Heading to Ghana? Why not check out the +233 Jazz Bar and Grill in Accra for the hottest entertainment in town?

EFYA

Fri 29th JUNE: @ +233 jazz bar and grill / One Nation Entertainment presents :

EFYA
OFIE KODJOE
PAA KWESI
CLC (Contraband Live Crew)
LADY J
PAULETTE BROOHM & OTHER GUESTS

Time: 9:00pm
GHC 20.00 @ Gate.

AGYA KOO NIMO & HIS GROUP!

Sun 1st JULY: An Evening with world acclaimed Ghanaian Folk Music Legend!!
AGYA KOO NIMO & HIS GROUP!
Time: 9:00 pm
GHC 20.00 @ Gate.

Ghana's premiere Jazz and Live Music Club, +233 Jazz Bar and Grill is the place to be if you love good music in Ghana… They have a weekend of pure classy entertainment that’s not to be missed starting with Lady Jay, Efya Ofie Kodjoe and many more artists (see above) -tonight. For more information visit: https://www.facebook.com/pages/233-jazz-bar-and-grill/144325962271096

An American couple detained on suspicion of child trafficking in Ghana...

California couple jailed in Ghana and their biological children taken after they tried to board plane with four African children they wanted to adopt

• Sol and Christine Moghadam detained on suspicion of child trafficking
• Children put into orphanages - but biological sons have been returned
• Officers have apologised for overreacting but still not allowed out of country
• Were matched with the four siblings last November and had flown to Ghana for adoption court hearing

By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 16:11, 26 June 2012 | UPDATED: 19:30, 26 June 2012

A couple from California, who wrote a popular blog about their journey to adopt four children from Ghana, was detained by Ghanaian authorities on suspicion of child trafficking as they tried to take the youngsters back to the U.S.
Sol and Christine Moghadam, from Irvine, were traveling with their two biological children and four adopted siblings when they were stopped at Accra's airport on Friday.
The couple's two biological sons were taken from them and placed in a Ghanaian orphanage, while Mr and Mrs Moghadam were forced to spend a night in detention.
They were released the following day and reunited with their sons, aged three and seven, and the chief police officer admitted officials had overreacted, Mrs Moghadam said.

Detained: Sol and Christine Moghadam were jailed for child trafficking when they tried to leave Ghana with four children they were trying to adopt. Their two sons, pictured, were put in an orphanage

But they have still not been allowed to leave the country or see their four adopted children, two boys, aged 10 and 13, and two younger girls.
'We are investigating a couple who arrived at the airport with six children – four blacks and two whites which aroused the suspicion of security officers at the airport who stopped them from traveling,' Comfort Miah, from the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghanaian police, told AP.

'They say the children were adopted and we are investigating to find out if this has been properly granted by a court of proper jurisdiction.'
In a video created on their behalf, the couple's friends said Mrs Moghadam was forced to spend a night in jail on Friday, while Mr Moghadam was held in a detention center.

Excitement: The couple, who have been together 13 years, were matched with the four siblings - two boys and two girls - in Ghana last November

Family: The couple's two biological sons were reunited with their parents after a day and officers apologised

Friends flocked to the couple's Facebook page and blog to voice their support.

ADOPTING FROM GHANA

Ghana requires that a couple must be married to adopt. Single women can adopt, but only if they are a citizen of Ghana. Males cannot, unless the man is the biological father.
The country also requires that a couple reside in Ghana three months before the adoption, although the courts can waive this.
Only orphans can be adopted from Ghana and brought to the US.
A couple must be found eligible to adopt by the Department of Homeland Security, which requires interviews and visits at the home.
They need a Ghanaian Social Welfare Officer in the area they wish to adopt from. They are then matched with a child on the suggestion of the adoption agency in Ghana and may have a trial living period.
The couple must provide documents - such as birth and marriage records - and the High Court then must approve the application.
It takes a year to complete an adoption in Ghana. An additional one to six months may be needed for the U.S. immigration visa process.
Before a child can travel to the US, they will need: a new birth certificate (with the new parents' names), a Ghanaian passport and an US immigrant visa. 

Source: State Department

Posts suggested the couple had been detained after authorities received an anonymous tip and they only produced copies of their adoption papers, rather than the originals.
They made immediate contact with their adoption agency, which has reportedly sent out three representatives to help the family.
The Moghadams, who have been together for 13 years, have been documenting their plans to adopt the four siblings from Ghana on a blog.
The couple discussed adoption in the early years of their marriage, as Mr Moghadam had survived the life of a street child in Tehran before emigrating to the U.S. and wanted to help others.
They first filled out adoption application forms in 2010 and initially petitioned to adopt a child in Ethiopia.
But in November 2011, they were matched with the children in Ghana after they saw their adoption agency's waiting list.
According to their blog, they received final approval in April.
On Tuesday, they posted: 'We are emotionally exhausted and traumatized from the entire incident, but we are thankful to have support and prayers from friends and family worldwide.
'Our case is not complete yet but our chief officer from the Ghana police department has apologized for their overreaction and stated that our detainment was a mistake on their part.'
They added there are 'many pending circumstances before uniting our family'.
Ghanaian said the couple did provide documents, but that it needed to be checked.

Ordeal: In a post on their blog, Mrs Moghadam said officials admitted they had overreacted

'The couple had documentation, but we have had cases where such documentation is fraudulent, so we are having it verified,' said Frank Kwofie, from the police's criminal investigations department.
On Sunday, Sol posted on his wife's Facebook page and lambasted the U.S. embassy.

'Granted, that US embassy can not intervene in the Ghanaian legal procedures,' he wrote. 'However in my opinion they failed short in protecting US citizens. I think they should have been more involved since there were two minors involved.'
He added that the couple were not told of their rights until a day after they were detained and did not tell them what offense they were accused of committing when they were arrested.

Seized: The family was stopped at the airport in Accra, Ghana, pictured, as they tried to leave with the children

Pleas for a lawyer were ignored, as well as requests to call the U.S. Embassy. He added that 'violence was involved'.
An earlier blog post vented the couple's excitement at 'finally having a court date in Ghana', which was set for June 14, they wrote.
They also posted images of documents issued from Homeland Security allowing them to bring their adopted children, who are overseas orphans, into the United States

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2164943/Sol-Christine-Moghadam-California-couple-jailed-Ghana-trying-leave-adopted-children.html#ixzz1zBnOsuiw

Pa John’s, Accra’s best kept culinary secret….

A celebrity favourite that’s cosy, intimate and laidback; -offering tasty, reasonably priced quality food, -PaaJohn Bentsifi Dadson's Pa John’s restaurant, affectionately known as PJ's isn‘t trying to be anything that its not -and Accra‘s fash-pack love it..…

The place to be if you’re after an evening of chilled out, unpretentious fun -PJ’s is also proving a big hit with tourists.. For more information about Pa John’s visit: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pajohns

PaJohn's, 1 Kade Close, Kanda Est.

Landmarks; Readwide and Combert Impressions

P.sss I believe that this coming Saturday -30^th June 2012, PaJohn's is hosting hot Ghanaian fashion brands mSimps and INKA -from 11:00am until 6:00pm

Did you know that Labadi Beach Hotel was voted: Winner of Best Luxury Hotel in Ghana and Best Business Hotel in Ghana, 2012?

****The following comes via the Business Destinations website....

Title: Winner of Best Luxury Hotel in Ghana and Best Business Hotel in Ghana, 2012, the Labadi Beach Hotel really is the last word in Ghanaian hospitality – Business Destinations got the low-down

The Labadi Beach Hotel – sophisticated, sensual, soothing and pampering – has raised the standards yet again. After a high successful 2011, which saw the refurbishment of 50 of its rooms, Ghana’s premier five-star hotel has won two accolades in the Business Destinations Travel Awards, 2012 – scooping Best luxury hotel in Ghana and Best Business Hotel in Ghana for its stunning array of leisure and business hospitality facilities.

Decadent décor
The entirety of the interior décor is made to reflect contemporary Ghanaian flair, tradition and culture. The corridors of the new wing are decorated with miniature chief stools supplied by Wild Gecko. Walking through the corridors and bedrooms, gusts are flattered with opulent rugs that your feet will sink in to, giving you the feeling of walking through an Arabian sultanate palace.

The furniture in the rooms is made in Italy from kiln-dried wood obtained from sustainable forests in the United States and assemblers were flown in from Italy to ensure top quality installation. The furnishings have soft closing drawers and a unique recessed make up mirror that pops up from the desk surface with illuminating lights that aids a flawless facial touch.

In the desk drawer guests will find a high-wattage hairdryer with an uncharacteristic long-length cord for all ladies’ blow drying needs.

Rooms to impress
Each room has a distinct, intricately carved chief’s stool; an exquisitely spiralling stand turning lamp made of wood and a velour chair seat. With its soft cushions and throws in the living suite, true glamour is brought to your living style. The rooms are further enhanced by a long-stem orchid contrasted by dark wood, and should the illumination in the room be too much for your mood, the blackout curtains will certainly come in handy.

The hotel’s bathrooms are designed like nothing guests will have ever seen. With subtle lighting providing a sensuous aura to your bathing experience, you can soothe yourself from the weariness of the daily grind.

Showers are separated from the bath tub area by a glass wall so that guests choose how they bathe. Showerheads are also adjustable for massaging, whilst a full-length mirror is available to ensure that your presentation is immaculate every time. All this is complimented with the sumptuously soft white bath towels that are found in every room.

Award winning luxury
The Labadi Beach Hotel features a stunning array of 164 brand new rooms after an extensive refurbishment programme in 2010, costing a total of $18m. This, along with the fact the hotel fronts on to a private beach and has facilities such as volleyball and floodlit tennis courts.

Highly recommended by prestigious organisations such as Trip Advisor, Labadi Beach Hotel has received accolades from the West Tourism Awards body (WATHA) and Akwaaba Travel Market Fair, been named best CEO in West Africa 2010, Best Five Star Hotel in West Africa (2010, 2011) and of course Best Luxury Hotel in Ghana, 2012 and Best Business Hotel in Ghana, 2012 in the Business Destinations Travel Awards.

Ethical and green initiatives
Whilst the accolades for Labadi Beach Hotel’s prowess in Ghana speak for themselves, the hotel continues to strive to the premier hotel for business and leisure amenities in West Africa.

During the past year the hotel has shown great commitment to sustainable practices and is helping the local community through a number of events such as a Christmas party for the Helpage Shelter for more than 300 elderly people. As part of its drive for social responsibility, the hotel also held a Christmas party for 100 cured sufferers of leprosy at the Christ the King Chapel School in 2011. Throughout the year, the hotel also organised periodic clean-up exercises around the community for the benefit of local residents.

As part of the hotel’s safe environmental practices, the recycles water for operational use. The hotel also adopts practices that involve less chemical usage and adopts eco friendly activities where applicable. Currently the lagoon in the hotel is dredged and it is supplemented with recycled water from our processing plant and aerated by way of our new fountain.

For more information email: Labadi@legacyhotels.co.za; Tel: +233 302 772501 6; www.legacyhotels.co.za

Source: http://www.businessdestinations.com/relax/hotels/luxury-business-in-ghana/

Former Attorney-General, Mr Martin Amidu answers those corruption claims

Paulina Opoku-Gyimah says: The follwing was sent to the Ghanaian media by former Attorney-General, Mr Martin Amidu to quash those corruption claims. I got the following info via the Ghana News Link website…

"Anybody who has evidence that I have breached those objects and values of the Constitution and the NDC should make a report against me to the Police so I can have my day in Court instead of attacking my person without any evidence whatsoever." Mr Martin Amidu

The full statement below:

Title: Martin Amidu and the skeletons in his cupboard: BY Martin A. B. K. Amidu 

I have since 3 January 2012 heard, and read from the NDC media unproven allegations against me for habouring skeletons in my cupboard including corrupt practices such as receiving bribes as Attorney-General, and the exposure of my (nonexistent extra-marital) sexual life while I occupied the high office of the Attorney-General. As a human being I do not claim to be perfect. I strive to love my neighbour as myself but not more than myself. I am willing to learn from my faults, perceived crimes, and misdeeds. I cannot, however learn from following red herrings without more. 

I am the outcome of the family and the cultural society which brought me up. My late father, a retired Sergeant Major in the Gold Coast Regiment, a Sergeant in the Preventive Customs Marine Police Service, a Corporal in the Border Guard, and later a Sergeant in the Ghana Police Service, and my mother brought me up to be disciplined, honest, and to defend my world view of the truth at all times. Mr. Sydney A. Abugri gave a resume of my life story in one of his columns in the People’s Daily Graphic in 2000 from his personal and intimate knowledge of me as we grew up living, attending school, and playing together in Bawku as children and later as adults parting ways into different professions. 

One of the reasons why Ghanaians punished the National Democratic Congress (NDC) under the candidacy of then Vice President Atta Mills and my poor self in the 2000 election by voting against us was for perceived corruption in Government. My letter to former President Rawlings dated 3rd June 1999 has already been put in the public domain to demonstrate not only my consistent attitude in defence of the independence of the judiciary but also my consistent fight against corruption and the theft of any property of “We the People”. 

I retired my incidental accountable imprests throughout my service to the PNDC and NDC1 and NDC2 at a time when Nana Ato Dadzie, as PNDC Secretary to the Chairman of the PNDC and later Chief of Staff had not issued his famous reminder to those who had not been doing so, to do so and to submit their receipts to his office. I raise this matter now just to confirm what well meaning and informed people have already said about my attitude towards graft in public office when I was the running mate to the then NDC Candidate in the 2000 Elections, Vice President Atta Mills, and since my exit from office on 19th January 2012. I thank all the people who rose to my defense without any prompting from me but solely in defense of truth, fairness and justice.

I assumed office as the Minister of the Interior on or about 22nd February 2010. A foreign trip was waiting for me to attend a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland from 8th – 12th March 2010. I refused to make the trip in order to know the responsibilities of my Ministry as my first priority. The Chief Director attended in my place. I attended a number of foreign conferences or seminars during my tenure in the Ministry of the Interior and retired the accountable imprests to the amazement of some of the officers who did not know me well. I assumed duties in the Office of the Attorney-General from 22nd January 2011 to 19th January 2012, and I also attended a number of conferences and seminars. I retired each accountable imprest that was given to me for each trip. At the end of each year I wrote to the Chief of Staff notifying him of the retirement of all my accountable imprests. I remember a retired Army General telling me on receipt of my first notification that it was the first time he was seeing such an exhaustive accountability.

At the Ministry of the Interior, on 18th May 2010 I retired my incidental accountable imprest and balance of accommodation imprest of €740.00; on 4th June 2010 I retired the whole incidental accountable imprest of US$500.00; on 14th October 2010 I retired the balance of US$282.00 on an incidental accountable imprest of US$500.00; on 22nd October 2010 my then Deputy retired the incidental accountable imprest of US$500.00 approved for me for a trip he undertook on my behalf, and on 1st December 2010 I retired the whole incidental accountable imprest of US$500.00 and a balance of accommodation imprest of US$320.00 bringing the total to US$820.00.

At the Ministry of Justice, on 6th July 2011 the balance of US$350.00 on an incidental accountable imprest of US$500.00 was retired; on 27th July 2011 and 5th August 2011 I retired US$822.00 of 9 days per diem, US$4,010.00 balance on accommodation imprest; and US$131.00 balance on my incidental accountable imprest of US$500.00; on 19th August 2011 I retired a balance of US$750.00 on an incidental accountable imprest of US$1,000.00; and on 16th January 2011 I surrounded the accountable incidental imprest of US$500.00 and the whole of the accountable accommodation imprest of US$3850.00 totaling US$4,350.00 to the Acting Chief Director of the Ministry to be retired to the Bank of Ghana. I requested him in my letter of 20th January 2012 to notify the Chief of Staff of the payment of the money to the Bank of Ghana against the pay-in-slip receipt as I had become functus officio on 19th January 2012. 

The foregoing facts can be verified by any doubting Thomases from the office of the Chief of Staff, the Chief Directors of the Ministries I served in, the Controller and Accountant-General, and the Auditor-General, amongst several others who were copy addressees. These letters were originated by me; they are not classified either as confidential or secret or any other classification whatsoever to bring them within the prohibitions of the State Secrets Act, 1962 (Act 101) which is inferior to the Constitution 1992. I know the provisions of the 1992 Constitution and the laws of Ghana so well after over 33 years as a practicing lawyer (almost fourteen years of which were spent in the Attorney-General’s Department as the Deputy Attorney-General, and Attorney-General of this Republic) to receive unsolicited advice from those whose real intention has been to intimidate me with possible breaches of Act 101. 

I dutifully retired my accountable imprests at times against admonishing from some staff of the Bank of Ghana and latter some other public officers because I was brought up to accept only property of whatever nature to which I am legitimately entitled by custom or law. It was ingrained in Northern Ghanaian culture as one grew up and my parents insisted upon strict compliance with this norm and its internalization and observance. I am sorry if any person gets offended by my insistence on the protection of public property and putting Ghana First because I was molded with this world, social, and cultural view to life and community which it is too late to change. 

I remain determined that the NDC shall live by its core values of probity, transparency, and accountability so that the NDC will continue to be relevant in the politics of Ghana for years to come for the sake of our children and those unborn. Anybody who has evidence that I have breached those objects and values of the Constitution and the NDC should make a report against me to the Police so I can have my day in Court instead of attacking my person without any evidence whatsoever. In this enterprise I fear no cost to my person in contributing to the realization of the vision of the NDC as a decent political Party that was intended to be viable beyond Election 2012. I understand these values of the NDC to be aimed at putting Ghana First before any individual’s selfish interests in Government.  

Martin A. B. K. Amidu

Source: http://www.ghananewslink.com/

Ghana goes stellar for Stellar Deluxe Boutique…..

I heard about the uber chichi 'Stellar Deluxe' boutique late last year, but there was very little info or photos of said store. Fast forward, -and a few months later, they have a Facebook page full-to-bursting with loads of info..

Elegantly situated in Accra’s premier Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel, its has; -I've just found out, -had its interiors decorated by one of Ghana’s top interior designers -and I must say, -it looks simple, classic, clean and chic…

Stellar Deluxe is feted by Accra's stylish elite for its high-end leather accessories for both women and men including pieces by: Armani, Bally, Chloe, Christian Louboutin, D&G, Dolce and Gabbana, Fendi, Ferragamo, Givenchy, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Longchamps, Mulberry, Prada, Tory Burch and YSL -oh la la…..

Its opens from Monday to Sunday, between 10:00 am and 7:00 pm -and I can’t wait to check it out… For more info call Stellar Duluxe on 00 233 30 296 3649 or visit:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stellar-Deluxe-Luxury-Shoes-Bags-Accessories/161275713972201

http://www.stellar-africa.net/en/products-services/retail.php

More Info...
Stellar operates two premium brand sales boutique, "Stellar Deluxe" within the exclusive shopping development in Ghana's newest 5 star hotel, the Mövenpick Ambassador. Designed by one of Ghana's leading interior designers, Stellar Deluxe offers a sleek and exclusive shopping experience in comfortable and elegant surroundings and is Ghana's only complete fashion and style boutique.
Offering only genuine and original ladies handbags, purses, swimwear, lingerie and other accessories, the boutique also offers a limited range of gentleman's gifts and accessories.

We are the only store in Ghana to stock genuine items from premium" First Line" brands such as Gucci, Prada, Armani, Versace, Chloe, Marc Jacobs, Jimmy Choo and many more.

For peace of mind, each item we offer is provided with its own certificate of authenticity and we guarantee that all items sold are original and genuine items only.
So, if you are looking for an exclusive gift for a loved one or you need to add a touch of class to your wardrobe, please pay a visit to Stellar Deluxe where you will be pampered by our attentive staff.

Source:
http://www.stellar-africa.net/en/products-services/retail.php

Want a puppy in Ghana? Check out the K9 Family….

Llasa Apsu pups for sale -$850 each

　

I don’t do dogs!!! I don't do dogs -full stop. I have family members that can’t live without 'man’s-best-friend' but I’m not one of them, -in fact I’m terrified of anything bigger than a Chihuahua!!!

Anyway if you’re relocating to Accra/Ghana and want a dog -check out K9 Family, -the dog breeders du jour of Accra. They are also the people behind the Accra dog show -and just held an event which I hear was very successful (my goodness Ghanaians have changed). Please note, they also have a dog trainers on their books..

For more info, you can call the K9 Family crew on 00 233 26 773 3128 or visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/K9-Family-GhanaAccra-Dog-Show/195950487088718 -for a list of all their available dogs..

The Body Shop Ambassador, Supermodel Lily Cole visits Northern Ghana ….. June 2012

Lily Cole visits the Ghanaian producers of The Body Shop's shea butter

The Tungteiya co-operative in Ghana is made up of 11 villages and more than 500 people, and is the largest ingredient supplier within The Body Shop's Community Fair Trade programme. In 2011, the retailer ordered 450 tonnes of shea butter from the group.

The price paid by The Body Shop's programme includes a 'social premium' – a portion for investment in communities, allowing people to thrive, not just survive. The Body Shop ambassador Lily Cole visited the Tungteiya women to see how their business work..

Following a traditional welcome ceremony, Lily Cole and Madame Anna Maria Fati Paul meet the village chief in his palace at Mbanayili village, near Tamale in northern Ghana. Madame Fati Paul first introduced Anita Roddick to shea butter in 1989 and the community now supplies more than 450 tonnes a year to the retailer

Lily is The Body Shop's ambassador, and visited the community to take part in the artisan shea butter process in Mbanayili, which was the first village to supply the product to The Body Shop

Lily shelters in the shade of a newly built, traditional mud hut after exploring the surrounding area of the village. The huts are used to store shea butter during the cooling process

Two Tungteiya women spread and dry out freshly washed shea nuts on a drying rack. Each of the Tunteiya villages has constructed a purpose-built processing centre. This allows them to produce the highest-quality shea butter while keeping production in the village. There are many stages to this traditional process – drying takes place before the nuts can be cracked open..

A Tungteiya woman and Lily hold freshly crushed shea nuts to be roasted during the next stage of the process. Once dried, the nuts are cracked open and the kernel extracted. The kernels are then cracked into nibs, which are then roasted and cooled before being ground to a liquid paste...

A group of Tungteiya woman from Mbanayili village in the processing centre. The village's first order for The Body Shop back in 1994 was for five tonnes of shea butter. The 11 villages that now make up the group now provide more than 450 tonnes a year

A Tungteiya woman alternately adds warm and cold water to a bowl of rich liquid shea. The women sit together in the shade, hand-stirring the paste to release the butter, catching up on news and gossip and singing traditional songs – a very social part of the process. The butter gradually floats to the surface and is scooped off..

 A Tungteiya woman clarifies shea butter over a fire, before it is filtered and scooped into a bowl to cool down..

 Two Tungteiya women show Lily how to filter clarified shea butter. The processing requires extreme care and attention as the shea butter can be easily burnt or ruined during several stages of the process. In total it takes two full days to produce 25kg of shea butter..

 A Tungteiya woman leaves the shea butter to cool in a traditional hut. When cool, the butter is scooped out and placed into a container before being stored in a round thatched hut. The huts remain cool throughout the year to ensure the shea butter solidifies....

 Lily helps pounds the shea butter in preparation for packing into 25kg containers before being transported to The Body Shop factory. The 4ft poles are made of wood from local shea trees..

 The Dimabi village gathers for a "derba" – a village party to celebrate Lily opening the new teachers’ quarters provided by the social premium. The new building provides suitable accommodation for teachers so they can stay in the remote village. In the past it has been hard to retain teachers in the village as living conditions are so tough..

The Tungteiya women carrying water back to Bunlung village. The women drew clean water from the village water pump which was built by The Body Shop Premium Fund. The Body Shop not only pays a fair price for the shea butter, but also extra money called the Social Premium for broader community projects and facilities.

Lily talks to the Tungteiya women about the impact the Bunlung village water pump has made to their daily lives. Through The Body Shop social premium, the village has benefited from community projects and facilities, such as this pump...

Photograph: Hazel Thompson for The Body Shop

Source: http://article.wn.com/view/2012/06/18/Lily_Cole_visits_the_Ghanaian_producers_of_The_Body_Shops_sh/

Paulina Opoku-Gyimah says: God Bless The Body Shop and Ambassador Lily Cole for the work they are doing in Northern Ghana..