Thursday, 6 November 2014

Obrafour says “Ghanaian music is gradually losing its identity” Update: 07 - Nov - 2014

A veteran hiplife artist, Kwabena Otchere Darko known in showbiz as Obrafour, has expressed worry over what he termed the swift
perishing of Ghanaian traditions and cultural values in our music.
Obrafour in an exclusive interview with Dj Sly on Ark Fm over the weekend said “change is good but the change should be such that our
foundations remain original since change is the law of nature”.
He said Ghana music is gradually losing its sense of identity and belonging as compare to the previous years. “I sometimes get worried about the trend of
our music because most musicians nowadays do not recognize and consider the traditions and cultural values of our homeland in their
content which is gradually killing our identity as Ghanaians”
When asked about how he feels when the he sees the younger generation going astray with
the music content, he advice that they should always remember where they come from and their background because music is a powerful tool that can sell our culture and traditions to the outside world.
“Music is a powerful tool which brings change to the individual and the nation at large, so just as we always yearn for good and healthy food for our body, so must we give the best of satisfaction to the soul because music is the
food of the soul”. The “Odasani” hitmaker has again advice the
youth that, music has taken a lot of twist and turns over the years which has put the Ghanaian music on the high ladder making it
possible to rock shoulders with the foreign music so they should preach through their music by given the right message the audience.

NDC Elections Hit Snag Again Updated: 07 -Nov -2014

The upcoming Northern regional executive elections of the ruling National Democratic Congress has hit a snag as a Tamale High Court
places an injunction on the polls which was scheduled for Saturday.
A disqualified secretary aspirant , Mohammed Aliu and one other sued the party for what they say , is an unfair treatment meted out to
them by the party’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia .
They are accusing Nketia of deliberately targeting candidates he perceives to be loyal to
former President Rawlings . This is the second time the party has been
sued over its internal elections.
Months ago, another aggrieved candidate , Linus Njolonah also sued the party, claiming that some of its electoral laws have been
skewed to disadvantage new candidates. The matter was later settled out of court.

Mahama must seek spiritual renewal at Vatican - Isaac Osei. Update: 07 - Nov - 2014

New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Subin, Isaac Osei has sarcastically described as good news President Mahama’s state visit to Vatican. According to
him, there is no better place for the president to seek divine intervention than the holy land
where the Pope resides. This was after the Speaker of Parliament;
Edward Doe Adjaho on Thursday announced the president’s visit on the floor of the House. President Mahama will leave Accra Sunday to
the Vatican City on an official visit and will return on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 but
the letter did not state whether he would visit the Pope. The trip is in spite of concerns raised by many
including MPs about the incessant travels by President Mahama at the expense of suffering masses.
But Isaac Osei on Accra based radio station Oman FM, said the Vatican visit is a good omen for Ghana. He indicated that given the worsening socio-economic hardships in the country and the
unbridled in government, President Mahama should take the opportunity to “seek spiritual
renewal”. The Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament believes divine intervention is the only way the Mahama-led administration can survive until 2016. “President Mahama must seek spiritual renew
to impact positively in his administration to enable him fulfill the Better Ghana Agenda promise he made to Ghanaians,” Isaac Osei
scoffed.

MP lodges complaint over “China Chairs”. Update: 07 - Nov - 2014

Member of Parliament for Juaboso in the Western region, Kwabena Minta Akando, has lodge a formal complaint to the leadership of
Parliament about the new furniture in the chamber.
According to him, he feels very uncomfortable in his chair because “it will be difficult for me to catch the Speakers eye to contribute to
discussions on the floor of the House". “I feel highly uncomfortable in my chair; I
think they are executive chairs meant for an office so they should send it to the offices in Job 600 and bring back the old chairs". Kwabena Minta Akando’s sentiments support similar concerns raised by MPs about the 300 pieces of furniture imported from China. The MPs were outraged and questioned the
durability of the luxurious chairs and tables when it started breaking. Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Thursday, the Juaboso MP
expressed disappointment in the new furnishing. He noted that due to the size of the chair, it occupies a lot of space thus makes it difficult
to move around in Parliament.
“The chair is so low that when you sit you can’t see the person in front or back and I can’t imagine myself in such situation,” he added.
Kwabena Minta Akando called on the Parliamentary Service Board to, as a matter of urgency, give further and better particulars on the issue.
He also criticized the leadership of the House for neglecting local furniture manufacturers in
the country. “We have very good wood manufacturers in the country so I don’t know why they went to
China. The old chairs were made in Ghana and are still durable,” he stated.