FOR some time now there has been the perception that the internecine and protracted violent conflict in the Bawku area is being fanned by the educated class and the moneyed men from the area.
But some people have all along dismissed this perception as not being the reality on the ground.
However, the arrest of Mr John Awunbila Ndego, the assistant bursar of the Bawku Senior High School and advisor of the Bawku Naba, has proved that there is an iota of truth in that perception.
Ndego was found carrying two AK 47 assault rifles, a pistol and 153 rounds of ammunition.
The cost of one AK 47 assault rifle is in the range of thousands of dollars and an ordinary person in Bawku cannot afford the amount to purchase a rifle to fight a conflict which will not bring any direct benefit to him.
For most people in Bawku, like others in many of our towns and villages, to pay their children's school fees and provide three square meals a day are problems they face every now and then.
Many families in such areas are living below the level of subsistence and that is why the government has come out with some interventions such as the Capitation Grant and the School Feeding Programme to help such vulnerable groups.
Ordinarily, since most of them depend on daily economic activities like petty trading and subsistence farming for their livelihood, one would expect that the ordinary people of Bawku would wish that peace prevailed so that they could safely and peacefully go about their daily activities.
Since the conflict broke out, Bawku and its environs have been placed under curfew, making it impossible for people to effectively carry out their day-to-day activities.
The markets, government departments, the banks and other business enterprises were all closed down and up till now some of them have not opened for normal business.
According to Togolese government officials and the United Nations High Commission for Refugess (UNHCR), large numbers of our people are fleeing the conflict in Bawku and are creating a humanitarian problem for the Togolese authorities.
Hundreds of people, including old men, women and children caught up in the conflict, are fleeing to seek refuge in northern Togo.
Why should this happen to our brothers and sisters in Bawku? Is it because of greed among some people in the Bawku area that this protracted conflict is creating a humanitarian crisis for us and our neighbours in Togo? It's about time those who are fanning the crisis in Bawku realised that they are creating a problem not only for the Bawku people but also all of us.
The economic cost of the conflict to the country is becoming too much. The amount of money the government spends in deploying and keeping the police and the military in the conflict area is huge and this, we are sure, is taking its toll on the economy. Those who are fanning the conflict in Bawku should stop and spare the nation the agony.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
NACOB RESTRUCTURING MUST BE ENCOMPASSING
NEWS of a shake up at the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB) is welcome, indeed.
Even more assuring is the objective of the exercise which is to create a system of fighting drugs in Ghana that will be difficult to corrupt and compromise.
According to the Executive Director of NACOB, Mr Benjamin Botwe, the restructuring and expansion exercise is also to strengthen the capacity of the board to deal more effectively with the drug trade in the country.
Last Thursday, Ghana joined the international community to celebrate International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking and, in the words of the Interior Minister, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, on that occasion, the trafficking and use of ilicit drugs in the country had reached unacceptable dimensions.
Not too long ago, we alerted the nation to the alarming rate at which educational institutions in the country were fast becoming drug dens, with drug selling points located and openly advertised in the vicinity of senior high schools.
In May 2006, a fishing trawler with a cargo of 30 kilogrammes of cocaine was intercepted at the Tema Harbour. The vessel was described as part of a fleet suspected to be engaged in the haulage of large quantities of the illegal substance from South America across the high seas to Ghana.
In that same year, the police intercepted large quantities of a substance suspected to be cocaine at the Prampram Beach.
The haul, whose street value was estimated at millions of dollars, was believed to be one of the biggest in the country in recent times.
And in 2007, a large quantity of cocaine concealed in 60 cans of palmnut cream concentrate and meant for export to the United Kingdom was intercepted by security operatives at the Kotoka International Airport.
This is not all. Nine police officers were busted and interdicted in June 2007 on suspicion of being involved in the cocaine trade.
Police sources said at that time that the officers deserted their post in Accra to escort five suspected dealers to Half Assini to retrieve parcels of cocaine that had been washed ahsore the Gulf of Guinea. This is not to forget the mysterious loss of many parcels of cocaine at the CID Head Office at the Police Headquarters.
Over the years, the government has adopted various measures in its fight against illicit drug trafficking and use in the country, including a collaboration with international anti-narcotic agencies.
It is in the light of these that we would want the restructuring at NACOB to be undertaken in a very thorough and professional manner.
The board’s main goal is to ensure a drug-free society through simultaneous supply-and-demand-reduction measures.
This, to be effective, should be done through enforcement and control, education and prevention, treatment and rehabilitation and social re-integration.
We would urge the authorities to restructure the board for it to perform these functions effectively.
The enforcement and control, educational and preventive aspects should be firmly embeded in the restructuring. But that is not to say that the treatment, rehabilitation and social re-integration of junkies are not important. They are and the restructuring should encompass all.
Even more assuring is the objective of the exercise which is to create a system of fighting drugs in Ghana that will be difficult to corrupt and compromise.
According to the Executive Director of NACOB, Mr Benjamin Botwe, the restructuring and expansion exercise is also to strengthen the capacity of the board to deal more effectively with the drug trade in the country.
Last Thursday, Ghana joined the international community to celebrate International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking and, in the words of the Interior Minister, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, on that occasion, the trafficking and use of ilicit drugs in the country had reached unacceptable dimensions.
Not too long ago, we alerted the nation to the alarming rate at which educational institutions in the country were fast becoming drug dens, with drug selling points located and openly advertised in the vicinity of senior high schools.
In May 2006, a fishing trawler with a cargo of 30 kilogrammes of cocaine was intercepted at the Tema Harbour. The vessel was described as part of a fleet suspected to be engaged in the haulage of large quantities of the illegal substance from South America across the high seas to Ghana.
In that same year, the police intercepted large quantities of a substance suspected to be cocaine at the Prampram Beach.
The haul, whose street value was estimated at millions of dollars, was believed to be one of the biggest in the country in recent times.
And in 2007, a large quantity of cocaine concealed in 60 cans of palmnut cream concentrate and meant for export to the United Kingdom was intercepted by security operatives at the Kotoka International Airport.
This is not all. Nine police officers were busted and interdicted in June 2007 on suspicion of being involved in the cocaine trade.
Police sources said at that time that the officers deserted their post in Accra to escort five suspected dealers to Half Assini to retrieve parcels of cocaine that had been washed ahsore the Gulf of Guinea. This is not to forget the mysterious loss of many parcels of cocaine at the CID Head Office at the Police Headquarters.
Over the years, the government has adopted various measures in its fight against illicit drug trafficking and use in the country, including a collaboration with international anti-narcotic agencies.
It is in the light of these that we would want the restructuring at NACOB to be undertaken in a very thorough and professional manner.
The board’s main goal is to ensure a drug-free society through simultaneous supply-and-demand-reduction measures.
This, to be effective, should be done through enforcement and control, education and prevention, treatment and rehabilitation and social re-integration.
We would urge the authorities to restructure the board for it to perform these functions effectively.
The enforcement and control, educational and preventive aspects should be firmly embeded in the restructuring. But that is not to say that the treatment, rehabilitation and social re-integration of junkies are not important. They are and the restructuring should encompass all.
Friday, June 27, 2008
LET'S HELP POLICE ARREST CRIME WAVE
ON the night of Tuesday, June 24, yet another senior citizen of this country who had closed from work and safely driven a distance to his Tema Community 11 home was shot dead at close range on his compound.
The 69-year-old victim, Mr Solomon Lamptey-George, who was still behind the steering wheel of his car, was shot in the forehead in front of his wife by one of three attackers who picked nothing from the car or the house after delivering the killer shot.
Mr Lamptey-George’s murder comes almost a year after the gruesome murder of 54-year-old Mr Rokko Frimpong, then Deputy Managing Director of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), who was shot at his Community 18 residence after close of work while he was ironing his clothes for the next day’s work.
Not quite a month after Mr Frimpong’s murder, a 61-year-old retired public servant, Mr Kwatey Quartey, was shot in the chest at his gate, also in Tema, when he came out early in the morning to meet someone who had requested to see him. His murderer was one of five men who had pulled up in a taxi.
In society’s anguish and anger following those dastardly acts, many possible reasons were adduced for each murder, among which was the belief that some faceless persons who had some scores to settle with the victims had hired the killers to murder them.
Neither the police nor crime experts in the country believed the shootings had been carried out by contract killers and to date the families of the victims and society at large are impatiently waiting for the police to tell the nation who really committed those murders and why.
However, a few things are common to the three murders. In all three cases, the assailants either drove to or laid ambush at the gates of their targets; the attacks took place in the presence of other people and also at periods of the day when the respective community members were going about their normal activities.
The questions to ask are: Have criminals in our country become so emboldened because the great Ghanaian community value of being one another’s keeper no longer holds sway?
Is it not the case that as a people we fail or refuse to notice unusual happenings around us or fail to exercise some degree of caution when interacting with strangers who approach us and whose demeanour immediately creates some absurdity about them? Do we ever become curious about the presence of a car or some people in our areas?
The police thrive on information to conduct investigations and good leads from eyewitnesses and community members greatly help in their investigations.
While it is obvious that our blind copying of the Western culture is fast eroding the Ghanaian communal way of life, it is also true that we are missing out on one value of that culture, which is to deal cautiously with strangers and be suspicious of unusual happenings in our communities.
The police can ably fight emerging sophisticated crimes in the society if we help by being observant, promptly provide information and care a little about our own safety and those of our neighbours.
The crime wave is getting out of hand and we should all help the police in every way we can to arrest the situation.
The 69-year-old victim, Mr Solomon Lamptey-George, who was still behind the steering wheel of his car, was shot in the forehead in front of his wife by one of three attackers who picked nothing from the car or the house after delivering the killer shot.
Mr Lamptey-George’s murder comes almost a year after the gruesome murder of 54-year-old Mr Rokko Frimpong, then Deputy Managing Director of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), who was shot at his Community 18 residence after close of work while he was ironing his clothes for the next day’s work.
Not quite a month after Mr Frimpong’s murder, a 61-year-old retired public servant, Mr Kwatey Quartey, was shot in the chest at his gate, also in Tema, when he came out early in the morning to meet someone who had requested to see him. His murderer was one of five men who had pulled up in a taxi.
In society’s anguish and anger following those dastardly acts, many possible reasons were adduced for each murder, among which was the belief that some faceless persons who had some scores to settle with the victims had hired the killers to murder them.
Neither the police nor crime experts in the country believed the shootings had been carried out by contract killers and to date the families of the victims and society at large are impatiently waiting for the police to tell the nation who really committed those murders and why.
However, a few things are common to the three murders. In all three cases, the assailants either drove to or laid ambush at the gates of their targets; the attacks took place in the presence of other people and also at periods of the day when the respective community members were going about their normal activities.
The questions to ask are: Have criminals in our country become so emboldened because the great Ghanaian community value of being one another’s keeper no longer holds sway?
Is it not the case that as a people we fail or refuse to notice unusual happenings around us or fail to exercise some degree of caution when interacting with strangers who approach us and whose demeanour immediately creates some absurdity about them? Do we ever become curious about the presence of a car or some people in our areas?
The police thrive on information to conduct investigations and good leads from eyewitnesses and community members greatly help in their investigations.
While it is obvious that our blind copying of the Western culture is fast eroding the Ghanaian communal way of life, it is also true that we are missing out on one value of that culture, which is to deal cautiously with strangers and be suspicious of unusual happenings in our communities.
The police can ably fight emerging sophisticated crimes in the society if we help by being observant, promptly provide information and care a little about our own safety and those of our neighbours.
The crime wave is getting out of hand and we should all help the police in every way we can to arrest the situation.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
AZUMAH'S LEGACY
LONG before his last ring appearance against Australian rival Jeff Fenech, boxing legend Azumah Nelson had already fought his way into Ghanaian sporting folklore.
But there was a youthful part of the country’s population for whom the Azumah legend seems to belong to a rather distant past.
Before last Tuesday’s rubber match against Fenech, which was beamed live across the world, it had been 10 years since Azumah last appeared in the ring to trade in punches.
And for the millions of young men, women and adolescents who had only been told the story or had faint memories of the man’s fabled past, it was a different experience.
For them, watching the 10-round slugfest must also have generated curiosity over the whole subject of ageing and sports because in spite of the the earlier pessimism, the core concern in the Azumah showmanship last Tuesday was how the ‘old’ man mustered such energy and reflexes to put up the act he did.
And this was three weeks before his 50th birthday!
The other significant thing about Tuesday’s fight in Melbourne is the proof that Azumah still enjoys a high doze of goodwill throughout the country and matters affecting him attract great national concern.
The point has been made many times by many people and on many occasions that the real reason for this tremendous show of affection is the Champ’s own self-discipline, humility, affable disposition and the simplicity with which he carries his superstar status.
And there was ample evidence of the self-discipline aspect of the man’s life that only a disciplined body and mind could produce such performance at near fifty.
As a role model for the youth of this country, Azumah has demonstrated that discipline should be one aspect of his life that must inspire others and provide a way out of the misfortune where some sportsmen and entertainers burn out long before their potential is fully realised.
Surely Azumah has paid his dues to boxing and Ghana well beyond his peak.
It is therefore our hope that he would treat what he did in Melbourne last Tuesday as a one stop response to an inner desire to show the young men of today how to do it and leave the stage when the ovation is highest.
If that was his motivation, then he has accomplished it with all his dignity intact and can now take a well deserved rest.
But there was a youthful part of the country’s population for whom the Azumah legend seems to belong to a rather distant past.
Before last Tuesday’s rubber match against Fenech, which was beamed live across the world, it had been 10 years since Azumah last appeared in the ring to trade in punches.
And for the millions of young men, women and adolescents who had only been told the story or had faint memories of the man’s fabled past, it was a different experience.
For them, watching the 10-round slugfest must also have generated curiosity over the whole subject of ageing and sports because in spite of the the earlier pessimism, the core concern in the Azumah showmanship last Tuesday was how the ‘old’ man mustered such energy and reflexes to put up the act he did.
And this was three weeks before his 50th birthday!
The other significant thing about Tuesday’s fight in Melbourne is the proof that Azumah still enjoys a high doze of goodwill throughout the country and matters affecting him attract great national concern.
The point has been made many times by many people and on many occasions that the real reason for this tremendous show of affection is the Champ’s own self-discipline, humility, affable disposition and the simplicity with which he carries his superstar status.
And there was ample evidence of the self-discipline aspect of the man’s life that only a disciplined body and mind could produce such performance at near fifty.
As a role model for the youth of this country, Azumah has demonstrated that discipline should be one aspect of his life that must inspire others and provide a way out of the misfortune where some sportsmen and entertainers burn out long before their potential is fully realised.
Surely Azumah has paid his dues to boxing and Ghana well beyond his peak.
It is therefore our hope that he would treat what he did in Melbourne last Tuesday as a one stop response to an inner desire to show the young men of today how to do it and leave the stage when the ovation is highest.
If that was his motivation, then he has accomplished it with all his dignity intact and can now take a well deserved rest.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
EQUIP THE POLICE
THE police, no doubt, render invaluable services to the state on a daily basis through the performance of their core and other functions of maintaining public order, ensuring the safety of all citizens, preventing crime, detecting crime and apprehending offenders.
The challenges that the men and women of the Police Service face as they attempt to discharge these responsibilities in the cities, towns and villages across the country are enormous, particularly so because they lack essential resources which, in modern times, are required for effective policing.
The use of outdated weapons, the lack of modern telecommunication gadgets, inadequate means of transportation or the total lack of these at some police stations in the country have combined to drastically reduce the efficiency of the police.
The professional capabilities of the men and women of the service are further undermined by the problem of poor salaries and benefits, inadequate orientation and motivation and poor accommodation.
Just this month, the Commanding Officer of the Ghana Police Training School told this paper that the school was in dire need of modern training facilities to equip policemen and women with the necessary skills to fight modern-day crime.
He said that the training school also lacked basic structures such as classrooms with audio and video equipment, sleeping places for recruits and a gymnasium to physically condition recruits for the task ahead of them.
These are not the only problems facing the Police Service. But what is worrying is the fact that those in authority do not seem to appreciate the important role of the police in any modern society.
The same Ghanaian society which has given so little to the police expects so much from that same institution and, therefore, tends to turn a blind eye to the plight of our policemen.
Since the well-being of policemen are not catered for, their lives are being put into danger every day.
In November last year, policemen at the Akomadan Police Station in the Ashanti Region were forced to flee their duty post to escape the wrath of the rampaging youth of the area. In that same year, two policemen were seriously wounded when the youth of Teleku-Bokazo and Anwia in the Nzema East District of the Western Region went on rampage and vented their spleen on employees of a mining company.
And in April this year, the people of Awusakope in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region took four policemen hostage, disarmed them and assaulted them until they were rescued by reinforcement from Adidome.
What is more pathetic is that just last Tuesday armed robbers shot and killed a policeman when they stormed the Madina branch of ECOBANK and stole GH¢60,000 in broad daylight.
All these are happening because the police are not well equipped, trained and well motivated to deal with modern-day crime. They need more vehicles, modern communication equipment and modern riot control gear. These must be available to policemen at the station level and not only at the headquarters.
We, therefore, call on the authorities to motivate, resource and equip the police to combat the rising sophisticated crime wave in the country.
The training facilities of the police should be modernised and the officers reoriented to meet modern trends in policing.
The conditions of service of the police should also be urgently addressed and changes made to reflect present times.
It is imperative that we carry out these recommendations to improve policing in the country and protect the lives of all.
The challenges that the men and women of the Police Service face as they attempt to discharge these responsibilities in the cities, towns and villages across the country are enormous, particularly so because they lack essential resources which, in modern times, are required for effective policing.
The use of outdated weapons, the lack of modern telecommunication gadgets, inadequate means of transportation or the total lack of these at some police stations in the country have combined to drastically reduce the efficiency of the police.
The professional capabilities of the men and women of the service are further undermined by the problem of poor salaries and benefits, inadequate orientation and motivation and poor accommodation.
Just this month, the Commanding Officer of the Ghana Police Training School told this paper that the school was in dire need of modern training facilities to equip policemen and women with the necessary skills to fight modern-day crime.
He said that the training school also lacked basic structures such as classrooms with audio and video equipment, sleeping places for recruits and a gymnasium to physically condition recruits for the task ahead of them.
These are not the only problems facing the Police Service. But what is worrying is the fact that those in authority do not seem to appreciate the important role of the police in any modern society.
The same Ghanaian society which has given so little to the police expects so much from that same institution and, therefore, tends to turn a blind eye to the plight of our policemen.
Since the well-being of policemen are not catered for, their lives are being put into danger every day.
In November last year, policemen at the Akomadan Police Station in the Ashanti Region were forced to flee their duty post to escape the wrath of the rampaging youth of the area. In that same year, two policemen were seriously wounded when the youth of Teleku-Bokazo and Anwia in the Nzema East District of the Western Region went on rampage and vented their spleen on employees of a mining company.
And in April this year, the people of Awusakope in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region took four policemen hostage, disarmed them and assaulted them until they were rescued by reinforcement from Adidome.
What is more pathetic is that just last Tuesday armed robbers shot and killed a policeman when they stormed the Madina branch of ECOBANK and stole GH¢60,000 in broad daylight.
All these are happening because the police are not well equipped, trained and well motivated to deal with modern-day crime. They need more vehicles, modern communication equipment and modern riot control gear. These must be available to policemen at the station level and not only at the headquarters.
We, therefore, call on the authorities to motivate, resource and equip the police to combat the rising sophisticated crime wave in the country.
The training facilities of the police should be modernised and the officers reoriented to meet modern trends in policing.
The conditions of service of the police should also be urgently addressed and changes made to reflect present times.
It is imperative that we carry out these recommendations to improve policing in the country and protect the lives of all.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
PREVENT ACCESS TO RAIL LINES
LAST Sunday’s tragic accident involving a 27-year-old female singer at the Dzorwulu Railway Crossing in Accra was a sad and painful event that cut the hearts of many Ghanaians.
For one reason, in these modern times that sort of accident should not be happening in our country. Indeed, a lot of motor accidents occurring on our highways and urban and city centres should not be happening.
But because the required safety measures are not in place, in addition to the absence of restrictions that should debar people from gaining access to danger zones on our streets and bus, lorry and train stations, these otherwise avoidable accidents are becoming a regular feature in our society.
Just take a cursory glance at our train stations and you will find out that they have become abodes for beggars, criminals, hawkers and all manner of people.
In Accra and Kumasi, for instance, people sell, and in some cases cook, very close to the rail lines. At the Accra Railway Station, located in the central business district of the national capital, second-hand cloth dealers, foodstuff sellers and hawkers have virtually taken over the whole place.
The station is, in fact, home to many people after close of official business. Some have even apportioned areas they have a sole right to. Also, a thriving business in mat hiring for spending the night goes on at the station. Something similar happens in Kumasi.
In December 2005, the Ministry of Harbours and Railways gave an ultimatum to the squatters to quit the area in furtherance of the ministry’s decision to demolish unauthorised structures along the country’s rail lines.
The exercise was originally scheduled to have been carried out at the end of November that year but the ministry deferred it to December and preceded it with an intensive educational programme but the people paid no heed to it.
According to the law, any structure along the rails should be at least 100 feet away, but some people have built as close as five feet to the rail lines.
In January 2006, the Ghana Railways Company (GRC) contracted Bremak Ventures, a private company in Accra, to demolish unauthorised structures along the railway line at Kantamanto in Accra because they were very close to the railway station.
And yesterday when the DAILY GRAPHIC went round to Dzorwulu, Dome, Tesano, Achimota and Agbogbloshie, we found out that hundreds of people, without any fear for their lives, continued to use spots along the rail lines as places of habitation and business.
Houses, shops, containers, kiosks, tables and shacks were seen spread too close to the railway lines in Accra, in spite of persistent warnings from officials of the GRC on the dangers to which they are exposing their lives. (See pages 24 and 25 for story.)
Life is too precious to be toyed with in such a reckless manner. Again, the unsanitary conditions created in these areas by the squatters, as well as their blatant disrespect for the laws that debar them from living or carrying out activities so close to the rail line, demand appropriate actions to restore sanity and forestall further loss of life.
Systems and structures that make it impossible for people to get close to the rail lines should be put in place.
For instance, sections of the railway line which pose a danger to life in communities must be fenced off and unauthorised persons given no access whatsoever to such places.
In the more developed societies, structures and systems are always put in place to ensure that restricted areas remain just that.
You cannot enter or exit a parking lot if you have no car to park or drive out. So also can you not go beyond a point at the railway station if you are not travelling. We should make sanity to prevail in all aspects of our lives.
For one reason, in these modern times that sort of accident should not be happening in our country. Indeed, a lot of motor accidents occurring on our highways and urban and city centres should not be happening.
But because the required safety measures are not in place, in addition to the absence of restrictions that should debar people from gaining access to danger zones on our streets and bus, lorry and train stations, these otherwise avoidable accidents are becoming a regular feature in our society.
Just take a cursory glance at our train stations and you will find out that they have become abodes for beggars, criminals, hawkers and all manner of people.
In Accra and Kumasi, for instance, people sell, and in some cases cook, very close to the rail lines. At the Accra Railway Station, located in the central business district of the national capital, second-hand cloth dealers, foodstuff sellers and hawkers have virtually taken over the whole place.
The station is, in fact, home to many people after close of official business. Some have even apportioned areas they have a sole right to. Also, a thriving business in mat hiring for spending the night goes on at the station. Something similar happens in Kumasi.
In December 2005, the Ministry of Harbours and Railways gave an ultimatum to the squatters to quit the area in furtherance of the ministry’s decision to demolish unauthorised structures along the country’s rail lines.
The exercise was originally scheduled to have been carried out at the end of November that year but the ministry deferred it to December and preceded it with an intensive educational programme but the people paid no heed to it.
According to the law, any structure along the rails should be at least 100 feet away, but some people have built as close as five feet to the rail lines.
In January 2006, the Ghana Railways Company (GRC) contracted Bremak Ventures, a private company in Accra, to demolish unauthorised structures along the railway line at Kantamanto in Accra because they were very close to the railway station.
And yesterday when the DAILY GRAPHIC went round to Dzorwulu, Dome, Tesano, Achimota and Agbogbloshie, we found out that hundreds of people, without any fear for their lives, continued to use spots along the rail lines as places of habitation and business.
Houses, shops, containers, kiosks, tables and shacks were seen spread too close to the railway lines in Accra, in spite of persistent warnings from officials of the GRC on the dangers to which they are exposing their lives. (See pages 24 and 25 for story.)
Life is too precious to be toyed with in such a reckless manner. Again, the unsanitary conditions created in these areas by the squatters, as well as their blatant disrespect for the laws that debar them from living or carrying out activities so close to the rail line, demand appropriate actions to restore sanity and forestall further loss of life.
Systems and structures that make it impossible for people to get close to the rail lines should be put in place.
For instance, sections of the railway line which pose a danger to life in communities must be fenced off and unauthorised persons given no access whatsoever to such places.
In the more developed societies, structures and systems are always put in place to ensure that restricted areas remain just that.
You cannot enter or exit a parking lot if you have no car to park or drive out. So also can you not go beyond a point at the railway station if you are not travelling. We should make sanity to prevail in all aspects of our lives.
Monday, June 23, 2008
NIP THIS ACT IN THE MUD
For four days last week, the family, the management of the Alpha Beta School at Dansoman Estates in Accra and, of course, the security apparatus, were variously traumatised, terribly disturbed and at their wits’ end working around the clock on strategies and following leads to rescue an eight-year-old pupil who was kidnapped by some unknown persons.
The kidnappers had gone to the pupil’s school to pick her up in a taxicab and later demanded a ransom of $300,000 but had to settle for GH¢25,000 because that was what the parents of the kidnapped girl could afford.
The child has since been released, the police have confirmed and said two suspects have been arrested.
Meanwhile, in the face of the terrible occurrence, the Principal of the school, Mrs Florence Adjepong, deems it her social responsibility to signal all school management boards to re-evaluate the security measures in place in their respective schools, so that no child or parent would ever again be subjected to such a traumatic experience.
Nothing could be more appropriate than this signal and for the DAILY GRAPHIC the security alert should equally be taken up by all parents and guardians, the Ghana Education Service and the security authorities.
Though very distasteful and a trauma for the victim and her family, the occurrence serves as a wake-up call to all about the threat that the emerging sophisticated crimes in the country pose to every individual’s safety As a short-term measure, there is the need for everybody particularly children, who are the most vulnerable, to be conscientised not to trust people they do not know irrespective of how friendly and kind such strangers appear to them.
This is because though not common in Ghana, kidnapping for ransom is a common occurrence in various parts of the world and if what has been happening in a neighbouring West African country teaches any lessons, then the time to act is now. This is particularly so as the country’s oil find and its attendant economic boom will somehow bring about sophisticated crime.
Already, the country’s security agencies are saddled with the task of fighting rising illicit drug trafficking, a development which portrays Ghana as a notorious drug transit point.
At the same time the police are battling with increasing spate of armed robbery, and car and mobile phone snatching among others.
These, no doubt are over stretching the strength and resources of the Police Service in particular, making it difficult for it to effectively provide other services necessary to ensure the safety of all citizens at all times.
We cannot afford to allow kidnapping especially, kidnapping for ransom to take hold of the country.
It is in the light of this that the security apparatus should get together as early as possible to devise strategies to nip this dangerous development in the bud.
The kidnappers had gone to the pupil’s school to pick her up in a taxicab and later demanded a ransom of $300,000 but had to settle for GH¢25,000 because that was what the parents of the kidnapped girl could afford.
The child has since been released, the police have confirmed and said two suspects have been arrested.
Meanwhile, in the face of the terrible occurrence, the Principal of the school, Mrs Florence Adjepong, deems it her social responsibility to signal all school management boards to re-evaluate the security measures in place in their respective schools, so that no child or parent would ever again be subjected to such a traumatic experience.
Nothing could be more appropriate than this signal and for the DAILY GRAPHIC the security alert should equally be taken up by all parents and guardians, the Ghana Education Service and the security authorities.
Though very distasteful and a trauma for the victim and her family, the occurrence serves as a wake-up call to all about the threat that the emerging sophisticated crimes in the country pose to every individual’s safety As a short-term measure, there is the need for everybody particularly children, who are the most vulnerable, to be conscientised not to trust people they do not know irrespective of how friendly and kind such strangers appear to them.
This is because though not common in Ghana, kidnapping for ransom is a common occurrence in various parts of the world and if what has been happening in a neighbouring West African country teaches any lessons, then the time to act is now. This is particularly so as the country’s oil find and its attendant economic boom will somehow bring about sophisticated crime.
Already, the country’s security agencies are saddled with the task of fighting rising illicit drug trafficking, a development which portrays Ghana as a notorious drug transit point.
At the same time the police are battling with increasing spate of armed robbery, and car and mobile phone snatching among others.
These, no doubt are over stretching the strength and resources of the Police Service in particular, making it difficult for it to effectively provide other services necessary to ensure the safety of all citizens at all times.
We cannot afford to allow kidnapping especially, kidnapping for ransom to take hold of the country.
It is in the light of this that the security apparatus should get together as early as possible to devise strategies to nip this dangerous development in the bud.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
HARD CHOICES AWAIT US
A WORD to the wise, they say, is enough. But for public opinion to be effective, it has to be reinforced time and again.
With Election 2008 fast approaching, everybody is concerned about the conduct of the polls to ensure stability, peace and unity in the country. For this reason, members of the clergy, traditional rulers, civil society groups and, indeed, politicians themselves miss no opportunity to talk about the crucial nature of the elections.
The tense nature of the competition sometimes creates the impression that the December 7 elections are a do-or-die affair.
In our issue of yesterday, the Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Oti Boateng, and a former National Security Co-ordinator, Mr Bentum Quantson, urged politicians and the electorate to avoid utterances that were likely to inflame passions and destabilise the country during and after the general election.
Speaking during a courtesy call on him by Queen Sheba III, Daasebre Boateng admonished politicians to conduct their campaigns on issues of national interest, devoid of personal attacks and insults.
Elections are contests for power and control over the resources of the country. The electorate, thus, surrender their mandate to politicians to hold in trust for a period, for which reason the decisions that the majority of the people make on December 7 must be informed by the desire to expand the frontiers of the country’s development process.
It is in this vein that we endorse Daasebre’s advice to Ghanaians not to allow themselves to be influenced by politicians with money and material things, explaining that “if we do so, they only succeed in buying our conscience and our vote”.
The decision must be based purely on our desire to progress and those who demonstrate their readiness to offer selfless leadership must be voted for.
Election 2008 offers us the opportunity to decide the next direction of our economic endeavours.
The Daily Graphic, therefore, advises the electorate not to be swayed by emotions and empty rhetoric but examine the promises that are being made by politicians before casting their ballot on December 7.
We have no doubt at all that all the politicians mean well, but we should be careful not to swallow everything they tell us hook, line and sinker just because they have promised to do certain things for us.
We should scrutinise the manifestos of the parties and the visions of the aspirants to determine those that will offer pragmatic solutions to the problems plaguing the country.
It is not just enough for politicians to tell us that they have the antidote to fix the problems of the country, without suggesting in concrete terms how the resources will be mobilised to pay for those programmes.
We need to look critically before we leap because the country needs to make harsh choices at Election 2008 in order to attain a middle-income status by 2015.
With Election 2008 fast approaching, everybody is concerned about the conduct of the polls to ensure stability, peace and unity in the country. For this reason, members of the clergy, traditional rulers, civil society groups and, indeed, politicians themselves miss no opportunity to talk about the crucial nature of the elections.
The tense nature of the competition sometimes creates the impression that the December 7 elections are a do-or-die affair.
In our issue of yesterday, the Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Oti Boateng, and a former National Security Co-ordinator, Mr Bentum Quantson, urged politicians and the electorate to avoid utterances that were likely to inflame passions and destabilise the country during and after the general election.
Speaking during a courtesy call on him by Queen Sheba III, Daasebre Boateng admonished politicians to conduct their campaigns on issues of national interest, devoid of personal attacks and insults.
Elections are contests for power and control over the resources of the country. The electorate, thus, surrender their mandate to politicians to hold in trust for a period, for which reason the decisions that the majority of the people make on December 7 must be informed by the desire to expand the frontiers of the country’s development process.
It is in this vein that we endorse Daasebre’s advice to Ghanaians not to allow themselves to be influenced by politicians with money and material things, explaining that “if we do so, they only succeed in buying our conscience and our vote”.
The decision must be based purely on our desire to progress and those who demonstrate their readiness to offer selfless leadership must be voted for.
Election 2008 offers us the opportunity to decide the next direction of our economic endeavours.
The Daily Graphic, therefore, advises the electorate not to be swayed by emotions and empty rhetoric but examine the promises that are being made by politicians before casting their ballot on December 7.
We have no doubt at all that all the politicians mean well, but we should be careful not to swallow everything they tell us hook, line and sinker just because they have promised to do certain things for us.
We should scrutinise the manifestos of the parties and the visions of the aspirants to determine those that will offer pragmatic solutions to the problems plaguing the country.
It is not just enough for politicians to tell us that they have the antidote to fix the problems of the country, without suggesting in concrete terms how the resources will be mobilised to pay for those programmes.
We need to look critically before we leap because the country needs to make harsh choices at Election 2008 in order to attain a middle-income status by 2015.
Friday, June 20, 2008
WHEN CHARITY DISAPPEARS
ARGUABLY, the African continent is the richest in the world, as it abounds in all the resources needed to propel the continent to a level devoid of want, poverty and disease.
Unfortunately, the negative stories about the continent outnumber the issues that we must celebrate. Thus day in day out our leaders are parading Western corridors seeking donor assistance in order to balance their budgets.
In fact, African people manifest an Ewe proverb that says “Abui le avokpo wo dome gake etsi ama”, to wit, the needle sews all the fabrics yet it is naked.
The African continent has no excuse for being at its present level of development where it has to receive emergency aid from the donor community in order to provide for the very basic things of life such as shelter, food and clothing.
Our leaders have become used to donor support, to such an extent that even when we can galvanise our people to provide for their needs, the leaders are unable to provide the leadership to harness the continent’s vast resources for development.
It is worrying that on occasions that the international community is unable to fulfil its pledges as a result of donor fatigue, we fail to see the warning signs on the wall.
The G-8 countries have, on a number of occasions, pledged support in billions of dollars to help ease the debt overhang and poverty challenges on the continent.
Most of these pledges are not redeemed but the leaders of the G-8 continue to pledge their support at every international forum on Africa.
At the launch of a new report by the African Commission in London on Monday, the former UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, said Africa faced an aid shortfall of $40 billion.
He was also said to have chastised the industrialised world for failing to meet the pledges they gave to double aid by 2010.
In a globalised world, Africa cannot pretend to be an island, but a solely interdependent life is not worth living because one day charity will disappear and we would have to stand on our feet.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on African leaders to begin looking beyond emergency aid and focus their dialogue with the donor community on sustainable development support.
This way, our donor partners will give a practical demonstration to the Chinese proverb, “If you give a man fish, you feed him a single day, but if you teach him how to fish, you feed him for life.”
That is why the leaders of the continent should stop giving the impression that without aid the continent cannot make it.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the time has come for African governments to be open and transparent in the management of the continent’s resources and also demonstrate more commitment to democracy and respect for civil liberties.
What is happening in Zimbabwe only goes to strengthen the perception in some developing countries that the African is incapable of managing his or her own affairs.
What is refreshing, however, is that African leaders are standing up to be counted by calling on their counterpart in Zimbabwe, Mr Robert Mugabe, to respect democratic principles.
We think the battle is not lost for Africa but the way forward lies in our ability to confront the challenges that threaten our very survival.
Let us galvanise our people to harness our resources, share the outcome equitably and encourage our governments and peoples to respect rules and regulations.
Unfortunately, the negative stories about the continent outnumber the issues that we must celebrate. Thus day in day out our leaders are parading Western corridors seeking donor assistance in order to balance their budgets.
In fact, African people manifest an Ewe proverb that says “Abui le avokpo wo dome gake etsi ama”, to wit, the needle sews all the fabrics yet it is naked.
The African continent has no excuse for being at its present level of development where it has to receive emergency aid from the donor community in order to provide for the very basic things of life such as shelter, food and clothing.
Our leaders have become used to donor support, to such an extent that even when we can galvanise our people to provide for their needs, the leaders are unable to provide the leadership to harness the continent’s vast resources for development.
It is worrying that on occasions that the international community is unable to fulfil its pledges as a result of donor fatigue, we fail to see the warning signs on the wall.
The G-8 countries have, on a number of occasions, pledged support in billions of dollars to help ease the debt overhang and poverty challenges on the continent.
Most of these pledges are not redeemed but the leaders of the G-8 continue to pledge their support at every international forum on Africa.
At the launch of a new report by the African Commission in London on Monday, the former UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, said Africa faced an aid shortfall of $40 billion.
He was also said to have chastised the industrialised world for failing to meet the pledges they gave to double aid by 2010.
In a globalised world, Africa cannot pretend to be an island, but a solely interdependent life is not worth living because one day charity will disappear and we would have to stand on our feet.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on African leaders to begin looking beyond emergency aid and focus their dialogue with the donor community on sustainable development support.
This way, our donor partners will give a practical demonstration to the Chinese proverb, “If you give a man fish, you feed him a single day, but if you teach him how to fish, you feed him for life.”
That is why the leaders of the continent should stop giving the impression that without aid the continent cannot make it.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the time has come for African governments to be open and transparent in the management of the continent’s resources and also demonstrate more commitment to democracy and respect for civil liberties.
What is happening in Zimbabwe only goes to strengthen the perception in some developing countries that the African is incapable of managing his or her own affairs.
What is refreshing, however, is that African leaders are standing up to be counted by calling on their counterpart in Zimbabwe, Mr Robert Mugabe, to respect democratic principles.
We think the battle is not lost for Africa but the way forward lies in our ability to confront the challenges that threaten our very survival.
Let us galvanise our people to harness our resources, share the outcome equitably and encourage our governments and peoples to respect rules and regulations.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
BUILDING PATIENT, DOCTOR RAPPORT
THE Ghana Medical and Dental Council has admonished the public to feel free to sue doctors for compensation for wrong diagnosis or other unprofessional conduct.
As reported in the Daily Graphic today, the registrar of the council noted that because the council did not pay compensation to victims of any mis-diagnosis or unprofessional conduct, the onus was on the victims to exact the due compensation from the offending doctors.
Indeed, this is a testimony of the commitment of the council to ensure that doctors exhibit the highest professional standards as required of their profession and this we should all warmly embrace.
All over the world medical and dental councils are beginning to introduce stringent measures to ensure that medical doctors exhibit a high level of professionalism.
The medical profession, like all others, has clear-cut ethical foundations that guide its practice. The International Code of Medical Ethics of the World Medical Association states that a doctor must always maintain the highest standards of professional conduct and must practise his profession uninfluenced by motives of profit.
Indeed, in many developed countries medico-legal issues have been greatly highlighted to ensure that patients become very much aware of their rights regarding their relationship with their doctors and the treatment offered to them.
For instance, while in the case of a journalist or a media organisation a breach may require the issuing of a rejoinder with due prominence to correct a misrepresentation, in the case of medicine there could never be any remedial measure that can bring back life or correct a deformity. Indeed, doctors’ mistakes are buried, even if families of the victims take up the issue for redress.
On many occasions we have been confronted with credible reports of medical professionals, and in this case medical doctors, shirking their responsibility at a point when it is needed most. In some cases such a conduct has resulted in the death of patients.
In the past, while there had been hue and cry over such professional misconduct, victims were more often than not compelled to let matters rest in the spirit of the typical Ghanaian attitude of “Fama Nyame”, to wit, leave it to God.
But the advice by the council should mark the beginning of a new dawn and challenge doctors to endeavour to observe high professional standards and live above reproach.
The Citizens Charter which was recently launched also places premium on good customer care for people who patronise public services.
The country’s healthcare system has undergone positive transformation with the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme. With the introduction of the scheme, a lot more Ghanaians are likely to patronise public health institutions and they would expect nothing but quality healthcare delivery.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the courts are competent enough to decide whether or not victims of medical mis-diagnosis or unprofessional conduct on the part of doctors deserve to be compensated, as well as the quantum of compensation that should be paid to them.
We also wish to challenge the Ghana Medical Association, the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service and other stakeholders to endeavour to provide regular professional training for doctors to ensure that they are abreast of modern trends in their profession.
The responsibility of ensuring quality healthcare delivery is one that goes beyond just the medical doctor or professional and requires that all relevant stakeholders play their roles more effectively.
As reported in the Daily Graphic today, the registrar of the council noted that because the council did not pay compensation to victims of any mis-diagnosis or unprofessional conduct, the onus was on the victims to exact the due compensation from the offending doctors.
Indeed, this is a testimony of the commitment of the council to ensure that doctors exhibit the highest professional standards as required of their profession and this we should all warmly embrace.
All over the world medical and dental councils are beginning to introduce stringent measures to ensure that medical doctors exhibit a high level of professionalism.
The medical profession, like all others, has clear-cut ethical foundations that guide its practice. The International Code of Medical Ethics of the World Medical Association states that a doctor must always maintain the highest standards of professional conduct and must practise his profession uninfluenced by motives of profit.
Indeed, in many developed countries medico-legal issues have been greatly highlighted to ensure that patients become very much aware of their rights regarding their relationship with their doctors and the treatment offered to them.
For instance, while in the case of a journalist or a media organisation a breach may require the issuing of a rejoinder with due prominence to correct a misrepresentation, in the case of medicine there could never be any remedial measure that can bring back life or correct a deformity. Indeed, doctors’ mistakes are buried, even if families of the victims take up the issue for redress.
On many occasions we have been confronted with credible reports of medical professionals, and in this case medical doctors, shirking their responsibility at a point when it is needed most. In some cases such a conduct has resulted in the death of patients.
In the past, while there had been hue and cry over such professional misconduct, victims were more often than not compelled to let matters rest in the spirit of the typical Ghanaian attitude of “Fama Nyame”, to wit, leave it to God.
But the advice by the council should mark the beginning of a new dawn and challenge doctors to endeavour to observe high professional standards and live above reproach.
The Citizens Charter which was recently launched also places premium on good customer care for people who patronise public services.
The country’s healthcare system has undergone positive transformation with the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme. With the introduction of the scheme, a lot more Ghanaians are likely to patronise public health institutions and they would expect nothing but quality healthcare delivery.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the courts are competent enough to decide whether or not victims of medical mis-diagnosis or unprofessional conduct on the part of doctors deserve to be compensated, as well as the quantum of compensation that should be paid to them.
We also wish to challenge the Ghana Medical Association, the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service and other stakeholders to endeavour to provide regular professional training for doctors to ensure that they are abreast of modern trends in their profession.
The responsibility of ensuring quality healthcare delivery is one that goes beyond just the medical doctor or professional and requires that all relevant stakeholders play their roles more effectively.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
RESOLVING INTRA-ETHNIC CONFLICTS
THE rising incidence of inter and intra-ethnic conflicts in the country, particularly in the three northern regions, has become very worrisome.
Of late, reports of conflicts in the media have become part and parcel of the exchanges in many communities.
The flashpoints are increasing by arithmetic progression, sometimes sending the wrong signals to the international community that the north is on the verge of breaking apart.
The conflict in Bawku has been festering since December last year; what is in Dagbon remains protracted, while Buipe is the latest in line.
At the core of these conflicts are litigation over land and chieftaincy, but at the extreme is a simmering political conflict.
The number of conflict areas is not immediately available but from east to west and north to south our people have disregarded the use of dialogue to resolve their differences and rather resorted to violence and brute force reminiscent of the state of nature.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that one of the best ways to resolve differences in any society is the availability of a functional dispute resolution mechanism to make it unattractive for people to adopt self-help to seek redress.
We, therefore, welcome the suggestion by the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, that one way of reducing the prevalence of inter and intra-ethnic conflicts in the Northern Region is the establishment of more courts in the region.
We think that for litigants to use the services available at the courts, it is imperative for the justice system to be accessible and user-friendly. Many of our people in the rural areas who are in need of legal services do not know where to go. They are also afraid of the court environment because it looks unfriendly and alien.
That is why there is sense in the panel system in which ordinary people feel at home because judgement is passed on them by their peers, not by people communicating in jargons.
It is unfortunate that some people still think that the business and political elite are untouchable in our society, although the principle behind the rule of law is that no one is above the law.
Perhaps the most important objective of the rule of law is the principle that governmental authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with written and publicly disclosed laws.
The principle is intended to be a safeguard against arbitrary governance, whether by a totalitarian leader or by mob rule.
Thus a country can be said to be practising the rule of law if there are clear separation of powers, legal certainty, the principle of legitimate expectation and equality before the law.
Under rule of law principles, the law must afford adequate protection of the fundamental human rights, as well as provide the means for resolving, without prohibitive costs or inordinate delay, bona fide civil disputes which the parties themselves are unable to resolve.
Justice delayed is justice denied is a popular dictum in judicial corridors and yet long adjournments have hampered the efforts of those seeking redress at the courts.
The DAILY GRAPHIC abhors mob justice. We, therefore, call on the authorities to establish more courts so that the frontiers of the justice system will be expanded to all corners of the country. This way, the authorities will not be accused of paying lip service to the rule of law.
The police, the judiciary and the Attorney-General's Department should team up to bring justice to the doorstep of litigants so that the recourse to self-help or mob justice will be a disincentive.
Of late, reports of conflicts in the media have become part and parcel of the exchanges in many communities.
The flashpoints are increasing by arithmetic progression, sometimes sending the wrong signals to the international community that the north is on the verge of breaking apart.
The conflict in Bawku has been festering since December last year; what is in Dagbon remains protracted, while Buipe is the latest in line.
At the core of these conflicts are litigation over land and chieftaincy, but at the extreme is a simmering political conflict.
The number of conflict areas is not immediately available but from east to west and north to south our people have disregarded the use of dialogue to resolve their differences and rather resorted to violence and brute force reminiscent of the state of nature.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that one of the best ways to resolve differences in any society is the availability of a functional dispute resolution mechanism to make it unattractive for people to adopt self-help to seek redress.
We, therefore, welcome the suggestion by the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, that one way of reducing the prevalence of inter and intra-ethnic conflicts in the Northern Region is the establishment of more courts in the region.
We think that for litigants to use the services available at the courts, it is imperative for the justice system to be accessible and user-friendly. Many of our people in the rural areas who are in need of legal services do not know where to go. They are also afraid of the court environment because it looks unfriendly and alien.
That is why there is sense in the panel system in which ordinary people feel at home because judgement is passed on them by their peers, not by people communicating in jargons.
It is unfortunate that some people still think that the business and political elite are untouchable in our society, although the principle behind the rule of law is that no one is above the law.
Perhaps the most important objective of the rule of law is the principle that governmental authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with written and publicly disclosed laws.
The principle is intended to be a safeguard against arbitrary governance, whether by a totalitarian leader or by mob rule.
Thus a country can be said to be practising the rule of law if there are clear separation of powers, legal certainty, the principle of legitimate expectation and equality before the law.
Under rule of law principles, the law must afford adequate protection of the fundamental human rights, as well as provide the means for resolving, without prohibitive costs or inordinate delay, bona fide civil disputes which the parties themselves are unable to resolve.
Justice delayed is justice denied is a popular dictum in judicial corridors and yet long adjournments have hampered the efforts of those seeking redress at the courts.
The DAILY GRAPHIC abhors mob justice. We, therefore, call on the authorities to establish more courts so that the frontiers of the justice system will be expanded to all corners of the country. This way, the authorities will not be accused of paying lip service to the rule of law.
The police, the judiciary and the Attorney-General's Department should team up to bring justice to the doorstep of litigants so that the recourse to self-help or mob justice will be a disincentive.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
BOOSTING YOUTH EMPLOYMENT
THE National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) yesterday received a major boost when the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment (MMYE) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) to enable the bank to provide financial management services for the NYEP's accounts.
Under the agreement, the ADB is expected to open accounts for about 108,000 employees of the programme across the country and through that effect the payment of the monthly allowances of the employees until such a time that the bank will be reimbursed by the government.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that this laudable initiative can be nurtured to provide jobs for the teeming mass of unemployed youth in the country.
But to attain that, the programme must be managed efficiently in order to sustain it and ameliorate the frustrations and hardships that some of the employees have to endure as a result of delays in the payment of their allowances.
The announcement of an initial deposit of GH¢6 million by the government justifies its commitment to find answers to the delays that are associated with the payment of the allowances or salaries of the youth working in the health, education, sanitation and community policing modules of the NYEP.
Whatever the criticisms levelled against the NYEP, all shades of opinion agree that if it is managed well, it can accelerate growth in the areas where the youth can render useful services to the public.
Time and again we have killed very laudable initiatives because they were not introduced by governments that we support. Like the proverbial dog, we give them bad names to be able to hang them.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on all well-meaning people to avoid the negative propaganda in order not to disrupt the programme.
The good news is that the political parties that have pronounced on the NYEP have refrained from giving the impression that they will scrap it when they come to power.
However, when the NYEP was introduced by the government, the doubting Thomases were uncertain about its viability and sustainability and even tagged it as ‘job for the boys’. Their concerns are understandable, though, in view of some of the barren promises that have been made in the past.
The DAILY GRAPHIC hopes that the political parties have genuine plans for the NYEP and that the public pronouncements are not meant to win the votes of those employed under the programme.
We call on ADB officials to give of their best to make the scheme work to everybody’s expectation. They should scrutinise every application presented and make sure that history is not repeated by way of ghost workers.
Every Ghanaian needs to support the programme to enable it to achieve its fullest objective because it is being funded through our taxes by way of funds from the GETFund, the National Health Insurance Scheme Levy, the Ghana Road Fund, the District Assemblies Common Fund and the HIPC Fund.
To sustain the NYEP, we should begin looking beyond the MoU so that in the near future it can be mainstreamed into the public service administration of the country.
Under the agreement, the ADB is expected to open accounts for about 108,000 employees of the programme across the country and through that effect the payment of the monthly allowances of the employees until such a time that the bank will be reimbursed by the government.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that this laudable initiative can be nurtured to provide jobs for the teeming mass of unemployed youth in the country.
But to attain that, the programme must be managed efficiently in order to sustain it and ameliorate the frustrations and hardships that some of the employees have to endure as a result of delays in the payment of their allowances.
The announcement of an initial deposit of GH¢6 million by the government justifies its commitment to find answers to the delays that are associated with the payment of the allowances or salaries of the youth working in the health, education, sanitation and community policing modules of the NYEP.
Whatever the criticisms levelled against the NYEP, all shades of opinion agree that if it is managed well, it can accelerate growth in the areas where the youth can render useful services to the public.
Time and again we have killed very laudable initiatives because they were not introduced by governments that we support. Like the proverbial dog, we give them bad names to be able to hang them.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on all well-meaning people to avoid the negative propaganda in order not to disrupt the programme.
The good news is that the political parties that have pronounced on the NYEP have refrained from giving the impression that they will scrap it when they come to power.
However, when the NYEP was introduced by the government, the doubting Thomases were uncertain about its viability and sustainability and even tagged it as ‘job for the boys’. Their concerns are understandable, though, in view of some of the barren promises that have been made in the past.
The DAILY GRAPHIC hopes that the political parties have genuine plans for the NYEP and that the public pronouncements are not meant to win the votes of those employed under the programme.
We call on ADB officials to give of their best to make the scheme work to everybody’s expectation. They should scrutinise every application presented and make sure that history is not repeated by way of ghost workers.
Every Ghanaian needs to support the programme to enable it to achieve its fullest objective because it is being funded through our taxes by way of funds from the GETFund, the National Health Insurance Scheme Levy, the Ghana Road Fund, the District Assemblies Common Fund and the HIPC Fund.
To sustain the NYEP, we should begin looking beyond the MoU so that in the near future it can be mainstreamed into the public service administration of the country.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
PREPARING FOR DISASTERS
THE announcement by the Geological Survey Department (GSD) that there was an earth tremor at Kokrobite near Accra last Monday once again exposes our capacity to handle disasters in the country.
What makes the situation disturbing is the fact that the tremor could have resulted in a tsunami if its energy had been strong enough to lift the sea water.
Many Ghanaians have read in newspapers and watched on television the devastating effects of a tsunami. Although what happened last Monday was limited to the Kokrobite area, it was a strong signal that a tsunami might not be alien to or far away from us.
That is why every effort should be made to retool all disaster management organisations so that if any disaster occurs, some relief could be offered to the victims.
It is unfortunate that we are unable to prepare adequately for the rainy day. That is why our cities and towns are easily flooded even after a few hours of torrential rains.
We have been witnesses to the destructive effects of floods in our cities and towns resulting from our disregard for basic sanitation regulations.
In July 1995, a few hours of torrential rains in Accra killed several people and rendered many others homeless. The equipment of some industrial plants in the city was damaged. Even this year, several people have lost their lives as a result of floods.
Last year, the then Ga West District Assembly moved to demolish some houses built on water courses in the Lafa Basin because the structures obstructed the free flow of flood water.
Our preparedness to deal with emergency situations is suspect in all spheres of national life. Our health facilities lack ambulances to convey the sick to referral points; ambulance services are woefully inadequate to render emergency services to people in distress. In such circumstances, commercial vehicles such as taxis and trotros, and even in some extreme cases trucks, have to be relied on to provide help for those in distress.
The government has, however, provided some support for the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the National Ambulance Service to improve their capacities to respond to emergency situations. But the assistance is not adequate to deal with disasters.
The Daily Graphic calls on the government to look at the GSD by providing it with more resources to replace its obsolete equipment and its seismological observatories at Weija, Accra, Kukurantumi and the Shai Hills so that it can record the necessary data after every tremor.
The Ghana Meteorological Agency equally requires some support to enable it to provide adequate data for farmers to undertake their ventures, as well as provide comprehensive weather information for industrial users and the public.
The level of devastation caused by the earthquake in the Sichuan Province in China and the floods in Burma should remind all of us about the changes in climatic and geological conditions and for these realities to spur us on to mobilise resources in readiness for any relief efforts.
Our present state of preparedness is not good enough and the signals are clear that we continue to ignore the danger signals at our own peril.
The Daily Graphic is mindful of the competing ends, but we must prioritise our needs so that we prepare adequately to meet the exigencies of our time, instead of behaving like the vulture which postpones the building of its nest anytime the danger signals disappear.
What makes the situation disturbing is the fact that the tremor could have resulted in a tsunami if its energy had been strong enough to lift the sea water.
Many Ghanaians have read in newspapers and watched on television the devastating effects of a tsunami. Although what happened last Monday was limited to the Kokrobite area, it was a strong signal that a tsunami might not be alien to or far away from us.
That is why every effort should be made to retool all disaster management organisations so that if any disaster occurs, some relief could be offered to the victims.
It is unfortunate that we are unable to prepare adequately for the rainy day. That is why our cities and towns are easily flooded even after a few hours of torrential rains.
We have been witnesses to the destructive effects of floods in our cities and towns resulting from our disregard for basic sanitation regulations.
In July 1995, a few hours of torrential rains in Accra killed several people and rendered many others homeless. The equipment of some industrial plants in the city was damaged. Even this year, several people have lost their lives as a result of floods.
Last year, the then Ga West District Assembly moved to demolish some houses built on water courses in the Lafa Basin because the structures obstructed the free flow of flood water.
Our preparedness to deal with emergency situations is suspect in all spheres of national life. Our health facilities lack ambulances to convey the sick to referral points; ambulance services are woefully inadequate to render emergency services to people in distress. In such circumstances, commercial vehicles such as taxis and trotros, and even in some extreme cases trucks, have to be relied on to provide help for those in distress.
The government has, however, provided some support for the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the National Ambulance Service to improve their capacities to respond to emergency situations. But the assistance is not adequate to deal with disasters.
The Daily Graphic calls on the government to look at the GSD by providing it with more resources to replace its obsolete equipment and its seismological observatories at Weija, Accra, Kukurantumi and the Shai Hills so that it can record the necessary data after every tremor.
The Ghana Meteorological Agency equally requires some support to enable it to provide adequate data for farmers to undertake their ventures, as well as provide comprehensive weather information for industrial users and the public.
The level of devastation caused by the earthquake in the Sichuan Province in China and the floods in Burma should remind all of us about the changes in climatic and geological conditions and for these realities to spur us on to mobilise resources in readiness for any relief efforts.
Our present state of preparedness is not good enough and the signals are clear that we continue to ignore the danger signals at our own peril.
The Daily Graphic is mindful of the competing ends, but we must prioritise our needs so that we prepare adequately to meet the exigencies of our time, instead of behaving like the vulture which postpones the building of its nest anytime the danger signals disappear.
Friday, June 13, 2008
SAY A PRAYER FOR THEIR SOULS
TODAY we dedicate this column to those who lost their lives in the two accidents involving the Intercity STC bus from Takoradi to Accra and the OA bus from Accra to Kumasi.
Eyewitness and visual accounts of the accidents are quite scary and echo the need for proper education on road traffic regulations.
The facts indicate that most road accidents in the country are caused by human error resulting from speeding, wrongful overtaking, drunkenness and the breach of other traffic regulations.
The worry is that despite the frequent carnage on our roads, no concrete steps are taken to stem the tide.
Every year, the National Road Safety Commission and the Ghana Police Service embark on road safety education programmes, particularly during festive occasions such as Easter and Christmas, to draw attention to the dangers resulting from the lack of respect for safety regulations.
Precious lives and breadwinners were lost in yesterday’s accidents which will render many dependants and children destitute.
The sad story is that these accidents involved vehicles which have been known to be safe and comfortable. Although not immune to accidents, commuters were confident of their safety whenever they travelled on those buses.
The accident involving the InterCity STC bus raises many questions about the hitherto reliable and safe fleet of buses operated by the transport company. STC buses, from time immemorial, have been considered to be the safest means of travelling since the demise of the ‘rail romance’ in the late 1970s.
The InterCity STC is the companion of holiday makers and particularly students who travel long distances to and from their schools during re-opening and vacation days of educational institutions.
Therefore, these accidents send the wrong signals to the travelling public that the once “safety net” has also been hit by the accident scare, leaving us with nothing to rely on to escape the indiscipline and carnage on our roads.
That is why the education on road safety must be universal and directed at all road users if we are to avoid the incidents on the dark Thursday which threw the whole nation into a state of mourning.
Everybody has a role to play to clear our roads of the misfits who disregard safety regulations. They do not heed the basic cautions to them not to drive under the influence of alcohol or any other substances, as well as avoid the tendency to drive tired.
The Daily Graphic believes that the country can still count on law-abiding drivers who are prepared to abide by road safety regulations in order to secure the lives of passengers.
The recklessness on our roads is not limited to the highways. Trotro and taxi drivers have no regard for road safety regulations in our cities and towns.
The efforts being made by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to weed out unlettered persons from the driving profession may stem some of the human errors causing fatalities on our roads.
Most of our commercial drivers do not understand road signs because they cannot read and write. For this reason, most drivers are not mindful of road signs, hence they park at unauthorised places, speed and overtake vehicles at dangerous portions on the road.
Our hearts bleed for those who lost their lives in both accidents, as well as those who sustained various degrees of injury. Our condolences go to the bereaved families, and for those on admission, we wish them speedy recovery.
But the blood shed by the innocent passengers should constantly remind us of the dangers on our roads in order to drive with care.
We all have a collective responsibility to help put an end to avoidable accidents on our roads.
Eyewitness and visual accounts of the accidents are quite scary and echo the need for proper education on road traffic regulations.
The facts indicate that most road accidents in the country are caused by human error resulting from speeding, wrongful overtaking, drunkenness and the breach of other traffic regulations.
The worry is that despite the frequent carnage on our roads, no concrete steps are taken to stem the tide.
Every year, the National Road Safety Commission and the Ghana Police Service embark on road safety education programmes, particularly during festive occasions such as Easter and Christmas, to draw attention to the dangers resulting from the lack of respect for safety regulations.
Precious lives and breadwinners were lost in yesterday’s accidents which will render many dependants and children destitute.
The sad story is that these accidents involved vehicles which have been known to be safe and comfortable. Although not immune to accidents, commuters were confident of their safety whenever they travelled on those buses.
The accident involving the InterCity STC bus raises many questions about the hitherto reliable and safe fleet of buses operated by the transport company. STC buses, from time immemorial, have been considered to be the safest means of travelling since the demise of the ‘rail romance’ in the late 1970s.
The InterCity STC is the companion of holiday makers and particularly students who travel long distances to and from their schools during re-opening and vacation days of educational institutions.
Therefore, these accidents send the wrong signals to the travelling public that the once “safety net” has also been hit by the accident scare, leaving us with nothing to rely on to escape the indiscipline and carnage on our roads.
That is why the education on road safety must be universal and directed at all road users if we are to avoid the incidents on the dark Thursday which threw the whole nation into a state of mourning.
Everybody has a role to play to clear our roads of the misfits who disregard safety regulations. They do not heed the basic cautions to them not to drive under the influence of alcohol or any other substances, as well as avoid the tendency to drive tired.
The Daily Graphic believes that the country can still count on law-abiding drivers who are prepared to abide by road safety regulations in order to secure the lives of passengers.
The recklessness on our roads is not limited to the highways. Trotro and taxi drivers have no regard for road safety regulations in our cities and towns.
The efforts being made by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to weed out unlettered persons from the driving profession may stem some of the human errors causing fatalities on our roads.
Most of our commercial drivers do not understand road signs because they cannot read and write. For this reason, most drivers are not mindful of road signs, hence they park at unauthorised places, speed and overtake vehicles at dangerous portions on the road.
Our hearts bleed for those who lost their lives in both accidents, as well as those who sustained various degrees of injury. Our condolences go to the bereaved families, and for those on admission, we wish them speedy recovery.
But the blood shed by the innocent passengers should constantly remind us of the dangers on our roads in order to drive with care.
We all have a collective responsibility to help put an end to avoidable accidents on our roads.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
IS IT MOB JUSTICE OR INJUSTICE
REPORTS of increasing incidents of mob justice throughout the country are a threat to the country’s criminal justice system.
It is dangerous for mobs to dispense instant justice (or perhaps injustice) to people alleged to have committed certain offences.
The trend is alarming, in view of the fact that one of the cardinal principles of the criminal justice system is that all suspects are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of jurisdiction. This gives accused persons the opportunity to confront their accusers in open court.
Therefore, the least expected of all law-abiding citizens, even in the wake of the rising crime rate, is for them to exercise restraint and report all suspected criminals to the police to be prosecuted.
Indeed, it is dangerous and equally criminal on our part to lynch those we suspect to have committed some offences against us.
We pride ourselves as a country committed to the rule of law and so it is essential, under this cardinal governance principle, to provide all persons suspected to have committed crimes with fair hearings and an opportunity to defend themselves.
This elaborate provision has been made in our statutes to ensure that the due process is followed before pronouncing anybody guilty so that people do not lose their freedom just on account of their colour, creed, status in society or hearsay evidence.
Nobody is above the laws of the land and so the increasing incidents of mob justice must either be the result of our lack of faith in the judicial system or that some of our contemporaries have regrettably become lawless and undisciplined.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, calls on all well-meaning Ghanaians to rise up against this canker, since it has the tendency of exposing innocent people to so-called mob justice.
The danger, too, is that when this trend becomes very pervasive, the mere shout of ‘dzulor’, ‘thief’ or ‘robber’ could spell one’s doom even if one is just a victim of circumstances.
We recall the genitalia disappearance scare that came up some time ago in this country when just a shout that ‘my thing is missing’ made many innocent citizens to lose their lives.
The DAILY GRAPHIC will continue to drum home to all Ghanaians to have confidence in our institutions, even if we are not satisfied with their performances.
As human institutions, they are not immune to the general shortcomings in our society. We can only strengthen them when we support and encourage them and play our part as law-abiding citizens.
Having said this, it is equally important for all institutions entrusted with the responsibility of enforcing the law to demonstrate integrity in the discharge of their duties in order to earn the respect and confidence of members of the public.
The situation where it takes the police hours on end to respond to distress calls and the tendency on the part of some policemen to disclose the names of informants, although the Police Administration has boldly displayed the inscription “Every caller is an ally” at all police stations, are a disincentive to promoting any functional public/police collaboration to fight crime.
Also the long adjournments and other forms of frustration such as the technical jargons make our law courts alien and intimidating to litigants and those who seek justice have come to the realisation, rather unfortunately, that the best way to seek justice is through the self-help attitude.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that mob justice (or mob injustice) can be halted if we encourage our people to develop confidence in the justice system and seek redress through the laid down channels.
It is dangerous for mobs to dispense instant justice (or perhaps injustice) to people alleged to have committed certain offences.
The trend is alarming, in view of the fact that one of the cardinal principles of the criminal justice system is that all suspects are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of jurisdiction. This gives accused persons the opportunity to confront their accusers in open court.
Therefore, the least expected of all law-abiding citizens, even in the wake of the rising crime rate, is for them to exercise restraint and report all suspected criminals to the police to be prosecuted.
Indeed, it is dangerous and equally criminal on our part to lynch those we suspect to have committed some offences against us.
We pride ourselves as a country committed to the rule of law and so it is essential, under this cardinal governance principle, to provide all persons suspected to have committed crimes with fair hearings and an opportunity to defend themselves.
This elaborate provision has been made in our statutes to ensure that the due process is followed before pronouncing anybody guilty so that people do not lose their freedom just on account of their colour, creed, status in society or hearsay evidence.
Nobody is above the laws of the land and so the increasing incidents of mob justice must either be the result of our lack of faith in the judicial system or that some of our contemporaries have regrettably become lawless and undisciplined.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, calls on all well-meaning Ghanaians to rise up against this canker, since it has the tendency of exposing innocent people to so-called mob justice.
The danger, too, is that when this trend becomes very pervasive, the mere shout of ‘dzulor’, ‘thief’ or ‘robber’ could spell one’s doom even if one is just a victim of circumstances.
We recall the genitalia disappearance scare that came up some time ago in this country when just a shout that ‘my thing is missing’ made many innocent citizens to lose their lives.
The DAILY GRAPHIC will continue to drum home to all Ghanaians to have confidence in our institutions, even if we are not satisfied with their performances.
As human institutions, they are not immune to the general shortcomings in our society. We can only strengthen them when we support and encourage them and play our part as law-abiding citizens.
Having said this, it is equally important for all institutions entrusted with the responsibility of enforcing the law to demonstrate integrity in the discharge of their duties in order to earn the respect and confidence of members of the public.
The situation where it takes the police hours on end to respond to distress calls and the tendency on the part of some policemen to disclose the names of informants, although the Police Administration has boldly displayed the inscription “Every caller is an ally” at all police stations, are a disincentive to promoting any functional public/police collaboration to fight crime.
Also the long adjournments and other forms of frustration such as the technical jargons make our law courts alien and intimidating to litigants and those who seek justice have come to the realisation, rather unfortunately, that the best way to seek justice is through the self-help attitude.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that mob justice (or mob injustice) can be halted if we encourage our people to develop confidence in the justice system and seek redress through the laid down channels.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
LET'S NOT DEMONISE EC
EVERYBODY with a keen interest in the outcome of the general election in the country in December this year should heave a sigh of relief that the so-called bloated register does not exist.
According to the Electoral Commission (EC), the discrepancies that formed the basis of the allegation of a bloated register by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were the result of errors which occurred in the programmes used to generate the voter statistics.
At a press conference in Accra yesterday, the Chairman of the EC, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, said the errors existed on the hard copy of the voter statistics that the NDC received and were traceable to an operational error in the generation of the statistics.
Thankfully, these findings were made by a committee set up by the EC, with representation from the political parties, to investigate the discrepancies in voter registration figures in the Ashanti Region following allegations in that regard by the NDC.
The findings should lay to rest agitation in certain quarters that some officials of the EC or faceless political figures have manipulated or manufactured the figures to favour a particular political party in the upcoming elections.
The DAILY GRAPHIC commends the EC for not sweeping the allegations under the carpet but taking on board the concerns expressed by the NDC and the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) to get to the bottom of the matter.
But it is equally important that matters relating to the electoral process are handled in a more informed manner in future in order not to inflame passions.
Misunderstandings arising out of election results have pushed many nations on our continent to the brink of failed states and it is important for all stakeholders to bear this in mind when raising issues for redress.
The DAILY GRAPHIC agrees with the sentiments expressed by the EC that the people of Ghana had a shared responsibility in ensuring that the voters register was in good shape.
However, in drawing attention to the need for a credible register as a major prerequisite for free and fair elections, we must also bear in mind the concerns expressed by Dr Afari-Gyan that “what we found most regrettable about some of the political statements and media discussions and commentaries relating to the allegation of a bloated register were, on the one hand, hurried, uninformed and premature statements and judgements and, on the other, blatant accusations of deliberate wrongdoing made against the EC collectively and against some of its individual members”.
What we find dangerous in our body politic in recent times is the lack of confidence in our institutions even when they make genuine human errors.
Ironically, when it suits us, we extol the virtues in such institutions because they tend to favour our cause.
The case of the bloated register should, therefore, mark the beginning of our trust and faith in all institutions of state. What we need to do is to offer our support in order to strengthen their capacities to deliver efficient services for the good of our country.
The EC has a very credible and solid reputation in the country, on the continent and beyond and the people look forward with hope that the commission can superintend, for the fifth time, over free, fair and transparent elections whose outcome all the contestants will accept, even if reluctantly.
According to the Electoral Commission (EC), the discrepancies that formed the basis of the allegation of a bloated register by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were the result of errors which occurred in the programmes used to generate the voter statistics.
At a press conference in Accra yesterday, the Chairman of the EC, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, said the errors existed on the hard copy of the voter statistics that the NDC received and were traceable to an operational error in the generation of the statistics.
Thankfully, these findings were made by a committee set up by the EC, with representation from the political parties, to investigate the discrepancies in voter registration figures in the Ashanti Region following allegations in that regard by the NDC.
The findings should lay to rest agitation in certain quarters that some officials of the EC or faceless political figures have manipulated or manufactured the figures to favour a particular political party in the upcoming elections.
The DAILY GRAPHIC commends the EC for not sweeping the allegations under the carpet but taking on board the concerns expressed by the NDC and the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) to get to the bottom of the matter.
But it is equally important that matters relating to the electoral process are handled in a more informed manner in future in order not to inflame passions.
Misunderstandings arising out of election results have pushed many nations on our continent to the brink of failed states and it is important for all stakeholders to bear this in mind when raising issues for redress.
The DAILY GRAPHIC agrees with the sentiments expressed by the EC that the people of Ghana had a shared responsibility in ensuring that the voters register was in good shape.
However, in drawing attention to the need for a credible register as a major prerequisite for free and fair elections, we must also bear in mind the concerns expressed by Dr Afari-Gyan that “what we found most regrettable about some of the political statements and media discussions and commentaries relating to the allegation of a bloated register were, on the one hand, hurried, uninformed and premature statements and judgements and, on the other, blatant accusations of deliberate wrongdoing made against the EC collectively and against some of its individual members”.
What we find dangerous in our body politic in recent times is the lack of confidence in our institutions even when they make genuine human errors.
Ironically, when it suits us, we extol the virtues in such institutions because they tend to favour our cause.
The case of the bloated register should, therefore, mark the beginning of our trust and faith in all institutions of state. What we need to do is to offer our support in order to strengthen their capacities to deliver efficient services for the good of our country.
The EC has a very credible and solid reputation in the country, on the continent and beyond and the people look forward with hope that the commission can superintend, for the fifth time, over free, fair and transparent elections whose outcome all the contestants will accept, even if reluctantly.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME, POLITICAL PARTIES
THE political atmosphere in the country was aroused early this week with the news of the election of the flag bearer for the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) and the formation of a new party, the New Vision Party (NVP), with barely six months to the December polls.
This year, being an election year, has given impetus to these events naturally receiving very good coverage in the media and the significance of the coverage should not be lost on us.
For a party that has been in existence for more than a decade, it was expected that the GCPP would have established itself as a very credible political party with the clout that can place it in a good position to properly govern the country, if it were ever given the mandate to do so.
But time and again the GCPP appears to be withering into oblivion and projecting itself as a party lacking any serious agenda. Indeed, what happened in Kumasi during the national congress of the party to elect its flag bearer perhaps mirrored the fact that the situation was taking on the semblence of a joke and called for urgent action to address it.
That is why the DAILY GRAPHIC finds it quite untenable that about 70 delegates out of the expected 1,500 turned up to elect a flag bearer for the GCPP for the December polls. Also disturbing is the fact that the party held only one of the mandated 10 regional congresses in the run up to the national congress.
Definitely this cannot continue, as we need to preserve the dignity of the land, and that is why the EC must be up and doing to ensure that the laws of the land, with respect to the operation of political parties, are respected.
Some of the political parties that have been given certificates to operate do not have national and regional headquarters, let alone operate offices in two-thirds of the districts in the country as required by law. Yet the EC looks on in helpless amazement.
Again, the DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to raise concern over the philosophy guiding the formation of the New Vision Party and the granting of a provisional certificate to same by the EC.
We are baffled with regard to the mandate of the New Vision Party, as there are strong indications that there is a religious interest attached to its operations. If that is the case, then it is clearly in breach of Article 55 (4), which states that “every political party shall have a national character, and membership shall not be based on ethnic, religious, regional or other sectional divisions”.
In an era when there is a campaign for state funding of political parties, we need to project political parties as serious public interest organisations with the right structures and the right calibre of people to make them vibrant and effective.
Anything short of that will be a drawback in our quest to establish a formidable democratic system that can stand the test of time. In this regard, the DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to challenge the EC to rise up to the occasion and deal decisively with any political party that flouts the Political Parties Law.
It is no longer tenable for the EC to say that the strict interpretation of the laws will lead to the withdrawal of the certificates of the parties.
If the political parties must lose their certificates because they cannot measure up to the requirements, so be it Ghana will be better off with two or three political parties that are prepared to be subject to the law. Respect for democratic tenets, including respect for the law, must begin with the political parties.
This year, being an election year, has given impetus to these events naturally receiving very good coverage in the media and the significance of the coverage should not be lost on us.
For a party that has been in existence for more than a decade, it was expected that the GCPP would have established itself as a very credible political party with the clout that can place it in a good position to properly govern the country, if it were ever given the mandate to do so.
But time and again the GCPP appears to be withering into oblivion and projecting itself as a party lacking any serious agenda. Indeed, what happened in Kumasi during the national congress of the party to elect its flag bearer perhaps mirrored the fact that the situation was taking on the semblence of a joke and called for urgent action to address it.
That is why the DAILY GRAPHIC finds it quite untenable that about 70 delegates out of the expected 1,500 turned up to elect a flag bearer for the GCPP for the December polls. Also disturbing is the fact that the party held only one of the mandated 10 regional congresses in the run up to the national congress.
Definitely this cannot continue, as we need to preserve the dignity of the land, and that is why the EC must be up and doing to ensure that the laws of the land, with respect to the operation of political parties, are respected.
Some of the political parties that have been given certificates to operate do not have national and regional headquarters, let alone operate offices in two-thirds of the districts in the country as required by law. Yet the EC looks on in helpless amazement.
Again, the DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to raise concern over the philosophy guiding the formation of the New Vision Party and the granting of a provisional certificate to same by the EC.
We are baffled with regard to the mandate of the New Vision Party, as there are strong indications that there is a religious interest attached to its operations. If that is the case, then it is clearly in breach of Article 55 (4), which states that “every political party shall have a national character, and membership shall not be based on ethnic, religious, regional or other sectional divisions”.
In an era when there is a campaign for state funding of political parties, we need to project political parties as serious public interest organisations with the right structures and the right calibre of people to make them vibrant and effective.
Anything short of that will be a drawback in our quest to establish a formidable democratic system that can stand the test of time. In this regard, the DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to challenge the EC to rise up to the occasion and deal decisively with any political party that flouts the Political Parties Law.
It is no longer tenable for the EC to say that the strict interpretation of the laws will lead to the withdrawal of the certificates of the parties.
If the political parties must lose their certificates because they cannot measure up to the requirements, so be it Ghana will be better off with two or three political parties that are prepared to be subject to the law. Respect for democratic tenets, including respect for the law, must begin with the political parties.
Monday, June 9, 2008
DEALING WITH THE FILTH IN ACCRA
A FEW weeks ago, we were inundated with media reports of the accumulation of garbage in many suburbs of the nation’s capital. Apart from producing an overpowering stench, the decomposing waste posed a health hazard to both traders and residents.
One major reason cited for the rot was the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s (AMA’s) indebtedness to private waste management contractors. The figure was said to hover around GH¢12.5 million.
But today, there is hope on the horizon. A story published on the Metro Page in today’s issue of the DAILY GRAPHIC clearly shows that sanitation conditions in most parts of the Accra metropolis have improved tremendously.
Indeed, the heaps of refuse that hitherto had become embarrassing landmarks around Accra with nauseating and pungent effects have been cleared — thanks to the timely intervention of the central government, which released GH¢10 million to offset the debt owed the waste management contractors. We are also happy to learn that arrangements have been made for gradual monthly payments to clear the rest of the debt.
Although the situation appears firmly under control, the resurgence of filth in the system cannot be glossed over. The obvious question, therefore, is: Just where is the so much filth coming from?
The DAILY GRAPHIC vividly recalls that in February, 2005, the AMA successfully embarked on a massive decongestive exercise, primarily in areas in the Central Business District.
Thereafter a Pedestrian Shopping Mall (or Hawkers Market) was constructed at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle to cater for the needs of those traders who were displaced by the exercise.
In no time however, and coupled with undue political interference in the many initiatives by the AMA Chief Executive, Mr Stanley Nii Adjiri-Blankson, the nation was to witness an unprecedented resurgence of a new breed of hawkers and traders cascading onto the streets and pavements of Accra and generating garbage all over the place.
But we cannot look on unconcerned. We think it is time the AMA under the leadership of the Chief Executive took another drastic action to ensure that sanity returns to our Central Business District and thereby keep our city clean.
The DAILY GRAPHIC suggests that the AMA should issue an ultimatum to all those who secured spaces, received ID cards and signed a declaration of non-transfer of space, to move back to the Pedestrian Shopping Mall. At the end of the deadline, all those who do not return should be made to lose their stalls. That, we think, is fair and just.
We think the AMA has been tolerant for far too long. Now is the hour to enforce discipline in our society so that Accra rediscovers its accolade as the heartbeat of the nation.
Furthermore, we think the AMA should enforce its bye-laws to the letter. We are aware, for instance, that there is a bye-law that enjoins each and every trader to clean his or her trading space at the end of business activities each day and even those who trade in edible oil are duty-bound to clean any stains or spills in the course of their business.
Unfortunately, this does not appear to be the case and the overwhelming new entrants into the hawking business are yet to know their responsibilities. Certainly, we cannot behave as if we are living in a lawless country.
Sanitation tops everything in our society. And we will swim or sink together irrespective of our political orientation if we do not take action now.
One major reason cited for the rot was the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s (AMA’s) indebtedness to private waste management contractors. The figure was said to hover around GH¢12.5 million.
But today, there is hope on the horizon. A story published on the Metro Page in today’s issue of the DAILY GRAPHIC clearly shows that sanitation conditions in most parts of the Accra metropolis have improved tremendously.
Indeed, the heaps of refuse that hitherto had become embarrassing landmarks around Accra with nauseating and pungent effects have been cleared — thanks to the timely intervention of the central government, which released GH¢10 million to offset the debt owed the waste management contractors. We are also happy to learn that arrangements have been made for gradual monthly payments to clear the rest of the debt.
Although the situation appears firmly under control, the resurgence of filth in the system cannot be glossed over. The obvious question, therefore, is: Just where is the so much filth coming from?
The DAILY GRAPHIC vividly recalls that in February, 2005, the AMA successfully embarked on a massive decongestive exercise, primarily in areas in the Central Business District.
Thereafter a Pedestrian Shopping Mall (or Hawkers Market) was constructed at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle to cater for the needs of those traders who were displaced by the exercise.
In no time however, and coupled with undue political interference in the many initiatives by the AMA Chief Executive, Mr Stanley Nii Adjiri-Blankson, the nation was to witness an unprecedented resurgence of a new breed of hawkers and traders cascading onto the streets and pavements of Accra and generating garbage all over the place.
But we cannot look on unconcerned. We think it is time the AMA under the leadership of the Chief Executive took another drastic action to ensure that sanity returns to our Central Business District and thereby keep our city clean.
The DAILY GRAPHIC suggests that the AMA should issue an ultimatum to all those who secured spaces, received ID cards and signed a declaration of non-transfer of space, to move back to the Pedestrian Shopping Mall. At the end of the deadline, all those who do not return should be made to lose their stalls. That, we think, is fair and just.
We think the AMA has been tolerant for far too long. Now is the hour to enforce discipline in our society so that Accra rediscovers its accolade as the heartbeat of the nation.
Furthermore, we think the AMA should enforce its bye-laws to the letter. We are aware, for instance, that there is a bye-law that enjoins each and every trader to clean his or her trading space at the end of business activities each day and even those who trade in edible oil are duty-bound to clean any stains or spills in the course of their business.
Unfortunately, this does not appear to be the case and the overwhelming new entrants into the hawking business are yet to know their responsibilities. Certainly, we cannot behave as if we are living in a lawless country.
Sanitation tops everything in our society. And we will swim or sink together irrespective of our political orientation if we do not take action now.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
PURSUE THIS POLICY, MR PRESIDENT
THE announcement by President J. A. Kufuor that the Free, Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme will soon be extended to the senior high school has been received with mixed feelings.
A section of the public showed cynicism towards the decision of the government, while others have adopted the attitude of wait-and-see.
Whatever the public attitude towards the policy, it must be seen as an ambitious and far-sighted initiative, which can overhaul the country’s manpower empowerment programme through increased access to formal education.
The President based the feasibility of the initiative on the oil find and the sound management of the economy.
The Daily Graphic believes that with the prudent utilisation of the country’s resources, equal opportunities can be provided for all Ghanaians, particularly children of school going age, even without the oil find.
The country is endowed with rich resources and with more resourcefulness on the part of our leaders at the corporate, national and local levels, more opportunities will be provided for those who want to uplift their situations beyond the ordinary to the realms of development.
It is regrettable that some Ghanaians have become pessimists refusing to challenge the status quo in order to break the back of the obstacles that stand in the way of our progress and prosperity.
Therefore, to some of our contemporaries, President Kufuor’s dream of improving universal education beyond the basic level must be a pipe dream.
The reminiscences of the challenges of the First Republic should keep us on our guard, so that we do not repeat the mistakes of that era when the government was condemned for conceiving prestigious and ambitious projects to the detriment of the basic needs of ordinary people.
Today, we acknowledge the wisdom in many of the projects that the late Dr Kwame Nkrumah introduced and snap our fingers that “had we known . . . but it is always at last”.
Through negative propaganda, the country missed the opportunity to do a lot of things to facilitate its development to become a middle-income country by 1970.
Thus, instead of rubbishing this bold and ambitious plan by the Kufuor administration, the Daily Graphic calls on all Ghanaians, particularly the various interest groups, to support the initiative and offer the pieces of advice that will make it a reality.
Many of the intellectuals of today are the beneficiaries of Nkrumah’s free education policy. Perhaps, the future leaders of today will be beneficiaries of the NPP administration’s free education policy, including the envisaged free education at the senior high school.
The Daily Graphic encourages the President to push forward the rest of his pragmatic policies, even in the last days of his eight-year reign, so that he can leave his footprints in the sands of history.
We, however, advise the President to take any criticisms in good faith. We sincerely believe that many of those who criticise the President’s policies mean well. For it is said that the one who beats the path does not see where he or she has gone crooked.
The Daily Graphic thinks free education at the senior high school is progressive. The government must pursue it until it has laid the solid foundation for its implementation, even as it prepares its handover notes.
A section of the public showed cynicism towards the decision of the government, while others have adopted the attitude of wait-and-see.
Whatever the public attitude towards the policy, it must be seen as an ambitious and far-sighted initiative, which can overhaul the country’s manpower empowerment programme through increased access to formal education.
The President based the feasibility of the initiative on the oil find and the sound management of the economy.
The Daily Graphic believes that with the prudent utilisation of the country’s resources, equal opportunities can be provided for all Ghanaians, particularly children of school going age, even without the oil find.
The country is endowed with rich resources and with more resourcefulness on the part of our leaders at the corporate, national and local levels, more opportunities will be provided for those who want to uplift their situations beyond the ordinary to the realms of development.
It is regrettable that some Ghanaians have become pessimists refusing to challenge the status quo in order to break the back of the obstacles that stand in the way of our progress and prosperity.
Therefore, to some of our contemporaries, President Kufuor’s dream of improving universal education beyond the basic level must be a pipe dream.
The reminiscences of the challenges of the First Republic should keep us on our guard, so that we do not repeat the mistakes of that era when the government was condemned for conceiving prestigious and ambitious projects to the detriment of the basic needs of ordinary people.
Today, we acknowledge the wisdom in many of the projects that the late Dr Kwame Nkrumah introduced and snap our fingers that “had we known . . . but it is always at last”.
Through negative propaganda, the country missed the opportunity to do a lot of things to facilitate its development to become a middle-income country by 1970.
Thus, instead of rubbishing this bold and ambitious plan by the Kufuor administration, the Daily Graphic calls on all Ghanaians, particularly the various interest groups, to support the initiative and offer the pieces of advice that will make it a reality.
Many of the intellectuals of today are the beneficiaries of Nkrumah’s free education policy. Perhaps, the future leaders of today will be beneficiaries of the NPP administration’s free education policy, including the envisaged free education at the senior high school.
The Daily Graphic encourages the President to push forward the rest of his pragmatic policies, even in the last days of his eight-year reign, so that he can leave his footprints in the sands of history.
We, however, advise the President to take any criticisms in good faith. We sincerely believe that many of those who criticise the President’s policies mean well. For it is said that the one who beats the path does not see where he or she has gone crooked.
The Daily Graphic thinks free education at the senior high school is progressive. The government must pursue it until it has laid the solid foundation for its implementation, even as it prepares its handover notes.
BACKBONE PROJECT KEY TO DEVELOPMENT
EVERY day, the digital divide between developed and developing countries widens because of the technological advancement in the so-called first world.
In our part of the world, basic communication tools such as telephones and personal computers are luxuries although some strides have been made in expanding access to them.
The world is truly a global village, looking at the ease with which business is conducted, but governments in developing countries have a lot more to do in order for their people to become very functional in the global environment.
Presently, calls within the sub-region have to be routed through Europe and America depending on which country the call is going to, in spite of the tremendous improvement in telephony penetration on the African continent.
We can make better strides in our development endeavours, only if our leaders would pay more attention to the communication sector. Good roads and an efficient transportation system and telecommunication sector are the prerequisites for accelerated growth and development. Those sectors require capital-intensive investments for which private-public partnership can yield the desired results.
This is why the Daily Graphic believes that the steps being taken by the government to seek private and donor support to expand the telecommunication sector are quite progressive.
Presently, the effects of these investments are visible throughout the country. There are four telephony companies operating and others are ‘knocking at our doors’. Mobile telephony services are available in the remotest part of the country even in areas without electricity.
Therefore, the Daily Graphic hopes that many Ghanaians would heave a sigh of relief with the completion of the first phase of the National Communication Fibre Backbone Project. The project, which was funded with a $30-million loan from the Eximbank of China, is expected to enhance communication in the country and to others as well.
Dr Benjamin Aggrey Ntim, Minister of Communications, said yesterday that the government had committed itself to accelerating the development of the ICT industry because of the potential impact of a well-functioning ICT environment on employment, enhanced government services and growth.
It is refreshing that with the completion of the Backbone Project, the drudgery associated with accessing internet facilities in the country would be a thing of the past.
The World Wide Web has many useful purposes, as teachers and students access it to enhance teaching and learning, professionals access it to be more efficient in the discharge of their duties and, indeed, it helps in enhancing the daily endeavours of all who are computer literate and have access to it.
It is our hope that the government investment in the project to elevate Information Communication Technology (ICT) profile in the country would impact on the way of doing business to speed up the agenda to attain a middle-income status by 2015.
In our part of the world, basic communication tools such as telephones and personal computers are luxuries although some strides have been made in expanding access to them.
The world is truly a global village, looking at the ease with which business is conducted, but governments in developing countries have a lot more to do in order for their people to become very functional in the global environment.
Presently, calls within the sub-region have to be routed through Europe and America depending on which country the call is going to, in spite of the tremendous improvement in telephony penetration on the African continent.
We can make better strides in our development endeavours, only if our leaders would pay more attention to the communication sector. Good roads and an efficient transportation system and telecommunication sector are the prerequisites for accelerated growth and development. Those sectors require capital-intensive investments for which private-public partnership can yield the desired results.
This is why the Daily Graphic believes that the steps being taken by the government to seek private and donor support to expand the telecommunication sector are quite progressive.
Presently, the effects of these investments are visible throughout the country. There are four telephony companies operating and others are ‘knocking at our doors’. Mobile telephony services are available in the remotest part of the country even in areas without electricity.
Therefore, the Daily Graphic hopes that many Ghanaians would heave a sigh of relief with the completion of the first phase of the National Communication Fibre Backbone Project. The project, which was funded with a $30-million loan from the Eximbank of China, is expected to enhance communication in the country and to others as well.
Dr Benjamin Aggrey Ntim, Minister of Communications, said yesterday that the government had committed itself to accelerating the development of the ICT industry because of the potential impact of a well-functioning ICT environment on employment, enhanced government services and growth.
It is refreshing that with the completion of the Backbone Project, the drudgery associated with accessing internet facilities in the country would be a thing of the past.
The World Wide Web has many useful purposes, as teachers and students access it to enhance teaching and learning, professionals access it to be more efficient in the discharge of their duties and, indeed, it helps in enhancing the daily endeavours of all who are computer literate and have access to it.
It is our hope that the government investment in the project to elevate Information Communication Technology (ICT) profile in the country would impact on the way of doing business to speed up the agenda to attain a middle-income status by 2015.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
BRAIN GAIN OR LOSS?
THE state of well-being of the people in any society determines the direction of its economic activities.
Therefore, households, families, corporate bodies and governments spend fortunes to maintain healthy communities or workforce.
That is why governments spend a huge portion of their country’s budgets to maintain the health of the people, in addition to the huge expenditure on human resource empowerment.
Majority of the people always take good care of themselves in order not to fall ill, particularly during the era of the implementation of the ‘cash-and-carry’ system. Some of our compatriots lost their lives during that time just because they could not afford deposits for treatment in state-sponsored hospitals.
The economic difficulties of the 1970s, coupled with the unfriendly world economic system, conspired to turn our health facilities into centres of ill-health instead of health care.
With the economic difficulties on the home front, many of our health workers tend to seek greener pastures abroad, leaving us with health facilities without health workers.
Although the country can boast a cadre of dedicated health workers, our health system is unable to cope with the pressure of work because of the reduced strength of health professionals.
We have accused health workers of being insensitive to the needs of the taxpayer, through whose sweat and toil they received their professional training. But with the developments on the international front, the country has a responsibility to put in place mechanisms to retain its health professionals trained at very huge cost to the taxpayer.
The Daily Graphic appeals to health professionals to be more patriotic and consider the plight of their kinsmen and women in the remotest parts of the country before making the move to seek greener pastures abroad.
It is not good enough that while our own people, trained with the taxpayer’s money, are unwilling to accept postings to the rural areas, Cuban doctors willingly agree to work in any part of the country with less remuneration.
It may sound preposterous to ask health professionals to continue to sacrifice, after spending many years in school. All the same, they must be prepared to work anywhere to save lives, in line with the Hippocratic Oath that they swear.
While ordinarily we should grimace at the reports that the Ministry of Health and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have signed an agreement to attract 150 health workers from Europe, we should applaud the gesture because of our peculiar circumstances, as it will expand access to health care for our people, especially those in under-served areas.
Dubbed “Brain gain”, the initiative is a health sector human resource capacity-building initiative that seeks to attract and mobilise Ghanaian health professionals resident in the Diaspora back into the country to strengthen the health system.
Whatever the pros and cons of this initiative, it must be supported to stem the global migration of doctors and other health workers for greener pastures in Europe and America.
The government should, in addition to the initiative, step up its policies to offer attractive reward packages to all public sector workers.
The Daily Graphic believes we cannot have a full-proof system where all our health professionals can be retained, but let us make it unattractive for trained professionals to leave before we seek donor support to bring them back. The gains from such a venture may not be very substantial.
Therefore, households, families, corporate bodies and governments spend fortunes to maintain healthy communities or workforce.
That is why governments spend a huge portion of their country’s budgets to maintain the health of the people, in addition to the huge expenditure on human resource empowerment.
Majority of the people always take good care of themselves in order not to fall ill, particularly during the era of the implementation of the ‘cash-and-carry’ system. Some of our compatriots lost their lives during that time just because they could not afford deposits for treatment in state-sponsored hospitals.
The economic difficulties of the 1970s, coupled with the unfriendly world economic system, conspired to turn our health facilities into centres of ill-health instead of health care.
With the economic difficulties on the home front, many of our health workers tend to seek greener pastures abroad, leaving us with health facilities without health workers.
Although the country can boast a cadre of dedicated health workers, our health system is unable to cope with the pressure of work because of the reduced strength of health professionals.
We have accused health workers of being insensitive to the needs of the taxpayer, through whose sweat and toil they received their professional training. But with the developments on the international front, the country has a responsibility to put in place mechanisms to retain its health professionals trained at very huge cost to the taxpayer.
The Daily Graphic appeals to health professionals to be more patriotic and consider the plight of their kinsmen and women in the remotest parts of the country before making the move to seek greener pastures abroad.
It is not good enough that while our own people, trained with the taxpayer’s money, are unwilling to accept postings to the rural areas, Cuban doctors willingly agree to work in any part of the country with less remuneration.
It may sound preposterous to ask health professionals to continue to sacrifice, after spending many years in school. All the same, they must be prepared to work anywhere to save lives, in line with the Hippocratic Oath that they swear.
While ordinarily we should grimace at the reports that the Ministry of Health and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have signed an agreement to attract 150 health workers from Europe, we should applaud the gesture because of our peculiar circumstances, as it will expand access to health care for our people, especially those in under-served areas.
Dubbed “Brain gain”, the initiative is a health sector human resource capacity-building initiative that seeks to attract and mobilise Ghanaian health professionals resident in the Diaspora back into the country to strengthen the health system.
Whatever the pros and cons of this initiative, it must be supported to stem the global migration of doctors and other health workers for greener pastures in Europe and America.
The government should, in addition to the initiative, step up its policies to offer attractive reward packages to all public sector workers.
The Daily Graphic believes we cannot have a full-proof system where all our health professionals can be retained, but let us make it unattractive for trained professionals to leave before we seek donor support to bring them back. The gains from such a venture may not be very substantial.
SIPHONING IN CHILDREN'S NAME CRIMINAL
ONE of the major steps taken by the government to provide access for children of school age is the introduction of the Ghana School Feeding Programme.
The essence of the programme is to provide one hot and nutritious meal for every child of school age in some selected schools throughout the country.
At the last count, there were 975 beneficiary schools in the country and until recently when the Committee for Joint Action (CJA) raised the red flag about goings on in the programme, many people thought all was well with it.
Forensic audit of the programme by PriceWaterhouse Coopers showed widespread malfeasance in the management of the programme.
Although the spin that was put on the report was worrying, it is essential for the government to address the queries raised in the audit report in order to maintain the integrity of the programme.
The Daily Graphic believes that those put in charge of this laudable programme should not be allowed to “chop in the name of our children”.
They must be made to account for every pesewa that otherwise would have nourished the brains of our schoolchildren to pursue their academic ambitions to become responsible adults in future.
Hunger, it is said, is a serious business and those who come from deprived homes know that it is not easy to study on empty stomachs.
Therefore, those who are not ashamed to extend their greed even to funds that are allocated for the feeding of innocent children must be made to face the full rigours of the law.
We will make corruption attractive by our failure to deal decisively with those who want shortcuts to life, instead of sweating hard to make a living.
For this reason, the Daily Graphic urges all stakeholders to support the Auditor General in his efforts to purge the school feeding programme of malfeasance.
While it should be made unattractive for those in charge of the programme to pocket the taxpayers’ money, the system should also be streamlined in such a way that the meals served the schoolchildren are wholesome.
The cooks and all those who have something to do with the meals must be paid regularly so that they can give of their best to sustain the programme.
The Daily Graphic calls on the government to be swift in dealing with officials who are bent on derailing the programme for personal gain so that it can be extended to all schools in the country.
Halfway into the implementation of activities under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), nothing should be made to stand in our march towards achieving our objectives by the year 2015.
Access to education by all children of school age is one of such key factors, and since retaining children in our schools has been one of the big challenges, the feeding programme is meant to attract children into the classrooms and motivate them to remain in school.
The Daily Graphic salutes the Auditor General for his latest initiative to sanitise the School Feeding Programme and we urge him not to relent in his efforts to put the programme on track.
However, the Auditor General's Office should not limit the forensic audit to the school feeding programme alone but extend it to all initiatives that the government is spending the taxpayers’ money on, so that the country can have value for money.
The essence of the programme is to provide one hot and nutritious meal for every child of school age in some selected schools throughout the country.
At the last count, there were 975 beneficiary schools in the country and until recently when the Committee for Joint Action (CJA) raised the red flag about goings on in the programme, many people thought all was well with it.
Forensic audit of the programme by PriceWaterhouse Coopers showed widespread malfeasance in the management of the programme.
Although the spin that was put on the report was worrying, it is essential for the government to address the queries raised in the audit report in order to maintain the integrity of the programme.
The Daily Graphic believes that those put in charge of this laudable programme should not be allowed to “chop in the name of our children”.
They must be made to account for every pesewa that otherwise would have nourished the brains of our schoolchildren to pursue their academic ambitions to become responsible adults in future.
Hunger, it is said, is a serious business and those who come from deprived homes know that it is not easy to study on empty stomachs.
Therefore, those who are not ashamed to extend their greed even to funds that are allocated for the feeding of innocent children must be made to face the full rigours of the law.
We will make corruption attractive by our failure to deal decisively with those who want shortcuts to life, instead of sweating hard to make a living.
For this reason, the Daily Graphic urges all stakeholders to support the Auditor General in his efforts to purge the school feeding programme of malfeasance.
While it should be made unattractive for those in charge of the programme to pocket the taxpayers’ money, the system should also be streamlined in such a way that the meals served the schoolchildren are wholesome.
The cooks and all those who have something to do with the meals must be paid regularly so that they can give of their best to sustain the programme.
The Daily Graphic calls on the government to be swift in dealing with officials who are bent on derailing the programme for personal gain so that it can be extended to all schools in the country.
Halfway into the implementation of activities under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), nothing should be made to stand in our march towards achieving our objectives by the year 2015.
Access to education by all children of school age is one of such key factors, and since retaining children in our schools has been one of the big challenges, the feeding programme is meant to attract children into the classrooms and motivate them to remain in school.
The Daily Graphic salutes the Auditor General for his latest initiative to sanitise the School Feeding Programme and we urge him not to relent in his efforts to put the programme on track.
However, the Auditor General's Office should not limit the forensic audit to the school feeding programme alone but extend it to all initiatives that the government is spending the taxpayers’ money on, so that the country can have value for money.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
AGENDA FOR DECEMBER POLLS
OFTENTIMES party supporters look on in utter amazement when they see their leaders exchange pleasantries with their counterparts from the political divide.
The utterances and outbursts of politicians on the airwaves and on the political platforms give them up as a group of intolerant Homo Sapiens who are ready to defend the indefensible and refuse to give praise where praise is due.
Like the proverbial saying “give a dog a bad name and hang it”, they give politics a bad name and hang it, thereby discouraging many well-intentioned people from participating in the most important public enterprise in any country.
No doubt politics is said to be a dirty game although it must be made decent to attract the best human resource that would be able to harness the country’s resources for development.
It is in our effort to give politics a better image that every platform is used to draw attention to the negative comments made about politics and politicians.
Politicians themselves in their boardrooms and in their exchanges at public platforms miss no opportunity to exercise decorum in the pursuit of their agenda to win power.
Unfortunately, when they mount the campaign platform and see the large crowds they are moved by emotions and passions to incite their supporters to do anything to win power, including the use of hate speech and violence against even their blood brothers and sisters.
The Daily Graphic encourages all stakeholders including civil society organisations, the media, religious groups, the Electoral Commission, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), and, indeed, the political parties, to continue to educate the public on the need to conduct the 2008 election devoid of violence.
The interest of Ghana must be paramount and be placed above any individual agenda, including the ambitions of party leaders to assume the reins of government.
We must commend the IEA, the NCCE and the National Peace Council for bringing together leaders of political parties to devise means to ensure peaceful Election 2008 at Elmina last weekend.
The Daily Graphic is equally happy that six of the political parties that have declared their intention to contest the December 2008 elections, have agreed on some key points for violence-free polls.
It is a matter of regret that aspects of similar declarations made in the past were flouted with impunity.
We call on the IEA to publicise the declarations and possibly translate them into local languages to empower the electorate to hold politicians accountable.
While the political parties are encouraged to educate their supporters on this document, media practitioners also have a responsibility to be circumspect in their reportage to avoid dividing the ranks of the people.
The Daily Graphic urges every patriotic Ghanaian to monitor and guard the processes leading to election 2008 so that the outcome of the polls will not be disputed.
Ghana has conducted four successful elections and this year’s polls will equally earn the country the endorsement of the international community.
For this to be a reality everybody must make it a duty to police the system, play by the rules and expose those interested in circumventing the process.
The utterances and outbursts of politicians on the airwaves and on the political platforms give them up as a group of intolerant Homo Sapiens who are ready to defend the indefensible and refuse to give praise where praise is due.
Like the proverbial saying “give a dog a bad name and hang it”, they give politics a bad name and hang it, thereby discouraging many well-intentioned people from participating in the most important public enterprise in any country.
No doubt politics is said to be a dirty game although it must be made decent to attract the best human resource that would be able to harness the country’s resources for development.
It is in our effort to give politics a better image that every platform is used to draw attention to the negative comments made about politics and politicians.
Politicians themselves in their boardrooms and in their exchanges at public platforms miss no opportunity to exercise decorum in the pursuit of their agenda to win power.
Unfortunately, when they mount the campaign platform and see the large crowds they are moved by emotions and passions to incite their supporters to do anything to win power, including the use of hate speech and violence against even their blood brothers and sisters.
The Daily Graphic encourages all stakeholders including civil society organisations, the media, religious groups, the Electoral Commission, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), and, indeed, the political parties, to continue to educate the public on the need to conduct the 2008 election devoid of violence.
The interest of Ghana must be paramount and be placed above any individual agenda, including the ambitions of party leaders to assume the reins of government.
We must commend the IEA, the NCCE and the National Peace Council for bringing together leaders of political parties to devise means to ensure peaceful Election 2008 at Elmina last weekend.
The Daily Graphic is equally happy that six of the political parties that have declared their intention to contest the December 2008 elections, have agreed on some key points for violence-free polls.
It is a matter of regret that aspects of similar declarations made in the past were flouted with impunity.
We call on the IEA to publicise the declarations and possibly translate them into local languages to empower the electorate to hold politicians accountable.
While the political parties are encouraged to educate their supporters on this document, media practitioners also have a responsibility to be circumspect in their reportage to avoid dividing the ranks of the people.
The Daily Graphic urges every patriotic Ghanaian to monitor and guard the processes leading to election 2008 so that the outcome of the polls will not be disputed.
Ghana has conducted four successful elections and this year’s polls will equally earn the country the endorsement of the international community.
For this to be a reality everybody must make it a duty to police the system, play by the rules and expose those interested in circumventing the process.
Monday, June 2, 2008
A GOOD BEGINING, NEWMONT
Mining operations have contributed immensely to the country’s development, although these activities have also degraded our environment.
In some communities, mining has deprived the people of their lands for agricultural activities and polluted their sources of drinking water.
In communities such as Akwatia, some houses are ‘hanging’ due to illegal mining popularly called ‘galamsey’.
These illegal operators have not spared the educational institutions in such towns nor the water bodies, which have thus been polluted. The activities of these illegal operators have stalled investments in the mining sector.
For these reasons, some Ghanaians have given mining a bad name in order to hang it because of the bane of under-development in the mining communities.
Indeed, the spectacle in any mining town such as Tarkwa, Prestea, Akwatia and those in the Ahafo area is so awful that one is tempted to rethink further investment in mining.
The wealth that is generated from the minerals in those areas does not reflect in the physical outlook of the communities. Their lands are degraded, water sources polluted, there is high unemployment, poverty is endemic, while the people are subjected to inconveniences resulting from all kinds of diseases, major among them being water-borne diseases and malaria.
The picture, however, is not all negative. Some of the companies venturing into the sector are demonstrating that mining companies can be good corporate citizens.
The decision by Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd operating in the Ahafo Mine in the Brong Ahafo Region to present a cheque for $875,000 towards the development of 10 communities within the operational area of the company, which presentation took place at Ntotroso in the Asutifi District, points to a progressive outlook.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is aware that communities in the Ahafo Mine area protested against the take-over of their arable lands for the mining operations.
In the midst of the protests, Newmont took pains to explain to the people that while it was trying to maximise profits, it would not take the concerns of the people for granted.
The communities were only taking a cue from the harsh realities in others where the mining operations were not very beneficial, to bargain for added benefits from Newmont.
The preparedness of Newmont to dialogue with the people has paid dividends.
The DAILY GRAPHIC commends Newmont and the communities in which the mining operations are taking place for making sure that proceeds from gold impact positively on the lives of the landowners.
We encourage other mining companies to emulate Newmont and the Ahafo communities so that mining would reflect the needs of the people for clean water, and sustainable development.
The DAILY GRAPHIC also reminds the Ghana Chamber of Mines that the only way to give meaning to the theme of its 80th anniversary, ‘Life Without Mining Is Impossible’ is to make sure that the negative effects of mining are reduced to the barest minimum.
While we condemn big companies for the lack of corporate governance in their dealings with communities where they are located, we also call on illegal miners to stop their activities to save the land and also not to pollute water bodies.
The time has come for the government to formulate pragmatic policies to guide the mining sector in order to sustain the environment and protect the heritage of the people.
In some communities, mining has deprived the people of their lands for agricultural activities and polluted their sources of drinking water.
In communities such as Akwatia, some houses are ‘hanging’ due to illegal mining popularly called ‘galamsey’.
These illegal operators have not spared the educational institutions in such towns nor the water bodies, which have thus been polluted. The activities of these illegal operators have stalled investments in the mining sector.
For these reasons, some Ghanaians have given mining a bad name in order to hang it because of the bane of under-development in the mining communities.
Indeed, the spectacle in any mining town such as Tarkwa, Prestea, Akwatia and those in the Ahafo area is so awful that one is tempted to rethink further investment in mining.
The wealth that is generated from the minerals in those areas does not reflect in the physical outlook of the communities. Their lands are degraded, water sources polluted, there is high unemployment, poverty is endemic, while the people are subjected to inconveniences resulting from all kinds of diseases, major among them being water-borne diseases and malaria.
The picture, however, is not all negative. Some of the companies venturing into the sector are demonstrating that mining companies can be good corporate citizens.
The decision by Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd operating in the Ahafo Mine in the Brong Ahafo Region to present a cheque for $875,000 towards the development of 10 communities within the operational area of the company, which presentation took place at Ntotroso in the Asutifi District, points to a progressive outlook.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is aware that communities in the Ahafo Mine area protested against the take-over of their arable lands for the mining operations.
In the midst of the protests, Newmont took pains to explain to the people that while it was trying to maximise profits, it would not take the concerns of the people for granted.
The communities were only taking a cue from the harsh realities in others where the mining operations were not very beneficial, to bargain for added benefits from Newmont.
The preparedness of Newmont to dialogue with the people has paid dividends.
The DAILY GRAPHIC commends Newmont and the communities in which the mining operations are taking place for making sure that proceeds from gold impact positively on the lives of the landowners.
We encourage other mining companies to emulate Newmont and the Ahafo communities so that mining would reflect the needs of the people for clean water, and sustainable development.
The DAILY GRAPHIC also reminds the Ghana Chamber of Mines that the only way to give meaning to the theme of its 80th anniversary, ‘Life Without Mining Is Impossible’ is to make sure that the negative effects of mining are reduced to the barest minimum.
While we condemn big companies for the lack of corporate governance in their dealings with communities where they are located, we also call on illegal miners to stop their activities to save the land and also not to pollute water bodies.
The time has come for the government to formulate pragmatic policies to guide the mining sector in order to sustain the environment and protect the heritage of the people.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
DON'T JEOPARDISE FUTURE OF STUDENTS
STUDENTS of second cycle schools in the three northern regions have been out of the classroom since the beginning of this term because of the delay in the release of scholarship grants to them this academic year.
The latest closure of the schools is not an isolated case. In the past, students have had their academic pursuits disrupted because of the inability of the government to release scholarship grants on schedule.
How this challenge has become a regular feature on the calendar of schools in the three northern regions is difficult to conjecture. What is obvious is that every year, the government budgets for funds to provide scholarships for students in the three northern regions.
Since the scholarship package for students in the three northern regions was introduced in the First Republic, as part of a grand programme to bridge the development gap between the north and the south, the initiative has come up against many challenges, paramount among which is the late release of grants to the students.
The closure of the schools in the three northern regions has become so frequent that some groups of Ghanaians think the time is ripe for the policy to be reviewed. Those who belong to this school think that there are many parents who can afford the payment of school fees for their children. Furthermore, they believe some of the conditions in the three regions can also be found in other areas, including the region of the capital city.
Whatever the argument for or against the policy the Daily Graphic believes that the government support in the form of the scholarship package is for a good reason.
Although it is an undeniable fact that there are well-to-do people in the three regions, the generality of the populace is very vulnerable. Therefore, any government initiative that seeks to provide safety nets for the people and cushion them against the negative effects of market forces should be welcomed and supported by all.
Thus, the release of funds to the schools in the area to resume academic work shows the preparedness of the government to continue with the policy.
It is our hope that the school authorities would design the necessary programmes to help the students make up for the lost teaching hours.
Equally, we call on the students to adjust to whatever arrangements that would be put in place by the school authorities to address the challenges that would come with the shorter school term.
School authorities also have a responsibility to step up the teaching and learning processes in order to help the students to catch up with their colleagues in other regions of the country. For, after all, the students would be called upon to write the same examination at the end of their courses.
Be that as it may, the Daily Graphic is greatly concerned about the perennial failure of the Scholarship Secretariat to release grants to schools in the three regions. It is a worrying development which must be addressed in order not to deepen the development gap between the north and the south, which the policy seeks to address.
All stakeholders have a responsibility to ensure even educational development and standards throughout the country and until the scholarship scheme for the students in the three regions is reviewed, we have to exert pressure on the government to provide the budget for the initiative.
The latest closure of the schools is not an isolated case. In the past, students have had their academic pursuits disrupted because of the inability of the government to release scholarship grants on schedule.
How this challenge has become a regular feature on the calendar of schools in the three northern regions is difficult to conjecture. What is obvious is that every year, the government budgets for funds to provide scholarships for students in the three northern regions.
Since the scholarship package for students in the three northern regions was introduced in the First Republic, as part of a grand programme to bridge the development gap between the north and the south, the initiative has come up against many challenges, paramount among which is the late release of grants to the students.
The closure of the schools in the three northern regions has become so frequent that some groups of Ghanaians think the time is ripe for the policy to be reviewed. Those who belong to this school think that there are many parents who can afford the payment of school fees for their children. Furthermore, they believe some of the conditions in the three regions can also be found in other areas, including the region of the capital city.
Whatever the argument for or against the policy the Daily Graphic believes that the government support in the form of the scholarship package is for a good reason.
Although it is an undeniable fact that there are well-to-do people in the three regions, the generality of the populace is very vulnerable. Therefore, any government initiative that seeks to provide safety nets for the people and cushion them against the negative effects of market forces should be welcomed and supported by all.
Thus, the release of funds to the schools in the area to resume academic work shows the preparedness of the government to continue with the policy.
It is our hope that the school authorities would design the necessary programmes to help the students make up for the lost teaching hours.
Equally, we call on the students to adjust to whatever arrangements that would be put in place by the school authorities to address the challenges that would come with the shorter school term.
School authorities also have a responsibility to step up the teaching and learning processes in order to help the students to catch up with their colleagues in other regions of the country. For, after all, the students would be called upon to write the same examination at the end of their courses.
Be that as it may, the Daily Graphic is greatly concerned about the perennial failure of the Scholarship Secretariat to release grants to schools in the three regions. It is a worrying development which must be addressed in order not to deepen the development gap between the north and the south, which the policy seeks to address.
All stakeholders have a responsibility to ensure even educational development and standards throughout the country and until the scholarship scheme for the students in the three regions is reviewed, we have to exert pressure on the government to provide the budget for the initiative.
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