News
Mohammed Kudus mural inspires Nima youth
• Mohammed Kudus (left)receiving a citation from the Mr. Ben Abadallah Banda
Black Star mid-fielder, Mohammed Kudus, was recently honoured with a mural for his stellar performance at the just ended 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The exquisite painting by contemporary artist, Moh Awudu, located around the Kanda Highway in Accra, is to inspire the youth at Nima and its environs where the player grew up.
The artist whose works have received international acclaim, stated that the art work was to remind the youngsters in the community that they could achieve whatever dream they put their minds to.
“Negative narratives come to the minds of many, whenever Nima is mentioned. Therefore, this mural is to encourage the youth to persevere despite the stereotypes they face daily,” he said.
The painting which went viral on November 30, 2022 was well received by the Ajax midfielder as he took to his social media platform to appreciate the efforts of the artist.
Mohammed Kudus who was in Ghana for the Christmas period, attended the unveiling ceremony with his entourage who were hailed by members of the community.
The dexterous player who scored Ghana’s winning-goal in the game against South Korea at the tournament, described the mural as a motivation for his career adding that he was proud to be idolised by the youth of Nima.
“Mostly, people are celebrated after their completion of their career but I am just starting now and having this sort of recognition, comes as a big motivation for me to keep going,” he noted.
The Nima Mentorship Centre project which has an ICT centre, art studio, library, gymnasium, skill training auditorium and other facilities, was also launched to empower the youth.
Some dignitaries present were, Ben Abadallah Banda, Minister for Zongos and Inner Cities Development; Mohammed Polo, Veteran Footballer, and other football enthusiasts.
By Yunusah Essandoh
The Ghana High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria, is appealing to the public to help trace the relatives or next of kin of Apia Solomon, a Ghanaian national believed to be from Osu, Accra.
According to a public announcement by the High Commission, Mr. Solomon, born on March 6, 1960, in Accra, died on July 5, 2021, from cardiopulmonary failure.
He worked as a temporary civilian staff member at the National Defence College in Nigeria. His remains are currently being kept at the Nigerian Air Force Hospital morgue in Abuja, pending burial arrangements.
The High Commission says efforts to locate his relatives have so far been unsuccessful and is urging anyone with information about his family, friends or next of kin to come forward.
Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact the Ghana High Commission in Abuja.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Security consultant Richard Kumadoe has blamed what he describes as flawed recruitment and incomplete background checks for some of the problems facing the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI).
He has called on the leadership of the BNI to review the backgrounds of officers recruited during specific periods, particularly those who entered the agency under recent recruitment processes.
Speaking on the issue on TV3 yesterday, Mr Kumadoe alleged that some individuals were recruited into the intelligence agency without proper background checks and completed vetting.
“Certain categories of persons were dumped into the BNI, whose backgrounds were not checked, and whose vettings were not completed,” he stated.
He said some of the officers linked to the concerns appeared to have been recruited within the same period, making it necessary for the agency to examine the recruitment records and backgrounds of those who joined during that time.
Mr Kumadoe argued that the problems could be addressed by ensuring that recruitment procedures were properly followed and that all applicants underwent the required checks before being employed.
According to him, when the selection process is flawed, it can lead to problems within the institution.
He blamed the politicisation of security institutions, arguing that appointing people without the necessary intelligence experience and allowing political interests to influence recruitment could undermine their operations.
“When you have a selection procedure that was flawed because you politicised the place, brought in people to come and head the place when they have no business being there, they don’t know anything about being a BNI officer, they are not intelligence officers, and you flood the place with politicians and political artists, then you circumvent the standard procedure and you are going to have some of these problems,” he said.
Mr Kumadoe, however, defended the current leadership of the BNI, arguing that efforts to address longstanding problems within security institutions could bring such issues to light.
He said the leadership should be assessed in the context of the steps it is taking to improve the agency’s operations and uphold professional standards.
Drawing on his own experience in the intelligence field, he said the opportunity to serve under experienced officers had helped him develop the skills and integrity needed to contribute to national security.
By: Jacob Aggrey
