SARPONG'S BLOG

Discovery Networks today announced changes to its channel portfolio on DStv with the addition of ID Xtra, an all-new, high-quality mystery and suspense channel launching on Tuesday 5th January on DStv channel 171.
ID Xtra, which will replace ID: Investigation Discovery when it launches next month, showcases the best in gripping stories and dramatic reconstructions of everyday people behaving badly, all filmed in a contemporary and stylish format. From desperate, deadly housewives to vengeful, murderous husbands, ID Xtra will depict intriguing and salacious real-life stories of passion, revenge, murder and desire to satisfy the most curious and inquisitive viewer.
“With its glossy reconstructions of real-life mysteries, ID Xtra will have viewers glued to their screens for hours at a time,” said James Gibbons, EVP & Country Manager, Emerging Business, Discovery Networks CEEMEA. “Mystery and suspense is one of the fastest growing genres within Pay TV and Discovery is in pole positio…

MultiChoice Ghana is thrilled to announce the addition of yet another local channel onto the GOtv platform, to boost the platform's local content offering in Ghana.
Net2 TV, launched in 2008, has a 24 hour broadcast of daily programs from religion, news, current affairs, entertainment, soaps and series, sports, movies and lifestyle for all ages. Its quality and innovative programs seek to go beyond the limit in delivering total viewer satisfaction. Net2 TV also has programs targeted at rural communities.
Net 2 is available on channel 98; viewers can look forward to quality shows like its award winning morning show “The Morning Edition” as well as the popular current affairs show, “Hot Seat”
Speaking at the signing of the agreement, Ms. Anne Sackey the Public Relations & Marketing Manager of MultiChoice Ghana stated that GOtv was excited to have Net 2 on board as part of its strategy to increase its offering of local channels on the GOtv platform. “GOtv is delighted to partner wit…

Youngstars Development Initiative, a non-governmental organization, has won this year’s Samsung Generations For Peace (GFP) Award for Impact.
The Samsung GFP Award for Impact is given to a programme that demonstrates an ability to positively affect the beneficiary community, stakeholders and other members of the wider community. It is also awarded for successful local media coverage and local awareness of programme, and for quantitative and qualitative reach of programmes.
The winners of the 2015 Impact Award were volunteers from Ghana for the Catch Them Young Accra Programme. This Sport for Peace Programme for Children targeted 40 school students to address issues of bullying and poor communication between students of different ages and social classes.
In implementing the programme, volunteers got members of the beneficiary community and stakeholders involved. This approach enabled the wider community to learn about the programme, and start to benefit from the programme activities. In …

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong- Daily Express
The Tony Elumelu Foundation has announced the second round of Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP) which opens from 1st January 2016 and ends of 1st March 2016.
The Foundation will start receiving applications from January 1, 2016 to March 1, 2016. TEEP programme expected to award US$100 million to emerging African entrepreneurs during the second phase of the awards.
To be eligible, entrepreneurs must complete the online application form with questions on their background, experience and business idea, plans for growth and proposed pan-African impact. 
Tony Elumelu entrepreneur, Stella Nakatudde, the founder of an ICT company called Ella Solutions Limited, which based in Uganda said “since being selected for TEEP 2015, I have learned invaluable life and business lessons, expanded and enriched my business network, opened our first office, hired two staff and closed two web development deals.  TEEP is not just a means to start or propel your bu…

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong- Daily Express
Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications (GCT), an association of telecommunication companies in Ghana is to petition the government for possible tax incentives for the members of the chamber.
The Chamber will first have discussions with it members and know the areas they would prefer the tax incentives, and then approach the government with their concerns. 
The operators, led by the Chamber presented a study on data statistics to the public concerning taxes the operators have been paying to the state.
The operators who formed the members of the Chamber are the Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN), Vodafone, Tigo, Expresso and Airtel. However, ATC Tower Ghana and HTG Managed Services Limited (Helios) have joined the chamber as members.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Chamber, Mr. Kweku Sakyi-Addo told Daily Express that this is the time the public have to appreciate the tax contribution of it companies.
“Our focus is to share the detail of the sta…

(R-L) Chairman, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Mr. Tony O. Elumelu; Managing Director, UBA Ghana, Mrs. Abiola Bawuah; Governor of Central Bank of Ghana, Dr. Henry Wampah; GMDCEO, UBA Plc, Mr. Phillips Oduoza
By: Fred Yaw Sarpong- Daily Express
United Bank for Africa (UBA) Ghana has celebrated the 10th anniversary of its operations in the country.
The UBA Ghana started operating in the country in January 2005, becoming the bank’s ambition of being for Africa and Africans.
According to the UBA Group, the Ghana branch was the first step in UBA’s pan-African strategy, with additional 18 more branches across Africa, New York, Paris and London.
This significant anniversary was marked with a series of events in Accra, focusing on how UBA has committed in providing financial solutions to its customers, equipping small and medium companies and giving back to the wider community.
As apart of the anniversary, the Board of Directors of UBA Group for the first time in the Bank’s history chose Accra…

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong- Daily Express
A recent media publication which suggested that the newly constructed footbridge at the Mallam market in the Ga South Municipality is not disability friendly is false, Daily Express can confirm.                                                              Mallam Footbridge A visit to the recently commissioned footbridge at the Mallam market shows that persons with disability and the aged can have access to the footbridge. The footbridge has a walking way where persons with disability on wheel or with crouches can have access.
When contacted, officials from Urban Road told Daily Express that they took into consideration of the kind of people who will have access to the bridge. “It is a standard footbridge which is currently being constructed on hazardous roads in the country,’ Daily Express was told.
“The place is close to one of the biggest markets in the country and it’s also a very busy area too, so we expect all manner of people to use the footbridge…

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong- Daily Express
The Old Students Association of the Presbyterian Secondary Technical School at Adukrom Akuapem in the Eastern Region has been officially launched.
Before the launch of the association, the old students which numbered about 150 organized a massive clean-up exercise throughout the principal streets of Adukrom Akuapem.
The clean-up exercise was in partnership with the Akuapem North District Assembly together with the Chief and people of Adulrom. The exercise also formed part of the National Sanitation Day exercise, which takes place every first Saturday of every month.
The clean-up exercise was initiated by the 2005 year group and was supported by all the year groups. Almost all the year groups, from 1993 to 2015 have their representatives at the event.
After the clean-up exercise the old students convened at the school dining hall where they were addressed by the Headmaster of the school, Mr. Baah Ekuoko; a former Headmaster of the school, Mr. Joseph Nana …

Penplusbytes, in partnership with Natural Resource Governance Initiative (NRGI), will hold an intermediate data training workshop for 25 journalists and Civil Society Organisations working on extractive data in Ghana and beyond at the New Media Hub in Accra.
The training, which comes off of NRGI’s “Catalyzing Open Data for Extractives (CODEX)” programme, is expected to advance the skill set of participants’ in data cleaning, data organization, data visualization (online and offline) and infographics, story design and presentation.
NRGI’s introductory CODEX training, held for some selected journalists in Ghana in the first and second quarters of 2015, focused on data journalism training which helped build the capacity of participants with new set of data analysis skills, introducing them to new datasets, potential data points, and data presentation in extractives. As an outcome, participants gained basic data analysis skills such as data scraping, data organization, and graphical pres…

Kofi Adu Domfeh  of  Luv FM Kumasi receiving his trophy on the extractive industry from Ms      Sina Uti-Waziri deputy head of programme Good  financial  governanceof GIZ
Mr. Kofi Adu Domfeh of Multimedia Broadcasting was adjudged the 2015 Business and Financial journalist of the year at the second edition of the IFEJ-Flamingo Awards held at the World Bank offices in Accra. Mr. Adu Domfeh is with the Kumasi Division of the Multimedia Group – Luv FM and Nhyira FM. For his prize Mr. Adu Domfeh took away a trophy embossed with the Flamingo bird, a citation in action to participate in next year’s Spring Meetings of the World Bank in Washington plus an iPad. This package is sponsored by the Accra Office of the World Bank. Mr. Adu Domfeh also won the best in the Extractive and Development categories. These categories were sponsored by GIZ/SECO and Accra Brewery respectively. For this achievement, Mr. Adu Domfeh had two trophies and citation in addition to two lap tops plus IT accessories. Mr. Kwa…

Ebenezer Twum Asante, MTN Ghana CEO
By: Fred Yaw Sarpong- Daily Express 
Scancom Ghana Limited, the operators of mobile telecommunication network (MTN) which is the leading mobile service provider in the country says it’s ready to rollout 4G LTE services to Ghanaians after the company won the 2x10MHz spectrum block in the 800MHz band.
MTN Ghana was declared winner by the National Communications Authority (NCA), after the other three local companies competing with MTN failed to turn up at the auction day.
MTN will be given provisional license to rollout 4G LTE services in the country and subsequently confirmed by the regulator based on its performance.
According to Mr. Ebenezer Twum Asante, the Ghanaian Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana said this is a breakthrough to the company and this will challenge them to provide better services to all Ghanaians.
He said “we are ready, our equipment are ready, our expert staff are ready and our customers are ready with the 4G compliant devices waitin…

The holiday season is officially here and MultiChoice Africa is getting into the festive spirit with the launch of a secondpop-up channel on the heels of, Hoolee, a fun children’s holiday channel that went live on 01 December on DStv Premium, Compact Plus and Compact packages. FromFriday, 04 December until Saturday, 02 January 2016, all DStv and GOtv subscribers will be treated to the Nigerian Festivals pop-up channel, which is dedicated to showcasing four Nigerian music festivals.
Subscribers on DStv Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Family and Access bouquets and on GOtv Plus (where available) will get a front row view of Nigeria’s hottest music festivals from the comfort of their own homes on DStv channel 198 and GOtv Plus channel 29.
The festival extravaganza will kick off with an exciting coverage of The Experience Music and Worship gospel concert from 04 - 05 December. Billed as ‘the most awaited gospel music concert in the whole of Africa’, The tenth edition of The Experience is an…

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong
Unilever Ghana Limited has introduced three-in-one toothpaste supplementing the existing pepsodent toothpaste on the Ghanaian market.
According to Unilever, the new Pepsodent Triple Protection toothpaste acts as a superior mix (3x) to the existing ones and addresses the needs of health seekers.
Daily Express gathered at the launch of the product that the triple protection (TP) formula provides anti-cavity, whitening and fresh breath benefits. This means that the TP formula prevents the formation of caries, whitens the teeth and provides fresh breath.
Mr. Clarence Nartey, the Marketing Director of Unilever Ghana said cavities affect 60% to 80% of school children and nearly 100% of adults worldwide.
He said, in Ghana, 96% of adults within the ages of 35 to 44 years are affected by periodontal diseases whiles 40% of 12 year olds suffer from decayed, missing teeth, stained teeth and bad breath.
“Not only does tooth decay cause pain and discomfort, but its myriad of symptoms…

United Bank for Africa (UBA) Foundation, has presented a scholarship package of GHc20,000.00 to a 16 years –old student of Ola Senior High School, Ho for beating eleven other finalists in the UBA National Essay Competition.
Ms. Adzokpa Seraphine AkuKekeli who is studying General –Science in school also received a UBA embossed trophy, a certificate and a laptop.
The competition is aimed at whipping-up the interest of SHS students in the English language considering its importance not only in their academic life, but also their growth and development
The first-runner up was Frederick Nana Kwame Asante, a General Arts student of Accra Academy School, while the third position went to a General Arts student, Kwabla Adjani, a student of the Sogakope Senior High School
The first and second runners-up also got scholarship packages of GHc14,000.00 and GHc8,000.00 respectively as their university tuition/fees, a laptop and a Certificate.
The educational grants would allow the top three winners to st…