Telcos music downloading platforms are illegal – Kojo Antwi

Kojo Antwi, the Chairman of the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO), has said that very soon GHAMRO will face out all Telcos in the business of music digital downloads.

Kojo Antwi was reacting to concerns made by music right owners in Kumasi on Tuesday 23rd February 2016, at a one-day seminar for music right owners and users in and around the Ashanti Region attended by over 300 right owners.

Kojo Antwi, the Board Chairman, intimated that GHAMRO shall soon implement the digital business platform of music downloads to enable GHAMRO control and monitor revenue generated by the downloads so as to be accountable to the music right owners.

He said, currently the situation in practice where agents are licensed by Telcos is not only inappropriate but illegal, since GHAMRO is the only organization mandated under the copyright law to license anybody or organization to use music commercially.

Chairman Kojo Antwi stressed with concern that, these Telcos and their respective agents who source for the music content and act as middlemen, take majority of the money, leaving only a meagre amount for the right owners.

He said if GHAMRO owns the music downloading platform, any person who wants to do business of music downloads will have to come to GHAMRO and finalize the deal.

The Chief Officer, Abraham Adjetey during his speech on the proposed digital platform, said 27 music downloading platforms have been identified so far, but in the mean time, GHAMRO will license these platforms till modalities for the GHAMRO owned music downloading business platform is ready.

Mr. Jonathan Cudjoe, General Manager and also Director in- charge of Licensing and Legal Affairs, disclosed that a proposed constitutional amendment that will align GHAMRO with other international Collective Management Organizations (C. M. O) worldwide.

Mr. Cudjoe said the proposed constitutional amendment will be put before the right owners for adoption during the Annual General Meeting in April this year.

The next seminar will be held in the Greater Accra Region very soon and right owners in the Volta and Eastern Regions will be conveyed to Accra to participate.

Credit: Flexgh 

Blacks are the most wicked people on this earth that's why we are poor..

Horror in Cameroun as woman removed twins babies from dead body sister after doctors refused to touch her. This is sad and pathetic.

A woman went to the Laquintinie Hospital Doula in Cameroun on the 13th March 2016 (Sunday) to deliver, the Doctors rejected her and denied her to enter the hospital because she did not have money, she died after several hours without medical attention outside the entrance of the hospital, her sister who was working in the hospital cried and could not afford to loss the twins babies inside the dead sister womb, the sister of the deceased decided to do the surgery herself to remove the twins babies with a razor blade without medical experience, people around the hospital were shocked because they knew she was not a Doctor but a staff of the hospital, she did the surgery, one of the twins babies died instanctly, the other came out alive but later died after some few hours?

Following the unfortunate incident, social media went wild with accusations that the women died due to the negligence of La Qunintinie hospital. The Minister of Public Health Andre Mama Fouda in a press conference on Sunday clarified the situation noting that the 31 year old women who was seven months pregnant died before reaching the hospital.
"It’s very very difficult when a pregnant woman dies and Cameroon lost one pregnant woman on Saturday 12th March 2016. In fact this pregnant woman went to a public health facility on Friday, 11th March and that was her first consultation after seven months. She received the medical planning, then on Saturday 12th March, she died. We don't know exactly where she died but at 8 am in the morning, the family arrived with her at the Nylon District Hospital and asked the doctor if he can carry out an operation to remove the foetus? The Doctor said no because it is not within the possibility of the district hospital.

After that the family continued with her to La Quintinie hospital. They arrived the emergency ward, and in the emergency that they were told that issues concerning pregnancy should be taken to the maternity.

At the maternity, the midwife and the major noticed that the woman had died since a long time ago and it’s not possible to continue to do anything and advised the family to conduct the pregnant woman to the mortuary.

At the mortuary, one personnel with another woman thought that it will not be possible again to save the foetus. At this stage, they went back again to the maternity word, but the maternity word, the midwife said that it is no possible because you cannot have the foetus alive when the mother is dead.

At this moment one personnel of the mortuary with one woman who accompanied this pregnant woman decided to open her stomach and remove the foetus.


It’s a horrible act and Cameroon is very very sad with this. I will inform you that the security forces continue to survey the midwife, the major, the woman and the personnel of the mortuary. I will say that, it is not a problem of negligence in the district hospital of Nylon or La Quantinie hospital in Douala.  This problem is terrible and together we continue to survey and we will have all aspects of this problem for the near future".

Immediately after the incident the Attorney General of Douala ordered the arrest of midwife, the major, the woman carried out the operation and the personnel of the mortuary who are currently helping in investigations.
The Governor of the Littoral Region, Samual Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua held security meeting with officials of laquinitie hospital and placed the hospital under security surveillance.
Images taken during the operation has provoked mixed reactions on social media. In the meantime investigations are ongoing.

Credit: Elvis Teke

Photo: CulturEbene

Xbox announces cross-platform play

Xbox gamers will soon be able to play online against people using other systems such as PC and possibly even Playstation, Microsoft has announced.

Currently gamers can only play together online if they use the same system.
One of the first games to support cross-platform play will be Rocket League, which Xbox and PC gamers will be able to play together via Xbox Live.
There is "an open invitation" for other networks to collaborate, the tech giant said.
The announcement was made as the developers conference ID@Xbox takes place this week.
The collective represents 1,400 independent studios creating games for Xbox One and Windows 10 devices.
Director Chris Charla said that it was "up to developers" to support the feature, in a letter posted online.
"Xbox Live players will always have the option of choosing to play only with other Xbox Live players," he added.
Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft all operate their own online networks for multiplayer games, with Sony and Microsoft charging gamers a monthly fee.
"Cross-network play has been the number one most requested feature our community has asked for since Rocket League was first announced on Xbox One," said Psyonix, the studio behind Rocket League. "Today's announcement is a dream come true."
Credit: BBC

Six persons, including five medicos, killed in road accident

Five medical students of Osmania Medical College (OMC), Hyderabad, and the bus driver were killed on the spot in a road accident near Vijayawada on Monday midnight.

The mishap occurred in the midnight when the private bus carrying 46 students hit a roadside tree and overturned at a high speed near Surampalem village on Vijayawada outskirts. The locals helped the students in shifting the victims to the nearby private hospital.

The deceased have been identified as – G. Lakshman of Tandur; Pranay, a native of Saroornagar, Hyderabad; Uday of Karimnagar district; M. Vijay Teja, native of Qutubullapur; and Vijay Krishna of Ranga Reddy district of Telangana. The details of the bus driver, who was killed in the accident, was not yet known.

Twenty other students suffered injuries and were admitted to a private hospital at Gollapudi and in Government General Hospital (GGH). The condition of four students, including Srujith and Rajesh, who suffered seriousinjuries is stated to be critical.

According to the students, the first year medical students of OMC, were returning after attending a sports meet at Amalapuram town in East Godavari district. They engaged Dhanunjaya Travels bus for the tour.

Students alleged that the bus driver was in drunk and they had argued with the travels management to change the driver. However, the management did not consider the request which caused the ghastly mishap, they claimed.

On knowing about the accident, officials of OMC, parents and from other departments rushed to Vijayawada. About ten students are undergoing treatment in Intensive Care Unit (ICU), said the Vijayawada City Police.

Home Minister Nimmakayala Chinarajappa and Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas on Tuesday inquired about the incident and directed the hospital authorities to provide better treatment.

Two students given ventilator support

Senior pulmonologist M. Ravindranath of Andhra Hospital in Bhavanipuram, who attended on the victims, said the condition of Rajesh is very serious and the condition of another student Sujit who is also on ventilator is better. "He will pull through," he said.

The condition of seven students under going treatment in the intensive care ward is said to be stable. One student has a collar bone frature, another has a knee cap fracture and yet another has multiple cuts on the face," Dr, Ravindranth said.

Six students who have received minor injuries are in a state of shock are being treated in the general ward. Three students who suffered minor cuts were treated out-patient and discharged.

Credit:  The Hindu

Kwaw Kese launches 'Forever' music album

Kwaw Kese has finally released his long awaited album “Forever”. The twenty-track album features songs including Let Me Do My Thing, I’m Free, Yakubu and more.

The award winning act featured Brymo, Joey B, EL, 9ice, Stonebwoy ans more!
The launch which was climaxed by a signing ceremony at the Westhills Mall was attended by Hammer of the Last Two, Lydia Forson, Kofi Kinaata and more!

Brochure Debacle: 'A reflection of the True State of Affairs' – Yvonne Okyere

Actress, Yvonne Okyere has taken a very strong-position regarding the Independence Day brochure debacle that brought international ridicule and embarrassment to the country.
Speaking on Celebrity Fanzone last Saturday on Viasat1, the actress cum lawyer suggested that the error-ridden Independence Days' brochure was a reflection of the true state of affairs in Ghana.
"Nobody takes responsibility in this country. Nobody is ever held accountable in this country. The ISD director detected the errors quite early and could have taken the necessary steps to fix but he didn't," she stated.
During the week, pressure group, Occupy Ghana also joined in the fight to ensure that public officials are held accountable for their actions.
They demanded answers to a series of questions, notably;
Was the PPA's approval obtained, and if so, may we have a copy of any letter to that effect? Was a contract entered into with the company with the winning bid, and if so, may we have a copy of the signed contract?
Yvonne's call for accountability is not only restricted to the "brochure saga" as she disclosed during the show that, she had initiated a legal action against KLM Royal Dutch Airlines for an alleged discrimination by KLM's cabin crew member which took place on 15th February 2015.
We celebrated International Women's Day few days ago and it is encouraging to see that young African women are standing up for their rights and also getting involved in the developmental discourse of this country.
Credit: Ghana Web

Amanda Afriyie begs Kenpong

Amanda Acquah, wife of Black Stars midfielder Afriyie Acquah has rendered an unqualified apology to his ex-husband Kennedy Agyapong who is popularly known as Kenpong for her lose comments few months ago.
Amanda fabricated stories via voice recording aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the renowned business man.
And like the biblical prodigal son, she visited the airport residence of the respected former Asante Kotoko board member on Sunday evening to apologize for dragging Kenpong's name in the mud.
She said in an exclusive interview that "I am here to apologize for what happened, all the things I said was a calculated move to discredit him.
"He doesn't deserve it, I said it out of anger, I feel so proud of our son now because of how he has taken good care of the boy. I am indeed sorry for my actions, I will say it was due to immaturity, I mean it from the bottom of my heart.
How can I be so heartless to a gentleman whose effort enabled me acquire a house. He has a clean heart. I just want to be close to him because of our son."....Kenpong has accepted her apology.
Credit: Daily Guide

Thailand chemical accident in Bangkok bank kills eight

Eight people have died in a chemical accident in the basement of a Bangkok bank, officials have confirmed.

The contractors were working on a fire safety system at the headquarters of the Siam Commercial bank on Sunday night, the bank said in a statement.
They apparently suffocated after a gas mixture which depletes oxygen was released.
Another seven were injured in the incident, which may have been caused by contractors' "negligence", it added.
A bank spokesman told the BBC the incident took place in a vault storing documents in the head office in Bangkok.
The bank said at around 21:30 local time on Sunday (14:30 GMT), an aerosol system called pyrogen was "inadvertently activated and exhausted all the oxygen in the area" as contractors were working on it.
Pyrogen involves a mixture of gases including potassium carbonates, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and ammonia.
The system works by removing all oxygen from the air to stifle a fire.
The Bangkok Post reported that firemen encountered delays as they tried to reach the victims due to tightly locked doors.
The bank, one of Thailand's largest financial institutions, added that it would provide assistance to those in the accident and operations would continue normally.
Correspondents say that fatal industrial accidents remain rare in Thailand.
A toy factory fire in 1993 which killed nearly 200 people and injured another 500 is considered the worst the country has seen.
Credit: BBC

Jailed Nollywood actress, Fiberesima is not well - P.A

The personal assistant to embattled Nollywood actress, Ibinabo Fiberesima has raised an alarm over the health status of her boss after the latter bagged a 5-year jail term for reckless driving.
Fiberesima, the president of the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria (AGN) was on Friday, March 11, sentenced to five years imprisonment by Justice Deborah Oluwayemi of the Lagos high court, over the death of one Dr Giwa Suraj, whom she knocked in an auto-crash along Lekki-Epe Expressway.
Fiberesima had through her lawyer, Nnaemeka Amaechina, urged the court to set aside the sentence and restore the decision of the Magistrate Court which sentenced her to N100, 000 fine. But the court refused to take in her appeal, thereby dismissing the appeal and affirming the high court’s judgment.
The light-skinned actress, Vanguard reports, is said to be in a precarious situation as her personal assistant, who spoke over the phone, informed that she just had an operation and that it may affect her state of health.
This may have led her to ask Nigerians to pray for her as she reportedly broke into tears after the judgment on Friday, but her PA confirmed that, “My boss has been feeling unwell since the judgment was delivered. We are afraid it doesn’t affect her health. She just had an operation.” Recently, the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt slammed the top Nollywood actress with a N10m fine in a case instituted against her by ex-beauty queen Miss Earth Nigeria 2011/2012, Munachi Chineye Uzoma.
The case was presided over by Justice Adolphus Enebeli, who in his judgment, agreed with the complainant, Miss Uzoma, that there was actually evidence to prove that Fiberesima and AMC Productions Limited breached a contract signed on October 28, 2011, by cheating her out of winning a beauty contest.
At the hearing on, Friday, February 5, in Port Harcourt, the beauty queen accused Fiberesima and AMC Productions Ltd of substituting her for a 2nd runner up in the contest which they organised, preventing her from winning.
Source: Naij news

Ladies admire the characters I play - Majid Michel

Many call him the ladies’ man because of how ladies admire and talk about him affectionately but the man himself as disclosed that truth be told, ladies don’t admire him.

He explained that they admire the characters he play in the movies but not him as a person. This and more and he revealed on Peace Fm.

When asked about his relationship with ladies, he said, “Ladies don’t admire me, they admire the characters I play. If you think it’s you they want, then you are making a mistake.”

He continued, “No producer calls me for movie role because of Majid, they call me because of my gift as an actor, so it’s not really your personality they like, and until you understand this, you will be fooled, and then get trapped”. He disclosed.

On whether he has ever had se*x with any actress in the movie industry or more or less, engaged in extra-marital affairs, he replied with a big NO, and added that he don’t engage himself in those stuffs because he respects the vow he made to his wife. Majid and his wife has been married for over 11 years now.
Credit: Ghana Web

Gospel musicians of today are lazy - Tagoe Sisters

Gospel music group, Tagoe Sisters have lamented about the current behavior of Ghanaian gospel musicians. Lydia Dedei Yawson and Elizabeth Korkoi Tagoe on Accra FM’s gospel entertainment show, Gospel 360 complained that gospel musicians of today want cheap ways of getting hit songs.
They told Andy Favoured, host of the show that they find it worrying when gospel musicians do not take time to write songs. To them, it is better to employ the services of a songwriter if you are not capable of writing your own songs instead of ‘stealing’ someone’s.
“What worries me most is that gospel musicians do not sit to write songs. That behavior kills my spirit. Gospel musicians of today are lazy. They are lazy in the sense that even if you cannot write the song, it is not force to do that. Many force themselves because they want to blow their horns when they are questioned during an interview about the writer of their songs.
Let someone write the song for you and give credit to the person during interviews that is not a big deal.
We have to be creative because there are a lot of songs in the Bible we use” Kakra said.
Panying continued that “if you do not know how to do something, employ someone who does it well to help you. It is not compulsory to write. There are people who can write very well but can’t sing and others who can sing but cannot write. Lets work hand in hand if we say we are all working for the work of God.”
They praised SP. Kofi Sarpong for making good use of Presbyterian Hymns.
Talking about the difference between gospel music of ten years ago and gospel music of today, the two admitted that there has been no difference but ” first we were singing real and today they use computer in most of their works”.
They acknowledged Rev Yawson as writer of their songs.
Source: zionfelix.com

Comedians Union of Ghana shocked at Okala's death

The Comedian Union of Ghana is yet to come to terms with the sudden demise of one of their own, Bishop Bob Okala
The group numbering about 50 were preparing to honour the late Bishop of comedy when they heard the sad news.
President of the union, Nana K.waku Dankwah also known as Ice Kenkey revealed this on Adom News Sunday.
Bob Okala was a pioneer of the popular Key Soap Concert Party Show and one-time Best Comedian of the Concert. He recently featured at the 59th independence ceremony.
His death follows that of another ace comedian Yaw Donkor, otherwise known as Nkomode who passed away on the 5th of February this year.
Ice Kenkey indicated that comedians in the country have been relegated to the background thus found the need to reward the hard work of their predecessors. “After the death of Nkomode, we wanted to honour Bob Okala before he joined his ancestors so his death is indeed shocking to us” he bemoaned.
Ice Kenkey said they will still show their love to their senior colleagues even in death.
Source: Adom Online

Stonebwoy is the governor of dancehall music - Mama Zimbi

Dancehall genre in Ghana is becoming interesting day in, day out. Almost all the players in this field have gotten titles; Samini calls himself the King of African dancehall, Shatta Wale says he is the dancehall king in Ghana.
Guess the title of BET award-winner Stonebwoy? Host of Odo Ahuma aso on Adom FM, Akumaa Mama Zimbi has given him a title. According to Mama Zimbi, Stonebwoy is the undisputed governor of dancehall.