Ghana introduces new denominations, citizens react

Ghana News Agency. Sunday, December 1, 2019

Bank of Ghana (BoG) announced the introduction of new denomination banknotes ۥ Gh100.00 and Gh200.00 notes and Gh2.00 coin to complement the existing series.

The BoG Governor, Dr Ernest Addison according to Ghana News Agency (GNA) report says the decision was to ensure customer convenience and efficiency in printing currency to generate savings for the country.

But, it seems not all Ghanaians were in agreement with the move.

The News Agency (GNA) interviewed some Ghanaians for their reactions to the introduction of the new banknotes.

An African footwear seller, Nana Otu supported the BoG decision saying it would reduce the number of notes moved around by travellers; thus making it easier for them to carry lots of money.

“It would also facilitate easy transaction because less time would be spent counting a lot of notes.”

Madam Elizabeth Simons, a revenue collector for a Savings and Loans Company, also lauded the Government for introducing the new currencies.

She said these new denominations would reduce the use of bulk cash and prevent dangers, such as armed robbery, among others, that came along with carrying huge amounts of money.

Mr John Anto, a store manager, said he believed that the Central Bank made a professional decision in the interest of Ghanaians as such a venture would not be done at the whim of any individual.

Ghanaians must, therefore, be open-minded about it, he said.

However, Mr Albert Ayornu, an IT Professional, said there was no need for the new denominations as the Government would spend huge sums of money in printing them.

Those huge sums of money, he said, could have been channelled into other fruitful ventures to boost the economy.

Mr Solomon Acquah, who called himself a concerned citizen said, “I don't really know who advised government to undertake such redenomination exercises, but for me, I find it totally unnecessary.”

Stop complaining I married Nigerian, Singer Becca tells Ghanaians

Punch Nigeria. Thursday, October 31, 2019

Ghanaian singer, Rebecca Akosua Acheampomaa Acheampong, popularly called Becca, who is married to a Nigerian, Oluwatobi Sanni Daniel, has told her countrymen to stop complaining about the fact that she didn’t marry one of them.

Becca and Daniel got marriedon August 18, 2018, and have already welcomed their first child, a baby girl.

The singer, who has a new single featuring Nigeria’s Tiwa Savage said that she was 33 years old when she got married and as of that time, no Ghanaian man had asked her to marry him.

She said this during an interview session with Afia Pokua. The interview was shared on Instagram.

Becca said, “I did. I got married at 33. So, they cannot say that after 33 years of living in this country, nobody saw me or anything.”

Although the interview was mostly done in a Ghanaian language, the part, where she talked about the age at which she married and how no Ghanaian man had asked to take her to the altar was said in English.

See video link below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4FxMKlncsN/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading

Nollywood actor, Hanks Anuku exits Nigeria, turns Ghanaian

~Vanguard Nigeria. Sunday, March 5, 2017.

Actor Hanks Anuku turns Ghanaian with new name
Nana Kwame Fifi Kakra Anuku.

Nollywood Actor Hanks Anuku has become a Ghanaian having naturalised, relocated and changed his name to Nana Kwame Fifi Kakra Anuku.

The veteran actor Hanks Anuku has finally embraced Ghana as his adopted country, Ghana Link reports.

The actor who has relocated to Accra has now become a naturalized citizen of Ghana.

In a recent interview with Ghana Creative Arts, Hanks said he is going to stay in Ghana for the rest of his life in order to help Ghanaians.

On why he left Nigeria, the actor said the crisis in Nigeria forced him to leave the country and send his family to London while he hustle in Accra Ghana.

He added that his adopted Ghanaian name is Nana Kwame Fiifi Kakra Anuku.

TheCable€ï€² Verified accountï‚™ @thecableng tweeted Hanks Anuku saying that " God told me to leave Nigeria... I have found peace in Ghana ''.

BROWN CHYNA€ @Brown_Chynah also said Anuku comfirmed: " I'm Ghanaian Now!''

He said aActor Hanks Anuku Changes His Name To Nana Kwame Fifi Kakra

Sobontone€ @Shubomi_said "Anuku Ditches Nigeria & Becomes Ghanaian; Changes Name''.

Ghana, Zambia to adopt Nigeria's BVN scheme

Written by Jonah Nwokpoku
~Vanguard Nigeria. Wednesday, November 9, 2016.

GHANA's apex bank, the Bank of Ghana and Bank of Zambia are currently understudying Nigeria's bank verification number, BVN initiative in order to introduce it into their banking system.

This was disclosed by Director, Banking and Payment System, CBN, Mr. Dipo Fatokun while speaking about the several initiatives the CBN has undertaken to strengthen Nigeria's financial system, at the Swift Business Forum held in Lagos yesterday.

He said: "Under the payment vision 2020, we have actually implemented some reforms. First to be mentioned is the RTGS system. This is one of the systemically important payment infrastructure that we have. And it has assisted in conducting bank transfers and settlements, real time. Another thing that we have done is the bank verification number, which was concluded last year. This has helped a great deal to properly identify bank customers and we are also witnessing drastic reduction of incidence of fraud as a result. And I am glad to say that my colleagues from the Bank of Ghana have visited us, about two weeks ago, to see how this has been done. Our colleagues from the Bank of Zambia are also currently in Nigeria seeing how this was done, with the aim of replicating such in their own country."

Fatokun who was also speaking as a member of a panel discussing, 'Regionalisation and Trade Corridor Evolution in West Africa' pointed out that besides African countries' focus on commodities that offer them comparative advantage and creating incentives to encourage investments, there is need for strong and reliable payment infrastructure to enhance intra-African trade.

Comparative advantage

According to him, "There is need for structural reforms for us to be able to trade successfully within the West African sub region. Each country will specialise on areas where they have comparative advantage. One of the things that has hindered trade between African countries is because most African countries are commodity producers. So, there is need for countries to restructure their economies so that they can also get involved in activities outside the commodity market.

"Another thing that can be done is to create incentives among countries. For example, tax holidays, market instruments, waivers, etc. And there is no doubting the fact that the central bank of these countries and the ministry of finance, the fiscal authorities, will play critical role in the process.

"More so, we must have infrastructure that will connect all the countries so that people can pay seamlessly across different regions of the continent.

If all these are taken care of, then enhanced intra-African trade is doable. And in pursuing this, the government has the responsibility to create awareness because you can only trade in articles that you need.

If citizens are still consumers of foreign products from Europe, America and Asia, then you need to create the necessary market for the African trade. So on our own, we need to begin to educate our people so that we can encourage trade among ourselves."

ECOWAS court orders Ghana govt to pay family of Nigeria student, Augustine Chukwuebuka Ogukwe, $250,000 over son's death in a swimming incident

Written by Bertram Nwannekanma
~TheGuardian, Nigeria. Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Justice Jerome TraoreJustice Jerome Traore

ECOWAS Court orders Ghana to pay compensation for death of Nigerian student

The Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) sitting in Abuja has ordered the Republic of Ghana to pay $250,000as compensation to the family of a 15-year old Nigerian student, Augustine Chukwuebuka Ogukwe, who died in a swimming incident onOctober 15, 2013 in Ghana.

The court in a judgmentdelivered byJustice Micah Wilkins Wright, whichwas obtained by The Guardian yesterday, said the compensation is for the failure of the country's police to carry out a proper investigation into the death of the student, thereby failing in its obligation to protect and defend all persons within its territory.

In suit no. ECW/CCJ/APP/03/14, father of the deceased,Mr. Obioma Ogukwe, alleged that he was given an autopsy report issued by the Ghana Police Hospital without his consent or knowledge, which revealed that the basic cause of death was drowning, while the direct cause was asphyxia by submersion.


Led in evidence by his counsel, Mr. Femi Adedeji, the plaintiff also alleged that the physical appearance, contrary to the autopsy report, showed evidence of torture on the body and the wounds on his face and sides were evidence of beating, torture, and gruesome murder.

For Nigerian traders in Ghana, it's still no respite in sight

AJAYI OLUWAPELUMI in Ghana writes about the frustration of the affected Nigerians.

Nigerian traders in Ghana have been under pressure to move out by the local authorities at the instance of their Ghanaian counterparts. 

The year 2014 has no doubt being  one of turbulence and instability for Nigerian traders in 10 regions of Ghana, as the Ghana Ministry of Trade and Industry threatened to implement the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act, 2013 (Act 865) which prohibits foreign traders from trading in its 48 markets across the country.

Nigeria and other ECOWAS member countries are recognised by Ghana constitution as foreign.

In June this year, it was reported that thousands of members of Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), both in the capital city of Accra and Ashanti region of Kumasi, turned up the pressure being mounted on the foreign traders, mostly Nigerians by locking up their shops.

The situation was, however, checked through the intervention of Ghana police, which saw the foreign traders return to their shops without hindrance.

However respite for the traders seemed short-lived as the ministry that has the power to eject the traders, in September, issued a 30-day ultimatum for all foreign traders to quit the local markets or else face eviction and be prosecuted in a court that will be set up to prosecute foreign retail traders.

One man's shit, another man's treasure

Written by by Jayne Augoye - Punch, Nigeria

Once denied and despised by society, sewage and waste water evacuators now live their lives to the fullest, Jayne Augoye writes

THIRTY-TWO years ago, when Gilbert Quansah had just ventured into sewage and waste waters disposal business, he was very shrewd in the way he managed information about the 'profession.' He was conscious of the fact that it was generally despised in the society, to the extent that the practitioners were popularly called 'agbepo' or shit bowl carrier.

One of the things he did was to keep the move secret from his family and in-laws in his home country, Ghana. It was when things began to look up for him and he had something to show for the dirt he carried that he showed his true colour at home.

He recalls, "I was too scared to tell my wife. Even when some members of my family discovered, they were mad at me. But when my wife came to join me in Nigeria and saw that I was living fine, she immediately embraced my job. Today, my in-laws are very proud of me."

He adds that in Ghana, the business is more lucrative because it is still considered to be a dirty one and that way, the operators charge more. But here in Nigeria, because there are more trucks and more operators, competition is stiffer.

Yet, Quansah says he rakes in more money than he ever dreamt of, evacuating human waste and sewage from toilets and septic tanks. So engrossed has he become in the job that he does not find it difficult to evacuate sewage with his bare hands.

Today, Quansah is fulfilled. He is the chairman, National Union of Sewage and Waste Waters Disposal Association, Ojota - New-Garage, Odo Iya Alaro discharging unit in Lagos. He is a proud owner of three sewage evacuation trucks in Nigeria and Ghana. He has also built a home in Ghana and in a Lagos surburb. In addition, all his children are graduates from Ghanaian universities.

The 63-year-old, who only recently acquired a tipper truck, confidently brought out his business card and gave to our correspondent during their first meeting, while leaning slightly on his Mitsubishi Montero Sport SUV.

Boldly inscribed on the rather colourful and well printed card is the inscription, 'Your Mess is our Job'.

His first truck

Quansah started out accompanying sewage trucks owned by a popular business merchant in Oshodi at the time. He gave the man's name simply as Dosummu.

He recalls his journey with a feeling of nostalgia, "After learning on the job for six months, I was able to buy my own truck for N900, 000 after winning N500,000 in the National Lottery in 1980. That was the same year I moved to Nigeria. I added the little savings I had made to the money."

Quansah says that because of his nationality, he was not allowed to drive the truck then. He would sit in the vehicle with the driver most of the time. As a 'first timer' in Lagos, he was afraid the driver could run away with the truck. Three decades after, the truck still stands and it is a constant reminder of how far he has come in the business. He attributes this to proper maintenance and love for a job that has accorded him the good things of life.

But Quansah's story is just one of out of many others told by hard working men who evacuate sewage from countless households and offices around the country. Although they have chosen to dabble into a business that many consider only fit for the never-do-well in the society, they continue to make cool cash.

Ghana's Elmina Castle

Elmina existed as a town before this, and was a tribal capital. The name comes from the Arabic el mina meaning the harbour.

Elmina or St Georges Castle, is the oldest European building in Ghana.

It was the first European slave-trading post in all of sub-saharan Africa. Located on the western coast of present-day Ghana, it was originally built to protect the gold trade. It was a much smaller rectangular fortress than the castle we see today, which today covers around 10 times the area of the first one.

The Portuguese first arrived in 1471 to buy gold. Elmina castle was built in 1482 by Portuguese traders as the castle of St George. Within five years, a number of traders were based there and Elmina was given city status by the king of Portugal. It was the centre of Portuguese operations for over 150 years.

In August 1837, the nearby St Jago hill was taken by the Dutch, who then pounded the castle with canons. The resulting Portuguese surrender ended Portuguese influence in West Africa.

Shortly after its capture, by the Dutch, it was expanded and in 1665, a second fort on St Jago hill was built, so no one could repeat the attack they had made upon the castle.

Accra, over and over...Similarities, incongruities between life in Ghana and Nigeria

By MAURICE ARCHIBONG, who was in Ghana

mauricearchibongtravels@gmail.com

The Ghanaian capital city, Accra, boasts numerous reasons for its magnetic pull on me; and, I guess, countless other non-Ghanaians across the world. As a result, I have visited Accra so many times, I've lost count. For me, one of Accra's attractions is that Ghanaians and Nigerians share so many things in common.

This explains why there is always something to write about no matter how many times you have toured any destination over and over. Historians, Alan Burns and Elisabeth Isichei, authors of various titles on the peoples of West Africa, teach us that the Ga, aborigines of Accra, are probably of Yoruba ancestry and migrated all the way from Ile-Ife.

At the didactic level, every time I visit Accra's James Town neighbourhoods, I'm at home. It's like being among our Ijaw (Bayelsa, Delta, Ondo, Rivers etc) or Ilaje (Ondo State) kith and kin. And, going by the plenitude of Ijaw and Ilaje people along Nigeria's Atlantic coastline, and all the way through Bakassi into Equitorial Guinea, it is highly likely some of their ancestors may have sailed westward as far as Ghana.

As in the south, so it is to the north, where, in Nigeria as in Ghana, Hausa language is commonly spoken. Never mind that Nigerian Hausawa call mixed rice and bean porridge wake (wah-kay), while in the Ghanaian dialect of the same tongue, this food is pronounced wache (wah-chay). But, take out the phonetics and accents and many would certainly be hard-put to distinguish between a Ghanaian and a Nigerian, in terms of physique.