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The first Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joe Osei Owusu, has said shooting illegal miners can be an effective way of dealing with the illegal mining menace.  The anti-galamsey task force, Operation Vanguard, recently expressed unhappiness about what it said was the courts leniency in dealing with illegal miners brought before them.  According to the Commander of the task force, Colonel Michael Amoah Ayisi, if the situation lingers, illegal miners and their financiers will be motivated to act with impunity.  The task force since its composition last year has arrested some 983 illegal miners, violating the government’s ban on small-scale mining. Twelve Chinese and four Burkinabes are among those arrested by the eight-month-old operation. ADVERTISEMENT In an exclusive interview with Starr News’ Parliamentary Correspondent, Ibrahim Alhassan, Hon. Osei Owusu prescribed that the only viable way to clamp down on the menace is to be ruthless.  “The ot...

Three major Television Stations in Kenya have been shut down as opposition leader Raila Odinga prepares to swear himself in as President today. Odinga challenged the result of the original August vote winning an unprecedented annulment, but then boycotted the court-ordered re-run in October handing victory to Kenyatta who won 98% of the vote but with a turnout of just 39%. The country, according reports, is tensed as many have trouped the capital Nairobi to witness the supposed swearing in. Speaking to Morning Starr from Kenya, journalist Alex Mwangi said  Kenyan’s are now relying on social media platforms to follow news developments in the country. “Our three major TV stations have been shut down by the government. Many are depending on Whatsapp and other social media platforms for news updates. People have come from different parts of the country to Nairobi to probably witness the swearing in ceremony. No one seems to know where exactly the swear in ceremony as d...

   Cases of sexual harassment of female students by their male teachers in senior high schools appear to be on the ascendancy, a development that has gotten moralists condemning the reprehensible behavior. Just last week touchghana reported a case in which some female students of the Ejisuman Senior High School in the Ashanti Region alleged that their Assistant Headmaster and teachers have been sexually assaulting them. They claimed they’re under intense pressure following the harassment from their teachers who demand that they have sex with them, failure of which they’re threatened of being expelled from the school. In December 2017, female students of senior high schools within the Assin area in the Central Region made damning allegations against their male teachers, claiming they were being sexually harassed by their teachers in exchange for grades and money. They claim female students who fail to give in to the demands of the male teachers are usually abus...

The Electoral Commissioner and some religious leaders from DR Congo, have called on former president John Mahama for some electoral advice. The religious leaders in DR Congo are impressed with the manner in which faith-based organizations have helped to promote peace during electioneering periods and are in Ghana to learn from their counterparts and duplicate same in DR Congo.   Electoral Commissioner of DR Congo, Nanga Yobeluo Corneille, who accompanied the religious leaders briefed Mr. Mahama on the political make-up of the country. Mr. Mahama then briefed the EC and the religious leaders about the evolution of elections in Ghana.   He also highlighted the peace agreement that all political leaders are made to sign before elections. “The religious leaders, traditional leaders and Civil Society Organizations make us sign a peace declaration and it is published in the newspapers, so that is an effective means of committing us [politicians] to a peaceful proce...

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Monday, 29th January, 2018, launched the 70th anniversary celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with a call on all to ensure that the fight for the protection and respect for human rights remains a constant one. Speaking at an event to commemorate the anniversary of the Declaration, which took place on the side-lines of the on-going 30th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, President Akufo-Addo noted that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, since its adoption on 10th December, 1948, has been the basis of considerable advances in the universal protection of human rights. With Africa having overcome several trials and tribulations, such as slavery, imperialism, colonialism, tyranny, and dictatorship, the President indicated that the African peoples continue to chalk significant successes in advancing the promotion and respect for human rights in their governance. He noted that the rise and spread o...

A riot by students of the Eremong Senior High Technical School in Lawra in the Upper West Region has led to the indefinite closure of the school. According touchghana.com sources, the rioting began over a misunderstanding during an entertainment session on Saturday, 27 January 2018. A teacher is said to have cancelled the entertainment programme because many of the students were not in prescribed uniform. The angry students began destroying school property in protest. The students said they only began rioting after one of their colleagues was manhandled by a friend to a teacher. They destroyed furniture and scattered documents at the administration block. The police were called to restore order. The school has since been shutdown. Source: ClassFM

The United States Ambassador to Ghana has expressed surprise that ex-Guatanamo Bay detainees Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby have been granted refugee status by the government of Ghana. Mr Robert Jackson told journalists in Tamale, Northern Region that: “I did not know until this week that they had been granted a refugee status.” “That came as much of a surprise to me as all of you,” Mr Jackson told the journalists, adding: “However, that decision just gives them certain rights and if the government of Ghana wishes to relocate them to a third country, they need to discuss that with the two refugees under the international”. According to Mr Jackson, the Government of the United States has no say in the matter anymore. “We have no role in that and no objection to it. At this point we consider it as a matter between the government of Ghana and the two”, he said. Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs,...

An Accra Circuit Court has adjourned to Tuesday, 30 January, the hearing of the case of some 12 suspects in connection with an attack on the Kwabenya Police Station resulting in the murder of a police officer. The suspects were arraigned on Monday, 29 January under heavy security presence. The court presided by Mr Aboagye Tandoh, however, adjourned proceedings to enable the prosecution to make some corrections on the fact sheet. Seven suspected criminals broke cell at the Kwabenya police station on Sunday, 21 January 2018. The seven suspects were assisted by a group of armed robbers to escape from police custody.

Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, has said government will soon institute welfare plans for families of police officers who die in the line of duty. This, according to the Minister, will ensure that police officers are not worse off than their counterparts in the military. Mr. Dery gave this assurance at the one-week observation of the passing of the police officer who was shot dead in last Sunday’s attack on the Kwabenya  Police Station. “As the IGP said, some provisions have been made for the family of the deceased officer. That provision is not a provision that existed in the past. It is a special provision that was initiated by the President and at the appropriate time the details will be known to the family. But Mr. President is committed to institutionalizing a system that will ensure that when a police officer dies in the line of duty, they are not worse off than their colleagues who die in the army,” the Minister stated. A gang of suspected armed robbe...

The Central Regional Operations Manager for the National Road Safety Commission [NRSC] Linda Afotey Annan has disclosed a rather damning statistics placing the region on the high side in road accident in 2017. According to Afotey Annan, provisional statistics indicates that road accident in the region is on the ascendancy and blamed it largely on indiscipline on the road by motorists. She explained that the high number of vehicles plying the roads each day also account significantly to road accidents She described the high level of road carnage as worrying and called for intensified education and sensitization on road safety. She said her outfit will continue to prioritize road safety education but can be successful if other stakeholders join to achieve their goals. She further called on the government to consider granting the Commission the mandate to enforce road safety laws.  

The Ministry of Education has directed private university colleges to do “self-auditing” to ensure that the right students are admitted before it cracks the whip on those that are guilty.  Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, Prof. Kwesi Yankah, who gave the directive, said an ongoing audit report on randomly selected private university colleges in the country revealed a disturbing and an embarrassing state.  He said even though the academic auditing was still ongoing, the report had indicated that 20 per cent of students admitted by the private university colleges did not provide information as to whether they even wrote the WASSCE, “not to talk of whether they got the required grades.”  Flouting laid down rules   Speaking at a forum in Accra for managers of private university colleges yesterday, Prof. Yankah said there were cases of irregularities in admission requirements right through to examination malpractices. ADVERT...

The Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko, has cautioned against painting the recent high profile incidents of criminal activity with political colours. Speaking on The Big Issue, the legislator said the more pressing concern was to ensure the police were properly resourced to match up to the now-better equipped criminals. “I don’t want us to politicize the matter. This country has not fallen into a dark hole in the last one year. We have had periods of insecurity over a long period. It is getting worse and we must find the wherewithal to confront it,” Mr. Agyarko On the same show, the MP for Wa Central, Rashid Pelpuo had remarked that there was general insecurity in the country and that Ghanaians were becoming terrified. Their comments follow a recent raid on the Kwabenya District Police Headquarters which led to the killing of a police officer on duty and the freeing of seven persons who were on remand. In 2017, there were al...

The Religious Affairs Directorate (RAD) of the Ghana Police Service is holding intensive prayers to seek the face of God for the “safety and divine protection” of the leadership and officers of the service. Services are therefore expected to be held in all Police Churches on Sunday, February 4, 2018, in the morning. A letter inviting the Police Management Board to the services, signed by the ACP Very Rev. Fr. George Arthur, Director/RAD said: “this has become very necessary and imperative considering the recent spate of adversarial killings of serving Officers.” The letter acknowledged that in as much as the police administration is putting together resources, expertise knowledge, experiences and the appropriate mechanism in place to avert future occurrences, “it behoves upon us as the Clergy of the Service to beseech divine protection for all serving officers.” Very Rev. Fr. Arthur said the clergy are “highly convinced that with divine int...

Pressure group OccupyGhana has called on the Auditor General to conduct an audit and verification of assets declared by public office holders. According to the group, such an exercise will help put a check on public officials as the nation intensifies efforts to stamp out corruption in public office. ” Such a verification or audit could cover all assets declared since the coming into force of the Constitution. “We also believe that if the audit/verification reveals contravention or non-compliance or that there are assets that are not properly attributable to the income of the office holder, then the Auditor-General may refer the matter to the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) for investigation. “OccupyGhana has also received and studied the 2017 Conduct of Public Officers Bill. While recognising that the Bill contains some forward-looking provisions on assets declaration, we notice that the Bill stops short of expressly recognisin...

Minister of the Interior, Ambrose Dery, has assured Ghanaians that government is committed to making the country safe for the citizens. His declaration follows the current attacks on national security personnel by criminals with the recent one resulting in the killing of Inspector Emmanuel Ashilevi who was shot at the Kwabenya Police Station when gunmen invaded the station to free seven suspects. This has raised grave concerns among Ghanaians who are skeptical about the security situation in the country. While praising the late Inspector Ashilevi for a good job done by ensuring peace and security during the one-week memorial service held at his residence in Pokuase, Ambrose Dery reiterated that President Akufo-Addo is resolute in securing measures to ensure maximum safety and peace of Ghanaians. "Mr President’s commitment to make Ghana safe and to make Ghanaians safe is unshakable and nothing is going to stand his way to achieve that." Ambrose Dery assured that the crim...

The Religious Affairs Directorate (RAD) of the Ghana Police Service is holding intensive prayers to seek the face of God for the “safety and divine protection” of the leadership and officers of the service. Services are therefore expected to be held in all Police Churches on Sunday, February 4, 2018, in the morning. A letter inviting the Police Management Board to the services, signed by the ACP Very Rev. Fr. George Arthur, Director/RAD said: “this has become very necessary and imperative considering the recent spate of adversarial killings of serving Officers.” The letter acknowledged that in as much as the police administration is putting together resources, expertise knowledge, experiences and the appropriate mechanism in place to avert future occurrences, “it behoves upon us as the Clergy of the Service to beseech divine protection for all serving officers.” Very Rev. Fr. Arthur said the clergy are “highly convinced that with divine int...

National Organiser of NDC, Kofi Adams The National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Kofi Adams, has rubbished claims by some members of his party that the carving of a new region out of the Volta Region is a political ploy by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). According to him, if NDC had won the 2016 general elections, it would have also initiated processes for the creation of new regions in the country. He stressed that “the creation of Oti Region is neither politically nor tribally motivated, it is a matter of development.” Making reference to the 2016 manifesto of his party, he said, “We promised to create additional five regions in the country after the 2016 general elections. Former President John Dramani Mahama also promised to create a new region in the North in his second term of office.” Mr Adams made the disclosure at Nsuta in the Jasikan District where he joined the chiefs and people of the Buem Traditional Area to take part in the last public h...

The Founder and leader of the Heaven's Gate Ministries, Nicholas Osei, popularly known as Prophet Kumchacha is marvelled at the unusual sex position exhibited in the leaked video involving Robert Sepey, head teacher of Adumanu D/A Basic School and a young lady believed to be a third-year senior high school student. In the 4 minutes 16 seconds video which has gone viral, the lady is seen kneeling on a kitchen stool with her hands placed on the floor while Mr. Sepey stood behind her and squatted for easy penetration and thrusting. “Yeah, nice one… I want you to fuck me to my satisfaction. Fuck me to the extent that I’ll feel it within my soul,” said the lady. Reacting to the story, Kumchacha described her as a naughty girl. He posited that the mother of the student will be extremely overwhelmed by the sex position and her daughter’s ability to accommodate the heavily endowed head teacher. “The sex position doesn’t match her age. Anyone who wa...

The President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has announced that, as from January this year, non-residential users of electricity in the country would enjoy an average of 14% reduction in electricity tariffs. According to President Akufo-Addo, not only has Government succeeded in normalising the power situation in the country, “we now want to boost private business in our country.” Thus, the President indicated that “from January this year, the non-residential tariff rate, which is the rate which includes all of you here, is being reduced by an average of 14%. For barbers, it is being reduced by 18%; for hairdressers and beauticians, 15.7%, and for tailors, 9.8%.” President Akufo-Addo continued, “An average bill last year was GH¢562 a month. With this reduction from January, it is coming down to GH¢473 a month, which means GH¢88 has been taken from the electricity tariff that you pay. We want to encourage private business, and make business ...

Mr Wilson Arthur, District Chief Executive for Wassa East, has urged staff of the assembly to put their political affiliation aside and work in unity to ensure the development of the district. He said, he was committed to work with and run an open-door administration that would not entertain any act of backbiting attitude from staff, "as such attitudes only thwart our efforts to provide basic and efficient services to the people we are to serve". In a durbar to welcome the Assembly staff, he admonished them to refrain from acts of politicisation in the discharge of their duties. Mr Arthur said the vision of the District was to become a model one hence the need for a responsive public servants that eschewed selfishness while giving the best of services to clients of the assembly, to meet the high expectation people have for the assembly and the government. He said the new brand of the assembly was discipline, commitment to work and productivity, explaining that the assembl...

The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has issued guidelines for the party's imminent election of polling station officers and electoral area coordinators across the country. The party is set to elect its polling station officials from 17th to 21st January, 2018, with the electoral area elections coming off between 26th and 29th January, 2018. The NPP, in a statement signed by its Acting General Secretary, John Boadu, directed that “the various Regional Executive Committees of the party see to the formation of a Polling Station Elections Committee (PSEC) and Electoral Area Elections Committee (EAEC) in each Constituency for the purpose of conducting and supervising the polling station and electoral area elections respectively in the respective constituencies.” The statement also instructed that the names of the Committees’ members be submitted to the NPP’s National Secretariat by Friday, January 12, 2018. The composition of the committee according to the pa...

The Deputy National Communications Director of the NDC, Kwaku Boahen has alleged that the Former Attorney General, Martin Amidu has been secretly paid by some ‘concerned’ people to drag the party into controversy. Mr Amidu, who has over the years consistently attacked his own party and other former government officials ever since he was sacked by late President J.E.A Mills, dominated the headlines this week after he and former Deputy Chief of Staff, Valerie Sawyerr traded insults at each other in the media, a development many has said has brought the NDC into disrepute. A petition has been filed against Mr Amidu calling on the leadership of the party to take disciplinary action against the former as his utterances and writings continue to give the party bad publicity. Speaking on Agoo TV on the recent chaos revolving around Valerie Sawyer and Martin Amidu of the NDC, he stated, “I wouldn’t want to dignify that man (Martin Amidu) in any way. I can say for...

The National Democratic Congress youth in the Savelugu constituency in the Northern region has threatened to cause turmoil in the party if its national leadership do not intervene in stopping the constituency executives from carrying out alleged massive illegalities in the ongoing reorganisation exercise. The youth at a news briefing in the constituency capital attended by party comrades from communities far as Diyali (Diare), accused the executives of “selfishly” manipulating the ongoing processes to register new members and elect constituency polling station and ward executives. According to them, a total lack of communication and coordination is weighing down progress of the process in the constituency due to divisions among the constituency executives who have been unable to reconcile after they all went separate ways to support different candidates during an internal elections in 2015. “It is crystal clear that, the constituency chairman of the party before an...

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) is tweaking the implementation plan for the Gas Recirculation Exercise. The amendment of the plan will have LPG Marketing companies become the main agents to receive and exchange empty cylinders with filled ones. The move has become important after several working visits across the world to learn best practices. Under the old policy, consumers were required to visit refill points with empty cylinders and leave with already filled ones. But that will not be so as LPG marketing companies will be in charge of visiting the refill point and serving consumers with already filled once at their various stations nationwide. Gas Recirculation Exercise came as a means to curb Gas explosions after the Atomic Junction Gas station disaster. CEO of the NPA Hassan Tampuli, told Starr Business’ Osei Owusu Amankwaah that LPG Marketing Association who exited the planning body has returned to aid the process. “The LPG marketing companies are back on...

Some armed robbers fired shots during an attack on a Mobile Money vendor in the area.  The incident wasreported to have happened on Thursday at around 8:00 PM. Two suspected robbers besieged a Mobile Money joint at Busia Junction and ordered the vendor to hand over all her money.  However, the vendor rejected their advances and shouted for help after taking to her heels. The robbers then decided to fire warning shots, but ended up injuring two persons who, at the time of the incident, were at the Mobile Money joint to conduct business. One of the victims had his bag stolen during the attack, with the other also left unconscious after receiving a bullet to his rib.  Both victims were rushed to the hospital by onlookers, after the police delayed in their arrival. Meanwhile, a similar robbery attack was witnessed at Sahara in Dansoman and it appears Mobile Money joints have now become the target of robbers in recent times.

A former Attorney General in the National Democratic Congress [NDC] administration, Martin Alamisi Amidu, has been named as the Special Prosecutor. Mr. Amidu, a man who has earned the nickname ‘Citizen Vigilante’ for his no-nonsense stance and campaign against corruption particularly in the NDC administration, was named by President Akufo-Addo today [Thursday], after an emergency cabinet meeting at the Flagstaff House. The President in announcing the name, said he received the nomination from the Attorney General Sophia Akuffo, and has accepted the nominee, whose name will be forwarded to Parliament for approval when the House reconvenes from recess. “The Attorney General is by a letter dated to me Thursday 11 th  January 2018 addressed to me exercised her power of nomination and submitted to me for my acceptance the name of the proposed special prosecutor. I have accepted the Attorney General’s nomination and will in turn submit for Parliament’s a...

Five people have been injured in a stampede at a college in South Africa after thousands of students tried to push through campus gates to register for the new academic year, the public broadcaster, SABC, has reported on its website.  The Capricorn College in Polokwane city in northern Limpopo province was forced to suspend registration following the stampede, SABC added.  Last month, South Africa's President Jacob Zuma announced free education for first-year university and college students, raising fears it would chaos during registration.

State prosecutors have gathered 53 pieces of incriminating evidence, including video, pictures against 14 persons accused of murdering Major Maxwell Adam Mahama.  After perusing the evidence, Magistrate Ebenezer Kweku Ansah who presided over the case at an Accra District Court has committed the 14 suspects to trial at the High Court.  The Bill of indictment reveals ample evidence including pellets, empty cartridges, pictures from the crime scene, two guns partly burnt shirt, a cell phone belonging to Major Maxwell Mahama, cement blocks, stick, metal bar, stones among others against the 14 persons.  Chief State Attorney, Evelyn Keelson, said 13 of the 14 individuals have been identified in a video recording which forms part of the 53 pieces of evidence presented to the court. The suspects were ask to be  offered an opportunity to comment on all that had transpired in court but they all turned down the offer.  Some of the suspects being escorted by the p...

The government of Ghana should consider extending the stay of the two ex-inmates of Guantanamo Bay in Ghana by 10 years after the expiration of the initial two years agreement, security consultant, Irbard Ibrahim has suggested. “From the look of things, they are comfortable in Ghana, so, we can extend their stay by 10 more years. Where else can they go? The stigma that will characterise their stay in an Arab country will be bad,” the security analyst told ClassFMonline.com on Thursday, 11 January. He continued: “Where they came from is still at war and there is a potential for someone who is exposed to war to take up arms, so, it will be in the interest of global security that Ghana will renew their stay in Ghana. When they go back to Yemen and find themselves in militancy, they would have known Ghana, and, perhaps, they could be sent here at any point in time." Mr Ibrahim feels it will be better for the two “to stay here, marry here and find some job here in...

Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has said charging expatriate businessmen as much as $100,000 to sit by President Nana Akufo-Addo at an awards event last year, cannot be justified in any way. According to him, there is everything wrong with that unacceptable arrangement. Appearing before the five-member parliamentary committee formed by the Speaker of Parliament to probe the matter, Mr Ablakwa said on Thursday, 11 January that: “The fundamental issue has to do with whether it is appropriate, whether it is moral, whether it is ethical, whether it is legal for access to our president His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to be offered to the highest bidder. “It is my contention that you cannot sell the prestige of the Office of the President, you cannot say that you are organising an award and that if you pay $100,000 or $75,000 you will be guaranteed access to the president first by sitting by him and secondly by having an exclusive priv...