In this feature published by the @NiemanReports (Nieman Reports) at Harvard University, I am one of the journalists across the world who wrote letters to the American media following the re-election of Donald Trump to the White House. Mine is titled "Despotic regimes can birth great journalism."You can read my letter and those of other journalists here.
https://t.co/lCkJAhw59y
You won't see any serious media discussions on such issues in Ghana, because the public (even the middle-class segment of it) has no appetite.
But on this page, we can buck that trend.
The CEO of a public fund negotiates the price of Ghana's stake in a foreign lithium company about to start mining in the country. He pays ~$0.25 per share and expresses the state's interest to pay ~$0.36 in future for more.
Months later, he turns around and buys hundreds of thousands of the same shares for less than $0.12 a share (at a double-digit market-price discount). Meanwhile, the government's stake is being diluted and will keep being diluted.
Surely, such an issue deserves at least some cursory analysis by, at least, the elite groups in society?
In respect of, at least, one aspect of the issue:
Is the country getting truly impartial advice in its dealings with the said lithium company when its main agent is being invited to participate in private placements not open to other shareholders in Ghana?
The Ghana Medical Association, according to my sources, intends to opt out of organised labour's anti-galamsey strike.
#FreeTheCitizens#StopGalamseyNow
It has come to my attention that a deliberate and pernicious rumor is being circulated that I have been secretly released and sworn to secrecy.
I assure you that this is a lie. A lie surely intended to break the resolve of our fronts through mistrust. See through it.
Believe me when I say that, I understand profoundly the moral decay of the republic and in our quest to fight for the very soul of this country. I will continue to lead from the front. Not the back like the cowardice of our “leaders”.
I am prepared to receive twice the punishment of the next man. And when a cheek is struck, I will turn the next cheek. Trusting that posterity will judge us more fairly. Tomorrow will redeem us, and make whole our sacrifice.
Writing to you from a jail cell, where we haven’t even had water to bathe in three (3) days. I assure you of my full commitment to this struggle.
Ghana I believe, will rise above its current station. True dignity and Justice will be restored to our people. In our lifetime, or we must die trying.
Shalom.
#StopGalamseyNow
#FreetheCitizens
I decided to keep quiet, but I feel like sharing this after I heard what happened to Funny Face yesterday. Depression is real, but just that, everyone has their way of handling it. This is my own story and the reason why you are not seeing me on social media for a very long time.
So, I used to be a happy person until I found out one day that, the four of my trees (4 children) 🌳🌳🌳🌳 that I have invested my money, my time, and energy for the past 11 years, 9 years, and 6 years. I found out that 3 of them were a total waste of time and energy, because it's only one of the 🌳 trees that was planted on my own land, and the rest of the 3 🌳🌳🌲 were on someone else's land.
I became depressed and confused to the extent that one day, I took my motorbike 🏍 riding it at a very high speed without knowing where I was going. I even rode on a different lane, that is left instead of right because I was heading towards Agona Nkwanta and riding the lane towards Nsuaem, so until a pickup driver blew a horn at me before I came back to my senses and realized that I was riding on a wrong lane. I didn't know where to go again so I stopped at Agona Fie, parked my motorbike and sat down at Agona Fie Roman School around 1:30 pm doing nothing until 7:00 pm and I returned home.
I couldn't eat nor drink because I lost appetite, sometimes, I would stay in my room the whole day without bathing. I was sad, confused, and depressed and even fell sick out of it. I had deleted my Facebook, YouTube, and left WhatsApp only, even that one I refused to reply to messages. I cried in the night whenever people are asleep. I couldn't pray nor read my Bible. My heart got broken 💔. A lot went through my head to the extent that, sometimes I would feel like my brain is divided into two, so I would use the left brain to ask myself questions and then use the right brain to answer myself 😭😭. I became like a mad person. Ever since that happened, my life has never been the same as it used to be. I know Jesus Christ has never let me down and He will one day make a way for me.
Speedy recovery to those that got injured by Funny Face's accident, and to Funny Face, may God have mercy on you and heal you, because it's not easy.😭😭😭
The 4 trees 🌳🌳🌲🎄 I was talking about are a proverbial statement.
I listened to my friend @benkoku on many things he considers are ills of government. He may have some points right, but the talk about this government inheriting a cedi-dollar exchange rate of 3.8 in 2017 is a bit surprising. Where is that figure coming from? Also, is he asking the central bank to come up with a negative interest rate policy (NIRP)?. And why?
Yes, we need to get the current levels of nominal interest rates down but the call for a negative interest rate is not the way to go, if indeed we understand what negative interest rate is/means.
In this country of highly opinionated people, let the Central Bank bring a negative interest rate policy, and you would hear the same people talking as if the country is collapsing.
It is instructive to note that while the real interest rate can flexibly fall into the negatives when inflation exceeds normal interest rate, the latter is bounded by zero. The zero bound nominal interest rate means that to have a negative interest rate is simply saying the nominal interest rate must fall below zero. The practical effect is that instead of earning interest on your savings, you would rather be required to pay the banks to keep your money for you. In a crude way, negative interest rates impose a tax on your savings instead of earning income on them. Is this something @benkoku will support if it happens in Ghana? Central banks only adopt the policy of negative interest rates as a 'desperate' measure to stimulate spending.
Yes, we need interest rates to go down but the call for stepping beyond the theoretical bound of zero is not something that will ultimately be beneficial to Ghana and its citizens. Let's be measured in our policy prescriptions in our attempt to criticize. Is there a reward for overly criticizing government? I would like to know.
She’s the most shameless MP I know!
This woman legit bought gravels and leveled the road that lead to her house and left the others.
I lived a lane behind her and would always be angry when I passed in-front of her house 😏
Apolitical people like us think the end to all of this work must lead to the prevention of any politician ( current or future)and their cronies from allocating state property to themselves, surrogates and cronies. It seems this has been happening and nothing in terms of legislation has gone ahead to stop it. It looks like without firm legislation in place, change government and still people would continue to use political office to this end i.e amassing or looting state property.