20.8.07

Shine Starlets Shine!!!: U 17 SOUTH KOREA

Our Twinkle Twinkle little Starlets have a way for making us proud almost everytime they participate in Tournaments such as this. It is against this backgroud that I have become an ardent supportor of the side anytime there is an U 17 world cup. Ghana, having won this competion twice and an impressive record to boast of at the junior level, places a lot of burden on the shoulders of the current line-up. But I must be quick to add that I have been impressed by the performance of the team in their 1st game against Trinidad and Tobago. Right from the blast of the whistle, they made their intentions known that they will take nothig shy of a goal harvest. One thing particularly impresive about the side is their ability to pass the ball around with breathtaking speed. This is slightly different from the free flowing "one touch and pass" "Agoro" style we are used to. This is not to say that the Agoro style has been abondoned. Infact they have added the speed of the european League to the style making them one of the teams to beat. Special mention must be given to all the technical handlers of this side; those who are no more with the team and those who are still there. I applaude coach Silas Tetteh's poise and decision making. I would like him to smile a little bit in the next games though.

But most of all I give a double thumbs up for our gallent future Michael Essian's and Stephen Appiah's. Please take this chance to shine seriously, making your career the ultimate goal so you don't fizzle out early like some of your pre-decessors.I believe you can bring home the Ultimate prize!!
By:Isaac Tetteh

U-17 WC: Starlets In An Emphatic 1st Win

National U-17 soccer team, Black Starlets cruised on with Ghana's hope for a third global title at the FIFA world Championship when they spanked Trinidad and Tobago 4-1 in a Group F opener on Monday in South Korea.
The Ghanaians who are making their eight appearance at the competition they won in 1991 and 1995, scored thrice in the first half before wrapping up the game late to jump to the summit of the four-team table with three points that includes Germany and Columbia. Sadick Adams gave the scanty Ghanaian fans dotted across the Cheonan Sports Complex a reason to expect a rainy day when he tore open the Trinidad and Tobago rear but surprisingly shot wide with just the yawning net in sight.
That move soared the team's confidence and opened the way for Ransford Osei who grabbed the opener in the 11th minute. Osei profited from a move initiated by Daniel Opare when the latter raced above his marker from the left flank, cut deep into the middle before instigating the final pass for the former to hit the back of the net with the ball in a manner that left Trinidad's goalkeeper Samuel Glenroy exposed.
The Starlets though not playing particularly well, managed a few chances, but consistent calls of offside by the assistant referee ensured their appetite for more goals was suppressed with the offside traps well executed by their opponents.
However the creative genius, Ishmael Yartey who struggled to stay in his element had a rear breakthrough with the offside traps on the 20 minute mark but with only Glenroy to beat, the All Blacks winger squeezed the ball on the goalie's body to the dismay of all. The pendulum of action fast swung into Trinidad and Toibago's favour and in one of the scarce threat to the two times world champions, it was Ghana's goalkeeper Joseph Addo who ensure the scores remained unchanged with a fine save.
Ghana was to strike again just when their opponents seemed to be settling down with incessant raids that saw Osei's well taken shot kissing the post and deflecting to safety on the 35th minute. Ten minutes on, Osei got lucky with his second, as he finished Abeiku Quansah's set up after the creative midfielder tore the defence into shreds before laying that pass.
Inspired by the goal, Adams made it three on the stroke of half time by feasting on Opare's sweat.
The second half produced less action, but gave indication of the fine telepathic understanding that proved the strength of the Ghanaian youngsters.
In their quest for redemption, the losers managed a consolation goal with a thunder bolt shot from substitute Stephen Compbell from a set piece just beyond the final third with 10 minutes left of play.
Substitute Kelvin Bossman grabbed Ghana's fourth five minutes later to ensure total victory. Ghana next plays Germany on Thursday.
Line-up Joseph Addo, Paul Addo, Daniel Opare, Francis Boadi, Tetteh Nortey, Abeiku Quansah, Enoch Adu/Abdul Naza Alhassan, Sadick Adams/ Kelvin Bossman , Ransford Osei, Ishmael Yartey, Philip Boampong/ Richard Mpong .
SummaryGhana beat Trinidad and Tobago 4-1 at the Cheonan Sports Complex in the second Group F fixture at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Korea 2007. Scorers: Ransford Osei(12, 44), Sadick Adams(45+1), Kevin Bossman(89) Line Up: Addo J, Addo P(C), Opare, Boadi, Tetteh, Quansah(56' Frimpong), Adu(77' Naza), Adams(76' Bossman), Osei, Yartey, Boampong Watch the match Here(FIFA) or channelsurfing

19.8.07

Nigerians Rush To Set Up Businesses In Ghana

Although sometimes chaotic, the Nigerian market has always seemed big enough to keep its local entrepreneurs occupied. However over the last twelve months, there have been significant moves by Nigerian companies looking to carve themselves a presence in other West African countries. With the announcement of two Nigerian investments this week in Benin and Ghana – one large and one small – Russell Southwood looks at how and why things are changing.South Africa is both an economic engine for the southern Africa sub-region and a platform for those wanting to do business across the continent. Although there are no exact figures, probably about 30% of its ICT companies have some involvement in selling their services across Africa and many multinationals make South Africa their regional headquarters for Sub-Saharan operations. In connectivity terms, despite the high monopoly prices of SAT3, the size of the South African economy and its connections with its sub-region means that it has become the sub-regional hub for countries like Namibia and Mozambique.Although South African ICT companies often look longingly towards becoming global operations (by buying companies in developed markets), their strength probably still lies in the scale of their domestic market and their uneasy links with the rest of the continent. Uneasy? There are not many Africans who will tell you that they have met modest, quiet South Africans in the course of doing business. They probably exist but they just haven’t met them yet.The Nigerian economy may be only a third of the size of South Africa’s but its mobile market will soon be bigger than South Africa’s. However, as a country it lacks proper power and transport infrastructure and along with its sheer size and scale of population, these have seemed to keep Nigerian ICT entrepreneurs eyes focused on their own country. Despite having a SAT3 landing station, Nigeria is not yet connected to any of its neighbours, although there have been long-standing plans to connect to Benin. Lagos airport is not a hub for regional flights in the way Johannesburg is and there is no airline of international standing providing regional flights.A couple of announcements this week signal that this may all be beginning to change and there is much more that is going on below the radar. Nigerian entrepreneur Mike Adenuga has been reported as being unable to return to Nigeria as a result of a run-in between the former President and Vice-President. But this has enabled him to play a more active role looking for business elsewhere in the region. Globacom’s ambitions in the region were signalled in announcement 12 months ago. Its investment in the Glo 1 international fibre cable (connecting many countries in West Africa) gives it an ideal future springboard for further involvement in the sub-region. Cheaper international connectivity will give it an interesting competitive advantage.But Globacom and the Beninois Government surprised everyone last week by announcing that a licence had been awarded to the company and it would be rolling out services in 60 days. According to Globacom’s Chief Operating Officer, Mohammed Jameel it was preferred ahead of the other bidders because of its technical superiority and ability to deliver.According to the minutes of the Benin Government’s Council of Ministers (10 August) the bidding for new licences was launched (rather quietly) on 3 August and the decision was taken on at the Council of Ministers of 10 August to grant the licence to Globacom.This makes some of a nonsense of the Benin Government’s claims that it wants to run the telecoms sector in a different way to its predecessor. The Minutes of the Council meetings on 2 and 3 August make no mention of the tender and deciding a tender of this kind in seven days seems incredibly fast. Of course, the intention may simply be to displace MTN who are in dispute with the Government over licence fees (see issue 363) and has had its network switched off.Globacom paid FCFA33 billion for the licence to be paid in four tranches, the first tranche of which, FCFA15 billion, has to be paid by 19 August. Its taxes in the Cahier de Charges have been lowered from 6% to 4%, it has no import duties for three years and is exempt from co-location costs with Benin Telecom for one year.No sooner had news of this announcement been absorbed than the company announced with its usual 100% self-confidence that it would be granted a licence in Ghana. Globacom has been involved in sponsorship already in the country so it fell to the Manager in charge of Events and Sponsorship at GLOBACOM, Olayinka Atande to tell the press that: ‘Any thriving company which does not see the essence in establishing in Ghana is not serious.” The regulator NCA confirmed that it was studying an application from Globacom. Its name did not feature in the Westel acquisition (which may go to Celtel) but it could bid for incumbent Ghana Telecom that comes with a mobile subsidiary, One Touch.Meanwhile on a more modest but nonetheless interesting note, one of Nigeria’s key ISP players Linkserve has also set up shop in Accra. It is selling a satellite broadband Internet solution that promises download and upload speeds of 3 mbps, which even if you discount for operational speed, is a fast service. Obviously it requires VSAT equipment to implement. It is targeting internet users, corporate businesses, NGOs, embassies, mining industries and government institutions especially in the rural underserved areas. Linkserve promises that it has plans to roll out other products using SAT3 and wireless broadband technology before the end of 2007.Besides the two companies above, there are other companies like PC assembler Omatek that have opened up an office in Ghana. And the traffic is not all one way as Ghana’s Soft Tribe have repaid the compliment and opened up offices in Nigeria. There are few multinationals with regional offices in Lagos but GS telecom runs a successful pan-continental business from the city.If it is hard to meet a quiet, modest South African in business, then it is doubly hard to meet a Nigerian who has these qualities. But it is the entrepreneurial energy of people in the ICT sector from both these countries who are driving forward the emergence of a common market in Africa.
Source:www.balancingact-africa.com.

18.8.07

The sea is "eating-up" Ada township

The devastating nature of sea erosion to life and properties of the people of Ada in the Dangme East District of the Greater of Accra Region is worsening each day as implementation of the sea defence project continues to delay.The situation, which has stayed with the people for nearly 40 years, had resulted in the destruction of several properties causing villages and families to relocate.Of the 40-kilometre stretch of land area of Ada, about 14 kilometres has been identified as the most critically affected areas where properties estimated at about 154 million euros were under threat from sea erosion.During a visit to the area on Friday, the Minister of Water Resources Works and Housing, Mr Abubakar Saddique Boniface concluded: "You don't need anyone to tell you that the area is a disaster zone." Mr. Boniface visited the area to ascertain the extent of damage and assured the people of Government's commitment to the implementation of the project.The Minister explained that the delay has basically been due to resource availability to fund it, noting that currently Government was reviewing proposals from four foreign companies on the project. He said the estimated cost of the project which would involve the construction of groyne field, revetment structure over four kilometres and a groyne at the estuary of the Volta River to facilitate a permanent opening at all mouths of the River ranged between 36 million euros and 40 million euros.Mr Boniface said the preferred technical intervention must offer a long term solution to the sea erosion problem and therefore Government was weighing all the options available to take a decision soon. Giving a brief history of the problem, Ms. Betty Nimako, a 56 year-old Head Teacher of the area said she no longer has a family home in Ada because where they used to live had been taken over by the sea. "Two schools; Azizanya DC Primary and Ada Foah Presby primary, a football pitch, storey buildings have all been submerged by the sea. "As we speak now the frontage of the District Assembly is now a road because the original one constructed has been completely taken over by the sea and the second one also is almost about to be submerged," she said.Expectations are that, within a couple of years, the District Assembly building would be no more because not only has the sea gotten nearer to it (about 70 meters away) but also its breeze has affected it badly giving its a new colour.The yellow-painted building has turned black. Mr Ebenezer Dordo, Head of Personnel of the Assembly said: "At the moment all our machines including computers are down because of the serious effects of sea breeze."When they are repaired they do not last for even a week and break down again."
Source:GNA

Ghana is back on track with investment opportunities - Veep woos foreign investors

Accra, June 6, GNA-Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia says Ghana's economic opportunities for private sector investors are back on track as...