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Transcript
00:00:00 A very good morning to you.
00:00:02 Welcome to Friday on the AM Show.
00:00:04 It's a wet morning.
00:00:05 It's quite a struggle out there, but we're here doing what we do best for love of God
00:00:10 and of you, of our country.
00:00:12 From where we are to you where you are, we say good morning.
00:00:16 Now here's what you can expect on the AM Show this morning as we serve it to you hot, hot,
00:00:21 hot.
00:00:22 The Nigerians will say wato, wato.
00:00:23 And so right after the news, we'll hit the news review.
00:00:28 You know how we do it on a Friday morning.
00:00:29 We'll be bringing you that.
00:00:30 And then right after that, we'll veer into sports.
00:00:33 And today on Prime Take, Mufti Nabila Abdollahi engages Black Stars and Ashdod left back Montari
00:00:40 Khamenei.
00:00:41 You want to look forward to that.
00:00:43 He shares the story of how he rose from the sandy patches or pitches, if you like, in
00:00:49 Yagaba, Kubari to the green fields and floodlights in faraway Israel.
00:00:59 Well that's one you want to stay for.
00:01:01 And right after that, I will be serving you this week's dose of Blank Thoughts.
00:01:05 You don't want to miss this morning's edition.
00:01:07 I'll be focusing on a number of crucial matters, including sky trains and where our
00:01:12 economy finds itself.
00:01:13 Stay tuned for that.
00:01:15 Well, then we get into our big stories and we've got our eyes focused on the governing
00:01:19 new patriotic party's flag bearership race.
00:01:22 Now there was a meeting yesterday.
00:01:23 We'll be sharing the details of that meeting with you while there still remain allegations
00:01:30 and rumors about the party mechanisms that they are going to be using and how some people
00:01:35 feel disgruntled.
00:01:36 But what is the party saying?
00:01:38 We'll bring you details of that later on the show.
00:01:42 We'll also bring you the latest on the leaked audio tape seemingly aimed at ousting Inspector
00:01:49 General of Police, Dr. George Ekufu-Dampari.
00:01:53 What is truth?
00:01:54 What is fiction?
00:01:55 What is fact?
00:01:56 What is fiction?
00:01:57 We'll be bringing you that.
00:01:58 And today, we also have a conversation with flag bearer of the Liberal Party of Ghana,
00:02:02 Kofi Akpalu.
00:02:03 He has a lot that he wants to talk about based on current circumstances in the country.
00:02:08 We'll be bringing you that conversation as well.
00:02:11 And also, we have a conversation on COVID-19.
00:02:14 Oh no, it's not gone anywhere.
00:02:17 It's still with us.
00:02:19 Now the Ghana Health Service says a major part of the population is yet to fully vaccinate
00:02:23 against the virus.
00:02:25 So it's stepped up its game this week to get us all fully vaccinated.
00:02:29 But what is the drive?
00:02:30 What is the aim of this drive?
00:02:32 In the end, we'll be hosting Dr. Kwame Mponsa-Achiano.
00:02:35 He's program manager, expanded program on immunization at the Ghana Health Service.
00:02:42 And then finally, we'd host the final finalist.
00:02:45 There have been five of them.
00:02:47 Two came two days ago, another two yesterday.
00:02:50 Today, we'll be hosting the last finalist for Joy Prime's Cues and Lyrics show, Kwame
00:02:56 Mponsa-Achiano.
00:02:57 You want to stay as we get interactive with all of these people.
00:03:02 So stick and stay.
00:03:03 We'll be right back with the news.
00:03:30 Thank you for staying with us for the news.
00:03:32 Let's get into our first story now.
00:03:34 42-year-old John Dima left his sumptuous job at the National Health Insurance Authority
00:03:40 and went into farming.
00:03:42 He initially had some challenges raising capital and also getting machinery for his newfound
00:03:47 job that he had a passion for.
00:03:50 Now after almost 14 years into farming, John Dima, who is the reigning overall Upper West
00:03:56 Regional Best Farmer, tells of his success story to join us as Upper West Regional correspondent
00:04:02 Rafik Salaam, who visited his thousand acre farms at Jefesee in the Sisila West District
00:04:08 of the Upper West Region.
00:04:12 John Dima, after acquiring a first degree in management studies at the Kumasi University
00:04:17 College of Management Studies, U-Coms, that enabled him to acquire a white collar job
00:04:22 at the National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA, went into small scale farming some 14
00:04:29 years ago.
00:04:30 He has a passion for farming and saw his entry into the sector as a colon, thus explaining
00:04:48 why he caught short in stint at the NHIA.
00:05:18 He has no regrets for taking that decision.
00:05:21 John Dima is now a commercial farmer and now Chief Executive Officer of the Gobele Agric
00:05:27 and Business Ventures and has employed dozens of people.
00:05:31 I have been able to employ a permanent staff of 16 permanent workers who are paid on a
00:05:38 monthly basis.
00:05:41 We have casual workers that we handle over here on a busy day like today that we are
00:05:47 standing.
00:05:48 We bring no less than 100 people, they work per day and they are all paid.
00:05:53 So when I see that I've been able to solve someone's problem through agriculture, it's
00:05:59 a lot of motivation to me.
00:06:02 He spoke of the initial challenges that he had, which nearly calmed him down.
00:06:07 When I went into agric, how to even prepare land was a very difficult issue.
00:06:15 Certain tractors, machineries, you have to just do it by yourself.
00:06:20 There is no government policy as of then that will be able to soften the situation for you
00:06:25 to get equipment and other things.
00:06:28 Now as we speak, you have a lot of marketing challenges.
00:06:33 You have gone through all these things, you produce, how to market them, the market is
00:06:37 not structured and all those things.
00:06:39 They are all challenges.
00:06:42 One company that came in handy and it leaned on and which has peddled him to success was
00:06:48 the export trading group ETG.
00:06:50 John Ayanori-Adoku is a sales agronomist.
00:06:54 We've been working with him for the past five years and he has been using the Falcon fertilizer
00:06:59 for his first application and sometimes he comes for the Falcon urea and sulfate for
00:07:04 his top dressing.
00:07:05 And as you can see, the evidence are clear on his field.
00:07:07 You can see the progress of the field and then you can see that Falcon fertilizer and
00:07:12 ETG AgriInput is a trusted brand.
00:07:14 Nwembe Ado-Akwe Kenneth, who serves as the fossil business manager and agronomist, he
00:07:21 has a reliable partner.
00:07:22 He can go home sleeping with both eyes closed.
00:07:26 We are doing an all 1,000 acres here.
00:07:28 We have 300 acres beans to air beans and then 700 bean maize.
00:07:34 But we also run what we call an agro scheme where we outsource the inputs to farmers who
00:07:40 have their own lands and cannot afford the inputs.
00:07:43 So we are able to support them with the input like certified seed, fertilizer and then plant
00:07:48 protection products to be able to farm on their own fields and then they repay the cost
00:07:53 back in grains.
00:07:59 Let's head to Parliament now where the first deputy speaker, Joseph Osewusi, says the eighth
00:08:03 parliament is becoming the worst parliament in Ghana's history as the minority forces
00:08:09 another adjournment.
00:08:10 Now the minority declared earlier this week that they were escalating their protests against
00:08:15 the prosecution of James Jachikwesem.
00:08:18 The new strategy is to continuously raise matters of quorum, literally shutting the
00:08:23 house down every time.
00:08:25 Parliamentary affairs correspondent Kwikwa Sante now reports.
00:08:29 Because Parliament was considering bills including the Ghana UNESCO bill, it became
00:08:33 evident that the house lacked quorum to continue voting.
00:08:36 The minority raised the matter, forcing an early adjournment.
00:08:40 Speaking to JOY News, the deputy speaker explained that he thought the eighth parliament with
00:08:44 its equal numbers would be better but is turning out to be the worst.
00:08:50 We have decided to do politics rather than business.
00:08:53 I'm saying it, this equal number of parliament has brought the worst in MPs.
00:09:02 I've repeated it, I'll repeat it again.
00:09:05 This parliament, eighth parliament, has made the least number of laws.
00:09:14 We have not cooperated as we did in the past.
00:09:19 The deputy speaker also says the leadership on both sides have lost control of the house
00:09:23 to the backbenchers.
00:09:25 Today young people are in control.
00:09:30 They look at things differently from the rest of us.
00:09:33 So it is good for them, even when their leaders agree to do it, check out, it's always people
00:09:41 from the backbench who come to raise these issues, not the leaders.
00:09:45 What it means is that indeed at this time in the parliament of Ghana, leaders don't
00:09:50 have control.
00:09:51 The backbench have control.
00:09:53 So the number of backbench and the orientation of backbench you bring in will determine what
00:10:00 you get.
00:10:01 The whole of this week, parliament has only considered questions and statements, failing
00:10:06 to deal with bills and other weighty matters.
00:10:08 The minority strategy is now to raise quorum issues every time.
00:10:12 The minority chief says cooperation will suffer if their colleagues are still persecuted.
00:10:17 We still remain committed to our statement that in light of this persecution, no cooperation
00:10:26 from us.
00:10:27 Trade and industry minister KT Hamon is concerned that if this trend continues, no key business
00:10:32 will be done in parliament.
00:10:34 And they have explained to us as part of the leadership of the house, because you take
00:10:40 it to a logical conclusion, we can't do anything on the floor of the house, we can't
00:10:43 do any business.
00:10:44 The standing orders are clear.
00:10:45 We have a quorum for doing ordinary business of the house.
00:10:54 We have a quorum for taking decisions.
00:10:57 Minority MP Ibrahim Mutala Mohammed said his side is only enforcing the constitution and
00:11:02 the standing orders of the house.
00:11:04 Business of the house is guided by two very important things.
00:11:09 One, the constitution, two, the standing orders.
00:11:13 Both the constitution and the standing orders are very clear.
00:11:17 That before a decision is taken, you should have a specific number.
00:11:23 And if you are aware, the Supreme Court itself ruled when we had the same challenges in the
00:11:29 matter of the approval of the budget.
00:11:32 In our next story, the National Council and National Executive Committee of the MPP have
00:11:45 unanimously dismissed petitions by some aspirants for the Superdelegates Congress to be held
00:11:51 at a centralized location.
00:11:52 This decision follows the longstanding precedent set in 2014.
00:11:57 Now some aspirants had had earlier raised concerns of organizing the Congress at decentralized
00:12:04 centers citing issues of transparency, but the party's highest decision-making body indicated
00:12:10 that the conference would continue with its regular practice of voting at regional centers.
00:12:15 MPP General Secretary Justin Kodriafor Mpong communicated the decision after the meeting
00:12:20 last night.
00:12:21 The National Council unanimously approved of the recommendation by the voting committee.
00:12:30 Another issue that came up for discussion was with respect to the venue to hold the
00:12:39 Special Electoral College.
00:12:42 After a debate among ourselves, National Council came to the conclusion that the precedent
00:12:51 in 2014 should stand, which means that the Special Delegate College will be held at the
00:13:00 various regions except for one that will be held at headquarters for national offices,
00:13:06 external branches, and members of the National Council of Elders.
00:13:12 Aside that too, National Council also cautioned our aspirants and by extension their campaign
00:13:23 supporters or members that it has taken notice of several unsavory, several repetitive, and
00:13:34 intemperate language that are being used by some aspirants and their supporters.
00:13:41 And that from today onwards, the National Council, without fear or favor, will crack
00:13:48 the RIP if it has to.
00:13:51 And tomorrow we are going to again issue the rules and regulations that were given to the
00:13:59 aspirants to the public so that when we begin to crack the RIP, nobody will state that the
00:14:06 party is being selective, but we will make reference to the rules and regulations.
00:14:12 With respect to the album verification, we also made it known to the aspirant that this
00:14:22 is an internal exercise by the National Party and when this exercise is done, the album
00:14:30 will be made available to the aspirants.
00:14:34 In 2014, they were given the album a week to the elections.
00:14:39 By this time around, we want to give the album to them one month to the special college elections
00:14:45 so that they can go through all the issues, if any, they can be able to bring it up.
00:14:52 Likewise, the November 4 elections also.
00:14:56 So this is an attempt by the National Party to make sure that we have a free, fair, transparent,
00:15:01 and peaceful election.
00:15:03 So we can assure all the aspirants that there's no cause for alarm and everything will be
00:15:08 done in such a manner that will protect and maintain the peace within our party.
00:15:16 Well Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Mchibwesiako, says
00:15:20 the Vice President has been accepted by the region as the formidable candidate to win
00:15:25 the 2024 general election for the NPP.
00:15:28 Dr Mahmoud Boumia has been campaigning across all 47 constituencies in the Ashanti region
00:15:35 ahead of the NPP's presidential primary.
00:15:37 He wrapped up his campaign in the region on Wednesday after meeting delegates who will
00:15:41 be participating in the August 26th special delegates conference of the party.
00:15:47 Nanawachi Adam now reports from Kumasi.
00:15:50 The Vice President, Dr Mahmoud Boumia, has been in the Ashanti region for the past two
00:15:55 weeks to campaign ahead of the NPP's presidential primary.
00:15:59 Flanked by several high-profile figures of the party, including members of parliament,
00:16:04 regional and constituency chairmen, and constituency council of elders, the Vice President told
00:16:09 all 47 constituencies in the region a wrap-up in the Outafo constituency.
00:16:14 Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Mchibwesiako, says the region has decided
00:16:19 to elect Dr Boumia as flag bearer of the party considering his performance as Vice President.
00:16:26 He believes the Buzi Adam Kwadumbu tradition must be upheld by ensuring Dr Boumia leads
00:16:30 the party.
00:16:31 "As we have witnessed and we have heard, it means that the people speak.
00:16:43 And when the people of Ashanti, when they decide, we can change it.
00:16:47 The point is now that Ashanti has decided.
00:16:51 It's about your works, you know, the job, the things that you do will follow you.
00:16:58 People are saying Dam Kwad Buzi Adam Kwadumbu and people are saying Dam Kwad and Buzi has
00:17:05 been said.
00:17:06 You know, so it's time for Adam Kwad."
00:17:10 Member of Parliament for Effijazi and campaign coordinator for Dr Boumia in the Ashanti
00:17:15 region, Nana Ayyufi says the Vice President is in a commanding lead in the region.
00:17:21 "So far so very good.
00:17:24 Your Excellency, definitely in Ashanti region is in a commanding lead by God's grace.
00:17:33 The people of Ashanti love him and in the history of this country as far as NPP is concerned,
00:17:40 wherever Ashanti votes in presidential primaries, they vote unblocked.
00:17:45 The superdelegates, his worst performance would be 85%.
00:17:49 You know, last year I said 80%.
00:17:52 One man to the election, I'm saying 85%.
00:17:54 I know what I'm talking about.
00:17:57 And if you see him trusting and cruising in the 90% as a superdelegate for Ashanti, take
00:18:02 it from me, it would reflect also in November 4th, God willing."
00:18:06 Spokesperson for Dr Boumia, Nana Akomya, says the support the Vice President has received
00:18:12 from the Ashanti region is indication of victory ahead of the presidential primary.
00:18:16 "From the enthusiasm that you've seen in Ashanti region, there's no doubt that the Vice President
00:18:24 is clearly the front runner in this race."
00:18:27 For JOY News, Nana Abouachidangkwa Yadom, Kumasi.
00:18:33 Now flag bearer hopeful, Alan Kodjoe-Chemating has been touring the Oti region to share his
00:18:38 vision with delegates on the need to endorse him to become the party's flag bearer for
00:18:44 the 2024 general election.
00:18:46 Mr Chemating says he is the only aspirant among the 10 with a national appeal to help
00:18:51 the NPP break the eight.
00:18:53 He met delegates from all nine constituencies on a cluster basis.
00:18:57 Peter Sinu has been following his campaign in that region and has come through with this
00:19:02 report.
00:19:03 Alan Kodjoe-Chemating, one of the leading flag bearer aspirants of the New Patriotic
00:19:08 Party, was in the Oti region to meet delegates from all nine constituencies to share his
00:19:13 visions with them as to why they need to endorse his candidature to lead the party into the
00:19:18 2024 general elections.
00:19:20 Sharing his view on why delegates should endorse his candidature, he says he's the only candidate
00:19:27 with a national appeal that will attract floating voters to the party.
00:19:32 He also said he will put all party executives on a payroll such that they can earn some
00:19:37 income for their sacrifices.
00:19:39 [speaking in foreign language]
00:20:09 Some delegates have also been sharing their views on exactly why they are endorsing the
00:20:16 candidature of Alan Kodjoe-Chemating.
00:20:18 We are supporting Alan Kodjoe-Chemating because he said your food is important.
00:20:24 [speaking in foreign language]
00:20:27 [speaking in foreign language]
00:20:48 [speaking in foreign language]
00:21:00 Buba Kar Sadiq Boniface is the national operations commander for Alan's campaign team.
00:21:05 He has also been sharing his views as to why he has left all to support his candidature.
00:21:11 [speaking in foreign language]
00:21:18 [speaking in foreign language]
00:21:28 [speaking in foreign language]
00:21:38 [speaking in foreign language]
00:21:48 [speaking in foreign language]
00:22:10 From the region on the Alan campaign tour, my name is Peter San for Joy News.
00:22:16 And it's on that political note that we cap off the news for this morning.
00:22:20 But stay with us.
00:22:21 Up next, the news review.
00:22:23 We'll be right back.
00:22:25 [music]
00:22:52 Welcome back.
00:22:53 And it's time now for us to get into the news review.
00:22:55 Shortly, I'll be introducing to you the other person who will be joining me for this review.
00:23:03 But for now, thank you for staying with us as we get into the newspapers.
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00:24:17 The end to chronic disease.
00:24:19 But just the start of the news review with my partner in mischief.
00:24:24 Oh, I meant my partner in good things.
00:24:27 Joseph Akamle.
00:24:29 The mischief was mischievous.
00:24:34 Yeah.
00:24:35 I said, "But this morning, you know, I love your boots.
00:24:38 I saw your boots and I fell in love with them."
00:24:41 Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:24:42 I fell in love with your boots.
00:24:44 I got them recently.
00:24:45 They are quite expensive, but I mean--
00:24:48 Oh, really?
00:24:49 --I have to try, yeah.
00:24:50 Really?
00:24:51 Yeah, they are.
00:24:52 And you are living the life, oh.
00:24:53 No, no, no, no, no.
00:24:54 I got liquidity support from various--
00:24:57 Liquidity support just to get boots.
00:24:59 But I've noticed you have this love, this passion for boots.
00:25:03 What is it?
00:25:04 You wouldn't usually--if you find this gentleman, watch him when he's delivering his reports from court.
00:25:09 You would often see him in boots like, you know--
00:25:12 Yeah, I just--
00:25:13 Why is it?
00:25:14 I don't like the flat shoes, you know, the one that has something like underneath it a bit.
00:25:21 When I was a boy, I used to really hate them.
00:25:23 That's all my mom was buying for me, so I always said to myself that--
00:25:26 Oh.
00:25:27 Now that you're a bit older.
00:25:28 Yeah, I always said to myself that when I'm able to afford, I'll just buy what I want to wear.
00:25:32 So, I mean, I'm trying to these days wear what I want to wear.
00:25:35 Yeah, living up to your--anyway, it's good to have you join us this morning.
00:25:39 Like I would usually do with my guests and even my colleagues here when we have the opportunity of doing this.
00:25:45 I'd like to find out from you, what are the highlights of the week for you in terms of those major stories?
00:25:51 You've been in court throughout.
00:25:53 You followed the Jatakwesin trial, the ups and downs.
00:25:56 There's parliament and everything happening there.
00:25:58 And now we have the first deputy speaker, Joe Wise, saying that this is turning out to be the worst parliament in Ghana's history.
00:26:07 What do you make of it?
00:26:08 I mean, I think obviously my highlight should be what's been playing out in parliament and the courts because I've been covering that quite closely.
00:26:18 And I don't think I would have reason to disagree with Joe Wise in terms of his conclusions about how things have gone in parliament.
00:26:27 You think it's turning out to be the worst?
00:26:29 Yes, I don't have any doubt at all.
00:26:31 I mean, a lot of people when parliament became closely pegged,
00:26:36 I mean, the thinking was that it was going to be used to direct government policy.
00:26:42 We've not seen that happen.
00:26:44 I mean, there are test cases, very controversial matters.
00:26:47 Let's pick e-levy for instance.
00:26:49 The parliamentary numbers could not be used to ensure that some form of negotiations take place in order to reach a conclusion where it does not come into force, it came into force.
00:26:58 Yes, some may argue that it went down to 1%, but I mean, the point really is that it is what people did not want.
00:27:04 I mean, we've seen ministers who were appointed and everyone or some analysts made a point that there were too many ministers or some people should not be approved wholesale.
00:27:13 They were all approved wholesale.
00:27:14 I mean, the most recent one was the three new ministers that were approved, the Trade and Industry, our Greek minister.
00:27:20 We had a minority that declared that it was going all out to ensure that they were not going to approve those three individuals because it was going to add on to the numbers.
00:27:28 They were approved anyways.
00:27:30 Fisheries and aquaculture, Mavis Hawakumse.
00:27:32 We saw that.
00:27:33 I mean, she was one person that the minority drew a red line, I mean, above her name, but she ended up getting the highest votes.
00:27:40 She ended up getting the highest votes, surprisingly.
00:27:42 So you're laying the blame at the doorstep of both political parties.
00:27:48 Yes, it's with political parties.
00:27:49 So we've seen the fights, the ranker, Kallos Ahinkra, yesterday was his birthday or so, running away with ballots and getting chased.
00:27:57 We have seen the walkouts and so many others.
00:28:02 We've seen the bloody widow incident, Lydia Alhassan, post the Ayahuasca war gone by election.
00:28:09 But at the same time, some would say this is what democracy is all about, the push and shove, the back and forth.
00:28:18 And that this actually is the best we've had in the Fourth Republic.
00:28:21 What would you say to such people?
00:28:23 I mean, to what end exactly? And that's why the minister points you, the deputy speaker points you to the fact that in terms of laws passed.
00:28:32 And if you remember, the first term under Professor Michael Kwe, that parliament, I remember when they did the review at the end of the session,
00:28:39 the conclusion was that it had passed the most bills in the history of the parliament of Ghana.
00:28:44 I mean, you have the deputy speaker again making the point that if you compare since 2020 till now, this parliament may end up at the end,
00:28:52 as at close of 2024, possibly passing the least number of bills in the history of parliament.
00:28:57 Is the work of parliament restricted to, yes, they are lawmakers, they are lawmakers, but it's also about the quality of bills.
00:29:04 It's not about the quantity of bills.
00:29:06 There are certain bills that have been on the table, on the back burner for a long time that we've been talking about,
00:29:11 which now are actually coming to the fore. I mean, we cannot run away from that.
00:29:16 Granted, no doubt, but if you want to talk about quality, let's look at quality in this week.
00:29:22 One whole week. It's a week where there are questions, and a number of questions were actually filed in the name of the minority members of parliament.
00:29:30 Those questions ended up being answered by the minister.
00:29:33 There wasn't an opportunity for any proper follow-ups or interrogation of those questions as would happen if they were present in the House.
00:29:40 What I'm saying is that it is not unknown to parliamentary culture for MPs to stage walkouts and all those things.
00:29:46 What I'm saying is that this parliament as a house has failed to reach consensus when it mattered most.
00:29:52 It has also failed to use the strength of its members on both sides to force change when it also equally matters most.
00:30:00 So in the end, we have every bit of everything happening.
00:30:03 So there are instances when you don't expect consensus. Consensus is rich behind the scenes.
00:30:08 There are instances where you expect people to use their muscle to stop something. They are unable to stop it.
00:30:14 Like with the e-levy.
00:30:16 So you have a lot of different things happening, but the net effect has not been as impressive as a lot of people would want it to go.
00:30:21 So that is my issue with this particular week and how things have gone on in parliament.
00:30:28 Anyway, so those are his sentiments on happenings going on in recent times.
00:30:35 Let's get into the papers now, Joe. Let's find out what they have to share with us.
00:30:41 You have the finder and the daily guide. It's a bit of a lean morning.
00:30:45 Yes, very lean. I mean, it's almost as though we're dieting.
00:30:49 Yeah, it's a rainy morning though.
00:30:51 Charlie, this kind of morning, if you are coming from certain places, we at least mistake.
00:30:56 You'll be caught somewhere and you will not be able to.
00:30:59 Yeah, it's that kind of morning that too.
00:31:01 Sometimes when you wake up, you say that.
00:31:04 It nearly happened to me.
00:31:06 You'll be in big trouble.
00:31:08 It's very dangerous.
00:31:10 And the rain, especially with our kinds of roads and the craters we have on them,
00:31:16 and then the traffic that springs up all of a sudden when it's raining.
00:31:19 I don't know. It's almost as though the rains always came with traffic.
00:31:25 Like it can even be a dump.
00:31:27 All of a sudden when it starts raining, I think everyone gets in a hurry.
00:31:31 And also because some parts of the road end up being covered by the rain.
00:31:36 The roads do not become as wide as they often are.
00:31:39 So now you see a number of cars using one lane, trying to squeeze through in some degree.
00:31:44 But anyway, we'll soon be done with this season.
00:31:47 All I am looking at is the next rainy season, which is the heavier one.
00:31:51 It's shorter but heavier. And I'm hoping we can put measures in place before then.
00:31:55 So let's get into the papers. You have the Daily Guide, the Finder.
00:31:58 I have the Daily Graphic. Maybe, just maybe, we may add some online portals.
00:32:02 But let's start from your end.
00:32:04 So the Daily Guide reports this morning that the NPP National Executive Committee
00:32:09 discusses special delegate CONFAP, Bugrinabu aids grabbed over leaked IGP tape,
00:32:16 and a Bessin killer for high court is on the front page,
00:32:19 and Cassius mining injunction set for ruling.
00:32:23 Interior Minister must act swiftly, according to the GJA.
00:32:27 The back page has this story about I cried for five days after World Cup exit.
00:32:33 It's coming from Neymar.
00:32:36 A deadly shooting overshadows women's World Cup stats, also on the back page.
00:32:41 And GFA rules out 2023-2024 season roadmap.
00:32:45 And Ghana maintains FIFA ranking is also over there.
00:32:49 So, I mean, a bit of some of the stories that are quite new and broke out yesterday.
00:32:55 I think the NPP one, we know that the party has now indicated that
00:33:00 they actually had a petition that was filed by nine flag-bearer candidates
00:33:05 asking the party leadership to consider the decision to centralize
00:33:09 the August 26th special delegate congress.
00:33:13 Now, according to the petitioners, the plan to hold a special congress on a regional basis
00:33:17 does not sit well with them, arguing that decentralizing an election
00:33:22 with only 900 delegates would not be a wise decision.
00:33:26 And so the petition was sent to the party.
00:33:30 The party met, the high decision-making body met,
00:33:32 and they've come to the conclusion that they would hold it in a decentralized manner.
00:33:38 So what will happen is that there will be voting taking place in all the 16 regions.
00:33:44 Then there will also be one other center at the headquarters
00:33:49 for other national officers and other individuals who will be voting.
00:33:54 What do you make of that position, though?
00:33:56 It's weird. I mean, only 900.
00:33:58 I mean, 900? I found it rather curious.
00:34:02 900 can be like-- I mean, because you know the EC, they've decentralized their polling stations now.
00:34:07 So 900 can be like maybe some two, three polling stations.
00:34:10 It could even in some areas be one.
00:34:12 Yes, it could possibly be one.
00:34:14 So I mean, it begs the question.
00:34:18 So I don't know what the voting arrangements will be on that day.
00:34:21 So for instance, if we are voting across the country and we are done voting,
00:34:26 the number of people on there registering each area, if they are done voting,
00:34:29 do they wait till 5 p.m. before they close voting and transmit it to Accra?
00:34:34 Those dynamics we'll have to find out when the party moves ahead with this.
00:34:39 And of course, the electoral commission also--
00:34:41 But it's interesting that nine of them-- I mean, from our understanding, minus Baumea,
00:34:47 we understand nine of them actually took the view that it should be held in a centralized location.
00:34:54 I don't know.
00:34:56 Why would someone--
00:34:58 I don't find it so surprising because it's always been said that Dr. Baumea is more or less the establishment candidate,
00:35:06 the establishment person.
00:35:08 He grew against establishment, that is, the administrative leadership of the party.
00:35:14 I don't know.
00:35:15 Maybe he has his own opinion and has simply not--
00:35:17 Shared it.
00:35:18 --shared it.
00:35:19 But do you think it's a--
00:35:20 But if nine out of ten are saying, look, we have questions, hard questions on the matter,
00:35:26 I feel the party should listen.
00:35:28 You know, sometimes I feel our two political parties, even in their internal politics,
00:35:32 it's a bit of a take or leave situation.
00:35:35 And this is one of them.
00:35:37 It remains to be seen how the party will roll this out and whether they will, in fact, listen.
00:35:43 Do you think it affects the chances of any of the candidates anyway,
00:35:46 whether we are voting at one location at, say, trade fair,
00:35:49 and whether we are voting across the country, does it increase or decrease anyone's chances?
00:35:53 Give or take, it may, it may not.
00:35:55 Politics is a curious game.
00:35:58 It's an interesting game.
00:35:59 And, of course, when you have everyone in one location--
00:36:01 There are some people who, at the very, you know, at the 11th hour,
00:36:06 may interact with someone else from some other place and get convinced to vote this way or that.
00:36:12 And in a centralized location, I feel then you have that level of accountability.
00:36:17 You know what is going on generally.
00:36:18 The picture is clear.
00:36:20 You remember when the MPP went and John Bwedu was losing.
00:36:24 It is clear.
00:36:25 The writing is on the wall.
00:36:26 You can see that generally this is what is going on.
00:36:28 JFK is winning.
00:36:30 I feel that is the case.
00:36:31 When you spread it across the regions, then someone may be in the Ashanti region and say,
00:36:35 "Oh, this region, the way things went there, I'm not happy.
00:36:39 I don't feel it was this.
00:36:40 I feel that was compromised.
00:36:41 I feel that all of that could have been taken away."
00:36:44 You have everybody at one location and, please, 900 people, really.
00:36:48 And I think the cost as well.
00:36:50 I mean, because, I mean, yes, some of the candidates have the financial muscle
00:36:54 to effectively have a good monitoring system across the system.
00:36:58 I do not think all of them have the capacity to do that.
00:37:01 Not all of them.
00:37:02 I don't want to mention names so it doesn't appear I'm denigrating anybody.
00:37:04 We know some of them.
00:37:05 We know that some would struggle, really struggle.
00:37:07 Yes.
00:37:08 I mean, that is that story from the MPP.
00:37:10 There is this other one about Mugwe Nambu.
00:37:12 You know this.
00:37:13 Is it about the leaked tape?
00:37:14 Yes.
00:37:15 The alleged plot to remove the IGP.
00:37:18 He had an interview with Oyer Pes Parker-Wilson.
00:37:21 There are parts of the interview where he effectively confirms that the recording took place at his place
00:37:27 because he says they had come to see him, to complain to him about a senior party official.
00:37:32 And we are told that two of his aides have been arrested.
00:37:36 So he says, "Well, this morning they took the lead that they were going to work.
00:37:40 My personal aide, SK, and then my reception.
00:37:43 So they've both been arrested."
00:37:45 And so I heard from Parliament too.
00:37:48 James Agalgon on the Interior Security and Defence Committee.
00:37:52 There's a special committee that has been set up to investigate the matter.
00:37:57 Bipartisan.
00:37:58 Yes.
00:37:59 He says this makes their work easier because they have someone who has admitted to the fact that the recording took place at his place.
00:38:05 So that effectively authenticates the content of the tape to an extent.
00:38:10 And they will invite Mugwe Nambu to...
00:38:13 You know, who was it that came on this show?
00:38:16 There was someone.
00:38:18 And the person said, "Look, if the authorities really want to get into this,
00:38:24 all they have to do is go to Mugwe Nambu."
00:38:28 Why?
00:38:29 He's a very honest man, and if it did happen, he'll own up and say, "This is what transpired."
00:38:35 I think it was an NDC member of Parliament who said that.
00:38:40 We didn't even know how Mugwe Nambu was connected to this.
00:38:43 Yeah, that's true.
00:38:45 We had just heard that it had been conducted in his premises, at his residence.
00:38:51 But I mean, everyone seemed to, for some reason...
00:38:53 And now he's actually come out to confirm that it did take place,
00:38:57 and what we do not know is the motive behind the recording.
00:39:03 Anyway.
00:39:05 Some other story in the Daily Guide.
00:39:08 There's this mining fight between government and Cassius Mining,
00:39:13 and we are told that an Akrari court has set July 31 to give a ruling on an application
00:39:18 for interim injunction filed by the Attorney General seeking to restrain Cassius Mining Limited
00:39:23 from filing another international arbitration against the government of Ghana.
00:39:27 So on that day, they would also make a decision on a preliminary objection
00:39:30 by the lawyers for the Australian company regarding the propriety or otherwise
00:39:34 of the action initiated against it.
00:39:36 So the Attorney General is seeking to restrain the company from pursuing any arbitration
00:39:41 outside Ghana until the pending arbitration process in Ghana,
00:39:46 the Ghana Arbitration Centre, are concluded.
00:39:49 And the company had actually dragged Ghana to an international arbitration centre
00:39:53 demanding $300 million.
00:39:56 But the AG says, under their mining perspective...
00:40:00 They want to take all our IMF money.
00:40:03 That's literally half of what...
00:40:05 And if you look at the attendant costs, surrounding costs,
00:40:08 it's actually more than that sum of $300 million.
00:40:11 You can see why the AG is fighting this one out.
00:40:14 Black Sheriff arrested...
00:40:15 I was just about to say, what's up with Black Sheriff?
00:40:18 So what does the story say?
00:40:20 And let's talk about what is also out there on social media.
00:40:23 What really happened?
00:40:25 The story says he was reportedly arrested at the Kutsuka International Airport on Wednesday
00:40:29 upon his return from a trip.
00:40:31 He was picked up by personnel of the Criminal Investigations Department
00:40:34 of the Ghana Police Service for his failure to honour his side of a contractual obligation
00:40:38 to perform at a show in Greece.
00:40:41 According to a Kofi TV report, he was stopped upon arrival
00:40:44 because his name had been placed on a stop list.
00:40:46 The report indicated that he was taken to the police headquarters in Accra
00:40:50 for further investigation.
00:40:52 Details of the alleged arrest added that he was to perform in Greece on a cruise ship
00:40:57 on July 4.
00:40:58 He charged $40,000 and he was paid half of the money ahead of the concert.
00:41:03 He was to be paid the rest of the money after the concert.
00:41:06 Unfortunately, he didn't show up in Greece for the concert.
00:41:09 The organisers have therefore decided to take up the matter with the police.
00:41:13 And the video on social media captured Black Sheriff being let out of the airport by the police.
00:41:19 The villain, the villain who never was Black Sheriff.
00:41:24 It appears in this instance he just might be an actual villain.
00:41:27 But some of what I have read on social media, and of course this still,
00:41:31 it's still a bit sketchy.
00:41:33 We've seen one Danny something, you know, speaking to the issues.
00:41:37 But apparently there was a $20,000, so a $40,000 deal.
00:41:42 Yeah, that was a charge.
00:41:43 Half paid the first time, half upon actually carrying out the service
00:41:48 that he was supposed to render on this yacht or whatever in Greece.
00:41:54 Okay, but I tell you, it's a full of chocolate.
00:41:56 Anyway, anyway, so that is just by the side.
00:41:59 And then apparently he's supposed to make some promos or something,
00:42:05 which were not a part of the contract, which he is not allowed to do.
00:42:09 And apparently some people, some people, the Gramps Morgans and the rest,
00:42:13 Yeah, I said they tried to get it just.
00:42:15 come in and apparently his management calls their bluff about three, you know, Baba Sadiq among others.
00:42:23 And then their bluff is called.
00:42:25 And then finally, this is the action taken.
00:42:27 But if that is the trajectory, then I feel Black Sheriffs Management,
00:42:33 there may be some question marks in there because then they've exposed their artiste to unnecessary ridicule.
00:42:40 And you never know what such, you know, I learned from the Kilekuda happening with national security and all of that.
00:42:48 It's a very dicey, you know, I know someone very close to him.
00:42:53 I know him, but we are not that close.
00:42:55 But some of what I got to know, you know, you have to be very careful.
00:42:59 Some people, it's very how they are dealt with in this instance.
00:43:03 It can impact them in a lot of ways.
00:43:05 And I feel sad that because he has brought a lot of positives, attention to Ghana and all of that.
00:43:11 This is a negative I wasn't, I wasn't expecting.
00:43:14 I mean, for me, I had the gentleman who claimed to have broken their deal.
00:43:19 And from what I heard from him, I also came to the same conclusion that I think our artists,
00:43:24 some of them are not taking management seriously.
00:43:26 I think some of them are doing so actually, because the discussions on social media,
00:43:31 one was someone was also making a point that if you pick someone like Sarkodie, he's been in the game for a while.
00:43:36 I don't recall any publication I've heard somewhere that Sarkodie is taking money from someone.
00:43:41 I've heard it with a number of other artists in some instances.
00:43:44 I mean, and even when they do, even Burna Boy, there are places where, and then apologies will be issued.
00:43:50 The right thing would be done.
00:43:51 I think this, what's his name? Oduyu, Oduyu, what's his name?
00:43:54 Yeah, yeah.
00:43:55 Is it Kisdanio?
00:43:56 Kisdanio.
00:43:57 He was supposed to be in Ghana.
00:43:58 Was it Tanzania, Ghana, among others?
00:44:00 Yeah.
00:44:01 I mean, you must do the right things.
00:44:02 Yes.
00:44:03 Madonna had to cancel an entire, but that one, there are medical reasons.
00:44:06 There's nothing, it's a force majeure situation.
00:44:09 Yes, but you ought to communicate.
00:44:10 Exactly.
00:44:11 Exactly the point I was getting at.
00:44:13 And you see, even my initial instinct is to say that, look, why is the police arresting him?
00:44:18 It's a contract.
00:44:19 They should sue him for breach of contract.
00:44:20 But then again, my suspicion is that they may be trying to contact him and they are not getting them.
00:44:24 And so in this case, they will actually possibly be filing a defrauding by force.
00:44:28 Honestly, I feel the arrest was a bit of overkill.
00:44:31 I feel it was unnecessary.
00:44:32 I feel, from where I sit.
00:44:34 But there are processes to trigger.
00:44:36 But, but, but.
00:44:37 There are processes to trigger.
00:44:38 But, but, but.
00:44:39 I mean, I had a gentleman, he says, we can't find him.
00:44:41 So, I mean, instead of going under a breach of contract, you walk to the police station and say that this guy took your $20,000 that you were going to come and see.
00:44:48 He's defrauded me, so to speak.
00:44:49 He didn't come, so he's defrauded me.
00:44:50 And the police would have to arrest.
00:44:52 So it changes the whole dynamics of a breach of contract into a possible crime that has been committed.
00:44:56 But one thing is for sure, I want to hope that artists in the country will learn a lesson from this.
00:45:03 If you are entering any contractual arrangement with someone, better know what the fine print is and if they expect X, Y, Z of you.
00:45:12 I mean, there are some things I've been doing for some entities over the years.
00:45:16 You know exactly what is expected of you.
00:45:18 So you don't go outside of that.
00:45:20 If you do, you are in breach and you will be held liable.
00:45:23 It's just a sorry situation.
00:45:24 But unfortunately, we've actually not heard from Black Shave.
00:45:27 Yeah, he's come.
00:45:28 Directly, so we'll be looking forward to hear from them.
00:45:31 But, I mean, I love Black, yeah, he's the champion.
00:45:36 Charlie, some of his, I was just, he has a song with "Our Day" or something.
00:45:42 Sometimes the way he starts a song, the way he comes in, like, hot, oil in my head.
00:45:48 Yes, yes.
00:45:49 No, no, no preliminary.
00:45:53 Like he comes in, boom.
00:45:55 It's not like, you know, artists usually will warm you into a song.
00:45:58 Like, he's coming like a Taliban.
00:46:01 Like he comes in hot and the beats in.
00:46:03 I was driving the other day with someone and I was like, Charlie, this song, the way the guy starts.
00:46:08 You know, you know, they take it out.
00:46:10 The fireman.
00:46:11 Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:46:12 That's my morning, oil in my head is my morning drive song.
00:46:14 And, you know, he said something interesting some time ago.
00:46:16 And that's why I'm expecting a song when it comes out.
00:46:18 He said that he's a musician.
00:46:21 He said he doesn't waste stories.
00:46:23 So when something happens to him, he's not going to tweet about it or.
00:46:28 Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:46:29 Put it in a song.
00:46:30 Next best thing.
00:46:31 Charlie said that his producers are always, they have a lot of beats.
00:46:34 So Charlie, once the beat's there, he can't waste the story.
00:46:37 You put it on the beat and make money from it.
00:46:40 And that's one thing I think Anish is carving out for himself.
00:46:43 If you look at rappers and all that, that's why Nas would be hailed over a Jay Z.
00:46:48 I love Nas.
00:46:49 Many more platinum.
00:46:50 I prefer Nas to Jay Z.
00:46:52 He's a storyteller.
00:46:53 Yeah, storyteller.
00:46:54 For some people, the foremost storyteller in terms of rap music.
00:46:58 He's not your typical word play, rhyme kind of guy.
00:47:01 No, no.
00:47:02 But he's telling you a story.
00:47:03 Listen to Sabaali, for example, with Damien Mali.
00:47:05 Damien Mali, I love it.
00:47:06 Let's get into some other stories.
00:47:07 The Finder, we have just about five minutes.
00:47:09 And then, so you finish with The Finder, and then I'll get into the beat.
00:47:12 So quickly, the front page stories on The Finder.
00:47:14 Portuguese President Lourdes Ganes, good democratic culture.
00:47:18 And nine MPP flag bearer who forced demand centralized special delegates conference.
00:47:22 Okay, it's been turned down, like we know.
00:47:24 A new register for special delegates conference to be ready by end of week is from Justin Fempon Koduya.
00:47:30 And road crashes killed 1,086 in six months.
00:47:34 Motorcycles alone killed a staggering 459 persons.
00:47:39 And so those are the stories on in the Finder news.
00:47:45 But I think I'll do the daily graphic now.
00:47:47 All right.
00:47:48 There's this message that comes through.
00:47:49 Albert Kea Jay says, "I am praying for the day that the media will stop talking about the MPP and the NDC,
00:47:54 but the party themselves will buy their own airtime to propagate their contributions to the nation building.
00:47:59 It's a two-way street.
00:48:00 If you see us covering an event of this, full scale like that, they have paid for it.
00:48:06 But when you see us engaging them on policy matters, on governance matters, of course, what would you expect us to do?
00:48:13 We'd have to bring them here so that we can hold their feet to the fire of accountability.
00:48:19 So it's a two-way street, my brother.
00:48:21 Anyway, let's do the daily graphic.
00:48:23 2023 National Insurance Fair, only 1% of public insured.
00:48:27 Can you imagine that?
00:48:28 1% of public insured.
00:48:31 Insurance Association concerned.
00:48:33 Collaborate with government to increase hotel rooms.
00:48:35 Tourism minister to hoteliers.
00:48:37 Cleaner loses four-bedroom house.
00:48:39 And then Supreme Court rules on Bank of Ghana revocation of licenses.
00:48:43 And that story is also becoming another thorny matter.
00:48:47 You remember G.N. and--
00:48:49 So he had wanted to go-- he sued an article 33 that his rights had been breached.
00:48:54 You're talking of Dr. Papakosindu.
00:48:56 Because his property had been taken away from him in a manner contrary to the Constitution.
00:49:00 And so the BOG raised an objection that under the Banks and Specialized Deposit-Taking Institutions Act,
00:49:06 you should go to a dispute resolution if you have issues with revocation of your license.
00:49:11 And the High Court disagreed with the BOG.
00:49:14 The Court of Appeal agreed with the BOG.
00:49:16 Now the Supreme Court has agreed with the High Court.
00:49:18 So they are going back to the High Court to litigate the human rights action as to whether the revocation breached his rights as a Ghanian.
00:49:25 On the back page, three fishermen arrested for fishing during closed season.
00:49:29 Asawade. Asawade.
00:49:32 Yenade.
00:49:34 Three fishermen arrested for fishing during closed season. That's the story.
00:49:37 But let me just focus on these ones and then we can wrap.
00:49:41 Now only 1% of the 37 million population of Ghana are insured, a figure that industry experts have described as disturbing,
00:49:48 giving the benefits of insurance in every economy.
00:49:51 Now speaking at the opening of a three-day insurance fair in Accra yesterday,
00:49:54 the second vice president of the Ghana Insurance Association, Mabel Nana Nyakwa Poble,
00:50:00 expressed concern about the low penetration rate of insurance in the country
00:50:03 and called on Ghanaians to cultivate the habit of securing their lives and property through insurance.
00:50:10 Then there's this other story. Let me go to page 13 and do the stories there.
00:50:20 So the Supreme Court has declared that the High Court can interrogate the revocation of licenses of banks
00:50:26 and specialized deposit-taking institutions, especially with regard to alleged breaches of fundamental human rights.
00:50:32 Now the court held that Section 141 of the Banks and Special Deposit-Taking Institutions Act 2016,
00:50:37 that is Act 930, which stipulates arbitration as the means of seeking redress for those whose licenses had been revoked by the Bank of Ghana,
00:50:46 did not oust the jurisdiction of the High Court to also determine the propriety of the revocation.
00:50:51 So like you said, that is where we find ourselves currently.
00:50:54 A cleaner loses four-bedroom house and a cleaner and bakery owner whose four-bedroom house at Mpehwassem in the greater Accra region,
00:51:02 is it? Okay, was demolished is seeking justice a year after the ordeal.
00:51:07 Benson Osaye Champon, who works at the University of Ghana, bought the 70 feet by 100 feet plot from the then-chief of Mpehwassem in Accra,
00:51:16 Nii Soja Obodai, and secured an indenture of the land dated December 31, 2011.
00:51:21 An indenture, which he showed to the Daily Graphic, confirms that Nii Obodai gave the land worth 40,000 Ghana cedis to Champon
00:51:28 on behalf of the Sanshi family in the greater Accra region.
00:51:31 We have so many, a plethora of such cases, land litigation, immovable property, and I don't know,
00:51:40 that's why I cried, Charlie. You don't get land for years, ever.
00:51:44 If you are not careful, you don't do due diligence, you'll be in big trouble.
00:51:48 If you are not diligent about how you go about the checks, Charlie, you end up buying land and even spending more to even decide to leave the land itself for someone else.
00:51:58 It's a big problem.
00:52:00 It's a really big issue. Let me just see whether on the international front we can pick something from there and then we can go.
00:52:06 A million more could soon face hunger in Burkina Faso. That's according to an NGO.
00:52:11 And we have our own situation here in this country with the numbers that are falling into poverty and hunger.
00:52:17 UK sanctions Wagner leaders over African activities and UK to confiscate $129 million from Nigerian ex-governor.
00:52:27 Now today, on the chopping board, I'm going to be sharing my blunt thoughts as always.
00:52:35 And it's quite a pot that I have for you.
00:52:38 I'm going to be talking about the city's flip flop.
00:52:41 You still have to purchase it at around 12 Ghana cities.
00:52:44 I'm going to be talking about the proposed haircuts or the new ones we're going to have in that second round of a debt exchange program.
00:52:53 I'm going to be talking about the SkyTrain project and wrapping with some thoughts.
00:52:58 I couldn't help myself on the death penalty and the dynamics therein.
00:53:04 Those on the chopping board this morning. But let me say a very good morning and happy birthday to Aaron Telfer.
00:53:11 Aaron, fantastic guy. I've known you for many years.
00:53:14 Today's your birthday and you are in a U.N. operation now.
00:53:21 I just want to wish you the very best, my brother. Happy birthday to you, Aaron Telfer. And greetings to the family.
00:53:27 Bro, we have to go for prime take. Any final thoughts before we run?
00:53:32 I'm very tired. We are grateful that the week has come to an end.
00:53:36 Does the week really end?
00:53:38 I'm coming to work tomorrow, but it's fine. It's been a good week and we look forward to a great week.
00:53:46 Unfortunately, the football season is off, so the weekend is a bit dull for a lot of people.
00:53:52 I know a lot of our viewers are big football fans. Some people have started watching tennis and trying to watch other things.
00:54:01 I've always been a fan of tennis, though. I've been watching it since the days of Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi.
00:54:07 I see. I'm a football boxer. That's just about it.
00:54:11 We should arrange a match one of these days. Have a display.
00:54:14 I'm not saying I'm a boxer.
00:54:16 I'm saying I'm taking you on. We should do something one of these days.
00:54:19 I saw Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg say they want you.
00:54:22 We have to get a license from them.
00:54:24 We have to get a license. We'll go do one behind the scenes.
00:54:27 Anyway, Joe, thanks for joining the conversation this morning.
00:54:31 That is Joseph Akable and he heads a certain desk here, should I tell them?
00:54:40 So that is how we wrap up the news review.
00:54:44 Of course, always brought to you by Endpoint Homeopathic Clinic.
00:54:47 They're offering free prostate screening, free female fertility screening as well.
00:54:51 Locate them here in Accra in Spintex opposite the Shell signboard.
00:54:55 Kumasi Kronuma Abue here behind the Angel Educational Complex.
00:54:58 The Staklade Anaji Estate, Tamar Community 22.
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00:55:08 Endpoint Homeopathic Clinic, the end to chronic disease.
00:55:11 Bringing us to the end of the news review and the start of Prime Take with Muftah Nabila Abdollahi.
00:55:17 And today he engages Black Stars and Ashdod left-back Montari Khamenei.
00:55:23 How did he end up in Israel?
00:55:25 What's his story from the sandy patches of Yagba-Kubori to the green fields and floodlights in Israel?
00:55:30 That story up next.
00:55:35 My life started at the north, where we grew up and school and everything.
00:55:45 And also we started from Tamale, that's where we played the Coast League.
00:55:53 From under 10, from under 10 to 12, and from 12 to 17.
00:55:59 And also from 17 to maybe one of the second divisions.
00:56:04 But I was lucky I didn't get to the first division where I was picked up by Dream Safety
00:56:11 to come to Accra here and then continue my football career with Dream Safety.
00:56:17 Why do you say your life started from the north? What part of the north?
00:56:20 Yagba-Kubori.
00:56:23 Okay.
00:56:24 Yeah, this is where my life started from.
00:56:27 Yeah, and also I'm a Mampusi so definitely you know you'll find me there.
00:56:33 You speak Mampuli?
00:56:34 For sure.
00:56:35 The two Mampusis are having a conversation.
00:56:37 For sure.
00:56:40 Okay, let's just say hello to the viewers a bit.
00:56:42 How are you?
00:56:43 I'm fine.
00:56:44 You're fine?
00:56:45 I'm fine.
00:56:46 So, tell me pretty quick, how was life like in Yagba?
00:56:53 You know, we can say life is not really easy there, but we take it normally because the culture and everything is different from the city where you can find yourself.
00:57:10 So I think life there, but for me I feel very okay because life there is so simple.
00:57:16 Because you don't really see much, you know, so I think things there are so easy and the culture there is very good.
00:57:26 So I think life there is good.
00:57:29 How many siblings do you have?
00:57:31 Yeah, I have four.
00:57:37 You have four siblings?
00:57:38 Yeah.
00:57:39 Are you the only footballer among them?
00:57:41 No, because my brother was playing football, you know, even though he was more serious, you know, and everyone in Tamale knows him a lot.
00:57:51 Okay.
00:57:52 You know, because he was having the talent more, but you know, I used to follow him to watch football, like how he played and everything.
00:57:59 Everything, when they go to play like on the Seventeen Lake, you know, he played good soccer for sure.
00:58:06 But you know, from there I picked it up, you know, because I was having the love and the passion for the game.
00:58:13 So there I picked it up.
00:58:14 But for them, they feel like they were doing everything, so they relax, you know, I can be in bed with him and then maybe 6am I need to stand up and prepare for my personal training.
00:58:26 Even by then I was not having that mentality, you know.
00:58:30 So I think this is where I got it from.
00:58:33 And then, because everybody knew, you know, my brother is going to play football, blah, blah, blah.
00:58:38 But from there I got it, you know, and then I started to play and then to see myself moving forward, you know.
00:58:45 But many communities in Northern Ghana are predominantly farming communities.
00:58:51 How are you combining your quest to play football?
00:58:56 This is what I'm saying, you know, this is the culture, you know, and you can't do away with the culture, so you just need to, you know, know how you schedule your time and then to combine.
00:59:06 Were you in the farm often?
00:59:08 Yeah, for sure, but not really.
00:59:11 Even sometimes you go to Makaranta and it's half all the way there, you know.
00:59:15 But because, you know, you have the love for the game, you just try to find time to play soccer, you understand.
00:59:21 And sometimes when you go to play soccer, you know, you have maybe your parents, "Why you go to play this? Why you don't do this?"
00:59:27 You know, "Who do you see playing football?" and blah, blah, you know, you understand.
00:59:31 Or, "Do you ever see a footballer build a house before?"
00:59:34 Because they never see, because they don't go out, you understand.
00:59:37 So I think, you know, but, you know, along the line, you know, we're able to prove them that, you know, there is something beautiful in soccer, you understand.
00:59:46 So you started your education too in...
00:59:48 Yeah, I started primary just as there in Tamil and also I went to Sinhai in Nalergu.
00:59:56 So you're not Nalergu?
00:59:57 Yeah, this is where I schooled at.
00:59:59 Oh, okay. You're a product of Nalergu-Sinhai.
01:00:01 Yeah, for sure.
01:00:02 Oh, I see. Okay.
01:00:03 But you mentioned that because your older brother was playing football, you actually developed a love to play football from then, right?
01:00:09 Yeah.
01:00:10 How influential was your brother in your decision to play football?
01:00:15 You know, all the time, you know, I saw like when he played how, like, you know, they give him fans, you know.
01:00:25 You know, he was...
01:00:26 So was it the fans that you were so much excited about?
01:00:29 No, but the game itself, you know, it was something that we love, you understand.
01:00:34 It was something that we love and there's something that we want to do.
01:00:39 Because sometime ago, I saw him that, you know, he was pushing so hard, you know, to make it up.
01:00:45 But from there, I also tried to, you know, to play a little bit.
01:00:47 I know from where they were playing, they were having a lot of fans, a lot of people.
01:00:51 They know them because they were playing in the main city in Tamil.
01:00:54 But for us, you know, we're down, you know, the city, not a lot of people like, you understand.
01:00:59 But, you know, we're able to push so hard and then to find ourselves, you know, doing something which, you know, we love.
01:01:06 So you left the village early?
01:01:08 Yeah, very early.
01:01:10 And then you were a city boy because Tamil is a city.
01:01:12 No, I know it's a city, but you know...
01:01:15 You didn't endure the Yagba hardship?
01:01:17 No, I did. I did.
01:01:19 You did small?
01:01:20 Yeah, I did.
01:01:21 Small? Not plenty?
01:01:22 Even when the air just hit you, you know, it's something hard.
01:01:24 When was the last time you heard the 'hoo'?
01:01:26 Eh?
01:01:27 The 'hoo' or machete to go and...
01:01:28 I can't remember.
01:01:29 You can't remember? So you're a city boy?
01:01:31 But I'll try to do something like this, you know.
01:01:34 If I have time, I need to travel to the village, you know, to practice this, to see how the body will feel or how the body will cope to the culture there, you know.
01:01:46 Was there money at home growing up?
01:01:48 No, no, no. Not at all. Not at all.
01:01:52 You know, even to buy boots or something, it's always difficult, you know.
01:01:58 But, you know, your dad, your mom always tried to, you know, to be on the market just to put something on the table, you know.
01:02:07 But as you're growing up and then you find that, or maybe you see that things are not good at home, or money is not there, you know, you need to push hard just to at least bring something on the table.
01:02:20 So I think it was all motivation, like, you know, something that, you know, you don't need to sleep.
01:02:26 You don't need to sleep. You need to push on, like, just to bring something home, make them proud.
01:02:31 And maybe tomorrow when they ask something, you know, you can give them back or you can support, you know, whoever who's around the family, you can support them.
01:02:40 So for sure, you know, beginning and then starting my football career or maybe, I don't know, where it is, you know, not easy because money wasn't at home at all.
01:02:54 I don't know. You've ever woken up without food on the table?
01:03:04 For sure, for sure. You know, a lot of times, you know, a lot of times.
01:03:08 So when you look back at that and today, how would you describe it?
01:03:14 I would say Alhamdulillah, you know. I would say Alhamdulillah because we've seen a lot.
01:03:20 And then for me, I would say a lot because I wasn't like having those things.
01:03:25 So for me, from now, I see myself like, you know, the blessing that God gave me, I thank God and Alhamdulillah.
01:03:34 I know I've not reached, you know, where I want to be, but for what I have or maybe the opportunities that, you know, I got along the line, I would say Alhamdulillah.
01:03:45 Talk to me about Zaytuna United. What were those days like?
01:03:51 Before I start, maybe from there, I would say a big thanks to our head coach, Coach Dawoud.
01:04:00 You know, he has really done a lot for the club and then the hard work that he put on, you know, it really pays off.
01:04:11 Because not only me, you see, Fetaw Isako is from the same club, Aziz Yakubu from China, David Abagna, Abu Karisma, you know, a lot of professionals coming from Zaytuna babies, you know.
01:04:28 And even if I'm not wrong, like Tamil Nadis, if you want to count the young professionals, I think Zaytuna babies, they produce a lot, like five or so, I think.
01:04:43 Yeah, and then we all started from there, you know, from the ground, like barefooted and everything, you know.
01:04:52 But, you know, we never stopped, we just kept going and then, God willing, you know, we were able to, you know, make it to the top.
01:05:00 I remember when you were talking, you mentioned that there were times your parents would go like, have you ever seen a footballer build a house and all that?
01:05:10 Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:05:11 But how were you able to still motivate yourself and still get it done?
01:05:14 Yeah, because sometimes you consider something, because, you know, for our parents, they don't move out. They don't go out, they don't really see like a lot of stars, you know.
01:05:25 But we go out, because by then when you go to the main city, you can be hearing names like Wakasu, you can be hearing names like Shuley Yasu, Khabib Mohamed, Majid Waris, Baba Rama.
01:05:40 You can be hearing names like this and then you've seen what, you know, they've done, you know, you've been watching them on the television playing football, playing for the nation.
01:05:47 And then you see, you understand me, so for them, you know, this is what we considered, you understand.
01:05:53 And I said, no, you know, we are out there and we know what is going on, so we need to do what?
01:05:58 We need to push on to also find our way and then to get to the top or to follow their back, you understand me.
01:06:05 So I feel like maybe they don't know like how important, you know, soccer is and what you can get from soccer and then, you know, it can help your life, your family, your loved ones and then the people around you.
01:06:18 At what age did you join the Zaytuna Babies?
01:06:21 I think I was 10 years, you know, when I joined.
01:06:25 Wow, you started playing football very early?
01:06:27 Yeah, very early. Even I had a picture with Fatah, you know, when he was also small.
01:06:34 So by then, after we played under 10, we moved to under 12 and then Fatah was playing because he was little.
01:06:40 So he was playing by then under 10, just small. He was small by then, you understand.
01:06:47 If you have just joined us here on Primetick, we are speaking to Muntari Kamehene and he's been sharing with us his life story, how he started.
01:06:58 And we're moving on to talk about his journey from Zaytuna Babies to Dreams IFC.
01:07:06 Tell us, at what point did that call for you to move from Zaytuna Babies to Dreams IFC happen?
01:07:14 You know, I think they wanted to scout some place. I think they gave some specific positions, you know.
01:07:22 I think they wanted midfielder, left back and then striker.
01:07:28 So I think they talked to one of our bosses in Tamale. He's called Dahim. I think he's the CEO of Steadfast.
01:07:39 Oh, okay.
01:07:40 He's the CEO of Steadfast. So they talked to him and then they just connected and they said, okay, they will come to see us play for them to see.
01:07:49 You know, they also have one man in Tamale called Coach Abdallah.
01:07:54 Coach Abdallah? I've heard of him.
01:07:56 Yeah, yeah. So they called him and then he just came to see how we train, you know.
01:08:02 And then he called them and they said, okay, let them come to Accra here and then we'll see how it will go, how the process will go.
01:08:11 So from there, we need to fly to Accra and then train with them for three weeks and then they will make decision, you know, something like this.
01:08:21 And then after we come back to join the team. I think by then, you know, Dreams IFC was in the first division.
01:08:27 Yeah.
01:08:28 Yeah. So I think then, you know, we qualified to the Premier League.
01:08:34 So you played with them when they qualified to the Premier League?
01:08:37 No, I didn't play with them because by then we were young. So they divided the team and then they made it like junior team and then the senior team.
01:08:45 You were with the Stilt Blief?
01:08:47 Yeah, I was the captain of the Stilt Blief.
01:08:49 Oh, okay.
01:08:50 Yeah. So from there, they separated the team.
01:08:54 Okay.
01:08:55 Yeah. And then we were competing with like the second division, like here in Accra.
01:08:59 So this is how we started the journey in Dreams IFC, you know. And then from there, at the end of the season, they promoted us to the senior team.
01:09:07 Okay.
01:09:08 Yeah. And then, you know, the senior team, definitely you got to meet senior players, you know, a lot of players because they were having…
01:09:15 Ah, so you met the likes of Leonardo Ussu?
01:09:17 Yeah, I played with him, you know, Leonardo.
01:09:19 Oh, you played with Leonardo?
01:09:20 Yeah.
01:09:21 And then there was… Did you play with Zuberi too?
01:09:24 Yeah, yeah.
01:09:25 Zuberi, Sharani?
01:09:26 Yeah, I played with Zuberi, Sharani, Leonard, Alabi, you know, a lot of…
01:09:31 Yeah.
01:09:32 Yeah. We were all in the same, you know, place, everything.
01:09:37 So from there, you know, they were also like more experienced players, you know.
01:09:44 Yeah.
01:09:45 Like who had been in the game for so long.
01:09:48 Like I think one of the senior players was a name, Basiru.
01:09:54 Yeah, Abdul Basiru.
01:09:56 Abdul Basiru.
01:09:57 Yeah. He was the captain of the team for 2016.
01:09:59 Exactly.
01:10:00 Yeah.
01:10:01 Yeah, yeah. And you know, he was playing as a left back.
01:10:03 As a left back, yeah.
01:10:04 So, you know, and you know, by then, Sike was the coach.
01:10:06 Yeah.
01:10:07 You understand? So, you know, when you…
01:10:08 This was 2016.
01:10:09 Yeah, when you are in a club like this and you are a young player, you know, with this kind of experienced players, yes, you can push yourself to play but you won't really get the, like, the enough time, you understand?
01:10:20 Yeah.
01:10:21 So, and then God willing, you know, I think one club, Brecum Chelsea or something like this, wanted him so he needed to move to…
01:10:31 Ah, Sike?
01:10:32 No, I'm talking about the left back.
01:10:33 Ah, Basiru, yeah, yeah, Basiru, yeah, I remember, yeah.
01:10:35 So when he moved then I had a chance to play. And then, you know, it just started there, you know.
01:10:41 Ah, so it was the exit of Basiru that gave you an opportunity to play?
01:10:44 Yeah, because when he moved, you know…
01:10:46 I remember when he was moving, there were so many stories, so why is he not moving abroad and…
01:10:50 Yeah, yeah.
01:10:51 Because if he was playing bad then, come on, you know, like, it was going to be so, like, difficult, you understand? Maybe if, like, maybe a miracle happened, I don't know.
01:11:02 Maybe if he hadn't moved, it would have been very difficult for you to break through.
01:11:05 Yeah, for sure, to break through, you know.
01:11:06 Yeah.
01:11:07 You know, something happened before, like, you know…
01:11:09 Another door will open for you.
01:11:10 A door will open, you understand. So, you just take it from there.
01:11:15 Okay, then you came in, just within a brief period with Dreams FC, pop, you were out of the country.
01:11:22 Yeah, yeah. You know, like, because as you can see, Dreams FC, you know, they have vision, especially for the young players, you know.
01:11:31 Yeah.
01:11:32 And they have more, like, more connections, more link-ups, you know, when we talk about football and stuff.
01:11:39 So, when, like, you are playing and you are more serious and, you know, because every season they bring, like, agents from, you know…
01:11:48 Okay.
01:11:49 …different kind of, like, yeah, different countries and, you understand. So, for the players to play and then they will see.
01:11:55 And then when you are lucky and then you push hard and they pick you up, you know, you go to continue your football career abroad.
01:12:03 You're brilliant.
01:12:04 So, I think that is how we started, you know. But I went to the national team before I moved to Europe, yeah.
01:12:12 Which of the national teams?
01:12:13 Under-20.
01:12:14 Under-20?
01:12:15 Yeah, Under-20.
01:12:16 Okay.
01:12:17 Yeah. I think that was 2019 or something, or 2018, ending of 2018, something like this, to 2019.
01:12:22 Okay.
01:12:23 And at that time, we were under the normalisation committee?
01:12:25 Yeah, yeah, sure, sure.
01:12:26 Okay, okay.
01:12:27 I can remember, I can remember, yeah. So, we even played Waffle tournament, I think, in Togo.
01:12:34 Okay, so you were part of the group that went to Togo for that Waffle competition?
01:12:37 Yeah, I was part of that Waffle, yeah.
01:12:38 Okay.
01:12:39 And then after, then we came back and then we prepared for the AFCON in Niger.
01:12:43 In Niger?
01:12:44 In Niger, yeah. That is where we played the AFCON, yeah. So, by… you know, in the Waffle tournament, I was… I started at the bench, you know.
01:12:53 Yeah.
01:12:54 But in the last game, you know, we played against Nigeria.
01:12:58 Yeah.
01:12:59 So, that is when I got my chance and then, though we lost the game, but, you know, I was able to put on some good performance and everything.
01:13:07 So, it gives me opportunity, you know, to go for the World Cup. Sorry, AFCON, rather.
01:13:13 Yeah, for the AFCON. But tell me, how would you describe your days at DreamCity FC?
01:13:20 Let me say, like, it was amazing because we always, like, all the time we were in the North playing football and everything.
01:13:33 And then, you know, you had opportunity, you come to the city or maybe the South to continue your football career.
01:13:39 Then, you know, like, everything is different because the coaches, the management, everything is different.
01:13:47 It's not like maybe where you were, like, you played before in the North, you know. So, I think everything there was different.
01:13:56 And then, how we train, you know, you need to cope, you understand everything because you are just from the North.
01:14:02 So, you need to cope and everything. And sometimes, the language barrier, you know, because a new boy from the North, no tree, like, no any language.
01:14:11 But you speak English with them?
01:14:13 Yeah, but sometimes, you know, it's a little bit like…
01:14:17 Difficult?
01:14:18 Yeah, difficult. You can speak, but I think the local language is more fast, like, you know, to communicate to someone, I think.
01:14:27 Yeah, so from there, you know, we're able to push ourselves, you know, with the likes of coaches, too.
01:14:35 I think all the time, I thank him a lot and I pray to him, you know, whatever he is or finds himself, I pray for him to succeed because, yeah, he has really done a lot in our lives.
01:14:51 He's done a lot for you?
01:14:52 Yeah, as a coach, as a father, like, you understand, keep to advice, we keep to push you. Yeah, because he gave me even captain, you know, because you understand.
01:15:01 So, yeah, so I think he has done a lot.
01:15:05 Was it difficult to settle at Dreams FC?
01:15:07 You know, in the beginning, you know, we never find it easy. We never find it easy, but along the line, you know, we're able to cope and then settle ourselves, you know. Yeah.
01:15:19 Okay, so and then from Dreams FC, then you moved to Israel, right?
01:15:25 Yeah, yeah.
01:15:26 And in fact, even before we talk about Israel, let's talk about the U20, right? The national team is an area that mostly sells young talents to us, but unfortunately, you never had the opportunity to play as many matches as possible in the U20.
01:15:45 Yeah, yeah.
01:15:46 But still, you were able to stand out, you got an opportunity to travel and all that.
01:15:52 Yeah, because for me, I always put in my mind that sometimes it's not about national or maybe when you find yourself in one of the national teams, that can make you like maybe to be in Europe or to be in, you know, I never have like that kind of mentality.
01:16:11 Because I always try to say, no, no matter what, like no matter what, I'll be able to move to the top. So, though I had like, I played like little games or, you know, not much time, but, you know, after that, I just talked to myself, you know, we can stop here.
01:16:32 Whether national, whether I'm there or not, I just need to push on, you know, because I know that definitely, you know, one day the door will open, you know.
01:16:41 And the door's open?
01:16:42 For sure, for sure. Even after the U20, we came, they called, I think, 11 players of us or something like that to join the U23.
01:16:51 Okay.
01:16:52 Yeah. And that time we were looking at players by then, I can remember. Yeah.
01:16:57 And what happened?
01:16:59 Yeah, you know, I think they were going to play a tournament, I think in Egypt also.
01:17:04 Egypt, yeah.
01:17:05 2019, something like this.
01:17:06 And the 23 are found in Egypt.
01:17:08 Exactly.
01:17:09 This was November 2019.
01:17:11 Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, I think by then, you know, some players came in and then, you know, we had to…
01:17:17 They had to relegate you.
01:17:19 Yeah, yeah.
01:17:20 Because I remember that was when the likes of Joseph Pinson, Mashia Ndiairu, Enko were all called up to come into the team.
01:17:31 You've worked with a lot of other Karimzis too, Ketu Craig, Mohamed Adjijalifu, Sike Akuno.
01:17:39 So, tell me, what kind of a person is Sike Akuno? What kind of a coach is he?
01:17:43 For me, he's the best, you know. He's the best. Because he will tell you. If it is this, he will tell you that this is how it is. You understand?
01:17:54 Because I can remember, he travelled to Germany and then when he was coming, he brought new shoes, like football shoes.
01:18:04 And then, you know, like, I think we were training or something that way and I had a problem with my shoes. So, he had to remove the shoes and walk.
01:18:13 He removed the shoes, gave it to me to train and then he left the shoes for me. And then he walked that way, like he went to take his car and then went home like that.
01:18:22 Really?
01:18:23 Yeah. So, trust me, I'm telling you this, you know, he's the best man. He's the best man, best coach, you know, and a great personality. I'm telling you this.
01:18:36 He walked with his stockings on his legs, entered the car and moved on.
01:18:42 And left the shoes for you?
01:18:44 That was my first time I wore, like, proper shoes because it was from Germany, you know, when Sike was coming down. Proper ones.
01:18:52 You had never worn proper shoes before?
01:18:53 No, because when you are here, because when you are going to buy proper shoes, it will cost you like 200 euros or 200 dollars.
01:18:59 Yeah, 200, 300 euros or whatever. Where are you going to get that kind of money from?
01:19:02 If I'm still a local player.
01:19:04 But now you can buy?
01:19:05 For sure.
01:19:06 How many can you buy?
01:19:08 Maybe, I don't know, more.
01:19:10 Talk to me, what kind of a person is Zito? What kind of a person is Keto Turekwu?
01:19:17 I told you, you know, Coach Abdelkarim Zito, you know, he's just like a father.
01:19:25 Because I can see that whatever he's working with, he teaches you football, he teaches you life, off the pitch, on everything.
01:19:37 He's someone that, you know, great experience, like, you know, about life, you know, football, and he has seen a lot.
01:19:47 So, if you're a young player, you're working with Zito, I can say you are blessed, you know, because he can teach you a lot.
01:19:56 And, you know, sometimes it's not about football, but sometimes you need to learn life also, like, you need to know, like, off the pitch.
01:20:05 You need to know about yourself, how you can keep yourself, you know, as a professional footballer.
01:20:10 Because you are praying that one day you'll be a professional footballer, so you need to learn that, to have a good personality, you know.
01:20:17 So I think when you meet, or you're working with Keto, I think, you know, you are blessed, because you need to learn all those stuff, you know.
01:20:24 We are still here, on Prime Tech, speaking to Montari, and he's spoken to us a lot, from Yagba Kubori to the flan lice in Israel.
01:20:37 Now, he's told about working with the likes of Sikia Akuno, he's a former coach of the Black Stars.
01:20:45 He's told us about working with the likes of Andrew Karim Zito, a man he describes as a father figure.
01:20:52 Now, I want to find out from him, because some of the people he worked with, Keto Kriku was the executive chairman of Dream Safety,
01:21:02 when they had the likes of Andrew Karim Zito, when they had Sikia Akuno in there, and these are people that he's worked with.
01:21:10 But Keto Kriku himself, he's not a GFA president.
01:21:14 They were together in 2016, three years on, Keto Kriku became GFA president, president of the Ghana Football Association,
01:21:22 and he's now in charge of the governance of football in this country.
01:21:25 So, Montari, tell me, how did you feel when Keto Kriku became GFA president?
01:21:30 When I heard the news, I was so happy, because looking at it, a person like this, these kind of people with big brains,
01:21:44 and they find themselves in those kind of positions, whatever they are, or any country they are,
01:21:54 they can project or maybe they can promote football.
01:22:00 When I heard the news, I was so happy, and then the other way around, I wasn't all that surprised, because I know what he can do.
01:22:12 Because I know the kind of brains he's got. He knows much about football, he knows more about football.
01:22:22 So, would you say that the leadership of football in Ghana should give an opportunity to continue as president?
01:22:27 For sure, because looking at things, what he has done so far, it's amazing.
01:22:36 Because he tried to make sure that everything would be in place.
01:22:45 And trust me, there are more plans that he got for the country.
01:22:52 Because you need to put someone who has the bigger brains to be able to do it.
01:22:58 And vision for the game.
01:23:01 So that they'll be able to do what? To promote football in every sector.
01:23:06 Whether it's national, or GP, or Ghana Premier League, or whatever it is.
01:23:15 And he's doing it.
01:23:17 How do you feel when people criticize him?
01:23:20 I always say that in this world, whether you do bad, they will talk, whether you do good, they will criticize.
01:23:27 Everything you do. And football is all about that.
01:23:30 Even for us, playing football, this is how it is.
01:23:34 People who criticize you, you understand.
01:23:37 But it depends on you how you're going to take it.
01:23:40 But you don't need to pay more attention to people in your life who criticize you.
01:23:45 Just try to pick something good out of that.
01:23:48 So I think, for him, the brain that he has is more than that.
01:23:56 It's more what people are talking about.
01:24:00 So would you say that those of us, or those who criticize Kurt,
01:24:05 they don't know the kind of person he is, and the knowledge and the vision he's got for Ghana?
01:24:10 Yeah, this is what I'm saying.
01:24:12 I can't tell maybe those who criticize him that they don't know.
01:24:15 You understand?
01:24:16 Because this is what they say, this is what they see.
01:24:20 And they want to talk about that.
01:24:22 You understand me?
01:24:23 So if someone criticizes you about something,
01:24:26 you don't need to tell the person you don't know.
01:24:30 Maybe this is what they see. You understand me?
01:24:33 So you have to work to prove them wrong.
01:24:35 And this is what I'm saying.
01:24:36 The brain that he has is more, or he's seen far beyond maybe what people are talking about.
01:24:45 But I feel sometimes, you know, patience is everything.
01:24:48 When people talk, blah, blah, blah, and stuff like this.
01:24:52 And you see, everything is gradual, you know.
01:24:56 He's making more waves, he's promoting everything.
01:25:00 And let me say, not even one day God used to create the earth.
01:25:04 Not one day. You understand me?
01:25:06 So even if God never used one day to create something,
01:25:10 what about human beings?
01:25:12 So it's all about patience, you understand?
01:25:14 So Ghanaians should be patient with him.
01:25:16 It's like a process.
01:25:18 Even if I say patience, it seems like maybe when you're not doing something good
01:25:22 and someone tells you, "You need to be patient with this person."
01:25:26 No, but he's doing the job.
01:25:28 He's a hard-working man, he's doing the job.
01:25:30 So if he's doing the job, what do you want again?
01:25:33 You understand me?
01:25:34 And trust me, if you have someone who's got the vision,
01:25:37 who's got the plans and everything,
01:25:40 it's all about time and process, you understand?
01:25:42 You see that everything will...
01:25:44 And you can see he has done a lot.
01:25:46 Sharing boots, football shoes to the clubs,
01:25:50 pitches and everything.
01:25:52 Sharing football to clubs themselves.
01:25:55 Something that never happened before.
01:25:57 So this one needs to tell you, people who are criticizing,
01:26:00 this one alone needs to tell you that, oh, you know, there is...
01:26:04 When the resources are there, we will do more.
01:26:06 There is something big coming.
01:26:08 (dramatic music)
01:26:11 Good morning, Dino Four.
01:26:35 Time now for Blunt Thoughts from yours truly.
01:26:38 My name is Benjamin Akaku.
01:26:40 Now, as we get into my thoughts for today,
01:26:43 stay with me every step of the way.
01:26:46 Because what I have to share with you borders on our national life,
01:26:50 as always, and I always share thoughts with you
01:26:53 that will get us reflecting on Mother Ghana and the way forward.
01:26:57 No one wants to remain static.
01:26:59 Even worse, retrogress, go back.
01:27:02 Which is why this morning I've titled my Blunt Thoughts,
01:27:06 "Building Castles in the Air,
01:27:09 "Fanciful Projects that Lead Nowhere."
01:27:13 Building castles in the air.
01:27:16 Fanciful projects that lead nowhere.
01:27:19 You know, in this country,
01:27:22 a lot of what we do in terms of governance reminds me of that saying.
01:27:26 It's an Adenatan, right?
01:27:29 A form of hyperbole that exaggerates a situation
01:27:33 to create the impression of improbability or impossibility.
01:27:38 It's a literary device.
01:27:40 And that literary device I'm referring to is when pigs fly.
01:27:45 If someone says to you, "When pigs fly,"
01:27:48 they're just telling you that, "Look, this is highly improbable,
01:27:51 "highly impossible, and you're just blowing hot air," so to speak.
01:27:56 I could say the same for many of the projects that we've brought to bear in this country.
01:28:01 And we see the signs written on the wall from one village, one dam,
01:28:06 to one district, one factory, to planting for food and jobs and all of that.
01:28:12 If we critically assess all of these projects, we'll come to the same conclusion.
01:28:17 They lead absolutely nowhere.
01:28:22 Which is why I'm also going to be looking at a number of matters today,
01:28:26 including the SkyTrain, which has led us nowhere, Ganafor.
01:28:30 But come with me to the slides.
01:28:33 In recent times, ahead of the 25th of this month,
01:28:37 and what we can expect by way of the mid-year budget review,
01:28:40 we hosted a number of these business figures right here in our studios.
01:28:45 I was here, and here is some of what they had to say.
01:28:48 You see, I'm concerned, because we spoke about never going to the IMF.
01:28:53 Then we went to the IMF, and then we spoke about how much the IMF would be able to help us go above water.
01:29:01 It appears that is not happening.
01:29:03 The business space is getting asphyxiated,
01:29:07 and that is reflected in the statements of the business community.
01:29:11 So let's find out what they are saying.
01:29:13 Guta, for example, the Gana Union of Traders Association, Dr. Joseph Obeng,
01:29:18 it's an honorary bit, so Joseph Obeng says,
01:29:22 "The stability of the city has not reflected on prices of goods and services."
01:29:28 So the city, I mean, at a point it was going for about 16 cities to the dollar.
01:29:33 Plus, that's how bad it was.
01:29:36 There is some semblance of stability.
01:29:40 But even then, it still pegged around 12.
01:29:45 How do you expect students, people traveling, to make it?
01:29:50 Purchasing a ticket now is a big headache.
01:29:53 There are many things.
01:29:55 Look, there's a car battery, car battery that I have to get.
01:29:58 These car batteries that you are getting for 400, 600, for new.
01:30:03 Now, trust me, if you go on the market, you are getting it for about twice the same sum.
01:30:08 Why?
01:30:10 So he says, "Stability of the city has not reflected on prices of goods and services."
01:30:14 And that's also because the business community has incurred losses,
01:30:18 and they'll keep passing them on until they sort of break even.
01:30:21 Until when? That is the question.
01:30:23 Our city is still flip-flopping, hence the title.
01:30:27 Now, the depreciation of the city has had a toll on businesses.
01:30:30 I mean, you just have to look out there, go out there.
01:30:32 If you're a business person, if you're making purchases, you'll see it, you'll feel it.
01:30:36 He who feels it knows it, yeah?
01:30:38 We cannot define stability by just measuring three months' performance.
01:30:42 So, yes, we have the IMF money, and we think after three months, no, we can't measure it.
01:30:47 But as time ticks, we need to do more to shore up our economy.
01:30:51 And the gains of the current stability have been taken away owing to, pay attention,
01:30:55 the high cost of doing business, taxes, benchmark reduction policy, among others.
01:31:00 The high cost of doing business is still something that is staring the business community in the face.
01:31:05 We're talking about taxes, the taxes.
01:31:07 And Ken Ofereta, I am hoping, though, that in the media budget review,
01:31:12 you are not going to be telling us about any new taxes.
01:31:15 I'm hoping and praying.
01:31:17 I know you'll be dressed in all white with your gold chain, with your bag, coming smiling.
01:31:22 But this is no smiling matter.
01:31:24 I'm telling you that on behalf of Ghanaians.
01:31:27 Now, when we go to the next slide, there's also talk about two new haircuts.
01:31:35 Two new haircuts that is staring us or are staring us down the face or down the road.
01:31:43 Two new debt restructuring programs for 809 million Ghana cities.
01:31:47 Now, these are two-pronged.
01:31:49 They target holders of dollar-denominated bonds.
01:31:53 If you are in there, hmm, Demerife B.A.
01:31:57 Or COCO bills as well, the COCO bonds.
01:32:00 They were left out the first time.
01:32:02 Now it's looking like a very different picture.
01:32:05 It appears we are mopping up the entire space.
01:32:07 Everybody is feeling the pinch.
01:32:09 Everybody, even former Chief Justice Sofaya Kufu.
01:32:13 We saw her picketing.
01:32:14 Everybody is feeling the pinch.
01:32:16 The program for COCO bond allows COCO bill holders to exchange for longer-term bonds with lower coupon rates.
01:32:21 And new bonds will mature consecutively from 2024 to 2028.
01:32:25 Look at the time duration.
01:32:27 Offers accepted until the 31st of July 2023.
01:32:34 It's a really tight space, difficult space we find ourselves in right now as a country.
01:32:38 And only God knows how ordinary folk are making it.
01:32:43 Let's go to the next slide.
01:32:46 If you look at these two new haircuts and then put them side by side with what we are seeing,
01:32:52 850,000 Ghanaians per World Bank data fell into poverty in 2022 due to rising prices and reduced purchasing power.
01:33:05 This is almost -- this is about 0.7% of our population, almost a million.
01:33:12 OK? Fell into poverty just last year.
01:33:16 Inflation in Ghana negatively impacted households' living standards by eroding their purchasing power.
01:33:22 You have this double-pronged, in fact, multi-pronged assault on your pocket.
01:33:28 And yet, look at our people in government.
01:33:31 They are living large.
01:33:32 I was sharing the other day, look, I know people, staffers at the Jubilee House.
01:33:40 If you see the things some of them are doing, less older than we are, no real work experience,
01:33:47 all of a sudden they are putting up houses, not a house, houses, and purchasing cars.
01:33:52 And you ask yourself, where did they get all of this from?
01:33:57 If the largest is there, why not spread it across so a few people will keep living well and the masses will keep sleeping rough?
01:34:09 How can that be leadership?
01:34:11 That is why I call these misleaders what they are, misleaders.
01:34:16 Next slide.
01:34:18 But then we come to the across-sky train project.
01:34:23 Ghana, behold, your sky train that never materialized.
01:34:29 Even the one on the ground, Ndudisito, Ndegudu Sky, building castles in the air,
01:34:37 fanciful projects that lead nowhere, $2 million paid to Africa Investor Holdings Limited, $2 million.
01:34:46 Imagine what that could do for your road, that school without desks, that school under trees, that place without water.
01:34:52 Imagine what this could do.
01:34:54 You want to do this, fine.
01:34:56 Accra wouldn't be one of the worst places to bring it forth.
01:34:59 But what do you have to show?
01:35:01 It's not just about policy formulation or the talk.
01:35:03 It's about achievement.
01:35:05 What is governance without delivery?
01:35:08 If in political science they'll tell you people vote parties into power to deliver the bacon,
01:35:13 and if you don't deliver the bacon, oh yeah, away.
01:35:18 That's it.
01:35:20 That's how we have to get.
01:35:21 That should be our thinking, Ghana for, and that is how we are going to progress.
01:35:24 Let's move on to the next slide.
01:35:26 What brings me to this point?
01:35:29 The minority in Parliament, in fact, pictured here, governs Kwame Agboja, ranking member on the Roads and Transport Committee.
01:35:35 Minority in Parliament calls for prosecution of Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund Board and management.
01:35:40 They must answer questions.
01:35:42 I don't know about prosecution, but I feel they definitely have to answer questions on this matter.
01:35:47 Payment was made without feasibility studies getting completed.
01:35:50 Payment was in breach of Article 181 of the Constitution, and we know what the stipulations are.
01:35:56 And the Auditor General's 2021 report raised concerns about the payment.
01:36:01 So why did we still go ahead, if not for nefarious reasons?
01:36:07 Corruption, igaria wa maimu, ese kisopu, or is it alata semina?
01:36:14 We use it to bath every day.
01:36:17 The president recently was talking about the fact that in the church, let's focus on the church,
01:36:21 because you people who are always criticizing politicians, the politicians form just a small portion.
01:36:26 You are also guilty and that these people come from your stock.
01:36:29 I agree with you, Mr. President. But you see, whenever there's a bottleneck, someone said the problem is always with the neck.
01:36:36 And where is the neck of the bottle? At the top.
01:36:40 So lead and let us follow. You are the father.
01:36:44 If the fish will get spoiled to start from the head, have you dealt with the rot you are sitting on?
01:36:49 I agree the church and all religious groups and all of us must contribute our quota.
01:36:56 And as we criticize, we must be responsible. But how about you, Mr. President, and what you oversee?
01:37:02 Let's go to the next slide. Now, I want to wrap with the death penalty and the bills involved.
01:37:09 I just want to get us thinking, Ganafor, about this bit.
01:37:13 Now, scrapping the death penalty, according to Cletus Avocat, who was against it, will embolden criminals.
01:37:20 He says death sentences will appeal more to victims. Amelie's he says.
01:37:25 So are some sort of retribution. You killed a person will also kill you.
01:37:31 The sponsors have not adequately addressed the side of victims, he said.
01:37:35 And people are like, you know, and facing life sentences can escape given the country's political system.
01:37:41 That is what he he profits or that is what he suggests. There is some reason in what he says.
01:37:46 But let's look at the other side. And I'll leave you, Ganafor, to draw your own conclusion and decide where you think we should be going.
01:37:53 Next slide. Now, if you look at Amnesty International, it says condemned cells where prisoners and the death sentence were held were reported to be overcrowded in sanitary with prisoners forced to sleep on the floor and suffering ill health as a result of malnutrition and a lack of medical care.
01:38:10 And exercise. You know, there are some prisons you go to and still you have a certain quality of life in Ghana.
01:38:16 Telling you nobody saw like that. I remember Operation Fiasco and how much the one Ghana that they used to survive on.
01:38:22 Now, even our school feeding, they are surviving on 97 Pesos. There was supposed to be an increment of one city, 20 Pesos.
01:38:29 I don't know whether that has taken effect yet, but look at look at the parity and look at what kind of life would you live on one city a day?
01:38:36 Next slide. So we really have to contemplate. Next slide. Let's go to the next slide.
01:38:42 And this is where we wrap. And I want you to draw your conclusion. If you look at the death sentence and prison conditions.
01:38:48 And by the way, in this fourth republic, we have not actually executed anybody.
01:38:55 According to Amnesty International, those are death sentences in Ghana between 2010 and 2022.
01:39:02 In 2010, we had 17 for in 2011, 27 in 2012. That was quite a shoot up.
01:39:08 The highest we've seen. 2013 had 14. 2014 had 9. 2015 had 18. 2016 had 17. 2017 at seven.
01:39:17 I said a lot of numbers. 2018 had 12. 2019, 18. 2023, 2021, 7. 2022, 7.
01:39:26 I feel capital punishment. Has had its day. Maybe it is high time we as a people had our way.
01:39:36 Even in biblical times, people were sentenced to death. Yes. But if you look at the current dynamics, we are not we're not we're sentencing people to death.
01:39:44 We're not even executing them. And I'm not saying that is a bad thing, but I am saying there are reasons for both sides.
01:39:54 Where do we find the middle ground? Is there even a middle ground? It's a discussion I wanted to put out there.
01:40:00 I'll not share my personal sentiments, but I wanted to put it out there for all of us to reflect so that we can also impact the decisions that our lawmakers will make on that matter.
01:40:10 But I go back to the title as I conclude. Our leaders must cease building castles in the air.
01:40:16 You can't build castles in the air. The fanciful projects that are leading nowhere should come to a halt.
01:40:22 Let's be realistic. Let's be real in leadership and deliver the goods, not just to party people, but to ordinary Ghanaians, the suffering masses.
01:40:33 Who cannot even get food, three square meals in a day. Mr. President, my name is Benjamin Akaku.
01:40:44 I share these thoughts always with you because I'm passionate about the brand called Ghana.
01:40:48 These are my bland thoughts shared with you this morning. Raw, hot, unedited and diluted. God richly bless Ghana and make her great and strong.
01:40:58 [Music]
01:41:26 Well, thank you for staying with us on the AM Show. It's time now for us to get into our big stories.
01:41:31 And today we're hosting a gentleman. He's a businessman, a man of many things.
01:41:36 And he's also wanted, tried a few times now to become president of this country without success.
01:41:44 He leads the LPG, the Liberal Party of Ghana.
01:41:49 And today he joins us for a conversation on matters of national scope, not just the politics, but also governance matters and everything in between that is happening.
01:42:01 I'm talking about none other than Mr. Kofi Akbalu. He joins us for this conversation. A very good morning to you, sir.
01:42:08 Good morning, Zain.
01:42:09 Thank you for coming.
01:42:10 Thanks for hosting me.
01:42:13 You have a very colorful outfit this morning. Is it the weather or?
01:42:19 It's a Friday wear.
01:42:21 It's Friday wear. That's interesting. So it's been a while since we had a conversation.
01:42:26 It's true.
01:42:27 On this show. And today you show up. I just want to find out from you, the LPG, is it still alive?
01:42:40 Yeah, we are more than alive.
01:42:42 Is the LPG still alive?
01:42:43 Yes, it is.
01:42:44 I mean, others have started their campaigns, the MPP, of course, they are heading towards their primary. And we'll get into that.
01:42:50 The NDC has already started. And you want to rub shoulders with these guys, these parties. And I don't see a scintill of action from the LPG. What is happening?
01:43:02 Maybe you are not watching.
01:43:05 I'm not on the ground.
01:43:06 Yeah, you're not watching. Because LPG is everywhere now. You'll find, at least you'll see my poster. You'll see my poster.
01:43:14 I have seen some of your mini billboards.
01:43:17 Yes, all over.
01:43:18 In many different places.
01:43:20 All over the country.
01:43:22 But is that your campaign strategy? Is that your campaign?
01:43:25 Yeah, because, you see, we are just a small party. We're trying to rub shoulders with the big guys. And that's another strategy that we can adapt by making sure at least somebody will be talking about it.
01:43:40 You'll see the poster, what is this? Is the person alive or dead or something like that. It just strikes conversation and people start talking about it.
01:43:51 And those who are looking for a third force now begin to think that, oh, if this guy is serious, we support him.
01:43:57 So, one way or the other, we are getting more people joining us on a daily basis.
01:44:03 And we know we have our phone number at the bottom of it. And people are calling us, showing interest to be part and parcel of the party.
01:44:13 So, it's helping us. It's giving us visibility. People are getting to know us, knowing that it's another party aside MPP and NDC.
01:44:23 And LPG, to us, we are doing better than previous.
01:44:27 You're doing better than previously. If you look at your electoral fortunes, they have been nothing to write home about.
01:44:35 You have not been able to claw away. You've not shown a sign that you could be that third force.
01:44:40 If you look at the number of votes you've garnered over time, the two or so elections you have been in, it's been a very poor showing.
01:44:48 Now, people of Ghana are complaining badly. They are tired of the misrule, misgovernance, misleadership.
01:44:59 And some of them feel outfits like yours are not living up to the billing in creating that third wheel for them.
01:45:09 How do you respond to that? Because if you look at your electoral outcomes, they point to a certain grave narrative.
01:45:18 Yeah, it's good that they have identified our weaknesses. And it means they have the strength to fill that lagoon.
01:45:28 So, they should come on board, support the idea, and let's do it together. Because it's a political party. It's not a one-man business.
01:45:36 So, are you basically by this throwing an invitation to order at the ends of goodwill to join your party?
01:45:42 Exactly. We need everybody on board. Because we ourselves alone cannot do it. We need everybody.
01:45:50 So, your strength, when you complement with us, we'll be able to do a lot. Because we believe in synergy.
01:45:56 You know, if we put our heads together, we can do great stuff.
01:46:00 So, we are inviting everybody this morning to join forces with the LPG. Let's work together.
01:46:06 Even we initiated this beginning of last year, that all the smaller parties, we should all come together and form the kind of alliance to go into the 2024 election.
01:46:18 And some, I mean, it wasn't successful. So, we decided to go.
01:46:26 Why do you think it wasn't successful?
01:46:27 Yeah, because the players were not forthcoming.
01:46:30 Which players?
01:46:31 I'm talking about those who are leading the other political parties. So, we couldn't materialise.
01:46:41 So, that's why we decided to go solo and then make sure we sell what we can to the people for them to buy into.
01:46:48 We need everybody on board. If you are a liberal person or somebody who believes that there is potential in this country, we should join forces with us.
01:46:59 Let's work together and let's do it.
01:47:01 Kwaku Owusu is watching us from Manchester. Thank you so much for doing the watching, Kwaku Owusu, all the way from Manchester in the United Kingdom.
01:47:10 But while you call upon ordinary Ghanaians to join the LPG, the Liberal Party of Ghana, I'm sure they will also be saying, asking the question,
01:47:21 "But what incentive are you giving me to be able to join your party? What is it? Is it a clear roadmap that you have that will turn our fortunes around?"
01:47:30 I'm sure many Ghanaians will also look at you and say, "Look, the NDC and the MPP, they have a certain machinery, huge, vast machinery, not just financial resources,
01:47:41 a support base and some credentials over the Fourth Republic, having won elections, gone in opposition, having won elections and gone into opposition.
01:47:52 They have that. Your party doesn't have that." What are you using to convince ordinary Ghanaians that they should come on board and join the LPG?
01:48:03 I'm sure many Ghanaians, like we usually say, 40% on any given day, would likely fall for the NDC and for the MPP.
01:48:12 What then happens to those in the middle? How do you convince them?
01:48:15 What I would tell them is that they should always believe in small beginnings. They should have that belief.
01:48:23 That something starting small like this, you look at it and see what role you can offer to make it bigger.
01:48:34 Because some people came together to form MPP. Some came together, even though it was a ruling kind of party or something like that,
01:48:44 and then they removed their P to make it NDC. So definitely people came together with that understanding that they can manage Ghana.
01:48:53 So if you are there and you see a lot of issues surrounding this country and then you believe that it can be solved by yourself,
01:49:04 why don't you join forces with us so that we can have the opportunity, the platform, to get that problem solved?
01:49:12 Because we have a lot of problems going on in this country.
01:49:14 We know the problems. It's the solutions we want.
01:49:16 Yeah, the solution is that you have some of the solutions. I have a bit of it. One person cannot have all.
01:49:24 So it's a collective effort. Bring your ideas, let me bring my ideas, let's put them together and let's see what we can do together to change.
01:49:32 Another thing that the bigger parties have over the smaller ones is the pool of, should I say, resources, human resource.
01:49:41 Yeah. They would have people with a certain clout, people with vast knowledge and experience in energy, in law, in education and all of that.
01:49:52 That is what you need in terms of governance. Do you have any of that? I mean, how realistic is it for you? Do you have any of that?
01:50:01 I can invite anybody at any point in time to solve a problem.
01:50:08 It doesn't matter whether the person is part of my party or is not part of my party.
01:50:13 So far as the person has the requisites, know-how, I should be able to bring the person on board and say, hey, please, let's do this.
01:50:20 Let's do it well, because it's all about building a future for the generation unborn.
01:50:25 We need to prepare this land for them and we cannot leave it anyhow.
01:50:30 We need to have that understanding that you are not doing it for Kofi Apollo,
01:50:34 but rather you are doing it for the kids who are yet to be conceived in the womb, because you have to prepare this country for them.
01:50:42 And so if you have any idea, if you have any experience, you have any special qualities, why not?
01:50:51 We will involve you to do it because this country belongs to all of us.
01:50:54 So you're going to be liberal. You're going to live to the name of your party and be liberal.
01:50:58 In terms of bringing other people into the family.
01:51:01 The only difficulty there is, though, is that oftentimes, like we see with the big parties, once you get bigger,
01:51:07 then you start focusing on internal interests like we see the boys, jobs for the boys and girls and all of that.
01:51:14 But let me just run this angle by you.
01:51:17 There are some who say why some of the smaller parties like yours are not viable.
01:51:23 You are not making any progress. Is the fact that some of you are just doing business with it.
01:51:29 Some of you just want to have it on your CV that I have contested as a presidential candidate in Ghana.
01:51:36 It adds to your business appeal, doing business out there.
01:51:40 In fact, some suggest that parties like yours, you merely come to add to the numbers and foil other parties.
01:51:51 One party contracts you to come and muddy the waters for another party.
01:51:56 How do you respond to that? In fact, they may be right.
01:52:00 They may be right. They may be right. But you see, every party has its own purpose.
01:52:08 Just before you go, when you say they may be right, does that mean your party as well?
01:52:13 No. Our party is not like that.
01:52:16 Our party is trying to fill the lagoon between the MPP and NDC because we are a liberal party.
01:52:23 We are part of the Libra International. We are part of the African Libra Network.
01:52:28 Our focus is promoting liberalism.
01:52:34 So we are not working for NDC, neither are we working for MPP.
01:52:39 We are working for the liberal purpose. That is why we are here.
01:52:45 So we came and we met a couple of parties.
01:52:49 And some have faded out or whatever, but we are still around because our target is different from their target.
01:53:02 You say you are here for the liberal purpose. Let me ask you, what is that liberal purpose?
01:53:08 That is to make sure we promote fundamental human rights, to make sure we have free enterprise,
01:53:18 making sure those who are in the lower classes are able to lift into the middle class,
01:53:26 helping the middle class, making sure we have lower taxes.
01:53:31 That is the agenda. Making sure fundamental human rights are well respected.
01:53:38 You speak about fundamental human rights, which quickly brings to mind the conversation on LGBTQI.
01:53:44 What is the stance of the LPG on LGBTQI?
01:53:47 LGBTQI, what stance are you talking about?
01:53:50 What is the position of the LPG on?
01:53:54 Promoting LGBT or what?
01:53:57 I am merely asking for your stance. What is the position of the LPG?
01:54:02 You are hoping someday to be president. I am asking you, what is your position?
01:54:06 Former president Atta Mills, today by the way happens to be his birthday.
01:54:11 Happy birthday to him.
01:54:14 May he rest in peace. He was asked the question. He had a stance.
01:54:19 Former president Mahama was asked the question. He had a stance.
01:54:22 The current president, Nanado, was asked the question. He had a stance.
01:54:26 What is your stance?
01:54:27 I am sure if Ghanaians are considering you, they would also wonder.
01:54:30 What is your position?
01:54:31 I don't understand that question.
01:54:33 What I can say is that I don't know if people are looking...
01:54:40 Is it that you don't understand or you don't want to?
01:54:43 You are afraid to answer the question?
01:54:44 No, no, no. I am not afraid.
01:54:45 I am one person that is not shy.
01:54:48 Let me tell you something.
01:54:50 Is anybody looking to get married in that format here?
01:54:56 Is anybody looking to do that?
01:54:58 Can you tell me one person who has come out or a group of people who have come out and said they want to do practice?
01:55:04 Actually, there are.
01:55:05 They are practicing it?
01:55:06 Not practicing it, but there are people who say we should have those rights.
01:55:10 There are people, you mentioned human rights.
01:55:12 Some of them couch them as human rights.
01:55:14 There are those who have advocated that we should allow these people to be.
01:55:19 In Ghana.
01:55:20 I am merely asking what your position is.
01:55:22 Will you kill somebody?
01:55:24 Will you kill somebody because the person is a gay or is a lesbian?
01:55:29 You can kill the person because he is a gay or a lesbian.
01:55:32 Are you making laws to send those who are gay to prisons or lesbians to prison?
01:55:40 Are you making laws like that?
01:55:42 If you followed the anti-gay bill, as we call it for short in parliament,
01:55:46 you would realize that far away from what Uganda has, theirs is a bit extreme,
01:55:51 but this new bill, this bill, actually not a new bill, if passed into law,
01:55:57 would also enhance what the law says about unnatural carnal knowledge
01:56:01 and include certain other bits on the LGBTQI++ terrain, which would prevent such people from…
01:56:11 You wouldn't even be able to openly talk about some of these matters in the sense of promoting it.
01:56:18 I'm sure you're aware of all of that.
01:56:20 But you see, the bill is a non-starter.
01:56:24 It's a non-starter. Why?
01:56:26 Because the bill alone itself is promoting the LGBTQ+.
01:56:31 The bill, this bill, that is the purpose of the bill.
01:56:35 While the sponsors are saying that they are trying to stem the tide,
01:56:39 because our constitution, the 1992 constitution, is not clear enough,
01:56:43 our criminal code is not clear enough on the delineation, the activities of LGBTQ+.
01:56:48 Yeah, to me, I think the bill is rather promoting the LGBTQ+.
01:56:54 I see.
01:56:55 Yeah, because looking at how long we've been talking about this,
01:56:59 how many years we've been talking about this, okay?
01:57:02 Every day we are getting people, we are creating that awareness,
01:57:07 people to know what is LGBTQ+, they start asking questions, okay?
01:57:10 If somebody builds a signboard somewhere, me, myself, I didn't see that signboard.
01:57:16 And there's somebody who is saying that is coming out with a bill to fight against LGBTQ+
01:57:23 will go and take a picture of the signboard.
01:57:26 I know what you're referencing.
01:57:27 Yes, and put it on the internet.
01:57:31 What is he doing?
01:57:32 It's rather promoting it.
01:57:33 So you're saying Sam George and Roxanne Nelson, Dapia Mekwo and everything else,
01:57:38 those who are sponsoring this bill, those who are pushing, are merely wasting their time,
01:57:42 and that this is an enterprise?
01:57:43 Yes, because the energy that they are using to promote it is too much.
01:57:51 They are promoting it.
01:57:53 Because people didn't even know the colours of the LGBTQ, they made us aware.
01:57:59 We didn't know. I believe you also didn't know the colours of the LGBTQ,
01:58:04 but because of this bill, you got to know.
01:58:07 So who is promoting what?
01:58:09 They are rather promoting it.
01:58:11 And now, they said, even the bill, if they find you doing this kind of stuff,
01:58:17 they will put you into jail.
01:58:19 Is that correct?
01:58:20 They will jail you.
01:58:21 So if you are not voting--
01:58:22 That is not black and white.
01:58:24 Oh, it's black and white.
01:58:25 But I'm saying--
01:58:26 No, you go to jail.
01:58:27 There will be penalties for certain offences.
01:58:30 So the end result--
01:58:32 Once you did something, you would end up in jail.
01:58:34 No, no, the end result is jail.
01:58:37 So you jail the person, and the person goes to jail,
01:58:41 you add him, if he's a male, a man, you add him to the male cells.
01:58:46 If he's a woman, you add her to the female cells.
01:58:49 So what are you promoting?
01:58:50 You are rather going to intensify the activities there.
01:58:54 So to me, I don't see any sense in this.
01:58:58 And if you want to fight this, you think that it's spreading,
01:59:02 and you want to fight it, you have to sit down and find out the root cause.
01:59:07 What are some of the root causes?
01:59:09 The boarding system.
01:59:11 The prison system.
01:59:14 So why don't you look at that and see if you can minimize those who are going to jail,
01:59:21 and see if you can give them some hard labor outside,
01:59:26 or close down all boarding schools,
01:59:29 so that nobody goes there to learn all these activities.
01:59:32 You are suggesting, Kofi Akwelu, that in dealing with the situation,
01:59:36 we should rather shut down the boarding system.
01:59:38 Yes, because--
01:59:39 Is that what you're suggesting as a solution?
01:59:41 Yes, that's one of the solutions, because you see the genesis.
01:59:45 You need to fight it from the genesis.
01:59:47 Where are people getting this?
01:59:49 Some people will tell you they were born like this.
01:59:52 I have interviewed someone who was born a man.
01:59:57 Of course, he transitioned, so to speak.
02:00:00 He was born Maxwell, I think, and later transitioned to Angel Maxine.
02:00:07 And he says right from the bat, as a child, he felt a bit different.
02:00:13 This may not have anything to do with--
02:00:15 Yes, he ended up, or she ended up in a boarding facility at a point,
02:00:19 but this had happened long before.
02:00:21 But some people will tell you that,
02:00:23 "I always had these tendencies and all of that."
02:00:26 It wouldn't be on the back of a boarding system.
02:00:28 It wouldn't be on the back of having been incarcerated or something of the sort.
02:00:31 So would that be any real solution, targeting boarding system?
02:00:35 Oh, yes. It will reduce it.
02:00:37 I'm saying that's one of the solutions.
02:00:39 It will reduce it, because people get into the act when they go to boarding schools.
02:00:43 So if you want to fight it, then reduce the boarding system.
02:00:48 It will reduce new entrants into the activities.
02:00:52 And then you have to also find jobs for the numerous young men and women out there
02:00:56 who are not working and who can be lured into this act by somebody sponsoring the person.
02:01:01 So find jobs for the people. Create jobs.
02:01:04 We'll get to the economy shortly and the bit about jobs and what the LPG can do.
02:01:08 But also because you've spoken about prison, our prison system.
02:01:14 And of course, it's quite a situation there on what the prisoners have to survive on,
02:01:19 the numbers in there.
02:01:21 But what do you make of the death penalty?
02:01:23 It's come to the fore recently.
02:01:25 We'll just quickly deal with that and go to the economy.
02:01:28 Francis Ebiasosu is pushing in Parliament for those bills to see the light of day
02:01:34 so that we'll just scrap the death penalty.
02:01:36 In fact, since 1992, all of those that we've sentenced to death, no one has been executed.
02:01:42 That's the point. Amnesty International is saying it's high time we got past it.
02:01:46 But there are the likes of Cletus Abaca who say, wait, what are you saying?
02:01:51 I mean, and he painted a picture in Parliament.
02:01:53 Someone comes to my house, robs me, maybe rapes my wife and all of that, kills me.
02:01:58 And you feel that person has a right to life when I have lost my life?
02:02:02 What is the position of the LPG? What is your position?
02:02:05 Actually, we don't believe in those things like killing, taking somebody's life.
02:02:11 Why should you kill somebody? Why should you kill somebody?
02:02:16 And people can change. People can change.
02:02:20 And there are those who also do not change.
02:02:22 Yes, that's human. That's human. You see, everybody is different.
02:02:27 So people can change. So we have to give people a chance to change.
02:02:31 And you know, sometimes somebody, maybe they'll suspect a person as a thief or whatever,
02:02:37 and then they'll lead the person to death.
02:02:39 Mob action and all those kind of stuff. All these things, we need to condemn them.
02:02:43 But you know, we need deterrence in society.
02:02:46 One of the functions of penalisation is to deter.
02:02:51 So you see that a submissive went and stole something, and this was the consequence of that action.
02:02:57 You also don't go and do it because if you know that if you do it and you get caught,
02:03:01 it is the same consequence you will face.
02:03:03 One of the merits of the law or its use is to deter people from doing the things that society agrees we do not want to see.
02:03:17 And you say, what exactly?
02:03:19 You see, sometimes you can be wrongly accused.
02:03:24 And we have experienced it many times.
02:03:27 Is that not a drop in the bucket, globally?
02:03:29 Yes, it is insignificant.
02:03:32 But still, if those people were given the opportunity to live,
02:03:37 maybe it would help their families and relatives and the rest.
02:03:45 So I would suggest that we should support what my brother, Sosu, is fighting.
02:03:55 So you are for Francis Ibias?
02:03:57 Yes, because we don't need to kill people. Why should you kill somebody?
02:04:00 I don't believe in that. Let's find solutions to those problems.
02:04:06 Let's look at the economy.
02:04:08 I just want us to wade into the economy and look at some party political issues and then we'll take it from there.
02:04:15 The economy is in a very tight space.
02:04:18 We've got the IMF on board, but we are struggling. It is clear.
02:04:25 What would the LPG do differently in terms of managing our economy?
02:04:30 We need to look at creating wealth.
02:04:39 How do you do that?
02:04:41 We need to look at the young people.
02:04:43 Most of our young people are around.
02:04:46 We need to help them to come out with realizing their visions.
02:04:52 Because when you go into the book of Joel, chapter 2, verse 28,
02:04:57 it says in the latter days the young people will have visions and then the old men will have dreams.
02:05:04 So if the young people are going to have visions,
02:05:08 then it means we need to be serious with the young people, identify them, support them,
02:05:18 no matter what party they belong to.
02:05:20 So far as they are Ghanaians and they have fantastic business ideas, we should support them to realize it.
02:05:26 I'm looking for more. I don't want you to re-echo or be an echo chamber for the problems.
02:05:33 What are the solutions? How would you support them?
02:05:36 The solution is that we need to find money to support their businesses.
02:05:40 How would you find that money?
02:05:41 I'll come there in just a minute.
02:05:44 If you go into the global space, you see that those who have transformed this society,
02:05:55 it all started when they were young people.
02:05:58 If you take a person like Bill Gates, 13 years when he started learning programming on his own,
02:06:04 and then 19 before Microsoft.
02:06:08 This one is Dell, yeah? This computer is Dell.
02:06:11 It's an HP brand.
02:06:12 Okay. You know their computing?
02:06:15 Started by Michael Dell when he was at school.
02:06:19 iPhone, Apple, started by...
02:06:23 Steve Jobs and his students.
02:06:24 Yes.
02:06:25 You know, it was 24 years. Steve Jobs was 21 years.
02:06:31 So the youthful human...
02:06:33 Exactly. Here we are neglecting them. We are not supporting them.
02:06:37 We think they are young people, they don't have anything.
02:06:40 Until we have that realization that the young people carry vision.
02:06:45 So we need to identify them and invest in them so that they can change the narrative.
02:06:52 You have both sides.
02:06:55 You have both sides.
02:06:56 And then you use the both sides to go and secure a loan of $2 billion, okay?
02:07:01 Now, but what would the $2 billion do for you?
02:07:06 Instead, you could afford.
02:07:09 Borrow money to invest in what?
02:07:12 Refining the what? The both sides.
02:07:14 And turning the both sides into a luminaire.
02:07:16 Already you have Vaku.
02:07:18 So you feed Vaku with the luminaire to turn it into aluminum.
02:07:24 And then you build extrusion plants to start producing profiles.
02:07:28 Now we have assembly plants coming here.
02:07:31 They need engine blocks.
02:07:33 They need pistols.
02:07:34 They need car parts and the rest.
02:07:37 So the extrusion plant can produce all of them.
02:07:40 Even Boeing can buy most of their parts from here.
02:07:44 Now, all the natural resources that we have, until we go into adding value, we are going nowhere.
02:07:54 But value addition is not as simple as you make it.
02:07:57 Recently, I mean, there's a private enterprise that has created a refinery somewhere in Thema.
02:08:02 We look at our own tour, the Thema oil refinery, and the woes it has faced.
02:08:06 Even look at our gold.
02:08:08 In terms of processing the gold, we do a lot of the processing globally, not just Ghana.
02:08:13 In Switzerland, can you imagine that?
02:08:15 So what exactly is going to be different?
02:08:18 How--these things you are talking about, the MPP and the NDC have told us the same things.
02:08:23 Yeah. No, see, because they don't have how to do it.
02:08:28 And you do.
02:08:29 Yes, because let me tell you something.
02:08:31 Now, you are selling Thema oil refinery.
02:08:33 We don't--government doesn't need to own Thema oil refinery.
02:08:36 We need to give Thema oil refinery to the private sector.
02:08:39 But if you didn't go to a foreign company, you should rather go to Ghanaian company.
02:08:44 Invite Ghanaians.
02:08:46 Let them put a bid.
02:08:48 Would you be willing to invest in a Thema oil refinery?
02:08:51 Yes. Why not?
02:08:52 I believe you too.
02:08:54 So why don't we float shares?
02:08:56 Become private entity.
02:08:58 Give it to Ghanaians all over.
02:09:00 Buy shares into that company.
02:09:02 We can raise the needed capital to expand the activities of Thema oil refinery.
02:09:07 You don't need to bring in the foreign investors to come and own.
02:09:10 Because everything is in the hands of the foreign investors.
02:09:12 They will take everything away.
02:09:14 And our leaders are so happy to give everything out to foreign direct investors.
02:09:20 I'm not against foreign direct investors.
02:09:22 But what are we doing?
02:09:24 We are not creating capital here.
02:09:26 Look at the tax rate.
02:09:28 If your tax rate is 50 something percent, how do you create capital?
02:09:31 The taxes are too much.
02:09:33 So we cannot do anything ourselves.
02:09:37 If you go to Thema here, most of the big companies there are owned by foreigners.
02:09:43 Everything is owned by foreigners.
02:09:45 That is a problem that we have in this country.
02:09:47 Yes, because we are not creating capital.
02:09:49 You see, our problem is that we are not creating capital.
02:09:52 We are not teaching our kids from school savings and investment culture.
02:09:57 If you don't save and invest, you can never be rich.
02:10:01 If you want to be rich, you need to know how to save and invest.
02:10:05 So it should be a public thing that we should teach our kids from infancy.
02:10:11 To understand that every little amount that they have, they should be able to save and then invest later.
02:10:18 How do we, very quickly, so we wrap up on the economy,
02:10:21 how do we prevent Ghana, ourselves, from going back to the IMF?
02:10:26 17 times.
02:10:27 The solution is that we have to create capital.
02:10:30 That's the only solution. Create capital.
02:10:32 How about industrialization? You've spoken about the aluminium bit.
02:10:35 For example, we have lithium now. We may not have started exploiting it.
02:10:40 If you were in power and we had lithium to exploit, I mean, batteries for vehicles, like you've mentioned,
02:10:49 for our phones and the rest, what would be your thinking on the use of lithium?
02:10:52 The use would be simple.
02:10:55 Invite Ghanaians all over the world.
02:10:58 Sell the idea to them.
02:11:00 Ask them, put your resources together to raise the necessary capital and venture into it.
02:11:05 So you form a company, you invite Ghanaians to buy shares in that company, and then they will invest.
02:11:11 So you have a very business-focused approach.
02:11:13 Yes, because that's the way to make money for your people.
02:11:18 Because other than that, you invite foreign direct investors.
02:11:21 They will take everything away.
02:11:22 And you will get only 5% and you think that's enough.
02:11:25 No, we need to allow people.
02:11:29 Ghanaians abroad, they are over 10 million.
02:11:33 Ghanaians here, even if you ask 1 million Ghanaians to bring $1,000 together, each, it's $1 billion.
02:11:42 If you get 1 million Ghanaians to invest $1,000 each, it's $1 billion.
02:11:47 $1,000 now is around 12,000 CDs.
02:11:50 How many Ghanaians can freely give that out?
02:11:53 Oh, there are some Ghanaians who can invest $1 million.
02:11:56 There are Ghanaians who can invest.
02:11:58 There are, definitely.
02:11:59 Fantastic.
02:12:00 So I'm just using like a pair item, that's per stock.
02:12:06 $1,000.
02:12:08 You see how many people who can.
02:12:09 So if you're able to sell the idea to them, for them to understand the benefit, the benefit has to be suited with that investment.
02:12:15 So are you suggesting our leaders are not thinking well enough?
02:12:19 I won't use that word, but maybe they have not taken a proper look at that, because that's the way forward.
02:12:28 Other than that, you always fall on the foreigners, for them to invest, because the airlines are owned by the foreigners.
02:12:37 The telecommunication owned by the foreigners.
02:12:40 Services.
02:12:41 Everything is owned by the foreigners.
02:12:43 So how do we create wealth?
02:12:45 You said your emphasis is only on the taxes.
02:12:49 So that's why every day they come up with new tasks.
02:12:53 So come July the 25th, when the mid-year budget is read, you don't want to hear of any more taxes?
02:12:59 No, no, no.
02:13:00 I want to see the government reducing taxes.
02:13:03 If the government is serious and you want to create wealth, this government is serious, you want to make more money.
02:13:08 You should encourage the businesses to employ.
02:13:12 What do you think about the e-levy, COVID-19 levy?
02:13:15 COVID-19?
02:13:16 Levy.
02:13:17 I think they should abolish all those things.
02:13:20 And the e-levy?
02:13:21 Oh, the e-levy, I would suggest maybe they will make it like a fixed 10.
02:13:27 Like maybe 10 CDs for 1,000 CDs, up to 5,000 CDs, pay 10 CDs, something of that sort.
02:13:33 But the 1% or negative 10, to me, is too much.
02:13:39 The percentages.
02:13:41 Before I think your very final comments, just the IGP and the leaked tape.
02:13:45 You know now, Nnabu Green Nnabu has confirmed that there was this meeting in his house and some things actually were said.
02:13:54 What do you make of that situation?
02:13:55 And what do you think about the Asen North member of parliament situation, James Jachikwesi?
02:14:00 Very quick thoughts on those two.
02:14:01 Oh, okay.
02:14:02 Now, the leaked tape.
02:14:04 To me, I don't see any serious...
02:14:08 Someone who is a COP, supposedly, is plotting, hatching a plot to remove the IGP on political grounds because he's acting in a way that will make all the MPPs fortunes.
02:14:19 You don't see any problem with that?
02:14:21 No. None of them has any power to remove the IGP.
02:14:25 So, when you meet a coup plotter, you want to wait until the person does something before you realize it can be dangerous.
02:14:31 But what about if you don't know the person is planning?
02:14:34 But now we know.
02:14:35 So, what can you do?
02:14:36 You can't do anything.
02:14:37 I mean, if you look at Abu Grina Abu, and then the other man.
02:14:42 There's a COP, supposedly, involved there.
02:14:44 They can't do anything.
02:14:45 Party people.
02:14:46 They can't do anything.
02:14:47 So, we should take it from there.
02:14:48 It's like somebody sitting at the appetizer bar and be talking that kind of stuff.
02:14:52 They can't do anything.
02:14:53 You don't need to waste energy.
02:14:55 Because I think I read it that they're going for the receptionist and then the PA of Abu Grina Abu.
02:15:05 Right.
02:15:06 So, when I look at it, it's a waste of time.
02:15:08 Maybe they'll be, we call it the BNI or the NIB.
02:15:11 NIB.
02:15:12 Maybe they don't have anything to do, so that's why they are trying to use it.
02:15:14 You think the NIB has nothing to do, and that's why they are following a court?
02:15:17 It's a fruitless exercise.
02:15:18 It won't go anywhere.
02:15:19 Judge Equation?
02:15:20 Judge Equation, going to court.
02:15:21 He's been re-elected.
02:15:22 Oh, yeah.
02:15:23 And now, the court processes, and the minority saying every time he's in court will also go.
02:15:28 Yes.
02:15:29 Congratulations to him for winning the Asen of election.
02:15:33 But the thing is that the law must work.
02:15:35 Yeah, because he lied on the oath.
02:15:38 If you do, you have to face the law.
02:15:40 So, I don't think there's anything wrong.
02:15:43 As of the point when he was filing his papers, he had contested and all of that, he had done everything to be sure that he qualified to actually participate.
02:15:55 No.
02:15:56 At the time, he was filling the form.
02:15:59 He hasn't.
02:16:01 So, he became only sole Ghanian without any allegiance whatsoever.
02:16:11 That was somewhere in the way.
02:16:12 But the hitches in the process do not affect him in terms of his application.
02:16:15 No, no.
02:16:16 See, the application.
02:16:17 He had followed the processes.
02:16:19 No, no.
02:16:20 When you are filling the form, there's a section that will ask you whether you are a civil servant, whether you are a Ghanian by birth, whether you are 21 years and over.
02:16:30 So, you have to say yes or no.
02:16:35 And then he said yes.
02:16:37 And then he lied.
02:16:39 So, if you have lied, then you have to face the consequences.
02:16:42 I mean, I don't think we should encourage wrongdoing in this country.
02:16:46 Even if somebody has done something wrong, the person must face the consequences.
02:16:50 We shouldn't say because he's a politician.
02:16:53 That is why we are here in this country.
02:16:55 We are not growing.
02:16:56 We need to grow.
02:16:57 We need to grow.
02:16:58 We need to grow.
02:16:59 So, maybe some 20 seconds, final words.
02:17:02 My final words, we should support LPE, everybody, including you.
02:17:08 You should support me so that if you add your brains to ours, we can turn Ghana around, can make Ghana a better place.
02:17:15 Because Ghana is a beautiful place.
02:17:17 It has a lot of opportunities.
02:17:19 But we are giving opportunities to foreigners and our people are suffering.
02:17:23 We need to create jobs for our young men and women.
02:17:26 We need to give them the opportunity to realize their dreams here.
02:17:29 And I believe LPE 2024 will be a different ballgame because we are coming like a kite and want everybody out there,
02:17:38 especially the young people, to support us to take this MPP and NDC out of the system.
02:17:45 Well, Kofi Akpalu is flag bearer of the Liberal Party of Ghana.
02:17:50 He joined us this morning for a conversation.
02:17:53 From time to time, we have the other stalwarts, the other parties also coming, the CPP, PNC, among others,
02:17:58 to find out what they are offering.
02:18:00 And as you have seen, we've hosted the LPG today.
02:18:04 It is up to you to decide whether or not you'll buy into what he is offering.
02:18:10 But, Kofi, thank you so much for coming.
02:18:12 Thank you, bro. God bless you.
02:18:14 All right.
02:18:15 Moving on from here, we'll be having more conversations and we'll be looking at the MPP's flag bearer race.
02:18:24 Now, it is heating up and there are certain dynamics that we got to know of only yesterday from the administrative end of the party.
02:18:33 We'll be bringing you details of that.
02:18:36 We also have a conversation on COVID-19.
02:18:40 Now, the Ghana Health Service says a major part of the population is yet to fully vaccinate against the virus.
02:18:46 On the back of that, it has stepped up its game in terms of getting all of us fully vaccinated.
02:18:52 I have had all shots, had booster shots.
02:18:55 But how about you?
02:18:56 This morning, we're hosting Dr. Kwame Mponsa-Akyano.
02:18:59 He's Programme Manager, Expanded Programme on Immunisation at the Ghana Health Service.
02:19:05 That conversation is up next on the AM Show.
02:19:08 Stay.
02:19:37 Hello, thank you so much for staying here on the AM Show.
02:19:41 And you just had my colleague Benjamin Akaku speak to Presidential hopeful Mr. Akbalu.
02:19:48 But it's now time to talk about your health.
02:19:51 And for the past few days, we've been talking to you about a vaccination programme by the Ghana Health Service because COVID still remains a threat,
02:20:00 even though it's no longer a pandemic and even though we've seen a decrease in the number of cases,
02:20:08 there's still a concern, especially because a recent WHO report showed that even though there was a decrease in reported cases in Africa,
02:20:17 there was an increase in the number of deaths.
02:20:20 So it's important that we stay safe.
02:20:23 We keep to the protocols and get our vaccinations.
02:20:27 This morning, I've been joined by Dr. Kwame Mponsa-Akyano.
02:20:30 He's Programme Manager, Expanded Programme on Immunisation at the Ghana Health Service.
02:20:35 And he's joining us for a conversation because there is a campaign by the Ghana Health Service to ensure that at least they're able to get most of us in Ghana vaccinated.
02:20:47 Hello. Good morning to you.
02:20:49 Good morning, Ben.
02:20:50 It's good to meet you.
02:20:51 Good to meet you.
02:20:52 In person, finally.
02:20:53 So, briefly tell us what the situation is like when it comes to our figures now and COVID.
02:21:00 Thank you very much and good morning to your cherished viewers and listeners alike.
02:21:05 So, if I have to say something, anything in one sentence, I would say that COVID, number of cases of COVID have been reducing.
02:21:17 So we've been seeing decreasing number of cases.
02:21:21 But the pandemic is not yet over.
02:21:27 For us in Ghana, I would say that our caseload is very low.
02:21:31 We have only one active case.
02:21:34 Okay, as we speak.
02:21:35 Yes, as we speak now.
02:21:38 And generally for all the other regions, apart from Greater Accra, there's virtually no case.
02:21:44 Right. So then why is it important for us to get vaccinated?
02:21:47 I mean, we are okay, why do you still want to get us vaccinated?
02:21:51 But we've been here before, you remember?
02:21:54 Right.
02:21:55 When there was no case or very few cases and then suddenly we had a spike.
02:22:02 But suffice to say that on the 5th of May, the WHO de-escalated COVID as no longer a public health emergency of international concern.
02:22:16 Unfortunately, people misconstrue that as the end of the pandemic.
02:22:21 That is not the case.
02:22:23 The case is that we are moving from the emergency phase to a more relaxed, as it were, integrated manner, where COVID is part of us and we need to deal with it as such.
02:22:37 So it's not as if the pandemic is over, it's not yet over.
02:22:40 It is the emergency phase of it.
02:22:42 Of course, we can't remain perpetually in emergency, we need to live our lives.
02:22:47 And so once immunity is going up, people have been vaccinated, some have had infections.
02:22:53 You know, there are two ways of getting immunity.
02:22:55 You either get infection or you get vaccinated.
02:22:58 If you are not lucky, you get infection, you die.
02:23:01 Okay.
02:23:02 Yes.
02:23:03 And that's what we are trying to prevent.
02:23:04 Exactly.
02:23:05 A lot of people have had immunity go up and therefore would say that the cases are reducing as a result.
02:23:17 But that is not the end of the pandemic.
02:23:19 I made reference to a recent WHO report.
02:23:22 Even though we don't have specific statistics about Ghana, our region, which is Africa, is, you know, cited in the report for having a decrease in the number of cases.
02:23:34 But an increase in deaths.
02:23:36 Do we understand why that is happening at all?
02:23:38 Well, I don't have any major understanding of that.
02:23:42 Nobody has done any studies to suggest any clue to anything.
02:23:48 But the point is that this virus is very, very treacherous.
02:23:54 It can easily change its form, what the scientists will call mutation.
02:24:00 So you can never predict it.
02:24:01 And therefore we need to get our lines and make sure that we are protected and we are not taken by scope.
02:24:08 That was one of the things about the COVID virus that, you know, got a lot of people disturbed because of the mutations, the variants.
02:24:16 And there were even concerns when vaccines were produced, whether they could deal with all the emerging variants and all that.
02:24:21 These vaccines we are going to get.
02:24:23 I know we have used the Johnson & Johnson.
02:24:26 We have used the Pfizer.
02:24:28 And did we ever use Moderna?
02:24:30 Yes, we did.
02:24:31 We did use Moderna.
02:24:32 We used Sputnik V.
02:24:33 Sputnik V, yes, you're right.
02:24:35 And AstraZeneca.
02:24:36 And AstraZeneca.
02:24:37 So this vaccination exercise we are embarking on, what would it look like, especially for those who are yet to receive their booster shots?
02:24:46 Do they need to be concerned about whether they're going to get the same dose of the same type of vaccine or we can do a mix and merge?
02:24:57 I just want us to educate people on what they should expect when they walk to a center to get vaccinated or when a health official approaches them to get vaccinated.
02:25:05 So responding to your question specifically, for boosters, we do not mind whichever vaccine you take.
02:25:11 By our policy, for a booster, you can take any of the vaccines, irrespective of what you took for your, what we call the primary series.
02:25:19 In other words, the very first doses you took.
02:25:23 So for boosters, there's no problem.
02:25:25 What we have, in fact, there's no new vaccine.
02:25:28 It is what we had already.
02:25:30 For now, what we have in the system is Johnson & Johnson, which is one shot.
02:25:35 And that is what we are using.
02:25:37 It is for persons 18 years and above.
02:25:41 You will recall that for us, the policy is 15 year olds and above being vaccinated.
02:25:47 However, we don't have the vaccine for them now.
02:25:50 We are still working to get additional vaccines.
02:25:53 All we have is what we have had previously.
02:25:57 And the same vaccine we are using.
02:26:00 I remember the point, there was a lot of apathy and hesitation.
02:26:05 People were skeptical because there were all these myths around about it being a certain way of controlling humans.
02:26:14 Eventually, there are some chips in there.
02:26:16 People even put their phones to the site where they were injected.
02:26:19 And they say the phones got stacked.
02:26:21 There was something magnetic.
02:26:23 People were like, we don't want to be a part of this new world order, which is trying to influence.
02:26:32 You know all the theories, right?
02:26:34 And usher in the post-rapture world.
02:26:40 Everything, everything, religious, whatever.
02:26:43 There will be some information, disinformation.
02:26:45 But the case speaks for itself.
02:26:47 So I can imagine how challenging it will be for you now that the figures are pointing to a reduction.
02:26:55 And trying to convince people that it's still important that you get the shot.
02:27:00 We had a target.
02:27:02 Do we know how far we've gone in reaching, was it 20 million?
02:27:05 Yes, yes, yes.
02:27:06 Actually, specifically around 18 point something.
02:27:09 But it was rounded up to 20 million.
02:27:11 So what percentage of that target have we vaccinated or covered?
02:27:16 Interestingly, we've done about 76 percent of that target.
02:27:20 That's impressive.
02:27:21 We have almost 14 million persons ever coming for a vaccine.
02:27:25 14 million, that's a whopping large number.
02:27:28 Among them, about 11 million are fully vaccinated.
02:27:34 In quotes, they've received the primary series.
02:27:37 So we still have around 3 million persons who are yet to complete.
02:27:42 To even get an initial dose, or to complete.
02:27:44 Yes, and then if you subtract the 14 from the 18 plus, you have over 4 million who have never received a vaccine.
02:27:52 And so that's the statistics.
02:27:54 We've done a lot, but we still need to push hard.
02:27:58 But the issue about vaccine is that you normally give a vaccine when the disease is not there.
02:28:04 It's better that way.
02:28:06 Yes, because that's the nature of it.
02:28:08 A vaccine is preventive.
02:28:09 And so it's when you don't see the disease, that is when you need to actually give vaccination.
02:28:15 If you look for the kids, for example, yellow fever, measles, BCG, you don't see them because we continuously give the vaccine.
02:28:26 Anytime you withdraw the vaccines, the diseases will come back.
02:28:30 And so a vaccine is not curative.
02:28:33 And that is why when I get a question, "You don't see the disease, why are you vaccinating?"
02:28:38 That is the essence of it.
02:28:40 A vaccine is preventive.
02:28:41 Right. But have we achieved herd immunity? Are we close to that?
02:28:44 Not yet. Nobody really knows the threshold for herd immunity or community immunity, as we call it.
02:28:54 But the principle is to get as many persons who are eligible as possible to get vaccinated.
02:29:01 And the more you do that, the better it is for the rest who, for one reason or the other, may not be vaccinated.
02:29:09 So that's...
02:29:10 Either because of some circumstances or one issue or the other, they may not be able to vaccinate.
02:29:20 And that is the reason you don't need to get 100% coverage.
02:29:23 Okay.
02:29:24 Yes.
02:29:25 Okay.
02:29:26 So this is happening from the 19th to the 23rd of July.
02:29:31 We started two days ago.
02:29:33 You started two days ago.
02:29:34 We are completing this exercise on Sunday.
02:29:38 But that's just a pure set aside to drum home, to make a bit of noise, mobilize society.
02:29:45 Beyond that, we will still vaccinate.
02:29:47 So it doesn't end there. That's what I wanted to come to.
02:29:49 So this is just a campaign, right?
02:29:51 So we're just trying to mop up and mobilize as many people.
02:29:55 And because we are quite a busy people, sometimes people like you to bring it to them.
02:29:59 And so these are some of the exercises that you have to embark on.
02:30:02 And if you look, this is the seventh one we are doing.
02:30:05 And anytime we do that, people take...
02:30:08 There's a spike always.
02:30:10 And the data speaks for itself.
02:30:11 Okay.
02:30:12 So 23rd of July is Sunday.
02:30:15 Where can people go to...
02:30:17 What should they look out for?
02:30:19 So our health care workers will be moving to churches and mosques,
02:30:25 places where you can find human beings, as it were, market areas, lorry parks.
02:30:29 Some will go over bunks and sleep on the islands and all the places that we normally do childhood vaccination.
02:30:37 This is adult.
02:30:38 So we are just replicating that for the adults.
02:30:41 But again, beyond that, the whole world is trying to make COVID vaccines part of routine.
02:30:48 So that's the next stage, because now it's de-escalated and it's no longer a public health emergency of international concern.
02:30:55 It's going to be part of the routine.
02:30:57 Okay.
02:30:58 So that routinely when adults who are at risk, there are three risk groups.
02:31:04 You have the high risk, the medium, the low.
02:31:06 They can walk in any time and take their vaccine.
02:31:09 How many booster shots can one take?
02:31:11 Well, for now, I would say that if you go by the risk groups, then you would think that if you are high risk,
02:31:19 like health care workers, people, persons with underlying conditions who are also old,
02:31:25 and especially the older adults, they will need a booster after about every six months to one year.
02:31:33 So in other words, you're prepping us to take this as a lifestyle.
02:31:37 Not necessarily, but up to about two years, 2025, you may have to give boosters, especially those who are most at risk.
02:31:47 I see the challenge for many people is that we are not used in this part of the world to older people taking vaccinations on the regular.
02:31:56 In other parts of the world, when the flu season is coming, people put their flu shots and all that.
02:32:00 But here, it's not like that.
02:32:02 We see the children getting their vaccinations.
02:32:04 So I think that that's where the struggle is.
02:32:07 Yes, so it's going to be like the flu shot, but not perpetually as is happening in the temperate areas.
02:32:13 For this, it's maybe a year or two.
02:32:15 We're still learning a lot about the virus, interestingly.
02:32:18 Are there new variants emerging?
02:32:20 Well, new variants keep on coming up, but these are not variants that are too different from the original, I mean the Omicron variant.
02:32:29 Right, so this morning I'm speaking to Dr. Ampon Saachianu, Programme Manager at the Expanded Programme on Immunisation for the Ghana Health Service.
02:32:37 And he's here to talk to us about their National COVID Vaccination Programme.
02:32:42 And it is the seventh one.
02:32:44 And it's all because, yes, the numbers are reducing.
02:32:48 Yes, the WHO has de-escalated, you know, or how do you put it?
02:32:55 Yes, declassified the disease as an emergency.
02:33:00 And so it still exists.
02:33:02 You need to protect yourself, especially if you fall within a vulnerable group.
02:33:06 It's just important that you take responsibility for yourself.
02:33:09 So how do people contact you?
02:33:13 I know that you're all around the country.
02:33:16 But if somebody says, for example, I have an office, you haven't visited us, I think you should come in and try and, you know, handle, take care of everybody here.
02:33:25 Are there opportunities like that for people to contact the Ghana Health Service?
02:33:29 Sure, there are surely opportunities like that.
02:33:31 Of course, you don't expect people to be moving from house to house, I mean, vaccinating individuals as it were.
02:33:39 Because it's a very difficult task when it comes to injectable vaccines.
02:33:43 If it's oral, it's easy.
02:33:46 But for an injectable, you need a nice place, maybe under a shade, where you can put all one or two things together.
02:33:55 Then also dispose your waste properly.
02:33:58 If you are moving from house to house, I know some healthcare workers have tried to do that, but it's exceedingly difficult.
02:34:05 And so if it's a workplace, that is easier, where you have people.
02:34:10 Large groupings.
02:34:11 Correct.
02:34:12 That can be arranged.
02:34:13 And in fact, that is what many of the districts have been doing.
02:34:17 They arrange with the people and then move as and when it is necessary.
02:34:23 Doc, let's talk about side effects, because it's something that interests people a lot.
02:34:28 We've read articles, we've seen concerns about blood clotting issues.
02:34:33 And I know that for healthcare workers, you're always careful when it comes to issues like this.
02:34:39 But you have even denied the fact that there are reported cases of suspected issues as a result of people taking the jabs.
02:34:48 How do you address that?
02:34:50 What should people do?
02:34:52 Is it true that if I get a COVID vaccine and I begin to feel sick, it's probably because I may have a certain disease that's lurking,
02:35:02 that hasn't gone full blown?
02:35:05 The vaccine is not necessarily causing me to be sick, but it's just exposing that.
02:35:10 I mean, just help us address, because there's so many things that we hear.
02:35:13 So yes, the issue of adverse events is very tricky.
02:35:17 Of course, we communicate that a lot.
02:35:20 The one thing about vaccines is that you get a vaccine or anybody gets a vaccine, anything happens after that, and it's the vaccine.
02:35:29 And in fact, almost invariably, that is not the case.
02:35:33 However, we know that vaccines themselves have inherent properties that can also cause side effects like fever, maybe vomiting and so on.
02:35:44 So we have some side effects that are due to the vaccine.
02:35:48 Others are just coincidental.
02:35:50 So what do we do?
02:35:51 I mean, it's one of the reasons people say that they don't want to go for the vaccine because they don't want to be left with the side effects.
02:35:57 So what has the study shown over the time? Are these side effects mild or, you know?
02:36:04 Yeah, for every vaccine.
02:36:06 In fact, the COVID vaccine side effects have not been too different from the side effects of other vaccines we know.
02:36:12 Otherwise, we would have stopped them a long time ago because it's always risks against benefits or benefits risks.
02:36:19 So normally for vaccines, if the benefits far outweigh the risk, then of course you manage the risks.
02:36:25 If the risks are over and above that of the benefits, of course the vaccine is then withdrawn.
02:36:30 But what is the data showing?
02:36:31 So for us, the data shows that there's no cause for concern in terms of the COVID vaccines as of now.
02:36:38 And interestingly, COVID vaccine is the most vaccine, I would say, the vaccine that has been given most in the whole world.
02:36:45 Over 13 billion doses given, about five, over five billion persons have been vaccinated.
02:36:52 Which experiment is more than this?
02:36:54 So if there's really a problem, I'm sure the whole world would have seen it and then the vaccines would have been withdrawn.
02:37:00 But as of now, working with international community, working with our local community and of course the regulators,
02:37:08 we haven't seen anything extraordinary.
02:37:11 The issue about people who have gotten initial doses and coming for booster jabs and all the concerns around that,
02:37:21 that's why you created the card, because it has all the records in there.
02:37:25 But we know the kind of society we live in.
02:37:28 People have been affected by floods.
02:37:30 People have been robbed.
02:37:33 They can't find their cards.
02:37:34 I know somebody who went and said, look, I've taken jabs already.
02:37:38 I can't remember which brand it was, but I want to retrieve the data.
02:37:45 And they're told, we can't.
02:37:47 We can't help you.
02:37:49 He went to the center, type in my name, try and get me just the data, because I moved from Kumasi to Accra.
02:37:56 So I just need to do my booster jabs and I need that to help me.
02:38:00 But the cards don't seem to be working as expected.
02:38:02 We have levels of, I mean, levels where you can launch a complaint.
02:38:08 First of all, your card gets missing.
02:38:10 The card, replacement of the card is not as simple as that.
02:38:14 Like you replace a passport and you say, give me another one.
02:38:18 You need to have a proof that your card is truly missing.
02:38:22 And so what we advise people to do, if you are beggared, for example, report to the police.
02:38:27 Let the police give you a report.
02:38:29 And then you send it to either the district.
02:38:32 If the district cannot help you, they direct you to the region.
02:38:35 At worst, then you come to the national.
02:38:37 And we'll be helping people, especially travelers.
02:38:40 You're able to help them?
02:38:41 Yes, we're able to do that.
02:38:43 So you've just heard it here.
02:38:44 If you are struggling, if you have issues, just reach out to the Ghana Health Service at your district level.
02:38:49 And then they can escalate it if they cannot help you.
02:38:52 But talking about the cards, we still don't need them to travel, do we?
02:38:55 For now, for Ghana, probably not.
02:38:59 But if you are going out, you need to find out from your destination country.
02:39:04 Because I was in Togo last week.
02:39:07 And I tell you, there's a rigor you need to produce your card.
02:39:11 So eventually, maybe countries may also de-escalate that.
02:39:18 But for now, you need to keep your card.
02:39:21 So please keep your card.
02:39:23 And I know somebody who was compelled to get a dose because they had to travel.
02:39:28 Not necessarily because they wanted to get it, but they have to satisfy the requirements of the country they are visiting.
02:39:36 Maybe we can interrogate that.
02:39:38 Which was more important to that person?
02:39:41 Is it the travel or the vaccine?
02:39:44 And Doc, once you're bringing that, let's just let people know.
02:39:49 There are required times between the shots.
02:39:55 So I know of people who've literally had to beg because their travel time is closed.
02:40:02 And the health official says, "I can't give you the dose today and give you the second dose in two or three weeks."
02:40:08 I need to wait for the required time.
02:40:11 But the people are bent on traveling at the time they have to travel.
02:40:15 They insist on that.
02:40:16 And they insist on that.
02:40:17 And it's usually a struggle.
02:40:18 Let me explain.
02:40:19 Maybe we need to re-educate our people.
02:40:22 You see, giving vaccines at short intervals do not really cause any problem.
02:40:29 The issue is the benefit.
02:40:31 So one of the doses will be counted as null and void.
02:40:34 That's the only issue.
02:40:36 But if the person insists, if it's an adult and insists, you can give it.
02:40:41 There's no problem.
02:40:42 Why? There's no problem?
02:40:43 No.
02:40:44 If I take a first shot?
02:40:45 But the minimum interval, usually for many of the vaccines, is four weeks.
02:40:49 But there are also some vaccines we give at three weeks interval.
02:40:52 So it's not an issue.
02:40:54 Right.
02:40:55 Or maybe just to save yourself all the hassle, just get your shots, be relaxed, get your card whenever you have to travel.
02:41:02 But I understand that.
02:41:04 Sometimes, you know, it's an unexpected thing.
02:41:08 Yes.
02:41:09 So if you come today and you come the following, let's say, three weeks after, for many of the vaccines we can give, Modena for example, 21 days, we can give.
02:41:20 We have tried to standardize a lot of the things so that you take them at maybe a minimum of four weeks interval.
02:41:28 There are some that you need a minimum of, say, eight weeks interval.
02:41:32 But, you know, because it will bring a lot of confusion, we try to standardize looking at the benefits and the risks.
02:41:40 And that is why some of these issues, especially I'm talking specifically with COVID, as I saw these issues around confusion come.
02:41:48 Let's take some of the boxes.
02:41:50 Can pregnant women take the vaccine?
02:41:52 Yes, they can.
02:41:53 But they have their vaccine.
02:41:55 Okay.
02:41:56 So you need to declare if you're pregnant and it's not visible.
02:41:59 Yes, yes.
02:42:00 In fact, they are part of the, I'll say, the high, the medium risk now, as the new guidelines suggest.
02:42:09 They are part of the medium risk.
02:42:11 And more so infants, that is infants below six months are more at risk than even children six to 17, six months to 17.
02:42:22 But we don't have vaccines for them yet.
02:42:24 No, we do, but we in Ghana do not give it.
02:42:27 Based on our data, we don't give it to persons below 15.
02:42:31 Okay.
02:42:32 But many countries do, as low as six months, especially the US.
02:42:38 But the point is, pregnant women can take the vaccine, but not what we have now.
02:42:44 Okay.
02:42:45 Remember I said they have their vaccine.
02:42:47 Yes, so in Ghana we are not giving pregnant women.
02:42:49 Now, now, what we are doing now.
02:42:51 But we've given pregnant women before.
02:42:53 Okay.
02:42:54 In the past, I think since January.
02:42:56 Okay.
02:42:57 When we started the, it should be January, January last year, that's when we, the policy was revised to cover pregnant women.
02:43:09 Okay.
02:43:10 And their vaccine, the vaccine reserved for them was Pfizer and, were Pfizer and Moderna.
02:43:15 Okay, but we don't have that currently in the system.
02:43:18 No.
02:43:19 Okay, so, well, if you're pregnant, you just may have to declare to the health.
02:43:24 You have to.
02:43:25 Yes, I mean, it's important.
02:43:26 You may not be asked, ideally you should be, if someone is going to get a vaccine, you should ask these questions.
02:43:31 Oh yes, of course, it's very important to inquire about illness and whether the person is pregnant and so on.
02:43:39 You need to, there are a few questions they ask.
02:43:41 Okay, so it's important, just in case your health care provider or the nurse forgets to ask you, this is information that you must be willing to share.
02:43:51 So, we're quickly wrapping up this conversation.
02:43:55 Just to, to summarize all that we've said, even though the WHO says that we no longer have an emergency pandemic of COVID,
02:44:08 it's recommending that we extend or try and cover a larger section of our population when it comes to vaccination.
02:44:16 And you've explained why.
02:44:18 So, in just a minute, I'd like you to rehash those points, just in case someone is joining us, you know, after you made those statements.
02:44:26 Let's just explain why this is important for the WHO and the Ghana Health Service.
02:44:30 Thank you, Bennett.
02:44:31 So, what we have said is that on the 5th of May, WHO announced that COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency of international concern.
02:44:43 That does not mean that the pandemic is over and that we are gradually moving from an emergency, or we've moved from an emergency and gradually heading towards what we call the integration.
02:44:56 And therefore, we have risk groups, high risk, medium and low.
02:45:01 So, our premium now would be on the high and the medium risk persons who would have to take the vaccine at scheduled times.
02:45:09 And especially for the high risk groups, healthcare workers, the old adults and persons, adults with underlying conditions like diabetes, hypertension and so on.
02:45:21 We need to give them boosters, even if they have completed, I mean, as long as they've completed their primary series.
02:45:27 And the boosters, the guidelines suggest that we give them six months to 12 months interval for the next couple of years.
02:45:36 So, the summary is that COVID is going down in terms of number of cases, but the disease is not yet gone.
02:45:44 And we need to protect ourselves, especially the vulnerable, the most vulnerable.
02:45:50 Right. I appreciate your time here this morning.
02:45:52 Thank you very much for having me.
02:45:53 And that's Dr. Ampon Satshiano, Programs Manager, Expanded Program on Immunization at the Ghana Health Service.
02:46:00 And so, just like we say, "Sobe kuna akune preku."
02:46:04 So, if we want to deal with COVID, let's deal with it once and for all and not be relaxed because we think that we have overcome.
02:46:13 "Uku mo wa, no wa chani ti preku."
02:46:16 That's the right thing. Thanks for correcting me.
02:46:19 Thank you.
02:46:20 Thank you, Doc. Well, we'll be bringing you more here on the AM show.
02:46:25 When we come back, I'll be joined by Mufasa. He's a finalist of Joy Prime's medium edition of Cues and Lyrics, a musical reality show.
02:46:36 You want to stay and listen.
02:46:50 Mufasa is his name and Cues and Lyrics is the show.
02:46:55 This morning, I've been joined by this young gentleman who's looking very colorful and radiant this morning.
02:47:03 He's a finalist of Joy Prime's medium edition of Cues and Lyrics, a musical show which brings together young people from all over the world and gives them the opportunity.
02:47:14 No, did I say the world? All over Ghana for now. Maybe the world in the future as I'm projecting.
02:47:20 And they've just given the opportunity to shine, to explore the world of music and learn a lot as well.
02:47:29 Yesterday, I hosted two of them and today Mufasa is here with me.
02:47:34 How are you?
02:47:35 I'm good.
02:47:37 Mufasa is an old boy of Pope John's Senior High School and I'm told that you were very famous in your days.
02:47:44 You used to dance. Were you an entertainment prefect?
02:47:48 No, I was a day student so I couldn't be a prefect.
02:47:51 But you were well known and you are still well known.
02:47:54 Yes, I'm well known.
02:47:55 Tell me what it has been like for you on Cues and Lyrics.
02:47:58 Let me share this experience with you.
02:48:01 Cues and Lyrics for me has been an academic exercise where I had this raw talent of making music, showing up on stage at karaoke grounds to perform and stuff like that.
02:48:11 Now, from the audition to the proper solo performances on the competition has been an exercise where the judges have refined what I used to do in that raw state.
02:48:22 Now, I've been able to gain command over exactly the genre that I'm actually professing, the hip-like genre where you do a little rap, you do a little singing there, you do some ad-libs and all that kind of thing.
02:48:33 Nice. Okay.
02:48:35 What song did you do for your audition?
02:48:38 For the audition, I was rapping my own original songs.
02:48:41 There was one point where I did a Sarkodya rap.
02:48:44 Okay, can we hear it?
02:48:46 You want to hear it?
02:48:47 Yes, I do.
02:48:48 It goes like this.
02:48:50 I'm pushing myself to the pinnacle.
02:48:52 I'm not going to be a physical.
02:48:54 I'm sorry but I'm not going to rap. I'm going to rap in my own style.
02:48:59 I'm not going to vanish.
02:49:01 I'm going to be the best I can be.
02:49:04 This is the return of the idea I had when I was a kid.
02:49:08 What do you mean?
02:49:10 I'm going to be the best I can be.
02:49:12 I'm going to be the best I can be.
02:49:14 I'm going to be the best I can be.
02:49:16 I'm going to be the best I can be.
02:49:18 That's it.
02:49:20 Interesting.
02:49:22 So, you made it to the final.
02:49:25 Was there any point you thought you were going to exit the competition?
02:49:30 The thought of exiting the competition for me wasn't necessarily about me failing with my performances.
02:49:37 It was just the scare with the votes.
02:49:40 The Pope Jones boys didn't vote for you?
02:49:42 They voted for me massively.
02:49:44 Pope Jones? I didn't know that.
02:49:46 You didn't know that?
02:49:48 When the show started, I was now campaigning to try to get everybody in.
02:49:52 It was along the line where the challenges of showing up in full scale from apparel to inner feeling and resources wise.
02:50:01 Gracefully, we made it to the final.
02:50:04 Nice one.
02:50:06 So, there was no point you were almost evicted?
02:50:08 No.
02:50:09 There was one point where I was next to the one who was evicted.
02:50:12 It felt very hot but we made it.
02:50:15 You made it. I like that.
02:50:17 You've just been telling us that it was more of a learning curve for you.
02:50:22 Where you learned a lot.
02:50:23 What does the future look like for you?
02:50:25 I mean, beyond Hughes and lyrics because we know that there's going to be an ultimate winner who would be having an all expenses paid trip to Dubai,
02:50:32 have a record deal, have some 20,000 CDs.
02:50:35 But, what do you aspire for in the future?
02:50:40 I want to be known in Ghana professionally as an artist.
02:50:45 As a very popular scholarly artist who emerged into the scene and allowed the music or entertainment industry to cleanse itself from the misconduct or the lack of ethics that we actually suffer because we are artists.
02:51:00 If you do the analysis or the fact findings, you realize that most artists in the endings of their career, the kind of lifestyle that they plunge into doesn't become enticing for even our parents to even want us to sign up for that kind of a profession.
02:51:15 So, my father, for example, would say, "Waku Skwewe" and you still want to do music.
02:51:19 But, professionally, I want to be known out there to the point where I can be crowned as an ambassador of, let's say, arts and crafts.
02:51:25 So, let's say the ministry and actually employ some of us artists to go sell the name of Ghana at festivals and all that.
02:51:32 I mean, that's a very important point because, you know, in other parts of the world, you see people, billionaires who are music investors, who are musicians themselves.
02:51:43 Talk about Jay-Z, the top of my mind.
02:51:46 I mean, just go to Nigeria, our neighbors, and you see that people are really focused on the business of music.
02:51:54 So, the sense I get is that you want to project music as a career, as something that people can do and they won't be questioned about what the future holds for them.
02:52:05 Exactly.
02:52:06 Okay, that's wonderful.
02:52:08 Interesting, Mufasa.
02:52:09 So, I mean, I'll have you do, we had a rap, but I want to hear what you sound like singing.
02:52:15 Okay.
02:52:16 So, we can see you in the background doing a song there, but I want to hear you live and whatever song of your choice.
02:52:25 Okay.
02:52:26 Treat us.
02:52:27 Okay, so let me treat you to one of my own originals.
02:52:30 Okay.
02:52:31 It goes like this.
02:52:34 Life no be easy, well it comes with the ups and downs.
02:52:39 In this, it will be a morning, I'm feeling beat.
02:52:41 What goes around comes around.
02:52:44 Life no be easy, Ghana, my city, they move, I had in power.
02:52:48 Yeah, but my union, I wanna be a billionaire.
02:52:50 The other day, I saw when they polished the same car.
02:52:53 So, I want to hear that again.
02:52:58 I know you want to hear it again.
02:52:59 That's actually thought-provoking lyrics.
02:53:05 So, I want to hear it again.
02:53:06 Yeah.
02:53:07 Okay.
02:53:31 Oh, okay.
02:53:32 That's a nice one.
02:53:33 When are we hearing, when are you releasing it?
02:53:35 Yeah, so then after the competition.
02:53:36 Okay, are you performing this on Saturday?
02:53:38 No, no, no.
02:53:39 What I'm performing on Saturday is called Adjua.
02:53:41 That's just an original?
02:53:42 Yeah, an original.
02:53:43 Okay, I wouldn't let you give too much away.
02:53:45 You've given us Life No Be Easy, which is thought-provoking, I must admit.
02:53:50 So, you need to join Mufasa and the rest of the squad on Saturday at 8pm.
02:53:56 The program starts, but the gates open at 7.
02:53:58 It's happening at the Silicon House, production house at Tesano.
02:54:03 So, you can just come and root for them and listen to them.
02:54:08 And you know, the thing about music for me is that music does so many things.
02:54:12 Music is different things to different people.
02:54:16 To somebody, it's healing.
02:54:18 To somebody, it's liberation.
02:54:19 To somebody, it's therapy.
02:54:22 And to what you just did, it's thought-provoking.
02:54:28 It releases an agenda.
02:54:32 And so, music does so many things for so many people.
02:54:35 It's a conversation for us to join.
02:54:37 Exactly, exactly.
02:54:39 So, you want to make time to join Mufasa and the team.
02:54:43 Yes, and you should vote for them.
02:54:45 Do you want to tell us how to vote for you?
02:54:47 Yes, yes.
02:54:48 I'm number four on the list.
02:54:49 Just dial *711*60-HUSH.
02:54:52 I'll take it again.
02:54:53 *711*60-HUSH.
02:54:56 I'm number four, Kavanagh Mufasa.
02:54:58 Just vote for me.
02:54:59 Let's take this crown home, yeah.
02:55:00 Alright, Kavanagh wants your help in getting that 20,000 CDs, a record deal,
02:55:05 and an all-expenses paid trip to Dubai to go and relax after all the hard work, innit?
02:55:11 Yeah.
02:55:12 Alright, we wish you all the best.
02:55:13 And we wish all the squad the best.
02:55:15 All of you, part of the final list of the contestants of Cues and Lips.
02:55:21 It's going to be an exciting, exciting finale.
02:55:24 We will be letting you in as we go along.
02:55:28 So don't forget, it's 8pm, Joy Prime.
02:55:32 You can follow Joy Prime on Facebook.
02:55:34 They will be live as well, so that you can treat yourself to good music and great content and great performances.
02:55:43 Kavanagh Mufasa is his name, and he's asking for your vote to help him win.
02:55:48 We wish you all the best once again.
02:55:49 Thank you.
02:55:50 We'll take a quick breather.
02:55:51 When we come back, we'll get interactive with you.
02:55:53 Do stay.
02:55:54 [Music]
02:56:22 Thank you for staying here on the AM Show.
02:56:24 I'm Bernice Abubey-Dulansa.
02:56:26 And before I bring in Benjamin and we get interactive with you, let me just remind you that water is life.
02:56:31 And you don't just need to drink any kind of water.
02:56:34 You need to drink purified water that is treated through a strict purification process.
02:56:40 And that is a wig.
02:56:42 There's a perfect size for all purposes.
02:56:44 The 330 and 500ml bottles, which are cute to fit your pockets and bags.
02:56:49 And then you have the 750ml for the heavy drinkers and 1.5 litres for those who always want more.
02:56:56 Let me also just let you know that there's the 19-litre jar bottle for offices and homes.
02:57:01 All you must do is drink a wig purified drinking water wherever you go.
02:57:06 Choose a bottle of a wig purified drinking water and get quality hydration.
02:57:10 A wig purified drinking water, one for life.
02:57:13 Now remember, for every bottle you purchase, an amount is donated to the National Cardiothoracic Center.
02:57:18 This is another quality product from Casa Preco Company Limited.
02:57:22 Please call 026-2351-251 for bulk purchase.
02:57:27 This advert is FDA approved.
02:57:29 It's now time to get interactive with you.
02:57:31 And we'll be opening the phone line shortly.
02:57:33 0302-211-691.
02:57:35 Call us. Let us know what your thoughts are.
02:57:38 We've discussed a lot today and even throughout the week.
02:57:42 There's a lot happening in the country. The alleged plan to oust the IGP.
02:57:49 That issue in Parliament regarding the SkyTrain project.
02:57:55 The boycott of Parliament by MPs of the minority side.
02:58:01 And all the conversations around it.
02:58:03 Just let us know what your take is as we get interactive, Benjamin.
02:58:07 Well, we have our first call on the line.
02:58:10 But when I come back into the studio, Bernis, something that I still feel we're not paying attention to.
02:58:18 The rains and flooding. And this morning the rains hit again.
02:58:21 But I'll be coming back into the studio for now.
02:58:25 Hello. Good morning.
02:58:28 Hello.
02:58:30 Good morning.
02:58:32 Okay, so it's not so audible. Let's try one more time.
02:58:35 Hello. Good morning.
02:58:36 Hello. Good morning.
02:58:37 Right. What's your name? Where are you calling from?
02:58:39 My name is Richard. I'm calling from Kwebe.
02:58:42 Oh, all right. Richard from Kwebe. Is it Kwebe you said?
02:58:45 Yes.
02:58:46 How is Kwebe this morning?
02:58:48 Oh, it's still good.
02:58:50 Great. What are your thoughts for us, Richard?
02:58:52 I just wanted to say that the lady who's in the show is looking very good.
02:58:59 I didn't quite catch that.
02:59:02 I'm trying to say that the lady who's in the show is looking very good. That's all I called to say.
02:59:07 Oh, okay. We thank you. We thank you for those comments.
02:59:13 I wish I wish she had interacted with you instead.
02:59:16 Hi, hi, Richard. Thanks for your kind words. I appreciate it. Thank you so much.
02:59:21 All right. Thank you so much, Richard, for calling into the program.
02:59:27 I'm sure if Bernice were a slighter shade, she would be blushing a bit.
02:59:32 Am I seeing? No, no, no, I'm not seeing anything. It's just the rouge on her cheek.
02:59:37 So I was talking about the rains.
02:59:39 And as always, they create such a situation on our roads whenever they hit.
02:59:45 Every time this morning, I nearly got stuck.
02:59:49 Yeah, I mean, it's sad, but it's our reality.
02:59:54 And you always wonder, we know the problems.
02:59:59 But sometimes you just wonder why it's taking us so long to solve the problems.
03:00:03 Talk about the roads, for example. So some of the roads, just look at the one on the Tessano stretch up to the police training school.
03:00:11 That side, the left side, when you're coming towards Circle, the left side of that three lane road is always filled with water.
03:00:21 And it creates a lot of traffic. I understand that.
03:00:25 And everyone tries to avoid it. So you see that second lane and the third.
03:00:29 I understand that there is an outlet, but usually it's choked.
03:00:35 And that's why there are those slopes, because the understanding was that we need to create an outlet for the water into some drains,
03:00:46 which will eventually flow into bigger drains and end where it's supposed to end.
03:00:50 But then you wonder, what is the difficulty?
03:00:54 Bernice, even before you go on, we have Suleymana from the Ashanti region.
03:00:58 Bernice. Hi, Suleymana. Good morning to you.
03:01:01 Good morning, Madam. Right. How are you? What do you have to share with us?
03:01:13 Hello, Suleymana. Please listen to me over the phone.
03:01:16 There's no delay in our conversation. What would you like to share with us, please?
03:01:27 Unfortunately, we've had to. So we are so unhappy when this happens because we'd actually love to hear from you.
03:01:35 But when you call and there's that delay, it just hampers the conversation.
03:01:38 So all you have to do a few steps, pick up your phone, dial the number,
03:01:43 by which time you would have turned down the volume completely on your set and listen to us on the phone.
03:01:49 So there's no delay. That's all. That's all we need from you.
03:01:51 0302 211 691 is the number to call.
03:01:57 Should time permit us, we'll also sample some of your views on social media, some of what we shared.
03:02:02 We have Michael from Timah. Bernice. Hello, Michael. Good morning.
03:02:07 Good morning. Good morning. Good morning, Michael.
03:02:15 I called you, I'm not surprised. Good morning. Good morning, sir.
03:02:22 Let me start from home. From multimedia, specifically, join you.
03:02:29 I think your program, that event, Mental Handle, in the evening, Monday to Wednesday.
03:02:37 PM Express. PM Express.
03:02:40 Please. I know some issues are hard, so they give them one and a half hours.
03:02:46 Fine, that's good. Some are also hard, but they give them five minutes after 10 p.m.
03:02:52 or ten minutes after 10 p.m. But at times, they wouldn't allow anyone to finish and close the program gently, as usual.
03:03:02 Then they just cut off the program, please. And the producer respects us, viewers, as stakeholders.
03:03:09 Okay? Fine.
03:03:11 Allow him to finish the program. Feedback well known.
03:03:13 So we know over time it's not all that good, but allow him to finish the five minutes after 10 p.m.
03:03:21 Thank you so much.
03:03:23 Can I put in my second quickly?
03:03:25 Quickly, please.
03:03:27 Okay. That one has to do with the water region.
03:03:29 Okay.
03:03:31 Many of our towns and villages, they spell it wrong. Let me just use one typical example.
03:03:39 Soga Koppe. Okay? Koppe simply means village or cottage.
03:03:44 But we see them spelling it wrongly. The last two alphabets, they use P-E.
03:03:49 Koppe. It's Koppe. It cuts across all the water regions.
03:03:55 Okay? So if they can do something about it, I call on Honorable Kujo To,
03:03:59 former Minister of Education and the Education Committee in Parliament, Dr. Park,
03:04:04 they should look at this. It's getting worse.
03:04:07 Anywhere in the water region, you see, like, "Ame Koppe."
03:04:11 You say "Koppe."
03:04:13 Right. So you're talking about the road signage.
03:04:16 Come again?
03:04:18 You're talking about the road signage and I want to understand where the mistake is.
03:04:24 So is it the P and the F situation you're speaking of?
03:04:28 Yeah, the road signage. The naming of the towns and villages on the signboard officially across.
03:04:34 So that's handled by the urban rules. All right. Okay. Feedback well noted. Thank you so much.
03:04:38 Thank you so much, Michael. And I'd like to say, I mean, on behalf of myself and my colleagues,
03:04:44 we are deeply sorry if you feel taken for granted at any point.
03:04:48 That's not our intention. We respect you. You are our valued and discerning audience.
03:04:53 And so your feedback is most welcome, Michael, and we will address your concerns.
03:04:59 I will say the other side, that while we do this, we also stick to strict time limits,
03:05:04 which is why a few minutes to 10, you would see us knocking off so that the next group can also come in,
03:05:09 so that those who expect to follow on Joy News Desk will do so.
03:05:13 But Bernice, we have another catch, so to speak. George from Labadi.
03:05:17 Hello, George. Good morning to you.
03:05:19 Good morning.
03:05:20 What's the weather like in Labadi? Does it still look cloudy?
03:05:23 Yeah, very cloudy.
03:05:25 Let's hear what you have to say, please.
03:05:27 Okay. So in the same vein, what my brother was saying earlier on,
03:05:32 on that program, normally they will discuss all the problems, okay,
03:05:38 and then they leave the last part to solutions.
03:05:41 And solutions, they give you only about five minutes, two minutes, and then they are in a hurry to close.
03:05:47 And I think that in general, everybody knows the problem,
03:05:51 but the solutions that we need to really find more time to discuss and share,
03:05:56 then they close it, I think, in the last five minutes, and everybody has to give their last comment,
03:06:03 and their thoughts for the last two, one minutes.
03:06:06 So it doesn't help.
03:06:08 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
03:06:10 Thank you so much for calling us.
03:06:12 And we'll have to carry all your concerns, the future for Evans Mensah and his team,
03:06:18 but they definitely will hear it, trust me.
03:06:21 We will let them know what your concerns are.
03:06:23 But if there's any other thing you'd like to share with us, we've got time for, I think, just about a call,
03:06:28 before we wrap it up here on the AM Show.
03:06:31 Today, we've been doing quite a lot.
03:06:34 Benjamin has been interacting with Mr. Kofi Akpalu, who is hoping to be president of Ghana.
03:06:40 He is running on the ticket of the LPG, hopefully.
03:06:45 He hopes to do that in 2024.
03:06:49 That sounds weird.
03:06:50 I think we have our final caller. Maxwell is on the line.
03:06:53 All right. Okay, Maxwell. Hello, Maxwell. How are you?
03:06:56 Hi, this is your voice I want to hear. Good morning.
03:06:59 Good morning, Maxwell. Thank you so much.
03:07:02 Today, you're all making me feel overwhelmed, but I feel the love, and I give it back to you in full measure.
03:07:09 What are your thoughts, please?
03:07:12 The stretch from the former eye clinic to the article station, the place has been there since the memorial.
03:07:27 Nothing has been done. No, they don't come and greet me.
03:07:30 But then, any time we vote, we vote for MPP.
03:07:39 Maxwell, is that a subtle job of the party to come and look at what is happening?
03:07:44 Yes.
03:07:45 Right. Right.
03:07:47 The place is very bad.
03:07:52 I think you need to come and look at it.
03:07:56 From Darkman Eye Clinic to Attica Junction?
03:08:00 No, Attica Station.
03:08:02 Attica Station. All right. Okay. All right.
03:08:05 Those are your concerns. And it feeds into our GH Potholes exhibition.
03:08:11 I don't know if you've seen any of our stories focusing on bad roads in the country.
03:08:15 Yeah. Yeah, I've been.
03:08:16 If you can, if it's possible, you can take a photo or a video and just use the hashtag #GHPotholesExhibition or #GhanaPotholesExhibition,
03:08:26 and we'll see it, but we'll do well to visit the place and see what it looks like as well.
03:08:32 And speak to the relevant authorities and get your concerns heard.
03:08:37 And then another thing too is, I've realized that across board, when you are doing the drainage system,
03:08:44 you should stop this small, small, small, small, small drainage.
03:08:47 You should do bigger ones because people are building everywhere.
03:08:51 And then water is moving from one place to another place.
03:08:55 So it changes.
03:08:57 So if you do the drainage, it's very big. No matter what happens, you can be able to contain it.
03:09:04 Thank you, Maxwell. Thank you so much for calling us.
03:09:06 And Maxwell will be our last caller. It's been an exciting interaction with you.
03:09:10 And thank you all for calling us.
03:09:12 We know that you listen to us and we appreciate that all the time.
03:09:18 Thank you so much.
03:09:19 Well, right before we go, some birthday messages.
03:09:22 This one from on Facebook, you say, please help me wish my niece.
03:09:27 And this is Ador Kluche. You say, help me wish my niece Skilla Bensa of Atraco Demo a happy 10th birthday.
03:09:35 Thank you. And have a blessed day. You say, well, thank you to Skilla Bensa.
03:09:40 Happy 10th birthday to you.
03:09:43 There's also this one for Lebene. A very happy birthday to Laurentia Ametepe.
03:09:49 God bless you for everything. We love you. God be with you and lift you higher and higher.
03:09:56 May all your hearts desires in Christ come to pass.
03:10:01 And finally, to Aaron Telfer, my brother in the military.
03:10:05 You find yourself on a U.N. operation right now. Happy birthday to you.
03:10:09 God bless all of you and keep you in or should I say on the right path.
03:10:14 And that's how we're going to cap it off. And of course, if you're celebrating your birthday today,
03:10:18 we add our voices, our positive wishes to you. We celebrate you.
03:10:22 Nyame and ma oso. That's our wish for you today.
03:10:26 All right. And before I go, let me just say a very big thank you to Azel Vogue for my dress.
03:10:31 Azel is A-Z-E-L-L-E-V-O-G. Do they sew for men as well?
03:10:36 Oh, yeah, they do. Azel sews for men and women for all occasions.
03:10:40 You can find Azel on Instagram and then you get all the contact details there.
03:10:44 But that will be it. Thank you so much for your company. There's much love from us to you.
03:10:48 Please take care and don't drink and drive. We need your life.
03:10:52 God willing, on Monday for another exciting week, we'll be focused on all that matters to you.
03:10:58 Up next is Newsdesk with Aisha Ibrahim. Take care.
03:11:02 [Music]
03:11:28 [Music]

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