Monday, June 11, 2018

BITS ON FOOTBALL TO QUENCH YOUR THIRST

Credit: Rajsports Local Gazette

The president of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG), Kwabena Yeboah has emphatically declined calls to lead the battered Ghana Football Association as its president.

The Ghana League Clubs Association has triggered article 23 of the Ghana Football Association Statutes and has called for an Extraordinary Congress within the next 5 days to address the current crisis in Ghana football.

President and Chairman of Groupe Nduom (GN), Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, has waded into the ongoing matters at the paralysed Ghana Football Association (GFA), advising those who have begun lobbying for top positions to stop.

After watching the investigative video by Anas Aremeyaw Anas on corruption in football administration in Ghana in Kumasi last Saturday, some patrons have called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to ensure the prosecution of Kwesi Nyantakyi, the immediate past President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA).

The Kwesi Nyantakyi led administration cannot account for $1 million of the $1.5 million out-of-court settlement paid by Telecom giants GLO for their previous sponsorship of the Ghana Premier League, Ghana Sports Online has learnt.

Manchester City Official Supporters Ghana Branch has made donations to two schools in the Greater Accra and Northern Regions in the country.

Kwadwo Asamoah has assured he will be returning to the Ghana national team set-up this September, barring any unforeseen setback.

The former President of the Ghana Football Association has said he knew this is the right time to leave office in order to avoid been hounded out.
“I don't want to be hounded. If that happens, nobody will remember your good deeds.”

Former Black Stars captain, Stephen Appiah was on Sunday, June 10, 2018 honoured with the Order of the Star Award, the most prominent award of the 2018 Calcio Trade Ball.

Ghana Television (GTV) in partnership with Metro TV and Kwese TV have secured the terrestrial rights (Free To Air) to the 2018 World Cup to be staged from June 14 to July 15 in Russia.

Hearts of Oak defender Fatawu Mohammed returned to training on Monday morning after recovering from an ankle injury which has sidelined him for six weeks.

Former Asante Kotoko captain Joseph Hendricks has slammed referees in the Ghana Premier League for ending footballers careers prematurely due to unfair officiating after referees were captured in the Number 12 video taking bribes.

Former Black Starlets midfielder Gabriel Leveh has signed for Belgian Pro League side Genk. The budding offensive midfielder joined the Belgian club for a fee of 150,000 Euros from Ghanaian second-tier side Tema Youth

Ghana National Division One side Tema Youth will get an amount of 2.2 million Euros from the sale of Joseph Paintsil to Belgian Pro League side KRC Genk.

The Akuapem South Member of Parliament has revealed that he was approached to bribe his way to have his defunct football club promoted to a higher division.


Sprinter Janet Amponsah was over the weekend crowned the Women’s Athlete of the Year.
At the awards ceremony held at Kempiski Hotel Gold Coast City on Saturday, Janet Amponsah beat competition from the likes of new sensation Hor Halutie to win the award for the second time in three years.

Exciting Ghanaian midfielder Joseph Painstil has completed a move to Belgian side KRC Genk from Ferencvárosi.

POSITIVE READING CULTURE, A NECESSITY.

READING CULTURE!

A wise man once said that where you will be in five years time will be determined by two things:

The friends you keep and,

The books you read.

Another wise man also said, “If you want to hide a treasure from a black man, hide it in a book. This is due to the fact that most people have a very poor reading culture.

There is the need for one to develop a reading culture if one desires to become a force to reckon with especially in this information age. There is no doubt that we have a very poor reading culture in this country and those who seem to have a reading culture unfortunately have an unhealthy reading culture because they read more of junks than good and vital books.

I have come to realize that readers are leaders and leaders are readers because a look at the stories behind the glories we see reveals that.

Why develop a reading culture? One may ask:

It is the pathway to greatness

True education does not necessarily take place within the four walls of a classroom. If you are not informed, you will be deformed; if you are not inspired, you will expire; if you are not updated, you will be outdated. Reading opens you up to vital information that will lead you to your transformation.

Anyone that desires to be great must place a premium on the acquisition of knowledge by developing a good healthy reading culture.

The difference between the ruler and ruled, the leader and the follower, the successful and the suffering, the prosperous and the poor, the teacher and the student is most of the time the information  they have. If you have the information people need they will in no doubt submit to you.

It brings inspiration and motivation.

All through history, we have seen people inspired and motivated through books both in a negative and positive way. It will amaze you the dimension of inspiration you can receive when you give reading a vital place in your schedule.

Biographies and autobiographies of great men have inspired millions into their own dimension of greatness. You, no doubt must have been inspired by some of the books you must have read before and you can imagine what will happen if you read more.

It makes you learn from other people experiences.

A man that has passed through a route before you knows something about that route that you don’t know. You cannot argue with the fact that you need to learn from others who know more than you do and have experience more than you have. Many deceptively think that experience is the best teacher, but it is better to learn from the experience of others than to learn from your own personal experience. A wise man once said, “If I have achieved anything great, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of those who have gone ahead of me”. When you stand on the shoulders of those who have gone ahead by reading their books, you tap into their wisdom, knowledge, experience e.t.c. and that gives you leverage in life.

It sharpens your skills

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. Just as physical exercise keeps you fit and healthy, reading is mental exercise that makes your mind to become exposed, fit and fresh. It is vital nourishment to your skills because it sharpens your skills. Whatever area of life you desire to be skillful in, make sure you read books in that field that is at least equal to the number of your age. E.g. if you want to be skillful in the area of investment, and you are thirty two years old, make sure you read at least thirty two books on investment.

It keeps you current in a changing world.

There is no doubt that we live in a fast changing world. The world is now a global village, and technology changes at a rapid speed. How else can one stay current in this changing world except by continually updating oneself to stay relevant! Many become obsolete and irrelevant because they are not current.

Continual reading keeps one current; makes one grow and takes the limit off one’s progress. If you don’t read, you don’t grow and if you don’t grow, you end up groaning.

It is a wise thing to be a reader due to its diverse benefit.

To motivate you into developing a reading culture without giving you practical tips that will help and give you the “How to” will be incomplete. The following tips will help you develop a good healthy reading culture:

Analyse your reading habit

You need to analyse and evaluate your present reading conditions by asking and answering vital questions.

Do you read at all?

How often do you read?

Do you plan your reading or just read anyhow?

Is what you have been reading beneficial to you?

Is your reading limited to one area or diverse?

Your answers to these questions will help you get started.

             

Create time for reading

To develop a reading culture, you have to schedule time for reading, because it takes discipline to develop this culture. If you are serious about developing this culture, it will not be a matter of having time but of creating time. If you don’t create time for reading, you will never have time for it. Discipline yourself to always read daily, no matter how small. Set a goal for yourself and work towards achieving the goal.

 Balance your reading

Balance is the key of life. One therefore needs balance even in the development of a reading culture. You need to be current and versatile by knowing a little about a variety of issues. Don’t limit your reading to only one part of life.

Respond to your reading

It is not just okay to read a book, it is also vital that you respond to the book both physically and mentally. To respond effectively to your reading means to decide to act on and utilize the information you get from it in a positive way.

Know what to read and what not to read

Thousands of books are published and released daily all over the world, and even if you read one book per day, you can never exhaust all the books on earth. So it is very vital that you choose what you read. You have to be discreet in your choice of book, because, life is too short to spend on reading junks that are not beneficial to your destiny.

Make a monthly trip to the bookstore or library

It is vital for you to visit bookstores and library periodically so as to be current and aware of relevant books and new releases. You need to do this so as to peruse and review books.

Build / develop your own library

If any book is worth reading, then it should be worth buying. To develop a reading culture, you must rise above only borrowing books to read, to buying books to keep. Books are tools that come in handy from time to time, and they are a good heritage to leave for your children. Start building and developing a library now.

I have what it takes to challenge you to develop a reading culture. Everything I am today can be traced to book reading.

I have read an average of one book per week in the last twenty years without failing, and this does not include newspapers and magazines.

If it can work for me, it can work for you. Start the culture now!

THE CREATOR'S CREATION

THE CREATOR’S CREATION
Let’s, he said, “create a man in our own image’’
Created, moulded and artfully designed.
For his creation glorification.
Who is a mere man to reject?
    5.   Most beautiful of all creation-human.

Baseless of bases on what basis
Do you my co-creation reject? Deprive, despise him or her or them- Araba, Ato, Kafui, Aboagye, Adoley.
  10. Your fellow creation, our fellow creation.

Elusion answers as mountain. You, me and all silence glues us! Faceless, massacre we cause them. Massacre of successful educational opportunities.
 15. Massacre of socio-economic benefits.

 All vain altar of physical challenge or disability we reason. Glaringly, celestials watch on and mock. Perceptional judgment discredits them. Dampen their spirits for workmanship.
20. Motivation and encouragement come not.

 Man! Be loudly minded. Fleeting as shadow, shortly we wither. As the fleshy lilies for baking. Healthy and unhealthy just a minute difference.
25. Able and unable a matter of seconds.

 See my beautiful and handsome friends- Araba, Ato, Kafui, Aboagye and Adoley. Are they the cause of their challenges? Joyfully, do they rejoice their physical challenges?
30. Yes and No! They tell me to tell you, You, the rejecter.

Able like all ables wish they were. But brainy, smart, intelligent and skillful, happy they are! They say, give them equal educational opportunities. As the supposed ables.
35. Who is man to reject God’s creation?

Do no more the discrimination in Education. Job opportunities, access to social infrastructure. Laugh me not in my search for social height. God is watching, who is a  mere man to reject.
40. The Creator’s creation?

Author: Ebenezer Okyere A. K. A SIR O (A Poet, Writer and English Teacher, OBRACHIRE SENIOR HIGH TECHNICAL SCHOOL)

Saturday, June 2, 2018

ANAS CONFESSSES

Lessons for the American Media From a Brave African Journalist
--------------------------------------
In October 2004, I found myself behind the locked gates of the Bang Kwang Central -- Thailand's maximum-security prison. Known in popular culture as the 'Bangkok Hilton', the prison houses about 8,000 inmates. Each new inmate mandatorily wears a leg iron for three months.

Inside the jail, I gestured the sign of the cross as I repeated to a line of prisoners: "Through God's mercy and the ministry of the Church... I absolve you of all your sins... in the name of the Father and of the Son... and of the Holy Spirit".

Cloaked in a cassock, I was doing what prison chaplains do -- offering penitence to convicts. Each of those convicts was either on death row or serving life sentences as drug couriers. Many of them were Ghanaian prisoners who told me about their suffering under the hands of the prison guards. They gave me details of how a colleague died the previous week from fork wounds inflicted by a prison guard. I made my notes for a story, and carefully exited the locked gates when my work was done.

To the prison guards, I was a priest. To the prisoners, I was a fellow Ghanaian who spoke their language and listened to their stories. To my editor back in Ghana, I was the reporter assigned to get a story in Thailand that would convince my government to take action. I was working undercover, doing what some academics call "high-risk, high-reward journalism".

Long before that day in Bang Kwang Central, I got my first job as a newspaper reporter. In the newsroom, I quickly got frustrated at the responses by politicians, cops and spin-doctors over the truth in the stories many journalists write. "We need evidence to take action," they'd say. I took those responses as a call to diligence, one that required reporting with convincing details even in worlds without open access. It was often at some grave personal risk.

In my TEDTalk, I tell the full story of how it all started. I look back on over 14 years of my undercover reporting. There have been high and low points, but one thing that remains is the kind of impact this kind of journalism brings. As a method of last resort, I always ensure I gather hardcore evidence whenever I get into a story. It is the kind of evidence that fits my three-tier mantra of "naming, shaming and jailing" the villains in my stories.

Over the years, I have heard and sat through the sermonizing of numerous apostles of ethics. "There's some deception in there," is what they often say. What they fail to convey is the fact that my kind of journalism is not aimed at the honest, transparent and law-abiding citizen or government. Their reasoning never takes into consideration one reality: closed and dark the world would always remain, if there's no way to lift the lid or shine a light.

How else could the plight of kids in Orphans Home of Hell be made known, when their caregivers violated their basic human rights? When some nurses in a psychiatric hospital maltreat patients and sell narcotic drugs to others, who can tell the story for the victims? How else can a nation begin the discussion on abortion rights and effective health care policy, if the abortion sex doctor who keeps having sex with girls before as a condition for illegal abortion is not exposed?

It is always a joy to reflect on how the efforts by Lincoln Steffens, Nellie Bly, Ida Tarbell, Upton Sinclair and other muckrakers helped inject sanity into their society. In Africa, I see how the efforts of my formidable editor, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, Sierra Leone's Sorious Samura, Kwaku Sakyi-Addo and many other journalists continue to shape the destiny of a continent.

Less than a year after I left Bang Kwang, my story engendered numerous debates by Ghanaian legislators in parliament. It eventually led to the passage of the Transfer of Convicted Persons Bill into law. The law now enables some Ghanaians convicted outside the country to serve their sentences in Ghana.

A colleague recently drew my attention to the total views of my TEDTalk, and then he showed me a comment by one viewer. It was a quote from Edmund Burke: "Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little." My colleague smiled. He knew when it all started.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anas-aremeyaw-anas/tedtalk-investigative-journalism_b_3917030.html

Friday, June 1, 2018

TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR LADIES, FROM THE LIBRARY OF THE LIBRARIES

THE 10 COMMANDMENT FOR LADIES:
1. Thy shall not be in a hurry to move out of your parents' house.
2. Thy shall not wait for a man before  you start living a fulfilled life. You can live a fulfilled life as a single woman.
3. Stay away from alcohol. It has killed many  and you can never insulate yourself from its devastating effects. Just avoid it!
4. Do not entertain a wrong number call, especially at night. Its not the right way to find a lover. You may save it as "don't answer one, don't answer two...."
5. Develop a healthy eating habit. Always take breakfast and avoid sweets.
6. Dress well: impression counts. People will judge you by the way you dress even before they talk to you.
7. Never and ever use sex as a proof of love. Sex is no proof of love, he will possibly leave you after the sex.
8. Do not marry for the money, else you will become one of his possessions.
9. Add value to yourself - get a career. Do not be fooled that a man will solve all your problems for you
10. Beauty is not everything. If its all you have, you will  lose your place to someone less beautiful but more matured and well groomed.

Credit: Delay.

YOUR BLUFFS ARE FLUKES, BAAKO PUNCHES AGYAPONG

In a viral social media video, the Editor in Chief of the New Crusading Guide and Boss of Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Kweku Baako Jnr condemned what he called lies, threat and bluffing from Kennedy Agyapon!
Mr. Baako promised that the anticipated video will be showed On the 6th of June as advertised!

He said Anas is and will always remain focused and no level of distractions will dissuade him from his mission.
Kwaku Baako's comments follow the Assin North Mp, Kennedy Agyapong's recent condemnation of Anas' style of exposition of some alleged corrupt public officials. "He will soon expose the private  intimacy between couples to the public if not stopped." Kennedy Agyapong noted. Mr. Agyapong described Anas as corrupt since he allegedly uses his investigation to dupe most of his victims. He said the Ace Investigative Journalist usually failed to expose members of the NDC and individuals who paid  monies to his outfit after being found culpable.  The NPP's outspoken member of parliament also cited Anas as engaging land guards to torment some residents around some parts of the Trade Fair Center in Accra.
Mr. Agyapong pointed some mansions owned by Anas  in and outside Accra of which the well acclaimed journalist fails to pay taxes on. He challenged Anas to among other things show evidence of his sources of fund for his investigations and acquisition of properties. Mr. Agyapong flooded social media with some pictures he believes to be Anas and some of his team members and called on the general public to ruthlessly deal with them in case they try to prey on them. He also called
Speaking to the issue, Mr. Baako cautioned that even if Kennedy Agyapong and his allies succeed in putting an injunction on it in Ghana, the 12 expose will be shown on BBC and posted on the internet and social media!
He explained that this is not the first time Anas has been attacked verbally after doing an undercover video.
He revealed that the pictures released by Kennedy Agyapong are not that of Anas or any member of his teams.
Mr. Baako said he  hopes Kennedy Agyapong is not speaking for NPP and urged the party to come out to let Ghanaians know whether Kennedy Agyapong and Kwame Baffoe are speaking for the party  or not.
He hinted that the NPP supported the work of Anas when they were in opposition and it will be hypocritical for them to come out to say that they support what Kennedy Agyapong and Abronye are doing
Mr. Baako bemoaned the act of some NPP supporters defending Kennedy Agyapong and Attacking Anas and him. He said such individuals are fighting a losing battle and will regret their action since Anas is beyond attack. Mr. Baako said he and Anas  have integrity and know what they are doing.


"Ghana has a lot of greedy corrupt thieves in public service. Ghanaians will support anyone who can use any means to expose those dishonest, selfish, corrupt, thieves and greedy bribe takers in our society who lack integrity!" He said.

"If you are hurt or not happy because either you, your friends or relatives have been exposed of their corruption, bribery and stealing, the best you can do is to go to court! " He directed.

He challenged individuals who have any  evidence of wrongdoing against Anas to  make their own video, name it Number 13, show to Ghanaians, expose him too and stop bluffing on radio and TV.

He intimated that the attempt to use character assassination to discourage and threaten Anas will not work as that makes the investigative journalist strong to continue with what he is doing.



 He posited that Ghanaians voted for NPP to come and fight against corruption, bribery, stealing and punish those who indulge in it and Anas' style of journalism is in tandem with the party's goal.


THE TWO COWS ANALOGY IN ECONOMIC PARLANCE

SOCIALISM: You have two cows, and you give one to your neighbor.

COMMUNISM: You have two cows, the government takes both and gives you milk.

FASCISM: You have two cows, the government takes both and sells you milk.

NAZISM: You have two cows, the government takes them and kills you.

CAPITALISM: You have two cows, you sell one and buy a male. You multiply your cows and there is economic growth. You sell them, you retire and you live on your profits.

MODERN CAPITALISM: You have two cows, you sell one and buy a male. You multiply your cows and you buy those of your neighbors. Then your neighbors become your shepherds, you pay them in monkey currencies and they die poor.

AMERICAN SOCIETY: You have two cows, you sell one and you have to make the other one to produce milk like 4 cows. By stress of producing beyond her capacity, she dies. You hire a consultant to understand this death.

FRENCH SOCIETY: You have two cows, you go on strike because you want a third cow.

GERMAN SOCIETY: You have two cows, you modify them so that they live 100 years, eat once a month and take care of themselves.

CHINESE SOCIETY: You have two cows, you sell milk to your compatriots and you produce plastic milk to export to the rest of the world. You become rich.

BLACK/ AFRICAN SOCIETY: You have two cows, you eat them all in one month, and you dream that donors or the international community give you more cows. When that doesn't happen, you go to a church and hope for miracle cows. You fast 40 days and 40 nights without eating or drinking so that the cows will fall from Heaven. At last You die in extreme poverty

(Many thanks to the unknown author)