Story: Kofi Yeboah
THE President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana, Rt Rev Dr Paul Kofi Fynn, says it is unfortunate to see some churches put up huge and flamboyant chapel buildings while millions of people suffer from abject poverty.
He described poverty as wicked, saying it was the responsibility of the church to rescue the people from the shackles of poverty.
“It’s our responsibility to work together as Christians and fight against poverty because Christians are a voice of the voiceless”, he said.
Rt Rev Dr Fynn made the remark on Sunday when he delivered a sermon at a special church service in Accra during which a seven-member Task Force on Poverty Alleviation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Africa was launched to fight against poverty on the continent.
Members of the task force, who were inaugurated in Accra on Sunday, are Rt Rev Fynn, Bishop Dr Z. Kameeta, Bishop Dr Zephania and Ms Magareth Hansen, all of the Lutheran Church in Namibia.
The rest are Bishop Naison Shava of the Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe; Dr Senait Bahta of the church in Eritrea; and Mr Geoffrey Kalugendo of the church in Tanzania.
The campaign, dubbed, “Churches - Stand up against poverty in Africa”, is aimed at mobilising material and financial resources from Africa, the corporate world and countries committed to the cause of Africa to support the millions of people enslaved by poverty on the continent.
Rt Rev Dr Fynn urged churches in Africa to unite and fight against poverty on the continent.
He said God established the church to address problems facing mankind, such as poverty, adding that “It is a task that has to be performed, not by our power, not by our might, but by the power of Jesus Christ who strengthens us”.
Rt Rev Dr Fynn recounted many instances in recent times when even mothers inflicted harm on their children because they were alleged to have stolen money or fish from soup, and other heinous crimes in society, most of which cause he attributed to poverty.
He observed that poverty had also affected the church to the extent that many Christians doubted God’s graciousness and promises to them.
Rt Rev Dr Fynn urged African governments to show greater commitment towards addressing poverty in their countries, particularly by amending laws inimical to wealth creation.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
PROTECT MIGRATORY BIRDS - CONSERVATIONISTS (P.28) 17-12-07
Story: Kofi Yeboah
MIGRATORY bird conservationists from Africa and other parts of the world are meeting in Accra to discuss ways of enhancing the protection of migratory birds.
The meeting, under the joint auspices of BirdLife International and Wetlands International, both international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), is being hosted by the Ghana Wildlife Society.
It is organised under the framework of the Flyways Conservation and “Wings Over Wetlands (WOW) Projects, and sponsored by the Global Environment Facility of the United Nations Environment Programme and the German government.
The Flyways Conservation Project, entitled “Supporting the growth and development of BirdLife programmes for global flyways conservation with special focus on West Africa”, is a three-year project (2006 - 2009) aimed at developing a flyway conservation approach as an additional mechanism for the conservation of birds around the world.
The WOW Project, on the other hand, is a four-year project, which began in 2006, and is aimed at improving the conservation of migratory water birds within the framework of the African Euroasian Water bird Agreement (AEWA) by assisting countries to take measures to conserve critical sites that water birds require to complete their annual cycle.
Thousands of migratory water birds travel annually from Europe around this time on flyways between Western Europe, North Africa, West Africa and South Africa, and in the course of their journey, they face hostilities from humans and other birds.
The Global Important Birds Area Co-ordinator of BirdLife International, Dr Lincoln Fishpool, underlined the need to protect water birds because their population had been decreasing.
He called for greater commitment from African government towards adopting initiatives to protect water birds.
The Senior Biodiversity Officer of Wetlands International, Mr Szabolcs Nagy, the workshop sought to encourage governments to identify the most critical areas of conserving water birds.
MIGRATORY bird conservationists from Africa and other parts of the world are meeting in Accra to discuss ways of enhancing the protection of migratory birds.
The meeting, under the joint auspices of BirdLife International and Wetlands International, both international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), is being hosted by the Ghana Wildlife Society.
It is organised under the framework of the Flyways Conservation and “Wings Over Wetlands (WOW) Projects, and sponsored by the Global Environment Facility of the United Nations Environment Programme and the German government.
The Flyways Conservation Project, entitled “Supporting the growth and development of BirdLife programmes for global flyways conservation with special focus on West Africa”, is a three-year project (2006 - 2009) aimed at developing a flyway conservation approach as an additional mechanism for the conservation of birds around the world.
The WOW Project, on the other hand, is a four-year project, which began in 2006, and is aimed at improving the conservation of migratory water birds within the framework of the African Euroasian Water bird Agreement (AEWA) by assisting countries to take measures to conserve critical sites that water birds require to complete their annual cycle.
Thousands of migratory water birds travel annually from Europe around this time on flyways between Western Europe, North Africa, West Africa and South Africa, and in the course of their journey, they face hostilities from humans and other birds.
The Global Important Birds Area Co-ordinator of BirdLife International, Dr Lincoln Fishpool, underlined the need to protect water birds because their population had been decreasing.
He called for greater commitment from African government towards adopting initiatives to protect water birds.
The Senior Biodiversity Officer of Wetlands International, Mr Szabolcs Nagy, the workshop sought to encourage governments to identify the most critical areas of conserving water birds.
PROTECT MIGRATORY BIRDS - CONSERVATIONISTS (P.28) 17-12-07
Story: Kofi Yeboah
MIGRATORY bird conservationists from Africa and other parts of the world are meeting in Accra to discuss ways of enhancing the protection of migratory birds.
The meeting, under the joint auspices of BirdLife International and Wetlands International, both international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), is being hosted by the Ghana Wildlife Society.
It is organised under the framework of the Flyways Conservation and “Wings Over Wetlands (WOW) Projects, and sponsored by the Global Environment Facility of the United Nations Environment Programme and the German government.
The Flyways Conservation Project, entitled “Supporting the growth and development of BirdLife programmes for global flyways conservation with special focus on West Africa”, is a three-year project (2006 - 2009) aimed at developing a flyway conservation approach as an additional mechanism for the conservation of birds around the world.
The WOW Project, on the other hand, is a four-year project, which began in 2006, and is aimed at improving the conservation of migratory water birds within the framework of the African Euroasian Water bird Agreement (AEWA) by assisting countries to take measures to conserve critical sites that water birds require to complete their annual cycle.
Thousands of migratory water birds travel annually from Europe around this time on flyways between Western Europe, North Africa, West Africa and South Africa, and in the course of their journey, they face hostilities from humans and other birds.
The Global Important Birds Area Co-ordinator of BirdLife International, Dr Lincoln Fishpool, underlined the need to protect water birds because their population had been decreasing.
He called for greater commitment from African government towards adopting initiatives to protect water birds.
The Senior Biodiversity Officer of Wetlands International, Mr Szabolcs Nagy, the workshop sought to encourage governments to identify the most critical areas of conserving water birds.
MIGRATORY bird conservationists from Africa and other parts of the world are meeting in Accra to discuss ways of enhancing the protection of migratory birds.
The meeting, under the joint auspices of BirdLife International and Wetlands International, both international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), is being hosted by the Ghana Wildlife Society.
It is organised under the framework of the Flyways Conservation and “Wings Over Wetlands (WOW) Projects, and sponsored by the Global Environment Facility of the United Nations Environment Programme and the German government.
The Flyways Conservation Project, entitled “Supporting the growth and development of BirdLife programmes for global flyways conservation with special focus on West Africa”, is a three-year project (2006 - 2009) aimed at developing a flyway conservation approach as an additional mechanism for the conservation of birds around the world.
The WOW Project, on the other hand, is a four-year project, which began in 2006, and is aimed at improving the conservation of migratory water birds within the framework of the African Euroasian Water bird Agreement (AEWA) by assisting countries to take measures to conserve critical sites that water birds require to complete their annual cycle.
Thousands of migratory water birds travel annually from Europe around this time on flyways between Western Europe, North Africa, West Africa and South Africa, and in the course of their journey, they face hostilities from humans and other birds.
The Global Important Birds Area Co-ordinator of BirdLife International, Dr Lincoln Fishpool, underlined the need to protect water birds because their population had been decreasing.
He called for greater commitment from African government towards adopting initiatives to protect water birds.
The Senior Biodiversity Officer of Wetlands International, Mr Szabolcs Nagy, the workshop sought to encourage governments to identify the most critical areas of conserving water birds.
Monday, December 17, 2007
GHANA NEEDS PARADIGM SHIFT (P.16/17) 15-12-07
Story: Kofi Yeboah
THE aspiration of Ghana becoming a first-class country in the next 50 years requires a radical paradigm shift in governance, policies, attitude and every other aspect of the nation’s life, speakers at a symposium in Accra have noted.
According to the speakers — Mr Emmanuel Dei-Tumi, Mr Yonny Kulendi, Dr Nana Akua Anyidoho and Ms Nancy Myles — Ghana had the potential to join the comity of developed countries in the next 50 years, but cautioned that that dream would be elusive if Ghanaians continued to do “business as usual”.
They made the point on Thursday when they delivered the 13th in the series of Golden Jubilee Lectures organised by the Ghana@50 Secretariat as part of activities to commemorate Ghana’s Golden Jubilee.
The event drew the curtain on a 46-week intellectual discourses, which began on January 25, 2007, to celebrate the achievements of the nation over the past 50 years and to recommend the path of economic progress and development to chart in the next 50 years.
Among the distinguished personalities who delivered the lecture series were the immediate past Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Kofi Annan; the renowned African historian, Professor Ali Mazrui; the Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Mr J. H. Mensah; a renowned Ghanaian diplomat, Mr K. B. Asante; a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ivan Addae-Mensah, and Professor Kofi Kumado of the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana.
Last Thursday’s event was a departure from the previous lectures, at least in two respects. First, it took the form of a symposium and second, the platform was shared by four young persons aged between 24 and 40 who represented the future.
The previous lectures featured one speaker at a time and were mostly delivered by the aged, who to a large extent, represented Ghana’s past.
Speaking on the broad theme, “Ghana, the next 50 years: Our hopes, our vision, our aspirations”, the speakers at the symposium exhibited great intelligence, eloquence and vision in their delivery, giving the audience a sense of satisfaction that there is hope for the future.
“I can now depart in peace because the youth have shown that they are ready to take over the mantle,” Mr Kwame Pianim, the chairman for the occasion, could not hide his pleasure at the delivery by the four young persons.
When he took his turn at the podium, Mr Dei-Tumi inspired confidence in the audience with his characteristic powerful and motivational speech as he outlined the possibility of Ghana becoming a developed country by 2050.
“If we must become not just a middle-income economy but a first-class nation, then we must begin to think ‘Ghana first’ and sign up to the ‘Ghanaian dream’ of national unity, peace and economic progress,” he remarked.
Mr Dei-Tumi, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Future Leaders Group, said in order to achieve national unity, peace and sustainable economic growth to propel the nation into a first-class country, there was the need to start thinking seriously about growing transformational leaders in the country.
“The next 50 years will require a new way of thinking about all the issues involving national development and politics on the part of all, but most importantly, on the part of leaders,” he pointed out.
Mr Yonny Kulendi, the Managing Practitioner of Kulendi @ Law, an Accra legal firm, spelt out a number of charges that the nation ought to keep in order to realise the dream of becoming a developed country by 2050.
The charges included the need for every Ghanaian to develop their talents and potential to the ultimate for the development of the country; the need for all to build for their family a home free from gender, ethnic and racial prejudice, discrimination and bigotry; the need for all to remember the central theme of Ghana’s National Anthem and keep it holy; and the need to eschew indiscipline in every fabric of society, which had been the bane of the country’s development.
Mr Kulendi, who is a 2007 Fellow of Africa Leadership Initiative (West Africa), said to be able to combat indiscipline as the nation entered a new dawn, it was imperative to have leadership by example at the highest level, political will to combat corruption at all levels, commitment to the principles of natural justice and procedural fairness, and commitment to human rights, among other conditions.
“Ghanaians are at the crossroads of a momentous history; we are at that critical juncture in the life of our beloved nation when the past pleads for forgiveness from the present, when the present embraces the future with hope and optimism, and when the future beams with confidence and pride because we have come of age,” he said.
At the turn of Dr Nana Akua Anyidoho, a Research Fellow at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana, she said “we cannot grasp the potential of the next 50 years unless we get the basics right today”.
“A healthy dose of national self-confidence should translate into greater self-reliance; as individuals and communities, we will not need to constantly ‘appeal to the government to come to our aid’, and as a nation, we will not continue to hold out a begging bowl to our development partners,” the Spencer Foundation and Gwendolyn Carter Fellowship Awards winner said.
The youngest of the four speakers, Ms Nancy Myles, a First Class Philosophy degree holder and now an MPhil student at the University of Ghana, expressed the hope that by 2057, ethnic consciousness would dissolve and a higher level of national identity would emerge.
She further expressed the optimism that in the next 50 years, the status of women would improve such that they would not be oppressed and suppressed; subjected to ordeals like widowhood rites, female genital mutilation and trokosi system; considered as intellectually inferior to men; and not be relegated to the kitchen.
The Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (retd), who was the guest of honour, said the attainment of the dreams of the nation required drastic measures away from the “business as usual” approach of doing things.
“Some people have planned our generation for us. We must also plan for the next generation. But what do we have to offer?” He wondered.
The Co-ordinator of the Golden Jubilee Lectures, Prof. Kwame Gyekye, thanked all the speakers, chairmen, guests of honour, sponsors and all those who contributed in diverse ways to the successful organisation of the lectures.
He extended an invitation to all Ghanaians to the next lecture series in January 2057 when Ghana celebrates her Centennial anniversary, an invitation that drew laughter from the audience.
THE aspiration of Ghana becoming a first-class country in the next 50 years requires a radical paradigm shift in governance, policies, attitude and every other aspect of the nation’s life, speakers at a symposium in Accra have noted.
According to the speakers — Mr Emmanuel Dei-Tumi, Mr Yonny Kulendi, Dr Nana Akua Anyidoho and Ms Nancy Myles — Ghana had the potential to join the comity of developed countries in the next 50 years, but cautioned that that dream would be elusive if Ghanaians continued to do “business as usual”.
They made the point on Thursday when they delivered the 13th in the series of Golden Jubilee Lectures organised by the Ghana@50 Secretariat as part of activities to commemorate Ghana’s Golden Jubilee.
The event drew the curtain on a 46-week intellectual discourses, which began on January 25, 2007, to celebrate the achievements of the nation over the past 50 years and to recommend the path of economic progress and development to chart in the next 50 years.
Among the distinguished personalities who delivered the lecture series were the immediate past Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Kofi Annan; the renowned African historian, Professor Ali Mazrui; the Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Mr J. H. Mensah; a renowned Ghanaian diplomat, Mr K. B. Asante; a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ivan Addae-Mensah, and Professor Kofi Kumado of the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana.
Last Thursday’s event was a departure from the previous lectures, at least in two respects. First, it took the form of a symposium and second, the platform was shared by four young persons aged between 24 and 40 who represented the future.
The previous lectures featured one speaker at a time and were mostly delivered by the aged, who to a large extent, represented Ghana’s past.
Speaking on the broad theme, “Ghana, the next 50 years: Our hopes, our vision, our aspirations”, the speakers at the symposium exhibited great intelligence, eloquence and vision in their delivery, giving the audience a sense of satisfaction that there is hope for the future.
“I can now depart in peace because the youth have shown that they are ready to take over the mantle,” Mr Kwame Pianim, the chairman for the occasion, could not hide his pleasure at the delivery by the four young persons.
When he took his turn at the podium, Mr Dei-Tumi inspired confidence in the audience with his characteristic powerful and motivational speech as he outlined the possibility of Ghana becoming a developed country by 2050.
“If we must become not just a middle-income economy but a first-class nation, then we must begin to think ‘Ghana first’ and sign up to the ‘Ghanaian dream’ of national unity, peace and economic progress,” he remarked.
Mr Dei-Tumi, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Future Leaders Group, said in order to achieve national unity, peace and sustainable economic growth to propel the nation into a first-class country, there was the need to start thinking seriously about growing transformational leaders in the country.
“The next 50 years will require a new way of thinking about all the issues involving national development and politics on the part of all, but most importantly, on the part of leaders,” he pointed out.
Mr Yonny Kulendi, the Managing Practitioner of Kulendi @ Law, an Accra legal firm, spelt out a number of charges that the nation ought to keep in order to realise the dream of becoming a developed country by 2050.
The charges included the need for every Ghanaian to develop their talents and potential to the ultimate for the development of the country; the need for all to build for their family a home free from gender, ethnic and racial prejudice, discrimination and bigotry; the need for all to remember the central theme of Ghana’s National Anthem and keep it holy; and the need to eschew indiscipline in every fabric of society, which had been the bane of the country’s development.
Mr Kulendi, who is a 2007 Fellow of Africa Leadership Initiative (West Africa), said to be able to combat indiscipline as the nation entered a new dawn, it was imperative to have leadership by example at the highest level, political will to combat corruption at all levels, commitment to the principles of natural justice and procedural fairness, and commitment to human rights, among other conditions.
“Ghanaians are at the crossroads of a momentous history; we are at that critical juncture in the life of our beloved nation when the past pleads for forgiveness from the present, when the present embraces the future with hope and optimism, and when the future beams with confidence and pride because we have come of age,” he said.
At the turn of Dr Nana Akua Anyidoho, a Research Fellow at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana, she said “we cannot grasp the potential of the next 50 years unless we get the basics right today”.
“A healthy dose of national self-confidence should translate into greater self-reliance; as individuals and communities, we will not need to constantly ‘appeal to the government to come to our aid’, and as a nation, we will not continue to hold out a begging bowl to our development partners,” the Spencer Foundation and Gwendolyn Carter Fellowship Awards winner said.
The youngest of the four speakers, Ms Nancy Myles, a First Class Philosophy degree holder and now an MPhil student at the University of Ghana, expressed the hope that by 2057, ethnic consciousness would dissolve and a higher level of national identity would emerge.
She further expressed the optimism that in the next 50 years, the status of women would improve such that they would not be oppressed and suppressed; subjected to ordeals like widowhood rites, female genital mutilation and trokosi system; considered as intellectually inferior to men; and not be relegated to the kitchen.
The Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (retd), who was the guest of honour, said the attainment of the dreams of the nation required drastic measures away from the “business as usual” approach of doing things.
“Some people have planned our generation for us. We must also plan for the next generation. But what do we have to offer?” He wondered.
The Co-ordinator of the Golden Jubilee Lectures, Prof. Kwame Gyekye, thanked all the speakers, chairmen, guests of honour, sponsors and all those who contributed in diverse ways to the successful organisation of the lectures.
He extended an invitation to all Ghanaians to the next lecture series in January 2057 when Ghana celebrates her Centennial anniversary, an invitation that drew laughter from the audience.
Friday, December 14, 2007
WE LACK VISION -- SAYS EMMANUEL DEI-TUMI (FRONT PAGE) 12/12/07
A GHANAIAN motivational speaker, Mr Emmanuel Dei-Tumi, has described as a shame the fact that 50 years after independence, Ghana has still not developed a sustainable national vision for socio-economic transformation.
Mr Dei-Tumi, who is also the Chief Executive of Future Leaders Group, therefore, recommended the formulation of a national vision based on the three pillars of peace, unity and economic progress for the next 50 years to propel the country into a developed economy.
Ahead of a lecture he will deliver tomorrow in the last of the Golden Jubilee Lecture series, the speaker told the Daily Graphic yesterday that such a vision required a shift in the leadership of the country and a non-partisan approach in order to elicit the support of every Ghanaian.
In its 50-year history, some of the strategies Ghana has experimented with include the Seven-Year Development Plan of Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party (CPP) government (1957-1966), the Rural Integration Policy of Prime Minister K.A. Busia’s Progress Party (PP) government (1969-1972), and the irrigation-propelled Agricultural Revolution of General Acheampong’s National Redemption Council (NRC) and the Supreme Military Council (SMC) governments (1972-1979).
Others have been the Vision 2020 of former President J.J. Rawlings’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) government and the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) One and Two of President Kufuor’s New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
In the last Golden Jubilee lecture tomorrow, Mr Dei-Tumi will be speaking alongside three others — Mr Yonny Kulendi, Dr Nana Akua Anyidoho and Ms Nancy Myles — at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).
“The leadership of the country must set the tone and define our destination in the next 50 years,” he said.
The lecture, which is under the auspices of the Ghana@50 Secretariat, forms part of activities to commemorate Ghana’s Golden Jubilee.
According to Mr Dei-Tumi, there could not be economic progress in the 21st century without peace and unity and that was why it was important to have a vision based on those three pillars.
He said the question of where Ghanaians wanted the nation to be in the next 50 years demanded a national answer and not a political answer, adding, “That should inform our decision in voting to elect leaders who will take us into the next 50 years.”
Mr Dei-Tumi said although past leaders of the country did not fare badly, they could not develop a nationalistic vision because they lacked the capacity to massively mobilise the people behind their ideas.
He said the history of the country indicated a change in administrative direction every three years, citing the deviation from Africanism to socialism under the Nkrumah regime and then to capitalism under the Busia regime.
He said even under the long regime of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), the government deviated from its liberal approach to a capitalist approach under the influence of the Breton Woods institutions.
He described the regimes of SMC I & II as the dark age in the country’s history because they were totally bereft of any vision for the nation.
According to Mr Dei-Tumi, there was a difference between vision and policy, pointing out that a lot of what the past governments referred to as national visions were rather policies which often emanated from the ideologies of political parties.
He said there was the need to establish a clear national vision which could be driven by any political party in power, regardless of its ideology.
“If we have vision, we will only need a methodology to drive it; it doesn’t matter the party in power,” he indicated.
Mr Dei-Tumi said it was important for people to consider the interest of the nation ahead of partisan interests or ideology, adding that there was the need for the nation to define its common identity, such as culture and values, and formulate strategies to imprint them on the minds of the people.
He cited Malaysia as one of the Asian countries which developed a national vision to drive its development, using oil palm as a strategic means for growth.
Mr Dei-Tumi said a leader must have the ability to develop a long-term vision that he or she would be remembered for, even after death.
He mentioned competence, humility and a willingness to die for the people as some of the qualities of a good leader.
Mr Dei-Tumi, who is also the Chief Executive of Future Leaders Group, therefore, recommended the formulation of a national vision based on the three pillars of peace, unity and economic progress for the next 50 years to propel the country into a developed economy.
Ahead of a lecture he will deliver tomorrow in the last of the Golden Jubilee Lecture series, the speaker told the Daily Graphic yesterday that such a vision required a shift in the leadership of the country and a non-partisan approach in order to elicit the support of every Ghanaian.
In its 50-year history, some of the strategies Ghana has experimented with include the Seven-Year Development Plan of Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party (CPP) government (1957-1966), the Rural Integration Policy of Prime Minister K.A. Busia’s Progress Party (PP) government (1969-1972), and the irrigation-propelled Agricultural Revolution of General Acheampong’s National Redemption Council (NRC) and the Supreme Military Council (SMC) governments (1972-1979).
Others have been the Vision 2020 of former President J.J. Rawlings’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) government and the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) One and Two of President Kufuor’s New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
In the last Golden Jubilee lecture tomorrow, Mr Dei-Tumi will be speaking alongside three others — Mr Yonny Kulendi, Dr Nana Akua Anyidoho and Ms Nancy Myles — at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).
“The leadership of the country must set the tone and define our destination in the next 50 years,” he said.
The lecture, which is under the auspices of the Ghana@50 Secretariat, forms part of activities to commemorate Ghana’s Golden Jubilee.
According to Mr Dei-Tumi, there could not be economic progress in the 21st century without peace and unity and that was why it was important to have a vision based on those three pillars.
He said the question of where Ghanaians wanted the nation to be in the next 50 years demanded a national answer and not a political answer, adding, “That should inform our decision in voting to elect leaders who will take us into the next 50 years.”
Mr Dei-Tumi said although past leaders of the country did not fare badly, they could not develop a nationalistic vision because they lacked the capacity to massively mobilise the people behind their ideas.
He said the history of the country indicated a change in administrative direction every three years, citing the deviation from Africanism to socialism under the Nkrumah regime and then to capitalism under the Busia regime.
He said even under the long regime of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), the government deviated from its liberal approach to a capitalist approach under the influence of the Breton Woods institutions.
He described the regimes of SMC I & II as the dark age in the country’s history because they were totally bereft of any vision for the nation.
According to Mr Dei-Tumi, there was a difference between vision and policy, pointing out that a lot of what the past governments referred to as national visions were rather policies which often emanated from the ideologies of political parties.
He said there was the need to establish a clear national vision which could be driven by any political party in power, regardless of its ideology.
“If we have vision, we will only need a methodology to drive it; it doesn’t matter the party in power,” he indicated.
Mr Dei-Tumi said it was important for people to consider the interest of the nation ahead of partisan interests or ideology, adding that there was the need for the nation to define its common identity, such as culture and values, and formulate strategies to imprint them on the minds of the people.
He cited Malaysia as one of the Asian countries which developed a national vision to drive its development, using oil palm as a strategic means for growth.
Mr Dei-Tumi said a leader must have the ability to develop a long-term vision that he or she would be remembered for, even after death.
He mentioned competence, humility and a willingness to die for the people as some of the qualities of a good leader.
DISQUALIFY AGGUDEY -- ELSE IT COULD BE DISASTROUS, SAYS CPP NATIONAL ORGANISER (FRONT PAGE) 13/12/07
Story: Kofi Yeboah & Donald Ato Dapatem
THE National Organiser of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mr Kwesi Akoto, yesterday demanded the immediate disqualification of one of its aspiring presidential candidates, Mr George Aggudey, from the race.
Drawing parallels between the party’s current situation and what happened to the People’s National Party (PNP) of the CPP tradition ahead of the national elections in 1979, Mr Akoto said a disaster could befall the party if the two-time presidential candidate was not disqualified.
Giving reasons for his radical proposal, the national organiser said since the outcome of the court action against Mr Aggudey on his alleged refusal to pay the social security contributions of his employees, amounting to ¢10.92 billion, was not known, it could be tragic to the party’s fortunes if Mr Aggudey was allowed to contest and win the party’s flag bearer position.
Mr Aggudey, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Gocrest Security Limited, is facing trial at an Accra Circuit Court on two counts of failing to pay the social security contributions of his employees between July 2006 and August 2007.
“It will be suicidal for the CPP to put up a candidate who can possibly win, only for him to be disqualified, as happened to Imoro Egala in 1979. In 1979, the elders of the party knew that Imoro Egala was going to be disqualified, yet they ignored all wise counsel and went to congress and endorsed him. Right after congress, he was disqualified,” Mr Akoto told the Daily Graphic in Accra.
He said that situation in 1979 made the leadership of the party to go back to congress to elect Dr Hilla Limann as the presidential candidate, adding that although the party won the national election, the CPP could not gamble with such a serious issue this time.
Mr Akoto said in politics, especially given the party’s past experience, the CPP should enter the 2008 race with a candidate who was not tainted, especially with a court case of such huge magnitude hanging around his neck.
When this reporter drew his attention to the fact that in the CPP constitution it was only the party’s congress that could disqualify a candidate, he replied that from past experiences, the CPP should enter the 2008 general election with a candidate who had a clean “bill of health” because it currently had the brightest chance of winning the general election and could not afford to toy with that chance.
“I am speaking as an experienced politician who was in Parliament in the Third Republic and businessman. Objectively, the matter in court is criminal and also it has not been settled. If he is able to settle it before Friday, prior to our congress, fine. Otherwise, he should be out of the race,” he said.
He stated that hypothetically, if Mr Aggudey won the election as the CPP flag bearer at the congress on Saturday and the court subsequently ruled against him about a month or two to the national elections, the CPP could not afford to look for a candidate at that crucial moment to contest and win the elections.
Mr Aggudey was not at the last sitting of the court last Monday but he was represented by an employee of his company.
The case has been adjourned to December 28, 2007.
Meanwhile, the Public Affairs Director of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Mr Kwaku Osei-Bimpong, has denied reports that Mr Aggudey has struck a deal with SSNIT on the settlement of the outstanding social security contributions for his workers.
According to Mr Osei-Bimpong, a day before the last court sitting on the case, Mr Aggudey presented a proposal to SSNIT but indicated that management had not taken a decision on it yet.
He said the proposal was only announced to the court during proceedings. Therefore, it was wrong for anyone to suggest that the two parties had reached a compromise.
Mr Osei-Bimpong said earlier, a post-dated cheque for ¢800 million issued by Mr Aggudey to defray part of the outstanding debt had gone through, leaving him with a balance of about ¢10 billion to clear.
THE National Organiser of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mr Kwesi Akoto, yesterday demanded the immediate disqualification of one of its aspiring presidential candidates, Mr George Aggudey, from the race.
Drawing parallels between the party’s current situation and what happened to the People’s National Party (PNP) of the CPP tradition ahead of the national elections in 1979, Mr Akoto said a disaster could befall the party if the two-time presidential candidate was not disqualified.
Giving reasons for his radical proposal, the national organiser said since the outcome of the court action against Mr Aggudey on his alleged refusal to pay the social security contributions of his employees, amounting to ¢10.92 billion, was not known, it could be tragic to the party’s fortunes if Mr Aggudey was allowed to contest and win the party’s flag bearer position.
Mr Aggudey, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Gocrest Security Limited, is facing trial at an Accra Circuit Court on two counts of failing to pay the social security contributions of his employees between July 2006 and August 2007.
“It will be suicidal for the CPP to put up a candidate who can possibly win, only for him to be disqualified, as happened to Imoro Egala in 1979. In 1979, the elders of the party knew that Imoro Egala was going to be disqualified, yet they ignored all wise counsel and went to congress and endorsed him. Right after congress, he was disqualified,” Mr Akoto told the Daily Graphic in Accra.
He said that situation in 1979 made the leadership of the party to go back to congress to elect Dr Hilla Limann as the presidential candidate, adding that although the party won the national election, the CPP could not gamble with such a serious issue this time.
Mr Akoto said in politics, especially given the party’s past experience, the CPP should enter the 2008 race with a candidate who was not tainted, especially with a court case of such huge magnitude hanging around his neck.
When this reporter drew his attention to the fact that in the CPP constitution it was only the party’s congress that could disqualify a candidate, he replied that from past experiences, the CPP should enter the 2008 general election with a candidate who had a clean “bill of health” because it currently had the brightest chance of winning the general election and could not afford to toy with that chance.
“I am speaking as an experienced politician who was in Parliament in the Third Republic and businessman. Objectively, the matter in court is criminal and also it has not been settled. If he is able to settle it before Friday, prior to our congress, fine. Otherwise, he should be out of the race,” he said.
He stated that hypothetically, if Mr Aggudey won the election as the CPP flag bearer at the congress on Saturday and the court subsequently ruled against him about a month or two to the national elections, the CPP could not afford to look for a candidate at that crucial moment to contest and win the elections.
Mr Aggudey was not at the last sitting of the court last Monday but he was represented by an employee of his company.
The case has been adjourned to December 28, 2007.
Meanwhile, the Public Affairs Director of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Mr Kwaku Osei-Bimpong, has denied reports that Mr Aggudey has struck a deal with SSNIT on the settlement of the outstanding social security contributions for his workers.
According to Mr Osei-Bimpong, a day before the last court sitting on the case, Mr Aggudey presented a proposal to SSNIT but indicated that management had not taken a decision on it yet.
He said the proposal was only announced to the court during proceedings. Therefore, it was wrong for anyone to suggest that the two parties had reached a compromise.
Mr Osei-Bimpong said earlier, a post-dated cheque for ¢800 million issued by Mr Aggudey to defray part of the outstanding debt had gone through, leaving him with a balance of about ¢10 billion to clear.
LAW ON CAUSING FINANCIAL LOSS MILD -- BRIGHT AKWETEY DECLARES (P.3)
Story: Kofi Yeboah.
An aspirant for the flag-bearer position of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mr Bright Akwetey, has stated that the law on causing financial loss to the state under the Criminal Code, 1960 is too mild to deter people from corrupt practices.
He has, therefore, asked the Attorney-General to use the Public Property Protection Decree, 1977, which, in his view, was more biting than the Criminal Code, to prosecute people who indulge in corruption.
“We should make it such that it is not profitable, attractive or interesting for anybody to indulge in these crimes and this is the appropriate law to use,” Mr Akwetey told the Daily Graphic on Wednesday.
“Corruption is too rampant and pervasive in the country and something must be done about it. There is need for commitment to fight corruption without fear or favour, affection or ill will. If we don’t stop or minimise corruption in this country, you can have economic recovery programmes, structural adjustment programmes, poverty alleviation programmes, whatever programme and best social policy, but you will fail because of corruption,” he added.
Since the law on causing financial loss to the state was applied against Messrs Kwame Peprah, Victor Selormey and Dan Abodakpi, all former Ministers of State in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, a few years ago, there has been intense debate on whether to repeal or keep the law in the statute books.
Proponents of the repeal of the law argue that it is too punitive and might discourage decent individuals from holding public office, while those who want the law to stay contend that it is a useful weapon to fight corruption.
Mr Akwetey, who is a lawyer and a campaigner against corruption, belongs to the latter school of thought and thinks that the law on causing financial loss to the state under the Criminal Code is too mild to fight corruption.
“We should make it such that people should fear to embezzle public funds. I’m determined, as one of my objectives, to protect the national purse for the development of this country. And to protect the national purse, this is the appropriate law to use to make it uninteresting for anybody to just go in and dissipate public funds,” he pointed out.
Mr Akwetey said Section 179 (a) and (c) of the Criminal Code, which deal with causing loss or damage to property, and using public office for profit respectively, did not go far enough in making provision for how the state should recover the loss incurred.
However, he said, the Public Projection Decree made provision, after judgement and execution processes, to recover the loss incurred by the state.
Section 6 (1) of the decree provides that “where the court convicts any person of an offence under this Decree, the court shall make such orders as may be necessary for recovering the public property concerned, or for making good any loss of or damage to the public property concerned and for this purpose the court may, upon such terms as it thinks fit, (a) order the seizure and forfeiture to the Republic of any asset of the convicted person; (b) where the court is satisfied that any other person holds any asset on behalf of the convicted person, order the seizure and forfeiture to the Republic of that asset...”
According to Mr Akwetey, the Criminal Code fell short of making such provisions “so I’m saying that this (Decree) should be used because it allows the court to make an order for the seizure of confiscation of any of your assets to recover the loss caused to the state”.
He said if the late Victor Selormey, for instance, had transferred $1.2 million abroad and the state had lost it, his house and property in Ghana could be confiscated under the decree and sold to recover that amount.
”That is the way to deter people from stealing government’s money,” he remarked.
Section 1(1) of the Decree provides that, “Any person who intentionally dissipates public funds shall be guilty of an office and liable on conviction to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years without the option of a fine.”
That law further provides that any person who misapplies public funds, causing loss to the state as a result, is liable to a conviction not exceeding five years or to a fine.
“But if you intentionally dissipate public funds like Selormey and Abodakpi, it is without the option of a fine,” Mr Akwetey pointed out.
He said recovering the loss incurred to the state would mitigate the sentence imposed on the convict, otherwise one could serve 30 years in prison, but that would be of no use to the state.
Responding to a suggestion that the decree might be used for political vendetta as some people suspect the law on causing financial loss to the state was being used for, he said “don’t steal public property and you are free”.
He stressed the need to strengthen state institutions set up to fight corruption, such as the Ghana Police Service and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).
On the CPP national delegates congress slated for tomorrow, Mr Akwetey asked the delegates to give him the mandate to enable the party to regain political power and change the fortunes of the country.
He said at the moment, the priority national concerns that needed to be addressed were corruption, crime and national security, promising that he would deliver the nation from those challenges when given the nod.
Mr Akwetey expressed optimism that come next Monday, his name and picture would be splashed on the front pages of newspapers as the CPP flag bearer for the 2008 elections.
An aspirant for the flag-bearer position of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mr Bright Akwetey, has stated that the law on causing financial loss to the state under the Criminal Code, 1960 is too mild to deter people from corrupt practices.
He has, therefore, asked the Attorney-General to use the Public Property Protection Decree, 1977, which, in his view, was more biting than the Criminal Code, to prosecute people who indulge in corruption.
“We should make it such that it is not profitable, attractive or interesting for anybody to indulge in these crimes and this is the appropriate law to use,” Mr Akwetey told the Daily Graphic on Wednesday.
“Corruption is too rampant and pervasive in the country and something must be done about it. There is need for commitment to fight corruption without fear or favour, affection or ill will. If we don’t stop or minimise corruption in this country, you can have economic recovery programmes, structural adjustment programmes, poverty alleviation programmes, whatever programme and best social policy, but you will fail because of corruption,” he added.
Since the law on causing financial loss to the state was applied against Messrs Kwame Peprah, Victor Selormey and Dan Abodakpi, all former Ministers of State in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, a few years ago, there has been intense debate on whether to repeal or keep the law in the statute books.
Proponents of the repeal of the law argue that it is too punitive and might discourage decent individuals from holding public office, while those who want the law to stay contend that it is a useful weapon to fight corruption.
Mr Akwetey, who is a lawyer and a campaigner against corruption, belongs to the latter school of thought and thinks that the law on causing financial loss to the state under the Criminal Code is too mild to fight corruption.
“We should make it such that people should fear to embezzle public funds. I’m determined, as one of my objectives, to protect the national purse for the development of this country. And to protect the national purse, this is the appropriate law to use to make it uninteresting for anybody to just go in and dissipate public funds,” he pointed out.
Mr Akwetey said Section 179 (a) and (c) of the Criminal Code, which deal with causing loss or damage to property, and using public office for profit respectively, did not go far enough in making provision for how the state should recover the loss incurred.
However, he said, the Public Projection Decree made provision, after judgement and execution processes, to recover the loss incurred by the state.
Section 6 (1) of the decree provides that “where the court convicts any person of an offence under this Decree, the court shall make such orders as may be necessary for recovering the public property concerned, or for making good any loss of or damage to the public property concerned and for this purpose the court may, upon such terms as it thinks fit, (a) order the seizure and forfeiture to the Republic of any asset of the convicted person; (b) where the court is satisfied that any other person holds any asset on behalf of the convicted person, order the seizure and forfeiture to the Republic of that asset...”
According to Mr Akwetey, the Criminal Code fell short of making such provisions “so I’m saying that this (Decree) should be used because it allows the court to make an order for the seizure of confiscation of any of your assets to recover the loss caused to the state”.
He said if the late Victor Selormey, for instance, had transferred $1.2 million abroad and the state had lost it, his house and property in Ghana could be confiscated under the decree and sold to recover that amount.
”That is the way to deter people from stealing government’s money,” he remarked.
Section 1(1) of the Decree provides that, “Any person who intentionally dissipates public funds shall be guilty of an office and liable on conviction to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years without the option of a fine.”
That law further provides that any person who misapplies public funds, causing loss to the state as a result, is liable to a conviction not exceeding five years or to a fine.
“But if you intentionally dissipate public funds like Selormey and Abodakpi, it is without the option of a fine,” Mr Akwetey pointed out.
He said recovering the loss incurred to the state would mitigate the sentence imposed on the convict, otherwise one could serve 30 years in prison, but that would be of no use to the state.
Responding to a suggestion that the decree might be used for political vendetta as some people suspect the law on causing financial loss to the state was being used for, he said “don’t steal public property and you are free”.
He stressed the need to strengthen state institutions set up to fight corruption, such as the Ghana Police Service and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).
On the CPP national delegates congress slated for tomorrow, Mr Akwetey asked the delegates to give him the mandate to enable the party to regain political power and change the fortunes of the country.
He said at the moment, the priority national concerns that needed to be addressed were corruption, crime and national security, promising that he would deliver the nation from those challenges when given the nod.
Mr Akwetey expressed optimism that come next Monday, his name and picture would be splashed on the front pages of newspapers as the CPP flag bearer for the 2008 elections.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
BREAK THE DRIVE AND STAY ALIVE (P. 9)
By: Kofi Yeboah
IT was a Sunday afternoon in June, this year, and the sun was fighting back to regain its prowess after being subdued earlier by thick black clouds.
As I boarded the Cape Coast-bound 207 Benz bus at Kaneshie in Accra and took a seat at the back of the vehicle, one request I made to God was for Him to keep the heavens shut until I reached my destination.
That was because I did not carry an umbrella on me. The thought of asking God for a safe journey, as I normally did when I boarded a vehicle to travel, had been consumed by the fear of the rain and the sporadic roars of thunder.
A few minutes after taking off from the lorry station, many of the passengers could not resist the beckoning of sleep in that dull weather. Not even the several swerving, bumping into potholes and sharp braking of the vehicle could disturb the sleep.
But after about an hour’s drive, a lady who sat two seats behind the driver shouted at him to stop sleeping, and suddenly all eyes were opened and everybody flung their head up.
“What is happening?” Some of them asked. According to the lady, she had observed from the inside mirror of the vehicle that the driver was dozing off.
Her alarm probably saved us from a catastrophe, because considering the speed at which the vehicle was travelling and the slippery nature of the road, only God knows what would have happened had the driver not been awakened.
It was most likely that the driver was tired, having worked continuously throughout the week without rest as it’s normally the case with many commercial drivers.
Driver fatigue is one of the most dangerous elements that constitute the 80 per cent human error factor in road accidents in the world.
Studies conducted at the international level indicate that driving for more than 10 hours increases the risk of getting involved in an accident.
The most common signs of fatigue include yawning, lack of concentration, longer response times, feeling sleepy, difficulty in remembering places just passed by, wiping of the face and frequent blinking of the eyes.
These signals are mainly caused by a lack of sleep, long hours of driving, driving in the night, especially with passengers asleep, drinking alcohol when feeling tired, eating heavy food, driving on bad road conditions and excessive heat from the engine.
What is more serious is the fact that in most cases, the drivers are able to recognise such signals of their tiredness, but invariably, they don’t take them seriously and believe that they can handle the situation. But who can cheat nature?
According to international research, the drivers either underestimate the danger of driving when they are tired, or even overestimate their own ability of handling the situation.
Between 20 and 40 per cent of all single accidents are caused by tired drivers and fatigue is the cause of about 40 per cent of single traffic accidents.
Research conducted in Sweden indicates that fatigue is the cause of between 10 and 20 per cent of all road accidents, many of which are single accidents.
The situation in Ghana is not in any way different from that of other parts of the world as proved by a study conducted by the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) in 2006.
Although the National Road Traffic Act (Act 683) provides that driving vehicles for a continuous period shall not exceed four hours or an aggregate not more than eight hours in a period of 24 hours, but many drivers in Ghana, both commercial and private, indeed, drive between 12 and 16 hours a day for an average of six days in a week.
Out of the 500 drivers interviewed in the study, 75 per cent of them admit that they often feel tired when driving. Some of them say they experience the fatigue as they drive, while others say they feel it after the day’s work.
The study also reveals that 20 per cent of the drivers experience dangerous situations in traffic because of tiredness.
It further notes that the risk of getting involved in a road traffic accident in Ghana, as a result of fatigue is higher than the estimated global average, because of heat, poor conditions of the vehicles, the bad nature of the roads and the number of passengers in a vehicle.
Although 80 per cent of drivers consider fatigue to be a major problem, 70 per cent of them (the exception being those in the formal sector) work throughout the year without going on annual leave.
For commercial drivers in particular, the anxiety to meet daily sales and earn an extra income to keep body and soul alive, imposes enormous pressure on them to make more money such that sleep is never appreciated.
Another serious revelation in the study is the fact that 90 per cent of drivers take pain killers on a regular basis, while 50 per cent of them suffer from waist problems or backaches, with many others complaining of persistent headaches.
All these are clear signs of tiredness and yet the affected drivers continue to drive, oblivious of the danger they pose on the roads.
It is very obvious from the NRSC study that many drivers are not conversant with the Road Traffic Act and other legislations that guide good driving and road safety.
The Act provides, for instance, that drivers must have compulsory rest for at lest 30 minutes after driving continuously for four hours. Furthermore, the Act requires drivers to rest for at least eight hours in a period of 24 hours, calculating from the time they begin driving. But how many drivers are faithful to these provisions in the law?
Beyond the ambit of legislation, it is imperative for drivers to take precautionary measures against fatigue for their personal safety and that of millions of people they transport on a daily basis. They must learn to have enough sleep at night and share the driving, particularly for those who go on long distances.
Generally, issues about driver fatigue have not been given much attention in our public discourse. That is why many drivers and passengers are not conscious about the dangers posed by fatigue; that is why thousands of people are being slaughtered and maimed on our roads everyday.
It is to address this pertinent national concern that the NRSC last October launched a nationwide campaign on fatigue driving. The objective of the campaign is to create awareness of fatigue and the risks associated with it while driving.
The campaign is driven on the slogan, “Don’t drive tired - Break the drive, stay alive.” Commercial drivers, particularly trotro, bus and heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers, as well as passengers are the target groups, in view of the fact that they are the most affected by the consequences of fatigue.
In order to ensure greater impact, the campaign employs comprehensive and effective communication strategies such as stickers on vehicles, television documentaries, radio commercials, posters, banners and outreach programmes in the local communities, districts and regions.
At this time of the year, there is an intensity of commercial activities as people prepare for Christmas. This is the period when many commercial drivers fall to the temptation of overworking themselves to maximise their incomes. But this is also the same period when the rate of accidents increases. So we need to be very cautious.
Sometimes, it is rather unfortunate to see the way people take interest in trivialities and issues that do not promote the development of human life. That should not be the attitude towards this campaign, because it is in the interest of everyone.
Ghana needs all of us alive and so it is our collective responsibility to check fatigue driving, prevent accidents on the roads and save precious lives!
IT was a Sunday afternoon in June, this year, and the sun was fighting back to regain its prowess after being subdued earlier by thick black clouds.
As I boarded the Cape Coast-bound 207 Benz bus at Kaneshie in Accra and took a seat at the back of the vehicle, one request I made to God was for Him to keep the heavens shut until I reached my destination.
That was because I did not carry an umbrella on me. The thought of asking God for a safe journey, as I normally did when I boarded a vehicle to travel, had been consumed by the fear of the rain and the sporadic roars of thunder.
A few minutes after taking off from the lorry station, many of the passengers could not resist the beckoning of sleep in that dull weather. Not even the several swerving, bumping into potholes and sharp braking of the vehicle could disturb the sleep.
But after about an hour’s drive, a lady who sat two seats behind the driver shouted at him to stop sleeping, and suddenly all eyes were opened and everybody flung their head up.
“What is happening?” Some of them asked. According to the lady, she had observed from the inside mirror of the vehicle that the driver was dozing off.
Her alarm probably saved us from a catastrophe, because considering the speed at which the vehicle was travelling and the slippery nature of the road, only God knows what would have happened had the driver not been awakened.
It was most likely that the driver was tired, having worked continuously throughout the week without rest as it’s normally the case with many commercial drivers.
Driver fatigue is one of the most dangerous elements that constitute the 80 per cent human error factor in road accidents in the world.
Studies conducted at the international level indicate that driving for more than 10 hours increases the risk of getting involved in an accident.
The most common signs of fatigue include yawning, lack of concentration, longer response times, feeling sleepy, difficulty in remembering places just passed by, wiping of the face and frequent blinking of the eyes.
These signals are mainly caused by a lack of sleep, long hours of driving, driving in the night, especially with passengers asleep, drinking alcohol when feeling tired, eating heavy food, driving on bad road conditions and excessive heat from the engine.
What is more serious is the fact that in most cases, the drivers are able to recognise such signals of their tiredness, but invariably, they don’t take them seriously and believe that they can handle the situation. But who can cheat nature?
According to international research, the drivers either underestimate the danger of driving when they are tired, or even overestimate their own ability of handling the situation.
Between 20 and 40 per cent of all single accidents are caused by tired drivers and fatigue is the cause of about 40 per cent of single traffic accidents.
Research conducted in Sweden indicates that fatigue is the cause of between 10 and 20 per cent of all road accidents, many of which are single accidents.
The situation in Ghana is not in any way different from that of other parts of the world as proved by a study conducted by the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) in 2006.
Although the National Road Traffic Act (Act 683) provides that driving vehicles for a continuous period shall not exceed four hours or an aggregate not more than eight hours in a period of 24 hours, but many drivers in Ghana, both commercial and private, indeed, drive between 12 and 16 hours a day for an average of six days in a week.
Out of the 500 drivers interviewed in the study, 75 per cent of them admit that they often feel tired when driving. Some of them say they experience the fatigue as they drive, while others say they feel it after the day’s work.
The study also reveals that 20 per cent of the drivers experience dangerous situations in traffic because of tiredness.
It further notes that the risk of getting involved in a road traffic accident in Ghana, as a result of fatigue is higher than the estimated global average, because of heat, poor conditions of the vehicles, the bad nature of the roads and the number of passengers in a vehicle.
Although 80 per cent of drivers consider fatigue to be a major problem, 70 per cent of them (the exception being those in the formal sector) work throughout the year without going on annual leave.
For commercial drivers in particular, the anxiety to meet daily sales and earn an extra income to keep body and soul alive, imposes enormous pressure on them to make more money such that sleep is never appreciated.
Another serious revelation in the study is the fact that 90 per cent of drivers take pain killers on a regular basis, while 50 per cent of them suffer from waist problems or backaches, with many others complaining of persistent headaches.
All these are clear signs of tiredness and yet the affected drivers continue to drive, oblivious of the danger they pose on the roads.
It is very obvious from the NRSC study that many drivers are not conversant with the Road Traffic Act and other legislations that guide good driving and road safety.
The Act provides, for instance, that drivers must have compulsory rest for at lest 30 minutes after driving continuously for four hours. Furthermore, the Act requires drivers to rest for at least eight hours in a period of 24 hours, calculating from the time they begin driving. But how many drivers are faithful to these provisions in the law?
Beyond the ambit of legislation, it is imperative for drivers to take precautionary measures against fatigue for their personal safety and that of millions of people they transport on a daily basis. They must learn to have enough sleep at night and share the driving, particularly for those who go on long distances.
Generally, issues about driver fatigue have not been given much attention in our public discourse. That is why many drivers and passengers are not conscious about the dangers posed by fatigue; that is why thousands of people are being slaughtered and maimed on our roads everyday.
It is to address this pertinent national concern that the NRSC last October launched a nationwide campaign on fatigue driving. The objective of the campaign is to create awareness of fatigue and the risks associated with it while driving.
The campaign is driven on the slogan, “Don’t drive tired - Break the drive, stay alive.” Commercial drivers, particularly trotro, bus and heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers, as well as passengers are the target groups, in view of the fact that they are the most affected by the consequences of fatigue.
In order to ensure greater impact, the campaign employs comprehensive and effective communication strategies such as stickers on vehicles, television documentaries, radio commercials, posters, banners and outreach programmes in the local communities, districts and regions.
At this time of the year, there is an intensity of commercial activities as people prepare for Christmas. This is the period when many commercial drivers fall to the temptation of overworking themselves to maximise their incomes. But this is also the same period when the rate of accidents increases. So we need to be very cautious.
Sometimes, it is rather unfortunate to see the way people take interest in trivialities and issues that do not promote the development of human life. That should not be the attitude towards this campaign, because it is in the interest of everyone.
Ghana needs all of us alive and so it is our collective responsibility to check fatigue driving, prevent accidents on the roads and save precious lives!
Monday, December 10, 2007
DECISION TIME FOR CPP MEN {P.17)
Story: Kofi Yeboah
THE fate of the six candidates aspiring to be the flag-bearer of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) in Election 2008 will be known tomorrow (Tuesday) when the Central Committee meet to make recommendations on the report of the party’s Vetting Committee.
The recommendations of the Central Committee would then be referred to the party’s national congress slated for next Saturday and Sunday for a final decision to be taken on the candidates.
The chairman and national leader of the CPP, Dr Edmund N. Delle, who made this known to the Daily Graphic yesterday, confirmed that all the six aspirants for the flag-bearer position had presented their tax clearance certificates to the party.
They are Mr George Aggudey, who was the CPP presidential candidate in the 2004 election; Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Member of Parliament (MP) for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem and former Minister of State; Mr Bright Akwetey, a private legal practitioner; Prof Agyeman Badu Akosa, a former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS); Dr Kwaku Osafo, an economist; and Dr Frederick William Asante Akuffo, a Tema-based medical practitioner.
Rumours are rife that one or more of the candidates stand the risk of disqualification for various reasons as per the report of the Vetting Committee but party chairman Dr Delle said the decision to disqualify a candidate was vested in the national congress and dismissed all reports to that effect as unofficial.
He declined to make further comments on the issue, particularly in respect of Mr Aggudey, who rumours had cited for disqualification for his indebtedness to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), preferring to leave the matter to the congress.
Reports say Mr Aggudey has struck a deal with SSNIT on the payment of social security contributions of his employees, clearing him of any problem of disqualification.
Highly placed sources within the party, however, told the Daily Graphic that it was not likely any candidate would be disqualified since any attempt to do so could plunge the party into a constitutional crisis.
Under the CPP constitution, any candidate who is disqualified from contesting an election has seven days within which to make an appeal.
But between now and congress day, the party is short of that stipulated days within which a disqualified candidate could make an appeal.
The situation is more complicated by the fact that the final decision of the party on the candidates has been vested in the national congress on the very day delegates are supposed to elect the party’s flag-bearer.
When confronted with that imminent constitutional crisis, the CPP chairman acknowledged the problem, saying it had come about because this was the first time that the CPP was going through such an experience.
“It is a constitutional issue and so it is wise for us to be patient and careful,” he remarked, expressing the hope that all the six candidates would sail through.
Dr Delle said in view of the dilemma, the Central Committee would seek to advise the candidates on whatever decision was arrived at in their own interest and that of the party.
On preparations of the national delegates election, Dr Delle said after the Greater Accra and Volta Regional delegates elections tomorrow and Wednesday respectively, all would be set for the national delegates elections scheduled to take place at the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
THE fate of the six candidates aspiring to be the flag-bearer of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) in Election 2008 will be known tomorrow (Tuesday) when the Central Committee meet to make recommendations on the report of the party’s Vetting Committee.
The recommendations of the Central Committee would then be referred to the party’s national congress slated for next Saturday and Sunday for a final decision to be taken on the candidates.
The chairman and national leader of the CPP, Dr Edmund N. Delle, who made this known to the Daily Graphic yesterday, confirmed that all the six aspirants for the flag-bearer position had presented their tax clearance certificates to the party.
They are Mr George Aggudey, who was the CPP presidential candidate in the 2004 election; Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Member of Parliament (MP) for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem and former Minister of State; Mr Bright Akwetey, a private legal practitioner; Prof Agyeman Badu Akosa, a former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS); Dr Kwaku Osafo, an economist; and Dr Frederick William Asante Akuffo, a Tema-based medical practitioner.
Rumours are rife that one or more of the candidates stand the risk of disqualification for various reasons as per the report of the Vetting Committee but party chairman Dr Delle said the decision to disqualify a candidate was vested in the national congress and dismissed all reports to that effect as unofficial.
He declined to make further comments on the issue, particularly in respect of Mr Aggudey, who rumours had cited for disqualification for his indebtedness to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), preferring to leave the matter to the congress.
Reports say Mr Aggudey has struck a deal with SSNIT on the payment of social security contributions of his employees, clearing him of any problem of disqualification.
Highly placed sources within the party, however, told the Daily Graphic that it was not likely any candidate would be disqualified since any attempt to do so could plunge the party into a constitutional crisis.
Under the CPP constitution, any candidate who is disqualified from contesting an election has seven days within which to make an appeal.
But between now and congress day, the party is short of that stipulated days within which a disqualified candidate could make an appeal.
The situation is more complicated by the fact that the final decision of the party on the candidates has been vested in the national congress on the very day delegates are supposed to elect the party’s flag-bearer.
When confronted with that imminent constitutional crisis, the CPP chairman acknowledged the problem, saying it had come about because this was the first time that the CPP was going through such an experience.
“It is a constitutional issue and so it is wise for us to be patient and careful,” he remarked, expressing the hope that all the six candidates would sail through.
Dr Delle said in view of the dilemma, the Central Committee would seek to advise the candidates on whatever decision was arrived at in their own interest and that of the party.
On preparations of the national delegates election, Dr Delle said after the Greater Accra and Volta Regional delegates elections tomorrow and Wednesday respectively, all would be set for the national delegates elections scheduled to take place at the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Sunday, December 9, 2007
C'TTEE TO DISCUSS RME ISSUE AGAIN (P.24/49)
Story: Kofi Yeboah
THE Presidential Committee on the Review of the Educational Reforms is to reconvene to discuss the thorny issues which have emerged on the teaching of Religious and Moral Education (RME) as a subject at the basic education level.
The 29-member committee is meeting at the instance of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports (MOESS) after the President’s directive to the ministry to facilitate a dialogue among the stakeholders of the educational sector to resolve the controversy over the teaching of the subject.
The Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Prof Dominic Fobih, who confirmed this to the Daily Graphic, said the ministry had had made a formal request to the committee, asking it to meet and discuss the issue and report back to the ministry.
The minister could not give details as to when the committee would start work and when it was expected to present its report to the ministry but indications are that Prof Jophus Anamuah-Mensah, the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, who chaired the committee, has travelled outside the country and is expected to initiate the meeting as soon as he returns.
The Catholic Bishops Conference, in a communiqué issued in Kumasi early last month after its meeting, called on the government to re-introduce RME as a subject, instead of a concept, in the school curriculum.
According to the Bishops, “sidelining religion and morality from education is tantamount to condemning the human person to a lack of means to develop himself or herself fully to be a human being in the society”.
The position of the Bishops attracted other voices of disapproval concerning the non-inclusion of RME in the school curriculum, particularly from the Christian and Muslim communities.
However, officials of the ministry and the Ghana Education Service (GES) contended that RME had been adequately catered for in the syllabus.
It was on the basis of that controversy that President Kufuor asked the ministry to seek a dialogue with all the partners to resolve the impasse.
The Presidential Committee on the Review of the Educational Reforms was inaugurated by President Kufuor on January 17, 2002, to review the country’s entire educational system with a view to making it more responsive to current challenges.
The committee presented its report to the government in October 2002, after which the government issued a White Paper on the recommendations of the report, whose implementation began in September this year.
Members of the committee include Prof F.O. Kwami, a former Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST); Prof Henrietta Mensah-Bonsu of the Faculty of Law of the University of Ghana; Dr D. A. Akyeampong of the Mathematics Department of the University of Ghana; Alhaji Rahim Gbadamosi, a former Director-General of the GES; Madam Sylvia Boye of the Ghana Education Trust Fund, and Mr Emmanuel Acquaye of the Basic Education Division at the GES.
Others are the Most Rev Dr Robert Aboagye-Mensah, the President of the Methodist Conference; Mr Gerald Annan-Forson of the Concerned Parents Association; Mr Kosi Kedem, a former Member of Parliament (MP) for Hohoe South; Mrs Lydia Osei of the GES, and Mr Edward Bawa, a former President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS).
THE Presidential Committee on the Review of the Educational Reforms is to reconvene to discuss the thorny issues which have emerged on the teaching of Religious and Moral Education (RME) as a subject at the basic education level.
The 29-member committee is meeting at the instance of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports (MOESS) after the President’s directive to the ministry to facilitate a dialogue among the stakeholders of the educational sector to resolve the controversy over the teaching of the subject.
The Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Prof Dominic Fobih, who confirmed this to the Daily Graphic, said the ministry had had made a formal request to the committee, asking it to meet and discuss the issue and report back to the ministry.
The minister could not give details as to when the committee would start work and when it was expected to present its report to the ministry but indications are that Prof Jophus Anamuah-Mensah, the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, who chaired the committee, has travelled outside the country and is expected to initiate the meeting as soon as he returns.
The Catholic Bishops Conference, in a communiqué issued in Kumasi early last month after its meeting, called on the government to re-introduce RME as a subject, instead of a concept, in the school curriculum.
According to the Bishops, “sidelining religion and morality from education is tantamount to condemning the human person to a lack of means to develop himself or herself fully to be a human being in the society”.
The position of the Bishops attracted other voices of disapproval concerning the non-inclusion of RME in the school curriculum, particularly from the Christian and Muslim communities.
However, officials of the ministry and the Ghana Education Service (GES) contended that RME had been adequately catered for in the syllabus.
It was on the basis of that controversy that President Kufuor asked the ministry to seek a dialogue with all the partners to resolve the impasse.
The Presidential Committee on the Review of the Educational Reforms was inaugurated by President Kufuor on January 17, 2002, to review the country’s entire educational system with a view to making it more responsive to current challenges.
The committee presented its report to the government in October 2002, after which the government issued a White Paper on the recommendations of the report, whose implementation began in September this year.
Members of the committee include Prof F.O. Kwami, a former Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST); Prof Henrietta Mensah-Bonsu of the Faculty of Law of the University of Ghana; Dr D. A. Akyeampong of the Mathematics Department of the University of Ghana; Alhaji Rahim Gbadamosi, a former Director-General of the GES; Madam Sylvia Boye of the Ghana Education Trust Fund, and Mr Emmanuel Acquaye of the Basic Education Division at the GES.
Others are the Most Rev Dr Robert Aboagye-Mensah, the President of the Methodist Conference; Mr Gerald Annan-Forson of the Concerned Parents Association; Mr Kosi Kedem, a former Member of Parliament (MP) for Hohoe South; Mrs Lydia Osei of the GES, and Mr Edward Bawa, a former President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS).
CHOICE OF FLAG BEARER, MONEY NOT DETERMINING FACTOR (P.13) 08-12-07
Story: Kofi Yeboah
MONEY will not be a determining factor for the election of a flag bearer and national executive officers of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) at its national delegates congress on December 15, 2007, party chairman and leader, Dr Edmund Delle, has said.
According to him, the determining factors would be commitment, dedication, faithfulness and selflessness to the cause of the party.
“I have demonstrated all these qualities over the years. I do not see how my competitors can match my credentials in the party. I am the rock and no one can move me”, Dr Delle told the Daily Graphic in Accra.
He called on the delegates to the national congress not to allow anyone to buy their conscience with money in spite of the temptation to do so, cautioning that the moment they fell to that temptation, they would have spelt the doom of the party.
“I know there is enormous pressure on them to collect huge sums of money from various sources to influence their voting. But I urge them to resist the temptation in the interest of the party”, he advised the delegates.
The CPP leader reminded the delegates and supporters of the party of the difficult times they had gone through in the past, and urged them to continue to make sacrifices for the party instead of allowing their personal gains to influence them.
He said his bid for re-election as chairman and leader of the CPP was informed by the realisation that the party needed a strong, committed and faithful leader who would unite all forces within and outside the party to restore it to political power after election 2008.
“The battle ahead of us is not for the weak and the inexperienced. This is not the time for rehearsals. It is time for business and action”, Dr Delle remarked.
According to him, “Delle” was already a household name and a marketable brand that would help change the fortunes of the CPP in the 2008 elections.
Dr Delle said when re-elected, he would work towards mobilising women and the youth for the party because he believed that they had a crucial role to play in the party.
He dismissed assertions that the CPP was a party for old men and women, pointing out that at the time the political party chairmen caucus was formed, he was the youngest chairman amongst the group.
Dr Delle said at the moment, he was the longest serving member of the chairmen’s caucus after the exit of Mr Harona Esseku of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Dr Obed Asamoah, formerly of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He said he had acquired enormous experience as chairman over the years, stressing that his experience was crucial to the party’s quest to regaining political power.
“The decision is in your hands and I know you will never disappointment me, your own selves and the party of the great Osagyefo”, he told the delegates.
MONEY will not be a determining factor for the election of a flag bearer and national executive officers of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) at its national delegates congress on December 15, 2007, party chairman and leader, Dr Edmund Delle, has said.
According to him, the determining factors would be commitment, dedication, faithfulness and selflessness to the cause of the party.
“I have demonstrated all these qualities over the years. I do not see how my competitors can match my credentials in the party. I am the rock and no one can move me”, Dr Delle told the Daily Graphic in Accra.
He called on the delegates to the national congress not to allow anyone to buy their conscience with money in spite of the temptation to do so, cautioning that the moment they fell to that temptation, they would have spelt the doom of the party.
“I know there is enormous pressure on them to collect huge sums of money from various sources to influence their voting. But I urge them to resist the temptation in the interest of the party”, he advised the delegates.
The CPP leader reminded the delegates and supporters of the party of the difficult times they had gone through in the past, and urged them to continue to make sacrifices for the party instead of allowing their personal gains to influence them.
He said his bid for re-election as chairman and leader of the CPP was informed by the realisation that the party needed a strong, committed and faithful leader who would unite all forces within and outside the party to restore it to political power after election 2008.
“The battle ahead of us is not for the weak and the inexperienced. This is not the time for rehearsals. It is time for business and action”, Dr Delle remarked.
According to him, “Delle” was already a household name and a marketable brand that would help change the fortunes of the CPP in the 2008 elections.
Dr Delle said when re-elected, he would work towards mobilising women and the youth for the party because he believed that they had a crucial role to play in the party.
He dismissed assertions that the CPP was a party for old men and women, pointing out that at the time the political party chairmen caucus was formed, he was the youngest chairman amongst the group.
Dr Delle said at the moment, he was the longest serving member of the chairmen’s caucus after the exit of Mr Harona Esseku of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Dr Obed Asamoah, formerly of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He said he had acquired enormous experience as chairman over the years, stressing that his experience was crucial to the party’s quest to regaining political power.
“The decision is in your hands and I know you will never disappointment me, your own selves and the party of the great Osagyefo”, he told the delegates.
Friday, December 7, 2007
GOLDEN STAR GOES PUBLIC - TO RAISE GH¢9.5M TO EXPAND ACTIVITIES (P.33)
Story: Kofi Yeboah
GOLDEN Star Resources (GSR), operators of mining interests at Bogoso, Prestea and Wassa in Western Region, has floated 3,170,000 shares at GH¢30 per share in the company, in response to the President’s call for mining companies to list on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE).
The shares, which were launched in Accra last Wednesday, makes GSR the second mining company after AngloGold Ashanti to go public.
It is also the third of such initiative by GSR at the global level, after its listing on the America and Toronto Stock Exchanges.
With the floating of shares, which is opened from December 5, 2007 to December 21, 2007, GSR is giving Ghanaians the opportunity to buy 3,170,000 shares at ¢30GP per share for a minimum unit of 20 shares. The share offer closes on December21.
Management of the company envisages to rake in GH¢9.5 million to recapitalise the company.
According to management, proceeds from the offer would be used for development projects, such as the construction of special purpose road to Wassa and pre-stripping of its Benso pits.
Management therefore urged Ghanaians to take advantage of the company’s positive business credentials, such as being a growing mining company and its impressive financial performance, to invest in the company by buying the shares.
The Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines, Madam Esther Obeng Dapaah, who launched the share offer, lauded GSR for the initiative, saying it would enable Ghanaians to be part owners of the company.
She said it was the government’s desire to see many companies list on the GSE.
Madam Dapaah said there was no doubt about the contribution of the mining sector to the nation’s economy, especially by bringing in foreign exchange.
GOLDEN Star Resources (GSR), operators of mining interests at Bogoso, Prestea and Wassa in Western Region, has floated 3,170,000 shares at GH¢30 per share in the company, in response to the President’s call for mining companies to list on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE).
The shares, which were launched in Accra last Wednesday, makes GSR the second mining company after AngloGold Ashanti to go public.
It is also the third of such initiative by GSR at the global level, after its listing on the America and Toronto Stock Exchanges.
With the floating of shares, which is opened from December 5, 2007 to December 21, 2007, GSR is giving Ghanaians the opportunity to buy 3,170,000 shares at ¢30GP per share for a minimum unit of 20 shares. The share offer closes on December21.
Management of the company envisages to rake in GH¢9.5 million to recapitalise the company.
According to management, proceeds from the offer would be used for development projects, such as the construction of special purpose road to Wassa and pre-stripping of its Benso pits.
Management therefore urged Ghanaians to take advantage of the company’s positive business credentials, such as being a growing mining company and its impressive financial performance, to invest in the company by buying the shares.
The Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines, Madam Esther Obeng Dapaah, who launched the share offer, lauded GSR for the initiative, saying it would enable Ghanaians to be part owners of the company.
She said it was the government’s desire to see many companies list on the GSE.
Madam Dapaah said there was no doubt about the contribution of the mining sector to the nation’s economy, especially by bringing in foreign exchange.
REVIEW MINERALS AND MINING ACT (P.16)
Story: Kofi Yeboah
AN aspirant for the flag bearer position of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mr Bright Akwetey, has described the Minerals and Mining Act (2006) as bogus and obnoxious because it allows foreigners to “gang rape” the nation.
He, therefore, called on the government to, with immediate effect, stop issuing out licences to foreign companies for mining concessions until the law was reviewed in the interest of the nation.
“That law is detrimental to the interest of this country and a serious indictment on the conscience of Ghanaian politicians,” he said, declaring that as a politician, he would extricate himself from such an indictment.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic on Tuesday, Mr Akwetey, who is also a private legal practitioner, made copious references to the law to buttress his argument that it was a bogus and obnoxious law and threw a challenge to anyone who might wish to engage him in a public debate on the issue.
According to him, there was no basis for the 10 per cent shares given to the country from the mining of minerals, while the foreign companies took away 90 per cent of the profit.
Apart from that, he said, the mining companies had been given a lot of concessions, such as the non-payment of tax for five years, the non-payment of duties on the equipment they brought into the country for their operations and a right to transfer all profits made outside.
Mr Akwetey further indicated that the mining companies were given capital gains that allowed them to amortise whatever loans they used to buy their equipment within three years.
“You have to consider that one too. If I don’t tax you for five years but within three years you can dig gold and pay for all the equipment and money you brought in, then why don’t you have a little social conscience to stay after the fifth year and pay tax so that we also benefit? But before then, they sell the company and leave the country,” he pointed out.
He said in spite of the fact that some social sectors of the country might not be making much profit, there was the need to keep them running because they offered employment to a large number of people.
“If you sell everything and the people are unemployed, as it is now, then you are creating strong regiments of criminals and crime gangs because the idle mind is a veritable engine room for the devil to operate,” he indicated.
Mr Akwetey said one of his cardinal objectives was to protect the national purse, which was at the moment being attacked from all angles, in order to protect the nation’s interest and security.
He cited many companies in developed countries which were protected by their governments for the sake of national interest.
Mr Akwetey said the current law which replaced the Minerals and Mining Law (1986) was a detraction from the earlier one, adding that the new law had provisions that were detrimental to the interest of Ghana and Ghanaians.
He made reference to Section 17, which provides that subject to obtaining the requisite approval on licences under the Water Resources Commission Act, a holder of a mineral right may, for purposes of, or ancillary to the mineral operations, obtain, divert, impound, convey and use water from a river, stream, underground reservoir of water course within the land.
Mr Akwetey said that provision was not reasonable because it deprived the community around the mineral concession area of its source of water and livelihood and pointed out that the mineral companies should be made to construct their own boreholes for use in their operations.
“The moment you become a miner of gold in this country, you are above every law. No law catches you .... This law must be amended,” he said.
Mr Akwetey stressed the need to train students at the tertiary level to come and take over the management of the nation’s mineral resources, instead of leaving them in the hands of foreigners.
He said giving 90 per cent of our natural resources to foreigners meant that the nation had surrendered its sovereignty, contrary to the United Nations declaration that enjoined countries to have absolute sovereignty over their natural resources.
AN aspirant for the flag bearer position of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mr Bright Akwetey, has described the Minerals and Mining Act (2006) as bogus and obnoxious because it allows foreigners to “gang rape” the nation.
He, therefore, called on the government to, with immediate effect, stop issuing out licences to foreign companies for mining concessions until the law was reviewed in the interest of the nation.
“That law is detrimental to the interest of this country and a serious indictment on the conscience of Ghanaian politicians,” he said, declaring that as a politician, he would extricate himself from such an indictment.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic on Tuesday, Mr Akwetey, who is also a private legal practitioner, made copious references to the law to buttress his argument that it was a bogus and obnoxious law and threw a challenge to anyone who might wish to engage him in a public debate on the issue.
According to him, there was no basis for the 10 per cent shares given to the country from the mining of minerals, while the foreign companies took away 90 per cent of the profit.
Apart from that, he said, the mining companies had been given a lot of concessions, such as the non-payment of tax for five years, the non-payment of duties on the equipment they brought into the country for their operations and a right to transfer all profits made outside.
Mr Akwetey further indicated that the mining companies were given capital gains that allowed them to amortise whatever loans they used to buy their equipment within three years.
“You have to consider that one too. If I don’t tax you for five years but within three years you can dig gold and pay for all the equipment and money you brought in, then why don’t you have a little social conscience to stay after the fifth year and pay tax so that we also benefit? But before then, they sell the company and leave the country,” he pointed out.
He said in spite of the fact that some social sectors of the country might not be making much profit, there was the need to keep them running because they offered employment to a large number of people.
“If you sell everything and the people are unemployed, as it is now, then you are creating strong regiments of criminals and crime gangs because the idle mind is a veritable engine room for the devil to operate,” he indicated.
Mr Akwetey said one of his cardinal objectives was to protect the national purse, which was at the moment being attacked from all angles, in order to protect the nation’s interest and security.
He cited many companies in developed countries which were protected by their governments for the sake of national interest.
Mr Akwetey said the current law which replaced the Minerals and Mining Law (1986) was a detraction from the earlier one, adding that the new law had provisions that were detrimental to the interest of Ghana and Ghanaians.
He made reference to Section 17, which provides that subject to obtaining the requisite approval on licences under the Water Resources Commission Act, a holder of a mineral right may, for purposes of, or ancillary to the mineral operations, obtain, divert, impound, convey and use water from a river, stream, underground reservoir of water course within the land.
Mr Akwetey said that provision was not reasonable because it deprived the community around the mineral concession area of its source of water and livelihood and pointed out that the mineral companies should be made to construct their own boreholes for use in their operations.
“The moment you become a miner of gold in this country, you are above every law. No law catches you .... This law must be amended,” he said.
Mr Akwetey stressed the need to train students at the tertiary level to come and take over the management of the nation’s mineral resources, instead of leaving them in the hands of foreigners.
He said giving 90 per cent of our natural resources to foreigners meant that the nation had surrendered its sovereignty, contrary to the United Nations declaration that enjoined countries to have absolute sovereignty over their natural resources.
EPA PUTS FREEZE ON ERECTION OF MASTS (P.14)
THE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has frozen the erection of telecommunication, radio and Internet masts within the Accra metropolis.
The move is to enable the EPA to take a second look at the installations, following recent public outcry against their mushrooming in the metropolis and other parts of the country.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the EPA, Mr William Abaidoo, who made this known to the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, said a technical committee constituted by representatives of all partners in the telecommunication industry had been set up to work towards addressing the problem.
Among other recommendations, the committee is expected to propose modalities for the erection of masts within the metropolis and other parts of the country.
In recent times, there have been increasing public concerns over the installation of masts in various parts of the country, particularly within residential areas.
Residents of McCarthy Hill in Accra and Kitase in the Akuapem South District have, on separate occasions, protested against the plethora of masts erected in their vicinity, claiming that the siting of the masts close to their houses poses a greater danger to life and property.
Their fear is also borne out of speculations that radiation emissions from the masts could cause breast cancer, brain tumour, low sperm count and other diseases, although experts like Dr E. Amamoo-Otchere, the just-retired Executive Director of the Centre for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Services of the University of Ghana, have dismissed such claims as having no scientific basis.
Mr Abaidoo corroborated Dr Amamoo-Otchere’s assertion, saying that there was no scientific proof that radiation emissions from masts could cause diseases.
He said radiation emissions from masts were negligible and so they could not cause any health problems, as some people had misconstrued.
“But that does not mean we have to sit down. If the people are raising eyebrows, we must sit up and do something about it,” he said.
According to Mr Abaidoo, some people were not so much concerned about the radiation emissions as they were about the imposing frame of the masts which they feared might fall during storms and cause harm to life and property.
On the procedure for granting permits to telecommunication operators for the installation of masts, he said it was based on applications by the operators and their satisfying all the requirements, such as permits from the National Communication Authority (NCA) and adequate consultation with residents of the area where the mast was to be sited.
Mr Abaidoo made it clear that the EPA did not have anything to do with the location of masts in residential areas, in view of the fact that land in those areas were freeholds.
The move is to enable the EPA to take a second look at the installations, following recent public outcry against their mushrooming in the metropolis and other parts of the country.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the EPA, Mr William Abaidoo, who made this known to the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, said a technical committee constituted by representatives of all partners in the telecommunication industry had been set up to work towards addressing the problem.
Among other recommendations, the committee is expected to propose modalities for the erection of masts within the metropolis and other parts of the country.
In recent times, there have been increasing public concerns over the installation of masts in various parts of the country, particularly within residential areas.
Residents of McCarthy Hill in Accra and Kitase in the Akuapem South District have, on separate occasions, protested against the plethora of masts erected in their vicinity, claiming that the siting of the masts close to their houses poses a greater danger to life and property.
Their fear is also borne out of speculations that radiation emissions from the masts could cause breast cancer, brain tumour, low sperm count and other diseases, although experts like Dr E. Amamoo-Otchere, the just-retired Executive Director of the Centre for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Services of the University of Ghana, have dismissed such claims as having no scientific basis.
Mr Abaidoo corroborated Dr Amamoo-Otchere’s assertion, saying that there was no scientific proof that radiation emissions from masts could cause diseases.
He said radiation emissions from masts were negligible and so they could not cause any health problems, as some people had misconstrued.
“But that does not mean we have to sit down. If the people are raising eyebrows, we must sit up and do something about it,” he said.
According to Mr Abaidoo, some people were not so much concerned about the radiation emissions as they were about the imposing frame of the masts which they feared might fall during storms and cause harm to life and property.
On the procedure for granting permits to telecommunication operators for the installation of masts, he said it was based on applications by the operators and their satisfying all the requirements, such as permits from the National Communication Authority (NCA) and adequate consultation with residents of the area where the mast was to be sited.
Mr Abaidoo made it clear that the EPA did not have anything to do with the location of masts in residential areas, in view of the fact that land in those areas were freeholds.
THERE IS NO WITCHHUNT AGAINST MS ABROKWA - GES DIRECTOR-GENERAL (P.11)
Story: Kofi Yeboah
THE Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, says there is no witch-hunt against Ms Helena Abrokwa, the transferred headmistress of Padmore Street Primary One School in Tema, who has been reinstated as headmistress.
He, however, expressed the hope that the recent developments on her transfer and re-instatement as headmistress would serve as a good lesson to her and others whose conduct and performance had been below par.
Mr Bannerman-Mensah made the remark in an interview with the Daily Graphic on Wednesday to throw more light on the findings of the committee that investigated the circumstances leading to the transfer of Ms Abrokwa, following which she was re-instated as headmistress.
A letter of reinstatement given to Ms Abrokwa on Tuesday, dated November 29, 2007 and signed by Mr Bannerman-Mensah, said management had decided that Ms Abrokwa remain as head, “but should be transferred from the current school in her own interest”.
“This instruction is without prejudice to any other transfer that the Municipal Office may have to effect in the interest of the service”, the letter added.
Mr Bannerman-Mensah explained that the re-instatement of Ms Abrokwa was not because she was absolved of the charges of negative conduct levelled against her but because the procedure adopted by the Municipal Director of Education in the sanctions was inappropriate.
He said, indeed, Ms Abrokwa had conceded the charges against her and had written to apologise to the municipal director in that respect.
Mr Bannerman-Mensah said although the municipal director had the authority to transfer the headmistress and relieve her of the headship responsibility, she should not have done so without allowing her (Ms Abrokwa) to appear before a disciplinary committee.
He said Ms Abrokwa also erred in not seeking redress from the Regional Director of Education and instead chose to do so through the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT).
When asked where Ms Abrokwa was being transferred to, Mr Bannerman-Mensah said that would depend on her personal interest and consultation with the regional director of education.
He said it was in her own interest not to go back to her former school in view of the animosity that she had built up against herself.
Mr Bannerman-Mensah expressed disappointment at the way the media and some members of the public had been biased on the issue and castigating the GES over what had happened, and that that gave the impression that they were not well informed.
Last September, Ms Abrokwa was reported to have been demoted and transferred for allegedly granting interviews to journalists during the “My First Day in School” programme, to the effect that there was poor enrolment in her school.
Following the media report, there was spontaneous public condemnation of the action by the municipal director. Members of the Tema branch of GNAT, who were in the forefront of the protestations, threatened to go on strike if the decision against their colleague was not reversed immediately.
The GES management responded to the concerns with the setting up of a committee to investigate the matter after which it submitted its findings to management on November 26, 2007.
According to the committee, Ms Abrokwa’s transfer was not because she spoke to the press but because of her inactivity and lack of initiative on that day, coupled with several previous verbal warnings and adverse findings in the log book.
“Her transfer could not be based on the low enrolment since her school is not the only school which recorded low enrolment on that day”, the committee noted, adding that the issue of demotion being projected had no basis because there was a difference between responsibility and rank.
“Headship is a responsibility. She was relieved of that responsibility but she still holds on to her rank - Assistant Director, and her salary”, the committee remarked.
It found that the compound of the school had been left dirty even after Ms Abrokwa had been alerted before the arrival of the municipal director and her entourage.
It noted that Ms Abrokwa’s excuse of misinformation on the reopening date was neither here nor there since reopening dates of schools were determined by the GES.
“Any clearance of suggested ambiguity should have been sought from GES office and a teacher with a claim of a long period of 35 years in the service should know better”, it indicated.
The committee also found that Ms Abrokwa’s unco-operative attitude in the school was because she was at loggerheads with her counterpart headteacher and many of the executive members of the school management committee (SMC) and also the parent-teacher association (PTA).
THE Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, says there is no witch-hunt against Ms Helena Abrokwa, the transferred headmistress of Padmore Street Primary One School in Tema, who has been reinstated as headmistress.
He, however, expressed the hope that the recent developments on her transfer and re-instatement as headmistress would serve as a good lesson to her and others whose conduct and performance had been below par.
Mr Bannerman-Mensah made the remark in an interview with the Daily Graphic on Wednesday to throw more light on the findings of the committee that investigated the circumstances leading to the transfer of Ms Abrokwa, following which she was re-instated as headmistress.
A letter of reinstatement given to Ms Abrokwa on Tuesday, dated November 29, 2007 and signed by Mr Bannerman-Mensah, said management had decided that Ms Abrokwa remain as head, “but should be transferred from the current school in her own interest”.
“This instruction is without prejudice to any other transfer that the Municipal Office may have to effect in the interest of the service”, the letter added.
Mr Bannerman-Mensah explained that the re-instatement of Ms Abrokwa was not because she was absolved of the charges of negative conduct levelled against her but because the procedure adopted by the Municipal Director of Education in the sanctions was inappropriate.
He said, indeed, Ms Abrokwa had conceded the charges against her and had written to apologise to the municipal director in that respect.
Mr Bannerman-Mensah said although the municipal director had the authority to transfer the headmistress and relieve her of the headship responsibility, she should not have done so without allowing her (Ms Abrokwa) to appear before a disciplinary committee.
He said Ms Abrokwa also erred in not seeking redress from the Regional Director of Education and instead chose to do so through the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT).
When asked where Ms Abrokwa was being transferred to, Mr Bannerman-Mensah said that would depend on her personal interest and consultation with the regional director of education.
He said it was in her own interest not to go back to her former school in view of the animosity that she had built up against herself.
Mr Bannerman-Mensah expressed disappointment at the way the media and some members of the public had been biased on the issue and castigating the GES over what had happened, and that that gave the impression that they were not well informed.
Last September, Ms Abrokwa was reported to have been demoted and transferred for allegedly granting interviews to journalists during the “My First Day in School” programme, to the effect that there was poor enrolment in her school.
Following the media report, there was spontaneous public condemnation of the action by the municipal director. Members of the Tema branch of GNAT, who were in the forefront of the protestations, threatened to go on strike if the decision against their colleague was not reversed immediately.
The GES management responded to the concerns with the setting up of a committee to investigate the matter after which it submitted its findings to management on November 26, 2007.
According to the committee, Ms Abrokwa’s transfer was not because she spoke to the press but because of her inactivity and lack of initiative on that day, coupled with several previous verbal warnings and adverse findings in the log book.
“Her transfer could not be based on the low enrolment since her school is not the only school which recorded low enrolment on that day”, the committee noted, adding that the issue of demotion being projected had no basis because there was a difference between responsibility and rank.
“Headship is a responsibility. She was relieved of that responsibility but she still holds on to her rank - Assistant Director, and her salary”, the committee remarked.
It found that the compound of the school had been left dirty even after Ms Abrokwa had been alerted before the arrival of the municipal director and her entourage.
It noted that Ms Abrokwa’s excuse of misinformation on the reopening date was neither here nor there since reopening dates of schools were determined by the GES.
“Any clearance of suggested ambiguity should have been sought from GES office and a teacher with a claim of a long period of 35 years in the service should know better”, it indicated.
The committee also found that Ms Abrokwa’s unco-operative attitude in the school was because she was at loggerheads with her counterpart headteacher and many of the executive members of the school management committee (SMC) and also the parent-teacher association (PTA).
Thursday, December 6, 2007
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO DONATES TO CEPS (P.30) 04/12/07
Story: Kofi Yeboah
BRITISH American Tabacco (BAT) has donated 12 jungle motorbikes to the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) to support the service’s efforts at controlling the country’s borders.
The donation is in line with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed recently between BAT and CEPS to fight counterfeiting and illicit trade in tobacco products and other goods smuggled into the country.
The Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Manager (West and Central Africa) of BAT, Mr Don Ayao Dussey, presented the keys of the motorbikes to the Commissioner of CEPS, Mr Emmanuel Doku at a short ceremony in Accra on Wednesday.
Mr Dussey underlined the commitment of BAT to help improve the capacity of its partners in the process of eliminating illicit trade, adding, “we shall continue to support these efforts in the future”.
He said illicit trade was a criminal activity that seriously undermined the efforts of genuine entrepreneurs who aimed at building a sustainable future for the country’s economy.
According to Mr Dussey, latest estimates indicated that six per cent of the global consumption of tobacco products (equivalent to $20 billion) was held by illicit trade and declared the determination of BAT to combat contraband and counterfeiting in all countries it operated in.
“In Ghana, we are delighted to notice that with the combined effort of CEPS and all concerned parties, the illicit trade in tobacco products has significantly decreased”, he observed.
For his part, Mr Doku thanked BAT for the gesture and expressed satisfaction that the MOU signed between the two parties was yielding positive results.
“We are on the right path towards fighting illicit trade and counterfeiting”, he remarked.
BRITISH American Tabacco (BAT) has donated 12 jungle motorbikes to the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) to support the service’s efforts at controlling the country’s borders.
The donation is in line with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed recently between BAT and CEPS to fight counterfeiting and illicit trade in tobacco products and other goods smuggled into the country.
The Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Manager (West and Central Africa) of BAT, Mr Don Ayao Dussey, presented the keys of the motorbikes to the Commissioner of CEPS, Mr Emmanuel Doku at a short ceremony in Accra on Wednesday.
Mr Dussey underlined the commitment of BAT to help improve the capacity of its partners in the process of eliminating illicit trade, adding, “we shall continue to support these efforts in the future”.
He said illicit trade was a criminal activity that seriously undermined the efforts of genuine entrepreneurs who aimed at building a sustainable future for the country’s economy.
According to Mr Dussey, latest estimates indicated that six per cent of the global consumption of tobacco products (equivalent to $20 billion) was held by illicit trade and declared the determination of BAT to combat contraband and counterfeiting in all countries it operated in.
“In Ghana, we are delighted to notice that with the combined effort of CEPS and all concerned parties, the illicit trade in tobacco products has significantly decreased”, he observed.
For his part, Mr Doku thanked BAT for the gesture and expressed satisfaction that the MOU signed between the two parties was yielding positive results.
“We are on the right path towards fighting illicit trade and counterfeiting”, he remarked.
RESEARCHERS DEVELOP GURENE-ENGLISH DICTIONARY {P.11) 05/12/07
Story: Kofi Yeboah
A major breakthrough in the development of local linguistics has been made with the launch of a Gurene-English dictionary.
The dictionary, according to academic linguists, would go a long way to preserve the Gurene language, which is spoken by the people of Bolgatanga, Bongo and Nankani, all in the Upper East Region of the country.
The Gurene-English dictionary, which comes in two volumes, has about 5,000 word entries covering religion, medicines, funerals, music and food, among other areas.
The document, which was initiated by three researchers under the leadership of Prof M. E. Kropp Dakubu in 1993, indicates how words in Gurene are pronounced and their references in English.
Presenting an overview of the book, Prof Dakubu said although the dictionary was not complete, it was better to have such a material than nothing at all.
She expressed the hope that the document would be revised and improved in the future to cover wider areas.
The Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof Kwesi Yankah, who launched the book, said the Gurene-English dictionary had come at a time when potent forces of globalisation sought to threaten the existence of local languages.
He commended the researchers for their initiative and indicated that the University of Ghana had decided to tremendously boost funds for research in order to strengthen that core function of the university.
In an address delivered on his behalf, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Prof Akwasi Asabere-Ameyaw, underlined the importance of local language to Ghanaians, saying it was a strong vehicle to reach out to others.
He said the UEW recognised the need to develop the culture and value systems of Ghanaians, adding that the university would endeavour to develop a strong sense of indigenous Ghanaian languages in students.
Prof Asabere-Ameyaw expressed the hope that the dictionary would be useful as resource material for scholarship in Ghana and as reference material in other countries.
He expressed disappointment that the nation had not invested enough time and money in the study of Ghanaian languages and called for a change in that respect.
The Dean of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ghana, Prof Emmanuel Kweku Osam, who chaired the ceremony, said the launch of the dictionary marked a landmark in terms of language research and teaching for the country.
A development organisation of the Frafras in northern Ghana, BONABOTO, donated GH¢5,000 (¢50 million) towards the development of the Gurene language.
A major breakthrough in the development of local linguistics has been made with the launch of a Gurene-English dictionary.
The dictionary, according to academic linguists, would go a long way to preserve the Gurene language, which is spoken by the people of Bolgatanga, Bongo and Nankani, all in the Upper East Region of the country.
The Gurene-English dictionary, which comes in two volumes, has about 5,000 word entries covering religion, medicines, funerals, music and food, among other areas.
The document, which was initiated by three researchers under the leadership of Prof M. E. Kropp Dakubu in 1993, indicates how words in Gurene are pronounced and their references in English.
Presenting an overview of the book, Prof Dakubu said although the dictionary was not complete, it was better to have such a material than nothing at all.
She expressed the hope that the document would be revised and improved in the future to cover wider areas.
The Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof Kwesi Yankah, who launched the book, said the Gurene-English dictionary had come at a time when potent forces of globalisation sought to threaten the existence of local languages.
He commended the researchers for their initiative and indicated that the University of Ghana had decided to tremendously boost funds for research in order to strengthen that core function of the university.
In an address delivered on his behalf, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Prof Akwasi Asabere-Ameyaw, underlined the importance of local language to Ghanaians, saying it was a strong vehicle to reach out to others.
He said the UEW recognised the need to develop the culture and value systems of Ghanaians, adding that the university would endeavour to develop a strong sense of indigenous Ghanaian languages in students.
Prof Asabere-Ameyaw expressed the hope that the dictionary would be useful as resource material for scholarship in Ghana and as reference material in other countries.
He expressed disappointment that the nation had not invested enough time and money in the study of Ghanaian languages and called for a change in that respect.
The Dean of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ghana, Prof Emmanuel Kweku Osam, who chaired the ceremony, said the launch of the dictionary marked a landmark in terms of language research and teaching for the country.
A development organisation of the Frafras in northern Ghana, BONABOTO, donated GH¢5,000 (¢50 million) towards the development of the Gurene language.
'DISCARD PROPOSED TALK TAX' (FRONT PAGE) 05/12/07
Story: Kofi Yeboah & Caroline Boateng
OPERATORS in the telecommunications industry have asked the government not to introduce the proposed tax on phone talk time because it has the tendency to derail the national economy in the long term.
The operators dismissed assertions by the government that the imposition of the tax would increase national revenue to help offset the high unemployment rate under the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP).
They contended that the tax would rather inflict enormous distress on service providers, subscribers and the government.
“Increasing taxes on talk time will reduce the amount of communication related to economic activity in all sectors and, therefore, negatively impact on national development,” they said.
The operators — OneTouch, MTN, Tigo, Kasapa and Westel — made the call at a news conference in Accra yesterday following the government’s decision to impose the tax with effect from next year.
The proposed tax of Gp1 per minute talk time on mobile and fixed telephones, which was captured in the 2008 budget presented to Parliament on Thursday, November 15, 2007 by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, has generated intense public debate ever since.
According to the operators, the government did not consult them before announcing the proposed tax, adding that after a post-budget consultation with the government on the issue, they felt it appropriate to use the media platform to inform the public about the effects of the tax.
The Managing Director of Westel and Spokesperson for the operators, Ms Ursula Owusu, said the government might achieve its aim of increasing revenue with the imposition of the tax.
However, she pointed out, in the long term, revenue would dip because many mobile phone users would be discouraged from using the handset, while prospective users would also be deterred from owning mobile phones.
Ms Owusu said in view of the fact that majority of subscribers of all the networks had significant financial limitations, imposing such a tax “will disproportionately impact on the lower cost calls on all the networks”.
She said call prices in Ghana were among the lowest in Africa but the proposed tax on talk time could reverse that trend.
Ms Owusu said there was compelling evidence elsewhere to indicate that tax on talk time was not a profitable revenue option, in view of its negative impact on socio-economic development, and cited Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Tunisia as examples.
She said already there was a VAT/NHIL tax element on talk time, in addition to customs duties, regulatory fees, corporate tax and other tax commitments of operators in the industry, adding that any further tax imposed would impact negatively on the industry.
Ms Owusu said the telecommunications industry was the single largest taxpayer to the government and cautioned that “we should not kill the goose that lays the golden egg”.
She urged the government to reconsider its decision in order to ensure a “win-win-win” situation for operators, subscribers and the government itself, otherwise the result of the tax would lead to a “lose-lose-lose” situation.
Ms Owusu said much as the operators would want to push for the non-enforcement of the tax, they would not want the issue to be politicised.
Earlier, mobile phone dealers in the country had told the Daily Graphic that the frustrations and other corrupt practices at the points of entry into the country were responsible for the inability of the country to rake in the needed funds on mobile telephone handsets.
For well known importers such as Mobile Phone People and City Phones, who had been in the industry for 10 and six years, respectively, exporters could not be blamed for the loss of revenue from the handsets imported.
While lauding the government’s waiver of duties on imported handsets, they said challenges existed at import clearing points that needed its attention.
The General Manager of Mobile Phone People, Mr Percy Anaab Bukari, discounted claims in the 2008 Budget that importers and dealers in handsets evaded tax and sometimes under-invoiced.
He said inefficient processes and systems at the points of clearing imports into the country were the challenges that rather needed government’s attention.
His sentiments were similar to those expressed by the Executive Director of City Phones, Mr Philip Boyefio, who expressed frustration over some of the processes at the airport when clearing mobile telephones.
He said when the value of imported handsets exceeded about $2,000, an agency, BIVAC, had to value the handsets and the process to get that done was tedious, cumbersome and time-wasting.
Mr Boyefio said security and customs officials at the country's entry points most of the time helped themselves generously to imported goods, saying importers could not complain for fear that the clearing of their goods would be deliberately delayed.
He added that with the fast pace of technological development that saw new mobile phones being developed by the second, importers could not afford to let their goods delay at the entry points. They, therefore, kept quiet in the face of such abuse by those who had to collect taxes on behalf of the government.
Both importers said stolen and sub-standard handsets were likely to flood the market, while weak systems and processes at the country’s entry and tax collection points would persist.
Mr Bukari said the nature of the mobile telephone importation sector enabled the importation of handsets from all over the world, including Finland, where Nokia is produced, and Dubai.
Mr Mohammed Adam, who sells phones in a glass case in Accra, said he was not sure that the waiver of tax on imported mobile handsets would have any significant impact on the price of the handsets.
According to him, dealers like himself who sold in glass cases in the city had to pay between GH¢50 and GH¢60 yearly to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).
He said with such taxes and the dealers’ need for a fair amount of profit, no significant decreases might be experienced by consumers in the prices of the handsets.
Mr Johnson Akey and other mobile phone dealers all agreed that the new policy would not benefit them, since it would enable anyone at all to import mobile phones onto the market. They said in the long run, they would be driven out of business.
OPERATORS in the telecommunications industry have asked the government not to introduce the proposed tax on phone talk time because it has the tendency to derail the national economy in the long term.
The operators dismissed assertions by the government that the imposition of the tax would increase national revenue to help offset the high unemployment rate under the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP).
They contended that the tax would rather inflict enormous distress on service providers, subscribers and the government.
“Increasing taxes on talk time will reduce the amount of communication related to economic activity in all sectors and, therefore, negatively impact on national development,” they said.
The operators — OneTouch, MTN, Tigo, Kasapa and Westel — made the call at a news conference in Accra yesterday following the government’s decision to impose the tax with effect from next year.
The proposed tax of Gp1 per minute talk time on mobile and fixed telephones, which was captured in the 2008 budget presented to Parliament on Thursday, November 15, 2007 by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, has generated intense public debate ever since.
According to the operators, the government did not consult them before announcing the proposed tax, adding that after a post-budget consultation with the government on the issue, they felt it appropriate to use the media platform to inform the public about the effects of the tax.
The Managing Director of Westel and Spokesperson for the operators, Ms Ursula Owusu, said the government might achieve its aim of increasing revenue with the imposition of the tax.
However, she pointed out, in the long term, revenue would dip because many mobile phone users would be discouraged from using the handset, while prospective users would also be deterred from owning mobile phones.
Ms Owusu said in view of the fact that majority of subscribers of all the networks had significant financial limitations, imposing such a tax “will disproportionately impact on the lower cost calls on all the networks”.
She said call prices in Ghana were among the lowest in Africa but the proposed tax on talk time could reverse that trend.
Ms Owusu said there was compelling evidence elsewhere to indicate that tax on talk time was not a profitable revenue option, in view of its negative impact on socio-economic development, and cited Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Tunisia as examples.
She said already there was a VAT/NHIL tax element on talk time, in addition to customs duties, regulatory fees, corporate tax and other tax commitments of operators in the industry, adding that any further tax imposed would impact negatively on the industry.
Ms Owusu said the telecommunications industry was the single largest taxpayer to the government and cautioned that “we should not kill the goose that lays the golden egg”.
She urged the government to reconsider its decision in order to ensure a “win-win-win” situation for operators, subscribers and the government itself, otherwise the result of the tax would lead to a “lose-lose-lose” situation.
Ms Owusu said much as the operators would want to push for the non-enforcement of the tax, they would not want the issue to be politicised.
Earlier, mobile phone dealers in the country had told the Daily Graphic that the frustrations and other corrupt practices at the points of entry into the country were responsible for the inability of the country to rake in the needed funds on mobile telephone handsets.
For well known importers such as Mobile Phone People and City Phones, who had been in the industry for 10 and six years, respectively, exporters could not be blamed for the loss of revenue from the handsets imported.
While lauding the government’s waiver of duties on imported handsets, they said challenges existed at import clearing points that needed its attention.
The General Manager of Mobile Phone People, Mr Percy Anaab Bukari, discounted claims in the 2008 Budget that importers and dealers in handsets evaded tax and sometimes under-invoiced.
He said inefficient processes and systems at the points of clearing imports into the country were the challenges that rather needed government’s attention.
His sentiments were similar to those expressed by the Executive Director of City Phones, Mr Philip Boyefio, who expressed frustration over some of the processes at the airport when clearing mobile telephones.
He said when the value of imported handsets exceeded about $2,000, an agency, BIVAC, had to value the handsets and the process to get that done was tedious, cumbersome and time-wasting.
Mr Boyefio said security and customs officials at the country's entry points most of the time helped themselves generously to imported goods, saying importers could not complain for fear that the clearing of their goods would be deliberately delayed.
He added that with the fast pace of technological development that saw new mobile phones being developed by the second, importers could not afford to let their goods delay at the entry points. They, therefore, kept quiet in the face of such abuse by those who had to collect taxes on behalf of the government.
Both importers said stolen and sub-standard handsets were likely to flood the market, while weak systems and processes at the country’s entry and tax collection points would persist.
Mr Bukari said the nature of the mobile telephone importation sector enabled the importation of handsets from all over the world, including Finland, where Nokia is produced, and Dubai.
Mr Mohammed Adam, who sells phones in a glass case in Accra, said he was not sure that the waiver of tax on imported mobile handsets would have any significant impact on the price of the handsets.
According to him, dealers like himself who sold in glass cases in the city had to pay between GH¢50 and GH¢60 yearly to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).
He said with such taxes and the dealers’ need for a fair amount of profit, no significant decreases might be experienced by consumers in the prices of the handsets.
Mr Johnson Akey and other mobile phone dealers all agreed that the new policy would not benefit them, since it would enable anyone at all to import mobile phones onto the market. They said in the long run, they would be driven out of business.
Monday, December 3, 2007
I'M THE ANSWER TO THE NATION'S PROBLEMS -BRIGHT AKWETEY (P.13)
Article: Kofi Yeboah
“I believe in building Ghana into a strong, powerful and self-reliant state with full control over its strategic assets and natural resources.... I will promote a people-centred, self-reliant development strategy that guarantees equal opportunity for all. This is what I believe in and that is what I will strive to achieve.”
That declaration, made at the Ghana International Press Centre (GIPC) on September 10, 2007, is the basis on which firebrand anti-corruption campaigner and lawyer, Mr Bright Akwetey, is seeking the mandate of Ghanaians, as the country’s President in 2009 to restore Ghana to its glorious past.
However, before Ghanaians could think of entrusting their destiny into the hands of Bright Akwetey, the astute lawyer needs the approval of delegates of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) as the party’s flag bearer at its national congress on December 15, 2007.
Almost three months after making his official declaration and barely three weeks to congress, the former Chief State Attorney is renewing his call on the party’s delegates to endorse his candidature in order to return the CPP to winning ways by wresting power from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in next year’s presidential election.
“I want to be the flag bearer because I want to rebuild the CPP into the formidable political machinery that it was and lead it to victory in 2008”, he declares.
“If the delegates at the party congress nominate me, they are in good business because one of the principal things I will do early is to ensure their safety”, he said, giving the assurance that he would deliver that promise through his international connections.
Mr Akwetey promises CPP faithful and Ghanaians in general a selfless, vibrant and strong leadership to change the living conditions of the people.
“People go into leadership for self aggrandisement. But I like the example of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah of blessed memory who sacrificed his time, his money and life for the people of this country. I want to improve on the living conditions of Ghanaians and promote social justice in this country”.
The strong desire of Bright Akwetey to be President of Ghana is embedded on his personal encounter with deprivation, hardship, abject poverty and under development across the country even before he became an adult.
As the son of a retired police Chief Inspector, Bright attended 11 schools, in Accra, Bolgatanga, Tamale, Wenchi, Kumasi, Obuasi, Ejura, Antoakrom, Bekwai, Takoradi, Axim, Sefwi Wiawso, Sekondi and many other towns just to complete a 10-year elementary education as he followed his father around on transfers.
That experience equipped him with the ability to speak many Ghanaian languages apart from his native tongue. They include Twi, Hausa, Sefwi and Fante, which he speaks fluently, as well as an understanding of Nzema. The ability to speak those languages has been an effective arsenal in his political campaign as the electorate always get excited when they hear him speak their language.
He believes that tribalism or what he calls “tribal chauvinism” is on the increase and that is tearing the nation apart. Therefore, it is time to banish it from the fabric of society and he is ready to perform that task.
Mr Akwetey has been a fighter all his life. But he does not fight in the boxing ring or on the streets of Accra despite the fact that he is a thoroughbred Ga from Gbese. Bright fights corruption, which has been his lifetime sworn enemy.
At the peril of his career as a lawyer and life, he took his fight against corruption to the corridors of power when he petitioned President Kufuor to investigate the late Chief Justice Justice George Kingsley Acquah, the number four man of the state, for corrupt practices.
Bright Akwetey says as a public prosecutor for about two decades, he could have enriched himself through the cases he handled but he decided to seek the interest of Ghana and Ghanaians above his personal interest. According to him, if the cheating and corruption are stopped and the national cake is distributed equitably, Ghanaians would be better off.
“My fight against corruption and injustice over the years has earned me various accolades. Some say I am a litigant. Others say I am controversial. But I am neither of these. I stand for the truth, justice, equity and fair play. I pledge to commit the rest of my life to the service of God and country with all these attributes,” he remarks.
Much as his fearless resolve to fight corruption is amazing, the source of his strength for that campaign is equally revealing. Bright’s source of strength is not because he comes from Gbese, which does not beget cowards; neither is it because he is a lawyer, who knows how to talk. It is all about his father!
As a police officer, his father fought corruption and injustice everywhere he went. But that attitude was so alien to many police officers who had become bedfellows of corruption at that time. So in that anti-corruption crusade, his father ended up “stepping on toes” everywhere he went and expectantly, he got punished for his “insubordination” with transfers. Bright believes that his father’s blood runs through him.
He says having toured the whole country during his campaign, his conviction to serve the nation has been consolidated and reinforced by the hunger, deprivation and hardship that stare the people in the face, as well as the sheer waste of the country’s natural resources. He detests the domination of foreigners over the country’s natural resources and advocates a total control of such resources by Ghanaians.
“I want to see Ghanaians as proud, confident, disciplined and law-abiding citizens whose standard of living is measured not only in GDP terms but also the extent to which the average Ghanaian can afford good quality education, shelter, clothing, food, employment, health and have the opportunity to travel in decent transportation and on secure and safe roads”.
In spite of his bubbling confidence, Mr Akwetey reckons that the battle ahead is not about rhetoric. That is why he considers a united front of the Nkrumah family as key to winning election 2008. He is therefore committed to pursuing unity talks with the People’s National Convention (PNC) in order to achieve the dream of bringing back the Nkrumaist family to power.
The message of Bright Akwetey to all Ghanaians is very simple. Ghanaians will be a happy people if he gets the state machinery to execute his plans for the nation. Therefore, he is calling on the CPP party delegates and all Ghanaians to vote for him and as his slogan goes, “Save Ghana now!!! For a brighter future”.
“I believe in building Ghana into a strong, powerful and self-reliant state with full control over its strategic assets and natural resources.... I will promote a people-centred, self-reliant development strategy that guarantees equal opportunity for all. This is what I believe in and that is what I will strive to achieve.”
That declaration, made at the Ghana International Press Centre (GIPC) on September 10, 2007, is the basis on which firebrand anti-corruption campaigner and lawyer, Mr Bright Akwetey, is seeking the mandate of Ghanaians, as the country’s President in 2009 to restore Ghana to its glorious past.
However, before Ghanaians could think of entrusting their destiny into the hands of Bright Akwetey, the astute lawyer needs the approval of delegates of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) as the party’s flag bearer at its national congress on December 15, 2007.
Almost three months after making his official declaration and barely three weeks to congress, the former Chief State Attorney is renewing his call on the party’s delegates to endorse his candidature in order to return the CPP to winning ways by wresting power from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in next year’s presidential election.
“I want to be the flag bearer because I want to rebuild the CPP into the formidable political machinery that it was and lead it to victory in 2008”, he declares.
“If the delegates at the party congress nominate me, they are in good business because one of the principal things I will do early is to ensure their safety”, he said, giving the assurance that he would deliver that promise through his international connections.
Mr Akwetey promises CPP faithful and Ghanaians in general a selfless, vibrant and strong leadership to change the living conditions of the people.
“People go into leadership for self aggrandisement. But I like the example of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah of blessed memory who sacrificed his time, his money and life for the people of this country. I want to improve on the living conditions of Ghanaians and promote social justice in this country”.
The strong desire of Bright Akwetey to be President of Ghana is embedded on his personal encounter with deprivation, hardship, abject poverty and under development across the country even before he became an adult.
As the son of a retired police Chief Inspector, Bright attended 11 schools, in Accra, Bolgatanga, Tamale, Wenchi, Kumasi, Obuasi, Ejura, Antoakrom, Bekwai, Takoradi, Axim, Sefwi Wiawso, Sekondi and many other towns just to complete a 10-year elementary education as he followed his father around on transfers.
That experience equipped him with the ability to speak many Ghanaian languages apart from his native tongue. They include Twi, Hausa, Sefwi and Fante, which he speaks fluently, as well as an understanding of Nzema. The ability to speak those languages has been an effective arsenal in his political campaign as the electorate always get excited when they hear him speak their language.
He believes that tribalism or what he calls “tribal chauvinism” is on the increase and that is tearing the nation apart. Therefore, it is time to banish it from the fabric of society and he is ready to perform that task.
Mr Akwetey has been a fighter all his life. But he does not fight in the boxing ring or on the streets of Accra despite the fact that he is a thoroughbred Ga from Gbese. Bright fights corruption, which has been his lifetime sworn enemy.
At the peril of his career as a lawyer and life, he took his fight against corruption to the corridors of power when he petitioned President Kufuor to investigate the late Chief Justice Justice George Kingsley Acquah, the number four man of the state, for corrupt practices.
Bright Akwetey says as a public prosecutor for about two decades, he could have enriched himself through the cases he handled but he decided to seek the interest of Ghana and Ghanaians above his personal interest. According to him, if the cheating and corruption are stopped and the national cake is distributed equitably, Ghanaians would be better off.
“My fight against corruption and injustice over the years has earned me various accolades. Some say I am a litigant. Others say I am controversial. But I am neither of these. I stand for the truth, justice, equity and fair play. I pledge to commit the rest of my life to the service of God and country with all these attributes,” he remarks.
Much as his fearless resolve to fight corruption is amazing, the source of his strength for that campaign is equally revealing. Bright’s source of strength is not because he comes from Gbese, which does not beget cowards; neither is it because he is a lawyer, who knows how to talk. It is all about his father!
As a police officer, his father fought corruption and injustice everywhere he went. But that attitude was so alien to many police officers who had become bedfellows of corruption at that time. So in that anti-corruption crusade, his father ended up “stepping on toes” everywhere he went and expectantly, he got punished for his “insubordination” with transfers. Bright believes that his father’s blood runs through him.
He says having toured the whole country during his campaign, his conviction to serve the nation has been consolidated and reinforced by the hunger, deprivation and hardship that stare the people in the face, as well as the sheer waste of the country’s natural resources. He detests the domination of foreigners over the country’s natural resources and advocates a total control of such resources by Ghanaians.
“I want to see Ghanaians as proud, confident, disciplined and law-abiding citizens whose standard of living is measured not only in GDP terms but also the extent to which the average Ghanaian can afford good quality education, shelter, clothing, food, employment, health and have the opportunity to travel in decent transportation and on secure and safe roads”.
In spite of his bubbling confidence, Mr Akwetey reckons that the battle ahead is not about rhetoric. That is why he considers a united front of the Nkrumah family as key to winning election 2008. He is therefore committed to pursuing unity talks with the People’s National Convention (PNC) in order to achieve the dream of bringing back the Nkrumaist family to power.
The message of Bright Akwetey to all Ghanaians is very simple. Ghanaians will be a happy people if he gets the state machinery to execute his plans for the nation. Therefore, he is calling on the CPP party delegates and all Ghanaians to vote for him and as his slogan goes, “Save Ghana now!!! For a brighter future”.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
USE MEDIA TO SELL GHANA - WEREKO-BROBBY (P.16/17) 01-12-07
Story: Kofi Yeboah
THE Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana@50 Secretariat, Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby, has called on media practitioners to use the pluralism in the industry to sell Ghana, instead of presenting a negative image of the country to the outside world.
He said globalisation and the advancement in digital technology presented enormous opportunities for the media to sell Ghana, but, unfortunately, the recent media landscape had been saturated with murder, armed robbery, sodomy and other horrific stories on the front pages as though that was all Ghana could offer.
“We have a multitude of rags which are postulating to be newspapers. It’s a tragedy,” he remarked, expressing regret that even some respectable and established newspapers appeared to be descending into “gutter journalism”.
Dr Wereko-Brobby made those remarks at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on Thursday when he delivered a lecture as part of activities marking this year’s Advertisers’ Week celebration.
The lecture, which was organised by the Advertisers Association of Ghana (AAG), in conjunction with the Ghana@50 Secretariat, was on the theme, “Selling Ghana through a global fish bowl: The challenges for the next 50 years”.
Dr Wereko-Brobby spent a greater part of his 60-minute lecture to establish his contention that the media were getting it all wrong as far as the national interest was concerned with the kind of negative stories they splashed on their front pages.
He said although the media might not be doing so with the intention of painting the country black, the impression those negative stories gave to foreigners was that Ghana was not a safe country to visit or do business in.
Dr Wereko-Brobby, who opened the floodgates for the establishment of private radio stations with the setting up of Radio Eye in 1994, said the increase in media houses was a good development that ought to be used to promote the country’s positive image.
He said the development of the media in Ghana at the moment was such that stories published on the front pages were picked by radio stations for discussion and also published on the Internet and other electronic networks.
Through that process, he said, stories published on the front pages were given wider publicity across the world and urged the media to use that opportunity to publish stories that would sell Ghana rather than those that would destroy it.
Dr Wereko-Brobby dismissed the assertion that sensational stories sold newspapers, contending that there were many positive stories that could sell the newspapers but, unfortunately, those stories were often buried in the newspapers.
“We don’t need to reduce newspapers to ‘man bites dog’ alone because it’s a fallacy that it sells,” he said, adding that although the crime wave in Nigeria, for instance, was higher than that in Ghana, newspapers in Nigeria focused more on “bread and butter” issues than sensational stories.
Dr Wereko-Brobby observed that the negative stories in the media were being published at a time when Ghana was trying to woo tourists and investors into the country.
He noted that Ghana could become a middle-income country in the near future if its tourism potential and positive values were promoted in the media.
Dr Wereko-Brobby said the perception of Ghana was far removed from what the media portrayed it to be and stressed the need to re-orient and balance media output through the concept of always seeing the cup as half full, instead of half empty.
He said development in the media landscape over the past 15 years posed a great challenge to advertisers and, therefore, advocated the creation of a synergy between those who sold the country through the media and those who sold it through classical advertising.
Dr Wereko-Brobby underlined the need for the country to develop its tourism attractions and ensure high standards to entice tourists into the country, pointing out that the country could not cover up its inefficiencies and inadequacies with advertising gimmicks.
THE Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana@50 Secretariat, Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby, has called on media practitioners to use the pluralism in the industry to sell Ghana, instead of presenting a negative image of the country to the outside world.
He said globalisation and the advancement in digital technology presented enormous opportunities for the media to sell Ghana, but, unfortunately, the recent media landscape had been saturated with murder, armed robbery, sodomy and other horrific stories on the front pages as though that was all Ghana could offer.
“We have a multitude of rags which are postulating to be newspapers. It’s a tragedy,” he remarked, expressing regret that even some respectable and established newspapers appeared to be descending into “gutter journalism”.
Dr Wereko-Brobby made those remarks at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on Thursday when he delivered a lecture as part of activities marking this year’s Advertisers’ Week celebration.
The lecture, which was organised by the Advertisers Association of Ghana (AAG), in conjunction with the Ghana@50 Secretariat, was on the theme, “Selling Ghana through a global fish bowl: The challenges for the next 50 years”.
Dr Wereko-Brobby spent a greater part of his 60-minute lecture to establish his contention that the media were getting it all wrong as far as the national interest was concerned with the kind of negative stories they splashed on their front pages.
He said although the media might not be doing so with the intention of painting the country black, the impression those negative stories gave to foreigners was that Ghana was not a safe country to visit or do business in.
Dr Wereko-Brobby, who opened the floodgates for the establishment of private radio stations with the setting up of Radio Eye in 1994, said the increase in media houses was a good development that ought to be used to promote the country’s positive image.
He said the development of the media in Ghana at the moment was such that stories published on the front pages were picked by radio stations for discussion and also published on the Internet and other electronic networks.
Through that process, he said, stories published on the front pages were given wider publicity across the world and urged the media to use that opportunity to publish stories that would sell Ghana rather than those that would destroy it.
Dr Wereko-Brobby dismissed the assertion that sensational stories sold newspapers, contending that there were many positive stories that could sell the newspapers but, unfortunately, those stories were often buried in the newspapers.
“We don’t need to reduce newspapers to ‘man bites dog’ alone because it’s a fallacy that it sells,” he said, adding that although the crime wave in Nigeria, for instance, was higher than that in Ghana, newspapers in Nigeria focused more on “bread and butter” issues than sensational stories.
Dr Wereko-Brobby observed that the negative stories in the media were being published at a time when Ghana was trying to woo tourists and investors into the country.
He noted that Ghana could become a middle-income country in the near future if its tourism potential and positive values were promoted in the media.
Dr Wereko-Brobby said the perception of Ghana was far removed from what the media portrayed it to be and stressed the need to re-orient and balance media output through the concept of always seeing the cup as half full, instead of half empty.
He said development in the media landscape over the past 15 years posed a great challenge to advertisers and, therefore, advocated the creation of a synergy between those who sold the country through the media and those who sold it through classical advertising.
Dr Wereko-Brobby underlined the need for the country to develop its tourism attractions and ensure high standards to entice tourists into the country, pointing out that the country could not cover up its inefficiencies and inadequacies with advertising gimmicks.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
KITASE RESIDENTS PROTEST AGAINST INSTALLATION OF MASTS (P. 24)
Story: Kofi Yeboah, Kitase
Residents of Kitase and its environs in the Akuapem South District of the Eastern Region have expressed concern over the indiscriminate installation of masts by mobile telecommunication, broadcasting and Internet operators in the area.
According to the residents, the closeness of masts to their houses was exposing them to direct radiation from the equipment, which they claimed could cause breast cancer, miscarriage, brain tumours and other diseases.
Furthermore, the residents expressed the fear that the masts posed the threat of physical harm to people nearby in the event of their collapse.
One of the masts at Ahwerease is located close to the local basic school.
The masts are scattered around residential areas at Kitase, Peduase, Ahwerease and other towns on the Akuapem Ridge. Some of them have developed visible signs of corrosion as a result of the high rate of humidity in the area but, according to the residents, the operators had not been undertaking maintenance works on them.
Among radio stations whose masts are located in the area are Peace FM, Channel R and Radio Gold.
The residents further alleged that the red warning lights on top of some of the towers had ceased functioning, posing a great worry to aircraft in view of the fact that the area was a major route for aircraft, particularly helicopters.
According to the residents, many of the masts had been installed without recourse to safety standards, such as guard wires to give them a firm balance and lightning arrestors to manage the impact of lightning whenever it struck.
Fearing the imminent danger that the closeness of the masts to their houses poses to their lives, some residents in the area are said to have abandoned their homes.
However, others, instead of abandoning their homes, have resolved to confront the menace, recognising that with the boom in the broadcast and telecommunication industry, they may soon be “ejected” from their homes.
“It’s important that we kill this bug as soon as possible before it becomes a monster,” the Chairman of the Kitase-Peduase Residents Association, Mr Kwadwo Ayisi-Okyere, told the Daily Graphic on Tuesday.
Mr Ayisi-Okyere was later joined by other residents, including Mr Hans Rudolf Roth, the Secretary of the association, Ambassador Kwame Adusei, a former Ambassador to Germany, and Dr John K. Boah, a metallurgical engineer, and they took turns to explain efforts made by the residents to draw the attention of the authorities to the problem, all to no avail.
They expressed disappointment over the inability of the Ministry of Communications, the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Akuapem South District Assembly to address the problem.
According to the residents, it was not necessary for all the communication operators to install their individual masts, explaining that a number of them could install their transmitters on one mast, thereby reducing the danger posed by the plethora of masts in the area.
They indicated that the probable reason for the operators’ unwillingness to site their masts in non-residential areas was the fact that they wanted to avoid the cost of constructing access roads and extending electricity to such isolated locations. Instead, they took advantage of such facilities in established residential areas.
However, a Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Services Consultant, Dr E. Amamoo-Otchere, has dismissed the fears of the residents over the health effects of radiation from the masts.
According to him, there had not been any scientific proof to support the assertion that radiation from such installations could cause such health problems referred to and others like low sperm count.
Dr Amamoo-Otchere, who just retired as the Executive Director of the Centre for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Services of the University of Ghana, said the level of radiation emissions from the masts was not beyond what could cause any health hazard, adding that there was a lot of equipment around, such as television sets, FM radio sets, dryers and microwave ovens which were sources of radiation emissions.
The Deputy Director (Aerodrome Safety and Standards) of the GCAA, Mr Paul Kontoh, said after receiving information that some of the red warning lights on the masts were not functioning, the authority requested the operators to rectify the problem, to which they obliged.
He confirmed that the GCAA gave approval to the operators to install the masts, after they had met the required standards for putting up high towers as mandated by law.
Recently, a military helicopter carrying the mortal remains of a former Air Force Commander, Air Marshal Otu, to Adukrom for burial crash-landed and went into flames after its propeller hit a mast nearby.
A few years ago, a mast belonging to a mobile telecommunications operator collapsed on a vehicle at Ashiaman, killing a little boy who was then in the vehicle.
Residents of Kitase and its environs in the Akuapem South District of the Eastern Region have expressed concern over the indiscriminate installation of masts by mobile telecommunication, broadcasting and Internet operators in the area.
According to the residents, the closeness of masts to their houses was exposing them to direct radiation from the equipment, which they claimed could cause breast cancer, miscarriage, brain tumours and other diseases.
Furthermore, the residents expressed the fear that the masts posed the threat of physical harm to people nearby in the event of their collapse.
One of the masts at Ahwerease is located close to the local basic school.
The masts are scattered around residential areas at Kitase, Peduase, Ahwerease and other towns on the Akuapem Ridge. Some of them have developed visible signs of corrosion as a result of the high rate of humidity in the area but, according to the residents, the operators had not been undertaking maintenance works on them.
Among radio stations whose masts are located in the area are Peace FM, Channel R and Radio Gold.
The residents further alleged that the red warning lights on top of some of the towers had ceased functioning, posing a great worry to aircraft in view of the fact that the area was a major route for aircraft, particularly helicopters.
According to the residents, many of the masts had been installed without recourse to safety standards, such as guard wires to give them a firm balance and lightning arrestors to manage the impact of lightning whenever it struck.
Fearing the imminent danger that the closeness of the masts to their houses poses to their lives, some residents in the area are said to have abandoned their homes.
However, others, instead of abandoning their homes, have resolved to confront the menace, recognising that with the boom in the broadcast and telecommunication industry, they may soon be “ejected” from their homes.
“It’s important that we kill this bug as soon as possible before it becomes a monster,” the Chairman of the Kitase-Peduase Residents Association, Mr Kwadwo Ayisi-Okyere, told the Daily Graphic on Tuesday.
Mr Ayisi-Okyere was later joined by other residents, including Mr Hans Rudolf Roth, the Secretary of the association, Ambassador Kwame Adusei, a former Ambassador to Germany, and Dr John K. Boah, a metallurgical engineer, and they took turns to explain efforts made by the residents to draw the attention of the authorities to the problem, all to no avail.
They expressed disappointment over the inability of the Ministry of Communications, the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Akuapem South District Assembly to address the problem.
According to the residents, it was not necessary for all the communication operators to install their individual masts, explaining that a number of them could install their transmitters on one mast, thereby reducing the danger posed by the plethora of masts in the area.
They indicated that the probable reason for the operators’ unwillingness to site their masts in non-residential areas was the fact that they wanted to avoid the cost of constructing access roads and extending electricity to such isolated locations. Instead, they took advantage of such facilities in established residential areas.
However, a Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Services Consultant, Dr E. Amamoo-Otchere, has dismissed the fears of the residents over the health effects of radiation from the masts.
According to him, there had not been any scientific proof to support the assertion that radiation from such installations could cause such health problems referred to and others like low sperm count.
Dr Amamoo-Otchere, who just retired as the Executive Director of the Centre for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Services of the University of Ghana, said the level of radiation emissions from the masts was not beyond what could cause any health hazard, adding that there was a lot of equipment around, such as television sets, FM radio sets, dryers and microwave ovens which were sources of radiation emissions.
The Deputy Director (Aerodrome Safety and Standards) of the GCAA, Mr Paul Kontoh, said after receiving information that some of the red warning lights on the masts were not functioning, the authority requested the operators to rectify the problem, to which they obliged.
He confirmed that the GCAA gave approval to the operators to install the masts, after they had met the required standards for putting up high towers as mandated by law.
Recently, a military helicopter carrying the mortal remains of a former Air Force Commander, Air Marshal Otu, to Adukrom for burial crash-landed and went into flames after its propeller hit a mast nearby.
A few years ago, a mast belonging to a mobile telecommunications operator collapsed on a vehicle at Ashiaman, killing a little boy who was then in the vehicle.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
LARGE NUMBER OF CHILDREN DIE IN ROAD ACCIDENTS
Story: Kofi Yeboah
A survey commissioned by the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) in 2006 showed that a large number of children lose their lives in road accidents in the country.
It indicated that about 310 children died every year through road accidents, constituting 20 per cent of all road traffic fatalities in the country.
According to the survey, the Ashanti Region recorded the highest number of road accident fatalities involving children (23 per cent), followed by the Eastern Region (15 per cent) and the Central Region (14 per cent).
The survey noted that apart from the Greater Accra Region, a higher proportion (60-80 per cent) of children involved in road traffic accidents were associated with non-urban road environment.
For instance, about 54 per cent of children were killed on the highways passing through village settlements, while roads passing through built-up settlements accounted for 86 per cent of all traffic fatalities among children.
The NRSC, through Carl Bro a/s, contracted the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to carry out the survey under the Transport Sector Programme Support II (TSPS II).
It was sponsored by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) with the aim of providing the needed information on road traffic fatalities involving children, trends, age, sex, regional distribution, among other data.
The NRSC found it necessary to undertake the survey in view of the limited and incoherent documentation on the magnitude and nature of road traffic accidents involving children in the country.
The commission believes that the availability of such documentation will pave the way for the development of strategies and measures to address the problem, considering the effects of road traffic accidents on the socio-economic development of countries.
Global statistics estimate that 1.2 million people die annually through road traffic accidents.
The data for the survey were taken from police accident reports for the period 2001-2005 with respect to road traffic accident fatalities involving children of 0-15 years.
The survey defines fatality as a child of that age group who died within 30 days from the time of his or her involvement in a road traffic accident.
According to the survey, generally more boys (55 per cent) died in road traffic accidents than girls (45 per cent), with children in the age groups of 7-9 and 4-6 being the most victims.
With respect to pedestrians killed in accidents, the survey revealed that children were the most vulnerable. That was because one out of every three pedestrians killed in traffic was a child.
It observed that child pedestrians accounted for 80 per cent of all road traffic fatalities among children in the country.
Most of them were killed by cars (40 per cent), mini buses (33 per cent) or vehicles carrying goods (15 per cent) while crossing the road.
“Studies (Lee, 1994; Tight, 1998; Afukaar, 2001), have alluded to the diminutive size of children and their level of understanding of traffic systems as the key contributory factors pre-disposing the child pedestrian to risk of death in traffic,” the survey pointed out.
Assessing the periods within which the accidents occurred, the survey noted that the months of November and December recorded the highest number of road traffic accidents in the country.
Furthermore, it indicated that majority of the accidents occurred on weekends (Saturday and Sunday).
The survey also noted that about 80 per cent of the accidents occurred during daytime (6.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m.) with the period 4.00 p.m. - 6.00 p.m. being the most dangerous.
It observed that one factor accounting for the high rate of road traffic fatalities involving children was that many parents tended to overestimate their children’s ability to safely cross the street by themselves.
In order to reduce the spate of these accidents, the survey recommended that education on road safety should be focused more on children, especially those below 10 years.
In that respect, it urged parents, teachers, drivers and community leaders to educate children on safer use of roads.
The survey strongly suggested the teaching of road safety as a subject in schools, particularly at the primary level.
It further recommended the need to encourage engineers and planners to provide safe pedestrian facilities in the designing of new roads or when improving existing roads in order to make them child pedestrian friendly.
A survey commissioned by the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) in 2006 showed that a large number of children lose their lives in road accidents in the country.
It indicated that about 310 children died every year through road accidents, constituting 20 per cent of all road traffic fatalities in the country.
According to the survey, the Ashanti Region recorded the highest number of road accident fatalities involving children (23 per cent), followed by the Eastern Region (15 per cent) and the Central Region (14 per cent).
The survey noted that apart from the Greater Accra Region, a higher proportion (60-80 per cent) of children involved in road traffic accidents were associated with non-urban road environment.
For instance, about 54 per cent of children were killed on the highways passing through village settlements, while roads passing through built-up settlements accounted for 86 per cent of all traffic fatalities among children.
The NRSC, through Carl Bro a/s, contracted the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to carry out the survey under the Transport Sector Programme Support II (TSPS II).
It was sponsored by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) with the aim of providing the needed information on road traffic fatalities involving children, trends, age, sex, regional distribution, among other data.
The NRSC found it necessary to undertake the survey in view of the limited and incoherent documentation on the magnitude and nature of road traffic accidents involving children in the country.
The commission believes that the availability of such documentation will pave the way for the development of strategies and measures to address the problem, considering the effects of road traffic accidents on the socio-economic development of countries.
Global statistics estimate that 1.2 million people die annually through road traffic accidents.
The data for the survey were taken from police accident reports for the period 2001-2005 with respect to road traffic accident fatalities involving children of 0-15 years.
The survey defines fatality as a child of that age group who died within 30 days from the time of his or her involvement in a road traffic accident.
According to the survey, generally more boys (55 per cent) died in road traffic accidents than girls (45 per cent), with children in the age groups of 7-9 and 4-6 being the most victims.
With respect to pedestrians killed in accidents, the survey revealed that children were the most vulnerable. That was because one out of every three pedestrians killed in traffic was a child.
It observed that child pedestrians accounted for 80 per cent of all road traffic fatalities among children in the country.
Most of them were killed by cars (40 per cent), mini buses (33 per cent) or vehicles carrying goods (15 per cent) while crossing the road.
“Studies (Lee, 1994; Tight, 1998; Afukaar, 2001), have alluded to the diminutive size of children and their level of understanding of traffic systems as the key contributory factors pre-disposing the child pedestrian to risk of death in traffic,” the survey pointed out.
Assessing the periods within which the accidents occurred, the survey noted that the months of November and December recorded the highest number of road traffic accidents in the country.
Furthermore, it indicated that majority of the accidents occurred on weekends (Saturday and Sunday).
The survey also noted that about 80 per cent of the accidents occurred during daytime (6.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m.) with the period 4.00 p.m. - 6.00 p.m. being the most dangerous.
It observed that one factor accounting for the high rate of road traffic fatalities involving children was that many parents tended to overestimate their children’s ability to safely cross the street by themselves.
In order to reduce the spate of these accidents, the survey recommended that education on road safety should be focused more on children, especially those below 10 years.
In that respect, it urged parents, teachers, drivers and community leaders to educate children on safer use of roads.
The survey strongly suggested the teaching of road safety as a subject in schools, particularly at the primary level.
It further recommended the need to encourage engineers and planners to provide safe pedestrian facilities in the designing of new roads or when improving existing roads in order to make them child pedestrian friendly.
HORROR AT SAKAMAN - Man butchers cousin in bizarre incident (P.1)
Story: Kofi Yeboah
AN embittered plumber, George Awuku Dompreh, has executed a five-year-old threat by allegedly butchering his cousin in a brutal incident at Sakaman in Accra last Thursday.
Five years ago, Awuku, 41, threatened to visit mayhem on his aunt, Juliana Osew Dukwaa, and proceeded last Thursday to inflict many machete wounds on Enoch Sakyi Bampoe Bekoe, the aunt’s son, and fled into hiding.
The Crime Officer of Accra South West (Dansoman) of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Supt Stephen D. Anyan, confirmed the story to the Daily Graphic and said the police had mounted an intensive search for the suspect.
Awuku’s deadly act snuffed the life out of the 28-year-old BSc (Agriculture) degree holder from the University of Cape Coast and employee of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Accra, whom close associates described as a young man with bright prospects.
Enoch, 28, was due to get marry early next month to the daughter of a Presbyterian Reverend Minister whom he had courted for about three years.
“He was such a loving and caring guy. I haven’t seen his kind before. He speaks with so much wisdom. He loves kids,” Ms Mary Awo Sintim paid tribute to her departed fiancé.
Close associates of the family told the Daily Graphic that Awuku’s action was closely linked to a deep-seated dislike he harboured for his aunt for kicking against his marriage about five years ago and for his supposed predicaments in life.
He was said to have developed hatred for his aunt, with whom he lived for eight years, and openly threatened to kill her and her nuclear family.
In a statement to the police, Mr Edmund Kotey Djane, who was the closest witness to the incident, said around 9.00 p.m. on Thursday, he was with Enoch at his (Enoch’s) uncle’s residence when Awuku knocked at the door and asked to see Enoch.
He said Enoch then went outside, apparently to discuss something with his cousin. But after about 25 minutes, Djane said he heard Enoch screaming for help.
Djane said he immediately rushed out, only to find Awuku slashing Enoch with a machete. As soon as Awuku saw him, he bolted.
He said he rushed to attend to Enoch, who was bleeding profusely, and with the help of some residents around, Enoch was rushed to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. But their rescue mission did not yield positive results as Enoch was pronounced dead on arrival.
When the Daily Graphic visited Enoch’s residence at Sakaman, there were a number of sympathisers who had gone there to console his grief-stricken mother and other family relations.
According to Madam Dukwaa, she had lived with Awuku for eight years after the death of his parents, adding that during that period, there was no ill-feeling between them.
She said Awuku neither smoked nor drank alcohol but was an intensely private person who was always quiet. She said he assisted her in various ways, including even cooking and carrying out other household chores.
Madam Dukwaa said about five years ago, Awuku started paying frequent visits to their village at Oworam, near Asamankese, and she later found out that his frequent visits to the village were in connection with a woman he had impregnated there and whom he intended to marry.
She said when she found out that the woman hailed from Baasare, she advised Awuku against the marriage, explaining that the woman’s home town was too far and since his parents were dead, it would be difficult for the family to travel that far in case something happened and they needed to do so.
Madam Dukwaa said she later realised that Awuku was not pleased with her advice and even went ahead to have another baby with the woman.
She said Awuku kept telling some of their family members that he would kill her (Dukwaa) and her relations and commit suicide afterwards.
According to Madam Dukwaa, realising the seriousness of the threat, the elders of the family summoned a meeting to resolve the issue but Awuku did not turn up at the appointed time.
She said in spite of those developments, she related very well with Awuku and he did not display any evil intentions against her until one day when he visited her and started casting insinuations to the effect of asking whoever was causing his woes to desist from doing so.
When asked why she did not report Awuku’s threats to the police, Madam Dukwaa said she did not consider that option because she had him at heart, adding that her husband had wanted to take that course of action but some family members prevailed upon them not to go ahead.
At the residence of Enoch’s fiancee at Abeka, everyone seemed dumb-founded about the fate that had befallen their would-be in-law.
According to Mary, Enoch was a very principled, focused and determined person who endeavoured to achieve anything he set his mind on.
Her father, Rev Col E. B. B. Sintim (retd), said Enoch was a good man and that it was just unfortunate that such a terrible fate should befall him.
AN embittered plumber, George Awuku Dompreh, has executed a five-year-old threat by allegedly butchering his cousin in a brutal incident at Sakaman in Accra last Thursday.
Five years ago, Awuku, 41, threatened to visit mayhem on his aunt, Juliana Osew Dukwaa, and proceeded last Thursday to inflict many machete wounds on Enoch Sakyi Bampoe Bekoe, the aunt’s son, and fled into hiding.
The Crime Officer of Accra South West (Dansoman) of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Supt Stephen D. Anyan, confirmed the story to the Daily Graphic and said the police had mounted an intensive search for the suspect.
Awuku’s deadly act snuffed the life out of the 28-year-old BSc (Agriculture) degree holder from the University of Cape Coast and employee of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Accra, whom close associates described as a young man with bright prospects.
Enoch, 28, was due to get marry early next month to the daughter of a Presbyterian Reverend Minister whom he had courted for about three years.
“He was such a loving and caring guy. I haven’t seen his kind before. He speaks with so much wisdom. He loves kids,” Ms Mary Awo Sintim paid tribute to her departed fiancé.
Close associates of the family told the Daily Graphic that Awuku’s action was closely linked to a deep-seated dislike he harboured for his aunt for kicking against his marriage about five years ago and for his supposed predicaments in life.
He was said to have developed hatred for his aunt, with whom he lived for eight years, and openly threatened to kill her and her nuclear family.
In a statement to the police, Mr Edmund Kotey Djane, who was the closest witness to the incident, said around 9.00 p.m. on Thursday, he was with Enoch at his (Enoch’s) uncle’s residence when Awuku knocked at the door and asked to see Enoch.
He said Enoch then went outside, apparently to discuss something with his cousin. But after about 25 minutes, Djane said he heard Enoch screaming for help.
Djane said he immediately rushed out, only to find Awuku slashing Enoch with a machete. As soon as Awuku saw him, he bolted.
He said he rushed to attend to Enoch, who was bleeding profusely, and with the help of some residents around, Enoch was rushed to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. But their rescue mission did not yield positive results as Enoch was pronounced dead on arrival.
When the Daily Graphic visited Enoch’s residence at Sakaman, there were a number of sympathisers who had gone there to console his grief-stricken mother and other family relations.
According to Madam Dukwaa, she had lived with Awuku for eight years after the death of his parents, adding that during that period, there was no ill-feeling between them.
She said Awuku neither smoked nor drank alcohol but was an intensely private person who was always quiet. She said he assisted her in various ways, including even cooking and carrying out other household chores.
Madam Dukwaa said about five years ago, Awuku started paying frequent visits to their village at Oworam, near Asamankese, and she later found out that his frequent visits to the village were in connection with a woman he had impregnated there and whom he intended to marry.
She said when she found out that the woman hailed from Baasare, she advised Awuku against the marriage, explaining that the woman’s home town was too far and since his parents were dead, it would be difficult for the family to travel that far in case something happened and they needed to do so.
Madam Dukwaa said she later realised that Awuku was not pleased with her advice and even went ahead to have another baby with the woman.
She said Awuku kept telling some of their family members that he would kill her (Dukwaa) and her relations and commit suicide afterwards.
According to Madam Dukwaa, realising the seriousness of the threat, the elders of the family summoned a meeting to resolve the issue but Awuku did not turn up at the appointed time.
She said in spite of those developments, she related very well with Awuku and he did not display any evil intentions against her until one day when he visited her and started casting insinuations to the effect of asking whoever was causing his woes to desist from doing so.
When asked why she did not report Awuku’s threats to the police, Madam Dukwaa said she did not consider that option because she had him at heart, adding that her husband had wanted to take that course of action but some family members prevailed upon them not to go ahead.
At the residence of Enoch’s fiancee at Abeka, everyone seemed dumb-founded about the fate that had befallen their would-be in-law.
According to Mary, Enoch was a very principled, focused and determined person who endeavoured to achieve anything he set his mind on.
Her father, Rev Col E. B. B. Sintim (retd), said Enoch was a good man and that it was just unfortunate that such a terrible fate should befall him.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
WEREKO-BROBBY PAYS INSURANCE PREMIUM FOR 1,000 (P.49)
Story: Kofi Yeboah
THE Chief Executive of the Ghana@50 Secretariat, Dr Charles Yves Wereko-Brobby, has made a personal donation of GH¢10,000 (¢100 million) to cover the health insurance premiums of 1,000 youth in the Efigya Sekyere District in the Ashanti Region.
Twenty youth from each of the 50 constituencies in the district are to benefit from the package which cheque was presented to the Presiding Member of the Efigya Sekyere District Assembly, Mr Kwasi Karikari Achamfuor, last Saturday.
The benevolence of Dr Wereko-Brobby, who is a native of Agona Asante in the Efigya Sekyere District, would enable the beneficiaries to sign up to the District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme (DMHIS) and consequently, enjoy free medical service for one year.
“There are many Ghanaians who have lots of resources and it is important for them to support those who don’t have to benefit from the health insurance scheme,” Dr Wereko-Brobby made a clarion call on the well-to-do in society through the Daily Graphic yesterday.
“The health insurance concept is a good initiative but there are many people who are not taking advantage of it because of financial difficulties. One way to help the scheme to grow and for all to accept the concept is for those who have to help the have-nots,” he added.
Dr Wereko-Brobby said it was a normal practice in the traditional setting for wealthy people to pay the medical bills of their relations.
He, however, noted that under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the bill paid for medical treatment was far cheaper than that paid under the old system.
Moreover, he said, with the NHIS, one could take care of the health bills of many family relations with the same amount of money that he or she would have spent on the bill of just one relative under the old policy of cash and carry.
Dr Wereko-Brobby said many people had not signed up to the scheme because they did not understand the concept, but pointed out that if those people were given the necessary support to experience its benefits they would be the best apostles of the concept.
He suggested a communal support approach in which benefactors would extend their financial support beyond their family relations to the entire community.
Dr Wereko-Brobby said the decision to support the youth was based on the fact that they were the productive force of the country and so it was important to offer them a basis to believe that they had a future in the country.
He observed that many of the youth who were unemployed were economically handicapped and as such that misfortune should not be allowed to be compounded by illness.
“It’s my belief that once they know what it means and its advantages, when it is time for renewal, they would find money to support themselves,” he said.
Dr Wereko-Brobby expressed the hope that the District Assembly would not discriminate in favour of relations of Assembly members in the selection of the beneficiaries for the package.
“We are trusting on the integrity of the assembly men and women to give it to those who really need it,” he remarked.
Dr Wereko-Brobby suggested the establishment of a resource and expert support unit in various communities to serve as the “grass roots beginning to economic independence”, by helping to manage development projects in the communities.
Such initiative, he said, would facilitate local training programmes, education and small enterprises, among other ventures, to build the economic foundation of the communities.
THE Chief Executive of the Ghana@50 Secretariat, Dr Charles Yves Wereko-Brobby, has made a personal donation of GH¢10,000 (¢100 million) to cover the health insurance premiums of 1,000 youth in the Efigya Sekyere District in the Ashanti Region.
Twenty youth from each of the 50 constituencies in the district are to benefit from the package which cheque was presented to the Presiding Member of the Efigya Sekyere District Assembly, Mr Kwasi Karikari Achamfuor, last Saturday.
The benevolence of Dr Wereko-Brobby, who is a native of Agona Asante in the Efigya Sekyere District, would enable the beneficiaries to sign up to the District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme (DMHIS) and consequently, enjoy free medical service for one year.
“There are many Ghanaians who have lots of resources and it is important for them to support those who don’t have to benefit from the health insurance scheme,” Dr Wereko-Brobby made a clarion call on the well-to-do in society through the Daily Graphic yesterday.
“The health insurance concept is a good initiative but there are many people who are not taking advantage of it because of financial difficulties. One way to help the scheme to grow and for all to accept the concept is for those who have to help the have-nots,” he added.
Dr Wereko-Brobby said it was a normal practice in the traditional setting for wealthy people to pay the medical bills of their relations.
He, however, noted that under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the bill paid for medical treatment was far cheaper than that paid under the old system.
Moreover, he said, with the NHIS, one could take care of the health bills of many family relations with the same amount of money that he or she would have spent on the bill of just one relative under the old policy of cash and carry.
Dr Wereko-Brobby said many people had not signed up to the scheme because they did not understand the concept, but pointed out that if those people were given the necessary support to experience its benefits they would be the best apostles of the concept.
He suggested a communal support approach in which benefactors would extend their financial support beyond their family relations to the entire community.
Dr Wereko-Brobby said the decision to support the youth was based on the fact that they were the productive force of the country and so it was important to offer them a basis to believe that they had a future in the country.
He observed that many of the youth who were unemployed were economically handicapped and as such that misfortune should not be allowed to be compounded by illness.
“It’s my belief that once they know what it means and its advantages, when it is time for renewal, they would find money to support themselves,” he said.
Dr Wereko-Brobby expressed the hope that the District Assembly would not discriminate in favour of relations of Assembly members in the selection of the beneficiaries for the package.
“We are trusting on the integrity of the assembly men and women to give it to those who really need it,” he remarked.
Dr Wereko-Brobby suggested the establishment of a resource and expert support unit in various communities to serve as the “grass roots beginning to economic independence”, by helping to manage development projects in the communities.
Such initiative, he said, would facilitate local training programmes, education and small enterprises, among other ventures, to build the economic foundation of the communities.
VICE CHANCELLORS NEED MANAGERIAL SKILLS
(P. 24/25) NOVEMBER 14, 2007
Story: Kofi Yeboah
THE Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Rev Prof. Emmanuel Adow-Obeng, has stated that the appointment of Vice Chancellors with no knowledge in management has been a drawback on the effective management of the universities.
He, therefore, stressed the need for persons appointed Vice Chancellors to acquire management skills to enable them to address the challenges in their universities.
Rev Prof Adow-Obeng made the comment when he delivered a lecture at the Great Hall of the University of Ghana, Legon, to mark African Universities Day.
The Day was instituted on November 12, 1994, by the African Union (AU), formerly known as the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), in pursuant to a resolution passed by the OAU Council of Ministers in June 1994.
This year, the Day, which coincided with the 40th anniversary of the Association of African Universities (AAU), was celebrated on the theme, “Forty years of championing African university leadership: Prospects and challenges for the near future”.
Delivering his lecture on the theme, Rev Prof Adow-Obeng assessed the development of higher institutions of learning in Africa, their challenges and prospects for the future.
On the need for Vice Chancellors to acquire management skills, he said the AAU had been organising workshops and seminars to update the managerial skills of Vice Chancellors.
Rev Prof Adow-Obeng urged young graduates to take up faculty appointments at the universities, assuring them that better prospects awaited them.
According to him, conditions of service at public universities in Ghana, for instance, had improved considerably over the past two years, adding that there were many opportunities at the universities that young graduates could benefit from.
He said over the past two decades, higher education had provided the needed human resource for many African countries.
He, however, observed that the growing demand for higher education had presented enormous challenges for many African universities, adding that poor economic development of African countries had deepened those challenges.
Rev Prof. Adow-Obeng noted that the AAU was making efforts to help African universities overcome some of the challenges they faced, and further lauded the innovation being embraced by some of the universities, which had led to their improvement.
He said the era of globalisation and information communication technology (ICT) was changing the environment within which African universities operated and that unfortunately, they were yet to take full advantage of the change.
On funding, he indicated that African governments had reduced the requirements of the universities by about 50 per cent over the years, and that was making it difficult for them to attract and retain academic staff.
The Head of Communications at the AAU Secretariat, Dr Hoba Pascal, said although there had been some improvement in higher education in Africa, it still faced many challenges.
He attributed the situation to the bad economic disposition of African countries, saying, “At a time when the rest of the world has experienced rapid economic growth, most of the people of Africa have been left behind with nearly half of its people living on less than $1 a day”.
Dr Pascal said in spite of the challenges, African universities, after diagnosing their problems, were in the process of finding solutions to them.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof Clifford Nii Boi Tagoe, who chaired the event, expressed concern about the ageing faculty members and added his voice to the call on young graduates to take appointments at the universities.
Story: Kofi Yeboah
THE Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Rev Prof. Emmanuel Adow-Obeng, has stated that the appointment of Vice Chancellors with no knowledge in management has been a drawback on the effective management of the universities.
He, therefore, stressed the need for persons appointed Vice Chancellors to acquire management skills to enable them to address the challenges in their universities.
Rev Prof Adow-Obeng made the comment when he delivered a lecture at the Great Hall of the University of Ghana, Legon, to mark African Universities Day.
The Day was instituted on November 12, 1994, by the African Union (AU), formerly known as the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), in pursuant to a resolution passed by the OAU Council of Ministers in June 1994.
This year, the Day, which coincided with the 40th anniversary of the Association of African Universities (AAU), was celebrated on the theme, “Forty years of championing African university leadership: Prospects and challenges for the near future”.
Delivering his lecture on the theme, Rev Prof Adow-Obeng assessed the development of higher institutions of learning in Africa, their challenges and prospects for the future.
On the need for Vice Chancellors to acquire management skills, he said the AAU had been organising workshops and seminars to update the managerial skills of Vice Chancellors.
Rev Prof Adow-Obeng urged young graduates to take up faculty appointments at the universities, assuring them that better prospects awaited them.
According to him, conditions of service at public universities in Ghana, for instance, had improved considerably over the past two years, adding that there were many opportunities at the universities that young graduates could benefit from.
He said over the past two decades, higher education had provided the needed human resource for many African countries.
He, however, observed that the growing demand for higher education had presented enormous challenges for many African universities, adding that poor economic development of African countries had deepened those challenges.
Rev Prof. Adow-Obeng noted that the AAU was making efforts to help African universities overcome some of the challenges they faced, and further lauded the innovation being embraced by some of the universities, which had led to their improvement.
He said the era of globalisation and information communication technology (ICT) was changing the environment within which African universities operated and that unfortunately, they were yet to take full advantage of the change.
On funding, he indicated that African governments had reduced the requirements of the universities by about 50 per cent over the years, and that was making it difficult for them to attract and retain academic staff.
The Head of Communications at the AAU Secretariat, Dr Hoba Pascal, said although there had been some improvement in higher education in Africa, it still faced many challenges.
He attributed the situation to the bad economic disposition of African countries, saying, “At a time when the rest of the world has experienced rapid economic growth, most of the people of Africa have been left behind with nearly half of its people living on less than $1 a day”.
Dr Pascal said in spite of the challenges, African universities, after diagnosing their problems, were in the process of finding solutions to them.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof Clifford Nii Boi Tagoe, who chaired the event, expressed concern about the ageing faculty members and added his voice to the call on young graduates to take appointments at the universities.
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