Former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, Professor Stephen Adei believes the time has come for former heads of state found culpable of corrupt dealings during their tenure to be jailed.

Reaffirming the general speculations of corruption in public institutions and politics, he stressed the need for some former Presidents to be incarcerated after their three years of immunity end.

“If you are a president and you ‘chop-chop’, in three years, there’s evidence you’ll go to Nsawam and it’s high time some presidents go to Nsawam,” he noted.

The economist called on the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu to investigate all past presidents adding that “if he finds something against a retired president, he should just prepare the dossier. In three years when his immunity is (over), you catch them”.

He further noted that even though not all politicians are corrupt, punishing those who are, will serve as a deterrent to others.

“Many ordinary Ghanaians expect them to be corrupt because they make demands on them far beyond what one could say they could earn. So, it’s a very serious one that has to be tackled and make sure that we make corruption a very expensive business so that attempting it, you know that there’ll be consequences.”

“Corruption distorts the national development and at the end of the day everyone pays the highest price and therefore what I’m saying is that corruption in politics and public services if you look at the Auditor-General’s report, it’s not a perception, it’s a fact,” he bellowed.

This is why FIFA wants to ban Ghana immediately after Princesses exit from World Cup

Thomas Freeman Yeboah | 16:08 | 14.08.2018

FIFA has threatened to ban Ghana from international competitions following government attempt to dissolve the GFA.

The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) has fired warning at the government of Ghana that it should drop court case to liquidate the Ghana Football Association (GFA) by August 27, 2018 or face a ban for interfering in football.

The government of Ghana went for a court injunction to restrain the Ghana Football Association (GFA) from carrying out its day to day running of football in the country after Anas expose’ on football dubbed ‘Number 12’

Domestic football activities in the Ghana came to a standstill, after the undercover investigation into Ghana football dubbed ‘Number 12’ was aired, but FIFA allowed Ghana to enter into international competitions- the Black Princesses competed in the ongoing FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, whereas the Black Satellites played in the 2019 African Youth Championship qualifiers.

FIFA, however, has threatened to ban Ghana from all international competition just a day after Ghana’s exit from the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in France.

READ MORE: FIFA made a mistake awarding Messi the Golden Ball

One would say it was a mere co-incidence, but those who have followed the game closely, believe the decision by FIFA to issue a threat to Ghana was premeditated.

FIFA frowns on direct government interference into football matters and it doesn’t compromise on that. Government of Ghana knew an attempt to dissolve the Ghana Football Association would hand the nation a ban from all international football activities, but they wanted to deliberate with the world football governing body to avoid a ban.

FIFA wanted to buy time in its decision to put Ghana on ice, because of the Black Princesses participation in the U-20 Women’s World Cup.

Should FIFA had banned Ghana, it would have been difficult replacing the Black Princesses, hence, the need to lead Ghana on, until the Black Princesses failed to qualify from the group stage.

Football connoisseurs weren’t surprised when news broke out that the world football governing body has threatened to slap Ghana with a ban over government interference, just a day after the Black Princesses exit from the 2018 Women’s FIFA World Cup.

What was FIFA doing all this while? In the heat of attempt by government to dissolve the GFA, FIFA in a way made them believe it was behind them.

READ MORE: Daniel Amartey sets infamous records on opening Premier League day

All that FIFA wanted to achieve was to see the Black Princesses participate in the U-20 Women’s FIFA World Cup and after their exit, the road was clear for the world football governing body to make it stance on government interference explicit.

Background

Anas Aremeyaw Anas premiered his undercover investigation into Ghana football on 6 June, 2018 at the International Conference Centre.

Several match and football officials were captured on camera receiving monies suspected to be bribes, with the then president of the GFA Kwesi Nyantakyi at the centre of the scandal.

The government of Ghana went for court injunction to restrain the GFA from organising football in the country in their quest to restructure football.

A two man liaison team was subsequently formed to organise international competitions.

Today is the day Belgium and England is going to battle over the 3rd and 4th position of the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia .

Donald Trump's attack on Germany has poked a hornet’s nest lurking beneath the EU's facade of unity

Angela Merkel's relationship with Donald Trump will have been tested by his recent comments  - REUTERS

Donald Trump was right to criticise Germany for its billion dollar energy deals with Russia at the Nato summit in Brussels on Wednesday morning. He hit the nail on the head – and Angela Merkel where it hurts -  when he took aim at the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.

A consortium of Russian, German, Dutch and French companies plan to build the 750 mile Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will funnel 2 trillion cubic feet of Kremlin-controlled gas into Germany from late 2019.

The lead Russian company is the state-owned Gazprom, which has former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder on its staff roster and a controlling 51 per cent share in the project, which will cost at least $15 billion.

“Germany makes a massive oil and gas deal with Russia, where we’re supposed to be guarding against Russia, and Germany goes and pays billions and billions of dollars a year to Russia,” Mr Trump told Jens Stoltenberg, the Nato secretary general on Wednesday morning before pointing out, yet again, that Berlin had failed to meet its Natodefence spending target of 2 percent of GDP.

Nord Stream 2 has caused bitter recriminations in the European Union, with critics accusing Berlin of undermining the EU’s united front against Russia and weakening the bloc’s ties with a wounded Ukraine.  

Video: Trump Attends NATO Summit Amid Tense Relations With Allies

As well as flying in the face of Brussels’ foreign policy, the pipeline bypasses Ukraine and Eastern European EU countries, depriving them of valuable transit fees and exacerbating the bloc’s crippling addiction to Russian gas imports, while strengthening Russian influence. Gazprom supplies almost 40 percent of Europe’s gas supply.

Mr Trump may have exaggerated when he described Germany as a“captive of Russia” but even the most slavish admirers of the EU were forced to admit the volatile US president had a point.

*Egypt, Madagascar and Cameroun name squad for Accra 2018*

Three countries have named their athletes to represent them at the 9th Africa Arm Wrestling Championship to be hosted in Accra from Thursday, July 26 - 29. The championship dubbed ‘ACCRA 2018’ would take place at the DG Hathramani Hall situated at the Accra Sports Stadium and it is expected to attract over 13 countries from the continent.

More than 100 athletes from these countries including host nation Ghana would converge at the venue to battle it out for laurels and bragging rights within the period. Northern African country, Egypt has participated in all championships since its inception and would be represented by; Mohamed Abdelrahman Abdelmoati, Abdelrahman Nasr Alsayed Youssef, Omar Said Omar Ibrahim, Eslam Makram Ahmed Afifi and Mai Alaaeldin Ragab Abdelghany.

The remaining athletes are; Amany Ibrahim Ali Salem, Ahd Nasr Alsayed Youssef, Ragab Gomaa Mohamed Hedar and Said Mahmoud Ali Afifi. The team would be led by President of the Egypt Armwrestling Federation, Mahmoud Mahmoud Mostafa Baeakat.

Germans want Donald Trump to pull US troops out of Germany, poll finds

Soldiers listen in front of an U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jet during a briefing in a hangar at the U.S. Spangdahlem Air base, Germany: REUTERS

Germans would actually welcome the withdrawal of American troops stationed in their country, a new poll has found – as Donald Trumpthreatens to pull the plug on military support.

The finding comes on the first day of a Nato summit in which the US president is urging Europe to spend more on defence if it wants to continue to receive American military protection.

But far from being seen as a threat, a YouGov poll for the dpa news agency found that more Germans would welcome the departure of the 35,000-strong American force than would oppose it.

42 per cent said they supported withdrawal while just 37 per cent wanted the soldiers to stay, with 21 per cent undecided.

Last month the US media reported that the US government was in the process of assessing the cost of keeping troops in Germany ahead of a possible withdrawal, citing Pentagon sources.

But the policy of actually pulling out of the country has not actually reached the negotiating table in his week’s Brussels summit and is not expected to be discussed as a possibility – for now.

The cause of US withdrawal enjoys significant support from across the political spectrum in Germany but is particularly strong with the supporters of certain parties.

The United States continues to devote more resources to the defence of Europe when the Continent’s economy, including Germany’s, are doing well and security challenges abound. This is no longer sustainable for us

Donald Trump in letter to Angela Merkel

Voters for the left-wing Die Linke are particularly in favour of withdrawal, with 67 per cent backing it, as are supporters of the far-right AfD, on 55 per cent. Greens also back withdrawal by 48 per cent.

Less supportive of withdrawal are voters for the centre-right CDU, at 35 per cent, the SPD at 42 per cent, and the FDP at 37 per cent.

We the people from kwahu and how support our artiste
This is the  time the people of kwahu have to wake up and learn how to support their artiste and others with great talent in the kwahu community, kwahu is one of the most popular known community that mount stage for events such as the Easter festival, Christmas, etc.
We mount stages for the Stonebwoys, Shatta wales and more great musicians but we don't give our own artiste much time, just because they haven't make it to the higher level.
We've forgotten that Sarkodie,Stonebwoy,Shatta Wale and others were once an underground artiste.
Hypocrisy and favoritism is killing our talents from the kwahu community. We have to ask our ourselves: if the people of Ashaiman didn't support Stonebwoy, was he gonna become this?
We are having good and hard working artists like Stone Kay, Stinchy, Real Gee, Pinto, Jeehwemo Adjetey and many more. We have to at least give them much time and support our own and we are going to have great artist to help push kwahu out there.