Consider Letting It Go

If you're filled with resentment or frustration, you're wasting your precious time and energy. The more quickly you can let the bad stuff go, the more quickly you can move on to the good stuff.

People and events will regularly cause delays, inconveniences, expenses, disappointments and worse in your life. Don't add to the damages by letting those things keep you down.

When people have wronged you or events have sidetracked you, you have plenty of great reasons for complaints and excuses. But complaints and excuses don't provide anything of value to your life.

Although whatever has happened to you may be highly unfair, wrong and inconsiderate, consider letting it go. For your own sake, consider letting it go.

Instead of giving others the power to get you down, give yourself the power to move forward. Instead of being content to collect those complaints and excuses, enjoy the freedom and satisfaction of making life positive and fulfilling no matter what.

Make the choice to live with joy, intention and purpose rather than with anger and resentment. Free yourself from the world's negativity by choosing to look ahead, to live ahead, and to get ahead.

Follow Me on Twitter @Quabynah

KNUST : Fire guts sections of Unity Hall

Fire Wednesday gutted portions of the sixth floor of the eight-storey Unity Hall at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi. Ten rooms and their contents were burnt to ashes. The cause of the fire is not yet known. The ingenuity and professionalism of officials of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) prevented the inferno from the spreading to other portions of the building. Students are on vacation but the portions of the floor, including the gutted rooms were being occupied by guests from Kuapaa Kooko Limited, a farmer group that was going to hold a three-day annual general meeting on the campus

Govt Agrees to Privatize ECG

Government has undertaken to privatize the Electricity Corporation of Ghana (ECG) as part of a condition to access the second compact of the Millennium Challenge Account worth over $500 million.

It has also undertaken to adjust electricity tariffs every quarter as condition precedent for the disbursement of the fund.

These were contained in a Memorandum dated July 16 2014 and signed by Dr Ahmed Moustapha in which "The President has granted Executive Approval for the Second Compact of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) operated by the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) of an amount of Five Hundred and Thirty-Five Million, Five Hundred and Sixty-Five Thousand United States Dollars (US$535,565,000.00) from the United States of America (USA) to be laid before Parliament."

The memorandum, a copy of which was intercepted by Myjoyonline.com, was approved by Parliament on the final day of its sittings before it rose on July 18, 2014.

The second compact of the MCC has "the ECG Financial and Operational Turnaround Project" as one of six major projects to be undertaken with the fund.

As part of conditions for the funds to be released for the execution of the ECG Turnaround project, there must be;

"Evidence of the Government's intent to proceed with an Acceptable ECG Private Sector Participation (PSP) Transaction, in a form and substance acceptable to MCC."

It must also show "evidence of approval and implementation of quarterly tariff adjustments in accordance with formula that became effective prior to the initial CIF Disbursement," the memorandum stated.

Under the current dispensation ECG is a limited liability company wholly owned by the government of Ghana and operating under the Ministry of Energy but with the approval of this memorandum first by the president and now by Parliament that status will change.

It is not clear yet in what form or substance the private sector intervention in the electricity sector would take.

But even before the policy would be rolled out, Head of Communications of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), Nii Armah Akomfrah said his party would resist any form of privatisation of the sector.

He said the penchant by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) led governments to sell off state assets is unacceptable.

On Joy FM's Newsfile programme, the government critic said his party would mobilise the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and other pressure groups to kick against the policy approved by Parliament.

Ebola Virus: What Should Know

The Ebola Virus is spreading rapidly across West Africa and has caused over 600 deaths since the first reported case in February.


1) Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans.



2) EVD outbreaks have a case fatality rate of up to 90% meaning9 out of 10 people who contract the disease are likely to die

3) The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.

4) Ebola can be contracted through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people including semen and vaginal fluid.

5) Contact with the corpse of a diseased person can also lead to infection with the virus.

6) The symptoms of Ebola include fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat.

7) The incubation period, that is, the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms, is 2 to 21 days

8) Suspicious wild life aka Bush meat should be avoided as much as possible and animal products to be consumed should be thoroughly cooked before consumption.

9) Regular hand washing is advisable to avoid picking up germs. Use soap and water, or alcohol-based hand rubs containing at least 60 percent alcohol

10) Be aware. Get as much information as you can about Ebola. Protect yourself and your family. Prevention is better than cure.

Good Things You Deserve

Living richly isn't just for someone else. You deserve a life that's filled with richness and joy, and you deserve to be the person who makes it happen.

Good fortune isn't just for someone else. You deserve to have good fortune, and you deserve the experience of creating that good fortune with your attitude and your efforts.

You deserve to have a lucky break. So get busy and do what it takes to give yourself one.

Let today be the day you stop waiting for something good to come along. Get up, get going, and make something good, valuable and meaningful out of what you already have.

Go ahead and give yourself all the good things you deserve. Feel how great it feels to be positive, focused, helpful, compassionate, caring, productive and joyful.

You deserve the best in life precisely because you're fully capable of making it happen. Your opportunity to live richly is here and now, so put it to outstanding use without another moment's delay.

GAME Locked:Workers on Strike

Hundreds of shoppers who turned up at the Game shop at the Accra Mall were left stranded due to a declared strike by the workers.

The workers are protesting management's failure to increase their salaries in the last 14 months.

Speaking to Citi News, the Vice Chairman of the Accra Mall Workers Union, which is also affiliated to the Ghana Federation of Labour, Nana Ofori, described management's attitude towards the workers as "inhuman."

He accused management of Game of only increasing the salaries of top management by 10 percent while neglecting the lower ranks.

"We currently have all the staff outside and the main aim is to show our displeasure towards management for not appreciating our hard work over a period of 14 months…"

"While management has received 10 percent increment last year from July, we have not gotten anything up till now," he said.

Mr. Ofori stated that efforts to engage management in a negotiation had proved futile.

"We are trying to engage the manager in a negotiation, which he is unwilling to talk about."

He therefore stated that workers would continue with their demonstration until people know the reality on the ground.

"We have our own problems and fortunately or unfortunately it has happened on a day that Organised Labour is demonstrating and showing its displeasure towards government. Tomorrow we are continuing. As to when it is going to end, I am not in the position to say that," he stated.
 



 

Earth tremor causes panic in parts of Accra

An earth tremor hit parts of Accra on Thursday night with residents of Bortianor and neighbouring communities confirming they felt the earth move.

The Earth tremor which occurred around 8pm lasted for about six seconds.

 Residents said though the earth tremor  is not new, last night's  vibrations were  of a higher magnitude.

Meanwhile the Chief Executive Officer of Development Geo-Information Service (DeGEOSERV), Prof. Emmanuel Amamoo-Otchere is cautioning residents in the affected areas to either relocate or take steps to protect their buildings against earth tremors.

He explained that even though the situation may not be frightening currently, the magnitude could increase and cause major destruction to life and properties in earthquake prone zones.

Records indicate that in 1615,  earthquakes occurred in Ghana with magnitude greater than 6.0 on the Richter Scale.

The last three major earthquakes occurred in Ghana in 1862, 1906 and 1939. The 1862 Accra earthquake with a magnitude 6.5 on the Richter Scale killed three people and caused considerable damage.

The Osu Castle was destroyed. The effects of this earthquake were felt in Togo and in Benin. Two magnitude 4.6 and 4.9 seismic events occurred in Accra in 1871 and 1872.

The epicenter of the 1906 earthquake was near Ho collapsing buildings and causing severe damage.

The June 1939 magnitude 6.5 earthquake was the most destructive in Ghana's history causing $67.3 million damage.

This seismic event lasted about thirty seconds and killed seventeen people and injured about one hundred and forty. Its intensity centered on James Town.

If the same force quake hits Accra today, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Between 1964 and 1997 various minor tremors shook Ghana. The effects of two tremors that occurred in 1997 were felt in all the regions.

 

By: Raymond Acquah/citifmonline.com/Ghana