The New Ghanaian - January

THE

The New GhaNaiaN | 1 | FOCUSiNG MORe ON The Keeping Ghanaians InCOMMUNiTY Touch

NEW GHANAIAN 10 YEARS OF SERVING THE COMMUNITY (2001 - 2011)

VOLUME 11 No. 1

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Adwoa “To Be” Laid To Rest

Adwoa Takyiwaah alias “To Be”

JANUARY 2011 BEAUTY OF THE MONTH

Friends of Adwoa crying at the viewing. See page 13 for full story

“The Call of Esther Ministries” - End of Year Party for Kids -

On Sunday, January 2nd, 2011, “The Call of esther Ministries” hosted its 4th Annual Children’s Christmas party at Moose Family Center, Lorton Virginia.

Between pizza bites, large balloon-sized cotton candy, Dr. & Mrs. Bud the-Clowns, musical chairs, hoola-hoop games, face painting and the expected visit from Santa with toys, children between the ages of 1 and 15 were again treated to a memorable end of year party.

Tropical Foods, The New Ghanaian newspaper, Hawknad Industries, Mountain of Fire & Miracle Ministries (MFM), Church of the Living God, Springs Gate Church, Mr. & Mrs. Francis Quartey, Mr. & Mrs. Kwasi Koomson, Mr. & Mrs. Freddie Boateng, Mr. Alex Acolatse and Ms. Victoria Sowah were all sponsors for the event.

There were about 150 kids in attendance and they all took home toys from Santa.

Ms. Sandra Appiah of MTV (courtesy itp’85)

MP says wizards and witches should not be blamed for accidents Mr Richard akuoko adiyia, the Member of Parliament for ahafo ano North, said on Friday that Ghanaians must discontinue blaming causes of road accidents on witches and wizards and rather fight the indiscipline on the roads. he attributed the root causes of these accidents on gross indiscipline and abandonment of the virtue of patience on the part of motorists.

Mr adiyia said this in a statement he delivered on the floor of Parliament. he mentioned overloading, fatigue driving, drunk driving and over speeding including bad roads as prime causes of road accidents.

Mr Adiyia said 60 percent of motor accidents were caused by drunk driving and over-speeding that he said constituted 50 percent. he said the road traffic laws had become toothless to punish recalcitrant drivers. "wearing of seat belt is mandatory but how many drivers are arrested or fined for not wearing their seat belts?" he asked.

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The New Ghanaian | 2 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY

Sunlight Radio & Aburi Gardens present

Pre-Valentine Day’s Soiree Sunday, February 13th; 3:00pm - 7:00pm Treat your loved one to fine dining at Aburi Gardens.

The menu for this special occasion is: Rice Pilaf with Chicken Masala or Salmon, a Salad and a bottle of sparkling wine (non-alcoholic).

After dinner Anointed Hands Studios & Itakephoto1985 will take nice portraits of you and your loved one (portraits taken on that day will appear in the next issue of The New Ghanaian Newspaper for free), give her a stem of rose for FREE, a Red Velvet Cup Cake (by Esi House of Cakes) for FREE and a teddy bear for FREE to make your evening one to remember.

Sunlight Radio will have Dr. Love & Auntie Araba take your song requests and dedications for broadcast on Valentine’s Day for FREE. Stago of Sunlight Radio fame will provide music.

For more details or reservations call 703 490.1100 / 703.901.4277 Give your loved one a life time treat!

Elegant Cakes

We Make Beautiful Wedding Cakes At Affordable Prices GET 15% DISCOUNT OFF YOUR WEDDING CAKE IF ORDERED BY FEBRUARY 28

For more info, call 571.577.0938

The New Ghanaian | 3 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY

HEALTH WATCH

All You Need to Know about Cervical Cancer In this earth, every two minutes a woman dies because of cervical cancer.

Even, in development countries, cervical cancer is in the top rank of death because of cancer. Because of this reason, it is very important to know the facts about this disease. Don’t hesitate to do pap smear test if you are a sexually active woman. Below are things we had better know about cervical cancer: What is Cervical Cancer?

Cervical cancer is a kind of abnormal growth of cells in the cervix, that is the narrow part of a woman’s womb where it joins the vagina. Start from cervix, in the late stage, this cancer could be spread to the other parts in whole body.

How danger is this disease?

A c c o r d i n g t o Wo r l d H e a l t h Organization (WHO) data, from 15.000 cervical cancer cases, about 8000 cases end by death. Why is this cancer so dangerous? Because this sickness is undetected until the late stage.

What is the cause of cervical cancer?

Cervical cancer is caused by HPV (Human Papilloma Virus). This virus has 100 type, most of the type are not dangerous and can be disappear even when we do nothing. HPV that cause cervical cancer, the most dangerous and the most fatal are type 16 and 18. The abnormal cells in the cervix also can grow because of radiation of chemical pollution in a long term.

How does HPV infect?

HPV can infect woman through sexual relationship, especially if a woman has many sexual relationships with many different partners. The infection can happen by transmission through genital organ to genital organ, oral to genital, or

manual to genital. The use of condom in intimate relationship cannot prevent the HPV because this virus does not only infect through liquid substance, this virus can infect through skin touch.

What is the symptom of cervical cancer?

In the early stage, this disease is undetected. It is not easy to recognize the symptom of this disease. That’s why for woman who is sexually active it is suggested to do cervical smear every two years. Advanced stage sufferer experiences the physical symptoms because of cervical cancer. The symptoms are: Bleeding when doing intimate relationship (contact bleeding) Excess transparent liquid from vagina, which is abnormal.

Bleeding between two menstruation cycles Drastically weight reduction If cancer has been spread to pelvis, the sufferer will feel painful in her back, has difficulty when urinate, and also abscess on the kidney.

How long is the incubation process? * Pre-invasive process : the growth of abnormal cells before become a ferocity/ viciousness. This disease grows in a long term so the sufferer who detect this disease at the early stage can do many steps to overcome this disease. The advanced infection will cause abnormal cell growth and will direct to cancer growth. The growth will take 5 to 20 years, starting from infection, pre- cancer and finally become cervical cancer.

Is it true that a smoker has the higher risk of cervical cancer?

There are many researches that prove

Wonders will never end. I just taught him all about facebook a week ago and he is now a facebook junkie!

Op-Editorial 10 Years of Service

Biblically ten is a significant number, representing completeness of order - the Commandments God gave His people were 10, containing all that is necessary, both as to their number and their order while the Lord's prayer is complete, also in ten clauses.

T his year, the New Ghanaian newspaper is 10 years old, a monumental benchmark as the oldest running news source for Ghanaians in the Washington Metro area and abroad. Not without its challenges, management reshuffling and restrategizing, the New Ghanaian newspaper has grown from strength to strength. Besides our monthly print, we’ve collaborated to produce content for Sunlight Radio (www.sunlightradio. com) and we’re working on improving our presence online (www.mytngonline. com). We could not have accomplished

any of these without you, our faithful readers and adverstisers, and for that we are grateful. As we tackle the new decade with renewed passion to share relevant information with you, we look forward to the continued positive relationship with the Ghanaian/African community and beyond. We entreat you to continue patronizing our services, sending in contributions, giving feedback and critiques on what we can do better. As part of the TNG 10 year celebration, we will hosting/supporting monthly events ( the first being the pre-Valentine’s Day Soiree at Aburi Gardens Restaurant in Woodbridge on Sunday February 13th, 2011 pg xx) and a climatic awards show in November this year, the same month when the paper was started in 2001. Stay tuned to this space for details!

relationship between smoking habit with cervical cancer sufferer. One of the researchers was done in Karolinska Institute in Sweden and was published in British Journal of Cancer in year 2001. According to Joakam Dillner, M.D., the chief of the research, the nicotine and other “poison” which enter blood through the smoke will enhance “cervical neoplasia” or the growth of abnormal cells in the womb. Cervical neoplasia is the early condition of cervical cancer in the body.

35-50 years old women.

Wo m a n wh o i s having se xua l relationship before 16 years old. Doing sexual relationship in the early age can enhance the risk of cervical cancer.

Woman who has multiple sexual partners.

Woman who e xperience many

pregnancies.

Has a partner who has had sexual contact with a woman with cervical cancer Someone who is infected by HIV Woman whose the result of pap smear is abnormal Malnutrition women Woman with tight diet Woman who is lacking vitamin A, C, and E, so cause low immunity of her body.

How to detect?

Do pap smear, which is the standard method of cervical cancer. There is also test with acetate acid, which is easier and cheaper. For more accurate result, there is new technique to detect cervical cancer that is technology of Hybrid Capture II System (HCII).

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Wow, here is Big “C” I haven’t spoken to him in 30 years. Here is Gloria too she still looks beautiful after having all these kids!

PUBLISHER: Joseph “Sonny” Vanderpuye MANAGING EDITOR: Emmanuel A. Gamor CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Muriel Vanderpuye Eddie Ekuban (FASHION) CONTRIBUTORS: Ato Ulzen-Appiah, Jemila Abdulai, Naa Atto Dede, Nii Ayertey Aryeh, Rev. C. John Thompson-Quartey, GRAPHIC DESIGNING: Sonny Vanderpuye The New Ghanaian is a monthly publication of MEDIA AFRIKA, LLC, 6000 STEVENSON AVENUE SUITE 100, ALEXANDRIA, VA. 22304 To advertise or for more info call: 703.901.4277 | 571.435.4576 or send your emails to: tngeditor@gmail.com

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Faith & Community

The New GhaNaiaN | 4 | FOCUSiNG MORe ON The COMMUNiTY a new study of 3,000 women conducted by Superdrug found that one in three women refuse to go out in public without wearing makeup. As in, they can't even run out to the grocery store or to pick up their kid without makeup on. Really?

Nearly half of all women say they prefer to wear cosmetics than to show their bare face.

But what's the most shocking of all: one in ten women polled said they would never ever let their partner see them without a full face of makeup on.

Sara Wolverson of Superdrug told the Daily Mail: "For many women, putting their makeup on is an important part of their day, and the thought of people seeing them without can be horrifying. we know that when it comes to cutting back, cosmetics are seen as an essential. Wearing and buying cosmetics is not about vanity. It’s about giving a woman confidence to succeed in every area of their life."

But really, how is it that some of these women will be intimate with their man, but won't show him her natural face? Makeup is pretty, but it's not always necessary!

The Daily Mail reached out to Jackie Fletcher, a life coach from Hampshire, who said a woman's relationship with makeup is not just about her outward appearance, but also

Are you addicted to makeup?

what's going on on the inside.

"Make-up can help with a sense of self-respect," said Fletcher.

"The reality is that we do judge people by how they look, and this can be especially important for women in business who often need to appear professional. But there is another side to it. If the reason for wearing make-up lies in the woman feeling worried that people will judge her for the way she looks rather than who she is, that’s a problem that needs to be addressed."

More stats from the poll: Over 33% felt their partner would not have been attracted to them if they hadn't been

wearing makeup when they met The average woman waits 2.5 months before going makeupless in front of her partner 14% of women get out of bed early to put on makeup before their partner wakes up Six in 10 women will not go to work without makeup Nearly 25% believe they would be ignored for a promotion if they didn't wear makeup 37% think their managers would assume they didn’t take care of themselves How important is wearing makeup to you? joanna douglas, shine staff’s blog

Prince William Immigration Policy Could Be Extended Statewide

By Media General News Service Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter, R - P r i n c e wi l l i a m , h a s introduced legislation that would require police to check the immigration status of anyone arrested.

The legislation would essentially e xtend Prince william's illegal immigration enforcement policy to all Virginia.

Lingamfelter's bill was lauded Friday by Prince william

Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart, a Republican who has hinted at running for U.S. Sen. Jim Webb's seat in 2012.

Prince William's policy, passed by its Board of County Supervisors amid controversy in 2007, mandates that police officers inquire into the immigration status of everyone who is arrested in the county.

"The strength of this policy

is that it mandates the status check and establishes a bright line for Virginia law enforcement, avo i d i n g r a c i a l - p r o f i l i n g accusations," said Stewart. "As lawmakers, we have to show our law enforcement officials that we have their backs."

He added: "I am very hopeful we will be able to advance the rule of law for all Virginians."

Ghanaian Dies In House Fire

JAMES ATTA ASUAKO died on Friday, December 24th in a fire in the townhouse where he lived alone.

James atta asuako was found inside a house on Travis Court in the Gaithersburg area, said Capt. Oscar Garcia, the fire department spokesman.

The cause of the fire was under investigation Friday night, Garcia said. But he said investigators were examining a heater in the two-story house as a possible source.

No firm description of the heater was available Friday, and it was not clear whether it was powered by a fuel such as kerosene or by electricity.

Garcia said that a neighbor told of taking in the 71-year-

old at some point last winter to help him warm up. The neighbor raised the possibility that electrical service to the man's house may have been shut at that time, Garcia said.

But he said that was not confirmed and that no information was immediately available Friday night about electrical service to the house.

Firefighters were called to the scene about 2:20 p.m. and received a report that someone might have been trapped inside, Garcia said. He said the victim, who was alone at the time of the fire, was quickly brought out

The New GhaNaiaN | 5 | FOCUSiNG MORe ON The COMMUNiTY

The New Ghanaian | 6 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY Ghanaian Dies In House Fire Cont’d from 4 and taken to a hospital, where he later died.

He had suffered smoke inhalation and burns as well, Garcia said.

Cervical Cancer Cont’d from 3 Can we prevent cervical cancer?

Yes, we know the cause of cervical cancer.

Don’t do sexual relationship with many different partners.

Take cervical smear every two year. Take care your body healthiness. Take HPV vaccination, especially for woman who never do sexual relationship.

How does HPV vaccination work?

T his vaccine w orks by enhancing the immunity of the body and catch the HPV virus before entering cervix.

This vaccine is effective for 9 to 26 years old women who don’t often do sexual relationship. By this vaccine, the risk of cervical cancer can be reduced by 75%.

Ghanaian to lose her Hand in a Freak Accident!

(CHICAGO) -- A Ghanaian cab driver is hospitalized after she presumably lit what she thought was fireworks inside her taxi Cab at the O'Hare Inter national air por t last Thursday, December 29 2010.

Police sources alleged that the driver for American Taxi, Mrs. Bebe Dzikunoo, was playing with fireworks ostensibly left by one of her passengers, when one exploded, seriously injuring her hand. Hospital sources claim that her badly injured hand might be amputated.

The sound of the explosion could be heard several blocks away from the American Cab stand at the airport. The incident happened around 3 p.m.

The Chicago Bomb and Arson Police are investigating the incident.GhWeb

Ghanaian found dead on baseball field at Iowa college DECORAH, Iowa — A man found dead on the Luther College campus in northeastern Iowa has been identified as a student from Ghana.

College spokesman Jerry Jo h n s o n i d e n t i f i e d h i m as 24-year-old Nana Kwasi Baffour-Awuah, who's better known at the Decorah school as Nabby (knobby). He was majoring in information systems and business management.

Decorah police say his body

The "bulk of the fire was controlled in 10 minutes," the spokesman said.

He said the fire apparently originated on the second floor, where there are two bedrooms.

Source: Washington Post

Does the vaccine have side effect?

This vaccine has been tested to thousand women around the world and have not shown dangerous side effect. The usual side effect are fever. This vaccine is prohibited for pregnant woman, Can someone who is infected by cervical cancer be healed?

Usually the victim come to hospital in stage 3 of cancer.

The problem, in this stage, the cancer has broken body organs like kidney. The surgery sometimes can do nothing to make the victim healthy as previous condition. Beside surgery, the victim still has to take further therapies like radiation and chemotherapy.

This action cannot guarantee that the victim will be 100% healed. source:www.healthmad.com was found about 8 a.m. Saturday in the snow on the college's baseball field.

Details of his death have not been released. An autopsy has been ordered.

Johnson says Baffour-Awuah was a popular student who earned good grades. A campus prayer vigil will be held Monday in his honor. source: Ghana web

Tension At Aburi Girls There is an uneasy calm at the Aburi Girls Senior High School, Aburi in the Eastern region, after the headmistress of the school asked for the transfer of three male teachers, two of whom had taught in the school for 17 years each.

Gilbert Agyare, a mathematics teacher, Glover Darlington, visual arts teacher and Felix Madjitey, a physics t e a c h e r, w e r e r e l e a s e d i n September last year but the three rebelled against their transfer with the backing of a section of the teachers in the school.

Both Mr Agyare and Mr Darlington have served the school for 17 years while Mr Madjitey has been there for seven years.

Matters came to a head at a staff meeting on Friday, January 7 this year when Mr Agyare was said to have openly challenged the status of the headmistress of the school, Sylvia Asempa, after reaching official retirement age in December last year.

The scene further polarized the teachers’ front, with the anti-

Asempa still questioning her status in chairing the meeting after she officially retired from Ghana Education Service on December 27, 2010.

However, at a crunch meeting between teachers of the school and an official from the Ghana Education Service, the Eastern regional director of education as well as the Akuapem South municipal director of education on Monday, January 10 to broker peace, it was finally directed that Mr Darlington and Mr Madjitey leave the school.

They were asked to contact the regional directorate of education for re-posting to different schools.

Mr Agyare was also cited for gross insubordination and was asked to face a disciplinary committee which will eventually prescribe an appropriate punishment for him.

The regional director of e d u c at i o n , Re n e e B o a kye Boateng, also told the meeting with the teachers that any teacher who had taught in the school for more than 15 years was subject for transfer.

Meanwhile, some teachers among the 72-member teaching staff have tagged the action of the headmistress as victimization against those who have stood against what they described as ‘one man show’ administration of the school.

‘She has told some of them that when her time is due, she would make sure she goes away with some of us,’ a teacher told DAILY GUIDE. Some of the teachers also accused her of using her close association with some ‘big men’ to harass outspoken teachers in the school.

Mrs Asempa, in reacting to these allegations, said she was not surprised that such allegations were coming from teachers who were uncomfortable with the transformation brought to the school and the progress the school had made under her leadership.

‘All I can say is that all those allegations are untrue and are just calculated to tarnish my hard-won reputation.’

According to her, under her nine-year leadership, the school had chalked great successes and had seen more infrastructural development, adding that no wonder the school had been the preferred choice of every good JHS girl.

The embattled headmistress is set to draw more fire after she told Citi News that growing calls for her removal were because of her hard stance against the negative behaviour of some male teachers, including those who entertained students in their rooms.

Mrs. Asempa fell short of giving details of what usually

transpired between the teachers and the girls who visited them in their rooms, explaining that she did not want to alarm parents whose wards were in the school.

She told Citi Fm that unruly tutors were to blame for her problems.

“Those teachers who exhibit indiscipline, tr uancy, and harbour girls in their rooms are the teachers who do not want me to stay on.

One of the teachers harboured some girls in his room and I caught him so he is one of the people I relieved. I have been quiet because I don’t want to alarm parents because I was able to manage it so that is why I kept quiet and they have the opportunity to do what they are doing.

‘If I had told the world that this is what they were doing, they wouldn’t even have had schools anywhere.

So my problem was the fact that I was shielding them.

One of the teachers was also relieved of his post because his area of specialty was no more being offered as a course by the school,’ she said.

A c c o r d i n g t o h e r, t h e teachers decided to get back at her by levelling allegations of mismanagement against her. source: Modern Gh

NakpaNduri residents want compensation Residents of Nakpanduri in the Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo District of the Northern Region have expressed disappointment over the failure of the Ghana Police Service to compensate individuals and businesses who suffered the ‘unwarranted’ attack on them by the its personnel in the latter part of 2010.

According to the Chief of the area, Alhaji Abuba Nasimong, the entire community, and more especially, the affected persons, would never forgive or forget the emotional, psychological and physical injuries inflicted on them by the over 100 armed police personnel who invaded the Nakpanduri town to search and arrest Johnson Kombian.

The police, in their attempt to search for Johnson Kombian from his hideout in Nakpnaduri, assaulted innocent people, including the young and aged, women and children, destroyed about 21 houses and stores, a fuel filling station, supermarkets, food crops, and other valuable property.

Hundreds of people, especially, women and school children, fled the area to seek refuge in nearby districts, with others fleeing into neighbouring Togo.

When this reporter visited Nakpanduri last week, he

discovered that most of the people had started returning to the area, after the arrest of Johnson Kombian by the Togolese police.

The few others, who did not flee the town, were now rebuilding their structures.

But, they told The Chronicle that the unannounced raid of the town by the police saw all their lifetime savings and other valuables burnt into ashes, and as a result, they were finding it very difficult to prepare new places for their traumatised families.

However, the Nakpanduri Chief blamed the government for failing to see to the rehabilitation of the affected people, most of whom, he said, had no blood or personal relationships with Kombian.

He said, even though the new District Chief Executive (DCE), Philip Laari, and the local National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) officials had tried to support the victims with some food aid, that arrangement, he said, could not sustain the people for even four days.

Chief Abuba, who expressed happiness over the arrest of Johnson Kombian, said the residents were now free to go about their normal daily businesses, and travelers from the area were also at ease now. But, he strongly cautioned the police to firmly hold Kombian in their grips, ‘because he is too slippery.’

According to him, there was no iota of truth in the earlier assertion by the police that the Chief and people of Nakpanduri were shielding Kombian from being arrested.

He said all indications pointed to the fact that the police were not serious or ready to arrest Kombian, ‘because the guy was hiding in this area, and we hinted the police, who have all the necessary weapons and are trained for that job on several occasions, but what did they do? They rather closed down their office in Nakpanduri, and vacated this place, and were thus expecting some of us, who are ordinary civilians without arms, to go into the bush and arrest Kombian and his gang.’

The Chief added that the youth of Nakpanduri, once upon a time, mobilised and arrested Kombian and handed him over to the police, but they allowed him to escape.

The National President of the Bimoba Youth Association (BIYA), Mr. David Bin-Kotten Nibi, who also visited the town with a 10-member peace mission team, also added his voice to the call by the Nakpanduri Chief and his people, to get adequate compensation for the victims. source: MGh

The New Ghanaian | 7 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY

At Vera Agyeiwaah’s 60th Birthday Party

Cutting of birthday cake

Friends of Vera

Boogie time

Mr. & Mrs. Charles Ofori & Ms. Rosemary Kyei

Vera (3rd from right) and friends

The guys

Dancing “bumper to bumper”

Mr. Prempeh, Harriet, Vera & Charles

Nana Adu Gyamfi, Vera & Mr. Prempeh

Mike & Gifty Osei Renew Their Vows After 25 years of Marriage

Officiating the renewal of vows

Mike & Gifty renewing their vows

Friends and family

The rings

You may kiss the bride

Feeding each other cake

The Osei family and officiating Ministers

Group picture

Mike, Gifty, Okyerema Asante, his wife & others

The New Ghanaian | 8 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY

Wishing All A Prosperous New Year.

In This New Year, We Are Here To Meet Your Insurance Needs. Just Call!

The New Ghanaian | 9 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY

Pastor John Ofori of Church of Pentecost’s 50th Birthday Bash

Pastor Ofori (in white suit) dancing

Cutting of cake

Cutting of cake

Cutting of cake with family

Toasting to Pastor Ofori’s good health & long life

Cheers

Pastor Ofori, Pastors & Church Elders

Pastor Ofori and family

Pastor Ofori with Deaconesses and Friends

At The Call of Esther Ministries’ End of Year Party

Hitting the Pinata for candy

Face painting

Receiving gifts from Santa

Parents helping out

Sitting on Santa’s lap

Cheers

Feeding the kids

Playing musical chairs

Parents cheering their kids on

The New Ghanaian | 10 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY

Faith

A New You for a New Year “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) As the world be gins to celebrate a New Year, and we all embark on New Year resolutions, the Church begins the season of Epiphany. Epiphany, as defined by the dictionary, is a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something.

For Christians, Epiphany is the manifestation of Jesus Christ as the incarnation of God to the whole world, especially the gentile world.

In this season of Epiphany, as we begin a new year, I thought it would be helpful to visit the idea of newness. I chose the above passage from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians as my starting point because it brings to mind the idea of newness in a new year.

The Greek lexicon has two words for “new”. The first is neos- as in a makeover of something original; such as a new model of an old car.

Volkswagen comes up with new models of their cars, but the basic structure of their engine remains the same with minor adjustments to meet the environmental standards. In neos, the old thing has been spruced up to look new, but it retains its basic character.

The second word for “new” in the Greek lexicon is Kainos.

This word implies a complete transformation of something old into that which has never existed before nor dreamed of.

That is, kainos requires one to envision something that is not yet in existence. This aspect of newness can be very disconcerting, as we have to let go of what we have known for a very long time to embrace something we haven’t even thought of. As human beings, such a drastic change doesn’t come easily to us, for we like the predictability of life, and we often like to hold on to the

familiar. The word Paul used in his letter to the Corinthians (referenced above) is kainos. If we are to take Paul at his word, then we must see ourselves as totally new beings. Thus, when one embraces the Christian faith, one’s way of thinking and behavior takes on a radically n e w e x i s t e n c e . Ta ke fo r instance, Paul himself. Before his conversion on the road to Damascus, he was a persecutor of those who adhered to the Christian faith and teachings.

In fact he was so passionate about eradicating the Christian faith that he dedicated his whole life to arresting Christians and bringing them to Jerusalem to be tried and imprisoned or killed.

After his conversion, he became the most avowed Christian, and that was shocking to those who knew him prior to his conversion experience. Another example is the disciples of Jesus. We are told in scripture that these

were mostly fishermen who were skilled in their business of fishing and mending nets.

Yet, when they responded to the call of Jesus, they became evangelists and brought about the greatest mass conversions the world had ever known!

So what is it about this newness that makes it so unique? I believe that the kind of transformation required in kainos can only be initiated by God. It is God who creates, and therefore it is God who is able to transform. As creatures of God, we simply have to trust that God will always transform us into what we were meant to be, to the glory of God. This requires that we trust God completely to use us for his purposes.

As you make your resolutions for this New Year, it is my prayer that you will trust God and let go of all the disappointments of 2010; let go of the fear that those disappointments have

Reverend Father C. John Thompson-Quartey created in your heart, and open yourself to God’s transformative power to make you into a New You. God knows us better than we know ourselves, and whatever lies ahead in 2011, God will transform our lives in very surprising ways to accomplish what we have to. When we put our trust in our creator, facing the challenges of 2011 will be less daunting and more exciting! And so, my friends, I say: “Happy New Year”! Or should I say, “Happy New You”!

It’s Time To Break Forth Happy New Year , it does feel good to be ushered into a new season filled with hope and expectation.

Gliding away from the old and sashaying into the new with fresh enthusiasm and renewed strength we embrace this year.

Mean while the shadows of disappointments and depression that marked the few past years still lurk at the back of the minds of some, others have either erased those memories or are pretending the situation never existed thus deciding It is the time to see change, it is time to break forth! Matthew 11v12 says “from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven. Suffereth violence and the violent take it by force. I personally believe that as the dawn breaks through the darkness whether the darkness comprehends it or not the light forces its way through, it breaks forth, so it is with us in this new year, it is time for us to Break Forth!

It is time to fulfill our destiny.

In life we face obstacles that hinder us from reaching our goals or destiny ,and as much as we fight physically with our strength or spiritually with our prayers we do not seem to get anywhere we end up finding ourselves in bondage, locked down, and powerless.

Our condition then looks like a battery charged bunny on the wheel which keeps going round and round till it drops dead.

How do we then break forth?

We need to be radical. I mean good radical. What we need to have is a certain measure of Faith Pastor Cover, Head Pastor of Word of Life Church Virginia, brought the meaning of faith home to me by simplifying what faith really is, and here are some examples of what he shared with his congregation: He said faith is climbing a mountain and seeing more mountains to climb. Faith is crossing the red sea with your enemies pursuing you.

Faith is taking a shepherd’s sling and going for the giant.

Faith is taking a jawbone of

Daddy Is Driving by: Author Unknown, Aspiring to Greatness

A speaker (Dr. Wan) has once shared his experience: While his family and he were in Europe, there was once that they need to drive 3 days continuously, day and night,

a mule and killing a thousand Philistines. My brothers and Sisters the long and short of it is Faith without action is dead, Are you willing to overcome an obstacle and gather the strength to overcome each new obstacle as they show up?

Are you willing to cut through tough situations that will lead to your final destination even when there is pressure on you to do the contrary?

Are you willing to overcome that giant or the major obstacle which intimidates you? Are you willing to take that little dream or vision and turn it into a reality? You have to take the bull by the horn now! Have you heard that saying, that if you do the same thing and expect different results it is insanity? I bet you will agree with me that there has to be strategic change.

Nobody is born with great faith, we all start with little faith, then we move on to some faith and we finally graduate to great faith.

In our daily walk with God we

to get to Germany. So, they all got into the car -- he, his wife, and his 3 years old daughter.

His little daughter has never traveled at night before. She was scared the first night in the car, with deep darkness outside.

"Where are we going, Daddy?" "To

turn to gain confidence in Him as we mature in Christianity. 1 Corinthians 2v5 says faith does not rest in men’s wisdom but in God’s power. In Genesis Jacob after living his life with Laban decides to go meet his brother Esau, he finds time alone to rest when an angel of the Lord who wrestles with Jacob, as the daybreaks the angel tells Jacob to let go but Jacob wrestles on and in the process the angel dislocates Jacob’s hip but Jacob clenches on, “if you do not bless me I will not go”. Through his faith and persistence, his name was changed from Jacob to Israel. Jacob knew he needed some radical change in his life, he needed spiritual blessing.

With Jacob’s confidence in God, he had to do the unthinkable Lo and behold!

He breaks forth! His identity is changed forever from a deceiver to one who struggles with God, what a difference!

Fo r s c r i p t u r e s ay s i n 1 John5v4; For whatever is born of God overcomes the world

your uncle's house, in Germany."

"Then, do you know the way?"

"Maybe, we can read the map."

Short pause. "Do you know how to read the map?" "Yes, we will get there safely."

Another pause. "Where are we going to eat if we get hungry before arriving?"

Muriel Vanderpuye Call of Esther Ministries and this is the victory that has overcome the world –even faith.

My Sisters and Brothers effective prayer, principles of true fasting (check Isaiah 58) coupled with the kind of faith expressed above , cause your light to break forth as the morning and thy healing shall spring forth speedily and thy righteousness shall go before thee and the glory of the Lord shall be your rereward! May the year 2011 be a year of destiny for you!

"We can stop by restuarants if we are hungry."

"Do you know if there are restaurants on the way?" "Yes, there are."

"Do you know where?" "No, but we will be able to find some."

Cont’d on page 11

The New Ghanaian | 11 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY

Ghana Receives Diplomacy And Good Customer Care Award In London Ghana’s High Commission in the United Kingdom (UK) has received the highest award in diplomacy and good customer care at this year’s UK Diplomatic Awards.

The 2010 UK Diplomatic Award instituted by a London Television Station, BEN TV, seeks to promote good diplomacy, excellent customer service and holistic development within the African and Caribbean missions in the country.

In all eight African missions in the UK including Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Morocco, Lesotho, The Gambia, Tanzania, and Equatorial Guinea, were shortlisted for the award.

G h a n a r e c e i ve d t h e l e a d i n g representative for African Diplomacy Award, which was based upon Diaspora growth, development and participation.

The Mission at the same event, adjudged the best mission in customer service and also received a prize for promoting Ghana’s image abroad.

Ghana was selected as the best by knowledgeable and experienced judges whose exercise included several visits to the African Missions in London over the year under review. “They also observed the mission’s performance through personal and professional perspectives, their approach to customer relations and their representation at international events such as the World Travel Market.”

The team of judges also observed and studied international reports on the countries and their missions to reach their conclusion.

The team also considered diplomacy and democracy, economic development as well as international relations of various countries with neighbours.

A citation accompanied the award, Diplomacy and Democracy category recalled in part “the smooth transition of governments between John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor and incumbent president John Evans Atta Mills, which was hailed worldwide.”

Presenting the award, a Director of BEN Television, Mr. Ayoub Mzee expressed his delight in the role of the Ghanaian Mission in London in the promotion of African issues.

He observed that Ghana is currently spearheading the activities of the Commonwealth by chairing a number of committees of the organisation, an effort that has seen much development and progress within the fraternity.

Mr. Mzee also recounted Ghana’s role in ensuring peace in the African Region while acknowledging the country’s untiring effort in making the ECOWAS an institution that has worked effectively to achive its objective successfully.

Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo gave the assurance that Ghana will continue to cement its impeccable reputation to global recognition through its national and international engagements.

He said he was not surprise at the award especially in the category of customer

service because of the mission’s growing activities. “We as a mission have done phinominally well in raising the level of services last year, and we are determined to continue the transformation exercise we have embaeked upon.” He noted.

According to the Ghanaian Envoy, the mission has retrained all personnel especially those who come in contact with customers very often in effective customer care methods.

Professor Danso-Boafo was of the view that the award is not only a true manifestation of the quality of training staff have gone through but also their determination to put their training into action.

He expressed the hope that the award will spur the staff on to do more to attract more investors and tourists to Ghana.

Nana Sifa Twum, London

Cont’d from 10

The same dialogue repeated a few times within the first night, and also the second night. But on the third night, his daughter was quiet. The speaker thought that she might have fallen asleep, but when he looked into the mirror, he saw that she was awake and was just looking around calmly. He couldn't help wondering why she was not asking the questions anymore -"Dear, do you know where we are going?" "Germany, Uncle's house."

"Do you know how we are getting there?" "No." " T h e n why a r e n ' t yo u a sking anymore?" "Because Daddy is driving."

Because Daddy is driving. This answer from a 3 years' old girl has then become the strength and help for this speaker for the many years follow whenever he has

questions and fears on his journey with the Lord. Yes, our Father is driving. We may know the destination (and sometimes we may just know it like the little girl -- "Germany", without understanding where or what it really is). We do not know the way, we do not know how to read the map, we do not know if we can find restaurants along the way. But the little girl knew the most important thing -- Daddy is driving -- and so she is safe and secure. She knows that her Daddy will provide all that she needs.

Do you know your Daddy, the Great Shepherd, is driving today? What are your behavior and response as a passenger, His child?

You may have asked many questions before, but can you like the little girl, starts to realize the most important focus should be "Daddy is driving?"

The New Ghanaian | 12 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY

The New Ghanaian | 13 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY

Mourning Adwoa “To Be� Takyiwaah

Mourning Adwoa

At the viewing

Tribute by daughter

Tribute by Nana Opoku Adusei Kantinka

Tribute by son, Emmanuel

Friends

Mourning

Mourning

Pastors & Elders praying for Adwoa

Filing past

Mourning a dear friend

Yaw Boakye mourning Adwoa

Laying Adwoa to rest

Mourning Adwoa

Adwoa Takyiwaah who died on November 12, 2010 was laid to rest on Saturday, January 8, 2011 at the Glenwood Cemetery in Washington DC. About three years ago, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The cancer went on remission for one year and two months without a trace, but later reappeared.

Viewing was at the Mountcastle Funeral Home in Dale City, Va. and was followed after with a wake keeping at 6221 Electronic Drive in Springfield, Va. Adwoa Takyiwaah, left behind four children namely, Mavis, Priscilla, Isaac and Paul.

She was survived by her parents and eight siblings.

She was a staunch church member of the Church of Pentecost USA, Inc. She will be greatly missed may she rest in peace.

The New GhaNaiaN | 14 | FOCUSiNG MORe ON The COMMUNiTY

Ghana

Human rights advocates extol "Jesus One Touch" confinement The human Rights Advocacy Center (HRAC) on Friday described the judgment in the case the Republic verses Nana Kofi Yirenkyi 'Jesus One Touch', as a positive step in ensuring that the rights of all children are protected in Ghana. "we believe that this case is an example of the ability of the criminal justice system to punish perpetrators of sexual abuse of children, no matter their age, sex or social affiliation," a statement signed by Nana Oye Lithur, the HRAC Executive Director, said.

The statement said: "we hope that persons who sexually abuse children are punished by our law courts to serve act as a deterrent for other like minded persons in the community who

continue to defile and rape our girls and boys".

The hRaC also congratulated DOVVSU of the Ghana Police Service and the attor ney General's Department for a good work done and urged them to strengthen the protection of girls against defilement.

"The wheels of justice grind slowly but exceedingly fine..." the HRAC statement said.

Nana Kofi Yirenkyi, Founder and General Overseer of the Jesus Blood Prophetic Ministry at Oblogo in accra, was on Thursday sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment each on two counts of incest and defilement by an Accra Circuit Court.

The sentences, however, are to run concurrently.

Unidentified man commits suicide at Gyaakye-Nkwanta

custody for two weeks. he said on July 14, the accused approached Afua Manu and told her that he knew how to work out a deal to secure the release of the two, if an amount of GH¢150 was paid to him. he also demanded an additional amount of Gh¢10 as transportation from Otumi to Kade and back.

The prosecutor said the complainant could not provide the amount that day, but the next day she gave Owusu the GH¢160. he said Owusu failed to deliver on his promise and the two remained in prison remand until they were granted bail at the adjourned date but not through the efforts or influence of Owusu.

In his explanation Owusu said he went to Kade twice without any success and on the day the detained persons were to re-appear in court he asked one Asafoatse for help, since he had an urgent meeting to attend in Koforidua.

The magistrate questioned Owusu at length, asking him whether he knew of the court system and he replied in the affirmative.

Mr iliasu noted that Owusu's behaviour was now rife, with people collecting monies from others with the promise of "seeing judges", knowing very well that it was not possible, and so keep such monies for their own use. he said it was unfortunate that the judge would not be there to defend himself. when the magistrate ordered that he should be sent into prison custody until January 25 for his trial, Owusu begged the magistrate to no avail.

It was then that he produced the GH¢150.

GNa

an unidentified man believed to be in his late 40s was found hanged at a cocoa farm at Gyaakye-Nkwanta, near Tepa in the Ahafo-Ano North district. He is suspected to have committed suicide.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Emmanuel Adu-Boahen, the Tepa District Crime Officer told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Friday that the body of the deceased was discovered by two labourers engaged to spray the farm by its owner, Opanin Osei Kwaku.

The deceased was dressed in a pair of jeans trousers and a black coat. aSP adu-Boahen said the body had been deposited at the Tepa Government hospital's mor tuary and appealed to people in the area to help to identify him. GNA

Otumi Asonahene in prison remand for fraud The Kade District Magistrates' Court, presided over by Mr abdul Majid iliasu, on Friday remanded in prison custody, agya Owusu, a distiller and asonahene of Otumi, for defrauding an elderly woman of GH¢160.

Owusu pleaded guilty with explanation and despite the fact that he refunded Gh¢150 of the amount in court, the magistrate expressed disgust at his behaviour.

Police Detective Corporal Owusu Achiaw, prosecuting, told the court that, the daughter and nephew of the complainant, afua Manu, were charged with assault and were arraigned before the court on July 10, 2008 and were remanded in prison

This was after the court presided over by Mrs Georgina Mensah-Datsa, after an 11-month trial, found Yirenkyi, 47, guilty.

The prosecution said he defiled his 10-year-old daughter, one of his six children.

The court noted that the prosecution had been able to prove all the essential elements of the charges hence handed down the sentence. GNA

Oil Marketing Companies named 2011 accredited members The association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMCs) on Saturday named 40 accredited oil marketing companies in good standing for business in 2011.

The companies are" Agapet Oil, allied Oil, anasset Oil, aP Oil & Gas, Bano Oil, Capstone Oil Ltd, Champion Oil, Dukes Petroleum, engen Ghana Ltd, Excel Oil, Fraga Oil, Frimps Oil, Galaxy Oil, Ghana Oil, Glory Oil, Havillah Oil, Keysens Oil Market, and Manbah Gas. The Merchant Oil, Modex Oil, Nasona Oil, Oando Ghana, Obiba J.K, Pacific, Shell Ghana, Sky Petroleum, Star Oil, Sonnidom energy, Strategic Energies, Superior Oil Co, Top Oil, Total Petroleum, Trade Cross, Trinity Oil, UBi Petroleum, Union Oil, Unity Oil, Universal Oil, and Virgin Petroleum. announcing the members at the fourth annual general meeting in Accra, Mr Kwaku agymang Duah aOMCs industry Cordinator said although it was not a requirement for all network marketing companies to become members of the association, members stood to benefit from corperate recognition. he called on oil marketing companies who are yet to register with the association to come on board, for "in unity lies strength". he said the association would this year launch out a national programme to promote the interests of its members and bodies engaged as marketers of petroleum products in the country to ensure that the public enjoys good services.

Mr agyemang-Duah said Cont’d on page 20

The New Ghanaian | 15 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY

Wizards and witches should not be blamed for accidents Cont’d from page 1 "Yet a lot more people are dying where as seat could have save some of them," he said.

"Here in this country it is common to see a driver cruising at 160 km an hour on the Tema Motorway while talking on the mobile phone," he said.

"Any death caused by road accident means we are losing the very resources that we need to move the nation forward," he noted.

Mr Adiyia called for the review of

appropriate legislations on road safety, training and retraining of drivers on the highway codes and defensive driving techniques.

"Enough had been said, now we need all concerned to start acting to put an end to this perennial cause of woes in many a family," he said.

Commenting on the statement Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, New Patriotic Party (NPP) member for Bekwai, said sufficient data had been gathered since independence to the present day but those in authority fail to "walk the talk."

He noted that Ghana since 2004 had new traffic regulation which was being

broken daily but no one had been arrested or fined for any offence.

Mr Osei-Wusu said the previous NPP government had established vehicle checking units across the country but were abandoned by the current government for political reasons.

He said manual checking of road worthiness of vehicles was subject to manipulations adding that the new roadworthy checking points started by the previous administration were to overcome such problems.

"Let us enforce the laws of the county and the carnage on the roads will cease," he said.

Mr Kojo Adu Asare, National Democratic Congress (NDC) member for Adenta, said most of the vehicles involved in the accidents were 207 buses which according to him were imported as cargos cars but converted into passenger cars.

He said engineering of the seats in most of these vehicles was not properly done which in most cases resulted in more injuries and deaths.

Mr Asare called on the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to ensure that vehicles were properly checked before they were allowed on the roads. GNA

The New GhaNaiaN | 16 | FOCUSiNG MORe ON The COMMUNiTY

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Christ The King Presbyterian Church, MD Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary Christ the King Presbyterian Church, MD celebrated its 10th anniversary last year and here are pictures marking the occasion.

The Pastor in charge is Rev. Mark Asiedu Frimpong.

Rev. Mark Asiedu Frimpong (host Pastor) thanking God for bringing them this far

Cutting the anniversary cake

the choir

receipents of award

The New Ghanaian | 19 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY

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The New Ghanaian | 20 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY Cont’d from page 14

"we will continue to ensure the development and practice o f s a f e t y, h e a l t h y a n d environmentally acceptable professional petroleum industry practices. " We w i l l e n s u r e t h a t members act with integrity probity, accountability and transparency in pursuit of their business objectives by ensuring: strict compliance with all the laws of the country, none engagement in product dumping and adulteration practices and maintain quality standards and responsibility to customers".

The AOMCs Industry Coordinator said it will continue to create enabling environment for fruitful engagement between the Association and all the major Stakeholders in the Oil Industry, the Ministries and other Government Agencies.

These include: Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Finance & Economic Planning, Bank of Ghana, National Petroleum Authority (NPA), The Energy Commission, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Tema Oil Refinery (T OR), Revenue Agencies Governing Board (RAGB), Ghana Standard Board, Ghana Fire Service, Customs Exercise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Co. Ltd. Mr Yaw Agyemang Duah, Board Chairman the Association will continue to be an effective par tner for g rowth in the country and provide for the petroleum industry the means of advising, informing, influencing and executing policy with regard to economic, fiscal, legal, industrial, technical and other matters relating to the industry.

He said the Board this year will intensify means of pursuing healthy business relationships and practices in the industry and in this regard, prescribe desirable code of conduct and industry practices. " We w i l l u n d e r t a k e programmes that will enhance the status and improve the professional knowledge, value and understanding for the business, encourage the efficiency of the petroleum industry by providing advice, information and other services and to create a means of cooperation with Government in all matters relating to petroleum and energy in Ghana," he said.

The members retained unopposed the seven-member board headed by Mr Yaw A g ye m a n g D u a h a n d M r Jonathan Molapo, Managing Director of Total Petroleum Ghana Ltd, Vice Chairman.

Other members are; Mr Omar V. Benson, Managing Director,

Shell Ghana Ltd; Mr Victor Alhassan, Managing Director, Star Oil Company Ltd; Mr Tsuwa Thompson, Country Manager, Oando; and Mr Felix Gyekye, Managing Director, Glory Oil Company Ltd. The rest are; Mr Emmanuel Abledu, Managing Director, Agapet Oil Company Ltd and Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Duah, Industry Co-ordinator as Board Secretary.

GNA

Hotel owners appeal to government not to withdraw tax concessions The Ghana Hotels Association, has appealed to Government to as matter of urgency reconsider its decision on the withdrawal of tax concession on the hotel industry.

The National President of the Association, Mr Herbert Acquaye, made the appeal during the Association’s first ever National Executive Council Meeting held in Bolgatanga on Thursday.

The meeting had as its theme: “Promoting Best Practices in Ghana’s Hotels”.

He said the Association was shocked to hear government’s announcement in the 2011 Budget that it was withdrawing the tax concessions provided under the Legislative Instrument 1817.

“Since 2007 our Industry have enjoyed tax concessions for certain inputs imported into the country for hotel development.

These concessions were provided to encourage the industry to grow whilst offering competitive room rates to our customers,” he said.

The National President stressed that the refusal of government to reconsider its decision on the withdrawal of the concession would ultimately defeat Government’s policy of creating more jobs since the hotel industry provided employment to a greater number of people in Ghana.

He stressed that the withdrawal would lead to low investment as a result of high cost of development, which would invariably push some hoteliers to convert their hotels to more attractive businesses.

“It will also lead to Ghana being perceived as a high price destination and make the industry unattractive”.

He further expressed concern about rising energy cost and its multiply effects and said it was one of the major challenges facing the industry and urged the Government to provide support in exploring the use of alternative and renewable energy sources.

H e i n d i c at e d t h at t h e

Association was also prepared to work with donor agencies, which would want to augment the support the Association would get from Government.

He said the objective of the Association was to train management and staff within the industry to be able to meet international standards and said it was very crucial with the exploration of oil in Ghana.

The Regional Chair man of the Association, Alhaji Fuseini Seidu, said one of the major problems confronting the industry in the Region was the delay of payment of hotel bills by Government’s departments and said this was seriously affecting the industry in the Region.

He observed that the over taxation of the industry by the Ghana Revenue Authority and inadequate training of staff in the industry, were challenges and called on the management of hotels and the National Hotel Association to help to provide training for staff in the industry.

GNA

Chase Restaurant starts business in Accra with Sushi Sushi, the most famous Japanese dish outside Japan and a treasured meal in fast food joints in the US, has found a place on the menu of Chase, a new restaurant unveiled in Accra on Thursday.

Chase, a brand name in the hospitality industry, located opposite Labone Coffee shop was officially inaugurated with a cocktail party, which also exposed the guests with a variety of international cuisine, which the restaurant intends to roll out onto the Ghanaian market.

Before La Mantse Nii Tettey Tsuru II, Mr Mike Reed, General Manager of Chase and Mr Fowz Nasser, the Managing Director, cut the tape to open the restaurant, the adorned and well lit Terrace Bar had already served out a diversity of beverages and ‘small chops’ some unfamiliar in Ghana, but good to taste though, in an atmosphere softened by jazz and other soul searching music.

Prior to Mr Reed dropping the news about sushi, which consists of cooked vinegared rice, he said Chase would serve good quality cuisine from all over the world including Ghanaian traditional dishes.

The list includes fresh and oriental food, salads and burgers.

Mr Reed said the full menu operation would take off next week.

He promised the delighted guests that Chase would not be confined to Labone or Accra Metropolis alone but would spread through out Ghana under the fast food concept.

A lady entre preneur in her 30’s told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) under condition of anonymity that Chase was likely to chase non-performing restaurants out of town.

“Don’t laugh it is true, some of them would be chased out

by Chase” she told the GNA reporter as she walked away.

GNA

Unique watch to Mrs Obama was not from Naadu - Office of the President The Office of the President on Friday said the unique watch given to Mrs Michelle Obama on the historic visit of President Barack Obama in July 2009 was from the people of Ghana and not from the First Lady, Mrs Ernestina Naadu Mills.

The gift, christened Black Star of Ghana, was designed by Africa Watch Trading Company in collaboration with Backes and Strauss, and carried no price tag, but a model free of charge.

Mr Koku Anyidoho, Head of Communications at the Office of the President, quoted a correspondence received from Backes and Strauss which stated: “In recognition of this unique occasion, Africa Watch Trading Company is pleased to offer the Black Star of Ghana model free of charge, to be presented as a gift from the people of Ghana to Mrs Michelle Obama.”

Stories are making the rounds in the media that Mrs Mills gave a gold watch worth $48,000 to Mrs Obama when the US First Family visited Ghana in July 2009.

The timepiece is said to be one of the most expensive gifts given to Mrs Obama since he husband came to power.

H ow eve r, t h e H e a d o f Communications at the Castle, per the letter from Backe and Strauss, stated categorically that the gift came from the people of Ghana through the companies and not First Lady Mills.

The gift was not a personal one, but would rather be kept in the US museums as memento of the historic visit.

GNA

Parliament holds close door meeting to consider emoluments

Members of Parliament on Friday held a close door meeting to come out with a proposal defining the terms and conditions for an increase in their personal emoluments.

This is in line with article 71 (1a) of the 1992 Constitution which has to do with the salaries and allowances payable and the facilities and privileges available to the Speaker and Deputy Speakers and members of Parliament.

Mrs Justice Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo, Speaker o f Pa r l i a m e n t , m a d e t h e announcement early Friday morning after the Majority Leader, Mr Cletus Apul Avoka, read the business statement for the week ending Friday 28th January 2011.

Mr Avoka said the house would devote a greater part of the ensuing week to the consideration stage of the Petroleum Revenue Management Bill, 2010.

Mr Avoka said Ministers might attend cabinet meeting on January 27 and would not be in the house for any work.

Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, MP Old Tafo, for asked when the formulae for statutory funds would arrive in the house for approval because the respective institutions need funding to implement their programmes, policies and objectives.

Nana Akomea, New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Okaikwei South, in an interview with the GNA said the salary scale of the Ghanaian MP was embarrassing because for an MP to receive 2,000 dollars a month was not enough.

He said there was a criterion that is used to determine the salary level that included a look at the relativity with regards to public and civil service salary structure or the general salary level.

Nana Akomea questioned which category an MP was equivalent to, “is it a Managing Director or an Editor of a Public Media organisation?”

Mr Rashid Pelpuo, Deputy Majority Leader and NDC member for Wa Central, told the GNA that salaries MPs were earning were too small.

According to the constitution any proposed amount would be charged on the consolidated fund and determined by the President.

GNA

The New Ghanaian | 21 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY

Weekly Services:

Tuesday: Exploring the Kingdom 7pm - 9pm Thursday: Revival Service 7pm - 9pm

Sunday: Breaking Through Prayers 9am - 10am Sunday: Worship 10am - 1pm

Nightly Prayer line: 9:30pm - 10:30pm Tel.: 218.339.2636 code 777#

The New GhaNaiaN | 22 | FOCUSiNG MORe ON The COMMUNiTY

Africa

South Sudan's referendum vote reaches 60%, says SPLM South Sudan has reached the 60% turnout needed to pass the referendum on secession from the north, the south's ruling party and ex-rebel group says.

"The 60% threshold has been achieved but we are asking for a 100% (turnout)," the SPLM's Anne Itto said.

She did not give exact figures, but said it was based on polling centre reports for the first three days of the week-long vote which began on Sunday.

The poll was agreed as part of the 2005 deal to end the twodecade civil war.

T h e S u d a n Pe o p l e s ' Liberation Movement have been running the region since that peace agreement.

Official turnout figures which along with the preliminary result, are not expected until the beginning of February - are the responsibility of the South Sudan Referendum Commission.

Sabit alley, a member of the referendum commission, told the BBC they do not have exact statistics for the south because of communication problems.

B u t f r o m i n fo r m a t i o n collected so far, 46% of people had cast their ballot in the south in the first two days. "in the north 25% have voted - Khartoum state is quite high, over 50%," he said.

The vote, in which only southerners are taking part, is widely expected to approve secession.

Meanwhile the US state department has indicated it could remove Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism if the north recognises the outcome of the poll.

"It is a process that takes some time, but by beginning the process in the wake of the referendum, the hope is if they meet all the conditions, it can be done by July," US diplomat Princeton Lyman told aFP news agency.

Souther n Sudan would become africa's 54th nation on 9 July 2011 if the referendum is passed.

North and south Sudan have suffered decades of conflicts driven by religious and ethnic divides, with an estimated 1.5 million people killed in the civil war. BBC

Egypt train attack: Man shot dead by off-duty policeman An off-duty policeman has opened fire on a train in Egypt, killing a Christian man, but it is unclear whether the attack was sectarian.

At least another five people were reported to have been injured in the shooting on a train between Assiut and Cairo.

Officials said at least four of those hur t were Coptic Christians. witnesses said hundreds of Christians later clashed with police outside the hospital where the wounded were taken.

Police fired teargas to disperse them, reports from Samalut, in Minya province, said.

Tensions between Muslims and Christians in Egypt have been high following a bomb attack on a Coptic church in Alexandria at the new year that killed 23 people.

The gunman, who officials said had boarded the train at Samalut, has been arrested.

The Egyptian interior ministry named him as police officer amer ashour abdelZaher. Officials have not given a motive for Tuesday's shooting.

The ministry statement said the officer "opened fire on some train passengers from his pistol and ran away", adding that he was later arrested at his home.

One of those injured was reported to be the dead man's wife.

Egypt's Coptic Christian minority is estimated to make up about 10% of Egypt's 80 million people, who are mostly Muslim.

The BBC's Jon Leyne reports from Cairo that it is difficult to see how the gunmen would have known he could target Christians by boarding the train. BBC

South Africa thieves hit traffic lights for Sim cards Some 400 high-tech South african traffic lights are out of action after thieves in Johannesburg stole the mobile phone Sim cards they contain.

The thieves ran up bills amounting to thousands of dollars by using the stolen cards to make calls.

Johannesburg Road agency (JRA) said it is investigating the possibility of an "inside job" after only the Sim card-fitted traffic lights were targeted.

The cards were fitted to notify JRa when the traffic lights were faulty.

JRa believes a syndicate "with links on the inside" is behind the thefts. " we h ave 2 , 0 0 0 m a j o r intersections in Johannesburg and only 600 of those were fitted with the cards," the agency's spokesperson Thulani Makhubela told the BBC. "No-one apart from JRA and our supplier knows which intersections have that system." he described the thefts as "systematic and co-ordinated".

"The vandalism began with a few lights in November and we repaired them. Over December

the thieves struck again, this time hitting hundreds more, including the ones we had repaired," he said.

"These people know what they are doing."

Chatty thieves Repairing the faulty traffic lights will cost JRa about 9m rand ($1.3m; £870,000).

JRa has said it has blocked all the stolen Sim cards so that they cannot be used to make further calls - but this was not before the thieves had run up huge bills.

"One card had a bill of 30,000 rand ($4,500; £2,900) and we are talking about no less than 150 Sim card bills. Whichever way we look at it we are talking about a lot of money," said Mr Makhubela.

Several cases of theft and vandalism have apparently been opened across Johannesburg.

Johannesburg's roads have been fairly quiet over December but with hundreds of holidaymakers expected to return over the weekend, the damaged lights pose a hazard in the city's major roads says the BBC's Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg.BBC

13 killed in Nigerian village attack Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) -- An attack on a Christian village in central Nigeria early Tuesday morning left 13 people dead, an official said. at about midnight, the village of Kuru Station was attacked by unknown assailants, Riyom local government chairman Simon Mwadkon told CNN. Three houses were attacked and 12 people were killed at the scene, he said. Four others were taken to a hospital, where a thirteenth person died.

"The situation is very tense," but security forces are now on the ground, Mwadkon said.

Nigeria has been rocked by recent religious violence, with the government blaming most of the it on Islamist extremists.

Christmas eve attacks in the volatile city of Jos claimed at least 31 lives.

Jos is the capital of Plateau state, which lies on a faithbased fault line between Muslimdominated northern Nigeria and the mainly Christian south.

On March 7, at least 200 C h r i s t i a n s v i l l a ge r s w e r e massacred near Jos, and more than 150 Muslims were killed in an attack in a nearby town, Kuru Karama, on January 19. in Nigeria, africa's most populous nation, more than 13,500 people have died in religious or ethnic clashes since the end of military rule in 1999, human Rights watch said in a report last year.

There have been other deadly Cont’d on page 25

The New GhaNaiaN | 23 | FOCUSiNG MORe ON The COMMUNiTY

10th Anniversary 2001 - 2011

THE

NEW GHANAIAN Keeping Ghanaians In Touch

The New Ghanaian Newspaper is 10 years old this 2011.

It has not been an easy journey but we thank God for the vision, his mercies and strength.

We thank God that The New Ghanaian has been considered as the ofďŹ cial newspaper for Ghanaians in the US for the past ten years.

We will have a series of events through out the year to mark our 10th anniversary.

We thank the community for all its support.

The New Ghanaian is your newspaper so continue to support it.

God bless you all!

By Management & Staff

The New Ghanaian | 24 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY

99% of Southern Sudanese Vote for Independence

Sudanese Troops Arrest 37 in Darfur Camp

Southern Sudan Referendum Commission staff members during the official counting of votes on South Sudanese independence, 16 Jan 2011 Photo: Reuters Re s u l t s f r o m s o u t h e r n Sudan's landmark referendum show nearly 99 percent of voters suppor ting regional independence.

T he results, posted on the referendum commission's website Sunday, show just 45,000 voters out of 3.8 million voting for continued unity with the north.

The commission said the

results are provisional but noted that vote counting is virtually complete. Results are due to be validated in early February.

The referendum was part of the 2005 peace deal that ended Sudan's north-south civil war.

Officials from nor ther n Sudan have indicated they will accept the results, and southern Sudan is expected to declare independence later this year.

CAR Holds Presidential, Parliamentary Polls

Voters in the Central African Republic went to the polls Sunday for presidential and parliamentary elections.

Witnesses reported seeing long lines at polling stations in the capital, Bangui. However, many stations opened late because voting equipment had not arrived.

President Francois Bozize is favored to win another term. His challengers include former President Ange Felix Patasse, whom Bozize ousted in a 2003 coup, and former Prime Minister Martin Ziguele, who the president beat in the 2005 election.

The president's rivals have already accused him of planning to rig Sunday's poll.

The election was originally set for last April but was delayed due to a lack of funds and insecurity.

The country has several active rebel groups, including the Lord's Resistance Army, which continues to attack rural villages.

The Central African Republic is among the world's poorest countries, despite rich deposits of diamonds, uranium and other minerals. Chronic instability and the country's landlocked position have largely blocked development.

Along with the presidency, voters Sunday cast ballots for 105 seats in parliament. About 1.8 million people were registered to vote.

Results are due to be announced by January 31. A run-off election will be held March 20 if no candidate for president wins an outright majority. VOA News

However, the two sides still have to work out issues involving borders, waters, oil revenue, and the fate of the oil-producing Abyei region.

Abyei was supposed to hold a separate referendum this month on whether to join the north or south. But the poll was never held because of disputes on who would be eligible to vote.

VOA News

The U.N. and African Union mission in Darfur says Sudanese troops have arrested 37 people after conducting a search in a refugee camp.

UNAMID said Sunday's raid violated an agreement between the mission and Sudan's government, requiring notification prior to any action in the camps.

The mission said it was informed about the action almost three hours after government forces cordoned off the Zam Zam camp, located near El Fasher, the North Darfur capital.

The UNAMID chief, Ibrahim Gambari, dispatched teams of civilian, police and military personnel to the camp to protect the safety and rights of the camp residents who have been displaced by the region's fighting.

The mission says the teams reported that despite a "tense" atmosphere, "no shots were fired." The teams said there was no violence or destruction of property.

Sudan says, in addition to the arrest of 37 people, ten vehicles were impounded. The government also reported the seizure of three assault rifle magazines, ammunition, suspected stolen goods and illegal substances.

The UNAMID has been working since 2008 in the strife-torn Sudanese region, where nearly seven years of fighting between the government, its militia supporters, and rebel groups have killed at least 300,000 people and driven 2.7 million people from their homes.

Ivory Coast cocoa exports 'banned' by Alassane Ouattara The internationally recognised president of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, has called for a month-long ban on cocoa exports.

Ivory Coast is the world's largest cocoa producer and it is a key source of revenue for Laurent Gbagbo, who refuses to cede power.

The price of cocoa - already up 14% since November's disputed election - rose about 7% when trading resumed.

Meanwhile, Nigeria has urged the UN to authorise force to oust Mr Gbagbo.

Nigerian Foreign Minister Odein Ajumogobia wrote an editorial published by several local newspapers saying the UN Security Council should pass a resolution to give legitimacy to previous West African threats to send troops to Ivory Coast.

He did, however, stress this would be a "last resort".

Exper ts say some West African countries would be reluctant to use armed force against Mr Gbagbo.

Mr Ouattara has previously said special forces should remove Mr Gbagbo from the presidential palace but he is also trying to use financial pressure to force him out.

On Saturday, one of Mr Gbagbo's allies was forced to resign as head of the Central Bank of West African States which manages the currency of eight West African countries, including Ivory Coast.

'Pandemonium' But it is not clear how far Mr Ouattara's call for a cocoa export ban will be heeded.

"We are getting on with things as usual," the director of an Abidjan-based export firm told the Reuters news agency.

The BBC's John James in the main city Abidjan, says the announcement is causing pandemonium in the international cocoa industry.

Although Mr Ouattara does not control any security forces there who could enforce the ban on the city's ports, our reporter says the call may have some effect with major players in the world cocoa industry.

They will be worried about losing their licences if Mr Ouattara does ever come to power, he says.

And global companies could be concerned about their international reputations if they are seen to be dealing with an administration seen as illegitimate by the world

community, he says.

The European Cocoa Association and Federation of Cocoa Commerce said they had not yet decided what action to take. " We h a v e r e c e i v e d communications in relation to the conduct of the cocoa business in Cote d'Ivoire [Ivory Coast] to which we are in the process of responding in order to seek further clarification for our members," they said in a joint statement.

"As can be expected in these circumstances, the trade issues involved in this respect are of a highly sensitive nature and will take time to resolve," they said.

Reuters news agency reports that cocoa prices rose by 7% to reach a six-month high of $3,616 (ÂŁ2,269) on the Liffe futures exchange when trade opened on Monday.

Ivory Coast produces about a third of the world's cocoa.

The European Union, US and West African states have already adopted various financial sanctions against Gbagbo and his closest allies.

But Mr Gbagbo's allies say any attempts to deprive it of cash are futile.

The New Ghanaian | 25 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY

AU envoy fails in Ivorian mission

Kenyan Prime Minister has said that force was a "last resort" to solve Cote d’Ivoire's crisis, but warned that time was running out for a peaceful settlement.

"The window for a peaceful negotiation is closing very fast," Raila Odinga told reporters on returning to Kenya on Friday after leading a failed African Union mediation bid.

"We will continue to walk the extra mile to find a peaceful resolution... The use of legitimate force is there and we will say that it is the ultimate resort, the very last resort if everything else has failed," he added.

Ivorian incumbent Laurent Gbagbo has defied calls to quit after UNcertified results showed him the loser of a November 28 election, prolonging a stand-off with rival Alassane Ouattara.

AU disunity There is little appetite among African nations for armed intervention that could cause more bloodshed in a country where 260 have already died in violence linked to the deadlock. Nations such as Ghana say they will not offer troops.

Leaders of the 53-state African Union will discuss next steps at a summit at the end of the month, and signs are emerging of cracks in an official AU line insisting that Gbagbo immediately make way for Ouattara to take power.

Odinga made a detour to Angola and South Africa on the way back to Kenya, holding talks with the leadership of two states seen as potential weak points in

AU unity.

South African President Jacob Zuma said there were "some discrepancies" in the election result and dismissed a p r o p o s a l by diplomats for Gbagbo to go into exile.

Odinga said a recount, suggested

by Gbagbo, would be pointless. "I told Gbagbo and the two presidents that it is an exercise in futility.

Even if you are to open the ballot boxes and do a recount, no one w o u l d b e l i e ve you," he said.

UN complains Meanwhile, the United Nations denounced as unacceptable on Friday an order to Cote d’Ivoire’s armed forces loyal to Gbagbo to stop and search UN peacekeeping vehicles in the West African country.

Ivorian army spokesman Colonel Babri Gohourou said earlier on state television that the country's armed forces were "under instruction to stop

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga (L) says that force is a "last resort" to solve Cote d’Ivoire's crisis [EPA] and search vehicles marked with a 'UN' in circulation."

"I want to make clear that the call of the Ivorian defense and security forces loyal to Mr. Gbagbo to stop and search United Nations vehicles is a serious violation of the status of forces agreement and Security Council Resolution 1962," UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said.

"It is therefore unacceptable," Nesirky told a regular news briefing.

Nesirky also condemned what he said was continuing use of Ivorian state broadcaster RTI to spread false information about the United Nations

and UNOCI, as well as continued obstruction of "legitimate actions" by the peacekeeping mission.

UN patrols trying to reach areas where clashes have been reported have repeatedly been blocked by pro-Gbagbo forces and have also been prevented from going to reported sites of mass graves, UN officials say.

Nesirky re peated previous UN warnings that attacks on civilians or international peacekeepers were crimes under international law, and those who carried them out "will be held responsible." He did not elaborate.

Cont’d from page 22

South Africa flooding leaves 50 dead, hundreds homeless

sectarian clashes in Nigeria over the years, including one outbreak in Jos in September 2001 that left about 1,000 dead, Human Rights Watch said.CNN

33 women raped in the Democratic Republic of Congo (CNN) -- At least 33 women were raped on New Year's Day in a region in the Democratic Republic of Congo, said the medical group Doctors Without Borders Thursday.

"Women had been restrained with ropes or beaten unconscious with the butt of a gun before being attacked, some in front of their children." said Annemarie Loof, the head of the medical aid organization's mission in the South Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"Up to four armed men were involved at a time and homes and shops were looted," Loof added.

These alleged rapes come after reports from the United Nations that more than 200 people were systematically raped during rebel attacks in the summer of 2010 in the country..CNN

Johannesburg, South Africa (CNN) -- Heavy flooding has left at least 50 people dead and hundreds homeless in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province as residents continue to battle adverse weather conditions that have plagued the country since mid-December, authorities said Friday.

"We have requested the national government to declare the Eastern Cape a national disaster," said Provincial Minister of Social Services Pemmy Majodina. "We are going to need billions of Rands to help residents reconstruct their homes and repair the damage caused by the floods."

Dozens were killed as homes and buildings collapsed around them as a result of the flooding, which washed away bridges and destroyed roads, she said.

Authorities continue to search for at least two flood victims, Majodina said.

Many rural residents in the Eastern Cape live in mud hits that are unable to withstand heavy flooding.

Eighteen others have died during recent electrical storms, Majodina added.

The New GhaNaiaN | 26 | FOCUSiNG MORe ON The COMMUNiTY

Sports & Leisure

Yemi Sax ACE saxophonist Adeyemi Adeosun popularly called Yemi Sax has finally released his much-awaited latest album entitled Virtuoso.

The exclusive Abuja launch was held late last month at Uptown Asian Cuisine & Lounge, Abuja. The title of his latest work is apt in the sense that the saxophonist has indeed proven that he a genius with the musical instrument that he has made more popular in the country.

It was a night filled with fun as Yemi Sax popularly called the No. Sax Boss, alongside top Nigerian artistes such as wande Coal, 9ice and comedian a Y, held the high profile guests at the Uptown Lounge, hostage for hours.

Virtuoso, a 20-song album exposed Yemi Sax as a versatile artiste with the deft way he manipulated his sax to produce awe inspiring songs from his repertoire as well as jazz remix of popular songs by Nigerian artistes such as wande Coal, D’Banj, P Square, Osita Osadebe, Dr. Sid, and J. Martins among many others.

AY who was compere of the night kept the guests reeling with laughter for a long time before Yemi Sax’s first performance of Wande Coal’s Ololufe .When 9ice joined the saxophonist on stage in the jazz version of his song Gbamu Gbamu; it became a battle between the sax and 9ice’s husky voice. At the end, there was no victor or vanquished as both artistes held their grounds.

But the sax no doubt carried the day in the performance of 9ice’s hit, Street Credibility which the saxophonist took to another height, pushing the guests almost to the edge. 9ice was forced to confess later that the jazz version of the song was a refreshing change. wande Coal had his time on stage where he further confirmed his rating as one of the country’s

best hip hop vocalists at the moment. His second duet with Yemi Sax took all to the dance floor and the small crowd which included Senators and other top government functionaries as well as celebrities like John Fashanu boogied down for over an hour.

The ar tiste’s Godfather Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, who is currently gunning for the edo State government house extolled the virtues of Yemi Sax that night describing him as a revelation. “Yemi Sax is a bundle of humility, he is a bundle of talent and from the day i met this young man, i knew he would go places, and so far, he has not disappointed me. I will continue to support him and I call on Nigerians to give him all the necessary encouragement because Yemi Sax will bring glory to the country with his saxophone soon.”

The multi –instrumentalist, songwriter cum producer showed his vocal ability in the song entitled In This Place. Written, produced and performed by him, Yemi Sax did a good blend of vocals and sax; the result is a celestial love song that will soon become an anthem in the country. With the hip hop fire fast engulfing the music sphere, the artiste has perhaps

been bitten by the bug with his Chief Contractor song where he featured Sax Records artistes.

Virtuoso is an improvement on his previous efforts such as Flavour (2005) and Saxophone Mood (2008) as he has really matured with time on the sax that has brought him fame. “ever y time, we strive towards perfection, we do all we can to ensure that we are better than our last effort, and that is why I believe we keep getting shows, for that we are grateful to God,” the Sax Boss said even as he says the influx of other artistes in his genre of music does not faze him. “It is on record that i started this revolution now referred to as Afro-hipjazz in Nigeria because of my ability to fuse hip-hop, jazz and african rhythm together, that others have joined the fray is a welcome development because it makes it more competitive and when there is competition, the gainers are the public because all the artistes will want to come out with their best. Note that, what one entered as a calling is different from what the other dabbled into because he wants to put food on his table primarily, that is where Yemi Sax is different from the pack.”

Ghanaian Gospel music giants to rock Multi-TV’s Prayerthon Some of the country’s finest gospel giants are set to rock the first ever Prayerthon, a 24-hour prayer festival, organized by Multi-TV. The list of artistes includes No Tribe, Soul winners, Cecilia Marfo, Gifty Osei, Josh Laryea, Florence Obinim and CPF Choir of the University of Ghana.

The event, which is the first of what will be an annual event, will be held at the Trade Fair Pavilion a from January 28 to January 29, 2011.

The theme is: heal Our Land, will bring men and women of God under one roof to pray for

the nation.

Channel Manager for MultiTV, Ricky anokye disclosed that “It's a prayer festival [where] you get people praying for the nation in all sorts of areas; education, health, government or leadership, chieftaincy, students, families, business, agriculture and all... It’s kind of a chain reaction.”

It will start 6pm on January 28 and end 6pm January 29 and it will be divided into different sessions. These sessions will be lead by several renowned ministers of the word.

“It a festival of prayer for

people that believe in God both corporate leadership and spiritual leadership should come together because if you go back to the bible, there was no nation or no king that survived without God’s prophets anointing them,” he said. eastwood anaba, Rev Mike abosey, Pastor ato acquah, Rev Yaw Owusu ansah and other renowned men of God from the length and breathe of the country will lead this all important event.

Prayerthon will be live on the Jesus Channel and Nhyira TV on Multi-TV.

The New GhaNaiaN | 27 | FOCUSiNG MORe ON The COMMUNiTY

w w w. s u n l i g h t r a d i o . c o m PROGRAMS & PRESENTERS

HOUR OF vISITATION MONDAYS: 11:30AM - 12:00NOON Rev. Yaw Nkansah, Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, VA THE APOSTOLIC HOUR TUESDAYS: 11:00AM - 11:30AM Pastor Daniel Quartey, Apostolic Church, VA HOUR OF DECISION TUESDAYS: 11:30AM - 12:00NOON Pastor Kwasi Gyimah, The Church of the Living God, VA HOUR OF EXPOSURE WEDNESDAY: 11:00AM - 12:00NOON Pastor Anthony Akerele, Mountain of Fire & Miracles, VA EMPOWERMENT ZONE THURSDAY: 11:00AM - 11:30AM Pastor Frank Opoku Amoako Word Harvest Church, VA TIME WITH THE KING THURSDAYS: 11:30AM - 12:00NOON Rev. Mark Asiedu Frimpong, Christ the King Presbyterian Church, MD THE HOUR OF ANOINTING FRIDAYS: 11:00AM - 11:30AM Apostle Ayvel Kwabena Arnolds Springs Gate Chapel, VA WESLEY TIME FRIDAYS: 11:30AM - 12:00NOON Rev. Emmanuel Nkrumah, Ghana Wesley United Methodist Church, VA LET’S TALK NOW MONDAYS - FRIDAYS: 1:00PM - 2:00PM Sonny Vanderpuye DRIvE TIME -

MONDAYS - FRIDAYS: 4:00PM - 6:00PM Komla Odade3 NEWS WEEKDAYS: 7:00PM Rose Nabia LOvE LANE WEEKDAYS: 9:00PM - 11:00PM Dr. Love & Araba Dadson AROUND TOWN FRIDAYS: 3:00PM - 4:00PM Michelle Wiredu COMMAND THE MORNING WEEKENDS: 7:00AM -8:00AM Minister Clarence Roberts HEALING RAIN SATURDAYS: 10:30AM - 11:00AM Muriel Vanderpuye KYERE WO ADWENE SATURDAYS: 11:30AM - 1:00PM Joe Mainoo THE BASEMENT SATURDAY: 1:00PM - 3:00PM Stago REAL TALK WITH REAL PEOPLE SATURDAYS: 3:00PM - 6:00PM JL & Reggie Love YOUTH TALK SUNDAYS: 4:00PM - 5:00PM Fidelia Agyeman FAMILY MATTERS SUNDAYS: 5:00PM - 6:00PM Muriel Vanderpuye HOUR OF GRACE SUNDAYS: 7:00PM -8:30PM Pastor Albert Ocran & Elder Isaac Opoku For all programs on Sunlight Radio go to www.sunlight.com

The New GhaNaiaN | 28 | FOCUSiNG MORe ON The COMMUNiTY

Fashion

KUBAN WINTER OUTFITS This winter’s outfits are an origami of styles. The winter jacket which is the overall garment of the season come in all length and styles from the dazzling to the plain. The jackets this winter that have made raves are the quilt-like ones, once deemed ‘street’ or hip hop urban. They have been restyled and all the big name designers are in on it.

Surprisingly enough the evening wear outfits I’ve seen are not just long and flowing but sometimes short to mid thigh, something that traditionally belongs to the summer season. Interestingly, some of the designers have created outfits mixing men’s and women’s clothes together which is not as surprising as plaid pieces going along with flower-printed items wow! They are added with an occasional splash of color and fur trimming.

The military influences are still prevalent with large/ mid size button on the outfits with nipped waists and midi lengths. While pant suits with clear creases for everyday office wear is hot, if you are for a more casual look try wide beige trousers and a stylish one-breast jacket.

This season’s color palette is the whole color wheel but blue, blue, blue oh blue ladies, is hot. Don’t be afraid to wear bright, cobalt, intense blues – go double denim if you are feeling brave and ‘Shakara’.

Fashion Koti It beats my mind when the weatherman calls for the winter season and my ladies appear in outfits like it’s the ‘Hamattan’ in Ghana. I know how you ladies do!!!

Wanna look sexy in a winter jacket all form fitting. Be for real lady!If you can’t afford the Mink, Stole, the Angora or Mohair please buy and wear the jackets that will keep you warm from affordable stores for we are getting flustered with the complaints of its cold. Suit up Mama Africa or Chica Africa. Reporting for duty!!!!

Mama Bonsu Textiles

703.781.7730 8172 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, 22309.

•HOLLAND PRINTS •AFRICAN PRINTS •SUPER WAX •DUTCH WAX •HIGH SOCIETY •JAVA PRINTS •LACES •BASIN •HEAD GEAR •OPANKA

God Is Wonderful So Fear Him!

The New GhaNaiaN | 29 | FOCUSiNG MORe ON The COMMUNiTY

Presenters

Pastor Kwasi Gyimah

Hercule Johnson

Reggie Love

Michelle Wiredu

Muriel Vanderpuye

Rev. Mark Asiedu Frimpong

Pastor Anthony Arkerele

Pastor Yaw Nkansah

Joe Mainoo

Nana Kum

Lady M

Sonny Vanderpuye

Rose Nabia

Apostle Ayvel K. Arnolds

Rev. Emmanuel Nkrumah

Stago

Pastor Albert Ocrah

John Luke

Elder Isaac Opoku

Araba Dadson

Dr. Love

Komla The Odade3 (Twitter: @KomlaRadio)

Clarence Roberts

Pastor Frank Opoku Amoako

The New Ghanaian | 30 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY

Sahara Oasis Restaurant 3010 Hamilton Street, Hyattsville, MD 20782-3709 Tel.: (301) 853-1280

Authentic African Cuisine

We Wish All A Happy New Year & God’s Blessings.

Do You Want Authentic African Food To Eat? Sahara Oasis Is It. We Serve Nothing But Authentic African Food.

Sahara Oasis, Serving Authentic African Food

The New Ghanaian | 31 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY

Obeng International Wholesale Foods

In Loving Memory Of

Deacon John Kwaku Obeng 1947 - 2009 A year ago Obeng International lost a great leader, husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. You were such a blessing to all of us. You are truly missed and will never ever be forgotten. We will always love you and you will forever remain in our hearts. “A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume.

And the day you die is better than the day you are born.�

Ecclesiastes 7:1

From your lovely wife, children, grandchildren, and in- laws.

Obeng International say a big thank you to all who continue to support their business.

God bless you for all your support.

The New GhaNaiaN | 32 | FOCUSiNG MORe ON The COMMUNiTY

GHANA WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Come join us worship this and every Sunday in Woodbridge: St. Paul United Methodist Church 1400 G St., Woodbridge, VA. 22191 11:00am - 12:00noon in Arlington: Calvary United Methodist Church 2315 South Grant St., Arlington, VA 22202 1:00pm - 3:00pm OfďŹ ciating Minister: Rev. Emmanuel Nkrumah For further details please call: 703.342.7886