Friday, 29 January 2016

The Sexxy Sunny Leone says I’m okay with being typecast

People ask me when I will do a film that will see me as a serious actress. But to me, this is as serious as doing something else.’
Serious talk with Sunny Leone.

Sunny Leone loves being in a harness and is craving to work in an action film!

But for now, she’s busy with her favourite genre: comedy.

The girl of the moment, especially after her controversial interview on The Hot Seat, Sunny isn’t worried about what people might say or think about her new film Mastizaade. She claims the film is a walk in the park, compared to Hollywood films like American Pie and Meet The Millers.

Sunny chats with Jahnavi Patel/Rediff.com.

Sunny Leone

Image: Sunny Leone in Mastizaade
How has your Mastizaade experience been?

It is one of the most fun movies I’ve ever shot because it’s a comedy. When you’re doing comedy, there are no serious days. It’s all about having fun and joking all day long.

Why did you take up this project?

When Rangita (Nandy, producer) and Milap (Zaveri, director) met my husband Daniel, they gave him a few scenes and narrated the story a bit. Daniel called me and said I *had* to hear the story. It was the first time that Daniel was so excited about a story!

Milap told me the first half of the movie and I thought it was so funny. When I do such movies, I don’t think log kya sochenge (what people will think?). These things do not even cross my mind because I have grown up watching movies like American Pie and Meet The Millers. This movie is a walk in the park compared to those.

After Ragini MMS 2, I thought it would be nice to be in a comedy.

Is the second half of the film just as interesting as the first?

The second half is more for the women than the guys.

When you see Meet The Fockers or Wedding Crashers, they have the family games — the mother is crazy, the father is crazy, the brother and sister are crazy and that’s what makes it fun to watch. So I, as somebody who is watching the movie, liked all the characters they had created.

The first half is so funny, it’s outrageous! The situations that the boys go through are hilarious.

But in the second half, you meet the family and it’s even crazier but in a different way.

Sunny Leone
You have a double role in the film. Which character do you like moreL Lily or Laila?

Lily. She’s closer to my personality than Laila is.

Laila has been created for the world and that’s how people see me.

When Milap was telling me the story, I liked Lily more than Laila and that’s when he came up with the idea of a double role.

It worked for me because now, people would get to see what they want to see and they would also get to see this other person, who is sort of me. Both the characters are opposite to each other, and it will be interesting to see which character the audience would like more.

How difficult was it transforming from Lily to Laila?

Lily is goofy, crazy and funny. She makes faces and she is completely the opposite of her sister Laila, who is always sexy and provocative.

I found it more difficult to become Laila.

Rangita and Milap would tell me all the time, ‘Okay, Sunny, now you are Laila. Remember sexy.’

I always had this switch in my head.

Your craziest moment in the film?

I can tell you my favourite scene because everybody has seen the ‘crazy’ in the trailer and songs.

My favorite moment is when Laila has this nightmare and when she wakes up, she tells her sister, ‘Ab mujhe woh karna hoga jo maine kabhi kiya nahi’.

The next morning you see her covered from head to toe in sari, performing a puja. And they have remade Baby Doll with Main Laila hoon. It’s the same tune but with different words.

It’s one of my favourite scenes and you don’t see it in the trailer or any of the songs. I am dying for people to see that.

Sunny Leone
Milap said that shooting the climax scene was most difficult. Was it difficult for you too?

The scene has two Sunnys, so we had to shoot it, and then freeze. Everybody had to wait because I had to go and change into the other character. And that took a lot of time.

That happened during the songs too. For instance, in the Rom rom romantic song, I had to walk out of the pool while doing the steps, and then everyone had to wait while I changed into the other character.

So every time the scene had two Sunnys, the whole set would stop moving and the camera would stay still. I would go, change and come back again. Also, the outfits were very elaborate.

Because of Rangita and Milap, changing from one character to the other wasn’t taxing on me. I love the idea of becoming something totally different. The fun part about making movies is that I can somebody else; I can be a fictional character who comes to life. Milap and the entire team made sure that if I was Laila in the morning, we would finish the Laila scenes then, and later do the Lily scenes.

So I did not have to go back and forth too much.

Would you like to be a part of any biopic?

I haven’t been offered, you know, to be somebody. These stories of girls who come in the industry and what happens to them, that’s not interesting to me at all; but I get such scripts all the time.

You come from nothing, then you become an actress, then you become larger-than-life and then you fall and then you commit suicide. It’s the same story over and over again.

Sunny Leone
Do you fear being typecast?

If I’m going to be typecast, there’s nothing I can do about it. So I’m okay with that. It doesn’t bother me.

My job is to do the movies that I like.

My next two films are not in the same zone as this one. People ask me when I will do a film that will see me as a serious actress.

But to me, this is as serious as doing something else.

Would you like to do an action or a thriller movie?

Of course, I love action!

Anybody who has worked with me knows I love being in a harness. I love jumping around. I get hurt; I am very clumsy, but as long as something is not broken, I keep moving. So yes, if I get a chance to do an action or a thriller, I’d love to do it.

I love movies in general. I like lots of kinds of movies but my favourite genre is comedy.

Will we see you direct a movie in the future?

I don’t think so. I think to be a good director, you have to do so many things.

I would rather be a producer than a director.

Daniel Weber and Sunny Leone

Photograph: Sunny Leone/Instagram
There were reports that you would like to play a mother in a film.

Sure, why not? I’m actually playing a mother in one of the movies that I am making.

I love children but I don’t think I’ll be getting pregnant anytime soon. There’s so much going on now, it would be wise not to get pregnant.

What is happening with your films, Tina and Lolo and One Night Stand?

I am not sure about Tina and Lolo because Karishma (Tanna) is really busy and so am I.

One Night Stand will probably release next.

Sunday, 17 January 2016

Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis juggernaut continues, win second title of the year

Sania MIrza and Martina Hingis with the winner’s trophy at the Sydney International tournament. (Source: Sydney International Twitter)
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis’ awe-inspiring run continued unabated as they lifted their second trophy of the season with the WTA Apia International title after clinching their 30th win a row, in Sydney on Friday.

The triumph over Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic though was not without initial hiccups as the top seeds lost the first set meekly before eking out a 1-6 7-5 10-5 win in one hour and 13 minutes.

The world number one team trailed 1-6 2-5 at one stage but they yet again came out unscathed, levelling the second set 5-5 and then sealed it to stretch it to a Super tie-breaker.

The US open and Wimbledon champions raced to a 8-3 lead in the decider and clinched the issue comfortably to stretch their unbeaten run to an incredible 30 matches.

“At 6-1, 5-2 the only thing we could say to each other was that it was only one break,” Mirza added. “That’s the only positive you can find from a situation like that. We tried to hold our serve for 5-3 to give ourselves another chance, then we had a huge game at 5-3 and the momentum went in our favor,” Sania said after the win.

“We’re really happy to win another tournament. We’re really happy with the way we fought,” she added.

It was the 11th title together for the Indo-Swiss pair as continuing the good show from 2015 when they won 9 titles including the year-end WTA finale.

Martina said it was a test of nerves for them.

“It was definitely a great test, and against a great new team. They were playing together for the first time this week, and I think we’re going to see a lot more of them. We had to take our chances. You don’t see much light in a dark tunnel, but then we had one or two opportunities here and there, and with one little chance we were able to turn the match around,” the Swiss said.

They now have 11 WTA doubles titles together: Indian Wells, Miami, Charleston, Wimbledon, US Open, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Beijing and the WTA Finals last year, and now Brisbane and Sydney this year.

The Swiss-Indian partnership is also an impeccable 11-1 together in WTA doubles finals.

Adding to that, when new rankings will be issued on Monday, Martina will join Sania as joint World No.1 on the WTA doubles rankings.

It will be Hingis’ first time at No.1 since the Indian Wells fortnight in 2000.

“I think it’s another chapter in my career, definitely. When Sania became No.1 in Charleston that was a huge stepping stone for her, and now for me, 16 years later, who would have thought I would have another opportunity to become No.1 again? It was a dream and now it’s reality,” Martina said

“But I’ve felt we’re the No.1 team for a while now. It was just a question of time,” she added.


Thursday, 14 January 2016

Nigerian student in Malaria charged for cheating two women on facebook

A Nigerian college student who allegedly cheated women on Facebook has been charged at the Magistrate Court in Malaysia.Collins Sparklys Obianke, 33 (pictured leaving the Petaling Jaya Magistrate Court) who was charged at two separate courts here pleaded not guilty and claimed trial before magistrate Salamiah Salleh and magistrate Mohd Azali Ibrahim.

The suspected fraudster was believed to have cheated Foo Pooi Yun, 38 and S. Vanitha, 31 into making them believe that they had received a parcel containing gifts from overseas that required them to deposit RM10,500 into a bank account between Aug 24 and Sept 14 2015. The parcels were supposed to contain a handbag, laptop, mobile phone, watches, sunglasses and perfume.

He was charged under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating which carries 10 years jail, whipping and a fine if convicted.

The court allowed RM11,000 bail in one surety for both charges. Obianke who was represented by lawyer L. A Gomes was also ordered to surrender his passport to the court.
Deputy public prosecutor N. Sivashangari and Siti Fatimah Yahya acted for the prosecution.

TB Joshua will not die but will suffer � Congolese Prophet

Cogolese Jean-Claude Kibondzi is one of the thousands of worshippers who crave to see TB Joshua. He said that he is based in Sweden and that he has not been able to meet TB Joshua since he started coming to Nigeria in 2012. He calls himself a prophet and predicts that more buildings at the Synagogue may collapse. He speaks in a manner that casts doubt over his sanity. Excerpts.

BY EBUN SESSOU AND ADERONKE ADEYERI

You said God revealed things to you. What were they?

T.B Joshua is a messiah. He is not a real human being. He is a special creator from God and it is only God that knows why he chose to use that body. There is likely no man of God who is spiritually endowed. It is only those who are filled with the spirit of God that can understand him and that is why demons tremble when they come close to him. Again, I want to say T.B Joshua is the fulfillment of the promise of God in Mathew 21 verse 42 to 44.
Jean-Claude

Jean-Claude

You said God revealed the building collapse to you. Which other revelation has God shown you that has come to pass?

God has shown me many Prophecies like the fall of the Catholic church and the fall of the Pope. I sent these prophecies via mail to SCOAN. I even call the church but nothing tangible has come out of it.

Why did you send it to SCOAN and not the catholic church?

Well, I sent it to SCOAN because I had contact with them and I told some Pastors in Sweden but they did not believe me. I told them about the missing Malaysian airplane but they never listened to me. My Challenge in Sweden is racism.

Have you been able to speak with TB Joshua since Saturday?

No, his security officials were very arrogant. They go as far as pushing and treating you like a dog. They did not want me to talk. I was detained on Sunday around 8am till 9:45pm in a room with no water or food. My family did not know where I was. At 9:45pm, they told me to come back the next day that I will see the man of God. The next day, I was at Gate 5 as agreed. They began to push me here and there and when they saw that some people were attracted to the scene, they carried me into the same room and locked me there. It was when I was released that my wife told me it was someone who saw us when we were walking into the church premises that told her and she began shouting and this led to my release.

Why do you think God sent you instead of somebody close to TB Joshua?

God has sent me to America to empower a man of God. I also got a revelation about President Obama and other pastors in Sweden prayed for him for two weeks.

Have you met TB Joshua in spirit?

I met him in the spirit and in the throne of God.

How?

It takes a spiritual person to understand who this man is. For me, I have to know you in the spirit to confirm whether or not you are a man of God. If TB Joshua were a white man, I believe, we will be paying nothing less than $10,000 to go and visit him. But, here in Nigeria, people don’t believe him and I am giving them another five years and they will know better when this man’s mission will be accomplished.

Are you are saying, he has a mission to be accomplished in five years time and will be taken away like Enorch?

God will take him and everyone will see it. Then, the people will know. But, until then.

Is that a fresh revelation?

It is not like a fresh revelation, but, the consequence of the threatening of his life. He will not be killed but he will suffer.

Are you saying all these to get the man’s attention, perhaps when the story is out, he will call you over?

No, I am not. I spoke with one of the man’s wise men called, “Wise man Daniel and made him understand that he was a prophet of T.B Joshua while I am a prophet of the Almighty God. He apologized immediately because he knew I was not kidding. I told him I will put the power of God to test in his presence so as to know that I am not an ordinary man. God will always rescue TB Joshua from any trouble but I am more concerned of the lives of the people that may perish if no preventive measure is taken. I am not in government but a spiritual leader, and whether people like it or not, I will be going back to my country. I have told God that, this would be my last time in Nigeria and I will not come back.

And what if God sends you to people like Adeboye, Kumuyi among others?

I don’t take a contact of someone I don’t know in the spirit. Many people call themselves men of God but in the real sense they are not. I can’t talk or authenticate someone who I have not met in the spirit.

What will happen if you are not able to see him?

This is my seventh visit to SCOAN and everything God has shown has happened. So, if I can’t get him this time, I will not come back.

AKWA IBOM Gov War: PDP defending Zoning

It was an assemblage of some of the state’s most leading men and women faced with the collective threat of losing what they claim is the mandate they supposedly gave to Governor Udom Emmanuel and the Eket Senatorial District

By Tom Moses

Last weekend’s ‘Mega Rally and Reception for Governor Udom Emmanuel’ at the Eket Township Stadium had the dark shadow of the recent Court of Appeal judgment that annulled the election that enthroned the governor.

The indignation of the people was fired by the fact that Emmanuel is the first governor from the senatorial district to achieve the office of governor since the creation of Akwa Ibom State. Even more vexatious is the fact that the threat against his election is coming from Uyo Senatorial District, which has held the office of governor twice since the creation of the state.

It was as such not surprising that men and women of similar minds from all sections of the state gathered at the stadium last Saturday to affirm what they claimed as the doctrine of rotation that made Eket to produce the next governor of the state after eight sixteen eventful years by Uyo and Ikot Ekpene Senatorial Districts.

Untenable reasons
Gov Akpabio and Former Gov Attah

Former Gov Akpabio and Former Gov Attah

The people of Eket represented by the Chairman of Eket Senatorial District Elders Forum, Brigadier-Gen. Anthony Etukudoh (Retrd.) presented Governor Emmanuel with a sword and a bible at the occasion. The sword is to demolish his enemies and the bible is for spiritual guidance, protection and weapon to prosecute his adversaries.

“It was a mandate that was freely given by the great majority of Akwa-Ibom people but for untenable reasons, have become subject of the shenanigans of agents of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress in their desperate march to capture by force, the oil-rich Akwa-Ibom”, the Chairman informed and hoped that the “judiciary through the Supreme Court would not succumb to the desperation by the APC in the dispensation of justice”.

The retired Brigadier-General also solicited the continuous support of their brothers from Uyo and Ikot-Ekpene Senatorial Districts who they supported in the past for the governorship not to allow their support to wane for justice and equity to be done to the Eket Senatorial District.

Also speaking, former Minister of Housing, Chief Nduese Essien warned that the people of Eket Senatorial District would do all that is possible and necessary to ensure the reverses of what he described as the injustice that was being planned against the people.

Women leader of the constituency, Dr. Ini Adiakpan also faulted the annulment of the election saying the people of Eket Federal Constituency would do everything within the ambit of the law to ensure that Governor Emmanuel serve out his mandate.

“28 years since Akwa-Ibom State was created, this is the first time Eket is producing a governor and we insist that our son must be there for eight years as was the case with Uyo and Ikot-Ekpene Senatorial Districts respectively.

“It is now our turn. Therefore, Uyo and Ikot-Ekpene Senatorial Districts must support us”, Dr. Adiakpan stated.

Speaking, Chairman, Akwa-Ibom State Elders Forum, Senator Anietie Okon, decried what he alleged as the plan by the APC leadership to forcefully take-over Akwa-Ibom State warning that any weapon fashioned against the collective will of the people of the state would be crippled.

Zoning of the governorship

Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa-Ibom State, Obong Paul Ekpo also decried what he described as “the evil antics of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to create disharmony among the people of the state by not supporting the zoning of the governorship position to Eket Senatorial District.
Gov Emmanuel Udom

Gov Emmanuel Udom

Obong Ekpo reiterated that the chieftains and elders of the three senatorial districts of the state had in their wisdom, reached a consensus that power should always rotate round the three different senatorial districts for equitable distribution of wealth and opportunities hence, the need for that consensus to be protected to enhance peace and unity of the people.

Also speaking, former Military Administrator of the state and the Director-General (D-G) of the Divine Mandate, the campaign organization of Governor Udom Emmanuel, Atuekong Idongesit Nkanga stressed that “The mission of the APC is not for the welfare and well-being of the people of Akwa-Ibom State but for exploitation of the state’s resources as according to them, the leadership of the APC has been saying that they would not allow an oil-producing state into the hands of the PDP.

In his remarks, the new Speaker of the Akwa-Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr. Onofiok Luke threw his weight behind the agitation of the Eket Senatorial District describing the zone as the goose that lays the golden egg and the territory that that has made the state and Nigeria to be economically relevant in the comity of nations and as such, should be given the chance like others, to pilot the affairs of the state.

“Two individuals cannot serve as governor of a state at the same time. This is the time of Deacon Udom Emmanuel and the turn of Eket Senatorial District, so, every other person from other senatorial districts should wait so as not to cause confusion and crisis between the people of Eket Senatorial District and our brothers and sisters in the other senatorial districts”, the Speaker advised.

He condemned the Court of Appeal’s ruling of December 18, 2015 which annulled the election of Governor Emmanuel even as he expressed optimism that since the PDP is the traditional party of the Akwa-Ibom people, Governor Udom would win any election any time in the state.

Collective will and mandate

Speaking, the Special Guest of honour, Governor Udom Emmanuel gave credence to the resolve by his kith and kin to defend the collective will and mandate of the Akwa-Ibom people to Eket Senatorial District and therefore warned intruders to be ware of the dangers in trying to scuttle a Divine Mandate and the collective will of the people.

Governor Emmanuel thanked the people for standing by him at moments of trials and temptation assuring that he would remain undaunted by the antics of those who are opposed to equity and justice but focused and committed to serve the people from all parts of the state through the provision of worthwhile infrastructure, to establish industries, create jobs and generate wealth, to transform and advance the course of the state and consolidate the unity of all peoples of the state.

Tuesday, 12 January 2016

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Monday, 11 January 2016

False Prophets In Ghana Exposed! Omg! Check it out You May Find Your Spiritual Father on the List

The democratization of the mass media via the internet and other regular means, has brought many interesting advantages to radio listeners globally. In a 21st Century where everything is digitized, it is easy for anyone to hear local rumors or gossip or even real news coming from many sources. If you were attracted to this page because of the caption then, we would like to say thanks to those people on Facebook who have shared the contents below: The contents purported to be an interview and confession of a former Ghanaian prophet by name Prophet Elisha aka Spiritual Bulldozer took place on Sankofa radio.

There are three things that every human being has a greed for, except vegetarians or people sick of diabetes: The three things are in local Ghanaian Akan vocabulary .... “nam”, “esikyire” and “sika” viz meat/fish ; sugar and money, according to Opanyin Wofa Kissi , a known expert on natural and supernatural healing ( Adom FM Asumasem). Man’s greed for money is making a lot of people ( mostly young men in their 20s to 40s), most of them also fake ones, to use the name of God to amass wealth. But should people throw dust into the eyes of distress people just to make money?

DISCLAIMER: Please note that by re-publishing the contents below, it does not mean our endorsement; Our goal is to simply to educate people, create the awareness about the contents to help readers make their own inferences from it, pay particular attention, do personal investigations and take the next step. ( MOMA MO ENI NDA HO).

PREKESE GHANAMEDIA

“ FALSE PROPHETS? SOME PROPHETS NAMED AS FALSE PROPHETS by FORMER PROPHET ELISHA. (AKA SPIRITUAL BULLDOZER).”

The above named prophet has named certain prophets during an interview with Sankofa Radio as false prophets, who are using the Name of Jesus in vain to deceive people. He said these prophets are actually not from God, but are being used by the devil to deceive the congregation. Former Prophet Elisha said, he himself used to be part of this organization. He said they were using a demonic power called MAHANTA.

He said, he rose to be a a leader and a prefect among them. He said he is concerned about the poor congregation, who are being deceived by these prophets, who have already sold their consciences to the devil. He said he is coming out at this time to reveal the truth so that the poor congregation will learn this and save their souls. He advised that every congregant before he/ she becomes part of a church should research and pray about the pastor first, else he/she will end up in the wrong place. Before he began mentioning the names, he admonished the congregants to consider carefully the WORD the LORD Jesus spoke: #Scripture1: [4] “Watch out that no one deceives you. [5] For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many (Matthew 24:4-5). #Scripture2: [11] and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people (Matthew 24:11). #Scripture3: [24] For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. [25] See, I have told you ahead of time (Matthew 24:24-25).

Here are some of the pastors and the Prophets he named as false who were using the power of MAHANTA, and using the name of the LORD Jesus as a cover up.

1. Rev. Obofour - Anointed Palace Church
2. Jesus Abrantie
3. Prophet Nicholas
4. Kum Cha Cha
5. Prophet AB - MOGPA
6. Apae Live
7. Francis Akoto Kwateng
8. Odifoa Akwah
9. Daniel Obinim
10. Ebenezer Yiadom Adakwah
11. Rev. Owusu Bempah
12. Prophet Isaac Felix Kwarteng - Odorkor
13. David - Tema Ashaiman
14. Tetteh Solomon - Finger of the Lord
15. Pentecost Agya - Ejuso
16. Ricky Joe - Dansoman
17. Prophet Angel Uebert - Spirit Embassy, Zimbabwe.

18. Prophet Abiola Ayo - Nigeria
19. Prophet T.B. Joshua - Nigeria.
20. Osofo Kyiri Abosom (Yaw Appiah).
*Former Prophet Elisha said his spiritual father is T.B. Joshua, and that he served under him for about three and a half years. He also said, he was the leader for the MAHANTA group in Ghana, and ever since he left, his position has been given to Prophet AB of MOGPA .

PS: Do you know that before this tape came out, Prophet Yirenkyi aka Jesus One Touch said that 70% of Ghanaian Prophets are fake?
Check it out on YouTube
Source
Modern Ghana

Can you imagine- �Gospel Music Business Is Embarrassing�

Senam
Gospel musician Cynthia Semabia Alorku is not happy with the business aspect of Ghana's gospel music industry and has described its commercial ratings as “embarrassing.”

It is currently uncertain who Ghana's highest paid gospel musician is and the average amount given gospel musicians for shows.

But Senam, as she is known in showbiz, says the business aspect of gospel music is not something to be proud of as a musician. It doesn't wax any good confidence to the musician, she said.

“Trust me, the business part is quite embarrassing. You will spend so much on promotion but the sale really doesn't pay. So the only encouragement you see is the ministration,” she said.

According to her, it can change but the big responsibility lies on gospel musicians who use their songs to solely propagate the word of God.

Gospel musicians, she indicated, should themselves consider the business interest of their artistry alongside propagating the word of God. That, she revealed, is the best step to start with.

Senam has been around for a while. She just released her first album titled Abodin. The album is to praise God, worship, motivate and inspire people. A song on the album titled “Blessed” is currently making waves on Ghanaian radio platforms.

But Senam thinks they need to rake in some money too because they use money to record, stressing that it is also business at the end of the day.

Consumers Mad At New Taxes

Kofi Kapito
The Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) has expressed dissatisfaction with the imposition of numerous taxes on Ghanaians by government recently.

Kofi Ofosuhene, popularly known as Kofi Kapito, CEO of CPA, made this known at a press conference in Accra yesterday.

“The fear of all these impositions on the Ghanaian or the consumer is that its objectives might not be achieved. Human beings are just like water. When water is pushed against its limit, it has to find any available means to gush out. In the same way, when the people don't have the ability to pay, they have to devise weird means to pay, hence the widespread corruption. And this is what we don't look at in this country.”

“All we hear is pay realistic tariffs. The question I want to ask people in charge is whether they have also considered paying realistic salaries. So how can the Ghanaian be able to afford all the increases? When minimum wage is about $11 per hour in the US, it is GH¢7.00 a day. So how can people be able to pay realistic prices as the person making $11 an hour minimum in the US? The transport price hikes are also another issue because if you touch petrol you touch everything.”

Is government paying realistic salaries?
Mr Ofosuhene said government has to ensure that taxes levied on Ghanaians are realistic.

“If it increases fuel prices by 27 percent, and it does not pay realistic salaries, you can imagine the repercussions. This is the country where there are double or triple digits increases.”

Tariff increases in other economies
He also made reference to the US government's recent increase of its lending rate by 0.25 percent, which sent the whole world into 'chaos,' adding that in Ghana, increases are as high as 59 percent and 67 percent, meanwhile, the efficiency of the utility companies do not reflect in the services they render.

“We are appealing to the President. We want to say that the ramifications of the increases are too serious because like I said, if you push the people of Ghana to pay all these things, I am afraid, he can fight corruption.”


Corruption in civil service
He continued: “We are in a country that most civil servants do not live on their official income. We know the salaries of some of them but if you look at their lifestyle – their house and car, you will ask – where did they get all that money?

“In the advanced world, there is opportunity for people to take up one or two part-time jobs to support their normal income. But in Ghana, even the normal jobs, people are not getting them, let alone part-time. And government feels complacent to burden the poor masses with 'killer taxes.”

An IMF prescription
Mr Ofosuhene averred: “People might say we went to the IMF to seek such conditions to help fix our economy but I have lived for so many years in America. How many times are taxes increased there or in Europe? The same things that were bought in the UK or in the US some 5 years ago, if those same things should be bought today, their prices would have gone up by two percent.”

“In Ghana for the past two years, how many times have we had utility tariff increases? Water, school fees, transportation, cost of food, etc. Now how much is cement? The cheapest one on the market is GH¢30 per bag. Now talk of housing. I am not against taxes but the new impositions are too much.”

The CPA CEO called for other effective ways to manage the country's economy instead of punishing Ghanaians with tax and tariff increases every now and then.

Justices or what?- Robber Burnt In K�si

Below
The burnt body of the robber with his locally manufactured gun

A suspected robber in his mid 20s has been cruelly burnt to death after an unsuccessful robbery operation on Saturday dawn.

The unidentified deceased
reportedly tried to break into a house at Kromoase, near Agric Nzema in Kumasi to rob the inhabitants.

Reports suggested that the robber's action during that unholy hour was eventually uncovered by some residents in the neighbourhood who raised alarm.

The suspect, who was said to be wielding a locally manufactured pistol, was overpowered by an angry mob who subjected him to severe beatings.

The alleged robber reportedly became very weak as his constant cry for leniency was swiftly ignored by his blood-thirsty attackers.

.
The mob dumped the body in a gutter in the area, poured petrol on him and set him ablaze , resulting in his death.

Some residents in the area that spoke to DAILY GUIDE said they were petrified to see the charred body of the alleged robber in the gutter in the morning.

According to them, the armed robber, who had a locally manufactured pistol, doesn't live in the area.

They claimed the young robber lives in a different area in Kumasi and decided to storm Kromoase to rob people.
Is this the right justice in your own opinion.

Unbelievable- Man Bites Off Wife�s Nose

A man who used a plastic chair to hit his wife several times till it broke and bit off her nose without any provocation has been arraigned before the Accra Circuit Court.

The suspected person who goes by the name Isaac Forson was put in an Accra court presided over by Mrs. Abena Adjin-Doku and charged with causing harm to the lady identified to be Yvonne who he has cohabited with for a number of years.

The suspect pleaded not guilty to the offence and has been remanded in police custody while the case was adjourned till 14 January 2016.

The facts of the case as presented by the prosecuting officer ASP Grace Bandoh are that the suspect lives with the complainant at East Legon, a suburb of Accra.

She stated that on December 14, 2015 at precisely 3.30 pm, the complainant went to visit her friend called Stella Avornyo who is also a witness in the case.

She said while at her friend's place, Isaac also went there and met his wife and subjected her to severe beatings without any provocation and used a plastic chair to hit her several times till it broke into pieces.

The prosecutor continued that the suspect, not satisfied, bit off the nose of his wife resulting in profuse bleeding. The matter was reported to Madina Police but was later transferred to Domestic Violence Victim Support Unit at Madina where Yvonne was given a form to go for medical examination and treatment.

ASP Bandoh disclosed that the suspect was consequently arrested but he denied the offence saying he only pushed his wife and she fell but did not beat her nor bite off her nose.

The police officer said the suspect was arraigned after police concluded investigations.

Story
By Fidelia Achama

President Mahama- I am a man of peace


President John Dramani Mahama on Saturday said he would not tolerate violence in the on coming 2016 general elections.

'I am known to be a man of peace and I am committed to peace. I won't be agent of violence in the elections,' he said.

President Mahama said this when he paid a courtesy call on Togbe Afede XIV, Agbogbomefia of Asogli, at the end of a 3-day presidential retreat in held Ho.

He said he appreciates concerns from stakeholders on the need to ensure peace before, during and after the elections and said he remained true to the mandate given to  him.

Earlier, Togbe Afede appealed to all political parties to conduct their campaigns in a civil and organized manner and tone down their exchanges and insults.

The retreat discussed challenges facing the country and code of conduct for ministers among others.

Sunday, 10 January 2016

Ghana sugar mummy in need of a guy

am a person of faith who believes that God has the perfect vision for our lives. I exercise every day, eat healthy and value the mind, body, & spirit connection that we all need to achieve balance in our lives.

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Ghanaians rate Mahama's performance after 3yrs in office

Thursday, January 7, 2016, marked exactly three years since the inauguration of John Dramani Mahama as the 4th President of Ghana’s 4th Republic.

Three years ago on that day, the President took the oath of office to deliver a better Ghana to citizens. So three years down the line, what do Ghanaians make of his governance?

Citi News hit the streets of Accra to find out what a cross section of Ghanaians thinks of the President’s leadership of the country within the period.

For the majority of people who spoke to Citi News, they were of the view that the President is presiding over harsh economic conditions.

Despite the current difficulties, others felt he deserved some credit although he needs to do a lot more to improve the lives of the masses.

“As for me, I can see that he has done a lot, he has done a lot. The road sector like this is going on correctly… he is a human being, he can make errors, but we have to pray for him and follow what he is doing.”

“Things are not going well at all because nothing is working… I need a job. Those of us over here, most of us are under-employed. We need jobs but bad leadership, no right decisions, that’s why we are all here. We can’t get any good jobs,” another lamented.

A visibly frustrated woman told Citi News, “Times are very hard. As I speak, I don't have a pesewa in my bag… the president should sit up. There are a lot of poor people in Ghana, and we are suffering,” she fumed.

Another citizen in his attempt to diagnose the failures of the government said the President’s poor performance can be attributed to the team he has constituted around him.

“I don’t have a problem with him [ President] as a person, but the team of people he works with. He needs to probe further and check their background. Some of them don’t know what they are about because this is not the Ghana we have to have after so many years of independence,” he opined.

Regardless of the criticisms of his administration, the President has repeatedly insisted the government has performed creditably and that he will be given another term as the country goes to the polls this year.

Dumsor rebranded: You may have light you cannot use

When the Ministry of Power announced a few weeks ago of an end to the four-year- old power crisis that had bedevilled the country, many were those who doubted its feasibility.

What is true is that many households in parts of the country still have lights at home, even after the yuletide, except that the currents are so low it is almost useless.

Residents in most parts of the country have complained about very low voltages, which have lasted for days, in what seems to be the new phase of dumsor in the country.

A resident of Kwabenya, a suburb of Accra, told WEEKEND FINDER her area has been witnessing low voltage for over a week now.

“In fact, the currents are so low you can’t use it for anything. When you put on the ceiling fan, it takes about two minutes to propel it to move the blades and another two minutes for a blade to turn 360. In fact, if they don’t want us to use the lights they should just put it off; at least that is what we are used to”, she said.

In most areas that continue to experience the ‘rebranded power distribution’, residents are unable to do anything meaningful with the power they are served with.

“I can’t even iron my clothes; all I am able to do with the light is to charge my phone with it.”, another frustrated resident told Weekend Finder.

It is unclear what the power situation will be in the coming weeks when industries resume full operations, but, at least, Dr Kwabena Donkor, before resigning his post as Power Minister, was convinced he had done so much that he would be surprised if the Electricity Company of Ghana still continued to shed power, and to this, the Ministry of Power issued a statement announcing an end to dumsor.

A few hours after Dr Donkor resigned for reasons yet unknown, the load shedding committee, headed by GRIDCo boss William Amuna, in a statement announced that despite significant gains made, the program cannot be said to be over.

“The load shedding Committee wishes to inform the general public that steps being taken to permanently end the management of the power gap have produced significant gains.

This notwithstanding, we wish to state that there still exists residual milestones to be attained to end the load shedding as it relates to electricity supply. These are being addressed in earnest.

The committee will meet early in January 2016 to further review the progress made. Ghanaians and industry will be apprised of the outcome of the meeting.

We wish to express our deepest appreciation to all stakeholders for cooperating with the committee”, the statement said.

Ghana DJ Awards open nominations for 2016 event

Merqury Republic, organisers of the Ghana DJ Awards, have opened nominations for the 2016 edition of the awards.

The nomination for this year’s awards, which is the 4th edition, is open to all hard working disc jockeys ‘DJs’ from Thursday, January 7.

The theme for this year’s awards is “Move to the Beat.” The award will honour and celebrate well-deserving DJs in Ghana and across the world.

The nominees must have remarkably entertained people and played a major role in music promotion in the year under review.

Kenneth Addo, the Marketing Coordinator of Merqury Republic, said in an interview that, the awards scheme will also recognise non Ghanaian DJs who have massively promoted Ghanaian music to foreign audiences.

“Everywhere you go, there are DJs feeding a lot of people with good music on radio, at parties or special events and they need to be appreciated,” he said.

Kenneth Addo added that a date and venue for the 2016 edition of the awards will be communicated soon.

Nigerian arrested for stabbing landlord

Suspect, John Collins Alabi in police grip

A 27-year-old Nigerian has been arrested by the Kotobabi Police for stabbing his landlord to death for trying to stop him from using their bathhouse. 

The deceased, identified as Paul Goka , 23, landlord of a compound house occupied by over 10 tenants at Alajo, according to information, confronted the suspect, John Collins Alabi, 27, for openly having his bath in a demolished bathroom after all tenants were warned to use the public shower. 

This led to a disagreement between the landlord and his tenant, which led to John stabbing him in the stomach. 

Paul Goka was pronounced dead on arrival at the 37 Military Hospital where he was referred to seek proper medical attention. 

The body has since been transferred to the Police Hospital morgue for autopsy. 

Confirming the arrest to DAILY GUIDE, ACP Nuhu Jango, the Nima Divisional Police Commander, said the incident occurred at Alajo, an Accra suburb, on January 2, 2016 but the suspect was finally arrested around Nima Roundabout on January 5, 2016. 

Around 7:30pm on January 2, 2016, John Collins Alabi first reported to the Kotobabi Police that his landlord, Paul Goka (now deceased), had inflicted knife wounds on his right fourth finger. 

He was subsequently given a medical form to go to the hospital for treatment. 

Around 9:30pm same day, one Vincent Dzramado also stormed the station to report that John Collins Alabi had stabbed his brother, Paul Goka, in the stomach with a knife. 

He said Goka was rushed to the Maamobi Polyclinic for medical attention and was referred to the 37 Military Hospital for proper medical attention but died on arrival. 

When police visited the house of John Collins, he was not in the house.

While in custody, it came to light through investigations that the deceased was stabbed during an argument over a demolished bathroom. 

Altercation 

Information gathered indicated that suspect John Collins, who is one of the tenants living in a wooden structure apartment belonging to the deceased, was seen that Saturday evening bathing in a demolished bathroom inside the house by the landlord and this resulted in a heated argument. 

The house used to have a bathhouse but the brother of the landlord, identified only as Ezekiel, demolished it because some of the tenants were defecating in it. 

The landlord, after the bathroom was pulled down, then told all tenants to use the public bathhouse. 

The suspect, who claimed he had no money to use the public bathroom, went to have his shower where the old bathroom was located. 

The landlord saw him and confronted him but it turned into a heated argument. 

John Collins reportedly picked up a kitchen knife and stabbed his landlord in the stomach. 

Goka’s was quickly rushed to the Maamobi Polyclinic for medical attention but he was referred to the 37 Military Hospital where he died on arrival. 

Suspect John Collins, who claimed he had lived in the house for the past one year, upon hearing the news that his landlord had died, left the house to another location. 

Upon his arrest, he admitted the offence and will be sent to court for prosecution.

Yvonne Okoro�s 'Ghana Must Go' breaks Silverbird Box Office

Actress cum producer, Yvonne Okoro’s movie, Ghana Must Go recorded a huge attendance at its premiere at the Silverbird Cinemas, Accra Mall last Saturday. 

The cinema rooms were filled up to the extent that those with complementary tickets were not allowed entry at the initial stage. The said audience were only able to view the Frank Rajah Arase directed movie after 11pm in order to pave way for those who have bought tickets to watch.

Some patrons with complimentary tickets at a point fought a cinema attendant who bounced them; however, the situation was brought under control after some time. 

The premiere was attended by Nollywood’s Nkem Owo (Osuofia) and Ghana’s Yvonne Okoro, Nana Akua Addo, Kofi Adjorlolo, EL, Luckie Lawson, Lydia Forson, Sandra Ankobia, Roseline Okoro, Adjetey Anang among others.

I haven't 'slept' with anyone since last year - D-Black

Desmond Blackmore known in showbiz as Dblack says he has stayed off sex for well over a year. In an Instagram post, he said: "I haven’t had sex since last year.” 

D-Black has an advertising deal with Ciroc Ultra Premium Vodka and for Ghanaian Electronic giants RLG, VIVA brand of phones. 

He is also the face of his Black Avenue Clothing label.

Selly, Nana Akua win Best Dressed Female Celebs At Ghana Movie Awards 2015

Movie Stars Selorm Galley Fiawoo aka Selly and Nana Akua Addo have been adjudged the best dressed female celebs at the just ended Ghana Movie Awards 2015 in the first ever celebrity red carpet review in Ghana #NkonkonsaRedCarpetReview.

After several deliberations by a well knowledgeable panel of fashion icons, fashionistas, fashion bloggers and fashion professionals drawn from several parts of the world led by CEO of Eurostar Global Limousine Group Mr. Oscar Yao Doe, the long list of female celebs was shortlisted to the top 3.

The top 3 were Actresses Selly, Zynnell Zuh and Nana Akua Addo, from which the panel was tasked to choose a winner. Eventually, Selly and Nana Akua emerged top 2 and there was no breaking point between them because they both looked elegant and had almost the same flaws.

Nana Akua’s flaw was her heavy necklace which conflicted a little bit with her gorgeous dress and Selly’s flaw was her black bra which took a little shine away from her charming dress.

So Selly and Nana Akua Addo have been officially announced as the “Best Dress Female Celebrities” at the 2015 Ghana Movie Awards and Zynnell Zuh took the second position. For their prizes Selly and Nana Akua walked away with a maximum size vintage bag worth 2500 Euros each from any brand of their choice and first runner up Zynnell Zuh took home a designer shoe worth 1000Euros from any brand of her choice.

“Best celebrity make up” also went to Nana Akua Addo which comes with 1000 Euros worth of cosmetics from Dior Maison in Paris or any brand of her choice and “Most Glamorous African dress” was won by Michelle Mckinney Hammond who goes home with 1000Euros worth of any fashion products from any brand of her choice.

All prizes are sponsored by Eurostar Global Limousine Group Abidjan Office. The male celebrities are next and winners would be announced in due course.

Why many marriages are failing today

�Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife and the two shall be one flesh� Gen. 2:24. 

Oh what a beautiful and glorious moment it is when two people decide to come together and spend the rest of their lives as one. The day they share their vows with one another marks the beginning of a lifetime of commitment; it is the day they change from 'I to We'. It is the day they tell their families and the rest of the world that, they bind themselves to one another forever till death separates them. 

At that moment, many married couples probably believed what they were saying, and were also probably sincere about it. So what changes their minds about the, �for better, for worse�? Why is it that today, in most marriages; it is �for better for stay, for worse for go�? 

There are many reasons why many people marry; and due to some of these reasons, their marriages fail. 

These are some of the reasons why some people marry: 

v Because they are late in marriage: Since they feel like time is passing them by; either it is because all their mates are getting married or they feel that age is not on their side. For this reason, they will marry the first man or woman who shows the slightest interest of settling down with them. 

v In need of financial security: One of the most common reasons many young ladies enter into marriage and in some rare cases, some men, is to find stability financially. 

v Physical attraction: This is another common factor for marriage. 

v Family Pressure: Anything to please mum or dad or extended family members. 

These are but to mention a few. But this article is not more about these reasons; but rather about what I believe is the main reason for the failure of many marriages today. 

Since marriage is a lifetime commitment, I believe to enter into it, we must be spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and financially prepared. 

1. Spiritual Preparation 

There is no foundation stronger than Jesus Christ. Any marriage that is not built on Christ is doomed to fail. ���all things were by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made�..� John 1:3. 

Before entering into marriage, you must pray fervently for your partner, because to become one with another is a spiritual bond. If you do not share the same faith, there is bound to be confusion and differences, which might cause the marriage to crash. Because you are one, what affects one, affects the other. The devil will always try to use the weaker to destroy the stronger

If you are a believer and you enter into marriage without Spiritual preparation, not only will your marriage fail, your relationship with Christ could also be affected. Marrying someone who is not of the same faith can have serious consequences on your relationship with Christ, and I don�t just mean denominational or religious faith. You could both be in the same church and your partner may not be born again. 

�Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. If they fall, one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falls; for he has not another to help him up�. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10. 

Without spiritual preparation, you may be one in body but alone in spirit. After all, �can two walk together if they don�t agree?� Amos 3:3 

2.Mental Preparation 

What kind of mindset are you entering the marriage with? What is your opinion or knowledge about marriage? What is your opinion or knowledge about the opposite sex? Do you view the opposite sex as a necessary evil? Do you view marriage as a necessary rite? Then your marriage is doomed to fail. 

To have a successful marriage, you must have a real understanding of marriage; that is, what marriage is truly about. You cannot view marriage in the general terms of what you may have witnessed of other people�s marriage or by your past relationships. You must be willing to have an open mind and also be optimistic and positive about your marriage. 

3. Emotional Preparation 

If you are over sensitive and overly sentimental, then you are on shaky grounds. You must be emotionally balanced. As human beings, we are fallible; therefore prone to mistakes. Do not enter marriage expecting perfection and smoothness. You must be prepared to work for it. If you are someone who gets hurt easily, then you must be prepared to develop a thick skin and learn to keep your emotions in check. 

4. Financial Preparation 

No one is asking you to be filthy rich before you get married, but you must have a source of income to be able to provide or support your family. You should at least prepare for the future of your kids and future emergencies. 

Without these preparations, you are like a man or woman who goes to the farm without his/her tools. You are also like a student who goes into the exams hall without his/her stationeries. You will yield no results and you will return empty handed. 

To have a successful marriage, let us learn to seek the wisdom of God and also be thoroughly prepared. When you rush into something, you crash eventually. 

Stay blessed and always remember that Jesus loves you dearly and I do too. 

Saturday, 9 January 2016

The Ghana Government's Acceptance Of The Ex-Guantanamo Detainees Is A Reckless Act

WHEN the news first flipped past my ears, as I lay half-awake in the early hours of the morning, I couldn't take it in.

“Ghana” mentioned in the same breath as “Guantanamo”? How possible?

But in the next news broadcast, the two words were juxtaposed again! This time, I paid attention.

And I got the full story: Ghana was accepting, at the request of the USA, two ex-Guanatanamo detainees whom the US had released from the notorious prison. They were originally from Yemen (the report said) but they weren't being allowed to return there. Ghana had agreed to let them stay in the country for two years.

My first reaction was sheer, unadulterated FEAR! Horror -- pure and simple.

“Are they mad?” I asked of our Government.

If you have been following world affairs seriously, then you must pray never to have anything to do with jihadists. By whatever name they choose to be called – Al Qaeda, AQUIM, Al Shabab, Boko Haram, Isis, Ansar-al- Din, Ansar-al-Sharia – you just steer clear of them.

For these are not just simple political movements as we know them. They are organisations whose politics is firmly rooted in faith – and you cannot negotiate someone else's faith away.

If a person believes strongly that his faith demands x or y action, and that if, whilst accomplishing that action, he or she is killed or “martyred”, he/she will be rewarded by the Almighty in a pre-determined manner, then that person is, of course, , “out of this world”.

A fanatic of any sort is, of course, dangerous to everyone else. But a fanatic who thinks that his or her thoughts and actions are inspired, nay, dictated, by Almighty God, is altogether feral.

For you cannot REASON or argue with such a person.
Jihadists don't mind if they commit atrocities that end in the deaths of fellow Muslims of a different sect, or who are adherents of a more “moderate” set of beliefs. They will tell you that it was “unfortunate” that fellow Muslims had to be killed or maimed during any action they took in the course of their ”holy war”. But it wasthe will of God who controls everything!

It is because of their unbending attitude towards the beliefs of fellow humans that jihadists are held in such fear. For if they happen to miscast your position with regard to any action you take, which they think goes against their interests, they might retaliate by inflicting serious harm on you and your people.

Let us now look at the implications of what the Ghana Government has done. The Government seems to believe that the two men sent to Ghana by the Americans – Saudi-born Yemenis Khalid al-Dhuby, 34, and Mahmoud Omar Bin Atef, 36, – are currently “harmless” (because the Americans have determined that they are!) and so need not be feared if they are allowed to live in Ghana.

But that is the easy part of the equation. A more important aspect is this: what do the organisations they were allegedly working for when they were captured, now think of them?

If Al Qaeda thinks that someone who claimed to be working for it has beenturnedby the Americans during interrogation (and the Americans do use torture, especially ”water-boarding”, in their search for sensitive information from their ”terrorist” captives) it is not likely that Al Qaeda would ever regard such a person as a hero. Would Al Qaeda come for such a person in his new abode if it regarded him as as someone who eventually turned ”traitor”? If it did, its vengeance against him could be fearsome. And that vengeance could take place anywhere on earth, because Al Qaeda is in possession of a long and well-oiled killing machine that knows no boundaries. Events in Kenya bear testimony to this Al Qaeda mindset and capability.

But that's not all – a second scenario, equally unwelcome to Ghana, beckons. Suppose Al Qaeda regards our two guests as heroes and wants to deprive us of the honour of hosting them? Would we be able to resist an attempt to free them?

Yet a third scenario exists, namely: Suppose Al Qaeda does not care about the two men at all, but is rather more interested in drawingupa roll-call of countries upon which the USA can count, in its world-wide search for collaborators against jihadism? The US is ruthlessly deploying drones, guns and bombs to wage this War against targets world-wide, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen and Somalia. Why does Ghana want to be put on a list of countries who have “self-defined” themselves as those who tacitly approve of such US actions that often cause the deaths of innocent people, including women and children?

By ignoring the possibility of being classified by Al Qaeda and its affiliates as their “enemy” because Ghana has been patently identified as the “collaborator” of Al Qaeda's main enemy, the USA, the Ghana Government has iexplicably compromised the security of Ghana as a nation.

It has also negated Ghana's traditional policy of resisting the attempts of foreign powers to recruit it to their side in international conflicts. Ghana adopted a policy of non-alignment from 1957 because it was in its enlightened self-interst not to make itself a target in conflicts that had nothing to do with it.

A risk to national security must not be contemplated by our Government under any circumstances. The USA would not put its national interests at risk for Ghana, and the Government of Ghana should have enough sense to appreciate this fact and do the same as the US would do. By the way, declining to compromise one's national security is not an unfriendly act -- in case our Government is concerned over how the US would react to a refusal.

One other thing: the Pentagon regards the national security of the US as being of such prime importance that it apprised the US Congress – presumably on a bi-partisanbasis –of its decision to send the detainees to Ghana before sending them. The US, which wasridding itselfof persons who might constitute a security risk, sought the acquiescence of its legislators before ridding itself of that menace.

Yet the Government of tiny, feeble Ghana, which was taking on a national security problem jettisoned by the mighty USA, apparently did NOT inform the elected representatives of its own people, i.e. Parliament, before saddling itself with such a dangerous burden.

Do the Americans breathe an air that is different from what Ghanaians breathe? Or what?

Suspected Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria 'kills 40'

Lassa fever is an acute haemorrhagic illness which is endemic in rodents in west Africa. By Christopher Black (World Health Organization/AFP/File)

Abuja (AFP) - Forty people have died in Nigeria in a suspected outbreak of Lassa fever in 10 states across the country, Health Minister Isaac Adewole said Friday.

"The total number (of suspected cases) reported is 86 and 40 deaths, with a mortality rate of 43.2 percent," Adewole told a news conference in the capital, Abuja.

The minister said that so far, laboratory tests have confirmed that 22 of the 86 suspected cases were Lassa fever and results were expected on the remainder.

Seven of the affected states are in the north -- Bauchi, Nasarawa, Niger, Taraba, Kano, Plateau and Gombe -- while the remaining three are in the south -- Rivers, Edo and Oyo -- he added.

The first case of the disease was recorded last November in Bauchi state. Cases were then reported in Kano and elsewhere.

According to the WHO, Lassa fever is an acute haemorrhagic illness which belongs to the arenarvirus family of viruses, which also includes the Ebola-like Marburg virus.

People with Lassa fever do not display symptoms in 80 percent of cases but it can cause serious symptoms and death in the remainder.

The virus, which is endemic in rodents in west Africa, is transmitted to humans by contact with food or household items contaminated with the animals' faeces and urine.

Person-to-person contact is also possible through bodily fluids, particularly in hospitals when adequate infection control measures are not taken.

The number of Lassa fever infections in west Africa every year is between 100,000 to 300,000, with about 5,000 deaths, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Adewole said recorded cases of Lassa fever in Nigeria peaked in 2012 at 1,723 with 112 fatalities but rates have declined since then.

In the latest outbreak, the minister said "most of the cases that we recorded are not through person-to-person contact" but the number of deaths was "unusual".

He expressed concern about disease notification systems, particularly in Niger state, where "unusual" deaths in August were not reported for up to four months.

Authorities in Lagos, Nigeria's most populous city of more than 20 million people, on Thursday alerted residents on the need to observe proper hygiene to curb the spread of the disease.

Lagos state, in the southwest, is some 80 kilometres (50 miles) from Oyo state, where suspected cases have been reported.

Ashanti Police Mad With NDC Cutlass Man

The Ashanti Regional Police Command, led by DCOP Kofi Boakye, has denied comments by a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the police support a diabolic plan of the ruling party to stockpile machetes to cause mayhem during the upcoming polls.

The police categorically distanced themselves from the irresponsible remarks made by one Robert Owusu, an NDC Communicator on Boss FM in Kumasi, stressing that the police would ensure that he faces the law.

“With regard to Robert Owusu's irresponsible comments in relation to amassing and sharpening of machetes, the police, particularly DCOP Kofi Boakye, categorically disassociate themselves from such irresponsible utterances,” the police stressed.

In a release, authored by the Ashanti Regional Police PRO, ASP Mohammed Yussif Tanko, the police lambasted the NDC man for inflaming passions on radio and trying to link the police to it.

He said the police would vigorously deal with the dicey matter, which poses a threat to the peace of the Ashanti region, noting that Robert Owusu would face the consequences of his action per the law.

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Assist. Supt. Tanko said the regional police command and the National CID Headquarters, (Political Desk), have requested for copies of the said tape for the necessary action to be taken against the NDC man.

The police, he stated, would not condone and connive with any political groupings to destabilize the peace of the region, noting that the police would always discharge their professional mandate of ensuring law and order and protection of life and property devoid of political interference.

The Police PRO sternly cautioned all political parties and their commentators to be mindful of their comments on radio, noting that any person that would pass comments that have the potential of causing political tension would be arrested and prosecuted.

Meanwhile, DAILY GUIDE's checks revealed that Robert Owusu was part of NDC supporters in Kumasi, who some time last year called for an immediate transfer of DCOP Kofi Boakye from the Ashanti region.

They claimed DCOP Kofi Boakye's reputation and credibility might not augur well for the NDC in terms of the accumulation of votes because the police chief would not allow anybody to rig the 2016 polls.

Fake Lawyer Misses Wedding

A police officer and fiancée of Anthony Anyomi, a 34-year-old student who posed as a lawyer, on Thursday broke down and wept bitterly, pleading with her senior colleague police officers to temper justice with mercy and not prosecute her fiancé, whom she was scheduled to wed today.

The lady, who was reportedly shocked upon hearing that the suspect had been grabbed for claiming to be a lawyer, went and pleaded with the authorities not to go ahead and put the suspect on trial yesterday so that their wedding could come off today.

However the prosecuting team, led by Chief Superintendent Duuti Tuaruka, yesterday hauled the suspect before an Accra Circuit Court presided over by Mrs Patricia Quansah.

He was charged with impersonation but denied the offence and was remanded in police custody while the prosecuting team was ordered to furnish the court with a list of cases the suspect was handling before his arrest.

The case was then adjourned to January 14, 2016. With the decision of the court, it means that the suspect will be in detention instead of spending time with his wife.

The order came fresh off the heels of a submission by the prosecuting officer that the suspect had acted as counsel in a number of cases currently before the Circuit Courts in Accra and Ada.

Facts
The facts of the case, as presented by Prosecuting Officer Chief Supt Tuaruka, are that upon information that Anyomi was posing as a lawyer and was handling cases within Accra, the police mounted intelligence on him.

According to him, the suspect was arrested on January 5, 2016 while he was representing some unsuspecting persons at an Accra Circuit Court.

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He said after the arrest of the accused person, a number of police prosecutors came forward and identified Anyomi as someone who had posed as a lawyer in a number of cases, some of which were still pending at the Circuit Courts in Accra and Ada.

He stated that during interrogation, the suspect admitted that he was not a lawyer and noted that the police were still conducting investigations.

Messrs Sylvester Nyamekye, John Bernard Otto and Seidu Nasigri, counsel for the accused person, had said the suspect was a student whose fiancée  was a police officer, adding that they were about  to wed in less than 24 hours.

They said the offence was bailable and noted that the suspect would not desert his wife because of the case and would assist police in investigations.

According to them, the fiancée of the suspect was also pregnant and was likely to suffer “psychological discomfort and emotional trauma” if the wedding did not come off and prayed the court to allow the suspect to have the wedding as plans were far advanced for the occasion and invitation cards had been sent out.

Supt Tuaruka however said the matter was still under investigation and that the suspect would interfere with investigations if granted bail.

The trial judge consequently said even though the defence team sounded convincing in their submission, the suspect would be remanded for the court to be furnished with a list of all his cases.

The suspect, who once served time in prison for stealing a police officer's uniform and released in 2014, was nabbed by police officers around the court premises after suspicion was raised about his conduct in court.

Anyomi, when asked by police prosecutors as to when he was called to the bar, mentioned 2014 but kept changing the date when he could not mention any classmate of his or any lawyer he was called to the bar with.

The SIN of Mahama � Transfer of Terror Sympathizers - Dr. Nii Amu Darko

I will discuss this under three subheadings
1. Security
2. Immorality
3. National Interest
The 3 form the Trilogy of SIN.
Security
The terror sympathizers (TS) are high security risks. Risk does not mean occurrence of an event. It expresses the probability of an event occurring. So if your cholesterol is high, you are a smoker and have diabetes, you are at a higher risk of having a heart attack than a ‘’normal’’ person. It does not mean you will get a heart attack. It means you should be monitored closely.

Anyone who does not understand risk is an incomprehendo and has no business in government. The TS are high risks individuals. They are not normal people. They require closer monitoring, America and the its coalition of the Willing – UK and Australia can provide that monitoring better than Ghana.

They were not captured in Afghanistan playing Table Tennis or even working on poppy farms. They were there at the invitation of Al Queda. If Saudi captures Iranians in the same scenario as the TS, they will all be executed according to Sharia. The converse is also true if Iranians catch Saudis. You may read what is happening between the arch foes as I write now.

These TS are free because Western Jurisprudence derived from Apostle Paul made it so.

Romans 4:15 – the law brings wrath. Where there is NO LAW, there is no TRANSGRESSION.

Romans 3:20 … for by the law is the sure knowledge of sin.

The superior law of the Great Apostle says, where an action is not in the criminal code, you cannot charge a person. The law cannot be retrospective. This is the basis of western freedom and fairness. When these TS were arrested, there was no law on US statute books to charge them, so they could not be fairly trialled. That is why I call them sympathizers. They still belong to the Ishmaelitism.

Immorality
This is the most disgusting part of the whole saga. Pulling the weak to do your bidding because he is weak is completely unacceptable. Obama sent these TS to weak countries with weak leaders who are more likely to fall prey to financial inducements. He sent those his country does not want to clueless and conscienceless leaders who could not say NO.

In July 2009, Obama stood here in Accra to preach good governance and strong institutions to us only to turn around and take advantage of our poor governance and weak institutions to dump these TS on us.

Can he make such a decision without the input of Congress? So why encourage this waywardness in Ghana? Was it not in his country that many states refused to take in Syrian refugees because of the fear of terror? There will be good governance in Ghana soon and we will send the TS back.

National Interest
I disagree totally with Obama’s immorality. But I have to accept that he acted in the US National Interest. He campaigned on the immorality of Guantanamo but unbeknownst to him that he was preaching Paul – where there is no LAW, there is NO TRANSGRESSION. Guantanamo was built on lawlessness. That is the Christian view. That is my view.

It is better to free 99 high suspects but without full evidence than to jail one righteous person based on emotions. There is no law written by any human being superior to the law of Christ and his 1st Apostles. This is a clear example – releasing highly dangerous people into free society because there was no law at the time of their transgression.

All right thinking people including atheists argued against the weak moral position of US on Guantanamo. Obama agreed with them and promised to close the Prison. Obama believes the US cannot behave like Sharia operators. For the US to RECLAIM part of its dwindling moral authority, Guantanamo must close. He has acted in the National Interest of his country.

Obama is not concerned about Moral Authority only. He is concerned about US security even more. He wants a win-win situation for his country – free the TS but not to the US. He knows there are many leaders who do not understand NATIONAL INTEREST. He knows there are many Esaus who think only about their immediate convenience and can be bought with a cup of Hausa koko.

Africa complains about the actions of the West because we do not understand National Interest. The West laughs at us because they know our political systems are built on PERSONAL INTEREST. All our leaders are Esaus. The transfer of these TS is a classic example. Can John Mahama and Hannah Tetteh tell us the how this serves our NATIONAL INTEREST?

Mahama has commintted an unpardonable sin. He has committed the sin of immoral Esau and like Esau, he will miss the inheritance.

Tswa omanye aba
Dr. Nii Amu Darko
niiamu.of.africa@gmail.com

Source: modernghana

WHEN LOVE FALLS ON THE DEAF SIDE OF EARS

When love falls on the deaf side of ears
(Paul de Poet)

When love falls on the deaf side of ears
Beauty becomes beast

And roses becomes Savanna bush
Laughter fades into tears;
Whilst smiles twinkles into wrinkles
When love falls on the deaf side of ears
Sweet becomes bitter

And applause becomes blows
The lover of yesteryears becomes the enemy of today;
Whilst your number 1 Mona Lisa becomes your greatest teaser
When Love falls on the deaf side of ears
Patience give way for temper
And kind words give way for hurtful words
You now treat your African beads as your slave door mat
Whilst she being your Kente now becomes your retched clothe 

Why love?

Why?

Why throw away all the beautiful memories?
The singing songs
The dancing tunes
And the watching moons

Why have she now become the round pegs that can't fit in a square hole?
The late horror movie that scares children to sleep
And the sounding brass that noise in your ears
When love falls on the deaf side of ears 

Her near presence sterns you
And she becomes vague in your sight 
But foolish will you know that you are, when you finally realize that you have lost a real jewel
But it will be too late. 

by Paul De Poet

Thursday, 7 January 2016

Presidential hopeful threatens to pull $1 billion investment if he is banned from UK

Only interior minister Theresa May can issue an order banning entry into Britain and Prime Minister David Cameron has said he does not favor barring Trump.
U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has threatened to cancel over 700 million pounds ($1 billion) of planned investments in golf courses in Scotland if Britain slaps him with a travel ban.
The threat from Trump, owner of two golf courses in his mother's homeland of Scotland, comes as British lawmakers prepare to hold a debate on a petition signed by over half a million people calling for him to be barred from the country after his proposal to stop Muslims entering the United States.
The debate will be held on Jan. 18 but will not be followed by a vote. Only interior minister Theresa May can issue an order banning entry into Britain and Prime Minister David Cameron has said he does not favor barring Trump.
The Trump Organization said in a statement that a ban would result in him pulling developments worth 500 million pounds at a golf complex in northeastern Scotland, and a 200 million pound revamp at a resort in the country's southwest.
"Any action to restrict travel would force The Trump Organization to immediately end these and all future investments we are currently contemplating in the United Kingdom," the group said in a statement.
Trump's comments on banning Muslims from entering the United States in December prompted international outrage and led to him being stripped of two Scottish honorary positions.
The proud, half-Scottish billionaire's once-harmonious relationship with Scotland was soured further when he was blocked by a top court in his bid to stop a wind farm being built near his Trump International Golf Links course in Aberdeen.