LAND LITIGATION, WORRYING SIGNALS

IN every society, land is a very vital resource that can be a source of conflict, but serves as a factor of production and development.
Many communities have gone to war because of litigation over land. That is why countries with arid and exhausted land undertake even the reclamation of the sea, in order to get fertile land for agricultural production.
Indeed, without land, no human activity can take place. Right from the cradle to the grave man dwells on earth, tills the land for sustenance or use land for industrial or commercial purposes.
The importance every society attaches to land requires that a legal framework is put in place to guide its use. For sometime now, civil society groups and end users have been calling for land use policy or a functional land tenure system.
The confusion over title to land in some communities in the country, particularly in the Greater Accra Region, makes it imperative for serious attention to be paid to efforts to draft a new land policy for the country.
Article 257, Clause One of the 1992 Constitution states that “All public lands in Ghana shall be vested in the President on behalf of, and in trust for, the people of Ghana”. Notwithstanding this unambiguous provision, most public lands have been encroached upon by squatters. And sometimes, the government spends the taxpayer’s money mobilising security agencies to evict squatters.
The recent eviction exercise at the Race Course in Accra for the construction of a hotel and the protracted litigation to get squatters at Sodom and Gomorrah out of the way for the Odaw Restoration Project to proceed are two classic examples of encroachment on public lands.
Last year, flood waters claimed some lives in Accra because certain people had constructed houses along watercourses. The Ghana Water Company had to embark on a demolition exercise in Weija because certain developers had encroached on the Weija Dam.
It appears our people are not learning useful lessons from these demolition exercises that bring pain to both developers and the owners of the land as many others have refused to go through the well-documented processes of acquiring land in the country.
They hide behind a dysfunctional system to circumvent the rules and regulations and sometimes pay their way to escape punishment. So everybody else is emboldened to do the wrong thing.
On Wednesday, about 100 houses had to be demolished because the rightful owner of the land had obtained judgement against those who had encroached on it.
It was quite a pathetic spectacle to watch the tears and grief on the faces of very old people, who looked on in helpless amazement as the fruits of their toil and sweat crumbled because they failed to abide by the rules.
While we sympathise with them, we urge all Ghanaians to learn useful lessons from the experiences of the residents at Kasoa, whose houses were demolished.
The Daily Graphic calls on those who require land for any development project to go the extra mile to verify the title to the land they wish to acquire.
However, we have issues with the way the authorities have so far handled such exercises.
It is sad that public opinion has always stampeded the government to beat a retreat with the excuse that it wants to introduce a human face to the exercise, which creates the impression that the authorities lack the political will to take tough and harsh decisions.
When wrongdoing is noticed in society, it must be dealt with decisively to serve as a deterrent to others. For when rules and regulations are not deterrent enough, society degenerates into a state of nature, where confusion and violence reign supreme. Such circumstances have served as breeding grounds for macho men and an environment for the survival of the fittest, where might is right.
The Daily Graphic prevails on all Ghanaians to live by the tenets of our Constitution, which affirms our commitment to "freedom, justice, probity and accountability" in all our endeavours, to avoid a lawless state.

REVIVE SALT INDUSTRY

THE government has set up a three-member committee to review the current salt-winning technology and project management at the Ada Songhor Salt Project.
The committee comes after about seven years since the constitution of another committee that was formed as an Interim Management Committee (IMC) to oversee the project.
The IMC has for sometime been accused by some workers of “staying too long” on the project and failing to turn around the fortunes of the project.
The constitution of the new committee demonstrates the readiness of the government to address the challenges of the salt industry, otherwise referred to as “white gold”, to lead the assault on poverty in the area.
It is believed that Ghana has one of the largest proven renewable solar salt potential along the West African Coast and the Ada Songhor Lagoon is said to represent the biggest prospective salt-producing source in Ghana.
Indeed, Ghana has been touted as having the potential to export salt to other countries. As stated by the Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines, Ms Esther Obeng Dapaah, at the inauguration of the committee, although the country had the potential to produce more than 2.0 million metric tonnes of salt a year, the current production was less than 0.5 million metric tonnes per annum.
The project has over the years been bogged down by many challenges that have virtually thrown the workers into a state of despair.
Beside concerns that the mining technology presently being pursued does not guarantee optimum levels of production and quality of salt, there also seems to have been a frosty relationship between the workers and the Interim Management Committee.
While some may wish to welcome the new committee with some amount of scepticism, it may appear premature to discredit the committee even before it gets onto the mandate it has been assigned.
That is why the DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to implore the newly constituted committee to as much as possible stay above reproach and work selflessly towards helping Ada Songhor Salt Project maximise its potential.
One critical mandate of the committee is to examine the project management system, including labour and management relations. It is very evident that the frosty relationship that has existed between the workers and management have had some negative effect on the fortunes of the project.
Additionally, issues of harvesting and marketing are also critical, as they impact directly on revenue generation. There have been concerns that the low patronage of salt from Ada Songhor is the consequence of the poor quality, and the committee should get to the drawing board to reverse the trend.
It is quite regrettable that the salt industry has been in the quagmire for so long, being unable to develop its full potential and it is hoped that the committee will expeditiously make recommendations to the government within the two-month time frame.
As we challenge the committee to rise to the occasion, we also urge the government to abide by its commitment to resolve all land litigation issues in the area to ensure the smooth operation of the industry.
The mining of salt is a major business in the Ada area but it is worrying that while the industry offers the opportunity to create jobs and wealth, the people wallow in poverty because of a dispute over who controls the land
Litigation over land has led to loss of lives and properties in the past, compelling the government to take over the Songhor project, which individuals and families used to manage for their well-being.
The Daily Graphic, therefore, appeals to the people of the area to address the controversy over ownership so that the “white gold” can serve as a catalyst for the growth of Ada and its environs.

CONSUMERS DESERVE BETTER DEAL

Almost three months after the President directed the removal of duties on some imported food items, there are still complaints about high food prices on the market.
The presidential reprieve had come at a time when Ghanaians were reeling under a global crisis fuelled by high prices of crude oil and food items on the international market.
After the President directed the removal of the taxes, it was the expectation of consumers that there was going to be some reduction in food prices on the Ghanaian market. The immediate impact was not in the least felt and the general argument was that the items on the market were old stock and therefore could not be immediately affected by the government’s move.
However, three months on, Ghanaians still have to grapple with high food prices and it appears that the removal of the import duty, which is to cost the government GH¢150 million, has not benefited consumers.
Indeed, the strength of the package from the President is well demonstrated in the amendment of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) Duty and other Taxes Act to remove import duties on rice, yellow maize, wheat and crude vegetable.
That clearly shows how much importance the President or the government attaches to the issue. Yet, it appears some individuals are very much bent on circumventing the law and bringing to nought the relief otherwise granted Ghanaians to ease the level of their expenditure on these items.
The question that continually lingers on the minds of many Ghanaians, is: “Are importers of these items benefiting at the expense of Ghanaians or is it a case that there are lapses in the application of the law?”
Interestingly, the high price of crude oil on the world market that necessitated the package has eased by dropping from about $147 dollars per barrel to about $115 per barrel. Inflation, which soared to a little over 18 per cent, is also inching downwards.
In the light of these positive developments, the rising prices of food on the Ghanaian market is unacceptable.
The DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to identify itself with the call for urgent action by the authorities to address the problem.
When the President directed that import duties be removed, he urged importers to pass on the benefits to be derived to consumers.
The Finance Minister, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, has expressed disappointment at the fact that some individuals were taking advantage of the government’s good intentions to benefit unduly.
In unambiguous terms, the minister decried the attitude of importers who imported items at very low prices and then sold at very high prices to consumers in order to make huge profits.
Over the years, the country has experienced similar trends, especially with drivers, who are quick to increase transport fares following fuel price increases, but are hesitant to reduce fares when fuel prices were reduced.
Perhaps, the government needs to be more stringent in demanding that such relief packages achieve their intended purposes. More often than not public complaints about such unfair pricing reach a crescendo only to fizzle out when Ghanaians resign to their fate because of the feeling that their concerns are not being addressed.
If such good policies do not benefit the ordinary person, then perhaps, the government may have to find other ways of directing such tax cuts for the benefit of Ghanaians. It is only when importers know that the government has other alternatives of ensuring that Ghanaians enjoy such relief packages that they will act more responsibly and respect the interest of consumers.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, urges the government to explore other options that will be beneficial to consumers or hold importers in check without being accused of introducing market controls.

RETOOL GHANA NAVY

The disclosure by the Chief Director of the Ministry of Fisheries, Mr Emmanuel Mensah Quaye, that the Cabinet has agreed to acquire six ships for the Ghana Navy to enable it to patrol Ghana’s territorial waters to check illegal fishing by foreign fishing trawlers has come as a great relief to many Ghanaians.
According to Mr Quaye, the ministry plans to help modernise fishing methods in the country by assisting local fishermen to develop fibreglass canoes to replace the wooden ones that are currently in use.
The fact that a company from India, Fibroplast, has expressed interest in the building of the fibreglass canoes shows the determination of the authorities to address the problems of the fishing industry .
The fishing industry in the country plays a very vital role in supplementing food production towards overall national development. But the fisheries sector seems to be under some kind of siege, leading to inadequate fish catch.
The problem has been either that fishermen continue to use outdated and illegal fishing accoutrements, which contribute to the dwindling fish stock, or that large foreign trawlers invade our territorial waters to deprive our fishermen of the much needed fish because their fishing gears cannot match the might of the foreigners.
In fact, the Ghana Navy has confirmed this practice by some larger foreign vessels but because of its handicap, it said there was nothing much that it can do to address the problem.
The dangers posed by these foreign vessels that engage in pair trawling are well-known and it is not for nothing that our local fishermen, some of whom also engage in the practice, are crying foul that they cannot make any catch. Their claims that the activities of the pair trawlers sweep the seabed smacks of double standards as they are behaving like the people who would go upstream to tangle the waters and come downstream to express disgust.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that one way by which our fishing stock can be improved is to introduce fishing seasons in the country as is done in the game (bush meat) sector where there are lean seasons during which hunting is forbidden.
Some European countries apply this to their fishing industry and during the lean season fishing is outlawed to allow the fish stock to grow and multiply.
The DAILY GRAPHIC thinks the practice can be replicated in the country to save the situation before the worst scenario occurs. The decision in some fishing communities to rest for a day in the week is not enough to help regenerate the fish stock in our territorial waters.
The process for the acquisition of the ships for the Navy should be stepped up because through that we will be killing probably so many birds with a single stone or bullet.
Through the patrols on the seas, the Navy will be checking not only the activities of foreign fishermen but also the activities of drug traffickers, whose activities have become very sophisticated and are tarnishing the image of Ghana.
We hope that Ghanaians have not so soon forgotten about the MV Benjamin episode and matters arising therefrom. The sophistication with which the drug traffickers are operating demands that we make further sacrifices to equip the Navy to protect the country’s territorial integrity.

MECHANISED FARMING REQUIRES SUPPORT

THE President, John Agyekum Kufuor, last week cut the sod for work to begin on a tractor assembly plant in Tema.
The plant, expected to assemble 10 tractors a day and about 2500 a year, will help modernise agriculture in the country by way of improved mechanisation.
The DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to commend Foundries and Agric Machinery (GH) Limited and Escort Limited of India, the two institutions collaborating in this venture.
The fact that agriculture is the mainstay of the Ghanaian economy, providing employment for more than 50 per cent of Ghanaians, is well known, yet, agricultural production in the country has largely been on a subsistence basis because of the traditional method used in farming that is the machete and the hoe.
Over the years, Ghanaians have agonisingly been compelled to import foods such as rice and yellow corn with foreign currency, because we fail to apply the right mechanised and scientific approach by which we can produce and even export these food crops.
It is important to note that almost all the governments the country has had, both military and civilian, have made attempts to increase agricultural production. However, these efforts have been hampered one way or another.
Notable among these efforts was the rather revolutionary programme of the General Acheampong-led NRC government, popularly dubbed ‘Operation Feed Yourself (OFY)’, that placed a premium on self-sufficiency in food production.
Clearly, the past should serve to inform our next move and remind us that it takes something more than sheer desire to attain self-sufficiency in food production, especially in a global economic environment where market forces can be very erratic and unpredictable.
Thus, the success of any agricultural production effort rests on the ability to, as much as possible, maximise yields and reduce man-hours. That is where mechanisation and a scientific approach to food cultivation play a critical role.
It is worrying that our farming methods are so traditional that in an era where tissue culture is used to produce planting materials for cultivation, a lot of our farmers are still stuck to the old order of cultivation.
Even more worrying is the acute dependence on nature’s mercy by way of rainfall to nourish our plants.
That should not be the case, especially considering the potential for irrigation farming in the country. Some countries do not boast the amount of water resources we have, yet they have been able to embark on irrigation farming with greater success, with the building of dams in dry areas.
The DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to acknowledge efforts made in some parts of the country, particularly the northern parts of the country, where irrigation dams have been built.
We reckon that some of these dams have silted and efforts must be made to rehabilitate them.
We urge the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and non-governmental organisations in the country to devote more resources to popularise irrigation farming in the country.
As a country, the unfavourable world economic order should spur us on to energise our agriculture in order to end our over-dependence on imported food items by pursuing policies that will give meaning to the dictum “grow what you eat and eat what you grow”.

WE'RE WATCHING THIS DEAL

THE government has declared its intention to put a large percentage of the money from the sale of majority shares in Ghana Telecom in capital investments to enable both present and future generations to benefit from the sale.
The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, cited the construction of 15 km of tarred roads in each of the 230 districts of the country and the construction of first-class roads in all the cocoa-growing areas of the country as examples of such projects.
In the heat of the public debate on the issue, a prominent economist, Mr Kwame Pianim, underlined the importance of the deal, describing it as crucial for the sustenance of the Ghanaian economy, in a period when global food and energy crises were threatening to erode economic gains made in the past.
While the issue of the sale of GT has indeed polarised our society, it is worthy of note that the rifts that seem to have been created are gradually being sealed and the enlarged GT group seems poised for a fresh take-off.
The DAILY GRAPHIC welcomes these positive developments, and urges the government to remain committed to its pledge to invest a large part of the money from the sale of the 70 per cent stake in GT in projects that will benefit all Ghanaians.
Clearly, the justification for the sale has been well articulated but the force of any such justification pales into insignificance, if the money accrued is not put to good use to ensure that there are real and tangible benefits from the sale.
Indeed, the recourse to selling property is not in itself alien and traditionally families have had reason to sell properties in order to invest in other areas. In some instances, properties like jewellery, electronic products or even land have been sold to raise the needed capital to either invest in the education of children or pay off debts owed by some members of the family.
The benefits of such investments have been felt after beneficiaries have come out as noble and resourceful men and women in society and even helped their parents acquire more properties.
Thus, the sale of GT will not be out of place, if the money from the sale is put to very good and effective use.
In this regard, the DAILY GRAPHIC urges the government to institute very stringent monitoring systems to ensure that at every stage of the utilisation, monies invested can be well accounted for.
Now that the government has declared its investment preference, it behoves Ghanaians to hold our public officers accountable and ensure that there is value for money that accrued from the GT deal.
It is important to bear in mind that the governance process does not only involve public officers but also the ordinary Ghanaian who has a duty to follow with keen interest, development projects in their communities.
As we sensitise Ghanaians and the government to the need to remain committed to these ideals, the DAILY GRAPHIC also commends Vodafone for making good its financial obligations in very good time.
If this is an indication of what the future holds, then the prospects for a good working relationship between Vodafone and the government of Ghana as the minority share holder in the enlarged GT Group, look bright.
We wish to encourage the two parties to continue in this spirit and work with commitment to establish the new telecommunication entity that has emerged from the sale as a leader in the industry.
The Daily Graphic calls on Ghanaians to monitor the use of the revenue from the sale of GT so that this transaction does not end up like the previous divestiture of state properties whose revenue has not been accounted for up to date.

NEED FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE NOW

THE President, John Agyekum Kufuor, yesterday urged developed countries to provide long-term funding and support to address the issue of climate change.
In an address at the latest round of United Nations Climate Change Talks in Accra, the President noted that the capacity of developing countries needed to be strengthened to enable them cope with the effects of climate change.
For many in developing countries, particularly Africa, the threat of climate change is not well appreciated and it appears that very little effort has been made to address that challenge.
Although there may be other factors contributing to this worrying global phenomenon, one of the main causes of climate change has been the high levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
The high levels of the gases, which include carbon dioxide and methane, are the direct result of rapid industrialisation and urbanisation.
Thus, while the world celebrates an age of industrialisation and urbanisation, the safety valves that would have otherwise addressed the threat of climate change as a result of emissions of high levels of greenhouse gases do not appear to have found practical expression in the development agenda of all countries.
Unfortunately, as the arguments rage on, the impact of climate change that has been seen in droughts, intense heat, unusually high rainfall resulting in floods, and rising sea levels does not seem to be relenting and the outcomes include adverse effects on lives of humans, plants and animals.
The President rightly made reference to the recent global food and energy crises and stressed that the world needed more than rhetoric to address the challenge.
Sometimes, it appears the challenges posed by climate change are remote or alien because most people are oblivious to dangers posed by our collective inaction.
As the experts meet in Accra, the issue starkly stares the world in her face as there is a global challenge to address the harmful climate change, which has serious implications for food production and the generation of energy.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on the people who are still unaware of the threats posed by climate change to look up north, where the story is about extreme drought or heavy rainfalls, which cause havoc to life and property.
Our future on earth looks bleak unless governments initiate policies to stem the effects of climate change, while the people demonstrate greater commitment to environmentally friendly ways of human endeavours.
The displacement of some communities in northern Ghana by flood waters is a signal for national action to halt the degradation of the environment.
It is common knowledge that the inability of the international community to act swiftly stands in our way to addressing the challenges of climate change.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is worried that our failure to demand climate justice perpetuates climate change, which engenders suffering caused by the damage we are doing to nature.
The advocacy for climate justice, as presented by Mr Kofi Anann, immediate past Secretary-General of the United Nations, at the first annual meeting of the Global Humanitarian Forum in Geneva in June, this year, is a wake-up call for action to deal with the social and humanitarian implications of global warming.
Not too long ago, our people ate food grown by themselves but today, because of climate change, most households depend on canned food because of poor yields from exhausted fields.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls for concerted action now to address the concerns of those affected by climate change.

PROTECT OUR WATER BODIES

THE Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) has raised concerns over the threat illegal mining poses to the wholesomeness of underground water.
The CWSA, after a tour of some districts in the Western Region, detected harmful chemicals such as mercury in underground water in some communities.
Interestingly, this time round, the culprits that have been cited are not the big multinational mining companies but small-scale miners, most of whom operate illegally and without due regard to environmental protection measures.
This, no doubt, exposes a flaw in our regulatory and monitoring policy as far as mining activities are concerned. More often than not the spotlight is thrown on the large mining companies that are subjected to severe scrutiny.
Whereas these companies have introduced some measures to make their operations more environmentally friendly, small-scale miners have been allowed to have a field day by way of applying whatever techniques in their mining activities.
In most mining communities in the country, the activities of illegal miners continue to wreak havoc on the environment and human life.
Yet, goaded on by the prejudice against the supposed exploitation of our mineral wealth by big multinational mining companies, there has been the tendency to rationalise the activities of illegal Ghanaian miners because “it is their land and they must be allowed to exploit it”.
This exploitation is sometimes perpetuated in a bizarre manner, irrespective of the impact on life and the environment and clearly such reasoning and action fly in the face of common logic.
Indeed, recent reports indicate that some foreign nationals have also found the country a fertile ground for illegal mining.
As a result of this, the government recently inaugurated a committee to identify the major illegal mining (galamsey)-prone areas in and around Obuasi, Tarkwa, Bogoso, Atosso and Assin Fosu, among other places, and to recommend mechanisms for the identification of non-Ghanaian illegal miners operating in those areas.
Understandably, high gold prices appear to have boosted the activities of the illegal miners and the need for urgent action appears very pressing now.
The challenge places an onerous responsibility on agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, which has the mandate to ensure that mining companies observe sound environmental practices.
While we throw the challenge at the EPA to intensify its monitoring and regulatory actions, the DAILY GRAPHIC also recognises the limitation of the agency to effect arrest and prosecute offenders.
However, that does not mean that the illegal miners, who are ruining the country in no small way, should be allowed to have their way. Working in concert with the security agencies, the EPA should be able to get offenders duly arrested and arraigned to answer charges.
Access to potable water continues to be a challenge in many parts of the country and there is the need to seriously address this threat, especially when there is the belief that if there is ever going to be any major conflict in the world, then it is going to be fought over water.
Indeed, it is not for nothing that it is sometime stated that ‘Water is life’.

LESSONS FROM VIDA'S OUTBURST

THE 29th Olympic Games end this weekend in the Chinese capital of Beijing after three weeks of enthralling and exciting competition.
While several countries celebrate their heroes and heroines for their sterling performances, Ghana’s nine-member contingent returns empty-handed.
But while Ghanaians must commend them for their efforts to make Ghana proud at such a high stage, the Daily Graphic is very concerned about the fact that Ghana’s participation in such events almost always end in some kind of controversy.
Particularly embarrassing was yesterday’s no show from sprint queen Vida Anim, who refused to turn up for her 200m heats.
Even though there are reports that Anim’s no show was due to an injury from a muscle tear, events preceding yesterday’s incident cannot pass without comment.
Prior to yesterday, Anim, who reached the semi-final of the 100m last Saturday, threatened to pull out of the 200m races as a sign of protest against what she described as maltreatment from sports officials.
According to Anim, officials had shown very little interest in her preparations and had also refused to pay her an outstanding bill incurred, which she had presented.
Ms Anim may have had genuine concerns, but the Daily Graphic believes she could have gone about the issue in a more considerate manner, considering the fact that Ghana’s image was at stake.
Indeed, two years ago, after the World Athletics Championships, Ms Anim chose the BBC to tell the world and Ghana that she was considering switching nationality because of the frustrations she was encountering in her bid to run for Ghana.
The bill she presented, according to reports and her own admission on a BBC interview, was not spent on herself but other teammates who trained with her in Germany during the preparations.
According to reports from the Ghana camp, when she presented the bill, she was asked to hold on until the expenses were verified before it was paid as there was another bill meant for the same purpose from their European coach.
It is Ms Anim’s right to claim the money spent, but the question is: Was the money spent with the knowledge and consent of the authorities or it was a unilateral decision? And why would she not wait till the expenses were verified before being honoured? In this era, where there is the need for transparency and accountability, the right thing to do is for the authorities to be sure they are paying the right bills and not just because someone has presented them.
This is an unfortunate outburst, especially from Ms Anim, who has benefited so much from Ghana
Now, instead of winning public sympathy, Vida has confused us all, making it difficult for one to make sense of her situation. Was she genuinely injured and, therefore, could not run the race yesterday or she indeed carried out her threat to stay away?
The Daily Graphic is of the opinion that the unfortunate situation must encourage those in charge of our sports to take a second look at the succession plan to raise more international sportsmen and sportswomen for such high-level events.
It is about time that the technical base of the various sports events was overhauled to get competent people to unearth, groom and harness talents of international status.
These efforts must be accompanied by the provision of facilities to ensure that those keen on taking to sports have the right facilities.
The Daily Graphic also calls for the revival of the schools and colleges sports and given the needed attention, as that seems the only way to get more talents for the country.
For this reason, we call on the government to expedite action on the proposed Sports Bill before the Cabinet in order to restructure Ghana sports and set it on the path to success.

A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE

THE intended opening of the Bagre Dam by Burkina Faso has spurred action on the part of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Volta River Authority (VRA) in a bid to get residents in the three northern regions from the way of disaster.
In the past, the opening of the dam had left farmers and residents around the White and Black Volta rivers worse off as a result of the serious flooding.
Indeed, last year when the country was given just 24 hours to prepare before the dam was spilled, five people lost their lives in the Bolgatanga Municipality and Bawku West District.
This year, there has been interaction between government officials of the two countries and there are indications of a well co-ordinated approach to the opening of the dam.
Thus, one would have expected that there should not be any concerns over the intended spillage, but that is not to be. Concerns expressed so far have stemmed from the refusal of some local people to quit the area likely to be flooded as a result of the spillage.
One cannot help but wonder the motivation for such recalcitrance. Natural human behaviour follows the guide that in the face of adversity or danger there is an irrepressible instinct to survive and human beings are likely to fight for their survival. The defiant posture adopted by the local people gives an indication that they may be ignorant of the real danger ahead.
Yet, with the past as a guide, it should not be an issue of ‘let’s wait and see’ approach to the immediate impact of the spillage.
The Deputy National Co-ordinator of NADMO could not have said it any better when he sounded a note of caution and emphasised that the international community would not forgive the country, especially NADMO, if it remained aloof in spite of the timely warning from Burkina Faso.
Given the options before us, the local people need to be told in strong and uncompromising terms that the country has a responsibility to protect lives and property.
It is welcome relief that there are well fashioned plans to harvest food crops before the spillage of the dam and the DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to admonish that the farmers must see this as the best way out of an inevitable spillage.
Yes, the local people may count some losses but the greater losses will be avoided, if precautionary measures are taken and as a country we can look into the future with greater hope.
We also believe that NADMO, in seeking to get the farmers and residents out of the danger zones, will engage in effective dialogue and involve key opinion leaders, farmers associations and chiefs in the discussions.
The DAILY GRAPHIC also hails efforts by NADMO to educate the people on the need to change the traditional building code and build houses that can withstand the impact of flood waters.
This is one area that seems to have been ignored in the quest to check the impact of floods in the northern regions and the present education drive emphasises the impressive shift to a proactive posture in disaster management.
It is hoped that this proactive orientation that has also been expressed in the seemingly new-found zeal of Disaster Volunteer Groups and Fire Fighting Volunteers at the local level will be sustained to avoid the loss of innocent lives in the event of disasters.

REDEEM INTEGRITY OF ELECTORAL ROLL

THE information from the Electoral Commission (EC) that this year’s voters register for the December general election could be bloated by as many as one million voters should be a source of concern.
This is due to the important role the electoral roll plays in the democratic and election process in the country. A bloated register raises doubts about the credibility of the voting exercise and so should engage the attention of all, particularly in the light of concerns raised earlier by the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
What started as a smooth programme for the entire election process when the EC undertook an exercise to replace missing or misplaced ID cards took a chaotic and challenging turn as people turned out to register when the voters registration exercise commenced on July 31.
Though it was an exercise meant for people who had just turned 18 years or missed the earlier registration exercises, there were reports that the long queues that characterised the registration during the two-week exercise were compounded by underage voters as well as those who had misplaced their cards or had relocated from their last place of residence, even though those categories of people were not part of the exercise.
But perhaps, the EC must blame itself for the current situation as it is obvious that they may have taken for granted things regarding the review of the voters register, particularly adequate education of the public about the process.
Had the EC adequately informed the public about the latest exercise or teamed up with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to educate the public and prospective voters on the essence of the exercise, the problems encountered may not have arisen.
The EC may have done its homework about the number of prospective voters. But did they also factor in the craze for the voters IDs, which are now commonly being used as identification for many official transactions, especially at the banks and non-bank financial institutions?
What about the activities of the two main political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the NDC, to whip up interest to get more people to register and take part in the voting exercise, thereby encouraging people who, in the past, were indifferent to the process?
The EC may be prepared to clean up the register before the final voting day in December but as a people, we could have avoided this challenge, if all the stakeholders played by the rules.
Now it should be clear to all that if the National Identification Cards project had been speeded up and not opposed by a section of the public as grounds for rigging elections, it would have been easier for the EC to verify those who really qualify to vote in order to maintain the integrity of the electoral roll.
But while we all bite our fingers for presiding over a chaotic exercise, we should support efforts to retool the Births and Deaths Registry so that it can register everybody born in Ghana. This initiative will end the situation where electoral officials have very little grounds to challenge the eligibility of prospective voters because there are no documents to do so.
Maybe, we, as a people can also begin to look at an all-year-round registration exercise, where people who turn 18 and those who have not registered but wish to do so can walk to any office of the EC to do so at any given time. This will, no doubt, avoid the shameful spectacle observed during the recent registration exercise, where even minors could force their way to the registration centres to be registered, with the encouragement of political parties.
Cleaning up the electoral register will be a big challenge to the EC, considering how close we are to December 7.
However, that is the only way to have a credible register, which is one of the prerequisites for undisputed elections. The Daily Graphic reminds the EC to also be cautious in cleaning the register so that some eligible voters are not disenfranchised.

THE MAN DR MAHAMUDU BAWUMIA (SPREAD)

AT first sight, he comes across as a humble and open person who exudes a lot of confidence and brilliance.
Meeting him for the first time, one is bound to conclude that the 45-year-old Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, now running mate of the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, appears shy.
At his Labone residence last Thursday, when news of his endorsement as running mate to Nana Akufo-Addo was yet to sink in, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was obviously overwhelmed and could only pace up and down, occasionally shaking hands or hugging the wife and his little girl or close relations who had gathered around him. Dr Bawumia is married to Samira with whom he has two boys and a girl.
He would not utter a word to the press, at least not when he was coming to terms with the reality that he could become a potential Vice-President of the country.
Born into a large family, Mahamudu Bawumia, is the 12th of his father’s 18 children and the second of his mother’s five.
As a precocious and affable child who pestered adults with too many incisive questions, growing up in Tamale was a huge experience for him, I am told. He had a keen interest in sports and represented the then Tamale Secondary School in Table Tennis in inter-schools sporting competitions.
His leadership skills and abilities, according to close associates, were noted earlier as a young boy who was appointed as the Wemah House Prefect during his Sixth Form at Tamale Secondary School. Mahamudu Bawumia was also President of the Ghana United Nations Students Association (GUNSA) for the year 1981.
Born on October 7, 1963 in Tamale to the late Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia, former Chairman of the Council of State (1992 – 2000) and Hajia Mariama Bawumia, he enjoys Tuo Zaafi, fufu and other local dishes and spends a lot of time with his family. As a practising Muslim, many call him Alhaji, even though he is not, because he has not been to Mecca. He, however, enjoys visiting the gym a lot to keep in shape.
Dr Bawumia’s father, the late Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia, was a teacher, lawyer and veteran politician who devoted virtually all his life to public service. His mother, Hajia Mariama Bawumia, is a native of Kpasenkpe in the West Mamprusi District. She was a brilliant student, and was one of the first northern female students to gain admission to the prestigious Wesley Girls High School, Cape Coast.
Dr Bawumia’s late father, Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia, was a Mamprugu Royal and Paramount Chief of the Kperiga Traditional Area before he passed away in September 2002. He was a founding member of the Northern People’s Party, alongside such political stalwarts as Chief S. D. Dombo, Yakubu Tali, the Tolon Naa, and J. A. Braimah, Kabachewura. The Northern People’s Party, together with the National Liberation Movement and other opposition political parties later metamorphosed into the United Party.
Dr Bawumia’s political pedigree in the Danquah-Busia tradition goes back to the very foundations of the United Party from which the New Patriotic Party draws inspiration. He is an economist and banker of international distinction and repute.
With the country’s oil find, he is expected to lead the national economic team to manage the resources for the benefit of the country, his close associates told the Graphic.
Mahamudu Bawumia attended the Sakasaka Primary school in Tamale, and gained admission to Tamale Secondary School in 1975, where he quickly established a strong reputation for his exceptional academic performance. He was awarded the prize for Best Overall Student in Form 3. He continued to excel in his studies, and dazzled his audiences with his superb debating skills as a member of the Tamale Secondary School Debating Team, which was adjudged the best in the Northern and Upper regions competition in 1981.
After completing Tamale Secondary School, Mahamudu proceeded to the United Kingdom where he took professional banking studies and obtained the Chartered Institute of Bankers Diploma (ACIB) with distinctions in Banking Law, Monetary Economics, Accounting and Banking within the rather short period of 18 months!
He subsequently took undergraduate study at Buckingham University where he topped his record of academic brilliance with a First Class Honours Degree in Economics in 1987. He subsequently gained admission to Oxford University, Lincoln College, where, one year later, he obtained a Master’s Degree in Economics. He pursued his doctoral studies in economics at the prestigious Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where he obtained a Ph.D in Economics in 1995. His areas of specialisation include Macroeconomics, International Economics, Development Economics and Monetary Policy. He has numerous publications to his credit.
From 1988 to 1990, Dr Bawumia worked as a lecturer in Monetary Economics and International Finance at the Emile Woolf College of Accountancy in London, England. He also served as an economist at the Research Department of the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC, USA.
Between 1996 and 2000, Dr Bawumia served as an Assistant Professor of Economics at Hankamer School of Business, Baylor University, Texas, USA, where he also received the Young Researcher Award in 1998. As a result of Dr Bawumia’s commitment to excellence in teaching, he made the list of “Who Is Who Among America’s Teachers?” in 1999.
Dr Bawumia returned to Ghana in 2000 to work as an economist at the Bank of Ghana. He rose through the ranks from Senior Economist to Head of Department, and subsequently as Special Assistant to the Governor of the Bank. His Excellency President J.A. Kufuor appointed Dr Bawumia as Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana in June 2006.
Since joining the Bank of Ghana, Dr Bawumia has established himself as a skilled policy maker with a reputation for being a doer, a hands-on technocrat and a professional with a remarkable ability to successfully handle complex issues.
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s professional accomplishments include the following:
As head of the Monetary Policy and Financial Stability Department, he implemented the analytical framework that guides monetary policy and the workings of the Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of Ghana. The inflation targeting framework established was successful in reducing inflation from over 40 cent in 2000 to 10.2 per cent by 2007 (i.e., before the recent oil price shock) while maintaining a relatively stable exchange rate.
He was instrumental in designing and implementing policy initiatives such as the abolition of the secondary reserve requirements and the opening up of the banking sector to competition. This has resulted in a major increase in the availability of credit to the private sector from 12.5 per cent of GDP in 2001 to 28.5 per cent of GDP today.
He led the Bank of Ghana’s technical negotiation team and has been part of the government team that negotiated with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund since 2001 through HIPC and PRGF. Partly as a result of these negotiations, Ghana has, for the first time since 1983, successfully ended its dependence on IMF assistance and this allows Ghana to pursue more independent policies.
He served as a member of the government’s technical negotiating team on the HIPC Paris Club and Completion Point Negotiations. Ghana completed the HIPC process successfully with significant debt relief of close to $4 billion.
He was a member of the government team to negotiate the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Compact with the US Government.
He was responsible for drafting the financial sector component of the MCA Compact. The MCA Compact yielded financing for $547 million of projects.
He was a member of the Government’s Technical Team on the deregulation of the petroleum sector. Successful deregulation has subsequently saved the government over $700 million over the last three years.
As Chairman of the Capital Markets Committee, he was responsible for the strategy for accessing the international capital markets with a debut $750 million, which was four times oversubscribed.
He was a member of the government’s team that undertook the successful road show to market Ghana to foreign investors. The bond proceeds have been critical in undertaking investments in the energy sector and have also been earmarked for the Kumasi-Accra dual carriageway as well as the Western railway Line. Ghana won the Euromoney Award for best bond issue for Emerging Markets.
He was part of the team that designed and implemented the successful redenomination of the cedi which has been hailed globally. Through this process, the cedi has been considerably strengthened as Ghanaians have found renewed confidence in their currency.
He played a key role in the design and implementation of the e-zwich common platform for all banks, savings and loans companies and rural banks. This common platform will result in inter-operability across different financial institutions. The first nationwide technologically-driven platform for monetary transactions across the country, the e-zwich has put Ghana on the map as a world leader in the application of biometric smartcard technology for banking the unbanked.
As the Deputy Governor in charge of financial stability, he successfully maintained oversight of the soundness of the banking sector which has continued to be stable and sound.


POLICY INITIATIVES — 2000 TO PRESENT

• Designed and implemented the analytical framework that guides monetary policy and the workings of the Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of Ghana. The inflation targeting framework established was successful in reducing inflation from over 40 per cent in 2000 to 10.2 per cent by 2007 while maintaining exchange rate stability and increasing growth.
• Instrumental in designing and implementing policy initiatives such as the abolition of the secondary reserve requirements and the opening up of the banking sector to competition. This has resulted in a major increase in the availability of credit to the private sector from 12.5 per cent of GDP in 2001 to 28.5 per cent of GDP today.
• Leader of Bank of Ghana technical team and part of Government Team that has negotiated with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund since 2001 through HIPC and PRGF. For the first time since 1983 Ghana has successfully ended its dependence on IMF assistance and this allows Ghana to pursue more independent policies.
• Member of the Government technical negotiating team on HIPC Paris Club and Completion Point Negotiations. Ghana completed the HIPC process successfully with significant debt relief of close to $4 billion.
• Member of Government Team to negotiate the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) compact with the U.S. Government. Was responsible for drafting the financial sector component of the compact, with $547 million obtained.
• Member of Government Technical Team on the deregulation of the petroleum sector. Successful deregulation has subsequently saved the Government over $700 million over the last three years.
• As Chairman of the Capital Markets Committee, was responsible for the strategy for accessing the international capital markets with a debut $750 million which was four times oversubscribed. Was member of the Government Team that undertook the successful roadshow to market Ghana to investors. The bond proceeds have been critical in undertaking investments in the energy sector and have also been earmarked for the Kumasi-Accra dual carriageway as well as the Western railway line. Ghana won the Euromoney Award for best bond issue for Emerging Markets.
• Key in the design and implementation of the successful redenomination of the cedi which has been hailed globally. The cedi through this process has strengthened as Ghanaians have found renewed confidence in their currency.
• Key in the design and implementation of the e-zwich common platform for all banks, savings and loans companies and rural banks. This common platform will result in interoperability across different financial institutions and is the first nationwide technologically driven platform for monetary transactions across the country. It has put Ghana on the map as a world leader in the application of biometric smartcard technology for banking the unbanked.
• As the Deputy Governor in charge of financial stability, maintains oversight over the soundness of the banking sector which has continued to be stable.



EDUCATION & WORK EXPERIENCE

• 1991-1995 Ph.D. in Economics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia., Canada

Specilisation: Macroeconomics, International Economics, and Monetary Economics

• 1987-1988 — M.Sc Economics University of Oxford, UK (Lincoln College)

• 1984-1986 — B.Sc. Economics (First Class Hons.), University of Buckingham, UK

• 1982-1984 — Chartered Institute of Bankers Diploma (A.C.I.B) –UK
With distinctions in Monetary Economics, Accountancy, Law and Banking Principles. Emile Woolf College of Accountancy, London, England

• 1975-1982 — Tamale Secondary School – GCE ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels

WORK EXPERIENCE

• June 2006 to present — Deputy Governor, Bank of Ghana

• Member, Monetary Policy Committee
• Chairman, Capital Market Committee

• 2001-06 — Special Assistant to the Governor, Bank of Ghana

• 2001-06 — Head, Monetary Policy and Financial Stability Department, Bank of Ghana

• 2000-01 — Senior Economist, and Head of Economic Analysis, Bank of Ghana Research Department

• 1996-00 — Assistant Professor of Economics, Hankamer School of Business, Baylor University, Texas, USA
• Taught graduate and undergraduate courses in Macroeconomics, Derivatives, and Foreign Exchange Markets. International Trade and International Monetary Economics

• 1994 — Economist, International Monetary Fund. Washington. D.C. Research Department.

• Conducted research on international capital flows and the sequencing of fiscal reforms in developing countries


• “The Determination of Bank Interest Spreads in Ghana: An Empirical Analysis of Panel Data” with Martin Ofori and Franklin Belnye, September 2005
• “Developing a Composite Indicator of Economic Activity in Ghana”, with Benjamin Amoah, Bank of Ghana Working Paper, February 2004
• “A Simple Vector Error Correction Forecasting Model for Ghana”, with Joseph Atta-Mensah, Bank of Ghana Working Paper, August 2003
• “Monetary Growth, Inflation and Exchange Rate Policy in Ghana"
Research Department, Bank of Ghana, Journal of the West African Monetary Institute, 2003
• “The Transmission Mechanism for Monetary Policy in Ghana”, with Philip Abradu-Otoo, Bank of Ghana Policy Paper , August 2003
• “The Determinants of Exchange Rates in Ghana”, with Zakari Mumuni. Bank of Ghana Working Paper. March, 2003
• “The Feasibility of Monetary Union in West Africa”. Mimeo. Economic Commission for Africa, November 2002
• “Comparative Institutional Features of Different Common Central
Banks”, West African Monetary Institute. Mimeo. February, 2002.
• “Designing an Exchange Rate Mechanism for the West African Monetary Zone”, West African Monetary Institute. Mimeo. February 2002
• “Explaining African Economic Growth Performance: The Case of Ghana”, with Ernest Aryeetey and A. Fosu. Paper prepared for the African Economic Research Consortium. April 2001
• "Assessing the effectiveness of Intervention on the Foreign Exchange Market in Ghana". Research Department, Bank of Ghana, February 2000
• "A Review of the Literature of the Impact of Financial Sector Liberalisation on the Poor", with Dr E.K.Y. Addison and Maxwell Opoku Afari, Research Department, Bank of Ghana, August 2000
• "Financial Markets in Africa. Issues and Challenges for Research," with Professor Ernest Aryeetey, ISSER. October 2000 AERC
• “Currency Substitution and Money Demand in Ghana: A Cointegration Analysis”. Research Department, Bank of Ghana, November 2000
• "Why the Apparent Rush to Market Reform"? Journal of Economics, 1999
• "The Sequencing of Fiscal Reform during Structural Adjustment. Lessons from Ghana, Uganda, and Zimbabwe", Comparative Economic Studies, Vol. XXXVIII No.2/3 Summer-Fall 1996
“A Closer Look at The Distributional Impact of Ghana’s Structural Adjustment Program (1983-1992). Journal of Modern African Studies. Vol.36 No.1, March 1998•
“Estimating the Aggregate Values of Human Capital in Sub- Saharan Africa”, co-authored with Samuel A.Laryea. Review of
Human Factor Studies. Vol. III No.1. June 1997
• "Africa, the Challenge of Development". Book Chapter in Stephen. Gardner's Comparative Economic Systems, Dryden 1999



PUBLICATIONS, SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS

• 2007 — Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (FCIB)
• 2000 — Who Is Who Among America’s Teachers? - Baylor University
• 1999 — Young Researcher Award: Baylor University, Texas, USA
1995-1999 — President’s Research Fellowship: Ph.D. Simon Fraser University
• 1991-1995 — 4 Graduate Fellowships: Ph.D. Simon Fraser University, Canada
• 1986 Sir Alan Peacock Prize. Best Economics Student, Department of Economics, University of Buckingham, UK.

VICTORY FOR DEMOCRACY

PARLIAMENT, after an intense debate on the Ghana Telecom (GT)-Vodafone deal, finally voted by a majority decision to approve the Government’s proposal to sell 70 per cent stake in GT to Vodafone.
Reports indicate that in a debate spanning close to three hours, the Minority, in clear terms, stated the reasons for its opposition to the deal while the Majority maintained its stand and also proferred reasons why the deal was best to redeem the dwindling fortunes of GT.
As expected, there had been the usual heckling and name calling with both sides trying to state their cases.
Two days after the parliamentary approval, the nation is still in one piece and poised to move forward after scoring this crucial democratic victory. At least, both sides of the political divide can pat themselves on the back for giving the Ghanaian public the benefit of their incisive arguments and educating the public on the issues involved in the GT-Vodafone deal.
Indeed, both sides raised salient issues that enriched the discussion and helped to provide useful points for the amendment of certain portions of the agreement.
That is what Ghanaians expect from our political leaders — that when the issues get thorny, they will step up public discussion on the issue to throw as much light as possible on them to make Ghanaians better informed on the issues.
The opposition must be commended for deciding to explore the option of dialogue instead of the weapon of walk-out when faced with the likelihood of an uncompromising Majority.
This time round, our honourable parliamentarians from the opposition stayed in the House throughout the entire period of the debate to argue their case. That clearly shows that we have moved a step further and there are good prospects for the future.
The government and the Majority must also be commended for showing the willingness to subject the deal to as much public scrutiny as possible.
In the true spirit of good governance and transparency, the deal was discussed very extensively by representatives of both sides of the political divide in the media.
Now that the government’s proposal has received parliamentary approval, it is time to put the past behind us and move ahead with a united goal.
That goal should be to provide the necessary support, in our own small ways, to ensure that the new telecommunications entity would emerge as a leader in the industry.
No one needs to remind us of the intense competition in the sector, and to be able to overcome the competition, Ghanaians need to recognise that the new entity still has a national identity by virtue of the fact that the government of Ghana still has a 30-per cent stake in Ghana Telecom.
It would be counter-productive and a betrayal of our democratic process to run down GT just because the position one sought on the deal did not get the due parliamentary approval.
It is quite unfortunate that many Ghanaians, despite the fact that GT had been 100 per cent state-owned, preferred other networks to GT and it is our hope that now that there are prospects for a revitalised telecommunications entity as a result of the entry of Vodafone, many Ghanaians would discover their nationalistic fervour.
The DAILY GRAPHIC again congratulates the Speaker of Parliament and all parliamentarians on their exemplary conduct and we hope that this spirit of positive dialogue would be entrenched in our politics.

NO LICENCE FOR DRUNG DRIVING

THE reported sale of alcoholic beverages at lorry stations has caused local officials of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to pitch into each other in a blame game as to who is responsible for such an unhealthy trade.
While the GPRTU maintains that the AMA was responsible for issuing permits to vendors to sell alcoholic beverages at the stations, the Director at the Metro Public Health Department of the AMA rebuts that view.
Nobody, in his right senses, will recommend that drivers take alcoholic beverages before embarking on their journeys. One of the popular phrases by road safety crusaders has always been, “If you drink, don’t drive, if you drive, don’t drink.”
Hence, in as much as local GPRTU officials have the right in bemoaning the activities of alcoholic beverage vendors at their stations, their remonstrance must not end there.
GPRTU and other transport unions over the years have exercised sanctioning powers over its members and that is clearly expressed in the fact that some drivers have forfeited membership of unions or have been compelled to pay fines for their misdemeanours.
In such vein, one finds it difficult to understand why the union would attempt to paint a picture of helplessness on their part as far as curbing the disturbing sale of alcoholic beverages at lorry stations is concerned.
One could argue that by virtue of the fact that the union executives are at the stations to monitor activities, checking the abuse of alcoholic beverages among drivers should not be an arduous task.
Besides, invoking its enforcement and regulatory powers, the GPRTU can also organise education programmes to sensitise their members to the dangers of drunk-driving.
No one needs to tell us that drivers may not necessarily take alcoholic beverages sold at the station but may go outside the station to take hard liquor.
The country continues to witness an alarming spate of motor accidents and it is known that road accidents kill more Ghanaians in a year than HIV/AIDS. Clearly, there is the need to step up road safety campaigns and educate drivers and passengers to be each other’s keeper.
Education on the dangers of drunk-driving must not preclude the vendors of alcoholic beverages as they need to understand the dangers associated with their business. In the end, there is the need to emphasise the fact that the alcoholic vendor can also suffer a loss as a result of road accidents, be it themselves or their relatives.
The quest to address this canker must not be seen as the responsibility of the AMA, GPRTU or the passenger alone. It is a collective responsibility and all hands must be on deck.
The DAILY GRAPHIC also wishes to challenge the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to intensify their monitoring and supervisory activities at the various lorry stations.
We think that both the AMA and the GPRTU will find an effective way of enforcing the regulations governing the operation of any business in their areas of jurisdiction. In doing so, they would require the support of the public, who can play a vital role by sounding the alarm any time our laws are breached.

GT DEBATE RAGES ON

THE President yesterday went in full defence of the government’s decision to sell 70 per cent shares in Ghana Telecom (GT) and predicted that the government would soon be vindicated by its decision.
In a swift response to concerns expressed by the acting Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the President said the deal was in the best interest of Ghanaians.
There is no doubt that the proposed sale of GT shares to Vodafone has generated intense debate and as pointed out by the President a lot of the arguments made against the deal were not of adequate information on the issue.
Indeed, one may also add that a lot of the people clamouring against the proposed sale have been served a consistent and delusive wave of misinformation that paints an alarming picture of the intended sale of the shares.
Short of brazenly arguing for or against the GT-Vodafone deal, those involved in the debate could take a position that may serve a useful purpose if they critically examine the merits and demerits of the deal to find out what is best for the country.
It is not for nothing that the workers of Ghana Telecom have come out strongly in defence of the deal as they are very much aware of the difficulties the company has faced and how it has impacted on their pockets.
As the President points out, it is important to critically listen to what the GT workers are saying, especially as they know how best it feels to operate under the present conditions.
As Parliament debates the issue, the DAILY GRAPHIC again wishes to admonish Members of Parliament (MPs) to place the interest of the nation first and speak to the facts and issues.
In an industry where there are global giants like MTN and tiGO and other internationally renowned firms such as Globacom and Zain entering, our MPs need to critically examine the best options available for GT to operate effectively and beat the competition.
The signs already are not looking very good for the nation’s telecom company, as it is already finding it difficult to stand up to the competition, and with the entry of Zain and Globacom, one shudders to think of what will become of GT.
Despite the fact that GT is state-owned, many Ghanaians prefer other networks, and with the global networking of the other mobile companies, international rates are going to become even more competitive and GT is likely to be worse off, if urgent steps are not taken to address the issue.
But as we debate the issue, the critical question to ask is whether or not those who are opposed to the deal, because the state must control the strategic telecommunications sector, patronise Onetouch services.
Presently, the company is said to be saddled with debts and any serious revitalisation may come at a huge cost to the state; aside paying the debt, there will have to be serious capital injection into GT.
As Ghanaians, we need to ask ourselves whether we are ready to tighten our belts some more and pay more taxes in order to raise the needed capital to revitalise GT.
GT has reached the crossroads and it is time to take a decision that will propel it to new heights.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that at the end of the day good reason will prevail and the right decision will be taken after a dispassionate and not a partisan parliamentary debate.
Let the polemics shake the very foundation of Parliament House today and when the question is put — whether the “ayes” or the “nays” have it, — let us accept the verdict in the spirit of democratic governance.

OUR RIGHTS, OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

PROFESSOR Kofi Quashigah, the acting Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, Legon, has underlined the need for Ghanaians to know their basic rights and responsibilities in order to reduce violence and entrench the principles of democracy in the country.
Professor Quashigah’s call comes at a time when Ghanaians prepare to exercise a key democratic right by way of electing a new president and representatives to Parliament in December.
Recognition of basic rights and obligations is a civic responsibility of every Ghanaian and the pursuance of the various awareness programmes on our rights and obligations must be inspired by the saying that "ignorance of the law is no excuse".
During the just-ended voters registration exercise, reports of abuses of the process and complaints about double registration and the registration of minors were quite widespread.
Clearly, this mirrors the fact that there are still concerns about the appreciation of our rights and obligations as Ghanaians. Indeed, while many Ghanaians are quick to profess their rights under the Constitution, they fail to recognise that rights and obligations go hand-in-hand.
In many facets of life, people perpetuate indiscipline in the name of exercising their rights and sad to relate, in most of these cases the much professed rights have actually been forfeited because of the failure to act in a responsible manner or observe the attached obligations.
As Professor Quasigah rightly puts it, the notion that one needs to be called to the Bar to fully appreciate laws for everyday living is erroneous and very much misplaced. Knowledge of basic laws on the part of the citizenry to guarantee a society of peace and order is not in anyway linked to formal education in law.
Indeed, the Professor’s call raises many fundamental issues on the level of civic education in the country. Time and again, the issue of funding for the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has come up and there have been suggestions that the NCCE needs to be adequately resourced to ensure that it effectively plays its role of educating Ghanaians on their civic rights and responsibilities.
The concept of civic education clubs in schools is a noble one that must be encouraged to ensure that many students join such clubs to gain the requisite education on their rights and responsibilities under the Constitution. Need we remind ourselves that in the days when Civics, Nature Studies and Hygiene were taught in our schools, the youth were more disciplined and there was order in society.
It is time to intensify education on the 1992 Constitution in our schools for students to educate themselves on their basic rights and responsibilities.
The Constitution, in an elaborate and quite exhaustive manner, outlines and explains the rights and responsibilities of the citizenry. In Article 21, the General Fundamental Freedoms are outlined and Article 41 also emphasises that "the exercise and enjoyment of rights and freedoms is inseparable from the performance of duties and obligation".
Perhaps, one often ignores obligations of Ghanaians under the Constitution as captured under Article 41 (f), which states that "it shall be the duty of every citizen to protect and preserve public property and expose and combat the misuse and waste of public funds and property".
Clearly, we are miles away from getting an appreciable level of awareness of our rights and obligations and a radical approach may have to be adopted to address the issue.

DECISION DAY FOR GT-VODAFONE DEAL

PARLIAMENT resumes sitting today to look at the GT-Vodafone Agreement. Whereas the government is defending its decision to sell 70 per cent of GT's shares to Vodafone and workers of GT are rallying behind the government, other notable groups like minority parties, labour unions and churches have opposed the deal.
If one decision has so polarised the country, then it comes only second to the decision to go HIPC in 2001. Perhaps, one can recall the decision to sell GCB shares, which also attracted so much furore, thus, stampeding the government into retreat.
In this particular case of the GT-Vodafone deal, it appears the government is determined to go ahead and those opposed to the government's decision have also vowed to go the extra mile to halt the deal.
Some six leading members of the CPP who also describe themselves as concerned citizens of Ghana have gone to court while the Committee for Joint Action (CJA), a rainbow coalition drawn mainly from the minority parties, are also bent on picketing Parliament House today.
In all these, it is democracy that is at work and we call on supporters of each side of the divide of the GT-Vodafone deal to exercise restraint in putting across their opinions.
We appeal against the use of foul language and any attempt to incite members of the public to violence. The beauty of all the discussion so far is that the matter is being laid before Parliament, the elected representatives of the people, to take a decision.
The DAILY GRAPHIC cautions against any boycott of the emergency sitting today and counsels that all MPs should make an appearance in the House and argue their positions as forcefully as possible.
We expect heckling, name-calling and rowdy scenes but at the end of the day it is hoped that good sense would prevail so that the pros and cons of the GT-Vodafone deal would be made known to the public.
We must remember that in a Parliamentary democracy, majority decision will always prevail so that at the end of the day if the decision by the majority of the members is that 70 per cent of GT shares must go to Vodafone, after all issues have been considered, Ghanaians must respect the decision albeit disappointed.
It is essential to remind ourselves to always be guided by the national interest in the decisions that we make. As representatives of the people, they are bound to make decisions that would advance the cause of humanity.
In all the furore, the bottom line should be a process that would promote the revival of GT. After all, Parliament is the rightful institution where laws are made and agreements are ratified and no person or group of persons must do anything that will usurp the power and authority vested in the House.
Let the Minority have their say and the Majority their way in Parliament today. However, the final decision must not be for political expediency or electoral advantage but to make Ghana a better place.
At the end of the day, let the rule of law be the winner. And let us move forward as one people with one common destiny.

HEART-WARMING DECISION

THE Electoral Commission (EC) has extended the limited voter registration exercise by 48 hours throughout the country.
This, according to the EC, is to enable regional directors of the commission to make arrangements to cater for eligible persons who are still in queues to register.
The Daily Graphic wishes to commend the EC for extending the exercise because it is an indication that the commission has heeded the numerous calls from the general public for such an extension.
Again, the 48-hour extension is most welcome because it comes as a very important intervention to calm the tension, rancour, violence and other challenges that have characterised the exercise.
Much as the decision to extend the exercise is laudable, the EC must endeavour to provide adequate logistics to ensure a smooth exercise. That is because if the shortage of materials persists, then the extension will not have served a good purpose.
We wish to urge the general public to take advantage of the respite to register to enable them to exercise their franchise in the December general election. We also encourage people who are sitting on the fence to endeavour to register so that, collectively, we shall choose our political leaders.
While advising eligible persons wanting to register to comport themselves and ensure orderliness at the registration centres, it is also important to urge electoral officials at the centres to attend to the people on a first-come, first-served basis instead of encouraging favouritism, which tends to generate confusion.
Although a bit late in the day, the announcement by the EC to designate special centres for the physically challenged is good news, since they cannot endure the long hours in queues and the reported violence at some of the centres.
The Daily Graphic wishes to call on the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to exercise its mandate on voter education to ensure, for instance, that people who have registered previously but have moved residences or lost their voter identity cards do not go to the centres to register again.
It has been observed that these instances have contributed to the long queues at the registration centres and if people are made to understand this, many of the problems we are experiencing at the centres would be minimum.
Whatever the situation, it is the expectation of Ghanaians that the EC has learnt useful lessons from its underestimation of the exercise in order to plan for the future.
The Daily Graphic reminds the various political parties to educate their supporters on the need to ensure order at the registration centres. It is unfortunate that the political parties have not been able to educate their supporters to appreciate the fact that the December election is not a “do or die” affair for which reason they must employ all tactics, whether fair or foul, to gain advantage even during the registration process.
The 48-hour extension offers the best opportunity for all to join forces with the EC to ensure the success of this year’s general election and to forge peace, unity and progress for our common good.

CHINA SHOWCASES MODERN OLYMPIAD

GHANA yesterday joined the world to celebrate the spirit of the Olympics as the 29th summer Olympic Games opened in Beijing with a breathtaking opening ceremony at the Olympic stadium in front of an estimated 90,000 spectators. The event was graced by 80 world leaders including our President J. A. Kufuor. Other leaders were U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; US President George W. Bush; French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Russian Premier Vladimir Putin.
For the next 16 days, the eyes of the world will be on Beijing and yesterday’s opening ceremony, watched by over one billion TV audience worldwide, was indeed a feast for the eyes. The Chinese promised to stage the most spectacular Games, and yesterday their architectural masterpiece of a stadium, appropriately named Bird’s Nest, provided sights never seen before and set the stage for a showpiece event.
Often derided by the West for a plethora of ills, from political to environmental, the Chinese are determined to seize the moment to revel in their glorious past and use the universal language of sports to unleash their potential and celebrate humanity and the ideals of the Olympic Movement.
In choosing the Games slogan, ‘One World, One Dream’, the organisers hope to use the global gathering to give the world a better understanding of Chinese values. It was therefore in the spirit of sports that some of China’s fiercest critics, particularly President Bush, joined the ‘Beijing-ers’ to manifest the spirit of the slogan.
China expects to play a perfect host at the most expensive Games ever, for it is estimated that the Beijing Games cost $43 billion, dwarfing the $15 billion budget for Athens 2004. It is hoped that true sportsmanship and camaraderie will reign over other socio-political issues, scandals and controversies that often jostle for prominence in the shadows.
With 10,500 athletes from a record 204 nations chasing 302 gold medals in 28 sports, there will certainly be a high level of competition among the world’s elite sports stars battling to steal the limelight with a fistful of medals.
The Olympics is often considered to be the ultimate athletic achievement. In the intense pursuit of sporting excellence, stories of true sportsmanship shine. A greater number of participants will leave the 29th Olympiad with fond memories about a beguiling festival in Beijing but with no medal to show. Such majority epitomise the ethos of the Olympic Movement, which emphasises participation rather than winning.
It is in this spirit that the DAILY GRAPHIC urges Ghanaians not to raise their expectations too high as regards this relatively small team of nine and rather look at the essence of their participation. As they filed into the stadium, the Ghana flag for a moment caught the world’s attention as the Ghanaian contingent displayed the richness of Ghana’s Kente. That was the priceless global publicity that participating countries enjoy.
It must be heart-warming to note that after the mass boycotts of the Olympics in 1976, 1980 and 1984, boycotts now seem to be things of the past.
At present, the fight is rather against the shadowy and manipulative side of sports as a result of the inordinate desire by drug cheats to win at all cost.
The huge cost of hosting Games of this magnitude suggests that very few African cities can dream of hosting the Olympics. It requires massive investment in infrastructure that perhaps only South Africa can match at the moment.
Ghana may be nursing a dream of hosting the Games in 2032, some 24 years away, and for such a dream to become a reality the country’s rate of socio-economic development must be doubled in order to have a realistic chance of putting together a potentially successful bid.
We salute the Chinese for their hard work and the spectacular display. And for the next 16 days, sports fans look forward to nothing but the best.

A WELCOME RELIEF

A LAUDABLE mortgage scheme to provide homes for public servants has begun with the first batch of public servants benefiting from the scheme by the end of this month.
Under the management of the HFC Bank, the Public Sector Employees Housing Scheme aims at providing a ready solution to one of the difficult challenges many workers in the country face — the acquisition of affordable homes.
For many public sector workers this is indeed a worthy scheme, considering the many problems that sometimes tend to inundate those who attempt to acquire homes.
From the first stage of land acquisition to the registration and development of the land, some workers face many obstacles that put them through dire straits.
Double or multiple sale of land by some landowners and even people pretending to be land owners is well known across the country as one of the major causes, if not the major reason, for land disputes in the country. The consequence is that our courts have been saddled with many land cases that are having a toll on the legal system and thus compelling the Judicial Service to designate courts to deal with land litigation.
A well-managed mortgage scheme, thus, comes to deal with the many concerns and subsequently raise the hopes of many workers for a good future and a comfortable retirement.
Indeed, in the 1980s the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) embarked on a scheme to provide housing units for the people, including workers, but somehow the scheme lost popularity as a result of the difficulty workers encountered in their bid to take advantage of the scheme.
Mortgage schemes were unattractive in the past because of the swift decline of the cedi against all major currencies and also because the prices of the houses were denominated in foreign exchange, thus making the payment terms suffocating.
Today, the interest rates and foreign exchange regimes are better and almost all the banks in the country have introduced competitive mortgage facilities that workers can take advantage of. However, one impediment to the wholesale patronage of such schemes appears to be the ignorance of most workers about the schemes and the packages therein.
For many workers, home mortgage is a ‘no go area’ because of the notion that the banks are out to rip off innocent workers with exorbitant schemes. The psychological or fear factor is real and this is one area the banks must seek to address to help many more Ghanaians to become home owners.
While the DAILY GRAPHIC encourages Ghanaians to patronise such schemes, we also wish to admonish the banks to provide competitive packages for workers seeking housing mortgages.
Although as business entities they are very well justified to invest with a profit motive, there should be reasonableness in projected profit margins to ensure that the schemes remain attractive to Ghanaians.
We also wish to implore the banks and estate developers to embark on such schemes well aware of the need to factor in important social amenities such as police posts or stations, post offices, communications facilities, schools and hospitals for such residential facilities.
Again, there should be proper collaboration with the relevant town and country planning agencies and departments, as well as local authorities, to ensure that such residential facilities are well-planned.
It is hoped that this scheme will not fizzle into thin air after a few workers have benefited from it, but that steps will be taken to ensure that there is the need for both workers and the banks to embrace it with a positive attitude.

AGBOGBLOSHIE DEATH TRAP

OUR front page story today reveals worrying environmental and sanitation pollution at Agbogbloshie in Accra as a result of the dumping of e-waste at a refuse dump in the area.
According to the story, heaps of old computers and accessories that are unusable are continuously being dumped at the place without due regard to the environmental implications.
Also worrying is the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) so far has not acted to address the concerns and, thus, the harm to the environment and to human health persists.
As a developing country, we have been saddled with numerous environmental and sanitation challenges, and the more we try to overcome these challenges, the more we are faced with daunting concerns that deserve urgent attention.
Indeed, the threat of e-waste on our environment and indeed human life is beginning to attract international review.
It is believed most of the e-waste dumped here is from European, American and Japanese manufacturers and this has been an issue of investigation by GREENPEACE International, an independent global environmental advocacy organisation.
In an investigative trip to the country, the Netherlands-based organisation described Ghana as the latest place where they had discovered high tech toxic trash causing horrendous pollution.
Many Ghanaians may be oblivious of the dangers of e-waste but on the quiet obsolete electronic equipment that are often laden with toxic chemicals like lead and mercury with the potential to cause cancer, as well as brain and nervous system disorders, may be spelling the doom of innocent Ghanaians. In children, some of the chemicals are believed to interfere with their sexual reproductive systems.
Interestingly, most of the e-waste understandably is imported into the country from Europe, America and Asia under illegal circumstances.
The GREENPEACE report notes that containers filled with old and often broken computers, monitors and TVs — from world reputed brands including Philips, Canon, Dell, Microsoft, Nokia, Siemens and Sony — arrive in Ghana from Germany, Korea, Switzerland and The Netherlands under the false label of “second-hand goods”.
The threat may continue to loom especially as presently the country does not seem to have clearly defined guidelines or policies on the disposal of such waste.
Perhaps, as a country we are waking up to the threat but it should not take us long to realise that it is a danger too high to be dealt with in “our own time”. The need for urgent action is very pressing and the EPA and the various sanitation agencies need to move swiftly.
The DAILY GRAPHIC also wishes to challenge other relevant state agencies, departments and indeed all Ghanaians to wake up and fight such dumping practices, to protect the environment and human lives.

ESTABLISHING VALUES FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE

THE third in the series of the Daily Graphic Governance Dialogue, an initiative instituted by the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), opened in Accra yesterday on the theme, “Effective Democratic Governance: The Role of Stakeholders”.
The objectives of the dialogue include learning about the multi-dimensional aspects involved in the governance of a nation and making civil society aware of their roles in shaping the destiny of their countries by influencing and strengthening the legislative process.
The timing of the dialogue is very appropriate, essentially because four months from now Ghana will go to the polls to elect a new President to succeed President John Agyekum Kufuor, who will be completing his eight-year tenure.
It is very refreshing to note that the annual Daily Graphic Governance Dialogue has the overall objective to provide a platform to highlight governance issues in Africa to help improve the quality of life of its peoples.
It is an undeniable fact that most conflicts on the continent and elsewhere in the world were the result of disputed or flawed electoral processes and, therefore, it is obligatory for all stakeholders to contribute to efforts to ensure free, fair and transparent elections.
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Joe Ghartey, was brutally frank with the participants and invited guests who thronged the Accra International Conference Centre for the opening session of the Dialogue when he said “since we are all stakeholders in this enterprise called Ghana, we need to secure it for our collective good and prosperity; we all should play our role in ensuring that the integrity of the election is without a shadow of doubt”.
It is also profound that the Attorney-General was optimistic about the future by reminding us that “as we stand at the threshold of a new Ghana, ruled by a better man or the best man, we should all be committed to moving forward”.
These admonitions are wake-up calls to Ghanaians of all persuasions and creed to protect the peace and tranquillity being enjoyed in Ghana for which we have been recognised as the haven for good governance on a continent troubled by turbulence and failed states.
We are encouraged by the quality of participation in the Dialogue by the cream of society eager to trade ideas with the view to prescribing measures to safeguard the democracy that we have nurtured since the return to constitutional rule in 1992.
By this singular effort, the Graphic Communications Group Limited is contributing tremendously towards the entrenchment of democratic values in Ghana, the sub-region and the rest of Africa.
The lessons from Ghana and Nigeria clearly show that elections can be a key element either in conflict resolution or escalation. Free, fair and transparent elections are essential for the consolidation of democracy and the prevention of conflict.
It is the cherished hope of the DAILY GRAPHIC that the interactive discourse would provide some answers to the governance challenges on the continent to guarantee accountability, transparency and equity in the allocation and management of public resources.
We call on all Ghanaians to make a pledge to play it fair during the run-up to Election 2008 so that the outcome of the polls on December 7 will represent the wishes of the electorate. When we abide by the rules, there will be no “Stolen Verdict” or “Bought Verdict” and Ghana would have established itself as a strong democratic state.

GHANA WON'T BURN

The impressive turnout at the registration centres, especially by the youth, to register and be on the Electoral Roll demonstrates the growing recognition of the power of the ballot box.
All over the country, the youth who have attained the age of 18, have been queuing to register since the exercise began on July 31, 2008, and we can say that areas that have recorded disturbances represent isolated cases rather than the general trend across the 5,000 registration centres.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has said time and time again that all stakeholders, including the political parties, the electorate, security agencies and the EC itself, have a responsibility for the conduct of any election.
True, the registration exercise applies not to all but to only certain categories of the populace. But it would be naive for anybody to suggest that the challenges thus facing the voter registration exercise is a foretaste of what is to come during the general election. That position can only be a figment of the imagination of those who wish the downfall of the country.
So, in this case, the political parties have a crucial role to play in the EC’s desire to come out with a credible register. The political parties must therefore not undermine the exercise by encouraging minors and other unqualified people to register.
Indeed, the ugly noises being made by some political activists that certain people are bent on undermining the process in order to gain advantage in the December elections must not be encouraged.
The EC has clear-cut regulations governing the registration exercise and it is incumbent on political parties to adhere strictly to the laid-down rules.
They simply cannot claim to be unaware of the processes of registering their grievances at the registration centres. The blame game particularly between the ruling party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and the biggest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), only inflames passion rather than build the culture of healthy rivalry in the political contest.
The EC has made available Challenge Forms at all registration centres to facilitate protests or challenges by those who feel that people who are ineligible are being encouraged to register. There should not be violence at the centres if the political parties have accordingly educated their polling agents and advised them to fill out the Challenge Forms to enable them to protest against the ineligibility of a potential voter.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is saddened that the incidents reported in the Tamale metropolis at the weekend have been trumpeted to create the impression that Tamale was engulfed in violence, and that a bloodbath was in the offing.
We appeal to all to stop demonising our brothers and sisters in the northern part of the country and encourage them to take advantage of the strengths inherent in our diversity instead of allowing self-seekers to exploit our political differences.
The DAILY GRAPHIC does not want to believe that somebody has an agenda to create the impression that the country cannot conduct peaceful elections in December. If someone harbours that notion, then that person should revise his or her notes because the good people of Ghana are determined to use the ballot box to change their government rather than through violence or the bullet.
Ghana will not burn at the instigation of anybody, not even the agent provocateur.

NO EXCUSE FOR CHILD TRAFFICKING

PRESENT-DAY economic hardships are forcing individuals and families to resort to various means of survival, whether fair or foul.
At the moment, child trafficking seems to be the easiest way out for some parents and individuals. Each passing day, children are taken away either by parental consent or forcibly to places far away from their homes to engage in back-breaking tasks.
Parents give away their children some as young as five years for a pittance with promises from the traffickers of good education and apprenticeship in chosen trades. Often they turn out to be mere promises.
Once the deals are sealed and the children handed over to the traffickers, they are made to literally live through hell — some are used to beg for alms for their masters, others as farmhands and yet others are made to work in deep waters on the Volta Lake.
The issue of child trafficking is gradually becoming a menace, seemingly overshadowing the efforts to curb it. In recent times, there have been some efforts to redeem the children from their masters and reunite them with their parents while some form of financial assistance has been given to their parents to enable them to engage in income-generating activities so they can take care of their children.
However, as has become too common in Ghana nowadays, many people are still chasing the elusive “get rich quick” attitude and the practice seems to have gained more grounds.
What is more worrying now is the fact that the practice, which used to be common along the coastal belt and the predominant farming areas, is fast becoming a cross-border business.
Barely a week of reporting the arrest of six men who tried to transport 17 children from Garu in the Upper East Region to Cote d’Ivoire, there is another incident, again in the Western Region, as the police intercepted a bus loaded with 155 children being taken to Anlotuape in Cote d’Ivoire to work as farmhands or help either the fishermen or fishmongers.
While the DAILY GRAPHIC commends the Western Regional Police for their vigilance, we still are compelled to believe that much is not being done to make this practice unattractive.
For, how can anyone explain how the children from Garu were brought all the way from the Upper East Region to the Western Region without any of the security agencies on that route noticing them?
There must be a more proactive way to send the message that, as a country, we are determined to curb this menace, and it is the responsibility of the law enforcement agencies to come together to fight it. Arresting the culprits is not enough.
They must be prosecuted in the fastest time possible, given stiff sentences that will deter others from engaging in that dehumanising act.
Stories are told of how in the past, parents sold their jewellery and other personal belongings to enable them see their children through school and these children who appreciated what their parents did, have become responsible adults in respectable professions and in a better position to give back to their parents, what they invested in them. Ironically, the tables have turned and some parents think the best way of survival is to sell their children.
The DAILY GRAPHIC appreciates the fact that things are pretty tough for some people and most of them are at their wits’ end to provide decent living for themselves and their dependants. But selling children for economic benefits is a very simplistic way of dealing with the present-day challenges.
The rate of child trafficking is increasing and society needs to make concerted efforts now to fight it — parents, family members, the community and, most important, the state as well as security apparatus, to nip this menace in the bud.

MAINTAIN PEACE AT REGISTRATION CENTRES

THE reopening of the voters register on Thursday recorded a high turnout across the country, sending very strong signals about the keen interest the people of Ghana have in the electoral process.
This is a demonstration that the people have realised the power that they command through the thumb. Therefore, no qualified Ghanaian must be hindered in any way from exercising his or her franchise by being prevented from registering to take part in national polls.
However, the positive signals may be short-lived and bitter in view of some reported skirmishes at a few centres. We detest all such actions and call on those who are bent on disrupting the electoral process to be wary of the repercussions and resort to the law, not violence. They should not forget that two wrongs do not make a right and that they will be punished the same way as those they intend to correct wrongly.
Some of the reported clashes relate to the eligibility of people who want to register because they have just turned 18 and others who are obviously more than 18. There is yet another group of people whose citizenship status is in doubt, those who want to engage in double registration, minors who are lured by others to register, among other reasons.
There is no doubt that some of the concerns raised may be genuine, for which there are prescribed routes of redress, instead of the resort to brute force.
Within the 11 days that the exercise is supposed to last, potential voters who have turned 18 and those who did not have the opportunity to register during the last registration exercise are expected to grab the opportunity offered them this time round to be part of the epoch event on December 7, this year.
For this reason, it will not be strange to see some people who are more than 18 taking advantage to register. For one reason or another, such people could not take part in the last exercise but now they have found it necessary to do so.
Nothing prevents such people from being registered. Therefore, anybody who doubts the eligibility of anyone registering should lodge a complaint at the right time and at the appropriate quarters. When that is done, electoral officials should not take those complaints lightly. They should rather be vigilant and subject such people to serious interrogation to verify their claims.
Often, issues regarding people’s age and citizenship are emotive matters because of the situation we find ourselves in. Most births are not registered and so when people are asked about their ages, they just use certain events to calculate them.
Similarly, many people are parading the streets of Ghana who are not Ghanaians but because they can speak one local language or another they claim to be Ghanaians so that they can enjoy some rights as Ghanaians.
As a reminder, the electoral officers should be tactful in handling any such complaints that come before them to avert violence to ensure a successful exercise.
No violence or bloodshed should presage the December elections, which will mark a turning point in our political dispensation and demonstrate to the world that Ghanaians want to cruise through another elections successfully and be role models on the continent.
The Daily Graphic calls on everybody to remember that cheating will do no one any good, since the law will deal with those who cheat in whatever form. The police should act with dispatch when reports of any skirmishes are reported to them.
We call on everybody who is eligible to register to do so within the period so that all can participate in the governance process of the country. Otherwise, they will be reminded of the popular but unpalatable saying of a politician, that “In a country where the wise refuse to participate in governance, they will be governed by fools.”