THE JFT EDIT

Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett and the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange have jointly endorsed the “Year of Return, Ghana 2019”.

The Year of Return is an initiative of the government of Ghana which is intended to encourage people of African descent to visit Ghana.

Both Ministers commended the President and people of Ghana for taking this initiative to cement Ghana’s Pan African Legacy dating from the relationship amongst leaders of the Caribbean and Ghana.

Honourable Grange said Jamaica looks forward to a successful year of return. “We will work with Ghana towards a successful year. Jamaica observes the international Decade of People of African Descent and so it is very timely that we work together.”

She added that “as Jamaicans, we’re proud to see that our Reggae music will form the soundtrack for the Year of Return.”

The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Ghana, Hon. Catherine Afeku led the delegation made up of Members of Parliament (MPs) and representatives of Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA). The delegation included Hon. Alex Agyekum, Hon. Kobla Wayome, Hon. A.B. A Fuseini, Hon Kofi Amoakohene and Mr. Akwasi Agyeman of GTA.

Hon. Afeku said Ghana is ready to welcome the global African family home. “The ease of Visa acquisition, upgrades of Tourism and hospitality facilities, capacity building are all being tackled through an inter-ministerial committee with anticipated positive results.”
Come March 2019, the Jamaica-Ghana Homecoming Festival (Jagha) will feature as part of the activities to commemorate the year of return and celebrate African survival.

source: Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA)

Ghana’s security agencies working in collaboration with Interpol have arrested the second suspect in the murder of Adams Mahama, the former Chairman of the NPP in the Upper East Region.

Mr. Mahama was attacked in front of his home in Bolgatanga with acid leading to his death in May 2015.Addressing the Minister’s Press Briefing in Accra, Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the fugitive Asabke Alangdi was arrested in Ivory Coast after over a year of surveillance and search during which period he moved camps from Burkina Faso to Ivory Coast.

Mr Asabke was the second person believed to have conspired with the first suspect Gregory Afoko in the murder of the deceased.

Investigations disclosed that his death was caused by the two persons Afoko and Alangde. Mr Alangde however fled the Ghanaian jurisdiction in the days after the murder and has been on the run since. Ghana’s security agencies have been on a manhunt for him since then.

Mr Afoko was however apprehended by Police and has been put on trial since. The case is being tried by Justice L Mensah sitting as an additional High Court Judge and has been adjourned to February 2019 for lawyers to address the Jury.

The Minister said while this trial has been ongoing, consistent efforts were underway to apprehend the fugitive, Alangde.
“He was arrested on Friday 25th January 2019 with the assistance of Interpol” he added.

Mr. Nkrumah said the recent arrest of Asabke Alangde who was a suspect in the case has necessitated the filing of a Nolle Prosequi in respect of the ongoing trial in the case of the Republic Vrs Gregory Afoko.
“This has been done immediately with the objective of discontinuing the initial trial to enable the two accused persons to be tried together to best serve the interest of justice” he said.

The Information Minister disclosed that committal proceedings for the two accused persons will commence shortly for them to stand trial as soon as possible.
“The state additionally intends to pray the Chief Justice to assign a dedicated judge for an expedited trial considering the background of the case. Government assures all Ghanaians that it will not relent on any efforts to bring the perpetrators of crimes within this jurisdiction to book” he stated.

Source: Ministry of Information

A Circuit Court in Accra has sentenced Michael Mills, a repairer to seven years imprisonment for having anal sex with 13-year old boy at Chorkor in Accra.

Mills, aka Nii Lantey charged with defilement pleaded guilty.

The court presided over by Mrs Ruby Naa Adjeley Quaison convicted Mills on his own plea.

Mr Opare Danso, lawyer for the convict who held the brief of Mr Vincent Aikins, prayed the court to tamper justice with mercy.

As Mills was being escorted to begin jail term, he broke down in tears and two of his relations who were around however consoled him that they would be sending him money and other items in jail.

Prosecuting, Sergeant Opoko Aniagyei earlier told the court that Mohammed Rockson, the complainant is a mechanic and the father of the victim, whiles Mills resides at Chorkor Tea Gardens.

The Prosecution said on September 27, last year, the victim left home to an unknown destination.

The Prosecution said all efforts to trace the victim proved futile until on September 28, last year, at about 0800 hours, the victim returned home and when he was quizzed by the father, he informed him that he passed the night at Mills’s house.

He said the victim further said that Mills has been his sexual partner for some time now and he (Mills) had warned him not to disclose his ordeal to anyone else he would die.

Sergeant Aniagyei said when the complainant confronted Mills he denied the allegation and went into hiding.

He said a report was however made to the Police and medical report form was issued to the complainant to seek medical care for the victim.

Subsequently, Mills was arrested and in his caution statement, admitted the offence.

SC: THE INDEPENDENT GHANA (more…)

Lawrence Nana Asiamah a.k.a Bulldog has taken to his facebook handle to detail the reason no Ghanaian artist performed at the 02 Arena Concert.

According to the showbiz kingpin, selfishness is the reason behind Ghanaian artists absence at the concert.

His comment comes on the back of Davido selling out the 20,000-seater venue over the weekend – becoming the second Nigerian artiste after Wizkid to achieve the feat.“It is possible for a Ghanaian artist to fill the O2 Arena if and only if they’re unwilling to eat alone…” reads part of his post on Facebook Monday morning.

The controversial artist manager advised stakeholders to work together in order to reach more people around the world with Ghana Music.

“Until we learn to share the spoils of war together with the soldiers on the battlefield we will never win the war…”

The multi-purpose arena located in London has hosted concerts by the likes of Drake, Rihanna, Kanye West, Elton John, Adele, Prince, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake.

It is one of the busiest music arenas in the world in terms of ticket sales.

Bulldog took to his Facebook page to write:

“It is possible for a Ghanaian artist to fill the O2 Arena if and only if they’re unwilling to eat alone…
Even God didn’t create the world alone…

Until we learn to share the spoils of war together with the soldiers on the battlefield we will never win the war…

Jemima Fenteng -Twum

SC:THE INDEPENDENT GHANA

A six-year-old South African disk jockey, Arch Junior, reputed as the world’s youngest DJ has wowed judges and the audience at a top American entertainment program, America’s Got Talent. A DJ is simply a person who announces and plays popular recorded music.

A two-and-half minute video shared on his Twitter handle, showed him display his djing skills to a teeming audience. He won the South Africa’s Got Talent back in 2015 when he was aged four. You’re six-year-old, you flew all the way from South Africa to take on the best. It’s all down to the fifty states now, what a way to start the show. “You and I need to be talking after this sure because I got some plans for you after this show, trust me,” one judge, Simon said. He went on to describe him as a total – total little star he absolutely loved. “You’re six-year-old, you flew all the way from South Africa to take on the best.

It’s all down to the fifty states now, what a way to start the show,” he added.

Source : Africa News                                                                       jft( jemima fenteng – twum)

US President Donald Trump says he is sceptical a deal can be reached on border security before government funding expires again next month. He spoke to the Wall Street Journal as 800,000 federal employees returned to work after the longest ever closure of federal agencies, lasting 35 days. The Republican president said he doubts he would lower the sum he is prepared to accept for a US-Mexico border wall. Congress must negotiate a new bill by 15 February to avoid another shutdown. A committee of lawmakers from both parties is poised to negotiate, but Mr Trump said the chances of a political breakthrough are “less than 50-50”, the Journal reported. How Trump’s own book explains his battle for the wall Eighteen ways the US shutdown is hurting Trump’s border wall – in seven charts Asked if he would accept less than the $5.7bn (£4.3bn) he wants to build a border barrier, he said: “I doubt it.” “I have to do it right,” he added, noting that he has not ruled out a second shutdown in as many months to accomplish his signature campaign pledge.

The president also said he doubted he would grant citizenship for immigrants who entered the US as children without documentation, to strike a grand bargain with Democrats. Mr Trump bowed to mounting pressure on Friday to end the crippling shutdown of about a quarter of the US government.

Media captionFive questions about Trump’s border wall But while Congress quickly passed a bill to fund federal agencies, Mr Trump again came away without a dollar of taxpayers’ money for his long-promised border wall. An ensuing welter of criticism from conservatives His perceived retreat provoked a welter of conservative criticism, prompting him unusually to lash out at his favourite outlet, Fox News. Mr Trump tweeted on Sunday: “Never thought I’d say this but I think @johnrobertsFox and @GillianHTurner @FoxNews have even less understanding of the Wall negotiations than the folks at FAKE NEWS CNN & NBC!”