GhanaWeb looks again at the major happenings of 2014

The year 2014 started with a promise from the presidency to hold quarterly media interactions which started on a good note but indeed lost its spark due to the undue clauses attached to its execution, i.e. exclusive participation of senior editors and preliminary provision of questions for review.

The controversial sale of Merchant Bank to Fortiz Equity Fund Limited which got tongues wagging in the beginning of the year had a lot of media coverage. It peaked when minority in parliament sought for a parliamentary investigation into the deal only for the speaker to dismiss the motion raised by the Minority led by its deputy leader Dominic Nitiwul.

The load-shedding programme also referred to as Dumsor Dumsor which bedevilled the country from August, 2012 to July, 2013 after a gas pipeline was tampered with by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea, resurfaced in the beginning of the year.

This time, the situation was as a result of the unavailability of gas for the West Africa Gas Pipeline project. It is unclear when it will end but a year-on, it still persists.

The University of Ghana made in the news for a decision to toll road users on their Legon campus. The decision was strongly opposed and toll booths constructed by the educational body at its various entrances were pulled down by National security. The issue dragged on even to parliament until it was resolved that only the main entrance will be accessible to the public and the others will be accessible to those who pay a yearly stipend.

Amidst the pressures of the depreciation of the cedi, fuel prices kept going up starting from February.

This situation in turn, increased the prices of goods and services including sachet water prices going up by 50 percent.

To save the free falling cedi, the Bank of Ghana issued directives to banks on transactions especially affecting foreign currency accounts, these were endorsed by cabinet.

Spiritual solutions were also manifested for the falling cedi as Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams spiritually “commanded” the falling cedi to “rise”.

Meanwhile, the National Women’s Organiser of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Anita De Soso, believes with restless prayers, the dwarfs who are causing the cedi to depreciate will be ruined.

At the Komfo Anokye Teaching hospital in Kumasi bodies of dead babies went missing in February which sparked an uproar between hospital staff and the community where the parents resided.

Due to assault of nurses and doctors by community members for the babies to be produced, the hospital staff embarked on a staff which was later called off. Seven people were finally charged by the police for stealing and conspiracy to steal in connection with the missing baby.

The Informer newspaper had a bad year after court charges them with libel against a timber company over an article they published. They had to fork out Ghc300, 000.

President John Mahama in March was elected Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) during the 44th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast.

Market fires still found their way in this year’s retrospect after Makola second hand clothes market in Accra had a taste of the fire outbreaks that have been ravaging the country’s markets. The fire burned down 200 shops rendering more than 2,000 traders jobless in March.

Despite the Dumsor Dumsor, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) increased electricity and water tariffs by 12.09 per cent and 6.05 per cent respectively creating outrage from the public. In January 2014, the PURC announced an increase of 9.7 per cent on electricity and 6.80 per cent on water precipitated by the full implementation of the automatic adjustment formula (AAF).

Anas Armeyaw Anas struck with his investigative journalism to unravel a ring of Chinese sex slave masters who trafficked Vietnamese girls into the country to service expatriate oil workers. The girls were rescued and perpetrators arrested.

A wet independence day was experienced in the country marring the celebrations of the day. This turn of events questioned the capacity and efficiency of the Meteorological Agency which denies any wrongdoing.

One of the most controversial and popular words of the year, Tweaa, is what got the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ahafo Ano South in the Ashanti Region fired. He was earlier forgiven for his outburst after the word was used while he was addressing a public function.

The presidency was also entangled in the controversy surrounding an American plane owned by a small community bank in Utah and mysteriously parked at Tehran’s airport. Details showed that it had been leased by a Ghanaian mining company owned by the brother of President Mahama.

The New Patriotic Party held their delegates’ conference where Paul Afoko won the chairmanship position. Ebola scare didn’t free Ghana this year as many suspected cases came up but hopefully all proved negative for the virus.

As it is the case annually, members of the National Association Graduate of Teachers (NAGRAT) went on a nationwide strike for failure to pay them their 2011/ 2012 credit arrears. Also failure to address discrepancies in the payment of the arrears, payment policy and the second tier pension issues of Ghana Education Service workers among others.

Asantehene allowed a rare appearance of the golden stool during the celebration of his 15th anniversary on the throne.

President Mahama in June emphasized the need to establish a committee to investigate the circumstances that led to the elimination of the Black Stars from the World Cup tournament.

The Ghana Black Stars failed to make it past the first round at 2014 World Cup after they were defeated by Portugal in their final group game.

Severe petrol shortage hit some parts of Accra as several fuel stations run dry with attendants turning away motorists. The President subsequently directed the Finance Minister to release $60 million to the Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (BDCs) to ensure there is enough fuel in the system.

Renewed sporadic gunshots in Bimbilla Township in June led to the killing of Naa Andani and three others. This led to a total ban on the carrying of arms, ammunition and offensive weapons in the Bimbilla Township and surrounding areas amidst a curfew.

Aboadze Thermal Plant shuts down for maintenance in the middle of power crisis right after Bui which recorded dwindled water levels.

Eric Amoateng is released from US jail in July only to fall in the arms of Ghanaian authorities for possessing false forged passport which he used in travelling back to Ghana.

TUC embarked on a demonstration despite police delay to express their displeasure at current economic situation as well as recurrent issues affecting workers.

In the advent of cholera outbreak in the country, a clean-up campaign was instituted which found the President cleaning gutters to encourage citizens to also play an active role in maintaining a clean environment.

Both POTAG and UTAG withdrew their services to press for their demands which later found them taking government to court for freeze of their salaries for the former and refusal to pay allowances for the latter.

CEO of Kessben Group of Companies, Kwabena Kesse, also had a duel with law enforcement for alleged money laundering.

The Gyan brothers had their share of media war as an assault charge was issued against Baffour Gyan directing the assault of the Ashanti Regional Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Daniel Kenu. The victim later withdrew the case from court which got him fired but later reinstated.

The Ghana Health Service called for a ban on street vending in Accra as a measure to fighting the alarming cholera outbreak in the country. Director General of the Ghana Health Service Dr Appiah Denkyira said environmental officers will be deployed to enforce the ban if it is imposed; but wasn’t.

The National Service Secretariat was shaken when the former Executive Director, Alhaji Alhassan Mohammed Imoro, was remanded after he was charged with stealing Ghc86.9 million cedis belonging to the Government of Ghana, he pleaded not guilty. Many dozen employees of the NSS were picked up by the BNI in connection with the offence.

A gripping sodomy case got the nation gripped to the news as Dr Sulley Ali-Gabass, a senior medical doctor at Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Takoradi accused of sodomising a minor was remanded in prison custody.

One person is still reported missing after a helicopter carrying oil workers crashed in Takoradi in the Western region on 5th May, 2014. The missing person, a committee's report indicate is a Ghanaian oil worker.

An unusual confession via social media turned out to be a “hoax” after fashion designer and former BBA housemate Elikem Kumordzi ‘the Tailor’ confessed he had an affair with the wife of former Black Stars player Odartey Lamptey on Twitter. He later claimed his twitter account was hacked and discredited the confession.

A Ghanaian lady was at the centre of the raging cocaine scandal which rocked the nation. Nayele Ametefeh was arrested at Heathrow Airport in possession of a huge consignment of cocaine which she carried from Kotoka Airport without being checked. She pleaded guilty and the case is on-going in London.

Three others who assisted her in carrying the cocaine through the VVIP lounge of the Kotoka Airport were also arrested for abetment of crime.

Operatives of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) picked up the General Manager of Citi FM, Samuel Atta Mensah in connection with a publication by the station’s news portal, citifmonline, linking the lady busted with cocaine in London to the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The Kumasi Central Market also had its share of market fires in the year.

Popular Ghanaian rapper Kwaw Kese was arrested and remanded in prison custody for about a month for smoking weed in public. He was reported to have told the police there was no need for them to arrest him because it was no secret he smoked marijuana. He was granted bail on December 30.

The GFA picked former Chelsea manager Avram Grant to succeed Kwesi Appiah as the Black Stars coach. The Israeli will have his first test at the AFCON 2015 in Equatorial Guinea.

Joyce Dzidzor Mensah, Ghana’s highly respected HIV/AIDS Ambassador, told the media she had never tested positive for HIV but was only telling the nation and the world on a lie just to satisfy her selfish interest. This sparked a whole lot of controversy in the country.

KKD was arrested on Sunday at the African Regent Hotel over alleged sexual assault of a 19-year-old girl but his Counsel has dismissed the claims with the explanation that his client and the complainant had “consensual sex”.