STICK TO SSSS IMPLEMENTATION DEADLINE (NOV 30)

SINCE the introduction of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS), there have been varying views from public sector workers through the various workers’ groups and associations.
The SSSS was introduced to remove distortions in the current salary structure.
Pay equity is all about equal pay for equal work done by workers with the same qualification and experience.
For instance, in the public sector, where the government is the sole employer, work done in different ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) by people in the same profession and with equal qualification must, in all justification, attract the same pay.
Sadly, this has never been the case, as salaries across the board in the public sector have been grossly distorted, especially in favour of professionals in agencies popularly referred to as revenue earners.
Various forms of agitation and discussions have been going on since the SSSS policy was brought on board, leading to a stakeholders’ workshop at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) from May 27 to 29, this year.
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA), in particular, and some organised workers’ groups have kicked against the implementation of the new pay structure.
The stakeholders’ workshop was attended by representatives of the government, employers and organised labour who agreed on five acceptable and amicable points towards the implementation of the SSSS.
They agreed that the SSSS should be implemented on January 1, 2010 and that all challenges and concerns be addressed in line with the implementation of the policy.
It is for this that we are elated that the government has finally come out with a White Paper which, among others, say that the SSSS will commence, as agreed on by the stakeholders, on January 2010.
We are also happy that the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has welcomed the issuance of the government’s White Paper, even though the union thinks it is a bit late in coming.
We want to agree with the TUC that even though the issuance of the White Paper had delayed, what is needed at this moment is for the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to start negotiations for the base salary that will be the foundation for the single spine structure and conditions of service for the various public sector workers.
We, however, want to call on organised labour to exercise patience and bear with the government, as the implementation will be in phases and could take some time due to the resolution of some challenges likely to come up as a result of the huge wage bill the government may face if there is going to be any increases in salaries.
In implementing the SSSS, we should not forget what happened during the implementation of the Ghana Universal Salary Structure (GUSS) in the past.
After the end of the GUSS, a number of other salary structures emerged and based on those structures there were further inequalities in public sector pay, hence the introduction of this new pay structure — the SSSS.
We hope and pray that now that the government has indicated its intention to implement the road map, all stakeholders will come on board for the smooth implementation of the policy.
Whatever disagreement any workers’ group may have, we believe it can go to the FWSC for negotiations to iron them out.
We also believe that in spite of the implementation challenges, the SSSS would, in the end, be the policy to bring about equity and transparency in public sector pay administration.
We, therefore, call on the government to stick to the implementation deadline.

BAWKU CONFLICT REVISITED (NOV 28)

THE Bawku conflict never seems to go away. From all indications, the conflict seems to be spreading to other areas surrounding the Bawku municipality.
In the evening of Thursday, November 26, 2009, two Ghanaians who reside at Mognori, a suburb of Bawku, were beaten to death following a misunderstanding between them and some residents on the Burkina Faso side of Mognori.
And last Friday, the Northern Regional Police Command sent out reports that it had pick signals which indicated that some Mamprusi youth were being mobilised in the Northern Region for an operation in the Upper East Region, that is, the Bawku area, in support of their kinsmen involved in the intractable Bawku conflict.
Some residents of Nalerigu in the Northern Region have allegedly burnt down a house belonging to the prime suspect in the murder of the People’s National Convention (PNC) parliamentary candidate in the 2008 general election, Mr Moses Alando Banaba.
All these happenings show clearly that the Bawku conflict is gradually spreading to the border towns in the Upper East Region and some areas in the Northern Region.
These developments, if not checked but allowed to continue, will lead to a major conflict within the Upper East and the Northern regions, with devastating consequences which we can never dream of.
It is in line with this that we endorse the call by the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Owen Woyongo, that the government should beef up security in Bawku.
The government, we believe, should declare a state of emergency in Bawku and more security and intelligence operatives deployed to the area to search for and arrest those who are fomenting this internecine conflict in the area.
We also endorse the call that peacekeepers in Bawku should be provided with a helicopter and motorbikes for them to monitor the activities of the troublemakers from the air and move to all the corners of the area to chase and arrest them.
The security personnel should be given the mandate to arrest anybody found with dangerous and sophisticated weapons such as AK47 rifles.
What is happening in Bawku is so dangerous that we should come up with a more comprehensive security operation that will, as early as practicable, stop the conflict before it escalates to a veritable conflagration to consume all of us in the country.
Of late, some media houses and supposed human rights activists are using some unfortunate incidents in the conflict area to obfuscate the real issues on the ground in Bawku.
No one can deny the fact that chieftaincy issues lie at the heart of the Bawku conflict, but within it also lies the political issue which, of late, some people want to play up, albeit covertly, to confuse the people.
To the media, we will say they should be circumspect when setting the agenda, for in an armed conflict situation, sometimes gate-keeping comes in handy to stop a bad situation from getting worse and, more important, to save lives and property.
We need to get it clear that if we do not come together as one people and find a lasting and durable solution to the Bawku conflict and allow it to fester, the ensuing result could be anyone’s guess.
A solution must be found for the Bawku conflict, for it is becoming a growing problem. Everything humanly possible should be done to solve the problem.

DARKA DA SALLAH (NOV 27)

MUSLIMS the world over are today marking Eid-Ul-Adha, otherwise known as the Feast of Sacrifice, one of the most important events on the Islamic calendar.
At the Independence Square in Accra and elsewhere this morning, the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Usman Nuhu Sharubutu, and the Ameer and Missionary in charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana, Maulvi Wahab Adam, will lead thousands of Muslims in prayer to give thanks to Allah, the Almighty for the life, good health and countless, goodies He has bestowed on the nation in the course of this year and ask for His continued guidance, blessing, mercy and support for the leaders of this nation and the government in general.
Similar prayers will be held in many other areas across the country.
We salute our brothers and sisters in Islam and wish them the best of this important spiritual event and hope and pray that the Good Lord, Allah, hears their supplication and shower His blessings on this nation, so that we all prosper and live together in peace and harmony as we work towards building a better Ghana for all.
We are aware that Eid-Ul-Adha is more than congregational prayers, the slaughtering of rams and the sharing of food that represents the outward manifestation of the festival.
It is on record that the event is one of the most crucial tests one of the earliest Prophets of Islam, Prophet Abraham, had to endure and pass in order to win Allah’s favour.
By asking Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his only and beloved son, Ishmael, to Him, Allah was making a supreme demand of the test of loyalty and reverence to Him, as mortal and fallible as Abraham was.
In obeying Allah’s command and laying Ishmael on the sacrificial altar ready for slaughter, Allah exonerated Abraham and exalted him above other mortals and made him a shining example of the ultimate in all that is good and honourable and, therefore, worthy of emulation.
Thus, for Muslims, this obedience to the will of Allah represents the highest degree of worship and commitment to respect His commandments and guidance.
The ram that Allah ordered the Angel to bring to Prophet Abraham to substitute it for Ishmael as the item of sacrifice represents, for Muslims, a redemption of mankind from the supreme owner of the universe and the emergence of a covenant in which, in return for such continued faith and obedience, mankind could continue to enjoy His love, protection, support and sustenance.
It is these bounties stemming from the obedience our brothers and sisters in Islam have exhibited that we all hope to share in and benefit as a nation of one people with a common destiny.
We, in congratulating Muslims on this important occasion, urge them to endeavour to continue to abide by the laws of the land and work together with the government to rid communities such as Bawku, with a substantial Muslim population, of strife and conflict to let peace prevail.
We should step up the tempo of education in Islamic communities so that the children in these communities will grow up to be leaders who will propel this nation and themselves forward.
We are happy that as this Eid is being observed, the government, in concert with the National Hajj Committee, has fulfilled the important promise of organising a successful and incident-free Hajj, which was hailed by all.
This has restored dignity and self-respect to Islam and Muslims and has also helped all of us to forget the numerous indignities, humiliation and degrading treatments Muslims had to undergo in the course of the Hajj.
We trust that together — Muslims, Christians and others — we can work to build this nation.
Once again, we say Barka da Sallah.

ENFORCING THE LAW WITH CIRCUMSPECTION (NOV 26)

THE fight to reduce crime to the barest minimum in society is by no means an easy task.
In the technologically advanced times in which we are living today, criminals have devised more sophisticated ways of carrying out their trade and covering up their tracks to evade detection, identification, arrest and prosecution.
This calls for the adoption of more skilful and innovative approaches by our law enforcement agencies to decipher the modus operandi of these criminals.
It also requires the collective support and co-operation of members of the public, some of whom know the criminals, by way of offering relevant information and other vital leads to facilitate crime prevention and detection, as well as the arrest of those involved.
It is generally accepted that the methods chosen at any point in time to fight crime may vary according to the time, circumstances, the availability of resources, among others, and that these may change if circumstances change.
Only this week, the police served notice of its intention to clamp down on motorcyclists engaged in commercial business and also riding in the late hours of the day.
Already, a number of such motorcyclists have been arrested for allegedly engaging in illegal commercial motorised business, known in local parlance as “Okada” (see story on pages 24/49).
One of the causes of the near anarchy on our roads is sheer indiscipline. People and some categories of vehicles which are not permitted by law to operate on the roads do so with impunity.
Even some of those with permits to operate flout the rules of engagement and arrogate to themselves the right to do as they please at places and the time of their choosing.
We are, therefore, in principle in support of the police dealing with all those engaged in illegal activities, including on our roads.
The unmistakable word that must go out to members of the public is that the law works and that anyone who infringes it will not and must not be allowed to go scot-free.
That is how respect for the law across the board can be attained and sustained for discipline, vital for social peace and law and order, to be restored.
These notwithstanding, we wish to say that given the times and circumstances we are in and the services these “Okada” motorcyclists render to the low income and underprivileged sections of our society, a second look should be taken at our motor traffic laws to see if we cannot do something to legalise these “Okada” operations.
Legalising the “Okada” business will not only serve the convenience of some members of our society, in the face of the heavy traffic jams and high cost of transport, but also create jobs and give incomes to those in the business.
Additionally, the government can exact taxes from the operators to boost its revenue.
We also wish to appeal to the police that in enforcing the ban on the use of motorbikes late in the night, they should go about it with a great deal of circumspection and a human face, given the fact that these are the only means of transport for some of our working people who work late into the night.
We believe that with a combination of these measures and co-operation from the public, sanity will return to our roads and all can move freely in pursuit of their legitimate business.

HOUSES FOR THE PEOPLE (NOV 25)

SHELTER is a basic necessity of life. Indeed, apart from food and water, shelter is ranked as the next in the list of needs of man that qualifies to be classified as a human right.
Thus the right to shelter, which is universally recognised as a basic social right and enshrined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), is accorded pride of place in many jurisdictions, especially in progressive societies where the principles of quality and the well-being of the masses hold sway.
It is no wonder, therefore, that in such progressive societies, homelessness, which is a denial of this important right, is a rare phenomenon, whereas in more affluent, laissez-faire nations, there are more homeless and destitute people.
In developing nations such as ours, the issue of rapid and unplanned urbanisation, coupled with underdevelopment and poverty, has brought to the fore the acute housing problem the people have to contend with.
In the urban centres where this problem is prevalent and acute, this problem is sometimes masked in the form of squatter settlements or shanty towns at the centre or prime areas of cities.
Many working class people and others who have thronged the cities to make a living, because of the absence of alternative means of livelihood in the rural and semi-urban areas, simply cannot afford the prohibitive rents that are charged for the regular and modest houses available for accommodation.
It is common in our urban centres for landlords to demand rent advances ranging between two and 10 years at exorbitant rates and completely out of reach of the majority of the people.
This, in part, arises from the fact that the demand for houses or homes far outstrips supply and, therefore, there is a big deficit.
Over the years, this gap has grown in width and depth into a gulf and with it the housing crisis in many urban centres of the country has aggravated.
Governments, over the years, have, through a number of interventions, put up some housing units, mostly dubbed affordable housing, for workers in urban centres.
Even though these facilities have provided substantial relief for many workers and their families, many more are still left out in the open.
The few private sector housing initiatives for workers have also not gone far to adequately address the problem.
It is, therefore, gratifying to note that the government, recognising the housing issue as a human right, has already launched an initiative, in partnership with the private sector, to construct 100,000 housing units across the country over the next eight years.
Additionally, 200,000 low-income housing units are to be constructed.
We are happy to note that these, in addition to the pledge by the government to complete the various affordable housing projects left hanging from the previous government, will help make a significant dent on the huge housing deficit and bring relief to more working people and their families.
We urge the government to ensure that working and low-income people for whom those houses are meant are the ones who get them.
We recall with sadness and regret the situation where ministers, party functionaries, wealthy businessmen and women and their cronies were those who rather scrambled for and got these affordable and low-cost housing units, some even before the buildings were completed, leaving out those for whom they were meant.
We wish to urge the government and the private sector to join hands to work urgently on bringing down or at least check the escalating prices of building materials such as cement, iron rods, wood and others, as these are responsible for the high cost of houses.

GBA, IT'S A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION (NOV 24)

A SOCIETY is stable because it is anchored on a foundation of justice and not just because it is stable.
Justice and its delivery at the right or appropriate time are, therefore, of crucial importance to the development and progress of society, especially one that seeks to build and sustain discipline and order as core values.
In developing nations, including Ghana, justice and its delivery have often evoked mixed reactions or responses.
There are large numbers of people who, on a daily basis, have had to contend with the violation of their fundamental human rights and freedoms. This could be on account of the fact that they are either themselves ignorant of these rights or, where they are conscious of them, they are, for a variety of reasons, including economic, financial, cultural or others, unable to stand up to ensure their enforcement.
This is not confined to the realm of civil and political rights but also, in more pronounced forms, the economic, social and cultural rights of the people which many countries and governments pay lip service to on account of problems of how justifiable or otherwise they are.
It cannot be denied that the Judiciary, one of the three organs of the State, with the basic function of interpreting the law, has a critical role to play in ensuring respect for the rights of the people.
Of similar importance is the fraternity of legally trained and equipped individuals who defend before our law courts the rights of the people and help check these from being trampled upon by powerful forces in society.
Thus, in a democratic set up where there is a coincidence of interests between the Executive, which enforces the law, on the one hand, and those who help interpret it (the Bar and the Bench), on the other, the need to work together to build a just and orderly society becomes a critical imperative.
Only yesterday, the leadership of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) called on President John Evans Atta Mills at the Castle, Osu, to congratulate him on his election as President of the nation and explore avenues of fruitful co-operation with the Executive to move the fortunes of the country forward.
While President Mills stressed the adherence of the government to the rule of law and justice for all the people, the GBA expressed its belief that he would be guided by legality, national reconstruction and renewal of unity to move the nation forward.
We are happy that the GBA is emerging from its self-imposed moratorium on non-indulgence in “active politics” as in the recent past and is seeking to partner the government, albeit in a more critical role, in helping positively to transform the society into the better Ghana espoused by the President for the benefit of all.
We believe that in addition to the broad areas of law reforms and constitutional matters, the two can work actively together to help fast-track justice delivery to the vast majority of our people, many of whom have been denied this precious commodity for years.
We particularly like to highlight the plight of thousands of our countrymen and women and even children who, especially as remand suspects, have languished in prison for years without the prospect of justice in sight.
The GBA can help here by working to reduce the frequency of adjournment of cases pending before the courts, speeding up investigations and encouraging the resort of clients to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms.
Additionally, the offer of free legal aid for members of our society who need and deserve justice but do not have the ability to pay can also be stepped up to enhance justice delivery and propel us towards the ultimate goal of a free and orderly society where justice has not only to be done but must be seen to have been done.
We want to commend the President of GBA and his national executive members for taking the bold initiative to get to the Castle to interact with the President.
It is a step in the right direction.

RESOLVING THE GALAMSEY PROBLEM (NOV 23)

QUITE recently, the nation’s conscience was rudely awaken when more than a dozen people were killed following the collapse of an illegal mine at Dompoase in the Western Region.
The incident brought to the fore the heavy price the illegal mining enterprise, otherwise called galamsey, exacts on the nation. This is in addition to the devastating consequences the operations of these illegal mines have on the environment and, by logical extension, the very lives of the people in the affected communities.
In the face of this national tragedy, many were the voices which called for the adoption of very stringent measures, including an immediate and massive clampdown on the galamsey operators and their prosecution, to help bring them under control.
At a durbar of the chiefs and people of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area last Saturday, President John Evans Atta Mills served notice of his government’s intention to deal firmly with the galamsey menace.
The President pointed out that those illegal miners, in the course of their operations, used dangerous chemicals such as cyanide which polluted the Birim River and other sources of drinking water for the people of the area, thus subjecting them to serious danger (see front page story).
No rational and well-meaning person can quarrel with the observations of the President and his pledge to deal with the galamsey menace.
A practice that devastates such wide traces of arable land which, otherwise, could have been used to produce all kinds of food crops for domestic consumption and also for export and which also contaminates vital sources of drinking water for many communities must evoke the concern of any well-meaning leader.
Admittedly, while we agree that some action must be taken to help bring this galamsey practice under control, the real issue is, what is this action and what form should it take?
There is the tendency, in times like this, to advocate the wholesale arrest and prosecution of those who engage in galamsey as a means of ending it.
It is worth pointing out that even if it is possible to round up all those currently involved in galamsey and have them locked up in legal custody, a new batch of galamsey operators may spring up to take their place, as experience has shown.
This, at best, may only provide a short-term or temporary solution, not the comprehensive and durable one we need.
We believe that we need to look at other innovative ways, such as reorganising the galamsey operators into viable co-operatives with the requisite level of modern equipment and some concessions earmarked for them to operate under the close monitoring and supervision by government agencies.
With this approach, we will kill many birds with one stone — environmental degradation will be brought under check, the pollution of water bodies halted, employment generated for larger numbers of the youth and affected communities positioned to derive optimum benefits from the exploitation of resources.
A better solution holds the best prospect for a comprehensive and durable solution to the current unmitigated galamsey menace.