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Count on us for better digital solutions in 2021 – MTN CEO
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTN, Mr. Selorm Adadevoh has assured Ghanaians of the company’s commitment to improved services in the coming year in spite of the challenges presented by COVID-19 this year.
“You can count on us for all your digital solutions and I am reassuring all of you that we ‘dey’ for you,” the CEO said in a statement at the 2020 MTN Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols held at the Fantasy Dome, La, Accra.
“I would like to assure you that as we enter 2021, we have a lot planned to make the new year a much better year than 2020,” he added.
He observed that, “2020 has been a very interesting year and I’m sure some of you have endured a lot of difficulties throughout the year; same for us at MTN and for our staff but we are blessed and grateful for the blessings that the Lord has brought upon us despite all the challenges we have been through in 2020”.
He thanked MTN’s customers for all their patience, loyalty and understanding in “our time of need”. He also expressed his personal, and the company’s gratitude to board and shareholders of MTN for their support through the difficult year. “To our partners, you have done a fantastic job ensuring that we could deliver on all our services.
Also very importantly, he said, the staff of MTN deserve commendation for being amazing throughout the year, sacrificing and being at the frontline through a very difficult period,”making sure that we can continue to serve our customers.
At the Carols Night, some selected former MTN Hit Maker participants and winners, who are now making waves in the Ghanaian music arena at the weekend made MTN proud when they took turns to rock the stage at the 2020 MTN Nine Lessons and Carols Night held at the Fantasy Dome in Accra.
Back-to-back, Kuami Eugene who is Ghana’s current Artiste of the Year, Mr Drew, Kurl Songx, Lasmid, Adepa, Achiaa and Gabi Nova sang their hearts out at the event. Wielding different approaches to performance and general showmanship, the talent hunt “products” did well to hold the audience’s attention and, indeed saw them off to an enjoyable Christmas.
The MTN ViVa Voices, which is a group of singers from MTN, also dug deep into their wealth of musical artistry to put the audience into a perfect Christmas mood.
Comedian and MC for the show, Foster Romanus opened the show with a presentation of ‘Iskoki’ a song by dancehall big boy, Samini and he was on point – he sang, danced and generally entertained the audience as he laced his presentations with clean and humourous jokes that tickled the ribs of the people. He also gave out some goodies from MTN in the spirit of the Xmas season.
Top singer, Kuami Eugene led the rest of the artistes to literally open the gate for the celebration of the Christmas festivities with some effervescent performances .
It was amazing to enjoy the masterful way in which the headline artiste and all the other musicians on the bill presented some of the most popular western Christmas carols in various local languages and also sang some original Ghanaian tunes, mostly in Ga and Akan.
It was the objective of the organisers, MTN, to present a Carols Night with a truly Ghanaian flavour, and they were spot on.
The current Ghana Music Awards best artiste, Kuami Eugene, sporting a red pair of trousers and a long sleeve white, rocked the show h-a-r-r-r-d as he danced from one point of the stage to another, singing his own compositions and presenting songs from other popular artistes, much to the enjoyment and admiration of the audience at the event venue and the many around the world, who watched the show live on MTN’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
The other artistes on the line-up, Drew, Kurl Songx, Achiaa, Adepa, Gabi Nova, and Lasmid also injected some verve into the show as they employed their individual vocal prowess and singing abilities to ginger up the atmosphere with some good performances.
In the estimation of many members of the audience, especially per the comments of those who watched the show online, the performance by Ebo Whyte’s Roverman Productions was as a pure class act.
The group re-enacted the birth of Jesus Christ with a Ghanaian touch, as the actors and actresses sang, danced and used trendy Ghanaian catchphrases that easily excited the audience.
Quite understandably, members of the audience at the venue were relatively few due to COVID-19 restrictions, for which reason one could not feel the charged atmosphere that usually characterises such powerful shows. Nonetheless, the various comments by the patrons online indicated that the event was an exhilarating one for the patrons.
MTN’s in-house choir, the Viva Voices were on stage to give the night the traditional Carols Service touch that comes with choir performances. Clad in yellow and blue identical apparel, the group sang various songs, but the one that hit the audience was “Hallelujah,” which they delivered with passion and style.
The Nine Lessons were read by Theophilus Nuer, MTN Bright Scholarship beneficiary, Dr. Elsie Effah Kauffman, hostess of the National Science and Mathematics Quiz, Jeremiah Nartey, Media Manager, MTN and Madam Olivia Quartey, Deputy Director General in charge of Managerial Operations at the National Communications Authority (NCA).
The rest were comedian, General Ntatie, Samson Lardi Ayenini, broadcaster, lawyer and the current Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Journalist of the Year, Dr. Tony Aubyn, Executive Member of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Ebenezer Terkpeh, Vice President, Local Staff Association, MTN and Nathan Lee-Winans, MTN Distributor.
Acts that have appeared at previous MTN Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols events include Kwaw Kese, Samini, Okyeame Kwame, MzVee , Nacee, Cecilia Marfo, Daughters of Glorious Jesus, Patapaa and Feli Nuna.
Dr Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, spokesperson to NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has called on the government and Parliament to undertake major reforms in Ghana’s prison system, including the construction of a dedicated prison hospital and the introduction of regulated conjugal visits.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Dr Boakye-Danquah shared Chairman Wontumi’s observations and recommendations following his remand on July 20, 2026.
According to the statement, Chairman Wontumi’s experience in prison has given him the opportunity to interact with prison officers and inmates and observe the challenges facing the Ghana Prisons Service.
The statement noted that the NPP chairman believes the correctional system must move beyond punishment to focus on rehabilitation, welfare and productivity.
One of his major concerns is the lack of dedicated, well-equipped prison hospitals, ambulances and standby generators in several prison facilities.
Dr Boakye-Danquah said Chairman Wontumi had raised concerns about the difficulties in providing medical care to seriously ill inmates, including those suffering from tuberculosis.
He is therefore calling for the construction of a modern prison hospital to serve facilities across the country. In the interim, he has proposed emergency arrangements with the 37 Military Hospital and the Police Hospital.
On the welfare of prison officers, Chairman Wontumi has urged the government to review their salaries, accommodation and conditions of service.
He has also called for proper classification of inmates, arguing that minor offenders should not be housed alongside armed robbery convicts and that persons facing trial for serious offences, including treason and terrorism, should be appropriately separated from other inmates.
The statement further highlighted concerns about the need for counselling and behavioural support for young inmates, particularly those serving sentences for defilement-related offences.
Chairman Wontumi has also called for a clear policy on the classification and management of LGBTQI+ inmates within the prison system.
On family relationships, he has proposed the creation of designated private areas where prisoners can receive visits from their spouses and children.
He believes regulated conjugal visits could help preserve marriages, reduce tension among inmates and support rehabilitation.
“The prisoner is the one in prison, not the children or spouse,” the statement noted, explaining his position on the need to protect family relationships during incarceration.
Chairman Wontumi has appealed to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to support prison farms with the necessary equipment to improve food production.
According to the statement, the Ghana Prisons Service has access to vast lands and skilled labour but faces a shortage of agricultural equipment, with only one tractor reportedly available for farming and garbage-related activities.
He has further proposed greater collaboration between prison authorities and the justice sector, suggesting that regional prison commanders should be included in relevant discussions because of their knowledge of prison conditions and inmate rehabilitation.
On infrastructure, Chairman Wontumi has called on the government and private sector to invest in modern prison facilities and factories, arguing that the system has seen limited structural improvements over the years.
Appeal to Parliament
Dr Boakye-Danquah said Chairman Wontumi had made a special appeal to Parliament to lead efforts towards comprehensive prison reform.
He is urging the Speaker of Parliament to initiate discussions on prison conditions as a human rights and national development issue.
He has also called on the Majority and Minority caucuses to work together to pass a new Prison Reform Act and approve funding for a dedicated prison hospital, ambulance services, standby generators and agricultural equipment.
Additionally, he wants the Parliamentary Select Committees on Defence and Interior, Health, and Food and Agriculture to undertake working visits to prisons across the country to assess conditions firsthand.
According to the statement, Chairman Wontumi believes bipartisan cooperation between the Majority and Minority caucuses is necessary to secure the legal and financial reforms required to improve the prison system.
He has called for broader prison reforms across Africa, expressing hope that Ghana could lead the continent in improving correctional facilities.
Reflecting on his experience since July 20, Chairman Wontumi stated: “At this experience since July 20th till date, prison doesn’t reform as it should be. I pray that the entire Africa will learn from Ghana.”
The statement added that Chairman Wontumi remained in high spirits.
By: Jacob Aggrey
England captain Harry Kane says it was extra special to be presented with the Ballon d’Or by one of his childhood idols.
Kane made the comment after receiving the prestigious award from former Brazilian striker Ronaldo Nazario.
“Ronaldo was one of my idols growing up,” Kane said.
The Bayern Munich striker described the moment as surreal, being honoured by a player he looked up to as a young footballer.
Kane was announced as the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner on Monday, October 26, at the London Palladium, marking the 70th anniversary of the award and the first time the ceremony was held outside France.
The 33-year-old beat stiff competition from second-placed Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal to win his first ever Ballon d’Or.
He becomes the first Englishman to win the coveted individual award in 25 years since Michael Owen in 2001, and only the fifth Englishman ever after Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Owen.
He is also the first Bayern Munich player to win the award since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981.
Kane won the award after a remarkable season in which he scored 61 goals in 51 club matches, the most a Bayern player has ever scored in one campaign.
Including England matches, it was 73 goals plus eight assists in 65 matches. His 73 goals is the second-highest single-season total ever behind Lionel Messi’s 82 in 2011-12.
Despite the goal haul, Kane did not win the Champions League or World Cup, with Bayern losing 6-5 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-finals and England losing 2-1 to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final before finishing third.
The award was presented by Brazilian great Ronaldo Nazario, a two-time Ballon d’Or winner himself, adding what was described as a special dimension to Kane’s historic achievement.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
