To Judge or Not to Judge?

The Dilemma of a Dual Citizen

Author

Chale News
August 14, 2024

So as it turned out, yesterday, 13th August was International Left-handers Day. Belated commemoration, to the Southpaws who make up 10% of the world’s population. No vex say we forget. (Sorry oo, Right-Handers, maybe next year will be your turn).

Today eh, we brought cool stories as usual and one special one from Nigeria because anything that concerns Otedola concerns us.

  • National: Dual citizen Prof. Oppong is caught between two passports and a Supreme Court seat—guess it’s decision time!

  • Politics: Dr. Bawumia’s team might not be endorsing Manasseh’s new book, but they sure are ready to turn the page on corruption!

  • Economic: Nigeria's oldest bank Is serving more drama than a Nollywood series on YouTube.

  • Politics: Napo’s not ready read Manasseh’s new book but he’s vibing with the anti-corruption plot for campaign messaging.

  • Fact of the Day: Gold and Diamonds you know but do you know Tanzanite from Tanzania?

  • Entertainment: Esther Smith says she’s got no ties with Chef Smith.

  • National: Betting as a solution for unemployment? ICS Director Eric Jerry Aidoo says we’re gambling with our future.

  • National: UTAG’s not buying NDC’s “free fees” hype—Prof. Akudugu wants to know where all these freshers are supposed to sit when the lecture halls are already full!

  • Economic: Deloitte’s got the cheat code to level up Ghana’s tax game—think digital, streamlined, and ready to rake in the revenue!

  • National: Gabby Otchere-Darko is feeling like Akufo-Addo is the unsung hero of Ghana’s recent history.

QUICK BYTE

  • What’s happening with Prof. Oppong right now is, he’s got dual citizenship—Ghanaian and Canadian—but the Parliament peeps are like, "Nah, you gotta pick one if you want to be a Supreme Court judge."

    Dr. Forson made it crystal clear: no dual loyalties allowed on the bench. So, it’s decision time for Prof. Oppong—does he stick with the Ghanaian side or keep his Canadian ties? Either way, he’s in for some serious FOMO, and we’re all just here waiting to see which passport makes the cut. Want the deets in full? Check out the Deep Dive section.

  • Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (Napo) is turning Manasseh Azure Awuni’s new book a rallying cry against corruption. Although he’s not officially endorsing the contents. ”He’s like, “Not sure I agree with all this, but keep up the good work, fam.”

    Oh, and BTW, Napo’s betting that by November, Manasseh will be swapping Naana Jane for Team Napo. —because, hey, anything can happen! Get the 411 in the Deep Dive section below

  • First Bank Holdings is in the middle of an ownership showdown between Femi Otedola and Oba Otudeko’s Barbican Capital. Otedola’s got the bank’s 2023 report backing his claim as top shareholder, but Barbican says, “Nah, we’ve got 15.01% and receipts to prove it.” Now, Barbican’s taking the bank to court, accusing them of shady bookkeeping.

    This saga traces back to 2015’s oil market crash, which left First Bank on shaky ground and under the thumb of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Read more in the Deep Dive Section.

  • Betting in political campaigns? ICS Director Eric Jerry Aidoo is like, “Nah, fam, that’s a hard pass.” He’s out here warning that promoting betting as a quick fix for unemployment is a recipe for disaster —think addiction and crime. And let’s not forget, Ghana’s mental health services aren’t exactly ready to handle the chaos that could follow.

    Meanwhile, over in Europe, they’re slapping heavy taxes on betting to keep folks from getting too hooked. But here in Ghana? Both Bawumia and Mahama are like, “Yeah, betting tax? We’re not fans.” Read more

  • Esther Smith, the OG gospel queen, just cleared the air about Chef Smith—you know, the guy who announced that he’s the new Guinness World Record champ for the longest cooking sesh. Turns out, there’s zero connection between them. Yep, nada, zilch. When Abeiku slid into her DMs (well, it was more of an interview) asking if they were fam, Esther was like, “Nah, fam, just because we share the same last name doesn’t mean we’re related.” Read more

FACT OF THE DAY

❝

This rare gem discovered in the 1960s is found only in a tiny area near the Mererani Hills in Tanzania. Tanzanite can magically shift colors from blue to violet to burgundy depending on lighting and angles.

Jeweler Tiffany & Co. christened it "Tanzanite," a name far more glamorous than its scientific title, "blue-violet zoisite." In 2002, it became the first new birthstone added to the December lineup in nearly a century.

Bonus: Tanzanite rarer than diamonds  

  • So, the NDC’s promising free uni fees for all freshers, but UTAG’s Prof. Akudugu is like, “Cool story, bro, but where’s the backup plan?” With uni campuses already bursting at the seams, UTAG’s wondering if this is just one of those shiny ideas that sounds great until you realize you can’t actually make it happen—like when you promise to start gyming on Monday, but Monday never comes.

    UTAG is also asking if the NDC is gonna cover the basics too—like lecture theatres, utilities, and, oh yeah, paying the lecturers. Apparently, the money taps are running dry, and the only thing the government’s paying for is salaries. Read more

  • So, Deloitte Ghana just dropped some serious knowledge bombs on how Ghana can up its tax game, and let’s just say, it’s not your typical “pay your taxes, folks!” They’re pushing for a massive digital overhaul to make life easier for taxpayers, especially at the ports, where right now, doing business feels like you’re navigating a maze without Google Maps. The firm’s also saying, “Hey, Ghana, let’s clean up that tax register like we’re Marie Kondo-ing your cluttered closet.” They are urging the government to get its act together with the Emissions Levy and plastics tax, because saving the planet and making money? Total win-win. And in case you thought they were done, they want to bring back road and bridge tolls but with a modern twist. Read more

  • Gabby Otchere-Darko is calling out Ghanaians for not giving Akufo-Addo enough credit for holding it down during some pretty rough times. From taking us out of “Dumsor” to ensuring more kids are getting quality education, Gabby thinks we’re sleeping on Nana Addo’s achievements and it’s high time we noticed and start giving credit where credit’s due. Read more

DEEP DIVE

Passport Problems: Can a Dual Citizen Wear the Judge's Robes?

Choosing between fufu and banku for lunch. That’s kinda easy. Wish same could be said for Professor Richard Frimpong Oppong. The man’s got two citizenships—Ghanaian and Canadian—and is now being told by Dr. Ato Forson and his Parliament squad that if he wants to sit on the Supreme Court, he’s gotta pick a side.

Dr. Forson wasn’t holding back either. He straight-up told Prof. Oppong, "Bro, you gotta drop one of those passports if you wanna roll with us." Apparently, the Constitution says no dual loyalty in the judge's seat—one passport to rule them all, and that’s non-negotiable.

Now, imagine being Prof. Oppong, with one foot in Canada and the other in Ghana, and now you’ve got to decide which country gets your full loyalty. How do you even choose? But, hey, it’s the law, and the man’s got a tough decision to make before he can slide into that Supreme Court robe.

Meanwhile, the NDC's Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah is watching this like, "Wait, so it’s cool for a judge but not for an MP?" You know, since they just booted Gyakye Quayson for a similar reason. The plot thickens, and honestly, we’re all just here with our popcorn, waiting to see which passport Prof. Oppong will ditch or if he’ll find a loophole to keep both. Read more

NAPO vs Manasseh’s Book vs Corruption

So, Napo just pulled a classic "not endorsing but kinda vibing" move with Manasseh’s new book, The President Ghana Never Got. Imagine rolling up to your crew, book in hand, and saying, “Yo, I haven’t read this yet, but props for writing it!” That’s basically what went down when Napo accepted copies of Manasseh’s book on behalf of Dr. Bawumia. He’s like, “This doesn’t mean I agree with everything inside, but I’m here for the anti-corruption grind.”

He threw in some spicy predictions—like, come 2028, Manasseh might just drop a sequel about how Bawumia bodied corruption. Napo’s convinced that by November, Manasseh will be switching teams faster than you can say “plot twist,” ditching Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang for Napo. I mean, who wouldn’t want to root for the guy who’s out here predicting his own redemption arc?

Napo kept it light, cracking jokes while making it clear that he and Bawumia aren’t here to play when it comes to fighting corruption. So yeah, Manasseh might want to start drafting that next book, because Napo’s already setting the stage for the ultimate corruption takedown—just don’t ask him to give a book review anytime soon. Read more

When your bank has more plot twists than your weekend binge-watch, you know it’s serious!


First Bank Holdings, the OG of Nigeria’s banking scene, is caught up in a drama that’s juicier than a BB Naija All stars reunion. Two heavyweight contenders—Femi Otedola and Oba Otudeko’s Barbican Capital—are duking it out to claim the title of “Biggest Shareholder.” And let’s just say, things are getting spicy.

So, the bank’s official 2023 report crowns Femi Otedola as the top shareholder with a 9.41% stake. But hold up—Barbican Capital, repping Honeywell Group, claps back with receipts from the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) showing they’ve got a whopping 15.01% slice of the pie. Even the bank’s own registrar, Meristem, is backing Barbican with 5.38 billion shares. Awkward.

Now, Barbican Capital isn’t here to play. They’ve taken First Bank to court, accusing them of switching up the numbers in the audited financials after already giving them credit in the unaudited version. First Bank’s response? A cryptic, “No comment outside the court.”

But wait, there’s more. The roots of this beef go back to 2015, when Nigeria’s oil market hit the skids, dragging First Bank’s fortunes down with it. The bank was barely hanging on, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) swooped in with a forbearance plan to help them out. Fast forward to April 2021, and the drama escalated when the First Bank board tried to boot their managing director. The CBN didn’t just throw shade—they dissolved the whole board in 24 hours, blaming non-compliance on loans linked to Honeywell Group. Oh, and they demanded Honeywell pay up within 48 hours.

Honeywell Group, not one to be bullied, paid back the loans in record time, four years ahead of schedule. But the move raised eyebrows—was this a power play or just a savvy business move?

Now, as the dust starts to settle, the battle isn’t just about who owns what. It’s about the future of corporate governance in Nigeria. Will First Bank emerge stronger, or will it crumble under the pressure? Whatever happens, you can bet we’re all watching like it’s the season finale of our favorite show. Read more

NEWS SOURCES

Today’s stories are curated from: