Thursday, September 30, 2010

GHANA-JAPAN OPEN NEW CHAPTER (SEPT 30, 2010)

EXCHANGES between Ghana and Japan date back to the 1920s when Dr Hideyo Noguchi visited the then Gold Coast to research into yellow fever.
Although Dr Noguchi died in the process, his sacrifices laid the foundation for the long-standing relations between Ghana and Japan.
The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research is one major monument that has emerged from the collaboration to assist the country to carry out research into many health conditions facing the people.
Besides this singular sacrifice by Dr Noguchi, the government and peoples of the two countries have collaborated in the areas of trade, agriculture, human resource development and technology transfer.
Japanese volunteers also visit Ghana regularly to offer assistance in some of the deprived areas in the country to help them to improve their well-being. The exchanges between the two countries also include student exchanges, where in most cases, Ghanaian students are offered scholarships to study in Japan.
We recall the Japanese loan support for the Mallam-Yamoransa road, which was cancelled when Ghana opted for the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative in 2001.
Fortunately, Japan committed the support into a grant and helped to construct that stretch of road. Subsequently, Japan cancelled Ghana’s debt of $1billion but cut credit lines to support Ghana’s economic development.
The cancellation of the debt notwithstanding, Ghana lost a lot by way of development aid that could have assisted in carrying out many development projects in the country.
It is, however, refreshing that as a result of the ongoing visit of President John Evans Atta Mills to Japan, the Japanese government has agreed to reopen its grant supply lines to Ghana.
The decision of the Japanese government to open a new chapter in its relations with Ghana in order to forge a new path of friendship, particularly in the areas of infrastructural expansion and job creation, could not have come at a more opportune time. These two areas of co-operation are really critical to the attainment of the ‘Better Ghana’ agenda of the Mills administration.
The country’s road network requires massive rehabilitation and the decision of Japan to reconstruct the Yamoransa Junction-Bekwai road and also build a bridge to connect the Assin Praso and Assin Adanse in the Central Region will open up the area to the rest of the country.
Again, the DAIY GRAPHIC commends the Japanese government for agreeing to help reconstruct the eastern corridor roads that will reduce travelling time from the north to the south.
We are encouraged by the partnership agreement between Ghana and Japan because it makes room for trade as it has generally been acknowledged that handouts from developed countries will not help countries such as Ghana.
Ghana’s chocolate is in high demand in Japan and it is the desire of the DAILY GRAPHIC that our President would use the visit to promote more trade in Ghanaian products in Japan.
The new partnership should not be built on the premise of permanent interest but should be based on a win-win situation for both countries.
We know that Ghana cannot match Japan in terms of trade and technology, but there is room for collaboration in all fields of endeavour.
The Daily Graphic calls on President Mills and Prime Minister Naoto Kan to use the new chapter to build bridges and partnerships that will benefit both countries.
We welcome the renewal of the partnership between Ghana and Japan and hope it provides a strong and firm road towards the mutual good.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

BONANZA FOR COCOA FARMERS (SEPT 29, 2010)

COCOA farmers have expressed joy at the decision by the government to increase the producer price of cocoa for the 2010/2011, crop season.
The 33.3 per cent upward adjustment, which takes effect from Friday, October 1, 2010, will help to check the smuggling of cocoa to neighbouring countries.
The government has decided to raise the producer price of cocoa from Gh¢2,400 per tonne or GH¢150 per 64 kilogrammes of cocoa to GH¢3,200 per tonne or GH¢200 per bag, which farmers have described as a healthy development.
It is common knowledge that because of the better prices of the produce in neighbouring countries, certain unpatriotic persons have been smuggling cocoa across the borders.
There has also been some misunderstanding among farmers as to whether or not the government was paying more than 70 per cent of the international price (Free on Board or FoB) to the cocoa producers but with the announcement by the Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffour, that the new producer price represented 75.15 per cent of FoB, this debate should be laid to rest.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is particularly encouraged by the government’s continued support for the cocoa sector in order to maximise returns and maintain the sector as the major foreign exchange earner for the country.
When the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) raised funds from international banks to the tune of $1.5 billion to enable it to purchase cocoa for this year’s crop season, the signal was that as a country, we are still determined to increase yields from cocoa.
The regular review of the producer price of cocoa should motivate our farmers to keep good faith with the government by working hard to hit the one billion tonnes by the targeted date.
Now that the government has addressed the critical issue of producer price of cocoa to stem the smuggling of the produce, it behoves the COCOBOD to speed up the processes of introducing a pension and housing scheme for the cocoa farmers.
There will be no future for cocoa farmers who are unable to put aside savings for a rainy day and the plight of such cocoa farmers does not serve as enough motivation for the youth to venture into cocoa production.
We have been told that a group of experts has been put in place to deal with a pension scheme for cocoa farmers, but the DAILY GRAPHIC thinks the action has been a bit too slow and work on the scheme needs to be speeded up.
In spite of the oil find, cocoa will continue to be the mainstay of the economy for years to come and it is for this reason that all stakeholders should join hands to maintain the cocoa industry as the number one foreign exchange earner for the country.
We are always reminded to avoid the oil curse or the ‘Dutch disease’ now that we are on the verge of joining the oil producers because others who abandoned agriculture and industries to chase oil money are paying dearly for that decision.
The DAILY GRAPHIC thinks the people of Ghana can avoid that path if they learn from the experiences of others so that we continue to invest in all the sectors of the economy to supplement incomes from oil production.
It is our hope that the farmers will reciprocate the government’s gesture of reviewing the price of cocoa upwards by producing more and exposing those who smuggle our cocoa across the borders.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes the payment of good prices should also encourage the farmers to adopt good crop husbandry practices in order to increase yields.
Inputs such as fertilisers and other chemicals have been subsidised and the mass spraying of cocoa farms should serve as additional incentive for increased production of cocoa.
Cocoa is our lifeblood, and it is hoped the farmers will work hard to maintain it as such for many years to come.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

HO SHOWCASES UNITY IN DIVERSITY (SEPT 28, 2010)

Ghana’s rich cultural festivals are not only occasions for merry-making and stock-taking but also potential tools for social integration, national cohesion and development.
These days local festivals in every part of the country are no longer celebrated by the local people alone because they have become attractions to others who follow their friends, workmates, schoolmates, church members and other associates to participate in the celebrations.
That is why our festivals have become bridges that will bring people of diverse ethnic backgrounds together, cement and consolidate existing bonds and establish new alliances.
They also provide the opportunity for the people to overcome certain stereotypes, prejudices and wrong perceptions about others and exploit to the fullest the advantages inherent in a multi-cultural environment like ours.
The Volta Regional capital, Ho, at the weekend was the venue where Ghana’s rich culture was put on display and also showcased what we stand to benefit from as a nation if we use our festivals to reach out to others. This was on the occasion of a grand durbar by the chiefs and people of Asogli State to climax their annual yam festival, which always marks the harvest of new yam.
What was impressive about the durbar and worthy of replicating in our national life was the presence of royal delegations from the Asante and the Ga State, who joined their Asogli brothers and sisters in a colourful celebration.
Historically, there existed long-cherished bonds between various ethnic groups before colonial times. Unfortunately these bonds are being lost in the name of modernisation but they need to be rekindled. That was why the solidarity and friendship exhibited at the Ho durbar should be encouraged and promoted among the people for their mutual benefit.
There were also delegations from China, Togo and Zimbabwe, which gave the occasion an international character.
Another thing that was obvious and stressed was the need for chiefs to be development-oriented. Gone are the days when chiefs stayed in the background and only came out on festive occasions bedecked with gold ornaments.
These days, chiefs do not lead their Asafo groups waging wars against other people. There are still battles to fight though, but these are against poverty, ignorance, disease, illiteracy and squalor and this is where the leadership roles come into focus.
We need a new breed of traditional rulers who will be at the forefront of social transformation in their communities and the nation as a whole. Leaving matters in the hands of the central government or politicians alone would not help the nation.
It is in that vein that the Vice President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, who was the special guest of honour at Ho, commended the efforts of Togbe Afede XIV, the Agbogbomefia of Asogli State, for his instrumentality in the setting up of the Sunon-Asogli Power Plant, which has added 300 megawatts of power to the national grid.
Togbe Afede has also succeeded in initiating the Gold Coast Project, which is a multi-billion project for Accra. These are commendable efforts and it is only fair that they are recognised in the hope that they will serve as examples for others to emulate.
It is our hope that the Ho spirit will live on and as expressed by the Vice President,”set the tone for national unity based on mutual trust and inter-tribal tolerance within a democratic environment”.

Monday, September 27, 2010

LET'S ALL SUPPORT CENSUS (SEPT 27, 2010)

THE Bible recounts in Luke 2: 1-5 that a time came in those days when Caesar Augustus decreed that all the world should be counted. According to the passage, the decree by Caesar Augustus was a continuation of an exercise that first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.
In line with the decree, everyone was expected to travel to his home town, and so Joseph had to travel from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, to Bethlehem, together with his wife, Mary, who was then pregnant.
More than 2,000 years after that exercise first took place, population census has been a regular global activity and today, it has even become more relevant in ensuring proper development planning.
It is in this vein that countries all over the world undertake censuses every 10 years as recommended by the United Nations (UN) to know the exact number of people living in those countries and to collect relevant demographic data that would enable their respective governments to plan for their development.
Ghana has undertaken a number of censuses over the years, the last one being in 2000, which estimated the country’s population at 20 million. Since that census, the population dynamics of the country have changed considerably and the current enumeration exercise, which began last midnight, is yet another effort to update the country’s demographic data to enhance national development.
Specifically, the data collected in the enumeration exercise, together with macro-data from other sources such as the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS), the Core Welfare Indicator Questionnaire Survey (CWIQ) and the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) will provide the needed data to enhance national development planning in all the economic sectors.
The data will also help the Electoral Commission to revise electoral areas and constituencies, as well as help the government track the progress of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
It is for this important reason that the Daily Graphic wishes to encourage everybody to contribute to the success of the census by giving accurate information to census enumerators who will visit their homes.
One focus of this year’s census is the collection of data on people with disability to enable the government to formulate policies that will promote their welfare. In that regard, we wish to encourage people who have children or relatives with disability to make them available for counting.
It is a practice among some societies to keep their relatives with disability away from public view, but such beliefs and practices must be discarded in this exercise in order to ensure a successful census that would enhance national development.
Following this exercise, many schools, roads, hospitals and other social infrastructure will be constructed, and so it is important for everyone to take active part in the census to make it successful.
This is a national exercise that requires the support of all and so it should not be left in the hands of only officials of the Ghana Statistical Service and the National Census Secretariat.
The Daily Graphic believes that we all have a role to play in this exercise and we must not fail the nation.

THAT ALL MUST BE COUNTED (SEPT 25, 2010)

ALL is set for the 2010 Population and Housing Census, which is scheduled to take off at midnight of September 26, 2010, throughout the country.
Preparations so far made by the National Census Secretariat (NCS), coupled with the firm assurance given by the Government Statistician, Dr Grace Bediako, that the secretariat was determined to ensure that nobody living in the country is left out during the exercise, are a pointer to the fact that the country will witness a very smooth exercise.
The theme for this national exercise: “You count, so be counted”, says it all regarding the very essence of the exercise and this requires that everybody plays his or her role to make it a success.
In all, about 50,000 census enumerators have been assigned their respective enumeration areas, comprising 150 households each and currently, they are engaged in the listing of houses and structures.
The conduct of the decennial enumeration exercise is in accordance with United Nations recommendations and the Statistical Law, 1985 (PNDC Law 135), which empowers the Government Statistician to conduct any statistical enquiry in the country.
Data collected in the enumeration exercise, together with other data from other sources, will constitute an enormous information to enhance national development planning of all the economic sectors.
Furthermore, the data will help the Electoral Commission, for instance, to revise electoral areas and constituencies, as well as help the government to track the progress of development programmes such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
A novelty in the country’s census history is that, this year’s exercise puts special emphasis on the collection of data on people with diasability. The essence is to help address some of the socio-economic challenges this group of people face, such as education, employment and access to other social services.
It is in this regard that DAILY GRAPHIC appreciates the appeal by the Government Statistician that the general public disregard religious and cultural dispositions that make some people to hide their relatives who are physically-challenged from public view, and instead, make such persons available for enumeration.
The data collected from the exercise will not only be beneficial to the government but many other agencies and institutions in the country such that even the business community and traders, just to mention a few, will need it in their planning efforts.
It is our hope that some of the problems encountered during the last census in 2000 are not repeated, where, for instance, there were reports that some people were left out in this important exercise.
The NCS has made some efforts by making telephone numbers available to the public to call should anybody be left out or to report any malpractice by any of the enumerators.
We believe that there should be some toll-free lines to ease the strain and pressure to call the NCS. But we must sound a caution that these toll-free lines, if provided, are not abused by the public.
This is a national exercise, which is being paid for from the taxpayer’s contribution and it is for this reason that everybody must give it their maximum support so that at end of the exercise on October 10, 2010, we can collectively beat our chest to boast of its success.
Barely 24 hours from now, an explosion of fireworks and bonfires, as well as blowing of sirens and ringing of church bells, will usher residents of Ghana into such an important national exercise.
The spontaneous funfair is expected to rock every corner of the country on the midnight of Sunday, September 26, 2010, at which time a hypothetical snapshot will be taken of Ghana to determine the country’s current population.
We implore everybody living in Ghana during the period to be a part of this historic event.

Friday, September 24, 2010

WORRYING SIGNALS FRO CHASS (SEPT 24, 2010)

GIVEN the information era we live in today, secondary or high school education is imperative. This is because products of the nine-year basic education the country operates now can hardly measure up to the challenges in this era of information technology.
The first point of solution, therefore, is secondary or high school education, which provides some appreciable level of skills training and knowledge to broaden the outlook of people to face life in a more meaningful manner.
That is why it is worrying when hiccups in the high school system are allowed to become major challenges that call for huge resources for their solution.
Just two days ago, the President of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools (CHASS) pointed out a number of challenges facing Senior High Schools in the country (See front page of Daily Graphic of Thursday, September 23, 2010). The challenges include lack of residential accommodation that would prevent some schools from admitting boarding students.
Some schools also do not have libraries and science laboratories, yet it is common knowledge that science must be practical and it is the laboratories that can help in that sense.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education is asking heads of Senior High Schools to improvise in order to admit all the qualified students offered admission to their schools.
But the CHASS President, Mr Samuel Ofori-Adjei, says “the stark reality on the ground is that in some schools, there is nothing available to improvise from”.
Mr Ofori-Adjei’s position gives the impression of a very bad situation, but the DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to appeal to CHASS to allow the issue of improvisation to give CHASS members an opportunity to see what they can do in the circumstances to improve high school education.
In the same vein, the Ministry of Education and, for that matter, the government should be swift in organising some resources, financial, material and human, and go to the aid of the high schools, all of which now appear to be needy.
Considering the fact that education plays the most important role in the progress and development of the country, the DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to state that this is the time to look at issues concerning education in a strictly non-partisan manner.
For when our education system fails to produce the right quality of people to run the affairs of this nation, we would have to use our limited resources to hire the services of more foreign consultants and other professionals than the current numbers to run the affairs of state on our behalf. That would be highly devastating and the ramifications are obvious.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, calls on all stakeholders — the government and minority, heads of schools, parents, non-governmental organisations, chiefs, public-spirited individuals and organisations — to move swiftly and in a non-partisan manner to help solve the challenges facing education.
Those who can donate money, building materials and the like should do so, and promptly for the government alone, it is now clear, cannot shoulder the education burden.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that “to improvise” can mean more than just making do with what is available; it can also mean exploring avenues for help and we think this is what the Ministry of Education wants to imply.
And that is why all stakeholders should support the “improvisation call”.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

CHINA, GHANA'S TRUE ALLY (SEPT 23, 2010)

GHANA and China have had long-standing relations since the former attained nationhood in 1957. Trade and other ties between the two countries have flourished over the years although China obviously dominates Ghana in the collaboration.
Not too long ago, the Chinese government extended support to Ghana to construct the National Theatre in Accra, which has been very beneficial to the people.
The Chinese are again involved in the construction of the Bui Dam to increase the country’s power generation required for national development efforts.
Since most donors, especially those belonging to the Paris Club, introduced tied aid, many of the developing countries have turned to China for assistance and a way out of the strict conditionalities.
Presently, our President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, is on an official visit to China and bilateral talks between him and his Chinese counterpart are yielding fruitful results.
The President clinched a landmark deal with the Chinese government in which China will provide $3 billion financial aid to facilitate the development of Ghana’s infrastructural base.
China is also advancing a $260-million preferential buyers credit to finance the expansion of the Kpong Water Plant, while a grant of 100 million Yuan will also be provided to undertake water projects in some parts of the country.
In addition, the Export and Import Bank of China has also approved a $10.4 billion financial package for Ghana to transform its rail and road transport sectors.
The DAILY GRAPHIC will encourage President Mills and his Chinese counterpart, President Hu Jintao, to step up the exchanges between the two countries to the benefit of their peoples.
With the advancement chalked up by China over the last few years ,where even the so-called advanced economies turn to for a bail-out during this period of global economic downturn, it will be naive for anybody to downplay the giant strides China has made in all spheres of economic development.
The sophisticated level of development showcased at the 2008 Beijing Olympics should have by now compelled the doubting Thomases to revisit their assessment of China among the comity of nations.
The good news is that Ghana’s leadership and government have recognised China as a true partner in global trade and relations, hence the visit of our President to cement those ties.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that in the spirit of South-South co-operation, the leaders of Ghana and China will use the visit by President Mills to deepen the collaboration between the two countries for the mutual good.
Trade between the two countries can expand further if the two negotiate beneficial terms instead of the normal practice where raw materials from developing countries are purchased at give-away prices but finished goods are dumped on countries such as Ghana.
Any random sampling of opinion in Ghana will show that Ghanaians welcome the partnership between Ghana and China but there are some areas of concern that our two leaders should iron out.
It is common knowledge that some Chinese are involved in illegal mining activities, otherwise known as galamsey, while others are engaged in businesses reserved for Ghanaians.
Furthermore, captains of industry and commerce complain about the dumping of cheap and sub-standard products from the Far East, including China, and these concerns require prompt action.
The DAILY GRAPHIC urges the two leaders and their delegations to use the visit to deepen ties between the two countries and also find ways to address negative trade practices arising out of the growing business exchange between the two countries.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

NKRUMAH NEVER DIES (SEPT 22, 2010)

AS Ghana yesterday climaxed activities to round off the centenary celebration of the late Ghanaian leader and pan-African thinker, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, two distinguished personalities bemoaned the lack of commitment to emulating his ideals, patriotism and loyalty, as well as safeguarding his legacy.
The Vice-President, John Dramani Mahama, said at the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum in Accra that the celebration of the birth of Osagyefo Dr Nkrumah raised the question of patriotism, vision and loyalty to one’s country, ideals and humanity.
The Vice-President does not appear to be alone in this line of thinking. The Executive Chairman of the African Development Policy Ownership Initiative, Prof Kwesi Botchwey, has also declared that the deteriorating nature of Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s legacy is ample evidence of the nation’s backwardness in development over the years.
Speaking at the ninth in the series of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Lectures organised by the University of Cape Coast, Prof. Botchwey, who is also a former Minster of Finance, said the sorry state of Nkrumah’s legacy was eloquent testimony of the nation’s continuous neglect of his ideals and called for accelerated efforts to move the nation forward.
The views espoused by the Vice-President and Prof. Botchwey are nothing but the bitter truth and they must galvanise us as a nation and people to emulate the virtues and patriotism of our forebears to improve the quality of life of our people.
Ghana is still faced with the challenges of poverty, disease and deprivation and is still grappling with the provision of affordable and accessible health, decent housing and universal primary education.
As the Veep stated, “Nation building is based on consensus building and the national cause is best canvassed through mutual respect, tolerance and constructive criticism”.
The DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to add its voice to the call for a long-term National Development Planning Policy in which successive governments would respect as well as implement its provisions.
The trend where government after government neglect ongoing projects in favour of their own, which, in the long run, are also left uncompleted, is not doing the nation any good.
On that note, the DAILY GRAPHIC would like to share in the Veep’s reminder to all political office holders to be mindful of the fact that political power would inevitably come to pass and that the judgement of history was not made in the short term.
It is regrettable that many political leaders exit this world without anyone remembering them save a few close relatives or friends. Relatedly, there are many global leaders whose names have been eternalised for good or for evil. However, only those who charted or attempted to chart a good course for their people and communities are venerated when their names are mentioned.
It is in this light that Kwame Nkrumah’s name still stands tall in the scheme of events as he is globally revered and remembered for his formidable vision for Africa.
Ghanaians must, therefore, embrace the views shared by the two personalities and work hard to make life comfortable for the rest of society by eschewing greed, selfishness, nepotism and corruption.
Many years after his death, the questions many are asking is: Are we going to see the re-emergence of Nkrumah in our lifetime to lead sub-Sahara Africa to the promised land — socio-economic unification? Are we ever going to create our own African personality and identity?
As we ponder over these questions, the DAILY GRAPHIC urges all to rededicate ourselves to the ideals of Nkrumah, which are symbols of hope and optimism for many across the African continent.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

MAINTAINING PEACE AND SECURITY (SEPT 21, 2010)

EVERY human activity thrives in an atmosphere of peace and security which is why our governments give premium to security issues and spend a chunk of national revenue in maintaining security.
Issues bordering on national security are also accorded strict confidentiality in order not to jeopardise the security of the state and the people.
Foreign direct investment is also attracted to destinations where the security of the investor and the investment is guaranteed. Ghana is touted to be doing well because of the stable and secure environment that we have enjoyed for more than two decades now.
However, certain signals in recent times indicate that miscreants in our midst are also determined to damage this hard-won reputation. Although statistics indicate that the police are on top of their job forcing crime rates down, sections of the public still live in a state of fear.
Criminal gangs, especially armed robbers, have decided to cause insecurity and fear among residents in the cities and sometimes on the country’s highways. The police, backed by the military, have intensified their patrols in the neighbourhoods and on the highways to take the fight to armed robbers.
Sometimes the lull in criminal activities provides the incentive for residents to go about their duties without let or hindrance. But when the robbers strike, it sends shivers down the spines of residents, giving the impression that we are losing the war against hardened criminals, especially armed robbers.
The DAILY GRAPHIC thinks that our security agencies are doing their best to control criminal activities and that in the few cases that armed robbers have managed to run away, it cannot be blamed on the want of trying by the security agencies.
We know that the armed robbers can run and hit certain targets but they cannot hide. Our security agencies are noted for their professionalism and, indeed, they have won awards in international circles, particularly during peacekeeping operations across the globe.
The DAILY GRAPHIC can assure the public that the police are on top of their job to control crime but again members of the public are also encouraged to assist the security agencies in crime combat.
Crime combat is a shared responsibility, for which reason it is not enough for the members of the public to complain about the inaction of the police; rather they should assist the police to achieve the objective of fighting crime.
In some instances, where members of the public have sent distress calls to the police and offered correct descriptions of their areas, the police have responded swiftly — a case in point being that of the forex bureau operator who was attacked by armed robbers last week.
While we call on the government to give more support to the police to fight crime, we also urge the police administration to continue with its internal disciplinary mechanisms to bring to book the personnel who drag the name of the service into disrepute.
The feeling among the members of the public that armed robbery is on the increase may not be the situation on the ground but it behoves the police administration to do more to allay the fears of the public so that they can carry out their daily endeavours without fear.

Monday, September 20, 2010

SADA NEEDS OUR SUPPORT (SEPT 20, 2010)

President John Evans Atta Mills has given his assent to the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) Bill, making it a functional law.
This development will gladden the hearts of many people who are looking forward to the early implementation of SADA. It is also hoped that its implementation will help narrow the yawning development gap in the northern regions of Ghana, as well as the contiguous savannah areas of the Volta and Brong Ahafo regions, to the rest of the country.
Now that SADA has become a law, the government and its development partners are expected to commit $200 million yearly to support the ambitious programme which aims at rapidly transforming the northern part of Ghana economically and socially. The challenge for the country is how to roll over the current GH¢25 million Northern Development Fund (NDF) into the projected GH¢200 million SADA.
With commitment, unity of purpose and broad scale of support not only from Ghanaians but also from bilateral institutions, the Daily Graphic is hopeful the hurdle could be scaled over without much difficulty.
It would be recalled that a Cabinet memorandum of SADA released in 2009 committed President Mills to the accelerated development of Northern Savannah in order to promote equity in resource allocation to the poorest regions of Ghana and trigger actions for socio-economic development.
With the Presidential accent in place, the Daily Graphic believes that much efforts will be made to quicken the pace of setting up a secretariat for the Authority as soon as possible to create a competitive northern economic zone that will highlight the enormous northern agricultural potential, as well as look at the all-encompassing form of industrialisation and economic and social infrastructural development in those areas.
With the construction of the Bui Hydroelectric Project, which will ensure security of power supply needed to fuel the laudable projects being pursued, particularly the industrialisation component, SADA cannot fail to achieve its desired goals of reducing poverty in northern Ghana to 20 per cent of the population within fifteen years. Official statistics currently indicate about 80 per cent of the population is poor.
Indeed, with the two leading technical brains behind the programme, Dr Sulley Gariba, Co-ordinator of the Social and Political Unit of the project and Dr Charles Jebuni, Head of Technical Team of the SADA Implementation Committee, as some of the best brains in the country, the nation cannot accept any excuses if SADA does not meet its objectives of a revolutionary transformation of the northern part of the country.
The Daily Graphic will also like to encourage beneficiary regions to position themselves well in advance to take advantage of what SADA hopes to bring.
There is evidence that the northern Ghana is rich in minerals such as gold and iron ore. The region is also blessed with many cash crops and livestock. Land is abundant and many tourism landmarks like the Mole Game Reserve and the Paga Crocodile Pond abound. In spite of these resources, there is little or absolutely no exploitation of most of this wealth.
Northern Ghana must, therefore, not squander this opportunity to develop the region and lift itself out of the poverty web through SADA. Over the years it is regrettable that the north has squandered many opportunities to develop. Numerous conflicts in the regions have also not helped matters much. Though, the north is regarded the bread basket of the country, it has so far failed to take full advantage of the opportunities to develop.
Now that the Bill is in place, SADA must serve as a road map in tackling the myriad of problems besetting the savannah areas of the country. It is also hoped the Authority will work to correct past policy failures in the northern parts of the country, work towards a long-term strategy in addressing the developmental problems of the north, as well as facilitate sustainable development.

REDUCING POVERTY (SEPT 18, 2010)

GHANA’S development effort seems to be catching the attention of the international community and is being advertised by development agencies as a star performer in development activities.
One area that has been lauded is our march towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to substantially reduce poverty and improve the health of the people.
Probably, our unprecedented economic opportunities, which have resulted in enhanced development activities in the country, is predicated on the country’s smooth path in her democratic dispensation.
Ghana seems to be on track but the stark reality is that the majority of our people are yet to experience the benefits of what seems very perfect on paper. This is because of the persistent cry of the people that there is no cash in their pockets.
The majority of our people still belong to the poverty bracket and, thus, are unable to meet most of the basic necessities of life — the cost of goods and services keeps soaring and even though food seems to be in abundance with stability in food prices, high rent for accommodation is prevalent and majority of Ghanaian workers are unable to cope with it.
It is our hope that the STX deal comes to improve the housing situation not only for our security services but also the generality of Ghanaian workers.
This demands that progress towards the MDGs needs to be speeded up if we are to make significant strides towards the achievement of the goals.
A new report from a British think tank Overseas Development Institute (ODI) says Ghana has reduced hunger by nearly three quarters — from 34 per cent to nine per cent between 1990 and 2004 — an area in which it has outperformed many countries around the world.
According to the report, Ghana is on course to be the first African country to achieve the millennium goal of halving the rates of poverty and hunger by 2015.
In order to get out of the shackles of poverty, there has to be more investment in the area of education, especially at the basic level, coupled with expanded enrolment by strengthening the school feeding and capitation grant programmes.
Another critical area that needs the government’s attention is negotiating better deals for our agricultural produce by first adding value to some of our natural resources for which we have comparative advantage.
We should continue to promote growth and channel resources into poverty alleviation and other key areas of the national economy. Our interest should not be about expanding the frontiers but also providing the incentives that will enable children to complete basic education and proceed to post-primary education to acquire skills.
Quite apart from these, we should step up investment in the healthcare delivery system, especially in the area of reproductive health, so that there will be progress in efforts to reduce child and maternal mortality.
The country cannot do this alone, we still need partnership from friendly countries and other development partners to raise our expenditure in key sectors such as health, education, transport and agriculture in order to really achieve a better development agenda to fulfil the people’s aspirations and expectations.
Every Ghanaian should also be proud about his or her contribution in whatever way towards the feat so far achieved and continue to contribute his or her quota towards realising the better Ghana agenda of the government.

Friday, September 17, 2010

THE ROW OVER NEW PAY POLICY (SEPT 17, 2010)

THE desire of the government and other employers to introduce a policy intervention that guarantees equal work for equal pay for working people has not been easy.
Not too long ago, the government commissioned a study into the pay structure of public sector workers that led to the introduction of the Ghana Universal Salary Structure (GUSS). This intervention by the government, although well-intended, did not meet the expectations of all public sector workers.
Furthermore, the then Ministry of Public Sector Reforms played a leading role in getting organised labour and employers to put together a pay structure that takes into account the skills and output of all positions in the public sector.
The essence of this policy initiative was the standardisation of salaries and allowance within jobs involving the same functions. However, the transition from the old pay structure to the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP) has not been smooth.
Indeed, the chequered transition is to be expected for a major policy intervention involving thousands of workers.
The apprehensions from some working groups have arisen as a result of a lack of understanding of the work being done by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC).
The Civil and Local Government Service Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSSAG) had opposed the unitary salary structure on the basis that its rights to negotiate separately with its employers as guaranteed by PNDC Law 309 and recognised by Section 178 (1) (2) of the Labour Act was not being recognised.
The DAILY GRAPHIC would have been pleasantly surprised if the unitary pay structure was implemented without challenges, but the arrangements put in place for peaceful industrial relations make room for resolving any labour dispute.
We think everybody should support the FWSC to ensure the success of the SSPP that seeks to instil equity, transparency and fairness in public sector pay administration.
The DAILY GRAPHIC acknowledges the sacrifices made by all the parties to the policy because the SSPP presented opportunities for better salary levels and productivity from all workers.
It is because of the painstaking work that has been done by the FWSC in collaboration with all stakeholders that we are appalled by the action taken by a section of prisons officers who demonstrated against what they described as "inadequate upward adjustment in their salaries" as a result of the implementation of the SSPP.
The prisons officers have a right to express themselves and their action last Wednesday was protected by freedom of expression. But prisons officers also know that as para-military officers working under established rules, they are not allowed to embark on a demonstration to back their demands for better conditions of service.
Absolute freedom is not guaranteed by the Constitution and that is why men and officers of the Ghana Prisons Service should have known that their action violated the constitutional provisions regulating the operations of the security agencies.
The best option available to the aggrieved prisons officers was to engage the FWSC in dialogue to iron out their differences instead of engaging in street protests that threatened the security of the state.
Their action was undesirable and as officers and men of a disciplined organisation, they should apologise to the nation for bringing the name of the service into disrepute.
The implementation of the SSPP is a process and not an event and for which reason all the parties should exercise utmost restraint in their agitation to be heard.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, calls on the FWSC to step up its dialogue with all stakeholders in order to achieve a better appreciation of the processes and the road map towards the successful implementation of the pay scheme.
Anything to the contrary must be rejected by all the parties in order to maintain a peaceful industrial atmosphere.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

MEDIA'S ROLE KEY TO DEVELOPMENT (SEPT 16, 2010)

THE power of the media to inform, educate, entertain and set the agenda is phenomenal but in certain cases some media practitioners abuse the honour of belonging to the Fourth Estate of the Realm.
Indeed, the challenges facing journalistic practice in the country will not be overcome without a bold step to cure the ills of the profession, such as the blatant disregard for the code of ethics of journalism.
The code of the profession is underpinned by the conviction that journalism is a public good that rejects the philosophy that the best journalist must be the first to break the news even when the facts are not available.
Our media practitioners can help grow and renew the country’s democratic life through the building of public trust in the media. That new partnership between journalism and its audience/readers can only be achieved if the practitioners use the new era of information and journalism to inform accurately, inspire and educate the present generation about opportunities available to them.
Another imperative relates to how to ensure that journalism remains independent of political influence and also keep government hands off the media?
It is for this reason that the DAILY GRAPHIC considers the assurance by President J. E. A. Mills that there is no incentive for the government to gag the media very heart-warming.
Speaking during a visit to the Castle last Tuesday by members of the National Media Commission, (NMC), the President advised the NMC and the media to be guided by their conscience in the exercise of their freedom to prosecute what was right and proper for national development and democracy.
There is little doubt that many of the crises in journalism today has its roots in the blatant breach of the code of ethics by a section of media practitioners.
For the way forward, journalists are called upon to turn their back towards the verbal assault on the character of public office holders and join the NMC and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to defend the ethical core of the profession.
Although a section of the media does not use the columns and airtime to promote public good, many journalists have raised issues that have led to policy interventions to change the status quo.
The DAILY GRAPHIC appeals to all journalists to reflect on the admonition by President Mills and resolve to restore public confidence in journalism. The expanded frontiers of journalism since the advent of constitutional rule has helped to shape governance in such manner that the people had had the opportunity to vote out sitting governments on two occasions.
However, the threat to media freedom may not be from outside, but from within although some public office holders are unable to stand media criticism. Indeed, a critical and functional media will continue to matter in upholding public accountability and transparency in the conduct of national affairs.
The future of journalism, even in our country, is captured succinctly by Bill Korach, a former curator of the Nieman Foundation at Harvard University, when she said, “Journalism does more than keep us informed, it enables us as citizens to have our voices heard in the chambers of power and allows us to monitor and moderate the sources of power that shape our lives”.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

LAUDABLE INITIATIVE (SEPT 15, 2010)

IMPROVING the lives of women and other members of society require a balanced gender representation in governance structures by promoting greater responsiveness to women in politics and decision-making.
The involvement of more women in politics and decision-making is expected to meet their interests and basic needs and enable them to continue to influence policies from a gender perspective and address inequalities and injustices in social relationships.
One of the key concerns at the fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, in 1995, was women-in-decision-making. To that effect, the conference made a declaration that “Women's empowerment and their full participation on the basis of equality in all spheres of society, including participation in the decision-making process and access to power, are fundamental for the achievement of equality, development and peace”.
Gender equality in Africa in general, and Ghana in particular, is yet to be achieved. Despite numerous interventions, only South Africa, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya are on record to have fulfilled the requirement that 50 per cent of representation in high-level decision-making must be women.
The Affirmative Action policy adopted in Ghana in 1998, set a target to ensure that women constituted at least 40 per cent of elected assembly members. However, progress in increasing women's participation and representation in politics in Ghana has been slow.
Indeed, statistics indicate that more than 30 per cent of all the assemblies in the country, from 1994 to 2002, did not meet the United Nation’s Beijing Platform for Action on gender equality of ensuring that, at least, 30 per cent of all assembly members were women.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is amazed that although an administrative instruction stipulates that 30 per cent of the membership of district assemblies in the country should be made up of women, nearly 40 per cent of the 230 assemblies in the 1994 to 1998 assemblies did not have any female representation.
The statistics showed that 61 per cent of district assemblies in the three northern regions of the country did not have women, 25 per cent of the assemblies in the southern part of the country did not have any female representation and 41 per cent of assemblies in the middle zone did not have women representation.
Today, although there are various interventions, including the government’s efforts to ensure that 50 per cent of appointees to the various assemblies are women, the situation has still not changed much. Only six districts in 2002 met the requirement of ensuring that women formed 50 per cent of the assemblies.
It is for this reason that the DAILY GRAPHIC sees the initiative by the Community Driven Gender Advocacy Movement (CODRIGAM), a coalition of communities in the Upper East Region, which has nominated 63 women to contest in this year’s district level elections, as laudable.
The women were organised in 30 communities in the Bolgatanga Municipality, Talensi-Nabdam District, Bawku Municipality, and Kassena-Nankana East District assemblies and they will be given the necessary support to contest in the forthcoming elections.
This is a positive step to sustain the momentum and build initiatives on what has been done to enable more women to occupy decision-making positions as administrators, assembly members, counsellors, among others. And it is our wish that the CODRIGAM initiative be replicated in other districts in the country.
The DAILY GRAPHIC agrees with CODRIGAM that this increase in women’s participation in local governance will contribute immensely to reduce the canker of poverty and stunted development of the region and in other parts of the country.
We, therefore, encourage all Ghanaians, irrespective of their background, status, tribe and religion, to stand united in the fight for gender equality in all social and national development endeavours.
This will not be achieved on a silver platter but with hard work, determination, and dedication we will surely get somewhere.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

EQUIP FIRE SERVICE NOW (SEPT 14, 2010)

TRAGEDY struck the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) last Thursday in Accra during a fire simulation exercise at the Cedi House Tower to test the service’s preparedness to fight fire on high-rise buildings.
During the exercise, which was also intended to train workers who use that facility to deal with any fire outbreak, Deputy Group Officer (DGO) Hannah Yawson met her untimely death when she fell from the fifth floor due to equipment failure; a rope tied to a chair in which she was placed for the exercise was reported to have snapped leading to her falling to her death.
We applaud the exercise, since it is one of the efforts by the GNFS to put to test its mandate of saving life and property in the country, especially with the upsurge in fire outbreaks in the nation’s capital and other places.
But this laudable initiative will forever leave a sour taste in the mouths of our fire personnel, if no concrete measures are taken to solve some of the basic logistical problems of the service. In the case of the deceased, we will continue to celebrate her for sacrifacing her life in the service of mother Ghana.
Reports indicate that the rope which was used had been used in previous simulation exercises and was obviously old, to say the least.
It is an undeniable fact that the GNFS is one of the state agencies saddled with lack of logistics and other working equipment required for efficient work. The problems that face the service could be so enormous that space will not permit listing them.
However, considering the very critical role played by the service, it is vital that every effort is made to provide it with some of the basic resources required for its work.
This is imperative taking into consideration the fact that fire outbreaks are becoming rampant in the country. And this will continue to attract headlines if proper measures are not put in place, particularly when there has been increase in the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by the people, and other items which are highly flammable.
We recall that last year when fire gutted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it took the service several hours to put it out because the GNFS was reported not to have the requisite equipment needed to put that fire out. And it is in this regard that the simulation exercise by the GNFS was in the right direction.
The DAILY GRAPHIC finds it worrisome the manner in which the exercise was undertaken, since in such exercises one would have expected the GNFS to use dummies rather than human beings, especially as in our case the service lacked proper firefighting equipment for high-rise buildings.
Perhaps this tragedy should serve as a caution to the personnel of the service not to throw caution to the wind in subsequent simulation exercises.
More importantly, the tragedy is a reminder to the government to turn attention to the logistical needs of the GNFS so that personnel could work efficiently.
In fact, in spite of the lack of adequate working tools, fire personnel have over the years done their best under very strenuous conditions and circumstances. But their effort would be in vain if that is not complemented with the provision of the requisite tools.
We at the DAILY GRAPHIC wish the entire GNFS and the family of DGO Hannah Yawson our heartfelt condolences and pray that the call to provide the service with the necessary tools is heeded because fighting fire without the requisite tools and protection could have dire consequences for the lives of our firefighters.

Monday, September 13, 2010

EMULATING THE GRAPHIC EXAMPLE (SEPT 13, 2010)

Last Friday, the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) organised the 21st National Marketing Performance Awards, where the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) and its Managing Director, Mr Ibrahim Awal, won the most prestigious awards.
The GCGL, which celebrates its 60th milestone this year and a state-owned enterprise whose profitability and growth was described as unmatched by its peers, was adjudged the Best Media Organisation of The Year, while its Managing Director emerged the Marketing Man of the Year.
The ceremony was on the theme: “Africa as an Emerging Market – The Role Of Marketing”.
The mention of Mr Awal as the Marketing Man of the Year for a sterling performance over the last four years, which has seen the company emerge as the most respected state-owned enterprise, was greeted with a standing ovation and a loud applause.
In all 31 individuals and corporate organisations received awards in various categories. The ambience, decor, personalities and the standards portrayed there emphasised the important place of marketing today.
The GCGL, which was formed in 1950 with only the Daily Graphic, currently has seven newspapers and an advertising paper. Just recently, it organised its annual general meeting, where it declared a dividend of GH¢400,000 for the state.
Over the years, the company had sought to become the biggest, most influential and reliable media organisation within the West African sub-region and Mr Awal, who was appointed Managing Director of the Company in 2007, focuses on the financial performance and production of the Company, as well as sale and circulation and advertising. Other areas of major concern to him include market research and corporate social responsibility.
Mr Awal’s quest is in line with marketing, which is defined by the experts as the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably. The term has, however, changed and evolved and today it is based on providing continual benefits to the customer.
In today’s marketing, where corporate bodies and individuals try to make a mark and brand themselves and where even nations are doing well to brand themselves, it is refreshing to note that in addressing the ceremony, Mr Jean Pierre Gbikpi-Benissan, the Dean of African Diplomatic Corps and Togolese Ambassador to Ghana, and Mrs Josephine Okutu, President of CIMG, called on African governments to adopt marketing as a strategic tool to attract the needed investments for accelerated development.
The Daily Graphic, therefore, supports the assertion by the envoy that the contribution of Africa to the global economy was enormous and that it was time for the continent to make its presence felt even more as a formidable emerging market.
We also share the view that marketing objectives, goals and targets have to be monitored and met, while competitor strategies must be analysed, anticipated and exceeded.
The joy from the awards won by both the GCGL and its Chief Executive, therefore, should serve as an example for other state-owned media organisations to also strive to greater heights.
While still celebrating the success of GCGL the DAILY GRAPHIC calls on all enterprises to remember the fact that consumer expectations are growing, while the old ways of doing things are changing, hence the need to continuously study the markets to meet customer needs in order to be profitable.

BARKAH DA SALLAH (SEPT 11, 2010)

MUSLIMS throughout the world yesterday celebrated the Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting.
Eid-ul-Fitr is regarded as the most important festival on the Islamic calendar and it is celebrated with great piety.
Muslims believe it was during the holy month of Ramadan more than 1,400 years ago that the Holy Quran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed. Thus, during the period, the Muslims, besides fasting and praying, do charity and abstain from worldly pleasures. They are also expected to abstain from quarrels, lies and entertainment.
Fasting is believed to have many special spiritual and physical benefits. Among these, the most important is that it is a means of learning self-control. During the period, a measure of ascendancy is given to one’s spiritual nature which becomes a means of coming closer to Allah.
Fasting also teaches patience and humility, purifies the soul and body and manifests that man is not the slave of his desires and cravings.
It is also said that fasting makes one realise the scourge of hunger and helps people develop a sense of concern for the hungry and needy people and learn to be thankful and appreciative of all of Allah’s bounties. Fasting is also advantageous to health and provides a break in the cycle of rigid habits.
The DAILY GRAPHIC salutes our Muslim brothers and sisters for setting themselves apart for the month-long fast, and for their abstinence and charity to fulfil the third “pillar” or religious obligation in Islam.
Having successfully endured the period, we hope all Muslims will be fortified and strengthened as they embark on activities to improve on their lives and those of others in their various communities.
The DAILY GRAPHIC also hopes the celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr would bring peace and prosperity to the people and also strengthen brotherhood in society.
Furthermore, we call for continued prayers for those of our brothers in conflict areas in Ghana and across the world so that periods such as this can inspire the establishment of long-term peace and tranquillity.
We are happy that in his address to Muslims at the Independence Square in Accra yesterday, President J. E. A. Mills minced no words in urging religious leaders to be circumspect in their utterances which have the potential of igniting rivalries among their followers to the detriment of the country’s development.
Our dear country faces great political, economic and social challenges that require a lot of concerted effort both spiritually and physically to resolve and the DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, calls on Muslims and, indeed, followers of all religions, to resolve to offer their quota towards the attainment of the ‘Better Ghana’ agenda.
As the President rightly pointed out “no religious denomination could develop the country alone and there was the need for collective efforts by followers of all denominations to move the country forward”.
Just as in 610 AD, the revelation of the Holy Quran to the Holy Prophet helped in providing guidance and direction to all and also judgement between right and wrong, so does the DAILY GRAPHIC pray for a great awakening in our society for the betterment of all.
We wish our Muslim compatriots ‘Barka Da Sallah’.

Friday, September 10, 2010

PROMOTING SOUTH-SOUTH CO-OPERATION (SEPT 10, 2010)

For sometime now, Ghana and Equatorial Guinea have been exploring various opportunities to deepen their bilateral ties.
Ghana, which is on the verge of becoming an oil-producing country, has a lot to learn from Equatorial Guinea that has been producing oil on a large-scale on the African continent.
That partnership must be encouraged in the light of limited co-operation among countries of the South as against the tendency of developing countries always looking up to the North for support.
Even in circumstances when opportunities exist in developing countries to engender South-South co-operation, many governments in the South would not explore such avenues to develop their economies.
We are encouraged by the growing ties between Ghana and Equatorial Guinea through the exchange of visits by the leaders of the two countries.
President J. E. A. Mills, since assuming office, has visited Equatorial Guinea on two occasions while his Equatorial Guinean counterpart, President Teodoro Nguema Mbasogo, has reciprocated the gesture with his current visit.
In December this year, Ghana will become the centre of brisk business with the exploration of its oil and that explains why our good friends expect that we will not face the challenges confronting oil-producing countries.
The Daily Graphic is aware that our leaders are working hard to avoid the “Dutch” disease and the oil curse by making it a policy never to re-invent the wheel but to learn from the experiences of oil producers such as Equatorial Guinea.
During discussions at the bilateral talks at the Peduase Lodge on the Akuapem Ridge on Wednesday, the two leaders and their delegations discussed issues concerning Ghana’s emerging oil and gas industry.
We are happy that the ties between the two countries are not growing only at the governmental level but also among the peoples of the two countries, who can be found in Accra and Malabo seeking greener pastures.
Just as we have a lot to learn from Equatorial Guinea in the fields of oil and gas, Ghana can also share its rich experiences in the fields of agriculture, decentralisation and democracy with Equatorial Guinea.
Ghana is not self-sufficient in food production yet, which is why the assurance by President Mills that the government will continue to support the agricultural sector to produce food in abundance and at reasonable prices is reassuring.
The Daily Graphic appeals to the government to take steps to make agriculture more attractive by providing the incentive for the youth to produce food so that in future when we join the producers of oil and gas we are not afflicted by the ‘Dutch’ disease.
We also commend Sidalco Company Limited, headed by Mr David Lamptey, a former legislator, for establishing the largest fertiliser plant in Africa as his contribution to the promotion of the green revolution on the continent.
Projects like the fertiliser plant will go a long way to promote inter-African trade, as well as deepen integration in the West African sub-region.
We encourage our leaders to create the platform for more trade among countries of the sub-region.
The pledge by President Mills and his Equatorial Guinean counterpart should provide the tone for friendship and trade ties among African countries.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

POLICE ENQUIRY WELCOME (SEPT 9, 2010)

OVER the past few weeks, the DAILY GRAPHIC has followed with keen interest a story our sister paper, the Graphic Sports, broke over the controversy that has surrounded a multi-million dollar deal between Globacom, an international telecommunications company on one hand, and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and Midsea Company Limited on the other.
While the GFA maintained that Midsea Company Limited, a construction company, acted as its agents in the deal worth $15 million — i.e. $3 million a year — for five years for the Premier League and were to be paid a 10-per cent commission out of which $450,000 had so far been paid, the directors of Midsea denied knowledge of such a transaction, saying they had neither dealt with nor received money from the GFA.
Given the murky nature of what was in the public domain, the DAILY GRAPHIC was not surprised to hear that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) had invited the GFA to its offices on September 13 for a full briefing on the matter.
However, only yesterday, the management of Midsea, represented by their solicitors, Ayine & Felli Law Firm, confirmed it, indeed, transacted business for the GFA with regard to the Glo deal.
In a statement the solicitors said Midsea, led by its Managing Director, Anthony Cole, accepted to act as agents when approached by a South African-based company, Afrisat, which began the negotiations.
The statement further said Afrisat, working on behalf of Gateway Broadcasting Services (GBS), a South-African originated pay-per-view television that had the media rights to the Premier League, had to abandon the job when GBS folded up after going bankrupt.
Midsea also said despite the fact that the deal was outside its area of core business, it accepted to act as agents “ with a view to enhancing the financial fortunes of the company in the face of a slump in the real estate market”.
But in the face of all that, it is highly interesting that Globacom, the international telecommunications company, headquartered in Nigeria, a major stakeholder in the issue, has totally denied dealing with a third party in the GFA deal, stating emphatically that “Glo did not allow third parties when dealing in corporate transactions”.
Given the position of Glo and also the way the matter has gone back and forth, the DAILY GRAPHIC strongly believes the matter is far from over and really welcomes the intervention of the SFO.
We think it is in the interest of all the parties involved in the deal, and the image of the GFA as an entity and the public at large that this matter is thoroughly investigated in order to name and shame the culprits.
For far too long, football administration in the country has not been subjected to enough public scrutiny and this unique opportunity offers the platform to hold the administrators accountable.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

LPG SHORTAGE WORRYING (SEPT 8, 2010)

THE shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in parts of the country has reared its ugly head again leaving untold hardships on the public.
The current problem has been blamed on the increasing demand of the product for commercial transportation, by especially taxi drivers, given the high cost of petrol. It is also a testimony that many Ghanaians have, indeed, embraced the public education on the use of the product as a measure to save the forest.
Although the introduction of LPG was intended to prevent the depletion of the country’s forest resources, anytime there is a shortage as is presently being experienced in Accra, Cape Coast, Kumasi, Tema, Tamale, and other areas, the situation culminates in long queues at the various vending stations.
As a result, both domestic and commercial users engage in near brawl situations over the jumping of queues, among other vices associated with the phenomenon. Quite apart from these, commuters, especially those in the nation’s capital find it extremely difficult getting to their destinations.
This requires that the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) should be able to make the product available in large quantities to meet the demands of the people.
Another area that TOR should consider looking at seriously is the supply of kerosene as the shortage is affecting conditions of people living in rural communities who are not connected to the national grid.
The consequence of the shortage has been another thriving trade in kerosene in rural areas, where some people have been selling it to rural dwellers at cut-throat prices.
The DAILY GRAPHIC sympathises with the challenges facing the TOR in trying to meet the demands of consumers of LPG, kerosene and petrol on regular basis.
But since the products are key drivers of the national economy, it behoves TOR to explore further opportunities in collaboration with other stakeholders to make the products available at all times.
Perhaps the latest agreement that Ghana has signed with Equatorial Guinea for the supply of two million barrels of crude oil per annum should go a long way to resolve some of these nagging problems.
We concede that insofar as the price of petrol is high, many operators of commercial transport will convert to the use of LPG but we should, at least, regulate its use by commercial drivers.
Maybe, the time has come for a temporary ban on the conversion locally to allow for the use of LPG by only vehicles so designed by the manufacturers.
This, we believe, would give opportunity to the government to look at the supply of LPG and the category of users as a move to regularise the situation. While this is being done however, the DAILY GRAPHIC recommends to the government to begin looking at a long-term solution to the perennial shortage of gas in the country.
Now that majority of Ghanaians are using LPG as the best way to save the forest, the real solution to the problem is to ensure abundant supply of LPG at all times.
But until we get there, let us ensure that the little gas available is used for domestic purposes and also by vehicles so designed to do so and not by those which have been converted locally from the use of petrol or diesel to LPG gas.
The situation is critical and calls for immediate action.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

ADDRESSING YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT (SEPT 7, 2010)

THE huge band of unemployed youth in the country, especially those who are unable to make it to the high echelons of the educational ladder, will for now heave a great sigh of relief following the launch in Accra yesterday by the government of a new module under the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) designed to absorb more than 10,000 of their ranks into the country’s road sector.
The new educational reform does not envisage education to be terminal at the basic level but the large number of students who drop out before the senior high school and tertiary levels has aggravated the unemployment situation in the country to very unacceptable levels. The truth is that in spite of the huge chunk of students absorbed by the private tertiary institutions to pursue various disciplines the number of youth who join the bandwagon is becoming increasingly high.
The new initiative is, therefore, said to be part of a sustained effort to widen employment opportunities for the youth and establish various teams to constantly maintain and repair the country’s roads and make them motorable and reduce the frequency of accidents on them.
It will be implemented under a private/public partnership, and initially create jobs for 1,000 youth in each of the 10 regions and build the capacity and sharpen the skills of hundreds of young people, particularly those who have studied engineering at the tertiary level.
Though publicised as a labour-intensive project, it is not too clear whether this new module is an answer to the unemployment problem facing the nation, but, at least, it offers some solution to the situation.
Significantly, it offers some openings for the youth, both skilled and unskilled, in all the ten regions of the country. And beyond the employment opportunities, this module will help the country’s road network, especially the feeder roads and the peripheries of some major roads, improve tremendously.
The DAILY GRAPHIC recalls the activities of the Public Works Department (PWD) in post-independent Ghana when the department’s labour gangs periodically maintained all roads, including feeder roads in the country, by weeding the shoulders of the roads and filling the potholes to make access to the hinterlands less cumbersome.
Along the line, the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) and the Department of Feeder Roads took over these roles but they were also faced with the national malaise that afflicted most state institutions such that they were unable to deliver on their mandates.
As a result of the lack of resources, these two institutions were unable to cope with the maintenance of the country’s road network. These maintenance exercises have to be given out on contract, including the weeding of the shoulders of the roads, but here again the situation has not improved.
The DAILY GRAPHIC lauds the government for the latest initiative to offer employment to the youth who will help keep our roads motorable all the time.
We find refreshing the admonition of the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, to the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDA) of the critical role required of them in the programme.
We add to what the honourable minister said and caution the various assemblies to keep an eagle’s eye on this initiative to ensure that those recruited work hard to earn their keep and also contribute to national development.
We are sounding this caution because of the tendency among Ghanaians not to offer their best when called upon to give their services on government-initiated projects. They always hold this false notion that “when government owns nobody owns and, therefore, nobody cares”.
The DAILY GRAPHIC prays that this negative tendency must not be the mindset of the people who will be recruited to work on the module.

Monday, September 6, 2010

GOOD HEALTH, OUR MAJOR CONCERN (SEPTEMBER 6, 2010)

The Good Book says in one of its component books that “He who has health has hope. And he who has hope has everything”.
This statement underscores the importance of good health to every individual in particular and a country as a whole.
The importance of health to this country is manifest in the fact that health-related issues have become some of the major issues in the country’s political dispensation, with each political party outlining its vision for the health sector.
Successive administrations have been investing heavily in the health sector, be it in infrastructure, human resource development and logistics.
However, in spite of these, the challenges in the health sector look more daunting than ever before as the population grows and resources become limited.
Therefore, the announcement by President Mills that the government will upgrade the Central Regional Hospital to a fully-fledged teaching hospital comes as good news.
The idea to upgrade the Hospital to support the training of medical doctors at the University of Cape Coast School of Medical Sciences is not only apt, but also a wise decision.
The challenges that the country faces with regard to doctor-patient ratio will be a thing of the past if the country takes bold and pragmatic steps such as the one announced by the President to deal with the training of more health professionals.
Again, considering the pressure that the two leading referral hospitals, the Korle Bu and Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospitals, face by way of patients from all corners of the country, the proposed Cape Coast Teaching Hospital has the potential to serve people in and around the Central and Western corridors of the country and even beyond.
It is also appropriate to mention that with the expected oil drilling in the last quarter of this year, the proximity of this teaching hospital is even crucial in anticipation of work-related incidents and accidents.
Much as we praise the President and the government for this thoughtful programme, we hasten to add that the necessary logistics and support should be given prior attention for the quick and early execution of this project.
The Daily Graphic wishes to use this opportunity to appeal to the government to speed up the implementation of the electronic payment under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) that will ensure that service providers are able to provide services to all patients irrespective of their locations.
The NHIS, by far, has been one of the best social policies so far and extra effort should be made to ensure the implementation of the electronic card system to make the health insurance policy more embracing and attractive.
Without doubt, it has the potential to deepen the NHIS, which already has become a model for other African countries.
If majority of our people have access to good health care, we may be on the path to attaining the principles of Buddha, the Founder of Buddhism, that “Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship”.

BYE, BYE TO SHIFT SYSTEM (SEPT 4, 2010)

THE importance of education has never been in doubt. It is valued in society because it is a vehicle for imparting knowledge and skills.
Furthermore, education cultivates character and develops the intellect. Strategies and methods used in the process are many and varied. This is why psychologists, philosophers and educationists advocate proper and adequate training for everyone.
Such formal training is critical at the primary and secondary levels of education where teachers have to cope with young children and adolescents at a very impressionable stage of the development of their intellect and personality.
It is for this reason that the DAILY GRAPHIC welcomes the decision of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to abolish the shift system for public schools in Accra with effect from the next academic year, which begins some 10 days hence.
The school system has been run on shift basis for the past two decades or more. Under the shift system, classrooms are shared between two classes, where one uses it in the morning for a stipulated period and the other in the afternoon.
This situation militated against the eight hours study period, reducing it to four, hence limited time for co-curricula activities.
This approach has led to some social ills like truancy and laziness. But worse of all, the children end up poorly educated.
It is sad that what was meant as a stop gap measure due to the lack of infrastructure, teachers and learning materials was to metamorphose into a permanent feature of our educational system.
We, therefore, applaud the Mayor, Mr Alfred Oko Vandapuye, for the bold stand he has taken against the shift system and putting in place measures to mark its abolition at the beginning of this academic year.
At a meeting with headteachers, circuit supervisors and officers in charge (OICs) of basic schools, Mr Vanderpuije said after working with churches, heads of private schools and individual property owners, the AMA had secured enough structures and, in some cases, built temporary ones to be used as classrooms for the education of the children.
He also said 200 members of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) had been assigned to assist teachers in the schools.
Much as the DAILY GRAPHIC is happy with the measures the AMA has so far put in place, we wish to emphasise that the success of the exercise will largely depend on the determination, dedication and devotion of teachers and parents who will really be at the centre and we, therefore, urge them to offer their very best.
It is important to note that successive governments had, since independence, made attempts to eradicate such a system that has bedevilled the educational system, in a bid to provide opportunities to all Ghanaian children, and we must do everything to protect this new landmark in our education development programme.
Our survival as a nation hinges on how well our educational institutions are able to produce quality human resources at all times and we should, therefore, be prepared to stand up for these children through thick or thin until we cross the Rubicon.
Let the new wind of change in shift system of our education bring about a refreshing change in our attitudes and lay the desired foundation for all our children towards a brighter tomorrow.

BYE, BYE TO SHIFT SYSTEM (SEPT 4, 2010)

THE importance of education has never been in doubt. It is valued in society because it is a vehicle for imparting knowledge and skills.
Furthermore, education cultivates character and develops the intellect. Strategies and methods used in the process are many and varied. This is why psychologists, philosophers and educationists advocate proper and adequate training for everyone.
Such formal training is critical at the primary and secondary levels of education where teachers have to cope with young children and adolescents at a very impressionable stage of the development of their intellect and personality.
It is for this reason that the DAILY GRAPHIC welcomes the decision of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to abolish the shift system for public schools in Accra with effect from the next academic year, which begins some 10 days hence.
The school system has been run on shift basis for the past two decades or more. Under the shift system, classrooms are shared between two classes, where one uses it in the morning for a stipulated period and the other in the afternoon.
This situation militated against the eight hours study period, reducing it to four, hence limited time for co-curricula activities.
This approach has led to some social ills like truancy and laziness. But worse of all, the children end up poorly educated.
It is sad that what was meant as a stop gap measure due to the lack of infrastructure, teachers and learning materials was to metamorphose into a permanent feature of our educational system.
We, therefore, applaud the Mayor, Mr Alfred Oko Vandapuye, for the bold stand he has taken against the shift system and putting in place measures to mark its abolition at the beginning of this academic year.
At a meeting with headteachers, circuit supervisors and officers in charge (OICs) of basic schools, Mr Vanderpuije said after working with churches, heads of private schools and individual property owners, the AMA had secured enough structures and, in some cases, built temporary ones to be used as classrooms for the education of the children.
He also said 200 members of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) had been assigned to assist teachers in the schools.
Much as the DAILY GRAPHIC is happy with the measures the AMA has so far put in place, we wish to emphasise that the success of the exercise will largely depend on the determination, dedication and devotion of teachers and parents who will really be at the centre and we, therefore, urge them to offer their very best.
It is important to note that successive governments had, since independence, made attempts to eradicate such a system that has bedevilled the educational system, in a bid to provide opportunities to all Ghanaian children, and we must do everything to protect this new landmark in our education development programme.
Our survival as a nation hinges on how well our educational institutions are able to produce quality human resources at all times and we should, therefore, be prepared to stand up for these children through thick or thin until we cross the Rubicon.
Let the new wind of change in shift system of our education bring about a refreshing change in our attitudes and lay the desired foundation for all our children towards a brighter tomorrow.

Friday, September 3, 2010

A GOOD ONE THERE, NANA (SEPT 3, 2010)

Mining has been with us for a very long time and pre-dates independent Ghana. Its contribution to national development could be measured in various dimensions.
It is important to state that the mining law also makes room for artisanal or small-scale mining and so groups and individuals could apply for concessions.
It is to protect the environment from the acts of illegal miners that the law requires artisanal miners to apply for concessions and go about their duties within the confines of the law.
Sadly, many of our youth have taken to illegal mining activities. The DAILY GRAPHIC has, time without number, drawn attention to the activities of galamsey operators, whose duty has been to pollute the environment without regard to laid-down rules and regulations.
The careless abandon with which these miscreants have taken their acts to cause all manner of havoc to the country’s natural resources is very nauseating and an eyesore.
Years ago, Ghana could point to rivers such as Pra, Densu, and Birim. Today, such rivers are dead due to the activities of illegal miners.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, applauds the efforts of the Chief of Akyem Adankrono, Barima Sarpong Kumankuma II, for his vigilantism and good leadership skills, which led to the seizure of galamsey operators whose activities have polluted River Birim in the Eastern Region.
But we are saddened that it has to take the effort of a chief and his people to chase out these illegal miners, when there are state institutions tasked with the mandate to protect our natural resources.
Strong state institutions, well resourced to carry out the mandate without fear of favour is what this country lacks.
Our forest cover has been depleted to the extent that what is left is nothing to boast about. Water- bodies that serve as a source of livelihood to many communities are almost dead, threatening the very existence of our compatriots in the rural areas.
In spite of all these challenges, state institutions seem to be overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of these challenges and have given up the fight.
It is only when communities and societies lose faith and trust in state institutions to provide them with security that vigilantism would thrive.
However, such acts could lead to clashes and possible casualties on the part of public-spirited Ghanaians who insist on doing what is right.
The DAILY GRAPHIC applauds the people of Akyem for chasing out these miscreants in our society and supports their cause to ensure that their main source of water was not polluted any longer.
The onus lies squarely on all of us to also become vigilant and to resist the activities of illegal miners whose actions are making life unbearable for our communities.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

KUDOS, GCCL (SEPT 2, 2010)

IT is always a sign of humility not to blow one’s own horn but in the circumstances where nobody does that for you, you are forced to do so yourself. That is what we intend doing today by way of extolling the good performance of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) over the years.
At its annual general meeting (AGM) last Tuesday, stakeholders in the fortunes of the state-owned media praised the GCGL for its excellent performance in 2009 in spite of the unfavourable national and global economic conditions.
At the ceremony, a dividend of GH¢400,000 to the government was declared. For quite sometime now, the GCGL has been making substantial dividend payments to the government.
A few years back, the GCGL was the only state-owned enterprise that paid dividend to the government. The sterling performance of the GCGL could be a case study one day in the wake of the dwindling fortunes of most state-owned enterprises in the country.
Perhaps the decision of the framers of the 1992 Constitution to insulate the state-owned media from government control has made it possible for the company’s achievement so far because the board and management are free to run the organisation on pure commercial lines.
The lesson is that in trying to operate along pure professional and commercial lines, the newspapers in the company’s stable do not necessarily have to be hostile to the government of the day in order to make profit.
Indeed, they have opened the pages of the newspapers to the government to explain its policies and programmes to the people and at the same time offered a platform for alternative solutions to the country’s problems.
The achievements of the GCGL give credence to the school of thought that the government and the media need not be in adversarial relationship in order to play their roles effectively.
Article 162(5) of the 1992 Constitution charges that “all agencies of mass media shall, at all times, be free to uphold the principles and objectives of this constitution, and shall uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people of Ghana”.
Therefore, the work of the state-owned media and the independent media is not mutually exclusive as they are all charged to ensure accountability and transparency in the governance system.
Maybe, the time has come for the other media organisations to learn from the Graphic model so that they can operate professionally but as a business and at the same time holding all public office holders accountable for their stewardship.
The role of the free press in any society is not in doubt; it is critical to the success of the country’s fledgling democracy and that is why it is required of all media practitioners to exercise media freedom guaranteed by the Constitution with responsibility.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the threat to free expression and free press can only come from media practitioners themselves if they decide to practise the profession without due regard to their code of ethics.
It is a sad commentary that while media practitioners are ready to jump at the neck of public office holders to demand that they account for their stewardship, journalists do not want to be accountable to anybody.
And we think journalists should be reminded of the popular maxim in equity that “he who” comes to equity must come with clean hands. All that we are saying is that journalists need not be reckless in their reportage or adopt the attitude of ‘publishing and be damned’ to gain recognition in the society.
Journalists should, therefore, exercise their mandate with responsibility and serve the public good just as the newspapers in the GCGL stable have been doing all these years.
Kudos, GCGL, for contributing to national development.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

DEALING WITH RICE SMUGGLING (SEPT 1, 2010)

The news that the nation is losing a whopping $40 million annually mainly as a result of the nefarious activities of smugglers in the rice industry is quite disturbing and irritating.
According to the facts available to the DAILY GRAPHIC (check today’s lead story), about one third of the nation’s total rice import is allegedly smuggled into the country. In other words, as much as 100,000 metric tonnes of the estimated 350,000 metric tonnes of the rice we import is brought in through smuggling, thus evading taxes and other tariffs due to the nation.
Why the resort to smuggling? Well, we are told that Ghana operates a higher tax regime on rice imports as compared to say, Cote d’Ivoire, and this makes smuggling a very lucrative business to the detriment of our economy.
In fact, it is learnt that while a Ghanaian rice importer is confronted with a total tax regime of 35 per cent — 20 per cent Customs Duty, 12.5 per cent VAT and 2.5 per cent National Health Insurance Levy ((NHIL) — our neighbours in Cote d’Ivoire only have to contend with a Customs Duty of 12.5 per cent.
So the inherent difference of 22.5 per cent in the landing cost of the product is what is said to be motivating many people to take to smuggling. The implications of this are two fold. In the first place, Ghana is losing millions in either uncollected taxes and duties, as well as losing revenue from decreasing importation of legitimate rice.
But that is not all. The worse fear of many industry players is that with the price of rice rising on the international market — an average of about $800 and $900 in the last four weeks — it would create an even more conducive atmosphere for smuggling to go on unabated.
What do we do under the circumstances? How do we abate the smuggling or stop it altogether?
The DAILY GRAPHIC thinks one area that must immediately engage the nation’s attention is our high tax regime on imported rice. We seriously believe it would not be out of place to review our tax regime downwards to make the smuggling of the product unattractive.
We recall efforts by the government to motivate cocoa farmers to produce more and also make the smuggling of the produce across our borders unattractive by the annual adjustments in the producer price of cocoa.
This intervention has not stopped the smuggling across our borders but the annual price adjustments offer enough incentives for the farmers to sell their beans to local buyers.
In the same vein, the DAILY GRAPHIC believes that if the authorities ensure that there is no tariff differential between the import of rice into Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, it would work the magic we all so anxiously desire.
Furthermore, we demand the tightening of security at our boarders where smuggling is said to be rife. Some of the areas mentioned include Elubo, Dadieso, Nkrankwanta and Enchi and we must take drastic measures to curtail the smuggling and collect duties on imports from Cote d’Ivoire.
It is no secret that some of our customs officials are having a field day at their various duty posts and it is time such nation wreckers were weeded out without any hesitation whatsoever.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, however, believes that the long-term solution to the smuggling problem is to implement proper development plans to stimulate local rice production. For too long, we have paid lip-service to the local rice industry and the earlier we wake up from the slumber, the better it will be for all of us.
This is not to say that nothing is happening to revitalise the local rice industry. Perhaps action so far has not been able to encourage farmers to venture into this sector. Let us provide the needed incentives to produce more to feed ourselves and for export.

PROTECTING OUR OIL (AUGUST 31, 2010)

CRUDE oil, also known as the “black gold”, has been a source of income to many economies, in spite of fears that it could be a curse if not properly managed.
Ghana has since 2007 joined the comity of oil-producing countries. Indications are that the Gulf Coast of West Africa is the next destination of oil wealth and will account for 25 per cent of oil supply to the United States of America in the next 10 years.
Presently, the West Coast accounts for almost 10 per cent. This is how significant West Africa, which includes Ghana, has become in international circles.
Ghana’s oil, although significant, cannot be the panacea for the economic woes of the nation. Reserves estimates are about 1.6 billion and expected drilling of about 120,000 barrels per day, which is a drop in the ocean as compared to Nigeria which produces 2 million barrels, yet expectations of oil money has been heightened in this country.
A look around the world shows that oil discovery has been a source of conflict in many countries, as selfish individuals willing to benefit at all cost in the oil business will do anything at the expense of national cohesion.
Therefore, the call by the President to deal with questionable characters in the oil sector for their selfish means is in the right order.
The call is not only timely, but also significant, in the sense that reports of militants on the borders of the country infiltrating our localities are rife and worrying.
Dr Kwesi Aning, a Research Fellow at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre in Accra, a week ago at the Graphic Business Forum, expressed concern about the need for transparency in the oil business to assuage the high expectations of Ghanaians.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is of the opinion that while the government has declared its intentions to deal with such miscreants in our society, the country could begin the process of ensuring more transparent discourse with all stakeholders.
The seeming silence on the country’s oil business from officialdom and recent reported cases of impasse between the GNPC and Kosmos need to be discussed dispassionately and with the objective of ensuring transparency.
Beyond that is also the need to bring to the table and for the education of Ghanaians the issues regarding the Oil Management Fund and to devise strategies for implementation that will be made known to all Ghanaians.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is convinced that the government will do the right thing by putting in place the necessary regulatory and legal regime needed for the full exploitation of the oil find for the benefit of all Ghanaians.
We do not have the luxury of time, considering it that the first oil drill is expected in December, this year.
Again, the government must demonstrate by actions, such as resourcing the security agencies with the needed logistics and capacity to deal with both internal and external actions.
We cannot be oblivious to the fact that people would find loopholes where they are available and, therefore, all the necessary support should be forthcoming and timely.
The DAILY GRAPHIC also calls on each Ghanaian to do his or her part to expose the activities of those who have made it their mandate to rip this country off through their dubious activities.
After all, the benefits of the oil business will depend on the collective efforts of each individual to police this very important national resource.