THE saying that “when two elephants fight it is the grass that suffers” holds true in the ongoing impasse between the government and the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) over salary negotiations for doctors.
Negotiations between the government and doctors for salary adjustment were deadlocked following the refusal of the GMA to accept the seven per cent salary increment for 2009 proposed by the government.
Strikes by doctors and other health professionals in the past have led to avoidable deaths and aggravation of the challenges in the health sector.
It is, therefore, refreshing that the GMA and the Fair Wages Commission (FWC) have begun meetings aimed at reaching a consensus on the issues of salary increment and allowances for doctors.
Unlike in the past when negotiations between the government and the doctors dragged on, it is good news that this time around the GMA and the FWC are reported to be reaching compromises in order to arrive at a consensus on the contentious issues of salary increment and allowances.
In a communiqué adopted recently at its Fourth National Executive Council Meeting in Bolgatanga, the GMA appealed to the government to urgently implement the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between it and the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, on May 26, this year, else the doctors would advise themselves.
It quoted the doctors as saying that they would not accept the proposed seven per cent increment, since public sector workers had been given a 17 per cent pay rise.
The DAILY GRAPHIC concedes that we are in very trying times when many working people find it difficult to make ends meet.
On the face value, what the government has offered the doctors is peanut, especially compared with what was given public sector workers, but we believe that it did so on account of what is available in its coffers.
Our economy is in very dire straits and the exigencies of our time require that everybody accepts to sacrifice a little, so that the country’s burden can be shared equally.
The agitation on the labour front shows that every worker or labour union is making demands based on its bargaining power. These series of agitation only stampede the government into taking ad hoc measures to meet the demands of the working class, which sometimes cannot be sustained.
Now that the labour front is boiling, the DAILY GRAPHIC reminds the FWC to speed up the processes towards the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) in 2010.
We do not want to pretend that the implementation of the SSSS will end agitation on the labour front. However, if for nothing at all, it will address the distortions in wage relativities across professions and on the labour front because wages and salaries administration will be grounded on best practices and not by the whims of the government and employers.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, appeals to our doctors to exercise restraint in their demand for salary adjustment and their threat to lay down their tools because the government has demonstrated enough commitment to the implementation of the SSSS.
Doctors need better conditions of service in order to maintain their keep, but in all their agitation they should remember their Hippocratic Oath that enjoins them to safeguard the sanctity of life.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
MAKING AGRICULTURE MORE ATTRACTIVE (JULY 30, 2009)
FROM a net exporter of staples such as maize and rice in the 1970s, Ghana today imports rice to the tune of several hundred millions of cedis per annum.
The country imports maize and sometimes plantain and cocoyam to supplement local production, which falls below demand.
It is, however, becoming increasingly clear that we do not want to make agriculture very attractive to the youth. After 52 years of independence our agriculture is still largely rain-fed with a very small percentage of the land under irrigation to facilitate farming activities throughout the year.
Agriculture is also a high risk venture for our banks because it is difficult for the banks to lend at concessionary rates to farmers with deposits mobilised from customers. Thus, our farmers compete for the scarce facilities at the banks with traders at almost the same rates. We cannot stimulate agricultural production under these harsh conditions.
The challenge with food production transcends the unfriendly land tenure system. Inputs which are critical for increased food production such as seeds, fertilisers and farm implements are delivered late to the farmers or supplied at exorbitant prices when the farming season is over.
We are being told that the weather is very conducive for a bumper harvest this fishing season but this golden opportunity is being frustrated by the lack of premix fuel in the system.
Ghanaians who witnessed the successes attained during the Operation Feed Yourself (OFY) programme under the Acheampong regime look back to those glorious days with nostalgia and with high expectations that pretty soon our government will put together a package that will make agriculture the centrepiece of our development agenda.
The DAILY GRAPHIC thinks the decision by the government to set up an Agricultural Development Fund through which farmers and fishermen can borrow at reduced interest rates is a step in the right direction.
This initiative will provide the banks with no option but to lend at affordable rates to the farmers and end the perennial struggle that those in the agricultural sector such as farmers, fishermen and poultry farmers go through, competing with traders to access credit at commercial rates from the banks.
It is our hope that the committee that the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, said had been tasked to work out the modalities for the implementation of the fund will hit the “ground running” immediately to get the package off the ground.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is concerned about our inability to feed ourselves, especially when we live in a country in which about 70 per cent of its population are engaged in agriculture and its related businesses.
The time has come for the government and all the stakeholders to work out the modalities to exploit our rich natural resources to become self-sufficient in food production.
The revival of the Youth-in-Agriculture programme introduced during the first administration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), it is hoped, will galvanise the youth to take to agriculture.
The sages say “a hungry man is an angry man” and this saying is founded in the belief that most civil disturbances are fuelled by people in deprivation. It is not good enough to subject ourselves to deprivation in the midst of plenty.
Let us demonstrate our dignity as a people by ending our over-dependence on others to put food on our table.
The country imports maize and sometimes plantain and cocoyam to supplement local production, which falls below demand.
It is, however, becoming increasingly clear that we do not want to make agriculture very attractive to the youth. After 52 years of independence our agriculture is still largely rain-fed with a very small percentage of the land under irrigation to facilitate farming activities throughout the year.
Agriculture is also a high risk venture for our banks because it is difficult for the banks to lend at concessionary rates to farmers with deposits mobilised from customers. Thus, our farmers compete for the scarce facilities at the banks with traders at almost the same rates. We cannot stimulate agricultural production under these harsh conditions.
The challenge with food production transcends the unfriendly land tenure system. Inputs which are critical for increased food production such as seeds, fertilisers and farm implements are delivered late to the farmers or supplied at exorbitant prices when the farming season is over.
We are being told that the weather is very conducive for a bumper harvest this fishing season but this golden opportunity is being frustrated by the lack of premix fuel in the system.
Ghanaians who witnessed the successes attained during the Operation Feed Yourself (OFY) programme under the Acheampong regime look back to those glorious days with nostalgia and with high expectations that pretty soon our government will put together a package that will make agriculture the centrepiece of our development agenda.
The DAILY GRAPHIC thinks the decision by the government to set up an Agricultural Development Fund through which farmers and fishermen can borrow at reduced interest rates is a step in the right direction.
This initiative will provide the banks with no option but to lend at affordable rates to the farmers and end the perennial struggle that those in the agricultural sector such as farmers, fishermen and poultry farmers go through, competing with traders to access credit at commercial rates from the banks.
It is our hope that the committee that the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, said had been tasked to work out the modalities for the implementation of the fund will hit the “ground running” immediately to get the package off the ground.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is concerned about our inability to feed ourselves, especially when we live in a country in which about 70 per cent of its population are engaged in agriculture and its related businesses.
The time has come for the government and all the stakeholders to work out the modalities to exploit our rich natural resources to become self-sufficient in food production.
The revival of the Youth-in-Agriculture programme introduced during the first administration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), it is hoped, will galvanise the youth to take to agriculture.
The sages say “a hungry man is an angry man” and this saying is founded in the belief that most civil disturbances are fuelled by people in deprivation. It is not good enough to subject ourselves to deprivation in the midst of plenty.
Let us demonstrate our dignity as a people by ending our over-dependence on others to put food on our table.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
PRUDENT DECISION (JULY 29)
THE people of the Northern Region in general and Tamale in particular have been crying for the rehabilitation of the Tamale Teaching Hospital for many years now.
The hospital was upgraded into a teaching hospital to provide the facilities for teaching and research for students of the University for Development Studies (UDS) undertaking studies in medicine and its related programmes.
The facility, which is the major referral hospital serving the three northern regions, has, by accident or design, been left to deteriorate.
Reports have it that since the construction of the hospital in 1974, there has not been any comprehensive rehabilitation of the facility, leading to the present deterioration of equipment and physical structures, some of which have developed deep cracks and leaking roofs.
Although administrators of health facilities are doing their best within limited budgetary constraints to keep the facilities functional, many of our health institutions require major rehabilitation now.
Time and again our governments have assured us of their readiness to rehabilitate the Tamale Teaching Hospital and in some cases they have disclosed the amount of money earmarked for the project.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is happy that the government has approved 39 million euros for the rehabilitation of the teaching hospital.
The project, which is set to take off by December this year, will include the reconstruction of some parts of the hospital in order to expand the facilities for the growing population of the three northern regions.
We commend the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, for his personal commitment to the rehabilitation project and hope that he will crack the whip in case some of the officials of the ministry and the Ghana Health Service attempt to delay its implementation.
The pledge by the government will be received with cautious optimism by the people of the three northern regions because of the inability of pastgovernments in fulfilling similar pledges.
If for reasons beyond our control we cannot provide health facilities at the doorstep of the people in the north, we should do well to maintain the facilities at our disposal for the good of the people.
Our health facilities cannot be said to be evenly spread across the country but what we have can meet the primary and tertiary health needs of our people if they are properly managed and maintained.
The facilities at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, if properly maintained and managed, can attract patients from Burkina Faso and beyond.
We, therefore, agree with Dr Yankey’s expectations when he said, “We want to make Ghana a medical tourism hub in West Africa in order to enable the sector to also generate enough foreign exchange for the country.”
The National Cardio-Thoracic Centre, the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and the 37 Military Hospital, all in Accra, as well as the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, are health facilities that cater for the health needs of clients not only in Ghana but in the West African sub-region and beyond.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on the government to put in extra effort to bring our health facilities to the standards pertaining elsewhere in the world.
The success of the National Health Insurance Scheme lies in the readiness of our health facilities to deliver to the expectation of premium holders.
The hospital was upgraded into a teaching hospital to provide the facilities for teaching and research for students of the University for Development Studies (UDS) undertaking studies in medicine and its related programmes.
The facility, which is the major referral hospital serving the three northern regions, has, by accident or design, been left to deteriorate.
Reports have it that since the construction of the hospital in 1974, there has not been any comprehensive rehabilitation of the facility, leading to the present deterioration of equipment and physical structures, some of which have developed deep cracks and leaking roofs.
Although administrators of health facilities are doing their best within limited budgetary constraints to keep the facilities functional, many of our health institutions require major rehabilitation now.
Time and again our governments have assured us of their readiness to rehabilitate the Tamale Teaching Hospital and in some cases they have disclosed the amount of money earmarked for the project.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is happy that the government has approved 39 million euros for the rehabilitation of the teaching hospital.
The project, which is set to take off by December this year, will include the reconstruction of some parts of the hospital in order to expand the facilities for the growing population of the three northern regions.
We commend the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, for his personal commitment to the rehabilitation project and hope that he will crack the whip in case some of the officials of the ministry and the Ghana Health Service attempt to delay its implementation.
The pledge by the government will be received with cautious optimism by the people of the three northern regions because of the inability of pastgovernments in fulfilling similar pledges.
If for reasons beyond our control we cannot provide health facilities at the doorstep of the people in the north, we should do well to maintain the facilities at our disposal for the good of the people.
Our health facilities cannot be said to be evenly spread across the country but what we have can meet the primary and tertiary health needs of our people if they are properly managed and maintained.
The facilities at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, if properly maintained and managed, can attract patients from Burkina Faso and beyond.
We, therefore, agree with Dr Yankey’s expectations when he said, “We want to make Ghana a medical tourism hub in West Africa in order to enable the sector to also generate enough foreign exchange for the country.”
The National Cardio-Thoracic Centre, the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and the 37 Military Hospital, all in Accra, as well as the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, are health facilities that cater for the health needs of clients not only in Ghana but in the West African sub-region and beyond.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on the government to put in extra effort to bring our health facilities to the standards pertaining elsewhere in the world.
The success of the National Health Insurance Scheme lies in the readiness of our health facilities to deliver to the expectation of premium holders.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
FISHING AND THE PRE-MIX FUEL ISSUE (JULY 28)
AS the fishing season draws closer to its peak, with high expectations of a bumper harvest, fishermen in the country have been left in limbo following the reported shortage of premix fuel on the market, making it difficult for fishermen to make a good catch.
From Keta, Tema, Accra, Cape Coast, through to Axim, fishermen have expressed deep concern over the situation and called on the government to take steps to address it.
Although officials of the Premix Fuel Secretariat have described the shortage as temporary and even claimed last week that they released more than 405,000 litres of the product for exclusive distribution in the fishing communities, enquiries indicate that the problem is far from resolved.
As a result, many fishermen have abandoned their canoes at the beaches with no hope in sight. Meanwhile, assurances that normal supply of the product will be restored on the market soon are not generating the desired hope.
While the public is being deprived of the anticipated bumper catch, which is expected to reduce the price of fish on the market, the perennial nature of the problem has occasioned calls for the abolition of the government policy on subsidising premix fuel.
The chief advocate of this position is the President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Mr Tony Oteng-Gyasi, who has articulated the view that the solution to the acute shortage of premix fuel is for the government to remove the subsidy on the product and allow fishermen to buy it at the market price.
According to him, the policy, as it stands now, lends itself to corruption and so abolishing it will clean the system of corrupt practices.
He further argued that instead of the subsidy on premix fuel, the government should rather subsidise the cost incurred by fishermen in storing fish in cold stores in order to ensure that only fishermen who used premix fuel for the intended purpose benefited from the facility.
Having considered the perennial problem associated with the supply of premix fuel and the subsequent effect it has had on the occupation of fishermen in the country, the DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the time has come for the government to take another look at its policy on subsidising premix fuel.
Certainly, nobody needs to be told that the policy, in its current form, is fraught with many problems and a review will be a very prudent exercise to undertake to salvage the fishing industry from its present predicament.
In as much as the suggestion made by Mr Oteng-Gyasi to remove the subsidy on premix fuel and rather subside the storage of fish for fishermen may be laudable, there is the need to explore other alternatives to bring a lasting solution to this problem.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, supports the holding of a stakeholders’ meeting, including fishermen, who are the direct beneficiaries, to address the issue.
We firmly believe that there can be a better way of dealing with the premix fuel challenge and the earlier we do it, the better it will be for the nation.
From Keta, Tema, Accra, Cape Coast, through to Axim, fishermen have expressed deep concern over the situation and called on the government to take steps to address it.
Although officials of the Premix Fuel Secretariat have described the shortage as temporary and even claimed last week that they released more than 405,000 litres of the product for exclusive distribution in the fishing communities, enquiries indicate that the problem is far from resolved.
As a result, many fishermen have abandoned their canoes at the beaches with no hope in sight. Meanwhile, assurances that normal supply of the product will be restored on the market soon are not generating the desired hope.
While the public is being deprived of the anticipated bumper catch, which is expected to reduce the price of fish on the market, the perennial nature of the problem has occasioned calls for the abolition of the government policy on subsidising premix fuel.
The chief advocate of this position is the President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Mr Tony Oteng-Gyasi, who has articulated the view that the solution to the acute shortage of premix fuel is for the government to remove the subsidy on the product and allow fishermen to buy it at the market price.
According to him, the policy, as it stands now, lends itself to corruption and so abolishing it will clean the system of corrupt practices.
He further argued that instead of the subsidy on premix fuel, the government should rather subsidise the cost incurred by fishermen in storing fish in cold stores in order to ensure that only fishermen who used premix fuel for the intended purpose benefited from the facility.
Having considered the perennial problem associated with the supply of premix fuel and the subsequent effect it has had on the occupation of fishermen in the country, the DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the time has come for the government to take another look at its policy on subsidising premix fuel.
Certainly, nobody needs to be told that the policy, in its current form, is fraught with many problems and a review will be a very prudent exercise to undertake to salvage the fishing industry from its present predicament.
In as much as the suggestion made by Mr Oteng-Gyasi to remove the subsidy on premix fuel and rather subside the storage of fish for fishermen may be laudable, there is the need to explore other alternatives to bring a lasting solution to this problem.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, supports the holding of a stakeholders’ meeting, including fishermen, who are the direct beneficiaries, to address the issue.
We firmly believe that there can be a better way of dealing with the premix fuel challenge and the earlier we do it, the better it will be for the nation.
THE HARD ROAD TO RECOVERY (JULY 27, 2009)
THE global economic downturn has, since last year, disturbed the steady growth of our economy.
During the last quarter of last year, rising crude oil prices and high food prices combined to upset the Ghanaian economy and, by extension, the well-being of the people.
The first half of this year has been particularly trying for our economy. During the period, the value of the cedi plummeted further against all the major currencies, throwing into disarray the budget of the government, households and companies, while inflation and cost of living also soared.
Frankly speaking, the trend ruffled the plan by the NDC administration to hit the ground running in its quest to build a better Ghana.
The rising cost of living has created economic and social tension among the people as each passing day they look on helplessly because the credit crunch has impacted negatively on their lifestyles.
The good news, however, is that with support from our development partners through the injection of credit, the economy is on the road to recovery.
But this is not the time for complacency because the road ahead to attaining the goals set out in the government’s budget statement will be rough.
The situation, therefore, calls for more sacrifices from both the government and the governed.
It is against this background that the Daily Graphic thinks the assurance given by the Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, at the Ghana Club 100 awards ceremony organised last Friday night that the government intended to reduce inflation to 14 per cent by the end of the year through the adoption of pragmatic policies and measures would calm the nerves of the people, especially the business community.
Rising inflation and high interest rate have rendered our country a high-cost business destination environment on the continent.
The Daily Graphic believes that the business community will welcome initiatives such as the austerity measures announced in this year’s budget to put the economy on an even keel and make the country more attractive for business.
We believe that the stabilisation of the cedi should serve as a major boost to the operations of business concerns which have had their budgets disrupted over the last six months because of fluctuations in the value of the cedi.
The Daily Graphic, therefore, calls on the government to keep to the programme outlined in the budget so that the business environment will be conducive enough to attract the necessary support to create more wealth and jobs for the people.
There is no shortcut to recovery; we can only overcome the economic challenges through hard work, sacrifice, as well as the strict adherence to rules and regulations.
Tough times lie ahead but we shall endure if all of us put our shoulders to the wheel.
During the last quarter of last year, rising crude oil prices and high food prices combined to upset the Ghanaian economy and, by extension, the well-being of the people.
The first half of this year has been particularly trying for our economy. During the period, the value of the cedi plummeted further against all the major currencies, throwing into disarray the budget of the government, households and companies, while inflation and cost of living also soared.
Frankly speaking, the trend ruffled the plan by the NDC administration to hit the ground running in its quest to build a better Ghana.
The rising cost of living has created economic and social tension among the people as each passing day they look on helplessly because the credit crunch has impacted negatively on their lifestyles.
The good news, however, is that with support from our development partners through the injection of credit, the economy is on the road to recovery.
But this is not the time for complacency because the road ahead to attaining the goals set out in the government’s budget statement will be rough.
The situation, therefore, calls for more sacrifices from both the government and the governed.
It is against this background that the Daily Graphic thinks the assurance given by the Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, at the Ghana Club 100 awards ceremony organised last Friday night that the government intended to reduce inflation to 14 per cent by the end of the year through the adoption of pragmatic policies and measures would calm the nerves of the people, especially the business community.
Rising inflation and high interest rate have rendered our country a high-cost business destination environment on the continent.
The Daily Graphic believes that the business community will welcome initiatives such as the austerity measures announced in this year’s budget to put the economy on an even keel and make the country more attractive for business.
We believe that the stabilisation of the cedi should serve as a major boost to the operations of business concerns which have had their budgets disrupted over the last six months because of fluctuations in the value of the cedi.
The Daily Graphic, therefore, calls on the government to keep to the programme outlined in the budget so that the business environment will be conducive enough to attract the necessary support to create more wealth and jobs for the people.
There is no shortcut to recovery; we can only overcome the economic challenges through hard work, sacrifice, as well as the strict adherence to rules and regulations.
Tough times lie ahead but we shall endure if all of us put our shoulders to the wheel.
Friday, July 24, 2009
BREAKING THE BACK OF GLOBAL RECESSION (JULY 24)
THE debate as to whether local companies need a stimulus package in the current global turmoil which, to a large extent, is beginning to bite seems not to go away. The crux of the matter is that organisations which before the turmoil were making profit continue to file for bankruptcy protection, while declining growth rates and soaring unemployment figures have serious implications for the economy.
That was amplified loud and clear at yesterday’s Graphic Business Roundtable Forum on the theme, “Turnaround Strategies in the Global Recession”.
Many speakers pointed to the need for the government to provide the kind of incentives that would stimulate growth, generate employment and cushion the economy against the harsh realities of the global meltdown. This is against the background of our inability to determine the full impact of the credit crunch on the people.
A stimulus package, according to experts, restores or boosts demand, which producers rush to meet. Idle factories quickly return to work and, in the process, they employ more and in paying them continue to boost demand.
While many say Ghana, and for that matter many developing countries, has been less affected by the global crisis, reports, however, indicate that remittances which soared to more than $2 billion last year have begun to take a sharp decline.
Indeed, the Breton Woods institutions have projected that economic growth rate in sub-Saharan Africa is expected to slow down to one per cent, from the 2.4 per cent recorded last year. Indeed, that figure points to how the financial crisis is expected to affect the growth of African economies.
The government itself has alluded to the fact that the crisis is, indeed, going to impact on the Gross Domestic Product, hence its forecast of GDP growth of about four to five per cent, down from 7.3 per cent in 2008. Ghana will, therefore, not go unscathed.
Industry players say the lack of appropriate legislation directly targeted at industries and businesses as a whole to generate the kind of impetus needed to push business further will affect the rate of recovery of the local economy.
The government also points to past interventions that have not yielded any positive rewards, except for businesses to source for such funds and vamoose from the system.
What, then, needs to be done? Our present predicament calls for a strong partnership between the government and the private sector.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the overall good of the people must reign supreme in all policy decisions.
Afterall, governments are voted into power to serve the public good. Businesses too, besides their profit motives (which is perfectly right), cannot be denied the significant role they play in the socio-economic development of every country.
Both parties, therefore, to some extent, serve the public good.
Indeed, the financial crisis has brought to the fore the need for the state to play a more active role in the economy rather than leave it for the market. The government should provide strong oversight of all business transactions and regulatory controls in order to prevent a field day for greed and corruption.
That cannot be lost on both the government and the private sector. They need to act in a manner that will ensure the prudent management of the country’s affairs.
That was amplified loud and clear at yesterday’s Graphic Business Roundtable Forum on the theme, “Turnaround Strategies in the Global Recession”.
Many speakers pointed to the need for the government to provide the kind of incentives that would stimulate growth, generate employment and cushion the economy against the harsh realities of the global meltdown. This is against the background of our inability to determine the full impact of the credit crunch on the people.
A stimulus package, according to experts, restores or boosts demand, which producers rush to meet. Idle factories quickly return to work and, in the process, they employ more and in paying them continue to boost demand.
While many say Ghana, and for that matter many developing countries, has been less affected by the global crisis, reports, however, indicate that remittances which soared to more than $2 billion last year have begun to take a sharp decline.
Indeed, the Breton Woods institutions have projected that economic growth rate in sub-Saharan Africa is expected to slow down to one per cent, from the 2.4 per cent recorded last year. Indeed, that figure points to how the financial crisis is expected to affect the growth of African economies.
The government itself has alluded to the fact that the crisis is, indeed, going to impact on the Gross Domestic Product, hence its forecast of GDP growth of about four to five per cent, down from 7.3 per cent in 2008. Ghana will, therefore, not go unscathed.
Industry players say the lack of appropriate legislation directly targeted at industries and businesses as a whole to generate the kind of impetus needed to push business further will affect the rate of recovery of the local economy.
The government also points to past interventions that have not yielded any positive rewards, except for businesses to source for such funds and vamoose from the system.
What, then, needs to be done? Our present predicament calls for a strong partnership between the government and the private sector.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the overall good of the people must reign supreme in all policy decisions.
Afterall, governments are voted into power to serve the public good. Businesses too, besides their profit motives (which is perfectly right), cannot be denied the significant role they play in the socio-economic development of every country.
Both parties, therefore, to some extent, serve the public good.
Indeed, the financial crisis has brought to the fore the need for the state to play a more active role in the economy rather than leave it for the market. The government should provide strong oversight of all business transactions and regulatory controls in order to prevent a field day for greed and corruption.
That cannot be lost on both the government and the private sector. They need to act in a manner that will ensure the prudent management of the country’s affairs.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
POSITIONING GHANA FOR OIL BOOM (JULY 23, 2009)
ONE of the key elements that attract investors to any country is political stability. Any country that is engulfed in political instability is not likely to attract the much needed investments.
For a country to attain meaningful development, both foreign and domestic investments are needed to create jobs and wealth to improve the lives of the people.
This country, for some time now, has enjoyed a high level of political, economic and social stability. The labour front has been stable and the political arena has not witnessed any crisis that will suggest to the outside world that the country is ungovernable.
These are the signals that investors look for in a country before investing their money there. In times past, sub-Saharan Africa was considered to be a high risk area for doing business. This is not the case now.
Foreign investors are now turning to the continent to do business here and that is a good sign.
At the opening of the Ghana Investment Forum in Accra yesterday, President John Evans Atta Mills made it clear that the government had drawn important lessons from conflict situations, especially from oil-producing countries.
He said an appropriate framework had, therefore, been put in place to insulate the country against the infractions associated with the emerging oil industry. That, according to the President, included the drawing up of legal and institutional safeguards to forestall chaotic situations that had characterised some oil-producing countries on the African continent.
Oil production in most African countries has been fraught with conflicts. We are all familiar with the situation in the oil rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria, home to Africa's biggest oil and gas industry. We know of kidnappings, the blasting of oil fields and hostage taking.
In The Sudan, the International Court of Justice has just redrawn the boundaries of that country's disputed oil-producing Abyei Region, ceding key oil fields to northern Sudan in a decision hailed as the resolution of a long-standing territorial conflict.
Oil rich Angola has also had its fair share of the oil conflict.
Ghana would not like to be in this situation where this God-given gift will be more of a curse than a blessing. We commend the government for the necessary steps it has taken so far to forestall such unpleasant situations where aggrieved groups will foment social unrest and agitation because they have been left out of the benefits from the oil revenue.
The assurance by the President to foreign investors, especially those in the oil industry, is very timely and appropriate and it will go a long way to assuage any fears that they will have at the back of their minds.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is convinced that the government wants to engage all stakeholders in constructive dialogue that will enhance the business environment in the country. The assurance by the President should not be taken as mere political talk but a commitment to best practices in the management of state resources for the benefit of all the people.
As a nation, we must take full advantage of the oil find and use the revenue to advance the cause of society.
The DAILY GRAPHIC hopes that foreign and domestic investors will take the assurance by the President seriously and work towards the common good of all Ghanaians.
For a country to attain meaningful development, both foreign and domestic investments are needed to create jobs and wealth to improve the lives of the people.
This country, for some time now, has enjoyed a high level of political, economic and social stability. The labour front has been stable and the political arena has not witnessed any crisis that will suggest to the outside world that the country is ungovernable.
These are the signals that investors look for in a country before investing their money there. In times past, sub-Saharan Africa was considered to be a high risk area for doing business. This is not the case now.
Foreign investors are now turning to the continent to do business here and that is a good sign.
At the opening of the Ghana Investment Forum in Accra yesterday, President John Evans Atta Mills made it clear that the government had drawn important lessons from conflict situations, especially from oil-producing countries.
He said an appropriate framework had, therefore, been put in place to insulate the country against the infractions associated with the emerging oil industry. That, according to the President, included the drawing up of legal and institutional safeguards to forestall chaotic situations that had characterised some oil-producing countries on the African continent.
Oil production in most African countries has been fraught with conflicts. We are all familiar with the situation in the oil rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria, home to Africa's biggest oil and gas industry. We know of kidnappings, the blasting of oil fields and hostage taking.
In The Sudan, the International Court of Justice has just redrawn the boundaries of that country's disputed oil-producing Abyei Region, ceding key oil fields to northern Sudan in a decision hailed as the resolution of a long-standing territorial conflict.
Oil rich Angola has also had its fair share of the oil conflict.
Ghana would not like to be in this situation where this God-given gift will be more of a curse than a blessing. We commend the government for the necessary steps it has taken so far to forestall such unpleasant situations where aggrieved groups will foment social unrest and agitation because they have been left out of the benefits from the oil revenue.
The assurance by the President to foreign investors, especially those in the oil industry, is very timely and appropriate and it will go a long way to assuage any fears that they will have at the back of their minds.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is convinced that the government wants to engage all stakeholders in constructive dialogue that will enhance the business environment in the country. The assurance by the President should not be taken as mere political talk but a commitment to best practices in the management of state resources for the benefit of all the people.
As a nation, we must take full advantage of the oil find and use the revenue to advance the cause of society.
The DAILY GRAPHIC hopes that foreign and domestic investors will take the assurance by the President seriously and work towards the common good of all Ghanaians.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
CENSUS, KEY FOR DEVELOPMENT (JULY 22, 2009)
THE Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has a constitutional mandate to conduct a census of the population of Ghana at regular intervals for purposes of promoting even and equitable development.
Article 47 Clause 5 of our Constitution places this injunction on the GSS when it says, “The Electoral Commission shall review the division of Ghana into constituencies at intervals not less than seven years or within 12 months after the publication of enumeration figures after the holding of a census of the population of Ghana, which ever is earlier, and may, as a result, alter the constituencies.”
Besides helping the government to determine the distribution of scarce national resources, the enumeration figures play a key part in facilitating participatory democracy.
Just as these figures guide the Electoral Commission in altering electoral boundaries, they also assist the government to create more districts and thereby bring governance to the doorstep of the people.
For this reason, many countries have made it a point to conduct censuses at least in 10-year intervals. In Ghana, post-independence censuses were conducted in 1960, 1974, 1984 and 2000.
With the release of money for next year’s census, it appears that once again we want to be consistent with the programme for the holding of censuses in line with the policy immediately after independence.
Reliable data play a key role in the distribution of key resources and the identification of the special needs of especially vulnerable groups in our society.
It is sad that most of our para-statals and private organisations do not keep up-to-date data. It is always a big headache for students, researchers and members of the public to access reliable data from our institutions.
That is why the DAILY GRAPHIC thinks that the resources being mobilised for next year’s population and housing census is in the right direction, as the census will provide reliable data on demography and socio-economic characteristics of our society.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is encouraged that once again the census has a component that deals with housing so that the data so collected can assist our development planners in designing well-planned communities.
As of now there appears to be confusion in the housing industry, as spatial planning of our communities does not subscribe to any standard regulation.
We call on the GSS to approach its work with diligence to ensure that the government has value for money.
The holding of a census in any country is always an emotive exercise, as there appears to be a correlation between enumeration figures and the distribution of development projects.
In the past, traditional authorities and religious leaders engaged each other in needless debate after the release of census figures. It is the belief in certain areas that the number of people in those areas will determine the quantum of development projects that the government will provide for those communities.
The census is not a contest among geographical areas or groups. It is only a development tool to assist the government in the distribution of the country’s scarce resources, such that every Ghanaian will feel a sense of belonging.
Article 47 Clause 5 of our Constitution places this injunction on the GSS when it says, “The Electoral Commission shall review the division of Ghana into constituencies at intervals not less than seven years or within 12 months after the publication of enumeration figures after the holding of a census of the population of Ghana, which ever is earlier, and may, as a result, alter the constituencies.”
Besides helping the government to determine the distribution of scarce national resources, the enumeration figures play a key part in facilitating participatory democracy.
Just as these figures guide the Electoral Commission in altering electoral boundaries, they also assist the government to create more districts and thereby bring governance to the doorstep of the people.
For this reason, many countries have made it a point to conduct censuses at least in 10-year intervals. In Ghana, post-independence censuses were conducted in 1960, 1974, 1984 and 2000.
With the release of money for next year’s census, it appears that once again we want to be consistent with the programme for the holding of censuses in line with the policy immediately after independence.
Reliable data play a key role in the distribution of key resources and the identification of the special needs of especially vulnerable groups in our society.
It is sad that most of our para-statals and private organisations do not keep up-to-date data. It is always a big headache for students, researchers and members of the public to access reliable data from our institutions.
That is why the DAILY GRAPHIC thinks that the resources being mobilised for next year’s population and housing census is in the right direction, as the census will provide reliable data on demography and socio-economic characteristics of our society.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is encouraged that once again the census has a component that deals with housing so that the data so collected can assist our development planners in designing well-planned communities.
As of now there appears to be confusion in the housing industry, as spatial planning of our communities does not subscribe to any standard regulation.
We call on the GSS to approach its work with diligence to ensure that the government has value for money.
The holding of a census in any country is always an emotive exercise, as there appears to be a correlation between enumeration figures and the distribution of development projects.
In the past, traditional authorities and religious leaders engaged each other in needless debate after the release of census figures. It is the belief in certain areas that the number of people in those areas will determine the quantum of development projects that the government will provide for those communities.
The census is not a contest among geographical areas or groups. It is only a development tool to assist the government in the distribution of the country’s scarce resources, such that every Ghanaian will feel a sense of belonging.
STOP E-WASTE MENACE NOW (JULY 21, 2009)
THE highly dangerous and toxic environment at Agbogbloshie in Accra which has been created by dealers in electronic waste (e-waste) has received exposure in the British media.
A report in today's issue of our paper said investigations conducted by The Times of London into the Agbogbloshie dumping site made an emphatic statement that "the dangerous trade in obsolete electronic products is being encouraged by companies in Britain".
Last year, an environmental non-governmental organisation (NGO), Greenpeace, brought to public attention the danger posed by the booming trade in used computers in Agbogbloshie, a suburb of Accra.
It reported that much of the e-waste was dumped in Ghana where, without proper regulation of health controls, pieces can be extracted and recycled by unemployed youth.
The e-waste menace has become quite frightening because it appears that the country's regulatory body, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), lacks the capacity to deal with the challenge.
The EPA says it has been working on a strategy for the control and management of e-waste in the country for more than a year now but no concrete step has been taken to fix the problem.
It is worrying that more than one year after Greenpeace raised the red flag about the potential harm e-waste posed to the health of the people, the EPA has no concrete mechanism in place to deal with e-waste disposal at Agbogbloshie and other parts of the country.
A commentator on the liberalised economic environment once sarcastically remarked that the free market economy had given room to the phenomenon of reducing majority of the people into inferior citizens as they were "clothed in other people's rags".
The report in The TIMES of London traced many of the discarded personal computers to British companies. However, the DAILY GRAPHIC thinks that in dealing with this big environmental challenge that exposes majority of our youth to health hazards, we should avoid the blame game.
We concede that personal computers are not manufactured in Ghana and so the e-waste must originate from the advanced economies. Nonetheless, we are also convinced that the greater percentage of the e-waste is imported by Ghanaian business concerns.
Although no evidence is available yet, there exists unimpeachable information that some Ghanaian importers put containers at refuse dumps in Europe and America to receive used items which eventually find their way onto our market.
All over the world the disposal of waste materials poses a big challenge, even in the most advanced societies. Those developed economies are, therefore, looking for places to dump their waste, hence there have been occasions when some of those countries have dumped hazardous substances in developing countries.
The DAILY GRAPHIC urges our health authorities to be concerned about the time bomb at Agbogbloshie and to team up with the EPA to find an antidote to the e-waste menace.
We also appeal to the government to enact legislation to outlaw the importation of second-hand goods, particularly those that pose a risk to our health. The menace is a potentially dangerous threat to the health of the unemployed youth and the situation calls for action now.
A report in today's issue of our paper said investigations conducted by The Times of London into the Agbogbloshie dumping site made an emphatic statement that "the dangerous trade in obsolete electronic products is being encouraged by companies in Britain".
Last year, an environmental non-governmental organisation (NGO), Greenpeace, brought to public attention the danger posed by the booming trade in used computers in Agbogbloshie, a suburb of Accra.
It reported that much of the e-waste was dumped in Ghana where, without proper regulation of health controls, pieces can be extracted and recycled by unemployed youth.
The e-waste menace has become quite frightening because it appears that the country's regulatory body, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), lacks the capacity to deal with the challenge.
The EPA says it has been working on a strategy for the control and management of e-waste in the country for more than a year now but no concrete step has been taken to fix the problem.
It is worrying that more than one year after Greenpeace raised the red flag about the potential harm e-waste posed to the health of the people, the EPA has no concrete mechanism in place to deal with e-waste disposal at Agbogbloshie and other parts of the country.
A commentator on the liberalised economic environment once sarcastically remarked that the free market economy had given room to the phenomenon of reducing majority of the people into inferior citizens as they were "clothed in other people's rags".
The report in The TIMES of London traced many of the discarded personal computers to British companies. However, the DAILY GRAPHIC thinks that in dealing with this big environmental challenge that exposes majority of our youth to health hazards, we should avoid the blame game.
We concede that personal computers are not manufactured in Ghana and so the e-waste must originate from the advanced economies. Nonetheless, we are also convinced that the greater percentage of the e-waste is imported by Ghanaian business concerns.
Although no evidence is available yet, there exists unimpeachable information that some Ghanaian importers put containers at refuse dumps in Europe and America to receive used items which eventually find their way onto our market.
All over the world the disposal of waste materials poses a big challenge, even in the most advanced societies. Those developed economies are, therefore, looking for places to dump their waste, hence there have been occasions when some of those countries have dumped hazardous substances in developing countries.
The DAILY GRAPHIC urges our health authorities to be concerned about the time bomb at Agbogbloshie and to team up with the EPA to find an antidote to the e-waste menace.
We also appeal to the government to enact legislation to outlaw the importation of second-hand goods, particularly those that pose a risk to our health. The menace is a potentially dangerous threat to the health of the unemployed youth and the situation calls for action now.
Monday, July 20, 2009
VOTE OF CONFIDENCE IN OUR ECONOMY (JULY 20, 2009)
Ghana's economy has received a major boost in the last few weeks with the approval of about $1.5 billion by the Bretton Woods institutions to support the country's reconstruction efforts.
We began the year on a bleak note with the disclosure that the economy had recorded a budget deficit of 15 per cent.
From the last quarter of 2008 through to the first half of 2009, the cedi experienced a free fall against all major currencies. The global economic crisis did not spare us the challenges that most countries are experiencing now, such as a freeze on credit, a cut in the workforce and a substantial drop in foreign remittances.
However, there appears to be a silver lining in the horizon. With the provision of substantial support by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to prop up the economy, the initial worry at the beginning of the year that the donor community would withdraw support for our economy has been found to be non-existent, after all.
The assistance from the Bretton Woods institutions, therefore, is a good testimony of the confidence those institutions have in the economy, particularly the austerity measures outlined in the first budget of the Mills administration.
The government has contracted a $535 million loan, which has been endorsed by Parliament, from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank at zero interest rate to support the budget, the transport sector and environmental projects.
Last week, the IMF approved $1 billion to support our balance of payments and improve our reserves at the Bank of Ghana.
These inflows are not intended to replace our own efforts at mobilising revenue to carry out development activities. Nonetheless, the release of the money will help, in large measure, to stabilise the cedi.
Although the Daily Graphic endorses the position that donor support cannot be a substitute for internal interventions, donor inflows can change the health of our economy if they are properly utilised.
In this inter-dependent world, where autarky may be counter productive, Ghana cannot be self-sufficient in all the things that the people need in order to make life comfortable for them.
The Daily Graphic thinks that it is about time all Ghanaians, with one accord, demonstrated that together we can begin to chart a new path towards economic transformation.
Instead of bemoaning our predicament, we should work hard to achieve the results outlined in this year's budget.
With the support for the Bank of Ghana to improve our reserves, we may have the wherewithal to stabilise the cedi against all major currencies.
The Daily Graphic believes that the support can also help the anti-inflation crusade, such that we may begin the journey towards a single-digit inflation pretty soon. For some time the rise in inflation has eroded the gains we have chalked up, a situation which has compelled public sector income workers to agitate for higher salaries.
Ultimately, however, we have to work to mobilise resources from within to change the direction of our economy. This calls for sacrifices from all sections of society, particularly our leaders who must demonstrate their readiness to live by example.
For this reason, the government must plug all loopholes in the system to prevent unscrupulous individuals from exploiting them to line their pockets with money intended for public good.
The pillage and rape of public funds must be made a risky venture so that public resources are channelled towards poverty reduction activities and projects.
The Daily Graphic commends the Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, and his team for their efforts at putting the economy on a sound footing.
We began the year on a bleak note with the disclosure that the economy had recorded a budget deficit of 15 per cent.
From the last quarter of 2008 through to the first half of 2009, the cedi experienced a free fall against all major currencies. The global economic crisis did not spare us the challenges that most countries are experiencing now, such as a freeze on credit, a cut in the workforce and a substantial drop in foreign remittances.
However, there appears to be a silver lining in the horizon. With the provision of substantial support by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to prop up the economy, the initial worry at the beginning of the year that the donor community would withdraw support for our economy has been found to be non-existent, after all.
The assistance from the Bretton Woods institutions, therefore, is a good testimony of the confidence those institutions have in the economy, particularly the austerity measures outlined in the first budget of the Mills administration.
The government has contracted a $535 million loan, which has been endorsed by Parliament, from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank at zero interest rate to support the budget, the transport sector and environmental projects.
Last week, the IMF approved $1 billion to support our balance of payments and improve our reserves at the Bank of Ghana.
These inflows are not intended to replace our own efforts at mobilising revenue to carry out development activities. Nonetheless, the release of the money will help, in large measure, to stabilise the cedi.
Although the Daily Graphic endorses the position that donor support cannot be a substitute for internal interventions, donor inflows can change the health of our economy if they are properly utilised.
In this inter-dependent world, where autarky may be counter productive, Ghana cannot be self-sufficient in all the things that the people need in order to make life comfortable for them.
The Daily Graphic thinks that it is about time all Ghanaians, with one accord, demonstrated that together we can begin to chart a new path towards economic transformation.
Instead of bemoaning our predicament, we should work hard to achieve the results outlined in this year's budget.
With the support for the Bank of Ghana to improve our reserves, we may have the wherewithal to stabilise the cedi against all major currencies.
The Daily Graphic believes that the support can also help the anti-inflation crusade, such that we may begin the journey towards a single-digit inflation pretty soon. For some time the rise in inflation has eroded the gains we have chalked up, a situation which has compelled public sector income workers to agitate for higher salaries.
Ultimately, however, we have to work to mobilise resources from within to change the direction of our economy. This calls for sacrifices from all sections of society, particularly our leaders who must demonstrate their readiness to live by example.
For this reason, the government must plug all loopholes in the system to prevent unscrupulous individuals from exploiting them to line their pockets with money intended for public good.
The pillage and rape of public funds must be made a risky venture so that public resources are channelled towards poverty reduction activities and projects.
The Daily Graphic commends the Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, and his team for their efforts at putting the economy on a sound footing.
PREPARING FOR A BUMPER HARVEST (JULY 18)
Very soon, Ghanaians will usher in the fishing season when we expect fishermen to flood our markets with fish at affordable prices.
Many people are, however, not too sure whether there will be a bumper harvest this year because for some time now we have not been able to reap the benefits of the season as a result of challenges such as lack of storage facilities and fishing gear, the high cost of premix fuel and the use of obsolete canoes.
In the circumstance, the fishermen have been compelled to adopt a shift system to avoid a glut on the market.
It had been expected that by now the country should have had storage facilities at all the fishing centres. The previous government began the process of building fishing harbours and landing sites in 14 communities along the coast.
Reports indicate that the equipment for the project has arrived at the port.
We urge the present government to expedite action on the project to provide facilities for our fishermen to reap the benefits of their toil.
Already, the fishermen are upbeat about this year’s fishing season. Unfortunately, however, the lack of logistics, as well as the high cost of premix fuel, is frustrating their preparations towards a good harvest.
While the Daily Graphic urges the government to take a critical look at the fishing industry and provide the necessary resources to enable the players to play their roles in the economic development process, we also urge the fishermen to carry out a self-examination of some of their practices in order to mend their ways.
Fishermen sometimes indulge in negative practices such as the use of powerful lighting systems on the high seas, smaller nets and dangerous chemicals to trap the fish.
The fishing industry can play a key role in our economic survival provided it is given the needed push to deliver, and that is why the government has the responsibility to eliminate the bottlenecks threatening the promise that the fishing industry holds for our economic reconstruction.
The infamous pair trawling is still being practised with impunity on the high seas, forcing our fishermen to incur heavy losses during their expeditions.
We concede that the government has a big challenge in modernising the fishing industry; but the fishermen too have an obligation to put their house in order to enable them to reap the benefits of our marine resources.
The Daily Graphic calls on the government to put policy interventions in place as soon as possible to save the fishing industry.
Many people are, however, not too sure whether there will be a bumper harvest this year because for some time now we have not been able to reap the benefits of the season as a result of challenges such as lack of storage facilities and fishing gear, the high cost of premix fuel and the use of obsolete canoes.
In the circumstance, the fishermen have been compelled to adopt a shift system to avoid a glut on the market.
It had been expected that by now the country should have had storage facilities at all the fishing centres. The previous government began the process of building fishing harbours and landing sites in 14 communities along the coast.
Reports indicate that the equipment for the project has arrived at the port.
We urge the present government to expedite action on the project to provide facilities for our fishermen to reap the benefits of their toil.
Already, the fishermen are upbeat about this year’s fishing season. Unfortunately, however, the lack of logistics, as well as the high cost of premix fuel, is frustrating their preparations towards a good harvest.
While the Daily Graphic urges the government to take a critical look at the fishing industry and provide the necessary resources to enable the players to play their roles in the economic development process, we also urge the fishermen to carry out a self-examination of some of their practices in order to mend their ways.
Fishermen sometimes indulge in negative practices such as the use of powerful lighting systems on the high seas, smaller nets and dangerous chemicals to trap the fish.
The fishing industry can play a key role in our economic survival provided it is given the needed push to deliver, and that is why the government has the responsibility to eliminate the bottlenecks threatening the promise that the fishing industry holds for our economic reconstruction.
The infamous pair trawling is still being practised with impunity on the high seas, forcing our fishermen to incur heavy losses during their expeditions.
We concede that the government has a big challenge in modernising the fishing industry; but the fishermen too have an obligation to put their house in order to enable them to reap the benefits of our marine resources.
The Daily Graphic calls on the government to put policy interventions in place as soon as possible to save the fishing industry.
SAVE OUR MOTHERS NOW (JULY 17, 2009)
REPORTS from the Northern Region of the high maternal and neonatal deaths in the area should serve as a wake-up call to health professionals and the government to put in place the necessary interventions to deal with the situation.
A story carried by the GHANAIAN TIMES yesterday quoted the Northern Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Kwesi Twumasi, as saying that it was unacceptable that 90 women died last year during childbirth.
He told a health forum organised by the Coalition of NGOs on health in Tamale that the high death rates was due to the refusal of pregnant women in the area to attend antenatal and postnatal clinics.
Another factor, according to the regional health director, was the poor road network which caused undue delay in conveying expectant mothers to the nearest health facility.
The Public Health Unit of the Ghana Health Service, manned by doctors and public health workers, has a mandate to educate the people on things to do in order to stay healthy.
In this day and age, our women should not lose their lives during childbirth because advancements made in science and technology can help to deal with even the most complex health challenge.
The DAILY GRAPHIC wonders whether those women who lost their lives during childbirth were not entitled to the free maternal health care under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Nine years after the declaration of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to make health accessible to all by 2000, we should not be faced with the tragedy of losing our mothers during childbirth. The rise in maternal deaths in the Northern Region and perhaps in other areas not yet reported will hinder efforts at bringing down maternal deaths to levels in line with the globally accepted figure.
In Ghana, the maternal mortality ratio is estimated at 451 deaths per 100,000 live births, about 40 times the maternal mortality ratio in the US. Also in sub-Saharan Africa, a woman’s lifetime risk of maternal death is a staggering one in 22, compared with one in 8,000 in industrialised countries.
It is also untenable for expectant mothers to lose their lives because the road network to health facilities is in a very bad state.
The high rate of maternal deaths pose a challenge to our efforts at attaining the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, calls on the government to take steps to reduce maternal deaths and protect newborn babies in order to boost poverty reduction strategies.
The situation in the Northern Region and other deprived areas is not out of control. Fortunately, majority of the causes of maternal deaths are avoidable if pregnant women are encouraged to attend health facilities regularly and follow the pieces of advice given to them by health professionals.
Since research has established that the causes of maternal deaths are not just poverty or financial difficulties to access health care but risks associated with having more than five children, it is about time the health authorities intensified education on family planning.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on the health authorities to initiate policy interventions such as the training of more health professionals, the retooling of our health facilities, as well as improving our road network, to give better access to health, especially by vulnerable groups, including pregnant women.
The alarming statistics on maternal deaths from Northern Ghana should be addressed now to give hope to women.
A story carried by the GHANAIAN TIMES yesterday quoted the Northern Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Kwesi Twumasi, as saying that it was unacceptable that 90 women died last year during childbirth.
He told a health forum organised by the Coalition of NGOs on health in Tamale that the high death rates was due to the refusal of pregnant women in the area to attend antenatal and postnatal clinics.
Another factor, according to the regional health director, was the poor road network which caused undue delay in conveying expectant mothers to the nearest health facility.
The Public Health Unit of the Ghana Health Service, manned by doctors and public health workers, has a mandate to educate the people on things to do in order to stay healthy.
In this day and age, our women should not lose their lives during childbirth because advancements made in science and technology can help to deal with even the most complex health challenge.
The DAILY GRAPHIC wonders whether those women who lost their lives during childbirth were not entitled to the free maternal health care under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Nine years after the declaration of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to make health accessible to all by 2000, we should not be faced with the tragedy of losing our mothers during childbirth. The rise in maternal deaths in the Northern Region and perhaps in other areas not yet reported will hinder efforts at bringing down maternal deaths to levels in line with the globally accepted figure.
In Ghana, the maternal mortality ratio is estimated at 451 deaths per 100,000 live births, about 40 times the maternal mortality ratio in the US. Also in sub-Saharan Africa, a woman’s lifetime risk of maternal death is a staggering one in 22, compared with one in 8,000 in industrialised countries.
It is also untenable for expectant mothers to lose their lives because the road network to health facilities is in a very bad state.
The high rate of maternal deaths pose a challenge to our efforts at attaining the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, calls on the government to take steps to reduce maternal deaths and protect newborn babies in order to boost poverty reduction strategies.
The situation in the Northern Region and other deprived areas is not out of control. Fortunately, majority of the causes of maternal deaths are avoidable if pregnant women are encouraged to attend health facilities regularly and follow the pieces of advice given to them by health professionals.
Since research has established that the causes of maternal deaths are not just poverty or financial difficulties to access health care but risks associated with having more than five children, it is about time the health authorities intensified education on family planning.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on the health authorities to initiate policy interventions such as the training of more health professionals, the retooling of our health facilities, as well as improving our road network, to give better access to health, especially by vulnerable groups, including pregnant women.
The alarming statistics on maternal deaths from Northern Ghana should be addressed now to give hope to women.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
BOOSTING CAMPAIGN TO ELIMINATE MALARIA (JULY 16, 2009)
THE government recently announced a major initiative to eradicate malaria in the country.
The exercise, which involves the campaign to keep a clean environment in all communities in the country, is being undertaken by the National Malaria Control Programme of the Ministry of Health (MOH), in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a private waste management company.
The Minister of Health, Dr George Yankey, said during his vetting by the Appointments Committee of Parliament that the government was determined to initiate a programme to eradicate malaria.
The government has since introduced new schemes to help in the fight against malaria. Mass mosquito spraying exercises have begun in all parts of the country, spearheaded by Zoomlion, while insecticide-treated nets are being sold at subsidised prices and anti-malarial medicines are also being given to pregnant women.
Under the programme, indoor residual spraying exercises are to be carried out to eliminate mosquitoes.
Malaria, like many other diseases, is not only a health problem but creates social and economic problems as well.
The outpatient departments of all health facilities record high attendance rate for malarial cases in both adults and children. The health bill for the treatment of malaria is very high, while people infected with the disease are immobilised for days. The disease also causes unavoidable deaths.
The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) conducts regular swoops on chemical shops and pharmacies to uncover the sale of counterfeit drugs, especially anti-malarial drugs.
The latest exercise by the FDB in Kumasi led to the seizure of 150 packs of Coartem, an anti-malarial medicine, from the shelves of various outlets. The operation, termed “Name and Shame”, was part of an approach to step up the board’s anti-counterfeiting crusade.
The DAILY GRAPHIC welcomes the initiative by the FDB to rid the market of fake medicines but the exercise should not end with the seizure of the drugs.
If really the exercise is meant to “Name and Shame”, then the shameless people behind the counterfeiting business, especially of medicines, must be brought to book.
The DAILY GRAPHIC finds it unacceptable that the nation continues to spend huge sums of money on the treatment of malarial cases when serious efforts and behavioural change can lead to huge savings and the eradication of the disease.
We know that the copying of products, including medicines, has become one of the complex organised crimes in the world, creating big challenges to law enforcement agencies and health professionals.
The counterfeiting of the drugs has affected the efficacy of the medicines and thwarted efforts by health professionals at maintaining a healthy population.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, calls on law enforcement agencies to collaborate with health professionals in their fight to eliminate unwholesome medicines from the market.
Ghana can be made a malaria-free country if all Ghanaians support the efforts of the MoH to achieve that goal.
The exercise, which involves the campaign to keep a clean environment in all communities in the country, is being undertaken by the National Malaria Control Programme of the Ministry of Health (MOH), in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a private waste management company.
The Minister of Health, Dr George Yankey, said during his vetting by the Appointments Committee of Parliament that the government was determined to initiate a programme to eradicate malaria.
The government has since introduced new schemes to help in the fight against malaria. Mass mosquito spraying exercises have begun in all parts of the country, spearheaded by Zoomlion, while insecticide-treated nets are being sold at subsidised prices and anti-malarial medicines are also being given to pregnant women.
Under the programme, indoor residual spraying exercises are to be carried out to eliminate mosquitoes.
Malaria, like many other diseases, is not only a health problem but creates social and economic problems as well.
The outpatient departments of all health facilities record high attendance rate for malarial cases in both adults and children. The health bill for the treatment of malaria is very high, while people infected with the disease are immobilised for days. The disease also causes unavoidable deaths.
The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) conducts regular swoops on chemical shops and pharmacies to uncover the sale of counterfeit drugs, especially anti-malarial drugs.
The latest exercise by the FDB in Kumasi led to the seizure of 150 packs of Coartem, an anti-malarial medicine, from the shelves of various outlets. The operation, termed “Name and Shame”, was part of an approach to step up the board’s anti-counterfeiting crusade.
The DAILY GRAPHIC welcomes the initiative by the FDB to rid the market of fake medicines but the exercise should not end with the seizure of the drugs.
If really the exercise is meant to “Name and Shame”, then the shameless people behind the counterfeiting business, especially of medicines, must be brought to book.
The DAILY GRAPHIC finds it unacceptable that the nation continues to spend huge sums of money on the treatment of malarial cases when serious efforts and behavioural change can lead to huge savings and the eradication of the disease.
We know that the copying of products, including medicines, has become one of the complex organised crimes in the world, creating big challenges to law enforcement agencies and health professionals.
The counterfeiting of the drugs has affected the efficacy of the medicines and thwarted efforts by health professionals at maintaining a healthy population.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, calls on law enforcement agencies to collaborate with health professionals in their fight to eliminate unwholesome medicines from the market.
Ghana can be made a malaria-free country if all Ghanaians support the efforts of the MoH to achieve that goal.
BRAVO, POLICE (JULY 15, 2009)
LAST Monday the police engaged a group of armed robbers in a shoot-out believed to be the single biggest operation against armed robbery in the country.
In the process, eight armed robbers, all suspected to be of Fulani extraction, died when they were confronted by a team from the Police Buffalo Unit at Anwiankwanta on the Kumasi-Bekwai road in the Ashanti Region.
The successful operation by the police vindicates the position of the DAILY GRAPHIC that efforts by the security agencies will yield the desired results if the public volunteers information on the activities of armed robbers and other criminal elements in society.
The police were able to move swiftly to the crime scene following a tip-off that some armed robbers had blocked the road and were robbing occupants of vehicles of their belongings.
Our security agencies have won international recognition for the professional manner in which they conduct themselves during peacekeeping operations and other duties.
Even locally, many Ghanaians are proud of the professional conduct of majority of the security personnel who have worked hard to maintain law and order, as well as the stability of the country.
The DAILY GRAPHIC suggests to the Police Administration and the Military High Command to work out a mechanism to constantly reward those who try to uphold the professional integrity of the security agencies and sanction those who connive with criminals to make life unbearable for the people.
Unless we name and shame, it will be difficult to motivate hardworking people to continue to sacrifice and serve as role models in society to encourage others to strive for excellence or outstanding performance.
The DAILY GRAPHIC concedes that the responsibility for crime combat rests largely on the shoulders of the security agencies.
However, it is about time the security agencies, especially the police, put in place a reward system for communities that assist police personnel to locate the hideouts of criminals. Neighbourhood watch committees should be adequately resourced and areas without such committees should be encouraged to form them to complement the operations of security personnel, especially those on night patrols.
Meanwhile, the collaboration between the police and the public will not yield fruitful results if the criminal justice system fails to punish offenders to serve as a deterrent to others.
On behalf of the entire society, the DAILY GRAPHIC wishes the security agencies success in their latest endeavours to take the fight to the backyard of armed robbers.
The DAILY GRAPHIC also commends the security agencies for their latest resolve to make life uncomfortable for all criminal elements in the country.
While commending the police for their latest demonstration of bravado against the armed robbers, we add our voice to calls on medical facilities to hand over people with suspected gunshot wounds to the police.
The DAILY GRAPHIC associates itself with the optimism of the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commander of Police (DCOP) Patrick Timbilla, that the fight against violent crime was on track and “there is no turning back”.
If the police sustain the fight against criminals, members of the public will be encouraged to support the police. The success of the battle against crime lies in police-public collaboration.
In the process, eight armed robbers, all suspected to be of Fulani extraction, died when they were confronted by a team from the Police Buffalo Unit at Anwiankwanta on the Kumasi-Bekwai road in the Ashanti Region.
The successful operation by the police vindicates the position of the DAILY GRAPHIC that efforts by the security agencies will yield the desired results if the public volunteers information on the activities of armed robbers and other criminal elements in society.
The police were able to move swiftly to the crime scene following a tip-off that some armed robbers had blocked the road and were robbing occupants of vehicles of their belongings.
Our security agencies have won international recognition for the professional manner in which they conduct themselves during peacekeeping operations and other duties.
Even locally, many Ghanaians are proud of the professional conduct of majority of the security personnel who have worked hard to maintain law and order, as well as the stability of the country.
The DAILY GRAPHIC suggests to the Police Administration and the Military High Command to work out a mechanism to constantly reward those who try to uphold the professional integrity of the security agencies and sanction those who connive with criminals to make life unbearable for the people.
Unless we name and shame, it will be difficult to motivate hardworking people to continue to sacrifice and serve as role models in society to encourage others to strive for excellence or outstanding performance.
The DAILY GRAPHIC concedes that the responsibility for crime combat rests largely on the shoulders of the security agencies.
However, it is about time the security agencies, especially the police, put in place a reward system for communities that assist police personnel to locate the hideouts of criminals. Neighbourhood watch committees should be adequately resourced and areas without such committees should be encouraged to form them to complement the operations of security personnel, especially those on night patrols.
Meanwhile, the collaboration between the police and the public will not yield fruitful results if the criminal justice system fails to punish offenders to serve as a deterrent to others.
On behalf of the entire society, the DAILY GRAPHIC wishes the security agencies success in their latest endeavours to take the fight to the backyard of armed robbers.
The DAILY GRAPHIC also commends the security agencies for their latest resolve to make life uncomfortable for all criminal elements in the country.
While commending the police for their latest demonstration of bravado against the armed robbers, we add our voice to calls on medical facilities to hand over people with suspected gunshot wounds to the police.
The DAILY GRAPHIC associates itself with the optimism of the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commander of Police (DCOP) Patrick Timbilla, that the fight against violent crime was on track and “there is no turning back”.
If the police sustain the fight against criminals, members of the public will be encouraged to support the police. The success of the battle against crime lies in police-public collaboration.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
LETS MOBILISE AGAINST CRIME (JULY 14)
THE government yesterday demonstrated further commitment to the fight against the menace of armed robbery with the presentation of a number of vehicles to the security agencies.
Presenting 20 vehicles to the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Army, President J.E.A. Mills assured the public that the government would continue to resource the security apparatus to combat crime, especially armed robbery, in the country.
Personal security and the security of one’s property are essential for order to prevail in any society. Whenever people feel a sense of insecurity, they are unable to contribute their quota towards national development efforts.
The President, therefore, hit the nail right on the head when he said, “The country’s smooth and orderly development could be threatened if armed robbers who have been operating with impunity are not apprehended and prosecuted.”
In recent times, the activities of armed robbers have been a source of worry to the government and all peace-loving people in the country.
And to break the back of these shameless people in our society, the security agencies launched “Operation Calm Life” to enable them to mobilise resources to combat the activities of criminals so that Ghanaians and foreign nationals can go about their duties without let or hindrance.
For some inexplicable reasons, armed robbers have been carrying out their nefarious activities with impunity, in many cases aided by people very close to the victims.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, has put in place the necessary measures to promote law and order in society, in collaboration with the Military High Command.
The demonstration of gallantry by the security agencies in recent times by taking the fight to the hideouts of the robbers, even after they have committed robberies, has restored a sense of security in the people.
The robbers nearly succeeded in instilling fear in the people with the high incidence of attacks on residential and business facilities across the country, especially in Accra.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on the people to adopt personal security measures to complement those put in place by the security agencies to combat crime.
Chinua Achebe, in his book, “Things Fall Apart”, said in an effort to protect itself, a particular bird resolved that since hunters had learnt to shoot without missing their targets, it had also decided to fly without perching. The lesson that we can draw from this bird is that we should endeavour to adopt additional security measures to safeguard our lives and properties.
The missing link in our efforts at crime combat is the absence of an effective community policing system. It is a pity that residents are not able to rally to the aid of robbery victims, understandably for fear of their lives.
However, we can demonstrate more support for robbery victims if tips offered by the police are adhered to by all residents. Also, all communities should revive their watch committees or form new ones to patrol the residential areas so that they can ward off armed robbers and thereby make the work of the security agencies less cumbersome.
With a police population of about 23,000 policing 23 million people, the resources of the police will be overstretched if members of the public do not act as true allies of the security agencies.
The DAILY GRAPHIC thinks it makes sense for the people to support the endeavours of the security agencies in crime combat so that our communities will become safe and secure for all residents to go about their legitimate duties.
We think given the necessary logistics and motivation, the security agencies will make crime an unattractive business.
Presenting 20 vehicles to the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Army, President J.E.A. Mills assured the public that the government would continue to resource the security apparatus to combat crime, especially armed robbery, in the country.
Personal security and the security of one’s property are essential for order to prevail in any society. Whenever people feel a sense of insecurity, they are unable to contribute their quota towards national development efforts.
The President, therefore, hit the nail right on the head when he said, “The country’s smooth and orderly development could be threatened if armed robbers who have been operating with impunity are not apprehended and prosecuted.”
In recent times, the activities of armed robbers have been a source of worry to the government and all peace-loving people in the country.
And to break the back of these shameless people in our society, the security agencies launched “Operation Calm Life” to enable them to mobilise resources to combat the activities of criminals so that Ghanaians and foreign nationals can go about their duties without let or hindrance.
For some inexplicable reasons, armed robbers have been carrying out their nefarious activities with impunity, in many cases aided by people very close to the victims.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, has put in place the necessary measures to promote law and order in society, in collaboration with the Military High Command.
The demonstration of gallantry by the security agencies in recent times by taking the fight to the hideouts of the robbers, even after they have committed robberies, has restored a sense of security in the people.
The robbers nearly succeeded in instilling fear in the people with the high incidence of attacks on residential and business facilities across the country, especially in Accra.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on the people to adopt personal security measures to complement those put in place by the security agencies to combat crime.
Chinua Achebe, in his book, “Things Fall Apart”, said in an effort to protect itself, a particular bird resolved that since hunters had learnt to shoot without missing their targets, it had also decided to fly without perching. The lesson that we can draw from this bird is that we should endeavour to adopt additional security measures to safeguard our lives and properties.
The missing link in our efforts at crime combat is the absence of an effective community policing system. It is a pity that residents are not able to rally to the aid of robbery victims, understandably for fear of their lives.
However, we can demonstrate more support for robbery victims if tips offered by the police are adhered to by all residents. Also, all communities should revive their watch committees or form new ones to patrol the residential areas so that they can ward off armed robbers and thereby make the work of the security agencies less cumbersome.
With a police population of about 23,000 policing 23 million people, the resources of the police will be overstretched if members of the public do not act as true allies of the security agencies.
The DAILY GRAPHIC thinks it makes sense for the people to support the endeavours of the security agencies in crime combat so that our communities will become safe and secure for all residents to go about their legitimate duties.
We think given the necessary logistics and motivation, the security agencies will make crime an unattractive business.
WE ARE HONOURED (JULY 11)
FOR days and weeks, Ghanaians have been full of anxiety about the visit of United States President Barack Obama. The final moment came last night when President Obama and his wife, Michelle, touched down at the Kotoka International Airport to begin a two-day visit.
Apart from strengthening the US-Ghana relations, Ghanaians are indeed honoured by the visit of President Obama. Coming after only seven months in office as President of arguably the most powerful nation of the world, President Obama's visit is a huge endorsement of Ghana's democratic credentials and a signal that Africa would engage attention of the American leader during his administration. It is also significant that the visit comes at a time that our President, who also campaigned on the platform of change, is about seven months into his mandate.
The reference to Ghana gives the people hope for a better future. It is also an acknowledgement that Ghana is a stable and peaceful country to grow business. The success story of our democratic experience should inspire us to greater heights.
Furthermore, President Obama's visit offers a huge opportunity for our political leaders to build bridges because it is only by unity that we can make progress. It is for this reason that we commend President Atta Mills for holding a novelty meeting at the Castle to interact with the leadership of the major political parties last Thursday.
The President's reminder to the political leaders that they all have a common and collective responsibility in the development of the country could not have come at a better time.
It is incumbent on political parties, irrespective of their differences, to always engage in fruitful activities and discussions to give more hope and confidence to the electorate that we are at peace with ourselves and focussed on making the country a better place to live.
No one political party can take credit for our democratic achievements but we still have a long way to fine-tune our democratic institutions and systems to reduce the occasional friction in the system.
Good governance, it is said, is the cornerstone of development. It is, therefore, not surprising that President Obama's visit has come with huge business opportunities which we should be able to take advantage of.
Our brothers and sisters on the ‘Oxford Street’ at Osu in Accra and other business concerns have shown the way. They have taken advantage of the visit to make some modest gains by producing paraphernalia of President Obama for the market but we can do a lot more than that.
But far beyond that, we should use the platform which the visit offers to attract more investors to the country. The fact that Ghana would be on the world radar and media circuits can be used to market the investment potentials of the country.
Blazing the trail of his predecessors who visited Ghana, President Obama is likely to make a policy statement on Africa and announce some financial and development assistance packages for Ghana, which will inure to the benefits of the United States and Africa, particularly Ghana.
Such packages, if they come at all, should only serve to encourage us to move on but not replace entirely our responsibility to take our destiny into our own hands.
We should take inspiration from the campaign slogan of President Obama that “Yes, We Can” to break the back of underdevelopment, extreme dependency, poverty and squalor.
As we pride ourselves in the honour bestowed on us by President Obama, we should draw lessons from the experiences of our development partners to move the nation forward in the right direction.
Apart from strengthening the US-Ghana relations, Ghanaians are indeed honoured by the visit of President Obama. Coming after only seven months in office as President of arguably the most powerful nation of the world, President Obama's visit is a huge endorsement of Ghana's democratic credentials and a signal that Africa would engage attention of the American leader during his administration. It is also significant that the visit comes at a time that our President, who also campaigned on the platform of change, is about seven months into his mandate.
The reference to Ghana gives the people hope for a better future. It is also an acknowledgement that Ghana is a stable and peaceful country to grow business. The success story of our democratic experience should inspire us to greater heights.
Furthermore, President Obama's visit offers a huge opportunity for our political leaders to build bridges because it is only by unity that we can make progress. It is for this reason that we commend President Atta Mills for holding a novelty meeting at the Castle to interact with the leadership of the major political parties last Thursday.
The President's reminder to the political leaders that they all have a common and collective responsibility in the development of the country could not have come at a better time.
It is incumbent on political parties, irrespective of their differences, to always engage in fruitful activities and discussions to give more hope and confidence to the electorate that we are at peace with ourselves and focussed on making the country a better place to live.
No one political party can take credit for our democratic achievements but we still have a long way to fine-tune our democratic institutions and systems to reduce the occasional friction in the system.
Good governance, it is said, is the cornerstone of development. It is, therefore, not surprising that President Obama's visit has come with huge business opportunities which we should be able to take advantage of.
Our brothers and sisters on the ‘Oxford Street’ at Osu in Accra and other business concerns have shown the way. They have taken advantage of the visit to make some modest gains by producing paraphernalia of President Obama for the market but we can do a lot more than that.
But far beyond that, we should use the platform which the visit offers to attract more investors to the country. The fact that Ghana would be on the world radar and media circuits can be used to market the investment potentials of the country.
Blazing the trail of his predecessors who visited Ghana, President Obama is likely to make a policy statement on Africa and announce some financial and development assistance packages for Ghana, which will inure to the benefits of the United States and Africa, particularly Ghana.
Such packages, if they come at all, should only serve to encourage us to move on but not replace entirely our responsibility to take our destiny into our own hands.
We should take inspiration from the campaign slogan of President Obama that “Yes, We Can” to break the back of underdevelopment, extreme dependency, poverty and squalor.
As we pride ourselves in the honour bestowed on us by President Obama, we should draw lessons from the experiences of our development partners to move the nation forward in the right direction.
AKWAABA, PREZ OBAMA (JULY 10)
Tonight, US President Barack Hussein Obama will touch the soil of Ghana to a warm proverbial Ghanaian hospitality to begin his two-day historic visit to the country.
President Obama’s visit will be the third time within 11 years that Ghana is playing host to a sitting American President after former President Bill Clinton’s visit on March 23, 1998 and Mr George Walker Bush on February 19-21, 2008.
Indeed, the whole country is in a joyous mood as it awaits the safe arrival of one of her own — The First African-American President — to land on our soil to begin his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa.
The DAILY GRAPHIC urges all Ghanaians, wherever they find themselves, to join in this historic celebration for our august brother and his entourage, because it will be worth every energy spent.
Some people have questioned the rationale behind the euphoria that has greeted the Obama visit in view of the fact that President Obama himself faces equally daunting challenges in his own country.
But for us in Ghana, we must have many reasons to celebrate. Indeed, President Obama — while explaining the rationale behind his choice of Ghana, mentioned that Ghana had conducted a couple of successful elections in which power was transferred peacefully and the country was also committed to the rule of law. He explained that this kind of democratic commitment ensured stability.
Last year, Ghanaians stunned the world by going through peaceful elections which culminated in a change of government even with a very slim margin. President Obama’s visit to Ghana is, therefore, an endorsement of our commitment to the building of democratic tenets. Indeed, it signifies that Ghana is on the right path to progress.
Our elders say that “wofro dua pa a, na yepia wo” to wit, if you pursue a good cause you are supported. Ghana can beat its chest and proudly say that it is on course and, therefore, it is not out of place that we are receiving numerous encouragement and praises from the comity of nations.
With this goodwill, there is a lot of promise for Ghana if she focuses on the tenets of democracy, good governance, transparency and accountability.
Through this visit, Ghana must be empowered to use her leadership position to champion democracy and justice on the African continent. Ghana’s progress in human rights is commendable, but it will have little meaning if left as an isolated example. Ghana must, therefore, work to promote what it practises at home in other African countries.
President Obama will have a chance in Ghana to show his support for a country that is doing well and to encourage Ghana to provide a strong leadership on issues of democracy and human rights.
In the wider context, Ghana must use its seat on the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to strengthen global human rights mechanisms while endeavouring to make clear its commitment to genuine free, fair and transparent elections on the continent.
Very soon, a lot of focus will again be on Ghana when she starts drilling oil in commercial quantities. The international community will be looking to Ghana to score another first to become the economic giant of Africa, where, unlike other African countries, the oil find will become a blessing rather than a curse.
The DAILY GRAPHIC urges President J.E.A. Mills and the entire people of Ghana to take advantage of the visit to seal new deals and pacts that will help Ghana to attain her development aspirations.
With one accord we welcome President Obama with the typical Ghanaian warmth and hospitality. Let us give our brother a big welcome. You’re welcome Barack Obama. “Akwaaba”, “Woezor”, “Amaraaba”. “Sanda Zuwa” , “Wo mli helebo atuu”.
President Obama’s visit will be the third time within 11 years that Ghana is playing host to a sitting American President after former President Bill Clinton’s visit on March 23, 1998 and Mr George Walker Bush on February 19-21, 2008.
Indeed, the whole country is in a joyous mood as it awaits the safe arrival of one of her own — The First African-American President — to land on our soil to begin his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa.
The DAILY GRAPHIC urges all Ghanaians, wherever they find themselves, to join in this historic celebration for our august brother and his entourage, because it will be worth every energy spent.
Some people have questioned the rationale behind the euphoria that has greeted the Obama visit in view of the fact that President Obama himself faces equally daunting challenges in his own country.
But for us in Ghana, we must have many reasons to celebrate. Indeed, President Obama — while explaining the rationale behind his choice of Ghana, mentioned that Ghana had conducted a couple of successful elections in which power was transferred peacefully and the country was also committed to the rule of law. He explained that this kind of democratic commitment ensured stability.
Last year, Ghanaians stunned the world by going through peaceful elections which culminated in a change of government even with a very slim margin. President Obama’s visit to Ghana is, therefore, an endorsement of our commitment to the building of democratic tenets. Indeed, it signifies that Ghana is on the right path to progress.
Our elders say that “wofro dua pa a, na yepia wo” to wit, if you pursue a good cause you are supported. Ghana can beat its chest and proudly say that it is on course and, therefore, it is not out of place that we are receiving numerous encouragement and praises from the comity of nations.
With this goodwill, there is a lot of promise for Ghana if she focuses on the tenets of democracy, good governance, transparency and accountability.
Through this visit, Ghana must be empowered to use her leadership position to champion democracy and justice on the African continent. Ghana’s progress in human rights is commendable, but it will have little meaning if left as an isolated example. Ghana must, therefore, work to promote what it practises at home in other African countries.
President Obama will have a chance in Ghana to show his support for a country that is doing well and to encourage Ghana to provide a strong leadership on issues of democracy and human rights.
In the wider context, Ghana must use its seat on the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to strengthen global human rights mechanisms while endeavouring to make clear its commitment to genuine free, fair and transparent elections on the continent.
Very soon, a lot of focus will again be on Ghana when she starts drilling oil in commercial quantities. The international community will be looking to Ghana to score another first to become the economic giant of Africa, where, unlike other African countries, the oil find will become a blessing rather than a curse.
The DAILY GRAPHIC urges President J.E.A. Mills and the entire people of Ghana to take advantage of the visit to seal new deals and pacts that will help Ghana to attain her development aspirations.
With one accord we welcome President Obama with the typical Ghanaian warmth and hospitality. Let us give our brother a big welcome. You’re welcome Barack Obama. “Akwaaba”, “Woezor”, “Amaraaba”. “Sanda Zuwa” , “Wo mli helebo atuu”.
ACCESSING OUR HOUSES (JULY 8)
Mr Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, has announced that the ministry will begin a programme tomorrow to improve on the country’s residential address system.
For many years, residents in all settlements in the country have ignored spatial planning and development standards. Consequently, almost all settlements are being turned into slums with their attendant challenges such as filth, crime and homelessness.
Accra, for instance, has become a sprawling city lacking in many amenities that will promote healthy lifestyles among the residents.
Also, the developments in the city have outstripped the provision of utilities such as electricity and water, as well as the construction of good roads to link the suburbs in the city.
Presently, the security agencies are overwhelmed by the menace of , because Accra, for instance, has grown in leaps and bounds but the access roads to emerging communities are in such poor shape that it takes hours on end for the police to respond to distress calls.
This lack of appreciation for basic planning standards in our cities has also led to fire personnel not being able to respond to fire alarms because either the fire engines cannot have access to the houses or, where there is access, the poor residential address system renders their mission impossible.
In the so-called advanced countries, houses and street numbers make it possible for visitors to make their way around. Taxi drivers find their way in such cities with the help of maps because all the streets and houses are numbered.
The only skills required to make one’s way around the city is the ability to read the map while in Ghana visitors and residents identify houses by other things such as trees, hills, electricity and telephone poles, bridges and kiosks.
Elsewhere, letters, newspapers and other vital documents are delivered to residents in their houses, because the service providers can easily locate such houses. The use of credit cards are also encouraged because residents can easily be identified.
The DAILY GRAPHIC recalls similar exercises in the past that did not yield the desired results and prays that the officials who will implement the initiative will learn from history in order to avoid the pitfalls of the past.
Ghana is a beacon of hope to many people in Africa and also as trailblazers in many fields, we need to learn quickly from others who have made strides in house and street numbering in order to promote better planning in the country.
Spatial planning, so far, has been haphazard, because standards have been ignored.
The DAILY GRAPHIC thinks that we do not need foreign assistance to conform to laid-down regulations about infrastructural development.
Let us abide by the basic rules of planning, so that we do not create more slums in all our cities and major towns where mosquitoes will breed to give us malaria and other health problems.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, calls on all the statutory bodies working on the project to show commitment, so that the bottlenecks created by the lack of street and house numbering can be addressed.
We need the numbering of our streets and houses in order to make our movement in the city and towns less cumbersome and enhance business transactions.
For many years, residents in all settlements in the country have ignored spatial planning and development standards. Consequently, almost all settlements are being turned into slums with their attendant challenges such as filth, crime and homelessness.
Accra, for instance, has become a sprawling city lacking in many amenities that will promote healthy lifestyles among the residents.
Also, the developments in the city have outstripped the provision of utilities such as electricity and water, as well as the construction of good roads to link the suburbs in the city.
Presently, the security agencies are overwhelmed by the menace of , because Accra, for instance, has grown in leaps and bounds but the access roads to emerging communities are in such poor shape that it takes hours on end for the police to respond to distress calls.
This lack of appreciation for basic planning standards in our cities has also led to fire personnel not being able to respond to fire alarms because either the fire engines cannot have access to the houses or, where there is access, the poor residential address system renders their mission impossible.
In the so-called advanced countries, houses and street numbers make it possible for visitors to make their way around. Taxi drivers find their way in such cities with the help of maps because all the streets and houses are numbered.
The only skills required to make one’s way around the city is the ability to read the map while in Ghana visitors and residents identify houses by other things such as trees, hills, electricity and telephone poles, bridges and kiosks.
Elsewhere, letters, newspapers and other vital documents are delivered to residents in their houses, because the service providers can easily locate such houses. The use of credit cards are also encouraged because residents can easily be identified.
The DAILY GRAPHIC recalls similar exercises in the past that did not yield the desired results and prays that the officials who will implement the initiative will learn from history in order to avoid the pitfalls of the past.
Ghana is a beacon of hope to many people in Africa and also as trailblazers in many fields, we need to learn quickly from others who have made strides in house and street numbering in order to promote better planning in the country.
Spatial planning, so far, has been haphazard, because standards have been ignored.
The DAILY GRAPHIC thinks that we do not need foreign assistance to conform to laid-down regulations about infrastructural development.
Let us abide by the basic rules of planning, so that we do not create more slums in all our cities and major towns where mosquitoes will breed to give us malaria and other health problems.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, calls on all the statutory bodies working on the project to show commitment, so that the bottlenecks created by the lack of street and house numbering can be addressed.
We need the numbering of our streets and houses in order to make our movement in the city and towns less cumbersome and enhance business transactions.
THERE SHOULD BE NO TURNING BACK (JULY 7, 2009)
THE government has committed resources towards the re-engineering of the drainage system to deal with the perennial flooding of Accra.
A Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Dr Hannah Louisa Bisiw, has announced that the government has released GH¢2.5 million to cover the construction, expansion and extension of drains, as well as the clearing of silt from both major and minor drains to allow the free flow of water when it rains.
For about a month now, the country has witnessed heavy downpours of rains that have caused damage to life and property.
The rains have brought human endeavours in most communities to a standstill as roads have been washed away and houses inundated with water.
There appears to be no end in sight yet as officials of the Ghana Meteorological Agency predict more heavy rains in the days ahead. We, therefore, need to brace up for the challenges ahead.
It is refreshing, however, that the government remains committed to the pledge to deal with the flooding problem in Accra. This time, the government has decided to walk the talk by “hitting the road running”.
According to Dr Bisiw, the move to overhaul the entire drainage system will help to solve the problem “once and for all”.
We dare say that in the past most people were emboldened to flout the laws of the land because enforcement was weak and even those who were caught in the net used their ‘contacts’ to go scot free.
The Daily Graphic is encouraged by the resolve of the government, as echoed by Dr Bisiw, that “the time has come for the people of Ghana to face the reality and refuse to allow a few individuals to take the rest of us for granted”.
Anybody who has cared to observe critically would have noticed on the days that it has rained that a few lawless individuals have condemned the entire society to the flood disaster in which precious lives have been lost and properties damaged.
The Daily Graphic thinks that it is about time the laws of the land were made to deter the few unscrupulous people from taking the majority of the people for granted.
By law, nobody is allowed to site structures on watercourses but in the city of Accra, developers have encroached on all watercourses and areas earmarked for public facilities.
In countries where the people respect the statutory authorities, nobody builds on watercourses or close to the banks of rivers. Some societies have value for their rivers and for which reason they keep them clean for water sport and estate development from which the state or the local authorities earn revenue.
The Daily Graphic finds it difficult to understand why as a people we have allowed the “bad lots” to deprive us of the benefits from the various streams and rivers that run through our cites and towns.
Unfortunately these rivers rather than help us to attain better livelihoods have become a curse because anytime the clouds gather and the rains pour in torrential volumes, tragedy befalls most of our communities.
The reasons are not far-fetched. The drains are choked because besides the construction of houses on watercourses, the indiscriminate disposal of garbage has also contributed to the present challenge.
We call on residents to expose a few people who make those who obey the laws look odd. Any attempt to condone wrongdoing is objectionable because it can only lead to disorder.
A Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Dr Hannah Louisa Bisiw, has announced that the government has released GH¢2.5 million to cover the construction, expansion and extension of drains, as well as the clearing of silt from both major and minor drains to allow the free flow of water when it rains.
For about a month now, the country has witnessed heavy downpours of rains that have caused damage to life and property.
The rains have brought human endeavours in most communities to a standstill as roads have been washed away and houses inundated with water.
There appears to be no end in sight yet as officials of the Ghana Meteorological Agency predict more heavy rains in the days ahead. We, therefore, need to brace up for the challenges ahead.
It is refreshing, however, that the government remains committed to the pledge to deal with the flooding problem in Accra. This time, the government has decided to walk the talk by “hitting the road running”.
According to Dr Bisiw, the move to overhaul the entire drainage system will help to solve the problem “once and for all”.
We dare say that in the past most people were emboldened to flout the laws of the land because enforcement was weak and even those who were caught in the net used their ‘contacts’ to go scot free.
The Daily Graphic is encouraged by the resolve of the government, as echoed by Dr Bisiw, that “the time has come for the people of Ghana to face the reality and refuse to allow a few individuals to take the rest of us for granted”.
Anybody who has cared to observe critically would have noticed on the days that it has rained that a few lawless individuals have condemned the entire society to the flood disaster in which precious lives have been lost and properties damaged.
The Daily Graphic thinks that it is about time the laws of the land were made to deter the few unscrupulous people from taking the majority of the people for granted.
By law, nobody is allowed to site structures on watercourses but in the city of Accra, developers have encroached on all watercourses and areas earmarked for public facilities.
In countries where the people respect the statutory authorities, nobody builds on watercourses or close to the banks of rivers. Some societies have value for their rivers and for which reason they keep them clean for water sport and estate development from which the state or the local authorities earn revenue.
The Daily Graphic finds it difficult to understand why as a people we have allowed the “bad lots” to deprive us of the benefits from the various streams and rivers that run through our cites and towns.
Unfortunately these rivers rather than help us to attain better livelihoods have become a curse because anytime the clouds gather and the rains pour in torrential volumes, tragedy befalls most of our communities.
The reasons are not far-fetched. The drains are choked because besides the construction of houses on watercourses, the indiscriminate disposal of garbage has also contributed to the present challenge.
We call on residents to expose a few people who make those who obey the laws look odd. Any attempt to condone wrongdoing is objectionable because it can only lead to disorder.
THERE SHOULD BE NO TURNING BACK (JULY 7, 2009)
THE government has committed resources towards the re-engineering of the drainage system to deal with the perennial flooding of Accra.
A Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Dr Hannah Louisa Bisiw, has announced that the government has released GH¢2.5 million to cover the construction, expansion and extension of drains, as well as the clearing of silt from both major and minor drains to allow the free flow of water when it rains.
For about a month now, the country has witnessed heavy downpours of rains that have caused damage to life and property.
The rains have brought human endeavours in most communities to a standstill as roads have been washed away and houses inundated with water.
There appears to be no end in sight yet as officials of the Ghana Meteorological Agency predict more heavy rains in the days ahead. We, therefore, need to brace up for the challenges ahead.
It is refreshing, however, that the government remains committed to the pledge to deal with the flooding problem in Accra. This time, the government has decided to walk the talk by “hitting the road running”.
According to Dr Bisiw, the move to overhaul the entire drainage system will help to solve the problem “once and for all”.
We dare say that in the past most people were emboldened to flout the laws of the land because enforcement was weak and even those who were caught in the net used their ‘contacts’ to go scot free.
The Daily Graphic is encouraged by the resolve of the government, as echoed by Dr Bisiw, that “the time has come for the people of Ghana to face the reality and refuse to allow a few individuals to take the rest of us for granted”.
Anybody who has cared to observe critically would have noticed on the days that it has rained that a few lawless individuals have condemned the entire society to the flood disaster in which precious lives have been lost and properties damaged.
The Daily Graphic thinks that it is about time the laws of the land were made to deter the few unscrupulous people from taking the majority of the people for granted.
By law, nobody is allowed to site structures on watercourses but in the city of Accra, developers have encroached on all watercourses and areas earmarked for public facilities.
In countries where the people respect the statutory authorities, nobody builds on watercourses or close to the banks of rivers. Some societies have value for their rivers and for which reason they keep them clean for water sport and estate development from which the state or the local authorities earn revenue.
The Daily Graphic finds it difficult to understand why as a people we have allowed the “bad lots” to deprive us of the benefits from the various streams and rivers that run through our cites and towns.
Unfortunately these rivers rather than help us to attain better livelihoods have become a curse because anytime the clouds gather and the rains pour in torrential volumes, tragedy befalls most of our communities.
The reasons are not far-fetched. The drains are choked because besides the construction of houses on watercourses, the indiscriminate disposal of garbage has also contributed to the present challenge.
We call on residents to expose a few people who make those who obey the laws look odd. Any attempt to condone wrongdoing is objectionable because it can only lead to disorder.
A Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Dr Hannah Louisa Bisiw, has announced that the government has released GH¢2.5 million to cover the construction, expansion and extension of drains, as well as the clearing of silt from both major and minor drains to allow the free flow of water when it rains.
For about a month now, the country has witnessed heavy downpours of rains that have caused damage to life and property.
The rains have brought human endeavours in most communities to a standstill as roads have been washed away and houses inundated with water.
There appears to be no end in sight yet as officials of the Ghana Meteorological Agency predict more heavy rains in the days ahead. We, therefore, need to brace up for the challenges ahead.
It is refreshing, however, that the government remains committed to the pledge to deal with the flooding problem in Accra. This time, the government has decided to walk the talk by “hitting the road running”.
According to Dr Bisiw, the move to overhaul the entire drainage system will help to solve the problem “once and for all”.
We dare say that in the past most people were emboldened to flout the laws of the land because enforcement was weak and even those who were caught in the net used their ‘contacts’ to go scot free.
The Daily Graphic is encouraged by the resolve of the government, as echoed by Dr Bisiw, that “the time has come for the people of Ghana to face the reality and refuse to allow a few individuals to take the rest of us for granted”.
Anybody who has cared to observe critically would have noticed on the days that it has rained that a few lawless individuals have condemned the entire society to the flood disaster in which precious lives have been lost and properties damaged.
The Daily Graphic thinks that it is about time the laws of the land were made to deter the few unscrupulous people from taking the majority of the people for granted.
By law, nobody is allowed to site structures on watercourses but in the city of Accra, developers have encroached on all watercourses and areas earmarked for public facilities.
In countries where the people respect the statutory authorities, nobody builds on watercourses or close to the banks of rivers. Some societies have value for their rivers and for which reason they keep them clean for water sport and estate development from which the state or the local authorities earn revenue.
The Daily Graphic finds it difficult to understand why as a people we have allowed the “bad lots” to deprive us of the benefits from the various streams and rivers that run through our cites and towns.
Unfortunately these rivers rather than help us to attain better livelihoods have become a curse because anytime the clouds gather and the rains pour in torrential volumes, tragedy befalls most of our communities.
The reasons are not far-fetched. The drains are choked because besides the construction of houses on watercourses, the indiscriminate disposal of garbage has also contributed to the present challenge.
We call on residents to expose a few people who make those who obey the laws look odd. Any attempt to condone wrongdoing is objectionable because it can only lead to disorder.
THERE SHOULD BE NO TURNING BACK (JULY 7, 2009)
THE government has committed resources towards the re-engineering of the drainage system to deal with the perennial flooding of Accra.
A Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Dr Hannah Louisa Bisiw, has announced that the government has released GH¢2.5 million to cover the construction, expansion and extension of drains, as well as the clearing of silt from both major and minor drains to allow the free flow of water when it rains.
For about a month now, the country has witnessed heavy downpours of rains that have caused damage to life and property.
The rains have brought human endeavours in most communities to a standstill as roads have been washed away and houses inundated with water.
There appears to be no end in sight yet as officials of the Ghana Meteorological Agency predict more heavy rains in the days ahead. We, therefore, need to brace up for the challenges ahead.
It is refreshing, however, that the government remains committed to the pledge to deal with the flooding problem in Accra. This time, the government has decided to walk the talk by “hitting the road running”.
According to Dr Bisiw, the move to overhaul the entire drainage system will help to solve the problem “once and for all”.
We dare say that in the past most people were emboldened to flout the laws of the land because enforcement was weak and even those who were caught in the net used their ‘contacts’ to go scot free.
The Daily Graphic is encouraged by the resolve of the government, as echoed by Dr Bisiw, that “the time has come for the people of Ghana to face the reality and refuse to allow a few individuals to take the rest of us for granted”.
Anybody who has cared to observe critically would have noticed on the days that it has rained that a few lawless individuals have condemned the entire society to the flood disaster in which precious lives have been lost and properties damaged.
The Daily Graphic thinks that it is about time the laws of the land were made to deter the few unscrupulous people from taking the majority of the people for granted.
By law, nobody is allowed to site structures on watercourses but in the city of Accra, developers have encroached on all watercourses and areas earmarked for public facilities.
In countries where the people respect the statutory authorities, nobody builds on watercourses or close to the banks of rivers. Some societies have value for their rivers and for which reason they keep them clean for water sport and estate development from which the state or the local authorities earn revenue.
The Daily Graphic finds it difficult to understand why as a people we have allowed the “bad lots” to deprive us of the benefits from the various streams and rivers that run through our cites and towns.
Unfortunately these rivers rather than help us to attain better livelihoods have become a curse because anytime the clouds gather and the rains pour in torrential volumes, tragedy befalls most of our communities.
The reasons are not far-fetched. The drains are choked because besides the construction of houses on watercourses, the indiscriminate disposal of garbage has also contributed to the present challenge.
We call on residents to expose a few people who make those who obey the laws look odd. Any attempt to condone wrongdoing is objectionable because it can only lead to disorder.
A Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Dr Hannah Louisa Bisiw, has announced that the government has released GH¢2.5 million to cover the construction, expansion and extension of drains, as well as the clearing of silt from both major and minor drains to allow the free flow of water when it rains.
For about a month now, the country has witnessed heavy downpours of rains that have caused damage to life and property.
The rains have brought human endeavours in most communities to a standstill as roads have been washed away and houses inundated with water.
There appears to be no end in sight yet as officials of the Ghana Meteorological Agency predict more heavy rains in the days ahead. We, therefore, need to brace up for the challenges ahead.
It is refreshing, however, that the government remains committed to the pledge to deal with the flooding problem in Accra. This time, the government has decided to walk the talk by “hitting the road running”.
According to Dr Bisiw, the move to overhaul the entire drainage system will help to solve the problem “once and for all”.
We dare say that in the past most people were emboldened to flout the laws of the land because enforcement was weak and even those who were caught in the net used their ‘contacts’ to go scot free.
The Daily Graphic is encouraged by the resolve of the government, as echoed by Dr Bisiw, that “the time has come for the people of Ghana to face the reality and refuse to allow a few individuals to take the rest of us for granted”.
Anybody who has cared to observe critically would have noticed on the days that it has rained that a few lawless individuals have condemned the entire society to the flood disaster in which precious lives have been lost and properties damaged.
The Daily Graphic thinks that it is about time the laws of the land were made to deter the few unscrupulous people from taking the majority of the people for granted.
By law, nobody is allowed to site structures on watercourses but in the city of Accra, developers have encroached on all watercourses and areas earmarked for public facilities.
In countries where the people respect the statutory authorities, nobody builds on watercourses or close to the banks of rivers. Some societies have value for their rivers and for which reason they keep them clean for water sport and estate development from which the state or the local authorities earn revenue.
The Daily Graphic finds it difficult to understand why as a people we have allowed the “bad lots” to deprive us of the benefits from the various streams and rivers that run through our cites and towns.
Unfortunately these rivers rather than help us to attain better livelihoods have become a curse because anytime the clouds gather and the rains pour in torrential volumes, tragedy befalls most of our communities.
The reasons are not far-fetched. The drains are choked because besides the construction of houses on watercourses, the indiscriminate disposal of garbage has also contributed to the present challenge.
We call on residents to expose a few people who make those who obey the laws look odd. Any attempt to condone wrongdoing is objectionable because it can only lead to disorder.
Monday, July 13, 2009
NO TURNING BACK (JULY 7, 2009)
THE government has committed resources towards the re-engineering of the drainage system to deal with the perennial flooding of Accra.
A Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Dr Hannah Louisa Bisiw, has announced that the government has released GH¢2.5 million to cover the construction, expansion and extension of drains, as well as the clearing of silt from both major and minor drains to allow the free flow of water when it rains.
For about a month now, the country has witnessed heavy downpours of rains that have caused damage to life and property.
The rains have brought human endeavours in most communities to a standstill as roads have been washed away and houses inundated with water.
There appears to be no end in sight yet as officials of the Ghana Meteorological Agency predict more heavy rains in the days ahead. We, therefore, need to brace up for the challenges ahead.
It is refreshing, however, that the government remains committed to the pledge to deal with the flooding problem in Accra. This time, the government has decided to walk the talk by “hitting the road running”.
According to Dr Bisiw, the move to overhaul the entire drainage system will help to solve the problem “once and for all”.
We dare say that in the past most people were emboldened to flout the laws of the land because enforcement was weak and even those who were caught in the net used their ‘contacts’ to go scot free.
The Daily Graphic is encouraged by the resolve of the government, as echoed by Dr Bisiw, that “the time has come for the people of Ghana to face the reality and refuse to allow a few individuals to take the rest of us for granted”.
Anybody who has cared to observe critically would have noticed on the days that it has rained that a few lawless individuals have condemned the entire society to the flood disaster in which precious lives have been lost and properties damaged.
The Daily Graphic thinks that it is about time the laws of the land were made to deter the few unscrupulous people from taking the majority of the people for granted.
By law, nobody is allowed to site structures on watercourses but in the city of Accra, developers have encroached on all watercourses and areas earmarked for public facilities.
In countries where the people respect the statutory authorities, nobody builds on watercourses or close to the banks of rivers. Some societies have value for their rivers and for which reason they keep them clean for water sport and estate development from which the state or the local authorities earn revenue.
The Daily Graphic finds it difficult to understand why as a people we have allowed the “bad lots” to deprive us of the benefits from the various streams and rivers that run through our cites and towns.
Unfortunately these rivers rather than help us to attain better livelihoods have become a curse because anytime the clouds gather and the rains pour in torrential volumes, tragedy befalls most of our communities.
The reasons are not far-fetched. The drains are choked because besides the construction of houses on watercourses, the indiscriminate disposal of garbage has also contributed to the present challenge.
We call on residents to expose a few people who make those who obey the laws look odd. Any attempt to condone wrongdoing is objectionable because it can only lead to disorder.
A Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Dr Hannah Louisa Bisiw, has announced that the government has released GH¢2.5 million to cover the construction, expansion and extension of drains, as well as the clearing of silt from both major and minor drains to allow the free flow of water when it rains.
For about a month now, the country has witnessed heavy downpours of rains that have caused damage to life and property.
The rains have brought human endeavours in most communities to a standstill as roads have been washed away and houses inundated with water.
There appears to be no end in sight yet as officials of the Ghana Meteorological Agency predict more heavy rains in the days ahead. We, therefore, need to brace up for the challenges ahead.
It is refreshing, however, that the government remains committed to the pledge to deal with the flooding problem in Accra. This time, the government has decided to walk the talk by “hitting the road running”.
According to Dr Bisiw, the move to overhaul the entire drainage system will help to solve the problem “once and for all”.
We dare say that in the past most people were emboldened to flout the laws of the land because enforcement was weak and even those who were caught in the net used their ‘contacts’ to go scot free.
The Daily Graphic is encouraged by the resolve of the government, as echoed by Dr Bisiw, that “the time has come for the people of Ghana to face the reality and refuse to allow a few individuals to take the rest of us for granted”.
Anybody who has cared to observe critically would have noticed on the days that it has rained that a few lawless individuals have condemned the entire society to the flood disaster in which precious lives have been lost and properties damaged.
The Daily Graphic thinks that it is about time the laws of the land were made to deter the few unscrupulous people from taking the majority of the people for granted.
By law, nobody is allowed to site structures on watercourses but in the city of Accra, developers have encroached on all watercourses and areas earmarked for public facilities.
In countries where the people respect the statutory authorities, nobody builds on watercourses or close to the banks of rivers. Some societies have value for their rivers and for which reason they keep them clean for water sport and estate development from which the state or the local authorities earn revenue.
The Daily Graphic finds it difficult to understand why as a people we have allowed the “bad lots” to deprive us of the benefits from the various streams and rivers that run through our cites and towns.
Unfortunately these rivers rather than help us to attain better livelihoods have become a curse because anytime the clouds gather and the rains pour in torrential volumes, tragedy befalls most of our communities.
The reasons are not far-fetched. The drains are choked because besides the construction of houses on watercourses, the indiscriminate disposal of garbage has also contributed to the present challenge.
We call on residents to expose a few people who make those who obey the laws look odd. Any attempt to condone wrongdoing is objectionable because it can only lead to disorder.
ESSENCE OF PUBLIC HOLIDAYS (JULY 6, 2009)
FOR the second time in less than seven days, we have had to return to the declaration of July 1 as Republic Day. In the first instance, it was to remind Ghanaians of the significance of the day, but on this second occasion, it is for a worrying reason.
In the first place, the adult population and the youth, especially who are the future leaders of the country, must appreciate the significance of the day and other public holidays. We must also know about the nation’s landmarks, its organisations and individuals and their contributions to the development of the country. For, it is said that a people without a sense of history are doomed.
Reports in the media about the Republic Day celebration showed that some Ghanaians, especially the youth, are ignorant of its significance. Others are not only ignorant of the significance of the day, but to them, the day marks a negative era in our history.
A Ghanaian who was having fun on Republic Day at the beach in Accra told journalists that “I know today is a holiday, but I have not taken the pain to ask anyone what the day is all about”, while another said, “I was told by friends that July 1 was the day on which Kwame Nkrumah was shot.”
While it will be unfair to take the two responses to represent the generality of the population’s viewpoint about the Republic Day, it is still a worrying development that must be checked immediately.
In the past when History and Civics were religiously taught in our basic schools, it would be sacrilegious or a national disgrace for schoolchildren to display this ignorance about the two national landmarks; the Independence Day and the Republic Day.
If the euphoria that greeted the celebrations in the past is dying down, then we must worry about the future of the nation, especially when the youth, who are to take over from the present generation, seem not to know where we are coming from.
Suffice it to say that Republic Day marks the day when Ghana achieved a full republican status, but the day is significant in the sense that it marks the day that affirms our true independence, having achieved political independence in 1957 but with the British Monarch still remaining as the ceremonial head of state.
Since the attainment of a Republican status in 1960, successive governments have done their utmost to promote the development of the country. The history of the country over the last 49 years has not been rosy. There have been ups and downs especially during the military interregnum. We have, however, made great strides since 1993 when the people decided to adopt multiparty democracy as the best form of governance.
The Daily Graphic is worried that after 52 years of political independence, our youth appear not to be concerned about our history. Managing a country or an economy is like a relay race, which can only be sustained if all members of the team play their part. Any break or reluctance on the part of any member of the team will lead to the collapse of the relay race.
As a nation, we should do all within our power to carry the youth along with us in the reconstruction effort.
If the youth do not understand our history and the reasons why our forefathers shed their blood to attain nationhood, they may not be prepared to sacrifice to sustain the country.
The Daily Graphic thinks in this endeavour, a big responsibility lies on the shoulders of our educational authorities.
This calls for the re-introduction of History and Civics in the country’s educational institutions to help educate the youth on our history.
We cannot compromise on this significant enterprise to ensure the sustenance of nationhood.
In the first place, the adult population and the youth, especially who are the future leaders of the country, must appreciate the significance of the day and other public holidays. We must also know about the nation’s landmarks, its organisations and individuals and their contributions to the development of the country. For, it is said that a people without a sense of history are doomed.
Reports in the media about the Republic Day celebration showed that some Ghanaians, especially the youth, are ignorant of its significance. Others are not only ignorant of the significance of the day, but to them, the day marks a negative era in our history.
A Ghanaian who was having fun on Republic Day at the beach in Accra told journalists that “I know today is a holiday, but I have not taken the pain to ask anyone what the day is all about”, while another said, “I was told by friends that July 1 was the day on which Kwame Nkrumah was shot.”
While it will be unfair to take the two responses to represent the generality of the population’s viewpoint about the Republic Day, it is still a worrying development that must be checked immediately.
In the past when History and Civics were religiously taught in our basic schools, it would be sacrilegious or a national disgrace for schoolchildren to display this ignorance about the two national landmarks; the Independence Day and the Republic Day.
If the euphoria that greeted the celebrations in the past is dying down, then we must worry about the future of the nation, especially when the youth, who are to take over from the present generation, seem not to know where we are coming from.
Suffice it to say that Republic Day marks the day when Ghana achieved a full republican status, but the day is significant in the sense that it marks the day that affirms our true independence, having achieved political independence in 1957 but with the British Monarch still remaining as the ceremonial head of state.
Since the attainment of a Republican status in 1960, successive governments have done their utmost to promote the development of the country. The history of the country over the last 49 years has not been rosy. There have been ups and downs especially during the military interregnum. We have, however, made great strides since 1993 when the people decided to adopt multiparty democracy as the best form of governance.
The Daily Graphic is worried that after 52 years of political independence, our youth appear not to be concerned about our history. Managing a country or an economy is like a relay race, which can only be sustained if all members of the team play their part. Any break or reluctance on the part of any member of the team will lead to the collapse of the relay race.
As a nation, we should do all within our power to carry the youth along with us in the reconstruction effort.
If the youth do not understand our history and the reasons why our forefathers shed their blood to attain nationhood, they may not be prepared to sacrifice to sustain the country.
The Daily Graphic thinks in this endeavour, a big responsibility lies on the shoulders of our educational authorities.
This calls for the re-introduction of History and Civics in the country’s educational institutions to help educate the youth on our history.
We cannot compromise on this significant enterprise to ensure the sustenance of nationhood.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
SAVING OUR FORESTS (JULY 4, 2009)
Reports indicate that the desert is creeping fast to deplete our vegetation, particularly our forest reserves.
And if we fail to check the effects of desertification on the vegetation especially in the three northern regions, we will live to regret the consequences.
A few years ago, Ghana could boast good vegetation in all the forest belts of the country.
Today the situation is a sad reflection of the indiscriminate felling of trees and the unscientific agricultural practices across the length and breadth of the country. The damage that has been caused to our forest reserves is largely due to our inability to stick to sustainable forest management practices.
Although the country’s land mass has remained the same, the population of the country has tripled since the 1960s, yet we ignore sustainable development practices.
The indiscriminate felling of trees for timber and fuel wood, as well as agricultural practices, have resulted in extreme weather and climatic conditions across the country. Storms, floods, drought, wild fires and many other natural disasters threaten the lives and livelihoods of our people throughout the country.
The recent floods in many parts of the country that resulted in the loss of innocent lives can be attributed partly to the change in climatic conditions. This threat is expected to grow if we do not adopt strategies that would reduce disasters.
The weather and climate change affect every sphere of human endeavour, including agriculture, public health, water sources, energy, transport and the overall socio-economic development of the country.
In response to the issue of climate change, many countries have formulated action plans to minimise the effects of global warming on society.
In recent times, climate change has brought in its wake very extreme weather conditions such as long drought, long periods of winter season and heavy rainfall, as well as high levels of the sea.
By our actions and inaction, our forest is under threat, largely because of the combined effects of uncontrolled agricultural practices, charcoal burning and operations of timber merchants, particularly chain-saw operators.
Our governments have tried in the past to bring the situation under control with very little success, because more often than not those appointed to check the activities end up conniving with the people who exploit our forest reserves.
The Daily Graphic is, however, happy that the government has found it prudent to set up an inter-agency security committee to check the activities of illegal chain-saw and galamsey operators in the country.
Inaugurating the committee, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda, said the move had become necessary in order to address the alarming rate at which the country’s forest was being depleted by chain-saw operators.
We need to save not only the green vegetation that guarantees our livelihoods, but also all animals and plants whose demise will aggravate global warming and associated changes in climate, thereby affecting the planet.
We trust in the integrity of the members of the committee and hope that they will work according to the terms of reference given to them by the government.
The Daily Graphic calls on the members of the committee to adopt stringent methods to stop the illegal activities of chain-saw and galamsey operators in order to reduce the effects of their activities on our society.
Task forces of this nature in the past failed to achieve the desired effect, because sooner than later those who were charged with the responsibility to police our forest reserves became part and parcel of the ‘exploitation brigade’.
The Daily Graphic hopes the members of the public will assist the inter-agency security committee to attain its objective of saving our forest from further depletion.
And if we fail to check the effects of desertification on the vegetation especially in the three northern regions, we will live to regret the consequences.
A few years ago, Ghana could boast good vegetation in all the forest belts of the country.
Today the situation is a sad reflection of the indiscriminate felling of trees and the unscientific agricultural practices across the length and breadth of the country. The damage that has been caused to our forest reserves is largely due to our inability to stick to sustainable forest management practices.
Although the country’s land mass has remained the same, the population of the country has tripled since the 1960s, yet we ignore sustainable development practices.
The indiscriminate felling of trees for timber and fuel wood, as well as agricultural practices, have resulted in extreme weather and climatic conditions across the country. Storms, floods, drought, wild fires and many other natural disasters threaten the lives and livelihoods of our people throughout the country.
The recent floods in many parts of the country that resulted in the loss of innocent lives can be attributed partly to the change in climatic conditions. This threat is expected to grow if we do not adopt strategies that would reduce disasters.
The weather and climate change affect every sphere of human endeavour, including agriculture, public health, water sources, energy, transport and the overall socio-economic development of the country.
In response to the issue of climate change, many countries have formulated action plans to minimise the effects of global warming on society.
In recent times, climate change has brought in its wake very extreme weather conditions such as long drought, long periods of winter season and heavy rainfall, as well as high levels of the sea.
By our actions and inaction, our forest is under threat, largely because of the combined effects of uncontrolled agricultural practices, charcoal burning and operations of timber merchants, particularly chain-saw operators.
Our governments have tried in the past to bring the situation under control with very little success, because more often than not those appointed to check the activities end up conniving with the people who exploit our forest reserves.
The Daily Graphic is, however, happy that the government has found it prudent to set up an inter-agency security committee to check the activities of illegal chain-saw and galamsey operators in the country.
Inaugurating the committee, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda, said the move had become necessary in order to address the alarming rate at which the country’s forest was being depleted by chain-saw operators.
We need to save not only the green vegetation that guarantees our livelihoods, but also all animals and plants whose demise will aggravate global warming and associated changes in climate, thereby affecting the planet.
We trust in the integrity of the members of the committee and hope that they will work according to the terms of reference given to them by the government.
The Daily Graphic calls on the members of the committee to adopt stringent methods to stop the illegal activities of chain-saw and galamsey operators in order to reduce the effects of their activities on our society.
Task forces of this nature in the past failed to achieve the desired effect, because sooner than later those who were charged with the responsibility to police our forest reserves became part and parcel of the ‘exploitation brigade’.
The Daily Graphic hopes the members of the public will assist the inter-agency security committee to attain its objective of saving our forest from further depletion.
Friday, July 3, 2009
A LAUDABLE INITIATIVE (JULY 3)
Last Tuesday, the Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, performed a historic function at the International Conference Centre that deserves the attention of all development-minded Ghanaians. This was the launch of a US$250 million Volta Region Economic Plan (VOREP).
The five-year plan (2009-2014), the initiative of the region’s traditional authorities, led by Togbe Afede XIV, the Agbogbomefia of Asogli State and President of the Volta Region House of Chiefs, is a bold effort to mobilise the chiefs and people for a collective assault on poverty and other forms of deprivation.
The plan envisages the upgrading of educational facilities, provision of infrastructure and creation of job opportunities for the youth.
The significance of VOREP is that it is one of the rare private initiatives to confront underdevelopment by a people on such a massive scale. As Vice-President Mahama himself stated at the launching ceremony that “it is a shared responsibility on the part of the government and traditional authorities to fashion out strategies to address problems of poverty and poor infrastructure in the country” and he did not hide his appreciation for the initiative by the chiefs of the Volta Region to alleviate poverty.
The Agbogbomefia also echoed this point when he said VOREP was informed of the realisation that as traditional rulers they had to accept the responsibility to facilitate the development aspirations of their people.
It is heart-warming that our chiefs are beginning to realise that it is not parading in ornaments at festive occasions that help to resolve the development challenges but rather going beyond their ceremonial roles to become architects of development.
The over-reliance on the central government as the sole initiator and provider of development projects can never give us the necessary push to achieve our development aspirations.
There are many things that we can do or at least initiate at the local level before seeking external support if only we can be proactive and identify our priorities and available local resources, both material and human, to change the destiny of the people.
It is, therefore, important that the VOREP initiative is given due recognition and support to attain the desired effect so that it can be replicated in other parts of the country.
The Daily Graphic urges the people of the Volta Region and indeed all Ghanaians to rally behind their chiefs to bring the noble objectives set out in the plan to fruition.
It is our hope that although VOREP is supposed to be a private venture, the government will offer every necessary assistance to facilitate its success, for our people have a wise saying, which loosely translated means if you are climbing a fruitful tree you get the needed push.
We think the chiefs and people of the Volta Region have embarked on a programme that, to all intents and purposes, promises to bear fruits for the benefit of the whole country and they need the push from all.
To the Agbogbomefia and his other colleagues who mooted this noble idea, we commend and wish them well.
It is the hope of the Daily Graphic that the VOREP will serve as a trailblazer for other parts of the country to emulate to bring smiles to the faces of our people.
The five-year plan (2009-2014), the initiative of the region’s traditional authorities, led by Togbe Afede XIV, the Agbogbomefia of Asogli State and President of the Volta Region House of Chiefs, is a bold effort to mobilise the chiefs and people for a collective assault on poverty and other forms of deprivation.
The plan envisages the upgrading of educational facilities, provision of infrastructure and creation of job opportunities for the youth.
The significance of VOREP is that it is one of the rare private initiatives to confront underdevelopment by a people on such a massive scale. As Vice-President Mahama himself stated at the launching ceremony that “it is a shared responsibility on the part of the government and traditional authorities to fashion out strategies to address problems of poverty and poor infrastructure in the country” and he did not hide his appreciation for the initiative by the chiefs of the Volta Region to alleviate poverty.
The Agbogbomefia also echoed this point when he said VOREP was informed of the realisation that as traditional rulers they had to accept the responsibility to facilitate the development aspirations of their people.
It is heart-warming that our chiefs are beginning to realise that it is not parading in ornaments at festive occasions that help to resolve the development challenges but rather going beyond their ceremonial roles to become architects of development.
The over-reliance on the central government as the sole initiator and provider of development projects can never give us the necessary push to achieve our development aspirations.
There are many things that we can do or at least initiate at the local level before seeking external support if only we can be proactive and identify our priorities and available local resources, both material and human, to change the destiny of the people.
It is, therefore, important that the VOREP initiative is given due recognition and support to attain the desired effect so that it can be replicated in other parts of the country.
The Daily Graphic urges the people of the Volta Region and indeed all Ghanaians to rally behind their chiefs to bring the noble objectives set out in the plan to fruition.
It is our hope that although VOREP is supposed to be a private venture, the government will offer every necessary assistance to facilitate its success, for our people have a wise saying, which loosely translated means if you are climbing a fruitful tree you get the needed push.
We think the chiefs and people of the Volta Region have embarked on a programme that, to all intents and purposes, promises to bear fruits for the benefit of the whole country and they need the push from all.
To the Agbogbomefia and his other colleagues who mooted this noble idea, we commend and wish them well.
It is the hope of the Daily Graphic that the VOREP will serve as a trailblazer for other parts of the country to emulate to bring smiles to the faces of our people.
AN HONOUR WELL-DESERVED (JULY 2)
IT is often said that a nation that does not honour its heroes and heroines is not worth dying for. That it why it is gratifying that over the years one of the highlights of Republic Day celebrations has been the recognition of the contributions of some senior citizens to the country’s development aspirations.
Happily, yesterday, which marked the 49th anniverssary of the nation’s Republican status, was no different. The government organised a luncheon for a section of senior citizens in Accra and other parts of the country to send signals that at least the nation will continue to spare a thought for them and appreciate their contributions.
This recognition and honour transcends material gifts and presents an emotional satisfaction and thrill that also helps to atone for the strain and stress that accompanied their sacrifices.
Clearly, such recognition and honour also serves to encourage the youth to make meaningful and selfless sacrifices to help boost the country’s development and expedite the attainment of development targets.
While the DAILY GRAPHIC lauds the efforts by various governments to celebrate our senior citizens and the aged on this day, we call for the institution of policies and initiatives that will continuously secure the welfare of the aged at all times.
It is against this background that we welcome the move by the government to review the current medical support programme for the aged, with the view to making it more comprehensive.
It is quite pathetic to see some aged persons in our society going through difficult times in the streets and begging for alms, not to mention the lack of shelter and decent food.
In our part of the world, homes for the aged are virtually non-existent and the attitude of society towards the aged sometimes serves to compound their difficulties. All of us, therefore, owe it a duty to show more care and love towards the aged wherever our paths cross theirs.
While many of our senior citizens have contributed their quota to national development, the fact cannot be ignored that there are many others who, despite their old age, can still contribute quite significantly to national development through very useful pieces of advice on important issues. For this group, the necessary platform must be provided for them to do just that.
The DAILY GRAPHIC urges the government to continue to provide more social safety nets that will ameliorate the hardships the aged in our society face because they may not be in active employment.
We also call for the institution of measures and policies that will encourage more workers and farmers in the informal sector to sign on to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the three-tier pension scheme so that they can become beneficiaries when they are no longer in active employment and do not earn any meaningful incomes.
Whether we like or not, the aged will continue to be part of our national life for years on end. It, therefore, behoves us, as a nation and a people, to fashion out programmes that will make the advanced stages of their lives glorious and superb.
Anything short of that will be suicidal for our national aspirations, which is the last thing any true son of this country would wish for.
Happily, yesterday, which marked the 49th anniverssary of the nation’s Republican status, was no different. The government organised a luncheon for a section of senior citizens in Accra and other parts of the country to send signals that at least the nation will continue to spare a thought for them and appreciate their contributions.
This recognition and honour transcends material gifts and presents an emotional satisfaction and thrill that also helps to atone for the strain and stress that accompanied their sacrifices.
Clearly, such recognition and honour also serves to encourage the youth to make meaningful and selfless sacrifices to help boost the country’s development and expedite the attainment of development targets.
While the DAILY GRAPHIC lauds the efforts by various governments to celebrate our senior citizens and the aged on this day, we call for the institution of policies and initiatives that will continuously secure the welfare of the aged at all times.
It is against this background that we welcome the move by the government to review the current medical support programme for the aged, with the view to making it more comprehensive.
It is quite pathetic to see some aged persons in our society going through difficult times in the streets and begging for alms, not to mention the lack of shelter and decent food.
In our part of the world, homes for the aged are virtually non-existent and the attitude of society towards the aged sometimes serves to compound their difficulties. All of us, therefore, owe it a duty to show more care and love towards the aged wherever our paths cross theirs.
While many of our senior citizens have contributed their quota to national development, the fact cannot be ignored that there are many others who, despite their old age, can still contribute quite significantly to national development through very useful pieces of advice on important issues. For this group, the necessary platform must be provided for them to do just that.
The DAILY GRAPHIC urges the government to continue to provide more social safety nets that will ameliorate the hardships the aged in our society face because they may not be in active employment.
We also call for the institution of measures and policies that will encourage more workers and farmers in the informal sector to sign on to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the three-tier pension scheme so that they can become beneficiaries when they are no longer in active employment and do not earn any meaningful incomes.
Whether we like or not, the aged will continue to be part of our national life for years on end. It, therefore, behoves us, as a nation and a people, to fashion out programmes that will make the advanced stages of their lives glorious and superb.
Anything short of that will be suicidal for our national aspirations, which is the last thing any true son of this country would wish for.
SIGNIFICANCE OF REPUBLIC DAY (JULY 1)
The annual ritual of celebrating Republic Day is here with us again. Today marks the 49th anniversary of the day when Ghana achieved full Republican status.
The auspicious occasion is significant in many respects in the sense that it marks the day which affirmed our true independence, having achieved political independence in 1957 but with the British monarch still the ceremonial Head of State.
The Republic Day of July 1, 1960 was, therefore, the moment in history when Ghana was completely delinked from all colonial ties with the United Kingdom.
Our hopes and aspirations as a people then were that we would use our newly acquired self-determination to secure economic independence to bring us to the status of a modern state.
There is no doubt that to some extent we have achieved some measure of economic success, notwithstanding the fact that we still have some challenges.
Although our political maturity was truncated by a series of military interventions, in 1992 we finally decided on the path of multiparty democracy, which we have practised for the past 17 years.
The beauty of our democracy, devoid of acrimony, conflict, violence and political upheavals, has made Ghana once again the shining star and model of good governance in Africa.
The Daily Graphic wishes to salute all those whose toil and sweat earned for us true freedom and gave us cause to celebrate, once again, Republic Day.
We also doff our hats for all those whose sacrifices, commitment to duty and hard work have brought the nation this far.
We, however, wish to use the opportunity to call on the government to work towards economic freedom, which has eluded us so far.
Admittedly, the fundamentals of our economy are weak and the nation is currently saddled with huge expenditure.
The national economy is heavily dependent on imports and economies of the developed world, to the extent that we easily catch cold anytime our foreign partners sneeze.
As we celebrate Republic Day, it is our considered opinion that it is about time the nation looked within and used home-grown solutions to overcome the economic challenges confronting us.
Nature has endowed us with human and natural resources which provide us with the capacity and the potential to make available the basic necessities of life such as food, shelter and clothing to all and sundry.
It is only when we reach a point where we eat what we grow and produce what we wear and what shelters us that we can safely claim that we are on the right path toward development.
As we wish the rest of Ghanaians a happy anniversary, we should remind ourselves that this is the time to rekindle our national spirit, believe in ourselves and resolve now, more than ever before, to build our nation free from poverty, illiteracy, squalor, ill health, crime, violence, conflict and general backwardness and underdevelopment.
The Daily Graphic is sometimes worried about the emerging culture of extreme politicisation of almost every national issue, since such a trend has the potential to engender division, rancour and bitterness in our body politic.
We call on our politicians and political parties to use this year's Republic Day celebration as an occasion to begin the process of consensus building and using a bi-partisan approach where necessary to solve some of the difficulties that we face as a nation.
The success stories of countries such as Korea, China, Japan and Thailand should convince us that developing a self-sustaining and self-reliant economy is achievable. For, where there is a WILL, there is always a WAY and where there is HOPE there is always LIFE.
The auspicious occasion is significant in many respects in the sense that it marks the day which affirmed our true independence, having achieved political independence in 1957 but with the British monarch still the ceremonial Head of State.
The Republic Day of July 1, 1960 was, therefore, the moment in history when Ghana was completely delinked from all colonial ties with the United Kingdom.
Our hopes and aspirations as a people then were that we would use our newly acquired self-determination to secure economic independence to bring us to the status of a modern state.
There is no doubt that to some extent we have achieved some measure of economic success, notwithstanding the fact that we still have some challenges.
Although our political maturity was truncated by a series of military interventions, in 1992 we finally decided on the path of multiparty democracy, which we have practised for the past 17 years.
The beauty of our democracy, devoid of acrimony, conflict, violence and political upheavals, has made Ghana once again the shining star and model of good governance in Africa.
The Daily Graphic wishes to salute all those whose toil and sweat earned for us true freedom and gave us cause to celebrate, once again, Republic Day.
We also doff our hats for all those whose sacrifices, commitment to duty and hard work have brought the nation this far.
We, however, wish to use the opportunity to call on the government to work towards economic freedom, which has eluded us so far.
Admittedly, the fundamentals of our economy are weak and the nation is currently saddled with huge expenditure.
The national economy is heavily dependent on imports and economies of the developed world, to the extent that we easily catch cold anytime our foreign partners sneeze.
As we celebrate Republic Day, it is our considered opinion that it is about time the nation looked within and used home-grown solutions to overcome the economic challenges confronting us.
Nature has endowed us with human and natural resources which provide us with the capacity and the potential to make available the basic necessities of life such as food, shelter and clothing to all and sundry.
It is only when we reach a point where we eat what we grow and produce what we wear and what shelters us that we can safely claim that we are on the right path toward development.
As we wish the rest of Ghanaians a happy anniversary, we should remind ourselves that this is the time to rekindle our national spirit, believe in ourselves and resolve now, more than ever before, to build our nation free from poverty, illiteracy, squalor, ill health, crime, violence, conflict and general backwardness and underdevelopment.
The Daily Graphic is sometimes worried about the emerging culture of extreme politicisation of almost every national issue, since such a trend has the potential to engender division, rancour and bitterness in our body politic.
We call on our politicians and political parties to use this year's Republic Day celebration as an occasion to begin the process of consensus building and using a bi-partisan approach where necessary to solve some of the difficulties that we face as a nation.
The success stories of countries such as Korea, China, Japan and Thailand should convince us that developing a self-sustaining and self-reliant economy is achievable. For, where there is a WILL, there is always a WAY and where there is HOPE there is always LIFE.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
QUOTA SYSTEM PRUDENT (JUNE 30)
Last Sunday witnessed a significant event which can be described as another major step forward to give women higher political representation and a place in the decision-making process in the country.
At a workshop in Akosombo, political parties with representation in Parliament called for the establishment of a voluntary quota of 30 per cent positions for women in the administration of political parties, the selection of parliamentary candidates and the appointment of district chief executives.
The call for the implementation is part of the affirmative action to address the imbalances in representation at the different levels of the political spectrum.
We see the call as being in response to the insufficient attention given to critical issues affecting women, resulting from their under representation in politics, policy and decision-making levels and in public life generally.
Women are facing this problem partly because of our belief systems which have relegated them to the background over the years. For instance, it is generally accepted that the place of a woman is the kitchen, not Parliament or the political platform. They are to be seen but not heard, even when decisions affecting them and children are being taken at home. They have even been discriminated against in their quest to fulfil their biological roles as mothers.
So strong are these beliefs that most women have sadly accepted the situation as their fate and are not striving to occupy political positions or even offer themselves for elections or selection.
Most men have not helped matters. They have not supported their female counterparts to participate in politics. They will sometimes go as far as name calling to discourage women or physically abuse them to make the terrain very rough to frighten them. Instead of looking at women’s capabilities and ideas on the campaign trail, men would rather concentrate on how long a woman’s eye pencil has been drawn and the size of the sleeves of her Kaba.
Most women have also found it convenient to shy away from politics because it is time-consuming and they often think their absence will create chaos in the house with respect to the happiness of their husbands and children.
This situation has resulted in the low representation of women in politics. For instance, according to the Women’s Manifesto, in the 1998 district assembly elections, out of a total of 4,820 elected candidates, 196 were women, while 4,624 were men.
The situation in Parliament has not been different. In the Fifth Parliament of the Fourth Republic, there are 229 members. Out of this, only 20, which is just about eight per cent, are women. In the Fourth Parliament of the Fourth Republic (2005-2009), there were 230 members of Parliament, out of which 25 were women.
The Daily Graphic, therefore, welcomes the call for more representation of women in public life as necessary because given the challenges that women are confronted with, it is important to put in place systems that will progressively draw attention to their needs and concerns and enable them to participate actively in politics.
Several efforts have been made by some organisations and institutions at getting women to participate in politics. Notable among them is Abantu for Development, which has even drawn up a document known as the Women’s Manifesto.
This manifesto brings together various demands made by Ghanaian women over the years, including the demand for fair political representation.
The Daily Graphic thinks it is about time we took the necessary actions that will see to it that our women are no longer marginalised but offered fair representation at the political level for the benefit of national development.
At a workshop in Akosombo, political parties with representation in Parliament called for the establishment of a voluntary quota of 30 per cent positions for women in the administration of political parties, the selection of parliamentary candidates and the appointment of district chief executives.
The call for the implementation is part of the affirmative action to address the imbalances in representation at the different levels of the political spectrum.
We see the call as being in response to the insufficient attention given to critical issues affecting women, resulting from their under representation in politics, policy and decision-making levels and in public life generally.
Women are facing this problem partly because of our belief systems which have relegated them to the background over the years. For instance, it is generally accepted that the place of a woman is the kitchen, not Parliament or the political platform. They are to be seen but not heard, even when decisions affecting them and children are being taken at home. They have even been discriminated against in their quest to fulfil their biological roles as mothers.
So strong are these beliefs that most women have sadly accepted the situation as their fate and are not striving to occupy political positions or even offer themselves for elections or selection.
Most men have not helped matters. They have not supported their female counterparts to participate in politics. They will sometimes go as far as name calling to discourage women or physically abuse them to make the terrain very rough to frighten them. Instead of looking at women’s capabilities and ideas on the campaign trail, men would rather concentrate on how long a woman’s eye pencil has been drawn and the size of the sleeves of her Kaba.
Most women have also found it convenient to shy away from politics because it is time-consuming and they often think their absence will create chaos in the house with respect to the happiness of their husbands and children.
This situation has resulted in the low representation of women in politics. For instance, according to the Women’s Manifesto, in the 1998 district assembly elections, out of a total of 4,820 elected candidates, 196 were women, while 4,624 were men.
The situation in Parliament has not been different. In the Fifth Parliament of the Fourth Republic, there are 229 members. Out of this, only 20, which is just about eight per cent, are women. In the Fourth Parliament of the Fourth Republic (2005-2009), there were 230 members of Parliament, out of which 25 were women.
The Daily Graphic, therefore, welcomes the call for more representation of women in public life as necessary because given the challenges that women are confronted with, it is important to put in place systems that will progressively draw attention to their needs and concerns and enable them to participate actively in politics.
Several efforts have been made by some organisations and institutions at getting women to participate in politics. Notable among them is Abantu for Development, which has even drawn up a document known as the Women’s Manifesto.
This manifesto brings together various demands made by Ghanaian women over the years, including the demand for fair political representation.
The Daily Graphic thinks it is about time we took the necessary actions that will see to it that our women are no longer marginalised but offered fair representation at the political level for the benefit of national development.
PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THIS SECTOR (JUNE 29)
AN effective communication system provides the right impetus for the development process in any country.
Governments, therefore, spare no effort at mobilising the needed resources to update infrastructure to improve transport and communications.
The development process and economic activities lag behind in any community that fails to improve its road network, rail infrastructure, as well as the telecommunications sector.
Although it is expensive to maintain an airline, many developing countries spend a big chunk of their national resources to maintain their national airlines, if for nothing at all for purposes of national pride and prestige.
The road infrastructure in the country may not be the best but a lot is being done to update it throughout the country.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the railway sector after 52 years of our independence.
That sector, in the pre-independence era and until about the late 1970s, was in good shape and many Ghanaians, especially students, enjoyed travelling by rail.
Even people who lived outside the “triangle of the railway network” preferred connecting to a railway station in order to enjoy what was then known as the “railway romance”.
It has been the expectation of many Ghanaians that at this level of nationhood our governments would have committed enough resources to extend the railway network beyond the Ashanti Region to the northern part of the country in order to reduce our reliance on the road network.
Today, even the triangle network that was bequeathed to us by our colonial masters has collapsed. Patronage of the “skeleton” network that is left shows that Ghanaians are still interested in the rail network, except that it has lost its attraction.
Indeed, the enthusiasm that greeted the inauguration of the shuttle railway system that serves Accra-Nsawam and Accra-Asoprochona must tell policy makers that the sector is our preferred mode of transportation.
The Daily Graphic concedes that restoring the rail network to its past glory will require a major capital investment that the government cannot mobilise internally. It must also be clear to us that attempting to source the capital needed to revive the sector from the international market may be a Herculean task.
However, the announcement by the Minister of Transport, Mr Mike Hammah, that rehabilitation work is to begin on the Western railway upon the release of GH¢2 million by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning is quite refreshing.
The short-term minimum intervention is to resume the haulage of bulk goods such as bauxite and manganese to generate revenue for the Ghana Railway Company.
We urge the government to pursue the vision of arresting the decay in the railway sector in order to make it a key partner in the national reconstruction effort.
There are many economic initiatives currently underway, such as the Boankra Inland Port project and the reliance on the Takoradi and Tema ports by our landlocked neighbours, that make the revival of the railway sector a worthwhile investment.
The Daily Graphic thinks that many good things will inure to the country if the sector is revived to play its role in national development.
Rail transport all over the world is faster, cheaper and safer than any other means of transportation.
Many countries that are aware of this potential exploit it to the full. If revived in Ghana, it will not only be found to be cheaper and safer but also help to prolong the lifespan of our road network, reduce petrol consumption by vehicles and reduce traffic jams, particularly in the cities.
It has become imperative for the country to find the resources to revive the railway sector now.
Governments, therefore, spare no effort at mobilising the needed resources to update infrastructure to improve transport and communications.
The development process and economic activities lag behind in any community that fails to improve its road network, rail infrastructure, as well as the telecommunications sector.
Although it is expensive to maintain an airline, many developing countries spend a big chunk of their national resources to maintain their national airlines, if for nothing at all for purposes of national pride and prestige.
The road infrastructure in the country may not be the best but a lot is being done to update it throughout the country.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the railway sector after 52 years of our independence.
That sector, in the pre-independence era and until about the late 1970s, was in good shape and many Ghanaians, especially students, enjoyed travelling by rail.
Even people who lived outside the “triangle of the railway network” preferred connecting to a railway station in order to enjoy what was then known as the “railway romance”.
It has been the expectation of many Ghanaians that at this level of nationhood our governments would have committed enough resources to extend the railway network beyond the Ashanti Region to the northern part of the country in order to reduce our reliance on the road network.
Today, even the triangle network that was bequeathed to us by our colonial masters has collapsed. Patronage of the “skeleton” network that is left shows that Ghanaians are still interested in the rail network, except that it has lost its attraction.
Indeed, the enthusiasm that greeted the inauguration of the shuttle railway system that serves Accra-Nsawam and Accra-Asoprochona must tell policy makers that the sector is our preferred mode of transportation.
The Daily Graphic concedes that restoring the rail network to its past glory will require a major capital investment that the government cannot mobilise internally. It must also be clear to us that attempting to source the capital needed to revive the sector from the international market may be a Herculean task.
However, the announcement by the Minister of Transport, Mr Mike Hammah, that rehabilitation work is to begin on the Western railway upon the release of GH¢2 million by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning is quite refreshing.
The short-term minimum intervention is to resume the haulage of bulk goods such as bauxite and manganese to generate revenue for the Ghana Railway Company.
We urge the government to pursue the vision of arresting the decay in the railway sector in order to make it a key partner in the national reconstruction effort.
There are many economic initiatives currently underway, such as the Boankra Inland Port project and the reliance on the Takoradi and Tema ports by our landlocked neighbours, that make the revival of the railway sector a worthwhile investment.
The Daily Graphic thinks that many good things will inure to the country if the sector is revived to play its role in national development.
Rail transport all over the world is faster, cheaper and safer than any other means of transportation.
Many countries that are aware of this potential exploit it to the full. If revived in Ghana, it will not only be found to be cheaper and safer but also help to prolong the lifespan of our road network, reduce petrol consumption by vehicles and reduce traffic jams, particularly in the cities.
It has become imperative for the country to find the resources to revive the railway sector now.
BOOSTING MORALE OF TEACHERS (JUNE 27)
FROM time immemorial, the development process in our country has been skewed in favour of the urban areas. As a result, good roads, good schools, potable water, efficient electricity supply and recreational facilities are all sited in the cities and towns.
For those who live in the rural areas, it is a nightmare to attempt to live above the poverty line. Some even have the erroneous impression that since the improved social services are located in the urban centres, there will be no traces of poverty in those areas.
However, urban poverty is one of the major impediments in the way of the government’s efforts to improve standards of living, and like any emerging community in a developing country, urban centres in Ghana have their fair share of less- endowed suburbs.
Serious development challenges are noticeable in the rural areas and many professionals have used the deprivation as an excuse to refuse posting to those deprived areas.
It has not been possible over the years to provide incentive packages that will motivate teachers and health professionals to accept posting to the rural areas, although governments have, over the years, expressed the intention to do so.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, commends the government for its bold decision to give 20 per cent allowance to teachers who accept posting to deprived communities in the country.
The Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, who made this known at the 2009 National Education Sector Annual Review in Accra yesterday, said the initiative, which was aimed at addressing the disparity in teacher distribution to attract teachers to deprived parts of the country, would be implemented in the next financial year.
It is our hope that teachers will recognise the gesture by the government as a major step in boosting their morale and accept to serve in deprived communities where the bulk of the national wealth is produced.
Standards are falling in most of our educational institutions, especially those in the rural areas because teacher distribution is skewed in favour of the urban centres.
In this knowledge based era when the best path to progress is the creation of more opportunities for skills acquisition, the practical option is for the country to make the teaching profession more attractive.
We need more committed teachers to help to provide our youth with skills that will help them to contribute more positively to the development of our society.
The DAILY GRAPHIC also calls on the educational authorities to work out the modalities for the implementation of the new policy with dispatch so that the high expectations of the teachers are not dashed as a result of unnecessary bureaucracy.
We also urge society to revisit the so-called good old days when teachers were recognised by the people as major change agents.
We, however, call on teachers to eschew negative practices such as drunkenness, absenteeism and other bad habits so that we can celebrate teachers’ contribution to national development. This honour will be society’s acknowledgement of the dictum, “If you can read this, thank a teacher”.
The DAILY GRAPHIC hopes that the initiative by the government will provide better incentives for teachers and set the tone for improvement in educational standards in all rural public schools.
We urge the government to extend the motivation scheme to cover other professionals such as nurses and doctors whose services are required to update living conditions in the countryside.
For those who live in the rural areas, it is a nightmare to attempt to live above the poverty line. Some even have the erroneous impression that since the improved social services are located in the urban centres, there will be no traces of poverty in those areas.
However, urban poverty is one of the major impediments in the way of the government’s efforts to improve standards of living, and like any emerging community in a developing country, urban centres in Ghana have their fair share of less- endowed suburbs.
Serious development challenges are noticeable in the rural areas and many professionals have used the deprivation as an excuse to refuse posting to those deprived areas.
It has not been possible over the years to provide incentive packages that will motivate teachers and health professionals to accept posting to the rural areas, although governments have, over the years, expressed the intention to do so.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, commends the government for its bold decision to give 20 per cent allowance to teachers who accept posting to deprived communities in the country.
The Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, who made this known at the 2009 National Education Sector Annual Review in Accra yesterday, said the initiative, which was aimed at addressing the disparity in teacher distribution to attract teachers to deprived parts of the country, would be implemented in the next financial year.
It is our hope that teachers will recognise the gesture by the government as a major step in boosting their morale and accept to serve in deprived communities where the bulk of the national wealth is produced.
Standards are falling in most of our educational institutions, especially those in the rural areas because teacher distribution is skewed in favour of the urban centres.
In this knowledge based era when the best path to progress is the creation of more opportunities for skills acquisition, the practical option is for the country to make the teaching profession more attractive.
We need more committed teachers to help to provide our youth with skills that will help them to contribute more positively to the development of our society.
The DAILY GRAPHIC also calls on the educational authorities to work out the modalities for the implementation of the new policy with dispatch so that the high expectations of the teachers are not dashed as a result of unnecessary bureaucracy.
We also urge society to revisit the so-called good old days when teachers were recognised by the people as major change agents.
We, however, call on teachers to eschew negative practices such as drunkenness, absenteeism and other bad habits so that we can celebrate teachers’ contribution to national development. This honour will be society’s acknowledgement of the dictum, “If you can read this, thank a teacher”.
The DAILY GRAPHIC hopes that the initiative by the government will provide better incentives for teachers and set the tone for improvement in educational standards in all rural public schools.
We urge the government to extend the motivation scheme to cover other professionals such as nurses and doctors whose services are required to update living conditions in the countryside.
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