WHEN two weeks ago, the alleged president of the Gay and Lesbian Association of Ghana, named as Prince MacDonald, made a request on an Accra private radio station asking for public recognition and announced that the group would be hosting an international conference of homosexuals and lesbians in Ghana, he surely did not imagine what controversy he was stirring.
The request for recognition of homosexuality and lesbianism and the announcement of their proposed conference has sparked off an unprecedented furore in the country.
Phone-ins to radio stations have largely condemned homosexuality and they have asked the government to intervene, citing the country’s cultural norms and beliefs as frowning on the practice. However, some have expressed support for gay and lesbian rights, saying they should be allowed to practise openly to avoid the spread of HIV/AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).
The hostile reaction to the proposed gay and lesbians conference, later this month, appears to have forced Mr. MacDonald to swallow his words. He denied on phone that he never gave out any such information. When he was contacted by the Times, he retorted “I have not said anything and I do not know what is happening. Go and find out the source of your information,” and hung up.
In a press release issued on Thursday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Kwamena Bartels said: “The government would like to make it absolutely clear that it shall not permit the proposed conference of international gays and lesbians to take place anywhere in Ghana”.
“Ghanaians are a unique people whose culture, morality and heritage totally abhor homosexual and lesbian practices and indeed any other form of unnatural sexual acts”, he added.
Mr. Bartels stated that under the country’s criminal code, “unnatural carnal knowledge is illegal. Homosexuality, lesbianism and bestiality are therefore offences under the laws of Ghana”.
He said the Minister of the Interior had been directed to investigate, through the security agencies, officials who gave permission for the conference to be held at the Accra International Conference Centre.
“The Minister is further directed to institute disciplinary action if they are found to have acted in contravention of our laws”, the release said, adding that having taken note of the unequivocal condemnation of the proposed conference “government does not and shall not condone any such activity which violently offends the culture, morality and heritage of the entire people of Ghana”.
Commenting on the government’s statement, Professor Sakyi Awuku Amoa, Director General of the Ghana Aids Commission, said since the practice was against the norms of society, the government’s decision could not be contested.
Tracing the history of HIV/AIDS which started among a group of gays in the United States he said, the commission’s worry was the increase in the pandemic that the practice of homosexuality could lead to.
“This is not a practice that the country position would support and asking for rights will only create the environment that will spread the AIDS pandemic,” he said. “If we want to manage the practice, we will have to be cautious. It is not just a matter of individual rights.”
Edmund Amarkwei Foley, a Project Coordinator of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, said although people could ask for their rights, it must fall within a society’s rules and norms.
Citing Article 12(2) of the constitution, he said, the public’s interest was vital in acceding to the demands for rights which he said in this case, was the right to freely associate.
Article 12(2) states: “Every person in Ghana, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinion, colour, religion, creed or gender, shall be entitled to the fundamental human rights and freedoms of the individual contained in this chapter but subject to respect for rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest”.
Mr. Foley said that the wide public condemnation of the proposed conference, as expressed on radio over the last few of days since the announcement, showed clearly that public interest had limited the exercise of these rights.
Interesteingly, a research study report published in March 2004 by the late Dr. Dela Attipoe, then the Greater Accra Research Coordinator for HIV/AIDS, showed that the phenomenon of ‘men who have sex with men or MSM,’ in medical parlance, “is real in Ghana with Ghanaians fully involved. It is not a recent phenomenon being visited on Ghana and Ghanaians by ‘whites’ or foreigners”.
The report said reasons that people gave for engaging in homosexuality included economic, pleasure, curiosity and adventure while some claimed that by their biological make-up, they were only attracted to people of the same sex.
Of the 150 gay respondents cited in the report, 43 claimed to have one regular male sex partner while 82 had between two and four regular partners with a few having five or more regular partners.
In order to encourage homosexuals to report cases of STIs for treatment, a number of health-related NGOs have put in place interventions to provide information to MSMs and treat their infections to avoid the spread such infections.
The West Africa Project to Combat AIDS and STI, one of such NGOs, has set up special clinics in some hospitals to cater for the health needs of MSMs, lesbians and HIV persons.
At these clinics, education on ways to prevent the spread of infections and the provision of health services forms an integral part of such special clinics.
3 S.S.S. Students Sold For ¢100 Million Friday, 09 June 2006
When three students of the Mpasatia Secondary School, near Nkawie-Toase in the Ashanti Region, responded to an invitation to follow two dormitory mates to Bibiani last Sunday, to seek refund of a colleague’s lost mobile phone, little did they know that they had been offered for sale for ritual purposes.
It was not until the Nyinahini District Police swooped on them that they discovered that they had been exchanged for ў100 million to a ‘buyer’ in Bibiani by their colleagues, Norman Nti Jnr. 22, and Godwin Biri Asamoah, 19.
The two who finished writing the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination last week Friday had allegedly arranged to sell Edward Osei-Tutu, 16, a first-year student, Seth Osei, 17, second year and Bright Darko, 18, who also wrote his last paper last Friday.
Nti and Asamoah have since been arraigned before the Bibiani Magistrate Court and remanded in prison custody until July 21.
Narrating the incident to the Times, ASP Felix Toya, Bibiani District Police Commander, who led the operation to arrest the boys, said that on Friday, June 2, Nti called Ofosu Apenteng in Bibiani, and allegedly asked him to find a buyer for three boys promising that if the deal went through, he would receive ¢20 million.
Nti and Apenteng had previously lived in the same area and according to him, Nti sent his mobile number through a neighbour and requested that he (Apenteng) got in touch. It was after this contact that Nti followed up with his request.
ASP Toya said that Apenteng alerted the police who got a cashier working in Bibiani to feign interest. Apenteng then asked Nti to bring the boys to Bibiani, telling him that he had only ¢3 million cash available and would pay the remaining ¢97 million by cheque.
ASP Toya said that around 4pm on Sunday, Nti called Apenteng to inform him that they were waiting to be picked up in front of the Bibiani Secondary School. The police arranged a private vehicle to take them to a hotel which had been booked for them while they mounted a surveillance around the area.
He said that as previously arranged, Seth Osei-Tutu and Darko were left at the reception while Nti and Asamoah bargained with Ofosu and the prospective ‘buyer’ in the hotel room after which they were to leave by another exit as the buyer took possession of the boys.
The District Commander stated that as soon as Nti was given the money and the cheque, plain-cloth policemen who had positioned themselves at the other exit moved on and arrested the suspects.
He said that all this while, the three unsuspecting victims were waiting in the lobby of the reception and did not believe it when the police told them what was happening.
The genesis of the matter according to Mr. Toya, was when Nti took Osei’s mobile phone and later informed him that it was missing. He said that when Osei insisted that the phone be replaced, Nti asked him to accompany him to Bibiani to see his millionaire uncle who could pay it.
He, however, told Osei to quote the cost as ¢4 million since his uncle could pay it and even more.
Osei-Tutu and Darko, he said decided to join the group so that they could also get a share of the money.
Asamoah was alleged to have confessed during police interrogation, that he had once sold someone for ritual purposes and so agreed to assist Nti.
The police are investigating his claims.
The three victims have been released to go back to school to complete their end-of-term examination.
Seeking Workers’ Comfort, The Task For T. A. And TeamSaturday, 23 September 2006
The Presidential Commission on Pensions set up in 2004 by President Kufuor rounded up its work last week Friday. It was set up following many concerns raised about the country’s present pension schemes. The Commission was tasked to study them and make appropriate recommendations to ensure a comfortable life after work.
It presented its final report to the President on March 3, 2006 and on August 29, 2006 the government.
Thomas Ango Bediako, (popularly known as ‘T.A., former General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers and himself a pensioner, chaired the nine-member committee. In this interview with Times Weekend he explains the work of the Commission and the proposals it has made to the Government. Excerpts from the interview follow:
Q: What necessitated the setting up of this Commission?
A: The CAP 30 pension scheme Act was passed around 1950. Under it, workers are paid pensions from the Consolidated Fund (government chest).
Since the passage of the Act, CAP 30 has not seen any review although it is obvious that government can no longer pay pensions from the consolidated fund. Over the years, however, there had been bits and pieces in terms of amendments, some by law and others by administrative provisions.
Then came the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) pension scheme.
It was therefore decided that all those who were employed in the public services before January 1972 could remain on CAP 30 and then those who were employed from 1st January 1972 had to join the SSNIT scheme which was for both public and private sector workers.
Now it is evident that public servants who were employed after 1972 have not been happy with the benefits that they receive from the SSNIT scheme especially with what has became known as the lump sum payment.
The lump sum payment is actually a reduced pension with gratuity. Based on a formula, it is calculated and a certain percentage deducted before the final sum is determined.
So you go home with a lump sum, which is one quarter of what you were supposed to get for the whole period of your work. The remaining three quarters is divided by twelve months and you get what is called the monthly pension.
Now the SSNIT used a different formula as an independent and different scheme, but it was later found out that under the scheme most public workers were going home with a reduced lump sum.
Their lump sum was not as much as that of CAP 30. In fact it had a ratio of about 4:1. For every four cedis that someone under CAP 30 takes as lump sum, under the SSNIT it is one cedi and this resulted in some agitations.
What made it worse was when the previous government decided at certain times to return new beneficiaries from certain categories of employment back to CAP 30. The contributions they made under the social security were refunded to them and this worsened the situation.
That made civil servants, teachers and others to go on demonstrations.
Q: What was the Commission tasked to look at under its terms of reference?
A: We had nine points of reference. The first one was to examine the SSNIT pension scheme and that of CAP 30 and other retirement schemes both in the private and public sectors and identify differences.
We had nine points of reference. The first one was to examine the SSNIT pension scheme and that of CAP 30 and other retirement schemes both in the private and public sectors and identify differences.
Apart from the two sectors, the armed forces had their own scheme, the universities had their own scheme and so on and therefore we were to look at these as well and identify the differences.
We were also to examine and determine the sustainability of the existing pension scheme to the public sector.
To determine pension benefits we were mindful of cases where some public employees have their salaries and in addition to these also take between eight to 15 different allowances.
They have lunch allowance, travel allowance, houseboy allowance and so on.
But when it comes to pension calculation all these allowances are not taken into consideration so when you are in active service you are happy because of all these things because at the end of the day you do not pay taxes. However, when you go on pension all these are not considered when calculating your pension therefore you see a sudden change in your income and standard of living.
So we had to make some kind of recommendation to determine which part of your total remuneration should be taken into consideration when calculating pension, that is the salary and the allowance, which part should be taken into consideration when calculating pensions.
Then there was the issue of the retirement age, the matter of different schemes having different retirement ages. Under the Constitution, public sector employees can retire willingly before the official retirement age of 60. However, while under CAP 30, an employee can do so at the age of 45, under SSNIT it is at 55 years.
Another source of concern was that under SSNIT, those who go on voluntary retirement pay a penalty, and their entitlements are reduced but going home voluntarily under CAP 30 does not attract any such penalty.
Q: Some people argue that ‘CAP 30’ is not sustainable.
A: First, CAP 30 used to be a non-contributory scheme with the entitlement paid from government resources from the consolidated fund. Now there were so many competing demands on the consolidated fund and we needed an expert to do research for us.
First, CAP 30 used to be a non-contributory scheme with the entitlement paid from government resources from the consolidated fund. Now there were so many competing demands on the consolidated fund and we needed an expert to do research for us.
After the research it became clear for as that one of the causes of the delay in the payment of pension was that there was hardly ever enough money in the consolidated budget so there was a kind of backlog in the payment so we made a recommendation that since pensions depend largely on salaries there was the need for government to look at the payment or remuneration of individuals.
Q: Now that a new scheme is being proposed, what happens to beneficiaries of CAP 30?
A: There was a general debate as to whether the whole CAP 30 cannot be stopped but that will be unlawful because we should not make people suffer. If things go as planned, then there will be a transition period and then CAP 30 will eventually fade away.
There was a general debate as to whether the whole CAP 30 cannot be stopped but that will be unlawful because we should not make people suffer. If things go as planned, then there will be a transition period and then CAP 30 will eventually fade away.
But as soon as a new law for the new pension scheme comes into effect then no person should be enrolled under CAP 30. The Commission is hoping that within two years the law on the new pension scheme will be passed by Parliament.
Q: What does the new scheme being proposed by your Commission entail?
A: Under this scheme, there will be single structure but with three schemes. The first and second schemes are mandatory and every worker would have to be under that scheme.
Under this scheme, there will be single structure but with three schemes. The first and second schemes are mandatory and every worker would have to be under that scheme.
The first tier is a state-funded restructured SSNIT scheme (17.5 per cent) but there is going to be an additional percentage making it 18.5 per cent because already 2.5 per cent has been taken off to support the National Health Insurance Scheme. Individual contributions will therefore be 18.5 per cent with 2.5 per cent going to the NHIS.
SSNIT will invest 11per cent of the contribution for the monthly pension so that at least every month pensioners get something. The remaining five per cent will go to a fund manager to be selected by an organization or a group of people.
The third tier is voluntary but by virtue of its name it will be a long-term savings package. We felt that in addition to the two mandatory schemes, workers or employers can come together and invest some of their savings in the long term. It could be towards acquiring houses, cars
The CAP 30 pension scheme Act was passed around 1950. Under it, workers are paid pensions from the Consolidated Fund (government chest). We had nine points of reference. The first one was to examine the SSNIT pension scheme and that of CAP 30 and other retirement schemes both in the private and public sectors and identify differences. First, CAP 30 used to be a non-contributory scheme with the entitlement paid from government resources from the consolidated fund. Now there were so many competing demands on the consolidated fund and we needed an expert to do research for us. There was a general debate as to whether the whole CAP 30 cannot be stopped but that will be unlawful because we should not make people suffer. If things go as planned, then there will be a transition period and then CAP 30 will eventually fade away. Under this scheme, there will be single structure but with three schemes. The first and second schemes are mandatory and every worker would have to be under that scheme.
Q: In coming up with your recommendations what were the guiding principles you adopted?
A: Our 99-point recommendation was guided by the basic principle that all over the world there is a movement from non-contributory to contributory pension schemes. In other words, it means that it has become a joint responsibility of workers, their employers and the government to ensure that there is adequate pension to all workers and their employees.
The committee also felt that the pension scheme should reduce the poverty of the retired person, not increase it. In this vein the pension scheme must be participatory and easy to understand. It should also encourage the participation of workers in it.
We found out that there was a multiplicity of pension schemes and this is not good enough so we proposed the creation of a unified pension structure, which the government has accepted.
Q: How do you factor in the informal sector?
A: For the informal sector we held discussions with the farmers and fishermen. They are all interested in getting pension but are not interested in the current SSNIT system and obviously it is because most of them are seasonal income earners.
There should be a scheme that is different where cocoa farmers, for example, can pay into it after selling their produce and this proposed scheme will take care of that sector.
Q: How are you going to ensure that the new scheme works?
A: If there are no checks it will not be successful, so we have recommended that there should be a regulatory body, which we learned from other countries such as Nigeria. The Commission proposed an independent regulatory body to ensure that the fund managers, including SSNIT, work according to laid down regulations.
In arriving at all of these we looked at practices in some countries in Africa such as Mauritius, Swaziland, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Senegal and in some of the emerging economies like Chile, Bolivia, Thailand and Singapore.
Q: How would you describe the level of public response to your work?
A: The response was good and we were privilege to have people from various walks of life on the Commission. We had an economist, a lawyer, an actuary and others but in addition, we got the support and cooperation of the ministries, departments and other agencies. SSNIT was very helpful; we had an extensive consultation with them.
Also, in the course of our work it became necessary to look at certain areas which were not directly our task. For instance, the working environment of the Accountant General’s pension division was unacceptable. People were working with papers scattered all over.
There was an uncompleted building, started many years ago, which we recommended that the division be moved into and I believe that by now the staff have moved in. So we not only recommended what should be done in future, we also looked for pragmatic solutions to some of the current problems. On MR. BEDIAKO’S team were: Chief Musa Adam, a Management Consultant and former MD of the Electricity Company of Ghana; Ms Josephine Amoah, the Commissioner of Insurance, National Insurance Commission; Ms Irene Wontumi, a Management Consultant; Mr. Daniel Mensah, a Managing Consultant and Chief Executive Officer of Tri-Star Consulting Actuaries; Mr. Austin Gamey, a former Deputy Minister for Employment and Social Welfare and CEO of Gamey & Gamey Academy of Mediation; Captain Joel Sowu (Rtd), a Consultant of Internet Ghana Limited; Mr. Andrew Asamoah, a United Nations Consultant and Business Executive who also once served as a WHO Representative to the UN Joint Pension Fund and Mr. Martin Eson-Benjamin, CEO of EMPRETEC Ghana Foundation and former MD and Chairman of Ghana Breweries Limited.
It presented its final report to the President on March 3, 2006 and on August 29, 2006 the government.
Thomas Ango Bediako, (popularly known as ‘T.A., former General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers and himself a pensioner, chaired the nine-member committee. In this interview with Times Weekend he explains the work of the Commission and the proposals it has made to the Government. Excerpts from the interview follow:
Q: What necessitated the setting up of this Commission?
A: The CAP 30 pension scheme Act was passed around 1950. Under it, workers are paid pensions from the Consolidated Fund (government chest).
Since the passage of the Act, CAP 30 has not seen any review although it is obvious that government can no longer pay pensions from the consolidated fund. Over the years, however, there had been bits and pieces in terms of amendments, some by law and others by administrative provisions.
Then came the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) pension scheme.
It was therefore decided that all those who were employed in the public services before January 1972 could remain on CAP 30 and then those who were employed from 1st January 1972 had to join the SSNIT scheme which was for both public and private sector workers.
Now it is evident that public servants who were employed after 1972 have not been happy with the benefits that they receive from the SSNIT scheme especially with what has became known as the lump sum payment.
The lump sum payment is actually a reduced pension with gratuity. Based on a formula, it is calculated and a certain percentage deducted before the final sum is determined.
So you go home with a lump sum, which is one quarter of what you were supposed to get for the whole period of your work. The remaining three quarters is divided by twelve months and you get what is called the monthly pension.
Now the SSNIT used a different formula as an independent and different scheme, but it was later found out that under the scheme most public workers were going home with a reduced lump sum.
Their lump sum was not as much as that of CAP 30. In fact it had a ratio of about 4:1. For every four cedis that someone under CAP 30 takes as lump sum, under the SSNIT it is one cedi and this resulted in some agitations.
What made it worse was when the previous government decided at certain times to return new beneficiaries from certain categories of employment back to CAP 30. The contributions they made under the social security were refunded to them and this worsened the situation.
That made civil servants, teachers and others to go on demonstrations.
Q: What was the Commission tasked to look at under its terms of reference?
A: We had nine points of reference. The first one was to examine the SSNIT pension scheme and that of CAP 30 and other retirement schemes both in the private and public sectors and identify differences.
We had nine points of reference. The first one was to examine the SSNIT pension scheme and that of CAP 30 and other retirement schemes both in the private and public sectors and identify differences.
Apart from the two sectors, the armed forces had their own scheme, the universities had their own scheme and so on and therefore we were to look at these as well and identify the differences.
We were also to examine and determine the sustainability of the existing pension scheme to the public sector.
To determine pension benefits we were mindful of cases where some public employees have their salaries and in addition to these also take between eight to 15 different allowances.
They have lunch allowance, travel allowance, houseboy allowance and so on.
But when it comes to pension calculation all these allowances are not taken into consideration so when you are in active service you are happy because of all these things because at the end of the day you do not pay taxes. However, when you go on pension all these are not considered when calculating your pension therefore you see a sudden change in your income and standard of living.
So we had to make some kind of recommendation to determine which part of your total remuneration should be taken into consideration when calculating pension, that is the salary and the allowance, which part should be taken into consideration when calculating pensions.
Then there was the issue of the retirement age, the matter of different schemes having different retirement ages. Under the Constitution, public sector employees can retire willingly before the official retirement age of 60. However, while under CAP 30, an employee can do so at the age of 45, under SSNIT it is at 55 years.
Another source of concern was that under SSNIT, those who go on voluntary retirement pay a penalty, and their entitlements are reduced but going home voluntarily under CAP 30 does not attract any such penalty.
Q: Some people argue that ‘CAP 30’ is not sustainable.
A: First, CAP 30 used to be a non-contributory scheme with the entitlement paid from government resources from the consolidated fund. Now there were so many competing demands on the consolidated fund and we needed an expert to do research for us.
First, CAP 30 used to be a non-contributory scheme with the entitlement paid from government resources from the consolidated fund. Now there were so many competing demands on the consolidated fund and we needed an expert to do research for us.
After the research it became clear for as that one of the causes of the delay in the payment of pension was that there was hardly ever enough money in the consolidated budget so there was a kind of backlog in the payment so we made a recommendation that since pensions depend largely on salaries there was the need for government to look at the payment or remuneration of individuals.
Q: Now that a new scheme is being proposed, what happens to beneficiaries of CAP 30?
A: There was a general debate as to whether the whole CAP 30 cannot be stopped but that will be unlawful because we should not make people suffer. If things go as planned, then there will be a transition period and then CAP 30 will eventually fade away.
There was a general debate as to whether the whole CAP 30 cannot be stopped but that will be unlawful because we should not make people suffer. If things go as planned, then there will be a transition period and then CAP 30 will eventually fade away.
But as soon as a new law for the new pension scheme comes into effect then no person should be enrolled under CAP 30. The Commission is hoping that within two years the law on the new pension scheme will be passed by Parliament.
Q: What does the new scheme being proposed by your Commission entail?
A: Under this scheme, there will be single structure but with three schemes. The first and second schemes are mandatory and every worker would have to be under that scheme.
Under this scheme, there will be single structure but with three schemes. The first and second schemes are mandatory and every worker would have to be under that scheme.
The first tier is a state-funded restructured SSNIT scheme (17.5 per cent) but there is going to be an additional percentage making it 18.5 per cent because already 2.5 per cent has been taken off to support the National Health Insurance Scheme. Individual contributions will therefore be 18.5 per cent with 2.5 per cent going to the NHIS.
SSNIT will invest 11per cent of the contribution for the monthly pension so that at least every month pensioners get something. The remaining five per cent will go to a fund manager to be selected by an organization or a group of people.
The third tier is voluntary but by virtue of its name it will be a long-term savings package. We felt that in addition to the two mandatory schemes, workers or employers can come together and invest some of their savings in the long term. It could be towards acquiring houses, cars
The CAP 30 pension scheme Act was passed around 1950. Under it, workers are paid pensions from the Consolidated Fund (government chest). We had nine points of reference. The first one was to examine the SSNIT pension scheme and that of CAP 30 and other retirement schemes both in the private and public sectors and identify differences. First, CAP 30 used to be a non-contributory scheme with the entitlement paid from government resources from the consolidated fund. Now there were so many competing demands on the consolidated fund and we needed an expert to do research for us. There was a general debate as to whether the whole CAP 30 cannot be stopped but that will be unlawful because we should not make people suffer. If things go as planned, then there will be a transition period and then CAP 30 will eventually fade away. Under this scheme, there will be single structure but with three schemes. The first and second schemes are mandatory and every worker would have to be under that scheme.
Q: In coming up with your recommendations what were the guiding principles you adopted?
A: Our 99-point recommendation was guided by the basic principle that all over the world there is a movement from non-contributory to contributory pension schemes. In other words, it means that it has become a joint responsibility of workers, their employers and the government to ensure that there is adequate pension to all workers and their employees.
The committee also felt that the pension scheme should reduce the poverty of the retired person, not increase it. In this vein the pension scheme must be participatory and easy to understand. It should also encourage the participation of workers in it.
We found out that there was a multiplicity of pension schemes and this is not good enough so we proposed the creation of a unified pension structure, which the government has accepted.
Q: How do you factor in the informal sector?
A: For the informal sector we held discussions with the farmers and fishermen. They are all interested in getting pension but are not interested in the current SSNIT system and obviously it is because most of them are seasonal income earners.
There should be a scheme that is different where cocoa farmers, for example, can pay into it after selling their produce and this proposed scheme will take care of that sector.
Q: How are you going to ensure that the new scheme works?
A: If there are no checks it will not be successful, so we have recommended that there should be a regulatory body, which we learned from other countries such as Nigeria. The Commission proposed an independent regulatory body to ensure that the fund managers, including SSNIT, work according to laid down regulations.
In arriving at all of these we looked at practices in some countries in Africa such as Mauritius, Swaziland, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Senegal and in some of the emerging economies like Chile, Bolivia, Thailand and Singapore.
Q: How would you describe the level of public response to your work?
A: The response was good and we were privilege to have people from various walks of life on the Commission. We had an economist, a lawyer, an actuary and others but in addition, we got the support and cooperation of the ministries, departments and other agencies. SSNIT was very helpful; we had an extensive consultation with them.
Also, in the course of our work it became necessary to look at certain areas which were not directly our task. For instance, the working environment of the Accountant General’s pension division was unacceptable. People were working with papers scattered all over.
There was an uncompleted building, started many years ago, which we recommended that the division be moved into and I believe that by now the staff have moved in. So we not only recommended what should be done in future, we also looked for pragmatic solutions to some of the current problems. On MR. BEDIAKO’S team were: Chief Musa Adam, a Management Consultant and former MD of the Electricity Company of Ghana; Ms Josephine Amoah, the Commissioner of Insurance, National Insurance Commission; Ms Irene Wontumi, a Management Consultant; Mr. Daniel Mensah, a Managing Consultant and Chief Executive Officer of Tri-Star Consulting Actuaries; Mr. Austin Gamey, a former Deputy Minister for Employment and Social Welfare and CEO of Gamey & Gamey Academy of Mediation; Captain Joel Sowu (Rtd), a Consultant of Internet Ghana Limited; Mr. Andrew Asamoah, a United Nations Consultant and Business Executive who also once served as a WHO Representative to the UN Joint Pension Fund and Mr. Martin Eson-Benjamin, CEO of EMPRETEC Ghana Foundation and former MD and Chairman of Ghana Breweries Limited.
Did You Received A Hamper? Saturday, 23 December 2006
Have you received a hamper this season?
Are you sure about the motives for which it was sent? If you are not, follow the example of the Commissioner on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Ms. Anna Bossman, by immediately returning it to the sender or donating it to charity.
The Commission recently launched a set of guidelines on conflict of interest in which it asked public officials to, among other things, ask questions about any gifts they receive and only accept it if it would not influence their dealings with the sender.
Speaking to the Times yesterday, Ms. Bossman said that although she had received some hampers, she had equally rejected others, and donated to charity, those that she was not comfortable with.
"In fact, I had to insist in some instances that I could not take them and turned them away.
$44.2b Goods Exported Under AGOA Thursday, 19 July 2007
Six years after the introduction of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) initiative, Africa has exported a total of 44.2 billion dollars worth of products to the United States.
Although there are 6,400 products that can be exported under AGOA by 39 eligible countries, so far fewer than 4,000 of such products are being exported by the 39 eligible countries.
Susan Schwab, US Trade Representative who led a delegation of 139 high-level technical officials to attend the 6th AGOA forum in Accra, said this yesterday when she addressed a joint press conference after the official opening of the two-day forum under the theme "As Trade Grows Africa Prospers: Optimising The Benefits Under AGOA".
The delegation was drawn from 16 states who work in the private sector and civil society organisations.
Ms Schwab said the forum was an opportunity to take stock of progress being made under the initiative and stimulate new trade opportunities between the eligible countries and the US.
"AGOA remains one of the series of initiatives that reflect the commitment of the US to development in Africa", she said adding that in 2001, Africa’s exports made up less than one per cent of imports into the US but "today it is about two per cent."
Ms Schwab said contrary to the perception that there was a concentration on the export of only petroleum products and garments and textiles, the export of non-oil products had seen a steady rise but conceded that it was important for African countries to take a second look at the product mix of their exports.
Reacting to concerns about the need to build the capacity of countries in expanding their export base, she said discussions at the plenary session centred on ways of addressing that problem she agreed that opening markets to Africa was not enough, adding that this informed the reason for coming with a large delegation of private sector operators and representatives of major retailers of garments, food products and food processing experts and not oil or mining interests.
"If our efforts will succeed, we must work closely with the private sector," she said.
The Minister of Trade, Industry and PSI, Alan Kyerematen at the ministerial session which was held two days prior to the forum suggested the setting up of an AGOA Fund and the introduction of other financial instruments to support in particular, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises that seek to produce for export under AGOA.
He said the main issue in the six years of the initiative has been the lack of supply capacity by African countries," a situation which such a fund could help to address.
Mr. Kyerematen noted that with the AGOA initiative expiring in 2015, it was important for countries to start deliberations with the US to explore ways of exploring opportunities for negotiating a Free Trade Agreement "that will rock in the benefits of AGOA on a more permanent basis."
Trade Ministers from the 39 AGOA qualified countries in sub-Saharan Africa, representatives of the private sector, Civil Society groups and US officials are using the forum to deliberate on ways of increasing trade between the US and Africa.
The AGOA, a legislative initiative which ends in 2015, is an opportunity created to open up the US market to eligible African countries to export over 6,400 duty-free and quota-free products and is estimated at more than 10 trillion dollars.
Although there are 6,400 products that can be exported under AGOA by 39 eligible countries, so far fewer than 4,000 of such products are being exported by the 39 eligible countries.
Susan Schwab, US Trade Representative who led a delegation of 139 high-level technical officials to attend the 6th AGOA forum in Accra, said this yesterday when she addressed a joint press conference after the official opening of the two-day forum under the theme "As Trade Grows Africa Prospers: Optimising The Benefits Under AGOA".
The delegation was drawn from 16 states who work in the private sector and civil society organisations.
Ms Schwab said the forum was an opportunity to take stock of progress being made under the initiative and stimulate new trade opportunities between the eligible countries and the US.
"AGOA remains one of the series of initiatives that reflect the commitment of the US to development in Africa", she said adding that in 2001, Africa’s exports made up less than one per cent of imports into the US but "today it is about two per cent."
Ms Schwab said contrary to the perception that there was a concentration on the export of only petroleum products and garments and textiles, the export of non-oil products had seen a steady rise but conceded that it was important for African countries to take a second look at the product mix of their exports.
Reacting to concerns about the need to build the capacity of countries in expanding their export base, she said discussions at the plenary session centred on ways of addressing that problem she agreed that opening markets to Africa was not enough, adding that this informed the reason for coming with a large delegation of private sector operators and representatives of major retailers of garments, food products and food processing experts and not oil or mining interests.
"If our efforts will succeed, we must work closely with the private sector," she said.
The Minister of Trade, Industry and PSI, Alan Kyerematen at the ministerial session which was held two days prior to the forum suggested the setting up of an AGOA Fund and the introduction of other financial instruments to support in particular, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises that seek to produce for export under AGOA.
He said the main issue in the six years of the initiative has been the lack of supply capacity by African countries," a situation which such a fund could help to address.
Mr. Kyerematen noted that with the AGOA initiative expiring in 2015, it was important for countries to start deliberations with the US to explore ways of exploring opportunities for negotiating a Free Trade Agreement "that will rock in the benefits of AGOA on a more permanent basis."
Trade Ministers from the 39 AGOA qualified countries in sub-Saharan Africa, representatives of the private sector, Civil Society groups and US officials are using the forum to deliberate on ways of increasing trade between the US and Africa.
The AGOA, a legislative initiative which ends in 2015, is an opportunity created to open up the US market to eligible African countries to export over 6,400 duty-free and quota-free products and is estimated at more than 10 trillion dollars.
Ghana Rated 'Moderate' In Campaign Against Corruption Friday, 12 January 2007
GHANA has been rated "Moderate," having scored 78 out of 100 points in a global report which assessed national anti-corruption policies and practices around the world.
The ratings are ‘Very Strong,’ ‘Strong,’ ‘Moderate,’ ‘Weak’ and ‘Very Weak’.
The report is the outcome of a study carried out by Global Integrity, a Washington D.C.-based international non-profit organisation dedicated to the comprehensive and timely research and reporting of governance and corruption trends around the world.
Named the ‘2006 Global Integrity Index,’ it also assessed the existence and effectiveness of anti-corruption mechanisms that promote public integrity.
The report which covered 43 countries including some of America’s foremost trading partners and diplomatic allies, major emerging markets, and some of the poorest countries in the world, was released in Washington, USA on Wednesday. Ghana posted a strong position at the West African regional level placing second to Benin which scored 79 points and was also rated "moderate".
Six countries were studied at the West African level out of the total of 15 African countries included in the study. The others are Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone.
The report showed that Ghana’s strongest performance was in the areas of oversight and regulation, anti-corruption, the rule of law and elections.
Government accountability and civil society, public information and media were said to be ‘moderate’ while the worst performance were in administration and civil service.
"The Integrity Indicators not only assess the existence of laws, regulations, and institutions designed to curb corruption but also their implementation, as well as the access that average citizens have to those mechanisms," the report said.
It noted that corruption was a global problem and that the survey had confirmed that most citizens perceived and often experienced deep-rooted public corruption in their daily lives.
"From Washington to Cotonou, changes in government are occurring on the back of anti-corruption platforms as citizens demand greater accountability. Journalists and civil society groups have become more effective in their watchdog roles, ferreting out specific corrupt acts and abuses of power," it said.
The Managing Director of Global Integrity, Nathaniel Heller, at the report’s launch, said: "The mixing of money and politics continues to be a recipe for corruption in countries both rich and poor, and yet some nations have shown that even with limited resources, political will and strong leadership can prove effective in addressing governance challenges".
A recent Corruption Perception Index report released in October, last year, by Transparency International, a non-governmental organization based in Berlin ranked Ghana 65th amongst 159 voluntary countries included in the 2005 index, with a score of 3.5 out of a possible 10.
This score represented a drop from the 2005 score of 3.6.
The ratings are ‘Very Strong,’ ‘Strong,’ ‘Moderate,’ ‘Weak’ and ‘Very Weak’.
The report is the outcome of a study carried out by Global Integrity, a Washington D.C.-based international non-profit organisation dedicated to the comprehensive and timely research and reporting of governance and corruption trends around the world.
Named the ‘2006 Global Integrity Index,’ it also assessed the existence and effectiveness of anti-corruption mechanisms that promote public integrity.
The report which covered 43 countries including some of America’s foremost trading partners and diplomatic allies, major emerging markets, and some of the poorest countries in the world, was released in Washington, USA on Wednesday. Ghana posted a strong position at the West African regional level placing second to Benin which scored 79 points and was also rated "moderate".
Six countries were studied at the West African level out of the total of 15 African countries included in the study. The others are Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone.
The report showed that Ghana’s strongest performance was in the areas of oversight and regulation, anti-corruption, the rule of law and elections.
Government accountability and civil society, public information and media were said to be ‘moderate’ while the worst performance were in administration and civil service.
"The Integrity Indicators not only assess the existence of laws, regulations, and institutions designed to curb corruption but also their implementation, as well as the access that average citizens have to those mechanisms," the report said.
It noted that corruption was a global problem and that the survey had confirmed that most citizens perceived and often experienced deep-rooted public corruption in their daily lives.
"From Washington to Cotonou, changes in government are occurring on the back of anti-corruption platforms as citizens demand greater accountability. Journalists and civil society groups have become more effective in their watchdog roles, ferreting out specific corrupt acts and abuses of power," it said.
The Managing Director of Global Integrity, Nathaniel Heller, at the report’s launch, said: "The mixing of money and politics continues to be a recipe for corruption in countries both rich and poor, and yet some nations have shown that even with limited resources, political will and strong leadership can prove effective in addressing governance challenges".
A recent Corruption Perception Index report released in October, last year, by Transparency International, a non-governmental organization based in Berlin ranked Ghana 65th amongst 159 voluntary countries included in the 2005 index, with a score of 3.5 out of a possible 10.
This score represented a drop from the 2005 score of 3.6.
Health Workers Call Off Strike Tuesday, 13 March 2007
Striking health workers in the Greater Accra Region have reportedly called off their strike and resolved to resume work immediately, following the intervention of the leadership of the Health Workers Group (HWG).
After hours of meeting yesterday, the workers decided to allow the Appellate Body of the National Labour Commission (NLC) to resolve the impasse that had arisen as a result of distortions in the salaries of health workers.
Speaking to the Times yesterday, Raymond A. Tetteh, Chairman of the Group, said the action by the health workers was as a result of the improper flow of information. He noted that since negotiations were still going on, it was important for the workers to go back to work while they continued.
"The leadership has made it clear to the workers that if they refuse to go to work, they will be responsible for any individual sanctions taken against them by their respective health facilities," he said.
Asked when the workers will start working, Mr. Tetteh said "In fact, for those who have night shifts they are expected to go to work this (yesterday) evening."
The Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Lepowura M.N.D. Jawula, for his part, said the health workers will not be dismissed as had been put in the public domain. He described as unfortunate an internal memorandum circulated within the ministry which was being miscontrued as government’s final decision on the matter.
"As we talk, the doors to negotiations are not closed yet and we are handling this matter as humanely as possible. What that letter sought to do was to draw attention to the current situation," he said.
The Chief Director said it was not a simple issue dismissing workers because, "we are not in a hurry to fire workers.What we did was to remind the Director General of the Ghana Health Service and the heads of the teaching hospitals as to what would be required of them in the event that matters got to a head."
He explained that even after submitting such a list, government would have to further investigate and make sure that the names of innocent people are not on such a list.
He described the decision by the workers to go back to work as "a welcome news" and expressed the hope that all parties would work together to ensure an amicable settlement of any issues.
Last week Monday, some health workers served notice of their intention to embark on a strike although the NLC had, in a press statement, advised them to rescind the decision and rather address their concerns within the framework of the existing law.
The Commission noted that the HWG had not exhausted the necessary procedures under the law before announcing its intention to go on strike.
"The NLC made it clear that the HWG had not satisfied the requirements of Section 159 of the Labour Law before serving notice to embark on a strike and so any action taken at this time will be in contravention of the law," the Commission said.
Section 159(b) says that the party intends to go on strike shall serve written notice seven days to the employer and the NLC.
RIVAL IS THE KILLER - SAYS BOYFRIEND Thursday, 21 September 2006
NII Nanyo Agoe Tsuru, the truck pusher arrested over the murder of his girlfriend, Barikisu Jumah Ayittah, in La, Accra, has confessed to the police that it was Doris Tsotsoo Ashie, his other girlfriend, who committed the murder.
He said that Tsotsoo slit Barikisu’s throat with a knife.
The two women were engaged in a fight in his house at Abafum, La, and Tsotsoo allegedly drew a knife and slit Barikisu’s throat, leading to her eventual death through excessive bleeding.
The La District Police Commander, ASP Nyamekye Adane-Ameyaw, told the Times that Nii Tsuru subsequently hid the knife in his room but it has been retrieved.
Tsuru, upon his arrest last Wednesday, told the police that he hit Barikisu with a coal-pot during the fight between her and Tsotsoo.
ASP Adane-Ameyaw said Tsuru’s confessions had also led to the arrest of five people who are assisting the police with their investigations.
They have since been granted bail.
He said those arrested had been very cooperative with the police and hoped that others who will be contacted by the police would provide information that could help the determination of the case in court.
Meanwhile, Barikisu’s body which was deposited at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital mortuary, has been collected by her relatives for burial at Ningo.
Tsuru and Tsotsoo have been remanded in custody by the La Magistrate’s court.
Tsotsoo, who initially went into hiding, surrendered herself to the La police on Friday in the company of her lawyer and a brother.
She denied her complicity in the murder saying that she was not at the scene of the crime even though she was in Tsuru’s house on that faithful day.
.jpg)
Nii Tsuru’s father was reported to have reported to the police on Tuesday, that his son had killed Barikisu during a quarrel at his home in the night over the alleged presence of Tsotsoo in the house.
STUDENTS, POLICE, DIFFERENT VERSIONS Tuesday, 27 March 2007
THE police and the students of Commonwealth Hall, University of Ghana, have given different accounts of a confrontation that ensued on Saturday when the students organised a float in Accra Central to mark their Hall Week.
The students have alleged that they were shot at by the police in the confrontation, maiming one student, while others were brutally molested. They are calling on the Minister of the Interior to institute an investigation into the confrontation.
"Some students were dragged 200 metres on the ground to the police station," the students said at a news conference on campus yesterday.
They described the explanation of the Accra Regional Police Commander, ACP Douglas Akrofi Asiedu, as a misrepresentation of the events that led to a clash and asked him to render "an unqualified and naked apology to the hall".
The president of the Junior Common Room (JCR), Evans Owusu Amankwah, who addressed the news conference, said ACP Asiedu’s comments on an Accra-based radio station, that the students pounced on an ice water seller leading to the clash, amounted to dragging the hard won reputation of the hall in the mud and also throwing dust into the eyes of the public by "misleading, misinforming and misrepresenting facts."
The JCR President while conceding that a student made what could have passed as a harmless statement said the policeman took issue with the student and arrested him.
He said as the policeman was finding it difficult to control the other students who insisted on getting their colleague released, he called for reinforcement rather than employing "a high level of professionalism to calm tempers."
Mr. Amankwah alleged that as soon as the reinforcement got to the scene, they started beating anyone in red Areeba T-shirts.
"They police amazingly started firing live bullets to disperse the unarmed students who were quietly waiting anxiously for the release of their colleagues who had been detained," he said adding that many students who were brutally molested were detained until the intervention of some state officials.
Mr. Amankwah called on the Minister of the Interior to institute an independent investigation into events that led to the clash.
However, the Accra Regional Police Public Affairs Officer, Inspector Clement Kweku Dompreh, told the Times yesterday that when a Police officer detailed to prevent hawking on the streets questioned why the students treated the water seller that way, one of the students hurled insults at him.
According to him, in the ensuing exchange of words between the students and the police, some of the students, threw stones at the police and in the process damaged the windscreen of a Mercedes Benz vehicle.
This, he said, angered the police who intervened and arrested and detained 30 of the students.
However, he said, they were released following the intervention of the Minister of the Interior, Albert Kan Dapaah, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Joe Ghartey, who met with the Accra Regional Police Commander, Douglas Akrofi Asiedu, a representative of the University and the students leaders.
Inspector Dompreh said that although individuals and groups have the right to go on a float they must also respect the rights of others, especially security agencies who are there to maintain law and order.
The students have alleged that they were shot at by the police in the confrontation, maiming one student, while others were brutally molested. They are calling on the Minister of the Interior to institute an investigation into the confrontation.
"Some students were dragged 200 metres on the ground to the police station," the students said at a news conference on campus yesterday.
They described the explanation of the Accra Regional Police Commander, ACP Douglas Akrofi Asiedu, as a misrepresentation of the events that led to a clash and asked him to render "an unqualified and naked apology to the hall".
The president of the Junior Common Room (JCR), Evans Owusu Amankwah, who addressed the news conference, said ACP Asiedu’s comments on an Accra-based radio station, that the students pounced on an ice water seller leading to the clash, amounted to dragging the hard won reputation of the hall in the mud and also throwing dust into the eyes of the public by "misleading, misinforming and misrepresenting facts."
The JCR President while conceding that a student made what could have passed as a harmless statement said the policeman took issue with the student and arrested him.
He said as the policeman was finding it difficult to control the other students who insisted on getting their colleague released, he called for reinforcement rather than employing "a high level of professionalism to calm tempers."
Mr. Amankwah alleged that as soon as the reinforcement got to the scene, they started beating anyone in red Areeba T-shirts.
"They police amazingly started firing live bullets to disperse the unarmed students who were quietly waiting anxiously for the release of their colleagues who had been detained," he said adding that many students who were brutally molested were detained until the intervention of some state officials.
Mr. Amankwah called on the Minister of the Interior to institute an independent investigation into events that led to the clash.
However, the Accra Regional Police Public Affairs Officer, Inspector Clement Kweku Dompreh, told the Times yesterday that when a Police officer detailed to prevent hawking on the streets questioned why the students treated the water seller that way, one of the students hurled insults at him.
According to him, in the ensuing exchange of words between the students and the police, some of the students, threw stones at the police and in the process damaged the windscreen of a Mercedes Benz vehicle.
This, he said, angered the police who intervened and arrested and detained 30 of the students.
However, he said, they were released following the intervention of the Minister of the Interior, Albert Kan Dapaah, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Joe Ghartey, who met with the Accra Regional Police Commander, Douglas Akrofi Asiedu, a representative of the University and the students leaders.
Inspector Dompreh said that although individuals and groups have the right to go on a float they must also respect the rights of others, especially security agencies who are there to maintain law and order.
OUR ENVIRONMENT, OUR RESPONSIBILITY Thursday, 08 March 2007
I do not know about the story of the Seven South-East Warriors or what they must have done. All I know is that the person who wore a green T-shirt with this label has become a warrior of some sort, defying all odds and strictly adhering to his own game plan which he set out after accepting his position.
When most Ghanaians were snoring and sleeping on the warm and dark night of Saturday, January 20, he quietly set out to execute his Plan A, which for me was becoming more of a talk, talk than a do, do.
Stanley Nii Adjiri Blankson, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Chief Executive has not reneged on his promise to make Accra environmental friendly and in the spirit of 50 years of nationhood has actually gone all out to make this a reality.
As I saw him the day after he rid the streets of the business district of unwanted and illegal structures, in his warrior-labelled shirt and in a warrior-like mood in a mop-up exercise at the Kwame Nkrumah circle area with the help of a strong police team, my admiration for the work of this man got lost in the quantity of filth that had engulfed the area.
I have always held the view that generally we Ghanaians are just not disciplined. Right from our homes to our offices our acts of indiscipline keeps painting the picture we are all witnessing today- filth, filth, filth.
Only a couple of days ago I encountered a young man who gave me a good ‘dressing down’ for questioning which he threw the empty water out of a ‘tro-tro’ instead of dropping it in the car. “Are you the one paying those who sweep our streets, ‘kwasia’, if you have been employed to check people go and stand at Makola” he said topping it up with a heavy dose of spittle.
I looked at him pitifully because straightaway I was imagining the room he slept in and how such a person will bring up his children but above all I wished I knew his doctor. I would have made some proposals to let him pay heavily for his folly but then I remembered the National Health Insurance Scheme will make people like this man go away with such ‘foolishness’ anytime they reported sick.
I notice that we like to eat everything and everywhere, I have a problem with that but most of all I am worried about the way we dispose of the things we eat and use.
It is shameful that our own attitudes are killing us. Now we have become so dirty that it is no longer news to find used sanitary towels lying about anyhow and I shudder to think that in the 20th century some Ghanaian ladies living not just in Accra but in areas regarded as ‘middle class’ areas do not even know how to dispose of their sanitary towels but these are the same people some of whom we find all dressed up and thronging to the big offices, churches and mosques. ‘Ntama kata adieso’ (Clothes are covering things).
Along the stretch of grassland at the Ashiaman side of the Tema motorway our brothers, fathers, sons, boyfriends and husbands throw all decorum to the dogs and shamelessly pull down their underpants and ‘freely range’ in the area in the full glare of the public especially those who use the motorway.
Does it mean that we no longer know what is right or wrong or even know no shame?
My parents tell how in the past school children were taken out as part of environmental lessons to pick up little from communities but today such practices are no more for no sooner will you ask school children to even sweep their school compound will some parents’ ‘gnaw’ at whoever issues the instructions.
ATTITUDES AND EDUCATION
Attitudes are difficult to change and it takes a careful and conscious effort to work at changing ones way of doing things over the years especially when it has built into a confirm zone. For this reason, it will require constant education and the collective effort of all Ghanaians to help in this regard. We must never lose out on educating the populace on what must be done to maintain good environmental practices.
The churches, mosques, shrines and other places of worship must begin to hammer more strongly the need for their members not only to raise their hands in worship but to also raise their minds to maintain the earth they came to inherit for the future generations.
I am not sure how to describe the performance of our local authorities in ensuring good sanitation. Some of the people I have spoken with on this issue lay the blame for the poor sanitary conditions the nation is facing at the doorstep of our district, municipal and metropolitan assemblies and I quite agree with them.
Most of our areas lack the requisite facilities that will entice them to ‘behave properly.’
Public toilets are not enough and for those available the maintenance is a different story and yet we take daily tolls from people for using them. What do we do with the money we collect ? No thorough cleaning, no disinfection, no soap to wash hands after using such facilities, the only interest in running such public facilities is to collect some paltry sum and that is it.
A private person put up a public toilet at Tema Community One and when I first said it I could not believe it was a public facility. It looked so clean and well maintained and years after you still pass by and the air around will not give one the slightest hint that it is a public toilet.
Water is again one major setback to effort to keep a clean environment.
There are a myriad factors militating against making progress in our fight for a clean environment but let us start of individually by doing whatever is possible, in our own little way to make the country environmentally friendly.
I decided not to mention the health hazards associated with poor sanitation practices, experience is always the best teacher.
Let not Mr. Adjiri Blankson’s commendable efforts end with the Ghana@50 celebrations. Let us not get into any cosmetic exercises but let all right thinking Ghanaians join hands to make Ghana a showpiece in Africa. This is not for government along or for a DCE but for all 20 or so million citizens of Ghana. I believe we can make it. This is our land, this is our heritage, let us preserve it well.
When most Ghanaians were snoring and sleeping on the warm and dark night of Saturday, January 20, he quietly set out to execute his Plan A, which for me was becoming more of a talk, talk than a do, do.
Stanley Nii Adjiri Blankson, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Chief Executive has not reneged on his promise to make Accra environmental friendly and in the spirit of 50 years of nationhood has actually gone all out to make this a reality.
As I saw him the day after he rid the streets of the business district of unwanted and illegal structures, in his warrior-labelled shirt and in a warrior-like mood in a mop-up exercise at the Kwame Nkrumah circle area with the help of a strong police team, my admiration for the work of this man got lost in the quantity of filth that had engulfed the area.
I have always held the view that generally we Ghanaians are just not disciplined. Right from our homes to our offices our acts of indiscipline keeps painting the picture we are all witnessing today- filth, filth, filth.
Only a couple of days ago I encountered a young man who gave me a good ‘dressing down’ for questioning which he threw the empty water out of a ‘tro-tro’ instead of dropping it in the car. “Are you the one paying those who sweep our streets, ‘kwasia’, if you have been employed to check people go and stand at Makola” he said topping it up with a heavy dose of spittle.
I looked at him pitifully because straightaway I was imagining the room he slept in and how such a person will bring up his children but above all I wished I knew his doctor. I would have made some proposals to let him pay heavily for his folly but then I remembered the National Health Insurance Scheme will make people like this man go away with such ‘foolishness’ anytime they reported sick.
I notice that we like to eat everything and everywhere, I have a problem with that but most of all I am worried about the way we dispose of the things we eat and use.
It is shameful that our own attitudes are killing us. Now we have become so dirty that it is no longer news to find used sanitary towels lying about anyhow and I shudder to think that in the 20th century some Ghanaian ladies living not just in Accra but in areas regarded as ‘middle class’ areas do not even know how to dispose of their sanitary towels but these are the same people some of whom we find all dressed up and thronging to the big offices, churches and mosques. ‘Ntama kata adieso’ (Clothes are covering things).
Along the stretch of grassland at the Ashiaman side of the Tema motorway our brothers, fathers, sons, boyfriends and husbands throw all decorum to the dogs and shamelessly pull down their underpants and ‘freely range’ in the area in the full glare of the public especially those who use the motorway.
Does it mean that we no longer know what is right or wrong or even know no shame?
My parents tell how in the past school children were taken out as part of environmental lessons to pick up little from communities but today such practices are no more for no sooner will you ask school children to even sweep their school compound will some parents’ ‘gnaw’ at whoever issues the instructions.
ATTITUDES AND EDUCATION
Attitudes are difficult to change and it takes a careful and conscious effort to work at changing ones way of doing things over the years especially when it has built into a confirm zone. For this reason, it will require constant education and the collective effort of all Ghanaians to help in this regard. We must never lose out on educating the populace on what must be done to maintain good environmental practices.
The churches, mosques, shrines and other places of worship must begin to hammer more strongly the need for their members not only to raise their hands in worship but to also raise their minds to maintain the earth they came to inherit for the future generations.
I am not sure how to describe the performance of our local authorities in ensuring good sanitation. Some of the people I have spoken with on this issue lay the blame for the poor sanitary conditions the nation is facing at the doorstep of our district, municipal and metropolitan assemblies and I quite agree with them.
Most of our areas lack the requisite facilities that will entice them to ‘behave properly.’
Public toilets are not enough and for those available the maintenance is a different story and yet we take daily tolls from people for using them. What do we do with the money we collect ? No thorough cleaning, no disinfection, no soap to wash hands after using such facilities, the only interest in running such public facilities is to collect some paltry sum and that is it.
A private person put up a public toilet at Tema Community One and when I first said it I could not believe it was a public facility. It looked so clean and well maintained and years after you still pass by and the air around will not give one the slightest hint that it is a public toilet.
Water is again one major setback to effort to keep a clean environment.
There are a myriad factors militating against making progress in our fight for a clean environment but let us start of individually by doing whatever is possible, in our own little way to make the country environmentally friendly.
I decided not to mention the health hazards associated with poor sanitation practices, experience is always the best teacher.
Let not Mr. Adjiri Blankson’s commendable efforts end with the Ghana@50 celebrations. Let us not get into any cosmetic exercises but let all right thinking Ghanaians join hands to make Ghana a showpiece in Africa. This is not for government along or for a DCE but for all 20 or so million citizens of Ghana. I believe we can make it. This is our land, this is our heritage, let us preserve it well.
INDEPENDENCE - As Seen By Joana Ayerson Thursday, 08 March 2007
The hordes of excited Gold-Coasters, who witnessed the declaration of independence at the old polo grounds on March 6, 1957 included 23-year-old Joana Ayerson, then a secretary at the Colonial Secretary’s Office.
She joined the crowd to celebrate the fruits of years of struggle for independence from British colonial rule and she describes the event as "the day the whole world came to the Polo ground."
Now 73 and very sharp and alert, Ms. Ayerson, is visiting from the United Kingdom where she has been living since 1964. She comes to Ghana frequently to keep touch with developments at home and help support the family.
Ms Ayerson’s encounter with President Nkrumah started with her introduction into the Youth League of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) by her cousin (the late Mary Adotsoo Acquaye) in the 1950s. Although like other civil servants, she was not expected to take part in political activities, Joana would stealthily join in the activities of the League.
As an active member of the CPP, Madam Acquaye did many things for the party which included making party rosettes and the whole household would religiously help to have these done which had a strong influence on Joana leading to her decision to join the party.
Her assigned role within the League was to lead in the recital of prayers at the beginning and end of all programmes involving the League.
"Anytime Dr. Nkrumah had to deliver a lecture at Arena (Accra Central), his favourite hymn ‘Lead Kindly Light…’ was sung after which I had to mount the podium to lead the prayers."
Touching on her recollections of Dr. Nkrumah, she said "I got to know Nkrumah as someone who was ready to learn every time and this he once demonstrated when he came to see my father, who was then the Korle Wulomo and a good friend to Kofi Baako and Nat Welbeck, CPP functionaries who later became Ministers, to have issues about the Ga people and Accra explained to him."
She also recounted with relish, the simple but effective methods that were used during the electioneering campaign to have Dr. Nkrumah elected as Prime Minister in 1954.
"I remember we had okro in our hands (because the Akan word for okro ‘nkruma’ rhymes with the name ‘Nkrumah’) while others had cockerels which was the party’s symbol and we would tell people vote for okro, okro.
Although she did not work directly with Dr. Nkrumah, Ms. Ayerson recalled the opportunity they got to see the office that had been set up for him by the colonial administration at the ministry’s area. "The room had lights in holes made in the walls and there were cushions on the chairs. It was beautiful."
"He came there only once in a while and after a meeting there would be a mad rush into the room and together with some other workers, I would also sit on one of the chairs and have a feel of it. One of us would then act like Nkrumah and then we would rush out to our offices before we are apprehended."
"It was not about hero-worshipping or anything but the man had such an influence on the country that you would simply want to have some affiliation with him."
She said Dr. Nkrumah’s driver was a friend to her family and so occasionally when the car was empty, he would give them lifts in one of the President’s car, a gesture which evoked high ecstatic feelings.
For Ms. Ayerson, the patriotism exhibited in the post-independence era was so high that it even showed in the way people dressed.
"In those days we wore the Kente to work and did our hair in very fascinating, Ghanaian designs. When you dressed you wore a hat, shoes and a bag to match."
She said in those days people worked very hard it was a happy occasion when you get a copy of the gazette, (an official government publication) and find your name or that of your friend’s in it for having earned a recent promotion from the position of a junior clerk to a senior office.
"Today it is regrettable to see the way people dress, it is so shocking and sickening that people want to show their bodies to the whole world and in the offices people spend time reading newspapers or doing things other than working."
"These days nothing is sincere, we do not work hard."
"It is even more difficult to accept how low our cultural values have sunk. Respect is no longer known and people talk and act anyway and anyhow," she said.
"Now I am a stranger in my own home, I do not follow politics or other developments very keenly but I still come to contribute my quota and hope that very soon I will come home to settle here for good."
Ms. Ayerson has been in Ghana since November and hopes that if things go according to her expectations, she will be in Ghana for the 50th anniversary celebration.
She joined the crowd to celebrate the fruits of years of struggle for independence from British colonial rule and she describes the event as "the day the whole world came to the Polo ground."
Now 73 and very sharp and alert, Ms. Ayerson, is visiting from the United Kingdom where she has been living since 1964. She comes to Ghana frequently to keep touch with developments at home and help support the family.
Ms Ayerson’s encounter with President Nkrumah started with her introduction into the Youth League of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) by her cousin (the late Mary Adotsoo Acquaye) in the 1950s. Although like other civil servants, she was not expected to take part in political activities, Joana would stealthily join in the activities of the League.
As an active member of the CPP, Madam Acquaye did many things for the party which included making party rosettes and the whole household would religiously help to have these done which had a strong influence on Joana leading to her decision to join the party.
Her assigned role within the League was to lead in the recital of prayers at the beginning and end of all programmes involving the League.
"Anytime Dr. Nkrumah had to deliver a lecture at Arena (Accra Central), his favourite hymn ‘Lead Kindly Light…’ was sung after which I had to mount the podium to lead the prayers."
Touching on her recollections of Dr. Nkrumah, she said "I got to know Nkrumah as someone who was ready to learn every time and this he once demonstrated when he came to see my father, who was then the Korle Wulomo and a good friend to Kofi Baako and Nat Welbeck, CPP functionaries who later became Ministers, to have issues about the Ga people and Accra explained to him."
She also recounted with relish, the simple but effective methods that were used during the electioneering campaign to have Dr. Nkrumah elected as Prime Minister in 1954.
"I remember we had okro in our hands (because the Akan word for okro ‘nkruma’ rhymes with the name ‘Nkrumah’) while others had cockerels which was the party’s symbol and we would tell people vote for okro, okro.
Although she did not work directly with Dr. Nkrumah, Ms. Ayerson recalled the opportunity they got to see the office that had been set up for him by the colonial administration at the ministry’s area. "The room had lights in holes made in the walls and there were cushions on the chairs. It was beautiful."
"He came there only once in a while and after a meeting there would be a mad rush into the room and together with some other workers, I would also sit on one of the chairs and have a feel of it. One of us would then act like Nkrumah and then we would rush out to our offices before we are apprehended."
"It was not about hero-worshipping or anything but the man had such an influence on the country that you would simply want to have some affiliation with him."
She said Dr. Nkrumah’s driver was a friend to her family and so occasionally when the car was empty, he would give them lifts in one of the President’s car, a gesture which evoked high ecstatic feelings.
For Ms. Ayerson, the patriotism exhibited in the post-independence era was so high that it even showed in the way people dressed.
"In those days we wore the Kente to work and did our hair in very fascinating, Ghanaian designs. When you dressed you wore a hat, shoes and a bag to match."
She said in those days people worked very hard it was a happy occasion when you get a copy of the gazette, (an official government publication) and find your name or that of your friend’s in it for having earned a recent promotion from the position of a junior clerk to a senior office.
"Today it is regrettable to see the way people dress, it is so shocking and sickening that people want to show their bodies to the whole world and in the offices people spend time reading newspapers or doing things other than working."
"These days nothing is sincere, we do not work hard."
"It is even more difficult to accept how low our cultural values have sunk. Respect is no longer known and people talk and act anyway and anyhow," she said.
"Now I am a stranger in my own home, I do not follow politics or other developments very keenly but I still come to contribute my quota and hope that very soon I will come home to settle here for good."
Ms. Ayerson has been in Ghana since November and hopes that if things go according to her expectations, she will be in Ghana for the 50th anniversary celebration.
'Women In Art' Exhibition To Mark Jubilee Saturday, 24 February 2007
Call it an exposé of the best female artists in the country and you would not be wrong because that is exactly what the Loom Gallery is presenting to the nation as its 50th birthday gift.
In commemoration of its 38th year of distinguished service to the arts in the country, the gallery will be the venue for a 10-day high profile exhibition that will bring together 10 distinguished female artists for an exhibition that will showcase various art forms from beads to sculpture.
Themed, "Women in Art", the exhibition will feature art works produced by various generations of artists.
Among the artists whose work will be showcased are the nonagenarian, Linda Gardener (Araba Kromanti) and Octogenarian, Theodosia Okoh, widely known for designing the Ghana flag to more contemporary artists like the young Rita Bewong, who is gradually carving a niche for herself in the field of abstract painting.
You wonder how Gladys Adinyira Wuaku, won the competition to design a sculpture in memory of victims of the Stadium disaster? Just find out what she has up her sleeve as she joins the other artists like Kati Dagadu, Heather Badger, Jenny Meier, Lillian Ekuban, Safoa Cablye to showcase paintings, pottery, decorative ceramic plates, wall hangings, collage and shadow boxes.
There will also be the exhibition of some works done by the late Janet Nmai who died four years ago.
As the Director of the Loom Gallery, Mrs. Frances Ademola explains "this will be one exhibition where almost all the artists will be present at the opening on Saturday, March 3 to interact with clients".
According to her this exhibition will make a definite statement to the public through the works that will be on display and also promote women artists to encourage upcoming ones to produce good quality works for the promotion of art in the country.
The exhibition which will run from March 3 to 12, 2007 will be opened by Ms. Gloria Nikoi, Chairman of the Apex Bank.
Looking at the array of artists selected to participate in the exhibition, the Loom Gallery will be the perfect place to view pieces of pure, unadulterated Ghanaian artwork by women of the land of our birth.
In commemoration of its 38th year of distinguished service to the arts in the country, the gallery will be the venue for a 10-day high profile exhibition that will bring together 10 distinguished female artists for an exhibition that will showcase various art forms from beads to sculpture.
Themed, "Women in Art", the exhibition will feature art works produced by various generations of artists.
Among the artists whose work will be showcased are the nonagenarian, Linda Gardener (Araba Kromanti) and Octogenarian, Theodosia Okoh, widely known for designing the Ghana flag to more contemporary artists like the young Rita Bewong, who is gradually carving a niche for herself in the field of abstract painting.
You wonder how Gladys Adinyira Wuaku, won the competition to design a sculpture in memory of victims of the Stadium disaster? Just find out what she has up her sleeve as she joins the other artists like Kati Dagadu, Heather Badger, Jenny Meier, Lillian Ekuban, Safoa Cablye to showcase paintings, pottery, decorative ceramic plates, wall hangings, collage and shadow boxes.
There will also be the exhibition of some works done by the late Janet Nmai who died four years ago.
As the Director of the Loom Gallery, Mrs. Frances Ademola explains "this will be one exhibition where almost all the artists will be present at the opening on Saturday, March 3 to interact with clients".
According to her this exhibition will make a definite statement to the public through the works that will be on display and also promote women artists to encourage upcoming ones to produce good quality works for the promotion of art in the country.
The exhibition which will run from March 3 to 12, 2007 will be opened by Ms. Gloria Nikoi, Chairman of the Apex Bank.
Looking at the array of artists selected to participate in the exhibition, the Loom Gallery will be the perfect place to view pieces of pure, unadulterated Ghanaian artwork by women of the land of our birth.
Judge Calls For Action Against Multiple Land Sales Thursday, 12 July 2007
Attempts to resolve the numerous land litigation cases in the country through the setting up of specialised land courts will yield no appreciable results unless drastic measures are taken to halt the practice of multiple land sales, says Justice Stephen Alan Brobbey, a Supreme Court judge.
"There is the need to get a policy that will have all lands in the country under the control of one body which will be responsible for its regulation", he said.
Justice Brobbey was delivering a public lecture organised by the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Church in Accra on Tuesday as part of the country’s 50th anniversary programme. He spoke on the topic, "Freedom and Justice: The road to development."
He noted that as long as lands remained in the hands of individuals who had ownership for 99 years and passed it on to their children for another 99 years, "we can never resolve the numerous land problems in the country."
Justice Brobbey said the lack of political will to have this issue resolved was a matter of concern, saying that it was important to resolve some of the issues that could be resolved now; otherwise there would be nothing for posterity in the next 50 years.
He described as unacceptable, the practice where Ghanaians only realised problems with land allocation during floods.
"When the floods come and people are affected, then we begin to question who sold which land and who bought it but once the floods go away these concerns die off," he stated.
"As part of our developmental agenda, when the harm is pointed out, we turn round and struggle for solutions while the Constitution has well defined answers to all such issues," he said, quoting Article 20 (10) (a) of the Constitution which states "the taking or possession or acquisition is necessary in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, town and country planning or the development or utilisation of property in such a manner as to promote the public benefit."
Justice Brobbey emphasised that "even if the developer has a building permit, the Constitution allows compulsory acquisition of the area in question for any of the reasons stated in the constitutional provisions quoted above. All that is required is to compulsorily acquire the water course."
He asked city and municipal councils to "take the bull by the horn and proceed to acquire the disputed water courses."
Relating freedom and justice to development, Justice Brobbey said these two provisions would not by themselves bring development to the country but create an enabling environment for better and faster development.
He said "the Constitution gives them the freedom to fight back or not in the event of a coup d’etat."
"When they exercise their freedom to fight back and they endure suffering or incur any loss, justice will be meted out to them by payment of adequate compensation," he said, noting that it was a Constitutional guarantee.
"There is the need to get a policy that will have all lands in the country under the control of one body which will be responsible for its regulation", he said.
Justice Brobbey was delivering a public lecture organised by the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Church in Accra on Tuesday as part of the country’s 50th anniversary programme. He spoke on the topic, "Freedom and Justice: The road to development."
He noted that as long as lands remained in the hands of individuals who had ownership for 99 years and passed it on to their children for another 99 years, "we can never resolve the numerous land problems in the country."
Justice Brobbey said the lack of political will to have this issue resolved was a matter of concern, saying that it was important to resolve some of the issues that could be resolved now; otherwise there would be nothing for posterity in the next 50 years.
He described as unacceptable, the practice where Ghanaians only realised problems with land allocation during floods.
"When the floods come and people are affected, then we begin to question who sold which land and who bought it but once the floods go away these concerns die off," he stated.
"As part of our developmental agenda, when the harm is pointed out, we turn round and struggle for solutions while the Constitution has well defined answers to all such issues," he said, quoting Article 20 (10) (a) of the Constitution which states "the taking or possession or acquisition is necessary in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, town and country planning or the development or utilisation of property in such a manner as to promote the public benefit."
Justice Brobbey emphasised that "even if the developer has a building permit, the Constitution allows compulsory acquisition of the area in question for any of the reasons stated in the constitutional provisions quoted above. All that is required is to compulsorily acquire the water course."
He asked city and municipal councils to "take the bull by the horn and proceed to acquire the disputed water courses."
Relating freedom and justice to development, Justice Brobbey said these two provisions would not by themselves bring development to the country but create an enabling environment for better and faster development.
He said "the Constitution gives them the freedom to fight back or not in the event of a coup d’etat."
"When they exercise their freedom to fight back and they endure suffering or incur any loss, justice will be meted out to them by payment of adequate compensation," he said, noting that it was a Constitutional guarantee.
DR ANANE TO SUE Monday, 18 September 2006
Barring any constraints, lawyers of Dr. Richard Anane, Minister of Transportation will today file a suit at an Accra High Court to contest aspects of a ruling given by the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) which cited the minister for perjury and abuse of power and office.
These and other issues were to be the subject of a news conference supposed to be addressed by the Minister’s legal team but was called off yesterday.
Journalists who had thronged the Ghana International Press Centre for the event were told by Ken Anku, a consultant working with Dr. Anane’s legal team, that it could not come on. He explained: "Having examined the ruling without having a copy together with other serious setbacks, the legal counsel apologises sincerely that it will not be able to address the meeting".
In response to a question on how the team could be studying a ruling they did not have access to, Mr. Anku responded: "we took notes when it was being read and that is what we are relying on for now".
He declined to disclose the nature of the "serious setbacks" for which reason the news conference had to be called off and said that at the appropriate time the media and the general public will be given the necessary information.
Last Friday, CHRAJ recommended that Dr. Anane be relieved of his position as Minister of State "for bringing his power and office into disrepute".
He was also asked to apologise to the Appointments Committee of Parliament that vetted him before he was approved as the Minister of Transportation, for lying under oath.
The decisions were reached by the Commission after it had completed investigations into allegations of corruption, conflict of interest and abuse of power leveled against the Minister in his dealings with Ms. Alexandria O’Brien, an American.
Dr. Anane had admitted having an intimate relationship with Ms. O’Brien resulting in the birth of a child.
CHRAJ held that evidence gathered after 18 months of investigations comprising interviews of relevant witnesses and accusers, various documents and available information showed the Minister was guilty of two of the three allegations, namely abuse of power and conflict of interest but exonerated him on the third allegation of corruption.
GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATION: GOVT INVITES RAWLINGSFriday, 16 February 2007
THE government has formally invited ex-President, J. J. Rawlings to participate in the Golden Jubilee celebration.
Yesterday, some members of the Council of State, religious leaders and eminent persons, led by Professsor Daniel Adzei-Bekoe, chairman of the council, met with Flt-Lt. Rawlings at his Ridge residence in Accra to extend the invitation to him, on behalf of the government.
When the delegation emerged after three hours of closed-door discussions, it was not clear who was to tell the media the outcome of the meeting.
While Professor Adzei-Bekoe said it was up to the former President to say whether he would take part in the celebrations or not, Minority Leader Alban Bagbin, who sat through the meeting as a member of the ex-President’s team, said it was rather the delegation that would have to convey to the public, the outcome of the meeting and whether the former President had accepted the invitation or not.
Although he did not explain why the delegation was sent by the government to invite the ex-President, it is believed that the visit may have been prompted by speculations that the ex-President might not participate in the celebrations because of the cold relationship between him and the government.
Prof. Adzei-Bekoe told the over 20 journalists that had besieged the ex-President’s residence that the invitation to ex-President Rawlings was an open one and not limited to any particular event.
"We also took the opportunity to discuss a lot of other issues which we are taking to the government for further action," he said.
The ex-President was not at the briefing session because he was said to be at another meeting with some members of his team.
On his part, Mr. Bagbin described the meeting as "cordial and candid" adding that "there were a lot of frank exchanges, all in the interest of the nation."
He said the step taken by the government was appreciable but he thought it was unusual that such a high-powered delegation should be sent just to deliver an invitation to the ex-President.
"The delegation has taken note of our concerns which it is going to convey to the President and so we all await the outcome," he told the journalists.
The government’s delegation included Ms Ama Busia, Mrs. Cecilia Bannerman, Odeneho Gyapong Ababio, President of the National House of Chiefs, all members of the Council of State; Sheikh Nuhu Shaributu, National Chief Imam; Rev. Dr. Paul Fynn, President of the Christian Council of Ghana; Professor Miranda Greenstreet, former Director of the Institute of Adult Education and His Eminence Cardinal Peter Appiah Turkson, the Archbishop of Cape-Coast.
The former President’s team included Dr. Mary Grant and Mr. Harry Sawyerr, members of the Council of Elders of the National Democratic Congress (NDC); Prof. Evans Atta-Mills, flagbearer of the NDC; Mr.Edward Doe Adjaho, Deputy Minority Leader; Dr. Kwabena Adjei and Mr. Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah, Chairman and General Secretary of the NDC respectively, Mr. Tony Lithur, a legal adviser and Victor Smith, a special aide to the ex-President.
OF BREAST POUNDING AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE Thursday, 08 March 2007
When I first heard about the pounding and ironing of breasts, I thought it was the most absurd thing that could ever happen. Apparently, it is common practice in Cameroon where mothers pound and iron the developing breast of their daughters upon reaching puberty with hot objects to make them disappear.
The reason? Without any breast, the girls will be protected from the sexual advances of boys and men who see the development of a breast as the signature tune for sexual activity. It is also to prevent rape and early marriage.
Instruments used in pounding and ironing the breasts include grinding stones, wooden pestles used for pounding, heated bananas and heated coconut shells.
Reports : A BBC news report on the issue cited one lady who recounted how her mother warmed a pestle well in fire and then used it to open her breast while she lay down. After the pounding, “she took the back of the coconut, warmed it in the fire and used it to iron the breast”
A BBC news report on the issue cited one lady who recounted how her mother warmed a pestle well in fire and then used it to open her breast while she lay down. After the pounding, “she took the back of the coconut, warmed it in the fire and used it to iron the breast”
“I was crying and trembling to escape but there was no way” she told the BBC.
Interestingly, the mothers who carry out such acts find everything right with it. One mother conceded in the report that “breast ironing is not a new thing. I am happy I protected my daughter. I could not stand the thought of boys spoiling her with sex before she completed school”.
But is breast pounding and ironing the antidotes to preventing early sexual activity? I have seen a number of sexually active young girls who have nothing to show chest-wise.
It’s amazing that such acts are targeted at only young girls what about young boys who also practice early sexual activity. Must we pound their scrotal sacs for instance?
This for me is just one of those outmoded cultural practices that young girls, widows and women in general continue to suffer.
What happens to the breast tissues that are damaged in the process and are not allowed to grow normally? Is this form of abuse necessary? Although not much research has been carried out to know the health effects of the practice, it is believed that there could be possible side effects such as breast infections, abscesses, badly formed breasts or even breast cancer not to talk about the difficulties a victim of such a practice would go through during breastfeeding.
This, together with other known forms of gender-based violence has affected the smooth development of many women.
This reminds me of the painful era of female genital mutilation where young children or even matured women suffer the partial or total removal of the external part of the genitals.
Also known as female circumcision, FGM comes in about six different forms with the most common being the excision of the clitoris and labia minora.
Reasons cited for the performance of FGM could be cultural, religious or health but the fundamental reason is to reduce or eliminate the sensitive tissue-the outer part of the genitatria, particulary the clitoris so as to control the victim’s sexual desire, maintain chastity and virginity before marriage and ensure fidelity and increased male sexual pleasure in marriage.
FGM is widely practised in Africa and Ghana has only recently abolished the practice made it criminal.
Health-wise, FGM is performed because the external genitalia are considered dirty and unsightly and so its removal according to practitioners is to promote hygiene and provide aesthetic appeal.
Ironically, in spite of these health concerns, instruments used are generally crude and done without anesthetic application.
Figures: Current, WHO figures estimate that between 100 and 140 million girls and women have till date undergone FGM with another two million at risk of going through the practice. In Ghana, the practice of FGM was common in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions.
Current, WHO figures estimate that between 100 and 140 million girls and women have till date undergone FGM with another two million at risk of going through the practice. In Ghana, the practice of FGM was common in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions.
Trokosi: It took NGOs like International Needs to draw attention to the practice of ritual servitude or Trokosi in Ghana.
It took NGOs like International Needs to draw attention to the practice of ritual servitude or Trokosi in Ghana.
Practised mostly in the Volta Region a woman is made to serve as a trokosi (literally mean “the wife of the gods” and is a local ewe word)
According to history, the practice has lasted about 300 years. In it, if someone commits a serious crime, a young girl in that family is sent to the shrine on the orders of the traditional leaders as a form of attonement. It is also practised in parts of Benin, Togo and Nigeria.
During this atoning period, she serves the priest for between three to five years after which she could be redeemed. Apart from working for these priests without being paid and sometimes without food, the young girls also serve as sexual partners for the priests.
In 1998, Ghana’s parliament passed a law to ban all forms of ritualized forced labour and through the efforts of International Needs, Ghana, over 3,000 trokosi women and children have been liberated and given vocational training to learn skills such as soap and pomade making, baking, hairdressing and batik making.
In countries like Pakistan and India, family honour killings are also some of the abuses women undergo for being women. They are killed for not paying the right dowry to marry their husband or for many other reasons such as falling in love with someone the family does not approve of.
The United Nation estimate that every year, 5000 women fall victim to honour killings (The killing of a female member for perceived misuse of her sexuality)
A story is told in the Sindh Province of Pakistan of a young man who held of a 11-year old girl’s hand during a dance at a wedding reception. Although she quickly withdrew her hand, her male relatives saw the exchange and later killed her in the name of family honour.
There are other forms of gender based violence like forced marriages, sex selective abortions, dowry murders and physical battery.
Women themselves play key roles in the penetrating of such acts against their fellow women; it is important that they are made to know how harmful their actions are not only to the victims but also towards the fight to stop violence against women.
It is difficult convincing society that we are not our own enemies when they always see women in the forefront of executing such inhumane practice.
Gender based violence is bad enough and nobody must be made to suffer for being a particular sex. Voices must sound in one chorus to eliminate all forms of such violent acts.
Today, it maybe just some woman suffering such crude practices, but tomorrow it could be your sister, mother, wife or daughter. Stand up and let your voice be heard.
The reason? Without any breast, the girls will be protected from the sexual advances of boys and men who see the development of a breast as the signature tune for sexual activity. It is also to prevent rape and early marriage.
Instruments used in pounding and ironing the breasts include grinding stones, wooden pestles used for pounding, heated bananas and heated coconut shells.
Reports : A BBC news report on the issue cited one lady who recounted how her mother warmed a pestle well in fire and then used it to open her breast while she lay down. After the pounding, “she took the back of the coconut, warmed it in the fire and used it to iron the breast”
A BBC news report on the issue cited one lady who recounted how her mother warmed a pestle well in fire and then used it to open her breast while she lay down. After the pounding, “she took the back of the coconut, warmed it in the fire and used it to iron the breast”
“I was crying and trembling to escape but there was no way” she told the BBC.
Interestingly, the mothers who carry out such acts find everything right with it. One mother conceded in the report that “breast ironing is not a new thing. I am happy I protected my daughter. I could not stand the thought of boys spoiling her with sex before she completed school”.
But is breast pounding and ironing the antidotes to preventing early sexual activity? I have seen a number of sexually active young girls who have nothing to show chest-wise.
It’s amazing that such acts are targeted at only young girls what about young boys who also practice early sexual activity. Must we pound their scrotal sacs for instance?
This for me is just one of those outmoded cultural practices that young girls, widows and women in general continue to suffer.
What happens to the breast tissues that are damaged in the process and are not allowed to grow normally? Is this form of abuse necessary? Although not much research has been carried out to know the health effects of the practice, it is believed that there could be possible side effects such as breast infections, abscesses, badly formed breasts or even breast cancer not to talk about the difficulties a victim of such a practice would go through during breastfeeding.
This, together with other known forms of gender-based violence has affected the smooth development of many women.
This reminds me of the painful era of female genital mutilation where young children or even matured women suffer the partial or total removal of the external part of the genitals.
Also known as female circumcision, FGM comes in about six different forms with the most common being the excision of the clitoris and labia minora.
Reasons cited for the performance of FGM could be cultural, religious or health but the fundamental reason is to reduce or eliminate the sensitive tissue-the outer part of the genitatria, particulary the clitoris so as to control the victim’s sexual desire, maintain chastity and virginity before marriage and ensure fidelity and increased male sexual pleasure in marriage.
FGM is widely practised in Africa and Ghana has only recently abolished the practice made it criminal.
Health-wise, FGM is performed because the external genitalia are considered dirty and unsightly and so its removal according to practitioners is to promote hygiene and provide aesthetic appeal.
Ironically, in spite of these health concerns, instruments used are generally crude and done without anesthetic application.
Figures: Current, WHO figures estimate that between 100 and 140 million girls and women have till date undergone FGM with another two million at risk of going through the practice. In Ghana, the practice of FGM was common in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions.
Current, WHO figures estimate that between 100 and 140 million girls and women have till date undergone FGM with another two million at risk of going through the practice. In Ghana, the practice of FGM was common in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions.
Trokosi: It took NGOs like International Needs to draw attention to the practice of ritual servitude or Trokosi in Ghana.
It took NGOs like International Needs to draw attention to the practice of ritual servitude or Trokosi in Ghana.
Practised mostly in the Volta Region a woman is made to serve as a trokosi (literally mean “the wife of the gods” and is a local ewe word)
According to history, the practice has lasted about 300 years. In it, if someone commits a serious crime, a young girl in that family is sent to the shrine on the orders of the traditional leaders as a form of attonement. It is also practised in parts of Benin, Togo and Nigeria.
During this atoning period, she serves the priest for between three to five years after which she could be redeemed. Apart from working for these priests without being paid and sometimes without food, the young girls also serve as sexual partners for the priests.
In 1998, Ghana’s parliament passed a law to ban all forms of ritualized forced labour and through the efforts of International Needs, Ghana, over 3,000 trokosi women and children have been liberated and given vocational training to learn skills such as soap and pomade making, baking, hairdressing and batik making.
In countries like Pakistan and India, family honour killings are also some of the abuses women undergo for being women. They are killed for not paying the right dowry to marry their husband or for many other reasons such as falling in love with someone the family does not approve of.
The United Nation estimate that every year, 5000 women fall victim to honour killings (The killing of a female member for perceived misuse of her sexuality)
A story is told in the Sindh Province of Pakistan of a young man who held of a 11-year old girl’s hand during a dance at a wedding reception. Although she quickly withdrew her hand, her male relatives saw the exchange and later killed her in the name of family honour.
There are other forms of gender based violence like forced marriages, sex selective abortions, dowry murders and physical battery.
Women themselves play key roles in the penetrating of such acts against their fellow women; it is important that they are made to know how harmful their actions are not only to the victims but also towards the fight to stop violence against women.
It is difficult convincing society that we are not our own enemies when they always see women in the forefront of executing such inhumane practice.
Gender based violence is bad enough and nobody must be made to suffer for being a particular sex. Voices must sound in one chorus to eliminate all forms of such violent acts.
Today, it maybe just some woman suffering such crude practices, but tomorrow it could be your sister, mother, wife or daughter. Stand up and let your voice be heard.
How Ghana Fares In The 2006 Corruption Report Tuesday, 07 November 2006
Ghana has been ranked 70th on the list of 163 countries included in the 2006 Corruption Perception Index (CPI), a rating the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) interprets as a pointer that "Ghana is far from winning the fight against corruption".
Scoring 3.3 out of 10, it represents a drop from last year’s score of 3.5 and is also exactly the score the country obtained in 1999 and 2003.
This was made known at a news conference in Accra yesterday to launch this year’s Transparency International (T.I) CPI report by Linda Ofori-Kwafo, Acting Executive Secretary of the GII which is the local chapter of TI.
The CPI has been published annually by TI over the past 12 years and Ghana has been included in the Index for the last eight years. This year’s study increased the number of countries from 159 in 2005 to 163, this year.
Mrs. Kwafo noted that since Ghana was included in the index, 3.3 has been the lowest score and 3.9 the highest score in 2002 saying that as Ghanaians, "we should be concerned with Ghana’s 2006 CPI score because it authenticates the findings of local surveys conducted in Ghana in the year 2005".
She said "in fact this year’s CPI score of 3.3 takes Ghana back to its lowest point since its inclusion in TI’s annual corruption rankings and indicates clearly that the nation has retrogressed in the anti-corruption battle. It is also worth noting that Ghana has been stagnating at the bottom third position of the CPI for some time".
Putting the index in a continental and global perspective, she said almost three-quarters of the 163 countries surveyed in the 2006 index scored less than 5 out of the clean score of 10, an indication that most countries in the world faced serious perceived levels of domestic corruption.
The report, which was simultaneously launched at the TI’s Secretariat in Berlin, and around the world stated that in Africa, only two countries, Botswana and Mauritius, scored above five points, which is commonly seen as the threshold for serious corruption.
"Forty–five countries in Africa were included in this year’s index. Ghana ranked seventh from the top coming after countries like Botswana, Mauritius, South Africa, Tunisia, Namibia, Seychelles and Egypt", the report stated.
Proposing measures to reduce the perception of corruption, the GII recommended among other things that Cabinet should adopt the Right to Information Bill and lay it before Parliament for passage into law as it is long overdue in order to enhance transparency and accountability in public life.
It also called for reforms to the public office holder asset declaration regime to reflect international best practice and to make it effective as well as the speedy adoption and implementation of conflict of interest guidelines developed by CHRAJ in collaboration with the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition.
The CPI focuses mainly on corruption in the public sector, and defines corruption as the abuse of public office for private gain. The surveys used in compiling the CPI ask questions that relate to the misuse of public power for private benefit, with a focus, for example, on bribe taking by public officials in public procurement, or embezzlement of public funds.
Scoring 3.3 out of 10, it represents a drop from last year’s score of 3.5 and is also exactly the score the country obtained in 1999 and 2003.
This was made known at a news conference in Accra yesterday to launch this year’s Transparency International (T.I) CPI report by Linda Ofori-Kwafo, Acting Executive Secretary of the GII which is the local chapter of TI.
The CPI has been published annually by TI over the past 12 years and Ghana has been included in the Index for the last eight years. This year’s study increased the number of countries from 159 in 2005 to 163, this year.
Mrs. Kwafo noted that since Ghana was included in the index, 3.3 has been the lowest score and 3.9 the highest score in 2002 saying that as Ghanaians, "we should be concerned with Ghana’s 2006 CPI score because it authenticates the findings of local surveys conducted in Ghana in the year 2005".
She said "in fact this year’s CPI score of 3.3 takes Ghana back to its lowest point since its inclusion in TI’s annual corruption rankings and indicates clearly that the nation has retrogressed in the anti-corruption battle. It is also worth noting that Ghana has been stagnating at the bottom third position of the CPI for some time".
Putting the index in a continental and global perspective, she said almost three-quarters of the 163 countries surveyed in the 2006 index scored less than 5 out of the clean score of 10, an indication that most countries in the world faced serious perceived levels of domestic corruption.
The report, which was simultaneously launched at the TI’s Secretariat in Berlin, and around the world stated that in Africa, only two countries, Botswana and Mauritius, scored above five points, which is commonly seen as the threshold for serious corruption.
"Forty–five countries in Africa were included in this year’s index. Ghana ranked seventh from the top coming after countries like Botswana, Mauritius, South Africa, Tunisia, Namibia, Seychelles and Egypt", the report stated.
Proposing measures to reduce the perception of corruption, the GII recommended among other things that Cabinet should adopt the Right to Information Bill and lay it before Parliament for passage into law as it is long overdue in order to enhance transparency and accountability in public life.
It also called for reforms to the public office holder asset declaration regime to reflect international best practice and to make it effective as well as the speedy adoption and implementation of conflict of interest guidelines developed by CHRAJ in collaboration with the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition.
The CPI focuses mainly on corruption in the public sector, and defines corruption as the abuse of public office for private gain. The surveys used in compiling the CPI ask questions that relate to the misuse of public power for private benefit, with a focus, for example, on bribe taking by public officials in public procurement, or embezzlement of public funds.
The Brussels Showcase Saturday, 21 January 2006
IT was nothing but sheer joy and excitement when I received news that I had been nominated to attended a seminar being organised by the European Union headquarters in Brussels. The seminar was on "EU development policy on HIV/AIDS and poverty reduction".
The excitement was heightened when I learned that I was nominated from a group of six journalists who applied to participate in the seminar. And so two days after the official presentation ceremony, which was the first public function carried out by the new EU Head of Delegation in Ghana, Filiberto Ceriant Sebregondi, I left first for Malta where I was to attend another seminar organised by the Commonwealth Press Union.
At about 6 p.m. on December 4, I arrived in Brussels and quickly jumped into a taxi to check into the hotel hosting participants for the seminar.
As I left my room the next morning to get into the lift from my room on the third floor of the hotel, an African head popped out of the adjoining room and asked if I was attending the seminar to which I gave a quick response because I was simply dying to see someone African. He introduced himself as the Malawian participant and in no time we were talking like old friends.
At the hotel lobby sat two African ladies and the moment I heard, "are you guys cormin for the EU seminar" I knew that I was home — my Nigerian colleague already announcing her presence. With her was a beautiful young woman from Namibia.
So four African journalists ready to roll. We still had to wait another day before other colleagues from Zimbabwe, Uganda and Botswana joined us for the first part of the seminar which was only for the African journalists.
We used the European Journalism Centre (EJC) for most of our meetings. The Centre is nice and is used by journalists mostly covering the EU. It has several offices, an Internet café, a media centre for radio interviews and a restaurant.
The staff at the EJC were simply a delight to be with and were so helpful. Oscar who was the co-ordinator of programmes lined up for us was such fun to be with that we could always not wait to see him approaching the hotel’s lobby beaming with smiles to take us out for the day’s programme.
On the third day of the seminar, journalists from the new EU states joined us and it was amazing how we took to each other in a matter of minutes. They were from Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Cyprus, Malta, Lithuania and Slovenia.
The seminar itself was very educative and gave room for a lot of open and frank discussions between participants and European Commission officials who showed a lot of openness and discussed topics dispassionately.
Apart from the official work, we shared a lot of time together jumping on trains and going to see what was happening in town. Sometimes we missed our destinations and had to re-connect trains and we had a lot of fun.
Overall, the seminar will be remembered for one thing- the collaboration between African and European journalists was gratifying. It was a good learning experience. It was therefore not surprising that before we left Brussels, John who represented Cyprus gave us a treat at a pub where we ‘cooled off’ late into the night and although some of us were visibly struggling to stay awake, it was time well spent and shared.
Brussels was a trip well enjoyed and thanks to the EU delegation in Ghana which made it possible for me to experience another European showcase.
The excitement was heightened when I learned that I was nominated from a group of six journalists who applied to participate in the seminar. And so two days after the official presentation ceremony, which was the first public function carried out by the new EU Head of Delegation in Ghana, Filiberto Ceriant Sebregondi, I left first for Malta where I was to attend another seminar organised by the Commonwealth Press Union.
At about 6 p.m. on December 4, I arrived in Brussels and quickly jumped into a taxi to check into the hotel hosting participants for the seminar.
As I left my room the next morning to get into the lift from my room on the third floor of the hotel, an African head popped out of the adjoining room and asked if I was attending the seminar to which I gave a quick response because I was simply dying to see someone African. He introduced himself as the Malawian participant and in no time we were talking like old friends.
At the hotel lobby sat two African ladies and the moment I heard, "are you guys cormin for the EU seminar" I knew that I was home — my Nigerian colleague already announcing her presence. With her was a beautiful young woman from Namibia.
So four African journalists ready to roll. We still had to wait another day before other colleagues from Zimbabwe, Uganda and Botswana joined us for the first part of the seminar which was only for the African journalists.
We used the European Journalism Centre (EJC) for most of our meetings. The Centre is nice and is used by journalists mostly covering the EU. It has several offices, an Internet café, a media centre for radio interviews and a restaurant.
The staff at the EJC were simply a delight to be with and were so helpful. Oscar who was the co-ordinator of programmes lined up for us was such fun to be with that we could always not wait to see him approaching the hotel’s lobby beaming with smiles to take us out for the day’s programme.
On the third day of the seminar, journalists from the new EU states joined us and it was amazing how we took to each other in a matter of minutes. They were from Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Cyprus, Malta, Lithuania and Slovenia.
The seminar itself was very educative and gave room for a lot of open and frank discussions between participants and European Commission officials who showed a lot of openness and discussed topics dispassionately.
Apart from the official work, we shared a lot of time together jumping on trains and going to see what was happening in town. Sometimes we missed our destinations and had to re-connect trains and we had a lot of fun.
Overall, the seminar will be remembered for one thing- the collaboration between African and European journalists was gratifying. It was a good learning experience. It was therefore not surprising that before we left Brussels, John who represented Cyprus gave us a treat at a pub where we ‘cooled off’ late into the night and although some of us were visibly struggling to stay awake, it was time well spent and shared.
Brussels was a trip well enjoyed and thanks to the EU delegation in Ghana which made it possible for me to experience another European showcase.
2 Arrested For Admission Fraud At Legon Wednesday, 30 August 2006
The Legon Police on Monday arrested two workers of the University of Ghana who allegedly took a bribe of ¢24 million from five students to secure them admissions in 2004.
George Asante and William Donkor, accounts officers of the university’s procurement office and law faculty, respectively, were arrested after a former worker of the university had reported the matter to the police.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Michael Teku, Legon District Police Commander, told the Times yesterday that a third suspect, Ben Anim, who was working with the Human Resource Department and believed to be the "Connection man", is on the run.
DSP Teku said Asante and Donkor were said to have promised to arrange admissions for students who failed to make the minimum entry requirement for the university.
The students were asked to pay ¢5 million each but one student could pay only ¢4 million, he said.
Asante allegedly admitted collecting ¢8.5 million and Donkor, ¢5 million but according to DSP Teku, both claimed that they handed over the money to Anim who was to provide the admission letters.
The two suspects have been granted police enquiry bail and are required to report to the police everyday until investigations are completed.
George Asante and William Donkor, accounts officers of the university’s procurement office and law faculty, respectively, were arrested after a former worker of the university had reported the matter to the police.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Michael Teku, Legon District Police Commander, told the Times yesterday that a third suspect, Ben Anim, who was working with the Human Resource Department and believed to be the "Connection man", is on the run.
DSP Teku said Asante and Donkor were said to have promised to arrange admissions for students who failed to make the minimum entry requirement for the university.
The students were asked to pay ¢5 million each but one student could pay only ¢4 million, he said.
Asante allegedly admitted collecting ¢8.5 million and Donkor, ¢5 million but according to DSP Teku, both claimed that they handed over the money to Anim who was to provide the admission letters.
The two suspects have been granted police enquiry bail and are required to report to the police everyday until investigations are completed.
Xmas shopping gathers momentumWednesday, 22 December 1999
With only three days to Christmas, business activities, particularly in Accra seem to be picking up although they fall short of the expectations of both sellers and buyers.Clothes sellers and traders who were disappointed from the beginning of December following the low patronage of their wares are now having a field day since buyers are now patronising the goods.Visits to the Central Business district of Accra revealed that items highly patronised on the market are children and ladies wear which include clothes, dresses and shoes despite increases in their prices.There is also a heavy vehicular traffic congestion in all parts of Accra as people from all walks of life besiege the city centre to do their last minute shopping.The crowd in the city centre, particularly in front of the Ghana National Fire Service Station was so large that it slowed down traffic to a snail?s pace as many of the traders conduct brisk business on the streets and pavements. A source close to the Accra Railway Police Station indicated that the rate of pick pocketing has reduced drastically due to the presence of police
PRESIDENT KUFUOR HEADS A.U.
Forty-two years after Ghana last chaired the then Organisation of African Unity, now African Union, the assembly of the Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, yesterday unanimously voted President J.A. Kufuor as the new chairman.He takes over from President Denis Sassou-Nguesso of the Republic of Congo in what observers describe as a continental kick-off to Ghana’s 50th anniversary celebration.
The rotational chairmanship is for a year. With his election, the President will spend the first of his last two years in office as Ghana’s President and also chairing the Union.
Ghana’s election was as a result of the widespread rejection of Sudan’s President, Omar al-Bashir, as chair because of the Darfur crisis.
It started in 2003 after a rebel group resorted to attacking government targets accusing it of oppressing black Africans and favouring Arabs.
So far, some 200,000 people have reportedly died and more than two million have fled their homes.
Mr. Bashir was originally billed to assume the AU chairmanship last year but that had to be postponed for the same reason.
The AU’s top diplomat, Alpha Oumar Konare, was yesterday quoted by the Reuters News Agency as saying: "By consensus, it is President Kufuor," adding that Sudan supported the decision.
The Ordinary Session of the Eighth Summit of the union also elected bureaus of the assembly, the Executive Council and the Drafting Committee.
The two-day Ordinary Session ends today. Its agenda was "Climate Change in Africa, and Science, Technology and Scientific Research for Development." It was also to discuss issues about the AU’s military mission to Darfur and the recent unrest in Guinea.President Kufuor will also present the first annual report on the implementation of Ghana’s Programme of action under the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in the margins of the summit.
Before the election of the new chairman, the summit declared this year the International Year of African Football.
President Kufuor’s election yesterday, according to some observers, was an indication that his work at the sub-regional level was highly satisfactory having served as the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States for two terms, in 2003 and 2004.
Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, chaired the OAU from October 1965 to February 1966 with Lieutenant General Joseph Ankrah taking over from February 1966 to November 1966.
The rotational chairmanship is for a year. With his election, the President will spend the first of his last two years in office as Ghana’s President and also chairing the Union.
Ghana’s election was as a result of the widespread rejection of Sudan’s President, Omar al-Bashir, as chair because of the Darfur crisis.
It started in 2003 after a rebel group resorted to attacking government targets accusing it of oppressing black Africans and favouring Arabs.
So far, some 200,000 people have reportedly died and more than two million have fled their homes.
Mr. Bashir was originally billed to assume the AU chairmanship last year but that had to be postponed for the same reason.
The AU’s top diplomat, Alpha Oumar Konare, was yesterday quoted by the Reuters News Agency as saying: "By consensus, it is President Kufuor," adding that Sudan supported the decision.
The Ordinary Session of the Eighth Summit of the union also elected bureaus of the assembly, the Executive Council and the Drafting Committee.
The two-day Ordinary Session ends today. Its agenda was "Climate Change in Africa, and Science, Technology and Scientific Research for Development." It was also to discuss issues about the AU’s military mission to Darfur and the recent unrest in Guinea.President Kufuor will also present the first annual report on the implementation of Ghana’s Programme of action under the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in the margins of the summit.
Before the election of the new chairman, the summit declared this year the International Year of African Football.
President Kufuor’s election yesterday, according to some observers, was an indication that his work at the sub-regional level was highly satisfactory having served as the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States for two terms, in 2003 and 2004.
Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, chaired the OAU from October 1965 to February 1966 with Lieutenant General Joseph Ankrah taking over from February 1966 to November 1966.
Streamline Port Charges - Importers Wednesday, 31 January 2007
CAR importers have called on the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and a private shore-handling operator at the Tema port, Safebond Company Limited (SCL), to streamline their operations so that charges paid are not duplicated.
At an open forum for importers, exporters, freight forwarders and other clients to share their concerns with management of the company at Tema on Friday, the representatives complained for instance about the payment of transfer rates to both the GPHA and the SCL for the same car.
The forum was also to help the company get a firsthand feedback from its clients to access its work done so far in the area of shore handling.
The clients also complained about the number of security checks they go through during the clearance of their cargo, delays in the clearance of goods and the number of inspection officers they have to deal with before they are finally allowed to clear their cargo.
Abrantie Sailor, a clearing agent said the company’s refusal to allow agents handling imported vehicles and the owners into the car terminal was not right.
"How do you expect people who have been sent cars to travel all the way from different parts of the country to the Tema port and not be allowed to see their cars? Is it fair?" he asked.
Another agent, K. Maclean asked the company to take a second look at the period before which rent is charged on vehicles and the quantum of transfer charges paid on vehicles.
Responding to questions, Stephen Amo, Finance Manager of SCL explained that all port charges imposed by the company were approved by the GPHA.
"We do not charge anything outside what the GPHA has approved and given its nod to", he said.
He said the increment in the amount that is paid eventually is a result of the number of days the cars are allowed to stay at the car terminal.
"Clearing agents should help their clients to reap maximum benefits at less cost by making the appropriate arrangements to reduce the time and money spent during the processing period," he said.
Kwaw Anyimiah, a principal collector of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service at the Customs Long Room reminded the company’s clients that the law covering rent charges on cargo at the ports has not been changed and asked them to always operate within the confines of the law so that the government revenue generated from their operations fall in line with what is expected.
At an open forum for importers, exporters, freight forwarders and other clients to share their concerns with management of the company at Tema on Friday, the representatives complained for instance about the payment of transfer rates to both the GPHA and the SCL for the same car.
The forum was also to help the company get a firsthand feedback from its clients to access its work done so far in the area of shore handling.
The clients also complained about the number of security checks they go through during the clearance of their cargo, delays in the clearance of goods and the number of inspection officers they have to deal with before they are finally allowed to clear their cargo.
Abrantie Sailor, a clearing agent said the company’s refusal to allow agents handling imported vehicles and the owners into the car terminal was not right.
"How do you expect people who have been sent cars to travel all the way from different parts of the country to the Tema port and not be allowed to see their cars? Is it fair?" he asked.
Another agent, K. Maclean asked the company to take a second look at the period before which rent is charged on vehicles and the quantum of transfer charges paid on vehicles.
Responding to questions, Stephen Amo, Finance Manager of SCL explained that all port charges imposed by the company were approved by the GPHA.
"We do not charge anything outside what the GPHA has approved and given its nod to", he said.
He said the increment in the amount that is paid eventually is a result of the number of days the cars are allowed to stay at the car terminal.
"Clearing agents should help their clients to reap maximum benefits at less cost by making the appropriate arrangements to reduce the time and money spent during the processing period," he said.
Kwaw Anyimiah, a principal collector of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service at the Customs Long Room reminded the company’s clients that the law covering rent charges on cargo at the ports has not been changed and asked them to always operate within the confines of the law so that the government revenue generated from their operations fall in line with what is expected.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
