Legon SRC suspends intended ‘tweaaaa demonstration’

 

 

 

 

The Student Representative Council of the University of Ghana has put on hold its intended ‘tweaaa demonstration’ which was slated for Tuesday, 11th February, 2014.

According to SRC President, Eric Edem Agbana, the suspension had become necessary because it had entered into negotiations with the government and other stakeholders.

Speaking on Radio Univers’ Campus Exclusive on Monday, Mr. Agbana stated that the SRC will hit the street with not less than three thousand demonstrators if the negotiations do not end in their favour.

“Negotiations are still on going. We have always said that demonstration is our last resort. If we jump unto the street Tomorrow 11th, honestly it means we have exhausted all our means, so we are putting the demonstration on hold. It is not cancelled. It is still a viable option, Mr. Agbana said.

“We are patiently waiting for to conclude negotiations, if we conclude negotiations and it does not go in our favour, expect not less than three thousands or four thousands students pouring out unto the street to register their displeasure,” he added.

The SRC last week announced it was embarking on a massive demonstration dubbed “Tweaaa demo” to protest against the introduction of road user charges on vehicles that ply University of Ghana roads.

Collection of road user charges from drivers started on February 1 at all four entry-points of the University amidst agitation and public outcry.

Coupled Up?? Khloe Kardashian And The Game Get Close “Off Up In The Club” With Cougar Kris Jenner [Photos]

The Game and Khloe Kardashian were spotted heading into their private Monday night event “Dream at Tru” in Hollyweird. Although these two have repeatedly denied claims that they’re “romantically involved” they’re looking awfully close to us here.

Hmmmmmm….

Meanwhile Kris Jenner is getting her cougar on and Bruce is doing whattt???????

Well, Bruce here was spotted rocking a bouffant hairpiece following his “Adam’s Apple” shaving surgery???? SMH.

Like Seriously? Self-styled bishop wants appointment as Spiritual Advisor to Mahama

Johnson Asiedu Nketia is NDC General Secretary

A Tema-based bishop has threatened to drag the Na¬tional Democratic Congress (NDC) to court if the party fails to offer him the position of Spiritual and Special Advisor to the Presi¬dent.

Archbishop Boakye Asiamah, founder of Abednego Incarnation Church at Community Five, told The Finder in an interview that the NDC promised him the post in exchange of prayers to enable them win the elec¬tion petition.

He said three of the executive members of Tema Central NDC, led by its constituency chairman, Mr Ben¬jamin Djakumah, contracted him to offer intercessory prayers in his church premises weeks before the hearing on the matter began at the Supreme Court.

The pastor mentioned names such as Alhaji Bukari, who was believed to be representing the President, Mr Moses Adzah, the Vice-Chairman of the Tema Central NDC, and Mr Ahmed Mumuni, an opinion leader of the party in the constituency, as those who contracted him to pray for victory.

The bishop claimed that he fasted and prayed for the NDC and President Mahama with assurance that once vic¬tory was pronounced in favour of the party and the President, he would move to the Flagstaff House, where he would become the President’s Spiri¬tual and Special Adviser.

“It has been more than four months now since the verdict went in favour of the President and the NDC yet all efforts to get the executives of the Tema Central NDC to fulfil their part of the agreement have proved futile. Mr Djakumah continues to drop my calls or would refuse to pick up at all,” Bishop Asiamah said.

He showed a form bearing the NDC logo dated January 11, 2013 with the heading ‘Nomination as a spiritual and special advisor to the President’, which was duly signed by four people, with Alhaji Bukari, who indicated that he was representing the President, being the writer of the let¬ter.

The letter stated in part: “Your re¬muneration and other gains will be communicated to you later by Alhaji Bukari on behalf of the President.”

Bishop Boakye Asiamah said: “I feel so cheated by the NDC and so I thought I should come out now to pour my heart and worries out to the gen¬eral public and for the President to hear what his followers have done to me.”

When contacted in Tema on Bishop Boakye Asiamah’s claims, both Mr Benjamin Djakumah and Mr Moses Adzah admitted meeting the bishop but denied promising him an office at the Presidency.

Mr Djakumah defended: “We did¬n’t promise him a job or an office. We nominated Bishop Asiamah and there are other pastors ahead of him in the queue and who are yet to be shortlisted so Bishop Boakye should be patient.”

Source: The Finder

Stats: Top 10 African countries on Facebook

Mega-social network Facebook celebrates their 10th birthday this week, and what started as a college social networking website in 2004, has mushroomed into the world’s largest online destination to connect with friends, family and acquaintances.

“When I reflect on the last 10 years, one question I ask myself is: Why were we the ones to build this? We were just students. We had way fewer resources than big companies. If they had focused on this problem, they could have done it,” founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote on the company’s website.

He added that “It’s been an amazing journey so far, and I’m so grateful to be a part of it. It’s rare to be able to touch so many people’s lives, and I try to remind myself to make the most of every day and have the biggest impact I can.”

With over 50-million Facebook users in Africa, IT News Africa is taking a look at the top 10 countries in Africa with the largest number of citizens using the service – and some of the countries in the list will be completely unexpected.

1. Egypt – 13-million
Egypt is the king of Facebook in Africa. Showing an incredible amount of growth in the last few years, thanks in part to the recent uprisings, the country ranks number one with 13 010 580 users.

The country added 3 million users in just under a year, and ranks 20th on globally. Its user numbers are similar to that of Australia, Taiwan and Japan. Despite ongoing socio-political turmoil in the country, technology remains a cornerstone of Egyptian society.

The country’s telecommunications sector comprises several global service providers, including Etisalat Misr, Mobinil, Orascom Telecom and Vodafone, which focus on emerging business in Cairo. According to statistics published by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), in 2012, the percentage of individuals using the Internet stood at 44.07%, while there were reportedly 96 798 801 mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions in the same year.

2. South Africa – 9.4-million
Taking the second spot on the Top 10 list, just over 9.4-million South Africans are active users of the social networking site. Comparable in user numbers to Saudi Arabia, Romania and Ecuador, it ranks 32nd in the world. Some of the local Facebook pages with the most fans are comedian Trevor Noah with 1 134 369 fans, while soccer team Kaizer Chiefs boast 709 291 fans. South Africa also has 7.4 million Mxit users, and 5.5-million on Twitter.

3. Nigeria – 5.3-million
According to social media tracking firm Social Bakers, Nigeria is the third country in Africa with the most users, with roughly 5.365-million. Comparable in user numbers to Morocco, Ecuador and Belgium, it is the 35th biggest Facebook nation in the world. With the average Nigerian user being between the ages of 18 and 24. 66% are male while 34% are female.

4. Morocco – 5.2-million Morocco isn’t a country that one would necessarily associate with having a large Facebook presence, yet more than 5-million of its 33-million population make use of the service – an increase of more than a million in just over a year.

Morocco’s mobile penetration stands at over 100 percent and demand for bandwidth continues to grow, so much so that Morocco’s telecommunications regulator, ANRT, announced that it had instructed the country’s three mobile phone operators to deploy Wi-Fi hotspots for “the purpose of spreading broadband Internet use across the Kingdom. The country is also preparing to deploy LTE services next year.

5. Algeria – 4.3-million
The North African nation, with a population of just over 37-million, rings in the bottom half of the list, with 4 322 820 users on Facebook. With 68% being male and the average user being between 18 and 24 years old, the most popular local page is Educate Yourself with 1.2-million fans, while Spanish football team Real Madrid enjoys 1.1-million Facebook fans in Algeria.

One of the largest mobile operators on the continent comes from Algeria – Orascom Telecom Algerie. It was launched in 2002 and trades under the name Djezzy in the country, and in 2012 had 16.5-million subscribers with 55.5% market share.

6. Tunisia – 3.4-million
With a population of just under 11-million, more than 30% of the nation is on Facebook – which is more than most African countries. The adult literacy rate in 2008 was 78%, and 75% of Tunisia’s Facebook users are between the ages of 18 and 34. Orange Tunisie currently enjoys more than 750 000 fans, while Tunisiana has 683 000 fans.

7. Kenya – 1.8-million
Kenya is one of the fast-growing African nations in terms of ICT growth, with a number of international undersea cables providing the country with the fastest broadband. With the massive increase in available bandwidth in the last couple of years, 1 886 560 citizens have flocked to Facebook. In what seems to be a trend among young people, the largest portion of Kenyan users are between the ages of 18 and 34. Safaricom Kenya is the brand with the most fans, with just over 600 000, while online classifieds website OLX Kenya has 335 000 fans.

8. Ghana – 1.4-million
Another up-and-coming powerhouse in terms of ICT growth, it is really no surprise to see Ghana on the list – although they could only muster third from last. With a population of 24-million, roughly 1 465 560 citizen are on Facebook, with 69% of them being male. The most popular brand is mobile operator Vodafone Ghana with 235 000 fans.

9. Democratic Republic of Congo – 891 140
The DRC almost completes the Top Ten list of countries on Facebook with just under a million of citizens on the social network. With the largest percentage of users within the 18 to 34 age bracket, the most popular brand on the site is mobile operator Tigo RDC with just over 200 000 fans, while mobile operator Vodacom RDC has 112 000 fans.

10. Senegal – 767 820 This small West African nation with a population of just over 13-millon, is the last country on IT News Africa’s Top Ten list of African users on Facebook. But don’t be fooled by their size and comparatively low Facebook users. In Senegal, the internet accounts for 3.3% of the GDP, earning the country a global ranking just behind that of the US.

Access to mobile phones in the nation is at 98%, and technology giant Google last year sponsored a cybercafé to replace desktops with tablets. The most popular brand on Facebook in Senegal is Orange Sénégal l’officiel with over 140 000 fans, while mobile operator Tigo Senegal has just over 57 000 supporters on the service.

Here we go: Manhyia warns Owusu-Bempah to apologise

 

The Head of the Spiritual Division of Asanteman (Nsumankwaahene), Baffuor Asabre Kogyawoasu Ababio III, is demanding unreserved apology from Rev. Isaac Owusu-Bempah to the Asantehene, or face the wrath of the deities of Asanteman.

Rev. Isaac Owusu-Bempah, Founder and Leader of the Glorious Word Power Ministries International, recently claimed he prayed to avert a prophesy he received about the death of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

“I fell in a trance and the Lord revealed something to me. In that experience, I saw a buck [goat] tied to a tree and I saw a king clothed in his traditional outfit order an executioner to slaughter the animal. As the action was about to happen, I saw another goat which was a nanny come out to save the tied goat.

“I asked God to explain the revelation to me and He explained to me that the goat I saw was Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the nanny was his mother. God further told me that if we don’t pray for Otumfuo and his mother, they might pass away. But we prayed for him and his mother and this averted what could have been a sad story”.

But in an exclusive interview with Adom TV’s Nana AKua Afriyie, the Nsumankwaahene of Asanteman hinted that, the Asanteman Traditional Council is still deliberating on the issue and that Rev. Owusu-Bempah has a grace period to either show remorse and apologise to the Asante kingdom and its King, or face the wrath of the gods.

“One cannot seek for popularity at the expense of the Golden Stool and if Owusu-Bempah knows what is best for him, he better apologise to the King or curse his own stars.

“The gods being quiet now doesn’t mean they won’t talk, he [Owusu-Bempah] is sitting on a time bomb” he warned.

No scripts for “Kumawood” films: fate or choice?

 

 

“A film without a script? Highly unprofessional! ”

This has been the view held by many critics of most of our films produced in local languages, predominantly Akan.

In as much as such sentiments make sense, I doubt if the makers of our local language movies have a choice other than not to use scripts.

No one can underestimate the impact that the “no script phenomenon” is having on the quality of our movies industry. 

Foul language and shouting bouts have become the order of the day because actors are made to come up with their own lines on the spur of the moment when given scenarios. 

It’s almost impossible to do re-takes to correct some of the indecent language. That’s because interruption of the artistes’ dialogue can affect the flow of acting and also cause lots of frustration for the actors.

A film’s aesthetics is greatly compromised as one cannot take shots from different angles or vary image sizes because the artistes cannot exactly repeat their lines. They, however, cannot be entirely blamed for this.

How many of our scriptwriters can read and write in Akan or any other local language for that matter? 
One can argue that the scripts can be written in English and later translated into the local language by a professional translator. Even if that is done, the truth remains that many of our actors cannot read scripts written in local languages.

Don’t forget that it’s not only actors who must read and be conversant with scripts but the entire crew as well.

It is a fact that many of our directors and cinematographers cannot boast of the ability to read and write in local languages.

Obviously, we do expect the crew to use English versions of scripts while the actors use local language versions.

Obviously, it would not be feasible to employ the services of teachers or interpreters to translate and teach both the cast and crew how to read and understand scripts before shooting.

This general lack of ability to read and write in our local language is one of the major factors affecting the quality of our local language movie business today. 

We cannot eat our cake and have it. If we want our local language films to move forward in the right direction, then we must collectively help solve the challenges facing it. Otherwise, we will always spend time criticising but not seeing any changes. 

Assuming that it is feasible to employ the services of teachers and interpreters, we must not forget the cost element and whether producers would be able to handle that. 

Many of the film producers are already complaining about inadequate funds and lack of appropriate marketing structures, thereby forcing them to produce low standard movies. 

That again raises the issue of how efficient our movie marketing mechanism is. It is therefore a matter of the producers cutting their coats according to the size of their cloths.

All the same, we all cannot sit unconcerned as the badly-produced movies continue to have negative impact, especially on young viewers.

Lately, many of us find ourselves complaining a lot about the increasing use of insulting language in our society and wonder where that trend could be coming from. 

It will not be an exaggeration to state that both adults and children are picking up these habits from the films they watch. Such is the power of film and the destruction it can cause if not properly harnessed. 

The government must have a role to play in all these. On some occasions, government officials had complained about the quality of our movies but none of them have been publicly heard congratulating or encouraging producers of good films. 

It will be a great idea for the government to set up a national film scheme to award the best movies in areas such as story line, cinematography, editing and design.

We live in a country where teaching and learning of our local languages have been relegated to the background. Very little time is allotted to the study of local languages in our schools.

More time is dedicated to the study of the English language, not forgetting that all the other subjects are taught in English language as well. 

Unfortunately, communication in the local language is completely banned in some schools and pupils caught speaking it are punished. 

What’s more, some parents have also instructed their wards not to even speak the local language at home. We therefore grow up being foreigners in our own country. The lucky ones may be able to speak it but cannot write nor read. 

It is also sad that students at the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) compulsorily learn German and French while our local language is nowhere to be found in the institute’s curriculum.

We must take the learning of our local languages seriously in order to build a generation able to read and write in those languages.

As a short term solution, the current players in the industry must embark on a local language literacy course with support of stakeholders in the business. 

It will be a move in the right direction if every student of any performing or creative art institution like NAFTI or the School of Performing Arts at the University of Ghana is made to compulsorily study one local language?

Students majoring in scriptwriting must, as part of their degree requirements, be encouraged to take up scenarios from local movie producers and provide well-supervised and translated scripts as part of their services to the country.

The School of Languages could also be encouraged to support the players in the local movie industry by helping them write down their stories. 

We all would love to see a big change in our local movie industry but it comes at a cost. All the same, we must act now if we want to improve the local movie situation.

We must take the learning of our local languages seriously because the effect of the low standard of our movies and the indecent use of language are beginning to have a negative toll on all of us. 

Everyone capable of helping to improve the quality of our local language films must quickly come on board. It is apparent the producers and the artistes cannot do it on their own.

No scripts for “Kumawood” films: fate or choice?

 

 

“A film without a script? Highly unprofessional! ”

This has been the view held by many critics of most of our films produced in local languages, predominantly Akan.

In as much as such sentiments make sense, I doubt if the makers of our local language movies have a choice other than not to use scripts.

No one can underestimate the impact that the “no script phenomenon” is having on the quality of our movies industry. 

Foul language and shouting bouts have become the order of the day because actors are made to come up with their own lines on the spur of the moment when given scenarios. 

It’s almost impossible to do re-takes to correct some of the indecent language. That’s because interruption of the artistes’ dialogue can affect the flow of acting and also cause lots of frustration for the actors.

A film’s aesthetics is greatly compromised as one cannot take shots from different angles or vary image sizes because the artistes cannot exactly repeat their lines. They, however, cannot be entirely blamed for this.

How many of our scriptwriters can read and write in Akan or any other local language for that matter? 
One can argue that the scripts can be written in English and later translated into the local language by a professional translator. Even if that is done, the truth remains that many of our actors cannot read scripts written in local languages.

Don’t forget that it’s not only actors who must read and be conversant with scripts but the entire crew as well.

It is a fact that many of our directors and cinematographers cannot boast of the ability to read and write in local languages.

Obviously, we do expect the crew to use English versions of scripts while the actors use local language versions.

Obviously, it would not be feasible to employ the services of teachers or interpreters to translate and teach both the cast and crew how to read and understand scripts before shooting.

This general lack of ability to read and write in our local language is one of the major factors affecting the quality of our local language movie business today. 

We cannot eat our cake and have it. If we want our local language films to move forward in the right direction, then we must collectively help solve the challenges facing it. Otherwise, we will always spend time criticising but not seeing any changes. 

Assuming that it is feasible to employ the services of teachers and interpreters, we must not forget the cost element and whether producers would be able to handle that. 

Many of the film producers are already complaining about inadequate funds and lack of appropriate marketing structures, thereby forcing them to produce low standard movies. 

That again raises the issue of how efficient our movie marketing mechanism is. It is therefore a matter of the producers cutting their coats according to the size of their cloths.

All the same, we all cannot sit unconcerned as the badly-produced movies continue to have negative impact, especially on young viewers.

Lately, many of us find ourselves complaining a lot about the increasing use of insulting language in our society and wonder where that trend could be coming from. 

It will not be an exaggeration to state that both adults and children are picking up these habits from the films they watch. Such is the power of film and the destruction it can cause if not properly harnessed. 

The government must have a role to play in all these. On some occasions, government officials had complained about the quality of our movies but none of them have been publicly heard congratulating or encouraging producers of good films. 

It will be a great idea for the government to set up a national film scheme to award the best movies in areas such as story line, cinematography, editing and design.

We live in a country where teaching and learning of our local languages have been relegated to the background. Very little time is allotted to the study of local languages in our schools.

More time is dedicated to the study of the English language, not forgetting that all the other subjects are taught in English language as well. 

Unfortunately, communication in the local language is completely banned in some schools and pupils caught speaking it are punished. 

What’s more, some parents have also instructed their wards not to even speak the local language at home. We therefore grow up being foreigners in our own country. The lucky ones may be able to speak it but cannot write nor read. 

It is also sad that students at the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) compulsorily learn German and French while our local language is nowhere to be found in the institute’s curriculum.

We must take the learning of our local languages seriously in order to build a generation able to read and write in those languages.

As a short term solution, the current players in the industry must embark on a local language literacy course with support of stakeholders in the business. 

It will be a move in the right direction if every student of any performing or creative art institution like NAFTI or the School of Performing Arts at the University of Ghana is made to compulsorily study one local language?

Students majoring in scriptwriting must, as part of their degree requirements, be encouraged to take up scenarios from local movie producers and provide well-supervised and translated scripts as part of their services to the country.

The School of Languages could also be encouraged to support the players in the local movie industry by helping them write down their stories. 

We all would love to see a big change in our local movie industry but it comes at a cost. All the same, we must act now if we want to improve the local movie situation.

We must take the learning of our local languages seriously because the effect of the low standard of our movies and the indecent use of language are beginning to have a negative toll on all of us. 

Everyone capable of helping to improve the quality of our local language films must quickly come on board. It is apparent the producers and the artistes cannot do it on their own.