The Police is on a manhunt for gunmen who attacked three immigration officers in Bawku killing one in the process. Asst. Inspectors Afari, Eric Ayidiya and Philip Mortey were in a private vehicle on their way to get food when they were shot at. The three were rushed to the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital but Philip Mortey, 42, did not survive his wounds. Meanwhile, Asst. inspectors Afari and Ayidiya are responding to treatment at the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital and the Tamale Teaching Hospital respectively. It happened on Monday, April 3, 2023. source: myjoyonline.com

The Ghana cedi gained 3.11% to the US dollar last week to narrow its year-to-date losses on the forex or retail market to about 17%. The cedi also gained 1.18% and 1.95% week-on-week to the pound and the euro respectively. This was due to the Bank of Ghana’s foreign exchange intervention and positive news about the progress of Ghana’s ongoing debt restructuring. The Central Bank provided $3 million on the spot market and allocated $20 million to the Bulk Oil Distribution Companies at a ¢12.00/$1 forward rate. Parliament also approved a new tax bill aimed at raising $340 million in revenue, with the bid to improve fiscal consolidation and secure the IMF programme. The new tax bill includes increased income, corporate taxes, and excise duties on cigarettes and beverages. Analysts believe the progress made by the Ghana government with the Chinese government talks, together with the approval of the tax bills, will help the country restructure part of its $47 billion external debt and secure the IMF Board Level Agreement early this quarter. This they believe will help boost the value of the cedi against the dollar and the other major foreign currencies. Cedi starts week on strong note; $1 now ¢11.50 The Ghana cedi started this week on another strong note against the US dollar. Checks by Joy Business at some forex bureaus indicate that the local currency gained more than 60 pesewas in value to the US dollar this morning, April 3, 2023. The same story could also be said about the pound as it improved in value against the British currency to trade at ¢14.40. source: myjoyonline.com

The Akufo-Addo administration managed the local currency, the Cedi, well compared to what the John Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) did, the National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Stephen Ayesu Ntim, has said. He said prior to the Covid pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, the currency was performing better. Addressing a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, April 4 to respond to an earlier address by the National Chair of the NDC Johnson Asiedu Nketia who accused the NPP government of economic failure, Mr Ntim indicated that the Akufo-Addo administration he also indicated that the government is not happy with the level of the inflation rate. The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) announced on Wednesday, March 15 that the inflation for the month of February 2023 was 52.8%, a drop from the 53.6 recorded in January 2023. Five divisions recorded inflation rates higher than the average. They are Transport (70.3%); Furnishings, Household Equipment (69.8%); Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels (69.6%); Personal care, Social Protection and Miscellaneous Services (62.5%) and Food and non-Alcoholic Beverages (59.5%). Mr Ntim said “After inheriting a booming economy. Ex-President Mahama and NDC left their successor, President Akufo-Addo a collapsed economy in 2016.” He added “We managed the Cedi better before the pandemic and the war. The NPP managed the Cedi with an average depreciation of 6.8 percent from 2017 to 2021 compared to the NDC’s record of 18 percent average depreciation from 2013 to 2016. Source:3news.com

Ghanaian rapper and songwriter, Eno Barony wanted to be a broadcast journalist as a young child growing up. Ruth Eno Adjoa Amankwah Nyame Adom, 31, who still dabbles with words as a rapper revealed that she had the passion to host and tell stories. Speaking to AJ Sarpong and Roland Walker on TV3 New Day,the queen of Ghanaian rap said she was inspired by the likes of Roland Walker on Television as a young girl in Ashaiman. “Initially I wanted to be a journalist but growing up when people see me singing in church or rapping in school, everyone is like I have goosebumps, you are so talented and so entertainment kind of swayed me away,” she disclosed. The “King of Queens” rapper said she did not plan to pursue as a career despite being born into it and performing even at an early age. “I think i was born with music, music has been part of my whole life and I never thought I’ll be a musician even though music has been a part of my whole life,” she told the hosts of the show. Asked if she still has plans of dialing back on her original career plan, Eno said she had in it her and already had experience in the media space. “Yeah I think so… I hosted a show for a year on Adom Fm. I did the Kasahari program on Adom,” she pointed out. Eno Barony who is currently out with a new single ‘Only Jah’ shares a different side of her vocal abilities on the track. “It’s news, it’s different. I did 80% singing in there and most people don’t know me for my singing abilities. Even though I wanted to stand out with my rap, I don’t want to put myself in a box.” she added. Barony who won the 2021 VGMA Best Rap Artiste of the year beating the likes of Sarkodie, Medikal, Joey B and Amerado gave viewers a taste of a hosting abilities to butress her earlier claims of wanting to be a journalist to the delight of all. source: 3news.com

Former Medeama SC head coach, Ignatius Osei Fosu, has stated that Ghana striker, Inaki Williams, is yet to find his scoring boots when playing for the Black Stars because his striking partner, Kudus Mohammed, loves to score goals than to provide assists. The 28-year-old forward is yet to announce his presence with a goal for the Black Stars in eight games since switching nationality to play for Ghana ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. His poor goal scoring form for the senior national team has raised doubts about the striker’s ability to remain Ghana’s first choice centre forward for the long term. Many believe the attacker may lose confidence when playing if he doesn’t discover his scoring instincts for Ghana any time soon. But Ignatius Osei Fosu in an interview with Delali Atiase on Luv Fm, said Inaki Williams has not been prolific at all with the Black Stars because the likes of Kudus Mohammed and Andre Ayew who play behind him love to score. The former Dreams SC boss, who was part of the four local coaches the GFA sent to Qatar for attachment at the World Cup, wants Kudus and Dede Ayew to be creative enough and supply the Bilbao striker with balls during games for him to stand the chance of scoring goals for Ghana. “When you want to talk about Inaki, I always tell people that they should take their time. “The problem is that our number 10 [Kudus Mohammed] loves to score goals. Inaki should be playing with a number 10 who doesn’t love to score goals. “You remember Kwadwo Asamoah and Asamoah Gyan? Kwadwo Asamoah didn’t love to score goals, it didn’t mean that, he cannot score but once he gets the ball, the first thinking is not to score. “Kudus; he loves to score so once he gets the ball, his first thinking is to score so he is also looking at openings to score, not openings to get an assist. “So on the day [Ghana vs Angola], I realised that he was not looking at the runs of Inaki and when he plays with Dede Ayew as number 10, Dede also loves to score,” he observed. source: www.myjoyonline.com

Former US President Donald Trump will be charged over hush money payments made to a porn star just before the 2016 presidential election. The details of the case against him have not yet been released. A grand jury has voted to indict him after investigating a $130,000 pay-out to Stormy Daniels in an attempt to buy her silence over an alleged affair. Mr Trump, 76, denies wrongdoing. He is the first serving or former US president to face a criminal charge. The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who has been pursuing the investigation, confirmed that it had contacted Mr Trump’s attorney to “co-ordinate his surrender” on unspecified charges. The ex-president lives in Florida and is expected to travel to New York City for his formal arrest and first hearing in court. Mr Trump is expected to fly to New York on Monday and be arraigned in court on Tuesday, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner. The charges in the indictment will be read to him at the hearing, which is set to last about 10-15 minutes. The United States Secret Service – which is tasked with protecting serving and former US presidents – will be in charge of security for the court appearance. Mr Trump faces the prospect of having his fingerprints recorded and his mugshot taken, like all defendants in criminal cases. In a statement, Mr Trump lashed out at the Manhattan district attorney. He called the prosecutor a “disgrace”, and accused him of “doing Joe Biden’s dirty work”. Mr Trump has repeatedly slammed the investigation in his hometown of New York as a political “witch hunt” led by his opponents. Mr Bragg is a registered Democrat. The district attorney has denied pursuing a political vendetta against Mr Trump, tweeting this month: “We evaluate cases in our jurisdiction based on the facts, the law, and the evidence.” Mr Trump’s lawyer, Susan Necheles, said in a statement: “He did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court.” The inquiry stems from an allegation that Mr Trump directed his then-lawyer Michael Cohen to pay Stormy Daniels, a former porn actress and stripper, less than two weeks before the 2016 presidential election to prevent her speaking out about an alleged affair with Mr Trump. Ms Daniels has said she had a sexual encounter with Mr Trump at a Lake Tahoe hotel in 2006 – the year after he married his current wife, Melania. Cohen has said in court that he made the $130,000 settlement “in co-ordination with and at the direction of” the former president. Cohen was jailed from 2018-20 on multiple charges. Mr Trump is currently the front-runner among all declared and potential contenders for the Republican White House nomination. But there is nothing in US law that prevents a candidate who is found guilty of a crime from campaigning for, and serving as, president – even from prison. Top congressional Republicans are rallying behind Mr Trump. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy said: “Alvin Bragg has irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election. “As he routinely frees violent criminals to terrorize the public, he weaponized our sacred system of justice against President Donald Trump.” But Democrats welcomed the indictment, arguing it showed no-one was above the law. Congressman Adam Schiff said: “The indictment and arrest of a former president is unique throughout all of American history. “But so too is the unlawful conduct for which Trump has been charged.” Mr Trump is also being investigated in several other cases. They include probes into his role in the US Capitol riot of January 2021, his efforts to overturn his loss in the state of Georgia in the 2020 election, and his handling of classified documents after leaving office. Mr Trump – who served as president from 2017-21 – was twice impeached by the House of Representatives. He was acquitted by the Senate both times. Source: 3news.com

Deputy Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ernest Kofi Owusu-Benpah Bonsu has said that the spirit of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is gone with the demise of the founder of the party the late former President Jerry John Rawlings. In the view of Mr Owusu-Bempah, nobody is in charge of the NDC at the moment. Speaking on the Big Issue on TV3 Thursday, March 30, he said “Nobody is in charge at the moment, you know why, the sport of the NDC is gone with Jerry Rawlings. “Right now you have what we call the Mahama cult, those who believe in Mahama ideology. If you are not a Mahama person you are out.” “The NDC has become a personality cult that if you don’t support the incompetent one you are not part.” He further described the decision by the NDC to change their Minority leadership recently as reckless. “This reckless decision of taking out Haruna, taking out and Muntaka who has been able to win a seat for you in the heart of the NPP, is not right but we are happy that strategically they don’t have a clue.” Source: 3news.com

A sub-chief of the Tulwe Traditional Area of the Central Gonja District of the Savannah Region identified as Mujipewura has been allegedly killed by unknown assailants over a land dispute between the Tulwe Traditional Area and the Kakpande Traditional Area. The sad development happened in the late hours of Thursday, March 30. The two traditional areas have over the past decade been battling a land dispute, which is currently before the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs. According to 3news.com sources, the slain chief was keeping watch over the land for the Tulwe paramountcy when he was killed. “The killing of the chief has heightened tension in the area,” the source said. Though it is not confirmed who the perpetrators are, the people of Tulwe Traditional Area suspect the people of Kakpande are responsible for the killing of the chief. On Wednesday, March 29, Savannah Region Minister and chairman of the Savannah Regional Security Council (REGSEC) Saeed Muhazu Jibril led a delegation off REGSEC to pay a courtesy call on the newly enskinned Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale I at his private residence in Damongo. The Minister appealed to the new Yagbonwura to intervene in the land dispute between the Tulwe and Kakpande traditional areas. “Jira, the land dispute between Tulwe and Kakpande is a big issue for us and since you are from the Tulwe area, I am sure you are privy to this issue and I want you to support us restore peace in the area.” source: 3news.com

Ghanaian filmmaker Peter Sedufia has waded in the controversy surrounding American actor Spike Lee’s visit to Ghana. The American film maker said in an interview with Accra-based Asaase Radio that when he visited Ghana nobody from the film industry approached him for a meeting. He even said he didn’t know Ghana had a thriving film industry. “I know about Nigeria, and no one has approached me from the film industry in Ghana. I would love to meet people in the film industry but no one has approached me,” he said. In the wake of this, there has been backlash against the powers that be for not initiating an engagement with the actor. Source: myjoyonline.com

The Electricity Company of Ghana has announced that there is a power generation shortfall as a result of maintenance works being carried out by the Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) at Atuabo. As a result, the ECG has released a load management schedule from Thursday, March 30 to Friday, April 7, between 6pm and 11pm. source: myjoyonline.com