Sports Ministry unveils World Cup Ambassadors

The Ministry of Youth and Sports has unveiled a number of musicians, actors, and veteran footballers as Ghana’s official Ambassadors for the 2014 Brazil World Cup.

They include Becca, John Dumelo, Jackie Appiah, Grace Ashy CK Akonnor, Tony Baffoe, Abedi ‘Pele’ Ayew, Kwame Ayew, Augustine Ahinful, Samuel Osei Kuffour, Tony Yeboah, Azumah Nelson and Ali Jarrah.

During the unveiling, the Minister for Youth and Sports, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, charged the ambassadors to project the values and culture of Ghana in their numerous capacities to the world.

The ambassadors among other things are responsible for campaigning to the corporate world and the general public for support towards Ghana’s journey to world cup glory.

This includes the campaign to raise funds to enable the supporters union of Ghana to travel to Brazil in order to support the Ghana Black Stars. The ambassadors will be making a call to the public to text ‘SCORE’ to 1474 at a cost of 70 pesewas per SMS.

Source;ghanaweb

Scientists Found Something Completely Unexpected In Photos Of A Rare Goblin Shark

A large number of giant isopods (indicated by flashing white circles) were caught with a rare goblin shark by a fisherman in April.

In April, shrimp fisherman Carl Moore accidentally caught an incredibly rare goblin shark off the Florida Keys. Moore snapped photos of the 18-foot-long creature before releasing it back into the water
.
Those images, shared by NOAA, immediately captured the attention of the media and scientists as they showed only the second goblin shark ever to be spotted in the Gulf of Mexico, and the first to be captured since 2000.

The underside of a species of giant isopod captured in the Gulf of Mexico in October 2002.

But researchers studying the photos noticed something else that's exciting. Among the shrimp and other fish dumped on the boat deck are dozens of giant deep-sea isopods — huge insect-like creatures closely related to shrimps and crabs.

Andrew Thaler, a deep-sea ecologist who runs the popular marine-science website Southern Fried Science, told CNN he's never seen "that many [giant isopods] in one place at the same time before."
"Imagine a pill bug the size of a house cat," Thaler said.


The giant isopod can grow up to lengths of more than 16 inches. They survive by scavenging for food on the ocean floor, including the decomposing bodies of dead whales, fish, and squid,according to the website of Sea and Sky

A rare goblin shark was released and swam away after it was caught by a shrimp fisherman off the Florida Keys

That's probably why the cluster of giant isopods and the goblin shark scooped were up together — a very bizarre occurrence.

 Thaler believes that both the isopods and the shark were feeding on the carcass of a whale decaying at the bottom of the ocean. Giant isopods are "usually spread pretty thin and only occur in abundance around a food source," Thaler told The Houston Chronicles. The fishing trawl, he theorizes, passed over the spot of the dead whale.

Source;Business Insider

Heavy rains kill four persons in Garu

At least three pupils died last Tuesday from thunder strikes and some 1,451 people displaced following a rainstorm that hit parts of the Garu-Tempani District in the Upper East Region.

The deceased were 10-year-old class three pupil, Emelia Attiga, 12-year-old class five pupil, Ezekiel Atiiga and nine-year-old class two pupil, Gladys Atiiga all of the Meliga Primary School.

Barely a week after the incident another tragedy occurred at Gagbiri where a 20-year-old male student of the Bawku Senior High School, Azisi Musah, was struck by thunder during a downpour bringing the number of recorded deaths to four.

At least 100 houses and 1,451 people made up of 674 males and 773 females have been affected by the rainstorm.

The victims, most of whom are peasant farmers and already showing red in food stocks, would have their situations worsened as the disasters occurred during the lean season where families have little food to feed on.

The storm caused serious destruction to houses, schools and churches amongst others. At least five schools had their roofs ripped off while several economic trees including shea were also affected.

The communities affected includedZesire which was worst hit with 250 people displaced, Largatinga, Woriyanga, Bianbog, Garu, Milliga, Kugashiegu, Gogbiri, Yezedug, Nabina, Siguri, Kugri, Zansirigbuliga, Worikambo, Denugu, Samaduri, Songo, Sabsunde and Tempane.

The other communities are Yabraogo, Dabilla, Kpatia, Gozesi, Kolmasug and Gagbire which have been cut off from Garu as the road is impassable

At Kugragu in Garu about 10 high tension electrical poles were destroyed, posing danger to residents.
Mr Albert Akuka Alalzuuga, the District Chief Executive for Garu-Tempane, told the GNA that maternal health in the area was under threat due to lack of access to the town centre by some communities.

He said there were signs of havoc from the rainfall this year as the Ghana Metrological Agency had made a forecast that early rains would be accompanied by devastating winds in the District and its environs.

share this page.thank you

Source;joyonline

Don't just focus on academics, pursue other interests - Yale University bound Kwasi Enin

Kwasi Enin, the decorated Ivy-league Ghanaian student has encouraged students not to be bogged down by academic work but to pursue other interests.

In an interview on Friday with Kojo Yankson,host of Joy FM's Super Morning Show, Kwasi Enin said getting acceptance to Ivy League schools requires more than racking up excellent academic grades.

Students have to pursue other interests and passions, he explained.
The New York High School student was accepted by the eight Ivy League schools and has chosen Yale University at a ceremony last Wednesday.

Kwasi got offers from  Harvard, Yale, Brown, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Princeton and Cornell.
Kwasi Enin said he will also be studying music at Yale University because  "they have the best program for music and acapella,"

He made the choice after evaluating the school's infrastructure and support for his passion.
"I met geniuses from all across the world. And everyone there was so friendly and inviting... And I believe that their deep appreciation and love for music, like I have, was very critical for me deciding to go there." he told CNN.

Enin is not only a model academic student, but also plays three instruments -violin, piano and guitar - for the chamber orchestra. He sings in an a cappella group, throws shot put and discus for the high school's track and field team.

He also participates in student government and has had a lead role in school plays since the ninth grade.

He hopes to one day pursue medicine, a dream of his that just so happens to align with his parent's careers.

His parent, who migrated from Ghana to the USA in the late 1980s, are both nurses and pushed Enin to receive the highest grades possible and follow his dreams.

His father who also spoke on the Super Morning Show, revealed Kwasi has been to Ghana twice. He said as parent, they were determined to raise him based upon Ghana's cultural values.

Striking a similar tune with Kwasi Enin, another young achiever, Christiana Opare, a Level 400 Accounting student of the University of Ghana Business School is already a qualified Accountant at age 21.

She passed all the three levels of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) examinations.

Christiana Opare has also encouraged students to make time for other things apart from their books.

The 21-year old sings in her church choir and is a member of National Union of Presbyterian Students (NUPS-G).

She told Kojo Yankson that as a Christian, one could do more his or life than just going to church.


share this page

Source;joyonline

Brazil 2014: Ghana's 'underdog' tag will make us shine - Dede Ayew

Ghana midfielder Andre Ayew says Ghana is not under pressure to excel at this year’s World Cup after being tagged as underdogs in their Group. 

 

Ghana is in Group G with European powerhouses Germany and Portugal and the United States of America.

Football pundits have predicted the progress of Germany and Portugal at the expense of Ghana and the USA in Group G and Andre Ayew believes, that will spur them on to make it to the knockout stages.

“When you look at our group we are not favourites, there are Portugal and Germany who are in front us and I think we are in front of the USA in terms of statistics,” he told Asempa Fm

“Portugal and Germany are considered as two of the best teams in the World, they will be in contention to win the World Cup so we are not under pressure we are just going there to play our hearts out.

“When you look at the statistics and all the analysis, people say Ghana won’t qualify from this group but in football anything can happen.

“We are going there with the aim of qualifying; we will fight with a lot of determination because we believe in ourselves and our coach.”

Ghana’s campaign at this year’s World Cup will begin on June 16, with a game against the United States of America.

Source;joyonline

Help me seek medical care abroad - Injured Police officer

One of the policemen who suffered gunshot wounds in the Kombian attack, Corporal Osei Bonsu, has appealed to the government to come to his aid by supporting him to seek further medical care abroad.

Corporal Osei Bonsu was shot in the arm and in the right hip.

Surgery

He was operated upon at the 37 Military Hospital where the bullets were removed, but Corporal Bonsu maintains that the situation is far from resolved.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Bonsu said though doctors at the 37 Military Hospital claimed to have removed the bullets from his hip, he had occasional swellings from which objects which appeared to be bullet shrapnel were removed by his family members.

Situation persists

He said following the surgery at the 37 Military Hospital a metal bar has been inserted into his thigh to facilitate his movement but that is not helping him either.

“The doctors at 37 did their best but I am still in pain and suffering every moment of my life,” he said with tears swelling in his eyes.

Corporal Osei Bonsu now walks using a walking aid but his movement is not without pain as he winces with each movement.

Asked whether the Police Administration had processed the relevant compensations that he was entitled to, he answered that the process had commenced but prayed that the new IGP would look into his case and impress upon the relevant authority for him to be flown out for surgery.

Background

Corporal Osei Bonsu together with two other colleagues – Prince Agyare and Owusu Frimpong, both deceased – was allegedly ambushed and shot on his way from duty at a barrier at Nankpanduri in the Bunkpurugu-Yooyo District in the Northern Region.

Prince Agyare died on the spot while Owusu Frimpong died later in hospital.


Source;ghanaweb

Ghana needs Fiscal Discipline Act to check parties – Lecturer

An economics lecturer at the Kumasi Polytechnic, Thomas Kusi Boafo, has called for the passage of a Fiscal Discipline Act to regulate political parties during elections in the country.

This, he noted, will prevent political parties in government from using national resources in campaigning.

“Over the years, political parties overspend resources, which tend to affect the country’s coffers after elections. Our current state is a clear indication of what happened ahead of the 2012 general elections”, he remarked.

Thomas Kusi Boafo expressed these concerns in an interview with Afia Pokua on Adom/Asempa FM’s Burning Issues programme during a discussion on the current state of Ghana’s economy.

The lecturer observed that overspending during elections is widespread across Africa, adding that Ghana's current budget deficit of 12.1% is a case in point.

He also revealed that successive governments fidget with inflation figures ahead of elections to portray a healthy economic state in order to win power, only for the economy to worsen a few months after elections.

According to him, earnings from cocoa, gold and oil on the world market are usually unaccounted for around electioneering year, a situation that affects the purchasing power of the people.

Kusi Boafo believes this condition has forced Ghana to borrow excessively and spent huge sums of money to service debts incurred by the country.

However, Bia East Member of Parliament (MP), Richard Acheampong thinks otherwise.

He disagreed with the perception that the current government used state resources during the last elections, resulting in the current ailing state of the economy.

“It is true government outspent its budget but the money was invested in developmental projects”, he asserted.

Although he accepted the country is experiencing economic down-turns, he believes government has put in place measures to address issues affecting the economy.

“We going through difficult times because the investments the country made is yet to yield fruits”, he noted.


Source;ghanaweb