Monday, August 31, 2009

CO-OPERATE TO END 'MAST WAR' (AUGUST 31, 2009)

BY the last count, six telecommunications companies had been registered to operate mobile telephony industry in the country. Five of the companies are currently in a fierce competition for consumers from among the nearly 23 million population, while the sixth operator is feverishly preparing to launch its operations to make the market even more exciting.
From the 1990s to date, the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector has been very phenomenal making it possible for every village or hamlet to be accessed by cellular phone communications.
Indeed, cellular phones give true expression to the belief that the world has become a global village, making it easy for contacts to be made on any issue in every corner of the world.
Such is the high level of telephony penetration and the influence of information and communication technology (ICT) on the cultures of the world that certain countries are taking steps to introduce regulations for the use of the Internet to the displeasure of advocates of a free society.
Ghana’s mobile penetration base is estimated to hit 60 per cent by the end of this year. At the end of last year, the penetration rate was about 50 per cent with nearly 11.8 million mobile phone subscribers.
Despite the growth in the mobile telephony market, the fixed line penetration is woefully just about two per cent with Vodafone enjoying a monopoly in this sector.
The mobile telephony penetration has outpaced the growth of Ghana’s bandwidth, which has created challenges for efforts at achieving cheaper internet cost and quick accessibility because as of last year, internet usage was 2.7 per cent as compared to 5.3 per cent in the whole of Africa.
In every street corner or community can be found young people trading in top-up credits for mobile phones while fuel stations and convenience shops trade in handsets and credits.
The Daily Graphic urges the government to intensify efforts to reduce cost of operations of ICT companies so that more Ghanaians can have access to mobile telephony and the Internet.
While the government takes steps to help Ghanaians to enjoy the benefits of ICT, the players also have a responsibility to provide affordable services to their customers.
We, therefore, support the call by the Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, on players in the telecommunications industry to ensure fair and healthy competition to enable services to be extended to all consumers irrespective of their geographical location.
A look at the industry indicates that there is fierce competition among the players not only for subscribers but also for the country’s airspace.
The Vice-President was right when he noted that instead of the mobile phone companies sharing facilities such as masts to bring down cost of infrastructure and, thereby, reduce cost of services and products to the benefit of the consumer, the networks had entered into “mast war”.
The collective efforts that the Vice-President recommended, if properly regulated by the National Communications Authority (NCA), can provide the level playing field and a competitive environment to engender quality services at affordable prices to the people.
The erection of masts by mobile phone service operators especially on tall buildings and mountainous locations in the country has become an eyesore and a matter of concern to residents of those areas.
The Daily Graphic calls on the players in the telecommunications industry to harness the potential in the sector to leverage the country’s development agenda and to the advantage of the ever-growing list of clients in the mobile telephony industry.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

TOMATO FARMERS CRY FOR HELP (AUGUST 29, 2009)

AGRICULTURE remains the mainstay of our economy, despite efforts by successive governments to diversify.
We have about 70 per cent of our people living in the countryside, where their main occupation is agriculture. There is no way that the economy can boom, if we ignore the concerns of our farmers.
While people looking for land complain about the land tenure system, because of “abusa” and “abunu”, which are practices under a traditional system of sharing crops in which the sharecropper gives out half (abunu) or a third (abusa) of his yield to the landowner, there are other bottlenecks in the system that do not motivate people, especially the youth, to take to farming.
The banks are not interested in extending credit facilities to our farmers because of the high risk associated with agriculture and the government’s support to farmers by way of subsidies and inputs such as fertiliser, outboard motors and seedlings is woefully inadequate.
Sometimes, the support from the government or the banks get to the farmers when the farming season is over.
We are aware of certain policy interventions in the past and even now to stimulate agricultural production, but the most progressive so far was the ‘Operation Feed Yourself’ initiative during the General Acheampong regime.
Whatever the difficulties may be to motivate our youth to return to the land, the DAILY GRAPHIC thinks the government must do all within its power to rekindle interest in agriculture at all levels.
It is against this background that we welcome the decision of the government to allocate more than GH¢10 million to support the Youth in Agriculture programme. This may not be enough but it can mark a positive beginning.
However, the present level of subsistence agriculture cannot provide for the country’s growing population.
It is unpardonable that we are unable to provide ready market for our farmers when they produce in abundance every year, even at the subsistence level.
A classic example of farmers confronted with this perennial challenge are tomato farmers in the three regions in northern Ghana who are left at the mercy of traders.
The Northern Star Tomato Factory, which was rehabilitated about two years ago to buy tomato during the harvesting season, has not been able to do so for lack of funds.
Last year, there was bumper tomato harvest in the Upper East Region but the tomato farmers lost heavily because the factory was not functional, leading to low prices of the crop on the market and consequently a glut.
The DAILY GRAPHIC adds its voice to the appeal by the farmers to the government to, as a matter of urgency, provide funds to the factory to enable it to purchase the produce from the farmers.
Our farmers have been deprived of gains from the sweat of their labour for far too long because of the apparent lack of progressive policy initiatives in the agricultural sector.
In this day and age of science and technological advancement, we find it difficult to understand why tonnes of tomatoes and other farm produce go to waste because of the non-availability of processing facilities.
We can save ourselves the embarrassment of begging for food handouts if we develop the capacity to produce to feed ourselves and for export.

Friday, August 28, 2009

THIS POLICY HINDERS HEALTH DELIVERY (AUGUST 28, 2009)

A 2005 audit report currently before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has revealed that 94 experienced medical doctors who should have practised in hospitals in the public sector found themselves occupying administrative positions.
There is also the issue of a large number of heads of departments, agencies and units under the Ministry of Health (MoH) who are specifically trained for the consulting rooms but have been asked to work as administrators.
We concede that there are some units, especially those that deal with the various disease control programmes, that must be manned by personnel with specialised knowledge but the current wholesale plan where every doctor aspires to be a director of a district or region at the expense of the health of the people is not good enough.
It is difficult to understand why the Ghana Health Service is not utilising the services of professional hospital administrators at the district and regional levels so that the doctors can concentrate on saving lives through actual healthcare delivery?
Many of us know of highly competent doctors who have currently put aside their stethoscopes and are involved in full-time administration.
The trend is growing because the doctors who have become administrators enjoy the same allowances medical practitioners are paid such as the additional duty hour allowance. They also undertake foreign trips to be paid per diem.
This situation could also have led to inadequate personnel to spearhead the crusade against public health challenges such as cholera, bilharzia and malaria.
The DAILY GRAPHIC thinks that we can change the status quo because in mission-managed health facilities, qualified hospital administrators have been employed to perform the day-to-day running of the hospitals leaving the doctors to take charge of the consulting rooms.
Another significant point raised by the report was that because the experienced doctors did not work in the hospitals, younger professionals were denied the opportunity to learn from the experiences acquired by their senior colleagues.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, associates with the observation made by the report that “in a service where brain drain has significant impact on capacity and replacement is very difficult to accomplish, using qualified doctors to undertake administrative task is a further drain on the already under-staffed sector. The effect is pressure and stress on the few medical professionals left to run the facilities”.
It should also be possible for health professionals who opt for administrative duties to spend a few days within the week to work in the consulting rooms.
We think that in order to motivate health professionals to offer efficient services to the people, we must offer more incentives to health professionals who place the consulting rooms and theatres above the administrative functions.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the report by the Auditor-General will open our eyes to the challenges in the health sector in order to design measures to address them.
In the midst of a near health crisis, it behoves the policy makers in the sector to work out arrangements such that our health professionals can offer the best of health services.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

NEVER AGAIN, BRETHEN (AUGUST 27)

ON Tuesday, some hoodlums at the Konkomba Market in Accra put up a behaviour that can only be akin to what happens in the animal kingdom.
In the full glare of their compatriots, these people exhibited brute force in airing their grievances.
The spectacle that was left behind after the free-for-all, during which machetes, guns and other offensive weapons were used, was horrific.
Ghana has come a long way since 1992 when multiparty democracy was adopted and we think we must turn our back to arbitrariness and human rights abuses. In this dispensation, might is no longer right or the order of the day, and so the rule of law must reign supreme.
Our passion for the rule of law should provide enough space for all patriotic citizens to express their opinions without let or hindrance.
Our rich diversity should never be the source of conflict and deadly disagreements but should encourage us to respect the values inherent in our rich diversity.
Whether we like it or not we shall continue to be one people belonging to this great country with a common destiny, notwithstanding our ethnic, political and religious differences.
It is sad that a section of the society has allowed its association with political parties to disturb our sense of brotherhood and drive us to engage in fratricidal struggles.
The time has come for all Ghanaians to resolve never to allow multiparty democracy to sow deep-seated hatred among the people.
Multiparty democracy is all about choices and that dispensation should promote healthy rivalry and competition among the political parties and their supporters.
Electioneering conducted in a free, fair and friendly atmosphere is always a delight and offers even comic relief, depending on the issues that are raised on the platforms.
It is unfortunate that Tuesday’s incident during which four persons were said to have lost their lives while many people got injured is being linked to the protracted conflict in Dagbon and the deep-seated hatred between supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that after the election, it is now time for all Ghanaians to join hands to build the country.
Our people should refuse to resort to violence on the least provocation, even if they are hired by certain unscrupulous political party officials.
The tragedy of our circumstances in recent years, particularly since 1992, is our inability to stand up collectively against wrongdoing.
The political system has been abused by our political leaders and their followers as a result of rent seeking and patronage, where only the well-connected benefit from the system.
The culture of impunity has nurtured a gang of ‘machomen’ and land guards who cause mayhem in the communities for personal or class benefits.
The latest violence at the Konkomba Market started simmering before and during the general election in December last year, but because no action was taken, these gangsters were emboldened to misbehave last Tuesday.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, appeals to the police to act decisively to bring the perpetrators of last Tuesday’s violence to book in order to serve as deterrent to others.
The two political parties also have a responsibility to advise their supporters to desist from the culture of impunity and violence for which they are gradually gaining notoriety for.
No matter the provocation, let us say no to communal violence that can threaten the peace and stability of the nation.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

DON'T REPEAT AKOSOMBO AT BUI (AUGUST 25, 2009)

FROM hindsight, the directive from the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) to the Bui Power Authority (BPA) to submit an Environmental Management Plan and a Resettlement Action Plan can be said to be a proactive move to avoid the unpleasant aspects of the Akosombo Dam experience.
In the 1960s when the Akosombo Dam was being constructed, many things including a user-friendly resettlement plan were ignored by the authorities.
The resettlement plans for the 52 towns inundated by the dam were drawn with no or very little consultation with the residents of those communities.
The moves by the MEST indicate that as a people we are learning from our mistakes so that we do not inflict pain on communities in the catchment area of the Bui Dam Project.
The fallout from the Akosombo Dam continues to impact negatively on the living conditions of communities in the dam’s catchment area even up to today.
Many families who lost compound houses were compensated with very small structures like hen coops which did not meet their expectations. The farmlands of the people were flooded and few hectares which were spared had their vegetation disturbed to the extent that the farmland could not support any meaningful agriculture.
Quite ironically, the economy of the communities in the dam area were seriously affected by the Akosombo Dam, which was executed to help accelerate the economic development of the country.
Water-borne diseases and other health challenges have also been on the ascendancy thereby aggravating the poor living conditions of the people downstream.
The DAILY GRAPHIC thinks that although the Bui Power Project will accelerate economic development, it should not be carried out at the expense of the daily endeavours of the local people.
Environmentalists raised the red flag when the government decided to revive the Bui Power Project because of their concern for the protection of flora and fauna.
The DAILY GRAPHIC cautions against a repeat of what happened at Akosombo where very rich and resourceful families were reduced to beggars in their own backyards just because a good programme ignored the human touch.
The Bui Power Project holds a lot of promise for the future of the country. This can, however, be attained if the concerns of the people are taken care of by the project management team.
We are encouraged that through civil society activism, the people are wide awake and ready to fight for their rights.
The DAILY GRAPHIC advises the people in the Bui area not to sit on the fence but get actively involved in all the public hearings planned to elicit public reaction and support for the project.
They should participate in all the activities planned by the government to explain the challenges associated with the execution of the project. By their active participation, they will be part of the critical decisions that will be taken to lessen the headaches associated with big ventures like the Bui Dam Project.
The people should voice out their concerns now to avoid the mistakes of Akosombo and guarantee a better standard of living for the people of Bui.

Monday, August 24, 2009

GIMPA DESERVES PRAISE (AUGUST 24)

THE human resource of any country holds the key to progress and prosperity. Whatever the people decide to do or otherwise determines the future direction of that community.
It is, therefore, not surprising that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) chose as its slogan “investing in job creation, people and the economy” during the last elections because without a well-trained human resource the country’s development agenda cannot be attained.
No doubt, universities or tertiary institutions of all kinds have been established across the length and breadth of the country offering courses that are essential for nation building.
Even though most of the private tertiary institutions are offering courses in business and administration there are other training institutions filling the gap in offering training in information communication technology (ICT).
The worry, however, is that apart from the six public universities that specialise in specific disciplines, most of the private institutions are concentrating on particular disciplines to the detriment of other crucial areas of the economy.
Now, training in Science and Technology, ICT and Oil and Gas has become very crucial if Ghana is to attain a middle-income status by 2020.
There cannot be any quick fixes to our plan to become a major economic power on the African continent. We need to plan systematically, especially at the education front, by training people who will take charge of the sectors that will propel us to the ‘promised land’.
It is against this background that the DAILY GRAPHIC shares in the call by Vice-President John Dramani Mahama for the establishment of strong institutions that will help to transform the country’s economy.
GIMPA has pioneered a training programme at the tertiary level that has caught on with all our universities. About a decade ago, it was a taboo to mention or suggest the introduction of sandwich programmes, evening courses and weekend schools at the tertiary level.
Our universities were then closeted in their conservative mould such that they thought it was unnecessary to open the universities to people who could find time to attend lectures only after the close of work, at weekends or during long vacations.
The University of Cape Coast (UCC), for instance, has, through the sandwich programmes, helped to empower many teachers and other professionals attain higher qualification.
The DAILY GRAPHIC thinks that nothing is impossible when there is the will and commitment to do so. We concede that the public universities were starved of resources to run many of the programmes then thought to be unorthodox on our campuses. But with the introduction of sandwich programmes and weekend schools, many of the universities have generated revenue internally to carry out their expansion programmes.
We commend GIMPA for blazing the trail in this regard and urge it to expand its horizon further so that it can admit many of the youth and even working people who are ‘hungry’ for further academic pursuits
The initiative, however, must not be at the expense of good quality education. While the numbers knock at the door thirsty for higher education, it behoves the National Accreditation Board (NAB) to enforce regulations that make it impossible for unscrupulous people to cheat.
The bottom line is that the NAB must bite by “naming and shaming” proprietors who establish schools without accreditation so that our young people do not waste their precious time, energy and money looking for academic laurels in unaccredited institutions.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

HEED PLEA OF COTTON FARMERS (AUGUST 22, 2009)

A FEW decades ago, the textile industry created jobs for both skilled and unskilled labour in the country.
From Accra, Tema, Akosombo to Juapong, the textile companies boosted the local economy of these towns by providing livelihood for majority of the people.
The returns from the textile industry did not accrue only to their owners and employees but others such as transport owners, food vendors and cotton farmers.
During the glorious days when local fabrics flooded the market, there were as many as 30 firms producing textiles in the country.
These companies were established as a result of the import substitution policy adopted by the late President Kwame Nkrumah to offer affordable alternatives to the Ghanaian consumer and create jobs for the people.
Presently, 21 textile factories have collapsed over the past three decades due to the influx of cheap foreign fabrics, leaving three which are producing below capacity.
The cheap textile imports have plunged the local industry into even more serious crises with a drop in production from 130 million metres in the 1970s to 25 million metres now and a further 60 per cent drop in textile sector employment.
As a nation, we have failed to protect our local industries through a deliberate policy to maintain “the commanding heights of the economy”. Sometimes we have over-liberalised our economy to the envy of neo-liberal economists.
The experience that we went through in deciding to print fabrics for school uniform locally should serve as a wake-up call to rethink the liberalisation policy.
We cannot build our economy if we continue to rely on cheap imports because such economic activities only enhance the fortunes of countries from where we import most of the items.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, urges the government to heed the call by cotton companies in the Northern Region for more support for the industry as it has the potential to generate foreign exchange and provide job opportunities for the large number of unemployed youth in the area.
“We are ready and committed to producing cotton once again to feed the local textile industries and for export if the needed support is offered to us by the government to revamp the cotton sector,” the President of the Cotton Producers Association, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulai Mobila, said in Tamale.
The revival of the cotton business can lead to the creation of jobs, reduction in poverty and improvement in the living standards of the farmers.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that cotton farmers must be supported to expand their operations to help in the revamping of the textile industry.
The rejuvenation of the local economy in the northern part of the country through support for cotton and other farmers must be a priority of the government.
There is no way our farmers can increase production if they continue to borrow at commercial rates to undertake agricultural ventures.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, calls on the government as a matter of urgency to put in place special credit facilities at concessionary rates solely for those who want to undertake agriculture or raw material production to feed our local industries such as the textile factories.

Friday, August 21, 2009

SMEs HOLD KEY TO GROWTH (AUGUST 21, 2009)

IN a market economy, the private sector is always the driving force of economic activity, with the public sector providing the enabling environment to facilitate growth.
It was for this reason that the country embraced the market economic system in the early 1980s when it adopted the Structural Adjustment Programme, which gave birth to the massive privatisation of state-owned enterprises, which resulted in an appreciable injection of private capital into the economy.
The National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI), for example, has established Business Advisory Centres across the country to help private businesses to manage their operations better to yield higher returns. Indeed, such interventions have helped to boost the number of small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in the country.
According to an industrial survey by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), more than 80 per cent of all manufacturing concerns in Ghana are SMEs. Normally, this development should be good news for the country, but inadequate access to credit has inhibited their expansion.
SMEs have additional woes. They lack appropriate technology, and in most cases, packaging, which is usually the first point of attraction, is rather poor. They are also not able to meet orders in volumes and deliver on time.
It is against this backdrop that the DAILY GRAPHIC associates itself with the call by the Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, on banks and financial institutions in the country to increase credits to SMEs.
The Vice-President, who made the call when he inaugurated a new entrant, Access Bank, Ghana, into the banking scene, on Wednesday, said the SMEs had the productive energies to propel economic growth.
The Vice-President was making a statement of fact, as most advanced economies have made progress because of the productive activities of SMEs.
The entry of many banks, including the Access Bank, into the Ghanaian economy is good news because more money will be mobilised to support economic expansion.
It is the hope of the DAILY GRAPHIC that the ongoing recapitalisation of banks would inject fresh liquidity in their operations, which should compel them to reach out to smaller businesses as a necessary balance with financing huge transactions, some of which are long term in nature.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the Bank of Ghana (BoG) has a leading role to play in making the commercial banks stretch their lending arms to the SME sector.
However, the central bank needs to be vigilant and conduct micro-stability supervision, to ensure that every individual financial institution is as healthy as the entire financial system.
We welcome all genuine partners, including Access Bank, who want to help us expand the economy to attain growth levels that will catapult the country into a middle-income status by 2020.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

PROTECTING OUR NATIONAL ASSETS (AUGUST 20, 2009)

THERE is no doubt that during the Kufuor administration, public policy was geared towards empowering the private sector to serve as the “engine of growth” in spearheading national development and growth. One of the moves was a deliberate attempt by the government never to crowd out the private sector from accessing financial resources.
However, in sticking to the tenets of liberalism, the government failed the private sector gravely in a number of instances when they could have been propped up. That was in spite of the slogan to encourage Ghanaians to patronise and consume Made-in-Ghana products.
Two incidents stand out clearly — when it came to the acquisition of textbooks and materials to meet the requirements of the education reforms, and in the supply of materials towards the celebration of Ghana at 50, foreign suppliers were engaged at the expense of local manufacturers.
Of course, such positions were rationalised and it made sense only to those who saw these things solely on the basis of prices, not the concomitant jobs and taxes that accrue from such contracts.
That is why, no matter what initial faulty steps were taken, the National Democratic Congress and particularly the Vice-President, John Dramani Mahama, must be congratulated for taking the bold step to limit the supply of school uniforms under the government programme to provide these for deprived children, to indigenous productions.
I felt extremely proud, as the Vice-President who only the previous day had honoured me by acknowledging that he decided to do his post-graduate studies in Communication Studies, because his roommate, Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, had taken that path, engaged the Association of Ghana Industries, with the promise that the policy could be extended to the supply of uniforms to the security agencies.
That was my roommate, Room!
All we need to do, is to continue to monitor government policies and programmes, such that if they stray, they would be brought back on course. But next time round, the local entities must be consulted early enough so that they could deliver timeously. For as it is, the uniforms cannot be available for the beginning of the next academic year which commences next month. The contracts may not have been concluded by then.
While commending government for the bold and radically functional stand, it is imperative that the local companies are not crowded out of the financial market. If that happens, they may not have the resources to meet the time lines.
What it means is that government must act to halt the erosion of the local currency, even if it drops a little at a time. As the adage goes, it is little drops of water which make a mighty ocean.
That is where the policy of advance or full payment before services could be provided by public bodies must be thoroughly examined. For, whereas those who win contracts to execute jobs for the state have to complete the work before they submit their claims for payment, it now appears that government agencies are unwilling or forbidden to provide any service on credit basis.
As Ghanaians, we need to have open minds about the way our country is being run. That is why where governments pursue good policies which yield functional results, we must commend the government and equally, where the government is failing, we have to state that unequivocally, so that the gaps between the words and deeds of the government could be rectified for the good of us all.
In that regard, it appears the current government does not seem to be willing to recognise the healthy policies pursued by its predecessor. When the Minister of the Interior met the press recently, he announced among other things that the government has introduced the “Justice for all” programme to decongest our prisons. If there is any credit, it must go to the immediate past Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Joe Ghartey, MP for Ketan in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis, whose foresight culminated in the programme.
That the NDC has found it prudent to continue with the exercise underlines the national interest that the project is serving. That is how nations are developed.
Listening to different interest groups about the recent shortage of petroleum products in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions, one gets the clear impression that it happened because the stocks piled up at Buipe got exhausted.
Put together, it has been observed that apart from the importation of refined petroleum products by some of the oil marketing companies, a lot of the oil consumed in this country between December last year and when rehabilitation works on the Tema Oil Refinery were completed this year, came from reserves left from the Kufuor era.
Yet on a daily basis, we are told of unfathomable mismanagement of the nation’s resources. It appears the NPP invested into the future and so some of the deficits, were rather advanced payments. Therefore instead of uncritical condemnation, we must try to analyse and isolate such expenditure to enable us to arrive at objective assessments.
Otherwise, we would be behaving like what Rev Dr Osei Wusu told us at church when he visited us at the Grace Baptist Church, Sakumono. Rev Osei Wusu told us about the story of a small boy who wrote a letter to God for help.
In the letter, the boy asked God to give him GH¢10 for a project. The letter was then addressed to God, with the place of delivery as Heaven.
When the post master saw the letter and the addressee, he became curious, opened the letter and saw the request. To increase the faith of the boy that God listens and acts on the requests of His children, the post master decided to send some money to the boy.
Unfortunately, he had only GH¢8 which he put into the envelope and addressed to the boy who had provided his address on the letter to God.
So, when the small boy went to pick the letter addressed by God in Heaven, he was very thankful. However, when he opened it and saw the GH¢8, he was saddened on suspicion that the post master had stolen GH¢2 from it, being convinced that God sent him GH¢10.
Therefore, the boy wrote back to God thanking Him for the timely response but pleaded and advised that next time, God should send the money direct to him otherwise as it happened in the first instance, the post master could tamper with the money and accused the post master for having stolen GH¢2 from him and God.
Our politicians must not do anything that would indirectly suggest that politicians are corrupt whenever they do not belong to the governing party, while those in the governing parties are saintly.
There is equally this matter which the NDC must deal with. Eight months into the government, key government ministers still occupy fundamentally functional positions in the party. That creates conflict of interest positions, and no matter how these individuals attempt to discharge their dual duties objectively, there would be doubts about their sincerity.
If one is in doubt, one must listen to the interview that the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Ofosu Ampofo, who is also the National Organiser of the NDC granted Uniiq FM last Monday morning, in which he virtually accused the police of unprofessionalism, by the manner they threw hand grenades at the NDC party offices at Akwatia, and but for divine intervention anything could have happened.
He is the chairman of the Regional Security Council but in the manner of the indiscretion of President Barack Obama, who because of racial undertones described the police arrest of an African-American Professor as stupid, Mr Ofosu Ampofo unjustifiably indicted the police.
Unless the NDC wants to create the impression which has no basis that it does not have the human resources to replace the said government appointees who are activists and functionaries of the party, they should be replaced unconditionally
We should avoid the situation of “etua woyonko ho a etua dua mui” as in the face of the reluctance of some Ministers of State under the NPP administration, to resign, to pursue their ambitions of leading the party as its flagbearer, in conflict with the party’s constitution, but not offending any ethical or legal provision in the administration of this country, many members of the NDC joined those who shouted each day to demonstrate the lack of congruence between the NPP’s activities and its avowed faith in the principles of due process and the rule of law.
Our elders say it is only the liar who states that his or her witness is far away. In this case, I can cite my own learned friend and classmate, the Minister of Communications, Haruna Iddrisu, as having condemned the NPP for its failure to act. May be it was as the adage goes, when the song is not after you, you say the beat is good. But in the end, our elders could be proven right “afutuo nsakra nnipa, gyese nsohwe”, to wit, advice does not change any person, only experience or adversity does.
As the sages have also noted, “to know what is right and not to do it, is the worst cowardice”, while “admitting that we are wrong is a modest way of showing we have grown wiser.”

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

LET AXE FALL (AUGUST 19, 2008)

THE National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is one of the major pro-poor interventions by the government to alleviate the suffering of the people.
Health insurance schemes the world over are designed to lessen the burden of health financing on both the government and patients.
Until recently when the Ghana Heart Foundation instituted a package to cater for 50 per cent of the cost of treating hole-in-heart patients, that burden fell squarely on the shoulders of the patients or their relatives.
Thus the NHIS offers everybody the opportunity to contribute to a common fund from which those in need of health care can source funding for treatment.
Although the NHIS does not cater for all health challenges, it is a more progressive approach to affordable and accessible health care than the cash-and-carry system.
In spite of the positive attributes of the NHIS, the goings-on at the mutual health insurance schemes and the service providers, if not checked pretty soon, can precipitate the collapse of the system.
From the conception stage to date, the NHIS has faced a lot of challenges such as resistance by a section of the public, the inability of the people to pay the premiums and delay in the issuance of identity cards to premium holders, as well as the cumbersome procedure in reimbursing service providers.
These challenges have necessitated threats by some health facilities to deny premium holders healthcare services if they are not reimbursed for the services they have rendered.
The decision, therefore, by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to suspend two service providers, Atasomanso and County hospitals, both private hospitals in Kumasi, for allegedly indulging in fraudulent activities must send the right signals to all service providers that the axe will fall heavily on them if they breach the regulations.
The NHIA has further directed that the scheme manager and the accountant at the Ga District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme at Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region should step aside for thorough investigations into the operations of the scheme.
The act establishing the NHIA clothes it with so much authority to deal with financial malfeasance in order to sustain the scheme through prudent financial administration.
We do not think that the managers of the schemes are angels. They are human beings who can make genuine mistakes or indulge in all kinds of activities for personal gain, hence the need for effective supervision.
That is why the regulatory powers vested in the NHIA must be invoked at all times in order to keep all the schemes and the service providers in line with best practices.
For this reason, all the stakeholders should be made to sign up to the strict regulations of the scheme so that healthcare delivery can become accessible and affordable to all Ghanaians irrespective of their status in society.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is aware of the challenges facing health insurance schemes worldwide regarding claims by health professionals. Similar fraudulent claims threaten health insurance schemes in the UK, USA and Canada.
We, therefore, call on the NHIA to step up its oversight responsibilities in order to keep the stakeholders within the law establishing the schemes.
The DAILY GRAPHIC endorses the swift action by the NHIA, and we call on it not to hesitate to invoke the “riots act” when any of the schemes is going wayward.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

AKWATIA SHOULD NOT FAIL GHANA (AUGUST 18, 2009)

The political temperature in the Akwatia Constituency has been boiling since the Electoral Commission (EC) scheduled the rerun for August 18, 2009.
The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) have since mobilised material and human resources to contest the seat.
A few days to the polls, however, the campaign activities of the NDC and NPP have turned violent, culminating in injuries to about 20 people whose membership cuts across the political divide. As usual, the blame game has been set in motion with the leadership of the two political parties accusing each other of perpetrating a reign of terror in Akwatia during the run-up to today’s polls.
Following the violence at Akwatia at the weekend, some political parties and organisations, individuals and, indeed, the Eastern Regional Security Council (REGSEC), suggested that the rerun of the polls be postponed.
We think that the security challenge cannot be enough reason for the postponement of the rerun in just six polling stations because the security agencies have the capacity to contain the situation.
Ghana is a model democratic state on the African continent. The successful conduct of five elections since 1992 has helped to showcase Ghana as a beacon of hope for the rest of the continent, which is ravaged by poverty, disease and mismanagement.
The DAILY GRAPHIC thinks that after the visit of the US President Barack Obama to Ghana and his reminder to us to encourage strong institutions instead of strong men, we all must work hard to respect the institutional framework put in place for the orderly conduct of our national affairs.
God forbid a situation where we will allow all these gains to be eroded today just because any of the political parties will want to win the Akwatia seat at all cost.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is, therefore, encouraged by the resolve of President J.E.A. Mills to endorse the decision by the EC to go ahead with the conduct of the rerun of the election in the six polling stations.
By endorsing the decision of the EC to go ahead with today’s polls and directing the security agencies to ensure peaceful polls, the President has demonstrated his willingness to encourage our institutions to work.
All eyes are watching Akwatia today and the people there should not fail the rest of the country. We appeal to them to go about their duties peacefully, rejecting the path of violence and exposing those who would want to secure their services for violent acts.
The actions of political parties should also depict that of law-abiding corporate citizens who are prepared to lead by example.
To the security agencies we say the safety of the people and the integrity of the ballot rest on their shoulders and they are called upon to work in the interest of Mother Ghana.
The DAILY GRAPHIC appeals to all qualified voters not to become cowed because of intimidation and stay away from the polls rather they must exercise their franchise to elect the most suitable candidate for the constituency.
The task is no doubt, daunting but by no means hopeless, if we commit ourselves to free and fair polls today.
May the most suitable candidate emerge victorious today in a peacefully contested rerun to send the right signal to the outside world that we are on course to consolidate the tenets of democracy.

Monday, August 17, 2009

UPHOLDING MEDIA ETHICS (AUGUST 17, 2009)

SOME advanced countries have developed healthy democracies because of constructive engagements between the rulers and their people. The vehicle for the attainment of a blossomed and enduring democracy has always been the media.
Taking a cue from Ghana’s chequered history, the framers of the Constitution understood precisely how power could be abused.
The framers, including ordinary citizens, therefore, built into the governance structure a unique and complex system of checks and balances where Parliament controls the purse strings of the Executive and the Judiciary scrutinises the two organs, while the press holds all of them accountable for their actions.
The American President, Thomas Jefferson, established the pre-eminence of the media in a democratic state when he wrote in 1789 that “the basis of our government being the opinion of the people....the very first object should be to keep the right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter”.
The critical role of the media in nation building was re-echoed in Accra at the weekend by the Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, at the 14th GJA Awards and the 60th anniversary of the GJA on the theme “ Media-Promoting Dialogue, Mutual Understanding and Unity.
The Vice-President said quite rightly that “even in this era, the media is still trying to establish its identity and mission. In the current cacophonous landscape, what is the mission of the media”? He asked.
He said although the answer might vary, the true mission remained one and the same as it must be forever, and that is to “ uphold the interest of the people. Stand for justice and truth”.
While many people applaud the media for nurturing democracy, promoting development and holding public office holders accountable, they are disturbed by the fact that some journalists disregard the ethics of the profession.
Journalists must re-orient themselves in order to promote national unity and cohesion.
We should set the example for accountability in our society by upholding the integrity of our profession.
Although the freedom and independence of the media is guaranteed by the constitution, there is no absolute freedom because freedom goes with responsibility.
Indeed, Article 164 of the 1992 Constitution states that “the powers of articles 163 and 163 of the constitution are subject to laws that are reasonably required in the interest of national security, public order, public morality and for the purpose of protecting the reputations, rights and freedoms of other persons.”
Journalists must be circumspect in their reportage because as humans, they have certain limitations, hence the need to heed the admonition of the Vice-President that “while we shine the spotlight of accountability on the President, police, custom officers, MPs, the Judiciary, etc, we must subject ourselves to the same measures”.
Even though we want the media to be a formidable force for change, it will be in our collective interest if we encourage media practitioners to strive for excellence and avoid the situation where their reportage rather promotes conflict and chaos in the society.
The Daily Graphic joins the GJA in celebrating excellence in journalism and urges the leadership of the media to entreat journalists to use the power of the pen and the microphone to set an agenda that engenders national unity in diversity.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

PROTECTING LIVES ON OUR ROADS (AUGUST 15, 2009)

THE increasing number of accidents on our roads in recent times gives cause for concern, especially among the motoring public.
For some years now, accidents have claimed precious lives and maimed many breadwinners. Children of accident victims have become destitute and are struggling to survive because of carelessness on the part of certain drivers.
When the nation was rocked with news of tragic accidents across the length and breadth of the country this year, the government responded swiftly by putting in place measures to stem the challenge.
For the first half of this year, 6,219 accidents involving 8,594 vehicles were recorded. Out of the recorded accidents 880 people were killed while 4,470 were injured.
The carnage on the roads has been caused mostly by indiscipline on our roads, which has reached intolerable limits because many of the drivers who flout road traffic regulations are not appropriately sanctioned.
The ineffectiveness of the policy and regulation governing road transport has led to a situation where drink driving is a common feature on the roads. Many drivers also speed and overtake at wrong places.
The use of rickety cars on the roads is also another source of road accidents. These vehicles are also not maintained regularly to guarantee the safety and comfort of passengers.
The accident rate on the road has been rising because the processes that drivers go through to obtain their licences have become questionable.
The mushrooming of driving schools has compounded the situation as some of the schools are only interested in enrolment and not the quality of their products.
It has also been observed that the way accident victims are handled from accident scenes to hospital by ‘good Samaritans’ also contributes immensely to increase the death toll.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is encouraged by the fact that at along last, first aid training is to be made compulsory for all prospective applicants for driver’s licence.
The Secretary-General of the Ghana Red Cross Society, Mr Andrews Frimpong, said the project, currently on a pilot basis in the Eastern Region, was to make sure that all drivers were able to provide first aid to victims before conveying them to the nearest health facility.
We hope this programme will be successful so that it can be replicated in other parts of the country.
The DAILY GRAPHIC recalls a similar policy in the past when all drivers were asked to instal first aid boxes in their vehicles but the move was a nine-day wonder because the drivers did not have any training in first aid.
The plans to provide the drivers with first aid boxes and the establishment of first aid posts along the highways will help to reduce the rate of casualty among accident victims.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on all transport unions to support the efforts of the Ghana Red Cross Society to ensure the careful handling of accident victims.
Let us join forces to deal with the carnage on our roads to forestall families losing breadwinners, and at the same time save huge budgets used to treat accident victims. The man-hours lost during accidents can also be put to productive use.

Friday, August 14, 2009

ZAIN'S GESTURE COMMENDABLE (AUGUST 14, 2009)

LAST Wednesday, the smile that eluded the people of Odumase Krobo in the Lower Manya Krobo District for nearly two decades returned after the only Junior High School (JHS) in the community, which became a death trap, was officially inaugurated.
Zain Ghana, a leading telecommunication company, reconstructed the six-unit classroom block for the Presbyterian Junior High School.
The new school building now has additional facilities to aid teaching and learning such as a computer laboratory stocked with 30 computers connected to the Internet, a well-stocked library, a staff common room, a headmaster’s office, washrooms, a rain harvesting facility and a pumping machine.
This gesture, rare as it is, ought to be commended.
Zain Ghana has shown its compassion to the plight of the people of Odumase-Krobo and its environs after media reports that the 121-year-old school, arguably the oldest school in the Krobo community, was crumbling, thereby making teaching and learning impossible whenever it threatened to rain.
It is gratifying to note that the morale of both the teachers and pupils, which had been dampened as a result of several years of neglect of the school, has been boosted.
Though the school has been rebuilt, sadly, it was after the death of one of the pupils of the school when part of the school building collapsed, resulting also in injury to others.
The tragic death of Bernard Nartey has not been in vain as it touched the hearts of Zain to rise up to its social responsibility as a good corporate citizen.
The structure, as it stands, must help to stimulate qualitative teaching and learning in the school. The facilities can serve their intended purposes if the authorities take good care of the school and ensure that it does not deteriorate as a result of lack of maintenance.
The school authorities must also not take this assistance from Zain Ghana for granted, and it behoves them to make the best use of the facilities to achieve a high academic standard and discipline associated with the Presbyterian Church.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is also of the view that the Lower Manya Krobo District Education Directorate should provide the necessary support for the school.
It is our hope that the district assembly will also heed the advice of the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, to fence the school to ward off criminals and encroachers.
The gesture of Zain gives endless opportunities to the schoolchildren, teachers and the community to reposition Manya Krobo as a centre of learning in the Eastern Region.
The rejuvenation of the school provides access to modern ways of study through the provision of computers and Internet facilities, job satisfaction for the teachers and employment opportunities for the community.
The pupils of the school excelled in the trying circumstances in the past and it is hoped that given the new environment, they will strive hard to be leaders in future.
The DAILY GRAPHIC hopes this centre of excellence in education at Odumase Krobo will motivate the teachers to teach the children to step up their performances in national examinations.
We urge the teachers and pupils to use the new environment to search for new opportunities in teaching and learning.
The DAILY GRAPHIC salutes Zain Ghana for helping to create the congenial atmosphere necessary for the children to advance in their academic pursuits.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

LET THE AXE FALL NOW, AMA

THE unthinkable has happened. Encroachers are said to have succeeded in reclaiming large portions of the Kpeshie Lagoon and its mangrove surroundings and are selling these parcels of land to individuals for residential and business development.
According to a report in yesterday’s issue of our paper, the action of the encroachers contributed significantly to the severe flooding experienced in those parts of the metropolis during the recent rainy season.
Besides that, the encroachers are also said to have dumped garbage near the lagoon while others defaecate into it, thereby destroying its ecological life.
What really saddens the DAILY GRAPHIC is the fact that these illegal structures did not spring up overnight. And yet, as a people we turned a deaf ear and blind eye to the disgusting act until it has finally blown in our face.
Where did all of us go when contractors at the Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra were said to be dumping debris from the site into the Kpeshie Lagoon some two years ago? Or, where did we go when encroachers were said to be working day and night to reclaim part of the lagoon?
Were our traditional authorities, the district assemblies, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Water Resources Commission, and other related agencies hypnotised while all those appalling activities went on?
The importance of lagoons to our livelihood cannot be overemphasised. Many of our lagoons do not only provide valuable resources to the local communities but also important roosting, nesting and feeding habitats for several thousands of birds and as well serve as a source of our favourite fishes — the black-cheek tilapia and the blue-legged lagoon swimming crab.
But over the years, we have either heavily overexploited these lagoons, reducing the average size and supply of fishes or turned them into a cesspool for industrial and human waste, thereby destroying every aquatic life in the process.
Certainly, these negative trends cannot go unchecked. And that is why the DAILY GRAPHIC wholeheartedly supports the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) in its efforts to salvage the Kpeshie lagoon and restore its dignity.
As a first step, the AMA Chief Executive, Mr Alfred Vanderpuije, says all illegal structures are to be demolished within seven days and we fully endorse this course of action. Sad as the situation appears to be, the DAILY GRAPHIC would like to state categorically that we have no sympathies, whatsoever, for all those who will be affected by the exercise because they had no business being there in the first place.
We think that as a nation, we would have to take a second look at the situation where the 1992 Fisheries Act leaves the management of such water bodies solely in the hands of traditional bodies.
Research has shown that the traditional bodies do not pay much attention to the lagoons and we, therefore, think other bodies, such as the EPA, and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), should team up with the traditional authorities to ensure the conservation of our lagoons and other water bodies.
Our beautiful beaches and ancient forts from the slave trading days, provide the needed attraction to tourists.
We must, therefore, do everything possible to protect these lagoons, even if it means the provision of legal backing in order to strengthen existing regulations and practices.
Nobody must be allowed to take the law into his or her own hands and go scot-free.
AMA, let the axe fall and heavily so now!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

LET'S SUPPORT ANTI-CORRUPTION CRUSADE (AUGUST 12, 2009)

EVERY country or community puts in place the reward system to motivate the people to live above reproach.
The sanction mechanisms have also been put in place to serve as a deterrent to those who have no regard for rules and regulations.
It is difficult to fight crime if equality before the law is sacrificed. The end result is that some people have the erroneous impression that justice is available only to the highest bidder. This way, we demonstrate our insincerity to the rule of law.
In a society where we are not bold enough to question the sources of income of the well-connected, the fight against corruption is lost even before it begins.
Corruption in high places and in all spheres of national endeavours undermines the prospects for economic development.
It is against this background that the DAILY GRAPHIC endorses the call on the country’s leadership to strengthen the compensation package in the various public sectors if the fight against corruption is to succeed.
Dr Kofi Amoah, a Ghanaian business executive, has stressed that “we must be engaged and encouraged to travel the path of progress by our own sincerity to the practice of good governance and not its slogan”.
A journey down memory lane will show vividly how as a nation we have been attracted to slogans rather than demonstrating by word and deed that there is the political will to fight corruption.
The use of one’s position for personal gain is widespread among public servants who interact regularly with ordinary citizens.
The police, customs officers and civil servants with the Registrar-General’s Department, Birth and Death Registry, Lands Commission and insurance companies are prone to petty corruption.
The struggle against corruption has been weakened by the ineffectiveness of the checks and balances mechanism of the Legislature on the overwhelming power of the executive arm of government.
Even the media and civil society groups, which are two formidable forces in the fight against corruption, have not been spared the institutional deficiencies that weaken efforts at promoting national integrity, making the citizens cynical and the ordinary people disinclined to fully participate in the war against corruption.
While we intensify the fight against corruption, the DAILY GRAPHIC thinks a more pragmatic approach will be an enhanced reward package for all workers in the country so that they will not “pretend to be working”, but work hard to earn their incomes.
We must also strengthen the institutions of state so that they will be able to safeguard the public purse on behalf of the people.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls for the strict enforcement of anti-corruption laws against offenders in high places as an affirmation of our faith in the principles of equality before the law.
This is the only way that majority of the people will be convinced that the highly corrupt will not be untouchables, to give expression to the dictum that the “law is no respecter of persons”.
Let the laws on corruption bite hard enough to serve as a disincentive to criminals.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

ADA DESERVES THIS PROJECT (AUGUST 11, 2009)

THE ravages of the sea are having a toll on the fortunes of the people of the Ada Traditional Area. Not only has the sea erosion affected those who used to live along the coastline of Ada Foah and its surrounding communities, but the challenge has impeded the operations of the Ada Songhor Salt Project.
About 30 years ago, the coastline of Ada Foah could boast chains of shops in which traders carried out brisk business. The town was a major trading post serving as a transit point to Accra in the west and Keta in the east.
Presently, the sea has taken over large tracts of land which used to house very important landmarks and buildings, including the district assemblies offices, rendering many people homeless.
The ravages of the sea have disturbed the landing beach at Ada Foah hindering fishermen in their efforts to undertake brisk fishing for which is the main source of income for the people in the area.
Ada is also noted for its tourist attraction but again this very lucrative venture is under threat from sea erosion.
Beaches are assets the world over. However, this rich resource of the people of Ada cannot be exploited to the full because the sea erosion has blocked the ambience from the beautiful sand beaches and sea breeze.
The people are also blessed with the estuary at Azizanya, near Ada where the River Volta enters the sea but here again sea erosion has denied the area the opportunity to reap good dividends from this natural attraction.
Furthermore, the full benefits of the ‘white gold’; that is, salt, which nature has richly endowed the area, cannot be exploited to the full as the flooding from the sea has affected the flow of water into the lagoon.
The Songhor Salt Project is said to have huge salt resources which if properly harnessed can go a long way to address the endemic poverty in the area.
Ada sits on a pot of resources that can help to improve the living standards of the people. Let it not be said of the people of Ada that like the needle, “it is always in the midst of the fabric but it is always naked”.
Whatever the challenges, the DAILY GRAPHIC salutes the government for securing 68 million euros for the construction of a sea defence wall at Ada in order to protect lives and property.
It is also good news that President J.E.A. Mills, in his address to the people at Ada last Saturday, stated that the government was taking steps to rehabilitate the Songhor Lagoon and remove all bottlenecks that hindered the full utilisation of the lagoon to generate adequate revenue for the development of the area.
The actions of clans that own the Songhor Lagoon have held back progress in the area to such a level that the way forward requires that all the stakeholders bury the hatchet in the interest of peace and development.
The DAILY GRAPHIC reminds the people of Ada that without their own personal resolve to complement the efforts of the state, very little can be done by the government to change their living standards.
The present level of poverty in the area is unpardonable, especially in the midst of plenty.

Monday, August 10, 2009

AKWATIA, THE WORLD IS WATCHING (AUGUST 9, 2009)

WITH barely nine days to the rerun of the parliamentary election at six polling stations of the Akwatia Constituency, certain developments in the area have sent shivers down the spine of many political observers in the country.
Last Wednesday, news was that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Youth Organiser for the Akwatia Constituency, Mr Emmanuel Acheampong, was allegedly assaulted by thugs believed to be sympathisers of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
And before that spark of violence could die down, the nation was rocked by another round of commotion some two days later with the setting ablaze of two vehicles at Akyem-Boadua, near Akwatia.
According to reports, the incident occurred around 3.15 a.m. and one of the vehicles is said to belong to Mr Ernest Kwame Ankrah, the NDC Youth Organiser of the Akwatia Constituency, while the other one is said to be for the Chief of Akyem Abenase, Nana Owusu Boateng, believed to be an NPP sympathiser.
The culprits were said to have fled immediately after the incident in a waiting pickup and, therefore, are yet to be identified. Neither could the real motive of their action be established.
Incidentally, both NDC and NPP camps have reacted to the latest incident with great caution. While the Akwatia Constituency Secretary of the NDC, Mr Kwesi Ofori Abrokwah, says that “it is police investigations” that will determine whoever is behind it all, the NPP’s parliamentary candidate, Dr Kofi Asare, also says “we must not draw any hasty conclusion that the incident is related to party politics”.
Much as the Daily Graphic shares the sentiments of the party bigwigs to some extent, we strongly believe that the growing tension and thuggery in the Akwatia town and its surrounding areas in recent times is really frightening and poses a great challenge to the security operatives, in particular, to ensure an incident-free atmosphere before and after the rerun on Tuesday, August 18.
We are, therefore, happy that the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Stephen Andoh-Kwofie, has not only indicated that his outfit has commenced investigations to identify the culprits and bring them to book, but has also devised means to forestall further political tension in the town.
Among the plans of the police is the deployment of a number of armed men to patrol the town and ensure the security of life and property, as well as the maintenance of their physical presence prior to and after the August 18 rerun.
All the same, the Daily Graphic would not hesitate to remind the security personnel to go about their duties with all fairness and firmness. For, it is only when they interpret the laws without fear or favour that they can make a headway in ensuring peace and order before and after the polls.
But, perhaps, more importantly, the Daily Graphic calls on the leadership of the two main parties contesting the Akwatia seat to make a pledge to the good people of this country that not a single drop of blood will be spilled in their quest to annex this particular seat. And we are ready and willing to hold them by their word.
Only some nine months ago, our dear nation won the praise and respect of the international community for our conduct in the 2008 general election, culminating in a smooth handover of the reins of government to the victorious NDC party. And we cannot allow a mere rerun at only six polling stations to ruin all our glorious achievements.
The world is watching. And we dare not fail.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

A COMMENDABLE GESTURE (AUGST 8, 2009)

The government has provided 200 health workers throughout the country with Nissan Sunny cars under very flexible payment terms.
The vehicles are to motivate the health workers to offer their best and subsequently improve upon healthcare delivery in the country.
The presentation is not the first of its kind to health workers.
From 2005 to date, 1,500 vehicles have been distributed to health workers at affordable prices and according to the Health Minister, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, 600 vehicles will be distributed to health workers before the end of this year.
This move by the government signifies its recognition of the important role of health workers in ensuring the good health of the country’s human resources.
It further demonstrates the government’s commitment to addressing the specific problems facing health workers. Therefore, the move to assist health workers to own their means of transport is a good incentive.
However, the problems that hinder health workers from performing effectively transcend that of transportation.
Health systems have to run effectively. Health workers have for years tried to provide quality health care under trying conditions. Obsolete equipment, lack of adequate space, inadequate medical supplies, and over-worked staff due to shortage of health workers are a few of the challenges in the health sector.
In addition, health facilities now have to deal with shortage of funds due to delays by the National Health Insurance Scheme to reimburse funds spent on treatment of patients.
The Daily Graphic hopes that with such motivation from the government, these issues will soon become a thing of the past and health workers will have a new image in the country.
Systems that do not run effectively are a disincentive to workers as they become frustrated. Thus, in addition to motivating health workers by giving them vehicles, the government should ensure that health systems function more effectively to motivate health workers to deliver quality services.
The Daily Graphic believes that the move by the government to motivate the health workers is commendable. There may be many other problems to solve but “a journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step”.
It is now the turn of health workers to reciprocate by putting in their best to improve the quality of healthcare delivery.
We have several hurdles to clear in order to make our health facilities user friendly. These include unfriendly attitude of health workers towards patients, refusal to accept postings to rural areas and the many strikes that paralyse health institutions and cause avoidable deaths.
We again remind the government of its obligation to all workers who contribute to the total development of the country.
The approach to motivate workers should be holistic instead of piecemeal, so that all professionals in the public sector will receive attractive rewards for their sweat.
The Daily Graphic is aware of the dire straits of the national economy but with the prioritisation of our needs, the critical sectors will receive the necessary support to provide the stimulus for national development.

Friday, August 7, 2009

NO CAUSE FOR ALARM (AUGUST 7, 2009)

GHANA has been working hard to prevent the outbreak of the H1N1 influenza, otherwise known as swine flu, in the country since June this year when the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the existence of sustained human-to-human transmission in communities across the globe.
Our efforts have, however, not been able to contain the outbreak as the first case has been recorded in the Greater Accra Region.
The question that has been asked by many people since the WHO signalled that a pandemic influenza was underway is whether or not the country has positioned itself well to deal with an outbreak of any magnitude.
The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Benjamin Kumbuor, allayed this fear when he outlined detailed action plans put in place by the government to contain the situation.
Playing the devil’s advocate, however, we dare say that the fears of many Ghanaians cannot be dismissed outright because of the way we have conducted public business in the past.
There is no doubt that we have the personnel and the institutions to deal with the situation and prevent its spread.
However, we need a different attitude to work if the plans outlined by the government are to achieve the desired effects.
Just like any health challenge such as bird flu, cholera and cerebro-spinal meningitis (CSM), the management of swine flu requires that society moves away from the way it has handled its environment in order not to create the fertile ground for the disease to spread.
The good news is that H1N1 viruses are not spread by food and one cannot get infected with the virus from eating pork or pork products. We are told that eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.
Maybe what we need at this stage is a return to basic hygiene if we are to avoid a looming catastrophe.
Our health officials should intensify public education on the disease in order to empower the people with the right information to protect themselves. The state has a big and heavy responsibility to provide the required facilities to enable the people to access quality health care.
But beyond the mandate of the government, the people also have a responsibility to themselves and their families to observe basic health standards to stay healthy.
The only recorded case, which is an isolated case, makes it easy for the health authorities to deal with the challenge if health officials and the communities are given the needed orientation.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the recorded case does not mean that there is a policy failure on the part of the health authorities to prevent the outbreak of the disease in the country. Even advanced societies with very sophisticated health systems have not been spared the scourge of the disease.
We appeal to the health authorities to intensify their surveillance system and, if possible, mobilise all the resources to deal with this health challenge because any system failure will lead to a national disaster.
It is also important for the health authorities to put in place the structures to assure the people that notwithstanding the recording of the first case, they are safe if they observe basic health titbits in order not to cause unnecessary panic or alarm.
Even though the health authorities have given the assurance that they are on top of the situation, the everyday actions that are required to prevent the spread of the virus must involve all stakeholders, such as the government, health professionals and the people.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

POLITICAL PARTIES MUST SET GOOD EXAMPLE (AUGUST 6, 2009)

ARTICLE 55 of the 1992 Constitution guarantees the right to form political parties and provides for the right of every citizen of Ghana of voting age to join a political party.
Indeed, political parties help in shaping the political will of the people and facilitate the growth of the democratic culture.
Just as the mere conduct of elections will not promote a functional democracy, the mere existence of a party will not bring about the enabling environment for democracy to thrive unless the parties are able build the structures for internal democracy within the framework of national legislation.
Therefore, the benchmarks of a functional democracy include active political parties, an independent electoral body, a level playing field for regular elections and independent Legislature and Judiciary.
Democracy is not on wheels only when the majority verdict prevails but also when the players in the political game play by the rules.
Article 55 Clause 14 states that “political parties shall be required by law — (a) to declare to the public their revenues and assets; and (b) to publish to the public annually their audited accounts”.
Sadly enough, six out of the seven political parties that contested the 2008 general election have not submitted their audited accounts for 2008 to the Electoral Commission (EC) as required by the Political Parties Law. Section 21 Subsection (1) of Act 574 (2000) requires political parties to submit audited accounts of a preceding year to the EC by June 30 of the following year.
Almost two months after the deadline, only the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) has complied with the law, raising questions as to whether those who seek our mandate to govern are themselves prepared to submit to the dictates of the law.
It is common knowledge that most of the political parties do not have functional offices in the districts and regions, contrary to the requirements under the law.
The EC has, time and again, issued warnings to the parties to comply with the law or face severe sanctions. Unfortunately, these directives have remained mere exhortations that have fallen on deaf ears.
The only time that the political parties have shown the desire to be law-abiding is during the election year when they know that the EC will not register their candidates if they do not meet the requirements under the law.
Mr T.N. Ward-Brew, the leader of the DPP, the only political party that has filed audited accounts with the EC this year, hit the nail right on the head when he said, “Political parties must set good example for Ghanaians and corporate entities to emulate.”
If political parties fail to comply with the Political Parties Law, then it will be difficult for them to demonstrate their respect for the rule of law when they are given the mandate to rule.
Let the EC send the right signals to all the political parties about its seriousness to regulate their operations, such that they will serve as a true vehicle to deepen the democratic process in the country.
To achieve this, the DAILY GRAPHIC calls on the EC to get tough on the political parties in order to compel them to traverse the “narrow path” that leads them to respect the law.
While we condemn the political parties for not rising up to the saying that “example is better than precept”, we also call on the EC to crack the whip on all defaulting political parties now if we are not to make a mockery of our democracy.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

THESE PROVERBS DISTORT NEWS (AUGUST 5, 2009)

THE liberalisation of the airwaves in the mid 1990s has helped to deepen citizens’ participation in the decision-making process.
Although the Constitution guarantees the freedom and independence of the media, the airwaves were liberalised after agitation from civil society groups.
It was then argued that the frequency required for the operation of radio or television was a scarce national resource whose use must be regulated by an authority for the good of all.
Media freedom advocates frown on this position, arguing that the Constitution does not empower any authority to infringe on the rights of the citizenry to express themselves without let or hindrance.
This school of thought seeks relief under Article 162 Clause Three which states, “There shall be no impediments to the establishment of private press or media; and in particular, there shall be no law requiring any person to obtain a licence as a prerequisite to the establishment or operation of a newspaper, journal or other media for mass communication or information.”
In view of this, there were running legal battles between the then government and Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby of RADIO EYE fame to get the courts to determine, once and for all, whether the Constitution gives any right to any authority to grant licence to persons wishing to establish radio stations.
But since the government took the decision to liberalise the airwaves, the growth of the sector has been very phenomenal, helping to provide the platform for ordinary persons to participate in national discourse.
Through the power of technology, radio has facilitated two-way communication in which the people are able to provide immediate feedback through text messages and phone-ins. This way, the people have been empowered to demand open and accountable governance from their leaders.
The flip side of the positive attributes of radio is the misuse by some broadcast professionals of the power of the media to inflame passions and create tension in society.
The principles of journalism enjoin us to be accurate, fair, sensitive to the plight of the vulnerable, give right of reply to those aggrieved by our reportage and use our reports to promote national cohesion and integration.
The DAILY GRAPHIC thinks the initiative by the National Media Commission (NMC) to instil sanity into local language broadcasting in the country is a progressive move.
Many people have expressed concern over the use of proverbs, especially by a section of radio broadcasters, in news broadcasts because proverbs tend to distort reportage.
We associate ourselves with the advice given by the Minister of Communications, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, during the launch of the guidelines on broadcasting that “the guidelines will deepen the exercise and enjoyment of the right to free expression, particularly for a country with high levels of illiteracy”.
The conduct of media practice is guided by principles and a code of ethics and it is about time media practitioners tried to respect their own code through self-regulation, instead of waiting for external forces to whip them to conform to the norms.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on the NMC to use the guidelines to encourage mass participation in the development process by addressing the emerging local language deficiency in broadcasting.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

THE SHS DEBATE SETTLED (AUGUST 4, 2009)

THE decision by the government to change the duration of senior high school (SHS) from four to three years, effective this academic year, will be received by the generality of the public with mixed feelings.
Certainly, those who had opposed the extension of the duration in 2007 will welcome the decision as a step in the right direction.
And, as is the case with many issues of national concern for which reaching national consensus has not been easy, the proponents of the four-year duration and their supporters will describe the government’s move as ill-conceived.
For the next few days, the media and political commentators will take very entrenched positions on the matter, thereby making it difficult for ordinary people to be educated well on the subject.
We are not against open discussions of the issues concerning the country’s educational system. In traditional folklore, it is held that “Ti kro nko agyina”, meaning two heads are better than one. This suggests that our leaders must subject the issues to intense debate so that all the concerns can be factored into policy interventions.
Let us carry the debate beyond the decision taken by the government, always bearing in mind the national interest.
There is a problem with national discourse in recent times because in many instances outspoken persons in society force their positions on the silent majority.
The education forum held in May this year was part of the consultative process adopted by the government to seek other opinions on the duration of the SHS. That process was not meant to replace the authority of the government to provide the leadership in nation building.
The government and other groups and persons who support the three-year duration have identified the need for certain interventions to raise standards in our secondary schools.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on the government to take steps to provide the necessary tools and incentives to facilitate improved learning and teaching processes in our schools.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) pledged to the people to revert the duration of SHS from four to three years in an effort to reduce the cost of education on the state and parents.
For this reason, the DAILY GRAPHIC hopes the government will not waste time on the blame game but “hit the ground running” to find solutions to the challenges in the educational sector.
Our prayer is that we, as a nation, do not revisit this issue of the duration of SHS in the future but instead move in tandem with the government’s decision so that we do not jeopardise the future of our students who, to all intents and purposes, are our greatest assets.
The government has decided, but moving forward in the right direction will require all hands on deck to give hope to our future leaders with a functional educational system that provides access and motivate students to remain in the classroom until they have acquired employable skills or knowledge for self-employment.

Monday, August 3, 2009

ACCOUNTABILITY CRUCIAL FOR DEV (AUGUST 3, 2009)

THE government introduced the decentralisation programme in 1988 to bring the decision-making process to the doorstep of the people.
At the time, only political power was devolved to the grass root level, with the central government still maintaining its hold on financial authority.
Most of the projects in the various districts were still approved at the top and imposed on the people. There was no participation in the design and execution of those projects, thereby reducing the people to mere spectators of the political game.
Then came the period for the drafting of a new Constitution for the country, during which the framers of the supreme law of the land recognised the immense role of decentralisation in the governance process and recommended that a certain percentage of national revenue be set aside to carry out development activities in the districts.
It was christened the District Assemblies Common Fund and the seven per cent of national revenue put in the fund is shared among all the district assemblies to promote development projects.
Some time during the period, the assemblies received support from the HIPC Fund and the GETFund to initiate poverty alleviation projects and improve educational infrastructure in the districts.
From cash-strapped decentralised units of state, the assemblies, over the past decade, have received massive infusion of funds to better the lot of the people.
But that expectation is still a pipe dream.
Under the Constitution, the assemblies are the highest political authorities in the districts “that shall have deliberative, legislative and executive powers”.
They have elaborate structures in place to compel the people in charge of their finances to account for every pesewa. No budget of theirs can be effective without the scrutiny of the Executive Committee and the general assembly of all the elected members and government appointees in the districts.
Nonetheless, the fact that we are implementing a decentralised system of governance at the local level does not mean that the central government should fold its arms and watch in helpless amazement while those put in charge of the assemblies cannot account for their stewardship.
The directive by President J. E. A. Mills to the Local Government and Rural Development Minister to order the immediate auditing of the accounts of all metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) to establish the efficient use of resources allocated only reinforces the NDC administration’s commitment to freedom, justice, probity and accountability.
The DAILY GRAPHIC endorses any move that will make sure that no public official misapplies resources meant to change the living standards of the people.
It believes that if elected representatives, political appointees and public servants are not held in check to account for their stewardship, the lofty ideals behind the decentralisation process will not yield any fruitful results.
The government should not feel intimidated in pursuing the agenda to instil probity and accountability in the use of public funds at the district assembly level.
Officials of the assemblies, including past district chief executives, should welcome the move by the government to clean the system and desist from shouting from the rooftops that the exercise is meant to find scapegoats.
We hope that this exercise by the government will send the right signals to all public office holders that no act of malfeasance will go unpunished.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

GVING TO CAESAR WHAT...!( AUGUST 1, 2009)

SINCE Biblical times, tax collectors have been the most despised persons in society.
On one occasion, in those days, when Jesus Christ had dinner with tax collectors and many others, he was accused by the Pharisees of eating with tax collectors because they were perceived to have a very bad public image.
Again, on another occasion when the Pharisees wanted to find out Jesus’ opinion regarding the payment of taxes to Caesar (the government), Jesus, recognising the importance of the payment of taxes to the state, told them that it was important for a citizen to discharge his obligation to the state in terms of the payment of taxes, without ignoring paying homage and respect to God.
That was when Jesus charged the Pharisees in Matthew 22:21 to “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (NIV)
We have traced the payment of taxes to Biblical times just to establish the hurdles that have stood in the way of tax collectors in mobilising revenue from time immemorial.
If the payment of taxes was recognised as a key ingredient in civic responsibility more than 2,000 years ago, then its relevance today cannot be lost on all patriotic citizens of the country.
No country, no matter how well-endowed, can do without taxes. Governments all over the world do not exercise their mandates with their own resources but with the taxpayer’s money.
It is a sad commentary, though, that under normal circumstances, taxpayers are expected to voluntarily declare their incomes for tax collectors to assess the appropriate taxes to pay to the state, but that has not been done over the years.
The IRS is always confronted with a Herculean task when collecting taxes for the state because apart from those on the pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) list who are mostly workers, the rest of income earners do not care to voluntarily pay their taxes.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is aware of the fact that in a dual economy like ours where majority of income earners are in the informal sector, as against the formal sector, the collection of taxes is always a challenging endeavour.
Although the inauguration of the Rent Task Team by the IRS is late in the day, the move can best be described as better late than never because house owners who have not been paying taxes will now be compelled to do so.
Rent tax is an unexplored area by the IRS but if it is properly harnessed, it can go a long way to support the government’s development efforts.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the task ahead is not going to be easy, especially when the law the IRS wants to enforce now has been on our statute books since 1973, but since “the team have been selected carefully because of their proven competence and attention to detail”, they will live up to expectation.
We are not cynical about the competence of the team but the DAILY GRAPHIC is sceptical for the simple reason that initiatives similar to what the IRS is embarking on failed in the past because those in charge placed personal gain above the public good.
We appeal to the team to consider the plight of ordinary Ghanaians when it is discharging its duties to the state so that the country can mobilise more revenue from internal sources to undertake development projects.