play videoThe year 2021 was quite eventful
Government introduces 1.75% E-Levy in 2022 budget
Police Service warns against 'doom' prophecies
New OMICRON virus detected in Ghana
Calling the year 2021 an eventful one, shouldn’t exactly be out of place, considering how many major things that characterised it from start to finish.
Beyond the obvious threats that the novel Coronavirus had on all economies of
Read full articlethe world, including Ghana’s, and the fact that the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government had just been sworn-in to serve another four years at the presidency, amidst the several controversies, quite too many things also made up the eventful-ness of the year.
Without placing any of those events above the other, the dramas that characterised Ghana’s Parliament, and the appointment of a new Inspector General of Police, COP Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, surely cannot go unmentioned as some of the great highlights of the year.
However, in this GhanaWeb listicle, we bring to you some five (5) major things that made major headlines getting to the end of the year 2021.
Fisticuffs in parliament over E-Levy:
On December 20, 2021, during one of the last sitting of parliament ahead of a recess, Members of Parliament on both sides of the House were engaged in some fisticuffs in the chamber during the voting on the controversial 1.75% E-levy bill.
This was after the MPs were taking votes on whether or not the E-levy should be adopted under a certificate of urgency.
At the time, Joseph Osei-Owusu, who was presiding over proceedings in the House, stated that he was stepping down to vote, asking the Second Deputy Speaker to take over.
The Minority had earlier contended that per parliament’s standing orders, the Speaker of Parliament does not have a casting vote, however, Joe Osei-Owusu indicated that he would still vote.
Just when he was about to step down for the Second Deputy to take over, the Minority took the stage.
In the process, the Minority clashed with the Majority with members of both sides exchanging blows.
See how things happened here:
Police warning to prophets over ‘doom’ prophecies:
On December 27, 2021, the Ghana Police Service sent out a strong notice to religious leaders who would seek to throw the country into a state of fear and panic through their doom prophecies.
The Service also stated that it will go after any such leaders whose prophecies will cause harm, danger, and the death of any individual or group without any tangible truths to those prophecies.
“We want to caution that under Ghanaian law, it is a crime for a person to publish or reproduce a statement, rumour or report which is likely to cause fear and alarm to the public or to disturb the public peace, where that person has no evidence to prove that the statement, rumour or report is true.
“It is also a crime for a person, by means of electronic communications service, to knowingly send a communication that is false or misleading and likely to prejudice the efficiency of life-saving service or to endanger the safety of any person,” a statement Ghana Police Service said.
This was challenged by quite a number of people, including the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, who questioned the locus of the police to seek to regulate prophecies.
OMICRON cases:
On the first day of December, 2021, Ghana recorded its first cases of the new variant of the novel Coronavirus known as the OMICRON.
This, according to the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye, was identified through the robust testing regime at the Kotoka International Airport, reports 3news.com.
“There is the emergence of the new variant and I must say, through the robust testing at the Kotoka International Airport, Ghana has detected the Omicron variant already and the cases have come mainly from Nigeria and South Africa. The very first case that was detected during our sequencing was on the 21 of November,” he told pressmen on Wednesday, December 1, 2021.
It would be established later that this new variant was spreading very fast, with the president, Nana Akufo-Addo, calling for people to be safe and adhere to the safety protocols so as not to compound the situation.
Shatta Wale insults Nigerians:
When dancehall artiste, Shatta Wale, held his 2021 much-anticipated Freedom Concert on December 25, he did not only entertain fans at the Accra Sports Stadium – he also courted the angst of Nigerians when he called them ‘stupid.’
Charles Nii Armah Mensah, professionally known as Shatta Wale, bit the tail of Nigerian artistes when he told the crowd that local artistes can survive on their own without the help of musicians from the West African state who are termed as 'music giants' on the continent.
“Do know that majority of people in the Ghana music industry are fools?
"They told me that I won’t be able to fill my stadium. I don’t look up to any stupid Nigeria artiste I look up to my fans. F***(sic) Nigeria,” Shatta Wale is quoted to have said.
Increment in sachet water prices:
The National Executive Committee of the National Association of Sachet and Packaged Water Producers (NASAWAP) announced an adjustment in the price of sachet water.
According to the association, the price of sachet water should be sold at GH¢4 with effect from Monday, 27 December 2021.
"It is recommended that the 500 ml iced bottled water be retailed at GH¢1.50, and the 750ml or medium size iced bottled water be retailed at GH¢2.00, the association said in a statement.
The new prices have since been effected across the country.
