Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona weren’t able to solidify a new contract, which means the star forward won’t re-sign with the club, according to an official statement.
The football club via their website had the following announcement to make following the news that broke:
Despite FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, this cannot happen because of financial and structural obstacles (Spanish Liga regulations).
As a result of this situation, Messi shall not be staying on at FC Barcelona. Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club will ultimately not be fulfilled.
Messi
FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandisement of the club and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life.
EMY awards 2021, Adjetey Annang, Yaw Tog, Amb. Prince Kojo Hilton nominated. Check out the rest of nominees
The nominees of the competitive categories for the 6th EMY Africa Awards 2021 were announced at the official launch event on 31st July. Vote for your favourites!
The nominees of the competitive categories for the 6th EMY Africa Awards 2021 were announced at the official launch event on 31st July. The EMY Awards Faculty President in his speech encouraged people to vote for their favourite nominees as the voting lines have been officially opened. He furthered stated that the winners of the honorary award categories would be announced on the main awards night.
The EMY Awards Faculty also announced the introduction of new awards categories this year. What was hitherto, the Man of the Year – Entertainment Award has been broken down into the following:
Music Man of the Year Actor of the Year Creative and Support Arts Award The nominees for this year’s competitive award categories are as follows:
GIOVANI CALEB DAN KWEKU YEBOAH BERNARD AVLE NATHANIEL ATTOH FRANCIS ABBAN
Music Man of the Year Award
STONEBWOY KIDI KUAMI EUGENE MR DREW KOFI KINATA KING PROMISE
Creative and Support Arts Award
PRINCE KOJO HILTON GILBERT ASANTE DANCEGOD LLYOD TONY TOMETY FRANCIS BROWN KELVIN VINCENT NANA ASAASE (PHILIP BOAKYE DUA OYINKA)
Discovery of the Year
WODE MAYA YAW TOG KWABENA OFFEI-KWADEY NKRUMAH STEVE FRENCH THEODORE OHENE-BOTCHWAY
Man of the Year – Sports
JONATHAN MENSAH BENJAMIN AZAMATI JOSEPH PAUL AMOAH VICTOR KOFI AMPOFO
Brand of the Year
LAWEN TAYLOR ATTO TETTEH CAVEMAN WATCHES SKIN GOURMET BÖHTEN
Actor of the Year
ADJETEY ANNANG MAWULI GAVOR AKROBETO AKWASI BOADI KOFI ADJORLOLO PRINCE DAVID OSEI
Designer of the Year
MICHAEL AKOTUA ADDO (QUOPHI AKOTUAH) NANA ADU BOATENG (BLACK AND PHAMOUS) PRINCE SACKEY TAWIAH (TOE TALK) KOFI OKYERE DARKO (NINETEEN 57) OMONIYI MAKUN (YOMI CASUAL)
Young Achiever (Male)
BABA SADIQ ABDULAI ABU FAROUK KHAILANN MR. EAZI RICHIE MENSAH SHADRACK O. FRIMPONG
Young Achiever (Female)
ALBERTA NANA AKYAA AKOSA BERLA MUNDI DELORIS FRIMPONG MANSO (DELAY) GWYNETH GYIMAH ADDO JULIET BAWUAH
The following is how you can vote for your favourite nominee:
Visit www.emyafrica.com/vote , like the nominee’s post on EMY Africa Instagram page or text EMY plus name of preferred nominee and category to short code 1393.
Scoring will be 40 per cent for public and 60 percent technical made up of expert and faculty vote. This process will be managed and supervised by our event statisticians – EY Ghana.
EMY Africa Awards has also partnered with Fan Milk to present the “Business for Good Award”, an honorary award presented to an individual who operates a small business (micro & SME) and uses the business to make positive impact in the community.
“We are looking forward to beautiful night of celebration and honor at the main awards night of the 6th EMY Africa Awards 2021 in October”
Former President John Dramani Mahama with the support of the Volta Caucus in Parliament, yesterday donated relief items to communities affected by tidal waves in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region.
The presentation was done when the former President and members of the Volta caucus of Parliament, visited the affected communities to abreast themselves with the level of devastation and to solidarize with the people.
The items donated include 1,000 bags of cement, 20 bundles of roofing sheets, 50 bags of rice, 200 bags of sachet water and additional 50 bags of rice to be distributed to head porters (Agbatekorlawo) at the Aflao boarder.
Former President Mahama demanded of the Akufo-Addo government to eschew petty politics and continue with the second phase of the sea defence project as started under the NDC, in order to ameliorate the plights of the people. He also used the opportunity to thank the electorates of Ketu South, for the impressive turnout and massive support during the 2020 general elections, and assured them that by the grace of God, the NDC would win the 2024 elections.
President Mahama concluded his speech with the quote “he who fights and loses, lives to fight another day.”
The Member of Parliament for Ketu South, Hon Abla Dzifa Gomashie bemoaned her tireless efforts in getting the attention of the current government to address the issue of tidal waves devastation in her constituency.
She also thanked the former President and the Volta caucus MPs for heeding to her call for support for the affected communities.
It would be recalled that, hundreds of residents of Adina, Agavedzi, Amutinu, Blekusu, and Salakorpe in the Ketu South Municipality took to the streets to protest and express their frustrations over what they describe as the Akufo -Addo’s neglect of their plight.
Present to witness the presentation were members of the Volta caucus of Parliament, led by Hon Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzra, some Volta Regional executives of the NDC led by the Regional Chairman, Hon Henry Ametefe, as well as some Constituency Executives led by the Constituency Chairman, Hon.. Bright Korku Kumordzi and the former MPs for Ketu South, Hon Fifi Kwetey, Hon Albert Kwasi Zigah and scores of party members.
Issued By
Bright Dzila (Ketu South NDC Constituency Communications Officer.) 0246497595
Asante Kotoko are mourning the death of their former defender Godfred Yeboah, popularly known as TV3.
TV3 was confirmed dead on Tuesday morning at age 41.
“We’re saddened to hear of the passing of Godfred Yeboah who represented us from 2001 to 2009. His passion for the club was undeniable and he will be missed. We send our condolences to his family, friends and everyone who cherished him,” the club tweeted.
Yeboah succumbed to death after battling sickness for almost a month in Sunyani according to reports.
TV3 featured for the Ghanaian giants from 2003 to 2012 having played a huge role in the successes of the club across that period.
He also had four caps for the Ghana national team including a 2006 Word Cup qualifier against DR Congo.
In the season 2007/08 he was champion with Kotoko and he won the President’s Cup with his team.
He moved on 4 January 2008 from Kotoko to Wa All Stars (Now Legon Cities) with the teammate Kobina Dodzie on loan, the third player in the deal Habib Mohammed while to a permanent move.
Yeboah was on loan from January 2007 to June 2007 by AshantiGold and stands here in the Ghana Premier League All Star team.
We're saddened to hear of the passing of Godfred Yeboah who represented us from 2001 to 2009.
His passion for the club was undeniable and he will be missed.
Former South African President Jacob Zuma will be allowed out of the prison to appear in person before the commission of inquiry on state capture.
Zuma is expected to appear before a Pietermaritzburg court next week Tuesday.
In a court order dated 4 August, Koen said the hearing will be conducted “in open court at the High Court in Pietermaritzburg”.
Zuma’s lawyers have been adamant fighting for him to appear in court claiming it was a violation to virtually appear for the hearing.
“To do so would be unconstitutional and illegal, irrespective of the situation in a particular case, a particular date or the particular circumstance which may or may not prevail on 9 August 2021,” his lawyer said in a short two-page submission to the court.
The judge later turned the earlier ruling that the inquiry could be done virtually since no evidence was to be presented.
“The currently applicable Disaster Management (Covid) regulations, particularly those regarding the wearing of face masks, maintaining social distance, and the restrictions on the numbers of attendees at indoor venues, must at all times be adhered to strictly,” Judge Piet Koen said.
Zuma is currently serving a 15-month sentence for defying an order from the Constitutional Court, the country’s highest court, that he should testify at the commission of inquiry probing allegations of corruption during his term as president from 2009 to 2018.
The start of Zuma’s imprisonment on July 8 sparked off protests which quickly escalated into violent riots in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces that lasted a week.
The death toll in the unrest has risen to 337, and police are investigating 213 of those for murder, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, acting minister in the presidency, said Thursday. The rise in fatalities has been caused by people dying from serious injuries, she said.
The police investigations indicate that many deaths may have been caused by shootings and other intentional acts. Amnesty International is also investigating the deaths.
South Africa’s widespread poverty and inequality contributed to the wave of unrest which saw widespread ransacking of shopping centers, the burning of freight trucks, and the barricading of two of the country’s major highways.
Chelsea have seen an £85m ($118m) bid, that included Marcos Alonso heading in the opposite direction, rejected by Inter for striker Romelu Lukaku, Goal can confirm.
Thomas Tuchel is keen to add a world-class forward to his attack as the Blues look to challenge for the Premier League title in the 2021-22 campaign.
Chelsea were hopeful that they could capitalise on Inter’s financial difficulties by making a big offer for Lukaku, although the Nerazzurri have thus far proved resistant.
Lukaku said last week that he is gearing up for the new season with the Italian champions after he returned to training, suggesting he wants to stay.
Meanwhile, Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta has insisted that the forward will not be allowed to leave any time soon, saying: “Lukaku is not for sale. Lukaku is an important piece on the chessboard available to Simone Inzaghi.”
The Stamford Bridge side are in the hunt for a new striker, having seen Olivier Giroud leave this summer.
Chelsea already have Erling Haaland and Harry Kane on their list of targets, but Borussia Dortmund are not willing to sell the former during this transfer window and Tottenham are not letting their star man join their London rivals.
Chelsea have seen an £85m ($118m)
Lukaku, 28, has blossomed into one of the world’s top strikers in recent years.
He scored 24 goals and registered 11 assists in Serie A last season as the Nerazzurri secured the league title.
Only Cristiano Ronaldo scored more goals in the Italian top-flight in 2020-21.
Lukaku joined Chelsea from Anderlecht in 2011 but was unable to secure a place in the first team.
He ended up joining West Brom on loan for a year in 2012 and then went to Everton a year later.
Lukaku then joined the Toffees on a permanent deal, leaving Chelsea with just 15 competitive appearances to his name and no goals.
The Blues are already trying to sign Jules Kounde from Sevilla ahead of the new season.
They have been offering several players to the Spanish side in exchange for the defender.
Kurt Zouma, Emerson Palmieri and Kenedy are among the names the Premier League side have floated by Sevilla.
They are trying to get rid of Zouma first to make room in the squad for Kounde, with West Ham also in talks to sign the French centre-back.
Singer Rihanna is now officially a billionaire, second richest female entertainer in the world
Entrepreneur and singer Rihanna is officially now the richest woman musician in the world with net worth estimated at $1.7 billion. She may now be one of the richest musicians in the world but her music is not the primary source of her wealth, as per a report in Forbes magazine.
The Barbados-born singer, whose birth name is Robyn Fenty, derives an estimated $1.4 billion of her fortune from her 50% stake in the Fenty Beauty cosmetics line, Forbes reported.
The rest of Rihanna`s wealth comes from her share of the Savage x Fenty lingerie company and her income as a singer and actress, the magazine said.
Rihanna`s beauty company is part-owned by LVMH. The brand is known for its broad range of 50 skin tones, including dark shades for women of color, which were rare when it launched in 2017. This made it a leader in inclusivity in the industry.
Rihanna is also known for hits like ‘Umbrella’ and ‘Love The Way You Lie’ although she has created new music for a very long time. According to Forbes, the singer now ranks second behind Oprah as the richest female entertainer in the world.
Acting Inspector General of Police, George Akuffo Dampare was up in action with his men ahead of the much anticipated #FixTheCountry demonstration which happened yesterday.
Having given the green light for the peaceful march to be held, COP Akuffo Dampare before the dispersion of his men, met officers at the Accra Regional Command together with members of the Police Management Board.
He sought to, through the meeting, brief the men who were going to be on the field himself. Though this is usually done by heads at the Regional Command, the IGP spearheaded this meeting to motivate and encourage the men to be professional before they set off to shepherd the demonstrators.
Photos available to GhanaWeb from his office show COP Dampare speaking to his men who had gathered to get some ‘morale’ from their chief.
George Akuffo Dampare
The #FixTheCountry demonstration which is the first demonstration exercise held under his leadership was an incident-free one.
Meanwhile, scores of citizens from various spheres joined the #FixTheCountry protest Wednesday morning, to register their displeasure about happenings in leadership and governance.
4% salary increment: Aggrieved Workers to petition Speaker, set to close down offices
The Aggrieved Public Sector Workers of Ghana have given an ultimatum to leaders of the various labour unions to come out clear on actions being taken against the 4% salary increment agreed on their behalf.
The workers, who are fumed over the unreasonable compromises reached by its representatives at the salary increment negotiations says its leadership have been adamant despite calls by the public sector workers to reject the chicken change given them.
In a statement released by the group and signed by its Lead Convenor, Norbert Gborgbortsi, it says all Union offices would be closed down by close of day Wednesday, August 11, 2021, if nothing comes from the leadership.
The group has also informed the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Bagbin, of their intention to petition his office Wednesday, August 18, 2021, which is slated for their demonstration.
Read the full statement below:
PRESS RELEASE
AGGRIEVED PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS GHANA – ACTION NOW OR NEVER
A timeline was given to the organised labour to reconvene a meeting with government and renegotiate the 4% salary increment but the leadership is adamant and is bent on perpetuating illegality by forcing members to accept the percentage increment.
The leadership which is supposed to be law abiding is doing otherwise whilst the members rather turn to be law abiding.
If by 11th of August 2021, nothing is heard about the leaderships’ position on the issue of renegotiations, members accross the country will have no option than to close down all Union offices until further notice.
We are reliably informed that the various leadership have recently increased their allowances to a minimum of 100% , some with effective date backdated to 2020 and arrears paid in full.
If you can spend and pay yourselves handsomely but will refuse to let us have what is due us from the government, we will be left with no option than to close all Union office accross the nation before our pending national demonstration scheduled to take place on the 18th of August 2021.
This pernicious and persistent effort by some vindictive and self-ego-massaging politicians to downplay Nkrumah’s legacy and role in the struggle for independence is not only short-sighted but suicidal long-term. If Nkrumah wasn’t that special or the standout performer among the Big Sixers, then the Big Six itself is nothing special among the many men and women who fought for Ghanaian Independence.
I can choose to perceive the Big Six as a political contrivance that sidelines the many men and women, unsung heroes, who played not insignificant roles in the fight for freedom.
Changing Founder’s day to Founders’ Day is good, but history revisionism for political capital is a race after the wind. Writing Nkrumah out of the history books and sneaking in your favourite Big Sixer makes your intention obvious.
Majority of Ghanaians will never revere the man who wrote letters to the Queen pleading with her to not grant us independence the same way they revere Nkrumah.
The-Big-Six
Nkrumah was the standout performer, and no amount of history revisionism will change that.
Neymer didn’t need Messi performing less to shine, and an in-form Christiano Ronaldo took nothing away from Gareth Bale.
Fix the country instead of attempting to re-fix history to favour your political tradition.
FixtheCountry demonstrations have already happened in Spain and England, and Ghana is next.
It’s coming off on Wednesday, the 4th of August, 2021, and the meeting point is Obra Spot, Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra at 7:00am. Put on your mask. Add a face shield if you want to and hit the streets.
Do it for the patients who have to sleep on the bare floor at our hospitals while our leaders have oxygen tanks ready and available in their bedrooms and go for treatment abroad. #FixGhanaHealthService.
fix. the countryfix. the country
Do it for the poor children still studying under trees while your favourite politician’s children get driven in V8’s to Cambridge curriculum teaching schools. #FixGES.
Do it for the lack of good roads, good hospitals, national indebtedness and the endemic corruption in governance that sees a few people amassing wealth while Ghana remains poor.
FixtheCountry does not want NPP or NDC in power; it wants a government that works to get Ghana fixed. It wants a government that greatly amends or changes the constitution.
If the NPP can do it, great. If the NDC can do it, great. If we need to bring in another group of politicians to do it, great. I personally think neither of them can do it. They’ve had almost 30 years to do it and couldn’t. t’s time for change now.
We need a third force more than ever. We need the Third Force. We need an alliance. We need an independence coalition. We need all parties that are not appendages of the NPP-NDC duopoly, and influencers and individuals with huge followings, groups and movements coming together to wrestle power from the NDC-NPP axis in 2024.
It is possible.
A few days after sending that petition to the Police, FixtheCountry activists were tricked into a meeting with National Security and a couple of ministers partaking instead of meeting the IGP as was communicated. It was during this meeting that the Government using the Police worked to secure an injunction against the intended demonstration and readied itself to use the courts and intimidation to stop any protests seen as making the government unpopular.
FixtheCountry activists have been in and out of court and now have the go ahead to protest, after the government has itself attended super spreader events (Covid was being used as the reason to stop fixthecountry protests) and allowed the very gullible NDC to demonstrate.
I was interviewed by Asaase Radio few days after the Police secured an injunction against the intended demonstration, and it appeared as if the interviewer wanted me to say that we were going to disregard the law and demonstrate anyway.
I didn’t. I only answered that there were many ways to demonstrate and hitting the street wasn’t the only option. We went ahead and demonstrated online on May 9th, 2021.
On the 3rd of May, 2021, something big happened in Ghana. Something unprecedented. Only the new media could make it possible.
If Joshua Boye-Doe (aka KalyJay) had written a 2000 word long feature in the Daily Graphic about the problems bedeviling the country due to the incompetence of the NPP-NDC duopoly, a few hundred people might have read it and maybe two would have reached out.
But majority of Ghanaians, the young and adult populace on social media wouldn’t have heard about it, and maybe the Daily Graphic wouldn’t have published the article anyway.
The paper that did not see Ejura as worthy enough to feature on its front would have probably hidden a #FixTheCountry article somewhere else–between three electronic goods adverts. I doubt if they would have published it even.
Enter the internet and social media. A reading platform available to every smartphone user, and Twitter, the social media platform that inspires the most hashtags.
It was easier to sound the clarion call with three little words than a feature long article or speech delivered on TV or radio.
KalyJay named a couple of things wrong with Ghana and tweeted #FixtheCountry.
That set the ball rolling. It was as good as Mohamed Bouazizi setting himself on fire in the streets of Tunis. It was as good as Rosa Parks saying ‘my feet hurt.’ It was as good as Martin Luther King Jnr. saying ‘I have a dream.’
Macho Kaaka had a dream as well. He wanted Ejura fixed. He wanted his community developed and its myriad of problems taken care of. His allegiance to community mattered to him more than the party he belonged to. Don’t let his dream die. Keep it alive. #FixEjura.
fix. the country
Few weeks later, government officials with verified accounts reported KalyJay’s account and it got suspended by Twitter.
That’s the kind of Government you have, Ghana. A government that does not tolerate criticism and sees anybody not singing their praises as the enemy. It’s political vindictiveness of the lowest form.
Joshua lost access to his Twitter account for sometime, but the horse had already bolted. Almost every Ghanaian on Twitter was tweeting #FixtheCountry, using the hashtag on Facebook, and it wasn’t long before a leader emerged, calling on others to join him to petition the police about an intended #fixthecountry demonstration.
The signatories to that first letter sent to the Police were Mawuse Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Joshua Boye-Doe, Samuel Alesu-Dordzi, Efia Odo, Dela Russell Ocloo, Felicity Nelson, Bashiratu Kamal Muslim, Agyapong Forster, Adatsi Brownson, Benjamin Darko, Gabriel Ohene Kwasi Addai, Comedian Warris, Prince Kwaku Addo and Stan Dugah.
fix. the country
Other signatories have signed subsequent letters and worked and continue working hard to #fixthecountry.
Now, look over the names again. Are they all Ewes? Are they all Akans? Are they all Christian names? Are they all Islamic names?
The greatest mistake ever made by the NPP in 2021 is assuming that Ghana is so polarized, so divided, so politically binary that anybody who supports or identifies with #fixtheCountry must be an NDC member or sympathizer.
Not true.
When I launched my first book in November, 2020, I predicted that both the NDC and NPP will win less than 20% of total votes cast in 2024. Sounds crazy, I know. But it will happen in our lifetime. The Grand Awakening is almost here.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor was a staunch supporter and member of #OccupyGhana in 2014, so why will you tag him as a surrogate of the NDC?
If you are wondering what #OccupyGhana was, I can only tell you that it was a pressure group that was doing in 2014 exactly what #FixtheCountry is doing in 2021, and most of their members are now Government appointees and lawyers who worked on the Agyapa deal. No wonder they think #FixtheCountry is a vehicle created to bring JDM back. They are too short-sighted to see the truth.
That’s the difference between us and them. We were part of #OccupyGhana; they are not part of #FixtheCountry.
You exposed Oswald to danger – Child’s Right Africa to parents and gift
The viral story of 9-year old Oswald has drown the attention of Child’s Right Africa.
The Child’s Right advocacy said exposing little Oswald to the public on social media with all the gifts exposes him to danger.
Mr. Asare of Child’s Right Africa said in an interview on Kingdom FM midday news and monitored by media5promotions.com said “Section 12 of Ghana’s constitution on children’s right frowns on exposing children to public danger”
Asked whether Oswald’s parents and gifters will be sued for this, Mr. Asare said the decision has not been taken yet.
He added that “the gifters took undue advantage of Oswald’s social media attention to market their products, services and themselves which the laws of Ghana frowns on”
He quickly asked ” would the gifters have rushed to Oswald to make those donations if the little boy didn’t have that media attention?”
“let me caution parents not to set Oswald’s standard for their children”
Mr. Asare concluded
Oswald’s ‘Our Day’ note to his mother went viral on Friday 30th July 2021 when his teacher Mrs. Mensah posted it on social media. Corporate bodies, musicians and high profiled individuals rushed to Oswald’s school and donated items ranging from food, iPads, cash and services. On Sunday 1st July 2021, little Oswald and his parents donated most of the gift items to #FosterHome
Don’t allow corrupt heads of public institutions to go scot-free – Haruna Iddrisu to SP
Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader, has charged Kissi Agyebeng, Special Prosecutor (SP), to deal with heads of public institutions who turn out to be corrupt.
According to him, the SP should not make it a point to target only political officeholders as a means of fighting corruption.
He said heads of public institutions have always gone untouched because politicians are the ones that corruption probes and prosecutions target.
Before Kissi Agyebeng was approved as Special Prosecutor on July 30, Haruna Iddrisu said on the floor of the House that, “Chief Directors and Chief Executives are left as if they don’t [engage in corruption]. Some of them do, and there is evidence. The focus should not only be on petty corruption where you see a policeman stop a trotro driver.”
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Majority Leader, on the other hand, called for a review of the laws governing the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP). He noted that it will empower the Special Prosecutor in the execution of his mandate.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stated that the review of the laws will also prevent the Special Prosecutor from becoming a “toothless bulldog who can only bark but will not be able to bite.”
Kissi Agyebeng was then approved by Parliament after the recommendation from the Appointment Committee was read to the MPs.
“The committee has duly recommended the nominee of the President for the appointment of the Special Prosecutor in line with the Section 13 (3) and (8) of the Special Prosecutor Act 2017 and the standing orders of Parliament and recommends the nominee Mr. Kissi Agyebeng to the House for approval.”
Kissi Agyebeng will be succeeding Martin Amidu as the Special Prosecutor.
Rihanna`s beauty company is part-owned by LVMH. The brand is known for its broad range of 50 skin tones, including dark shades for women of color, which were rare when it launched in 2017. This made it a leader in inclusivity in the industry.
