FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE

THE Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment has initiated steps to attain the universal target for the registration of births and deaths.
As part of the efforts, the ministry has undertaken to retool the Births and Deaths Registry to enable the unit to effectively perform its functions.
This has come late in the day, but it is better late than never, given the relevance of the Births and Deaths Registry in the collection of reliable data for the formulation of policies. Even more disturbing is the fact that birth and death registration, for so long a time, has not been attended to with the seriousness it deserves.
Presently, birth and death registration covers only 62 per cent of the population and to attain the universal target of birth and death registration there is the need to cover about 95 per cent of the population.
It is ironic that although birth and death registration has existed for about 100 years, many Ghanaians don’t see it as an important exercise in the quest to develop good policies to help the country attain the level of economic growth it aspires to.
It is important to note that the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1965 (Act 301) was in response to the realisation of the importance of population statistics in the formulation of development policies.
Clearly, despite the institution of a National Birth Registration Day, which falls on September 1, every year, it appears that a lot more work needs to be done to ensure that the populace appreciates the relevance of such registration.
The far-reaching and long-term impact of birth and death registration may be lost on many Ghanaians, as in the heat of the excitement at the birth of a child or grief at the loss of a loved one there is the tendency to relegate such registration to the background.
Understandably, the Births and Deaths Registry exists to provide accurate and reliable information on all births and deaths occurring in the country for the socio-economic development of the country through their registration and certification.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, while welcoming the decision to adequately resource the registry to enable it function effectively, wishes to caution against the tendency to pay lip service to such vital state institutions.
For so long a time we seem to have neglected this unit and the time to address its needs has been long overdue. Beyond providing the necessary logistics, efforts aimed at publicising birth and death registration and educating the populace on its usefulness must be pursued relentlessly.
It is also important to note that effective and extensive computerisation of the process is one sure way of improving coverage of the exercise and ensuring that the database from such exercises truly reflects the real situation on the ground.
We also urge the relevant state institutions to support the registry’s computerisation programme to cover all the 138 district registration offices to facilitate the data collection process required for national development.
Furthermore, the DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to stress that this noble objective of computerising all district registration offices be relentlessly pursued to ensure that set targets are attained.
We also wish to commend organisations such as UNICEF and PLAN International for their support to the Births and Deaths Registry over the years and urge them to continue to assist the unit to pursue its noble mission of capturing data from the cradle to the grave.

DISABILITY ACT MUST BITE

GHANA has a very elaborate legislative framework to provide adequate means of livelihood and equal access to public facilities for all citizens.
Our Constitution also frowns on any acts of discrimination that tend to give advantage to individuals or any group of people based on creed and other sectarian considerations.
Article 36 (1) of the Fourth Republican Constitution says that “the State shall take all necessary action to ensure that the national economy is managed in such a manner as to maximise the rate of economic development and to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every person in Ghana and to provide adequate means of livelihood and suitable employment and public assistance to the needy”.
Not long ago, physically challenged persons took to the streets to draw attention to the apparent lack of public sympathy for their plight. Their concerns were not only limited to the public’s low esteem of their status in society but also the lack of recognition of their capabilities to contribute meaningfully to national development efforts.
Although some of the actions of some physically challenged persons have led to a situation where a section of the public threat them with scorn, there are many others who are contributing meaningfully to the development of the country.
This group of physically challenged persons has always asked those who are quick to generalise that disabled persons are a burden on society not to look at disability as a demeaning phenomenon but the ability of such people to perform just as able-bodied persons.
Even after the passage of the Disability Act by Parliament in 2006, it has taken some time for the authorities to operationalise the legislation, particularly those provisons of the act that deal with providing easy access to public buildings for physcially challenged persons.
It is good news, however, that some organisations have started putting up facilities to make their buildings accessible to people with disability, in compliance with the People with Disability Act, Act 715.
A report in the GHANAIAN TIMES of July 29, 2008 named some of the buildings which are being provided with facilities for people with disability as the National Theatre, the new Presidential Palace, Parliament House, the Ghana Cocoa Board Headquarters, most hotels in Accra and the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment.
The Assistant Director of Social Welfare, Mr William Niyuri, said the ministry decided to construct a smooth ramp to make the building accessible to people with disability “because, as the parent ministry, we must be a shining example for others to emulate”.
The situation of the physically challenged reflects our attitude towards our Constitution that requires that we frown on discrimination in order to achieve national integration and development.
Many laws on our statutes have not been enforced, providing a loose environment for people to engage in lawless acts and push the entire society to the brink of a state of nature.
The DAILY GRAPHIC commends the organisations that have committed resources into providing for the needs of our less-fortunate brothers and sisters in society.
However, those who have turned blind eyes to the law on disability should also be compelled to comply without delay to make all public facilities friendly to the needs of the physically challenged.

SHARING COUNTRY'S BURDEN

Rising crude oil and food prices have put a strain on economies all over the world, particularly developing economies.
Interest rates and inflation which were tamed in most emerging economies are making a rebound, forcing the prices of goods and services beyond the means of majority of the people.
The situation is compelling most governments to review their budgets and introduce austerity measures in order to prevent their economies from taking a nosedive.
In some developing countries, the people have taken to the streets to demand that their governments cut down on expenditure, as well as reduce the prices of petroleum products and food items. Governments which are not able to stand the pressure or design new strategies to address the price hikes have adjusted the cost of oil and food items to meet the demands of the people.
The governments of Cote d'Ivoire and South Africa have reduced the salaries of their functionaries in order to save to pay for the rising cost of fuel and food items.
It appears the rising cost of crude oil and food items will be with us for some time, in view of the unpredictability of the oil market and the effects of climate change.
What that means, therefore, is that our leaders should find innovative ways to address the challenges arising out of the rising cost of living.
The DAILY GRAPHIC welcomes moves by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to reduce the budgets of all ministries to save money to finance the purchase of crude oil for the Volta River Authority. This is in addition to the cut in taxes on certain food items and petroleum products announced recently.
The policies of the government in trying to contain inflation and the rising cost of living mark a good beginning, but the initiatives should be expanded further to be all-encompassing in order to keep macro-economic stability on track.
Therefore, the managers of all state institutions should be encouraged to adopt austerity measures in order to cut down on waste in their organisations.
Areas that require urgent attention to reduce waste include expenditure on stationery, fuel and other recurrent expenditure.
The use of government vehicles after office hours and at weekends must also be reviewed. Some time ago, the registration numbers of all government vehicles were prefixed by the letters GV in order to stem abuse after office hours and officials who required the use of those vehicles beyond office hours were given special authorisation to do so.
Times are not normal. Every country, including even the advanced ones, are all feeling the pinch and urgent action is required to tame the looming threat to the economy and the future of mankind.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the success of any such enterprise requires commitment and sacrifices from the leadership of the country at all levels of human endeavour.
Since example is better than precept, it will be worthwhile for our national leaders to demonstrate that in our efforts to overcome the temporary challenges, they are ready to show the way.
Let us avoid any extravagant lifestyles at this time of austerity so that the savings that will be made can be channelled into strategic sectors to generate the needed revenue to lubricate the economy.
So far, Ghanaians have demonstrated their preparedness to bite the bullet for a better future. All that the people expect from their leaders is a certain amount of modesty in their lifestyles so that the masses can be assured of the fact that our leaders are equally prepared to share the country's burden.

BRIDGING NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE

The University for Development Studies (UDS) has initiated a series of programmes to engage the leaders of the political parties seeking the mandate of the people to outline their development strategies for northern Ghana.
It is a commendable effort for the UDS to move beyond its core functions of teaching and learning to invite the leadership of the political parties to state, in clear terms, the programmes they have in order to turn around the fortunes of the people of the three northern regions.
Since independence, the country has tried, without success, to bridge the development gap between the north and the south.
The first President of Ghana, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, introduced far-reaching measures such as the free education for children of northern extraction as a pragmatic and progressive move to empower them to compete on the job market.
Before the government introduced this policy, the northern sector was considered to be the supplier of cheap labour on cocoa farms and those from the north did other menial jobs in the south.
Through the free education policy of the First Republic, northern Ghana can today boast some of the best-educated people occupying very responsible and sensitive positions in the country.
However, the development challenge of the north appears to be assuming seeming insurmountable dimensions, with most communities being afflicted by conflict and diseases, while poverty levels are continually growing.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that we have allowed the problems to fester for far too long, instead of looking at them as challenges that require our collective efforts to surmount to attain a middle-income status by 2015.
We are not oblivious to the establishment of the Northern Development Fund to serve as a catalyst to address the falling standards of living among our brothers and sisters in the north.
Unfortunately, the kind of resources needed to change the fortunes of the people in the north cannot be left for the fund to source.
What is needed is a concerted national resolve, perhaps along the lines of the Common Fund and the GETFund, to compel our legislators to set aside a certain percentage of national revenue to help bridge the development gap between the north and the south.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is aware that some areas in the south are equally deprived like the north, but, by and large, the south is better developed than the north.
We cannot pat ourselves on the back for championing good governance when the populace in a section of the country feels that it has been marginalised. Good governance is also about the equitable allocation and management of the country’s resources.
Some countries on the continent are in flames and struggling to rebuild from the ashes of war because of conflict arising out of the uneven allocation of resources.
The UDS platform for presidential candidates should provide us with the opportunity to get various blueprints for resolving the problem so that the next government can harmonise those visions to bridge the north and south dichotomy once and for all.
Let us adopt a bipartisan approach to the development challenges in the north so that everybody will feel free to volunteer ideas to remedy the problem.
However, we urge our brothers and sisters in the north to turn their back on conflicts and give peace a chance because development activities cannot take place in conflict-prone communities.

PROTECTING INTEGRITY OF DECEMBER POLLS

LAST Thursday, democracy in Ghana was given a further boost with the launch of the Political Parties Code of Conduct for the 2008 elections to provide guidance for all political parties contesting the general election in December.
The code, the second to be launched in the country, establishes enforcement bodies, both at the national and regional levels.
According to the provisions of the code, the regional enforcement bodies will monitor breaches of the code in the various constituencies in the regions and report such breaches to national institutions that have the mandate to investigate and, where necessary, apply the necessary sanctions in the form of reprimands and undertakings from offending parties.
This new development has added another dimension to our quest to ensure that the conduct of elections and electioneering in the country are peaceful and transparent, devoid of rancour, bitterness, mudslinging and acts that are likely to undermine the stability of our dear nation.
We are living witnesses to the upheavals and anarchy that have engulfed some countries in the West African sub-region and other parts of the continent as a result of disputed elections.
In Ghana, we are lucky to have escaped the frightening experience after four successful elections since 1992.
The December 2008 general election, to all intents and purposes, must be conducted in such a way that at the end of the day Ghana will remain the showpiece of the continent and demonstrate to the whole world that our crave for democratic governance has come to stay.
It, therefore, behoves everybody to support the Electoral Commission (EC) to conduct free and fair elections. The DAILY GRAPHIC finds it heart-warming that other bodies interested in the growth of democracy, such as the Institute of Economic Affairs, the National Peace Council, the Centre for Democratic Development, the National Commission on Civic Education, among other institutions, are ensuring respect for democratic principles.
We echo the reminder from the EC that it is mandatory for all political parties to refrain from acts that are likely to undermine the authority of the commission and bring the conduct of the December polls into disrepute.
Political parties must act with decorum by not encouraging their members to engage in multiple registration when the voters register is reopened, as well as multiple voting or impersonation at the time of the conduct of polls. These are criminal acts that could take place at the blind side of the EC if the parties do not co-operate with the commission.
It is an undeniable fact that the mandate to conduct free, fair and credible elections in this country lies within the purview of the commission. Nonetheless, the EC may not be able to accomplish this task without the support of all the stakeholders, especially the political parties and their agents.
Now that the code has made explicit provisions on the dos and don’ts for the political parties, as well as the other players in the political game, the onus lies on the parties to enforce the code and make it impossible for their members to undermine the integrity of the polls.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on all Ghanaians to make a pledge to support the EC to conduct credible polls in December.
For this reason, the rewards and sanctions mechanism or naming and shaming procedure must be applied in the enforcement of the code in order to compel deviants to conform with the norm.
It is our inability to enforce regulations that has emboldened wrongdoers to act with impunity.
The DAILY GRAPHIC commends the IEA and its partners for their support for our democratic dispensation.

KNUST, FINATRADE PARTNERSHIP COMMENDABLE

OVER the years, questions have been raised concerning the relevance and continued study of Agriculture as a subject in our educational institutions because of the negligible impact its study has had on overall agricultural development.
Some of the arguments have been that apart from a few graduates who find themselves in the agricultural sector, the bulk of them end up venturing into other sectors of the economy not quite related to what they studied.
This state of affairs has had a rueful effect on the agricultural sector, particularly crop farming and, to some extent, livestock production, just because agriculture has been degraded in its entirety and nature.
The sector has often been addressed as a suitable place for the uneducated or school dropouts, such that students who graduate from our educational institutions, especially the tertiary ones, are not motivated enough to take to agriculture.
Another factor which explains this poor state of affairs is the non-availability of adequate extension officers to go round the communities to supervise the activities of those in the agricultural sector, particularly our farmers.
For this reason, we see as a refreshing development the initiative taken by the Faculty of Agriculture of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to collaborate with the Finatrade Foundation to boost the training of graduates of Agriculture and motivate them to venture into agriculture after school.
Under the initiative, a model farm project has been established at KNUST with a seed capital of GH¢50,000. This project must be applauded and given the maximum support to sustain and enhance the human resource base of the agricultural sector.
It is our hope that this initiative will not be terminal but that it should envisage resourcing the graduates who may want to venture into self employment or the informal sector and support them with working capital and the needed tools.
Furthermore, the authorities at KNUST must explore other avenues of raising income to promote increased agricultural production.
Meanwhile, it is our conviction that this laudable programme should be extended to other people such as farmers and organisations which have taken to agriculture.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on the Finatrade Foundation to help sustain the interest of our youth in agriculture.
Through this effort, the morale of the graduates would be boosted to help elevate agriculture to a level that will make it gain popular acceptance as the subject of choice and subsequently as the best vocation.
It is sad that most often the findings of research carried out by our universities and research institutions have been left on the shelves to gather dust just because captains of business and industry do not find those findings attractive to put their resources in them.
The tide must change because our desire to reach a middle-income status will elude us if we continue to down play very critical areas of national development such as the agricultural sector, which has been the backbone of our economy all these years.

WE'VE TO HALT THIS CANKER

THE country has lost scarce resources as a result of indiscipline and our inability to enforce rules and regulations.
Squatters have stalled many projects in the country and when the authorities want to act, they are the first to seek redress under the law to protect their rights.
This group of people forget that every right that we want to exercise must go with a responsibility.
The Korle Lagoon Restoration Project, for which Ghana borrowed millions of dollars from the donor community, has been stalled because squatters at Sodom and Gomorrah have refused to vacate the area. Even when they are convinced to do so, they demand that they should be relocated.
Squatters have also taken over a parcel of land near the training grounds of Accra Hearts of Oak earmarked for a hotel project. They have threatened fire and brimstone against any authority that would dare evict them.
Hawkers are also another group of people who have taken the law into their own hands, and recognising the power of the ballot in a democracy, they are quick to invoke such powers against the ruling government by threatening to vote against it should it dare to drive them away from the streets.
As a result, Accra streets, particularly streets in the Central Business District which, some time in 2007, were decongested to allow free vehicular movement and pedestrian activity, have become choked in an election year.
The irony of all this is that the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has spent huge sums of money to construct a Pedestrian Shopping Mall at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle but, again, the hawkers have simply refused to relocate there.
The latest of such acts of lawlessness is the encroachment on the Accra Race Course earmarked for a five-star hotel. The authorities had to seek help from the police to evict the squatters at great difficulty to pave the way for the project.
And, as is to be expected, the evictees are pouring scorn on the authorities for taking action to ensure that law and order prevail for the project to proceed.
Examples are inexhaustible but it is time we all joined forces to condemn such activities so that the country gets value for money to create more wealth and jobs.
In an election year, the DAILY GRAPHIC is not oblivious to the fact that the ruling government will hesitate to take harsh and necessary decisions to move the country forward.
However, it would be in the interest of all the political parties to lend a hand of support for decisions that will be taken by the ruling government, so that the ground rules will be laid on issues that everybody has to rally around.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that if this is done, any political party that assumes power after the December elections will not be held hostage by any group of people just on account that that action will have to be taken to ensure compliance with the laws and regulations of the land.
That is the only way our institutions and laws can be made to work for the betterment of the people.
The time has come for the country to design a broad framework to achieve the behavioural change necessary for attaining a vibrant society in which the citizens are disciplined and prepared to play by the rules, no matter their connections in the country.

WAGE WAR ON MERCHANTS OF GOD

MINISTERS of the Gospel are obligated to preach the Gospel, teach sound doctrine and also ensure that the church becomes the platform for discipline and character building. They are expected, just like the laity, to be the light and salt of the world.
Unfortunately, trends in the ministry of the Gospel appear to gravitate towards a situation where the ministers are compromising on sound doctrine, teaching and values.
Rather, some are using the church as an avenue to exploit the poor and the vulnerable for their self enrichment and purposes.
The chastisement by the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood, of some ministers of the Gospel and the concerns she raised over that development in the ministry could not have come at a better time.
In their bid to exploit the poor and the vulnerable, some of the ministers have become miracle makers overnight and also focus on prosperity theology, instead of salvation and Christ. Some now preach the Word not for the sake of Christ but for their stomachs.
Paul, in his letter to the Philippians (Philippians 3:18-19), apparently expressing concern over the developments in the Philippians, said, “For many, as I have often told you and now tell you even in tears, conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction. Their God is their stomach; their glory is in their ‘shame’. Their minds are occupied with earthly things.”
Indeed, they have become merchants of God.
The trend has been exacerbated by the situation where some of the ministers have resorted to the use of visions and prophecies, some of which are never fulfilled. They also exploit the fears of the vulnerable, making them believe that every mishap in their lives emanate from some people in their families who are either witches or wizards.
This development cannot be allowed to continue. It is about time institutions such as the Christian Council of Ghana, the Catholic Bishops Conference and the Ghana Pentecostal Council initiated action to stem the tide. It is unacceptable for some ministers of the Gospel to go to the extent of sometimes stripping women naked, taking huge sums of money from the gullible and unrepented, as well as using all kinds of tricks to deceive the public.
There is the need for a programme to ensure that those who claim to have been called by God go through some basic training to obtain certification before being allowed to minister to the public. The situation where anybody gets up in the morning to claim that he has been called by God to preach should be examined carefully.
While state institutions look at mechanisms to sanitise the system, it is important for Christians also to learn to study the Word and to check the veracity of the claims being made by some ministers of the Gospel.
In the Acts of Apostles, the Christians in Berea were said to have a reputation to check the claims of even the Apostles. Just as Paul admonishes Timothy in II Timothy 2:15 “to study to show himself approved unto God, a work man that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth”, Christians need to be adept in the Scriptures to prevent exploitation by the so-called men of God.

LAND REFORMS IMPERATIVE

IT is a healthy call by the Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Prof Stephen Adei, that a national land use policy should be promulgated to empower the government to acquire land from traditional owners to put it to more productive use.
One of the questions that come to mind is whether or not the government can muster the courage to embark on any such initiative because of the nature of our land tenure system.
Land, as a major factor of production, is acknowledged to play a very vital role in the development agenda of every country in the world, which is why even countries surrounded by water are making strenuous efforts to reclaim the land.
Initiatives in the agricultural sector, commerce and a housing boom to put a roof over the head of everyone are driven by land.
According to Prof Adei, only 15 per cent of the land in the country is being utilised, with the remaining 85 per cent lying fallow.
For us, this state of affairs is prevalent essentially because of the nature of the land tenure system that exists in the country, which is not progressive enough to serve as a catalyst for the kind of development we envisage for ourselves in this millennium.
The largest share of the land in this country is vested under stools, skins and families, depending on the geographical location of the land, while a few stretches are also vested in the state.
It must be noted that the ownership structure creates a problem in our setting and the most worrying aspect of this development is that the vast tracts of land lie fallow, but as soon as they are required for any development activity, the owners emerge from nowhere.
It is no wonder that some of the protracted conflicts that this country has witnessed, leading to communal violence and loss of lives and property, are the result of land litigation.
The DAILY GRAPHIC wonders whether Prof Adei’s proposal that the national land use policy can provide the legal backing for the government to "compulsorily acquire land and put it to good use within a legal framework” and the owners compensated will be different from the existing arrangement where landowners turn round to sell land acquired by the government and for which the owners have been compensated.
Perhaps we have ourselves to blame for allowing this ambiguous nature of land ownership structure in the country to affect large stretches of land which lie fallow, while the same land can serve as the engine for our economic take-off, especially in this era of climatic change when yields from land have reduced drastically, making the resort to shifting cultivation impossible.
The country has the potential to feed itself and to become the bread basket of the sub-region because of the fertile nature of its land.
We all know the problems confronting the land tenure system, but what has eluded us so far is our ability to come up with a model that will promote increased economic prosperity for all.
The time for land reform must be now to help promote economic growth and prosperity.

MEDIA'S DAY OF HONOUR

LAST Saturday, Ghanaians from all walks of life joined their counterparts from other parts of the continent to celebrate excellence in journalism at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Accra.
Among those in the packed-to-capacity hall were President J. A. Kufuor, Ministers of State, media practitioners and business executives.
The event, the 13th since it was first organised in 1995 in Ghana, is the brain child of Mr Edward Boateng, the Chief Executive of Global Media Alliance, supported by CNN and MultiChoice.
The Daily Graphic associates itself with the sentiments expressed by the speakers at the awards night that the time had come for journalists on the continent to highlight the success stories of Africa to motivate our people to give of their best.
We are tired of the negative stories about the continent, although it must be admitted that the actions and inaction of leadership in all sectors are not helping to project a positive image of Africa.
The task of disseminating information to our people in order to give them knowledge and enlightenment must be a very challenging task because journalists on the continent traverse dangerous terrain in their efforts to share with the world the progress being made in Africa.
However, the media cannot sweep under the carpet some of the negative occurrences on the continent, for they have the responsibility to mirror and inform society, in much the same way that the media have to promote African values and norms.
With the changes on the media landscape brought about by the advent of new media, such as online and mobile phones, readers and audiences are able to access content with less difficulty.
The Daily Graphic believes that the CNN/MultiChoice African Journalists Awards will serve as an eye opener to all journalists to pay greater attention to the basic concerns of the people, with the view to finding solutions to them. That way, the media will become agents of change.
Increasingly, governments are acknowledging the critical role of the media in promoting good governance and the protection of civil liberties, albeit at a slow pace.
It is in this vein that we welcome President Kufuor’s call on the media to play a more critical role in Africa’s quest to achieve good governance on the continent.
We believe that the awards platform offers African journalists the best opportunity to constantly review the way they practise their profession, bearing in mind that the celebrated works will always be those that follow the canons of journalism of being fair, accurate and balanced in their reportage.
It is only by this conscious effort that the stories of our journalists will “place the interest of their societies first and in their proper perspectives of their evolution and development”.
The Daily Graphic commends, first, all the nominees for the international recognition, but more especially all the award winners.
We toast particularly the Zimbabwean journalist, Hopewell Rugoho-Chin’ono, for winning the CNN/MultiChoice Best African Journalist Award, despite the difficult circumstances in which media practitioners in that country as it is in many other African countries, are working.
The Daily Graphic also salutes Israel Laryea of Joy FM for making Ghana proud.
We hope that the awards will spur the African media on to new heights to lead in the crusade of holding public office holders accountable for their actions because the people of Africa deserve better.

HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME MUST SUCCEED

THE implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the country about three years ago has brought some hope to a majority of our people through improvement in the healthcare delivery system.
The programme was introduced to replace the existing cash-and-carry system which was described as obstructing efficient healthcare delivery and overall national development.
However, with the introduction of the NHIS, all cannot be said to have been rosy, since a few people may have tasted the sour aspect of the new health financing system.
It must be noted that several diseases and ailments have been adequately catered for by the scheme, while provision has also been made for indigents, the aged, children and pregnant women who attend hospital free of charge.
In fact, testimonies from beneficiaries of the various District Mutual Health Insurance schemes (DHIS) are ample evidence of the scheme's success and usefulness in healthcare delivery, particularly with the introduction of the free medical care initiative for pregnant women.
However, since its implementation, the programme has attracted various criticisms, especially from those engaged in the political ball game. We must be mindful of the peddling of misinformation about the scheme in order not to throw away the baby with the bath water, just like the way we give a dog a bad name in order to hang it.
It must be acknowledged that any initiative or programme, to say the least, is bound to face teething challenges, for which reason we believe the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) was set up to ensure efficiency and accountability to sustain the scheme.
Even in certain advanced societies where such schemes have taken deep roots, they face similar criticisms over implementation, compelling certain people to call for their abolition.
Three years into the scheme is too short a time to draw effective evaluations but this is not to say that the NHIA should sleep over its duties.
Nonetheless, the authority must expedite action to correct the anomalies that have been identified with the scheme, such as delays in reimbursing service providers and the lack of networking to make for easy access in other parts of the country to set people’s minds at ease.
This will also allow those with the wait-and-see attitude to be proved wrong. But the NHIA should take steps to address concerns being raised from within its ranks because a house divided against itself cannot stand. It is against this background that the NHIA should not sweep the accusations under the carpet.
The situation where the district schemes continually accumulate debt to healthcare service providers needs to be addressed to reduce some of the disaffection that it causes. Delays in reimbursing these healthcare providers must be things of the past.
It is also taking very long for the NHIA to develop a central data system which is networked nationwide to facilitate easy access to the scheme across the length and breadth of the country. That way, it becomes easier for insurance card holders to access health care from any part of the country without having to go through any problem, as is being experienced by certain persons seeking healthcare services.

FIGHTING CRIME, A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY

THE responsibilities of the police are extremely broad. But their major role, in most jurisdictions, is to maintain law and order.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is happy that this important function is not lost on the Ghana Police Service and that the service is bent on enforcing it to the letter.
Indeed, in a no-holds-barred encounter with the Editorial Board of the Daily Graphic at the offices of the company in Accra on Tuesday, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Patrick Acheampong, and his top brass minced no words in assuring the populace of their determination to conduct their policing duties flawlessly.
With particular reference to this year’s elections, which are only five months away, we are happy to hear the IGP state categorically that the Police Administration has put in place regional and national task forces to minimise any breaches of the law before, during and after the elections.
Furthermore, he expressed strong optimism that the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections would be conducted in a peaceful atmosphere, adding, “We have beefed up security in conflict areas through the provision of equipment and vehicles to forestall any possible disturbances during the electioneering.”
Another important subject the IGP touched on was the readiness of the police to tackle the increasing reports of violent crime and the drug trade which has dented the image of the country in international circles.
But we cannot agree more with him that “without a national policy or legislation that will compel estate developers and city planners to provide for police stations at all new settlements, existing police facilities will continue to be stretched thin in the fight against crime in all its manifestations”.
The police are generally held in high regard by the population they serve. However, this can vary from country to country, depending on people’s past experiences with the police or the general national perception.
We wish, therefore, to remind our men and women of the Ghana Police Service that discipline, dedication and determination are the ingredients they need for success. They must also display a high level of integrity at all times to win the confidence of the people.
No society can exist without law and order — it is just not possible. And that is why we must do everything to promote good policing in order not to destroy the very fabric of our society.
Certainly, we would need mutual collaboration between the police and the civilian population to ensure the stability of the nation.
It is a sad commentary that efforts to build strong police-public relations to combat crime are not yielding the desired results.
Generally, it is an open secret that suspected criminals live among the people, and yet the communities refuse to expose them to the security agencies. We rather shield them and in some cases accord them the pride of place because they have, through fraudulent means, attained fame.
Modern policing is a shared responsibility and the DAILY GRAPHIC calls on society to support the police to flush out criminals from our midst, for, together we swim or sink.

ZOOMLION SCORES ANOTHER FIRST

YESTERDAY, Zoomlion Ghana Limited held a major landmark event to further empower women in the country and boost affirmative action.
The company “outdoored” 30 women who had been trained to drive big trucks and operate heavy-duty machinery (See Page 53 for details).
What was significant is that these women, hired as motorised tricycle riders from the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP), did not rest on their oars but rose through the ranks and upgraded their skills in order to improve their economic status.
And as the First Lady, Mrs Theresa Kufuor, who was the guest of honour at the function, indicated, the new status of those women would positively affect their lives.
Certainly, their improved incomes mean better lives for themselves, their families and other dependants.
In addition, these women have broken the myth surrounding male dominance in the operation of heavy-duty machinery and increased their chances having offered equal opportunities as their male counterparts.
Furthermore, the feat achieved by these women strengthens the case of the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC), which has been pushing hard for the mainstreaming of gender issues in all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
When this is done, more women will be assisted to develop their potential through deliberate programming and this will ultimately improve their economic status, thereby reducing the level of poverty among women.
The DAILY GRAPHIC commends Zoomlion for realising the potential in these women and assisting them to develop it.
However, we urge the company not to make the initiative a one-time project but also identify other areas in which more of their female employees could be assisted to enhance their skills and subsequently their economic status.
The DAILY GRAPHIC identifies with the strides being made by Zoomlion in waste management and landscaping in all cities and towns in the country.
Before Zoomlion appeared on the scene, the sanitation situation appeared hopeless, as district, municipal and metropolitan authorities struggled to keep their areas of jurisdiction clean.
Today, the difference is clear, following the foresight of Mr Joseph Siaw Agyapong to establish Zoomlion to become a household name leading the crusade to break the back of poor sanitation in the country.
From humble beginnings, the company has created jobs and wealth across the length and breadth of the country. In addition to the testament of the employees of the company, the non-existence of empty water sachets and other plastic waste on the streets and open spaces shows that the company has responded to the exigencies of our times.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, calls on all Ghanaians to extend a hand of support to Zoomlion to help maintain a wholesome environment for the collective national good.

SANITATION DESERVES GREATER ATTENTION

THE nation’s capital city, Accra, and, indeed, some major towns in the country have been grappling with poor sanitation for quite some time now. This is so because the tonnes of waste generated by residents seem to have overwhelmed the authorities.
As residents, we tend not to appreciate that our actions contribute to the problem. It is common to see residents disposing of their refuse anyhow, without caring about the repercussions of their acts on the environment and the rest of society.
What makes the situation even more alarming is the fact that majority of food vendors operate in very filthy and unsanitary conditions, thereby compromising the health of consumers.
It is no wonder that the Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (retd), has thrown the searchlight on the problem and reminded Ghanaians of the need to take action to arrest the challenge because poor sanitation was the cause of the high disease burden on the economy.
Speaking at the launch of the 6th National Food Safety Week in Accra, Major Quashigah noted that the total number of reported yearly outpatient cases involving food-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, typhoid, cholera and hepatitis B was quite high, with an equally corresponding death rate.
Dismayed by the condition, he advised the public to take proper care of their environment and not underestimate the dangers caused by diseases resulting from poor food safety and hygiene.
We commend the organisers for the programme. However, the message should be carried to all corners by major stakeholders such as the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service, the Food and Drugs Board, the Ghana Standards Board and the various district assemblies, to ensure that concerted efforts are made to undertake an awareness drive on the dangers posed by poor sanitation.
The exercise should embrace the whole country and specifically at the markets, meat shops, wayside groceries, street vendors, sachet water producers and hawkers because they serve the bulk of the food needs of majority of the people.
In addition to the education drive, the participants should be screened and made to understand that ill-health and poverty are bedfellows and that they retard development. After all, if the same people whom they intend to serve are being killed by preventable diseases, then their wealth creation efforts would be thwarted.
While food vendors are being sensitised, we envisage that the problem of waste disposal will be made part and parcel of the sensitisation drive to make people to develop a healthy attitude towards waste disposal to eliminate the practice where people sell in filthy surroundings.
The clarion call has been made and there is the need for us to develop a good hygienic and sanitation culture to protect us from avoidable illnesses.

CAN WE AVOID BABY BOOM?

THE government recently announced the commencement of a national policy of free medical care for pregnant women under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), beginning this month.
Barely 10 days into the implementation of the programme, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has recorded a sharp increase in the number of pregnant women registering with the NHIS in some major hospitals.
Closely linked to this are the concerns expressed by the Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (retd), over the steady drop in the rate of contraceptive use in the country.
According to the minister, the rate of contraceptive use had dropped from 19 per cent in 2003 to 14 per cent in 2007.
While these statistics are already disturbing, placing the issue in the context of the government’s policy of free medical care for pregnant women and the already spiralling number of pregnant women registering under the NHIS should provide a basis for a careful analysis in order to avoid a population explosion.
All over the world concerns over population growth are receiving great attention and Ghanaians should not be seen as a people who are desirous of encouraging uncontrolled population growth.
Global economic trends require that we plan well for the future, bearing in mind the fact that resources are limited and can support only a specified range of economic activities.
Indeed, there have been concerns expressed by international agencies and the government of Ghana that high growth rate is a clear hindrance to development because of the pressure it puts on scarce resources, employment opportunities and food supplies.
According to the United Nations, the country’s annual population growth rate between 2000 and 2005 was 2.17 per cent, with the projected population for the year 2015 put at 26,359,000.
However, with the new policy, all things being equal the government could be dealing with an even greater population and that would mean a greater strain on the scarce resources, with the attendant issues of unemployment and food insufficiency.
In the light of this, the DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to urge the relevant authorities to take a second look at policy interventions which, though well-intentioned, may turn out to pose a serious threat to our development aspirations.
The programme to provide free medical care for pregnant women under the NHIS is not a bad intervention per se, but the question that must be posed is whether the necessary safeguards have been put in place to ensure that the policy is not abused.
People should not be encouraged to have children simply because there is free health care, and that should be the focus of an educational drive.
There is the need to drive home the point that proper child care goes beyond just antenatal care and parents need to recognise that children need proper care in a healthy and well-resourced environment to help them to achieve their noble goals in life.
The DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to advise parents to always remember that our world has changed and the number of children a couple has is no more a measure of social recognition as it used to be in the past.
True honour and success in parenting resides in bringing up children to become responsible citizens.

WE MUST CROSS THIS RUBICON

ONE major cause of post-election violence the world over is the inability to manage disputes which arise out of the polls. The recent crises in Kenya, Zimbabwe and Togo, to mention just a few, clearly indicate that post-election violence must not be allowed to fester.
It is against this background that the Daily Graphic finds as very timely and appropriate, the call by the Electoral Commission (EC) for the introduction of a time frame within which election disputes that come before our courts would be resolved very timely and appropriately.
We know that by law any aggrieved person has 21 days within which to lodge a complaint, but the absence of a specific time within which the case should be resolved, remains a dark spot on our democratic credentials.
We painfully recall that in 1996 when Mr Isaac George Amoh of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) felt cheated in a parliamentary election at Ayawaso West Wuogon, it took four years before the case was determined in his favour, by which time the life of that particular Parliament had ended.
But that was not to close that dark chapter in our history. The year 2004 also saw another aggrieved person, Nii Nortey Duah of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), contesting the results of the parliamentary election in the Ledzokuku Constituency but till now no ruling has been made.
Since our transition from military rule to democracy, Ghana has become a model of good governance on the continent. But we cannot allow ourselves to be fooled into a state of complacency as we take another giant step in December to consolidate the gains of our democracy.
That is why it is important for us to look back and avoid those pitfalls which can easily derail our efforts and throw our dear country into a protracted post-election conflict. Let us learn from the bitter experiences of other African countries which had, hitherto, been peaceful but have been thrown into political turmoil because of misunderstanding during and after elections.
This country can only go forward, and one of the surest ways to protect our relatively young democracy is to ensure that all election disputes are resolved within a time frame, as rightly suggested by the EC.
It is very crucial to the nation’s continued growth and stability and must be taken up immediately. Let us remember that if the integrity of an election is not safeguarded, it can throw the country’s fragile democracy out of gear as a result of inflamed sentiments.
We have come a long way and cannot allow our democracy to be sacrificed on the altar of election disputes.

ADOMI BRIDGE MUST BE PROTECTED

BEGINNING today, the Adomi Bridge at Atimpoku in the Eastern Region, which links the south-eastern part of the country to the Volta and northern regions, will remain closed to vehicular traffic for a three-week repair work following the detection of serious cracks in the structure.
Since it was opened in 1956 by Dr Kwame Nkrumah, then Head of Government Business, this famous and treasured edifice has seen only one major repair works and it is no wonder that one of the steel beams supporting it is said to have collapsed, while two others have developed serious cracks, resulting in a depression on a section of the bridge.
It is good that the problem has been discovered early enough to save the country from an imminent catastrophe, considering the fact that the remaining supporting beams have taken on the additional load of 880 tonnes of steel which the bridge is made of.
According to our lead story yesterday, some residents of Atimpoku said the problem was first detected about two months ago by some fishermen who made several reports to the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA).
The DAILY GRAPHIC finds it worrying that it had taken the authority more than two months to follow up on the report of the fishermen, since anything could have happened during the period since the danger was uncovered.
If the authority had acted with dispatch on the report of the fishermen, it could have given the public ample notice of the closure of the bridge and alternative routes given.
We call on the authority to advertise all the other alternative routes to be used if it becomes apparent that even human traffic on the bridge would be dangerous.
Following the closure of the bridge, residents of the Volta Region will be significantly cut off from the rest of the country, as road transportation will significantly be hampered. Commuters have to make a detour to the regional capital and other parts of the region through Sogakope via Akatsi, Dodze and Ziope to Ho, or Sogakope through Adidome to Ho.
Similarly, those who will be going to the fringes of Juapong and nearby communities will either have to resort to canoes as an alternative means of crossing the river from Atimpoku to the Volta Region or crossing over to the other end of the bridge to board vehicles.
We envisage the situation to create congestion at both ends of the bridge because some drivers would want to stop at Atimpoku for travellers to walk to the other end of the bridge to board vehicles.
Let us use this opportunity to overhaul the bridge to forestall any catastrophe and the inconveniences that have occasioned the present closure of the facility.
It is hoped that the authorities will control the use of the bridge by providing axle weighing equipment at the approaches to it to check the weight of heavy vehicles that use the facility.
Our poor maintenance culture has been gravely exposed and we need to wake up to the need to protect our assets. Everybody should, therefore, co-operate with the authorities to restore the Adomi Bridge to facilitate effective transportation.

MAKE ASSETS DECLARATION MORE TRANSPARENT

OUR Members of Parliament (MPs), during their deliberations last Wednesday, raised a very pertinent issue regarding the strengthening of anti-corruption institutions in the country.
According to them, having a declaration regime bolstered by a legislative instrument was one effective way of checking corruption in public places.
The MP for Tamale South, Mr Iddrisu Haruna, set the stage for the debate when, in a statement to the House, he called for a review of the Assets Declaration Regime Public Office Holder (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act 550.
The Honourable member hit the nail right on the head when he said the absence of a strong assets declaration regime encouraged a graft culture and made it difficult to take quick and corrective measures against corrupt practices by public officers.
The law, as it stands now under Article 286 of the 1992 Constitution, is well placed to tackle whatever issues that were raised by the MPs, except that it is nebulous. It has to set the parameters for its compliance, while its scope has to be widened, considering our social interconnections or affinities as a people.
Article 286 (1) (a) enjoins a person entrusted with public office to, before taking office, declare, through writing to the Auditor-General, all property or assets owned by or liabilities owed by him directly or indirectly.
The question, then, is, how many of those who are appointed to public offices comply with this constitutional provision? Clauses (b) and (c) of Article 286 (1) equally enjoin any such persons to do the declaration at the end of every four years and at the end of their term of office.
Entrenched as it is, the only way to amend the law, as it is now, is through a national referendum, which will be costly, and as the MPs rightly suggested, a legislative instrument would be required to make it workable and compel public office holders to subscribe to their oath of office.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the structure of government institutions and of the political process is a very critical determinant of the level of corruption, and especially if the government does not control its agencies, very high corruption levels should be expected. The illegality of corruption and the fact that it is always shrouded in secrecy make it difficult to contain, which is why steps must be taken to attack it head on.
It must be noted that corruption is not only endemic in public offices but rife in the private sector as well and the fight against this social canker can only succeed if we recognise this fact and set in motion measures to tackle all such social obstacles to our growth and development.
Many people in public office see nothing wrong with accepting gifts, for example, which has been an underlying basis for corruption at both high and low levels.
Essentially, the assets declaration law can be seen to be working if it is complemented by a regime of tighter laws on taxation, procurement, bank transactions, among other measures.
The ball is now in the court of our legislators and they must show resolve to empower the police, the Serious Fraud Office, CHRAJ, the courts, as well as make the Whistleblowers Law operative so that people can begin to question the sources of people’s display of uninhibited affluence.
The passage of the Freedom of Information Bill will strengthen anti-corruption agencies to demand accountability from all public office holders who must justify their actions or decisions and suffer punishment in the case of misconduct.

207 BUSES, OUR NEMESIS

Ghanaians are like the proverbial scavenging bird which constructs its nest anytime the rain falls. In fact, this attitude and institutional inertia must stop if the country is to make any head way.
Anytime there is a public hue and cry over certain developments, those in authority seem to follow public opinion and immediately react by putting in place certain ad hoc measures to deal with the situation.
However, as soon as the tempo subsides, the previous situation returns, without anything seriously happening or being done, typically depicting our attitude that “Ehuru a, ebedwo”, to wit, “no matter the extent to which water is heated, it will still become cold”.
Several factors account for this type of indiscipline which manifests in the various facets of the national economy, be it at the level of the executive, legislature, judiciary, media, on the roads, in hospitals, educational institutions and so on. Indeed, the list is endless.
And it is about time bold steps were taken to once and for all nip this growing national canker which is gradually eating deep into the country’s fabric in the bud.
Our lead story today makes startling revelations about the practice by garages at the Suame Magazine of converting 207 Mercedes Benz cargo trucks to passenger vehicles.
So soon we seem to have forgotten the carnage on our roads involving these same 207 Benz buses until last weekend when another bloody accident involving a 207 Benz bus occurred on a bridge over River Offin.
According to the mechanics, the remodelling involved, among other things, elongating the chassis of the vehicles and converting them from single to double tyres to enable them to take more passengers.
As is usual with us, officials of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), when contacted on the issue, indicated that they had consistently refused to register or renew the road worthy certificates of such vehicles when they were converted from cargo to passenger vehicles, as well as those with defective rear brakes.
Road accidents involving 207 Benz buses have become very alarming and the law enforcement agencies in the road sector, such as the DVLA, the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), the courts and the various transport unions, must be seen to let the law have effect and bite.
The Daily Graphic is throwing this challenge because of the way the enforcement of the laws in this country has been handled.
We should not close our eyes to the bad ways of doing things. Certainly something must be done about the indiscipline in the country because it is assuming a monstrous dimension and nothing seems to be working perfectly.
What is the essence in wasting the taxpayer’s money on the numerous campaigns when the same laws that are crafted by our legislature are not enforced? The Daily Graphic thinks that the time has come for Ghanaians to collectively do something about our attitudes and let the law work for the betterment of the country. This lawlessness must be tamed, particularly on our roads, through a partnership to enforce road safety.
We encourage the public institutions charged with educating motorists to intensify their activities to share knowledge and provide advice on good practices in road safety. This coalition should act as a pressure group to compel the government to deliver on the interventions necessary to make travelling by road safe and without anxiety.

WORKING TOWARDS FREE POLLS

TIME and again there have been calls on Ghanaians to safeguard and preserve the peace being enjoyed in the country. These calls have, to a very great extent, been heeded and taken seriously, considering the fact that we have come out of four successful elections since 1992 unscathed.
However, what is happening around us in terms of conflicts singles us out as the only oasis in the sub-region, if not the entire African continent.
Protecting our peace is, therefore, essential, especially as we head for another general election. We must do everything to make it violence-free because conflict will be a nemesis if we allow ourselves to be engulfed in it.
What has occurred in countries such as Cote d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Kenya, Somalia and Zimbabwe, just to mention a few, should send strong signals to us not to take our peace for granted.
Various factors account for conflicts. These include resource allocation, religion, chieftaincy disputes, ethnicity and power struggle, which is the harbinger of elections.
Luckily for us, our country has been spared this problem, which is why we have been touted as a showpiece of good governance and democracy in the world.
The skirmishes of conflicts in communities like Dagbon, Buipe, Anloga, Bawku, among other places, should alert us to be on our guard so that the conflicts do not escalate and then spill over into other areas to disturb our otherwise peaceful atmosphere.
For this reason, it is welcome news that systematic studies on all hot spots of conflict are being carried out by security operatives to enable the government to deal with them before the December elections.
Addressing a forum to discuss ways to consolidate the peace in the country, the Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior, Nana Obiri Boahen, announced that the move formed part of measures to ensure that the security services worked timeously and within the law to ensure free and fair elections.
We can complement the efforts of the security apparatus if politicians show decorum in their campaigns and are mindful that in every game or competition there is bound to be a winner, as well as the vanquished. It is in this regard that they should address themselves to the issues and not poison the atmosphere with hate speech.
The DAILY GRAPHIC implores the electorate, especially the youth, to remember that tolerance and general comportment in the run-up to, during and after the elections holds the key to maintaining the peace.
The attitude and general behaviour of the people will depend on the critical role that the media play because of the media’s influence in shaping opinion and aiding in making informed choices.
Therefore, the media should be circumspect and discard sensationalism in order not to beat the war drums or serve as messengers of any parochial interest which has the tendency to put the country in flames.
The DAILY GRAPHIC reminds all that the December polls are just a contest for the leadership of the country. Anything to the contrary that they are a life-and-death affair will be a slippery road to anarchy.

REMEMBER YOUR HIPPOCIRATIC OATH

A DEPUTY Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr George Amofa, has expressed concern over what he describes as the loss of human touch and empathy on the part of health workers in the country.
According to him, the expression of human touch or empathy was one of the core values of the service and that in the light of recent occurrences in the health profession, there was every reason to be alarmed by the disturbing trend.
Clearly, these concerns are not misplaced and, coming from a medical doctor, there could not have been any better person to have expressed such sentiments.
Health professionals are held in high esteem all over the world because of the crucial role they play in promoting quality health. They are required to exhibit a high level of professionalism and sense of judgement in order to help save and protect lives.
Indeed, like all other professionals, they are entitled to good remuneration. But the health profession is considered essential, for which reason the recourse to strike by practitioners as a way of fighting for higher remuneration is severely restricted.
In the same vein, health professionals are expected to show a high level of empathy as they deal with people who sometimes are in pain and are, therefore, emotionally distraught. Their attitude towards those they attend to may either help bring relief to them or worsen their condition.
The recognition of the unique role that health professionals play is aptly captured in the Hippocratic Oath which is expected to bind doctors to high standards of professional conduct.
The oath requires doctors to pass their lives and practise their act “with purity, holiness and beneficence”.
Other celebrated Ghanaian doctors have also expressed similar sentiments in the past and challenged doctors to see their profession first as a call, which requires that they place the lives of their patients above excessive monetary demands.
The health profession has been built on a foundation that was established by dedicated and disciplined professionals who worked with diligence, motivated by the joy that came with helping to bring relief to the sick and the dying.
Florence Nightingale, considered as the pioneer of nursing, left a legacy of compassion and commitment to patient care.
It was not for nothing that THE TIMES described her as a “ministering angel” during the Crimean War around the middle of the 19th century.
It is the selfless dedication of such professionals that contributed towards carving a unique reputation for the health profession and placed health professionals in a cherished category of workers.
The little the present-day health professional can do to protect this image and reputation is to shun any act that will compromise the accepted professional standards and rather cast indelible scars on the noble profession.
Health professionals need to recognise that human life is more precious than silver and gold and that no matter how much money they earn, their greatest joy is to bring relief to those who are sick.
The country requires dedicated health professionals, especially now that the National Health Insurance Scheme is gaining roots and greater acceptance among Ghanaians.
The DAILY GRAPHIC congratulates all health professionals who have dedicated themselves to providing quality health care for their patients. They should continue in their good works and encourage their colleagues who may not show similar dedication to give of their best in order to help build a better country for all Ghanaians.

ENSURING SUCCESS OF FEEDING PROGRAMME

THE government has been commended by local and international organisations for the bold step it has taken to provide one hot meal per day for schoolchildren in the country.
Many stakeholders, recognising the importance of the programme which was introduced as part of efforts to meet the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, have called on the authorities to extend the initiative to all basic schools in the country.
Indeed, this initiative, coupled with the Capitation Grant, has helped to increase school enrolment especially throughout the country.
It is not for fun that the sages say that “no army marches on an empty stomach”. In the same way, no serious learning and teaching exercise can be conducted in a school where the pupils think about where the next meal will come from.
Thus, before the introduction of these two initiatives, many parents preferred having their children at home to help them to make extra money to enrolling them in the formal school system to undergo character formation in order to grow up to become responsible adults.
In spite of the potential of the initiative to draw children who would have been on the streets into the classroom, all is not well with it. An audit report on the programme recently recorded its first casualty and other startling revelations, compelling the government to restore the integrity of the initiative by appointing a new corporate head.
The good news, however, is that the new leadership of the programme has decided to introduce new strategies to help plug the loopholes in order to safeguard the initiative.
The decision of the management of the programme to involve the district assemblies in the management of the scheme only demonstrates its appreciation of the realities on the ground.
For any exercise meant for the people to succeed, the decision-making process must involve the beneficiaries. Therefore, it is in order that the programme has decided to involve the district assemblies, the highest bodies with deliberative, executive and legislative functions at the local level.
In our age, the only way to ensure the ownership of any programme meant to improve the well-being of the people is by way of adopting the participatory decision-making mechanism.
The Daily Graphic thinks that the programme was bedevilled with the teething problems because, like many other initiatives, the beneficiaries were sidelined in the implementation process.
If parent/teacher associations (PTAs) and school management committees (SMCs) had been involved in the implementation of the school feeding programme, they would have joined forces with the authorities to expose the misfits in the system.
The Daily Graphic believes that the authorities have learnt useful lessons from the challenges that have bedevilled the programme so far. While we seek public support for the smooth implementation of the programme, we equally call on the leadership of the programme to apply the “naming and shaming” approach to get those in charge of the initiative — from cooks, head teachers to the co-ordinators — to do the right thing.
Quality education is a prerequisite for sustainable development and any initiative that will help the country to attain compulsory and universal education must be supported by all to ensure that Ghana is on track to attaining the objectives of the MDGs by 2015.

HEED THIS WARNING

THE warning to communities along the White Volta Basin in the three northern regions to take precautionary measures to stem imminent flooding this year is a very timely and proactive initiative.
Those who will heed the warning and prepare for flooding will avoid the frustrations of the vulture which postpones the building of its nest after the rainy season.
There is very little that farmers in the flood plains can do, but since the warning has come at a time when the farmers are preparing their land for planting, they can do so in areas not prone to the floods.
We recall the devastation caused by the floods last year as a result of the heavy rainfall in the northern regions, which was aggravated by the spillage of excess water from two reservoirs in Burkina Faso.
This year’s food shortage situation in the three regions, considered to be the food basket of the country, is the consequence of the inundation of farms and the collapse of dams in the area last year.
Therefore, if we can do something about the situation to avoid the demeaning effects of famine that threaten the people, the country will be on the right path to achieving one of the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of halving poverty by the year 2015.
Humanitarian and weather forecast organisations were put on the spot last year for failing to alert the people to the imminent danger and when the disaster struck, it was fatal and destructive. No wonder the people are still engaged in reconstruction efforts, as thousands of people were displaced.
The Daily Graphic believes that although it is difficult to undertake long-term weather forecast, the weather alert by the Upper East Regional Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) is commendable.
News of the spillage may be causing anxiety in the three northern regions, while down south the people will be excited about it as the water level in the Akosombo Dam will rise and result in increased power supply for domestic and industrial use.
Be that as it may, there is going to be some cost to the planned exercise by the Burkinabe authorities.
The Daily Graphic, therefore, calls on the authorities to stock adequate relief items to deal with the humanitarian crisis that will follow in the wake of the spillage and the subsequent flooding of the communities downstream.
It is regrettable that almost a year into the disaster some communities have not received the requisite support to rebuild their houses.
We are aware of the support the government has extended to the flood victims from our own resources and assistance from the donor community, but there is still more to be done to ensure that the victims lead normal lives.
Residents of the affected areas should take the weather alert seriously and initiate the necessary actions to deal with this year’s floods.
We know the weak nature of dwelling houses in the flood-prone areas and therefore it will be in the people’s own interest to fortify the buildings so that they withstand the vagaries of the weather.
The Daily Graphic is happy that NADMO has alerted the whole nation to an imminent humanitarian challenge this year in order to prepare our minds and help us to draw strategies to avert it or minimise its effects on the people.
We appeal to residents living in the flood-prone areas and disaster and relief organisations, to prepare adequately to stem the effects of the humanitarian challenge on the victims, particularly children, women and the aged.

AYEKOO. AWARD RECIPIENTS

IN his congratulatory message to the recipients of the National Honours Award in Accra yesterday, President J. A. Kufuor said, "With generous hearts and an appreciative spirit, let us as one, irrespective of our tribes, religion, sex or political affiliation, acknowledge these distinguished men and women who have been singled out today for awards. No matter our differences, Ghana requires our collective efforts in order to harness the rich resources of the land for national progress and prosperity.”
The President hit the nail right on the head when, at the awards ceremony, he reminded Ghanaians to reach out to one another within the society to enable each one to contribute to national development, irrespective of tribe, religion, gender, social status or political affiliation.
It is unfortunate that during the run-up to the awards ceremony the sharp division in the country reared its ugly head again, culminating in a boycott by a section of the political divide. This development must be a pain in the neck of all peace-loving Ghanaians who look forward to the day when arch-political rivals can sit on the same platform to share pleasantries and ideas for the common good of society.
As things stand now, it appears that a section of society appears to situate every government action in the arena of politics and, just like the saying, "give a dog a bad name and hang it", they make desperate efforts to label decisions of the government as misguided and myopic.
But looking at the personalities who went on stage to receive their awards from the President yesterday, one cannot help but applaud the government for an all-inclusive celebration of excellence in the country.
Development is not only about brick and mortar or bread and butter but also of all the processes that ensure the total well-being of the people. Thus, the attempt to denigrate some of the award recipients as undeserving of honour is not good enough. They, in their own small way, have contributed their quota to national development.
The 2008 awards have now become history, but as we reflect on the National Honours Award programme, we should work extra hard to bring everybody on board in future.
The DAILY GRAPHIC congratulates all the award recipients on well-deserved honours which must spur them on to achieve greater laurels for themselves and the country.
But, as we begin the journey for another award next year, it will be appropriate to explore all the possibilities for national healing so that next time around those who stayed away will be compelled to participate in the event and receive their honours.
To all the recipients, the DAILY GRAPHIC says Ayeeko. We urge you to keep the flame of patriotism and nationalism burning to serve as a guide to the youth.
The ceremony lived up to its billing as a national awards ceremony and we encourage the next person who will take over the mantle of leadership from President Kufuor to consolidate what has been achieved so far to ensure that all unsung heroes and heroines in the remotest parts of the country can be reached for national recognition.
Prosperity and fame beckons the country. We should not allow it to slip by on the altar of political expediency. Through concerted efforts, the national spirit shall prevail in our attempt to build a united, solid and prosperous country by the year 2015.

A GOOD ONE THERE, PURC

THE revelation yesterday by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) that it is illegal for consumers of water and electricity to be disconnected for the non-payment of bills on weekends and public holidays is good news to the consuming public and really an eye-opener as far as consumers’ rights are concerned.
All along, there has been the wrong perception that consumers of water and electricity did not have any rights. Consequently, they have always been unknowingly treated with contempt just because they have been left in the dark regarding their rights and obligations.
For this reason, the providers of such utilities go scot-free even when they have been at great fault, not even seeing the need to render any apology for the inconveniences caused to their consumers.
We hope that this ill-treatment, which most consumers have endured in the past and can be likened to some of the wrongful arrests carried out by some unscrupulous policemen for certain petty squabbles during the weekends and which have the tendency to jeopardise the peace, will be consigned to the dustbin.
According to the commission, under its Legislative Instrument (LI) 1651, any disconnection based on the non-payment of bills must first be preceded by a written notice and then a 14-day grace period.
It is also heart-warming to learn that in fact the PURC law has a special dispensation for schools, hospitals, the physically-challenged and people above 65 years who are living alone. Furthermore, for such category of consumers, instead of the 14-day grace period after notification, the law allows a grace period of 30 days before services to them can be disconnected.
Hitherto, many people in this country either did not know about this or they had not heard about its existence. Now we are told that any disconnection done in breach of the LI could be reported to the police or the PURC for redress. The arbitrariness on the part of the utility providers, the DAILY GRAPHIC believes, stems from lack of education, which should have been carried out long ago. But all the same it is better late than never.
Since the PURC is mandated to regulate services and rates and monitor the providers, it should regularly embark on public education drives to educate the public on their rights and obligations in order to satisfy all interest groups.
With the PURC having shown the way, it is now incumbent on the utility service providers to demonstrate goodwill and implement the law without recourse to any mischief, especially when our courts are inundated with cases of the refusal of the service providers to connect tenants of houses where previous users failed to pay their bills.
It is also worrying that about 50 per cent of water generated from the Kpong Dam is unaccounted for as a result of ineffective monitoring. There is the need to preserve and conserve both water and electricity, without which our lives as humans will be unbearable. In fact, without water, there will be no life.
We, therefore, call on the utility service providers to properly monitor their products to minimise wastage.

LET'S HALT THIS LOOMING DANGER

THE problem of refuse generation and disposal seems to have caught up with the national capital for quite sometime now but the announcement by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) that it has been overwhelmed by the 2,000 tonnes of refuse generated daily by residents portends danger and there is the need for a very swift response to avoid a calamity.
According to the AMA Chief Executive, Mr Stanley Nii Adjiri-Blankson, the Oblogo refuse dump, which is currently being used by the assembly, will be closed down next month because it is full.
The fact that a temporary site that has been found at Saba, near Weija, to serve as a refuse dump can contain the situation for only 18 months makes the announcement very unpleasant.
Globally, waste generation and disposal has heightened and in our case, it requires the efforts and co-operation of all stakeholders to bring the problem under control. Clearly, it has become difficult for the city authorities to cope with the volumes of waste generated daily, let alone collect them.
Although the waste disposal problem seems to be compounded by the nature of refuse generated by residents in the various homes and factories, we implore people to discard the habit of throwing refuse, often wrapped in plastic bags, into gutters and open spaces because that will not do anybody any good.
By that attitude, we are only perpetuating the vicious cycle, which boomerangs in the form of malarial parasites.
Probably, one way through which waste collection and disposal can be made easy is to place separate bins for refuse generated from plastic, glass, peels of foodstuff and vegetables or fruits, and papers or rags, among other, so that the people are sensitised to this effective waste disposal habits.
The only option now open to the Assembly is to complete the Kwabenya Landfill Site, which has been stalled for sometime because of the stand-off between the Assembly and residents of the area.
Finding an alternative disposal site has become a tall order because the development of Accra is heading towards its peripherals, namely Kasoa, the Akuapem Range or Dodowa and Nsawam and the likelihood that the problem will not abate is great, especially because of the uncontrolled and unregulated developments taking place everywhere.
The DAILY GRAPHIC applauds efforts being made at placing litter bins at some vantage points within the city but this is inadequate and cannot solve the problem.
We think that what is happening now should be a wake-up call to the AMA to find permanent solution to the problem even if it means finding a suitable place far away from the city, which will entail great cost, but the public can be educated on the need for them to subsidise waste collection by paying a little.
Again for the problem to be brought under control, the law must be seen to be working and for which reason sanitary inspectors should be deployed to the communities to ensure that people maintain a clean environment because when the war on filth is won, Ghana will be on its way to battling malaria, and other parasitic diseases.
And since the bulk of the waste is the end product of plastic manufacturing companies, their inputs should be sought on how to clear the mess created by them. The war on filth calls for all hands on deck.

HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY

TODAY the country marks the 48th anniversary of its attainment of Republican status and that should provide us the opportunity to reflect on our political journey so far.
The day, which marks the climax of Ghana’s process towards political autonomy from Great Britain in 1960, is significant in that it ushered in a Ghanaian Constitution that affirmed our desire to institutionalise democracy as the preferred form of self-governance.
The day also marked the institution of a parliamentary democracy which, today, many Ghanaians hold in high esteem.
The story of the country’s political journey since then is well known. But, in spite of the pitfalls that we have encountered with the truncation of democratic governance and constitutional rule by various military regimes, the desire of the Ghanaian for constitutional governance has never been doused.
As the country marks Republic Day, there is the need for Ghanaians to critically examine the challenges of the country’s political journey and affirm our commitment to work diligently to uphold the ideals of sound democratic and constitutional rule.
The DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to admonish Ghanaians to recognise the sacrifices that were made for the attainment of Republican status — sacrifices that involved the loss of precious lives — for which reason we must work hard to jealously guard against any attempt to draw us back into a quagmire.
There is the need to work together as a people who are united, despite our different political persuasions. For, to hold different political opinions while pursuing one common destiny demonstrates our value for unity in diversity.
In that regard, we wish to throw some spotlight on the national awards that usually serve as one of the highlights of the country’s Republic Day celebrations.
This year’s awards ceremony, as announced by the Office of the President, reportedly is likely to be boycotted by a few of the nominees and that clearly sends unhealthy signals.
While the DAILY GRAPHIC believes that every individual has the right to accept or reject an award conferred on him or her, we believe that in such instances the pride that comes with such national recognition should not be compromised for the sake of political expediency.
Indeed, such national honours must be placed in the context of being a call to national duty, as they are part of the process of engendering nationalism and patriotism among Ghanaians.
The fact is that the list of nominees demonstrates a bold attempt to heal the wounds of division and hatred between followers of the political divide and thereby reconcile us for the task of nation building.
The awards must, therefore, serve to inspire others and not be derided; they must unite us and not to divide us. Their pride of place as a noble scheme of rewarding nationals who have contributed in one way or another to national development must be preserved at all times.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, advises all Ghanaians, particularly the key players and award nominees, to address the issue at stake with a great deal of circumspection in order not to send the wrong signals to those who have cited Ghana as a true example of good democratic governance.
Consequently, we call on the President to demonstrate the qualities that have endeared him to many in the country, the continent and the globe to listen to some of the concerns that have been expressed and when appropriate, restore universal acceptance of the national awards.