September 12, 2023 – Senegal Newswire

Institutional Investor Launches 2023 Developed Europe and 2023 Emerging EMEA Research Rankings

BofA Securities and BNP Paribas Exane share first place as top research provider in the Developed Europe survey

BofA Securities, HSBC and J.P. Morgan share top spot in Emerging EMEA

LONDON, Sept. 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Institutional Investor Research (II Research) surveys are the leading provider of market sentiment in the financial industry. Research budgets remain flat and asset managers are using fewer analysts, but demand for bespoke opinion means that close client relationships and “trusted source” status becomes more important than ever before. With MiFID regulations potentially being rolled back across Europe and UK, the focus on the provision of quality research advisory services may result in a more competitive environment and we may see an increase in research teams across the industry.

There were no changes to the industry and country sector categories this year. The 2023 Developed Europe Research results reflects the opinions of 5,462 portfolio managers and analysts (up from 4,692 in 2022) from 1,813 institutions (up from 1,696 in 2022). The total number of votes has also increased from last year, by 11%. Over 180 firms have submitted centralised or coordinated votes, underscoring the robust nature of the results as an accurate reflection of market sentiment.

Results Highlights

Developed Europe Research

The Leaders’ Board remains intensely competitive, with seven companies competing for the honour of being rated best research house. BofA Securities and BNP Paribas Exane were ranked in first place, both with 38 published positions. J.P. Morgan once again follows in third place taking 31 positions with UBS achieving fourth place with 30 ranked teams. Barclays built on the momentum they gathered in 2022, gaining three published positions and rising to 5^th overall; Morgan Stanley places sixth. The largest gain on the Leader’s Board came from Jefferies in seventh, which gained 10 positions from 2022. Citi, Bernstein and Kepler Cheuvreux take the final three places in the Developed Europe Top 10, displacing Credit Suisse that shared joint 11^th place with Societe Generale.

BNP Paribas Exane once again claims first place in the analyst-ranked tables with 44 positions, followed by BofA Securities (41), J.P. Morgan (35 positions) and Barclays (31), which climbed two places.

Emerging EMEA Research

HSBC and J.P. Morgan were joined by BofA Securities as joint first place in the Emerging EMEA Leaders’ Table all with 17 published positions. Morgan Stanley took fourth place with 8 positions. Citi and UBS shared fifth.

In the commission-weighted analyst tables, the top three positions were unchanged; HSBC came first with 33 published positions, followed by J.P. Morgan with 22 positions and BofA Securities with 18. Morgan Stanley pushed up seven places to 15 to take fourth and UBS came fifth place with 13 positions to complete the leading winners. Vote participation up 14% this year with 934 voters from 286 companies.

David Enticknap, Head of II Research said “With MiFID regulations potentially being rolled back across Europe and UK, the focus on the provision of quality research advisory services may result in a more competitive environment, and we may see an increase in research teams across the industry. The Institutional Investor rankings represent the gold standard in assessment of quality in equity research, recognised globally for the integrity of the process and depth of coverage.”

The results can be found here: https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/research

For more information, or a demo on how to interrogate the data, contact Augusta McKie, Sales Director Research (EMEA), augusta.mckie@iiresearch.com

To share your position on your website content, advertisements, communications and marketing collateral, please contact marketing@iiresearch.com.

Media contact

David Bowen, Director of Marketing, Institutional Investor Research david.bowen@iiresearch.com

About Institutional Investor Research

For over 50 years, Institutional Investor has been conducting independent research surveys with global investment professionals who evaluate and determine the best performing sell side service providers, asset managers and CEOs, CFOs, IROs and IR Programs across Europe, Emerging EMEA, Asia Pacific, North America and Latin America. The research data independently captures evaluations of companies, investment professionals and executives from investment managers, banks, research providers and corporate issuers, to deliver detailed peer-to-peer comparative analyses every year; the feedback helps inform strategic decision making and improve resource and process management.

Follow Institutional Investor Research here https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/11222447

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Institutional Investor Launches 2023 Developed Europe & Emerging EMEA Executive Team Rankings

36 companies (Core, Large Cap & Small-Mid Cap) came first in at least five voting areas in their sectors in Developed Europe and 16 companies for Emerging EMEA

LONDON, Sept. 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Institutional Investor Research (II Research) surveys are the leading provider of independent performance validation and market sentiment across 8 global capital markets. Executive Team surveys are an independent platform for investment and sell-side professionals to evaluate credibility, communication, financial stewardship and capital allocation of corporate leadership, the quality of IR across multiple activities and the effectiveness of the Board of Directors. The results from the survey, an in-depth capability and benchmark analysis, capture the feeling and trust levels of stakeholders in their equity assets.

This year saw 2,733 CEOs, CFOs, and IROs from 1,266 nominated companies receiving votes in the survey. Combined voters saw 1,872 voters from 851 voting companies. The number of votes increased by over 20% since 2022 for the Developed Europe survey and 46% for the Emerging EMEA survey.

2023 Emerging EMEA Executive Team — Core results

281 companies and 503 individuals were nominated across 11 sectors.

Eight companies clinched a clean sweep first place in the combined rankings in five voting areas for Best CEO, Best CFO, Best Investor Relations Professional, Best IR Company, Best Analyst/Investor Event, Best ESG Metrics, and Best Company Board in their respective sectors:

Al Rajhi Bank (Saudi Arabia, Financials), Coca-Cola Icecek (Turkey, Consumer), Haci Omer Sabanci Holding (Turkey, Industrials), Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (Greece, Technology, Media & Telecommunications), Lamda Development (Greece, Construction & Real Estate), MLP Saglik Hizmetleri (Turkey, Health Care & Pharmaceuticals), Mytilineos Holdings (Greece, Metals & Mining) and Petkim Petrokimya Holding (Turkey, Chemicals).

2023 Emerging EMEA Executive Team — Large Cap results

95 companies and 197 individuals were nominated across 11 sectors.

Six companies clinched a clean sweep first place in the combined rankings five of the seven aforementioned voting areas:

Al Rajhi Bank (Saudi Arabia, Financials), Emaar Properties (United Arab Emirates, Construction & Real Estate), Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (Greece, Technology, Media & Telecommunications), Koc Holding (Turkey, Industrials), Opap (Greece, Consumer) and Turk Hava Yollari (Turkey, Transportation).

2023 Emerging EMEA Executive Team — Small & Midcap results

186 companies and 306 individuals were nominated across 11 sectors.

Ten companies obtained a clean sweep first place in the combined rankings in five of the seven aforementioned voting areas:

Aegean Airlines (Greece, Transportation), Coca-Cola Icecek (Turkey, Consumer), Haci Omer Sabanci Holding (Turkey, Industrials), Lamda Development (Greece, Construction & Real Estate), MLP Saglik Hizmetleri (Turkey, Health Care & Pharmaceuticals), Motor Oil (Hellas) Corinth Refineries (Greece, Oil & Gas), Mytilineos Holdings (Greece, Metals & Mining), Petkim Petrokimya Holding (Turkey, Chemicals), Piraeus Financial Holdings (Greece, Financials) and Turk Telekomunikasyon (Turkey, Technology Media & Telecommunications).

Amani Korayeim, Director for Europe and Emerging EMEA, says “The Institutional Investor rankings are recognised as an industry benchmark by its stakeholders and determine compensation packages and KPIs for IR teams that are empowered and valued by their leadership teams. Investor Relations is critical in shareholder value creation. In fact, good IR, often recognised through the Institutional Investor’s rankings, can deliver a competitive advantage, and help companies trade at a premium. Conversely, poor IR can lead to the company being traded at a discount, create greater volatility and higher cost of capital. The highest ranked companies in our surveys tend to measure and monitor the effectiveness of their IR activities very closely. These are the teams that take a strategic and deliberate approach to their market engagement, use underlying research data and perception intelligence to continually optimise their IR interaction to close the gap between their competition and lock in prospect targets through a more personalised and targeted outreach. Congratulations to all the top ranked companies this year, we are particularly excited about the new names and regions that are represented in what the market defines as Best in Class IR.”

For the full list of published winners, please visit www.institutionalinvestor.com/research.

Awards & Licences

Institutional Investor owns the copyright to all survey and awards logos. To acquire access to the Institutional Investor award or survey logo for use in client pitch books, annual reports, websites, email signatures, local advertising, social media etc., please contact marketing@iiresearch.com

Ranking Analysis & Perception Intelligence

To request further information on how you can access the underlying survey research to identify strength and opportunities in IR through a multi-dimensional comparative peer analysis, please contact amani.korayeim@iiresearch.com

Media contact

David Bowen, Director of Marketing, Institutional Investor Research david.bowen@iiresearch.com

About Institutional Investor Research

Follow Institutional Investor Research here https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/11222447

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8920411

Duck Creek Technologies Nomeia Nova Diretora de Finanças

Teresa M. Kim, executiva experiente em finanças de tecnologia irá supervisionar as funções financeiras e contábeis

BOSTON, Sept. 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A Duck Creek Technologies, fornecedora de soluções inteligentes que definem o futuro do seguro de propriedade e acidentes (P&C) e geral, tem o prazer de anunciar a nomeação de Teresa M. Kim como Diretora de Finanças. Kim é líder financeira sênior talentosa com sólida experiência e histórico em computação em nuvem, plataformas de tecnologia e auditoria e consultoria “Big Four”. Ela ingressou na Duck Creek após uma carreira de 20 anos na Akamai Technologies (Akamai), empresa mundial de rede de distribuição de conteúdo e serviços em nuvem, onde recentemente foi vice-presidente (VP) de finanças do grupo de tecnologia em nuvem, supervisionando uma receita de mais de US $ 2 bilhões, ajudando a empresa a criar uma plataforma de escala de categoria internacional. Na Akamai ela também foi vice-presidente de finanças da divisão de mídia e operadoras, ajudando a liderar negociações estratégicas de contratos de clientes de mídia. Ela também ocupou o cargo de controladora assistente, supervisionando a contabilidade e operações globais, liderando uma grande equipe de 120 profissionais, criando centros financeiros de excelência na Índia e na Polônia.

Antes da Akamai, Kim atuou como auditora sênior da Ernst &Young (EY), apoiando clientes no setor de tecnologia, comunicações e entretenimento da EY. Ela iniciou sua carreira em funções de consultoria financeira na KPMG e na Economic Analysis Corporation antes de passar para a contabilidade pública.

“Teresa é uma líder dinâmica e ponderada, com forte perspicácia financeira, foco no cliente e experiência em operações de tecnologia de nuvem e plataforma. Com a Duck Creek dando continuidade à sua concentração no crescimento internacional e na maturidade SaaS, ela será uma tremenda adição para ajudar a direcionar nossa própria transformação estratégica e otimizar nossas operações financeiras”, disse Mike Jackowski, CEO da Duck Creek. “Este é um momento empolgante para todos nós da Duck Creek e estou confiante de que seu talento nos ajudará a continuar criando valor para nossos clientes, parceiros e partes interessadas.”

Kim acrescentou: “Estou muito feliz em me juntar à Duck Creek, pois ela fortalece sua posição de liderança no setor global de seguros. Me sinto honrada em ter a oportunidade de trabalhar em estreita colaboração com Mike e toda a equipe da Duck Creek durante um período de crescimento acelerado.”

Kim fez BA com foco em economia e especialização em estudos asiático-americanos na UCLA. Ela fez MBA e mestrado em contabilidade na Northeastern University. Kim está baseada na região metropolitana de Boston.

Sobre a Duck Creek Technologies

A Duck Creek Technologies é fornecedora de soluções inteligentes que definem o futuro do setor de seguros de propriedade e acidentes (P&C) e geral. Somos a plataforma utilizadas como base dos sistemas de seguros modernos, permitindo que a indústria capitalize o poder da nuvem para executar operações ágeis, inteligentes e perenes. Autenticidade, propósito e transparência são fundamentais para a Duck Creek, e acreditamos que o seguro deve estar disponível para indivíduos e empresas quando, onde e como eles mais precisarem. Nossas soluções líderes do mercado estão disponíveis de forma independente ou como um pacote completo disponíveis em Duck Creek OnDemand. Visite www.duckcreek.com para obter mais informação. Siga a Duck Creek nos nossos canais sociais para obter as mais recentes informações – LinkedIn e Twitter.

Contato

Drake Manning
Duck Creek Technologies
drake.manning@duckcreek.com

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Duck Creek Technologies annonce la nomination d’une nouvelle directrice financière

La société désigne Teresa M. Kim, cadre financière expérimentée en technologie, pour superviser les fonctions de finance et comptabilité

BOSTON, 11 sept. 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Duck Creek Technologies, le fournisseur de solutions intelligentes qui définit l’avenir du secteur de l’assurance générale et IARD, annonce la nomination de Teresa M. Kim au poste de directrice financière. Mme Kim est une cheffe de file majeure et accomplie dans le domaine des finances, possédant un historique et des antécédents solides en cloud-computing, en plateformes technologiques et en comptabilité publique des « Big Four ». Elle rejoint Duck Creek après 20 années passées chez Akamai Technologies (Akamai), une société de services cloud et un réseau de diffusion de contenu dans le monde entier, où elle était le plus récemment vice-présidente des finances dans son groupe de technologie cloud, supervisant plus de 2 milliards de dollars de recettes tout en aidant l’entreprise à bâtir une plateforme de classe mondiale évolutive. Lorsqu’elle travaillait chez Akamai, elle était aussi vice-présidente des finances dans sa division médias et supports, aidant à mener des négociations de contrats clients stratégiques dans le domaine des médias. Elle occupait auparavant une fonction de contrôleuse adjointe, supervisant la comptabilité et les opérations mondiales à la tête d’une grande équipe de 120 professionnels et bâtissant des centres financiers d’excellence en Inde et en Pologne.

Avant d’arriver chez Akamai, Kim a occupé la fonction d’auditrice supérieure pour Ernst & Young (EY), soutenant les clients d’EY dans le secteur de la technologie, des communications et du divertissement. Elle a débuté sa carrière à des postes de conseil financier chez KPMG et Economic Analysis Corporation avant de passer à la comptabilité publique.

« Teresa est une cheffe de file dynamique et réfléchie associant un puissant savoir-faire financier, une focalisation client importante et une grande expérience dans les opérations technologiques de plateforme et cloud. Alors que Duck Creek continue de se concentrer sur la croissance internationale et la maturité du SaaS, elle sera un atout prodigieux pour aider à diriger notre propre transformation stratégique et optimiser nos opérations financières », a déclaré Mike Jackowski, PDG de Duck Creek. « Il s’agit d’un moment palpitant pour nous tous, chez Duck Creek, et je suis persuadé que son talent nous aidera à continuer à créer de la valeur pour nos clients, nos partenaires et nos parties prenantes. »

Mme Kim a ajouté : « Je me réjouis de rejoindre Duck Creek alors que cette entreprise renforce sa position de leader dans le secteur mondial de l’assurance. Je suis honorée d’avoir l’opportunité de travailler en étroite collaboration avec Mike et toute l’équipe de Duck Creek au cours d’une période de croissance accélérée. »

Mme Kim a acquis sa licence en économie avec option études asio-américaines à l’UCLA. Elle a obtenu son MBA et un master de comptabilité à la Northeastern University. Mme Kim est basée dans le Grand Boston.

À propos de Duck Creek Technologies

Duck Creek Technologies est le fournisseur de solutions intelligentes qui définit l’avenir du secteur de l’assurance générale et IARD. Nous sommes la plateforme sur laquelle les systèmes d’assurance modernes se construisent, permettant au secteur de tirer parti de la puissance du cloud pour mener des opérations agiles, intelligentes et pérennes. Authenticité, mission et transparence sont les mots clés de la philosophie de Duck Creek et, selon nous, l’assurance devrait être au service des individus et des entreprises quand, où et comme ils en ont le plus besoin. Nos solutions faisant figure de leaders du marché sont disponibles séparément ou sous la forme d’une suite complète, et toutes sont disponibles via Duck Creek OnDemand. Pour en savoir plus, rendez-vous sur www.duckcreek.com. Suivez Duck Creek sur ses réseaux sociaux pour connaître les toutes dernières informations – LinkedIn et Twitter.

Contact

Drake Manning
Duck Creek Technologies
drake.manning@duckcreek.com

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Dr Bawumia commissions new Headquarters for Methodist Church Ghana

A 16-storey single Tower, known as the Wesley Towers, which will serve as the new Head Office for The Methodist Church Ghana, has been commissioned and dedicated by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia in Accra.

The state-of-the-art edifice, located at the Ambassadorial Enclave, West Ridge, Accra, was funded by the Church’s internally generated funds.

It comprised an auditorium, a restaurant, executive conference rooms, offices for rent and a 100-capacity car park.

The facility will provide a spatial accommodation for the connexional business of the Methodist Conference and project the Church’s reputation as one of the oldest Christian denominations in Ghana.

At the Commissioning and Dedication ceremony in Accra on Tuesday, Vice President Bawumia expressed the hope that the Wesley Towers would be a place of transformation, spiritual growth, and maturity for all those who enter its doors.

The Wesley Towers is a Grade ‘A’ Office Block which provides fit-for-purpose facilities for its users. It has changed the skyline and improved the beauty of the Central Business District of Accra.

‘May the Wesley Towers be a place where lives are changed, where relationships are deepened.

‘Let this edifice be a symbol of our comfort to the values of faith, hope, and love. May it serve as a reminder that, as a community, we are called to be a source of light and inspiration to all who enter us,’ Dr Bawumia added.

‘This day is a testament to the unwavering faith, dedication, and commitment of the entire membership of the Methodist Church Ghana.

‘It is a day of reflection, of thanksgiving, and of looking forward to the bright future that awaits us within these walls.

‘As we stand here today, we are reminded of the countless hours of hard work and sacrifice that have brought us to this moment. The journey to this beautiful edifice has been one marked by faith, hope, and love.

‘It is a testament to what can be achieved when a community comes together with a shared purpose and a shared vision,’ Dr Bawumia stated.

He was of the belief that the Wesley Towers were not just a physical structure, but ‘it is a symbol of our faith, a beacon of hope, and a place where love and compassion will flourish’.

‘It is a space where we will come together to worship, to fellowship, to work, to learn, to support one another, and to reach out to those in need, which is the core business of the Church,’ Dr Bawumia observed.

Vice President Bawumia extended his gratitude to the members of the Church who had given so generously their time, talents, money, and resources to make the Wesley Towers a reality.

‘Your dedication and commitment to this project is truly inspiring,’ he stated.

Vice President Bawumia stated that if Christians could live transformed lives in Jesus Christ, then it meant that the Church and the State were heading towards a bright future.

‘This is because their transformed lives will transform our societies and will affect the entire nation positively,’ he added.

The Most Reverend Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo, the Presiding Bishop, Methodist Church Ghana, in his sermon, entreated the members of the Church to rededicate their lives to God by presenting themselves as living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord.

He said the edifice would be a symbol of enduring faith and hope in God and use it to propagate the gospel of Christ to all nations.

The Presiding Bishop cited Nehemiah 12:27-47 which referred to the story of the construction of the walls of Jerusalem by the Israelites after extended periods of enslavement in Babylon and, thus, charged the Congregation to rekindle their faith in the Lord and live lives that are pleasing to God.

Most Rev. Dr Boafo noted that while the commissioning and dedication of the facility called for joy and celebration, he underscored the need for the congregation to renew their faith in God and have pure and dedicated hearts.

He thanked the Lord for his faithfulness, kindness, and mercies for seeing the Church through the periods of difficulties during the construction phase, amid the COVID-19 pandemic that brought financial meltdown to the world, including the Church.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Conduct of Public Officers Bill: OccupyGhana welcomes President’s announcement on prompt passage

Pressure group, OccupyGhana, welcoming the President’s statement on moves to ensure the prompt passage of the Conduct of Public Officers Bill, Tuesday, urged Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the public to join the campaign to make it a law.

The group, in a press statement issued to the Ghana News Agency, in Accra, said President Akufo-Addo’s recent endorsement and support of the Bill ‘signifies a significant shift’ by the government towards their ‘long-held position.’

President Akufo-Addo, speaking at the opening ceremony of the Ghana Bar Association’s Annual Conference on Monday, 11 September 2023, in Cape Coast, stated that the Attorney General was leading efforts to enact a law on the ‘Conduct of Public Officers’.

The Bill, among other things, intends to introduce ‘stringent administrative measures and sanctions ‘to deal with violations of the law by public officers, ranging from a bar against holding public office for limited and indefinite periods, to penal sanctions and measures.’

‘The Attorney-General will bring the bill soon for the consideration of Cabinet and subsequent enactment by Parliament upon the conclusion of the consultation,’ the President had assured.

OccupyGhana said the fight to ensure ‘more accountability and transparency by public officials’ was not ‘even half won’, hence the need for stakeholders to ensure that the Attorney-General forwarded the Bill to Parliament, and that Parliament ‘passes the Bill into law, all at the earliest times possible’.

Making reference to previous correspondence on the subject, OccupyGhana said the President’s endorsement of the Bill was ‘never-too-late’ although ‘the Attorney-General concluded his consultations and submitted the draft Bill to Cabinet as far back as May 2022.’

Following the latest pronouncement by the President, Occupy Ghana said it believed, ‘the era of the Government’s reluctance or unpreparedness to endorse and forward the Bill to Parliament is now behind us.’

The group added the President’s announcement nullified earlier claims that the Bill was ‘unnecessary due to the alleged existence of sufficient legislation on the matter.’

‘We would want to believe that the President’s speech signifies a significant shift by the Government towards our long-held position.

‘He has given the Attorney-General the green light to conclude the Cabinet deliberations and promptly submit the Bill to Parliament.

‘Hopefully, the era of the Government’s reluctance or unpreparedness to endorse and forward the Bill to Parliament is now behind us.’

‘We once again invite Ghanaians, fellow Civil Society Organisation and the media, to join us in this campaign to ensure that the Attorney-General indeed forwards the Bill to Parliament, and that Parliament passes the Bill into law, all at the earliest times possible,’ it stated.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Drama in court after couple are jailed 25 years for stealing

A businessman aggressively challenged a Circuit court judge after he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment on the charges of conspiracy to steal, abetment of crime and money laundering.

Immediately the Judgement was read, Frank Kwesi Obeng reportedly asked: ‘Please do you know me somewhere, why have you given me 15 years jail term?’

Obeng then took off his shirt and walked aggressively towards the judge.

But with the timely intervention of the prosecutor and a court warrant officer, the trial judge, Mrs Evelyn Asamoah, was escorted to her chambers.

Obeng was then escorted out of the courtroom bare-cheated and without his sandals.

Some sympathisers who thronged the court also objected to the judgement of the court, expressing their doubt over the complainant’s claims.

Also in the dock was Joyce Safowaa, his wife and an accomplice, who was also found guilty on the charges of conspiracy to steal, abetment of crime and stealing GHC 712, 229 belonging one Mavis Toffan, the complainant.

Safowaa is to serve 10 years imprisonment, to which she

shouted amidst tears: ‘God, I am dreaming’! and sat in the chair in apparent disbelief.

The trial Judge, Mrs Evelyn Asamoah at the end of the trial, ordered that all the landed property and a Toyota Venza believed to have been acquired through the crime proceeds were to be given to the complainant.

Additionally, it ordered that the items in a shop belonging to the convicts be released to the complainant.

Again, the convicts are to refund the complainant’s GHC712, 229 to her.

The Prosecution led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Emmanuel Haligah said the complainant, Mavis Toffan was a businesswoman, residing at Accra.

According to ASP Haligah, the complainant is the proprietress of MAVOBED Enterprise, dealers in children’s clothes and babies’ accessories. She owned a big store at Okaishie and also had a warehouse where she kept the bulk of her goods, located behind her store.

The Prosecution said the complainant usually imported goods from China but sometimes she received deliveries from her colleague traders at Okaishie.

The prosecutor said Joyce Safowaa and Frank Kwesi Obeng were lovers and they both resided in Accra.

The Prosecution said Safowaa was employed by the complainant as a salesperson in her shop and had been working with the complainant for the past 13 years.

According to the Prosecutor, Safowaa gained the trust and confidence of the complainant to the extent that whenever the complainant travelled on a business trip to China, she entrusted both the store and the warehouse, with their respective keys in her care.

Safowaa is also responsible for the collection of goods from the warehouse to the store.

The Prosecution said in the course of their love relationship in the year 2013, Obeng convinced Safowaa to steal from the complainant so that they could establish their own store and trade in the same business.

The Prosecutor told the court that pursuant to this agreement, Obeng rented a store at Weija to put their plan into fruition.

Since Safowaa was the custodian of keys to the complainant’s store and the warehouse, it was easy for her to have access to the goods, which she stole with the connivance of Obeng and used them to fill their shop at Weija, according to the Prosecution.

According to the prosecutor, anytime the complainant was absent from the store, Safowaa would quickly pack quantities of goods from the store and warehouse, give same to a head porter only known as B2, who carried them to Obeng in a waiting BMW saloon car at the Rawlings Park.

Prosecution said Obeng then drove the stolen goods to their shop at Weija.

The act continued until the two filled their shop at Weija to full capacity and restocked it when they ran out of goods.

The Prosecution said sometimes Safowaa ordered goods in the name of the complainant but diverted them into their store at Weija.

After operating the Weija store for some time, Obeng suggested to Safowaa that business was not flourishing as he expected and wanted it moved to Kasoa.

Prosecution told the court that during the year 2015, Obeng used part of the proceeds from the sale of the complainant’s goods to rent another store at Kasoa at GHS45,000.00 for a nine-year period.

The couple then closed the Weija shop and transferred the goods into the Kasoa store.

The Prosecution said Obeng again used part of the proceeds to buy a Toyota Venza vehicle with registration number GX 1061-14 at a cost of GHS45,000.00 to facilitate the carting of the stolen goods.

Additionally, Obeng used part of the monies realised to purchase a plot of land at McCarthy Hill at a cost of GHC10,500.

Prosecution said the complainant did not detect the theft until 2016, when she realised that her business was running into debts and the profit margin was rapidly declining.

In January 2018, she began investigations to find out the cause of the declining profit margin and also to know why she was running into debt.

When she took stock in the warehouse and store and realised that she was in debt of GHC600,000.

She then reported Safowaa and Obeng to the Police and during interrogation, they admitted the offences in their investigations caution statement.

The Prosecution said the complainant led the Police to the couple’s shop and identified GHC80,000 worth of goods, with some of the goods embossed with the name of the complainant.

The complainant produced receipts on the items to buttress her claim of theft, but the couple could not produce any documents in respect of any purchase.

An inventory was then taken of the goods at the Kasoa shop.

‘The audit report revealed that between the year 2013 to 2018, Safowaa stole goods worth GHC712, 229.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

Minister tasks federations to fast-track sports development

Sen. John Owan Enoh, Minister of Sports Development has called on the leadership of the sports federations in the country, to show more commitment to improving their respective federations.

The minister stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at a meeting with sports federations’ presidents and secretaries.

He said the ministry will continue to play it’s supervisory roles to push the over 33 sports federations to success, and constantly put Nigeria on the sporting map.

“We as a ministry need to show more commitment, focus and passion to succeed.

“We do not want federation presidents who are not committed or are only there to protect their interests, we need the commitment of the leadership of all the federations.

“This meeting will be periodical henceforth. Its essence is to evaluate what progress we are making as a country in the sports sector both locally and internationally,” he said.

Enoh said there was a need for the ministry and the federations to work more closely while setting achievable targets.

“It is a new beginning in the sports sector, therefore, we must as a sector, set achievable targets for ourselves.

“We will be having periodic review meetings to get feedback from the federations in terms of funds needed to prosecute competitions.

“We need to reposition this sector to achieve what we want to achieve, we are ready to collaborate with the federations to succeed,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federation presidents at the meeting, pledged more commitment to repositioning their respective sport while calling for more funding.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

DNA relationship testing: 74% of tested men in Nigeria are biological fathers

Smart DNA, a leading DNA testing center based in Lagos, Nigeria, has released a comprehensive data analysis of all relationship DNA tests conducted at its facility between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023.

Notable in the report is that 73.88 per cent of men who did relationship testing to verify the paternity of children came out positive as their biological fathers .

Negative results were 26.12 per cent of those who were tested, the analysis released on Tuesday said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that DNA is Deoxyribonucleic acid; it is the material that carries genetic information for the development and functioning of an organism.

A DNA test (genetic testing) is a medical test that can identify mutations in one’s genes, chromosomes or proteins.

These tests provide information about an individual’s ancestral roots.

A DNA relationship test is the use of genetic profiles to determine whether an individual is the biological parent of another individual.

The Smart DNA report, based on thousands of users, provides an unprecedented insight into the DNA testing trends across Nigeria.

The analysis also showed startling findings about the reasons people seek testing, the demographics of those tested, and the outcomes of the tests.

On geographical spread, the report showed that Lagos accounted for the highest percentage of tests, with 82.89 per cent of the total.

This is followed by Oyo (3.29 per cent), Ogun (3.07 per cent) and FCT (2.63 per cent and Rivers (2.41 per cent).

“This heavy concentration in Lagos, particularly the Mainland (68.14 percent) compared to the Island (31.86 per cent), is likely due to the location of Smart DNA’s office in Lagos.

“Also likely due to the purchasing power of the state’s residents, and the high population density of the state,’’ it said.

The report showed that the majority of tests (89.10 per cent) were conducted for ‘Peace of Mind’, followed by ‘Immigration’ (8.97 per cent), and ‘Legal’ (0.64 per cent).

“ This suggests that individuals primarily seek DNA testing to confirm biological relationships for personal reasons rather than legal or immigration purposes.’’

It showed that men were the predominant initiators of contact, making up 86.44 per cent of the first contacts, compared to 13.56 per cent made by women.

“This indicates that men are more likely to have doubts about paternity or other relationships and take the initiative to seek testing,’’ it said.

“Positive results indicating that the man tested is the biological father of the child, accounted for 73.88 per cent of tests, while negative results made up 26.12 per cent.

“ This suggests that in the majority of cases, the men seeking testing are indeed the biological fathers, but in more than 1 in 4 cases, the tested father is not the biological father of the child’’.

On Ethnic Group, the Yoruba ethnic group had the highest percentage of tests (61.23 per cent), followed by Igbo (19.07 per cent).

“ Others (12.08 per cent), and Edo (6.78 per cent). This may be reflective of the ethnic distribution in Lagos and the surrounding areas’’.

On the sex of the child, more tests were conducted on male children (56.62 per cent) compared to female children (43.38 per cent).

It said that this may suggest a cultural preference for confirming paternity of male offspring, although further research would be needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Analysing the age range of those tested, it said that most tests were conducted on children aged 0-5 years (58.02 per cent), followed by the 6-12 age group (25.95 per cent).

“This indicates that paternity tests are mostly done on children when they are younger rather than when they get older’.

The Smart DNA findings said that the men who opted for these DNA tests were mostly between the ages of 31-40 years (40 per cent) and 41-50 years (23 per cent).

“ This age group is likely to have young children and may be in a financial position to afford the testing’’.

Officials of Smart DNA said the centre is committed to providing fully accredited DNA testing services to clients in accordance with the highest international standards.

According to them, the report aims to shed light on the current trends in relationship DNA testing in Nigeria, contributing to a better understanding of this important aspect of our society. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

African carriers need additional 160 aircraft by 2042 – Airbus Director

Mr Joep Ellers, Airbus Airline Marketing Director for Africa, had said that

African carriers will need at least 160 new passenger and freighter aircraft to meet the rising demand by 2042.

Ellers made the assertion on Tuesday in Abuja while addressing newsmen ahead of Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition scheduled to hold on Sept. 13 to Sept.14. in Abuja.

According to him, the Airbus Global Market has predicted that passenger traffic to, from and within Africa will increase by 4.1 per cent yearly over the next twenty years with demand driven by urbanisation, trade and tourism.

He added that the percentage of passenger traffic could rise even faster if the Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM) could be fully implemented across the continent.

“Airbus’s presence in Africa is as diverse as the continent itself. Since the mid-1970s our range of innovative commercial airliners have operated on routes to, from and within the

continent.

“Africa was the first export market for Airbus’s very first commercial jetliner, the A300. It was also one of the first export markets for the A320.

” The world’s first fly-by-wire controlled commercial airliner, which set the standard for fully digital airliners,” he said

He said Airbus since then had become synonymous with air travel to, from and within Africa with more than 270 Airbus aircraft currently being flown by nearly 40 African operators across the

continent.

According to him, customers in the region presently account for 295 orders while African carriers are increasingly aware of the operational and economic benefits of acquiring new and modern aircraft.

“In fact, today airlines on the continent operate some of the most efficient and technologically advanced aircraft such as the A350XWB, A330neo, A320neo and the A220.

“Africa’s Airbus operators include customers such as Ethiopian Airlines, Rwandair, Air Senegal, South African Airways, Air Côte d’Ivoire, EgyptAir and more.

“In addition, a number of international carriers operate Airbus long-haul products on their

routes to African destinations,” he said.

The director said made in Africa Airbus’ inclusive approach to commercial and industrial opportunities, was founded on collaboration and the establishment of mutually-beneficial long-term public and private sector partnerships.

According to him, Airbus supply chain in Africa represents more than 100 direct or indirect suppliers as at today , with most of them based in Morocco, Tunisia and South Africa.

“Products and services sourced from Africa include design engineering, manufacturing of aero-structures, control surface components, composites and metal detail parts, door parts,

fuselage and tail-cone components, avionics racks, electrical wiring harnesses and actuators.

” Others are cabin furnishings, fuselage and cockpit linings, cargo locking mechanisms,galleys, washrooms, seat frames, satellite communications equipment, floor panels and even cockpit

windscreen wiper components.

“Similarly, Airbus’ ethos on research and knowledge is based on a shared quest for innovative solutions to underpin economic development and the improvement of lives for all,” he said.

He said Airbus had put in place relationships with prominent universities and programmes to support local startups over the past decade.

According to him, Airbus’ ambition is to cast the net wide to include centres of learning excellence and

innovative thinking across Africa.

He added that the company was also providing training and assistance, Airbus Helicopters Southern Africa operates H125 FNPT simulator in Johannesburg. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria