Ocquaye ‘Meets The Volta’

From Stephen K.Effah, Sogakope
Friday, 14 September 2007

A Presidential Aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Professor Mike Ocquaye, on Wednesday held the first in the series of regional forums with party faithful at Sogakope in the Volta Region, describing it as a prelude to the formal launch of his bid.

The meeting dubbed: "Meet the Volta" was aimed at discussing with the people the various programmes and policies he intends to implement if elected as the President of Ghana.

Prof. Ocquaye said should he become the President, he would embark on a green revolution by adopting the Asian model of agriculture through the use of simple tools and implements for production, and the creation of mass ordinary producers whose net produce will be equivalent to large plantation production levels.

He said grain production in the country would be given a boost, noting that corn will be grown throughout the year with simple irrigation techniques.
"We are going to grow corn bountifully to eliminate hunger and bring up a new generation of children who will eat an egg a day," he said.

He said a Grain Marketing Board would be established to purchase grains at guaranteed price to encourage farmers to store and market their grain production.

On education, the former Minister of Communications said his government would decentralised it by empowering district assemblies to take centre stage, adding that education budget will also be decentralised as originally perceived in PNDCL 207.

He said his educational programmes would encourage part time education to enable those who are not in formal education to improve themselves, saying "every district shall have adult night school/college to serve as the focal point for part-time, continuing education."

He underscored the importance of Information Technology and Mathematics education which he said is very key to the country’s development.

The former political science lecturer, said his government will re-orient its approach to private sector development and design appropriate measures tailored to the national agenda and goals.

In the health sector, he indicated his intention to tackle environmental and sanitation problems facing the country which has resulted in the outbreak of diseases, and among other things reintroduce ‘town-council’ inspectors of the colonial times."

He said he would encourage environmental hygiene, introduce more preventive methods and intensify research to help the sector be on top of all diseases.

Professor Ocquaye, who is also a lawyer, said that law and order will be a hallmark of his government, noting that the "spate of vehicular accidents, the needless disorder in public places, recent incidents of drug trafficking and the high incidence of trafficking would all be stamped-out of the country."

Touching on the media landscape, he said that the internal self regulatory mechanism of the media as a respectable institution would be re-examined to empower it to discipline its members without external interference.

That, he explained, would help maintain high journalistic standards.
On the party front, he said if elected as the party’s presidential candidate, he will work to "build it stronger and stronger in the interest of the party and Ghana as a whole."

Prof. Ocquaye who is the Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya said if elected as the presidential candidate of the party, he will operate under the policy "Party in Partnership with Government."

Ghana, Spain Strenthen Ties

By Stephen Kwabena Effah
Friday, 07 September 2007

The Spanish government is in discussions with the Ghana government over how Ghanaian workers can be organised for legal employment in Spain as a means of checking illegal migration to Spain.

This is the first time Ghana is organising labour for Spain, and a memorandum of understanding is to be signed by the two countries.

Jesus Caldera Sanchez-Capitan, Spanish Labour and Social Affairs Minister, said that a total of 8,000 out of the 10,000 Ghanaians legally resident in Spain are employed in various sectors of the economy.

He said that the Spanish government would ensure that Spanish employers and companies employ the Ghanaians who will have the opportunity to be part of the recruitment when the programme starts.

Mr. Sanchez-Capitan said this when he called on the Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment, Nana Akomea yesterday, to brief him on the programme.

The Spanish Minister who is in the country to strengthen cooperation between Spain and Ghana said his government has also agreed to finance the improvement of all the 38 national vocational training schools in the country, and offer scholarships to people to further their education both in and out of the country.

He said the Spanish Ambassador in Ghana has been tasked to liaise with the head of national vocational training schools to work out the modalities to determine how much it would cost.

He said that there is the need to train Ghanaians to be able to have the requisite skills so that they can get good jobs when they get to Spain.

Nana Akomea lauded the Spanish government for the support to Ghana which he said would go a long way to help a lot of the country’s youth.

He said Ghana and Spain will soon sign an agreement on how the recruitment for Spain will be done, noting that there is already a draft agreement in place.

Illegal migration to Spain on the high seas involving African youth is a major problem as it endangers their lives, he said.

He underscored the long standing support by the Spanish government, which has enabled Ghana to develop its tourism industry.

He called on the Spanish government for more and stronger social and economic cooperation between the two countries, adding that if Ghanaians remain poor, they will still be leaving the country for greener pastures.

Mr.Stephen B. Amponsah, Head of the National Vocational Training Schools, commended Spain for its initiative to support Ghana’s vocational training schools, saying this would help the schools to take up the challenge of JSS graduates who are unable to enter SSS and offer them the opportunity to be trained.

He said that the curricula of the vocational training schools would be redeveloped to meet contemporary demands which make entrepreneurship central in vocational training.

That, he said, would give vocational training a new focus to impact on those who pass through it.

The Spanish Minister also called on the President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Castle on Wednesday.

National Orientation Programme Launched

By Stephen Kwabena Effah
Friday, 24 August 2007

VICE-President Aliu Mahama on Wednesday unveiled two mascots in Accra to launch a national orientation campaign aimed at helping to achieve a defined national mission.

The mascots in wooden carvings, portray a man and a woman dressed in Kente kaba for the women and cloth in the national colours for the man.

The campaign, based on five principles, is under the auspices of the Ministry of Information and National Orientation and is intended to provide a direction for Ghanaians in a bid to build a better Ghana.

The principles are: “Proud to be Ghanaian”, “Patriotism and a Spirit of Ghana First”, “Can Do Attitude”, “Productivity and Accountability” and Dedication and Discipline” and the ministry has identified symposiums, seminars, regulation and legislation, animation, street theartres, dramas and documentaries among others forms of medium to propagate them.

Mrs. Oboshie Sai-Cofie, the sector minister described national orientation as “a process of transforming and formulating a culture that challenges each Ghanaian to do his or her best for himself/herself and for his/her country”

“The ministry does not view it as an ethical prescription to be memorised and recited at the click of a finger,” she said, explaining that at the core of national orientation is behaviour change which is not only a superficial change of attitude but a wholesome adoption of a different set of values and behaviours in order to re-order the directions of our lives.”

National Orientation, she noted is not a prescription for how Ghanaians must lead their lives nor a top-down command coming from the president or the government to the people.

It is a dynamic and evolving programme that would be strengthened by the input that it is expected to receive from every section of the country, adding that it calls for a collective effort of the citizenry to see it as their own and be part of it.

Mrs.Sai –Cofie said that Ghana already has cultures, unchanging and unchangeable ethical and moral precepts that the people believe, noting that the country’s traditions, cultures and institutions have helped to mould Ghanaians.

She stressed the need for Ghanaians to learn to focus on and respect the symbols that unite them as a nation, saying that the national flag, the national anthem, the coat of arms, national pledge and the national currency should be given their importance.

“In our everyday life, we should be courteous to one another. We should respect time and its value. We should learn to take pride in local dress and cuisine” she advised.

Mrs.Sai-Cofie said the kind of Ghanaian that is envisaged is one who holds dear, his or her positive cultural and traditional values, adding “We should also be identified by the food that we eat”

She pointed out that no one other than Ghanaians would make Ghana a better place; “once this concept is ingrained in our belief system, the national orientation process of believing in and dying a little for Ghana will be self- fulfilling”.

The youth of the country she said, are becoming alienated from their traditions and culture and are rather increasingly embracing foreign cultures as portrayed in their mode of dressing, exposure to foreign films and their attitude to elders.

She advised parents, teachers and all who share responsibility for the upbringing of the youth to endeavour to insulate them from negative habits and culture and inculcate in them the proper sense of discipline and decorum.

Ghanaians need to be imbued with the kind of national euphoria that gripped the nation when the Black Stars participated in the world cup in Germany last year, she stressed.

“We should therefore not allow divisive tendencies such as ethnicity, chieftaincy disputes and partisan politics, prevent us from realising the importance of putting our country first”.

Birth Certs Issuance To Be Automated

By Stephen Kwabena Effah
Friday, 24 August 2007

The Births and Deaths Registry will start the issuance of electronically-generated birth and deaths certificates this year, says Awudu Yermiah, Deputy Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment.

The automation of the registration system, to issue electronic certificates with enhanced security features, is aimed at eliminating the influx of fraudulent registration documents in the system.

Speaking at the launch of the fourth Birth and Death Registration Day in Accra yesterday, Mr.Yermiah said the move also seeks to generate a database of registered events that would facilitate information sharing between the registry and other agencies.

The day is set aside to create awareness among the public about the need to build and sustain a viable civil registration system in the country. A national durbar to start the celebration will be held at Kpetoe in the Volta Region on September1.

This year’s celebration is on the theme: “Universal Births and Deaths Registration-Key to achieving Ghana’s Millennium Development Goals.”

Mr. Yermiah said that several social and civil rights of the individual, especially those of the child are dependent on the registration of births, from the start of life.

“The failure of the parent to fulfil their responsibility on the child’s behalf leads to the child’s existence not being officially recognised and thus overlooked in social development planning,” he said.

He said such children are not considered when essential policy and budget decisions are made and therefore are denied several privileges legitimately due them.

On deaths registration, he expressed concern about the reluctance on the part of family members to register the death of their relatives.

“Non registration of deaths and the indiscriminate interment of human bodies is a practice that should be discouraged and checked with the force of legislation available to us,” he said and explained that not only does that contribute to the loss of information on deaths but also has a serious effect on health and issues affecting the environment.

He therefore urged the various districts assemblies to ensure that all burial grounds, whether private or public, are registered and controlled in order to check these shortfalls.

Mr. Yermia said vital registration data remains an indispensable tool for national development planning and policy formulation and it is therefore unacceptable that such a registration system in Ghana is performing below expectation.

He said during the third Births and Deaths Registration Day launched last year, it was noted that births registration coverage had improved from 51 per cent to 67 per cent, though death registration coverage was still around 24 per cent.

He said expectations were that the situation would improve further but unfortunately, it slipped to 54 per cent coverage for births and 23 per cent for deaths due to lack of registration centres, adequate logistics, and motivational packages for volunteers.

The deputy minister said the ministry is considering the possibility of enlisting volunteers of the National Youth Employment Programme to undertake the registration this year while efforts are being made to address the other constraints.

He urged Ghanaians to report births and deaths that occur in their communities for registration in order to guarantee civic rights and relevant demographic parameters for national development.

GO BEYOND TRADITION - Palmer Buckle Tells Media

By Stephen Kwabena Effah
Monday, 20 August 2007

THE Most Rev.Charles Palmer-Buckle, Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Accra, on Saturday prescribed a new set of duties for the Ghanaian media: "to form, in-form and trans-form" the Ghanaian Society.

Addressing the 12th Ghana Journalists Awards Night in Accra on the theme: "Ghana @ 50: Safeguarding democracy through the media", he urged the media to go beyond their conventional role of informing, educating and entertaining in consonance with contemporary challenges and future trends.

"The duty of the media today is to form, in-form, and trans-form the individual as well as the Ghanaian society. It is the duty of the media in my opinion to aid all other state, public and private institutions to form, inform and transform our human capital into Ghana, a nation of Freedom and Justice," he said.

He explained that, although the duty of the media is to inform, educate and entertain, a casual look at the media landscape “make you question the veracity of this truism.”

He wondered whether the Ghanaian media is really educating, informing and entertaining its readers, listeners or viewers, adding that if so, “good or bad news?

Archbishop Palmer-Buckle therefore urged the media to aid all other institutions to form, inform and transform the human capital of the country.

He advised the media to “help form especially our children and youth, not to deform them”, adding whatever is put out to the public should “help form, mould the character and personality of the child, the student and the young ones”

“It is our responsibility to make sure that whatever goes for media consumption is wholesome and will give strength of character to our children, our youth and to society as a whole”

As Ghana ends its 50th anniversary, he said the media should help transform the image of the country and the image the Ghanaian has for his fellow Ghanaian.

“It is quite painful to see how Ghanaians seem to have rather very little self-worth and confidence, and turn to run everything Ghanaian down for anything foreign,” he pointed out

Archbishop Palmer Buckle tasked the country’s media to bring about a true democracy that engenders the total well-being of all Ghanaians, especially the oppressed and marginalised.

He said: “By your choice of vocation or profession in the media, God puts into your grasp a very powerful tool, which is the word,” to bring development to the people.

He urged media practitioners never to take lightly their onerous responsibility, saying “you wield an instrument that is very powerful, creative, active and even dangerously deadly.”

Rev.Palmer-Buckle, whose address was mainly based on the Biblical perspective, asked journalists in the country to see themselves as “prophets”, saying “you are indeed like the prophets of the old, who gave voice to God so that his word could reach those to whom it was destined.”

He underscored the need for journalists to reflect on their profession and carry the good news to liberate the oppressed, set captives free, as well as bring hope to the poor.

As the fourth estate of the realm, he said, media practitioners are expected to be the conscience of the nation, the watchman that the Lord God has placed on the watchover of Ghana to watch over the citizens of the nation.

“The media practitioner in Ghana today must be a person who is guided by nobility and the quest for virtue, particularly, by the supreme good of the people to whom he or she has been sent,” he advised.

The media, he indicated, has the responsibility to ensure that whatever goes out for public consumption is wholesome and criticised the media for the prominence it has given to vice and crime in the country recently, saying “evil is very loud, but good, because it is normal and natural, it makes no news, no headlines”

“Sometimes, when I read some of the banner headlines of our dailies, like some two months ago, when it was all murder, cocaine, accidents, armed robbery, violence among chieftaincy factions,etc,I just asked myself, is it that really good image projection for the nation,? he said.

He urged journalists “not to teach vice inadvertently to our children and youth”, pointing out that too many bad news headlines about Ghana lead to discouraging fellow citizens, especially the young ones.

Archbishop Palmer-Buckle also asked the media to be circumspect with sensationalism and rather be more concerned about the “pusillanimous” spirits in society.

“It is our duty to weigh the ultimate result and impact of our publications vis-à-vis the greater good of the persons, the institutions and the nation at large in deciding what to inform the public with in our media presentations,” he said

GJA Shortlists Award Winners

By Stephen K.Effah & Joyce Magan
Thursday, 16 August 2007

The Ghana Journalists Association yesterday announced a short-list of 10 journalists in both the print and electronic media as the award winners for its 12th Awards Night scheduled for this Saturday.

For the print media: William Asiedu of the Graphic Showbiz, Edmund Kofi Yeboah, Emmanuel Kojo Kwarteng, Kofi Akordor, all of the Daily Graphic, Anas Aremeyaw Anas of the Crusading Guide and John Vigah of the Ghanaian Times.

Peggy Ama Don-kor and Clare Ba-noeng-Yakubu both of the Ghana Television and Nana Aba Ana-moah of TV3 were shortlisted for the awards under the TV category, while Matilda Asante of Joy F.M. was the sole journalist shortlisted for the Radio category.

Announcing the winners in Accra, the Chairman of the Awards Committee, Kweku Rockson, said a total of 205 entries were received for the various categories, and described the selection process as "very tough" as the committee received some 2005 articles.

He said an objective approach was designed by the committee to assess all the entries received by creating an evaluation form for each of the committee members.

He said the criteria under which the committee awarded points were based on accuracy, balance, impact, background, ethical standard and language presentation.

He noted that clarity of voice, picture and sound quality, and technical issues including speeds and tracking were applied to radio and TV entries.

"For all categories, each entry was subjected to an in-depth scrutiny in order to determine whether it met the stipulated requirements," he indicated.

Mr.Rockson pointed out that the committee took no consideration of the fact that this year is the country’s Golden Jubilee, saying "much was expected of the entrants in celebration and recognition of the immense contributions of the mass media and of journalists to this country over the years."

NGOs To Evaluate Development In North

By Stephen K. Effah
Wednesday, 15 August 2007

Anational conference of civil society and non-governmental organisations is to be held in Accra in October to brainstorm and evaluate development investments in the three northern regions.

The conference will also discuss whether the three regions are getting the right support or not, or misappropriating funds received, or don’t have the right local commitment.

To be convened by Northern Ghana Aid, an NGO, the conference will be backed by a working group of professionals and experts who would use their expertise to support rapid poverty reduction in the three regions.

Mustapha Sanah, Executive Chairman of Northern Ghana Aid, said this when he called on the Managing Director of the New Times Corporation (NTC), Kofi Asuman, in Accra last Friday to present a copy of a blueprint to him ahead of the conference. The NTC publishes The Ghanaian Times, The Spectator and The Sporting Times.

The blueprint, developed by Northern Ghana Aid aims to set up the right strategies to help the development of the three regions through poverty reduction.

Mr. Sanah indicated that although a lot of money has gone to the three regions, the impact is minimal noting that even the people in the regions are skeptical about the fact that so much money has been pumped into the area.

He said that the poverty situation there continued to be serious and has been a major contributor to the migration of many northerners to the south.

He said the poverty situation should be seen as a "national crisis," and be treated as such.
He said his organisation has plans to institute a Northern Ghana Millennium Fund to support local initiatives in a renewed attempt to reduce poverty.

Mr.Sanah noted that although chiefs, the local assembly and unit committee members among others have good ideas, funding to implement those ideas has always been a constraint, adding that the three regions, Upper East, Upper West and Northern regions, have a huge agricultural potential to feed the whole country should the sector be given the required investment.

He commended the Ghanaian Times for the good work it is doing through its publication on developmental issues.

Mr. Asuman expressed worry about the situation in the north noting that in spite of the great number of NGOs there development still lags behind.

Armed men vandalise village

From Stephen Kwabena Effah,Doboro
Monday, 23 July 2007

A group of armed men, numbering about 30 in the early hours of yesterday(Sunday) allegedly raided Doboro, a village near Nsawam in the Eastern Region causing mayhem and destroying property for a reason that was not immediately clear.

For about 20 minutes, the group which wielded guns and cutlasses took charge of the township as people ran helter- skelter and others hid in their rooms.The attack took place at the chief’s palace area where the group fired indiscriminately and inflicted cutlass wounds on eight people.

They also reportedly destroyed property worth millions of cedis among which were two mini buses one of which is said to belong to the acting chief, Nana Affum.

Other items destroyed were three kiosks and electronic equipment, plastic chairs and a guitar belonging to the Divine Healers Church which was then holding a crusade.

It is unknown where the group came from but it is alleged that they were hired by the ex-chief, Nii Duodu Akowua, also known as Daniel Akowua who was destooled eight years ago.

He has since been arrested by the Nsawam Police to assist in investigations.

Before the operation, the group reportedly shot at the main electricity wires disrupting power supply to the town.

A visit to the town yesterday at 2: 20 pm however revealed calm had been restored but without the presence of the police.The youth had mounted a barrier just about five meters away from the chief’s palace.

Many buildings spotted bullet riddled doors, roofs and windows.

Energy C’ssion To Distribute Free Bulbs

By Stephen Kwabena Effah
Saturday, 07 July 2007

The Ghana Energy Commission will from Monday, start distributing the first consignment of energy-saving bulbs imported by the government, to residents in Accra.

Consequently, it is securing vehicles from the Volta River Authority and personnel from the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) for the exercise which was primarily necessitated by the current energy crisis in the country.

Isaac Mintah, Head of Public affairs of the commission, told the Times yesterday that the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service and the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service have been supplied with the bulbs.

He explained that the exercise started with those state apparatus because their utility bills are borne by government.

He said personnel from the NYEP under the supervision of officers of the commission would move from house-to-house in the metropolis to exchange energy saving bulbs with incandescent ones.

Mr. Mintah said one million of the energy-saving bulbs had so far been delivered in the country, noting that a total of six million of such bulbs were expected.

The distribution, he said, would be extended to other parts of the country when the next batch of the bulbs arrived.

He said the exercise would be carried out with a public education on the need to conserve energy, explaining that compact fluorescent lamps are six times more efficient than the incandescent bulbs.

He also told the Times that officers from the commission were going round inspecting electrical appliances which had no quality control labels, stating that
appliances without such labels would be confiscated and destroyed.

2 Found Dead At Printing Press

By Stephen K.Effah
Tuesday, 26 June 2007

Two people were found dead in the early hours of yesterday in a commercial printing house near the Kotobabi Police Station, where they were working throughout the night reportedly to meet a deadline.

Henry Laryea, 30, and Joseph Asrah, 25, are suspected to have died from suffocation caused by fumes from a power generator they had placed in the room.

The room had no openings for ventilation, apart from the front and back doors.When the Times got to the scene yesterday at about 11:30 am, the police were conveying the bodies wrapped in blue body bags to the Police Hospital.

For about two hours, there was a traffic jam on the Abavana-Kotobabi road as onlookers thronged the area to catch a glimpse of the dead bodies.

An eyewitness, Eric Martey, told the Times that the two people started work at about 1 pm on Sunday and around 6pm, they switched on a power generator when power supply from the national grid went out as a result of the load shedding.

However, 10: 15pm, the two people moved the generator, which was outside, to the room and locked themselves up while they were printing.

Mr.Martey said that the owner of the store only opened the door yesterday morning to find the two workers dead.

Briefing the Times later, DSP Edward Faakye-Kumi,Kotobabi District Police Commander, said that the Laryea and Asrah were working together with the owner of the printing press, Augusta Yeboah, until 10 pm last Sunday when she left them for home.

He said the two, who apparently had a deadline to meet, decided to work overnight and fearing that their power generator may be stolen, moved it to the main compound of the house.

According to Mr. Faakye-Kumi, at about 11 pm when the owner got home, she called the office and Laryea told her that the generator was taken to the compound of the house but the landlord had complained that it was making noise.

As a result, they moved it to the printing room, covered it with a box and locked the main door, leaving the back door to the store room.

Ms.Yeboah is said to have asked the two to stop the printing and concentrate on clipping the photocopies they had made, after she had been told by Laryea that the generator had overheated.

Mr Faakye-Kumi said Ms.Yeboah came to open the store yesterday morning, only to encounter a smoke-filled room with the lights switched on and the generator running.

Asrah was found lying beside the photocopying machine and Laryea beside the generator.

Thinking that the two were sleeping, Ms Yeboa reportedly tried to wake them up, but realised their breath had ceased. She raised the alarm which attracted people to the scene and a report was made to the Kotobabi Police.

Major Split In GNAT

By Stephen K.Effah
Thursday, 31 May 2007

There seems to be a split on the front of the largest teachers’ trade union in the country-Ghana National Association of Teachers. This follows the formation of a group known as National Progressive Teachers Association (NAPTA).

The acting National Coordinator of the new association, Budu Yaw Asamoa, said NAPTA has been in existence since the latter part of last year, and has a membership of 60,000, although it is yet to be launched officially.

He noted that the formation of the association, stems from the failure of GNAT to meet the genuine demands of teachers over its 76 years of operation.

At a news conference in Accra on Tuesday, Mr.Asamoa alleged that the Teachers’ Fund set up with contributions from teachers was not accessible to most of them because "the rate chargeable for loan from the mutual fund, attracts 35 per cent way above the Bank of Ghana prime rate.

" Also teachers aged above 45 years cannot access the fund yet "they can still contribute to the fund."Mr. Asamoa alleged that a number of plots of land bought with funds from the mutual fund are nowhere to be found, adding that, they have been resold among the leadership, creating the impression that there was a litigation over the land.

He said that GNAT has failed to partner government to sponsor teachers for further courses, and rather turn round to blame government.

Mr. Asamoa said the association has decided to take a legal action against the GNAT over what it termed "unlawful" deductions from the salaries of NAPTA members.

He told the Times that NAPTA has consulted its lawyer for the preparation of the necessary documentation for the action.

Currently, he said GNAT through the Controller and Accountant General deducts membership dues immediately new teachers names are entered in the Ghana Universal Pay Structure, after training without their consent.

Quoting the Ghana Education Act 506, he said: "No amount shall be taken from the emolument of an employee without the consent of that employee in writing through the Minister of Education."

He added, "Joining GNAT has been compulsory. Teachers have no option than to become automatic members after initial training," explaining that such action is in contravention of the constitution, which guarantees freedom of association.

"This to most members is not the best and must be stopped due to the introduction of the new Labour Act," he said and added that it takes a teacher six months to officially notify GNAT in writing that he or she is not a member of the association and therefore should stop the deduction of dues from their salary.

Mr. Asamoa expressed the association’s confidence in the new pay and educational reforms.

Reacting to some of the concerns raised by NAPTA, a source at the GNAT headquarters said although all GNAT membership dues are deducted upfront, article 32 of the GNAT constitution gives a teacher the opportunity to write officially to GNAT with the necessary documentation for the deduction to be stopped.

ECONOMY RECORDS GROWTH

By Stephen K.Effah
Tuesday, 22 May 2007

The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Paul Acquah, has described the economic activity in the first quarter of the year as robust, in spite of the ongoing load shedding exercise.

He said that the first quarter showed significant growth in imports and exports and strong corporate performance while the bank’s Composite Index of Economic Activity at the end of the quarter was up by 1.8 per cent and attributed it to employment, exports, commercial bank credit, imports and tourism.

He however noted that there were declines in port activities like cement sales and electricity consumption.

Presenting the Monetary Policy Committee report for the first quarter in Accra yesterday, Dr. Acquah said the country’s current debt stands at 2.7 billion dollars and added that total merchandise exports at the end of March amounted to 1,044.8 billion dollars which was an increase of 12 per cent over the fourth quarter of last year.

Total imports at the end of the quarter, he said, amounted to 1,822.71 billion dollars, a growth of 15.8 per cent over that of the first quarter of last year.

"Crude oil imports amounted to 415.43 million dollars, about 24 per cent above the 379.79 million dollars recorded in the first quarter of 2006, reflecting an increase in volume, as the average price declined by 6.7 per cent," he said, adding that the country’s trade deficit narrowed from 842.25 million dollars in the fourth quarter of last year to 778.63 million dollars at the end of the first quarter of this year,

The country’s external current account he said, recorded a deficit of 482.8 million dollars compared to a deficit of 181 million dollars before debt relief recorded in the first quarter of last year.

On the 2007 budget, Dr Acquah said, provisional banking sector data on its implementation indicates that total receipts for the first four months of 2007 amounted to ¢14,402.7 billion.

He said total revenue and grants amounted to ¢10,758.9billion and total payments for the first four months of 2007 amounted to ¢15,962.7 billion, all of which resulted in a deficit of ¢1,560 billion.

The governor said headline inflation continued to be stable on its downward trend but showed an up-pick in April to 10.5 per cent due to unusual increases in food prices attributed to supply conditions.

He said the BoG has formally announced the adoption of an inflation targeting framework measuring inflation as its principal variable for tracking underlying inflation in the country.

He said the monetary policy committee has decided to keep the prime rate unchanged at 12.5 per cent as the risks in the outlook are well balanced.

The Governor said the total assets of the banking industry rose by 41.6 billion per cent to ¢56,275.7 billion over the year to March 2007 compared to 24 per cent a year ago.

"Net loans and advances increased by 58.1 per cent to reach ¢26,354.7 billion in March 2007, compared with 41.8 per cent for the preceding year," he said.

He said the quality of the banking industry’s loan portfolio improved while non performing loans ration declined to 6.9 per cent from 7.9 per cent in December, last year.

Dr.Acquah noted that the country’s reserve money broadly declined at a somewhat more rapid pace in the first quarter of the year.

25 Trafficked Children Re-Unite With Families

By Stephen K.Effah, Ekumpoano
Thursday, 17 May 2007

After years of servitude with fishermen at Kete-Krachi in the Volta Region, 25 children were on Tuesday re-united with their families.

The children, aged between six and 16 years, were ‘loaned out’ to the fishermen through middlemen for various sums of money. They were from the Eastern, Greater Accra, Western and Central Regions.

It was a mixed feeling of guilt and regrets as the parents gathered here to receive their children who were rescued by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), a non-governmental organisation.

Some of the children, their families and the crowd that gathered to witness the ceremony wept while others empathised with them when some of the parents narrated the reasons for giving out their children into servitude.

The re-integration followed the end of a three-month rehabilitation programme at the Department of Social Welfare Rehabilitation Centre at Madina in Accra.

The children, among other things, were also taken through a psychosocial counselling and guidance session at the centre to enable them to overcome the trauma they went through, help build trust, gain their self-worth and take decisions that affect their lives.

Joseph Rispoli, head of the Technical Cooperation Unit of IOM, said the re-unification exercise is to give the children the opportunity to grow and develop within the family setting in a loving and caring home environment.

"We strive to get to the point where all children enjoy being nurtured and cared for by loving, warm and generous parents who put their children’s interest before their own," he said and added that, since the rescue project started in 2002, 612 trafficked children have been rescued, rehabilitated, returned and re-integrated.

He said the parents and guardians of the children, have also been provided with micro-credit assistance in the form of community revolving loans, inputs, skills training and credit management training.

He said the IOM is working closely with the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs and other relevant stakeholders to finalise a national plan of action on human trafficking and to contribute to the newly created Human Trafficking Board and Human Trafficking Fund.

While advising parents to uphold their responsibilities towards their children and live up to their roles as primary caregivers, Mr. Rispoli also urged the children to respect their parents and the elderly in their communities.

Ms. Sharon Abbey, Principal of the rehabilitation centre, identified signs of abuse on the children saying, "Their hairs were unkempt, had skin rashes, ear infections, ulcer, craked lips, soles and bilharzia."

She said health screening and medical treatment were conducted on the children to ensure that they were cleared of diseases.

She said the children were also introduced to classroom work to enable them to adjust well in the normal schools after re-integration adding, "23 out of the 25 expressed the wish to go to school while two have decided to learn a trade".

Ghana's Decentralisation Lacks Implementation - Dr. Gariba

By Stephen Kwabena Effah
Saturday, 12 May 2007

The Executive Director of the Institute for Policy Alternative, Dr. Sulley Gariba, has said in spite of the strong legal basis for Ghana’s decentralisation, its implementation so far has been lagging.

That, he attributed to weak capacity for implementation coupled with lack of sufficient resources and personnel among others, adding "there is not much physical decentralisation".

He observed that there were some contradictions in the decentralisation legislations and called for the need to harmonise them.

He indicated that there has been a marginalisation of metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies in the implementation of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy as the various ministries have been assigned the lead role.

Speaking at a best practice workshop on decentralisation in Ghana on Tuesday, he said that, for in stance there is no prescribed role for MMDAs on HIV/AIDS under the GPRS, although the national AIDS strategy has considerable focus on district level strategies and actions.

The two-day workshop is being organised by the Institute of Local Government Studies and sponsored by CIDA with support from the District Capacity Building Project (DISCAP).

It seeks to increase popular participation in governance, improve public accountability and increase public sector effectiveness.

Dr.Gariba further expressed concern about the flow of resources to the MMDAs which is done through the central ministries for projects implementation.

He also noted that there is incomplete transfer of financial and human resources to MMDAs and with continuing legislative overlap.

He explained that some personnel who owe allegiance to the central ministries and ought to have been transferred to the MMDAs as indicated in the Local Government Act have still not been transferred.

"Even within the current context, it is possible to enhance decentralisation and achieve improved results," he pointed out.

He said as decentralisation policy is fully implemented best practices should continue to provide useful lessons and models.

Dr.Chris Brown, a Canadian Team Leader of DISCAP, indicated that as a result of these challenges, the desired outcome objectives of decentralisation has not yet been achieved.

He said policy process for and about local government is still dominated by the central governments.

13 UEW Students Die In 4 Months

By Stephen K. Effah, Winneba
Monday, 30 April 2007

Thirteen students of the University of Education, Winneba have died since the beginning of this year.

The causes of death are however not known as the post-mortem reports on their deaths were submitted direct to their families by hospital authorities.

Alarmed at this development, the authorities have decided that starting from next academic year, a yearly medical examination of all its students will be conducted to determine their health status.

Though the examination would not be compulsory, all students would be billed at an average of ¢50,000 for it.

The decision was agreed on jointly by the university authorities and the student leadership.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jophus Anamuah-Mensah, announced this when the MP for Awutu Effutu-Senya and Deputy Minister of Health, Samuel Owusu-Agyei, presented assorted medical items valued at ¢15 million through the UEW branch of TESCON to the university clinic.

He said the university with the support of Barclays Bank, Ghana, is putting up a ¢1 billion clinic at the campus for the screening and to serve students who fall sick.

He noted that students who fall sick on campus are unable to access medical attention at the various hospitals because of lack of funds and as a result, most of them instead of having thorough check-ups only get first aid treatment.

Prof. Anamuah-Mensah said that after the screeening those found to have emergency cases or serious sicknesses would be referred to a hospital, adding that those with minor cases would be given treatment on regular basis at the university’s clinic.

Legon Campus Crisis: 3 Students Arrested

By Stephen K. Effah
Monday, 30 April 2007

The second semester examination of the University of Ghana was nearly marred on Saturday morning as a result of the smearing of three examination centres with human excreta.

The faecal matter, suspected to have been the work of a group of the university’s students the night before, resulted in the postponement of one of the 17 papers, and a late start of papers that should have started at 7.30 am

History and Philosophy of Science papers which should have been written by level 300 students at the K.A.B. Jones Quartey Building, popularly known as "Tingitingi", was postponed indefinitely pending final determination by the university’s Director of Academic Affairs.

Meanwhile, DSP Michael Teku said three students from Commonwealth Hall have been arrested by police on suspicion of preparing to disrupt the examinations.

When the Times got to the university campus at 7 am, all was calm with both the police and the university security patrolling the campus.

Most study groups of the students were heard discussing the "shit bombing" while others were busily studying close to their various exams centres.

The university’s cleaners were also seen in hand gloves and nose masks busily cleaning up the mess and disinfecting the centres for the exams to start.

The K.A.B. Jones Quartey Building and new ‘N’ block where the faecal matter was spread all over on the floor, tables and chairs were the worst affected.

At the Central Cafeteria, the doors to the main hall were locked, as a result the faeces were poured in the room through the louvres.

At these centres, one could hardly breathe as the stench there was most ‘overpowering’ and even after the halls had been cleaned, most of the students who wrote their papers in adjoining halls continued to complain of the stench.

A number of the students, who spoke to the Times, commended the perpetrators for their action since it was the only option to let the university authorities know that they are against the ‘in’out’out’out’ accommodation policy.

Some students, on the other hand, condemned the act and urged the authorities to ensure that those involved were brought to book.

In an interview with the Times the Registrar of the University, T.A. Konu, described the incident as "disgusting and a behaviour that only befits animals and not university students."

He wondered why the perpetrators were able to undertake the act despite the fact that the doors were locked and were under strict security control and hinted that all university security personnel on duty at those centres would be dealt with.

Mr. Konu assured that the late start of some of the exams would not in any way affect the examination calendar, saying, "The exams will run according to schedule."

DSP Teku later told the Times that the Police were on the campus "because of law-abiding students. We are ready to protect students who are willing to write the exams. We will not talk to anybody or accost anyone."

He indicated that the fact that the police are holding arms does not mean they would be used against students, adding that the police were taking measures to protect those lecturers who were issued death threat by a group of students.

Landlords Accused Of Not Paying Property Returns

By Stephen Kwabena Effah
Friday, 27 April 2007

A Deputy Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), John E.K Sotenga, has expressed concern about non compliance of returns on properties and rent incomes by some landlords.

He indicated that only 60 per cent of landlords pay tax on their properties and rent incomes in the country, adding, "self-compliance level is low. Quite a number of land lords are not coming."

Speaking at the third Revenue Week of the IRS on Wednesday, Mr.Sotenga said returns on properties and rent forms about five per cent of income taxes collected by the IRS.

Under the IRS Act 592 (2000), any person who earns income from rent is expected to furnish the IRS Commissioner with a return on the gross income the end of the year of assessment.

The seminar which was attended by directors, business executives, professional bodies, tax practitioners, accountants, auditors and pay masters, was aimed at making them understand their rights as tax payers and also the various penalties applicable to non compliance with tax laws.

Failure to pay returns within three months, he said attracts a 10 per cent penalty of the amount due and after three months, it attracts 20 per cent of the amount due.

He therefore appealed to land and property owners to comply with that aspect of the law which, he noted, many people are not aware of.

He said the IRS regularly carries out rent survey to improve property and rent tax in the country.

The Deputy Commissioner conceded that a number of Ghanaians are not conscious of section 108 of the IRS Act 592 which requires gifts to be taxed, saying that gifts received are supposed to be declared to the IRS for appropriate taxation.

He said because it is difficult to establish a mechanism to check non- compliance, many people are avoiding it but noted that it is along the line found as an individual submit returns on capital gains.

The Commissioner of IRS, Maj. Daniel S.Ablorh-Quarcoo (Rtd), advised tax administrators to share always accurate information with the IRS and co-operate with the service officials.

He observed that, often times, tax payers do not provide enough information to the IRS for appropriate taxation and therefore advised them against such acts.

Cocaine Barons In Jail-Break Attempt

By Stephen K.Effah & Edith Laari
Wednesday, 18 April 2007

A grand plot to break jail by 13 inmates in custody at the James Fort Prison in Accra last week, was uncovered by the prison’s intelligence network.

The names of the 13 were not disclosed but according to the prison authorities, they are made up of three narcotic drug dealers and10 suspected armed robbers.

They allegedly conspired to raise money to hire thugs in town to attack the prison’s main gate to create confusion and avenue for escape.

They have since been transferred to the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons.

This came to light when the Minister of the Interior, Albert Kan-Dapaah and the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Sheikh I.C Quaye, toured the prison yesterday following the abortive plot.

Deputy Director of Prisons in charge of James Fort prison, Alhassan Kariba Legibo, said preliminary investigation revealed that the inmates had planned that the thugs would attack the prison guards at the main gate to the prison yard while they (the inmates) also attack the officers in the yard to escape.

He told the ministers that the action of the 13 inmates was reported to the Prison Headquarters which immediately ordered their transfer to the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons.

Mr. Legibo said about 100 out of the over 900 inmates in custody at the prison are there as a result of narcotic offences, and they constitute a threat to the prison’s security because the fort built in 1640, is "collapsing" with all the facilities broken down.

He also expressed concern about the lifestyle of the inmates, saying, "they don’t work, they just eat and sleep for the long period that some of them spend here".

This situation, coupled with the lack of a system for training and reformation hardens them especially because the inmates mingle together and they learn from each other.

Mr Legibo called for the speedy disposal of cases by the courts to ease the pressure on the prisons, citing the James Fort Prison which was designed to take 450 inmates but now has 966.

He appealed to the ministry to assist the prisons with the requisite tools for training of the inmates to equip them with vocational skills to enable them to lead responsible lives after their discharge.

Sheikh Quaye cautioned the inmates against any plan to escape from custody, saying they should shun all intentions of escaping from custody that would land them into another problem.

He said the authorities are making every effort to ensure that those who have their cases, hanging are heard speedily.

Health Surveillance System Advocated

By Stephen K. Effah, Dodowa
Wednesday, 11 April 2007

The Director of the Dodowa Health Research Centre, Dr. Margaret Gyapong has advocated a surveillance system in all 10 regions of the country to monitor new health threats in the country.

She explained that such a system, known as a "demographic surveillance system" would also help track population changes and assess policy interventions.

"The demographic surveillance system acts as a platform for any health intervention and generate data for planning," she said when members of the Africa Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN), visited the centre to acquaint themselves with its activities.

The trip, which was sponsored by Indepth Network, was also to sensitise the public and policy-makers to the centre’s on-going research works.

Dr. Gyapong said that at present, only Dodowa, Kintampo and Navrongo health centres in the Southern, Middle and Northern belts respectively are involved in the country’s demographic surveillance system.

She stated that the system is key to determining the level of reduction in child mortality, improved maternal health, malaria, HIV and other diseases as in the Millennium Development Goals.

"With demographic surveillance system in place, many MDG indicators can be produced annually," she noted and pointed out that the Dodowa demographic surveillance system has now become significant to the Dangme West district stressing, "it has now become useful to the district assembly for planning in the districts."

She added that the Dodowa demographic surveillance system plays a significant role in all the centre’s researches noting that the District Health Management Team has been using the system for its health interventions.

However, she mentioned the problem facing the system as the numerous requests for all kinds of data and its sustainability which she said is "costly."

Dr. Gyapong called for support for the maintenance of the demographic surveillance system so as to provide adequate and accurate information base for development.

House Must Exercise Oversight Over Executive

By Stephen Kwabena Effah
Wednesday, 14 March 2007

A law lecturer, Professor Henry Kwesi Prempeh has expressed concern about the non-existence of legislative oversight of the Executive in the country.

He observed that Parliament has failed to utilise its "approval power" to keep the President in check, noting that Parliament has the power to question or let the President justify the creation of new ministerial portfolios or appointments.

He noted that parliamentary majority has also ceded the appointment of the Speaker of Parliament to the President and at the same time lost its role as the leader of Parliament by the appointment of a Minister of Parliamentary Affairs by the Executive.

Prof. Prempeh, a lecturer in law at Seton Hall University Law School, in the USA, made the observation in Accra on Monday, at a roundtable discussion on the topic, "Progress Towards the Rule of Law and Constitutionalism in Ghana."

It was organised by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) Ghana to commemorate the country’s golden jubilee.

Prof. Prempeh questioned the Executive’s supremacy in law making, which he said provides avenue for wide discretionary powers, adding that the Executive discretion is even widespread in making subsidiary legislation.

He indicated that the statutory grants of rules making authority to the Executive often leave individual ministers, and for that matter the President, wide discretion to apply provisions of the law to individual cases with little or no regulatory guidance to constrain such discretion.

He explained that since government must rule through law, it is necessary that anything designed to have the force of law could become law unless it had been enacted in accordance with constitutionally approved process.

On judicial function and constitutionalism, he said that there is a low level of legal literacy, which has come as a result of under reporting of judicial decisions.

Prof. Prempeh described as "problematic," the unregulated administrative discretion of the Chief Justice within the judiciary.

That, he said, creates risk and the perception of compromising the decisional independence of lower level judges.

In spite of challenges, he lauded the respect for "constitutional commands" in the fourth republican constitution.

He said these included freedom of speech and the media, improved climate of liberty and civilian control of the military.