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Spirited Starlets poised to crash Benin today

The stage is set for another captivating showdown as the National Under-17 side, the Black Starlets, lock horns with Benin in their second group game of the 2024 WAFU Zone B U17 Championship.

With Ghana virtually qualified for the semi-finals and Benin looking to resurrect their campaign after their loss to Ivory Coast, Tuesday’s encounter promises to be a fierce encounter.

The Black Starlets enter the match on the back of their resounding 5-1 victory over Ivory Coast in their opening fixture. In that match, the Black Starlets showcased their attacking prowess and clinical finishing, setting a formidable and intimidating tone for the tournament.

With no injury concerns in camp, Coach Laryea Kingston’s squad is pregnant with confidence and poised to sustain their winning momentum against Benin.

On the other hand, Benin finds themselves in a do-or-die situation after suffering a defeat to Ivory Coast in their opening match.

With their semi-final hopes hanging in the balance, the Beninois side understands the gravity of the upcoming clash against Ghana.

A victory over Ghana would not only revive their aspirations but also catapult them into contention for a spot in the knockout stages.

Ghana eyes total dominance over Benin and a win to top the group in their bid to get to the semi-finals of the championship.

Coach Laryea Kingston is optimistic that his side will put up a good game against Benin and win to secure a ticket to the semi-finals.

“In football, you don’t need to underrate your opponent. We’re favourites and we know that, but that will not make us complacent. We have everything to play for because all that Ghanaians are expecting from us is qualification to the AFCON. We’ll respect our opponents but keep to our principles,” Laryea Kingston said after the team’s final training on Monday.

The strength of the Black Starlets lies in their potent attack, exemplified by their free-scoring performances in recent matches.

Recording impressive 5-1 victories against both Serbia and Kazakhstan in their preparatory games, and recording the same scoreline against Ivory Coast in the championship, the Black Starlets have demonstrated their ability to find the back of the net with ease.

With the stage set for a thrilling encounter, all eyes will be on the Black Starlets as they seek to assert their dominance and take a step further towards their goal of winning the tournament.

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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank

A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.

The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.

The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.

Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).

Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.

The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.

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Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.

Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.

He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.

“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.

President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.

He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.

He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.

“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.

Source: Myjoyonline.com