Political party agents have been absent at exhibition centres since the exhibition of the voters register begun on Sunday, October 5, 2008.
Their absence at most exhibition centres to monitor and observe for the successful cleaning of the voters’ register to rid it of the names of minors, aliens and the deceased, have raised questions on their commitment to making the voters register clean for the December 7, 2008 polls.
Their absence is particularly significant now because they were visible and active during the registration exercise about a month ago where there were reports of their active participation in facilitating the registration of some voters who had turned 18, according to a Senior Research Officer of the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), Mr Peter Fiamor.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on provisional reports sent by observers of the Civic Forum Initiative (CFI) deployed nation wide to monitor the exercise, he said in most exhibition centres no party functionary or agent had ever visited to observe what was going on, unlike the registration exercise when they were present and active
"It shows their lack of interest in helping to clean up the register and motivation," he said.
Generally, with regards to sensitising Ghanaians and mobilising all to object to the inclusion of the names of minors and aliens in the register and taking from it the names of the deceased, observers of reported certain inhibiting factors in achieving this.
For instance the sensitivity of the issue of death made it difficult for some come out with information on their dead relations particularly when exhibition officers insisted on some sort of evidence like a death certificate or tried to probe to verify.
The observers reported a slow start of the exhibition exercise with the general absence of the political parties nation-wide.
CFI observers at the Kpong Katamanso constituency of the Greater Accra Region reported that on the first day of the exercise, the provisional register of the recent registration exercise was not exhibited.
In other areas such as the Northern Region, CFI observers noted that some exhibition officers of the Electoral Commission did not seem to know what to do.
For instance, some were reported not to know how to go about filling the objection forms, while some parents were reported to be checking on the details of their children, who are apparently minors.
With no agents of political parties present to scrutinise and insist on the right thing, exhibition officers could only rightly check the details in the register, provided a card was presented.
On a positive note, Mr Fiamor reported that some remote areas in the Northern Region had seen an impressive turn out.
For instance, the Kotilgle exhibition centre had recorded about 108 people coming in to check on their details on the fourth day of the registration exercise.
He said with these provisional issues from observers, there was the need for civil society organisations to increase their sensitisation programmes and get citizens to turn out fully and help clean the register before the exhibition ends on October 12.
Currently, CFI, a coalition of civil society organisations in support of ensuring a clean register for the
December 7, 2008 elections is working in regions and districts to sensitise people on the need to help clean the EC register that has been bloated from the last registration exercise.
When contacted, the National Organising Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said the NDC had its agents on the ground.
These agents, he added, were not stationed at the exhibition centres, but went into villages and towns to encourage people to go to the exhibition centres to check on their details.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo also said he had received incidents of widespread transfer of votes in the Asutifi South, Asunafo North and the Attebubu districts all in the Brong Ahafo Region, as well as Ejura in the Ashanti Region.
He said this was a breach of the electoral laws as the Electoral Commission at an Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting set out the dates for the transfer of votes somewhere in November.
Party functionaries of the other parties could not be contacted as none picked up their telephone calls.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
STORY USED IN ARTICLE "EXHIBITION OF REGISTER RECORDS LOW TURNOUT, WITHOUT LOW TURN OUT OF VOTERS EXHIBITION EXERCISE ENDS TODAY" OF OCTOBER 11, 2008
Political party agents have been absent at exhibition centres since the exhibition of the voters register begun on Sunday, October 5, 2008.
Their absence at most exhibition centres to monitor and observe for the successful cleaning of the voters’ register to rid it of the names of minors, aliens and the deceased, have raised questions on their commitment to making the voters register clean for the December 7, 2008 polls.
Their absence is particularly significant now because they were visible and active during the registration exercise about a month ago where there were reports of their active participation in facilitating the registration of some voters who had turned 18, according to a Senior Research Officer of the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), Mr Peter Fiamor.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on provisional reports sent by observers of the Civic Forum Initiative (CFI) deployed nation wide to monitor the exercise, he said in most exhibition centres no party functionary or agent had ever visited to observe what was going on, unlike the registration exercise when they were present and active
"It shows their lack of interest in helping to clean up the register and motivation," he said.
Generally, with regards to sensitising Ghanaians and mobilising all to object to the inclusion of the names of minors and aliens in the register and taking from it the names of the deceased, observers of reported certain inhibiting factors in achieving this.
For instance the sensitivity of the issue of death made it difficult for some come out with information on their dead relations particularly when exhibition officers insisted on some sort of evidence like a death certificate or tried to probe to verify.
The observers reported a slow start of the exhibition exercise with the general absence of the political parties nation-wide.
CFI observers at the Kpong Katamanso constituency of the Greater Accra Region reported that on the first day of the exercise, the provisional register of the recent registration exercise was not exhibited.
In other areas such as the Northern Region, CFI observers noted that some exhibition officers of the Electoral Commission did not seem to know what to do.
For instance, some were reported not to know how to go about filling the objection forms, while some parents were reported to be checking on the details of their children, who are apparently minors.
With no agents of political parties present to scrutinise and insist on the right thing, exhibition officers could only rightly check the details in the register, provided a card was presented.
On a positive note, Mr Fiamor reported that some remote areas in the Northern Region had seen an impressive turn out.
For instance, the Kotilgle exhibition centre had recorded about 108 people coming in to check on their details on the fourth day of the registration exercise.
He said with these provisional issues from observers, there was the need for civil society organisations to increase their sensitisation programmes and get citizens to turn out fully and help clean the register before the exhibition ends on October 12.
Currently, CFI, a coalition of civil society organisations in support of ensuring a clean register for the
December 7, 2008 elections is working in regions and districts to sensitise people on the need to help clean the EC register that has been bloated from the last registration exercise.
When contacted, the National Organising Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said the NDC had its agents on the ground.
These agents, he added, were not stationed at the exhibition centres, but went into villages and towns to encourage people to go to the exhibition centres to check on their details.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo also said he had received incidents of widespread transfer of votes in the Asutifi South, Asunafo North and the Attebubu districts all in the Brong Ahafo Region, as well as Ejura in the Ashanti Region.
He said this was a breach of the electoral laws as the Electoral Commission at an Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting set out the dates for the transfer of votes somewhere in November.
Party functionaries of the other parties could not be contacted as none picked up their telephone calls.
Their absence at most exhibition centres to monitor and observe for the successful cleaning of the voters’ register to rid it of the names of minors, aliens and the deceased, have raised questions on their commitment to making the voters register clean for the December 7, 2008 polls.
Their absence is particularly significant now because they were visible and active during the registration exercise about a month ago where there were reports of their active participation in facilitating the registration of some voters who had turned 18, according to a Senior Research Officer of the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), Mr Peter Fiamor.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on provisional reports sent by observers of the Civic Forum Initiative (CFI) deployed nation wide to monitor the exercise, he said in most exhibition centres no party functionary or agent had ever visited to observe what was going on, unlike the registration exercise when they were present and active
"It shows their lack of interest in helping to clean up the register and motivation," he said.
Generally, with regards to sensitising Ghanaians and mobilising all to object to the inclusion of the names of minors and aliens in the register and taking from it the names of the deceased, observers of reported certain inhibiting factors in achieving this.
For instance the sensitivity of the issue of death made it difficult for some come out with information on their dead relations particularly when exhibition officers insisted on some sort of evidence like a death certificate or tried to probe to verify.
The observers reported a slow start of the exhibition exercise with the general absence of the political parties nation-wide.
CFI observers at the Kpong Katamanso constituency of the Greater Accra Region reported that on the first day of the exercise, the provisional register of the recent registration exercise was not exhibited.
In other areas such as the Northern Region, CFI observers noted that some exhibition officers of the Electoral Commission did not seem to know what to do.
For instance, some were reported not to know how to go about filling the objection forms, while some parents were reported to be checking on the details of their children, who are apparently minors.
With no agents of political parties present to scrutinise and insist on the right thing, exhibition officers could only rightly check the details in the register, provided a card was presented.
On a positive note, Mr Fiamor reported that some remote areas in the Northern Region had seen an impressive turn out.
For instance, the Kotilgle exhibition centre had recorded about 108 people coming in to check on their details on the fourth day of the registration exercise.
He said with these provisional issues from observers, there was the need for civil society organisations to increase their sensitisation programmes and get citizens to turn out fully and help clean the register before the exhibition ends on October 12.
Currently, CFI, a coalition of civil society organisations in support of ensuring a clean register for the
December 7, 2008 elections is working in regions and districts to sensitise people on the need to help clean the EC register that has been bloated from the last registration exercise.
When contacted, the National Organising Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said the NDC had its agents on the ground.
These agents, he added, were not stationed at the exhibition centres, but went into villages and towns to encourage people to go to the exhibition centres to check on their details.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo also said he had received incidents of widespread transfer of votes in the Asutifi South, Asunafo North and the Attebubu districts all in the Brong Ahafo Region, as well as Ejura in the Ashanti Region.
He said this was a breach of the electoral laws as the Electoral Commission at an Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting set out the dates for the transfer of votes somewhere in November.
Party functionaries of the other parties could not be contacted as none picked up their telephone calls.
PARTS OF STORY PLAGIARIZED IN ARTICLE "VOTERS EXHIBITION EXERCISE ENDS TODAY" OF OCTOBER 11, 2008
Political party agents have been absent at exhibition centres since the exhibition of the voters register begun on Sunday, October 5, 2008.
Their absence at most exhibition centres to monitor and observe for the successful cleaning of the voters’ register to rid it of the names of minors, aliens and the deceased, have raised questions on their commitment to making the voters register clean for the December 7, 2008 polls.
Their absence is particularly significant now because they were visible and active during the registration exercise about a month ago where there were reports of their active participation in facilitating the registration of some voters who had turned 18, according to a Senior Research Officer of the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), Mr Peter Fiamor.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on provisional reports sent by observers of the Civic Forum Initiative (CFI) deployed nation wide to monitor the exercise, he said in most exhibition centres no party functionary or agent had ever visited to observe what was going on, unlike the registration exercise when they were present and active
"It shows their lack of interest in helping to clean up the register and motivation," he said.
Generally, with regards to sensitising Ghanaians and mobilising all to object to the inclusion of the names of minors and aliens in the register and taking from it the names of the deceased, observers of reported certain inhibiting factors in achieving this.
For instance the sensitivity of the issue of death made it difficult for some come out with information on their dead relations particularly when exhibition officers insisted on some sort of evidence like a death certificate or tried to probe to verify.
The observers reported a slow start of the exhibition exercise with the general absence of the political parties nation-wide.
CFI observers at the Kpong Katamanso constituency of the Greater Accra Region reported that on the first day of the exercise, the provisional register of the recent registration exercise was not exhibited.
In other areas such as the Northern Region, CFI observers noted that some exhibition officers of the Electoral Commission did not seem to know what to do.
For instance, some were reported not to know how to go about filling the objection forms, while some parents were reported to be checking on the details of their children, who are apparently minors.
With no agents of political parties present to scrutinise and insist on the right thing, exhibition officers could only rightly check the details in the register, provided a card was presented.
On a positive note, Mr Fiamor reported that some remote areas in the Northern Region had seen an impressive turn out.
For instance, the Kotilgle exhibition centre had recorded about 108 people coming in to check on their details on the fourth day of the registration exercise.
He said with these provisional issues from observers, there was the need for civil society organisations to increase their sensitisation programmes and get citizens to turn out fully and help clean the register before the exhibition ends on October 12.
Currently, CFI, a coalition of civil society organisations in support of ensuring a clean register for the
December 7, 2008 elections is working in regions and districts to sensitise people on the need to help clean the EC register that has been bloated from the last registration exercise.
When contacted, the National Organising Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said the NDC had its agents on the ground.
These agents, he added, were not stationed at the exhibition centres, but went into villages and towns to encourage people to go to the exhibition centres to check on their details.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo also said he had received incidents of widespread transfer of votes in the Asutifi South, Asunafo North and the Attebubu districts all in the Brong Ahafo Region, as well as Ejura in the Ashanti Region.
He said this was a breach of the electoral laws as the Electoral Commission at an Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting set out the dates for the transfer of votes somewhere in November.
Party functionaries of the other parties could not be contacted as none picked up their telephone calls.
Their absence at most exhibition centres to monitor and observe for the successful cleaning of the voters’ register to rid it of the names of minors, aliens and the deceased, have raised questions on their commitment to making the voters register clean for the December 7, 2008 polls.
Their absence is particularly significant now because they were visible and active during the registration exercise about a month ago where there were reports of their active participation in facilitating the registration of some voters who had turned 18, according to a Senior Research Officer of the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), Mr Peter Fiamor.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on provisional reports sent by observers of the Civic Forum Initiative (CFI) deployed nation wide to monitor the exercise, he said in most exhibition centres no party functionary or agent had ever visited to observe what was going on, unlike the registration exercise when they were present and active
"It shows their lack of interest in helping to clean up the register and motivation," he said.
Generally, with regards to sensitising Ghanaians and mobilising all to object to the inclusion of the names of minors and aliens in the register and taking from it the names of the deceased, observers of reported certain inhibiting factors in achieving this.
For instance the sensitivity of the issue of death made it difficult for some come out with information on their dead relations particularly when exhibition officers insisted on some sort of evidence like a death certificate or tried to probe to verify.
The observers reported a slow start of the exhibition exercise with the general absence of the political parties nation-wide.
CFI observers at the Kpong Katamanso constituency of the Greater Accra Region reported that on the first day of the exercise, the provisional register of the recent registration exercise was not exhibited.
In other areas such as the Northern Region, CFI observers noted that some exhibition officers of the Electoral Commission did not seem to know what to do.
For instance, some were reported not to know how to go about filling the objection forms, while some parents were reported to be checking on the details of their children, who are apparently minors.
With no agents of political parties present to scrutinise and insist on the right thing, exhibition officers could only rightly check the details in the register, provided a card was presented.
On a positive note, Mr Fiamor reported that some remote areas in the Northern Region had seen an impressive turn out.
For instance, the Kotilgle exhibition centre had recorded about 108 people coming in to check on their details on the fourth day of the registration exercise.
He said with these provisional issues from observers, there was the need for civil society organisations to increase their sensitisation programmes and get citizens to turn out fully and help clean the register before the exhibition ends on October 12.
Currently, CFI, a coalition of civil society organisations in support of ensuring a clean register for the
December 7, 2008 elections is working in regions and districts to sensitise people on the need to help clean the EC register that has been bloated from the last registration exercise.
When contacted, the National Organising Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said the NDC had its agents on the ground.
These agents, he added, were not stationed at the exhibition centres, but went into villages and towns to encourage people to go to the exhibition centres to check on their details.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo also said he had received incidents of widespread transfer of votes in the Asutifi South, Asunafo North and the Attebubu districts all in the Brong Ahafo Region, as well as Ejura in the Ashanti Region.
He said this was a breach of the electoral laws as the Electoral Commission at an Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting set out the dates for the transfer of votes somewhere in November.
Party functionaries of the other parties could not be contacted as none picked up their telephone calls.
SENSITISE IMPORTERS ON TRADE STANDARDS, REGULATIONS
THE Minister of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and President’s Special Initiatives (PSI), Papa Owusu-Ankomah, has said the flooding of Ghanaian markets with used underwear will not occur if importers are sensitised to standards and trade regulations.
He said in the country’s efforts to facilitate trade, it had failed to ensure that the processes for making goods to conform to standards were followed.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after opening a two-day workshop organised by the Ghana Standards Board (GSB), the African Regional Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) and the German National Institute of Meteorology (PTB), the minister said from his interaction with some dealers in second-hand or used clothing, he had realised that regulations and standards were not being adhered to, hence the influx of those items on the markets.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah, therefore, urged industry and trade sector practitioners to constantly liaise with the GSB to improve their knowledge, boost industry in the country and trading with other countries.
He said such a liaison would also ensure that only standard goods entered the Ghanaian market.
He said while standards and standardisation shaped the development of industry, trade and the services sector, technical regulations ensured that some mandatory standards enforceable by law were kept.
These mandatory standards under the global multilateral trading system included sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) measures, as well as technical barriers to trade (TBT).
He said the GSB was the national enquiry point for such technical barriers under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and all partners, in preparing, revising or applying standards and technical regulations and associated conformance procedures, among other things, had to harmonise their actions with those international regulations.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah lauded the collaboration of the three institutions in developing robust standards and quality infrastructure to help enterprises to overcome technical barriers and seize emerging opportunities.
The Executive Director of the GSB, Mr Adu Gyamfi Darkwah, in a speech read on his behalf by Mrs Charlotte Ohene-Manu, said globalisation had brought in its wake the free movement of goods and services that, most often, was to the detriment of the economies of developing countries.
Mr Darkwah said most developing countries had not come to terms with the required standardisation infrastructure, which was a pre-requisite for improved productivity, market competitiveness and export capabilities of the country on the international market.
He said it was for that reason that the sensitisation workshop was being held to sensitise all to the relationship between standards and technical regulation, the relevance of their application and the opportunities of improved markets if they were adhered to.
A consultant for PTB, Mr Alex Inklaar, said the workshop would provide the opportunity for signatories to WTO agreements to fulfil their obligations and expand their trade with other countries.
He said the effective interplay of standards and technical regulations would help protect developing countries from cheap quality goods, while enhancing their ability to freely move good quality goods to other countries.
DAILY GRAPHIC, OCTOBER 10, 2008, PG 31
He said in the country’s efforts to facilitate trade, it had failed to ensure that the processes for making goods to conform to standards were followed.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after opening a two-day workshop organised by the Ghana Standards Board (GSB), the African Regional Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) and the German National Institute of Meteorology (PTB), the minister said from his interaction with some dealers in second-hand or used clothing, he had realised that regulations and standards were not being adhered to, hence the influx of those items on the markets.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah, therefore, urged industry and trade sector practitioners to constantly liaise with the GSB to improve their knowledge, boost industry in the country and trading with other countries.
He said such a liaison would also ensure that only standard goods entered the Ghanaian market.
He said while standards and standardisation shaped the development of industry, trade and the services sector, technical regulations ensured that some mandatory standards enforceable by law were kept.
These mandatory standards under the global multilateral trading system included sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) measures, as well as technical barriers to trade (TBT).
He said the GSB was the national enquiry point for such technical barriers under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and all partners, in preparing, revising or applying standards and technical regulations and associated conformance procedures, among other things, had to harmonise their actions with those international regulations.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah lauded the collaboration of the three institutions in developing robust standards and quality infrastructure to help enterprises to overcome technical barriers and seize emerging opportunities.
The Executive Director of the GSB, Mr Adu Gyamfi Darkwah, in a speech read on his behalf by Mrs Charlotte Ohene-Manu, said globalisation had brought in its wake the free movement of goods and services that, most often, was to the detriment of the economies of developing countries.
Mr Darkwah said most developing countries had not come to terms with the required standardisation infrastructure, which was a pre-requisite for improved productivity, market competitiveness and export capabilities of the country on the international market.
He said it was for that reason that the sensitisation workshop was being held to sensitise all to the relationship between standards and technical regulation, the relevance of their application and the opportunities of improved markets if they were adhered to.
A consultant for PTB, Mr Alex Inklaar, said the workshop would provide the opportunity for signatories to WTO agreements to fulfil their obligations and expand their trade with other countries.
He said the effective interplay of standards and technical regulations would help protect developing countries from cheap quality goods, while enhancing their ability to freely move good quality goods to other countries.
DAILY GRAPHIC, OCTOBER 10, 2008, PG 31
GHANAIANS MUST INSIST ON PEACE - VEEP
THE Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, has underscored the need for all Ghanaians to insist on peace as the basis for all their actions as they prepare for the December 7 general election.
He said their insistence on peace would ensure that no one threatened the prevailing peace in the nation.
Opening the 7th regional consultation of the West African Inter-Religions Co-ordinating Committee (WAIRCC) in Accra last Tuesday, Alhaji Mahama stressed the need for peace as the pre-requisite for development and progress.
The week-long meeting is being organised in collaboration with the Ghana Conference of Religions for Peace (GCRP), the African Council of Religious Leaders (ACRL) and Religions for Peace (RfP).
“As human beings, there will always be differences. It is the approach to resolutions that matters. And that is why the wonderful initiative of bringing different religions together in one council for dialogue must be commended,” the Vice-President told the participants.
He lauded the initiative of the organisers for bringing different beliefs and practices together to share and foster mutual respect for each other’s views, even where they differed fundamentally, and also their efforts at forging an international network of people of diverse religious backgrounds, beliefs and practices.
Alhaji Aliu said the potential of such collaborations were enormous because in using each other’s belief system as a common factor, leaders’ attitude and examples could greatly influence the perceptions and attitudes of numerous people.
He, therefore, tasked participants to provide the kind of leadership that shunned violence and intolerance, promoted respect for other people and rejected all forms of intolerance.
Welcoming participants, the Ameer and Missionary in charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Maulvi Dr Wahab Adam, spoke about the need for all to collaborate to ensure peace in the sub-region since religion was meant to be a source of immense blessing for mankind.
The Ameer, who is also the Chairman of the GCRP, said although religion had been used to divide, cause anguish and pain, the RfP focused on uniting people for the promotion of peace and development.
He expressed the hope that deliberations on the theme, “Confronting Violence and Advancing Shared Security in West Africa”, would deepen the commitment of all to the promotion of peace.
The General Secretary of the Liberian Council of Churches and Co-ordinator of WAIRCC, Dr Benjamin Dorme Lartey, tracing the beginning of such collaborative efforts, said some warlords in the Liberian War tried to use religion as a factor for the conflicts.
He said Christian and Muslim leaders decided to come together to correct the erroneous impressions and their efforts had nurtured peace in Liberia and Sierra Leone, while further collaborations had been achieved in countries like Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana.
He announced the expansion of the network to Benin, Senegal and Nigeria.
“Our membership is increasing because it makes sense for religious leaders to come together and work to promote peace,” he added.
In a goodwill message, the West African Regional Director of RfP, Reverend William Tolbert III, said RfP was the world’s largest and most representative multi-religious coalition advancing common action for peace.
It had also collaborated with inter-religious councils in 70 countries across six continents to build peace, eradicate conflict and advance sustainable development.
The Regional Programme Co-ordinator of the Advocacy for Children Programme for ACRL-RfP, Ms Zebib Kavuma, for her part, said that multi-religious co-operation was the only way forward in consolidating peace in the sub-region and promote the development of people.
The Deputy Minister of the Interior, Mr K. T. Hammond, assured Ghanaians that God was in charge of the country and would ensure a peaceful outcome in the December elections.
DAILY GRAPHIC, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2008, PG 17
He said their insistence on peace would ensure that no one threatened the prevailing peace in the nation.
Opening the 7th regional consultation of the West African Inter-Religions Co-ordinating Committee (WAIRCC) in Accra last Tuesday, Alhaji Mahama stressed the need for peace as the pre-requisite for development and progress.
The week-long meeting is being organised in collaboration with the Ghana Conference of Religions for Peace (GCRP), the African Council of Religious Leaders (ACRL) and Religions for Peace (RfP).
“As human beings, there will always be differences. It is the approach to resolutions that matters. And that is why the wonderful initiative of bringing different religions together in one council for dialogue must be commended,” the Vice-President told the participants.
He lauded the initiative of the organisers for bringing different beliefs and practices together to share and foster mutual respect for each other’s views, even where they differed fundamentally, and also their efforts at forging an international network of people of diverse religious backgrounds, beliefs and practices.
Alhaji Aliu said the potential of such collaborations were enormous because in using each other’s belief system as a common factor, leaders’ attitude and examples could greatly influence the perceptions and attitudes of numerous people.
He, therefore, tasked participants to provide the kind of leadership that shunned violence and intolerance, promoted respect for other people and rejected all forms of intolerance.
Welcoming participants, the Ameer and Missionary in charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Maulvi Dr Wahab Adam, spoke about the need for all to collaborate to ensure peace in the sub-region since religion was meant to be a source of immense blessing for mankind.
The Ameer, who is also the Chairman of the GCRP, said although religion had been used to divide, cause anguish and pain, the RfP focused on uniting people for the promotion of peace and development.
He expressed the hope that deliberations on the theme, “Confronting Violence and Advancing Shared Security in West Africa”, would deepen the commitment of all to the promotion of peace.
The General Secretary of the Liberian Council of Churches and Co-ordinator of WAIRCC, Dr Benjamin Dorme Lartey, tracing the beginning of such collaborative efforts, said some warlords in the Liberian War tried to use religion as a factor for the conflicts.
He said Christian and Muslim leaders decided to come together to correct the erroneous impressions and their efforts had nurtured peace in Liberia and Sierra Leone, while further collaborations had been achieved in countries like Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana.
He announced the expansion of the network to Benin, Senegal and Nigeria.
“Our membership is increasing because it makes sense for religious leaders to come together and work to promote peace,” he added.
In a goodwill message, the West African Regional Director of RfP, Reverend William Tolbert III, said RfP was the world’s largest and most representative multi-religious coalition advancing common action for peace.
It had also collaborated with inter-religious councils in 70 countries across six continents to build peace, eradicate conflict and advance sustainable development.
The Regional Programme Co-ordinator of the Advocacy for Children Programme for ACRL-RfP, Ms Zebib Kavuma, for her part, said that multi-religious co-operation was the only way forward in consolidating peace in the sub-region and promote the development of people.
The Deputy Minister of the Interior, Mr K. T. Hammond, assured Ghanaians that God was in charge of the country and would ensure a peaceful outcome in the December elections.
DAILY GRAPHIC, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2008, PG 17
STORY USED WITHOUT MY BYLINE. OTHER REPORTERS HAD THEIR BYE LINES
STORY USED WITHOUT MY BYLINE. OTHER REPORTERS HAD THEIR BYE LINES
EXHIBITION of the voters register got off on a low key note in centres visited around the country.
The first day of the exercise coincided with church services across the country. By 11 a.m, only 11 and seven voters respectively had visited the Faith Community Baptist School Centre A and B polling stations in the Madina-Abokobi Constituency in the Ga East District to check on their voter data, reports Caroline Boateng.
Fifteen voters had checked their details at the Mora International Preparatory School at the Madina District Police Station by mid-day, while 31 voters had checked their details at the Nima Roman Catholic School (St Kizito) polling station in the Ayawaso East District as at 2. 40 p.m. when the Daily Graphic got there.
Generally the exhibition exercise started on a peaceful note and no voter had challenged the eligibility of any person to vote.
At all the polling stations visited, two registers were exhibited, the list of voters for 2006 and the recent registration list, that is, the one for 2008.
At the St Kizito polling station, the exhibition officer, Mr John Kofi Adjoda, said only two people had had their names not appearing in the register, although the number on their cards suggested their names had to appear in the register for the polling station.
He said the two were new voters so the non-inclusion of their names in the register could be an oversight that could easily be corrected.
Apart from that, Mr Adjoda reported that voters had been trickling in to check on their details in the register, although he had expected a good turn out because it was a Sunday.
Mr Kwesi Tough Asiedu, the exhibition officer at the Madina Police Station, also reported a slow start of the exhibition exercise, which opened at 7 a.m.
Messrs Kofi Agbeli and Emmanuel Osei Gyansah Jnr of the Faith Community Baptist School Centre A and B respectively also reported a slow start at the polling station located at a school that also served as the worship place for some members of the Baptist Church.
On the slow pace of the exercise, the exhibition officers attributed it partly to the fact that most people were at church and partly to the attitude of most Ghanaians who always waited until the last minute before they hurriedly did what was expected of them.
DAILY GRAPHIC, MONDAY OCTOBER 6, 2008, PG 66
EXHIBITION of the voters register got off on a low key note in centres visited around the country.
The first day of the exercise coincided with church services across the country. By 11 a.m, only 11 and seven voters respectively had visited the Faith Community Baptist School Centre A and B polling stations in the Madina-Abokobi Constituency in the Ga East District to check on their voter data, reports Caroline Boateng.
Fifteen voters had checked their details at the Mora International Preparatory School at the Madina District Police Station by mid-day, while 31 voters had checked their details at the Nima Roman Catholic School (St Kizito) polling station in the Ayawaso East District as at 2. 40 p.m. when the Daily Graphic got there.
Generally the exhibition exercise started on a peaceful note and no voter had challenged the eligibility of any person to vote.
At all the polling stations visited, two registers were exhibited, the list of voters for 2006 and the recent registration list, that is, the one for 2008.
At the St Kizito polling station, the exhibition officer, Mr John Kofi Adjoda, said only two people had had their names not appearing in the register, although the number on their cards suggested their names had to appear in the register for the polling station.
He said the two were new voters so the non-inclusion of their names in the register could be an oversight that could easily be corrected.
Apart from that, Mr Adjoda reported that voters had been trickling in to check on their details in the register, although he had expected a good turn out because it was a Sunday.
Mr Kwesi Tough Asiedu, the exhibition officer at the Madina Police Station, also reported a slow start of the exhibition exercise, which opened at 7 a.m.
Messrs Kofi Agbeli and Emmanuel Osei Gyansah Jnr of the Faith Community Baptist School Centre A and B respectively also reported a slow start at the polling station located at a school that also served as the worship place for some members of the Baptist Church.
On the slow pace of the exercise, the exhibition officers attributed it partly to the fact that most people were at church and partly to the attitude of most Ghanaians who always waited until the last minute before they hurriedly did what was expected of them.
DAILY GRAPHIC, MONDAY OCTOBER 6, 2008, PG 66
VICKY BIDS FAREWELL
THE management of Unilever Ghana has held a farewell cocktail for Mrs Vicky Wereko-Andoh, a former Corporate Relations Manager of the company, after 19 years of dedicated service.
In attendance were management members and staff of Unilever, trade and business partners of the company, as well as some media practitioners.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Executive Officer of Unilever Ghana, Mr Charles Cofie, paid glowing tribute to Mrs Wereko-Andoh, saying she had helped deepen the company’s engagement with all the different media in the country.
Moreover, she had fostered a warm motherly relationship and built that over the years with all the company’s partners.
Mr Cofie said in finding a replacement for her, Unilever had endeavoured to find one who would step into what he termed the “gigantic shoes” of Mrs Wereko-Andoh and build on the good work she had left behind.
That person is Ms Bernice Natue, who he said was “a person new to the role but not new to most partners” of the organisation.
He said Ms Natue had been with Unilever for 11 years and had served in customer, development and marketing functions in the organisation and expressed his confidence in her ability to take on the role.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Unilever Foundation for Education and Development (UFED), Mr Andrew Quayson, who had worked with Mrs Wereko-Andoh in the early 1990s, said she was “one of the best organised managers” he had ever come across.
He added that her rapport and ability to communicate with all partners, particularly the media, had helped to enhance the image of Unilever, while her commitment and innovation had helped in the achievement of targets by the organisation.
A former President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Ms Ajoa Yeboah-Afari, said Mrs Wereko-Andoh had always been and would always be a part of the media in Ghana.
The Chief Executive Officer of Ad Media, Mr Emmanuel Addo, wished Mrs Wereko-Andoh God’s blessings as she embarked on a new phase in her life, while challenging Ms Natue to sustain the relationships and associations built over the years by her predecessor.
Ms Natue, in her remarks, said she felt honoured to be stepping into the shoes of Mrs Wereko-Andoh, which, though “big”, were “beautiful”.
She said having been a protégé of Mrs Wereko-Andoh’s, she was hopeful of making Unilever’s relationships more beautiful with the continuing help of her mentor.
She said Mrs Wereko-Andoh’s diplomacy and her commitment to corporate relations functions were the two key characteristics she was going to emulate as she took over.
Mrs Wereko-Andoh, for her part, was grateful to all media practitioners in the country who had, during her tenure, made the effort most of the time to clarify issues with Unilever before going to press.
Describing her retirement as a “readjustment”, she said she was going back to the media “where I will stay”.
She later told the Daily Graphic that she would use her experience gained from her years of work to transform public relations and communication in the country.
She said although those were specialised management tools, they were practised haphazardly in the country and so she would endeavour to restore the kind of respectful face into the public relations function in the country.
Mr Cofie presented Mrs Wereko-Andoh with two sets of jewellery, while Mr Quayson and Prof Kwame Gyekye, a former Board Chairman of the Graphic Communications Group Limited, presented her with an art work depicting dancers carved in stone.
DAILY GRAPHIC, MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2008, PG 39
In attendance were management members and staff of Unilever, trade and business partners of the company, as well as some media practitioners.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Executive Officer of Unilever Ghana, Mr Charles Cofie, paid glowing tribute to Mrs Wereko-Andoh, saying she had helped deepen the company’s engagement with all the different media in the country.
Moreover, she had fostered a warm motherly relationship and built that over the years with all the company’s partners.
Mr Cofie said in finding a replacement for her, Unilever had endeavoured to find one who would step into what he termed the “gigantic shoes” of Mrs Wereko-Andoh and build on the good work she had left behind.
That person is Ms Bernice Natue, who he said was “a person new to the role but not new to most partners” of the organisation.
He said Ms Natue had been with Unilever for 11 years and had served in customer, development and marketing functions in the organisation and expressed his confidence in her ability to take on the role.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Unilever Foundation for Education and Development (UFED), Mr Andrew Quayson, who had worked with Mrs Wereko-Andoh in the early 1990s, said she was “one of the best organised managers” he had ever come across.
He added that her rapport and ability to communicate with all partners, particularly the media, had helped to enhance the image of Unilever, while her commitment and innovation had helped in the achievement of targets by the organisation.
A former President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Ms Ajoa Yeboah-Afari, said Mrs Wereko-Andoh had always been and would always be a part of the media in Ghana.
The Chief Executive Officer of Ad Media, Mr Emmanuel Addo, wished Mrs Wereko-Andoh God’s blessings as she embarked on a new phase in her life, while challenging Ms Natue to sustain the relationships and associations built over the years by her predecessor.
Ms Natue, in her remarks, said she felt honoured to be stepping into the shoes of Mrs Wereko-Andoh, which, though “big”, were “beautiful”.
She said having been a protégé of Mrs Wereko-Andoh’s, she was hopeful of making Unilever’s relationships more beautiful with the continuing help of her mentor.
She said Mrs Wereko-Andoh’s diplomacy and her commitment to corporate relations functions were the two key characteristics she was going to emulate as she took over.
Mrs Wereko-Andoh, for her part, was grateful to all media practitioners in the country who had, during her tenure, made the effort most of the time to clarify issues with Unilever before going to press.
Describing her retirement as a “readjustment”, she said she was going back to the media “where I will stay”.
She later told the Daily Graphic that she would use her experience gained from her years of work to transform public relations and communication in the country.
She said although those were specialised management tools, they were practised haphazardly in the country and so she would endeavour to restore the kind of respectful face into the public relations function in the country.
Mr Cofie presented Mrs Wereko-Andoh with two sets of jewellery, while Mr Quayson and Prof Kwame Gyekye, a former Board Chairman of the Graphic Communications Group Limited, presented her with an art work depicting dancers carved in stone.
DAILY GRAPHIC, MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2008, PG 39
CIVIL SERVICE PURGES PAYROLL OF 15000 GHOST NAMES
THE Office of the Head of the Civil Service (OHSC) has cleaned the civil service payroll of 1500 ghost names.
The exercise was undertaken by the Research, Statistics and Information Management (RSIM) Directorate of the office with technical support from the French Embassy.
Explaining the functions of the directorate and its achievement in purging the payroll to a group of newsmen in Accra, the Director of the RSIM, Mr G. Akilakpa Sawyerr, said the primary function was to collect data for the management of human resources in the Civil Service.
He said the directorate was currently nearing completion of the staff list of all civil servants in various ministries, departments and agencies.
The French Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Francis Hurtut, who paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Public Sector Reform, Mr Samuel Owusu-Agyei, and inspected the directorate, said having seen at first-hand the work being done, he was convinced of its vital role in the administration of the Civil Service.
He said the work that had been achieved at the directorate was evidence of more collaboration and gave the assurance of further help from the French Embassy.
He expressed his appreciation for the collaboration between Ghana and France that had resulted in such initiatives geared towards strengthening of civil service practice in the country.
Present at the function were the Head of the Civil Service, Mr Joe Issachar, and the acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Public Sector Reform, Mr Robertson Nii Akwei Allotey.
DAILY GRAPHIC, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2008, BACK PAGE
The exercise was undertaken by the Research, Statistics and Information Management (RSIM) Directorate of the office with technical support from the French Embassy.
Explaining the functions of the directorate and its achievement in purging the payroll to a group of newsmen in Accra, the Director of the RSIM, Mr G. Akilakpa Sawyerr, said the primary function was to collect data for the management of human resources in the Civil Service.
He said the directorate was currently nearing completion of the staff list of all civil servants in various ministries, departments and agencies.
The French Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Francis Hurtut, who paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Public Sector Reform, Mr Samuel Owusu-Agyei, and inspected the directorate, said having seen at first-hand the work being done, he was convinced of its vital role in the administration of the Civil Service.
He said the work that had been achieved at the directorate was evidence of more collaboration and gave the assurance of further help from the French Embassy.
He expressed his appreciation for the collaboration between Ghana and France that had resulted in such initiatives geared towards strengthening of civil service practice in the country.
Present at the function were the Head of the Civil Service, Mr Joe Issachar, and the acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Public Sector Reform, Mr Robertson Nii Akwei Allotey.
DAILY GRAPHIC, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2008, BACK PAGE
SELLING OYSTERS IN STYLE
AT first sight, it is the sieve containing the fried oysters that is seen. The hand balancing the sieve on the head comes into view and one realises it is a hand clad in the sleeve of a coat. As that realisation sinks in, the frame of the seller is now clearly seen in a shirt, a tie and a coat.
On contact, Solomon Amevi is a pleasure to watch and drawing closer, one gets endeared to him, especially for his neatly shaven moustache, low cut hair and executive dressing.
Although the enterprise he engages in, selling, might appear mundane, Solomon does it with enthusiasm, style and panache.
At 24, the second of two children, with an unknown father and a deceased mother, Solomon recently completed Sogakope Secondary School (SOGASCO) and had to fend for himself after having relied on his grandmother for all his teenage and adult life.
Not having the resources to continue with his education, Solomon looked for a mentor, Pastor Freeman Dzra, for the instruction of life necessary for adulthood, and an enterprise to engage in.
He gets the oysters from Sogakope, brings a sieveful to Accra and, within two or three days, disposes of the GH¢230 or GH¢250 worth of the shell fish.
Within the period, Solomon spends his night at the Tema Station, and makes it back home to Sogakope only when the sieve is empty.
He makes a commission of about GH ¢33 or GH¢34.5 on the sale of the oysters.
Solomon said the idea to dress neatly and sell oysters was the result of experiences he had had with his grandmother, who had sold soap and other petty goods to cater for him when he was young at Dodo Amanfrom, near Kadjebi.
He said when he left his grandmother for Sogaope to school, he had himself engaged in the selling of “bofrot” (doughnuts) and meat pies.
He said when he started his enterprise, it dawned on him that generally, people appreciated neatness, tidiness and some orderliness and so he decided to live these in his enterprise.
With two coats, a grey and a brown one that he alternates, Solomon’s efforts have paid off, for certain people sometimes giving him money in traffic and complimentary cards for further contacts on employment opportunities.
His desire is to become a nurse in future, but lack of funds, resources and social contacts have made him to change plans and to decide to go into teacher training college, if he gets a well-paying job that will enable him to save for that.
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2008, PG 9
On contact, Solomon Amevi is a pleasure to watch and drawing closer, one gets endeared to him, especially for his neatly shaven moustache, low cut hair and executive dressing.
Although the enterprise he engages in, selling, might appear mundane, Solomon does it with enthusiasm, style and panache.
At 24, the second of two children, with an unknown father and a deceased mother, Solomon recently completed Sogakope Secondary School (SOGASCO) and had to fend for himself after having relied on his grandmother for all his teenage and adult life.
Not having the resources to continue with his education, Solomon looked for a mentor, Pastor Freeman Dzra, for the instruction of life necessary for adulthood, and an enterprise to engage in.
He gets the oysters from Sogakope, brings a sieveful to Accra and, within two or three days, disposes of the GH¢230 or GH¢250 worth of the shell fish.
Within the period, Solomon spends his night at the Tema Station, and makes it back home to Sogakope only when the sieve is empty.
He makes a commission of about GH ¢33 or GH¢34.5 on the sale of the oysters.
Solomon said the idea to dress neatly and sell oysters was the result of experiences he had had with his grandmother, who had sold soap and other petty goods to cater for him when he was young at Dodo Amanfrom, near Kadjebi.
He said when he left his grandmother for Sogaope to school, he had himself engaged in the selling of “bofrot” (doughnuts) and meat pies.
He said when he started his enterprise, it dawned on him that generally, people appreciated neatness, tidiness and some orderliness and so he decided to live these in his enterprise.
With two coats, a grey and a brown one that he alternates, Solomon’s efforts have paid off, for certain people sometimes giving him money in traffic and complimentary cards for further contacts on employment opportunities.
His desire is to become a nurse in future, but lack of funds, resources and social contacts have made him to change plans and to decide to go into teacher training college, if he gets a well-paying job that will enable him to save for that.
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2008, PG 9
UNIONS IN AFRICA URGE GOVERNMENTS TO RENOUNCE PARTNERSHIP PACTS
Trade union movements across Africa and some civil society organisations yesterday urged African leaders meeting in Ghana for the African, Caribbean and Pacific/European Union (ACP/EU) conference to secure the lives of their people by renouncing all Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) entered into.
They also proposed that in the mean time, ACP governments should resolve to find alternatives to the EPAs that were in line with World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreements and beneficial to the majority of their people, working in active collaboration with trade union movements and civil society organisations.
A joint statement by the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) and the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) clearly set out the debilitating effects of signing on to the agreements on the people of those countries.
Presenting the statement, the General Secretary of the ITUC-Africa, Mr Kwasi Adu-Amankwah, said the leaders meeting in Africa had a “historical duty” to discharge by refusing to make ACP countries that were sovereign subservient to the demands of other countries.
He pointed out that the argument that EPAs were not the way for economic development and poverty reduction had already been made since the introduction of these agreements.
He said the proposal for free trade agreements between the EU and countries of the ACP was not acceptable, given the huge developmental gap between the two parties.
“The EPAs are tantamount to economic recolonisation,” he said, adding that a reciprocal market access offered by the EPAs that also demanded poor countries to remove, over time, custom duties on 80 per cent of imports from EU countries would only decimate the already small production base, wipe out employment and livelihoods and undermine efforts at achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The agreement, he went on to explain to journalists, would deny ACP countries their most reliable sources of revenue, that is, custom duties, as that would be blocked, leading to the weakening of countries’ abilities to invest in social services for the deprived.
Citing several factors to show why the 100 per cent EU market access offer under the agreements was “meaningless”, Mr Adu-Amankwah said non-tariff barriers, including sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards (SPS), complicated rules of origin and supply side constraints of ACP countries, would all inhibit the full enjoyment of that provision.
The net effect of all these, he said, was that ACP countries never benefited from market access provisions, even in earlier arrangements such as the Lome conventions and the Cotonou partnership agreements.
Mr Adu-Amankwah said given that the present rules of trade in services between the EU and the ACP countries were already consistent and compatible with WTO rules, it was not necessary or desirable for African countries to be made to negotiate again on those issues.
In addition, efforts by the EU to include trade-related issues such as government procurement, competition, investment policies, as well as intellectual property, were unacceptable because those issues had been successfully blocked by developing countries at WTO talks in the belief that they had extremely negative implications for development.
Mr Adu-Amankwah stated that despite the negative repercussion of those proposals on development in the ACP states, independent impact studies, including those commissioned by the European Commission (EC) that corroborated claims of the negative impact of the EPAs to development, were dismissed by them.
He was not happy with attempts by the EC to cast all critical voices represented by civil society, particularly on the EPAs, as disgruntled, saying that stance by the EC smacked of double standards.
Quoting President Bharrat Jagdoe of Guyana to drive home this point, he said, “We are incessantly lectured by the same group of countries, the EU, that national consultations and working with civil society are essential hallmarks of good governance, yet when the same civil society opposes the EPAs on the grounds that they are not sufficiently developmental in nature, we are told to ignore them — that they are complainers.”
Present at the press conference were the Secretary-General of the GTUC, Mr Kofi Asamoah; the General Secretary of the General and Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) and Mr Gyeke Tanoh of the Third World Network-Africa.
In his submissions, Mr Tanoh reiterated the fact that even commissioned studies by the EC were discounted if they proved the negative impact of the EPAs on development and that had made any discussion on the issue a difficult one.
He added, however, that on September 17 the Parliament of the EU released a report on the development impact of the EPAs in which it clearly came out with their negative impact.
Among the list of negatives was the fact that Cote d’Ivoire that had initialled an interim EPA would lose the equivalent of $83 million in lost tax revenue yearly.
Ghana, which has also initialled an interim EPA will lose $162 million yearly, while the West African sub-region will lose about $2 billion in lost tax revenues under the EPA.
Mr Tanoh said under the interim EPA initialled by the two countries, there were also contentious issues like the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) clause, “the standstill” clauses and the sovereignty of EPA agreements over all national laws in sectors that came under the EPAs.
The MFN, he said, ensured that if governments had any agreements with other countries other than the EU that were under good terms, they would be forced to make better terms with EU countries, while extending the same concessions to Ghanaians to EU nationals, making a charade of integration and South-South co-operation, while the standstill agreements weakened the capacity of governments to resort to local measures such as increasing some taxes on goods exported in case of emergencies.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2008, PG 21
They also proposed that in the mean time, ACP governments should resolve to find alternatives to the EPAs that were in line with World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreements and beneficial to the majority of their people, working in active collaboration with trade union movements and civil society organisations.
A joint statement by the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) and the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) clearly set out the debilitating effects of signing on to the agreements on the people of those countries.
Presenting the statement, the General Secretary of the ITUC-Africa, Mr Kwasi Adu-Amankwah, said the leaders meeting in Africa had a “historical duty” to discharge by refusing to make ACP countries that were sovereign subservient to the demands of other countries.
He pointed out that the argument that EPAs were not the way for economic development and poverty reduction had already been made since the introduction of these agreements.
He said the proposal for free trade agreements between the EU and countries of the ACP was not acceptable, given the huge developmental gap between the two parties.
“The EPAs are tantamount to economic recolonisation,” he said, adding that a reciprocal market access offered by the EPAs that also demanded poor countries to remove, over time, custom duties on 80 per cent of imports from EU countries would only decimate the already small production base, wipe out employment and livelihoods and undermine efforts at achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The agreement, he went on to explain to journalists, would deny ACP countries their most reliable sources of revenue, that is, custom duties, as that would be blocked, leading to the weakening of countries’ abilities to invest in social services for the deprived.
Citing several factors to show why the 100 per cent EU market access offer under the agreements was “meaningless”, Mr Adu-Amankwah said non-tariff barriers, including sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards (SPS), complicated rules of origin and supply side constraints of ACP countries, would all inhibit the full enjoyment of that provision.
The net effect of all these, he said, was that ACP countries never benefited from market access provisions, even in earlier arrangements such as the Lome conventions and the Cotonou partnership agreements.
Mr Adu-Amankwah said given that the present rules of trade in services between the EU and the ACP countries were already consistent and compatible with WTO rules, it was not necessary or desirable for African countries to be made to negotiate again on those issues.
In addition, efforts by the EU to include trade-related issues such as government procurement, competition, investment policies, as well as intellectual property, were unacceptable because those issues had been successfully blocked by developing countries at WTO talks in the belief that they had extremely negative implications for development.
Mr Adu-Amankwah stated that despite the negative repercussion of those proposals on development in the ACP states, independent impact studies, including those commissioned by the European Commission (EC) that corroborated claims of the negative impact of the EPAs to development, were dismissed by them.
He was not happy with attempts by the EC to cast all critical voices represented by civil society, particularly on the EPAs, as disgruntled, saying that stance by the EC smacked of double standards.
Quoting President Bharrat Jagdoe of Guyana to drive home this point, he said, “We are incessantly lectured by the same group of countries, the EU, that national consultations and working with civil society are essential hallmarks of good governance, yet when the same civil society opposes the EPAs on the grounds that they are not sufficiently developmental in nature, we are told to ignore them — that they are complainers.”
Present at the press conference were the Secretary-General of the GTUC, Mr Kofi Asamoah; the General Secretary of the General and Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) and Mr Gyeke Tanoh of the Third World Network-Africa.
In his submissions, Mr Tanoh reiterated the fact that even commissioned studies by the EC were discounted if they proved the negative impact of the EPAs on development and that had made any discussion on the issue a difficult one.
He added, however, that on September 17 the Parliament of the EU released a report on the development impact of the EPAs in which it clearly came out with their negative impact.
Among the list of negatives was the fact that Cote d’Ivoire that had initialled an interim EPA would lose the equivalent of $83 million in lost tax revenue yearly.
Ghana, which has also initialled an interim EPA will lose $162 million yearly, while the West African sub-region will lose about $2 billion in lost tax revenues under the EPA.
Mr Tanoh said under the interim EPA initialled by the two countries, there were also contentious issues like the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) clause, “the standstill” clauses and the sovereignty of EPA agreements over all national laws in sectors that came under the EPAs.
The MFN, he said, ensured that if governments had any agreements with other countries other than the EU that were under good terms, they would be forced to make better terms with EU countries, while extending the same concessions to Ghanaians to EU nationals, making a charade of integration and South-South co-operation, while the standstill agreements weakened the capacity of governments to resort to local measures such as increasing some taxes on goods exported in case of emergencies.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2008, PG 21
SLAVERY-EVIL OF THE PAST AND PRESENT
IMAGINE being bereft of all social, economic and financial support.
Imagine not knowing where the next meal for yourself and the children is coming from.
With no money to feed and clothe yourself or children, as well as no social or political connection at all to even get started, imagine also a promise from the blue, pregnant with opportunity.
The opportunity of travelling to a better country where conditions are much better, where finding a job is much easier, where earning good money is assured and even saving for a brighter future is a certainty.
For many people such opportunities are not thought through for a minute; they are jumped at!
Also invigorating is the opportunity of giving one’s children the basics in life that will set them on course to prosperous adulthood.
These are the scenarios that make parents give out their children for a pittance and forever, to fish in the Volta River and other coastal areas, or become servants to better off families in faraway countries.
These are also the circumstances that make parents leave their children and families behind, with the hope of a better future in sight.
Most often these opportunities end up in tears and disappointment for those who embarked on them as they end up at in places where they become worse off than before.
The deprivation of the past is compounded, while one loses all basic rights that underpin humanity and sanity.
These are modern forms of slavery that include human trafficking, child labour and forced servitude.
As social and economic derivatives were the impetus of slavery in the 15th Century, so also now, economic and social demands drive modern slavery.
Around the 15th Century when slavery started, it contradicted the fundamental rights of men and women.
Apart from that, as the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Mr Koichiro Matsuura, pointed out in his speech during the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition on August 23, 2008, slavery provoked “profound global, economic, social and cultural transformations.”
These long-lasting transformations and their consequences on the African continent resulted in the international recognition of slavery as “crime against humanity” in the declaration of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in Durban, South Africa.
Slavery now emerges in several subtle forms that are not as grotesque as the documentaries shown of the slave trade in the past, but the new forms of slavery are equally abhorrent.
Human trafficking, child labour, sexual exploitation of all kinds, etc, etc, are all modern forms of slavery in which victims may not be seen being physically hauled away in chains and ships, but they are seen going on their own volition.
However, behind the voluntariness of their choice are unseen emotional and mental pressures even as they surrender to all sorts of abuse and human rights violations.
In modern slavery, open forms of resistance are rarely seen, as victims under some social and economic pressures, succumb to dehumanising conditions.
It is to address wrong perceptions of slavery, past and present, its impact from the 15th Century, and how it operates in the contemporary world that UNESCO in 1994, launched its Slave Route Project.
The project seeks among other things to create a greater understanding of the slave trade and its consequences for modern societies in order to contribute to the establishment of a culture of tolerance, peaceful coexistence and respect for human rights, which underpin the mandate of UNESCO, according to Koichiro Matsuura.
The project will also increase awareness of the African presence around the world and highlight the contribution of the African Diaspora to the building of a new world.
Through research and the dissemination of information, a novelty under the project is the production of an Atlas of the Interaction of African Presence and its Heritage that will set out the indigenous African traditions, generated over the centuries and manifested in diverse cultural activities such as music, dance, crafts and festivals seen in Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas.
Under the project, UNESCO member states are to set up country slave route projects and Ghana’s was duly set up by the government in 1999 under the Ministry of Tourism.
Since its inception almost a decade ago, the committee administering the project, which includes Professor James Kwesi Anquandah, have undertaken some field studies of historical and archaeological interest in Ussher Fort, Jemeni, Kasana, Salaga and the Abokobi area.
A couple of national and international conferences have been organised on slavery to garner ideas from local and international partners on how the phenomenon operated in the past, its impact and the lessons for the present.
The National Slave Route Project Committee, out of its efforts, has published the book “Trans Atlantic Slave Trade-Landmarks, Legacies and Expectations,” the proceedings of one of the international conferences, and the booklet “A Guidebook to the Major Pilgrimage Routes of Ghana,” while a map of the itineraries of the slave routes in the country has also been developed.
While commending the efforts of the former Minister of Tourism, Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, as well as the Chief Director of the ministry, Ms Bridget Katsriku, and the Coordinator of the Project, Mr E. V. Hagan, Prof. Anquandah, at the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, last month, pointed out that more work needed to be done as well as increased participation and co-operation of key ministries, such as the ministries of Finance, Information and Education.
These collaborative efforts will ensure the sustainability of the local project, and carry the project further in the researching and documenting of the legacies of religion, philosophy, music, dance, language, etc, taken to the new world and practised there.
It will also ensure the dissemination of information on initiatives and the sensitisation of everyone to the devastating effects of slavery on societies and economies to ensure its total abolition in all forms.
National and international efforts put in perspective the atrocities of the past, and make all sensitised enough to stand against all modern forms of slavery.
In the words of Koichiro Matsuura, “While we should never forget the atrocities committed in the past, we should be equally vigilant in seeking to abolish the contemporary forms of slavery that affect millions of men, women and children around the world. Despite the arsenal of international instruments created to combat the exploitation of human beings, as well as the growing awareness of forced labour and the sale and prostitution of children, the disturbing truth is that such flagrant violations of human rights continue. They are the scourge undermining the social fabric of many societies, which UNESCO is working with determination to end.”
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2008, PG 27
Imagine not knowing where the next meal for yourself and the children is coming from.
With no money to feed and clothe yourself or children, as well as no social or political connection at all to even get started, imagine also a promise from the blue, pregnant with opportunity.
The opportunity of travelling to a better country where conditions are much better, where finding a job is much easier, where earning good money is assured and even saving for a brighter future is a certainty.
For many people such opportunities are not thought through for a minute; they are jumped at!
Also invigorating is the opportunity of giving one’s children the basics in life that will set them on course to prosperous adulthood.
These are the scenarios that make parents give out their children for a pittance and forever, to fish in the Volta River and other coastal areas, or become servants to better off families in faraway countries.
These are also the circumstances that make parents leave their children and families behind, with the hope of a better future in sight.
Most often these opportunities end up in tears and disappointment for those who embarked on them as they end up at in places where they become worse off than before.
The deprivation of the past is compounded, while one loses all basic rights that underpin humanity and sanity.
These are modern forms of slavery that include human trafficking, child labour and forced servitude.
As social and economic derivatives were the impetus of slavery in the 15th Century, so also now, economic and social demands drive modern slavery.
Around the 15th Century when slavery started, it contradicted the fundamental rights of men and women.
Apart from that, as the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Mr Koichiro Matsuura, pointed out in his speech during the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition on August 23, 2008, slavery provoked “profound global, economic, social and cultural transformations.”
These long-lasting transformations and their consequences on the African continent resulted in the international recognition of slavery as “crime against humanity” in the declaration of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in Durban, South Africa.
Slavery now emerges in several subtle forms that are not as grotesque as the documentaries shown of the slave trade in the past, but the new forms of slavery are equally abhorrent.
Human trafficking, child labour, sexual exploitation of all kinds, etc, etc, are all modern forms of slavery in which victims may not be seen being physically hauled away in chains and ships, but they are seen going on their own volition.
However, behind the voluntariness of their choice are unseen emotional and mental pressures even as they surrender to all sorts of abuse and human rights violations.
In modern slavery, open forms of resistance are rarely seen, as victims under some social and economic pressures, succumb to dehumanising conditions.
It is to address wrong perceptions of slavery, past and present, its impact from the 15th Century, and how it operates in the contemporary world that UNESCO in 1994, launched its Slave Route Project.
The project seeks among other things to create a greater understanding of the slave trade and its consequences for modern societies in order to contribute to the establishment of a culture of tolerance, peaceful coexistence and respect for human rights, which underpin the mandate of UNESCO, according to Koichiro Matsuura.
The project will also increase awareness of the African presence around the world and highlight the contribution of the African Diaspora to the building of a new world.
Through research and the dissemination of information, a novelty under the project is the production of an Atlas of the Interaction of African Presence and its Heritage that will set out the indigenous African traditions, generated over the centuries and manifested in diverse cultural activities such as music, dance, crafts and festivals seen in Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas.
Under the project, UNESCO member states are to set up country slave route projects and Ghana’s was duly set up by the government in 1999 under the Ministry of Tourism.
Since its inception almost a decade ago, the committee administering the project, which includes Professor James Kwesi Anquandah, have undertaken some field studies of historical and archaeological interest in Ussher Fort, Jemeni, Kasana, Salaga and the Abokobi area.
A couple of national and international conferences have been organised on slavery to garner ideas from local and international partners on how the phenomenon operated in the past, its impact and the lessons for the present.
The National Slave Route Project Committee, out of its efforts, has published the book “Trans Atlantic Slave Trade-Landmarks, Legacies and Expectations,” the proceedings of one of the international conferences, and the booklet “A Guidebook to the Major Pilgrimage Routes of Ghana,” while a map of the itineraries of the slave routes in the country has also been developed.
While commending the efforts of the former Minister of Tourism, Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, as well as the Chief Director of the ministry, Ms Bridget Katsriku, and the Coordinator of the Project, Mr E. V. Hagan, Prof. Anquandah, at the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, last month, pointed out that more work needed to be done as well as increased participation and co-operation of key ministries, such as the ministries of Finance, Information and Education.
These collaborative efforts will ensure the sustainability of the local project, and carry the project further in the researching and documenting of the legacies of religion, philosophy, music, dance, language, etc, taken to the new world and practised there.
It will also ensure the dissemination of information on initiatives and the sensitisation of everyone to the devastating effects of slavery on societies and economies to ensure its total abolition in all forms.
National and international efforts put in perspective the atrocities of the past, and make all sensitised enough to stand against all modern forms of slavery.
In the words of Koichiro Matsuura, “While we should never forget the atrocities committed in the past, we should be equally vigilant in seeking to abolish the contemporary forms of slavery that affect millions of men, women and children around the world. Despite the arsenal of international instruments created to combat the exploitation of human beings, as well as the growing awareness of forced labour and the sale and prostitution of children, the disturbing truth is that such flagrant violations of human rights continue. They are the scourge undermining the social fabric of many societies, which UNESCO is working with determination to end.”
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2008, PG 27
WORKSHOP ON MINING OPENS
A three-day workshop is being held in Accra to sensitise partners in the extractive sector to a collaborative project by OXFAM America and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on a common mining code that has been drafted for the West African sub-region.
The workshop is expected to come up with specific activities that will help the 15-member countries of ECOWAS to achieve a harmonised system of regulations and laws for the sector in the sub-region.
The drafted code is expected to help member countries to adhere to uniform standards, created in collaboration with, as well as the participation of, governments, citizens and civil society organisations and increase the protection of human rights and the environment, while promoting investment.
The objective of a harmonised mining code for the sub-region is in line with the integration objectives of ECOWAS. It will also have as a primary objective the facilitation of civil society in contributing to the process of a common mining policy that takes into consideration the needs of the poor, sustenance of the environment and the protection of human rights, while at the same time making governments and mining companies accountable through good governance practices.
Opening the workshop, Mr Daniel Owusu-Koranteng of the Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM) noted that most mineral-endowed countries in the region were competing for investments.
He said the keen competition had resulted in the weakening of laws and standards because some countries had had to make concessions to attract the investments.
Mr Owusu-Koranteng said the result was environmental degradation, abuse of the rights of communities and conflicts, a situation that he termed “a race to the bottom”.
To end the unhealthy competition for investments, he said, there was the need for a harmonised system of rules and regulations that could help raise environmental standards and protect the interest of people living in mining communities.
He said with a harmonised system of laws, there would also be the opportunity to include best international practices in the sector in the sub-region.
Mrs Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, a facilitator, in her presentation, showed that mining in the country, despite its contributions, had also had some social costs that outweighed the contributions made by the sector.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2008, PG 50
The workshop is expected to come up with specific activities that will help the 15-member countries of ECOWAS to achieve a harmonised system of regulations and laws for the sector in the sub-region.
The drafted code is expected to help member countries to adhere to uniform standards, created in collaboration with, as well as the participation of, governments, citizens and civil society organisations and increase the protection of human rights and the environment, while promoting investment.
The objective of a harmonised mining code for the sub-region is in line with the integration objectives of ECOWAS. It will also have as a primary objective the facilitation of civil society in contributing to the process of a common mining policy that takes into consideration the needs of the poor, sustenance of the environment and the protection of human rights, while at the same time making governments and mining companies accountable through good governance practices.
Opening the workshop, Mr Daniel Owusu-Koranteng of the Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM) noted that most mineral-endowed countries in the region were competing for investments.
He said the keen competition had resulted in the weakening of laws and standards because some countries had had to make concessions to attract the investments.
Mr Owusu-Koranteng said the result was environmental degradation, abuse of the rights of communities and conflicts, a situation that he termed “a race to the bottom”.
To end the unhealthy competition for investments, he said, there was the need for a harmonised system of rules and regulations that could help raise environmental standards and protect the interest of people living in mining communities.
He said with a harmonised system of laws, there would also be the opportunity to include best international practices in the sector in the sub-region.
Mrs Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, a facilitator, in her presentation, showed that mining in the country, despite its contributions, had also had some social costs that outweighed the contributions made by the sector.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2008, PG 50
LABOUR CONSULTANT OPPOSES AMENDMENT OF LABOUR ACT
A labour consultant, Mr Austin Gamey, has opposed calls from some employers, labour unions and social partners for some amendments to be made to the Labour Act 2003.
Mr Gamey said the law did not need any amendment but that what was required for its effective implementation was the institution of a culture of best practices which could be achieved if the courts and all industrial relations partners showed commitment to the law.
He said the experience of countries with labour laws made it clear that it was not practical to easily introduce amendments to labour laws, as that could water down the intent and purpose of the laws.
“Rather, if judges will painstakingly go through the law, as well as research and help fashion out best practices for the industry, these will, in turn, become the culture and then there will be no need to amend the law,” he told the Daily Graphic.
He said the current industrial relations environment needed judges and lawyers to go through “painstaking research” and not “the 17th century ideas” used in legal decisions.
Apart from the vital role of the judiciary in giving full expression to the Labour Law, Mr Gamey was of the view that employers and unions, through their commitment to relate in a non-adversarial manner, could take advantage of other provisions in the law to get over the provisions that posed challenges.
For instance, on Section 17 of the Labour Act which is on the notice of termination of employment, he said employers and unions could rely on Section 19 and introduce in their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations provisions to ensure conformity with Section 62 that set out fair termination of employment.
Section 17 of the act provides that “a contract of employment may be terminated at any time by either party giving to the other party, in the case of a contract of three years or more, one month’s notice or one month’s pay in lieu of notice; in the case of a contract of less than three years two weeks’ notice or two weeks’ pay in lieu of notice; or in the case of contract from week to week seven days’ notice,” while Section 19 states that “the provisions of sections 15, 16, 17, and 18 are not applicable where, in a collective agreement, there are express provisions with respect to the terms and conditions for termination of the contract of employment which are more beneficial to the worker”.
Section 62 states that “A termination of a worker’s employment is fair if the contract of employment is terminated by the employer on any of the following grounds: That the worker is incompetent or lacks the qualification in relation to the work for which the worker is employed; the proven misconduct of the worker; redundancy and the imposition of legal restrictions on the worker prohibiting the worker from performing the work for which he or she is employed.”
“If voluntarily employers and unions will take advantage of Section 19, then Section 17 will not apply,” he pointed out.
Other provisions of the law that, to him, posed challenges were sections 15 and 16 that were on the grounds for the termination of employment and the types of employment contracts, respectively.
For Mr Gamey, those provisions, particularly Section 17, were leaned on by employers when they initiated the termination of employment and judges reinforced it when those cases came before them because the section derived from the common law, saying that was the reason for the agitation by labour unions for amendments.
However, all that those provisions needed were some insertions to make the intent of the law clearer, which could be in the form of the judiciary giving clarity on best practices that could become the organisational culture in decisions on industrial relations, he added.
The Daily Graphic, in its Monday, September 15, 2008 issue, reported that organised labour and the Ghana Employers Association (GEA) had called for amendments to some sections of the labour law, particularly sections on the termination of employment and the unionisation of workers.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2008, PG 50
Mr Gamey said the law did not need any amendment but that what was required for its effective implementation was the institution of a culture of best practices which could be achieved if the courts and all industrial relations partners showed commitment to the law.
He said the experience of countries with labour laws made it clear that it was not practical to easily introduce amendments to labour laws, as that could water down the intent and purpose of the laws.
“Rather, if judges will painstakingly go through the law, as well as research and help fashion out best practices for the industry, these will, in turn, become the culture and then there will be no need to amend the law,” he told the Daily Graphic.
He said the current industrial relations environment needed judges and lawyers to go through “painstaking research” and not “the 17th century ideas” used in legal decisions.
Apart from the vital role of the judiciary in giving full expression to the Labour Law, Mr Gamey was of the view that employers and unions, through their commitment to relate in a non-adversarial manner, could take advantage of other provisions in the law to get over the provisions that posed challenges.
For instance, on Section 17 of the Labour Act which is on the notice of termination of employment, he said employers and unions could rely on Section 19 and introduce in their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations provisions to ensure conformity with Section 62 that set out fair termination of employment.
Section 17 of the act provides that “a contract of employment may be terminated at any time by either party giving to the other party, in the case of a contract of three years or more, one month’s notice or one month’s pay in lieu of notice; in the case of a contract of less than three years two weeks’ notice or two weeks’ pay in lieu of notice; or in the case of contract from week to week seven days’ notice,” while Section 19 states that “the provisions of sections 15, 16, 17, and 18 are not applicable where, in a collective agreement, there are express provisions with respect to the terms and conditions for termination of the contract of employment which are more beneficial to the worker”.
Section 62 states that “A termination of a worker’s employment is fair if the contract of employment is terminated by the employer on any of the following grounds: That the worker is incompetent or lacks the qualification in relation to the work for which the worker is employed; the proven misconduct of the worker; redundancy and the imposition of legal restrictions on the worker prohibiting the worker from performing the work for which he or she is employed.”
“If voluntarily employers and unions will take advantage of Section 19, then Section 17 will not apply,” he pointed out.
Other provisions of the law that, to him, posed challenges were sections 15 and 16 that were on the grounds for the termination of employment and the types of employment contracts, respectively.
For Mr Gamey, those provisions, particularly Section 17, were leaned on by employers when they initiated the termination of employment and judges reinforced it when those cases came before them because the section derived from the common law, saying that was the reason for the agitation by labour unions for amendments.
However, all that those provisions needed were some insertions to make the intent of the law clearer, which could be in the form of the judiciary giving clarity on best practices that could become the organisational culture in decisions on industrial relations, he added.
The Daily Graphic, in its Monday, September 15, 2008 issue, reported that organised labour and the Ghana Employers Association (GEA) had called for amendments to some sections of the labour law, particularly sections on the termination of employment and the unionisation of workers.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2008, PG 50
PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS MUST NOT BE TOLERATED-ODURO
A senior citizen, Prof Kwabena Konadu Oduro, has advocated for a political arrangement in which any person solely claiming politics as his or her only profession would not be given the mandate by people to lead.
He said the cause of tension and violence in the political arena could be attributed to many people calling themselves politicians and had no other claim to any profession than politics.
“Currently in Ghana, many people calling themselves politicians had no other claim to any profession than politics and that was the cause of tension and violence as such people believed if they did not win political power then that was the end for them,” he told the Daily Graphic in an interview.
Prof Oduro, who is the Chairman of the Office of Accountability (OA), was sharing his personal views on the elections insisted “if one’s claim to a profession was only in politics then the person was not the right material for political leadership.”
He said the claim by some people that they were professional politicians had brought in its wake heated political atmosphere, in which all Ghanaians were “politicking wrongly.”
“Some Ghanaians were inciting violence in a bid to have the upper hand in their campaigns,” he added.
He proposed that time was up to institute a political system that would ban anyone identified for inciting violence from further participation in any political activity.
On the country’s oil finds, Prof Oduro, who is a bio chemist by profession , suggested the use of funds accruing from the oil into investments in solar energy.
He said although the oil was a non renewable source, solar was not.
Outlining how the country could go about the investment in solar energy, he suggested the use the country’s bauxite for the production of solar panels that would also create jobs.
These would then be deployed in the districts for every household in the rural area to benefit from this source of energy.
He said the traditional sources of the country’s energy like the Akosombo Hydro Electric Plant could be channelled into industrial use while the deployment of solar energy is built up from the rural areas to the urban until every household in Ghana was covered.
He said such an action would ensure that long before the last oil was drawn out, the country would have a solid energy investment in solar energy which was sure to be the last source of energy to flicker out.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2008, PG 17
He said the cause of tension and violence in the political arena could be attributed to many people calling themselves politicians and had no other claim to any profession than politics.
“Currently in Ghana, many people calling themselves politicians had no other claim to any profession than politics and that was the cause of tension and violence as such people believed if they did not win political power then that was the end for them,” he told the Daily Graphic in an interview.
Prof Oduro, who is the Chairman of the Office of Accountability (OA), was sharing his personal views on the elections insisted “if one’s claim to a profession was only in politics then the person was not the right material for political leadership.”
He said the claim by some people that they were professional politicians had brought in its wake heated political atmosphere, in which all Ghanaians were “politicking wrongly.”
“Some Ghanaians were inciting violence in a bid to have the upper hand in their campaigns,” he added.
He proposed that time was up to institute a political system that would ban anyone identified for inciting violence from further participation in any political activity.
On the country’s oil finds, Prof Oduro, who is a bio chemist by profession , suggested the use of funds accruing from the oil into investments in solar energy.
He said although the oil was a non renewable source, solar was not.
Outlining how the country could go about the investment in solar energy, he suggested the use the country’s bauxite for the production of solar panels that would also create jobs.
These would then be deployed in the districts for every household in the rural area to benefit from this source of energy.
He said the traditional sources of the country’s energy like the Akosombo Hydro Electric Plant could be channelled into industrial use while the deployment of solar energy is built up from the rural areas to the urban until every household in Ghana was covered.
He said such an action would ensure that long before the last oil was drawn out, the country would have a solid energy investment in solar energy which was sure to be the last source of energy to flicker out.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2008, PG 17
UNPUBLISHED, SUBMITTED, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2008
A Labour Consultant, Mr Austin Gamey, has advocated a mandatory mediation programme for particularly the dominant political parties as a way of dealing with violence and tension that has characterised some of their political campaigns and activities.
He said one disappointment for him, since intense political campaigns started with some reported cases of violence was the fact that most Ghanaians merely talked about the violence without offering solutions.
He was sure that if political parties will commit themselves to the mediation process, there will be no more cases of violence till the voting day and that will also pass peacefully.
Mediation is a non-confrontational method of resolving conflicts and disagreements among parties and is being applied in some cases at the courts.
Mr Gamey was sure that given the opportunity and the commitment by political parties, the association of mediators and arbitrators in Ghana, could in less than a month take some leaders and supporters of political parties through a process of sensitisation.
This would include sensitising them to chose various alternative actions for reform and transformation from violent acts to peaceful ones, sensitising them on various scenarios that could bring about peace or violence and appropriate acts to take and sensitising them on how “to use language to engage in conversations” for peace as well as the consequence of the misuse of language.
Mr Gamey was of the view that it was still possible for political parties to undertake this exercise, despite the fact that it was just about two months and some weeks to the election.
He said the country could be divided into about four or five zones then the mediation programme would be done within a week in each zone for the identified political leadership and some supporters.
He said after the programme of mediation which would be transformational, participants would pass on the transformation to others in their constituencies and that would trickle down to affect the attitudes of all.
Mr Gamey also proposed that the Electoral Commission and non-governmental organisations could together put together a mediation programme for all political parties to guarantee peace prior to and during the elections.
He said one disappointment for him, since intense political campaigns started with some reported cases of violence was the fact that most Ghanaians merely talked about the violence without offering solutions.
He was sure that if political parties will commit themselves to the mediation process, there will be no more cases of violence till the voting day and that will also pass peacefully.
Mediation is a non-confrontational method of resolving conflicts and disagreements among parties and is being applied in some cases at the courts.
Mr Gamey was sure that given the opportunity and the commitment by political parties, the association of mediators and arbitrators in Ghana, could in less than a month take some leaders and supporters of political parties through a process of sensitisation.
This would include sensitising them to chose various alternative actions for reform and transformation from violent acts to peaceful ones, sensitising them on various scenarios that could bring about peace or violence and appropriate acts to take and sensitising them on how “to use language to engage in conversations” for peace as well as the consequence of the misuse of language.
Mr Gamey was of the view that it was still possible for political parties to undertake this exercise, despite the fact that it was just about two months and some weeks to the election.
He said the country could be divided into about four or five zones then the mediation programme would be done within a week in each zone for the identified political leadership and some supporters.
He said after the programme of mediation which would be transformational, participants would pass on the transformation to others in their constituencies and that would trickle down to affect the attitudes of all.
Mr Gamey also proposed that the Electoral Commission and non-governmental organisations could together put together a mediation programme for all political parties to guarantee peace prior to and during the elections.
LEGON HALL HONOURS 200 ALUMNI, FELLOWS
the premier hall of residence of the University of Ghana, Legon Hall, has honoured 200 alumni and fellows of the hall as part of celebrations to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the university.
Some distinguished fellows of the hall who were given medals were Prof S. K. B. Asante, an academician and management consultant, Prof Sakyi Awuku Amoa of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) and the managing directors of the Trust Bank and the Ghana Commercial Bank, Messrs Isaac Owusu Himeng and Lawrence Adu-Mante, respectively.
Dr Edward Nasigre Mahama, Prof Evans Atta Mills and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, all alumni of the hall, who were also billed to be honoured did not show up.
A significant part of the function was the unveiling of a marble structure bearing a cockerel and engraved with the names of all alumni, former masters, tutors and fellows of the hall.
A former resident of Legon Hall and retired diplomat, Mr Ebenezer M. Debrah, addressing the students, said discipline, commitment and adherence to rules were the cardinal principles that students must adopt to set them on the right course to adulthood.
Mr Debrah, who represented Mr J. H. Mensah, who was the first Junior Common Room (JCR) President of the hall, recounted how the foundational principles for adulthood had been inculcated in them as students of the hall. “We learnt discipline at Legon Hall,” he said, and went on to recount how he had been denied his meal because he had opted to take dessert first.
He said he was told that desserts were taken after meals and so if he had taken it before, it meant he did not want the meal.
That lesson had helped him later as a diplomat and he was able to also pass on the experience to other diplomats, he added.
He said from his experience as Chairman of the Civil Service Council, it was clear that Legon Hall had made many contributions in the service of the country by the calibre of students that came out of the hall.
In a goodwill message, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof C. N. B. Tagoe, said the motto of the hall: “To whom much is given, much is expected”, had been lived out by students of the hall since September 1952 when the first batch of students of the hall graduated.
He asked that the spirit of camaraderie between alumni and students would continue for the young ones to learn and imbibe the dedication and hard work that characterised those who passed out of the hall.
The Hall Master, Rev Dr Abraham Akrong, expressed the hope that the excellence the hall was celebrating would be diligently passed on to the younger generation.
A past Hall Tutor, Prof E. Laing, who chaired the programme, expressed his appreciation to all for making the success of the hall possible.
Some distinguished fellows of the hall who were given medals were Prof S. K. B. Asante, an academician and management consultant, Prof Sakyi Awuku Amoa of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) and the managing directors of the Trust Bank and the Ghana Commercial Bank, Messrs Isaac Owusu Himeng and Lawrence Adu-Mante, respectively.
Dr Edward Nasigre Mahama, Prof Evans Atta Mills and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, all alumni of the hall, who were also billed to be honoured did not show up.
A significant part of the function was the unveiling of a marble structure bearing a cockerel and engraved with the names of all alumni, former masters, tutors and fellows of the hall.
A former resident of Legon Hall and retired diplomat, Mr Ebenezer M. Debrah, addressing the students, said discipline, commitment and adherence to rules were the cardinal principles that students must adopt to set them on the right course to adulthood.
Mr Debrah, who represented Mr J. H. Mensah, who was the first Junior Common Room (JCR) President of the hall, recounted how the foundational principles for adulthood had been inculcated in them as students of the hall. “We learnt discipline at Legon Hall,” he said, and went on to recount how he had been denied his meal because he had opted to take dessert first.
He said he was told that desserts were taken after meals and so if he had taken it before, it meant he did not want the meal.
That lesson had helped him later as a diplomat and he was able to also pass on the experience to other diplomats, he added.
He said from his experience as Chairman of the Civil Service Council, it was clear that Legon Hall had made many contributions in the service of the country by the calibre of students that came out of the hall.
In a goodwill message, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof C. N. B. Tagoe, said the motto of the hall: “To whom much is given, much is expected”, had been lived out by students of the hall since September 1952 when the first batch of students of the hall graduated.
He asked that the spirit of camaraderie between alumni and students would continue for the young ones to learn and imbibe the dedication and hard work that characterised those who passed out of the hall.
The Hall Master, Rev Dr Abraham Akrong, expressed the hope that the excellence the hall was celebrating would be diligently passed on to the younger generation.
A past Hall Tutor, Prof E. Laing, who chaired the programme, expressed his appreciation to all for making the success of the hall possible.
BOSSMAN EXPLAINS WHY SHE DECLINED RUNNING MATE SLOT
THE acting Commissioner of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Ms Anna Bossman, has explained that she declined the running mate slot of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) because it is her desire to continue serving the country in a non-partisan way.
She said her refusal would in no way curtail the efforts of advocates for the greater participation of women in political power but rather draw the attention of political parties to the Women’s Manifesto launched in the country about four years ago.
The Women’s Manifesto urges parties to build the capacities of women from the grass roots and that is what she believes most political parties have failed to do.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Ms Bossman said she was honoured to have been approached to consider the position of running mate of the flag bearer of the CPP, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, as it meant that some qualities and attributes she possessed might have informed their decision.
She said she had never been partisan, particularly in the performance of her duties at CHRAJ, an institution that required a non-partisan stance.
“Perhaps if I had been a politician or been aligned to any political party, it would have been much easier for me to decide when I was approached,” she added with a smile.
Ms Bossman said although all the political parties were making the “right noises” about their willingness to take women as running mates, they were not actively working to ensure that.
“There is a strategy to be followed, as laid out in the Women’s’ Manifesto, in the preparation and acceptance by women for political positions such as the vice presidential slot,” she stressed, but said that had not been adhered to by any party.
She said if political parties were committed to the greater participation of women, they should have long ago started implementing some of the suggestions in the Women’s Manifesto that included building the capacities of women at all levels.
Ms Bossman said if that had happened, no one would have chosen a woman to run as vice-president but that women themselves would have clamoured for the position.
She was also of the view that it was not for women to aspire to take up only the vice presidential slot but the presidential slot itself.
“All the political parties must go back and look at the Women’s’ Manifesto,” Ms Bossman said.
On the publication in the Monday, September 22, 2008 issue of The Heritage claiming that her refusal was because she was a single mother, Ms Bossman said if she had been thinking about that she would not have even worked at CHRAJ.
She said being a single mother did not in any way affect a woman’s ability to serve in a position, as all it required was the commitment to do a particular job well.
She said she was happy at the moment to be working at CHRAJ and expressed the hope that the activities of CHRAJ would go a long way to entrench the respect of human rights and democracy in the country.
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2008, PG 17
She said her refusal would in no way curtail the efforts of advocates for the greater participation of women in political power but rather draw the attention of political parties to the Women’s Manifesto launched in the country about four years ago.
The Women’s Manifesto urges parties to build the capacities of women from the grass roots and that is what she believes most political parties have failed to do.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Ms Bossman said she was honoured to have been approached to consider the position of running mate of the flag bearer of the CPP, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, as it meant that some qualities and attributes she possessed might have informed their decision.
She said she had never been partisan, particularly in the performance of her duties at CHRAJ, an institution that required a non-partisan stance.
“Perhaps if I had been a politician or been aligned to any political party, it would have been much easier for me to decide when I was approached,” she added with a smile.
Ms Bossman said although all the political parties were making the “right noises” about their willingness to take women as running mates, they were not actively working to ensure that.
“There is a strategy to be followed, as laid out in the Women’s’ Manifesto, in the preparation and acceptance by women for political positions such as the vice presidential slot,” she stressed, but said that had not been adhered to by any party.
She said if political parties were committed to the greater participation of women, they should have long ago started implementing some of the suggestions in the Women’s Manifesto that included building the capacities of women at all levels.
Ms Bossman said if that had happened, no one would have chosen a woman to run as vice-president but that women themselves would have clamoured for the position.
She was also of the view that it was not for women to aspire to take up only the vice presidential slot but the presidential slot itself.
“All the political parties must go back and look at the Women’s’ Manifesto,” Ms Bossman said.
On the publication in the Monday, September 22, 2008 issue of The Heritage claiming that her refusal was because she was a single mother, Ms Bossman said if she had been thinking about that she would not have even worked at CHRAJ.
She said being a single mother did not in any way affect a woman’s ability to serve in a position, as all it required was the commitment to do a particular job well.
She said she was happy at the moment to be working at CHRAJ and expressed the hope that the activities of CHRAJ would go a long way to entrench the respect of human rights and democracy in the country.
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2008, PG 17
CHRAJ TO MONITOR ELECTIONS
For the first time in its history, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) will this year take part in the monitoring and observation of the general elections on December 7, 2008.
Consequently the Electoral Commission (EC) is taking some officials of CHRAJ in 10 regional and 99 district offices through a series of seminars to fulfil that mission.
The focus of the initiative is to monitor the way and manner the election is conducted by all partners to ensure that the civic right of no Ghanaian is abused.
The acting Commissioner of CHRAJ, Ms Anna Bossman, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, said for instance officials of CHRAJ would report on cases of abuse where a voter with the requisite voter identity card and having his or her name in the register is for some reason prevented from voting.
These reports would be collated from all constituencies and, according to Ms Bossman, CHRAJ’s report would be the result of an independent and non-partisan approach that would help in the entrenchment of lessons necessary for democratic growth.
Apart from reporting on instances of abuse of rights during voting, voters aggrieved in any way on that day can resort to the grievance procedure of the EC. If the person is not satisfied, he or she could still lodge a complaint with CHRAJ and it would look into the complaint.
On abuses during campaigns like the assault on one of the security details of the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC’s) flag bearer, Prof. Evans Atta Mills, Mrs Bossman said care needed to be taken to differentiate assault, which is a criminal issue, from a human rights abuse.
He said the alleged assault was a criminal matter that needed to be reported to the police. However, if the police by their action or inaction tried to cover up the matter, then that would constitute the abuse of a right and a complaint could be lodged with the Commission to look into it.
DAILY GRAPHIC, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2008, PG 17
Consequently the Electoral Commission (EC) is taking some officials of CHRAJ in 10 regional and 99 district offices through a series of seminars to fulfil that mission.
The focus of the initiative is to monitor the way and manner the election is conducted by all partners to ensure that the civic right of no Ghanaian is abused.
The acting Commissioner of CHRAJ, Ms Anna Bossman, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, said for instance officials of CHRAJ would report on cases of abuse where a voter with the requisite voter identity card and having his or her name in the register is for some reason prevented from voting.
These reports would be collated from all constituencies and, according to Ms Bossman, CHRAJ’s report would be the result of an independent and non-partisan approach that would help in the entrenchment of lessons necessary for democratic growth.
Apart from reporting on instances of abuse of rights during voting, voters aggrieved in any way on that day can resort to the grievance procedure of the EC. If the person is not satisfied, he or she could still lodge a complaint with CHRAJ and it would look into the complaint.
On abuses during campaigns like the assault on one of the security details of the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC’s) flag bearer, Prof. Evans Atta Mills, Mrs Bossman said care needed to be taken to differentiate assault, which is a criminal issue, from a human rights abuse.
He said the alleged assault was a criminal matter that needed to be reported to the police. However, if the police by their action or inaction tried to cover up the matter, then that would constitute the abuse of a right and a complaint could be lodged with the Commission to look into it.
DAILY GRAPHIC, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2008, PG 17
POLICE WON'T COMPROMISE ON SECURITY-AYITEY
THE Madina Divisional Police Command has said it will not compromise on security during or after the elections.
It has, therefore, asked all political parties in the district to submit their campaign activities to enable the police better prepare in providing security and ensuring peace during the period.
The Divisional Commander, Chief Superintedent Paul Ayitey, said this at a forum for political parties in the Ga East and Adenta Municipal assemblies.
“The police affirm its position to be neutral, but will stand fair and firm in enforcing the laws,” he told participants at the meeting.
Chief Superintendent Ayitey asked the parties to be guided by the Political Parties Act and their Code of Conduct, while using appropriate means to settle differences.
The Municipal Director of the National Commission of Civic Education (NCCE), Mr Kwao Sackey, in advising all partners in the election process, charged leadership of political parties to sensitise their followers to the fact that political leadership could not rule over the dead but the living, hence the need for peace.
He urged that once political leadership had chosen to lead, a characteristic that qualified it for the position was its obedience to the rules and laws of the communities.
Mr Sackey advised political parties to come together and plan joint activities of sensitisation for the electorate in the district to show to their supporters the importance of unity and peace in the election process.
He said while all political party leaders told their supporters to vote for them, they did not, however, teach them how to vote, resulting in spoilt ballots and wrong perceptions of vote rigging.
The Municipal Electoral Officer, Mr Michael Boadu, expressed the commitment of the Electoral Commission (EC) to conducting a credible election, but asked political parties to play their part in the process.
The Chief Imam at Madina, Sheikh Abdallah Shaibu, said the EC had organised four elections, therefore, the lapses encountered in the recent voter registration exercise was shameful.
He asked the EC to ensure that all materials had reached polling centres on time on the election day, while charging all Ghanaians to use the voting process as a show of patriotism and not of violence.
Other speakers at the forum were executive members, aspiring parliamentary candidates and sitting Members of Parliament in the area.
Nii Afutu Brempong III, the Chief of Danfa, chaired the functions.
It has, therefore, asked all political parties in the district to submit their campaign activities to enable the police better prepare in providing security and ensuring peace during the period.
The Divisional Commander, Chief Superintedent Paul Ayitey, said this at a forum for political parties in the Ga East and Adenta Municipal assemblies.
“The police affirm its position to be neutral, but will stand fair and firm in enforcing the laws,” he told participants at the meeting.
Chief Superintendent Ayitey asked the parties to be guided by the Political Parties Act and their Code of Conduct, while using appropriate means to settle differences.
The Municipal Director of the National Commission of Civic Education (NCCE), Mr Kwao Sackey, in advising all partners in the election process, charged leadership of political parties to sensitise their followers to the fact that political leadership could not rule over the dead but the living, hence the need for peace.
He urged that once political leadership had chosen to lead, a characteristic that qualified it for the position was its obedience to the rules and laws of the communities.
Mr Sackey advised political parties to come together and plan joint activities of sensitisation for the electorate in the district to show to their supporters the importance of unity and peace in the election process.
He said while all political party leaders told their supporters to vote for them, they did not, however, teach them how to vote, resulting in spoilt ballots and wrong perceptions of vote rigging.
The Municipal Electoral Officer, Mr Michael Boadu, expressed the commitment of the Electoral Commission (EC) to conducting a credible election, but asked political parties to play their part in the process.
The Chief Imam at Madina, Sheikh Abdallah Shaibu, said the EC had organised four elections, therefore, the lapses encountered in the recent voter registration exercise was shameful.
He asked the EC to ensure that all materials had reached polling centres on time on the election day, while charging all Ghanaians to use the voting process as a show of patriotism and not of violence.
Other speakers at the forum were executive members, aspiring parliamentary candidates and sitting Members of Parliament in the area.
Nii Afutu Brempong III, the Chief of Danfa, chaired the functions.
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