that it is a rarity in turbulent region.

Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party also won a majority of 169 seats in Parliament while the former ruling National Democratic Congress now has 106 seats.

New menstrual law allowing women a day off at work each month causes stir in social media

New menstrual law allowing women a day off at work each month causes stir in social media

Regional News Unknown   12:30

Mass reaction across the globe trails a fresh law which permits female employees in Zambia to go on a day off per month during their monthly period.

Sources reported that the purpose of the law is to help female workers sort out their menstrual cramps, thus attracting both positive and some kind of ridiculous reaction from users of social media. Some are even saying such a law should be introduced in the United States.

Below are some the excerpts of the reactions:

@Walmart workers' union in Zambia won in their contract and in law 1-day a month menstruation leave. Why not in US?

12:29 PM - 25 Oct 2016

 @kasc4u

Women In Zambia Get A Day Off Per Month For ‘Period Pain’ http://rumoursgh.com/blog/women-in-zambia-get-a-day-off-per-month-for-period-pain/ …

12:14 PM - 4 Jan 2017

@TS29_

In Zambia women have days off for their period. bare spoilt

10:20 AM - 4 Jan 2017

@hallaboutafrica

New Zambia labour law allows women one paid day off monthly when they are having their periods; called Mothers Day but applies to all women.

@wateraid

Should women be given a 'day off' per month to manage their period, as they are in Zambia? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-38490513 … #MothersDay #menses

1:17 PM - 4 Jan 2017

@spartacus9100

Zambia: The country where all women get a day off because of their period http://idreamzmedia.com/zambia-country-women-get-day-off-period/ …

4:38 PM - 4 Jan 2017

5:24 AM - 5 Jan 2017 · Swaziland

After conceding defeat in the just concluding presidential election, Yahya Jammeh said he won’t hand over to winner.

After conceding defeat in the just concluding presidential election, Yahya Jammeh said he won’t hand over to winner.

Regional News Unknown   08:40

To the amazement not to just his country, but the entire world, Gambian president who earlier on conceded defeat to his rival in the just concluded presidential election, has made a U-turn.

His excuse for changing his mind was that there were some irregularities in the election which have just been discovered, thus, asking for a rerun.

Recall that earlier on Yahya Jammeh made a vow that he is going to rule for “a billion years”. Such a vow may not be unconnected to the reverse of his earlier acceptance, as he declared not to accept the result of the election which gave victory to a former security guard to Argos. As he claimed that some investigations carried out had shown electoral fraud and put a demand for fresh elections.

Thus a move has thus sparked condemnation worldwide after it was announced in a national television.

His rival Adama Barrow secured 45% votes against his 36% votes in the election, which made him to concede defeat earlier on.

The president earlier acceptance brought about celebration across Gambia, as they saw the earlier move as end to his 22 years rule, saying it is step forward for democracy in Gambia.

After clinging unto power in a bloodless coup in 1994 via a military coup, Jammeh has long been condemned for various human rights abuses by imprisoning, torturing and even killings anyone who opposes him.

In his decision to contest the rerun election he said:

"After a thorough investigation, I have decided to reject the outcome of the recent election.

"I lament serious and unacceptable abnormalities which have reportedly transpired during the electoral process.

"I recommend fresh and transparent elections which will be officiated by a god-fearing and independent electoral commission."

Jammeh’s position poses a colossal challenge to Mr. Barrow’s administration, has he is faced currently with the problem of dealing with the country’s military that have for over 20 years pledged their total allegiance to the president.

Jammeh is an unknown politician just 6-months ago, who has five children was propelled into the race as a unity presidential candidate, after members of the opposition were jailed.

Though Mr Barrow ran an estate agency in his country, he lived in the United Kingdom for about three-and-half years as a young man, and worked as a security guard for Argos in London, and his a staunch supporter of Arsenal FC.

The head of Mr Barrow's transition team said the president-elect and his staff were safe.

Mai Ahmad Fatty said: "We are consulting on what to do, but as far as we are concerned, the people have voted.

"We will maintain peace and stability and not let anyone provoke us into violence."

Consequently, the US State Department has condemned Mr Jammeh's dismissal of the results and said it was a blatant effort to undermine a credible election and remain illegitimately in power.

African Union chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma dismissed Mr Jammeh's statement, pointing out he had already "publicly and gracefully recognised that the victory of President-elect Adama Barrow is the true expression of the will of the Gambian people."

Senegal's foreign minister, Mankeur Ndiaye, has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council and "solemnly" warned Mr Jammeh not to harm Senegal's interests or its citizens in Gambia.

President Yahya Jammeh accepts defeat at the poll as he follows Jonathan's good example

President Yahya Jammeh accepts defeat at the poll as he follows Jonathan's good example

Regional News Unknown   10:35

After ruling Gambia for 22 years, president, Yahya Jammeh, has surprised the world as conceded defeat to the opposition candidate in the just concluded election, Adama Barrow.

The news information was released by the country’s chairman of the Gambia’s independent electoral commission, Alieu Momar Njie, on Friday.

The Chairman to journalists prior to the announcement of the result of the presidential election held on Thursday that, “It’s really unique that someone who has been ruling this country for so long has accepted defeat.”

Jammeh was in for a fifth term with his party, Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction, APRC, while Barrow ran for eight political groups who united for the first time to field a single candidate.

KENYA: Everyday for the thief, one day for the owner, as boy 26 caught having intercourse with a neighbour's goat

KENYA: Everyday for the thief, one day for the owner, as boy 26 caught having intercourse with a neighbour's goat

Regional News Unknown   07:30

But for the intervention of the police, Gabrielle Simiyu perhaps would have been sent to his ancestors, for having the effrontery to have an intercourse with a goat.

Nangwe village in Kenya was in serious confusion when when Simiyu was discovered having a lot of a baaaarilliant time with his animal (goat) companion, which created a lynch swarm to follow him.

Police interceded, ceasing the horde of irate local people from battering the horny demons possessed boy. It was Simiyu’s uncontrollable desire for bestiality that made him timidly creep onto another man's property to have an intercourse with the animal in Nangwe town.

According to Richard Wanyonyi, the goat owner: "I heard the goat's bleating when I was sleeping and decided to go and find out why. It was dark so I took my time and when I reached there I saw someone jump and go to the cow shed but he forgot his shoes."

Reports leaving the town assert the 26-year-old is an enormous admirer of David Cameron, yet would rather not restrain himself to only one type of creature.

Professedly he swung to the goat since he'd been denied by a young lady prior in the night at a burial service.

America ready to destroy Boko Haram with drones

America ready to destroy Boko Haram with drones

Regional News Unknown   12:18

In a bid to decisively eradicate all forms of insurgency in with the African continent, strong signs have emerged that the United States government may dispatch assaults against Boko Haram radicals in the North-East, as an automaton base being built in Agadez town in the Niger Republic would soon be finished.

The said drone base is required to give US military, more noteworthy capacity to utilize drones against Islamist fanatics in nations like Libya, Mali and Nigeria.

In any case, it was told Sunday Punch by some security specialists that such automaton assaults against guerrillas in the North may kill honest individuals.

The task, thought to be the United States’ most critical military development exertion in Africa, as indicated by undisclosed documents acquired by an online medium, The Intercept, will swallow $100m.

The development of the base means that the US is giving careful consideration to insurgency in Nigeria and different nations on the African mainland.

According to the Intercept “As the only country in the region willing to allow a US base for MQ-9 Reapers — a newer, larger, and potentially more lethal model than the venerable Predator drone — Niger has positioned itself to be the key regional hub for US military operations, with Agadez serving as the premier outpost for launching intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions against a plethora of terror groups.”

Though the United States have for a considerable length of time worked an air base in Niamey, Niger's capital, yet in September 2014 the US African Command reported arrangements to construct an automaton office for "Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance."

The records acquired by The Intercept and made accessible online expressed, “The top MILCON [military construction] project for USAFRICOM is located in Agadez, Niger to construct a C-17 and MQ-9 capable airfield.

“Remotely Piloted Aircraft presence in Africa supports operations against seven (Department of State)-designated foreign terrorist organisations.

“Moving operations to Agadez aligns persistent ISR to current and emerging threats over Niger and Chad, supports French regionalisation and extends range to cover Libya and Nigeria.”

In a swift response to the advancement, an individual from the American Society of Industrial Security, Prof. Femi Adegbulu, made known to SUNDAY PUNCH that there was a probability of inadvertent blow-back, if the US dispatch drone assaults against Boko Haram in the North.

He state that, “There are two sets of drones, one for surveillance and the other for attacks. A reconnaissance drone is used for intelligence gathering, while the other kind of drone is used for attacks. There is no 100 per cent accuracy in warfare.

“You lose lives, money, time, and resources. The possibility of collateral damage cannot be ruled out, especially since Boko Haram terrorists are known to use humans as shields when attacked.”

So also, a previous Director, Department of State Services, Mike Ejiofor, revealed to journalists that he was worried about the US military's arrangement to dispatch assaults against Boko Haram from Niger.

“I am worried that the US military will be making such efforts to launch attacks against Boko Haram from outside Nigeria. If the US did not get the nod from the Federal Government to establish its drone base in the country, how could the US military launch attacks against Boko Haram from Niger Republic?”

At the point when the representative for the Ministry of Defense, Mr. Charles Nwodo, was reached at 3pm, he solicited that he should be given up to 6pm before he can make any comment. Be that as it may, when he was called again at 6pm, he didn't pick the calls set to his phone line nor respond to text message sent him. 

Six-year-old boy turns hero, as he was stabbed to death while saving his mum from a rapist

Six-year-old boy turns hero, as he was stabbed to death while saving his mum from a rapist

Regional News Unknown   17:05

Six-year-old Kutlwano Garespe was gruesomely stabbed to death in his attempt to protect his beloved mother from being raped in Northern Cape, South Africa.

It was on his way to school that the assailants appeared from nowhere to grab his mum’s shoulder forcing her to give him some money.

IOL News report stated that Kutlwano and his 8-year-old brother, Thabiso, saw the wicked attack.

"Thabiso was scared but Kutlwano kept on defending me," Segomotso said. "I could feel that the man was pulling up my skirt with his other hand and realised that he wanted to rape me in front of my children."

The heroic six-year-old apparently kicked and slapped the unidentified assailant, yelling: "Let go of my mummy, it is my mummy."

After Segomotso successfully kicked the rapist off her, he turned his attention to Kutlwano. He then threw him into the air, strangled him, and then stabbed him with a broken bottle.

According to the mum: "I heard my child crying out for me and I saw him trying to defend himself with his hands. The man just kept on stabbing him.

Click to watch the mum as she narrates her bitter experience

"I felt helpless and ran to the main road in an attempt to find help... all the cars just drove past as I cried and screamed that a man is killing my child.

"I ran back and could still hear Kutlwano calling me. When I got closer, I saw that he was now stabbing my son with a stick. I was screaming and felt so helpless."

The assailant escapted after leaving Kutlwano's body on a nearby railway track. But was later caught by local police, and has been charged with the murder of a six-year-old boy.

Residents are planning to stage a protest outside the jail to make sure the 32-year-old attacker is not granted bail.

This is unquestionably horrible. RIP Kutlwano.

Words by Mark McGowan

MALAWIAN MAN ALLEGEDLY RAPES AND INFECTS UNDER AGED GIRLS WITH HIV

MALAWIAN MAN ALLEGEDLY RAPES AND INFECTS UNDER AGED GIRLS WITH HIV

News Unknown   16:28

A Malawian man named Eric Aniva, has told the BBC how he is always being paid £3 to sexually abuse children by members of their family for ritual purposes which is called ‘hyena’.

This ritual practice is a very popular in Southern Malawi, especially when a woman becomes a widow or aborts a baby.

Family members usually force their little girls into this initiation the moment they attain the age of puberty. Unbelievably, these girls are ‘taught’ how to have sex in such camps. This is done for more than three days at the end of their first period. According to the report, the purpose of it is to ‘avoid infection’ with their parents and other community members.

Notwithstanding the fact that Eric is an HIV infected man, these family members do not give any thought to the health of and safety of those children. This is because, according to their tradition, the use of condom is a taboo, as they believed that the ‘hyenas’ are free of disease because of their ‘good morals’ as claimed by the natives.

Eric, a native of Nsanje in southern Malawi told the BBC during an interview that he was initiated into ‘hyena’ in 1995 and has since then had affairs with more than 100 females, through which he has had five children.

According to him: "Most of those I have slept with are girls, school-going girls.

"Some girls are just 12 or 13 years old, but I prefer them older. All these girls find pleasure in having me as their hyena. Thy actually are proud and tell other people that this man is a real man, he knows how to please a woman."

Though Eric never told any of these families he is HIV-positive, this was made to during the interview with the BBC.

According to the Permanent Secretary of the Malawian Government Ministry of Gender and Welfare, Dr May Sheba: "We are not going to condemn these people. But we are going to give them information that they need to change their rituals."

Meanwhile, Chrissie, a community elder who organises the initiation process in the camps, told the BBC: "There's nothing wrong with our culture.

"If you look at today's society, you can see that girls are not responsible, so we have to train our girls in a good manner in the village, so that they don't go astray, are good wives so that the husband is satisfied, and so that nothing bad happens to their families."

BREAKING: 23-YEAR OLD TWINS FROM SOUTH AFRICA ARRESTED FOR TERRORISM AGAINST THE U.S.A.

BREAKING: 23-YEAR OLD TWINS FROM SOUTH AFRICA ARRESTED FOR TERRORISM AGAINST THE U.S.A.

Regional News Unknown   17:20

Two South African siblings captured on terrorism charges were plotting to explode the US government office in Pretoria and Jewish foundations, and wanted to join the alleged Islamic State, police said Monday.

The 23-year-old twins, named Brandon-Lee and Tony-Lee Thulsie, showed up quickly in a Johannesburg judge court in the wake of being captured at the weekend.

“It is alleged that they wanted to bomb the US embassy and Jewish facilities in the country,” Hangwani Mulaudzi, spokesman for South Africa’s elite police, the Hawks, told AFP.

The United States and Britain cautioned a month ago of conceivable inescapable "terrorist" assaults by Islamic fanatics in South Africa's significant urban communities.

The two men, who are blamed for wanting to join the Islamic State (IS) gathering in Syria, will stay in detention and return to court for July 19 to take into account further examination.

“They had been on our radar since 2015. They tried to leave the country twice, through OR Tambo airport and through Mozambique (to join IS),” Mulaudzi said.

As indicated by court papers, the siblings “conspired to commit the crime of terrorism by planning to cause explosions at a mission of the United States of America and Jewish institutions.”

The associates were likewise accused with actuating other individuals to help and abet them in the assault, as per the temporary charge sheet.

“The incitement was to further the political, religious or ideological motives and objectives of… the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant,” it said.

BREAKING NEWS: AU MEMBER COUNTRIES NOW NEED VISA TO TRAVEL TO GHANA

BREAKING NEWS: AU MEMBER COUNTRIES NOW NEED VISA TO TRAVEL TO GHANA

Regional News Unknown   17:11

The Head of Public Affairs of the Ghana Immigration Service Francis Palmdeti announced that all foreigners from the African Union will now require visa upon their arrival to the country.

He stated  that the new policy would be piloted at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra for a period of three months before extending it to entry points.

He was quoted as saying “All AU nationals affected by this policy who arrive in the country must have a passport, valid for at least three months, from the date of entry; they must have a return ticket or evidence of onward travel. Travellers must show evidence of sufficient funds and proof of accommodation before they are granted visas.’’

he further explained that the new visa policy was a resolution reached by leaders of the AU in a meeting held early this year in Addis Ababa, requiring all member states to tailor their visa police according to their security challenges.

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF MILITANCY IN THE NIGER DELTA GOES BEYOND NIGERIAN BOARDER

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF MILITANCY IN THE NIGER DELTA GOES BEYOND NIGERIAN BOARDER

Regional News Unknown   15:09

The President of Ghana, John Mahama, cries out as power supply in Ghana crumbles due to the several attack on oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

The latest mourning came as a result of yesterday’s attack by the Niger Delta Avengers on Chevron facilities at Diogbolo close to Dibi, Warri Local Government Area of Delta States, with the aid of controlled explosive devices.

He made the cut in power supply the country is facing known during his Eid-el-fitr speech at a ceremony, which has been making individuals and corporate bodies to complain.

He attributed the situation to the reappearance of militancy in the oil-rich Niger Delta, with particular reference to the Niger Delta Avengers.

He further stressed that “we have recently suffered some generational problems. I held a stakeholders’ meeting with all those involved in the power sector. Because of sabotage in Nigeria on the terminals, crude oil that we ordered last month has not arrived; and so, it has created some generational problem for us.”