29/5/09
Daily Graphic- Page 3
THE government is set to lay before Parliament the long-awaited Right to Information Bill, in fulfilment of its promise to ensure transparency and accountability in governance.
The Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, who disclosed this in an address read on his behalf at the opening of a training programme on democracy and governance in Accra yesterday, gave the assurance that the government would place before Parliament “the Economic and Organised Crime Office Bill before the end of the year".
“The President has also indicated his willingness to review the Public Assets Declaration Law to make it more transparent and accessible to the general public, while protecting the right of public office holders who will declare their assets as mandated by the constitution,” he noted.
He said the Economic and Organised Crime Office Bill, when passed into law, would replace the Serious Fraud Office Law.
He said the Economic and Organised Crime Office Bill had been designed to bring on board issues of tax evasion, tax avoidance, electronic base crimes, cross-border crimes, money laundering, human trafficking and other forms of serious fraud.
The Vice-President further disclosed that the government would also pass the Mutual Legal Assistance Bill which would ensure that legal assistance would be provided and received in the areas of investigation and tracing of crimes which began outside the country’s borders but which affected Ghana and those which began in Ghana but affected other countries.
The reason, he said, was that the quest for public accountability had led to dire consequences, including allegations of human rights abuses.
He encouraged the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) to re-invigorate itself and venture into the area of capacity building for CSOs whose focal activity was anti-corruption and good governance.
Mr Mahama commended the organisers of the seminar, the Marquette University’s Les Aspin Centre for Good Governance, for doing a tremendous job in the training of many Ghanaians, with support from USAID.
Participants in the training programme, which began on May 27, 2009 and ends on June 7, 2009, include 16 government and civil society personnel from Ghana, six from Nigeria and five from Mali.
The goal, according to the Co-ordinator of African Programmes, Les Aspin Centre for Government, Dr Cephas Lerewonu, was to train the participants to understand accountability and good governance systems, as well as the necessary strategies to promote accountability in the public and private sectors.
He said after their training participants would use the experience, knowledge and resources to develop country specific strategies for managing and implementing effective performance and delivery systems.
The US Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Donald G. Teitelbaum, urged the media and Parliament to hold public officials accountable.
To ensure that, he said they would also be training the media in methods and techniques of holding public officers accountable at the macro level and the freedom of the press to access public information.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Cut dependency on developing partners—K.B. Asante
A RENOWNED diplomat, Dr K.B. Asante has stated that Ghana cannot experience a radical growth unless it cuts its dependency on developing partners.
“We are where we are because we still depend on what the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank tell us. We are not moving forward, how can we move forward when the help being given to us is in actual fact credit to make us stay put,” he said.
Dr Asante was speaking at the first in a series of lectures being organised by the All African Students Union (AASU) to mark the centenary celebration of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
He said the country’s resolve to turn to developing partners anytime it needed help had “washed” the thinking of Ghanaians as they were made not to think for themselves.
“Right now, our budget is being supported by developing partners and we call that development when the help being given us is to make us dependent on them,” he emphasised, and ridiculed the idea that the country was experiencing an economic growth, when in real terms the economy had not undergone any transformation.
Dr Asante, who served in the Nkrumah-led administration from independence until its overthrow in 1966, observed that Ghana could not succeed by depending on the price of cocoa on the world market, stating that “we cannot put all our eggs in one basket”.
The Coordinator of the Third World Network, Dr Yao Graham, a Pan-African research and advocacy organisation, who spoke on the theme: “Nkrumah at 100: Lessons for African Leadership”, said one of the key lessons from Ghana’s development experience under Nkrumah was linked directly to his commitment to a Pan-African solution to the challenges of under development on the continent.
“Nkrumah’s leadership and rallying role in African affairs went beyond his vision and theorising. Importantly, it included support for national liberation movements. This support embodied a unity of his Pan-Africanism and commitment to anti-colonial independence as a necessary precondition for the continent’s unity and progress”, he stated.
Dr Graham attributed Nkrumah’s commitment to anti-colonial independence to the reason why Nkrumah stepped up with a £10 million to help newly independent Guinea from collapse after France had stripped that country of anything they could carry after it had opted for independence.
To this day, he said, Nkrumah’s detractors in Ghana still pointed to that act of solidarity as exemplary of how he wasted Ghana’s resources on matters he should have not been concerned with.
Dr Graham recounted that during the last six years of Nkrumah’s rule, Nkrumah attempted to transform the colonial economy he inherited from the British and many leaders in his generation—Nyerere in Tanzania, Kaunda in Zambia, and many others, recognised that as a primary task of post colonial economic policy.
The truth, he asserted, was that despite the claims that Nkrumah’s difficulties were because of his socialist policies, Nkrumah was in fact a good pupil of the dominant economic policies and ideas of his day as widely acclaimed by leading thinkers in the West.
“Using existing resources, Nkrumah rapidly expanded education, health and infrastructure. Many of the agro-industrial projects were in their infancy when he was overthrown. He inaugurated the Akosombo hydroeletricity dam, the centre piece of his Volta River project, which he saw as powering Ghana’s industrialisation a month before his overthrown”, he remarked.
Sadly, Dr Graham said even in the face of global crisis, many African governments were looking outward towards their “development partners” rather than exploring the opportunities for deepening regional and continental cooperation and integration.
According to Dr Graham, all those offered important opportunities for a new agenda for economic transformation in Africa, and dared African leaders who were ready to go beyond guaranteeing the sanctity of aid flows.
A lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Account (GIMPA), Dr Bright Oduro Kwarteng, who spoke on the theme: “Nkrumah, was he misunderstood?”, debunked all the allegations propagated by the Danquah-Busia tradition against Nkrumah.
“The story must be told, and we are here to tell our story”, he said, stating that before independence, Dr K.A. Busia, the Prime Minister of the Second Republic of Ghana, travelled to the United Kingdom in an attempt to convince the British government to deny Ghana its independence with the excuse that Ghana was not yet ready for independence.
Dr Kwarteng said it was true that Dr J.B. Danquah proposed the name Ghana, and Dr Busia even formed a political party with the name Ghana, but they both opposed the name when Nkrumah chose it as the country’s name after independence merely because they were not the ones declare it.
Recounting the overthrow of Dr Nkrumah, he urged the government to remove the statue of Kotoka from the Kotoka International Airport for his part in the 1966 coup.
“The CIA gave them $13 million dollars to stage the coup”, he alleged, and stated vehemently that “if you do not remove that statue, we will remove it”.
Dr Kwarteng, however, suggested that “Ghana must invest in compulsory education and primary healthcare, exemplary of Nkrumah’s administration, adding that “you cannot have the private sector as the engine of growth, unless you have an efficient public sector”.
“We need to also invest in the public sector to make the private sector flourish. Our planning for the future education must stand tall in the list of priorities. We need to have an educational system that is home grown”, he stressed.
“We are where we are because we still depend on what the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank tell us. We are not moving forward, how can we move forward when the help being given to us is in actual fact credit to make us stay put,” he said.
Dr Asante was speaking at the first in a series of lectures being organised by the All African Students Union (AASU) to mark the centenary celebration of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
He said the country’s resolve to turn to developing partners anytime it needed help had “washed” the thinking of Ghanaians as they were made not to think for themselves.
“Right now, our budget is being supported by developing partners and we call that development when the help being given us is to make us dependent on them,” he emphasised, and ridiculed the idea that the country was experiencing an economic growth, when in real terms the economy had not undergone any transformation.
Dr Asante, who served in the Nkrumah-led administration from independence until its overthrow in 1966, observed that Ghana could not succeed by depending on the price of cocoa on the world market, stating that “we cannot put all our eggs in one basket”.
The Coordinator of the Third World Network, Dr Yao Graham, a Pan-African research and advocacy organisation, who spoke on the theme: “Nkrumah at 100: Lessons for African Leadership”, said one of the key lessons from Ghana’s development experience under Nkrumah was linked directly to his commitment to a Pan-African solution to the challenges of under development on the continent.
“Nkrumah’s leadership and rallying role in African affairs went beyond his vision and theorising. Importantly, it included support for national liberation movements. This support embodied a unity of his Pan-Africanism and commitment to anti-colonial independence as a necessary precondition for the continent’s unity and progress”, he stated.
Dr Graham attributed Nkrumah’s commitment to anti-colonial independence to the reason why Nkrumah stepped up with a £10 million to help newly independent Guinea from collapse after France had stripped that country of anything they could carry after it had opted for independence.
To this day, he said, Nkrumah’s detractors in Ghana still pointed to that act of solidarity as exemplary of how he wasted Ghana’s resources on matters he should have not been concerned with.
Dr Graham recounted that during the last six years of Nkrumah’s rule, Nkrumah attempted to transform the colonial economy he inherited from the British and many leaders in his generation—Nyerere in Tanzania, Kaunda in Zambia, and many others, recognised that as a primary task of post colonial economic policy.
The truth, he asserted, was that despite the claims that Nkrumah’s difficulties were because of his socialist policies, Nkrumah was in fact a good pupil of the dominant economic policies and ideas of his day as widely acclaimed by leading thinkers in the West.
“Using existing resources, Nkrumah rapidly expanded education, health and infrastructure. Many of the agro-industrial projects were in their infancy when he was overthrown. He inaugurated the Akosombo hydroeletricity dam, the centre piece of his Volta River project, which he saw as powering Ghana’s industrialisation a month before his overthrown”, he remarked.
Sadly, Dr Graham said even in the face of global crisis, many African governments were looking outward towards their “development partners” rather than exploring the opportunities for deepening regional and continental cooperation and integration.
According to Dr Graham, all those offered important opportunities for a new agenda for economic transformation in Africa, and dared African leaders who were ready to go beyond guaranteeing the sanctity of aid flows.
A lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Account (GIMPA), Dr Bright Oduro Kwarteng, who spoke on the theme: “Nkrumah, was he misunderstood?”, debunked all the allegations propagated by the Danquah-Busia tradition against Nkrumah.
“The story must be told, and we are here to tell our story”, he said, stating that before independence, Dr K.A. Busia, the Prime Minister of the Second Republic of Ghana, travelled to the United Kingdom in an attempt to convince the British government to deny Ghana its independence with the excuse that Ghana was not yet ready for independence.
Dr Kwarteng said it was true that Dr J.B. Danquah proposed the name Ghana, and Dr Busia even formed a political party with the name Ghana, but they both opposed the name when Nkrumah chose it as the country’s name after independence merely because they were not the ones declare it.
Recounting the overthrow of Dr Nkrumah, he urged the government to remove the statue of Kotoka from the Kotoka International Airport for his part in the 1966 coup.
“The CIA gave them $13 million dollars to stage the coup”, he alleged, and stated vehemently that “if you do not remove that statue, we will remove it”.
Dr Kwarteng, however, suggested that “Ghana must invest in compulsory education and primary healthcare, exemplary of Nkrumah’s administration, adding that “you cannot have the private sector as the engine of growth, unless you have an efficient public sector”.
“We need to also invest in the public sector to make the private sector flourish. Our planning for the future education must stand tall in the list of priorities. We need to have an educational system that is home grown”, he stressed.
‘Relieving public officials of post is vindictive’
SOME leading senior public servants have described the decision by public servants to enter into partisan politics as a desecration of the service.
They have also noted that the government’s decision to relieve public officials from post was vindictive.
They have, therefore, called on public servants who wish to engage in partisan politics to strictly adhere to the provisions of the 1992 Constitution regarding their decisions.
Furthermore, they urged the government to ensure that conditions of service of public servants were improved to make political aspirations unattractive to them.
They made references to constitutional frameworks, and scenarios which they felt were derogatory to the good of the Public Service and what they expected of both public servants and the government in separate addresses at the 2009 Annual Public Lecture organised by the Public Services Commission (PSC), in Accra, and urged public servants to refrain from seeking political appointment, and be apolitical to promote the public interest.
The theme for the lecture was: “Re-enforcing Democratic Governance in Ghana: Public Servants and Partisan Politics”.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, Professor Clifford Nii Boi Tagoe, who chaired the forum said the removal of public servants by successive governments without explanation was counter productive, and described the situation as “putting square pegs in round holes”, to the detriment of the country.
Prof Tagoe noted that appointments should rather be based on merit and transparency and not on political patronage and urged the government to respect the contract and neutrality of public servants, “by not asking people to go on leave is a step in the right direction”.
The Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Theodora Georgina Wood, said the signals of public servants interested in engaging in partisan politics was not a healthy sign for the development of the country.
In an address read on her behalf by Justice Jones Dotse, a Justice of the Supreme Court, she called for a purposive approach to the interpretation of the law and enactments that allowed public servants to engage in active politics, a situation she also described as a recipe for disaster.
The Chief Justice, therefore, called on public servants to respect the sanctity of their office and resign if they had any interest in political appointments.
The Chairman of the PSC, Prof S. N. Woode, urged public servants to remain apolitical, neutral and competent in their advisory roles in the implementation of the policies of the government of the day.
Consequently, he said, civil servants should not engage in partisan politics and that the provision of the code of ethics and conduct of the Ghana Civil Service was to insulate them from partisan politics.
Other provisions which banned public servants from engaging in partisan politics, he said, included the Political Parties Act 2000, which banned public officers from canvassing in support of or against a political party or a candidate and Article 94 (3b) of the 1992 Constitution, which debarred certain members of the services from seeking political appointments.
The reason, he indicated, was that when public and civil servants went into partisan politics it led to the loss of public confidence and trust in the services, devalued them, adding that a country in search of a functioning government and good governance could not afford to have the service devalued.
“The service is a conservative institution and it should be allowed to remain conservative”, he said.
A Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, Professor Joseph R Atsu Ayee, who presented a paper in consonance with the theme, said there was a cause to worry over the growing interest of public servants to engage in partisan politics, the constitutional and legal implications, the challenges.
Prof Ayee said the public service and public servants operated within a highly intense political environment but despite the interconnectedness between the service and the government, it was still possible for public servants to remain neutral by following the rules and regulations within which they operated.
He said a survey conducted from 1993 to 2009 reflected a significant increase in the number of public servants engaged in partisan politics without resigning from their positions. He said from a figure of 32 in 1993 the number rose to a total of 235 in 2009.
To address these incoherences, he called for a review of the appointing power of the president, which was often used to build patronage for himself and his party, by streamlining the modalities for appointments.
Prof Ayee advocated an improvement in the service condition of public servants and urged the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to expedite action on the Code of Conduct for public officers, which it started sometime ago.
They have also noted that the government’s decision to relieve public officials from post was vindictive.
They have, therefore, called on public servants who wish to engage in partisan politics to strictly adhere to the provisions of the 1992 Constitution regarding their decisions.
Furthermore, they urged the government to ensure that conditions of service of public servants were improved to make political aspirations unattractive to them.
They made references to constitutional frameworks, and scenarios which they felt were derogatory to the good of the Public Service and what they expected of both public servants and the government in separate addresses at the 2009 Annual Public Lecture organised by the Public Services Commission (PSC), in Accra, and urged public servants to refrain from seeking political appointment, and be apolitical to promote the public interest.
The theme for the lecture was: “Re-enforcing Democratic Governance in Ghana: Public Servants and Partisan Politics”.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, Professor Clifford Nii Boi Tagoe, who chaired the forum said the removal of public servants by successive governments without explanation was counter productive, and described the situation as “putting square pegs in round holes”, to the detriment of the country.
Prof Tagoe noted that appointments should rather be based on merit and transparency and not on political patronage and urged the government to respect the contract and neutrality of public servants, “by not asking people to go on leave is a step in the right direction”.
The Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Theodora Georgina Wood, said the signals of public servants interested in engaging in partisan politics was not a healthy sign for the development of the country.
In an address read on her behalf by Justice Jones Dotse, a Justice of the Supreme Court, she called for a purposive approach to the interpretation of the law and enactments that allowed public servants to engage in active politics, a situation she also described as a recipe for disaster.
The Chief Justice, therefore, called on public servants to respect the sanctity of their office and resign if they had any interest in political appointments.
The Chairman of the PSC, Prof S. N. Woode, urged public servants to remain apolitical, neutral and competent in their advisory roles in the implementation of the policies of the government of the day.
Consequently, he said, civil servants should not engage in partisan politics and that the provision of the code of ethics and conduct of the Ghana Civil Service was to insulate them from partisan politics.
Other provisions which banned public servants from engaging in partisan politics, he said, included the Political Parties Act 2000, which banned public officers from canvassing in support of or against a political party or a candidate and Article 94 (3b) of the 1992 Constitution, which debarred certain members of the services from seeking political appointments.
The reason, he indicated, was that when public and civil servants went into partisan politics it led to the loss of public confidence and trust in the services, devalued them, adding that a country in search of a functioning government and good governance could not afford to have the service devalued.
“The service is a conservative institution and it should be allowed to remain conservative”, he said.
A Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, Professor Joseph R Atsu Ayee, who presented a paper in consonance with the theme, said there was a cause to worry over the growing interest of public servants to engage in partisan politics, the constitutional and legal implications, the challenges.
Prof Ayee said the public service and public servants operated within a highly intense political environment but despite the interconnectedness between the service and the government, it was still possible for public servants to remain neutral by following the rules and regulations within which they operated.
He said a survey conducted from 1993 to 2009 reflected a significant increase in the number of public servants engaged in partisan politics without resigning from their positions. He said from a figure of 32 in 1993 the number rose to a total of 235 in 2009.
To address these incoherences, he called for a review of the appointing power of the president, which was often used to build patronage for himself and his party, by streamlining the modalities for appointments.
Prof Ayee advocated an improvement in the service condition of public servants and urged the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to expedite action on the Code of Conduct for public officers, which it started sometime ago.
Include African youth and students unions — In African unity in deliberations
SOME student representatives at the University of Ghana, Legon, have called for an inclusion of youth and students unions in Africa in deliberations leading to African unity.
They agreed that the agenda of unity in Africa could not be spearheaded without the output of the youth who constituted the majority of the continent’s population.
The President of the Students Representative Council (SRC) of the university, Mr John Mark Bekui, at a panel discussion with leaders and members of halls at the university, said it was important for the youth across Africa to collectively have a united front to let the world know that they were in support of African unity.
“If the leaders are not going to call on us, we should be considering ways we can impose ourselves on them,” he stated, adding, “If the mountain is not going to come to you, then you have to go to the mountain.”
The discussion was in recognition of the African Union Day, May 25, and how the youth across Africa could contribute in spearheading African unity.
It was facilitated by Wailing youth for a united Africa (WAIYUA), a youth advocacy group, and the Legon SRC.
The discussions focused mainly on whether Africans desired a unitary government, whether it was possible, what and how it could be done, the challenges and the way forward with the active involvement of the youth across the continent.
The President of WAIYUA, Mr Crusader Sampson Babson, said there was no way continental unity could be achieved considering the continuing neglect of youth participation.
He said the formation of a union government was long overdue and that the long awaited union government could only be achieved through the involvement of the youth, student groups and associations.
The President of the Commonwealth Hall, Mr Bernard Oduro Takyi, who agreed with the inclusion of students in deliberations leading to African unity, however, opposed the idea that Africa could develop only through integration.
He said the Organisation of Africa Unity was not successful, hence the AU would also not be successful because the colonial culture and ideologies inculcated in Africans by their colonial masters were still in place.
“We need selfless leadership and a paradigm shift from our way of doing things before we can unite or develop,” he added.
A member of the Akuafo Hall, Mr Clement Amegatse, agreed that the youth needed to be involved in the whole African unity process but stated emphatically that “Africa is not ready to unite” and that until Africa was ready, the whole continent would remain where it was.
He said the leadership of the continent was not committed at all to the cause of African unity, adding, for example, that the former President of Liberia, Charles Taylor, was made to believe that if he relinquished power, he was going to be supported by African leaders, but he was given up to the West and currently standing trial outside Africa — a sign of lack of political commitment to the cause of African unity.
“Consider the Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, who is championing the African unity agenda. Even in his own country how does he treat immigrants?” he asked.
The President of the Mensah Sarbah Hall, Mr Stephen Forson, also agreed with the inclusion of the youth in championing African unity but argued that theoretically Africans were united but they were practically not.
He said until all the conflicts in Africa were resolved, it was going to be very difficult for Africa to unite, stating that it would be possible only if the youth in Africa had one mindset to break what was regarded as barriers to African unity.
They agreed that the agenda of unity in Africa could not be spearheaded without the output of the youth who constituted the majority of the continent’s population.
The President of the Students Representative Council (SRC) of the university, Mr John Mark Bekui, at a panel discussion with leaders and members of halls at the university, said it was important for the youth across Africa to collectively have a united front to let the world know that they were in support of African unity.
“If the leaders are not going to call on us, we should be considering ways we can impose ourselves on them,” he stated, adding, “If the mountain is not going to come to you, then you have to go to the mountain.”
The discussion was in recognition of the African Union Day, May 25, and how the youth across Africa could contribute in spearheading African unity.
It was facilitated by Wailing youth for a united Africa (WAIYUA), a youth advocacy group, and the Legon SRC.
The discussions focused mainly on whether Africans desired a unitary government, whether it was possible, what and how it could be done, the challenges and the way forward with the active involvement of the youth across the continent.
The President of WAIYUA, Mr Crusader Sampson Babson, said there was no way continental unity could be achieved considering the continuing neglect of youth participation.
He said the formation of a union government was long overdue and that the long awaited union government could only be achieved through the involvement of the youth, student groups and associations.
The President of the Commonwealth Hall, Mr Bernard Oduro Takyi, who agreed with the inclusion of students in deliberations leading to African unity, however, opposed the idea that Africa could develop only through integration.
He said the Organisation of Africa Unity was not successful, hence the AU would also not be successful because the colonial culture and ideologies inculcated in Africans by their colonial masters were still in place.
“We need selfless leadership and a paradigm shift from our way of doing things before we can unite or develop,” he added.
A member of the Akuafo Hall, Mr Clement Amegatse, agreed that the youth needed to be involved in the whole African unity process but stated emphatically that “Africa is not ready to unite” and that until Africa was ready, the whole continent would remain where it was.
He said the leadership of the continent was not committed at all to the cause of African unity, adding, for example, that the former President of Liberia, Charles Taylor, was made to believe that if he relinquished power, he was going to be supported by African leaders, but he was given up to the West and currently standing trial outside Africa — a sign of lack of political commitment to the cause of African unity.
“Consider the Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, who is championing the African unity agenda. Even in his own country how does he treat immigrants?” he asked.
The President of the Mensah Sarbah Hall, Mr Stephen Forson, also agreed with the inclusion of the youth in championing African unity but argued that theoretically Africans were united but they were practically not.
He said until all the conflicts in Africa were resolved, it was going to be very difficult for Africa to unite, stating that it would be possible only if the youth in Africa had one mindset to break what was regarded as barriers to African unity.
CJA calls for speedy prosecution of former officials
THE Committee for Joint Action (CJA) has urged the Mills administration to fast-track procedures to prosecute all members of the past administration suspected to have involved themselves in corrupt practices after proper investigations.
It further urged President John Evans Atta Mills to honour his campaign promise of probity, accountability and integrity to the good people of Ghana who had been waiting anxiously for five months into his administration.
A leading member of the CJA, Mr Kwesi Pratt Junior, who made the call at a panel discussion yesterday, questioned the delay and hesitation by President Mills to take immediate steps in honouring his promise to Ghanaians.
“We want to see probity, accountability and integrity. President Mills must ensure this. Five months into his office, we are still waiting,” he stated.
He said some corrupt officials were still insisting on the payment of their ex gratia, knowing very well that their drivers and relatives in the villages had no access to potable water and adequate health care.
He said corruption was embedded in the fabric of the Ghanaian society, to the extent that the hierarchy of the Judiciary was believed to be under investigations for corruption.
Mr Pratt, who is also the editor of the Insight newspaper, blamed the hierarchy of the Police Administration for the corruption in the lower ranks of the service, stating that the corruption at the top was a reflection of the break down of the command.
He stated that after eight years of maladministration, ministers of state were proud owners of $300,000 houses and $100,000 cars, adding “All of a sudden they have become multi-millionaires and when we question them about the source of their wealth they ask us why.”
Mr Pratt said if Ghanaians did not sit up and call for probity and accountability, they would not get access to potable water, health care and other basic amenities they were yearning for.
The Executive Secretary of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Mr Vitus A. Azeem, also urged the government to speed up the passage of the Right to Information Bill, taking into consideration the changes suggested by civil society actors.
He said the law would ensure transparency and accountability and hence serve as an effective anti-corruption tool, while complementing the anti-corruption laws already in existence.
Mr Azeem, in his definition of corruption, said it had been defined leaving many with the impression that it was only people who occupied public offices who were capable of abusing their office or power.
He categorically stated that the definition did not make any allowance for other forms of corrupt activities, including market rigging, insider trading, tax dodging, non-disclosure of conflict of interest and illicit part funding.
According to him, corruption encompassed abuses by government officials such as embezzlement and nepotism, as well as abuses linking public and private actors such as bribery, extortion, influence peddling and fraud.
Mr Azeem described corruption as being pervasive which had to do with motive and opportunity that usually came about when there were weak systems or institutions of accountability, lack of checks and balances, as well as a general state of moral decadence.
He stated that research findings always pointed to the fact that corruption was a serious problem in Ghana, adding that from 1999 to 2008 the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) had pointed to the fact that Ghana was far from winning the fight against corruption as a nation.
Attributing the causes of corruption to lack of political will, Mr Azeem said, “All previous leaders of the country have at least paid ‘lip service’ to its eradication.”
He said in 2001 former President Kufuor declared a zero tolerance for corruption and promised to promulgate a code of conduct to guide political appointees and consequently established an office within the Presidency to monitor it, “yet corruption continued to be attributed to his administration and some of his officials”.
A former General Secretary of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Professor Nii Noi Dowuona, said the lessons learnt from the 2008 general election should guide politicians not to take Ghanaians for granted and, therefore, urged the political class to sit up.
He stressed the need for the political leadership to rise to the occasion, considering the limited resources of the country, compared to the increasing population and the rate at which the limited resources were being looted.
It further urged President John Evans Atta Mills to honour his campaign promise of probity, accountability and integrity to the good people of Ghana who had been waiting anxiously for five months into his administration.
A leading member of the CJA, Mr Kwesi Pratt Junior, who made the call at a panel discussion yesterday, questioned the delay and hesitation by President Mills to take immediate steps in honouring his promise to Ghanaians.
“We want to see probity, accountability and integrity. President Mills must ensure this. Five months into his office, we are still waiting,” he stated.
He said some corrupt officials were still insisting on the payment of their ex gratia, knowing very well that their drivers and relatives in the villages had no access to potable water and adequate health care.
He said corruption was embedded in the fabric of the Ghanaian society, to the extent that the hierarchy of the Judiciary was believed to be under investigations for corruption.
Mr Pratt, who is also the editor of the Insight newspaper, blamed the hierarchy of the Police Administration for the corruption in the lower ranks of the service, stating that the corruption at the top was a reflection of the break down of the command.
He stated that after eight years of maladministration, ministers of state were proud owners of $300,000 houses and $100,000 cars, adding “All of a sudden they have become multi-millionaires and when we question them about the source of their wealth they ask us why.”
Mr Pratt said if Ghanaians did not sit up and call for probity and accountability, they would not get access to potable water, health care and other basic amenities they were yearning for.
The Executive Secretary of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Mr Vitus A. Azeem, also urged the government to speed up the passage of the Right to Information Bill, taking into consideration the changes suggested by civil society actors.
He said the law would ensure transparency and accountability and hence serve as an effective anti-corruption tool, while complementing the anti-corruption laws already in existence.
Mr Azeem, in his definition of corruption, said it had been defined leaving many with the impression that it was only people who occupied public offices who were capable of abusing their office or power.
He categorically stated that the definition did not make any allowance for other forms of corrupt activities, including market rigging, insider trading, tax dodging, non-disclosure of conflict of interest and illicit part funding.
According to him, corruption encompassed abuses by government officials such as embezzlement and nepotism, as well as abuses linking public and private actors such as bribery, extortion, influence peddling and fraud.
Mr Azeem described corruption as being pervasive which had to do with motive and opportunity that usually came about when there were weak systems or institutions of accountability, lack of checks and balances, as well as a general state of moral decadence.
He stated that research findings always pointed to the fact that corruption was a serious problem in Ghana, adding that from 1999 to 2008 the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) had pointed to the fact that Ghana was far from winning the fight against corruption as a nation.
Attributing the causes of corruption to lack of political will, Mr Azeem said, “All previous leaders of the country have at least paid ‘lip service’ to its eradication.”
He said in 2001 former President Kufuor declared a zero tolerance for corruption and promised to promulgate a code of conduct to guide political appointees and consequently established an office within the Presidency to monitor it, “yet corruption continued to be attributed to his administration and some of his officials”.
A former General Secretary of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Professor Nii Noi Dowuona, said the lessons learnt from the 2008 general election should guide politicians not to take Ghanaians for granted and, therefore, urged the political class to sit up.
He stressed the need for the political leadership to rise to the occasion, considering the limited resources of the country, compared to the increasing population and the rate at which the limited resources were being looted.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Ghana’s population to hit 25m by 2010
Ghana’s population will hit 25 million by the 2010 census, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has projected.
The service intends to undertake a census as part of the preparation for the 2012 general election.
Making the announcement in Accra on Thursday, the Head of the GSS, Dr Grace Bediako, said about 50,000 recruits would be engaged to conduct the census.
Dr Bediako was receiving 10 computers presented by the Chinese government as technical support to the GSS for the census.
She said the census required of them to collect the background details of all Ghanaians identified as having been in the country throughout the three weeks duration of the exercise.
Presently, she said, they were at a very important stage, where they were ascertaining people living in designated areas to devise a strategy for their prospective recruits to undertake the exercise.
“We are also preparing questionnaires which we would use to collect basic information about the individuals and also preparing a strategy document for the 50,000 recruits,” she pointed out, noting that the exercise was in fulfilment of Ghana’s obligation as a member of the United Nations Statistical Division under the United Nations Population Programme, which obliged every member country to conduct the exercise every decade.
Ghanaians should expect that when the time was due, people would come around during the three-week period to ask them basic information, Dr Bediako stated, and said it was important for everyone to familiarise themselves with basic details of their relatives.
“We need the actual age of citizens, where they work, and the type of work they do, to be able to estimate population distribution properly,” she noted.
The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Yu Wenzhe, who presented the items to the leadership of the service in Accra yesterday, said the exercise involved huge capital and believed that Ghana needed help from its development partners to make the exercise successful.
He said census was the basis for making informed decision by the government for good governance.
Mr Wenzhe expressed the hope that the support offered would make the exercise successful.
The Country Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) thanked the Chinese government for the gesture.
The service intends to undertake a census as part of the preparation for the 2012 general election.
Making the announcement in Accra on Thursday, the Head of the GSS, Dr Grace Bediako, said about 50,000 recruits would be engaged to conduct the census.
Dr Bediako was receiving 10 computers presented by the Chinese government as technical support to the GSS for the census.
She said the census required of them to collect the background details of all Ghanaians identified as having been in the country throughout the three weeks duration of the exercise.
Presently, she said, they were at a very important stage, where they were ascertaining people living in designated areas to devise a strategy for their prospective recruits to undertake the exercise.
“We are also preparing questionnaires which we would use to collect basic information about the individuals and also preparing a strategy document for the 50,000 recruits,” she pointed out, noting that the exercise was in fulfilment of Ghana’s obligation as a member of the United Nations Statistical Division under the United Nations Population Programme, which obliged every member country to conduct the exercise every decade.
Ghanaians should expect that when the time was due, people would come around during the three-week period to ask them basic information, Dr Bediako stated, and said it was important for everyone to familiarise themselves with basic details of their relatives.
“We need the actual age of citizens, where they work, and the type of work they do, to be able to estimate population distribution properly,” she noted.
The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Yu Wenzhe, who presented the items to the leadership of the service in Accra yesterday, said the exercise involved huge capital and believed that Ghana needed help from its development partners to make the exercise successful.
He said census was the basis for making informed decision by the government for good governance.
Mr Wenzhe expressed the hope that the support offered would make the exercise successful.
The Country Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) thanked the Chinese government for the gesture.
Ghana-China Friendship - Association organises forum
THE Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, has urged the Registrar-General’s Department and the Ghana Investment Promotion Council (GIPC) to open up their administrative procedures to create an enabling environment for foreign businesses in Ghana.
The reason, he said, was because Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) attraction had become very competitive and sophisticated and given the global economic meltdown, the FDI terrain was going to be fiercely and more aggressively battled out.
He, therefore, tasked the two authorities to ensure an effective, transparent and predictable regulatory framework devoid of arbitrariness for the domestic markets to be competitive.
Mr Ahwoi was speaking at a public forum organised by the Ghana-China Friendship Association (GHACHIFA) on the theme, “Doing Business in Ghana in a Friendly Way”, at the weekend in Accra.
According to him, the theme fell in line with the government’s quest to deepen the country’s relationship with its development partners in order to increase the benefits from such relationships.
Currently, he said the GIPC Act 478 , Ghana Free Zone Act 1984, the Minerals and Mining Law of 1986 and the Petroleum Law 1984 were being reviewed to deepen the transparency and predictability of these enabling legislation.
He suggested that what Ghana needed to do was to position itself to be able to join the battle and attract its due share of the global investment by creating the right conditions for investment such as opening up the economy,
Mr Ahwoi expressed his ministry’s appreciation at the support it had been receiving from the government of China in the areas like irrigation and rice projects since independence.
He said China was the number one in the League of Nations with 383 registered projects from 1994 to 2008 10 of which were in the agricultural sector.
He, therefore, congratulated Chinese companies who have chosen Ghana as a business destination and appealed to them to venture more in the area of agriculture since China was noted for its potential in agriculture.
The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Yu Wenhze, said the GHACHIFA had played a positive role by promoting the friendship between the two countries since its establishment in 1999, stating that his outfit in 2008 alone had issued about 250,000 visas to Ghanaians.
Tracing the friendship between the two countries to the era of Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, he said after the Beijing Summit in 2006, the two countries had through their relationship obtained good results in the various fields.
He said considering the volume of trade between the two countries, it had become quite necessary for the citizens to learn the language, culture, customs and practices of each country.
Mr Wenzhe appealed to Ghanaian ministries and authorities to continue improving the business environment in order to attract more foreign cooperation and investment, and challenged Chinese companies to share their business success with the local community.
The President of GHACHIFA, Mr Kojo Amoo-Gottfried, in a brief address, recounted his experience in China as an Ambassador during Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s visit to China in 1966.
He said China had over 22 per cent of the world’s population and was a guarantor to Ghana’s development, adding that “If we have to develop, then we need to do so with a country that supported us in the past, to also support us in the future”.
A State Attorney at the Registrar Generals Department, Mrs Jemimah Oware, who briefed the participants at the forum on guidelines of registering a business in Ghana, urged the investors not to go looking for middlemen to help them but seek assistance from their front office.
She said a major hinderance to their operations was restraining clients who preferred to the use of the back door and added that the department intended to centralise their operations to make it more customer friendly.
She urged businesses to file their annual returns 18 months after their incorporation since if they failed to do that, their names would be deleted from the register and also cautioned investors to sign their own documents and not allow others to sign for them.
“The objects should not be immoral or deceptive to the public, as that goes against the Companies Code”, she added.
The Director of Business Development at GIPC, Mr Ashong Lartey, explained the process of acquiring the right documentation to participants to enable them do credible business in the country
His discussion bordered on regulations and the GIPC Act 478 specifically. He added that the government of Ghana was proud that Ghana had been ranked the best place to do business in West Africa and the 10th in Africa for 2009.
The reason, he said, was because Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) attraction had become very competitive and sophisticated and given the global economic meltdown, the FDI terrain was going to be fiercely and more aggressively battled out.
He, therefore, tasked the two authorities to ensure an effective, transparent and predictable regulatory framework devoid of arbitrariness for the domestic markets to be competitive.
Mr Ahwoi was speaking at a public forum organised by the Ghana-China Friendship Association (GHACHIFA) on the theme, “Doing Business in Ghana in a Friendly Way”, at the weekend in Accra.
According to him, the theme fell in line with the government’s quest to deepen the country’s relationship with its development partners in order to increase the benefits from such relationships.
Currently, he said the GIPC Act 478 , Ghana Free Zone Act 1984, the Minerals and Mining Law of 1986 and the Petroleum Law 1984 were being reviewed to deepen the transparency and predictability of these enabling legislation.
He suggested that what Ghana needed to do was to position itself to be able to join the battle and attract its due share of the global investment by creating the right conditions for investment such as opening up the economy,
Mr Ahwoi expressed his ministry’s appreciation at the support it had been receiving from the government of China in the areas like irrigation and rice projects since independence.
He said China was the number one in the League of Nations with 383 registered projects from 1994 to 2008 10 of which were in the agricultural sector.
He, therefore, congratulated Chinese companies who have chosen Ghana as a business destination and appealed to them to venture more in the area of agriculture since China was noted for its potential in agriculture.
The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Yu Wenhze, said the GHACHIFA had played a positive role by promoting the friendship between the two countries since its establishment in 1999, stating that his outfit in 2008 alone had issued about 250,000 visas to Ghanaians.
Tracing the friendship between the two countries to the era of Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, he said after the Beijing Summit in 2006, the two countries had through their relationship obtained good results in the various fields.
He said considering the volume of trade between the two countries, it had become quite necessary for the citizens to learn the language, culture, customs and practices of each country.
Mr Wenzhe appealed to Ghanaian ministries and authorities to continue improving the business environment in order to attract more foreign cooperation and investment, and challenged Chinese companies to share their business success with the local community.
The President of GHACHIFA, Mr Kojo Amoo-Gottfried, in a brief address, recounted his experience in China as an Ambassador during Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s visit to China in 1966.
He said China had over 22 per cent of the world’s population and was a guarantor to Ghana’s development, adding that “If we have to develop, then we need to do so with a country that supported us in the past, to also support us in the future”.
A State Attorney at the Registrar Generals Department, Mrs Jemimah Oware, who briefed the participants at the forum on guidelines of registering a business in Ghana, urged the investors not to go looking for middlemen to help them but seek assistance from their front office.
She said a major hinderance to their operations was restraining clients who preferred to the use of the back door and added that the department intended to centralise their operations to make it more customer friendly.
She urged businesses to file their annual returns 18 months after their incorporation since if they failed to do that, their names would be deleted from the register and also cautioned investors to sign their own documents and not allow others to sign for them.
“The objects should not be immoral or deceptive to the public, as that goes against the Companies Code”, she added.
The Director of Business Development at GIPC, Mr Ashong Lartey, explained the process of acquiring the right documentation to participants to enable them do credible business in the country
His discussion bordered on regulations and the GIPC Act 478 specifically. He added that the government of Ghana was proud that Ghana had been ranked the best place to do business in West Africa and the 10th in Africa for 2009.
‘Tertiary institutions must stick to original mandate’
THE Provost of the College of Arts and Social Sciences at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Daniel Buor, has urged tertiary institutions to stick to their original mandates to ensure that graduates are equipped with the requisite employable skills.
He said certain programmes at the universities were not necessary for national development, but only existed in the curricula to satisfy the requirement of providing education in an all-embracing discipline.
Prof. Bour was speaking on the topic “University Education and Acquisition of Employable Skills” at a symposium organised by the Ghana Employers Association (GEA) to mark the association’s 50th anniversary celebration in Accra.
He said the relevance of education for development would not materialise, if the academia and industry did not exist in symbiosis.
Prof. Buor disclosed that the theme for the celebration, “Reshaping Skills Development in Ghana to Promote National Competitiveness”, was very important, considering the calls for the strengthening of capacity, and urged the government to make posession of laptop computers a necessary requirement for students entering tertiary institutions, because tertiary education had become more crucial in this era of globalisation which engendered competition at the global marketplace.
Prof. Buor was of the view that efforts by the government towards achievement of national vision and aspirations and competition at the global market front would be fruitless if aggressive measures were not put in place to develop skills that would be of positive consequences on the job market.
The acting Executive Director of the GEA, Mr Alex Frimpong, spoke on the topic “Skills Development for Accelerated National Growth” and examined the relevance of skills development, employers expectation, the role of the GEA and challenges facing employers.
He said for Ghana to survive in the knowledge economy of the 21st century, there was the need for a national workforce development strategy and programmes for retooling the workforce.
He suggested that the industry and training institutions should have a collective responsibility to forge the needed partnership to develop a demand-driven curriculum that would produce graduates with skills suitable for the industry.
"Encourage lecturers in the country's training institutions to work in industry from time to time to enable them blend theory and practice in the training of students," he stated, and called for the development of competence-based occupational schemes, which would be used by training institutions in reviewing and developing appropriate curriculum for the training of students.
The symposium was to enable stakeholders in academia and industry to examine the background to university education, programmes offered by universities and how relevant those programmes were to national development.
Other speakers examined gender disparity in enrolment and the relevant training for the industry, how significant they were and how the industry could be properly linked to academia.
The symposium was also intended to find solutions to salient areas bordering on skills development to ensure increased national productivity in all sectors of the economy.
The Rector of Accra Polytechnic, Dr Festus Addo Yobo, said as a result of a lack of integration between theory and practice, students found it difficult to even construct their own conceptual knowledge, attributing lack of interest by students in what they studied to the methodology used in teaching them.
He, therefore, advocated a radical transformation in the assessment of students to help them achieve a better understanding of what they learnt, noting that the country was where it was because the right skills for the industry were not yet acquired.
He said certain programmes at the universities were not necessary for national development, but only existed in the curricula to satisfy the requirement of providing education in an all-embracing discipline.
Prof. Bour was speaking on the topic “University Education and Acquisition of Employable Skills” at a symposium organised by the Ghana Employers Association (GEA) to mark the association’s 50th anniversary celebration in Accra.
He said the relevance of education for development would not materialise, if the academia and industry did not exist in symbiosis.
Prof. Buor disclosed that the theme for the celebration, “Reshaping Skills Development in Ghana to Promote National Competitiveness”, was very important, considering the calls for the strengthening of capacity, and urged the government to make posession of laptop computers a necessary requirement for students entering tertiary institutions, because tertiary education had become more crucial in this era of globalisation which engendered competition at the global marketplace.
Prof. Buor was of the view that efforts by the government towards achievement of national vision and aspirations and competition at the global market front would be fruitless if aggressive measures were not put in place to develop skills that would be of positive consequences on the job market.
The acting Executive Director of the GEA, Mr Alex Frimpong, spoke on the topic “Skills Development for Accelerated National Growth” and examined the relevance of skills development, employers expectation, the role of the GEA and challenges facing employers.
He said for Ghana to survive in the knowledge economy of the 21st century, there was the need for a national workforce development strategy and programmes for retooling the workforce.
He suggested that the industry and training institutions should have a collective responsibility to forge the needed partnership to develop a demand-driven curriculum that would produce graduates with skills suitable for the industry.
"Encourage lecturers in the country's training institutions to work in industry from time to time to enable them blend theory and practice in the training of students," he stated, and called for the development of competence-based occupational schemes, which would be used by training institutions in reviewing and developing appropriate curriculum for the training of students.
The symposium was to enable stakeholders in academia and industry to examine the background to university education, programmes offered by universities and how relevant those programmes were to national development.
Other speakers examined gender disparity in enrolment and the relevant training for the industry, how significant they were and how the industry could be properly linked to academia.
The symposium was also intended to find solutions to salient areas bordering on skills development to ensure increased national productivity in all sectors of the economy.
The Rector of Accra Polytechnic, Dr Festus Addo Yobo, said as a result of a lack of integration between theory and practice, students found it difficult to even construct their own conceptual knowledge, attributing lack of interest by students in what they studied to the methodology used in teaching them.
He, therefore, advocated a radical transformation in the assessment of students to help them achieve a better understanding of what they learnt, noting that the country was where it was because the right skills for the industry were not yet acquired.
Lands Commission completes inventory on 34 sites
A THREE-MONTH directive to the Lands Commission to submit an inventory on all public lands in Accra has expired with work completed on only 34 sites out of 634.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda, gave the directive to the Lands Commission to provide within three months an inventory of all lands acquired by the state in the Greater Accra Region and indicating those that had been given out to individuals.
The move was to facilitate the process of returning those that were no longer needed by the state to their original owners.
When the Daily Graphic contacted the Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, Alhaji Hamidu Ibrahim Baryeh, about the success or otherwise of the minister’s request, he said it was not the sole responsibility of the Commission to take inventory of the lands.
He explained that the Commission was only a participatory agency in the process and directed this reporter to Dr Odame Larbi, the Project Director of Land Administration Project (LAP) .
Dr Larbi disclosed that work on only 34 sites had been completed, with 600 sites still outstanding, and explained that the minister’s directive of stock-taking ought to be preceded by various processes and the procuring of the services of World Bank approved consultants and getting their terms of reference but these were not factored into the ultimatum.
Alluding to the fact that three months was too short a time for the exercise, he spelt out the processes by saying that “after the approval, we advertise for expression of interest by the consultants, after which we evaluate and shortlist the consultants; then undertake data mining at the Lands Commission, Land Valuation and the Survey Department for the preparation of request for proposals”.
Dr Larbi said even before the contract with the consultants would be signed, there had to be negotiations on the whole proposal and submit the results of the negotiations and the draft contract to the World Bank for approval.
According to Dr Larbi, after all this had been done, the seven consultants were put into groups, considering the nature of the project, before the process could begin.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda, gave the directive to the Lands Commission to provide within three months an inventory of all lands acquired by the state in the Greater Accra Region and indicating those that had been given out to individuals.
The move was to facilitate the process of returning those that were no longer needed by the state to their original owners.
When the Daily Graphic contacted the Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, Alhaji Hamidu Ibrahim Baryeh, about the success or otherwise of the minister’s request, he said it was not the sole responsibility of the Commission to take inventory of the lands.
He explained that the Commission was only a participatory agency in the process and directed this reporter to Dr Odame Larbi, the Project Director of Land Administration Project (LAP) .
Dr Larbi disclosed that work on only 34 sites had been completed, with 600 sites still outstanding, and explained that the minister’s directive of stock-taking ought to be preceded by various processes and the procuring of the services of World Bank approved consultants and getting their terms of reference but these were not factored into the ultimatum.
Alluding to the fact that three months was too short a time for the exercise, he spelt out the processes by saying that “after the approval, we advertise for expression of interest by the consultants, after which we evaluate and shortlist the consultants; then undertake data mining at the Lands Commission, Land Valuation and the Survey Department for the preparation of request for proposals”.
Dr Larbi said even before the contract with the consultants would be signed, there had to be negotiations on the whole proposal and submit the results of the negotiations and the draft contract to the World Bank for approval.
According to Dr Larbi, after all this had been done, the seven consultants were put into groups, considering the nature of the project, before the process could begin.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Legon, University of South Florida sign agreement
THE University of Ghana, Legon has entered into an agreement with the University of South Florida (USF) in the United States of America to strengthen international education and research experiences for both faculty and students.
The areas of collaboration include graduate and faculty training and student exchange programmes.
The primary purpose of this agreement is to provide a general basis within which specific co-operative activities of academic and cultural nature may be implemented involving faculty and students from both institutions.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that sets forth the terms and conditions of the agreement, was signed at a ceremony at the university on Monday.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the University of Ghana by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Clifford Nii Boi Tagoe and on behalf of the USF by Mrs Linda M. Whiterford, an Associate Vice President for Global Strategies.
Prof. Tagoe said a key area of interest to the university was graduate training for the purposes of developing faculties, saying that the issue of faculty development was a major problem, and the only way to keep faculties was to ensure that there were enough funds for training, considering the increasing population of students.
The university require 1,000 additional faculties to balance the student ratio, which he said, on the average, was one faculty to 19 students but was currently running at about one faculty to 39 students, a situation he described as only “scratching the surface”.
Prof. Tagoe attributed the lack of faculties at the university to the massive “brain drain” of faculty staff in the late 70’s and 80’s, where some qualified staff migrated from the country to lecture in different fields other than their own, describing it as “brain in the drain” of academic staff.
The problem, he said, was faced by universities across Africa, and to address it at a meeting of heads of universities last November, some universities which were approached in the USA had come forward to assist in resolving the situation, hence the agreement between the university and the USF.
“The National Council for Tertiary Education has been concerned about the issue and was raising monies to support faculty training but it’s not enough. That is why the agreement between us and the USF is welcome,” he stated, and pointed out that the initiative was an all-embracing agreement that any member of the university with ideas ought to benefit from.
“I have no doubt that this will be successful,” he said, and assured the delegation from USF of the full co-operation of the university’s administration.
The Executive Director of the Centre for Global Solutions at USF, Mrs Betty Castro, said the USF had entered into the agreement with the university because of Ghana’s long-standing relations with the USA and the excellent democratic rule existing in the country.
She said their goal was to create and expand collaborative efforts between universities of Africa and the USA through the Africa Initiative Group at the USF, which had a population of about 46,000 students.
Mrs Castro disclosed that the reason for choosing a university in Ghana was also because six members of their faculty from Ghana had documented the USF’s interest in African universities and they had found the University of Ghana to be number one.
Caption: The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Clifford Nii Boi Tagoe (middle), and Mrs Linda M. Whiterford, an Associate Vice President for Global Strategies (left), signing the MoU. Seated next to the Vice Chancellor is the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Kwesi Yankah.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Enterprise Insurance organises AGM
ENTERPRISE Insurance Company Limited (EICL) has organised its Annual General Meeting for the year ended 2008 and celebrated its AA- rating as an achievement of the company’s 80 years of excellence in the insurance industry.
It was rated AA- by the Global Rating Company in South Africa for having a high claiming ability, and signing up nearly 12,000 new client in 2008.
The company, established in 1924 in the United Kingdom, was the first insurance company to be listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) in 1990.
The Chairman of the Company, Mr Trevor Trefgarne in his address, said the company had been investigating the best way to structure the group and its subsidiaries for the future.“We have prepared a presentation on the proposed holding company structure”, he stated and pointed out that the structure was expected to create financial and operational benefits for stakeholders.
Presenting the consolidated result of EICL for the year ended 2008, Mr Trefgarne announced that the group had adopted International Financial Reporting Standards with effect from the 2008 financial year.
The groups financial performance in the year, he said, reflected 20.3 per cent growth in their general business and as well as 52.0 per cent growth of Life Assurance business in their respective revenue generating activities.
The Managing Director of the company, Mr George Otoo, disclosed that there was a significant change in the structure of the insurance industry due to the implementation of the new Insurance Act 724 of 2006.
“By the close of 2008, the market had 19 non-life and 16 life companies, two reinsures and 35 Broking firms”, he stated, and pointed out that the increase in the number of players, particularly in respect of non-life insurers and Broking firms heightened the already intense competition in the industry.
That, according to Mr Otoo, led to further softening of rates as player scrambled for the same insured businesses, which led to premiums been driven very low in the face of escalating claims and other operational expenses.
“In the long run, if this continues, most companies may not be able to build up enough reserves to pay claims” he noted, and pointed out that the strong capital formation would therefore continue to elude the industry as short term results remained the focal point in the industry.
On the company’s operating performance, he said though they recorded a substantial increase in gross premium, high claims frequency and severity greatly affected their overall operating performance.
“Gross premium rose from GH¢16.5 million in 2007 to GH¢19.9 million in 2008, an increase of 20.6 per cent. Net premium income recorded an increase of 13.0 per cent from GH¢7.7 million in 2007 to GH¢8.7 million in 2008”, he stated.
Mr Otoo said the company recorded a total of 11,719 new businesses in 2008 culminating in a premium of GH¢6.7 million, representing 33.8 per cent of total gross premium, an indication of increased sales and market penetration.
He said the year 2008 produced virtually no underwriting profit as claims incurred increased significantly from GH¢2.7 million in 2007 to GH¢4.3 million in 2008.
Nonetheless, he said the company recognised claims payment as its bedrock in their long term survival and profitability and gave the assurance that they would continue to honour genuine claims promptly, however they would continue to review and reset their strategy on the Motor business to address the company’s dwindling profitability in the face of the current intense price competition.
The group wrote a total gross premium of GH¢35 million in 2008, up by 32.2 per cent from 2007 level of GH¢ 26.7 million.
It was rated AA- by the Global Rating Company in South Africa for having a high claiming ability, and signing up nearly 12,000 new client in 2008.
The company, established in 1924 in the United Kingdom, was the first insurance company to be listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) in 1990.
The Chairman of the Company, Mr Trevor Trefgarne in his address, said the company had been investigating the best way to structure the group and its subsidiaries for the future.“We have prepared a presentation on the proposed holding company structure”, he stated and pointed out that the structure was expected to create financial and operational benefits for stakeholders.
Presenting the consolidated result of EICL for the year ended 2008, Mr Trefgarne announced that the group had adopted International Financial Reporting Standards with effect from the 2008 financial year.
The groups financial performance in the year, he said, reflected 20.3 per cent growth in their general business and as well as 52.0 per cent growth of Life Assurance business in their respective revenue generating activities.
The Managing Director of the company, Mr George Otoo, disclosed that there was a significant change in the structure of the insurance industry due to the implementation of the new Insurance Act 724 of 2006.
“By the close of 2008, the market had 19 non-life and 16 life companies, two reinsures and 35 Broking firms”, he stated, and pointed out that the increase in the number of players, particularly in respect of non-life insurers and Broking firms heightened the already intense competition in the industry.
That, according to Mr Otoo, led to further softening of rates as player scrambled for the same insured businesses, which led to premiums been driven very low in the face of escalating claims and other operational expenses.
“In the long run, if this continues, most companies may not be able to build up enough reserves to pay claims” he noted, and pointed out that the strong capital formation would therefore continue to elude the industry as short term results remained the focal point in the industry.
On the company’s operating performance, he said though they recorded a substantial increase in gross premium, high claims frequency and severity greatly affected their overall operating performance.
“Gross premium rose from GH¢16.5 million in 2007 to GH¢19.9 million in 2008, an increase of 20.6 per cent. Net premium income recorded an increase of 13.0 per cent from GH¢7.7 million in 2007 to GH¢8.7 million in 2008”, he stated.
Mr Otoo said the company recorded a total of 11,719 new businesses in 2008 culminating in a premium of GH¢6.7 million, representing 33.8 per cent of total gross premium, an indication of increased sales and market penetration.
He said the year 2008 produced virtually no underwriting profit as claims incurred increased significantly from GH¢2.7 million in 2007 to GH¢4.3 million in 2008.
Nonetheless, he said the company recognised claims payment as its bedrock in their long term survival and profitability and gave the assurance that they would continue to honour genuine claims promptly, however they would continue to review and reset their strategy on the Motor business to address the company’s dwindling profitability in the face of the current intense price competition.
The group wrote a total gross premium of GH¢35 million in 2008, up by 32.2 per cent from 2007 level of GH¢ 26.7 million.
More to benefit from LEAP
THE Government has initiated moves to extend the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme to parents of 5,000 children in 470 communities of 47 district in cocoa growing areas in Ghana.
The initiative was adopted in conformity with the National Programme for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Cocoa (NPECLC) in Ghana.
The move, according to the Chief Director for the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare, Mr Emmanuel A. Akuffo, who made this known at the 7th partners forum on the NPECLC in Accra last Tuesday, was to assist cocoa farmers to properly cater for the education of their children as well as their own socio-economic enhancement.
He said the ministry, in support of the NPECLC, had drawn up two key programmes in areas where poverty was severe, but had realised that the supply of school uniforms alone, for example, was not enough to alleviate poverty in those areas.
To address some of these challenges, he indicated that the ministry had seen the need to extend the LEAP programme to those areas to ensure that the children attended school regularly.
He disclosed that about 54 per cent of children in cocoa producing regions in Ghana, including Western, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Central and the Volta regions could neither read nor write.
Mr Akuffo, therefore, called on the National Steering Committee of the NPECLC and its partners, including district assemblies and other non-governmental organisations, to put in place effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to mitigate these challenges.
In 2006, the government established the NPECLC under the then Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment with a mandate to conduct activities that would reduce and finally eliminate the worst forms of child labour in cocoa growing sectors by 2011.
In pursuant of this goal, the NPECLC and its partners were charged to strengthen the legal framework for dealing with the Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL), enhance the knowledge-base of it, and develop interventions to eliminate them.
The National Manager of NPECLC, Mrs Rita Owusu-Amankwah, gave an overview of the existing guidelines and mechanisms for strengthening the activities of partners, their roles and responsibilities and the benefits of compliance with their co-ordination framework.
To strengthen the capacity of partners, she said partners were grouped according to the particular work they were engaged in, in cocoa growing areas.“Working groups will meet separately, in addition to the three annual meetings, and the three thematic working groups identified include child protection, socio-economic enhancement and education,” she stated.
The purpose of the co-ordination, she said, was to ensure that all partners spoke with one voice to avoid distortion of facts, reduce duplication of work and to maximise their resources by identifying intervention gaps.
“Partners, particularly district assemblies, need to make financial contributions to the implementation of interventions in their districts. Partners need to contribute to the capacity building of responsible agencies, and also submit their reports to the NPECLC secretariat on a quarterly basis,” she added.
Dr Daniel Bruce Sarpong, an Executive Member of the Community-Based Child Labour Monitoring System, said under the auspices of NPECLC, they conducted two pilot surveys in six and 15 districts in 2006 and 2007 respectively, as part of the cocoa certification process.
The result of the two surveys, he said, provided them with information to help address some of the challenges on child labour issues in cocoa production in Ghana.
“In the 2007/2008 cocoa season, the survey was scaled up to cover 15 districts from all cocoa growing areas, including the six districts covered during the pilot survey, and that accounted for 60 per cent of the national cocoa production,” he stated and noted that in all, 3,452 children aged between 5 and 17 years were interviewed during the survey.
The initiative was adopted in conformity with the National Programme for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Cocoa (NPECLC) in Ghana.
The move, according to the Chief Director for the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare, Mr Emmanuel A. Akuffo, who made this known at the 7th partners forum on the NPECLC in Accra last Tuesday, was to assist cocoa farmers to properly cater for the education of their children as well as their own socio-economic enhancement.
He said the ministry, in support of the NPECLC, had drawn up two key programmes in areas where poverty was severe, but had realised that the supply of school uniforms alone, for example, was not enough to alleviate poverty in those areas.
To address some of these challenges, he indicated that the ministry had seen the need to extend the LEAP programme to those areas to ensure that the children attended school regularly.
He disclosed that about 54 per cent of children in cocoa producing regions in Ghana, including Western, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Central and the Volta regions could neither read nor write.
Mr Akuffo, therefore, called on the National Steering Committee of the NPECLC and its partners, including district assemblies and other non-governmental organisations, to put in place effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to mitigate these challenges.
In 2006, the government established the NPECLC under the then Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment with a mandate to conduct activities that would reduce and finally eliminate the worst forms of child labour in cocoa growing sectors by 2011.
In pursuant of this goal, the NPECLC and its partners were charged to strengthen the legal framework for dealing with the Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL), enhance the knowledge-base of it, and develop interventions to eliminate them.
The National Manager of NPECLC, Mrs Rita Owusu-Amankwah, gave an overview of the existing guidelines and mechanisms for strengthening the activities of partners, their roles and responsibilities and the benefits of compliance with their co-ordination framework.
To strengthen the capacity of partners, she said partners were grouped according to the particular work they were engaged in, in cocoa growing areas.“Working groups will meet separately, in addition to the three annual meetings, and the three thematic working groups identified include child protection, socio-economic enhancement and education,” she stated.
The purpose of the co-ordination, she said, was to ensure that all partners spoke with one voice to avoid distortion of facts, reduce duplication of work and to maximise their resources by identifying intervention gaps.
“Partners, particularly district assemblies, need to make financial contributions to the implementation of interventions in their districts. Partners need to contribute to the capacity building of responsible agencies, and also submit their reports to the NPECLC secretariat on a quarterly basis,” she added.
Dr Daniel Bruce Sarpong, an Executive Member of the Community-Based Child Labour Monitoring System, said under the auspices of NPECLC, they conducted two pilot surveys in six and 15 districts in 2006 and 2007 respectively, as part of the cocoa certification process.
The result of the two surveys, he said, provided them with information to help address some of the challenges on child labour issues in cocoa production in Ghana.
“In the 2007/2008 cocoa season, the survey was scaled up to cover 15 districts from all cocoa growing areas, including the six districts covered during the pilot survey, and that accounted for 60 per cent of the national cocoa production,” he stated and noted that in all, 3,452 children aged between 5 and 17 years were interviewed during the survey.
Review built environment laws
THE Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA) has urged the government to review all laws governing built environments which have outlived their usefulness to society in order to meet the changing demands of the deteriorating environment.
It said despite the existence and implementation of these laws and regulations, the built environment was fast deteriorating, particularly within the urban centres and a number of rural communities which have experienced population growth.
Among the laws the institute identified included the Town and Country Planning Ordinance (CAP 84) promulgated in 1945 and updated between 1954 and 1960, National Building Regulations (LI 1630), 1996 and the Local Government Act, 1993 (ACT 462), and many other laws, bye-laws and codes which have not seen any major review over the period of time.
The President of the institute, Mr Osei Kwame Agyeman, at a press conference in Accra, said the current situation regarding the built environment in Ghana did not seem to satisfy the tenets of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy- 2 which sought to ensure the provision of basic needs of Ghanaians.
“What is the level of enforcement and how has the enforcement of these regulations been carried out over the years to ensure the benefits of the built environment for sustainable development” he asked, and pointed out that the disregard for planning schemes had further led to the sprawling of uncontrolled development of both the urban and sub-urban areas in the country.
That, he noted, had been characterised by the development of unplanned settlements and slums which had resulted in haphazard infrastructure development, leading to floods and collapse of buildings.
In view of these, Mr Agyeman said, Accra in particular had become a city of lawlessness,resulting in haphazardly sited kiosks, uncontrolled hawking activities and unplanned streets with dirt and filth all over.
“We need to know what is right because sympathising when these issues are raised is a recipe for disaster,” he added.
These developments, according Mr Tony Saar, a member of the institute and a co-ordinator for the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC), which had provided funds for research by the institute, said these developments contributed to the enormous pressure on the distribution of infrastructure services like water, electricity, road networks and poor accessibility.
The situation, he said, had created an upward surge in mixed development which in certain instances had negative impact on health and as well created difficulty for the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana National Fire Service to readily access some areas in time of emergency.
He said given the number of bodies mandated to ensure that the country’s development was monitored, “one is taken aback with the seemingly uncontrolled pattern of development in the country.
He mentioned such regulatory stakeholders to include the district assemblies, the Lands Commission, the Survey Department, the Lands Title Registry Department, the Department of Urban Roads, the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, the Public Works Department and the professional bodies of the built environment.
To address some of these issues, he said, the institute had sought the support of the BUSAC to undertake a study on the “The Adverse Impact of Non-Enforcement of Building and Development Controls” in areas including the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, the Tema Metropolitan Assembly and Development Corporation, the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly, the Awutu Senya District Assembly and the Ga Dangme West District Assembly.
He said the study, in the area of enforcement encouraged the government to institute, a ‘Building Police Force” to ensure that buildings did not commence without permits, and recommended that the force should be trained both formally and informally, with the minimum academic qualification for it to be in tandem with that of the building inspectors stipulated in the National Building Regulation.
“It also encouraged the government to set up an oversight body under the National Development Planning Committee to oversee physical development”, he indicated.
He added that the study further urged the government to improve the capacity of the assemblies to enrich their understanding of building regulation.
Mr Asare tasked the GIA and other sister bodies to bring on board Licensed Building Surveyors/Druaghtsmen into their fold for regulation and supervision.
Mrs Josephine Akoto-Bamfo, a member of the institute, also called for the external training of chiefs, land owners, staff of assemblies and the land sector agencies to enable them to obtain first hand experience on development issues.“There should be harmonisation of the procedures for the building and development control to develop on standard set of regulations for the assemblies to operate with, ” she emphasised.
“It takes boldness to pull down buildings on waterways. We need to leave our emotions behind and focus on the enforcement of regulations, ” she said.
She bemoaned the procedure where officials of the Town and Country Planning Department had to buy base maps from the Survey Department before they could undertake any study, and called for an integration of the socio-economic and physical agenda of the country.
It said despite the existence and implementation of these laws and regulations, the built environment was fast deteriorating, particularly within the urban centres and a number of rural communities which have experienced population growth.
Among the laws the institute identified included the Town and Country Planning Ordinance (CAP 84) promulgated in 1945 and updated between 1954 and 1960, National Building Regulations (LI 1630), 1996 and the Local Government Act, 1993 (ACT 462), and many other laws, bye-laws and codes which have not seen any major review over the period of time.
The President of the institute, Mr Osei Kwame Agyeman, at a press conference in Accra, said the current situation regarding the built environment in Ghana did not seem to satisfy the tenets of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy- 2 which sought to ensure the provision of basic needs of Ghanaians.
“What is the level of enforcement and how has the enforcement of these regulations been carried out over the years to ensure the benefits of the built environment for sustainable development” he asked, and pointed out that the disregard for planning schemes had further led to the sprawling of uncontrolled development of both the urban and sub-urban areas in the country.
That, he noted, had been characterised by the development of unplanned settlements and slums which had resulted in haphazard infrastructure development, leading to floods and collapse of buildings.
In view of these, Mr Agyeman said, Accra in particular had become a city of lawlessness,resulting in haphazardly sited kiosks, uncontrolled hawking activities and unplanned streets with dirt and filth all over.
“We need to know what is right because sympathising when these issues are raised is a recipe for disaster,” he added.
These developments, according Mr Tony Saar, a member of the institute and a co-ordinator for the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC), which had provided funds for research by the institute, said these developments contributed to the enormous pressure on the distribution of infrastructure services like water, electricity, road networks and poor accessibility.
The situation, he said, had created an upward surge in mixed development which in certain instances had negative impact on health and as well created difficulty for the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana National Fire Service to readily access some areas in time of emergency.
He said given the number of bodies mandated to ensure that the country’s development was monitored, “one is taken aback with the seemingly uncontrolled pattern of development in the country.
He mentioned such regulatory stakeholders to include the district assemblies, the Lands Commission, the Survey Department, the Lands Title Registry Department, the Department of Urban Roads, the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, the Public Works Department and the professional bodies of the built environment.
To address some of these issues, he said, the institute had sought the support of the BUSAC to undertake a study on the “The Adverse Impact of Non-Enforcement of Building and Development Controls” in areas including the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, the Tema Metropolitan Assembly and Development Corporation, the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly, the Awutu Senya District Assembly and the Ga Dangme West District Assembly.
He said the study, in the area of enforcement encouraged the government to institute, a ‘Building Police Force” to ensure that buildings did not commence without permits, and recommended that the force should be trained both formally and informally, with the minimum academic qualification for it to be in tandem with that of the building inspectors stipulated in the National Building Regulation.
“It also encouraged the government to set up an oversight body under the National Development Planning Committee to oversee physical development”, he indicated.
He added that the study further urged the government to improve the capacity of the assemblies to enrich their understanding of building regulation.
Mr Asare tasked the GIA and other sister bodies to bring on board Licensed Building Surveyors/Druaghtsmen into their fold for regulation and supervision.
Mrs Josephine Akoto-Bamfo, a member of the institute, also called for the external training of chiefs, land owners, staff of assemblies and the land sector agencies to enable them to obtain first hand experience on development issues.“There should be harmonisation of the procedures for the building and development control to develop on standard set of regulations for the assemblies to operate with, ” she emphasised.
“It takes boldness to pull down buildings on waterways. We need to leave our emotions behind and focus on the enforcement of regulations, ” she said.
She bemoaned the procedure where officials of the Town and Country Planning Department had to buy base maps from the Survey Department before they could undertake any study, and called for an integration of the socio-economic and physical agenda of the country.
Add sanitation studies in school curricula
The Accra zonal supervisor of Zoomlion,Mr Robert Coleman,has called on the government to consider including sanitation studies in the educational curriculum, especially at the basic level.
This, he said, would be a great step towards a comprehensive and pragmatic way of addressing the ever increasing spate of sanitation challenges in the country.
Mr Coleman made the call after the company deployed over 400 workers to clean the Independence Square after the May Day celebration last Friday.
He said Zoomlion had achieved a lot in the area of sanitation in the country “but efforts must be made to ensure that the up and coming generation is properly oriented on the issues of sanitation”.
Mr Coleman expressed gratitude to President Mills for his resolve to address sanitation challenges, and added that within his first 100 days, Zoomlion cleared huge backlogs of refuse all over the country.
“Today, we do not have the heaps of refuse we used to see before and Zoomlion is on course to help the president and the entire citizenry to attain a better life by helping to keep the country clean,” he stated.
He said with the company’s heavy trucks and machinery, they would continue to ensure that Ghana was clean.
Mr Coleman called for speed in the development of procedures that would lead to the reintroduction of sanitation officers and the creation of sanitation courts to prosecute people who abused the society and broke sanitation rules.
This, he said, would be a great step towards a comprehensive and pragmatic way of addressing the ever increasing spate of sanitation challenges in the country.
Mr Coleman made the call after the company deployed over 400 workers to clean the Independence Square after the May Day celebration last Friday.
He said Zoomlion had achieved a lot in the area of sanitation in the country “but efforts must be made to ensure that the up and coming generation is properly oriented on the issues of sanitation”.
Mr Coleman expressed gratitude to President Mills for his resolve to address sanitation challenges, and added that within his first 100 days, Zoomlion cleared huge backlogs of refuse all over the country.
“Today, we do not have the heaps of refuse we used to see before and Zoomlion is on course to help the president and the entire citizenry to attain a better life by helping to keep the country clean,” he stated.
He said with the company’s heavy trucks and machinery, they would continue to ensure that Ghana was clean.
Mr Coleman called for speed in the development of procedures that would lead to the reintroduction of sanitation officers and the creation of sanitation courts to prosecute people who abused the society and broke sanitation rules.
Museums Board asked to reclaim lands
THE Minister for Chieftaincy and Culture, Mr Alexander Asum-Ahensan, has asked the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) to take steps to reclaim large tracts of land belonging to the board but are being encroached upon at Tamale, Bolgatanga and Wa.
He described the situation as threatening, adding that “if proper measures are not taken soon, we will lose everything”.
Mr Asum-Ahensan also asked the board to work assiduously to preserve and protect the country’s cultural heritage for posterity.
“Your department is one of the most important ones within the Ministry and Ghana has a lot to preserve and show to the outside world,” he stated, and stressed the need to preserve all artefacts belonging to the country for future generations.
Mr Asum-Ahensan was speaking during a visit to the GMMB and the Museum for Science and Technology in Accra to acquaint himself with the activities of the board and work done so far on the Science Museum which was started 38 years ago.
The minister said the ministry was in the process of forming the Board of Directors for the Museum, but was waiting for stakeholders to nominate their representatives.
He listened to complaints of personnel and some of the challenges they faced in their activities, and assured them of his ministry’s commitment to ensure that their conditions of service were improved.
The acting Director of the GMMB, Mr Joseph Prempeh Maisie, said the board would soon start a process of digitisation of all objects in the country’s museums for easy access to information on them.
“The board is also taking steps to convert all the forts and castles in the country for re-use or link them in a way to the activities of the people within the communities where they are located,” he announced and pointed out that the board was in contact with international partners for books to stuff its library.
He disclosed that the Wa Na’s palace in the Northern Region was also under reconstruction with funds from the partners.
Renovation work at the Cape Coast Castle, he noted, was also ongoing, while work on the Science Museum, which was initiated 38 years ago was nearing completion.
On the activities of GMMB, Mr Maisie said the Museum undertook various exhibitions to depict the history and culture of Ghana and assisted young Ghanaian artists to exhibit their works.
Asked how they obtained their treasures, he said some were bought by the museum, others were intercepted by security agencies at the country’s borders, while others were voluntarily donated to the museum.
According to him the Education Department often organised outreach programmes and lectures in schools and assisted students from tertiary institutions in research on museums in the country.
The Monuments Department, he indicated, saw to the conservation and maintenance of all monuments including the forts.
Among the challenges facing the board, Mr Maisie said, was their inability to re-train and retain professionals.
“Our existing legislature since 1969 is outmoded and needs to be reviewed”, he stated and expressed belief that the review of the law governing the board would enhance their activities.
The officials later visited the Science and Technology Museum where the consultant for the project, Wing Captain Patrick N. Sogbodjor (rtd), took them round the facility.
The team inspected all the three floors of the structure which Capt Sogbodjor said, were about 75 per cent complete but had temporarily come to a halt.
Capt Sogbodjor disclosed that the problem which had resulted in the delay of the project was that funds were released to the contractors once a year.
It also came to light that the roof of the Science Museum had already developed cracks, and was leaking badly, while structures erected by encroachers on the land were also affecting the drainage system there.
He described the situation as threatening, adding that “if proper measures are not taken soon, we will lose everything”.
Mr Asum-Ahensan also asked the board to work assiduously to preserve and protect the country’s cultural heritage for posterity.
“Your department is one of the most important ones within the Ministry and Ghana has a lot to preserve and show to the outside world,” he stated, and stressed the need to preserve all artefacts belonging to the country for future generations.
Mr Asum-Ahensan was speaking during a visit to the GMMB and the Museum for Science and Technology in Accra to acquaint himself with the activities of the board and work done so far on the Science Museum which was started 38 years ago.
The minister said the ministry was in the process of forming the Board of Directors for the Museum, but was waiting for stakeholders to nominate their representatives.
He listened to complaints of personnel and some of the challenges they faced in their activities, and assured them of his ministry’s commitment to ensure that their conditions of service were improved.
The acting Director of the GMMB, Mr Joseph Prempeh Maisie, said the board would soon start a process of digitisation of all objects in the country’s museums for easy access to information on them.
“The board is also taking steps to convert all the forts and castles in the country for re-use or link them in a way to the activities of the people within the communities where they are located,” he announced and pointed out that the board was in contact with international partners for books to stuff its library.
He disclosed that the Wa Na’s palace in the Northern Region was also under reconstruction with funds from the partners.
Renovation work at the Cape Coast Castle, he noted, was also ongoing, while work on the Science Museum, which was initiated 38 years ago was nearing completion.
On the activities of GMMB, Mr Maisie said the Museum undertook various exhibitions to depict the history and culture of Ghana and assisted young Ghanaian artists to exhibit their works.
Asked how they obtained their treasures, he said some were bought by the museum, others were intercepted by security agencies at the country’s borders, while others were voluntarily donated to the museum.
According to him the Education Department often organised outreach programmes and lectures in schools and assisted students from tertiary institutions in research on museums in the country.
The Monuments Department, he indicated, saw to the conservation and maintenance of all monuments including the forts.
Among the challenges facing the board, Mr Maisie said, was their inability to re-train and retain professionals.
“Our existing legislature since 1969 is outmoded and needs to be reviewed”, he stated and expressed belief that the review of the law governing the board would enhance their activities.
The officials later visited the Science and Technology Museum where the consultant for the project, Wing Captain Patrick N. Sogbodjor (rtd), took them round the facility.
The team inspected all the three floors of the structure which Capt Sogbodjor said, were about 75 per cent complete but had temporarily come to a halt.
Capt Sogbodjor disclosed that the problem which had resulted in the delay of the project was that funds were released to the contractors once a year.
It also came to light that the roof of the Science Museum had already developed cracks, and was leaking badly, while structures erected by encroachers on the land were also affecting the drainage system there.
Chinese cultural troupe thrills audience
A SPECTACULAR display of classical Chinese arts and culture by a cultural troupe from the Gansu Province of the People’s Republic of China at the National Theatre in Accra thrilled patrons who thronged the theatre.
The three-day show which kicked off on May 5, 2009 saw members of the troupe exhibiting excellent skills and enthusiasm with acrobatic display, graceful dances, songs, Chinese Kungfu, and magical display.
Though the Ghanaian audience could not comprehend the lyrics of the songs the melodious voices and tones from instruments carried most of them along as they applauded one performance after the other.
Those who spoke to the Daily Graphic after the show expressed their appreciation for the remarkable skills of the Chinese cultural troupe.
The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Yu Wenzhe, said before the cultural display that China’s civilisation dated 5000 years ago, and that the Gansu Province was located in the north west of the republic.
The performers, he pointed out, got their inspiration from ancient paintings and sculptures found in grottoes in the Gansu Province which depicted Buddhist stories over 1000 years ago.
He said the visit to Ghana by the troupe was the first of a series of activities to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China in Ghana, and hoped that that would be an excellent opportunity for Ghanaians to enjoy Chinese culture.
He said the co-operation that had existed between China and Ghana for the past 50 years had yielded good results in various fields.
“Many Chinese cultural troupes and their Ghanaian counterparts have exchanged visits since 1960, and these visits have enabled the people of our two countries to better understand and learn from each other”, he said, explaining that such cultural exchanges had served to promote co-operation between the two countries.
The Minister for Chieftaincy and Culture, Mr Alexander Asum-Ahensan, recalled the relationship between Ghana and China, which he said dated back to the First Republic.
“Our relationship borders on political, economic and social programmes. Today we are proud to say that the relationship has reached its apogee”, he stated and identified the construction of the National Theatre and the Esi Sutherland Centre at the University of Ghana, Legon, as examples of the co-operation between the two countries.
The visit by the troupe was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China, the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture in Ghana, the Chinese Embassy in Ghana, China Enterprise Chamber of Commerce in Ghana, the Ghana-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the China State Hualong Construction (Ghana) Limited.
Caption: Pix-1 A group picture of the Gansu Cultural Troupe, with the Minister for Chieftancy and Culture, Mr Alexander Asum-Ahensan (in Batakari), and the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Yu Wenzhe (in Suite), in the second row.
Pix-2 A performance of acrobatics and Chinese Kungfu, by the troupe at the National Theatre.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
CIMG launches 20th Awards
THE Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) has launched its 20th annual marketing performance awards for 2008 with a call on marketing professionals to use their creative ability to sustain the growth of their corporate entities.
The Chief Executive of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ms Joyce Aryee, who made the call in Accra, said the challenges arising from the global economic downturn required the ingenuity of professional marketers to help their companies to overcome them.
Ms Aryee, who is also the Marketing Woman for 2007, advised organisations against the tendency to cut down their corporate budgets in the face of the adverse impact of the global economic downturn.
She said the current economic situation was the time for marketing professionals to show the world what they were capable of changing the fortunes of their organisations. “Though its not going to be magic, we have to think through seriously to turn our organisations around,” she said.
As professional marketers, Ms Aryee said, they would be saddled with the problem of cutting down their budgets and yet they would be expected to support the growth of their businesses.
The Managing Director of Unilever Ghana Limited, Mr Charles Cofie, also urged companies not to cut down expenditure, particularly on advertisements and promotional programmes.
He further urged organisations never to compromise on quality though they were being squeezed by the economic crisis.
He said 2009 would demand the best from them, “ a time for visible leadership, and the moment for us to build and communicate our vision and the bold plans we will be putting in place”.
Sharing lessons from Unilever and how to exploit the marketing mix on the theme for the awards, “The Global Economic Downturn- A Case for Marketing Metrics”, Mr Cofie said marketing professionals were needed now more than ever before in view of the global economic downturn.
He argued that marketing professionals would contribute by preparing plans and putting in place mechanisms and targets closer to the market to turn their organisations around without compromising on quality.
The National President of the CIMG, Mrs Josephine Okutu, said the awards scheme had over the years developed into a very significant benchmark with which individuals and corporate organisations rated their performances.
This year’s awards are scheduled to take place on June 27, 2009 at the Banquet Hall of the State House. The number of awards has been increased from 26 to 28.
The two additions are the Marketing Practitioner and the Medical Facility of the Year.
Among the categories of awards are Personalities, Manufacturing/Non Profit Organisations, Services, Media/Activation Programmes, Indigenous Industry, Distribution.
The selection of award winners is based on marketing innovation, technological innovation, level of sophistication, geological???? coverage, societal impact, and outstanding contribution towards national development.
Others include, public image, marketing place success and structure, market share and growth as well as customer service schemes and ecological issues.
Members of the public are expected to make their own nominations for each award category using the stated criteria and provision of brief write ups on the justification of their nominees.
“All companies which may be nominating themselves should send us comprehensive information about the performance of their organisations”, Mrs Okutu added, and tasked the Awards Selection Committee which she inaugurated at the launch to investigate the inputs of all nominations and provide a short list for the Governing Council of CIMG to confirm the final winners.
The Chairperson for the Awards Planning Committee, Mrs Shola Safo-Duodo, outlined the various sponsorship packages which included two expected sponsors for the platinum category with investment of GH¢25,000 or more.
For the gold category, three sponsors are needed, with investment between GH¢20,000 and GH¢25,000 whilst the Silver category for five sponsors, should have investment between GH¢15,000 and GH¢20,000.
The bronze and supporting sponsors, with ten sponsors in each category should have investment equal to or greater than GH¢10,000 and GH¢5,000 respectively.
The Chief Executive of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ms Joyce Aryee, who made the call in Accra, said the challenges arising from the global economic downturn required the ingenuity of professional marketers to help their companies to overcome them.
Ms Aryee, who is also the Marketing Woman for 2007, advised organisations against the tendency to cut down their corporate budgets in the face of the adverse impact of the global economic downturn.
She said the current economic situation was the time for marketing professionals to show the world what they were capable of changing the fortunes of their organisations. “Though its not going to be magic, we have to think through seriously to turn our organisations around,” she said.
As professional marketers, Ms Aryee said, they would be saddled with the problem of cutting down their budgets and yet they would be expected to support the growth of their businesses.
The Managing Director of Unilever Ghana Limited, Mr Charles Cofie, also urged companies not to cut down expenditure, particularly on advertisements and promotional programmes.
He further urged organisations never to compromise on quality though they were being squeezed by the economic crisis.
He said 2009 would demand the best from them, “ a time for visible leadership, and the moment for us to build and communicate our vision and the bold plans we will be putting in place”.
Sharing lessons from Unilever and how to exploit the marketing mix on the theme for the awards, “The Global Economic Downturn- A Case for Marketing Metrics”, Mr Cofie said marketing professionals were needed now more than ever before in view of the global economic downturn.
He argued that marketing professionals would contribute by preparing plans and putting in place mechanisms and targets closer to the market to turn their organisations around without compromising on quality.
The National President of the CIMG, Mrs Josephine Okutu, said the awards scheme had over the years developed into a very significant benchmark with which individuals and corporate organisations rated their performances.
This year’s awards are scheduled to take place on June 27, 2009 at the Banquet Hall of the State House. The number of awards has been increased from 26 to 28.
The two additions are the Marketing Practitioner and the Medical Facility of the Year.
Among the categories of awards are Personalities, Manufacturing/Non Profit Organisations, Services, Media/Activation Programmes, Indigenous Industry, Distribution.
The selection of award winners is based on marketing innovation, technological innovation, level of sophistication, geological???? coverage, societal impact, and outstanding contribution towards national development.
Others include, public image, marketing place success and structure, market share and growth as well as customer service schemes and ecological issues.
Members of the public are expected to make their own nominations for each award category using the stated criteria and provision of brief write ups on the justification of their nominees.
“All companies which may be nominating themselves should send us comprehensive information about the performance of their organisations”, Mrs Okutu added, and tasked the Awards Selection Committee which she inaugurated at the launch to investigate the inputs of all nominations and provide a short list for the Governing Council of CIMG to confirm the final winners.
The Chairperson for the Awards Planning Committee, Mrs Shola Safo-Duodo, outlined the various sponsorship packages which included two expected sponsors for the platinum category with investment of GH¢25,000 or more.
For the gold category, three sponsors are needed, with investment between GH¢20,000 and GH¢25,000 whilst the Silver category for five sponsors, should have investment between GH¢15,000 and GH¢20,000.
The bronze and supporting sponsors, with ten sponsors in each category should have investment equal to or greater than GH¢10,000 and GH¢5,000 respectively.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Recognise the importance of ICT--- Veep tells civil servants
THE Vice President, Mr John Dramani Mahama has urged Civil Servants to recognise the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to the service and create an efficient working environment at the workplace.
“We must improve how fast we adopt to technology to create an efficient working environment” he emphasised and charged the leadership of the Civil Servants Association of Ghana (CSAG) to ensure that the use of ICT was improved and effectively incorporated into the activities of the Service.
The Vice President was speaking at the first ever Activist Awards organised by CSAG in Accra, where recipients of the awards were each presented with Laptops in addition to their plaques and other awards.
To those who were no longer in the Service, he said “its is never too late to learn ICT and those of you in the service should utilise the computer, not just for games, but you can also use them to communicate with other users to make your work easier”.
He said the association had fully matured after 40 years of existence and that he had no doubt about the need for government to fast track reforms to put a sense of urgency in the Civil Service as indicated on placards during the May Day celebration.
The Vice President reiterated government’s commitment to do everything possible to bring the Single Spine Salary Structure into operation and announced that the president had directed a committee to look into the structure for implementation.
He gave the assurance that the government would support all the groups that had brought proposals for housing projects before it and disclosed that the government was in touch with a company called Fast-Build which was capable of building a house in four weeks, for public servants.
“We will inspect demonstration of these houses to ensure that they are habitable and put in place special mortgages to allow workers to acquire their own houses”, he said.
The Minister for Employment and Social Welfare, Mr Stephen Amoanor Kwao urged the leadership of the association to keep their members abreast of government policies and programmes towards the country’s development agenda.
He also gave the assurance that the government would keep its promises to them as a partner in governance and would not shed its responsibility to ensure that the Civil Service was on track.
“The use of dialogue and negotiation is highly laudable. We will offer you support in the sensitisation of your members for the facilitation of human resource for national development”, he added.
The President of CSAG, Mr Robertson Allotey said the association had gone through hiccups of growth and development since its inception in 1968.
He said the government could do more for Civil Servants not just in terms of increase in salaries but also in the areas of recognising the value of the services they continue to render to the socio-economic development of the country.
The awards, he said, were for members of the association who have demonstrated positive activism, unfetted spirit of volunteerism, projected the values of the association, efficiency and hard work in the course of their membership with the association.
In all 52 persons were selected for the awards, 31 from the regions at the regional May Day durbar and 21 at the National level.
The award for the Activist of the Year, which was presented by the Vice President went to Mr William E. Kemevor who was presented with a Toshiba Laptop, GH¢2,000, a plaque, a certificate and a cloth of the association.
The first and second runner ups went to Mr Daniel Amamo and Mr James Tiga who received GH¢1,000 and GH¢500 respectively in addition to Toshiba Laptops, plaques, certificates and cloths.
A Special award was given to the Head of the Civil Service, Mr Issaka who is also the Chairman of the Welfare Committee of CSAG, for his long service to the association.
“We must improve how fast we adopt to technology to create an efficient working environment” he emphasised and charged the leadership of the Civil Servants Association of Ghana (CSAG) to ensure that the use of ICT was improved and effectively incorporated into the activities of the Service.
The Vice President was speaking at the first ever Activist Awards organised by CSAG in Accra, where recipients of the awards were each presented with Laptops in addition to their plaques and other awards.
To those who were no longer in the Service, he said “its is never too late to learn ICT and those of you in the service should utilise the computer, not just for games, but you can also use them to communicate with other users to make your work easier”.
He said the association had fully matured after 40 years of existence and that he had no doubt about the need for government to fast track reforms to put a sense of urgency in the Civil Service as indicated on placards during the May Day celebration.
The Vice President reiterated government’s commitment to do everything possible to bring the Single Spine Salary Structure into operation and announced that the president had directed a committee to look into the structure for implementation.
He gave the assurance that the government would support all the groups that had brought proposals for housing projects before it and disclosed that the government was in touch with a company called Fast-Build which was capable of building a house in four weeks, for public servants.
“We will inspect demonstration of these houses to ensure that they are habitable and put in place special mortgages to allow workers to acquire their own houses”, he said.
The Minister for Employment and Social Welfare, Mr Stephen Amoanor Kwao urged the leadership of the association to keep their members abreast of government policies and programmes towards the country’s development agenda.
He also gave the assurance that the government would keep its promises to them as a partner in governance and would not shed its responsibility to ensure that the Civil Service was on track.
“The use of dialogue and negotiation is highly laudable. We will offer you support in the sensitisation of your members for the facilitation of human resource for national development”, he added.
The President of CSAG, Mr Robertson Allotey said the association had gone through hiccups of growth and development since its inception in 1968.
He said the government could do more for Civil Servants not just in terms of increase in salaries but also in the areas of recognising the value of the services they continue to render to the socio-economic development of the country.
The awards, he said, were for members of the association who have demonstrated positive activism, unfetted spirit of volunteerism, projected the values of the association, efficiency and hard work in the course of their membership with the association.
In all 52 persons were selected for the awards, 31 from the regions at the regional May Day durbar and 21 at the National level.
The award for the Activist of the Year, which was presented by the Vice President went to Mr William E. Kemevor who was presented with a Toshiba Laptop, GH¢2,000, a plaque, a certificate and a cloth of the association.
The first and second runner ups went to Mr Daniel Amamo and Mr James Tiga who received GH¢1,000 and GH¢500 respectively in addition to Toshiba Laptops, plaques, certificates and cloths.
A Special award was given to the Head of the Civil Service, Mr Issaka who is also the Chairman of the Welfare Committee of CSAG, for his long service to the association.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Multiple birth registration affecting population count
THE Principal Assistant Registrar of the Births & Deaths Registry, Mr Kingsley Asare Addo, has observed that the multiple registration of births is affecting the accurate estimation of the country’s population.
“We do not even know the actual population of the country. What we normally say is that we are about 22 million people and over. But that should not be the case, since we need to know the actual population of the country for development,” he said.
Mr Addo, who made the observation in response to a question at a seminar on child health care in Accra last Tuesday, said the country held a census once in a decade and for one person to be registered twice meant an inflation in the population figure.
“You must register your child once, and that should be done before he or she is one year old. The cost of registration is borne by the government because it is interested in statistics for planning and development,” he noted, and indicated that “the cost of registration of a child after one year will, however, have to be paid by the parents of the child”.
Mr Addo said some parents failed to register the births of their children immediately they were born and did so only when the need for a passport arose.
The practice, he said, should be frowned upon because it made it difficult for the government to plan adequately.
He added that the proper registration of infants had helped particularly the developed countries to develop at the rate they were developing because they knew the actual figures of their population and, therefore, planned accordingly for the provision of social amenities and other basic needs of their people.
He pointed out that the registration of children helped in the estimation of population growth, fertility and mortality rates, as well as other demographic parameters.
The registration of children, Mr Addo added, established their identity, parentage, nationality and protection and also facilitated their enrolment in schools.
“We do not even know the actual population of the country. What we normally say is that we are about 22 million people and over. But that should not be the case, since we need to know the actual population of the country for development,” he said.
Mr Addo, who made the observation in response to a question at a seminar on child health care in Accra last Tuesday, said the country held a census once in a decade and for one person to be registered twice meant an inflation in the population figure.
“You must register your child once, and that should be done before he or she is one year old. The cost of registration is borne by the government because it is interested in statistics for planning and development,” he noted, and indicated that “the cost of registration of a child after one year will, however, have to be paid by the parents of the child”.
Mr Addo said some parents failed to register the births of their children immediately they were born and did so only when the need for a passport arose.
The practice, he said, should be frowned upon because it made it difficult for the government to plan adequately.
He added that the proper registration of infants had helped particularly the developed countries to develop at the rate they were developing because they knew the actual figures of their population and, therefore, planned accordingly for the provision of social amenities and other basic needs of their people.
He pointed out that the registration of children helped in the estimation of population growth, fertility and mortality rates, as well as other demographic parameters.
The registration of children, Mr Addo added, established their identity, parentage, nationality and protection and also facilitated their enrolment in schools.
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