Gov't will sanction errant mobile phone companies

The Vice President, John Dramani Mahama, has criticized shoddy services some mobile telephony companies are foisting on their customers and warned that if the errant companies do not improve their services, government would be compelled to sanction them.Expressing the concerns of the larger population, he observed that Ghanaians are particular about the quality of the communications services and the extent of indifference on the part of service providers is particularly worrying."There is no passing day without complaints being raised on the quality of service. Some of the services are atrocious and abysmal, and government will not hesitate to impose the severest sanctions to any service provider which disregards our regulations," he warned.The Veep was delivering the keynote address at the four-day International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Forum on the "Implementation of Decisions of World Telecommunications Standardization Assembly-08(WTSA-08)" and the ITU Study Group 12 Africa Region Workshop which ends today.Participants consisting of policy makers, regulators, telecom operators mainly from Africa in the ITU industry are reviewing the African experience in the WTSA-08 and considering the activities put in place to implement resolutions adopted in Johannesburg last year that are of interest to Africa.Mr. Mahama recognized the importance of communicating freely as it is a pre-requisite for a more equitable, prosperous and peaceful world. To this end, he urged developing countries to be concerned with the so-called Digital Divide which has the tendency to further push developing countries to the margins of global development."With the advances in technology and in this era of convergence, where traditional telephone services, mobile networks, Television and radio broadcasting now carrying new kinds of services, the ITU should provide assurance that its standards will work anywhere in the world and that equipment will integrate effortlessly with installed systems," he anticipated.He recalled the reforms that have taken place in the ITU sector in Ghana from the mid-1990s leading to liberalization, and Government Communication policy initiated in 1998 to address rural access, media and broadcasting, and also the application of technology for the education and health sectors.The Vice President reiterated Government's commitment to making ICT the key to the future of Ghana despite the economic challenges confronting the country. "In the face of economic problems, Government is continuing with the provision of broadband infrastructure in all the administrative districts of the country. While this will facilitate the implementation of our policy e-Government programme, it will help reduce the cost of bandwidth and also the cost of doing business in Ghana". The Minister of Communications, Hon Haruna Iddrisu, was of the view that in this Information and Technology Age, it was necessary for everyone to be abreast with current developments, irrespective of where one resides so that none is left out in the quest for socio-economic development.He said government is particularly unhappy about the indiscriminate sitting of communications towers. "Indeed, it is unsightly and poses environmental challenges and the National Communications Authority (NCA) should do best to enforce regulations on co-location". On the war on cyber crime, Hon. revealed that the ITU would be sending a technical team within the next two months to help the country address the rising incidence of cyber threats.Reviewing the WTSA-08 meeting in South Africa, the Director of Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB) of the ITU, Mr. Malcom Johnson, disclosed that the meeting adopted a resolution on ICTs and climate change, accessibility to ICTs for persons with disabilities, and encouraging academic participation and sector member countries.He said the meeting advocated that ITU should continue on its mission to connect the world and bridged the standardization gap, by increasing developing countries participation in the ITU's work. He said Africa is now represented by eight leadership positions compared to just four previously and this "sends a very positive message to the rest of the world."

CPP MAY SUE GOV'T OVER SEIZED ASSETS

A CPP veteran and minister in Dr. Nkrumah's regime, Mr Kwame Sanaa-Poku Jantuah has disclosed that the party might consider going to court to compel the NDC government to release its assets confiscated after the 1966 coup.Some of the assets confiscated include, the CPP's former national headquarters, which currently houses the Ministry of Information, and the party's offices in Sunyani and Kumasi also housing the Ghana Police Service and the Ministry of Education respectively.Although the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) recommended the deconfiscation of these assets and their return to the CPP, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, which set up the NRC failed to execute the action until it left office on January 7, 2009."If our request fails the party could take a writ to court to secure the release of our properties like we did with the use of the name Convention People's Party (CPP). Remember that the court is the final arbiter and that will be the last resort", he told Public Agenda after a news conference to mark the party's 60th anniversary. "We can prove that it was the CPP that built those structures and not the government; it was the deductions made from party members that were used to build all the structures."Commenting on some political ideologies, Mr. Jantuah, who held various positions in the CPP government, including Minister of Agriculture, Ambassador to Brazil and National Leader of the CPP Youth League, distinguished the CPP from the NDC, explaining that while CPP is socialist while the NDC claims to be social democrat "You cannot have socialism without democracy, hence to combine the two terms amounts to tautology".He lamented the occasional denigration of the philosophy, "property owning democracy" explaining that an essential element of socialism is to ensure that the masses own property, thus he finds no flaw in the concept.In a separate interview, a former MP for Evalue Gwira, Mr. Kojo Armah, said the only way to convince ex-CPP members to return to the fold in this era of freedom of association is for the "party to make itself attractive". He pointed out that politics is about winning power and it is only natural that "people want to associate themselves with the winning side"."We must begin to find answers to questions such as why our campaign collapsed in the run up to the 2008 elections. Either our message was not properly crafted or the leadership did not make the party attractive or there is something wrong which we have not find out." He hinted that the party would be organizing family dialogues to diagnose the past and to confront the future. He reasoned that because of the various divisions with their attendant formation of parties like PNC, NIP, PHP, PCP, CP, and GCPP at one time or the other, "everybody has a position or perception and all these have to be resolved."He said, "for instance, the problem of the PNC is where to place Dr. Hilla Limann in the scheme of an all inclusive united Nkrumaist party. I personally believe that we have to still do with the Nkrumaist tradition and personalities like Dr. Limann would be one of prominent leaders."Addressing the news conference, the CPP Chairman, Mr. Ladi Nylander, called on all party members to act with "a heightened sense of unity and common purpose" to redefine the party and commit themselves to the principles of social justice, self determination and Pan-Africanism; the three pillars which underscore all that the party stands for."We must re-consider the plight of the poor, the workers, the disadvantaged and the youth. We must have to reconnect with our traditional base support. But we must act with discipline and behave as comrades dedicated only to the improvement of the livelihood of the people of Ghana," he exhorted his fellow comrades.Mr. Nylander said it is only the CPP which has a credible programme to "bring the economy back home". He added that if it had won the 2008 elections, the party would have implemented a fast track programme which would have addressed the challenges buffeting the economy. He paid glowing tribute to Dr. Nkrumah and other stalwarts like Kojo Botsio, K.A. Gbedemah, Krobo Edusei. Archie Casely-Hayford, Kofi Baako who made great sacrifices to establish and build the party. Mr. Nylander also eulogized the pivotal role played by Imoru Egala, Krobo Edusei, Nana Okutwer Bekoe and others during the years in opposition.Present at the function were other leading party members such as Dr Abu Sakara, Mr. Mike Eghan, and Hajia Hamdatu Ibrahim-Haruna

COBWEBS IN GHANA@50 AUDIT REPORT

...Parliament, Finance Ministry blamed for mess

The audited accounts of Ghana@50 Secretariat has recommended that Parliament, the Ministry of Finance and the National Planning Committee should be jointly and severally responsible for the financial mess the Secretariat committed during and after the celebrations.The report, which was laid before Parliament last Thursday, specifically faults Parliament for failing to act on the fact that neither the Ministry of Finance nor the Secretariat presented budget estimates in accordance with Constitutional provisions on financial matters and approved amounts of $20 million and $11.8 million for the Secretariat.The result of this act of omission by Parliament was that the Secretariat was left with no option than to spend the amount allotted in accordance with the exigency of the Ghana Golden Jubilee programme.The report for the period, May 2006-December 2008, is a documentation of gross financial irregularities and non-adherence of the Financial Administration Regulation. "Parliament's non-compliance with the Constitution also made it impossible for me to establish the officer in control of and accountable for the use of the funds and whether the funds that were approved used only in accordance with the purpose described as provided in section 14 of the Financial Administration Act, 2003(Act 645) " said the Auditor-General, Mr. Edward Dua Agyeman, who signed the report.Besides, the report said the omissions by Parliament and the Finance Ministry also led to the "Secretariat's financial indiscipline by contracting loans, bank overdrafts, as well as granting facilities to other public institutions contrary to the provisions of the 1992 Constitution.""Finally, Parliament, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, National Planning Committee of Ghana@50 Secretariat should share any improprieties in the decision reached by the Secretariat in the disbursement of any funds in the handling of programmes and projects of the Ghana Golden Jubilee celebration," the Report sums up on this damning note.The Report which has since been referred to the Public Accounts Committee for consideration, disclosed that the National Planning Committee incurred a total expenditure of GHc71.70 million against approved allocation of GHc29.31 million to implement programmes and activities towards the celebration of Ghana's Golden Jubilee and the African Union Conference held in 2007. "This amount exceeded the sum of GHc29.31 allocated by Parliament to the Secretariat by 144.62 percent," it added.Mr. Agyeman therefore recommended that Parliament should amend section 12 of the Loans Act, 1970 (Act 335) to prescribe sanctions against a Minister of Finance who will fail to adhere to the provision which demands that "The Minister ( of Finance) is responsible for laying before Parliament for its approval the terms and conditions of a loan or guarantee, the terms and conditions of which are required by the Constitution and by this Act to be laid before, and approved by, a resolution of Parliament".The Ghana@50 Secretariat was established in May 2006 by the National Planning Committee, a Cabinet Sub-Committee, to formulate programmes and activities towards the celebration of Ghana's Golden Jubilee and Africa Union Conference held in 2007. The NPC, which was chaired by Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, the then Chief of Staff, served as the policy decision body with the secretariat as the implementing body. Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobby was the Chief Executive of the Secretariat.

BNI MUST GROW UP ...

A Constitutional and Human Rights lawyer, Mr. Akoto Ampaw, has urged the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to grow above what he describes as outmoded methods of interrogating people. He said under normal circumstances, allegations of financial impropriety ought to be treated as regular case and be handled by the Police, rather than the BNI. "The moment such financial matters are dealt with by the BNI, it gives the impression that there is more to it."Commenting on the interrogation of Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, ex-Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chief of Staff by the BNI last Tuesday in an exclusive interview with Public Agenda, Mr. Ampaw argued that it was pointless for the BNI to have kept Mr. Mpiani up to 10:00p.m if they knew they would continue the interrogation the next day. "For four to five months since the NPP left office, the ex-Chief of Staff has not indicated in any way that he would be running away from this country and therefore if the interrogation was not complete by the close of day, the BNI could have asked him to go home and come the next day. But to have kept him that late gave cause for people to suspect that the BNI is up to something." In Mr. Ampaw's view, the keeping of a suspect for "not more than 48 hours" which is usually used by the security agencies as defence is not a legitimate response, since the 48 hours rule comes into play when in extreme cases interrogation cannot be completed. He added that although Mr. Mpiani has not been charged with any offence, he had the right to legal representation since he was asked to come and clarify certain things.Meanwhile the NPP has described the incommunicado detention of Mr. Mpiani as an affront to the rule of law and a flagrant violation of the provisions of the fundamental human rights and freedoms under the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution.The party says this modus operandi by the BNI under the rule of the National Democratic Congress "amounts to nothing less than constricting the frontiers of democracy" and smacks of revolutionary days of fire and brimstone. They have accordingly served notice that they would not countenance such illegal acts and "from now onwards shall resist them by whatever legal means and tools available to us."Responding to questions at a news conference by the Minority in Parliament on Wednesday, Hon. Ambrose Dery, Deputy Minority Leader, pointed out that the Constitution provides in explicit terms that a person arrested or detained shall have the right to legal representation and therefore the BNI exclusion of Mr. Mpiani's lawyers when their client was being interrogated was unconstitutional."The fight is to ensure that no Ghanaian is subjected to such treatment. And if the former Chief of Staff and Minister for Presidential Affairs could be subjected to such treatment then God have mercy on the individual Ghanaian." said Hon. Dery.Article 14(1) of the 1992 Constitution says that "Every person shall be entitled to his personal liberty and no person shall be deprived of his personal liberty except for example as provided for in 14(1) (g)" Upon the reasonable suspicion of his having committed or being about to commit a criminal offence under the laws of Ghana. However, Article 14(2) adds that, "A person who is arrested, restricted or detained shall be informed immediately; in a language that he understands, of the reasons for his arrest, restriction or detention and of his right to a lawyer of his choice."Hon. Prof. Mike Oquaye, Second Deputy Speaker, underscored the fact that the issue of incommunicado was very disturbing, especially against the background of recent memory when people in the custody of BNI got lost. The situation was worrying, more so when the NDC propaganda was deceiving Ghanaians that Mr. Mpiani had access to his lawyers.Addressing the press conference earlier, the Minority Leader, Hon Osei Kyei-Mesah-Bonsu, related that about 11am on June 2, the ex-Chief of Staff responded to an invitation by the BNI via telephone. The Chief of Staff, he reasoned, was not obliged to honour the invitation because anyone could have impersonated the voice; "but he went out of deference to legally constituted authority".According to him, by 6:00 pm when he had not been released and continued to be held incommunicado, the leadership of the NPP went to the BNI to inquire about the reason and circumstances of his continued detention. "No official of the BNI would respond to the entreaties of the spouse of Mr. Mpiani and the leadership of the NPP who made honest enquiries. Basic courtesies required that at least the spouse and some members in leadership of the party be informed about the reasons for the detention of Kwadwo Mpiani".He recalls that Mr.Mpiani has on many occasions been threatened with investigations relating to purported criminal conduct, but says he is not in the way perturbed as Mr. Mpiani himself had on many occasions publicly stated his readiness to co-operate with the Police, whenever he is needed to assist in investigations. "In the circumstance, one may want to know what the role of the BNI is in alleged criminal investigations. And for a person who has consistently stated his preparedness to submit himself to investigations, why detain him upon a telephone invitation?"Hon. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu argues that the behaviour of NDC casts doubts on their campaign promise of "a better Ghana to all Ghanaians" which Ghanaians thought included good governance pivoted on the rule of law and resort to due process. MUST GROW UP ...Human Rights lawyer advisesA Constitutional and Human Rights lawyer, Mr. Akoto Ampaw, has urged the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to grow above what he describes as outmoded methods of interrogating people. He said under normal circumstances, allegations of financial impropriety ought to be treated as regular case and be handled by the Police, rather than the BNI. "The moment such financial matters are dealt with by the BNI, it gives the impression that there is more to it."Commenting on the interrogation of Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, ex-Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chief of Staff by the BNI last Tuesday in an exclusive interview with Public Agenda, Mr. Ampaw argued that it was pointless for the BNI to have kept Mr. Mpiani up to 10:00p.m if they knew they would continue the interrogation the next day. "For four to five months since the NPP left office, the ex-Chief of Staff has not indicated in any way that he would be running away from this country and therefore if the interrogation was not complete by the close of day, the BNI could have asked him to go home and come the next day. But to have kept him that late gave cause for people to suspect that the BNI is up to something." In Mr. Ampaw's view, the keeping of a suspect for "not more than 48 hours" which is usually used by the security agencies as defence is not a legitimate response, since the 48 hours rule comes into play when in extreme cases interrogation cannot be completed. He added that although Mr. Mpiani has not been charged with any offence, he had the right to legal representation since he was asked to come and clarify certain things.Meanwhile the NPP has described the incommunicado detention of Mr. Mpiani as an affront to the rule of law and a flagrant violation of the provisions of the fundamental human rights and freedoms under the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution.The party says this modus operandi by the BNI under the rule of the National Democratic Congress "amounts to nothing less than constricting the frontiers of democracy" and smacks of revolutionary days of fire and brimstone. They have accordingly served notice that they would not countenance such illegal acts and "from now onwards shall resist them by whatever legal means and tools available to us."Responding to questions at a news conference by the Minority in Parliament on Wednesday, Hon. Ambrose Dery, Deputy Minority Leader, pointed out that the Constitution provides in explicit terms that a person arrested or detained shall have the right to legal representation and therefore the BNI exclusion of Mr. Mpiani's lawyers when their client was being interrogated was unconstitutional."The fight is to ensure that no Ghanaian is subjected to such treatment. And if the former Chief of Staff and Minister for Presidential Affairs could be subjected to such treatment then God have mercy on the individual Ghanaian." said Hon. Dery.Article 14(1) of the 1992 Constitution says that "Every person shall be entitled to his personal liberty and no person shall be deprived of his personal liberty except for example as provided for in 14(1) (g)" Upon the reasonable suspicion of his having committed or being about to commit a criminal offence under the laws of Ghana. However, Article 14(2) adds that, "A person who is arrested, restricted or detained shall be informed immediately; in a language that he understands, of the reasons for his arrest, restriction or detention and of his right to a lawyer of his choice."Hon. Prof. Mike Oquaye, Second Deputy Speaker, underscored the fact that the issue of incommunicado was very disturbing, especially against the background of recent memory when people in the custody of BNI got lost. The situation was worrying, more so when the NDC propaganda was deceiving Ghanaians that Mr. Mpiani had access to his lawyers.Addressing the press conference earlier, the Minority Leader, Hon Osei Kyei-Mesah-Bonsu, related that about 11am on June 2, the ex-Chief of Staff responded to an invitation by the BNI via telephone. The Chief of Staff, he reasoned, was not obliged to honour the invitation because anyone could have impersonated the voice; "but he went out of deference to legally constituted authority".According to him, by 6:00 pm when he had not been released and continued to be held incommunicado, the leadership of the NPP went to the BNI to inquire about the reason and circumstances of his continued detention. "No official of the BNI would respond to the entreaties of the spouse of Mr. Mpiani and the leadership of the NPP who made honest enquiries. Basic courtesies required that at least the spouse and some members in leadership of the party be informed about the reasons for the detention of Kwadwo Mpiani".He recalls that Mr.Mpiani has on many occasions been threatened with investigations relating to purported criminal conduct, but says he is not in the way perturbed as Mr. Mpiani himself had on many occasions publicly stated his readiness to co-operate with the Police, whenever he is needed to assist in investigations. "In the circumstance, one may want to know what the role of the BNI is in alleged criminal investigations. And for a person who has consistently stated his preparedness to submit himself to investigations, why detain him upon a telephone invitation?"Hon. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu argues that the behaviour of NDC casts doubts on their campaign promise of "a better Ghana to all Ghanaians" which Ghanaians thought included good governance pivoted on the rule of law and resort to due process.

Concerns raised over World Bank’s Disclosure Policy exemptions

By Ebenezer Hanson

The World Bank over the last 15 years, it is said, has been moving towards a policy of greater transparency by making more information available to stakeholders. The Executive Directors and the Bank Management have periodically reviewed the policy and expanded its scope: for example, in 1993, 2001 and 2005 the Board approved proposals to allow public access to additional documents. The result has been a fairly wide-reaching disclosure policy. It is in this spirit that the Bank in 2009 is rethinking its disclosure policy.

Last week the Bank, as part of a global consultation process, organized a forum in Accra to seek the views on the proposed policy revision from a wide range of stakeholders including civil society organizations, academia and the media, among others. In an approach paper, “Toward Greater Transparency: Rethinking the World Bank’s Disclosure Policy”, which formed the basis for the deliberations at the forum, the Bank acknowledges the limitations of the existing so-called “positive list”, hence its decision to dispense with it.

The “positive list” outlines the categories of information that are normally available to the public, subject to certain “constraints”. The approach paper notes, “Even though the policy contains provisions for considering the disclosure of information that is not listed, the existence of such “positive list” creates the perception that there is a presumption against the disclosure of information that is not on that list.”

Expatiating, Ms. Shakuntala V. Gunaratne of the World Bank, submits that although the Bank is doing away with the “positive list”, it will maintain a clear list of “exceptions” that is easier to interprete and implement. “The Bank would deny access to information for which there is a compelling reason for confidentiality- for example, personal information about staff; confidential or sensitive information given to the Bank by member countries and the other third parties with the express understanding that such information would not be disclosed; security information; or information that is subject to attorney-client privilege.”

However, it is the lack of explicit principles defining what should be categorized as confidential or strictly confidential that has become the source of dissent. Speaking on “The Nexus between World Bank Disclosure Policy and Freedom of Information” at the forum, a human rights activist and member of the Coalition on Freedom of Information, Mr. Sheshe Akoto-Ampaw, feared that the non-publication of the principles could be fertile grounds for arbitrariness on the part of officials tasked with the release of information. “The Bank should spell out the principles else they will become tools for arbitrariness”, he insisted. He adds that, “All stakeholders should assist the Bank so that the rules applicable to non-disclosure will not undermine or subvert the very goals the Bank is seeking to achieve with the new policy.”

Mr. Akoto-Ampaw also disagreed with the proposal that certain country-owned information would be treated confidential. “Is it because the country owns the information then it becomes confidential or there will be rules governing it?” he asked. His divergent stance is conceived in the idea that
“information owned by government is owned on behalf of the citizens and since governments are accountable to the people, the information must be made known to the people.” He was also uncomfortable with certain historical information which will be exempted at all times describing it as “problematic”.

While welcoming the establishment of an appeal mechanism with the power to review a previous decision refusing a request for a piece of information, he was concerned with the composition of the appeal committee. “Will it be composed of officials from the bank?” he quizzed, adding that the best practice leans towards an independent regulatory mechanism.

Mr. Akoto-Ampaw advised that careful note must be taken of the words used in the document on the policy “else we hail it only to realize later that desired goals have not been achieved”.

The Bank’s disclosure policy states a “presumptive in favour of disclosure”. This paradigm shift is consistent with the Bank’s model, which recognizes the importance of transparency as a critical tool for enhancing good governance, accountability and development effectiveness.

The Disclosure Policy framework would be organized around four basic principles. These are maximizing access to information; a clear list of “exceptions” that is easier to interpret and implement; a clear framework for processing requests for information and the right to appeal.


As a development finance institution, the Bank strives to be transparent about projects and programmes share its global knowledge and lessons of experience with the widest possible audience, and enhance the quality of its operations by engaging with the development.

As an intergovernmental organization owned by countries, the Bank is accountable for public money, has an obligation to be responsive to the questions and concerns of its shareholders. The Bank has also established the disclosure of information helps attracts purchasers to its securities.

Responding to some of the criticisms raised by Mr. Akoto-Ampaw during the discussion session, the World Country Director for Ghana, Mr. Ishac Diwan, explained that the Bank might classify certain snippets of information confidential because “premature disclosure could affect a country’s national security or financial trends, for instance, the country’s exchange rate.”

Mr. Abdulai Daramani of Third World Network-Africa (TWN-Africa) objected to some of the timelines placed on certain projects relative to disclosure of information arguing that the “ moment a project is completed information on it should be disclosed”.

Ms. Gunaratne assured the forum that the concerns raised would be considered in the draft policy to be submitted to the World Bank Board Management.

School Feeding Programme; a promising venture bogged down in bottlenecks

By Ebenezer Hanson
In 2005, the Government of Ghana with support from the Government of Netherlands launched the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), amid high hopes of improving enrollment and ensuring children do not abandon school because of hunger.
Since its inception, the programme has recorded some achievements in the areas of school enrolment and retention of pupils in beneficiary schools. According to the second research report by SEND-Ghana in 2008, the programme is feeding 595,000 pupils in public primary schools with the aim of scaling up the figure to the benefit of 1,040,000 children by the end of 2010. The programme, SEND-Ghana further reveals, has so far spent a total of 65.7 million Ghana Cedis. The research covered 23 schools in 21 districts in the Upper East, Upper West, Northern and Greater Accra Regions, where SEND has its operations.
Nevertheless, the research unearthed countless, disturbing hiccups which are rendering the objectives of the rather promising project unrealizable. The bottlenecks identified include; the lack of basic infrastructural services, health challenges and the non-provision of certain expected agricultural services by the relevant agencies.
For instance, “About 61% of the beneficiary schools did not have good kitchen structures. This has adversely affected the maintenance of hygienic environment for food preparation,” the report revealed.
Similarly, 78% of the beneficiary schools did not have adequate stocks of kitchenware especially plates and cups. As a result, pupils were required to eat in turns.
“This coping strategy unduly prolonged lunch breaks in the affected beneficiary schools, thus reducing contact/instructional hours with negative effects on education”.
On the health front, the report identified untrained catering services providers, non-observable of basic health standards though teachers were especially trained to provide pupils with health education. There was also no checks on Body Mass Index of pupils and about 43% of the pupils were not de-wormed since 2007. The research also observed that personnel of the Ghana Education Service (GES) were not involved in the monitoring of food prepared as the emphasis is only on just providing a meal for a pupil.
In addition, the research found that Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs) did not act as linkage source for the supply of foodstuffs to beneficiary schools. Thus farmers were not benefiting from the GSFP. “Stakeholders from nearly 87% of beneficiary communities indicated that farmers did not benefit from any form of extension services. Similar to the health service experience, District Directors of Agriculture were not active in the programme implementation. Almost none of them were aware of the plans, objectives and strategies of the GSFP.”
Again on education, the assessment indicates that, contrary to expectations the supply of high value education service was generally lacking due to poor pupil teacher which stands at 83:1. However, the pupil-teacher ratio captured in the report seems to be at variance with the nation’s figure reported in 2007 Annual Progress Report of Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS 2). The Pupil/Teacher ratio for primary school was 34:1 and 18: 1 for Junior High School (JHS) in 2007.
While the Report blames the lack of collaboration among the complementary services for the challenges of the GSFP, the programme is also tottering under the yoke of financial crisis.
The revelation was contained in Parliament's Committee on Local Government report on the 2009 Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry presented to the House.
According to the Report, the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) is likely to miss its target of feeding 800,000 pupils this year unless the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development finds an amount of over 46 million Ghana cedis to finance its budgetary gap.
While the GSFP needs 63,823,980.00 Ghana cedis to achieve its objective, the Ministry only allocated it 17 million Ghana cedis, creating a shortfall of 46,823,980.00 Ghana cedis
"The Committee noted that despite the intention of the Ghana School Feeding Programme to increase its coverage to over to 800,000 pupils at a cost over 63,823,980.00 Ghana cedis the Ministry has allocated only 17 million Ghana Cedis to the programme," the Committee observed with regret.
It therefore recommends strongly to the Ministry that the total amount for the programme should be sourced from the HIPC or MDRI funds for the year 2009.
Ghana Government provides the bulk of the funds for the programme and the Netherlands, which complemented it with 50% of the feeding cost, suspended the arrangement in the latter part of 2007. Hon. Joseph Yieleh Chireh told the Public Agenda in an interview that the Netherlands suspended their funding because of the adverse findings made against the GSFP Secretariat by the Pricewater House Audit Report. Nevertheless, the Committee takes consolation in the fact that "the Dutch Government is prepared to contribute about 12.8 million Ghana cedis to the feeding programme if its activities are streamlined and its house put in order."
The first National Co-ordinator of GSFP, Dr. Kwame Amoako Tufour lost his job over the findings, and was replaced by Mr. Michael Nsowah, a former Director General of the Ghana Education Service.
The Committee recommends, among other things, the establishment of a Ghana School Feeding Fund, the use of proceeds from National Lotteries, and that of the Nutrition Component of the National Health Insurance Scheme as well as applying portions of either the Communication Service Tax or the GETFund to address the Programme’s financial problems.
A representative of the Ministry Of Local Government and Rural Development who was present at the SEND-Ghana Report launch made some pointed remarks which seemed to have summed up the difficulties confronting the programme. She put the blame right on the manner the programme was conceived and implemented.
“I am not surprise about the outcome of the study. The Programme started without a lot of orientation and sensitization leading to varied interpretations of the project concept and until this is addressed the problems will recur,” she submitted. She added that the nature of the GSFP calls for a lot of collaboration which requires a lot of commitment.
The foregoing amply shows that the GSFP requires a complete overhaul to dissect the myriads of challenges buffeting it, and the appropriate solutions found to fix them. Another lesson is that similar future programmes need to be thought out well and wider consultations with all stakeholders have to done to get everybody on board. This is the only way to preclude the recurrence of some of the teething problems.
As Prof. Ellen Bortei-Doku Aryeetey, Senior Research Fellow at ISSER, University of Ghana, observed in her review of the Report, the document should not serve as the basis for crucifying the programme but rather it should spur on all stakeholders to work towards the improvement of the programme.
“From a policy practice point of view the low marks obtained relative to some of the benchmarks should serve as opportunities for improving the implementation process, rather than a platform for the condemnation of the programme,” emphasized Prof. Aryeetey, who is also Head of Centre for Social Policy Studies, University of Ghana.All stakeholders should ensure that this commendable pro-poor programme does not fail as the full realization of its objectives will propel the nation on in her quest to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 1 which requires that Ghana eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015

Separating the Justice Ministry and Attorney General: Case of Much Ado About nothing?

Analysis by Ebenezer Hanson

A fortnight ago the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) jointly organized a seminar to deliberate the vexed issue of whether the separation of the Justice Ministry from the Office of the Attorney-General (A-G) will curb the perceived abuse of power of criminal prosecution and thus promote good governance.

The Seminar indeed lived up to expectation as the three eminent speakers who led the discussions did justice to the topic, illuminating participants on their positions and convincing some to buy into their thoughts. The speakers were Dr. Obed Yao Asamoah, Patron of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), Prof. E.V.O Dankwa, a former law lecturer of the University of Ghana and Mr. Vitus A. Azeem, the Executive Secretary of Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII).

The contributions that ensued were a pointer to the fact that majority of the participants share the view that the two positions should be split as advanced by Dr. Asamoah and Mr. Azeem.

Dr. Asamoah, the longest serving A-G Ghana has ever had since independence, pointed out that since colonial times political persecution under the guise of criminal prosecution has been common. He observed that the fusion of the two offices have led to instances where “many a time governments have demanded accountability of others particularly opposition party members and perceived enemies other than their own members”.

He explained into detail drawing largely on proposals of the Constituent Assemblies of 1968 and 1978 that separation would do the criminal justice a lot of good, hence promote good governance. But he stresses that mere separation would not achieve the desired results unless the Attorney-General is guaranteed security of tenure.

According to him, the security of tenure for the A-G could be ensured if some three key arrangements are instituted. First, making the process for removal of the A-G from office difficult; second, insulating the determination of his salary, allowances and pension from political interference; and the third but not least, avoiding a change in the regime of salary and allowances while in office.

He also recalled that to guarantee the A-G’s position under the 1968 proposals the A-G’s position was equated to that of a Judge of the Supreme Court and in 1978 linked the position to that of the Superior Court of Judicature other than the Chief Justice.

Mr. Azeem cited the cases of Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Hong Kong South Africa, Thailand, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Israel and Jamaica where the two positions have been either split or fused and pointed from social and practical cases the merits and demerits in each case. He concluded that, the ends of justice are better served if the two positions are kept distinct.

“In fact, I dare to state that the political position of the Attorney-General affects his/her relationship with some anti-corruption agents especially if they are perceived as anti-government. Some of these institutions have had cause to complain about the refusal of the Attorney-General to prosecute cases they have investigated and recommended prosecution,” Vitus referred to the situation in Ghana.

But Prof. E. V. O Dankwa, who was privileged to a Member of the Committee of Experts who drafted the proposals for the 1992 Constitution, dissented from the thought-provoking presentations of Dr. Asamoah and Mr. Azeem. His position which was cogently and coherently articulated made some of the participants to critically re-examine their earlier stance which were predicated on Asamoah’s and Azeem’s.

He first clarified a misconception which many have associated with Article 88(1) of the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution. He elucidated, “The Committee of Experts did not propose that the A-G should be a Minister of Justice but rather a Minister of State”.

Article 88(1) stipulates, “There shall be an Attorney-General of Ghana who shall be a Minister of State and the principal legal adviser to the Governments”.

To him, the arguments advanced by the two speakers that the separation of the two offices fly in the face of reality and “it is not clear whether the separation will lead to good governance. I don’t think the present arrangement should be disturbed”.

He adds, “Pressure can be brought to bear on public officials just as politicians,” countering the reasoning that if the A-G is made purely a public office and not political it could lead to transparency in criminal prosecutions.

Prof. Dankwa submits that besides precluding a potential source of conflict between the A-G and Minister of Justice, the fusion also obviates overlapping of functions between the two offices.

He is, however, convinced that the wheels of justice would be better oiled and frontiers of good governance expanded if the personality appointed the A-G asserts his independence in addition to being endowed with certain personal qualities and virtues. These include impartiality, steadfastness, respect for the rule of law, respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms, and possess the culture for non-discrimination against persons irrespective of gender, religion, ethnicity among others.

“The President himself must possess these qualities in order to influence his subordinates including the Attorney-General,” he adds.

During the discussion session, some contributors contended that the Chairman of the Electoral Commission is able to assert himself because of the security of tenure he enjoys under the Constitution.

But Prof. Dankwa dismisses the assertion submitting although some judges enjoy security of tenure yet they have given judgments which have raised a lot of eye brow in this country. A participant strengthened this point when he submitted that the EC Chairman could have compromised his position if he wanted to regardless o f the fact he enjoys the afore mentioned guarantees.

It has also been said in certain quarters that some Director-Generals that the State broadcaster, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), has had enjoyed immunity in that they were appointed by the National Media Commission(NMC), yet at one time or the other, they acted in a certain manner which all reasonable persons regarded a pandering to the government of the day.

Flowing from this premise is that it is not merely ensuring the security of tenure of the office of the A-G or similar positions, but it depends to a large extent on the ability of the individual occupying the position to assert his/her independence which is also predicated on personal beliefs in principles such as impartiality, the respect for the rule of law and fundamental human rights and civil liberties, culture of non-discrimination and the like.

It is worthy of note to recall that when the Appointments Committee of Parliament sought the views of Mrs. Justice Georgina Theodora Woode, then Appeal Court Judge and Chief Justice designate, on whether the position of the A-G should be separated from that of the Justice Minister, her answer was that it would not make any difference in as much as the appointing authority to the two positions remains the same.

It thus appears that the experts themselves are not unanimous on the issue. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) promised in their 2008 manifesto to keep the two positions distinct and so were the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC). Let us go at it and experiment it, at the end of the day the fruits it will bear will show whether we as a nation have engaged in an action whose consequences are what we set for ourselves or we have done much about a project which has yielded nothing.

Growing inequality is a threat to our democracy, TUC warns

By Ebenezer Hanson
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) of Ghana has called on the government to take immediate steps to address the ever growing inequality between the rich minority and the poor majority, warning that the imbalance could undermine the country’s nascent democracy.
“Government must take urgent and concrete steps to bridge the ever growing gap between the minority rich and the poor as such a state of affairs could potentially undermine the country’s growing democracy,” warned Mr. Kofi Asamoah, Secretary- General of the TUC, at this year’s May Day celebrations at the Independence Square last Friday.
To this end, he urged Prof. Atta Mills-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) to embark upon economic and social policies that to seek to bridge the gap thereby giving meaning to the NDC’s claim to social-democratic credentials upon which it canvassed for and won the mandate of Ghanaians.
“A large majority of Ghanaian workers receive take-home-pay that cannot take them home. Even those of us who are employed in the formal economy receive very low wages that assure us of a decent living standard. The recent increase in the minimum wage is largely nominal if account is taken of the rate of depreciation of the cedi against the major currencies and the current rate of inflation. There is no real gain. We are likely to experience a significant fall in real wages this year. This has serious implications for the Decent Work Agenda Poverty Reduction Strategy.” he noted.
In addition, Mr.Asamoah urged the government to continue, expand and deepen the social interventions pursued by the previous government, which included the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the School Feeding Programme (SFP), the Metro Mass Transport and the Lively Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP)
The TUC, he said, was equally concerned about the about employment security of labour and was therefore worried about a recent high court ruling which said “employers could terminate the employment of their employees without giving any reason”. In the TUC’s view this could severely undermine the consensus reached in the various tripartite consultations that led to the passage of the law.
“The ruling of the High Court continues to be a source of unrest among workers as some employees are using the ruling as basis not only to get rid of so-called trouble workers and unionists but also to circumvent laid down regulation on redundancy declaration and obligation arising there from”.
The theme for the celebration was, “Improved Standard of living through Decent Work-a Pre-requisite for sustaining Democratic Governance”.
In his maiden address at May Day celebrations, coming exactly after 125 days in office, President John Mills first reminisced occasions when he participated in May Day celebrations first as university teacher with TEWU, then as Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner and later as Vice President.
Responding to some of the issues raised the TUC, President Mills called on all Ghanaians to put aside partisanship and collectively find home-grown solutions to the global economic crises of which Ghana is not immune.
He disclosed that he task a committee to review the recent Pension Law which was passed last year. He added that government is committed to the payment of the single spine salary. Besides, he tasked all boards to take action on wrongful dismissals that have taken place in the past.
Prof. Mills appealed to junior workers whose salaries had not seen any improvement over the last three years to be patient with the government and promised that they would improve upon their conditions.
He said the NDC government is determined to improve the living conditions of Ghanaians especially the rural poor.



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Use media freedom to fight hunger, poverty, disease- Stratcomm CEO

By Ebenezer Hanson
The CEO of Stratcomm Africa, Ms. Esther Cobbah, has advised Ghanaian journalists to use the media freedom they enjoy to rid the country of poverty, hunger and disease. Media freedom, she believes, would not have far reaching impact if it does liberate the ordinary Ghanaian from the ills of the society.
“Freedom of the media would be meaningless unless it is linked with the total liberation of ordinary Ghanaian from poverty, hunger, disease and poverty,” she told journalists at Stratcomm’s 15th Anniversary Media Launch in Accra last Wednesday.
Relying on the Lord Jesus Christ’s admonition that unto whom much is given much would be required, Ms. Cobbah demanded of the media to go beyond the ordinary and pursue causes that would bring true freedom to Ghanaians.
The Ghanaian media has been ranked as one of the most vibrant and freest in Africa. Chapter 12 of the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution of Ghana guarantees the freedom and independence of the media. Article 162 provides, among other things, that “Freedom and independence of the media are hereby guaranteed; subject to this Constitution and any other law not inconsistent with this Constitution; there shall be no censorship in Ghana .
“There shall be no impediments to the establishment of private press or media; and in particular, there shall be no law requiring any person to obtain a licence as a prerequisite to the establishment or operation of a newspaper, journal or other media for mass communication or information.
“And Editors and publishers of newspapers and other institutions of the mass media shall not be subject to control or interference by Government, not shall they be penalized or harassed for their editorial opinions and views, or the content of their publications.”
According to Ms. Cobbah, the media is an important link in the communication chain and therefore its importance could never be overemphasized. She urged organizations to depart from the fire-fighting approach of resorting to communication institutions to resolve crisis to mainstreaming communication into their core activities.
“Throughout the 15 years of our we have observed that communication is often sidelined by many organizations; it is only run to when there is crisis which could have been avoided if it had been integrated into the organization’s activities right from the word ago. Malaria could be reduced if basic information about it is provided and sustained”.
Commenting on the theme of the celebration, “Stratcomm Africa, Raising the Bar in the Communication Industry in Ghana and Africa”, the CEO attributed the strength and resilience Stratcomm has exhibited since its inception to the abundant grace of the Almighty God, adding, they would continue to “progress on eagle wings, striving to achieve excellence and thus raise the bar in the communication industry”.
Responding to questions, Ms. Cobbah revealed that Stratcomm is gradually spreading its tentacles on the continent and could boast of offices in Gambia, Liberia, Kenya and the United States; similarly it consults for companies outside Africa. She said some of the achievements of the company include offering employment to over 35 persons, forestalling clashes in mining areas, facilitating the work of development agencies, promoting understanding between organizations and the media, offering communication and reputation management services to clients and educating communities on a wide range of issues, among other things.
Mr. Ebenezer Tetteh, Operations Manager of Stratcomm, disclosed that that the company was established in 1994 as the Centre for Develeopment and Intercultural Communication (CEDIC) out of a firm conviction of that communication could be an effective tool for achieving national development as well as international understanding. He said with only one employee in 1994, the company soon grew to have more than 35 employees in 2004.
He outlined some of the activities to mark the year long programme and these include a family day out, launch of code of conduct, signing on to the Ghana Business Code and 15th Anniversary Celebration at La Palm. The rest are Thanksgiving Service, reading lessons with school children, media fora, launch of Business in Social Action (BISA), Ghana and SA (StratcommAfrica)@15Praise Jam.
Stratcomm, he said, provides “an intellectual and highly professional environment” which offers “enormous opportunities for individual learning and professional development”. He adds, “Stratcomm Africa provides a stimulating environment for professional exposure in a variety of sectors as result of the different organizations we work with. With a desire to work for the glory of God, staff of Sratcomm Africa has a unique opportunity to practise Christian stewardship as they undertake their professional activities.”
Stratcomm engages in communication strategy development and implementation, development and intercultural communication, behavioural and social change communication, training, facilitation and event organization, public relation, advertising and marketing.

CSOs should take interest in Oil Regulatory Framework

By Ebenezer Hanson
Ghana is on the threshold of increasing its national kitty by about 50% from 2011 if the oil begins to flow from the Jubilee Fields in the Jomoro District of the Western Region, according to a World Bank Report last year. But the question is, how much of this revenue will become beneficial to ordinary Ghanaians?
Mr. Emmanuel Kuyole, the African Regional Co-ordinator of Revenue Watch Institute, believes that the posture of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) relative to the oil regulatory framework will impact greatly on the extent to which the welfare of citizens will be maximized from oil revenue.
He has thus urged CSOs to take keen interest in the oil regulatory framework, particularly the fiscal aspects, currently being discussed by the relevant institutions before it takes its final shape and become law.
“Some of the agreements are currently being reviewed and we don’t what will happen to them. But it will be expedient for civil society to take keen and active interest in what is going on and to make the relevant input where necessary to ensure the revenue inure to the benefit of the ordinary Ghanaian,” he told participants of a two-day workshop on the use of royalties in mining and oil communities in Takoradi at the weekend. He was speaking on Civil Society Engagement on Ghana’s Extractive Industry Transparency. The workshop was organized by the Coalition on Decentralization which comprises Public Agenda, Friends of the Nation and Resource Link.

Citing excerpts of a Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning’s Report on Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GEITI) for July –December 2004, Mr. Kuyole identified lack of independent check on the fineness and purity of gold, lack of guidelines for establishing the prices of minerals won, challenges in royalty computation and the low payment at minimum 3% threshold, among others, as some the problems which have to be fixed if Ghanaians and mining communities in particular are to benefit.
“The amounts payable are not significant and even if they are paid regularly, they will not have any significant impact on development outcomes,” the reported noted. The stipulated amount was a meager 50pesewas(c 5000.00) per square kilometer.
The EITI is a global minimum standard for revenue disclosure- it combines transparency (EITI reports) and accountability (Multi-stakeholder group).
The initiative is robust yet flexible. It allows participating countries to shape their own process according to needs- These needs varies from: total disaggregation of revenue information, expansive materiality, sectors beyond oil, gas and mining, transparency of expenditures. Establish in 2003, there are 26 candidate countries globally.
Mr. Kuyole identified lack of transparency, problems of accountability, lack of capacity, among others, as some of the difficulties in the mining sector and which have to be forestalled in the oil industry.
To ensure maximum revenue for government, Mr. Kuyole challenged government to build the capacity of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to equip it to assess the exact operation cost of the mining companies since it constitutes a major determinant for calculating the revenue of the company.
During discussions, many participants agreed with Mr. Kuyole’s call for the need to build the capacity of IRS to enable them to correctly assess the total revenue of mining companies.

NetMAC to champion monitoring and evaluation

By Ebenezer Hanson

Stakeholders at Ghana Monitoring and Evaluation Forum in Accra have unanimously welcomed the proposal to form a Network of Media for Accountability (NetMAC) to champion social accountability at all levels of governance “to ensure value for money”. Accountability is key in Monitoring and Evaluation.

The formation of NetMAC, according to the proponents, is in harmony with Article 1 of the 1992 Constitution, which declares that the sovereignty resides in the people, and it is on behalf of the people that government is established.

“What this means is that the people own the state and its resources. Therefore, public office holders must necessarily be accountable to the people,” Mr. George Sarpong, Executive Secretary of the National Media Commission (NMC) pointed out to the forum.
He was speaking on the topic: “The Role of the Media in promoting evidence-based decision making at all levels of the economy”.
He advanced the argument further when he added that Article 162(5) also provides in explicit terms that the media must uphold government accountable to Ghanaians. It states, “All agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold principles, provisions and objectives of this Constitution, and shall uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people of Ghana.”

Mr. Sarpong divided the relevant actors relative to accountability into three, namely, the government, businesses and civil society, and observed that it is the media that which provides the platform for that actions and activities of all the groups.

Speaking to the same issue, Mr. Kofi Tsikata of the World Bank, Ghana Office, suggested that NetMAC should be district-based with a journalist from each district and should focus on “Development Monitoring”, “Development Dialogue”, “Training and Orientation”

He recommended that NetMAC should liaise with institutions such as the Judiciary, Parliament and the District Assemblies.

He noted that often, we confront ministers on issues rather than civil servants who might be the culprits thereby letting them off the hook.

During discussions, Dr.Tony Aidoo of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), stressed that it was important for somebody to champion the outcomes of Monitoring, Evaluation and Accountability else not much would be achieved, a proposal agreed to by Mr. Sarpong.

Mr. Sarpong disclosed that there are plans to establish media ombudsman in communities to which persons who feel have been treated unfairly by the media could report to.

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MPs unveil ECOWAS Parliament to Ghanaians

By Ebenezer Hanson

Although established some 15 years ago, the ECOWAS Parliament has largely remained one of an esoteric entity known only to active politicians and a relatively few political initiates. A cross-section of Ghanaians admits in an interview with the Public Agenda that they are unaware of the existence of such a core governance institution of the West African sub region.

It was for these and other pertinent considerations that informed Ghanaian Members of the ECOWAS Parliament to initiate steps to demystify the Community legislature to Ghanaians by unveiling its vision, mission, achievements and particularly plans to enhance grassroots participation in the election of representatives to the Parliament through universal adult suffrage in all member states.

Hon. Stephen Balado Manu, leader of the eight-member Ghanaian team of the ECOWAS Parliament, responding to questions at a news conference, revealed that through its unsung activities, the Community Parliament contributed substantial input in achieving peace between the feuding parties in countries such as Sierra Leone and Cote d’Ivoire; through its timely intervention it defused the looming crisis in the recent Guinea Bissau.

He said by sending teams to monitor and observe elections, the ECOWAS Parliament has contributed to ensuring peaceful elections in Togo and Liberia and also helping to resolve post elections dispute in Togo.

Hon. Michael Teye Nyaunu, an ECOWAS Parliamentarian, also disclosed that the Community Parliament contributed immensely to the establishment of the West African Power Pool, and subsequently advocated “the export of power by Nigeria and Ghana to Benin and Togo respectively and thereby forestalling the breakdown of their economies”.

He adds that many of the cross-border problems such as migration within the ECOWAS sub region such as differences in legal and trade regimes are being resolved through the initiative of the ECOWAS Parliament.

Dealing with some of the loose ends in respect of some of the questions, Hon. Elizabeth Sackey, another ECOWAS Parliamentarian recalled that the Community Parliamentarian was actively involved in impressing upon Nigeria to rescind its decision regarding the importation of certain products from Ghana. “We have done a lot but all these were not in the public domain”.

Addressing the news conference Hon. Manu disclosed that the ECOWAS Parliament, which has been operating in an advisory capacity, consists 120 seats. Each member state has a minimum of five seats. The remaining seats are then shared on the basis of population. Consequently, Nigeria has 35 seats, Ghana eight, Cote D’Ivoire seven, while Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal, have seats each. The others, Benin, Cape Verde, the Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo have five seats.

He said the current Parliament which is in transition at present, functions in advisory capacity. This means that it does not as of now, have legislative powers and its members are not directly elected. Representatives are elected by their National Parliaments to the Community Parliament.

“Notwithstanding these limitations, the ECOWAS Parliamentarian is empowered to consider issues concerning human rights and fundamental freedoms of citizens, interconnection of energy networks, interconnection of communication links between member states, increased co-operation in the area of radio, television and other intra and inter community media links. The ECOWAS Parliament is also consulted on matters relating to the public health policies for the community, common educational policy through harmonization of existing laws,” he clarified.

Hon. Manu revealed that, come 2010 Parliamentarians who will serve at ECOWAS Parliament will be elected individually on their merit. “Polls will be conducted in a manner similar to that of National General Elections and those who will emerge victorious will then become bonafide members of the ECOWAS Parliament for a specific term,” he expatiated.

He said the electoral bodies of respective countries would be responsible for the delineation of national constituencies and at least 30% representation would be reserved for gender considerations.

The other Ghanaian ECOWAS Parliamentarians include Hon. Francis Aggrey Agbotse, Hon. Ken Ohene Agyapong, Hon. John Tia, Hon. David Apasera and Hon. Simon Osei Mensah.

MPs divided over Constituency Dev. Fund

By Ebenezer Hanson

The creation of the Member of Parliament Constituency Development Fund, announced by President John Evans Atta-Mills in his maiden Message on the State of Nation last Thursday, has elicited sharply divergent views from Members of Parliament (MPs). While some hail it heartily as welcome news others dismiss it as superfluous because it will rather reinforce the wrong impression that MPs are development agents.

The President says the Fund; one of the novelty policy measures of the NDC administration under the broad theme of good governance will replace the MP’s Share of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) that has become a source of tension between some District Chief Executives and MPs.

However, a Minister of State at the Finance Ministry in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) regime, Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei, does not share the view of the President. He reasons that MPs already have a share of HIPC, GETfund and DACF and adding an MP Constituency Development Fund goes to augment the misconception that MPs are development agents.

“Already some constituents are in the habit of making incessant demands on MPs and with the coming into being of this development fund, it will end up pitting the constituents against MPs,” he explains to the Public Agenda in an exclusive interview in Parliament last Friday.

He says he agrees with the President that sometimes the MP’s share of the Common Fund do generate tensions between some MPs and DCEs but I am against the principle that MP is a development agent.

Dr. Osei, who is also MP for Old Tafo, wondered what would be the source of the development fund “Will it come from new taxes or what?”

To Hon. Paul Collins Appiah Ofori, MP for Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa, the Fund will be superfluous as such, a creation already exists. “What the President wants to create is already in existence”.

The practice now, he expatiates, is that an account is opened in each district assembly into which a portion of the DACF remitted to each district is credited to an account known as the MP Constituency Development Fund and used by the MP for minor projects. The signatories to the account are the District Co-ordinating Director and the District Finance Officer.

“MPs do not sign cheques to draw money from the account for any project. What MPs do is that they identify projects they want to finance and direct the DCEs to release the funds to pay for such projects after execution. Therefore, what the President announced was implying was that the MPs will operate such funds to the exclusion of DCEs whom the President says stand in the way of MPs for development projects.”

The Financial Administration Act 2003, Hon. Appiah-Ofori pointed out, does not allow those not authorized to sign cheques to draw from any public bank accounts. “So if such an account is established it will in law form
part of the accounts whose operation shall be under the District Co-ordinating Director and the District Finance Officer, so at the end of the day the obstacles which the MPs go through in accessing the development funds will still remain unchanged ”.

Thus while it is laudable to establish a development fund for MPs, he thinks the President can achieve his purpose of he prevails on DCEs he is about to appoint “not to put obstruct the MPs in the utilization of the Fund; anything short of that he will not achieve his objective”.

Hon. Alfred Agbesi, MP for Ashiaman, belongs to the school of thought, which concurs with the President. Nevertheless, he concedes, “strictly, MPs are not development agents but society has imposed that duty on us the MPs”.

He observes that it is curious that although district assemblies are given so much for development society does not talk about it “but the little that comes to the MPs has always been a subject of disagreement”.

Hon Agbesi welcomes the move by the President and believes that if the Fund comes to the MP directly he will be in a position to initiate and execute projects without reference to the Chief Executive of the district assembly thereby removing the conflict between the MPs and DCEs.





Like Hon. Agbesi, Hon. Inusah Abdulai B. Fuseini, MP for Tamale shares the sentiments of the President. He says that the root of the conflict is largely “jurisdictional considerations”. He explains that the MP’s share of the Common Fund is paid into an account held by the district assembly to which the DCE is a signatory.

“And by reason of that arrangement the CEO of the district interprets that to mean that he has supervisory jurisdiction over the use of the money, hence the conflict”.

In 2007 when the legality or otherwise of the MP’s share of the Common Fund came up at Public Agenda’s forum on decentralization , Mr.Freddie Blay, former MP for Ellembelle explained that the deduction of sixty percent from the reserved fund of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) for Members of Parliament (MPs) is part of efforts at promoting good governance.

“If the district assemblies receive about 8 billion cedis each year out of which MPs take 200 million cedis what do they want the government to do?

Mr. Blay argues that given that MPs are also seen as agents of development, it will be quite difficult for anybody to call for the abolishment of the fund since most of them depend on it for survival in the hot political terrain.

Blay dismissed claims by some DCEs that MPs are not agents of development and should concentrate on their law making functions while the building of infrastructure at the district is left for the District Assemblies.

“MPs are developing against in their constituency and use the DACF for the development of their constituencies and not for any thing else. MPs have a crucial role to play in the developmental agenda of the nation,” he said.

Hon. Blay disagreed with the suggestion saying that the MPs are using the funds to execute projects that are equally important to the people.

NDC MP advocates journalism for disabled award

By Ebenezer Hanson

As a measure to motivate and inspire journalists to focus on the rather important but long neglected issues of Persons with Disability (PWDs), the NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for the Abokobi/ Madina, Hon. Alhaji Amadu Bukari Sorogho, has avowed that he will support any move for the institution of an annual journalism for the disabled award.

He observed that journalism practice in Ghana has been skewed towards politics to the detriment of social issues like health, education, issues of the disabled and sanitation, but it is high time media practice witnessed a paradigm shift to deal with these issues.

“I’m prepared to initiate a yearly award for journalism that focuses on issues of Persons with Disabilty(PWDs) as a means of motivation. They constitute an important segment of the society and the media must give them equal attention.”

Hon. Sorogho was answering questions at the last and fourth joint Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and the Ghana Federation of the Disabled (GFD) Debate for Parliamentary aspirants for the Abokobi/ Madina seat at Madina. The other participant was Hon. Abdulai Baba Zakaria, NPP candidate and Presiding Member (PM) of the Ga East Municipal Assembly.

The event was dubbed “Promoting Issue-based Campaign” for election 2008, and moderated by Mr. Charles Ayamdoo, Director, Anti-corruption, CHRAJ and Mr. Angel Carbonu of NAGRAT.

Besides the intended award, which some members of the audience described as auspicious, Hon. Sorogho he would consult the various disabled groups to acquaint himself with the magnitude of their challenges and do his best to assist them. To this end, he urged the GEMA to gather data on the PWDs that would be readily and easily accessible in the scheme of things for the disabled.

Hon. Sorogho disclosed that since he became an MP, he had managed to lobby for the improvement of the water supply network and this has yielded appreciable results in the rural communities of the constituency. He, nonetheless, admitted that there is more to be done for the urban areas.

On women representation, he denounced any attempt to introduce a law that will provide for what he calls “a blanket 50% women representation” to elective positions. “The important thing is to create equal opportunities for women to tap their potential to the full,” he stressed.

Hon. Baba Zakaria promised that if gets the nod of his constituents; he would assist the PWDs to access their two percent share of the District Assembly Common Fund, which hitherto has almost remained elusive (DACF).

He assured the constituents that he would apply his Common Fund to the development of education by giving scholarships to brilliant but needy students. He also promised to tackle frontally the refuse situation of the constituency.

He observed that “election is not war but about choices” and advised his constituents not to allow themselves to be lured by politicians to engage in violence before, during and after the elections.

The moderators had a real tough time controlling the audience who were sharply divided into NPP and NDC. They kept either applauding or booing at the candidates any time, they responded to a question disregarding the persistent appeals from moderators to discontinue the practice.

Majority & Minority must unite to defuse Executive dominance

By Ebenezer Hanson


An ex-Minister in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration has submitted until the Majority and Minority caucuses in Parliament forge together as independent entity, the Executive will always take them for a ride.

Mr. Kwamena Ahwoi, former Local and Rural Development Minister, argues that Parliament has what it takes to wean itself from Executive influence, yet it has failed to employ the arsenals at its disposal.

“So far as the Majority and Minority will not come together to look at issues, the Executive will continue to dominate. It is the Parliamentarians that pass the budgets for the Executive; they approve all the perks that the members of the executive enjoy. Why can’t they assert themselves? ” he questioned.

Mr. Ahwoi, currently a Senior Lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), was reviewing the book, Executive-Parliament Interface in the Legislative Process (1993-2006): A Synergy of Powers? at the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) in Accra

He disagrees with the recommendations of the book that the Fourth Republican Constitution of 1992 be amended to preclude the President from appointing Ministers from Parliament. He says the book overlooked the fact that Article 78(1) which enjoins the President to appoint Ministers of State from Parliament is rooted in history.

The article provides that Ministers of State shall be appointed by the President with the prior approval of Parliament from among members of Parliament or persons qualified to be elected as members of Parliament, except that the majority of Ministers of State shall be appointed from among members of Parliament.

Mr. Ahwoi recalled that during the Busia-led Progress Party regime of 1969-1972, the constitution based on the Parliamentary System of government prescribed that all Ministers must come from Parliament. Accordingly, nobody from the Volta Region was appointed a Minister of State because the party did not win any seat for the region. “The effect of that arrangement was that a whole region was cut off from the governance of the country.”


Similarly, he related how the budget of People’s National Party led by Dr. Hilla Limann was defeated in Parliament in 1981 because Ministers were not in House to debate it. The Third Republican Constitution was modeled on the Presidential System of government which sets out clearly an arrangement of clear separation of powers between the Executive and Legislature.

Mr. Ahwoi said the fusion of the Executive and Legislature under the 1992 Constitution was therefore a compromise between the two extreme systems of governance-the Parliamentary and Presidential Systems.


Also reviewing the book, Prof. Mike Oquaye, a former Minister in the NPP administration observed that Parliament is polarized because almost every issue in the country has been politicized. “We are all non-accommodating,” he admitted, adding “we must move away from this stance and work towards consensus building”.

To him the current hybrid system of governance is appropriate in that it enables Ministers to provide vital information and data to Parliament which enriches debate and decision making in the House.

In his view the book is a well-researched book “whether one agrees with the views or not expressed therein”.

To ensure the sustainability of our nascent democracy, Prof. Oquaye suggested that all stakeholders must respect Supreme Court decisions on electoral matters and that the Supreme Court must do well to dispose off electoral matter brought before it within two weeks.

The author of the 87-page book, Prof. Kwame A. Ninsin, revealed that the writing of the book stemmed from refutations made by MPs on a conclusion he had made at a lecture by Parliament that the institution is subservient to the Executive. “The Parliamentarians claimed the assertion was only a perception, in order words it was a rumour”. He said due to this rebuttal Institute of Democratic Governance decided to research to generate empirical evidence to buttress the claim.

According to him, the research revealed that instead of asserting itself as a united body representing the people is increasingly Parliament was abdicating its national duty. He blames this phenomenon on the hybrid system of government and consequently called for an amendment of the Constitution to separate the Parliament from the Executive.

The Dean of the Faculty of Social Studies, Prof. J. R. Atsu Ayee, who launched the book agreed with Prof. Ninsin that it was time the constitution was amended to ensure a clear separation of powers. He also called for a similar research to be conducted on the relationship between the Executive and the Judiciary.

KUFUOR DELIVERS VICTORY TO NDC

By Ebenezer Hanson


A number of people Public Agenda spoke to shortly after final results of the presidential poll was declared regarded the outcome as victory for the NDC due to its impressive performance in the Parliamentary elections.

While the NDC increased its Parliamentary seats from 94 to 112, a rise by 18 seats, the NPP’s have plummeted from 128 to 109 representing a drop of 18 seats. Many of them blame President John Agyekum Kufuor for the NPP’s poor showing.

Afia Teye, a teacher and an NPP sympathiser, claims that the timing of some policies of President Kufuor though economically sound was politically suicidal. “A classic example is the sale of Ghana Telecom; which some economist say was a prudent financial transaction but politically imprudent. Little wonder that the NDC exploited that to their advantage, she expatiates.

Mis Teye cited the purchase of the presidential jet as another factor why the party could not deliver a first round victory. “The public felt it was dissipation of the scanty resources of the nation. They would have been content with one plane and two.”

Afia also accused the President of not participating actively in Nana Akufo-Addo’s campaign. “Compare President Kufuor’s involvement with that of former President Rawlings in Prof. Atta Mills’ campaign. Rawlings was at the forefront while President Kufuor was traveling abroad in honour of invitations he could have declined. He joined the campaign when it was rather late,” she reasons.

Kojo Tano, a child rights activist and also an NPP supporter, attributes the loss of constituencies along the coastal belt by the NPP to the pussy-footing attitude of government in fixing their premix-fuel problems and what he terms the “twilight sod cutting” for the start of the proposed breakwaters for their fishing trawlers and canoes.

“Why do you wait till about two weeks to elections before you move to cut the sod for such projects that have been on the drawing board all these while. Didn’t you see on TV that at the ground breaking ceremony at James Town or so some of the residents were saying that it was a bait to entice them to vote for the government? You see, it was ill-timed”.

He believes that the Gas in particular voted against the NPP because they felt their pleas for the release of their lands went unheeded and it was acted when the elections was in sight to secure votes. “Even the Gas maintained that what the government did was halfhearted and that wanted total release of all their lands which the State has divested,” he stressed.


Kojo was also of the view that the government could not articulate its success story regarding the social interventions such as School Feeding Programme, the Capitation Grant, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Free Health Care for Pregnant Women and Free Transportation for school children.

“I blame this squarely on the President for persistently changing Ministers for Information. Fancy that within eight years, there have been five Ministers for Infornation-Jake obetsebi Lamptey, Dan Botwe, Hon. Nana Akomea, Kwamena Bartels, Madam Oboshie Sai Cofie and finally Hon. Stephen Asamoah-Boateng. It didn’t allow for long term planning, strategic communication, and could not counter effective NDC propaganda which the party rightly used to its advantage,” he analyses.

He again believes that the rather large number of 17 aspirants who contested the NPP’s presidential primary with its attendant “indecent and reckless spending of money” angered many Ghanaians who found it difficult make ends meet.

Nevertheless, James Kpodo, a shop attendant and staunch supporter of the NDC, thinks Prof. Mills’ “house to house campaign” which brought him into personal touch with the electorate performed the magic, which translated into the party’s splendid performance. “The emotions and human feelings generated by those encounters won the hearts of the people and the accordingly voted for him,” he explains.

“I also believe that the general condition of economic hardship prevailing in the country prodded Ghanaians to vote for a change of government, hoping a new government will bring about a change in their fortunes.”

Husband stabs wife four times

By Ebenezer Hanson

Already burdened with the agony of the loss of her last born, Beatrice Abbey was yet to suffer another tragic incident, this time from her own husband of 16 years, Emmanuel Koney Laryea, who stabbed her four times with a knife.
Consequently, Laryea has been arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court accused of causing unlawful harm.

On Wednesday, Chief Inspector J.K. Anim, the prosecutor, told the court presided over by Mr. Dickson E. K. Daketse that, about four months ago, the last born of the couple, a two-year-old child got ill. However, Laryea allegedly refused to provide for medical care resulting in the death of the child. Thereafter, Beatrice moved from their matrimonial home at Adenta with the remaining five children to stay with her mother at Dansoman.

On January 25 this year, Beatrice took the children to her mother-in-law, that is, Laryea’s mother at Otimibi, a town off the Adenta Barrier-Dodowa Road. At about 7:00pm, she left for a meeting at Adenta Barrier where she saw Laryea, who without any provocation gave her a dirty slap that landed her on the ground.

As if that was not enough, Laryea allegedly brought out her knife and stabbed his wife at four different places leaving, deadly wounds. Shouts for help from Beatrice attracted neighbours who emerged on the scene, while Laryea showed a clean a pair of heels.

The neighbours gave Laryea a hot chase, apprehended and handed him over to the Police. He, for some unexplained circumstances, also suffered a cut on his left arm. After investigations, he was charged with the offence of causing unlawful harm.

Beatrice showed the dressed cuts on the head, hand and wrist to the court. However, Laryea has denied the offence and has been remanded in Police custody to re-appear on February 26 for hearing.

Human rights far from reality for Africans

By Ebenezer Hanson
It is instructive that within a space of two weeks, Ghanaians have been apprised on the human rights situation on the African Continent; the first by the Amnesty International-Ghana led by Michael Brigandi followed by that of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights under Commissioner Musa Bitaye.
The Amnesty International Report 2008-The State of the World’s Human Rights made available to the Ghanaian media contains a revelation of a litany of violations of human rights on the African continent. From Algeria to Zimbabwe and from Gambia to Somalia, the human rights record is abysmally poor.
The reports notes that although a number of protracted armed conflicts have been resolved, such as in Angola, Southern Sudan, Sierra Leone and Liberia, their human rights consequences endure, affecting both economic and social development and the political arena.
It observes, “The violent struggle for power, even in states which do not descend into armed conflict, still remains an important component of politics in Africa, in spite of moves towards democratization in many countries.”
It further notes that despite significant developments in African human rights institutions, notably the establishment of African Court on Human and People’s Rights and the establishments of various Human Rights Commissions in various countries, “the human rights promised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) are far from being a reality for the people of Africa”.
The Report captures gory details of the perpetration of high handedness unleashed against victims with impunity in many countries. “Police and other law enforcement officers were rarely held accountable for serious human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests and detention, torture and other ill-treatment.
Such impunity prevailed in many countries including Angola, Burundi, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Law enforcement officers frequently used excessive force in countries including Benin, the Republic of Guinea, Kenya, Mauritania, Nigeria, Sudan and Zimbabwe. Incidents of excessive use of force were often not investigated, even when people were killed,” the Report observes.
The members of the United Nations, the Report submits, showed great leadership and foresight 60 years ago when they adopted the UDHR, agreeing on a comprehensive set of rights. Over the years, this unity of purpose was lost and today human rights issues divide rather unite us. The many crises facing the world and for that matter Africa, require concerted and united action by states to protect human rights, but the record of both the old and the new powers-whether at home or abroad-does not inspire confidence.
To Amnesty International, optimism for the future resides in the fact that a global civil society is uniting; rejecting the divisions of the rich and poor, secular and religious and north/south, and demanding unified action by states.
Coming at the heels of the launch of the Amnesty 2008 Report was the five-day visit of Ngary Musa Bitaye, member of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) with oversight responsibility for Ghana to the county. Mr. Bitaye, who was accompanied by Robert Wundeh Eno and Mrs. Tossin Nguher, was on what he termed “a promotional visit” and engaged with stake holders such as the judiciary, the Ghana Journalists Association, National Aids Commission, the Ghana Police Service as well as various NGOs including the Third World Network (TWN) Africa.
According to Mr. Bitaye they were in the country to learn about the human rights situation of the country and to explore ways and means of enhancing and promoting human rights in the country.
At a lecture organized by the TWN, Mr. Bitaye lamented the poor human rights record on the continent and called for concerted efforts form all stakeholders to arrest the situation. He believed the establishment of Commissions of Human Rights and Ombudsman offices in the respective countries with the requisite human capacity and facilities are indispensable to the realization of the goals enshrined in the UDHR.
He also appealed to Africans not to hesitate in seeking redress at the ACHPR after they have exhausted remedies in their home countries. All said and done, the ends of human rights and for that matter justice on the continent have not yet been attained and it a collective responsibility for all stakeholders to work towards them be it governments, human rights commissions, the ACHPR and civil society.

GHANA TO RE-ENGAGE EU ON EPAs

Ebenezer Hanson


The Minister of Trade and Industry (MOTI), Ms. Hannah Tetteh has revealed that government intends to re-engage the European Union(EU); as part of a process of consultation with both internal and external stakeholders on what to do with the Economic Partnership Agreement(EPA).

She said in furtherance of the engagement plan, President John Evans Atta Mills has written to the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, who is the current EU Chairman inviting EU heads of government and ECOWAS member states to a meeting to discuss the outstanding concerns of the EPA.

In an exclusive interview with Public Agenda on Thursday, Ms. Tetteh further revealed that prior to meeting with the EU, a forum under the auspices of the MOTI would be organised by the end of the month for all local stakeholders to express their concerns on the subject particularly the light EPA that was signed by the Kufuor administration.

“ Before the government took over a lot of concerns were raised on the EPAs, thus an opportunity would be offered for these concerns to be addressed. We want to hear the pros and cons from the stakeholders and the proposals they have on the changes to the initial EPA if any.”

After this forum, she said, the concerns of the stakeholders would be presented to Cabinet for inputs of colleague Ministers, following which the government will take a position to guide iton its re-engagement with the EU.

Ms. Tetteh says the EU have indicated that they want the EPAs signed by June. “But whether Government would accede to this request or not would depend on the outcomes of the consultations. But we will ensure that the EPA is mutually acceptable to all stakeholders”.

She explained that the EPA has implications for both traditional and non traditional products such as poultry, pineapple and cocoa, whether Ghana signs unto it or not .“The issue therefore is not whether to have EPA or not, but to ensure that it works to our advantage and if there are negative consequences, they are reduced to the barest minimum.”

According to her, if the ultimate document turns out to be against our interest, Ghana will get development assistance from the EU to counteract the negative effects to ensure that they reduced to the bares minimum”, he explained.

“ We will negotiate to ensure a balance that will be in the interest of Ghana as whole,” she stressed.

In December 2007 when the EPAs came up for debate in Parliament, the Member of Parliament for Kumawu, Hon. Yaw Baah, made some startling revelations that the EPAs would have adverse impact on West African countries particularly Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.
According to him, under the EPAs, Ghana, Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire considered as the three non-Least Developed Countries (LDC) among the ECOWAS countries would not enjoy preferential treatment status granted to other ECOWAS countries and risk losing out under the new trade arrangement.
He thought that Nigeria now predominantly an oil economy would escape the imminent danger that would befall the largely agro-based products of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.
“It is the economies of the three that will be badly hit. Nigeria’s economy is no longer agro-based since it is more than 95% petroleum based. In the circumstance it is quite clear that it is Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and to a little extent, Cape Verde, which are at the greatest risk," he argued.
In 2007 after intense protests and controversy over the trade partnership agreement between the European Union and Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries, the Ghana government decided to sign what is referred to as an interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)-light with the European Commission.
The trade deal, which made Ghana the second after Cote d’Ivoire was supposed to eliminate tariffs on virtually all of the country’s exports to Europe and on 80% of imports from Europe over 15 years.
According to Hon. Joe Baidoe-Ansah, then Minister for Trade and Industry Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire-the world’s top two cocoa exporters- had taken the move to avoid disruptions to their exports after preferential trade terms expired at the end of 2007.
Ghana’s horticultural exporters urged the government to sign the EPA-light in order to avert the possibility of losing out in business from January 1, 2008 - a situation that compelled civil society groups and other trade sector bodies to push the New Patriotic Party administration to subscribe to the Generalised Preference System (GPS).
The EPA-light is a partial arrangement that ensures that exports of certain sensitive products to the EU markets are protected from higher tariffs, while negotiations on the original text of the EPA continue. It was a compromised proposal from the EU to commit ACP countries to continue trade relations.
The trade regime of non-reciprocal preferences granted by the EU to the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) for the past 25 years under the Lome Convention ended December 31, 2007.
ACP’s percentage of world trade dropped from 6.7% in 1975 to 2.5% in 2000. By 2006 there had been further down sliding such that by end of that year the percentage had plummeted to a mere 2.2%.
Hon. Baah stressed, "It was important for the EU to acknowledge that development is at the core of the Cotonou Agreement and EPA, and should not be artificially de-linked from trade issues by being negotiated at different stages." " Specific commitments are required by the EC particularly in respect of EPA support measures and programmes, additional funding earmarked for adjustment costs and their various sources of fund."
The MP for Akim Abuakwa North, Hon. Joseph Boakye Danquah Adu, was of the view that if Ghana had not signed the EPA-light the country’s non-traditional exports would have suffered adversely after December 31, 2007 since there would have disruptions in exports.
The MP for Wa West, Hon. Joseph Yieleh Chireh observed that in Ghana, consultations on the EPA had not been extensive and key players involved were even divided as to the stance government should adopt.
"Exporters do not know what will be the fate of their products and the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) are also apprehensive about their products at home," he said.
He called on the government to be vigilant regarding the EPA-light in that "although the EU claims that it will open its market from January 1, 2008 it will insist on quality and standards and this where we will have problems as a nation".

Asantehene’s achievements acknowledged in Parliament

By Ebenezer Hanson

It has been argued that it is time the government partnered the chieftaincy institution to mobilize the citizenry for development. The proponent said some kings and chiefs, particularly the Asantehene, have demonstrated beyond any doubt that with a visionary and inspirational leadership, Ghanaians could be mobilized to effect positive and meaningful changes in the society.

The proponent, Hon. Inusah Abdulai B. Fuseini, (NDC-Tamale Central), notes that the quality of leadership provided by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II during his ten-year reign as Asantehene has brought immense benefits that transcend the Ashanti Region and if other chiefs could take a cue and replicate it, Ghana would be the better for it.

“Government should partner the chieftaincy institution to galvanize the people into action. The Asantehene has proved that could yield fruitful results and I urge other chiefs to emulate this example,” he declared while contributing to a statement on the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Enstoolment of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II by Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto in Parliament last Friday.

Against this backdrop, he submitted that Ghanaians must employ all means to maintain the sanctity of the chieftaincy institution. “We as a people must do whatever it takes to ensure that the chieftaincy institution is not debased.”

Hon. Fuseini expatiated in a later interview with the Public Agenda that, the processes of succession in certain areas coupled with population explosion and its attendant difficulty of identifying royals have led to confusion in the selection of successors and thereby demeaning the throne. “Sometimes unqualified people have managed to manouvre their way to the throne,” he pointed out.

He also blamed some chiefs for bringing the institution into disrepute through certain condemnable actions like the multiple sale of land.

Nothwithstanding, he dismissed the contention that the chieftaincy institution had become anachronistic and therefore should be abolished. In his view, “the chieftaincy institution represents an arrangement that reflects our historical antecedents. It was a tradition that was the central authority but modernity and current arrangement it has ceded that power to the state. Therefore we should celebrate that identity and uniqueness by maintaining it”.

In his statement, Dr.Akoto (NPP-Kwadaso) recognized observed that through the “modern methods and unique style of communication, Otumfuo has succeeded in transforming the image of the age old institution. He has pursued policies and programmes which have not only brought dignity and respect to chieftaincy, but introduced modern practices without compromising on the principles of the institution.”
He said haven identified education as the major instrument of social change and progress, Otumfuo instituted the Otumfuo Eduacation Trust Fund soon after his enstoolment and has since implemented many infrastructural and scholarship programmes to promote education in particular amongst the brilliant but socially disadvantaged and poor and children.

“These programmes have not only benefited residents in the Ashanti Region but also many young people from other regions. The Fund has been so successful that it has been adopted as a model by many traditional rulers up and down the country. And children from socially disadvantage background, in particular those in the rural areas, are the biggest beneficiaries of these initiatives.”

Dr. Akoto disclosed that in addition to the Education Fund, Otumfuo has also established the Otumfuo Health Trust which was launched to research and deliver basic healthcare to fight the incidence of common diseases which afflict the people.

Otumfuo has initiated these social interventions in the belief that Central Government alone cannot shoulder the burden of the needs of the people and that all hands are required on deck. It is not for nothing that that his people that he has received from his people the accolade of ‘King Solomon’,” he emphasized.

He also recognized the tremendous efforts being made by other traditional leaders in several areas of endeavour. “Straight to mind is the work of the Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia II in the area of the environment, Togbe Afede in energy generation and the Naayiri, King of the Mmamprusi, in peace making in the Northern part of the country”.

The Minister for Communications, Hon. Iddrisu Haruna,(NDC-Tamale South), commended the Otumfuo that in face of even threats from modernity, he has demonstrated that chieftaincy could be used to contribute to socio-economic development.

But for the Otumfuo, he noted, the Dagbon Chieftaincy crisis would have been worse and hoped that when finally he gives his ruling on the matter it would be acceptable to all the parties concerned.

On February 9, the Catholic Metropolitan Archbishop of Kumasi, the Most Rev. Akwasi Sarpong, launched the programme of events to mark and celebrate the 10th anniversary of the enstoolment of the Otumfuo. On April 29,1999, the then Mr. Kwaku Dua, took the Great Oath of Asante( Ntamkese) at Manhyia and ascended the Golden Stool as the 16th King of Asante.