the new ghanaian - february

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“ABrEMPONG” Donates To Nana Sefa Boakye Freda Obeng-Ampofo works for Futures Group under the USAId health policy

project. (courtesy itp’85)

Ghanaian Girl MurderedTwo people were arrested for the

murder of University of Florida student and Ghanaian, Saleha huuda, including a former boyfriend previously accused of domestic battery against her.

antonio D. Drayton, 24, of Gainesville was charged with fi rst-degree murder and other charges. Cassandra M. Kimbrough, a 42-year-old Gainesville resident who authorities said had also dated Drayton, was charged as an accessory to the murder.

Both Drayton and Kimbrough were also charged with grand theft, abuse of a dead body, tampering with physical evidence and willful burning of land. Firefighters discovered the burned body of huuda, 21, on Dec. 30 while responding to a small fi re near the Gainesville Raceway.

Sheriff ’s Offi ce spokesman Art Forgey Ms. Saleha huuda Cont’d on page 20

Cont’d on page 18

abrempong elite Gentlemen’s Club is a men’s only, non-tribal elite group in Virginia and on December 26, 2010 members visited and donated assorted food items and cash worth $500 to Nana Sefa Boakye,a US-based Ghanaian, who was recently ill.

During the presentation, the president of abrempong, Mr. Roland azure, shared the vision of the association, stating that its members will be nurtured to serve the Ghanaian community in Northern Virginia in various scopes. The president explained among other things that, one of the association’s objectives is to

roland Azure making the presentation to Nana Sefa Boakye on behalf of Abrempong

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everyone loves the month of February. how can you not? February 14th is celebrated the world over as ‘Valentines Day’. what started as a memorial honoring Saint Valentine’s good deeds, the day has become an opportunity to perhaps spend time with your signifi cant other.

with the amount of money spent on romantic gifts, it may be benefi cial to invest in a chocolate/fl owers factory early January and cash out late March. On a serious note though, February in the United States is noted as ‘Black History Month’, all 28 days (shortest month in the year) dedicated to celebrating the rich culture of all that represents being black in this country.

As Africans, what’s our place in Black history Month (BhM)? Regardless of how we perceive ourselves, is it okay to be lumped into the collective of all who are ethnically regarded as ‘black’? Even if our african cultural has intersections but for the most part diverges from african american history as the years progress?

as we establish our families and

Black History Monthcareers in america, it is imperative that we not only partake in BHM activities, but infuse our culture and our infl uence during the month’s festivities.

after all, whether we see so or not we’re considered black in this country and Black History Month is our opportunity to share and educate. The New Ghanaian will be partnering with churches, state and county organizations as well as non-governmental organizations to help address Diasporan issues, and during this month, celebrate our history, document our present and envision our future as a collective.

with updates on our website and a move to our new offi ce (still in Alexandria, Virginia) building later this month, the New Ghanaian team is excited about our growth and we embrace contributions, your support and patronage as we step forward into a decade of excellence. as always, if you have questions or inquiries you may email us at [email protected] and if you’re twitter savvy drop us a tweet @tngnews happy BhM to you all!

The work, published in the British Medical Journal, showed a 14% to 25% reduction in heart disease in moderate drinkers compared with people who had never drunk alcohol.

another article, by the same Canadian research group, showed alcohol increased "good" cholesterol levels.

But experts said this was not a reason to start drinking.

For many years, studies have suggested that drinking alcohol in moderation has some health benefi ts.

Scientists at the University of Calgary reviewed 84 pieces of research between 1980 and 2009.

ReDUCeD RiSK One unit of alcohol in the UK,

equivalent to half a pint of normal beer, contains 8g of pure alcohol.

“If you don't drink, this is not a reason to start. Similar results can be achieved by being physically active and eating a balanced and healthy diet”

Cathy Ross B r i t i s h H e a r t Foundation

This review showed that the overall risk of death was lower for those consuming small quantities of alcohol, 2.5g to 14.9g, compared with non-drinkers.

The researchers also say regular moderate drinking reduced all forms of cardiovascular disease by up to 25%.

however, while consuming small quantities of alcohol had a beneficial effect on the number of strokes and stroke deaths, the risk increased substantially with heavier drinking.

Professor william Ghali, from the institute for Population and Public health at the University of Calgary, told the BBC: "Our extensive review shows that drinking one or one to two drinks

An alcoholic drink a day can help keep heart disease at bay, according to a review of 30 years of research

would be favourable."There is this potentially slippery

slope, most notably with social problems and alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, but the overall mortality including cancer and accidents shows you would be better with alcohol."

MODeRaTiON Cathy Ross, senior cardiac nurse

at the British heart Foundation, said: "This analysis of previous studies supports what we already know about moderate drinking reducing our risk of cardiovascular disease.

"However, drinking more than sensible amounts of alcohol does not offer any protection and can cause high blood pressure, stroke, some cancers and damage to our heart.

"If you don't drink, this is not a reason to start. Similar results can be achieved by being physically active and eating a balanced and healthy diet."

The researchers believe any benefi cial effects are down to the alcohol itself, rather than anything else in a drink.

Their second study suggests that drinking up to 15g a day for women or 30g for men increased levels of good cholesterol, adiponectin and apolipoprotein, which have been linked to a healthy heart.

They said this pattern was true for all types of beverage.

The research group believes that governments may have to change their messages on public health to argue for drinking alcohol in moderation.

Prof Ghali said: "There's no doubt a public health campaign would be controversial. we need to ponder the message of how a doctor talks to a patient and how the government talks to the

people."Professor Lindsey Davies, president

of the Faculty of Public health, added: "it just strengthens the argument that a little bit does you good, but a lot does

you harm, but that always makes a public health message hard."

Story from BBC

Sister or Brother Hold it right there!Who are you?And what do youwant?

AAAAAAAAA!Is this ANAS againdressed as a woman?

I am here to seethe Managing Directorto talk business!


Fait

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Cont’d on page 6

Gospel Singer D.S.P. Kofi SarpongDSP Kofi Sarpong is a young,

talented gospel musician is out to do more than just entertain, he wants to make a difference in the lives of young people whom he meets.

and the dream to join the gospel train has come to pass with the release of his second gospel music album 'Sacrifi ce'. This album, produced by ernest Kwesi ennin of Media excel Production, is a true refl ection of Kofi's worshipping heart and desire for Godliness. what is moving about this album is the sound quality of the soul-touching songs, which could be attributed to the state-of-the-art equipment used during production.

DSP Sarpong is seen as an inspiration and he has indeed proven beyond all reasonable doubt to numerous fans that he really has come to stay.

Presently, the inspirational singer's CDs have hit the streets and are selling like hot cake in accra and other regional capitals. The album is a unique mix of neatly arranged lyrics with sensational and inspirational rhythms.

The album has distinctive f e a t u r e s i n t e r m s o f arrangement, beat and style; a new dimension in our current gospel dispensation.

T h e c r e at iv i t y i n t h e c o m p o s i t i o n s a r e a l s o commendable. Some of the songs on the album include ”adom Bi”, “Meto Ndwom”, “Oyame Dadano”, “Ohaw Ne Obre”, “Sacrifice” and a host of others which are diffi cult to resist.

Bor n into a family of Presbyterians, Kofi Sarpong joined the Police Service 13 years ago, recalls singing in the choir at the age of 12 in Brekum.

he disclosed that it has always been his dream to promote the

gospel of Jesus Christ through music. according to DSP, since music is good for the soul it, it is his duty to compose music that educates, entertains and encourages everybody, including the downhearted.

Kofi Sarpong's songs always talk about the faithfulness of God and the reason why Ghanaians should give thanks to him as long as they live on this earth.

He hinted that looking at the calibre of talented gospel music stars in Ghana today; Ghana's gospel music industry has a bright future.

he also said it is time for the

gospel industry to expect great things from God, adding that God was the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and is ready to support every gospel musician who invites him in his activities in the same way he did for others.

NOMiNaTiONS2010 Ghana Music Awards -

Discovery of the Year2010 Ghana Music Awards -

Gospel Song of the Year2010 Ghana Music Awards -

Gospel artiste of the YearDSP Sarpong is married to

Mrs. Salomey Sarpong and they have two lovely kids.

By George Clifford Owusu

DSP Kofi Sarpong with his brother Rev. Mark Asiedu Frimpongat Sunlight radio Studios for an interview

The inquiries about the whereabouts of the acclaimed Miss Ghana USa pageant end here. Since the event was last held in 1999, the new organizers have been looking for unique ways to bring back such an important and inspiring initiative.

The new Miss Ghana USa organization is looking for an exceptional woman who has a strong interest in education, humanitarian issues, and is proud of their Ghanaian culture and heritage to be crowned the next Miss Ghana USa and be a positive role model to young Ghanaian women all over the world.

“My goal as the President of Miss Ghana USa is to

provide and present the most honorable and prestigious contests possible. Building a reputation that will be known throughout National systems of Pageantry, basically because we will be focusing on conducting Miss Ghana USa Pageant with the utmost FaiRNeSS,” says Gloria Opare of the Miss Ghana USa organization.

even after almost a decade hiatus the Miss Ghana USa Pageant continues to have the same amount of anticipation as it did when it fi rst hit the scenes.

Set to take Texas by storm this summer, the organizers are very proud and excited about the lineup and the many special invited and surprise guests who

will be in attendance.The winner of Miss Ghana

USA 2010/2011 will take home a check, a round-trip ticket to Ghana, and a culture wear design by Kachi Designs. They will also be featured in various magazines and news publications across the country and around the continent, including an exclusive interview with Radio Gold in Ghana and Face2face africa.

T h e w i n n e r w i l l a l s o be required to assist in the operations of an orphanage in Ghana and will be the representation of the Miss Ghana USa organization for an entire year.

Being strong believers in

MISS GHANA USA PAGEANT


Diversity, the Miss Ghana USa organization does not place limitations on size, weight, creed, or color. whether it is a contestant’s first or fiftieth time at competing, the search for “The Best” will be determined on the quality of each individual’s presentation and not on their “name” or affiliation.

This event is not just a beauty pageant. it is an opportunity for a proud Ghanaian woman to put their country on the map and be an example of the brilliance, talent, brains, and beauty that can be birthed in Ghana.

Q u a l i f i c a t i o n s a n d Registrations:Think you got what it takes to be the next Miss Ghana USa? Registration is now open for all contestants. Visit www.missghanausa.org for Registration guidelines or join us on facebook.

Story from: Face2Face Africa

Cont’d from 4

Miss Ghana USA pageant

Bilateral trade between the United States (US) and Ghana grew by 48 per cent in 2010, reaching nearly $1.3 billion.

This consisted of diverse e x p o r t s , s u c h a s c o c o a , vegetables, machinery, and vehicles.

Mr Demetrios J. Marantis, Deputy United States Trade Representative (DUSTR), who announced this, said US investment in Ghana was valued at nearly $1 billion and likely to increase, as new economic opportunities materialise and bilateral links multiply, including the recently inaugurated direct flight link between Accra and washington D.C.

He was speaking at an interactive session with the Government, private sector and civil society on the theme "Promoting US-Ghana Trade and investment" in accra, on Tuesday.

Mr Marantis, on a three-day visit to Ghana, said several US businessmen were travelling to Ghana on trade mission, seeking new opportunities in the infrastructure sector.

"i had the opportunity to meet many of them, and was impressed by their excitement and enthusiasm about Ghana, "he added.

according to Mr Marantis, Ghana had also capitalised on trade preference programmes and other assistance partnerships with the United States.

Ninety-two per cent of Ghana's exports to the US enter duty-free, under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) and afr ican Growth and Opportunity act (aGOa) trade preference programmes.

Ghana has profited from these opportunities, exporting a growing range of products, including over $800,000 in textiles during 2010, more than double the amount in 2009.

In 2010, Ghanaian workers and farmers exported nearly $48 million dollars in goods to the US under aGOa, more than double the amount during the same period of 2009, and in addition to apparel, Ghana's future prosperity is a testament to what can be achieved when both countries work together.

Mr Marantis said one of the most exciting partnerships with Ghana was the US agency for international Development (USaiD) funded west africa Trade hub in accra.

he explained that the Trade hub strengthened not only US-Ghanaian trade ties, but provided economic development and job creation opportunities in 21 west african countries.

Bilateral Trade Between Us And Ghana Grew By 48 Per Cent In 2010

The Trade hub of fer s technical assistance and training to producer groups and export-ready firms in apparel, cashews, handmade home décor, shea, foods, and sustainable fish and seafood.

In addition, it helps to make companies in these sectors more competitive by tackling cross-cutting problems in finance, transport governance and costs, business environment, and telecommunications.

in 2009, the west africa Trade hub facilitated over $20 million in exports, drew investment of more than $1 million, and created nearly 800 new jobs, including over 300 jobs for women.

in 2009 alone, the hub trained nearly 2,300 entrepreneurs and provided technical assistance directly to almost 700 firms. it benefits real people, like Mr and Mrs Forson, owners of hand-crafted furniture and home accessories maker and exporter Tekura Enterprise.

Tekura's beautiful goods draw inspiration from traditional Ghanaian origins and can be found in stores throughout the US and around the world.

On politics, Mr Marantis said Ghana had a long and well-deserved reputation for leadership and achievement.

" a s G h a n a b u i l t h e r democratic and economic institutions in subsequent decades, Ghana demonstrated that democracy and economic prosperity are reinforcing, setting a strong example for developing nations in africa and around the world, "he added.

Mr Marantis announced that it was for the same reasons Ghana was selected this year as one of four countries in President Barack Obama's new Partnerships for Growth (PFG) initiative.

The PFG is a signature effort of the President Obama administration to promote broad-based economic growth through trade and investment, and would help to find more effective ways to work with Ghana and build on the already strong relationship.

It is a key component o f P r e s i d e n t O b a m a ' s Policy Directive on Global Development - which is a "first" for the United States. Signed by President Obama in September 2010, for the first time calls on the US Government to make sustainable, broad-based economic growth a primary objective of US development

efforts, and recognises that development must be led and driven by the leadership and citizens of developing countries.

The directive also commits the US Government to be more comprehensive, creative, and cooperative in its development work - to reach beyond aid to the instruments it can bring to bear in trade, private investment, and technical assistance to unlock the growth potential of partner countries.

Mr Marantis said the US citizenry was excited about the PFG, and hope that could build on existing tools and successes.

he pointed out that from

D U S T R ' s p e r s p e c t ive , a key success that could help support and implement the PFG was the US-Ghana Trade and Investment Framework agreement, or TiFa.

The TiFa is the foremost bilateral economic dialogue and brings together the US Government's top trade and economic agencies. The TiFa focuses on trade and investment policies that help both economies grow, diversify, and create well-paying jobs.

it is designed to help build on Ghana's successes and leadership to achieve new "firsts" in her economic development.

Mr Marantis said work in the PFG and TiFa was to build on the bedrock of existing achievement, Ghana had one of the best-performing economies in africa, with better policies, institutions, infrastructure, and services that helped to grow Ghana's economy around five per cent each year for the past decade.

"You have emerged from the global recession cushioned from its worst effects and Ghana is on course for continued growth. with relatively low tariffs and simple tariff structure, Ghana boasts of one of the most open trade regimes in sub-Saharan africa.

"Fore ign investor s are bringing new resources to your economy. and as Ghana invests in good policies, you have not stopped investing in your people. all Ghanaians can be proud that after nearly two decades of declining poverty, Ghana is on

track to reach the Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty by 2015."

Mr Marantis noted that the goal of TIFA was to work with Ghanaians in the Government, private sector, and civil society to identify specific barriers to trade and investment and to discuss ways both countries could partner to address these barriers and further increase their trade and investment.

"My goal for the PFG and the TiFa is to create new areas of opportunity where Ghanaians can yet again say, "Ghana was first," "Ghana was a leader," and "Ghana achieved

the improbable."Mr Marantis said

US and Ghana could collaborate to propel Ghana to new horizons and domestically, could work together to improve G h a n a ' s b u s i n e s s environment.

"Lack of regulatory transparency breeds u n c e r t a i n t y f o r

entrepreneurs, and poor road quality impedes the timely delivery of goods, especially in the rainy season. Congestion at Ghana's seaports, airports, and customs transit points impedes Ghana's trade and the prosperity it generates. Deficient cold storage facilities and other commercial infrastructure hampers Ghanaians' entry into higher value-added exports, "he said.

"Ghana's rich soils course with potential for cash crops like plantains, cassava, mangoes and papaya. american and european store shelves are waiting for processed Ghanaian agricultural products like cassava starch, tapioca, and frozen vegetables. Ghana has yet to reach her full export potential in hand-woven indigenous textiles, woven fabrics like Kente cloth, and high-end designer war."

Mr Marantis said Ghana's economy was also ripe for further investment, and concluding a high-standard Bilateral investment Treaty (BiT) with the US would demonstrate Ghana's commitment to an open trade and investment policy and set an example for others in the West African sub-region.

he said Ghana had already taken positive steps in economic refor m, good gover nance, transparency, and accountability and a high-standard BIT would reinforce these efforts, helping improve Ghana's investment climate, investment protections, and ultimately her future prosperity.

Regionally, Mr Marantis

said Ghana could continue to lead sub-Saharan Africa's regional economic integration in eCOwaS and beyond.

however, he said too many barriers to Ghana's export and investment were with her neighbours north, west, and east.

These barriers act as a deterrent not just to greater regional trade, but to traders and investors around the world and Ghana could do more to integrate regionally, to lead the efforts to fully implement eCOwaS common external tariff to boost intra-regional trade.

Mr Marantis observed that globally, the world was watching Ghana's management of her newly-discovered oil wealth and whether it would propel the nation to middle-income status, or set it back by repeating the familiar mistake of the "oil curse".

"The world is watching to see if your mineral wealth will prove to be a burden or a boon that will help Ghana move more quickly along a path of sustainable development, "he added.

Mr Marantis said the best thing that could happen to both countries was for the next generation of Ghanaians and americans to grow up, caring as much about this relationship as pertaining now because in america, there were many energetic and ambitious young people who care about Ghana and africa.

The US ambassador to Ghana, Mr Donald Teitelbaum participated in the session. GNA

In 2010, Ghanaian workers and farmers exported nearly $48 million dollars in goods to the US under AGOA, more than double the amount during the same period of 2009, and in addition to apparel, Ghana's future prosperity is a testament to what can be achieved when both countries work together.


Joseph Agyare alias “Kofi Kumah” MournedFather of Kofi Boamah


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ObituaryThe death is announced of

Aged 28

The body will be flown to Ghana for burial.

She died on February 14, 2011 at Fairfax Hospital due to a car crash. Funeral arrangements are as follows:

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with the continued political instability in Cote d’ivoire, Ghanaian cocoa farmers are cashing in. The elections in Cote d’ivoire at the end of November were supposed to be the beginning of a political rebuilding process in the country and impart some stability in a country plagued by a decade of chaos in the aftermath of the civil war. instead, the world is witnessing a political stand-off as Laurent Gbagbo refuses to give way to the internationally-recognized winner, alassane Ouattara.

while mediation discussions continue to try to peacefully resolve this impasse, Mr. Ouattara sent a letter to leading cocoa exporters in Cote d’ivoire ordering them to stop exports for one month. Quickly backing Mr. Ouattara’s order were the United States government and Cargill, the world’s largest cocoa buyer.

This ban has caused significant disruption to the world cocoa market as Cote d’ivoire accounts for approximately 40 percent of global supply. as the time that the election result was recognized, world cocoa prices were approximately $2950/MT. as of January 28, the price was about $3330/MT, with the price

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not having fallen below $3300/MT since January 24.

This is sweet news for Ghanaian farmers as February is a prime buying month with purchasers looking to stock up for the easter season. as a result, purchasers are now turning to Ghana, as the world’s number two supplier, which is having a higher-than-expected output due to a good rainfall this past season, as well as increased investment in the industry by the Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobud).

although the ban in Cote d’ivoire was initially put in place for one month, Mr. Ouattara could continue the ban to try to financially starve Mr. Gbagbo and his allies of financial resources. As the crisis continues, it becomes a crucial time for the Ghanaian industry, for if it demonstrates to world purchasers that it can fill the shortfall and be a more stable source of supply, it may not be long before Ghana assumes the top position and hold it for some time to come. after all, One man’s loss is another man’s gain, after all.

Victor Mroczka is an international trade attorney based in Washington, DC. The views expressed are his own.

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Faith

reverend Father c. John thompson-Quartey

Muriel Vanderpuye Call of Esther Ministries

as i prepare to write my February piece for TNG, i am moved to speak about the greatest gift of God: LOVe. February is a very busy month with so many events on our calendar. But none of the various holidays and activities trumps Valentine’s Day. i suppose it is appropriate to call February the “Season of Love”. No matter how difficult life is, no matter what challenges we may be facing in our lives, we all celebrate Valentine’s Day in one way or another. we wish everyone around us, including to ta l s t ranger s ; “happy Valentine’s Day”.

The New Testament has more than one word for love. Being that the New Testament was originally in the Greek language, it is important to note that the Greek language has three words for love. The first is eros, which can best be described

“Season of love”as passionate love. Most, if not all of us, are familiar with this love because we experience it everyday with those who are close to us; such as our parents and those we love. when we say we have fallen in love, we are most likely speaking about eros. The second word for love is Philia or philos. This is broadly defined as brotherly love (this is the reason why Philadelphia is often referred to as the city of brotherly love). This is the kind of love we share with our siblings, close friends, acquaintances and associates.

The third word for love is agape. This is generally defined as selfless or sacrificial love. This is the kind of love that is most frequently used in the New Testament. Christians understand that this is the kind of love God has for the world, because it is unearned.

The Broadway Show “Rent”

features a song with a very catchy tune called “Seasons of Love”. in this song, a question is asked: “How do you measure a year in the life of a man [or woman?]” in response to this question, the actors suggest: “how about love?”

in truth, the only way we can measure our life is by the love that we celebrate each day. we celebrate love because as creatures of God, we have experienced the love of God first hand, because the life we live is a gift. This life was fashioned by a loving God who created us in the divine image. God has measured our life span with abundant love. we were created out of love, and so our disposition to love others is something innate. i often say to my children that i don’t love them because i want to go to heaven. Rather, i love them because i have experienced the love of God first hand, and i

can do nothing else but to share that love. I know that God’s love is unconditional; unmerited. No matter how difficult life sometimes is, I know that it is God’s love which sustains me to get through another day. Trials and tribulations may come, but God’s love endures, because God is always faithful.

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, writes: “For i am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” [Romans 8:38-39]

So how do you measure your life span? i suggest you consider how much love you share with others. as we celebrate this season of love, it is my prayer that each of us will remember

that we are loved by God in ways we cannot imagine or dream of. i pray that each of us will share this unconditional love with those whose lives are linked with ours, not because we expect anything from them, but because we know how much we are loved by God. Let us remember to tell those we love how much we appreciate them. happy Valentine’s Day.

N e h e m i a h , a n e l e c t e d governor by the Persians, a remarkable spiritual leader whom in his ways was practical, became burdened by the terrible condition of Jerusalem. he believed God would restore Jerusalem so he prayed to God to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

Of course this new project did not come without strong opposition. Physical & spiritual observers star ted gett ing worried. Dream attackers and vicious vision killers were on the rampage. Nehemiah started experiencing attacks. The “anti-progress” agents started to attack his mind, if his mind allowed him to give up, he would give in. They mocked, accused and intimidated Nehemiah and his builders, so as to discourage them from rebuilding the ruins in Jerusalem.

On the contrary Nehemiah, a man of faith, already knew God was going to bring total restoration to Jer usalem. Nehemiah, a man of courage and integrity with a God focus, encouraged the work and was not dissuaded by opposition.

We l ike Nehemiah and the builders go through the same trials and attacks with whatever we do now whether it be business, ministry or some sort of project. We are attacked by people from all sides. we often hear all the bad things people say to discourage us.

The devil and his cohorts

O lord Strengthens Our Hands!constantly attack our efforts in diverse ways e.g. by destroying relationships, experiencing financial blackout and sicknesses.

Sadly enough our deadliest enemies sometimes happen to be those in our inner court, our own Christian folk, the enemies of progress happen to be those in our own household. They see the vision & they linger around us, their mouths seem to support us with what we are doing, yet their hearts are far from us.

Sanballat (his name meaning secret hatred) made a mockery of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem.

he tried to dissuade the bui lders f rom continuing the work of God, in fact, he intimidated them. as if that was not enough, Tobiah also joined in and made a mockery of the whole idea.

People make fun of us when we venture into business or go into ministry they quickly discount, condemn and mock of what we are doing.

These are the operations of the enemy: using people who have made themselves available to disrupt the destiny of God’s people. Sanballat tried to undermine Nehemiah’s authority, but Nehemiah - a man who understood the power of prayer - ceased the opportunity to make his petition before God by crying out to God in Nehemiah 6v9:

“The y were f r ightening

us thinking we would become discoura ged with the work and it will not be done. O God strengthen our hands!” My sisters and brothers, what are doing about your situation? are you complaining, murmuring, or are you having a pity party?

are you wandering why it should be you and not someone else? Your hands are weak and you are terrified you do not know what the future holds for you.

Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, saw the suffering of the people of Judah and asked God “Why do the wicked prosper? Oh the number of times I have asked this question!” Jeremiah 12v5

as Christians this question should not get us excited for in 2nd Timothy 3v12 the bible says “All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution”.

Our complaints, murmuring and comparisons like Jeremiah does not move God. God’s reply to Jeremiah is one that makes you sit up and start seeing things from a different perspective. One of the attributes of a Christian should boldness. Jeremiah unlike his fearless contemporary Isaiah was timid. God spoke to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 12v5 and said “You have raced with men on foot and they have made you tired how can you compete with horses?” wow! what a revelation! i wonder how Jeremiah felt, God said in not so many words “arise and take a stand in my strength, for you ain’t seen nothing yet, i

have a great future for you Need i tell you anymore? we

are still on God’s agenda and still in his plan, everything is in position. we, are out of position!

Nehemiah, cried to God and said, “These people are trying to frighten us thinking our hands are weak so the work will not get accomplished, O God strengthen our hands!” Nehemiah was in position. he was not a wimp, he would not back down, he knew a way, he knew the way. And that was to go to God and poured his heart out.

Habakkuk 2v1 says “I will climb my watchtower and station myself on the tower and see what answer God will give to me”. we need to go in deep prayer not only be satisfied with praying to God but demand God’s answer for our prayers. Prayer is not a substitute for hard work but Nehemiah knew the power of prayer! God answered Nehemiah and the walls of Jerusalem were built in 52 days!

Nehemiah did not ask for a miracle, he asked for strength and the miracle came through God’s strength.

Nehemiah’s opposers were shocked, they conceded for they acknowledged it was not man’s doing but God’s doing.

we need to c l imb the watchtower and station there; for at the tower we receive the spirit of discernment to decipher good from evil (no in- house opposing surprises), an essential

gift for every believer. Nehemiah discerned their lies and craftiness so he ran to God.

at the watchtower we receive God’s strength!

at the watchtower we receive favor!

at the watchtower we receive victory!

The bible says many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers us from them all.

even as we are going through afflictions and persecutions God’s presence is with us and he will surely help us finish the race and proclaim our victory.

Proverbs 3 v5&6 says “Trust in the Lord completely and do not trust yourself and in everything put God first and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success!”


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1st Anniversary remembrance Service for the late Deacon John Kwaku Obeng

dr. & Mrs. charles danquah and dr. & Mrs. Kwame Bawuah Edusei

Mrs. theresa Obeng and deaconesses of church of pentecost

Well wishers

praying

Mrs. theresa Obeng, her children and in-laws Mrs. theresa Obeng, family and friends

Eric Boaponsem, Mrs. theresa Obeng & Atto Kum

Mrs. theresa Obeng and the late John Obeng’s brother

Mrs. theresa Obeng and well wishers

Mrs. theresa Obeng thanking God for his mercies


Cont’d on page 20

Cont’d on page 19

Cont’d on page 19

Gha

nain 1877 after the second

Anglo-Asante war, Accra replaced Cape Coast as the capital of British Gold Coast Colony because accra had a drier climate relative to Cape Coast and even more important, accra was not home to the tsetse fl y hence conducive to animal transportation which was the order of the day.

The development of accra and Ghana took a gratefully positive turn when in 1919, Sir Fredrick Gordon Guggisburg, a surveyor, a soldier and administrator was appointed governor and Commander-in-chief of the Gold Coast. in pursuance of his policy of “development of the country by and for the natives rather than for the benefi t of the Colonial empire” he introduced drastic reforms and devoted himself

energetically to the task of developing Gold Coast for its people.

in accra he created forest reserves to prevent soil erosion and improved the system of drainage. Under the direction and planning of Governor Guggisburg people started referring to Gold Coast as a model colony and accra became the most prosperous and hospitable colonial city in Africa, with well-planned and clean streets, forest reserves and parks; commercial centers; schools and railway from accra to Kumasi.

when Ghana became independent in 1957, accra still held the promise of a clean, vibrant and growing city with adequate schools, parks, water, regular supply of electricity and social amenities. President Nkrumah and his team ensured that accra continued to be clean with well planned sewage system. Law and Order was also maintained and Landlords did not and could not extend or redesign their structures without approval from the relevant authority.

Presently, nobody beside the government would want to pretend that accra with its daily congestion, fi lthy and unhealthy environment, hold the same prospects for the future. accra at the moment is just over-crowded

to the point of chocking and decency and common sense is out of the equation. There is acute shortage of water, electricity, schools and all facilities and amenities. The traffic is a nightmare and pedestrian or bicycle pathways are no where available. Wheel-chair access is a rear sight. The indiscriminate disposal of refuse which has resulted in the choking of drains and gutters is a symptom of the problem of accra crying out laud for attention. You would have thought that the regularity of the flooding problems in accra was enough to draw the government’s attention to the problem, but somehow most of the post independence Ghanaian politicians have come to believe that if you keep on throwing money at a problem it will surely vanish.

The problems of accra will however not go away until we tackle them with proper project management which involves planning and monitoring. This is one of the most important challenges of our time, because in Ghana, accra the principal city associated with the country’s seat of government is the center of political power (legislative, administrative, judicial, and economic center). everything

Ghana: The Need for another Capital

The US embassy in accra on wednesday announced new non-immig rant visa appointment service with effect from March 1, 2011.

Under the new system, non-immigrant visa applicants in English Speaking West African countries would pay their application fees at Ecobank branches instead of Standard Chartered Bank and complete their application form (CeaC/DS-160) online.

Mr Michael evans, Consular Chief at the US embassy, said the new service system would require non-immigrant visa applicants to schedule appointments through the US

By Joseph Andorful

Us Embassy Announces New Visa Appointment Service

Visa information Service at www.ustraveldocs.com or by calling 233-263011685 which is a call centre for further enquiries.

Briefi ng newsmen, he said the process and fee for US non-immigrant visa application remained the same except that the new system had included a life operator service which would allow applicants to call the US Service Centre for more information.

Mr evans assured the public that the new service was now more user-friendly and had sophisticated inputs to prevent

Police arrest local pistol manufacturers

T h e M a d i n a D i s t r i c t Police Command, has arrest= ed five persons for allegedly manufacturing local pistols in a special operation, which spanned three regions. Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) David Eklu told the Ghana News agency in accra on wednesday that 60 pistols where retrieved after the four-day operation in Madina in the Greater accra Region, Kumasi and Kodie near Offi nso in Ashanti Region and Juabeso in western Region. he said the police acted on a tip off that a syndicate of gun manufacturers have been supplying arms to criminals in Madina and other parts of the country.

CSP Eklu said policemen from the Madina Command succeeded in arrestin= g the fi ve suspects whose names were given as Daniel Dormena; 32, Farmer, Salifu Abubakari; 42, Farmer, Jacob Kwarteng; 40, Blacksmith, Stephen Anane= ; 50, Blacksmith, and Prince Osei; 31, Unemployed.

he said the operation was the result of a six-month crime pattern analysis of armed robberies in Ashalley-Botwe, Ogbojo, Agbogba and Ablor-adjei in the jurisdiction of the

Madina District Command. CSP Eklu said Dormena was arrested with a suitcase containing 17 pistols at Kejetia Lorry Station in Kumasi on Monday, February 15. Further investigations led to the arrest of Abubakari at Sefwi-Juabeso with 10 pistols on Tuesday, February 16.

The investigative team proceeded to Offinso-Kodie where anane was arrested with fi ve pistols while Kwarteng alias 93assistant Director" wa= s apprehended with 25 pistols

concealed in a stuffed chair in his room. Osei, an accomplice was also arrested at Kodie during the operation.

Police arrest local pistol manufacturers

T h e M a d i n a D i s t r i c t Police Command, has arrest= ed five persons for allegedly manufacturing local pistols in a special operation, which spanned three regions. Chief


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reach out to Ghanaians who are genuinely in need as a result of ill health or economic hardship. he told the few Ghanaians who were present that Nana Sefa Boakye’s visit was just the beginning.

expressing his appreciation to the association, Nana Sefa

Boakye on his part said it was his first time experiencing such a gesture in his 17-year stay in the United States. He thanked the association and encouraged them to keep up the good work and help lift the image of Ghana.

abrempong i s focused on encouraging and raising potential business men out of its members to contribute

to the development of their individual communities in the United States and Ghana our motherland.

abrempong’s organizing secretary, Mr. isaac amissah announced the association’s plan to build a club complex in Northern Virginia to host a wide range of activities. he went on to say the club complex will have

amenities like a banquet hall, a fitness center and a cultural center to educate our children and the public on Ghanaian culture. he therefore edged all Ghanaians to contribute to support the project when the time comes.

Present at the short ceremony were, Mr. Robert Mensah ,the Vice President of abrempong,

Nana Yaw anobah (Secretary) , Rex asiedu (welfare), Jeff asare and alex Sarpong (Disciplinary committee), Sam Nortey ( Treasurer) , James adusei (Public Relations), Freedom afedoh, and Kingsley agyeman. Also present was Nana Opoku agyeman.

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fraud or any form of manipulations to protect the integrity of the system.

he said the new system had special visa categories which made it easier for the Consulate to know how many visas were given to a particular category daily.

Mr evans explained that the change of bankers was due to the fact that the new operating contractors of the US Visa application system had an existing contract with Ecobank Ghana and therefore it was important that they honoured their agreement with the bank.

however, he explained that applicants who had Standard Chartered bank receipts and had already scheduled visa appointments through the current online system should proceed via the current process as they would not be affected by this change.

Mr evans said applicants who had paid their MRV fee prior to March 1, but had not scheduled an appointment would be given up to april 30 to schedule an appointment or would forfeit it and would have to pay the MRV fee again if they had not scheduled an appointment before the set date.

he said the new online visa application system had now become the standard product world-wide for all applicants and urged Ghanaians to educate themselves about the new application process to avoid being duped by middlemen.

Mr evans said the US embassy did not have any special contract or ties with anybody or persons, but dealt directly with clients as individuals. GNa

Us Embassy Announces

Cont’d from page 14 Cont’d from page 14

Superintendent of Police (CSP) David Eklu told the Ghana News Agency in accra on wednesday that 60 pistols where retrieved after the four-day operation in Madina in the Greater accra Region, Kumasi and Kodie near Offinso in Ashanti Region and Juabeso in western Region. he said the police acted on a tip off that a syndicate of gun manufacturers have been supplying arms to criminals in Madina and other parts of the country.

CSP Eklu said policemen from the Madina Command succeeded in arrestin= g the five suspects whose names were given as Daniel Dormena; 32, Farmer, Salifu Abubakari; 42, Farmer, Jacob Kwarteng; 40, Blacksmith, Stephen Anane= ; 50, Blacksmith, and Prince Osei; 31, Unemployed.

he said the operation was the result of a six-month crime pattern analysis of armed robberies in Ashalley-Botwe, Ogbojo, Agbogba and Ablor-Adjei in the jurisdiction of the Madina District Command. CSP Eklu said Dormena was arrested with a suitcase containing 17 pistols at Kejetia Lorry Station in Kumasi on Monday, February 15. Further investigations led to the arrest of Abubakari at Sefwi-Juabeso with 10 pistols on Tuesday, February 16.

The investigative team proceeded to Offinso-Kodie where Anane was arrested with five pistols while Kwarteng alias 93assistant Director” wa= s apprehended with 25 pistols concealed in a stuffed chair in his room. Osei, an accomplice was also arrested at Kodie during the operation.

Ghana: Panic Over Presidential Appointments

The vesting of the power to appoint members of the governing board, the chief executive and other staff of Ghana’s future petroleum regulatory body in the President of the Republic without the approval of Parliament has raised concern among some citizens’ groups in the country.

They believe the nation is placing in jeopardy the independence, assertiveness and efficiency of the ‘Petroleum Commission’, which after the passage of the Petroleum Commission Bill, 2010 by Parliament, will become the regulatory body for the petroleum sector and invariably the most important body for ensuring that Ghana escapes the infamous ‘oil curse’.

according to Clause 3(3) of the Bill, the President shall, acting in consultation with the Council of State, appoint members of the Governing Board. Subsequently, Clauses 10(1) and 12(1) provide that the President shall in consultation with the Governing Board appoint the CeO of the Commission and other staff respectively.

while conceding that other public officers are appointed through the same procedure, participants at a day’s meeting on Friday said they were mindful of the strategic nature of oil and gas. They were also guided by antecedents that Ghana is a nation where citizens witness mass removal/dismissal of public office holders when government changes hand.

“i suggest that the regulator should

be appointed by Parliament...otherwise, we are establishing another political institution,” said John-Peter Amew of the Regional extractive industries Knowledge (ReiK) hub at the Ghana institute of Management and Public administration (GiMPa).

There were other concerns which were also underscored by Clause 4(5), which states that “The President may by letter addressed to a member revoke the appointment of that member.”

Then, what would become of a petroleum commission packed with staff who are all appointed by the President? This question lingered on the minds of some of the participants of the meeting who converged in accra to review the content of the Petroleum Commission Bill, laid before Parliament last December. The meeting was organized by Publish What You Pay-Ghana (PWYP-Gh) to generate input that will feed into a civil society memorandum on the Bill to be submitted to Parliament.

“in accordance with article 269 of the Constitution, the Commission is being established to regulate and manage the utilisation of petroleum resources and the co-ordination of the policies in relation to the petroleum resources,” said gover nment’s memorandum accompanying the 23-clause Bill.

Generally, the participants were satisfied with the content of the Bill, endorsing the size of the governing board of the commission as proposed in the bill. Nonetheless, there was deep concern that provisions regarding appointment, ministerial oversight, and

Cont’d on page 30


starts, takes shape and ends in accra, a situation that no forward looking nation would tolerate in this fast-paced world economy. One obvious major problem is the unprecedented congestion in accra which slows down every transaction for everybody and the nation as well, due to loss of hundreds of man-hours everyday in traffic. as a result any transaction that should take a day to accomplish takes at least 3 days.

a solution is to create another capital as administrative capital to eliminate delays and enhance e f f ic iency in gover nment operation. This will not only expedite the funct ion of government, but will start the decongestion of accra which is the basic problem with the city. The flooding is just a symptom and unless we decongest accra first, all the money we spend on the symptoms will continue to go into waste.

T h e i d e a o f mu l t i p l e capitals is not only common. it has become the most viable option for a lot of forward-looking nations whose original capitals were not well chosen

or planned to accommodate the modern demands of a strategic National Capital. even in the neighborhood, ivory Coast moved its administrative capital from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro in 1983. This made the official capital Yamoussoukro but many government offices and embassies remain in abidjan. everybody is aware of Nigeria replacing Lagos with Abuja as the official capital while keeping some administrative offices still in Lagos. Porto-Novo is the official capital of Benin but Cotonou is the seat of government. israel has proclaimed Jerusalem as its political capital yet most of the embassies and national security offices are still in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, which was israel’s capital from 1948 to 1950. Malaysia, Myanmar, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Swaziland and Tanzania just to mention a few, have all found it practicable if not sensible to have more than one capital. South africa the only african nation considered as industrial, has three capitals. Pretoria is the administrative capital, Cape Town is the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein is the home of the judiciary. a new better planned administrative capital



said authorities believe the fire was set to cover up the crime. a medical examiner’s report released wednesday determined that Huuda was killed before the fire was started.

The report listed her cause of death as “homicidal violence” of an undetermined type, but an investigation is ongoing into an exact cause.

huuda was a UF senior majoring in family, youth and community sciences, a competitive cheerleader on a UF club team and a member of local dance groups. a native of Ghana who came to the U.S. as a young girl, she graduated from P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School and attended Santa Fe College before enrolling at UF.

her family members couldn’t be reached for comment.

Drayton had dated huuda, but they had reportedly broken up before he forced his way into her Gainesville apartment on June 16. he was accused of kicking in the door of a locked bathroom that she was in, pushing her down and choking her, before leaving with $1,000 in items. he was charged with battery, burglary and larceny.

Kimbrough played a role

Ghanaian Student Murdered

befitting the status of Ghana will eliminate the congestion (traffic, human, schools, housing etc). all the Ministries and most of the government departments will move out for resettlement.

a lot of people do not want to talk about the possibility of another capital for they automatically assume that we can’t afford it. But it will be cheaper for us as a nation to build a new capital than to continue on the track we are on. with good project planning monitoring and accountability, another capital will save the nation more than we shall lose in our current situation if we do not change drastically our modus operandi.

During the last flooding in accra the Government allocated more than $25 million to combat the flooding in some parts of accra. i am going to resist the temptation to comment on this but just to say that $25 million is sufficient for any government with integrity and humility to cover the feasibility studies and planning for a modern city. Rumors have it that Nigeria spent more than 3 times the actual cost of building abuja because they wanted an express

in the charges being dropped, writing a letter to authorities disputing the allegations. huuda also wrote a letter saying that she would not testify against Drayton, and the State Attorney’s Office decided against prosecuting the case.

in a conversation with The Sun last month, Drayton said he was drunk at the time of the incident and admitted to pushing huuda while disputing the other allegations. he said that he had exchanged text messages with huuda on the night that she went missing but denied involvement in her death.

he claimed that red paint was splattered on his door early Jan. 1, suggested that huuda’s family was involved, even though her body wasn’t identified until later that day.

h u u d a ’ s m i s s i n g c a r w a s s u b s e q u e n t ly fo u n d in a southwest Gainesville neighborhood. The grand theft charge was related to the theft of the car, Forgey said.

Detectives were interviewing Drayton and Kimbrough late Wednesday before booking them into the alachua County Jail, so an arrest warrant with details on the charges was not yet available.

source: Gainesville Sun

project. we do not need a fully

completed new capital up and running within five years, it can be carefully integrated into our national planning. The emphasis is on the planning, as Governor Guggisburg and Nkrumah nurtured the infancy of accra, before lawlessness and illegal structures, open gutters and rampant disposal of trash, misappropriation of government lands and forest reserves became a common feature on the city.

The last Auditor-General’s report of 2009 mentioned that as a result of lack of accountability and criminal conduct of government officials and their collaborators, the nation lost more than Ghc 2.5 billion through financial malfeasance, and this has been a yearly occurrence for the past 20 something years; so if the government enforces integrity and accountability and we are also able to expedite government action through the elimination of bottle necks why can’t we as a nation increase our national income.?

i shall even venture to suggest that the government considers the northern part of

Brong ahafo region, between Kintampo and the Black Volta for the location of the second capital, for the fact that it is more central, and there appear to be land and water available. I however know there are other good locations. My hope is that if such a decision would be made it would be based on strategic and economic reasons and factors but never on political considerations.

Final ly i watched the tragedy in haiti last year when the earth quake devastated that poor country. as it has been confirmed, the sad response of the haitian government was because the quake hit Port-au-Prince, the capital city and devastated the parliament building along with a lot of government buildings. Since they operate a system very much like ours where everything is initiated from the capital, nobody knew what to do without direct instructions from Port-au-Prince. We should not loose sight of the fact that accra is an earthquake prone area. This is a wake-up call. A word to the wise is enough.

[email protected]

Ghanaians in Libya are calling on the Government to as a matter of urgency evacuate them from that country for fear of their lives.

Some of stranded Ghanaians mostly from the Brong ahafo, ashanti and western Regions, say they have locked themselves in their rooms without food or water, fearing that they might be killed if they go out.

The worried Ghanaians in Libya say there has been heightened tension in the country after Muammar Al-Gaddafi declared that he will not step down till the last drop of his blood.

Currently, reports put the

death toll at about 300 since the protests against Muammar Al-Gaddafi's 42-year rule erupted last week.

“Masa, we are dying please tell the president to come for us, we have run out of food and water, the situation is now bad after the Libya president's address, please tell Ghanaians to also pray for us it is not easy at all,” one of the stranded Ghanaians told adom News on wednesday.

information adom News received from some prisons in Libya when the station called to check on the fate of Ghanaians inmates revealed that many Ghanaians have been granted

amnesty and are awaiting government's repatriation.

Joe Danquah, former MP for Tain constituency, which has quite a large number of its indigenes in Libya, has joined the call for Government to as a matter of urgency help them relocate back home.

he said he receives many phone calls a day from his constituents who are in Libya, asking him to do something.

“I would like to appeal to the president to help my constituents, i get over 70 calls a day from relatives in the Tain District and the stranded Ghanaians in Lybia and in fact, the president needs to act now,”

he stated.Meanwhile, Foreign affairs

Minister, Mohammed Mumuni says Ghanaians in that country are safe because the riots are not targeted at foreign nationals.

he however says Ghanaian citizens will be repatriated if the need arises.

Story: Kofi Adomah/Adom News

Ghanaians in libya sent SOS to government: We are dying


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Cont’d on page 24

Nigerian Uche Okafor was

murdered – FBI

There has been a twist in the death of former eagles’ defender, Uche Okafor as the Federal investigation Bureau (FBi) claimed in a report yesterday that the player was murdered.Uche was found hanging at his Dallas, Texas home earlier this month and a preliminary report by the Dallas police ruled that the easy-going defender hanged himself. But his family, friends and the Nigerian community in america rejected the suicide claims as they suspected foul play.

The FBi stepped into the controversy last week after protests from the family members who even alleged racism for the shoddy investigation over the death of the player. and the latest fi ndings have confi rmed the suspicion of murder held by many of the former eagles’ admirers. The FBi report however, did not state who killed Uche Okafor or why his life was terminated.

This piece of information from the USa, will interest the Nigerian government. The foreign affairs Minister, Odein ajumogobia declared only on Monday that Nigeria was awaiting the result of the FBi report, before the country could take necessary action.

Story from indepthafrica

Ivory Coast’s Gbagbo forces kill, torture-watchdog

armed forces in ivory Coast who back incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have conducted a campaign of violence that has included execution, kidnapping, torture and rape, human Rights watch said on Tuesday.

T h e N e w Yo r k - b a s e d watchdog g roup sa id an “in-depth investigation” of allegations of human rights violations in abidjan, the main city in the world’s top cocoa producer, had revealed an “an often-organized campaign of violence.”

“The security forces and militias supporting Laurent Gbagbo are imposing a reign of terror against his real or p e r c e ive d o p p o n e n t s i n Abidjan,” said Daniel Bekele, africa director at human Rights watch, which monitors rights violations globally.

“ T h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l community must do all it can to protect civilians and increase pressure on Gbagbo and his allies to end this organized campaign of violence,” he said.

The report was released as cracks emerged in African efforts to end a power struggle in ivory Coast, with Uganda

the latest country to question U.N. recognition of alassane Ouattara as its president.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said he disagreed with the U.N. line on the crisis, as a delegation of west african states prepared a U.S. trip to lobby President Barack Obama and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to back the possible use of force to oust Gbagbo.

Ouattara’s U.N. ambassador Youssoufou Bamba, who was unanimously recognized as the ivory Coast’s legitimate envoy last month by the 192-nation U.N. General assembly, said he was “shocked” by the Human Rights watch report.

“I knew there were massive human rights violations … but i couldn’t imagine it was done in such a magnitude and in such a brutal way,” Bamba said in an email to Reuters.

human Rights watch said its researchers spoke with over 100 people who had witnessed or been victims of violence. The attacks included “killings by militiamen with bricks and clubs, and sexual assaults in front of family members,” it said. indepthafrica

liberia’s President Wins 2011 African

Gender Award

Africa’s fi rst female President of Liberia, ellen Johnson Sirleaf, wins the 2011 african Gender award (aGa) of Femmes africa Solidarité (FaS) – Panafrican Center for Gender, Peace and Development.

announcing the winner yesterday evening (January 24 , 2011 ) here in add i s ababa, at the United Nations economic Commission for africa (UNeCa), former President of Pan african Parliament Gertude Mongella, noted that Liberia’s president has performed well in protecting rights women in Liberia by implementing international conventions.

“The main objective of the award is to appreciate african presidents and honour their country for what they have done to women,” Mamma Mongella said.

Liberia won after experts have evaluated performances of nominated african countries for the award in detail, according to executive Director of FaS, Bineta Diop.

Fa S r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s indicated that Liberia has shown progress in providing ‘genuinely’ free education to the children of poor Liberian women and also established women market fund, among other things.

“Some african countries say that we are providing free primary education. But when we look at it, it is not genuinely free, because they charge the poor mothers money for uniforms to

their students and the like,” said elzabeth Rehn, Former Defence Minister of Finland who is supporter of aGa being gender activist at Merry Robinson Foundation established by former President of Ireland-Merry Robinson.

This year’s aGa is the fourth edition. it started in 2005 by honouring President wade of Senegal and President Mbeki of South africa, in celebration o f t h e i r w o r k t o w a r d s gender equality and gender mainstreaming in the african Union.

The previous edition (2009 african Gender award) was awarded to President armando Guebuza of the Republic of Mozambique for his notable commitment to the cause of women in his country.

The 2007 edition celebrated achievements of President Kagame who integrated women into Rwanda’s policy making institutions, demonstrated by a series of political and legislative reforms, which has made Rwanda an exemplary country for the entire world.

The award does not have any money except honouring the leaders and the country, according to Mamma Mongella. President ellen Johnson Sirleaf is expected to receive the award in Dakar under the sponsorship of President wade of Senegal.


Wikileaks: Africa Offers Easy Uranium

Wikileaks cables have revealed a disturbing development in the african uranium mining industry: abysmal safety and security standards in the mines, nuclear research centres, and border customs are enabling international companies to exploit the mines and smuggle dangerous radioactive material across continents.

The Wikileaks cables reveal that U.S. diplomats posted in a number of african countries – the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania, Niger, and Burundi, among others – have had direct knowledge of the poor safety and security standards in these countries’ uranium and nuclear facilities.

The cables also highlight the involvement of european, Chinese, indian, and South Korean companies in the illegal extraction and smuggling of uranium from africa. Most european nuclear reactors use uranium imported from african countries.

In one classifi ed document, dated Sep. 8, 2006, the U.S. embassy in the DRC capital Kinshasa reported that several U.S. diplomats and security service personnel toured the


10thAnnive� ary2001 - 2011

THE

NEW GHANAIANHANAIANKeeping Ghanaians In Touch

The New Ghanaian Newspaper is 10 years old this 2011.

It has not been an easy journey but we thank God for the vision, his mercies and strength.

We thank God that The New Ghanaian has been considered as the offi cial newspaper for Ghanaians

in the US for the past ten years.We will have a series of events through out the year

to mark our 10th anniversary. We thank the community for all its support.

The New Ghanaian is your newspaperso continue to support it.

God bless you all!

By Management & Staff


Kinshasa Nuclear Research Centre (CREN-K) on Jul. 27 that year in order to assess the facility’s security needs.

CREN-K houses the DRC’s two nuclear reactors. Neither reactor is currently functioning, but staff conduct nuclear-related research and teaching at the facility.

Although inactive, CREN-K stores significant amounts of uranium and nuclear waste. This radioactive material includes 138 nuclear fuel rods, at least 15 kg of enriched and non-enriched uranium, and some 23 kg of nuclear waste.

At CREN-K, “external and internal security is poor, leaving the facility vulnerable to theft,” Roger a. Meece, U.S. ambassador to DRC, reported in the 2006 document.

Meece’s detailed description of the security measures at CREN-K suggests that security is not just “poor,” but non-existent. according to the report, the fence surrounding CREN-K “is not lit at night, has no razor-wire across the top, and is not monitored by video surveillance.

“There are numerous holes in the fence, and large gaps where the fence was missing altogether,” Meece wrote.

“University of Kinshasa students frequently walk through the fence to cut across CREN-K, and subsistence farmers grow manioc on the facility next to the nuclear waste storage building,” he added.

i n M a r c h 2 0 0 6 , a n international atomic energy agency (iaea) contractor using a Geiger counter detected elevated levels of radiation in this manioc plot.

according to the cable, none of CREN-K buildings have sophisticated locks, intrusion alarms, motion detectors, or video surveillance systems.

“Once inside the facility, no one controls the entrance to the nuclear reactor, although a key is required to enter the room,” Meece wrote.

“The fuel rod storage room, where the nine unused fuel rods are stored, was not locked, and the fuel rods are not kept in a separate locked container.”

But security gaps in nuclear and radioactive facilities in the DRC go beyond CREN-K. in a separate cable, dated Jul. 11, 2007, Meece reported that several sources “recently stated that the Malta Forest Company is (illegally) mining and exporting uranium from the DRC.”

according to the report, the company is “mining the uranified rock while mining copper and cobalt, then exporting the uranified ore and circumventing

radiation testing by using an established system of corrupt government officials.”

M e e c e e x p l a i n e d t h at foreign companies purchase the uranified ore and refine it abroad to separate the uranium, copper, and cobalt.

“ i n t h i s w ay, fo r e i g n companies purchase uranium from Malta Forest, while Malta Forest appears to be exporting copper and cobalt,” he wrote.

in 2006, for example, two Finish companies , Opolo C h e m i c a l s a n d Ko n k o l a Chemicals, reportedly told the iaea that they imported one ton of uranium from the DRC. The DRC, however, claimed that it did not export any uranium in 2006.

in addition, the cable warns that high levels of radioactivity have been measured in numerous regions of the DRC.

“all of Katanga Province could be said to be somewhat radioactive,” Meece reported.

Katanga is the country’s southernmost province. with an area of 518,000 square kilometres, Katanga is 16 times larger than Belgium, and holds a population of more than four million people.

in the cable, Meece refers to research carried out in May 2007 in the Luiswishi mine, located approximately 20 km northwest of Lubumbashi, the region’s capital city. after analysing 100 kg of rock samples from the mine, a scientific commission from Kinshasa found “dangerously high levels of radiation existed at Luiswishi mine, and that the mine operator …was suppressing this fact to continue mining operations.”

T h e m i n e o p e r at o r i s the Min ing Company o f South Katanga (CMSK), predominantly owned by the Malta Forest Company.

The cable also refers to several other findings of high radioactivity and corruption in other Congolese uranium mines, operated by Chinese and South Korean companies. These mines are staffed by “artisanal diggers” – a euphemism for local workers extracting uranium and other radioactive material without enjoying any health protection.

Other U.S. classified cables revealed by Wikileaks report cases of smuggling uranium and other radioactive material in Tanzania, Burundi, Niger, Portugal, and Georgia.

Meece continues to serve in the DRC, as head of the U.N. mission.


Sunny Ade becomes ‘born again’

Christian

Popular Juju musician, King Sunny ade, recently

gave his life to Jesus Christ during a church service at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Yaba, Lagos. Sunny ade dedicated himself to Christ during an altar call by the RCCG’s General Overseer, Pastor enoch adeboye.

The News agency of Nigeria (NaN) reports that the Juju music maestro was among 30 worshippers at the service who rushed to the altar to be prayed for by the general overseer. when Adeboye asked that the persons who answered the call should confess their sins, Sunny ade was the first to kneel down.

During the thanksgiving, Sunny ade expressed gratitude to God for his mercies and for making him see the day.

“i have nothing to say than to come and thank my God for what he has been doing for me and my family,’’ he said.

in his characteristic style, Sunny ade rendered a song in Yoruba with members of his band: “if not for God, i would have been gone and buried. i thank you God for my life.”

earlier in his message, a d e b o y e h a d t o l d t h e congregation that anyone who had not given his life to Christ should not rejoice and praise God because such a person was hell-bound.

“Stop treating God as a beggar because all that you have, he gave to you. Serve God this year with all your heart. Give him quality offerings.

“Offer yourself to God first before you offer to him any other thing. if you are here but have not given your life to Jesus Christ, do so now,’’ he said.

adeboye recalled how as a boy he had done some naughty things but God had kept him to date to preach the gospel.

“When I looked at the days i strayed and the things i did when i was in the university, but how God saved me, you will understand why we should continue to thank Jesus,’’ he said.

he, therefore, urged the worshippers to be grateful to God for his mercies.


U.S. Embassy issues warning for

American citizens in Uganda

T h e U. S. e m b a s s y i n Uganda is warning its citizens in the east african nation that regional terror groups "remain actively interested in attacking" american interests.

" we a r e p a r t i c u l a r l y concerned about the month of February," the embassy, based in the capital, Kampala, said in a statement.

U g a n d a i s h o l d i n g presidential elections next

month.T h e e m b a s s y a dv i s e s

U.S. citizens to avoid large, public gatherings, "especially those with large numbers of westerners and/or no visible security presence."

it urges citizens to report any suspicious activity by calling 999 and keeping a charged cell phone at all times.

The alert updates previous warnings related to the July 11, 2010 bombings in Kampala, according to the embassy. More than 70 people died after a pair of bombings struck a restaurant and a rugby ground as patrons gathered to watch the world Cup final.

Somalia-based al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attacks.

T he i s lamic mi l i tants battling Somalia's U.N.-backed transitional government have threatened attacks on Uganda and Burundi, which contribute troops to an african Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia.

Story from CNN africa

Freed slave portrait saved from export

william hoare's painting of ayuba Suleiman Diallo, also known as Job ben Solomon, was purchased by the Qatar Museums authority (QMa) in 2009.

The government imposed a temporary export bar last year because of its historic importance to the UK.

Money was raised to buy the work back, but the QMA agreed to lend it instead.

Donations raised by the National Portrait Gallery will now be returned, as will grants from the heritage Lottery Fund and the art Fund charity.

The painting is believed to be the earliest known British oil portrait of a freed slave which honours a named african subject and Muslim as an individual and equal.

The QMa will support a programme of conservation and research on the work, which will tour the UK and visit Doha in 2013.

"This is a good example of international cooperation between museums," said the National Portrait Gallery's director, Sandy Nairne.

he said the portrait would "shed new light on cultural and intellectual exchanges in the first half of the 18th Century".

Meanwhile, the National Gallery has received a donation of £2 million from the hintze Family Charitable Foundation.

a room in the gallery will be named The Dorothy and Michael hintze Room in recognition of the gift, which will go towards refurbishing gallery spaces.

Story from BBC africa

'A religious revolution'

These times we live in have been called a lot of things. But perhaps the most surprising description came Sunday from one of the country's leading religion scholars.

"The most exciting time in Christianity ... since the 1st century."

Yes, even more thrilling than the Protestant Reformation, Philip Jenkins told about 75 people at Charlotte's westminster Presbyterian Church.

The reason: The staggering g rowth in the number of Christ ians in asia, Latin america and especially africa - a phenomenon he called "a global religious revolution" and one that "reverses a trend that people had been used to for several hundred years."

To back up his c la im, Jenkins - the author of a host of influential books, including "The Next Christendom: The Rise of Global Christianity" - offered a series of eye-popping statistics and projections.

among them: in 1900, europe and North america accounted for about 85 percent of the world's Christians. By 2050, that number will have shrunk to about 25 percent.

During the same period, he said the number of Christians in Africa have, well, skyrocketed seems too tame a word. in 1900, there were 10 million; in 2000, 363 million. By 2015, Jenkins expects 500 million. and, by 2050, he predicted that africa would become the first continent to have 1 billion Christians. Put another way: One of every three Christians in the world will be African - and that's not counting the africans who will have moved to the United States or europe.

in the 20th century, about half of the people on the african continent moved from a tribal or pagan religion to either Christianity or islam. And, Jenkins added, "Christians outpaced Muslims considerably" - by a margin of about 4 to 1.

The Welsh-born Jenkins, a professor at Penn State and Baylor whose books are lauded by both conservative evangelicals and liberal scholars, was brought to town by Union Presbyterian Seminary at Charlotte.

He'll speak again at 10 a.m. today, to a group of Charlotte area pastors.

On Sunday, he told his audience that, right now, the three most Christian regions in the world are europe, Latin America and Africa - in that order.

But by 2025, as europe continues down the road of

Cont’d on page 25



secularism, "africa and Latin america will be jostling each other for (that) title," Jenkins said. "By 2050, no doubt, Africa wins."

Though the United States will continue to be a religious - and predominantly Christian country - it will be immigrants and the children and grandchildren of immigrants who help it stay that way, Jenkins said.

according to some projections, Jenkins said, the Roman Catholic Church in the United States could be as much as 80 percent Latino by 2050.

Speaking of Catholicism, Jenkins predicted that it won't be long before there's an African-born pope - and perhaps a series of them. Currently, he said, 70 percent of the world's Catholics live in africa, asia and Latin america.

"Christianity was born in asia and Africa," Jenkins said, "and in our lifetimes, it has decided to go home." But why? and why now?

Part of the answer has to do with demography - population growth, birth rates.

In 1900, Jenkins said, Europeans outnumbered Africans 3-1. But by 2050, he said, there will be three africans for every european.

Meanwhile, in europe, population is stagnant. in italy, the median age is 40, Jenkins said. In Uganda, it's 14.

And any growth in the ranks of the religious in Europe - the continent that was the capital of Christianity for millennia - tends to come from migrants: Muslims from Turkey or Pakistan and

Christians from africa or the Caribbean.Jenkins also pointed to conversions as

a major reason for the tidal wave. in the 20th century, Africa - long a continent of european colonies, with missionaries running schools, medical clinics and churches - went from 10 percent Christian to 46 percent Christian.

For many Africans, Jenkins said, the appeal of Christianity is that the Bible, written many hundreds of years ago, often reads like it was written about and for their societies today, where poverty is common, and many never make it to old age.

"Preaching in Africa, when you talk about idols, you mean it" literally, Jenkins said.

africa can relate to Biblein the west, faith healers are largely

discredited. Not so in the Third world, Jenkins said, where Christianity is often seen as a religion to heal the mind, the body, the soul - and the society.

And, Jenkins said, many African theologians are astounded at how the Bible's imagery often mirrors those in Africa - including the mention of blood sacrifices to atone for sins.

"For many africans, if they don't do sacrifices, their parents did," Jenkins said.

african Christianity also tends to be Pentecostal in worship style and both liberal and conservative - depending on the subject. "On social and political issues - the idea of what the state should be doing - it's often far to the left of the Democratic Party," Jenkins said. "But on moral and sexual issues, it can be very conservative."

US anti-terror outpost tackles rat-borne virus

american researcher Matt Boisen drops serum from a woman infected with Lassa fever onto a slim strip, testing a new way of diagnosing the deadly virus. Boisen's laboratory in southeastern Sierra Leone is an outpost of the U.S. government's "war on terror," funded by a surge in bio-defence spending since the airplane and anthrax attacks on New York and Washington a decade ago.

american research aims to limit the vulnerability of western interests to biological agents. in the case of Lassa swift and simple diagnosis is seen as critical to doing that, Reuters reports.

"There's been a renewed emphasis on those tropical diseases that (government health officials) consider biothreats," explained Boisen of his work on Lassa, which, similar to ebola, can cause victims to bleed from multiple orifices.

Lassa fever, named after the Nigerian town where it was first identified in 1969, is among a U.S. list of "category a" diseases -- deemed to have the potential for major public health impact -- alongside anthrax and botulism.

The disease is carried by a species of rodent, Mastomys Natalensis, found across sub-Saharan Africa and often eaten as a source of protein. it infects an estimated 300,000-500,000 people each year, and kills about 5,000.

"There's a recognition that this is a higher level threat agent," said Dr. Thomas Geisbert, an academic at the University of Texas and a former

researcher at the United States army Medical Research institute for infectious Diseases.

"It would be naive not to think some terrorist group could use one of these things to create terror."In 2001 -- prior to the September 11 attacks -- the U.S. National institutes of health budget for bioterrorism and related research was $53 million (33 million pounds). But by the fiscal year 2007 the NIH was requesting more than $1.9 billion.

in Sierra Leone the current Lassa research -- a $40 million project involving Tulane University in New Orleans -- is run out of the government hospital in Kenema in the southeast of the impoverished country. The regular stream of Lassa fever patients, kept in an isolation ward, provide researchers with access to the virus.

Staff hope their new diagnostic product will eventually be cheap, simple and robust enough to take into the field - comparable to current tests for malaria or HIV - replacing complicated laboratory procedures. Such a test could quickly identify an outbreak in the United States, and also should dramatically reduce the disease's impact in its home territory. a patient's chances of survival increase if they receive early treatment.

In Kenema, 300km (200 miles) from the capital Freetown, it is impossible to create the same levels of protection for researchers that they would experience a western lab. in the United States, Lassa virus is handled in bio-safety level four facilities, where researchers wear "space suits" - but in Kenema measures include goggles, gloves and masks.



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Seth Owusu has left Medeama Sporting Club to take up a loan deal with MLS outfi t Chivas USA.

The Ghanaian defender has joined the Los angeles club for the 2011 season after failing to come to terms with Polish side Legia Warsaw after trialing with them for a week.

“we have agreed to transfer him to Chivas USa and he will return to the club in December,” Medeama president Moses armah told the club’s offi cial website www.medeamasc.com.

“We are confi dent this will help the young chap gain experience for a bigger move to europe.

“This is only the beginning and we will to wish him well at his new club. He has the experience and knows what is ahead of him so he can’t disappoint. We expect him to come back better than he’s leaving us.”

Owusu joins Chivas USA from Ghanaian club Medeama

Top selling highlife singer, Ofori amponsah is set to hit the US with his eclectic mixture of love ballads and get down on the dance fl oor rhythms, for a ten city tour starting March 26 at Park Central Ballroom in Manhattan, New York.

he will be headlining Boogie Down Nima’s Real Vision Tour in commemoration of Ghana’s 54th year of independence. Starting in New York City and ending in Los angeles, Ofori Amponsah will be rocking more than ten cities singing some of the best contemporary Ghanaian highlife tunes.

T h e a n n u a l G h a n a independence Day celebrations presented by Boogie Down Nima (BDN) has been nothing short of compelling with artists who are masters of their craft, creating vibes straight from the red, gold and green, these black stars have paved the way and left their time stamp on the month of March; creating a need for more arenas to explore, more music to enjoy and more venues to rock down. Some of the past performers include Godfather of hiplife, Reggie Rockstone; the tongue twisting

Ofori Amponsah Headlines BDN’s Ghana Independence Celebrations in US

Tic Tac; the energetic ViP; the innovative Mzbel; the king of africa dancehall, Samini; and the soothing crooner, Kwabena Kwabena.

Proceeds from the BDN Real Vision Tour will be contributed to the Youth institute of Science & Technology School-Agogo, 4real4kids and BDN Vision international Music & education programs.

See tour dates and venues below:

NYC, March 26th 2011houston, april 2nd, 2011Dallas, april 9th 2011Philly, april 16th 2011Columbus, april 23rd 2011worcester, april 30th 2011aTL, May 7th 2011Denver, May 14th2011Fraser-Daconwashington DC/MD, May

28th 2011Chicago, to be announcedLos angeles, to be announced

O n S at u r d ay Ja nu a r y 15th, 2011, Ghawood angel Productions in collaboration w i t h 3 G M e d i a h o s t e d Nollywood USa Producers awards Night & Premiere of the movie "exposure" at the hampton Conference Center, Capitol heights, Maryland. The event, which served as an opportunity to commend movie independent african movie producers in the United States, was attended by Ghana’s ambassador to the United States, H.E. Daniel Ohene-Agyekum as well as H.E. Joseph Foe atangana, Cameroonian ambassador to the States. The ceremony started hours later than advertised and reported movie celebrities, including the lead stars for the premiered move

Nollywood Producers Awards Night“Exposure” Vida Darko and Ramsey Nuoah, were noticeably absent. however, celebrated Chet Anikwe and established movie directors and producers who graced the occasion made it a historic one indeed. Coordinated by Nana ama Serwa ampem, an independent african movie producer, there were smiles to go around as pioneers in the movie industry including John Uche and Boyce Uboh were duly recognized for the contribution to independent african films. Below are a list of the honorees:

augustine Chima of Chima Movie empire | Boyce Uboh o f S c r e e n s c o p e P i c t u r e s LLC | Mohamed Conteh of Medish Movie Productions | Chisom Oz'Lee of Best icon Productions | Tony abulu of

Filmmakers Association of Nigeria, USa | Koby Maxwell of Okwensy Production GMP| Akim Macauley of Camwood Production | Gifty Adu-Darko of Jamaden Productions| Roy Madu of Marinba Productions | John Uche of Divine Visions international Studios | Bethels agomuoh of africamovies.com | Michael Nwaesei of M&M Global Productions | Felix Nnorom | Moses adedeji of 2PM Movie Production | Joy Orie (JJ Bunny) of JJ Bunny Productions |

Oliver Mbamara of african events Productions | Daniel acquah of Big Dan Productions | Nana ama Serwaah ampem of Ghawood angel Productions.

cOMpUtEr JOKEBuy a Mac

I was just having a conversation with someone who is about to buy a Mac.

I was against it and an argument started.

I said there were too few people supporting the Mac.

He responded, "When was the last time you heard of a virus on a Mac?"

And I said "See, even people who write viruses don't support Macs."


HOUr OF INSPIrATION - MONDAYS: 11:30AM - 12:00NOONMuriel Vanderpuye, Call of Esther MinistriesHOUr OF DECISION - TUESDAYS: 11:30AM - 12:00NOONPastor Kwasi Gyimah, The Church of the Living God, VAHOUr OF EXPOSUrE - WEDNESDAY: 11:00AM - 12:00NOONPastor Anthony Akerele, Mountain of Fire & Miracles, VATIME WITH THE KING - THUrSDAYS: 11:30AM - 12:00NOONRev. Mark Asiedu Frimpong, Christ the King Presbyterian Church, MDTHE HOUr OF ANOINTING - FrIDAYS: 11:00AM - 11:30AMApostle Ayvel Kwabena Arnolds Springs Gate Chapel, VAWESlEY TIME - FrIDAYS: 11:30AM - 12:00NOONRev. Emmanuel Nkrumah, Ghana Wesley United Methodist Church, VAlET’S TAlK NOW - MONDAYS - FrIDAYS: 1:00PM - 2:00PM Sonny VanderpuyeDrIVE TIME - MONDAYS - FrIDAYS: 4:00PM - 6:00PMKomla Odade3NEWS - WEEKDAYS: 7:00PMRose Nabia

www.sunl ight rad io .comPROGRAMS & PRESENTERS

lOVE lANE - MONDAYS, WEDNESDAY & FrIDAY: 9:00PM - 11:00PMDr. Love & Araba DadsonArOUND TOWN - FrIDAYS: 3:00PM - 4:00PM Michelle WireduKYErE WO ADWENE - FrIDAYS: 6:00PM - 9:00PMJoe MainooCOMMAND THE MOrNING - WEEKENDS: 7:00AM -8:00AM Minister Clarence RobertsHEAlING rAIN - SATUrDAYS: 10:30AM - 11:00AMMuriel VanderpuyerEAl TAlK WITH rEAl PEOPlE - SATUrDAYS: 11:30AM - 1:00PMJL & Reggie LoveTHE BASEMENT - SATUrDAYS: 1:00PM - 3:00PMStagoYOUTH TAlK - SATUrDAYS: 3:00PM - 5:00PM Lady MFAMIlY MATTErS - SUNDAYS: 5:00PM - 6:00PM Muriel VanderpuyeGOD’S PrOMISES - SUNDAYS: 6:00PM - 7:00PM Evangelist Harry AgyemanHOUr OF GrACE - SUNDAYS: 7:00PM -8:30PM Pastor Albert Ocran & Elder Isaac Opoku

For all programs on Sunlight Radio go to www.sunlight.com follow on us on twitter @sunlightradio


KUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBANKUBAN

Fashion

‘50s, 60s, 70s, 80s & 90swith Snowmaggedon behind us and an improving

economy, there isn’t a massive change in the tangent of fashion. Fashionistas continue shopping and dressing with a subtle consumption mixed with quality. i will focus on only two trends for this season.

Just as the '50s and '60s are back, so too are particular elements of the all too rambunctious '70s. There are two main aesthetics: '70s bohemian and '70s sophisticated glamour. The ‘70s sophisticated glamour dresses fall like shimmering water in the evening and high-waist pants are paired with elegant blouses by day. Neat bow-blouses, especially ones with billowing or bishop sleeves in silk and satin are great.

By night, the '70s sophisticate turns into the ultimate socialite, with look-at-me shimmering fabrics and cuts that either tightly hug or sensually drape over the body with ‘deadly’ slits. There are more ways to get lots of wear out of key seventies pieces. As of spring 2011 the military fashion trend will have been with us for over a decade. it is showing up on some variants of the motorcycle chic trends sometimes called ‘Biker Chic’.

Everything from boring blacks to statement silvers have been designed for the statement military jacket, doing away with the ‘Brando jacket’. So now there’s a motorcycle jacket that combines the military and Brando styles and can be found at Balmain’s pre-spring 2011 collection. There is a skirted alternative to the biker pants. One I saw had some quilt-like padding on the sides.

This season’s biker pants are not only in black as usual, but different neutral tones like Christopher Bailey's leather motorcycle pants for Burberry with mesh side-panels and an exposed, feature zip are on the scene. As with other elements of the bike chic trend, it's all about the detail. Panels, quilting and padding, and zips all add to the tough yet ultra-slick and modern look of the biker pants.

This fall, distinctive color trends stand out. Bronze tones, pale gold and olive shades are paramount. Midnight blue and silver, as well as shades of grey intertwined also will be visible. Mysterious shades of forest green and plum, deep violet with silver fi nishes, luscious shades of hot pink, burnt orange tones, and the shades of raw canvas, all add to the fall fi esta.

Finally, be sure to account for greenish yellow tones rhythmically fused with bold aquamarine and dark sienna, and copper tones with royal blue velvet.

To fi nd Kuban’s work visit: www.kubanart.com

FaShiON KOTi: My dear sisters the word “Chic” was coined for you!!!! i mean sleaze is not the word. Maybe GOGO! I’ve spoken my mind alas! I look at some parties that you go to and then you yourself dey feel shy afterward. Right there at the party because you look ridiculous showing off your upper twins. I mean everything is hanging out save the nipples. Oh and you back side is almost popping out of your skirt in case you forgot you wore a MINI skirt and now you are not in the comfort of home. heLLLLLOOOOO. Reporting!


Presenters

pastor Kwasi Gyimah hercule Johnson reggie love Michelle Wiredu

Muriel Vanderpuye rev. Mark Asiedu Frimpong pastor Anthony Arkerele pastor yaw Nkansah

Joe Mainoo Evangelist harry Agyeman lady M Sonny Vanderpuye

rose Nabia Apostle Ayvel K. Arnolds rev. Emmanuel Nkrumah Stago

pastor Albert Ocrah John luke Elder Isaac Opoku Araba dadson

dr. love Komla the Odade3 (twitter: @Komlaradio) clarence roberts pastor Frank Opoku Amoako


Ghana ’s in te r nat iona l music star Rocky Dawuni has leveraged his popularity within and without of the Continent to champion social causes and inspire a generation of artists and fans alike. Dawuni’s eloquence as well as his successful melding of musical celebrity and social action has made him a spokesperson for various causes worldwide. Over the last few years, Rocky’s music and electric live performances have attracted thousands to his concerts. Superstars such as Stevie wonder and Peter Gabriel have joined him on stage at his shows to tremendous response.

Rocky's 5th studio album, hymns for the Rebel Soul was exclusively pre-released through Whole Foods Market in late 2009 and worldwide on iTunes on May 25, 2010. (The album was launched in Ghana in March 2010.) This new 11 song album was inspired and written over the course of his travels around the world particularly israel, Finland, Jamaica, U.S. and Ghana in his quest to articulate and craft a record that reflected the common spiritual, political and social aspirations of ordinary folks around the world.

with the songs written, the main tracking and recording took place in Los angeles during the transformative period of the 2008 U.S. presidential election and concluded on inauguration day. Rocky sees this album as a musical exploration in global consciousness.

Since its release, hymns has enjoyed rave reviews across various media with virtually all of the tracks on the album enjoying massive airplay and charting on various radio stations across the USa. The album reached # 3 on the CMJ world Charts that monitors airplay across the over 200 radio stations that report to these charts. The album has garnered amazing remixes from the likes of DJ J-Boogie, DJ Obah, DJ Jeremy Sole & DJ Drez which are gaining momentum worldwide in the clubs and on radio. Rocky is planning on putting together an eP of these remixes so please keep a look out for that!

Video Game Giant ea (electronic arts) has licensed the first track off the album Download the Revolution for their FiFa Soccer 2010 video game which has sold millions

of copies already. ea has also licensed african Reggae Fever for their brand new FiFa world Cup 2010 video game which was released in May 2010. (Two tracks from his previous recording Book of Changes were also featured on ea’s FiFa 2008 and Sims video games.)

i n t h e U S, D aw u n i ’ s progressive fusion of Reggae, Soul and traditional african sounds, have been making steady inroads in the entertainment industry. he can be seen/heard alongside Bono from U2 in the video and song remake of War /No more Trouble for the highly successful Playing for Change: Songs around the world album which was released by Concord Music in april 2009 and has sold over 300,000 copies.

Rocky has received extensive airplay on flagship stations like KCRw as well as prominent exposure on hit TV shows like Weeds, ER and Dexter. Rocky recently performed live with his full band on the tastemaker "Morning Becomes eclectic" ( KC Rw ) w i t h D J Ja s o n Bentley on September 8, 2010. his voice can also be heard on the theme song for The Goode Family on primetime aBC Television. Rocky’s rendition of John Lennon’s well well well was featured on the highly successful Deluxe edition of instant Kar ma: amnesty international Campaign to Save Darfur. The warner Brothers release featured global stars including Black Eyed Peas, Jack Johnson, Christina aguillera, U2 and more. Rocky Dawuni was featured with other global stars on the upcoming a Tribute to a Legend (Bob Marley) with his rendition of Sun is Shining which was released by Putumayo Records in July 2010.

Dawuni is creator and h e a d l i n e r o f h i s a n nu a l music festival Rocky Dawuni independence Splash held every March 6th in his native Ghana which is produced by his NGO africa Live! The annual event

in Ghana attracts upwards of 30,000 people every year and has become the rallying point for his extensive humanitarian and advocacy work on clean water, hiV aiDS, poverty eradication and girl child education issues. Dawuni has made several extensive trips throughout Northern Ghana in conjunction with UNiCeF & the Carter Center, helping to shed light on the acute water / sanitation problems and helping to spur practical and sustainable solutions reflective of his ongoing quest to use music as a tool for social development. Rocky has served as a personality for Product (ReD) led by U2’s front man Bono and Bobby Shriver supporting The Global Fund’s initiatives on hiV/ aiDs in africa.

Rocky is also the brainchild of Los angeles’ world renown Thursday night club, afro Funke’, which has been the premier african based night in Los angeles for over 7 years. Afro Funke’ is frequented by an extremely diverse clientele of all ethnicities and ages who are drawn to the incredible music and ambiance of the night. his presence there also draws a cross section of celebrities who enjoy soaking in the vibes with him including Prince, india.arie, Stevie wonder, Reverend Michael Beck with (The Secret) and many more.

On the touring front, 2009 saw Rocky perform in Bali, indonesia where he headlined the Balispirit Festival for his first appearances in Se asia. he went on to headline the Fowler Museum at UCLa for a semi-acoustic set for the Afro Funke’ Night @ the Fowler. Rocky Dawuni & the Revelation Project were invited to open the Grand Performances Season at California Plaza in Downtown Los angeles with his full 12 piece band. he invited very special guests South africa legend Vusi Mahlasela, Grammy award winning Blues musician

Keb Mo and Jazz superstar Ronnie Laws to join him during this unbelievable performance attended by over 4000 fans! immediately following this show, Rocky took off for a European tour of Germany and austria to tremendous response. Rocky closed out the year with two shows presented by Afro Funke’ & PUMa for the "african Soccer Fever" events (to coincide with his remix track of the same name) he created in Los angeles Thursday, December 3rd at Afro Funke’ (Zanzibar) and San Francisco Friday, December 4th at The Elbo Room to AMAZING response!

2010 began with Rocky performing at the Vatican sponsored “Journey of the Spirit Festival” in mid January in Rome. From there Rocky took off for his homeland of Ghana to release "hymns for the Rebel Soul" at a lavish launch party at Citizen Kofi in Osu, accra. Dawuni then launched a west coast tour in the US in early July with show stopping performances at The waterfront Theatre in Marina Del Rey before headlining the esteemed esalen world Music in Big Sur, Ca and the worldOne Festival in Berkeley, CA before launching a two month european . The european leg of the concerts has met very enthusiastic crowds from Germany to austria to Finland to France and the UK including him headlining the massive africa Tage Festival in Vienna austria with angelique Kidjo.

Rocky Dawuni was back in the US for a large scale free show at Levitt Pavilion in Macarthur Park in Los Angeles on September 5th. Next up is the massive “we Day” festival in Toronto, Canada on September 30 followed by the hawaii Spirit Festival in Oahu in late October 2010!

what’s up next for africa’s shining star? Stay tuned…

funding put the regulatory body in a compromising position, undermining the ability of members to operate courageously and independently.

a general opinion is that Ghana has, over the years, failed to build its institutions to be independent such that many state bodies have become tools for manipulation by politicians, as well as, avenues for creating ‘jobs for the boys’ and consequently, rendering such institutions ineffective.

On other platfor ms, it has been suggested that the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has been seemingly ineffective in the

performance of its functions because the Chair man i s appointed by the President. Consequently, the regular change of the Commission’s chairperson has resulted in inconsistent leadership, hampering the operations of the Commission.

To avert a similar fate b e f a l l i n g t h e Pe t r o l e u m Commission, participants of Friday’s meeting proposed that, at least, the CeO position should be advertised and applied for by qualified persons.

it was also argued that the appointment of members of the board under article 70 of the constitution will put another burden on the public purse. Organizers hinted of their intention to table a proposal

for the amendment of article 195 of the Constitution which provides that the power to appoint persons to public offices shall be vested in the President.

it was also suggested that funding for the regulator should be approved directly from the presidency instead of the Ministry. By Frederick Asiamah

Father arraigned for murder of step-

daughter

Fa t h e r w h o a l l e g e d l y conspired with two others to murder his 26-year-old step-daughter after gang-raping her has been arraigned before the Tema District Magistrate Court.

Along with him in the dock are his two conspirators, Kwaku

Cont’d from 19 Obeng Debrah, 44, and Paul Yaw adu, both drivers.

The step-daughter, Mavis Owusu, was said to have been a witness in a case against her father, Kwabena Twum, 48, a plumber.

Chief inspector emmanuel addai told the court, presided over by Mrs Johana Yankson, that the deceased, a seamstress by profession, resided with Twum and her mother at washington, a suburb of Zeenu near Ashaiman in the Tema metropolis.

according to him, the deceased often went round the community with her sewing machine to mend clothes for residents.

he stated that the deceased, who had gone on her usual

rounds on December 31, 2010, was later found dead and lying naked in a supine position in an uncompleted building, with bloodstains all over her body, while her sewing machine was placed some five metres away.

The prosecutor stated that Kwabena Twum, upon hearing the report, went to identify the deceased as a family member and thereafter left the scene and went into hiding.

after investigations, the police arrested Twum at his hideout and later arrested the two other accused persons at ashaiman.

A post-mortem report on the deceased suggested that she had been gang-raped before being murdered.


GHANA WESlEY

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in Woodbridge:St. Paul United Methodist Church1400 G St., Woodbridge, VA. 22191

11:00am - 12:00noon

in Arlington: Calvary United Methodist Church

2315 South Grant St., Arlington, VA 222021:00pm - 3:00pm

Offi ciating Minister: Rev. Emmanuel NkrumahFor further details please call: 703.342.7886

UNITED METHODIST CHUrCH


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