Favourites Senegal crashed out of the Africa Cup of Nations after a 2-1 loss to minnows Equatorial Guinea.
Despite creating plenty of chances throughout the game, Senegal struggled to stamp their authority and were punished by a second-half goal from Iban Iyanga.
Substitute Moussa Sow netted an equaliser just before injury time, but David Alvarez popped up with the winner for Equatorial Guinea, who moved into the quarter-finals.
Senegal went all guns blazing right from the start, with the pace and skill of winger Issiar Dia causing plenty of trouble for Equatorial Guinea.
Laurence Doe made a couple of crucial interventions at the back early on as he first out-jumped Demba Ba to head away a dangerous cross in the fifth minute, and shortly after superbly dispossessed Dia.
Senegal created yet another chance shortly after as a cross from Dia found Ba completely free inside the box, but the Newcastle striker could only strike wide from 11 yards out.
Equatorial Guinea improved significantly after the break, and created a good chance in the 57th minute through Javier Balboa, who delivered a solid pass from the right wing for Thierry Fidjeu, but Souleymane Diawara was first to the ball.
The home side was rewarded moments later as a cross by David Alvarez was headed home by Iyanga from inside the box to put Senegal on the brink of elimination.
Cisse missed a great chance in the 71st minute, when he was released near the penalty spot, but chose to pass back instead of shoot from eight yards.
Senegal found the goal they deserved in the 89th minute through substitute Sow, who scored with an acrobatic finish.
Alvarez, however, had the final say scoring with a thunderous long-range strike in injury time.
Laurence Doe was sent off moments later, but it mattered little as Equatorial Guinea progressed.
In the rain-affected earlier game, Libya midfielder Ahmed Saad Osman gave his country the lead twice, but Zambia grabbed a share of the spoils in a 2-2 draw.
Walid Al Khatroushi provided a defence-splitting pass for Osman who slotted past badly-positioned Zambia goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene.
Zambia equalised through an acrobatic Mayuka volley on 28 minutes after Rainford Kalaba had provided an intelligent cross into the penalty box.
Libya surprised their opponents with another Osman goal three minutes into the second half.
Chisamba Lungu’s failed clearance allowed the Club Africain player to wriggle his way past a second defender, slicing his shot in off the post.
The north Africans’ lead lasted even less than their first one, though, and it only took nine minutes for the Zambians to pull level again, this time through a Katongo header off a spectacular Mayuka scissor-kick cross.
The result leaves the Zambians on four points and severely dents the Libyans’ already slim chances of qualifying
The management of Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) is working closely with the Tema Metropolitan Police to apprehend two men who allegedly robbed the Bank’s Tema Industrial Area Branch at gun point on Tuesday, January 24.
A statement issued by the Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs Division in Accra on Wednesday said they made away with about GH¢20,000.00.
It said “While there was no human casualty at the branch, the armed policeman, who was not at post at the time of the incident is in police custody, assisting in investigations”.
The statement said, on that fateful day, two armed men came to the Bank when it was winding up service to customers.
Armed with a gun, they fired a shot when they were prevented from entering the banking hall by the Bank’s security man.
It said the armed robbers after the act fled with two motor bikers, obviously accomplices, who picked them after their act.
The Bank apologised to all its customers for the unfortunate incident, especially customers who were traumatised by the incident at the branch.
The National Health Insurance Authority has together with Service Providers of the scheme agreed to set up an independent Pilot Review team with members drawn from the various stakeholders to review the implementation of the newly introduced Capitation Scheme.
According to the National Health Insurance Authority Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah, the Service Providers had given the Authority up to Tuesday to submit the names of their representatives to the Pilot Review Committee to be set up, adding that there would be another meeting next week Thursday which would make the Committee operational.
Speaking in an interview on Oman FM’s National Agenda Morning Show, Mr. Sylvester Mensah, the Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority indicated that his meeting with the Service Providers held on Tuesday went very well and led to various concessions by both the Authority and the Service Providers on the way forward for the Implementation of the Capitation Scheme.
Mr. Sylvester Mensah, described as highly successful and very engaging, the stakeholders meeting held in Kumasi between the NHIA and service Providers of the scheme which mainly discussed matters concerning the newly introduced capitation scheme being piloted in the Ashanti Region which has generated some level of controversy and various discussions.
In detailing the outcome of the meeting, he announced that the Service Providers proposed that more members selected by the Service Providers should be included in the National Health Insurance’s Monitoring and Evaluation Team to oversee the effectiveness of the Capitation Scheme and the whole National Health System. He stated that since there was no justifiable cause for disagreement, the Authority accepted this proposal.
Mr. Mensah said that among others, the Service Providers also suggested that education on the Capitation scheme be intensified as that had caused a lot of misinformation and misrepresentation on the operation of the scheme within the populace, the media and even the stakeholders operating the system.
Another concern expressed widely at the meeting was the need for increases in general operation costs as a result of the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure and the increases in fuel among other factors to be reflected in the tariffs charged by the Service Providers.
Mr. Mensah indicated that the Authority pledged to look into this particular request and concern and make the necessary reviews to the tariffs.
Finally, Mr. Mensah stated that the Authority had agreed with the Service Providers that ante-natal and post-natal care would be taken out of the Capitation scheme, something which has been welcomed by the various stakeholders.
On whether the Service Providers who had decided to opt out of the Health Insurance Scheme as a result of the introduction of the Capitation Payment Scheme had given any indication of rejoining, the Chief Executive stated that the Service Providers had not given any notice of that as yet.
He added that three options were discussed at the Meeting regarding the implementation of the Capitation Scheme and that the accepted option was that, the Scheme would continue to run but that the Service Providers would keep records of payments accruing from the past system in order to enable them compare appropriately the efficiency and benefits of running the two systems.
Youth for Nzema-Manle and Western Development, a youth group in Nzema land has commended the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Prof. John Evans Atta Mills for appointing Lee Ocran, High Commissioner to South Africa as Minister of Education designate and Steve Ackah, Member of Parliament for Suaman as the Deputy Minister designate for Local government.
This was contained in statement issued by the Director of Communications at the Youth for Nzema-Manle and Western Development, Evans Osei.
It stated that: “The two appointments are very crucial to us the youth and entire citizenry at large since it would serve as a major boost to the development of the Western region and Ghana as a whole”.
Although we have been waiting for this far too long we believe it has come at the appropriate time where the region is experiencing massive development both in the oil and gas sectors, the statement added.
According to the group, it is however evident that the President’s appointment to the distinguished personalities in the region cuts across the various groups in the region made up of the four major walls of the such as Ahanta, Wassa, Aowin and Nzema as compared to previous regimes which focused on only the few groups that yielded nothing but sought to deepened the woes of the region.
They were quick to add that: “We commend the President for his vision to equally give the people of the Western region a fair share by appointing individuals who hails from the region and would urge his to do more; since we believe there are more of such untapped able-resourced individuals from the region who can be brought on board to execute and achieve his goals”.
If the President in his first term can allocate to the region a remarkable and enviable portfolios then if given the chance can do more for the people in terms of engaging the human resource base of the region who will assist him to embark upon his better projects for all, the statement noted.
Mr Osei and his group said: “It is our view that these two gentlemen will add up to the resource build up base of the western region and therefore urge then to work hand in hand with their colleagues who are already serving as Ministers to help lobby for more developmental projects; since the region notwithstanding its heavily endowed natural resources made up of Gold, Diamond, Timber, Bauxite, Manganese, Cocoa and above all the oil and gas explorations is faced with slow pace of development”.
Also, they encouraged them to use their influences to create platforms that would always bring the fortunes to the welfare of the people which will go the way to improve their living standards.
We the members and the entire youth are in full support of all the president’s appointees in the region and therefore call on them to unite for one common goal towards the achievement of rapid developmental projects, the statement pledged.
Once again, the youth thanked the President for his visionary leadership style that has reflected positively on the sudden rise of the region’s development and urged all to pray for both new and existing appointees for divine health and wisdom.
The Deputy Minister of Water Resource, Works and Housing, Dr. Mustapha Ahmed, says the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) cannot take over the failed STX deal, as is being speculated in the media.
He says the embattled STX housing company whose boardroom wrangling has stalled the government’s affordable housing project, still has a contract with the government of Ghana. Therefore any company that has interest in that bid must first broker a deal with them.
Speaking in an interview with Adom News, the Member of Parliament for Ayawaso East constituency who is currently seeking re-election explains that there are other projects that GREDA can put in proposals to execute under the government’s affordable housing projects.
He said currently the country has one million and five hundred thousand housing deficits that any real estate developer in Ghana can take advantage of.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister revealed that there are other estate companies such as AGU Resources which are putting up over ten thousand houses under the government’s affordable housing project at Nsakina near Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region.
According to him, the operation of land guard’s activities in the area is frustrating the progress of the work on the project.
Nothing is exciting about President John Mills’ latest reshuffle- Nana Akomea NPP¹s Communication Director, Nana Akomea says the President¹s latest reshuffle will add nothing new to his government.
President John Mills in his last reshuffle before his terms expires early next year has brought on board MP for Ablekuma South Constituency, Fritz Baffoe, and Moses Asaga, MP for Nabdam.
Hon Fritz Baffoe will be heading the Information Ministry while Hon Moses Asaga takes oversight responsibility at the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare.
To many political pundits, the President¹s latest reshuffle is important, going into an election year.
However, to Nana Akomea, ³nothing is exciting about the reshuffle².
To him, the resignation of former Education Minister, Betty Mould Iddrisu is more dramatic and should generate the needed questions; not a reshuffle.
The NPP had called on the then Education Minister who was serving as Ghana¹s Attorney General when the judgment debt were paid; to resign but, Nana Akomea said though she has resigned, questions still remain as to the main reason why she did so.
³We don¹t know if she resigned because of our call; that is, if she has resigned because of the role she played in the loss of 928 billion cedis to the state; or she resigned on health grounds; or she resigned because she didn¹t like her job as a minister, he told Xfm 95.1 in an interview, adding, ³we hear she has been appointed as a high commissioner to South Africa which is very strange; for a senior cabinet minister to be appointed as a high commissioner; which is lower than a deputy minister. So it¹s all very strange; we need to be told why².
³Because the matter involves corruption and the massive loss of gargantuan fund, we need to know the reason why she has resigned. Anything short of that, the case will still not be closed², he said.
A statement which indicated President John Mills¹ acceptance of Betty Mould Iddrisu¹s resignation stated that she did not want to be a hindrance to the President¹s better Ghana agenda; however, Nana Akomea is not convinced.
He asked, ³why will she be a hindrance to the better Ghana agenda? Is it because of some gargantuan mistake that she has done? We just need to be told. In what way has she been a hindrance to the better Ghana agenda? When we have the reasons, then we can interrogate the matters. And the people of this country deserve answers to how come this government paid up 928 billion cedis to an NDC financier when we have so many basic everyday needs of the people that are not satisfied².
Story by Abena Asiedua Tenkorang/ Xfm 95.1/ Accra/ Ghana NPP¹s Communication Director, Nana Akomea says the President¹s latest reshuffle will add nothing new to his government.
President John Mills in his last reshuffle before his terms expires early next year has brought on board MP for Ablekuma South Constituency, Fritz Baffoe, and Moses Asaga, MP for Nabdam.
Hon Fritz Baffoe will be heading the Information Ministry while Hon Moses Asaga takes oversight responsibility at the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare.
To many political pundits, the President¹s latest reshuffle is important, going into an election year.
However, to Nana Akomea, ³nothing is exciting about the reshuffle².
To him, the resignation of former Education Minister, Betty Mould Iddrisu is more dramatic and should generate the needed questions; not a reshuffle.
The NPP had called on the then Education Minister who was serving as Ghana¹s Attorney General when the judgment debt were paid; to resign but, Nana Akomea said though she has resigned, questions still remain as to the main reason why she did so.
³We don¹t know if she resigned because of our call; that is, if she has resigned because of the role she played in the loss of 928 billion cedis to the state; or she resigned on health grounds; or she resigned because she didn¹t like her job as a minister, he told Xfm 95.1 in an interview, adding, ³we hear she has been appointed as a high commissioner to South Africa which is very strange; for a senior cabinet minister to be appointed as a high commissioner; which is lower than a deputy minister. So it¹s all very strange; we need to be told why².
³Because the matter involves corruption and the massive loss of gargantuan fund, we need to know the reason why she has resigned. Anything short of that, the case will still not be closed², he said.
A statement which indicated President John Mills¹ acceptance of Betty Mould Iddrisu¹s resignation stated that she did not want to be a hindrance to the President¹s better Ghana agenda; however, Nana Akomea is not convinced.
He asked, ³why will she be a hindrance to the better Ghana agenda? Is it because of some gargantuan mistake that she has done? We just need to be told. In what way has she been a hindrance to the better Ghana agenda? When we have the reasons, then we can interrogate the matters. And the people of this country deserve answers to how come this government paid up 928 billion cedis to an NDC financier when we have so many basic everyday needs of the people that are not satisfied².
Story by Abena Asiedua Tenkorang/ Xfm 95.1/ Accra/ Ghana NPP¹s Communication Director, Nana Akomea says the President¹s latest reshuffle will add nothing new to his government.
President John Mills in his last reshuffle before his terms expires early next year has brought on board MP for Ablekuma South Constituency, Fritz Baffoe, and Moses Asaga, MP for Nabdam.
Hon Fritz Baffoe will be heading the Information Ministry while Hon Moses Asaga takes oversight responsibility at the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare.
To many political pundits, the President¹s latest reshuffle is important, going into an election year.
However, to Nana Akomea, ³nothing is exciting about the reshuffle².
To him, the resignation of former Education Minister, Betty Mould Iddrisu is more dramatic and should generate the needed questions; not a reshuffle.
The NPP had called on the then Education Minister who was serving as Ghana¹s Attorney General when the judgment debt were paid; to resign but, Nana Akomea said though she has resigned, questions still remain as to the main reason why she did so.
³We don¹t know if she resigned because of our call; that is, if she has resigned because of the role she played in the loss of 928 billion cedis to the state; or she resigned on health grounds; or she resigned because she didn¹t like her job as a minister, he told Xfm 95.1 in an interview, adding, ³we hear she has been appointed as a high commissioner to South Africa which is very strange; for a senior cabinet minister to be appointed as a high commissioner; which is lower than a deputy minister. So it¹s all very strange; we need to be told why².
³Because the matter involves corruption and the massive loss of gargantuan fund, we need to know the reason why she has resigned. Anything short of that, the case will still not be closed², he said.
A statement which indicated President John Mills¹ acceptance of Betty Mould Iddrisu¹s resignation stated that she did not want to be a hindrance to the President¹s better Ghana agenda; however, Nana Akomea is not convinced.
He asked, ³why will she be a hindrance to the better Ghana agenda? Is it because of some gargantuan mistake that she has done? We just need to be told. In what way has she been a hindrance to the better Ghana agenda? When we have the reasons, then we can interrogate the matters. And the people of this country deserve answers to how come this government paid up 928 billion cedis to an NDC financier when we have so many basic everyday needs of the people that are not satisfied².
Story by Abena Asiedua Tenkorang/ Xfm 95.1/ Accra/ Ghana
The Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG), is calling for President Mills’ head following a litany of state issues they contend the president has failed to handle properly.
AFAG which embarked on a demonstration Wednesday cited the ongoing Woyome saga, the recent increase in fuel price and the dwindling fortunes of the cedi on the world market as some of their reasons for the president to resign.
The demonstration dubbed “Atta Wayo Demo” drew scores of NPP sympathizers and other AFAG members from four other regions outside the Greater Accra region to the Holy gardens, at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra.
Before the demonstration got underway, members converged in different groups whiles chanting songs demanding the removal of the president and a refund of the 58 million Ghana cedis judgment debt paid to NDC businessman Alfred Woyome.
As is typical of demonstrations in the country, the demonstrators clad in red and black attires carried placards some of which read “Atta you have disappointed us”, “reduce petrol prices now” and “419 government” among others.
They also came out with a mathematical formula which read [(A+B) X (C+D) X (E-F)] = GARGANTUAN CRIMINALS.
They explained the formula thus: A represented former Education Minister, Betty Mould Iddrisu, B= Finance Minister, Dr. Kwabena Duffour, the letter C according to them stood for President Mills, D for the Vice President, John Mahama , E for the NDC party and F for Former President Jerry John Rawlings.
The demonstrators went through some principal streets in the capital such as Farisco Avenue and the Ministries area before converging at the Hearts park near the Arts centre in Accra where the demonstrators were addressed by their leaders amidst brass band music.
A leading member of AFAG, John Kumah in an interview with Multi TV’s Joy News channel said the huge judgment debt paid to Alfred Woyome was evident of the prevailing corruption in the NDC.
He said President Mills and the NDC have failed their promises to Ghanaians and thus called on the citizenry to vote the NDC government out of power in the December polls.
AFAG president Samuel Awuku who led the demonstration indicated that the NDC government had failed in its mandate to rule the nation hence the need to vote the party out of power.
He decried the high unemployment rate and increase in fuel prices in the country noting that the NDC government was insensitive to the sufferings of Ghanaians.
The NPP’s parliamentary candidate for the Dome Kwabenya constituency, Adwoa Safo, who was also part of the demonstration tasked supporters of the NPP to unite in order to vote the NDC out of power.
ARUSHA, Tanzania, January 26, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The East African Community and the Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the EAC Secretariat headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The MoU creates a framework of cooperation with the overall objective of mobilizing the Institute’s competences and capacities and strategically using them to support the EAC’s regional integration agenda.
The cooperation will be realized under the Research and Capacity Development Partnership Programme (RCDPP), through which NAI will provide intellectual support to the EAC in matters related to the four clusters of its research competence, namely; globalisation, trade and regional integration; conflict, security and democratic transformation; rural and agrarian change, property and resources; urban dynamics.
EAC’s Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors Mr. Jean Claude Nsengiyumva, who represented the EAC Secretary General at the ceremony said with the MoU in place he was confident that the bloc and the Nordic Africa Institute would work together in a more coordinated manner.
Meanwhile the Nordic Africa Institute Director Carin Norberg lauded this step geared at enhancing collaboration, noting that the MoU “will open up avenues for us and our cooperation” and that it would expand research activities and knowledge to the mutual benefit of both parties.
The broad areas of co-operation will include research, publication of research findings, dissemination of research findings, professional development and joint mobilization and deployment of resources.
About the Nordic Africa Institute
The Nordic Africa Institute (Nordiska Afrikainstitutet) is a center for research, documentation and information on modern Africa in the Nordic region. Based in Uppsala, Sweden, the Institute is dedicated to providing timely, critical and alternative research and analysis of Africa in the Nordic countries and to strengthen the co-operation between African and Nordic researchers.
Press conference of Mrs. Rhoda Peace Tumusiime Commissioner of rural economy and agriculture
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, January 26, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Mrs. Rhoda Peace Tumusiime Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union (AU), will on Thursday 26 January 2012 at 16:00 hold a press conference at the Media Center of the AU Conference Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
During the press conference to be held on the sidelines of the 18th AU Summit, Mrs. Tumusiime will address the following issues:
– Outcome of COP17 / Africa and Climate Change Negotiations
– Food Security in Africa.
Journalists are invited to take part in the press conference.
